Business owners to quiz Harrogate council leaders over devolution

Business owners are set to quiz Harrogate Borough Council leaders over the future of local government in the district.

The borough council will be scrapped in April next year, along with the six other district councils and North Yorkshire County Council, to make way for a North Yorkshire super council.

The changes, which are part of the government’s devolution agenda, have raised questions over who will control the future of key local assets, such as the Stray, Harrogate Convention Centre and Ripon Town Hall.

Cllr Richard Cooper, leader of Harrogate Borough Council, and Wallace Sampson, the chief executive, will give a presentation on what to expect over the next 15 months at a Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce meeting on Monday next week.

Cllr Cooper and Mr Sampson will take questions from business owners about the new authority and the prospect of a Harrogate town council being created.

David Simister, chief executive of the chamber, said:

“In the biggest shake up of local democracy in almost 50 years, a new unitary authority will replace both North Yorkshire County Council and Harrogate Borough Council next year.

“This will have an impact on all those who live and work in the Harrogate District, and in order to explain what will happen between now and May 2023, the leader and chief executive of Harrogate Borough Council will talk us through the next 15 months.”

The meeting will take place at Rudding House at Rudding Park in Harrogate, although the event could be moved online depending on the covid situation.

Those wishing to attend should register their interest on the Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce website.

Read more:

 

Why 2022 will be a big year of change for Harrogate’s local government future

The New Year will bring new challenges for key council services and major projects in the Harrogate district.

But 2022 will be a year like no other.

It will mark the beginning of the end for Harrogate Borough Council which will enter its final full year before it is abolished and replaced with a new North Yorkshire-wide authority.

Elections to the new council will take place in May and are set to be one of the most intriguing campaigns yet as political parties fight for control over a drastically reduced number of councillor seats at what will be a crucial time for the future of local government.

Harrogate Borough Council leader Richard Cooper said while he would reflect on the end of the authority’s 47-year history with sadness, now was a time for planning ahead for the transition to the new council structure.

He said:

“The transfer of services to a new council is a complex process.

“Thorough planning is needed to ensure a smooth transfer for residents and staff too.

“It isn’t just Harrogate Borough Council combining with North Yorkshire County Council to form a new council; it is six other district councils combining into the new council too.

“So that is eight different ways of doing things – collecting the litter, supporting council housing, running leisure services and so on – combining into one new council on the same day.”

Cllr Cooper, who will stand down as a Conservative after 24 years of service when the new authority is created, added:

“Harrogate Borough Council will cease to exist in April 2023. I am sad about that, and sad that I will stop being a councillor at that time.

“However, how I feel as a councillor isn’t important. Like the vast majority of people reading this I am a local resident so I want the new council to deliver the services upon which I, my neighbours and friends – all of us – rely.

“What is important is making sure that the services the borough council runs are transferred efficiently to the new council and that they are run equally well or better than now.

“I am particularly concerned that our homelessness support services continue being supported.

“The poorest in society should not fall through any cracks in the process.”

Read more:

While Harrogate Borough Council’s time may be coming to a close, the authority has shown no signs of slowing up and has a number of major projects either underway or in the pipeline.

These include the £10.9m Gateway project, the new Ripon Swimming Pool, plans for a new Knaresborough Leisure Centre and a potential £47m redevelopment of Harrogate Convention Centre which councillor Cooper said will be a key economic driver for the district’s future.

The projects will be seen as a lasting legacy for the authority which is also pushing for the creation of a Harrogate Town Council to retain control of some services under local government reorganisation.

This comes as there are still lingering questions over what will happen to several council-owned buildings – not least to mention Harrogate Borough Council’s new Civic Centre headquarters.

Under the next stage of the councils shake-up, a structural change order will be approved by central government and act as the blueprint for reorganisation.

It will drastically cut the number of councillors representing the area, with the future of the Harrogate district set to be made up of around 20 councillors compared with 57 under the current structure.

Although they have yet to be announced, Cllr Cooper said he was confident the Conservatives had a strong selection of candidates to stand in the May election when the party will aim to keep its tight grip on the district.

He said:

“Elections are always challenging and we live in unprecedented political times.  However we have a set of excellent candidates who work hard in their local communities.

“I am confident in the ability and application of our candidates and I hope that, when it comes to polling day, people will vote for those who have a track record of action for residents irrespective of any party political concerns.”

This sense of optimism is one that is shared by Cllr Pat Marsh, leader of the opposition Liberal Democrat group, who said a loss of trust in central government and election victories elsewhere in the country showed the party is “on the up”.

