Bettys and Taylors offers £5,000 grants to help charities

Groups across the Harrogate district are encouraged to apply for grants of up to £4,000 to support local charities and community groups.

Bettys and Taylors Coronavirus Community Fund aims to help organisations which are finding it hard to fund running costs due to the covid pandemic.

The grants are open to a range of groups, including voluntary groups, registered charities, co-operatives, social enterprises and community interest companies.

Examples of areas which the fund can help is rental, heating and lighting costs.

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The fund, which is operated by Two Ridings Community Foundation, is focused on supporting those organisations which support health and wellbeing and reduce inequalities and loneliness.

Bettys said on its website:

“It is recognised that one of the most difficult things for many small charities and community groups is finding funding for the ‘business as usual’ every day running costs from heating and lighting to staffing and rent.

“This has become especially difficult at a time when the fundraising activities that would usually support these costs has been dramatically reduced and with much uncertainty around when it might be able to resume.”

Those successful could receive grants of between £500 and £5,000. Grants are available to groups across Yorkshire.

Applications close on 14 March, 2022.

For more information on eligibility and how to apply, visit the Two Ridings Community Foundation website here.

Ripon company awarded £106,000 contract for car park resurfacing

A company has been awarded a £106,000 contract to resurface Ripon’s biggest car park.

The Cathedral car park, on Victoria Grove, has 193 bays and sits in the view of the city’s cathedral.

A.E. Duffield & Sons Ltd, which is based in Ripon, will take on the work as part of a Harrogate Borough Council contract valued at £106,512.47.

The council said in its contract notice that the site has become worn and hazardous to members of the public.

It said:

“Over the years the current surface of the car park has become pot-holed, with large areas of loose tarmac resulting in trip hazards to members of the public, and claims for vehicle damage.”

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The contract is for a complete resurfacing of the car park, and to increase the number of parking spaces to 206, along with 10 disabled bays.

The council will also require the contractors to undertake trunking and ductwork in preparation for the installation of electric vehicle charging points.

A separate contract will be procured to install the charging points.

The work is due to start on January 17 and end on February 11, according to the company.

There have been calls by Ripon city councillors for the bays in the car park to be made wider.

Council warns of ‘enormous financial pressures’ despite government funding

North Yorkshire County Council officials have warned that it faces “enormous financial pressures” despite receiving £10 million in additional funding from government.

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, announced that the authority will be granted £26 million in grants for the coming year.

Council officials said the funding was more than forecast due to an increase in funding from the government.

The fund includes core spending grants and funding for adult social care.

However, county council bosses have warned that the authority will still have to find £19 million in savings.

The funding includes:

Ministers said the settlement reflected the extra pressures on local councils, particularly in social care and the covid pandemic.

But Cllr Gareth Dadd, executive county councillor for finance, said the money would already be “accounted for” at this “turbulent time”.

He said:

“The additional money is very welcome. However, this continues to be a turbulent time. We remain in the midst of the pandemic and are responding to the increased pressures this puts on the county’s communities and economy, as well as our own resources.

“At the same time, long-term challenges continue to grow, as we deal with massive pressures in the social care markets and unprecedented levels of inflation and national insurance contributions. This means that as welcome as the extra money is, it is already more than accounted for.”

The move comes as the county council is consulting residents in North Yorkshire on its upcoming budget.

The authority will have the means to be able to hike council tax by up to 4.5% this year, under government rules.

Those in a band D property in North Yorkshire currently pay £1,411.05 in the county council’s share of council tax.

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Cllr Carl Les, leader of the council, said reform was needed on funding for rural authorities as residents “already pay too much council tax”.

He said:

“Putting up council tax is never an easy option for this authority. We have always striven to be moderate in our increases.

“In considering the level of council tax, we must understand and balance the hardship families are currently facing and the added pressure a council tax increase may bring with the need to fund essential services to support the most vulnerable in our communities through this critical period.

“We continue to feel that residents in North Yorkshire pay too much council tax, particularly in comparison to London, and urge the Government to press on with funding reform to create a fairer solution for rural counties.”

The county council is expected to outline its budget plan, including council tax, in the new year.

Harrogate district covid rate jumps for first time since Omicron

The seven-day covid rate of infection in the Harrogate district has increased from 383 per 100,000 to 419 in the first significant increase since Omicron.

A further 158 cases were reported in today’s government figures.

Until today, the district had not appeared to have been affected by the rapid increase in infections that have hit other parts of the county.

Across the county, the average stands at 426 and the England rate has soared to 723.

Today’s figures also reveal more than 85,000 booster and third vaccines have been administered in the district.

UK Health Security Agency figures show that a total of 85,929 booster and third vaccines have been given so far.

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

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

The new sport taking the Harrogate district by storm

A relatively new sport that is a cross between tennis and squash is taking the Harrogate district by storm.

Padel is played between four players on reduced sized tennis courts. Competitors use paddle racquets and can bounce the ball off walls.

Nicky Horn, a Harrogate coach who has played the sport for 10 years, said she has seen a remarkable amount of interest in the sport in recent months.

