Letter: Address Harrogate’s housing problem now

I was very impressed to read of the plans to transform Flaxby Golf Course, and make it a village with proposed plans for 2,500 homes. I also very much share Coun Helen Flynn’s concerns for the infrastructure, and particularly the A59. It would to me seem a good idea to make the road a dual carriageway, this would not only help with the traffic matters that will come with the extra housing, but would also help us out when travelling in that area. I would like to suggest that, the whole road is made dual carriageway, and then follow that through to the A658 right through to the airport.

The train goes past this area and so a stop could quite easily be put in. Both Harrogate and Knaresborough are in desperate need for housing, and in particular for the affordable sector, since it was suggested that some 40 per cent of the homes would be affordable it should make a start dealing with the problem that we have regarding the homeless.

I work as a taxi driver and frequently have to travel along Skipton Road so I realise from experience of the traffic what the local people are concerned about, so I now feel that there should not be any housing in that area.

If we don’t make a start now, and address the issues of housing, in five or 10 years from now we are going to have an even bigger problem than we already have.

Andrew Thompson

Mount Gardens, Harrogate