Council rejects controversial plan for 217 homes on Kingsley Drive

Harrogate borough councillors have rejected a controversial scheme for 217 homes on Kingsley Drive.

The council received 388 objections to the scheme and no responses in favour.

The current application, submitted by Persimmon Homes, has seen the number of properties planned on the site reduced from 244 to 217.

But Harrogate Borough Council planning officers said the proposal “was not considered acceptable”.

The Kingsley ward area will eventually see more than 600 homes built, including developments at Granby Farm and 149 homes on Kingsley Road.

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However, residents have raised a number of concerns over Persimmon’s plan, including overdevelopment and traffic congestion.

Chris Watt, speaking on behalf of Kingsley Ward Action Group, said the traffic caused by the homes would make congestion worse in the area.

He said:

“As we have already seen from current developments taking place, our local roads are not designed for construction traffic.

“Congestion on Knaresborough Road is already bad and this would only be made worse by the number of houses proposed for this site.”

Meanwhile, Cllr Nigel Middlemass, ward member for Kinglsey, told the committee that the development had not been thought through.

He said:

“This is the biggest and worst thought out [housing site] in the area. It is far too intensive and well above the numbers in the local plan.”

Paul Butler, agent for Persimmon Homes, requested that the committee defer the application so that the council and developer could work on the design and layout of the scheme.

However, the council’s planning committee voted unanimously to reject the scheme.

First Lidl supermarket in Harrogate given go-ahead

Plans have been approved for the first Lidl supermarket to open in Harrogate.

Councillors on Harrogate Borough Council’s planning committee gave the go-ahead for the new store on Knaresborough Road this afternoon.

The new supermarket will be built on the former Lookers car dealership site.

The multi-million pound proposal includes a 1,263 square metre sales area, an in-store bakery, customer toilets and 94 parking spaces and cycle parking at the front of the store.

Jonathan Harper, agent for Lidl, told councillors at a meeting today:

“There are a number of clear tangible benefits to this scheme.

“The development represents a significant investment by Lidl and will create 40 new jobs which carry clear importance at this time.”

Cllr Robert Windass, member for Boroughbridge, said:

“This site is derelict.

“I think it will be an asset to that part of Harrogate.”

Cllr Philip Broadbank, member for Harrogate Starbeck, said the development would be “welcomed and well used”, but added that delivery times and highways needed to be looked at when setting conditions.

He requested that a condition was set to reduce the delivery time hours from 11pm to 10pm.

However, Cllr Broadbank added:

“The site is generally acceptable and it does have quite a lot of support [from residents].”

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The new store will be open from 8am to 10pm Monday to Saturday and 10am to 4pm on Sunday.

Lidl has also submitted plans for a new store in Ripon.

The German supermarket chain has lodged proposals for a store at St Michael’s Retail Park in the city.

Earlier this month, the application won the support of Ripon City Council.

A decade worth of monthly police visits to Mayfield Grove house

Police received on average one report per month over suspected crime and anti-social behaviour at a house on Harrogate’s Mayfield Grove for the past decade, the Stray Ferret can reveal.

Figures obtained by a Freedom of Information request show 255 reports were made to North Yorkshire Police from the public about 38 Mayfield Grove since April 2008.

It amounts to at least one police visit a month on average for the last 13 years.

The house has been at the centre of crime concerns recently after North Yorkshire Police and Harrogate Borough Council ordered the property to be closed back in March.

The figures revealed today suggest a persistent problem at the property over anti-social behaviour. Since the closure, residents have called for more to be done about crime in the area and have met with officers, council officials and North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, Philip Allott.

The Stray Ferret asked police for the most common reports made about the address and how many times police were called about each reason.

Of the most frequent reports, a total of 64 were related to public safety and included suspicious circumstances, insecure premises and concerns for safety.

Meanwhile, 27 were about anti-social behaviour.

Closure orders and crime concerns

The house has been ordered to close twice since 2005.

The latest order to shut the property down was made back in March by North Yorkshire Police and Harrogate Borough Council.

