Two men arrested after cannabis farm found near Ripon

Two men have been arrested after police found a cannabis farm at a business park near Ripon.

North Yorkshire Police discovered the cannabis plants following a search at a business unit near the city on Friday.

The force said more than 50 plants were found following a search of another unit in the area.

Two men, aged 36 and 38, were arrested in connection with the cannabis grow and released under investigation pending further enquiries.

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Inspector Alex Langley, North Yorkshire Police, said:

“The damage that drugs cause to individuals and families is significant, and that’s why it’s important we take this pro-active approach to tackle drug issues Ripon.

“The use of industrial units in the Ripon area is of concern as criminals carry out illegal activity in plain sight.

“I would like to ask local business and premises owners to look out for any suspicious activity. Please let us know if something doesn’t feel quite right. The information you provide allows us to carry out this pro-active work in order to try and safeguard our local communities.”

The police urged anyone with information to dial 101, press one and speak to the force control room.

Or you can contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Harrogate district covid rate at lowest level since September

The Harrogate district’s seven-day average rate of covid infection has fallen below 40 cases per 100,000 people.

Currently, the average stands at 38 and is at its lowest level since September last year.

Meanwhile, the North Yorkshire rate is 46 and the national rate is 57.

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Sixteen covid cases have been confirmed in the district in the last 24 hours, according to Public Health England figures.

It takes the total number of cases since March to 7,461.

No further covid deaths have been reported at Harrogate District Hospital.

North Yorks police commissioner candidate urges MPs to oppose police bill

The Liberal Democrat candidate for North Yorkshire police commissioner has called on the county’s MPs to vote against the government’s police bill.

James Barker, a City of York councillor who is standing for commissioner at the elections in May, described the legislation as “draconian”.

The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill includes measures for noise limits on protests, stronger powers for police to break up “unauthorised encampments” and longer sentences for serious crimes.

MPs will vote the legislation, which is at its second reading, tonight.

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Mr Barker said the right to protest was a “fundamental part” of democracy and called on MPs to oppose the bill.

He said:

“The bill contains some proposals that are worthy of support, such as maximum sentences for low-level assaults against emergency service workers being doubled to two years and community sentences for less serious crime to help address underlying problems in offenders’ lives, but the government has got it badly wrong in trying to stifle people’s freedom to protest.

“The right to peaceful protest is a fundamental part of any functioning democracy. 

“The police already have extensive powers in this area and I am concerned that what is being proposed in this bill will impact on people’s freedom of speech and right to protest. For this reason I am therefore calling on North Yorkshire’s MPs to oppose this bill.”

Voters in the Harrogate district will go to the polls on May 6 to elect a new police, fire and crime commissioner for North Yorkshire.

Julia Mulligan, who currently holds the role, will not be standing for re-election.

The main political parties have confirmed candidates as follows:

The deadline to register to vote in the May elections is April 19. You can register to vote here.

Council seeks UK engineers to fix Knaresborough Pool issues

Harrogate Borough Council has said it is looking to find UK-based engineers to help fix ongoing maintenance problems at Knaresborough Swimming Pool.

The council announced last month that its manufacturer, based in Spain, was unable to send engineers over to fix the pool equipment because lockdown rules prevent them from travelling.

Council bosses said the pool has an “ongoing problem” with its filtration system, which is nearly 30 years old, and requires specialist engineers to attend to it.

It means the facility is expected to be closed for the coming months, but others in the district – such as the Hydro in Harrogate – will reopen on April 12.

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Having faced some criticism on social media, the authority has said it is working with its contractor to find a “UK-based solution” to fix the problem.

A council spokeswoman said:

“There is an ongoing issue with the main filtration system at Knaresborough Swimming Pool that is nearing 30-years-old.

“Due to the specialist nature of the equipment required and complexity of the work involved, only a single bid received through the tender process met this requirement.

“The contractor appointed specialist engineers from Spain – who have experience of fixing aging swimming pools – to carry out this work. Which, due to the travel restrictions, has meant they are currently unable to do so.

