Harrogate district reports 78 covid cases

Public Health England figures show that the Harrogate district has recorded another 78 coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours.

Meanwhile, the district’s seven-day rate is now at 270 per 100,000 people.

The North Yorkshire rate stands at 257 and the England average is 286.

However, Harrogate District Hospital has not reported a covid-related death in nearly four months. The last time a death was recorded was on April 11.

It means the covid death toll at the hospital since March 2020 remains at 179.

Elsewhere, 123,253 people have received a first covid vaccine in the Harrogate district and 106,664 have had a second dose.

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Gallery: Harrogate Town fans return for start of season

Harrogate Town fans flocked to Wetherby Road in numbers today for the return of league football.

Supporters packed inside the EnviroVent Stadium to welcome back Harrogate Town as they opened their 2020/21 League Two campaign against Rochdale.

Town fans were robbed of the experience of visiting Wembley stadium for the National League play-off final, which coincidentally was a year ago this weekend.

Fans were then left to follow the club through their laptop and mobile phone screens for most of last season as the covid pandemic saw football played behind closed doors.

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But, after a record number of season ticket sales, the Town faithful are back and hopefully for the entirety of the League Two campaign.

For many supporters, today was the first chance to watch Town play league football in the flesh.

Here’s a selection of pictures from the first EFL game back at Wetherby Road.

Harrogate Town fans returned to Wetherby Road for the start of the 2021/22 League Two season.

Nidderdale Charity Walk and Run set to return next month

The Nidderdale Charity Walk is set to return next month for its 27th year.

The event, which is organised by The Rotary Club of Harrogate, will be held on Sunday, September 5, aims to raise money for charitable causes while keeping active.

Over the years, participants have raised money for a number of charities including Harrogate Hospital and Community, Dementia Forward and Harrogate Easier Living Project.

The rotary club also offers those causes which have received 10 or more supporters an 80% donation of the entry fees their fundraisers have paid.

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To date participants of the Nidderdale walks have raised more than £880,000 for charity.

Held annually, five routes will be included in this year’s event with a mixture of distances ranging from four to 26 mile walks.

All walks will start in Pateley Bridge Scout Hall and lead into Upper Nidderdale, with some going beyond into Lofthouse and Ramsgill.

For more information on how to take part and entry fees for the Nidderdale Charity Walk, visit the website here.

Ripon man to be sentenced for animal welfare offences

A Ripon man is to be sentenced next month after pleading guilty to a string of animal welfare offences.

Michael Andrew Hawkswell, 45, of Nunwick near Ripon, appeared at York Magistrates Court on Wednesday, accused of breaching the Animal Welfare Act 2006, which forbids him from keeping animals.

Hawkswell, who is disqualified from keeping or owning animals, has been charged with possessing 76 birds and five other offences.

They include buying and transporting two goats, possessing seven sheep in his trailer, possessing a duck, unloading poultry from a vehicle into sale pens at Highgate auctions in Rotherham and buying and selling poultry.

Hawkswell was remanded on unconditional bail pending a sentencing hearing on September 8.

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Another 73 covid cases reported in Harrogate district

The Harrogate district has recorded another 73 new covid cases in the last 24 hours, according to today’s Public Health England figures.

Meanwhile, the district’s seven-day covid rate has fallen to 260 cases per 100,000 people.

Elsewhere, the North Yorkshire rate stands at 254 and the England average is 262.

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

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It means the covid death toll at the hospital since March 2020 remains at 179.

However, latest figures show that the hospital is treating eight covid patients.

Elsewhere, 123,191 people have received a first covid vaccine in the Harrogate district and 106,353 have had a second dose.

Council to award business case contract for £47m redevelopment of Harrogate Convention Centre

A potential £47 million redevelopment of Harrogate Convention Centre looks set to move another step closer with the awarding of a contract to assess the economic impacts of covid.

