Person dies on train line between Harrogate and Leeds

A person has died after emergency services were called to an incident on the train line at Weeton this afternoon.

British Transport Police (BTP) said they were called following reports of a casualty on the tracks, but the person was pronounced dead at the scene.

A statement from BTP said:

“British Transport Police were called at 3.02pm on August 10 to an area of railway in Weeton following a report of a casualty on the tracks. Officers attended, but sadly a person was pronounced dead at the scene.

“The incident is not being treated as suspicious.”

Northern Rail has said that services may be cancelled or delayed due to the incident at Weeton.

Northern said on its website that the disruption could continue until 5pm. Replacement coach services are being organised.

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It said:

“All services between York and Leeds (via Harrogate), in both directions, are currently being disrupted due to emergency services dealing with an incident on this line.

“An estimate can not yet be given as to when normal services will resume.”

North Yorkshire retains seat at West Yorkshire health scrutiny board

North Yorkshire councillors will still be able to scrutinise hospital services used by residents who travel to West Yorkshire for care.

Cllr Jim Clark, chair of North Yorkshire County Council, has agreed two seats at the West Yorkshire Joint Health Scrutiny panel which scrutinises health services in the region.

Health scrutiny panels look at the hospital services in a region and hold hospital bosses accountable for their performance.

Patients in North Yorkshire often require hospital care in Leeds, such as treatment for strokes.

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Cllr Clark said the move would allow patients from the Harrogate district to still be represented on the panel and to properly scrutinise the services offered.

He said:

“This is very good news because we want to make sure that we have the authority to scrutinise services that are not provided in North Yorkshire.”

It comes as health services in North Yorkshire have seen a shake up this year. In April, the county’s three clinical commissioning groups in the county merged to create the North Yorkshire CCG.

CCGs are responsible for planning and commissioning care in a local area.

The move comes as part of measures by NHS England bosses to reduce the number of CCGs across the country from 191 to 134.

Six cases of coronavirus confirmed in Harrogate district

Six cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in the Harrogate District this past week, according to Public Health England figures.

The data has been released by government on a localised map which shows the number of cases at a neighbourhood level across the country.

Between July 27 and August 4, six cases tested positive in the Spofforth, Burn Bridge and Huby area.

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However, data for areas where fewer than two positive cases have been reported is not included.

So far, 733 cases have tested positive in the Harrogate district from the start of the pandemic with 2,591 in the wider county.

It comes as Prime Minister Boris Johnson said last week that the prevalence of the virus is “likely to be rising” in England and delayed some lockdown easing measures.

Meanwhile, fears of a second spike in areas such as Greater Manchester, Kirklees, Calderdale and Bradford led to Secretary of State, Matt Hancock, imposing a local lockdowns.

Council leader threatens to expel person who leaked report to The Stray Ferret

Harrogate Borough Council’s leader has threatened to expel the leaker of confidential cabinet report which detailed the financial state of the town’s convention centre.

Cllr Richard Cooper told a meeting of the full council last night that if the leaker was found to be from the ruling Conservative group, he would expel them and call on them to stand down from the council.

It comes after a report leaked to the Stray Ferret warned HCC, which is subsidised by taxpayers, “will not survive” unless councillors approved an investment project and detailed the dire financial state of the venue. The leak is now being investigated by the council’s chief executive, Wallace Sampson.

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Cllr Cooper called for a commitment from Liberal Democrat leader, Cllr Pat Marsh, to also expel any member of her group if they were found to have leaked the document.

He said:

“I think it is important that as leaders of groups we demonstrate that we do not support leaking of confidential information, particularly when the information damages the economy of the district.

“I have already told members of my own group that if the chief executive’s investigation reveals that one of them leaked these reports I will be expelling them from the Conservative group and calling upon them to resign from the council completely.”

Cllr Marsh agreed to the council leader’s commitment to expel the leaker if it is found to be a Liberal Democrat.

Tamsin O’Brien, the editor of the Stray Ferret, said:

“The report leaked to us contained information about the financial situation of Harrogate Convention Centre – it was not a matter of national security, but of taxpayers’ money.

