Businesses across the Harrogate district are eagerly awaiting details of the support on offer to them in the Chancellor’s Budget, to be announced later today.

An extension to the furlough scheme, continued business rates relief and moves to support sole traders are high on the list of hopes for local business leaders.

Mike Patterson, head of employment at law firm Berwins, said support for continuing employment was vital, as well as more support being offered to self-employed people. He said:

“The furlough scheme has been a major financial lifeline for many businesses, especially those forced to close during this lockdown, and for it to continue for another few months would be a massive boost in helping to save jobs and hopefully minimise redundancies.

“We’re also expecting the Chancellor to announce a new wave of grants for the self-employed. Although this scheme could either be scrapped or scaled back from May when lockdown restrictions are expected to start being lifted and self-run businesses could reopen.

“There are then the sole traders and company directors we act for who have had no income support from the government at all. We’re aware that the Chancellor is under pressure to introduce a support scheme for those in this category and I hope to see support for those who have fallen through the gaps of previous support – up to three million people.”

Neil Addley, left, and Mike Patterson

Neil Addley, who runs automotive data specialist firm JudgeService, is expecting an increase in corporation tax, as well as sector-specific support. For JudgeService’s clients, keeping fuel duty and vehicle tax static would help, along with measures to support the infrastructure for electric vehicles, both for business and personal use.

Mr Addley, who launched new public survey platform YourPoll in autumn 2020, said rates reductions and a short-term cut in VAT would help the high street. However, he said he felt positive about the prospects for his businesses and the local economy over the coming months:

“Demand for vehicles and for reviews is likely to rise as we emerge from lockdown. Hospitality will reopen. People have been cooped up for the best part of a year and will be happy to splash the cash.”

His views were echoed by Marc Squires and Kevin Masheder of SignHub, who work with many hospitality clients. Marc said:

“It would be good to see the possibility of support extended as things are still up and down and it might be a while until businesses can return to normal later in the year.

“We work with a lot of local retail and hospitality businesses so, if the government can help get them going again with support and schemes to help them once they are back open, this will have a positive knock-on effect to other businesses that rely on working with them too, which hopefully will boost the local and national economy.”

For the property sector, the biggest question is whether the stamp duty holiday will be continued. Tim Waring, head of residential at estate agent Lister Haigh, said:

“Some form of tapering would be logical as a possible three-month extension would merely be deferring the ‘cliff edge’. This is not the answer to achieve market stability.

“The property market thrives on confidence and at this time, people want more than anything to hear good news. Economic uncertainties, including Brexit which seems to have dropped out of the headlines, will not produce a thriving housing market.”

Mr Waring said he also wants to see measures brought in locally to ensure town centres are able to reopen, even if some businesses do not survive. He called on Harrogate Borough and North Yorkshire County councils to work together with local businesses to bring people back to the high street, such as through lower parking charges.

Marc Squires, left, and Teresa Bowe

Looking across all sectors, Teresa Bowe, founder of CCF Accountancy, said the government had to balance the need to maintain the economy and employment against the huge sums spent over the last year.

“I’m not expecting income tax rates to change but maybe thresholds. The government has a tricky job of clawing back the money used to support business throughout this time but they still need to balance the books.

“I expect indirect taxes to be targeted such as capital gains tax and I wouldn’t be surprised if they reduced business disposal relief. There has been talk of aligning self employed taxes to employed and they have already got closer in recent budgets, but I suspect this gap will be narrowed further.

“I hope that they keep the employers rates and allowances in place and I also hope that they do not increase the rate of tax on dividends.”

Read more:

• Harrogate business groups want Station Gateway cash spent elsewhere
• Could a Claro Road rail station solve Harrogate’s congestion?

Meanwhile, authorities across North Yorkshire are hoping the Budget will include announcements about investment in transport infrastructure.

Invest East Coast Rail has set out a raft of benefits, which it says is worth £11 billion to the economy, from improving the East Coast Main Line. The group has called for measures to encourage people to use the route more as lockdown is eased, saying confidence in its reliability is vital after 17 major incidents in 2018 cost the economy £46 million.

North Yorkshire County Councillor Don Mackenzie, executive member for access, who represents the authority on Invest East Coast Rail, said:

“The East Coast Mainline provides an essential transport link for North Yorkshire residents and businesses and the rail line certainly merits further investment, particularly to address capacity constraints.”

