Harrogate tourism boss questioned over £6,000 spend on snow globe and social media influencer

The head of Harrogate’s tourism body says it will continue to use social media influencers and new marketing campaigns after facing questions over the spending of almost £6,000 of taxpayers’ money.

Gemma Rio, head of Destination Harrogate, was quizzed by members of Harrogate Borough Council’s overview and scrutiny commission last night.

It came after £5,220 was spent on a giant snow globe at London’s King’s Cross station and £700 was paid to a travel blogger to promote Harrogate at Christmas, as first reported by The Stray Ferret.

Ms Rio said the marketing methods were a “toe in the water” as part of a new tourism strategy and that similar campaigns would run again.

She said:

“We’re absolutely delighted with the snow globe.

“Not only was it great for us to be reaching out to new markets in the south-east, but it also generated a lot of interest from our stakeholders locally.

“Those stakeholders have since come to ask to buy into our campaigns which will further extend our reach.”

Council leader Richard Cooper also defended the snow globe, which promoted train services to Harrogate. He said one was also used in Leeds and “a number of other locations across the district”.

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This followed questions over how many visitors came to Harrogate as a result of the snow globe and if the £5,220 was well spent.

Ms Rio said the visitor numbers were “difficult to monitor” and that there was a greater focus on creating a “sustained brand profile” which would promote the district over a long period of time.

She said:

“Place marketing generally is rarely intended for immediate conversion.

“We could have very well hit our target market, for example, a woman in her 50s in King’s Cross station going to work.

“She’s seen the snow globe, interacted with the Visit Harrogate team, picked up a leaflet and been impressed, but the reality is she’s actually already booked all of her festive plans.

“So when she sees our gardens campaign in the spring, or an article we’ve placed in the travel pages of The Telegraph, she will continue to be impressed by Harrogate and she may well come in Christmas 2022 or have a summer holiday in 2023.

“That’s how we manage all of our place marketing.”

Bristol-based blogger Heather Cowper, who runs Heather on Her Travels, was the social media influencer paid £700.

Heather on her travels

One of the Instagram posts.

After visiting Harrogate, she published an article listing “11 fun things to do” in the district and there have since been questions over how many people actually saw the content online.

Defending the £700 spends, Ms Rio said: 

“We chose Heather Cowper because her following is largely made up of women in their over 50s, which is a key target market for us.

“£700 does sound like a lot of money when it’s reported that it only got two shares. The reality is that the campaign actually got over 10,000 views on Instagram.”

Ms Rio added: 

“We will continue to look for digital influences that align with our target markets and we will monitor their return on investment.

“We have to ask our residents, business and councils to have a little faith that everything we’re doing is resulting in those visitor numbers.”

Plan to demolish Harrogate council depot buildings for car parking

A plan to demolish buildings on a Harrogate Borough Council depot to make way for car parking space looks set to be approved.

The borough council plan would see six buildings on the Claro Road depot site flattened in order to create space for bin lorries and other council vehicles to park.

As part of the plan, 10 electric vehicle charging points would also be implemented in an effort to encourage the use of electric and hybrid cars.

A total of 47 car park spaces would be created, along with 36 for council vans and 36 for bin lorries. 

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The council also plans to build a new toilet and shower block on the site.

Officials at the authority have recommended that the plan is approved a planning committee meeting on Thursday, April 21.

A council report due before councillors next week says that the proposal would have a “positive impact” on the local area.

It says:

“The proposed development will have a positive impact on the character of the area and will have no significant impact highway safety, or residential amenity.”

Council officials added that the introduction of electric vehicle charging points would help to improve the “sustainability of the site and help reduce greenhouse gases”.

Driver stopped on A1(M) after failing to pay at three petrol stations

Police arrested a driver on the A1(M) near Allerton Park after they filled up at a petrol station without paying multiple times.

The motorist was stopped after they failed to pay at Exelby Services on the A19.

Once stopped, police discovered that the driver had also not paid at two other petrol stations at Wetherby and Scotch Corner in the last month.

