Are the Tories or Lib Dems calling the shots in Harrogate and Knaresborough?

The Liberal Democrats whooped with joy; the Conservative slunk quietly out the door.

To anyone at last week’s election count in Harrogate, it seemed like the Lib Dems had swept to power.

The result appeared to reinforce this, with 10 Lib Dems elected in the Harrogate district compared with nine Tories, one Green and one Independent.

Lib Dems

The Lib Dems celebrate at the count.

But at a council meeting on Wednesday, Conservative Carl Les is set to be named leader of the Conservative-controlled North Yorkshire County Council.

Across the county as a whole, the Conservatives won 47 of the 90 seats, meaning they have a majority of three and — by-elections and defections permitting — will hold power for the remaining year of the county council’s life and for the following first four years of North Yorkshire Council’s existence.

But things are not quite that simple.

The Lib Dems took control of the Harrogate and Knaresborough Area Constituency Committee, which is one of six area committees on North Yorkshire County Council that scrutinise the impact of policy decisions on local areas.

There is also the prospect of the Lib Dems repeating their success in elections for a new Harrogate town council if, as expected, one is formed to replace Harrogate Borough Council, which will be swallowed up in 10 months by North Yorkshire Council.

Lib Dems ‘will be able to influence things more’

David Goode, who was the sole Lib Dem on the area constituency committee before the election, said his goal had been to secure seven councillors in Harrogate and Knaresborough to assume control of the 13-person committee. Eight were elected.

David Goode

David Goode

Matt Walker, who won the Knaresborough West division, said:

“We had a plan and we exceeded that. We planned to take control of the area committee so we can get some proper representation in the district. It means we will be able to influence things more.”

Area constituency committees, however, currently have few powers and are often described as little more than talking shops.

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But their powers could be beefed-up under North Yorkshire Council.

Double devolution

Cllr Les pledged to pursue a policy of “double devolution” in the run-up to the elections by handing down some powers, including to the area committees.

Carl Les

Speaking after the vote, he said:

“We are still committed to double devolution. I think it would be dishonest of us to renege on that principle.

“We will continue to work on delivering it.”

But what powers will the new area committees have?

Pat Marsh, the Lib Dem leader on Harrogate Borough Council, said she believed they could include key issues such as planning and highways, and include some funding. She asked:

“if the area committees don’t have power over planning, how will the new council be able to manage the volume of planning applications across the county?”

Conservative Graham Swift, perhaps the highest profile scalp taken by the Lib Dems at the election, used his speech after his result was announced to remind everyone the Conservatives had secured an overall majority — and still held the levers to power.

Graham Swift’s speech at the count.

Paul Haslam, whose large majority in Bilton and Nidd Gorge was one of the few local Conservative highlights, told the Stray Ferret

“It’s about consensus and working with people. I’m quite relaxed about it. The Lib Dems are passionate about our local area, just as much as myself and my fellow Conservatives. I’m willing to work with anyone.”

Harrogate town council

Harrogate and Scarborough are currently the only towns in North Yorkshire without town councils, and their loss of district councils seems likely to precipitate the creation of them.

But town councils usually have no greater powers than parish councils. If North Yorkshire Council ends up making key decisions on Harrogate Convention Centre and the Stray, people in Harrogate could end up railing against policymakers in Northallerton just as many people in Ripon do now about policymakers in Harrogate.

Richard Cooper, the leader of Harrogate Borough Council, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that the Conservatives’ poor showing in the Harrogate district was largely down to voters sending a message to Prime Minister Boris Johnson rather than local issues.

Zombie council

But with Cllr Cooper not seeking re-election, last week’s result marked a sea change in the local Conservative landscape.

His departure and the defeats of key allies such as Graham Swift, Matt Scott, Phil Ireland and Tim Myatt mean there will be a changing of the old guard that has dominated for so long.

Harrogate Borough Council offices at Knapping Mount.

Harrogate Borough Council

With abolition looming in 10 months time, Harrogate Borough Council faces the prospect of becoming a zombie council with power ebbing away by the day.

But the new landscape — and to what extent the opposition Lib Dems will be influencing it — remains to be seen.

