A draft review into Harrogate’s controversial hosting of the 2019 UCI Road World Championships has found that there was a perception that the event “effectively closed” the centre of the town for a month.
Members of Harrogate Borough Council’s overview and scrutiny commission are behind the review, which has been published ahead of a meeting on July 4 where it will be considered.
The report found that while there was a place for shorter events which “portray Harrogate and North Yorkshire in a good light, nationally and throughout the world”, residents and businesses considered the road closures for the UCI “unacceptable”.
It also concluded that “in future greater priority should be given to serving the needs of those who live, work and create wealth and employment in this great town and district”.
The nine-day cycling event was hailed by organisers as a “once in a lifetime moment” for Harrogate, but was also criticised by businesses and residents in the town who had complaints about disruptions during road closures.
Fifteen recommendations have been made as part of the review, which are aimed at assisting the planning of major events in North Yorkshire in future.
‘Effectively closed’ Harrogate
Conservative Cllr Nick Brown, who chaired the cross-party review, said in a foreword for the report that the review was “wide-ranging” and considered the views of residents, businesses and others.
He said that one conclusion reached by the committee was that there was a “common perception” that the set-up and dismantling of the UCI shut off the town centre to residents.
Cllr Brown said:
“An important conclusion reached was that there was a common perception that the event effectively closed down the centre of Harrogate not just for the nine days of the UCI but for nearly a month including set up and dismantling and this was considered unacceptable to many residents and businesses in the town.”
The UCI World Cycling Championships came to Harrogate in 2019. Credit: Tony Bailey
The review has made a number of recommendations including involving residents in planning events at an “early stage” and including Harrogate Borough Council on the board of large scale events.
Other recommendations include early engagement on large events and hosting short events in the district in order to “minimise disruption for local residents”.
Cllr Brown added:
“The recommendations and an outline of the findings of the review are presented in this summary report and have taken into account the views and evidence from residents and organisations about this major event in Harrogate.
“It is intended that they assist the planning and hosting of major future events in North Yorkshire.”
Separate reviews
The review is separate to an economic impact study carried out by accountancy firm Ernst and Young at a cost of £19,000 to the council.
This study concluded the championships resulted in an economic boost to the local economy of £17.8 million and was watched by a global television audience of 329 million.
It also said 84% of people who came to watch the event were satisfied or very satisfied with it.
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However, it did not take into account a reported drop in earnings for some businesses, whose complaints rumbled on long after the event was held.
Based in Harrogate as the host town, the championships were held in the UK for the first time in nearly 40 years after a joint-bid by British Cycling, UK Sport, Welcome to Yorkshire and the government’s sport and culture department.
The event organisers were Yorkshire 2019 – a now-dissolved company which was set up by the government and later contributed £35,500 towards the West Park Stray repair costs.
A further £95,000 was spent on park upgrades by Harrogate Borough Council which spent a total of £606,000 on hosting the event.
The biggest single cost was £200,000 for the fan zone on West Park Stray.
