At a meeting of the council’s Conservative-run executive in Northallerton this morning, executive member for highways Keane Duncan said there was a “collective will” at the council to secure the “£11m prize” from government in order to deliver a transport scheme in Harrogate.

The original plans included a single-lane Station Parade to build cycle lanes, part-pedestrianising James Street and overhauling Station Square.

A report that went before councillors today said North Yorkshire Council may now focus on the most popular aspects of the scheme but there is no mention of active travel or cycling.

It adds that the project was likely to have been scaled-back due to inflationary pressures so some of the changes may have taken place anyway.

Other options are continuing with the scheme as it is, which may bring more legal peril for the council, or scrapping it entirely.

The council paused the project last month due to a legal challenge from Hornbeam Park Developments.

Cllr Duncan said today: “There is a collective will across the council that we try and secure investment for Harrogate, this is an £11m prize. It’s right we don’t kill off the Gateway at this point in time, it is important we take a step back to look at all of the options and see what is deliverable.

“Let’s secure investment, not for investment’s sake, we should exhaust all options to find a way forward.”

Councillors agreed to allow officers to work on detailed options for the scheme.

A decision on what the council intends to do is expected before November but time is running out as the government has said the money must be spent before March 2025.

Attempts to rescue the £11.2m Harrogate Station Gateway scheme