“With a decision of this magnitude, which could lead to almost £50m of public money being spent, it is important that the public are given full access to the information behind the decision. The fact that the report was leaked demonstrates the level of concern around such a decision and how important it is for the public to be kept fully informed.

“It is vital that media organisations can scrutinise the actions of authorities and hold them to account, on behalf of taxpayers. The leaked report enabled us to give the public the full picture of the situation facing Harrogate Convention Centre, shining a light on the parts the council did not want people to know.”

Last night, councillors voted to spend £1 million on feasibility studies and design fees ahead of a potential £47 million investment in the HCC. The money will be spent ahead of a two phased redevelopment of the venue and a report on the business case for potential investment will return to the council at a later date.

Most of the £1 million cost would be borrowed, though council officers said that no sources of funding have yet been identified.

The Stray Ferret has a portal for contacting us anonymously and sending us confidential documents. We are grateful to anyone who gives us information of public importance. To find out more, click here.

 

5 lessons to learn from devolution in Tees Valley

Amid the debate around devolution for North Yorkshire and whether the county should have an elected mayor, one area that is frequently brought up is the Tees Valley.

The region is the closest example of a devolved authority to North Yorkshire and serves a population of 701,818.

Since 2017, the area has operated with elected Conservative Mayor of the Tees Valley, Ben Houchen, and combined authority to make big decisions on areas such as transport, employment and housing.

So what lessons can North Yorkshire political leaders learn from neighbouring Tees Valley over devolution?

Turnout for Mayoral election was poor

Just 21.3% of voters turned out for the election – a mere 1% more than had turned up to vote for the Cleveland Police and Crime Commissioner the year prior.

The result suggests a lack of engagement and understanding of the newly created mayor position, despite the governments insistence that devolved powers require one.

Mayor Houchen was elected to serve a three year term, but coronavirus has pushed back elections until 2021.

From there, mayoral elections will take place every four years.

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Houchen declines mayoral tax

The introduction of directly elected mayors to local government comes with a need to fund them.

As a result, mayors can introduce a precept to council taxpayers known as a “mayoral tax” which funds the office and what it does.

However, the move has proved to be controversial and a number of new mayors, including Andy Street in Birmingham and Dan Jarvis in Sheffield, have ruled out introducing the precept in their areas.

Ben Houchen has done the same in the Tees Valley and pledged not to charge ratepayers any extra for his work.

Mayoral development corporations

Most of the powers given to devolved authorities are around areas which create jobs and boost the economy.

Among the biggest powers that a mayor has is to create a mayoral development corporation which can buy, sell and hold land in a defined area.

Mayor Houchen made creating the South Tees Development Corporation one of his decisions while in office.

It became the first of its kind outside of London and has already purchased land at the former Redcar steelworks, which was closed by former owner Thai-based SSI in 2015.

While there are only four corporations currently operating in England, more can be expected and may prove to be vital for areas in need of economic growth and regeneration.

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Buying back an airport

Devolved authorities have a single pot used to invest in skills, transport and other investments.

Whatever a Mayor wants to invest in has to have the agreement of his cabinet and this was best demonstrated when Mayor Houchen made bringing back Durham Tees Valley Airport back into public ownership his key manifesto pledge.

The airport was losing £2 million a year and Mayor Houchen bid £40 million for the airport in what proved to be a tricky decision for his cabinet.

The cabinet, five of which were Labour council leaders, found the investment difficult to back in what they described as a “vanity project”.

However, the deal was eventually agreed last year and the Tees Valley Combined Authority purchased a 75% stake in the airport and rebranded it Teesside International Airport.

More powers

Securing a devolution deal for the Tees Valley was the first step in reclaiming budgets and key decisions from Westminster.

Now that it has powers over transport and regeneration, Mayor Houchen wants more and has set his sights on health and social care budgets as his next target.

Mayor Houchen told Teesside Live in January that he wanted powers similar to Greater Manchester where the combined authority has control over its £6 billion health and social care budget.

Council approves Harrogate Convention Centre £1m spend

Harrogate borough councillors have voted to spend £1 million on design costs ahead of a potential £47 million investment in the town’s convention centre.

