No. 2: Devolution plants a bomb under the political landscape

In this article, which is part of a series on the 15 stories in the Harrogate district that shaped 2021, we look at the seismic decision to scrap Harrogate Borough Council and North Yorkshire County Council as part of plans to create a new super-council for North Yorkshire.

The landscape of local government and politics in the Harrogate district is set for its biggest shake-up in 50 years.

The two-tier system, which has seen North Yorkshire County Council and Harrogate Borough Council provide different services, is to be replaced by a single-tier system, with one super-council in charge of England’s largest county.

North Yorkshire had avoided Westminster’s devolution agenda over the last 10 years.

Neighbouring Teeside and West Yorkshire have completed the transition, and now have their own mayors.

Now the process is well and truly underway in North Yorkshire.

Seismic decision

When senior county councillors confirmed they were in discussions with ministers over a devolution deal, the news probably perked the ears of only those political enthusiasts interested in the minutia of local politics.

But the consequences will be considerable, even if the process has been slow and cumbersome so far.

The intricacies of a council officer submitting a list of “asks” and a government minister sending a letter back bullet pointing requirements to proceed in negotiations is not a gripping political tale.

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Councils were responding to what then local government minister, Simon Clark, asked them to do in July 2020. He said that in order for North Yorkshire to get any power and control back from Whitehall, it would have to scrap its two-tier council system.

In other words, Harrogate Borough Council, North Yorkshire County Council and the remaining district authorities would no longer exist.

It was a seismic decision and one which will change the scope of politics in the county.

A super council

For some, the creation of one council for North Yorkshire will be little more than another logo on their council tax bill and a different council collecting bins on a morning.

Others will see a change in the political make-up of the county and an end to the more parochial way that local government is performed at the moment.

We don’t know the full list of political figures will be standing for the unitary council in May but there will be far fewer councillors and jostling for positions has begun.

Harrogate Borough Council leader Richard Cooper has said he won’t be standing.

Whoever is elected, it will be a  new political beginning for the Harrogate district, albeit one that could well be run more remotely from Northallerton rather than from the Civic Centre at Knapping Mount, which Harrogate Borough Council moved into four years ago.

Huge decisions, such as the future of Harrogate Convention Centre, and responsibility for the Stray, will be taken by a different senior councillors from 2023.

When that first council tax bill lands on doormats across the Harrogate district in March 2024, it will be headed by a different name — but those making the decisions may no longer live in the district.

Harrogate district reports record daily cases for third day

Daily figures from the UK Health Security Agency show that a further 369 infections have been recorded in the Harrogate district.

The number represents another record high for covid cases. It’s the third day in a row that record cases have been reported in the district.

Meanwhile, home PCR and lateral flow test kits have been unavailable on the government website all day.

The lack of availability has posed a problem for those wishing to test of New Year’s Eve celebrations at a time of surging Omicron cases.

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However, slots are still available at local test sites.

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 13 covid patients are being treated at Harrogate District Hospital.

Police release CCTV image following assault at Harrogate bar

Police have released a CCTV image of a man they would like to speak to following an assault in Harrogate.

Officers said the incident happened at Manahatta bar, which is situated on the Ginnel, off Parliament Street, between 11.30pm on December 3 and 12.59am on December 4.

It involved the suspect punching the victim a number of times to the face while in the bar.

A North Yorkshire Police statement said:

“Police are asking members of the public to get in touch if they recognise the male in the image as they believe he will have information that will help the investigation.

“Anyone with any information is asked to contact North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 2 and ask for PC Dryden or email leon.dryden@northyorkshire.police.uk

“If you wish to remain anonymous, you can pass information to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

“Please quote North Yorkshire Police reference number 12210254998.”

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Man seriously injured after being hit by car in Harrogate

A man in his seventies was seriously injured yesterday after being hit by a car on Station Parade in Harrogate.

Police closed the road for several hours to investigate after the man was hit by a beige coloured Renault Scenic outside Waitrose.

He was taken to hospital, and police said today his injuries were serious but not life threatening.

North Yorkshire Police is now appealing for anyone who saw the incident to come forward with information.

A police statement said:

“At just before 9am yesterday, a beige coloured Renault Scenic collided with a pedestrian outside Waitrose on Station Parade in Harrogate. 

“Police and ambulance crews attended the scene and initially treated the pedestrian, a man in his seventies, before he was taken to hospital.

