New vets set to open in Pannal after plans approved

An independent vets is set to open in Pannal after plans were approved.

Claro Hill Vets will be based at Thirkill Park, off Thirkill Drive.

The practice will open this autumn and employ two veterinarians and receptionists.

Laura Keyser, who has been a qualified vet for 15 years, is behind the new business which she says will be a “perfect location” for pet owners in Harrogate, Wetherby and north Leeds.

She told the Stray Ferret:

“I decided to open the business as I wanted to offer a real high standard of care and service.

“We are independent, so have none of the constraints of being corporate.”

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Claro Hill will initially be open to dogs and cats and offer a first opinion service, which includes vaccinations.

However, the practice will also offer a CT scanner and have visiting surgeons, ophthalmologists, and cardiologists.

Ms Keyser added:

“We will offer the middle ground between your GP vet and referral elsewhere, but also have the option of referral to a fantastic local hospital if required.”

 The move to open the business comes as North Yorkshire Council approved the proposal.

Work on the new vets, which will be based in two industrial units off Thrikill Drive, is expected to take three months.

Business Breakfast: Harrogate hotel group recognised in national workplace guide

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 hotel company which runs three hotels in the Harrogate district has been listed in a Sunday Times workplace guide.

The Inn Collection Group has been recognised as one of the best places to work in the national guide for 2023.

The firm, which operates the Harrogate Inn, Knaresborough Inn and Ripon Inn, was included alongside organisations such as the Alzheimer’s Society Bella Italia, and Octopus Energy.

The inns were previously known as the St George Hotel, the Dower House and Ripon Spa Hotel.

Local companies CloudNine and LCF Law were also recognised.

Liz Robertson, people director at the Inn Collection Group, said:

“We’re delighted that our people are enjoying their time with ICG and that we have been officially recognised as a great place to work as a result.

“Supporting our teams is incredibly important for us, be that with our exciting development programmes, our Inn Safe Hands initiative or even just our excellent benefits package.

“Making people happy is what we are about and that extends to our own too.”

Ripon retailers organise bank holiday buskers

Retailers in Ripon have organised for buskers to perform in the city centre this coming bank holiday weekend.

Organised by Ripon Business Improvement District and independent businesses, performers will be situated around the streets to draw in more people to the centre on Monday, May 29.

Visitors will be invited to follow a route around the city, taking in Kirkgate, North Street and Westgate.  

Little Bird Artisan Market will be on the marketplace.  From there, visitors can find maps showing the streets where buskers will perform and where shops are hosting fun activities and special offers.

Busking is throughout the city all afternoon, with music from Ripon and visiting guests from Teeside, York and Leeds. 

For more information on the event, visit the Ripon BID website here.

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Controversial 53-home Harrogate scheme recommended for approval

Council officers have recommended a controversial plan to build 53 homes off Knox Lane in Harrogate is approved next week.

North-east property developer Jomast‘s planning application for the Bilton area was deferred for a second time in February this year.

At the time, councillors requested new reports and information about ground contamination and overhead power lines.

However, a report published today in advance of the Harrogate and Knaresborough area constituency planning committee meeting on May 31 has recommended the plans are approved subject to conditions.

Among the conditions is that Jomast would be required to pay £64,000 for healthcare, £140,000 for education and £60,000 for open spaces in the form of a section 106 agreement to compensate for the impact of development on local infrastructure.

Knox Lane

The homes would be built off Knox Lane.

The application in the quiet Knox area has proved controversial with residents.

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Campaign group Keep Knox Natural has previously called on the council to remove the parcel of land from the Harrogate District Local Plan 2014-35, which outlines where development can take place.

Cllr Robert Windass, a member of the council’s planning committee, previously called for an independent survey into contamination into the site.

Cllr Windass raised concern that a previous survey into the site was paid for by the developer and requested that an independent report was drawn up.

He told a committee in February:

“I will not vote for this scheme until I know that that land is safe.”

Councillors will vote on Wednesday next week whether to accept case officer Andy Hough’s recommendation to proceed with the scheme.

Police appeal after Transit van stolen in Harrogate

Police have issued an appeal after a Ford Transit T350 was stolen from Woodfield Road in Harrogate.

The van was taken between 10.30pm on Thursday, May 18, and 8am on Friday, May 19.

