North Yorkshire fire service has adequate funding, says minister

A government minister has said that funding of North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue is adequate, despite concerns over cuts to its capital grant.

In a written question to the Home Office, York MP Racheal Maskell asked the government whether it had carried out an assessment of the adequacy of the service’s funding.

She also asked what the anticipated funding for the service will be over the next three years.

The question comes as ministers cut North Yorkshire’s capital grant, meaning it could have to borrow up to £31 million to cover maintenance costs.

In response, Kit Malthouse, minister of state at the Home Office, said:

“Fire and rescue services including North Yorkshire FRS have the resources they need to do their important work.

“In 2022-23, North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Authority has a core spending power of £33.5m, an increase of £1.4m (4.5%) compared to 2021-22.

“The government is committed to ensuring that funding allocations for fire and rescue authorities are based on an up-to-date assessment of their needs and resources.”

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The response comes as unions have raised concern over the fire service’s finances.

The cut to the service’s capital grant is worth around £8 million a year.

Steve Howley, Fire Brigades Union North Yorkshire brigade secretary, said previously that the service would be left snuggling to buy basics as a result of the cut.

Meanwhile, in an interview with the Stray Ferret last week, Zoe Metcalfe, North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, described the cut as “very unfair”.

She added that she was “working hard for additional funding” to ensure the service was not in a position outlined by the unions.

Knaresborough Town FC sets up women’s team

Knaresborough Town Football Club has announced that is has set up a women’s team.

The team will play home games at the club’s Manse Lane ground and train once a week at local facilities.

The club said the aim of the team is to become “one of the best run and most successful women’s football sections in the area”.

Players aged 16 and over are invited to come along to open training sessions, the first of which will be held at Knaresborough Celtic at Thistle Hill on Tuesday, July 19, starting at 6.45pm.

The club said in a statement on its website:

“Our aim is to become one of the best run and most successful women’s football sections in the area and as part of our ongoing development strategy with our partner club Knaresborough Celtic, we will provide a pathway for the girl’s teams at all ages to move seamlessly and easily from Knaresborough Celtic through to the senior team at Knaresborough Town.

“This is a fantastic opportunity for potential players at all levels who want to come and be part of Knaresborough Town Football Club, to develop their skills, to be part of a successful team and to enjoy their football.”

Those players interested in joining the club should email knaresboroughtownwomen@gmail.com.

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Council reveals social housing plans for Harrogate, Knaresborough and Boroughbridge

Harrogate Borough Council has revealed plans for social housing at seven sites which it said would make a “small but important contribution” to the serious shortage of affordable homes.

With around 1,800 households on its housing waiting list, the council has made a push to bring forward new homes on small sites.

However, it has been criticised for not going further or faster enough to provide more homes for Harrogate’s low-income earners who are being driven out of the area by high rent and house prices.

The council’s latest plans include social housing at sites in Harrogate, Knaresborough, Boroughbridge and Huby.

The Knaresborough site off Halfpenny Close is the largest and could accommodate around 14 homes for market, social rent and shared ownership if approved. All of the properties would be classed as “affordable”.

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A total of £170,000 in government cash has been secured by the council to progress these plans, and some of the money has already been spent on site surveys.

There are also proposals for five shared ownership apartments at the former Cavendish House hostel on Robert Street, Harrogate.

The council said these apartments would be for “first time buyers unable to afford to access the property market”.

Also in Harrogate, two properties are planned for St Andrew’s Place where the council has admitted vehicular access would be “tight” on the single lane street.

Another home has been proposed for Gascoigne Crescent in the town.

On Knaresborough’s Charlton Drive, a garage site which has been described as in “very poor condition” could also become a new build.

There are also proposals for single properties on both Springfield Drive, Boroughbridge, and Kingsway in Huby.

A decision to submit planning applications for all six sites is set to be signed off by Cllr Mike Chambers, cabinet member for housing and safer communities, at a meeting next Tuesday.

A report to the meeting said the development of similar sites has been “long established” and “makes good use of the council’s landholdings”.

The report also said the council would bid for extra government funding to develop the proposals if planning permission is granted.

It added:

 “There are circa 1,800 households on the waiting list for social/affordable rented housing and circa 650 first time buyers registered for shared ownership.

“These underutilised sites will make a small but important contribution to helping meet that need.”

Harrogate hospital urges visitors to wear masks amid covid case rise

Harrogate District Hospital has urged visitors to wear a mask on inpatient wards following rising covid cases.

The district has seen a spike in cases of the virus this past month due to the spread of the more transmissible Omicron variant.

At the end of May, the district’s rate of infection was 55 people per 100,000. It is now 218.

