Heroin seized and three arrested in suspected Harrogate drug deal

Police arrested three men in Harrogate yesterday after plain clothed officers intercepted a suspected drug deal.

Officers from North Yorkshire Police made the arrests after they were on patrol in the Montpellier Hill area.

After stopping and searching three men, they recovered a large amount of suspected heroin and cash.

Three men from Harrogate, aged 37 and two aged 45, were arrested on suspicion of possessing class A drugs with intent to supply. One 45-year-old was also arrested on suspicion of possessing criminal property.

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The suspects have been released while under investigation.

Police also seized 30 wraps of suspected heroin, £600 cash and a number of mobile phones and scales in the region as part of the investigation.

Detective Constable Tom Barker, who works on the force’s Operation Expedite team, said: 

“We continue to focus our efforts on the disruption of county lines drugs gangs, focusing on safeguarding those most vulnerable in society and making life difficult for the criminals who choose to exploit them.

“Yesterday’s action is one example of the relentless work going on to target drugs and the misery it brings to our communities. We urge anyone with any information about drug dealing to contact the police or Crimestoppers anonymously. We will take action.”

Police have issued an appeal after a member of the public assisted police officers at the scene by pointing out discarded, suspected drugs.

Anyone with information is asked to call 101 and ask for Harrogate CID. Or pass information to the Force Control Room for incident number 12200161830.

Coronavirus cases in North Yorkshire below national average

The rate of coronavirus cases in North Yorkshire remains below the national average, despite concerns about an increase in infections.

A monthly meeting of North Yorkshire Outbreak Management Advisory board will hear tomorrow that the rate of cases in the county stands at a cumulative total of 497 per 100,000 population.

The overall rate for England is 569 per 100,000 population.

Public health bosses issued a plea last week for people to be vigilant and continue to social distance after an increase in coronavirus infections in North Yorkshire, particularly in the Harrogate, Scarborough and Selby districts.

The Harrogate district has seen a rise in cases in recent weeks, reaching a daily high of 21 on September 7, according to Public Health England figures.

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The cumulative rate of cases in the Harrogate district stands at 544 per 100,000 population. This is below neighbouring Leeds, which is on 695 cases. 

Leeds was made an “area of enhanced support” after its seven-day rate up to September 8 reached 69.7 cases per 100,000 people.

It means the city is receiving additional support and resources for testing.

Dr Lincoln Sargaent, director of public health at North Yorkshire County Council, last week urged people to to “avoid unnecessary interactions” to prevent the spread of the virus, particularly among young people.

County council bosses have urged residents to follow the government’s new ‘rule of six’, which forbids social gatherings of more than six people except in certain circumstances.

Chief inspector Charlotte Bloxham, North Yorkshire Police, said residents had “responded brilliantly” in previous months and expected the same response with the new rule.

She said:

“It’s vital that we react quickly to this advice and do everything we can to prevent the spread of the virus, as we all know how dangerous and devastating covid can be.”

How Harrogate district MPs voted on post-Brexit bill

Two of the MPs who cover the Harrogate District voted for the government’s Internal Market Bill last night, which will attempt to override the post-Brexit withdrawal agreement.

Andrew Jones, Harrogate and Knaresborough MP, and Nigel Adams, Selby and Ainsty MP, voted in line with the government despite concerned letters from their constituents this past week.

However, Julian Smith, Skipton and Ripon MP, was among the MPs, including Theresa May and Sir Keir Starmer, who either abstained or did not vote.

The legislation sparked controversy after Northern Ireland secretary, Brandon Lewis, said it would break international law in a “specific and limited way”. Mr Smith is the former Northern Ireland secretary, in office from July 2019 to February this year.

The bill passed the House of Commons on its first hurdle last night by 77 votes, 340 MPs voted for the legislation while 263 voted against.

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It will now go to committee stage and face further votes in the Commons before it goes to the House of Lords.

The Stray Ferret had previously contacted all three MPs for their views on the matter, but received no response.

Five former Prime Ministers have spoken out against the plan, including David Cameron, Theresa May and Gordon Brown.

What is the Internal Market Bill?

After the UK left the EU on January 31 it signed a withdrawal agreement.

The agreement included a Northern Ireland Protocol, which was designed to prevent a hard border returning to the island of Ireland.

The Internal Market Bill attempts to override parts of the agreement and would allow the UK to modify or reinterpret state aid rules if the two sides do not strike a future trade deal.

