More than half of Harrogate district population receive covid vaccine

More than half of the Harrogate district’s population has received the first dose of a covid vaccine.

NHS England figures show 82,118 people have been vaccinated in the district so far.

The number represents 51% of the district population, which is 160,533 according to latest Office for National Statistics data.

It comes as more than half of the UK adult population have received a first dose of a vaccine.

Read more:

Earlier this week, Amanda Bloor, accountable officer at North Yorkshire CCG, said health bosses had been assured by government that there would be enough supply to vaccinate all over-50s by April 15.

A letter from NHS England to hospital bosses across the country warned of a shortage of the Oxford-Astrazeneca vaccine from next month.

Those over-50 and people with underlying health conditions are currently being invited to book a vaccine appointment.

The Great Yorkshire Showground vaccine site has enough capacity to vaccinate 1,800 people per day.

The district also has vaccination centres in Ripon, Knaresborough and Pateley Bridge.

Meanwhile, 14 further cases of covid have been recorded in the Harrogate district.

According to Public Health England figures, it takes the total number of cases since last March to 7,563.

Is there any consensus on Harrogate’s £7.9m Station Gateway project?

Over the past month, Harrogate businesses and residents group have responded to a consultation on the town’s £7.9 million Station Gateway proposals.

The plan, outlined by North Yorkshire County Council, Harrogate Borough Council and West Yorkshire Combined Authority, seeks to encourage sustainable transport in the town centre.

Two of the most contentious proposals are to reduce Station Parade to one lane with cycle routes and a full pedestrianisation of James Street.

The responses over the past week suggest that not everyone is on the same page about what to do with the schemes.

As the consultation closes, the Stray Ferret has looked over the views of organisations, including business groups and climate change bodies, to see if there is any consensus.

Station Parade: one lane or two?

Organisations which represent businesses across Harrogate all agreed that Station Parade needs to be two lanes.

Both Independent Harrogate and Harrogate Business Improvement District have opposed the one lane option.

Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce and Harrogate Civic Society have also opposed the proposal.

Read more:

However, the groups which campaign for climate change and better cycling in the district have backed the one lane option.

Zero Carbon Harrogate has backed the option as a means of reducing traffic in the town centre.

Meanwhile, Harrogate and District Cycle Action (HDCA) have also supported the measure as it would improve cycling infrastructure.

How Station Parade might look under the new “Station Gateway” proposals.

Should James Street be pedestrianised?

The proposal to pedestrianise James Street has been a long and controversial topic in the town.

North Yorkshire County Council had planned to temporarily pedestrianise the street up to Princes Square last year.

However, it backtracked on the proposal after backlash from local businesses. Council officials then promised to delay the issue until 2021.

Now, the topic is back on the table as part of the gateway project.

Two of the groups, Independent Harrogate and Harrogate BID, have renewed their opposition to full pedestrianisation of the street.

Read more:

However, they have said that widening of the pavements and narrowing of the junction at Station Parade to improve pedestrian access would be supported.

Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce has said it would support a “semi-pedestrianisation” of the street.

Meanwhile, both Zero Carbon Harrogate and HDCA back full pedestrianisation.

What happens now?

The consultation into the Station Gateway project has closed.

The project will now consider the responses and move onto the detailed design stage.

Cllr Don Mackenzie, executive councillor for access at North Yorkshire County Council, told the Stray Ferret that the authority had received thousands of submissions to its consultation.

He said:

“We had over 1,000 responses for the Harrogate consultation, far more than the two to three hundred for the schemes in Skipton and Selby. 

“The major question mark is around one lane or two lane and the pedestrianisation of James Street. We want to get cracking on it and we don’t want to hang about.”

Cllr Mackenzie added the consultation results would be published “in the next couple of days”.

According to the Transforming Cities website, any major changes proposed would require another stage of public consultation.

Construction for the schemes is earmarked for 2022.

Independent crime candidate: Commissioner’s role ‘should not be political’

The Independent candidate for North Yorkshire’s Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner has said politics needs to be taken out of the role in order to improve policing.

Keith Tordoff, a former West Yorkshire police officer and local businessman, has pledged to introduce policies, such as visible policing and measures to tackle county lines, within two years if elected.

Voters will go to the polls on May 6 to elect a new commissioner. Conservative, Liberal Democrat and Labour candidates will also be standing.

Mr Tordoff, who used to own the Oldest Sweet Shop in the World in Pateley Bridge, will be standing as an independent candidate.

‘Take the politics out of the commissioner role’

Mr Tordoff has spearheaded his campaign on the pledge to take “politics out of the role” of the police, fire and crime commissioner.

He said that the role of commissioners, which were introduced in 2012 under the coalition government, had strayed from its original purpose.

Read more:

Mr Tordoff said:

“It was not meant as a political appointment. Someone from a political party always has to toe the party line.

“That is not, in my opinion, good for the people.”

If elected, he said he would bring fresh ideas and leadership to the role in order to help the chief constable and the fire service.

Mr Tordoff added that he had already sold his business, the Oldest Sweet Shop in the World, in order to avoid any conflict of interest. 

He said he would also donate £20,000 of his commissioner salary to registered charities. The police, fire and crime commissioner is paid £74,400 a year.

Visible policing to tackle anti-social behaviour

Mr Tordoff said anti-social behaviour had become the “bane of people’s lives”.

The issue has blighted Ripon in recent months and police were forced to commit more resources to the city.

In February, five incidents were reported in one three-hour spree, including a robbery, thefts and reports of a man carrying a machete.

North Yorkshire Police in Ripon.

North Yorkshire Police in Ripon.

Mr Tordoff said part of the problem was down to a lack of engagement with young people.

He said:

“They start off life as good people, they are not bad. It is just because we are not working with them.”

One solution, he said, was to invest in visible policing, electric vehicles and bikes so officers can go around towns and villages and be more approachable.

He said this would help people feel safe, but also save money for the police service.

When asked why the county needed more police officers to solve issues like this, he said it was a common complaint among residents.

“Everyone I have spoken to over the past 12 months are saying they never see a police officer.

“My plan is to invest in electric infrastructure and bikes so that officers can go out and stop and speak to people.”

Lobbying government for fire funding

Mr Tordoff pledged to to lobby government for more funding for North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue.

According to current commissioner, Julia Mulligan, the service is one of the worst funded in the country.

The government recently capped any precept increases for fire services to 1.99%, whereas police forces were allowed a £15 hike.

Mr Tordoff said he would take the issue to government ministers, if elected.

He said:

“It is a case that needs to be presented.

“I would put a case together to show that it is reasonable and legitimate.

“I would be working with government to justify better funding for North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue.”

The following candidates so far have announced they are standing for election as commissioner:

The final list of nominations will be published on April 9. The deadline to register to vote in the May elections is April 19. You can register to vote here.

No covid deaths at Harrogate hospital for a week

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

According to NHS England figures, the last death was reported on March 16 – eight days ago.

The death toll at the hospital remains at 177.

Yesterday, health bosses revealed that the number of patients being treated at the hospital had fallen to six.

Read more:

It comes as seven more covid cases have been reported in the Harrogate district, according to latest Public Health England data.

It takes the total number of cases since last March to 7,549.

Harrogate cycle groups back one-lane Station Parade plan

Cycling and climate change groups have backed measures to reduce traffic on Station Parade to one lane and fully pedestrianise James Street in Harrogate.

Harrogate and District Cycle Action (HDCA) and Zero Carbon Harrogate issued their comments as part of the consultation on the town’s £7.9 million Station Gateway proposals, which ends today.

Business organisations, including Independent Harrogate and Harrogate Business Improvement District, have expressed concern at some of the plans and rejected the one-lane option.

But both HDCA and Zero Carbon Harrogate support creating a single lane for traffic on Station Parade, which also includes cycle lanes.

Read more:

HDCA said in its response to the plans:

“We are in favour of the one-lane option, which reduces Station Parade to one lane. Through traffic is routed along Cheltenham Mount, Bower Road, East Parade, and over Station Bridge back to Station Parade.

“The two-lane option does much less to achieve the objective of creating a more welcoming environment for people arriving at the station, and the cycle provision on Station Parade has a missing link in that version.”

A proposal to pedestrianise James Street in Harrogate, which is being consulted on as part of the Station Gateway plans.

A proposal to pedestrianise James Street in Harrogate is being consulted on as part of the Station Gateway plans.

The two groups also support the pedestrianisation of James Street to improve cycling and walking in the town centre.

‘Safer and more pleasant’

Zero Carbon Harrogate said pedestrianisation, combined with a single lane of traffic on Station Parade, would reduce town centre traffic. It said:

“Sustainable travel will become safer, more convenient and more pleasant, whilst travel by private car will become a little less convenient.

“We anticipate that the latter point will generate some opposition but believe that both sides of the equation must be addressed in order to achieve traffic reduction.”

The proposal for James Street has also been backed by Paul Haslam, a Conservative who represents Harrogate Old Bilton on Harrogate Borough Council.

Cllr Haslam, who has worked as a retail director and lecturer for the last 24 years, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that it would be “the best thing that could ever happen to it”.

He said:

“I very much welcome the pedestrianisation of James Street although I am understanding of the concerns and misgivings from some businesses.

“The decline of high-street retail has become more and more true for Harrogate, and it has now been accelerated by covid, which has ultimately been the kiss of death for some businesses.

“One of the things we have got to stop this hollowing out of the town is the town centre plan. Within that we have the Gateway project, but also the conference centre refurbishment and more regular trains running from places like London to bring more people in.

“These are all part of a bigger picture and I believe the pedestrianisation of James Street will absolutely fit in and be perfect for the gateway project.”

Business concerns remain

The government’s Transforming Cities Fund, which aims to encourage sustainable transport, is funding the gateway scheme.

A partnership between North Yorkshire County Council, Harrogate Borough Council and West Yorkshire Combined Authority is delivering the initiative.

Businesses remain concerned that any measures to reduce traffic could harm trade.

Andrew Goodacre, chief executive of the British Independent Retailers Association and a former Harrogate resident, said the measures included in the project would have a “negative impact” on its members’ businesses.

Sandra Doherty, chief executive of Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce, said a “well thought out plan” was needed for the town centre, which takes into the account the views of businesses, local people and visitors from further afield.

Labour crime candidate: county lines is ‘ripping families apart’

Labour’s candidate to be North Yorkshire next police, fire and crime commissioner has pledged to tackle county lines drug dealing, which is “ripping families apart” in the Harrogate district.

Alison Hume, a screenwriter and part-time lecturer at the University of Leeds, said the county needed an “approachable and visible” commissioner.

Voters will go to the polls on May 6 to elect a new commissioner. The Conservatives, Liberal Democrats and an independent candidate will also be standing.

Ms Hume is standing for the Labour and Co-operative party at this year’s North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner election.

County lines is “ripping families apart”

Ms Hume has pledged to make tackling county lines drug dealing one of her key campaign issues.

County lines refers to drugs being transported from one area to another, often across police boundaries.

The issue has hit the Harrogate district hard recently: in the last six months of 2020, police made 140 arrests related to the issue.

Read more:

Ms Hume pledged to support police to “eliminate” the drug dealing and help those who have fallen victim to county lines gangs.

She said:

“County lines is ripping families and young people apart. I am really concerned about it.

“People need to see that it will not happen to them.”

She added that more programmes were needed to help support vulnerable young people who may be drawn into county lines.

Ripon anti-social behaviour

Ms Hume said police need to be more visible in Ripon and do more to prevent anti-social behaviour.

The city has been blighted by crime in recent months. A cannabis farm has been found on an industrial estate and there were five police incidents in one three-hour spree in February, including a robbery, thefts and reports of a man carrying a machete.

Ms Hume said she would like to move to a model where police community support officers are embedded in neighbourhoods in order to improve “visible policing”.

She said:

“It is an operational decision, but I would like to move towards the introduction of accountable, dedicated and visible police.

“To do that I think we need a police officer and a long-term embedded PCSO in every neighbourhood.”

Ms Hume said the move would help to “disrupt” anti-social behaviour at an early stage.

When it was pointed out North Yorkshire Police had already committed more resources to the city, she said the situation had already escalated.

“They had to react to a situation that had already escalated and had already been reported to them.

“I think they would be the first to admit that they are working towards a different mode of working where they are doing far more early work in the communities.

“I just want to accelerate that process.”

Safety of women on Harrogate’s streets

Ms Hume said she would want to introduce a “comprehensive strategy” on the safety of women on the streets of North Yorkshire.

She said that there were already good services in place for victims, but they needed to be brought together in a plan.

This would replicate a strategy introduced in Northumbria by former police commissioner and current Victims Commissioner, Dame Vera Baird.

