Harrogate strip club granted licence renewal

Harrogate Borough Council has renewed the sexual entertainment licence of the town’s Kings Club.

Kings Club, on Oxford Street, which is the town’s only strip club, has been given permission to continue topless pole dancing, topless stage strip tease and full nudity lap dancing.

The borough council’s licensing committee met on Wednesday to make the decision.

Councillors dealt with the application in private session. But the authority confirmed that the licence was renewed with conditions.

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The government closed all clubs in March and has not yet given them the green light to reopen. This licence renewal is a sign that Kings Club is confident in its return after a few difficult months.

When the Kings Club closed it said that it will reopen as soon as possible to “restart the party”. The club added in its announcement:

“We are grateful to the government for the financial support they have so far offered which will soften the financial blow for our staff and management. We look forward to the party of the decade when we return.”

Care home visits to be restricted across Harrogate

Visits to care homes across the Harrogate District will be restricted after a rise in coronavirus cases.

Richard Webb, director of health and adult services at North Yorkshire County Council, said homes in Harrogate, Scarborough and Selby will be asked to restrict visits for the next seven days.

It follows a rise in cases in North Yorkshire which led to the county declaring a “major incident” earlier this week.

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Mr Webb apologised for the measure, but added it was “necessary” in light of increased cases.

He said in a series of tweets last night:

“Tonight am writing letters to care homes, asking some of them to restrict visiting in some areas because of rising tide of covid cases.

“Please do all you can to prevent the spread of this virus so that care homes don’t have to go into lockdown.

“We are asking care homes in three areas (Harrogate, Selby and Scarborough districts) to restrict care home visiting for the next seven days and will then be reviewed. I am sorry to do this but it is a necessary precaution because of rising covid-19 infections”

Just to clarify: we are asking care homes in 3 areas (Harrogate, Selby and Scarborough districts) to restrict care home visiting for the next 7 days and will then be reviewed. I am sorry to do this but it is a necessary precaution because of rising #COVID19 infections 1/2

— Richard Webb (@RichardWebbNY) September 17, 2020

Mr Webb said the measure would be reviewed after the seven day period.

He added that the county council will set up a task group with care providers, care home residents and the county council to develop a more secure way to enable visits.

Council to issue more wheelchair taxi licences to tackle shortfall

The number of hackney carriage licences in Harrogate looks set to increase for the first time in 30 years to improve taxi options for people with disabilities and those who require wheelchairs.

Harrogate Borough Council has licensed 148 hackney carriage cabs since around 1988 but only 11 have wheelchair access.

A council study in March found wheelchair users faced “increasing difficulty obtaining the services” of suitable taxis.

At a licensing committee meeting last night, the local authority pledged to take action.

Cllr John Mann, a member of the committee, said he felt the number of dedicated wheelchair vehicle licences needed to be increased.

He said:

“I think this is a very difficult issue and it is replicated across the district and in other big towns.

“I do think we need to increase the supply of wheelchair vehicles for wheelchair users. At the same time, we need to protect the sustainability of the local taxi trade.”

Because the council caps the number of hackney carriage licenses, the only way to obtain one is to buy an existing vehicle – which the council said can inflate the price by £10,000 or more.

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In a letter to the council’s licensing committee, Garry Sadler-Simpson, chairman of Mainline Taxi Association, said it could be difficult to recruit drivers for wheelchair accessible vehicles because the vehicles were less profitable.

The vehicles cost more to buy, he said, and generated at least a quarter less per mile than saloon cabs. He added:

“Add to this the length of time spent on each job making sure your passenger is comfortable and safe at both sides of each job and it can be another reason for drivers of these vehicles taking far less money than their standard car workmates. 

“It does not take too long for some to want to move on to other vehicles.”

However, Mr Sadler-Simpson added the issue needed to be resolved.

The council agreed to issue 12 more licences for wheelchair accessible hackney carriages to increase supply. It said it would review the impact of the new licences in 12 months time.