She pointed to courts being built at Hornbeam Park in Harrogate, which is expected to see six new dedicated courts, and planned new courts at Ripon Tennis Club as an example of its booming demand.

Since the first covid lockdown, Harrogate Sports and Fitness Centre has also seen high demand for its padel courts on Hookstone Wood Road.

A game of padel tennis in Harrogate.

A game of padel tennis in Harrogate.

Nicky said she expects to see padel’s popularity increase further over the next five years now that the Lawn Tennis Association oversees the sport.

She said:

“It’s really taking off.

“It’s a reasonably accessible sport because the players can hit the ball easier.”

‘Largest female padel tennis match’

Nicky played padel in Spain before returning to Harrogate to take up two teams. She currently coaches Harrogate and Rawdon on a Monday and Saturday.

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Last weekend, the two teams got together to play a game which Nicky believes was the largest female padel match in the UK.

Despite the cold conditions, 32 players, who ranged from eight-years-old to 80, turned up to take part as Harrogate Sports and Fitness Centre.

Nicky said:

“Everyone had lots of fun.

“Some of our players were squash players and some were tennis players, but everybody loved it.”

6,000 players in the UK

The local boom has been reflected across the country.

With more than 6.000 padel players in the UK, according to the LTA, the sport is one of the fastest growing in the country.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp and Ballon D’or winning footballer, Lionel Messi, are also reported to be players of the sport.

Here are 10 facts you might not know about padel, from the LTA:

Harrogate hotel suffers £100,000 cancellations due to Omicron

A Harrogate hospitality business has claimed the government has thrown the industry “under the bus” since the Omicron variant hit the country.

Peter Banks, managing director of Rudding Park Hotel and Spa, said his business had seen £100,000 worth of cancellations due to covid recently.

He blamed mixed messaging from government and called on Chancellor Rishi Sunak to offer more support to hospitality businesses.

Mr Banks told the Stray Ferret:

“The government’s lack of clarity has thrown the hospitality industry under the bus.

“They need to make a decision. They either come out with a clear message, go out or do not go out.

“I’m lucky that I have a wide enough base of business to draw upon, but there will be businesses that will struggle.”

Mr Banks added that most of his cancellations were corporate clients worried about the possibility of spreading covid among their employees.

He echoed calls from other hospitality firms across the country, which have urged Mr Sunak to offer more support, such as an extension to the VAT cut and business rates relief, to help the industry.

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Mr Banks said hospitality firms, especially those in city and town centres, “could do with some assistance”.

Sara Ferguson, chair of Harrogate Business Improvement District and owner of two local restaurants, said cancellation of Christmas parties was having a financial impact on Harrogate’s key hospitality sector.

She said:

“As soon the Prime Minister announced wearing masks in shops and on public transport was mandatory, hospitality industry trade began dropping away. And this was made worse with the work from home message.

“Christmas parties being cancelled at short notice is proving a financial nightmare, particularly as venues will have already ordered in the food and drink, and there’s no one taking these places.

“December is usually boom time for the hospitality trade, and many businesses rely on the takings from this month to see them through the quieter months of January and February.

“Sadly, for many this won’t be the case this year, and I fear that a number of businesses will be forced to close their doors come the new year.”

Ms Ferguson, who owns Sasso and Caffe Marconi, agreed that the industry needed support from Mr Sunak. She said:

“While there is no official lockdown yet, the message from politicians has resulted in the public shutting themselves away, and as a result there definitely needs to be some sort of financial support offered to the hospitality industry.”

David Simister, chief executive of Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce, said:

“Walking through town this lunchtime there were plenty of empty tables in pubs, bard and restaurants.

“Within hours of the Prime Minister announcing we all had to wear facemasks in shops and on buses and trains, businesses started cancelling their staff Christmas parties at hotels. And that is continuing at a pace.

“However, it’s not just the venues themselves who have lost vital revenue from food and drink sales, it’s the suppliers and staff who are out of pocket too.

“And come January, when ‘bounce back’ loans start to be repaid, I think we could see a lot of businesses in real trouble.

“The health of the economy is in a critical condition, and there needs to be some form of emergency financial aid for these businesses who are suffering through to no fault of their own.”

Chancellor urged to support hospitality

Yesterday, the chancellor cut short a trip to California after holding talks with hospitality firms via video link.

Mr Sunak has been under growing pressure to come up with support for hospitality as record covid numbers hammer takings.

Previous support offered to businesses, such as furlough, has already ended, while a 12.5% VAT cut is set to finish in March.

UK Hospitality, which represents firms across the country, has also called for business rates in the first quarter of 2022 to be deferred.

The government has not placed any restrictions on hospitality firms amid rising covid cases. However, Prime Minister Boris Johnson urged people on Wednesday to “think carefully” before socialising.

Harrogate district covid rate stable as UK reports record cases

The Harrogate district’s covid rate remains stable on a day that saw a record number of Omicron infections reported nationally.

A total of 119 positive cases were reported in the district in today’s government figures.

Across the UK, 93,045 infections were reported — the most since the pandemic began.

The district’s seven-day rate currently stands at 383 per 100,000 people. The rate is now lower than both the county and England rates of 390 and 651.

