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20
May
'Madness and waste of public money’: Campaign group calls for urgent rethink on £22 million Harrogate College redevelopment
A new campaign group is calling for an urgent rethink of the £22 million Harrogate College redevelopment plans.
North Yorkshire Council has recommended councillors on its Harrogate and Knaresborough planning committee approve the scheme when they meet on May 27, as reported here.
RE:VISION – Harrogate College, a campaign group led by Hornbeam Park Developments, claims the scheme has become a ‘costly and irreversible lesson in poor decision-making’ that fails students, staff and the wider community.
Hornbeam Park Developments claims the revised proposals do little to address the parking issues that prompted it to instigate a judicial review that blocked the college’s previous redevelopment plans.
RE:VISION also claims demolishing the college’s main teaching block, which was refurbished just eight years ago using millions of pounds of public funds, would reduce the site’s value from around £5.5 million to just £1.25 million, wiping out years of investment for no clear benefit.
The group is also critical of the college’s plans to replace the building with a smaller facility, which will be supported with £16 million of taxpayers’ money, despite a rising student population that grew from 775 to 825 last year.
During the two-year construction, only 12 parking spaces would be available on-site for nearly 1,000 students, staff and workers, forcing an estimated 143 cars to overflow onto nearby residential streets, the group claims.
It added that when the new building opened, the shortage will continue because just 105 parking spaces are planned - further straining already local roads and Hornbeam Park station.
The spoof parking notice.
RE:VISION, which has set up a campaign website, has begun issuing spoof Parking Chaos Notices (PCNs) to neighbouring residents to alert them of the impending disruption.
Campaign group spokesperson David Waddington, a consultant with Hornbeam Park Developments, said:
This isn’t about opposing investment. We want Harrogate College to thrive and for students to be given the best further education experience to help them succeed… but these plans just don’t add up.
The scheme in its present form is simply madness and a waste of public funds. The new building has been described as ‘future-proofing’ the college - but in reality, it fritters away millions in public funds by demolishing a recently upgraded facility, slashes the site's value, causes years of parking chaos on local roads and locks the college into a downsized building that jeopardises its capability to meet rising student demand.
Harrogate College, on Hornbeam Park.
RE:VISION called for a ‘smarter alternative’ to the redevelopment which would see the new facility built on vacant, high-potential land directly adjoining the existing campus.
The group says this would enable the existing main building to be sold for maximum value on the open market and help fund the new build. Not only would this save public money, but also ensure there is ample on-site parking during and after construction.
Mr Waddington added:
“Harrogate deserves a college that is fit for the future - not a costly compromise that sells everyone short. There is still an opportunity to build something truly forward-looking, but the clock is ticking, which is why we are urging the planning committee to ring the bell on these flawed proposals and back a smarter, more sustainable solution.”
Chris Bentley, who owns Hornbeam Park Developments, pledged to help the college build world-class partnerships with leading global businesses if the college was commited to “an ambitious and forward-thinking development plan”.
He added:
Harrogate College has tremendous potential. Unlocking it will require bold ambition and a development approach that truly supports students and benefits the wider Harrogate economy for years to come.
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