Drivers queue outside Harrogate’s new Leon

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

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

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

People were also queuing outside the door of the Leon.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Glenn Edwards, Leon’s managing director said:

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

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

Harrogate Town plans new scoreboard as part of stadium improvements

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

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

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

Harrogate Town currently has no scoreboard in place.

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

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

A statement submitted to the council said:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Opposition councillors call for Woodfield school to be saved

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

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

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

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

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

He said:

“I just worry what will happen to the site.

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

School closure is ‘immoral’

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

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

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

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

He said:

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

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

Woodfield school meeting

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Here is your Stray Ferret traffic update.

Roads

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

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

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

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

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

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

Trains and buses

Train services between Harrogate and Knaresborough going to York and Leeds are scheduled to run as normal this morning.

Meanwhile, the Harrogate Bus Company is reporting no cancellations on its services.

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

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Sir Ed Davey: Lib Dems will target Harrogate and Knaresborough as key seat

The Liberal Democrats are set to make Harrogate and Knaresborough a target seat at the next General Election.

On a visit to Harrogate today, party leader Sir Ed Davey MP told the Stray Ferret the Conservatives had taken local people for granted.

Sir Ed, who was also speaking at the Local Government Association conference at Harrogate Convention Centre, said he would be returning to Harrogate and Knaresborough personally in the run up to the next election.

He said:

“We are going to be working as hard as possible to win this seat. I’m really looking forward to the new candidate being selected very soon.

“I’ll be up here working with them so that we do win this seat.”

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Sir Ed said the Lib Dems’ agenda included tax cuts to tackle the cost of living, better healthcare and “getting tough” on water companies that pump sewage into rivers.

Andrew Jones, the Conservative MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, holds a majority of 9,675 in the constituency.

He has been re-elected three times since winning the seat in 2010.

When pressed on how he could be so confident of winning the seat when voters in Harrogate and Knaresborough have returned a Conservative to Westminster for the last 12 years, he said:

“The Conservatives have taken the people of Harrogate for granted.

“We’re going to work hard to earn their votes. One of my criticisms of Conservative MPs is that they have taken their local areas for granted. It has got to stop.

“We will work tirelessly to listen to the communities, to take up their concerns and be their local champion.”

Last week the Lib Dems overturned a 24,239 majority to gain a seat from the Conservatives in the Tiverton and Honiton.

Besides Harrogate and Knaresborough, the party is also expected to focus on Tory marginals such as Cheltenham and Wimbledon, according to iNews.

The Stray Ferret has approached Mr Jones for comment.

Video shows lorry crashing into Harrogate traffic light

A video has emerged of a lorry knocking over a traffic light on Skipton Road in Harrogate.

The footage appears to show a bus being towed at the junction with King’s Road, outside Bilton Working Men’s Club on Monday morning.

The trailer hits the barrier and the traffic light, which is knocked over.

The incident was one of many to cause disruption on Harrogate’s roads on Monday.

You can watch the clip below.

Barry Robertson, from Middlesbrough, uploaded the footage, which was recorded as he was driving through Harrogate.

He said drivers beeped their horns to alert the lorry driver when his vehicle got close to the barrier and traffic light.

He added that an elderly man in a car in the opposite lane where the traffic light crashed was left bemused by the incident.

“It was quite bad.

“There was an old man in the car. I don’t think he realised what happened.”

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Police later attended the scene and the light was moved, but traffic was left queueing for miles in both directions.

The situation was made worse when resurfacing work outside the Leon drive-thru on Wetherby Road caused traffic to queue back onto Skipton Road.

Harrogate marketing agency toasts 20-year longevity with bespoke beer

This article is sponsored by Extreme.

A Harrogate-based marketing firm has shared its 20th anniversary celebrations with clients by creating a bespoke beer to mark its longevity.

Extreme was set up in 2002 by directors Antony Prince and Mark Gledhill and focused on brochure websites and small search engine optimisation projects, before demand increased and the pair hired a range of experts to handle requests for both marketing and development.

Since then the company, which is based at Harrogate’s Windsor House, has gone from strength-to-strength. Their team of 25 in-house experts help business and brands of all sizes, local and international, with every aspect of their marketing.

To celebrate its two decades of success, Extreme teamed up with Harrogate Brewing Co to create “Staying Power”, a session IPA which would help mark the milestone but also represent the agency’s longevity and skills in branding.

Staying Power.

Antony Prince, director at Extreme, said:

“20 years in a fast-paced and sometimes fickle industry is something we’re very proud of.

