Calvin Robinson Chief Reporter, Author at The Stray Ferret

Couple deny defrauding Harrogate estate agents with £24m wealth claim

A couple have denied a string of fraud offences after it was alleged they dishonestly claimed to have wealth of £24 million to gain a tenancy on a house in the Harrogate district

John and Jacqueline Carnell appeared via video link from their home in Loule, Portugal, to face the charges at Harrogate Magistrates Court yesterday.

The offences are alleged to have taken place between July 2014 and December 2018.

Mr Carnell, 70, denied 10 charges, including dishonestly making a false representation to Hopkinsons Estate Agents that he had personal funds of £24,172,421 to gain a 12-month tenancy agreement to rent a property named in court as Highfield House.

He also denied continuing to make false representations about his wealth, including being the beneficiary of a trust fund, to maintain renting the property.

Mr Carnell also faced a charge of being in possession of letters purporting to be from Barclays Wealth suggesting an account balance of between £24 million and £26 million “for use in the course of or in connection with a fraud”.

Meanwhile, the 70-year-old pleaded not guilty to changing names on cheques to his wife’s and presenting two cheques to Hopkinsons representing that there was sufficient funds to pay his tenancy, when there was not.

Mr Carnell also faced two charges of stealing cash transfers which were made for a specific purpose.

One count was in relation to £40,810 being made for the purchase of vehicles and another for £102,910 which was made for the payment of disbursements for a planning application at Archer Hill.

He was also charged with two counts of obtaining credit without informing that he was an undischarged bankrupt.

The 70-year-old denied all charges.

Meanwhile, Ms Carnell, 73, pleaded not guilty to changing the name on a signed cheque to her own to induce Barclays Bank to accept it as genuine.

She also denied a charge of presenting two cheques to Hopkinsons Estate Agents representing that there was sufficient funds to pay the tenancy at Highfield House, when there was not.

Antony Farrell, prosecuting, requested that the case be heard at crown court due to the “long and complex” nature of the charges and the values involved.

The magistrates ordered both defendants to appear before York Crown Court on May 30, 2023.

Civic society backs creation of Harrogate town council

Harrogate Civic Society has backed plans to create a Harrogate Town Council.

A second consultation on whether to set-up a town council runs until May 5.

North Yorkshire County Council said in March the move would require 35,000 households to pay an additional council tax charge of between £40 and £60.

However, in its submission to the consultation the civic society said the establishment of a town council would mean key decisions could be made by local councillors “who live in the town”.

It added it would want to see the authority take on more powers over time.

The areas in Harrogate which would fall under the new town council.

Harrogate and Scarborough are the only parts of the county not to have a parish or town council.

The civic society submission said:

“The society aims to celebrate our past, enhance our present and shape our future. We believe that this can best be done with a Harrogate town council, so key decisions will be made by local councillors who live in the town.

“We note the possible remit of the new council set out in the consultation document, but would like to see it have more of a role over time.

“This would enable opportunities to raise income, protect and enhance the key assets of the town, have a greater say in planning and development (through a neighbourhood plan), and promote a vision for the town which makes it a premier spa and floral town.”

The group added it wished to work with the town council in future to “keep the town the jewel in the crown of North Yorkshire”.

Last week local Liberal Democrats came out in favour of the creation of a town council.

Eight Liberal Democrats, including former Harrogate borough councillors and current North Yorkshire councillors, signed a letter in support.

They said the move would enable locally-elected councillors to take control of assets such as off-street car parks, the Stray, Royal Hall, Sun Pavilion and Valley Gardens.

A total of 75% favoured setting up a Harrogate town council in last year’s first consultation but only 1,250 homes — 3.5% of those affected — responded. The low response rate triggered concerns about the validity of the response.

A second consultation into the creation of a town council will close next Friday (May 5). You can have your say here.

Harrogate bar offers free coronation cocktail to anyone called Charles, Camilla or King

Cosy Club in Harrogate is to offer a free cocktail to anyone named Charles, Camilla or with the surname King over the coronation weekend.

The bar, which is on Cambridge Street, is to release two limited cocktails for the celebrations which start on Friday, May 5, and run until Monday, May 8.

