The future of HG1 Radio in Harrogate is being reviewed after a sister radio station closed.

YO1 Enterprises closed West Yorkshire Radio days ago because it said it was “unsustainable in the short term”.

Now the company, which operates HG1 Radio and York station YO1 Radio, has said it is evaluating all its projects.

The York-based company issued a statement today detailing recent managerial changes.

According to Companies House, Chris Marsden, Simon Lloyd and Paul Atkinson all resigned as directors on March 22.

Today’s statement says Mr Marsden remains as programme controller.

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It also reveals Wayne Chadwick has taken over as managing director of the group and Dave Parker has been appointed operations director.

Mr Chadwick said:

“It is early days yet – and we are just starting to evaluate all of the projects the company has been involved with, including HG1 Radio. 

“We’ve not made any decisions yet – other than the closure of West Yorkshire Radio, which we felt was unsustainable in the short term.

“The changes bring with them a substantial level of investment and we have to ensure that this investment is put to the best use – and in particular is used to support our core operations in North Yorkshire.

“We remain very grateful to listeners and supporters of HG1 Radio, which is continuing to broadcast online.”

West Yorkshire Radio was launched to fill the gap left by Radio Aire and Pulse 2.

Chris Johnson, one of the presenters on West Yorkshire Radio, posted a statement on Twitter last week after YO1 Enterprises decided to go ahead with non-presenter programming.

He said presenters had decided to “terminate their involvement in the station”, which had been run on an “entirely voluntary basis” until that point.

A senior Harrogate Borough Council officer who was responsible for the authority’s response to the coronavirus pandemic and left suddenly during the first lockdown was paid £55,065.

Paul Campbell, who was director of community for three and a half years, was paid the sum as part of a compensation for loss of office, according to the authority’s latest statement of accounts.

Mr Campbell’s departure came just days after the first national lockdown was announced. As part of his role, he was the authority’s gold commander for emergency planning which would have included responding to the pandemic.

According to the statement of accounts, £20,650 was included in the sum as a payment in lieu of notice. The director of community has an annual salary of £89,727.

The document also said the role of director of community was vacant from March 29. The council has since not replaced Mr Campbell.

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The Stray Ferret asked the borough council what the circumstances were around his departure, how it arrived at the payment sum and how his leaving impacted on the council’s covid response.

A spokeswoman for Harrogate Borough Council said:

“We don’t comment on HR issues relating to individual members of staff.

“The director of community role responsibilities are being shared by the other directors. The director of community’s departure had no effect on the council’s response to the pandemic.”

While no explanation has been given for Mr Campbell’s departure, a source who worked closely with him told the Stray Ferret at the time:

“After three and a half years Paul had seen so many budget cuts and cost saving reviews of waste services, the street cleaning service and the parks service, that I think he was planning to move on.

“I think he delayed it because he had the opportunity to work on the UCI championships and to establish the council’s housing company and push up the level of affordable housing.”

Mr Campbell’s role included overseeing a range of council services range including housing, parks, waste and health and safety.

He was also lead director for the UCI World Cycling Championships, which cost the council more than £600,000 and saw global audiences of more than 300 million. However, it left many town retailers unhappy and caused damage to the West Park Stray – which later cost the council £130,000 to restore.

North Yorkshire County Council is in talks to buy land previously earmarked for a mental health facility at Cardale Park, Harrogate.

The council confirmed it has set money aside to purchase land at the site, which is owned by Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust.

The land had previously been given approval for a 36-bed mental health facility, following the closure of Harrogate District Hospital’s Briary Unit, which helped adults with mental illness.

However, those plans were dropped in 2019 and inpatients on the unit were sent to Foss Park Hospital in York instead.

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Dale Owens, assistant director for commissioning and quality at the county council, said:

“We have agreed that funding set aside for extra care will be used to purchase land at Cardale Park to assist with social care market development in the Harrogate area.

“Different options will be considered before detailed plans are brought forward. A separate report will be brought to the executive in due course seeking approval for any final plans.

“Discussions are ongoing about the purchase and further details will also be brought to the executive.”

Cllr Jim Clark, a Conservative councillor who sits on the West Yorkshire Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Panel to represent North Yorkshire, told the Stray Ferret he was pleased the site was going to be used.

He said:

“It is important that this site is used for the benefit of local people.

“I would have preferred it to be a mental health facility, but I am glad that it is going to be used for assisted housing for people instead.”

