Liberal Democrats have come out in favour of the creation of a Harrogate town council.
A second consultation on whether to set-up a town council runs until May 5.
North Yorkshire County Council said in March the move would require 35,000 households to pay an additional council tax charge of between £40 and £60.
But local Liberal Democrats said today a town council would enable locally-elected councillors to take control of assets such as off-street car parks, the Stray, Royal Hall, Sun Pavilion and Valley Gardens.
Harrogate and Scarborough are the only parts of the county not to have a parish or town council.
Eight Liberal Democrats, including former Harrogate borough councillors and current North Yorkshire councillors, signed in support of a town council.
Cllr Pat Marsh, chair of North Yorkshire Council‘s area constituency committee for Harrogate and Knaresborough, said her party supported devolving power. She added:
“Without a new town council, Harrogate would be at a real disadvantage when bidding for services to remain local.
“Harrogate residents need to have a voice when it comes to the future of local assets, just as those in Knaresborough, Ripon, Pateley Bridge, Boroughbridge and many other villages in North Yorkshire have.”
Pat Marsh
Cllr Marsh said “unique decisions relating to Harrogate should be being made in Harrogate by people who have received the endorsement of Harrogate residents” rather than councillors in places such as Catterick, Ryedale and Scarborough.
She added:
“Assets that could be considered for control by the town council include off-street car parks, the Stray, Royal Hall, Sun Pavilion, Valley Gardens and the other green and floral spaces within the town.
“Without local protection, these assets are always in danger of being cut by North Yorkshire councillors not from Harrogate.
“A Harrogate town council would also provide a formal representative voice for local residents on planning applications and other consultations.
“Harrogate is a very special place and decisions about our town need to be made by local people who know, love and understand this town.”
Read more:
- Second consultation to be held on whether to form Harrogate town council
- Just 3.5% responded to Harrogate town council consultation
A total of 75% favoured setting up a Harrogate town council in last year’s first consultation but only 1,250 homes — 3.5% of those affected — responded. The low response rate triggered concerns about the validity of the response.
The statement urges residents and businesses to respond to the second consultation before the May 5 deadline.
The Lib Dem councillors who signed today’s statement are:
Pat Marsh — Stray, Woodlands and Hookstone.
Philip Broadbank — Fairfax and Starbeck.
Chris Aldred — High Harrogate and Kingsley
Peter Lacey — Coppice Valley and Duchy
Mike Schofield — Harlow and St Georges
Monika Slater — Bilton Grange and New Park
Honorary alderman Trevor Chapman
Honorary alderman Matthew Webber
Harrogate residents set to be asked if they want a town council
Senior county councillors are set to launch a review into whether to set up a town council in Harrogate.
Harrogate Borough Council will no longer exist from April 1 when the new unitary authority, North Yorkshire Council, is created.
It will leave both Harrogate and Scarborough as the only areas of the county with no parish authority.
North Yorkshire County Council’s executive will be recommended next week to start a community governance review, which will consult on creating a lower tier authority.
Conservative leader of the council, Cllr Carl Les, has pledged to offer more powers to parish councils when the new North Yorkshire Council comes into force as part of a ‘double devolution’ policy.
Cllr Les said:
“Parish and town councils will play a key role in representing the views and promoting the needs of communities, so it is vital we look at offering people in Harrogate and Scarborough the opportunity to give their views on whether they want town or parish councils and, if so, what these might look like.
“At this stage, no proposals would be put forward. Residents would be invited to give their views on the formation of town councils and the reasons behind them. Depending on the response, there would be a further consultation in which people would be asked to comment on detailed proposals.”
Read more:
- Harrogate town council: What is it and what would it cost taxpayers?
- Decision on Harrogate town council could take two years
The review will include a consultation with residents in Harrogate to ask their views on creating a town council.
Senior county councillors will be recommended to approve the review at a meeting of the council’s executive on July 19.
What is a town council?
Town and parish councils run services such as community centres and play areas, as well as maintaining bus shelters. Councillors are elected to serve on them but they are not paid.
The councils can also charge a precept as part of council tax bills to fund the services provided, meaning there is a cost to the people they serve.
In the Harrogate district, there are town councils in areas such as Ripon, Knaresborough, Pateley Bridge and Kirby Hill.
Because Harrogate does not currently have a lower tier council, it also raises questions over what its boundaries would be.