Calvin Robinson Chief Reporter, Author at The Stray Ferret

Zoe Metcalfe departs as crime commissioner

Zoe Metcalfe’s term as North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner ended at midnight last night after the role was transferred to the new Mayor of York and North Yorkshire.

Labour’s David Skaith, who won the inaugural mayoral election on Friday, will now take on responsibilities for policing and crime.

Ms Metcalfe, a Conservative who held the post since November 2021, was the final directly elected commissioner for the county.

She was elected after the departure of Philip Allott, who succeeded fellow Tory Julia Mulligan — the county’s first commissioner from 2012 to 2021.

David Skaith, newly elected Mayor of York and North Yorkshire who will take on the commissioner’s responsibilities.

Ms Metcalfe pledged to tackle issues such as violence against women and girls.

She also oversaw the controversial introduction of the risk and resource model for the fire service, which included plans to cut the number of overnight fire engines based in Harrogate from two to one.

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”.

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

In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Ms Metcalfe said it had been an “absolute privilege and pleasure” to represent York and North Yorkshire.

As I step down from my role as Police, Fire & Crime Commissioner at midnight, it has been an absolute privilege and pleasure to represent the communities of York & North Yorkshire. Congratulations to @DSkaith and best wishes for your term in office.

— Zoë Metcalfe (@zoe_metcalfe1) May 6, 2024

The commissioner’s office has now been rebranded the York and North Yorkshire Office for Policing, Fire, Crime and Commissioning after the mayoral election.

Mr Skaith is expected to make a decision on whether to appoint a deputy mayor to take on policing and crime powers.

The Harrogate coach representing Great Britain at padel tennis

It was after finding her dad’s racquet as a child that Sophie Cousins first fell in love with tennis

The Ashville College tennis coach has spent her whole life invested in the sport, one way or another.

But it was not until recently that she became immersed in the ever growing sport of padel tennis.

The last 18 months have been a whirlwind for Sophie. From first stepping foot on a padel court for the first time to representing her country at an international tournament.

For her, the sport is addictive and one which she cannot get enough of.

Picking up the racquet

Born and raised in Lincoln, Lincolnshire, Sophie was brought up in a sporting family. Her first interaction with tennis came when she found her dad’s old racquet at home.

“I had a very sporting family, so we were always playing games at home.

“I actually found my dad’s old tennis racquet. It was one of those wooden racquets in a press and I asked: ‘what’s this?’ And that’s how tennis started and we used to play all the time in the back garden.”

Her dad took her to a local club and she began to improve.

She began playing in junior tournaments and would travel to places like Solihull, Nottingham and abroad to compete. Among them was the junior Wimbledon pre-qualifiers, which she competed in aged 18.

Sophie would also try to qualify for the Sunday Telegraph Masters tournament, which was held in Boca Raton, Florida, and La Manga in Spain.

“It [the tournament] was such a huge incentive for juniors.”

She grew up watching the likes of Steffi Graf and Rafael Nadal competing at the highest level of tennis. She still points to them to this day as examples of model professional athletes.

When Sophie turned 18, she began competing in more international tournaments and tried to work her way up the rankings.

She enrolled at Loughborough University, but her progress in tennis was halted by recurring knee injuries.

By this point, she also wanted to focus on her degree. As a result, tennis began to fall by the wayside.

“I had worked so hard to get into Loughborough, that’s where I always wanted to go to do sport science. I did not want to be going off playing tournaments at that stage. I wanted to concentrate on my degree.

“I knew I wasn’t going to be playing tennis as a career. I had contemplated going to America and going through that system and getting a scholarship.”

She continued to coach tennis after university and had a stint as an estate agent in London before moving into teaching, first at Harrogate Grammar School and then at Skipton Girls School.

She moved to Ashville College in Harrogate in 2014. It was here some years later where she was first introduced to the growing sport of padel.

Immersed in padel

Padel tennis first came into the picture 18 months ago.

Angela Crossley, a Wetherby-based tennis coach and now Sophie’s padel partner, first introduced her to the sport.

