A decision on whether to create a Harrogate town council is unlikely to be made until at least 2024, a meeting heard last night.
Wallace Sampson, chief executive of Harrogate Borough Council, outlined the lengthy legal process to members of Harrogate Civic Society.
Mr Sampson said North Yorkshire Council, which comes into existence on April 1 next year, would have to undertake a community governance review before any changes to Harrogate’s governance can take place.
This would involve two stages of consultation, likely to take place next year, followed by a final recommendation on whether to approve a town council.
If approved, a legal order would be made, followed by other processes before implementation.
Last night’s meeting.
Speaking at last night’s packed meeting, at which he and Councillor Graham Swift, deputy leader of Harrogate Borough Council, discussed local government reorganisation and devolution, Mr Sampson said:
“It’s really difficult to say how long that process will take but our best guess is 15 months to two years. If it happened by 2024 that would be a good timeframe.”
Mr Sampson also said elections for a mayor for the combined North Yorkshire and York regions would “probably” take place in 2024.
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Last night’s meeting discussed the implications of the momentous changes brought about by North Yorkshire devolution and local government reorganisation.
Harrogate Borough Council and six other district councils, along with North Yorkshire County Council, will be abolished next year when the new North Yorkshire Council comes into being on April 1.
8,000 council staff
Eight thousand staff will be brought together into what will be one of the largest councils in the UK, in a move estimated to save about £30m a year.
The loss of Harrogate Borough Council has led to concerns that Harrogate may lack a political voice after the changes, with most key decisions set to be made by North Yorkshire Council in Northallerton.
Last month Pat Marsh, the Liberal Democrat leader for Harrogate and Knaresborough, called for the process to create a Harrogate town council to begin “as soon as possible, within the next couple of months” but this seems unlikely to happen.
Philip Broadbank, the Liberal Democrat councillor for Harrogate Starbeck on North Yorkshire County Council, attended last night’s meeting and said afterwards the party would continue to push for the process “to be done as quickly as possible” but he accepted it would take time.
Cllr Swift told the meeting that Harrogate Borough Council’s civic centre at Knapping Mount “won’t be a white elephant” after the authority is abolished and would continue to be used by staff employed by North Yorkshire Council. He said:
“It’s going to continue to save you £1m a year forever.”