Meet Paul Haslam

Former CEO now Business Transformation Consultant and Executive Coach focussed on Leadership and personal and professional career development.

Dedicated Councillor for Bilton and Nidd Gorge in Harrogate for 10 years, – campaigner for change – successfully opposed council on a proposed relief road through an area of outstanding natural beauty; successfully tabled a motion to support bathing water status at Knaresborough Lido and now Climate Change Champion.

At my professional work

I help people and businesses transform their performance through delivering sustainable, measurable improvement.
With clients across the world, my management consultancy provides Executive Coaching and Business Consultancy including ESG, the Circular Economy and Mergers and Acquisitions (up to £100M).

In recent years as a CEO, I managed the sale and acquisition for £82.5m of a retail company based in London on behalf of the owner.

At home

Paul Haslam at homeMarried to Kath, granddaughter of a Yorkshire coal miner. We have two dogs who I can be seen running with daily, Charlie and Sidney. We love living in Bilton, Harrogate where we settled in January 2006. We have two very grown up children and 6 grandchildren. I grew up in a corner shop which my mother ran, whilst my Dad worked as a “progress chaser” at Hawker Siddeley (aerospace). I confess to having spent much of my formative years in Lancashire but can honestly say I have now been in Yorkshire for past thirty years and so hope to be considered a local. However, I have been known to watch reruns of Peter Kay to remind me of a happy past!

At play

Outside my council aims which drive me, I am mainly seen running with my two dogs. I enjoy running and can often be found participating in the local park run.

Donate to my campaign!

If you like what you have seen, then you might consider giving more than your vote. This could be by telling your friends about me (especially if they live in Harrogate or Knaresborough) or donating to my campaign.

Donate Here

In politics

Paul Haslam CouncilI’ve been a councillor for ten years, starting at Harrogate Borough Council. In 2017 as part of the fight against the relief road, I was elected to North Yorkshire County Council.  I am now, the first ever the Climate Change Champion and I am promoting an environmentally friendly approach to everything the council does as part of business as usual so that it is sustainable.

I sit on the Transport, Economy, Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee and make it a point to attend all the fortnightly meetings of the Executive, which are in Northallerton. I like to keep my finger on the pulse.

I am the only councillor on Food for the Future (Fix our Food) York and North Yorkshire in conjunction with the University of York

I also represent North Yorkshire at Transport for the North and chair the Scrutiny Committee.

If you were to ask what I have done then I might cite:

Leading the successful campaign against the Relief Road across the Nidd, supporting the residents around Knox Lane to get the proposed inappropriate development refused planning permission. More recently I stood in the Mayoral election as an independent candidate for York & North Yorkshire – the feedback of which encouraged me to stand as an MP candidate.

This year, I have used my locality grant to support:

New Beginnings Charity – supporting women after domestic abuse.

Resurrected Bites – reducing food waste, loneliness and food poverty.

Nidd Action Group – protecting the water quality in the Nidd.

Installation of VAS signs – improving road safety outside schools.

Bilton Historical Society – IT support 

Bilton and Woodfield Library – contribution to refurbishment 

Henshaws – environmental project 

St John’s Church – Youth support work provision 

Richard Taylor School – Fiction books for KS1 

Open Country – IT support 

Bilton Area Methodist Church – Family fun time 

The Village Harrogate – Baby clothes exchange 

My Personal Carbon Pledge

I consider myself fortunate to be able to invest in a variety of eco-friendly solutions. As an early adopter, I am eager to evaluate their feasibility and understand the practicalities involved. I am committed to making the viable options more attainable for the wider community. Once fully developed, green energy has the potential to lower our bills and significantly reduce our carbon footprint without costing the Earth.

I have solar panels installed on my home -they generate around 7000 kW per year

Heat source pumps – that reduced my energy consumption and bills by 50%

Installed battery storage – providing 7.5 kW local capacity

Drive a plug-in hybrid that is usually fueled by the solar panels

My electricity company provides electricity sourced from renewables

We don’t use gas

Most of our home is insulated to the highest standards an old building can get

I keep bees with no fertilisers/pesticides being used in the garden since we arrived in January 2006

Energy efficient appliances, LED lighting and smart controls to reduce consumption

Even my website has a carbon meter on it! You can find it in the footer below

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Thank You!

Thank you to those that supported me.

Thank you to those that supported me in spirit but chose to vote tactically.

I congratulate and wish Tom well and that he proves to be dedicated to improving the lives of the people of Harrogate and Knaresborough.

I will continue as an independent councillor, committed to fighting for our fair share and advocating for the needs of my local residents.

Paul.