Longlands Common ‘can be an example to others’, says secretary

A community woodland in Harrogate can be an “example to others”, says the secretary of Longlands Common.

Chris Kitson, secretary of project, said the move to buy the land showed that people do not want any relief road built on the greenbelt and that the idea can be replicated elsewhere.

Longlands Common Ltd, a community benefit society founded in February 2020, held an open day for members and an annual general meeting today where a board was elected and the first tree planting ceremony was held.

It was the first time that the committee had been able to meet with its supporters since the start of the covid pandemic.

Around 3,000 people bought shares in the land. An appeal raised £375,000 to purchase 30 acres of land near Nidderdale Greenway and protect it from development.

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Mr Kitson told the Stray Ferret after the meeting that he hoped the project will be an example for others and would be a “turning point” in attitudes towards nature.

He said:

“This is the people of Harrogate saying: ‘we don’t want a road through here ever’.

“This is the greenbelt. This is the only sort of wildlife corridor in the area and the wildlife depend on it.

“It’s an act of utter recklessness to think that they can just put a road through it and continue to get away with this development and devastation of wildlife and the environment.

“Hopefully today is a turning point in our outlook and thinking. Hopefully we can be an example to others.

“We as people who want a decent planet for our children to live on can do it now. We can do it ourselves, we don’t have to wait around for people in high office.”

He described meeting members who had supported the project as a “beacon of hope”.

Mr Kitson added:

“People have parted with their hard earned money to create something like this.

“This is now our land.”

The future of Long Lands Common, once earmarked for a relief road, finally looks secure for wildlife.

It is first and foremost a nature reserve but the goal is for the public to enjoy it too

Delight as Harrogate Parkrun returns after more than a year away

Runners were left delighted this morning as the Harrogate Parkrun returned after more than a year away.

Parkrun, which has events held across the country, fell victim to the covid pandemic in March 2020.

It left runners without the free weekly 5k run on a Saturday morning for 16 months.

The event has seen numerous false starts in returning, including a delay last month after the government pushed back the lifting of remaining covid restrictions until July 19.

But, parkrun returned this morning with hundreds turning out on the Stray to take part.

Walkers, joggers and runners all turned out for the long-awaited comeback.

Ted Welton, event director volunteer at Harrogate Park Run.

Ted Welton, event director volunteer at Harrogate Park Run.

Ted Welton, event director volunteer at Harrogate Park Run, told the Stray Ferret that he was delighted to have the run back.

He said:

“It’s just amazing. We had so many false starts where we thought we were going to come back and it didn’t.

“Now feels like the right time. Outdoor exercise is probably the safest thing people can be doing. We have put in a load of mitigation measures so people are staying apart.

“It’s just awesome to be back.”

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Fans barred from Harrogate Town match vs Sunderland due to safety fears

Harrogate Town’s pre-season friendly against Sunderland today will be played behind closed doors after county council safety officials raised concerns.

Just 24 hours before the match, the club said it received a letter from North Yorkshire County Council‘s safety advisory group informing them of issues which “made them uneasy”. No further details were revealed.

About 800 Sunderland fans were believed to have been due to travel south for the match at the EnviroVent Stadium

There are just two weeks to go until Town’s first match of the season at home to Rochdale.

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It’s another blow for Town supporters, who last week were denied the chance of watching their side play against Premier League Newcastle United’s first team after a covid outbreak forced Magpies manager Steve Bruce to send an under-23s team instead.

Town said supporters who bought a ticket for the Sunderland game would receive a full refund.

A Harrogate Town statement said:

“At just after 2pm on Friday 23rd July the club received a letter from North Yorkshire County Council safety advisory group who had identified a number of issues that made them uneasy about the match going ahead with a crowd.

“We are working with the SAG to address the points they have raised for future fixtures.

“All supporters who purchased a ticket for the fixture will receive a full refund.

“The fixture will be available to watch live free of charge via Sunderland AFC’s official website.

“Anyone who had already purchased a stream at £10 via live.harrogatetownafc.com will be refunded.

“We sincerely apologise for the inconvenience caused”

A Sunderland AFC statement said:

“SAFC understands that supporters will be extremely disappointed by this news and its last-minute nature, with many fans incurring considerable personal expense to put travel plans in place.

“We share this disappointment and will work closely with HTFC to ensure that all ticket holders receive a full refund as soon as possible.

