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28
Dec
What is in Harrogate Town Council’s budget?
Town councillors in Harrogate will meet in the new year to finalise the authority’s budget, including a hike in its precept.
The financial plan, which councillors will meet to agree in January, is set to include an increase in the precept to £26 for a band D property, which the town council estimates will raise around £740,639 for the forthcoming year.
Much of the budget centres around administrative and staffing costs.
But, the draft proposals also go into more detail over what Harrogate Town Council plans to use its money for in 2026, such as youth clubs and a new office.
New premises
The council has earmarked £110,226.50 as part of its draft budget for “securing and moving to new premises”.
According to the proposals, the cost would cover renovation costs, ongoing maintenance and service charges and are based upon a “suitable property already on the market”.
It comes as the authority included a permanent office location as part of its priorities in its town council action plan.
A Harrogate Town Council meeting at Harrogate's Civic Centre.
Currently, councillors meet for planning, finance and full council meetings at Harrogate’s Civic Centre, which is owned by North Yorkshire Council.
The council is currently based at Community House on East Parade.
Events officer
The budget proposals also includes provision to appoint an events officer.
The officer, who would "support the development and delivery of a programme of events” at the council, would be appointed as part of £49,111 of funding.
According to the proposals, the officer would oversee around 10 community events over the course of the year – each of which would cost £5,000.
Welcome to Harrogate
The council is also set to consider whether to allocate funding towards signage in the town.
The proposals include £20,000 worth of funding being allocated to fund new “Welcome to Harrogate” signs.
However, the report also says that alternative funding could be secured through sponsorship or money from the community infrastructure levy.
The provision of signage is also included in the town council’s action plan.
Youth clubs
The town council has proposed allocating £15,000 towards youth services as part of its budget plans.
The authority’s report adds:
The inclusion of £15,000 of funding provides capacity to deliver this objective and indicates the council’s commitment to improving youth services in the parish and builds on the implementation of the Children’s and/or Young People Network for Harrogate in 2025/26.
The council has also included funding which it anticipates could fund a mobile youth club in the parish one evening per week, which would possibly visit two locations.
It estimates the mobile club could cost £250 an evening.
It comes as the council has previously agreed to look into reviving youth clubs in the Harrogate area.
In November, councillors said the clubs could be established in areas of Harrogate with “anti-social behaviour issues”.
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