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17
Jun
'Pathetic attempt' jibe branded 'rude' as Knaresborough councillors pass vote of no confidence
Knaresborough Town Council passed a motion of no confidence in North Yorkshire Council’s management of the town’s services and assets on Monday night – but not before it had been branded a "pathetic attempt at political points-scoring" by one dissident councillor.
The motion was tabled by Cllr Matt Walker, a Liberal Democrat who serves on both councils and has grown increasingly frustrated by what he sees as the Conservative-controlled unitary authority’s lack of interest in Knaresborough.
Speaking ahead of Monday's vote, Cllr Walker said:
There’s been a catalogue of things that have not been maintained. You raise them and nothing is done. The town has had to have petitions, and we’ve even had a King’s visit to actually get them to do things. We can’t have the King come every time things don’t happen!
'I've had enough'
The motion demanded an “immediate and substantial capital investment package [...] to address urgent repairs, upgrades, and improvements at Knaresborough House, Knaresborough Castle, Viaduct Terrace, public toilets, the Bebra Gardens paddling pool, town-centre cobbled areas, and town-centre signage and visitor infrastructure”.
Cllr Walker said:
I’ve had enough, the residents have had enough, and it’s not good enough.
Areas of concern (clockwise from top left): the collapsed Viaduct Terrace, Knaresborough Castle, the Waterside public toilets, and Knaresborough House.
Most of his fellow councillors were in agreement, but one, the former Conservative and current independent Cllr Kathryn Davies, asked why Cllr Walker was bringing the issue to the town council instead of to North Yorkshire Council’s Harrogate and Knaresborough area committee, on which he sits.
Cllr Walker said he would be happy to take it to the area committee, but added:
I want them to address the issues and spend some money on the areas of the town that are neglected by North Yorkshire Council. If they can’t have that ownership and do that, they need to give us the money and devolve it to us through a devolution deal, so that we can take ownership and care for it ourselves.
They’re too distant. They don’t care. They don’t know what’s going on. The chief executive, until he visited, had never been to Knaresborough Castle. It’s embarrassing.
'It's just a list of failures'
But Cllr Davies remained unconvinced, and – taking a swipe at Cllr Walker in his capacity as a North Yorkshire councillor – said:
This to me is more of a list of all the areas in which our elected unitary authority councillors have actually failed to exercise influence, gravitas and negotiating skills with North Yorkshire [Council]. You say they have a budget set aside for this, so why hasn’t it been delivered in the four years [you’ve been a member of that council]?
I see this as quite a pathetic attempt at political points-scoring. It’s just a list of failures of North Yorkshire and our local authority councillors as well.
Cllr Walker took issue with that assessment, and responded:
I work really hard for the residents – all of us work hard for the residents. We have a lot of casework. These are things that residents have come to me for. We have tried and tried and tried with North Yorkshire [Council], and it’s only when we have a petition or a King’s visit that North Yorkshire [does something].
So I think your comments are, quite frankly, rude.
Cllr Davies added:
It’s not rude – I'm just saying you’ve actually made no impact.
Knaresborough House. Photo: Andy Grinter.
'It's really disgusting'
Chairing the meeting at Knaresborough House, the town’s mayor, Green Party Cllr Shan Oakes, said:
I would certainly endorse [the motion]. I feel really frustrated, particularly in the way they’re neglecting this house. Any minute, the plaster’s all going to fall off the wall.
There’s mould, and blocked gutters with running water. It’s really disgusting, and it’s high time we complained as a council to North Yorkshire. They’ve excused themselves with ‘we’re too new’, or ‘we’re dealing with this huge issue’. We’ve had enough of that – it's time they did something.
The motion was passed by nearly all members, with Cllr Davies alone voting against.
In a statement released after the vote, Cllr Walker said:
The fact that every councillor bar one voted in favour sends an incredibly powerful message to Northallerton: Knaresborough is standing together, and we have had enough.
We were promised that local government reorganisation would improve services. Instead, it has lived up to none of its promises.
North Yorkshire Council simply doesn't work. The influx of messages I received from residents ahead of this vote proves this isn't just a political issue – it's a community-wide crisis.
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