Developer withdraws Knaresborough nine homes plan

A developer has withdrawn plans to build nine houses on the site of one of Knaresborough’s oldest houses and garden.

Paul Franklin tabled the proposal to North Yorkshire Council to demolish the property and build the homes on land off Stockwell Road.

It was met by objections from around 30 residents and Knaresborough Town Council.

They argued that the scheme would cause worsening “gridlock across the railway bridge” on Stockwell Road, the “inadequate” number of parking places in a residential area close to the town centre, a GP surgery and schools.

Meanwhile, Knaresborough Town Council said in a letter to the council that the proposal would be “overbearing and will overlook neighbouring properties particularly gardens affecting other residents privacy”.

The area where the homes would have been built.

The area where the homes would have been built.

The town council urged the authority to consider the proposal at a planning committee.

However, the council’s planning portal shows that the application was withdrawn on August 1.

In response to concerns over the plans, Mr Franklin told the Stray Ferret previously:

“For over 12 months we have been in consultation with the council. Under the guidance of external consultees, we have carefully designed a scheme to provide local people a quality and sustainable place to live and enjoy Knaresborough.

“Comments have been received from local residents mainly covering historically-recurring issues which need to be raised with the relevant bodies – Yorkshire Water, highways authority etc.

“Knaresborough has a rich history, but the site is not a historical asset or listed building and is beyond economical repair despite significant investment during ownership.

“Our garden was cleared of nettles, perennial weeds and thistles and four disease-ridden/choked trees over the past two years. Felling of diseased trees was done outside of nesting season, and no Tree Protection Orders were in place.”

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Plan approved to convert Harrogate listed building into a flat

Plans have been approved to convert the upper floors of a grade-II listed building in Harrogate into a flat.

Mercer House on Swan Road towers above the adjoining Mercer Art Gallery.

Under plans lodged by Colston Trustees Limited, the building would be changed from offices to residential and create a single flat. The ground floor retail unit is not included in the plan.

A previous proposal submitted in November 2022 would have seen two flats created.

However, in documents tabled to North Yorkshire Council, the developer said the revised plan would have “less impact upon the building than previously approved and be acceptable”.

Mercer House is historically and architecturally significant due to its gable-fronted, white and blue appearance.

North Yorkshire Council has approved the proposal.

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It will see the first, second and third floors turned into a single flat with living, dining and kitchen space and a bedroom and bathroom on the first floor.

The second floor would have three bedrooms, two en-suites and a bathroom while the third floor would be storage space.

In documents to the council, the developer said:

“The alterations required to the building are less than the previous approved scheme and retain more of the original openings and minimal alterations to original internal walls.

“The external alterations are limited to those at the rear of the building and are the same as those already approved, there are no changes to the front or sides of the building.”

Business Breakfast: Scheme offers Harrogate entrepreneurs chance to access £2,500 grants

Budding entrepreneurs in the Harrogate district are being invited to sign up for a business support scheme with the chance of accessing £2,500 in grants.

The free scheme is being run by the York and North Yorkshire Growth Hub and is called the Strive Live Start-Up Incubator.

The programme includes live online training, personalised one-to-one advice and on-demand online learning for those wishing to start their own business.

The scheme lasts for seven weeks and will start on September 12, 2023.

It will include sessions held online during the evening, featuring access to more than 20 interactive e-learning modules and a supportive network of like-minded peers. 

Daniela Genova, the founder of Cafe Lago di Como in Harrogate who has taken part in programme, said: 

“Strive is an amazing place to learn absolutely everything you need to know about business. 

“But most importantly the team work very hard and they are always available for any questions or concerns. We really enjoyed it and we have learned a lot from the project.”

For more information on how to sign up for the scheme, visit the York and North Yorkshire Growth Hub website here.

Harrogate lawyer awarded industry qualification

A partner at a Harrogate law firm has been awarded a coveted industry qualification.

Haroon Quayum, who works in the LCF Law family business unit, has achieved an advanced certificate in family business governance, which is recognised by the professional body the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners.

