Masham’s Black Sheep Brewery signs renewable energy deal

Black Sheep Brewery has signed a three-year deal with a biogas company to create renewable energy.

The Masham-based brewery has made the agreement with Warrens Group, which recycles food waste into energy.

Warrens Group will buy items such as spent grains, hops and yeast, as well as food waste from Black Sheep’s visitor centre restaurant, and use them to make biogas and fuel its fleet of gas-powered vehicles.

The partnership aims to support sustainability at Black Sheep and create a new income stream from the by-products of the brewing process.

Warrens Group, which has a recycling facility in County Durham, uses a process called anaerobic digestion to produce gas, which is then used as fuel, either for grid resources such as heat and electricity generation or as biofuels for vehicles.

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Black Sheep said the deal will support the brewery’s ambition to use 100 per cent renewable energy in the production of its range of beers and lager in line with the retail and wholesale industries’ targets for reducing environmental impact from within its supply chains.

Dan Scott-Paul, head brewer at Black Sheep Brewery, said: 

“Demonstrating that 100 percent of our brewing by-products will support renewable energy generation is an important part of our contribution to an environmentally conscious food and drink industry.

“It also puts us on the road to our ambition of brewing using only renewable energy, some of which will be generated by the waste products we provide.”

Views wanted on future of Starbeck and Knaresborough outdoor gyms

Harrogate Borough Council has launched a consultation on the future of free outdoor gyms in Knaresborough and Starbeck.

The authority recently removed equipment at Knaresborough House and Belmont Park, which it installed in 2011 at a cost of £9,000.

It said the equipment, which included a cross country skier, push up/dip station, seated chest press and leg press, had reached the end of its life and was “in danger of causing injury”.

Council officials want to replace the kit with similar equipment.

A public consultation has been launched online and will close on Sunday, September 26.

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A post on the council’s Parks and Environmental Service Facebook page said:

“This consultation will gather opinions from local residents to help us create the most suitable design for the fitness area.

“The public consultation report will be used to create a wish list for the design brief, which will influence the final decision.”

You can give your views on the future of the outdoor gym areas in Starbeck and Knaresborough here.

Harrogate district TV and radio coverage disrupted by mast fire

A fire at a transmitter in North Yorkshire is affecting television and radio coverage in the Harrogate district.

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue were called to Bilsdale mast near Helmsley this afternoon after reports of smoke coming from the area.

Readers of the Stray Ferret have got in touch to report that the issue has affected television coverage in the Bilton area and north of the district.

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North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue service said six appliances and two water bowsers were in attendance at the fire this afternoon.

A spokesperson for the service said:

“Crews are working hard to control the fire in difficult circumstances – it is unclear at this time if any of the centres transmitting capability has been affected or the cause of the fire which will be investigated in due course.

“NYFRS ask that members of the public do not go near to the site, particularly as this area has limited access and we need to be able to move vehicles and people around to help fight the fire.”

Harrogate district reports another 60 daily covid infections

The Harrogate district has recorded another 60 covid infections in the last 24 hours, according to latest Public Health England figures.

Meanwhile, the district’s seven-day rate is now at 289 per 100,000 people.

The North Yorkshire rate stands at 269 and the England average is 296.

However, Harrogate District Hospital has not reported a covid-related death in nearly four months. 

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The last time a death was recorded was on April 11.

It means the number of covid deaths at the hospital since March 2020 remains at 179.

Elsewhere, 123,394 people have received a first covid vaccine in the Harrogate district and 107,875 have had a second dose.

Free public wi-fi to be rolled out in Ripon

Ripon is set to get free public wi-fi as part of a roll out of the infrastructure across North Yorkshire.

North Yorkshire County Council and Harrogate Borough Council are behind the project, which aims to boost digital connectivity.

The county council is introducing free public wi-fi to 16 market towns.

The borough council put froward £300,000 to include Ripon in the scheme, which will be the first town in the district to receive free public wi-fi. Harrogate and Knaresborough will also be part of the project.

Today’s statement by the county council announcing the news did not say when the rollout would be completed.

