North Yorkshire Council‘s decision to refuse blanket 20mph zones across the county in favour of a speed limit review has been described as “kicking the can down the road” on road safety.

Councillors on the Harrogate and Knaresborough area constituency committee requested default 20mph zones in November 2022.

However, rather than accept the request the council has now said it will draw up a speed management strategy to “guide a countywide review of speed limits across towns, villages and rural road”.

Council officials said they did not support area-wide or default speed zones on the grounds that “each area will be considered on its own merits”.

Cllr Keane Duncan, the Conservative executive councillor for highways, said the proposal would “deliver real improvements” across the county.

He said:

“The new council is taking an ambitious, proactive approach to setting speed limits, built on evidence and community empowerment.

“This will move away from setting limits in a piecemeal fashion, where we look at one road in one location at a single point in time.

“By taking a strategic view of a town or village we will ensure speed limits there are effective and be able to identify positive changes in partnership with local communities.

“We cannot review all locations immediately, and resources will need to be prioritised, but our approach will deliver real improvements across all parts of the county over time, addressing concerns, improving safety and saving lives.”

But Cllr Pat Marsh, the Liberal Democrat chair of the area constituency committee, said the move would only delay the implementation of 20mph streets further.

She added that a speed management strategy, which the council says will take six months to draw up, was not needed to implement zones immediately.

Cllr Marsh said:

“It is an issue that affects the whole of North Yorkshire, they have got to address it.

“Get the 20mph zones in first and then monitor them. It really is just kicking the can down the road.”

Read more:

• 20mph speed limits to be investigated in Harrogate and Knaresborough
• Ripon county councillors reject calls to pilot 20 mph zones

The council intends to undertake a series of planned speed limit reviews which will be “underpinned” by the speed management strategy.

It added that the move would “generate a rolling pipeline of safety improvement schemes for delivery”.

However, Cllr Arnold Warneken, Green Party member for Ouseburn, said the proposal lacked ambition and described it as “another delaying tactic”.

He said:

“There is no real substance to the North Yorkshire Council proposals. Whilst I was told to be patient as there was a comprehensive review taking place and the report would reflect this I was, and it does not, so now we have yet another example that the executive know better and show shallow concern and fake listening to the people they represent.

“We cannot keep putting off taking action to make our roads safer for everyone, we cannot keep putting off taking action to protect our environment, we cannot keep putting off taking action that will prevent life changing injuries or worse still fatalities. If not now, when?”

Ian Conlan, of the 20s Plenty North Yorkshire campaign group, said:

“There is a far better evidence base to have a default 20mph to replace existing 30mph limits, and develop an exceptions process to decide where to have higher speed limits than 20mph in a few roads in towns and villages, but only where vulnerable road users are fully protected.”

Mr Conlan urged supporters to demonstrate outside County Hall in Northallerton on Tuesday next week, when North Yorkshire Council’s executive will discuss the matter.

Starbeck Baths looks set to be closed over Christmas for heating repair work costing £29,000.

North Yorkshire Council has commissioned a contractor to upgrade the controls for heating both the pool and the building.

Leeds-based Westminster Controls Limited is set to carry out the work during a “planned shutdown” of the facility over Christmas this year.

Nic Harne, the council’s corporate director of community development, said:

“The contract is to upgrade the controls responsible for heating both the pool and the building.

“The replacement controls will provide significantly better automation and efficient control of the heating and ventilation systems.

“The work is due to be carried out during the planned shutdown of the pool over Christmas.”

Read more:

• Starbeck Baths to be closed until late May
• Memorial service for Starbeck pianist who ‘brought joy to the community’

The Stray Ferret has asked the council for the specific dates when the pool is planned to be closed but has not yet had a response.

It is due to be the second time this year the baths will shut for maintenance work.

The facility was closed for a month in April due to an “unforeseen mechanical failure”, which coincided with the Easter school holidays.

Brimhams Active, which was set up by Harrogate Borough Council but is now run by North Yorkshire Council, manages leisure facilities in the Harrogate district.

At the time, it said an an air leak in the pool plant equipment caused poor water clarity led to the closure.

The pool reopened on May 11.

A 14-year-old girl from Harrogate has been charged with causing £1,366 worth of damage to the Grand Hotel in Scarborough.

The teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, appeared before a youth court held at Harrogate Magistrates Court on June 23.

She was charged with causing damage to multiple rooms across multiple floors, including the reception area, of the Grand Hotel on December 30 last year.

The court listed the cost of the damage at £1,366.

She was also charged with damaging five towels at a cost of £75 belonging to the Royal Hotel in Scarborough on March 26.

