Harrogate district residents should brace themselves for another increase in their council tax bills this year.

As local authorities begin to unveil their budget plans, a hike in rates is one of the measures they will take.

Council tax bills are made by adding up the precepts charged by North Yorkshire County Council, Harrogate Borough Council, North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner and parish councils.

Harrogate Borough Council has already announced a proposed £5 increase and North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner has suggested bills could go up as far as £10 for the police force.

A closer look at the detail gives a glimpse into why those authorities are hiking rates.

How much will my bill go up by?

So far, the only authority which has shown its full hand on council tax is Harrogate Borough Council.

Senior councillors at Harrogate council have backed a £5 increase – which would amount to £255.92 for a band D property.

A final decision on the increase will be made in February.

North Yorkshire County Council and North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner have yet to confirm their proposals — but have suggested what the rate could be.

North Yorkshire’s police commissioner gave a North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Panel a presentation on Thursday which outlined a budget based on a £10 increase.

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This would see the police precept on council tax bills increase to £281.06 and give the force an additional £3 million in income.

However, the fire service will only be able to hike its share by 1.99%. This would see the rate charged for fire services rise to £1.46 per week.

North Yorkshire County Council, which makes up the majority of residents’ council tax bills, has yet to suggest an increase.

But it does have the power to hike its share by as much as 4.5%.

Should senior county councillors support such an increase, this would see its share rise from £1,411 for a band D property to £1,474.

Why is my bill going up?

Nearly two years of covid and more than a decade of government cuts has had a drastic affect on local authority finances.

Coronavirus has left both North Yorkshire County Council and Harrogate Borough Council with financial blackholes to fill.

Last month, Cllr Carl Les, leader of the county council, warned that the authority will have to find £19 million in savings this coming year.

Cllr Carl Les, leader of North Yorkshire County Council. Picture: North Yorkshire County Council.

A government settlement of £26 million will not be enough for the authority to balance its books in 2022/23.

However, Cllr Les did acknowledge that the council tax system needed to be reformed.

He said:

“We continue to feel that residents in North Yorkshire pay too much council tax, particularly in comparison to London, and urge the government to press on with funding reform to create a fairer solution for rural counties.”

Similarly, Paul Foster, head of finance at Harrogate Borough Council, told senior councillors that its finances were not expected to reach pre-pandemic levels until at least 2023/24.

He said the council was predicting a reduction in income for the next financial year of £150,000.

Mr Foster also said government grant allocations had been reduced by £8.2 million since 2010 and that the council would have to dip into its reserves to fund some major projects.

Michael Porter, director of finance at North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner’s office, setting out the bleak financial picture for the fire service earlier this week.

Fire service hit hardest

But perhaps the authority feeling the affects of both covid and cuts most acutely is North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue.

On Thursday, the Stray Ferret reported that the service has had its capital grant abolished by the government, which means it could have to borrow up to £31 million to fund upkeep of stations and fire kit for crews.

In addition to this, the service is currently running a deficit of £1 million and cannot increase its share of council tax by more than 1.99%.

North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, Zoe Metcalfe, described the precept cap set by government as “very unfair” and pledged to continue lobbying ministers for fairer funding.

To illustrate just how bleak the financial situation is, Martin Walker, a former judge and co-opted member of North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Panel, said he was “horrified” by it.

He told Michael Porter, director of finance at the commissioner’s office, on Thursday:

“I have to say that I’m horrified, if that’s not too strong a word, about where the fire service is going to be.

“It’s in desperate need of capital injection and renewing stations, renewing fire engines and renewing all sorts of infrastructure.

“You’re talking about borrowing and having to borrow £30 million. I hesitate to say this, but god help us. 

“The fire service is fighting so hard to provide the service that the public need and yet you’re telling us as a panel that it’s going to get worse, then it will get worse and after that it will get worse.”

What happens now?

Council officials, including the county council and commissioner’s office, will set out their plans for council tax this month.

After that, councillors will vote on the proposals.

All of the public bodies which set council tax rates will confirm their budgets in February.

From there, residents across the Harrogate district will receive their bill for the next financial year in April. The only certainty is that they will go up again.

The landlord of Charlie’s Place on Otley Road has described the new cycle path, which has sections shared with pedestrians, as a “disaster waiting to happen”.

Work has continued since November to build the first phase of the new cycle route between Harlow Moor Road and Cold Bath Road. It’s part of a package of sustainable transport measures in the west of Harrogate.

Over half of the route will be shared with pedestrians, with only a line of paint to separate them from cyclists, including the section directly outside Charlie’s Place, which has been owned and run by Charlie Tinker for 18 years.