When Sophie joined Ashville, she struck up a friendship with Angela and they would work offering students sessions in the summer and helping to grow the tennis programme at the college.

One day, Angela brought up the subject of padel with her.

“She asked me: ‘Have you tried padel? I think you would be quite good at it’.

“I remember her hitting a ball, it coming off the back glass and shooting about two metres in front of me and I just looked at her and said: ‘What you expect me to hit that?’”

Sophie and her padel partner, Angela, at the World Championships in Spain.

The sport has surged in popularity across the UK. In Harrogate, padel tennis courts have opened at Hornbeam Park, Harrogate Spa Tennis Club and Harrogate Sports and Fitness Club.

Last year, Ripon Tennis Club unveiled two new courts at a cost of £180,000 following a wave of support from residents and businesses.

To date, the Lawn Tennis Association estimates that the UK has 175,000 active padel tennis players.

The interest in the sport is huge, but, for Sophie, the country is still finding its feet competitively.

“Padel has exploded in this country. But everybody is still very much finding their feet.

“Some players have come from squash, they’re a bit more comfortable with the ball pinging off the walls but they’re not as comfortable at the net. Whereas, in tennis we have got more transferability from the volleying and the net gain. But we need to learn to love and embrace the glass a bit more.”

Fast forward to April this year and Sophie was competing for Great Britain at the International Padel Federation’s Seniors World Championship in La Nucia in Spain.

Team GB women went on to finish a commendable ninth place out of 22 countries.

Joined by Angela, the competition was fierce – not least because the European countries had been familiar with the sport a lot longer than the UK.

For Sophie, the experience was vital and one that she hopes will continue in years to come.

“You watch teams from Argentina and Spain who have been playing for years and they know where the ball is going.

“Whereas we are still playing quite reactive. They just read the ball so well because they have played for years.”

‘Prepare to be addicted’

Sophie hardly plays regular tennis competitively anymore, but still coaches from time to time.

Despite tennis taking a backseat recently, she still describes it as a “sport for life” and one that can be taken up at any age.

When asked whether she finds that she enjoys padel more than tennis, Sophie says the mental side of padel is a huge draw for her.

“I enjoy the mental side of it. I enjoy the strategy of trying to work out how to unpick a problem and how you are going to win the point or manipulate the space.

“It makes you think a lot more than tennis.”

She points out that there is more to padel than just playing the game. There is also a social aspect to it, she says, which stems from its growth in Spain and South America.

“I’d definitely encourage people to have a go at padel. Prepare to be addicted.”

If you have any local sporting figures who you think should be featured in Sporting Spotlight, contact calvin@thestrayferret.co.uk.

Harrogate-born gymnast wins silver at European Championships

A Harrogate-born gymnast has won silver at the European Championships.

Harry Hepworth, 20, was part of the Great Britain men’s artistic gymnastic team which competed at the tournament in Rimini, Italy, this past weekend.

Great Britain led heading into the final stage before being pipped to gold by Ukraine, who recorded an overall score of 255.762.

Harry, along with his teammates Courtney Tulloch, Jake Jarman, Joe Fraser and James Hall won silver with a score of 255.249.

Andrew Hepworth, Harry’s dad, told the Stray Ferret that he was delighted with his son’s performance.

He said:

“I am delighted for him. It has been a long journey and it has not been straight forward at all.

“There has been ups and downs. He has been resilient and stuck to it.”

Mr Hepworth added that Harry now has his eye on securing an Olympic spot in Paris this summer.

How Labour defeated the Tories in North Yorkshire’s first mayor election

“We have not been doing the basics,” said David Skaith to reporters huddled around him after becoming the first Mayor of York and North Yorkshire.

It was a seismic victory for Labour over the Conservatives, with a 14,794 majority.

The result at Harrogate Convention Centre on Friday afternoon was the culmination of two competing campaigns.

On the one side, Keane Duncan, for the Conservatives, led an ambitious campaign which included pledges such as buying Scarborough’s Grand Hotel for regeneration.

He also promised free car parking in towns and cities across the county.

Much of Mr Duncan’s campaign was focussed on utilising social media to promote his pledges. He published high-production videos and pictures to push his message.

He also went on a tour around the county in his van, which notably did not include anything which mentioned that he was a Conservative.

The 29-year-old emphasised the fact that he was out meeting people and published photographs of himself with residents in North Yorkshire’s towns and villages on his social media pages. His campaign appeared to focus on himself as an individual, rather than his political background.

During the campaign trail, Mr Duncan told the Stray Ferret that he had “bold ambition” for York and North Yorkshire. However, on the day, that did not help his election prospects.

Keane Duncan, with Prime Minister RIshi Sunak in Ripon earlier this month.

Keane Duncan, with Prime Minister RIshi Sunak in Ripon in April.

In fact, Felicity Cunliffe-Lister, the Liberal Democrat candidate, said she felt making pledges which “no-one believes” did not help the public’s trust in democracy.

She said:

“If you don’t take elections seriously that reflects badly on politicians. If you pledge to do things that no-one believes, it can and should backfire on you. It devalues politics. The feedback I get is that ‘you’re just another politician’.”

Specifically on the Grand Hotel, she said:

“That’s just one of them. There have been a series of headlines nobody believes. It was just grabbing headlines without anything behind them.”

In the end, Mr Duncan fell to a clear defeat. When speaking to the press afterwards, he defended his campaign, including the pledge on the Grand Hotel, and said he felt focussing on the coast was “important”.

Regardless of the majority involved, Mr Duncan was magnanimous in defeat and was seen applauding Mr Skaith after the declaration.

A traditional campaign

By comparison, Mr Skaith’s campaign offered little in terms of marquee pledges.

When speaking to the Stray Ferret two weeks ago, the Labour candidate focussed on matters such as transport, a High Street fund and a cost of living fund.

While the policies will resonate with some of the electorate, they were not headline grabbing pledges.

Rather, Mr Skaith appeared to take a traditional campaign route. He was seen canvassing with senior Labour politicians such as Rachel Reeves, shadow chancellor of the exchequer, and Mayor of West Yorkshire, Tracy Brabin.

Photo of Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves and North Yorkshire mayoral candidate David Skaith campaigning with Labour Party workers in Harrogate.

Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves and North Yorkshire mayoral candidate David Skaith campaigning with Labour Party workers in Harrogate.

After his victory on Friday, he told reporters that he would focus on building affordable housing and improving transport links. However, how that looks in practice remains to be seen.

The campaign has had the desired affect and now Labour has metro mayors in West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, North Yorkshire and further west in Greater Manchester and Liverpool.

Much of Mr Skaith’s 15,000 majority could be attributed to the city of York which includes students and a Labour-controlled city council.

The national picture cannot be overlooked either, with the Tories lagging behind in the polls. One of the candidates, Paul Haslam, was also a former Conservative who threw his hat in the ring as an independent.

However, Labour will not see it that way and will spin it as a blow to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in his own back yard.

The party has parked its tanks on traditional Conservative ground in a year which promises more elections to come.

Keane Duncan defends campaign as Conservatives lose North Yorkshire mayor election

Keane Duncan has defended his campaign for Mayor of York and North Yorkshire after the Conservatives lost the election to Labour.

Mr Duncan admitted that the national political picture “inevitably” affected his race to be mayor, but said Rishi Sunak should stay on as Prime Minister.

Labour’s David Skaith won the election by 14,794 votes on a disappointing day for the Tories.

Speaking after the result at Harrogate Convention Centre, Mr Duncan was magnanimous in defeat and defended his campaign, which included ambitious pledges such as buying the Grand Hotel in Scarborough.

He said:

“I am proud that I got to stand in this election. I am proud of my campaign. I thank everyone who has supported me in every corner of York and North Yorkshire.”

When asked whether he felt he overpromised on the Grand Hotel and if he regretted the pledge, he said:

“No, I’ve focussed on the coast. I think the coast is very important.

“I’m not going to have the opportunity now to deliver on my pledges and my promises. But I feel proud of the campaign that I have been able to run.”

Mr Duncan added that he did not feel that he could have done anymore with his campaign. When asked if the national political picture affected his race to be mayor, he said:

“I think the national picture has inevitably affected this campaign.”

He added that he would stay on as a North Yorkshire councillor and said he felt Mr Sunak should remain as Prime Minister, despite the election defeat.

Labour’s David Skaith won the inaugural mayoral election with 66,761 votes.

Tory candidate, Keane Duncan, came second with 51,967 votes and Felicity Cunliffe-Lister, Liberal Democrat, finished third with 30,867.

Meanwhile, Green Party candidate, Kevin Foster, won 15,188 votes and Keith Tordoff, independent, finished fifth with 13,250 votes.

Harrogate independent, Paul Haslam, won 12,370 votes.

The turnout for the York and North Yorkshire mayoral election was 30%.

Labour’s David Skaith pledges to ‘get basics right’ as mayor

Newly elected Mayor of York and North Yorkshire, David Skaith, has pledged to “get the basics right” as the first mayor of the county.

The Labour Party candidate won the inaugural mayoral election with 66,761 votes.

Speaking after the result, Mr Skaith, who is originally from Harrogate, said he felt the region had not done the basics, such as building affordable homes and improving transport.

He added that doing so would help to retain people to live and work in the area.

Mr Skaith said:

“We have an opportunity to bring York and North Yorkshire together. North Yorkshire is not an area that we normally do well in, but people want change.

“We have not been doing the basics. That will be my priority. We have a lot of people who are leaving the area.”

Mr Skaith pledged to work with fellow metro mayors in West Yorkshire, but also towards the west in Greater Manchester and Liverpool to help improve issues such as transport.

The election was a disappointing day for the Conservatives in North Yorkshire as they lost the election by 14,794 votes.

Tory candidate, Keane Duncan, came second with 51,967 votes and Felicity Cunliffe-Lister, Liberal Democrat, finished third with 30,867.

Meanwhile, Green Party candidate, Kevin Foster, won 15,188 votes and Keith Tordoff, independent, finished fifth with 13,250 votes.

Harrogate independent, Paul Haslam, won 12,370 votes.

The turnout for the York and North Yorkshire mayoral election was 30%.

Northern Gas Networks apologises over ongoing Pannal roadworks

Northern Gas Networks has apologised after residents complained about ongoing roadworks in Pannal.

The company started utility repairs and maintenance work on the A61 Leeds Road near to the traffic lights at the junction with Follifoot Road two weeks ago.

The work includes temporary traffic lights in both directions on the A61 and on Station Road and Follifoot Road.

Residents and the local councillor, John Mann, said the work had led to long queues on Leeds Road in both directions, congestion and rat running, particularly during rush hour times.

The Stray Ferret took the concerns over the disruption to the company.

In response, Mark Mawhood, operations manager for Northern Gas Networks, said:

“We would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused during these essential works. However, it is vital we complete them in order to continue to maintain a safe and reliable gas supply to the residents of Pannal.”

Mr Mawhood added that the company expects the work to be completed by Sunday, May 12.

The move comes after Cllr Mann described the work as leaving residents feeling “hemmed in” and “isolated”.

He also pointed to ongoing work by Yorkshire Water on Spring Lane, which he said had caused a “near perfect storm” of roadworks.

Plans approved to convert ex-Harrogate shop and nightclub into flats

North Yorkshire Council has approved plans to create seven new flats on Harrogate’s Parliament Street.

The scheme will see the former Sofa Workshop unit, which is next to the now closed Bijouled store, converted to living accommodation.

The upper floor of the former Moko nightclub and office space will also be adapted to become flats.

The former Bijouled unit will be retained under the plans.

In documents submitted to the council, the developer, JC Robinson Ltd, said the application would cause no harm to the grade two listed building.

It added:

“Subject to further detailing of internal and external works including the design of new window and door openings to the exterior of the building, it is considered that the development can be undertaken without giving rise to harm to the significance of the listed building.”

