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20
Apr 2023
A Liberal Democrat councillor in Harrogate says he will not be voting in favour of the controversial Station Gateway proposal next month.
Michael Schofield, who represents Harlow & St Georges, is the first local councillor and first Liberal Democrat to confirm which way he will vote when the decision is made by the Harrogate and Knaresborough Area Constituency Committee in May.
The controversial £11.2 million project has been in development for three years after funding was won from the government’s Transforming Cities Fund to make the town centre more accessible to cyclists and pedestrians.
North Yorkshire Council’s Conservative executive member for highways Keane Duncan has said the council will follow whatever decision Harrogate and Knaresborough councillors take at a meeting on May 5 regarding the scheme.
But Cllr Schofield, whose division includes the troubled Otley Road cycle path, says he will not be voting for the gateway to go ahead “in its current guise”.
He cited concerns over its design, cost, and impact on businesses.
The councillor is also the landlord of the Shepherd’s Dog pub on Harlow Hill and said the disruption during construction could lead to financial hardship for town centre shops, bars and restaurants. He said:
Since the scheme was announced, the cost of building materials has rocketed and inflation has topped 10%.
Cllr Duncan has said the scheme’s build quality will not be compromised but Cllr Schofield said this could result in higher costs for taxpayers. He said:
A third round of public consultation about the scheme was published in January and showed 46% of views were negative and 45% were positive.
Cllr Duncan said previously:
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