Independent traders in Harrogate have warned council chiefs to “stop playing poker” with the town centre and put the local economy first as it faces a crisis.
In a mission statement posted to local politicians and business chiefs, Independent Harrogate set out its stall and called for cheaper car parking, cleaner streets and better public transport.
It also called for a park and ride system, better rail links and for the town to be marketed to prestigious retailers in order to thrive again.
Among the issues the trade group said the town faced was a drop in footfall, a loss of independent shops, high cost of trading and lack of people coming into the town centre.
Independent Harrogate said the High Street had already seen national retailers such as H&M leave and now independents were following due to high rates and rents above the national average.
It warned that the town is in a “very delicate” state and any ill-conceived plans would “risk terminal damage” to the economy.
In order to address these problems, it said the town needed better access, an increase in appeal and regeneration in order to bring back the footfall.
The statement said:
Highways chief defends ‘temporary’ pavement widening“HBC and NYCC officially adopted the Harrogate District Local Plan in March 2020.This plan was first drafted in 2014, in a time before Harrogate felt the full effects of the national damage to the High Street, and before COVID-19.The plan proposes far-reaching changes to Harrogate including increased pedestrianisation, the reduction of car traffic and an increase in cycle access
“Independent Harrogate is broadly in favour of many of these initiatives in the longer term. Who could not fail to be enthused by the images of al fresco dining, tree-lined streets and grand gateways? Our 200 members also worry about climate change and increasing pollution and would in due course like to see substantial changes, but they do so against the hard reality of running profitable businesses which are the lifeblood of the community where we all live and work. Everyone needs to understand that Harrogate has no guaranteed right to survive, let alone reclaim its place as a jewel in Yorkshire’s crown; any reduction of access to the town centre in the short term is suicidal.
“As Independent Harrogate has long warned, there is a crisis in Harrogate town centre. We urge both HBC and NYCC to stop playing poker with their precious asset, to listen to their business rate payers and to address the damaged fundamentals of Harrogate before proceeding with their long-term vision; and then do so in consultation with Independent Harrogate’s members and all businesses who trade there.”
North Yorkshire’s highways chief has defended a council decision to widen pavements in Harrogate district town centres and said the measures are only temporary after criticism from some traders and on social media.
Don Mackenzie, executive councillor for highways at North Yorkshire County Council, said the measures are designed to help social distancing and not to discourage shoppers.
The authority placed cones out to widen pavements and restrict parking in Harrogate on James Street, Commercial Street and parts of Albert Street and elsewhere in the district.
After questions over why only some streets had cones, Councillor Mackenzie said the measures were implemented to target “pinch points” where footpaths were too narrow and needed to be widened to comply with two metre social distancing guidelines.
He added that, while the order that covers the restrictions is in place until September, it could be lifted before then if national guidance allows.
Councillor Mackenzie said: “The restrictions are only temporary and once we are past this pandemic the bollards will be taken down.
“They are not to stop people from coming into the town. We have had support for these measures.”
He added that he has asked council officers to look into a web facility where people can suggest other streets which the authority should look at.
It comes as the restrictions were met with fierce criticism on social media and had mixed reactions from trade bodies which represent businesses in Harrogate.
Harrogate BID welcomed the news but called for clear parking signage for drivers, but Independent Harrogate said it was disappointed with the measures and urged the county council to rethink its decision.
On Facebook, the move was criticised by residents and described as a “waste of money” and “totally unnecessary”. Others said the widening of pavements was reasonable and had been implemented elsewhere in the UK.
Meanwhile, the restrictions have been removed from Pateley Bridge after the measures caused problems with traffic.

The new measures caused problems with traffic in Pateley Bridge this past weekend.
Cones were put in place up the town’s High Street but caused issues on the already narrow street, including forcing an ambulance to reverse in order for traffic to pass.
Keith Tordoff, chairman of the Nidderdale Chamber of Trade and local business owner in the town, said the restrictions were “ill thought through” and “caused havoc”.
COLUMN: Harrogate retailers may not survive the months following lockdown“Everybody knew it was going to cause problems,” he said.
“It made Pateley Bridge look busier than it was. It clearly was never going to work.”
This column is written for The Stray Ferret by Bob Kennedy, Chair of the Harrogate BID (Business Improvement District) which aims to promote the town centre. Mr Kennedy is the owner of G23 and Porters menswear stores in Harrogate.
Where do we go from here? This is the question on many retailers’ minds up and down the country. I’m an independent retailer with two shops in Harrogate and one in Ilkley. We have been trading our G23 and Porters stores in Harrogate since 1993 and so whilst I can only guess at the situation for the major national chains, I do believe I understand the independents problems and particularly in my home town of Harrogate.
Retail has been a struggle for many in Harrogate over the last few years. We can clearly see this with the likes of H&M, Topshop, Cath Kidson, Gap and now Jack Wills all deciding to leave, but what is causing this downturn in Harrogate’s fortunes?
There are many reasons nationally why high streets are struggling and these debates seem to go on and on with little being done to make the changes needed.
Some blame greedy landlords and this might have been the case in the past but in my experience landlords seem willing to talk now and are willing to negotiate new rental terms.
Then there’s the internet. We all know how easy it is particularly at Christmas to sit at home and order online but this is a big reason for the decline in footfall. If we want to have a lovely town centre we need to support the shops in the town centre. Ilkley is a great example of locals supporting the town.
Next up is car parking. Whether it’s expensive to park or not, car parking seems to be a real issue. People hate paying to park. They hate having to look at their watch and dash off before they get a ticket. As a retailer, it always amazes me that there are so many traffic wardens constantly patrolling Harrogate and so few police. It’s no wonder people choose to visit a retail park with free parking or shop online.
Lastly, retailers have been faced with crazy business rates over the last few years. The amount of money we have been paying the government / local authority over the last few years has been extortionate. I personally pay around £50’000 a year and in return receive nothing, they don’t even empty the bins!
So, how are the retailers of Harrogate going to fair after lockdown?
There’s no doubt that some will fold, collapse into administration before lockdown lifts but my worry is the six months after lockdown. Many will be able to survive during lockdown, after all, the landlords seem to be holding off and trying to share the burden, business rates have been cancelled until April 2021 and the government is giving 80% support to cover wages for staff on furlough. Suppliers to shops like mine are being fair, not pushing for payment and trying to find ways to support.
No, I think we will be fine for a few months of lockdown. The problem comes when we reopen.
Let’s hope that we eventually begin to see a decline in coronavirus and we can reopen our stores at the end of May. It’s at this point we may have some problems. Although restrictions will have been somewhat lifted, social distancing will still be advised and people will be wary of catching the virus. This will mean that footfall in shops will be severely down. Maybe only thirty to forty percent of the usual footfall pre coronavirus, but it’ll mean there’s much less money going through the tills. We’ll be open again so the patient suppliers will want paying for all their summer stock but we’ve not had a chance to sell it and they will want to deliver the Autumn ranges. The landlords will want paying, after all, you’re open, you’re trading. Lastly, your staff will be back at work and therefore there is no more support from the government to cover wages. All of this for possibly six months, with a reduced footfall of possibly thirty to forty percent. For many stores across the country this will not add up.
Support for the high street and your town centre has never been needed more. Organisations like the Harrogate BID are working hard to try and make Harrogate a great place to visit this Autumn but support from government, Harrogate Borough Council and the people of Harrogate is also needed. Without this we could see a very different looking Harrogate next year.