Gary Camplejohn, treasurer of Ripon City AFC said the initiative would provide “real benefits” to Ripon. He said:

“Having publicly available free Wi-Fi will hopefully enable locals and visitors to explore Ripon digitally with a view to finding what they need to stay longer and support the local economy.

“From a personal perspective, having free Wi-Fi in the city centre gives me added comfort that my 11-year-old daughter could communicate with relatives via internet communications in the event of her mobile credit running out.”

Cllr Graham Swift, cabinet member for resources, enterprise and economic development at the borough council, said:

“It is believed that more than 80 per cent of adults have a smartphone and we all like to have high-speed connectivity wherever we are. That’s why we’re funding this scheme, which is being supported by the county council.

“Providing free wi-fi in public spaces, such as Ripon, supports our economic growth strategy which aims to make the Harrogate district the best place to live, work and visit.”

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Cllr Don Mackenzie, executive member for access at the county council, said:

“Our free public wi-fi project is very good news for the local economies of the town centres which are part of this scheme. It provides the opportunity to our residents and visitors to access the internet and to find out what local businesses have to offer.

“Following on from the successful introduction of this free service in Scarborough, Northallerton and Leyburn, Ripon residents and visitors are now able to benefit from this latest investment in North Yorkshire’s digital infrastructure.”

The scheme is partly funded by a £3 million investment from York and North Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership as part of its allocation from the government’s Getting Building Fund.

Call for government to reject controversial Spofforth homes plan

Residents in Spofforth have called on the government to reject a controversial plan for 72 homes in Spofforth.

Yorkshire Housing Ltd has challenged Harrogate Borough Council’s decision to refuse its proposal for the site 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 2020.

An appeal will now go before the government’s Planning Inspectorate, which will decide whether to approve the proposal.

But residents have written to the government to call for the proposal to be thrown out.

Luke Barrett, who lives in the village, said in a letter to the Planning Inspectorate that the proposal was out of character for Spofforth.

He said:

“Spofforth is a historic village with only 500 houses. The entrance to the scheme is at the most historic side with numerous historical or listed buildings.

“The scheme is clearly out of character with this.

“The land presents such a rare opportunity to provide something special that could actually add to the character or beautiful village [sic].

“Unfortunately the proposed scheme does the opposite and detracts from the village. Please protect the village and dismiss the appeal.”

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Meanwhile, Spofforth with Stockheld Parish Council told the inspector that residents were not against more housing, but added that the current proposal was not in keeping with the village.

In a letter, Shirley Fawcett, chair of the parish council, said:

“The community of Spofforth accept the need for additional houses but there is great concern about the design, form and number of houses proposed; the layout and density of the proposed development; and the impact of the proposed development on the character and setting of the attractive and historic village of Spofforth. 

“Indeed, the general consensus of parishioners is that this development would result in the urbanisation of the village, with no sympathy shown to the existing architecture, fabric or heritage of the village.”

More than 300 local people and organisations, including Natural England and Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, have raised concerns about the scheme.

In its decision notice, the Harrogate council said the plan would have a “detrimental urbanising impact upon the character and setting of Spofforth”.

But, in a statement of case by planning lawyers Walton & Co, which is representing the developers, said the “solitary” reason for refusal was “expressed in generic language”.

It said:

“It is therefore unclear which particular aspect of the layout or design of the proposed scheme is considered to give rise to such impacts, and the assertions made in the reason for refusal are entirely unsubstantiated.”

A decision on the appeal will be made by the government at a later date.

What will devolution mean for major council projects in Harrogate?

This year and next promises to be a pivotal time in Harrogate’s future with a number of exciting, controversial and long-delayed projects coming to the fore.

These include a potential £47 million redevelopment of Harrogate Convention Centre, the £10.9 million Station Gateway project and – at long last – the start of the Otley Road cycle path.

But with local government reorganisation spelling the end of Harrogate Borough Council and North Yorkshire County Council by April 2023, there are now questions over how these big plans will progress.

In a move to give reassurances that the projects remain on track, Wallace Sampson, chief executive of the borough council, said the authority has “no plans to sit back” until it is abolished, while Cllr Don Mackenzie, executive member for access at the county council, added he is not expecting any delays as a result of reorganisation.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service asked both councils where each of their big projects are currently at and what happens when reorganisation comes around.