Harrogate district election results

Bilton and Nidd Gorge

Paul Haslam, Conservatives – WON with 1,017 votes
Andrew Kempston-Parkes, Liberal Democrats – 663
Deborah Havercroft, Labour Party – 285

Bilton Grange and New Park

Monika Slater, Liberal Democrats – WON with 968 votes
Matthew Scott, Conservatives – 677
Andrew Zigmond, Labour Party – 159
Tamsin Worrall, Green Party – 123

Boroughbridge and Claro

Robert Windass, Conservatives – WON with 936 votes
Jon Starkey, Independent – 486
Andy Bell, Liberal Democrats – 433
Clark Pearson, Green Party – 169
Noel Evans, Independent – 96

Coppice Valley and Duchy

Peter Lacey, Liberal Democrats – WON with 940 votes
Graham Swift, Conservatives – 739
Daniel Thompson, Independent – 199
Patricia Foxall, Labour Party – 126
Leighton Regayre, Green Party – 84

Fairfax and Starbeck

Philip Broadbank, Liberal Democrats – WON with 921 votes
Sue Lumby, Conservatives – 442
Christopher Watt, Labour Party – 337
Gordon Schallmo, Green Party – 103

Harlow and St Georges

Mike Schofield, Liberal Democrats – WON with 1,245 votes
Steven Jackson, Conservatives – 805
Sarah Hart, Independent – 345
John Adams, Labour Party – 169
Andrew Rickard, Green Party – 149

High Harrogate and Kingsley

Chris Aldred, Liberal Democrats – WON with 1,019 votes
Tim Myatt, Conservatives – 760
Geoffrey Foxall, Labour Party – 263

Killinghall, Hampsthwaite and Saltergate

Michael Harrison, Conservatives – WON with 1,016 votes
David Goode, Liberal Democrats – 465
Edward Clayson, Labour Party – 251
Bill Rigby, Green Party – 124

Knaresborough East

Hannah Gostlow, Liberal Democrats – WON with 1,169 votes
Ed Darling, Conservatives – 767
Sharon-Theresa Calvert, Labour Party – 276

Knaresborough West

Matt Walker, Liberal Democrats – WON with 1,316 votes
Phil Ireland, Conservatives – 988
David Tom Crosthwaite, Labour Party – 328

Masham and Fountains

Margaret Atkinson, Conservatives – WON with 1,076 votes
Felicity Cunliffe-Lister, Independent – 738
Judith Hooper, Liberal Democrats – 620

Oatlands and Pannal

John Mann, Conservatives – WON with 1,175 votes
Justin Chan, Liberal Democrats – 820
Gillian Charters, Green Party – 266
Margaret Smith, Labour Party – 250

Ouseburn

Arnold Warneken, Green Party – WON with 1,328 votes
Richard Musgrave, Conservatives – 586

Pateley Bridge and Nidderdale

Andrew Murday, Liberal Democrats – WON with 1,002 votes
Stanley Lumley, Conservatives – 807
Alison Harris, Yorkshire Party – 65

Ripon Minster and Moorside

Andrew Williams, Independent – WON with 1,453 votes
Tom Cavell-Taylor, Liberal Democrats – 334
Thomas James Averre, Conservatives – 312

Ripon Ure Bank and Spa

Barbara Brodigan, Liberal Democrats – WON with 985 votes
Sid Hawke, Independent – 734
Mike Chambers, Conservatives – 556
Robin Burgess, Green Party – 151

Spofforth with Lower Wharfedale and Tockwith

Andy Paraskos, Conservatives – WON with 929 votes
Alexandra Marsh, Green Party – 630
John Hall, Yorkshire Party – 158

Stray, Woodlands and Hookstone

Pat Marsh, Liberal Democrats – WON with 1,350 votes
John Ennis, Conservatives – 910
Helen Burke, Labour Party – 189
Anna McIntee, Independent – 167

Valley Gardens and Central Harrogate

Sam Gibbs, Conservatives – WON with 871 votes
David Johnson, Liberal Democrats – 545
Andrew Williamson, Labour Party – 275
Lucy Jayne Gardiner, Independent – 331
Paul Ferrigno, Green Party – 162

Washburn and Birstwith

Nathan Hull, Conservatives – WON with 891 votes
Tom Watson, Liberal Democrats – 713
Paul Trewhitt, Green Party – 201
Ian Galloway, Independent – 162

Wathvale and Bishop Monkton

Nick Brown, Conservatives – WON with 1,334 votes
Chris Knight, Liberal Democrats – 559
Hannah Katherine Corlett, Green Party – 455

 

Tories appoint leader for new North Yorkshire Council

Former service station owner and ex-butcher Carl Les has been selected to lead the new Conservative-run North Yorkshire Council.

