Calvin Robinson Chief Reporter, Author at The Stray Ferret

Petition to protect Bilton’s Knox Lane from housing

A petition to prevent land targeted for homes in Bilton being available for development will be put before Harrogate and Knaresborough councillors next week.

North Yorkshire Council’s Harrogate and Knaresborough planning committee rejected an application by the developer Jomast to build 53 homes off Knox Lane, as reported by the Stray Ferret in September 2023.

Since then, residents have submitted a 2,200-signature petition to the authority calling for the land to be protected from further development.

The Knox Community Conservation Group has called for the land to be removed from the forthcoming North Yorkshire Local Plan, which will replace the current blueprint for where development can take place.

The petition says previous site assessments conducted by Harrogate Borough Council of the Knox Lane site in 2013 and 2016 found it to be unsuitable for development because it “would have adverse or highly adverse effects on historic environment, priority habitats and/or species and landscape”.

In a report due before the area committee next week, Barry Khan, assistant chief executive at North Yorkshire Council, said a consultation on “issues and options” for the Local Plan will be held later this year.

He said:

“In relation to the new Local Plan for North Yorkshire, the site selection process will begin with a call for sites to gain an understanding of what land is available.

“As part of this exercise, we will also be looking at sites allocated in adopted Local Plans that have not been progressed and we will assess these alongside other sites put forward.

“The council will need to carry out this assessment and selection process in a fair and transparent way taking into consideration the most up to date evidence and therefore cannot commit to include or exclude any sites at this stage.”

The petition will be put before the Harrogate and Knaresborough area constituency committee on Thursday (March 14).

Councillors will be asked to respond formerly to the petition.

How an anti-semitism row left Harrogate and Knaresborough Lib Dems in disarray

Pat Marsh’s string of tweets which ignited a row over anti-semitism left local Liberal Democrats in disarray this week.

At a time when the world’s eyes are fixed on the ongoing conflict in Isreal and Gaza, Harrogate’s most senior Lib Dem councillor was at the centre of a social media storm in relation to the war.

Cllr Marsh, who has been a councillor in Harrogate and Knaresborough for 33 years, took to X, formerly known as Twitter, over a five-week period to post about the plight of Palestinians.

Some included reposting tweets about the conflict. But others which were posted from January onwards described Jews as “vile”, “evil” and “a disgrace to the world”.

The matter is subject to a North Yorkshire Police investigation, a North Yorkshire Council standards process and an internal probe by the Liberal Democrats.

Cllr Marsh, who was suspended from the party, has remained defiant and has refused to resign as a councillor.

But the matter left the Liberal Democrats in a politically sensitive situation.

Cllr Pat Marsh

Removal of responsibility

Political moves have already been made on North Yorkshire Council to remove Cllr Marsh from positions of responsibility.

She was replaced as chair of the Harrogate and Knaresborough area constituency planning committee on Wednesday in her absence following a motion by Conservative Cllr Michael Harrison.

In the May 2022 local elections, jubilant Lib Dems celebrated taking control of the council’s area committee with eight of the 13 councillors elected in Harrogate and Knaresborough.

Harrogate and Knaresborough area committee.

Following her suspension, and the earlier defection of Cllr Michael Schofield to become an Independent, the party now has six of the 13 seats on the committee.

As a result, the row over anti-semitism may dilute the party’s influence on major council matters, such as the £11.2 million Harrogate Station Gateway project.

The local party has been tight lipped on the saga this week. A source close to the party told the Stray Ferret there had been “radio silence” from within the Liberal Democrats to its local members. Questions to parliamentary candidate Tom Gordon have been fielded by the national press office.

Meanwhile, Cllr Marsh is subject to a council standards investigation to determine whether she breached its code of conduct.

The code aims to ensure councillors do not discriminate against any person, treat others with respect and do not bring the council into disrepute.

The Local Government Association says a councillor can be removed from their role by the local authority should they be found to have committed a serious breach of the code.

The Stray Ferret asked North Yorkshire Council to ask what the investigation will involve.

In response, Richard Flinton, chief executive of the authority, said:

“I can confirm that our monitoring officer has received a complaint and will look at it in line with the council’s agreed code of conduct complaints procedure.

“In North Yorkshire we expect our elected members and officers to demonstrate strong and positive values and behaviours. Any complaints about comments that do not meet these standards will therefore be taken seriously.”

A council spokesperson added that it would be making no further comment on the issue.

