A review of Harrogate’s hosting of the 2019 UCI Road World Championships should not be ignored in future, says a business group.

David Simister, chief executive of Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce, said he was pleased that the report, which was published yesterday, included the views of businesses.

Members of Harrogate Borough Council’s overview and scrutiny commission are behind the review, which will be considered at a meeting on July 4.

The report found that while there was a place for shorter events which “portray Harrogate and North Yorkshire in a good light, nationally and throughout the world”, residents and businesses considered the road closures for the UCI “unacceptable”.

One conclusion reached by the review was that there was a common perception that the event “effectively closed” Harrogate town centre.

David Simister (left), chief executive of Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce.

Following the publication, Mr Simister called for 15 of the recommendations included in the report to not be “simply ignored” at future events.

He said:

“This is a very detailed report and one that incorporates a wide range of views from a number of organisations.

“I’m pleased the experiences of businesses have been acknowledged and incorporated into the recommendations.

“And when Harrogate feels confident to host other major events, and I hope it does, these recommendations are not simply ignored, but used to ensure the town as a whole benefits, and that businesses, particularly those in the retail sector, are not left counting the cost.

“However, before committing to anything, I think it’s important to weigh up the pros and the cons, and also liaise with previous host towns to measure the impact it had on them.”

Read more:

• Review finds Harrogate 2019 UCI cycling championships ‘effectively closed’ town centre
• Council Stray repairs contract given under ‘urgent circumstances’

The recommendations include involving residents in planning events at an “early stage” and including the council on the board of large scale events.

They also include early engagement on large events and hosting short events in the district in order to “minimise disruption for local residents”.

In response to the report, a council spokesperson said: 

“It is positive to see that the review of the preparation, hosting and implications of the 2019 UCI Road World Championships for Harrogate Borough Council, residents and businesses, has reflected much of what was implemented as part of the event organisation.

“With an estimated global TV audience of over 250 million and almost 70,000 spectators, the 2019 UCI Road World Championships created a fantastic opportunity to showcase Harrogate and the surrounding district to both a national and international audience.

“Since the UCI Road World Championships – almost three years ago – we have hosted successful events and, through our destination management organisation, have a fantastic programme for the remainder of the year to further promote the district and support our visitor economy.”

A draft review into Harrogate’s controversial hosting of the 2019 UCI Road World Championships has found that there was a perception that the event “effectively closed” the centre of the town for a month.

Members of Harrogate Borough Council’s overview and scrutiny commission are behind the review, which has been published ahead of a meeting on July 4 where it will be considered.

The report found that while there was a place for shorter events which “portray Harrogate and North Yorkshire in a good light, nationally and throughout the world”, residents and businesses considered the road closures for the UCI “unacceptable”.

It also concluded that “in future greater priority should be given to serving the needs of those who live, work and create wealth and employment in this great town and district”.

The nine-day cycling event was hailed by organisers as a “once in a lifetime moment” for Harrogate, but was also criticised by businesses and residents in the town who had complaints about disruptions during road closures.

Fifteen recommendations have been made as part of the review, which are aimed at assisting the planning of major events in North Yorkshire in future.

‘Effectively closed’ Harrogate

Conservative Cllr Nick Brown, who chaired the cross-party review, said in a foreword for the report that the review was “wide-ranging” and considered the views of residents, businesses and others.

He said that one conclusion reached by the committee was that there was a “common perception” that the set-up and dismantling of the UCI shut off the town centre to residents.

Cllr Brown said:

“An important conclusion reached was that there was a common perception that the event effectively closed down the centre of Harrogate not just for the nine days of the UCI but for nearly a month including set up and dismantling and this was considered unacceptable to many residents and businesses in the town.”

The UCI World Cycling Championships came to Harrogate in 2019. Credit: Tony Bailey

The review has made a number of recommendations including involving residents in planning events at an “early stage” and including Harrogate Borough Council on the board of large scale events.

Other recommendations include early engagement on large events and hosting short events in the district in order to “minimise disruption for local residents”.

Cllr Brown added:

“The recommendations and an outline of the findings of the review are presented in this summary report and have taken into account the views and evidence from residents and organisations about this major event in Harrogate.

“It is intended that they assist the planning and hosting of major future events in North Yorkshire.”

