Harrogate Borough Council’s days are numbered, admits leader

The leader of Harrogate Borough Council has conceded the authority will cease to exist after devolution.

Political leaders in North Yorkshire are locked in a debate over two future models of local government – neither of which includes HBC.

Speaking at a Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce meeting on Monday, HBC leader Cllr Richard Cooper, said:

“At the end of this process, there will be no Harrogate Borough Council in any way, shape or form.

“We came into this with an open mind. We are not battling to take on more powers and we have no vested interests.”

Cllr Cooper and Richard Flinton, chief executive of the county council, both said they had no “vested interest” in whatever model the government chooses as part of its plans to devolve local government.

The meeting comes as county council and district council officials have been presenting their proposals to the public and business leaders across the county.

Cllr Cooper addressed the chamber meeting on behalf of the county’s seven district authorities. which have opted for an east/west model,

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Cllr Cooper said he supported an overhaul of the council structure as the two-tier system was “costly”.

Cllr Cooper described the county council’s model, which would see a single authority covering North Yorkshire alongside the City of York, as a “continuity county council”.

But Mr Flinton said the authority did not have an interest in carrying on as it is and that the new authority would not be “a county council mark two”.

He said:

“This will be a totally new authority with a new way of operating.”

He added that his position, along with those of other senior council officers, would be open for applications under the new system.

The government is expected to publish a white paper on restructuring local government this autumn.

Under the government’s timetable, a new council could be in place as soon as 2022.

Earlier this week, Andrew Jones, Harrogate and Knaresborough MP, asked Simon Clarke, former local government minister, what the minimum population size for the unitary authorities would be.

However, Mr Clarke’s response did not give a figure. He added that the white paper would give more details on the matter.

District councillors are expected to vote on their model this month ahead of a submission to ministers.

Councils clash over local government shake-up plans

Council bosses have clashed over proposals for how North Yorkshire’s local councils should be organised in future as each looks to sell its vision to the public.

Last night, Cllr Carl Les, leader of the county council, and Cllr Richard Cooper, Harrogate Borough Council leader, along with chief executives of both authorities, addressed a virtual meeting of the Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce over the issue.

While both camps said they agreed that the county needed devolved powers, they differed over how to reorganise local government – which is a requirement from ministers to negotiate for devolution. The county council wants one single authority to govern the county, while the seven district leaders have outlined plans for two councils, splitting the county between east and west.

Cllr Cooper – who also sits on the county council – was critical of the county council’s existing services, saying he had been forced to go and pull weeds out of the road on Commercial Street himself because the authority had failed to do so. Richard Flinton, chief executive of the county council, said he would not be drawn into a “tit for tat” argument with the borough council, but pointed out that any restructure would create a completely new authority, rather than a continuation of the existing county council.

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He presented the authority’s case for a single council for the whole region except the City of York, which will remain as it is.

Mr Flinton argued that the proposal would not be centralised and would allow for more local powers through local action groups and devolving further powers to town and parish councils.

Richard Flinton, chief executive of the county council, made the authority’s case for a single council last night.

He added that the single council, which would cover 610,000 residents, would also save the most money at around £25 million a year, and serve rural areas better.

Mr Flinton said:

“What we need is a single service to deliver for those areas and to carry the cost of delivering in rural areas.

“We believe that the model we are putting forward will deliver more savings. I suspect that will be a dispute with the districts.”

The county council is working with PricewaterhouseCooper on its plans and Mr Flinton said the savings figure could change “once that piece of work is done”.

He added that a single council for a large county was “not unique” and had already been replicated elsewhere in Durham and Cornwall where districts have been scrapped in favour of one authority.

But Cllr Cooper, who has joined the six other district councils in devising an alternative proposal, said a single council alongside York would cause “disharmony and disfunction” in the new structure.

Both Cllr Cooper and Wallace Sampson, chief executive of the borough council, said there would be an “imbalance” in the county council’s plan. Mr Sampson said there needed to be “parity” between the two councils in the new structure.

Addressing the county council’s proposal, Mr Sampson said:

“There is a feeling that what is being proposed is a single model. There will be two authorities, but you will have one large and a relatively smaller York.

“We do not think that is good governance moving forward.”

Instead, the districts have proposed two councils – one in the east covering 465,000 people and another in the west which would cover 363,000.

Mr Sampson said the model would focus on being “as local as possible” and would have shared services across the two authorities. He added that the model, which has been devised between the district councils and KPMG, would save between £33 million and £53 million.

He said some services in York could be improved by joining with other councils into an east authority and that Harrogate would be better off economically under the district model.

It comes as government minsters have made a reduction in the number of councils in North Yorkshire a requirement of any devolution bid.

