Council admits mistake in publicising Knaresborough asylum seeker accommodation address

North Yorkshire Council has admitted making a mistake in publicising the address of authority-owned properties in Knaresborough which would house asylum seekers.

The council published an online decision notice last week to take four homes off the market to be used either for unaccompanied asylum seeking children or as move-on accommodation for homeless people transitioning to independent living.

However, at the time, the notice included addresses of the properties.

At a full council meeting in Northallerton today, Cllr Hannah Gostlow, who represents Knaresborough East division, asked Cllr Simon Myers, executive councillor for housing, whether he felt it was appropriate to include the address on its website.

Cllr Gostlow said:

“Given the public decision notice regarding accommodation for unoccupied child refugees in Knaresborough, does the executive member for housing feel it is appropriate to publicise the location of accommodation for vulnerable young people?”

In response, Cllr Myers said:

“The full answer will be published on the council’s website. But, the short answer is yes it was a mistake.

“It has now been rectified on the record. In an attempt to be open, fair and democratic and to meet the needs of the situation that we find ourselves in with regards to housing these vulnerable young people, a decision was taken quickly and perhaps not thought out as well as it might have been.”

When asked how the location was made public, Cllr Myers said the exact location was revealed as the houses were being retained after being put on the market.

He added:

“The exact location was published in the decision notice. In fact, it would not have taken a lot of working out that they were those properties.

“Both children’s social care and housing are aware of the mistake they have made and they will make sure that such a mistake is not made again.”

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Harrogate Borough Council bought the properties in 2019 after they had been unoccupied for several years.

The council, which was abolished in April this year, restored them and said last year it intended to sell the leaseholds for an estimated £879,900 and retain the freehold.

Graham Swift, Harrogate Borough Council’s deputy leader at the time, said the properties “had been a blight on the high street in Knaresborough for several years” and the local authority had recognised their potential to provide homes.

Mercedes driver fined for clocking 151mph on A1 at Boroughbridge

A man who was caught driving at 151 miles per hour on the A1(M) at Boroughbridge has been fined and disqualified.

Jorden Jay Barwick, 22, of Magnolia Way, Sowerby, admitted being twice over the speed limit at a hearing at Harrogate Magistrates Court yesterday.

Barwick was caught by a safety camera vehicle on the northbound carriageway at junction 48 on August 21 at 7.25pm.

North Yorkshire Police said his car, a Mercedes A45 AMG, was not displaying a front registration plate.

Officers used the images from the camera to trace the vehicle using automatic number plate recognition (ANPR). The car was then stopped by a marked police car and the driver identified as Barwick.

The 22-year-old was sentenced to a 12-month disqualification and a £369 fine, he was also ordered to pay £110 in costs and a £196 victim surcharge.

Richard Fletcher, acting traffic bureau manager at North Yorkshire Police, said: 

“Speed is involved in around one third of all fatal collisions, which is why it is important we identify and punish those caught speeding on the roads of North Yorkshire.

“Barwick showed complete disregard for the safety of other road users when he chose to commit these offences. In fact, the speed he registered on our camera was the fastest we have ever seen, and we were determined to bring him to justice.”

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North Yorkshire councillors back giving themselves 10% pay increase

Councillors on North Yorkshire Council have voted to increase their pay by £1,500 a year.

North Yorkshire Council‘s independent remuneration panel recommended the 90 elected councillors’ annual basic allowance should be increased from £15,500 to £17,000.

The 10% uplift, along with other increases for councillors with special responsibility allowances, will mean council tax payers have to foot an extra £145,000 each year.

Councillors backed the move at a full council meeting in Northallerton today.

Cllr Felicity Cunliffe-Lister, a Liberal Democrat who represents Masham and Fountains division on the council, said at the meeting today that she would not support the increase.

She said:

“May I remind everyone that we are in a cost of living crisis. Awarding ourselves a pay rise at this time is indefensible.”

However, Cllr Carl Les, leader of the council, said the independent panel had considered the current cost of living when making the decision to recommend the rise.

“The independent panel know that there is a cost of living crisis. They have factored that in to their deliberations.”

Cllr Les added that it was up to individual councillors as to whether they accepted all or some of the allowance available to them.

