A third consultation on the Harrogate Station Gateway has given an up-to-date picture of how Harrogate feels about the £11.2m scheme.

On the overall question of whether the plans will benefit the town, opinion is almost split down the middle.

A total of 2,044 people took part in the third consultation, which is 50% higher than the previous round in 2021.

It revealed 46% were either ‘negative’ or ‘very negative’ about the overall plans while 44% were ‘positive’ or ‘very positive’. A total of 9% were neutral and 1% said they did not know.

Business impact

One of the most contentious aspects of the scheme is how it will impact businesses in the town centre.

This was highlighted in the consultation as most respondents said the primary reason they visit Harrogate is to go shopping.

James Street is perhaps the district’s premier retail destination but some landlords have argued that part-pedestrianisation will hurt footfall.

North Yorkshire County Council’s economic case suggests the opposite will happen.

The consultation revealed 41% of people thought the scheme would benefit businesses whereas 40% said it would have a negative impact.

Read more:

• New consultation reveals more people still oppose than support £11.2m Harrogate Station Gateway
• Harrogate business group calls for ‘better solution’ to Station Gateway

The the visual appearance of the plans generated support, with 51% saying they will make better use of public space, helping to keep visitors in the town for longer.

However, 184 people fear the scheme will send shoppers away from Harrogate to other towns or cities and 104 said the reduction in parking spaces will negatively impact businesses.

There was a mixed response to the question of whether the scheme would encourage visitors to spend longer in the town centre — 44% disagreed and 43% agreed.

Active travel

Around a quarter of the 2,044 respondents said a bicycle was their primary mode of transport for travelling into Harrogate.

A key aim of the scheme is to improve walking and cycling infrastructure in the town centre, which campaigners have argued is long overdue.

A total of 48% said the plans would encourage more people to cycle whereas 38% said there would be no change.

However, when asked if the designs balance the needs and safety of all road users, including motorists and cyclists, 45% said it was unsuccessful and 39% said it was successful.

Traffic congestion

Will the Gateway scheme alleviate congestion by getting people out of their cars or will making Station Parade single-lane exacerbate the problem and shift traffic elsewhere?

A total of 52% said they believe the scheme will discourage people to drive whereas 40% said there would be no change.

The council has undertaken modelling that suggested a single-lane Station Parade will not cause “excessive congestion” but 326 people submitted individual comments with their concerns about the possibility.

A total of 913 people said they think the scheme will help to improve air quality in the town centre whereas 916 people do not.

You can read the full findings here:

A move to harmonise council tax payments across North Yorkshire “provokes a whole host of issues around fairness”, a meeting has heard.

A meeting of North Yorkshire County Council’s executive was told residents in Hambleton district were facing having to pay significantly higher bills to bring their charges into line with those being levied by second tier authorities elsewhere in the county.

However, leading members highlighted that many Hambleton residents were also facing significant council tax charges from parish councils for services such as public toilets that in other places were being charged for by district councils.

In addition, concerns have been raised that under proposals to level up council tax charges across the county, residents in districts such as Harrogate, Scarborough and Richmondshire would end up paying more for the same services from the unitary council for the next two years.

Councillors were told while Selby and Craven district residents faced paying relatively modest increases in their council tax to bring their payments up to the average, Hambleton district residents were currently paying £89 less than the average district council charge across the county.

Read more:

• County council rejects Station Gateway contingency funding request
• Council sets aside contingency ‘sum’ to cover Kex Gill costs

The meeting heard a cross-party group of councillors representing all seven districts had agreed while it was necessary to bring council tax charges into line across the county as part of devolution, the authority would not seek to increase the funds it generated from the levelling up exercise.

Corporate director Gary Fielding told the meeting that councillors had achieved a consensus that levelling up the charges over two years would be the best compromise.

He added:

“The group did recognise that this does provoke a whole host of issues around fairness. Fairness is perhaps in the eye of the beholder, but this was recognised as an appropriate way forward.”

The authority’s executive member for finance, Councillor Gareth Dadd, said there was no easy way for the council to harmonise council tax charges and that there would be “winners and losers”.

He said while Hambleton residents paid less council tax to the district council than other areas, they paid council tax charges to town and parish councils that residents of other areas did not.

Coun Dadd said:

“In some of the ‘winning’ areas there currently isn’t a town council that picks up some of the services.”

After receiving the approval of the authority’s executive, residents will be consulted over the proposal, which will also be considered at a full meeting of the council next month.