Princess Anne visited Harrogate today for the sell-out opening day of the Great Yorkshire Show.

About 35,000 people converged on the Great Yorkshire Showground in mercifully cooler conditions than those forecast.

Here’s what happened.

6.50pm: Traffic returning to normal after successful first day

You can’t ask for much more than a sell-out crowd and a royal visit, which is what happened today. But if you’re being greedy you’d also want nice weather and smooth running traffic.

Many people arrived lathered in sun cream only to be greeted by grey skies and even some spots of rain. But it was perfect weather for bimbling around.

The traffic situation could have been bette but keeping 35,000 people moving around the country lanes near the showground is always going to be a challenge.

We will be back on the morning with more live traffic updates.

6.05pm: Lots of traffic still exiting the showground on Rudding Lane.

5.55pm: Still long queues as people exit showground

There is currently a long queue on Rudding Lane of traffic leaving the showground trying to get on to the A658 John Metcalf Way.

5.40pm: Queues on John Metcalf Way

This is the current view from the traffic island at the Kestrel roundabout looking towards Follifoot. The roundabout is far less busy than this morning and there are no queues heading from Wetherby but traffic approaching the roundabout from the John Metcalf Way have lengthy tailbacks.

5.21pm: Woodlands junction is quiet

The Woodlands junction is currently far quieter than usual at this time.

5.12pm: Long queues as visitors leave the showground

Traffic is heavy in both directions on Hookstone Road as vehicles pour out of the showground. This is the current situation:

4.39pm: Rush hour traffic starts to build

People are leaving day one and rush hour traffic around Harrogate is bound to be busy. We will be on the roads providing updates but if you have news of a jam please email us at contact@thestrayferret.co.uk.

Shuttle buses took a while to get to the showground this morning, particularly after 9am. The heavy traffic and security arrangements for the royal visit didn’t help. Buses run every 20 minutes from stand 13 and are free.

3.42pm: Highlights of Princess Anne’s visit

Princess Anne, no stranger to the event, has been on the traditional royal tour of the showground today.

2.35pm – Learn to scuba dive with a Harrogate business

The landlocked showground might not be the first place you think of to try scuba diving, but for £10 you can have a go with Harrogate-based business Diveshack UK.

Owner Tim Yarrow has brought a tank with him as well as wet suits and towels for people to use. Mr Yarrow takes groups diving in UK locations including Flamborough and Orkney as well as abroad to Malta.

He said:

“I came last year so I thought I’d give it another go. We’ve got the tank this time and it’s a bit of an interest factor.”

Mr Yarrow is no stranger to the showground. He is also the operations manager at Yorkshire Health Network who delivered covid vaccinations at the site in 2021 and earlier this year.

He joked the previously clinical hall where vaccines took place is now filled with bales of hay.

Last month Mr Yarrow was knocked back by Harrogate Borough Council in his bid to build a state-of-the-art scuba diving facility in Knaresborough. He said he is planning to appeal the council’s refusal.

He added:

“The feedback from the public to the plans were really supportive. I am adamant it will be a benefit to the area and will be unique. There’s a neccessity as we have a huge number of people in the area who are divers.”

1.21pm – Police warn of ‘several miles’ of queues  

12.30pm – Puss the cat’s owners return – without their cat!

Puss the cat memorably escaped from last year’s Great Yorkshire Show after sneaking into a Scottish farmer’s sheep trailer. After a week of searching there was an emotional reunion with her tearful and relieved owners, which the Stray Ferret captured.

We caught up with Annette and David Mitchell again this morning who have returned to show their sheep.

It seems Puss is now an experienced escape artist and tried to sneak in again this year, before she was spotted and safely put inside. At a recent show in Carlisle, Puss also came along for the ride after spotting an open window in their trailer.

Annette said:

“We’ve got to keep an eye on her now. But it’s good to be back at the show – minus the cat!”

11.50am – Princess Anne arrives at the show

Princess Anne arrived at the Great Yorkshire Show this morning.

She becomes the latest royal to attend the show. Prince Charles made the visit in 2021.

11.31am – Encouraging visitors to return to Harrogate

A total of 140,000 people are expected at the show over the next four days. Tourism body Visit Harrogate is trying to entice them to return by showcasing attractions such as the Turkish baths.

Matthew Chapman, chief executive of Harrogate Business Improvement District, has joined staff at Visit Harrogate on the stand.

11.21am – Shuttle bus delays

Regular shuttle buses are operating between the showground and the bus station in Harrogate but we are hearing there are long queues to get on board and the journey is taking a long time.

11am – Princess Anne arrives in Harrogate

Princess Anne has arrived in Harrogate ahead of her visit to the show.

She arrived by helicopter on the Stray this morning.

10.10am – Ripon Farm Services keeping up appearances

It wouldn’t be the Great Yorkshire Show without Ripon Farm Services and the man in charge, Geoff Brown, who has been coming to the show for 60 years.

Here he is alongside a John Deere 8RX 370, which retails for a cool £560,000.

9.49am – First set of visitors flock to the show

The first set of visitors are inside the showground as the show kicks off.

At the moment, it’s mercifully cool at the showground. In fact there are currently a few spots of rain.

9.35am – Drivers ignore road closure signs

Some cars are ignoring these signs on Wetherby Road only to register displeasure when they are then told further down they have to turn left down Forest Lane.

SEP traffic management staff, which are handling the traffic for the event, handle events like the Grand National and the British Grand Prix at Silverstone so they’re used to dealing with drivers.

9.25am – Delays at Woodlands junction

There are delays at the notorious Woodlands junction. This is the current view heading along Hookstone Drive where traffic is barely at a crawl.

Meanwhile, pictured below is the scene on Wetherby Road heading into Harrogate.

8.55am – Long delays at Kestrel roundabout from Wetherby

There are now long delays at the Kestrel roundabout in all directions.

Traffic lights are operating and this is the current scene on the approach to the roundabout from Wetherby.

8.45am – Delays at Kestrel roundabout

There are delays of about half a mile approaching Kestrel roundabout on John Metcalf Way.

On Haggs Lane there are also some slight delays as traffic approaches John Metcalf Way.

8.27am – John Metcalf Way quiet

The junction of John Metcalf Way and Rudding Lane is currently quiet this morning.

Traffic appears to be running smoothly elsewhere ahead of the show.

8.15am – Traffic being managed on Rudding Lane

No significant delays at the entrance on Rudding Lane where stewards are helping to manage the flow.

8.01am – No major delays at Rudding Lane junction

There is currently no major delays at the junction of Wetherby Road and Rudding Lane where traffic onto town is being diverted.

7.55am – Sainsbury’s and fuel closed

A reminder that Sainsbury’s, including the fuel station, is closed during the show.

7.48am: Gates open to public at 8am

Exhibitors are starting to enter. We just saw a large group of American sheep breeders who have flown in mainly for this — a reminder of how big the event is.

7.31am – Road closure on Wetherby Road

Vehicles travelling from Harrogate to Wetherby on Wetherby Road are alerted at the Woodlands junction that the road ahead is closed.

Currently traffic is running smoothly in all directions at the Woodlands junction.

7.22am – Traffic flowing smoothly

This is the current scene on Wetherby Road approaching the Woodlands junction this morning. Traffic is flowing smoothly but traffic management is in place.

6.50am: Harrogate set for royal visit

Last year Prince Charles attended in glorious sunshine. This year his sister Princess Anne, who is 17th in line to the throne, will be visiting for the first time since 2018 (pictured below).

The Yorkshire Agricultural Society seems to have developed a hotline to the weather gods since the disastrous, flood-hit 2012 event, with perfect weather forecast yet again.

6am: Traffic arrangements

With all 140,000 tickets sold, traffic measures are in place this week to reduce congestion.

Wetherby Road and surrounding streets are set to be the most affected as traffic orders prioritise getting visitors to and from the showground with minimal queuing.

Signs are already in place down the A658 directing show traffic towards Harrogate.

On all four days of the show, traffic will be one-way from the Kestrel roundabout to the showground, from 6am to 2pm.

This will then reverse at 2pm to enable cars to leave the site towards the Kestrel roundabout.

A traffic order will be in place to prevent vehicles turning right from Wetherby Road onto Rudding Lane. The restriction does not apply to buses or to residents.

Drivers will also be prevented from travelling north across the A661 from Rudding Lane to Forest Lane.

You can read the full guide to transport and travel during the show here.

A Harrogate property developer is considering legal action over the town’s £10.9 million Station Gateway project.

Chris Bentley, who owns Hornbeam Park Developments, has concerns about the legality of North Yorkshire County Council’s consultation process.

In a letter from his lawyers, Mr Bentley threatened to take the local authority to a judicial review.

The letter, which was sent to the county council, Harrogate Borough Council and West Yorkshire Combined Authority, which all support the scheme, said that the second consultation “failed to include sufficient reasons for and information upon particular proposals to allow those consulted to give intelligent consideration and an intelligent response”.

In response, the council said that it did not accept that the second consultation was unlawful.

It argued that the council proposed to undertake further consultation on the Harrogate scheme.

In response, it said:

“A further consultation can address your client’s concerns, but also provide a pragmatic resolution and avoid the costs of formal litigation.”

Read more:

• What’s next for Harrogate’s £10.9m Station Gateway?
• Another consultation to take place on £10.9m Harrogate Station Gateway

Mr Bentley told the Stray Ferret that he felt the council had come up with “utopian ideas” and that the plan should be shelved.

He said:

“They just keep throwing the dice until they get the right answer. I think it should be shelved.

“There is so much other stuff that the town needs.”

He added that he would still pursue a judicial review because he felt the council’s decision making process is “flawed”.

Last month, the Stray Ferret asked the county council if there had been a legal challenge against the scheme.

Karl Battersby, Corporate director of business and environmental services at the council, said there had been “no formal legal challenge in response to issues raised regarding the consultation last autumn”.

The gateway scheme is set to undergo a third round of consultation this year.

In a report, county council officers said the consultation will be held alongside the publication of traffic orders required for the scheme.

It said:

“A further consultation will commence in July alongside the publication of the draft Traffic Regulation Orders required to implement the changed highway layout. Construction is targeted for an early 2023 start.”

The gateway project includes proposals such as the pedestrianisation of part of James Street and the reduction of a section of Station Parade to single lane traffic to encourage walking and cycling.

This story is sponsored by Truth Legal.

Whether it is for employment or family support, Truth Legal offers a range of support for Polish people in the Harrogate district.

Based and founded in Harrogate in 2012, the firm has been helping people with legal advice for more than 10 years and has prided itself on a “honest and ethical” ethos.

In that time, it has expanded by opening a branch in Leeds and, as a result, its client base.

But one of its unique services is how it focuses on communities which are hard to reach – one being Polish speaking clients.

In an effort to tackle this, it decided to employ Polish-speaking staff to help bridge the gap for Polish nationals and offer support to those who need to navigate UK law.

So Truth Legal hired two experienced legal professionals in family and employment law, Katarzyna Zatorski and Mirek Ksiezarek. For other types of law Truth Legal can put you in touch with an interpreter.

But it didn’t stop there. The company also set up a Polish website aimed at offering support for those who may need help navigating the UK law.

When asked why Polish nationals should choose Truth Legal for legal advice, Mirek said:

“We are a local, moral legal firm that understand the difficulties the Polish communities may face when having to navigate the English legal system and want to offer the best support available in the clients own language.”

The site and experience of having Polish legal staff also allows Truth Legal to offer cultural understanding, emotional support and clarity for clients.

Mirek added:

“We know it is important when you are facing a legal dilemma to talk through them in your own language. We are here to provide some comfort in a turbulent time.”

If you are a Polish national who needs legal support with personal injury, employment, family law or immigration claims, visit the Truth Legal Polish website. Alternatively, call Truth Legal on 01423 788538 or email enquiries@truthlegal.com.

Senior county councillors are set to launch a review into whether to set up a town council in Harrogate.

Harrogate Borough Council will no longer exist from April 1 when the new unitary authority, North Yorkshire Council, is created.

It will leave both Harrogate and Scarborough as the only areas of the county with no parish authority.

North Yorkshire County Council’s executive will be recommended next week to start a community governance review, which will consult on creating a lower tier authority.

Conservative leader of the council, Cllr Carl Les, has pledged to offer more powers to parish councils when the new North Yorkshire Council comes into force as part of a ‘double devolution’ policy.

