Some roadworks remain in place throughout the Harrogate district this morning which may cause delays.
Here is your Stray Ferret traffic update.
Roads
Drivers should be aware of the usual rush hour traffic on Harrogate’s Wetherby Road, Skipton Road and Knaresborough Road this morning.
Motorists should also be aware of ongoing resurfacing work on Claro Road in Harrogate.
As previously reported, work in the area is expected to continue until August 9. Resurfacing will also be carried out on Devonshire Place and Coach Road during that time.
Northern Gas is also continuing work on Harrogate’s Grove Road where temporary lights will be in place until Friday.
Meanwhile, a road closure will be in place on Sherwood Drive from Hookstone Chase in Harrogate today to allow BT to repair service in the area.
A diversion will be in place from Forest Lane onto the road. The closure is expected to remain in force until Thursday.
Temporary lights are also on Ripon’s Clotherholme Road are still in place as Northern Gas Networks carries out replacement work to gas pipes in the area.
The lights will remain in place for seven weeks.
Meanwhile, long term roadworks are in place on Station Road in Goldsborough. The road will be closed until September 19, 2022, as Stonebridge Homes installs a foul water and surface water pipes to connect to the sewer system.
A diversion route is in place in the village.
Trains and buses
Northern services between Harrogate and Knaresborough going to York and Leeds are scheduled to run as normal this morning.
Meanwhile, the Harrogate Bus Company is reporting cancellations on the 36, 7, 1C and 1 morning services.
You can find out more on the disruption to services here.
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Four teens arrested after burglary in Spofforth
Police have arrested four teenagers after a burglary in Spofforth.
Officers were called to the village after reports of a break-in at a house in the early hours of this morning.
Three 16-year-olds were arrested on suspicion of burglary and a 15-year-old was arrested on suspicion of attempted burglary.
A North Yorkshire Police statement this afternoon confirmed that all four remain in custody and an investigation is ongoing.
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MPs watch: PM resignation and a leadership contest
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 July, Prime Minister Boris Johnson resigned and a leadership election was triggered in the Conservative party. Two of our MPs have backed Rishi Sunak, but Nigel Adams, who is a close ally of Boris Johnson, has yet to reveal his favoured candidate.
We asked our three Conservative MPs, Harrogate & Knaresborough’s Andrew Jones, Skipton and Ripon’s Julian Smith, and Selby and Ainsty’s Nigel Adams if they would like to highlight anything in particular that they have been doing this month, but, as usual, we did not receive a response from any of them.
Here is what we know after analysing their online presence.
Andrew Jones, Harrogate and Knaresborough MP.
In Harrogate and Knaresborough, here is what we found out on Mr Jones:
- On July 6, Andrew Jones called on Prime Minister Boris Johnson to resign. He said: “I think we have come to the end of the road with this Prime Minister”.
- On July 11, Mr Jones was elected to the executive of the Conservative party’s 1922 committee, which can be influential in determining the fate of party leaders.
- Mr Jones formally backed Rishi Sunak to be the new leader of the Conservative Party on July 13.
- On July 20, he took part in voting on a series of amendments to the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill.
- Mr Jones spoke in the House of Commons to praise local agricultural shows on July 21.
- Mr Jones held a surgery at Bilton Community Day on Saturday, July 30.
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MPs watch: Vote of no confidence and overriding the Brexit deal
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MPs watch: ‘anger’ over partygate and Northern Ireland politics
Julian Smith, MP for Skipton and Ripon.
In Skipton and Ripon, here is what we found on Mr Smith:
- On July 7, Julian Smith heavily criticised Prime Minister Boris Johnson during an interview on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. He said Mr Johnson was causing a “constitutional crisis” by refusing to resign amid a series on ministers quitting his cabinet.
- Mr Smith tweeted the same day that the civil service had been “attacked and maligned” and had “held the country together” during the resignations of the cabinet.
- On July 10, Mr Smith tweeted that the European Convention on Human Rights was “key” to the Good Friday Agreement. He warned against the Conservative leadership contest undermining the agreement.
