After criticism from Reform and the Conservatives, Liberal Democrat Cllr Chris Aldred, Mayor of Harrogate, writes for the Stray Ferret about why he believes the rise in the Harrogate Town Council precept is value for money. 

Statistically, it's difficult to argue that the town council is not value for money.

Harrogate Town Council this week set its first annual precept— the part of your council tax which is collected from households in Harrogate and helps to pay for what it will do between this April and March 2027. 

The town council came into existence last April, working within a small set-up precept agreed by North Yorkshire Council. Nineteen town councillors were elected last May and have now developed a programme which they wish to deliver, alongside partner organisations within the town. 

The town council precept is calculated at £25.78 for a Band D council tax household — that's the amount the "average" household (not individuals) will pay this year — some will pay slightly more, some slightly less. The average town precept nationally is £92.

The precept will be the lowest town precept throughout North Yorkshire this coming financial year. 

So that's the statistics, but as a very wise man once said: "there are lies, dammed lies and statistics". The real question, I think, is what will Harrogate residents receive for their additional £25.78 a year?

The answer is initiatives specifically for Harrogate which are not already being provided by either North Yorkshire Council or regional Mayor David Skaith's combined authority (which now sets the precept for local police and fire services).

Your (and mine — town councillors do what they do as volunteers, we don't get any financial remuneration and we also have to pay our council tax bills) £25.78 per year will provide:

• Youth Services - a revived youth network for coordination of youth organisations, plus additional provision for young people currently not being reached. 
  
• Events - an exciting programme of, mostly free, events throughout Harrogate, primarily for residents but also designed to increase our visitor offer too. 
  
• Signage and Tourism Initiatives - new 'Welcome to Harrogate' signage — the existing ones are quite literally falling apart! —  plus co-ordinating information boards and destination signage within the town. 
  
• Allotments - the town council has a legal obligation to provide these when residents ask for them, so negotiations are ongoing with North Yorkshire Council to transfer the ownership of 11 existing sites. Improvements have been identified and will be made. 
  
• Harrogate Neighbourhood Plan - This is a long-term objective and won't be delivered in just one year, as continuous consultation is required. But the aim is to produce a wide-ranging plan encomposing the future development of the town, which will be resident led. The town council is also a statutory consultee on all planning applications within Harrogate. North Yorkshire Council is the decision maker, but the town council has already made significant advocacy on a number of proposed local applications.
• Community Grants Scheme - offering small scale grants to community organisations throughout the town, who are best placed to use the money in their own areas to aid local provision and improvement.

The very fact of the town council's existence has already benefited Harrogate, providing opportunities that wouldn't otherwise have happened. 

For examples, a £40,000 grant was recently obtained from the government's Community Energy Fund to carry out feasibility studies on provision of low-cost district heating schemes in the three most deprived areas in Harrogate (Bilton, Fairfax, Jennyfields). 

This wouldn't have happened if the town council hadn't been here to apply and coordinate — and it's just one example of additional monies obtained, not funded from the precept. Wherever possible, we shall continue to seek similar additional funding.

Importantly, Harrogate Town Council doesn't see its role as providing all of the above ourselves. If it did, the precept would have to be much higher. 

By working in partnership with a number of leading organisations within our town, such as Harrogate BID, Chamber of Commerce, HADCA, the Civic Society, Harrogate Festivals to name just a few, we can deliver exciting and meaningful initiatives within Harrogate which will achieve  our overriding objective:  to provide  local leadership that is responsive, ambitious and rooted in community partnerships — delivering high-quality services, promoting wellbeing and shaping a town where all residents, business and visitors can flourish. 

It all starts with your additional 50 pence a week. 

What do you think of Cllr Aldred's points? Let us know in the Comments section below. We want to hear your views.