Calvin Robinson Chief Reporter, Author at The Stray Ferret

Ilke Homes: More than 1,000 staff made redundant

More than 1,000 staff have been made redundant at Flaxby-based Ilke Homes, administrators have confirmed.

AlixPartners were appointed to oversee the administration process of the company on June 30.

Ilke Homes, which is based off junction 47 of the A1(M), made the appointment after it failed to find a buyer or new investment.

In a statement at the time, administrators said a “significant majority” of the company’s 1,150 staff would be made redundant.

A spokesperson for AlixPartners has now confirmed to the Stray Ferret that 1,039 staff in the company’s homes section and 19 in its land section have been made redundant.

They said:

“The administrators have appointed a specialist agent to support former employees in understanding their statutory entitlements and making claims to the Redundancy Payments Service.

“The administrators are now working with a small number of retained employees to realise the assets of the business on behalf of creditors and are soliciting expressions of interest for any or all of those assets.”

The move comes as the factory at Flaxby was immediately closed following the company entering administration and all site activities have been ceased.

Administrators added that the firm had “faced the challenges of unprecedented inflation and a lack of land supply linked to planning processes”.

Officials at Ilke Homes said previously that it needed additional funding to fulfil a £1 billion order book and to protect jobs, adding that new investment was needed to build its pipeline of 4,200 new homes.

Meanwhile, the Stray Ferret reported last week that more than 80 former employees of the company were to take legal action following the administration announcement.

Manchester-based law firm Aticus said it has been instructed by 80 staff members, 60 of whom are from Flaxby, to investigate concerns around how the redundancy process was managed.

Harrogate village bridge repairs set to last five weeks

Repairs to a Harrogate village bridge which has been closed since June are set to last five weeks.

North Yorkshire Council closed the bridge on Church Lane in Hampsthwaite suddenly and without warning on June 2.

The closure came after a two-inch wide gap appeared at the side of the bridge following a vehicle collision, prompting safety concerns.

Council officials have confirmed that repairs will start on the bridge on July 24 and last for five weeks. It will be closed to traffic, pedestrians and cyclists during the work.

Cllr Keane Duncan, executive councillor for highways at the council, said:

“The maintenance of our often historic bridges across the county is a huge task for our officers and unfortunately there are times when we encounter unforeseen repair work.

“On inspection of Hampsthwaite Bridge, our engineers found that the parapet has been pushed out over the edge of the bridge deck and this has damaged several of the corbels that support from beneath.

“These need to be repaired and 15 metres of the parapet taken down and rebuilt using hot mixed lime mortar.”

PBS Construction (North East) Ltd has been awarded a £50,567 contract to carry out repairs on the bridge.

The company was also hired to construct the first phase Otley Road cycle path in September 2021.

Cllr Michael Harrison, who represents Hampsthwaite on North Yorkshire Council, said:

“We appreciate the disruption the closure is having on road users so please be assured that our engineers have been getting plans in motion to carry out the repairs as quickly as possible.

“We will keep the public updated on the works as they progress.”

Call to ban trail hunting on North Yorkshire Council land ‘waste of time’, says former animal welfare campaigner

A former animal welfare campaigner has described a call to ban trail hunting on North Yorkshire Council land as a “colossal waste of time”.

Jim Barrington, who is a former director at the League Against Cruel Sports but now advises the Countryside Alliance, said the motion which will be put before the authority next week “would do nothing to help animal welfare”.

At a meeting next week, Labour councillor Rich Maw, who represents Weaponness and Ramshill, and Green councillor Arnold Warneken, who represents Ouseburn, will table a motion calling for the practice to be prohibited.

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.

At a meeting in May, Cllr Gareth Dadd, deputy leader of North Yorkshire Council, said the council “can’t confirm” whether or not trail hunts take place on its land.

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

However, Mr Barrington said the move would only “fuel prejudice” against rural communities.

He said:

“This motion does nothing to help animal welfare, but everything to fuel prejudice against rural people. Submitting this motion is a colossal waste of time, when there are so many genuine issues facing people living across North Yorkshire, not least the cost-of-living crisis.

“We sincerely hope councillors from across North Yorkshire reject this anti-rural motion in the first instance. There can simply be no justification whatsoever to ban a lawful activity on council owned land.”

