Calvin Robinson Chief Reporter, Author at The Stray Ferret

Plan to convert Hampsthwaite surgery rejected

Plans to convert a former Hampsthwaite doctors’ surgery into a house have been rejected.

Dr Bannatyne and Partners, which was based at Winksey Cottage, High Street, in the village closed in March.

The surgery was part of Church Avenue Medical Group and shut down after practitioners felt the cottage was no longer a viable place for a medical practice.

Mozaffar Mari, a developer who bought the property, submitted plans to Harrogate Borough Council to convert the building into a house.

However, the borough council has refused the proposal on the grounds that Mr Mari had not demonstrated that the site had been empty for more than three months.

In a decision notice, the council said:

“It has not been demonstrated that the building has been vacant for a continuous period of at least three months immediately prior to the date of the application for prior approval.”

The developer said in an application to the council that the building had been previously used as a house before becoming a surgery and could be “readily converted back” into a home.

MPs watch: Sewage dumps, commissioner resignations and David Amess

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 October, Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced his Autumn budget and MPs were criticised for rejecting an amendment to stop raw sewage being pumped into rivers.

All of our district MPs were urged by North Yorkshire Police to report personal security concerns following the murder of David Amess MP in his constituency.

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 October.
On October 20, Mr Jones voted against a House of Lords amendment to put a legal duty on water companies and prevent them discharging waste into rivers and seas.
Mr Jones spoke six times in the House of Commons in October.
Two of those contributions were on the environment, including congratulating Harrogate District Climate Change Coalition for hosting its first climate action festival ahead of COP26.
On October 14, following the resignation of Philip Allott as North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, Mr Jones posted onto his Conservative-run site that Mr Allott had “done the right thing”. He also paid tribute to David Amess.
Mr Jones’ Twitter account is for ‘retweets only’.

Julian Smith, MP for Ripon and Skipton.

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

Mr Smith updated his website three times in September. He posted about Bilsdale transmitter and visiting Grassington hub.
He tweeted 12 times last month. Among his social media posts were tweets paying tribute to David Amess MP. He also paid tribute to James Brokenshire MP, who died on October 8.
Mr Smith was the only one of our district MPs to call for Philip Allott to resign. On October 11, he tweeted that Mr Allott “should go”.
Mr Smith voted against the House of Lords amendment on river sewage.
Mr Smith posted four times on his Facebook page.
He spoke once in the House of Commons this month. On October 26, Mr Smith made a spoken contribution on Northern Ireland.

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 six times in October.
On Twitter, he paid tribute to both James Brokenshire MP and David Amess MP.
He posted once on his website on October 26 about road works being carried out on the A1 and A64.
On October 5, the Stray Ferret reported that a former arms tycoon who donated £33,800 to Mr Adams was back under media scrutiny after the leak of the Pandora Papers.
Mr Adams did not post anything on his social media or website about Philip Allott’s resignation of police commissioner.
Mr Adams voted against the House of Lords amendment on river sewage.
He did not make any spoken contributions in the House of Commons in October.

Police commissioner: Who is standing to succeed Philip Allott in North Yorkshire?

Following the resignation of Philip Allott, voters will head to the polls again in November to elect a new North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner.

Political parties have been announcing their candidates for polling day.

An election will be held on November 25. Voters have until November 9 to register to vote.

Here are the candidates announced to contest the commissioner position.

Conservative candidate for North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, Zoe Metcalfe.

Zoe Metcalfe, Conservative

Harrogate and North Yorkshire councillor, Zoe Metcalfe, will be standing for the Conservative party.

Ms Metcalfe said she “will focus on improving safety for women and girls across North Yorkshire, supporting victims of crime and tackling serious and organised crime”.

She said:

“I am delighted to be selected as the Conservative Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner candidate for North Yorkshire.

“I am passionate about making our communities and societies safe, especially for women and girls, on the streets and at home, day and night.

“People living and working across North Yorkshire want to feel safe and have full confidence in their police and fire services.

“I can assure people I will stop at nothing to ensure both services are the best they can possibly be for the benefit of everyone across the county.”

Emma Scott-Spivey, Labour candidate for North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner.

Emma Scott-Spivey, Labour

23-year-old Emma Scott-Spivey, who was born and went to school in Harrogate, will contest the role for Labour.

Ms Scott-Spivey said she would prioritise tackling violence against women and girls, as well as county lines drugs gangs and crackdown on crime against the elderly, if elected as commissioner.

She said:

“The police are facing unprecedented challenges – not just from savage cuts to funding but also due to a breakdown in trust. That trust must be rebuilt and the damage done by Phillip Allott must be repaired.

“People in North Yorkshire need a commissioner who recognises their concerns and works to address them. One who puts local people above party politics.

