Residents urged to register to vote for new Harrogate and Scarborough town council elections

Harrogate and Scarborough are the only parts of North Yorkshire which do not have a parish or town council.

Elections will be held on May 1 to vote for members of the two new town councils to ensure that local communities have a say on how services are delivered as effectively as possible.

Prospective candidates for the town council elections are being asked to attend an online meeting next month (March) that will outline the role of the newly elected members.

The session will also outline the relationship between the two new town councils and North Yorkshire, while also providing details of the actual elections and the nominations process.

Meanwhile, residents in the relevant wards in both Harrogate and Scarborough are being asked to make sure that they have registered to vote so that they can take part in the town council elections.

The deadline to register to vote for the town council elections is Friday, April 11.

North Yorkshire Council’s chief executive, Richard Flinton, said: “The creation of the new town councils is a major milestone in North Yorkshire.

“They will mean that all parts of the county will be represented with parish or town councils, meaning all of our communities have a voice in local democracy at a grassroots level.

“I would urge anyone who is eligible to vote to make sure that they are registered so they can take part in the elections in Harrogate and Scarborough.

“The online session next month is an important event to provide more information about the elections, especially for anyone who is considering standing as a candidate.”

The two new town councils will join the 662 parish and town councils that already exist across North Yorkshire.

When North Yorkshire Council was launched in April 2023, one of the central pledges was to ensure that town and parish councils would be allowed to take on greater responsibilities to allow local communities to have a greater say.

Town councils can be responsible for providing and maintaining local amenities such as open spaces, allotments, public clocks, village halls, footpaths and litter bins.

They also provide community buildings and a wide range of facilities from cemeteries and allotments to grants to community groups, while responding to planning applications and accessing grant funding for projects.

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

They also raise a precept which is a form of council tax and oversee the allocation of funds for various services, ensuring taxpayers’ money is spent effectively.

In July 2024, following a community governance review, North Yorkshire Council agreed to the creation of the two new town councils, one for the currently unparished part of Harrogate, and one for the currently unparished areas of Scarborough.

Elections will be held to elect councillors to these new town councils on May 1 for a term of two years.

Elections will be held again in 2027 for a four-year term to align with elections for North Yorkshire Council and all other parish councils.

The new parish boundaries will be in effect from April 1.

The cost of establishing the town councils will initially be borne by North Yorkshire Council, and then charged back to the new authorities.

The online event for anyone wishing to find out more about the town council elections will be held at 5pm on Wednesday, March 5.

Anyone interested in attending the meeting should email [email protected] to register.

Visit www.northyorks.gov.uk/HGSBTownCouncils for more details for registering to vote as well as voting by post and proxy along with information of the voter identification which is needed at the ballots.