“Following today’s update stating that supporters would no longer be permitted to attend the fixture, SAFC has taken the decision to stream the fixture on the SAFSee platform free of charge.

Supporters who have already purchased a streaming pass will also receive a full refund.”

County council officials said the club submitted a risk assessment and stewarding plan on Friday morning following safety concerns raised after the Rotherham United game on Wednesday night.

However, the authority said the assessment and plan was “unfortunately not sufficient”. It added that “discussions continue to see what can be done to find a safe solution looking ahead”.

Among the issues that needed to be addressed were medical support, stewarding and spectator safety, according to the council.

Matt O’Neill, assistant director for growth, planning and trading standards at NYCC, said:

“Together with partner agencies in the Safety Advisory Group we have pulled out all the stops to try to support the club to deal with a range of safety measures that had to be addressed to enable the match to go ahead.

“Safety standards are put in place to protect the spectators and ensure a safe match by the Sports Ground Safety Association (an executive non-departmental public body, sponsored by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport) and, as the public would expect, they must be met.

“We recognise that this will be disappointing for the fans who were looking forward to the friendly match against Sunderland AFC, especially after such a difficult last season due to covid restrictions. However, the safety of everyone entering the facility must come first.”

Harrogate district reports another 73 covid cases

The Harrogate district has reported a further 73 covid cases, according to Public Health England figures.

However, no covid-related deaths have been reported at Harrogate District Hospital in more than three months.

NHS England figures show that the covid death toll at the hospital since March 2020 remains at 179.

Meanwhile, the number of covid patients in North Yorkshire hospitals has increased by 40 per cent in the past week — but just three are in Harrogate.

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Elsewhere, the district’s seven-day covid rate has fallen.

The district’s average currently stands at 508 cases per 100,000 people.

The North Yorkshire rate is 567 and the England average is 528.

So far, 122,287 people have received a first covid vaccine in the Harrogate district and 102,539 have had a second dose.

Police commissioner: jail people who assault emergency workers

North Yorkshire’s police commissioner has called for those who attack emergency workers to go prison after revealing stark figures for assaults across the county.

In the past 12 months, 696 assaults against emergency workers were recorded in North Yorkshire and York  – in 177 cases, these resulted in injuries.

Philip Allott, the county’s police, fire and crime commissioner, has backed legislation currently going through Parliament to come into force as soon as possible to provide protection for police officers and staff, firefighters and paramedics.

He said that under current legislation a non-custodial sentence or a fine is too often the punishment handed out.

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The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill will mean the maximum sentence for anyone found guilty of assaulting an emergency service worker, such as by thumping, kicking, pushing, shoving or spitting, is doubled to two years.

Mr Allott said:

“These are individuals who are on the front line and putting themselves in harm’s way who are being assaulted while working hard to protect us. It is only right we do everything we can to protect them in return by ensuring those who attack them go to prison.

“I completely back the doubling of the maximum sentence to two years and hope the law can be changed as quickly as possible. But, let’s be clear, those convicted can already be given a custodial sentence and all too often this punishment is not the one they receive. As these numbers show, the punishment handed out does not appear to be stopping offences. That must change.”

He continued:

“In my view, it’s simple – when someone attacks an emergency service worker, and unless they are detained under section 136 of the Mental Health Act, nothing less than a custodial sentence will do and I will be writing to the court, at the time of sentencing, for anyone convicted of assaulting a police officer, PCSO, paramedic, firefighter or transport police in North Yorkshire and York to make that case.

“For those still intent on attacking emergency workers, please don’t subsequently say you were not warned.”

Harrogate Town promotion-winning goalkeeper joins Bristol Rovers

Harrogate Town goalkeeper James Belshaw has joined Bristol Rovers on a permanent transfer.

The shot stopper, who won two promotions with Town, held the number one shirt for his entire time at the club since joining from Tamworth in June 2017.

He will now join the fellow League Two club, who are managed by former Manchester City, Newcastle and Burnley midfielder Joey Barton.

Belshaw was part of the historic promotion-winning side from the National League and played in the 3-1 play-off final win over Notts County at Wembley last year.

He was also named in the National League North Team of the Year, National League Team of the Year and was Supporters Club Player of the Year on two occasions.

A spokesperson for Harrogate Town said:

“Off the pitch, Belshaw has played a big part in the local community, inspiring a generation of young goalkeepers through sessions at our Player Development Centre.