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The two organisations can apply to a court for a closure order if they have concerns about antisocial behaviour and criminal behaviour on premise.

Since then, the property has been allowed to reopen and officers have held community engagement events with concerned residents.

At an event held in June, many residents said they were worried about crime in in general in the area – not just individual properties.

Meanwhile, Philip Allott, North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, pledged to push for more police officers on Mayfield Grove.

He visited the street last week to hear concerns over anti-social behaviour and crime on Mayfield Grove and nearby Nydd Vale Terrace and Mayfield Terrace.

Mr Allott told the Stray Ferret:

“I will ask the police to step up neighbourhood policing in this area. I will ask them to target the drug dealers and make it hard for the supply chain to operate.”

Two year wait for planning decision forces appeal over Ripon townhouses

Developers have lodged an appeal against Harrogate Borough Council over a “failure to determine” a planning application for new apartments and townhouses in Ripon.

Spinksburn Ltd had tabled a plan to build four apartments and four townhouses on land off North Street in the city.

The site, which used to be retail units, was demolished to make way for Marshall Way and has remained undeveloped since.

The company tabled a revised plan back in November 2019, but says it has yet to receive a decision on the proposal.

Now, the developer has taken the matter to the government’s Planning Inspectorate.

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In a letter outlining its grounds for appeal, the developer said it had requested a delay to the decision due to the covid pandemic back in April 2020.

A further extension was then agreed until July 15, 2021.

However, the developer said that since then the borough council has yet to determine the application.

The letter written by the developer’s lawyer said:

“Our client has therefore instructed us to submit the appeals for non-determination because the council does not appear to have the resources to be able to determine the applications and there appears to be no end in sight.

“My client is extremely concerned that determination of the applications is being allowed to drift and there are no means by which to secure the determination of the applications besides the appeal process if the council does not have the necessary resources.”

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

Harrogate district reports 38 daily covid cases

The Harrogate district has recorded another 38 new covid cases in the last 24 hours, according to today’s Public Health England figures.

Meanwhile, the district’s seven-day covid rate has fallen to 263 cases per 100,000 people.

Elsewhere, the North Yorkshire rate stands at 251 and the England average is 287.

Harrogate District Hospital has not reported a covid-related death in three-and-a-half months.

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It means the covid death toll at the hospital since March 2020 remains at 179.

However, latest figures show that the hospital is treating nine covid patients.

Elsewhere, 123,101 people have received a first covid vaccine in the Harrogate district and 105,585 have had a second dose.

How to spot potential modern slavery at hand car washes

Workers with the wrong equipment or living at the site are among the signs of suspected modern slavery to look out for at hand car washes, according to an expert.

Darryl Dixon, director of strategy at the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority, the agency which investigates worker exploitation, said while the signs may not necessarily be modern slavery offences, reporting them can help with investigations.

Mr Dixon was speaking to the Stray Ferret following the sentencing of Defrim Paci, the sole owner of Harrogate Hand Carwash on Sykes Grove, for crimes he committed at another car wash in Carlisle.

Paci was jailed for 45 months for the mistreatment and exploitation of workers who travelled to the UK from their native Romania in search of better lives.

Speaking about the potential signs of modern slavery at hand car washes, Mr Dixon said the number of workers, whether they have the right equipment and buildings which are seemingly used for accommodation were the most common.

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However, he added that those may not amount to offences.

Mr Dixon said the GLAA often gets reports from the public on car washes because as businesses they are visible and used frequently by people.

He said:

“There could be issues with the information. Sometimes the information we get is low level or low quality.

“You need a lot of information to see if there is modern slavery.”

But, Mr Dixon said it was important for people to continue to report issues to the authorities.

He said:

“It’s important to report something if you think it looks like a problem.

“The more information we get can help us build a picture and assess if something is going on.”

Those wishing to report potential modern slavery at a hand car wash can do so through the Safe Car Wash app, which was set up by the Church of England’s anti-slavery arm, the Clewer Initiative, and the Catholic Church.

The information reported is anonymised and is shared with the National Crime Agency and Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority.

