Exciting contests in town that will lose half of its councillors
THE MAJOR shake-up of how local government operates in North Yorkshire is likely to throw up some dramatic results – particularly in Harrogate as existing councillors battle each other for a reduced number of seats.
A new unitary authority for North Yorkshire will provide all council services in the county from April 2023 to replace the existing county council and district councils.
It means that 90 councillors will be elected to serve one year on North Yorkshire County Council before transitioning to the new unitary authority for a fouryear term.
In Harrogate, 21 councillors will be elected to represent the district – far fewer than the 42 currently on Harrogate Borough Council and North Yorkshire County Council.
Current council leader Richard Cooper is not standing for reelection so deputy leader Graham Swift is the most senior candidate for Harrogate’s Conservatives.
He faces competition from four candidates for the Coppice Valley and Duchy division, including Independent Daniel Thompson. The other candidates are Patricia Foxall (Labour), Peter Lacey (Liberal Democrat) and Leighton Regayre (Green Party).
The fight for Fairfax and Starbeck will see two more sitting borough councillors go head-tohead. These are Liberal Democrat Philip Broadbank and Conservative Sue Lumby.
Green Party’s Gordon Schallmo and Labour’s Christopher Watt are also standing for this division.
Another interesting contest is shaping up in High Harrogate and Kingsley where more existing and former councillors will battle it out.
Lib Dem councillor Chris Aldred is chair of the borough council’s overview scrutiny commission, while Conservative councillor Tim Myatt is cabinet member for planning. Former Labour councillor Geoffrey Foxall is also contesting the seat.
In Killinghall, Hampsthwaite and Saltergate, candidates David Goode (Liberal Democrat) and Michael Harrison (Conservative) both currently sit on the county council.