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Aug 2022

Last Updated: 22/08/2022

Politics

Consultation into Harrogate town council starts today

by Calvin Robinson

| 22 Aug, 2022

Besides Harrogate, areas affected could include Bilton, New Park, Coppice Valley, Starbeck, Harlow Hill, High Harrogate, Kingsley, Killinghall, Hampsthwaite, Oatlands and Pannal.

North Yorkshire County Council's offices in Northallerton.

A consultation has started today into plans to set up a Harrogate town council.

North Yorkshire County Council is to launch a review into whether to create a lower tier authority in the town.

Harrogate Borough Council will no longer exist from April 1 when the new unitary authority, North Yorkshire Council, is created.

It will leave both Harrogate and Scarborough as the only areas of the county with no parish authority.

The unparished areas of Harrogate include these current county council divisions:

Bilton and Nidd Gorge

Bilton Grange and New Park

Coppice Valley and Duchy (part)

Fairfax and Starbeck

Harlow and St Georges

High Harrogate and Kingsley

Killinghall, Hampsthwaite and Saltergate (part)

Oatlands and Pannal (part)

The Stray and Hookstone

Valley Gardens and Central Harrogate

Residents can give their views in the consultation online. It will close on September 30.

Cllr David Chance, executive member for corporate services, said:

“Parish and town councils have always had a key role in representing the needs of their communities, and will have even greater opportunity to do so – as well as to take on greater responsibilities if they so wish – with the formation of the new North Yorkshire Council in April.

“As two of the county’s major centres of population, it’s vital that Harrogate and Scarborough have this opportunity and I would urge people to look at the consultation and have their say.

"At this stage, no firm proposals are being put forward. Depending on the response to this consultation, a further consultation on detailed proposals could follow.”

Harrogate town council: What is it and what would it cost taxpayers?

Decision on Harrogate town council could take two years

The county council is due to send letters to residents in Harrogate informing them of the consultation.

Copies of the consultation will also be available from:

Harrogate Library, Victoria Avenue, Harrogate HG1 1EG

Bilton and Woodfield Community Library, Woodfield Road, Harrogate, HG1 4HZ

Harrogate Borough Council, Civic Centre, St Luke’s Avenue, Harrogate HG1 2AE

You can fill in the consultation online here.

What is a town council?

Town and parish councils run services such as community centres and play areas, as well as maintaining bus shelters. Councillors are elected to serve on them but they are not paid.

The councils can also charge a precept as part of council tax bills to fund the services provided, meaning there is a cost to the people they serve.

In the Harrogate district, there are town councils in areas such as Ripon, Knaresborough, Pateley Bridge and Kirby Hill.

Because Harrogate does not currently have a lower tier council, it also raises questions over what its boundaries would be.

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Consultation into Harrogate town council starts today

Read more:

What is a town council?