MPs Watch: River Nidd water quality and Northern Ireland

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:

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Julian Smith, MP for Ripon and Skipton.

Julian Smith, MP for Ripon and Skipton.

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

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

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

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

Developer reduces planned Kinglsey Drive scheme to 162 homes

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 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.”

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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.

Harrogate Town set for Christmas Yorkshire derby at Bradford

Harrogate Town are set for a Christmas Yorkshire derby as they travel to Bradford City tonight.

Simon Weaver’s men will take on the Bantams at Valley Parade for their third meeting of the season.

Town will be hoping for a repeat of November’s FA Cup first round tie, where they knocked City out after a 1-0 victory.

However, the Bantams will be expecting to build on their 2-1 win at the EnviroVent Stadium back in October.

The two teams are having contrasting seasons with Bradford pushing for a play-off place under Mark Hughes while Town have picked up form and are looking to pull further away from the relegation zone.

Weaver is hoping that Alex Pattison will be fit for the clash after returning to training this week after recovering from illness over Christmas.

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Max Wright will also be in contention after returning to the side as a substitute for the 3-2 Boxing Day win over Grimsby Town.

However, centre-back Kyle Ferguson looks set to miss the game after picking up a knee injury in training which saw him sit out of the Grimsby match.

Despite already winning at Valley Parade in the FA Cup this season, Weaver said Town have to remain focused for the league fixture this evening.

He said:

“It is a while ago now and we have played in a different style and a different way in recent weeks that has worked.

“But we will judge it in isolation. We know that they are a strong outfit. We just want to add to the points tally at the minute and focus on each game in isolation.

“We want to be really focused and be as determined as if we had lost the last few. We have to be right up for it.”

Kick off for Bradford City vs Harrogate Town will be 7.45pm tonight.

NHS objects to planned 1,300-home development on Ripon barracks

NHS managers in North Yorkshire have objected to a proposed 1,300-home scheme on the Ripon barracks site due to funding concerns for local healthcare.

The scheme, which has been submitted by government housing agency Homes England, would see houses built on the site off Clotherholme Road.

The Clotherholme development would encompass Claro Barracks, Deverell Barracks and Laver Banks. 

The proposal was submitted to Harrogate Borough Council in September 2020.

However, in a letter to the authority, NHS Humber & North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board has objected to the plan.

Andrew Dangerfield, head of primary care transformation at the organisation, said the method used by Homes England to assess healthcare need as a result of the new homes was “at odds” with the NHS.

He added that the developer had offered “zero” section 106 contributions to help mitigate demand as a result of increased population due to the scheme.

Mr Dangerfield said:

“The ICB is concerned about Homes England’s overall approach to health, they have sought to provide zero S106 contributions towards the provision of healthcare infrastructure on a development of significant scale (circa 3,000 people), using a methodology which is at odds with the NHS commissioners and local healthcare partners.

“The ICB, who has direct expert knowledge of the local surgeries in the area and is responsible for the commissioning of healthcare services have consistently outlined that the existing practices do not have capacity to absorb the population created by the 1,300 homes coming forward as part of this application, and therefore have requested mitigation in the form of a S106 contribution.”

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Mr Dangerfield added that should no contributions towards healthcare be made, then the development “cannot be considered sustainable”.

In October 2020, NHS North Yorkshire CCG – which preceded the integrated care board – said in a letter to the borough council that it was seeking £553,128 from Homes England in contributions to health.

The Stray Ferret has asked Homes England to comment on the concerns, but had not received a response by the time of publication.

The planned homes in Ripon will include a significant number of two- and three-bedroom mid-range houses and will include apartments in the centre.

It also includes a community centre, employment space, shops, parkland, a new primary school and sports facilities.

A decision on the scheme is expected to be made by Harrogate Borough Council at a later date.

Paralympic champion among new trustees at Harrogate charity

New trustees have joined the board of a Harrogate charity, including a Paralympic gold medalist.

Laurence Whiteley MBE, who won gold at the 2016 Rio Paralympics in the mixed double scull, is one of two new members with disabilities to take on the role at Disability Action Yorkshire.

He is joined by Carl Howard, Colin McCorkindale, Kathryn Leigh, Peter McBay, Susanne Driffield, and Andrew Simister, who suffered life-changing injuries in an accident earlier this year.

Jackie Snape, chief executive of Disability Action Yorkshire, said: 

“We are delighted to welcome these ‘Magnificent Seven’ new trustees, among whom there is a huge amount of skill and experience.

“We are particularly pleased to have been able to recruit more trustees with lived experience of disability, meaning that more than 50 per cent of our trustees have either personal or family experience, something which we considered to be hugely important.

“Our new recruits will help ensure excellent governance as the charity moves forward, as we continue to empower and support the local disabled community.”

Laurence Whiteley MBE. Picture: Paralympics GB.

