Boss of Harrogate Convention Centre recommends scrapping £49m refurbishment scheme in new financial landscape

Talking to the Harrogate Advertiser, the convention centre’s director Paula Lorimer said in the changed financial landscape now facing the exhibition and events sector, she was no longer recommending North Yorkshire Council to support the scheme and improve the venue in one ‘big bang’ as it could accidentally prove “economically catastrophic”.

“It’s obviously not my decision to make, it is for North Yorkshire Council to decide,” she said, “but in my professional opinion it is no longer in the best interests of Harrogate Convention Centre or the town’s wider hospitality sector for the £49m scheme to continue in its current form.

"That’s partly down to the likely escalating costs of the scheme and also because of the likely disruption of such a huge project.”

Having taken over the role in 2019 at Harrogate Convention Centre after years of experience of the exhibition trade at the highest level in Manchester, Paula Lorimer had previously said a major refurbishment was vital in the face of increasing competition from other cities in the North such as Leeds and growing operating costs at the venue during the cost of living crisis.

In addition, a previous report had warned Harrogate’s key conference and events facility, which has been embroiled in political controversy and financial worries almost since the day it first opened in 1982, could lose £250m over the next 40 years unless it was revamped.

But in the run-up to a crucial decision on the proposed redevelopment by North Yorkshire Council’s executive scheduled for March 12, Harrogate Convention Centre’s boss now believes the time for such a large and disruptive project has passed and a better alternative now exists.

In particular, she believes the sheer scale of the redevelopment would mean the venue would need to close for more than a year just when bookings were flooding in and the venue was back on the right path.

"Firstly, I have to deliver a business case for the scheme and it’s clear construction costs have risen considerably since the idea was first raised more than two years ago,” she said.

"From what I know, the plans would involve shutting the venue for for long periods of time – up to 15 months, perhaps.

"I cannot ignore that or the affect on Harrogate’s bars, restaurants and hotels which rely on visitors to a significant degree.

"The economic impact would be catastrophic.

"On top of that, bookings for events at the convention centre have risen by a third since 2021.

"I no longer believe the £49m scheme would be value for taxpayers – or bring improvements quickly enough.”

North Yorkshire Council took over ownership of the conference and events facility last year after inheriting it from Harrogate Borough Council, which was abolished as part of a major shake-up in local government.

The council had previously missed out on a £20m Levelling Up Fund bid but has remained committed in its public statements to seeing progress on a project which has reached the design stage at some financial cost.

But the facts of today’s financial constraints created by budget shortfalls in an era of continued national austerity mean the council is looking to slash £70m from its budget over the next three years.

Paula Lorimer says she is “very comfortable” to how the council is approaching the issue and its desire to be flexible over the Harrogate Convention Centre’s future in terms of both business and investment.

But she argues there is a less problematical way to improve the venue’s chances in a competitive world at a price tag below the £49m plan.

"Doing nothing though is not an option and we have to look at all ways of getting even better.

"But there is a much more pragmatic scheme to helping improve its facilities, reduce its energy bills and hit its carbon emissions targets.

"This is the wrong time to close Harrogate Convention Centre when a phased approach would allow us to focus on making the venue a successful business.

"My team know my views on the £49m scheme but it is up to North Yorkshire Council’s executive to decide.”