Ms Hume said:

“It’s something that I feel very strongly about as a mother of two girls.

“In all the time that I started to campaign for women’s’ rights, we have not moved forward as we should have done.

“Women do not feel safe on the streets.”

Ms Hume, who is a graduate of Labour’s Jo Cox Women in Leadership programme, said she recognised it was an ambitious plan but added “it can be done”.

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue.

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue has been underfunded, says Labour Party candidate for police, fire and crime commissioner. Picture: Stock.

Funding the fire service

Ms Hume said North Yorkshire’s fire service has been underfunded  and pledged to lobby government to change this.

Current commissioner, Julia Mulligan, said recently that the service is among the worst funded in the country.

The government set a 2% cap on any increase to the fire precept for 2021/22. Anything above that amount would require a referendum.

However, the police precept threshold was set much higher at £15 – which means more scope for income for the force.

Ms Hume said:

“Is it really recognised how essential the fire service is to our communities? I don’t think it is in terms of the funding.

“I would be looking to raise the profile of what they actually contribute to the public.”

The following candidates so far have announced they are standing for election as commissioner:

The final list of nominations will be published on April 9. The deadline to register to vote in the May elections is April 19. You can register to vote here.

Ten more covid cases confirmed in the Harrogate district

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

It takes the total number of infections since last March to 7,542.

Meanwhile, the district’s covid seven-day rate remains at 48 infections per 100,000 people.

The North Yorkshire average is 47 and the England rate is 55.

Read more:

It was revealed today that the number of covid patients being treated at Harrogate District Hospital has fallen to six.

Last week, there were 13 patients at the hospital.

No covid-related deaths have been reported at Harrogate District Hospital today.

Harrogate BID “urges caution” over Station Gateway project

Harrogate Business Improvement District has “urged caution” over plans for the town’s £7.9 million Station Gateway project.

In its consultation response, the BID said it “broadly welcomed” the investment but added the town centre economy is in a “fragile state” and needed to be confident the changes would help Harrogate “thrive”.

The BID said it supported a two-lane option for Station Parade but with one lane dedicated to buses and taxis only.

It did not agree with the proposed two-way cycle lanes as it “does not form part of a connected and segregated cycling route, and would result in reduced space for pedestrians”.

Meanwhile, the BID said it supported segregated cycling on both sides of East Parade and preferred minor public realm improvements outside Victoria Shopping Centre in order to focus on Cambridge Street.

Read more:

It also preferred for pavements to be widened on James Street, allowing a single carriageway for vehicles, with some short stay/blue badge/delivery bays. Other proposals being consulted on include pedestrianising the street.

A proposal for widened pavements and single lane of traffic on James Street, which the Harrogate BID supports in the Station Gateway plan.

A proposal for widened pavements and single lane of traffic on James Street, which the Harrogate BID supports in the Station Gateway plan.

The BID also raised concerns the current consultation process had not engaged the wider Harrogate community, and urged North Yorkshire County Council to consider sending details of the proposals via email and post to all Harrogate residents.

Sara Ferguson, chair of Harrogate BID, said the project would have a “major impact on our town centre”, adding:

“We are pleased the investment aims to create a step change in travel, and forms part of a much wider plan to tackle the climate crisis and deliver a more sustainable future for the town centre.

“We also hope this investment will help to support our journey to recovery, but urge that consideration is given to the consultation feedback to ensure that we capture the views and ideas of businesses, residents and visitors, to shape and influence the proposed plans.

“It is essential that we continue to invest in infrastructure for cars, particularly off-street car parking, park and ride, improved signage, and electric car charging to ensure that Harrogate can thrive and prosper for many more generations.”

The government’s Transforming Cities Fund has provided funding for the gateway project, to improve the design of the town and encourage more sustainable transport.

North Yorkshire County Council, Harrogate Borough Council and West Yorkshire Combined Authority are delivering the initiative.

Number of covid patients at Harrogate hospital falls to six

The number of covid patients at Harrogate District Hospital has fallen to single figures.

Amanda Bloor, chief accountable officer at North Yorkshire CCG, told a press briefing of the North Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum today just six patients were now being treated at the hospital.

The number was stubbornly high in January and February, peaking at 68 on February 13.

But it has fallen sharply in recent weeks and has now more than halved from 13 last week.

The decline has enabled the hospital to re-open wards that had been allocated to covid patients.

