Proceeds from the sale of Ripon’s Spa Baths ‘must not go to Harrogate’

Ripon city councillors are determined that proceeds from the sale of Ripon Spa Baths must not go to the soon-to-be-defunct Harrogate Borough Council.

A ‘for sale’ sign remains in place at the baths, a listed building that was once the centrepiece of Ripon’s Edwardian spa quarter.

The baths permanently closed on November 7, four months before the delayed opening of Ripon’s new multi-million pound pool at Dallamires Lane.

The building was put on the market by Harrogate Borough Council after being deemed to be ‘surplus to requirements’.

Photo od For Sale Sign at Ripon's Spa Baths

Ripon councillors are adamant that money from the sale of Spa Baths should not go to Harrogate Borough Council.

Ripon City Council successfully applied for the building to be listed as an asset of community value — which means the community has six months to formulate a bid to buy it.

At the same time, Harrogate Borough Council, which will be abolished in 13 months, has selected an unnamed preferred bidder to take on the building.

The city council has continued to meet with the preferred developer to discuss the site’s future use.

It said the two parties have held ‘constructive discussions’ designed to maintain community use at the site as part of wider redevelopment proposals.

Independent Ripon City Council leader Andrew Williams received unanimous support from members at last week’s full council meeting for a proposal to appoint consultants, who will advise the council on progressing the ACV application.

He said:

“The developer has said that they are happy to work in partnership with us and, this being the case, there is no reason why Harrogate Borough Council, which is in its dying embers, should receive any money from sale of the building.

“Ripon did not receive a single penny from Harrogate when it took over Spa Baths and other city assets in 1974 so it’s reasonable to expect the borough council to return the properties at no cost to the city council.”

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The return of assets

Ripon, along with other parish and town councils that became part of the Harrogate district in 1974, have been seeking the transfer back of assets ranging from halls to market squares.

However, a notice of motion to this effect presented at February’s full Harrogate Borough Council meeting by Ripon independent councillor Pauline McHardy was defeated after a stormy debate by the Conservative-controlled authority.

At that meeting, Harrogate Borough Council leader Richard Cooper said the motion “simply isn’t legal’”.

He said that the borough council itself can not produce takeover plans for its own buildings to be run by local councils.

At the meeting, Cllr Cooper expressed doubts about the ability of town and parish councils to manage and operate assets, but added Harrogate Borough Council was: 

“Seeking to get better services for residents run from these assets is where we should be focusing.

“If parishes can do it better and put together a delivery plan – great.

“I wish them all well and good luck in managing those services from parish, city and town councils. But what I am seeking to do is make sure they get control of assets and run great services from them legally, quickly and sensibly.”

 

Key dates revealed for elections to new North Yorkshire Council

Candidates could be able to put themselves forward as soon as next week for May’s elections to the new North Yorkshire Council.

The election will be one of the most crucial in the county’s history because it will spell out the end of North Yorkshire County Council and the seven district and borough councils in Harrogate, Selby, Scarborough, Craven, Hambleton, Ryedale and Richmondshire.

They will be replaced by the new unitary authority from April 2023.

Nominations are likely to open on Friday next week for candidates hoping to become one of the 90 councillors who will lead a new era of local government.

That date is subject to new legislation, which is currently passing through Parliament and once approved will fire the starting gun for voting to take place on 5 May.

Speaking at a public briefing last night, Ben Nattrass, elections manager at Harrogate Borough Council, said parliamentary approval of the legislation was expected next week as he also set out some of the next steps.

He said:

“We are waiting for the Structural Changes Order to pass through Parliament and we expect that to be done next week, which would allow us to open nominations on March 18.

“Each candidate who wishes to stand in the elections must submit a set of nomination forms and these must be submitted no later than 4pm on 5 April.”

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Once approved, the Structural Changes Order will be followed by an official notice of election, which is likely to be published on March 17.

Voting on May 5

Candidate nominations will then open the following day before closing on April 5.

After voting takes place on May 5, polling cards will then be counted and the results announced the following day.

The newly elected councillors will represent 89 new divisions on North Yorkshire County Council for one year before serving a four-year term on the new council.

They will play a key role in shaping how public services will work in the future, with all areas from bin collections to road maintenance being transferred across to the new council in what will be a mammoth task.