Separate reviews

The review is separate to an economic impact study carried out by accountancy firm Ernst and Young at a cost of £19,000 to the council.

This study concluded the championships resulted in an economic boost to the local economy of £17.8 million and was watched by a global television audience of 329 million.

It also said 84% of people who came to watch the event were satisfied or very satisfied with it.

Read more:

• UCI World Championships caused ‘major disruption’ in Harrogate, says report
• Council Stray repairs contract given under ‘urgent circumstances’

However, it did not take into account a reported drop in earnings for some businesses, whose complaints rumbled on long after the event was held.

Based in Harrogate as the host town, the championships were held in the UK for the first time in nearly 40 years after a joint-bid by British Cycling, UK Sport, Welcome to Yorkshire and the government’s sport and culture department.

The event organisers were Yorkshire 2019 – a now-dissolved company which was set up by the government and later contributed £35,500 towards the West Park Stray repair costs.

A further £95,000 was spent on park upgrades by Harrogate Borough Council which spent a total of £606,000 on hosting the event.

The biggest single cost was £200,000 for the fan zone on West Park Stray.

Questions have been raised over why Harrogate Borough Council has decided to hold a review on the UCI Road World Championships two years after the event.

The authority has launched a public survey of the competition, which was held in Harrogate back in September 2019.

The council’s overview and scrutiny committee set up the review to build on “its successes and identifying any areas for improvement to inform the organisation of future events”.

But both residents and businesses groups have said the council should listen to those who were directly affected by the nine-day event and raised questions over why the review is being held now.

Read more:

• Council Stray repairs contract given under ‘urgent circumstances’
• West Park Stray — 12 months of mud, repair and debate
• Review opens into Harrogate’s UCI Road World Championships

Anna McIntee, of Harrogate Residents’ Association, said the town was “exhausted” by the competition and traders let their feelings known at the time.

She added that she could not understand why a review was being held two years after the event.

Ms McIntee said:

“I do not really understand why it is two years on. It had such a large effect, businesses lost money.

“I just feel that they had a response from businesses at the event. So what has changed two years on?”

At the time, the event proved controversial due to road closures and £130,000 worth of damage to the West Park Stray.

It received a hostile reception from many local traders, who said they did not feel the benefits of the event coming to town, particularly as it led to many road closures that deterred people from coming into Harrogate.

David Simister (left), chief executive of Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce.

But a council-commissioned report by Ernst and Young claimed the championships brought in an estimated £17.8 million boost to the district economy.

David Simister, chief executive of Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce, said the event was a disaster for businesses and that the council should listen to those trader directly affected by it.

He said:

“For many town centre businesses, and in particular retailers, the UCI was a total disaster, and came at a heavy cost.

“The chamber held a meeting directly after the event and feelings were running very high. Two years on, and the same sentiments still stand.

“Because of the daily road closures, residents and visitors avoided the town centre. The ideal location for an event of this size, which caused so much disruption, should have been the Great Yorkshire Showground, with buses laid on to take spectators to and from the site.”

“The council says the aim of this review is to build on its successes and identify any areas for improvement to inform the organisation of future events. What it needs to do is to listen to those businesses who will be directly affected as a result.”

Meanwhile, Sara Ferguson, chair of Harrogate BID, said the UCI was “untenable” and the focus in future should be to bring smaller events to the town.

She said:

“While the Tour de France was hailed as great success, sadly the same could not be said of the UCI, and I have great sympathy for those businesses who lost money.

“It was a coup for Harrogate to host it – and the races were watched by cycling fans around the world – having the town centre closed for 15 days was simply untenable. Because of the disruption, people just stayed away from town, and this was evident, day after day, by the empty streets.

“The focus should be on attracting a wide range of smaller events to the town on a regular basis, which bring people in, which I know businesses would welcome.”

A Harrogate Borough Council spokesperson said:

“The overview and scrutiny commission has decided to look at the UCI Road World Championships with the aim of building on its successes and identifying any areas for improvement to help inform the organisation of future events.

“Following the consultation the task and finish group of the overview and scrutiny commission will produce a report.”

Those wishing to give their views have until June 16 to complete the survey.

The West Park Stray has started to turn green again after months of mud. The sight of green shoots will be welcome for many who have missed the space.

Harrogate Borough Council started reseeding work just over a week ago and the results are already starting to show.

