Harrogate Business Improvement District has announced it will provide grants to support businesses in making improvements to shop fronts and accessibility.

Each year, the BID provides the match funding to levy paying businesses for support with improvement work.

The organisation will provide match funding up to £750 towards these improvement works. All members within the Harrogate BID area are eligible to apply for the grant which is available on a first come first served basis.

The aim is to offer investment into repairs and redecorations of business entrances and streets as well as the refurbishment or replacement of graphics and signage to improve the appearance of the town.

The funding will also go towards making Harrogate businesses more accessible. The grants will provide improvements including the installation of ramps, handrails, and automatic doors.

The BID said the funding “helps to create a great first impression for any visitors to the town and allows residents and business owners in Harrogate to take pride in their town”.

Matthew Chapman, Harrogate BID manager, said:

“Harrogate is always championed as the jewel in Yorkshire’s crown, and we know that first impressions really do count. This is why we are proud to once again launch the Shop Front Match Funding Grant to support our members and this worthy representation.”

Businesses wishing to submit a request for a grant should email info@harrogatebid.co.uk with a short description of the proposed work, any equipment needed, the expected completion date and any quotations or proposals.

Further details on the terms and conditions of the grants can be found on the Harrogate BID website.

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Barely a month passes without a new planning application to create flats in Harrogate town centre.

This week we reported on plans to turn the offices on the first, second and third floors of 5 Cambridge Road into three flats.

Planning permission has been previously granted to create flats in buildings that used to host the Kings Club strip club and the main post office, among others. And, in a few weeks, the former River Island unit on Cambridge Street, will open as Trinity House, a 14-flat development incorporating retail units. It’s hard to think of a more central location.

Town centres are changing from places to shop to places to live — and Harrogate appears to be at the forefront of the trend. Is this good or bad, and what challenges does it present?

The former Kings Club

The Stray Ferret sat down this week with Tariq Shah, chief executive of Vigo Group, the property developer behind Trinity House, and Matthew Chapman, chief executive of Harrogate Business Improvement District, to discuss the trend and whether it posed a threat to retail.

Mr Shah, whose company is based in Doncaster, said Harrogate was particularly attractive to developers because it was seen as a desirable place to live and has good transport connections, which lessened the need for cars in town centres.

He said Harrogate had reasonable short-term accommodation for tourists and conference centre delegates but a shortage of town centre flats for living, adding:

“Harrogate is a town centre in transition. We are seeing more people from outside Harrogate wanting to come here.

“Trinity House has attracted more interest than any other scheme we have done. We would like to do more here.”

Cambridge Street

Trinity House flats will be marketed from £300,000 and although a nice town centre pad might suit some people, what impact will it have on retailers and on people who live here who regard the town centre predominantly as somewhere to shop?

The BID is funded by town centre businesses but Mr Chapman is not opposed to the change.

He said:

“A collaborative approach with landlords and developers is key. If people are willing to put something back into the community then we welcome it. Where I struggle is if buildings are owned by offshore investors, like Debenhams.

“Every town has probably had too much retail space for a long time. It’s an emerging trend but there needs to be a long-term vision for the town centre.”

Besides the 14 upper floor flats, Trinity House includes the existing Body Care shop and has additional room for a storage facility or small dance or yoga studio, as well as a kiosk space for a start-up business wanting a town centre presence.

Mr Shah said his company had agreed to improve lighting at the rear of the building, put up security cameras and create an internal bin storage area to improve safety and appearance and reduce the risk of vermin and fire. He said these were examples of the firm’s commitment to town centre improvement as well as profit.

He added having more people milling around at night added to the vibrancy and created “natural surveillance” at night in empty town centre streets where some people feel unsafe.

Mr Chapman said many of the units being converted to flats were first and second floor offices that had been unused for years, adding:

“If you have spaces that people live in and take pride in, it has to be better than having them crumble away.”

Despite his overall positivity, Mr Chapman said there was probably a ceiling on the trend and there were dangers. For example, he said converting ground floor retail units on the fully occupied James Street to flats “would be seen as a threat”.

Mr Chapman said the system of determining business rates needed reviewing to adapt to the trend, which he said would see an increasing shift towards “experiential activities” in town centres. He added:

“Whether it’s a cool independent retailer or axe throwing, people will want to experience something in town centres.

“Harrogate needs to be forward thinking and unique.”

