'Harrogate needs real change such as a new railway station' says candidate for Mayor of York and North Yorkshire

Having learned his trade over the past ten years as, firstly, a district councillor, then, later, a county councillor, Paul Haslam is determined, if elected, to deliver real change for the better of residents and businesses, such as bringing a new rail station to Claro Road – as distinguished from simply talking about it.

“If elected, it would be my intention to create a strategic vision for the county,” said Mr Haslam, a management consultant who lives with his wife and family in Bilton whose clients have included Adidas Global and major food and DIY retailers.

"But we need to accelerate action and not be so dependent on central government all the time.

"North Yorkshire Council is currently working on a new Local Plan for the whole county but that’s going to take until 2028.

"We can’t afford to do nothing about serious issues like the lack of affordable housing until then, we need to get on with things.

"The pace of change is glacial.

“The new mayor needs to bat for the county like he or she was a cabinet minister in Downing Street.

"I look to the likes of Ben Houchen at Tees Valley and Andy Burnham in Manchester as good examples of this.”

Elected as a Tory councillor but standing as an independent in the first-ever Mayor of York and North Yorkshire elections, his goals are linked to his recent political switch, he tells the Harrogate Advertiser.

Paul's experience as a councillor, despite his obvious enthusiasm for his role as North Yorkshire Council’s Climate Change Champion, allowed him to see how good ideas like ‘levelling up’ never seemed to translate into action on the ground.

And he puts the blame for his political ‘road to Damascus’ moment on the party he has turned his back on.

"The Tory Party has left me, rather than it being a case of me leaving it.

"It has kept on moving to the right even as it fails to meet its stated goals.

"Levelling up just hasn’t happened.

"HS2 was dropped, which was all about much-needed rail capacity, not so much speed.

"When I became a county councillor in 2017, spending per head on transport in the south east was six times that of the north.

"Guess what, seven years later, it’s still six times.

"It’s similar in terms of education.

"And those are only two of many examples of the lack of equitable public investment in the North.”

A qualified MBA with a background in retail, Mr Haslam was inspired to stand for the county council in 2017 after his involvement in the successful local campaign to proposals for a new relief road at Nidd Gorge.

But this thinker also believes in putting his money where his mouth is.

His house in Bilton boasts heat pumps, insulation, storage batteries and solar panels and, as a result, lower energy bills.

A dog lover and keen runner; he’s not only set to take part in this year’s London Marathon but is also running through various parts of York and North Yorkshire as part of his current mayoral campaign, Mr Haslam’s roots may lie in management but his heart is in the environment.

Combining the two means he sees moves towards sustainability as simply part of creating a better life for everyone, as much as cutting carbon emissions or hitting green targets.

"It’s much cheaper to make new houses more eco-friendly from the start, rather than retro-fitting them later on.

"Creating a better transport system isn’t just about encouraging cycling, it’s more about supporting the economy, helping people get around and building a better way of life."

As a Harrogate resident since 2006, Mr Haslam believes the town can play a big role in North Yorkshire’s future.

As part of that, he knows how important its ‘crown jewels’ of tourism and says there is no reason why Harrogate can’t grow its economy on the back of that.

"Harrogate has a lot going for it but, as mayor, I would be looking to bring in investment and develop its potential further, as I would for the rest of the county.

"Scarborough has the sea but we have Harrogate Convention Centre.

"It doesn’t need a ‘big bang’ of huge investment to be more successful - the convention centre has its highest order book ever this year.

"These days, what conference centres need is a good variety of break out rooms.

"The town needs a park and ride and I would also support a new train station at Claro Road.

"It also needs its own town council but only if everyone can agree on a clear brief for it.

The beauty of being an independent, if he were to win the election on May 2 to become the first-ever Mayor of York and North Yorkshire, is that, no matter which party runs North Yorkshire Council or the City of York Council, now the county’s twin pillars of local government, Paul would be ideally placed to bridge the divide.

"People have been saying to me during the campaign that they want me to be independent.

"They want me to be free of party politics.

"As mayor, I would build a team around me of a high calibre to work beyond parties for the good of the county.

"Although the role brings an £18 million budget per year to spend but I would want the mayor to fight to bring in investment and convert that £18m into, say, £180m.

More information: https://haslam4mayor.com/

York and North Yorkshire Mayor election: The other candidates

The Conservative Party’s candidate is Keane Duncan, North Yorkshire Council’s Executive Member for Highways and Transportation.

The Labour Party’s candidate is York business leader David Skaith, who was born in Harrogate.

The Liberal Democrats have chosen Felicity Cunliffe-Lister, the owner of Swinton Park, Felicity Cunliffe-Lister.

The Green Party candidate is former soldier Kevin Foster.

Independent Keith Tordoff, former police officer and small business owner, who is backed by Reform UK.