Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s Budget has received a lukewarm reception from Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce.

Chief executive David Simister said there were “a number of positives”, such as the increase in employment allowance and the continuation of the rates reduction, adding:

“However, there was no relief in terms of VAT for the hospitality industry, which will go up to 20 per cent from April 1.

“And with the current cost of petrol and diesel, the cut in fuel duty is miniscule. National Insurance is in effect an income tax, and cutting this along with income tax should be the priority.

“Mr Sunak is gambling that business will grow and he can reduce taxes later, but corporate tax will still rise.

“In short, creativity is certainly geared towards delivering good news in election year, but in the here-and-now there’s little relief, and it’s orientated towards larger business.”

Masham brewery launches new beer for summer

Masham-based Black Sheep Brewery has launched a brand new beer ahead of the summer.

Called Refresh, the cask beer comes as part of the brewery’s seasonal range and will be made available in April.

Described as a fresh take on the classic British blonde ale, Refresher offers a light, fruity pint with layers of pulsating hop character.

Jack Scott Paul, brand and communications manager at Black Sheep Brewery, said:

“We’re really excited to launch Refresher, just in time for the spring season. Refresher is our own, fresh take on the classic British blonde ale, and we know this one will be popular with both cask beer lovers and those looking to try a new kind of pint.”

“As the name suggests, it’s sure to offer perfect refreshment and judging by the recent weather, there’s no better time of year to launch this new beer.”

Harrogate Rugby Club has announced that its director of rugby is to step down at the end of the season.

David ‘Doc’ Doherty will resign from the position after being at the club since 2016.

He helped to rebuild the first team squad and secure promotion back to National 2 North in 2019/20, as well as establishing an academy. However, the first team is currently at the foot of the table with just three wins from 24 fixtures this season.

Doherty also took on commercial chair duties and helped to bring a number of new sponsors to the club.

– David Doherty – Director of Rugby. It is with regret that Harrogate RUFC announce that our Director of Rugby, David ‘Doc’ Doherty, has decided to resign his position at the end of this current season. https://t.co/c2edMeXCMm pic.twitter.com/VjBlSw7Uxj

— Harrogate Rugby Football Club (@Harrogate_Rugby) March 23, 2022

Speaking following the decision, Doherty said:

“I have always loved my six years leading Harrogate Rugby Club. I have consistently strived to leave the club in a better place than when I joined.

“We now have a long-lease on our land and have a sustainable business model, with the academy at the heart of what we do. This has already started to bear fruit with a huge number of players transitioning into 1stXV and senior rugby.

“Planning is well on the way for our ground redevelopment and the club can kick-on to future success, as we have created solid foundations.

“I would sincerely like to thank all the players, coaches and members who have supported me at the club during my time, and look forward to sharing a beer with them at the end of season dinner.”

The club are now reviewing options to replace Doherty, with an announcement on a new director expected by the end of the season.

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Harrogate’s long-delayed Otley Road cycle path is on budget despite the troubled project running into more problems.

That is according to North Yorkshire County Council, which first secured funding five years ago and has recently faced design and safety complaints over the first phase of works completed in January.

The council – which is now reviewing designs for the final two phases – said the cycle path has so far been delivered to the expected costs and that it currently did not anticipate “any overspend”.

The project is part of a wider package of transport improvements for the west of Harrogate which once completed will cost around £4.6 million.

Around £2 million of this was allocated for the Otley Road cycle path, and so far £1.6 million has been spent on design, construction and utility costs, according to the council.

This is made up of £1.04 million on phase one and £559,182 on phase two which has yet to begin.

A council spokesperson said: 

“Invoices are still due for phase one, and phase two has yet to be started therefore costs will increase, however we are on budget.”

‘No indication’ on phase three progress

Phase one and two are being funded by the government’s National Productivity Investment Fund, while phase three will be built using contributions from housing developers planning to build hundreds of new homes in the west of Harrogate.

Kevin Douglas, chairman of Harrogate District Cycle Action, said the campaign group had been given “no indication” of how these negotiations with developers were progressing and that this was a “worry” for when the project could be completed in full.

He added: 

“The main issue for us is the time this project has taken already and with the further delays surely that means the costs are going to go up.

“Hopefully the council keeps within budget for the whole project and it gets delivered in full soon.”

Read more:

• Early morning train from Harrogate to Leeds cancelled
• Highways boss ‘confident’ Harrogate park and ride can still be funded
• Next phase of Otley Road cycle path delayed and reviewed

His comments come after members of Harrogate District Cycle Action recently met with council officials to highlight their concerns over the first phase.

Parts of the completed works have been described as “unsafe” and “badly designed,” with a narrowed section of cycle path at Otley Road’s junction with Harlow Moor Road being a particular concern.