Health services are being made available in Barnsley town centre.

So what will Harrogate town centre look like in 10 or 20 years?

Mr Shah said besides a more diverse mixture of retail and living, there would be more short-term leases, more leisure opportunities due to the higher population, more food halls and even community healthcare facilities. He cited Barnsley Council’s decision to work with partners to create a health and wellbeing hub in the Alhambra Shopping Centre as an example of how health managers will increasingly take services into towns.

He said:

“When it comes to long-term planning and thinking about these issues on a local level it’s important that a variety of partners are involved in these discussions and that is also a real strength of Harrogate, as a number of organisations are already open to having these conversations about how we can reimagine town centre usage.

“It’s not about drastically changing what is here but everyone working together with what we already have to bring clear economic and social benefits and secure our town centre for the next 30 years and beyond.”

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A new drive to target anti-social behaviour, street crime and shoplifting in Harrogate has been launched by North Yorkshire Police and North Yorkshire Council. 

Project Spotlight was announced yesterday, just days before the Stray Ferret publishes Trading Hell, a week-long series of features investigating these very issues. 

Over the course of our investigation we spoke to a chief inspector from North Yorkshire Police, as well as North Yorkshire Council, Harrogate BID, Harrogate Homeless Project and dozens of town centre traders. You can read the first of our special reports on Monday. 

Project Spotlight sees teams working with residents, shoppers, town-centre workers and businesses to: 

• gather information about crime and anti-social behaviour and use it to target police and council resources at key times and locations;
• reduce thefts, anti-social behaviour and other crimes by working with retailers and licensed premises;
• prevent begging and rough sleeping by ensuring vulnerable people have access to the services they need and are encouraged to use them;
• deploy targeted, high-visibility patrols to make sure residents, town-centre visitors, workers and businesses feel safe;
• reduce drink- and drug-related crime by working with specialist teams, licensed premises and support services;
• ‘design out crime’ by making changes to the town-centre environment;
• keep the public informed about the project and its progress, encouraging them to keep sharing information about any town-centre issues affecting them. 

Project Spotlight builds on work between North Yorkshire Police, North Yorkshire Council and other organisations to address street crime, retail theft, begging, rough sleeping, substance abuse and anti-social behaviour. 

Project Spotlight will work with retailers to tackle shoplifting and other town-centre problems.

In a sample of 140 patrols of the town centre since October 2023, North Yorkshire Police made 10 arrests and moved people on or gave words of advice 54 times. The force also issued one dispersal order, which effectively bans someone from an area for a certain amount of time. 

Harrogate neighbourhood policing inspector Nicola Colbourne said:  

“Project Spotlight sees us stepping up that positive work we’ve already done with partner organisations, the public and town-centre businesses. 

“We’re using a good old-fashioned mix of community engagement, information-gathering, targeted policing and robust law enforcement during this project, which we’re delivering alongside policing Harrogate’s wider residential areas. 

“Harrogate is already an incredibly safe town, in what is officially England’s safest county. With the help of the public, businesses and key organisations, we’re working hard to make it even safer.” 

North Yorkshire Council’s assistant chief executive for local engagement, Rachel Joyce, said:

“Alongside North Yorkshire Police and others, we have been working hard to maintain Harrogate town centre’s reputation as a safe and welcoming place in which to visit and work.
“Operation Spotlight presents an opportunity for all concerned to come together and build on this work. To do this we need the co-operation of the public and the business community and I would encourage everyone to support us in this aim.”

Project Spotlight comes in response to problems highlighted by the Stray Ferret’s Trading Hell survey, which revealed very high levels of dissatisfaction among town-centre traders at North Yorkshire Police’s response to anti-social behaviour and retail theft.

The results of the survey, some of which have been shared with North Yorkshire Police, will be revealed in our first Trading Hell report, published on Monday.

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The opening of this year’s Harrogate Christmas Fayre was the town’s busiest day for six months, Harrogate Business Improvement District said today.

New footfall data shows that on Friday, December 1 — the launch of the fayre — 126,522 people passed through the town centre.

The data, which is based on locations settings on mobile phones, also suggested the town centre has had a busier 2023 than 2022.

It showed 23,246,734 passed through Harrogate up to December 9 this year, compared to a total of 21,631,852 throughout 2022.

