County council proposes 3.49% council tax hike

North Yorkshire County Council looks set to increase council tax by 3.49%, which would increase its share of the bill to £1,411 for an average band D property in 2021/22.

The proposal, which has been recommended by council officers, includes a 1.99% increase in general council tax and a 1.5% increase in the adult social care precept.

County council bosses have also proposed to use £8.2 million from its own funds to offset a shortfall next year.

It comes as the council faces financial pressures due to coronavirus and loss of government funding.

The authority has estimated a shortfall of £59 million by 2023/24 and has already spent £82 million in responding to the pandemic.

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A report due before senior councillors next week written by Richard Flinton, chief executive, and Gary Fielding, corporate director for strategic resources, said the county council faces uncertainty in the coming year.

It said the council faces various risks, including a lack of funding beyond March 2021, a likely increase in demand for services, potential rising costs, a need for further savings and the potential reorganisation of local government in the county.

The report added that while continued use of reserves was not sustainable, it will be a “crucial component” for the upcoming budget in light of the coronavirus crisis and other uncertainties. It added:

“The council has performed well in responding to austerity and has taken earlier decisions in order to ensure that it is ahead of the curve and not pushed into short term decisions.

“A good level of reserves has been maintained and this will now be a crucial component of the budget strategy.

“Given the essential emphasis on responding to covid, recovering from covid, preparing for local government reorganisation and diminishing returns on savings programmes after a decade of austerity, there is much less scope for new and significant savings proposals.

“Reserves are therefore key to ensuring that a medium term approach to planning can take place.”

Cllr Carl Les, leader of the county council, said:

“We hope to be clearer later in the year about the legacy of covid, the government’s decision on local government reorganisation in North Yorkshire and the future of council funding beyond 2022.

“The times have never been so uncertain, and given these uncertainties it is critical that the council maintains as much flexibility as possible in order to protect vital services whilst being able to respond to further potential shocks.

“We understand that residents are facing many difficulties in the light of covid. We also understand just how vital some of the council’s services are to the most vulnerable in society.”

Senior councillors on the authority’s executive will decide whether to refer the budget plan to full council on January 26.

The final council tax bill will be based on sums demanded by Harrogate Borough Council and the North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner as well as the county council.

The news comes as Harrogate Borough Council has proposed to increase its share of council tax by £5.

Julia Mulligan, North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, is expected to reveal the precepts for both the fire and police service at a later date.

 

Harrogate district covid rate falls below 300 people per 100,000

The Harrogate district’s seven-day covid rate of infection has fallen below 300 people per 100,000 for the first time this year.

The rate now stands at 290 per 100,000 people — well below the high of 497 on January 7, according to North Yorkshire County Council figures.

It’s the first time the rate has fallen below 300 since December 31.

The North Yorkshire average stands at 272 and the England rate is 447.

Meanwhile, a further 32 patients who tested positive for coronavirus have been discharged from Harrogate District Hospital.

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Latest figures from Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust show a total of 399 people have been discharged from the hospital since the start of the pandemic in March.

Statistics from the trust also reveal 41 patients are currently being treated for covid.

It comes as a further 60 cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in the Harrogate district, according to today’s Public Health England data.

The number takes the total amount of cases since March last year to 6,223.

Harrogate people don’t have to travel to York for vaccine, say health bosses

People in the Harrogate district waiting for a covid vaccine have been told they can wait for an invite to the Great Yorkshire Showground instead of travelling to York.

The Stray Ferret has received numerous messages from readers asking why they had been invited to be inoculated in York when they lived much closer to the showground.

Health bosses in North Yorkshire confirmed yesterday some people had been offered jabs at the national vaccination hub at Askham Bar in York, which opened on Monday.

The hub is run by the NHS nationally and sends invites to people within a 45-minute drive.

People in priority groups for the first round of vaccinations may also be invited through the national booking system to receive the jab at a pharmacy.

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However, Amanda Bloor, accountable officer at North Yorkshire CCG, told a North Yorkshire Resilience Forum yesterday that patients were not obliged to travel to York for the vaccine.

She said:

“The way that the site is operating is that anybody within a 45-minute drive of the site who has not yet received a vaccination through their local site may receive a letter from the national team to book an appointment.

“If you do get an invitation to that site, you can choose to wait and book an appointment at your local vaccination site.”

Currently, the Harrogate district is served by a local site at the Great Yorkshire Showground and a national hub at York.

Ms Bloor announced yesterday that a further site will be opened in Ripon. However, a location has yet to be confirmed.

The York hub was among 10 sites across the country to open on Monday in an effort to ramp up the vaccination programme.

It will operate seven days a week from 8am until 8pm, subject to the supply of vaccinations.

Professor Mike Holmes, a GP in York, told a City of York Council Executive meeting last week that the new centre will offer up to 8,000 extra appointments in the first phase of the expansion of the site.

