Harrogate Bus Company is set to merge two routes in Bilton as part of changes to its services.

Under a shake-up of its routes which will be introduced from February 19, the current 2A and 2B services will be merged to create a circular around Bilton.

The service will run every 20 minutes from Monday to Saturday and every hour on evenings and Sundays. The 2A and 2B each currently run every 30 minutes.

The bus company said the change will see the “busiest stops and main locations” covered.

The new 2 service to Bilton, as proposed by Harrogate Bus Company.

Meanwhile, the route of the 6 will also change in an effort to “speed up journey times”.

The route will stop at Pannal Ash Drive and The Lawns and “no longer service lightly used stops”, the bus company said. The loop up Harlow Avenue past the Green Hut will no longer be served.

The X6 route will not change and will continue to run along Otley Road serving all stops in both directions.

Harrogate Bus Company added:

“If you currently catch the 6 into Harrogate along Otley Road, you’ll need to catch the bus on the opposite side of the road before it goes around Pannal Ash.”

Changes to the 6 to Pannal Ash.

People who catch the 36 between Harrogate and Leeds will see the service run every 10 minutes, under the changes. The bus company added it would continue to run to “similar timetables and frequencies” between Harrogate and Ripon.

Meanwhile, those who use the 3 service to Jennyfields will see buses every 20 minutes from Monday to Saturday, slightly reduced from the current 15-minute frequency on weekdays, but up on the half-hourly Saturday service.

For more information on the changes to Harrogate bus services, visit the Harrogate Bus Company website here.

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The owner of the Half Moon Inn at Sharow has appealed a decision to refuse plans to convert the pub into a house.

The pub on Sharow Lane opened in 1822 but closed in 2016.

Mark Fitton, owner of the pub, lodged a plan to convert the former pub into a house in March last year.

However, Harrogate Borough Council refused the proposal on the grounds that “insufficient evidence” had been submitted to demonstrate that no community use existed for the property.

Mr Fitton has now taken the decision to the government’s Planning Inspectorate, the body that deals with planning disputes.

He has also resubmitted the proposal to the council and challenged a decision to allocate the former pub as an asset of community value.

In documents submitted to the government, he said:

“Contrary to the stated reason for refusal, an abundance of evidence was submitted to demonstrate that no community use exists for this property.”

Read more:

• Sharow Parish Council continues village pub fight

• Residents call for Sharow pub reinstatement after latest council rejection

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

Following the council’s decision to allocate the building as an asset of community value, residents have called for the pub to be reinstated.

However, Mr Fitton has challenged the move and called for a review of the decision.

In a letter to Mr Fitton, which has been seen by the Stray Ferret, the council confirmed that it expected to complete a review by January 29, 2023.

Now is your time to shine with the Stray Ferret Business Awards. We are encouraging businesses of all sizes from right across the Harrogate district to enter for our awards and get recognition from our top panel of judges. Entries close on January 16.

Benchmark Capital has acquired a majority stake in a Harrogate-based financial and wealth management company.

The Horsham firm has confirmed an agreement is in place for a 51% shareholding in Oculus Wealth Management, subject to approval from the Financial Conduct Authority.

Oculus, which is based on Grove Park Court, offers financial planning and wealth management advice to business owners, professionals and the retired.

The acquisition of the company, an existing Benchmark partner which looks after £2 billion of client assets, will provide Benchmark with a broader range of services.

Ed Dymott, managing director at Benchmark, said:

“We are thrilled to welcome Oculus to Benchmark and provide the support to allow further growth and progression for an already highly successful business. Oculus have been incredibly successful in helping advisers who have previously worked at larger wealth managers and private banks set up their own practices, and we see this as a key growth area in the market.

“Their business-in-a-box model, bringing together Benchmark’s and Oculus services, is a compelling proposition, and we have seen great demand for this offering.

“We have known the team for several years and are excited by the potential for the future with our new partnership.”

Harrogate company customers win awards

A Harrogate-based website company is celebrating after 11 of its customers picked up awards.

Garages Services Online, which is based on Hornbeam Park, builds sites for independent garages as part of a subscription service.

This past year, the company has seen its customers win at the national Top Garage and Top Technician Awards.

Across all seven categories, the company celebrated four of its independent garage customers being category winners, one being a runner-up and one being a finalist.

Meanwhile, five other customers won their respective categories in the Motor Ombudsman Star Awards, Servicesure Awards and GroupAuto Awards.

Among the winners include Shaikly Motor Company in Colchester and Hunters of Linlithgow.

Jim Lang, managing director of Garages Services Online, said:

“We’re incredibly proud to be the company behind the online presence of these 11 award-winning garages.