Harrogate MP weighs in

The issue is politically difficult for the Lib Dems in the run-up to a general election.

Mr Gordon will contest the Harrogate and Knaresborough constituency for the party against Conservative MP Andrew Jones.

Following this week’s events, Mr Gordon appears to have removed any picture with Cllr Marsh from his social media accounts, including Facebook and X.

However, Mr Jones wasted little time in raising the matter over Cllr Marsh in the House of Commons on Monday, describing the comments as “horrendous” and questioned why the Liberal Democrats failed to act sooner.

Mr Jones accused the Lib Dems of doing nothing to tackle the issue until it was exposed in the media, adding:

“She had hundreds of followers, including many senior local Liberal Democrats; she tweeted over 500 times on the subject, and those tweets were read over 10,000 times, so it beggars belief that no Liberal Democrat knew what she was saying.”

A Lib Dem party spokesperson described the Harrogate MP’s comments as “outrageous” and without evidence.

They added:

“It is telling that Andrew Jones doesn’t use his parliamentary time for the local crumbling hospital or lack of NHS dentist appointments, and instead pushes bizarre claims which have no shred of evidence.

“It just shows he is on the way out. Andrew Jones is yet again taking the people of Harrogate for granted.”

In a sign that the national party has been eager to get a grip on the matter, any enquiry to local Liberal Democrats has been met with a response from a press officer in London.

With Cllr Marsh still holding her Stray, Woodlands and Hookstone seat, and further repercussions possible, the fallout is likely to continue.

How Andy’s Man Club is helping men in Harrogate to talk

Every Monday evening at 7pm, men arrive at Harrogate College to have a chat with a coffee and a biscuit.

While it may seem mundane, the same is happening at 172 other locations across England at the same time.

Andy’s Man Club was set up with the simple goal of helping men to talk through their issues and help each other deal with their mental health.

Its latest club at Harrogate College was set up in January and saw 63 people attend on its first night.

The Stray Ferret paid a visit this week and spoke with its facilitators Andy King and Jonathan Clipston prior to their third session of the year.

‘I just thought we have got to do it’

Andy and Jonathan, who are lead facilitators in Harrogate, arrive early to set up the room and have the coffee and biscuits prepared next to the entrance — an essential for any meeting.

Andy explains that he has been involved with the charity since January 2023 after losing a friend and work colleague to suicide.

He attended a meeting in Kirkstall and then later in Tadcaster after a particularly low point in his life. He then decided that he should set up a club locally.

“I just thought that we have got to do it.

“We don’t talk about challenges to our best mates. So I thought that this was a place to do that.”

Meanwhile, Jonathan first attended an Andy’s Man Club meeting in York in April 2022 and later trained as a facilitator for the charity.

He suffered a serious car accident some 30 years ago which led to his right arm being amputated below the elbow.

“There was nothing like this then.”

The charity itself was set up by Elaine Roberts and Luke Ambler after Andrew Roberts, Elaine’s son and Luke’s brother-in-law, took his own life aged 23 in 2016.

Actor Dominic Brunt, aka Paddy from Emmerdale, has backed Andy’s Man Club’s new Harrogate branch.

It held its first session in Halifax, Andrew’s hometown, and now helps to support more than 3,000 men on a weekly basis at more than 170 locations.

Harrogate, which became the 173rd location, was launched with the backing of Dominic Brunt, who plays Paddy Kirk in television soap Emmerdale.

The response has been dramatic. Some 63 men attended the branch on its first night and 47 on its second – 18 of which were attending Andy’s Man Club for the first time.

‘Andy’s Man Club saved my life’

The sessions follow a simple format.

Each meeting has five questions which include “how was your week?” and “anything to get off your chest?” The session then moves onto lighter topics, the questions of which change each week.

There is no obligation to speak, however those that wish to speak will be thrown a ball to signal that it is their turn to talk.

The idea behind the meetings is that they are judgement-free and held in a non-clinical environment.

Sessions are held every Monday from 7pm to 9pm, except on bank holidays.

Elliot, a facilitator at Andy’s Man Club in York, is in Harrogate helping Andy and Jonathan with their latest session.

He has been involved with the charity since 2019 and says he “would not be here” without it.

“Andy’s Man Club saved my life.”

He says part of the reason for the sessions is to let the men speak in their own time. But it’s also to create an affinity with each other.

“It’s about bonding the lads. That’s what is really important.”