Trevor Watson, Harrogate Borough Council’s director of economy, environment and housing, will hold a meeting next Tuesday to approve the contract ,which will also involve work on a full business case and planning updates for the proposed project.

It follows a competitive tender process during which the council only received a single bid for the business planning works.

If approved, a decision would be made by the council on the business case in March 2022. The authority said this would fit with the timescales of the reorganisation of local councils in North Yorkshire.

The borough council will no longer exist by May 2023 as part of government plans to scrap the county council and seven districts and replace them with one super authority. It means it will no longer have control over the HCC.

The value of the contract and the bidder is not yet known – and will only be made public if it is agreed by both parties.

In a report to Tuesday’s meeting, Rebecca Micallef, economy and transport officer at the council, said the bidder’s proposals were “excellent overall” and that the business planning works would help form a final decision over whether the redevelopment should go ahead.

She said:

“The work will look in detail at the wider economic impact of the  redevelopment proposals on Harrogate, the district and beyond and help us to better understand the implications of covid on the industry and therefore the case for investment.

“Harrogate Convention Centre is a vital economic driver for the Harrogate district and wider region, providing a unique offer for the conference and exhibition market.

“The redevelopment of the venue offers the potential to deliver an exciting and major transformational project and is critical to the covid economic recovery plan for Harrogate district.”

After warning the 40-year-old convention centre may not survive without investment, the council awarded design firm Arcadis a £1 million contract earlier this year to produce design proposals.

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Can the events industry bounce back?

The venue was struggling financially before the pandemic hit and it was then used as an NHS Nightingale hospital for almost a year.

The 500-bed hospital did not treat a single coronavirus patient and after being dismantled in spring, several conference events have now made a return.

It was estimated before the pandemic that the convention centre attracted more than 150,000 visitors a year with an economic impact of £35 million. However, there are now questions over if the events industry can bounce back to pre-covid levels and what risks this could mean for the £47 million redevelopment.

There is also the question of how the project would be funded, with council leader Richard Cooper previously saying he hoped the government would provide cash to repay the “goodwill” of the convention centre’s use as the Nightingale hospital.

Economy and transport officer Rebecca Micallef also said in her report to Tuesday’s meeting that the development of the business case would play a “crucial part” in supporting bids for external funding.

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.

Around £20 million would be needed to complete a first phase of redevelopment, with another phase later.

If this is not done, a report previously estimated the venue’s maintenance costs over 20 years could reach £19 million.

Persimmon Homes ‘assessing options’ after 217 homes in Harrogate refused

Persimmon Homes has said it is considering its options after being refused a controversial 217-home development in Harrogate.

The developer had lodged plans for the new homes on land off Kingsley Drive.

However, councillors rejected the plan on Tuesday after Harrogate Borough Council officials said the development was “not considered acceptable”.

The land is earmarked for development in the Harrogate district Local Plan 2014-35, which outlines planned development in the district until 2035.

The Stray Ferret asked the developer what it intended to do with the proposal following the rejection.

A spokesperson for Persimmon Homes Yorkshire said the business was currently assessing all options but that it was too early to confirm anything yet.

Residents on Kingsley Drive said that they will keep an eye on the proposal after another developer, Richborough Estates, successfully appealed a decision to refuse 149-homes on nearby Kingsley Road in March.

Requests for delay

At the meeting on Tuesday, Paul Butler, agent for the developer, requested that councillors defer the application so that the council and Persimmon could work on the design and layout of the scheme.

Mr Butler said: 

“I want to make it absolutely clear that we very much want to work with the council and local residents.

“The site is allocated for housing and those further proposals and applications will always be forthcoming. The key from here is ensuring those details are right.

“When it comes to these details – specifically design, layout, highways and drainage matters – we have got the message loud and clear; we need to make improvements.”

However, council officers said the scheme had gone through “a number of versions” and it was still not acceptable.

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Concern was also raised that the development would result in more homes on the site than allocated in the Local Plan, if it had been approved.

