Unison Harrogate canvasses election candidates over ‘shameful’ council pay

Unison in Harrogate is to write to next month’s local election candidates to find out their stance on local government pay.

Davie Houlgate, secretary of the Harrogate local government branch, said the union was looking to lodge a pay claim for the 2022/23 financial year.

The move comes after Unison’s attempt to call a strike in January over a 1.75% pay offer in the previous year failed because not enough members turned out to vote.

The trade union had branded the pay offer ‘derisory’.

The offer followed a national consultation by the Local Government Association, which is the national membership body for local authorities, over a pay increase.

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Mr Houlgate said the union was now considering another pay claim because the cost of living crisis is “squeezing” workers’ pay packets.

He added that officials will be writing to candidates ahead of the election in North Yorkshire on May 5 to find out their stance on the issue.

Mr Houlgate said:

“Local government pay must be increased to match the cost of living squeeze our members are now experiencing on the back of year-on-year below inflation pay increases.

“Without a decent above-inflation pay rise to help workers meet soaring costs, vital council services will struggle to hang on to skilled staff which could put some services at risk. Indeed this is already happening.

“Council workers need an above inflation pay rise, simply to try to catch-up with what they have lost in real terms over the past decade – a 25% pay cut. But it is more imperative than ever as a result of the cost-of living crisis we are now in.

“The situation is unsustainable and cannot go on.”

He added:

“We need to know if candidates have any idea of the enormity of the problems faced by council staff.  

“It’s shameful that people that make our towns and villages so attractive or do high skilled, essential and much-valued jobs on which everyone depends, don’t get paid enough to meet their basic costs.”

Police warning after Land Rover thefts in Harrogate

Police have issued a warning to car owners after criminals have been targeting Land Rovers in Harrogate.

North Yorkshire Police has reported that 14 Land Rover Defenders have been stolen in the county in the last two weeks.

Officers said since the start of the year Harrogate, Richmondshire and Hambleton have seen a high number of thefts.

Seven of the stolen vehicles were taken from driveways of residential properties. Six of the thefts occurred overnight.

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Police have urged drivers to put in place extra security on their Land Rovers, such as tracking devices.

A North Yorkshire Police statement added:

“We know the loss of a Land Rover can have a major impact on daily life – on farms and other rural businesses in particular – so it’s important to put in place extra security measures to protect them.

“Trackers are invaluable, and can make all the difference in recovering your stolen vehicle and identifying suspects.

“Meanwhile, our officers will be proactively stopping and checking Land Rovers, and using ANPR technology to identify suspicious vehicles, to make life as difficult as possible for thieves.”

Traffic and Travel Alert: Northern Gas Networks to start work in Knaresborough today

Drivers in Knaresborough should expect delays as Northern Gas Networks begins work on York Road today.

The company is carrying out work to replace ageing pipework on the street.

Temporary traffic lights will be in place on at the junction with Wetherby Road for the duration of the roadworks.

Engineers will be carrying out the improvements, which are in collaboration with North Yorkshire County Council, for the next two weeks.

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. 

“However, it is vital we complete them in order to continue to maintain a safe and reliable gas supply to our customers in Knaresborough.”

The Stray Ferret has changed the way it offers Traffic and Travel alerts.

We will now notify you instantly through app notifications and flash tweets when there is an urgent alert. This could include heavy traffic, dangerous weather and long delays or cancellations of public transport.

The alerts are sponsored by The HACS Group.

Candidates revealed for Harrogate council by-election

Three candidates have been revealed for a by-election on Harrogate Borough Council.

Green Party’s Hannah Katherine Gargett Corlett, Conservative Sam Green and Liberal Democrat Chris Knight will compete for the Wathvale ward seat, which is vacant following the resignation of Conservative councillor Bernard Bateman.

Voting will take place on Thursday, May 5 – the same day as elections to the new North Yorkshire Council.

The successful candidate will sit on Harrogate Borough Council for just under a year before the authority is scrapped and replaced by the new North Yorkshire Council in April 2023.

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As well as competing in the borough council by-election, the Green Party’s Hannah Corlett and Liberal Democrat Chris Knight are also standing for the Wathvale and Bishop Monkton division on the new council.

They were named in a list of 77 candidates competing for 21 seats which will represent the Harrogate district on the new council.

The Conservatives, Liberal Democrats, Labour Party, Green Party and Yorkshire Party have all fielded candidates for the election. There are also 10 independents in the mix.

The deadline to register to vote for both elections is April 14 – and those who are already on the electoral register should have received a polling card or letter during the last two weeks in March.

Polling stations will open from 7am to 10pm on election day.

Those who are unable to vote in person can apply to vote by post or proxy.