The centre became the latest vaccine site to open near Harrogate, with another due to be set up at Elland Road stadium in Leeds.

Harrogate district reports 79 further coronavirus cases

The Harrogate district has had a further 79 cases of coronavirus confirmed, according to today’s Public Health England figures.

It takes the total number of cases since the start of the pandemic to 6,163.

The seven-day average rate of infection for the district stands at 325 people per 100,000.

The county-wide average is 303 and the national rate 467.

Killinghall and Hampsthwaite remains the area in the district with the most covid infections in the past seven-days, with 60 cases.

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Amanda Bloor, accountable officer at North Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group, told a press briefing of the North Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum today that 44 covid patients were currently being treated at Harrogate District Hospital.

Hospitals across the county have 471 positive covid patients — an increase of 84 on last week.

The current figure is 169 more than the peak of the first lockdown.

No further deaths from patients who tested positive for coronavirus have been reported at Harrogate District Hospital, according to NHS England data.

Number of lockdown fines increases in North Yorkshire

The number of fines issued to people for flouting lockdown restrictions in North Yorkshire has increased this week.

North Yorkshire Police revealed today it handed out 134 fixed penalty notices during the second week of lockdown, compared with 107 during the first week.

But the number of fines specifically in the Harrogate district fell from 22 in the first week of lockdown to 12 in the second.

Of that number, eight were for being outside without reasonable excuse, one for an outdoor gathering and three for an indoor gathering.

A breakdown of the number of fines issued by North Yorkshire Police for lockdown breaches since January 12. Data: North Yorkshire Police.

A breakdown of the number of fines issued by North Yorkshire Police for lockdown breaches since January 12. Data: North Yorkshire Police.

Police issued 10 of the fines to visitors to the district; two were to local residents.

It comes as the force said it would be tougher enforcing lockdown restrictions and “no longer waste time” with covid rule breakers.

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Chief inspector Charlotte Bloxham said today it was disappointing to see the rise in fines.

She said:

“Many people do understand the seriousness of the situation and are staying at home and saving lives and I’ll say thank you to those people who make daily sacrifices to protect the vulnerable among us.

“However there is a stubborn minority who do not believe the rules apply to them and do not understand the risk they pose to themselves and the wider community.

“That is why when we encounter these people we will take enforcement action against them.”

Last week Superintendent Mike Walker said that the fear of lockdown needed to be restored for people to comply with restrictions.

He said there was less compliance and fear among people under current restrictions compared with the first lockdown last year, which saw streets empty and more businesses close.

Ripon to get its own coronavirus vaccination site

Ripon is to get its own coronavirus vaccination site, North Yorkshire health bosses revealed today.

Amanda Bloor, accountable officer at North Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group, said a site would be set up in the city.

However, a location has yet to be confirmed.

It comes days after councillors on Ripon City Council called for a vaccination site for the city and surrounding areas earlier.

They suggested Hugh Ripley Hall would be a suitable location.

Councillors said it was “unacceptable” for older people to have to travel to Harrogate or York, particularly as the government has pledged nobody should have to travel further than 10 miles for inoculations.

Ms Bloor told a press briefing of the North Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum, which is a partnership of emergency agencies, the CCG would continue to look at whether further sites were needed in the county.

Hugh Ripley Hall, which Ripon councillors have offered for use as a covid vaccination centre.

Hugh Ripley Hall, which Ripon councillors have offered for use as a covid vaccination centre.

She said:

“We are continuing to review whether further may be needed, particularly given the availability of a more mobile vaccine in the AstraZeneca vaccine.

“I am pleased to say that subject to final checks and NHS England approval, we do now have plans in place to open a site in Ripon in the next week or so.”

 

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Meanwhile, Ms Bloor said residents in the district may also be invited to a new national vaccination hub at Askham Bar in York.

She said:

“The way that the site is operating is that anybody within a 45 minute drive of the site who has not yet received a vaccination through their local site may receive a letter from the national team to book an appointment.”

However, she added patients could wait for a local invite if they received a letter from the York hub and could not attend.

The site opened on Monday and will operate seven days a week from 8am until 8pm.

Professor Mike Holmes, a GP in York, told a City of York Council Executive meeting last week that the new centre will offer up to 8,000 extra appointments in the first phase of the expansion of the site.

The centre became the latest vaccine site to open near Harrogate, with another due to be set up at Elland Road stadium in Leeds.

All Harrogate district care homes to get vaccine this week

All care home residents and staff in North Yorkshire will be given the coronavirus vaccine before the end of this week, health bosses said today.

Amanda Bloor, accountable officer at North Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group, said officials expected to meet the target of January 24 set out in the organisation’s vaccination programme.

It comes as the government set a target of February 15 to offer vaccines to all those in high priority groups.