Here is what they said.

£10.9 million Harrogate Station Gateway

A county council spokesperson said the anticipated start date for this project is February 2022 and that more public consultations are planned for next month.

The gateway is due for completion by a government funding deadline of March 2023, although the county council has conceded these tight time-scales “remain challenging”.

The project involves a number of road layout changes in the Station Parade area to encourage more climate friendly travel.

If completed on schedule, the project will be done just one month before both councils are abolished.

£47 million redevelopment of Harrogate Convention Centre

A borough council spokesperson said this project remains a “priority” and that “work continues unabated” by reorganisation.

They added final decisions on whether the project should go ahead and how it would be funded are scheduled for early 2022.

Beyond that, the council has yet to say when construction could start and end, although it did previously say the project would be delivered in two phases.

Plans to rebuild the venue could involve three exhibition halls being demolished to make way for a new 5,000 sq m hall and a refurbished auditorium.

Harrogate district Local Plan 2014-35

The Local Plan, which outlines planning development in the district until 2035, was adopted by the borough council in March last year and paved the way for thousands of new homes and businesses to be built across the district.

It was six years in the making and a borough council spokesperson said it will remain as the statutory development plan for the district under the new North Yorkshire council “until such time it is superseded by subsequent development plans”.

3,000 homes at Green Hammerton

Plans for this huge housing settlement were a key part of the Local Plan debate.

Many residents have argued the homes should be built on the former Flaxby Park golf course but the borough council is now pushing for the creation of a settlement development plan for the Green Hammerton area.

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A borough council spokesperson said the development plan will be presented to councillors for a formal decision in “due course”.

Otley Road cycle lane

Plans for the cycle lane were first announced in 2017 but have since hit a series of delays including the need for utility works and negotiations over the use of Stray land.

A county council spokesperson said utility works are currently underway and that subject to their completion, the anticipated start date for phase one of the scheme is September 6, with phase two scheduled to begin in February 2022 and full completion by June that year.

Active travel schemes

The county council is currently awaiting a decision on its £1.5 million bid to the third round of the government’s active travel fund.

This bid includes two projects in the Harrogate district: the development of sustainable travel corridors in the west of Ripon, and feasibility work for a footpath and cycleway between Knaresborough and Flaxby Green Park.

A decision is expected in autumn and if successful funds must be spent before March 2023.

In the second round, the county council successfully bid for £266,000 for cycling and walking improvements on the A59 between Harrogate and Knaresborough, as well as similar plans in the Victoria Avenue area of Harrogate.

This funding must be spent during the 2021/22 financial year.

There were also plans for a one-way traffic system and junction filters on Oatlands Drive but these were scrapped in favour of a feasibility study to look into what other improvements could be made. 

This study is currently underway.

A59 realignment at Kex Gill

A county council spokesperson said: 

“The tendering process for the realignment of the A59 at Kex Gill is under way. Work could start as early as autumn, with construction taking up to 18 months.

“However, this is subject to satisfactory completion of the necessary statutory processes.”

Plans for this £60 million project include building a new carriageway around a stretch of the A59 between Harrogate and Skipton which has repeatedly been hit by landslides.

New Ripon swimming pool

This multi-million project is due for completion by the end of 2021 but has been hit by delays following the discovery of an underground void at the Ripon Leisure Centre site.

A borough council spokesperson said: 

“We are currently investigating further. Should any remedial work be required then they will be carried out.

“We remain committed to providing modern, fit-for-purpose leisure facilities for the people of Ripon and are looking forward to opening the new facilities.”

The swimming pool is being built as a replacement for the 116-year-old Ripon Spa Baths which has been put up for sale despite protests from local councillors and residents.

New Knaresborough swimming pool

The borough council is also behind these plans for a new facility to replace the town’s existing swimming pool at Fysche Field and has begun drawing up designs.

A borough council spokesperson said: 

“Alliance Leisure Services, our appointed development partner for the leisure investment project, are currently exploring options and carrying out design feasibility work for the future leisure centre in Knaresborough.

“A formal decision will be presented to council in due course.”

