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02
Apr 2023
The Harrogate district councillors saying goodbye
As Harrogate Borough Council draws to a close, the move to scrap the authority also sees 24 councillors lose their roles.
The brand new North Yorkshire Council will have 16 elected representatives from the Harrogate district.
However, only 12 of those councillors will move on from seats on the borough council.
Some have successfully sought reelection to the new council.
Among those stepping down include council leader, Cllr Richard Cooper, and deputy leader of the authority, Cllr Graham Swift.
Members of the cabinet Cllr Phil Ireland and Cllr Stanley Lumley have also departed.
In this article, we take a look at the 24 councillors who will no longer represent the district.
Rebecca Burnett
The former chairman of Harrogate Borough Council’s planning committee.
She represented Harrogate St Georges since 2018.
Trevor Chapman
Mayor Trevor Chapman and wife Janet
Cllr Chapman, who represented Harrogate Bilton Grange, was mayor of the Harrogate borough last year.
The Liberal Democrat was on the council since 2018.
Read more:
- Explained: What happens to bin collections in Harrogate after devolution?
- Explained: Who will make planning decisions in Harrogate district after devolution?
Richard Cooper
Leader of the council since 2014, Conservative Cllr Cooper represented Harrogate central on the authority.
He announced in October 2021 that he would not seek election to North Yorkshire Council.
Ed Darling
Conservative Cllr Darling was chair of the licensing committee on Harrogate Borough Council and represented Knaresborough Castle ward.
John Ennis
John Ennis, Conservative.
Cllr Ennis, a Conservative, represented the Harrogate Stray ward on the authority.
Sam Green
Sam Green, who was the youngest councillor on Harrogate Borough Council.
Cllr Green, who was only elected in May last year, was the youngest borough councillor at 26-years-old.
He was elected to the Wathvale ward on the council.
Sid Hawke
Cllr Hawke was one of two Ripon Independent councillors on the borough council.
Phil Ireland
Conservative Cllr Ireland was one the authority’s cabinet. He held the carbon reduction and sustainability portfolio.
He also represented Knaresborough Aspin and Calcutt ward.
Steven Jackson
Cllr Jackson was a Conservative councillor who represented the Harrogate Saltergate ward on the council.
Sue Lumby
Cllr Lumby was the Conservative councillor for Harrogate Coppice Valley. She also chaired the council’s human resource committee.
Stanley Lumley
Councillor Stanley Lumley (pictured left)
Conservative Cllr Lumley was the authority’s cabinet member for culture, tourism and sport and oversaw the creation of Brimhams Active, which now runs council leisure centres.
He unsuccessfully stood for election to the new North Yorkshire Council. He also represented Pateley Bridge and Nidderdale on the borough council.
Stuart Martin
Conservative Cllr Martin was mayor of Harrogate borough in 2020.
He represented Ripon Moorside on the authority.
Pauline McHardy
Cllr McHardy, who represented Ripon Minster, was a Ripon Independent on the borough council.
Nigel Middlemass
Cllr Middlemass was a Conservative councillor who represented Harrogate Kingsley ward.
Ann Myatt
Conservative Cllr Myatt represented Ouseburn ward on the borough council.
Tim Myatt
Cllr Myatt was part of the council’s cabinet and held the portfolio for planning.
He also represented Harrogate High ward.
Victoria Oldham
Conservative Cllr Oldham is the current mayor of the Harrogate borough. She chaired full council meetings this year.
She also represented Washburn ward.
Alex Raubitschek
Cllr Raubitschek was a Conservative councillor who represented Oatlands ward.
Matt Scott
Conservative Cllr Scott represented Harrogate Bilton Woodfield on the borough council and chaired the authority’s general purposes committee.
Nigel Simms
Cllr Simms, who represented Masham and Kirkby Malzeard, was vice-chair of the council’s planning committee.
Graham Swift
Conservative deputy leader of the council and portfolio holder for resources, enterprise and economic development, Cllr Swift was among the senior councillors on the authority.
He unsuccessfully stood for election to North Yorkshire Council. He also represented the Duchy ward on the borough council.
Tom Watson
Liberal Democrat Cllr Tom Watson represented Nidd Valley on the borough council.
Matthew Webber
Cllr Webber, who was a Liberal Democrat, represented New Park on the authority.
Christine Willoughby
Liberal Democrat Cllr Willoughby sat on the council for Knaresborough Eastfield.
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