The trust, which runs mental health services in Harrogate, has relocated services following the closure of the Briary Wing.

The unit’s mental health crisis team moved to The Orchards in Ripon last year.

Despite assurances that the move was not a “long term solution”, the trust has yet to find a new base for the service.

The Harrogate district’s seven-day covid rate is at its lowest since August last year.

Currently, the average stands at 11 per 100,000 people.

It’s the lowest rate since August 30 when it also stood at 11, according to North Yorkshire County Council statistics.

Meanwhile, the North Yorkshire average is 31 and the England rate stands at 38.

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Just three covid cases were reported in the district, according to latest Public Health England figures.

It takes the total number of cases since last March to 7,595.

No further deaths from patients who tested positive for covid have been recorded at Harrogate District Hospital.

The death toll at the hospital since the start of the pandemic stands at 178.

The last recorded death at the district’s hospital was on March 29.

Police are appealing for information following an incident which closed the A1 southbound near Knaresborough.

North Yorkshire Police closed the road between junctions 47 and 48 earlier this morning.

Officers said the incident involved a single vehicle and have appealed for anyone who saw a Black VW estate car with hazard lights on which was on the southbound carriageway.

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A police statement said:

“The road closed shortly after 6.25am due to an incident involving a single vehicle.

“Officers are appealing for anyone who saw a  Black VW estate car with hazard lights on and was stationary, on the southbound carriageway between 5am and 6.30am, to come forward. 

“Officers also request that anyone with any dashcam footage from the area at that time gets in touch.

“Dial 101, press 2 and ask for Traffic Constable 174 David Minto. Alternatively you can email David.minto@northyorkshire.police.uk

“Please use reference number 12210091937 when passing on any information.”

The A1 southbound between junctions 47 and 48 has now been reopened.

A historic pub in Roecliffe, near Boroughbridge, is set to reopen on April 12 as lockdown restrictions on hospitality are eased.

The Crown Inn, which dates back to the sixteenth century, will open its doors again next week and has already taken bookings for weddings.

Bars and restaurants will be allowed to serve people outside from April 12 as part of the government’s “roadmap” out of lockdown.

Chris Hannon, managing director of Coastal and Country Inns group, which owns the pub, said he was “absolutely delighted” to be able to welcome customers back.

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Mr Hannon said:

“This has been a devastating year for so many people and we are fervently hoping that the easing of lockdown next month is the beginning of the end of this nightmare.

“We cannot wait to become the beating heart of Roecliffe again. It seems wrong that a tight-knit community such as ours hasn’t had a pub open since Christmas.” 

Mr Hannon added that the pub had taken bookings for weddings from June onwards. Restrictions on social contact are expected to be lifted after June 21.

He said:

“Our first wedding is in late June – and it will be a spectacular celebration.

“We suspect that a number of weddings have been postponed because of covid and we are more than happy and ready to host any re-arranged marriages and ensure they are very special and memorable occasions.”

The pub was taken over by Coastal and Country Inns in September last year.

At the time, Mr Hannon said the company wanted to restore the pub to its former “glory days”.

Its new managers, Lukas and Veronicka Alman, have previously worked at another of the group’s inns in the Peak District.

The pub has been refurbished and is offering food and drink, accommodation and events space.

The A1 southbound near Knaresborough was closed due to a police incident this morning.

North Yorkshire Police said the road was closed between junctions 47 and 48.

Officers urged drivers to avoid the area and seek an alternative route this morning.

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• ‘There is a need’ for A1 service station near Kirby Hill, inquiry told

The route remained closed while emergency services deal with the incident.

A post on the Highways England website said:

“Delays are likely on the approach to the closure, with additional journey times also expected on diversion routes. Please allow extra time for your journey if travelling in the area or consider alternative routes.”

Update 10.10am – Highways England have confirmed the road is now open.

Bilton in Ainsty Cricket Club will get a brand new state-of-the-art pavilion after planning approval was granted.

Harrogate Borough Council has approved the application, which the club submitted after it said the old pavilion was on its last legs.

The club, which plays at the Bilton Estate near York, could only get funding from the England Cricket Board to build a new pavilion if they owned the land. So the Lloyd family, which owns the estate, stepped in to offer to pay for it.

The family is currently undergoing a multi-million-pound refurbishment of Bilton Hall.

