Calvin Robinson Chief Reporter, Author at The Stray Ferret

Plans to create flats above Harrogate store approved

North Yorkshire Council has approved a plan to convert the upper floors of a Harrogate shop into flats.

The application, which was lodged by York-based developer Andrew Farr, will see six flats created on West Park above the Elite Bridal store.

Mr Farr had previously withdrawn a plan for the site. However, council officials have now granted permission for development to go-ahead after he resubmitted proposals in June.

The decision increases the trend towards town centre living. In the last month alone, plans have been approved for a 17-bedroom aparthotel above the Oliver Bonas store on James Street and for the former Kings Club strip club on Oxford Street to be converted into 12 flats.

Now the upper floors of numbers 21a, 21 and 22 West Park can be converted. Access will also be made from a retail unit at 21a, which is occupied by Boho Chic and could be forced to close as a result.

A planning statement sent to the council in support of Mr Farr’s application says future residents of the flats would be able to apply for monthly or annual parking pass for West Park multi-storey car parking.

It adds the scheme would “enhance the vitality of the Harrogate town centre” and bring vacant floors back into use “without any identified harm to the character of the host building and the neighbouring Harrogate Conservation Area”.

It concludes:

“It is considered that the proposed scheme responds to the constraints of the site, planning policy constraints and its heritage context and should fall within the parameters of acceptable development.”

Former child protection officer at Harrogate district private school jailed for sexual assault

A former Harrogate district school child protection officer has been jailed for 16 years after being found guilty of multiple charges of sexual assault against 20 victims.

Alexander Ralls, 47, of Dunstable, Bedfordshire, appeared at Bradford Crown Court for sentencing today after he was found guilty of 31 charges of sexual assault.

He was also convicted of 10 charges of causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent, two charges of assault by penetration and one charge of sexual assault of a child under 13.

Ralls, a former charity boss and former deputy head of boarding at fee-paying Queen Ethelburga’s School near Harrogate, was also made subject of a sexual harm prevention order.

The court heard how, while working as a child protection officer and safeguarding lead, Ralls used his position of trust to exploit his victims, claiming to care for them and provide them with medical treatment while actually sexually assaulting them.

Speaking after sentencing today, investigating officer detective constable Suzanne Hall from the North Yorkshire Police Non-Recent Abuse Investigation Team said:

“This was a complex and disturbing case where Ralls as a person in a position of trust, used his role to coerce and influence the young people he should have been caring for into a vulnerable position, which he then exploited for his own sexual gratification.

“The extent of his offending was staggering and the fact that he continued to use the same excuse of providing medical care to carry out his sickening actions, shows his utter arrogance towards and contempt of his victims. Not once has he taken any responsibility for his actions, pleading not guilty to all the charges, meaning his victims had to face a gruelling seven-week court process.

“I’d like to thank the victims for their enormous bravery in coming forward and giving their accounts. I know how difficult and traumatic that was for them. I hope the sentence handed to Ralls today helps them move on from such an upsetting period in their lives.

“I hope the sentence also gives other victims of non-recent abuse confidence to come forward and seek help and support. It doesn’t matter how long ago you may have experienced abuse, we understand the damaging effects it can have and that people can feel those effects throughout their life.

“If you choose to report the incident to police, we will listen and believe you and we will do everything we can to put those responsible in front of the courts.”

Inquests open into fatal A61 crash at South Stainley

Inquests into the deaths of two of the three people killed in a crash on the A61 at South Stainley opened today.

Daria Bartienieva, 35, and her son Ihor Bartienieva, 6, died after a three-vehicle collision that involved a double decker bus on Ripon Road on September 3.

Daria’s step-daughter, Anastasiia Bartienieva, 15, was also killed as a result of the collision.

All three were from Ukraine and living in Ripon.

Jon Heath, senior coroner for North Yorkshire, opened the inquests into Daria and Ihor at a hearing in Northallerton this morning.

Mr Heath said both were killed as a result of a road traffic collision. The provisional cause of death was given as “multiple injuries” due to blunt force trauma.

The hearing was adjourned for a full inquest at a later date.

Holy Trinity School paid tribute to former pupil Ihor after the collision.

A fundraiser set up for 15-year-old Liza Bartienieva, who was orphaned following the incident, raised £48,000.