- On July 18, Mr Smith voted with the government on a confidence vote held in the House of Commons.
- Mr Smith met with local farmers in Boroughbridge to discuss agricultural, as well as food security and production.
- Following the resignation of Mr Johnson, Mr Smith declared his support for Rishi Sunak in the Conservative leadership contest on July 20.
- On July 24, Mr Smith was in attendance for Mr Sunak’s visit to Black Sheep Brewery in Masham as part of his leadership campaign.
- Mr Smith tweeted on July 29 that he had been to Ripon Tennis Club to try the facility’s new padel tennis courts.
Nigel Adams, MP for Selby and Ainsty which includes rural Harrogate.
In rural south Harrogate, here is what we found on Mr Adams:
- Instead of tweeting about resignations in the government, Mr Adams posted a tweet on July 5 congratulating the England cricket team on defeating India by seven wickets.
- Mr Adams, who sits in Boris Johnson’s cabinet, has remained silent throughout the leadership election and has not yet revealed who has backed for leader.
- Reports emerged in the Observer on July 18 that Mr Adams could face a by-election as he could be offered a peerage by Boris Johnson.
- On the same day, he voted with the government on a confidence vote in the House of Commons.
- Mr Adams tweeted on July 27 that he had met AstraZeneca in Tokyo to “discuss innovation and partnerships”. He tweeted again the following day that he had met the 2025 World Expo organisers in Japan.
Traffic is moving as normal through the Harrogate district this morning.
However, a road closure will be in place in Harrogate today as resurfacing work continues.
Here is your Stray Ferret traffic update.
Roads
Motorists should be aware of a road closure on Claro Road in Harrogate today as North Yorkshire County Council continues resurfacing work in the area.
As previously reported, work in the area is expected to continue until August 9. Resurfacing will also be carried out on Devonshire Place and Coach Road during that time.
Northern Gas is also continuing work on Harrogate’s Grove Road where temporary lights will be in place until August 5.
Temporary lights are also on Ripon’s Clotherholme Road are still in place as Northern Gas Networks carries out replacement work to gas pipes in the area.
The lights will remain in place for seven weeks.
Meanwhile, long term roadworks are in place on Station Road in Goldsborough. The road will be closed until September 19, 2022, as Stonebridge Homes installs a foul water and surface water pipes to connect to the sewer system.
A diversion route is in place in the village.
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 morning services.
Read more:
‘Play like the star you are’: Harrogate gets behind Rachel Daly ahead of Euro final
Harrogate has thrown its support behind Rachel Daly ahead of England’s Euro final against Germany on Sunday.
Daly, who went to Saltergate and Rossett schools in Harrogate, will be among the squad which walks out on the hallowed turf at Wembley in front of a sellout crowd.
The Lionesses have captured the hearts of a nation during the tournament, which has seen late goals and thrashings of the likes of Norway.
Ahead of the semi-final against Spain, Mike Sweetman, who coached Daly at Rossett, told the Stray Ferret he was not surprised at her success.
“I’m not surprised she has had more than 50 caps for England.
“In all my years teaching I had not seen a better female player, saying that, she struggled with a bad knee at school and you definitely need a lot of luck along with talent to cement your place in an England team.”
‘Play like the star you are’
Now, Daly has the chance to make history and help lead England to their first Euro trophy.
Ahead of the seismic tie against Germany at 5pm on Sunday, the Stray Ferret asked our readers on social media what message they had for Daly as she prepares for the big game.
Jean Daly said:
“Play like the star you are – my lovely granddaughter.”
Lorraine Simcock said:
“Whatever the outcome, we are so proud of you all, you have done so much to inspire the younger generation and to promote women’s football. Good luck and best wishes.”
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George Miller added:
“Smash it up in the final this Sunday, we’re all cheering you on.”
Deborah Risdon said:
“Good luck we are behind you all and most important enjoy the moment.”
Tracy Atkinson said:
Residents criticise key Harrogate planning document as ‘incoherent’“Wishing you all the very best for the final, your dad will be so proud of you and he’ll be watching over you on Sunday.”
A residents group has criticised a key council planning document for the West of Harrogate as lacking detail and “incoherent”.
The West Harrogate Infrastructure Delivery Strategy was due for completion in May – but Harrogate Borough Council has now said it expects it to be published before the end of the year.
It forms part of the wider proposals for the area and builds upon the West Harrogate Parameters Plan, which sets out how the area’s infrastructure and services will cope with 4,000 new homes.
Residents said they were disappointed after a meeting earlier this month over some of the proposals in the delivery strategy.
The Western Arc Coordination Group brings together organisations including Harlow and Pannal Ash Residents Association, Duchy Residents’ Association, Hampsthwaite Action Group, Zero Carbon Harrogate, Harrogate District Cycle Action and Pannal & Burn Bridge Parish Council.
After the meeting with the council, the group said:
“On the day, we were asked to provide comments on a document that only consisted of a series of diagrams in relation to a number of road junctions without any supporting data. The whole of this work came over as incoherent and lacking any real structure.
“After more than two years we would have expected far more detail than we were presented with and we still have real concerns that the end result of all this time (more than two years) and work will not bring about any significant improvements to overall infrastructure or tackle the existing, and increasing, traffic problems. At the very least we would have expected clear statements on why this work is being done and what it will achieve.
“Our argument has always been that the end result of all the West Harrogate Parameters Plan (WHPP) and associated works should be a series of mitigations that prevents the overall infrastructure problems from getting any worse, and preferably should also help overcome some of the existing problems.”
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West Harrogate was identified for major expansion during the creation of the district’s Local Plan when a government inspector ordered the parameters plan to be made.
Once complete, both the delivery strategy and parameters plan will be used together to shape decisions on how west Harrogate will cope with 2,500 new homes – although as many as 4,000 properties are set to be built in the wider area by 2035.
A borough council spokesperson said the meeting was held to help design the strategy and further consultation will take place with residents groups later in the year.
In response to the concerns, they said:
Harrogate Town to kick off third Football League season“The West Harrogate Infrastructure Delivery Strategy (WHIDS) document – that is designed to help the long term co-ordination of infrastructure across the West Harrogate sites – will be signed-off later in the year.
“The information sessions recently held are helping shape this document, along with the support and guidance from technical officers and our appointed consultants.
“There will be further targeted engagement with stakeholders later in the year before the documents are signed off.
“This engagement, will also help inform other working draft documents such as the cumulative transport strategy, which will be subject to public consultation before any decisions are made on live planning applications in West Harrogate.”
Harrogate Town are set to kick off their third season in the Football League this afternoon.
Town will take on Swindon Town at the EnviroVent Stadium at 3pm.
Simon Weaver’s men will be hoping to consolidate their position in the EFL League Two and build upon last season’s 19th place finish.
Speaking ahead of the opening day, Weaver said pre-season had gone well for Town.
He said:
“It’s been a positive pre-season, as tough as we have ever given the lads to be honest both in the physical workloads and the games and the opposition they have had to face.
“When you take into consideration quite wholesale changes to the squad, it’s been quite challenging. But I think the last three performances have been positive and the results have suggested an upward curve as well.”
Wholesale changes
Town have made 10 new signings during the summer transfer window so far and seen 11 players leave the club.
Among the new arrivals is Tyler Frost, who signed a six-month deal this week and will be available for the Swindon clash.
Weaver said the squad needed to improve defensively on last season.
He said:
“We were reflecting on last season and there was no getting away from that defensively we weren’t good enough.
“We looked at how we could revamp it individually. First of all, we started with the shape and looked at the shape of our team and then looked at the players – round pegs for round holes – and then fitted the players for each of those positions we needed to sort out.
“There’s more youth about us as a squad, but also at the same time it has been more challenging bringing in more pedigree as well which is necessary. We looked at little bit raw for the level at times last year.
“But hopefully there is more flexibility within our squad now to be able to tweak and change when necessary, even within games. But overall we’re happy with the recruitment.”
Tough opening game
Town will take on last season’s play-off semi-finalists Swindon Town for their opening game.