Now, officials at the hospital have urged visitors to inpatient wards to wear a mask when coming to the hospital.

A statement from Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust said:

“Due to rising covid-19 rates in the community, please can visitors wear a mask on our inpatient wards to protect our patients and staff, and prevent the spread of the virus.”

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Harrogate hospital is also treating 11 patients who tested positive for covid. However, none of those patients are in hospital primarily for treatment for the virus.

Last week, public health officials in North Yorkshire urged people to take measures to avoid covid after the rate surged.

Dr Victoria Turner, public health consultant at North Yorkshire County Council, said:

“Cases of covid are once again rising across the UK, including in North Yorkshire.

“The latest increase is being driven by the BA.4 and BA.5 sub-variants of Omicron, which has also caused high rates in other countries across the world.

“There is evidence that BA.4 and BA.5 are more transmissible than previous variants, and there is limited protection from infection with previous variants against BA.4 and BA.5.”

Education secretary Nadhim Zahawi visits Harrogate school

Education secretary Nadhim Zahawi visited New Park Primary Academy on a trip to Harrogate yesterday.

Mr Zahawi, who was a speaker at the Local Government Association conference at Harrogate Convention Centre, made a surprise visit to meet staff and children.

New Park Primary Academy is part of the Northern Star Academies Trust, a group of nine schools across Harrogate, Skipton and Keighley.

Academy headteacher Robert Mold said: 

“At first I thought it was a hoax when the secretary of state’s office called to say he would like to visit New Park.  It’s not a call you get every day.

“The secretary of state spent time with many of our children and even joined in a class making mosaics as part of an art project.”

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During his visit, Mr Zahawi joined year five and six pupils for an art lesson in mosaic making.

Jenn Plews, chief executive of Northern Star Academies Trust said:

“It was great for children to meet a cabinet minister in their own school and to be able to ask him questions.

“Our pupils care deeply about protecting the environment, which is a strong part of our curriculum.

“They told the secretary of state what they are doing in school to be more sustainable and he encouraged them to keep up their work to protect our environment.  It was a great experience for our children.”

Call for Zahawi to intervene in Woodfield 

Mr Zahawi’s visit came at a time when a consultation is being held over the future of Woodfield Community Primary School in Bilton is being held.

The school, which is just a mile away from New Park Primary Academy, is at risk of closure after an academy sponsor for the school was unable to be found.

North Yorkshire Unison called on Mr Zahawi to “intervene to save Woodfield school” while he was in Harrogate.

On the day the Education Secretary @nadhimzahawi was about a mile away from Woodfield School we call upon him to intervene to #SaveWoodfieldSchool #SaveOurSchool https://t.co/wJxdEn6onw

— North Yorkshire UNISON (@NYUnison) June 30, 2022

Traffic and Travel Alert: Harrogate district traffic update

Some roadworks are in place across the Harrogate district today.

However, trains and bus services are running as normal.

Here is your Stray Ferret traffic update.

Roads

CityFibre is due to carry out maintenance work on Claro Road in Harrogate today.

The work may cause delays and is set to continue until July 5.

In Ripon, Princess Road is closed until tomorrow for resurfacing works.

As previously reported by the Stray Ferret, Minster Road will be closed until July 8 as North Yorkshire County Council carries out resurfaces the road.

As usual, drivers should be aware of the normal rush hour traffic on Harrogate’s Wetherby Road, Skipton Road and Knaresborough Road.

Trains and buses

Train 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 no cancellations on its services.

You can find out more information on bus service disruption here.

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Drivers queue outside Harrogate’s new Leon

Drivers were queueing on Wetherby Road this afternoon as Harrogate’s new Leon drive-thru opened.

Although the Mediterranean-inspired restaurant officially opens tomorrow, today it offered free food for customers who provided feedback.

The offer left drivers queuing to get into the restaurant car park at around 1pm today, particularly those turning right when coming from Harrogate.

People were also queuing outside the door of the Leon.

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Some motorists were turned away as the queue for the drive-thru reached the entrance of the car park and began to effect traffic on the already busy Wetherby Road.

Eventually, staff placed a cone at the entrance to deter drivers from blocking the road.

The Stray Ferret captured a clip of the scene outside the Leon this afternoon, which you can watch below.

The restaurant will officially open to the public tomorrow, which will end a saga stretching back several years.

Originally, a Starbucks coffee drive-thru was planned for the site but it was refused by Harrogate Borough Council only for the decision to be overturned by a government inspector.

Concerns remain from residents who live near the site on how the drive-thru will affect traffic on the busy Wetherby Road.

Leon was bought by Blackburn billionaires the Issa brothers in 2021.