Cllr Les said:

“Parish and town councils will play a key role in representing the views and promoting the needs of communities, so it is vital we look at offering people in Harrogate and Scarborough the opportunity to give their views on whether they want town or parish councils and, if so, what these might look like.

“At this stage, no proposals would be put forward. Residents would be invited to give their views on the formation of town councils and the reasons behind them. Depending on the response, there would be a further consultation in which people would be asked to comment on detailed proposals.”

Read more:

• Harrogate town council: What is it and what would it cost taxpayers?
• Decision on Harrogate town council could take two years

The review will include a consultation with residents in Harrogate to ask their views on creating a town council.

Senior county councillors will be recommended to approve the review at a meeting of the council’s executive on July 19.

What is a town council?

Town and parish councils run services such as community centres and play areas, as well as maintaining bus shelters. Councillors are elected to serve on them but they are not paid.

The councils can also charge a precept as part of council tax bills to fund the services provided, meaning there is a cost to the people they serve.

In the Harrogate district, there are town councils in areas such as Ripon, Knaresborough, Pateley Bridge and Kirby Hill.

Because Harrogate does not currently have a lower tier council, it also raises questions over what its boundaries would be.

Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones has been elected to the Conservative Party’s 1922 committee executive.

Mr Jones joins the 12 member executive, which announced its election results last night.

Sir Graham Brady remains chairman of the committee.

The committee is made up of backbench Conservative MPs and represents the views of the parliamentary party.

It is also influential in electing leaders of the party, including setting the rules for leadership contests.

The move to elect the executive comes as the party is in the middle of choosing a new leader after Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced he would step down in the autumn.

Eleven MPs, including former Chancellor Rishi Sunak, current Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi and Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, have so far announced they will stand for party leader.

Read More: 

• Harrogate district MPs yet to reveal who they want as Prime Minister
• Lib Dems on course to take Harrogate and Knaresborough, says YouGov
• Andrew Jones MP calls on Boris Johnson to resign

Mr Jones’ election to the executive comes as he has been openly critical of Mr Johnson in the last few months.

Ahead of the Mr Johnson’s resignation, he said he felt “we have come to the end of the road with this Prime Minister”.

He also voted against him in a confidence vote.

However, Mr Jones has yet to publicly announce his support for a candidate in the leadership election.

Business Breakfast is sponsored by Harrogate law firm Truth Legal.

A new therapy and coaching centre has opened in Harrogate.

The Harlow, which is based at Cardale Park, aims to help businesses, individuals and families through tough times with a team of therapists and coaches.

The centre was set up by Gordon Bethell, who is chairman of Leeds-based marketing agency CreativeRace.

Mr Bethell said he set up the centre after becoming interested in psychology during his career in marketing.

He said:

“For many years I kept my own personal journey discreet as I didn’t want clients and colleagues to know I needed support.

“My whole experience gave me profound insight about my past and how it informed my behaviours. I recognised that therapy can be daunting and confusing for many and there is a critical need for quality triage or assessment so that clients are matched with the best approach.”

The Harlow will be running a series of workshops over the next few months that are for both practitioners and clients.

Topics include parenting, transitioning from primary to secondary school and guiding adults through career choices. For more information, visit The Harlow website.

Harrogate town centre businesses support fundraiser

Businesses in Harrogate town centre have backed a marathon challenge aimed at raising money for children from Wharfedale, Nidderdale and beyond.

Simon Thomas, 62, who is a trustee of The Principle Trust Children’s Charity, will embark upon a mammoth 26-mile walk this Sunday (July 17).

Read more:

• Chamber meeting to focus on business support
• Ripon business gets Dragons’ Den star endorsement

The walk will begin at 7am at the war memorial on Parliament Street and go around the A61 around Harrogate town centre 13 times to clock up the marathon distance.

Thirty Harrogate town centre businesses have backed the challenge including Three’s A Crowd, Bambinos, Trotters Bar and Mountain Express.

Ahead of the challenge, Mr Thomas said:

“Over the last decade the trust has helped thousands of disadvantaged, disabled and poorly children to escape their everyday troubles and create valuable, happy memories. 