Mr Tinker fears a speeding cyclist coming down the hill will strike a pub patron, who might be standing outside smoking or waiting for a taxi.

He said:

“Cyclists will be coming down the hill at speed, it’s a disaster waiting to happen.

“It wont be long and by the time we get to summer there will be an accident.”

Contractors have been resurfacing the path again this week, which Mr Tinker said has been an “absolute bloody nightmare” with grit, gravel and cones left outside his pub.

Read more:

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Mr Tinker said the works, which were expected to have been finished before Christmas, have had a negative impact on trade and are putting customers off visiting.

He said he has complained to North Yorkshire County Council about the disruption but has been ignored.

Mr Tinker added:

“The council haven’t had the gall to come out and see us and to not reply absolutely stinks.”

Melisa Burnham, North Yorkshire County Council highways area manager, said:

“Phase 1 of the Otley Road cycleway is ongoing. While safety audits have been undertaken as part of the design process, the scheme will be subject to a final safety audit and review upon completion.

“The project team is working with the contractors on implementing appropriate signage and lining.

“We apologise for any inconvenience the recent resurfacing has caused. All businesses and residents should have been informed in advance by the contractors.”

North Yorkshire’s highways chief has said he is hopeful that a £60 million project to realign Kex Gill will go ahead without a public inquiry.

A diversion is planned west of Blubberhouses on the A59 at Kex Gill, which has been blighted by a history of landslides and a recent “instability issue” that cost the council £1.4 million.

Following the publication of compulsory purchase orders, the council was faced with two objections which, if unresolved, could have led to a public inquiry.

However, Cllr Don Mackenzie, executive member for access at the county council, told the Stray Ferret the authority had now resolved one of the complaints.

He said:

“I’m very confident it will avoid an inquiry.”

Cllr Mackenzie previously told the Stray Ferret that he did not see the objections as a “severe risk” to the project.

Read More: 

• Public inquiry could delay £60m Kex Gill scheme by 15 months
• A59 Kex Gill ‘instability issue’ cost council £1.4 million

He added that once construction started on the project, work could take up to 18 months to complete.

However, a start date for the scheme has yet to be confirmed.

Barrie Mason, assistant director of highways and transportation at North Yorkshire County Council, said the authority intended to progress the scheme “as soon as possible”.

He said:

“We remain committed to progressing the essential realignment of the A59 at Kex Gill as quickly as possible.

“The route is a vital east-west link within North Yorkshire, as well as into West Yorkshire, Lancashire and Humber ports, so we are pressing ahead with this scheme to provide a safe, reliable route for residents, businesses and visitors.

“However, there are statutory processes that must be completed before we can move to the next stage of the project. We are currently progressing through these processes. Subject to their satisfactory completion, we will move forward with the scheme as soon as possible.”

A review into traffic measures on Harrogate’s Oatlands Drive has been delayed.

North Yorkshire County Council was due to publish a list of measures to improve walking and cycling in the area last year.

However, Cllr Don Mackenzie, executive member for access at the council, told the Stray Ferret that publication of the review has been delayed as the council is working with consultants on the matter.

The Oatlands Constituency Feasibility Study is being drawn up after the council ditched proposals to introduce a one-way system on the road following complaints from residents.

It is expected to look into issues such as parking, access to the Saints area and the blocking of the cycle way on Oatlands Drive by cars.

Read more:

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The study was earmarked to be finalised last autumn.

But Cllr Mackenzie said:

“It has been delayed. We are working with our consultants on that.

“It will look at parking and various issues in the Saints area. I am sorry that it has been delayed.”

Concerns over parking in the cycle lane on Oatlands Drive have been raised with the council over many years, Cllr Mackenzie added.

In September, Harrogate Borough Council erected no parking signs warning drivers they face a £100 fine or being towed away if they park on Stray land next to the cycle lane.

However, drivers were later pictured defying the “no parking” signs.

The parking signs which were erected on Oatlands Drive.

One side of Oatlands Drive has double yellow lines but the other side — where cars park — does not.

The county council is working with London-based consultancy firm WSP on the Oatlands study. The company also carried out work on the £60 million Kex Gill realignment project for the authority.

Victoria Avenue cycle scheme expected to hit delays

Another cycling project which is also expected to be delayed is the Victoria Avenue scheme in Harrogate.

The project is set to see cycle lanes implemented in order to connect with the nearby Beech Grove low traffic neighbourhood.

It comes as part of a £1.2 million government funded scheme to to get more people walking and cycling as the nation emerges from the pandemic.

