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10
Sept
Business leaders quiz North Yorkshire mayor over key Harrogate issues
Business leaders in the Harrogate district quizzed the Mayor of York and North Yorkshire last night.
Labour mayor David Skaith faced business owners for the first time at Cedar Court Hotel in a wide ranging Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce meeting.
Mr Skaith, who was joined by James Farrar, chief executive of York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority, and Tim Forber, chief constable of North Yorkshire Police, faced questions over Uber trading in Harrogate, the state of Harrogate town centre and a new station on the Harrogate line.
Here is what we learned from the meeting.
The state of Harrogate
Diane Matthews, of Truffles Cafe on Station Parade, raised concern over the state of Harrogate town centre and how it looks to visitors.
She described the town centre as looking like “a tip” with rubbish on the streets. She said:
I would like to know why we are not cleaning our town up and making it look nice?
Diane Matthews, owner of Truffles Cafe.
Mr Skaith said part of Ms Matthews’ concern was why he created the mayor's high street fund, which includes £10 million of funding for businesses and is set to open for applications in October.
He added:
I’m from Harrogate and I agree. Some of it is lovely, James Street in particular is a really nice looking street. But a lot of the town isn’t, quite frankly. When you lose big retailers, Jamie’s Italian for example, it leaves big gaps and big holes. We have seen it all over right across the region. This is why we created the high street fund.
More detail on the high street fund
Tara Stagman, from Ake and Humphries Wine Merchants, asked for more detail on the £10 million high street fund, including how businesses could find out where it has been spent.
Mr Skaith said the fund is spread over four years in order to give “long term support to high streets”.
He added that he intended to map all the combined authorities projects. He said:
We’re very conscious that everybody is going to think that this is all driven from York, when actually we’re determined to make sure this is a whole York and North Yorkshire project.
Mr Farrar told the meeting that every investment the combined authority makes will be published online and periodic reports will be brought to the Harrogate and Knaresborough area constituency committee on North Yorkshire Council.
Uber trading in Harrogate
Gary Sadler-Simpson, of Mainline Taxis in Harrogate, raised the issue of Uber operating in Harrogate, which he said are not licensed within North Yorkshire.
Mr Sadler-Simpson told Mr Skaith that there had been an “influx” of the cabs and that North Yorkshire Council seemed reluctant to take action.
Mr Skaith said he would raise the issue with the council, which is responsible for taxi licensing, and Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Tom Gordon, who he was due to meet next week.
Meanwhile, Mr Forber added that he was concerned over unlicensed taxis due to the potential involvement in “other criminality”.
Support the Leeds Bradford Airport Parkway
Former chamber chief executive Brian Dunsby, who now runs the Harrogate Line Supporters Group that represents local commuters, raised the issue of the Leeds Bradford Airport Parkway, which is a proposed rail station on the Harrogate line.
The project, which would be built between Horsforth and Bramhope tunnel and is being led by West Yorkshire Combined Authority, is expected to reach detailed design stage and be submitted for planning approval this year.
Designs for the Leeds Bradford Airport Parkway station. Picture: West Yorkshire Combined Authority.
Mr Dunsby told the meeting the plan would help to ease pressure on the road network around the airport.
He asked the combined authority whether it would support Tracy Brabin, the Labour mayor of West Yorkshire, and the West Yorkshire Combined Authority with the project.
Mr Farrar said the combined authority was already working closely with West Yorkshire Combined Authority to understand the economic relationship between the region and Harrogate.
Wheelchair-accessible vehicles
Kevin O’Boyle, who owns Central Taxis in Harrogate, raised concerns about council plans to increase the number of wheelchair-accessible vehicles.
Mr O’Boyle said the council was “in denial” on the issue, which the Stray Ferret has reported on extensively here. He called for more consultation with the taxi trade on disability matters, particularly on improving transport.
Mr Skaith said he would raise the issue with North Yorkshire Council to “put it on their radar”. He added:
I agree, you should be more involved in transport discussions because it is a part of our transport system.
Kevin O'Boyle, owner of Central Taxis.
‘How can we use you?’
Louise Terzza, of the charity Time Together in Harrogate, asked Mr Skaith how charities could best make use of the new mayoral position.
Mr Skaith said it was important for the combined authority to engage with the charitable and voluntary sectors in order to understand where it can offer support. He said:
We’re already have contact with some of the bigger players in the charitable sector across the region who have a lot of links in, but that is not going to be everyone.
Mr Farrar added that it was important for the charitable and voluntary sector to be able to “speak with a single voice” on topics such as structural issues in order for the combined authority to be able to help organisations.
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