The work is set to be complete by September. The council’s leader promised that it will be back “better than ever.”

The grass is starting to show.

West Park Stray remains closed off with orange netting around the site. It allows for the seeds to germinate and also for the footpath repairs.

Read more:

• Why the Stray repairs contract was given under ‘urgent circumstances’
• When local contractors questioned the decision to bring in Glendale
• How much will it cost to repair West Park Stray?

Overall, the council believes that the works will cost £129,971, broken down into:

• £38,105 for repairs to grassed areas of West Park Stray
• £65,385 for pavement, footpaths, Heras fencing, bedding and verge repairs, reinstatement of bins and benches plus any additional council work
• £20,156 to fix longstanding drainage issues
• £6,325 project management and delivery costs

The Stray in late April.

Most of West Park Stray is turning green.

Yorkshire 2019, the organisers of the UCI World Cycling Championships, has agreed to pay £35,500 to help restore the Stray.

The council’s decision to outsource to Glendale Services was met with fierce criticism from local contractors who said they were “disgusted” they weren’t invited to tender.

It awarded the contract to the Lancashire-based contractors under “urgent circumstances” seven months after the UCI.

Scrutiny of routine council decisions is expected to be put on hold as the authority focuses its energy on responding to the Covid-19 crisis.

The chairman of the council’s Overview and Scrutiny Commission, which examines decisions made by Harrogate Borough Council, said some of its investigations which had begun before the virus outbreak will be delayed until a later date.

Instead, Cllr Chris Aldred said, the commission will focus on how the council is responding to the crisis to support residents and businesses.

“The council has a £15million shortfall and there’s going to have to be decisions made in the next few months to address that. Scrutiny need to be looking in more detail about issues involving that and offering advice and comment to officers.”

Until now, the commission has not been able to examine any major decisions the council was set to make. Giving commercial tenants a three-month rent break, for example, was proposed in a report by officers to the council’s leader, Cllr Richard Cooper, and his deputy, Cllr Graham Swift.

It was seen by Cllr Aldred in his role as commission chair, who has the option to call in decisions, but decided not to do so while it was unclear when the commission would next meet. He added:

“I think it was quite right that businesses were suffering and needed to be assured they would not have to pay rent now, rather than two months down the line.”

Read more:

• The £200,000 rent-break given to commercial tenants – even if they’re still trading
• Tory councillor seeks answers over UCI debacle

Cllr Aldred said the commission was also keen to look at how community resources had been made available and the way in which council staff had been cared for through the crisis. So far, only a handful of planned public meetings have taken place online, with most cancelled since the lockdown began in March.

The commission’s proposal to change its focus will be put before the cabinet by officers later this month for approval.

It means its planned examinations, such as bus provision across the district, could be put on the back burner, which Cllr Aldred said may no longer be relevant anyway as use of public transport changes in the coming months. However, the commission’s in-depth investigation into the council’s handling of the UCI Road World Championships could still proceed this year.

“We’ve got a working group into that and there’s a proposition that it continues, but it will not report back to the main committee until it has done its job. There’s going to be a formal decision at the next meeting.”

A planned examination of HBC’s decision-making over the UCI cycling could still go ahead this year

An informal online meeting was held on Monday evening to test the technology ready for official meetings to resume next month for the first time since March. While other council committees are not meeting regularly, Cllr Aldred said the Overview & Scrutiny Commission was the best body to examine and give feedback on council decisions and actions.

However, like all the council’s committees, agendas will be limited to just a few items because progress of debate is slower when councillors and officers are working remotely. He added:

“For all those committees from now until we can meet physically, there will only be two or three agenda items that we can manage. We tried it in real conditions – I was chairing it, we had an agenda. You’ve got to be aware of who wants to speak – some people will put their hands up, some people use chat and other technology. It’s a bit more difficult to chair than usual.”

Cllr Aldred has been a long-term advocate of making meetings available online and said he was pleased it is now happening. However, he acknowledged that it was harder to organise and run than a gathering in a meeting room and said it was important the council got it right before going ahead.

“It’s important we aren’t secretive about it. The way the council operates could be changed forever now and the public need to know about any changes that are going on.”

The hard work of NHS staff is being recognised with a piece of community artwork on Otley Road in Harrogate.

Railings at the junction with Harlow Moor Road have been decorated with blue ribbons, a yellow heart and the letters NHS in tribute to those saving lives around the country.

