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20
Jun 2023
Council ‘not considering’ sale of Harrogate Convention Centre
North Yorkshire Council has said it has no plans to sell Harrogate Convention Centre nor has not it received any offers of private investment for the ageing facility.
It comes as a decision day on a proposed £49m redevelopment moves nearer.
The new council inherited a plan to upgrade the facility from the now-abolished Harrogate Borough Council so it can better compete with rival convention centres in the north.
The convention centre opened in 1982 and its conferences and other events have provided a boost to the town’s bars, restaurants and hotels. However, it has struggled to make a profit.
It still remains unclear how North Yorkshire Council, which is looking to slash £70 million from its budget over the next three years, will pay for the redevelopment.
A decision is planned later this summer. If approved, construction work could begin early next year.
North Yorkshire Council’s Conservative deputy leader, Cllr Gareth Dadd, said:
Economic impact of Harrogate Convention Centre
A council report published this year described the convention centre as the largest driver of economic impact in the district with many venues depending on the business through its conferences and exhibitions.
Using Visit Britain methodology, the report predicted the convention centre will boost the local economy by £31 million during 2022/23.
If the redevelopment goes ahead, it’s hoped the upgrade will increase the centre’s visitor numbers from 147,000 in 2020 to 192,000 in 2040, with profits of £29 million over a 40-year period.
In February, Harrogate Borough Council failed in its £20m Levelling Up Fund bid for the redevelopment but at the time, convention centre boss Paula Lorimer suggested the council would bid again for funding in its third round.
Ms Lorimer warned that Harrogate would “wither on the vine” if its convention centre ever closed.
Read more:
- Warning that Harrogate would ‘wither on the vine’ without convention centre
- Local Tories and Lib Dems urge new council to back £49m Harrogate Convention Centre upgrade
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