Sixty-nine covid patients are being treated in hospitals serving North Yorkshire, which also includes York, South Tees and Scarborough.

Ms Bloor said:

“We continue to see that downward trend in the numbers. But we do need to continue to follow the national guidance.”

Read more:

The drop in numbers comes as covid vaccinations continue to be carried out in the district.

A letter from NHS England to hospital bosses across the country warned of a shortage of the Oxford-Astrazeneca vaccine from next month.

However, Ms Bloor said health officials have been assured by government there will be enough supply to vaccinate all adults over-50 by April 15.

According to latest NHS England figures, 70,138 first doses have been administered in the Harrogate district so far.

Those over-50 and people with underlying health conditions are currently being invited to book a vaccine appointment.

Lib Dem crime candidate: More frontline police needed

More police are needed on the frontline to help people feel safe, says the Liberal Democrat candidate for North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner.

James Barker, who is a City of York councillor, said he wanted to “explore why” more officers are not on the streets, if elected to the role.

Voters will go to the polls on May 6 to elect a successor to Julia Mulligan. There will also be candidates standing for the Conservative and Labour parties as well as an independent.

Mr Barker, who served 24 years in the military, has served as a scout leader and rugby coach.

More frontline officers

Mr Barker said North Yorkshire is not served equally by police and more frontline officers are needed to keep people safe.

He said as commissioner he would look to free up more police to be on the streets.

Mr Barker said:

“We are England’s largest county but not everyone is truly represented. How often do you see a copper?

“I want to explore reasons why we cannot get more coppers on the streets. I want to try and release more to the frontline.”

Read more:

Mr Barker added he would also look into the 101 non-emergency number service. He said he wanted to improve the response of the service after residents complained that it often “left them hanging” and on hold.

Make Ripon “less attractive” for anti-social behaviour

Mr Barker said he would look at working with social services, youth offending teams, the police and other organisations to look at making Ripon “less attractive” for anti-social behaviour.

The city has been blighted by crime in recent months with cannabis farms found on an industrial estate and five incidents in one three-hour spree earlier in February, including a robbery, thefts and reports of a man carrying a machete.

Mr Barker said the problem needed to be “nipped at the lowest form” before it got worse.

When pressed on how his solution would solve the problem when the police had already committed resources to the city, he said he would want to do more.

He said:

“I would want to look at what exactly is being allocated in terms of resources and what we can do more and what we can do better.”

The current Pateley Bridge police station on King Street in the town. Picture: Nidderdale AONB.

The Pateley Bridge police station on King Street in the town, which was closed. Picture: Nidderdale AONB.

Police stations

When asked if he would continue the policy of closing police stations to save money, Mr Barker said there would be other avenues he would look at.

He described rural police stations as a “focal point of the community” and important for helping people feel safe.

It comes as North Yorkshire has seen a number of stations shut down. 

In the Harrogate district, Pateley Bridge police station was recently closed and staff moved across the road in an effort to save £19,000 a year.

Mr Barker said cuts to the police were “starting to bite deep” and that he may have to make some difficult decisions to save money.

He said:

“Some difficult decisions will need to be made. I’m happy to make difficult decisions, but I will not do it lightly.

“I will not do it without as much information as I could possibly have.”

Funding the fire service

Mr Barker said the commissioner’s office needed to look “long and hard” at why North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue was underfunded.

Mulligan, the current police, fire and crime commissioner, said recently that the county’s fire service is among the worst funded in the country.

The government set a 2% cap on any increase to the fire precept for 2021/22. Anything above that amount would require a referendum.

However, the police precept threshold was set much higher at £15 – which means more scope for income for the force.

When asked how he would solve the underfunding of the fire service, Mr Barker said the commissioner’s office needed to look at what it could do about the service’s finances.

He said: 

“I wish I had a magic chequebook that I could whip out overnight. 

“But, again, it comes to looking long and hard at why the underfunding has happened and what we can do about it.”

He suggested that the commissioner could look at ways of helping towns which are underserved, such as sharing appliances with other fire services.

The following candidates so far have announced they are standing for election as commissioner:

The final list of nominations will be published on April 9. The deadline to register to vote in the May elections is April 19. You can register to vote here.

Tomorrow, the Stray Ferret will feature an interview with Labour Party candidate, Alison Hume.