Knaresborough housebuilder denies contravening health and safety regulations

A Knaresborough housing company has denied breaching health and safety regulations.

Ilke Homes Ltd is set to go to trial at York Crown Court after a prosecution was brought by the government’s Health and Safety Executive.

The company was charged with one count of contravening a health and safety regulation on December 12, 2018.

At a hearing on April 26 at York Crown Court, the firm denied the offence.

The company will appear again at the court on March 4, 2024, for trial.

Ilke Homes, which employs 500 people, specialises in building modular homes.

The company builds the homes at its factory on Flaxby Moor Industrial Estate near Knaresborough. The homes are then delivered across the UK.

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Business Breakfast: Local firms sponsor Harrogate International Festivals

It’s time to join the Stray Ferret Business Club. Our next networking event is after-work drinks at Manahatta, on May 25th at 5:30.

Don’t miss out on this chance to network with businesses from across the Harrogate district. Get your tickets by clicking or tapping here.

Two Harrogate companies have announced sponsorship contracts with Harrogate International Festivals.

Harrogate Family Law, which is based at Victoria Avenue, has signed up as premier partners for the festivals alongside Rudding Park, Nicholls Tyreman and Theakston.

Meanwhile, IT company Croft Communications has agreed to be communications partner for the event.

Andrew Meehan, managing director at Harrogate Family Law, said: 

“We are delighted to be renewing as a premier partner and supporting the festivals for another year. Harrogate International Festivals is renowned for putting on a selection of world class entertainment with some of the best industry talent.”

Sharon Canavar, Harrogate Festivals Chief Executive, pictured with Mark Bramley, CEO at Croft Communications.

Sharon Canavar, Harrogate Festivals chief executive, pictured with Mark Bramley, CEO at Croft Communications.

Mark Bramley, Croft Communications chief executive, said: 

“As a new sponsor, our business is proud to be playing a part in the line-up of exciting events Harrogate International Festivals is due to be hosting.

“We look forward to seeing the amazing cultural experiences brought to life in Harrogate this year.”

Company sponsors Boroughbridge Junior football team

A Boroughbridge company has agreed a sponsorship deal with a local junior football team.

The Martin Bell Partnership, which provides strategic and practical support for healthcare, has sponsored Boroughbridge Juniors Under-16s boy’s football team.

It will see the squad wear the company logo on their kits next season.

Borougbridge Juniors Under-16s.

Borougbridge Juniors Under-16s.

Martin Bell, owner of the company, said: 

“I am delighted to be able to support the team with sponsorship. They have had a solid year and can look forward to the new season with a strong squad of local lads who love their football. 

“The new kits will provide a boost to the players and give them confidence as they compete in the Harrogate and District Junior League and regional cup competitions.”

Chris Fahy, Boroughbridge Juniors FC chair added: 

“Without the support of the community and sponsorship from organisations like The Martin Bell Partnership we would not have such a thriving club, so we thank them for their support.

“That support allows us to provide football experiences for more than 150 children at the club aged six to 18 years.”

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Harrogate hospital pledges to maintain services amid junior doctors’ strike

Harrogate District Hospital has pledged to ensure services are maintained ahead of a planned 72-hour walkout by junior doctors.

The British Medical Association announced it will take action after talks with government over a pay increase broke down.

Staff will walkout at 7am on Wednesday, June 14, until 7am on Saturday, June 17.

Officials at Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust have said that a “strike planning team” will be set up to maintain services during the industrial action.

Patients will be urged to attend appointments as normal unless contacted to reschedule.

A spokesperson for the trust said:

“In response to the recent announcement that junior doctors, who are members of the British Medical Association (BMA), are set to undertake 72 hours of industrial action in June, we will be establishing a multi-professional strike planning team to develop plans to ensure essential services can be maintained on the strike days, and to minimise as much as possible any impact on our services, staff and patients.

“Patients should continue to attend appointments as planned unless contacted to reschedule. We will be re-arranging any postponed appointments as a priority. We appreciate this situation is frustrating for patients affected and apologise for any inconvenience caused.

“Nobody should put off seeking urgent or emergency care during the strike, and key services will continue to operate.”

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The walkout will be the third time junior doctors have taken strike action this year.

In April, 470 appointments and 21 operations were cancelled and rescheduled at Harrogate District Hospital as a result of the second round of strikes.

The move comes as the BMA described the latest government pay offer of a 5% increase for junior doctors as “in no way credible”.

Dr Vivek Trivedi and Dr Robert Laurenson, co-chairs of the BMA junior doctors committee, said the government “would simply not accept the fundamental reality of the pay cuts” staff had faced.

It is disappointing that @BMA_JuniorDocs have decided to call for more strike action.

We made a fair and reasonable offer, and were in active discussions on a range of issues.

I am still keen to continue talks if these hugely disruptive strikes are called off.

