Calvin Robinson Chief Reporter, Author at The Stray Ferret

Ripon company supplies gritters for London’s roads

A Ripon company is set to supply gritters to keep London’s roads safe during winter.

For the next seven years, 33 Econ Engineering vehicles will be located at different points in London ready to mobilise when temperatures plummet.

Econ, which has its main manufacturing base in Ripon, has been negotiating with three companies that have been awarded contracts to keep the capital’s roads ice and snow free.

Ringways, Tarmac and Kier Joint Venture and FM Conway were all awarded contracts by Transport for London to maintain the capital’s roads.

All three companies have turned to Econ to purchase vehicles for winter maintenance.

Ringways has purchased 11 gritters, Tarmac and Kier joint Venture 13 and FM Conway has bought nine from Econ.

Jonathan Lupton, from Econ, said:

“We are delighted to have been chosen by all three TfL contractors as their winter maintenance vehicle partner of choice.

“This is a significant contract award for us and demonstrates our standing within the highways and transports sector.

“For more than 50 years, Econ has become an industry leader in the manufacturing of gritters, and our vehicles are used by councils, highways agencies, and road contractors the length and breadth of the UK.”

TfL said in a statement:

“For the next seven years the three contractors will be ensuring our roads are kept open whatever the weather conditions. And for their part, they have chosen Econ Engineering to supply them with the necessary vehicles to ensure they fulfil their contractual obligations.”

Roadworks bring morning ‘chaos’ to Killinghall

Temporary traffic lights in the centre of Killinghall brought “chaos” to the village’s roads this morning.

Northern Powergrid began work today excavating a trench to install cables beneath the pavement outside the Tesco Express, which is being built on Ripon Road in the centre of the village.

Three-way traffic lights have been installed at the junction with Otley Road and buses and lorries have been prevented from turning in and out of Otley Road from Ripon Road while work is carried out.

The area is always busy at peak times because it is the main route between Ripon and Harrogate. But this morning the works led to particularly heavy traffic and delays to the 36 bus run by Harrogate Bus Company.

The situation had calmed down by mid-morning but long delays at rush hour are expected for the next 10 days while work is carried out.

‘Avoid Killinghall at all costs’

One resident in Killinghall described the situation as “chaos” at rush hour.

They told the Stray Ferret:

“Bus stop outside new Tesco shut. Northern Powergrid have three-way traffic lights on junction and the other contractors are here doing the footpath work as well. Avoid Killinghall at all costs.”

Another resident, who was driving between Ripley and Harrogate, said the journey which would normally take a couple of minutes was now “taking more than half an hour” due to the temporary lights and traffic. They said traffic was particularly bad heading into Harrogate.

Traffic problems caused delays and cancellations to Harrogate Bus Company’s 36 service.

The company said its service would continue to run as normal, but passengers should expect delays at peak times due to the heavy traffic on Ripon Road.

A spokesperson for Harrogate Bus Company said:

“Planned work by Northern Powergrid is taking place in the Otley Road/Ripon Road area of Harrogate, from today. This means our service 24 between Harrogate and Pateley Bridge will be diverted in the Killinghall area, and will be unable to reach stops between Redfearn’s Garage and Grainbeck Lane. This diversion is expected to remain in place until Friday, February 4.

“Full details of alternative arrangements are being advertised to keep our customers informed, including on our Twitter feed ‘@harrogatebus’ and on our free to download Transdev Go mobile app.”

Northern Powergrid wrote to residents last week. It said:

“There will be a certain amount of disruption during the implementation of this work but every effort will be made to keep this to a minimum.”

Administrators reveal state of Harrogate firm CNG Energy’s finances

The state of CNG Energy’s finances has been revealed after its administrators published its first report into the company.

The Harrogate-based company, which had offices on Victoria Avenue, fell victim to spiralling wholesale gas and electricity prices and went out of business last year.

A report published by Interpath Advisory, the administrators appointed to take charge of the company, has revealed CNG owes £3.6 million to HMRC and other “secondary preferential creditors”.

Although the administration process is still in the early stages, the report says it expects to pay “a dividend” to those creditors.

The report says:

“Based on current estimates, we anticipate that secondary preferential creditors should receive a dividend.

“We have yet to determine the timing and quantum, but we will do so when we have completed the realisation of assets and the payment of associated costs.”

The company also owes more than £4 million to trade creditors and £6 million to consumer creditors.

