Councillors back calls for 5% increase in Harrogate district taxi fares

Councillors have backed calls for a 5% increase in taxi fares to help cover soaring fuel prices and a drop in earnings for drivers during the covid pandemic.

The rise request was made to Harrogate Borough Council whose cabinet member for housing and safer communities, Cllr Mike Chambers, will now make a final decision whether prices should go up.

If approved, the increase would make the Harrogate district the 14th most expensive council area in the UK for taxi fares, according to national trade newspaper Private Hire and Taxi Monthly.

However, local taxi drivers have argued the district’s position is not as high for journeys above two miles.

Speaking at a meeting of the council’s licensing committee on Wednesday, Cllr John Mann, a Conservative who represents Harrogate Pannal, said he appreciated that prices may be higher than some areas but taxi drivers needed support.

He said: 

“We seem to be in the middle of a cost of living crisis at the moment and we are all aware prices are going up rapidly.

“If you are a taxi driver all of this is not good because it eats into your profit. I do have sympathy with the trade.”

Cllr Sue Lumby, a Conservative who represents Harrogate Coppice Valley, added: 

“If the trade is not profitable, no one is going to do it.

“It may help the public to have the rise if it means we keep the taxi drivers.”

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The 5% rise would be on the running mile and waiting times of journeys, and there would also be an increase in starting prices from £3.40 to £3.60 if approved.

The request comes after warnings that as many as 50 taxi drivers in the Harrogate district quit during the previous lockdowns and many have now found new jobs with little desire to return to the trade.

Last year also saw record costs for both petrol and diesel in the UK, with diesel hitting prices of over £1.50 per litre for the first time in history.

Driver shortages

During a consultation held in September, drivers said the trade had been “badly affected” by rising costs, not just on fuel but also vehicle prices and parts.

One driver told the council:

“Needless to say we are trading in difficult circumstances due to increasing costs, driver shortages and backlogs at DVLA and other agencies which is hindering the testing of new drivers.

“Although fuel prices seem to be rising on a daily basis one has to accept this trend cannot continue indefinitely.”

The consultation was held with 500 taxi drivers, although only 30 responses were received.

Speaking at Wednesday’s meeting, Gareth Bentley, licensing manager at the council, said this was a “fairly normal” response rate for consultations held with the trade.

He added: 

“Clearly the trade is finding running vehicles considerably more expensive now.

“We do start from quite a high point in terms of our fares at the moment – and we have got to balance the needs of the travelling public with the trade’s ability to make a reasonable living.”

Harrogate covid rate stable as 285 cases recorded

The Harrogate district’s covid rate has stabilised after another 285 cases were reported today.

Latest government figures show that the district’s seven-day covid average has dropped to 1,078 per 100,000 people, up on yesterday’s figure of 1,074.

However, it is above the county average, which is 992, and the England rate of 972.

No further deaths from patients who tested positive for covid have been reported at Harrogate District Hospital, according to NHS England.

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The number of positive covid patients currently being treated at the hospital stands at 27.

According to government figures, 106,142 booster or third jabs have been given in the Harrogate district, as of today.

£4 million of Harrogate district housing developer funds left unspent

Harrogate Borough Council has held onto almost £4 million of unspent money given to it from housing developers for social and community projects.

The Section 106 cash is agreed during planning talks to offset the impact of new housing and is intended to be used for improvements such as village hall refurbishments and new sports facilities.

More than £613,000 was spent on projects during 2020/21 – and the council has been praised by some communities.

But with around £3,730,000 unspent at the end of that period, there are concerns that many residents are not feeling the benefits at a time when the construction of hundreds of new homes is piling pressure on the need for community facilities.

Residents left with no community improvements

John Hansard, a member of Kingsley Ward Action Group, said the area faced the construction of around 700 new homes but residents have had “nothing at all” in terms of community improvements.

He said:

“Some of this money needs to come our way.

“Harrogate can’t cope with much more new housing and to think they want to build an extra 700 homes in our area is absolutely crazy.”

Tim Ellis, who also lives in the Kingsley ward, added: 

“There is no community hall, no church halls and not even a pub any more, therefore nowhere local groups can have meetings.

“With all the new housing destroying the last of the fields, and new houses having tiny gardens, we will need a public park.

“The triangle of meadow and trees to the east of Kingsley Farmhouse bordering Kingsley Road would be ideal… but greedy developers are threatening to put houses even on this.”

Most of the money spent by Harrogate Borough Council during 2020/21 was on the purchase of affordable housing.

Cllr Tim Myatt, cabinet member for planning at the council, described the funding as a tool to “support future communities across the Harrogate district” and said other projects included new play areas and open space.

He also said the authority helped North Yorkshire County Council secure around £1.2 million in the last year for improvements to roads, sustainable travel and schools.

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But when questioned by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, the county council did not say how much unspent money it has held onto.

A county council spokesperson said Section 106 money has a “significant lifespan” and that the funds will be used for their intended purpose “at the appropriate time”.

Call for review of section 106 contributions

Harrogate Borough Council said it was “not unusual” for the authority to have large sums of unspent money and there were several reasons why this is the case.

