Stray Views is a weekly column giving you the chance to have your say on issues affecting the Harrogate district. It is an opinion column and does not reflect the views of the Stray Ferret. Send your views to letters@thestrayferret.co.uk.

How dare they give themselves a pay rise at this time. They already all got a rise when everything went to Northallerton because they were going to have more responsibility with the wider district to cover. 

Then instead of the economies of scale and savings we were promised we find they have given us £25 million debt. Shame on them.

Diane Stokes, Starbeck

Briggate would be fixed quicker in Northallerton

I have just read John Plummer’s article on the lack of progress with the roadworks on Briggate, Knaresborough

I believe that Ms Burnham is being somewhat economical with the truth when she states that the work will take until Christmas to complete but only begin in a few weeks time. There are only 25 working days until Christmas.

I also believe that had this happened in Northallerton – it would have been fixed in September. It is not equitable to leave local council tax payers ‘simply’ having to put up with the daily misery of the situation which currently has no committed end in sight

Having examined the collapse closely myself, the rubble could easily be removed – thus freeing up the road again. Despite significant rainfall and gale force winds since September it has shown no further signs of collapse. I note also that the houses above have not been evacuated nor the footpath itself closed to pedestrians. The situation could then be monitored regularly until such time as the work could be carried out.

And bad weather can’t be blamed for lack of progress either since it hasn’t prevented significant , planned gas works from being carried out on Aspin Lane etc

Ultimately the situation appears to boil down to the council’s apathy or disinterest in sorting this problem out for local taxpayers.

Alice Woolley, Knaresborough

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Thanks to Connexions Buses

Connexions Buses have ended their X1A and B services Harrogate to Knaresbrough estates.

I would like to thank them for their reliable service over the past years and the friendly drivers who always would wait for us older passengers to be seated and wish them all the best for their future employment.

Paul Smith, Knaresborough

Do you have an opinion on the Harrogate district? Email us at letters@thestrayferret.co.uk. Please include your name and approximate location details. Limit your letters to 350 words. We reserve the right to edit letters.

North Yorkshire councillors voted to increase their allowances by 10% this week .

The vote, which was held at a full council meeting in Northallerton, proved contentious with some members of the council claiming it was immoral due to the ongoing cost of living crisis.

Others argued that the increase amounted to a “real terms pay cut”.

It represented an ongoing debate over how elected councillors should be paid for their service.

Here is what you need to know about how North Yorkshire councillors are paid

How are councillors paid?

Councillors on North Yorkshire Council are not paid a salary. They are paid an allowance, which each elected member can decide whether to accept all or part of.

Some offer to donate parts of their allowance to charity.

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The purpose of the allowance is to cover expenses which come with the commitments of a councillor, such as time and travel to meetings for council business on behalf of their constituents.

They are not paid a salary like council officers and directors.

How much is the allowance?

Prior to this week’s vote, all 90 councillors were offered a basic allowance of £15,550.

If a councillor has a special responsibility, such as the leader of the council or a cabinet member, then they are paid an additional allowance.

For example, the leader of North Yorkshire Council has a special responsibility allowance of £39,654 and the chair of the council receives an additional £12,142.

Who decides how much the allowance is?

An independent renumeration panel meets every year to review councillors’ allowances.

The panel, which consists of three members, publicises its recommendations.

Those recommendations are then discussed by the council’s executive before going before a full council meeting to be voted on.

Why did councillors vote to increase their allowances?

On Thursday, a full council meeting of North Yorkshire Council voted to increase allowances by 10%.

It means the councillors’ annual basic allowance will be increased from £15,500 to £17,000.

There will be a two per cent increase in the special responsibility allowances paid, with the exception of sessional payments to chairs of the licensing sub-committees.

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.

However, Liberal Democrats voted against the recommendation on the grounds that there was a cost of living crisis and it would not be right to support the increase.

Other councillors, such as Cllr Andy Brown argued that it represented a “real terms pay cut” as it prevented working people from being able to become councillors.