She said:

“We hope our local residents will think very carefully about what their present Conservative-dominated councils have delivered for them over two decades.

“As the opposition group, we will keep pushing to ensure that projects are delivered on time and within budget.

“With the Gateway project we would like a more holistic approach and that this scheme is not just looked at in isolation, but fitting into a wider town centre master plan.”

“A Harrogate Town Council needs to be in place quickly so Harrogate residents have the same local governance as the rest of the district.

“The new town council should have the powers to take control of places such as the Valley Gardens, the Royal Pump House Museum and any other assets that Harrogate residents feel needs local decision-making on, rather than a remote North Yorkshire council.

“We need to ensure our district has a strong voice on the council and that any area committees are balanced to ensure our area, with many residents, has a strong voice.”

Harrogate council leader confirms he will stand down

The leader of Harrogate Borough Council has announced he will stand down after more than 20 years of service as a councillor.

Cllr Richard Cooper, who was first elected as a Conservative councillor in 1999, said he will not seek election to the North Yorkshire unitary council but will continue in his role until the new authority is created in 2023.

Multiple senior political figures in the Harrogate district told the Stray Ferret earlier this month that the Conservative council leader would not be standing when voters head to the polls in May 2022.

Cllr Cooper has now confirmed the news. He said: 

“I have been a councillor now for 22 years and leader of the council for eight. That’s a long time and it is time for me to do other things and for others to have the opportunity to serve our communities at a senior level.

“Although I am not standing for the new council in May 2022, Harrogate Borough Council continues until April 2023.

“So although I am not standing for that new council it isn’t quite goodbye yet.”

Read more:

Cllr Cooper was first elected when he took the Liberal Democrat seat of West Central in 1999 and has since held several cabinet positions, as well as being deputy leader and serving on North Yorkshire County Council.

Council leader since 2014

He was elected as leader of Harrogate Borough Council in 2014 and will be the longest-serving holder of the position if he is re-elected next May.

Among his achievements, Cllr Cooper said he will remember increasing funding for homelessness, defeating the Nidd Gorge relief road proposal, raising the profile of sustainable transport and leading on the construction of the new Harrogate Civic Centre.

Cllr Cooper added: 

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank the voters who have elected me to represent them over the past 22 years, my fellow councillors for having trusted me with leadership roles throughout that time and the amazing people in our community groups who I have been privileged to meet and support.

“We are fortunate to have many young and talented councillors in our district alongside those with many years of service. It is a great combination which will serve our district well on the new council.

“I wish them all, of every political persuasion, luck and success as they continue to champion sustainable transport, carbon reduction, support for the homeless and funding for our local voluntary groups among the many other brilliant things Harrogate Borough Council does.”

Speculation Harrogate council leader will not seek re-election in 2022

Sources have told the Stray Ferret that Harrogate Borough Council leader Richard Cooper will stand down as a councillor next year and leave local government.

Multiple senior political figures have reported to us that the Conservative, who has been council leader since 2014, will not seek re-election when the Harrogate district next goes to the polls in May 2022.

He is expected to continue in his role as office manager for the Conservative MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, Andrew Jones.

With Harrogate Borough Council and North Yorkshire County Council set to be abolished and replaced by a new single authority for North Yorkshire, the number of councillors in the Harrogate district is likely to be halved from 40 to 20.

Cllr Cooper, who represents Harrogate Central, has been on Harrogate Borough Council since 1999.

In 2013, he was also elected to represent Harrogate Central on North Yorkshire County Council.

Read more:

Cllr Cooper has been at the helm during the borough council’s move from Crescent Gardens to the Civic Centre, the development of the Harrogate district Local Plan, which outlines where development can take place in the district, the staging of the 2019 UCI Road World Championships in Harrogate and proposals for a £47m redevelopment of Harrogate Convention Centre.

The Stray Ferret asked Cllr Cooper if he would like to comment on the speculation but he asked us to direct the inquiry to the Harrogate Borough Council press office.

However, the press office said it would not comment because it was a political matter for the Harrogate and Knaresborough Conservative Party.

Harrogate district to resettle three more Afghan families

The leader of Harrogate Borough Council has said Afghan refugees are “settling in well” in the district and that three more families are on the way.

The district has so far welcomed four families under a government scheme targeted at Afghans who worked for the UK military and are fleeing the country because they are under serious threat from the Taliban.

Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, council leader Richard Cooper said: 

“Four families have arrived under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP), one in Knaresborough and three in Harrogate. They are settling in well.

“We have been asked to accommodate three more families under ARAP. ”

British troops left Afghanistan over the weekend, bringing an end to the UK’s 20-year military involvement in the country, which is now under the control of the Taliban.

Taliban leaders have pledged not to allow Afghanistan to become a base for terrorists who could threaten the West.

Read more:

But questions are already being asked about how they will govern the country, and what this will mean for women, human rights, and political freedoms.

There are also questions over what will happen to Afghans who are eligible to come to the UK but have been left behind in the evacuation programme.

Speaking on Tuesday, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said he couldn’t give a “definitive” figure for how many of those remained in the country.

Government pledge to resettle 20,000 refugees

Under another scheme for refugees, the Afghan Citizens’ Resettlement Scheme (ACRS), the government has pledged to take in up to 20,000 refugees over the coming years, with a focus on women and children, as well as religious and other minorities.

The scheme is still being developed and local councils which have pledged their support are now awaiting information on how they can help.

Cllr Cooper previously said Harrogate would take in “more than our quota” of refugees who are “in need of and deserve our assistance”.

He has now added: 

“The details of the long-term Afghan Citizens’ Resettlement Scheme have not been released by the government.

“When they are, we will work with North Yorkshire County Council and Migration Yorkshire on the programme.”

Harrogate council began talks with new Christmas market organiser in March

Harrogate Borough Council began talks with MarketPlace Europe about staging a new Christmas market in March — four months before it dropped the original organisers.

The council has said it refused a licence to Harrogate Christmas Market Ltd, the previous organisers, because the emergency services had raised safety concerns about the site on Montpellier Hill.

However, Brian Dunsby, one of the previous organisers that set-up the market in 2012, has been suspicious of the reasons given and last week accused the council of “having their own agenda”.

The council, which promotes a ‘Buy Local’ message, said yesterday it began “low-level” talks with the Manchester-based events firm in March.

It said this was to ensure a contingency option was in place “in case the Montpellier Hill option was not able to proceed”.

Last week, Conservative council leader Richard Cooper said he expected the new company, which will operate a 10-day Christmas market in December, would bring a “first-class offering” to Harrogate.

Read more:

A council spokesperson told the Stray Ferret yesterday:

“Harrogate Borough Council departments speak to external organisations about various service provision matters day-in day-out. It is important to do so to ensure if events or services suffer delivery issues then a contingency option is in place.

“Therefore it should not surprise anyone that we have spoken to MarketPlace Europe, a nationally recognised market provider, as a contingency option in case the Montpellier Hill Christmas market option was not able to proceed.  This has been happening at a low level since March but has, following the refusal of the licence for the Montpellier Hill event, stepped up considerably in recent weeks.

“Bearing in mind the response from our partners to the application for the use of Montpellier Hill it is as well we do have these discussions.  Had we not done so there would be no chance to have a Christmas Market at all.  The fact that we had an open discussion with MarketPlace Europe gives us the chance to put in place an alternative now that the former organisers have decided not to proceed with this year’s Christmas market. The emphasis is on having a brilliant event that pulls people into our town.

“No officers, councillors or departments discussing the licence with the former Christmas Market organisers were involved in any early discussions about markets with MarketPlace Europe.”

The Stray Ferret has contacted MarketPlace Europe about its plans for the Harrogate Christmas market but has not received a response.

Harrogate council pledges to resettle Afghan refugees under new government scheme

The leader of Harrogate council has pledged that the borough will help house Afghan refugees who are fleeing the country following the Taliban takeover.

Conservative Cllr Richard Cooper said the refugees are “in need of and deserve our assistance” as he pledged his support to a new government scheme to welcome up to 20,000 Afghans over the next few years.

His pledge comes after the council offered resettlement to 19 Afghans in June under a similar scheme which targeted former translators and others who worked for the UK military during the two decades that it has been fighting in Afghanistan.

Speaking at a meeting on Wednesday, Cllr Cooper said this was the “right, humane and just thing to do”.

He said: 

“Back in June, Harrogate Borough Council pledged to take its fair share of the quota of Afghan interpreters who were seeking relocation to this country.

“We not only did that – we pledged to take more than our quota and we have done so.

“The government will now be coming forward with a new scheme for relocating Afghan refugees and on behalf of the council I want to make that pledge again that we will not only take our quota that the government suggests, but we will take more.