Read more:

• Knaresborough banking hub could open this year
• Teenager dies after crash at crossroads

The girl was also accused of maliciously wounding with intent to do him grievous bodily harm on April 29 and stealing from a Co-op on Newlands Park Drive in Scarborough on the same day.

The 14-year-old pleaded guilty to all the offences.

The court remanded her on bail until July 14 when she will appear for another hearing.

She was also banned from entering any hotel in Scarborough as part of her bail conditions.

Staff well-being and culture have rapidly risen up the priority list for many employers.  At the next Stray Ferret Business Club  we’ll hear from award winning employer, LCF Law, on how organisations can ensure their teams are productive and happy. 

The lunch event is lunch at Manahatta, on June 29th at 12.30pm. Get your tickets by clicking or tapping here.

A Harrogate entrepreneur has won an award at the 2023 Attitude Pride Awards in London.

The event, which was held at the Langham Hotel, honours those who support the LGBTQ+ community across 11 categories.

Luke Christian, who founded fashion brand Deaf Identity in 2019, picked up the community hero award for his efforts in promoting equality and breaking down barriers for the deaf and LGBTQ+ communities.

Mr Christian, who is deaf and a former Comic Relief designer, said:

“I am incredibly honoured and humbled to receive the community hero award at the 2023 Attitude Pride Awards. This honour serves as both a monument to my work and the fortitude and resiliency of the deaf and LGBTQ+ communities.

“I dedicate this honour to everyone who has ever felt silenced or marginalised, and I intend to keep changing lives for the better. Standing side by side with other community heroes and trailblazers was an absolute honour.”

Lancashire financial firm acquires Harrogate company

A Harrogate financial firm has been acquired by a Lancashire company.

Chorley-based Perspective Financial Group has taken on clients from Brigham Wealth Management as part of an acquisition of four firms.

The company has also acquired Brighter Financial Services Ltd in Halifax, Airedale Personal Financial Solutions Ltd in Holmer Green, Buckinghamshire and Granite Coast Ltd in Cambridge.

Brigham, which is based on Hornbeam Park, will retain its current offices.

David Brigham, of Brigham Wealth Management, said:

“Perspective fully shares the ethos, ethics and client focused approach of Brigham Wealth Management and we are sure this move will be of benefit to all our clients and contacts going forward.”

Read more:

• Harrogate High School ‘requires improvement’, says Ofsted
• Cost of living crisis prompts Boroughbridge café to close

A teenager has died after a car crash on the edge of the Harrogate district at the weekend.

The collision happened at 2.15pm on Saturday on the B6265 at the crossroads between Whixley and Thorpe Underwood, south of Boroughbridge.

It involved a blue Ford Focus and a silver Volkswagen Touran.

An 18-year-old man, who was a passenger in the Ford, died as a result of the collision. He has not been named.

Six other occupants of both vehicles were taken to hospital with injuries.

North Yorkshire Police have urged witnesses to come forward.

A force statement today said:

“Police are urging anyone who saw the collision or either car involved prior to it to get in touch. They would also like to hear from anyone who may have relevant dashcam footage.

“Anyone with information is asked to email PC Julie Brown. Julie.Brown@northyorkshire.police.uk or phone North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 2 and ask for Julie Brown. Please quote reference number 12230116638 when passing information.”

Read more:

• Muffin Break cafe coming to Harrogate?
• Jail for drug dealers caught outside Harrogate’s Valley Gardens

Four memorial benches in Harrogate’s Pinewoods have been vandalised.

The benches, some of which were paid for by families who lost loved ones, were damaged last night (June 25).

Of those which were vandalised, two were on the path between the war memorial and Harlow Moor Road.

Another two were damaged off the path.

Thanks for reporting & very disappointing.

We'll keep reporting such activity to @NYorksPolice & @northyorksc. #Harrogate https://t.co/5Wi2XVZG5x

— 🌳Pinewoods Harrogate🌳 (@PinewoodsHgt) June 26, 2023

Pinewoods Conservation Group, which helps to maintain the 96-acre woodland, said the incident highlights an increase in anti-social behaviour and vandalism.

It described the damage as “very disappointing”.

The group added that the vandalism has also been reported to North Yorkshire Police.

Read more:

• Knaresborough banking hub could open this year
• Bank machines to be fitted in Knaresborough Library building

Two girls have been arrested for trespassing on the railway at Harrogate Station and racially abusing a member of staff.

British Transport Police confirmed officers attended the station at 8pm on Monday, May 15, to reports of two teenagers on the track.

The girls, aged 14 and 16, were arrested on suspicion of trespassing and racially abusing a member of staff.

A British Transport Police spokesperson told the Stray Ferret that an investigation into the incident is ongoing.

In response to the incident, Tony Baxter, regional director for Northern, said:

“Last month, two females climbed a security fence from a car park adjoining the railway at Harrogate station and trespassed on the tracks.