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Panel chair Keith Trotter cited the increased workload caused by the creation of North Yorkshire Council, inflation and the cost of living as reasons for the recommendation.

The £1,500 increase in the annual basic allowance from £15,500 to £17,000 will result in an increase in the total annual amount paid of £135,000.

Meanwhile, the two per cent increase in the special responsibility allowances paid, with the exception of sessional payments to chairs of the licensing sub-committees, will result in an increase in the total annual amount paid of £10,514.

North Yorkshire Council was created on April 1 to replace the eight county, borough and district councils in the biggest reorganisation of local government in the county since 1974.

Councillors volunteer for their roles so they are not officially paid but receive an annual basic allowance, which according to the panel compensates for their time and “conscientious fulfilment of duties”.

Firefighters attend flooding at Boroughbridge home

Fire crews were called to flooding at a home in Boroughbridge last night.

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue attended the incident on Bridge Street at 7.43pm.

On arrival, the service said that the water at property was approximately 2ft deep.

An incident log from the service said crews used a light portable pump to bring the level down.

It added:

“Crews assisted the occupant to make contact with the Environment Agency to organise a pump being delivered to assist with continued flood defences.”

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Harrogate hospital £20m RAAC repairs a ‘critical building safety issue’, says MP

Repairs work at Harrogate District Hospital to fix crumbling concrete are a “critical building safety issue” which should be funded, a Labour MP has said.

The hospital on Lancaster Park Road requires essential work to repair panels made of RAAC.

RAAC – reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete – made headlines nationally recently after it was found to be a substandard component of many schools and hospitals built between the 1950s and 1990s.

Health officials estimated in September it will cost £20 million to eradicate “crumbly concrete” from Harrogate District Hospital, which was built in the 1970s.

As a result, the hospital trust has bid for funding for the work.

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During a debate in the House of Commons on Monday, Mike Amesbury, Labour MP for Weaver Vale, said hospitals in his constituency were also built with the same material.

Richard Foord, Liberal Democrat defence spokesperson, made an intervention during Mr Amesbury’s speech to raise the issue at Harrogate.

He said:

“I was interested to hear the hon. Member mention RAAC in his speech. 

“I have heard that there is a hospital in Harrogate that needs £20 million of repairs because of RAAC, but the government are requiring that hospital to bid for the funding, rather than just giving it the funding. Does the hon. Member think that is right?”

In response, Mr Amesbury, who is also shadow minister for building safety and homelessness, said:

“I certainly do not. It is a critical building safety issue, and funding should be given according to need, so that is a very well-made point.”

The comments come as Tom Gordon, Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate for Harrogate and Knaresborough, called on the government to foot the bill for the repairs.

This month, Mr Gordon wrote to the then Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Steve Barclay MP, to highlight his concerns about the construction panels at the hospital made of RAAC.

Woman in 70s dies after Harrogate collision

A woman in her 70s has died after a collision in Harrogate.

The collision happened on North Park Road yesterday (November 13) at around 4.10pm.

It involved a pedestrian and a car. The driver of the car, a grey BMW 3-series, is helping officers with their enquiries.

A North Yorkshire Police statement issued this evening said:

“The pedestrian who was involved in a collision on North Park Road in Harrogate yesterday, a woman in her 70s, has very sadly died.

“The woman’s family have been informed of the news and are being supported by specially trained officers.”

North Yorkshire Police has appealed for information and dash cam footage of the incident.

A statement from the force added:

“Officers are renewing the appeal for information and are asking anyone with information or footage who hasn’t already come forward to contact the police. Anyone who could help the investigation is asked to email MCIT@northyorkshire.police.uk  or phone 101.

“Please quote reference number 12230216084 when passing information.”

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Council to pay costs over Harrogate office block conversion appeal

A developer has been awarded costs after successfully appealing a decision to convert a former Harrogate office block into flats.

Bramhope Property and Investments Limited tabled the proposal to North Yorkshire Council to convert the former office block off Clarence Drive known as Simpson House into 12 two-bedroom flats.

It would have seen the ground, first and second floors converted.

However, the authority rejected the plan in May this year on the grounds that the flats would not have enough natural light.

The developer took the decision to the government’s Planning Inspectorate, which deals with planning disputes.

As a result, government planning inspector, N Teasdale, approved the plans after finding “no substantive evidence to demonstrate that the rear of the building would be in near constant shade/stygian gloom”.

The inspector also awarded costs against the council in a decision notice published this month.

Mr Teasdale said:

“It is not unreasonable for the council to raise concerns about the management of the trees through the prior approval process and the impact of the trees on the proposed development which informed its decision given the close proximity of the trees.

“It is also not unreasonable for the council to raise concern regarding the contents of a technical study. However, the council’s officer report fails to provide justification for this particularly taking into account the overall methodology used and findings of the study. 

“No technical critique has been made of the submitted assessment to support their concerns and inaccurate assertions about the proposals impact were therefore made.”

The inspector found that “unreasonable behaviour resulting in unnecessary or wasted expense” was demonstrated and awarded costs against the council.

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Police warning amid treacherous driving conditions after Storm Debi

North Yorkshire Police have issued a warning after heavy rain has caused some flooding in areas of the Harrogate district and treacherous driving conditions.

Storm Debi caused strong winds and rain yesterday and overnight. A yellow weather warning was in place for much of the district.

Police were called to several incidents on the district’s roads, including flooding off York Road in Boroughbridge this morning and a car crashing into safety barriers on the A59 at Goldsborough at 11.12pm last night.

However, no serious injuries have been reported.

Meanwhile, this morning Dishforth Road and Sharow Lane near Ripon has been reported as flooded.

The force’s control room recorded almost 100 incidents between 8pm last night and midnight, and a further 100 between midnight and 8am today, many of which were weather-related.

Officers have urged drivers to take care on the district’s road amid unexpected flooding and obstructions as a result of heavy rain.

A North Yorkshire Police spokesman said: 

“It’s been a busy night with a high number of weather-related calls. We’ve worked hard to keep people safe and keep traffic moving as best we can.

“Storm Debi has passed, but she’s left flooded roads, felled trees and other dangerous debris in her wake.

“So if you’re travelling by road today, be on your guard for unexpected flooding or obstructions, and please allow that little bit of extra time to arrive safely.”

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Woman in 70s seriously injured after Harrogate collision

A woman in her 70s has been seriously injured after a collision in Harrogate.

North Yorkshire Police has appealed for information and dash cam footage of the incident which happened on North Park Road.

The woman, who was a pedestrian, was treated by paramedics and has been taken to hospital after being struck by a grey BMW 3-Series.

Police have also appealed for CCTV footage showing the grey BMW 3-Series in the moments before the collision, which was reported just before 4.10pm today.

A large section of North Park Road is currently closed to allow police to investigate.

Road closures are at junctions with Queen’s Parade, York Place, Harcourt Drive and other adjoining roads. 

Officers said the roads are likely to stay closed for some time and police are advising motorists to use alternative routes.

A North Yorkshire Police statement said:

“Anyone who witnessed the incident, or has footage of the collision or the moments leading up to it, should email Traffic Sergeant Jon Moss at Jon.Moss@northyorkshire.police.uk or call North Yorkshire Police on 101 and ask for Jon Moss.

“Please quote reference NYP13112023-0349 when sharing information.”

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Northern pledges to target persistent fare dodgers on its services

Northern has pledged to crackdown on persistent fare dodgers on its services.

The rail company, which operates services through Harrogate and Knaresborough to Leeds and York, issued the warning and promised to prosecute those who dodge fares for historic cases.

The move comes as the firm set up its digital fraud investigations team in 2021 amid a surge in digital tickets after the covid pandemic.

Around 70% of tickets on Northerns services are bought online.

Mark Powles, commercial and customer director at Northern, said: 

“Fare evasion hasn’t been as simple as people just not buying a ticket for quite some time.

“There are people who try to outsmart the system through a complex process of fraudulent refund requests, delay repay claims and a process known as ‘short faring’.

“What those people might not realise is that, as with any electronic transaction, our systems are able to identify suspicious activity and bring it to the attention of our specialist investigators.”

The company said it investigated 108,681 reports of attempted fare evasion in the 2022-23 financial year.

It attended 301 court sittings during the same period, helping to secure 14,072 convictions.

Northern said the prosecutions help to recoup £2.9 million in lost revenue for the taxpayer.

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