The following day, the Harrogate club posts that 44 men attended the meeting — 11 of whom came to Andy’s Man Club for the first time.

On its website, the charity describes itself as “a bunch of blokes having a chat over a brew and biscuit”.

But, for some, it is much more than that.

How a Harrogate consultant helped change British elite sport

Harrogate’s Neil Tunnicliffe feels fortunate to have spent his career in sport.

From the London 2012 Olympic Games to women’s football, he has been involved.

Not as a player; rather, he has spent more than 20 years behind the scenes helping to put mechanisms in place for elite sportsmen and women to thrive.

Originally from Wakefield, West Yorkshire, Neil has spent the majority of his life north of the county after his parents moved to Goldsborough while he was studying at Oxford University.

His younger years were spent playing rugby until he suffered a dislocated shoulder.

Despite the setback, he remained involved in student rugby league and was offered a job at the Rugby Football League in 1992. He says:

“It was a role without portfolio. So I sort of floated across the business and spent time working in pretty much every department.”

Six years later, he was appointed chief executive after Maurice Lindsay left to work for the newly created Super League.

His new role gave him a grounding in elite sport as he became involved in negotiating a £26.9 million broadcast deal for rugby league with Sky and BBC.

For Neil, the negotiations with television executives were very different compared to today.

“The landscape nowadays has changed beyond recognition where you have any number of different outlets who want to broadcast sport, including online.

“Back in those days, it was relatively straight forward. You had Sky who were the new kid on the block who had the dedicated sports channel that they needed to fill with content. They were competing with three or at the most four channels in the BBC, ITV and Channel 4.

“The BBC were the longest standing partner of the game and had a real commitment to rugby league. There was a sort of ‘nice chap’ element to negotiations around that. Whereas Sky had a much more commercial approach and were much more hard headed about what they wanted from the game.”

Aiming for the Olympics

As he looked to consultancy and life after rugby league, Neil quickly realised that specialising in media was becoming a competitive market.

Instead, he looked to the National Lottery – which had not long been introduced by John Major’s government after the 1996 Olympics.

In the early 2000s, lottery funding required sports to have strategic plans in place in order to be distributed money.

Neil saw this as an opportunity to help not only sports, but also quangos such as UK Sport and Sport England.

The scheme was “relatively new”, says Neil, and sport councils were trying to figure out what to do with the funding.

“It was trial and error to a large extent across the landscape as a whole.

“But what provided a real focal point was in 2005 when London won the Olympic Games.”

The 2012 Olympics and Paralympics in the UK capital provided an opportunity for Neil to help sports win funding in order to professionalise and put strategies in place to compete at the biggest sporting event on the planet.

Both UK Sport and Sport England saw the Olympics as an opportunity.

For Neil, much of the next seven years was spent trying to help 13 different sports, such as handball, netball and basketball, to reach the landmark event.

“They had not previously been represented at an Olympic Games because they had not qualified.

“But when you have a home Olympic games you automatically get a place there. So, we knew that there were going to be Great Britain teams in each of those sports. But you had seven years to get a team assembled and ready to compete against the best in the world.”

Neil described the process as building some of the sports from the ground up including putting strategies in place to employ coaches, sport scientists and training athletes.

The reward for the hard work was a successful Olympics for Great Britain and strategies remaining in place for those sports some 12 years later.

Women’s sport

Among Neil’s biggest achievements is his work in women’s sport.

In 2016, the FA commissioned him to carry out a review of the Women’s Super League amid concern over a lack of interest in the sport.

Harrogate’s Rachel Daly playing for Aston Villa in the Women’s Super League.

The work played into a well trodden path for Neil, who had already helped to set up the women’s netball super league as well as other reviews into participation in women and girls sport.

“We looked at the Women’s Super League and realised that a lot of its problem was that it wasn’t being taken seriously by the clubs involved in it.”

Neil’s review found that players were training four hours a week – which was the same as Harrogate Rugby Club second team schedule at the time.

He told the FA that players had to be training up to 15 and 16 hours a week, which would amount to half-time, or in some cases, full time professionals.

The result has seen the competition catapult into the public’s conscience since then, with Harrogate’s own Rachel Daly among those to thrive from the increase in interest.

‘No stone left unturned’

These days, Neil’s workload includes helping the England and Wales Cricket Board with its academy system across the 18 county championship sides.

His career has spanned multiple sports across different levels and standards. But does he feel he still has more to do?