Conservative 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.

Councillors in North Yorkshire have rejected calls to ban trail hunting on North Yorkshire Council owned land.

This week, Labour councillor Rich Maw, who represents Weaponness and Ramshill, and Green councillor Arnold Warneken, who represents Ouseburn, tabled a motion at a full council meeting to prohibit the practice.

Trail hunting involves laying an animal scent, usually urine, for hounds to track and is followed by a group on foot or horseback.

The practice is legal, but organisations such as animal welfare charity the RSPCA and the League Against Cruel Sports have called for it to be banned.

Cllr Maw and Warneken said in their motion the hunts had been used as a “loophole to carry on hunting foxes and other animals”.

At a meeting on Thursday, Cllr Warneken said:

“The issue is that we’re trying to ask this council to stop an illegal activity taking place on their land and any measures that we can do to achieve that.

“I think that’s ethically and morally responsible, if we can do it within the law.”

Read more:

• Call for ban on trail hunting on North Yorkshire Council land
• Call to ban trail hunting on North Yorkshire Council land ‘waste of time’, says former animal welfare campaigner
• North Yorkshire trail hunting ban ‘unenforceable, but the right thing to do’

Conservative and Independents Cllr Andrew Williams, of Ripon Minister and Moorside, said he had no desire to stop people undertaking a “legal pursuit” and called for the motion to be rejected.

The motion was rejected by 47 votes to 26.

Ahead of the vote, the Countryside Alliance, which previously described the call as a “waste of time”, contacted councillors urging them to vote it down.

Following the meeting, Polly Portwin, director at the Countryside Alliance, said:

“While we are pleased that North Yorkshire Council has finally kicked this divisive motion out, we are incredibly disappointed that so much vital council time and resources has been wasted on debating a lawful activity.

“To be frank, Cllr Maw should apologise for demonising significant swathes of North Yorkshire’s rural community. In the future he should use his time as an elected member to pursue an agenda which benefits the people living in the Weaponness & Ramshill division. The trail hunting community across Yorkshire provides invaluable benefits to the countryside, both socially and economically.”

A former North Yorkshire police community support officer has pleaded guilty to unauthorised accessing of information on police computer systems.

Daisey Pennock, who was a PCSO at Whitby, appeared before York Magistrates Court to face the offences on Thursday (November 16).

Pennock, 26, admitted seven charges under the Computer Misuse Act 1990. 

The offences took place between April and November 2021.

She was charged following an investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct.

Pennock is due to be sentenced on December 11.

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Major roads in Ripon and Harrogate are set to be resurfaced as part of additional funding from government.

North Yorkshire Council is set to consider its highways capital programme on Friday (November 24), which outlines how £40.07 million funding from the Department for Transport, will be spent.

The sum was boosted by a further £9 million allocated last week by the national government to tackle road maintenance over the next two years.

Next year’s resurfacing programme includes £630,000 for Ripon Market Place, £300,000 for Pannal Ash Road and £582,000 for York Place in Harrogate.

Cllr Keane Duncan, executive councillor for highways, said:

“Keeping our 5,800 miles of roads in the best condition is a key priority for us, but an ongoing challenge.

“To rise to this immense task, we’ve already invested £6.5m more this year. I am pleased we can invest even more this year and next year, too.

“This significant, extra funding will be an immense boost and allow us to repair even more roads next year than expected.

“I know this investment in our road network will be welcomed across North Yorkshire.”

Read more:

• Briggate roadworks likely to last ‘several months’ in Knaresborough
• Ripon residents call for driving instructors to stop engine idling

The plans in Ripon come as have been calling for many years for the sets of paving blocks on Market Place East and Market Place West, which have become damaged and uneven, to be removed and replaced with a tarmac surface.

Cllr Andrew Williams, left, and Cllr Keane Duncan in Ripon Market Place.

