Harrogate fights back over plans for Leeds conference centre

Provisional plans to build an events space on the doorstep of Leeds Arena were discussed at a meeting by the city’s councillors on Thursday.

But Harrogate Convention Centre, Destination Harrogate and the town’s Crown Hotel have all come out against the scheme.

Harrogate Chamber of Commerce and Harrogate Business Improvement District (BID) are also objecting.

An independent study commissioned by Leeds City Council suggested the impact on Harrogate Convention Centre, which hosts national and international conferences, would be minimal.

That is hotly disputed by the objectors.

Harrogate Convention Centre facing competition from Leeds events venue set for approval

Speaking to Leeds councillors at Thursday’s meeting, Paula Lorimer, centre director at the Convention Centre, said the study was, “Flawed, inaccurate, out-of-date and in some areas totally wrong.”

She claimed it had under-estimated the adverse impact on the centre itself by around “50 per cent” and relied on out of date figures.

Ms Lorimer also said there was upset in Harrogate over an “absence of dialogue” from Leeds City Council about the scheme. She claimed she’d only found out about the plans at the end of last week – just four days before they were due to potentially be approved in principle.

She told councillors: “We would have expected to be consulted in advance of this application.

“We are hoping this is an inadvertent oversight (that we weren’t).

“If this had taken place we may have avoided having to take the route we have done today by objecting. Unfortunately we were left with no choice.”

The meeting was told that Harrogate Borough Council’s chief executive and Ms Lorimer had been made aware of the original plans last year, but that no response had been forthcoming.

But Ms Lorimer said that the proposed centre was now a third bigger in size than had been originally touted last year.

Harrogate Convention Centre 'could lose £250 million without investment'

If approved, the venue would be built on land vacated by the planned demolition of the old Yorkshire Bank HQ on Clay Pit Lane, which is now redundant.

Two blocks of student flats would also flank the venue on either side. That aspect of the development is less controversial with the Harrogate objectors having stated they’re not opposed to that.

Last week, the Harrogate Advertiser reported that Harrogate Convention Centre could lose £250 million over 40 years unless its own major redevelopment plans were carried out.

The news that Leeds were due to compete for business, coupled with the disappointment that no provision for the £49m works was included in the Devolution report meant there was concern among the senior management of the centre.

The redevelopment plans include a major refurbishment of event areas and upgrades to the venue's heating and ventilation systems.

There are also plans to create a flexible events space for up to 1,200 people. These works were due to start in October after a warning that the centre could miss out on several big events next year, however, the plans have now been delayed.

Leeds Councillors voted to defer its application until next month before making a decision.