“They’re all thoroughly deserving of their accolades and have worked incredibly hard to get to this level. A common factor is they all have one of our websites; I’d like to think it’s not just a coincidence.”

Read more:

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• Business Breakfast: Harrogate solicitors funds junior staff development
• Business Breakfast: Harrogate law firm makes senior appointment

An office for hire is set to open at Harrogate Railway Station in March.

Sheffield-based Workfromhub has designed the facility to create private working space for an “ever growing remote workforce”.

The start-up company has already introduced hubs in Sheffield and Swinton in Greater Manchester.

People will be able to book the Harrogate hub at a rate of £8.99 per hour for one or two hours or £5.99 per hour for eight-plus hours.

The facilities include space for two people along with internet access, a second screen and desk space.

Neal Byers, founder of Workfromhub, told the Stray Ferret the hub would also encourage people back to railway and bus stations.

He said:

“We are working closely with Northern Rail to help transform underused spaces within stations. We can see the need for people who are on the move to have somewhere private and connected to work from.

“We feel that there are not enough remote working private spaces around to keep up with the demand of a growing remote workforce.

“We also see transport links such as rail stations, park and rides and interchanges, have suffered from covid-19 and are trying to encourage users to come back and use their facilities. WorkfromHub can help resolve both these issues, reimagining underused spaces and creating great places to work from.”

The hub space advertised at Harrogate station.

Those who book will receive a code to enter the facility for their allocated time.

Booking for the Harrogate facility is set to open in March.

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• Harrogate electric buses to be free on Sundays

A plan to convert a former Markington pub into a house has been approved.

The Cross Keys Inn, on High Street, closed in 2016 after declining turnover and profitability.

Now, Harrogate Borough Council has approved plans to convert the former public house into a home.

ID Planning, which lodged the plan on behalf of Leeds-based Lotherton Property Services, said in documents submitted to the council the building had been extensively marketed for sale as a pub.

But it added potential buyers had shown little interest in reopening it for that purpose.

The documents said:

“No party expressed any interest whatsoever in reopening it as a public house or indeed any other use other than residential.”

The proposal would see the former pub converted into a four-bedroom house along with three car parking spaces.

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• Volunteers step in to run Conyngham Hall leisure facilities

A Harrogate-based law firm has made a new appointment to its senior team.

Jones Myers has appointed senior family law specialist Neil Dring to lead its office on Victoria Avenue.

Mr Dring joins the firm’s financial remedies department, which is regularly instructed in multi-jurisdictional proceedings and cases involving complex corporate and offshore trust structures.

He said:

“Jones Myers’ standing as an award-winning leader in its field which attracts the best family lawyers is acknowledged on a regional and national level. Its esteemed Children’s Department is also renowned internationally.

“The firm’s ethos of seeking non-confrontational solutions to relationship breakdowns resonates with my approach and values, and I am looking forward to playing a key role in the practice’s continued expansion.”

Richard Peaker, Jones Myers managing partner who heads the financial remedies department, said: 

“Neil is a highly respected and well-known family lawyer whose breadth and depth of experience highly complements our expertise and approach in delivering bespoke solutions for our clients.

“We warmly welcome him to the team as we continue to go from strength to strength in Yorkshire and beyond.”

Harrogate BID to host counter-terrorism workshops

Harrogate BID is set to host counter-terrorism workshops for its members this month.

The workshop will deal with ‘Document Awareness’ and is aimed at those in HR or those responsible for recruitment in their organisations, helping recruiters identify false documentation.

This initiative coincides with an announcement that new counter-terrorism legislation will be introduced for UK venues as a reaction to the 2017 attack at the Manchester Arena during an Ariana Grande concert.

Bethany Allen, Business and Marketing Executive at Harrogate BID, said: 

“At the same time as Martyn’s Law shores up the UK’s venues against attacks, the BID is partnering with Counter Terrorism Policing North East to help Harrogate’s business stay prepared.

“It essential that criminals seeking unlawful access into an organisation be caught in the recruitment stage, which is exactly what our workshop should help business accomplish.

“The practical workshop is approximately two hours long, and provides detailed training in how to identify document fraud, looking at passports and driving licences, comparing features of real and false documents.”

The workshop will take place on Thursday January 12, between 1.30 and 3.30pm at The Crown Hotel, Crown Place, Harrogate, HG1 2RZ.

BID Members wishing to attend this session should email info@harrogatebid.co.uk.