“During our attempts to remove the women from what is a very dangerous environment, they gave verbal abuse and made racist remarks towards a member of Northern staff.

“This kind of behaviour is totally unacceptable and the matter was referred to British Transport Police.”

Read more:

• New parking charges at Nidderdale Showground branded ‘unfair’
• Call for speed bumps on Pateley Bridge High Street
• Harrogate rail line ‘close to capacity’, says report

The incident has raised questions about safety after Northern was reported to be planning to remove staff from the ticket gate at the station.

Andrew Whitworth, vice-chairman of the Harrogate Line Supporters Group, said:

“I think the point about the safety benefit of an extra pair of eyes on what is the busiest platform is a very good additional argument for keeping staff there.

“It is of course a busy exit – used by people living on that side of town, by car park users and people who use it as a drop off point (eg taxis are often called there, especially as it’s the main platform for London trains).

“Meanwhile Northern said they were setting barriers to reject any ticket which had been bought with a railcard so that the railcard could be checked – to then remove staff from the barriers would create a lot of inconvenience.

“Northern have argued that closing ticket offices would lead to more staff available to help customers on the platforms – this proposal suggests that they are intent on removing staff everywhere.”

Northern has not commented on the reports that it is considering removing staff from barriers. It also did not respond to questions about the safety implications of removing ticket staff after the incident on May 15.

It’s time to join the Stray Ferret Business Club. Our next networking event is lunch at Manahatta, on June 29th at 12.30pm.

Don’t miss out on this chance to network with businesses from across the Harrogate district. Get your tickets by clicking or tapping here.

The Swinton Estate in Masham has launched a wild swimming lake for guests and visitors.

The lake has been introduced as part of the summer “wild swimming” season and includes a ladder platform to access the water.

It is open to both guests at the Swinton Hotel and day visitors.

Felicity Cunliffe-Lister, owner of the Swinton Estate, said:

“We are excited to launch our 2023 wild swimming season on our private lake. 

“Swimming in open water is an amazing way to connect with nature, and we are delighted to offer this activity to our guests in such a beautiful location.”

The private lake is located in the heart of the 200-acre estate.

Wild swimming season at the estate runs from May to September and the lake is free to hotel guests.

Day visitors can purchase a Parklands & Gardens Pass for just £10 per day, or £60 for a whole year.

For more information, visit the Swinton Estate website here.

Harrogate training company expands into North East

A Harrogate-based training company has appointed a new regional manager as part of an expansion of its programme.

Quarterdeck, which was founded in 2007, provides training schemes for companies in Harrogate and Leeds in areas such as leadership.

The firm has now announced it will now offer courses and programmes in Newcastle.

It has also appointed Gavin Hutchinson as regional director to oversee the operations in the North East.

He said:

“I am really excited to lead Quarterdeck’s expansion into Newcastle and bring our transformative leadership seminars to professionals in the region.

“Our seminars go beyond theory, offering practical guidance and empowering individuals to become impactful leaders in their respective roles.

“I look forward to partnering with local businesses and helping them unlock their leadership potential.”

Read more:

• Business Breakfast: Harrogate beauty brand appoints chief executive
• Business Breakfast: Harrogate woman launches padel sports clothing range

Relocating businesses is a common sight with some upscaling and others downsizing.

But, for one Harrogate district firm, moving the company which has been based in the same place for half a century to the other side of the A1(M) is a once in a generation decision.

Northern Energy has operated from its headquarters in Hampsthwaite for 70 years.

It was founded by Ralph Robinson in 1932 when it supplied milk and coal before moving to its current base in the 1950s where the company stared to distribute agricultural and commercial oil.

These days, the firm has ambitions to shift into the renewable gas trade.

However, to do that it needed a bigger base.

‘Once in a generational spend’

James Illingworth, Ralph’s great-grandson and director of sales at Northern Energy, said they identified Marton-cum-Grafton as its new home some three years ago.

For him, he describes the project to relocate as a decision made only once in a generation.

He said:

“This is a once in a generational spend, if you want to put it that way.

“We have been at our current site for 70 years. This is gearing up for the next 50 years really. I’m fourth generation.

“We want to keep it as a family business and it’s one of those big spends that we’ve got to make for the future.”

Work being carried out on the new Northern Energy site.

The new headquarters will be based off Limebar Lane on the A168 and is 15 miles from the current home.

The company bought the land from WA Pick and Sons farm and started work on phase one at the start of June.

As part of the plans, 10,000 square feet of office space, a vehicle depot, LPG and oil storage tanks and a new car park will be built.

Mr Illingworth said much of the driving force behind moving the family-firm was the need for space in order to grow the company in the coming years.

“The site that we are currently at [in Hampsthwaite], we have been there since the 50s. We have basically run out of space and it is not fit for purpose anymore.

“The gas storage is what we really need to take our business to the next level and we can’t put it there. That was the main driver for moving sites.”

Read more:

• Northern Energy begins work on new Harrogate district headquarters
• Council approves Northern Energy plan to move from Hampsthwaite

The new site will be accessed via the A168, which runs parallel to the A1(M) near Boroughbridge.

Part of the reason for choosing the Limebar Lane site was to take advantage of the motorway system, says Mr Illingworth.

“The great thing about this new location is the access to the motorway, which will give us connectivity down to the refinery a lot better.

“It will reduce our journey times, which will mean we will get an extra shift in and extra load in from the refinery per day.

“It might not seem a lot, but we lose a lot of time going through Harrogate every day on Wetherby Road and Skipton Road. That time that we save will be really important from a logistics point of view.”

Completion of the first phase, which includes the 400,000 litres of gas storage and loading bays, is earmarked for completion in March 2024.

From there, the company hopes to construct the staff offices and begin trading more in renewable gas.

For Mr Illingworth, the site is the next step for Northern Energy in its evolution as a company.

“The site generally is more suited to the size of our business and for future growth.”

The Conservatives would retain Harrogate and Knaresborough while Labour could gain Selby and Ainsty if a general election were held tomorrow.

According to Electoral Calculus, a political forecasting company, Andrew Jones MP would win a fifth successive election in Harrogate.

Meanwhile, Labour would unseat the Tories in Selby and Ainsty, which includes areas of rural Harrogate, and Julian Smith, Skipton and Ripon MP, would retain his seat for the Conservatives but in a far closer contest.

Electoral Calculus uses past voting figures, polling trends and party support to predict the average outcome of seats in the House of Commons.

The chances of winning seats in Parliament has become particularly pertinent as a by-election looms in Selby and Ainsty next month and a general election is lined up for next year.

The Conservative campaign in Selby and Ainsty was thrown into disarray on Friday when its candidate, Michael Naughton, withdrew just days after being selected.

But with by-election fever mounting, we looked at the state of play locally according to Electoral Calculus.

Harrogate and Knaresborough

According to the political forecaster, Andrew Jones has a 67% chance of winning in Harrogate and Knaresborough.

Mr Jones, who has already confirmed he will stand at the next election, currently has a majority of 9,675.

The website says the Liberal Democrats have a 20% chance of winning while Labour, which has yet to name a candidate, is rated 13%.

The figures come as Tom Gordon, Liberal Democrat candidate for the seat, this week called for an election in light of three Conservative MPs resigning last weekend.

The predictions for Harrogate and Knaresborough, according to Electoral Calculus.

However, under an election scenario, the Lib Dems would pick up 28% of the vote – which is down on their 2019 figure of 35.6%.

Meanwhile, Mr Jones’ share would drop from 52.6% to 37%.

However, the increase in share of Labour from 9.6% to 24% suggests a split in the vote which paves the way for the Tories to retain the constituency.

Selby and Ainsty

The chances of the Conservatives holding onto Selby and Ainsty in the upcoming by-election look tight, according to Electoral Calculus.

Voters will head to the polls on July 20 after the resignation of Nigel Adams MP last weekend.

Labour announced 26-year-old Keir Mather will fight the by-election for the party.

Michael Naughton was picked to succeed Mr Adams for the Conservatives but withdrew on Friday and a replacement has yet to be named.

The Green Party has chosen Arnold Warneken, who represents Ouseburn on North Yorkshire Council, as its prospective parliamentary candidate.

The predictions for Selby and Ainsty, according to Electoral Calculus.

Electoral Calculus has the contest as a two-horse race, with Labour a 55% chance of winning and the Conservatives 45%.

Such a result would be dramatic given that Mr Adams, who was a former Foreign Office minister, had a majority of 20,137.

Under such a scenario, Labour would increase its vote share from 24.6% at the last election to 39.8%.

Meanwhile, the Tories would fall from 60.3% to 37.9%.

Skipton and Ripon

A similarly tight contest can be found in Skipton and Ripon.

Julian Smith, the former Northern Ireland secretary, currently holds the seat for the Conservatives with a majority of 23,694.

He’s predicted to have a 55% chance of retaining the seat for the party.

The predictions for Skipton and Ripon, according to Electoral Calculus.

Meanwhile, Labour has a 44% chance.

Despite a predicted drop in vote share from 59.5% to 37.5%, Mr Smith would be safe.

The figures, however, also forecast a hike in Labour’s share from 19.1% at the last election to 35.5%.

Read more:

• Tories and Greens name candidates as local by-election looms
• Selby and Ainsty MP resigns with immediate effect
• Labour names candidate for local by-election