Government rejects expansion of Follifoot business park

The government has rejected an appeal for a business park in Follifoot to expand onto green belt land.

Harrogate Borough Council initially rejected a bid to build two new buildings at Follifoot Ridge Business Park, which would have created space for five commercial units.

The development would have taken place on a small strip of land alongside existing units (pictured above), which were previously allowed because they were classed as farm conversions.

The site owners said the new units would help to meet demand from businesses for more space. Following the council’s refusal, Uffa Kirkby appealed to the government’s Planning Inspectorate.

But Robert Walker, the planning inspector who oversaw the appeal, said the harm to the green belt was not outweighed by the economic benefits of the scheme.

In his decision notice, Mr Walker said:

“Based on the evidence before me and for the reasons outlined above, I cannot be satisfied that the overall benefits clearly outweigh the substantial weight given to the harm to the green belt by reason of inappropriateness.

“I have come to this conclusion having regard to the importance that the government places on making efficient use of land and building a strong, competitive economy.”

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In June last year, the council’s planning committee said the proposal was “inappropriate” and harmful to the green belt.

However, ahead of the appeal, the developer argued that the scheme was not inappropriate and disagreed with the authority’s conclusion.

How the business park would look with the commercial units built on the green belt land.

How the business park would look with the commercial units built on the green belt land.

The business park’s planning agent, ID Planning, said in a statement of case:

“The appellant disagrees with the reason for refusal based on the development being inappropriate as the site is not brownfield land.

“The appellant considers that the site is brownfield land but notwithstanding this considers the development comprises limited infilling.”

It added that the scheme had economic benefits and would not have an “impact on the openness of the green belt”.

“The development provides clear economic benefits set out in full in the planning statement and supported and acknowledged by the local planning authority which further support the appellants case for planning permission to be granted.”

All Creatures Great and Small donates food to Knaresborough charity

The producers of All Creatures Great and Small have donated fresh fruit and vegetables to a Knaresborough community grocery.

Playground, which produces the hit Channel 5 television series, got in touch with Resurrected Bites to offer the food from its set at Grassington.

The production company sought out the community grocery to offer the fruit and vegetables instead of letting them go to waste.

Resurrected Bites, which is a charity, collects surplus food and distributes it to people in need.

Michelle Hayes, chief executive of the organisation, said:

“We have had donations from food photographers before, but this is our first donation from a film set.

“We love that Playground sought us out to donate the fruit and veg used in the filming of All Creatures Great and Small rather than just binning it at the end of the day.

“We hope that other businesses with food surplus will be inspired to offer us their food rather than binning it as we are struggling to meet the demand for food via our community groceries and ‘give as you can’ cafes and shops.”

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Resurrected Bites currently runs community groceries at Gracious Street Methodist Church in Knaresborough and New Park Community Hub on Skipton Road in Harrogate.

All Creatures Great and Small was commissioned for a fourth and fifth series back in January. Filming began on the new series last month.

Based on James Herriot’s books about life as a vet in the Yorkshire Dales in the 1930s, the programme has proved a success and attracted millions of viewers.

Baldersby school commemorative event to be held ahead of closure

An event is set to be held to commemorate Baldersby primary school, north of Ripon, after the government confirmed it will close.

Baldersby St James Church of England Primary School will close in August 2022.

Hope Sentamu Learning Trust, the Church of England trust that runs the school, announced the closure, saying low pupil numbers “show no prospect of improving for many years ahead”.

Parents and staff had objected to the decision, but Nadhim Zahawi, secretary of state for education, confirmed in January that the school will close.

Now, a celebratory event for staff and pupils will be held at the school on July 2, 2022, and will be attended by the Rt Revd Paul Ferguson, Bishop of Whitby.

The school says it is keen to hear from past pupils or staff who have stories, anecdotes or photos to share or anyone who has a keen knowledge of the history of the school.

Steff Brown, headteacher at Baldersby St James CE Primary School said 

“Whilst we are sad that the school has to close, we are very keen to celebrate the history of the school and all of the wonderful teaching, learning, events and activities that have taken place over the years.

“We’re delighted that we will be joined by the Bishop of Whitby who will lead the church service.”

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The trust has said the reason for its decision was that the school currently had 22 pupils in two classes, one for key stage one and the other for key stage two. Some year groups have just one student.

The school, which is a grade II listed building, has a maximum capacity of 60 students.

Cllr Patrick Mulligan, the county council’s education executive member, said previously that the authority was powerless to stop the closure as the decision would ultimately be made by the Schools Commissioner and Mr Zahawi.

