Tories and Lib Dems election candidates criticise Harrogate Station Gateway

A business-focused hustings held last night by Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce saw both the Liberal Democrat and Conservative candidates criticise the Station Gateway project.

Six of the seven candidates standing in the Harrogate and Knaresborough constituency attended the hustings at the Pavilions of Harrogate, which was chaired by Stray Ferret editor John Plummer.

Over the course of a well-mannered two hours, the candidates were asked for their vision on the future of Harrogate town centre, the creation of a town council and on the Station Gateway scheme.

Elections for a new Harrogate town council are expected to be held next year.

There was consensus across the parties that the creation of a town council was a good thing and necessary to improve local democracy.

Libe Dem Tom Gordon argued it should happen sooner than next year, Conservative Andrew Jones said it needed more time to be thought through to avoid duplication.

Reform UK candidate John Swales said the creation of a town council was "like a lot of things in politics, it goes round in circles and comes back to the beginning" – despite this though, he said, his party would support it and would be fielding candidates.

Station Gateway

Asked whether they felt the £12.2m Station Gateway scheme ‘was a good use of taxpayers' money’, most of the candidates criticised the plan.

Shan Oakes, the Green Party candidate, felt it could be done on less money and that there had been "a lack of consultation".

Lib Dem Tom Gordon said the project had made a mockery of local consultation. Mr Gordon laid the blame for allowing the scheme to go ahead with Conservative-controlled North Yorkshire Council rather than the council's Lib Dem-controlled Harrogate and Knaresborough area constituency committee.

Mr Gordon decsribed the area constitency committee, which backed the scheme before later withdrawing support, as a "paper tiger" that could only advise the full council on what to do.

Conservative candidate Andrew Jones was highly critical of how North Yorkshire Council had managed the project:

Independent Paul Haslam said he was ‘in the middle’ on the scheme, adding: "We’ve got a protracted process that didn’t go to plan. We’re half pregnant." 

Only the Labour candidate said he broadly supported it despite concerns over cost.

Challenges facing business in Harrogate and Knaresborough

When asked about what each candidate saw as the biggest issues facing local businesses each would-be MP had a different emphasis:

Andrew Jones said he met businesses weekly and would focus on recruitment and working to promote apprenticeships and supporting Harrogate College.

Mr Gordon, for the Liberal Democrats, said he would have quarterly meetings with local businesses and get the right team around him to focus on business needs.

Conrad Whitcroft said Labour would focus on reducing energy costs with the creation of Great British Energy Ltd.

John Swales for Reform said it was all about reducing the tax burden so small businesses keep more of the money they earn. 

Shan Oakes said the Green Party would improve skills and businesses that would promote renewable energy.

Independent Paul Haslam said he’d focus on making Harrogate more attractive to business and visitors by working to get an integrated transport network.

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