Neighbourhood Plans can be a powerful tool for local input on development, allowing communities to shape growth and improve design quality. They provide certainty for developers, improve local design, and help meet specific housing needs, though they aren’t meant to stop all development, and success often relies on alignment with the main Local Plan.
Harrogate has a poor track of groups representing the general public, resulting in people disengaging from the town, and a lack of community spirit. Also, with the dominance of the Libdems on the Harrogate Town Council, the risk is that it becomes a forum for political grandstanding.
There is a dominance of a number of groups, that don’t always provide tangible benefit to the town, often featuring the same individuals.
Harrogate Town Council has said that they have welcomed the handover from of the Harrogate Neighbourhood Plan from the Harrogate Town Forum.
The Harrogate Neighbourhood Plan has been initiated by a Harrogate Town Forum. As a group, it doesn’t have a published constitution or terms of reference.
The Forum initiated a Town Plan process before the creation of Harrogate Town Council, and will retain a role in the further development of the plan.
The challenge now is to communicate the benefit of the plan, with the aim of having genuine local engagement.