He said there were sufficient school places in the area for Baldersby St James pupils to go elsewhere should the school close.

The catchment area for Baldersby St James is expected to be extended to Dishforth Church of England Primary School.

Baldersby St James school was built by Lord Downe following the establishment of the village in 1850. The school has served generations of pupils in Baldersby St James, Rainton and the surrounding areas.

No conditions for Wetherby Road drive-thru to be a Starbucks, says council

No conditions were set for a planned drive-thru on Wetherby Road to be a coffee shop, say Harrogate council officials.

Lancashire-based developer Euro Garages is currently building a Leon restaurant on the site, despite being given permission for a Starbucks drive-thru.

Local residents have raised concern that the building on the site will be different from that which was approved.

Harrogate Borough Council has acknowledged that the building being constructed is not the same as the designs submitted to the authority.

However, it added that the developer has already submitted another application for the design which is under consideration.

Opening a drive-thru on Wetherby Road is ‘nuts’

Joe Shields lives across from the former Dental surgery site where the Leon is being built.

He and other residents have objected to the drive-thru being built since is was first proposed as a Starbucks in 2019.

While he is not against redeveloping the site, he raised concern over the drive-thru and its affect on neighbouring residents.

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Mr Shields, who worked as a marketing manager for various companies including fast-food chains, said:

“I have opened a few drive-thrus, I’m not against them.

“It is opening a drive-thru here which is nuts.”

Mr Shields pointed to the fact that the building at the site does not look like its designs.

A Starbucks drive-thru normally has a slanted roof, while Leon schemes are flat.

(Left) Designs for the Starbucks as submitted to Harrogate Borough Council and (right) the construction site of the Leon.

(Left) Designs for the Starbucks as submitted to Harrogate Borough Council and (right) the construction site of the Leon.

He questioned how the developer can continue to build a Leon, despite the fact that a government planning inspector gave approval for a Starbucks coffee shop drive-thru.

Last week, Mr Shields was forced to alert the planning authorities when contractors at the site began to erect an eight-metre advertising sign without permission.

He said:

“There are changes at the site on a daily basis.

“My impression is that they will just continue wacking this [the Leon] up.”

Meanwhile, David Stephenson lives next door to the site on Coachman’s Court.

David Stephenson, whose house on Coachmans Court is next to the drive-thru site on Wetherby Road.

David Stephenson, whose house on Coachman’s Court is next to the drive-thru site on Wetherby Road.

Mr Stephenson has lived with his wife in the same house for six years and would be able to see the serving hatch from his lounge window.

He said that he has accepted the fact that a drive-thru will be built next door to his home.

However, Mr Stephenson said he was concerned that the building being built is not the same as the designs.

He said:

“We were resigned to a Starbucks, but this is a bit overbearing.

“Why apply for planning permission if you’re going to do another building?”

No specific conditions for a coffee shop

The Stray Ferret asked Harrogate Borough Council how the developer was able to build the scheme as a Leon drive-thru when the original approval for the site is for a Starbucks coffee shop.

A spokesperson said:

“Permission was granted by the Planning Inspectorate for a ‘coffee shop to include a drive-thru’, not specifically for a Starbucks. 

“The Inspectorate did not add any conditions to the permission they gave restricting the use of the premises solely to a coffee shop, so it can legally be used for any other use within the same use class, which includes a drive thru food and drink establishment. 

“So permission is not required for any change of use. However, the building being built differs from the one given planning permission. Therefore, a planning application has been submitted for these changes and is under consideration.”

The Stray Ferret also asked Euro Garages to respond to concerns over the building and erecting advertising without permission, but the company declined to comment.

RHS Harlow Carr to convert bungalow into staff offices

RHS Harlow Carr is to covert a bungalow on its site into staff offices and welfare accommodation.

Harrogate Borough Council has approved the conversion of the bungalow on Crag Lane, which falls within the Harlow Carr estate.

The building had previously been used for residential purposes. It will now be converted for commercial use.

Last month the RHS submitted details about how it plans to convert the former Harrogate Arms pub, also on Crag Lane, into a cafe.

The horticultural charity bought the building in 2014 and received planning permission in 2019 to create a ground floor cafe and kitchen facilities.

Last month the horticultural charity had plans for a new footbridge at the gardens approved.

The Thaliana Bridge crosses the Queen Mother’s Lake at the south end of the gardens to improve access and provide new routes for visitors.

