Yorkshire Agricultural Society chief executive to retire in March

The chief executive of Yorkshire Agricultural Society is set to retire after 20 years in charge.

Nigel Pulling will step down from his role in March 2022.

Mr Pulling joined the society in 2001, when the Great Yorkshire Show was cancelled due to the foot and mouth disease outbreak.

It was the first time show had been cancelled other than for the two world wars. The show was then also cancelled after one day in 2012 due to torrential rain and didn’t take place at all last year due to covid.

Mr Pulling has overseen commercial projects such as the building of Fodder, the Regional Agricultural Centre (the society’s headquarters) and the multi-million pound rebuild of hall one in the Yorkshire Event Centre.

This year, he oversaw the Great Yorkshire Show return amid the covid pandemic. Prince Charles was among the guests at this year’s four-day event.

Mr Pulling said there were similarities between the event and the show held in 2002.

He said:

“We overcame the tough challenges on both occasions to deliver successful Great Yorkshire Shows and I couldn’t have ended my tenure on a better show.

“We were devastated to cancel last year and despite the challenges and restrictions placed on this year’s event, it was an incredible achievement for the team. The atmosphere of celebration and enjoyment from both the farming community and visitors was second to none.”

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Mr Pulling added:

“I leave my role on a high, the Great Yorkshire Show is in a strong position ready for next year. 

“Events are returning to the showground after this difficult 18 months, the charitable activities team is stronger than ever before in its support for farming families and promotion of agriculture to the next generation – and I know it will go from strength to strength.”

Rob Copley, chairman of trustees said: 

“Nigel has been a real asset, he is hugely respected in the industry and his leadership has taken the society up to the next level.

“On behalf of all the trustee and council members past and present I want to thank him for all his hard work, determination and expertise.”

‘No further action’ after Harrogate peer breached Lords code

No further action will be taken against a Harrogate peer who breached the House of Lords code of conduct, the standards commissioner has said.

Lord Kirkhope of Harrogate was found to have committed a “minor breach” of the code after he did not make clear the nature of business of one of the companies of which he is a director.

A report published on Thursday by the Lords commissioner for standards, Martin Jelley QPM, said Lord Kirkhope was one of 24 peers to commit a breach.

However, he said the matter was resolved by each peer providing a description of the registered companies.

Mr Jelley said:

“Apart from the Duke of Wellington, the other 24 members committed a minor and inadvertent breach of the code of conduct by failing to provide a description of companies they had registered. 

“Each of them has resolved the breach to my satisfaction and I consider that no further sanction is necessary.”

The complaint against Lord Kirkhope followed allegations made by UnlockDemocracy, a London-based pressure group.

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Tom Brake, director of the group, wrote to Mr Jelley to allege that 39 peers had breached paragraph 53 of the House of Lords code of conduct, which says a peer should “give a broad indication of the company’s business, where this is not self-evident from its name”.

It said Lord Kirkhope did not make clear the nature of business of Reading-based Brass Trustees Limited, of which he has been a director since June last year.

The other peers investigated include Lord Sugar, the former Tottenham Hotspur chairman and founder of electronics company Amstrad.

Mr Jelley added in his report:

“It is the responsibility of members to ensure that entries within the register of interests are correct and up to date. It is in everyone’s interest that matters are reported accurately and fully.”

As Timothy Kirkhope, he was MP for Leeds North East and MEP for Yorkshire before being created a life peer in 2016. He has a keen interest in local radio.

The Stray Ferret has approached Lord Kirkhope for comment.

Highways boss confident Kex Gill reroute will avoid inquiry

North Yorkshire’s highways boss has said he is confident that a major £60 million reroute of the A59 at Kex Gill will avoid a public inquiry.

Cllr Don Mackenzie, executive councillor for highways at North Yorkshire County Council, said he was not “aware of any risk” that the scheme could be delayed by objections.

The council is currently consulting on compulsory purchase orders to buy 90 acres of land for the project.

If an objection is lodged against any of the orders, it could lead to a public inquiry which would delay the scheme further.

However, Cllr Mackenzie said he felt the risk of the scheme going to an inquiry was low and he was confident it will pass this stage of the project.

He said:

“I’m not aware of any risk. It would be the Secretary of State who would take that decision.

“It would have to be a substantial objection. There is a risk [that it could be called in], but personally I do not see it as a severe risk.”

