Jet washing of Harrogate town centre has begun

The jet washing of Harrogate’s town-centre streets and street furniture has begun.

The work is being paid for by the Harrogate BID (Business Improvement District) levy payers – the group of town centre businesses of sufficient size that are required to pay the levy. The decision to spend the levy budget on this was made by the levy board.

The BID have declined to give the value of the contract. As the BID Board is ultimately answerable to the levy payers, it would be expected that they work in a more transparent way than they are – currently there is no visibility of any apparent strategy.

A team from Yorkshire-based UK Nationwide Cleaning Services has moved into Market Place and Cross James Street, for the first night of their operation.

The company’s four-year contract will see them power washing pavements and street furniture, and each clean will take approximately two-weeks to complete.

Harrogate Borough Council is responsible for sweeping streets and removing litter. When a BID is agreed, existing Council Services should be ring-fenced and not replaced by anything the BID subsequently undertakes.

Simon Kent was previously employed by Harrogate Borough Council to run the Harrogate Convention Centre. He was a board member of the BID during the earlier days of the BID, before standing down. Simon Kent was appointed BID Manager after a further restructuring of the BID, with many board members standing down.

Harrogate BID Interim Manager Simon Kent said:

The deep clean of Harrogate town centre has been a long time coming, and I’m delighted that it has now got under way.

In a recent survey by Harrogate BID, the majority of businesses who responded said they saw this as the number one priority.

UK Nationwide Cleaning Services, whom we awarded the contract to, are experts in this line of cleaning, having worked successfully with BIDs across the UK, including a number in Yorkshire.