The leader of Harrogate Borough Council has suggested a ballot could decide whether to create a Harrogate town council.after next year’s shake-up of local government.
Harrogate Borough Council will be abolished on April 1 next year after 49 years of existence.
Its demise is part of the biggest change in local government since 1974, which will see the abolition of all seven district councils in the county, along with North Yorkshire County Council, and the creation of a single new super council.
The move could lead to the creation of a Harrogate town council to manage local assets such as the Stray and Harrogate Convention Centre.
Alternatively, the new super council — which will almost certainly be called North Yorkshire Council — could decide to handle everything itself.
Rudding Park
Richard Cooper told Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce‘s monthly meeting at Rudding Park last night:
“Some people think there should be a ballot on whether to have a town council. That’s something that happens quite a lot.”
But he said the final decision on whether to hold a ballot would be up to the new North Yorkshire Council.
Could Harrogate be home to the new super council?
Cllr Cooper, a Conservative who besides leading the borough council is also a county councillor, also floated the possibility of Harrogate being chosen as the location for North Yorkshire Council. He said:
“It’s still not decided where the new council will be and it could be Harrogate. It would certainly have the best office facilities in North Yorkshire.”
Northallerton, where North Yorkshire County Council is based, is the firm favourite to be chosen as the new location. But Cllr Cooper said whatever the outcome, Harrogate was likely to remain a “significant hub” in the new set-up because there would still be a need for council staff, offices and depots in the town.
Harrogate Borough Council offices at Knapping Mount.
With vesting day — the day when North Yorkshire Council comes into existence — just 444 days away, Cllr Cooper used his speech at last night’s meeting to urge Harrogate district voluntary organisations, some of which rely heavily on Harrogate Borough Council funding, to start networking with North Yorkshire County Council. He said:
“One of the key things voluntary organisations must do over the next year is build relationships.”
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He said Harrogate Borough Council had generously funded many local not-for-profit organisations, such as Harrogate Homeless Project, and he hoped the new council would continue this.
Asked whether he would be a contender for mayor of the combined authority for North Yorkshire Council and City of York Council under the new structure, Cllr Cooper reiterated that he planned to leave politics next year.
He said his political career was “in decline down to zero” rather than “on the launchpad”, adding:
“After getting into it 22 years ago, snd rather by accident, I think it’s time for other people to have a go.”
Staff ‘worried’
Wallace Sampson, chief executive of Harrogate Borough Council, told the meeting staff were ‘concerned and worried about what will happen” after they transfer to North Yorkshire Council.
He said all staff, except himself, whose role will no longer exist, would transfer to the new authority under the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment). But there were no guarantees beyond then. Mr Sampson said:
“I can give assurances that on day one they will have a role. I can’t say beyond that.”
Nevertheless he said council leaders had set the tone by adopting a “pragmatic” approach to the changes and a “non-adversarial” approach to the new regime.
He added “staff had responded well to that” and were engaged in 16 workstreams related to the handover of power as well as their day-to-day duties.
Proud of Tour de France
Mr Sampson said despite all the changes, devolution was a “prize worth achieving” because the new mayor would have beefed-up powers and there would be economies of scale savings for taxpayers by the reduction in the number of senior managers and back office staff.
Asked what had been his greatest achievement, Mr Sampson said one of the things he was most proud of was leading the council through a decade of severe funding cuts from national government “without a significant impact on services”.
He also cited the council’s part in bringing the Tour de France to Harrogate in 2014. Mr Sampson said:
“I’m proud of the joy it brought to the district. It’s lasting legacy was that it put Harrogate on the map and created pride in what Harrogate could do on the national stage.”
