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20
Nov
‘Morally wrong and a kick in the teeth for Harrogate’s traders’
Campaigners against the £14.6 million Harrogate Station Gateway have reacted furiously to North Yorkshire Council’s decision to announce a start date for the scheme when their legal challenge is looming.
Last week the Court of Appeal granted permission for the Get Away campaign group to review a judge’s decision to dismiss their original legal challenge.
But with the review pending, the council announced on Monday (November 17) work would begin in the New Year and last until autumn 2027.
Steven Baines, spokesperson for Get Away, said:
The council want to take a hard long look at themselves. They need to ask themselves whether this is morally right. If there was a review relating to any other development in the town, would they let it go ahead? There seems to be one rule for them and another rule for the rest of us.
Enough is enough. The business community and the people of Harrogate now need to be asking serious questions of the council as to why they are prepared to risk significant amounts of taxpayers’ money by going ahead with a development that may not see the light of day, and at a time when councils across Yorkshire are under huge financial pressure.
David Waddington, a consultant for Hornbeam Park Developments, said he was “incredulous” that a scheme identified as ‘poor value for money’ following a freedom of information request by the Stray Ferret, and which has been classified as high risk by the council, is going ahead when an appeal is looming.
Mr Waddington added:
The council has shown a complete disregard for the people that this will impact most – it is simply not listening to the concerns from the vast majority of traders who are incredibly worried about their future prospects as a result of two years of construction and the proposals to greatly reduce parking in the town centre.
This latest development is proof of this and is a massive kick in the teeth for the town’s business community.
Instructed lawyers
Get Away has instructed lawyers to advise whether the decision is lawful.
It said it would also write to both West Yorkshire Combined Authority and the Department for Transport, the scheme’s major funder, to challenge the lawfulness of any decision to release the monies given the current state of play.
Referring to comments by a senior councillor this week, which you can read here, Mr Baines said:
“It’s laughable that the council has accused a small group of campaigners for disrupting this scheme. The message is clearly not getting through that the vast majority of traders in the town centre have grave concerns about the scheme on business and safety grounds and do not want it to go ahead.”
The scheme will see the redevelopment of One Arch and Station Square, improved traffic signals, a bus lane, a southbound cycle lane on Station Parade, new paving for pedestrians and cycle parking at Harrogate Railway Station.
Cllr Malcolm Taylor, executive councillor for highways, said this week:
The scheme has been in the making for around five years, with several rounds of consultation and engagement to produce the final designs.
We have maintained our commitment to delivering the scheme, which will be key in promoting sustainable travel and public transport options.
The town centre will become more visibly appealing, ultimately driving economic prosperity through improved access to employment and future investment.
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