No plans for big screen on Stray for Euro 2020 final, says council

Council officials have said they have no plans to hold a big screen on the Stray for England’s Euro 2020 final against Italy on Sunday.

The Three Lions reached their first major tournament final in 55 years on Wednesday after beating Denmark 2-1 after extra-time in front of 60,000 fans at Wembley.

Sunday is expected to see pubs and beer gardenpacked out to watch the match against Italy which will be broadcast on both ITV and BBC.

Despite being England’s first final since winning the World Cup in 1966, Harrogate Borough Council has said it has no plans to host a big screen for the occasion.

A spokesperson for the council said:

“We have no plans to organise a big screen, or the associated social distancing measures that would be required, on the Stray this weekend.”

The council added it also had no received any applications from other parties to host a big screen.

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The Stray has been used in the past for people to watch major sporting events, such as the Wimbledon final in 2013.

Meanwhile, the government has announced that pubs will be allowed to stay open until 11.15pm on Sunday evening.

The Prime Minister’s spokesperson said the extension would allow people to watch the game in case it goes to extra time and penalties.

Travel concerns over Indian-made AstraZeneca jabs given in Harrogate district

Travel concerns have been raised over Indian-manufactured AstraZeneca vaccine batches which have been given out in the Harrogate district.

The Indian version of the jab, known as Covishield and made by the Serum Institute of India, is not currently recognised by the European Union’s passport scheme.

The vaccine conforms to medical standards but did not get the right paperwork for Europe so has thrown into doubt travel plans for millions of people across the UK.

Tim Stokes, a caterer from Harrogate, is one of those who received the a vaccine from the Indian-manufactured batch.

He said he received his vaccine at the Yorkshire Showground site.

While he has not yet booked a holiday, Mr Stokes said he would think twice before looking to take a break abroad.

He said:

“I think we will wait and if something comes up then we will take it.”

Mr Stokes added he was concerned that if the vaccine was not recognised then it would require him to isolate upon arrival.

Around five million British people have had the vaccine, which has not yet been authorised by the European Medicines Agency for use on the EU Digital covid certificate.

Some of the batches of the vaccine have been given at the Yorkshire Showground vaccination site.

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.However, the Department of Health said vaccines given in the UK would appear as “Vaxzevria” on the NHS covid pass.

It said:

“The government has confirmed that no Covishield vaccines have been administered in the UK and that all AstraZeneca vaccines given in the UK appear on the NHS COVID Pass as Vaxzevria.”

Meanwhile, other countries such as Austria, Germany, Slovenia, Greece, Ireland and Spain have already approved the Covishield vaccine for travel.

Estonia, Switzerland and Iceland have also said they will recognise the vaccine.

A further 99 covid cases in Harrogate district

A further 99 covid cases have been reported in the Harrogate district, according to latest Public Health England figures.

It takes the total number of cases in the district since last March to 9,135.

The district’s seven-day covid rate of infection has increased to 358 people per 100,000 — the highest in North Yorkshire.

The North Yorkshire average is 283 and the England rate is 282.

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However, the number of patients being treated for covid at Harrogate District Hospital has declined to two.

No covid-related deaths have been reported at the hospital since April 11.

A total of 216,571 vaccinations have been given in the district, according to Public Health England statistics.

The number includes 119,292 people receiving a first dose and 97,279 second doses.

Senior Harrogate councillor defends fake grass saga

A senior Harrogate borough councillor has defended a council decision to put fake grass in the town centre.

The council’s decision to install plastic grass in the raised flower beds on Cambridge Street in May met a fierce backlash from residents.

Council officials initially claimed the move received “lots of positive feedback”, but later removed the grass and apologised.

Last night, Cllr Andrew Paraskos, cabinet member for parks and environment, told a full council meeting that the grass was removed “straight away” and that the authority had to “try new ideas”.

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When asked to comment on whether the council explained its decision properly and if its value system “focussed only on money”, Cllr Paraskos defended the move.

He said:

“I totally disagree. The stuff that we put down, I don’t like to use the term artificial grass, was there as a barrier. If we had put down the black mesh stuff to keep the weeds under control, nobody would have ever mentioned a word.

“But because we have used something that looked like grass, everybody jumped on the bandwagon straight away and believed we were trying to grass the town centre. That was never our intention.

“We thought it was possibly a good idea, put a little colour behind the new planters that we put in and when everybody objected we removed it straight away. Nobody liked it, so we carried on and we will come up with new plans for that area to make the town centre look more attractive to visitors going forward.

“We must try new ideas even if they are wrong and we will find out afterwards. If you don’t try, you don’t move forward.”

