Police issue knife warning in Harrogate district schools

Police are urging parents to have “difficult conversations” with children after a spate of knife incidents in Harrogate district schools.

North Yorkshire Police said it was aware of five incidents of knives being brought into schools since September.

They include children flashing knives in the playground to other students.

Boys and girls had both been involved.

Officers said that, while the number of cases were high, no pupils or staff had been harmed or threatened.

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Police Constable Colin Steele, from Harrogate neighbourhood policing team said:

“Not only are young people risking their life, and the lives of other students and teaching staff by carrying a knife, they are also showing a disregard for their own futures. 

“Carrying a knife on school premises is a serious offence and a conviction for such an offence can stay with you for life. 

“I encourage the parents and guardians of young people to have what can be a difficult conversation with their children around the dangers of carrying knives and the real implications this can have on their child’s future.”

The police praised teaching staff for identifying children carrying knives at school.

First events at Harrogate Convention Centre to be government pilot

The first events in over a year at Harrogate Convention Centre will have no social distancing after being selected for a government pilot.

Organisers of The Home and Gift Buyers’ Festival and the Manchester Furniture Show 2021 confirmed the news after discussions with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.

Restrictions on the number of visitors will be lifted and social distancing requirements scrapped at the events, which are being held from July 18 to July 21.

However, visitors will be required to show proof of two vaccinations at least two weeks prior to attending or a negative NHS lateral flow test at least 48 hours before the event.

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The event comes as part of a limited number of pilots being held in the third phase of the government’s Events Research Programme, which examines the risk of covid transmission at events

Russell Rule, director of The Home and Gift Buyers’ Festival , said:

“With the backing of the government, public health bodies, and our key customers we can see that the appetite and enthusiasm are there for an in-person buying and selling event. 

“There is great excitement from both exhibitors and visitors to reconnect in Harrogate to celebrate our 60th anniversary.”

The convention centre is still waiting to get back to normality following the delay in lifting the final covid restrictions.

The pilot will be used to gather data and research how small and large scale events could be permitted in line with the government’s roadmap out of lockdown.

Nigel Huddleston, tourism minister, said the business and events industry was worth around £40 billion annually to the UK economy and he was delighted the events would be held at full capacity. He added:

“This will continue to trial the use of the NHS app as a means to show you’re covid safe.”

19 Afghans get homes in Harrogate district in resettlement scheme

A senior Harrogate borough councillor has said the district will be prepared to rehome more Afghan families after the authority agreed to take part in a resettlement scheme.

Up to four families totalling 19 people will be flown to the district in the coming months as fears for their safety grows, with international troops preparing to leave the country.

On the flight will be mostly former translators, their families and others whose lives are under threat because they worked for the British government during the two decades that the UK military has been fighting in Afghanistan.

A decision to welcome the families was agreed by Harrogate Borough Council’s cabinet last night when Madeleine Bell, head of housing and property, said the authority had asked to take part in the relocation scheme which is now being accelerated as the security situation in Afghanistan worsens.

She said:

“Since 2013 the government has had a programme of resettling locally employed Afghans who have worked with British armed forces.

‘Due to changes in the international presence in Afghanistan, this programme has now been accelerated and it has become urgent that Afghans who have worked with our armed forces together with their families are brought to this country for their own safety.

“We have asked to be part of this scheme and have provisionally agreed to accept three or four families, although of course we stand ready to accept larger numbers if we are asked to do so.”

The Harrogate district has previously taken part in other resettlement programmes, including welcoming 13 Syrian families between 2016 and 2017.

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Cllr Mike Chambers, cabinet member for housing and safer communities at the council, said the families are not only offered a place to live, but also given opportunities to go to school, learn English and find employment.

He added that the authority would be prepared to resettle more families if it was required to do so.

‘We will take more if necessary’

Cllr Chambers said:

“This district has a long and proud history of taking in people who are in need, people who are in distress and people who need shelter.

“It is clear that we need to play a part in ensuring that these people are brought to a place of safety and given every opportunity to move on.

“We initially looked to take about 19 people in total and should we be required to take further, then we will do so, because this is what we do in this district. We are known as places of sanctuary. My own city of Ripon is a city of sanctuary.

“It means a great deal to people that we show compassion and care, and that we play our part in ensuring these people are given every opportunity to live in a place of safety.”

Nationally, more than 3,000 Afghans are expected to be allowed to settle in the UK, joining 1,300 who have already done so.

A large number of translators were not eligible under a previous relocation scheme, which considered an applicant’s role and length of service.

But now any current or former locally-employed staff deemed to be under serious threat will be offered priority, regardless of their employment status, role, rank or length of service.

Announcing the acceleration of the scheme last month, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said:

“As we withdraw our armed forces, it is only right we accelerate the relocation of those who may be at risk of reprisals. Nobody’s life should be put at risk because they supported the UK government to promote peace and stability in Afghanistan.”

Harrogate district records 38 more covid cases

The Harrogate district today recorded another daily high of covid cases, as 38 infections were reported.

According to Public Health England figures, the number takes the total cases since last March to 8,131.

The figure is the highest since February 1, when 51 cases were recorded.

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

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NHS England figures show the last death was reported in April and the total number of covid-related deaths since the start of the pandemic remains at 179.

Harrogate hospital is currently treating three covid patients, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Meanwhile, the district’s seven-day covid rate stands at 96 cases per 100,000 people.

The North Yorkshire average is 86 and the England rate stands at 105.

UCI World Championships caused ‘major disruption’ in Harrogate, says report

A new report into the UCI Road World Championships 2019 has said the event inspired people to cycle more — but had a ‘major disruptive impact on the community in Harrogate’.

The study commissioned jointly by British Cycling, Sport England and UK Sport found that 45% of those surveyed said they would take up cycling or cycle more after watching the event.

The 11-day event in September 2019 received a hostile response from many local businesses because road closures hampered trade. The event also caused £130,000 worth of damage to the West Park Stray.

The report, compiled by the Sport Industry Research Centre at Sheffield Hallam University, covers awareness of the event, its perceived impacts, and the extent to which it influenced changes in physical wellbeing, mental wellbeing, individual and community development.

It found that:

But the report adds:

“There were also some negative consequences of the Road World Championships expressed by host community residents surveyed, particularly in Harrogate, where respondents were critical of the inconvenience and disruption due to the prolonged road closures compared with other host locations such as Doncaster and Leeds.

“Another sticking point in Harrogate was the damage caused to a section of the Stray – a protected public area of green space – where the Championship Fan Zone was located.

“The event was seen to have had a major disruptive impact on the community in Harrogate, which is illustrated starkly by Harrogate Borough Council’s decision to refrain temporarily from hosting major events of this scale.”

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Cllr Stanley Lumley, Harrogate Borough Council’s cabinet member for culture, tourism and sport, said the report showed the UCI Road World Championships had inspired people to get more involved in sport.

He added:

“It is inevitable that hosting an international event of this scale can cause some disruption on day-to-day life.

“But the global television audience has no doubt left a lasting impression on what Yorkshire and specifically the Harrogate district has to offer. This will no doubt encourage a number of visits in the future which our tourist economy so desperately needs.

“It was also positive to read that the volunteering opportunities the event created has had a lasting impression on those involved.”

Rod Findlay, British Cycling’s business services director, said:

“The 2019 UCI Road World Championships in Yorkshire was a truly momentous celebration of cycling, and from the report published today it’s clear that the legacy of those nine days of racing will be felt for many years to come.”

Review into UCI

Last week, a public survey into the UCI championships, which were held in Harrogate, closed.

Harrogate Borough Council’s overview and scrutiny committee set up the review to build on “its successes and identifying any areas for improvement to inform the organisation of future events”.

However, questions were raised over why the committee decided to hold a review on the UCI two years after the event.

Plans to convert Ripon garages into homes approved

Plans to build three council houses at the sites of two disused garage blocks in Ripon have been approved.

Harrogate Borough Council’s housing team will build the properties at North Road and Church Close where many of the council-owned garages have sat empty for years and the majority are currently not in use.

The council said the plans would help tackle the desperate need for affordable homes in the district, although some residents raised concerns over the impact on the nearby roads.

At North Road, a garage block will be converted into a three-bedroom bungalow but nearby resident Christine Shepherd said she was worried about what the development would mean for traffic in the area.

Speaking at a meeting today, she said: 

“Parking for the proposed building is opposite my gate where my disabled access is. It is a narrow part of road on a bend and we have to dodge cars coming out of the gate and the access road to the rear of Fremantle Terrace.”

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In response, an architect for the council said the development would in fact reduce the number of vehicles in the area due to the removal of seven garages and that highways officials had not raised any concerns.

At Church Close, a garage block will be demolished to make way for two three-bedroom semi-detached properties.

A petition against the plans, which had the support of 34 residents, was handed into the council with similar concerns over the loss of garage parking and increase in vehicles.

But council planners argued there was no demand for these garages and that although the roads can get busy with parked vehicles, a nearby council-owned car park provided for residents was underused.

Also at today’s meeting, a decision on separate plans to build three social rented homes at another site of disused garage blocks at Russell Dixon Square was deferred after a nearby resident raised concerns over access to her home.

It was agreed that the proposals would be revised before being brought back to the council’s planning committee at a later date.

Two arrested on suspicion of wounding in Jennyfields

Police have arrested two men in Harrogate on suspicion of wounding after a late night assault in the Jennyfields area.

Officers were called to Grantley Drive by the ambulance service at 11.20pm after two men were found with head injuries and cuts to their body.

A police helicopter was used to search the area and two men, aged 51 and 44, were later arrested on suspicion of wounding.

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The 51-year-old man was also arrested on suspicion of possessing class A drugs.

A North Yorkshire Police statement said:

“At around 1am, two men from Harrogate aged  51 and 44 were arrested nearby on suspicion of wounding. The 51-year-old was also arrested on suspicion of possessing class A drugs.

“Both men remain in custody at this time.

“The victims were taken to hospital for treatment, their injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.

“Anyone who was in the area of the Co-op store on Grantley Drive, Grantley Drive itself or Bramham  Drive and witnessed the incident is asked to contact North Yorkshire Police on 101 and pass information to the Force Control Room.”

If you wish to remain anonymous, you can pass information to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Quote reference 12210145213 when passing on information.”

Man caught masturbating in public in Harrogate sentenced

A man who was caught masturbating in public in Walkers Passage has been conditionally discharged.

A 54-year-old Harrogate man pleaded guilty on Monday to outraging public decency.

Appearing before Harrogate Magistrates Court, he was handed a conditional discharge for 12 months.

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The incident occurred in September last year.

Walkers Passage is a popular cut through linking Harcourt Drive and Park Parade, on the edge of the Stray.

The court took into account the man’s guilty plea when imposing the sentence.

However, he was ordered to pay a £22 surcharge towards victim services and £85 costs to the Crown Prosecution Service.

How has the Harrogate council’s housing company performed during the pandemic?

When Harrogate Borough Council’s commercial housing company launched in 2019 it was hailed as an exciting opportunity to turn the authority a profit and help first-time buyers get a foot on the property ladder.

Two years and a global pandemic later – how is Bracewell Homes performing and is it what the district needed?

Backed by an up to £10 million loan from taxpayers, the at arm’s-length company was set up to intervene in Harrogate’s pricey property market by delivering desperately needed rental and shared ownership homes which are affordable to low-income earners.

And with around 1,700 households currently in the queue for social housing and the district remaining as one of the most unaffordable places to live in England, the scale of the task at hand could not be clearer.

That is why Cllr Pat Marsh, leader of the opposition Liberal Democrat group on Harrogate Borough Council, believes the company should be setting much more ambitious targets than its initial aim to deliver 40 properties by 2024.

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Bracewell Homes has so far hit 14 properties either sold or nearing completion but councillor Marsh said this figure needed to be reaching the “hundreds” if the district is to ever become a place where many low-income earners can afford to call it their home.

Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, she said: 

“Forty homes in three years will barely make a dent in the need for the 1,700 on the waiting list, some living in very difficult circumstances.

“We cannot continue to rely on affordable housing being delivered by developers, they are a part of the solution but until they start to develop their land the supply will not be kept at a level required.”

A council spokesperson previously said while Bracewell Homes had a successful launch, the delivery of properties had been “slightly slower than anticipated”.

The entrance to the Castle Hill Farm development on Whinney Lane.

In August last year, senior councillors agreed to purchase 52 homes in Pannal Ash at a cost of £4.5 million with 16 of the properties to be sold under shared ownership by Bracewell Homes and the rest made available for social rent.

The company had also earmarked other sites in the district to develop, including Frogmire in Knaresborough.

As well as shared ownership and rental properties, Cllr Mike Chambers, the council’s cabinet member for housing and safer communities, said the company also saw the renovation of existing properties as a way of improving the prospects of people being able to buy their own home.

His comments come after the Local Democracy Reporting Service last month revealed that 774 homes across the district have sat empty for more than six months, prompting calls for greater action to bring vacant properties back into use.

Cllr Chambers said:

“We want to do everything we can to ensure local people have the opportunity of a decent and affordable home in the Harrogate district.

“We know getting a foot on the housing ladder in the Harrogate district can be a challenge.

“That’s why we have established Bracewell homes to acquire shared ownership homes, renovate existing properties and/or sites for development, as well as owning and letting rental properties.

“By doing all this we can be confident that the homes provided by Bracewell Homes are of a high quality, fit for purpose and will allow local people to stay local in the future.