The Catterick councillor faced no opposition from the 46 other Tory councillors at the North Yorkshire County Council Conservative group’s annual meeting at Northallerton Methodist Church Hall yesterday.

Cllr Les, 72, is the current leader of North Yorkshire County Council, which is being abolished along with the seven district councils, including Harrogate Borough Council, next year.

It means he will solidify his position as the most powerful politician in the Harrogate district and the rest of North Yorkshire.

Cllr Les’ name will be put forward as leader of the authority at the first meeting of its 90 elected members on Wednesday next week.

If, as expected, he is elected he will then go on to select councillors to serve on the authority’s decision-making executive.

It is not known whether any from Harrogate will hold senior posts. Harrogate-based Don Mackenzie, the executive member for access at the county council, did not seek re-election at last week’s election.

Harrogate Borough Council leader Richard Cooper also did not seek re-election and his deputy, Graham Swift, lost the vote in his division.

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Cllr Les has been at the helm of the county council since 2015, having sold his business Leeming Bar Services, near Bedale, to Moto the year before.

He has also played a leading role in a spectrum of influential bodies including North Yorkshire Youth, Welcome to Yorkshire, the Local Enterprise Partnership, Citizens Advice and the Police and Crime Panel.

Thirsk’s Gareth Dadd to be deputy leader 

After a challenge from a Conservative member who has not been named, the Tory group meeting saw Thirsk councillor Gareth Dadd elected as its deputy leader, a role which he has also held for seven years.

Gareth Dadd

Following the meeting, senior Tories said they hoped the decisions would end the district and borough councillor versus county councillor rivalries that have existed for decades within Conservative ranks in North Yorkshire.

Political commentators have described the pair as “pragmatic One Nation Conservatives who above all prioritise vulnerable people who are unable to help themselves”.

They have stated the top of their agenda is to ensure a smooth transition to the new unitary authority next May, squeezing out savings from the reorganisation and to get devolution.

The meeting also saw councillors Tom Jones, of Bedale, Tim Grogan, of Monk Fryston and South Milford, and Esk Valley member Clive Pearson appointed to serve as whips, acting as the leadership’s “eyes and ears” in the Tory group, which has seen its majority shrink by about 20 per cent.

When asked if the group’s whips would be busier due to the decreased majority, Cllr Les said:

“They will have work to do to make sure people are getting to meetings or whatever.

“Not only do we have a majority over all the other parties, albeit a slim one of only two, but not everybody who is not a Conservative is against the Conservative proposals. As I did for the previous five years I will be reaching out to other members and groups to work on a common agenda as we are all there to serve the people of North Yorkshire.”

What cost the Tories votes in the Harrogate district?

It was a dire set of results on the whole for the Conservative Party in the district.

Several high-profile councillors including Graham Swift, Stan Lumley and Phil Ireland failed to win a seat on the new North Yorkshire Council and became major scalps for the Liberal Democrats.

Out of the 21 divisions up for grabs in the present Harrogate district area, the Conservatives will now have 9 councillors. It means they will be a much less powerful force locally.

The ‘partygate’ scandal involving Boris Johnson has dominated the news for months. But some of the Harrogate district’s winning Conservatives gave diplomatic responses when asked by the Stray Ferret if that had been a factor in the party’s poor performance.

Nathan Hull, the new Tory councillor for Washburn and Birstwith, picked his words carefully:

He said:

“It’s up to MPs to look at how the party collectively operates. I can do nothing about that.”

Cllr Nathan Hull

Mr Hull said he is up for working with other parties on local issues.

“I’m focused on rural issues and schools. I’ll try not to be too partisan. We all want the same thing.”

