Liberal Democrats at County Hall are pleased that the Conservative-run
County Council yesterday dropped plans to split an important Harrogate committee in two.

In July this year there was a proposal by Tories on North Yorkshire County Council to split the Harrogate County Area Committee into two. This would have created two committees, one serving the rural areas of Harrogate borough and one the urban part.

The claim made by supporters was that the committee is too big (18 County Councillors  plus Parish, District and voluntary sector members). It was also claimed that rural issues were being sidelined.

At the meeting of the County Area Committee on the 8 November it was made clear that there was little support for the idea. Indeed, the only support was from a few Conservative county councillors.

Liberal Democrat county councillors, parish council representatives, district councillors and people from the voluntary sector all criticised the proposal as having more disadvantages than advantages.

Opponents to the change quoted increased costs of running two committees, the risk of a “disconnection” between rural and urban areas creating a “them and us” mentality at a time when County and District Councils are attempting to meet Government requirements to work closer together.

Parish and voluntary sector representatives have also pointed out the difficulties that they would meet in having to attend and contribute to two committees rather than one.

Knaresborough County Councillor Bill Hoult (Leader of the Lib Dem group at County Hall) comments:

“I am very pleased that the Executive has supported the Harrogate Area Committee recommendation that this idea be dropped. Clearly the proposal was  strongly linked to the bid for county unitary status, but that has now failed.”

“It made sense to look at splitting the committee when the County Unitary bid was a possibility but it makes no sense now.”