Business Breakfast: Swinton Estate restaurant to undergo £500,000 refurbishment

A restaurant at Swinton Park Hotel is set to undergo a £500,000 refurbishment.

Samuel’s Restaurant, which is based at the Swinton Estate in Masham, will revamp its kitchen by January 2024.

The refurbishment will see it update the entire kitchen, equipment and workflows to reduce its carbon footprint and create a new state-of-the-art facility.

Head chef, Ruth Hansom, has also extended her six-month residency until the end of the year to help oversee the refurbishment.

Andrew Mackay, general manager at the restaurant, said:

“This is a very exciting time for the team at Samuel’s Restaurant, where they will have access to a brand new kitchen in which to prepare the finest Yorkshire food.

“We are incredibly grateful to Ruth for staying on to help us see this project through, and we’re confident that our ambitious plans will continue to attract and retain the best established and up-and-coming chefs to the estate.”

Grantley Hall launches motorsport concierge service

Grantley Hall near Ripon has launched a new motorsport concierge service.

Called Grantley Motorsport, the service will offer guests bespoke packages for track days, in-house professional simulator hire, automotive events and VIP experiences to top-tier motorsport events.

The scheme has been launched in partnership with Hype Motorsport, which will provide access to professional instructors as part of the service.

Richard Sykes, managing director of Grantley Hall, said:

“At Grantley Hall, we continually strive to provide our guests with extraordinary and unforgettable experiences.

“Grantley Motorsport is a testament to our commitment to innovation and excellence. From our on-site professional racing simulator suite, right through to VIP motorsport events, we aim to deliver an unparalleled journey into the world of motorsport, ensuring our guests create cherished memories to last a lifetime.”

Harrogate war veteran, 99, to recall Nazi concentration camp liberation

A Harrogate World War II veteran believed to be among the first servicewomen to enter a Nazi concentration camp is to give a talk about her experiences next week.

Sheila Pantin, who will be 100 next month, will give the talk as part of the Harrogate war memorial centenary commemorations.

The event, which is sold out, will take place at the town’s West Park United Reformed Church.

Sheila joined the army aged 17 and trained as an ambulance and staff car driver with the Auxiliary Territorial Service, the women’s branch of the British Army, rising to the rank of sergeant.

She became one of the first British servicewomen to enter Belsen concentration camp in April 1945 after its liberation.

Reflecting on the time, Sheila said:

“I thought they meant ‘barracks’ but it turned out they didn’t mean that at all. There was the camp with this huge entrance and an awful lot of huts surrounded by barbed wire fencing.

“We were entering Belsen. I could see our boys digging out mass graves to give the bodies proper burials.

“The only people left alive were in rags and were in a terrible state. They didn’t even know how to eat.”

It was Sheila’s job to look after the survivors in the camp, to clean them, dress them, show them how to use a knife and fork, to try to restore a little humanity after the horrors of the Nazi Holocaust.

Sheila’s talk will take place on Wednesday, September 27, and forms part of a wider selection of events taking place as part of the commemoration.

More details of the centenary commemorations are available here.

The Harrogate powerlifter eyeing a Paralympics 2024 spot

Harrogate’s Charlotte McGuinness has her sight set on the 2024 Paralympics in Paris.

The 22-year-old powerlifter has competed in World Cups and European Championships since taking up the sport as a teenager.

Powerlifting has taken her to Georgia and the United States to compete in major tournaments.

But, for Charlotte, the ultimate goal is to bench press on the world stage at the Paralympics.

Picking up the weights

Charlotte initially started out as a swimmer.

When she turned 16, she realised that being a swimmer was “probably out of reach for myself” and turned her attention to powerlifting.

She picked up a set of weights while still studying at St Aidan’s Church of England High School in Harrogate.

From there, she was enrolled onto a talent pathway which included training at Loughborough University – which she still does today.

She was set on a development programme in June 2019 which tracked her powerlifting progress.

From there, her career trajectory began to climb.

She competed in the Para Powerlifting World Cup in Manchester in 2020 just before the coronavirus pandemic.

“I was still swimming at the time. I was trying to balance both and then covid hit.

“It forced me to quit swimming and it was a blessing in a sense. It made me focus on my lifting and that made me progress.”

Charlotte McGuinness pictured competing in the World Cup.

Covid forced her to set up a gym at home, where she followed her development programme.