Parking in the town centre is the “biggest frustration” for 69% of Harrogate residents.

The Stray Ferret worked with Your Poll by Judge Service to survey nearly 1,500 people in Harrogate.

All surveys with more than 1,000 respondents are statistically valid. Thank you to everyone who took the time to fill it out.

What are your biggest frustrations with Harrogate’s town centre?

By far and away, parking came out on top for frustrating residents.

48% (678) of respondents said that parking was too expensive and a further 21% (295) said there are not enough spaces.

“Get rid of the stupidity of parking charges or we will have a ghost town that nobody will visit and it will bring no money in to the town.” – anon.

“Horrified how the smartest town in Yorkshire is now full of empty shops with very few iconic shops left to attract visitors. Free parking is a necessity.” – anon.

Next on the list came the growing frustration with the town’s choice of shops. 51% (734) said there wasn’t a good enough range.

What is your biggest frustration?

17% said the town’s environment is poor, 11% said their favourite shop or restaurant had closed, 5% said public transport is an issue and 3% said there are not enough bars or restaurants.

“Free parking will simply be used by employees of shops. Or it will be used by people like me, who will simply park my car up by the station and go into Leeds.” – anon.

“I would probably visit the town more if it were cheaper to park. Parking cost makes us rush and less likely to stop and eat.” – anon.

The survey also asked where people park. Despite complaints about parking charges, 361 of respondents pay to park on street or in multi-storey car parks.

Disc parking was the next most popular option at 317 respondents and then came parking outside the centre at 101 respondents.

Pedestrianisation still divides the town

As social distancing came into place local councils accelerated pedestrianisation but it’s an idea that still divides in Harrogate.

The clearest divide is by age. 40% of those over 66-years-old said they disagreed or completely disagreed with pedestrianisation. None above the age of 86-years-old agreed with pedestrianisation.

In contrast, nearly 50% of those in the 36 to 45 age bracket agreed with pedestrianisation. Those younger than 36-years-old also answered in a similar fashion.

Another clear divide was between business owners in Harrogate, of which just under 30% agreed with pedestrianisation, and restaurant and pub owners, of which close to 80% agreed with pedestrianisation.

There was little difference between answers on pedestrianisation of James Street, Princes Square and Albert Street.

We will publish the full results to our survey and send them to the council and the MP on Wednesday

Harrogate’s town centre is at a critical crossroads.

The town has an enviable reputation as a destination for beautiful scenery, good bars and restaurants and independent shops.

But many businesses in the town are struggling. Many were under pressure before coronavirus – the Stray Ferret has reported on several well-loved local businesses ceasing to trade.

So what do you think should be done to improve the town’s fortunes? We want as many people as possible to fill in what will be the most comprehensive survey of its kind on how you use Harrogate town centre and what you think can help revive its economy.

We would like to hear views not only from Harrogate residents but also people in nearby places such as Ripon, Knaresborough, Pateley Bridge and Masham who use Harrogate for work and leisure.

Read more:

• Is the future of Harrogate town centre more homes, less shopping?
• Harrogate family pet shop to close after more than 50 years

The survey takes about 10 minutes and everyone who takes part will be entered into a prize draw with free gifts – a Stray Ferret umbrella or a 12 pack of special Stray Ferret beer brewed by Harrogate-based Roosters. You have to be over 18 to fill in the survey.

The survey results, which will be published on our website, will help shape the debate.

Click here to have your say on your town.

Despite spending millions, Harrogate Borough Council still faces problems with its new civic centre. 

The amount of parking on offer has been controversial from the outset and results in staff having to park elsewhere – taking up valuable commercial spaces and clogging residential streets. 

While HBC argued its move to the new civic centre would save £1m a year, this would have been true no matter which site the council chose for its new headquarters. 

The building itself has no mayor’s parlour for civic occasions, a choice which was queried by groups including Harrogate Civic Society, leaving nowhere to host visitors.

The council also made the move knowing that changes could lie ahead for local government, with the future shape of local government in North Yorkshire being debated at the time. Now, with HBC having only been in the civic centre for two years, even the existence of district councils is up for debate as North Yorkshire prepares for devolution.

Why is parking a problem? 

From the outset, the amount of parking was controversial.  

• Previously, 266 spaces were available across HBC’s five sites 
• Knapping Mount has just 95 spaces for staff and visitors 
• 561 staff are based there (though not all are there five days a week) 

As a result, the council is using spaces at the nearby Harrogate Convention Centre as overflow parking. In its plans for using up to 130 of these spaces, HBC acknowledged that it could result in a reduction in the £150,000 annual income from the public using the HCC car park 

When events are held, staff can park free in the Victoria multi-storey car park, using permits issued by HBC.  

• Usual cost of £11.70 for nine hours 
• Annual parking pass costs a member of the public £1,512 
• 786 parking spaces available 
• 698 parking passes have been issued to staff 

While it is unlikely they would all be used at the same time for the full day, there is no limit on how many spaces in the Victoria Car Park can be taken up by council staff. 

Not only does this mean that staff are being given free parking in a prime spot for shoppers who could be supporting local businesses, but it also limits the potential income for the council from parking spaces. 

The new civic centre car park has 95 spaces, with 561 staff based there

A report to HBC’s cabinet in November 2014, before building work began at Knapping Mount, rejected the multi-storey car park as an option. It said: 

“The use of Victoria Car Park as a potential location for employee parking has been considered, however feedback suggests that this may not be well utilised by employees due to the facility being more distant from the Knapping Mount site.” 

However, staff are now given passes for that car park when the convention centre is in use. If they do, as predicted, feel it is too far, the only option left to staff who drive is to park on surrounding streets. 

North Yorkshire County Council, which looks after on-street parking, warned during the planning process that it would have to enforce residents’ parking zones if neighbouring streets became congested. It said it would review the situation annually for five years after the new civic centre was occupied, in December 2017. 

The county council told The Stray Ferret it was working with HBC to monitor the situation, but follow-up surveys to its initial report have not been possible during the pandemic and would not give a representative picture of normal working days. Allan McVeigh, NYCC’s head of network strategy, said:

“Harrogate Borough Council is not only obliged to monitor how staff travel to the civic centre and where they park, it has also committed to promoting sustainable travel and encouraging staff, councillors and visitors to reduce their car use.

“The borough council has provided us with a draft monitoring report that contains the results of a travel survey, an update on agreed travel plans as well as a number of initiatives to promote sustainable travel to the civic centre.”

The full report will be published on HBC’s website once finalised.

Read more:

• The Stray Ferret reveals the civic centre cost taxpayers £17m
• Expensive design choices as council sought to ‘express nature of democracy’
• The alternative site that could have saved £7m

What savings have been made?

An ambitious savings target of £1m per year was set by HBC when it planned its new civic centre, which the ruling Conservative party said would mean the £5m spend would pay for itself in five years. 

Taken from a Conservative leaflet distributed in 2014

In its 2019 annual report, HBC said:  

“Savings of £909k from our move to civic centre have been built into the base budget and approved budget for 2019/20.” 

According to the council, this is made up of: 

• Senior management review – £269,000 
• Running costs – £265,000 
• Facilities management and support services – £134,000 
• Reduction in annual provision for print equipment replacement – £13,500 
• ICT – £227,000 
• TOTAL – £908,500 

The same could have been achieved by a move to any modern building. Knapping Mount did not have to be chosen in order to reduce staff numbers and streamline IT.  

A move to any single site would have delivered the same results – so a site and build which cost millions less would have paid for itself much sooner. 

If the new civic centre is no longer needed

When the public consultation over the Knapping Mount proposal was held in 2015, concerns were raised about future changes to local government.  

At the time, Harrogate Chamber of Trade and Commerce said a potential move to a unitary authority in the coming years could mean Harrogate no longer has a council, being replaced by a single authority for the whole county. 

The chamber argued that the decision over a new office should be delayed until the future of local government was clearer. However, HBC’s response at the time was that, should a move to unitary authority be made, a new civic centre would put Harrogate in an ideal position to become its headquarters.  

With discussions about unitary authorities and devolution still going on, the council’s civic centre may not be needed in the next few years

Even with that level of uncertainty, HBC chose to spend millions on a new headquarters. Its five offices could have lasted a few more years until the future of local government had been confirmed. 

If it had deemed the move essential at the time, a more traditional building design would have been pragmatic: the council could have extended or sold the building, or even leased part of it to a commercial tenant, if its needs changed. 

As it is, one local expert told The Stray Ferret that the council’s choice of a round building has restricted its adaptability for re-use or sale in future, meaning it is less valuable than it might have been.  

Five years later, the issue of changes to local government is still being debated. North Yorkshire County Council leader Carl Les told The Stray Ferret last week that discussions are still being held about forming a combined authority for North Yorkshire – and Unison has issued a statement raising concerns about the situation. 

The future of local government in Harrogate is still uncertain – meaning the new civic centre may no longer be required just a few years after it was built.

Next:

• The questions still remaining over Harrogate’s civic centre

The county council is reintroducing parking fines in the Harrogate district from next Monday as more shops open to customers.

Since the start of the lockdown enforcement officers have only targeted dangerous and obtrusive parking but that will change on June 15.

The measures will come into force for both on-street and off-street parking and will not be welcome by many Harrogate retailers who are desperate to get shoppers back into the town centre.

However, NHS staff, health or social care workers, and NHS volunteer responders will still be eligible for free parking if they leave evidence in their windows like an NHS permit.

Read More:

• Independent Harrogate calls for cheaper parking to help stimulate town centre economy
• Harrogate BID calls for urgent review of car park signage

North Yorkshire County Council is urging people to exercise social distancing when parking and paying to park and encouraging contactless payment through the AppyParking app.

They have asked anyone needing to pay by cash to use hand sanitiser before and after using the parking machine.

In the run-up to 15 June, officers will issue warning notices to motorists with expired permits and those contravening the regulations.

North Yorkshire County Councillor Don Mackenzie, Executive Member for Access, said:

“At any time, parking enforcement is an essential tool in helping to manage traffic flow to provide ease of access for all road users. As our towns open up it is important to manage traffic and to support the emergency active travel measures implemented to enable pedestrians and cyclists to maintain social distancing.”

North Yorkshire’s highways chief has defended a council decision to widen pavements in Harrogate district town centres and said the measures are only temporary after criticism from some traders and on social media.

Don Mackenzie, executive councillor for highways at North Yorkshire County Council, said the measures are designed to help social distancing and not to discourage shoppers.

The authority placed cones out to widen pavements and restrict parking in Harrogate on James Street, Commercial Street and parts of Albert Street and elsewhere in the district.

After questions over why only some streets had cones, Councillor Mackenzie said the measures were implemented to target “pinch points” where footpaths were too narrow and needed to be widened to comply with two metre social distancing guidelines.

He added that, while the order that covers the restrictions is in place until September, it could be lifted before then if national guidance allows.

Councillor Mackenzie said: “The restrictions are only temporary and once we are past this pandemic the bollards will be taken down.

“They are not to stop people from coming into the town. We have had support for these measures.”

He added that he has asked council officers to look into a web facility where people can suggest other streets which the authority should look at.

It comes as the restrictions were met with fierce criticism on social media and had mixed reactions from trade bodies which represent businesses in Harrogate.

Harrogate BID welcomed the news but called for clear parking signage for drivers, but Independent Harrogate said it was disappointed with the measures and urged the county council to rethink its decision.

On Facebook, the move was criticised by residents and described as a “waste of money” and “totally unnecessary”. Others said the widening of pavements was reasonable and had been implemented elsewhere in the UK.

Meanwhile, the restrictions have been removed from Pateley Bridge after the measures caused problems with traffic.

The new measures caused problems with traffic in Pateley Bridge this past weekend.

Cones were put in place up the town’s High Street but caused issues on the already narrow street, including forcing an ambulance to reverse in order for traffic to pass.

Keith Tordoff, chairman of the Nidderdale Chamber of Trade and local business owner in the town, said the restrictions were “ill thought through” and “caused havoc”.

“Everybody knew it was going to cause problems,” he said.

“It made Pateley Bridge look busier than it was. It clearly was never going to work.”

All NHS staff working at Harrogate District Hospital will be able to park their cars for free during the coronavirus pandemic.

The government will cover the cost after a petition calling for the move reached over 400,000 signatures.

It also comes after some private firms decided to waive fees for NHS staff, who can pay up to £1,300 a year to park according to the GMB union.

Matt Hancock, the health secretary, said: “I will do everything I can to ensure our dedicated staff have whatever they need.

“So we will provide free car parking for our NHS staff who are going above and beyond every day in hospitals across England.”

Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust sent out a message to staff before the announcement to say that parking charges would be scrapped.

With a surge of volunteers signing up to help at hospitals, they will be able to use council parking bays for free.

They just need to display evidence of their role in their windscreen to avoid a ticket.

Ministers are also urging all businesses near hospitals to work with their local NHS Trusts to consider allowing NHS staff to use their car parks.