Harrogate animal testing company bids to expand

Economy leaders at Harrogate Borough Council have backed plans for an expansion of a controversial animal testing company in the town.

Labcorp Drug Development, which was previously called Covance and is based on Otley Road, has lodged plans to refurbish and expand its site after purchasing six vacant buildings.

The company bought the former Nidec SR Drives offices, known as East Park House, in December 2020 for £2.45 million, according to HM Land Registry documents.

Under plans submitted to the council, the firm would refurbish and extend the former Nidec offices.

A new entrance would be created, and the ground and first floors would be reconfigured. A one-way system to access the car park would also be built to reduce “traffic complications” on nearby Otley Road.

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Labcorp also intends to refurbish five other buildings on the site to create office space, create extensions for “new plant requirements” and create further car parking and cycle space.

In planning documents submitted to the council, the company said:

“The design, configuration, and palette of materials for the proposal have been well thought out and are of high quality. The refurbishment works to the property will greatly improve the appearance of the building, but more importantly also ensure the continued life of the building by occupying a currently unused unit.

“Carrying out the proposed work creates a usable building for the new required use and will ensure that the building is occupied and maintained and does not fall into disrepair, which would result in a negative impact on the surrounding area.”

The proposed visual of East Park House, as submitted by Labcorp.

How East Park House would look.

In response to a council consultation, Rebecca Micallef, the authority’s economic and transport officer, said the council’s economic development team was “fully supportive” of the proposal.

She said:

“This proposal will enable expansion of the business within its current location and promote the adaptation, refurbishment and reuse of a currently vacant commercial property. The proposed capital investment from a foreign company is particularly welcomed during this time of economic uncertainty caused by covid and Brexit.

“The proposed expansion and development will support Labcorp’s future within the Harrogate district and secure additional high level, high paid skilled jobs, directly supporting the aims of our economic growth strategy.”

Harrogate Borough Council planning officers will decide whether to accept the plan at a later date.

Last month, Harrogate and Knaresborough MP, Andrew Jones, requested a meeting with George Freeman, science minister, to discuss Labcorp’s proposed UK expansion over the next five years.

Speaking in the House of Commons, Mr Jones told Mr Freeman that the company was “one of the largest employers in my constituency”.

The request was later criticised by animal rights charity PETA, which urged Mr Jones to “wake up to the advent of progressive, non-animal research”.

Plans approved to convert Harrogate bookmakers into chicken restaurant

Plans have been approved to convert a former Coral bookmakers in Harrogate into a piri-piri chicken restaurant and takeaway.

Harrogate Borough Council has given the go-ahead to the plan, which was submitted by Foodie Zone Ltd, to convert the betting shop on Knaresborough Road.

Planning documents submitted to the authority indicate that the restaurant would open as part of the franchise Pepe’s Piri Piri, which has 132 restaurants in the country including in Leeds, Bradford and Huddersfield.

The restaurant specialises in frame-grilled chicken. According to the proposal, 15 full time jobs will be created as part of the proposal.

Documents say the restaurant would provide family-friendly ‘healthy grilled food’. They add:

“The proposed restaurant will provide a family-friendly dining experience with family seating areas, providing healthy grilled food, as part of the new healthy style of living, something which is limited in the area and would be very successful.”

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Harrogate hospital records another covid death

Harrogate District Hospital has reported another covid death, according to latest NHS England figures.

It takes the death toll at the hospital from covid since March 2020 to 189.

According to NHS figures, the death was reported on September 30.

The number of patients in Harrogate hospital being treated for covid stands at 10.

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Meanwhile, the Harrogate district has reported 130 daily covid cases according to today’s Public Health England figures.

The district’s seven-day covid rate has also fallen to 549 per 100,000 people.

The North Yorkshire average is 445 and the England rate stands at 333.

Speaking last week, Louise Wallace, director of public health for North Yorkshire, said the rise in infections across the county was being “driven by school-age children”.

