Harrogate Green Party put up 14 candidates for the Town Council election

There will be no NYC councillors in the Green Party’s line-up for Harrogate Town Council.

The Greens say they have a comprehensive plan for policies to support all residents, and enrich the whole of Harrogate Town.

Harrogate Green Party is standing candidates in 14 of the 19 wards in the forthcoming Town council elections on the 1st of May 2025.

The Greens feel that as consequences of climate change are becoming more dangerous, it is vital that the new Council plays a central role in organisation to mitigate the effects of climate change, and building resilience.

There is far too little year-round effort from all the other political parties, and our Green candidates will be hard-working & committed Councillors, always working in the best interests of our residents, communities and businesses.

They believe that Harrogate Town Council must be independent of North Yorkshire Council, so it must have dedicated Town councillors making decisions about Harrogate, without influence from NYC. That means that none of our Green candidates are NYC Councillors, unlike some candidates put forward by the Liberal Democrats and Conservatives.

Harrogate Greens have been following closely the efforts of the Harrogate Town Planning Forum, which we hope will influence future planning decisions made for our town.

There are so many ways in which both the quality of life and sustainability can be enhanced in Harrogate, and a great example is the reduction of the speed limit to 20 mph in residential areas close to schools, shops & health services frequented by children, the elderly and disabled.

Green campaigners welcomed the involvement from Green Party Councillor Arnold Warneken on North Yorkshire Council, and 20mph limits have now been achieved for many residential roads in Harrogate.

Roland Strauss, Green Party candidate for Stray, and a medical doctor said:

Many residents have expressed delight at the 20mph limits, and the likely outcome is that safer streets will encourage more people to walk and cycle rather than drive. Active travel isn’t just good for the environment, but also benefits the physical and mental health of people who live and work in the area. The more pedestrian and cyclist friendly our town becomes, the healthier we will become as individuals as well as a society, and the lower will be our demands on our over-stretched NHS.

Green Party Manifesto for Harrogate Town Council

Introduce By-laws such as:

Prevent parking on pavements
Install safe cycle stores
Revert back to:
Street cleansers
Pavement gritting
Work with Police for enforcement with Police Community Support Officers and seek an increase in civil enforcement powers
Provide FREE meeting space for charities and community group at the Civic Centre
Forge strong links with, but not be led by NYC (hence no Green Town Councillors will also be NYC Councillors)
Encourage greater access to public open spaces particularly for the elderly, disabled & otherwise disadvantaged.
Build on the town’s heritage both for environmental and economy benefits
Make efforts to ensure active travel is boosted by assisting NYC in implementing their schemes
Make public transport easier & safer, with more shelters. Work with bus companies for an improved service.
Challenge the government’s obsession with ‘growth at any price’, especially in housing
Press for Local Energy Generation Schemes.
Make is easy for residents to access the Council and encourage councillors to hold regular open meetings to listen to their residents.
Raise revenue to finance Youth Clubs to attract young people & provide purposeful, creative & enjoyable activities.