The figures suggest the Omicron variant has yet to take hold in the Harrogate district.

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UK Health Security Agency data shows that the percentage uptake for booster vaccines in the Harrogate district for those aged 12 and over currently stands at 55%.

A total of 85,929 booster and third vaccines have been administered in the Harrogate district as of today.

Across the district, 2,076 booster jabs were given yesterday, as the vaccination programme is accelerated.

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 eight covid patients are being treated at Harrogate District Hospital.

Developer resubmits Hampsthwaite surgery conversion plan

A developer has resubmitted plans to convert a former Hampsthwaite doctors’ surgery into a house.

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.

Harrogate Borough Council rejected previous plans last month on the grounds that the applicant had not demonstrated that the site had been empty for more than three months.

Now, Mozaffar Mari, the developer who bought the property, has resubmitted plans to the council to convert the building into a house.

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In its supporting statement, the developer said the property has been empty since February 26 when the practice managers ended services on the site.

It includes a letter from the surgery confirming its sale of the property to Mr Mari.

The developer added that the council had used “less reliable information from third parties” rather than its supporting statement when deciding to refuse the previous proposal.

It added that the building had been previously used as a house before becoming a surgery and could be “readily converted back” into a home.

The council will make a decision on the proposal at a later date.

‘No transport reasons’ to reject new Harrogate store, says Tesco

There are no “transport-related reasons” to turn down a new Tesco on Skipton Road in Harrogate, according to the developers.

The supermarket giant has lodged proposals to Harrogate Borough Council for a new store, five years after pulling out of a similar development.

It would be built on the former gasworks at New Park and would include a 38,795 square feet store and a petrol filling station.

Tesco has harboured ambitions for a new store in the town for almost 20 years. The retailer previously had plans approved in 2009, but pulled out after opposition from local traders.

Although many people have welcomed the prospect of a new supermarket in the north of Harrogate, some are concerned about the impact of extra traffic on what is already a busy area, plus access to the site.

Tesco has commissioned London-based consultants Markides Associates to produce a range of reports, including a transport assessment, to support its planning application.

The assessment says “extensive pre-application discussions have taken place with North Yorkshire County Council” about the application and says “the safety of the local road network will not be compromised”.

New roundabout

For access to the store, a new roundabout would be created on Skipton Road.

The assessment also pointed out that the development would align with North Yorkshire County Council’s scheme to widen Old Beck Bridge, which is to the east of the site.

According to the report, Tesco’s new store would “result in a decrease in the number of trips” to the site compared with its previous proposal, which was for a larger store.

The document says that the store would attract a total of 908 fewer car journeys on a weekday peak time and 522 on a weekend compared with its previous application.

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Under its original plans, which included a larger store, 1,303 journeys would be made during the week and 1,032 on a weekend.

The report said that the current plan would be “significantly lower” than the previous Tesco proposal.

It added:

“This transport assessment has demonstrated that the development proposals will result in a decrease in the number of trips generated by the site compared to the extant permission for the A1 Tesco superstore.”

Online shopping affects traffic

The report also claims that there is likely to be a decline in the number of trips to the store because of a “step change” in customers using online shopping.

It says the number of car journeys to supermarkets have reduced over the last 10 years, which has coincided with lower car parking demand.

Using national data on trips to food stores, Tesco says in its report there has been a “51% reduction for Friday evenings and 24% across Saturdays” on journeys to supermarkets. It said this shows a “clear reduction in vehicle trips generated by supermarkets”.

It claimed that the covid pandemic has also contributed to online demand at its own stores.

As a result, Tesco said it expects to see the trend continue into the future.

The report said:

“It is impossible to predict the long-term effects of covid-19 on people’s supermarket shopping choices.

“However, Tesco have experienced a step-change in the demand for online food shopping over the last eighteen months and it is anticipated that this growth is likely to continue into the future, which may result in even lower traffic generation than estimated.”

Car parking

Tesco has proposed that 181 car parking spaces, nine parent and toddler spaces, six electric vehicle charging points and 24 cycle spaces are created.

Twelve blue badge parking spaces would also be provided.

The developer has said in its assessment that the car parking proposed would be appropriate as the maximum number of spaces occupied it expects at any one time is 110 on a weekday and 166 on a weekend.

Markides Associates concluded in its report that it believes there is no reason to reject the proposal on transport grounds.

It said:

“Markides Associates are of the view that there are no transport-related reasons why the development proposals should not be supported.”

More than half take-up booster jab in Harrogate district

More than half of those eligible for a booster jab in the Harrogate district have had a vaccine, according to latest government figures.

UK Health Security Agency data shows that the percentage uptake for those aged 12 and over currently stands at 54%.

A total of 83,790 booster and third vaccines have been administered in the Harrogate district as of today.

Across the district, 2,327 booster jabs were given yesterday, as the vaccination programme is accelerated.

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Meanwhile, the Harrogate district has reported a further 137 covid cases, according to today’s government figures.

The Harrogate district’s covid rate has fallen to 377 infections per 100,000 people.

Across the county, the average stands at 372 and the England rate is 553.

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 eight covid patients are being treated at Harrogate District Hospital.