Harrogate solicitors Raworths announces four promotions

Business Breakfast is sponsored by Harrogate law firm Truth Legal. 

Harrogate’s Raworths Solicitors has announced four new promotions at the firm.

The promotions have been made in the private client and commercial teams.

John Carter, a lawyer in commercial property is promoted to senior associate and Claire Hunter, a solicitor in family children and divorce, Jessica Toller, a solicitor in wills and estates and Jennifer Watson, a solicitor in corporate, have each been promoted to associate.

Deborah Boylan, head of employment and people partner at Raworths, said: 

“It’s always incredibly gratifying to be able to recognise and reward the huge contribution and commitment of our people, particularly when they have been integral to the firm’s success for many years.

“It’s important that we nurture and support our people and encourage them to be the best they can be by investing in their professional development and progression.  Our commitment to developing talent also helps to position us well for the future.”

Harrogate estate agent donates cash to replace charity van

Former Yorkshire TV and Calendar News presenter Christine Talbot receives the keys off Linley & Simpson chairman Will Linley.

A Harrogate estate agent has donated £20,000 to a charity to help replace a stolen van.

Martin House Children’s Hospice fell victim to its van being stolen from its warehouse in Wetherby in January.

Now, Linley and Simpson, which also has an office in Ripon, has donated cash to help replace the vehicle.

And the keys to the new vehicle were picked up from Linley & Simpson chairman, Will Linley, by former Yorkshire TV and Calendar News presenter Christine Talbot, who is also a long-standing Martin House ambassador.

Mr Linley said:

“We shared the whole community’s shock at news of the theft. The fantastic work of the Martin House team touches the lives of so many people across Yorkshire, so we welcomed the opportunity to help.

“Many of our people have volunteered at the hospice, and our branches act as collection points for bric-a-brac that its shops can sell, so the work of the warehouse and the vans is very close to our hearts.”

Stephanie Rimmington, head of retail at Martin House, said:

“Without their donation, we could have been without a van for months while our insurance claim is processed, adding to an already challenging situation amid covid.

“By replacing the stolen van much quicker, our retail team is now able to get back out on the road, collecting donations to keep our retail outlets fully stocked, and generating more income for the hospice.”

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Drivers face 10 weeks of Harrogate roadworks from Tuesday

Drivers face 10 weeks of roadworks in Harrogate starting from Tuesday.

Work is being carried out by Northern Gas Networks to replace ageing pipework with plastic pipes.

It will see road closures and temporary traffic lights on many of the main routes into town, including Ripon Road, Kings Road and Cold Bath Road just as children return to school.

Work will take 10 weeks from August 30.

Northern Gas Networks said in a statement that although most work will be carried out on the road, engineers will need access to customer properties to complete the project and ensure the continued safe and reliable supply of gas.

The work will include:

Russ Kaye, 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 the residents of Harrogate.

“We want to assure residents and road users that we will be working hard to complete this essential scheme as safely and as quickly as possible.”

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‘Green gap’ will protect villages from 3,000-home Maltkiln scheme, says council

A “green gap” proposed for a 3,000-home scheme in the Harrogate district will protect surrounding villages from the huge housing plans, council officials have claimed.

Ever since being revealed five years ago, a key concern of the proposed site in the Green Hammerton area has been the impact on existing residents who fear the new homes will put pressure on local services with a “devastating effect on the community”.

Harrogate Borough Council is behind the development and said it recognised that separating the site from existing communities was “very important”.

It has proposed a “green gap” to the north east of the site which will act as an area of safeguarded land and aims to “protect the distinctive rural character of existing villages”.

Residents have argued this area of land should be expanded further north and south to also protect the nearby villages of Whixley and Cattal.

However, the council has rejected these calls, saying it does not believe there is “sufficient justification” to do so and that it did not want to restrict a potential expansion of the 3,000-home site to be named Maltkiln.

The council said in a report: 

“Development of Maltkiln is a long term project, with delivery over a period of some 30 years.

“Whilst there is no expansion planned for the current Local Plan period, the council does not wish to prejudice potential for future expansion in the longer term by creating a buffer around the proposed settlement boundary.”

