Consultation into Harrogate town council starts today

A consultation has started today into plans to set up a Harrogate town council.

North Yorkshire County Council is to launch a review into whether to create a lower tier authority in the town.

Harrogate Borough Council will no longer exist from April 1 when the new unitary authority, North Yorkshire Council, is created.

It will leave both Harrogate and Scarborough as the only areas of the county with no parish authority.

The unparished areas of Harrogate include these current county council divisions:

Bilton and Nidd Gorge

Bilton Grange and New Park

Coppice Valley and Duchy (part)

Fairfax and Starbeck

Harlow and St Georges

High Harrogate and Kingsley

Killinghall, Hampsthwaite and Saltergate (part)

Oatlands and Pannal (part)

The Stray and Hookstone

Valley Gardens and Central Harrogate

Residents can give their views in the consultation online. It will close on September 30.

Cllr David Chance, executive member for corporate services, said: 

“Parish and town councils have always had a key role in representing the needs of their communities, and will have even greater opportunity to do so – as well as to take on greater responsibilities if they so wish – with the formation of the new North Yorkshire Council in April.

“As two of the county’s major centres of population, it’s vital that Harrogate and Scarborough have this opportunity and I would urge people to look at the consultation and have their say.

“At this stage, no firm proposals are being put forward. Depending on the response to this consultation, a further consultation on detailed proposals could follow.”

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The county council is due to send letters to residents in Harrogate informing them of the consultation.

Copies of the consultation will also be available from:

You can fill in the consultation online here.

What is a town council?

Town and parish councils run services such as community centres and play areas, as well as maintaining bus shelters. Councillors are elected to serve on them but they are not paid.

The councils can also charge a precept as part of council tax bills to fund the services provided, meaning there is a cost to the people they serve.

In the Harrogate district, there are town councils in areas such as Ripon, Knaresborough, Pateley Bridge and Kirby Hill.

Because Harrogate does not currently have a lower tier council, it also raises questions over what its boundaries would be.

Kex Gill realignment cost increases to £68m

The cost of a county council project to realign the A59 at Kex Gill has increased to £68.8 million.

A North Yorkshire County Council report said the authority faces a £7.2 million shortfall on the cost due to a rise in inflation.

The project will see a diversion built west of Blubberhouses on the stretch of road, which has been blighted by a history of landslips. The A59 is the main route between Harrogate and Skipton.

County council officials originally estimated that the scheme would cost £61.6 million.

Of that figure, £56.1 million worth of funding has been granted by the Department for Transport and the remaining cost will be covered by the authority.

However, in a report due before an executive meeting on Tuesday, the council has now said it faces a further shortfall of £7.2 million in funding for the scheme.

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It means the council has had to increase the funding it is allocating to the scheme to £12.7 million.

As a result, the council intends to use £7.2 million from its Brexit reserve account in order to fund the scheme.

It said:

“Should alternative funding resources be secured, whether in part or in full, the reserve provision will be relinquished.”

Council officials expect work to start on the scheme next year and continue until 2025.

North Yorkshire County Council previously said it hoped the reroute would start in autumn last year and take 15 months.

Ahead of appointing a contractor for the scheme, a full business case will be submitted to the Department for Transport.

Traffic and Travel Alert: Harrogate district traffic update

Traffic is moving as normal across the Harrogate District this morning.

However, some roadworks and closures are in place in areas.

Here is your Stray Ferret traffic update.

Roads

In Harrogate, a road closure is expected to be put in place on Station Avenue as North Yorkshire County Council carries out resurfacing work.

According to the county council’s roadworks map, the order will be in place until Friday, August 26.

Drivers in Ripon should also be award that North Street in the city is closed as Yorkshire Water carries out work.

This morning, there were reports of a burst water pipe in the area.

Meanwhile, lights remain on Ripon’s Clotherholme Road as Northern Gas Networks carries out replacement work to gas pipes in the area.

The lights will remain in place until September 5.

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 the 1, 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, 7  and 36 this morning.

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

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North Yorkshire devolution concentrates power into ‘hands of few’

A mayor and combined authority for North Yorkshire would centralise power into “the hands of a few”, say opposition councillors.

The county and York are set to elect a mayor in May 2024 as devolution plans press ahead.

It comes as ministers signed off this month on a £540 million deal to devolve powers to North Yorkshire, which will include a combined authority.

But opposition councillors have raised concerns that the move will concentrate power centrally, rather than be more democratic.

Philip Broadbank, a Liberal Democrat county councillor who represents Fairfax and Starbeck, said there would be a “democratic deficient” across the county if plans go ahead.