Read more:

• Business Breakfast: Reed Boardall awarded top ranking for product safety
• Business Breakfast: Harrogate solicitors funds junior staff development

When Harrogate Borough Council is abolished in April, the first signs of political change in the district will come to fruition.

This year, we can also expect to hear more about the £540 million devolution deal for North Yorkshire which has been agreed in principle.

But what happens now with devolution and when can we expect to see a new mayor and combined authority that comes with the deal?

What happens from April?

On April 1, Harrogate Borough Council will no longer exist.

It will be replaced by North Yorkshire Council, which is replacing all seven district authorities and North Yorkshire County Council.

It means that council tax will be paid to the new council and services, assets and planning decisions will be transferred to the new authority.

What about the devolution deal?

The £540 million devolution deal, which includes a directly elected mayor for North Yorkshire and York, has been agreed in principle.

A public consultation on the deal was completed last month.

However, it still has to be ratified by both City of York Council and North Yorkshire County Council.

It is expected that this will come before both councils in February 2023 to decide whether to proceed with the deal.

When will a mayor for North Yorkshire be elected?

Councillors still need to agree to the devolution deal in order to start setting up the office of an elected mayor for North Yorkshire.

Both councils can then undertake a governance review in order to create the position of mayor.

According to the timetable outlined in the devolution deal agreed between City of York Council, the county council and government, a mayor could be elected in May 2024, should all go ahead.

What about the combined authority?

As part of a devolution deal which was announced this week, a combined authority will be set up for North Yorkshire and York.

The move will be historic for the county as it joins Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire and Tees Valley in setting up such an authority.

A combined authority is a body set up for two or more councils to make joint decisions.

In this case, the upcoming North Yorkshire Council and City of York Council would come together to make decisions on matters such as economic development and transport.

Should it be given the go-ahead, a combined authority could be set up for North Yorkshire and York by autumn this year.

Read more:

• £540m North Yorkshire devolution deal looks set to progress, say officials
• North Yorkshire leaders set up devolution decision making body

The Harrogate district is expanding with new homes and businesses.

Next year will be no different as both Harrogate Borough Council and the new North Yorkshire Council are set to decide on some major developments.

From 1,300 homes in Ripon to a new Tesco on Skipton Road in Harrogate, there are some key planning decisions to be made.

Here are some of the major developments on the cards for the district.

A new Harrogate Tesco?

In the pipeline for nearly 20 years, talk of a new Tesco in Harrogate could now potentially become a reality over the next 12 months.

The company has earmarked land at former gasworks site on Skipton Road for its new store.

Since pulling out of plans for the site in 2016, Tesco returned at the end of last year with fresh plans for a 38,795 square feet supermarket.

Artist impression of how the Tesco will look on Skipton Road.

Throughout 2022, objections have been lodged against the plan from residents and retailers – including the Co-op, which argued the new store could damage takings at its Jennyfields shop.

The proposal represents a major scheme for Harrogate, which currently does not have a Tesco supermarket.

However, in 2023, that could change if councillors side with the retail giant.

West of Harrogate expansion

The west of Harrogate has been earmarked for major development for some time.

The scale of the housing planned for the area has led to the approval of a parameters plan by the borough council.

Among the schemes include 480 homes at Bluecoat Wood, 770 homes at Windmill Farm and 200 homes at the former police training centre off Yew Tree Lane.

Some of the developments are yet to be decided and could be heard this coming year.

More housebuilding in Kingsley

Another area of Harrogate that has seen extensive housebuilding is Kingsley.

Developers including Persimmon Homes have pursued schemes on Kingsley Drive for the past 18 months.

Read more:

• New housing plan to be created for Harrogate district
• New Harrogate district housing plan should not be ‘tickbox exercise’, says councillor

A revised proposal for 162 homes has just recently been tabled for the street this month.

Despite concern from residents that nearby Rydal Road, Birstwith Road and Leyland Road have been used as rat-runs due to housebuilding, the area looks set to be subject to further applications.

Knox Lane controversy

Perhaps one of the more controversial developments which could be decided this coming year is new houses off Knox Lane.

A decision on the 53-home proposal has been delayed since October after councillors raised concerns that the site is likely to be contaminated by coal and tar spillages from a former railway track.

The plans were first submitted in April 2020 and initially included 73 homes, but this was reduced to 53 after local complaints.

Despite further changes, residents have continued to strongly oppose the development with more than 300 objections and no letters of support being submitted to the council.

Campaigners dressed as woodland creatures also took to the Nidderdale Greenway to collect signatures against the proposal.

A computer generated image of the proposed Ripon Barracks site

New homes in Clotherholme?

One of Ripon’s longest running housing schemes is the planed 1,300 homes on the former Clotherholme barracks.

