Bilton resident Ben Rothery has set up Harrogate Community Group to offer a platform for local people to look for recommendations, ask for advice and discuss where they live.

Community Facebook groups are loved and loathed. They can be a good source of local information but can also polarise opinion.

Mr Rothery said he wants his new group to be an inclusive space where can discuss living in Harrogate without fear of being criticised.

In January, he helped set up Bilton Community Group, which has fostered community spirit in the Harrogate suburb.

Mr Rothery said:

“The current Harrogate groups that exist serve a very different purpose to the Harrogate Community Group. Some of the groups allow conspiracy theories and breed a very hostile, bullying culture. Others are plagued by single issues like cycling. None of the groups are bad, they serve a purpose to a number of people that enjoy the content on them.”

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He said businesses will be allowed to advertise on the page on Wednesdays and Fridays.

Mr Rothery added:

“What I see is a gap in the Harrogate online community for a proper community page. Where residents can ask for help, whether that be collecting some shopping or asking someone to collect a poorly cat its medication, but also where businesses can feel comfortable in advertising and promoting their own content to a wide audience.”

Mr Rothery wants the group to be a Harrogate-wide version of what he has created for Bilton.

“What we have done with Bilton Community Group has had huge effects on our area. People have never been as passionate and as active. Anyone who uses it knows it’s a welcoming, helpful and friendly environment for people to come onto and trust they won’t have 20 different people abusing them because they asked for a recommendation.”