Laurence Whiteley MBE. Picture: Paralympics GB.

Owing to the retirement of several long-standing trustees, the charity conducted a full skills and experience audit, and as a result was able to recruit trustees with the necessary attributes.

The new trustees, together with existing ones led by Chair Neil Revely, will oversee exciting new projects, including the £7.5 million assisted living development currently under construction in its Claro Road residential care home site.

Pictured above backrow from left are Disability Action Yorkshire Chief Executive Jackie Snape, new Trustee Carl Howard, Chair Neil Revely, new Trustee Peter McBay and Trustee Guy Tweedy. Pictured front row from left are new trustee Andrew Simister, new Trustee Susanne Driffield, new Trustee Kathryn Leigh and Trustee Andrew Newton.

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No.7: The ongoing saga over Maltkiln

In this article, which is part of a series on the 12 stories in the Harrogate district that shaped 2022, we look at the debate over a planned new 3,000 town in the Harrogate district called Maltkiln.

When Harrogate Borough Council unveiled a planned new town on the edge of the district, which could be home to 10,000 people, it was always likely to generate a mixed response.

The development, which was revealed to be called Maltkiln this year, promises up to 3,000 homes, two primary schools, as well as shops and employment space.

The aim of the scheme near Hammerton and Cattal is to make a dent in the district’s housing demand.

However, this year It faced questions over its green credentials, the lack of secondary education and criticism over a council-run consultation.

The layout for Maltkiln, which is centred around Cattal Station

From the start, there were eyebrows raised over the name itself – but that was the tip of the iceberg when it came to critics of the scheme.

Since the start of the consultation in October, Cllr Arnold Warneken raised questions over the process and its transparency.

First there was a plea to extend the survey after it emerged that some details in the housing document had been changed part way through.

It was enough for Cllr Warneken to threaten the council with a judicial review.

In a letter, he said:

“As you will appreciate, use of that sort of terminology starts to take us into legal areas such as judicial review.

“We have no wish to go there. If nothing else, it would be a huge waste of public money. However, please don’t underestimate the level of frustration of local residents.”

The borough council eventually agreed to the extension.

Then the authority was forced to apologise after publishing personal details of those who had submitted views to the consultation.

But the debate surrounding Maltkiln did not stop at an administrative process.

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Much was made over the fact that the development – which is the size of Thirsk – had no secondary school.

Instead, council officials confirmed that those students of a secondary school age look set to travel to Boroughbridge High School.

As a result, councillors raised questions over how this reflected on the the scheme’s green aims.

As Cllr Pat Marsh, chair of the Harrogate and Knaresborough constituency committee, said in November:

“Why are we saying this is a sustainable community and yet expecting children to travel at 11 to Boroughbridge?”

A vibrant community

The council has maintained that it wants Maltkiln to be a “vibrant new community in its own right” which compliments the surrounding villages.

It has also pointed out that the plan for the new town is spread over 30 years.

For some villagers, there is hope that the new scheme will inject young blood into the area.

Keith Welton, 74, who lives in Cattal, told the Stray Ferret in July that he was taking a pragmatic approach to the new town by hoping the new North Yorkshire Council is firm with developers by ensuring affordable homes are built.

He said:

“There’s an acute need for affordable housing. Many of our young people come out of university and want to go to Leeds, Manchester or London. They settle down, and they want to come back. We need to capitalise on that talent and make housing available for them.”

“I’m 74 and you can’t have a village full of 74 year olds!”

For Harrogate Borough Council, choosing the area for 3,000 new homes is arguably one of its biggest decisions ahead of its abolition in April.

Sharow pub owner resubmits plan to convert building into home

The owner of the Half Moon Inn at Sharow has resubmitted plans to convert the building into a home.

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

Since then, a long running saga has unfolded over how best to put the building to use.

Mark Fitton, owner of the pub, has resubmitted plans to convert the former public house into a home.

The move comes as Mr FItton has also challenged a Harrogate Borough Council decision to allocate the Half Moon Inn as an asset of community value.

In documents submitted the council, he said the prospect of reopening the pub was “unviable”.

Mr Fitton said:

“The catalogue of business failures at the Half Moon is so well established that it must surely now be considered conclusive.

“It is well documented that for at least thirty years, everyone who has tried to run the premises as a hospitality venue has found it to be unviable, with eleven separate individuals and couples having, over three decades, tried and failed.”

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The council 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.

No.4: Ambitious schemes and delays in Harrogate’s leisure revolution

In this article, which is part of a series on the 12 stories in the Harrogate district that shaped 2022, we look at the district’s ongoing multi-million pound leisure projects.

Spades hit the ground this year as an overhaul of leisure services in the district continued.

Since taking over the reigns of facilities in 2021, Brimhams Active has slowly pressed on with shaping a new look leisure offering.

