A COUNCIL behind controversial plans to cut services for high needs pupils by £1.5m has defended a proposal to spend £380,000 of taxpayers’ money on hosting a cycling race.

The leader of North Yorkshire County Council, which has hosted more of the Tour de Yorkshire than any other local authority area, said the benefits the international four-day men’s event and two-day women’s race brought were  “almost incomprehensible”.

Ahead of a decision by the authority’s executive over spending £190,000 a year on helping stage the races in 2019 and 2020, Councillor Carl Les said he accepted that those battling to retain frontline services amid cutbacks would find the use of public money to host a cycling race hard to swallow.

Staff at The Grove Academy pupil referral unit in Harrogate, which is facing an 83 per cent cut in funding, have warned the high needs cutbacks would hit pupils. An officers’ report to the executive states: “Hosting a cycle race is not a core function or statutory duty of the county council. It can be argued that the event is in effect a ‘luxury’ item when reductions in funding and resource have been made on other council services.”

When questioned over priorities for taxpayers’ money, Cllr Les pointed towards the importance of the local economy and highlighted the exposure the race gave the county, with a digital reach of 94.6 million users across the world. 

Despite having hosted numerous major cycling races in recent years, public interest shows no sign of abating, with the Tour de Yorkshire website recording 3.4 million views this year, representing a 78 per cent increase from 2017. 

The decision, which will come just days before the route of the 2019 race is announced, follows an independent economic study by Leeds Beckett University which estimated the 2018 race generated £98m of economic impact to the Yorkshire economy.

Councillor Carl Les said: “I think the value in terms of publicity is almost incomprehensible, when you think this race is beamed out to something like 130 countries across the world.

“We do have evidence that visitors come to our country to watch the race, but also it’s a legacy of people who see the TV and see something that looks attractive and decide to come here on their holidays.”

He added the race, which has triggered numerous community events such as a festival in Richmond, a carnival in Masham and yarn bombing in Thirsk, brought benefits for the local population. 

Cllr Les said: “People like to make an event of the event. We think there is a priority to help the local economy, but also to provide some sort of satisfaction for the communities which are on the race route.”