Calvin Robinson Chief Reporter, Author at The Stray Ferret

State of Harrogate’s New Zealand gardens ‘dishonours’ airmen

A representative of Harrogate International Partnerships has expressed “disappointment” at the state of the New Zealand gardens in the town and says it “dishonours” the airmen it commemorates.

The section of Valley Gardens commemorates Harrogate’s twinning with Wellington and the country’s airmen being stationed in the town during World War Two.

But, Kate Spencer, who is set to go on an official visit to Wellington to present a gift to the mayor from Harrogate, said she felt nothing had been done to improve the state of the garden.

Last year, sculptures in the garden were damaged by vandals. A private donor later offered £2,000 to replace them.

But Ms Spencer, a dual national who is due to visit New Zealand on Sunday for three months, told the Stray Ferret that the current state of the garden “dishonoured” the airmen.

She said:

“They should have done it before now, it is still the same.

“We are supposed to be honouring those airmen.

“It is a true disgrace and I feel embarrassed to see that my fellow countrymen in New Zealand are being ‘dishonoured’ rather than ‘honoured’.”

Ms Spencer added that she was unsure of what her response would be to the Mayor of Wellington if she was asked about the garden.

She said:

“This garden was there for them when links were made in the 50s. What’s happening? How can I tell the Mayor of Wellington, when he will no doubt ask [about it].”

The garden dates back to 1954 and chainsaw sculptor Mick Burns carved the Marlin, Kiwi, and bench in 2010.

In response, a spokesperson for Harrogate Borough Council said:

“We have an ongoing conversation with Harrogate International Partnership about links to Wellington, New Zealand and are waiting for information from them on arrangements for placing a stone to mark the New Zealand Airmen in Stonefall Cemetery.

“Whilst at this time of year gardens are dying back for the winter it is disappointing to hear the feedback HIP are proposing to take to New Zealand, instead of using the opportunity to confirm the links we have been making over the previous period with the team at the Botanical Gardens in Wellington or the extensive planting of New Zealand daffodil species that took place last year despite the Covid restrictions.

“As has been communicated previously, the sculptures in the New Zealand gardens are soft wood and had already started to rot independent of any vandalism that has taken place. We would welcome any support or fundraising ideas from Harrogate International Partnership for the replacement of these with something more sustainable and robust for the location. Equally if there is anyone who would like to help with maintenance of the space we would be happy to arrange volunteering sessions in conjunctions with our own team or the Friends of Valley Gardens who provide fantastic support in maintaining this space.

“More widely we are in the process of agreeing a Valley Gardens Development Plan to continue to improve these spaces over the coming years.”

Second solar farm plan unveiled in South Stainley

Developers are consulting on proposals for another solar farm in South Stainley

Infraland Ltd and Boultbee Brooks Renewable Energy Ltd have unveiled plans for a farm on 19 hectares of land between South Stainley and Wormald Green.

The proposals would see photovoltaic panels laid out in rows running east to west on the site. The plan has yet to be submitted to Harrogate Borough Council.

According to the plans, the site would generate 10 megawatts of power which would be able to power up to 3,000 homes.

The developer said in its proposal:

“The solar panels will be fixed on a pile-driven metal mounting frame securely fixed to the ground with posts. The height of the panels will be at a maximum of 3.087 meters from ground level.

“The panels will be installed at around 25 degrees from the horizontal, around 5.0m apart and would be fixed in that orientation.”

LanPro, planning agent for the developers, is holding a consultation on the proposal online until October 24. Residents can give their views on the plan here.

Meanwhile, South Stainley with Clayton parish is set to host a meeting on November 1 to discuss how to respond to the solar farm.

It follows Harrogate Borough Council approving a similar development in the village in August.

Elgin Energy were given permission to build a 200-acre solar farm, despite concerns from villagers about the loss of green fields and agricultural land.

Another 131 covid cases reported in Harrogate district

The Harrogate district has reported another 131 covid cases, according to latest Public Health England figures.

The district’s seven-day covid rate now stands at 727 per 100,000 people and continues to be the highest in the county.

The North Yorkshire average is 532 and the England rate stands at 460.

Yesterday, public health officials said school pupils were driving the rapid increase in infections in the Harrogate district.

Headteachers have been urged to bring back face masks and postpone after-school activities.

No further covid deaths have been reported at Harrogate District Hospital, according to latest NHS England figures.

A total of 129,841 people have received a first covid vaccine in the Harrogate district and 121,469 have had a second dose.

Harrogate murder accused had ‘impaired judgement’, court told

A man accused of murder on Harrogate’s Mayfield Grove had “impaired judgement” before killing his victim, a court heard.

Daniel Ainsley, 24, of no fixed address, is on trial charged with murdering 48-year-old Mark Wolsey in his bedsit on March 5.

He denies murder on the grounds of diminished responsibility due to an “abnormality of mental functioning”.

John Harrison QC, for the defence, called Dr Harry Wood, a clinical psychologist, to give evidence to Leeds Crown Court this morning.

Dr Wood told the court that after interviewing Mr Ainsley he concluded that the defendant had a personality disorder that stemmed from “his traumatic upbringing”.

He also told the court that his opinion was that Mr Ainsley interpretation of the events inside Mr Wolsey’s flat before the alleged murder were “directly influenced by his personality”.

Dr Wood said:

“He considers himself vulnerable and believes that others are likely to behave in an abusive and attacking manner towards him.”

Dr Wood said that if Mr Ainsley’s account were to be accepted then his judgement “would be impaired as a result of a personality disorder”.

When questioned by prosecutor, Mark McKone QC, Dr Wood said he accepted that Mr Ainsley’s actions in the lead up to the alleged murder showed he was “in control”.

But, he told the court that the defendant’s judgement when arriving at those decisions was impaired.

Dr Wood said:

“The judgement Mr Ainsley made was irrational because of the bias in his thinking that comes from his personality disorder.”

He told the court that the defendant’s view of a “proportionate response” was “distorted”.

The prosecution argued that Mr Ainsley “knew what he was doing was wrong” and was capable of making rational decisions.

The trial continues.

Harrogate murder accused ‘acted purposefully’, court told

A man on trial for murder in Harrogate “acted purposefully” in the lead up to killing his victim, a court heard yesterday.

Daniel Ainsley, 24, of no fixed address, is accused of murdering 48-year-old Mark Wolsey in his bedsit on Mayfield Grove on March 5.

He denies murder on the grounds of diminished responsibility due to an “abnormality of mental functioning”.

Much of the second day of the trial was taken up with talk about Mr Ainsley’s state of mind.

Dr John Kent, a consultant forensic psychiatrist told Leeds Crown Court that Mr Ainsley had a “complex psychiatric background” and “a lifelong pattern of behavioural problems”.

Dr Kent, who interviewed Mr Ainsley after his arrest, also told the court the accused had a “significant personality disorder” that went back to his childhood. One characteristic of this was paranoia, he added.

But he told the court that Mr Ainsley’s accounts of the incident differed and were “unreliable” and that, in his opinion, the defendant’s behaviour was “purposeful”.

Mark McKone QC, prosecuting, asked Dr Kent what the significance was of the one hour interval between Mr Ainsley leaving 38 Mayfield Grove and returning to carry out the alleged murder.

Mayfield Grove

Dr Kent told the court:

“It provides a great deal of time and opportunity to consider his behaviour.”

Dr Kent told the court that “from start to finish” Mr Ainsley was “aware of what he has done” and was able to “make conscious decisions”.

‘Can’t rely on his accounts’

Mr McKone asked Dr Kent whether Mr Ainsley’s actions amounted to diminished responsibility.

Dr Kent said:

“In my opinion he does not. Personally, his accounts I cannot rely on. It is difficult to know which accounts are important.

“Secondly, he is not psychotic. Thirdly, the behaviour described appears to be very purposeful and thought through in terms of each stage of his actions and consequences.”

Dr Kent said the phone call Mr Ainsley made to police after the alleged murder was an example of the defendant “being aware of his choices”.

Forensic officers at the scene after Mr Wolsey died.

‘Diminished responsibility’

John Harrison QC, for the defence, told the court that Dr Kent’s report to the court met the tests for diminished responsibility.

Mr Harrison asked Dr Kent whether the defendant’s interpretation of Mr Wolsey’s behaviour “may have been influenced by his tendency to paranoid thinking as a result of his personality disorder”.

Dr Kent told the court that he did not think it did.

The defence claimed it reflected “on his ability to form rational judgements”. Mr Harrison told the court that Mr Ainsley was suffering from an “abnormality of mental functioning” on the night of the incident.

The trial continues.

Harrogate murder trial: victim stabbed 15 times

A Harrogate man was found “slumped” in his chair after being stabbed 15 times, the prosecution alleged in a murder trial today.

Daniel Ainsley, 24, of no fixed address, is charged with the murder of Mark Wolsey, 48, at a bedsit on Mayfield Grove, close to Harrogate town centre, on March 5.

Mr Ainsley denies murder on the grounds of diminished responsibility.

On the second day of the trial today, Leeds Crown Court heard that Mr Wolsey died due to stab wounds to the chest.

Mark McKone QC, prosecuting, called Dr Jennifer Bolton, the pathologist who carried out the post-mortem on Mr Wolsey, to give evidence.

Dr Bolton said nine of the stab wounds were to the chest, fatally damaging Mr Wolsey’s heart, diaphragm, liver and bowels.

Mr Wolsey also had six stab wounds to his left upper arm.

The court heard that the emergency services found Mr Wolsey in his bedsit “slumped” in his chair, with the knife still in his chest.

‘Slumped back in his chair’

A witness statement given by Vincent Rooney, a resident who lived above Mr Wolsey, was read in court.

Mr Rooney said he and his partner went down to Mr Wolsey’s bedsit after “hearing a loud bang” between 9pm and 10pm while watching television and could hear Mr Wolsey’s dog “barking constantly”.

Mr Rooney said after following his partner downstairs and opening the bedsit door, he saw Mr Wolsey “slumped back in his chair”.

Police on Mayfield Grove after Mr Wolsey’s death.

The court also heard a statement from Mr Ainsley’s father, David, which was read out by the prosecution.

He said in his statement that Mr Ainsley called him around 10.05pm. Mr Ainsley told his father that he “loved him” and that he had “killed Mark”, the court heard.

David Ainsley said in his statement:

“I was in a state of shock, I did not know what to do.”

The prosecution also read a statement from John Harrison, clinical supervisor at the ambulance service, who said that Mr Ainsley was outside the flat when he arrived at the scene.

Mr Harrison said:

“He said ‘I have killed him’. I wound my window down and asked him to lie down on the ground.

“He said ‘I have nothing on me’”.

The trial continues.

Harrogate man appears in court charged with murder

A trial opened today into an alleged murder on Harrogate’s Mayfield Grove.

Daniel Ainsley, 24, of no fixed address, appeared before Leeds Crown Court charged with the murder of Mark Wolsey on March 5.

Mr Wolsey, 48, died at the scene after police arrived at 38 Mayfield Grove at around 10pm.

Ainsley was arrested on suspicion of murder the same day. He denies the charge on the grounds of diminished responsibility due to an “abnormality of mental functioning”.

He appeared before the court this afternoon and spoke only to confirm his name.

Daniel Ainsley

In his opening statement this morning, prosecutor Mark McKone QC told the court that Mr Ainsley had murdered Mr Wolsey by “stabbing him many times with a large knife”.

The court heard how the two men had been living in Mr Wolsey’s bedsit and had known each other for three years.