“And our police and fire services must have a commissioner who they can trust, who understands the sacrifices they make every day and the pressures the face. They need a commissioner who will fight to make sure they have the resources they need to keep us safe.”

James Barker, Liberal Democrat candidate for North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner.

James Barker, Liberal Democrats

City of York councillor, James Barker, has put himself forward for the commissioner’s office.

Mr Barker, who served in the military for 24 years, also stood for the role in May.

At the last election, he told the Stray Ferret that he wanted to “explore why” more officers were not on the frontline and pledged to tackle anti-social behaviour in Ripon.

Mr Barker said:

“We are England’s largest county but not everyone is truly represented. How often do you see a copper?

“I want to explore reasons why we cannot get more coppers on the streets. I want to try and release more to the frontline.”

Keith Tordoff, who will be standing as an independent candidate for North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner.

Keith Tordoff, Independent

Keith Tordoff, the former Pateley Bridge businessman, has decided to stand again for the commissioner’s office.

Mr Tordoff said the commissioner’s role needed to be “somebody who is not affiliated to a political party”.

He added that he would also tackle anti-social behaviour and make police officers more visible in communities.

He said:

“It needs strong leadership and it needs somebody with experience.

“I have got police experience and business experience.”

Dr Hannah Barham-Brown the Women’s Equality Party candidate.

Dr Hannah Barham-Brown, Women’s Equality Party

Dr Hannah Barham-Brown has said that if she is elected her first step would be to launch an independent inquiry into misogyny and sexism in North Yorkshire Police.

Mandu Reid, leader of the Women’s Equality Party, has said that ending gender-based violence “must be at the heart of this election”.

Dr Barham-Brown is well-known for her campaigning work on both women’s and disabled people’s rights. She said:

“Women and girls in North Yorkshire deserve to live their lives free from the fear and the threat of violence, and that is why I am contesting this election.

“We were let down by Philip Allott as our PFCC who proved he didn’t understand the importance of ending violence against women and girls with his disgraceful, victim blaming comments.

“But our community did not accept that and now it’s time to finish the job.”

Knaresborough caravan park extension plan withdrawn

Developers behind plans for an extension of a caravan park in Knaresborough have withdrawn the proposal.

The proposal by Lido Leisure Parks would have seen the Low Bridge Holiday Park, Abbey Road, expanded with a further 28 caravans.

Documents submitted to Harrogate Borough Council say the plan would have seen the development built on Orchard Cliffs on Briggate.

As well as the holiday lodges, car parking and access were also included in the application.

However, residents wrote the borough council to raise concern over increased traffic, impact on amenities and damage to wildlife.

The site layout for the caravan park in Knaresborough as submitted to Harrogate Borough Council.

The current holiday park includes 36 privately owned static caravans.

The developer said in its plans that the site would be a “valuable investment” in the town.

In documents submitted to then authority, it said:

“Detailed and careful consideration has been given to the proposals. The proposals create a development that not only respects the site and its surroundings but also provides a high quality and well considered place to live and holiday.

“The proposal will be a valuable investment in the town’s tourism offer.”

How would Harrogate’s ‘Dutch-style’ roundabout work?

Harrogate could get the county’s first ‘Dutch-style’ roundabout as part of the £10.9 million Station Gateway project.

But why is it being proposed and how would it work?

The junction changes have been put forward for the existing East Parade, Station Bridge, Station Avenue and North Park Road roundabout in front of the Odeon cinema.

Inspired by road layouts in the Netherlands, the roundabout would give priority to pedestrians and cyclists with improved crossings and an outer ring for cycling, which in parts would be segregated from traffic.

The aim is to encourage sustainable travel and improve safety for those travelling on foot or by bike. But it would also demand greater awareness from motorists who would give way as they both enter and exit the new roundabout.

‘A big step forward’

North Yorkshire County Council – which is leading on the gateway project – said the proposed layout “balances the need for increased protection and priority for pedestrians and cyclists with maintaining capacity for vehicles”.

The council has also won the support of Harrogate District Cycle Action, whose chairman Kevin Douglas described the proposals as a “big step forward” in the town’s sustainable transport future.

But these roundabouts have not always gone down smoothly elsewhere, with the UK’s first in Cambridge drawing some criticisms.

While Cambridgeshire County Council says the roundabout has improved safety overall, a safety audit team reported several problems, including a risk of exiting drivers finding it difficult to observe multiple cyclists approaching from behind.

Planners up and down the country are keeping a keen eye on the roundabout, and other areas have already shown an interest in replicating it, including Barnsley and North Tyneside.

Mr Douglas said he was confident the plans for Harrogate would improve safety for all road users and that he would like to see more of these roundabouts introduced.

He said:

“The roundabout will hopefully show people what can be done in terms of improving safety and will only encourage more people to cycle into the town centre.