“I think I’ve been incredibly lucky, really. I’ve been a sports fan all my life.

“When I was young, I was fascinated by the way that sport worked. To be able to have a career playing with that has been an enormous blessing.

“Looking back, I’ve worked with sports that range from large to small. I’ve worked with some of the biggest governing bodies that we’ve got and then I’ve worked with sports like Boccia and British Equestrian Vaulting and things that only a handful of people nationally do.

“I’ve worked in England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland and Northern Ireland. I don’t feel there is any stone left unturned.”

If you have any local sporting heroes who you think should be featured in Sporting Spotlight, contact calvin@thestrayferret.co.uk.

Skills and transport: What does the Harrogate district need from the new combined authority?

This week marked the start of a new era of governance across North Yorkshire.

On Thursday, the newly created York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority launched, paving the way for a multi-million pound devolution deal to come to fruition.

The authority, which will be headed by an elected mayor after May, promises power over transport, skills and adult education.

In a packed Guildhall in York, politicians, authority and business leaders gathered to hear what the combined authority would mean for them.

Those in attendance came from all over North Yorkshire and York to brush shoulders with leaders who will be tasked with lobbying for millions in government funding.

Among them was Harrogate College principal Danny Wild.

The Stray Ferret asked Mr Wild what Harrogate would need from the new authority and how it would help him and his students.

Danny Wild

He pointed to the adult education budget, which the combined authority will be responsible for from August 2025.

Mr Wild said funding to help people re-train and develop their skills will be important for the Harrogate district as they look for higher skilled jobs.

He said:

“What we are hoping is it will help our adults to upskill and feel they are making a contribution to society.”

However, equally as important is transport. Mr Wild said he has students who come from Boroughbridge who take more than an hour to get into college.

‘You need to connect people to opportunities’

The sentiment over transport and skills is one shared by James Farrar, director of economy and interim head of paid service at York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority.

He said the combined authority and elected mayor will be armed with new money which will allow it to “be ambitious”.

The Stray Ferret asked Mr Farrar if he recognised the concerns raised by Mr Wild over skills and transport in the Harrogate area.

He said:

“Ultimately, you need to connect people to opportunities. It’s fine creating opportunities, but if people can’t physically get there or if they don’t have the skills that those job require then local people are not going to benefit from those opportunities.

“The opportunity that the mayor brings is to operate and think at a place level. At the heart of our planning, we have great places. Obviously, Harrogate and Ripon are two great places in the region.

“We will be looking at those places and asking what it means and how people get around those places and what skills do they have.”

But how will the combined authority decide which area is most in need of investment in skills, transport or education?

For Cllr Carl Les, the Conservative leader of North Yorkshire Council, the projects must be “equitable”.

Cllr Les, who was late to the event due to traffic on the A19 coming into York on Thursday, said a lot of his speech was due to focus on looking at North Yorkshire in its entirety.

He said much of the combined authority’s role will be “focussing on the whole” of the county.

“What we have to make sure is that the combined authority looks at the quality of the projects that we want to deliver and make sure that we deliver equitable projects across the piece.”

The long wait for Harrogate Town Council

Fifteen months ago, North Yorkshire Council went to the people of Harrogate to ask whether they wanted a town council.

The idea was to set up a parish authority following the loss of Harrogate Borough Council.

Since then, a new unitary council has been set up, a second consultation has been held and the UK has changed Prime Minister twice.

The length of time lapsed has also caused political friction.

The Stray Ferret has followed the saga since its inception. In this article, we take a look at why it is taking so long.

Town council

As part of a community governance review, North Yorkshire Council launched a consultation on setting up town councils in Harrogate and Scarborough in August 2022.

The purpose was to form a layer of governance in two unparished areas following the creation of the unitary authority in April the following year.

Over the course of two consultations, which looked at which areas would fall under the town council and how many councillors it would have, the public backed it.

However, the authority has yet to be set up.

In fact, a further consultation has been proposed – which has been criticised by some Harrogate councillors.

At a Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce meeting on Monday, Richard Flinton, chief executive of North Yorkshire Council, explained to businesses that the earliest that a town council could be set up is April 2025.

This was because the council was planning to hold a third consultation on the matter, which was approved by councillors in July 2023.

‘Red herring’

At the time, Conservative councillors raised concern over the ward system which was proposed for the town council. In particular, the proposal for two councillors to represent one ward.

