Petition set up objecting to £11.2m Harrogate Station Gateway

An online petition has been set up against the planned £11.2 million Harrogate Station Gateway project.

The scheme would see the biggest change to the town centre for decades, including traffic on a 300-metre stretch of Station Parade being reduced to single lane so cycle lanes can be built and part of James Street pedestrianised.

Senior North Yorkshire councillors will meet to make a final decision on the project on May 30 after Harrogate and Knaresborough councillors voted to support it.

However, a petition against the scheme has attracted 191 signatures at the time of writing.

Rachael Inchboard, of the Granville Road Residents Group, set up the Change.org petition in objection to the gateway project.

The petition says the scheme would  “irreversibly damage Harrogate” and adds that the signatories have “no confidence” in officers or the executive at North Yorkshire Council, which is leading the proposals.

Ms Inchboard said:

“Reducing the main A61 road through the centre of the town to a single lane, together with other proposals such as the partial closure of James Street, will hamper access by emergency vehicles, increase congestion and pollution, force cars and all other vehicles onto other roads and have an extremely detrimental effect on both the residential and business areas.

“The whole premise of the scheme is nonsense and will irreversibly damage Harrogate.

“Those who live and work in the town centre are not being listened to. Our voices must be heard.”

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The move comes as Cllr Keane Duncan, executive councillor for highways at the council, welcomed the decision by Harrogate and Knaresborough councillors to support the proposals.

Following a three-hour meeting at Harrogate’s Civic Centre on May 5, councillors backed the scheme by 10 votes to 3.

Cllr Duncan, who has had responsibility for transport on the Conservative authority’s executive since Don Mackenzie retired last year, said he was pleased councillors from opposition parties came together to back the project.

He said:

“I welcome the positive, cross-party support expressed for the gateway project. The majority of councillors recognised the importance of securing this £11m investment and the transformative impact the project could have for Harrogate.

“Their support gives the executive the ability to proceed to the next stage. Input and oversight provided by local councillors will be incredibly valuable, now and into the future.”

Police release CCTV images after Pateley Bridge petrol station attempted arson

Police have released CCTV images of a man they wish to speak to after an attempted arson in Pateley Bridge.

Officers say the incident happened between 1.45am and 2.45am on Sunday (May 14) at the Dales Market Corner petrol station in the town.

Two men walked onto the forecourt, placed a backpack in the area and set it alight. The backpack then self-extinguished.

Yesterday afternoon, officers arrested a 36-year-old man on suspicion of arson and criminal damage. He was interviewed and later released on conditional bail.

North Yorkshire Police has now appealed for the public to help with further information which may assist with the ongoing investigation.

Jill Cowling, detective inspector from Harrogate CID, said:

“We’re treating this incident as deliberate, and enquiries are continuing.  Thankfully no one was injured, but we will be increasing police activity in the area to provide additional reassurance to the public.

“As part of the ongoing police investigation I’m now appealing for people to come forward about any suspicious activity at the location on the night of Saturday 13 and in the early hours of Sunday 14 May 2023.”

Anyone with any information is asked to email Jill.Cowling@northyorkshire.police.uk or you can call North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 2 and ask for Jill Cowling.

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Harrogate galleries collaborate on new exhibition

Two Harrogate galleries have collaborated to launch a new exhibition.

Watermark Gallery will partner with Walker Galleries, which closed its doors on Montpellier Parade in December last year to move its operations online.

The two businesses have launched a new exhibition, A Brush With Colour, which opened on Saturday and will run until May 31.

Liz Hawkes, owner of Watermark Gallery, said she felt her business could learn from working with Walker Galleries.

She said:

“When we heard that Walker Galleries was closing, we were very disappointed to lose a quality gallery across the road. 

“Through our sister business, Artworks Conservation, we have worked with Ian and Shirley Walker for many years and have a mutual respect for the gallery business they built up. 

“We felt we had a lot to learn by joining forces and are only too pleased to be working with them on this exciting new programme of work.”

Lilies and Lemons – one of the exhibits by Caroline Bailey

Ian Walker, owner of Walker Galleries, said:

“We were delighted when Liz approached us with the offer of a venue so we could continue exhibiting the work of our artists.

