Expensive Harrogate mayoral chain will be used on special dates

Instead, Harrogate Town Council will pay about £5,000 for a new chain that can be worn by the mayor without fear of it being stolen.

The decision has been taken after the council got the original civic chain, which was previously owned by Harrogate Borough Council and dates back to 1894, valued.

Civic leaders have not released the value of the chain but have revealed it is worth a six-figure sum.

The decision to buy a cheaper chain was taken at a town council meeting on Wednesday.

The current Mayor of Harrogate, Councillor Chris Aldred, said after the meeting: “The chain was created at a time when they were establishing a council for Harrogate, and there were very rich people doing it who helped them to do it in a certain way.

Mayor of Harrogate, Councillor Chris Aldred, wearing the valuable chain.

“I can’t tell you the exact figure of what it is worth, obviously, but it is six figures and it’s towards the top of that six-figure range.”

Cllr Aldred said the council had been told it would cost about £12,000 to insure the chain if it was used regularly for civic events.

He added: “The quotes we got to use it on a daily basis were very high.

“We’d also maybe have to look at having some kind of additional security, so when the mayor goes out, they’d go out with a bodyguard.

“That’s not something we really wanted to get into as it would be quite extensive, so we took a decision that the actual mayor of Harrogate’s chain would have a very limited usage, of around two days a year — the mayor making ceremony and Remembrance Day, when there will be enough soldiers with guns around to stop anyone making a grab for it.”

Cllr Aldred said the council planned to put the original chain on display in the future.

He said the new chain would cost about £140 a year to insure.

After the meeting, North Yorkshire councillor for the Ouseburn division, Arnold Warneken, questioned whether a new mayoral chain was needed when the authority had mayoral robes.

“Is it in the interests of the people the town council represents to spend more than £5,000 on a mayoral chain?

“There are people who could really benefit from that money – it should go to people who need it.

“It’s progress that the council voted to put them on display, but is now perhaps the time, given the cost of living crisis and the fact that some of our community are struggling, to consider selling at least some of the family jewels?”