Councillor Chris Aldred, who represents High Harrogate and Kingsley for the Liberal Democrats, has been confirmed as the Harrogate charter mayor from next year.

Cllr Aldred will be the town’s second charter mayor, which is a role created by North Yorkshire Council following the abolition of Harrogate Borough Council in April.

The non-political, unelected role involves promoting the historic and ceremonial traditions of the Harrogate area during events such as last month’s Remembrance Sunday.

Cllr Aldred was chosen this morning by the Harrogate charter trustees, which are 10 councillors who represent divisions covering the unparished parts of Harrogate town.

He will be supported by deputy charter mayor Michael Schofield, who represents Harlow and St Georges as an independent.

The mayoral tradition will pass to a future Harrogate Town Council but this is not expected to happen until at least 2025.

The current charter mayor is Cllr Michael Harrison, who represents Killinghall, Hampsthwaite and Saltergate for the Conservatives.

Cllr Harrison said:

“As charter trustees we’ll still be in play for at least one more year.

“We asked for nominations and I’m delighted to report that there was one nomination for charter mayor to be Chris Aldred as charter mayor and Mike Schofield for deputy mayor. I’d like to congratulate both of those people.”

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Cllr Aldred and Cllr Schofield will become charter mayor and deputy at a meeting in May.

The charter mayor role differs from the former Harrogate Borough Council mayoralty, which covered the whole of the former borough with the mayor undertaking a wider range of engagements.

The charter mayor is not entitled to expenses such as a chauffeur driven car that the former Harrogate Borough Council mayor could benefit from.

Although the charter mayor is still entitled to wear chains and civic regalia as worn by previous mayors.

At the meeting this morning, councillors approved increasing the annual budget for charter trustee business from £12,100 a year to £12,800, with most of the money set to be spent on North Yorkshire Council staff costs.

It means a Harrogate resident living in a band D property will spend 46p on the charter trustees and charter mayor next year through council tax.

Councillors are set to approve new loan agreements for some of Harrogate’s rare civic items which include objects that date back to the town’s Victorian heyday.

Following local government reorganisation, the Harrogate Borough Council civic collection was transferred to the town’s charter trustees, which are 10 councillors who represent divisions in Harrogate.

The charter trustees now have responsibility for the collection of civic regalia, silverware, trophies and plaques, glass and crystal, books and scrolls and other historic items.

Currently the Royal Hall Restoration Trust, the Harrogate Club and Masham Town Hall have some items from the collection on loan which they hope to retain.

North Yorkshire Council said loaning the items out has provided more opportunities for the public to view the civic collection and has increased awareness of the town’s heritage and history.

Items held by the the Royal Hall Restoration Trust include the foundation stone trowel for Harrogate Library, a pump room cigarette box and a framed Tour de France yellow jersey signed by Marcel Kittel — winner of the first stage in Harrogate 2014.

The organisation also holds a scroll that was produced to mark a royal visit in 1894, the spade that cut the first section of the Bilton gas works railway in 1907 and a framed proclamation of King Edward’s accession from 1936.

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The charter trustees will meet next Monday at the Civic Centre when they are expected to renew the loan agreements.

They will also consider a finance report that notes how much the charter trustees have cost the public so far.

For the financial year 2023/24, there was a budget of £12,500 and a report says £5,000 has been spent on officer support from North Yorkshire Council.

A Harrogate Town Council was expected to take over the running of the town’s civic traditions next year but its likely creation has been put back until 2025.

This is to allow for another consultation that will ask the public about proposed ward boundaries and the number of councillors the new council will have.

Councillors will elect a mayor for the town of Harrogate at a meeting this month.

Called a ‘charter mayor’, the non-political role will involve promoting the historic and ceremonial traditions of the Harrogate area during events and occasions such as Remembrance Sunday.

The mayor will be chosen by the Harrogate ‘charter trustees’, which are 10 councillors who represent divisions covering the unparished parts of Harrogate town.

This differs from the former Harrogate Borough Council mayor who covered the whole of the former borough and undertook a much wider range of engagements.

Like the Harrogate Borough Council mayor, the charter mayor will also serve a term of 12 months.

If a Harrogate Town Council is created, it will assume responsibility for the mayoral position from North Yorkshire Council.

The new council has allocated an annual budget of £12,100 for Harrogate charter trustee business.

The mayor and deputy mayor will be elected at a meeting of the Harrogate charter trustees on April 17 at the Civic Centre in Harrogate.

Ceremonial robes and chains most recently used by the last HBC mayor, Victoria Oldham, will be used by the new mayor.

On the final day of the council’s existence last week, Ms Oldham tweeted:

“Thank you everyone who has made my 10 months as the last mayor of the borough of Harrogate so special.

“I have enjoyed meeting so many caring, marvellous people. Also, special thanks to my deputy mayor Cllr Robert Windass for his help, and being my consort.”

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North Yorkshire Council’s assistant chief executive for legal and democratic services, Barry Khan, said:

“The charter trustees are non-political. Nominations for mayor and deputy mayor will be made at the first annual meeting on Monday, April 17, where they will be voted on.

“The mayor will wear the chains of office when acting as mayor. The robes are usually reserved for ceremonial occasions at which the mayor feels they are appropriate.“