Haroon Qayum, LCF Law

It means Mr Quayum is able to offer further technical advice, such as helping family businesses plan for succession.

He said:

“Having been through the examination process and passed this qualification, I have been able to expand my technical knowledge, develop my professional competence and build on my experience and skills that I have developed over my many years in practice, helping families plan for succession, as well as identify and define appropriate governance structures.”

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Nidderdale pub visited by Kate Winslet wins CAMRA country pub award

A Nidderdale pub has been named country pub of the year by the local branch of the Campaign for Real Ale.

The Crown at Middlesmoor has picked up the award, which recognises “beer quality and its contribution to the community and tourism”.

Alan Gould, chair of the Harrogate and Ripon CAMRA, presented the prize to landlady Angie Snow and her son Samuel.

Mr Gould said village pubs were important and pointed out some were the subject to campaigns to be bought by their local communities.

In a post on its social media, the pub said:

“So we have just been awarded country pub of the year 2023. So proud of all our staff who work hard to keep us going.”

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The pub is known to attract celebrities on occasion and was visited by Oscar winning actress, Kate Winslet, in May this year.

Kate Winslet, centre, with Megan Dunn and Angela Snow at the Crown in Middlesmoor

Kate Winslet, centre, with Megan Dunn and Angela Snow at the pub this year.

CAMRA’s Harrogate and Ripon branch covers a large area of North Yorkshire including parts of a national park and an area of outstanding natural beauty.

It runs two separate pub of the year awards, one for country pub and another for town pubs.

Last month, CAMRA awarded The Oatlands club on Coronation Grove in Harrogate best club in the area for 2023.

Reservoir monument restored and returned to Nidderdale Museum

A stone monument built in 1913 depicting Angram reservoir has been restored and donated to Nidderdale Museum.

The reservoir was one of three built in the Nidderdale area between 1896 and 1936 by Bradford Corporation Waterworks Department.

The company also built a railway to transport people and equipment from Pateley Bridge to the three reservoirs – Gouthwaite, Angram and Scar House. 

Stonemason Robert Drummond, who was part of a team of stonemasons employed to build the reservoir, created the monument of Angram, which weighs over a ton.

It stood outside the Bradford Corporation Waterworks Office, moving several times before resting in the private garden of one of Mr Drummond’s descendants.

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In 2021, the monument was offered as a donation to the museum by members of the family, and it was accepted.

Stonemasons HA Green & Son from Ripon dismantled it and transported it to their workshop, where the monument underwent a restoration, sponsored by Yorkshire Water’s Beyond Nature Initiative.

On Friday, it was unveiled outside Nidderdale Museum in Pateley Bridge to serve as a reminder of the history of the dams in the area.

Sue Welch, chairman of Nidderdale Museum Society said: 

“We are delighted that Yorkshire Water agreed that the monument should come back to Nidderdale and be displayed so that everyone can learn more about the reservoirs and its history.”

The Lord Mayor of Bradford was in Pateley Bridge last Friday to unveil the model (pictured below).

Pictured are (left to right): Joyce Dixon, granddaughter of the stonemason; Sue Welch, chairman of Nidderdale Museum; Cllr Gerry Barker, Lord Mayor of Bradford; Jean Barker, Lady Mayoress of Bradford; Cllr David Ireton, chairman of North Yorkshire Council; Andy Shaw, head of water production for Yorkshire Water

The story of Angram

More than a thousand workers were involved in the construction work, with most of them living on site.  During the work at Angram and Scar House the accommodation built was much better than most in the local villages, with electric power, communal buildings, a school and a cinema.

Many stonemasons were employed to build the reservoirs, and one of them, Robert Drummond, created this scale model of Angram during his spare time, working with his son Duncan.

It was finished in 1913 six years before the reservoir opened.

The aqueduct built to transport the water from the reservoirs to the water filtration plant at Chellow Heights near Bradford was a major feat of engineering, transporting the water underground for over 30 miles purely by gravity.

There is no pumping involved. The system is still in operation today, providing water to the Bradford area.