Mr McKone said Mr Ainsley had lived in the bedsit after “losing his accommodation”.

The prosecution said that at around 8.40pm on March 5, neighbours “heard arguing” coming from Flat 4 of 38 Mayfield Grove.

A 13-minute 999 phone call made by Mr Wolsey on the night was played to the court. In it, Mr Wolsey was heard asking for officers to come and remove Mr Ainsley from his bedsit.

After officers arrived, Mr Ainsley told them that he “just wanted his medication” and that Mr Wolsey was keeping it from him. Police later took him to Harrogate District Hospital to get some, Mr McKone said.

CCTV footage played by the prosecution showed Mr Ainsley leaving the hospital at 9.21pm and heading to Asda supermarket on Bower Road.

Footage from the supermarket then showed Mr Ainsley going to the kitchenware aisle and purchasing a box of knives before disposing of all but one.

Leeds Crown Court. Picture: The Stray Ferret.

The court was then shown footage of Mr Ainsley returning to Mayfield Grove. The prosecution then played a phone call made by Mr Ainsley at 10.06pm to the police where he told the call handler he had “killed someone”.

The prosecution alleges that Mr Ainsley was able to make “rational choices” and had murdered Mr Wolsey.

Mr McKone said:

“The defendant could and did make a rational judgement and rational decision.”

The prosecution will give further evidence tomorrow.

Harrogate College holds free taster sessions for adults

Harrogate College is to host free taster sessions for adults in November.

Dubbed the “Have a Go Fortnight”, the sessions will be held as part of a Festival of Learning.

Run between November 1 and 12, the events aim to inspire adults to take up learning and get a taste of the college’s curriculum areas.

The sessions come as Luminate Education Group, which runs the college, was given £17 million from West Yorkshire Combined Authority to improve adult skills.

The taster events at the college will include hairdressing, still life drawing, soundscapes film and animation, ceramics and print and computer software interior designs.

Danny Wild, principal at Harrogate College, which is on Hornbeam Park, said:

“Adult education has been one of the hardest hit sectors following the pandemic. Therefore, we’re committed to working with adults in our community to provide life-changing opportunities through quality education, which is tailored to meet the needs of our local employers.

“Over two weeks, we’re inviting adults aged 19 and over to come into college to discover our range of diverse subjects as part of an employer-led curriculum. Our nurturing and inclusive environment will allow adults to find their spark by learning something new, enhancing employability and improving wellbeing.”

To find out more about the sessions, visit the Harrogate College website.

Harrogate Starbucks: no agreement on appeal costs

No agreement has been reached over the appeal costs for a new Starbucks drive-thru on Harrogate’s Wetherby Road.

Euro Garages, the developer behind the coffee shop, took Harrogate Borough Council to appeal over its decision to refuse the proposal.

The government’s Planning Inspector approved the development in July and also awarded costs against the council.

Euro Garages said the authority “demonstrated unreasonable behaviour” when refusing the application.

However, a spokesperson for the council said an agreement had yet to be reached over appeal costs.

In May, council bosses decided not to challenge the appeal over concerns that losing risked legal costs of over £50,000.

Work on the drive-thru has since started and diggers have moved in to demolish the former dental surgery which will make way for the Starbucks.

When complete, there will be a coffee shop with 19 car parking spaces close to the Woodlands junction on the busy road.

In depth: Bleak future for Harrogate district rural schools?

Since the turn of the year, it has been announced that two primary schools in the Harrogate district will close.

Both schools — Kell Bank near Masham and Baldersby St James between Ripon and Thirsk — are in rural areas.

Kell Bank closed in summer and if Baldersby’s closure goes ahead as planned, it will be the first academy in North Yorkshire to shut.

Both decisions were attributed to low pupil numbers. But a closer look at the issue reveals a deeper problem in rural communities in our district.

Drop in pupil numbers

North Yorkshire is home to 356 state schools — of which 303 are primary, 43 are secondary and 10 are special schools.

