Harrogate MP criticises Dunlopillo housing plan

The MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough has weighed in on a plan to demolish the former Dunlopillo offices in Pannal to make way for apartments.

Otley-based developer Quattro Property Group has submitted the plans, which would see the 1961 office block replaced by 48 one-and two-bedroom apartments.

However, Andrew Jones has criticised the plan and said should not have been lodged under the permitted development rights, which the application has been made under.

The proposal has also proved controversial among some residents, one describing the plan as “awful”.

Mr Jones has written Harrogate Borough Council to call for a special planning committee to scrutinise the proposal.

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He has also written to communities secretary, Michael Gove, to ask for him to intervene “should the council’s local planning powers not be sufficient to enable full scrutiny of the application”.

Mr Jones said on his community news website:

“Permitted development rights are to enable positive development and apply in specific circumstances to achieve a specific goal.  I do not believe that these rights were introduced for the situation in respect of this development in a semi-rural location.

“Such a significant proposal should go through the normal planning process, be thoroughly appraised by council officers and scrutinised by the councillors at a committee meeting where the public can also have their say.”

The proposal would be split into two blocks, one with four storeys and another with six.

There would also be one car parking space per apartment plus additional spaces for visitors at the back of the building.

Planning consultants Johnson Mowat has submitted planning documents to Harrogate Borough Council on behalf of the developer that says the scheme would be an improvement on the current empty office block, which has been deteriorating for several years.

 It says:

“This site has been a blot on the landscape for far too long and we are looking forward to delivering a high quality building.”

The Stray Ferret approached Johnson Mowat for comment, but did not receive a response.

What is permitted development?

Permitted development means that a developer can apply for certain types of applications to go ahead without the need for planning permission.

The last major change to permitted development rights was in 2015, under the Conservative-Liberal Democrat government. However, many changes have since been made since 2020 in response to covid.

Developers can also apply for “prior approval” to carry out a development under permitted development, such as converting retail or office space into homes.

In this case, the developer will ask whether prior permission is required before proceeding with a proposal.

It can take between 28 and 56 days for a council to grant approval to an application.

Harrogate district covid rate at highest ever

Harrogate’s coronavirus infection rate is rising sharply and has equalled record levels – but hospitalisations and deaths remain low.

The borough’s weekly rate per 100,000 people is currently at 534 – higher than any other area in North Yorkshire and equal to its previous record in July.

However, hospitalisations remain much lower than previous waves with 10 covid-positive patients receiving treatment in Harrogate District Hospital as of last Wednesday.

The hospital is also reporting fewer deaths, although there has been a slight increase in recent weeks with the latest death coming on Wednesday last week when the hospital’s toll since the pandemic began reached 188.

Elsewhere in North Yorkshire, Selby has the second highest infection rate at 470, followed by Scarborough at 440, Hambleton at 421, Craven at 373, Ryedale at 327 and Richmondshire at 289.

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The North Yorkshire average is 437 and the average figure for England is 327.

166 infections reported today

A further 166 covid cases have been reported in the Harrogate district today, according to latest Public Health England figures.

The rise in cases comes as health officials last week announced Ripon racecourse will reopen as a covid vaccination centre.

Knaresborough and Pateley Bridge also have pharmacy-run sites offering booster jabs and vaccines but the full list of sites where the jabs will be delivered in the Harrogate district has yet to be revealed.

The rollout of third doses to around 30 million people across the UK is now underway.

Those eligible for the booster jabs include over-50s, younger adults with health conditions and frontline health and care workers.

Patients will be invited on a priority basis and they have been urged not to contact the NHS, but to wait to hear from the health service.

According to latest NHS figures, a total of 128,131 people in the Harrogate district have now received their first vaccine dose and 120,309 people their second.

Figures for third doses are not yet available.

Ripon’s biggest car park set for three-week resurfacing

Ripon’s biggest car park looks set to undergo an £85,000 resurfacing.

Harrogate Borough Council has advertised a contract to carry out the work at Cathedral car park, on Victoria Grove.

The 193-bay car park sits in view of the cathedral and is used by drivers for long sand short stays.

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.

While it is unclear if any disruption will be caused by the works, the resurfacing contract is due to start on November 8 and last for three weeks.

Companies wishing to undertake the work have until October 20 to bid for the contract.

Tockwith bonfire and fireworks set to go-ahead

The annual Tockwith bonfire and fireworks look set to go-ahead this year.

