Harrogate district set to become election battleground

As the door to 10 Downing Street slammed on Wednesday evening, it effectively signalled the starting bell for a six-week election campaign.

The Prime Minister’s announcement that an election will be held on July 4 created political battlegrounds across the country’s 650 constituencies.

In Harrogate and Knaresborough, the outlook is no different.

The constituency has been held by the Conservatives for 14 years. In that time, Andrew Jones, the incumbent MP, has won four elections.

He has seen off three different Liberal Democrat candidates vying for the seat, as well as numerous other opposition parties.

(Left, clockwise) Andew Jones, Tom Gordon, Shan Oakes, John Swales and Conrad Whitcroft.

(Left, clockwise) Andew Jones, Tom Gordon, Shan Oakes, John Swales and Conrad Whitcroft.

But the Lib Dems see the 2024 election as a different proposition. Tom Gordon, who will be contesting Mr Jones, has described it as a “once in a generation” election and a chance to kick out the Tories.

Mr Gordon’s challenge will be to overhaul the Conservative’s 9,675 majority – a required swing in the region of 8%.

The 29-year-old has framed the election in Harrogate as a choice between the Liberal Democrats and the Tories, a sign that the party is eyeing the seat as a major scalp.

Meanwhile, there are three other candidates so far in Conrad Whitcroft (Labour), Shan Oakes (Green Party) and John Swales (Reform UK) who are preparing to put a dent in the Tory dominance in the constituency.

But, despite the reported discontent within the Conservative backbenchers at the prospect of a summer election, Mr Jones has been defiant.

The day after Mr Sunak’s announcement, the Harrogate and Knaresborough MP issued a combative statement which he pledged to win voters trust.

He said:

“On 5 July we will wake up with Rishi Sunak as Prime Minister or Keir Starmer. No other outcome is possible. And there has only ever been a Labour Prime Minister when this constituency has elected anyone other than a Conservative.

“Choosing that local champion combined with choosing our next Prime Minister is the responsibility that lies with us all on 4 July. I hope that Harrogate and Knaresborough residents will choose me again and I will be working hard win that trust once more.”

Skipton and Ripon

In six weeks’ time, Julian Smith, the Conservative MP for Skipton and Ripon, will be tasked with defending his 23,694 majority.

The former Northern Ireland secretary will be hoping to make 2024 his fifth election win in the constituency.

He will also be looking to continue a legacy for the Conservative Party in holding the seat at every election since it was created in 1983.

Standing in his way will be Green Party candidate Andy Brown, who will contest the constituency for a fourth time. Simon Garvey will be standing for Reform UK.

Wetherby and Easingwold

This election will see some voters in the Harrogate district fall under a new constituency.

Wetherby and Easingwold, which replaced the old Selby and Ainsty seat, will cover areas such as Spofforth, Follifoot and Boroughbridge.

The new seat offers all parties a chance to stake their claim to become the first to hold the constituency.

So far, the Tories have announced that current Elmet and Rothwell MP Alec Shelbrook will stand for the party. Meanwhile, Reform UK will field Mike Jordan on polling day.

The Liberal Democrats have chosen James Monaghan as its candidate for the new constituency.

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Are these the worst pothole roads in the Harrogate district?

They are the bane of drivers’ lives and the Harrogate district is not immune to them.

Potholes can damage cars, buckle wheels on bikes and make some roads intolerable to drive down.

This past week, we asked readers to share what they feel are some of the worst roads for potholes in the Harrogate district.

In response, we received pictures from streets across Harrogate, Knaresborough and Ripon.

Among them were Pannal Ash Road, Coppice Drive, York Place, Victoria Avenue and St Andrew’s Avenue in Harrogate.

Pictures of Kirkby Road and Firby Lane in Ripon, as well as Stockwell Road in Knaresborough were also sent to us.

Sharow Lane also made an appearance, which one resident described as in need of “long overdue maintenance” despite the council earmarking it for repairs.

You can take a look at the roads in our video below.

The Stray Ferret sent the list of roads to North Yorkshire Council and asked for a response to the concerns that they are in need of repair.

A spokesperson sent us the authority’s highways capital programme, which includes some of the roads, such as Sharow Lane.

They added that residents should report any potholes or road repairs directly to the council.

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The council had also previously earmarked Pannal Ash Road for a £300,000 resurfacing scheme in September 2023, which is due to be carried out in the summer this year.

In April, the authority announced that its annual roads repair programme would total £25.3 million and include 142 miles of roads across North Yorkshire.

At the time, Karl Battersby, corporate director of environment at the authority, said:

“Keeping our roads in the best condition for the money we have available is one of our key priorities.

“The annual surface dressing programme is a proactive measure that is vital to maintaining a safe network and preventing potholes arising.

“We carefully choose the routes and work closely with our contractors to ensure we deliver a cost-effective scheme despite ongoing inflationary pressures. The schedule will benefit residents in all areas of the county.”

Do you have a road which is riddled with potholes? Share your pictures with us via contact@thestrayferret.co.uk or message us on Facebook.

Who will be standing in the Harrogate district at the general election?

Five candidates have so far been announced to stand in Harrogate and Knaresborough at this year’s general election.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak confirmed today that the country will go to the polls on July 4.

The announcement came amid heightened speculation in Westminster after Mr Sunak called ministers to a cabinet meeting this afternoon.

It means Andrew Jones, Conservative MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, will be defending his 9,675 majority in six weeks’ time.

Mr Jones will be hoping to win the seat he won in 2010 for the fifth consecutive election.

He will be up against at least four other candidates from the Liberal Democrats, Labour, Green Party and Reform UK.

The confirmed candidates so far are:

Skipton and Ripon

Meanwhie, Julian Smith, Conservative MP for Skipton and Ripon, will also be defending the seat he won in 2010.

Mr Smith currently holds a 23,694 majority in the constituency, which he has held since 2010.

So far, Andy Brown has been confirmed as the Green Party candidate for the seat and Simon Garvey will stand for the Reform UK.

The upcoming election will also see the newly created Wetherby and Easingwold be contested for the first time.

The new seat was created as part of parliamentary boundary changes announced by government and will include locations including Boroughbridge, Spofforth and Bishop Monkton in the Harrogate district.

So far, Elmet and Rothwell MP Alec Shelbrooke has been announced as the Conservative candidate for the seat and Mike Jordan will stand for Reform UK.

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Harrogate hospital to demolish RAAC-riddled building next month

Harrogate District Hospital is set to demolish a building riddled with reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) next month.

Officials at Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust said the hospital’s therapy services department would be flattened to make way for a new facility.

The building is due to be demolished in late June after it was found to contain RAAC, which is a lightweight material that can collapse.

Matt Graham, director of strategy at the hospital trust, confirmed that it had secured funding from NHS England to press ahead with the plan.

Mr Graham said the building will be replaced by a new day case surgery and imaging building, which should begin construction in September.

He said:

“We have secured the required funding from NHS England to demolish our therapy services department building and replace it with a new day case surgery and imaging building. The demolition is set to begin in late June.

“Demolition should be completed by early September, and construction of the replacement building will then begin. The new building will include two new operating theatres to increase the number of elective operations per year, a dedicated ward to support the new theatres, and enhanced X Ray, CT, MRI and ultrasound services.

“This will help to further improve on the high quality healthcare service we provide to our community.”

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Mr Graham added that the majority of the services in the current department would remain on the hospital site. However, podiatry and speech and language therapy services will move to a new location in Harrogate.

The trust confirmed in September 2023 it had found RAAC on the Harrogate site, including in the roof of the hospital.

The material, popular between the 1960s and 1980s, was compared to “chocolate Aero” and made headlines after it was found in public buildings across the UK.

The hospital bid for £20 million from government to help eradicate RAAC across the hospital site as part of a trust-wide project.

Jonathan Coulter, chief executive at the hospital trust, told the Stray Ferret previously that £9 million of the funding would go towards the demolition of the therapy services department.

Developer to seek costs over Knox Lane housing appeal

A developer behind an appeal to build 53 homes on Knox Lane in Harrogate will seek costs from North Yorkshire Council.

Councillors on the authority’s Harrogate and Knaresborough planning committee rejected plans for the homes off the street in the Bilton area in September last year.

Teesside developer Jomast has appealed to the government’s Planning Inspectorate after it said the plans were recommended for approval by council officers on four separate occasions.

A public inquiry into the matter is due to be held on July 23 and is expected to last for five days. A venue is yet to be confirmed.

The Planning Inspectorate will then make a decision at a later date.

Knox Lane

Meanwhile, the developer has applied to be awarded costs as part of its appeal.

In documents submitted to the government, Patrick Stone, of planning agent Spawforths which is representing Jomast, said the authority “demonstrated unreasonable behaviour” during the planning process.

He said:

“The council acted unreasonably in overturning the professional judgement of the case officer that the application was assessed to be in line with local and national policies and recommended for approval.”

The move means the council could face high costs if it loses on appeal.

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The council’s Harrogate and Knaresborough area planning committee rejected the application in September 2023.

A 45-page report by council case officer Andy Hough before the meeting said the application was “considered to now be in compliance with development plan policy” and should be approved.

But councillors cited concerns about land contamination and the lack of a travel plan to go against Mr Hough’s recommendation. The site is alongside a narrow cul-de-sac and not close to a bus route.

Cllr Paul Haslam, who represents Bilton and Nidd Gorge, spoke on behalf of residents at the meeting. He said:

“There have been over 500 objections to this application from residents. Not because they are ‘nimbys’, but because they believe the council is making a mistake.”

Could Labour target Harrogate and Knaresborough at the next election?

Shortly after his victory speech, newly elected Labour Mayor of York and North Yorkshire David Skaith acknowledged how unusual it was for the party to win in a traditional Conservative heartland.

“North Yorkshire is not an area we normally do well in,” he told reporters huddled around him in Harrogate Convention Centre last week.

Labour leader Keir Starmer hailed it a “historic victory” for his party.

It was certainly a notable success given the traditionally Conservative voting nature of North Yorkshire, in particular in Harrogate and Knaresborough.

But does this mean Labour will begin to target the seat at the next general election?

Could Labour target Harrogate?

When the Stray Ferret spoke to Mr Skaith prior to his election win, we asked him about the fact that Labour does not perform well in Harrogate.

Mr Skaith, who was born in Harrogate, acknowledged that the town was traditionally Liberal Democrat and Conservative, but said it was a target area for his mayoral campaign.

“Certainly it is a key area for me personally because it is where I’m from and it is my hometown. It is a place that I love and I want to see it succeed and thrive.”

While the mayoral campaign may have proved successful for Labour, the party’s prospect of winning a seat in the House of Commons in the area remains difficult.

In general elections, the party’s highest vote share in Harrogate and Knaresborough came in 2017 when it managed 20% — but still finished third, well behind the Liberal Democrats and Conservatives.

Every election since and before then has seen Labour record 10% or below for vote share as the party barely managed to reach 10,000 votes in all but one poll since 1997.

But the victory in the mayoral election appears to have galvanised the party and raises questions over whether it will commit more campaign resources to Harrogate and Knaresborough.

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Andrew Williamson, treasurer of Harrogate and Knaresborough Labour Party, said the victory for Mr Skaith proved people locally had switched from Conservative to Labour.

Mr Williamson added that the win also showed there were no “no go” areas for the party.

He said:

“Labour winning in Harrogate and Knaresborough and in Rishi Sunak’s backyard is a seismic result. Even the local Tory MP acknowledged that Labour did incredibly well in the area.

“So many people told us they voted Labour, many for the first time and including many former Tory voters.

“They said they were impressed by Labour’s positive vision for our area and were pleased to see our new mayor, David Skaith, campaigning in Harrogate with shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves, demonstrating that there are no ‘no go’ areas for Keir Starmer’s changed Labour Party.

“It’s clear that people want change for our area. It’s time that we got the chance to elect a new Labour government and Harrogate and Knaresborough Labour Party will be working hard to deliver that fresh start.”

‘A two horse race’

However, if you ask other political parties in contention for the constituency – Labour do not factor into the equation.

The Stray Ferret reported in December 2023 that the national Labour Party designated Harrogate and Knaresborough a “non-battleground” seat.

The party published a list online of 211 seats which it considers to be non-target constituencies.

Andrew Jones and Tom Gordon.

Andrew Jones and Tom Gordon.

Tom Gordon, the Liberal Democrat candidate for the constituency, claimed the move proved that the contest is a “two-horse race”.

Mr Gordon’s latest newsletter, delivered after the mayoral election., reinforced the claim that “no other result is possible here” besides a Tory or Lib Dem win.

Labour has also yet to confirm a candidate for Harrogate and Knaresborough despite the fact that a general election must take place before January 2025. By contrast, the Lib Dems confirmed Mr Gordon as its candidate in February 2023.

The opinion polls in recent months have swayed in the Lib Dems favour and painted a glum picture for the Tories.

However, Andrew Jones, the current Conservative MP, has his sights set on five election wins in a row.

Mr Jones has a 9,675 majority to defend and told the Stray Ferret in May last year that he had “no hesitation” in putting his name forward again.

“The election is about who offers the best future  – will it be Rishi or Keir Starmer. The answer is Rishi. Who will be the best local champion? Me.”

Perversely, a resurgent Labour Party may help Mr Jones if it takes votes off the Lib Dems. But how hard Starmer’s party will contest Harrogate and Knaresborough remains unclear.

Whatever it chooses, the election in Harrogate and Knaresborough is shaping up to be the closest for years.

What did police and fire commissioner Zoe Metcalfe achieve?

After two-and-a-half years in office, police commissioner Zoe Metcalfe bowed out from public life this past week.

On Monday, the position of North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner was abolished as powers were transferred to the newly created Mayor of York and North Yorkshire.

The decision spelt the end for Ms Metcalfe’s £76,300 a year role, which she was elected to in November 2021 after succeeding fellow Conservative Philip Allott.

Her tenure saw a strategy for violence against women and girls introduced, plus a drive to improve call handling times.

But it also saw Ms Metcalfe oversee a controversial plan to cut the number of overnight fire engines in Harrogate from two to one.

The Stray Ferret requested an interview with the former commissioner to discuss her tenure, but a spokesperson for her office said she was unavailable due to “the volume of her commitments in her final few days”.

In this article, we look at Ms Metcalfe’s time as commissioner and analyse her performance.

999 calls

During her campaign to become commissioner, Ms Metcalfe pledged to improve the performance of North Yorkshire Police – in particular call handling.

The issue was encapsulated by the public routinely complaining about long waits for emergency calls to be answered.

Police reported in January 2023 that fewer than half of 999 calls were being answered on time.

North Yorkshire Police force control room

North Yorkshire Police force control room

Between November 2021 and November 2022, only 44% were answered within 10 seconds. The national target for forces is 90%.

Ms Metcalfe made improving response times one of her priorities and announced a £2.5m investment into the control room, which included hiring 50 more staff to ease pressure.

By January this year, the force met the national target for call handling times.

Cllr Chris Aldred, a Liberal Democrat who sits on the North Yorkshire police, fire and crime panel that scrutinised Ms Metcalfe’s performance, pointed to the area as a sign of improvement.

He told the Stray Ferret:

“I would say that commissioner Metcalfe has definitely outperformed the two previous occupants of the role. Although, to be absolutely honest, this is rather a low bar to set. 

“I do appreciate the transparency and commitment Zoe brought to the post. Under her watch performance has improved, notably in the outcome of recent inspection reports for both services, the performance of the police control room, where thanks to additional funding she has invested, call time answering has improved significantly.”

However, despite strides in improving the police force, the fire service proved a more contentious service to handle.

Fire cuts opposition

In May 2022, Ms Metcalfe unveiled her risk and resource model, which set out how the fire service will deploy its resources over the next three years. It puts the emphasis on fire prevention, especially during the day when most fires occur.

The plan, which covered the three years from 2022 to 2025, included a proposal to reduce the number of fire engines operating overnight at Harrogate and Scarborough fire stations from two to one.

Read more:

The move was met with criticism from the North Yorkshire Fire Brigades Union, which warned that such a decision would lead to a “second-rate emergency response service that will put lives at risk”.

However, in an interview with the Stray Ferret in June 2022, Ms Metcalfe disagreed with the union’s criticism.

She said:

“From everything I’ve seen I’m confident that won’t happen.”

Ms Metcalfe also argued that the proposals meant more resources for fire prevention.

The move came at a time of a bleak financial picture for the service.

Harrogate fire station on Skipton Road.

Harrogate fire station on Skipton Road.

In January 2022, the Stray Ferret revealed that North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service faced having to borrow up to £31 million to fund new equipment after the government abolished its capital grant.

