Thirteen more covid cases in Harrogate district

A further 13 cases of covid have been reported in the Harrogate district, according to today’s Public Health England figures.

It takes the total number of infections since last March to 7,912.

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

The last covid-related death reported at the hospital was on April 11, according to NHS England statistics.

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It means the death toll at the hospital since the start of the pandemic remains at 179.

The hospital’s latest information on covid admissions, published on Thursday, revealed there were no current covid patients.

The district’s seven-day covid rate of infection stands at 52 per 100,000 people.

The North Yorkshire average is 41 and the England rate is 70.

Meanwhile, more than 200,000 covid vaccinations have been given in the district.

Data from Public Health England shows a total of 203,228 first and second vaccinations have been given in the district so far.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson is today expected to announce a delay in lifting restrictions on June 21 for four weeks.

Man fined following Oli McBurnie altercation in Knaresborough

Police said today they have fined one man and cautioned another following an incident in Knaresborough involving Sheffield United striker Oli McBurnie.

McBurnie was arrested last month after a viral video showed a confrontation between the 24-year-old professional footballer and a 21-year-old man on High Street in Knaresborough, towards Bond End.

The incident happened on Saturday, May 8, at about 8.20pm.

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North Yorkshire Police said today it had completed its investigation and was no longer appealing for information.

It said in a statement:

“Following an investigation, a man in his 20s has been cautioned for a public order offence, namely using threatening behaviour.

“A second man, also in his 20s, was issued with a penalty notice for a similar offence.

“Police are no longer appealing for information.”

People invited to join North Yorkshire police commissioner scrutiny panel

People in the Harrogate district are being invited to apply to join a panel which scrutinises the business of the North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner.

The North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Panel meets six times a year and includes 10 councillors, as well as two independent members.

It scrutinises the role of Philip Allott, the current commissioner, who was elected to the position in May.

Applications are open to co-opt two independent members to the panel.

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The members will serve four years on the panel and be entitled to an allowance of £1,741 a year, plus travel expenses.

Co-opted members are also entitled to Dependant Carers Allowance, which covers childcare costs or costs for care for elderly/disabled relatives, where arrangements have to be made to enable attendance at meetings.

Santokh Sidhu is an outgoing co-opted member who joined the panel when it was introduced in 2012 and has served two terms.

He said: 

“I would encourage anyone who is interested in the role and who thinks they may have the skills needed to apply.

“Don’t be put off by jargon, acronyms or fancy titles. It is so important to have independent members on the panel who do not have a political background, to complement and reflect back some of the wider views and experiences of those in our communities.”

Cllr Carl Les, leader of North Yorkshire County Council, who chairs the panel, said:

“Following last month’s election, this is an especially exciting time to join the panel as it supports the new commissioner as relationships are developed and contributions made to the future direction of these vital services.

“The role of panel members is important and demanding. The co-opted members are an essential component of the panel. They bring a fresh perspective and add valuable experience to the panel.”

You can apply for the role on the panel at https://nypartnerships.org.uk/pcprecruit.

The closing date for applications is 5pm on 15 July 2021. Shortlisted candidates will be contacted in the week commencing 26 July and interviews will be held on 6 and 8 September.

More than 200,000 covid vaccines given in Harrogate district

More than 200,000 people have had a covid vaccine in the Harrogate district, according to latest figures.

Data from Public Health England shows a total of 203,228 vaccinations have been given in the district so far.

It includes 111,078 first doses and 92,150 second doses.

The figures represent an uptake of 78% for a first vaccine and 65% for a second dose for people aged 18 and over in the district.

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Those aged 25 and over are currently being invited to come forward for a vaccine.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to today announce a delay to the easing of restrictions on June 21.

The move would see a delay of four weeks in order to allow for more time for people to get a second jab.

Council to upgrade 20-year-old booking system in leisure centre overhaul

Harrogate Borough Council is set to upgrade its 20-year-old booking system as part of an overhaul of leisure facilities in the district.

The authority is set to award a contract for its leisure management system (LMS), which is used for booking lessons, memberships and operating the tills at facilities.

It would be used by the the council’s new company, Brimhams Active, which was set up as part of an overhaul of leisure in the district.

Brimhams Active is set to take over the running of Harrogate Hydro, Knaresborough Leisure Centre and other facilities in August.

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According to a report due before Cllr Stan Lumley, cabinet member for culture, tourism and sport, on Thursday, the current system used by the council is outdated and ageing.

It said:

“The council’s current LMS has been in use for almost 20 years. 

“Its age means that it lacks functionality which would be regarded as “standard” for operators in today’s market, leaving HBC at a competitive disadvantage.”

The council is recommended to hand the contract to an unnamed company after a competitive tender process.

The value of the contract was not revealed in the report.