Show organisers confirmed today that preparations were being made to hold the event on Friday, November 5.

The bonfire was cancelled last year due to the covid pandemic and doubts were raised over whether it will go ahead this year.

Tockwith and District Agricultural Show, which is organised by the same committee, was also cancelled this year due to “continuing uncertainty” over the impact of the pandemic.

However, the committee has decided to continue with preparations for fireworks night and also press ahead with plans for what will be the 75th Tockwith show in 2022.

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Michelle Lee, show president, said:

“No one can predict what will be happening next August – or indeed next month – but we feel that it’s now the right time to hopefully draw a line in the sand and move forward. 

“Staging a major event like this needs months of planning so if we don’t start now it will very quickly become too late to get it off the ground.

“Now our immediate priority is to get the bonfire and fireworks night organised so that people can see that Tockwith show is back in business, and hopefully when we light that fire on November 5 it will be a beacon of hope that we are moving into more positive times.”

Unison Harrogate rejects ‘derisory’ council staff pay offer

The Harrogate Borough Council branch of Unison has voted to reject a pay offer following a ballot with members.

The trade union held a ballot, which closed on Friday, over whether to accept a proposed increase of 1.75%. The offer followed a national consultation from the Local Government Association over a pay increase.

Unison officials described the offer as “derisory” and recommended members reject the proposal.

Of a turnout of 62% of its members, 74% voted to refuse the pay offer.

Dave Houlgate, Harrogate branch secretary of Unison, said it was “little surprise” that staff voted to reject the proposal.

He said:

“Staff are worn down after years of real-terms pay cuts and with inflation at nearly 4%. Despite this they’ve continued to go above and beyond during the pandemic in providing much needed services to support residents and businesses alike in the district.

“There has still been no formal public recognition for their efforts from the council but to be clear, Unison is in no doubt that council staff have been fantastic over the past 18 months or so and at the very least deserve a decent pay rise for once.”

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The Harrogate branch balloted borough council staff, while North Yorkshire Unison consulted with school staff.

The branch will now await the results from ballots across England and Wales before taking further steps, which could include industrial action.

Harrogate Borough Council have been approached for comment.

Harrogate councillor tables alternative boundary proposals to government

A Harrogate councillor has submitted alternative boundary proposals for the unitary council in North Yorkshire after criticising the current ones as “unfair”.

Under plans due to be lodged to government by North Yorkshire County Council, the number of councillors in Harrogate and Knaresborough would be reduced to 13 with each representing an average of 6,194 residents – more than any other area in the county.

But, Liberal Democrat Cllr Philip Broadbank said the plans left the area underrepresented compared to the rest of the county.

The boundary changes were agreed for submission to the government by county council leader Carl Les at a meeting on Tuesday.

However Cllr Broadbank has now submitted his proposal, which would see 14 councillors in the area and the bring average residents per councillor to 5,751, directly to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

In his submission, he told ministers:

“The working group set up to look into the matter has put forward proposals concerning the Harrogate and Knaresborough area committee which in my view makes this largest urban area in the county considerably under-represented on the new authority.”

On Tuesday, Cllr John Weighell, who led a cross-party working which came up with the plans, accepted that some residents would be underrepresented. But added that it was “absolutely the only way to maintain community identity”.

Cllr Weighell said the move would divide up town centre boundaries in Harrogate and Knaresborough. Among Cllr Broadbank’s suggestions was to add another councillor to the Stray and Hookstone ward and include Fairfax within the boundary.

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A decision on the boundaries for the unitary authority will be made by government at a later date.

The new boundaries will come into force when a shadow authority is elected to the new North Yorkshire council in March 2022.

They will stay in place until 2027 when the Boundary Commission will carry out a full review.

Borough council leader “content” with proposals

Meanwhile, Conservative Cllr Richard Cooper, leader of Harrogate Borough Council, said he would be “content” with either of the two proposals currently on the table.

He told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that the borough council would not be lodging an alternative proposal to government.

Cllr Cooper said:

“I do not believe the difference between having 13 or 14 councillors from the Harrogate district out of around 90 will make a material difference to our area’s influence on the new council.

“I would be content with either proposal although I think that the county council’s proposals have the edge on keeping like communities together.

“Since there are two acceptable proposals it does not seem sensible to try and submit a third.”

Cllr Cooper said the proposals should therefore only be seen as a temporary arrangement and that the “important point” is how key decisions which affect the Harrogate district are made by the new council.

