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11
Nov
Council set to appoint construction contractor for £14.6 million Harrogate Station Gateway
North Yorkshire Council looks set to appoint a construction contractor for the £14.6 million Station Gateway scheme.
NY Highways, which the council fully owns, is set to undertake construction of the project, which will look to transform town centre areas such as Station Parade, Station Square and the One Arch pedestrian tunnel.
A report is due to go before the council’s Conservative-controlled executive next week, which will recommend that authority is delegated to enter into a contract with the company and accept full grants from West Yorkshire Combined Authority and York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority for the scheme.
Alex Richards, Transforming Cities Fund Programme manager at the council, said the scheme was at a stage where works can commence.
In his report, he said:
The Harrogate TCF scheme has been in development for a period of circa five years and has involved a wide range of residents, business and stakeholders in its development and formation.
The project is now at a point where, subject to these final approvals, works can commence in the coming months. The acceptance of the full grant funding offer from DfT via WYCA and YNYCA is key to enable this to happen, this requires the requisite Delegated Authorities be granted to meet the contract timescales and mobilise works commencement to achieve the delivery timeframes expected by the funders.
The move comes as the council dropped Galliford Try as the gateway contractor in July in favour of its internal company.
The British construction firm drew up designs for the town centre redevelopment scheme and had been expected to complete the job.
Meanwhile, the move to appoint a contractor comes as the council was successful in defending a legal claim against the project.
In August, a High Court judge ruled in favour of the authority after a challenge by anti-gateway campaigners, The Get Away group.
Mr Richards said following the outcome of the claim, it was now “considered appropriate” to bring the report to the council’s executive “to secure the further delegated authorities necessary to enable progression and delivery of the Harrogate scheme”.
Senior councillors will consider the report at a meeting on November 18.
Meanwhile, the report comes as the cost for the Station Gateway project has soared.
As previously reported by the Stray Ferret, North Yorkshire Council secured a further £2 million from York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority, which is overseen by Labour mayor David Skaith, for the scheme.
It takes the cost of the project, which has been hailed as the biggest transformation of Harrogate town centre for 30 years, to £14.6 million. It was originally forecast to cost £7.9 million.
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