A LONG-held ambition to improve transport links across England’s largest county has been dealt a blow as a legally protected route for a new road was abandoned.

Leading members of North Yorkshire County Council heard there was little alternative to dropping the Harrogate Northern Relief Road route, which had been protected since the 1990s partly to improve travel times between the east and west of the county.

Cutting journey times on the A59, which is the only major road running between the A1(M) and the M6 between Scotch Corner and south of Leeds, counts among the authority’s priorities as it is seen as key to boosting the local economy.

The authority’s executive was told a planning application had been submitted for a housing estate on the preferred route near Knaresborough and the developer intended to appeal if the council tried to protect the route.

Councillors heard as part of an ongoing study into cutting congestion in Harrogate and Knaresborough, it had been found the Harrogate Northern Relief Road route would have little effect.

Officers said that finding made it “impossible to win” a legal battle over the land with the developer and attempting to retain the route could see the authority with a £200,000 legal bill.

In addition, officers said there was no alternative route for the relief road in the area that did not involve the demolition of a large number of properties.

Councillor Andrew Lee, the authority’s economic development boss, emphasised the move would not affect decisions over the siting of an inner relief road, which has generated controversy due to proposals’ proximity to Nidd Gorge.

However, Harrogate member Councillor Paul Haslam questioned whether the authority was being “premature” in abandoning the preferred relief road route.

The council’s business and environmental director David Bowe replied: “In the 1990s we had evidence and now we have got further evidence that this road is so expensive to build and the benefit of building it would be so little for the communities it bypasses. It would benefit Knaresborough, but it wouldn’t benefit Harrogate at all. All the developers have to say is you are never going to build this road because it is not viable.”

After the meeting, executive member Councillor Michael Harrison said the council remained committed to creating a bypass at Killinghall.

He said: “Today’s decision doesn’t bring any road-building any closer, it removes a line on a map that we’re acknowledging would never be built. Only ten per cent of the traffic coming through Harrogate is east to west or west to east traffic.”