Nigel Middlemass, the Conservative councillor for Harrogate Kingsley, told the committee that the development had not been thought through.

Councillors voted to unanimously refuse the application.

Residents on Kingsley Drive who objected to a 217 home plan next to their homes.

Residents on Kingsley Drive who objected to a 217 home plan in the area.

Residents remain vigilant

The Kingsley ward area will eventually see more than 600 homes built, including developments at Granby Farm and 149 homes on Kingsley Road.

The number of developments has raised concern among residents that the area is overdeveloped and that the road infrastructure cannot cope with construction traffic.

However, following the refusal of Persimmon’s plan, locals said it was a “good result” for the Kingsley ward.

But, John Hansard, who lives in the area, told the Stray Ferret that residents would “remain vigilant” in case the proposal returns.

He said:

“It was a good result and I am pleased about that. It does give us a bit of breathing space.

“My only concern is that they [the developer] will appeal. I think that we need to look into that.

“I think we need to remain vigilant.”

Bid to build 170 homes in Knaresborough refused again

Plans for a major housing development behind a Knaresborough school have been refused for the second time in two years because of concerns about the “poor” layout and design.

Proposals for 218 homes near Meadowside Academy were first rejected by Harrogate Borough Council’s planning committee in October 2019.

Applicant Geoffrey Holland then scaled back house numbers for the scheme to 170 in his second push for approval. However, these latest plans were thrown out again by councillors at a meeting on Tuesday.

Recommending refusal, council planning officer Kate Broadbank said the Water Lane scheme had a number of “fundamental” issues.

She said: 

“One of the site allocation requirements is the provision of a circular recreation route – and this has been provided around the edge of the site.

“However, it is considered to be unsatisfactory, as it is a narrow path between the site boundary and side elevations of dwellings, meaning it is not very well overlooked and would not provide a safe, attractive route.

“The same situation occurred around the open space and children’s play area where houses backed onto this.

“The applicant has tried to overcome this by turning some houses around to face onto the path and play area, however, this has led to an issue with rear gardens now backing onto the streets.

“On the whole, the scheme is considered to lack character or a sense of place.”

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At Tuesday’s meeting, an agent for Mr Holland urged the committee to not vote for refusal but instead defer a decision on the plans.

This, again, was rejected by councillors.

The agent said: 

“If the layout was fundamentally flawed, we should have been told that six months ago, not last week.

“I urge the committee, bearing in mind that most of the issues have been resolved, that the item be deferred for the final layout negotiations to take place.”

80 objections

Ms Broadbank responded to say she did not believe a deferral would bring about major improvements to the key parts of the scheme, particularly the layout.

She said: 

“My view is that there would not be any fundamental change to the layout if it was to be deferred. We have been in negotiations for quite a long time now and my main concerns were expressed to the applicant last year.

“The revisions I have received to date have not overcome the fundamental issues with the layout which I have to say is probably driven by the number of units.”

The site is allocated for more than 148 homes in the Harrogate district Local Plan 2014-2035, which outlines development in the district until 2035. This means development will happen once councillors are satisfied with detailed plans.

The latest proposals included a mix of one and two-bedroom apartments, as well as two, three and four-bedroom houses.

A total of 81 of these properties would have been classed as affordable.

More than 80 residents had lodged objections against the plans, which did not receive a single letter of support.

Kingsley Drive residents to ‘remain vigilant’ despite 217-home rejection

Residents on Harrogate’s Kingsley Drive say they will “remain vigilant” despite a controversial 217 home plan in the area being rejected.

Councillors on Harrogate Borough Council’s planning committee unanimously voted to refuse the proposal from Persimmon Homes yesterday after council officers said it was unacceptable.

The council received 388 objections to the scheme and no responses in favour.

The Kingsley ward area will eventually see more than 600 homes built, including developments at Granby Farm and 149 homes on Kingsley Road.