The project which has been earmarked for Victoria Avenue in Harrogate.

However, Cllr Mackenzie told the Stray Ferret that the Victoria Avenue part of the project could require Stray land to be exchanged.

This could delay construction of the project as the county council would have to liaise with Harrogate Borough Council to identify land to be exchanged with the Duchy of Lancaster.

Cllr Mackenzie said he had hoped to start work on the Active Travel schemes, which also includes a project on the A59 Harrogate Road, this summer.

A new, comprehensive bus service for Ripon could be up and running as soon as April.

Ripon is served by regular Transdev 36 buses, which link the city with Harrogate and Leeds.

But local buses are limited and Ripon City Council’s transport group has been trying for several years to create a more joined-up service.

Councillor Peter Horton, who chairs the transport group, said plans to create a more integrated bus timetable for all parts of Ripon were being put out to tender by North Yorkshire County Council.

He told Monday’s Ripon City Council meeting:

“The integrated passenger transport authority now has monies available from the Doublegates housing development to help fund the comprehensive scheme we put forward.

“This would serve our growing city up to six days a week.

“The hope is that the service could be operating by April, but that will depend on the response to the tender from bus operators.”

Calls to introduce a default 20mph speed limit in built-up areas across North Yorkshire have again been unanimously dismissed after the highways authority said it would target road safety funding where it could make a bigger impact.

A meeting of North Yorkshire County Council’s executive saw a series of changes to the authority’s 20mph policy and agreement among all the leading councillors that a targeted approach to low speed zones be continued.

Councillors said a blanket approach could cost up to £12m to introduce, leading to a council tax hike.

The meeting heard from numerous pressure groups, parish councils and residents who claimed the authority was out of step with both a growing national and local desire to lower 30mph limits in towns and villages.

The move was backed by parish councils in the Harrogate district and prominent Harrogate environmental campaigner, Malcolm Margolis.

Ian Conlon, of the 20s Plenty for Us campaign group told the meeting some 59 parish councils in the county had voted for 20mph limits.

He said: 

“Parish councils are your eyes and ears to the ground by reporting ongoing problems.”

Mr Conlon said the authority’s policy was frustrating the key government policy of encouraging active travel, as well as affecting community cohesion.

He emphasised that perception of danger was important, rather than just accident statistics, which the council appeared to rely on.

Read more:

• Council urged to consider social benefits of 20mph North Yorks speed limits
• Four Harrogate district parish councils join campaign for 20mph limit
• Police ‘would not support’ blanket 20mph limit in parts of North Yorkshire

The meeting heard that Department for Transport figures highlighted how each fatality cost the pubic purse some £2m, and serious injuries cost about £250,000.

Monaco Grand Prix

Mick Johnston, of Thirsk and Malton Labour Party, said the council needed to undertake a “radical rethink” rather than look at old government circulars and outdated reports, and end the “interminable process of application and assessment” for residents wanting 20mph zones introduced.

After suggestions that numerous groups had been overlooked by the council’s review, officers said North Yorkshire’s policy was consistent with national guidelines and that the review had been thorough.

The authority’s opposition leader, Cllr Stuart Parsons, said police carried out no speed enforcement in the large area in Richmond that was covered by a 20mph zone.

He said: 

“On many an evening we have what seems like trial runs of the Monaco Grand Prix on the streets of Richmond.”

Cllr Parsons called on the county council to exert pressure on the police to enforce speed limits so 20mph in built-up areas could be introduced as a default.

However, the council’s executive member for access, Cllr Don Mackenzie, said the county’s roads were becoming safer and safer, and 20mph zones should only be created on a case-by-case basis.

He said the available money for road safety should be focused on exceptions, such as young and older drivers, motorcyclists, cyclists and drink and drug drivers.

He said: 

“One area where we see very few casualties and where we are very safe indeed, without being complacent, is in built-up areas and accidents caused by speed. This is an area of very, very small amounts of incidents on our roads.”

North Yorkshire County Council is set to distribute up to £9.2m between care firms and their staff in a bid to ease the staffing crisis.

The local authority has had to ask staff in non-critical services such as highways to help keep vulnerable people safe due to a severe shortage of care workers.

So the council’s executive will tomorrow consider match funding a £3m NHS grant to give the county’s 16,000 care sector worker a “thank-you bonus” of about £320 to recognise their efforts this winter.

The payment will effectively bring forward the national living wage increase by four months.

A meeting of the authority’s leading members will also examine a proposal to offer care firms grants of up to £40,000 to support initiatives to increase or retaining their workforces.