The drinks will be called Victoria Sponge and Coronation Cup.

Those who can provide ID to show they are called Charles, Camilla or have the surname King will receive one of the limited edition cocktails free of charge.

Enya Gill, head of brand at Cosy Club, said:

“Three cheers for King Charles III! We’re famed for our opulent surroundings and grand décor so I can think no better place to celebrate this historic event.

“We’re all looking forward to a long weekend full of fun, fabulous food and a drinks and cocktail selection even Buckingham Palace would be hard pushed to beat.”

Cosy Club in Harrogate.

The Victoria Sponge is a teacup cocktail with Hendrick’s gin, Pimm’s strawberry, vanilla and lemon served with a mini Victoria sponge on the side.

The Coronation Cup is a teacup cocktail with Hendrick’s gin, elderflower, lemon, coconut and orange served with a mini cucumber sandwich on the side.

The drinks will be on general sale for £6.95 each.

Business Breakfast: Law firm relocates offices in Harrogate

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 family law firm has relocated to new offices in Harrogate.

Barnes Clark Family Law has moved its staff to Windsor House on Cornwall Road.

The company joins more than 110 other businesses at the office building.

Sally Clark, director of Barnes Clark Family Law, said:

“Our new offices reflect our commitment to providing our clients with the best possible legal services in a comfortable setting. We are excited about the opportunities this move presents and look forward to continuing to serve our clients from our new location.”

Karen Winspear, property manager at Boultbee Brooks which manages the building, said:

“We are delighted to welcome Barnes Clark Family Law and their 11-strong team to Windsor House.

“The business has some exciting plans to grow this year and we are well positioned to provide them with the right environment to do that.”

New recruits join Harrogate law firm

A Harrogate law firm has hired three new recruits and qualified two solicitors as part of ongoing growth at the company.

Raworths, which is based on Station Parade, has made the appointments in its private client and commercial teams.

Katie Johnston has joined the trusts, wills and estates team as solicitor, while Lucy Allen also joins as a paralegal.

(Back, from left) Tracy McKenna and Charlotte Newman. (Front: L-R) Katie Jaros, Lucy Allen, Katie Johnston. Credit Rachel Creer.

Meanwhile, Charlotte Newman also joins the team as a newly qualified solicitor, having completed her training contract at Raworths.

Alongside the hires, Katie Jaros has joined the commercial team as a solicitor and Tracy McKenna has qualified as a solicitor.

Rachel Tunnicliffe, senior partner and head of private client services and trust, wills and estates at Raworths, said:

“Our approach goes beyond offering excellent technical legal skills; we actively look to recruit lawyers who can show emotional intelligence too, with the ability to build trusted long-term relationships with clients across all generations.

“Our team is often providing legal advice on very personal family issues, whether that’s helping young adults understand the responsibilities that come with inheriting family wealth or guiding older generations to decide how and when to hand over the reins.

“Communication and sensitivity are at the heart of this, and we’re thrilled to welcome Katie, Lucy, who will join Charlotte as valued members of our team and who all share this ethos and will enable us to continue to grow our client portfolio.”

Donation will improve children’s area at Starbeck Library

A post office has made a donation to Starbeck Community Library to help improve its children’s area.

Andrew Hart and Asma Ola, of Starbeck Post Office and Starbeck Community Group, presented a £500 cheque to Peter Davies, chair of Starbeck Community Library trustees.

The money is set to go towards improvements to the children’s section at the volunteer-run library, including more seating and an alcove.

Mr Davies explained that new projectors would also be bought to help advertise events and information at the library.

He said:

“This has come just in time to do the things that we really needed to do.”

The donation comes as part of ongoing support to the library from Starbeck Post Office and Starbeck Community Group.

Mr Hart said:

“Since we started Starbeck Community Group on Facebook, Starbeck Post Office have put almost £15,000 back into the community in and around Starbeck.

“We want to work with both the residents and traders in rejuvenating Starbeck and helping its many good causes.

“We have some great supporters and volunteers who are working on and planning several projects as we speak.”