Meanwhile, the Countryside Alliance has said it will be contacting North Yorkshire councillors calling on them to reject the motion at the meeting on July 19.

The move comes as other organisations have called on the government to change the law on trail hunting.

A pressure group called Time For Change, which is led by the League Against Cruel Sports, was set up last month to lobby ministers to strengthen the Hunting Act.

It includes 32 animal welfare charity groups such as the RSPCA, Human Society International UK, Cats Protection and PETA.

Andy Knott, chief executive of the League Against Cruel Sports, said:

“We’ve known since very soon after the Hunting Act 2004 was introduced that hunts were using its many exemptions – and something they call trail hunting – to carry on chasing and killing wildlife with hounds.

“We and other like-minded organisations have been calling out for the law to be strengthened, for its many exemptions to be removed, and for trail hunting to be outlawed.”

Business Breakfast: Harrogate care company appoints new chief executive

The Stray Ferret Business Club’s next meeting is a breakfast event on Thursday, 27 July at Banyan in Harrogate between 8-10am.

The Business Club provides monthly opportunities to network, make new connections and hear local success stories. Get your tickets by clicking or tapping here.

A Harrogate district care company has appointed a new chief executive.

Homes Together, which is based on Victoria Avenue, provides accommodation for disabled people across Harrogate, Ripon and Knaresborough.

The company has appointed David Ashton-Jones as its new chief executive, as well as restructuring its senior management team.

Mr Ashton-Jones said:

“I am incredibly proud to take on the role of chief executive at Homes Together.

“This is an organisation that means a lot to me and I look forward to helping drive exceptional residential care for disabled young adults across our 13 different services in both Harrogate District and Gateshead.”

Meanwhile, the firm has also unveiled plans to invest in its training, infrastructure and technology in an effort to improve its services.

Harrogate company reaches sustainability targets

A Harrogate company has celebrated achieving three of its sustainability targets.

Techbuyer, which is based on Hornbeam Park, set nine targets including responsible consumption and production, quality education and good health and wellbeing.

The targets were set in line with the United Nations 17 sustainable development goals, which were drawn up in 2015.

Steve Sexton, group managing director of Techbuyer.

Techbuyer has now reached three of the goals ahead of its 2025 deadline.

Of those it has achieved include logging 15,000 hours of staff physical activity, £3 million in savings for educational institutions and promoting sustainable technology to 5,000 organisations.

Steve Sexton, group managing director at Techbuyer, said:

“As a global organisation we are proud to be able to align our own ESG efforts with a number of the UN Sustainability Development Goals focused specifically on where we feel we can take meaningful action and make a real difference.”

No trains on Harrogate line for two days next week amid strikes

No trains will run through Harrogate and Knaresborough next week as staff stage further walkouts.

Members of the RMT Union are set to strike on Thursday, July 20, and Saturday, July 22, over a pay dispute.

A further walkout will take place on Saturday, July 29.

Northern, which operates trains between York and Leeds through Harrogate, has announced that the industrial action will affect services.

The company has said no trains will run on strike days and early morning services on Friday (July 21) and Sunday (July 23) are also expected to be disrupted.

Northern has urged people to check train times ahead of planning a journey.

Tricia Williams, chief operating officer at Northern, said:

“Yet again, thousands of our customers will be inconvenienced as a result of this action by the RMT union.

“We all want to see an end to this dispute and the uncertainty that on-going strike action causes to people’s confidence in the railway.”

Mick Lynch, general secretary of the RMT, said the strike was a result of ministers failing to put forward a “package that can settle this dispute”.

He said:

“This latest phase of action will show the country just how important railway staff are to the running of the rail industry.

“My team of negotiators and I are available 24/7 for talks with the train operating companies and government ministers.

“Yet quite incredibly neither party has made any attempt whatsoever to arrange any meetings or put forward a decent offer that can help us reach a negotiated solution.”

Yorkshire Water improves environmental performance, says report

Yorkshire Water has improved its environmental performance, according to a latest government report.

The water company, which supplies drinking water and deals with waste water, was rated three-star in an assessment carried out by the Environment Agency.

The performance, which covers 2022, is an improvement on the previous year when the company was rated as two-star.