Richard Flinton, chief executive of North Yorkshire County Council, previously said:

“The councillors elected on 5 May will make decisions on services that affect individuals, families and communities, so we want to make sure that anyone who wants to consider stepping forward as a candidate has all the information they need.

“These elections are important for everyone in the county, so if you are eligible to vote, please make sure that you are registered, then you can be sure that your vote will count.”

The deadline for people to register to vote is April 14.

To find out more on how to become a candidate, tap or click here.

North Yorkshire Combined Authority: What is it and how would it work?

The ball started rolling on a devolution deal worth £2 billion to North Yorkshire this week when the government announced it had opened negotiations with county council officials.

North Yorkshire devolution was included in the levelling up white paper, which included plans for a mayoral combined authority for North Yorkshire and York.

The move will be seismic for the county over the coming years as the face of local government changes with the county council and all seven district councils scrapped, and a single North Yorkshire Council set up.

York, however, will continue to be run separately by its current City of York Council.

The new era for politics in North Yorkshire will also see the county get a combined authority, headed by an elected mayor.

But what is a combined authority and what would it do? The Stray Ferret has looked in detail at the proposal.

What is a combined authority?

A combined authority is a body set up for two or more councils to make joint decisions.

In this case, the upcoming North Yorkshire Council and City of York Council would come together to make decisions on matters such as economic development and transport.

West Yorkshire Combined Authority head offices on Wellington Street, Leeds.

West Yorkshire Combined Authority head offices on Wellington Street, Leeds.

It will be a separate body to North Yorkshire Council and City of York Council.

The closest example of this is West Yorkshire Combined Authority, which recently has led on the £10.9 million Station Gateway scheme, as well as similar schemes in Skipton and Selby.

The combined authority would be headed by a mayor who is directly elected by the public.

In West Yorkshire, Labour and Co-Operative representative Tracy Brabin has been the elected mayor of the county and head of the combined authority since 2021.

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The authority, which has head offices on Wellington Street in Leeds, operates on a committee system and includes elected councillors and council leaders from Kirklees, Bradford, Calderdale, Leeds, Wakefield and York. It has more than 500 staff.

What decisions will it make?

The combined authority’s powers focus mainly on overarching matters that affect more than one place, for example transport, bus franchising and economic development.

Services such as bin collections and highways will remain with the unitary council.

Council bosses in North Yorkshire are hoping to replicate the mayoral combined authority in Tees Valley as an example of what they feel is good practice.

The Tees Valley authority is headed by Conservative mayor, Ben Houchen, and is made up of council leaders from Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland, Stockton-on-Tees, Darlington and a representative from Tees Valley Local Enterprise Partnership.

Conservative mayor of Tees Valley, Ben Houchen, outside Teeside International Airport. Picture: Tees Valley CA.

Conservative mayor of Tees Valley, Ben Houchen, and Kate Willard from Stobart Group outside Durham Tees Valley Airport following the purchase by the combined authority. Picture: Tees Valley CA.

Unlike West Yorkshire, Tees Valley CA operates on a cabinet system.

Mr Houchen and the council leaders make up the cabinet, which makes decisions on matters including economic development, skills and transport.

In 2019, the combined authority made a major decision to bring Durham Tees Valley Airport back into public ownership by purchasing it for £40 million.

Since then it has set out a 10-year plan for the airport with operator Stobart Group and renamed it Teeside International Airport.

Why do we need a combined authority?

Council leaders in North Yorkshire have been pushing for a devolution deal for many years in order to bring some powers and funding back from Westminster.

As part of the deal, a mayor and a combined authority must be put in place.

North Yorkshire council officials feel the move will help the county be able to make strategic decisions jointly with York.

But Richard Flinton, chief executive of North Yorkshire County Council said that the devolution deal, including the combined authority, would be about more than just funding.

He said:

“What we have seen with other combined authorities is that it’s not necessarily about the devolution deal.

“What we have seen is a strong voice for a single county. This is not just about the deal, it is about constant engagement with government.”

What happens now?

County council officials will now go into negotiations with government over a devolution deal.

As part of those discussions, a timetable set could see the combined authority come into place by next year.

