This is who is on the new Harrogate BID board

Last week’s announcement of the result of votes for the board of Harrogate Business Improvement District resulted in a bigger representation for independent traders.
By Graham Chalmers
Published 16th Dec 2019, 10:48 BST
Updated 16th Dec 2019, 10:49 BST
New member of Harrogate BID board, Chris Bentley, right, with the outgoing chairman, John Fox.New member of Harrogate BID board, Chris Bentley, right, with the outgoing chairman, John Fox.
New member of Harrogate BID board, Chris Bentley, right, with the outgoing chairman, John Fox.

Harrogate BID board 2020

Three National Retailers: Andrea Thornborrow, Primark; Mark Robson, Marks and Spencer; and Martin Gerrard, Barclays Bank.

Three Independent Retailers: Rob Spencer, Town House Design; Robert Kennedy, G23; and Robert Ogden, Ogden of Harrogate.

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Two Office and Commercial: Chris Bentley, Hornbeam Park and Richard Wheeldon, Berwins Solicitors.

Two Food and Drink:

Mark Young, The Ivy and Sarah Ferguson, Sasso.

One Accommodation:

Sandra Doherty, Alexa House.

Three Public Sector representatives: David Bowe, North Yorkshire County Council; Coun Richard Cooper, Harrogate Borough Council; and Sgt Alex Sellars, North Yorkshire Police.

There is one vacancy for a voluntary contributor.

A new chair is yet to be appointed from within the board.

Is troubled £3m Harrogate business group set for brighter 2020?

Supporting the town centre: What will Harrogate BID do next

When Harrogate BID supported the new Thought Bubble Comic Con at Harrogate Convention Centre, by organising actors in comic book cosplay to hand out the BID Harrogate Map to visitors, it showed its commitment to promoting the town.

In total, the event attracted 11,000 people to Harrogate.

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It's also launched a Harrogate Gift Card to be spent by shoppers in Harrogate shops and eateries.

But the work to secure a prosperous future for the town’s challenged retail sector has only just begun and the playing field remains a tough one.

Whoever becomes the next chair of Harrogate BID will have a range of priorities

Launching a free cost-savings advice service to levy payers to help businesses reduce bills

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Continuing to push the Harrogate Gift Card, which aims to lock spend into the local economy and has seen over 90 businesses sign up

Maintaining the BID website harrogatebid.co.uk which lay dormant for five months

Help choose a new BID manager to replace its first manager, Elizabeth Murphy, inset, who quit after only three months

Applications for the post will remain open to January 3, 2020

The advertised job comes with a projected salary of circa £45,000.

No Harrogate-Leeds trains for four days at Christmas

Related topics:HarrogateRetailersMark RobsonPrimark