Officers had recommended that each of the proposed 10 wards in Harrogate, which were based on current North Yorkshire Council divisions, be represented by two councillors per ward on the town council with the exception of Saltergate, which would have one councillor.

Conservative councillor for Oatlands and Pannal, John Mann, said accountability to residents would be better served by single councillor wards.

He told a council meeting at the time:

“These arrangements will be with us for many decades to come and we need to get it right.”

While the matter was agreed to hold another consultation, the issue has continued to bubble under the political surface.

This week, Liberal Democrat councillors who control the Harrogate and Knaresborough area constituency committee told Harrogate and Knaresborough Conservative MP, Andrew Jones, that the delay was unnecessary.

Cllr Chris Aldred, Liberal Democrat councillor who spoke at the committee, told the Stray Ferret that the concern over ward arrangements was a “red herring” and that the process was a waste of time.

He said:

“It’s a total waste of time and residents’ money – especially at a time when North Yorkshire Council is looking for £30 million of savings for the next three years, to balance its budgets.”

Andrew Jones pictured at Monday's meeting.

Andrew Jones MP pictured at Monday’s meeting.

However, the Conservatives say that Northallerton has to decide what the town council will do before it is set up and, ultimately, charges people council tax.

It has previously been suggested by the council that residents would pay between £40 and £60 on top of their council tax each year to cover as yet undetermined services for the town council.

Mr Jones told the area committee on Monday that council officials needed to do more work on the planned authority.

He said:

“It is slightly odd to say that we’re going to create a public body which has got the capacity to take between £40 to £60 in terms of council tax, but we do not know what it is for.

“I think there is a bit of work to be done to say what it is for before you ask taxpayers to get their wallets out for you. I think that is entirely reasonable.”

The cost to conduct further consultation is expected to take the total sum for the process over £100,000.

The Stray Ferret asked North Yorkshire Council when it expects to undertake its third consultation and how much it will cost.

But, we did not receive a response by the time of publication.

Why does Harrogate need 5G masts?

The much talked about “revolution” in 5G mobile technology has started its rollout across the UK – and Harrogate is not immune.

In the last two years, four applications from telecommunication giants have been submitted to council planners to erect communication masts with the aim of improving connectivity in the town.

The plans promise to offer better network coverage through 5G and increase data speeds.

However, the rollout has not gone as smoothly as some of the mobile companies would have hoped.

The Stray Ferret has covered 5G mast proposals in Harrogate for the last two years. In this article, we take a closer look at the technology and ask why it is needed.

‘Revolutionise mobile technology’

The firm leading the charge to install masts in Harrogate is CK Hutchison Networks (UK) Ltd, which operates Three Mobile.

It has submitted plans for four masts in the Harrogate area since 2022.

The technology, it states in planning documents, has the ability to bring “significant improvements” to network coverage, such as faster data speeds with “very low” delay.

It adds:

“While each generation brings technological advantages, due to the higher frequencies utilised, note 5G is expected to revolutionise mobile technology as we know it, the cell areas tend to be far smaller.

“For example, a 5G cell typically has a smaller radius area, which means the cell search areas are far smaller when compared with earlier network requirements.”

The 5G stations must be situated within close proximity of the area they intend to cover. The company argues in planning documents that sometimes this means they will have to be within “proximity of designated areas or sensitive locations”.

In other words, the stations need to be close to people who use it in order for it to work to optimal performance.

So, why do we need the technology and what can it do?

Dr Ali Zaidi, associate professor in the school of electronic and electrical engineering at the University of Leeds, explained that 5G would be able to facilitate “better capabilities to expand mobile coverage”.

This could include the ability to reconfigure the technology to support more services and applications, such as robot grocery deliveries and virtual reality.

Dr Zaidi told the Stray Ferret:

“While traditional voice, video and data service remain important, new class of services to facilitate applications such as robot grocery deliveries, autonomous cars, virtual reality, sensor based monitoring of environment e.g. flood risk/air-quality etc. over wide area, smart meter/other utility meter communications are also core part of 5G offering.

“In brief, while the previous generations of cellular networks were focused on connecting people with people and content, 5G provides capability to connect people with machines and machines to other machine.”

However, the rollout of 5G is not so straightforward and it does have its disadvantages.

Dr Li Zhang, associate professor in communications in the school of electronic and electrical engineering at University of Leeds, told us that the signals used in 5G, known as millimetre waves, generally require a “line of sight transmission for optimal performance”.

She explained that dense urban areas cause issues.

