Many in district still fearful of shopping for clothes

Will shoppers return to the high street on Monday?

Since the lockdown easing was revealed by the Prime Minister, a number of major and independent outlets have already announced that their doors will be open on June 15.

But once shops are open and the store lights are on, the focus will shift to how customers react after 10 weeks of closure and increasingly more people shopping online.

The Stray Ferret went around the district and asked people in town centres whether they were uneasy about returning to shops.

Read more:

In our video above, people raised concerns over changing rooms in clothes stores and shops reopening too early.

Melanie Lancaster, from Ripon, said it was not necessary for the city’s high street to reopen yet.

“I’m not going to shop when the shops open.

“I know that they are saying that they are going to quarantine clothes, but I would still not feel comfortable doing that.”

Sandra Watkins, from Harrogate, said she was concerned with younger people and whether they would be mindful when shops reopen.

She said: “I’m more concerned perhaps with my teenage daughter still being quite young, are they going to be mindful going back into places like Primark?”

Some smaller traders do not expect customers to be stepping through their doors immediately, but bigger retailers have a challenge.

Shop space which once saw customers move freely around will be altered by one way systems, two metre distances and limited customers.

Esther Pugh, a retail expert at Leeds Beckett University, said the experience of shopping will be changed by social distancing, but added that she remained optimistic about customers returning to the high street.

She said: “Stores use their layout to help navigate the space and move around.

“But it will be a challenge because the guidelines will effect the experience.

“I am optimistic and I think people need to feel positive. I think the shops need to be innovative and turn this into something new for shoppers.”

Tomorrow, we will report on what is being done to entice shoppers back onto Harrogate’s high street and into retail stores.

Union concerns over leisure ‘ridiculous’, says council

Harrogate Borough Council has described union concerns that the authority is being tight-lipped over its leisure plans as “ridiculous”.

The authority was responding to concerns from Unison that the council had not kept union bosses informed over proposals and that it had “no overwhelming support”.

But, the council said the plan, which it has consulted residents on, will save the authority £400,000 a year.

It comes as the council faces an estimated £15 million deficit as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

According to a report due before the authority’s cabinet next week, the company would be called Brimham’s Active and has a target set up date of August 2021.

Read more:

 

If given the go-ahead, it would mean facilities such as Harrogate Hydro, the Turkish Baths and Ripon Leisure Centre would be run by the new company.

Unison bosses said they were concerned that not enough information had been shared with them about the proposal, but the council has said it would be unrealistic to provide a running commentary on the company.

A spokesperson for the council said:

“For Unison to suggest we have been “tight lipped” is ridiculous.

“The union is aware of the proposal to create a local authority controlled company to manage our sport and leisure services.

“To expect a running commentary while a report is prepared for councillors to consider at next week’s meeting of cabinet is unrealistic.

“The proposal would enable us to save £400,000 a year and invest in new facilities for the benefit of people across the district.

“Our valued colleagues would be transferred to the new company on exactly the same terms and conditions they enjoy now.”

Harrogate retail prepares to fight for survival

As nearly 10% of Harrogate town centre’s retail spaces sit empty, traders prepare to fight to survive as lockdown is eased.

After 10 weeks of closure, retailers and independent boutiques now face the task of making up lost ground, earning a living and protecting their customers at the same time.

Non-essential shops, such as clothing outlets, can reopen from Monday. But the aim for some is to see if they can survive the challenge that comes with social distancing measures and the cost of the crisis.

As an economic downturn looms, Harrogate’s outlets face an uphill task in surviving. During lockdown, among those retailers to leave the town’s prestigious James Street is Jack Wills.

Among traders’ concerns ahead of Monday include:

Despite support from government and the local authority, it may not be enough as traders face the difficult decision of whether to open up or not on Monday.

Sophie Hartley, who owns Sophie Likes boutique on Beulah Street in Harrogate.

One of the shops reopening is lifestyle boutique Sophie Likes, which has been operating on Beulah Street for the past six years.

Sophie Hartley is the owner and sole employee in the store and has prepared for social distancing. But she said it will be difficult for local traders to make a living after lockdown.

Read More:

The closure of the shop left Sophie’s family without some of their income. She received a government grant but still hopes to have discussions with her landlord to help make it through until the end of the year.

She said: “It’s been pretty scary.

“All of a sudden you have the close the shop and you have no income.

“We are still not sure of our opening hours because we do not know how busy it is going to be.”

Another store owner, who did not wish to be named, said she had been “stung” financially by the lockdown and may have to close the store in future due to a lack of customers.

She said she had to seek advice after discussions about rent support with her landlord broke down and that Harrogate was a “ghost town” and the financial situation may lead her to reconsider the future of the store.

She said: “I cannot just keep going for face value.

“The high street is suffering and Harrogate is already a ghost town.”

Despite these difficult times, there is no place for small businesses to turn to for support when negotiations with landlords prove to be difficult.

Retail in Crisis

This week we report on Retail In Crisis as stores prepare to reopen after lockdown.

Over the coming days, we will look at the fear of shoppers returning to the High Street, how trade associations are working to entice customers into Harrogate and the long view of the future of retail in the town.

Tomorrow, we look at shoppers anxieties over returning to shopping in town.

Council plans for leisure have ‘no overwhelming support’, say Unions

Union bosses in Harrogate have claimed there is no overwhelming public support for council-run leisure services to be handed over to an arms-length company.

Officials from Unison have sought further information on the proposal after they say they have had no contact from the authority on the matter.

Harrogate Borough Council has consulted with residents on plans to hand over services to an authority-run company which it says will save £400,000 a year.

It comes as the council faces an estimated £15 million deficit as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

Read more on this story:

If given the go-ahead, it would mean facilities such as Harrogate Hydro, the Turkish Baths and Ripon Leisure Centre would be run by the new company.

But unions say they fear that the move could lead to job losses and have requested further information on the survey carried out by the council.

A spokesperson for Unison Harrogate Local Government Branch said today: 

“To date Unison, have had no proactive contact from the council on the LACC, either before or after the consultation period ended.

“We do not believe there is overwhelming public support for such a change so we are seeking further information.

“We have recently requested information on how many residents had previously stated the cost of sport and leisure was too high (at 37p a week), which the council have said is one of the drivers of the move to a LACC.

“We have also requested to know how many residents have responded to the recent survey and what the responses are.

“We do know staff are worried because there has been an increase in our membership in sport and leisure since the proposal became public and our concerns remain around changes to terms and conditions, together with pension provision if staff transfer over.  There should be no doubt that this can happen if the council ultimately decides to go ahead with the transfer.”

Harrogate Borough Council has been approached for comment.

Council Stray repairs contract given under ‘urgent circumstances’

A controversial council decision to bring in Lancashire based contractors to restore West Park Stray was made under “urgent circumstances” – seven months after the UCI World Cycling Championships.

Details seen by The Stray Ferret show the six-month contract handed to Glendale Services is worth an estimated £40,926.29 and was a direct appointment by the council in April, meaning it was not put out to competitive tender.

At the time, the decision to outsource to Glendale was met with fierce criticism from local contractors who said they were “absolutely disgusted” that they weren’t invited to tender for the work.

Harrogate Borough Council brought in the Chorley-based company to restore the Stray which was left with a £130,000 repair bill following the cycling championships.

Glendale have since started reseeding work, which council bosses say will be complete by September.

Read more:

Liberal Democrat county councillor, Geoff Webber, who asked the borough council through a Freedom of Information request about the contract, said he was disappointed that there was no competition for the work.

He said: “It is particularly disappointing to see this contact go to an ‘out of area’ company when the county council has been running a campaign for individuals and businesses to ‘shop local’.  

“I understand that there were at least two reputable local companies who could have carried out this work, possibly cheaper, but were not even given the chance to tender.”

 

Aerial shot of The Stray taken recently yet to be seeded.

Mark Smith, Managing Director of local contractor HACS, described the urgent decision as “rubbish”.

He told The Stray Ferret:

“I’ve never heard of such rubbish in my life. How could an event that happened last Autumn be urgent?

“They had six months from when the damage was done to appoint a contractor. We’ve had the driest spring on record so if a contractor had been appointed earlier they could have hit the ground running and seeded it earlier. Now, they’ve missed the optimum Spring sowing date for grass seed.”

The council expects the overall works to the Stray to cost £129,971:

Yorkshire 2019, the organisers of the UCI, has agreed to pay £35,500 to help restore the Stray.

Harrogate Borough Council has been approached for comment on the urgent decision, but had not responded at the time of publication.

Debenhams to reopen Harrogate store as lockdown eases

Debenhams will reopen its Harrogate store on June 15 as retailers in the town centre gear up to bounce back after lockdown is eased.

The department store is preparing to open 50 of its outlets across the UK with strict social distancing measures in place.

Non-essential stores, such as clothing shops and electronic outlets, will be allowed to reopen as of June 15 as lockdown restrictions are relaxed further.

It comes as the future of Debenhams store in Parliament Street was thrown into doubt after the company filed for administration back in April.

Read more:

Now, the store will reopen with Perspex shields at tills and PPE in place for staff as part of social distancing guidelines.

Steven Cook, chief executive of Debenhams, said the company was looking forward to opening again:

”We are delighted to be welcoming customers back to our stores in the coming weeks. 

“From the installation of perspex screens at till points to the roll-out of social distancing procedures and PPE, we have been working hard to ensure our colleagues and customers can work and shop with confidence. 

“Our reopening plans follow the successful conclusion of lease negotiations on 120 stores, meaning that the vast majority of our stores will be reopening.”

Harrogate hospital discharges 118 coronavirus patients

Harrogate District Hospital has discharged 118 patients who tested positive for coronavirus – an increase of nine on last week.

The latest news, announced this afternoon, comes as the hospital also reported one new patient death with Covid-19, in today’s NHS figures.

It takes the total number of deaths at Harrogate and District NHS Trust to 67.

Read more:

Meanwhile, a further 115 patients who tested positive for coronavirus have died in hospitals across England.

#teamHDFT #thankyouNHS pic.twitter.com/qhGUlqciUL

— Harrogate NHS FT (@HarrogateNHSFT) June 4, 2020

NHS England said those who died were aged between 26 and 100 years old. Of that number, five patients had no underlying health conditions.

It means that the total death toll nationally in hospitals stands at 27,159.

Harrogate’s deep clean starts on Monday

Harrogate town centre is set to undergo a deep clean next week ahead of non-essential retail shops reopening after 10 weeks of lockdown.

Harrogate BID has contracted Yorkshire-based UK Nationwide Cleaning Services for the work which will be carried out from Monday (June 8).

The four-year contract will see the company power wash pavements and street furniture on a night and is expected to take two weeks to complete.

Read more on this story

It comes as non-essential shops, such as clothing stores and electronic outlets, will reopen from June 15 as the lockdown is eased.

Simon Kent, Harrogate BID interim-manager, said:

“In a recent survey of the town centre businesses, the vast majority of those who responded said their number one priority was a deep clean. I’m delighted to say that we are now just days away from fulfilling this.

“We have awarded this contract to UK Nationwide Cleaning Services. The company is no stranger to this type of work, as they already work with BIDs across the UK.

“From next week, life will slowly start to get back to normal, and we want Harrogate to look superb. The deep cleaning will be a major fact in helping us achieving this.”

Meanwhile, Harrogate Borough Council has been handed £141,000 as part of the European Union Regional Development Fund to help reopen high streets safely.

The money is designed to fund measures such as new signs, temporary barriers, street markings and marketing campaigns to reassure people that High Streets are safe. However, the authority said a plan for the money is still being devised.

Primark announces it will reopen Harrogate store

Primark’s Harrogate store is set to reopen on June 15 after more than 10 weeks of closure due to the coronavirus outbreak.

The company is among the first non-essential chain outlets to announce it will reopen a week on Monday as lockdown measures are eased.

Bosses at the company announced that it is working to reopen all 153 stores across England with extensive social distancing measures in place. Under government guidelines, non-essential retail stores, such as clothes shops and electronic outlets, will be able to reopen from June 15.

Read more

Social distancing measures will include limited customers in store, hand sanitiser for shoppers and Perspex screens at tills to protect staff. Every second till in stores will be closed and face masks and gloves will be made available to Primark employees.

Paul Marchant, chief executive at Primark, said the company wanted to ensure that stores were safe for both staff and customers:

“We know that life for our customers is going to look different for a while. We want our stores to be safe and reassuring places to shop and work. While it might take a little longer to get into our stores, once inside, customers will find all their favourite Primark products and we have worked hard to make sure that clear signage and extra help will be there to guide them through the changes we have made to allow for social distancing. 

“We will adopt all government safety advice as a minimum in our stores and have benefited from our experience in the other markets in Europe where we have already opened successfully. As we open, we will continue to look at best practice across the retail sector and amend our measures appropriately. 

“I would like to thank all of our colleagues and partners for the commitment, strength and resilience they have shown through these challenging times.” 

RHS Harlow Carr sees spike in online bookings

RHS Harlow Carr has seen a spike in demand for places at its gardens ahead of reopening on Monday.

The RHS saw delays on its online booking system yesterday as a high volume of people flocked to the website to book spaces to its gardens.

The gardens will be open from 10am until 4pm, but people must pre-book a space in order to limit the amount of people attending.

Due to high levels of interest you may experience delays in the online booking process; please bear with us. Please note you will not be allowed entry without confirmation of your booking. pic.twitter.com/VI5xUvpEHG

— RHS Harlow Carr (@RHSHarlowCarr) May 29, 2020

Safety measures will also be in place including floor markings for social distancing, screens at the checkouts, hand sanitiser for visitors and staff and a no cash policy.

A statement on the RHS Gardens website said:

“Our foremost priority remains the health and safety of our members, visitors and staff and we will do everything possible to ensure all government social distancing measures are followed.

“All visitors will be required to pre-book a timed entry slot in advance of their visit and visitor numbers entering the gardens will be limited.”

Meanwhile, National Trust attractions in the Harrogate district will remain closed this weekend.

It means that Brimham Rocks and Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal Water Garden, Ripon, will not be open for people to travel to as the trust plans a gradual reopening of its attractions in the coming weeks.

Brimham Rocks will remain closed to the public until further notice.

The National Trust is set to reopen some of its smaller gardens and parklands from June 3 and advanced bookings will be required to maintain public safety.

Newby Hall and Gardens, Ripon, will remain closed to visitors. A statement on its website said it was working hard to reopen “as soon as possible”.

Further afield, Bolton Abbey Estate reported that it sold out tickets for the estate yesterday and urged people not to visit.