Officers said the vehicle has blacked out rear side panels on each side as well as red sun stickers on each rear side panel.

It also has an amber light fitted to the front of the roof on the driver’s side and the registration is BN63 WCJ.

A North Yorkshire Police statement added:

“If you see the stolen vehicle, or know where it is, please email ben.robinson-brockhill@northyorkshire.police.uk. You can also call North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 2, and ask for Ben Robinson-Brockhill

“If you wish to remain anonymous, you can pass information to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Please quote the North Yorkshire Police reference number 12230089644.”

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North Yorkshire £176,000 robotics contract will not lead to job losses, says council

North Yorkshire Council managers have said a £176,000 robotics contract will not lead to job losses.

The authority has commissioned Reading-based company T-Impact Limited to come up with automative robotic processes to free up work for staff. 

The company has been contracted to carry out the work at a cost of £176,116.

This would include tasks such as changing an address, which would be done through automation rather than manually.

Council officials say the contract, which will run to May 2026, would be “better value for money”.

Madeline Hoskin, assistant director technology at North Yorkshire Council, said the move would also help the new council with its financial challenges.

She said:

“It is anticipated the use of this technology will bring about efficiencies to help counter the financial challenges we are facing, and it will be used for some of repetitive work to free up staff to do other more rewarding aspects of their job.

“The system also enables us to deliver services more efficiently, achieving better value for money.

“There are no projected job losses as a result of this project.”

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Business Breakfast: Harrogate care provider opens Huntington’s disease unit

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 Harrogate care provider has invested in a specialist unit for people living with Huntington’s disease.

Vida Healthcare opened the new unit at its Vida Court home, based on Beckwith Head Road.

Called Lindsay House, the facility will provide space for nine people and include a sensory room, medication management, as well as community services such as a GP.

James Rycroft, managing director at Vida Healthcare, said:

“At Vida we are always looking into gaps within the care industry and subsequently identified a lack of support available for people living with Huntington’s disease.

“Our ability to adapt and meet other specialist needs is one of our greatest assets, and we wanted to use this expertise to expand our offering and support more people living with long term conditions.”

Harrogate company launches electric vehicle charger and app

A Harrogate company has launched an electric vehicle charger and free app to improve access to charging points.

Ivie, which is based at Beckwith Knowle, created the charger to help drivers charge their car at home.

Mike Woodhall, chief executive of Chameleon Technology.

Mike Woodhall, chief executive of Chameleon Technology

Meanwhile, the company said the app will allow people to set up a charging schedule and control the 7kw charger remotely.

It will also help users find public charging points and show whether they are available.

Mike Woodhall, chief executive of Chameleon Technology, which owns ivie, said:

“Adoption of EV technology is a major component in helping to drastically cut carbon emissions, supporting the UK’s goal of transitioning to more sustainable motoring by 2030.

“However, ongoing frustrations around infrastructure and reliability remain and we are aiming to address these with a ‘truly smart’ app alongside our EV charger to encourage faster adoption amongst motorists.”

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Developer challenges Nidderdale solar panels ‘visual harm’ claim

A developer has appealed a decision to refuse the installation of 30 solar panels at a farm in Nidderdale over “visual harm” concerns.

John Adams submitted the proposal for Gillbeck Farm on Peat Lane at Bewerley to Harrogate Borough Council in September 2022.

It would have seen 30 panels installed in order to “maximise the use of renewable energy sources”.

However, the authority rejected the proposal on the grounds that it would cause “visual harm and have a negative impact on the landscape and the character of the Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty”.

It added:

“The solar panels will dominate the landscape and become a very prominent feature within it, in a negative and unacceptable manner.”

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Mr Adams, who owns the farm, has since taken the case to the government’s Planning Inspectorate, which deals with planning appeals.

In a statement to the inspector, Mr Adams argued that the land would not be not visible to passers by and that Peat Lane was “infrequently” used by cars, walkers and cyclists.

He said:

“We respectfully disagree with Harrogate Borough Council in that we do not believe that ground mounted panels would be visually offensive to the small number of passing public, given our now clear collective responsibility to cut the use of fossil fuels and move towards reliance on renewable and sustainable energy sources.”

Bewerley Parish Council made no objection to the scheme.

A government planning inspector will make a decision on the appeal at a later date.

It comes as the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority questioned whether it needed to do more to tackle climate change.

