Thank you for your interest in this story
To continue reading this article, subscribe to the Stray Ferret for as little as £1 a week
Already a subscriber? Log in here.
23
Sept 2022
County leaders coy on referendum calls for Harrogate town council
North Yorkshire’s leaders are keeping their cards close to their chests in the face of calls for a referendum on the creation of a new Harrogate town council.
With local government reorganisation fast approaching, a consultation is currently underway on whether Harrogate should keep control of some key services and buildings by becoming a parished area.
But borough councillors were last night unanimous in their calls that the consultation does not go far enough and that a public vote is needed.
Cllr Richard Cooper, the Conservative leader of Harrogate Borough Council, told a meeting that the process of creating a town council would be a “sham” unless a ballot was held before residents are asked to pay an extra tax to fund it.
He put forward a motion which was supported by all political parties and called on North Yorkshire County Council to give “democratic legitimacy” to the town council plans by holding a vote.
However, when later asked by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, the county council refused to say whether a referendum would go ahead.
Cllr Carl Les, leader of the county council, said in a statement:
Read more:
- Harrogate town council: What is it and what would it cost taxpayers?
- Decision on Harrogate town council could take two years
Currently, Harrogate and Scarborough are the only major towns in North Yorkshire not to be parished and there have been growing calls for new town councils to be created.
Those calls were first ignited when the government announced that North Yorkshire’s existing county and district councils would be scrapped from April 1 next year when a new unitary authority will take control of the whole county.
A central pledge in the major shake-up was what leaders described as a “double devolution” of powers, with plans for all town and parish councils to be given the chance to take on greater responsibilities.
Cllr Carl Les, leader of North Yorkshire County Council.
This could include a Harrogate town council running services such as parks, tourism and events.
However, it remains unclear on exactly what responsibilities would be filtered down and how much residents would have to pay to fund them.
In Knaresborough and Ripon, residents currently pay their respective town and city councils £25.27 and £70.77 per year.
At last night’s meeting, Cllr Cooper said it was crucial that Harrogate residents knew how much they would pay and for which services before a town council is created.
He said:
Cllr Pat Marsh, leader of the Liberal Democrat group, also said:
The areas which would be served by a Harrogate town council include:
- High Harrogate and Kingsley
- Valley Gardens and Central Harrogate
- Fairfax and Starbeck
- Stray, Woodlands and Hookstone
- Harlow and St Georges
- Bilton Grange and New Park
- Bilton and Nidd Gorge
- Most of Coppice Valley and Duchy
- Parts of Oatlands and Pannal
- Parts of Killinghall, Hampsthwaite and Saltergate
To have your say on the current consultation, go to the county council website here.
0