Officers from North Yorkshire Police also discover that the driver was wanted by Police Scotland for dangerous driving.

[1 of 2] This driver filled with ⛽️ at @ExelbyServices #A19 & left without paying. We stopped him at #AllertonPark #A1M/#A59 It turns out he has also done this twice previously at #Wetherby @bp_UK & #ScotchCorner @ShellStationsUK in the last month Arrested x 3 #Bilking #MOWP … pic.twitter.com/7NS8fek0rV

— David Minto (@TC174_NYP) April 12, 2022

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Government rejects expansion of Follifoot business park

The government has rejected an appeal for a business park in Follifoot to expand onto green belt land.

Harrogate Borough Council initially rejected a bid to build two new buildings at Follifoot Ridge Business Park, which would have created space for five commercial units.

The development would have taken place on a small strip of land alongside existing units (pictured above), which were previously allowed because they were classed as farm conversions.

The site owners said the new units would help to meet demand from businesses for more space. Following the council’s refusal, Uffa Kirkby appealed to the government’s Planning Inspectorate.

But Robert Walker, the planning inspector who oversaw the appeal, said the harm to the green belt was not outweighed by the economic benefits of the scheme.

In his decision notice, Mr Walker said:

“Based on the evidence before me and for the reasons outlined above, I cannot be satisfied that the overall benefits clearly outweigh the substantial weight given to the harm to the green belt by reason of inappropriateness.

“I have come to this conclusion having regard to the importance that the government places on making efficient use of land and building a strong, competitive economy.”

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In June last year, the council’s planning committee said the proposal was “inappropriate” and harmful to the green belt.

However, ahead of the appeal, the developer argued that the scheme was not inappropriate and disagreed with the authority’s conclusion.

How the business park would look with the commercial units built on the green belt land.

How the business park would look with the commercial units built on the green belt land.

The business park’s planning agent, ID Planning, said in a statement of case:

“The appellant disagrees with the reason for refusal based on the development being inappropriate as the site is not brownfield land.

“The appellant considers that the site is brownfield land but notwithstanding this considers the development comprises limited infilling.”

It added that the scheme had economic benefits and would not have an “impact on the openness of the green belt”.

“The development provides clear economic benefits set out in full in the planning statement and supported and acknowledged by the local planning authority which further support the appellants case for planning permission to be granted.”

All Creatures Great and Small donates food to Knaresborough charity

The producers of All Creatures Great and Small have donated fresh fruit and vegetables to a Knaresborough community grocery.

Playground, which produces the hit Channel 5 television series, got in touch with Resurrected Bites to offer the food from its set at Grassington.

The production company sought out the community grocery to offer the fruit and vegetables instead of letting them go to waste.

Resurrected Bites, which is a charity, collects surplus food and distributes it to people in need.

Michelle Hayes, chief executive of the organisation, said:

“We have had donations from food photographers before, but this is our first donation from a film set.

“We love that Playground sought us out to donate the fruit and veg used in the filming of All Creatures Great and Small rather than just binning it at the end of the day.

“We hope that other businesses with food surplus will be inspired to offer us their food rather than binning it as we are struggling to meet the demand for food via our community groceries and ‘give as you can’ cafes and shops.”

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Resurrected Bites currently runs community groceries at Gracious Street Methodist Church in Knaresborough and New Park Community Hub on Skipton Road in Harrogate.

All Creatures Great and Small was commissioned for a fourth and fifth series back in January. Filming began on the new series last month.

Based on James Herriot’s books about life as a vet in the Yorkshire Dales in the 1930s, the programme has proved a success and attracted millions of viewers.

Baldersby school commemorative event to be held ahead of closure

An event is set to be held to commemorate Baldersby primary school, north of Ripon, after the government confirmed it will close.

Baldersby St James Church of England Primary School will close in August 2022.

Hope Sentamu Learning Trust, the Church of England trust that runs the school, announced the closure, saying low pupil numbers “show no prospect of improving for many years ahead”.

Parents and staff had objected to the decision, but Nadhim Zahawi, secretary of state for education, confirmed in January that the school will close.

