Why 2021 is a crunch year for the future of Harrogate's carbon emissions and sustainable transport aspirations

Harrogate teacher in New Years Honours list in a career which began with an ambition aged 11

With county councillors from the district set to meet next week to discuss the findings of last year’s Harrogate Congestion Study, climate coalition leaders are asking for people to join its push for a greener future.

Made up of local councils, businesses and voluntary organisations brought together by Harrogate Borough Council as part of its push for net zero emissions in the district, the climate coalition’s engagement chair - and a volunteer herself - Kirsty Hallett is full of praise for what volunteers have achieved so far.

She said: “It is largely thanks to the unpaid work of people with valuable professional skills from the worlds of business and other sectors that so much work is going on to help the district move towards net zero.

“We know that some local people will make New Year’s resolutions to live more sustainable lifestyles.

“It would be great if more people could offer a little of their time to help the current teams move the district more rapidly towards a green future.”

Phil Ireland, chair of Harrogate District Climate Change Coalition, said: “As 2020 draws to a close, I would like to thank all of those who have volunteered this year to improve the sustainability of Harrogate District.

“The commitment and passion of local people is powerful and a force for change.”

Next Thursday’s meeting about the Harrogate Congestion Study will see councillors examine a lengthy list of proposals to reduce traffic congestion in Harrogate and Knaresborough in as sustainable way as possible, as supported by an extensive public consultation in 2019.

But with questions remaining over the level of Government financial backing in such troubled times, the main obstacle to making progress in the Harrogate district is likely to be simple - funding.

The award in March of this year of £7.8million for the Gateway transport project for Harrogate town centre from the Government’s Transforming Cities Fund was significantly lower than the county council’s original £14m bid.

The fund itself is now closed, bar the sums set aside for future mayoral devolution deals in England’s regions, which may involve North Yorkshire before too long.

A recent £1.011m award granted to North Yorkshire from the Government’s Active Travel Fund was a significant boost.

But the end result is still that a key part of creating a cycle-friendly world - building a fully segregated cycle path all the way from Knaresborough to Harrogate town centre - is likely to be cut short before it reaches Starbeck.

Coun Don Mackenzie, North Yorkshire County Council’s executive member for highways and passenger transport, said the council had just appointed its first Transforming Cities Fund Delivery Manager and was firmly committed to introducing major transport reforms.

But cutting your cloth according to the financial situation has its own dangers when it comes to the interlinked world of environmental matters.

Harrogate Congestion Study’s own conclusions say that in order to deliver quantifiable benefits on traffic, projects need to be “delivered in a coordinated way, rather than on a piecemeal, project by project basis”.

The latter is exactly the outcome the district’s green campaign groups, many of whom are working with the local authorities for now, still fear.

Despite the economic impact on Government finances of both Covid and Brexit, Coun Don Mackenzie believes there is still all to play for.

He said: “We expect there to be many future opportunities to seek funding from the Government’s Active Travel Fund. So far only £200m has been allocated from a total of £2 billion.

"We already have in place a Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP) which means we are well placed to raise bids at short notice if needed.”

Gateway project progress so far?

Harrogate Borough Council confirmed in July that, despite the focus on the Covid pandemic, it remained committed to the ‘Gateway’ project to reconfigure the larger Station Parade area to create a ‘green’ town centre with lower carbon emissions.

Despite the limitations set by the award of £7.8million from the Transforming Cities Fund rather than the £14m North Yorkshire asked for, Harrogate Borough Council said it was committed to making progress on a ‘green’ town centre.

The spokesperson at the time also confirmed the council expected to consult the public on the plans, possibly before the end of 2020.

As it stands now, however, it remains some distance from implementing the town centre masterplan it first adopted in 2016.

Zero Carbon Harrogate

Zero Carbon Harrogate, one of the key independent local groups working with The Harrogate District Climate Change Coalition to help to make the changes needed to reach net zero emissions and avoid the worst impacts of climate change, is also reaching out to new volunteers in the New Year.

Jemima Parker, the group’s chair of Zero Carbon Harrogate, said: “We would like to welcome new volunteers to our online volunteer training event on the evening of January 7.

“It will be an opportunity to increase your knowledge around climate change and share your thoughts and ideas about encouraging more people to adopt a low carbon lifestyle.”

Zero Carbon Harrogate is a voluntary organisation first formed in 2016 to highlight and support changes across the district, to rapidly establish it as a leading low carbon economy.

Quietly non-political, ZCH is convinced this can only be achieved by the local communities working hand in hand with business and political leaders to implement the actions required.

Jemima Parker said: “If we continue to take a business-as-usual approach to the way we live and work, we will breach the 1.5°C limited in global heating that the scientific community has identified as being critical if we are to avoid the worst impacts of climate change.”

The Harrogate District Climate Change Coalition

It promotes carbon reduction activities throughout the Harrogate district with an emphasis on community action and taking personal responsibility.

The Climate Change Coalition has been encouraged by recent efforts such as when local businesses gave up their time earlier this month to share ideas at the Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce event The Value of Net Zero for Your Business.

It is also hoping to reduce “child miles” in the Harrogate district by working with one or more schools to cut the number of school run car trips.

The Climate Coalition supports the White Rose Forest initiative and encouraging tree planting schemes on publicly and privately owned land across the north.

In contrast, while keen to move forward in a spirit of cooperation with local authorities, green groups in Harrogate argue not enough has been done so far by local councils to meet carbon reduction targets and it’s time to take ideas off the shelf.

How to become a volunteer

To find out more about becoming a volunteer for The Harrogate District Climate Change Coalition visit www.hdccc.info/contact or call 01423 500600.

For Zero Carbon Harorgate, email [email protected]

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