A meeting of the full council approved the spend as part of a planned phased renovation of the nearly 40-year-old centre.

The money will be spent on feasibility studies and professional fees for design ahead of a two phased redevelopment of the venue. A report on the business case for potential investment will return to the council at a later date.

Most of the £1 million cost would be borrowed, though council officers said that no sources of funding have yet to be identified.

Meanwhile, a confidential cabinet report leaked to the Stray Ferret last week warned the centre “will not survive” unless councillors approved the project.

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But some councillors from the surrounding district said the investment would not benefit their towns.

Paula Lorimer, director of the convention centre, said that it was important that the council “looked forward” and invested in the HCC.

She said:

“The district has had a taste of what it would be like without a convention centre

“Many businesses rely on us and many jobs will be created as part of the convention centre.”

Graham Swift, cabinet member for resources, said he understood that some people were concerned about coronavirus but added that the plan would consider the future.

He said:

“I know that some councillors have expressed some concern around that.

“But this business plan has made it clear that the future plans will be in consideration of that fact that the world will be in a different spot.”

But Cllr Pauline McHardy, independent Ripon councillor, told the full council meeting that areas outside of Harrogate will be “short changed” by the move.

She said:

“I think you can flower this up as much as you want, this is the first step to spending £47 million.

“There is going to be a large amount of money that the council tax payers are going to have to find.”

£1.5m awarded to Harrogate business park scheme

A government grant of £1.5 million has been awarded to Harrogate West Business Park as part of a wider infrastructure fund.

The business park, off Burley Bank Road, has been granted funding as part of the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government’s £900 million Getting Building Fund.

Ministers have allocated funding for 300 “shovel-ready” projects across the country which have been agreed with local mayors and Local Enterprise Partnerships.

A total of £15.4 million has been granted to York and North Yorkshire, of which £1.5 million has been awarded to the project in Harrogate.

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It comes as ministers say they have targeted funding at areas facing the “biggest economic challenges” as a result of the pandemic.

Andrew Jones, Harrogate and Knaresborough MP, said the money will help to support the local economy as part of the business park scheme.

He said:

“The Getting Building Fund is one of the many initiatives the government has taken to boost our economy ever more critical as we deal the impact of coronavirus.  This has already seen tens of millions given to businesses across the Harrogate district to enable them to survive.

“This new initiative is designed to build capacity into employment sites so that businesses as they grow can up-size.  Alongside this there will be smaller units for start-ups and an increase in floorspace enabling businesses already on the site to expand without the costs and upheaval of moving.

“Throughout the crisis we have focussed much attention on the here-and-now and it has been right to do so.  But it is also right to look to the medium and long-term future and the Getting Building Fund does just that.  I welcome this investment and will continue campaigning to bring more jobs and more businesses to our area.”

Vote tonight on £47m Harrogate Convention Centre redesign

Councillors will tonight vote on an in issue which has divided opinion across the district – an investment in Harrogate’s Convention Centre.

At a meeting of the borough council’s full council, a report will recommend that councillors back a £1 million spend on design costs and feasibility studies ahead of a phased £47 million renovation.

The authority said the investment, which would be one of the council’s biggest ever financial decisions, is “much needed” to keep the town’s economy thriving.

Meanwhile, a confidential cabinet report leaked to the Stray Ferret warned the centre “will not survive” unless councillors approved the project.

The gravity and nature of the decision saw senior councillors on the authority’s cabinet decide to refer the matter to full council in its entirety instead of voting to agree the £1 million spend.

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But not all are convinced, the investment plan has divided opinion across the district as those in Ripon, Knaresborough and elsewhere have doubted what benefit it will have to them.

Today, Cllr Pauline McHardy, three-time Mayor of Ripon, urged fellow councillors to throw the plans out.

She described it as a millstone which would be tied around the district’s neck for years to come.

She said:

“I think it’s totally wrong for Harrogate Borough Council to even be considering spending money of this magnitude, while there are so many other things that need support in places such as Boroughbridge, Knaresborough, Pateley Bridge, Spofforth and here in this city.”

