Harrogate BID Celebrates Year Of Impact And Looks Ahead To 2026 At Annual General Meeting
Harrogate BID reflected on a year of strong delivery, collaboration and town centre impact at its Annual General Meeting, held on Wednesday 28th January 2026 at The Crown Hotel.
The AGM brought together levy-paying businesses, partners and stakeholders to review progress made during 2025 and to outline priorities for the year ahead.
Chair of Harrogate BID, Simon Midgley, highlighted 2025 as a year of real momentum for the organisation, with projects delivering tangible benefits for businesses and visitors alike.
Gemma Rio, Interim CEO, said:
“The past year has demonstrated the real value of Harrogate BID – from practical, on-the-ground support for businesses to ambitious events and strong partnership working. What has stood out most is the commitment of levy payers and partners to shaping a town centre that is clean, safe, welcoming and vibrant. As we look ahead to 2026, Harrogate BID is in a strong position, with clear priorities, robust partnerships and a growing use of insight and data to guide decision making. This provides a solid foundation for another impactful year for the town centre and its businesses.”
Over the past year, Harrogate BID delivered a wide-ranging programme focused on keeping the town centre clean, safe, welcoming and vibrant. This included high-profile footfall-driving events such as the Harrogate Lego Trail, which attracted a record number of participants, alongside major campaigns including Harrogate Self Care Week, Harrogate Floral Summer of Celebration and the Harrogate Music Weekender.
A key focus of the AGM was the work of the BID’s Street Ranger team, who responded to over 1,000 jobs and requests from BID members in 2025. Their work included deep cleaning, reactive jet washing, improving street furniture and supporting town centre projects. More recently, the team partnered with North Yorkshire Council to introduce new chewing gum removal machinery, which has been widely welcomed by businesses.
Harrogate BID also continued to invest in tackling anti-social behaviour through close partnership working with North Yorkshire Police and North Yorkshire Council. During the year, the BID funded a new Pubwatch app to support the evening economy and announced the recruitment of a Business Crime Officer, a new role that will strengthen the BID’s focus on business crime in 2026.
The AGM showcased the BID’s commitment to enhancing Harrogate’s public realm and reputation as a floral destination. In 2025, the BID funded nearly 200 barrier baskets across the town and delivered new street dressing and public art projects, including a ‘Welcome to Harrogate’ mural at the entrance to Jubilee Car Park. The town once again achieved a Gold Award in the Yorkshire in Bloom awards in 2025.
Events and experiences remained central to the BID’s work, with highlights including the Harrogate Dog Show, Halloween Monster Trail, Mothering Funday and the launch of a new monthly Makers Market, designed to increase Sunday footfall. The BID also continued to promote Harrogate at key regional events, including the Spring Flower Show and the Great Yorkshire Show, encouraging repeat visits to the town.
Christmas remained one of the BID’s largest commitments, with Harrogate BID proudly funding every Christmas light in the town centre, delivering the annual Christmas Window Competition, supporting the much-loved North Pole Post Office, and backing festive attractions such as the Christmas Fayre and Candy Cane Express.
Under its Voice and Vision objective, Harrogate BID reported progress in strengthening its role as a voice for town centre businesses. In 2025, the BID secured funding from the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority to invest in Beauclair, a new system that tracks spend data across the BID area, complementing existing footfall data and supporting evidence-led decision making.
The AGM also highlighted continued success of the Harrogate Gift Card, which has now retained over £200,000 in the local economy, and the BID’s annual Shop Front Match Funding Grant, supporting businesses to improve frontage and accessibility.
Looking ahead to 2026, Harrogate BID confirmed plans to welcome a new CEO, introduce the Business Crime Officer role and continue its work shaping a long-term vision for the town centre. Members were also updated on progress towards a proposed Accommodation BID, with the ballot due to conclude in February.
Closing the meeting, the Chair thanked the BID team, board directors and levy payers for their continued commitment, expressing confidence that 2026 will be an even stronger year for Harrogate.
