Annual £170k 'levy' on Harrogate Spring Water should go to Harrogate say Lib Dems

Harrogate and Knaresborough Liberal Democrats say, rather than being absorbed into the wider coffers of Conservative-run North Yorkshire Council, the levy paid by the bottled water giant should go to Harrogate Town Council for deployment in a new Harrogate Fund.

For years, Harrogate Spring Water has paid a levy amounting to 0.5% of its net sales for the use of the town’s name, a contribution which historically went to Harrogate Borough Council.

Following major local government reorganisation in 2023 and the abolition of Harrogate Borough Council, this revenue now goes directly to North Yorkshire Council.

Figures show that, for the financial year ending March 2024, Harrogate Spring Water made a payment of £176,806 to North Yorkshire Council.

The current initial budget for Harrogate Town Council is £362,000, meaning the addition of the Harrogate Spring Water levy would see a 48.84% increase in the new Town Council’s budget

Tom Gordon, Harrogate and Knaresborough’s Lib Dem MP, met with Harrogate Spring Water last year, outlining his continued opposition to the destruction of Rotary Wood and talking about the future of the levy now that Harrogate is getting a town council.

“This is about fairness and accountability, “ said Mr Gordon.

"The people of Harrogate deserve to see the value of their town’s name reflected in investment in their community, not lost in the bureaucracy of a much larger council.

"I will be pressing the Conservative-run North Yorkshire Council to do the right thing and ensure this money supports the town that has helped build the Harrogate Spring Water brand.”

Edward Metcalfe, Liberal Democrat campaigner for Valley Gardens, said: “We’re calling for the creation of a new Harrogate Fund, managed locally, to receive and distribute this money in a way that benefits our town’s people and future."

Viv Poskitt, local GP and Liberal Democrat campaigner for St George’s, said: This modest levy deserves to be reinvested in Harrogate.”

Information: https://www.hklibdems.uk/