At the time, Steve Howley, secretary of the North Yorkshire Fire Brigade’s Union, said the service was “struggling to buy the basics”.

He said:

“The government needs to start taking fire and rescue seriously and fund it appropriately. The firefighters of North Yorkshire are staring down the barrel of a gun, either cut firefighter jobs to pay for basic provisions or fail to have adequate facilities or equipment.

“Neither option provides the public of North Yorkshire with the protection they deserve or require.”

The Stray Ferret approached North Yorkshire Fire Brigade’s Union for comment, but had not received a response by the time of publication.

Meanwhile, Ms Metcalfe told councillors during public meetings that she would lobby government for fairer funding, but this appears to have not had the desired effect.

In February, the commissioner recommended to increase the council tax precept for the fire service by 2.99% because it was the maximum increase permitted by government without a referendum.

Cllr Aldred said he felt that the commissioner could have done more to pressure ministers to come up with a better model for financing rural fire services.

He said:

“I do think the outgoing commissioner could have put more pressure on central government for more funding for the North Yorkshire fire service. 

“The national funding model always works against a large rural fire service, who rely extensively on volunteer fire fighters and often have to travel large distances to reach fires in England’s largest geographical county.”

The trials and tribulations which come with scrutinising and commissioning police and fire services now lie with David Skaith, the Labour mayor of York and North Yorkshire.

Stunning Northern Lights display lights up Harrogate skies

The Harrogate district was treated to a stunning display of the Northern Lights last night.

The aurora borealis was visible across the country last night.

Readers from across the district shared their pictures with the Stray Ferret of the natural light display which left sky watchers in awe.

You can enjoy some of the spectacular photographs below. Share your pictures with us via contact@thestrayferret.co.uk.

Justina Halfpenny at Knox Mill Lane.

Justina Halfpenny at Knox Mill Lane.

Syd Bell at West Park.

Syd Bell at West Park.

Emma Pittard at Almscliffe Crag.

Emma Pittard at Almscliffe Crag.

Molly Fetherston at Grantley Hall.

Molly Fetherston at Grantley Hall.

Julie Valentine in Harrogate.

Julie Valentine in Harrogate.

Kelly Teggin in Knaresborough.

Helen Baxter in Knaresborough.

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What did police and fire commissioner Zoe Metcalfe achieve?

After two-and-a-half years in office, police commissioner Zoe Metcalfe bowed out from public life this past week.

On Monday, the position of North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner was abolished as powers were transferred to the newly created Mayor of York and North Yorkshire.

The decision spelt the end for Ms Metcalfe’s £76,300 a year role, which she was elected to in November 2021 after succeeding fellow Conservative Philip Allott.

Her tenure saw a strategy for violence against women and girls introduced, plus a drive to improve call handling times.

But it also saw Ms Metcalfe oversee a controversial plan to cut the number of overnight fire engines in Harrogate from two to one.

The Stray Ferret requested an interview with the former commissioner to discuss her tenure, but a spokesperson for her office said she was unavailable due to “the volume of her commitments in her final few days”.

In this article, we look at Ms Metcalfe’s time as commissioner and analyse her performance.

999 calls

During her campaign to become commissioner, Ms Metcalfe pledged to improve the performance of North Yorkshire Police – in particular call handling.

The issue was encapsulated by the public routinely complaining about long waits for emergency calls to be answered.

Police reported in January 2023 that fewer than half of 999 calls were being answered on time.

North Yorkshire Police force control room

North Yorkshire Police force control room

Between November 2021 and November 2022, only 44% were answered within 10 seconds. The national target for forces is 90%.

Ms Metcalfe made improving response times one of her priorities and announced a £2.5m investment into the control room, which included hiring 50 more staff to ease pressure.

By January this year, the force met the national target for call handling times.

Cllr Chris Aldred, a Liberal Democrat who sits on the North Yorkshire police, fire and crime panel that scrutinised Ms Metcalfe’s performance, pointed to the area as a sign of improvement.

He told the Stray Ferret:

“I would say that commissioner Metcalfe has definitely outperformed the two previous occupants of the role. Although, to be absolutely honest, this is rather a low bar to set. 

