Council paid £498,000 to organisations which councillor had an interest inReaders’ Letters: Harrogate is crying out for change – it’s losing its appealTories accused of attempting to ‘gag’ opposition parties in North YorkshireEditor’s Pick of the Week: Mega payoff, Knaresborough snub and Ripon RunnersHarrogate Station Gateway: trees and temple to be felled firstSpeed limits outside all North Yorkshire schools to be reviewed, council saysSecret council employee receives huge redundancy payoutNorth Yorkshire Council chief defends £1 million Afghan housing schemeStray Ferret Focus: How we followed up a reader’s tip to learn a lesson about masterplansHarrogate Station Gateway legal action ‘will not halt construction’, says transport chief