“We are having on-going conversations with the contractor to see if we can find a UK-based solution, but at the moment there is no alternative.

“We understand residents’ frustrations and are equally as disappointed that the pool cannot open in the coming weeks.

“As soon as we have an update we will let our customers know.”

It comes as Harrogate and Knaresborough Liberal Democrats called for “greater transparency” over its closure after the council announced it would not be open in April.

Local party campaigner, Matt Walker, wrote to Cllr Stan Lumley, cabinet member for leisure, calling for the pool to reopen as soon as possible.

Knaresborough pool is due to be demolished and replaced by a new leisure facility on the same location.

Harrogate district records second lowest daily covid total in six months

The Harrogate district has recorded its second lowest daily number of covid infections in more than half a year.

Public Health England reported just five cases in today’s figures.

Besides the four infections on 28 February, you have to go back to 13 September to find a lower daily figure.

It means the district’s seven-day rate of infection has fallen to 41 cases per 100,000 people.

The average in North Yorkshire stands at 46 and the national rate is 58.

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No further deaths from patients who tested positive for coronavirus have been reported at Harrogate District Hospital.

Meanwhile, people in the Harrogate district are receiving invitations for their second dose of a covid vaccine.

The Harrogate Spa Surgery website said it has started to invite patients for their second dose at the Great Yorkshire Showground.

It added that those expecting their second dose must have it at the same site that they received the first vaccine.

Call for ‘greater transparency’ over Knaresborough pool reopening

Harrogate and Knaresborough Liberal Democrats have called for “greater transparency” over the reopening of Knaresborough Pool.

Matt Walker, a local campaigner for the party, has written to Cllr Stan Lumley, cabinet member for leisure at Harrogate Borough Council, after the pool was not included on a list of openings on April 12.

A council newsletter has said Knaresborough pool will continue to remain closed until further notice.

It added engineers from the Spanish-based equipment manufacturer were unable to undertake urgent repair work because lockdown rules prevented them travelling.

Mr Walker said the council’s announcement “raised more questions than it answered” and that Knaresborough Pool needed to reopen as soon as possible.

He added that the facility had been closed “multiple times” for maintenance and had now been shut for more than a year.

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Mr Walker said:

“The council appears to have taken its eye off the ball, yet again. Residents deserve answers.

“Many other organisations have continued to carry out essential maintenance work during the lockdowns. It would appear that this is nothing more than poor planning from Harrogate Borough Council, but questions certainly need to be answered.

“Knaresborough pool is a real community asset. It is important for the health and wellbeing of thousands of local residents, so residents shouldn’t have to wait many additional months to see it return.”

The council’s other leisure centres — The Hydro in Harrogate, Nidderdale Pool and Leisure Centre and Ripon Leisure Centre — will open on April 12.

Knaresborough Pool is due to be demolished and replaced by a new leisure facility on the same location.

The council has been approached for comment.

Harrogate district covid rate hits six-month low

The Harrogate district seven-day covid rate has fallen below 50 infections per 100,000 people.

The average now stands at 46 and has fallen below 50 for the first time since September last year.

The overall rate for North Yorkshire is 41 and the England rate is 60.

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Just eight cases have been confirmed in the Harrogate district today by Public Health England.

It takes the total number of infections in the district since last March to 7,384.

No further covid deaths have been reported at Harrogate District Hospital.

Wetherby Road Starbucks drive-thru plan to go to appeal

The company behind a plan to build a Starbucks drive-thru on Wetherby Road is taking Harrogate Borough Council to appeal over its decision to reject the proposal.

Euro Garages Ltd, which manages petrol stations and fast food outlets across Europe, submitted plans to build a coffee shop on the former 1st Dental site.

The proposals included demolishing the existing building to make way for a drive-thru coffee shop with 19 car parking spaces. It would then be handed over to Starbucks to operate.

The borough council refused the application in December 2019 – the third time the plan has fallen short.

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Councillors rejected the proposal on grounds of air quality and traffic flow concerns along Wetherby Road. The authority also raised concerns over a loss of amenity to those living next to the Starbucks due to noise and light pollution.