Nidderdale Museum, in the Old Workhouse, Pateley Bridge is a volunteer-run independent museum with 12 rooms full of items and information from the past 200 years of Nidderdale life.

It is open from 1.30pm to 4.30pm daily except Mondays over summer.

 

National Trust submits major £3.5m Fountains Abbey improvement plan

The National Trust has formally submitted plans for a new £3.5 million building and landscape project at the Studley Royal end of Fountains Abbey, near Ripon.

The project, called Studley Revealed, aims to create a more accessible café, admission point and toilets and restore historical sightlines to the 18th century Georgian water garden created by John Aislabie.

However, the new building would be situated inside the water garden and only be accessible to people who pay to enter.

Under the proposals, the current tea room on the deer park side, which is free to enter, will close. A kiosk providing drinks and snacks will be built in the deer park car park, accessible to everyone.

The restaurant and parking at the main visitor centre will remain free for all to access.

The trust has submitted its plans to North Yorkshire Council, which will make a decision at a later date.

Studley Revealed

An illustration of the how the view of the building from the deer park might look.

London heritage architects Feilden Fowles and Edinburgh landscape architects Rankinfraser were appointed to carry out the design work.

Justin Scully, general manager of Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal, said:

“The Studley Revealed project is an exciting part of the ongoing conservation of the Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal World Heritage Site. It has long been our ambition to improve the appearance of this area of the site and how visitors experience it.

“Crucially, it means we can create a place for our visitors to learn more about the fascinating history of Studley Royal, its international significance and our role in caring for it, whilst simultaneously having a more enjoyable and accessible experience.

Mr Scully added the project had been delayed by covid “but it gave us extra time to consider the feedback from our consultation in 2019 and we’ve been able to update our plans”

The trust estimated that the new facilities will open in 2025, should planning approval be granted.

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Overheating ice machine caused fire in village pub near Knaresborough

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue has said a fire at a village pub near Knaresborough this morning was caused by an overheating ice machine.

The Tiger Inn at Coneythorpe looks set to be closed for several weeks after suffering what was its second fire in three years.

Firefighters were summoned at 5.45am this morning.

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue said in a statement:

“A number of crews attended and found a fire which had started in the kitchen and spread to the bar, toilets and a cloak room.

“Crews used breathing apparatus, four hose reel jets, positive pressure ventilation fans and thermal imaging cameras.

“Everyone was out of the property on the arrival of crews, one person was treated at the scene for smoke inhalation but did not require hospital treatment. The cause of the fire is believed to be an overheating ice machine.”

In a Facebook post, the Tiger Inn said that, while most of the pub building was fine, the kitchen was “not quite as fortunate”.

It added:

“We cannot thank the fire service and paramedics enough for their swift response and incredibly professional manner with which they dealt with the situation.

“The majority of the pub is also fine but the kitchen was not quite as fortunate. In light of this The Tiger will not be open for the next few weeks.”

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In November 2020, fire crews from Harrogate, Knaresborough and Acomb spent six hours battling a blaze at the pub.

The pub underwent 11 months of refurbishment before it reopened in October the following year.

 

Parish council objects to latest Kirby Hill service station plan

Kirby Hill and District Parish Council has objected to the latest plans to build a motorway service station near to the village.

Applegreen Ltd has submitted amended plans for the scheme between junctions 48 and 49 of the A1(M) northbound, between Boroughbridge and Ripon.

It would see a Welcome Break built at the site, as well a filling station and 364 car parking spaces created.

The proposal already has outline permission after the government’s Planning Inspectorate approved the plan on appeal in April 2021.

However, the parish council has objected to the proposal on the grounds that the developer was planning “major changes” to its plan.

It added that there was already a service station planned for Catterick and one on the A168 near Thirsk, which it says “plugs the gap” for a motorway service area.

In its objection, which was sent to North Yorkshire Council by parish council clerk, Martin Rae, the authority also called for the proposal to be considered by a planning committee.

It said:

“It [the parish council] also requests that this resubmitted application is dealt with by the planning authority in full committee at Tier 1 level.

