A historic investment in Harrogate Convention Centre could require county council consent to go ahead should a devolution funding bid fail.
In what would be the biggest single spend by Harrogate Borough Council in its lifetime, the convention centre would undergo a £47 million revamp to create more space.
However, questions surround how exactly the authority will fund the project as the clock ticks down to April 2023 when the council is abolished.
‘Devolution negotiations under way’
Funding for the convention centre has formed part of a devolution deal for North Yorkshire, which has already been submitted to government.
The 140-page document, which has already been submitted to ministers, includes a request to “work with government to address the capital funding gap we have identified through our business case work to date”.
However, questions surround where the money would come from for the scheme should ministers not agree to the funding.
Read more:
- No final decision on HCC investment until 2022, says council
- Major redevelopment of Harrogate Convention Centre could start in October
Cllr Carl Les, leader of North Yorkshire County Council, said there could be an opportunity to apply to the government’s levelling up fund.
He added that any investment by the borough council would also require joint county council consent as the authority is restricted to spending no more than £1 million on capital projects.
Cllr Les said:
“Negotiations about devolution for North Yorkshire and York are under way.
“We have made a strong case for more powers and funding in a number of areas, including the Harrogate Convention Centre.
“Discussions are still under way with government and we hope to know the final shape of the deal in July.
“If government does not choose to fund the HCC through a devolution deal, then there could be other funding routes, including the government’s Levelling-Up Fund.
“Harrogate Borough Council is still able to invest in the centre. If the investment was to be more than £1 million, there would need to be joint consent with the county council’s executive.”
Meanwhile, David Goode, chair of Harrogate and Knaresborough Liberal Democrats, said the £47 million investment should be paused.
He said:
“North Yorkshire needs to take stock of where the convention centre sits within its overall strategy and how they would like to manage and run it.
“The area as a whole would be worse off if it was closed.”
He suggested there might be a “lower cost” alternative to the £47 million refurbishment that could still result in the venue being “viable” for conferences and concerts.
Cllr Goode also suggested parts of the conference centre could be mothballed for periods of time to reduce costs.
Council silent on HCC
Harrogate Borough Council has so far remained silent over a major £47 million renovation of the town’s convention centre as negotiations continue over funding for the scheme.
The borough council has already spent £1.5 million on contracts for the redevelopment, which has yet to be approved.
Figures revealed by the Local Democracy Reporting Service in December 2021 showed that the council had awarded contracts to companies such as KPMG, Arcadis, and Cushman and Wakefield.
This included design and feasibility work, a first phase business case and an outline business case.
Due to fears of a potential loss of £14.9 million worth of events, the council this year decided to accelerate part of its plans for studio two at the centre.
This would see seminar rooms created to accommodate up to 1,200 people.
According to council reports, a contract award for the acceleration is due to be put before senior borough councillors in June.
Following approval of the acceleration of the project, a competitive tender process was opened with a potential start date for the work earmarked for October.
However, the wider project has yet to be given approval. A spokesperson for the borough council said previously that a decision was due this year on the wider scheme.
