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09
Nov 2021
Harrogate businesses are considering mounting a legal challenge to halt the £10.9 million Station Gateway scheme.
About 80 people attended an at times bad tempered Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce meeting last night, at which numerous businesses clashed with the five men leading the scheme.
Supporters insisted it would make Harrogate town centre more attractive and boost business but business owners were not convinced.
After almost two hours of debate, chamber chief executive David Simister said he had been asked to put forward a motion that said "if the scheme is not halted and thoroughly reviewed, substantially revised and / or scrapped we feel we will have no alternative but to seek a judicial review".
Attendees overwhelmingly supported the motion, raising the prospect of the scheme heading to the courts.
It is not known which businesses put forward the motion or whether it will be acted on but a judicial review could either derail the scheme or delay it long enough to jeopardise funding.
Karl Battersby, corporate director for business and environmental services at North Yorkshire County Council, which is leading on the gateway scheme, told the Stray Ferret after the meeting:
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