Harrogate Borough Council is spending more than £40 million on new pools in Ripon and Knaresborough and on a major refurbishment of The Hydro in Harrogate.

Those projects made progress this year, although the saga over Ripon’s ground instability coloured the debate over whether the site was suitable for a new pool.

The investment in leisure is the largest the district has seen.

In Harrogate, the Hydro will be expanded and in Knaresborough an entirely new facility will be built.

Speaking to the Stray Ferret in March, Mark Tweedie, director of Brimhams, said he expects the transition to the new pool to be “seamless”.

Both projects are set to cost around £28 million.

Delays and cost hikes

But, while they represent ambitious schemes, they have not been plain sailing.

The reopening of the Hydro has been delayed and is set to cost more than originally planned.

This month the borough council revealed it is set to cost £12.8 million – £1 million more than planned.

Knaresborough Leisure and Wellness Centre (October) 03 (1)

Cllr Stanley Lumley, Cllr Phil Ireland, Alliance Leisure business development manager Sean Nolan and ISG project manager Julian Donnelly outside the Knaresborough Leisure Centre construction.

Meanwhile, the facility is not expected to reopen until the summer.

The opening of a gym at Ripon has also been beset by delays as the council carries out ground stability work.

On top of that, a temporary gym which is expected to be put in place during the works will not arrive until the new year.

Despite the issues in Ripon, the decision to build on the site was defended by Cllr Stan Lumley, cabinet member for culture, tourism and sport at the borough council, amid concern over the future of the centre due to instability.

While the projects may be ambitious, the revolution over leisure in the district is taking time to come to fruition.

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Harrogate Town set for first game in three weeks in Boxing Day clash

Harrogate Town are set to clash with Grimsby Town today in their first fixture in three weeks.

The Boxing Day match comes as Town have had two EFL League Two games postponed due to a frozen pitch.

Harrogate will welcome the Mariners to the EnviroVent Stadium in the hope of building on their 4-1 away win at Rochdale on December 3.

The fixture will be the first of three over the Christmas period.

Ahead of today’s game, Town will be without Will Smith, Dior Angus, Stephen Dooley, Matty Daly and Lewis Richards who are out injured.

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However, Joe Mattock is set to be available after missing the victory at Rochdale.

Town will be hoping for a repeat of last season when they took six points from the Mariners in the league.

Manager Simon Weaver said it was important that the players kept their focus over the next three games.

He said:

“We have got to make sure we have got that focus and don’t it slip.

“Three back to back wins would be huge for us in our season. It would make the table look completely different from where we were three games ago.

“It’s a tough prospect is this game. I have been watching a lot of the coverage of Grimsby. They had a great FA Cup victory against Plymouth, they went to Wimbledon and were probably the better team on the day and they beat Tranmere last time out.

“We know Paul Hurst, he was the last manager I played under. I know the quality he looks for in players and he is a very good manager.”

No.2: Questions over Harrogate Convention Centre future

In this article, which is part of a series on the 12 stories in the Harrogate district that shaped 2022, we look at the the questions surrounding Harrogate Convention Centre’s future.

Harrogate Convention Centre is at a pivotal moment in its 40 year history.

That much was clear this past 12 months when political leaders, business owners and HCC officials debated its very future.

Amid the shake-up of local government, council bosses have juggled a strategy to make the centre viable with how best to run the facility in the coming years.

For the past two years, Harrogate Borough Council, which owns the HCC, has been working up a £49 million plan to renovate the convention centre in an attempt to make it attractive to future users.

The money would have been the single biggest investment the council has ever made in modern times – but that will no longer be the case.

In four months’ time, the authority will no longest exist and the keys to the HCC will be handed to North Yorkshire Council.

The new authority will not only be burdened with a figuring out how best to manage one of the town’s biggest assets, but also how to pay for a project that would keep it viable.

Questions over money

Questions have mounted over recent months over exactly how the scheme would be paid for.

Since January, borough council bosses have made multiple attempts to figure out how to fund their ambitious project.

Officials pinned their hopes on the devolution negotiations with government. Within the document submitted to ministers was a bid for funding specifically for the convention centre refurbishment.

However, much to the dismay of council leader, Cllr Richard Cooper, ministers refused to commit any funding to the project.

Another blow came in the shape of Chancellor Jeremy Hunt dropping plans for investment zones, which Harrogate Convention Centre was earmarked for – though council leaders said this was expected.

Council bosses went back to the drawing board and drew up a bid to the government’s Levelling Up fund.

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The £20 million bid is another roll of the dice in terms of finances.

In the end, any decision on the project will be entirely out of the borough council’s hands.

Councillors on the new North Yorkshire Council will decide the fate of the project.

Not only that, but the new council will also decide how the facility is run – a topic which is already being considered by a strategic board set up by the authority.