Harrogate district covid rate climbs as UK records 100,000 infections

The Harrogate district’s covid rate continues to climb on the day that the UK recorded 100,000 cases for the first time.

The district’s seven-day average has now increased to 597 infections per 100,000 people.

Across the county, the average stands at 525 and the England rate has soared to 953.

The figures comes as a record 106,122 covid cases were reported across the UK as Omicron infections continue to surge.

Meanwhile, UK Health Security Agency figures show that a total of 97,718 booster and third vaccines have been given in the Harrogate district 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.

Hospital bosses announced today that visiting on wards will be restricted from tomorrow (December 23) due to concerns over the spread of the Omicron variant.

Developer appeals Boroughbridge 260 homes refusal

Developers have lodged an appeal over a council decision to refuse 260 homes in Boroughbridge.

Barrat and David Wilson Homes already has outline approval as part of the first phase of a larger 450-home development at Stump Cross.

However, councillors rejected the scheme back in June over concerns that it “crammed as many houses in as possible” into an area.

One councillor, Cllr Nigel Simms, a Conservative who represents Masham and Kirkby Malzeard, described it as “like a sink development from Lancashire, not something that we should be having in North Yorkshire”.

Cllr Simms later apologised for any offence caused by his comment.

Now, developers have submitted an appeal over the decision to the government’s Planning Inspectorate.

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This proposal forms part of the first phase of housing at the Boroughbridge site.

Barratt and David Wilson Homes already have outline approval to build on the site and are seeking final permission. 

In documents submitted to Harrogate Borough Council, the developers said:

“The development will respect Boroughbridge’s local character but also move the area towards a more sustainable future, through a significant increase in housing choice and mixed-use approach.”

A government planning inspector will make a decision on the appeal at a later date.

Ashville College pupils plant hundreds of trees to improve campus biodiversity

Pupils at Harrogate’s Ashville College have planted hundreds of trees in an effort to boost biodiversity on campus.

In partnership with the Woodlands Trust, pupils under the supervision of the independent school’s grounds team added 420 native British trees to the site.

The trees included a mixture of hazel, blackthorn, crab apple, dog rose and rowan and created a hedge running adjacent to one of its sports pitches and a public footpath.

Annual tree-plantings are among many initiatives led by the College’s dedicated Green Committee, which works hard to encourage pupils to think about how their actions can either harm or benefit the environment.

In the last two weeks of term, the Green Committee also ran a Fairtrade stall in the College’s Pre-Prep, Prep, and Senior Schools, where pupils were the vendors.

Cathy Price, Ashville College Green Committee lead, said: 

“The latest round of tree planting and the Fairtrade stall have come at the end of an extremely busy term for Green Committee members.

“Climate change and the environment have been on everyone’s radar, and this is going to continue. By making even small changes to our daily routines, collectively we make a big difference to the environment in which we live, work and go to school.”

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The trees planted are in addition to 500 native trees that were planted last November to enhance existing hedges or establish new ones to the southwest edge of the 64-acre campus.

The Woodland Trust has provided all the trees as part of its Big Climate Fightback campaign, which has so far seen more than 1.8 million trees planted by schools, community groups and businesses around the UK.

As the saplings grow, they will provide a habitat and movement corridors for wildlife and produce pollen, nectar, nuts, fruit and berries for insects, birds and small mammals.

Harrogate district covid rate continues to climb as 190 cases reported

The seven-day covid rate of infection in the Harrogate district continues to climb as a further 190 cases have been reported.

The district’s average has now increased to 555 infections per 100,000 people.

Across the county, the average stands at 497 and the England rate has soared to 898.

Today’s figures also reveal more than 95,000 booster and third vaccines have been administered in the district.

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UK Health Security Agency figures show that a total of 95,631 booster and third vaccines have been given so far.

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.

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.