“This is because councillors believe that it cannot be considered in isolation in view of the changed wider context in which services have now been approved at Catterick and greater provision of services now exists on the A168 link to the A19 at Thirsk.”

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Applegreen, which is based in Dublin, applied for amendments to its plan, including an extension to the length of the slip roads and increasing the permissible height of the eastern dumbbell roundabout by up to 1.25 metres.

In documents submitted to the council, the company said the changes were “limited design amendments”.

North Yorkshire Council will make a decision on the proposal at a later date.

The move comes after the government approved plans for the service station following a series of public inquiries and planning battles.

In a saga which has spanned a quarter of a century, Applegreen’s application has been before multiple council planning committees, faced four public inquiries and been turned down twice by the Secretary of State and the High Court.

The inquiry, which was held by planning inspector David Rose and streamed onto YouTube, lasted two weeks and included multiple testimonies from residents, campaigners and developer Applegreen.

In a decision notice, Mr Rose said after considering the evidence that the benefits of a service station would outweigh the harm.

Business Breakfast: Harrogate Town agrees partnership with Circle Health Group

Harrogate Town has agreed a partnership with the Duchy Hospital.

The agreement will see the hospital, which is part of Circle Health Group, offer medical check-ups, health screening and private GP appointments to first team players.

It will also see specialist clinics available to players before and after EFL League Two fixtures this coming season.

Rachel McGeachie, head of medical and physiotherapy at Harrogate Town FC, said: 

“They offer an invaluable service to the club that provides both peace of mind to the player, their families as well as the club and myself.”

Michelle Eardley, executive director of the Duchy Hospital, said: 

“As a fellow local organisation, we understand how important the club is to the community and we look forward to supporting the players and club staff throughout the season with specialist care across a range of services.”

Harrogate law firm makes new litigation hire

A Harrogate law firm has appointed a new litigation executive.

Truth Legal, which is based on Victoria Avenue, has hired Sarah Doyle to its team.

Sarah joins the firm with 30 years ‘ experience of working within the legal services industry, the majority of which has been within the personal injury sector.

She has acted for claimants involved in road traffic accidents, including 10 years spent acting on behalf of motorcyclists, and has focused on clinical negligence cases for the last three years.

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Former Harrogate Leon site to become Starbucks

The former Leon drive-through restaurant in Harrogate is set to become a Starbucks.

North Yorkshire Council has approved plans to change the signage around the Wetherby Road site to Starbucks branding.

Permission has been given for a total of 20 signs, just over half of which would be illuminated, including ‘totem’ signs, menus and directional signs around the drive-through.

Leon, which opened last June, closed its doors on April 2 with the loss of around 20 jobs.

It was operated by Blackburn-based EG Group, which also runs Starbucks franchises as well as brands including KFC and Greggs.

Currently, the building has been empty for four months and has been stripped of its Leon branding and signage. No date has been given for it reopening as a Starbucks.

The coffee brand has only one existing presence in the Harrogate district, on Cambridge Street in the town centre.

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Following the closure of the fast-food restaurant, speculation mounted over whether a Starbucks would open at the site.

The company initially considered opening a Starbucks on Wetherby Road before Leon was announced instead.

Planning documents submitted to Harrogate Borough Council in 2019 proposed a drive-thru “to be operated by Starbucks Coffee Company” on the site.

However, following planning approval on appeal, EG Group announced a Leon would open instead.

Residents near to the drive-thru raised concern that the scheme was not as advertised in the initial plan.

The Stray Ferret asked the borough council in April 2022 how the company was able to build the scheme as a Leon drive-thru when the original approval for the site showed a Starbucks coffee shop.

At the time, a council spokesperson said:

“Permission was granted by the Planning Inspectorate for a ‘coffee shop to include a drive-thru’, not specifically for a Starbucks.

“The Inspectorate did not add any conditions to the permission they gave restricting the use of the premises solely to a coffee shop, so it can legally be used for any other use within the same use class, which includes a drive thru food and drink establishment.”

LeonThe former Leon restaurant