1,000 jobs available

The proposed moves come at a time of continuing fierce competition for the care sector in the labour market. On any given day there are at least 1,000 care sector jobs available across the county.

In the autumn, the council launched its biggest ever recruitment drive in response to declining numbers applying for social care jobs, while care providers in the county have been offering extra financial incentives to staff to take on the roles, from £1,500 golden handshakes to carers being offered £2,000 for referring three friends.

An officers’ report to the executive states:

“During 2021 it has become clear that workforce issues, specifically difficulty in recruiting and retaining front line care workers are becoming a significant issue not only for social care but also having a knock-on effect for the NHS, both in terms of the continuing health care services which it funds and in relation to availability of care to enable safe and timely hospital discharge.”

Read more:

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‘Won’t fix long-term problems’

Councillor Michael Harrison, a Conservative who represents Lower Nidderdale and Bishop Monkton who is also the authority’s adult services and health executive member, said there were a host of good career opportunities in the care sector but earning the minimum wage in the care sector required a relatively high commitment from workers compared to other minimum wage jobs.

He said:

“This is effectively a bonus, a small recognition of the effort that those workers are making, but it’s not going to fix the long-term structural issues in the sector.

“It does reflect a wider realisation from central government that more needs to be done to improve the pay for the sector and particularly the people at the bottom of the pay scale. It’s a welcome start to the year, but more needs to be done to reflect the value of what those people do in their pay packet.

“We hope central government will realise they need to divert money from their new National Insurance tax that they will be raising so that it doesn’t just focus on the NHS. People are recognising that social care is an integral part of that health system.”

Councillors look set to give the green light to the £10.9 million Harrogate Station Gateway in just over a fortnight’s time.

Work on the scheme, which aims to make the town centre more attractive to cyclists and pedestrians, is then likely to begin in spring or summer.

The designs are not expected to be amended significantly despite considerable opposition from residents and businesses.

North Yorkshire County Council, which is the lead partner, is set to make a decision on the gateway at its executive meeting on January 25.

Don Mackenzie

Don Mackenzie, executive member for access at the county council, told the Stray Ferret it was “likely” the initiative will be recommended for approval. He said:

“I am indeed expecting that the executive will be asked to make a decision on the Harrogate Gateway scheme at its next-but-one meeting on January 25.

“It is likely that a report will be presented with recommendations to proceed with the project.

“I do not expect the design to differ to any great extent from that which has been consulted upon last year, although we may give authority for minor changes as progress is made, should they be required. That is not unusual in such cases.

“All of this is dependent upon a positive decision to proceed.”

Read more:

• Station Gateway petition rejected as council accused of ‘ploughing ahead’ with scheme
• Harrogate business groups call for Station Gateway to be revised
• Majority are negative towards Harrogate Station Gateway, consultation reveals

Petition rejected

Last week the county council rejected a 714-signature petition by Harrogate Residents Association calling for the project to be halted.

The petition followed the publication of consultation responses, which revealed that of 1,320 people who replied to an online survey, 55% feel negatively, 39% positively and five per cent neutral towards the scheme. One per cent said they didn’t know.

Anna McIntee, co-founder of the group, accused the authority of “ploughing ahead” with the project without listening to concerns.

How James Street would look.

But Harrogate District Cycle Action said in a statement at the same meeting that the gateway would be a “big step forward” towards a greener future.

Key proposals include reducing traffic to one lane on some of Station Parade and part-pedestrianising James Street to encourage cycling and walking.

Legal threat

Last month Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce, Harrogate Business Improvement District and Independent Harrogate, accused those behind the project of ignoring criticism and urged them to “put the brakes on”.

Businesses in Harrogate, concerned about the scheme’s impact on trade, are considering a legal challenge.

They had hoped a challenge could either stop the scheme or delay it long enough to jeopardise funding.

New cycle lanes would be built on Station Parade.

North Yorkshire County Council and partners Harrogate Borough Council, and the West Yorkshire Combined Authority have previously said that the Department for Transport, which is funding the Harrogate scheme and similar ones in Selby and Skipton through its Transforming Cities Fund, requires the projects be completed by March 2023.

But Cllr Mackenzie suggested this was not necessarily the case. He said:

“A contractor would need to be chosen before the start of construction. I am guessing that work would get underway in late spring or summer.

“Furthermore, I am confident that the initial deadline for completion of all the gateway schemes in North and West Yorkshire of March 2023 would be able to be extended.”

Skipton and Ripon MP Julian Smith has said the supply of covid tests is improving after complaints that the system is in “chaos”, with health workers and residents left empty handed.