Cllr Andrew Williams, who represents the Ripon Minster and Moorside division on North Yorkshire Council, said: 

“While it is disappointing that the initial tests on the sub-structure mean further investigation is required, it is important that we get it right and we have a long-lasting, level road surface around the Market Place.

“I welcome the council’s commitment to Ripon by the inclusion of this scheme in the capital programme for 2024/25 and like all local residents will be delighted when the scheme is completed.”

Details on the council’s highways capital programme will be revealed at a later date.

A banking hub in Knaresborough has officially opened its doors to customers.

An opening event was held at the site on Kirkgate this morning.

Cash Access UK, the not-for-profit company set up by 10 major high-street banking providers to protect the public’s access to cash, is behind the new facility.

Officials from the company, Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones, local councillors and the town crier were all in attendance at the official opening.

Cat Farrow, chief operating officer at Cash Access UK, said:

“Knaresborough is really thriving.

“It has got a lot of small businesses and people who need access to cash.”

Mr Jones, who cut the ribbon, described the hub as a “huge community asset”.

Knaresborough town crier at the opening of the banking hub.

The hub, at 15 Kirkgate, Bowling Green Yard, offers a counter service operated by the Post Office, where customers of all major banks and building societies can carry out regular cash transactions, from Monday to Friday.

It also provides a community banker service where customers can talk to their own bank about more complicated issues.

The hub is open on weekdays between 9am and 5pm and the community bankers will work on rotation, with a different bank or building society available on each day of the week: NatWest on Mondays, Halifax on Tuesdays, Santander on Wednesdays, HSBC on Thursdays, and Barclays on Fridays.

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• Business group plans to bring banking hub to Ripon
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Police commissioner Zoe Metcalfe lodged a formal complaint over Tory mayoral candidate Keane Duncan after she claimed he used “inappropriate language” to influence a decision on the recruitment of a chief constable.

Ms Metcalfe, who is also a Conservative, claimed Mr Duncan tried to “influence or seek to control” the decision over whether to start the appointment process.

Mr Duncan denied using inappropriate language and said a formal investigation had found no cause for action.

According to a freedom of information request published on the commissioner’s website, the pair had a phone conversation on September 24 on the subject.

The conversation took place ahead of a decision regarding the recruitment process for a chief constable at North Yorkshire Police after the incumbent, Lisa Winward, announced she will retire on March 31.

Ms Metcalfe is expected appoint a permanent successor to the role despite the North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner’s office being abolished when a Mayor for York and North Yorkshire is elected on May 2, 2024.

It means the new mayor will inherit a chief constable whose appointment was overseen by Ms Metcalfe.

Ms Metcalfe claimed Mr Duncan had sought to influence the decision and used “inappropriate language”.

In a letter to Mr Duncan, which was disclosed under the freedom of information act, she said she intended to lodge a complaint to the Conservative Party following the conversation.

In a statement to the Stray Ferret, Ms Metcalfe said:

“I believed that it was wholly inappropriate for Mr Duncan to try to influence or seek to control my decision making about a matter of such public importance.

“I have also lodged a complaint about Mr Duncan’s use of inappropriate language and a manner that was oppressive towards me.

“I considered the Nolan Principles of Public Life before seeking professional advice and determining that it was right for me as PFCC to challenge and report, by official letter and party complaint, what I considered to be improper and unacceptable behaviour.

“The complaint process is a matter for the Conservative Party and I do not intend to comment further upon it.“

‘No wrongdoing’

In response, Mr Duncan said the pair had a frank phone call during which they disagreed on several points.

He denied using inappropriate language and said an investigation had now been completed into the matter.

Mr Duncan said:

“I respect the work overseen by the police, fire and crime commissioner for North Yorkshire.

“We did have a frank private phone call together, during which we disagreed on several points about the future of our emergency services. However, I completely deny using inappropriate language.

“A formal party investigation has taken place and no cause for action found. I am pleased the matter is now resolved.

“My number one priority is public safety and I will continue to offer my support to the commissioner for the rest of her term in office.”

Read more:

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A Conservative Party spokesperson confirmed that an investigation was carried out and found no wrongdoing.

They said:

“A complaint was received and an investigation carried out. No evidence of wrongdoing was found and no disciplinary action was taken.”

Mr Duncan was selected as the Conservative candidate for York and North Yorkshire Mayor ahead of Ms Metcalfe at a meeting in July. He is also the North Yorkshire councillor responsible for transport.

Pateley Bridge businessman, Keith Tordoff, has also announced that he will stand as an independent candidate for mayor.

Meanwhile, the Green Party has selected North Yorkshire councillor, Kevin Foster, to run for the position.

The Liberal Democrats and Labour have yet to declare candidates.

Industrial action has cost the trust which runs Harrogate District Hospital £1.5 million in 2023.

The hospital has been hit by numerous strikes in the last 12 months, with consultants and junior doctors staging walkouts in disputes over pay.

Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust said the figure was an “unavoidable cost” as a result of the strikes.

The move comes as NHS England has told hospital trusts to reduce targets for routine care in order to pay for the industrial action.

National health officials have estimated that the 40 days worth of strike action has cost NHS trusts £1 billion.

In a letter signed by Julian Kelly, the chief financial officer for NHS England, and Steve Powis, the national medical director for NHS England, local trusts were told that elective surgery targets would be scaled back.

It said:

“For the remainder of the financial year our agreed priorities are to achieve financial balance, protect patient safety and prioritise emergency performance and capacity, while protecting urgent care, high priority elective and cancer care.”

Currently, Harrogate hospital has 822 people waiting more than 65 weeks for surgery. No patients are waiting longer than 78 weeks.

However, a spokesperson for Harrogate and District NHS Trust, told the Stray Ferret that it does not expect NHS England’s target adjustment to affect its plans to tackle waiting lists.

They said:

“NHS England’s decision to reduce the elective activity target for 2023/24 is not expected to have a significant impact at HDFT.

“At the start of 2023, we had 2,918 patients awaiting surgical treatment who would have waited 65 weeks or longer by the end of March 2024. This number had reduced to 822 patients by November 2023 and we are currently on track to ensure no patient will be waiting beyond 65 weeks by the end of March 2024.

“We will continue to focus on cancer pathways to ensure we are able to get to a diagnosis within 28 days from referral and provide treatment within 62 days.

“HDFT is committed to providing the best possible healthcare for our patients and to ensure they can be seen at the earliest opportunity.”

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North Yorkshire Council is looking to extend the lease of Knaresborough Castle in order to plan celebration events at the landmark.

The authority took control of the castle in April after Harrogate Borough Council was abolished.

Knaresborough Castle, which overlooks the River Nidd, is the only castle in the county controlled by North Yorkshire Council.

However, the medieval fortress, which was seized by Oliver Cromwell’s Parliamentarian troops in 1644 during the Civil War, is leased from the Duchy of Lancaster.

Knaresborough Castle

Cllr Matt Walker, a Liberal Democrat who represents Knaresborough West on the council, asked Cllr Simon Myers, executive councillor for culture, at a full council meeting yesterday whether the authority had an update on the lease extension.

It comes as Knaresborough Castle is set to celebrate its 900th anniversary in 2030.

Cllr Myers said:

“We have begun looking at the terms of the lease before entering into discussions with the Duchy.

“There are elements to the existing lease which perhaps should be altered and we’re looking at that.”

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Cllr Myers added that the council intended to set up a task force to liaise with community organisations and councillors in Knaresborough over anniversary events and the castle’s future use.

The move comes amid new found optimism over the future of the heritage asset.

A meeting of Knaresborough and District Chamber in February heard that the change of ownership could herald a bright new era for the castle.

Peter Lacey, executive member of the chamber, said an extension of the lease would allow for further use of the site for events.

Party in the Castle, a free event broadcasting the BBC’s coverage of Glastonbury, will be held in the castle grounds again next year.

A Kirkby Malzeard woman who spent 17 months in hospital after suffering catastrophic injuries after being hit by a tractor has spoken of her remarkable story.

Lucie Maguire was 19 when she was hit and dragged along the road under a 10-tonne trailer on January 27, 2021.

She had been trying to help her mum out of their smoke-filled car after they pulled over while travelling from Ripley towards Bishop Thornton.

Her injuries, compared to those suffered by bomb-blast victims in wars, included full amputation of her right leg and pelvis, broken back and internal damage to key organs including her bladder.

Speaking of the traumatic incident, Lucie, who is now 22, said:

“It was a cold, dark winter’s evening. My mum was driving me back home from work when the car started making funny noises and filled with horrible black smoke. We pulled over on a country lane and I got out. I went to the driver’s side to help my mum. I saw bright headlights coming towards me and thought it was someone who could help us.

“That’s when I was hit by a tractor and dragged under its 10-tonne trailer. I was stuck under there going round continuously with the wheels and it spat me out a bit further down the road.”

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She spent the first month at Leeds General Infirmary at the major trauma unit in a coma. Her parents said ‘goodbye’ at her bedside as her internal bleeding was so severe, medics feared she would die.

Lucie spent more than a year on the hospitals’ major trauma ward confined to her bed, while specialist teams liaised with military medics to rebuild Lucie’s body. 

By the time she left hospital on June 28, 2022 (518 days later), she could sit up and even walked on one leg while using supports.

Throughout her stay at LGI, including during Christmas 2021, Lucie and her mum Sue were supported by Day One Trauma Support – a charity set up to help families affected by catastrophic injuries. 

Lucie Maguire with her mum, Sue.

Lucie was often scared, depressed and at one stage pleaded her mum to smother her with a pillow as she could not see an end to the pain and misery she felt.

She said:

“The days, weeks and months became a blur. I had regular surgeries. At one stage it took eight people to help roll me over and change me. I had other people having to clean me and I thought ‘this shouldn’t be happening to me at 19’.

“At times I felt like the pain was never going to end. There was no light at the end of tunnel. The hospital became my home. The staff became my family. It got to the stage where I didn’t want to leave.

“I never thought I would enjoy life again. Every obstacle I overcame, I felt immensely proud of myself. Slowly I felt more positive and found strength I never knew I had. I’ve gained my independence. If I’ve got through this, I can get through anything. It’s made me a more resilient person. Before I would have given up.”

Lucie with her family and friends at hospital.

Day One Trauma Support, along with psychologists and staff at LGI, provided Lucie and Sue emotional and practical support they needed to readjust to their new life, including Sue becoming Lucie’s carer alongside running The Queens Head pub in their home village with Lucie’s dad Paul, known locally as Rocky.

Now Lucie, who uses a power-assisted wheelchair and lives in her own bungalow in Kirkby Malzeard, is raising awareness of the long recovery journey people face after major traumatic injuries to support Day One’s Christmas Appeal so it can help even more people who face life-changing injuries over the coming months.

Lucie said:

“Day One Trauma Support was amazing. I feel like they saved my life. 

“They were one of my constants, providing that emotional support that the busy NHS staff just don’t have the time to give. They were with me at the start and they’ve been with me ever since. The emotional support my mum and I received from Day One was massive. 

“Someone to talk to. Someone to offload to. Someone who doesn’t judge and knows the bad days will get better.”

Lucy Nickson, CEO of Day One Trauma Support, said: 

“People are struggling financially during a cost-of-living crisis, and the impact is only compounded when a family member suffers a sudden catastrophic injury and faces a long recovery journey, often with a disability and reduced income. Our caseworkers are seeing the reality of this every day in the Major Trauma Centres we operate and through our national support service. 

“That’s why our appeal is so important so that we can reach everyone who needs our help – people like Lucie. Lucie’s story of recovery is truly inspiring and we’re so grateful that she has shared her story to support our cause. Together we can ensure no one is left to rebuild their life on their own this Christmas.”