She said:

“From what we can in the terms of the age bandings from the most recent cases, they do seem to be coming from school children and young people.”

Elsewhere, 128,252 people have received a first covid vaccine in the Harrogate district and 120,590 have had a second dose.

Unison in Harrogate to ballot on strike action after rejecting pay offer

Unison at Harrogate Borough Council is to ballot members on industrial action after rejecting a “derisory” pay offer.

Members of the union voted to refuse a proposed increase of 1.75% last month. The offer followed a national consultation from the Local Government Association over a pay increase.

Of a turnout of 62% of its members, 74% voted to refuse the pay offer. Union bosses described the proposal as inadequate and “derisory” and recommended that members turn it down.

Now, Unison has said it will formally ballot its members on industrial action.

Dave Houlgate, secretary of the Harrogate local government branch, said:

“This overwhelming majority makes clear the strength of feeling among local government workers about their pay, here in Harrogate but nationwide too.

“Council and school workers have been the unsung heroes of the covid-19 pandemic, working tirelessly and often at risk to their own safety to serve their communities.

“Meanwhile, since 2010 the value of their pay has fallen by 25%. The 1.75% pay offer is completely inadequate and Unison members have made their feelings about it clear.”

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Union officials said they intend to send out ballot papers in November or early December.

They added that any industrial action would be taken in the New Year, although this would be dependent on the outcome of the ballot.

The move to ballot on industrial action follows 79% of Unison members across England and Wales voting to reject the pay offer.

New restaurant and bar planned on Harrogate’s King’s Road

Plans have been submitted to open a restaurant and bar, three apartments and retail space on Harrogate’s King’s Road.

GMI Developments, which is based in Leeds, has lodged the proposals for Ocean House and the former Ramus retail unit on Kings Road.

The developer said the disused properties offered 7,300 square foot of space to be redeveloped into a mixed-use lifestyle and residential development.

The proposal will see a restaurant and bar, called Frog, open. It would be managed by Roger Moxham, one of the founding owners of the Cold Bath Brewing company.

The new restaurant, which will be based in Ocean House and create up to 20 new jobs, comprises a 70-seat internal restaurant and bar with external pavement and courtyard seating.

Mr Moxham said:

“We will serve a diverse array of global meals rooted in Asia and the Americas which we intend to rotate throughout the year. 

“The menu will be underpinned by a weekend brunch offer all supported by a full range of hand crafted cocktails and beers and an interesting selection of soft drinks, teas and coffees.”

The Ocean House and former Ramus unit have stood empty since January last year.

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The proposals include creating two apartments above the restaurant. Meanwhile, the former Ramus unit will remain in retail use with an apartment above.

An industrial unit on Bolton Street would be demolished to create parking space and outside amenity space for the new apartments.

Chris Gilman, managing director at GMI Developments, said:

“Following the recent acquisition of the Kings Road property, we are excited to take this mixed-use development forward to regenerate the vacant site, subject to planning approval.

“With a proven, successful hospitality expert in Roger on board to create the new restaurant and bar, we are confident that his team will bring a unique and exciting destination restaurant offer to the town complemented by the rest of this high quality scheme.”

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

Yorkshire Agricultural Society chief executive to retire in March

The chief executive of Yorkshire Agricultural Society is set to retire after 20 years in charge.

Nigel Pulling will step down from his role in March 2022.

Mr Pulling joined the society in 2001, when the Great Yorkshire Show was cancelled due to the foot and mouth disease outbreak.

It was the first time show had been cancelled other than for the two world wars. The show was then also cancelled after one day in 2012 due to torrential rain and didn’t take place at all last year due to covid.

Mr Pulling has overseen commercial projects such as the building of Fodder, the Regional Agricultural Centre (the society’s headquarters) and the multi-million pound rebuild of hall one in the Yorkshire Event Centre.

This year, he oversaw the Great Yorkshire Show return amid the covid pandemic. Prince Charles was among the guests at this year’s four-day event.

Mr Pulling said there were similarities between the event and the show held in 2002.

