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06
Jul 2022
Andrew Jones MP backs bid for levelling up cash to fund HCC redevelopment
Harrogate MP Andrew Jones has set out his support for a bid for levelling up cash to fund a proposed redevelopment of the town’s convention centre.
Mr Jones said the bid from Harrogate Borough Council is “key” to levelling up not just the local area, but also Yorkshire and the Humber as the convention centre is a “significant driver of economic activity” across the region.
He said:
It is understood the bid to the second round of the government’s Levelling Up Fund is worth £20 million – the maximum amount allowed per project.
Harrogate Borough Council is behind the convention centre proposals and will submit its funding bid before noon tomorrow after it received the support of Mr Jones.
The project was first announced by the Conservative-run council in 2020, but there have been questions over the total £47 million cost could be funded.
Read more:
- Harrogate Convention Centre redevelopment to seek levelling up cash
- Harrogate Convention Centre investment could require county council consent
It will also need to be approved by borough councillors before it can go ahead.
The project could involve three exhibition halls being demolished to make way for a new 5,000 sq m hall and a refurbished auditorium.
There are also proposals to refurbish the convention centre’s studio two with a flexible events space for up to 1,200 delegates. A start date for this first phase of works was previously earmarked for October.
The Harrogate district has been listed as a tier three area in the Levelling Up Fund which prioritises areas most in need of economic growth and is a key part of the government’s aim to give communities that feel left behind a chance to catch up.
This was the same tier listing when a joint bid from Harrogate Borough Council and Craven District Council for £6 million to fund regeneration projects in Ripon, Skipton and Masham was unsuccessful in the first round of bidding last year.
The bid did not receive any money, with tier one and tier two areas being given greater priority.
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