Harrogate Conservatives breached data rules relating to Lib Dem rival

Harrogate and Knaresborough Conservative Association “failed to comply” with data protection laws after distributing election leaflets which included a Liberal Democrat candidate’s personal details.

The Information Commissioner’s Office found the local Conservative branch published the name and address of Knaresborough councillor Matt Walker during May’s local elections while promoting its own candidate.

In a letter to Cllr Walker following his complaint, the ICO said it found the matter was done without his consent and that it could not constitute a “legitimate or lawful” use of personal data.

It said:

“H&KCA published details of your name and address, without your consent, for the purpose of promoting an alternative candidate in local elections.

“The ICO do not consider this could constitute a legitimate or lawful use of your personal data, and their purpose for publishing and circulating this personal data would not override your individual rights.

“The ICO will now write to H&KCA to advise them of the ICO’s view in this matter.”

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The commissioner’s office added it would provide the Conservative association with advice and guidance on “improving their data processing in the future”.

It also said it would take no further action at this time, but would keep a record of complaints against Harrogate and Knaresborough Conservatives and “take these into account if more are received”.

In a tweet, Cllr Walker said he was “absolutely disgusted” that his personal data was used.

https://twitter.com/MattWalkerLD/status/1588817092744478720

Mr Walker told the Stray Ferret he was at heightened risk of being targeted by anti-vaxxers and conspiracy theorists because he works for the NHS and helped with vaccination technology.

He added:

“Like many people in my profession, I’ve been warned not to advertise my address. Two MPs have been murdered in the last five years by fanatics. I am disgusted that the Conservatives decided to advertise where I live to thousands of Knaresborough residents.

“Harrogate and Knaresborough Conservatives have shown a real lack of judgement in misusing personal data and those in charge of their election campaign clearly need additional training.”

Mr Walker added he “looked forward to receiving an apology”.

The Stray Ferret has approached Harrogate and Knaresborough Conservatives for a response.

In 2020, Conservative Harrogate Borough Council leader, Richard Cooper, sent a letter to the ICO asking for the local Lib Dems’ petitions to be investigated for “data harvesting”.

Cllr Cooper said none of the four petitions were submitted to relevant bodies and were instead an exercise to build a database of contact information. 

The Liberal Democrats described the accusations as a ploy to put people off signing petitions but an ICO spokesperson provided the Lib Dems with advice to improve their data protection policies following the complaint.

Harrogate hospital urges visitors to wear masks amid winter covid fears

Harrogate District Hospital has urged people to wear face masks on inpatient wards and practice social distancing amid fears of more covid cases during the winter.

Officials at Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust have reiterated the advice for those visiting wards for the protection of staff and patients.

In a statement, the trust said visitors should follow the guidance in order to prevent the spread of the virus within the hospital.

It said:

“Covid has not gone away and it is important that we protect everyone who enters our hospitals.

“As such, anyone entering inpatient areas, such as wards must wear a mask, ensure they sanitise their hands and maintain social distancing.

“Following these protocols will help us to protect our patients, but also our staff, as reducing the risk of our staff catching covid will ensure our patients’ care is not disrupted.”

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The move comes as health bosses are urging those eligible to book a covid booster vaccine ahead of winter.

In Harrogate, vaccinations are available at the Great Yorkshire Showground site.

Great Yorkshire Showground covid vaccine site

This week, walk-in appointments are available every day until Thursday from 8.15am until 5.30pm.

The site will be carrying out vaccinations until November 23 when it closes.

People aged 50 and over, pregnant women, carers, frontline health and care workers, care home residents and people of all ages who are vulnerable are eligible for a covid booster jab now.

Those who are able to book their vaccinations can do so via the NHS website.

The Harrogate district covid infection rate is currently 61 cases per 10,000 people.

Harrogate council approves recruitment plan to help under pressure taxation staff

Harrogate Borough Council has approved £42,000 worth of funding in an effort to tackle a work backlog in its revenue department.

The council has faced an increase in workload and staffing shortages during covid and the energy crisis.

In a report to Cllr Graham Swift, cabinet member for economic development and resources, the authority said the response to the pandemic and the £150 energy rebate had increased pressure on “an already busy team”.

The authority now plans to appoint 2.5 full time equivalent staff until March 2023 to help tackle the backlog.

It comes as the government awarded the borough council funding to help cover costs associated with covid and the energy rebate.

A report presented to Cllr Swift by officers said:

“Revenues section has currently been using temporary staffing resources to provide experienced revenues staff with quality assurance checking for both council tax and business rates.

“The ability to extend this provision through to March 31, 2023 will provide resilience and continuation of consistent knowledge within the team to be able to effectively prioritise on clearing the backlog.”