Baroness enters battle for Masham at next month’s election

The owner of Swinton Estate in Masham has thrown her hat into the ring to be one of 90 councillors elected to North Yorkshire Council.

Felicity Cunliffe-Lister, whose formal title is Baroness Masham, has put herself forward as an independent candidate when voters head to the polls on May 5.

She will stand in the Masham and Fountains division against Conservative Margaret Atkinson, who has held the division for nine years, and Liberal Democrat Judith Hooper.

All three candidates have spoken to the Stray Ferret this week.

Conservative: ‘My priorities are the community and the countryside’

Conservative Margaret Atkinson has represented Masham and Fountains on North Yorkshire County Council for nine years and Fountains and Ripley on Harrogate Borough Council for 20 years.

Ms Atkinson, who lives in Kirkby Malzeard, said abolishing the two councils for the new unitary authority was a “brilliant idea” because it would devolve more power and funding directly to local communities.

 

 

She said her priorities would remain the same:

“My priorities have always been the community and the countryside. They are two huge issues for this rural area.”

Ms Atkinson, who lives on a farm, said she was concerned about the closure of rural schools and the impact of high house prices on young people, as well as by the ageing population and the state of roads.

She said she had been “fighting for these things” constantly and the lack of progress in some areas was down to “shortage of money” from national government. She felt the devolution agenda would make it easier for the new council to take decisive action.

Asked what set her apart from her rivals, she said it was her long-term commitment to local causes and her deep roots in the community:

“I have always lived in this area. I went to school in this area and did my children and grandchildren.”

Independent: ‘I feel like I’ve got a lot to give’

Felicity Cunliffe-Lister has owned the Swinton estate with her husband Mark since 2000 and the couple have spent the past two decades building up the business.

But she says the time is right to do something different and to help others in the rural community.

 

 

 

She said:

“I have been running a business now for over 20 years with around 150 members of staff.

“I feel like I have got quite a lot to give and have some great experience.”

Ms Cunliffe-Lister said retaining young people in rural areas and improving standards of services elderly residents were key issues for the new council.

“I feel that we have to do everything we can to improve young people’s opportunities.

“I want young people in this area to feel engaged in their rural communities. I do think there is a lot to be said to draw in all the resources that we have. Businesses for example, they are a great resource.”

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She described loneliness, particularly among older people in rural areas like Masham, as a “simple but profound issue”.

A lawyer from Devon, Ms Cunliffe-Lister has been a governor at Masham Primary School for four years, a trustee at Masham Almshouses, a charity that provides housing for those in need, and has also served on charity boards in Ripon and the north east.

Her goals, if elected, include improving “faith in the system” and finding something tangible from the government’s “levelling up” agenda. She said:

“I would like to feel that if I was elected there would be a level of engagement that they [the residents] do not feel is there at the moment.”

Ms Cunliffe-Lister also highlighted more immediate issues, such as fixing potholes.

Despite being new to the political arena and heading into a campaign without a team, she said she felt ready to “get out there”.

Liberal Democrat: “passionate about openness and community”

Liberal Democrat candidate Judith Hooper and her husband have a smallholding of 11 acres that they are rewilding.

She worked closely with councillors during her career as a GP and director of public health in Kirklees. Most recently she helped at covid vaccination centres

Her priorities are engaging with communities to understand their issues and addressing inequalities.

 

 

“I am appalled by the lack of contact with local councillors since moving into the area eight years ago.”

Her priorities are: holding regular public meetings rather than “taking votes for granted”, getting fair planning decisions and “tackling the climate crisis and thus fuel issues and increasing fuel poverty”.

She added she wanted to see more opportunities for activities for young people and to see what could be done to address the playground flooding in Masham.

“Probably above all, I am a Lib Dem because I’m passionate about openness, communities working with local people and the environment

“Our house is moving towards being carbon neutral by ground source heating and having planted nearly 4,000 trees and shrubs ,which help to offset some of our carbon emissions.”

Full list of candidates

Voters will head to the polls on May 5 to elect councillors to the new North Yorkshire Council, which will replace both North Yorkshire County Council and Harrogate Borough Council.

The Labour Party, Liberal Democrats, Conservatives, Green Party and independents have all fielded candidates ahead of polling day.

You can read the full list of candidates here.

Unfair to move Skipton Magistrate cases to Harrogate, says solicitor

Harrogate Magistrates Court has been left as “piggy in the middle” as more cases are being transferred from Skipton, says a solicitor.

Keith Blackwell, of Blackwell Solicitors in Keighley, said that the magistrates in Skipton is being “bled dry” due to fewer hearings being held.