Andrew Paraskos, the new Conservative councillor for Spofforth with Lower Wharfedale and Tockwith, said he was pleased to win, despite a bad day for many of his colleagues.

Cllr Andrew Paraskos

“It was a mixed bag on the doorstep. It was mainly the cost of living crisis and general unhappiness.”

Paul Haslam, the winning Conservative candidate for Bilton & Nidd Gorge, said he focused on local issues such as the closure of Woodfield school and anti-social behaviour.

Cllr Paul Haslam

He said:

“I’m absolutely delighted to have been supported. I will continue to fight for the people of Bilton.”

On why the Conservatives had difficult results. He added:

“It’s a tricky question. The national picture is difficult. On Boris Johnson, there had been feedback on the doorstep that suggested people are not happy.”

On the doorstep

Several of the victorious Liberal Democrats candidates said Boris Johnson was not the main issue from residents on the doorstep.

Rather, they said people were angry at the way the Conservative-led Harrogate Borough Council and North Yorkshire County Council had handled things like housing and the state of Harrogate town centre.

Veteran Lib Dem councillor Pat Marsh, who won Stray, Woodlands and Hookstone, said:

Cllr Pat Marsh

“On the doorstep we didn’t get so much about Boris Johnson. What we got was the state of the town centre, litter, street cleaning and no new investment. What have they done in 20 years?”

Monika Slater, the new Lib Dem councillor for Bilton Grange and New Park added:

“It’s a mix. Boris Johnson played a part but people in Harrogate are really fed up. They see Harrogate in decline and think things need to change.”

Cllr Monika Slater

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Major scalp

Conservative Graham Swift was tipped as a potential leader of the new North Yorkshire Council.

But his defeat now likely spells the end of his political career once Harrogate Borough Council is abolished next year.

Cllr Swift has been council leader Richard Cooper’s deputy at HBC and has been a forceful presence in the council chamber.

He gave a gracious speech that congratulated the new Lib Dem councillor for Coppice Valley & Duchy, Peter Lacey, but he knew the result well before it was announced and looked ashen-faced whilst he sat with other Conservatives.

The independent candidate in the division, Daniel Thompson, won 199 votes. He said he “got what he wanted” with Cllr Swift losing the vote, despite not winning himself.

Cllr Swift declined to speak to the Stray Ferret.

What does this mean for Andrew Jones MP?

Conservative MP for Harrogate & Knaresborough, Andrew Jones, looked on as HBC chief executive Wallace Sampson announced the results.

Daniel Thompson said “look out Andrew Jones” during his concession speech, which reflected the feeling of several Liberal Democrat councillors who were buoyed by their wins.

Phil Willis, the last and only Liberal Democrat MP in Harrogate & Knaresborough, tweeted that the result in Harrogate was “sensational”.

Retiring Conservative county councillor Don Mackenzie optimistically told the Stray Ferret he expects the national picture to be different when the next general election comes around.

“Covid and the cost of living crisis, these things will settle down. When it comes to the general election it will be a much more benign national picture”.

Mr Jones was at the count but declined to talk to the Stray Ferret, waving us away without saying a word.

Andrew Jones MP

Two years on: What has ‘Think Harrogate’ achieved?

It’s now more than two years since a marketing drive to attract visitors and investors to Harrogate was launched with the backing of £45,000 in taxpayer’s money.

Think Harrogate set out to create a “brand” for the district and was supported by several businesses ready to sell Harrogate’s “story”.

But what has the project actually achieved?

That was a question put to Conservative councillor Graham Swift, deputy leader of Harrogate Borough Council, at a meeting on Wednesday.

Cllr Swift said it was “quite extensive” how much Harrogate has got for the “modest” amount of money spent on the project which has been led by Preston-based marketing firm Thinking Place.

Yet this was not a view shared by the Liberal Democrats whose councillor Chris Aldred said they had heard “very little” about Think Harrogate’s achievements.

Cllr Swift, who is also cabinet member for resources, enterprise and economic development, responded:

“A recent Ipsos survey looking into the UK’s economic recovery from covid identified Harrogate as the third best performing city or town.

“That is a direct impact of the work of our officers and covid recovery plan, and is also part of the whole environment of what Think Harrogate is about.”

He added:

“I’ve read a few Liberal Democrat leaflets recently that claim much of this work is not worthwhile.

“I suggest that’s because they ignore the data.”

Cllr Swift said branding material produced as part of Think Harrogate had created a “clear narrative” for the district and been used in shops and on road signs, as well as part of a ‘shop local, shop safe’ campaign earlier in the Covid pandemic.

He also said the branding had been used by Harrogate Convention Centre and in a new tourism strategy led by the council’s destination management organisation.

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But Cllr Aldred argued these marketing campaigns and strategies would have still gone ahead – even without Think Harrogate.

He said:

“We would have had the destination management organisation and we certainly had a tourism industry before the wonderful Think Harrogate came along.”

In the first phases of the project, around £42,000 was spent on research on how the Harrogate district is perceived by the public and how its offer can be improved to attract more visitors and investment.

This also included consultations with businesses and residents, as well as the creation of a steering group and branding material.

A further £14,400 was spent on the project launch, printing costs, and events and classes which councillor Swift said were “very welcomed by very large numbers of people.”

He also said a Think Harrogate leadership group had met six times during 2020.

And when questioned by councillor Aldred why they had not met more, Cllr Swift said:

“I don’t know if you’re aware but there is a thing called coronavirus which stopped a lot of meetings taking place.”

Cllr Swift added:

“The funds we have spent on supporting our £4 billion economy are modest, but they are cumulatively highly effective as demonstrated by the vibrancy of our town and the return to normal from coronavirus.

“There is also the marvellous work of our destination management organisation, the convention centre, our museums, leisure facilities and 1,100 staff – all of whom collectively add to the excellent product to ensure we all Think Harrogate.”

Harrogate council approves sale of Knaresborough flats

Four renovated flats on Knaresborough High Street are to be sold off by Harrogate Borough Council for almost £900,000.

Members of the council’s cabinet agreed to the sale at a meeting last night after the Grade II listed properties were unoccupied for several years before being bought by the council in 2019.

A renovation project also including two retail units has recently been completed and the properties are now on the market.

Cllr Graham Swift, deputy leader of the council, said the authority would not make a profit from the £879,900 leasehold sale and that he hoped more vacant properties in Knaresborough town centre would now be brought back into use.

He told last night’s meeting:

“These are a series of properties that have been neglected by the private equity owners for many years.

“The whole area had been dragged down and many residents were aware of this and very disappointed by the state of the high street.

“It is a listed and very complicated building, and has a number of interesting construction aspects which has made it challenging.

“People can now really sense the improvement of the high street and I’m pretty optimistic that we will see other people who own properties in the area join the bandwagon.”

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The flats are individually valued between £189,950 and £295,000.

The council will retain control over the freehold of the flats, as well as the freehold of the two retail units that were part of the refurbishment.

Cllr Swift, who is also cabinet member for resources, enterprise and economic development, added: 

“We have done a lot of work in Knaresborough over the last few years including just up the road at Conyngham Hall with an investment in the tech centre which has been extremely positive.

“And I think we can even do work on Knaresborough House in the future which may be something to keep our eyes on.”

Harrogate council to sell restored Knaresborough flats for £879,000

Harrogate Borough Council is set to sell four flats on Knaresborough High Street that were restored and brought back into use.

The council bought the Grade II listed properties in 2019 after they had been unoccupied for several years.

Renovation began with planning permission and listed building consent in 2020, and has just been completed.

Now, senior councillors look set to sign off on selling the leasehold of the town centre properties for an estimated £879,900.

However, the authority will retain control over the freehold of the flats. It also intends to keep the freehold of two retail units that were part of the refurbishment.

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A report due before councillors at next Wednesday’s Cabinet meeting says retaining the freehold would help “retain control over the quality and frequency of future external repair and maintenance” of the properties.

The properties are valued at:

Cllr Graham Swift, deputy leader and cabinet member for resources, enterprise and economic development at the council, said previously:

“These properties had been a blight on the high street in Knaresborough for several years.

“But after they were brought to our attention by Cllr Darling, we recognised the potential they could have to provide both homes and business spaces, we took the necessary steps to purchase them.”

