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.

    28

    Jun 2023

    Last Updated: 28/06/2023
    Politics
    Politics

    Harrogate town council set to be formed as 66% back the idea

    by Calvin Robinson Chief Reporter

    | 28 Jun, 2023
    Comment

    0

    harrogate-1
    Harrogate town centre.

    Plans to create a Harrogate town council look set to go ahead after a second consultation revealed the majority of respondents support the idea.

    Letters were posted to 35,583 homes in Harrogate inviting them to have their say on the subject.

    The results, published today, reveal 65.5% said they were in favour of the move — which would lead to the creation of a new council tax charge.

    However, just 1,698 responded, which represents just 4.7% of households.

    North Yorkshire Council launched the second consultation as part of a community governance review in March.

    Harrogate and Scarborough are the only parts of the county not to have a parish or town council.



    The first consultation in Harrogate, which began in August last year and received only a 3.5% response rate, revealed 75% supported a town council — so support has waned.

    In a report due before councillors on Wednesday, a recommendation will be made to refer the responses to full council later this year.

    Cllr David Chance, executive councillor for corporate services at the council, said:

    “The public consultations which have been carried out in the areas under review have shown that there is support among residents who responded to the consultation for town councils to be created for both Harrogate and Scarborough.
    “Full consultations have been conducted to gauge the public’s opinions on the proposals, and the recommendation is now for a full council meeting to discuss the plans for the two new councils.
    “If the decision is taken to introduce the town councils for both Harrogate and Scarborough, this will provide more democratically-elected voices for both areas to ensure that the views of local people are heard effectively to help us deliver key services.”






    Read more:







    Establishing a town council, with yet to be determined powers, is expected to create an additional annual council tax charge of between £40 and £60 for the homes affected.

    The town councils would be formed for administrative purposes from April 2024, and the first elections would be on May 2, 2024, when councillors would be elected for a reduced term of three years. Elections would then take place every four years from 2027.

    The parish would be divided into divisions, based largely on the divisions that now apply since North Yorkshire Council was established in the spring.

    A total of 19 members would be elected to the town council.