“This current show with Caroline Bailey now promises to be even bigger and better than ever before as it combines our established way of working with the online and digital marketing focus of Watermark Gallery.”

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A Brush With Colour is a solo exhibition by acclaimed artist and colourist Caroline Bailey RSW (Royal Scottish Society of Painters in Watercolour). 

It will be held at Watermark Gallery on Royal Parade.

The exhibition is the first in a series of three joint events, with future exhibitions by Mike Bernard RI and Katharine Holmes both planned for the Autumn/Winter 2023. 

More Harrogate covid vaccine clinics to be available amid travel concerns

Health bosses in North Yorkshire have said more covid vaccine appointments will be available for Harrogate residents amid concern over a lack of clinics.

Officials at NHS Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board said three pharmacies in Harrogate have been holding appointments for those eligible for a spring booster vaccine.

However, residents have contacted the Stray Ferret over concerns that the NHS booking website only showed clinics in West Yorkshire.

Currently, those who are vulnerable and over-75 are eligible for an appointment.

Those who wish to book a vaccine have to do so through the NHS website or by calling 119.

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But, residents in Harrogate who have tried to book a booster vaccine have found appointments are only available in Bradford or Leeds.

NHS officials said much of the vaccine campaign has been focused on those in care homes or who are housebound.

However, they added more local appointments should become available “over the next two or three weeks” to those who are eligible and will mostly be in GPs and pharmacies.

In response to the concern over travel, a spokesperson for Humber and North Yorkshire ICB said:

“Three pharmacies in Harrogate have had appointments available through the NHS National Booking Service and have been actively delivering clinics.

“However, over the next two to three weeks, patients in Harrogate who are eligible for their COVID spring booster should have access to more local appointments when they visit the online NHS National Booking Service or contact NHS 119.

“With GP practices in the Harrogate district mainly concentrating their efforts on delivering vaccines to care home residents and patients who are housebound, clinics for over 75s and those who are immunosuppressed will mostly be delivered by community pharmacy teams, though some GP practices will be running clinics for their eligible patients and they will be contacted directly when it’s their turn.

“The Spring campaign commenced on 3 April for all care home residents, housebound and immunosuppressed patients in line with JCVI guidance. All other over 75s became eligible for vaccination w/c 17 April and we are confident everyone who’s eligible will be able to receive a vaccination prior to the end of June when this campaign ends.”

Those are eligible for a spring covid booster are advised to check the NHS booking service online or call 119, if travelling is an issue.

More information on covid vaccine appointments can be found on the NHS England website here.

North Yorkshire Council to review bus services support, says transport chief

North Yorkshire’s transport boss has said the council intends to carry out a review of how it supports bus services amid concerns over passenger numbers.

Cllr Keane Duncan, executive councillor for transport at North Yorkshire Council, said grants from government and a cap on £2 fares will help some routes to continue into next year.

However, he added that the authority would review how it can support bus companies in future.

In a statement due before this week’s full council, Cllr Duncan said:

“We have just accepted the final extension to the Local Transport Fund grant from the DfT. 

“This amounts to an additional £360k which will be used to support services. We hope this will allow current service levels to continue for at least a further year. This allows us time to conduct a wider review of the way the council supports services. 

“However, increased passenger numbers, not subsidies, remain the key to the long-term viability of bus services.”

The move comes as the 24 service from Pateley Bridge to Harrogate was recently saved until April next year.

Transdev, which operates the service, had initially planned to withdraw most services on the route.

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However, talks between the council and operator secured the service for another year.

The move coincided with an extension to the government’s £2 cap on single fares until June and extra funding for routes at risk of being reduced.

At the time, Cllr Duncan warned that government cash “cannot continue in perpetuity”.

How has Northern performed since government control?

The government takeover of Transpennine Express has shone a light on a similar service closer to Harrogate.

Northern, which operates trains to Harrogate and Knaresborough between Leeds and York, was effectively nationalised back in March 2020.

The then Transport Secretary, Grant Shapps, brought the company under government control from March 1, 2020, amid years of cancellations and delays.

Northern has been operated by the government’s DfT OLR Holdings Ltd for the last three years.

So, what can passengers of Transpennine Express learn from Northern’s performance since then?

Northern performance

The Office of Rail and Road collects annual statistics on the performance of rail companies.