New North Yorkshire Council chief executive planned for autumn

A chief executive for the upcoming North Yorkshire Council is due to be in place by autumn this year.

The move to a single council will mark the biggest change to local government in North Yorkshire in almost 50 years.

The existing county council and seven district and borough councils will be scrapped to make way for North Yorkshire Council.

This week, senior councillors agreed on an implementation plan for the new authority, which will come into place in April 2023.

As part of the plan, a new senior management board and chief executive will be appointed as part of an open process.

The document before senior councillors said:

“For all posts, but critically those with senior management and leadership responsibilities, it is critically important that the new council has the right people at the right level doing the right things and behaving the right way.”

Details of salary and roles at the new council have yet to be published. 

Current county council chief executive, Richard Flinton, received a total pay packet, including allowances, of £179,431 in 2019/20, according to latest transparency figures published by the authority.

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Four other senior officers also earn more than £100,000.

Meanwhile, almost all remaining staff will then be transferred across on April 1, 2023, as all services from bin collections to business support, and social care to highways, come under new control.

North Yorkshire councils chief executive salaries:

*Figures are based on each council’s latest transparency information.

Key decisions on the new council, such as its location, decision making and economic strategy, are set to be made after the May elections.

Cllr Graham Swift, deputy leader of Harrogate Borough Council, was one of several members of a new executive board that approved the implementation plan for the new North Yorkshire Council.

He said while he previously supported a rival vision for two new councils split on an east/west basis, he believed the plan would ensure the single council meets the overall aims of saving money and streamlining services.

Cllr Swift said:

“Today we have got a document in the public domain which I find extremely exciting because it starts to lay out the principles of what the new council can be.

“This is a document which can be used to display with confidence the plans that our councils have, but it will also keep our feet to the fire.”

Elections for the new North Yorkshire Council will be held on May 5. and the deadline to register to vote is April 14. You can register to vote here.

‘Irrecoverable’ housing debts written off by Harrogate council doubles

The amount of “irrecoverable” housing debts written off by Harrogate Borough Council has almost doubled this year.

A total of £61,853 in debts owed to the council have been crossed off for 2021/22 – almost twice as much as the £32,277 in 2020/21 and the largest amount in at least the last six years.

A council spokesperson said the increase was mostly down to debts owed by temporary accommodation users who have stayed at council hostels, houses and flats across the district, but were no longer traceable.

The spokesperson also said a large amount of the debts were owed by council tenants who died and had no assets to pay what they owed.

The spokesperson said: 

“There are a number of reasons we have decided to write off the debt from former council tenants. The majority of these come from either tenants that have sadly passed away or tenants who left their property and remain untraceable.

“In both instances, there is almost no way that this can be recovered and, if it could, may ultimately cost more than the outstanding debt to try and do so.

“The vast majority of the increase – compared to last year – is due to the level of rent debt being written off for former temporary accommodation tenants.

“If the former tenant applies for council housing at a future date the arrears can still be recovered.”

Before any debts over £500 are recommended for write off, the council said at least two searches are carried out using tools such as the National Anti Fraud Network before further checks are made for housing benefit or waiting list applications.

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Meanwhile, the majority of debts under £500 are considered to be “too small to make the cost of recovery action worthwhile,” the council said.

Largest debt £2,903

There were almost 100 incidents where council tenants had died in 2021/22, with the debts totalling almost £19,000.

The single largest debt was £2,903 owed by a temporary accommodation user who was considered to be untraceable after ending their stay.

A decision to write off all of the debts – some of which predate this year – was taken by the council’s deputy leader and cabinet member for resources, enterprise and economic development, Cllr Graham Swift, at a meeting on Monday.

Cllr Graham Swift, Harrogate Borough Council

 Cllr Graham Swift

A report to Cllr Swift said the council had made “sufficient bad debt provision” in its finances to accommodate the write offs and that this would not impact on its spending plans.

It also said the amount of the provision made will be reviewed and increased if necessary for any future write offs.

The council spokesperson added: 

“The total arrears represent less than 0.5% of the annual housing debit.

“The money is a loss to the housing revenue account, which is funded almost entirely from rent income from tenants, rather than through council tax.”