Rory McArdle will miss the game with an injury sustained at the end of last season.
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Meanwhile, skipper Josh Falkingham also misses the game through injury, but is closer to a return to action.
New signing Max Wright will also miss out with an ankle injury which will keep him out for four months.
Weaver described the clash against Swindon as a big game for the opening match.
He said:
Harrogate-based care provider receives top inspection ratings“They don’t get much bigger do they? They reached the play off semi-final stage last season and they’re a strong outfit, aren’t they?
“Historically, they’ve played at the top level and they’ve got some good quality players and it will be a test.
“This week, we’ve just tried to inform the lads of what to expect in terms of their style of play and how they like to keep the ball and get into key areas.”
A Harrogate-based care provider has had all three of branches rated “outstanding” by health inspectors.
The Care Quality Commission gave the highest rating for Carefound Home Care and described it as “being a role model to other services”.
The care provider was founded in Harrogate in 2011 by Oliver Stirk and has branches in Bishop Thornton, Nottingham and Cheshire.
It currently employs more than 130 people.
Oliver Stirk, Managing Director of Carefound Home Care, said:
“It’s an incredible achievement for all of our branches to be rated Outstanding by the CQC and makes us unique in the UK.
“We are so proud of the brilliant people we employ across our teams and this recognition is testament to their compassion, hard work and dedication.”
The company is set to expand its branches to York with a new branch and is also investing in development of the service including in areas such as staff development, digital health monitoring and complex care.
Mr Stirk added:
“We’re incredibly excited as we continue to invest in growing and improving our service at Carefound Home Care, so that we can enable more older people to live a better quality of life at home.”
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Leisure company defends reducing adult swim sessions at Knaresborough Pool
Brimhams Active has defended a decision to reduce adult only swim sessions at Knaresborough pool during the school holidays.
The company, which operates Harrogate Borough Council’s leisure facilities, sets the timetables for sessions at the pool on King James Road.
One residents told the Stray Ferret that she was disappointed that some of adult only sessions on a Tuesday and Friday had been cancelled.
She said:
“I am very disappointed that both the Tuesday and Friday one hour 9-10am swims for ‘adults only’ have been cancelled during the school holidays.
“In the past, the Tuesday session has been kept and this was accepted, but both being removed is particularly unfair for the elderly who do not wish to (or feel unable to) swim when there are boisterous children in the pool.”
A spokesperson for Brimhams Active said the change in the timetable was temporary and that the pool sees more demand during the holidays.
They said:
“Brimhams Active is committed to delivering a comprehensive and inclusive pool programme at all of our venues. We endeavour to provide opportunities for all Harrogate residents to enjoy our facilities throughout the year. Our programmes are subject to change and are often amended to reflect seasonal demand.
“Throughout the school holiday period, Brimhams Active aims to provide additional swimming lesson opportunities for the children of our district in order to support improved attainment levels.
“This additional opportunity for children, forms a fundamental aspect of our commitment to the health and wellbeing of our local communities and our duty to support education around water safety and confidence in water.
“While this temporary change in our programming has a short term impact on our standard (term time) timetables, alternative adults only sessions are available alongside several opportunities for lane swimming throughout the day”
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Two men arrested after police pursuit in Ripon
Two men has been arrested following a police pursuit through Ripon.
Officers pursued a black 4×4 Hyundai after it failed to stop on Marshall Way in the city at 11.30pm last night.
The car stopped after a short pursuit and officers arrested one man, but several other men fled.
A North Yorkshire Police statement added that officers and specialist search teams, including the NPAS helicopter, remained in the area to locate the men.
Another man was arrested following a search of the area.
A police statement added:
“The Hyundai is suspected stolen and was seized by officers. A number of items were seized from the vehicle, as well as those which were thrown out during the pursuit, which are also suspected stolen property.
“A man in his 30’s was arrested on suspicion of aggravated vehicle taking, failing to stop and going equipped for burglary.
“A man in his 20’s was arrested on suspicion of aggravated vehicle taking, dangerous driving, failing to stop and going equipped for theft.
“Both men remain in police custody at this time.”
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