Health officials say there are early signs covid infection levels are “creeping up” in North Yorkshire, although rates remain low, ahead of the key decision on whether to end all restrictions on June 21.

Richard Webb, director of health and adult services at North Yorkshire County Council, told a briefing today that the county was “giving every inch of its fibre” to fully unlock on that date but a small rise in cases needed to be brought “under control”.

Harrogate, Scarborough, Hambleton and Craven all saw a slight increase in weekly infection rates at the end of May, while Richmondshire and Selby recorded a decline and Ryedale remained without a single case.

Meanwhile, the number of people hospitalised with covid across the county remains low at 10, while more than 494,000 people have now received their first vaccine and 339,000 their second.

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Speaking at today’s North Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum briefing, Mr Webb said:

“We are unfortunately seeing some creeping up of the figures nationally and locally. The overall average position across North Yorkshire is 14 cases per 100,000 – that has crept up slightly as has the England average of 32.

“We need to get this under control and manageable going forward so that we can unlock further on June 21.

“The decision is in the hands of the national politicians and they have very clearly said they are going to look at data which comes through in the next fortnight.

“But we can have real confidence in vaccinations – there are very high levels of take up in North Yorkshire and we want everyone possible to have those two doses as that is our best defence against current and previous variants of this virus.”

Indian variant

Today’s briefing also heard how the so-called Indian variant of covid, now known as Delta, was still in “small numbers” in North Yorkshire and had not become the dominant strain unlike some areas of the country.

Areas including Bolton, Blackburn and Bedford have seen a large spike in cases of the more transmissible variant which has led to some concerns that there could be a delay to the end of all lockdown restrictions set to be decided by ministers on 14 June.

With this recent rise in cases, the next week or two will be crucial in seeing whether and by how much it pushes up the numbers of hospital admissions and deaths.

The difference this time – compared with previous waves – is the vaccine, which should be breaking the link between infection and illness.

Mr Webb added:

“The big game changer here is the vaccination rollout which has been so successful, but we have seen flare-ups in other parts of the country and we still need to be a bit cautious.

“I have talked before about living with covid – we are going to have to adjust as a society to having these flare-ups.

“Hands, face, space and fresh air – they are all really important. If we continue to do that and get our vaccines then these are the best things we can do to stop the spread of this virus.”

The latest Public Health England data shows Scarborough had an infection rate of 24 cases per 100,000 people on May 29, while the figure for Harrogate stood at 17, Craven 16, Selby 13, Hambleton 13, Richmondshire 4 and Ryedale 0.

Harrogate Borough Council has begun a review of the UCI Road World Championships, almost two years after the event was held.

Posted on the council’s website, the survey is open to residents and businesses and will run until June 16.

The authority says the purpose of the review is to build on “its successes and identifying any areas for improvement to inform the organisation of future events”.

The review will be conducted by the council’s overview and scrutiny committee, which is made up of elected councillors and aims to scrutinise council business.

The Stray Ferret asked the council why it was holding the survey and what the process was for the review.

A spokesperson for the council said:

“The overview and scrutiny commission has decided to look at the UCI Road World Championships with the aim of building on its successes and identifying any areas for improvement to help inform the organisation of future events.

“Following the consultation the task and finish group of the overview and scrutiny commission will produce a report.”

You can give your thoughts on the 2019 UCI World Cycling Championships by filling out the survey here.

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A controversial event

Hundreds of cyclists from 67 countries took part in the event over nine days in September 2019, with each day’s race finishing in Harrogate town centre.

It received a hostile reception from many local traders, who said they did not feel the benefits of the event coming to town, particularly as it led to many road closures that deterred people from coming into Harrogate.

But a council-commissioned report by Ernst and Young claimed the championships brought in an estimated £17.8 million boost to the district economy.

The UCI event was held on West Park Stray.

The event, which was cursed by rain, generated further controversy when it was revealed £130,000 of damage was caused to West Park Stray.

Seven months after the competition, the council brought in Lancashire firm Glendale Services to restore the Stray.

The authority gave the contract for the restoration works “under urgent circumstances”, a decision criticised by local companies at the time.

Yorkshire 2019, the organisers of the UCI, agreed to pay £35,500 to help restore the Stray.

A Harrogate farm shop and bohemian-style cafe has applied for a licence to serve alcohol.

Harrogate Borough Council will decide whether to grant the licence for 53 Bo’Grove at a meeting next week.

The shop on Grove Road has applied to sell alcohol with meals on the premises from 9am until 5pm Monday and Tuesday, 9am until 8pm Wednesday to Saturday and 10am until 4pm on Sundays.

In its application, Bo’Grove said the premises would operate as a farm shop, cafe and bistro, not as a bar or “vertical drinking establishment” where people mostly stand up to drink.

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It added that any drinks purchased on site would only be allowed to be taken off premises in sealed containers.

Kyrensa Bentley, owner of 53 Bo’Grove, set up the cafe back in 2019 and later opened a farm shop on the site.

Bo’Grove Groceries subsequently opened on Commercial Street, Harrogate this year.

Kyrensa Bentley outside her shop on Commercial Street in Harrogate.

A report due before the licensing committee next week said North Yorkshire Police initially objected to the application, but later withdrew its concern after conditions for the licence were met.

Councillors on the committee will make a decision on June 8.

The total number of covid vaccinations given in the Harrogate district has nearly reached 180,000.

A total of 107,633 people have received a first dose in the district and 71,515 have had second doses, according to Public Health England figures.

It means 179,148 vaccinations have been given in total.

Meanwhile, five further covid cases have been reported in the Harrogate district today.

According to Public Health England figures, it takes the total number of cases since last March to 7,772.

The daily number of cases reported is based on PCR and lateral flow tests returning positive results.

However, if someone with a positive lateral flow test later has a negative result with a PCR test, the earlier result will be removed.

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

According to NHS England figures, the most recent death of a patient who tested positive for covid was recorded on April 11.

It means the death toll at the hospital since last March remains at 179.

Elsewhere, the district’s seven-day covid rate stands at 16 per 100,000 people.

The North Yorkshire average is 13 and the England rate is 31.

A trade union has warned that almost half of Harrogate Borough Council‘s museum and tourism staff could lose their jobs in a “dumbing down” of the services.

Unison Harrogate local government branch added the move could also cause “huge reputational damage to the district and the council and also impact on much-needed income generation”.

It urged the council to reconsider its plans, which are part of a staff review instigated in the wake of the creation of a new destination management organisation in September.

The organisation will, according to the council, “ensure the best possible visitor experience and make the district of Harrogate a must visit destination for leisure and business tourists alike”.

But its plans to merge Visit Harrogate, the convention centre’s marketing team and the tourist information centres have met opposition from Unison.

David Houlgate, Unison branch secretary, said the proposals could lead to “a reduction in staffing of nearly 50%” as well as new ways of working that would worsen the service provided and pose risks to staff safety.

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Remaining staff would have to carry out “hybrid roles” as tourist information and museum posts are merged and visitors would be denied seeing as many staff.

Mr Houlgate said:

“We have been through many reviews at Harrogate Borough Council over the past 10 or so years and technology has enabled some automation and rationalisation but you cannot deliver museum services online, you need people in place to engage with visitors and know what they are talking about and if the full proposals go through there simply won’t be enough staff to do that, nor will they have time to enhance their knowledge through training or professional development.

“There may have in recent years been a shift in how the public accesses tourist information but it has not got to the stage where a physical presence is not needed.”

A source alerted the Stray Ferret last month to concerns staff would be made redundant if they didn’t accept new roles. It is believed up to 30 staff are affected by the changes.

Mr Houlgate called on the authority to put the plans back in order to “fully engage with staff in visitor, cultural and museum services”.

He said:

“This will enable the focus to be on the new place marketing, event bureau and partnership and commercial development functions, so that these can get successfully established and embedded in their own right and staff can be fully engaged and involved with the process throughout.

“It will also enable the council to fully engage with staff in visitor, cultural and museum services too and allow time to explore a number of opportunities and options staff have identified regarding increased footfall, enhanced income generation and service improvement.  This should maintain and build on the current service provision with the aim of complimenting the new functions being introduced.

“It would seem at odds that the new destination management organisation has been set up to position Harrogate as an exceptional place to live, visit, meet and invest and yet at the same time it’s cultural and heritage offer is being downgraded.”

A Harrogate Borough Council spokesman said:

“The destination management organisation for the district of Harrogate will bring together the strengths of Visit Harrogate, the convention centre’s marketing team and the tourist information centres.

“This collaboration will ensure the best possible visitor experience and make the district of Harrogate a must visit destination for leisure and business tourists alike.

“This DMO will also work closely with Think Harrogate, Harrogate BID, and other organisations such as Harrogate Hospitality and Tourism Association to further strengthen the economic impact and support the district’s recovery plans following the Covid-19 pandemic.