Nowadays, she mixes it up and uses local gyms as well as her bench press training at home.

She returned to Manchester in March 2021 to compete in the Para Powerlifting World Cup.

This time, she won bronze in the women’s up to 50kg category with a bench press of 74kg.

A year later, she competed in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi in a World Para Powerlifting event.

The championships was her first away on her own for a lengthy period of time.

“I was nervous because I had never been away for that length of time to a different country.

“It was covid as well, so we were very restricted. We were only meant to stay in the hotel for 10 days.”

However, despite the restrictions of the pandemic, the competition is one she fondly remembers.

“Something that I will always remember is coming back from the juniors. The competition was taking place in another hotel.

“We were staying in a different hotel and I came back from the juniors after winning a medal and my teammates were at the top of the stairs up to reception and they were clapping. I will always remember that one.”

“I really thought sport was all physical. But it’s really not.”

Charlotte then went on to compete in senior competitions, including a World Cup in the United States.

Despite the upward trajectory, not every competition has been smooth sailing.

Charlotte says her performance in the European Championships in October 2022 was a particular low point when she didn’t manage to make the lift that she wanted.

“I didn’t walk away there happy. I used it as a learning tool.

“You train however many hours a week and however many times on a bench and sometimes it will not go to plan. Your body and muscles may not do what you want them to do and that was one of those days.

“I learned a lot from that. That competition will always be in the back of my mind.”

She says the toll of training can often have an impact on her mental health.

Charlotte has been working with a clinical psychologist to help keep her focussed heading into some major tournaments in the lead up to the Paralympics.

“For me, I really thought sport was all physical. But it’s really not, it’s mental as well.

“You’ve got to accept not getting a lift and you’ve got to accept that you’ll train all this time and not do as well as you want to.

“Especially after the Europeans, I struggled to come back. But I got there in the end with the help of the team.”

She returned to Georgia a year later to the same venue and lifted a personal best of 94kg.

Now, she is hoping to make it to Paris for the Paralympic Games in 2024.

Aiming for the Paralympics

To qualify, she needs to remain in the top eight of the British ranking going into the new year.

A crucial competition for her to remain there will be the World Cup in Cairo, Egypt, next month.

Charlotte McGuinness, pictured at a competition in Dubai.

For Charlotte, the goal is to get a 97kg lift on the board in order to retain her place in the top eight.

To keep her focussed on the task in hand, Charlotte’s coach has written down the names of the girls who are also competing for that top eight ranking.

Reaching the Paralympics would be a milestone for Charlotte, who only picked up a set of weights some four years ago.

For her, the opportunity is there for the taking.

“I know I’ve got the strength, I just need to execute the technique.

“Once I’ve done that, it will be on the board.”

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

Telecommunications firm appeals Harrogate 5G mast refusal

A national telecommunications company has appealed a decision to refuse plans for a new 5G mast in Harrogate.

CK Hutchison Networks (UK) Ltd, which operates Three Mobile, proposed installing the mast on Park Parade.

It submitted the plan to the former Harrogate Borough Council in November 2022.

The developer said the proposal would help to “improved network coverage and capacity” in the area.

However, the council rejected the plan on the grounds it would be detrimental to the visual amenity of the site.

John Worthington, who was chief planner at the council at the time, said in a decision notice:

“The proposed street pole, by virtue of its external appearance, scale and siting, would be a visually incongruous and alienated addition that would be detrimental to the visual amenity and character of the site and conservation area.

“It would fail to respect local distinctiveness. This harm outweighs the benefits of the proposal in this location.”

CK Hutchison Networks (UK) Ltd has now taken the decision to the government’s Planning Inspectorate, which deals with planning disputes.

A planning inspector will make a decision on the appeal at a later date.

The move is the second time the company has appealed a decision to refuse a 5G mast in Harrogate.

The borough council also rejected a plan to build a mast at Granby Park, which is adjacent to the Stray by Skipton Road.

An appeal against the refusal was submitted by the company in July this year.

Plans for motorway services between Ripon and Boroughbridge approved

Councillors have approved the latest plans for a motorway service station near to Kirby Hill.

Applegreen Ltd 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.

At a meeting last week, councillors on North Yorkshire Council’s strategic planning committee approved the amended proposal.

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”.

But, Gareth Owens, of Kirby Hill Residents Against Motorway Services, told the committee that the plan did not amount to minor amendments.

He said:

“Minor amendments would not warrant an officer’s report that runs to 110 pages.”

Mr Owens added:

“What we have here is an applicant who misrepresented to an inspector at a public inquiry what it is possible to achieve on this site.

“They are now having to row back from that position and ask your permission for a much more harmful scheme.

“Let’s not be taken in by the claim that these are minor amendments.”

Cllr Nick Brown, who represents the area on North Yorkshire Council, said he knew of no other local issue which residents felt more strongly about.

He added the scheme was “materially different” to what was approved by the government’s Planning Inspectorate.

Nick Roberts, who represented Applegreen at the meeting, said the need for a motorway service station at the site was established by a planning inspector after a three-week public inquiry.

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.

Harrogate village school admits discrimination against disabled pupil

A Harrogate district school has apologised after admitting five claims of discrimination against a disabled child.

Birstwith Church of England Primary School was taken to a special educational needs and disability tribunal by a parent of a child at the school.

The parent claimed the nine-year-old, who was recognised as disabled, was subject to five claims of discrimination between January 2022 and January 2023.

The tribunal was told that this included being excluded from the dining room and humiliated by a teacher, being humiliated by a teacher in class and being verbally abused by a teacher.

A further two claims included being verbally and physically threatened by a teacher in a church event and being harassed by a teacher.

The school, which was represented by a solicitor from North Yorkshire Council, admitted the claims, which were made in a case management order on February 13, 2023.

It offered to make an official apology to the parent in a letter and “set out measures in place concerning the teacher as far as is practicable”.

The letter, which was signed by the school’s chair of governors, Linda Turvey, and has been seen by the Stray Ferret, said:

“The school, represented by me, as chair of governors, apologises for the behaviour suffered by [named child] on 25th Jan 2022, 10th June 2022, 17th November 2022, 14th December 2022 and 16th Jan 2023.

“These isolated incidents do not reflect the culture and inclusivity of Birstwith School, therefore swift and firm action has been taken to avoid repetition.

“Again, this does not in any way reflect the ethos or history of the school as echoed in our recent Ofsted report.”

The Stray Ferret approached Birstwith Church of England Primary School for comment, but did not receive a response by the time of publication.

A spokesperson for North Yorkshire Council, which represented the school at the tribunal, said it did not comment on individual cases.

Business Breakfast: Harrogate law firm secures £165,000 growth loan

A Harrogate law firm has secured a £165,000 loan to support its growth.

Harrogate Family Law, which is based on Victoria Avenue, received the funding from the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund.

The fund, which is managed by Mercia Asset Management, offers business loans to firms to support growth.

Harrogate Family Law said the funding will help to provide additional working capital to enable it to further expand the team and take on additional casework.

Andrew Meehan, managing director at the firm, said:

“After 13 years in Harrogate, we are now firmly established on the legal landscape and continue to grow on the back of referrals from satisfied clients.

“We will continue to grow and build the team while ensuring we choose the right people so we can deliver the best service to our clients.”

Knaresborough pest control employee takes on cycle challenge

An employee at a Knaresborough pest control specialist is set to cycle 4,500 miles around the UK coastline in aid of charity.

Adam Sims, who works in the finance team at Pelsis Group, will take on the challenge after his wife of 35 years, Christina, developed a serious mental health condition three years ago.

The challenge will see Mr Sims depart from Angmering, West Sussex, and cycle around the UK mainland coast. He hopes to cover the 4,500 miles in 45 days.

Adam Sims, who is taking on the cycle challenge in aid of Mind.

Mr Sims, who started the challenge last week, is raising money for mental health charity Mind as part of the fundraiser.

He said:

“We are fortunate that Christina is now doing better, in part thanks to be brilliant support we have received from Mind. That is why I wanted to do this challenge to give back and raise funds so others who go through what we did are able to be supported as well.

“I’m already extremely grateful for all the support and donations I’ve received from the friends, colleagues and the general public and look forward to seeing how much we can raise for this worthy cause.”

You can find Mr Sims’ JustGiving page here.

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Grantley Hall launches motorsport concierge service

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Picking up the weights

“I really thought sport was all physical. But it’s really not.”

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Aiming for the Paralympics

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Knaresborough pest control employee takes on cycle challenge

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