He said:

“Unfortunately next April we will be living in the fourth largest council in the whole of the UK. This will put a real strain on the word ‘local’ when dealing with the way council services are provided.

“We do not think a mayor for North Yorkshire is true devolution or right for our area.  

“All the Conservatives are doing is creating a democratic deficient by concentrating power in the hands of a few – that’s where the real problem is going to be for our local democracy.”

Ahead of electing a mayor for the county, a combined authority could be set up next year. A combined authority is a body where two or more councils make joint decisions.

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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.

Four councillors from each authority will sit on the mayor’s executive, should it wish to operate on such a system.

Conservative Cllr Carl Les, leader of the county council, previously said that such a body would help the county have “one voice” when it comes to dealing with government.

He described the ability to devolve “wide-ranging decision powers” to the county as a “huge opportunity”.

But Cllr Stuart Parsons, an independent councillor on the county council, said the move would mean no “democratic accountability or election”.

Cllr Parsons added that he was concerned that the public had not been asked whether they wanted a mayor.

He said:

“All in all there will be little if any democratic input into our future.

“Devolution should mean the devolving of powers away from the centre but NYCC is heading towards the creation of a much bigger centre.”

Council leader: Devolution will bring benefits to county

In response to the concerns raised by opposition councillors, Cllr Les said:

“The move to a new single council for North Yorkshire presents a landmark for local democracy in the county.

“It will allow us to provide vital local services to the hundreds of thousands of people who live and work in North Yorkshire as efficiently as possible, streamlining operations and saving millions of pounds that will be used to finance these frontline services.

“North Yorkshire County Council will merge with the seven district and borough councils in the county, and we are working very closely with our colleagues in these authorities.

“We are fully engaged with them as we move towards the launch of the new North Yorkshire Council on April 1 next year, and the expertise and experience of our colleagues in district and borough councils is proving an invaluable asset. “

He added:

“A new chief executive has now been appointed to serve the new council following a recruitment process that was opened up nationally.

“Richard Flinton was deemed to be the best candidate to become the new chief executive, which is testament to his drive, commitment and passion that he has shown during his time at North Yorkshire County Council.

“The move to a unitary authority was a stipulation of the government to secure devolution for North Yorkshire.

“Now that a proposed devolution deal has been announced for York and North Yorkshire, we are committed to ensuring that the agreement works for everyone to bring a host of benefits from better paid jobs, more career opportunities and improved education and skills to better transport links and more affordable housing.”

Harrogate council agrees sale of land next to Oak Beck retail park

Harrogate Borough Council has agreed to sell a plot of land next to Oak Beck retail park.

The land, a former quarry extending to a third of an acre, was put up for sale by the council in order to encourage economic development.

It sits next to the retail park off Skipton Road, where Aldi and B&Q are based.

Council officials said the authority received six offers for the site after it had been put on the market. Senior councillors agreed to the sale at a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, though it was not revealed who the buyer is.

Cllr Graham Swift, cabinet member for resources at the borough council, said the cash received from the sale would help fund major projects, such as the planned redevelopment of Harrogate Convention Centre.

He told the meeting:

“This summarises the fact that in our asset management strategy, we have taken the opportunity to sell off small parcels of non-strategic land which enables us to then fund very considerable investments that viewers and residents will be hearing tonight around the HCC, leisure complexes and the significant investment we’re making in enhanced services.

“So it speaks such a lot of sense and it’s a very clear, fair market programme and I am very happy to move the project.”

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Man denies assaulting Harrogate Sainsbury’s staff member

A 35-year-old man appeared in court this week charged with assaulting a staff member at Sainsbury’s in Harrogate.

Skyler Zienlinski, of Fern House, Spa Lane, pleaded not guilty to assault by beating at the store on Cambridge Street on August 1, 2022.

Mr Zienlinski, who appeared before Harrogate Magistrates Court on Thursday, also denied carrying a dismantled scissor blade in a public place without reasonable excuse.

He admitted stealing £40 worth of bottles of wine and Desperados from Sainsbury’s and causing criminal damage to property belonging to the store on the same day.

The court set a trial date of November 21 in Harrogate for the alleged assault and carrying an offensive weapon.

Mr Zienlinski was released on bail under the condition that he does not enter the Cambridge Street store.

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Traffic and Travel Alert: Harrogate district traffic update

Traffic is moving normally in the Harrogate district this morning, but drivers should still take care due to the usual rush hour delays.

Meanwhile, passengers using the trains this morning are urged to check their journeys before they travel due to strike action.

Here is your Stray Ferret traffic update.

Roads

In Harrogate, temporary lights are in place at Harewood Road in Harrogate as CityFibre carries out maintenance work.