Mr Smith was told at a North Yorkshire County Council meeting on Friday that there have been no lateral flow tests available at Skipton’s pharmacies with staff at the town’s vaccination centre also unable to get tested as demand soared over the festive period.

Conservative councillor Mike Chambers, who represents the Ripon North division, described the system as being in “chaos” after people in the city have struggled to get test kits.

Mike Chambers

Independent councillor Andy Solloway, who represents Skipton West, told the meeting the shortages were putting a strain on the local economy and had also led to some residents launching abuse at pharmacy staff. He said:

Conservative MP Mr Smith said the government recognised there has been a surge in demand for tests and that while supply chains were improving, he would write to Health Secretary Sajid Javid to highlight the issue.

He said:

“The government is aware there was a big crunch point just after Christmas and they are now more confident on supply.

“This is an important issue as we need to get people confident to go to their workplaces, particularly health workers and others on the frontline.”

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‘Ridiculous situation’

Friday’s meeting also heard complaints from Conservative councillor Stuart Martin that health workers – including a family member – had been unable to get tested.

Stuart Martin

Councillor Martin, who represents Ripon South and is also chairman of the county council, said:

“My daughter is a paramedic and some of her colleagues came to my door over the Christmas break as they were unable to access any testing kits whatsoever.

“Luckily we had a couple of tests that we were able to give them, but this is a ridiculous situation.”

It comes as the government has said the current Plan B covid restrictions will remain in place for now.

Changes from tomorrow

It has also been announced that people who test positive with a lateral flow test do not need a follow-up PCR test if they do not have symptoms. These changes come into force from tomorrow.

Mr Smith told Friday’s meeting that he believed the Plan B rules – which include working from home, face coverings on public transport and in public places, and NHS covid passes – were “relatively soft” and that the decision to stick with them was “proportionate”. He said:

“It feels as if that judgement has been correct, but obviously there are still very strong crosswinds on parts of the NHS.

“We are not out of the woods yet and we all need to do whatever we can to encourage the following of the rules.”

Harrogate Borough Council is set to continue paying its subscription to the troubled tourism body Welcome to Yorkshire, despite an increase in the cost.

Borough council officials confirmed to the Stray Ferret that the authority will honour its payment this year, which will be more than £14,000.

Councils across North Yorkshire are to consider whether to help keep Welcome to Yorkshire afloat after the tourism body upped its subscription fee for local authorities by some 45 per cent.

The proposal has been met with criticism from leading district councillors with some responding to the increase by calling for the stream of public money that has been handed to WtY to be permanently plugged or for a decision to be postponed.

However, a spokesperson for Harrogate Borough Council said it would continue to honour its subscription until there was any change in the regional approach to the tourism body.

They said:

“We recognise the need for an organisation that has a Yorkshire wide focus to help develop the Yorkshire brand in order to attract visitors to the region. 

“This enables us to build on the successes of Visit Harrogate, and the reputation we have as an events destination, to drive both leisure and business visitors to the Harrogate district. 

“Unless and until there is any change to the regional approach to tourism we confirm that subscriptions will continue to be paid in accordance with our existing agreement.”

The tourism body has admitted making “big mistakes” in the way it spent taxpayers’ money, including spending more than £430,000 removing and investigating its former chief executive, Sir Gary Verity, following concerns over his expenses claims.

Read more:

• Welcome to Yorkshire asks for 45% more funding from councils
• Welcome to Yorkshire chief executive resigns
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In recent years numerous local authorities have threatened to withhold funding from WtY, at a time that its finances have been hit hard by the pandemic.

An officers’ report to a meeting of Richmondshire District Council’s corporate board on Tuesday next week states the subscription fee for local authorities was initially “modest” at £1,300 a year until 2012, when the rate was raised to £10,000.

The cost of the subscription for next year has risen to £14,515, which WtY has justified on the basis that there had been no increase in the six previous years.

Criticism from leading councillors

Stuart Parsons, leader of the Independents group on North Yorkshire County Council, said WtY’s page views for Richmondshire were far inferior to the privately-run Richmond Online tourism website, which was receiving one million hits a month.

He said:

“What have we been getting out of Welcome to Yorkshire? Nothing but scandal. Originally it was supposed to be immediately self-funding, but it has always relied on massive public contributions.

“Councils should not be giving any more money to an organisation that has not demonstrated it is making an effective difference to our lives and our economy.”

Lord Scriven, the former leader of Sheffield City Council, has said WtY needs to adopt a self-funded model.

However, Cllr Gareth Dadd, executive councillor for finance at North Yorkshire County Council, said the authority would examine any request for funding from WtY “in the light of its performance and our ability to pay”.