Now, a celebratory event for staff and pupils will be held at the school on July 2, 2022, and will be attended by the Rt Revd Paul Ferguson, Bishop of Whitby.

The school says it is keen to hear from past pupils or staff who have stories, anecdotes or photos to share or anyone who has a keen knowledge of the history of the school.

Steff Brown, headteacher at Baldersby St James CE Primary School said 

“Whilst we are sad that the school has to close, we are very keen to celebrate the history of the school and all of the wonderful teaching, learning, events and activities that have taken place over the years.

“We’re delighted that we will be joined by the Bishop of Whitby who will lead the church service.”

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The trust has said the reason for its decision was that the school currently had 22 pupils in two classes, one for key stage one and the other for key stage two. Some year groups have just one student.

The school, which is a grade II listed building, has a maximum capacity of 60 students.

Cllr Patrick Mulligan, the county council’s education executive member, said previously that the authority was powerless to stop the closure as the decision would ultimately be made by the Schools Commissioner and Mr Zahawi.

He said there were sufficient school places in the area for Baldersby St James pupils to go elsewhere should the school close.

The catchment area for Baldersby St James is expected to be extended to Dishforth Church of England Primary School.

Baldersby St James school was built by Lord Downe following the establishment of the village in 1850. The school has served generations of pupils in Baldersby St James, Rainton and the surrounding areas.

No conditions for Wetherby Road drive-thru to be a Starbucks, says council

No conditions were set for a planned drive-thru on Wetherby Road to be a coffee shop, say Harrogate council officials.

Lancashire-based developer Euro Garages is currently building a Leon restaurant on the site, despite being given permission for a Starbucks drive-thru.

Local residents have raised concern that the building on the site will be different from that which was approved.

Harrogate Borough Council has acknowledged that the building being constructed is not the same as the designs submitted to the authority.

However, it added that the developer has already submitted another application for the design which is under consideration.

Opening a drive-thru on Wetherby Road is ‘nuts’

Joe Shields lives across from the former Dental surgery site where the Leon is being built.

He and other residents have objected to the drive-thru being built since is was first proposed as a Starbucks in 2019.

While he is not against redeveloping the site, he raised concern over the drive-thru and its affect on neighbouring residents.

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Mr Shields, who worked as a marketing manager for various companies including fast-food chains, said:

“I have opened a few drive-thrus, I’m not against them.

“It is opening a drive-thru here which is nuts.”

Mr Shields pointed to the fact that the building at the site does not look like its designs.

A Starbucks drive-thru normally has a slanted roof, while Leon schemes are flat.

(Left) Designs for the Starbucks as submitted to Harrogate Borough Council and (right) the construction site of the Leon.

(Left) Designs for the Starbucks as submitted to Harrogate Borough Council and (right) the construction site of the Leon.

He questioned how the developer can continue to build a Leon, despite the fact that a government planning inspector gave approval for a Starbucks coffee shop drive-thru.

Last week, Mr Shields was forced to alert the planning authorities when contractors at the site began to erect an eight-metre advertising sign without permission.

He said:

“There are changes at the site on a daily basis.

“My impression is that they will just continue wacking this [the Leon] up.”

Meanwhile, David Stephenson lives next door to the site on Coachman’s Court.

David Stephenson, whose house on Coachmans Court is next to the drive-thru site on Wetherby Road.

David Stephenson, whose house on Coachman’s Court is next to the drive-thru site on Wetherby Road.

Mr Stephenson has lived with his wife in the same house for six years and would be able to see the serving hatch from his lounge window.

He said that he has accepted the fact that a drive-thru will be built next door to his home.

However, Mr Stephenson said he was concerned that the building being built is not the same as the designs.

He said:

“We were resigned to a Starbucks, but this is a bit overbearing.

“Why apply for planning permission if you’re going to do another building?”

No specific conditions for a coffee shop

The Stray Ferret asked Harrogate Borough Council how the developer was able to build the scheme as a Leon drive-thru when the original approval for the site is for a Starbucks coffee shop.