Meanwhile, lights remain on Ripon’s Clotherholme Road as Northern Gas Networks carries out replacement work to gas pipes in the area.

The lights will remain in place until September 5.

Trains and buses

While train services through Harrogate and Knaresborough are due to run as normal today, passengers are warned that they still could face disruption.

Northern has urged commuters to check before they travel as services may still be affected by this week’s strike action.

As previously reported, no trains will be running between Harrogate and Knaresborough on Saturday due to unions staging a national walkout.

Other stations will see a reduced timetable.

Meanwhile, the Harrogate Bus Company is reporting cancellations on the 1, 1A, 1B, 1D  and 36 this morning.

The 3 service will take a diversion at Harewood Road due to temporary roadworks. Instead, passengers should use alternative stops at Grantley Drive and Jennyfield Co-op.

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

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Business Breakfast: Pannal Ash Juniors receive £5,000 boost

Business Breakfast is sponsored by Harrogate law firm Truth Legal. 

A company has awarded £5,000 towards a Harrogate football club’s ground maintenance work.

The Banks Group, which is an energy and property firm in Durham, has donated the money to Pannal Ash Junior Football Club.

It will help the club buy a new sit-on roller mower to maintain and drain its pitch.

Dr Kathryn Scott, fundraising lead at Pannal Ash Junior Football Club said: 

“Keeping our playing surfaces in playable condition has always been a challenge for us as the clay-based soil that we have doesn’t allow water to drain away easily and we’ve regularly lost fixtures during the wetter months due to waterlogging.

“The new machine means that the pitches can easily be cut, rolled, spiked and drained as required and it will allow us to get things done far more quickly than would otherwise be possible.”

Lewis Stokes, senior community relations manager at The Banks Group, added:

“As a developer that is investing in a number of property and renewable energy projects in Yorkshire, we’re actively supporting a wide range of projects in the communities across the county that host our developments through our community fund.

“Pannal Ash Junior Football Club’s impact on local young people goes far beyond the matches they play.  It helps them learn the value of teamwork, discipline and physical fitness, and we’re very pleased to be able to help them bring in this much-needed equipment.”

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Harrogate offices appoint new facilities assistant

Claire Lumb

Windsor House in Harrogate has appointed a new facilities assistant.

Claire Lumb (pictured) has been hired to oversee the running and maintenance of the office building on Cornwall Road.

She previously held facilities management and maintenance roles within the defence sector, working for both the RAF and British Army.

Claire said: 

“I look forward to using the skills I have learned over the last few years to help our tenants at Windsor House to have an enjoyable working environment.”

Karen Winspear, property manager at Boultbee Brooks, said: 

“We are delighted that Claire has accepted a role as part of our team, she has already hit the ground running and we are confident that she will excel in this new position.”

Ripon area hit by water outage

People in Ripon have woken up to no water in their homes this morning due to a burst main.

People took to social media to report the outage across the city.

The problem has also affected residents in nearby Sharow village and Littlethorpe.

Others said water pressure was low in their homes.

On its website, Yorkshire Water said it was working to restore its service to the HG4 area.

It said:

“We’re really sorry but customers may have low pressure or no water in the area. We’re working hard to get your water back to normal as soon as possible.

“Once it’s fixed, your water may be cloudy or discoloured – you can clear this by running your tap for a few minutes.”

James Thornborough. a Sharow resident, told the Stray Ferret the water company had been slow to notify customers of the problem and vague in providing details.

He also said the problem had led to a big demand on bottled water at Morrisons this morning.

We will update this story as we get more details.

Are you affected by the water outage? Email us at contact@thestrayferret.co.uk.

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Rail strike: No trains through Harrogate and Knaresborough as walkout begins

No trains will run through Harrogate and Knaresborough today as unions hold the first day of strike action.

The two-day walkout will affect services to York and Leeds and see a reduced timetable at other stations.

There will also be no trains running through Harrogate and Knaresborough on Saturday.

The Rail, Maritime and Transport workers’ union and Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association are staging the national walkout over pay and conditions.

Northern, which operates trains in Harrogate and Knaresborough, has advised passengers not to travel on its services.

Ticket machines at Harrogate Train Station advising people not to travel on strike days.

Ticket machines at Harrogate Train Station advising people not to travel on strike days.

It added that passengers may still face disruption on non-strike days.

Northern said:

“RMT and TSSA unions have called for industrial action on Thursday 18 and Saturday 20 August. We are advising Northern customers not to travel on these days.

“We also expect disruption to services on Friday 19 and Sunday 21 August, especially in the morning. Customers are urged to check before they travel on these days.”

LNER, which operates direct services to London King’s Cross from Harrogate, has also warned passengers may face disruption on its services on non-strike days.

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