Terminally ill man takes on 100-mile trek in wheelchair

A Green Hammerton man with motor neurone disease is to embark on a 100-mile trek in aid of a Leeds hospital charity.

Ian Flatt, 56, was diagnosed with the disease two years ago and is to take on the challenge despite needing a respirator for 16 hours a day.

He is fundraising for a Leeds Hospitals Charity appeal to raise £5 million to build the new Rob Burrow Centre for Motor Neurone Disease in Leeds.

Ian will complete the 100-mile challenge in a series of 18 walks, which include some of his favourite trails around the Hole of Horcum, Rievaulx Moor, Thixendale and finishing with a trek around the dramatic Sutton Bank escarpment.

He said:

“I was inspired to take on another 100-mile challenge to support this important appeal, spearheaded by Rob and his family. 

“Such a facility would make a vital difference to people like me and our loved ones. A bespoke care centre that meets the needs of MND sufferers and their families is so needed as MND is such a cruel disease.”

Ian, who has already completed a 100-mile trek with his family this year, was diagnosed with MND in March 2019.

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Speaking to the Stray Ferret in May ahead of his fundraising for Saint Michael’s Hospice, he said news of his diagnosis took its toll on his family at first.

However, despite being told not to plan beyond Christmas that year, he was determined not to let his condition stop him being in the great outdoors.

With the help of Saint Michael’s, he got an off-road wheelchair that allows him to continue enjoying walks with his family.

‘My sense of adventure remains intact’

Now, with the support of his wife Racheal and their two daughters, he began his latest trek yesterday.

He said:

“Motor neurone disease is a disease for which there is no treatment or cure, with 50% of sufferers sadly dying within the first two years of diagnosis. 

“Thanks to the critical help, compassion, expertise and kindness provided by the specialist MND team in Leeds, my family and I have maintained our sense of fun, and our wonderful ability to laugh with each other. 

“Whilst my mobility, dexterity and respiratory functions are failing, my sense of adventure remains intact.”

You can donate to Ian’s fundraising effort for the Leeds Hospital Charity appeal here.

Harrogate town council: the Stray’s future and relationship with business

One of the Harrogate’s most prized assets is the Stray.

The 200-acre grassland is owned by the Duchy of Lancaster, which manages the Queen’s estate.

But its management and upkeep lies solely with Harrogate Borough Council — which will no longer exist in April 2023.

The scrapping of the borough council also raises questions for businesses, which will need to deal with an entirely new authority in the coming years.

The key question is whether or not these important areas for the Harrogate district become the responsibility of the new unitary council or a newly formed town council.

Who will maintain the Stray?

When the borough council no longer exists, any maintenance of the Stray will be handed to the new authority.

This means that the upkeep will be carried out by the unitary authority. But, as an asset which is unique to Harrogate, a new Harrogate town council could bid for its control.

As previously reported, many of the powers which lower-tier councils in Cornwall decided to take on were the maintenance of parks and gardens.

So although a Harrogate town council might not be able to keep up with the demands of running the Harrogate Convention Centre, it may regard the Stray as a more manageable asset.

A year to forget on West Park Stray following the UCI Road World Championships.

A year to forget on West Park Stray following the UCI Road World Championships.

However, taking on control of the Stray can be complicated, as highlighted by the recent controversy over damage to the Stray caused by the UCI Road World Championships and the £130,000 cost of restoration work.

Plus, the current borough council has a parks and environment department which oversees it — something a town council would have to resource itself.

Judy D’Arcy Thompson, chairman of the Stray Defence Association, said it had been considering the Stray’s future post-Harrogate Borough Council.

She added:

“We have always worked in conjunction with the Duchy of Lancaster and Harrogate Borough Council to ensure the protection and upkeep of the Stray and are obviously concerned as to what any new council would be in a position to undertake. Clearly the Duchy of Lancaster would also be involved in any discussions and decisions about this

“Our hope is that any new authority would continue to care for the Stray and manage it in the best possible way to ensure it is maintained to a high standard for the use and enjoyment of all of Harrogate’s residents.”

Taking care of business

The loss of Harrogate Borough Council will also affect the town’s economy.

Harrogate’s traders will soon have to negotiate with a new council on matters such as planning, licensing and business rates.

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Thousands of pounds of grants were distributed through the borough council to keep traders afloat during covid.

There is also the ongoing debate over the £10.9 million Station Gateway project, which has seen battle lines drawn between some businesses and the borough and county councils, which both support the pro-cycling scheme.