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In a statement given to a full council meeting in July, Cllr Mackenzie warned that if a public inquiry was required then work could be delayed by up to 15 months.

Council officials said they wanted to come to an agreement with landowners over the price of land, rather than acquire it by a compulsory purchase order.

The council needs to acquire the land before it can begin construction on the scheme.

The project will see a diversion built west of Blubberhouses on the A59 at Kex Gill, which has been blighted by a history of landslides.

Construction of the scheme is expected to take 18 months.

How meeting air quality targets could get tougher for Harrogate

The challenge of meeting safe air quality standards in Harrogate is set to get tougher after the World Health Organisation slashed its limits and warned key pollutants are even more dangerous than previously thought.

In its first revision to the standards in 15 years, the WHO on Wednesday released new guidelines which mean the UK’s legal limits for the most harmful pollutants are now four times higher than the maximum levels recommended.

This is after new research found air pollution from areas including vehicle exhausts and gas central heating is having a big impact on health, even at lower concentrations.

While not legally binding, the WHO guidelines are used as reference tools by policymakers around the world and will have an impact on how legal limits are set in the future.

In June, Harrogate Borough Council released its annual air quality report for 2020, which showed all 63 monitoring locations across the district fell below the previous limit of 40 micrograms of annual nitrogen dioxide per cubic metre of air.

But now that the WHO has slashed the limit to 10, just two locations would meet the new guidelines.

Air pollution experts have said reaching these reduced limits would be extremely difficult and not achievable for decades, if at all.

Council ‘optimistic’ it can still meet targets

Cllr Phil Ireland, cabinet member for carbon reduction and sustainability at Harrogate Borough Council, said there are still reasons for optimism that progress can be made in the fight against global warming.

He said: 

“Following the latest guidelines from the WHO, we await further guidance from government on how these will inform the development of air quality targets.

“Improving air quality across the district is a key objective for Harrogate Borough Council and we have a number of actions as part of our air quality action plan.

“We are optimistic that the improvements in air quality will continue post-covid as many people have embraced a hybrid model of working at home and in the office.”

The UK government has yet to approve new legal limits on air pollution, with a bill currently being debated in the House of Lords.

Some reductions in the maximum safe levels are expected, but campaigners are urging ministers to act on the WHO advice and take stronger action.

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With pressure to tackle climate change only growing greater, the drive to cut carbon emissions from cars in Harrogate has gathered momentum recently with council officials pushing ahead with sustainable transport measures.

North Yorkshire County Council is behind schemes such as the low traffic neighbourhood on Harrogate’s Beech Grove and has more major projects planned, including the £10.9 million Station Gateway project and long-awaited Otley Road cycle path.

There is also talk of introducing a park and ride scheme, which would involve a shuttle bus service from Pannal, but detailed plans have yet to come forward.

Harrogate Borough Council has collaborated on some of these projects and also said it is tackling air quality through its ultra-low emission vehicle strategy and by working with HGV, bus and taxi providers to improve the quality of their fleet.

What do the new WHO guidelines say?

The WHO guidelines have been updated for the first time since 2006 and are in response to evidence of the damage air pollution inflicts on human health.

The guidelines recommend:

However, the WHO has stressed the new limits should not be considered to be safe, and that there is no level at which pollutants stop causing damage.

The WHO puts air pollution on a par with smoking and unhealthy eating, and has estimated it causes around 7 million deaths each year.

Harrogate district shooting range bids to extend opening hours

A clay pigeon shooting range in a Harrogate district village has bid to extend its operational hours after there have been no complaints about noise.

Straight Shooters Ltd, which is based at the Old Quarry in Rainton, has submitted the proposal to Harrogate Borough Council.

It was given approval to become a shooting range back in 2016, but the council imposed conditions which limited the hours that rifles could be fired.

Now, the company has bid to alter those conditions and allow shooting until 8.30pm in May, June and July.

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It also wants to change its hours on Saturdays and Sundays to 9am until 5pm. It currently is restricted on Saturdays from 10am until 4pm and 10am until 2pm on Sundays.

In documents submitted to the council, the company said:

“Since gaining the original approval, the use was put in place and has operated successfully since that time. There have been no complaints about noise, amenity or highways disruption.”

It added:

“The shooting ground has operated safely and successfully, for a number of years. The approval should no longer be viewed as contentious.”

