Residents welcome decision to drop Oatlands Drive one-way scheme

Residents and councillors have welcomed a move by North Yorkshire County Council to shelve plans for a one-way system on Oatlands Drive.

Cllr Don Mackenzie, executive member for access, confirmed today that the controversial proposal would be scrapped and not included in a detailed consultation from Monday.

It comes as the county council received “overwhelming” opposition after its initial consultation, with 57% of respondents opposed to the plan.

A leaflet campaign was also launched by residents against the scheme which encouraged people to send e-mails to local councillors, media and council officers objecting to the scheme.

Cllr Don Mackenzie, executive county councillor for access at North Yorkshire County Council.

Cllr Don Mackenzie, executive county councillor for access at North Yorkshire County Council, announced today that the one-way plan would be dropped.

Cllr Mackenzie told the Harrogate and Knaresborough Area Committee today that a decision was made to drop the plan after a meeting with officers yesterday. He said it became clear that in “most cases” residents were “vehemently opposed” to the proposal.

Anna McIntee, a local resident whose petition calling on the plans to be scrapped attracted more than 1,700 signatures, said she was delighted with the news.

She said:

“I was watching the meeting live and when I heard the news I jumped around and screamed, I am over the moon. It is the right decision.

“This was an absolutely ludicrous idea. However, the fight is not over. We still need to oppose the Station Gateway plans as that would impact a lot of people as well.”

Terry Bramall CBE, who lives on St James Drive, opposed the scheme and was concerned it would lead to extra traffic on his road. He joined a group locally who campaigned against it.
Mr Bramall said:
“I am delighted that it’s been shelved. It was a plan that had not been thought through, particularly with respect to the consequences there would have been on neighbouring estates.
“What we should be seeing is a strategic plan where we have principal thoroughfares that relieve smaller side roads.”

Meanwhile, Cllr John Ennis, who represents Oatlands on the county council, said he had received strong opposition to the plans from residents and that he was “grateful” for the decision to scrap the scheme.

Council bosses will now go to the next stage of consultation on the scheme – which the authority bid £215,000 in government funding for – from Monday. It will include proposals for a 20 mile per hour zone on the road.

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Other measures including improvements to the toucan crossing on York Place, raised speed platforms at crossings at Slingsby Walk and outside St Aidan’s school will also be included.

Traffic filters will also be proposed for St Hilda’s Road and St Winifred’s Road.

However, Kevin Douglas, chair of Harrogate and District Cycle Action, said he was disappointed that the one-way system had not been kept in the plans.

He said a series of measures were required for the road in order to meet carbon reduction targets.

Mr Douglas said:

“I’m very disappointed it’s not gone through. I don’t know if NYCC will now get the funding.

“I hoped they would consult again on the details for the scheme in a second phase.

“The 20 mph zone is positive, but it depends on how they do it. Will they just put a sign up? It would be really helpful if they would put in traffic calming measures.

“It should be a series of measures, not either/or.

“People have objected and I accept that people have different views from our own. But how are we going to meet our carbon reduction targets without making changes?”

Oatlands Drive one-way plans scrapped

North Yorkshire County Council has today dropped controversial plans to make Oatlands Drive in Harrogate one-way.

Cllr Don Mackenzie, executive member for access, told a Harrogate and Knaresborough Area Committee that the authority will not pursue the proposal.

Instead, a 20 mile per hour zone will be included in plans from next week.

The one-way proposal proved controversial, with 57% of respondents to an initial county council consultation opposing the proposal.

Cllr Mackenzie told the committee today:

“We decided, and I hope this committee agrees with that decision, that in the overwhelming view of local residents and that of the local elected member, that we should drop that option.

“Therefore, with effect from next Monday when the detailed consultation starts, we will be presenting a detailed design which does not include one-way working.

“It will include, however, a proposal to make the whole area on Oatlands Drive from York Place to Hookstone Road and all the saints residential area a 20 mile per hour zone in order to slow traffic down and bring about an element of safety for walkers and cyclists.”

Cllr Mackenzie added that the council will also look to improve the toucan crossing on York Place, building platforms at crossings at Slingsby Walk and outside St Aidans school.

Traffic filters will also be proposed for St Hilda’s Road and St Winifred’s Road.

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17 covid cases confirmed in Harrogate district today

A further 17 covid cases have been confirmed in the Harrogate district, according to Public Health England figures.

It takes the total number of infections since March to 7,478.