“I do appreciate the transparency and commitment Zoe brought to the post. Under her watch performance has improved, notably in the outcome of recent inspection reports for both services, the performance of the police control room, where thanks to additional funding she has invested, call time answering has improved significantly.”

However, despite strides in improving the police force, the fire service proved a more contentious service to handle.

Fire cuts opposition

In May 2022, Ms Metcalfe unveiled her risk and resource model, which set out how the fire service will deploy its resources over the next three years. It puts the emphasis on fire prevention, especially during the day when most fires occur.

The plan, which covered the three years from 2022 to 2025, included a proposal to reduce the number of fire engines operating overnight at Harrogate and Scarborough fire stations from two to one.

Read more:

The move was met with criticism from the North Yorkshire Fire Brigades Union, which warned that such a decision would lead to a “second-rate emergency response service that will put lives at risk”.

However, in an interview with the Stray Ferret in June 2022, Ms Metcalfe disagreed with the union’s criticism.

She said:

“From everything I’ve seen I’m confident that won’t happen.”

Ms Metcalfe also argued that the proposals meant more resources for fire prevention.

The move came at a time of a bleak financial picture for the service.

Harrogate fire station on Skipton Road.

Harrogate fire station on Skipton Road.

In January 2022, the Stray Ferret revealed that North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service faced having to borrow up to £31 million to fund new equipment after the government abolished its capital grant.

At the time, Steve Howley, secretary of the North Yorkshire Fire Brigade’s Union, said the service was “struggling to buy the basics”.

He said:

“The government needs to start taking fire and rescue seriously and fund it appropriately. The firefighters of North Yorkshire are staring down the barrel of a gun, either cut firefighter jobs to pay for basic provisions or fail to have adequate facilities or equipment.

“Neither option provides the public of North Yorkshire with the protection they deserve or require.”

The Stray Ferret approached North Yorkshire Fire Brigade’s Union for comment, but had not received a response by the time of publication.

Meanwhile, Ms Metcalfe told councillors during public meetings that she would lobby government for fairer funding, but this appears to have not had the desired effect.

In February, the commissioner recommended to increase the council tax precept for the fire service by 2.99% because it was the maximum increase permitted by government without a referendum.

Cllr Aldred said he felt that the commissioner could have done more to pressure ministers to come up with a better model for financing rural fire services.

He said:

“I do think the outgoing commissioner could have put more pressure on central government for more funding for the North Yorkshire fire service. 

“The national funding model always works against a large rural fire service, who rely extensively on volunteer fire fighters and often have to travel large distances to reach fires in England’s largest geographical county.”

The trials and tribulations which come with scrutinising and commissioning police and fire services now lie with David Skaith, the Labour mayor of York and North Yorkshire.

Government approves 23-home plan in Bishop Monkton

The government has given the go-ahead for 23 new homes in Bishop Monkton despite concerns over drainage and sewage from residents.

Kebbell Development Ltd tabled a plan to build the houses on Knaresborough Road in the village, but it was refused by councillors on North Yorkshire Council’s planning committee in August last year.

The developer took the decision to the government’s Planning Inspectorate, the body which deals with planning disputes, and argued there were “no material considerations that indicate planning permission should not be granted”.

However, in December, Bishop Monkton Action Group urged the government to throw out the appeal.

In a 26-page letter of objection submitted to the Planning Inspectorate, the campaign group said the scheme would “threaten the sustainability of our village”.

The group said it had concerns over the impact on drainage and sewage, as well as a “historic lack of investment” in the area’s sewer system.

Now, planning inspector T Burnham has approved the scheme on appeal.

In a decision notice published yesterday, the inspector said the proposal would have “no unacceptable impact on the local sewerage system”.

However, they noted that a loss of hedgerow on Knaresborough Road would have an impact on the Church of St John the Baptist, but it would be “less than substantial”.

The inspector said:

“I have afforded the less than substantial harm to the setting of the designated heritage assets considerable importance and weight.

“Nonetheless, that harm is outweighed by the substantial economic and social benefits of delivering 23 dwellings, which would be enjoyed by many people over the years, a proportion of which would be affordable dwellings on a site which is allocated for residential development.”

The inspector also awarded partial costs against North Yorkshire Council for “unreasonable behaviour that has resulted in unnecessary and wasted expense in the appeals process”.

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