Glenn Edwards, Leon’s managing director said:

“Since opening our first drive-thru restaurant last year, we have been eager to grow this style of restaurant in order to  bring Leon to more guests and allow them to experience Leon while on the go – something that aligns with our mission to bring naturally fast food that tastes good, does you good and is kind to the planet.

“Our opening in Harrogate is a massive achievement across all fronts.”

Harrogate Town plans new scoreboard as part of stadium improvements

Harrogate Town has lodged plans for a new scoreboard as part of its ground redevelopment.

The digital screen would sit in the south west corner of the ground, under plans submitted to Harrogate Borough Council.

The board would be used to show supporters the score, substitutions made during a game and other match information, such as transport or safety news.

Harrogate Town currently has no scoreboard in place.

An example of a scoreboard planned for Harrogate Town as submitted to the council.

An example of a scoreboard planned for Harrogate Town as submitted to the council.

A statement submitted to the council said:

“The new scoreboard will complement the stadium and improve the spectator experience.”

The council will make a decision on the plan at a later date.

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The plans come as the club’s EnviroVent Stadium on Wetherby Road is to undergo a £3.5 million upgrade, funded by chairman Irving Weaver.

The club has said it is the board’s ambition to create a “sustainable and thriving club, for future generations to enjoy”.

The club, which recently announced an increase in season ticket prices, also has to abide by English Football League criteria for its ground following Town’s promotion to League Two in 2020.

The proposals include a new seated stand, match day bar and improved ticketing facilities.

The ground on Wetherby Road has been home to the Sulphurites since 1920, but in recent years it has struggled to keep pace with the club’s rapid rise up the divisions into the English Football League.

Opposition councillors call for Woodfield school to be saved

Opposition councillors on Harrogate Borough Council are set to call for Woodfield Community Primary School to be saved from closure.

A four-week consultation on a proposal to close the school on December 31 ends on July 4.

Some parents and unions have called for the school to remain open. But North Yorkshire County Council, which is the local education authority, has said it has exhausted all options to keep the school open.

At a borough council meeting next week, Liberal Democrat councillors Pat Marsh and Philip Broadbank are due to submit a motion requesting that the authority supports keeping the school open.

Cllr Broadbank said there was concern over the future of the school and what could potentially happen to the site on Woodfield Road in Bilton.

He said:

“I just worry what will happen to the site.

“It is a big building. I think they have to look at going through the options.”

School closure is ‘immoral’

The school was rated inadequate by Ofsted in 2020 and placed into special measures.

The rating meant the school had to become a sponsored academy, but it failed to find a backer.

A proposed merger with Grove Road Community Primary School fell through this year, prompting the county council to open a consultation on closing the school in the next academic year.

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Gary McVeigh-Kaye, secretary of the North Yorkshire branch of the National Education Union, is also campaigning to save the school and has called for the consultation to be extended.

He said:

“Woodfield school has been through some traumatic times over the past decade and the school needs support, not criticism from Ofsted.

“Woodfield is a genuine community school, at the heart of the community and serving generations of families whose children have attended the school. To force the closure of this valuable community asset is immoral.”

Woodfield school meeting

A public meeting over the future of the school was held earlier this month.

Mr McVeigh-Kaye said he had secured meetings with local politicians, including Harrogate and Knaresborough Conservative MP Andrew Jones about extending the consultation.

A poorly attended public meeting this month saw people express anger at how a school with good facilities, in a densely populated area of Harrogate, could end up in this position.

But, Adam Dixon, the county council’s strategic planning manager for children and young people, pointed to how Woodfield pupil numbers had fallen from 154 in 2018 to 37 this year.

Woodfield, he added, faced a cumulative deficit of £229,000 in 2023/34, due to low pupil numbers.

The consultation over the future of the school closes on July 4. You can have your say here.

Traffic and Travel Alert: Harrogate district roads and public transport roundup

While some roadworks are in place in Harrogate, traffic is moving normally this morning.

Here is your Stray Ferret traffic update.

Roads

Motorists should allow extra time for usual traffic during rush hour on both Wetherby Road and Skipton Road this morning.

Roadworks on Skipton Road continue as CityFibre carries out maintenance work. This is due to end tomorrow.

Works are also taking place on Westmoreland Street and Dragon Parade.

Meanwhile, CityFibre is also carrying out maintenance work on North Park Road.

In Ripon, Princess Road is closed until tomorrow for resurfacing works.

As previously reported by the Stray Ferret, Minster Road will be closed from tomorrow until July 8 as North Yorkshire County Council carries out resurfaces the road.

Trains and buses

Train 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 no cancellations on its services.

You can find out more information on bus service disruption here.

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