The council is currently in talks with Yorkshire Water to buy a small plot of land in order to remove a wall and widen a corner on this part of the route.

Otley Road cycle lane construction in December 2021.

The council also said it would take all feedback onboard as part of its review of phases two and three which are being redrawn in line with new government guidance.

Mr Douglas added:

“The higher quality cycle path we get, the more people will use it – that has always been our view as we want a scheme that delivers facilities which everyone can use.

“We also want lessons to be learnt from the first phase, and hopefully there is a genuine willingness to take on board the points we made.”

The council previously said it hoped to start work on phase two in April.

However, this is now likely to be in May or June.

Two drug dealers have been sentenced after being caught in Harrogate with cocaine worth £2,500.

Darren Walker, 44, and Hannah Sharrett, 32, admitted to possessing the drugs and a small amount of cannabis.

The pair were stopped by police in a car on Leeds Road on April 16, 2020, heading into Harrogate.

A search located two bags of cocaine in the glove box and a further bag under the passenger seat – with a street value of more than £2,500. 

A further small amount of cocaine was found in Sharratt’s possession, and a small amount of cannabis in a car door pocket.

Police seized and examined Walker’s phone, which showed him arranging the sale and transportation of drugs for street-level distribution.

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Walker, of Darley, Harrogate, was sentenced to 44 months in jail for possession with intent to supply cocaine. 

He was also disqualified from driving after being found to be under the influence of cocaine.

Sharratt, of Fairfax Avenue, Harrogate, was given a suspended sentence totalling 24 months for being concerned in the supply of cocaine, and possession of cocaine and cannabis.

PC George Frost, from North Yorkshire Police’s Operation Expedite Team in Harrogate, said: 

“We are working tirelessly to combat criminal exploitation and drug supply in the area, and will continue to proactively target those who would seek to gain from the sale of harmful illegal drugs in our communities.

“This court result sends a clear and robust message that the sale of Class A drugs on the streets of North Yorkshire will not be tolerated.”

The Red Arrows are set to perform a flypast over the Harrogate district this week.

The RAF aerobatic team are set to fly from their base at RAF Scampton to RAF Leeming on Thursday (March 24).

According to a military airshow website, the Red Arrows are due to pass over Harrogate at 2.01pm.

The team will also fly over Burton Leonard and Ripon on their way to RAF Leeming before returning to Lincolnshire.

It comes as the Red Arrows have been confirmed to perform at a number of airshows this summer.

Among the events include airshows in Eastbourne, Teeside and South Devon.

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Drivers could face delays as three days of roadworks start at the Prince of Wales roundabout in Harrogate this morning.

North Yorkshire County Council is carrying out works to the street lighting at the roundabout. The work will include a lane closure on Leeds Road.

Work will take place between 9.30am and 3pm until Saturday, March 26.

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.

A new website has fuelled speculation that a wave of independent candidates is being lined up in Harrogate ahead of local elections on May 5.

The website, called Time for a Change, has been shared widely on social media and outlines various planning decisions, publicly-funded projects and traffic schemes in the district made by both Harrogate Borough Council and North Yorkshire County Council.

It includes references to contentious decisions such as housing developments in the Kingsley area and the ongoing Harrogate Station Gateway project.

However, nobody has yet claimed responsibility for the site. There is also the possibility that the new movement could backfire by splitting the opposition vote.

Harrogate Residents Association has been vocal in its criticism of many council schemes and has called for independent candidates to put themselves forward on polling day.

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But Anna McIntee, co-founder of the association, denied the group was behind the Time for a Change site.

The Time for a Change website.

However, she added the association supported its aims and wanted to see “fresh” candidates on the ballot paper.

Ms McIntee said:

“We are hoping there are some independent candidates to vote for because we want to see change.

“People are fed up. There is nothing fresh. People need to ask: ‘do we want more of the same?’”

Nominations open

Nominations have opened for candidates hoping to become one of the 90 councillors on the new North Yorkshire Council.

Candidates will have until April 5 to put their names forward. Confirmation of those standing for election will be published on April 6.

A total of 13 councillors will be elected in Harrogate and Knaresborough to the new authority, with an average of 6,194 people to each representative.

Meanwhile, those wishing to vote in the upcoming election have until April 14 to register to vote. You can register here.

The annual audit of Harrogate Borough Council’s accounts for 2020/21 is set to finally be signed off after months of delays.

Accountancy firm Mazars was due to receive draft financial statements from the council by a deadline of last July, but this did not happen until three months later on October 25.

The delays were blamed on the impacts of the pandemic, local government reorganisation and the launch of the council’s new leisure company.

Mazars senior manager Diane Harold presented an audit completion report to councillors last night when she said the majority of councils across the country had missed a further deadline for publishing their accounts in full.

Speaking at a meeting of Harrogate Borough Council’s audit and governance committee, she said: 

“The statutory deadline was the end of November – and the majority of local authorities unfortunately did not achieve that so Harrogate was not alone.

“I would like to highlight the significant cooperation from management that I have had, and the pressures that they have faced.

“That is not to take away from the fact that this is now March, but to recognise there has been a lot of effort to get to this stage.”

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Ms Harold added the accounts should now be signed off by Mazars “this week or next at the latest”.

Risks highlighted

The audit completion report from the firm details a number of areas which have been highlighted as risks, including “errors” and “inconsistencies” in the council’s valuation of its property and equipment.

The report also said there is a risk that the council’s 2021/22 accounts will not be approved before the authority is replaced by the new North Yorkshire Council in April 2023.

The report added: 

“We have had the full cooperation of management, however, there have been continued delays in responding to queries, in particular in October and November 2021, due to pressures on officers arising from multiple factors, including the impact of the pandemic, local government reorganisation and also the new leisure company.

“Based on arrangements in place for the 2020/21 audit, there is a risk that the 2021/22 financial statements will not be approved by 31 March 2023 i.e. before local government reorganisation.”

Nearly half of the total number of staff at Welcome to Yorkshire have been made redundant after the organisation was placed into administration.

Rob Adamson, Michael Kienlen and Daryl Warwick of Armstrong Watson LLP were appointed joint administrators of the troubled tourism body earlier this month.

The move followed “increasingly challenging” financial circumstances for Welcome to Yorkshire, which faced “a task of securing sufficient funding”, according to chairman Sir Peter Box CBE.

In a statement, the administrators said that 11 staff had now been made redundant with 12 retained.

The statement added:

“Welcome to Yorkshire had a number of ongoing projects at the time it was placed into administration.

“The joint administrators are currently engaging with the various stakeholders to determine whether these projects can continue in the short-term whilst they seek to establish whether a buyer can be sought for the business and assets.

“Whilst this process is ongoing, the business is operating using a reduced workforce. Regrettably 11 employees were made redundant on Tuesday with the remaining 12 members of staff currently being retained.

“The joint administrators are aware that Welcome to Yorkshire has a large membership base and the subscription position will be reviewed in the coming days. The joint administrators have been advised that all advance subscriptions were held separately by Welcome to Yorkshire. All relevant parties will be contacted in due course.

“Unfortunately a number of events that were due to take place in the coming weeks will now be cancelled – affected parties will be contacted as soon as possible.”

Controversy and cash flow problems

Administration followed a troubled few years for Welcome to Yorkshire.

In September, James Mason resigned as chief executive and the body had to approach local councils to help bail it out financially during the covid pandemic in 2020.

Read more:

• Welcome to Yorkshire enters administration
• Welcome to Yorkshire chief executive resigns
• Chief executive defends Welcome to Yorkshire after accountability allegations

Harrogate Borough Council and North Yorkshire County Council gave Welcome to Yorkshire £31,000 and £290,000 respectively to plug its £1.4 million funding gap.

The body also had to take out a £500,000 loan in September 2019 from North Yorkshire County Council to keep it afloat.

In March 2019 there was controversy when former boss, Sir Gary Verity, resigned on health grounds. He later faced allegations of bullying and inappropriately claiming expenses, which he denied.

Two inquiries carried out after Sir Gary’s resignation cost the tourism body £482,500.

Plans to demolish a 20-bed care home on Claro Road in Harrogate and replace it with a new facility have been recommended for approval.

Disability Action Yorkshire has submitted the proposal, which would see a 34-bed facility built on its current site and on adjacent disused land.

The new home would be built in three three-storey blocks and would ease the shortage of accessible supported housing for local disabled people.

Senior Harrogate Borough Council officers have recommended that the scheme is approved at a planning committee meeting next week.

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The proposal consists of 24 one-bedroom and 12 two-bedroom flats.

Should it be approved, Disability Action Yorkshire plans to complete the scheme in partnership with Highstone Housing Association.

The council agreed to sell the adjacent land to the housing association for an undisclosed sum in November 2021.

It is hoped the project will be completed by the end of 2023.

Masterplan of the care home development on Claro Road as proposed by Disability Action Yorkshire.

Jackie Snape, chief executive at Disability Action Yorkshire, said previously:

“Our vision is to empower disabled people to live the lifestyle of their choosing, and independent living is at the heart of this.

“This is an incredibly exciting move for us, and something we have been planning for a number of years. Our partners, Highstone Housing Association, are experts in building supported housing.

“Whilst they will develop the site, it will be our staff supporting the residents, all of whom will have tailor-made care packages put in place before moving in.

“Our customers at 34 Claro Road have been fully consulted, and they looking forward to having their own front doors.”