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28
Jun 2023
Harrogate town council set to be formed as 66% back the idea
Plans to create a Harrogate town council look set to go ahead after a second consultation revealed the majority of respondents support the idea.
Letters were posted to 35,583 homes in Harrogate inviting them to have their say on the subject.
The results, published today, reveal 65.5% said they were in favour of the move — which would lead to the creation of a new council tax charge.
However, just 1,698 responded, which represents just 4.7% of households.
North Yorkshire Council launched the second consultation as part of a community governance review in March.
Harrogate and Scarborough are the only parts of the county not to have a parish or town council.
The areas in Harrogate which are set to pay extra council tax to fund the town council.
The first consultation in Harrogate, which began in August last year and received only a 3.5% response rate, revealed 75% supported a town council — so support has waned.
In a report due before councillors on Wednesday, a recommendation will be made to refer the responses to full council later this year.
Cllr David Chance, executive councillor for corporate services at the council, said:
Read more:
- Second consultation to be held on whether to form Harrogate town council
- Liberal Democrats back creation of Harrogate town council
Establishing a town council, with yet to be determined powers, is expected to create an additional annual council tax charge of between £40 and £60 for the homes affected.
The town councils would be formed for administrative purposes from April 2024, and the first elections would be on May 2, 2024, when councillors would be elected for a reduced term of three years. Elections would then take place every four years from 2027.
The parish would be divided into divisions, based largely on the divisions that now apply since North Yorkshire Council was established in the spring.
A total of 19 members would be elected to the town council.
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