The council also argued that safeguarding more land to the north and south would result in a “green belt by the back door” and not accord with national planning policy. Green belt land is protected areas where developments are only allowed in special circumstances.

The council added: 

“A strategic green gap on the eastern edge of Maltkiln is proposed in order to prevent coalescence and protect the distinctive rural character of existing villages.

“It is also a key part of achieving Maltkiln’s vision to be a vibrant new community in its own right, which provides new services and complements existing villages.”

The proposals for Maltkiln include two primary schools and land for a secondary school, as well as shops, employment space and a GP surgery which will be centred around Cattal train station.

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The council said it chose this location due to its transport links with the York-Harrogate-Leeds railway line and the A59.

A six-week consultation on the development plan document is planned for October when residents will be asked to share their views on areas including roads and public transport.

After this, the document will then be submitted to the government for public examination.

Harrogate district to get 20 new electric vehicle chargepoints

North Yorkshire is set to receive 140 new chargepoints for electric vehicles under a scheme announced today by the Department for Transport.

The county’s seven districts, including Harrogate, will each get 20 chargers.

The chargepoints will installed at on-street locations and at larger petrol-station charging hubs.

It is hoped the move will give drivers without home chargers more confidence to switch to electric, and reduce ‘range anxiety’ among existing electric vehicle users by helping to ensure motorists are never far from a chargepoint.

North Yorkshire County Council was awarded the funding today.

The council previously suggested that Markington, Pateley Bridge and Conyngham Hall in Knaresborough could receive new chargepoints in the Harrogate district. But it has yet to confirm the locations after today’s news.

Councillor Greg White, the council’s executive member for climate change, welcomed the funding. He said:

“The switch to electric vehicles is necessary as North Yorkshire moves towards becoming carbon zero, but the rural nature of the county presents some significant challenges.

“We worked hard to come up with an innovate scheme which will begin to provide the answers motorists need if they are to have the confidence to go electric.”

The chargers are part of the new Local EV Infrastructure (LEVI) pilot scheme where the council and industry work in partnership.

Companies are putting £200,000 towards the scheme.

The council will install more electric chargers (photo: Andrew Roberts/Unsplash)

Harrogate currently has six public charging points – though the type and number of charging points varies between each station.

Knaresborough currently has two charging points whilst Ripon has four.

National plans

North Yorkshire is one of the first nine areas to receive funding.

A total of £20 million has been allocated for the pilot scheme nationally.

The government plans to eventually invest £450 million into the scheme nationwide.

It intends to grow the network of charging points around the country with more than 1,000 new charging stations set to be installed.

Decarbonisation minister Trudy Harrison said:

“We want to expand and grow our world-leading network of EV chargepoints, working closely with industry and local government, making it even easier for those without driveways to charge their electric vehicles and support the switch to cleaner travel.”

Traffic and Travel Alert: Harrogate district traffic update

Some roadworks in the Harrogate area may cause delays for motorists this morning.

Here is your Stray Ferret traffic update.

Roads

Drivers should be aware of the usual rush hour traffic on Harrogate’s Wetherby Road, Knaresborough Road and Skipton Road this morning.

A road closure remains in place on Station Avenue in Harrogate as North Yorkshire County Council carries out resurfacing work.

According to the county council’s roadworks map, the closure will remain until Friday, August 26.

Motorists in Harrogate should also be aware of temporary traffic lights on Wetherby Road, which may cause delays during rush hour.

Yorkshire Water is carrying out work near to the Pavilions, which is due to finish on Friday.

The company is also carrying out repairs to a water pipe on North Street in Ripon which means the road is closed.

The closure is due to be in place until Friday.

Meanwhile, a road closure is in place on Oakdale in Harrogate until September 5 as Northern Gasworks carries out work in the area.

Meanwhile, lights remain on Ripon’s Clotherholme Road as Northern Gas Networks carries out replacement work to gas pipes in the area.

The lights will remain in place until September 5.

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 this morning.

You can find out more on the disruption to services here.

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Harrogate man nears end of epic 800-mile walk

A Harrogate man is on the verge of completing an 800-mile trek in aide of dementia.

James Calvert is walking the mammoth hike from John o’Groats to Land’s End, which spans 812 miles.