When the Stray Ferret broke the story, the article received well over 150 responses – nearly all of which criticised the move.

Fake grass and planters

The fake grass and planters were put in place in May.

Comments ranged from “it looks cheap and tacky” to “wasting council tax money yet again” to “who actually sat there thinking this was a cracking idea?”.

Some residents offered to remove the grass and plant flowers, but it was rejected by the council.

Extinction Rebellion later took direct action by replacing some of the grass with flowers in protest and handed it back to the council in person.

The borough council’s statement apologising for the lack of communication on the saga can be read in full here.

Hospital bosses ‘disappointed’ after highly critical e-mail circulated

Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust has said it is “disappointed” after an anonymous e-mail was circulated criticising chief executive Steve Russell’s leadership.

A highly critical e-mail has been circulated to non-executive directors at the trust, the chair of HDFT, Angela Schofield, the Care Quality Commission and to the media.

The e-mail, which is anonymous, makes unsubstantiated allegations against Mr Russell and accuses him of being at the centre of a culture of fear at the hospital.

The sender of the e-mail said it had been circulated as there was “no other way to safely surface” the concerns and that it was sent anonymously because of an alleged “fear of reprisal”.

It goes on to say that staff and senior leaders at the hospital are scared to speak up and the reason for the e-mail was a result of “two years of sustained and escalating behaviour”.

It says:

“We are scared. They are scared. We are worried. They are worried. We/they cannot speak up openly even with our internal routes available.”

The Stray Ferret tried to reach out to the anonymous sender, but received a bounce back e-mail.

Speaking on behalf of Mr Russell and Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust, a spokesperson said in response:

“It’s disappointing that someone feels this way and has written what they have. We are proud that colleagues across the Trust provide high quality patient care and embody our Trust values.

“There are ways to raise concerns, including anonymously, both within the Trust and with external regulatory bodies, and we provide information and support for colleagues to do that wherever appropriate.”

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The trust appointed consultancy firm Deloitte to carry out a review into the trust’s culture and leadership in August 2019.

It included Harrogate Integrated Facilities (HIF), a subsidiary which runs the hospital’s estates.

The results of the review was published in a report last year.

The review found that staff view both the board of directors and executive, which includes Mr Russell, positively, with management being “frequently described as an open and inclusive team”.

However, the report found concerns over the hospital’s estates department.

Following interviews with 52 members of staff and 63 surveys, the report found “widespread concerns” over bullying, leadership and poor recruitment practice at HIF.

Behaviour cited in a report included defacing tools or belongings with offensive graffiti, collectively ignoring or ostracising people and damaging belongings of individuals, including gluing of equipment or lockers.

After the review, the hospital board agreed to launch an investigation which will be carried out by an external body into reported bullying and poor recruitment practice in the department.

£240,000 refurbishment lined up for Sun Pavilion

A refurbishment of up to £240,000 looks set to take place at the Sun Pavilion in Harrogate’s Valley Gardens this October.

Harrogate Borough Council has advertised a contract on the government’s procurement portal of between £180,000 to £240,000.

The contract says that work will start on the pavilion on October 18.

Companies have until August 20 to bid for the contract.

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The refurbishment work must be completed by February 18, 2022.

It would include reconstruction of the floor from oversite concrete level, installing underfloor heating, insulation to the floor and new floor coverings.

Other works would see replacement of the heating system and refurbishment of the toilets.

Completed in the 1930s, the venue on Cornwall Road was restored to its original state in 1998 and was reopened by the Queen.

Today, the pavilion hosts weddings and can accommodate up to 200 guests.

Harrogate district covid rate soars — but no more deaths

Another 73 covid cases have been reported in the Harrogate district, according to today’s figures by Public Health England.

The district’s seven-day covid rate of infection has rocketed to 351 people per 100,000 — the highest in North Yorkshire.

The North Yorkshire average is 273 and the England rate is 272.

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However, the number of patients being treated for covid at Harrogate District Hospital has declined to two.

No covid-related deaths have been reported at the hospital since April 11.

A total of 216,414 vaccinations have been given in the district, according to Public Health England statistics.

The number includes 119,202 people receiving a first dose and 97,212 second doses.

Just 10 fly-tipping fines in Harrogate district despite 2,000 reported incidents

Just 10 fines have been handed out for fly-tipping in the Harrogate district over the last three years despite almost 2,000 reported incidents.

Of those 10 fines, only four have been paid in full by criminals caught in the act dumping mounds of waste across streets, parks and the countryside.

These eye-opening figures obtained by the Local Democracy Reporting Service reveal how fly-tippers are going largely unpunished.