“The trust’s 100% donations policy ensures every penny raised directly benefits children and their families and we are indebted to all the Harrogate businesses who are supporting this fundraising challenge.”

To donate to the fundraiser, visit Mr Thomas’ page or visit one of the participating businesses.

A 15-year-old boy from Harrogate has pleaded guilty to stealing a car and carrying a knife on the Stray.

The boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, also admitted carrying bolt cutters on the Stray in connection with the theft of a car.

All three offences took place on January 20 this year.

The boy was charged with stealing the car from John Street in Harrogate. 

He also admitted being in breach of a conditional discharge order which was imposed for a criminal damage offence in August 2021.

He appeared before North Yorkshire Youth Court, which was held at Harrogate Justice Centre, on Friday to enter his plea.

The court remanded the teenager on conditional bail until July 19 for sentencing.

Read more:

• Police anti-social driving clampdown makes 10 arrests in Harrogate district
• Harrogate district woman found guilty of harassing neighbours

Formal consultation is set to begin on a proposed new 3,000-house settlement in the Harrogate district.

The settlement, which will be larger than the town of Boroughbridge, will be built in the Hammerton and Cattal area of the district, close to York.

Harrogate Borough Council said in a news release today it was “finalising its policies and proposals for the new settlement” following earlier stages of consultation.

Its executive will consider a development plan document, which will set out the boundary for the settlement and other details, on Wednesday next week before it goes out for formal consultation.

It added:

“The development of a new settlement is a key part of the district’s growth strategy providing much needed homes and jobs in a sustainable location along the York-Harrogate-Leeds railway line.”

Wetherby real estate developer Oakgate Group earmarked the area to be known as Maltkiln for 3,000 homes in 2017.

It submitted a screening application to assess whether it needed to conduct an environmental impact assessment before submitting a formal planning application.

Cllr Tim Myatt, Harrogate Borough Council’s cabinet member for planning, said today: 

“The development plan document sets a clear and ambitious 30-year vision for Maltkiln and provides a policy framework that will enable the planning authority to lead, guide and manage how it is developed.”

Read more:

• Green Hammerton gets final approval for 3,000-home settlement
• Flaxby fails to stop Green Hammerton development at High Court
• Harrogate council to commission climate change study for new 3,000-home settlement

As part of the plan, the council also commissioned consultants at a cost of £20,000 to produce a “comprehensive climate strategy” for the settlement.

The council said that Maltkiln would be planned in a way which would help to to meet net-zero carbon emissions by 2038.

It said this would mean reducing the need to travel, providing walking and cycling infrastructure and improvements to public transport as well as supporting the transition to low emission private cars.

Cllr Myatt added:

“Climate change is one of the biggest challenges facing us today and one that the council takes seriously which is why we have commissioned a climate change strategy to ensure Maltkiln will be a climate resilient place, fit for the 21^st Century.”

If councillors agree the plan next week, a consultation on the development plan will be held in the autumn. It would then be submitted to the secretary of state for examination.

The move to create a settlement in the Hammerton/Cattal area comes after a long running saga between Flaxby Park Ltd and the borough council.

The battle led to a High Court hearing over whether the homes should be built in Flaxby or Green Hammerton before it was finally settled in late 2020.

The week has started with roadworks in place in Harrogate and a number of traffic orders set to come into force ahead of the Great Yorkshire Show.

Here is your Stray Ferret traffic roundup.

Roads

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

According to North Yorkshire County Council’s roadworks map, a road closure will be in place on Bower Road from 7pm this evening until 6am tomorrow morning. This is to allow Yorkshire Water to install a washout hydrant to the water main.

Meanwhile, thousands of visitors are expected to flock to Harrogate for the start of the Great Yorkshire Show tomorrow.

The event will see a number of traffic orders in place which is set to cause disruption for motorists.

This includes one-way traffic on all four days from Kestrel roundabout to the showground and no right turn onto Forest Lane or Rudding Lane.

You can find out more on how to navigate the roads during the Great Yorkshire Show in our transport guide here.

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.

Read more:

• Great Yorkshire Show: road closure and transport guide
• Residents may ask council to reconsider Otley Road cycle path

The Great Yorkshire Show in Harrogate could cause disruption on the roads in the week ahead as visitors flock to the town.