Harrogate BID is working with place monitoring platform HUQ to analyse data on the town’s footfall and dwell time over specified periods.

The BID will use the data, which covers 98% of the population, to develop strategies to encourage more people to visit the town centre. Town centre businesses voted in favour of continuing to pay a levy on their business rates this summer to fund the BID for another five years,

Santa was among the visitors to the fayre.

The data is believed to be more accurate than that used previously to measure footfall at Harrogate events because a person is only counted once if they re-enter the specified area.

Matthew Chapman, manager of the BID, said:

“We are very excited to get our teeth stuck into HUQ, which is used in many towns and cities around the UK.

“The system allows us as the BID, along with partners, to look at high street trends and results to evidence even more return on investment from the projects we deliver.

“Understanding where people come to Harrogate from, as well as how long they spend here,will allow us to promote our town more strategically at targeted periods throughout the year.”

Ed Horner, Harrogate BID’s new PR and communications officer, will analyse the HUQ figures to inform future projects, campaigns and events.

Density data statistics allow the BID to track the movement of people in the BID area and create a map showing the most frequently visited sites.

Green indicates less busy areas, while red highlights hotspots.

Cambridge Street, where the traders and stalls were located, was among the fayre hotspots.

The data also allows the BID to track where visitors are coming from and how long they stay in the town centre.

Unexpectedly, according to the BID, visitors have spent the most time in the town centre on Sundays in 2023 so far, with an average of 2 hours and 50 minutes.

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Discussions have begun about reviving the idea of creating a business improvement district in Knaresborough.

Traders in Harrogate and Ripon both voted to have BIDs but Knaresborough firms rejected the idea by 80 votes to 73 two years ago.

However, a Facebook group called Get the BID for Knaresborough back on track has been set up.

Supporters say the move would boost trade and improve the town centre. Opponents say a BID is unnecessary and would reopen wounds.

If a BID is created, town centre businesses with rateable values above £2,500 would pay levies that would generate about £140,000 a year for schemes that increase town centre footfall.

Neil Smith, a disabled former taxi driver who set up the Facebook group, said the BID could improve the town’s notoriously difficult parking and lead on issues such as street cleaning and floral displays.

Mr Smith said his experience as a Blue Badge holder had highlighted how acute town centre parking problems were for people with mobility issues and a BID could push for solutions.

He said:

“If people can’t park, businesses will fail because of lack of footfall.

“If I was a business owner in Knaresborough and could have things like better parking, cleaner streets and a more appealing town centre all for a £1 a day I’d be all for it. Who else is going to do these things?”

‘We don’t want this to happen again’

Knaresborough Business Collective, which was formed in 2021 in response to the failed BID vote, runs various town centre initiatives such as supplying hanging baskets and Christmas trees and organising annual awards.

It published a social media post this week saying there was no need for a BID, and questioning whether another ballot so soon was appropriate. It added:

“It is less than two years since a no majority was received, if a yes majority had been achieved we would not be allowed a revote for five years. I believe the same should be the case now.

“The town was massively divided after BID and we really don’t want this to happen again.”

The post urged businesses to contact Knaresborough Town Council with their views on a second BID vote.

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Peter Lacey, an executive member of business group Knaresborough and District Chamber, said:

“Chamber has neither initiated nor can comment on an official basis as to whether it would be in support of rerunning the BID process in the town at this time.

“We are focussed on promoting our great town, addressing concerns about the recent installation of electric vehicle charging points in the town in as constructive way as possible, and preparing to work collaboratively across the town to attract new investment through North Yorkshire Council’s shared prosperity funding.”

Andrew Jones has called for government funding for the Harrogate Station Gateway to be reallocated to other projects.

The Conservative MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough said North Yorkshire Council should not waste time trying to keep the project alive, after it today announced it was “rescinding” its decision to proceed.

That announcement came following a legal challenge from Hornbeam Park Developments, which had applied for a judicial review of the way the Station Gateway project had been managed.

Mr Jones said:

“The key consideration is that the latest challenge means that the deadline to spend the cash allocated to this area is certain to expire.  It is time therefore to stop spending public money trying to drag what is effectively a timed-out dead scheme – the good parts regrettably and the bad too – over the line.

“The council must start talking to government about retaining the funding and re-positioning it to other projects in Harrogate and Knaresborough.  I am happy to help with that process.”