“We’ve built a fantastic reputation for our creative and technical capabilities and we’ve worked with some amazing brands.”

As well as a celebration of the milestone, the beer was also an opportunity for Extreme to flex its muscles and show its talent in branding.

The idea behind the brand was to create a product which represented endurance but also adaptability.

Extreme used the story of the hare and tortoise, which teaches that self-belief, confidence and patience are the key to longevity and, as such, “staying power”.

As a mark of appreciation, staff at Extreme shared the beer with a host of its clients both old and new.

The design represents adaptability and longevity.

Martha Joyce, Branding and Social Manager at Harrogate Brewing Co, said:

“Working with Extreme to create a bespoke beer for their 20th Anniversary has been an absolute pleasure.

“As a family business with a true passion for beer and brewing, we use only the best ingredients so we can deliver quality craft ales to all our clients.

“By joining forces with the incredible design talents of those at Extreme, we’ve certainly created a beer worthy of celebration and the cause it was created for.

“It’s always a great experience to team up with other local businesses and produce something special to celebrate their achievements. On behalf of everyone at Harrogate Brewing Co, we’d like to congratulate them on their milestone – we hope this beer exemplifies at its best, your true ‘Staying Power’.”

For more information on Extreme and their branding services go to madebyextreme.com.

Traffic and Travel Alert: Harrogate district traffic roundup

Traffic and public transport is moving as normal this morning.

However, there are still some roadworks in place across Harrogate which may cause disruption.

Here is your Stray Ferret traffic and travel update.

Roads

Traffic is moving as normal, but motorists should allow extra time for usual traffic during rush hour on both Wetherby Road and Skipton Road this morning.

Roadworks on Skipton Road continue as CityFibre carries out maintenance work. This is due to end on July 1.

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

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

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 no cancellations on its services.

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

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UCI review should not be ignored, says Harrogate business group

A review of Harrogate’s hosting of the 2019 UCI Road World Championships should not be ignored in future, says a business group.

David Simister, chief executive of Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce, said he was pleased that the report, which was published yesterday, included the views of businesses.

Members of Harrogate Borough Council’s overview and scrutiny commission are behind the review, which will be considered at a meeting on July 4.

The report found that while there was a place for shorter events which “portray Harrogate and North Yorkshire in a good light, nationally and throughout the world”, residents and businesses considered the road closures for the UCI “unacceptable”.

One conclusion reached by the review was that there was a common perception that the event “effectively closed” Harrogate town centre.

David Simister, who has been named as the new chief executive of Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce.

David Simister (left), chief executive of Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce.

Following the publication, Mr Simister called for 15 of the recommendations included in the report to not be “simply ignored” at future events.

He said:

“This is a very detailed report and one that incorporates a wide range of views from a number of organisations.

“I’m pleased the experiences of businesses have been acknowledged and incorporated into the recommendations.

“And when Harrogate feels confident to host other major events, and I hope it does, these recommendations are not simply ignored, but used to ensure the town as a whole benefits, and that businesses, particularly those in the retail sector, are not left counting the cost.

“However, before committing to anything, I think it’s important to weigh up the pros and the cons, and also liaise with previous host towns to measure the impact it had on them.”

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The recommendations include involving residents in planning events at an “early stage” and including the council on the board of large scale events.

They also include early engagement on large events and hosting short events in the district in order to “minimise disruption for local residents”.

In response to the report, a council spokesperson said: 

“It is positive to see that the review of the preparation, hosting and implications of the 2019 UCI Road World Championships for Harrogate Borough Council, residents and businesses, has reflected much of what was implemented as part of the event organisation.

“With an estimated global TV audience of over 250 million and almost 70,000 spectators, the 2019 UCI Road World Championships created a fantastic opportunity to showcase Harrogate and the surrounding district to both a national and international audience.

“Since the UCI Road World Championships – almost three years ago – we have hosted successful events and, through our destination management organisation, have a fantastic programme for the remainder of the year to further promote the district and support our visitor economy.”

Woman charged with Harrogate attempted murder enters no plea

A 44-year-old woman will appear at crown court next month charged with attempted murder in Harrogate.

Clare Bailey, of Dudley, was arrested following an incident on Byland Road in Bilton on Thursday evening last week.

She was later charged with attempted murder and appeared before York Magistrates Court yesterday, where she entered no plea to the charge.

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The case was referred to Leeds Crown Court on July 25.

A man in his 40s has been bailed after being arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder following the same incident.

North Yorkshire Police said yesterday that the man was bailed while its investigation continues.