Station Gateway: Senior Tory accuses Harrogate Lib Dems of being ‘anti-cycling, anti-environment, anti-investment’

In May, the controversial active travel scheme received cross-party support after a majority of Lib Dems said it should go ahead, providing the council engages with residents, businesses and local councillors “in a meaningful way”.

But the party withdrew its support earlier this month claiming the council had reneged on its promise to work with locals.

At a full meeting of the council in Northallerton, Conservative executive councillor for transport and highways, Keane Duncan, delivered a scathing assessment of the Lib Dems’ changing stance on the Gateway and also disputed that any promises agreed at the May meeting had been broken.

He said: ‘The position now from Lib Dems in Harrogate is one of being anti-investment, anti-walking, anti-cycling, anti-environment and most gravely and damaging of all, anti-goodwill — a factor and quality that I think is essential now more than ever in this council.

“This executive will continue our support for the Gateway. There will be no faltering and no political games.”

Liberal Democrat councillor for High Harrogate and Kingsley, Chris Aldred, then accused Coun Duncan of making the statement in order to further his own political ambitions.

On Friday, Coun Duncan was selected by the Conservatives to be its candidate for the first Mayor of York and North Yorkshire with elections next year.

Coun Aldred later demanded the council investigates the “factual accuracy” of Coun Duncan’s statement.

He said: “I was accused of grandstanding and plating party politics.

"It wasn’t us who brought this up this afternoon. He could have written to me couldn’t he?

"He chose to mention this today. I’d like to congratulate him on the start of his campaign and I hope it goes a lot better than he’s started it today.”

Coun Duncan’s comments also provoked veteran Harrogate councillor Pat Marsh, who was one of three Lib Dems to oppose the scheme in May.

Coun Marsh said: “To say the Lib Dems are anti-cycling, walking, whatever. That is totally, totally wrong.

"We were against a scheme that will not really deliver for any of that. We want the right scheme and not the wrong scheme.”