Ms Bloor told a press briefing of the North Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum, a partnership of emergency agencies:

“I am pleased to say that thanks to the tremendous effort from all of our colleagues delivering the vaccination programme, we are on course to deliver vaccination to all care home residents and staff by the end of this week.”

She added that the goal would be met “where it is clinically safe to do so” and provided there is “no disruption this week to the scheduled supplies that we have got and that we are expecting”.

Ms Bloor said officials were also making “good progress” towards vaccinating all healthcare workers by the end of the month as well as the February target set by the government for all priority groups.

Nationally, 4.1 million people have received the vaccine so far.

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Of that figure, 633,837 people in the North East and Yorkshire have had the first dose and 71,332 the second dose.

No data for the amount of people who have been vaccinated specifically in the Harrogate district is currently available.

At the moment, vaccinations are being offered to those in the highest priority groups. Those over 70 are expected to receive invites to have their vaccine this week.

Vaccinations in the Harrogate district are being administered at the Great Yorkshire Showground. However, a mass vaccination hub opened on Monday in York, which offers jabs to those within a 45 minute distance.

Health officials have urged people in the Harrogate district and across North Yorkshire to be patient as they roll out the vaccine.

Kell Bank primary school near Masham set to close

A primary school near Masham looks set to close due to falling pupil numbers.

Kell Bank Church of England Primary School would permanently shut its doors this summer, under proposals by North Yorkshire County Council.

The authority carried out a consultation last year on closure and is set to make a final decision in March.

Despite being designed to accommodate 50 children, the amount of pupils at the school has fallen from a high of 39 in 2014/15 to just six this year. The number is not expected to increase significantly in future.

Council bosses believe the low number affects the “quality and breadth” of the school curriculum.

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They also fear the school’s Ofsted rating, which is currently ‘outstanding’, would be difficult to maintain due to the low number of pupils.

If closure goes ahead, the intake catchment of Masham Church of England Primary School would be extended to include the area.

A report due before the county council’s executive next week said closure would be in the best interests of pupils. It said:

“The responses to the consultation process have failed to identify a viable alternative option that would secure the school’s future. 

“Local authority officers have concluded that closure of the school would be in the best interests of the children at the school and the future education of pupils in the area. 

“There are places available at other local schools within a reasonable travel distance. It is therefore the view that there is a strong case for closure, which outweighs other considerations.”

Senior councillors will vote next week to publish statutory notices on the proposal for four weeks and invite representations from the public.

A final decision on closure is expected on March 23.

Killinghall and Hampsthwaite becomes Harrogate district’s covid hotspot

Killinghall and Hampsthwaite has recorded more covid cases than anywhere else in the Harrogate district in the last seven days.

According to government figures, Killinghall and Hampsthwaite had 54 infections in the last week.

The next highest sub-district areas are Harrogate West and Pannal and Knaresborough Central, which both had 50 cases.

Across North Yorkshire as a whole, Catterick Garrison and Colburn reported the most infections with 99.

It comes as a further 72 coronavirus cases were confirmed in the Harrogate district today by Public Health England.

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The total number of cases since the start of the pandemic is now 6,084.

The district’s seven-day rate of infection has increased slightly again to 322 people per 100,000. The county-wide average is 308, while the national rate stands at 478.

No further deaths from patients who tested positive for coronavirus have been reported at Harrogate District Hospital.

£42 million Leeds Bradford Airport interchange proposed for Harrogate line

Designs for a new £42 million rail station on the Harrogate line that would connect with Leeds Bradford Airport have been published.

West Yorkshire Combined Authority is behind the plans for the new station, which would be built between Horsforth station and Bramhope tunnel.

The station, which would be called Leeds Bradford Airport Parkway, would be a bus interchange for the airport. It would also include a 350-space park and ride service.

The project aims to provide better public transport connections from the airport to residential urban areas, such as Harrogate, Leeds and York, and take more cars off roads.

Designs for the interchange for Leeds Bradford Airport. Picture: West Yorkshire Combined Authority.

Designs for the interchange for Leeds Bradford Airport. Picture: West Yorkshire Combined Authority.

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West Yorkshire Combined Authority, which represents councils and businesses, has put the plans out to public consultation until February 21.

It then intends to submit a formal planning application.

Cllr Kim Groves, chair of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority transport committee, said:

“The parkway station will help ease current congestion and tackle air quality issues by improving access by public transport and by encouraging fewer people to take to their cars to get to the airport and surrounding areas.

“Another important aim of the parkway station is to increase sustainable travel in and out of Leeds and other centres with the provision of the park and ride facilities, which encourage transfer to rail and reduce reliance on cars.

“This will be really beneficial to local residents who will be able to use this and be better connected to areas across West Yorkshire.”

You can fill in the combined authority’s survey here.