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02
Sept 2024
Harrogate needs a ‘broader economy’, says council chief executive
This is the second article in a two-part interview with Richard Flinton, CEO of North Yorkshire Council. In this article, he talks the council's ambition to broaden the economic base of Harrogate and the future of Harrogate Convention Centre.
Harrogate needs to broaden its economic appeal beyond hospitality and retail, the chief executive of North Yorkshire Council has said.
In an interview with the Stray Ferret, Richard Flinton said the council wants to use its relationship with York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority to “look at the economic base” of the town.
Part of that plan includes the Harrogate Convention Centre, which currently faces an uncertain future.
Mr Flinton told the Stray Ferret that he was keen for the combined authority to work with the council on an “investment strategy” for the site.
A broader economic base
It was a new dawn for local politics in North Yorkshire in May as the county elected its first ever directly elected mayor, David Skaith.
Combined with a new council, which celebrated its first birthday, the two introduced a new way of working for politicians and civil servants.
One area which has caught Mr Flinton’s eye is the ability of the new mayor to attract investment and potentially boost the economy.
He tells the Stray Ferret that one of his priorities has been to make it known to Mr Skaith and the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority what the issues are in the county.
Mr Flinton said:
A place like Harrogate is sometimes characterised as being relatively affluent, but there are some needs and issues here that we would want to work with the combined authority around.
What lessons can be learned from the 2015 masterplan?
When pressed on what those needs and issues are in Harrogate, Mr Flinton said one of them was to come up with a strategy to broaden the town’s economy.
Harrogate is well known for its hospitality sector, such as Rudding Park, Bettys and its array of bars and restaurants.
But Mr Flinton said the area could have a broader appeal economically than just hospitality and retail.
He said:
I think we need to look at the economic base of Harrogate. It needs to be broadened. There’s very good reliance on hospitality and retail, but [the question is] how can we have a broader economy in Harrogate? What are the opportunities to invest in that?
The future of the convention centre
Part of the effort to broaden that economic base will come through working with David Skaith, the Labour mayor of York and North Yorkshire and the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority.
The combined authority works with North Yorkshire Council on broader strategies such as the economy, transport and skills.
One area that Mr Flinton is keen to work with Mr Skaith on is Harrogate Convention Centre, specifically an investment strategy for the centre.
The Stray Ferret has reported extensively on the council’s efforts to secure funding for a planned £49 million refurbishment of the site, including a failed £20m bid to the government’s Levelling Up fund in January 2023.
Harrogate Convention Centre's auditorium
We also reported recently that the council paid London consultants 31ten £23,000 to assess options for the development and operation of the site.
The options include, amongst others, selling the site, running it in partnership with a private firm and finding alternative uses.
An update on the plan is expected to be put before councillors in autumn, a council spokesperson said.
While Mr Flinton did not say what plans the council had settled on, he said he was keen that the combined authority and mayor worked with the authority on an investment strategy.
He said:
You will know that the convention centre is a big priority for us. We would like the combined authority and the mayor to work with us around an investment strategy for the convention centre.
Mr Flinton has previously questioned the future of the convention centre.
In January 2023, the council chief told business leaders at a Harrogate Chamber of Commerce meeting that the conference and events venue needed to be vibrant and relevant in the face of competition from a new venue in Leeds rather than "an enormous drain on public finances".
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