“At the moment, going into and coming out of a roundabout can be a risk if people don’t see and give cyclists priority, whereas with this you are going to get that.”

He added:

“If we are going to take action on climate change then we do have to reduce the number of vehicles in the town centre and give people that confidence to go out on their bikes.

“That is what we should be aiming for here – people being able to get into town safely without using their cars.”

A CYLCOPS junction for Harrogate?

These plans are not the only new roundabout proposals for Harrogate, with transport officials currently considering a CYCLOPS (Cycle Optimised Protected Signals) roundabout for the Station Parade junction of Victoria Avenue.

This is part of a separate active travel scheme and would work similar to a ‘Dutch-style’ roundabout but with traffic lights.

An example of a cyclops junction.

North Yorkshire County Council said the CYCLOPS roundabout was put forward as an “aspiration of what might be achieved” at the junction and that it is now being considered at the detailed design stage of the scheme.

Under the gateway project, there are also plans for a part-time pedestrianisation of James Street and a reduction of Station Parade to a single lane of traffic to create room for a cycle lane, as well improvements to Station Square and the One Arch underpass.

The latest consultation on the project is currently underway with residents and businesses having until November 12 to have their say before more detailed proposals are drawn up and a final decision is made.

If approved, it is anticipated that construction will start in spring 2022 for approximately 12 months.

For more information and to have your say visit the consultation page here.

Bilton Cricket Club cancels fireworks display

Bilton Cricket Club has cancelled its annual fireworks display.

The club issued a statement today saying restrictions imposed on the event “would severely impact our ability to operate the event in the way we want to” and it was therefore left with no choice but to cancel.

The event, which is usually held annually at the club’s ground on Bilton Lane, was due to take place on November 5.

Its Facebook post said:

“Over the last few days the club has been under immense pressure to cover off all demands from all authorities regarding the fireworks display planned for next Friday.

“We believed we had covered all areas but further requests and demands have been made which has lead to some restrictions imposed which would severely impact our ability to operate the event in the way we want to, and have done in the past.

“Therefore the committee has made the hard decision to cancel the fireworks display planned for the evening of Friday 5 November.

“This decision has not been made lightly and obviously we would love to provide this event for members and community.

“I am really very very sorry we are cancelling this but without going into too many facts we really have no other option.”

The news comes as bonfire and firework events elsewhere look set to resume after covid forced them to be cancelled last year.

Liberal Democrats confirm police commissioner candidate

The Liberal Democrats have announced that a City of York councillor will stand for the party at next month’s North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner election.

James Barker, who stood for the position in May, is set to contest the commissioner role again.

Mr Barker, who served 24 years in the military, has also served as a scout leader and rugby coach.

At the last election, he told the Stray Ferret that he wanted to “explore why” more officers were not on the frontline and pledged to tackle anti-social behaviour in Ripon.

An election is being held following the resignation of Philip Allott, who stepped down after comments he made on the murder of Sarah Everard led to hundreds of complaints to his office and a vote of no confidence in him.

Voters will head to the polls to elect a new police commissioner on November 25.

The Conservatives have announced Harrogate councillor, Zoe Metcalfe, will stand for the party on polling day.

Meanwhile, Labour have confirmed that 23-year-old student paramedic, Emma Scott-Spivey, will contest the election.

Keith Tordoff, a former businessman in Pateley Bridge, will also be standing as an independent candidate.

Former Pateley Bridge businessman to stand again for police commissioner

Former Pateley Bridge businessman Keith Tordoff has announced he will stand again for North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner.

Mr Tordoff, who used to own the Oldest Sweet Shop in the World in the town, said he was standing in the November election because he felt the commissioner’s office was in “a state of shambles”.

Mr Tordoff stood for the role in May and received 22,338 votes.

Mr Tordoff, who will stand as an independent candidate, said the commissioner needed to be “somebody who is not affiliated to a political party”.

He said:

“It needs strong leadership and it needs somebody with experience.

“I have got police experience and business experience.”

When asked how he would tackle violence against women and girls, Mr Tordoff said he had an “understanding of working with victims” as a former police officer.

He said:

“I have a background in the police, I have the understanding.

“My position has the most experience.”

Mr Tordoff said his pledges from May remained in place. They included tackling anti-social behaviour, making police more visible and freeing up officers to go out into the community.

He also reiterated his pledge to donate £20,000 of his commissioner salary to registered charities. The police, fire and crime commissioner is paid £74,400 a year.

Voters will head to the polls to elect a new police commissioner on November 25.

The Conservatives have announced Harrogate councillor, Zoe Metcalfe, will stand for the party on polling day.

Meanwhile, Labour have confirmed that 23-year-old student paramedic, Emma Scott-Spivey, will contest the election.

