Thank you for your interest in this story
To continue reading this article, subscribe to the Stray Ferret for as little as £1 a week
Already a subscriber? Log in here.
12
Jul 2022
Harrogate residents set to be asked if they want a town council
Senior county councillors are set to launch a review into whether to set up a town council in Harrogate.
Harrogate Borough Council will no longer exist from April 1 when the new unitary authority, North Yorkshire Council, is created.
It will leave both Harrogate and Scarborough as the only areas of the county with no parish authority.
North Yorkshire County Council’s executive will be recommended next week to start a community governance review, which will consult on creating a lower tier authority.
Conservative leader of the council, Cllr Carl Les, has pledged to offer more powers to parish councils when the new North Yorkshire Council comes into force as part of a 'double devolution' policy.
Cllr Les said:
Read more:
- Harrogate town council: What is it and what would it cost taxpayers?
- Decision on Harrogate town council could take two years
The review will include a consultation with residents in Harrogate to ask their views on creating a town council.
Senior county councillors will be recommended to approve the review at a meeting of the council’s executive on July 19.
What is a town council?
Town and parish councils run services such as community centres and play areas, as well as maintaining bus shelters. Councillors are elected to serve on them but they are not paid.
The councils can also charge a precept as part of council tax bills to fund the services provided, meaning there is a cost to the people they serve.
In the Harrogate district, there are town councils in areas such as Ripon, Knaresborough, Pateley Bridge and Kirby Hill.
Because Harrogate does not currently have a lower tier council, it also raises questions over what its boundaries would be.
0