Local politicians call for changes to Harrogate Town Council despite consultation showing support for existing plans

If the town is to get its own ‘parish council’ as part of a radical shake-up of local government in April which has seen the abolition of Harrogate Borough Council and the creation of North Yorkshire Council the first elections would take place in 2024.

This follows public consultation organised by the county council in spring to judge the mood over creating a Harrogate Town Council in consultation, the second such exercise.

It received 1,698 responses from Harrogate households with 65.5% in favour of a town council based on North Yorkshire Council’s recommendation that there should be ten wards in Harrogate based on current North Yorkshire Council divisions, with each represented by two councillors per ward with the exception of Saltergate, which would have one councillor.

Harrogate Town Council councillors would be elected for a reduced three-year term in 2024.

Elections would then take place every four years from 2027.

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

So far, so straightforward.

The spanner in the works came at a meeting of the county council’s standards and governance committee on Wednesday in Northallerton.

Two Conservative councillors in Harrogate – Coun Sam Gibbs, representing the Valley Gardens and Central Harrogate division, and Coun Michael Harrison, representing the Killinghall, Hampsthwaite and Saltergate division, argued the proposed number of councillors elected to a future Harrogate Town Council should be reduced from 19 to 10.

Coun Gibbs argued that residents did not feel attached to the current council boundaries that would also be used for the town council and the end result would be “unwieldy”.

"It’s important if we create a parish council we get this right,” said Coun Gibbs.

"A smaller number of councillors would be more desirable.”

From the Lib Dems’ point of view, the problem was that flew in the face of public consultation and could delay the whole project.

Lib Dem Coun Monika Slater, representing the Bilton Grange and New Park division, argued if there was a change of heart on the new body’s make-up there would have to be a third public consultation.

“To disregard the public's opinion without any clear justification is outrageous,” Coun Slater told the Harrogate Advertiser.

"It is a waste of time and money.

"The Conservatives just want to kick the can down the road.

"It is almost as though by creating a delay they are hoping to avoid another local election defeat prior to the next general election.”

The week’s North Yorkshire Council standards and governance committee saw councillors voted to support a recommendation by Coun Sam Cross, independent councillor for Filey, to create one-member wards in Harrogate based around the previous district council ward boundaries.

With the votes tied three-three, the chair of the committee, Tory Coun Clive Pearson voted in favour.

But that does not mean a final decision to create a town council has been made.

A full meeting of North Yorkshire Council will settle that at a meeting on July 19.

That will then only leave the question of what a Harrogate Town Council would do.