200 Harrogate council leisure staff set to transfer to new company

Union bosses have said they have received assurances there are “no plans” to change conditions for council staff after this week’s overhaul of leisure services in the Harrogate district.

Some 200 Harrogate Borough Council employees transferred to a new local authority controlled company called Brimham’s Active at the start of August.

Brimham’s Active will run the council’s 11 leisure venues, including The Hydro in Harrogate, Knaresborough Pool, Ripon Leisure Centre and Nidderdale Pool.

The move has raised employment concerns among those staff affected but Unison said all workers will maintain their current terms and conditions.

David Houlgate, secretary of Unison Harrogate local government branch, said the union will continue to monitor the situation after the company becomes active.

He said:

“We have been successful with our campaign and have received assurances that there are no plans to change existing terms and conditions following the transfer.  

“We will continue to monitor the situation to ensure this position does not change.”

A spokesperson for Harrogate Borough Council said all leisure staff would transfer to Brimham’s Active under the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations, better known as TUPE, on August 1.

New leisure company

The council voted last year to create a new local authority controlled company to take over the running of its leisure facilities.

At the time, council officials said the move would save £400,000 a year and that the authority would have a majority of representatives on the new company’s board.

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The company has since been incorporated and appointed seven directors. They include local councillors, council officers and Mark Tweedie, who has been appointed managing director of Brimham’s Active.

According to Companies House, Zoe Appleton-Metcalfe, Wallace Sampson, Samuel Gibbs, Stan Lumley, Trevor Watson and Pat Marsh have been appointed directors.

The council has also announced a £26 million investment in the Harrogate Hydro and a new leisure centre at Knaresborough, which was expected to be financed by borrowing from the government.

In June last year, Cllr Stan Lumley, cabinet member for tourism and sport, said the new company and investment plan “came hand in hand” and would help the authority save money.

Company awarded £277,000 ground investigations contract for Ripon barracks site

A Darlington-based company has been awarded a £277,000 contract to undertake ground investigations on land earmarked for a potential 1,300-home development in Ripon.

Homes England has commissioned Dunelm Geotechnical and Environmental, a ground investigations firm, to carry out the work at the former Ripon barracks site.

The government housing agency has tabled a plan to build 1,300 homes on the site.

Ripon has a history of ground instability and sinkholes caused by the soluble of nature gypsum, the rock that lies under much of the area.

The brief for the contract, which is worth £277,108.77,  says the work is to:

“Complete an intrusive ground investigation as Principal Contractor under the CDM Regulations 2015 at a site in Ripon, including factual report on ground investigation.”

The proposal for the barracks site has caused controversy in the city with councillors opposing the development and residents signing a petition objecting to the plan.

Harrogate Borough Council is currently considering the proposal and will make a decision at a later date.

History of Ripon barracks plan

When the Ripon Neighbourhood Plan was being drawn up, it was envisaged that the barracks site would provide space for 800 new homes.

The site, encompassing Claro Barracks, Deverell Barracks and Laver Banks, initially included 11 hectares earmarked for employment uses.

After the allocation of land for employment uses was reduced, Homes England sought outline planning approval for a 1,300-home scheme.

A transport assessment, prepared in support of the development, was described as ‘flawed’ by Ripon City Council.

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Harrogate Borough Council validated a planning application for the site back in September 2020 in a move which developers saw as a “major step forward”.

However, in May this year, Highways England called for further assessment of the transport and traffic impact of the proposed development.

The planned homes will include a significant number of two- and three-bedroom mid-range houses and will include apartments in the centre.

It also includes a community centre, employment space, shops, parkland, a new primary school and sports facilities.

It means Homes England now has a major presence in the Harrogate district.

The developer already has plans submitted with the council for 200 homes at a former police training centre on Yew Tree Lane, Harrogate.

Last week, the Stray Ferret reported that Countryside Properties had been awarded a £63 million contract to construct the scheme.

The housing agency also has plans lodged for 390 homes on land off West Lane, Littlethorpe.

What will devolution mean for Harrogate and North Yorkshire council staff?