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Traffic and Travel Alert: Harrogate district update

Traffic is moving well across the Harrogate district this morning.

However, some long term roadworks remain in place on main routes in the district.

Here is your Stray Ferret traffic update.

Roads

Roadworks on the A658 Harrogate Road at Huby have been extended and the road will be closed today between 9.30am and 3pm.

The work is being carried out by North Yorkshire County Council to resurface the road. The council said the breakdown of an asphalt plant has led to the extension.

https://twitter.com/northyorkscc/status/1589505502018412544

The road will be reopened tomorrow with stop and go signs in place.

Traffic lights on the A59 York Road near the junction with the A658 in Knaresborough are due to remain in place until November 11.

Yorkshire Water has installed four-way traffic lights as it lays a new water main for a housing development.

Drivers are urged to allow extra time if using the route this morning.

Work to reconstruct the B6265 at Red Brae Bank, Bewerley, near Pateley Bridge, is ongoing.

The road is closed and a diversion is 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.

Fell Beck Bridge remains closed for works until November 6, with a diversion in place via Burnt Yates and Summerbridge.

Trains and buses

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

Planned strike action today and Wednesday was suspended by the RMT union.

Meanwhile, Harrogate Bus Company has put in place some changes to its services as of November 6.

Most of these are minor, but in a more significant change, the 36 will no longer offer ‘neighbourhood journeys’ from Bilton and Jennyfield to Leeds.

The bus company said this is down to low passenger numbers. Passengers can still get tickets through to Leeds if they start their journeys on the 2A, 2B or 3.

Check the full details on the Harrogate Bus Company website.

The bus company is currently reporting cancellations on its 1, 1B and 1D services this morning. You can get updates here.

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More detail needed on Harrogate district parish council devolved powers, says councillor

More detail is needed on plans to give Harrogate district parish councils more powers, says a Knaresborough town councillor.

North Yorkshire Council will take charge of all local government in the county on April 1. The seven district councils, including Harrogate Borough Council, and North Yorkshire County Council, will be abolished.

Under a pilot scheme, lower-tier authorities will be offered the chance to manage more local services as part of a “double devolution” approach designed to prevent too much power being centralised in Northallerton.

It could see Ripon City Council, Knaresborough Town Council, Pateley Bridge Town Council and others in North Yorkshire take on more powers over assets and services.

However, Cllr David Goode, a town councillor in Knaresborough, has said the devil will be in the detail on the proposals.

He pointed out that the country faces another round of austerity measures in the coming years, which may impact on what services could be given to lower-tier councils.

He said:

“At this stage, the opportunity is to participate in a number of pilot projects in 2023, but a more substantial programme of discussions on transfers will not start until 2024 and the reality is that the development of opportunities for assets management and service delivery will take many years to evolve.

“What is not discussed in detail at this time is the potential impact of another round of austerity cuts from central government and what impact these may have on the delivery of services by the new North Yorkshire Council.

“A key future role for town and parish councils may be to offer alternative solutions to local residents for potential service solutions that could replace those being withdrawn.

“For such a programme to be successful it will be very important for a town council like Knaresborough’s to truly engage with the community, such that local residents are fully engaged in decision making about the town council developing new and innovative service solutions that could replace disappearing services, that residents value, but may not be part of any transfer deal from North Yorkshire Council.”

Meanwhile, Cllr Andrew Williams, the leader of Ripon City Council, said:

“We very much welcome the move by North Yorkshire County Council’s executive to establish a policy on double devolution to town and parish councils.

“The report that will be considered on Tuesday is exactly what were told it would be, so it is very much full steam ahead and I have high hopes that Ripon will be leading the way on this issue.”

‘Double devolution’

Councils will be able to propose taking on a wide range of assets and services, rather than picking from a list.

However, the county council intends to make it clear that proposals to take on decision-making powers, such as planning or traffic regulation, will not be considered.

It would also not consider “expressions of interest with regard to services and assets that generate a significant net income for the new council”.

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Once invited, local councils will have until March 2023 to express an interest in taking on more services.

In a report due before the county council’s executive on November 8, Neil Irving, assistant director of partnerships, said:

“Double devolution is entirely separate from the proposed devolution deal between the government and the local authorities in York and North Yorkshire.

“Double devolution has operated for over 10 years in some other parts of the country, including Cornwall and Wiltshire. 

“There is also significant experience of existing councils in North Yorkshire successfully transferring services and assets to community groups and to town and parish councils.”

Council appoints London consultants to draw up North Yorkshire growth strategy

An £89,537 contract to draw up a strategy to grow the economy in North Yorkshire has been handed to a London company.

North Yorkshire County Council has commissioned Steer-ED to carry out the work on behalf of the upcoming North Yorkshire Council.

The new authority will come into force on April 1, 2023.

The Stray Ferret asked the county council whether it had considered local companies for the work and if the strategy could have been drawn up by its own staff.

Cllr Carl Les, leader of North Yorkshire County Council, said:

“The advent of the new North Yorkshire Council provides us with an opportunity to create a county-wide strategy to drive forward economic growth and support existing businesses while attracting new enterprise.

“Working with council officers, Steer-ED will produce a new county-wide economic growth strategy which will be guided by extensive consultations and engagement with a number of key organisations. This will help us maximise North Yorkshire’s economic potential and drive inward investment across the county.

“Steer-ED was appointed following a competitive procurement process, and the contract was awarded in accordance with the procurement framework requirements. The framework consists of 41 consultants from across the country, and all were invited to tender for the contract.

“Our economic development teams will work very closely with Steer-ED. The decision was taken to recruit consultants to provide an important external perspective as well as ensuring there is additional capacity so the work is completed soon after the launch of the new North Yorkshire Council on April 1 next year.”

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The move is the latest contract to be awarded to a national firm as the county council transitions towards the new North Yorkshire Council.

In July, the Stray Ferret revealed that four consultancy companies were awarded £5 million for “reorganisation support for North Yorkshire Council”.

The contract was awarded to KPMG, Price Waterhouse Cooper, PA Consulting Ltd and Capita Business Service Ltd.

However, councillors on the authority criticised the move as a “waste of money” and questioned whether it could have been better spent elsewhere.

Harrogate Town set for FA Cup Yorkshire derby at Bradford

Harrogate Town are set for a crunch Yorkshire derby in the FA Cup first round today.

Town travel to Bradford City for a 12.30pm kick off as they look to get their cup campaign off to a good start.

More than 300 Harrogate fans are set to head to Valley Parade, and planned strike action on the railways this weekend has been called off.

Town manager Simon Weaver said his side have to remain focussed if they want to get through to the next round.

He said:

“We will just have to make sure we are focussed and concentrated throughout the game.

“We know that if you allow Bradford to play then they have got some good quality players and are organised by a very good manager.

“We can’t take our eye off the ball throughout the entirety of the game. We have got to make sure we are on it.”

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Town will be hoping for a repeat of last season when they managed to beat League One side Portsmouth to make it to the third round.

Harrogate beat Bradford last season on their visit to Valley Parade. But the Bantams took the bragging rights last month at the EnviroVent Stadium with a 2-1 win.

City boss Mark Hughes has said his side are also eyeing a cup run this campaign.

Hughes said:

“I am looking forward to it. A local derby is always a good watch, and we are hoping for a big turnout.

“We want to progress in the cups this season. There clearly is a financial edge to going far, but the reality is, if you get to the third round, there are some good ties we want to be involved in.

“We will try and get there. Our intention is to stay in the competition for as long as we can.

“There is a real understanding within the squad about the history of the competition. The FA Cup is not on the same level, in terms of the prestige and standing, compared to other competitions.

“We have to navigate the game at the weekend. We have beaten them away from home, so there is no reason why we should not be confident.”

Harrogate groups ‘continue to oppose’ new Leeds conference venue

Harrogate Convention Centre bosses will continue to oppose a new Leeds venue after plans were given approval.

Yesterday, Leeds City Council backed proposals for a new conference centre near to Leeds First Direct Arena off Clay Pit Lane in the city.

The proposal faced objection from Harrogate Convention Centre, Destination Harrogate, Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce and Harrogate Business Improvement District.

The groups argued that the centre would drive away business from the town.

Paula Lorimer

Speaking following the approval, Paula Lorimer, director of the HCC, said the centre would continue to object to the plan in its current form.

She said:

“Unfortunately and as anticipated, the development was granted outline planning permission even though it is common sense that if you build a conference and events venue just 16 miles away from another and target the same customer base, trade diversion is inevitable.

“Harrogate Convention Centre will continue to oppose this development in its current form and we have agreed to have dialogue at a senior level with Leeds City Council in order to try and reach a compromise on the size and scope of the development.

“However, this demonstrates how important it is that HCC’s redevelopment is forthcoming and I am looking forward to working with North Yorkshire County Council and Harrogate Borough Council over the coming months in order to make the case for investment.”

An independent study commissioned by Leeds City Council suggested the impact on Harrogate Convention Centre would be minimal.

However this was, disputed by the objectors.

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Speaking at yesterday’s meeting, Martin Farrington, director of city development at the city council, said “standing still” was not an option for Leeds and that the facility was required to compete with the likes of Newcastle and Liverpool.

He said that he was aware of concerns from Harrogate, but added that the planned centre would have minimal impact on trade for the town.

Mr Farrington said:

“We know that new developments in Leeds can cause concern with our neighbours. We saw this with the development of the arena itself and Sheffield’s concern that the facility would undermine the core viability of Sheffield arena.

“Clearly, that didn’t happen. Rather, Sheffield progressed with their own refurbishment plans and invested in their facility to improve the quality of its facility for the wider benefits of the Yorkshire region.

“Holding back the development of Leeds to protect another facility was not the answer in 2010 and  this position remains today. 

“Indeed, in this instance, we know that Harrogate has plans for significant investment in its facilities which is something we whole heartedly support so that Harrogate conference and exhibition centre can continue to thrive.”

Fears for trees over plans to build 62 houses at Harrogate plant nursery

Pinewoods Conservation Group has called on Harrogate Borough Council to be “transparent” over a housing plan amid concerns over loss of green space.

The council looks set to press ahead with plans to build on the Harlow nursery site next to the woods.

Consultants hired by the local authority came up with two options this year. The first was to build 57 homes and flats. The second was to build 62 homes and flats with smaller gardens.

A report due before councillors next week recommends the 62-home option and invites expressions of interest for the land before proceeding to tender for a conditional sale.

The nursery, where the council cultivates plants for floral displays and sells plants to the public, falls within the 96-acre woodlands known as the Pinewoods.

A spokesperson for Pinewoods Conservation Group, a charity set up to protect the area, says it has concerns over the potential loss of green space due to the need for an access route.

They said the proposals indicate that trees would be lost and have called for the authority to be transparent with the group and address the concern.

The spokesperson added:

“We were pleased by the early consultation in May 2021 but had heard nothing since on plans or feedback regarding our initial concerns. The nursery site is a key across point to the Pinewoods used by hundreds of people every week, especially local residents.

“Whilst we are encouraged by the confirmation that it seems public access will continue, there will obviously be major disruption for a substantial period, and we suspect path closures during any development works. However, this is still likely to be several years away.”

They added:

“Our main concerns raised during the consultation were around proposals to widen Nursery Lane East, from the proposed development site to Harlow Moor Road. This is currently a single width track and we understand that the highways authority were looking for two-way access with associated footpath.

“This would likely require the loss of an area of the Pinewoods with this area being a designated green space under the local plan with additional protection under the Localism Act as an asset of community value.

“The published proposals seem to indicate the building on an additional access route that would result in loss of trees and green space.

“We would encourage the council to be transparent on its plans and engage further with groups such as us to help address the concerns already being raised.”

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In response to the concerns, a council spokesperson said:

“The existing horticultural nursery off Harlow Moor Road is allocated for new homes within the council’s adopted local plan. This site provides an exciting opportunity to deliver innovative, high-quality private and affordable homes to help meet the current housing demand.

“It is also hoped that this development will complement the surrounding area and provide a dedicated pedestrian and cycle tree-lined avenue at its heart.

“Any proposals for the development of the site would need to go through the formal planning process and at this stage no plans are yet to be submitted. Once an application has been submitted, community groups and members of the public will be able to share their views that will be considered through the planning process.

“If the proposal identifies any loss of trees, these will be replaced at a minimum ratio of 2:1 should the application be approved.”

Traffic and Travel Alert: Harrogate district update

No trains will run between Harrogate and Knaresborough towards York and Leeds tomorrow amid strike action.

Passengers also face disruption on Sunday as train operators urge people to check service times.

Here is your Stray Ferret traffic and travel update.

Roads

As previously reported, five days of roadworks on the A658 Harrogate Road are taking place which may cause delays for drivers.

It will see motorists diverted along Crag Lane, The Sleights and Gravelly Hill Lane through North Rigton and Huby while work takes place.

The work is being carried out by North Yorkshire County Council to resurface the road, with a closure in place between 9.30am and 5.30pm.

Traffic lights on the A59 York Road near the junction with the A658 in Knaresborough are due to remain in place until November 11.

Yorkshire Water has installed four-way traffic lights as it lays a new water main for a housing development.

Drivers are urged to allow extra time if using the route this morning.

Work to reconstruct the B6265 at Red Brae Bank, Bewerley, near Pateley Bridge, is ongoing.

The road is closed and a diversion is 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.

Fell Beck Bridge remains closed for works until November 6, with a diversion in place via Burnt Yates and Summerbridge.

Trains and buses

Northern is advising passengers not to travel, with no trains currently scheduled to run through Harrogate and Knaresborough on the Leeds to York line on Saturday (November 5).

The train operator is also advising passengers to check service times on Sunday in case of further disruption.

The strike action by the RMT union will be repeated on Monday (November 7) and Wednesday (November 9).

LNER services to London King’s Cross are also affected by the walkout.

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

The Harrogate Bus Company is currently reporting cancellations on its 1A, 1C, 7 and 36 services this morning. You can get updates here.

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