It said the money is sometimes paid in instalments and cannot be spent until it has all been received. It also said parish councils often ask for the money to be saved up for larger projects.

Despite this, Cllr Pat Marsh, leader of the opposition Liberal Democrat party, said the almost £4 million unspent by Harrogate Borough Council “does seem a lot” and has called for more regular reviews of how the money is spent.

The council also collects cash through Community Infrastructure Levy contributions, which are another type of charge on new housing.

These work on a pounds-per-square-metre basis and because of recent changes to Harrogate Borough Council’s charging schedules no contributions were collected during the last financial year.

It is now intended that a review will be carried out to develop a list of spending priorities and projects.

Cllr Myatt added: 

“Payment of CIL is due upon commencement of development, therefore there will be a time lag of up to two years before the first CIL contributions are received.

“In the future, the CIL will provide us with a pot of money so that we can work with local communities and partners to provide the right infrastructure in the right places to support development and the continued growth of the Harrogate district.”

Ripon’s Old Deanery to reopen after licence granted

The new business owners of The Old Deanery in Ripon have been granted a licence to reopen the 16th century building as a hotel, restaurant and wedding venue this month.

Hoteliers Rebecca Hill and Chris Layton took over the historic building last year after it was forced to close following months of coronavirus lockdowns.

The pair – who also run York’s Galtres Lodge Hotel – plan to renovate the building and have now been granted a premises licence after a meeting of Harrogate Borough Council’s sub-licensing committee today.

Ms Hill told the committee that Ripon residents wanted to see The Old Deanery “thrive” as a new business and that support from locals had been “huge”.

She said: 

“The Old Deanery is one of the most significant businesses in Ripon.

“It is a key part of the city, both for the business community and tourism economy, as well as the wider residential community.”

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Despite the support of residents, Ms Hill said the licence application had been hit by “unnecessary” conditions put forward by environmental protection officers at Harrogate Borough Council.

These included a ban on speakers and music being played outdoors.

Ms Hill said the rules were suggested with “little knowledge” of the area and would have been a “detriment” to the new business, which wants to ensure The Old Deanery’s gardens remain open to the public and music is permitted outdoors.

Council officers argued the rules were “fair and lenient” – but they were later dropped by members of the sub-licensing committee.

Ms Hill said: 

“The representations from Harrogate Borough Council’s environmental protection team centre around noise disturbance – something that we hold in the highest importance.

“We do not believe our application will cause any issues in this respect.”

The Old Deanery neighbours and is owned by Ripon Cathedral.

It dates from 1625 and has 11 bedrooms, gardens, and several public areas which are being restored back to a country house that will be available for weddings and other events.

Don’t judge Otley Road cycle path until its complete, says campaign group

Harrogate District Cycle Action has urged people to hold judgement on the new Otley Road cycle path until it is completed in full.

The first phase of the long-delayed Harrogate cycle path between Harlow Moor Road and Arthurs Avenue was due for completion last week but has now been pushed back again until 21 February 2022.

Kevin Douglas, chairman of Harrogate District Cycle Action, said while the campaign group had raised some concerns over the works completed so far, people would only see the full benefits when all three phases of the project are completed.

He said:

“This is only one phase and a very small part of the whole project.

“What we wanted to see was a scheme that was going to be an exemplar for other cycle routes and at the moment we haven’t got that because it is only part of the bigger picture.

“When the whole thing is done it should be better and encourage more people to cycle and walk.”

The cycle path is part of a wider package of sustainable transport measures for Harrogate, which will cost around £4.6 million once completed.

Funding was first secured by North Yorkshire County Council in 2017 and there have since been several delays involving utility and construction works.

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There have also been drawn-out discussions with the Duchy of Lancaster – the owners of the Stray – over the use of grass verges protected by law.

Despite the long-awaited progress on the first phase, the county council has said it is still unable to say when the project could be completed in full.

It said phase two could start in April and that the final phase connecting Cardale Park relies on developer funding, which is currently being worked on and will lead to more detailed planning, including a feasibility study.

Junction concerns

The concerns raised by Harrogate District Cycle Action over the first phase involve changes to Otley Road’s junction with Harlow Moor Road, as well as priority for pedestrians.

Mr Douglas said the campaign group would soon meet with council officers to highlight the issues.

He said: 

“We said right at the beginning that this is one of the most difficult parts of Otley Road to work on. There are constraints and we acknowledge that.

“But the Harlow Moor Road junction has been widened to allow traffic through which is frustrating and has narrowed the turning for pedestrians and cyclists.”

Mr Douglas added:

“With all the delays that are going on we will keep pressing the council which should have been doing one phase and then straight onto the next one.

“I couldn’t see them doing a new road scheme in this way – they just wouldn’t do it.”

Harrogate hospital records covid death as rate declines

Harrogate District Hospital has recorded another death from a patient who tested positive for coronavirus.

The hospital reported the death on Sunday, according to NHS England figures. It takes the covid-related death toll at the hospital to 206.