The abolition of North Yorkshire’s two-tier councils will have a major impact on taxpayers who rely on key services.

It will also have implications for councillors who in May 2022 will have to stand for election to a new unitary authority serving the entire county.

But above all, it will be the around 10,000 council staff across North Yorkshire who will be the most affected by the changes.

When the new authority launches in April 2023 following the abolition of North Yorkshire County Council and the district and borough councils in Harrogate, Scarborough, Selby, Craven, Ryedale, Hambleton and Richmondshire, most staff will be transferred across but some duplicated roles will inevitably be at risk of redundancy.

It is not yet known how many jobs will be affected – and there are also the questions of whether staff will be relocated and what happens to office buildings including Harrogate’s new civic centre headquarters.

North Yorkshire County Council – which is behind the single council plans and will act as the ‘continuing authority’ when reorganisation happens – has said those at risk of redundancy will be mostly senior staff and that the transferring of workers will be a “simple” process.

However, some union officials are not fully convinced.

Unions: concern or optimism?

David Houlgate, branch secretary at Unison Harrogate, which supported rival plans for two new councils split on a east/west basis, said: 

“Whilst we saw merits in both proposals there was a concern that district and borough council roles were at greater risk with the North Yorkshire County Council proposal. It would be safe to say that concern remains.

“Staff are also concerned about possibly having to relocate though at this time we have no idea what is likely to happen.”

On the other hand, Wendy Nichols, secretary of the North Yorkshire branch of Unison, which supported the single council plans, said reorganisation should be welcomed by all staff who she hopes will “work together to deliver a stronger future for everyone’s benefit.”

She said: 

“Many thousands of staff will now simply transfer to the new council as part of the process of setting it up.

“Our priority is to make sure that staff experience the least possible disruption so they can get on with their jobs and continue to deliver high quality and reliable public services.”

The aim of reorganisation is to unlock the door to a devolution deal with the government which could see millions of pounds and decision-making powers handed down from Whitehall to North Yorkshire.

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The county could also get a mayor similar to those seen in South Yorkshire, the Tees Valley and Greater Manchester.

But a key part of the plans is saving money and a large part of this will come from a reduction in staff.

For example, there are currently eight council chief executives across North Yorkshire earning around £100,000 a year.

The new council will just have one – and the same will most likely be said for other top roles including directors.

A spokesperson for North Yorkshire County Council explained: 

“With the exception of a handful of the most senior managers, all staff will simply carry on doing what they are currently doing.

“After April 2023 when the new authority is in place some services may want to review their structures and arrangements especially if there is duplication of work and roles or more efficient new ways of delivering services which have been brought together.

“The expectation is that whilst over time for some services there will be changes to staffing structures and need for reductions in posts this will be able to be managed by removing vacancies.

“For a small number of the most senior managers there will be a need to reduce posts at an early stage when eight senior management teams become a single new management team.”

The coming months and as more details emerge about the new authority will undoubtedly be a nervy time for some staff.

Until it starts to take shape, there will be many unanswered questions about exactly whose jobs are at risk and what the new staffing structure will look like.

But officials have insisted staff will play a key part in the process and that they hope workers won’t quit local government due to the uncertainties ahead.

The county council spokesperson added: 

“There is a wealth of talent across district, borough and county council staff and it is very much hoped that everyone will see this as a huge opportunity to build a new, ambitious and exemplar council for everyone in North Yorkshire.”

MPs watch: Football, Yorkshire Show and covid vaccines

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 July, the remaining covid restrictions were lifted, a historic decision was made to overhaul local government across North Yorkshire and England reached their first major football tournament final in 55 years.

Parliament went into recess on July 22.

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 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.

Andrew Jones, Harrogate and Knaresborough MP.

In Harrogate and Knaresborough, here is what we found on Mr Jones:

Julian Smith, MP for Ripon and Skipton.

Julian Smith, MP for Ripon and Skipton.

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

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Nigel Adams, MP for Selby and Ainsty which includes rural Harrogate.

In rural south Harrogate, here is what we found on Mr Adams: