Local MP Tom Gordon has spoken out on behalf of residents and local businesses left frustrated by ongoing disruption caused by the construction of Harrogate’s new Tesco.
The MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough claims there have been ‘repeated breaches of planning rules’ during the construction of the new supermarket on Skipton Road.
Over the weekend, Tom met with affected residents and business owners alongside local Liberal Democrat councillor Monika Slater.
They raised concerns about repeated road closures with no work taking place, hitting small businesses hard.
Contractors were also accused of consistently breaching planning conditions by working outside permitted hours – including Sundays and Bank Holidays – and causing excessive noise.
Tom said:
“The prolonged road closures with no work underway, combined with contractors regularly flouting planning rules, are completely unacceptable and highlight serious mismanagement by the council.
"Residents are being disrupted daily, and local businesses – some already on the brink – are seeing vital trade vanish.
“It’s long overdue for the council to take responsibility, enforce the rules properly, and show real leadership.
“Ignoring the problem and hoping it resolves itself is simply not good enough.”
In Parliament, Tom criticised North Yorkshire Council for failing to properly manage or enforce conditions at the site and stressed that local authorities must be held accountable for using their enforcement powers when communities are being disrupted.
This follows Tom’s earlier criticism of the situation as “serious mismanagement” and a failure of council oversight.
North Yorkshire Councillor, Monika Slater, said:
“The patience of residents has now gone. They’ve faced damage to their properties, relentless noise outside permitted hours, and now weeks of extended road closures that have caused daily disruption.
“Developers should not be tempted to break the rules and ask for forgiveness later.
"It’s time they were held to account.”
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