However, despite the refusal, residents have said they intend to keep an eye on the proposal in case it is appealed.

The proposed layout of the homes on Kingsley Drive as submitted by developer Persimmon Homes.

The proposed layout of the homes on Kingsley Drive as submitted by developer Persimmon Homes.

John Hansard, who lives in the area, told the Stray Ferret that the refusal was a “good result” but added that locals were well aware that the plan could come back.

Mr Hansard pointed to the Planning Inspectorate’s decision to approve 149 homes on Kingsley Road back in March, despite the borough council refusing the plan, as an example.

He said:

“It was a good result and I am pleased about that. It does give us a bit of breathing space.

“My only concern is that they [the developer] will appeal. I think that we need to look into that.

“I think we need to remain vigilant.”

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Meanwhile, Catherine Maguire, another resident on Kingsley Drive, said the result left her with mixed emotions.

She said the news was “positive” for the area, but added that there was further to go in opposing the scheme.

Ms Maguire said:

“It’s good to have some positive news, but I have mixed emotions and there is a long road ahead.

“You never know what a planning inspector will say. But I feel more confident this time, because there are too many issues with the site.”

Chris Watt, who spoke on behalf of Kingsley Ward Action Group at the meeting, said he was delighted that councillors sided with residents.

He told the Stray Ferret:

“I’m delighted that councillors listened to local residents and rejected this terrible proposal.

“The area is already suffering from heavy construction traffic from early in the morning and another massive housing project in an already over developed area would only make matters worse and add to congestion and pollution.

“It was telling how scathing councillors were about the proposals and it shows the power that local people can have.”

Officer and councillor concerns

Ahead of refusing the proposal, council officers said the application was “not considered acceptable”.

Although the site is allocated for housing under the council’s Harrogate district Local Plan 2014-35, which outlines development in the district until 2035, officers had concerns about overdevelopment and inadequate information on surface water drainage and noise.

Authority officials also said in a report that the number of homes on the site was above the 173 allocated in the local plan.

The application, when combined with the nearby Stonebridge Homes development, would have seen a total of 313 houses built if it had been approved.

Meanwhile, Cllr Nigel Middlemass, ward member for Kinglsey, told the council’s planning committee that the development had not been thought through.

He said:

“This is the biggest and worst thought out [housing site] in the area. It is far too intensive and well above the numbers in the local plan.”

Paul Butler, agent for Persimmon Homes, requested that the committee defer the application so that the council and developer could work on the design and layout of the scheme.

However, the council’s planning committee voted unanimously to reject the scheme.

Council rejects controversial plan for 217 homes on Kingsley Drive

Harrogate borough councillors have rejected a controversial scheme for 217 homes on Kingsley Drive.

The council received 388 objections to the scheme and no responses in favour.

The current application, submitted by Persimmon Homes, has seen the number of properties planned on the site reduced from 244 to 217.

But Harrogate Borough Council planning officers said the proposal “was not considered acceptable”.

The Kingsley ward area will eventually see more than 600 homes built, including developments at Granby Farm and 149 homes on Kingsley Road.

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However, residents have raised a number of concerns over Persimmon’s plan, including overdevelopment and traffic congestion.

Chris Watt, speaking on behalf of Kingsley Ward Action Group, said the traffic caused by the homes would make congestion worse in the area.

He said:

“As we have already seen from current developments taking place, our local roads are not designed for construction traffic.

“Congestion on Knaresborough Road is already bad and this would only be made worse by the number of houses proposed for this site.”

Meanwhile, Cllr Nigel Middlemass, ward member for Kinglsey, told the committee that the development had not been thought through.

He said:

“This is the biggest and worst thought out [housing site] in the area. It is far too intensive and well above the numbers in the local plan.”

Paul Butler, agent for Persimmon Homes, requested that the committee defer the application so that the council and developer could work on the design and layout of the scheme.

However, the council’s planning committee voted unanimously to reject the scheme.