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Speaking to the Stray Ferret, Phil Atkinson said the new structure will cost six figures and will also include new changing rooms, a kitchen and a club room.

He added that the club had become important to the local area.

Mr Atkinson said:

“This is great news for Bilton In Ainsty Cricket Club – it makes us the dominant force in local cricket.”

Residents in Kirby Hill have pledged that they “will not stop” opposing a motorway service station on the A1 following the closure of a fourth public inquiry into the plans.

Gareth Owens, chair of the Kirby Hill Residents Against Motorway Service Station (RAMS), said the group was prepared to continue “robust opposition” to the proposals.

It follows the closure of a fourth inquiry in 25 years into the plan to build a service station off the A1(M) northbound near the village.

The hearings lasted two weeks and included multiple testimonies from residents, councillors and representatives from Applegreen, the developer.

Read more:

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Mr Owens said the inquiry was like a “soap opera” for the village, with local people tuning into the hearings which were streamed live on YouTube.

He added that residents felt the service station was a threat to their community and came together to oppose the plan.

Mr Owens said:

“The people who live here are the people who want to live an open life in the countryside.

“If you put a motorway service station there, we will feel like we are a different community. There are an awful lot of people who feel that way.

“Our experience of living here will be changed.”

David Rose (top right), the government’s planning inspector, opened the public inquiry into the A1 service station in February.

Mr Owens gave evidence at the inquiry, which was scheduled for 11 days but ended up lasting for two weeks. Some of the hearings ran for as long as eight hours.

The government’s Planning Inspectorate, which handles planning appeals, told the Stray Ferret that a decision on the service station was expected “in the coming weeks”.

Mr Owens said he felt residents gave a good account of themselves at the inquiry.

However, he added that the group would continue to oppose the application whatever the outcome.

“We’re not going to stop.”

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

Rhodri Price Lewis, who represented Applegreen at the public inquiry, told the inquiry there was an “established need” for a new motorway service area between Wetherby services and Leeming Bar.

Kirby Hill RAMS have maintained there is no need for the service station on the A1(M).

Four culture organisations in the Harrogate district have been awarded further funding as part of the government’s culture recovery fund.

Arts Council England granted the funding as part of a further £300 million worth of financial support for culture and art organisations.

The government announced a £1.57 billion fund last year which aimed to support cultural and heritage sectors from the economic impact of covid.

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Among those to be awarded a grant is Cause UK, which has secured £35,000 in funding.

The agency hosted Ken Loach and Brian Blessed in Harrogate on behalf of the Harrogate Film Festival, as well as family events at the Royal Hall with Steve Backshall and Chris Packham

Clair Challenor-Chadwick, managing director of Cause UK, said:

“As a vibrant agency for 10 years, Cause UK had strong growth pre-covid, thanks to our growing cultural portfolio. Obviously, that was all put on hold with covid.

“A significant part of our work is also as a support agency to arts, public sector and charities. We’ve supported organisations as diverse as Besbrode Pianos, Ilkley Literature Festival, The Barnsley Civic, Harrogate Convention Centre, the Wesley Centre in Malton and the Himalayan Sculpture Park.

“We’re proud our work has had significant impact, helping clients to win awards, increase visitor and audience reach, engage sponsors, and attract investment.”

Harrogate Theatre with stands empty in the town centre.

Meanwhile, Harrogate International Festivals has been awarded £80,000 and Harrogate Theatre secured £91,078.

Ripon Museum Trust has also been granted £69,350.

The chief executive of Harrogate Theatre Trust, David Bown, gave his reaction to the grant:

“We are thrilled to receive this funding from the Cultural Recovery Fund. It will allow us to move forward with increasing confidence as we launch our Raise the Roof season by bringing drama, comedy and music to community venues throughout the district in what will be challenging times as restrictions are relaxed.”

The cultural recovery fund is targeted at organisations which work in music, theatre, dance, combined arts, visual arts, museums or literature.

The funding has been awarded by Arts Council England, Historic England, National Lottery Heritage Fund and the British Film Institute

Oliver Dowden, culture secretary, said: 

“Our record-breaking Culture Recovery Fund has already helped thousands of culture and heritage organisations across the country survive the biggest crisis they’ve ever faced. 

“Now we’re staying by their side as they prepare to welcome the public back through their doors – helping our cultural gems plan for reopening and thrive in the better times ahead.”