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In a full statement commenting on all projects, Cllr Don Mackenzie, executive county councillor for access, said: 

“We are working with our partners on numerous major transport projects to benefit communities around the county. Our commitment to completing these remains as strong as ever, as does meeting the delivery deadlines that are a condition of some funding awards.

“We do not anticipate any delays to highways and transport projects as a result of local government reorganisation.

“We are committed to continuing each of these projects as planned with our partners. From April 2023, the new council for North Yorkshire will assume responsibility for ongoing projects.

“In the meantime, the county council will continue to pursue funding opportunities as these arise as appropriate for the benefit of our communities, as residents, businesses and visitors would expect us to do.”

Meanwhile, Mr Sampson added: 

“Harrogate Borough Council will continue to exist until 2023 and we have no plans to sit back until this time. We have a number of exciting and ambitious projects that have either started or are due to start in the coming months.

“We are also committed to supporting our economy post covid and will be looking at all projects, before the new unitary authority comes into operation, to explore what investment projects should or could be delivered.”

Harrogate business organisations launch Station Gateway survey

Three Harrogate business organisations have set up a survey on the upcoming £10.9 million Station Gateway project in an effort to gather more views on the scheme.

Harrogate BID, Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce and Independent Harrogate sent the survey out to around 800 of their members.

The aim is to gather opinions ahead of the second consultation of the gateway project, which is currently at design stage, in order to inform a response.

The scheme, which is being led by North Yorkshire County Council, Harrogate Borough Council and West Yorkshire Combined Authority, is designed to cut congestion in the town.

It could also see part of James Street pedestrianised in an effort to encourage more walking and cycling.

But, David Simister, chief executive of the chamber of commerce, told the Stray Ferret that more people needed to be consulted on the project.

He said:

“We are coming into the second round of consultation and we are trying to gauge the reaction of businesses.

“That is why we are doing it.”

Mr Simister pointed out that 1,100 people took part in the first round of consultation, but added that more needed to “feel a part” of the process.

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He said that the chamber was also looking at holding an in-person Q&A session between businesses and the county council at a later date.

Following the outcome of the next round of consultation, further detailed design plans are expected in September ahead of a final business case being complete.

A final proposal for the project is anticipated to go before the county council’s executive in December.

As the Stray Ferret previously reported, the county council has anticipated that work could start on the £10.9 million project in February next year.

It follows the recent publication of a 160-page document analysing responses to the first round of consultation to the scheme, which is a joint initiative between Harrogate Borough Council, North Yorkshire County Council and the West Yorkshire Combined Authority.

Of 935 people who replied to a consultation question about traffic on Station Parade in an online survey, 49 per cent preferred the one-lane option, 27 per cent preferred the two-lane option and 24 per cent preferred neither.

Of the 934 who replied to a question about pedestrianising the northern section of James Street, between Princes Street and Station Parade, 54 per cent said they were either positive or very positive about it while 38 per cent were negative or very negative towards it.

‘No agreement’ on Greens and Lib Dem alliance at next elections

No agreement is in place for Green Party candidates to step aside for the Liberal Democrats in Harrogate district elections in 2022, say local party officials.

However, officials in the Harrogate and District Green Party say they will consider talks ahead of next May.

The party recently agreed with the Liberal Democrats to not stand a candidate in the Knaresborough Scriven Park by-election in an effort to unseat the Conservatives.

As a result, Lib Dem candidate Hannah Gostlow won the seat by 251 votes.

But, Tamsin Worrall, election campaign manager for the Harrogate and District Green Party, said the party had no agreement beyond next year.

She said:

“I must stress there is no agreement for 2022 or 2023. However, I am sure we will be talking about it.

“Whether or not we come to an agreement is another thing.”

Ms Worrall said the recent decision to stand down a candidate was reached after both parties found broad agreement on issues such as the environment.

She said the Greens and Liberal Democrats also agreed that the current voting system, first-past-the-post, did not work for them and gave the Conservatives an advantage.

The party said voters would be “better served” under a new system. However, in the meantime, the Greens may continue to use campaign tactics such as working with other parties to target seats.

