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26
Sept
5 things we learned: Mayor of North Yorkshire grilled by Harrogate councillors
David Skaith, Mayor of York and North Yorkshire, appeared before councillors in Harrogate yesterday (September 24).
The Labour mayor faced questions at a Harrogate and Knaresborough area constituency committee meeting at Harrogate’s Civic Centre.
Mr Skaith, who was joined by James Farrar, chief executive of York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority, was asked about issues such as the Harrogate train line, support for businesses disrupted by roadworks and County Lines drug gangs.
The Stray Ferret attended the meeting to listen to Mr Skaith's Q/A session. Here is what we learned from the meeting.
1 Harrogate line study
Mr Skaith told councillors that York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority was undertaking a study into the rail line between York and Leeds.
The study includes looking at the feasibility of potential improvements, such as investment in the rail line and the introduction of new stations.
Mr Skaith said:
We will be undertaking a York, Harrogate and Leeds corridor study of exactly how feasible rail lines and stations along that route are.
Train heading into Harrogate Station under Station Bridge.
Mr Skaith said the combined authority was keen to press government for more improvements to the rail network in York and North Yorkshire, particularly after receiving funding for a new station in Haxby.
He said:
We saw the funding we got for the new station in Haxby, but we are still pressing for more opportunities across the region.
2 Concern over County Lines
Mr Skaith said he was concerned that North Yorkshire faced a bigger problem with County Lines drugs gangs than other regions.
According to the Home Office, County Lines is “a form of criminal exploitation where urban gangs persuade, coerce or force children and young people to store drugs and money and/or transport them to suburban areas, market towns and coastal towns”.
Cllr Paul Haslam, who represents Bilton and Nidd Gorge on North Yorkshire Council, said he was “particularly concerned” about child exploitation after a 13-year-old boy was arrested in his area for possession of class A drugs.
Cllr Haslam urged the mayor, who replaced the former North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, to take the issue to his policing team to look into.
Mr Skaith said:
County Lines is undoubtedly a challenge that all areas face and I’m worried that we face it potentially higher than any other areas.
He added that he had attended police operations, including Operation Tornado which was carried out in Harrogate, and investigations into alleged child exploitation.
3 Knaresborough needs a dual rail track
Cllr Monika Slater, a Liberal Democrat who represents Bilton Grange and New Park, said the rail line between Knaresborough and York needs to be a dual line to provide more services.
Cllr Slater said she was recently stuck on a service between Northallerton and Harrogate, via York, because a train broke down — meaning other services were affected.
She said:
When you’re on a single track, if one [train] breaks down that’s it. Everybody is having to wait. But, it also limits the number of services that can be put on because everyone is competing to be on that same line.
Mr Skaith said it was something he was prepared to look at and that it could feed into the Harrogate line study that the combined authority was undertaking.
He added:
The investment in transport in general in the north has been shockingly low compared to the south and the south east.
4 Help for businesses?
Cllr Michael Schofield, who represents Harlow and St Georges, asked Mr Skaith whether the combined authority had any funds to help businesses affected by road closures and other highways projects.
He pointed to the roadworks on Skipton Road, which are being carried out as part of the new Tesco supermarket scheme, as an example.
Cllr Schofield said the works had “decimated” a small business in the area.
The Stray Ferret interviewed Claire Lewis, owner of Number One Shop on Electric Avenue, who said she had been forced to forgo her salary this month due to declining footfall caused by the roadworks.
Cllr Michael Schofield.
Cllr Schofield added that he was concerned that businesses could also be affected by the construction of the Harrogate Station Gateway scheme. He asked Mr Skaith whether the combined authority had “any facility” to support those businesses.
Mr Skaith said:
We do not necessarily have a direct fund to go and support an individual business. We have the high street fund and a major part of that was to bring businesses and partnerships together to have that collective voice for their areas.
He added that projects such as the station gateway and roadworks were a matter for North Yorkshire Council.
5 Call to end 'arbitrary border' with West Yorkshire
Mr Skaith said he wanted to see an end to an “arbitrary border” with West Yorkshire when it comes to bus fares.
Cllr Monika Slater raised the issue during the meeting and pointed out that a fare to Scarborough — which costs £1 for an under-19 — was cheaper than a ticket to Leeds, which costs £3.
She said:
It’s an arbitrary border which has been crossed, which is the difference in the ticket price. It’s not about the distance.
Cllr Slater added that the cost was a “real barrier” for young people.
Mr Skaith said he was working with Oliver Coppard, Mayor of South Yorkshire, and Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire, to tackle the issue over bus fares.
He said:
That’s exactly why we are working with Oliver and Tracy to have that more joined up approach. It is certainly a challenge, it is something that we are focussed on how we can have that border out of the way in that sense.
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