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Unison Harrogate canvasses election candidates over ‘shameful’ council pay

Unison in Harrogate is to write to next month’s local election candidates to find out their stance on local government pay.

Davie Houlgate, secretary of the Harrogate local government branch, said the union was looking to lodge a pay claim for the 2022/23 financial year.

The move comes after Unison’s attempt to call a strike in January over a 1.75% pay offer in the previous year failed because not enough members turned out to vote.

The trade union had branded the pay offer ‘derisory’.

The offer followed a national consultation by the Local Government Association, which is the national membership body for local authorities, over a pay increase.

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Mr Houlgate said the union was now considering another pay claim because the cost of living crisis is “squeezing” workers’ pay packets.

He added that officials will be writing to candidates ahead of the election in North Yorkshire on May 5 to find out their stance on the issue.

Mr Houlgate said:

“Local government pay must be increased to match the cost of living squeeze our members are now experiencing on the back of year-on-year below inflation pay increases.

“Without a decent above-inflation pay rise to help workers meet soaring costs, vital council services will struggle to hang on to skilled staff which could put some services at risk. Indeed this is already happening.

“Council workers need an above inflation pay rise, simply to try to catch-up with what they have lost in real terms over the past decade – a 25% pay cut. But it is more imperative than ever as a result of the cost-of living crisis we are now in.

“The situation is unsustainable and cannot go on.”

He added:

“We need to know if candidates have any idea of the enormity of the problems faced by council staff.  

“It’s shameful that people that make our towns and villages so attractive or do high skilled, essential and much-valued jobs on which everyone depends, don’t get paid enough to meet their basic costs.”

Police warning after Land Rover thefts in Harrogate

Police have issued a warning to car owners after criminals have been targeting Land Rovers in Harrogate.

North Yorkshire Police has reported that 14 Land Rover Defenders have been stolen in the county in the last two weeks.

Officers said since the start of the year Harrogate, Richmondshire and Hambleton have seen a high number of thefts.

Seven of the stolen vehicles were taken from driveways of residential properties. Six of the thefts occurred overnight.

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Police have urged drivers to put in place extra security on their Land Rovers, such as tracking devices.

A North Yorkshire Police statement added:

“We know the loss of a Land Rover can have a major impact on daily life – on farms and other rural businesses in particular – so it’s important to put in place extra security measures to protect them.

“Trackers are invaluable, and can make all the difference in recovering your stolen vehicle and identifying suspects.

“Meanwhile, our officers will be proactively stopping and checking Land Rovers, and using ANPR technology to identify suspicious vehicles, to make life as difficult as possible for thieves.”

Traffic and Travel Alert: Northern Gas Networks to start work in Knaresborough today

Drivers in Knaresborough should expect delays as Northern Gas Networks begins work on York Road today.

The company is carrying out work to replace ageing pipework on the street.

Temporary traffic lights will be in place on at the junction with Wetherby Road for the duration of the roadworks.

Engineers will be carrying out the improvements, which are in collaboration with North Yorkshire County Council, for the next two weeks.

Scott Kitchingman, business operations lead for Northern Gas Networks, said: 

“We would like to apologise in advance for any inconvenience caused during these essential works. 

“However, it is vital we complete them in order to continue to maintain a safe and reliable gas supply to our customers in Knaresborough.”

The Stray Ferret has changed the way it offers Traffic and Travel alerts.

We will now notify you instantly through app notifications and flash tweets when there is an urgent alert. This could include heavy traffic, dangerous weather and long delays or cancellations of public transport.

The alerts are sponsored by The HACS Group.

Candidates revealed for Harrogate council by-election

Three candidates have been revealed for a by-election on Harrogate Borough Council.

Green Party’s Hannah Katherine Gargett Corlett, Conservative Sam Green and Liberal Democrat Chris Knight will compete for the Wathvale ward seat, which is vacant following the resignation of Conservative councillor Bernard Bateman.

Voting will take place on Thursday, May 5 – the same day as elections to the new North Yorkshire Council.

The successful candidate will sit on Harrogate Borough Council for just under a year before the authority is scrapped and replaced by the new North Yorkshire Council in April 2023.

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As well as competing in the borough council by-election, the Green Party’s Hannah Corlett and Liberal Democrat Chris Knight are also standing for the Wathvale and Bishop Monkton division on the new council.

They were named in a list of 77 candidates competing for 21 seats which will represent the Harrogate district on the new council.

The Conservatives, Liberal Democrats, Labour Party, Green Party and Yorkshire Party have all fielded candidates for the election. There are also 10 independents in the mix.

