UCI cycling event organisers to pay towards restoration costs of the Stray in Harrogate

Chief Executive of Harrogate Borough Council, Wallace Sampson, said Yorkshire 2019 will contribute a to-be-confirmed sum towards the groundworks which contractors are expected to start this week.

Mr Sampson told the Local Democracy Reporting Service the full extent of Yorkshire 2019's support is yet to be determined as the repair costs are finalised.

The council has so far spent £51,000 on restoration works on the Stray which was badly damaged as heavy rain affected the nine-day cycling event.

And Mr Sampson said the council is expecting to spend a "lot less" than the additional £150,000 which it has set aside for the remainder of the works.

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Yorkshire 2019 is a limited company which was set up by the government to run the event - and the business is now being dissolved.

Mr Sampson said: "We have been in dialogue with them for quite some time about a contribution - and we have got an agreement from them on that.

"The company was created by the government and had responsibility for delivering the bike race. Now they have delivered the event, the government is looking to wind up the company and one of the key things for us has been getting a contribution towards the restoration costs - and that has been agreed.

"I am keen to be up front about what the costs are going to be and that will be made available when all the information is processed together."

Harrogate Borough Council is expected to announce further details on the repair costs this week.

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Hosting the international cycling event resulted in a £17.8million boost to Harrogate's economy, according to a study commissioned by the council.

The event was also watched by 329million globally on TV.

However, the council's study - carried out by EY (Ernst & Young) - has been criticised for not taking into account some businesses' losses during the event in September last year.

Retail campaign group Independent Harrogate previously said losses of its 22 members amounted to nearly £1million.

The council spent a total of £1,305,660 on the event - but this cost was offset using £673,000 from the Leeds City Region business rates pool and £27,000 income.

Some local businesses had called on Yorkshire 2019 to pay them some form of compensation for their loss of earnings, but this plea was refused. Now, at least it seems they have agreed to help with the Stray repairs.

By Jacob Webster, Local Democracy Reporter

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