Dr Zhang said:

“Obstacles such as buildings, trees can block or reflect signals leading to signal blockage and multipath effect.

“All the above impose technology challenges in the deployment strategy particularly in dense urban area or indoor.”

She also added that not all current devices are compatible with 5G networks, meaning people may need to upgrade tablets and smartphones to use the technology.

Government backing

Across the country, Three has taken on rolling out the masts with government backing.

In spring 2019, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government lent their support to the roll out of the technology.

In a joint statement, the departments set a target for the majority of the UK population to be covered by a 5G signal by 2027.

It added:

“Government is committed to supporting investment in high-quality, reliable digital connectivity so that communities can benefit from faster economic growth and greater social inclusion.

“It is essential to keep pace with growing demand for internet bandwidth and mobile data from local businesses, residents and those who visit our communities.”

Three years later, ministers amended planning laws, specifically permitted development rights, to speed up the installation of the technology.

It means that companies can apply for prior notification from a council to install in areas such as next to the highway rather than submitting a full planning application.

Since then, Three has sought to turbo charge its rollout.

‘Sneakily’ installed

Already, the company has installed a 20m high mast on Jennyfield Drive in Harrogate opposite the junction with Grantley Drive.

The mast ,which was approved under permitted development by North Yorkshire Council in April 2023, was described by the council as an “essential piece of telecommunications infrastructure”.

However, despite the promise of better connectivity and fast data speeds, some residents in the area do not see it that way.

One resident, who lives on Jennyfield Drive and can see the mast from her bedroom window, described it as being “sneakily” installed.

She questioned why the area was chosen for the facility when other parts of Harrogate were being turned down for such proposals.

She said:

“After speaking to neighbours and other residents we have become aware that no one in this area was consulted or informed.

“We are all a bit hacked off as they were opposed being erected on the stray yet less affluent areas are okay.”

While two of its masts – one on Jennyfield Drive and the other on Otley Road near Swinton Court – have been approved, the others have yet to be given the green light.

Not only have the other two proposals failed to impress planners at the council, they have also fallen short when taken to the government’s Planning Inspectorate on appeal.

Much of the concern from the government comes from how the masts would appear in the centre of Harrogate, despite the benefits that they may bring.

Park Parade in Harrogate.

The latest refusal, which the Stray Ferret covered this month, came when an inspector rejected a planned mast on Park Parade.

The inspector said the proposal on balance would fail to enhance the character of the area and that the company had not demonstrated that the site was the only viable option for the mast.

He said:

“On the basis of the evidence in front of me and my own observations on site, I have found that the proposed development would fail to preserve or enhance the character or appearance of the conservation area.

“It has not been demonstrated that the appeal site represents the only viable option.

“Therefore, notwithstanding the need to upgrade the network and assist the government’s digital connectivity vision along with the associated benefits, the harm that would arise from the siting and appearance of the development would not be outweighed by the overall need in this location.”

The inspectorate threw out a similar appeal for Granby Park overlooking the Stray on the grounds that it would be “a conspicuous and intrusive feature in the surrounding area”.

While Three Mobile may have failed in two of its four applications, it’s hard to see the telecommunications giant stopping in its pursuit to install more masts in Harrogate.

When asked whether it would still press ahead with proposals in the area, a spokesperson for Three told the Stray Ferret:

“5G rollout is vital for residents and businesses of Harrogate. We want to offer the community a reliable network experience and our planners determined that these sites were required to deliver it.

“While we try to keep mast sites as unobtrusive as possible, they do need to be situated near to where people will be using the service and, in many cases, in precise locations to ensure the widest breadth of coverage. We will consider the reasons for refusal carefully and consider our options.”

What do think of the 5G rollout in the district? Do you think it’s necessary for future and existing connectivity? Do you struggle to get a good wifi signal and welcome it? Or do you feel it is unnecessary and the masts are intrusive eyesores? Write and give us your view. We print readers letters every Sunday and we’d love to hear from you. email letters@thestrayferret.co.uk

Council seeks academy sponsor for new Harrogate special school

North Yorkshire Council has invited academy trusts to sponsor a planned new special school in Harrogate.

The authority agreed proposals to create the facility at the former Woodfield Community Primary School in Bilton in August 2023.

The school is expected to cater for up to 80 pupils aged between 11 and 19.

Council bosses said the school is needed to meet demand for special educational needs places locally.

Now, the authority has invited academy trusts to sponsor the school and operate it.

