Hammerton Greenway Green Hammerton and Thorpe Underwood

It is proposed to construct a Greenway from Green Hammerton to Thorpe Underwood. The village of Green Hammerton is located adjacent to the A59 between Harrogate and York. A location plan of the route is shown heavily dotted on the map above.

The 1.7 km route will be suitable for cyclists, walkers, wheelchair and mobility scooter users. The surface will be durable all-weather crushed stone, up to 2m wide, with mown verges either side, giving a total width of 5m. The majority of the route will be an upgrade to existing farm track and public footpath; 2 sections, some 600m in total, create a new route.

The route is established by two agreements: the 'Dedication of Public Highway: Creation of Cycletrack in the Parish of Green Hammerton', signed 2018 between North Yorkshire County Council, and two landowners whose tracks are crossed by the route, and the 'Public Path Creation Agreement Pursuant to Section 30 of the Highways Act 1980' signed 2016 by Little Ouseburn, Kirby Hall and Thorpe Underwood Parish Council and Foxlow Ltd. Planning permission has been granted for the route by North Yorkshire Council.

2. CLIENT

The Client for the Works is Green Hammerton Parish Council.

3. OTHER PARTIES WITH AN INTEREST

North Yorkshire Council are funding the majority of the scheme from Developer Contributions arising from new housebuilding. As such they have requirements on how the funds are managed and issued. The Internal Drainage Board have in interest insofar as the route crosses a beck and there are also concerns that the surface of the track should be sufficiently permeable to prevent excess run-off.

4. SCOPE OF WORK

The length of construction is 1.726 km. The majority of the construction will be a 2.0m wide permeable stone surface. The material for the surface will be a type 3 material (with a 30% voids ratio), to be agreed with the Internal Drainage Board before commencement of work.

A section of 178m of existing farm track at the south end is being optionally considered for bitmac surfacing or similar.

Also included is the provision of a new timber preformed bridge over a beck. The bridge will be no more than 1.5m wide, and its design will be agreed in advance with the Internal Drainage Board.

Three piped ditch crossings will also be required, and three points on the Greenway will need appropriate reinforcement to allow tractors and other farm machinery to cross.

Post and plain wire fencing will be required where the route crosses one field. Other stretches may need to be fenced subject to discussion. Timber bollards will be required at the ends of the cycleway to prevent vehicular access.

Some cutting back of overhanging branches and overgrown hedges will be necessary, and this work will need to be undertaken after the nesting season.