Council sets aside contingency ‘sum’ to cover Kex Gill costs

County council officials have set aside contingency funding for a major realignment of the A59 at Kex Gill amid soaring inflation.

The project is set to cost £68.8 million and construction is due to start in December this year.

North Yorkshire County Council awarded a £50.7 million to John Sisk & Son (Holdings) Ltd, an Irish civil engineering and construction firm, to build the scheme.

County council officials said £18.1 million would be spent on areas such as project management, design and land acquisition.

The project is set to be funded by a £56.1 million grant from the Department for Transport, with the council covering the rest from its reserves.

Gary Fielding, the council’s director for strategic resources, warned previously that the “burden of risk” for major projects, such as the realignment of the A59 at Kex Gill, will fall on the authority amid soaring inflation.

The Stray Ferret asked the authority if it had set aside any funding to cover the project going over-budget.

Richard Binks, head of major projects and infrastructure at the council, said it had included within its funding allocation “a sum for contingencies to cover any additional eventualities during the project”.

He added:

“The total of £68.8m has been allocated to the project to realign the A59 at Kex Gill.

“The Department for Transport is providing grant funding of £56.1m. The remaining £12.7m has been allocated from North Yorkshire County Council’s capital reserves. 

“Costs beyond the main contract include project development, design, works supervision, land acquisition, statutory procedures and utility diversions.”

Contractors will move on site in December to clear the moorland by late February next year to avoid the bird nesting season. An estimated completion date is May 2025.

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The A59 at Kex Gill, near Blubberhouses, is the main route between Harrogate and Skipton. Since 2000, the route has been closed 12 times following landslips.

The project has faced numerous delays and following tender returns, the estimated cost of the scheme increased by £7.2m to £68.8m, which the council attributes to due to inflation affecting constructions costs.

It therefore approved an increase in its allocated funding from £5.5m to £12.7m, given the DfT grant is fixed.

Rachel Daly wins Women’s Super League player of the month award

Harrogate’s Rachel Daly won the Barclays Women’s Super League player of the month award for September.

Daly, who plays for Aston Villa, scored three goals last month including a brace against Manchester City.

Meanwhile, Carla Ward, coach of Aston Villa Women, picked up manager of the month award for the WSL.

Villa went unbeaten throughout September and currently sit third in the league.

On her return the England from Houston Dash, Daly scored twice in the opening WSL fixture against City at Villa Park.

The match ended in a 4-3 win for Villa and Daly was crowned player of the match.

Her third goal of September came against Leicester City in a 2-0 victory.

The award continues a stellar year for Daly, 30, who was also a key part of the England Lionesses’ success at Euro 22 in the summer.

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Traffic and Travel Alert: Harrogate district traffic update

Traffic is moving as normal through the Harrogate district this morning.

However, some roadworks are set to begin on main routes in the district next week.

Here is your Stray Ferret traffic update.

Roads

In Harrogate town centre, long-term work on Crescent Road means motorists are unable to turn left at the Parliament Street junction. Traffic coming the opposite way on Ripon Road is unable to turn right.

Meanwhile, motorists should be aware of temporary lights on Cold Bath Road from Monday (October 18).

The lights are part of gasworks being carried out by Northern Gas Networks and are expected to cause delays.

Work is also scheduled to begin on Monday to reconstruct the B6265 at Red Brae Bank, Bewerley, near Pateley Bridge, which suffered a landslip during storms in  February 2020.

The scheme requires the road to be closed from October 17 to December 9. A diversion will be in place via Pateley Bridge; the B6451 Dacre; Menwith Hill Road; Duck Street and Greenhow Hill village. Temporary traffic lights will be in place during the remainder of the work.

Also, lights will be installed on the B6265 at Red Brae Bank, Bewerley on Monday. The road suffered a landslip during storms in February 2020 an a weight limit has been in pace since.

Details of the scheme are here.

Trains and buses

Northern services between Harrogate and Knaresborough going to York and Leeds are scheduled to run as normal this morning.

The Harrogate Bus Company is not currently reporting any cancellations but you can get updates here.

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Gasworks on Cold Bath Road rescheduled until Monday

Major gasworks which were due to start on Harrogate’s Cold Bath Road have been rescheduled until Monday.

Northern Gas Networks is due to carry out maintenance work on the road which is set to last for five weeks.

It will see temporary traffic lights put in place in the area, which is likely to cause delays for motorists.

The work was scheduled to start on Thursday last week.

However, a spokesperson for North Yorkshire County Council confirmed that the roadworks have been rescheduled until Monday, October 17.

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The move comes as Northern Gas Networks has been carrying out major maintenance work on main routes through Harrogate, including Ripon Road and Kings Road.