Derelict Knaresborough High Street properties restored

A row of derelict properties on Knaresborough High Street have been renovated with a £1m investment from Harrogate Borough Council.

The council bought the seven Grade II listed properties in 2019 after they had been unoccupied for several years. They consist of three retail units and four residences.

Renovation began with planning permission and listed building consent in 2020, and has just been completed.

One of the properties that did not need renovation has already been occupied by Knaresborough Exotic Rescue.

The other properties have been listed for rent or sale.

Councillor Graham Swift, deputy leader and Cabinet member for resources, enterprise and economic development, said;

“These properties had been a blight on the high street in Knaresborough for several years.

“But after they were brought to our attention by Councillor Darling, we recognised the potential they could have to provide both homes and business spaces, we took the necessary steps to purchase them.”

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A former resident of one of the properties, Ms Hassall, wrote to Conservative MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough Andrew Jones to share her thanks for the project, saying;

“I am so very pleased that 82a Knaresborough High Street has been renovated; I lived there when I first got married in 1949.

It was quite a bad state then. However, we decorated it and made it as nice as we could.

It is good to see these properties being renovated.”

 

Harrogate council approves council tax hike

A 1.99% council tax rise has been approved by Harrogate Borough Council as part of its final budget before the authority is swallowed up into a new North Yorkshire Council.

The increase equates to an extra £5 per year for average Band D households and will come into force from April.

It was approved at a full council meeting last night which marked the last time that the Conservative-run council will set its own budget before it is scrapped and replaced with a unitary authority covering the whole of North Yorkshire from April 2023.

The county’s other six district councils will also be scrapped, as well as North Yorkshire County Council which has proposed a 3.99% council tax rise for Harrogate district residents in its final budget.

There are further tax rises expected from police and services which if all approved could see council tax bills for average Band D households rise to a total of £2,079.

This comes at a time when families are facing a cost of living crisis and opposition councillors have warned many will have to choose between heating and eating to cover their bills.

‘Residents will be faced with eat or heat choice’

Cllr Pat Marsh, leader of the opposition Liberal Democrat group on Harrogate Borough Council, told last night’s meeting that the authority should be using more of its cash reserves to ease the pressure on residents.

She said: 

“It is such a pity that we could not have a 0% increase in council tax to help our residents who are faced with soaring energy costs, fuel and food bills, and 1.25 percentage point in National Insurance contributions from April.

“Many residents will be faced with the eat or heat choice in 2022 – that is disgraceful.

“This is also why we should have kept our fees and charges at a 0% rise and not at least 2.5% as mentioned in many of the cabinet budget papers.

“Using our reserves would take the pressure off our residents to some small degree.”

Cllr Pauline McHardy, leader of the Ripon Independents group, also said she would have supported no increase in council tax and described the 1.99% rise as “another blow to the community”.

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Cllr Graham Swift, deputy leader of the council, responded to say that not increasing council tax would be “nonsense” as the authority is also facing increasing costs and has to keep services running and its staff paid.

He also argued that no alternative budget proposals were put forward by the opposition parties and that the council’s cash reserves had been earmarked for projects.

Cllr Swift said: 

“We have to pay our staff… and we will also be squeezed by energy prices and as a result of this giving a zero council tax increase to all of our residents is nonsense.

“Despite the hardships that we will all face over the next year or so, I think most rational people recognise that global energy prices are the principal driver of the heating and electricity costs – not Harrogate Borough Council.”

‘Proud of the council’s work’

Cllr Swift added:

“£5 a week is the council tax. For that people get their bins emptied, their leaves swept, their provisions of leisure facilities and all the programmes that go with helping our most needy.

“The list is almost endless of what district councils do and I’m very proud of the work that many people in this council do to ensure that we can provide not only a balanced budget, but a controlled modest expenditure increase.”

The 1.99% rise will increase Harrogate Borough Council’s tax bills for the average Band D property up to £255.92.

The council makes up just under 13% of bills, while North Yorkshire County Council makes up 70% and police and fire services the remainder.

Parish and town councils also charge a small levy.

All 24 Conservative councillors present at last night’s Harrogate Borough Council meeting voted in favour of the 1.99% rise, while seven Liberal Democrats abstained and two Ripon Independents voted against.