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18
Mar 2022
Harrogate pub landlord on why he's standing for the new council
As the landlord of the Shepherd's Dog pub on Otley Road, Michael Schofield has been the eyes and ears of Harlow Hill for the past nine years.
He believes his unique place in the community will help give the area a stronger voice on the new North Yorkshire Council. Mr Schofield will be standing in the newly created Harlow Hill & St Georges ward for the Liberal Democrats in May's local elections.
Newly elected councillors will sit on North Yorkshire County Council until it is replaced by the new unitary authority in April 2023.
Both Harrogate Borough Council and North Yorkshire County Council are currently dominated by Conservative councillors but Mr Schofield said their legacy in Harrogate had not been positive.
He said the two councils have been a "shambles" on issues like housing and transport.
Harlow Hill
Mr Schofield was a member of the LibDems since the days of the alliance with the SDP but quit when Nick Clegg "sold young people down the river" only to rejoin in recent years.
He runs the Shepherd's Dog with his wife Donna and has lived in Harlow Hill, on-and-off, since 1982. His daughter Mollie, 16, goes to Rossett High School and Harry, 12, goes to Harrogate Grammar School.
The Liberal Democrats emailed local members asking if anyone would like to stand in the upcoming elections and he said it wasn't a difficult decision to put himself forward.
Read more:
- Key dates revealed for elections to new North Yorkshire Council
- Roadmap to new North Yorkshire Council will ‘hold feet to the fire’ on promise of better services
Pub chatter
The council's Harrogate district Local Plan 2014-35, which lays out where development can take place in the district until 2035, says around 4,000 new homes could be built in the area that surrounds Harlow Hill.
Some residents believe the sheer volume of housing being built is changing the west of Harrogate for the worse.
Mr Schofield said many locals are frustrated that houses are being built without the infrastructure, such as roads and schools, to support them. The council's West of Harrogate Parameters Plan aims to address this.
There is also the ongoing debate around the Otley Road cycle path, which Mr Schofield said was a good idea, poorly executed.
He said:
Community spirit
During the first lockdown in 2020, Mr Schofield and his wife opened a fruit and veg shop two doors down from the pub.
He said the experience reminded him of the importance of community. He said residents wanted a councillor that lives locally and speaks up on issues that matter to them.
Mr Schofield said if he's elected he will still be found behind the bar pulling pints.
And if he can deal with difficult customers in the pub, he says going head-to-head with opposition councillors won't be a problem.
The elections will take place on May 5. Candidates must submit nomination forms by April 5.
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