The Skipton court used to sit three times a week, but now cases, such as youth hearings, are being sent to Harrogate or York.

Mr Blackwell, who often travels to Harrogate for cases twice a week, said important hearing such as pre-sentence reports and trials were also being held in Harrogate over Skipton.

He said the frequency of cases being moved is unfair on those defendants and their families who are poor and have to travel long distances.

Mr Blackwell, who has been practising as solicitor since 1975, said:

“It is just not fair.

“The people who make these decisions are all driving in limousines. We are supposed to be levelling up.

“Harrogate has been left as piggy in the middle in all this.”

After being threatened with closure in 2001 and 2010, Skipton Magistrates’ Court has not had any scheduled trial time since a review earlier in the pandemic – with not guilty cases reportedly being sent to Harrogate, York and as far as Scarborough.

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Back in 2010, the axe fell on nine of Yorkshire’s courthouses, but Skipton Magistrates’ Court was spared after a campaign backed by Skipton and Ripon MP Julian Smith and the local branch of the Magistrates Association.

The closures were part of national plans to shut 103 magistrates and 54 county courts across the country in a move which was estimated to save almost £37 million in maintenance and running costs.

In a statement, the HM Courts & Tribunals Service said the recent changes at Skipton Magistrates’ Court were introduced to ensure cases could be heard “safely and with minimum delay” during the pandemic.

It said no decision has been taken to permanently remove criminal trials from Skipton and that “special arrangements” can be made to hear trials locally.

A spokesperson for the HM Courts & Tribunals Service said:

“While listing is a judicial function, the pandemic forced some cases to be moved to ensure cases could be heard safely and with minimum delay.

“Skipton Law Courts continue to hear civil and family cases and special arrangements can be made to hear cases locally.

“Although there is presently no scheduled trial time in Skipton, in individual cases travel distance can be considered when the case is listed and special arrangements can be made to hear cases locally.”

Council orders Harrogate Leon developer to remove advertising sign

The developer behind a Leon drive-thru in Harrogate has been ordered to take down an eight-metre advertising sign after it was put up without permission.

Pictures from the Wetherby Road site show a sign advertising a Leon restaurant being erected yesterday.

The developer has applied for the installation of 15 advertising boards, which include drive-thru directions, menus and a height restrictor bar.

However, Harrogate Borough Council has yet to approve the advertisements.

Joe Shields, a resident who lives directly opposite the drive-thru, saw the pole being put in place by contractors at around 8am in the morning. He alerted planning officers to the situation.

Speaking to the Stray Ferret, Mr Shields said he was disappointed that the developer had erected the sign without permission.

Mr Shields said:

“There are changes at the site on a daily basis.

“My impression is that they will just continue wacking this [the Leon] up.”

The current construction site at the Leon on Wetherby Road.

The current construction site at the Leon on Wetherby Road.

A spokesperson for Harrogate Borough Council confirmed that a planning officer attended the Wetherby Road site to order that the advertisement be taken down.

The spokesperson added:

“We have also received an application for advertising at the site. Any works undertaken before the application is at the applicant’s own risk.”

The Stray Ferret asked Euro Garages for a response on the advertisement, but it declined to comment.

£25,000 appeal costs

The move comes as the borough council has agreed to pay Euro Garages £25,000 in appeal costs over the development.

Last year, Helen Hockenhull, a government planning inspector, granted permission for a Starbucks drive-thru on the former Dental surgery site.

It has since emerged that the site will become a Leon drive-thru instead.

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Ms Hockenhull awarded costs against the council after she said it “demonstrated unreasonable behaviour”.

The council turned down the development back in 2019 on air quality and highways grounds, but later withdrew its objection.

The move forced residents fighting the proposal to defend the authority’s reasons for refusal at the hearing.

Police took child protection report ‘personally’, says deputy chief constable

North Yorkshire Police’s deputy chief constable has said officers took personally a critical report into the force’s investigation of child protection cases.

Last week, a report by Her Majesty’s Inspector of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services found that the force does not prioritise safeguarding and child protection highly enough.

It said standards of investigation in relation to child protection were poor and arrangements were not “consistently providing either the quality of service or a good enough response”.

Mabs Hussain, deputy chief constable of the force, told a Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner public accountability meeting today that police fully accepted the findings and were keen to improve.

When asked by commissioner Zoe Metcalfe how the criticism in the report impacted on officers, Mr Hussain said:

“Firstly, there was a clear disappointment across the organisation when we received the report. Not because HMIC said what they said about us as a force, but because they have highlighted areas for improvement and flagged areas of concern.

“Nobody who comes to work for North Yorkshire Police comes to work to do a bad job. We have got loads of great people in the organisation.

“We take it personally the fact that we may be letting children down. It’s always quite emotional to our staff and I think it is fair to say when the report first landed there was a huge amount of disappointment that we let children down.”

Mr Hussain added that senior leaders and frontline officers “wanted to know what they could do to make things better”.

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Meanwhile, Ms Metcalfe said she had been assured that issues identified in the report are being addressed.

She told the meeting:

“It is important to note that the report does say that there is evidence that improvements were underway in November 2021 when the inspection took place and I have been assured by the chief constable that these are being continued at pace and that many of the issues identified are being addressed.”

Lisa Winward, chief constable at the police, reiterated her apology to those that felt let down by the findings in the report.

Critical report

The report said in some cases “highly vulnerable” children went missing from children’s homes, but officers would record those incidents as “cause for concern” rather than missing — which meant officers did not look for them.

Inspectors, who conducted the assessment from November 1 to 12 last year, examined 73 cases where children had been at risk. The report said:

“We assessed the force’s child protection practice as good in 13 cases, requiring improvement in 34 cases, and as inadequate in 26 cases. This shows the force needs to do more to give a consistently good service for all children.”

HMIC made a number of recommendations to the force, which included:

Sharow Parish Council continues village pub fight

Residents in Sharow are continuing their fight to keep a former pub in the village for community use.

The Half Moon Inn pub on Sharow Lane was opened in 1822 but closed down back in 2016.

Since then, a long running saga has unfolded over how best to put the building to use.

A working group on the local parish council was set up to look into the viability of the pub for community use.

Alison Da Costa, who is part of the group, said a recent survey by the parish council found that a majority of people from around Sharow, Copt Hewick, Littlethorpe, Marton-le-Moor and Hutton Conyers wanted the former pub to be put to community use.

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The group said the survey received 234 responses via online and the post. Of that number, 95% said they wanted the pub to open with a cafe and shop.

The move comes after Mark Futon, owner of the building, has reapplied to Harrogate Borough Council to change the use of the Half Moon Inn into a four bedroom house.

In documents submitted to the council, Mr Fitton said “all avenues” had been explored to reopen the pub but had proved unviable.

In a planing statement, the developer said:

“It could hardly be clearer that there is no reasonable prospect of the Half Moon Inn re-opening as a viable hospitality venue.

“All avenues for such an opportunity have been fully explored, over an extended period of time, by agents with strong commercial credentials, unrivalled local coverage and a national licenced-premises specialism.”

However, proposals to convert the pub have been long opposed by the parish council.

Harrogate Borough Council will make a decision on the latest plan at a later date.

180 homes in North Yorkshire ready to welcome Ukrainian refugees

Ukrainians who have fled war in their homeland have started to arrive in North Yorkshire, where around 180 households will welcome the refugees into their homes.

Council officials said the first refugees will be housed “very shortly” under the Homes for Ukraine scheme, which allows residents to sponsor a Ukrainian.

Those who have signed up as hosts will have their homes checked by local councils to ensure they are suitable.

A spokesperson for Harrogate Borough Council said the process also includes background checks on sponsors and arranging education for refugee children.

The spokesperson said: 

“In partnership with our colleagues at North Yorkshire Council County, North Yorkshire Police and the other district councils across North Yorkshire, we are working together to do whatever is necessary to help Ukrainians fleeing the ongoing devastation.

“Early data indicates around 180 households across the county have signed-up and are likely to receive guests, some very shortly.”

The government-led scheme has been criticised for not working quickly enough to grant visas to Ukrainians fleeing the Russian invasion.

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There are also concerns that councils have not been provided all the information they need to run the programme.

Craven District Council has signed up to the scheme and said it was awaiting guidance on when the home checks should take place and how they will work.

It also said it was awaiting more information on how payments will be made to hosts.

Paul Ellis, director of services at Craven District Council, said: 

“Our officers are taking the necessary steps to support our Ukrainian friends escaping the violence in their homeland.

“The government is providing funding of £10,500 per person to councils to enable them to provide support to families.

“This will be reimbursed for paying sponsors £350 per month, tax-free, for up to 12 months. Again, we are awaiting further government guidance on this.”

Unlike other refugee schemes, the government is assuming that all local authorities will participate, rather than inviting them to take part.

As well as individual households – charities, community groups and businesses can also apply to bring Ukrainians to safety, including those with no family ties to the UK.

In the first phase of the scheme, people will need the name of a specific Ukrainian individual or family they wish to sponsor.

The government advises them to “get in contact with them directly, and prepare to fill in a visa application with all their details and yours”.

Those who don’t personally know anyone fleeing Ukraine can still register their interest on the government’s website.