If approved, the contract would last for two years with an option to extend for two further periods of 12 months.

The borough council overhauled the district’s leisure facilities last year and decided to hand them over to an arms-length company owned by the authority.

The council also announced a £26 million investment in the Harrogate Hydro and the new leisure centre at Knaresborough, which was expected to be borrowed from the government.

At the time, Cllr Lumley said the two “came hand in hand” and would help the authority save money.

The company has since been incorporated and appointed seven directors, which includes local councillors, council officers and Mark Tweedie, who has been appointed managing director of Brimhams Active.

According to Companies House, Zoe Appleton-Metcalfe, Wallace Sampson, Samuel Gibbs, Stan Lumley, Trevor Watson and Pat Marsh have been appointed directors.

Drug driver who fled police through Harrogate district at 130mph jailed

A drug driver has been jailed after speeding through villages in the Harrogate district at more than 130 miles per hour while trying to evade police.

William Geoffrey Mann, 22, was found to have used cocaine and was several times over the limit when arrested in September last year.

He reached speeds of up to 137 miles per hour while trying to evade officers on rural roads.

Mann failed to stop in Kirk Deighton near Wetherby before speeding through Hunsingore, Cattal, Whixley, Aldborough, Boroughbridge and Bishop Monkton.

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North Yorkshire Police pursued Mann through the villages around Wetherby and Boroughbridge, where he reached 90 miles per hour in a Mercedes.

Officers closed in on him in Burton Leonard, where Mann crashed into an unmarked police car and was arrested.


Mann, a delivery worker from Wetherby, was taken into custody and charged with drug driving, dangerous driving and failing to stop.

He pleaded guilty and was jailed for eight months at York Crown Court today. He was also banned from driving for a year and will have to take an extended retest.

Sergeant Julian Pearson, of the force’s Roads Policing Group, captured the pursuit on his police in-car video system and led the investigation against Mann.

He said: 

“Mann made a conscious decision to fail to stop for the police, his judgment clouded by his recent drug usage. This, combined with dangerous high speed driving, is a lethal combination.

“This was a prolonged, determined and dangerous attempt to evade capture for drug driving, putting himself, his passengers, other road users and the police at serious risk.”

Sgt Pearson added:

“When a vehicle is requested to stop and the driver refuses, the police have no idea why. It could be for a multitude of reasons and in Mann’s case it was for drug driving. Had he stopped then he would have been dealt for that offence and most likely not in prison as he is today.

“We make absolutely no apologies for catching drivers like Mann  – we regularly see the carnage and heartbreak they cause innocent people. So I’m glad the courts have taken another dangerous driver off our roads and have protected our communities.”

No covid deaths at Harrogate hospital for two months

No deaths of patients who tested positive for covid have been recorded at Harrogate District Hospital for two months.

According to latest NHS England figures, the last covid-related death was reported on April 11.

It means the death toll from coronavirus at Harrogate hospital since the start of the pandemic remains at 179.

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

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It takes the total number of infections since March 2020 to 7,881.

Meanwhile, the district’s seven-day covid rate stands at 42 per 100,000 people.

The North Yorkshire average is 35 and the rate for England is 60.

Andrew Jones MP ‘very sad’ to lose villages in boundary shake-up plan

Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones says he will be “very sad” to lose just under 1,500 constituents under proposals for a major shake-up of parliamentary boundaries.

The Boundary Commission this week announced proposed changes to constituencies across the country as part of a review that aims to make Parliament fairer by giving each MP a roughly similar number of voters.

If approved, the changes could mean Harrogate and Knaresborough, which has been held by Conservative MP Andrew Jones since 2010, would lose 1,469 constituents with several villages north east of the towns falling under a new Wetherby and Easingwold parliamentary area.

Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Mr Jones said: 

“The proposed boundaries are the subject of consultation now. Many MPs will see changes to the makeup of the constituencies they represent – some will see those constituencies abolished altogether.

“Whatever the outcome I will be very sad to no longer represent some parts of the Harrogate and Knaresborough constituency should they be moved into another constituency.

“By the time these changes come into force MPs will have represented constituencies on the current boundaries for 15 years. That’s a long time and many great partnerships between individuals and community groups have been formed.”

The Boundary Commission carries out a review every five years and has put its proposals out for public consultation with a formal report to government expected by June 2023.

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If the proposed changes go through, they will only come into effect in late 2023, which could be too late for the next election if Prime Minister Boris Johnson decides to call it early.

Some MPs could find themselves with safer seats, while others will be more closely contested and some will disappear altogether.

A map of the new constituency and reduced Harrogate and Knaresborough seat under the Boundary Commission plans. Picture: Boundary Commission.

A map of the new constituency and reduced Harrogate and Knaresborough seat under the Boundary Commission plans. Picture: Boundary Commission.

