New Harrogate Town Council will seek to take on ‘meaningful’ role and find the budget to do so

As the possibility of giving Harrogate a voice emerges from the political shake-up of local government reorganisation which handed power to Tory-run North Yorkshire Council in Northallerton, the Lib Dem-dominated new parish council must first establish its procedures and open an office at Harrogate Civic Centre.

The finances available to it for its first year means Harrogate Town Council is likely to take ‘baby steps’ after its opening meeting of 19 councillors, 15 of whom are Lib Dem.

Its budget for 2025/26 of £362,000 may sound substantial but it’s built on a precept charge of just £12.73 per Band D property annually to council tax payers in Harrogate.

That compares to £128.95 per year for residents served by Selby Town Council which boasts an annual budget almost three times the size of Harrogate’s for 2024/25 - £908,183.

Once the new Harrogate Town Council has covered costs like staffing, running expenses and initial set-up fees, it’s likely the newly-elected councillors will have just £100,000 approximately to actually do something with.

But former Harrogate Charter Mayor Lib Dem Chris Aldred, who was elected to the town council earlier in the month and who is also a councillor on North Yorkshire Councty Council representing High Harrogate and Kingsley division, says Harrogate Town Council will want to be committed to start building a better future for Harrogate from the kick-off.

And there are early measures the new authority can take to make a meaningful impact, including creating a bigger budget for itself by increasing the precept paid by Harrogate residents.

"Our precept of less than £13 a year is low compared to other town councils in North Yorkshire.

"The new town council’s contingency fund of £100,000 is not a lot in the scheme of things but it means there is a chance we can support some Harrogate events for the benefit of the town this year, such as the VJ Day celebrations in August.

"Harrogate also has the benefit of a bigger population than the rest which means, even if a small rise was introduced after the town council’s first year, it would mean a much bigger budget to play with.

"Even if the precept was to double to, say, £26 a year, that would enable Harrogate Town Council to take meaningful action to support the town.”

Elsewhere in the UK town councils and parish councils are usually responsible for matters such as street maintenance and green spaces, markets and events and town promotion.

Some also provide community buildings and a wide range of facilities, from cemeteries and allotments to grants and community groups.

Town councils can influence local laws and policies that address community needs, such as zoning regulations, public safety measures, and environmental policies.

Some also respond to planning applications and access grant funding for projects.

Others even fund park and rides to improve the traffic situation in their towns.

None of the above are expected to happen in the first 12 months as Harrogate Town Council finds its feet and defines its role in the town.

But, even at this early stage, Coun Aldred says the new authority will be looking to engage in constructive partnerships with the likes of Harrogate Business Improvement District (BID), Harrogate Civic Society, North Yorkshire Council and The Mayor of York and North Yorkshire.

As a Lib Dem controlled town council in Harrogate under a Tory-run unitary authority in Northallerton, it is also likely to do something else – to offer a united voice to defend the town’s interests in the vacuum left by the abolition of Harrogate Borough Council.

Coun Chris Aldred said: “I don’t think as Lib Dems we would be happy for Harrogate Town Council to degenerate into a talking shop.

"The first step will be mostly about procedures and just getting the ball rolling.

"But it’s important that we speak up for the town.

"Since North Yorkshire Council was formed two years ago, Harrogate has lacked the means as a whole to speak up for itself.

"That will, hopefully, now change.”