Harrogate Town Council has started the roll out of new town centre signage, designed to help residents and visitors navigate the area.
Part of plans to improve information in the area, Harrogate Town Council is working with key partners to update signage and create new “Welcome to Harrogate” signs at entry points to the town.
When the North Yorkshire Council, based in Northallerton, took over following the abolition of Harrogate Borough Council, local signage and other information were not kept up to date
The new, local Town Council initiative aims to correct this.
Chair of the Signage Working Group, Councillor Mark Warr said:
We identified soon after our formation in 2025 that signage and information around town had been ignored for several years.
Residents regularly commented about the poor state of the Harrogate boundary signs and the lack of formal welcome signage on the roads into Harrogate.
Working with key Harrogate partners including BID, the Civic Society and the Chamber of Commerce as well as the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority has allowed us to progress with a plan.
This is now underway and although funding for a complete update will not be in place for a year or so, we are keen to make a difference with the funds available as soon as possible’.
Early phases of the project include updating the town information ‘tombstones’, as they are colloquially known, as well directional information on the old Tourist Information Office, to point arrivals to the correct Royal Pump Room and West Park Centre locations.
All new town signage will incorporate the Town Council’s Crown of Springs icon, specifically designed to bring a modern feel to the town’s branding.
Tom Gordon, Liberal Democrat MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough said:
North Yorkshire Council’s neglect of the signage has damaged Harrogate tourism offering. Nothing was updated when the Tourist Information Centre closed, the signs sent people on a goose chase.
It’s great to see the Town Council taking initiative. Signage is a small step that can make a big impact on the feel of the area.
