Senior councillors have spoken of their frustration that "a few people who don’t like something" had been able to hold up the £14.3m Harrogate Station Gateway scheme.
Senior members of North Yorkshire Council voted to press ahead with the project, which aims to improve sustainable transport links and public areas around the town’s railway station.
The decision was taken despite an ongoing legal battle with a Harrogate campaign group.
The executive committee meeting heard that the group, Get Away, had been granted permission for the Court of Appeal to review a High Court decision to dismiss its legal challenge against traffic regulation orders made as part of the scheme.
But councillors heard legal advice that they could still use the original High Court decision to sign contracts for the improvement work and agree funding with West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) and the York & North Yorkshire Combined Authority.
Councillor Simon Myers, executive member for culture, the arts, leisure and housing, said:
“The ability of a few people who don’t like something to throw every possible stone under the wheels is absolutely staggering.
“Here’s a project that’s been developed over time that has the support of people who are elected by the residents of Harrogate to deliver for them and if we didn’t make this decision today, there is every chance it would simply hit the buffers and the residents of Harrogate would lose out on £12m worth of investment.”
Cllr Myers said he hoped the Court of Appeal agreed with councillors and that “substantial costs will be awarded against those who are standing in the way of this”.
Councillor Heather Phillips, executive member for corporate services, added:
“It’s a shame when a few people can frustrate a project that will help so many more.
“I think we owe it to the vast majority of people who do in fact support such projects and investment, which will improve Harrogate, to get on with.
“I’m confident that if a judge has said we’re on the right track, then we should keep going.”
Karl Battersby, corporate director of business and environmental services, said the decision made by the executive was a “milestone” for the scheme.
He added:
“This is probably one of the most significant investments that’s been made in Harrogate in recent times.
“It seeks to refresh the public realm in the centre of the scheme, provide a much better gateway from the station into the town centre and help support more active modes of travel.
“There are improvements in here for cyclists and pedestrians, but also much better access to the bus station and indeed improved traffic flow and journey times for a complementary mover scheme, which is looking to be introduced as part of the scheme.”
Get Away, which was launched by several Harrogate businesses, has claimed the Gateway scheme was not needed and would damage businesses in the area.
The project is being funded predominantly through the Government’s Transforming Cities Fund (TCF).
North Yorkshire Council was originally awarded £38m to deliver schemes in Harrogate, Selby and Skipton, with work already underway on the Skipton improvements and Selby due to start this winter.
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