Harrogate Town Council rolls up its sleeves to sort out 'past their sell-by date' tourism signs

Harrogate Town Council is to take action on signage in the town centre which had been “ignored for years”.

The Lib Dem-led council, which was established last year, has started the roll out of new town centre signage, designed to help residents and visitors get around.

The town council says that, when the North Yorkshire Council, based in Northallerton, took over in 2023 following the abolition of Harrogate Borough Council, local signage and other information were put on the backburner.

As part of plans to improve the town, Harrogate Town Council is working with key partners to update signage and create new “Welcome to Harrogate” signs at entry points to the town.

"We identified soon after our formation that signage and information around town had been ignored for several years,” said Coun Mark Warr, Chair of the town council’s Signage Working Group.

“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 Harrogate BID, the Civic Society and Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce. as well as the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority, has allowed us to progress.

“This is now under way and, although funding for a complete update will not be in place for a year or so, we are keen to make a quick difference with existing funds.”

Initial 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 signage will incorporate the Town Council’s Crown of Springs icon, designed to bring a modern feel to the town's branding.

“It’s great to see the Town Council doing this.

"North Yorkshire Council’s neglect of the signage has damaged Harrogate’s tourism offering.

"Nothing seemed to be updated when the Tourist Information Centre closed and the signs sent people on a wild goose chase.”