Councils across the county are currently in the process of agreeing a list of “asks” to submit to ministers, which propose £2 billion worth of investment as part of a devolution bid.

Union concerns over disabled teachers returning to district’s schools

Teachers’ unions have said they are concerned about the safety of teachers with disabilities returning to school in the Harrogate district. Most schools re-open tomorrow morning.

Sharon Calvert, local representative for the NASUWT Teachers’ Union, said the union had received particular concern from those who work in secondary schools.

It comes as pupils are set to return to school this week with a number of “significant changes” in place at schools across the district in an effort to abide by social distancing guidelines.

But Ms Calvert said unions are still concerned over the safety of vulnerable teachers who may be at risk from the virus and what procedures are in place to protect staff.

She said:

“The top and bottom of it is that teachers had concerns about returning to school and we have got issues with teachers who have disabilities.

“There is a lot of concern because it is the most vulnerable who are at risk. It seems to be that people who are disabled are ignored.”

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Union bosses said they have offered their members advice and guidance on returning to school, including a feedback form on the safety of their workplace.

It comes as schools across the district have put in place measures ahead of the return of pupils for the new term.

Measures include wearing face masks and separating year groups.

Among those to have announced the adaptations is Harrogate Grammar School with a number of “significant changes” in place to ensure safety and limit coronavirus outbreaks.

The school has reorganised classrooms and the cafeteria, staggered lunch and finish times and put in place a contingency plan for those needing to self-isolate. Additional cleaning staff have also been hired.

Meanwhile, North Yorkshire County Council has put on extra buses in the district in order to reduce the risk of coronavirus among pupils going back to school.

The Department for Education has said it is committed to ensuring that pupils and staff return safely to school.

Questions surround future of Harrogate’s Jaeger store

Questions surround the future of Harrogate’s Jaeger store after it has remained closed after lockdown restrictions were eased.

While other retailers have implemented social distancing measures and reopened, Jaeger has yet to let any customers back into its Cambridge Crescent outlet.

The Stray Ferret contacted Jaeger to ask if it intended to reopen and if any date was set for the return of shoppers, but did not receive a response.

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Prior to the pandemic, Jaeger’s parent company, Edinburgh Woolen Mill Group, narrowed its losses at the clothing outlet to £1.1 million and expanded its stores in 2019.

EWM Group added seven further stores and four concession outlets to its portfolio.

The upmarket retailer fell into administration and was acquired by EWM Group in 2017. The year before, the retailer recorded losses of £7.1 million.

Harrogate urged to continue social distancing as Leeds on watchlist

Public health bosses have urged people in Harrogate to continue to abide by social distancing guidance as Leeds is placed on the government’s coronavirus watchlist.

Dr Lincoln Sargaent, director of public health at North Yorkshire County Council, reassured that cases remain below average in the town and lower than that of Leeds.

It comes as the city was confirmed to be on Public Health England’s watchlist as an “area of concern” earlier today following an increase in cases to a weekly rate of 32 per 100,000 population.

The rate in cases in Harrogate currently stands at 12 per 100,000 with 19 confirmed in the past week.

Leeds City Council bosses said cases are spread across the city, meaning they may be linked to social interaction and leisure actives. 

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Officials added that cases were increasingly found in young people aged 18 to 34.

Dr Sargaent said residents in Harrogate, some of whom commute to Leeds for work and to socialise, should continue to abide by social distancing guidelines which remains as “important than ever”.

He said:

“We all need to continue to play our part in protecting ourselves and others to prevent the spread of covid-19. 

“The advice around hygiene and social distancing remains as important as ever. We must keep washing our hands regularly, avoid touching our faces and keep a safe distance from others.

“If you have symptoms, you must get a test. NHS tests are free and can be booked online via the NHS website or by calling 119.”

 

Meanwhile, Cllr Judith Blake, leader of Leeds City Council, urged visitors to the city to do their bit following a rise in covid cases.

The city being placed on the watchlist does not mean any further restrictions, but it may lead to further measures in the future if infections do not fall.

Cllr Blake said the city was approaching a “tipping point” and it was important for people to follow social distancing guidance.

She said:

“We have been working tirelessly with our partners and communities, doing everything within our power to keep the spread of this virus under control and to ensure Leeds stays open.

“However, we can’t accomplish that alone and this rise in infection rates means that inevitably, our window of opportunity is shrinking by the day and the city is rapidly approaching a tipping point.

“We completely understand that these past six months have put a tremendous strain on everyone in Leeds and that being able to get out, socialise and enjoy ourselves has provided a massive lift.