Flaxby roadworks set to continue until June

Motorists are set to face five more weeks worth of delays on the A59 at Flaxby as ongoing roadworks are set to continue until June.

Work is being carried out by Power On, which is installing a high voltage circuit to provide power supply to a new business park in the area.

The cable is being installed along the verge of the A59 heading east towards A59/A1M junction.

Temporary traffic lights are in place at the site, which are in manual operations between 7.30am and 5pm, as well as one lane closure.

A spokesperson for Power On said:

“We do apologise for any inconvenience this may cause the public.

“We will complete the works as soon as possible whilst keeping the traffic flowing as much as possible, maintaining the safety of our operatives and the public as our number one priority.”

The spokesperson added that the work is due to run up to June 1, but are expected to be completed a week ahead of schedule due to “good progress made thus far”.

It comes as a section of the project saw roadworks in Shortsill Lane in Coneythorpe.

The work forced the Tiger Inn pub in the village to close for five weeks at the start of the year.

At the time, Barbara Gill, who owns the Tiger Inn, said the pub was already dealing with the cost of living crisis – which has seen its energy bills increase to more than £4,000.

She said:

“These road works are the final kick we didn’t need.”

Power On said the work in Coneythorpe was completed ahead of schedule in March.

Business Breakfast: Harrogate mobile company secures Leeds Bradford Airport contract

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 mobile company has secured a contract for communications at Leeds Bradford Ariport.

Mobile Tornado, which is based at Cardale Park, announced the agreement which will see the firm provide push-to-talk over cellular equipment for the airport’s workforce.

The company said the move would help LBA to “improve safety, efficiency and productivity in complex daily operations”.

Luke Wilkinson, global head of sales at Mobile Tornado, said:

“This agreement with one of the UK’s busiest regional airports represents another big vote of confidence in our push-to-talk over cellular platform as an improved radio system for critical communications.”

Damian Ives, chief operating officer at LBA, said:

“Mobile Tornado’s world-leading technologies will help us to manage operations and achieve our ambitions.

“As a regional airport, we plan our development with the local economy, environment and stakeholders in mind and we are delighted to be working with Mobile Tornado, a local company with world-leading technology.”

Bettys and Taylors partners with Woodland Trust

Bettys and Taylors of Harrogate has announced a partnership with the Woodland Trust.

The move will see the company form a tree planting partnership at the trust’s Snaizeholme project in the Yorkshire Dales.

The scheme will see up to 50,000 trees planted as part of the company’s five-year project.

Alice Tollan, sustainable development specialist at Taylors, said:

“As a family business that relies on agriculture for much of our produce, we have a long commitment to protecting our environment.

“Our Trees for Life campaign was launched in 1990 and since then we’ve supported the planting of over seven million trees in both the UK and in tea and coffee growing regions around the world.

“We’re proud to have worked with the Woodland Trust for many years on tree planting initiatives across the UK and we’re pleased to partner together on this latest unique project.”

Pip Greensmith, head of partnerships for the Woodland Trust, added:

“Snaizeholme offers a chance for us to boost biodiversity at a time when the natural world is in crisis.

“Tree planting and habitat restoration will boost the water quality of the river and beck, safeguarding habitats for species such as otter, as well as attracting birds such as herons, grey wagtails, kingfishers and dippers.

“It’s great to see Bettys & Taylors Group invest in nature-based solutions here in the UK.”

Harrogate Town secure English Football League status

Harrogate Town secured their status in the English Football League with a win at Newport County last night.

The 3-2 victory will see Town remain in League Two next season.

It means Harrogate can prepare for a third campaign in the EFL since their historic promotion in 2020.

Financially, it also means the club will continue to receive Premier League solidarity payments, EFL money and potential broadcasting fees if fixtures are shown on television.

The Premier League pays solidarity payments to all EFL clubs, with those in League Two receiving an estimated £450,000 each in recent seasons.

The club plans to renovate its EnviroVent Stadium on Wetherby Road to comply with EFL standards.

It can now proceed in the knowledge that its place among England’s top 92 clubs is safe for at least another year.

Town’s 3-2 win at Newport last night was secured with a goal from Luke Armstrong seven minutes from full-time.

