A North Yorkshire councillor has set out his hopes for Harrogate Town Council which could involve running its own weekly market.
Chris Aldred (Liberal Democrat, High Harrogate & Kingsley) has been a leading proponent for the creation of a town council over the last few years.
Next year, he will finally get his wish as the new council is set to come into existence from April 1, with elections on May 1 to choose 19 new councillors.
The parish council won’t be replacing North Yorkshire Council or the former Harrogate Borough Council and its powers will be much more modest.
Cllr Aldred told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that although nothing has been agreed yet, the town council could choose to introduce a market, a town crier, provide sports facilities or run car parks.
But before any of that is agreed, the most pressing issue to sort out will be how much residents will have to pay through their council tax each year.
North Yorkshire Council officers, who are overseeing the creation of the town council, have suggested the parish precept would be between £40 and £60 a year, or around £1 a week, which Cllr Aldred believes represents value for money.
A recommendation for what the precept should be is set to be made at a meeting in November.
The new town council will incur costs from day one, even if it doesn’t provide any services to begin with.
It will have to employ a town clerk who deals with administration and it may have to provide an office for them to work in.
There is also a legal duty for town councils to provide allotments for their residents.
The allotments in Harrogate currently run by North Yorkshire Council will likely transfer over to the town council.
Cllr Aldred said he hopes the town council could also take on the running of some children’s playgrounds in Harrogate, like how the Knaresborough and Ripon parish councils currently do.
Harrogate has had a charter mayor for the last two years, which is a slimmed-down version of the former Harrogate Borough Council mayor.
The process of transitioning the charter mayor into the town mayor should be relatively straightforward with little cost involved.
The new town councillors will then have to decide what role they wish the town mayor and deputy to take.
Cllr Aldred said:
“Will the mayor just chair meetings and attend a limited number of civic events, at their own expense, as now? Or will there be a more formal role, with expenses, a car, an attendant?”
There was disquiet in Harrogate at the lack of significant D-Day commemoration events this year and the town council could look to co-ordinate events like this.
Cllr Aldred added that he used to work for Skipton Town Council which runs its own market four days a week.
Both Ripon and Knaresborough councils have ambitions to run their weekly markets, too.
Cllr Aldred suggested one place where it could take place would be Station Square, which will be revamped as part of the £12.1m Station Gateway project.
He added:
“Obviously recent discussions around both Knaresborough and Ripon markets have highlighted what these markets mean to these communities.
“I’m sure a regular market in the centre of Harrogate would be welcomed by the majority of our residents, though there will always be some who don’t of course.
“It could also be a further attraction for the visitors our town relies upon for its economic prosperity.”
Cllr Aldred described the choice of services that the town council may wish to provide as “almost limitless”.
He emphasised that any decisions on what and what not to provide must rest with the elected town councillors.
North Yorkshire Council will also have to decide which, if any, of its services it would be happy to hand over.
Cllr Aldred said:
“Elsewhere town councils are providing parks and playgrounds, other sports facilities indoor and outdoor, car parks, public conveniences, public realm improvements like benches, street lighting, a regular events programme, grants to voluntary organisations, arts venues, town ambassadors, town rangers or enforcement officers and town criers.”
Harrogate councillors are set to meet on November 14 to iron out more details regarding the town council, including potentially deciding how much it will cost taxpayers in its first year.
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