Plan resubmitted to convert Sharow pub into house

Plans have been resubmitted to convert a former Sharow pub into a house.

Owner Mark Fitton has applied to Harrogate Borough Council to change the use of the Half Moon Inn into a four bedroom house.

A similar application was tabled by Mr Fitton in February 2021, but was later withdrawn.

The village pub and restaurant, on Sharow Lane, opened in 1822 but closed in 2016.

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.”

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The proposal to convert the pub into a home has long been opposed by Sharow Parish Council.

Speaking to the Stray Ferret previously, parish council clerk Nick Reed said many people in the village did not want to see the change of use granted.

The parish council set up a working group to link into the viability of using the pub for community use.

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

How the Harrogate district’s wards will change ahead of local election

When voters in the Harrogate district head to the polls on May 5, the wards they fall into will look very different.

Twenty-one of the 89 councillors elected to the new North Yorkshire Council will be from the district.

Currently, councillors elected to Harrogate Borough Council and North Yorkshire County Council represent 57 wards – 40 on the borough council and 17 on the county council.

So the new wards will be much bigger and there will be far fewer in total. Each one will average 6,194 residents to one representative.

The cull of councillors has led to allegations that the district will be under-represented on the new North Yorkshire Council

But ruling Conservatives on the current North Yorkshire County Council argue the new authority will be more efficient and that the new boundaries could be subject to change in five years time.

What are the new wards?

The Harrogate district will have 21 seats on the new council.

Of that number, 13 are in Harrogate and Knaresborough with the remaining eight covering Pateley Bridge, Masham and Ripon.

Harrogate itself will have nine wards, while Knaresborough will have two and Boroughbridge a single seat.

The changes to boundaries have seen seats such as Starbeck merged with Fairfax and Hookstone and Woodlands now joins the Stray to form a new ward.

Meanwhile, Bilton have two seats with Bilton and Nidd Gorge and Bilton Grange and New Park.

In Knaresborough, the town will be divided into Knaresborough East and Knaresborough West.

The full list of wards

Harrogate and Knaresborough ‘considerably underrepresented’

The proposal for the wards was signed off by the government as part of the Structural Changes Order in January.

However, Philip Broadbank, a Liberal Democrat councillor on both Harrogate Borough Council and North Yorkshire County Council, attempted to change the boundaries after criticising them as underrepresenting Harrogate and Knaresborough.

He said:

“In my view, it makes this largest urban area in the county considerably underrepresented on the new authority.”

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Cllr Broadbank submitted a fresh proposal, which would have reduced the average resident to councillor number from 6,194 to 5,329 – which is the number seen in other districts. However, this was rejected by the government.

However, Conservative Cllr John Weighell, who led the working group on the council boundaries, told Cllr Broadbank previously:

“I do accept underrepresentation, I always have, but I think this is absolutely the only way to maintain community identity.

“Of the 18 Harrogate and Knaresborough members currently in the borough council area, 16 are twin-hatted and that says everything really.

“Some people are saying ‘we can’t represent that number of residents’ – but they are doing it already.”

The new arrangements will stay in place until 2027 when the Boundary Commission will carry out a full review.

Across North Yorkshire, there would be 89 councillors serving the county’s 600,000 population.

This would be a higher proportion of representatives than the 99 that serve Leeds’ 800,000 residents, but a lower proportion than the 126 councillors who serve County Durham’s 425,000 population.

Harrogate Railway launches £10,000 fundraiser for new marquee

A fundraiser has been set up to help Harrogate Railway Athletic Football Club buy a new outdoor marquee.

The club in Starbeck has football and rugby teams.

Anne Mitchell, who set up the gofundme page, said the marquee was purchased during the covid pandemic for people to meet outside safely.

The marquee was used for birthday parties and other special occasions outside.

However, it was damaged during Storm Arwen in November and has since not been replaced.

The club aims to raise £10,000 to buy a new marquee to host events outside safely.

In a post on its Facebook page, Harrogate Railway said:

“During the covid pandemic, the club purchased a large marquee to provide an outdoor facility. It has been widely utilised during that time for local people to host a variety of events including  celebrations, group meetings, local events, social or family gatherings and much more. 

“Sadly during one of the storms this winter the marquee has been completely destroyed

“We want to be able to offer that same fantastic facility this year but we need your help to raise funds to purchase a new marquee.”

For more information on the fundraiser and to donate, visit the gofundme page here.

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Two PCSOs seriously injured after attack in Harrogate McDonald’s

Two police community support officers were left seriously injured following an attack in McDonald’s in Harrogate.