“Any financial return can be invested back into providing more high quality homes and council services.”

When Bracewell Homes launched, it was agreed that the company would be shut down if it were to run at a loss and waste taxpayers’ money.

A council spokesperson said while the company’s 2020/21 accounts were still being finalised following the end of the financial year, the profit after tax figure for 2019/20 was £129,953.

They also said the company had another 25 properties in the pipeline over the next year and on top of the 14 homes already delivered.

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Despite the profits and seemingly on target delivery figures, Cllr Marsh repeated her belief that Bracewell Homes should be setting far loftier ambitions if it is to have a major impact on the housing market, as she also said a different approach with a greater focus on construction could be taken altogether.

She said: 

“We Lib Dems were first to push for a housing company with the hope to create a company that would build social housing as many other local authorities had done. We were very shocked to learn once it had been set up that they could not be proactive and build social housing.

“The disappointment with Bracewell Homes is the emphasis, at the moment, on building homes to sell at market prices to get a commercial return on money invested.

“Maybe there is a need to look at two companies – one commercial and one for social housing.

“We would have liked them to look at lifting the borrowing cap on the housing revenue account, as many councils have done, to start a very proactive social housing building programme.

“We need Bracewell homes to set targets to achieve hundreds of houses per year otherwise this crisis will never come to an end.”

Snapshot: Harrogate’s unforgiving housing market

The coronavirus pandemic has caused an unprecedented economic shock across the UK, closing businesses and putting people out of work.

But despite this, house prices are on the up – even in areas where there has been a drop in sales.

In Harrogate, average house prices last year reached £331,580 according to latest figures from estate agents Hamptons.

That figure is around 11 times greater than the average annual income of workers in our area.

Government pledges to boost affordable housing have been redoubled by Harrogate Borough Council which set out in its Local Plan that almost 4,400 affordable homes are needed over the 2014-2035 plan period.

To hit this target, the council has promised to put pressure on housing developers to bring forward more lower-cost homes at building sites across the district.

Harrogate Town add Sunderland and Rotherham to pre-season fixtures

Harrogate Town announced today they will play two pre-season friendlies at home against Sunderland and Rotherham.

Town will welcome both sides to the EnviroVent Stadium in July as part of the club’s pre-season fixtures.

Championship side Rotherham United will face Town on Wednesday, July 21, in a 7.30pm kick off.

The club will then host League One club Sunderland at the EnviroVent Stadium for the first time on Saturday, July 24 in a 3pm kick off.

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The Black Cats will head to Wetherby Road less than a week after bitter north-east rivals Newcastle come to Harrogate on July 18.

The club said it is in “constant communication” with the authorities over the return of supporters amid high demand for tickets.

A spokesperson for Harrogate Town said:

“The club has been inundated with eager supporters, both old and new, keen to purchase tickets for the visit of Newcastle United, and we anticipate similar demand for our two other home pre-season fixtures.

“We are in constant communication with the relevant regulatory bodies about the return of crowds after lockdown restrictions are lifted and as soon as we have the green light tickets will be sold online via the club website and at the club shop on Commercial Street.

“We are committed to the return of supporters and are doing everything in our power to make this happen as soon as possible.”

Town are also set for trips to Huddersfield, Brighouse Town and Darlington.

Will Smith signs long term deal

Also today, centre-back Will Smith committed his future to the club by signing a new long term deal.

Smith, who has made more than 80 appearances for Town over two seasons, said he was delighted to stay at the club.

Will Smith, Harrogate Town centre back, has committed his long term future to the club.

Will Smith, Harrogate Town centre back, has committed his long term future to the club. Photo credit: Matt Kirkham, Harrogate Town

He said:

“I was buzzing when the gaffer approached me and said he wanted me to sign a new deal. I’m ready to accept the challenge and hopefully we can kick on again and go further.

“I’ve learned a lot in the last two years. When I first arrived I was only a young lad and now I’ve grown up a lot and become better as a player and matured. 

“It’s been a great learning curve for me and to say I’m still 22-years-old, I’ve played a fair few games now and that’s only going to make me better.”

Manager Simon Weaver said:

“Will’s played a huge part in our progress as a club. He’s a strong, young player who is developing all the time and he was unlucky with an injury last year, but came back and immediately made his mark in his first game back. It shows a lot about his character and his rehab work.

“Overall he’s a strong, dominant centre-half that’s young and in the modern game, there’s not too many around that want to put their head through everything but he’s a good footballer as well. He’s a player who also listens to everything intently and wants to do well in the game.”