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16
Aug 2022
How Harrogate objections have halted Leeds conference venue – for now
When Leeds City Council met to approve plans for a new conference venue last week, the authority would have hoped for a straightforward decision.
But that was not the case after a flurry of objections came in at the eleventh hour from Harrogate groups who fear the proposals could drive business away from the town and its convention centre.
Those objections were spearheaded by Paula Lorimer, director of Harrogate Convention Centre, who slammed a study which suggested the impact of the Leeds venue would be minimal as “flawed, inaccurate, out of date and in some areas, totally wrong”.
The proposals for the former Yorkshire Bank HQ were submitted in March and Ms Lorimer claimed there had been an “absence of dialogue” from Leeds City Council.
She said she only found out about the plans last week – just days after they had been recommended for approval.
Yet the city council hit back by saying Ms Lorimer and Harrogate Borough Council’s chief executive Wallace Sampson had been alerted to the proposals months before they were submitted.
A city council officer said:
Ms Lorimer responded to say the proposed venue was now a third bigger than originally planned and that the study which suggested up to 6% of trade could be diverted away from Harrogate Convention Centre had been underestimated by 50%.
She told last Thursday’s meeting:
Read more:
- Harrogate Convention Centre to face competition from Leeds events venue
- Harrogate Convention Centre ‘could lose £250 million without investment’
- Fears for Harrogate Convention Centre if new Leeds venue goes ahead
Harrogate Borough Council’s tourism body Destination Harrogate and the town’s Crown Hotel have all come out against the plans.
Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce and Harrogate Business Improvement District are also objecting.
In a letter to the city council, Destination Harrogate said the Leeds venue could have a “hugely detrimental impact” on Harrogate’s tourism offer which it described as the “very lifeblood of this town”.
Harrogate Convention Centre.
The letter also said it is “essential” that a proposed £49 million development of Harrogate Convention Centre is supported, while the Leeds plans should be “re-evaluated”.
It said:
'Just taking 1% will have an impact'
David Simister, chief executive of Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce, also said in another letter:
Bringing a conference venue to Leeds has been a long term ambition of the city council which will no doubt be determined to push ahead with the plans.
The question is how much weight it will give to the objections from Harrogate Convention Centre, business groups and the borough council which have always been considered friendly neighbours to Leeds.
The proposals will now be brought back to another meeting of the city council in September.
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