“But it is absolutely crucial that if we want to continue to do that, we all do it sensibly and responsibly and follow the latest guidance which is there to keep us all safe.”

Free flu jabs to begin in North Yorkshire

Health bosses in North Yorkshire have reassured vulnerable patients they will receive free flu jabs from this month.

GPs have begun to write to those classed as high risk, which includes care home residents, over 65s, pregnant women and frontline health staff, to invite them for the jab either this month or October.

People aged 50 to 64 who do not have a health condition are likely to be invited to receive jabs in November and December once high risk patients have been vaccinated.

Parents and carers of children from reception to year seven will also be contacted to seek consent for the jab as part of the school immunisation service.

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Health bosses at NHS North Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group and NHS Vale of York Clinical Commissioning Group have said patients who were high risk and shielding had expressed concern about being in contact with people outside their “bubble”.

But Dr Bruce Willoughby, GP clinical lead for primary care and population health at NHS North Yorkshire CCG, said practices will have measures in place to vaccinate safely.

He said:

“Immunisation is the best way to help protect people from flu. It’s a virus that has the potential to leave people very poorly, lead to hospitalisation and sometimes even death.

“We know that clinically vulnerable patients who have been shielding during the covid pandemic are still extremely worried about having contact with anyone outside of their household ‘bubble’, but I want to reassure those patients that practices will have arrangements in place to ensure they can administer vaccinations in a safe and bio-secure way.

“There will be strict safety measures in place, including social distancing, appropriate PPE, and strict hygiene protocols.”

Just 22 people tune into district’s first devolution event

Just 22 people tuned into the first public engagement event about the future of local government held by the seven district councils in North Yorkshire.

The seven councils are staging a series of online events on Zoom for the public to find out more about their proposed east/west model for a restructure of local government.

The government is keen to extend devolution but in July ministers made it a requirement to reduce the number of councils before it could happen.

The district councils want an east/west model but North Yorkshire County Council would prefer a single unitary authority.

Among the 22 online for the event were Keane Duncan, the leader of Ryedale District Council and members of the public. Further events will be held this month specifically aimed at businesses and community groups.

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Cllr Duncan gave a presentation and answered residents’ concerns about issues such as the future of highways, children’s services, adult social care and libraries, which are currently run by NYCC.

Cllr Duncan said the model proposed by the districts would bring services “closer to people”, have stronger democratic representation and have scope for shared services between the two councils.

Under the district councils’ plans, the west authority would serve Harrogate, Craven, Hambleton and Richmondshire while the east would cover York, Ryedale, Scarborough and Selby.

The west authority would cover 363,000 residents and the east authority would cover 465,000 people.

Officials said this would meet the threshold of around 400,000 set by Simon Clarke, local government minister, back in July.

Cllr Duncan said the plan would save £56 million a year and meet the government’s requirements for the restructure.

He said:

“This is the only one that ticks the boxes of government.

“We do feel that this model can deliver services more closer to people.”

NYCC’s alternative proposal for a single authority, alongside City of York, would cover 610,000 residents.

Last week, the county council revealed a “double devolution” model under its proposal which would see town and parishes councils receive more funding and powers.

Harrogate Chief Exec and Leader criticised for not divulging key information ahead of major vote

The Chief Executive and Leader of Harrogate Borough Council had both been told that the council could be scrapped as part of the government’s wider devolution plans the day before a big vote on the shake up of leisure services – yet failed to make councillors aware of it.

Cllr Chris Aldred, chair of the overview and scrutiny board, told the Stray Ferret he and fellow councillors should have been told about the government’s position on devolution before they agreed to support the leisure project.

He and fellow councillors voted on July 8 to spend £300,000 on creating a new company called Brimhams Active to run leisure facilities in the Harrogate district. They also voted to borrow £26 million to invest in centres in the district.

But they had not been informed council leader Richard Cooper and chief executive Wallace Sampson, along with other local authority leaders had met local government minister Simon Clarke the previous day.

Mr Clarke told the leaders that any devolution bid would be dependent on a reduction in the number of councils, which could ultimately lead to HBC being replaced.

Cllr Aldred said councillors should have known about this when they made such a key financial decision.

But he said they were not told about the outcome of the Clarke meeting until late at night on July 9.

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Cllr Aldred, a Liberal Democrat, told the Stray Ferret:

“Surely this should have been disclosed at that meeting and not revealed to councillors in a late night e-mail the day after that decision on the local authority control company was taken? 

“Didn’t the 39 other councillors have the right to know this fundamental fact, prior to casting their vote that night?”

A spokesman for HBC said the two issues were entirely separate and it will take several years before services can be fully integrated once a local government structure is agreed.

The spokesman said:

“The reorganisation of local government in North Yorkshire and the creation of a new local authority controlled company to run sport and leisure services in the Harrogate district are two, entirely separate, issues.

“One is not dependent on the other.

“Once agreement has been reached on a future structure for local government for the county, it will take several years before services are fully integrated and teams brought together.

“That’s why we are continuing with projects and initiatives such as the redevelopment of Harrogate Convention Centre, the leisure investment strategy and creating Brimhams Active as our local authority controlled company.

“Operating our sport and leisure services through a local authority controlled company will save money in the long run and enable us to support our critical council services.”

Brimhams Active, a local authority controlled company, will run 11 leisure facilities in the district.

HBC is proceeding with several costly projects despite uncertainty over its future.

It is spending £1 million on consultants to draw up plans for a £47 million renovation of Harrogate Convention Centre.

But the decision to reduce the number of councils across the county as part of the government’s devolution agenda has thrown the future of public services into uncertainty.

Both district and county leaders are expected to propose different models to ministers this month.

It could see the seven district councils, including Harrogate, scrapped and replaced by one or two super-authorities.

District officials are already consulting with residents and have proposed that an east/west council organisation should replace the current structure.

Andrew Jones MP ‘out of touch’ on furlough, say Lib Dems

Harrogate and Knaresborough Liberal Democrats have accused local MP, Andrew Jones, of being “out of touch” on the government’s furlough scheme coming to an end.

It comes as the government is set to wind back the scheme and companies will have to contribute more to employees wages.

Mr Jones is reported to have said concerns over a surge in unemployment at the end of the scheme were “alarmist”.

Around 160,000 people have been on furlough in the Harrogate district and the scheme is set to finish at the end of October.

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But local Lib Dems said that the rolling back of the scheme will put a “greater burden” on local businesses and those who need to make ends meet.

Judith Rogerson, Lib Dem parliamentary spokesperson, said:

“Our hospitality and retail sectors are under enormous pressure locally; reducing the support given by the furlough scheme will only force businesses to meet yet another significant cost.

“The furlough scheme is the only thing keeping many families across Harrogate & Knaresborough afloat, so it is completely understandable that people are hugely concerned how they will make ends meet if the government brings this support to an end before the pandemic is over. It is simply out of touch for Andrew Jones to claim that this is ‘alarmist’.

“At this time of immense stress and disruption, people need as much certainty as they can get if they are to get back on their feet. We need our MP to recognise this and be doing all he can to get residents the support they need.”

Chancellor Rishi Sunak has previously said that the furlough scheme cannot “carry on indefinitely” and that it would be “wrong to keep people trapped” in a situation where there may be no job to go back to.

Previously, the government had been paying 80% of wages of those employees on the job retention scheme up to a maximum of £2,500 a month.

But, from today, the government will pay employee wages of 70% up to a cap of £2,187.50 a month and employers will pay 10%.

Next month, that will reduce to 60% up to a cap of £1,875 as companies contribute 20%.

Andrew Jones MP was approached for comment but did not respond at the time of publication.

People urged to have say on North Yorkshire council reorganisation

District council leaders have urged people in North Yorkshire to have their say on the future of local government and public services in the county.

It comes amid government plans to reduce the number of local councils in England as part of its devolution agenda.

County council and district council bosses in North Yorkshire will this month submit separate proposals on how they want to see local government look.

County council bosses want one unitary authority, which would see the seven district councils, including Harrogate Borough Council, scrapped.

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But district council leaders have said two authorities – one in the east and another in the west of the county – would work better and claim such a model would save up to £56 million a year.

The west authority would serve Harrogate, Craven, Hambleton and Richmondshire, while the east would cover York, Ryedale, Scarborough and Selby.

Now the district councils have invited residents and businesses to have their say on the topic at a series of virtual engagement events, beginning tomorrow.

Speaking on behalf of the seven council leaders, Cllr Steve Siddons, leader of Scarborough Borough Council, said:

“The reorganisation of local government services may not sound like the most exciting thing on earth, but the reality is that it will affect everybody who lives, works or runs a business in North Yorkshire and York.

“It is not only about how your everyday services will be delivered in the future, it is about the ability of communities to shape the future of where they live, and determine how we can bring new investment, jobs and growth to our region. That’s why it is so important that people have their say.”

The move comes as the PR war over the future of local government is set to heat up this month ahead of a deadline for proposals to be submitted to government.

The trade union Unison, Mayor of Tees Valley Ben Houchen and Terry Collins, the chief executive of Durham County Council are among those who have spoken out recently.

To find out more on the series of engagement events being held by the district councils, click here.