Severn Trent Water was the highest rated at four stars, while Anglian Water, Thames Water, Wessex Water, Southern Water and South West Water were all given two stars.

Despite the rating, Yorkshire Water was still below target in areas such as self-reporting incidents and serious pollution incidents.

During the year, Yorkshire Water had three serious pollution incidents compared with five the previous year.

The company self-reported 77% of incidents in 2021 – below the industry target of 82%.

Claire Barrow, area environment manager for the Environment Agency in Yorkshire, said:

“While it’s encouraging that Yorkshire Water has seen some progress, there is still significant work to be done to improve standards.

“We want to see a consistent reduction in the number of pollution incidents and a sustained improvement in the timeliness and quality of self-reporting.”

Fewston Reservoir is managed by Yorkshire Water

Alan Lovell, chair of the Environment Agency, said despite some improvement, the level of pollution caused by water companies remained “unacceptable”.

He said:

“While there have been some modest improvements, it is unacceptable to still be seeing this level of pollution.

“We have seen a distinct culture shift from the water industry in recent months and that is welcome – but that must translate to profound, long-term change.”

A Yorkshire Water spokesperson said:

“Our improvement to a three-star rating in the latest EPA report from the Environment Agency is testament to the work of our colleagues in the last 12 months.

“We care passionately about the environment and work hard every day to tackle pollution and the causes of it. However, we are not complacent and know there is much more we need to do. Our focus is on continuous improvement in the way we use technology and data to further improve the areas preventing us from reaching a four-star rating.”

Call for ban on trail hunting on North Yorkshire Council land

Councillors are to call on North Yorkshire Council to ban trail hunting on land owned by the local authority.

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.

At a meeting in May, Cllr Gareth Dadd, deputy leader of North Yorkshire Council, said the council “can’t confirm” whether or not trail hunts take place on its land.

He added that the authority was “not aware” of any formalised hunts taking place on its property.

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

It adds:

“Across the country, hunts are using trail hunts as a loophole to carry on hunting foxes and other animals.

“So called terrier men are frequently present with shovels and terriers, while scent trails are often not present.”

The motion adds that the Hunting Act 2004, which bans fox hunting, is unworkable and calls on the council to ban any trail hunts on council owned land.

It says:

“This council resolves to ban trail hunting, exempt hunting, hound exercise and hunt meets outright across all council land where legally possible, including any new tenancies where there are positive covenants attached to the land that currently require the council as owner to allow trail hunting events and formal gatherings.”

Councillors on North Yorkshire Council will debate the motion on July 19.

The move comes as organisations have called on the government to change the law on trail hunting.

A pressure group called Time For Change, which is led by the League Against Cruel Sports, was set up last month to lobby ministers to strengthen the Hunting Act.

It includes 32 animal welfare charity groups such as the RSPCA, Human Society International UK, Cats Protection and PETA.

Andy Knott, chief executive of the League Against Cruel Sports, said:

“We’ve known since very soon after the Hunting Act 2004 was introduced that hunts were using its many exemptions – and something they call trail hunting – to carry on chasing and killing wildlife with hounds.

“We and other like-minded organisations have been calling out for the law to be strengthened, for its many exemptions to be removed, and for trail hunting to be outlawed.”

Business Breakfast: Knaresborough financial advisors appoint new board members

The Stray Ferret Business Club’s next meeting is a breakfast event on Thursday, 27 July at Banyan in Harrogate between 8-10am.

The Business Club provides monthly opportunities to network, make new connections and hear local success stories. Get your tickets by clicking or tapping here.

A Knaresborough financial firm has announced a number of changes to its board.

Prosperis Ltd, which is based at St James’ Business Park, said it wanted to appoint experienced professionals to the company as part of its growth strategy.

Among the changes include Dave McLaughlin, who has been appointed as managing director of Prosperis Wealth and David Carrington joins as managing director of Prosperis Corporate Services.

David Carrington and Dawn Cockson.

Dawn Cockson also joins the board as operations director.

Niall Gunn, chief executive of Prosperis Ltd, said:

“These are exciting times for Prosperis. We are concluding our seventh acquisition with the next one due to complete in the autumn and our management team is stepping up to drive our service proposition to our clients.