“Officers need to establish the circumstances surrounding the collision and are appealing to anyone who witnessed the collision or who stopped to assist to contact them. Information can be provided by calling 101, selecting option 2 and asking for TC 428 Bainbridge or by emailing emma.bainbridge@northyorkshire.police.uk.

Quote NYP reference 12210268520.

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Skipton Road traffic lights refurbishment to cost £143,000

A refurbishment of traffic lights on Harrogate’s Skipton Road is to cost taxpayers £143,000.

North Yorkshire County Council, which is the the highways authority, awarded a contract to Hampshire-based Dynniq UK Ltd to upgrade two junctions on the road.

According to the published contract, the works were valued at £143,288.55.

The county council had earmarked Kings Road and Bilton Lane junctions on Skipton Road for upgrades.

Highways bosses had planned to carry out work at the junctions back in 2020, but it was delayed due to the Nightingale Hospital set up at Harrogate Convention Centre.

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At the time, Melissa Burnham, highways area manager at the county council, said the work had to be put back as the “key route around the hospital” had to be protected.

Ms Burnham said the work included introducing a larger island at the Kings Road junction and installing new traffic lights at both junctions.

Meanwhile, Skipton Road, which is one of the busiest roads in Harrogate, is set to see further roadworks in the New Year.

Northern Gas Networks is set to set up temporary traffic lights at Knox Avenue, Bilton Grange Close and Skipton Crescent while it replaces metal pipes with plastic ones.

Harrogate district reports record 323 daily covid cases

The Harrogate district has had another record day for covid cases with 323 reported, according to the latest daily government figures.

The number is the highest recorded in the district since the UK Health Security Agency started reporting figures in March 2020.

Nationally, the UK has also reported a record number of infections. Figures show 129,471 cases have been recorded as the Omicron variant continues to surge.

The Harrogate district’s seven-day covid rate has also reached a record high and stands at 997 per 100,000 people.

Across the county, the rate stands at 879 and the England average is 1,217.

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Meanwhile, UK Health Security Agency figures show that a total of 100,290 booster and third vaccines have been given in the Harrogate district 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 13 covid patients are being treated at Harrogate District Hospital – an increase from eight last week.

Major refurbishment of Harrogate Hydro set for approval

A major refurbishment of Harrogate’s Hydro swimming pool looks set to be approved.

Harrogate Borough Council officers have recommended that a plan to build a two-storey extension onto the ageing facility is given the go-ahead.

The Hydro was first opened in 1999 and replaced the old Coppice Valley pool.

The proposals were lodged by the authority and are due to go before a council planning committee next week.

The council is proposing to demolish the current ‘drum’ entrance and replace it with a larger structure that includes a bigger café and reception area on the ground floor and a new 400 square metres fitness suite on the first floor.

As part of its plans to overhaul leisure services, which were approved in June 2020, the council outlined a £13.5 million project to refurbish The Hydro.

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The proposal is backed by Sport England, which said an “improved and modern” facility would benefit the town.

It said:

“An improved and modern leisure facility in this sustainable location delivers a series of benefits, including increasing the opportunity for physical activity, increasing membership and usage and encouraging better interaction with the facilities and services on offer”.

Councillors on the borough council’s planning committee will make a decision on the refurbishment at a meeting on January 6.

Further projects at The Hydro

The move to refurbish The Hydro comes as other work is being done to upgrade the building.

In July, the council confirmed it is to buy a new diving platform to replace the damaged one that has kept divers out of the pool for eight months.

Meanwhile, the council has also given approval for 420 solar panels to be installed on the roof of the pool as part of a decarbonisation project.

The council successfully bid this year for funding from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy‘s public sector decarbonisation scheme, which helped to fund the panels.

A total of £1.8 million will be spent at The Hydro to install the solar panels, as well as replace gas boilers with air source heat pumps and put in place new energy monitoring and control systems.

The Hydro is now run by Brimhams Active, a new arm’s length leisure company set up by the council this year. It has taken over the running of 12 leisure facilities in Harrogate, Knaresborough, Ripon and Pateley Bridge.

No. 12: Harrogate Town — a year of history and milestones

In this article, which is part of a series on the 15 stories in the Harrogate district that shaped 2021, we look at another remarkable year for Simon Weaver’s men.

Harrogate Town spent 2021 making history and setting new milestones.

Covid restrictions had prevented Town fans from watching their team at Wembley in 2020 and gain promotion to the English Football League for the first time ever.