Future talks 

The seismic decision to scrap North Yorkshire County Council and the seven districts will mean elections to a new unitary authority next year.

It also means that boundaries for council wards will be redrawn and raises questions over whether the alliance between the Greens and Liberal Democrats may continue under the new authority.

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Cllr David Goode, Liberal Democrat county councillor for Knaresborough, said the outcome in the Knaresborough Scriven Park by-election, which also included a Lib Dem elected to the town council, could not have been done without the cooperation between the two parties.

He said:

“The Liberal Democrat success in getting two councillors elected in the Knaresborough Scriven Park by-election was in part due to the help and support of the Green Party in not fielding a candidate.

“Clearly not splitting the opposition vote can make a difference particularly where the result of a hard fought campaign is likely to give a very close result.”

However, despite the result, the Green Party stood a candidate in the county council by-election for the Bilton and Nidd Gorge ward in May.

The election saw Conservative candidate Cllr Matt Scott win the seat.

Ms Worrall said the party could have stood down, but the turnaround for the by-election was too short and negotiations would not have been completed in time.

However, she said the elections in May 2022 and the new authority for North Yorkshire may open up another opportunity for cooperation.

“I would expect that we will talk at some point.”

Meanwhile, Cllr Goode said greater ties were also needed on a national level to help the parties in a future election.

He said:

“With regards to any future joint cooperation pacts locally between Lib Dems and Green there is still further discussions needed to see if common ground can be identified. 

“This process would be greatly helped if there was improved national cross party links leading to some form of agreement between our parties.”

Devolution will ‘offer residents everywhere a fairer future’, says county council leader

The leader of North Yorkshire County Council has said the forthcoming major shake-up of local government in the county brings the chance to “improve lives and offer residents everywhere a fairer future”.

Writing in an open letter after the government announced it would grant control of all council services to a new unitary authority covering the whole of the county in 2023, Cllr Carl Les said:

“In North Yorkshire we are famous for our straight talking so I want to be clear on what an opportunity we have before us.

“Government has given the green light for a new single council, which will deliver all local services to every household in the county from spring 2023. Not in itself perhaps the most exciting line on earth – but the benefits this approach will bring are real and must not be underestimated.”

Under the reorganisation plans, North Yorkshire’s county and district councils – including Harrogate – are to be scrapped and replaced by the new unitary authority.

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City of York Council will remain separate but all others will be fused together under the new structure covering a population of 618,000.

Cllr Les added:

“Put simply, that’s eight councils, with a wealth of dedicated and skilled staff between them, coming together to form one focused workforce, joining up all those services that will make life easier for everyone.

“Aligning things like planning, broadband, highways and housing to build stronger communities. Joining up job opportunities with education and skills. Support for families with health, leisure and cultural offers.

“The chance to enrich and improve the lives of very many people here and offer residents everywhere a fairer future. It will also save tens of millions that can be ploughed back into strengthening public services and empowering communities to drive and deliver on what matters most to them.”

The single council structure was proposed by North Yorkshire County Council, while the district councils except Hambleton, which rejected all options on the table, submitted a bid for two authorities split on a east/west basis.

Speaking after the government last month announced its backing of the county council proposal, Cllr Richard Cooper, leader of Harrogate Borough Council, said the decision “flew in the face of the government’s own criteria”.

He said: 

“My argument has always been that any unitary for our area needs to be of the right size and structure to deliver efficient and responsive services to residents.

“The county council deliver some services exceptionally – children’s services and adult social care to name two. In other areas they let our borough down.

“My job now as the leader of Harrogate Borough Council is to explore how the new unitary authority, based on the county structure, can improve these shortcomings.”

The aim of reorganisation is to save money and unlock the door to a devolution deal which could see millions of pounds and decision-making powers handed down from government to North Yorkshire under the control of a new mayor.

Cllr Les added this presented an opportunity for the county to fulfil its role as a “rural powerhouse” as he also urged leaders and residents to work together towards this aim.

He said: 

“Whatever your view on the timing of, detail or context for big changes to how services are future proofed here, please come together as one to help deliver the very best for every single person in the county.

“Team North Yorkshire is resilient, caring and focused. Let’s show the nation what we can do.”