Harrogate and Knaresborough Liberal Democrats have called on the government to introduce a sewage tax to raise money to clean rivers.

The party said a 16% tax on water companies would help to create an emergency fund to improve rivers which had sewage dumped into them.

The Stray Ferret reported in November that Yorkshire Water released raw and untreated sewage into Harrogate district rivers and becks on 3,800 different occasions in 2020.

The worst affected local river is the River Nidd, prompting health concerns from wild swimmers that use the river in Knaresborough.

Water companies are legally allowed to release sewage through overflow pipes when the sewage system becomes too full, which can happen during increased rainfall.

Read more:

• River Nidd a ‘potential health risk’ after MPs’ vote on sewage
• Raw sewage released into Harrogate district rivers for 36,000 hours last year

The Liberal Democrats highlighted that Yorkshire Water made an operating profit of £241 million last year.

Hannah Gostlow, the Liberal Democrat councillor for Scriven Park in Knaresborough, said:

“Rivers should be safe for sustaining wildlife, swimming and leisure. They are a precious source of drinking water for some. 

“So why are they filled with raw sewage and human waste, destroying them for decades to come?

“It is disgraceful to see a company which pollutes our local rivers with sewage make so much money last year. I think Yorkshire Water should pay to clean up the mess they make here. This Conservative government is once again too slow to act and doing nothing to protect our local rivers.”

The Stray Ferret contacted the Conservative leader of Harrogate Borough Council, Cllr Richard Cooper, to ask for his response to the proposal. He referred us to the council press office. We await a response.

There are fears that many first-time buyers will still struggle to afford the Harrogate district’s high property prices despite a new national scheme offering up to 50% discounts.

First Homes aims to support the sale of new homes to people in the district, which is one of the most unaffordable places to live in England, with average house prices around 11 times average incomes.

Discounts of at least 30% can be knocked off market prices under the scheme, but councils can increase this to either 40% or 50% if they can “demonstrate a need”.

The scheme has been hailed by government as a move to help people get on the property ladder, many of whom will be key workers such as NHS, care home and supermarket staff.

But with the average property price paid in Harrogate last year rising to £395,526, there are fears that the current housing boom and years of rising prices will mean home ownership will still be out of reach for many – even with the top discounts.

Conservative-controlled Harrogate Borough Council has backed the scheme but described it as “problematic” and said it is “highly unlikely” that first-timer buyers will be able to afford new builds in the district.

There are further concerns that the scheme will slow the delivery of much-needed rental homes, which around 1,800 Harrogate district households have registered for.

This is because First Homes requires housebuilders to nominate a proportion of their properties for sale discounts – and this could mean renters miss out.

People needing rented homes ‘will lose out’

Councillor Pat Marsh, leader of the opposition Liberal Democrat group on the council, said it is these households which can only afford to rent that are in the greatest need:

“Our residents needing affordable rented homes will lose out and Harrogate will suffer from not having the mix of residents that will sustain our economy and fill our important key worker roles.

“We question whether this is the most effective way of meeting overall needs if it displaces other tenures which are needed.”

The scheme is for first-time buyers only and does restrict some households with a combined annual income of more than £80,000 from applying.

There are also price caps which mean that after the discount has been applied, the buyer cannot be required to pay more than £250,000.

Those who can afford to buy a First Home without a mortgage are not eligible, and there are further measures aimed at preventing people buying the homes as an investment.

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The scheme launched last year and has recently been backed by Harrogate Borough Council, which said it would publish more information online and use it as a tool to decide planning applications.

Speaking when the scheme launched, former Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick said:

“First Homes will offer a realistic and affordable route into home ownership for even more people who want to own their own home.

“These homes will be locked in for perpetuity to first-time buyers and key workers from their local area – making them an asset to both their owners and the wider local community.”

The number of Harrogate district councillors is set to be slashed in half in what has been described as a “step back for local representation”.

In May’s elections, 21 councillors for the district will be chosen to serve on the new North Yorkshire Council – far fewer than the 42 currently on Harrogate Borough Council and North Yorkshire County Council, which will both be scrapped in April 2023.

The arrangements, recently announced as part of draft legislation, have been criticised by Harrogate’s Liberal Democrats who have raised concerns that residents’ voices will be diluted.

Councillor Pat Marsh, leader of the opposition party on Harrogate Borough Council, said:

“We see the significant reduction in councillors as a step back in terms of local representation on the new North Yorkshire Council.

“This change is being forced on us and Liberal Democrats were not in support of the proposed warding arrangements, and in fact submitted an alternative proposal to central government which they did not support.”

Make things simpler

Overall, the new North Yorkshire Council will have a total of 90 councillor seats – 18 more than the existing county council.

It has been argued that the arrangements will make things simpler for residents who under the current two-tier system can have two different councillors, each with different responsibilities over services from bin collections to highways.

The new North Yorkshire Council will be made of 89 new divisions and councillors will serve for one year as county councillors before transferring to the new authority in April 2023.

After this, the next elections will then take place in 2027.

Read more:

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• Ripon MP Julian Smith urges Prime Minister to withdraw Jimmy Savile ‘slur’

The new divisions have been set out by government in a draft Structural Changes Order which MPs are expected to approve by March.

Harrogate Borough Council previously chose not to submit its own warding proposals last September when its Conservative leader councillor Richard Cooper said he would be “content” with what has now been proposed.

But Cllr Marsh said she believed the areas that councillors will represent will be “too large”. She also said although her party had opposed reorganisation, it was now pushing for greater powers to be handed to area committees and parish and town councils.

This includes powers being granted to a potential Harrogate Town Council – an idea which the Conservatives have also supported.

Councillor Marsh said:

“The Liberal Democrats have not been in support of this massive change in local government representation, particularly in the middle of a global pandemic.

“As the champions of localism and the moving of decision making closer to residents, we do support the increase in powers for the new area committees and the potential for town and parish councils to be able to deliver services and manage local assets if they so choose.”

Harrogate Borough Council has held onto almost £4 million of unspent money given to it from housing developers for social and community projects.

The Section 106 cash is agreed during planning talks to offset the impact of new housing and is intended to be used for improvements such as village hall refurbishments and new sports facilities.

More than £613,000 was spent on projects during 2020/21 – and the council has been praised by some communities.

But with around £3,730,000 unspent at the end of that period, there are concerns that many residents are not feeling the benefits at a time when the construction of hundreds of new homes is piling pressure on the need for community facilities.

Residents left with no community improvements

John Hansard, a member of Kingsley Ward Action Group, said the area faced the construction of around 700 new homes but residents have had “nothing at all” in terms of community improvements.

He said:

“Some of this money needs to come our way.

“Harrogate can’t cope with much more new housing and to think they want to build an extra 700 homes in our area is absolutely crazy.”

Tim Ellis, who also lives in the Kingsley ward, added: 

“There is no community hall, no church halls and not even a pub any more, therefore nowhere local groups can have meetings.

“With all the new housing destroying the last of the fields, and new houses having tiny gardens, we will need a public park.

“The triangle of meadow and trees to the east of Kingsley Farmhouse bordering Kingsley Road would be ideal… but greedy developers are threatening to put houses even on this.”

Most of the money spent by Harrogate Borough Council during 2020/21 was on the purchase of affordable housing.

Cllr Tim Myatt, cabinet member for planning at the council, described the funding as a tool to “support future communities across the Harrogate district” and said other projects included new play areas and open space.

He also said the authority helped North Yorkshire County Council secure around £1.2 million in the last year for improvements to roads, sustainable travel and schools.

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But when questioned by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, the county council did not say how much unspent money it has held onto.

A county council spokesperson said Section 106 money has a “significant lifespan” and that the funds will be used for their intended purpose “at the appropriate time”.

Call for review of section 106 contributions

Harrogate Borough Council said it was “not unusual” for the authority to have large sums of unspent money and there were several reasons why this is the case.

It said the money is sometimes paid in instalments and cannot be spent until it has all been received. It also said parish councils often ask for the money to be saved up for larger projects.

Despite this, Cllr Pat Marsh, leader of the opposition Liberal Democrat party, said the almost £4 million unspent by Harrogate Borough Council “does seem a lot” and has called for more regular reviews of how the money is spent.

The council also collects cash through Community Infrastructure Levy contributions, which are another type of charge on new housing.

These work on a pounds-per-square-metre basis and because of recent changes to Harrogate Borough Council’s charging schedules no contributions were collected during the last financial year.

It is now intended that a review will be carried out to develop a list of spending priorities and projects.

Cllr Myatt added: 

“Payment of CIL is due upon commencement of development, therefore there will be a time lag of up to two years before the first CIL contributions are received.

“In the future, the CIL will provide us with a pot of money so that we can work with local communities and partners to provide the right infrastructure in the right places to support development and the continued growth of the Harrogate district.”

Former Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron has said second homes and holiday lets are “killing” rural communities in places such as North Yorkshire.

Mr Farron told a debate in Parliament last week that more than a quarter of the housing stock in the Yorkshire Dales was not lived in.

He added the majority of properties in some towns and villages were empty most of the year.

Mr Farron, whose constituency of Westmorland and Lonsdale in Cumbria is severely affected by second homes, called for action to “shift the dial and save the dales and other rural communities”.

He said:

“Excessive second home ownership is a colossal problem in our communities.

“The collapse of affordable, available housing for local communities is killing towns and villages in Cornwall, Northumberland, Shropshire, Devon, Somerset, North Yorkshire, the highlands of Scotland and rural Wales, as well as in my home of Cumbria.

Mr Farron accused the government of “inexcusable inaction to save our communities” and outlines a seven-point action plan.

The measures included making second homes and holiday lets new and separate categories of planning use so councils and national parks could limit the number of them in each town and village, giving councils the power to increase council tax by up to 100% on second homes in the worst-affected communities and ensuring Airbnb properties “meet the same standards as any other rental”.

Read more:

• ‘Bold and brave’ changes to prevent second homes in Dales
• Plans to convert landmark pub near Pateley Bridge into holiday cottage refused

Housing minister Christopher Pincher said rural communities faced “some very specific challenges”, which was why the government had changed the tax system.

“Since 2013, local authorities have been able to levy 100% of council tax on second homes, where the people who own them do not necessarily use the local services that they might, but through the council tax have to contribute to them; 96% of local authorities make use of that opportunity.”

He added changes had been made to stamp duty to help first-time buyers and a surcharge had been introduced for foreign purchasers of property.

Mr Pincher added:

“This issue is also why we have reformed the planning system. It is opaque, slow, and is not predictable. That does not help small and medium-sized enterprises—often the builders who build different types of homes for different tenures in the places that the big builders do not want.

“We need a system that will help those SMEs and is far more engaging.

“We also want, as a reform to be introduced soon, a new infrastructure levy to replace section 106, which tends to favour the bigger developers that can afford the bigger batteries of lawyers.”

A Harrogate councillor has questioned why secondary schools in the county receive less funding per pupil than most other places.

North Yorkshire secondary schools are placed 138 out of 150 local authorities in terms of funding per pupil.

On average, a school in North Yorkshire has received £5,570 per pupil for 2021-22 compared to the national average of £5,935.

A report to councillors at today’s meeting of North Yorkshire County Council‘s Harrogate and Knaresborough area constituency committee said that for a 1,500-pupil secondary school, this equated to a difference in funding of £0.5m.

Paul Haslam, a Conservative who represents Harrogate Bilton and Nidd Gorge division on the county council, described the situation as unacceptable and wanted to know why the figure for North Yorkshire was “way below” that of other local authority areas.

He told the meeting:

“I just wondered what we as councillors can do to help because this clearly is not an acceptable position.”

Andrew Jones to be asked to help

Philip Broadbank, a Liberal Democrat who represents Harrogate Starbeck, suggested Andrew Jones, the Conservative MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, could lobby national government on behalf of local schools.

Mr Jones is due to attend the council’s next Harrogate and Knaresborough area constituency committee in March.

Mr Broadbank said:

“Our MPs are there to lobby. This is something we can ask Andrew about at our next meeting.”

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Sally Dunn, head of finance for early years and high need at the council, said school funding was based on the Department for Education’s national funding formula.

She added the formula was based on factors such as deprivation and prior attainment and the DfE was in the process of transitioning the criteria.

Ms Dunn added it was “an issue we continue to lobby on and we continue to speak to the DfE on a very regular basis”, adding that there was most concern for small rural secondary schools, which faced “significant financial pressures”.

Primary schools fare better

North Yorkshire primary schools fare better: they are placed 35 out of 150 local authorities in terms of funding.

Primary schools in the county receive on average £4,715 per pupil compared to the national average of £4,611.

An investigation by the Stray Ferret has revealed that Harrogate’s Royal Baths have massively under-performed as a commercial investment since they were bought by North Yorkshire County Council in 2018.

The council bought the Grade II listed building for £9 million in 2018 as part of a wider strategy to become more entrepreneurial to plug its declining budget from central government.