The deadline to register to vote for both elections is April 14 – and those who are already on the electoral register should have received a polling card or letter during the last two weeks in March.

Polling stations will open from 7am to 10pm on election day.

Those who are unable to vote in person can apply to vote by post or proxy.

Baroness enters battle for Masham at next month’s election

The owner of Swinton Estate in Masham has thrown her hat into the ring to be one of 90 councillors elected to North Yorkshire Council.

Felicity Cunliffe-Lister, whose formal title is Baroness Masham, has put herself forward as an independent candidate when voters head to the polls on May 5.

She will stand in the Masham and Fountains division against Conservative Margaret Atkinson, who has held the division for nine years, and Liberal Democrat Judith Hooper.

All three candidates have spoken to the Stray Ferret this week.

Conservative: ‘My priorities are the community and the countryside’

Conservative Margaret Atkinson has represented Masham and Fountains on North Yorkshire County Council for nine years and Fountains and Ripley on Harrogate Borough Council for 20 years.

Ms Atkinson, who lives in Kirkby Malzeard, said abolishing the two councils for the new unitary authority was a “brilliant idea” because it would devolve more power and funding directly to local communities.

 

 

She said her priorities would remain the same:

“My priorities have always been the community and the countryside. They are two huge issues for this rural area.”

Ms Atkinson, who lives on a farm, said she was concerned about the closure of rural schools and the impact of high house prices on young people, as well as by the ageing population and the state of roads.

She said she had been “fighting for these things” constantly and the lack of progress in some areas was down to “shortage of money” from national government. She felt the devolution agenda would make it easier for the new council to take decisive action.

Asked what set her apart from her rivals, she said it was her long-term commitment to local causes and her deep roots in the community:

“I have always lived in this area. I went to school in this area and did my children and grandchildren.”

Independent: ‘I feel like I’ve got a lot to give’

Felicity Cunliffe-Lister has owned the Swinton estate with her husband Mark since 2000 and the couple have spent the past two decades building up the business.

But she says the time is right to do something different and to help others in the rural community.

 

 

 

She said:

“I have been running a business now for over 20 years with around 150 members of staff.

“I feel like I have got quite a lot to give and have some great experience.”

Ms Cunliffe-Lister said retaining young people in rural areas and improving standards of services elderly residents were key issues for the new council.

“I feel that we have to do everything we can to improve young people’s opportunities.

“I want young people in this area to feel engaged in their rural communities. I do think there is a lot to be said to draw in all the resources that we have. Businesses for example, they are a great resource.”

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She described loneliness, particularly among older people in rural areas like Masham, as a “simple but profound issue”.

A lawyer from Devon, Ms Cunliffe-Lister has been a governor at Masham Primary School for four years, a trustee at Masham Almshouses, a charity that provides housing for those in need, and has also served on charity boards in Ripon and the north east.

Her goals, if elected, include improving “faith in the system” and finding something tangible from the government’s “levelling up” agenda. She said:

“I would like to feel that if I was elected there would be a level of engagement that they [the residents] do not feel is there at the moment.”

Ms Cunliffe-Lister also highlighted more immediate issues, such as fixing potholes.

Despite being new to the political arena and heading into a campaign without a team, she said she felt ready to “get out there”.

Liberal Democrat: “passionate about openness and community”

Liberal Democrat candidate Judith Hooper and her husband have a smallholding of 11 acres that they are rewilding.

She worked closely with councillors during her career as a GP and director of public health in Kirklees. Most recently she helped at covid vaccination centres

Her priorities are engaging with communities to understand their issues and addressing inequalities.

 

 

“I am appalled by the lack of contact with local councillors since moving into the area eight years ago.”

Her priorities are: holding regular public meetings rather than “taking votes for granted”, getting fair planning decisions and “tackling the climate crisis and thus fuel issues and increasing fuel poverty”.

She added she wanted to see more opportunities for activities for young people and to see what could be done to address the playground flooding in Masham.

“Probably above all, I am a Lib Dem because I’m passionate about openness, communities working with local people and the environment

“Our house is moving towards being carbon neutral by ground source heating and having planted nearly 4,000 trees and shrubs ,which help to offset some of our carbon emissions.”

Full list of candidates

Voters will head to the polls on May 5 to elect councillors to the new North Yorkshire Council, which will replace both North Yorkshire County Council and Harrogate Borough Council.

The Labour Party, Liberal Democrats, Conservatives, Green Party and independents have all fielded candidates ahead of polling day.

You can read the full list of candidates here.