“Harrogate is a welcoming, tolerant and diverse place and these people are in need of our assistance and deserve our assistance.”

In June, senior Harrogate borough councillors agreed to offer resettlement to 19 Afghans, which amounts to four families.

The Harrogate district has previously taken part in other resettlement programmes, including welcoming 13 Syrian families between 2016 and 2017.

Read more:

Cllr Mike Chambers, cabinet member for housing and safer communities at the council, said the families are not only offered a place to live, but also given opportunities to go to school, learn English and find employment.

He added that the authority would be prepared to resettle more families if it was required to do so.

Meanwhile, eight families are expected to be resettled across North Yorkshire under the same scheme.

Nationally, more than 3,000 Afghans are expected to be allowed to settle in the UK, joining 1,300 who have already done so.

Harrogate Christmas market organisers call for urgent talks to save event

The organisers of Harrogate Christmas market have said they were “staggered” by the decision not to grant a licence for this year’s event and called for urgent talks to save it.

Event organisers Brian and Beryl Dunsby, and Steve Scarre, the chairman of Harrogate Christmas Market Ltd, issued a statement this afternoon in the latest development in the saga.

The statement said the organisers had “bent over backwards” to fulfil safety measures and that Harrogate Borough Council had acted prematurely “without any discussion with the organisers over the outstanding issues”.

The council said on Thursday it had refused to grant a licence for the event because the organisers had not addressed concerns about safety and terrorism.

But today’s statement by the organisers said:

“At no point has there been any opportunity to meet the council officers and other key experts to discuss their outstanding concerns.

“We expected to be invited to a safety advisory group meeting to discuss the event plan and the supplementary information but we have not been given that opportunity.

“We have bent over backwards to fulfil all the recommended security and safety measures around the site. In contrast to all their criticisms, we have not had the opportunity to talk about the benefits which the market brings to town centre businesses. These appear not to have been considered by them.”

Mr Dunsby was unaware of the news until he was informed by the Stray Ferret on Thursday night.

Read more:

The statement added:

“We regret that the council has acted prematurely in refusing to grant a licence for the market in 2021 without any discussion with the organisers over the outstanding issues.

“We appeal for a proper consultation meeting with the relevant council officers and experts as soon as possible.

A total of 170 traders and 53 coaches had booked to attend the market on Montpellier Hill from November 18 to 21. It was expected to attract 85,000 people to the town, boosting its economy by £2.5 million.

The statement said the event had “strong support from over 20 local trade and voluntary groups based in the town centre”.

‘Little choice but to refuse’

Council leader Richard Cooper said yesterday the event organisers had ignored concerns, leaving the council with “little choice”.

He also warned them “not to think that trying to galvanise public opinion to put pressure on the council will change the decision”.

He said the council had suggested alternative locations to Montpellier Hill for several years but the organisers had refused.

However, today’s statement refers to a council-commissioned 2016 report by consultant Malcolm Veigas that concluded to the Stray was the best location.

The statement said:

“The network of tarmac paths surrounded by grass enables the mix of many visitors and the erection of marquees and canvas stalls on the same site, whatever the weather holds for us all in November. So we do need a large and versatile site.

“We still believe that the totally open nature of this location with free access in all directions provides a safe location for the event whilst being as close as possible to the town centre shops, hotels, restaurants and cafes.

“The action we have already taken to close Montpellier Hill during the Market to through traffic and the hill-top concrete blocks mitigate against the risk of a terrorist attack.

 

 

Harrogate council leader: ‘Christmas Market organisers refused other locations’

Harrogate Borough Council leader Richard Cooper today insisted that for “several years” HBC tried to persuade the Christmas Market organisers to change its location from Montpellier Hill to elsewhere in the town.

This is despite a 2016 council-commissioned report that categorically concluded the site was the best location for the market in Harrogate.

The Conservative council leader issued a statement this afternoon that explained why the authority decided not to issue an events licence for Montpellier Hill to organiser Brian Dunsby of Yorkshire Business Market, citing concerns over visitor safety.

Cllr Cooper said:

“If we allowed the event organisers to ignore those concerns, licenced them to press ahead and, God forbid, there was an incident of some kind I know exactly what would happen.

“For several years, including this year, we have suggested other locations to the event organiser but these have been refused.”

Alternative sites

In 2016, HBC commissioned Malcolm Veigas Consultancy to review the Christmas Market and its impact on the district since it began in 2012, which included looking at six alternative sites it could move to.