According to the invitation report, which has been published on the council website, the school would be opened on a phased basis from April 2025.

It adds that the authority has committed a £3.5 million budget to establishing the school.

This includes a two phased project to modify the buildings on the Woodfield site ahead of an April 2025 opening, plus a potential extension of its facilities afterwards.

Each pupil is expected to attract base funding of £10,000 each in line with the Department for Education’s high needs funding. Top up funding will also be given based upon the needs of the pupils.

The report said:

“The council’s current range of provision needs to be extended to cater more effectively for young people with a primary need of autism who require specialist support to maximise their potential.

“Those who require a more formal secondary curriculum and associated academic accreditation routes would benefit most from the proposed development.”

A shortlist for those academy trusts who have applied is expected to be drawn up this month.

The move comes as a six-week consultation, which ended on July 24, 2023, saw 90 out of the 105 responses – a total of 86 per cent – support the proposed school.

Woodfield Community Primary School closed in December 2022 after an “inadequate” rating by Ofsted and a decline in pupil numbers.

Ex-Harrogate Town player cleared of rape and sexual assault charges

Former Harrogate Town player Jack Diamond has been cleared of rape and sexual assault.

Mr Diamond, 23, was found not guilty on both charges by a jury at Newcastle Crown Court this afternoon.

He was charged by Northumbria Police in March last year.

Mr Diamond, of Washington, had his loan spell at Lincoln City terminated at the time of the charges. His parent club Sunderland also suspended him pending the outcome of judicial proceedings.

A statement from Sunderland following the verdict said:

“Sunderland AFC notes the verdict from Newcastle Crown Court today, where a jury has found Jack Diamond not guilty of all charges.

“Following the conclusion of the judicial process, Jack will now return to the Academy of Light and resume footballing activity.

“SAFC will be making no further comment at this time.”

Mr Diamond played for Harrogate on loan during their National League campaign in 2019-20, scoring one of the goals at Wembley that earned promotion to the English Football League for the first time ever.

He returned to the club on loan during the 2021-22 season in League Two of the English Football League.

In his two loan spells, he scored 16 goals in 66 appearances.

Plan for River Wharfe footbridge withdrawn

A plan to build a footbridge over the River Wharfe to connect West Yorkshire with North Yorkshire has been withdrawn.

The proposal was submitted by volunteer group Burley Bridge Association. The group said there have been hopes of building a bridge over this section of the Wharfe for 120 years.

Currently, there is a public right of way connecting the two banks of the river between Burley-in-Wharfedale and Askwith on the edge of the Harrogate district and walkers have to navigate a series of stepping stones.

The association lodged proposals for a footbridge to both North Yorkshire Council and Bradford Metropolitan Council in November 2023.

At the time, the group said the bridge would provide a safe route for walkers over the river which would then connect to its 42-mile Yorkshire Heritage Way trail that links Bradford with Ripon.

It said:

“A reliable, safe, and weather-proof crossing will be of benefit to the entire local community who regularly use the stepping-stones to access walking and running routes, and to those who travel into the area to enjoy all that the Yorkshire Dales National Park and the adjacent Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty have to offer.”

However, the plans have now been withdrawn.

In comments submitted to North Yorkshire Council, Dan McAndrew, principal ecologist at the authority, raised concern that the river is a designated UK priority habitat, which includes “in channel gravel bank features”.

While Mr McAndrew acknowledged that the bridge would offer a “sustainable and accessible” route for walkers, he added that the Environment Agency recommends that “in-channel impacts should be avoided through the provision of a single span bridge”.

He said:

“The recently submitted ‘design rationale’ does not address this matter, although I acknowledge that the application proposes some mitigation measures such as planting of riparian alders, bat boxes and provision for nesting birds and control of Himalayan balsam.

“Whilst these are welcome measures, they do not address the fundamental issue of damage to a priority habitat, which, as the Environment Agency suggests, ought to be avoided through the design of a single span bridge.”

Read More:

Removal of responsibility

Harrogate MP weighs in

Read more:

‘I just thought we have got to do it’

‘Andy’s Man Club saved my life’

Read more:

Aiming for the Olympics

Read more:

Women’s sport

‘No stone left unturned’

‘You need to connect people to opportunities’

Read more:

Town council

‘Red herring’

Read more:

‘Revolutionise mobile technology’

Read more:

Government backing

‘Sneakily’ installed

Read more:

Read more:

Read more: