Banning traffic like this won’t solve Harrogate’s retail crisis – Nick Brown

Now is not the time to deliver it a further body blow by pedestrianising the town centre.

I believe that the 2016 Masterplan, which promotes this policy, is out of date and will not serve local businesses well.

It may have merit sometime in the future but certainly not now when our retailers need all the help from us that they can get

For many years, shoppers – including residents and tourists in large numbers – have used their cars to come into central Harrogate from across our rural borough and further afield.

Their spending has created for Harrogate a reputation as a great place for a day out shopping, which is the envy of many other towns.

Reducing parking spaces, creating an abundance of traffic cones and pursuing an anti-car agenda near to the best of Harrogate’s retail offering will, however, severely affect trade, just when these businesses need it most.

The age profile of the average shopper in Harrogate is quite high and the use of our shops by these typically high-spending customers is not compatible with the notion that everyone can walk or cycle to the town centre, especially during the North Yorkshire winter which will soon be upon us.

This trendy ‘green’ concept, together with reductions in effective public transport, have, I believe, led to an increase in car use across the area.

Furthermore, many people are now wary of using public transport because of the risk of catching Covid-19.

Right now, we should be encouraging visitors by car to make use of our shops.

Covid is actually a strong counter-argument to the pedestrianisation foreseen by the 2016 Masterplan.

It is already clear that, due to the pandemic, unemployment in the private sector is rising and will continue to do so for some time.

Many retail shops have closed in central Harrogate, even before Covid, and further staff reductions will, sadly, have to be faced.

Do Harrogate councillors, of whatever party, want to exacerbate this decline still further and add to the woes 
of retailers at this current 
time?

I seriously wonder if my fellow councillors really want a legacy of business failures and increased unemployment on their conscience?

I believe that this will be the price of a car-free town centre at this time.

Before they proceed with even a partial pedestrianisation of the town centre, I have a few questions that I feel my colleagues should answer, in public, regarding this ‘trial’ pedestrianisation in James Street.

Firstly, what economic modelling or research has the Council’s ‘Place Shaping and Economic Growth Unit’ done into the current effects of further pedestrianising the central shopping area of Harrogate, especially relating to shopping ‘footfall’?

Secondly, what consultation has Harrogate Borough Council itself undertaken with shop owners and landlords in
 James Street, in relation to this ‘trial’?

Thirdly, if a proper and professional consultation was not undertaken by Harrogate Borough Council as a responsible local authority, then I ask, why not?

Unless the council can demonstrate that business ratepayers and other affected parties were properly consulted, and overwhelmingly support what is proposed, I would contend that an immediate halt should be made to this ‘trial’ until we know the views of the retail experts about the harm that this will cause.

I fear that the scheme 
is becoming a fait accompli.

As a councillor who prefers to put serving the residents and businesses of Harrogate ahead of party political agendas, I often find myself a lone voice and in a minority of one on the council, as indeed I do on this issue.

Last week I made a point of walking round the whole of the centre of Harrogate.

Our town centre is in decline, accelerated by Covid.

Now is not the time to deal it the death-blow of pedestrianisation.

Let’s invest instead in helping our retailers by improving the unkempt state of public areas such as Cambridge Street and Oxford Street, which I am certain they would support.

Nick Brown is a Conservative councillor on Harrogate Borough Council and a former mayor.

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James Mitchinson