North Yorkshire Police is appealing for witnesses and mobile phone footage of the incident which took place at around 7pm on Friday evening on Cambridge Road.

Three girls, aged 13, 14 and 15-years-old, have been arrested in connection with the attack and remain in custody for questioning.

The officers attended the McDonald’s after reports that the girls had entered the restaurant despite being banned due to anti-social behaviour earlier in the evening.

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The group refused to leave when asked by officers and an altercation took place.

One of the PCSOs suffered a suspected broken nose and the other had tissue damage to the cheek. Both remain in hospital for treatment for their injuries.

Neighbourhood Delivery Inspector Phoebe Southall said:

“No one deserves to go to work and be assaulted, especially as they work to protect the public and keep our communities safe. It is not just ‘part of the job’ and we will investigate any incidents of violence towards our staff thoroughly.

“We would urge anyone who either witnessed the attack or has any information or mobile phone footage that may have captured something to please get in touch.”

Anyone with any information should contact police on 101 or investigationhubcounty@northyorkshire.police.uk and quote reference number 12220055279.

NSPCC concern over North Yorkshire police child protection report

The NSPCC has described a report detailing failings into child protection investigations at North Yorkshire Police as “concerning”.

The highly critical report published this week 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”.

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.

Now, the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children said the force should “act quickly” to address the recommendations in the report.

An NSPCC spokesperson said: 

“Protecting children must be of utmost priority for law enforcement agencies, and so it is concerning that HMICFRS found this was not the case for North Yorkshire Police.

“The inspection’s findings included an inconsistent approach by the force to the risk of those suspected of sexually exploiting children and officers not always understanding their primary role was to protect children.

“Putting children at the heart of these investigations is paramount, and it is promising that the force recognises it needs to do more to safeguard children and is committed to providing better outcomes for them. To do this, it is crucial that it acts quickly to implement the Inspectorates recommendations.”

Critical report

The report was particularly critical of the force’s approach to children considered to be at risk.

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.”

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Another criticism was that the force doesn’t share information with safeguarding partners early enough.

HMIC made a number of recommendations, which included:

Chief constable apology

Following the report’s publication, Lisa Winward, chief constable of North Yorkshire Police, apologised and said the force “fully accepted” the inspector’s findings.

She said:

“It is extremely disappointing that while the Inspectorate found examples of good practice during their inspection in November 2021, they also found a lack of consistency in our treatment of children across the cases that they examined. 

“We fully accept the findings of the Inspectorate and I offer my deepest apologies to any child that we have let down or could have protected more effectively. We haven’t always got it right and we know that is not good enough for the children of North Yorkshire. 

“We have been working at a pace to address the issues that were identified in the Inspectorate’s report. Our plan for improvement in our performance has already been submitted to the Inspectorate. We are tracking our plan and will publicly report on our progress.

“We welcome the recognition by the Inspectorate that our officers and staff, who manage child abuse investigations, are committed and dedicated despite working in difficult circumstances. 

“I can assure all our communities that we absolutely recognise that protecting children is one of the most important things that we do. We are working to ensure that we have the right systems and processes in place to support our officers and staff to protect and safeguard every child.”

Traffic and Travel Alert: North Park Road temporary lights to be in place until Monday

Motorists should expect delays on North Park Road in Harrogate as temporary traffic lights will be in place over the weekend.

The lights, which are in place at the junction with Harcourt Drive, have been put in place as telecommunications company CityFibre carries out work on the street.

It means drivers using North Park Road to get into and out of the town centre should expect delays.

The temporary lights will be in place until April 4, according to North Yorkshire County Council.

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.

Covid booster clinics to resume in Harrogate tomorrow

Spring booster vaccination clinics are set to begin at Harrogate’s Great Yorkshire Showground tomorrow.

The centre wound down operations in January following the winter booster campaign.

However, it will now resume clinics after the government announced further booster jabs for those aged 75 and over, care home residents and people with weakened immune systems.

Yorkshire Health Network, which is a federation of 17 GP practices in the Harrogate district, operates the site at the showground.

It will be open from 8.30am until 5.30pm tomorrow (April 1) and will also be accepting appointments for Sunday during the same opening hours.

The Sunday clinic is rearranged from the Saturday opening, which was previously advertised.

Tim Yarrow, operations manager at Yorkshire Health Network, said:

“Anyone who initially had appointments for Saturday needs to come either tomorrow or Sunday at the same time or re-book.”

The clinic will also accept anybody aged over 12 for first, second and booster doses.

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Appointments can be made through the NHS national booking system. Bookings are advised — those who turn up for walk-ins should expect queues.

