Lancashire Stray contractors referred to as ‘local suppliers’

New documents show that Harrogate Borough Council referred to contractors tasked with restoring the Stray as a “local supplier”, despite being based in Lancashire.

Borough council officials awarded Glendale Services the contract for the Stray back in April – seven months after the UCI World Cycling Championships.

As revealed by the Stray Ferret in May, the contract, worth an estimated £40,926.29, was handed to the company under “urgent circumstances”.

Now, local Liberal Democrat councillors have criticised the council for “denying the opportunity” to local firms to tender for the work.

A previously exempt document before the council’s cabinet member for environment on May 29 stated that the authority had “engaged with a local supplier” to carry out the works.

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Glendale Services, which is based 65 miles away in Chorley, began work on site which was met with fierce criticism from local suppliers. At the time, Mark Smith, managing director of local contractor HACS, said he was “disgusted” with the decision.

Geoff Webber, Liberal Democrat councillor on North Yorkshire County Council, said he was disappointed that the contract did not go out to tender:

He said:

“The report now shows that they accepted the recommendation to award the contract to Glendale on the basis that it was a ‘local supplier’.

“I find it incredible that Chorley, only eight miles north of Wigan, is considered to be local. So much for supporting local businesses.”

The Stray starts to turn green

Grass has started to show on West Park Stray since the reseeding work.

Glendale has carried out groundworks elsewhere in Yorkshire, including at Kirklees College in Huddersfield.

But senior councillors have insisted that the company has offices in the county.

Cllr Andrew Paraskos, cabinet member for environment at the authority, told a full council meeting last week that the council had to bring in a contractor because the authority did not have the equipment to do it in-house.

“We always had to bring in outside contractors to do it.

“The drainage was done by a company out at Green Hammerton way and the other contractors do have local offices

“The rumours that we contracted it out to outside bodies, even though one of them has a head office in Lancashire, they do have a local office in the district.”

It comes as 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 hospital investigates bullying culture in estates department

Hospital bosses in Harrogate will launch an investigation into a “culture of bullying” in the trust’s estates department which some staff described as “toxic”.

Behaviour cited in a report included defacing tools or belongings with offensive graffiti, collectively ignoring or ostracising people and damaging belongings of individuals, including gluing of equipment or lockers.

It comes as Harrogate and District Foundation Trust commissioned consultancy firm Deloitte to carry out a review into the trust’s culture and leadership.

The review included Harrogate Integrated Facilities (HIF), a subsidiary of the trust which runs the hospital’s estates.

Following interviews with 52 members of staff and 63 surveys, the report found “widespread concerns” over bullying, leadership and poor recruitment practice in the estates department.

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The report said a “significant number” of those interviewed explicitly stated that bullying was taking place or described events that could be labeled as such. But, it added that it was concerned that some of the reports were dismissed as “banter”.

It said:

“We find it concerning that a significant number (over 20) of those interviewed from within estates dismissed the issues described above as ‘banter’, ‘childish pranks’ and ‘fine, a bit of a laugh’. 

“We were also concerned at the number of staff during interview who felt that some of the behaviours identified above could be excused, on the basis that it was felt recruitment processes had been mishandled or people ‘weren’t up to the job’ or ‘didn’t fit in’.”

Meanwhile, Deloitte found that the approach to recruitment at HIF “did not demonstrate good practice” and recommended a thorough review of its policies.

Among the findings included a number of applicants who were shortlisted and appointed without demonstrating essential criteria and some posts which were not advertised in line with policy.

Further concern was raised over the lack of leadership in estates, with 45 of the 52 members of staff raising concern over communication, decision making and senior management isolating themselves from other workers.

Steve Russell, chief executive of Harrogate Hospital

Steve Russell, Chief Executive of Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust said the hospital is committed to addressing the findings in the report.

Following the report, the trust board agreed launch an investigation which will be carried out by an external body into reported bullying and poor recruitment practice in the department.

Steve Russell, chief executive at the hospital trust, said the organisation was committed to addressing the findings in the report.

He said: 

“Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust is a values driven organisation; Respectful, Responsible and Passionate. We emphasise the need to treat each other with kindness, civility and compassion. Our strategy is focused on the pursuit of quality improvement and we believe that improving the experience of all our colleagues will lead to better care for our patients.

“To help further improve in delivering the best possible employee experience and in turn the best possible patient experience, a specialist team from Deloitte were commissioned in August 2019 to undertake a neutral assessment and to help us understand in more detail views of which areas we should and could improve upon.

“Deloitte found many important positives about the trust as a place to work and the culture that is fostered. Almost everyone they spoke with described the trust as a ‘great place to work’ and described the culture using words such as ‘friendly’ and ‘family’. Many who had worked elsewhere in the NHS compared the Trust positively to their other experiences.