Meanwhile, the district’s seven-day covid rate stands at 39 per 100,000 people. The national average is 58, while the North Yorkshire rate is 48.

No further deaths have been reported at Harrogate District Hospital.

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The number of covid patients at the hospital has fallen to 13 – nine fewer than the 22 last week.

In other covid news today, North Yorkshire’s health bosses have insisted that the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine is safe and urged people to continue to come forward for their jabs when invited.

It was also announced that more than 188,000 people in North Yorkshire have now received their first coronavirus jab and 13,000 their second.

More than 50,000 of those have been delivered at Harrogate’s mass vaccination centre at the Great Yorkshire Showground.

Those who are currently being called up for their vaccine include over 50s and those with underlying health conditions between 16 and 60-years-old.

Two men fined for travelling to Knaresborough for a McDonald’s

Police have fined two men from Hull for breaching covid restrictions after they travelled to Knaresborough for a McDonald’s.

Officers from North Yorkshire Police said they spotted the men’s car at St James Retail Park at 12.45am on Monday.

The men told police they were out for a drive to get a meal from McDonald’s.

The restaurant is 66 miles from Hessle in Hull where they drove from.

Both were issued with fixed penalty notices for being outside place of living.

Police handed out 102 fines in North Yorkshire for breaching lockdown restrictions in the past week — 12 of them were in Harrogate.

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It takes the total number of fixed penalty notices issued during the third lockdown in North Yorkshire to 1,662.

Superintendent Mike Walker, who leads the county’s covid response, said it was important there was “no let up” in complying with restrictions over the forthcoming four-day Easter weekend.

He said:

“Together with our partner agencies and the people of York and North Yorkshire, it is imperative that we maintain the collective effort to reduce the infection rate as low as possible while the vaccination programme is rolled-out across the population.

“We can all see that better times are on the horizon, that’s why we must keep going and not allow all the hard work and sacrifice to be undone through complacency.”

New base for Harrogate mental health crisis team yet to be found

Health bosses have yet to find a new base for Harrogate’s mental health crisis team, despite conceding that it had to return “at the earliest possible opportunity”.

Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust, which runs mental health services for the district, moved the team to The Orchards at Ripon following the closure of the Harrogate District Hospital’s Briary Unit in April.

Adult and children crisis teams support people with mental health problems who may otherwise need to go to hospital.

Officials relocated the team, which includes 29 staff, after they were unable to identify alternative accommodation in Harrogate. They said the move was a short-term solution and that work was underway to find a new site.

At a North Yorkshire Health Scrutiny meeting in December, trust managers conceded that the move “cannot be sustained in the long term” and that it had to return “at the earliest possible opportunity”.

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However, the trust has now said it intends to explore requirements for a new site “in the near future”.

Naomi Lonergan, director of operations for North Yorkshire and York at Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust, said:

“We intend to explore our requirements for a new location for our Harrogate mental health crisis services in the near future, which will include discussions with our stakeholders and partners.

“It remains our priority to offer face-to-face contact and see people who need crisis interventions in their homes or as close to home as possible. Although the crisis team has been relocated to Ripon, most people accessing the services can still do so in the Harrogate area.

“We continue to use rooms in the Harrogate community bases to enable face-to-face contact and we are also offering attend anywhere virtual consultations where clinically appropriate.”

Harrogate District Hospital’s Briary Wing, which offered specialist inpatient care for people suffering with mental health problems, closed in April.

Inpatient mental health services transferred to York.

North Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group, which buys medical services for the county, said the transfer of inpatient beds “released £500,000”, which could be invested in community mental health services.

Have you been affected by this change in mental health services? Get in touch at contact@thestrayferret.co.uk

Two men arrested after cannabis farm found near Ripon

Two men have been arrested after police found a cannabis farm at a business park near Ripon.

North Yorkshire Police discovered the cannabis plants following a search at a business unit near the city on Friday.

The force said more than 50 plants were found following a search of another unit in the area.

Two men, aged 36 and 38, were arrested in connection with the cannabis grow and released under investigation pending further enquiries.

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Inspector Alex Langley, North Yorkshire Police, said:

“The damage that drugs cause to individuals and families is significant, and that’s why it’s important we take this pro-active approach to tackle drug issues Ripon.

“The use of industrial units in the Ripon area is of concern as criminals carry out illegal activity in plain sight.

“I would like to ask local business and premises owners to look out for any suspicious activity. Please let us know if something doesn’t feel quite right. The information you provide allows us to carry out this pro-active work in order to try and safeguard our local communities.”