Armstrong’s 16th goal of the season leaves Harrogate nine points above the relegation zone with two games remaining.

Speaking after the match at Rodney Parade, manager Simon Weaver said he wanted the team to continue to build momentum despite securing survival.

He said:

“We said before the game that we want to finish with as many points as possible. We wanted to excite the fans, keep building momentum and end on a positive note for the fans.”

Crime commissioner’s office to move to Harrogate Police Station

North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Zoe Metcalfe is set to relocate her office to Harrogate Police Station.

The Conservative commissioner, whose job is to scrutinise the performance of the force as well as the fire service, will move in alongside officers on Beckwith Head Road on June 1 this year.

Ms Metcalfe’s office, which employs about 30 staff, is currently based on Granby Road in Harrogate.

The current office on Granby Road in Harrogate

The move comes as part of the commissioner’s strategy to optimise her estate and “improve partnership working and communications”.

Simon Dennis, chief executive and monitoring office at the commissioner’s office, said:

“We expect to save approximately £80,000 per year by changing our office arrangements. Like many progressive organisations, the commissioner’s team has a strong commitment to flexible, agile working and our office accommodation needs have changed in recent years.

“We have been working closely with the estates team, chief constable and chief fire officer to ensure we are all making the most efficient and effective use of the police and fire station buildings.

“In addition to our office re-location the team will also work more flexibly from home and other police and fire buildings.

“The team are really excited and are looking forward to the move which will not only save money but improve our working relationships with the police and fire service.”

Harrogate Police Station

Ms Metcalfe added:

“The public expect police and fire buildings to be used efficiently, especially at this time of strain on our finances, so I am pleased that we can make a contribution towards savings by vacating our office at Granby Road.”

The commissioner’s office said it would continue to review the use of its estates as it planned for devolution and the introduction of a mayoral office.

North Yorkshire Council set for £513,700 redundancy payout to three senior managers

North Yorkshire Council looks set to make three former district council managers redundant at a cost of £513,700.

The council, which replaced Harrogate Borough Council and seven other district and county councils at the start of the month, is restructuring its workforce.

According to a report due before the authority’s executive, senior managers who were transferred to the council under TUPE regulations can be offered “substitute duties” which fit their job descriptions.

Some senior staff left for other jobs before the authority was formed, while others took up roles on the new council.

However, three of the senior managers are due to be made redundant after the roles they were allocated were “time-limited”.

The report said:

“There are three senior managers where the substitute duties allocated are time-limited, and on conclusion they will be in a redundancy position.

“Legal advice has been sought and confirms this position.”

As a result, the council looks set to pay an estimated £513,700 in exit packages to those being made redundant.

None of the officers are former employees of Harrogate Borough Council.

The payments will be split by £107,000, £108,000 and £298,000.

Carl Les, leader of North Yorkshire Council, said the move to one council has helped to save £3.7 million in senior officers’ pay.

He said:

“A huge amount of work has been undertaken to bring together the previous eight councils into one and ensure that there is value for money for North Yorkshire’s taxpayers.

“The move to one single management team for North Yorkshire Council has saved about £3.7 million in pay for senior officers every year. The fact that there are only three senior managers in this situation is significantly less than other councils in this position.

“To have these managers still involved for a defined period has been of significant benefit to the new council, making full use of their skills and experience for work that would otherwise have needed extra resources in terms of appointments, interim managers or consultants.”

A meeting of the council’s executive is set to discuss the matter on Tuesday, May 2. Senior councillors have been recommended to refer the matter to full council.

In December, Unison wrote to the authority warning it not to offer senior managers more favourable redundancy terms than other staff.

The letter came as Hambleton District Council agreed to pay £767,065 to four senior officers who decided they do not wish to work for the unitary North Yorkshire Council after April 1.

The payments were agreed even though the four directors had been assured they would be offered “suitable roles” at no financial loss to themselves when they transferred to North Yorkshire Council.

Former Harrogate Borough Council chief executive Wallace Sampson negotiated a £101,274 redundancy pay-out before his departure at the end of March.

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New recruits join Harrogate law firm

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Bettys and Taylors partners with Woodland Trust

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