Calvin Robinson Chief Reporter, Author at The Stray Ferret

Outrage as Harrogate hospital parking firm ‘incorrectly’ issues fine

A parking company has defended a decision to issue a parking ticket to a motorist at Harrogate District Hospital, despite dropping the charge upon appeal.

Parkeye oversees car parks at Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust.

The hospital brought in the company to operate its new parking arrangements in September, which includes automatic number plate recognition and a ticketless system.

However, some patients and visitors have criticised the decision after being given fines due to problems paying for parking.

Tamsin O’Brien was visiting a friend at the Lascelles Unit at the hospital on October 24.

She paid £4.15 to park for 45 minutes at the unit, which is part of Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust.

However, she received a fine from Parkingeye on November 2 of £70 despite paying the charge.

Ms O’Brien appealed the decision, but was told the appeal was unsuccessful on November 11 and that the fine still stood.

She then took the matter to Parking On Private Land Appeals, the industry arbitrator, and a week later received a letter from the company which stated that the fine was dropped.

Ms O’Brien said the company had ignored evidence that she had paid.

She said:

“My experience with Parkingeye was outrageous – it’s one thing to wrongly issue a charge because the company’s tech isn’t working correctly. It’s quite another thing though, to ignore irrefutable evidence that I paid to park, to reject my appeal, and to continue to pursue a charge.

“There will be many people who would find an experience like this very stressful- particularly when they maybe visiting loved ones in hospital who may be seriously ill.”

The Stray Ferret approached Parkingeye to ask why it had issued the fine after Ms O’Brien had paid the parking fee.

A spokesperson for the company said:

“The car park at the Lascelles Unit has eight prominent and highly-visible signs that give motorists clear guidance on how to use the car park responsibly, including guidance that it is staff parking only.

“The motorist parked in an area reserved for staff only without a staff permit and therefore correctly received a parking charge. However, following a review of the case we have cancelled as a gesture of goodwill.

“We would add that Parkingeye operates a BPA (British Parking Association) audited appeals process, which motorists can use to appeal their parking charge. If anyone has mitigating circumstances, we would encourage them to highlight this by appealing.”

However, in a letter outlining its refusal to the her appeal, Parkingeye told Ms O’Brien on November 11:

“We have reviewed the details outlined in your appeal, but we are not in receipt of sufficient evidence to confirm that the terms and conditions were not breached. The signage located at the above car park instructs motorists to enter their full, correct vehicle registration into the payment machine or terminal on site.

“After reviewing our records, we are unable to locate any vehicle details that match your vehicle registration. We believe this is due to either a major keying error taking place, or no vehicle registration details being entered at all.”

Ms O’Brien said she was “baffled” by Parkingeye’s response to the Stray Ferret and the fact that it did not match her correspondence from the company.

What’s your experience of using the new Parkingeye app at the hospital? Get in touch on contact@thestrayferret.co.uk

No 10: Harrogate becomes political battleground in 2023

In this article, which is part of a series on the 12 stories in the Harrogate district that shaped 2023, we look back at an eventful year for politics in the Harrogate district.

The Harrogate district was a political battleground for much of the last 12 months.

From parliamentary by-elections to council party alliances being formed, the theatre of politics was never far from the headlines.

Perhaps the biggest story of the 2023 was the shaking of the political landscape in Selby and Ainsty.

The constituency, which includes Green Hammerton, Spofforth and Follifoot, found itself at the centre of the national picture as the Tories looked to keep a grip on what once was a safe seat.

The count held at Selby Leisure Centre was the culmination of the downfall of former Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

The count held at Selby Leisure Centre.

Nigel Adams, a key ally of Johnson and Selby and Ainsty MP, resigned with immediate affect in June amid a flurry of resignations at the time, including former culture secretary Nadine Dorries.

Fast forward to July and the Tories were hoping to hang onto the seat.

Standing in the party’s way was 25-year-old former public affairs adviser for the Confederation of British Industry, Keir Mather.

Mr Mather did the unthinkable and overturned a 20,137 Conservative majority to win.

Political alliances

Away from the national picture, the local political scene was also offering its own drama.

The balance of power at North Yorkshire Council was finely poised in July this year, with the ruling Conservative group having precisely half the 90 seats on the council.

The defection of Cllr Mike Jordan left the Tories looking elsewhere to shore up their grip on the authority.

The party looked to Ripon.