He said:

“We overcame the tough challenges on both occasions to deliver successful Great Yorkshire Shows and I couldn’t have ended my tenure on a better show.

“We were devastated to cancel last year and despite the challenges and restrictions placed on this year’s event, it was an incredible achievement for the team. The atmosphere of celebration and enjoyment from both the farming community and visitors was second to none.”

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Mr Pulling added:

“I leave my role on a high, the Great Yorkshire Show is in a strong position ready for next year. 

“Events are returning to the showground after this difficult 18 months, the charitable activities team is stronger than ever before in its support for farming families and promotion of agriculture to the next generation – and I know it will go from strength to strength.”

Rob Copley, chairman of trustees said: 

“Nigel has been a real asset, he is hugely respected in the industry and his leadership has taken the society up to the next level.

“On behalf of all the trustee and council members past and present I want to thank him for all his hard work, determination and expertise.”

‘No further action’ after Harrogate peer breached Lords code

No further action will be taken against a Harrogate peer who breached the House of Lords code of conduct, the standards commissioner has said.

Lord Kirkhope of Harrogate was found to have committed a “minor breach” of the code after he did not make clear the nature of business of one of the companies of which he is a director.

A report published on Thursday by the Lords commissioner for standards, Martin Jelley QPM, said Lord Kirkhope was one of 24 peers to commit a breach.

However, he said the matter was resolved by each peer providing a description of the registered companies.

Mr Jelley said:

“Apart from the Duke of Wellington, the other 24 members committed a minor and inadvertent breach of the code of conduct by failing to provide a description of companies they had registered. 

“Each of them has resolved the breach to my satisfaction and I consider that no further sanction is necessary.”

The complaint against Lord Kirkhope followed allegations made by UnlockDemocracy, a London-based pressure group.

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Tom Brake, director of the group, wrote to Mr Jelley to allege that 39 peers had breached paragraph 53 of the House of Lords code of conduct, which says a peer should “give a broad indication of the company’s business, where this is not self-evident from its name”.

It said Lord Kirkhope did not make clear the nature of business of Reading-based Brass Trustees Limited, of which he has been a director since June last year.

The other peers investigated include Lord Sugar, the former Tottenham Hotspur chairman and founder of electronics company Amstrad.

Mr Jelley added in his report:

“It is the responsibility of members to ensure that entries within the register of interests are correct and up to date. It is in everyone’s interest that matters are reported accurately and fully.”

As Timothy Kirkhope, he was MP for Leeds North East and MEP for Yorkshire before being created a life peer in 2016. He has a keen interest in local radio.

The Stray Ferret has approached Lord Kirkhope for comment.

Highways boss confident Kex Gill reroute will avoid inquiry

North Yorkshire’s highways boss has said he is confident that a major £60 million reroute of the A59 at Kex Gill will avoid a public inquiry.

Cllr Don Mackenzie, executive councillor for highways at North Yorkshire County Council, said he was not “aware of any risk” that the scheme could be delayed by objections.

The council is currently consulting on compulsory purchase orders to buy 90 acres of land for the project.

If an objection is lodged against any of the orders, it could lead to a public inquiry which would delay the scheme further.

However, Cllr Mackenzie said he felt the risk of the scheme going to an inquiry was low and he was confident it will pass this stage of the project.

He said:

“I’m not aware of any risk. It would be the Secretary of State who would take that decision.

“It would have to be a substantial objection. There is a risk [that it could be called in], but personally I do not see it as a severe risk.”

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In a statement given to a full council meeting in July, Cllr Mackenzie warned that if a public inquiry was required then work could be delayed by up to 15 months.

Council officials said they wanted to come to an agreement with landowners over the price of land, rather than acquire it by a compulsory purchase order.

The council needs to acquire the land before it can begin construction on the scheme.

The project will see a diversion built west of Blubberhouses on the A59 at Kex Gill, which has been blighted by a history of landslides.

Construction of the scheme is expected to take 18 months.

How meeting air quality targets could get tougher for Harrogate

The challenge of meeting safe air quality standards in Harrogate is set to get tougher after the World Health Organisation slashed its limits and warned key pollutants are even more dangerous than previously thought.

In its first revision to the standards in 15 years, the WHO on Wednesday released new guidelines which mean the UK’s legal limits for the most harmful pollutants are now four times higher than the maximum levels recommended.

This is after new research found air pollution from areas including vehicle exhausts and gas central heating is having a big impact on health, even at lower concentrations.

While not legally binding, the WHO guidelines are used as reference tools by policymakers around the world and will have an impact on how legal limits are set in the future.

In June, Harrogate Borough Council released its annual air quality report for 2020, which showed all 63 monitoring locations across the district fell below the previous limit of 40 micrograms of annual nitrogen dioxide per cubic metre of air.

But now that the WHO has slashed the limit to 10, just two locations would meet the new guidelines.

Air pollution experts have said reaching these reduced limits would be extremely difficult and not achievable for decades, if at all.

Council ‘optimistic’ it can still meet targets

Cllr Phil Ireland, cabinet member for carbon reduction and sustainability at Harrogate Borough Council, said there are still reasons for optimism that progress can be made in the fight against global warming.

He said: 

“Following the latest guidelines from the WHO, we await further guidance from government on how these will inform the development of air quality targets.

“Improving air quality across the district is a key objective for Harrogate Borough Council and we have a number of actions as part of our air quality action plan.

“We are optimistic that the improvements in air quality will continue post-covid as many people have embraced a hybrid model of working at home and in the office.”

The UK government has yet to approve new legal limits on air pollution, with a bill currently being debated in the House of Lords.

Some reductions in the maximum safe levels are expected, but campaigners are urging ministers to act on the WHO advice and take stronger action.

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With pressure to tackle climate change only growing greater, the drive to cut carbon emissions from cars in Harrogate has gathered momentum recently with council officials pushing ahead with sustainable transport measures.

North Yorkshire County Council is behind schemes such as the low traffic neighbourhood on Harrogate’s Beech Grove and has more major projects planned, including the £10.9 million Station Gateway project and long-awaited Otley Road cycle path.

There is also talk of introducing a park and ride scheme, which would involve a shuttle bus service from Pannal, but detailed plans have yet to come forward.

Harrogate Borough Council has collaborated on some of these projects and also said it is tackling air quality through its ultra-low emission vehicle strategy and by working with HGV, bus and taxi providers to improve the quality of their fleet.

What do the new WHO guidelines say?

The WHO guidelines have been updated for the first time since 2006 and are in response to evidence of the damage air pollution inflicts on human health.

The guidelines recommend:

However, the WHO has stressed the new limits should not be considered to be safe, and that there is no level at which pollutants stop causing damage.

The WHO puts air pollution on a par with smoking and unhealthy eating, and has estimated it causes around 7 million deaths each year.

Harrogate district shooting range bids to extend opening hours

A clay pigeon shooting range in a Harrogate district village has bid to extend its operational hours after there have been no complaints about noise.

Straight Shooters Ltd, which is based at the Old Quarry in Rainton, has submitted the proposal to Harrogate Borough Council.

It was given approval to become a shooting range back in 2016, but the council imposed conditions which limited the hours that rifles could be fired.

Now, the company has bid to alter those conditions and allow shooting until 8.30pm in May, June and July.

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It also wants to change its hours on Saturdays and Sundays to 9am until 5pm. It currently is restricted on Saturdays from 10am until 4pm and 10am until 2pm on Sundays.

In documents submitted to the council, the company said:

“Since gaining the original approval, the use was put in place and has operated successfully since that time. There have been no complaints about noise, amenity or highways disruption.”

It added:

“The shooting ground has operated safely and successfully, for a number of years. The approval should no longer be viewed as contentious.”

The borough council imposed the restrictions over concerns of noise to nearby residents.

Council planning officers will make a decision on the proposal at a later date.