“At the same time, Deloitte found areas in which there are issues that we need and want to address. We are naturally disappointed to hear this, but pleased, that now identified, we will be to create a better working environment for colleagues and become the outstanding place to work delivering the level of care that we all aspire to.

“We are committed to addressing the findings of Deloitte’s work. We have already put in place new measures to support individual services to develop, and we are taking specific actions to better support staff.”

Council agrees consultation over Stray exchange land

Senior Harrogate councillors have approved a public consultation over three plots of land to be designated for the Stray.

Last night, senior councillors on Harrogate Borough Council’s cabinet agreed to hold a 12 week public consultation this summer over which plot is the most suitable.

It follows length discussions between the authority and the Duchy of Lancaster over land to be exchanged for verges on Otley Road which will be removed for a multi-million pound cycle route

As part of the Stray Act, a suitable plot of land must be offered in exchange.

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The three areas identified are:

It comes as North Yorkshire County Council looks to press ahead with the cycle route on the stretch of road between Harlow Moor Road and Beech Grove.

The area of land outlined in Harrogate Borough Council documents earmarked to be exchanged as part of the Otley Road cycle route.

The project has already been delayed and the negotiations over the Stray land have been a further stumbling block for the second phase of the scheme.

Borough council leader, Richard Cooper, said the authority had to show it was in favour of sustainable means of travel.

He said:

“We talk about sustainable transport a lot and now we are delivering some.

“It is important that we do that because when we campaign against things like the relief road nearby the Nidd Gorge and say we are in favour of sustainable measures, but fall at the first fence when they are put forward it dampens our credibility when we say we are in favour of sustainable transport.”

However, earlier this week, the Stray Defence Association (SDA) raised concern over the amenity value of the second and third options outlined by the council.

New North Yorkshire coronavirus cases ‘remain low’

North Yorkshire’s public health bosses have said new coronavirus cases remain low and the county is not “in the same ranking as Leicester”.

According to the Department of Health and Social Care, a total of 2,533 positive cases have been confirmed in the county to date.

Lincoln Sargeant, director of public health at North Yorkshire County Council, told senior councillors that around 36 new cases had been reported in the past two weeks, with the county averaging around one to two per day.

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But, he added the case numbers remain low and were not in the same position as Leicester which was put back into lockdown last month due to its high rate of infection.

He said:

“Many people will have been listening to the news on the issue about Leicester, we are not in that ranking. Scarborough which has the highest rates to date is averaging about half the rates of the levels we are seeing in Leicester at the moment.

“We are in a situation where the numbers are low and that gives us a good opportunity to consolidate that situation to work effectively with test and trace to keep those numbers low.”

It comes as hospital bosses at Harrogate District Hospital have not reported any coronavirus deaths for eight days.

The total number of deaths at the hospital remains at 81.

Nationally, a further 22 patients who tested positive for coronavirus have died in hospital.

Of that number, two were reported in the North East and Yorkshire.

NHS England said those patients who died were aged between 54 and 93 years old and all had known underlying health conditions.

It means the death toll nationally from coronavirus stands has increased to 29,125.

Harrogate Hospital reports no coronavirus deaths for a week

Harrogate District Hospital has not reported any new coronavirus deaths for a week, according to the latest NHS figures.

The death toll at the hospital from patients who tested positive for coronavirus remains at 81.

It comes as the latest Office for National Statistics figures show the number of deaths in Harrogate district care homes has passed 100.

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Nationally, a further 26 patients who tested positive for coronavirus have died in England’s hospitals. Of that number, three were in the North East and Yorkshire.

NHS England said the patients were aged between 49 and 94 years old. One patient aged 71 had no known underlying health conditions.

It takes the national death toll from coronavirus up to 29,103.

Stray exchange land identified for cycle route

Harrogate Borough Council is set to consult on three plots of land to be designated the Stray as part of a land swap to make way for the Otley Road Cycle Route.

The building of the cycle route means that verges classed as Stray land have to be removed. As part of the Stray Act, a suitable plot of land must be offered in exchange.

The council will now consult on the three areas of land before settling on one to exchange.

The three areas identified are:

Senior councillors on the borough council’s cabinet are expected to approve the public consultation on Wednesday.

It comes as North Yorkshire County Council’s looks to press ahead with a multi-million cycle route on the stretch of road between Harlow Moor Road and Beech Grove.

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The scheme has been marred by delays and, with less than a mile of the route being built, the county council has been criticised over a “lack of ambition”.

Now, highways bosses will hope that the consultation will lead to a solution to its latest stumbling block and prevent any further setbacks.

The preferred area of land outlined in Harrogate Borough Council documents earmarked to be exchanged as part of the Otley Road cycle route.

