Calvin Robinson Chief Reporter, Author at The Stray Ferret

Harrogate district to resettle three more Afghan families

The leader of Harrogate Borough Council has said Afghan refugees are “settling in well” in the district and that three more families are on the way.

The district has so far welcomed four families under a government scheme targeted at Afghans who worked for the UK military and are fleeing the country because they are under serious threat from the Taliban.

Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, council leader Richard Cooper said:

“Four families have arrived under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP), one in Knaresborough and three in Harrogate. They are settling in well.

“We have been asked to accommodate three more families under ARAP. ”

British troops left Afghanistan over the weekend, bringing an end to the UK’s 20-year military involvement in the country, which is now under the control of the Taliban.

Taliban leaders have pledged not to allow Afghanistan to become a base for terrorists who could threaten the West.

But questions are already being asked about how they will govern the country, and what this will mean for women, human rights, and political freedoms.

There are also questions over what will happen to Afghans who are eligible to come to the UK but have been left behind in the evacuation programme.

Speaking on Tuesday, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said he couldn’t give a “definitive” figure for how many of those remained in the country.

Government pledge to resettle 20,000 refugees

Under another scheme for refugees, the Afghan Citizens’ Resettlement Scheme (ACRS), the government has pledged to take in up to 20,000 refugees over the coming years, with a focus on women and children, as well as religious and other minorities.

The scheme is still being developed and local councils which have pledged their support are now awaiting information on how they can help.

Cllr Cooper previously said Harrogate would take in “more than our quota” of refugees who are “in need of and deserve our assistance”.

He has now added:

“The details of the long-term Afghan Citizens’ Resettlement Scheme have not been released by the government.

“When they are, we will work with North Yorkshire County Council and Migration Yorkshire on the programme.”

Another 88 covid cases in Harrogate district as hospitalisations rise

A further 88 covid cases have been confirmed in the Harrogate district, according to latest Public Health England figures – and the number of hospital patients has increased.

The district’s seven-day covid rate now stands at 322 cases per 100,000 people, slightly above the North Yorkshire average of 308 and the England rate of 301.

It also emerged today that the number of covid patients at Harrogate District Hospital has risen despite the overall number of people needing treatment across the county falling.

As of yesterday, there were 126 covid-positive patients in North Yorkshire’s hospitals, which is down five on this time last week.

There are 20 patients in intensive care, an increase of one in the last seven days.

In an update to North Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum today, Amanda Bloor, the accountable officer for the North Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group, said that the number of patients at Harrogate District Hospital was up one to 11.

She said:

“While there has been an overall reduction across our hospitals there has been a slight increase of covid-positive patients in Harrogate and a larger increase in Scarborough.

“This is an important reminder that some people are still becoming unwell and needing hospital treatment. Due to infection control requirements when treating covid patients it does mean that hospitals are able to do less other activity while the numbers remain significant.

“As schools and colleges go back in September this may also have an impact on infection rates so it is important that we all continue to take sensible precautions to protect ourselves and those around us.”

Elsewhere, 124,187 people have received a first covid vaccine in the Harrogate district and 114,258 have had a second dose.

North Yorkshire Police not answering half of 999 calls on time

Half of 999 calls to North Yorkshire Police were not answered on time last month, according to the force’s own figures.

The force’s control room received 9,572 emergency calls — the highest ever number for the month of August.

However, 50 per cent of those were not answered within the 10 second target set nationally.

Half of calls met the target and 45 per cent were answered within five seconds, according to police.

Deputy chief constable Phil Cain told a North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner accountability meeting yesterday that on average the force answered 999 calls within 22 seconds last month.

He said:

“We want to get a lot better at that.

“The challenge for us is balancing against the volume increase of three nines we are receiving since the easing of lockdown restrictions versus some of the staffing challenges we have got in the control room.”

DCC Cain said police were creating long and medium term plans, which include using technology and additional staff, to improve response times.

Overtime plan

The move comes as the county’s police, fire and crime commissioner, Philip Allott, approved £69,000 worth of funding in July for the force to create an overtime plan and hire six more call handlers for busier times.

An additional £70,000 was set aside should more funding be required until the end of October.

A decision notice on the commissioner’s website said:

“The requirement for this available funding will be reviewed at the end of October and the commissioner expects to see proposals brought forward through the next round of budget setting to ensure the longer-term sustainability of the force control room.”

Mr Allott told the Stray Ferret in July that he expected improvements in response times in the coming months following the easing of restrictions and after improvements to the service were made.

North Yorkshire health officials urge 16 and 17-year-olds to get jab

Teenagers aged 16 and 17 in North Yorkshire are being urged to get vaccinated against covid “as soon as possible” ahead of the return to school and college next week.

Those who fall into this age group were first offered a vaccine dose last month, but unlike others no second jab is being scheduled.

The government set a target of offering everyone aged 16 and 17 their first dose or the chance to book one by August 23, and Louise Wallace, director of public health for North Yorkshire, said they should now take up the opportunity “as soon as possible”.

Speaking at a meeting of North Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum, which is a collaboration of agencies fighting covid, today, she said:

“The key message does remain the same for everyone across the county who is eligible for a vaccine to come forward. It is still the best form of protection.

