Focus of work
Zero Carbon Harrogate is a local charity working to decarbonise Harrogate and
Knaresborough across all areas of life. As 34% of local emissions come from transport, this
is a key focus. Its ‘Moving Ahead Together’ (MAT) transport project starts with a simple
idea: everyday local journeys can work better for everyone – improving health, wellbeing and
connection, while helping decarbonise emissions.
MAT brings together local organisations, decision-makers and communities to
rethink how people travel. With input from representatives across rail, road, cycling and bus sectors, as well as schools, businesses and health, it ensures a joined-up approach. MAT
also runs behaviour change initiatives to complement council-led infrastructure work. Through community-led activities, events, awareness-raising campaigns and strong partnerships, the programme builds on grassroots action to help people reduce car reliance and improve access to sustainable options, connecting everyday practical actions to a bigger shared vision.
The mission is for local travel to be seamlessly connected, helping people to live, work and
travel better, together. By testing ideas, building evidence and listening, the FIT-funded phase of MAT will lay the foundation for a longer-term programme of campaigns and integrated advocacy, helping create cleaner, fairer transport systems designed around everyday life.
Impact
Moving Ahead Together will reshape the way we travel and how transport is understood
across Harrogate and Knaresborough. By bringing together partners from across sectors,
this first phase will lay the foundation for a longer-term, multi-partnership programme that will turn shared local ambition into visible, coordinated action, making public transport, walking and cycling realistic, attractive and affordable choices for everyday journeys.
This phase will generate robust, evidence-based data and deep community insights, working
with consultants and senior transport advisors to help shape a larger body of campaign
work designed to shift behaviour and inform future investment and policy decisions within
the local context, infrastructure and demographic.
At its heart, the programme will build the public and political mandate needed for change.
Through clear messaging, strong partnerships and meaningful engagement, it will challenge
deep-rooted car dependence and unlock the confidence required to deliver more ambitious,
integrated transport solutions.
In the long term, MAT will support healthier lifestyles, improve access to work, school and essential services, reduce inequalities, and decarbonise local transport emissions. The project will position the local area as a leading model for town-scale transport transformation across the UK, with potential to act a as a pilot for others to follow.