Police are appealing for information on a missing man who was last seen in Harrogate.

Danny Love, 38, was reported missing on November 25 and there is concern for his welfare.

Danny, who is from Morley, is described as white, 6ft tall, stocky with brown hair and blue eyes. His left arm is missing from below the elbow.

West Yorkshire Police said his last confirmed sighting was in Harrogate on November 21.

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He was last seen wearing a dark jacket, red t-shirt, black tracksuit bottoms and a black beanie hat.

Police added in a statement:

“Anyone who has seen him or who has any information that could assist in tracing him is asked to contact Leeds South officers via 101 quoting log 889 of November 25 or online via www.westyorkshire.police.uk/101livechat.”

Every month the Stray Ferret tries to find out what our local MPs have been up to in their constituencies and in the House of Commons.

In November, MPs and their second jobs came under close scrutiny as Conservative MP Owen Paterson resigned after coming under fire for breaching parliamentary standards.

Meanwhile, all Harrogate district MPs voted for a controversial new Health and Social Care bill, which saw some Conservative backbenchers rebel against the government.

We asked our three Conservative MPs, Harrogate & Knaresborough’s Andrew Jones, Skipton and Ripon’s Julian Smith, and Selby and Ainsty’s Nigel Adams if they would like to highlight anything in particular that they have been doing this month, but, as usual, we did not receive a response from any of them.

Here is what we know after analysing their online presence.

Andrew Jones, Harrogate and Knaresborough MP.

In Harrogate and Knaresborough, here is what we found on Mr Jones:

• Mr Jones did not post any news on his website in November.
• He spoke eight times in the House of Commons this past month.
• Among his contributions was to welcome to the government’s integrated rail plan on November 18. This came despite previous comments by Mr Jones in February 2019 when he described the potential scrapping of the eastern leg of HS2 as a “betrayal of the north”.
• He later posted a statement on his Conservative-run website describing the plan as “very positive”.
• On November 22, Mr Jones voted with the government on the Health and Social Care Bill. Some Tory backbenchers raised concern that the government’s proposal will see the poor pay more towards their care.
• Mr Jones’ Twitter account is for ‘retweets only’.

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Julian Smith, MP for Skipton and Ripon.

In Skipton and Ripon, here is what we found on Mr Smith:

• Mr Smith did not update his website during November.
• He tweeted eight times last month. Among his social media posts were tweets congratulating Zoe Metcalfe on being elected North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner.
• During November, Mr Smith’s extra jobs came under scrutiny in the wake of the Owen Paterson affair. Mr Smith earns £144,000 a year from three advisory roles in addition to his £81,932 MP’s salary.
• Mr Smith voted with the government on its Health and Social Care bill on November 22.
• He did not make any spoken contributions in the House of Commons during November.

Nigel Adams, MP for Selby and Ainsty which includes rural Harrogate.

In rural south Harrogate, here is what we found on Mr Adams:

• Mr Adams tweeted four times in November.
• He posted once on his website on November 18 about Prime Minister Boris Johnson visiting his constituency during the launch of the government’s integrated rail plan.
• On November 4, Mr Adams voted for the Leadsom amendment during the Owen Paterson affair. The amendment proposed not suspending Mr Paterson, despite breaching parliamentary standards.
• Mr Adams voted with the government on the Health and Social Care bill on November 22.
• He appeared in the House of Commons four times during November to make both spoken contributions and to answer questions as a government minister.

Harrogate’s Great Yorkshire Showground vaccination site has started to offer appointments for booster vaccinations.

People who are eligible for a booster vaccination in the Harrogate district can now log onto the NHS booking service site for appointments in December.

Yorkshire Health Network, an organisation which represents GP practices in the district, confirmed on its social media channels today that clinics will be held from Monday next week.

Although Harrogate is the largest place in the Harrogate district, it has not had a vaccine site since the summer, forcing residents to travel to  Knaresborough, Ripon and Pateley Bridge, or further afield to Leeds or York.

The showground site is due to reopen for just two weeks as part of the ongoing rollout of booster vaccinations. However, it is unclear if it will continue beyond that period.

The site closed in August after being used to administer covid jabs for most of the year.

A North Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group spokesperson said previously: 

“Plans are in place to run pop-up covid vaccination clinics at the Yorkshire Showground at the beginning of December for two weeks, as this is when we are anticipating a peak in the number of patients eligible to receive their booster jabs.”

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The government announced yesterday that vaccinations will be offered to all adults over-18 and the gap between a second dose and booster will be cut to three months.

However, the NHS is currently still only offering appointments to over-40s. The NHS has advised people to wait to be contacted for their booster appointment.

The move comes as 17.8 million booster vaccines have been given nationally, according to government data.

No figures are currently available for the number given in the Harrogate district.

A Durham company wants to build a new asphalt plant in the Harrogate district.

Tynedale Roadstone Limited hopes to build the plant next to the Allerton Waste Recovery Park, near Knaresborough.

According to an environment scoping report submitted to Harrogate Borough Council, the development would be 22.5m tall and operate for five-and-a-half days a week.

Asphalt plants mix aggregates which can be used for construction projects, such as building roads and car parks.

Documents sent to the council reveal the company expects the plant to operate between 6.30am and 4.30pm from Monday to Friday and 6.30am to 11am on a Saturday or Sunday.

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Around 90 heavy goods vehicle movements are anticipated during those times.

Although a full planning application has yet to be submitted, the developer said that, if approved, construction of the site would begin in the middle of next year.

It added in its planning documents that the site, which is just off the A168, was “strategically placed to serve demand”.

The company said:

“As part of the site searching process alternative sites have been considered and discounted with this development site being chosen based on location adjacent to the strategic road network.”

A full proposal for the asphalt plant is expected to be submitted to the local authority at a later date.

Developers have submitted plans to demolish the former Debenhams building on Harrogate’s Parliament Street.

Wetherby-based property company Stirling Prescient plans to build 50 apartments on the site along with two commercial units.

The site had been a retail unit on Parliament Street for over a century. Before Debenhams, it housed the Buckley’s and Busby’s stores.

However, the building has stood empty since Debenhams closed for good in January this year.

According to documents submitted to Harrogate Borough Council, a five-storey building would be built in its place.

It would include two commercial units on the ground floor and a mixture of one, two and three-bedroom apartments on the upper floors. The apartments would surround a central courtyard which would include plants and seating for residents.

A computer generated image of how the former Debenhams building would look from the Ginnel.

Meanwhile, the basement level of the building will include a 15-space car park with access from Union Street. A cycle store with space for 50 bicycles would also be built.

The developer said in a planning statement that there was “no market” for the building to be reoccupied as a department store.

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It added that there was no scope to convert the building into smaller units “due to its internal layout and the age of the building”.

In documents submitted to the council, Stirling Prescient said:

“The proposals as a whole will strengthen the town’s vitality and viability, increasing footfall and contributing to the local economy. 

“The proposal represents a sustainable form of development and therefore benefits from the presumption in favour of sustainable development, meaning planning permission should be granted without delay.”

Stuart Holland, chair of Harrogate Civic Society, a group that comments on significant planning applications in the town, told the Stray Ferret previously that members had met with the developer for a presentation on their plans.

He said due to the historical significance of the building, demolition will only be acceptable to the civic society if what replaces it is “of the highest quality”.

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

Harrogate Borough Council officers have said a decision to delay a controversial proposal to build 200 homes on a former police training centre site in Pannal Ash was “not justified”.

The council’s planning committee deferred a decision in June on whether to approve the development on the Yew Tree Lane site, pending publication of the West of Harrogate Parameters Plan.

The parameters plan will assess transport and infrastructure needs associated with wider plans to build up to 4,000 homes on the western side of Harrogate.

As reported by the Stray Ferret, the decision to defer was met with frustration by Homes England which told the council in an email it was “extremely disappointing”.

Now council officials have told councillors that the decision had “no policy basis” and urged them to approve the scheme next week.

In a report due before the council’s planning committee next week, they say the parameters plan will not “replace or alter any of the policy requirements set out within the Harrogate District Local Plan 2014-35”.

It adds that the Local Plan, which describes where development is permitted to take place in the district, is the “starting point” for determining any application submitted to the council.

The report says:

“As noted above there is no policy basis for deferring the determination of this application until the West of Harrogate Parameters Plan is concluded.

“There is no reason to delay the determination of this application pending completion of the West of Harrogate Parameters Plan.”

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The report goes on to say that the development would make “a valuable contribution to meeting the district’s housing need”.

It recommends councillors approve the proposal at the planning committee meeting on December 7.

Homes England, the government housing agency, has permission to build 161 homes on the site on Yew Tree Lane but wants to increase this by 23% to 200 homes by building on a sports pitch.

Indicative masterplan of the homes on the former police training centre, as included in the planning documents.

The proposal has proved controversial with Harlow and Pannal Ash Residents Association, which said its faith in the planing system was being “severely tested” by the development.

A spokesperson for HAPARA said:

“HAPARA and the Western Arc Coordination Group will discuss our response very shortly, but the last time this went before committee we argued very strongly that any decision on this site before the parameters plan is agreed will jeopardise the objective of a joined-up approach to the developments and infrastructure on the west side of Harrogate and be contrary to the statements and assurances the community have been given by Harrogate Borough Council.

“Members agreed with this view.  The new officer’s report is based on a very narrow interpretation of the requirements of the Local Plan which was predicated on the earlier permission for 161 dwellings.  The current application is materially different in scale and content.”

Homes England has already appointed property company, Countryside Properties, to build the scheme as part of a £63 million contract.

The contract was awarded in March this year and runs until December 2026.

The Harrogate district has reported a further 111 covid cases, according to today’s government figures.

The district’s covid rate now stands at 494 infections per 100,000 people.

Across the county, the average stands at 457 and the England rate is 439.

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

Latest available figures show 14 covid patients are being treated at Harrogate District Hospital.