Cllr Andrew Williams had been elected to North Yorkshire Council in the May elections as a Ripon Independent.

Cllr Williams and two other unaffiliated independents agreed an alliance with the Tories in what Cllr Carl Les, leader of the council, said would “secure the stable and sustainable governance” of the authority.

However, the move was not without controversy. In the wake of the news, Liberal Democrat councillor, Barbara Brodigan, criticised Cllr William’s decision and described him as a “Tory puppet”.

He hit back and said:

“There needs to be stability and governance on the council. With a £30 million budget shortfall to resolve and local government reorganisation in its infancy, the last thing that’s needed is complete chaos in the council chamber.

“That would suit the the Lib Dems fine, but it doesn’t do anything for local residents. I haven’t agreed to do anything else. The only commitment I’ve made is to join a group for the stable governance of North Yorkshire.”

Andrew Jones and Tom Gordon.

Elsewhere, with the prospect of a general election on the horizon, the race to become Harrogate and Knaresborough’s next MP heated up this year.

Tom Gordon threw his hat in the ring for the Liberal Democrats, while Conservative Andrew Jones is hoping to win his fifth election in the constituency.

While further candidates have yet to come forward, Labour appears to have gone cold on its prospects of winning the seat.

This month, it was revealed that the national party had designated it as a “non-battleground” constituency.

The Lib Dems proclaimed this to mean that Harrogate and Knaresborough is now a two-horse race.

2024 will be another battleground year for politics.

More homes to get blue lidded recycling bins in Harrogate

North Yorkshire Council is set to spend £500,000 on an extension to a blue recycling bin roll out in Harrogate.

The move comes the former Harrogate Borough Council launched a trial of the bins to 12,000 residents in May 2022.

The bin, which are the same size as refuse wheelie bins (240 litre deep), replaced multiple recycling boxes.

A trial was launched shortly after the Stray Ferret highlighted concerns by residents about the amount of recycling left out for collection being blown across streets. It prompted many people to call for the introduction of the more stable bins.

Now, North Yorkshire Council is expected to procure a further 18,000 of the blue bins to be distributed to residents up until April 2024.

A spokesperson for the authority said:

“This is part of our ongoing project to roll out wheeled bins to residents, where required.

“When the seven waste collection authorities came together as part of the new North Yorkshire Council from April 1, 2023, multiple live procurement processes with varying end dates were in place for the supply of waste and recycling containers.

“In 2022/23, the former Harrogate Borough Council conducted a trial of replacing the multiple 55ltr boxes that 12,000 residents had to a 240ltr blue lidded wheeled bin. This was a success with positive feedback from residents, reduced manual handling for collection crews, and a reduction of litter in the trailed areas following windy conditions.”

The move comes after the borough council launched a trial in Knaresborough in May 2022.

Blue-lidded wheelie bin replaced the black box and will be used for glass bottles and jars, tin cans and foil, food and drink cartons, plastic bottles and tubs.

However, blue bags for recycling all paper, card and cardboard continued to be used. These were be replaced with heavy-duty bags for properties that don’t have them.

The authority is also set to procure 1,500 black general waste bins and 732 brown garden waste bins, which will both be used for replacement and new properties.

Harrogate Town take on Accrington Stanley in Boxing Day clash

Harrogate Town are set for a Boxing Day clash with Accrington Stanley.

Town go into the game hoping for three points in their pursuit to solidify their place in EFL League Two.

The game represents the first of a busy Christmas schedule for Harrogate, with Tranmere Rovers visiting the EnviroVent Stadium on Friday and a trip to Morecambe on New Year’s Day.

Harrogate will be hoping to make it three wins from three after beating Grimsby Town 2-1 at Blundell Park on Saturday.

Goals from Liam Gibson and Abraham Odoh sealed three points for Town which leaves them 14th in League Two.

Following the match, Simon Weaver, Town manager, said the win had given the team confidence going into the Boxing Day fixture.

He said:

“There’s a lot to look forward to.

“We’ve said lets make it three wins on the bounce. We’re back at home and it’s hard opposition again.

“But this has given us another level of confidence against a team that have been unbeaten in seven and we’ve won the game. It’s good for team spirit.”

Meanwhile, play-off chasing Accrington Stanley go into the game off the back of a 2-1 win at home to Walsall on Saturday.

Stanley sit eighth in the table, one point off the play-off places.

Call for North Yorkshire Council to ‘step up’ fossil fuel divestments

Campaigners have called on North Yorkshire Council to “step up” its divestment from fossil fuel companies.

Fossil Free North Yorkshire, which was set up in 2020, has called on the authority to reinvest its pension fund into sustainable projects.

The fund receives contributions from staff at 160 firms, plus past and present public sector workers.

Campaigners said they had met the council’s pension fund committee on a number of occasions and welcomed a reduction in investments to about 1.8% of the total fund, but argued it still represented nearly £76m.

Dr Margaret Jackson, from Fossil Free North Yorkshire, said the recent COP 28 meeting in Dubai had signalled a transition away from oil, gas and coal.

Local campaigners wrote to all North Yorkshire councillors calling on them to support the case for divestment by the council pension fund committee from fossil fuels and their reinvestment into sustainable projects.

Dr Jackson said:

“Although the outcome of the recent COP in UAE was felt to be disappointing by many, it did signal, with the ‘transition away from fossil fuels’, the beginning of the end of coal, oil and gas.

“Pension funds and other investors should take note and move away from these investments before they become stranded.”

In response, Gary Fielding, treasurer of the North Yorkshire pension fund, said the fund had already committed investment in renewable projects.

He said:

“The North Yorkshire Pension Fund has its own responsible investment policy which sets out an approach to managing assets that take environmental, social and governance factors into account in investment decision-making and the role an investor plays as an active asset owner.

“We are also working with our principal investment manager, Border to Coast Pensions Partnership, on developing targets and policies. As a shareholder of Border to Coast, we are aligned with their net zero target of 2050 or sooner.

“Our pension fund has also committed further investment to the Borders to Coast Infrastructure Fund, which holds an ever-increasing range of renewable energy investments in the UK and abroad, which includes wind farm and solar power farms, geothermal energy plants and energy from waste facilities.”

Business Breakfast: Harrogate district care firm wins £28m domiciliary care contract

Excellence deserves to be recognised and celebrated. The 2024 Stray Ferret Business Awards is the event to put your business, people or great initiative in the spotlight!

Make the most of your efforts by reading our top 10 tips for writing your submission for success.

Entries close on January 19, 2024.

A care firm that operates across the Harrogate district has won a seven-year contract worth £28 million to provide domiciliary care on behalf of Sheffield City Council

Springfield Homecare provides care to people who want to keep living in their own homes.

It is part of Springfield Healthcare Group, which operates across Yorkshire and the rest of northern England.

Besides its domiciliary care business, it operates seven care homes including Harcourt Gardens in Harrogate.

Graeme Lee, the group founder and chief executive, said he was delighted with the award of such a major contract. Mr Lee, who lives in Harrogate, said:

“We want Springfield to be the best regional provider of care in Yorkshire and the north-east.”

North Yorkshire Council this month approved Springfield Healthcare’s planning application to convert the grade two listed Grove House into a luxury care home.

Harrogate business support groups to resume in January

New support groups for businesses in the Harrogate district are set to start in January.

The York and North Yorkshire Growth Hub will be hosting peer-to-peer support groups aimed at helping firms grow.

The programme, which is facilitated by Next Step, runs weekly for six weeks and comprises three cohorts, based in either Harrogate or Ripon.

In addition, there is one hour of one to one discussion in advance of the course to assess the business’s needs and two hours of one to one bespoke support.

For more information on the support groups and to apply, visit the York and North Yorkshire Growth Hub website here.

RHS plans Harlow Carr service yard redevelopment

The Royal Horticultural Society has tabled plans for a major redevelopment of its service yard at Harlow Carr in Harrogate.

The organisation plans to build a workshop and machinery store, composting store, staff welfare building, events store, poly tunnel and glasshouse on the site.

In proposals lodged to North Yorkshire Council, the RHS said the redevelopment would help to support the “operation of the garden in a highly sustainable way”.

It added that the current facilities at the service yard were “nearing the end of their economic life” and in poor condition.

The site would continue to be used for horticultural support staff at the gardens, the documents added.

In plans submitted to the council, it said:

“As an existing operational site, the redevelopment of the horticultural service yard will improve the functionality and sustainability of the RHS garden.

“The design of the proposal will support the objectives of the Harrogate Local Plan to support business and tourism expansion in existing locations, whilst respecting and improving the character of the wider landscape and positively enhancing the natural and built environment.”

The Stray Ferret contacted the RHS to ask how much the redevelopment would cost.

In response, a spokesperson for the RHS said:

“The RHS has numerous projects to develop all of our sites. At RHS Garden Harlow Carr, we are improving our existing nursery and staff facilities to make them more efficient, and therefore more sustainable and greener.

“We are unable to give an estimate on costs due to ongoing discussions with proposed contractors.”

North Yorkshire Council will make a decision on the plan at a later date.

Business Breakfast: New Harrogate College campus to include facilities to boost technical skills

Excellence deserves to be recognised and celebrated. The 2024 Stray Ferret Business Awards is the event to put your business, people or great initiative in the spotlight!

Make the most of your efforts by reading our top 10 tips for writing your submission for success.

Entries close on January 19, 2024.

A new campus building at Harrogate College is set to include a mock hospital ward and children’s nursery to offer more technical skills to students.

Work on the £20 million building on Hornbeam Park is set to start in 2024.

Principal Danny Wild said the new campus would also include a range of digital technology facilities, which will enable the college to offer technical training expertise.

Mr Wild met with North Yorkshire Council’s executive member for education, learning and skills, Cllr Annabel Wilkinson, and assistant director for education and skills, Amanda Newbold, to explain more about the project this week.

He said:

“The new building will be very much about meeting the skills needs of North Yorkshire, especially in areas where we know businesses are currently struggling with gaps – such as health and social care, construction, digital, hospitality and sustainable technologies like retrofitting.

“We will be focused on working with North Yorkshire Council, and continuing our strong collaborative work with other local colleges and businesses, to develop these in-demand skills. Our new campus will put us in a great place to do so, and to deliver on those new technical qualifications – principally T Levels – that are becoming increasingly popular as other qualifications are phased out.”

Harrogate company makes £10,000 donation to White Rose Forest

A Harrogate company has donated £10,000 to the White Rose Forest.

Belzona, which is located on Claro Road, made the donation as part of its charitable initiatives.

Staff at Belzona making the donation to the White Rose Forest.

The firm has worked closely with the community forest, volunteering to collect acorns and grow trees which will be planted in the local area.

Staff at Belzona were able to fundraise £5,000 for the White Rose Forest through a range of events, including climbing the Yorkshire Three Peaks, participating in The Great North Run, and hosting a Virtual Race Night.

The company’s directors pledged to match the raised amount. As a result, their contribution of an additional £5,000 brought the total donation amount to £10,000.

Yorkshire Water to install solar panels at three Harrogate wastewater treatment works

Yorkshire Water is set to install solar panels at three wastewater treatment works in the Harrogate area.

Planning approval has been granted for panels at Harrogate North, Harrogate South and Staveley works.

The company said the move will help to contribute to its carbon net zero targets.

The three sites are part of the first phase of solar panel installations across 28 sites across Yorkshire.

Daniel Oxley, Yorkshire Water commercial manager, said:

“This project is a significant step in reaching our carbon net zero target by 2030. A number of our treatment works have surplus operational land due to changes in our treatment processes. Installing solar panels in these areas will put the land to good use and help us to generate electricity we can use without our sites.

“Once completed, the first deployment of solar panels at the 28 sites earmarked for solar panels will generate 4% of our annual power needs. Not only will the panels in Harrogate help increase our renewable energy use, but they will also reduce our exposure to energy price volatility, providing a more stable long-term base for a major operating cost, which will provide better value for money for our customers.”

The sites are expected to generate renewable electricity in July 2024 following enabling work, installation and commissioning.

Council approves former Harrogate guest house conversion

North Yorkshire Council has approved plans to convert a former guest house in Harrogate into seven flats.

Leeds-based Abbeycrown Ltd tabled proposals to the council to change the property at 6 Dragon Parade, which is known as Dragon House, into co-living accommodation.

In documents submitted the council, the developer said the guest house had seen a downturn in trade during the covid pandemic.

It added that, as a result, the property was “unviable as a guest house”.

The proposal would see the building converted into a seven-bedroom house of multiple occupation.

The developer said in its planning statement:

“The applicant is looking to address the need of high quality co-living facilities in the area to create rooms for professionals and public sector workers.”

It added that tenants would be “fully vetted and verified people” and would not have a detrimental impact on the surrounding area and neighbours.

A house in multiple occupation is a property rented out by at least three people who are not from the same household, but share facilities such as a kitchen and bathroom.

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Harrogate business support groups to resume in January

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Harrogate company makes £10,000 donation to White Rose Forest

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