“If you are 16 or 17 years of age, please come forward and get vaccinated as soon as possible – and ideally before you go back to school.”

Her plea coincides with NHS England beginning to draw up plans for a possible extension of the vaccination programme to all 12 to 15-year-olds.

However, experts on the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, which advises the government, have yet to make a final decision on whether it should go ahead – and there are national reports that they may opt against it because of fears it could disrupt the programme of boosters for older people.

School bubble groups scrapped

School distancing rules, ‘bubble’ groups and staggered starts have now been scrapped, although ventilation measures and extra hygiene precautions will still be in place.

All secondary pupils are also being urged to get tested either at school or in the community before term starts. After that, pupils will be encouraged to carry on with the twice-weekly testing regime in order to keep cases under control.

Ms Wallace said it was “massively” important that pupils now made a return to school.

She added:

“All schools and colleges are advised to keep continuing with regular hand washing, cleaning regimes and keeping spaces well ventilated.

“And of course, we will give support from a local public health perspective to any school or college if they see a spike in cases.”

Approval for 420 solar panels to be installed at Harrogate Hydro

Harrogate Borough Council has given approval for 420 solar panels to be installed on the town’s Hydro leisure centre.

The move is part of a wider decarbonisation initiative, which could also see 1,000 solar panels installed at Harrogate Convention Centre.

Council officials said in planning documents that the panels will help to improve energy efficiency and cut emissions at the ageing facility, which replaced the old Coppice Valley pool when it opened in 1999.

It added that the scheme could reduced the council’s annual Co2 emissions by 577 tonnes.

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

The bid saw the council granted £2.4 million for projects at the Hydro and convention centre.

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.

Kathryn Daly, head of place-shaping and economic growth at the council, previously said:

“We have ambitious plans to ensure our own operations and buildings will be clean, efficient and have a net zero carbon economy by 2038.

“This government funding provides a significant step to allow us to achieve this.”

MPs watch: Afghanistan, football freebies and food banks

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 August, parliament was in recess for the summer. However, MPs were recalled to the House of Commons due to the escalating situation in Afghanistan.

However, none of our district MPs contributed to the debate on August 18.

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.

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

Mr Jones posted twice on his MP’s website in August. One post saw Mr Jones call for people to help to reduce their carbon footprint after the publication of the Independent Panel on Climate Change report.
On August 14, Mr Jones updated his website to back a local bus service bid by North Yorkshire County Council of up to £20 million.
Mr Jones was branded a “hypocrite” over a post he made on his Community News website about food banks. He did not respond to requests for comment by the Stray Ferret.
Mr Jones’ Twitter account is for ‘retweets only’.

Julian Smith, MP for Ripon and Skipton.

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

Mr Smith updated his website once in August. The post reflected on what he did in his constituency in July.
He tweeted six times in August. Among his social media posts were to congratulate Damian Hinds MP for being appointed security minister.
Mr Smith posted six times on his Facebook page. He encouraged 16 and 17 year olds to get their covid vaccine after becoming eligible.

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

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

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

A regular Twitter user, Mr Adams tweeted 12 times in August.
Among his tweets were support for the Paralympic Games and congratulating Indonesia on its independence day.
On August 23, Mr Adams visited an Afghanistan Crisis Centre set up by the Foreign Office. He said it was a “great to see all the fantastic work” the centre had done.
He tweeted on August 25 that he and the Foreign Office would continue to resolve the crisis in Myanmar and paid tribute to the Rohingya muslims who have lost their lives.
Mr Adams updated his website once in August. This was to publicise the North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner’s consultation on priorities for fire and policing over the next four years.
According to MPs register of interests as of August 23, Mr Adams had received £6,000 worth of free hospitality tickets to England’s Euro 2020 games.

Hull company awarded £827,000 Otley Road cycle route contract

A Hull-based engineering company has been awarded an £827,000 contract to construct the first phase of the Otley Road cycleway in Harrogate.

North Yorkshire County Council appointed PBS Construction for the project, which is known as the West Harrogate Scheme, with a start date earmarked for September 20.

The company has largely carried out projects in East Yorkshire and northern Lincolnshire, but has previously repaired the Kirkby-Masham bridge in North Yorkshire at a cost of £229,500.

The firm is also a sponsor of Hull FC rugby league club.

According to government procurement documents, the contract is valued at £827,100 and is set to end in November this year.

Melisa Burnham, highways area manager at the county council, said:

“The bid process allows any interested companies to bid. All tenders are evaluated and in this case PBS Construction Ltd were the stand-out applicants.

“Work is scheduled to begin in September and we will be issuing an update shortly.”

Work will include widening Otley Road on the approach to Harlow Moor Road as well as the creation of a designated left turn lane on the western approach to Harlow Moor Road and designated right turn lane on the eastern approach.

An off-road cycle route will also be created between Harlow Moor Road and Cold Bath Road as part of the contract.

Traffic light junctions will also be upgraded.

The county council previously confirmed to the Stray Ferret that the final two phases of the scheme would also be awarded via open tender.