Russ Kaye, business operations lead for the company, said previously:

“We would like to apologise in advance for any inconvenience caused during these essential works. However, it is vital we complete them in order to continue to maintain a safe and reliable gas supply to the residents of Harrogate.

“We want to assure residents and road users that we will be working hard to complete this essential scheme as safely and as quickly as possible.”

Traffic and Travel Alert: Harrogate district traffic update

While traffic is moving as normal, drivers should expect the usual queues on Harrogate’s Wetherby Road, Knaresborough Road and Skipton Road during rush hour this morning.

Here is your Stray Ferret traffic update.

Roads

Drivers heading towards Wetherby should be aware of temporary traffic lights still in place on the A661 Harrogate Road near Spofforth.

The lights are in place while Northern Gas Networks carries out maintenance work until October 13.

Elsewhere in Harrogate, long-term work on Crescent Road means motorists are unable to turn left at the Parliament Street junction. Traffic coming the opposite way on Ripon Road is unable to turn right.

Montpellier Road remains closed until tomorrow as Northern Gas Networks carries out maintenance work.

Trains and buses

Northern services between Harrogate and Knaresborough going to York and Leeds are scheduled to run as normal this morning.

Meanwhile, the Harrogate Bus Company is reporting cancellations on its 1, 1C, 7 and 36 services this morning.

You can find out more on the disruption to services here.

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Harrogate hospital A&E performance remains ‘well below’ national standard

A&E waiting times performance at Harrogate District Hospital remains “well below” the national standard as health bosses urge people to only attend the department if necessary.

Latest figures show that the hospital had 4,554 attendances to its emergency department in August 2022.

The national standard for emergency department waiting times is to admit, transfer or discharge 95% of patients within four hours.

According to NHS England figures, 62% of patients were seen within that timeframe at Harrogate hospital.

Meanwhile, a total of 82 patients waited longer than 12 hours to be seen.

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In a report to its board, Jonathan Coulter, chief executive at Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust, said the performance remained “well below” the standard set nationally.

He said:

“The board should be aware that our A&E performance in August remained well below the national standard and we had a higher number of 12 hour waits in the department than in previous months.

“The situation has improved in September, but the changes that we have initiated and highlighted earlier need to be delivered in order for us to provide the improved urgent care service that we all want to have in place.”

Visiting the Emergency Department at Harrogate District Hospital pic.twitter.com/8cITeTrHkj

— Harrogate NHS FT (@HarrogateNHSFT) October 3, 2022

The move comes as the trust has urged people to only attend its emergency department if they have a life-threatening or severe illness or injury.

In a statement, the trust said it expected to see a high number of patients at A&E this week.

It said:

“This week we are expecting our hospital in Harrogate to be very busy. As a result, visitors to our emergency department with less serious issues may experience longer waiting times than usual.

“This isn’t ideal and we will endeavour to keep waiting times as short as possible.”

Have you experienced a long wait in Harrogate’s A&E department? We’d like to hear from you. Email contact@thestrayferret.co.uk or call us on 01423 276197. 

Ambulance workers in Harrogate district could be set to strike

Staff at Yorkshire Ambulance Service are set to vote on strike action over a government pay offer.

The service employs 7,200 staff and covers all of North Yorkshire, including the Harrogate district.

The GMB Union, which represents 1,500 ambulance workers, said it held a consultative ballot over strike action which saw 90% vote in favour of a walk-out.

Turnout for the vote was 80%.

It comes after the government offered staff a 4% pay increase.

Following the outcome on the consultative ballot, Unions are now set to move towards holding a formal vote on industrial action.

Deanne Ferguson, GMB organiser, said:

“Ambulance staff should not be worrying about how they’ll heat their homes this winter or feed their families, whilst carrying out a crucial service across our communities.

“The service is crumbling, and it is having an impact on everyone – it is only surviving because of the amazing workers holding it together, through goodwill.

“GMB members have had enough, they are angry – and that’s why they want to move to a formal ballot for strike action.

“They’ve made history with their turnout and vote.

“GMB Union will stand shoulder to shoulder with our members as we fight for an above inflation pay rise for our NHS heroes.”

Dates for the formal ballot will be announced in the “coming days”, the union said.

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Flaxby Park appeals decision to refuse 350 ‘eco lodges’ near A1

The owners of the former Flaxby Park Golf Club have appealed a decision by Harrogate Borough Council to refuse its plans for 350 ‘eco lodges’ and a hotel on the site.

The borough council turned down the proposal in March on the grounds that it would cause an “unacceptable” impact on the environment. The site is close to junction 47 on the A1(M).