Most recent annual figures, published in July 2022, show Northern managed 465 stations at the end of March 2022 compared to 478 before it was brought under government control.

It also shows that the percentage of trains cancelled was 3.3% compared with 4.1% in the 2019/20.

The figures are caveated by the fact that 2020/21 was effected by the coronavirus pandemic, when fewer people travelled by train and the country was put into lockdown three times.

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Meanwhile, the percentage of trains on time between April 2021 and March 2022 was 67.0% compared with 76.3% in the previous year and 55.1% in 2019/20.

The number of passenger complaints has also dropped since 2019/20 from 34.249 to 14,379 in 2021/22.

Perhaps the most striking figure is the number of delay compensation claims.

In 2019/20, this stood at 364,689 and fell to 22,836 the following year. In 2021/22, the figure was 98,934.

How has Northern performed since government control?

The number of passenger delay compensation claims at Northern since 2018/19. Data: Office for Rail and Road.

More recent figures show similar results.

In April 2023, 65.6% of trains were on time, while 2,545 services were cancelled in full.

Brian Dunsby, of the Harrogate Line Supporters Group, said the group was pleased with the way that Northern has performed since going under public ownership.

He said:

“We believe that the Harrogate line services have performed very well since it came under public control in 2020 – especially so considering the recent pandemic and the industrial action that followed.

“The services that we lost for six months during the cut backs in 2022 have all been restored and they are very well used.

“The latest timetable just issued starts on May 21, 2023, and it includes all the vital services needed to operate a half-hourly frequency between Harrogate and Leeds and between Harrogate and York – from early morning until late evening.  So we are very happy – provided that they do actually operate as planned.

“The three-car Class 170 trains are much larger and  more comfortable, much quieter and faster than the previous Class 150 series and the even older Class 140 series trains. The passenger loading does appear to be increasing – but not to the point of being over-crowded.

“We do hope that Northern Trains continues to keep up the latest scheduled timetable.”

Need for a reset

For politicians in the north, the decision to put Transpennine into government hands was necessary.

Lord McLoughlin, chair of Transport for the North, said Transpennine needed “a reset” to improve.

He said:

“We welcome the decision announced by the Secretary of State to bring the contract under Operator of Last Resort (OLR) for TransPennine Express.

“The TfN Board’s position on this issue has been clear for some considerable time, that services need to significantly improve. While we have seen some improvements over recent months, to achieve the performance levels passengers expect and deserve, and that the northern economy needs, there is a need for a resetting of the operation.

”We will now look forward positively to discussing with our members and working with the government to ensure the best way to achieve a service that meets the expectations of those living and working in the north.”

Harrogate Bus Company fares to increase tomorrow

Bus fares in the Harrogate district are set to increase from tomorrow.

Transdev, which runs Harrogate Bus Company, has an announced an increase in prices on some of its tickets from Sunday, May 14.

It will effect services in Harrogate, Knaresborough and Boroughbridge.

However, tickets for single fares will remain at the £2 cap until the end of June – but will return to original prices with no increase as of July 1.

A statement from the bus firm said:

“Unfortunately due to the rate of inflation we are seeing the cost of running our buses increasing. 

“We’ve been able to freeze many of our fares – our single and return fares will not change, including the £2 maximum single fare. 

“We still think these fares offer excellent value for money, especially compared to the cost of driving and parking.”

The price increases will be as follows:

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Driver banned after failing to stop at serious crash in Harrogate

A man has been banned from driving after failing to stop and report a serious crash on Harrogate’s Cold Bath Road.

Harris Hendry-Hussain, of Swinton Court, Harrogate, pleaded guilty to three offences in relation to the crash in the early hours of March 6 last year.

The 21-year-old crashed his Volkswagen Golf into two cars, a Seat Ibiza and a Peugeot, causing “substantial damage” to both vehicles.

The crash blocked Cold Bath Road at 3.10am and left one passenger of the Volkswagen requiring hospital treatment for neck and back injuries.

In a statement at the time, North Yorkshire Police said it was “sheer luck” no one died.

Hendry-Hussain appeared before Harrogate Magistrates Court for sentencing yesterday after admitting driving without insurance, failing to stop after a road accident and failing to report the accident.

The prosecution told the court that when police arrived at the crash on the morning of March 6, Hendry-Hussain was not at the scene.

Once he was found by officers and interviewed, he initially told police that he “did not know who was driving” the Volkswagen.

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The court heard that, after a forensic investigation of the car, officers interviewed the 21-year-old for a second time. He declined to comment.

He was later charged with three offences. Hendry-Hussain initially denied the charges, but later changed his plea at a hearing on April 24.

His defence told the court that Hendry-Hussain had “accepted the offences” put to him and that he had “done something really stupid”.

The court also heard that the defendant was already serving a community order for a separate offence, which was imposed by the courts after the crash.

Magistrates banned Hendry-Hussain from driving for 12 months.

He was given a 12-month community order requiring him to undertake 20 days of rehabilitation activity and 150 hours of unpaid work.

He was also ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £95 and £150 in court costs.

Business Breakfast: Boroughbridge company celebrates long-service staff milestone

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 Boroughbridge company is celebrating reaching a milestone as 200 employees have now worked for the firm for 10 years.

Reed Boardall, which is based off Bar Lane, was founded in 1992 and has gone onto become one of the biggest employers in the area with 745 staff.

The company operates in food logistics and reports a turnover of £66 million.

As well as over a quarter of staff having completed more than ten years of service, 31 have chosen to stay with the company for two decades or longer.

Andrew Baldwin, managing director of Reed Boardall’s cold storage division, said: 

“There’s no doubt that our high staff retention levels play a key role in the continued success of the business and our ability to consistently deliver on our promises to our customers. We don’t use any agency workers, instead all of our team are long term employees, many of whom have built up valuable understanding and knowledge about what we do and this gives continuity to the business, enabling us to be the reliable, responsive partner that our customers need.

“This constancy of approach is reinforced by the high numbers of family members all working here across the generations- we have numerous husbands and wives, a mother and daughter and several dads and sons as well as a husband, wife and father in law. What makes us unique is that we have the same staff, providing the same levels of service – it is all about the people and we’re proud that so many of our team choose to stay with us.”

Harrogate financial firm launches rebrand

A Harrogate financial services firm has launched a rebrand.

FinancialForce, which is based at Cardale Park, has renamed itself as Certinia.

The company was co-founded in 2009 by local businesswoman Deb Ashton.

The firm has gone onto employ more than 1,000 people at offices across five countries.

Speaking about the rebrand, Scott Brown, chief executive of Certinia, said:

“FinancialForce was the perfect name when the company was founded in 2009 describing its intent to deliver ERP on Force.com.

“Over the past decade, the company invested heavily to become the most trusted PSA solution in the market.

“Now, we have expanded our ERP leadership with the addition of FP&A, and recently launched new products in two additional markets with Customer Success Cloud and Services CPQ. Together, these are a comprehensive and tightly integrated platform for services businesses. It was time to ensure our name and brand align with all we do in the marketplace today.”

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Ripon temporary gym to remain in place until 2024

The temporary gym at the Jack Laugher Leisure and Wellness Centre in Ripon looks set to remain in place until March next year.

The £300,000 facility, which is operated by Brimhams Active on behalf of North Yorkshire Council, was installed last month.

The installation enabled the closure of the existing gym on the upper floor of the 28-year-old leisure centre next to the new swimming pool, paving the way for ground stabilisation works costing £3.5 million to be carried out under the building.

In a statement due before next week’s full council, Cllr Simon Myers, executive councillor for culture, arts and housing, confirmed that the facility is expected to be in place until next year.

He said:

“The temporary gym will include the high-quality, state-of-the-art Technogym equipment currently available in the existing leisure and wellness centre.

“As well as expert advice and guidance from the Brimhams Active team, customers will still be able to use the changing and shower facilities in the new pool area, as well as the sauna and steam suite as they will remain open as normal.

“Group exercise classes will also continue to be provided at Hugh Ripley Hall. The new swimming pool will remain open as usual.

“The temporary gym will be used until the refurbishment project is completed by March 2024.”

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The installation of the gym comes after an investigation into ground conditions beneath the older half of the leisure centre after an underground void was discovered in 2020.

At the time, Harrogate Borough Council said the void is understood to have been “present for a number of years and was only discovered when the reinforced concrete slab, which provides the foundation for the new swimming pool, was cast”.