Harrogate and Knaresborough Area Committee
Annual report 2024/25
5 June 2025
Membership
Councillors Andrew Timothy, Monika Slater (Chair), Chris Aldred, Philip Broadbank, Sam Gibbs, Hannah Gostlow, Michael Harrison, Paul Haslam, Peter Lacey (Vice-Chair), John Mann, Mike Schofield, Matt Walker and Robert Windass.
Introduction
Area Committees (ACs) are a forum for visible local democracy and accountability, where members of the public and local groups can raise specific issues which affect the local area. ACs can also act as consultees for the development of plans and policies which affect the area and monitor performance data to ensure services are being delivered effectively and efficiently. ACs can provide meaningful scrutiny of local issues within their area, complementing the strategic work undertaken by the Council’s Overview and Scrutiny Committees.
The Annual Report 2024/25 provides a summary of the committee’s activity over the last year and an overview of what has been achieved.
The Work of the Committee
There were four formal meetings of the committee in 2024/25. The agendas, reports, and minutes of those meetings are available on the council website.
A summary of the key themes at each meeting are as follows:
· Reviewed the examiner’s recommendations for changes to the Pannal and Burn Bridge Neighbourhood Plan and made a recommendation to the Executive.
· Made decisions regarding spending the £50,000 seed funding for economic development, reviewing projects and proposals.
· Gave feedback on the Council’s Let’s Talk Food consultation.
· Updates on:
o 20mph zone implementation
o Sustainable transport measures
o Active Travel Schemes
o Work of the Stronger Communities team.
· Heard a petition signed by over 500 residents, asking the Council to reconsider plans to harmonise markets across North Yorkshire, and recommended that the Executive continues to engage with the Town Council and defer any decision until after the discussions were completed.
· Further decisions and ongoing updates on the spending of the £50,000 seed funding for economic development.
· Updates on:
o Gully cleaning
o Active Travel Schemes
o Appointments made by the council to Outside Bodies active in the area.
· Considered an options appraisal for implementing a new 20mph zone in Harrogate.
· Heard from NHS colleagues on the provision of Urgent and Emergency Care in the area, highlighting local challenges and important issues.
· Received an update on water quality of the River Nidd from Environment Agency and Yorkshire Water colleagues, including information on actions planned to address issues which had been identified.
· Further decisions and ongoing updates on the spending of the £50,000 seed funding for economic development.
· Updates on:
o Climate Change Activity, by the Council and Zero Carbon Harrogate.
o The work of the Community Safety Team.
· Heard an update from Harrogate Youth Council, and agreed a regular series of updates at future meetings.
· Considered an update on the performance of schools in the area.
· Updates on:
o Delivery of the Council’s Local Nature Recovery Strategy.
o Active Travel Schemes
In addition, there were 11 informal briefings and updates to the members (typically held remotely via MS Teams) which helped to inform the work of the committee by providing context and background on issues in the area. They also provide an opportunity for members to provide specific local feedback to council officers. These sessions included the following issues:
· Providing local feedback on the Council’s Budget.
· Giving feedback on consultations.
· Receiving regular updates on the delivery of the Harrogate Station Gateway scheme.
· Updates on the work of the Resilience and Emergencies team.
· How the AC can support the Community and Voluntary Sector.
· How the Council are dealing with climate change, air quality, and water quality issues in the area.
Public Participation
A key element of the work of the committee is engagement with local people and organisations and listening to concerns raised. In 2024/25, there were 7 public questions and statements. These covered issues including:
· Road safety and active travel
· Home to school transport arrangements
· Issues relating to public rights of way in the area
The meetings of the committees are recorded and broadcast. Recordings on the Council website and YouTube channel have had 975 views, an average of 244 per meeting.
Recordings of the meetings are available here - Live meetings | North Yorkshire Council
Work Programme for 2025/26
The committee work programme is a live document that is owned by the committee Members are able to suggest items for inclusion in the work programme, both as part of discussions and debate at meetings of the committee as well as in-between meetings. Any item identified for inclusion with the work programme will be reviewed by the supporting officer and at the MCB to determine: 1) whether it is within the scope of the committee; 2) what the expected outcome of the debate and discussions would be; 3) whether it is being reviewed by another committee of the Council; and 4) whether it could be considered as part of an informal briefing as opposed to at a formal committee meeting.
Some of the key areas of investigation currently included in the draft work programme for 2025/26 are:
· Attendance by the MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough
· Attendance by the Mayor and Chief Executive of the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority
· Knaresborough Flooding Report
· Active Travel Scheme Updates
· Regular updates on services operating in the area
· Information and consultation on policies being implemented in Harrogate and Knaresborough
Contact Information
Chair
Cllr Monika Slater
Cllr.Monika.Slater@northyorks.gov.uk
Vice Chair
Councillor Peter Lacey
cllr.peter.lacey@northyorks.gov.uk
Democratic Services
Edward Maxwell