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02
Oct 2025
Town council identifies contractor for Harrogate heating network study
Harrogate Town Council has identified a contractor for a study into a heating network in the town.
In August, the Stray Ferret revealed that the town council was set to bid for £40,000 of central government funding to carry out a feasibility study into a heating system.
The move would see the town embark on a plan to deliver cheaper energy, with the more deprived areas of Jennyfields, Bilton and Fairfax identified as the first areas to benefit.
At a meeting of the council last night, Iona Taylor, town clerk, confirmed that the authority had identified Sheffield-based Tomson Consulting Ltd as a potential contractor to carry out its feasibility study.
Mrs Taylor said the council received four tenders, but settled on the Yorkshire-based company after an evaluation process.
She added that no contract will be entered into with Tomson Consulting Ltd until the authority receives written confirmation of funding.
A bid has been formally submitted to the government’s Great British Energy Community Fund for a community energy scheme. A decision on whether the bid is successful is expected to be made by December 15.
Meanwhile, Zero Carbon Harrogate was designated as a partner for the project to help carry out community engagement should the study go-ahead.
Cllr Chris Aldred, mayor of Harrogate.
Cllr Chris Aldred, Mayor of Harrogate, told the Stray Ferret previously that the scheme could be exciting for the town.
A district heating network connects users to a central heating source via insulated pipes underground.
The idea is to provide cheaper energy to a specific geographical area.
Cllr Aldred said:
People think there is a lot of money in Harrogate and there is. But there is also quite a lot of significant social poverty.
It’s those three areas which would benefit if this went ahead. That was the attraction to it for the town council.
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