The police urged anyone with information to dial 101, press one and speak to the force control room.

Or you can contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Harrogate district covid rate at lowest level since September

The Harrogate district’s seven-day average rate of covid infection has fallen below 40 cases per 100,000 people.

Currently, the average stands at 38 and is at its lowest level since September last year.

Meanwhile, the North Yorkshire rate is 46 and the national rate is 57.

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Sixteen covid cases have been confirmed in the district in the last 24 hours, according to Public Health England figures.

It takes the total number of cases since March to 7,461.

No further covid deaths have been reported at Harrogate District Hospital.

North Yorks police commissioner candidate urges MPs to oppose police bill

The Liberal Democrat candidate for North Yorkshire police commissioner has called on the county’s MPs to vote against the government’s police bill.

James Barker, a City of York councillor who is standing for commissioner at the elections in May, described the legislation as “draconian”.

The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill includes measures for noise limits on protests, stronger powers for police to break up “unauthorised encampments” and longer sentences for serious crimes.

MPs will vote the legislation, which is at its second reading, tonight.

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Mr Barker said the right to protest was a “fundamental part” of democracy and called on MPs to oppose the bill.

He said:

“The bill contains some proposals that are worthy of support, such as maximum sentences for low-level assaults against emergency service workers being doubled to two years and community sentences for less serious crime to help address underlying problems in offenders’ lives, but the government has got it badly wrong in trying to stifle people’s freedom to protest.

“The right to peaceful protest is a fundamental part of any functioning democracy. 

“The police already have extensive powers in this area and I am concerned that what is being proposed in this bill will impact on people’s freedom of speech and right to protest. For this reason I am therefore calling on North Yorkshire’s MPs to oppose this bill.”

Voters in the Harrogate district will go to the polls on May 6 to elect a new police, fire and crime commissioner for North Yorkshire.

Julia Mulligan, who currently holds the role, will not be standing for re-election.

The main political parties have confirmed candidates as follows:

The deadline to register to vote in the May elections is April 19. You can register to vote here.

Council seeks UK engineers to fix Knaresborough Pool issues

Harrogate Borough Council has said it is looking to find UK-based engineers to help fix ongoing maintenance problems at Knaresborough Swimming Pool.

The council announced last month that its manufacturer, based in Spain, was unable to send engineers over to fix the pool equipment because lockdown rules prevent them from travelling.

Council bosses said the pool has an “ongoing problem” with its filtration system, which is nearly 30 years old, and requires specialist engineers to attend to it.

It means the facility is expected to be closed for the coming months, but others in the district – such as the Hydro in Harrogate – will reopen on April 12.

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Having faced some criticism on social media, the authority has said it is working with its contractor to find a “UK-based solution” to fix the problem.

A council spokeswoman said:

“There is an ongoing issue with the main filtration system at Knaresborough Swimming Pool that is nearing 30-years-old.

“Due to the specialist nature of the equipment required and complexity of the work involved, only a single bid received through the tender process met this requirement.

“The contractor appointed specialist engineers from Spain – who have experience of fixing aging swimming pools – to carry out this work. Which, due to the travel restrictions, has meant they are currently unable to do so.

“We are having on-going conversations with the contractor to see if we can find a UK-based solution, but at the moment there is no alternative.

“We understand residents’ frustrations and are equally as disappointed that the pool cannot open in the coming weeks.

“As soon as we have an update we will let our customers know.”

It comes as Harrogate and Knaresborough Liberal Democrats called for “greater transparency” over its closure after the council announced it would not be open in April.

Local party campaigner, Matt Walker, wrote to Cllr Stan Lumley, cabinet member for leisure, calling for the pool to reopen as soon as possible.

Knaresborough pool is due to be demolished and replaced by a new leisure facility on the same location.

Harrogate district records second lowest daily covid total in six months

The Harrogate district has recorded its second lowest daily number of covid infections in more than half a year.

Public Health England reported just five cases in today’s figures.

Besides the four infections on 28 February, you have to go back to 13 September to find a lower daily figure.

It means the district’s seven-day rate of infection has fallen to 41 cases per 100,000 people.

The average in North Yorkshire stands at 46 and the national rate is 58.

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

Meanwhile, people in the Harrogate district are receiving invitations for their second dose of a covid vaccine.

The Harrogate Spa Surgery website said it has started to invite patients for their second dose at the Great Yorkshire Showground.

It added that those expecting their second dose must have it at the same site that they received the first vaccine.