Lengthy negotiations with the Duchy of Lancaster over the use of Stray land on the footpaths and verges between Cold Bath Road and Beech Grove delayed the second phase of the project from going ahead.

The borough council’s preferred option would see a plot of land behind Harrogate District Hospital which adjoins the end of Willaston Road offered in exchange.

While the land has a covenant which states that it is intended for recreational and open space, the council said it would not prevent it from being used as exchange land.

However, the Stray Defence Association (SDA) raised concern over the amenity value of the second and third options outlined by the council.

Judy D’Arcy Thompson from the SDA said:

“Land taken from the Stray to build roads, footpaths etc remains forever Stray land, belonging ultimately to the Crown.

“However, as everything on the surface of the Stray belongs to the people of Harrogate, any land utilised for any purpose must be given back to Harrogate’s people as ‘payback land and be of the same amenity value to them as their original Stray.

“What concerns us about the latest proposals from HBC and NYCC is just that. Of what ‘amenity value’ are the verges along Arthurs Avenue and St James Drive going to be for local people?

“Are people going to picnic there, sit and read a book there, play football, cricket, or any other game there? We think not. Therefore, what actual ‘amenity value’ does the land being offered have?”

No further coronavirus deaths at Harrogate Hospital

Harrogate District Hospital has recorded no further coronavirus deaths, according to latest NHS figures.

It means the death toll from coronavirus at the hospital remains at 81.

Meanwhile, a further 15 people who tested positive for covid-19 have died in England’s hospitals.

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Of that number, one patient died in North East and Yorkshire.

NHS England said the patients were aged between 72 and 96 years old. One patient, aged 96 years, had no known underlying health conditions.

It takes the death toll nationally up to 29,066.

Harrogate District Hospital reports no new coronavirus deaths

Harrogate District Hospital recorded no further deaths from patients who tested positive for coronavirus, according to today’s NHS figures.

It means the death toll from coronavirus at the hospital remains at 81.

The hospital had not reported any deaths for 16 days before the latest death on July 3.

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Meanwhile, 38 more people have died in England’s hospitals after testing positive for coronavirus.

Of that number, one was reported in the North East and Yorkshire.

NHS England said the patients were aged between 40 and 98 years old. Three patients, aged 65 to 86 years, had no known underlying health conditions.

It takes the death toll across the nation’s hospitals to 29,051.

Harrogate Hospital records no further coronavirus deaths

No further coronavirus deaths have been reported at Harrogate District Hospital, according to today’s NHS figures.

It means the number of deaths at the hospital remains at 81.

Meanwhile, yesterday the hospital reported that the number of patients who had tested positive for coronavirus and been discharged had increased to 139.

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Nationally, a further 22 people who were confirmed with covid-19 have died in hospital. Of that number, two were in North East and Yorkshire.

NHS England said the patients were between 52 and 99 years old and all had known underlying health conditions.

It takes the death toll from coronavirus in England’s hospitals up to 29,013.

Council leaders prepare for North Yorkshire devolution

Discussions over a devolution deal for North Yorkshire took a step further this week after leaders of district authorities met with government ministers.

Simon Clarke, the local government minister, held further talks with authority leaders on Tuesday as local authorities look to continue to thrash out a deal for the county.

It comes as council leaders are considering options for devolution which may include a combined authority with an elected mayor, but are yet to agree on what proposals to put to government.

The list of requests will need to be agreed by the county council, York and the district authorities before any negotiations can begin with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

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Such a deal could see further powers over transport, skills and housing handed over to North Yorkshire from Westminster.

Carl Les, leader of North Yorkshire County Council, told The Stray Ferret that Mr Clarke told authority leaders to “get on with it”.

He said:

“There is a very clear message coming out of government that devolution is a key part of recovery.

“They are very keen now that they have got Sheffield signed up and they want to see solutions for Yorkshire.

“He is giving us that encouragement to progress on this.”

Meanwhile, Unison Harrogate Local Government branch said it has requested a meeting with the chief executive of Harrogate Borough Council over potential proposals to reorganise local authorities in the county.

Unison said it has already received concerns from staff over the risk to jobs under any reorganisation. Branch secretary, David Houlgate, said the union would ask for full engagement if any proposal develops.

What is a combined authority?

A combined authority is when a group of councils come together to make joint decisions on such things as transport. It does not replace existing local councils.

The directly elected mayor is seen as the precondition for devolution. They chair the combined authority and form a cabinet made up of the leaders of the authorities in the region.

An example of this is in the Tees Valley Combined Authority, where Ben Houchen was elected mayor in 2017. The leaders of the five districts, Stockton-on-Tees, Darlington, Hartlepool, Redcar and Cleveland, and Middlesborough all sit on Mr Houchen’s cabinet.

The government has given the Mayor of Tees Valley and its combined authority new powers over transport, housing and planning.