Negotiations with the Duchy of Lancaster over the exchange of Stray land have caused delays.

Harrogate Borough Council agreed in March to designate a plot of land on Wetherby Road as Stray land in exchange for the loss of grass verges on Otley Road for the new cycle path.

Traffic fears over plans for 560 homes on Harrogate’s Otley Road

A proposed 560-home development on Harrogate’s Otley Road has sparked fears over traffic.

Homes England, which is the government’s housing agency, wants to build the homes at Bluecoat Wood Nurseries, which is where the charity Horticap is based.

Homes England has submitted an Environmental Impact Assessment Scoping Report to Harrogate Borough Council for the 26-hectare site, which is required ahead of a formal planning application.

The report proposes building 560 homes on the site — 25 per cent more than is allocated in Harrogate District Local Plan 2014-35, which outlines development in the district until 2035.

Council officials consulted a range of bodies on the environmental impact of the development and what would be needed to be addressed, such as traffic and infrastructure.

Henry Pankhurst, of Harrogate Civic Society, which was among those consulted, said it objected to the plan on the grounds of traffic, encroachment onto greenfield land and adverse affect on the landscape.

Mr Pankhurst told the council in a letter:

“It seems logical that a much more intensive use of the land must have adverse consequences. The increase in dwellings, 110 units, from 450 to 560, is very significant – almost a quarter more.

“Traffic will increase, any buffer zones at the boundaries may well be reduced and amenity space both private and public may be compromised. Intensification in these and other ways will harm the special landscape area and harm the setting of the green belt.”

Meanwhile, the Harrogate Group of the Ramblers Association said the site had no recorded public right of ways or bridleways.

It said:

“With a site of this considerable size we would like to see a number of footpaths created through the site, and incorporated within natural green spaces.

“These should be of generous width, with a suitable surface, and routed logically. The routes should fulfil anticipated need.”

Homes England projects in Harrogate district

The proposed development is one of three sites in the district that Homes England has purchased for housing.

One of the other sites is the former Police Training Centre on Yew Tree Lane, which is earmarked for 200 homes. That site is in the Local Plan for 161 homes and faced similar criticism for “unjustifiable planning creep”.

The government agency has also submitted final plans for 390 homes at a site in Littlethorpe.

Homes England said previously that the environmental impact assessment for the Bluecoat site was an “early stage of the planning process” and that further consultation will be required for a formal planning application.

82 covid infections in Harrogate district reported today

Another 82 covid infections have been reported in the Harrogate district, according to today’s Public Health England figures.

The district’s weekly infection rate now stands at 296 per 100,000 people. The North Yorkshire rate is 309 and the England average is 312.

According to the latest figures, Harrogate District Hospital is treating 10 patients for covid.

The hospital has not recorded any covid deaths in the last 24 hours, according to NHS England statistics. However, two people have recently died at the hospital after testing positive for coronavirus.

Those two deaths followed a four-month period at the hospital when it did not record any coronavirus deaths.

It means the number of people at the hospital who have died from covid since March 2020 stands at 181.

Elsewhere, 124,161 people have received a first covid vaccine in the Harrogate district and 113,458 have had a second dose.

‘We will not resort straight away to criminal prosecution’ of travellers, say police

North Yorkshire Police has said it will not “resort straight away” to criminal prosecution of travellers who set up illegal encampments.

Travellers have pitched up at Hay-a-Park in Knaresborough and on the playing field at Ashville College in Harrogate this month.

Asked today by a member of the public why officers did not use the Criminal Disorder Act 1984, which prohibits trespassing, deputy chief constable Phil Cain said the police always looked to resolve the matter at “the earliest opportunity”.

But he added the force had a “graduated response” to dealing with such incidents.

DCC Cain, speaking at a North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner public accountability meeting, said police had to balance the human rights of all those involved, particularly as the travelling community often has families with small children.

He said:

“The graduated response from North Yorkshire Police, as it is with other forces, is that we will not resort straight away to criminal prosecution. We will engage with the travelling community and the land owners as we have done on this occasion.

“We will seek to resolve the matter at the earliest opportunity using the least intrusive means possible. That includes graduating up through private land owners utilising powers in civil courts for unlicensed travellers settlements all the way through to the final element, which would be criminal prosecution.

“On this occasion, local officers have engaged with the travelling community and they have agreed to move on without the need for us to resort to criminal prosecution.”

“It’s not that we are not prepared to use these powers, it’s that there has to be a graduated response and we have to show that graduated response in order to show that we are complying with the Human Rights Act.”

Last week travellers set up camp on Ashville College’s rugby pitch and demanded £5,000 to leave, according to a college spokesperson.

However, after less than two days the travellers hitched up their caravans and moved on. The college said they left of their own accord.

Hay-a-Park rugby field in Knaresborough was sealed off by police and deemed to be a health hazard due to the amount of human excrement after travellers departed on August 10.

A police cordon sealing off Hay-a-Park rugby field after travellers left.

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Government pledge to resettle 20,000 refugees

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Overtime plan

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School bubble groups scrapped

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Homes England projects in Harrogate district

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