Harrogate Borough Council, which is responsible for investigating dumped waste and has powers to issue £400 fines – has insisted it is standing firm and is asking the public for help to bring those responsible to the book in court.

A council spokesperson said officers will not hesitate to take strong action against those who are caught in the act but also admitted in many cases there is nothing they can do due to a lack of evidence.

The spokesperson said: 

“Fly-tipping is a selfish crime that blights the landscape and spoils everyone’s enjoyment of our towns and countryside.

“In order to prosecute we need to carry out thorough investigations and provide substantial evidence. This can be a challenge as not all fly-tipping contain personal or business details we can investigate.

“But we will not give up tackling fly-tippers and bringing them to justice.”

Of the 1,967 dumping incidents reported to the council over the last three years, 388 have been investigated by environmental protection officers.

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These investigations have resulted in 10 fixed penalty notices being issued but only four have been paid in full at a total cost of £1,600.

The issue of fly-tipping often stokes debate over whether charges at recycling centres are driving individuals and illegally-operating waste removal businesses to dump their rubbish at the roadside.

North Yorkshire County Council, which runs recycling centres in the Harrogate district, introduced charges for dumping waste including rubble, soil and plasterboard in 2014 but said there has been little evidence to suggest these have resulted in any increase in fly-tipping levels that would warrant a rethink.

Peter Jeffreys, the county council’s head of service for waste and countryside services, said: 

“The absence of a causal link between charging and fly-tipping suggests that the removal of charges may not reduce fly-tipping levels.

“It is important to remember that there is a large percentage of fly-tipped waste that can be disposed of for free at our Household Waste Recycling Centres.”

“The majority of residents and businesses take responsibility for the waste they produce. We will continue to educate, communicate and where necessary take enforcement action to protect the environment so it is safe for all to enjoy.”

The Harrogate and District Green Party said in a statement that cheaper and more accessible ways of recycling could help reduce fly-tipping.

The party also questioned whether private landowners should face the “onerous burden” to remove dumped waste at their own expense.

The party said: 

“We need a solution that doesn’t cost individuals and small businesses to recycle their waste that is easy and convenient to access, such as smaller satellite facilities.

“The council also needs to ensure that waste is responsibly recycled and can be re-used where possible, even as an opportunity for the council to recoup costs. Most importantly, waste is not dumped in other countries.”

In numbers: How Harrogate Borough Council has investigated fly-tipping

Harrogate district divided over wearing face masks after July 19

The Harrogate district is divided over whether to wear a face mask once the legal requirement is lifted on July 19.

Yesterday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that wearing a face covering in shops and businesses would become a personal choice in a few weeks’ time.

But people will still be encouraged to wear them in certain circumstances.

The lifting of the requirement will come alongside the scrapping of other restrictions, including the one metre social distancing rule and the reopening of nightclubs and mass events.

The Stray Ferret asked readers on our Facebook page whether they would still continue to wear a face covering after July 19.

About 150 replied and opinion was sharply divided.

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Some said they would continue to wear masks in crowded spaces and public transport.

Danni Wilson said:

“Yes, in certain circumstances. I’ve not had a cold in nearly two years.”

Robert Schofield said:

“Out of respect for the safety of others, I will wear a mask on public transport and in enclosed public spaces and commercial spaces.”

Alex Hero added:

“Yes on public transport, busy shops and crowded areas.”

However, others said it should be up to individuals to choose whether or not to wear a face covering.

Bradley Syril said:

“Everyone’s own choice, if they want to they can but I don’t think they should judge or discriminate anyone who doesn’t. We’re all old enough and grown up enough to make our own decisions.”

Philippa Graham said:

“In some circumstances, yes. Small busy shops, crowds and public transport. It needs to be up to the individual to risk assess their own circumstances.”

Others were adamant they would not wear a face covering.

Stephen Bellamy said:

“No I won’t be wearing a mask after 19 July. That is my choice.”

Map shows second covid vaccine rate in Harrogate district

Central Harrogate has the lowest second covid vaccine uptake in the Harrogate district, according to government figures.

An interactive map created by Public Health England shows the vaccination rate in all areas of the district.

Central Harrogate, which also has the lowest first dose rate, has a second vaccine uptake of 55%.

Dishforth, Baldersby and Markington currently has a second lowest uptake with 57%.

Knaresborough North and Knaresborough South and Follifoot have the highest uptakes. Both areas have a second dose rate of 76%.

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Spofforth, Burn Bridge and Huby also have a high uptake at 76%.

Latest figures show 118,142 people have had first doses and 97,104 have had second vaccines across the district.

It means a total of 215,246 vaccinations have been given so far.

Public Heath England statistics show the district currently has a first dose uptake of 83%, while the second dose rate is 68%.