Meanwhile, Homecare Pharmacy Services will continue to offer walk-in jabs at its site on Chain Lane in Knaresborough.

The Chain Lane Community Hub will be open from 8am until 5.30pm tomorrow and 9am until 4pm on Saturday, April 2.

Pateley Bridge Pharmacy has clinics tomorrow from 9am to 1pm and and on Thursday next week from 9am to 1pm.

Have covid rates peaked?

The move to resume clinics comes after covid infection rates rocketed this month. However, the rate has begun to decline.

Latest government figures show the seven-day average rate of infection in the Harrogate district is now 976 per 100,000 people. It was 1,000 on March 25 after starting the month at 342.

Meanwhile, latest figures show Harrogate District Hospital has 30 patients with covid.

NHS England statistics show 235 people who tested positive for covid have died since March 2020 at Harrogate hospital.

Police spot 222 driving offences in five hours in Harrogate

North Yorkshire Police identified more than 200 driving offences in Harrogate in five hours during a blitz to coincide with new mobile phone legislation.

The force revealed today it undertook the operation between 11am and 4pm on Friday, when the new laws come into force.

Officers from the police’s roads policing group and local neighbourhood policing teams targeted drivers in Harrogate.

Among the offences recorded were speeding and using a mobile phone while driving. It is not known how many resulted in further action.

Mark Hutchings, from the force’s road safety team, said the aim was to reduce deaths and make the roads safer. He added:

“Officers targeted drivers on Friday, the day when the new mobile phone legislation came into effect, in an effort to make sure motorists take note of these important changes and abide by the new law.

“We will continue to undertake targeted activity such as this across the county as part of Operation Boundary – North Yorkshire Police’s dedicated road safety and enforcement operation.

“We’ll be on the look-out for road users across the county who take risks – risks that can, and do, cost lives.”

Police guidance on the new legislation is available here.

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Harrogate council approves sale of Knaresborough flats

Four renovated flats on Knaresborough High Street are to be sold off by Harrogate Borough Council for almost £900,000.

Members of the council’s cabinet agreed to the sale at a meeting last night after the Grade II listed properties were unoccupied for several years before being bought by the council in 2019.

A renovation project also including two retail units has recently been completed and the properties are now on the market.

Cllr Graham Swift, deputy leader of the council, said the authority would not make a profit from the £879,900 leasehold sale and that he hoped more vacant properties in Knaresborough town centre would now be brought back into use.

He told last night’s meeting:

“These are a series of properties that have been neglected by the private equity owners for many years.

“The whole area had been dragged down and many residents were aware of this and very disappointed by the state of the high street.

“It is a listed and very complicated building, and has a number of interesting construction aspects which has made it challenging.

“People can now really sense the improvement of the high street and I’m pretty optimistic that we will see other people who own properties in the area join the bandwagon.”

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The flats are individually valued between £189,950 and £295,000.

The council will retain control over the freehold of the flats, as well as the freehold of the two retail units that were part of the refurbishment.

Cllr Swift, who is also cabinet member for resources, enterprise and economic development, added: 

“We have done a lot of work in Knaresborough over the last few years including just up the road at Conyngham Hall with an investment in the tech centre which has been extremely positive.

“And I think we can even do work on Knaresborough House in the future which may be something to keep our eyes on.”

Harrogate marketing agency secures United States clients

Harrogate marketing agency Big Bamboo has announced three new clients in the United States.

The clients, which are based in New York, Texas and Ohio, operate within the insurance, professional services and industrial packaging sectors.

Nicola Stamford, founding director of Big Bamboo Agency, said it was “a huge milestone for us”.

She said:

“We are thrilled to be working with these new businesses, all of which are leading players in their respective industries and have their own set of needs and marketing challenges.”

Events company helps raise £57,000 for Children’s Air Ambulance

Impulse Decisions staff helped to raise £57,000 for the Children's Air Ambulance.

Impulse Decisions staff helped to raise £57,000 for the Children’s Air Ambulance.

Harrogate events company Impulse Decisions has raised more than £57,000 for Children’s Air Ambulance.

Children’s Air Ambulance is a national service which transfers critically ill babies and children from one hospital to another for specialist care.

Impulse Decisions has worked with the charity before and hopes to double its funding this year.

Tom Hesketh, director of hospitality sales at Impulse Decisions, said:

“This has been a great partnership and shows the benefits of our silent auctions, and just how much money they can raise, at no cost to the charity.

“After the last two years it is even more important to continue to support charities like this and in total, we helped charities nationwide raise over £1 million last year.”

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