The plans were first submitted in 2020 by Homes England, the government’s housing agency.

However, since then, there has been a bitter debate over the scheme and its impact on health, transport and the site’s military history.

A consultation into the homes was extended in March following a request by Ripon City Council.

However, there has been little movement on the development since.

Every month the Stray Ferret tries to find out what our local MPs have been up to in their constituencies and in the House of Commons.

In December, Harrogate’s MP met with ministers over the future of River Nidd’s water quality. Meanwhile, Ripon MP Julian Smith focused much of his tweets this month on matters in Northern Ireland.

We asked Harrogate & Knaresborough MP, Andrew Jones, Ripon MP Julian Smith, and Selby and Ainsty MP Nigel Adams if they would like to highlight anything in particular, but we did not receive a response from any of them.

Here is what we know after analysing their online presence.

Andrew Jones, MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough.

In Harrogate and Knaresborough, here is what we found on Mr Jones:

• At the start of the month, Mr Jones urged pensioners to look at pension credit eligibility amid the cost of living crisis.
• On December 7, Mr Jones announced he had raised matters of bathing quality status for the River Nidd in Knaresborough with environmental quality minister Rebecca Pow.
• Following the meeting, Mr Jones said he was “confident” of achieving the status.
• On December 22, he wrote on his Community News website that he intends to work with businesses and residents to submit a case to government for the status in 2023.
• Mr Jones made four spoken contributions in the House of Commons on skills, planning decisions in West Cumbria, biodiversity and alcohol duty.

Read more:

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Julian Smith, MP for Ripon and Skipton.

In Ripon, here is what we found on Mr Smith:

• Mr Smith visited Nidderdale Museum on December 13 for a guided tour around the volunteer-led facility.
• On December 15, Mr Smith tweeted that he was Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was visiting Northern Ireland.
• On December 18, he tweeted that it was important that concerns in the Unionist community were addressed and that “here is full focus on ensuring that the EU & UK rework the post Brexit trading arrangements” in order to restore stability in Northern Ireland.
• Mr Smith met with the chief executive of Airedale Hospital on December 22 to discuss “the challenges that the hospital is facing”.
• Mr Smith made no spoken contributions in the House of Commons this month.

Nigel Adams, MP for Selby and Ainsty which includes rural Harrogate.

In rural south Harrogate, he is what we found on Mr Adams:

• Mr Adams tweeted just twice in December. One was to congratulate a Ukraine-related charity and another was about a beer brewed in Tadcaster.
• On December 6, Mr Adams advertised a consultation on a devolution deal for North Yorkshire and York.
• The following day he visited a new NHS diagnostics centre in Selby.
• He made three news posts on his website throughout December.
• Mr Adams made no spoken contributions in the House of Commons.

A developer has reduced the size of a planned housing development on Kingsley Drive to 162 homes.

Persimmon Homes had initially lodged plans to Harrogate Borough Council for 181 homes in March this year.

However, the proposal was met with concern from council officials and 222 letters of objection from residents.

In documents submitted to the council, Persimmon said it has reduced the size in response to comments from the authority and “other third parties”.

It added that it had also enlarged garden plots, provided public open space and removed some housing designs.

In its amended plans, the developer said:

“The development proposals have again been amended to respond directly to the comments and matters raised following the submission of amended documentation in August 2022.

“The proposed amendments to the scheme will deliver a green space and landscape driven development, which will enhance pedestrian and cycling connectivity within the local area, and which will overall provide a very high standard of residential amenity for prospective residents.”

The amended layout of the Kingsley Drive scheme as submitted by Persimmon Homes.

The move comes as housing officers at the borough council raised concern over the design of the some of the properties.

Meanwhile, residents in the area have held long concerns about the amount of housebuilding in the area and its affect on traffic, noise and loss of green space.

Gillian Hamilton, one of the residents who wrote to the council to object, said in a letter to the authority:

“Local residents have had years of disruption due to building houses in the area. Road closures, noise, constant digging up of pathways and roads to facilitate the various essential utilities.

“The green spaces are disappearing and this further proposal to build houses off Kingsley Drive will result in no more green space left.”

Read more:

• Developer submits 181-home Kingsley Drive plan
• Starbeck residents pledge to fight 181-home Kingsley Drive plans ‘tooth and nail’

Persimmon Homes odged the fresh plan after Harrogate Borough Council rejected a development for 217 homes on the site back in August.

The application would see a mixture of one, two, three and four bedroom properties built.

It is the third time that the developer has submitted a proposal at the location, which used to form part of Kingsley Farm.