Traders force council climb down over roadworks

North Yorkshire County Council planned to dig up Ripon’s Market Place and Kirkgate for eight weeks of repairs.

The council’s contractors were set to start work on Monday, November 1, and continue without a break through the rest of the month and December.

The Ripon Retail Forum, made up of local businesses, and Ripon Area Chamber of Trade reacted with anger and it has forced a climb down by the council.

Now the roadworks will start on Monday as planned but they will stop on November 13, to allow the Remembrance Day service to take place.

They will then not start again until February or March and so will mss the Christmas period when the local businesses will expect bumper crowds.

Anthony Blackburn, chairman of the retail forum, said: "There was the possibility that we would lose the busiest eight weeks of trading in the year.

"We contacted the local county councillors and spoke to Julian Smith, the Ripon and Skipton MP, about it.

"He wrote to the county council about this but the council had already asked the contractors to start on Monday.

"So the best compromise we could come up with was to stop on November 13 and then not start again until February.

"If it had not been for the efforts of local business leaders and businesses then we would have been staring down the barrel of roadworks in the peak period.

"If you have issues with parking and the problems getting round the town then people might go elsewhere instead to shop."

County councillor Gareth Dadd, executive member for highways, said the work was essential repairs.

He said: "We are anxious to do all we can to ensure that Ripon’s economy does not suffer as a result. We feel it is essential to do all we can to minimise the impact on local businesses.

"Following representations from the local business community about the possible negative effects in the run-up to Christmas, we have decided to take immediate steps to address their concerns."