The borough council imposed the restrictions over concerns of noise to nearby residents.

Council planning officers will make a decision on the proposal at a later date.

Is Harrogate’s Cold Bath Road getting busier?

The debate over whether walking and cycling schemes push traffic elsewhere in Harrogate has intensified over the last 12 months.

North Yorkshire County Council has implemented road closures, introduced a low traffic neighbourhood on Beech Grove and started work on a multi-million pound cycle route on Otley Road.

All of this is part of a push to get people out of their cars and on foot or to pick up a bike, the council says.

But some of the measures, such as Beech Grove, have proved contentious and led to petitions calling for them to be removed.

One of the most frequent criticisms of the county council is that these measures push traffic elsewhere.

This week, the Stray Ferret was told that the council’s cycling agenda has led to traffic building up on Cold Bath Road and made it unsafe for schoolchildren.

‘It’s no busier’

The closure of through traffic on Beech Grove is designed to link with the upcoming Otley Road cycle route, which started construction on its first phase this month.

According to the county council’s own figures, around three cyclists an hour use the LTN. However, campaigners argue that it is much more than that.

Some have gone as far as to sit on Beech Grove counting cyclists passing through themselves and reported 17 within an hour.

Valley Drive, which is closed to traffic from Cold Bath Road.

Valley Drive, which is closed to traffic from Cold Bath Road.

But critics say the by-product of the measure is the shifting of traffic elsewhere, namely onto Cold Bath Road.

The Stray Ferret went out to the road to check if it was busier.

Traffic built up at drop off and pick up times outside Western Primary School, nearby independent businesses and residential areas.

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Cars pulled into nearby streets as children waited patiently on the corner and other drivers tried to the negotiate the newly closed Valley Drive, which no longer allows entry from Cold Bath Road.

However, one business owner told the Stray Ferret that it was “not busier than usual” and it would have been noticeable had it been.

The sentiment, though, is not echoed by Western Primary School headteacher, Tim Broad.

Tim Broad is the headteacher of Western Primary School.

Mr Broad told the Stray Ferret that the road was busier due to Beech Grove and the Otley Road construction.

He said:

“I don’t feel that our children are as vulnerable now since the covid guidance has changed and we are no longer using our playground gate as an exit. 

“Drop off and collection are safer in that respect but obviously the busier the road, the bigger the threat to children.”

‘No increase’ in traffic, says highways boss

Much of the criticism for the introduction of these schemes comes back to the inbox of Cllr Don Mackenzie, executive county councillor for highways.

As is the case with politics, someone has to be accountable for proposals which affect peoples’ lives.

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Cllr Mackenzie has faced down emails and petitions from residents who no longer want the LTN because they say it makes Harrogate busier for traffic.

We put the concerns to Cllr Mackenzie over the increase in traffic on Cold Bath Road.

But, he said the authority had not seen any issues with traffic as a result of the measures brought in. Cllr Mackenzie said the highways department monitored traffic regularly.

Cllr Mackenzie said:

“Cold Bath Road is a very busy road and there is a lot going on there. We are mounting the traffic levels and we are seeing no increase.”

He added that a report on consultation responses into Beech Grove over the last six months is due to be published “in the coming weeks”.

Police commissioner apologises for Sarah Everard comments after backlash

North Yorkshire’s Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner has apologised for comments he made in the wake of the Sarah Everard case.

Mr Allott faced calls to resign after he said that women “need to be street wise” and that Ms Everard “never should have submitted” to arrest.

The comments sparked a Twitter backlash, including the director of Big Brother Watch, Silkie Carlo, calling for him to resign.

Mr Allott said in a tweet this afternoon:

“I would like to wholeheartedly apologise for my comments on BBC Radio York earlier today, which I realise have been insensitive and wish to retract them in full.”

https://twitter.com/philAllottPFCC/status/1443954284048039945?s=20

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Speaking to the Stray Ferret, Mr Allott said the commissioner’s office had recently authorised funding for an early prevention and intervention scheme to be launched in about three months’ time, which would target persistent offenders who have committed up to two crimes.

He recently told councillors in North Yorkshire that the scheme would involve public health work “because if we can break that cycle we will not only save the public purse  fortune in terms of locking people up, we will actually stop them reoffending”.

The Stray Ferret asked if he would consider his position, Mr Allott said:

“No, I’m not. I have got a great record in protecting women.