Public inquiry threat revealed for James Street pedestrianisation plans

The threat of a public inquiry has been revealed as a reason why plans for a full-time pedestrianisation of one of Harrogate’s busiest shopping streets have been dropped from the £10.9 million Station Gateway project.

North Yorkshire County Council received strong support when it consulted on the idea of removing traffic from James Street.

But it now wants to see only Princes Square to Station Parade pedestrianised, with loading vehicles still allowed to use the street at limited times. This partial pedestrianisation was the least supported option.

Karl Battersby, corporate director of business and environmental services at the council, said this option was being pursued because the authority believes it could face objections which would trigger a public inquiry if a full-time pedestrianisation is progressed.

He said:

“A traffic regulation order is required to pedestrianise a street.

“In certain circumstances, including where vehicles are excluded at all times, if an order is made and objections are raised that cannot be resolved, a public inquiry could result.

“If that were to happen, it could delay the scheme.”

Mr Battersby also said a full-time pedestrianisation “remains possible” in the future after the completion of the gateway project, which requires government cash to be spent by March 2023.

He added the council’s preferred option of part-time restrictions would still retain many of the changes to the look of James Street that would be included under a full-time pedestrianisation.

He said:

“The selected option provides the opportunity to pedestrianise the street at most times of the day, except for a period to allow deliveries, with access controlled through rising bollards.

“This creates the ability to pedestrianise the street at any time of day in future subject to the outcome of a legal order.

“We believe this strikes an appropriate balance between the wishes of respondents and risks to delivery of the scheme.”

Contentious plans

The detailed plans were first revealed in February when residents and businesses were also consulted with.

It is only now – eight months on – that the council has spoken of the potential threat of a public inquiry.

This could be in part due to negative feedback from some business owners and residents, however, the council’s own consultation results show a full-time pedestrianisation would be well supported.

Of the 1,101 respondents to the consultation, 45% were in favour of this option, while 32% said no changes should be made to the layout of James Street.

Meanwhile, just 17% supported a part-time pedestrianisation – the option that the council is now pushing ahead with.

Although James Street has proved to be one of the most contentious parts of the gateway project, it is only a small part of the overall plans.

There are also proposals to reduce Station Parade to a single lane of traffic to create room for a cycle lane, as well improvements to Station Square and the One Arch underpass.

The latest consultation on the entire project is currently underway and residents and businesses have until November 12 to have their say before more detailed proposals are drawn up and a final decision is made.

If approved, it is anticipated that construction will start in spring 2022 for approximately 12 months.

For more information and to have your say, visit the West Yorkshire Combined Authority website.

Harrogate council leader confirms he will stand down

The leader of Harrogate Borough Council has announced he will stand down after more than 20 years of service as a councillor.

Cllr Richard Cooper, who was first elected as a Conservative councillor in 1999, said he will not seek election to the North Yorkshire unitary council but will continue in his role until the new authority is created in 2023.

Multiple senior political figures in the Harrogate district told the Stray Ferret earlier this month that the Conservative council leader would not be standing when voters head to the polls in May 2022.

Cllr Cooper has now confirmed the news. He said:

“I have been a councillor now for 22 years and leader of the council for eight. That’s a long time and it is time for me to do other things and for others to have the opportunity to serve our communities at a senior level.

“Although I am not standing for the new council in May 2022, Harrogate Borough Council continues until April 2023.

“So although I am not standing for that new council it isn’t quite goodbye yet.”

Cllr Cooper was first elected when he took the Liberal Democrat seat of West Central in 1999 and has since held several cabinet positions, as well as being deputy leader and serving on North Yorkshire County Council.

Council leader since 2014

He was elected as leader of Harrogate Borough Council in 2014 and will be the longest-serving holder of the position if he is re-elected next May.

Among his achievements, Cllr Cooper said he will remember increasing funding for homelessness, defeating the Nidd Gorge relief road proposal, raising the profile of sustainable transport and leading on the construction of the new Harrogate Civic Centre.

Cllr Cooper added:

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank the voters who have elected me to represent them over the past 22 years, my fellow councillors for having trusted me with leadership roles throughout that time and the amazing people in our community groups who I have been privileged to meet and support.

“We are fortunate to have many young and talented councillors in our district alongside those with many years of service. It is a great combination which will serve our district well on the new council.

“I wish them all, of every political persuasion, luck and success as they continue to champion sustainable transport, carbon reduction, support for the homeless and funding for our local voluntary groups among the many other brilliant things Harrogate Borough Council does.”

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Zoe Metcalfe, Conservative

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Emma Scott-Spivey, Labour

James Barker, Liberal Democrats

Keith Tordoff, Independent

Dr Hannah Barham-Brown, Women’s Equality Party

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‘A big step forward’

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A CYLCOPS junction for Harrogate?

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Contentious plans

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Council leader since 2014