Today, the government announced that booster vaccines would be extended to all adults aged over-18 amid concern over the new Omicron variant.

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The gap between a second dose and booster has also been cut to three months.

There is currently no data available on the number of booster vaccines administered in the Harrogate district.

However, 17.8 million have been given nationally.

A further £212,000 of refurbishment works have been approved at Ripon Community Hospital.

NHS Property Services, which owns the building, is carrying out works to the hospital site in an effort to “bring it up to standard”.

The organisation has commissioned Middlesborough-based Maval Electrical and Mechanical Engineering Ltd to carrying out an upgrade to the hospital’s generator.

NHS officials confirmed that the move, which is a £212,262 contract, comes as part of a five-year investment into the site.

As previously reported, the hospital is already in line for a £161,000 refurbishment.

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The move will include upgrading some of the 30-year-old flooring, roofing and a range of electrical units for the building.

Health bosses added that the work had been designed with the input of staff and that the nurses’ station will be refurbished along with new kitchen facilities and a staff breakout area.

Martin Salmon, senior construction manager at NHS Property Services, told the Stray Ferret previously:

“NHS Property Services is committed to a 5-year investment plan that aims to bring Ripon Community Hospital up to the very best of standards, providing first-rate facilities for staff and patients.

“We are pleased that once these improvements have been made, they will help the NHS to deliver excellent patient care.”

Newly elected North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Zoe Metcalfe is set to take the helm this coming week.

Ms Metcalfe will take over the £74,000 a year position from fellow Conservative, Philip Allott, after he resigns last month.

She will take on a position which requires confidence to be restored after Mr Allott made headlines in October when he remarked that Sarah Everard should not have “submitted” to arrest by the police officer who murdered her.

But who is Ms Metcalfe and what was her campaign?

From Harrogate councillor to commissioner

A current Harrogate Borough councillor, Ms Metcalfe represents the Claro ward on the authority.

She sits on various committees, including planning, overview and scrutiny and is chair of the human resources committee.

A Conservative councillor, she also sits on North Yorkshire County Council representing Knaresborough.

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It is unclear if Ms Metcalfe will remain as a councillor on both authorities.

Ms Metcalfe is a project manager for a property company.

Restoring confidence

After launching her campaign in October, Ms Metcalfe said her aim as commissioner would be to protect women and girls and tackle organised crime.

She said the focus of her campaign was “improving safety for women and girls across North Yorkshire, supporting victims of crime and tackling serious and organised crime”.

Ms Metcalfe also pledged to restore confidence by “being visible, transparent and open, working alongside our excellent police officers and firefighters”.

She also made a pledge to “make sure resident’s priorities are put in place to make our streets safer for everyone”.

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On the 101 number, Ms Metcalfe said she would use all the commissioner’s powers to get to grips with what is a “crucial” service.

She said the public money spent updating the service had not resolved the long telephone waits people experience/  If elected, Mrs Metcalfe pledged to “take a forensic look at what the issues are and work alongside the police to resolve them”.

Tackling speeding and inequality

Ms Metcalfe, who is the third Conservative to be elected to the role, said education and more publicity were needed as part of the speeding management strategy.

She said:

“I would like to see an emphasis placed on showing drivers the impacts of their speeding from being an anti-social behaviour, a serious and dangerous activity and how their own lives can be impacted if caught breaking the law.”

Meanwhile, in an effort to tackle inequality, said she would work with the services to ensure the correct recruitment strategies are in place. 

“There can be no room for inequalities in North Yorkshire and I will ensure the commissioner’s office leads the way on equality issues and will work with senior figures within the services so they do likewise.”

All these issues mean Ms Metcalfe has her work cut out as North Yorkshire’s latest Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner. Philip Allott’s blunder left many feeling it’s a job that hasn’t delivered and should not be politicised. The spotlight of public scrutiny now turns on her.

The Conservatives have held the position of North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner.

Zoe Metcalfe, the Tory candidate who is also a councillor on Harrogate Borough Council, was elected with a vote of 41,760.

The vote went to a second preferences count after no candidate took 50 per cent of the vote.

She replaces Philip Allott, who resigned from the role last month.

The turnout of the election was 13.94% – a significant drop from the 25.3% recorded at the polls in May.

The results on first and second preferences were:

• Zoe Metcalfe, Conservative – 41,760
• Emma Scott-Spivey, Labour – 26,895

In the first round, James Barker, Liberal Democrat, got 9,499 and Keith Tordoff, Independent, 14,988. Dr Hannah Barham-Brown. Women’s Equality Party, got 8,837.

Simon Dennis, chief executive of the Office of the North Yorkshire Police, Fire & Crime Commissioner said:

“On behalf of the Office, I am delighted to welcome Zoë to the role of Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner. Together with the Chief Constable and the Interim Chief Fire Officer, I look forward to working with her in the years ahead.

“I also want to thank Jenni Newberry for serving as Acting Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for the past few weeks and all the team at the Office of the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner who have worked so hard to ensure our work continued without interruption ahead of this by-election.

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