Although the council cannot force taxi firms to provide more journeys to wheelchair users, it said its measures would help to increase supply.

The committee also agreed that the maximum length of a hackney carriage with wheelchair access should be increased to 5.2 metres and that the council continue to publish contact details of firms which offer wheelchair accessible taxis.

A further report will come back to the committee with more detail on the proposal at a later date before a final decision is made at a full council meeting.

Heroin seized and three arrested in suspected Harrogate drug deal

Police arrested three men in Harrogate yesterday after plain clothed officers intercepted a suspected drug deal.

Officers from North Yorkshire Police made the arrests after they were on patrol in the Montpellier Hill area.

After stopping and searching three men, they recovered a large amount of suspected heroin and cash.

Three men from Harrogate, aged 37 and two aged 45, were arrested on suspicion of possessing class A drugs with intent to supply. One 45-year-old was also arrested on suspicion of possessing criminal property.

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The suspects have been released while under investigation.

Police also seized 30 wraps of suspected heroin, £600 cash and a number of mobile phones and scales in the region as part of the investigation.

Detective Constable Tom Barker, who works on the force’s Operation Expedite team, said: 

“We continue to focus our efforts on the disruption of county lines drugs gangs, focusing on safeguarding those most vulnerable in society and making life difficult for the criminals who choose to exploit them.

“Yesterday’s action is one example of the relentless work going on to target drugs and the misery it brings to our communities. We urge anyone with any information about drug dealing to contact the police or Crimestoppers anonymously. We will take action.”

Police have issued an appeal after a member of the public assisted police officers at the scene by pointing out discarded, suspected drugs.

Anyone with information is asked to call 101 and ask for Harrogate CID. Or pass information to the Force Control Room for incident number 12200161830.

Coronavirus cases in North Yorkshire below national average

The rate of coronavirus cases in North Yorkshire remains below the national average, despite concerns about an increase in infections.

A monthly meeting of North Yorkshire Outbreak Management Advisory board will hear tomorrow that the rate of cases in the county stands at a cumulative total of 497 per 100,000 population.

The overall rate for England is 569 per 100,000 population.

Public health bosses issued a plea last week for people to be vigilant and continue to social distance after an increase in coronavirus infections in North Yorkshire, particularly in the Harrogate, Scarborough and Selby districts.

The Harrogate district has seen a rise in cases in recent weeks, reaching a daily high of 21 on September 7, according to Public Health England figures.

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The cumulative rate of cases in the Harrogate district stands at 544 per 100,000 population. This is below neighbouring Leeds, which is on 695 cases. 

Leeds was made an “area of enhanced support” after its seven-day rate up to September 8 reached 69.7 cases per 100,000 people.

It means the city is receiving additional support and resources for testing.

Dr Lincoln Sargaent, director of public health at North Yorkshire County Council, last week urged people to to “avoid unnecessary interactions” to prevent the spread of the virus, particularly among young people.

County council bosses have urged residents to follow the government’s new ‘rule of six’, which forbids social gatherings of more than six people except in certain circumstances.

Chief inspector Charlotte Bloxham, North Yorkshire Police, said residents had “responded brilliantly” in previous months and expected the same response with the new rule.

She said:

“It’s vital that we react quickly to this advice and do everything we can to prevent the spread of the virus, as we all know how dangerous and devastating covid can be.”

How Harrogate district MPs voted on post-Brexit bill

Two of the MPs who cover the Harrogate District voted for the government’s Internal Market Bill last night, which will attempt to override the post-Brexit withdrawal agreement.

Andrew Jones, Harrogate and Knaresborough MP, and Nigel Adams, Selby and Ainsty MP, voted in line with the government despite concerned letters from their constituents this past week.

However, Julian Smith, Skipton and Ripon MP, was among the MPs, including Theresa May and Sir Keir Starmer, who either abstained or did not vote.

The legislation sparked controversy after Northern Ireland secretary, Brandon Lewis, said it would break international law in a “specific and limited way”. Mr Smith is the former Northern Ireland secretary, in office from July 2019 to February this year.

The bill passed the House of Commons on its first hurdle last night by 77 votes, 340 MPs voted for the legislation while 263 voted against.

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It will now go to committee stage and face further votes in the Commons before it goes to the House of Lords.

The Stray Ferret had previously contacted all three MPs for their views on the matter, but received no response.

Five former Prime Ministers have spoken out against the plan, including David Cameron, Theresa May and Gordon Brown.

What is the Internal Market Bill?

After the UK left the EU on January 31 it signed a withdrawal agreement.

The agreement included a Northern Ireland Protocol, which was designed to prevent a hard border returning to the island of Ireland.

The Internal Market Bill attempts to override parts of the agreement and would allow the UK to modify or reinterpret state aid rules if the two sides do not strike a future trade deal.

Harrogate district MPs silent over post-Brexit bill

All three of the MPs covering the Harrogate district have remained silent about tonight’s vote on the government’s Internal Market Bill.

The Stray Ferret contacted Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones, Skipton and Ripon MP Julian Smith and Selby and Ainsty MP Nigel Adams for their views on the bill, but has yet to receive a response.

MPs are set to vote on the legislation at its second reading tonight.

The bill seeks to override some aspects of the UK’s withdrawal agreement with the European Union.

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Northern Ireland secretary, Brandon Lewis, has said it would break international law in a “specific and limited way”.

Some Conservative MPs are expected to vote against the bill or abstain.

Patrick Milne, who lives in Harrogate, has sent the Stray Ferret a copy of an email he has written to Mr Jones asking him to confirm that he would uphold the rule of law.

The email says:

“Could you please confirm that as lawfully elected Parliamentary representative for Harrogate and Knaresborough, you will at all times support and defend the rule of law, domestic and international?

“Could you also please confirm that you will never, under any circumstances, support or vote in favour of any action which breaks, or proposes to break the law, even in a ‘very specific and limited way’?”

Five former Prime Ministers have spoken out against the government’s plan. David Cameron said today that breaking an international treaty should be a “final resort”.

Sir John Major, Theresa May, Tony Blair and Gordon Brown have also criticised the government.

What is the Internal Market Bill?

After the UK left the EU on January 31 it signed a withdrawal agreement.

The agreement included a Northern Ireland Protocol, which was designed to prevent a hard border returning to the island of Ireland.

The Internal Market Bill attempts to override parts of the agreement and would allow the UK to modify or reinterpret state aid rules if the two sides do not strike a future trade deal.

Plans for new primary school in Knaresborough

North Yorkshire County Council is set to consult on a new primary school in Knaresborough.

In a report before the council tomorrow (September 15), the authority said it was minded to build a new school in response to growth in housing in the town.

It comes as 600 new homes are to be built at Manse Farm in the town. The new school is proposed to be a free school with 210 places as well as a nursery.

County councillors granted planning permission for the school back in June and will decide tomorrow whether to consult on taking the development forward. The report advises that it is “good practice” to consult the community on the specifics of the new school proposal, even after the planning process has been completed.

If approved, the consultation will run for four weeks from September 23. The county council will also consult on a new school for Northallerton.

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The authority said the intention was to open the schools in September 2022, however this will be kept under review in light of the uncertainty caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

The report due before councillors tomorrow said:

“The county council is planning to maintain school place sufficiency in Knaresborough and Northallerton through the addition of two new primary schools. 

“These are primarily to serve housing growth through two main sites known locally as Manse Farm, Knaresborough, and North Northallerton.”

Conservative councillor speaks out against James Street pedestrianisation

A Conservative Harrogate borough councillor has spoken out against plans to temporarily pedestrianise James Street.

Cllr Nick Brown, who represents the Bishop Munkton and Newby ward, said it was “not the time to deliver a further body blow” to retail in the town.

While Cllr Brown has positioned himself as a “lone voice” in opposition to the plans, it is not the first time he has spoken out against the issue.

At an Overview and Scrutiny meeting last month, he told Conservative council leader, Cllr Richard Cooper, that the coronavirus pandemic was not a reason to start the trial run for pedestrianisation.

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North Yorkshire County Council, which is the highways authority, is expected to implement a temporary pedestrianisation of James Street at the request of the borough council.

The measure has already been met with fierce criticism from landlords and store managers, including former England and Leeds United star Danny Mills.

Now, Cllr Brown has broken rank and criticised the move which forms a part of the council’s masterplan for the town centre.

He said:

“Much has changed in retail since 2016, with the rise of Internet shopping, accelerated by the covid lockdown since March this year. 

“Sadly, retail in central Harrogate is suffering badly. Now is not the time to deliver it a further body blow by pedestrianising the town centre. 

“I believe that the 2016 masterplan, which promotes further widespread pedestrianisation in central Harrogate, is totally out of date and will not serve local businesses well. It may be relevant and have merit sometime in the future but certainly not now, when our retailers need all the help from us that they can get.”

Cllr Brown questioned what economic modelling had been done for the pedestrianisation and whether the consultation for the move was sufficient.

Harrogate Borough Council has maintained that the temporary pedestrianisation was for “social distancing and safety purposes”.

A spokesperson for the council said:

“The proposal to temporarily pedestrianise part of James Street, that already has parking restrictions in place, is to support existing social distancing measures during the continuing covid-19 pandemic and allow people to feel safe when visiting the town centre.

“There is also a wealth of evidence that suggests pedestrianisation supports town centres, increases footfall, reduces vacancy rates, supports local businesses and is viewed positively by visitors.”

Cllr Don Mackenzie, executive county councillor for access, previously defended the the measure and said it was “timely and appropriate”.

Call for ‘greater vigilance’ amid Harrogate covid increase

North Yorkshire public health bosses have urged greater vigilance following an increase in coronavirus cases across the county, including in Harrogate.

The county council issued a statement today saying there had been a “significant rise in cases during the last week, particularly among young people”.

The statement added that “increases have been seen across the county, but particularly in the Selby, Scarborough and Harrogate districts”.

Between September 1 and 7 the Harrogate district saw 28 new cases.

Infections, however, remain low compared with areas such as Leeds, which is on the government’s covid watchlist.

A total of 825 cases have been confirmed in Harrogate since the start of the pandemic, a cumulative rate of 513 per 100,000. This compares with a total of 5,021 cases in Leeds at a rate of 633 per 100,000 population.

The council’s plea today comes as the government is expected to formally announce a ban on social gatherings of more than six people from Monday.

The new rule will prohibit people gathering indoors and outdoors, but with exceptions for weddings, funerals, christenings and workplaces.

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Carl Les, leader of North Yorkshire County Council, said:

“We are seeing an escalation in the number of cases. While this remains lower than in some neighbouring towns and cities, such as Middlesbrough and Leeds, there is no room for complacency.

“Now is the time that we must all follow the guidance to protect ourselves and each other. We don’t want people to be over-anxious, but everyone needs to be vigilant. The sacrifices people have made during the pandemic were outstanding and we must all stick to the guidance to avoid a second spike.”

Meanwhile, Dr Lincoln Sargeant, the council’s director of public health, called for people to limit unnecessary interactions.

He said:

“Avoid socialising outside of your social bubbles. In going about daily activities observe social distancing guidance and wear face coverings where it is not possible to maintain two metre social distance.

“We know some establishments have chosen to close as a precaution. We do not routinely recommend closure of a business unless this is necessary to prevent ongoing transmission linked to that business. 

“However, some businesses may choose to close temporarily to implement additional safety measures, including cleaning, or because staff members are self-isolating.”