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20
Feb
Harrogate Station Gateway saga set for High Court showdown
The Harrogate Station Gateway saga could be heading for London’s High Court of Justice.
The £12.1 million project would see the biggest transformation of Harrogate town centre this century, particularly around Station Parade and Station Square.
But the Get Away campaign group, which thinks the scheme in its current form will damage the town, said today it has commenced a High Court legal challenge.
Solicitors acting on behalf of the group have served notice on both North Yorkshire Council and West Yorkshire Combined Authority.
Get Away claims North Yorkshire Council’s failure to consider the wider impacts of the proposal and to consult fully with the public have rendered the scheme’s Traffic Regulation Orders illegal.
Steven Baines, a local business owner and Get Away spokesperson, said:
Battle has now commenced! Not only is there anger from the Harrogate business and trade community that this is the wrong scheme for the town but there is outrage at the way it was pushed through without adequate consultation.
This is simply not good enough and this is why we want the whole matter to be out in the open and heard by the High Court so we can get to the bottom of what has gone on here.
Only this week it was reported that close to 20 councillors — almost a quarter of North Yorkshire Council — staged a mass walk out during a meeting to discuss the annual meeting and five-year plan, over the alleged lack of democracy and accuracy in the way the executive conducts its business.
There is something badly amiss at North Yorkshire Council; these fleeing councillors know this, the business community knows this and it can’t be allowed to continue. We await the outcome of the High Court challenge and sincerely hope it results in the end of Station Gateway and better governance for the people of Harrogate and North Yorkshire.
'Dangerous to our town'
The Get Away campaign, which includes freeholders, tenants and high street retailers, has written to local transport minister Simon Lightwood and Harrogate and Knaresborough Liberal Democrat MP Tom Gordon about concerns.
The group received a boost this month when local businessman Chris Bentley announced he was providing “resources and lobbying support” to advance their cause.
Mr Bentley, owner of Hornbeam Park Developments, said he could no longer “observe from afar” as he accused North Yorkshire Council of being “dictatorial” and “dangerous to our town”.
David Waddington, spokesperson for Hornbeam Park Developments, said:
Chris has grown increasingly concerned at the decision-making process regarding Station Gateway and felt compelled to publicly support Get Away.
At a time when council taxes are increasing and trading conditions for Harrogate are already very difficult, there needs to be both meaningful consultation and full transparency over important proposals such as this one.
We are also concerned that this will bring two years of traffic disruption for a scheme that the business community do not want. Another huge concern is that North Yorkshire Council want to deliver this project themselves and we question whether they have the necessary skills to do so.
'Weak and spurious' challenge
Councillor Keane Duncan, North Yorkshire Council’s executive member for highways, who has oversight of gateway schemes in Harrogate, Skipton and Selby, has said the scheme provides the biggest redevelopment in Harrogate town centre for 30 years.
Speaking earlier this month, after Get Away sent a pre-action protocol letter to the council, Clr Duncan said:
I think it’s worth sharing with colleagues today our view of the letter is that the basis of the challenge is weak.
The claims that have been made I think are spurious at best and while we are disappointed to receive the letter, we are planning to respond to it and robustly challenge it.
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