To put the potential loss of 1,469 constituents in Harrogate and Knaresborough into some context, Mr Jones won the 2019 general election by a margin of 9,675 votes, beating his closest rival Liberal Democrat Judith Rogerson.

Mr Jones added:

“The boundary commission always has a difficult job too but they do it independently of the politicians and that is entirely appropriate.

“The most important thing, whatever the new boundaries, is that those close ties between the community and their MP endure. I will do all I can to facilitate that strong working relationship between any part of the current Harrogate and Knaresborough constituency and their new MP should the final boundary changes bring about such a change.”

Elsewhere, Conservative MP Julian Smith’s Skipton and Ripon constituency would engulf Ripley but lose other villages including Bishop Monkton and Burton Leonard under the initial proposals.

Selby and Ainsty, which is held by Conservative MP Nigel Adams and includes areas south of Harrogate, would also be reduced in size to only include Selby and its surrounding villages.

The initial proposals will now be subject to revisions and consultations, with the first set to run for eight weeks before closing on 2 August.

A second consultation with public hearings will then get under way in spring 2022, followed by a final four-week consultation on revised plans in autumn 2022.

Harrogate and Knaresborough constituency (proposed new electorate 72,850)

Council wards to be included:

Skipton and Ripon constituency (proposed new electorate 74,270)

Council wards to be included:

To view the current and proposed constituency boundaries in full go to bcereviews.org.uk

10 more covid cases reported in Harrogate district

Ten more positive covid cases have been reported in the Harrogate district, according to latest Public Health England figures.

It takes the total number of infections since last March to 7,872.

Meanwhile, the district’s seven-day covid rate has increased to 42 infections per 100,000 people.

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The North Yorkshire average stands at 35 and the England rate is 60.

No deaths from patients who tested positive for coronavirus have been reported at Harrogate District Hospital since April 11.

The death toll at the hospital since the start of the pandemic remains at 179, according to NHS England statistics.

Harrogate council lifts cap on wheelchair taxi licences

A limit on the number of wheelchair-accessible taxi licences in the Harrogate district has been removed, despite concerns from cabbies it will have a “devastating” impact on trade.

Harrogate Borough Council’s licensing committee yesterday agreed to the move, which aims to support disabled people in the district.

Campaigners say disabled people have been “cut off from society” and left suffering with “social isolation and frustration” because of a lack of travel options.

But some taxi drivers are against an unlimited number of licences and urged the committee to reconsider sticking to a previous plan to introduce 12 extra plates or risk “deregulating” the trade.

Speaking at a meeting yesterday, Richard Fieldman, who runs A1 Cars of Ripon and Harrogate, said:

“When there are only 10 applicants for the proposed 12 wheelchair accessible plates, why are you considering a proposal to un-limit the number of them?

“This would not only be devastating to the trade but also to the council and its road traffic problems as there is not enough rank space to accommodate this.”

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Kevin O’Boyle, owner of Central Taxis and the longest holder of a taxi license in the district, also said in a letter to councillors before the meeting that the move risked Harrogate “losing control” of how many taxis are allowed on the roads.

He said:

“If you decide to deregulate, you, the council, will lose control and will be letting the genie out of the bottle. A genie I fear that once out, will be impossible to put back.”

Legal threat

In September last year, the licensing committee agreed to double the number of wheelchair-accessible taxi licences from 11 to 23 after a council-run study concluded disabled people were suffering from a “great deal of anxiety” over worries they could not get around.

However, the authority says has since run into difficulties over creating a “fair and lawful” system to distribute just the 12 additional licences, and it believes it could be left vulnerable to legal challenges from disappointed applicants.

Currently there are 22 wheelchair-accessible taxis operating in the district – a figure that has declined in recent years. This decline is something the council believes is partly down to the costs of purchasing a wheelchair-accessible taxi – and it is these costs that it says will “self-regulate” the number of vehicles on the roads.

Cllr Victoria Oldham, chair of the licensing committee, also told yesterday’s meeting that the council was not expecting a “surge” in licence applications and that it had not been made aware of any rank space issues.

She said:

“The purpose of these proposals is to overcome the provision for customers who require wheelchair-accessible vehicles. We know from the work that officers have done that the current provision by the trade is insufficient and does not meet the need.

“Based upon the expression of interests received in January 2021, there is no indication at this stage that there will be a surge in applicants.

“What the proposals will facilitate is the market meeting the existing demand. Numbers will also be naturally limited by the cost in purchasing and upkeeping a wheelchair accessible vehicle.”

The licensing committee voted in favour of the proposals with two amendments to conditions, which mean a review will be carried out in a year rather than five, as well as a requirement for drivers to complete a disability training course within one month of being approved rather than six.