Today’s figures from the UK Health Security Agency show that another 282 infections have been recorded in the Harrogate district.

Meanwhile, government figures show that the district’s seven-day covid average is 1,074 per 100,000 people, down on yesterday’s figure of 1,087.

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It remains above both the county average, which is 984, and the England rate which is 966.

The data also shows that 106,105 booster or third jabs have been given in the Harrogate district, as of today.

Council completes £1.8 million purchase of Cardale Park land

North Yorkshire County Council has completed the £1.8 million purchase of land earmarked for a care home near Cardale Park.

The three-acre site on Beckwith Head Road in Harrogate was previously owned by Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust, which runs mental health services in the district.

However, the county council has now bought the land in order to progress a “scheme to assist with social care market development in the Harrogate area”.

Following the purchase, council officials are now expected to outline plans for the facility to senior county councillors in May.

A spokesperson for the county council said:

“We have completed purchase of the land and we are planning to go back to executive in May 2022 for a final decision on the use of the land and in the meantime and we are completing viability studies on best use of the site.”

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The land was previously given approval to build a 36-bed mental health facility on the site, following the closure of Harrogate District Hospital’s Briary Unit, which helped adults with mental illness.

However, those plans were dropped in 2019 and inpatients on the unit were sent to Foss Park Hospital in York instead.

Plan to convert former Ripon City Club into house

A former club in Ripon could be converted into a house, under plans submitted to Harrogate Borough Council.

The club was initially built as the Jepson’s Hospital, a ‘Blue Coat’ school for poor boys in the city, before it closed in 1927.

It was then taken over by Ripon City Club, which occupied the building on Water Skellgate before it closed due to a dwindling membership in December 2019.

According to documents submitted to the council, the number of members at the club 20 years ago stood at 300. However, the figure dropped to just 11 by the start of 2019.

As a result, the viability of the club was cited as a reason for its closure.

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The proposal by Joplings Property Consultants, lodged on behalf of applicant Mr Jeet Sahi, would see the building converted into a house.

In 1998, the rear half of the club was sold to a developer with planning permission to build seven apartments.

The developer said in its documents:

“The proposed change of use to a single residential dwelling is required by the applicant for him and his family to occupy. 

“The previous use of the building is redundant, the proposed change of use to residential is in line with planning policies to meet the demand for new residential housing.”

The club will become the latest in the Harrogate district to be converted into housing following the demise of its membership.

Last month, plans were submitted to convert the former National Reserve Club on East Parade in Harrogate into apartments.

Harrogate district covid rate continues to fall as 219 cases reported

The Harrogate district’s covid rate has continued to fall after another 219 cases have been reported.

Latest government figures show that the district’s seven-day covid average has dropped to 1,087 per 100,000 people, down on yesterday’s figure of 1,136.

However, it is above the county average, which is 997, and the England rate of 984.

It comes as Louise Wallace, director of public health for North Yorkshire, said today that she was “cautiously optimistic” that the worst of the Omicron wave was over.

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No further deaths from patients who tested positive for covid have been reported at Harrogate District Hospital, according to NHS England.

According to government figures, 106,007 booster or third jabs have been given in the Harrogate district, as of today.

Public health boss ‘cautiously optimistic’ worst of Omicron wave is over

The director of public health for North Yorkshire says she is “cautiously optimistic” that the county has seen the worst of the Omicron wave as covid infections continue to fall.

Louise Wallace told a meeting of North Yorkshire’s Outbreak Management Advisory Board today that the latest figures showed a “much better picture” with a 43% drop in the county’s weekly infection rate which now stands at 1,048 cases per 100,000 people.

Latest figures for the Harrogate District show that the rate has fallen to 1,136 per 100,000 people.

However, Ms Wallace said infections were still higher than previous months and that this was putting pressure on care homes, hospitals and schools.

She said: 

“We are now seeing a decline in some of the numbers and I’m really hopeful that they are heading in the right direction.

“I’m cautiously optimistic that we are turning the tide, but we still do have 854 daily cases.

“And of course we have had changes to testing arrangements over the last few weeks which may be having an impact on some of the data.”

Latest figures show there have been seven covid-related deaths in North Yorkshire in the last week – fewer than this time last year when the county was averaging five deaths each day.

NHS staff told today’s meeting that despite this improving picture, many patients were still being hospitalised with the virus.

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They also expressed concerns that fewer people are now testing for covid and that this was “skewering” the true rates of infections and estimates on how many more patients could need hospital treatment.

This comes as the self-isolation period for people who test positive has been cut to five full days in England.

From today, people will be able to leave isolation after negative lateral flow tests on days five and six in a move to ease pressure on staffing shortages across the private and public sectors.

This was announced last week by the government which is reportedly seeing “encouraging” signs that the Plan B restrictions in England could be removed after a review on January 26.

The current restrictions include guidance to work from home, the widespread use of face coverings and NHS Covid passes for some events.

Meanwhile, teenagers aged 16 and 17 can now book their booster vaccines online from today. The top-up jabs are also being made available to clinically vulnerable 12 to 15 year olds.