David Simister, chief executive of the Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce, says business will continue to forge a relationship with the council, whether it is the new unitary authority or a town council.

He told the Stray Ferret:

“The chamber currently has a close working relationship with Harrogate Borough Council, and if there was to be a town council, then we would seek similar ties.

“Only by working in partnership with different organisations will Harrogate continue to thrive and prosper. Our members are drawn from the whole business spectrum, and collectively have a huge amount of knowledge which a town council can tap into.”

The future

The prospect of a Harrogate town council is already raising questions and creating uncertainties, which the new unitary council will need to address quickly.

The ball has been set rolling for devolution and the debate over where local power will reside and how assets will be run will grow ever more intense until matters are resolved.

Two covid deaths reported at Harrogate hospital

Two deaths from patients who tested positive for coronavirus have been reported at Harrogate District Hospital.

According to latest NHS England figures, the deaths were reported on Friday and Monday.

It takes the death toll from covid at the hospital since March last year to 191.

Meanwhile, a further 107 cases of covid have been recorded in the district according to latest Public Health England figures.

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The district’s seven-day rate currently stands at 646 per 100,000 people — the highest in Yorkshire.

The North Yorkshire average is 481 and the England rate stands at 375.

As of Thursday, there were 14 covid patients at Harrogate District Hospital.

A total of 129,466 people have received a first covid vaccine in the Harrogate district and 121,080 have had a second dose.

Future of Kirkby Malzeard pub to be made in weeks

A decision on whether a Harrogate district pub under threat from demolition will regain its protected status will be made by next month.

The Henry Jenkins Inn at Kirkby Malzeard has been at the centre of a long-fought battle between villagers and a developer since it closed in 2011 and was later removed as an asset of community value by Harrogate Borough Council.

In a latest attempt to secure its future, a petition from the Henry Jenkins Community Pub group was delivered to a council meeting last Wednesday. The petition urged the authority to “do the right thing” and reinstate the 18th century pub’s protected status.

The council has now issued a statement saying it will make a decision “no later than 10 November”.

A council spokesperson said:

“The council received an asset of community value nomination for the ‘eastern part’ of the Henry Jenkins public house on 16 September from Henry Jenkins Community Pub.

“It is currently being assessed against the criteria in the Localism Act and a decision will be made no later than 10 November as required by the legislation.”

The status of an asset of community value means buildings must be used by the community and are protected from a change of use or demolition.

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If approved, the campaign group hopes to buy and take over the running of the pub for which it says it has the backing of £237,000 in share pledges.

One of the Harrogate district’s oldest pubs

The Henry Jenkins is named after the Yorkshire super-centenarian that legend states lived to be 169 years old.

It is one of the oldest inns in the Harrogate district and is the last of several pubs in the area named after Mr Jenkins, who is reputed to have lived from 1500 to 1670.

The Henry Jenkins pictured when it closed in 2011. Photo: Google.

The Henry Jenkins pictured when it closed in 2011. Photo: Google.

Despite its rich history, members of the Henry Jenkins Community Pub group say it has now fallen into a state of disrepair and is in need of a change of ownership in order to bring it back to its former glory.

Speaking at last week’s meeting, group member Richard Sadler said the pub was an “intrinsic part of the history, culture and identity” of Kirkby Malzeard, but had recently become a “blight” on the village.

He said: 

“We have now put together a business plan and have community share pledges for £237,000 to buy the pub.

“But there is a problem. The council has delisted part of it simply because that part was sold off.

“That is why we are asking the council to do the right thing and put the whole pub back as an asset of community value so we have a chance of bringing it back as a thriving pub for future generations.

“This could be a huge boost to our village and the whole region.”

‘Lack of engagement’ saw Knaresborough BID fail, say businesses

A “lack of engagement” and “vague plans” led to a proposed Knaresborough Business Improvement District being rejected, say businesses.

Local traders voted down the plan this week by 80 votes to 73, with 153 votes cast overall.

BIDs, which already exist in many towns and cities, including Harrogate and Ripon, aim to improve footfall in towns and cities.

Businesses in areas that vote for creating them have to pay a levy to fund their activities.

But traders in Knaresborough said they felt the plans for the town were unclear.

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Annie Wilkinson-Gill, who owns The Crystal Buddha, said the organisation could have been good for the town had the BID task group engaged more.

She said:

“The BID could have been a good thing for the town, 

“But the lack of engagement from the BID team and directors with the town’s businesses and lack of transparency is why it wasn’t successful, 

“The plan was completely vague and had very little information within for us to want to invest in it.”

‘The town will continue to flourish’

Ashleigh Lambert, who owns Cenheard at Conyngham Hall in the town, said:

“I feel the plan from the BID lacked direction and failed to engage local businesses with the impacts, positive or negative.

“Knaresborough businesses have come together against the odds of votes stacked against them to vote for what they wanted for the town. I’m confident the town with continue to flourish with the support of groups and the council.”

The Stray Ferret contacted Bill Taylor, secretary and treasurer of Knaresborough Chamber of Trade and Commerce and a member of the BID task group for a response to the ballot but he declined to comment.

More than 300 firms were eligible to take part in the vote, which started in September and ran until October 8.

For the BID to succeed, a simple majority of those who vote, representing more than half the total rateable value of all properties, must be in favour.

But although Harrogate Borough Council threw its 28-strong block vote behind the scheme, it was unable to muster enough support.

Knaresborough businesses vote against setting up a BID

Knaresborough businesses have voted narrowly against setting up a business improvement district.

More than 300 firms were eligible to take part in the vote, which started in September and ran until October 8.

BIDs, which already exist in many towns and cities, including Harrogate and Ripon, aim to create safer, cleaner and better promoted city and town centres to improve footfall.

Businesses in areas that vote for creating them have to pay a levy to fund their activities.

Results published by Harrogate Borough Council show that 153 votes were cast in the ballot but just 73 voted for the Knaresborough BID. Eighty voted against.

For the BID to succeed, a simple majority of those who vote, representing more than half the total rateable value of all properties, must be in favour.

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In September, the borough council lent its support to the BID and cast 28 votes in the ballot as it has that many rate paying properties in the town.

Authority officials also previously agreed to lend £27,000 for start-up costs and would have contributed around the same amount in levy charges had the BID been given the go-ahead.

Spofforth council appeals to Prime Minister over controversial housing proposal

Spofforth parish council has written to Prime Minister Boris Johnson urging the government to investigate a controversial housing development in the village.

Yorkshire Housing Ltd has challenged Harrogate Borough Council’s decision to refuse its proposal for 72 homes on Massey Fold.

The developer already has outline permission to build on the site, but councillors turned down an application for appearance and landscaping in November last year.

Ahead of a decision from the government’s planning inspector, the parish council has written to Boris Johnson calling on him to “throw the weight of government” against the scheme.

The letter from Shirley Fawcett, chairman of Spofforth with Stockeld Parish Council, says the village is “a very blue village but which is seeing red thanks to the government’s planning policies”.

It adds that it “will never be the same” if the appeal is allowed and that the “Sword of Damocles” hangs over villagers.

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It added that a recent Chesham and Amersham by-election defeat for the Conservative party was because the “government have more on their minds than planning issues”, but pleaded for Mr Johnson to listen to the village’s concern.

It said:

“We ask from the bottom of our hearts on behalf of the whole village that you investigate this situation and throw the weight of government against this scheme and of course hundreds of other schemes proposed for villages throughout the country.

“We would fully support the need for the development on ‘brown field’ sites but definitely not on this countryside site.”

Developer seeks costs

Meanwhile, Yorkshire Housing Ltd has submitted an application for costs against Harrogate Borough Council should the appeal be given the go-ahead.

The developer said the borough council had “unreasonably delayed development” at the site and that its case “does not contain any objective analysis that justifies the reason for refusal”.

In response to the costs application, the council said:

“In making the determination to refuse the application, the local planning authority have had regards to the development plan and supporting material consideration. 

“The local planning authority respectfully requests that the inspector dismisses the applicant for an award of costs.”

The Planning Inspectorate, which deals with planning appeals, will make a decision on the proposal at a later date.

Harrogate town council: could it run Harrogate Convention Centre?

From the running of Harrogate Convention Centre to bin collections, the district’s public services will change in 18 months when devolution kicks in.

One of the major questions confronting Harrogate in 2023 will be what assets it wants to retain control of.

North Yorkshire County Council, which successfully bid for the new unitary council model, has promised “double devolution”.

That means a town council will be able to bid for assets — even though this may see council tax precepts hike up.

One of the Harrogate district’s biggest assets is its convention centre. Harrogate Borough Council has long sold it as an economic benefit to the town.

But it soon could become an economic vehicle which is no longer controlled locally.

HCC as an economic asset

In April 2023, a process known as “vesting day” will be held. This will see assets of all seven district councils moved to the control of North Yorkshire Council, the proposed name of the new unitary authority.

Among those which will be transferred is Harrogate Convention Centre.

The HCC has for a decade been sold as a £60 million benefit to the district – though this dropped to £35 million according to minutes from a council meeting held in December 2019.

An economic impact summary used to assess the value of the HCC in 2016/17.

With the HCC no longer in the district’s control, the question becomes what will its future be and what role will it play under the unitary council?

North Yorkshire Council officials will have to decide whether it is a strategic asset to them or not.

The new authority will have its own tourism and economic agenda, which the HCC may be included in.

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However, the council will also have to factor in assets in other districts, including Scarborough, Richmondshire and Craven, and have to decide whether to retain control of the HCC after 2023.

Harrogate Borough Council, which will no longer exist in 2023, has long felt that an arms length approach to running the centre is the best approach. It has put public money into the HCC and has since planned a £47 million renovation of the site.

In its annual report in 2019, the council said:

“We are responding to the challenges of the changing nature of the conference industry by redeveloping the Harrogate Convention Centre site.

“The facility contributes around £55 million a year to the local economy and has an important role to play in the district.”

However, the HCC is one of only two conference centres to be run by a local council. The other is Brighton Centre.

The unitary council may feel that the operating model of the HCC needs to change.

Town council control?

Given the scale of the asset and the uncertainty over how a unitary authority based elsewhere in the county will treat it, the question then becomes whether the HCC can be controlled locally?

Should the county council’s “double devolution” agenda come to fruition, a Harrogate authority could bid for control the HCC.

But, given that town councils elsewhere have had to significantly hike up their council tax precepts to pay for modest assets, it may be a tall order for an authority with fewer resources to handle.

Jonathan Webb, senior research fellow at the think tank IPPR North, told the Stray Ferret that any council-run public assets needed to benefit the wider area.

He was critical of the government’s “patchwork” devolution agenda, but added that some services are better run by larger authorities.

Mr Webb said:

“Different authorities will have different systems and I think part of the problem is that the public is not aware of how it works.

“The challenge of creating this new council is it is an extremely large area. The largest at the moment is Cornwall.”

Mr Webb added that the question for the unitary council is whether it can run services in Harrogate better or not.

“Does the unitary deliver anything better. Does it give them more resources or does it affect it?”

Harrogate district reports record 191 daily covid cases

The Harrogate district has reported another record high for daily covid cases as the infection rate continues to soar.

A further 191 cases were confirmed today by Public Health England. The figure surpasses the previous high of 177 on October 6.

The district’s seven-day covid rate now stands at 631 per 100,000 people after passing the 600 mark for the first time yesterday.

The North Yorkshire average is 463 and the England rate stands at 366.

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No further covid deaths have been reported at Harrogate District Hospital, according to latest NHS England figures.

A total of 129,455 people have received a first covid vaccine in the Harrogate district and 121,051 have had a second dose.

Stump Cross Caverns owners live underground for 105 hours

The owners of Stump Cross Caverns are taking on a mammoth 105-hour stay underground to raise money.

Lisa Bowerman and Nicholas Markham, who own the limestone caves near Pateley Bridge, are staying in one of the caverns as part of a crowdfunding campaign for new cave lighting.

Speaking to the Stray Ferret, Ms Bowerman said the move was inspired by Geoff Workman, who in 1963 spent 105 days in one of the caverns and broke the previous world record for time spent continuously underground by 40 days.

The pair have set a crowdfunding target of £200,000 and will remain in the cave until 8pm on Friday.

Ms Bowerman told the Stray Ferret:

“We decided that we needed to do something crazy. It’s a massive undertaking and we need this crowdfunder to work.

“I said to Nick that if we do nothing then we will get nothing.”

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The couple, who are dressed as a caveman and cavewoman, are live streaming their stay in the cavern every day on their Facebook page.

As part of the fundraising campaign, the pair have also decided to raffle off their £130,000 flat in Pateley Bridge.

They hope to sell 20,000 tickets for £10 each to generate funds to maintain the ancient limestone caves.

In March, the couple raffled their VW Campervan, which raised £72,5000 in 40 days — enough money to keep the caverns open.

You can find out more on how to support the Stump Cross Caverns campaign here.