Two Harrogate district villages show big covid spike

The number of new covid cases in Killinghall and Hampsthwaite is more than double that of anywhere else in the Harrogate district.

North Yorkshire County Council statistics today revealed a total of 62 cases have been recorded in the two villages in the last seven days.

The next highest sub-districts locally are Ripon South and East and Starbeck, which both have had 28 cases.

The figure for Killinghall and Hampsthwaite is second in all of North Yorkshire only to Malton and Norton, which has registered 63 infections.

It comes as a further 39 infections were recorded in the district, according to today’s Public Health England data.

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It takes the total number of cases since the start of the pandemic to 6,392.

Meanwhile, the district’s seven-day covid rate has fallen to 245 people per 100,000.

The county-wide rate is 222 and the national average stands at 382.

No further deaths from patients who tested positive for coronavirus have been reported at Harrogate District Hospital, according to NHS England figures.

Sky lantern and balloon ban moves closer despite enforcement power fears

North Yorkshire County Council is proceeding with a move to forbid the release of sky lanterns and helium balloons on its land, despite admitting it has little power of enforcement.

Councillors proposed banning the items from being released on council-owned land amid fears they posed a “significant risk of harm to animals and the environment”.

However, council legal officers told a meeting of the corporate and partnerships overview and scrutiny committee last week the authority had limited enforcement powers.

Officers said such a ban could be written into lease renewals on land and property it owns but it was “highly unlikely” there would be anything to prohibit the activity in existing contracts.

They added that it would be better to use the motion as an engagement opportunity with the public.

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Councillors agreed to “proactively engage” with schools and businesses over the release of balloons and sky lanterns.

The motion will now go before a full council meeting to be voted on at a later date.

Hundreds of other local authorities have already introduced bans.

In January last year, South Kesteven District Council prohibited the release of lanterns and balloons in council-owned parks and open spaces.

Nottinghamshire County Council, East Riding of Yorkshire Council and Lancashire County Council are among others that have adopted bans.

Although the move has not given authorities the power to enforce the ban, some use it to “educate the public” on alternative ways to mark special occasions.

Council to recommend Wetherby Road land for Stray swap

A plot of land at Wetherby Road has been recommended to be exchanged for grass verges on Otley Road and designated as Stray land.

Harrogate Borough Council carried out a 12-week consultation over three plots of land to replace the verges, which will be removed for a new cycle route.

A majority of those who responded backed the council’s preferred option to designate land on Wetherby Road next to the war memorial as Stray land in exchange.

As part of the Stray Act, a suitable plot of land must be offered in exchange. It follows lengthy discussions between the council and the Duchy of Lancaster over land to designate to the Stray.

The responses to the consultation are due to go before the General Purposes Committee this week. Councillors will be asked to recommend that the authority’s cabinet approves the land proposals.

In total, the authority received 443 responses to its consultation.

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Of that number, 214 respondents (49%) strongly agreed with the proposal to exchange the Otley Road verges to one of the three options outlined by the council.

However, 161 (36%) strongly disagreed with the plan.

Some agreed with the options, but felt the proposal “should be put back to residents once a decision has been made”. Others said they supported the move “as long as there is still enough pavement to walk down with a pushchair”.

As part of the exchange, the council outlined three plots of land for the exchange:

The area of land outlined in Harrogate Borough Council documents earmarked to be exchanged as part of the Otley Road cycle route.

In the responses, 246 (81%) agreed with the council’s preferred option of land at Wetherby Road next to the war memorial.

Those who agreed with the Wetherby Road plot felt it was “the most logical reason to form a continuous community resources” and “seems already part of the Stray”.

However, 14 agreed with the second option of verges at St James Drive and 45 supported the verges at Arthurs Avenue.

Some disagreed with the options outlined and said they did not want the Otley Road verges removed. Others said “the Stray should not be disrupted for cyclists” and questioned the need for a cycle route.

Residents were also asked whether they agreed with the council’s plan to amend the Stray bylaws to permit cycling on the Otley Road route.

A total of 235 strongly agreed (54%), while 162 (36%) strongly disagreed.

Councillors on the committee have been recommended to submit the proposed bylaw change to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government.

It comes as North Yorkshire County Council looks to press ahead with the cycle route on the stretch of road between Harlow Moor Road and Beech Grove.

The project has already been delayed and the negotiations over the Stray land have been a further stumbling block for the second phase of the scheme.

A further 45 covid cases in Harrogate district

A further 45 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in the Harrogate district, according to today’s Public Health England figures.

It takes the number of cases since the start of the pandemic up to 6,268.

One more death from a patient who tested positive for coronavirus has been reported at Harrogate District Hospital.

The death was recorded on January 20, according to NHS England figures, and takes the total number since March up to 122.

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Meanwhile, the seven-day covid rate in the district has fallen to 284 cases per 100,000 people.

The county-wide rate is 257 and the national average 434.

Harrogate bus company to offer free shuttle bus to vaccine appointments

Harrogate Bus Company is to offer free shuttle buses to the Great Yorkshire Showground for people who have covid vaccine appointments.

The bus will match the opening hours of the centre and will run from Tuesday, January 26.

The company will use one of its zero-emission electric buses to shuttle patients to and from the site.

It said on its website:

“Buses will run every 30 minutes between Harrogate bus station and the vaccination centre on Wetherby Road, so you’ll never have long to wait to get to your appointment or back again.”

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It comes as the majority of vaccines for people in the district are being offered at the showground.

Health bosses announced earlier this week that all care home residents and staff in North Yorkshire will be vaccinated before the end of this week.

52,500 people in the highest priority groups have received a covid vaccine in York and North Yorkshire, according to Harrogate and Knaresborough’s MP, Andrew Jones.

52,500 clinically vulnerable people vaccinated in North Yorkshire, says Harrogate MP

52,500 people in the highest priority groups have received a covid vaccine in York and North Yorkshire, according to Harrogate’s MP.

In an e-mail to constituents, Andrew Jones said a further 12,000 vaccinations had also been carried out in hospitals to frontline staff.

Mr Jones said the figures were correct as of Monday this week.

It comes as health bosses said all care home residents and staff in the county would be vaccinated by the end of this week.

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Amanda Bloor, accountable officer at North Yorkshire CCG, told a North Yorkshire Resilience Forum meeting earlier this week:

“I am pleased to say that thanks to the tremendous effort from all of our colleagues delivering the vaccination programme, we are on course to deliver vaccination to all care home residents and staff by the end of this week.”

Ms Bloor added that officials were making “good progress” towards vaccinating all healthcare workers by the end of the month as well as the February 15 target set by the government for all priority groups.

Vaccinations in the Harrogate district are being administered at the Great Yorkshire Showground. However, a mass vaccination hub opened on Monday in York, which offers jabs to those within a 45 minute distance.

Health bosses announced a vaccination site will be opened in Ripon, but details on its location have yet to be confirmed.

Officials have also said people in the district can wait for an invite to the Great Yorkshire Showground instead of travelling to York.

MP hits out at covid vaccine supply reports

Mr Jones also hit out at reports that the supply of coronavirus vaccines to Yorkshire will be halved next week.

In his email, he addressed “covid-19 fake news” and went on to say a story regarding vaccine supply “was wrong”.

It follows reports in the Health Service Journal that the North East and Yorkshire will see its supply halved next week because it is ahead of other regions in vaccinating its eligible population.

The HSJ reported that the region is set to see does available to GP-led sites down by 200,000 compared to this week.

Mr Jones has said reports of the halve in supply are “wrong in terms of numbers and trend”.

He said:

“Reports that the number of vaccines supplied to our region are being halved are just wrong. 

“I have checked this with the NHS and the number of vaccines supplied to our region this week is 364,000, next week it will be 300,000 and the week after that 350,000. 

“The story is wrong in terms of numbers and trend.”

However, Dr Nikki Kanani, medical director of primary care at NHS England, told BBC Radio 4 Today programme that vaccines were being diverted away from areas like the North East and Yorkshire.

She said:

“Yes I really understand my colleague’s frustration, particularly in this case it happens to be in the northern areas, they’ve done an incredible job getting through their cohort priorities one and two, so their care home staff and residents, their over 80s and their health and social care staff.

“And so while we have a supply that is constrained we need to make sure that goes to the areas where people are not vaccinated, because what we have to do, our priority is to make sure that the top priority groups are vaccinated as quickly as possible.

“So we need to target our deliveries to make sure that they are going to areas where there are more people left to vaccinate in the priority cohorts.”

Harrogate district MPs claim £536,000 in expenses last year

The Members of Parliament serving the Harrogate district claimed a total of £536,449 in expenses last year.

The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, which monitors expenses, published its annual report yesterday.

The report reveals the total expenses for all MPs in 2019/20, including accommodation, office, staffing, staff absence, travel and other costs.

Nigel Adams, MP for Selby and Ainsty which includes rural Harrogate, spent the most of the t hree district MPs with an overall spend of £191,616.52.

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Andrew Jones, MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, spent £174,597.97 and Julian Smith, MP for Skipton and Ripon, spent £170,235.42.

All MPs were within their budgets set for office, staffing and accommodation spend.

Of all MPs in Parliament in 2019/20, Mr Adams ranked 294th of those who spent the most while Mr Jones was 389th and Mr Smith 496th.

Roger Godsiff, who was MP for Birmingham Hall Green until he lost his seat at the 2019 General Election spent the most with £265,668.31. Kim Johnson, MP for Liverpool Riverside, claimed the least with £7,391.51.

Andrew Jones, Harrogate and Knaresborough MP.Andrew Jones, Conservative MP Harrogate and Knaresborough

 

Julian Smith, Conservative MP Ripon and Skipton

Nigel Adams, Conservative MP Selby and Ainsty (which includes rural Harrogate)

County council proposes 3.49% council tax hike

North Yorkshire County Council looks set to increase council tax by 3.49%, which would increase its share of the bill to £1,411 for an average band D property in 2021/22.