“As part of the DMO being established, we will be ensuring we have the right roles across the organisation to help deliver these aims and provide best value for the tax payer.

“These proposals are still being developed and will involve a consultation with staff.”

The Harrogate district could receive £432,000 from a new government fund to create jobs and invest in skills.

The Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government unveiled the UK Community Renewal Fund in March to replace the loss of EU Structural Funds after Brexit.

The £220 million scheme is to be used to invest in skills, create jobs and help businesses.

The fund is initially being trialled as a pilot scheme before the UK Shared Prosperity Fund is fully rolled out next year.

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North Yorkshire County Council is set to bid for £8.4 million for the seven districts of North Yorkshire.

A report due before the county council’s executive next week has recommended the seven district councils receive the following sums if the bid is successful:

North Yorkshire County Council’s breakdown of how much each district would receive from the fund.

Of the seven districts, Harrogate would receive the lowest sum of £432,009. Scarborough would receive the highest, with £2,981,341 outlined in the proposal.

The government will have the final say on which projects are granted funding.

Projects which are awarded funding will have until the end of March 2022 to be completed.

Robert Jenrick, secretary of state for local government, said when outlining the fund:

“We recognise that each area has its unique challenges requiring unique solutions.

“So each pilot will empower places to explore how best to tackle local challenges– whether through building skills, supporting local businesses, supporting communities and places, or providing employment support – to build communities where people want to live, work and visit, while allowing government to evaluate how best to ensure levelling up right across the country.”

Developers have outlined plans to extend a Ripon business park by a further 25,000 square foot.

Canalside Developments Ltd, which owns Ripon Business Park on the B265 Boroughbridge Road, wants to use the land for light industrial and warehousing use.

The land is currently used by Econ Engineering to store its 900 gritter hire fleet, which from next year will move to a new, dedicated site, at Sowerby, near Thirsk.

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Jonathan Lupton, Canalside Developments director, said: 

“There is a shortage of good quality, small-scale industrial units in the district, and this is what we will be helping to address with Phase 2 of Canalside Business Park.

“When our MP, Julian Smith, recently visited Econ, I was delighted to tell him about our plans for increasing the business park, and he was particularly interested in hearing it could generate up to 80 jobs.

“The current site has 19 units, which house a variety of different businesses, and when completed, another 16 will be added, taking the total number to 35. I’m pleased to say there has already been a considerable amount of interest in the scheme.”

Canalside Developments launched Ripon Business Park in 2004, and it is now home to a number of long established businesses in 19 units, including Bill Plant School of Motoring and NFU Mutual.

Work on ‘Phase 2’, is due to start this summer, and once complete will see the business park’s footprint increased by 50%.

Developers behind a plan for 12 new homes in Knaresborough have submitted final design proposals for the development.

The proposal was given outline approval for the site off Bar Lane back in 2018.

At the time, the developer said in its planning documents that proposal had been “carefully considered to provide an appropriate level of mix of housing”.

It added:

“Overall the proposed scheme provides a high quality development in a sustainable location with good links to local facilities.

“The proposed scheme has a clear identity and is sympathetic in density, scale and style to the surrounding context.”

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Now, Rouse Homes Ltd, based in Leeds, has submitted a reserved matters application for the design and landscape of the development.

It would see bungalows and two, three and four bedroom homes built on the site.

Harrogate Borough Council will make a decision on the proposal at a later date.

Plans have been lodged to convert a Harrogate bed and breakfast into a house.

The proposal would see Brookfield House, Alexandra Road, changed into a four bedroom house.

The plan has been submitted to Harrogate Borough Council, which will make a decision on the application at a later date.

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It’s the second conversion of its type after the approval of a similar application at Alexa House, Ripon Road.

Sandra Doherty, who sold the hotel for an undisclosed sum in March, had applied to Harrogate Borough Council for permission to convert it in February.

The council gave consent for the development a month later.

Ms Doherty, who owned the site for 15 years, had a previous proposal to convert the hotel into seven apartments refused.

Three further covid cases have been reported in the Harrogate district.

According to latest Public Health England figures, it takes the total number of cases since last March to 7,754.

The daily number of cases reported is based on PCR and lateral flow tests returning positive results.

However, if someone with a positive lateral flow test later has a negative result with a PCR test, the earlier result will be removed.

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

According to NHS England figures, the most recent death of a patient who tested positive for covid was recorded on April 11.

It means the death toll at the hospital since last March remains at 179.

Elsewhere, the district’s seven-day covid rate stands at 13 per 100,000 people.

The North Yorkshire average is 13 and the England rate is 25.