Man seriously injured after being hit by car in Harrogate

A man in his seventies was seriously injured yesterday after being hit by a car on Station Parade in Harrogate.

Police closed the road for several hours to investigate after the man was hit by a beige coloured Renault Scenic outside Waitrose.

He was taken to hospital, and police said today his injuries were serious but not life threatening.

North Yorkshire Police is now appealing for anyone who saw the incident to come forward with information.

A police statement said:

“At just before 9am yesterday, a beige coloured Renault Scenic collided with a pedestrian outside Waitrose on Station Parade in Harrogate. 

“Police and ambulance crews attended the scene and initially treated the pedestrian, a man in his seventies, before he was taken to hospital.

“Officers need to establish the circumstances surrounding the collision and are appealing to anyone who witnessed the collision or who stopped to assist to contact them. Information can be provided by calling 101, selecting option 2 and asking for TC 428 Bainbridge or by emailing emma.bainbridge@northyorkshire.police.uk.

Quote NYP reference 12210268520.

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Skipton Road traffic lights refurbishment to cost £143,000

A refurbishment of traffic lights on Harrogate’s Skipton Road is to cost taxpayers £143,000.

North Yorkshire County Council, which is the the highways authority, awarded a contract to Hampshire-based Dynniq UK Ltd to upgrade two junctions on the road.

According to the published contract, the works were valued at £143,288.55.

The county council had earmarked Kings Road and Bilton Lane junctions on Skipton Road for upgrades.

Highways bosses had planned to carry out work at the junctions back in 2020, but it was delayed due to the Nightingale Hospital set up at Harrogate Convention Centre.

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At the time, Melissa Burnham, highways area manager at the county council, said the work had to be put back as the “key route around the hospital” had to be protected.

Ms Burnham said the work included introducing a larger island at the Kings Road junction and installing new traffic lights at both junctions.

Meanwhile, Skipton Road, which is one of the busiest roads in Harrogate, is set to see further roadworks in the New Year.

Northern Gas Networks is set to set up temporary traffic lights at Knox Avenue, Bilton Grange Close and Skipton Crescent while it replaces metal pipes with plastic ones.

Harrogate district reports record 323 daily covid cases

The Harrogate district has had another record day for covid cases with 323 reported, according to the latest daily government figures.

The number is the highest recorded in the district since the UK Health Security Agency started reporting figures in March 2020.

Nationally, the UK has also reported a record number of infections. Figures show 129,471 cases have been recorded as the Omicron variant continues to surge.

The Harrogate district’s seven-day covid rate has also reached a record high and stands at 997 per 100,000 people.

Across the county, the rate stands at 879 and the England average is 1,217.

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Meanwhile, UK Health Security Agency figures show that a total of 100,290 booster and third vaccines have been given in the Harrogate district so far.

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

Latest available figures show 13 covid patients are being treated at Harrogate District Hospital – an increase from eight last week.

Major refurbishment of Harrogate Hydro set for approval

A major refurbishment of Harrogate’s Hydro swimming pool looks set to be approved.

Harrogate Borough Council officers have recommended that a plan to build a two-storey extension onto the ageing facility is given the go-ahead.

The Hydro was first opened in 1999 and replaced the old Coppice Valley pool.

The proposals were lodged by the authority and are due to go before a council planning committee next week.

The council is proposing to demolish the current ‘drum’ entrance and replace it with a larger structure that includes a bigger café and reception area on the ground floor and a new 400 square metres fitness suite on the first floor.

As part of its plans to overhaul leisure services, which were approved in June 2020, the council outlined a £13.5 million project to refurbish The Hydro.

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The proposal is backed by Sport England, which said an “improved and modern” facility would benefit the town.

It said:

“An improved and modern leisure facility in this sustainable location delivers a series of benefits, including increasing the opportunity for physical activity, increasing membership and usage and encouraging better interaction with the facilities and services on offer”.

Councillors on the borough council’s planning committee will make a decision on the refurbishment at a meeting on January 6.

Further projects at The Hydro

The move to refurbish The Hydro comes as other work is being done to upgrade the building.

In July, the council confirmed it is to buy a new diving platform to replace the damaged one that has kept divers out of the pool for eight months.

Meanwhile, the council has also given approval for 420 solar panels to be installed on the roof of the pool as part of a decarbonisation project.

The council successfully bid this year for funding from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy‘s public sector decarbonisation scheme, which helped to fund the panels.

A total of £1.8 million will be spent at The Hydro to install the solar panels, as well as replace gas boilers with air source heat pumps and put in place new energy monitoring and control systems.

The Hydro is now run by Brimhams Active, a new arm’s length leisure company set up by the council this year. It has taken over the running of 12 leisure facilities in Harrogate, Knaresborough, Ripon and Pateley Bridge.

No. 12: Harrogate Town — a year of history and milestones

In this article, which is part of a series on the 15 stories in the Harrogate district that shaped 2021, we look at another remarkable year for Simon Weaver’s men.

Harrogate Town spent 2021 making history and setting new milestones.

Covid restrictions had prevented Town fans from watching their team at Wembley in 2020 and gain promotion to the English Football League for the first time ever.

So when the season began in August, thousands flocked to Wetherby Road to see the next chapter in the fairytale.

FA Trophy winners

Fans, however, were denied a second trip to Wembley in May for the FA Trophy final against Concord Rangers.

The final had been delayed for a year due to covid and Town were favourites because they had gained promotion in the period since the match was due to be played.

Josh Falkingham scored the only goal as Town ran out 1-0 winners to life the silverware,

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As the saying goes, winning becomes a habit and such was the case under head coach Simon Weaver that the club tied him down to a long-term contract in July.

The contract would see Weaver’s time at the club extended to 15 years if seen out, a feat which cannot be said for many of modern football clubs. He is already the longest serving manager in English football.

The consistent progress the team has made under Weaver continued when the new season began.

A good start, which put the club among the play-off positions, climaxed with a 6-1 hammering of Scunthorpe United in October in front of a record home crowd of 3,180.

Harrogate’s league form subsequently fell away, but a strong second half could yet see them feature in the play-offs.

FA Cup heroics

But the club has compensated for some poor results in the league with a sensational FA Cup run, which has seen it book a place in the third round for the first time in its history.

A last minute winner against two-time winners Portsmouth at Fratton Park had fans dreaming of a Premier League side visiting Wetherby Road.

But it was not to be. Instead the club will try to write history once again by playing Luton Town for a place in the fourth round.

If 2022 is half as exciting, Harrogate fans can look forward to another 12 months of milestones.

No. 13: The swift downfall of crime commissioner Philip Allott

In this article, which is part of a series on the 15 stories in the Harrogate district that shaped 2021, we look at the resignation and subsequent fallout of former North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, Philip Allott.

The spotlight shone more intensely than ever in 2021 on one of the district’s lesser known political positions.

Elections for North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner are characterised by low turnout, with many voters questioning the value of the role.

The commissioner is paid £74,000 to hold the county’s chief constable and chief fire officer to account, and receives a budget of £1.1 million. But the level of scrutiny towards the role elevated dramatically this year.

It all started routinely enough when Knaresborough man Philip Allott was elected to succeed fellow Conservative Julia Mulligan in May.

Mr Allott made an energetic start, pledging action on issues such as pet theft and antisocial driving. But his downfall would be swift.

In an interview on BBC Radio York in September, he said Sarah Everard, who had been murdered by police officer Wayne Couzens, should not have “submitted” to arrest and that women “need to be streetwise” about arrest powers.

Keir Starmer calls for resignation

Hundreds of complaints were sent to the commissioner’s office, which found itself under more scrutiny than it ever had in its nine-year existence.

On a near daily basis, politicians lined up to condemn Mr Allott, with Labour leader Keir Starmer among those calling for his resignation.

Lucy Arnold, from campaign group Reclaim The Streets, said Mr Allott’s comments were “horrifically offensive”.

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Mr Allott apologised but resigned days later as the storm continued. The time span from his comments on-air to his stepping down was just 13 days.

Mr Allott acknowledged that his position was untenable because of the confidence he lost from both the public and by his fellow politicians.

Weeks later Zoe Metcalfe, a Conservative councillor on Harrogate Borough Council and of North Yorkshire County Council who lives at Aldborough, was elected as the new commissioner. Turnout was just 14%.

Harrogate council reveals drop in car parking income during covid

Harrogate Borough Council has revealed a significant drop in car parking income during the covid pandemic.

Recently published figures show the council made £1,412,579 this past year in Harrogate from off-street parking.

The figure is in stark contrast with the previous 12 months when the authority made £3,284,221

The borough council is responsible for setting charges for off-street parking. Included in the figures are income from pay and display parking and fines.

Council officials said previously that part of its drop in income during the pandemic was due to car parking.

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During the national lockdowns, the nation was instructed to stay at home and retail, leisure and hospitality were all forced to close.

It left fewer people needing to pay to park in the district.

A range of ‘lost revenues’

The loss in car parking income was among a range of areas which contributed to the council’s £10 million shortfall due to covid.

Cllr Graham Swift, cabinet member for resources, told the council during the first lockdown that car parking would be just one area of “lost revenues” for the authority.

He said:

“We are going to be impacted by a variety of lost revenues in car parks, pools and other things that generate money for us.”

The borough council has since benefited from a range of government grants aimed at supporting local authorities with deficits due to the covid pandemic.

Council taxpayers also saw a hike in their bills by £5 last year – something which looks set to happen again in 2022/23.

Harrogate district records record number of covid infections

The Harrogate district has reported a record 236 covid cases, according to the latest daily government figures.

The number is the highest recorded in the district since the UK Health Security Agency started reporting figures in March 2020.

Nationally, the UK has also reported a record number of infections. Figures show 122,186 cases have been recorded as the Omicron variant continues to surge.

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Meanwhile, UK Health Security Agency figures show that a total of 100,026 booster and third vaccines have been given in the Harrogate district so far.

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

Latest available figures show 13 covid patients are being treated at Harrogate District Hospital – an increase from eight last week.

Five weeks of gas works to start on Harrogate’s Skipton Road in New Year

Traffic lights will be in place at busy junctions on Skipton Road in Harrogate at the start of the New Year.

Northern Gas Networks will install temporary lights at the junctions with Knox Avenue, Bilton Grange Close and Skipton Crescent while it replaces metal pipes with plastic ones.

The company will begin the upgrade at January 4 at the junction with Knox Avenue. This will see three-way temporary traffic lights in place for two weeks.

From January 17, the lights will be moved to Bilton Grange Close where two-way lights will be placed at the junction of Skipton Road for a further week.

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For the final two weeks of the project, the two-way temporary traffic lights will be moved along Skipton Road, to the junction with Skipton Crescent.

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.

Scott Kitchingman, business operations lead for Northern Gas Networks, said:

 “We would like to apologise in advance for any inconvenience caused during these essential works.

“We greatly appreciated the patience that Harrogate customers showed us when we carried out work at Skipton Road earlier this year, and we’ll be doing our very best to minimise any disruption during this project at Knox Avenue and Bilton Grange Close.

“However, it is vital we complete the work in order to continue to maintain a safe and reliable gas supply to the residents of Harrogate.

“Northern Gas Networks is continuing to carry out its essential activities while following strict guidelines for safe distance working, where possible, and following good hygiene practices as we continue to live with coronavirus.

“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.”

North Yorkshire is week behind London’s covid surge, health official warns

North Yorkshire is a “week or so” behind London’s surge in covid infections and hospitalisations, a health official has warned.

Dr Victoria Turner, public health consultant at North Yorkshire County Council, told a meeting of the county’s Outbreak Management Advisory Board that the capital remained at the epicentre of the Omicron wave and there were still a “relatively small number” of cases in North Yorkshire.

But she added infections were likely to rise and that hospitalisations would follow as the true impact of the new variant is felt over the New Year.

She said:

“The level of hospitalisations we are seeing at the moment are predominantly reflecting where we were with the Delta variant a couple of weeks ago.

“But it is safe to say Omicron is going to be the dominant variant in North Yorkshire.”

The warning comes as early studies by researchers at the Imperial College London have found the Omicron variant may cause milder illness than Delta.

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Dr Turner said while the findings were encouraging, it was still early data and that the larger number of infections from Omicron meant a rise in hospitalisations – similar to what is being seen in London – should be expected.

She said:

“It is still not 100% certain how severe Omicron is compared to Delta and other previous variants.

“And there still remains the same lag time between becoming infected and hospitalised, so over the next week or two we are likely to see hospitalisations increase as the Omicron wave is reflected in the figures.

“There is then usually a week to two weeks lag between hospitalisations and deaths.”

13 covid patients in Harrogate hospital

Hospitalisations are the key figures which government ministers are now monitoring as they consider further restrictions to slow the spread of the virus and prevent the NHS from being overwhelmed.

Health Secretary Sajid Javid has said no further measures are needed at present as he also urged people to be cautious over Christmas.

The meeting of the North Yorkshire Outbreak Management Advisory Board heard there are currently 94 covid patients in the county’s hospitals, including 39 in South Tees, 26 in York, 16 in Scarborough and 13 in Harrogate.

Sue Peckitt, chief nurse at the NHS North Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group, described the situation as “fairly stable” but added health services were still feeling the strain from winter pressures.

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She also said a large number of the covid patients currently receiving treatment were over 65s and that most of those in intensive care were unvaccinated or had underlying health conditions.

She said:

“There are currently 94 inpatients across the North Yorkshire bed base, 10 of which are in intensive care.

“This is a fairly stable picture and we are preparing for any influx should we need to step up additional beds over Christmas and New Year.

“Omicron is coming into North Yorkshire and we anticipate that we may see more hospitalisations, but we are waiting to see what the trend is showing in other parts of the country.”

Fewer people at vaccine sites

Mrs Peckitt also said while the vaccination rollout was going “exceptionally well”, officials had noted a drop in attendance at vaccine sites in recent days.

She said this is thought to be due to patients concerned about feeling unwell with vaccine side effects over the festive period.

According to UK Health Security Agency figures, more than 370,060 people across North Yorkshire have now had their booster vaccine.

This represents around 64% of the county’s population.

Meanwhile, Selby has the highest weekly infection rate in the county with 716 cases per 100,000 people. This is followed by Harrogate at 643, Craven 617, Ryedale 594, Hambleton 545, Richmondshire 417 and Scarborough 352.