Harrogate’s museum and tourism service to be ‘dumbed down’, union warns

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.”

Harrogate district could receive £432,000 from post-Brexit skills fund

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:

A table used in the North Yorkshire County Council report which outlines the applications and value of funding for the Community Renewal Fund bid.

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.”

Developer outlines plan to extend Ripon business park

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%.

Final plans for 12 homes in Knaresborough submitted

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.

Plan to convert Harrogate B&B into a house

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.

Harrogate district reports three more covid cases

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.

Knaresborough pub granted licence to serve alcohol outside until 10pm

A Knaresborough pub has been granted permission to sell customers alcohol outside until 10pm after a police objection was withdrawn.

The Cricketers, located on Thistle Hill, Calcutt, has won approval to extend its premises licence to include an outdoor bar after agreeing to rules around CCTV suggested by North Yorkshire Police.

A spokesperson for Harrogate Borough Council confirmed the decision to the Local Democracy Reporting Service on Wednesday.

They said:

“The applicant has agreed to conditions which mean representations were withdrawn and therefore the meeting has been cancelled.”

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A decision on the licence application was due to be made at a meeting next Tuesday (June 1) but this has now been cancelled.

North Yorkshire Police licensing officer PC Jackie Allen previously said in a report that CCTV cameras which have been installed must be of a high quality, recording at all times when the pub is open and with the footage made available within 48 hours of any request.

She said:

“North Yorkshire Police believe that the following conditions need to be placed onto the premises licence for the purposes of strengthening and promoting the prevention of crime and disorder and public nuisance.”

The pub is located at the former Union Hotel and is owned by national brewing and pub retailing business Marston’s.

It previously had a licence to serve customers from an indoor bar until midnight Sunday to Thursday and 2am on Fridays and Saturdays. The new licence also now covers sales from a new outdoor bar.

Royal Hall roof set for repairs following ‘ongoing’ leaks

The Royal Hall in Harrogate is set to undergo roof repairs and refurbishment after an “ongoing issue” with leaks.

Cllr Graham Swift, cabinet member for resources, enterprise and economic development at Harrogate Borough Council, approved awarding a contract for the repairs earlier this week.

It will see the roof repaired and refurbishment carried out to ensure the “premises are wind and watertight and legislative compliant”.

The move follows a condition survey carried out by the council in February last year.

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It also investigated an ongoing issue of “water ingress emanating from the main central copper dome on the roof”.

A report before Cllr Swift said:

“In line with good asset management, a detailed condition survey of the Royal Hall was completed between January and February 2020 to provide an updated building condition report, with costings, over a 10-year cycle.

“It was also to investigate an ongoing issue of water ingress emanating from the main central copper dome on the roof, into the lower lantern and then finding its way down to the auditorium floor below.”

The report said the works will see “undertaking timber repairs and forming ‘out shoots’ for rainwater drainage” and maintenance work for areas of slipped and damaged slates.

It added that six contractors expressed interest in the contract, which closed for tendering on March 26.

However, just two contractors bid for the contract by the time the process closed.

While the council approved the awarding of the contract, the report did not include who the bidders were, how much it would cost or whether or not the Royal Hall would be closed during the works.

The Stray Ferret approached the council for a response to those questions, but had not received a response by the time of publication.

The grade-II listed building underwent a major £8 million restoration project back in 2005.

Following the restoration, the Royal Hall was reopened by the Prince of Wales in January 2008 when it was completed.

Five further covid cases in Harrogate district

Five 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 7,751.

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 last death from 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 12 and the England rate is 25.

Harrogate council writes off £632,000 in unpaid council tax and rates

Harrogate Borough Council has written off more than £632,000 in unpaid council tax and business rates bills which stretch back almost a decade.

The debts – some of which stretch back to 1993 – were owed for a variety of reasons including taxpayers being untraceable, dead or in prison, and businesses going bust.

Matthew Waite-Wright, revenues and income manager at the council, told a cabinet meeting on Wednesday all attempts to recover the cash had been exhausted and that the amount written off was “minute” in comparison to the £237 million total collections this year.

He said:

“These write-offs are for last year’s debts but also for preceding debts going to back to 1993. Each individual debt has been investigated fully and considered by at least two officers before the decision to write off has been made.

“We would stress that the figure of £632,000, whilst of course is a large number, is minute in comparison to the actual billings at the moment.”

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Harrogate council is not only responsible for collecting its own council tax and business rates charges but also those for North Yorkshire County Council and police and fire services. All figures mentioned also include these public organisations.

A breakdown of the debts written off show almost £339,000 was unpaid council tax bills and around £285,000 was unpaid business rates.

The most common reasons for outstanding payments were old debts which were “unreasonable to chase” and business insolvency. Other reasons included incorrect bills being issued, debtors moving abroad and ill health.

Mr Waite-Wright said in a report that writing off debts is good accountancy practice and would not impact on the council’s spending plans.

He said:

“The council has adequate bad debt provision, and there is no impact on the 2020/21 revenue budget. Identification of bad debt and taking decisions on irrecoverable debt is considered good financial management to ensure the council is utilising its resources effectively.

“The amounts now recommended to be written off are a creditably small percentage of the annual collectable debit.

“The actual collection rate remains high at around 97% for council tax but has fallen to around 92% for non-domestic rates in 2020/21 due to covid.

“However, this has not yet affected the level of write offs but an increase is anticipated in future years.”

Earlier this week Harrogate Borough Council apologised for wrongly sending letters to residents threatening them with court action for not paying council tax after incorrectly billing them in May this year.