The other sites were Valley Gardens, the Great Yorkshire Showground, Victoria Road, Cambridge Road/Oxford Street, the top of Montpellier and Dragon Road Car Park.

However, the report said the current site was the only location to receive a tick for all six requirements which included access, quiet enjoyment and “good atmospheric opportunities”.

The safety of visitors was not one of the considerations of the report’s authors when comparing the six sites with its current location.

Read more:

The report says:

“It is clear that YBM have a good understanding of how to manage and deliver an outdoor event and that they have chosen the best location in Harrogate Town Centre.”

It concluded:

“The review confirms that the Stray is the best location for events in the town and as such should continue to be used as the location for the Christmas event.”

The report was presented to HBC cabinet members in September 2016 and its recommendation to reject the alternative sites was voted by all senior HBC cabinet members, including Cllr Cooper.

“Breakdown in communications”

In his statement today, Cllr Cooper also accused organisers of trying to “galvanise public opinion” in an attempt to get the council to change its mind.

He added:

“A number of people have asked; ‘why haven’t we worked with the event organiser to allow it to continue?’ I can assure you, we have. We have had ongoing conversations to encourage them to address the concerns over a number of years, and we recognise that progress has been made.

“However, significant concerns remain and as the event organiser isn’t willing to address these, then we simply cannot grant a licence for this location.”

The 2016 report suggests ill-feeling has lingered between HBC and organisers for some time.

It refers to a “breakdown in communications” during the early years of the market which led to “mistrust on both sides”.

It appears history has repeated itself as Mr Dunsby was first made aware that HBC would not be issuing a licence when he was told by a Stray Ferret journalist yesterday evening.

Mr Dunsby said Montpellier Hill was the only suitable location for the market and told the Stray Ferret that he was “disgusted” by the council’s decision. He said he plans to appeal it.

The future of the market

It’s unclear what the future of the Christmas Market is at this stage.

Tonight Harrogate BID manager Matthew Chapman said the organisation is “open and willing” to work with all parties to ensure it happens “for the good of the town”.

Mr Chapman said:

“This news will be bitterly disappointing to the organisers who have done a fantastic job over the last nine years, firmly putting Harrogate Christmas Market on the festive shopping map.

“The pressing matter now is to ensure a Christmas Market can still proceed, particularly as 170 stallholders and scores coach companies are already signed up to it. However, safety must always come first, and I hope a new location, within the town centre, can be found quickly.

“The last thing we, and town centre retailers, want is to miss out on the opportunity of welcoming tens-of-thousands of visitors to the town for a day’s shopping, and the economic benefit this event ultimately brings.

“We, as an organisation, are open and willing to work in collaboration with all parties to ensure this event happens for the good of the town, and for the many businesses who are relying on a bumper four days of trade to help offset some of their losses brought about by three national covid lockdowns.”

The Harrogate diving boards that helped Olympic champ Jack Laugher remain closed

Ripon’s Jack Laugher goes for gold at the Olympics tomorrow — but the diving boards at the Harrogate Hydro pool where he used to train have been out of use for eight months.

Laugher began his career with Harrogate District Diving Club, as did Oliver Dingley, who represents Ireland in the Olympic diving tomorrow.

The top club has seen an increase in the number of young people interested in taking up the sport since the Tokyo games began.

But the diving boards at the Hydro, which is owed by Harrogate Borough Council, have been out of action since November last year after cracks were found in the concrete supports.

It means local young divers who aspire to be the next Jack Laugher are having to make do with a mobile one-metre board or travel to another pool in West Yorkshire.

Families have expressed frustration at the apparent lack of urgency to resolve the matter.

Today Richard Cooper, the Conservative leader of Harrogate Borough Council, which owns the Hydro, described the situation as “concerning” and called for a report to be produced within weeks.

In an article on the Community News website run by Andrew Jones, the Conservative MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, Cllr Cooper said:

“This is very concerning and I am hoping to see a further detailed report within the next few weeks with recommendations as to how we can move forward.

“Clearly the safety of customers is paramount and the boards cannot be opened until they are made safe.”

Read more:

The Stray Ferret asked the council for an update on when the boards will be repaired.

A council spokesperson said there had been no update since its previous statement this month, which said:

“Unfortunately, during a routine inspection of the diving board platform at The Hydro in Harrogate, cracks in the concrete were discovered.

“A further independent survey was carried out to establish the stability, integrity and durability of the diving structure.

“Results show that the diving platform should not be used until work has been carried out.

“We are exploring possible options and will have an update in due course.”