A spokesperson said:

“Permission was granted by the Planning Inspectorate for a ‘coffee shop to include a drive-thru’, not specifically for a Starbucks. 

“The Inspectorate did not add any conditions to the permission they gave restricting the use of the premises solely to a coffee shop, so it can legally be used for any other use within the same use class, which includes a drive thru food and drink establishment. 

“So permission is not required for any change of use. However, the building being built differs from the one given planning permission. Therefore, a planning application has been submitted for these changes and is under consideration.”

The Stray Ferret also asked Euro Garages to respond to concerns over the building and erecting advertising without permission, but the company declined to comment.

RHS Harlow Carr to convert bungalow into staff offices

RHS Harlow Carr is to covert a bungalow on its site into staff offices and welfare accommodation.

Harrogate Borough Council has approved the conversion of the bungalow on Crag Lane, which falls within the Harlow Carr estate.

The building had previously been used for residential purposes. It will now be converted for commercial use.

Last month the RHS submitted details about how it plans to convert the former Harrogate Arms pub, also on Crag Lane, into a cafe.

The horticultural charity bought the building in 2014 and received planning permission in 2019 to create a ground floor cafe and kitchen facilities.

Last month the horticultural charity had plans for a new footbridge at the gardens approved.

The Thaliana Bridge crosses the Queen Mother’s Lake at the south end of the gardens to improve access and provide new routes for visitors.

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Unison Harrogate canvasses election candidates over ‘shameful’ council pay

Unison in Harrogate is to write to next month’s local election candidates to find out their stance on local government pay.

Davie Houlgate, secretary of the Harrogate local government branch, said the union was looking to lodge a pay claim for the 2022/23 financial year.

The move comes after Unison’s attempt to call a strike in January over a 1.75% pay offer in the previous year failed because not enough members turned out to vote.

The trade union had branded the pay offer ‘derisory’.

The offer followed a national consultation by the Local Government Association, which is the national membership body for local authorities, over a pay increase.

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Mr Houlgate said the union was now considering another pay claim because the cost of living crisis is “squeezing” workers’ pay packets.

He added that officials will be writing to candidates ahead of the election in North Yorkshire on May 5 to find out their stance on the issue.

Mr Houlgate said:

“Local government pay must be increased to match the cost of living squeeze our members are now experiencing on the back of year-on-year below inflation pay increases.

“Without a decent above-inflation pay rise to help workers meet soaring costs, vital council services will struggle to hang on to skilled staff which could put some services at risk. Indeed this is already happening.

“Council workers need an above inflation pay rise, simply to try to catch-up with what they have lost in real terms over the past decade – a 25% pay cut. But it is more imperative than ever as a result of the cost-of living crisis we are now in.

“The situation is unsustainable and cannot go on.”

He added:

“We need to know if candidates have any idea of the enormity of the problems faced by council staff.  

“It’s shameful that people that make our towns and villages so attractive or do high skilled, essential and much-valued jobs on which everyone depends, don’t get paid enough to meet their basic costs.”

Police warning after Land Rover thefts in Harrogate

Police have issued a warning to car owners after criminals have been targeting Land Rovers in Harrogate.

North Yorkshire Police has reported that 14 Land Rover Defenders have been stolen in the county in the last two weeks.

Officers said since the start of the year Harrogate, Richmondshire and Hambleton have seen a high number of thefts.

Seven of the stolen vehicles were taken from driveways of residential properties. Six of the thefts occurred overnight.

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Police have urged drivers to put in place extra security on their Land Rovers, such as tracking devices.

A North Yorkshire Police statement added:

“We know the loss of a Land Rover can have a major impact on daily life – on farms and other rural businesses in particular – so it’s important to put in place extra security measures to protect them.

“Trackers are invaluable, and can make all the difference in recovering your stolen vehicle and identifying suspects.

“Meanwhile, our officers will be proactively stopping and checking Land Rovers, and using ANPR technology to identify suspicious vehicles, to make life as difficult as possible for thieves.”