So when the season began in August, thousands flocked to Wetherby Road to see the next chapter in the fairytale.

FA Trophy winners

Fans, however, were denied a second trip to Wembley in May for the FA Trophy final against Concord Rangers.

The final had been delayed for a year due to covid and Town were favourites because they had gained promotion in the period since the match was due to be played.

Josh Falkingham scored the only goal as Town ran out 1-0 winners to life the silverware,

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As the saying goes, winning becomes a habit and such was the case under head coach Simon Weaver that the club tied him down to a long-term contract in July.

The contract would see Weaver’s time at the club extended to 15 years if seen out, a feat which cannot be said for many of modern football clubs. He is already the longest serving manager in English football.

The consistent progress the team has made under Weaver continued when the new season began.

A good start, which put the club among the play-off positions, climaxed with a 6-1 hammering of Scunthorpe United in October in front of a record home crowd of 3,180.

Harrogate’s league form subsequently fell away, but a strong second half could yet see them feature in the play-offs.

FA Cup heroics

But the club has compensated for some poor results in the league with a sensational FA Cup run, which has seen it book a place in the third round for the first time in its history.

A last minute winner against two-time winners Portsmouth at Fratton Park had fans dreaming of a Premier League side visiting Wetherby Road.

But it was not to be. Instead the club will try to write history once again by playing Luton Town for a place in the fourth round.

If 2022 is half as exciting, Harrogate fans can look forward to another 12 months of milestones.

No. 13: The swift downfall of crime commissioner Philip Allott

In this article, which is part of a series on the 15 stories in the Harrogate district that shaped 2021, we look at the resignation and subsequent fallout of former North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, Philip Allott.

The spotlight shone more intensely than ever in 2021 on one of the district’s lesser known political positions.

Elections for North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner are characterised by low turnout, with many voters questioning the value of the role.

The commissioner is paid £74,000 to hold the county’s chief constable and chief fire officer to account, and receives a budget of £1.1 million. But the level of scrutiny towards the role elevated dramatically this year.

It all started routinely enough when Knaresborough man Philip Allott was elected to succeed fellow Conservative Julia Mulligan in May.

Mr Allott made an energetic start, pledging action on issues such as pet theft and antisocial driving. But his downfall would be swift.

In an interview on BBC Radio York in September, he said Sarah Everard, who had been murdered by police officer Wayne Couzens, should not have “submitted” to arrest and that women “need to be streetwise” about arrest powers.

Keir Starmer calls for resignation

Hundreds of complaints were sent to the commissioner’s office, which found itself under more scrutiny than it ever had in its nine-year existence.

On a near daily basis, politicians lined up to condemn Mr Allott, with Labour leader Keir Starmer among those calling for his resignation.

Lucy Arnold, from campaign group Reclaim The Streets, said Mr Allott’s comments were “horrifically offensive”.

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Mr Allott apologised but resigned days later as the storm continued. The time span from his comments on-air to his stepping down was just 13 days.

Mr Allott acknowledged that his position was untenable because of the confidence he lost from both the public and by his fellow politicians.

Weeks later Zoe Metcalfe, a Conservative councillor on Harrogate Borough Council and of North Yorkshire County Council who lives at Aldborough, was elected as the new commissioner. Turnout was just 14%.

Harrogate council reveals drop in car parking income during covid

Harrogate Borough Council has revealed a significant drop in car parking income during the covid pandemic.

Recently published figures show the council made £1,412,579 this past year in Harrogate from off-street parking.

The figure is in stark contrast with the previous 12 months when the authority made £3,284,221

The borough council is responsible for setting charges for off-street parking. Included in the figures are income from pay and display parking and fines.

Council officials said previously that part of its drop in income during the pandemic was due to car parking.

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During the national lockdowns, the nation was instructed to stay at home and retail, leisure and hospitality were all forced to close.

It left fewer people needing to pay to park in the district.

A range of ‘lost revenues’

The loss in car parking income was among a range of areas which contributed to the council’s £10 million shortfall due to covid.

Cllr Graham Swift, cabinet member for resources, told the council during the first lockdown that car parking would be just one area of “lost revenues” for the authority.

He said:

“We are going to be impacted by a variety of lost revenues in car parks, pools and other things that generate money for us.”

The borough council has since benefited from a range of government grants aimed at supporting local authorities with deficits due to the covid pandemic.

Council taxpayers also saw a hike in their bills by £5 last year – something which looks set to happen again in 2022/23.