— Steve Barclay (@SteveBarclay) May 22, 2023

In response, Steve Barclay, health and social care secretary, described the news of the walkout as “disappointing”.

He said:

“We made a fair and reasonable offer, and were in active discussions on a range of issues.

“I am still keen to continue talks if these highly disruptive strikes are called off.”

Council set to loan £500,000 to Harrogate housing company

North Yorkshire Council looks set to loan £500,000 to a Harrogate housing company to cover “high expenditure costs”.

Bracewell Homes was set up by Harrogate Borough Council in 2019 but is now fully-owned by North Yorkshire Council following this year’s local government shake-up.

It was created to generate a profit for the council and to intervene in Harrogate’s pricey property market by delivering much-needed rental and shared ownership homes at affordable prices.

It is currently marketing two-bed properties at Hughlings Close, Green Hammerton, and two and three-bedroom homes at The Willows on Whinney Lane in Harrogate.

However, the company requires a “drawdown” in order to cover high expenditure going into this financial year.

Council officials said it would cover costs before “high income amounts” are received.

A report due before North Yorkshire Council’s executive on Tuesday will recommend approving the loan.

It says:

“A drawdown of £500,000 is now required urgently in order to pay final invoices on sites that Bracewell are already in contract for.

“The loan will cover the high expenditure costs forecast for the beginning of the year before the high income amounts start to be received.”

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The Stray Ferret asked North Yorkshire Council which sites the loan is designed to pay invoices for and when it expects the sum to be repaid, but did not receive a response by the time of publication.

The move comes as questions have been raised over the performance of Bracewell Homes.

Last year, the company paid no dividends despite the now-defunct borough council budgeting to receive £267,000.

At the time, Paul Foster, who was head of finance at the council, said the company was still “extremely profitable” and that it had continued to sell properties, although at a smaller percentage of shares than expected.

He said: 

“The company isn’t able to pay a dividend this year and the reason for that is a proportion of the shared home properties it has sold have been at shares of 25% and 30%.

“It would need to have sold shares of up to 50% for them to have enough cash to provide a dividend.

“In December, four or five properties were sold at a lower share than the company was forecasting and as a result there is less cash in the company.

“The company is not underperforming in particular. It is just not selling the larger shares which make it more cash rich.”

‘Summary’ of never-published £85,000 Ripon regeneration plan to be released

North Yorkshire Council is set to produce a “summary document” for a long-delayed project which aimed to present a new vision for Ripon.

The Ripon Renewal scheme was set up to produce a masterplan for the regeneration of the city.

The former Harrogate Borough Council commissioned Bauman Lyons Architects to draw up the vision at a cost of £85,000 in 2021.

The company was tasked with producing funding options and a business case for Ripon to bid for money for regeneration projects.

However, the project failed to produce a blueprint for the city some two-and-a-half years after it started.

Officials at North Yorkshire Council, which has since taken over the scheme, said an agreement could not be reached with the contractor after talks to extend the contract.

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When the Stray Ferret asked for an update on the status of the Ripon Renewal scheme, Nic Harne, corporate director for community development at the council, said it remained committed to regenerating Ripon, adding:

“The Ripon Renewal project took much longer than had been envisaged when it was set up.

“This meant it was necessary to enter into discussions with Bauman Lyons Architects about a variation of the contract to complete the work. An agreement on the terms could not be reached and the contract has now ended. The project cost remained within the contracted budget.

“Our officers have now carried out a review of the work undertaken and have brought together a summary document, which will be circulated to stakeholders within the project group soon.  

“The document will include information about the projects and opportunities for taking the ethos of the Ripon Renewal project forward.”

Councillors in Ripon previously described the delay in the scheme as “absolute nonsense”.

At a council meeting in March, Cllr Andrew Williams, who represents Ripon Minster and Moorside on North Yorkshire Council, said:

“It’s astonishing that we’ve spent £85,000 of public money to get nothing, not even a draft executive summary from a consultant — that’s how bad this is.

“A lot of time has spent on this by organisations in the city but it’s fallen off a cliff-edge. It’s an absolute nonsense.”

Business Breakfast: Masham brewery agrees beer listing deal with Asda

It’s time to join the Stray Ferret Business Club. Our next networking event is after-work drinks at Manahatta, on May 25th at 5:30.

Don’t miss out on this chance to network with businesses from across the Harrogate district. Get your tickets by clicking or tapping here.

A Masham brewery has secured listings at 240 Asda stores for one of its popular beers.

T&R Theakston confirmed the deal with the supermarket giant to sell cans of its Old Peculiar pale ale.

The agreement will also see 140 Asda stores nationwide sell cans of Theakston Best Bitter.

The news comes as the brewery says it has seen a rise in demand for its beers.

Simon Theakston, joint managing director of T&R Theakston, said: 

“These two new listings are evidence of the continued strength of our portfolio. Theakston Old Peculier has continued to capture the attention of the country’s discerning drinkers, and we’re delighted that it is becoming more widely available as a result this growing partnership with Asda.