He said:

“The county council is talking about giving power to locality-based committees to decide what is best for their area.

“This needs to be done effectively and, in my view, the county council does not have a great track record on this.

“Communities will find it difficult to trust the new council if it is seen as a means of grabbing power and influence by a remote group based in Northallerton.

“I am sure that the new authority will want to avoid this and will delegate real authority to Harrogate district councillors to make decisions that affect our area.”

Harrogate hospital records another covid death

Harrogate District Hospital has recorded another death of a patient who tested positive for covid.

According to latest NHS statistics, the death was reported on Wednesday.

It takes the death toll from covid at the hospital since March 2020 to 188.

Meanwhile, 132 covid cases have been reported in the district, according to today’s Public Health England figures.

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The district’s seven-day covid rate has increased to 408 per 100,000 people, while the North Yorkshire average is 355 and the England rate stands at 287.

Elsewhere, 127,957 people have received a first covid vaccine in the Harrogate district and 119,918 have had a second dose.

Arrest warrant issued for man over Starbeck property closure

An arrest warrant has been issued after a man allegedly breached a closure order at a house in Starbeck.

Harrogate Magistrates Court has issued the warrant for Paul Nelson, 55, who is charged with entering 31 Avenue Grove, Starbeck, in contravention of a closure notice.

Leeds Magistrates Court approved an order to close the property back in July.

Mr Nelson is accused of breaching the closure notice by entering the property without reasonable excuse on September 3. But he failed to appear before court yesterday to answer to the charge.

Magistrates issued a warrant for his arrest without bail.

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In July, Leeds Magistrates Court approved a closure notice on both 19 and 31 Avenue Grove.

Simon Mallett, a barrister acting for North Yorkshire Police, told the court there had been “a considerable amount of disorder in Avenue Grove”.

The court granted three-month partial closure orders on the properties, let by landlord John Willis, which means only Mr Willis and one person at each property can enter the premises until midnight on October 12.

North Yorkshire Police and Harrogate Borough Council successfully applied for a three-month closure order on 38 Mayfield Grove, Harrogate, another property let by Mr Willis, in March. This order expired in June.

£1billion bid launched to dual all of A66

One of the busiest roads in northern England could be made into a dual carriage way as part of a £1 billion plan revealed today.

National Highways, formerly Highways England, has launched a consultation into the project, which would dual the remaining parts of the road between the M6 at Penrith and A1 at Scotch Corner.

The road is used by thousands of drivers in the north of England each day to travel between the north east and Cumbria and on to Scotland.

Baroness Vere, minister for roads, visited the consultation hub on the site of the former Llama Karma Kafe today, where she was joined by Neil Hudson, the Conservative MP for Penrith and The Border, along with local council and business leaders.

The consultation will run for six weeks until November 6. Following the outcome of the consultation, National Highways will apply for a development consent order which would pave the way for the project to be given the go-ahead.

Nick Harris, National Highways chief executive, said:

“We look forward to hearing people’s thoughts on our vision to bring far-reaching benefits to those who use and live near the route.

“By creating better links we can unlock access to tourism, jobs, essential services and new opportunities.”

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Baroness Vere said:

“Upgrading the A66 is a project at the heart of our plans to build back better and level up the north by improving infrastructure and boosting connections across the region.

“Whether you’re commuting, visiting the area on holiday, or transporting freight, this upgrade will bring huge benefits to the area by cutting congestion and speeding up journey times.

“This consultation is a great opportunity for people and businesses to help shape the future of this project so it works for everyone.”

You can have your say on the A66 scheme here.

Harrogate church opens free wellbeing cafe

A free wellbeing cafe has opened in Harrogate to help people with their mental health by offering a place where it is ‘okay not to be okay’.

The cafe, called Renew HG1, opens weekly at Harrogate Baptist Church on Victoria Avenue to give people a space to help with anxiety or loneliness.

Launched this month, the scheme is part of a wider initiative run by Nottingham-based Renew Wellbeing, which helps churches open welcoming and inclusive spaces in partnership with mental health teams to improve mental and emotional wellbeing.

The scheme has seen more than 100 cafes open across the country, with 22 centres opening in the north of England.

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The cafes offer tea, coffee, games and newspapers to read.

Harrogate’s centre is open every Monday from 10.30am until 12pm and is free.

For more information on the Renew centres, visit the Renew Wellbeing website.