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27
Jul 2024
‘Devil will be in the detail’: Harrogate business groups react to Mayor's £10m high street fund
Harrogate business groups have welcomed a planned £10 million high street fund, but warned that the “devil will be in the detail”.
David Skaith, Labour mayor of York and North Yorkshire, announced this week that he would introduce the fund to help businesses adapt to a changing high street.
The fund would span four years and is expected to be established later this year.
Funding for the project has been allocated from the mayoral investment fund, which is worth £540 million over 30 years.
Mr Skaith also met with business groups in Thirsk on Tuesday to discuss the fund and the issues facing high street firms.
Matthew Chapman, manager of Harrogate Business Improvement District, was among those who met the mayor.
He welcomed the introduction of the fund but added that the “devil will of course be in the detail”. Mr Chapman also urged the mayor and York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority to ensure a level playing field for applications.
He said:
We at Harrogate BID welcome the hugely engaging and collaborative first meeting with the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority and we're thrilled that the first fund Mayor Skaith has announced is based around the high street and business. Having seen the draft purpose of the fund and activities prioritised, this is an early positive drive forward.
Better use and management of vacant units, increasing footfall and spend, infrastructure improvements and celebrating local heritage were all activities embraced. The devil will of course be in the detail, and we urge the authority to ensure a level playing field for applications for this funding. Harrogate has regularly been a failure of its own success when funds like this have been announced in the past.
Harrogate BID manager, Matthew Chapman.
Meanwhile, Peter Lacey, of Knaresborough and District Chamber, said he hoped the fund would help to meet some of the “long term challenges” facing Knaresborough High Street.
He said:
Top of our agenda is the need to optimise car parking, but associated with that are encouraging active travel, improving town navigation and gathering the data that will help us understand and attract the variety of businesses that can best serve both residents and visitors.
Everybody wants a convenient and pleasant environment to shop and enjoy their leisure and Knaresborough has a distinctive if not unique character that needs to shine through.
Derek Hufton, of Boroughbridge and District Chamber of Trade, was also among the business representatives that met Mr Skaith in Thirsk.
Mr Hufton said while the fund would be welcomed in the town, the “true test” will be how the scheme is delivered to businesses.
He said:
Broadly, we at the Boroughbridge Chamber welcome the initiative along with the opportunity to contribute to the wider discussion, and hopefully to take advantage of the funding opportunities in due course.
In Ripon, Lilla Bathurst said much of the issues discussed with Mr Skaith were aligned across the district.
She said:
It was particularly interesting to see that the answers to the questions posed were aligned across many centres.
The worry over the proposed £15 minimum wage was raised as were business rates, the need for banking hubs and solutions to tackle empty units - which I am proud to say we are already addressing in Ripon with the combined authority funded The Vacant Shops Academy programme.
Look out for a feature tomorrow(July 28) in which we speak to businesses in Knaresborough about what they would like to see the fund achieve.
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