In a council decision notice published at the time, the council said:

“The proposed highway alterations to facilitate a right turn into the site would lead to the loss of a traffic lane to the detriment of the flow of traffic along Wetherby Road which would lead to an increase in congestion together with highway safety concerns regarding those turning right into the site having to cross two lanes of oncoming traffic and the increase of vehicular traffic close to a traffic signal controlled junction that is already operating at capacity.”

Councillors threw out a similar proposal back in 2017. The government then dismissed an appeal against the decision the following year.

Now, Euro Garages has submitted another appeal to the government’s Planning Inspectorate.

The layout of the proposed Starbucks on Wetherby Road.

The layout of the proposed Starbucks on Wetherby Road.

In its statement of case, the company said there was “no justification” for refusing the proposal on the grounds of a loss of a traffic lane.

It said:

“The proposal would not lead to the loss of a traffic lane and additional highways space would be created by the development which would see localised widening on Wetherby Road.

“The development would not result in a material detrimental impact on the flow of traffic along Wetherby Road as evidenced in the Transport Assessment Modelling.”

Cllr Pat Marsh, whose ward the development falls into, said the plan was “absolutely ludicrous” and wrong on traffic and health grounds.

She said the development would increase pollution as traffic backs up down Wetherby Road.

Cllr Marsh said:

“People cannot understand the absurdity of wanting to build a drive through on one of the busiest roads in Harrogate. It is the only air quality management area in Harrogate, it has a lot of traffic movements.”

She added that residents would also see an increase in noise and light pollution due to the Starbucks being built next to them.

“Can you imagine from 7am in the morning until 10pm at night cars coming in and out ordering coffee?

“How are those residents going to be able to have a reasonable amount of amenity? They are just not.”

A government planning inspector will make a decision on the appeal at a later date.

Three more covid deaths at Harrogate hospital

Three more patients who tested positive for covid have died at Harrogate District Hospital.

The deaths were reported on March 3, according to NHS England figures.

It takes the death toll at the hospital since the start of the pandemic to 165.

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Currently, 48 patients who tested positive for covid are being treated in Harrogate hospital according to latest Public Health England data.

A further 12 covid cases have been confirmed in the Harrogate district, according to today’s Public Health England figures.

it takes the total number of cases since last March to 7,354.

Meanwhile, 58,293 people have had the first dose of a covid vaccine in the Harrogate district.

NHS England has started to publish local data with a breakdown of vaccination figures by area and age.

Hope that Nidderdale Show will go ahead this year

Organisers of the Nidderdale Show are “cautiously optimistic” that the event will go ahead this year.

The show, which is held by the Nidderdale Agricultural Society, attracts crowds of 15,000 and aims to celebrate agricultural traditions.

Held in September, the event closes the traditional agricultural show season.

Last year, the show fell victim to the coronavirus pandemic and was cancelled.

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But organisers say they are now “cautiously optimistic” that it will go ahead this year on September 20.

A post on the Nidderdale Show Facebook page said:

“We are cautiously optimistic that the Nidderdale Show may be able to go ahead on Monday 20th September and plans are underway.  

“We will keep reviewing this as government guidelines change and updating with more details as they become available. Keep watching this page and our website for more announcements as we move forwards. In the meantime stay safe.”

Mike Holt, Mayor of Pateley Bridge, told the Stray Ferret that he was hopeful that the show would return later this year.

He said:

“It brings a massive amount to the area and it was a crying shame that it did not go ahead last year.

“If the road map works as the government hopes it will, I’m certainly hoping everything will be okay.”

It comes as organisers of shows and events across the district have made decisions in light of the government’s roadmap out of lockdown as whether to go ahead or not.

The Great Yorkshire Show intends to go ahead in July, with the Yorkshire Agricultural Society and NHS bosses in discussions over how to hold the show while continuing vaccinations.

Birstwith Show announced last month that it will return in July.

However, Masham Steam Rally has postponed its event until next year and Tockwith Show has sent out an urgent SOS for volunteers to enable this year’s event to go ahead.