All 140,000 tickets have been sold for the annual event, which starts on Tuesday and ends on Friday.

The sheer volume of traffic can cause problems at the beginning and end of each day, though significant improvements have been made to reduce the queues seen in the past.

Melisa Burnham, highways area manager for North Yorkshire County Council, said:

“We work closely with the Yorkshire Agricultural Society (YAS), its traffic management company and National Highways to agree a traffic management plan.

“We always ensure that roadworks on the main routes are kept to a minimum, with only emergency work permitted. Highways officers will monitor traffic on the routes and are available should they need to support the traffic management company.

“Whilst every effort is made to ensure that traffic flows efficiently, visitors to Harrogate should expect delays at peak times and plan their journeys accordingly.”

Whether you’re planning to visit the show or hoping to avoid any hold-ups as you travel elsewhere, here is all you need to know to keep you moving this week.

Road closures

Wetherby Road

Wetherby Road and surrounding streets are set to be the most affected as traffic orders prioritise getting visitors to and from the showground with minimal queuing..

Signs are already in place down the A658 directing show traffic towards Harrogate.

On all four days of the show, traffic will be one-way from the Kestrel roundabout to the showground, from 6am to 2pm.

This will then reverse at 2pm to enable cars to leave the site towards the Kestrel roundabout.

Forest Lane and Rudding Lane

A traffic order will be in place to prevent vehicles turning right from Wetherby Road onto Rudding Lane. The restriction does not apply to buses or to residents.

Drivers will also be prevented from travelling north across the A661 from Rudding Lane to Forest Lane.

Hookstone Drive and surroundings

Waiting will be prohibited along Hookstone Wood Road, Hookstone Oval and Woodlands Green, from 6am to 9pm on all four days.

Wayside Walk, Wayside Close, Innisfree Close, Wayside Avenue, St Leonards Road, Windsor Road, St Helen’s Road and Apley Close will have no waiting orders for the first 50m from the junction with Hookstone Drive.

Deighton Road and Spofforth Lane

A one-way order will be in place from the junction of West View in North Deighton to the junction of Ribston Road, just north of Spofforth.

It will bring traffic west towards Harrogate from 6am to 2pm each day before being reversed to take vehicles away from 2pm until 8pm.

Read more:

• Harrogate’s Great Yorkshire Show on course for 140,000 sell-out
• New mural to welcome visitors to Harrogate’s Great Yorkshire Show

Accessing the showground

People driving from east of Harrogate, including Knaresborough and villages towards York, are being asked to follow signs to bring them onto the A658 and the A661 one-way route.

Those travelling from Leeds and the south via the A61 will be directed onto the A658 and in towards the showground from the Kestrel roundabout.

The A661 from Wetherby through Spofforth is not designated an official route and people are asked to avoid using it. An alternative for those travelling from the south is to continue to follow the A61 into Harrogate, then turn right onto Hookstone Road and follow signs towards Hookstone Drive.

People travelling from the west, as well as Ripon, should follow signs for the B6161 from the A59 at the former Old Spring Well junction to the north-west of Harrogate.

From there, they will travel to Beckwithshaw before being directed onto the B6162 Otley Road towards Harrogate and signposted to car parks.

Alternative options

Bus and rail access to the showground is possible on all four days.

The Harrogate Bus Company runs a free shuttle bus from the town centre to the showground, departing every 20 minutes.

It travels between Harrogate Bus Station and the white gate at the northern end of the showground. The double-decker buses will have low floors and space for pushchairs.

Did you know that Transdev, @harrogatebus, operates a FREE shuttle bus service from Harrogate Bus Station (next to the Railway Station) to the Great Yorkshire Show. Daily from 7.30am until 6.30pm. Buses depart every 20 minutes from the town centre – https://t.co/5A7KgMCijK pic.twitter.com/cdqovCjPVZ

— Great Yorkshire Show (@greatyorkshow) July 8, 2022

The nearest railway station is Hornbeam Park, from where there will be a signposted walking route via the ‘showground greenway’ across the Crimple Valley.

Look out for up-to-date travel news during the show on the Stray Ferret.