He undertook the challenge in aide of Dementia UK and has so far raised £4,848.

He said:

“My grandma has dementia and therefore I understand and appreciate all help that dementia carers give.”

James expects to arrive at Land’s End tomorrow (August 25) after starting his campaign on July 14.

He has aimed to walk 25 miles a day, with his longest day being 46 miles.

He has been wild camping along the way and received support from complete strangers, including monetary donations and gifts of food and drinks to keep him going.

To donate to James’ cause, visit his JustGiving page here.

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Rachel Daly picked for England World Cup 2023 qualifier squad

Harrogate’s Rachel Daly has been called up to the England Lionesses’ squad ahead of the World Cup qualifiers.

Daly, who recently joined Aston Villa, is among the 23-player squad which will take on Austria and Luxembourg next month.

The Lionesses will be hoping to build on their Euro 2022 triumph by booking a place at the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand next year.

England manager Sarina Wiegman said:

“It only feels like yesterday since we were celebrating at Wembley, but we have to get straight back to business. 

“We have a big target in front of us this month to book our place at the World Cup, and we have to set aside our amazing memories of this summer for the moment.”

Daly, who attended Saltergate and Rossett schools, has seen a lot of success on the pitch in the past few months.

After helping the Lionesses win the Euros at Wembley against Germany last month, she signed for Women’s Super League side Aston Villa from Houston Dash in the USA. She now has almost 300,000 followers on Instagram.

The 30-year-old said it was a big decision to move to Villa, but added that it was right to come home as “family is the most important thing”.

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Harrogate man jailed for knife and heroin offences

A Harrogate man has been jailed for carrying a kitchen knife in public and possessing heroin.

Nigel Green, of Fairfax Avenue, appeared before York Magistrates Court this week charged with both offences.

Green, 42, pleaded guilty to the charges.

He was sentenced to 16 weeks in prison for carrying a kitchen knife on Fairfax Avenue after the court found it was his second conviction of the same charge.

The magistrates also jailed Green for four weeks for carrying a wrap of heroin on Roche Avenue. The time will be served concurrently with the first sentence.

He was also ordered to pay a victim’s surcharge of £128.

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Harrogate’s Old Bell gets holiday accommodation approval

Plans have been approved to convert the upper floors of a traditional Harrogate pub into holiday accommodation.

It will see the second, third and fourth floors above the Old Bell on Royal Parade changed to letting rooms.

The pub is owned by Market Town Taverns, part of Heron and Brearley (H&B) based on the Isle of Man.

The proposal, submitted by Darren Clibbens of H&B, will see the basement, ground and first floors of the building unchanged.

Harrogate Borough Council has given the go-ahead for the plan.

The upper levels of the building are currently vacant office space, according to the application, with one studio apartment on the top floor.

The council’s estates team, and parks and gardens team, have both responded to the application and have not raised any objection.

However, they have asked for consideration to be given to the storage of resulting trade waste on the site, and highlighted the fact that the area in front of the building, including the pavement, forms part of the Stray.

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Traffic and Travel Alert: Harrogate district traffic update

Traffic is moving as normal in the Harrogate district this morning.

However, temporary lights and road closures in some parts of the district may cause delays this morning.

Here is your Stray Ferret traffic roundup.

Roads

A road closure remains in place on Station Avenue in Harrogate as North Yorkshire County Council carries out resurfacing work.

According to the county council’s roadworks map, the closure will remain until Friday, August 26.

Motorists in Harrogate should also be aware of temporary traffic lights on Wetherby Road, which may cause delays during rush hour.

Yorkshire Water is carrying out work near to the Pavilions, which is due to finish on Friday.

Temporary lights have also been put in place by the company on Hookstone Drive until August 30.

Yorkshire Water is also carrying out repairs to a water pipe on North Street in Ripon which means the road is closed.

The closure is due to be in place until Friday.

Meanwhile, lights remain on Ripon’s Clotherholme Road as Northern Gas Networks carries out replacement work to gas pipes in the area.

The lights will remain in place until September 5.

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 1, 1A, 1B, 1C, 7 and the 36 services this morning.

You can find out more on the disruption to services here.

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