Mr Flinton told a press conference this week that this could also mean that an election could be held for a mayor of North Yorkshire and York by 2024.

Harrogate council to be asked to support return of assets to communities

Harrogate Borough Council will be asked next week to support the return of community assets to Ripon City Council and Knaresborough Town Council.

A motion due before a full council meeting calls on the council to back requests for Knaresborough House, Ripon Town Hall and Hugh Ripley Hall being transferred back to local communities.

Harrogate Borough Council took control of the assets when it was created following local government reorganisation in 1974.

But the decision to scrap the borough council next year and replace it with a single authority called North Yorkshire Council covering the whole of the county has led for calls for local assets to be returned to town council control.

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A motion due before the council meeting next week, which was first proposed by Ripon Independent councillors Pauline McHardy and Sid Hawke and later amended by Harrogate Fairfax Cllr Chris Aldred and Knaresborough Scriven Park Cllr Hannah Gostlow, who are both Liberal Democrats, will say:

“That this council supports the principle of specific locality community assets, such as Knaresborough House, Ripon Town Hall, Hugh Ripley Hall and other such community facilities across the district being transferred to the ownership of the appropriate city, town or parish council, should these bodies express a wish to take on ownership of their local assets, in preference to ownership transferring to the new unitary authority. 

“To start the process that this council writes to local parish, town and city councils to ask which assets they would potentially take ownership of.”

Cllr McHardy told the Stray Ferret previously:

“There’s absolutely no reason for Harrogate to hang on to assets that rightfully belong to us.

“Not a penny was paid for them when they were handed to Harrogate in 1974 and we want them to be transferred back.”

The full council meeting which will debate the motion will be held on Wednesday, February 9.

North Yorkshire could get directly elected mayor by 2024

North Yorkshire could have a directly elected mayor as soon as 2024.

The move could unlock significant funding for the county, with the mayor responsible for allocating much of it.

He or she would assume control over areas such as transport and economic development for the whole of North Yorkshire. The mayoral office could also swallow up the role of the North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner.

The government announced yesterday that it would open negotiations over a devolution deal, including a mayor, with leaders at North Yorkshire County Council and City of York Council as part of its levelling up agenda.

Cllr Carl Les, leader of North Yorkshire County Council, and Cllr Keith Aspden, leader of City of York Council, said they welcomed the decision by ministers, which could bring £2 billion worth of funding as part of the deal.

Council officials submitted a list of requests for devolved powers to government in December 2020 but negotiations were delayed by covid and the publication of the levelling up white paper.

‘Devolution can drive growth’

In a joint statement responding to the decision, Cllr Les and Cllr Aspden said:

“Yesterday’s announcement of a levelling up white paper brings York and North Yorkshire a step closer to a devolution deal.

“Devolution can unlock significant, long-term, investment for this region, driving growth and contributing to a stronger northern economy. It has the potential to bring improvements to areas such as public transport, infrastructure, support for businesses, education and skills, benefitting the people who live and work here.

“A devolution deal could also help deliver an ambition for this region to become England’s first carbon negative economy. We therefore welcome the commitment shown for levelling up and devolution in this announcement.

“We now look forward to entering into negotiations with government to secure the best possible deal for our region. We hope to see York and North Yorkshire taken forward as the first city-region rural powerhouse to make devolution a reality.”

In December 2020, council bosses submitted to government a 140-page document which outlined £2.4 billion worth of spending and proposals to take back further powers from Westminster.

More powers over transport, skills, regeneration and energy were included in the submission, as well as a mayoral funding pot worth £750 million over 25 years.

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Further funding proposals included a five-year transport settlement worth £250 million, £520 million of devolved funding for fibre connectivity, and a £230 million fund for the new mayor to share between the county’s towns.

However, Richard Flinton, chief executive of North Yorkshire County Council, said the deal was subject to negotiations. He added that the deal would also be more than just the funding.

He said:

“What we have seen with other combined authorities is that it’s not necessarily about the devolution deal.

“What we have seen is a strong voice for a single county. This is not just about the deal, it is about constant engagement with government.”

The move towards a devolution deal comes as ministers made it a requirement that a unitary council is set up in North Yorkshire before any negotiations could proceed.

A mayor for North Yorkshire and York by 2024

Mr Flinton also told a press conference this morning that the timetable for negotiations could see a mayor in place in the county by May 2024.

A combined authority for the county, which would be headed by the mayor, could also be in place by 2023.

Mr Flinton said:

“We are going to work with government over the coming months with a view to a mayoral election in May 2024.

“That is subject to a number of factors and the deal that we do with government.”

Conservative Mayor of Tees Valley, Ben Houchen.

County council bosses have looked to Conservative Mayor of Tees Valley, Ben Houchen, as an example of a devolution deal in practice. Picture credit: Tees Valley Combined Authority.

The directly elected mayor could have powers over areas such as transport and economic development.

Mayors can also take on the role of police and crime commissioner for their area.

Mr Flinton pointed to other mayors in England, such as Andy Burnham in Greater Manchester and Ben Houchen in the Tees Valley, as examples of what council leaders were trying to achieve.

Mr Flinton added:

“He [Burnham] has got quite a broad suite of powers in terms of managing transport, skills and a coordinating role in the health service.”

The role of the mayor in North Yorkshire will be subject to further negotiations with government over the coming months.

Liberal Democrats push for creation of Harrogate Town Council

Opposition Harrogate councillors have said they will push for the creation of a town council before the authority is scrapped.

Harrogate Borough Council is set to be scrapped in April 2023 to make way for a single county-wide authority as North Yorkshire’s two-tier system is abolished.

However, along with Scarborough, Harrogate has no town council and will be left with no lower-tier authority.

Council officials are due to “strongly recommend” that the new North Yorkshire Council triggers a governance review of the area.

But Cllr Philip Broadband, Liberal Democrat councillor for Starbeck, said the opposition party wants a town council created.

He said:

“That is something that we will be pushing for. We will be looking at ways for getting this thing done.”

Conservative leader of the council, Cllr Richard Cooper, said previously that a town council for Harrogate was “inevitable”.

He told a Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce meeting last month that a ballot could be carried out to decide whether to set up a town council.

Cllr Cooper said:

“Some people think there should be a ballot on whether to have a town council. That’s something that happens quite a lot.”

Town council review ‘could be started now’

The creation of a town council will require a community governance review, which would have to be taken on by either the county council or the upcoming North Yorkshire Council.

Cllr Carl Les, Conservative leader of North Yorkshire County Council, told the Stray Ferret that a review could be carried out now.

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However, the borough council has decided to write to the upcoming North Yorkshire Council instead.

He said:

“It [a governance review] could be started now.

“It would require a poll of residents and if they decide that they do want it then it would be carried out.”

The Stray Ferret asked Harrogate Borough Council whether it had considered to request a community governance review from the county council, but did not received a response by the time of publication.

What would a town council do?

Town and parish councils run services such as community centres and play areas, as well as maintaining bus shelters. Councillors are elected to serve on them.

The councils can also charge a precept as part of council tax bills to fund the services provided.

Under its plans for a new county-wide council, North Yorkshire County Council promised further powers for towns and parishes in a move it describes as ‘double devolution’.

It would see the councils able to run services and take on additional responsibilities.

Could Harrogate be the home of the new North Yorkshire Council?

As the formation North Yorkshire Council edges closer, questions have been raised over where the new authority should be based.

From April 2023, North Yorkshire County Council, Harrogate Borough Council and the six other district authorities will be abolished and replaced with a new council.

A decision has yet to be made on where the new North Yorkshire Council will be based.

North Yorkshire County Council is based at County Hall in Northallerton, which is the hot favourite to be home to the new unitary authority.

But Harrogate’s modern Civic Centre has been suggested as an alternative. Cllr Richard Cooper, leader of Harrogate Borough Council, told a Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce meeting this month that Harrogate’s Knapping Mount had a case.

He said:

“It’s still not decided where the new council will be and it could be Harrogate. It would certainly have the best office facilities in North Yorkshire.”

No decision will be made on the location until after the May local government elections. So what are Harrogate’s prospects and what is at stake?

Harrogate or Northallerton?

The location of the new authority will be one of the key decisions that councillors make in the coming 12 months.

Ninety councillors will be elected to North Yorkshire Council, covering 650,000 residents and 32,000 businesses across England’s largest county.

The location of the new council matters because most key decisions will be made there.

Across North Yorkshire, Harrogate is the highest populated town with 75,070 people. The town itself is one of the two main urban areas in the county, along with Scarborough, and benefits from transport links, a vibrant hospitality sector and various public facilities.

North Yorkshire County Council offices in Northallerton.

It also has a modern council facility. The Knapping Mount headquarters, which staff moved into in July 2020, is purpose-built for local government. It is designed to accommodate 500 staff.

The council said the building cost £13 million. However, the Stray Ferret investigated the overall cost of the move from Crescent Gardens and put the figure closer to £17 million.

County Hall in Northallerton was built in 1906 and has served as the headquarters of various local governments in North Yorkshire, including North Riding County Council up until 1974.

The grade II listed building underwent a £500,000 refurbishment in 1999.

Cllr Carl Les, leader of North Yorkshire County Council. Picture: NYCC.

Cllr Carl Les, leader of North Yorkshire County Council. Picture: NYCC.

Conservative Cllr Carl Les, leader of North Yorkshire County Council, told the Stray Ferret that it would make sense for the new council to remain at county hall.

However, he added that the authority does plan to implement local office space for staff and a “double devolution” agenda for local decision making.

He said:

“It will be for the new council to decide. But there is a lot of jobs in Northallerton.

“It would not make sense to move from Northallerton.”

The sentiment is echoed by Liberal Democrat Cllr Philip Broadbank, who represents Starbeck on the county council. He said:

“There is a high chance it would in Northallerton because it is more central.

“The Harrogate council has been mentioned, but it needs to be central.”

But for Independent Cllr Stuart Parsons, the future needs to be based around regional decision making.

Cllr Parsons, who represents Richmond on the county council, said the council needed to be “trimmed” and decision-making should be spread around the county.

He said:

“I suspect they [the council[ see themselves where they are. But no one has thought to ask if that is sensible.”

Why does the council’s location matter?

Much of the criticism over the new council is that it is too remote.

The county is scattered in terms of populations, with an estimated 160,830 people in the Harrogate district compared to 55,380 in Ryedale.

Having such a large county makes the headquarter issue even more important.

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For example, if a planning decision relates to Starbeck the issues are more likely to be understood by council officers based in Harrogate than in Northallerton

Cllr Parsons said there needed to be a plan for how “double devolution”, which would give powers to local areas, is distributed.

“There needs to be a short, medium and long-term plan. We are nowhere near that.”

What happens now?

County council leaders have said a decision on where the new council will be based will not be made until after the May elections.

Currently, an implementation board made up of senior council officers and an implementation executive, which includes cabinet members from across the county, is working through proposals.

Once the new councillors are elected, decisions will be made on matters such as location, planning, senior management committees ahead of North Yorkshire Council coming into operation in April 2023.

May 5 date set for first North Yorkshire Council elections

Elections will take place on May 5 to elect councillors to the new North Yorkshire Council.

The current two-tier system, where North Yorkshire County Council and Harrogate Borough Council provide different services locally, will be replaced by a single-tier system with one council in charge of England’s largest county.

A Structural Changes Order laid before Parliament, which paves the way for the elections, has confirmed the new council will be called North Yorkshire Council.

Councillors elected in May will serve on North Yorkshire County Council until April 1 2023 when they will move over to the new council.

Existing Harrogate borough councillors will remain in place until North Yorkshire Council is created.

There will be 90 new councillors in North Yorkshire Council, representing 89 divisions.

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Conservative Cllr Carl Les, leader of North Yorkshire County Council said:

“This is an exciting moment for North Yorkshire and one which I hope people will look back on in the future as a game-changer for the county’s economic fortunes. The new single council will give our county a much stronger voice regionally and nationally and allows us to bring together the very best of all eight councils to build the best possible new one.

“These are very important elections, because the councillors voted in this May will serve the final year of the county council and then they will be the voice of the people for the first four years of the new single council.”

Background to the shake-up

The government announced on July 21, 2021 there would be a new single council for North Yorkshire.

The first day of the new North Yorkshire Council will be 1 April 2023.

On the first day of the new council, the current North Yorkshire County Council, the borough councils of Harrogate and Scarborough and the district councils serving Craven, Hambleton, Richmondshire, Ryedale and Selby will cease to exist.

Until then all eight councils in the county will continue to run their own services and make their own decisions, while working together on the change programme.

Ripon aims to take control of its markets from Harrogate

Ripon City Council has launched a bid to take control of the city’s Thursday and Saturday markets.

The ancient markets have been operated by Harrogate Borough Council since local government reorganisation in 1974.

But with Harrogate Borough Council set to be abolished in 15 months, Ripon city councillors have decided to act.

Independent council leader Andrew Williams told the Stray Ferret:

“In recent years stall numbers have reduced and we firmly believe that the market needs an overhaul that will revitalise it.

“We are looking to work in partnerships with other like-minded market towns, such as Knaresborough, as we feel that we can build new working relationships with our neighbours, to deliver better services.”

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Ripon City Council has already called for other key assets, including the city’s town hall, Hugh Ripley Hall, Spa Gardens and Spa Park to return to local ownership from Harrogate Borough Council.

It says provisions in the Localism Act, designed to protect assets of community value (ACV), should be used to achieve this prior to the formation of the new North Yorkshire unitary authority next year.

Moves are already underway to retain community use at Spa Baths, after the city council successfully applied in September to have the historic building listed as an ACV.

Harrogate can be economic driver for North Yorkshire after devolution, says council chief

The chief executive of Harrogate Borough Council has told business leaders he believes the district can be the main economic driver for the whole of North Yorkshire under major changes coming to local government.

Speaking at a Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce meeting, Wallace Sampson said the district had to be a top priority for a new council which will take over control of North Yorkshire from April 2023 when the current two-tier system is abolished.

He said “the clock is now ticking” ahead of this date and that Harrogate council officers were involved in all parts of the planning process for areas including tourism, business support and a new economic strategy.

Mr Sampson said: 

“We don’t want to be passing bystanders in this process and are ensuring that the Harrogate district remains an investment priority.

“We are very strongly of the view that there are huge opportunities for the district to be the economic driver for the whole of North Yorkshire and this needs to be recognised by the new authority.”

The forthcoming changes will mark the biggest shake-up to local government in almost 50 years and see the seven district and borough councils – including Harrogate – replaced with a new unitary authority to be named North Yorkshire Council.

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It is all linked to a devolution deal with government which could lead to decision-making powers and billions of pounds in funding coming under the control of a new North Yorkshire and York mayor, similar to those in power in Manchester and Liverpool.

Mr Sampson said while Harrogate Borough Council was disappointed that its bid for two new North Yorkshire councils split on an east/west basis was rejected last June, devolution was now the “prize” Harrogate is fighting for.

He said: 

“We put a lot of effort into the proposal of an east/west bid, but there is no point in crying over spilt milk and we just need to get on with it.

“One of the precursors for being able to secure a devolution deal in the same way that many areas across the country have was to go through local government reorganisation.

“We thought the prize of devolution was worth that – and we are talking about significant sums of money.

“Over a 30-year period across North Yorkshire and York this has a value of around £2.5 billion, and there will be a further £25 million a year that could be invested according to what we choose.

“If it means going through reorganisation to achieve this, then it has to be in the best economic interest of the Harrogate district and wider North Yorkshire and York areas.”

Harrogate Borough Council offices at Knapping Mount.

Harrogate Borough Council offices at Knapping Mount.

At Monday’s meeting, Mr Sampson and Harrogate Borough Council leader Richard Cooper were quizzed by businesses over the next steps of reorganisation, including what happens to key services such as planning, and public buildings including the council’s new Civic Centre.

Cllr Cooper, who will stand down after 24 years of service in 2023, said he believed Harrogate should be the headquarters of the new North Yorkshire Council given its large population and central location.

He also said a Harrogate Town Council should be created, although this would be decided by the new council or a public vote.

Cllr Cooper added his main hope of reorganisation was that investments in areas such as Harrogate Convention Centre, Harrogate Homeless Project, Visit Harrogate and Harrogate Theatre would remain a priority in the future.

He said: 

“These are the organisations that make Harrogate the special place it is and they are also a lever in the tourism that supports our independent shops and hospitality trade.

“We need not to lose that and I’m quite certain the new authority will take this on board.”