Now, Flaxby Park Ltd has taken the decision to the government’s Planning Inspectorate – the body which deals with planning disputes.

In documents submitted to the inspectorate, planning consultants Lichfields, which has lodged the appeal on behalf of the developer, said the reasons for refusal were “unfounded”.

It said:

“The appellant will show that the council’s reasons for refusal are unfounded and that there are no technical issues arising from the proposed development, which cannot be addressed by appropriately worded conditions or Section 106 planning obligations.

“The appellant will therefore submit that planning permission should be granted for the development proposed by the appeal without delay.”

The proposal includes plans for 350 holiday lodges along with a hotel, outdoor swimming pool, spa and sports area as well as a pub/cafe, farm shop, gift shop and activity hub.

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The scheme would be built on the former Flaxby golf course, which has been closed since 2014, off the A59 York Road.

In March, council planning officer Kate Broadbank said the development would have a negative impact on the district’s natural environment as well as harming views from the nearby Temple of Victory, which is Grade II* listed.

Ms Broadbank wrote:

“The scale and layout are considered to have an unacceptable adverse impact upon the district’s natural and historic environment.

“In addition, the application site is not considered to be accessible to local services nor is it demonstrated that an acceptable connection to public utilities can be achieved.”

An aerial computer generated image of the proposal. The A1 (M) is to the east and the A59 is to the south.

An aerial computer generated image of the proposal. The A1 (M) is to the east and the A59 is to the south.

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

History of the site

In 2008 The Skelwith Group bought the site from farming family the Armstrongs for £7m. It published plans for a 300-bedroom five-star hotel on the site that it touted as the future “jewel in Yorkshire’s tourism crown”.

But the plans never materialised and in 2016 the company went out of business.

Flaxby Park Ltd, a company made up of businesswoman Ann Gloag and regeneration specialists Chris Musgrave and Trevor Cartner, bought the 260-acre golf course site from administrators in 2016.

Its original proposal for the site was to build 2,750 homes and a rail link at Goldsborough. But these plans ended after the council chose the Cattal and Green Hammerton area as the site for a new settlement in the district instead.

In October 2020, the developer challenged the council’s decision in the High Court but was unable to overturn it.

Plan to convert Glasshouses pub into holiday cottage

Plans have been submitted to convert a former pub in Glasshouses into a holiday cottage.

The Birch Tree, at Lupton Bank, closed its doors back in March 2020 due to the covid pandemic.

In plans lodged to Harrogate Borough Council, Harrogate Architectural Ltd said the site had been marketed extensively without success.

The site has already seen three cottages built under a previous planning permission, with the pub reduced in size.

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The fresh proposal would see the empty public house converted into a two-bedroom holiday cottage.

In planning documents, the developer said:

“These premises have now remained empty since March 2020 when the previous tenant walked away due to the pandemic. 

“Since that time two agents have marketed the property including a specialist in selling public houses, for a period of seven months. 

“Since that time the applicant has continued his own marketing, all without success.”

Harrogate Borough Council will make a decision on the proposal at a later date.

10K run set to be held in aid of Harrogate Homeless Project

A charity 10k run is set to take place in Harrogate in aid of the Harrogate Homeless Project.

Called “Run, Walk, Move”, the initiative is being held to raise money for the charity on its 30th anniversary.

The charity has urged people to run or walk either as individuals or as a group throughout October, with each runner contributing £10 to the cause.

This Sunday (October 9), Harrogate Triathlon Club has organised a 5k and 10k starting from the Harrogate Homeless Hostel on Bower Street at 10.30am.

Jon Chamberlain, who is part of the Harrogate Triathlon Committee, said the runs would include areas of interest around the town.

He said:

“We are doing a bit of a circle around Harrogate where we can find some interesting places.”

He added that he hoped that the run would help to raise around £400 for the Harrogate Homeless Project.

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After the end of the run, those participating will meet up at North Bar social room for coffee and cake along with the chief executive and chair of the charity.

All money raised as part of the anniversary fundraiser will go towards providing hot meals, laundry facilities, showers and clothing for those who experience homelessness.

Prizes are being provided by Up and Running, which has donated a £75 voucher for fastest 5k, 10k and half marathon times and a £100 voucher for the top fundraising team.

Francis McAllister, CEO of Harrogate Homeless Project, said: 

“The Virtual Run has been set up to be as inclusive as possible, enabling people of all abilities to take part and set their own personal challenge.

“We hope to get as much of the Harrogate district as possible walking, jogging or running for homelessness this October in support of our 30th anniversary fundraising and publicity campaign.”

For more information on how to get involved visit the Harrogate Homeless Project website here and the Harrogate Triathlon site here.