The proposal, which has been recommended by council officers, includes a 1.99% increase in general council tax and a 1.5% increase in the adult social care precept.

County council bosses have also proposed to use £8.2 million from its own funds to offset a shortfall next year.

It comes as the council faces financial pressures due to coronavirus and loss of government funding.

The authority has estimated a shortfall of £59 million by 2023/24 and has already spent £82 million in responding to the pandemic.

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A report due before senior councillors next week written by Richard Flinton, chief executive, and Gary Fielding, corporate director for strategic resources, said the county council faces uncertainty in the coming year.

It said the council faces various risks, including a lack of funding beyond March 2021, a likely increase in demand for services, potential rising costs, a need for further savings and the potential reorganisation of local government in the county.

The report added that while continued use of reserves was not sustainable, it will be a “crucial component” for the upcoming budget in light of the coronavirus crisis and other uncertainties. It added:

“The council has performed well in responding to austerity and has taken earlier decisions in order to ensure that it is ahead of the curve and not pushed into short term decisions.

“A good level of reserves has been maintained and this will now be a crucial component of the budget strategy.

“Given the essential emphasis on responding to covid, recovering from covid, preparing for local government reorganisation and diminishing returns on savings programmes after a decade of austerity, there is much less scope for new and significant savings proposals.

“Reserves are therefore key to ensuring that a medium term approach to planning can take place.”

Cllr Carl Les, leader of the county council, said:

“We hope to be clearer later in the year about the legacy of covid, the government’s decision on local government reorganisation in North Yorkshire and the future of council funding beyond 2022.

“The times have never been so uncertain, and given these uncertainties it is critical that the council maintains as much flexibility as possible in order to protect vital services whilst being able to respond to further potential shocks.

“We understand that residents are facing many difficulties in the light of covid. We also understand just how vital some of the council’s services are to the most vulnerable in society.”

Senior councillors on the authority’s executive will decide whether to refer the budget plan to full council on January 26.

The final council tax bill will be based on sums demanded by Harrogate Borough Council and the North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner as well as the county council.

The news comes as Harrogate Borough Council has proposed to increase its share of council tax by £5.

Julia Mulligan, North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, is expected to reveal the precepts for both the fire and police service at a later date.

 

Harrogate district covid rate falls below 300 people per 100,000

The Harrogate district’s seven-day covid rate of infection has fallen below 300 people per 100,000 for the first time this year.

The rate now stands at 290 per 100,000 people — well below the high of 497 on January 7, according to North Yorkshire County Council figures.

It’s the first time the rate has fallen below 300 since December 31.

The North Yorkshire average stands at 272 and the England rate is 447.

Meanwhile, a further 32 patients who tested positive for coronavirus have been discharged from Harrogate District Hospital.

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Latest figures from Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust show a total of 399 people have been discharged from the hospital since the start of the pandemic in March.

Statistics from the trust also reveal 41 patients are currently being treated for covid.

It comes as a further 60 cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in the Harrogate district, according to today’s Public Health England data.

The number takes the total amount of cases since March last year to 6,223.

Harrogate people don’t have to travel to York for vaccine, say health bosses

People in the Harrogate district waiting for a covid vaccine have been told they can wait for an invite to the Great Yorkshire Showground instead of travelling to York.

The Stray Ferret has received numerous messages from readers asking why they had been invited to be inoculated in York when they lived much closer to the showground.

Health bosses in North Yorkshire confirmed yesterday some people had been offered jabs at the national vaccination hub at Askham Bar in York, which opened on Monday.

The hub is run by the NHS nationally and sends invites to people within a 45-minute drive.

People in priority groups for the first round of vaccinations may also be invited through the national booking system to receive the jab at a pharmacy.

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However, Amanda Bloor, accountable officer at North Yorkshire CCG, told a North Yorkshire Resilience Forum yesterday that patients were not obliged to travel to York for the vaccine.

She said:

“The way that the site is operating is that anybody within a 45-minute drive of the site who has not yet received a vaccination through their local site may receive a letter from the national team to book an appointment.

“If you do get an invitation to that site, you can choose to wait and book an appointment at your local vaccination site.”

Currently, the Harrogate district is served by a local site at the Great Yorkshire Showground and a national hub at York.

Ms Bloor announced yesterday that a further site will be opened in Ripon. However, a location has yet to be confirmed.

The York hub was among 10 sites across the country to open on Monday in an effort to ramp up the vaccination programme.

It will operate seven days a week from 8am until 8pm, subject to the supply of vaccinations.

Professor Mike Holmes, a GP in York, told a City of York Council Executive meeting last week that the new centre will offer up to 8,000 extra appointments in the first phase of the expansion of the site.

The centre became the latest vaccine site to open near Harrogate, with another due to be set up at Elland Road stadium in Leeds.