“The departing stopper has undoubtedly been a big part in our success in recent years and for that we would like to place on record our sincere thanks for his efforts.”

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Harrogate Town welcomed keeper Mark Oxley from Southend United at the beginning of July, one of seven new signings announced this summer.

Harrogate council CEO: Authority is committed to projects despite devolution

The chief executive of Harrogate Borough Council has said the authority will press ahead with its investment projects despite the government deciding to abolish the authority in two years time.

The decision is a seismic change for the district and raised key questions over the borough council and the future of its projects, in particular the potential £46.8 million renovation of the town’s convention centre.

On Wednesday, Robert Jenrick MP, secretary of state for local government, announced that a single super council will be set up in North Yorkshire by April 2023 – which means the borough, county and other district councils will all be scrapped.

The Stray Ferret requested an interview with Wallace Sampson, chief executive of the borough council, on the implications of the announcement on the authority, but did not receive a response. The council later said he was unavailable.

However, Mr Sampson has now said the council is committed to delivering on a number of its projects.

In response to the decision, he said:

“Understandably, we are disappointed that government has chosen to form one council across the whole of North Yorkshire. We believed the East/West proposal would have been the strongest possible option for levelling-up, and driving future recovery and growth in York and North Yorkshire.

“Despite this outcome, Harrogate Borough Council will continue to exist until 2023 and we have no plans to sit back until this time. We have a number of exciting and ambitious projects that have either started or are due to start in the coming months.

“Our multi-million investment project at Ripon Leisure Centre is taking shape and further investment at the Hydro in Harrogate and a new leisure centre in Knaresborough are progressing well, for example.

“We are also committed to supporting our economy post covid and will be looking at all projects, before the new unitary authority comes into operation, to explore what investment projects should or could be delivered.”

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But, Mr Sampson did not address the future of HBC’s Knapping Mount headquarters, the investment in the convention centre or the destination management organisation.

Previously, the council has said that no final decision will be made on the refurbishment of the convention centre until 2022 and that reorganisation and the investment “are two entirely separate things”.

Mr Sampson told the Stray Ferret in March that the reorganisation would not affect the use of the civic centre.

New Sainsbury’s in Harrogate town centre gets green light

A plan to open a new Sainsbury’s store in Harrogate town centre has been approved.

The Sainsbury’s Local store is set to open in the former Topshop unit at 33-37 Cambridge Street, which has been empty since 2017.

The disused unit is set to be divided into three retail spaces, which will enable Sainsbury’s to set up in the largest outlet.

The store is also expected to bring 25 new jobs to the area.

Harrogate Borough Council has now given the go-ahead for the proposal.

Skipton Building Society has also submitted plans to lease the central unit and refurbish it to include open plan public space, office spaces, toilets and staff space.

Sainsbury’s already has four stores in Harrogate: a large store on Wetherby Road and smaller Local stores on Leeds Road, King’s Road and Cold Bath Road.

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The new store will be just a minute’s walk from the Tesco Express on Cambridge Road.

Patrick Dunne, property director at the supermarket chain, said in March it hoped to open by late summer.

A Sainsbury’s spokesperson said:

“Naturally we are very pleased with Harrogate Borough Council’s decision to approve our planning application.

Our new Local will represent an opportunity bring new jobs and to offer high quality products at greater convenience for residents and visitors in Harrogate town centre.”

The key questions facing Harrogate after devolution

The announcement that Harrogate Borough Council will be scrapped and replaced by a super council for North Yorkshire raises many key questions.

Major assets, such as Harrogate Convention Centre, will fall under new control. One of Harrogate Borough Council’s last acts could be to spend £46.8 million on refurbishing the convention centre.

More than a thousand council employees face the uncertainty of being transferred or made redundant when the new super council comes into existence.

The Stray Ferret requested an interview with Wallace Sampson to ask how the council is preparing for such seismic changes, and what could be done to prevent council taxpayers funding a zombie council beset by staff departures and looming extinction. However, we did not receive a response.

Here are some of the key issues that need to be addressed.

Will the £46.8 million refurbishment of Harrogate Convention Centre proceed?

Last year, the borough council announced a major investment into the HCC – among the highest in recent memory.

A spend of £46.8 million was outlined by the council last year to renovate the building.

Councillors backed a feasibility study into the plans ahead of a final decision on the investment.