The authority, which covers part of Nidderdale, revealed at a meeting in September 2022 that the carbon footprint of the residents of the national park was estimated to be around 18% higher than the UK average.

Witnesses come forward in Harrogate rape investigation

Two potential witnesses have come forward after police issued an appeal last night.

North Yorkshire Police said it had arrested a 35-year-old man in connection with a rape at a Harrogate bar and restaurant.

The incident occurred in the downstairs female toilets at Revolucion de Cuba on Parliament Street during the early hours of Saturday, April 8, 2023.

The victim is receiving specialist support.

Officers issued CCTV images of two women who entered the female toilets at around the time of the incident and asked anyone who knew them to get in touch.

A police update said:

“Following an earlier appeal on Friday evening to trace two potential witnesses in support of an investigation into the rape of a woman in Harrogate, we can confirm that both women have now come forward.”

The Stray Ferret has consequently removed the images from its website and social media accounts.

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Administrators reveal state of Harrogate firm Amovc’s finances

Administrators have revealed the state of failed Harrogate firm Amvoc’s finances.

The telemarketing company, which was based at Cardale Park, collapsed and was placed into administration in March this year.

Staff were left shocked on March 17 when they received a late night email from chief executive Damian Brockway saying “all our offices are closed with effect from tonight”. It went on to blame “covid debts”.

A statement of affairs published by administrators Lewis Business Recovery and Insolvency showed the company owes £546,534.71 to preferential creditors against assets of £302,802.63.

This includes wage arrears, holiday pay and pension contribution arrears.

The company also owes £1.2 million to HMRC, which is classed as a “second preferential creditor”.

It also has £868,267 worth of unsecured creditors.

Hemel Hempstead-based data marketing firm, Aura Media Group, is owed £154,467.38 and is among the highest creditors on the list.

Founded in 2010

Mr Brockway set up Amvoc, the trading name of A Marketing Vocation Ltd, from a small office in Dacre in 2010. It sold telemarketing services, initially in the legal sector, and grew rapidly, moving first to Pateley Bridge and then to large offices at New York Mills near Summerbridge.

It opened a new head office on Cardale Park in Harrogate in 2015, a facility in Leeds in 2018 and an office in Manchester in 2022.  It also had plans to expand to London.

Amvoc’s clients included BP, Barclays, Virgin Media, Leeds Beckett University, and both the Conservative and Liberal Democrat parties.

When the Stray Ferret tried to contact Mr Brockway following the collapse of the company, an immediate email response said:

“I regret to inform you that Amvoc has been forced to cease trading with immediate effect due to financial difficulties.

“We understand that this news may come as a shock to many of you, and we want to assure you that we are doing everything possible to manage the situation.

“We are in the process of contacting all our staff, clients and partners to inform them of the situation and provide any necessary information. We apologise for any inconvenience or disruption this may cause, and we are committed to minimising the impact on our stakeholders as much as possible.”

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Its website said it employed 450 staff but the Stray Ferret believes the figure at the time the company collapsed was under 300.

Twenty-three former employees found work with Brighton-based One-Family, which was a former customer of Amvoc.

Meanwhile, Law firm Atticus said in the days after Amvoc’s collapse it had been contacted by 145 former employees.

The law firm said it was investigating the circumstances of the company’s collapse and concerns around how the redundancy process was managed, as well as whether ex-staff are eligible to claim for compensation. 

Cyclist seriously injured in Harrogate after collision with a car

A cyclist has been seriously injured after a collision with a car in Harrogate.

North Yorkshire Police has appealed for witnesses to the incident, which involved a silver Vauxhall Insignia and a woman cyclist.

It happened on Wetherby Road, at the junction of St Nicholas Road, at around 6pm on Monday (May 15).

The cyclist, a woman in her 60s, was taken to hospital by ambulance for serious injuries, including a fractured arm. She has since been discharged.

A police statement said:

“We are appealing for witnesses to the collision or anyone who recalls seeing the car or the cyclist prior to the collision, to get in touch as soon as possible to assist the investigation.

“In particular, we are appealing for any dash-cam footage of the collision.

“If you can help, please email gary.dukes@northyorkshire.police.uk , or contact North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 2, and ask for Tc 1266 Dukes.

“Please quote the North Yorkshire Police reference number 12230088421.”

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