Paula Lorimer, director of Harrogate Convention Centre.

But, while there are echoes of doubt coming from the surrounding towns and villages, those in charge of the convention centre have stuck to their guns.

When senior councillors referred the matter to the full council, Pauline Lorimer,, director of the HCC, said the investment was necessary for the success of the district.

She said:

“We need this redevelopment not only to drive more conferences, but for the district and the community.

“We run school events, remembrance events, entertainment, orchestras and community groups.

“We do a great deal to support the community and the revenue we provide goes back into the council.

“What comes into us ripples out into the district. We need a successful HCC.”

Councillors on the borough council will vote on the plans at a virtual meeting streamed live on YouTube tonight.

5 reasons why we should care about devolution in North Yorkshire

Whichever way you look at it, a devolution deal for North Yorkshire will include a mayor.

Below the mayor, there is an ongoing debate over whether the county should have one single unitary council or a few large authorities.

But what does devolution actually mean and why should we care? Here are the reasons why.

What is a mayor?

The devolved authority would have a mayor which is directly elected by the public.

They would be elected in 2022 and would normally serve for four years as part of an election cycle.

The mayor would hold significant power and influence over areas such as bus services, transport and setting up development corporations to buy and sell land.

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A new mayoral tax

When the government introduced more directly-elected mayors in 2016, it also gave them powers to introduce precepts to pay for the functions of the office.

Different mayors have different powers, but all of them can charge extra on top of council tax bills to fund what they do.

What about council tax?

Council tax would still be paid to the local authority, which would continue to run daily services such as bins and filling potholes.

However, some powers would be taken on by the elected mayor, such as public transport and buying land for employment developments.

The powers of the devolved mayor are focused on employment and boosting the economy.

Why should I care?

A mayor of North Yorkshire would be accountable to residents across the entire county.

Any changes of services in their remit or use of public money would be answerable to those who elected them.

For example, the mayor would have new powers over bus routes, timetables and fares in Harrogate and elsewhere.

Mayors also have the power to set up development corporations to buy and sell land, as demonstrated in the Tees Valley where the former Redcar steelworks has been bought by the authority’s corporation.

How close are we to a deal?

It is early days, but government has already set its sights on resolving the issue of devolution by 2022 to coincide with mayoral elections.

At the moment, the county council and its seven districts are voting on a list of “asks” which outline their proposal for devolved powers. Government will take those requests and propose a devolution deal to the county which will then be voted and consulted on.

Littering in the Pinewoods ‘a continual problem’

Littering in the Pinewoods is still a problem and has increased since lockdown was eased, according to a local conservation group.

The Pinewoods Conservation Group said the relaxation of restrictions has resulted in large gatherings coming to the woods and leaving rubbish behind.

It said volunteers are often out cleaning up the litter, but added that this “should not be necessary”.

The news follows similar complaints made about large gatherings on the Stray in June.

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Empty beer cans, pizza boxes and laughing gas canisters were left overnight in what was described as the “biggest mess for six years”.

It comes as a Freedom of Information request by Clean For Britain, a campaign to reduce litter and fly tipping, found that Harrogate Borough Council handed out no fines for littering in 2018/19.

Rubbish left on the Stray following a large gathering in June.

Pinewoods Conservation group called on the borough council to take the matter seriously.

A spokesperson for the group said:

“Litter in the Pinewoods is a continual problem and did increase coming out of lockdown. 

“Our volunteers and supporters do an amazing job at keeping the litter down but really shouldn’t be necessary. We know there is no real enforcement even when there are large groups congregating and it is obvious who is generating the litter.

“It is also the case that, in the woods, litter then leads to more serious damage and anti-social behaviour. It is time that the council started to take its enforcement responsibilities seriously.”

A spokesperson for the borough council said:

“Thankfully, by and large, there is very little litter in the Harrogate district. Where there have been isolated issues, such as on the Stray, our parks and environmental services team have worked tirelessly to have it cleared as quickly as possible.

“We have also added signage and additional bins/collections to remind people to be respectful of the beautiful surroundings we have in the district.