“It was one of my campaign pledges.”

Mr Allott’s comments come as murderer Wayne Couzens, a Met Police officer, had falsely arrested 33-year-old Ms Everard in order to abduct her.

Couzens was given a whole life sentence at the Old Bailey yesterday

Police commissioner urged to resign after Sarah Everard comments

The North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner faced calls to resign today for comments made in the wake of the Sarah Everard murder.

Philip Allott told the BBC that women “need to be streetwise” about police powers and that Ms Everard should “never have submitted to arrest”.

The comments have been criticised by campaigners, including Reclaim the Streets, which held a vigil in York in memory of Ms Everard.

Mr Allott, who lives in Knaresborough, took to social media to defend his comments.

He tweeted:

“Nobody is blaming the victim what I am saying is that we need to inform women far better of their rights, something I intend to action here in North Yorkshire ASAP.”

https://twitter.com/philAllottPFCC/status/1443932825313501194?s=20

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However, he subsequently faced calls to resign his position following the comments.

Silkie Carlo, director of civil liberties group Big Brother Watch, responded to Mr Allott to say:

“I know my rights! If I was arrested by a police officer with a badge & handcuffs during lockdown, I would have no choice. 

“Jess Phillips said the same this morning. It could have been any of us. She stood no chance. How dare you say she “submitted”. Please, for our safety, resign.”

Mr Allott’s comments come as murderer Wayne Couzens, a Met Police officer, had falsely arrested 33-year-old Ms Everard in order to abduct her.

Couzens was given a whole life sentence at the Old Bailey yesterday.

 

MPs watch: Sweary outbursts, animal testing and Bilsdale

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 September, the House of Commons returned from recess and the government battled an energy crisis and problems with fuel supply.

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:

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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:

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

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

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

Campaigners criticise Knaresborough leisure centre plans

A campaign group has launched fresh criticism at plans to demolish Knaresborough Swimming Pool to make way for a new leisure centre.

The ‘Not On Fysche Field’ campaign was launched by resident David Hull who said he has gathered the support of around 940 others against the plans from Harrogate Borough Council which today revealed new images and details.

The council wants to build the new facility over a play area behind the existing pool at Fysche Field.

But Mr Hull claims there is little support for the plans and described them as “badly conceived”.

He said:

“None of the Knaresborough community have asked for this new development.

“The council issued a poorly publicised consultation document over the Christmas period of December 2020 asking not whether Knaresborough wanted a new facility, but simply where it was to be built.

“The idea of building on the park has no local support.

“Furthermore, it demonstrates complete lack of environmental awareness as the new facility will be built on the extremely valuable green park right next to the perfectly adequate existing facility.”

Out of 471 respondents who took part in the consultation, 80% were in favour of locating the new leisure centre at the existing 30-year-old swimming pool site.

Other sites considered included Knaresborough House, Hay-a-Park, Conyngham Hall and a private plot of land at Halfpenny Lane.

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Some residents described the existing swimming pool site as the “best” and “only appropriate” location for the facility.

However, concerns were raised over the loss of green space and up until now the council had not revealed exactly where the new leisure centre could be built at Fysche Field.

Its preferred option is to build over a play area behind the existing swimming pool, but building partly over Fysche Field itself is still an option on the table.

Other options included building over the footprint of the existing pool, but these have been ruled out as the council said this would result in two years’ loss of service and income.

Campaigners’ alternative plan

Meanwhile, Mr Hull and his campaign group have brought forward their own proposals which he said would result in no loss of green space at the play area or field.

He said: 

“The alternative approach is to extend the existing pool at first floor level, over the existing car park area.

“This extension will provide all the space required for fitness suites etc.

“The existing pool and wet areas can simply be refurbished. This build will be a lightweight framed structure, with a low environmental impact, and built from sustainable materials.”

The council’s plans include a 25-metre pool, learner pool, sauna and steam room, fitness studio, replacement play area and cafe.

Cllr Stanley Lumley, the council’s cabinet member for culture, tourism and sport, described the proposals as “ambitious” and said they would create a “21st century facility that provides fantastic opportunities for local people”.

A planning application from the council is expected later in autumn and if approved, the new facility could be built by the end of 2023.

Residents are being urged to have their say on the plans as part of the consultation which will run until 24 October.

The council has now asked for residents to share their views online ahead of a formal planning application