But the Baths have only generated about a third of the income expected, raising questions about the wisdom of the decision to buy it, as well as whether the council has the necessary business acumen to invest taxpayers’ money in such schemes.

The council was accused of making a “trophy investment” last month when one councillor said he was “absolutely’ speechless” by the £9 million sum paid for the Baths.

It has now emerged that rental income is way down on what was predicted in a confidential report to councillors before they agreed to buy it.

Prepared to pay £10m

The report, which has now been made public, reveals the council was prepared to pay up to £10 million for the Baths, which included four commercial units.

At the time, they were J D Wetherspoon, The Potting Shed bar, the Viper Rooms nightclub and Royal Baths Chinese Restaurant. The Potting Shed subsequently closed.

The report forecast the Baths would generate annual income of £500,940.

But gross income received in the three years since then was just £613,000 — way down on the £1.5 million expected. The council has also incurred maintenance and other costs of £222,000 on the Baths to the end of March 2021, further reducing the income figure to £391,000.

Read more:

• Council accused of ‘trophy investment’ for £9m purchase of Harrogate’s Royal Baths
• Royal Baths Chinese Restaurant reveals plans to re-open
• Council warns of ‘ financial pressures’ despite government funding

Philip Broadbank

Councillor Philip Broadbank, a Liberal Democrat who represents Harrogate Starbeck on the county council, said

“The price for the Royal Baths investment seems to be high and the rate of return has been very disappointing and needs to improve.

“The Royal Baths complex is in a central position in Harrogate town centre but margins need to improve quickly for council taxpayers to see some financial benefits. It is vital that all the units are let and fully operational and officers need to ensure that happens soon to help the local economy.

“The periods of closure have been significant and challenging and the poor rates of return need to be substantially improved if taxpayers are to have confidence that the investment policies are to work satisfactorily financially.”

‘It will end in tears’

The council has not been helped by lockdowns, which have affected all three surviving businesses. The Royal Baths Chinese Restaurant remains closed but plans to re-open this year.

Stuart Parsons

Nevertheless, Councillor Stuart Parsons, who represents Richmond and is the Independents group leader at the county council, said the financial performance of the Baths was worrying and predicted the council’s attempts to generate income in new ways would “end in tears”. He said:

“There’s always that belief in local government that they have expertise and can deliver anything but they are experts at delivering services rather than property projects.”

He said the council had been “absolutely strapped for cash by central government for 11 years” and was being encouraged by ministers to find new sources of income to “shore up shortfalls”. But he added:

“We have seen a number of councils fail because they have taken on projects like renewable energy and are unable to deliver them.

“They will try their hardest in North Yorkshire but they don’t have the necessary expertise to drive things forward. This will be one of the black marks against the Conservative government. It will end in tears.

“Councils should not be trading. They should be providing services, not building houses or power plants. If they had kept the £9m it could have been used to help people in desperate need in social care.”

Cllr Parsons added it was concerning that major spending decisions involving taxpayers’ money were being made on the basis of such inaccurate forecasts.

“If they are basing their finances on estimates that are unsound then something seriously needs to change.”

North Yorkshire County Council offices in Northallerton.

Councillor Gareth Dadd, deputy leader of the Conservatives on the county council, has been one of the key supporters of the Baths investment.

The Stray Ferret sent him some questions but he did not reply.

‘Better than treasury returns’

A council spokesman said it received legal advice and a surveyor’s report and undertook comparative market analysis to support the business case and necessary due diligence before buying the lease on the Baths from M&G Property Portfolio.

He added the investment “continues to stand up against the alternative investment opportunities where cash returns amounted to an average return of 0.19% p.a. at Quarter 2 21/22”.

Gross income received to the end of 20/21 was £613,000 and standard treasury returns would have generated £152,000, the spokesman added, and therefore the investment “has realised £461,000 of additional benefit to the council and its taxpayer when compared to our standard treasury returns”.

He added covid and lockdowns had had a significant impact since the Baths were bought in 2018.

“Our tenants, in the hospitality sector, have been significantly impacted by the pandemic with extended periods of enforced closure during 2020 and 2021. We are working with them to reach reasonable terms on recovery of arrears where possible.

“National regulations in force until late March 2022 prevent us from evicting tenants that have fallen into arrears as a result of covid.

“All retail and hospitality suffered significant periods of closure and financial challenge throughout the pandemic. The Harrogate Royal Baths is a local asset and we remain confident that Harrogate and the Royal Baths itself will recover from the pandemic and continue to contribute to the Harrogate and North Yorkshire local economy.

Besides the four commercial units, the purchase of the Baths also included two further units held on long-leases by Harrogate Borough Council at a peppercorn rent occupied by the tourist information centre and the Turkish Baths, as well as two car parks similarly let on long leases at nominal rents.

The council set up the Brierley Group of firms, ranging from house builders to lawyers, in 2017 to bring together council-owned companies and find new ways of making money. However, last year it reported a loss of £639,000.

Further losses are forecast for the current financial year.

The council warned last month it faces “enormous financial pressures” and needed to find £19 million in savings.

More than £1.5m of taxpayers’ money has already been spent on plans for a major redevelopment of Harrogate Convention Centre before the project has been approved.

In what is set to be one of its biggest decisions in recent history, Harrogate Borough Council will next summer vote on the proposed project, which is currently at the design stage and could cost £47m over three phases.

Figures obtained by the Local Democracy Reporting Service show £1.1m has so far been spent on contracts for design and feasibility works, while £275,000 has been spent on a first phase business case and £179,050 on an outline business case.

Councillor Graham Swift, deputy leader and cabinet member for economic growth at the council, said these works have been a key part of the planning process and that they will help the authority weigh up the benefits and risks before making a final decision. He said:

“By appointing specialists – such as Cushman and Wakefield, Arcadis and KPMG – we will have a comprehensive understanding of the feasibility of the project.

“It is crucial that we redevelop the ageing site as well as introduce much more flexible spaces that will allow us to attract a broader customer base and substantially strengthen this economic impact.

“These changes are essential to stay relevant for the changing conference trade and optimise space for the future.

“The delivery of this project will also be key to the district’s covid economic recovery plan.

“Therefore, it is essential we get it right.”

Read more:

• Harrogate Convention Centre boss warns big events ‘at risk’ unless £47m refurbishment is accelerated
• Business planning contract awarded for £47m Harrogate Convention Centre upgrade

Now over 40 years old, the council says the centre is in “critical need” of an upgrade and that there is “very real risk” it will not survive without investment.

It was estimated before the pandemic that the venue attracted more than 150,000 visitors a year with an annual economic impact of £35m. However, there are now questions over how quickly the events industry can bounce back.

Even before covid, Harrogate’s position in the industry was under threat as major conferences began taking their business to bigger and newer arenas.

This growing competition has led to warnings from centre director Paula Lorimer who last week said the venue will miss out on “large and lucrative” events unless the redevelopment plans are accelerated.

‘Major failing’

The project was first revealed in 2020 when the council’s opposition Liberal Democrat group signalled its support for the plans, although it criticised the Conservative-run authority for what it described as a lack of investment in the past.

The Liberal Democrats have also accused the council over failures in planning for the initial convention centre build over 40 years ago, adding that these “mistakes” must now be avoided by ensuring the redevelopment plans are well prepared and fully costed.

The party said in a statement:

“Any potential project of this magnitude needs to be fully costed and investigated before any decision is made to go ahead.

“This was a major failing the council made when it proceeded with the conference centre development in the 1970s.

“The project increased in price from just over £8m to over £34m by the time it was ready to open in 1982 and took twice as long as originally planned.

“The future of the conference and exhibition business is probably going to be one of the most important economic decisions to be made for our area for years to come.

“We must get it right and learn from past mistakes.”

The number of people receiving out-of-work benefits in the Harrogate district has continued to fall, despite the furlough scheme ending at the end of September.

Latest figures by the Office for National Statistics show 2,375 people in the district were claiming the benefits as of October 14.

This is 115 fewer than the 2,490 figure for September 12. The benefits include Universal Credit, which can also be claimed by people who are in work but on low incomes.

The furlough scheme ended on September 30 and supported around 28,600 jobs in the Harrogate district for 18 months.

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• Fears for thousands of Harrogate district jobs as furlough ends

The figures appear to have calmed fears raised by the local Liberal Democrats that the scheme would result in up to 3,600 job losses in the district.

Speaking last month, Cllr Pat Marsh, leader of the opposition group on Harrogate Borough Council, said the Liberal Democrats both locally and nationally were demanding the scheme be extended to protect jobs.

The countdown has begun for the election to replace former North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Philip Allott.

Voting will take place on November 25 to replace Mr Allott who quit last month following a two-week storm of sustained criticism over the comments he made on the murder of Sarah Everard.

Mr Allott had only been in the job for five months having been elected in May and faced multiple calls to resign after saying Ms Everard should not have “submitted” to arrest by the police officer who murdered her and that women needed to be more “streetwise”.

There are five candidates competing for the £74,000-per-year post with women’s safety already featuring as a key part of their campaigns:

Conservative

Harrogate councillor Zoe Metcalfe is the Conservative candidate and said her focus is on “improving safety for women and girls across North Yorkshire, supporting victims of crime and tackling serious and organised crime”.

Ms Metcalfe is a project manager for a property company in addition to being a member of Harrogate Borough Council and North Yorkshire County Council.

Labour

Emma Scott-Spivey, who is a student paramedic and the daughter of two police officers, will contest the role for Labour.

Read More:

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She said she wanted to stand in the election after hearing Mr Allott’s comments and that she would prioritise tackling violence against women and girls, as well as county lines drugs gangs.

She said: 

“The police are facing unprecedented challenges – not just from savage cuts to funding but also due to a breakdown in trust. That trust must be rebuilt and the damage done by Philip Allott must be repaired.”

Liberal Democrat

The Liberal Democrat candidate is City of York councillor James Barker who served in the military for 24 years and also stood for the commissioner role in May when he finished in fourth place.

He said: 

“There is work to do to rebuild the trust lost with victim’s groups, women’s groups and the public at large.

“If elected, my priority on day one would be starting the long process of making sure everyone can have faith that the PFCC listens to and supports victims of crime.”

Independent

Keith Tordoff, who served for 20 years in West Yorkshire Police and ran the world’s oldest sweet shop in Pateley Bridge, has also decided to stand again as an independent after finishing in third place in the last election.

He said the county had been “badly let down” by the previous commissioner and that he will “prioritise responses for crimes against women, hate crime and fight for justice for all victims of crime”.

Mr Tordoff said: 

“With my policing, business and community led background, I will work tirelessly if elected to keep the people living, working or visiting North Yorkshire safe.”

Women’s Equality Party

The final candidate is Dr Hannah Barham-Brown who will stand for the Women’s Equality Party and works as a GP in Leeds.

She said she took part in protests against Mr Allott and that she would launch an independent inquiry into misogyny at North Yorkshire Police if elected.

Dr Barham-Brown said:

 “Women and girls in North Yorkshire deserve to live their lives free from the fear and the threat of violence, and that is why I am contesting this election.

“I will not allow politicians to sit idly by while women lose their lives and freedom in the face of violence.”

The announcement of the election results will take place from Selby Civic Centre on 26 November – the day after voters go to the polls.

Read more:

• Liberal Democrats confirm police commissioner candidate
• Former Pateley Bridge businessman to stand again for police commissioner
• Labour announces North Yorkshire police commissioner candidate
• Conservatives select Harrogate councillor as police commissioner candidate

How will the election work? 

Polling cards were sent out earlier this month with the deadlines to register and to vote by post having already passed, while the deadline for proxy voting is 5pm on Wednesday.

Voters are being urged to check their poll cards to see where their local polling station is as some may have changed due to the need for covid safety measures.

Anyone who has tested positive or has symptoms should not visit a polling station.

If you can not vote in-person because of covid, or because of your employment or a disability, there is an option to apply for an emergency proxy vote by 5pm on the day of the election.

Janet Waggott, election returning officer and chief executive of Selby District Council, said: 

“Covid remains an important consideration and we’re putting arrangements in place to help you stay safe at the polling station; such as hand sanitiser and face masks.

“Residents should be reassured that voting in these elections will take place in a covid-safe environment.”

Elections for commissioners use a supplementary voting system in which voters rank candidates in order of preference.

If no candidate receives a majority then all but the two leading candidates are eliminated and a second count takes place.

In the second count, the second preference votes of those supporting eliminated candidates are distributed among the two leading candidates.

In May, Philip Allott took 84,737 of the first and second-preference votes ahead of Labour candidate Alison Hume who finished in second place with a total of 53,442 votes.

The final results in terms of total votes were:

• Philip Allott (Conservative) – 84,737 votes
• Alison Hume (Labour) – 53,442 votes
• Keith Tordoff (Independent) – 22,338
• James Barker (Liberal Democrats) – 19,773 votes