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20
Aug
Harrogate Convention Centre takes financial hit amid bookings secrecy
Harrogate Convention Centre generated £129,000 less income in the first quarter of the current financial year than budgeted.
North Yorkshire Council’s revenue budget report for the period from April 1 to June 30, which you can read here, says bookings for the venue were weaker than expected.
The report, which was debated by the council’s Conservative cabinet this week, says the centre was forecast to generate quarterly revenue of £338,000 but only achieved £209,000.
That amounts to £129,000 less than expected — more than a third down on expectations.
The report says the “majority of the anticipated overspend is due to reduced car parking income of £100,000, due to the closure of the second Harrogate Convention Centre car park for most of the financial year, as the area is part of the construction site for the Studio 2 refurbishment project”.
It adds:
Lettings income is forecast to achieve budget; however, lower-than-expected levels of association conferences and corporate events looks likely to have an adverse impact on catering income of around £15,000. There is also a shortfall in other income of £31,000. Small savings are estimated for salaries (£10,000) and in other general expenditure (£7,000).
The council is spending £9.6 million upgrading Studio 2 to boost bookings. The cost of the project, which has caused parking problems on nearby roads, has risen from £7.1 million. Another £200,000 was committed to the scheme this week.
A convention centre press release on July 31 suggested the second quarter will be better financially.
It said the venue was “preparing to host seven major trade and public exhibitions over the coming months”, including the biggest ever Harrogate Fashion Week, Bridal Week Harrogate, The Flooring Show, Harrogate International Nursery Fair, the Northern Homebuilding and Renovating Show, Thought Bubble Comic Convention and Knit + Stitch.
Past bookings
However, the council has been less forthcoming about past bookings.
The Stray Ferret submitted a freedom of information request asking for a list of daily bookings since the council acquired the conferences and events venue from Harrogate Borough Council in 2023.
We did so after the council said it had spent £42,500 on managers’ meetings at the Pavilion of Harrogate because the convention centre — just two-and-a-half miles away — was unavailable.
Our request did not ask for any financial data, only the names and dates of organisations that had made bookings.
But the council said disclosing this “would be likely to prejudice the legitimate commercial interests of the council”.
The Stray Ferret has requested an internal appeal of the decision on the grounds that the public interest in disclosure and transparency should outweigh the commercial concerns, particularly as the loss-making venue is subsidised by taxpayers.
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