The project has been controversial, with business organisations raising concerns about its impact on footfall and therefore the viability of town centre shops.

The £11.2m scheme was to be funded by the Transforming Cities Fund, and would have seen Station Parade narrowed to one lane around the bus and railway stations.

A bus lane and cycle routes would have been introduced, as part of plans to encourage more active travel.

It would also have included the pedestrianisation of the eastern half of James Street, and changes to Lower Station Parade, with a bus lane added on its eastern side.

‘Flip-flopping’

At a meeting of Harrogate and Knaresborough Area Constituency Committee in May, business owners raised concerns about the impact of the loss of 40 parking spaces and potential queues of traffic through the town centre.

After three hours, the committee voted by eight to three in favour of supporting the scheme.

All five Conservative councillors and most Liberal Democrats voted for it,

Liberal Democrat leader and committee chairman Cllr Pat Marsh said councillors had been given a free vote on the issue.

The public gallery at the Harrogate and Knaresborough Area Constituency Committee meeting in May

However, Cllr Marsh then went to the meeting of North Yorkshire Council’s executive to plead with its members not to proceed with the scheme.

The next month, the Lib Dems withdrew all its councillors’ support, citing the lack of meaningful engagement with businesses and local residents over their concerns.

In today’s statement on the issue, Mr Jones took aim at the Lib Dems for “flip-flopping” on the project:

“Of course, consistent political leadership is critical when managing major investment and the majority group on the Harrogate and Knaresborough area committee has been unable to provide that.

“Whether or not one supports the gateway project in total, in part or not at all such weak local leadership presents difficulty when we look to attracting future investment.”

Looking to the future, Mr Jones said there were elements of the Station Gateway project that could be carried forward into a new scheme.

He also said he had asked North Yorkshire Council to address concerns over other parts of the plan.

He added:

“There are parts of the scheme I think that are welcome – the emphasis on sustainable transport, tidying up the area as you come out of the bus and train stations, the improvement of the public realm, changing the crossing arrangements on Lower Station Parade, improving the shabby one arch and so on.

“There are elements of concern too such as the narrowing of Station Parade for a short stretch outside the bus station and how deliveries to businesses will work and I have consistently asked the council to address these concerns.  It is clear that significant numbers have not been reassured by the explanations that have been given.”

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Thousands flocked to Harrogate town centre this morning for the Harrogate Carnival.

Starting at the war memorial and making its way down to Valley Gardens, a parade of dance, music and colour turned the town into a cultural hub.

Launched in 2019, the carnival is commissioned by Visit Harrogate – a tourism organisation run by North Yorkshire Council and produced by Harrogate International Festivals.

Cuisines from around the world, from Greek gyros to Japanese rice dishes to Turkish kebabs and churros were also available for foodies in the Valley Gardens.

Here is a selection of pictures from this morning’s parade.

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New plans have been submitted to change the use of a former Harrogate shop into flats as the trend towards town centre living gathers pace.

York-based Andrew Farr has applied to create six flats on West Park above the former Orvis store, which closed in April 2022 after 25 years of trading in the town.

It follows similar recent planning applications to change the use of town centre retail units into flats.

The former River Island shop on Cambridge Street is in the process of being converted to 15 flats and similar residential schemes have been proposed for the former main post office on Cambridge Road and the ex-King’s Club strip club on Oxford Street.

Work has begun on converting the former River Island shop into flats.

This is the second time Mr Farr has brought forward the scheme.

He withdrew plans in March to convert the upper floors of the former Orvis to six flats and create bin and bike storage. Planning documents say that application was halted “following the receipt of the comments from the council’s private section housing officer”.

They add the “revised proposal is largely identical” except for amendments to the internal layout.

It would see the upper floors of numbers 21a, 21 and 22 West Park converted.

Since Orvis closed, a bridal shop has opened on the ground floor of the premises.

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A planning and heritage statement sent to the council in support of Mr Farr’s application says future residents of the flats would be able to apply for monthly or annual parking pass for West Park multi-storey car parking.

It adds the scheme would “enhance the vitality of the Harrogate town centre” and bring vacant floors back into use “without any identified harm to the character of the host building and the neighbouring Harrogate Conservation Area”. It concludes:

“It is considered that the proposed scheme responds to the constraints of the site, planning policy constraints and its heritage context and should fall within the parameters of acceptable development.”