But the authority told the Stray Ferret earlier this month a vote on the investment would not be made until 2022 when detailed designs and costs can be presented to councillors.

The move raises the question over how the the announcement of the reorganisation would affect the planned refurbishment of the HCC.

The borough council told the Stray Ferret earlier this month that reorganisation of local government and investment “are two entirely separate things”.

Visit Harrogate

The reorganisation could also have implications for the council’s new Destination Management Organisation.

The new body created by the council will bring together Visit Harrogate, Harrogate Convention Centre’s marketing team, and the district’s tourist information centres.

It has just spent £165,000 on a new website for Visit Harrogate which covers the district.

It is unclear how this will fit into the new unitary authority and its tourism plans.

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Who will run the swimming pools and leisure centres?

On August 1, the borough council will hand over the running of leisure facilities to an arms-length local authority controlled company.

Brimhams Active will run the Harrogate Hydro, Ripon Leisure Centre and Knaresborough, Starbeck and Nidderdale pools.

The company will already be in charge of the facilities before the unitary exists which raises questions over how it will operate under the new structure.

What will happen to Harrogate Borough Council’s offices?

The future of the newly built council offices on Knapping Mount in Harrogate is also in doubt.

Given that the borough council will no longer exist, it raises questions over how the building, which the Stray Ferret revealed last year had a total cost of £17 million, will be used.

The authority disputed the figure, saying the building cost £11.5 million but it did not include in its figures the value of the land on which it was built.

Wallace Sampson, chief executive of the borough council, told the Stray Ferret in March that the reorganisation would not affect the use of the civic centre.

He said:

“My own view is I don’t think local government reorganisation will affect the use of the civic centre. There will still be a requirement for office space within Harrogate to support whatever happens through local government reorganisation.

“Harrogate has modern purpose-built offices with flexible use built with very high energy-efficient standards. It puts us in a really good position with local government reorganisation to ensure there are offices devoted to service delivery within Harrogate.”

Beyond this there are wider questions as to how the district council will operate in the transitional year, how it will retain staff and management during this period, whilst continuing to provide services.

These are critical issues that the public will want answers to in the coming months.

North Yorkshire single council ‘will make things simpler’, says county council leader

A single super council for the entire of North Yorkshire will “make things simpler”, says the leader of the county council.

The government announced yesterday that North Yorkshire’s two-tier council system will be scrapped and replaced by one unitary authority in what will be the biggest shake-up of local government since the 1970s.

It means Harrogate Borough Council, North Yorkshire County Council and the remaining districts will no longer exist. However, the City of York Council will remain in place.

Cllr Richard Cooper, leader of Harrogate Borough Council, and Cllr Steve Siddons, leader of Scarborough Borough Council, have both said they were disappointed with the announcement.

The plan put forward by the district authorities they represent would have seen the county split in half, with one council in the east and another in the west.

Cllr Carl Les, Conservative leader of North Yorkshire County Council, whose single super council mode prevailed, said last night:

“We have worked incredibly hard to get to this point because we believe it’s the right thing for North Yorkshire, its people and businesses. Today’s decision allows us to strengthen the services we know matter most to people and ensure they are fit for the future.

“A single council will also make things simpler for everyone – just one number to call, one website, one customer service team and one accountable body delivering all local government services here.

“Support for businesses, high streets and market towns can be aligned more closely with investment in infrastructure like highways and broadband. Planning, housing and health services will be able to provide more joined up support for families and communities.”

Meanwhile, Cllr Keith Aspden, Liberal Democrat leader of City of York Council, welcomed the new that the authority will not be affected by the shake-up.

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Councillors in York voted in October 2020 to reject the notion of a merger and to support City of York’s continuation as a council in its own right.

Cllr Aspden said:

“The government’s decision is a huge vote of confidence for York, its council and recognition of the progress we have achieved with our local partners, businesses and communities.

“From the very beginning of this process, residents and organisations from across the city strongly made the case for York, stressing the need for continuity to support our recovery.”

The move was also welcomed by Unison North Yorkshire, which represents 5,500 council workers across the county.

Wendy Nichols, secretary of the North Yorkshire branch, said district authority employees would be able to transfer to the new authority on current terms and conditions under the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) regulations (TUPE).

She said:

“I hope this announcement is welcomed by all members as really positive and that the spirit of professionalism continues as teams across councils work together to deliver a stronger future for everyone’s benefit.”