Harrogate taxpayers set to foot the £140,000 bill for three consultations over creation of new town council

At a full meeting of North Yorkshire Council last week, councillors debated proposals to create a town council for Harrogate.

The council would be similar to parish councils in Knaresborough and Ripon but as yet, it has not been confirmed what services it might deliver.

In a second public consultation held earlier this year, residents backed the creation of two councillor wards arranged by the current 10 North Yorkshire Council divisions. Saltergate would have had one councillor.

However, Conservative councillors said they didn’t want to proceed with this model and instead wanted to see single councillor wards based around the 19 former Harrogate Borough Council boundaries.

Councillors ultimately voted by 49 to 32 to back these plans, with another public consultation now legally required.

It means the new council is not likely to be formed before 2025 — a year later than originally planned.

During the debate, councillors raised concerns about the cost of holding another consultation.

Later in the meeting, Liberal Democrat councillor for High Harrogate and Kingsley, Chris Aldred, asked the Conservative executive member for corporate services, David Chance, how much the previous two consultations had cost and how much it would cost to “yet again” go out to the public.

Coun Chance said that £45,270 was spent on the first consultation and £46,486 on the second, with the money spent on printing, postage costs and digital marketing.

He said if the council decides to proceed with a third consultation that would be similar in form to the previous two, it would cost another £48,000.

Although he added that “there are other ways of carrying out this consultation at a much lower cost” but did not give any specifics.