Survey results show lack of support for £12 million Harrogate Station Gateway project, say campaigners

The Get Away campaign group said that 91 per cent of almost 200 local businesses which took part were against the scheme, with five per cent in favour and three per cent unsure.

The group was formed to fight North Yorkshire Council over its plans for the town, which would see work carried out around the railway station to improve public spaces and create better facilities for cyclists and pedestrians.

Get Away said more than half of respondents thought the scheme would have a harmful impact on their business and 94 per cent thought it would not deliver any benefits for local people or visitors.

The group has already begun legal action against the council over its issuing of traffic regulation orders last month ahead of the work starting.

It has now written to Local Transport Minister Simon Lightwood and Tom Gordon, the MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, to highlight the concerns raised by businesses.

Steven Baines, local business owner and spokesperson for Get Away, said the results highlighted the level of opposition to the scheme from Harrogate’s business community.

He said: “Given the huge groundswell of opposition, we call on North Yorkshire Council to stop wasting any more money on a scheme which is neither wanted nor needed.

“It is clear from our research that the council has not taken the views of local businesses into account and just want to push this through against the wishes of the community.

“Quite clearly, the money would be better spent on the things we really need for Harrogate such as economic growth, support for local businesses and better public services including roads, policing and healthcare.”

Work is set to start on similar schemes in Skipton and Selby later this year after council leaders gave the go-ahead earlier this month.

No decision was taken on the Harrogate project due to the legal challenge.

North Yorkshire Council has been awarded more than £38m in funding from the Transforming Cities Fund programme for projects in the three town centres.