“Additionally, to see the increased off-trade success of Theakston Best Bitter speaks to a consumer preference for high-quality, handcrafted beers such as our own.”

Harrogate mobile company targets improved performance

A Harrogate telecommunications company is targeting improved performance amid a drop in revenue last year.

Mobile Tornado, which is based at Cardale Park, saw its reported turnover drop 12% from £2.59m in 2021 to £2.28 for the year ended December 31, 2022.

According to the company’s annual report, which was published in April, the loss of a customer in Canada accounted for 20% of total revenue and 10% of recurring revenues in the prior year comparative figures.

However, the firm said it now intends to improve its performance.

The company recently signed a deal with Leeds Bradford Airport, which will see it provide push-to-talk over cellular equipment for the airport’s workforce.

Jeremy Fenn, chairman of Mobile Tornado, said: 

“The board is fully committed to maintaining the technical advantages that have been established, at the same time driving a much deeper and wider business development operation.

“The outreach campaign that has been running since the start of the year has already generated a good flow of new partner and customer opportunities, many of them in new geographic markets. We believe that this momentum can be accelerated significantly if we can successfully deploy our solution into a public safety organisation.

“Our teams worked hard on multiple trials during the last 15 months and we are hopeful that we will very shortly see a successful conclusion with full platform deployment. This would represent a significant commercial breakthrough, and we are confident will lead to a material uplift in financial performance as we push towards profitability in 2023.”

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Gallery: Sunshine and crowds make Harrogate Fashion Show a hit

Hundreds of shoppers basked in the sun last weekend for the Harrogate Fashion Show.

The event, organised by Harrogate Business Improvement District with the Stray Ferret as media partner, saw retailers show off their latest collections.

Models took to the catwalk throughout the day outside Victoria Shopping Centre, which sponsored the event.

A seated area enabled fashionistas and passers-by to soak up the sun and see the latest styles.

The day was divided up into different fashion themes – the summer season, upcycling, wedding wear, Harrogate on the high street, activewear and children’s celebration.

Here are some pictures from Saturday’s event.

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Teenagers sentenced for damaging Boroughbridge school roof

Two teenagers have been sentenced after causing £660 worth of damage to a Boroughbridge school.

The boys, aged 15 and another 14, who cannot be named for legal reasons, were referred to a youth offenders panel for 12 months after damaging tiles and window seals at Alborough and Boroughbridge County Primary School last year.

The teenagers were charged with intending to destroy or damage such property or being reckless as to whether such property would be destroyed or damaged.

The incident happened on October 13 last year at the school on York Road.

The pair were also charged with trespassing in the maintenance building at the school on October 10, 2022, and stealing £94 worth of beer and wine. Another boy, aged 16, was also charged with the same offence.

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The three were sentenced to a youth offender panel after pleading guilty.

All three boys were sentenced at Harrogate Magistrates Court on Friday (May 19).

Bird flu kills 70 birds at nature reserve near Ripon

More than 70 birds have died at a nature reserve near Ripon after an outbreak of bird flu.

The outbreak has affected a colony of breeding black-headed gulls at Nosterfield Nature Reserve.

Staff and volunteers have been forced to wear specially designed PPE suits, hats and gloves to collect the corpses from the 60-hectare site.

Visitors have been warned that they could see distressing scenes with more birds likely to die from the disease in the coming weeks.

Simon Warwick, director of the Lower Ure Conservation Trust which runs Nosterfield, said: 

“The gullery is in front of the main hide at Nosterfield and is usually a hive of activity in spring, with noisy adults feeding lots of hungry young.

“The disease is affecting many adult birds so you can imagine that what is happening at the moment is traumatic to say the least.

“But we are powerless to stop the spread of bird flu. Our biggest fear is the virus spreading to breeding lapwing and curlew, two species for which Nosterfield is famous.”

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The disease has killed black-headed gulls at several wetland sites across Yorkshire.

More than 1,000 gulls have died across the county so far, with the number expected to rise.

Visitors have been told under no circumstances to go near a dead or dying bird at the reserve. Dogs should also be kept on short leads during visits.

Mr Warwick added:

“Away from the main hide there is so much to see at Nosterfield at the moment, so our advice certainly to people with young children is come along but stay away from the main hide.”

Harrogate’s Victoria Avenue to close overnight for pothole repairs

Harrogate’s Victoria Avenue will be closed overnight for two nights this week as roadworks are carried out.

The road will be closed from 6pm until 11pm on Wednesday (May 24) and Thursday (May 25).

Parking bays on Victoria Avenue will also be suspended.

The move comes as North Yorkshire Council’s highways department is set to carry out work on the road.

It will see potholes filled on the street.

According to the council’s roadworks map, the authority will “renew 20 patches” as part of the work.

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