The Get Away campaign has today announced that it is preparing to bring a judicial review against North Yorkshire Council’s decision to proceed with the revised Harrogate Station Gateway Scheme (RHSGS).
A formal Pre-Action Protocol letter, sent by its legal advisers, Walton & Co, challenges the council’s 18 November 2025 decision to proceed with the scheme, enter into a construction contract with North Yorkshire Highways and seek funding agreements with West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) and York & North Yorkshire Combined Authority (YNYCA).
The legal letter argues that the council’s decision is unlawful on multiple grounds, including:
- failure to carry out a lawful and adequate public consultation on the revised scheme;
- pressing ahead in the face of ongoing Court of Appeal proceedings against Traffic Regulation Orders 1–4, and despite the council’s own business case recording a 75% risk of a successful legal challenge;
- relying on a flawed business case which significantly overstates benefits to bus use, cycling, walking, rail patronage and air quality.
- lack of information forthcoming on traffic impacts, greenhouse gas emissions, heritage, safety and effects on protected species;
- irrational reliance on a seven-year-old parking study which is at odds with the council’s own 2025 Parking Principles;
The letter also points out that YNYCA has linked its £2 million contribution to the Harrogate legal challenge being “satisfactorily resolved” – a test plainly not met while the appeal is live.
Steven Baines, Lead for the Get Away campaign, said: “North Yorkshire Council is trying to steamroller this scheme through on the basis of a business case that is out of date, over-hyped and riddled with risk. Our legal team is clear. The decision to press ahead is not just bad judgment, it is very likely unlawful.”
“We are not prepared to stand by while millions of pounds of public money is gambled on a project that will damage Harrogate town centre, increase congestion and ignore serious safety, environmental and heritage concerns.”
The campaign is seeking undertakings from the council that it will not enter into contracts or start works on the RHSGS until the Court of Appeal proceedings on TROs 1-4 and any judicial review claim have been finally determined.