“Both Davids and Dawn will be a great addition to our board, bringing a wide range and skills and talents.”

Yorkshire Ambulance Service among top 100 apprentice employers

Yorkshire Ambulance Service has been named in the Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers for 2023.

The service, which operates ambulances in the Harrogate district and wider Yorkshire region, was ranked 36 in the list and was the highest ranked NHS organisation.

More than 500 of the service’s 7,200 staff are apprentices, including ambulance support workers, associate ambulance practitioners and paramedic degree apprentices.

It also employs apprentices in corporate services like finance, operational support, learning and development.

Kim Walsh, apprenticeships manager for Yorkshire Ambulance Service, said:

“We are delighted to have ranked so highly; this establishes Yorkshire Ambulance Service as one of the leading apprenticeship employers in the country.”

Harrogate homeless charity sees increased demand amid cost of living crisis

Harrogate Homeless Project has seen increased demand in recent months with more young people using the charity for help.

Francis McAllister, chief executive of the project, said the charity had seen an increase in visits from people who would not normally use its services.

The project’s Springboard day centre would normally see 15 visits a day, but has reported a rise to 25 in recent months.

Mr McAllister said the recent rise in interest rates, rising rents and the cost of living crisis had increased demand on the charity.

He said:

“The challenges around cost-of-living has highlighted the urgency for more resources to continue our critical work.

“All our hostel beds are full, and we have seen increasingly younger individuals and women seeking our help.”

Mr McAllister said the project’s hostel on Bower Street is up to capacity, with all 16 beds taken.

As a result, the charity has organised a series of events in an effort to raise money to meet demand.

A fun run, photography competition, and Three Peak challenge are some fundraising initiatives launched by the Harrogate Homeless Project.

The charity run will take place on July 15 across the Stray, while the Three Peaks challenge will take place on September 16 at £50 per entry.

Meanwhile, a photography competition will be held in partnership with the Harrogate Photographic Society and will be open to all ages with the theme ‘community’.

Up to six photos can be entered per person, with a £5 donation.

Entries close on August 31, when six finalists will be chosen for an exclusive event at West Park Hotel on September 28. The finalists will be on display at St Peter’s Church in October.

Mr McAllister added:

“Since the pandemic, it’s gone from one crisis to another as many households struggle with housing insecurity.

“Every penny raised will make a lasting impact for someone in need.”

For more information on the events, email Thomas Richards on thomas@hhphostel.org.

Business Breakfast: Harrogate social club wins CAMRA award

The Stray Ferret Business Club’s next meeting is a breakfast event on Thursday, 27 July at Banyan in Harrogate between 8-10am.

The Business Club provides monthly opportunities to network, make new connections and hear local success stories. Get your tickets by clicking or tapping here.

A Harrogate club has won a Campaign for Real Ale award.

The Oatlands club, on Coronation Grove, was voted the best club in CAMRA’s Harrogate & Ripon area for 2023.

Alan Gould, chair of the Harrogate and Ripon CAMRA, presented the award to Kate Shutt, bar manager of the club, earlier this month.

Mr Gould said:

“Clubs provide an extremely useful community function, more so perhaps than pubs these days, so CAMRA is very keen to recognise and celebrate this, one way of doing this is to make an award to the best club in our area.”

Simon Williams, club president, thanked CAMRA for the award and paid tribute to the hard work of Kate Shutt and her team behind the bar.

Care home manager climbs Kilimanjaro

A Harrogate care home manager has climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in aid of Yorkshire Air Ambulance.

Samantha Harrison, who works for Continued Care, took on the challenge and raised £2,320 for the charity.

Samantha Harrison with her team climbing Mount Kilimanjaro.

The expedition was part of the care provider’s charity of the year fundraising events.

Ms Harrison said:

“Succeeding in reaching the summit of Kilimanjaro and raising £2,320 for Yorkshire Air Ambulance has been an incredible accomplishment and a once-in-a-lifetime ambition of mine.”

Tessa Klemz, North Yorkshire regional fundraiser for Yorkshire Air Ambulance, added:

”On behalf of Yorkshire Air Ambulance, we would like to extend our heartfelt appreciation to Samantha for her tremendous efforts in conquering Kilimanjaro in support of our charity.”

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