Defiant boss of Harrogate Convention Centre says crucial venue can still have a great future

Since its doors first opened in 1982, the town's largest venue for events has found itself under pressure at regular intervals and has always fought back.

Although the disappointment at missing out on a share of £2.1bn in levelling up money from the Government is palpable, there's no sense of panic from Paula Lorimer, the current director of Harrogate Convention Centre who sees her job as to protect and create jobs for the town.

Harrogate's biggest venue may have been banking on the £20m bid kick-starting its plans for a £49m redevelopment to expand and modernise its facilities for the 21st century.

But last week's news that Harrogate Convention Centre had secured a new, five-year deal with the Christmas and Gift Fair - predicted to bring a boost of more than £375,000 annually to the hospitality trade in the Harrogate district - offers ample proof of the sector's resilience, argues Paula Lorimer.

"I am of, course, disappointed that Harrogate Convention Centre, was not successful in gaining funds from the levelling up fund," she said.

"But this decision does not mean we cannot move the convention centre forward positively.

"Harrogate’s unique heritage in hosting large-scale events and our venue’s central location, premier space, facilities and expertise mean that we attract a constant flow of events that keep our spa town busy all year round.”

There is no doubt Harrogate's failure to receive a slice of the levelling up pie - only Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s own constituency of Catterick was a winner in the whole of North Yorkshire - sent a shiver through the town's political establishment.

Harrogate Borough Council's Tory leader, Coun Richard Cooper admits to being surprised.

"While disappointed that we were not successful in our bid I look forward to exploring with the minister the detailed reasons why that is the case," said Coun Cooper.

"The decision is slightly surprising since the Government rejected the inclusion of funding for the Harrogate Convention Centre redevelopment in the devolution agreement with North Yorkshire County Council.

"This was done on the basis that we could bid to the levelling up fund, a bid which they have now also rejected.

More than 100 projects were awarded a share of the £2.1 billion pot from round 2 of government’s flagship Levelling Up Fund – with £672 million to develop better transport links, £821 million to kick-start community regeneration and £594 million to restore heritage sites.

Despite claims that Conservative-held constituencies in Parliament were the biggest winners in levelling up funding, Harrogate’s leaders remain hopeful they will find a way to secure the £49m for Harrogate Convention Centre.

Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones says he is confident the venue will eventually find the funding.

"Naturally I wanted the Convention Centre bid to be successful and so this is not the news for which I had hoped,” said Mr Jones.

"My job now is to work with the Convention Centre on securing alternative sources of funding for its redevelopment programme and helping prepare bids for that funding.

"There is going to be a further levelling up fund allocation in due course and there may also be the opportunity to bid into funds which the new York and North Yorkshire mayor will put in place.

"While this isn’t the outcome I wanted, I am optimistic that we will secure the necessary funding in due course.”

But time may not be on the side of Harrogate Convention Centre.

Competition for the UK’s lucrative conference trade from other towns and cities over the past two decades has already put a dent in Harrogate’s events and exhibitions crown.

The convention centre now has to compete with bigger venues in Manchester, Birmingham and London.

The last year has seen the emergence of a new threat closer to home when plans to build a state-of-the-art conference and exhibition centre in Leeds were launched.

Set to be built near First Direct Arena, the new venue would, potentially, offer 42 per cent more space than Harrogate’s.

Harrogate’s leaders have been fighting a rearguard action with Leeds City Council in order to try and reach a compromise on the size and scope of the threatened development.

Despite the town’s complaints, its big city rival has already won outline planning permission for the new convention centre to be located on the Leeds skyline on the site of the former Yorkshire Bank headquarters.

Whether construction on the Leeds venue begins next year or not, the boss of Harrogate Convention Centre is ready for the challenge.

And Paula Lorimer believes Harrogate, as a category 3 area – categorised as among those least needy by the Government - is better placed to succeed in the next round of bidding for levelling up cash.

But, even should that hope prove unfounded, the woman at the heart of Harrogate’s conference trade battle is confident the venue will evolve a successful business model for the future.

"The venue has recovered well post Covid and the year ahead looks like being our best for ten years in terms of letting income,” she said.

"This is a significant achievement for our team and demonstrates the venue is heading in the right direction as we await much-needed investment."