Red tape means big race will be last on Harrogate's Stray

But it will be the last big event to be held there – with officials deciding against an application to permanently change the way it is governed.

The grassland which surrounds the centre of the town is a protected area, whose use is regulated by the Harrogate Stray Act of 1985.

It allows only 35 days of events to be held there each year, and prohibits more than 3.5 hectares being shut off at one time.

An event on the scale of next September’s race will take up around 20 hectares, making it one of the biggest ever on the site.

Harrogate District Council has now agreed to ask the Communities Secretary, James Brokenshire, to suspend the Act for the nine days of the race – but it has been told that the time and cost of navigating the bureaucracy means no further applications will be considered.

The council has previously asked Ministers to use their powers under the Localism Act to lift restrictions on the Stray – most notably for the Grand Depart of the Tour de France, in 2014.

But Westminster officials have expressed concerns about the amount of parliamentary time taken up by repeated requests for temporary solutions.

The council’s legal head, Jennifer Norton, warned councillors that further requested would not be welcomed.

She said: “It is likely that the UCI event will be the last large-scale event on the Stray in the foreseeable future.”

Campaigners to protect the Stray had been concerned that the council would try to secure a permanent change to the Act, to allow for more large-scale events.

But Coun Stanley Lumley, cabinet member for sport, said: “There are no plans for us to ask for a permanent change. This will be the last time we will make an application for a temporary change.”

Hr added: “The UCI World Road Championships is a significant event and will contribute thousands of pounds to the economy of the Harrogate district.”

The championships, which in 2019 will also take in Beverley, Doncaster, Leeds, Northallerton, Ripon, and York, have not been held in Britain since 1982.

Yorkshire’s success in securing the event is seen as cementing its reputation as a centre for world cycling. It has been forecast that it will contribute between £60m and £100m to the economy.

The event is underwritten by the Government, with further cash from the National Lottery.

Some businesses in Harrogate have argued that a permanent change to the law governing the town-centre grassland known as The Stray could bring financial benefits to the area.

The Stray has been used to hold spectator hubs for the Tour de Yorkshire, as well as the sprint finish to the Grand Départ of 2014. But a campaigning group called the Stray Defence Association has argued that continued use would cause “untold damage”.

Last year, Harrogate Chamber of Trade and Commerce said most of its members, particularly shops and restaurants, were in favour of more use but urged “caution” in any changes.