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12
Jul 2024
New Lib Dem MP intervenes in Harrogate College rebuild controversy
In one of his first acts as the newly-elected MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, Tom Gordon has written to the Secretary of State for Education in a bid to keep the Harrogate College redevelopment scheme on track.
The college, which is on Hornbeam Park in the south of the town, had planned a £22 million rebuild to upgrade its facilities, but the project has been put on hold following a legal challenge.
The project, which entails the construction of a new main building and a renewable energy skills hub, has been made possible by a £20 million grant from the Department for Education’s Further Education Capital Transformation Fund (FECTF), but in order to access the funds, the rebuild needs to be completed by the end of March 2026.
Harrogate College, on Hornbeam Park.
But a judicial review launched by Harrogate property developer Chris Bentley, who owns most of Hornbeam Park, means the rebuild will be delayed and may miss the deadline by six months, disqualifying it from the FECTF funding.
In a bid to protect the project, Mr Gordon has written to Bridget Phillipson, the Secretary of State for Education, to ask for an extension to the March 2026 deadline.
He writes:
As the project will not be able to go ahead without FECTF funding, it seems a monumental waste for Harrogate College to miss what is a fantastic opportunity to complete a serious upgrade of their facilities as a result of these planning difficulties.
Mr Gordon's letter in full
He adds:
Importantly, this is not a request for more money. Merely extending the deadline associated with FECTF funding so that Harrogate College can navigate the current planning difficulties and begin construction on the planned project would be sufficient.
As previously reported by the Stray Ferret, Mr Bentley has objected to the project because he says the college has made inadequate provision for car-parking during the two-year construction period, forcing drivers to park on his tenants’ premises, in the railway station car-park and in surrounding residential streets.
He has said the scheme will "cause chaos to the businesses" on Hornbeam Park.
Hornbeam Park has about 120 tenants, and it is estimated that around 4,500 people work and study on the park each day. All the roads providing access around the site belong to site owner Hornbeam Park Developments Ltd, so parking there is not a matter for North Yorkshire Council.
The Stray Ferret has contacted Chris Bentley for comment.
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