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Local Government

Knaresborough Town Council
Harrogate Borough Council
North Yorkshire County Council

The information on these pages has been compiled by Alyson Jackson with the kind help of Eileen Ferguson, former Knaresborough Town Councillor, and Alan Benton, former Town Clerk. Alan Benton retired on 22nd October, 2001. The new Town Clerk is Mrs. Emily MacDowell.

Go to COUNCILLORS for lists of town, district/borough and county councillors

There are three "tiers" of local government with powers and responsibilities for Knaresborough - North Yorkshire County Council, Harrogate Borough Council and Knaresborough Town Council, with the vast majority of services being provided by the County Council and the Borough Council.

North Yorkshire County Council, based in Northallerton, has two county councillors elected from Knaresborough, one representing each of the wards, and serving for a term of four years.

Before the 1974 Local Government re-organisation, Knaresborough had its own Urban District Council but on re-organisation, the UDC became part of the new Harrogate Borough Council. Knaresborough elects six councillors to serve on Harrogate Borough Council. The term of office for these councillors is also four years.

The Borough Council collects council tax on its own behalf and on behalf of the County Council and the Town Council.

Knaresborough Town Council is a parish council that has, like many of the large urban parishes, resolved to be known as a Town Council, which carries the right to a Town Mayor instead of a chairman.

Knaresborough is one of the 143 parishes within the Harrogate Borough Council area, which includes Ripon, Pateley Bridge aand Boroughbridge. The Town Council has 15 members (councillors) with 5 councillors representing each of the three wards in the town, East, King James and Scriven Park. Elections for the council are held every four years when all of the seats are open to be contested. Town and parish councils have a limited range of powers but are consulted about, and can influence decisions on, a wide range of functions and services outside their control. For more information on the Town Council, including minutes of meetings, go to Town Council Website

The Town Council own a playing field, King George V, and allotments and have recently developed a new Community Centre with assistance - financial and practical - from the Borough Council, and a Lottery Fund grant from the English Sports Council.

The Town Council office is in Knaresborough House, High Street and is open Monday to Friday 9.00am to 12.30pm. Anyone wishing for information or advice can telephone or fax the office on 01423 864080 - an answering machine is available outside office hours .

Information about the many tourist attractions and events in Knaresboroughcan be found at Attractions and Events or from the Tourist Information Centre. Recreation facilities and organisational information can be found either at the Tourist Information Centre, the library or at Public Amenities.

Useful local contacts:

Knaresborough Liberal Democrats email kboro.libdems@ntlworld.com