Moko closed in 2019 and Bijouled ceased trading in February last year.

The former Sofa Workshop shut in April 2022 after the company entered administration.

Pannal residents ‘isolated’ by ongoing roadworks, says councillor

Residents in Pannal feel “hemmed in” and “isolated” as a result of ongoing roadworks in the area, says the local councillor.

Northern Gas Networks started utility repairs and maintenance work on the A61 Leeds Road near to the traffic lights at the junction with Follifoot Road two weeks ago.

The work, which is due to continue until May 13, includes temporary traffic lights in both directions on the A61 and on Station Road and Follifoot Road.

Cllr John Mann, a Conservative who represents the area on North Yorkshire Council, said the work had led to long queues on Leeds Road in both directions, congestion and rat running, particularly during rush hour times.

He also pointed to ongoing work by Yorkshire Water on Spring Lane, which he said had caused a “near perfect storm” of roadworks.

Cllr Mann said:

“Local residents feel hemmed in and slightly isolated at the moment.

“I have contacted the highways team at North Yorkshire Council and have called for urgent steps to be taken to reduce the effect on traffic, especially in the rush-hour and at school drop off and pick up times.”

Cllr Mann, along with local resident Brian Dunsby, have both contacted Northern Gas Networks over the matter and urged them to put measures in place to reduce queuing, congestion and rat running.

Cllr Mann added that the utility company had agreed to manually operate the lights and to reduce the temporary lights at the top of Church Lane to a two-way operation.

The Stray Ferret put the concerns over the works in Pannal to Northern Gas Networks, but had not received a response by the time of publication.

The move comes as the company has started further work on Leadhall Lane in Harrogate.

Temporary lights are due to be in place until 7th May as Northern Gas Networks carries out “essential work to ensure the continued safe and reliable supply of gas”.

Northern Gas Networks said:

“Ageing metal pipework is being upgraded to ensure a safe and reliable supply of gas. Two-way temporary traffic lights are now currently in place on the junction of Leadhall Lane, Church Lane and Green Lane. These will be in place until Tuesday May 7 at the latest. Once this phase is complete, our work will continue down Leadhall Lane towards Leeds Road. It will be necessary to use two way rolling traffic lights whilst this stretch of work is completed.”

Mark Mawhood, operations manager for Northern Gas Networks, said:

“We would like to apologise in advance for any inconvenience caused during these essential works. However, it is vital we complete them in order to continue to maintain a safe and reliable gas supply to the residents of Harrogate. We want to assure residents and road users that we will be working hard to complete this essential scheme as safely and as quickly as possible.”

Meanwhile, the company is also carrying out repair work on Halfpenny Lane in Knaresborough. The work, which includes a road closure, is due to be completed by May 5.

Light pollution policy to protect Nidderdale dark skies

North Yorkshire Council is set to adopt a policy designed to prevent light pollution in Nidderdale.

Astronomers commissioned by Nidderdale AONB — which has since been renamed Nidderdale National Landscape — in spring 2022 found the night skies in the north west of the area, including Upper Nidderdale and moorland near Masham, are some of the least affected by light pollution in England.

With this in mind, the council drew up a Nidderdale AONB-specific supplementary planning document for its Harrogate District Local Plan 2014-35, which outlines where development can occur.

The policy was first devised by the former Harrogate Borough Council in February 2023. Senior councillors on North Yorkshire Council are now expected to adopt the plan.

The document, once adopted, will be used as a “material consideration” by councillors when deciding on planning applications in the area.

Among its key objectives include introducing a “zoning scheme” to protect the darker skies in Nidderdale.

It also recommends that external lights in the darkest zone, which includes Upper Nidderdale, should only have 500 lumens, which is a measurement of visible light to the human eye.

The document adds that light pollution from farm and commercial buildings is “the most obvious source” of light pollution in the darkest zone of the AONB.

Senior councillors will be asked to adopt the policy document at an executive meeting on May 7.

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Picking up the racquet

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Immersed in padel

‘Prepare to be addicted’

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A traditional campaign

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