Andrew High, who put the ribbons onto the railings, said he wants members of the community to add their own decorations too. He said:

“If you’ve got family who have been treated, or people you know who work for the NHS, it doesn’t matter. In your own little way, just attach your bit of string or ribbon – whatever you have to hand.

“It will be nice to see more ribbons attached to it so we feel part of something. There are a few more slowly appearing.”

New ribbons are already being added to the railings by members of the community

Andrew was also the mastermind behind the decorations put up on Otley Road for the UCI Road World Championships last year. A member of the congregation at Harlow Hill Methodist Church, which was open every day for the community to gather and watch the cycling, he wanted to draw attention to the stretch of road which was a prominent feature in the racing routes throughout the week.

As well as the UCi colours in ribbons around the trees and benches, Andrew put lettering on the railings at the junction spelling out “Harlow Hill”, “Welcome” and “Yorkshire”. He said:

“I had planned this year to do the Olympic rings and every time someone from Yorkshire got a medal, I was going to put a gold, silver or bronze medal on with their name on. Of course, that hasn’t happened.

I thought it would be nice for the NHS to go up and people to add their own little bits. After the UCI, there was a nice feeling among the hill that we had joined together. That was an enjoyable experience. This isn’t, but it is nice to know we’re a community and people are thinking of and looking out for each other.”

Last year’s UCI Road World Championships in Harrogate brought thousands of visitors onto the Stray. 

At the same time, heavy downpours arrived in Yorkshire. Anyone who knows Harrogate is familiar with the flooding along West Park which accompanies rainfall at least once a year. Add in heavy footfall and even heavier vehicles crossing the grass and the result was a quagmire, churning up the ground deep below the surface. 

For the event, the timing could not have been worse. The state of the ground forced the organisers to close the fan park several times during the week. On the final day, the weather was so bad that the route of the race had to be changed and the helicopters were grounded, leaving the only television footage beamed around the world to be some very soggy shots from a motorbike behind the participants. 

It was unsurprising, then, that the fan park was also closed a day ahead of schedule. Over the following days, the take-down of the event’s hub was much slower than planned because of the conditions – and the resulting damage to the Stray was gradually revealed. 

What has been less obvious is where responsibility lies for the repairs. The question of who pays for the Stray has remained unanswered, with HBC insisting it would be Yorkshire 2019 or its insurers.

Yet investigations by The Stray Ferret have today revealed a £150,000 expenditure proposed by the council – on top of the £51,000 already paid out since the event. It confirms, for now at least, the work will be paid for by the people of the Harrogate district.

The 200 acres dividing us

Both physically and metaphorically, the Stray represents Harrogate. It’s the stunning open space for which the town is known – and, at the same time, it divides us perhaps like nothing else. 

For many, it’s a valuable asset which must be protected at all costs. The damage done to it is unforgivable, not least because of the long-term impact it is having on our town – Harrogate in Bloom has declined to enter any competitions this year, young footballers and others can’t make use of the space, and the bright orange fencing is a constant reminder as people approach the town centre that this seven-month-old debate rumbles on. 

For others, it’s just a patch of grass. The argument at the time was that it would soon re-grow in the spring, and that those complaining about the damage done should find something more important to occupy their time. After all, Harrogate had been shown off around the world thanks to the huge international event it had just hosted.

Wide stretches of land remain grass-free

Fast-forward from September to April and it is evident that the grass is not going to re-grow on its own. Significant work is needed – to the tune of £200,000 as revealed today by The Stray Ferret, and perhaps even more than that, according to one groundworks expert. 

The question is not whether the event was worth the resulting damage – nor even whether it should have been foreseen. Rather, it’s whether sufficient provision was in place to protect taxpayers from having to fund the repairs. 

Today’s revelation about expenditure confirms that taxpayers’ money will be used to carry out the work. That means at least £150,000 will have to be found from elsewhere in the council budget – at a time when, as it admitted last week, it faces a shortfall of £10m because of coronavirus. 

With the warm weather helping to dry out the worst of the surface-level mud, now is the perfect time to begin repairing the damage, especially with such low footfall. But whether scarifying and re-seeding over the coming six months will return the Stray to its former glory – and whether there is any possibility of, or even appetite for, further events to come to Harrogate – remains to be seen.