London-based IT consultancy firm Gentrack UK Ltd is owed £450,759 and is among the highest creditors in the report.

Meanwhile, the company has also made all but 21 employees redundant. CNG employed around 145 staff in Harrogate.

Staff still working are currently assisting with the transition of customers over to new suppliers.

Company was operating on ‘thin margins’

Administrators also found that the company had been experiencing financial difficulty for some time due to “significant cash flow pressures primarily caused by sharp price increases in wholesale gas prices and the general volatility in the energy market”.

The company was already operating on “thin margins” prior to the covid pandemic and had taken out a secured loan of £35 million from Glencore, a multi-national oil and gas firm.

However, the failure of a number of key customers and spiralling wholesale costs left the company unable to finance itself. The report says:

“In the absence of the financial and operational support of CNG Wholesale and other group entities, the company did not have the financial resources required to operate as a standalone business or bear the £35 million loan that was due to Glencore.

“As a result, the directors and Glencore began to explore ways to facilitate an orderly exit from the market.”

County council faces using up to £11m of reserves to balance books

North Yorkshire County Council could dip into its reserves to balance its books in the next financial year.

Ahead of a budget meeting next week, senior county councillors have warned that the council may have to use up to £11 million of its reserves — despite hiking council tax rate.

The authority currently has £271 million in reserves, much of which is earmarked for capital projects and other costs, such as £31 million to fund the transition to the upcoming new unitary authority North Yorkshire Council.

Cllr Carl Les, leader of the county council, said the authority still faced risks over the ongoing impact of covid and social care.

He said:

“We are facing an unprecedented range of risks – the continuing impact of covid, harsh winters and climate change, the need for interventions to prop up social care, the escalating costs of transport for special educational needs students, to name but a few.

“These pressures are such that given the need to continue to deliver key services at a time of rising demand and the need to successfully transition to a new council, our final budget will require a higher degree of support from reserves than would otherwise be the case or is desirable.”

County councillors will meet next week to decide whether to support proposals for its budget for 2022/23.

Among the plans will be an increase in council tax. The county council has the power to hike its rate by as much as 4.5%.

Depending on the level of council tax set, the county council will have to use between £6 million and £11 million of its reserves.

The authority has also warned it will still face a black hole of at least £30 million in three years, even if it levies the maximum permitted council tax rise this year.

Cllr Gareth Dadd, deputy leader and executive member for finance, said:

“These continue to be turbulent times. We are responding to increased pressures that the pandemic has placed on our communities and the county’s economy.

“At the same time, long-term challenges grow, for example the massive pressures in social care. This means we face further tough choices as we budget for the future.”

Hampsthwaite doctors’ surgery conversion finally approved

A plan to convert Hampsthwaite’s former doctors’ surgery into a house has been approved at the second attempt.

Dr Bannatyne and Partners, which was based at Winksey Cottage, High Street, in the village, closed in March last year.

The surgery was part of Church Avenue Medical Group and shut down after practitioners felt the cottage was no longer a viable place for a medical practice.

Mozaffar Nami, a developer, lodged plans to convert the building into a house.

Harrogate Borough Council initially rejected the proposal in November on the grounds that the applicant had not demonstrated that the site had been empty for more than three months.

Now the developer has had plans approved after resubmitting proposals for the former surgery.

Mr Mari said in documents submitted to the council that the building had been previously used as a house before becoming a surgery and could be “readily converted back” into a home.

In depth: What is the economic case for Harrogate’s Station Gateway?

The saga over Harrogate’s Station Gateway took another turn this week when council officers revealed they were set to press ahead with the £10.9 million project.

North Yorkshire County Council, which is expected to vote to continue with the scheme on Tuesday, included an economic case for the scheme in documents sent to councillors ahead of Tuesday’s crunch vote.

The report says the initiative represents the “biggest investment in decades” in the town, will save shops from decline and make the town centre more attractive.

It was published without fanfare after the second round of consultation had finished, prompting business groups in Harrogate to criticise the county council for a lack of consultation. Business groups have long called for an economic impact assessment to be published.

The Stray Ferret has looked at the council’s economic case in detail to see why it is pressing ahead with the project.

Harrogate faces ‘economic challenges’

According to the county council’s economic case, the authority believes the gateway scheme will tackle “some of the economic challenges facing the Harrogate economy”.

The report cites a number of areas that need addressing, including job creation and access to education and skills.

Much of the 18-page paper centres around growing the Harrogate economy so it is “fit for the future”.

It argues that better access to the town centre will help to create jobs and increase the creation of businesses in Harrogate town centre.

The report cites an Office for National Statistics study which shows the number of new businesses set up in the town increased by 4% between 2014 and 2021 – below the Yorkshire and national average.

Graph of median annual earnings in Harrogate district compared with the national and regional average, as included in the report.

It goes on to say that residents in the district have higher than the average annual earnings, meaning there is a chance to “diversify” the town centre by encouraging more people into town.

Both of these areas could be tackled by improving access to the town centre and making it more attractive, council bosses say.

The report adds:

“Harrogate’s higher paid resident base suggests that there is potential to diversify the local economy, attracting high value, innovative businesses to invest in the town centre, opening up further employment opportunities in the town.”

The number of retail units in Harrogate town centre, as cited in the gateway report.

The report also warns that the town’s retail sector is at risk of decline.

It points to Harrogate Borough Council figures showing a reduction of 12% in retail units in the town centre in the last seven years.

It adds that the town needs to “diversify” in order to adapt to consumer behaviour – something which council bosses believe the gateway can address.

The report says:

“Evidence suggests that the town centre retail sector is at risk of decline in the medium term.

“Consumer behaviours and expectations are evolving and towns must diversify and advance to maintain health and vibrant visitor economies. the scheme is seeking to do just this.”

But, while the report addresses some of the town centre challenges, its critics say it offers nothing on how proposals in the gateway scheme will effect trade.

Businesses ‘not listened to’

While the county council has made efforts to push its economic case through an 18-page report and press releases to the media, it has not convinced local business groups.

In a joint letter to the county council leader, Cllr Carl Les, co-signed by Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce, Harrogate BID and Independent Harrogate, the groups argue that the report fails to address any of the concerns of businesses.

The letter says the study is not dated and fails to take into account the impacts of covid on businesses. It goes onto say that next week’s vote on the scheme should be delayed until traders have had chance to scrutinise and comment on the report.

It says:

“Because of this lack of opportunity to comment on the economic impact study, we are now asking that the vote on the Project is postponed until your next executive meeting, allowing us, and others, time to digest its contents.

“However, having had a cursory glance through it, it appears the authors have looked to cities for case studies and not towns comparable to Harrogate. Also, they give examples from as along ago as 2007. The world has moved on a lot since then.

“It fails to take into account the impact of covid, out-of-town shopping centres with acres of free parking, and online shopping. And again, we say what of those residents living in our surrounding villages whose only way of getting around is via their car, or the tens-of-thousands of visitors who live outside the district?”

How James Street will look.

It also questions whether any impact of delivering the scheme on local businesses has been taken into account.

“It also appears the work to deliver this project could now creep into 2024. We were told it would take a year.

“Judging by the delays to ‘phase one of the Otley Road cycling path’, we have no confidence in your timescale. Does the economic impact study take into account the disruption delivering this Project will have on businesses already on their knees through to the ongoing impact of covid?”

What happens now?

Senior councillors have been recommended to approve the gateway project to be taken to the detailed design stage.

Councillors will make a decision at a meeting on Tuesday. The move would mean that work on the project could start in spring or summer.

Harrogate district reports 244 covid cases

The Harrogate district has reported another 244 cases in to today’s UK Health Security Agency figures.

Latest government figures show that the district’s seven-day covid average has dropped to 1,060 per 100,000 people, down marginally on yesterday’s figure of 1,061.

However, it is above the county average, which is 970, and the England rate of 977.

No further deaths from patients who tested positive for covid have been reported at Harrogate District Hospital, according to NHS England.

The number of positive covid patients currently being treated at the hospital stands at 20.

According to government figures, 106,292 booster or third jabs have been given in the Harrogate district, as of today.

Harrogate business groups call for Station Gateway vote to be delayed

Business groups in Harrogate have called for a vote on the town’s Station Gateway to be delayed after an economic case for the project was published just days before the key vote takes place.

In a letter to Cllr Carl Les, leader of North Yorkshire County Council, Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce, Harrogate Business Improvement District and Independent Harrogate said there was a “lack of opportunity” to comment on the paper.

The report, which is due before the county council’s executive next week, argues that the gateway will tackle “some of the economic challenges facing the Harrogate economy”.

The 18-page report goes on to cite various case studies and figures from the Office for National Statistics to support its case.

However, the three business groups said they have had no opportunity to comment on the paper and called for a vote on the scheme to be delayed until they have had chance to scrutinise it.

They also criticise the council for releasing the report just a week before the vote on the project.

The letter says:

“Because of this lack of opportunity to comment on the economic impact study, we are now asking that the vote on the project is postponed until your next executive meeting, allowing us, and others, time to digest its contents.

“However, having had a cursory glance through it, it appears the authors have looked to cities for case studies and not towns comparable to Harrogate. Also, they give examples from as along ago as 2007. The world has moved on a lot since then.

“It fails to take into account the impact of covid, out-of-town shopping centres with acres of free parking, and online shopping. And again, we say what of those residents living in our surrounding villages whose only way of getting around is via their car, or the tens-of-thousands of visitors who live outside the district?”

Some of the proposed changes to Station Parade.

The letter also questions whether the study takes into account the effect of construction of the project on businesses who are “already on their knees through to the ongoing impact of covid”.

The letter comes at the same business groups accused the county council of ignoring their views and the opinions of residents during the Station Gateway consultation.

The Stray Ferret revealed this week that the county council is set to give the £10.9m project the green light at a meeting on Tuesday next week — even though the latest consultation revealed the majority of respondents feel negatively towards the scheme.

Earlier this week, Cllr Don Mackenzie, executive county councillor for access, described the scheme as the biggest investment in Harrogate “in decades”.

He said:

“These proposals represent the biggest investment in Harrogate, Selby and Skipton town centres in decades.

“We want to encourage more people to travel by foot, bike and public transport because it is good for health and the environment by promoting fitness and reducing congestion.

“The spending will also provide a welcome boost for our town centres after two difficult years of trading during the pandemic.

“We have listened to feedback from the public consultations and are confident people will be pleased with the results.”

Missing teen sighted at Harrogate train station this morning

Police are searching for a missing teenager who may be in the Harrogate area.

Benjamin Robert Leach, 16, has been reported missing after leaving a property in Selby on Wednesday, January 19.

Officers carried out enquiries and believe he is in the Harrogate area after a sighting at Harrogate train station in the early hours of this morning.

A North Yorkshire Police statement added:

“Benjamin is described as 5ft 5in tall, with short dark brown hair and brown eyes.

“Any immediate sightings should be reported to North Yorkshire Police via 999 quoting reference 12220010596. Any information which would assist officers to locate Benjamin should be reported via 101 quoting the same reference number.”

Improved Harrogate to London train service delayed

Concerns over infrastructure and rolling stock have delayed the introduction of improved direct train services between Harrogate and London.

A new timetable, with an earlier direct service to London King’s Cross, was due to be implemented in May 2022.

The shake-up was announced by LNER in June last year as part of wider changes to services on the east coast main line.

LNER said times between Harrogate and London would be about 10 minutes faster as part of the new timetable, which included:

A service to leave Harrogate earlier, at 6.35am rather than 7.34am.
A new seventh daily train would leave Harrogate at 6.35pm. On the current schedule, the last train departs at 5.36pm.

In the opposite direction, from London direct to Harrogate:

Trains would start almost an hour earlier (6.40am rather than 7.33am).
The final service back would also be earlier, at 4.39pm rather than 5.33pm.

However, the improved services will now not be introduced after Network Rail recommended that the Department for Transport, which has the final decision on the timetable, delays the implementation.

The organisation said it had “concerns around infrastructure, rolling stock and performance and stakeholder feedback” with the changes.

Simon Leyshon, industry programme director for Network Rail’s east coast route, said it hoped to implement the changes as soon as possible.

He said:

“Postponing the new timetable change for the east coast main line allows us to dedicate more time to considering the views passengers and stakeholders shared with us during the consultation process last year.

“We’re now working closely with train operating companies and the wider rail industry to develop a timetable that meets passenger’s changing travel patterns and makes the most of the increased capacity on the East Coast main line following the £1.2 billion East Coast upgrade.”

Network Rail also pointed out that Harrogate had already seen an additional Northern service introduced on the Leeds to York line in December 2021.

Read more:

‘Avoid Killinghall at all costs’

Read more:

Read more:

Company was operating on ‘thin margins’

Read more:

Read more:

Harrogate faces ‘economic challenges’

Businesses ‘not listened to’

Read more:

What happens now?

Read more:

Read more:

Read more:

Read more: