‘No greenfield sites' involved says town’s MP as Harrogate's possible Investment Zones are revealed

Harrogate MP Andrew Jones has revealed the possible locations for Harrogate’s first Investment Zones and they will include Harrogate Convention Centre. (Picture Gerard Binks)

Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones used a question in the House of Commons today to, in his words “demonstrate that the bids for investment zones in the Harrogate district will not harm the environment”.

But, in doing so, Mr Jones again defended the plans - and himself - from criticism over the potential environmental impacts and said no greenfield sites were involved.

Mr Jones said, if North Yorkshire’s bid to host the new Investment Zones was successful, the new low tax/low regulation zones in the Harrogate district would be located at the following sites:

Harrogate Convention Centre

The A1M junction 47 business park

Potters Business Park at junction 50 of the A1

Mr Jones said: “These are sites where we have existing commercial activity which were already earmarked for further investment.

“Investment zones give us the opportunity to lever in funding from the Government.

“I understand that individuals and some groups were concerned that the new investment zones would see the development of huge swathes of countryside.

"I would not have supported their introduction were that the case.

“But it is clear from the sites that are being brought forward that this is far from the case.”

Under Prime Minister Liz Truss's plans for Investment Zones announced just a month ago, local authorities have been invited to apply to host investment zones with an array of fiscal and planning changes.