Although most schools in the Harrogate district are in towns and cities, such as Ripon, Harrogate, Knaresborough, Boroughbridge, Pateley Bridge and Masham, some are in more remote parts.

Declining pupil numbers in these rural areas has led to questions about the ongoing viability of schools.

Kell Bank, which was run by North Yorkshire County Council, closed in August.

Pupil numbers at Kell Bank Primary School before its closure. Data: NYCC.

The school, which was celebrating 200 years of education at the time, had capacity to teach 50 pupils but just six on the register. Three year groups had no children in them.

The number of pupils had declined from 39 in 2014.

By comparison, nearby Masham Church of England School in Masham town centre had 121 pupils, some of which were out of its catchment area.

It’s a similar picture at Baldersby, which has only 22 pupils.

Hope Sentamu Learning Trust, the academy trust in charge, says numbers “show no prospect of improving for many years ahead” and the school should therefore close.

The figures for Baldersby St James since 2015. The 2021 number has since dropped to 22. Data: NYCC.

Pupil numbers at Baldersby have fluctuated and recovered to 46 in 2017 before declining again.

In both cases, the schools have been victims of changes to population demographics that have seen rural areas become less busy while more people live in towns and cities.

This raises difficult issues for families in rural areas thinking about where to educate their children.

‘A highly charged political issue’

A report by North Yorkshire County Council’s Rural Commission this year laid bare the problems facing rural schools.

According to the paper, eight schools have closed in the county over the past three years – most of which were in rural areas.

The commission said the “continuing fall” in the rural population was the “fundamental challenge” facing small rural schools.

It said:

“While the number of elderly people living in the county continues to increase, the number of working-age families, with young children, continues to fall.

“This results in a significant surplus capacity in many of the small rural schools because there are simply not enough families with primary aged children living in rural communities.

“The cost of the rural housing market discourages young families from living in rural areas.”

The challenge in attracting younger families is compounded by the fact that parents are also thinking more carefully about where to send their children to school.

Department for Education guidance says a primary school aged child should be sent to a school no longer than 45 minutes away from home.

The rural commission report said parents were choosing not to send their children to a local school and instead opting for one further away “because it offers a better-quality education”.

It said:

“An expert on the subject noted that sometimes journey times are longer because children are going to schools other than their local one because of parental preference.”

The sentiment was echoed by Jacqui Palmer, executive headteacher at Sharow Church of England Primary School.

She said:

“Over many years rural life has become different.

“In our village, there is no pub and the post office is only open on a morning.”

Ms Palmer added that it had become difficult for villages to attract younger families.

Impact on communities

The closure of rural schools runs deep in communities.

As noted by the rural commission, the decision to shut a village schools often prompts campaigns to save them.

This occurred in the Harrogate district when within days of the academy trust’s announcement, a group of parents and villagers set up the Save Baldersby St James Primary School campaign.

The group has set up a social media account to help the fight and called on Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi to reconsider the decision.

For the group, the closure would see an end to a school which has served the community since 1850.

Sally Muir, a spokesperson for Save Baldersby St James Primary School, said in a statement:

“In an era where running costs are elevated above all other criteria, it is a shame that a school with both history and potential that has long served the community is now earmarked for closure.”

In response to the difficulties facing schools, the rural commission has called for the Department for Education to revise its national funding formula to support rural schools, in particular spare secondary schools.

It also believes that the formula needs to take into account “the quality of rural roads as well as distance”.

The commission has also backed a “rural stipend” for teachers salaries in order to encourage more teachers into rural schools, but also to bring more younger families into those areas.

But time will tell whether there is the will to act, or whether more cherished schools in remote parts of England’s largest county face uncertain futures.

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‘Can’t rely on his accounts’

‘Diminished responsibility’

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‘Slumped back in his chair’

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Drop in pupil numbers

‘A highly charged political issue’

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Impact on communities