26 more coronavirus cases as Harrogate remains in tier two

Another 26 coronavirus cases were confirmed in the Harrogate district as the area escaped tougher tier restrictions today.

The number takes the district’s total amount of cases since the start of the pandemic to 4,056, according to Public Health England data.

The district’s seven-day case average to December 20 has increased to 93 infections per 100,000 people but remains the lowest in the county.

The county wide average stands at 142 compared with the national rate of 341.

Ouseburn, Hammerton and Tockwith is the worst affected part of the district, with 20 infections recorded in the last seven days. Harrogate West and Pannal is the next highest, with 15.

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It comes as Matt Hancock, the health secretary, announced that more parts of England will be moved into tier four from Boxing Day.

Minsters discussed further restrictions today amid fears that a new variant of coronavirus is spreading.

However, North Yorkshire will remain in tier two.

Harrogate district escapes tier change in latest review

The Harrogate district is to remain in tier two as millions more people in England learned this afternoon they will be put under tougher restrictions on Boxing Day.

In a 3pm government coronavirus update, Health Secretary Matt Hancock announced that huge swathes of the country will be moved up tiers on December 26.

Essex, Norfolk, Sussex, Surrey, Oxfordshire and Hampshire will go into tier four.

Bristol, Gloucestershire, Somerset, Swindon, Isle of Wight, New Forest, Northamptonshire, Cheshire and Warrington will enter tier three restrictions.

And Cornwall and Herefordshire will move into tier two,

Minsters discussed further restrictions today amid fears that a new variant of coronavirus is spreading.

Mr Hancock said this wasn’t the news he wanted to deliver at Christmas. He added:

“Just as we have got a tiered system in place, we have discovered a new more contagious virus, a variant which is spreading at a dangerous rate.”

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Mr Hancock also announced all data on the Oxford vaccine has been submitted to the UK’s medicine regulator for approval.

Public health bosses in North Yorkshire warned this week people should brace themselves for the new variant.

They also warned that Scarborough’s case rate could see the county moved up to tier three if not brought under control.

Scarborough has the highest case rate in the county with 269 infections per 100,000 people; the Harrogate district has the lowest at 89.

The county’s seven-day case average currently stands at 139 per 100,000 people, below that of the England average at 319.

32 new coronavirus cases on the day Harrogate vaccination site opens

A further 32 cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in the Harrogate district, but the average rate of infection remains the lowest in the county.

Today’s figure from Public Health England takes the district’s total number of cases since the start of the pandemic beyond the 4,000 mark to 4,030.

It comes as the seven-day average continues to increase in parts of North Yorkshire. Scarborough is the highest, with 269 infections per 100,000 people.

Harrogate’s figure, for the seven days to December 19, is 89 — the lowest of the seven districts in North Yorkshire.

The county-wide average is 139 and the England average is 319.

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Meanwhile, today saw the Great Yorkshire Showground in Harrogate open its doors for the first people to receive the coronavirus vaccine.

A woman called Ann, who is 83 years old, was among the first through the door to receive the jab.

People aged over 80, care home residents and care home staff are first in line for the vaccine.

The NHS has said people will be contacted directly when their time comes and urged them not to contact their GP.

Two A1 service station appeals to be heard in New Year

The government is set to hear two appeals for motorway service stations to be built in the Harrogate district.

Separate proposals would see services built along the A1(M): one at Kirby Hill, between junctions 48 and 49 and the other near Ripon at junction 50.

Both developers, Applegreen and Moto Hospitality, have appealed the decisions by Harrogate Borough Council to refuse the plans.

A spokesperson for the Planning Inspectorate, the government agency that deals with planning appeals, said the first inquiry for Kirby will be held in February and the second will follow shortly afterwards.

The spokesperson said that both would be considered by one inspector “in the interests of efficiency” as they have common issues and are within the same authority area.

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Both applications were met with a backlash from residents.

Kirky Hill Residents Against Motorway Services, a residents group set up to oppose a service station near the village, says the scheme is “socially and environmentally irresponsible” and has called for Applegreen to drop its plans.

The plan was rejected in November 2019 and an appeal was due to be heard this year, but was delayed because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Moto Hospitality’s plans for a new filling station, small hotel, food and retail unit were rejected by councillors in October.

Hewick and Hutton Parish Council objected to the plans and said there was “no need” for another service station.

In a decision notice explaining its refusal, the borough council said:

“The proposal is outside development limits and represents an unsustainable development that would result in a significant encroachment into open countryside causing harm to the landscape in conflict with policies EC3 (A & C), GS3 and NE4 of the Harrogate District Local Plan.”

The Stray Ferret contacted Moto for comment, but had not received a response at the time of publication.

Applegreen said previously it was not appropriate to comment until the appeal had been heard.

Killinghall bypass proposed as part of plans to tackle congestion

Plans for a Killinghall bypass look set to be put forward as part of a wider set of measures to tackle congestion in the Harrogate district.

The other measures include improvements to the A61 and A59, closing off residential streets in Bilton and creating a park and ride for the south of Harrogate.

North Yorkshire County Council conducted a study last year to find ways to ease congestion in the Harrogate district.

The study found fierce opposition to building a western relief road that would have included bypassed Killinghall. That idea is now off the table.

But the idea of a standalone bypass for Killinghall will be put to the council’s Harrogate and Knaresborough area committee on January 7.

A report to the committee says the current bypass proposal would cost less to construct than the relief road and would offer “high value for money”.

It recommends councillors add the plan to the authority’s list of major projects, which would require funding from the Department for Transport.

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Cllr Don Mackenzie, executive member for access at the county council, told the Stray Ferret the scheme would need to develop a business case to secure funding.

Cllr Mackenzie said:

“A relief road is what we were proposing but 80% of people did not want it.

“There will be various business cases. There is always funding available from government and we would expect the Killinghall bypass to be a separate business case.”

Closing Bilton streets

The committee will also consider closing some streets in Bilton to create low traffic neighbourhoods to encourage people to make shorter journeys by walking or cycling.

A park and ride to the south of Harrogate near to the A61 has also been identified. 

However, council officers are expected to develop the proposal further with an existing bus service in order for the scheme to be financially viable.

The county council also wants to improve the A59 and A61 for pedestrians, cyclists and public transport.

A further report on the finances of the projects is expected to brought before the county council in spring 2021.

Harrogate needs mental health crisis team ‘at earliest opportunity’

A mental health crisis team needs to return to Harrogate “at the earliest possible opportunity”, according to health bosses.

Harrogate District Hospital’s Briary Wing, which offered specialist inpatient care for people suffering with mental health problems, closed in April.

Inpatient mental health services transferred to York.

The adult and children crisis teams, which support people with mental health problems who may otherwise need to go to hospital and includes 29 staff, relocated to Ripon after officials were unable to identify alternative accommodation in Harrogate.

Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust, which runs mental health services for the Harrogate district, has conceded the move out of town “cannot be sustained in the long term”.

The quote is contained in a report due before North Yorkshire County Council’s health scrutiny panel this week.

The report also says the trust “fully acknowledged” that the service should be moved back to Harrogate “at the earliest possible opportunity”.

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About 300 people a month use the crisis team for advice, support and assessment.

Naomi Lonergan, TEWV director of operations for North Yorkshire and York told the Stray Ferret: 

“A lot of work was carried out to find new accommodation for the crisis teams in Harrogate. Unfortunately at the time there weren’t suitable premises that could accommodate both teams and allow them to work together in providing interventions.

“As a short term solution we transferred the team to a suitable space at our existing trust premises at The Orchards, Ripon. However work is underway to identify potential sites and explore all possible solutions to accommodate crisis teams to enable them to deliver a service across Harrogate and rural district.

“Whilst the team base is in Ripon, our priority is always to maintain face-to-face contact and see people who need crisis interventions in their homes or as close to home as possible. Most people accessing our crisis services continue to be seen in the Harrogate area.

“We have identified rooms in the Harrogate community bases to enable face-to-face contact, as well as using increased community investment in team members to enable more home visits where needed. Where clinically appropriate we are also offering attend anywhere virtual consultations too.”

North Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group, which buys medical services for the county, said the transfer of inpatient beds “released £500,000”, which could be invested in community mental health services.

Have you been affected by this change in mental health services? Get in touch at contact@thestrayferret.co.uk.

Twelve further coronavirus cases confirmed in Harrogate district

A further 12 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in the Harrogate District in the last 24 hours, according to Public Health England.

It takes the total number of cases up to 3,863.

Meanwhile, the district’s seven-day average, which is the rate up to December 10, stands at 78 per 100,000 people.

It represents a further drop in the rate recently and puts the district third lowest in the county.

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The R number rose from 0.4 to 0.5 over the weekend after falling consistently since early November.

It means every 10 people infected pass on covid to five others, which means the virus is still diminishing in the district but at a slower rate.

While North Yorkshire’s cases have remained low, it seems likely that the county will remain in tier two.

Last week, local public health bosses said they hoped the county would be downgraded after Christmas.

Harrogate business sets up Irish company as Brexit contingency

A Harrogate business has set up a company in Ireland ahead of Brexit in case trade talks “go horribly wrong”.

David Kinsey, owner of The Kinsey Partnership which distributes golf clothing and headwear worldwide, said he was confident his business will survive any outcome of Brexit.

It comes as today is the last day of crunch talks between the UK and European Union over a post-Brexit trade deal.

Mr Kinsey said he felt the outcome of the talks were “up the air”, but added that he would want to see a deal reached.

He said:

“I would like to see a smooth, easy transition like most would.

“I personally think everybody wants us to get a deal. I am sure all the nations in Europe want us to get a trade deal.”

The Kinsey Partnership imports and exports golf goods to shops and golf resorts in countries like Ireland, Sweden and the United Arab Emirates.

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Mr Kinsey said, while he cannot plan ahead due to the uncertainty of the trade talks, he had set up a company in Ireland as a contingency.

“I’m in a position where I have set up a company in Ireland, just in case that is something we need in case things go horribly wrong and we can ship and import into Ireland if we have to.”

While the Brexit talks has caused uncertainty for trade, Mr Kinsey said coronavirus has caused the company bigger problems due to a shutdown on people playing golf.

He said the virus has been a “much bigger issue” on stock and trade.

Meanwhile, last week, North Yorkshire County Council played down fears that food is being stockpiled at schools and care homes to prepare for the end of the Brexit transition period.

NYCC released a Brexit risk assessment, published in September, which states that “there is significant risk of delays at ports that will impact supply chains” and that the authority is evaluating capacity for frozen food storage.

The Stray Ferret asked the county council to update us on its plans for Brexit. In a statement, NYCC said it is “managing any adverse impact” that may arise from Brexit, but said this did not involve stockpiling food.

It comes Prime Minister Boris Johnson and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen set a deadline for today tor each an agreement on trade talks.

Both Mr Johnson and the EU warned earlier this week that a no deal scenario was a likely outcome.

If no agreement is reached and ratified by December 31 then the UK and EU could impose tariffs on each others goods.

If your company is affected by Brexit in any way, the Stray Ferret wants to hear from you. Get in touch on contact@thetstrayferret.co.uk.

Harrogate hospital set for £800,000 maintenance upgrades

Harrogate and District Foundation Trust has been allocated £800,000 for hospital maintenance in a funding announcement from the government.

The Department of Health and Social Care has awarded £600 million across 174 health trusts aimed at tackling critical improvements for hospitals.

It comes as part of a wider £1.5 billion fund announced earlier this year, which also includes plans to modernise mental health facilities, expand A&E capacity and improve infection control ahead of winter.

A total of 1,800 projects have been funded, with six granted funding in Harrogate.

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The trust said the funds will help to tackle backlog maintenance work, including upgrades to the hospital’s water and fire systems.

Harrogate Integrated Facilities (HIF), a subsidiary of the trust which deals with the hospital’s estates, will carry out the work.

Jonathan Coulter, deputy chief executive and director of finance at Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust and chief executive of HIF, said: 

“We’re really pleased to have received these additional funds. They allow us to invest in backlog maintenance and improve the Harrogate District Hospital environment. It is much needed, and very welcome.

“The money is going towards vital upgrades to water systems, fire systems and lifts as well as the resurfacing of the goods yard.”

Matt Hancock, secretary of state for health and social care, said:

“Alongside delivering on our manifesto commitment to build 40 new hospitals and 20 major hospital upgrades across the country, this investment will help our NHS build back better.

“These crucial maintenance projects will deliver immediate benefits and provide NHS staff with the facilities they need to provide world-class care to their patients this winter, helping ensure the NHS is always there for you when you need it.”

In August, the trust also received £527,000 to help increase capacity at Harrogate hospital’s accident and emergency department.

Just 21 new coronavirus cases in Harrogate district

A further 21 coronavirus cases were confirmed in the Harrogate District in the last 24 hours, according to Public Health England figures.

It takes the total amount of cases since the start of the pandemic up to 3,782.

Meanwhile, the district’s seven-day average, which is the rate up to December 6, increased to 95 per 100,000 people.

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The county-wide rate stands at 104, below the national average of 154.

It comes as seven sites across North Yorkshire are set to offer the coronavirus vaccine next week.

North Yorkshire CCG, which buys medical services for the county, will provide further details when they are finalised.