Harrogate district MPs silent over post-Brexit bill

All three of the MPs covering the Harrogate district have remained silent about tonight’s vote on the government’s Internal Market Bill.

The Stray Ferret contacted Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones, Skipton and Ripon MP Julian Smith and Selby and Ainsty MP Nigel Adams for their views on the bill, but has yet to receive a response.

MPs are set to vote on the legislation at its second reading tonight.

The bill seeks to override some aspects of the UK’s withdrawal agreement with the European Union.

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Northern Ireland secretary, Brandon Lewis, has said it would break international law in a “specific and limited way”.

Some Conservative MPs are expected to vote against the bill or abstain.

Patrick Milne, who lives in Harrogate, has sent the Stray Ferret a copy of an email he has written to Mr Jones asking him to confirm that he would uphold the rule of law.

The email says:

“Could you please confirm that as lawfully elected Parliamentary representative for Harrogate and Knaresborough, you will at all times support and defend the rule of law, domestic and international?

“Could you also please confirm that you will never, under any circumstances, support or vote in favour of any action which breaks, or proposes to break the law, even in a ‘very specific and limited way’?”

Five former Prime Ministers have spoken out against the government’s plan. David Cameron said today that breaking an international treaty should be a “final resort”.

Sir John Major, Theresa May, Tony Blair and Gordon Brown have also criticised the government.

What is the Internal Market Bill?

After the UK left the EU on January 31 it signed a withdrawal agreement.

The agreement included a Northern Ireland Protocol, which was designed to prevent a hard border returning to the island of Ireland.

The Internal Market Bill attempts to override parts of the agreement and would allow the UK to modify or reinterpret state aid rules if the two sides do not strike a future trade deal.

Plans for new primary school in Knaresborough

North Yorkshire County Council is set to consult on a new primary school in Knaresborough.

In a report before the council tomorrow (September 15), the authority said it was minded to build a new school in response to growth in housing in the town.

It comes as 600 new homes are to be built at Manse Farm in the town. The new school is proposed to be a free school with 210 places as well as a nursery.

County councillors granted planning permission for the school back in June and will decide tomorrow whether to consult on taking the development forward. The report advises that it is “good practice” to consult the community on the specifics of the new school proposal, even after the planning process has been completed.

If approved, the consultation will run for four weeks from September 23. The county council will also consult on a new school for Northallerton.

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The authority said the intention was to open the schools in September 2022, however this will be kept under review in light of the uncertainty caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

The report due before councillors tomorrow said:

“The county council is planning to maintain school place sufficiency in Knaresborough and Northallerton through the addition of two new primary schools. 

“These are primarily to serve housing growth through two main sites known locally as Manse Farm, Knaresborough, and North Northallerton.”

Conservative councillor speaks out against James Street pedestrianisation

A Conservative Harrogate borough councillor has spoken out against plans to temporarily pedestrianise James Street.

Cllr Nick Brown, who represents the Bishop Munkton and Newby ward, said it was “not the time to deliver a further body blow” to retail in the town.

While Cllr Brown has positioned himself as a “lone voice” in opposition to the plans, it is not the first time he has spoken out against the issue.

At an Overview and Scrutiny meeting last month, he told Conservative council leader, Cllr Richard Cooper, that the coronavirus pandemic was not a reason to start the trial run for pedestrianisation.

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North Yorkshire County Council, which is the highways authority, is expected to implement a temporary pedestrianisation of James Street at the request of the borough council.

The measure has already been met with fierce criticism from landlords and store managers, including former England and Leeds United star Danny Mills.

Now, Cllr Brown has broken rank and criticised the move which forms a part of the council’s masterplan for the town centre.

He said:

“Much has changed in retail since 2016, with the rise of Internet shopping, accelerated by the covid lockdown since March this year. 

“Sadly, retail in central Harrogate is suffering badly. Now is not the time to deliver it a further body blow by pedestrianising the town centre. 

“I believe that the 2016 masterplan, which promotes further widespread pedestrianisation in central Harrogate, is totally out of date and will not serve local businesses well. It may be relevant and have merit sometime in the future but certainly not now, when our retailers need all the help from us that they can get.”

Cllr Brown questioned what economic modelling had been done for the pedestrianisation and whether the consultation for the move was sufficient.

Harrogate Borough Council has maintained that the temporary pedestrianisation was for “social distancing and safety purposes”.

A spokesperson for the council said:

“The proposal to temporarily pedestrianise part of James Street, that already has parking restrictions in place, is to support existing social distancing measures during the continuing covid-19 pandemic and allow people to feel safe when visiting the town centre.

“There is also a wealth of evidence that suggests pedestrianisation supports town centres, increases footfall, reduces vacancy rates, supports local businesses and is viewed positively by visitors.”

Cllr Don Mackenzie, executive county councillor for access, previously defended the the measure and said it was “timely and appropriate”.

Call for ‘greater vigilance’ amid Harrogate covid increase

North Yorkshire public health bosses have urged greater vigilance following an increase in coronavirus cases across the county, including in Harrogate.

The county council issued a statement today saying there had been a “significant rise in cases during the last week, particularly among young people”.

The statement added that “increases have been seen across the county, but particularly in the Selby, Scarborough and Harrogate districts”.

Between September 1 and 7 the Harrogate district saw 28 new cases.

Infections, however, remain low compared with areas such as Leeds, which is on the government’s covid watchlist.

A total of 825 cases have been confirmed in Harrogate since the start of the pandemic, a cumulative rate of 513 per 100,000. This compares with a total of 5,021 cases in Leeds at a rate of 633 per 100,000 population.

The council’s plea today comes as the government is expected to formally announce a ban on social gatherings of more than six people from Monday.

The new rule will prohibit people gathering indoors and outdoors, but with exceptions for weddings, funerals, christenings and workplaces.

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Carl Les, leader of North Yorkshire County Council, said:

“We are seeing an escalation in the number of cases. While this remains lower than in some neighbouring towns and cities, such as Middlesbrough and Leeds, there is no room for complacency.

“Now is the time that we must all follow the guidance to protect ourselves and each other. We don’t want people to be over-anxious, but everyone needs to be vigilant. The sacrifices people have made during the pandemic were outstanding and we must all stick to the guidance to avoid a second spike.”

Meanwhile, Dr Lincoln Sargeant, the council’s director of public health, called for people to limit unnecessary interactions.

He said:

“Avoid socialising outside of your social bubbles. In going about daily activities observe social distancing guidance and wear face coverings where it is not possible to maintain two metre social distance.

“We know some establishments have chosen to close as a precaution. We do not routinely recommend closure of a business unless this is necessary to prevent ongoing transmission linked to that business. 

“However, some businesses may choose to close temporarily to implement additional safety measures, including cleaning, or because staff members are self-isolating.”

Harrogate Borough Council’s days are numbered, admits leader

The leader of Harrogate Borough Council has conceded the authority will cease to exist after devolution.

Political leaders in North Yorkshire are locked in a debate over two future models of local government – neither of which includes HBC.

Speaking at a Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce meeting on Monday, HBC leader Cllr Richard Cooper, said:

“At the end of this process, there will be no Harrogate Borough Council in any way, shape or form.

“We came into this with an open mind. We are not battling to take on more powers and we have no vested interests.”

Cllr Cooper and Richard Flinton, chief executive of the county council, both said they had no “vested interest” in whatever model the government chooses as part of its plans to devolve local government.

The meeting comes as county council and district council officials have been presenting their proposals to the public and business leaders across the county.

Cllr Cooper addressed the chamber meeting on behalf of the county’s seven district authorities. which have opted for an east/west model,

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Cllr Cooper said he supported an overhaul of the council structure as the two-tier system was “costly”.

Cllr Cooper described the county council’s model, which would see a single authority covering North Yorkshire alongside the City of York, as a “continuity county council”.

But Mr Flinton said the authority did not have an interest in carrying on as it is and that the new authority would not be “a county council mark two”.

He said:

“This will be a totally new authority with a new way of operating.”

He added that his position, along with those of other senior council officers, would be open for applications under the new system.

The government is expected to publish a white paper on restructuring local government this autumn.

Under the government’s timetable, a new council could be in place as soon as 2022.

Earlier this week, Andrew Jones, Harrogate and Knaresborough MP, asked Simon Clarke, former local government minister, what the minimum population size for the unitary authorities would be.

However, Mr Clarke’s response did not give a figure. He added that the white paper would give more details on the matter.

District councillors are expected to vote on their model this month ahead of a submission to ministers.

Councils clash over local government shake-up plans

Council bosses have clashed over proposals for how North Yorkshire’s local councils should be organised in future as each looks to sell its vision to the public.

Last night, Cllr Carl Les, leader of the county council, and Cllr Richard Cooper, Harrogate Borough Council leader, along with chief executives of both authorities, addressed a virtual meeting of the Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce over the issue.

While both camps said they agreed that the county needed devolved powers, they differed over how to reorganise local government – which is a requirement from ministers to negotiate for devolution. The county council wants one single authority to govern the county, while the seven district leaders have outlined plans for two councils, splitting the county between east and west.

Cllr Cooper – who also sits on the county council – was critical of the county council’s existing services, saying he had been forced to go and pull weeds out of the road on Commercial Street himself because the authority had failed to do so. Richard Flinton, chief executive of the county council, said he would not be drawn into a “tit for tat” argument with the borough council, but pointed out that any restructure would create a completely new authority, rather than a continuation of the existing county council.

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He presented the authority’s case for a single council for the whole region except the City of York, which will remain as it is.

Mr Flinton argued that the proposal would not be centralised and would allow for more local powers through local action groups and devolving further powers to town and parish councils.

Richard Flinton, chief executive of the county council, made the authority’s case for a single council last night.

He added that the single council, which would cover 610,000 residents, would also save the most money at around £25 million a year, and serve rural areas better.

Mr Flinton said:

“What we need is a single service to deliver for those areas and to carry the cost of delivering in rural areas.

“We believe that the model we are putting forward will deliver more savings. I suspect that will be a dispute with the districts.”

The county council is working with PricewaterhouseCooper on its plans and Mr Flinton said the savings figure could change “once that piece of work is done”.

He added that a single council for a large county was “not unique” and had already been replicated elsewhere in Durham and Cornwall where districts have been scrapped in favour of one authority.

But Cllr Cooper, who has joined the six other district councils in devising an alternative proposal, said a single council alongside York would cause “disharmony and disfunction” in the new structure.

Both Cllr Cooper and Wallace Sampson, chief executive of the borough council, said there would be an “imbalance” in the county council’s plan. Mr Sampson said there needed to be “parity” between the two councils in the new structure.

Addressing the county council’s proposal, Mr Sampson said:

“There is a feeling that what is being proposed is a single model. There will be two authorities, but you will have one large and a relatively smaller York.

“We do not think that is good governance moving forward.”

Instead, the districts have proposed two councils – one in the east covering 465,000 people and another in the west which would cover 363,000.

Mr Sampson said the model would focus on being “as local as possible” and would have shared services across the two authorities. He added that the model, which has been devised between the district councils and KPMG, would save between £33 million and £53 million.

He said some services in York could be improved by joining with other councils into an east authority and that Harrogate would be better off economically under the district model.

It comes as government minsters have made a reduction in the number of councils in North Yorkshire a requirement of any devolution bid.

Councils across the county are currently in the process of agreeing a list of “asks” to submit to ministers, which propose £2 billion worth of investment as part of a devolution bid.

Union concerns over disabled teachers returning to district’s schools

Teachers’ unions have said they are concerned about the safety of teachers with disabilities returning to school in the Harrogate district. Most schools re-open tomorrow morning.

Sharon Calvert, local representative for the NASUWT Teachers’ Union, said the union had received particular concern from those who work in secondary schools.

It comes as pupils are set to return to school this week with a number of “significant changes” in place at schools across the district in an effort to abide by social distancing guidelines.

But Ms Calvert said unions are still concerned over the safety of vulnerable teachers who may be at risk from the virus and what procedures are in place to protect staff.

She said:

“The top and bottom of it is that teachers had concerns about returning to school and we have got issues with teachers who have disabilities.

“There is a lot of concern because it is the most vulnerable who are at risk. It seems to be that people who are disabled are ignored.”

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Union bosses said they have offered their members advice and guidance on returning to school, including a feedback form on the safety of their workplace.

It comes as schools across the district have put in place measures ahead of the return of pupils for the new term.

Measures include wearing face masks and separating year groups.

Among those to have announced the adaptations is Harrogate Grammar School with a number of “significant changes” in place to ensure safety and limit coronavirus outbreaks.

The school has reorganised classrooms and the cafeteria, staggered lunch and finish times and put in place a contingency plan for those needing to self-isolate. Additional cleaning staff have also been hired.

Meanwhile, North Yorkshire County Council has put on extra buses in the district in order to reduce the risk of coronavirus among pupils going back to school.

The Department for Education has said it is committed to ensuring that pupils and staff return safely to school.