Storm Otto caused widespread disruption across the Harrogate district this morning.

By the time strong winds forecast by the Met Office had eased off by midday, at least 20 trees had fallen across the district.

The A1 was closed after three vehicles overturned; homes suffered power cuts and a Porsche driver discovered a tree had smashed into the rook of his vehicle.

Here are some pictures from this morning’s storm.

Firefighters deal with a perilous sign in Knaresborough.

A fallen tree blocks almost all of Leeds Road near M&S.

An overturned vehicle on the A1 during the strong winds

A fallen tree on Montpellier in Harrogate crashed onto the picture frame.

North Yorkshire County Council’s highways teams arrive to deal with a tree that crashed onto a Porsche in Harrogate.

Tree down outside Harrogate police station.

Read more:

• Strong winds bring morning disruption to Harrogate district
• Harrogate couple’s dismay after tree crashes on Porsche for second time

A Harrogate couple have been left dismayed after a large branch from a tree crashed onto their Porsche during Storm Otto today.

Zenya Dunn, who lives on Granby Road, told the Stray Ferret that her partner Michael woke this morning to go to work, only to find his car underneath the fallen tree.

She said it’s the second time this has happened to the couple and that the council had been informed about the dangerous tree numerous times.

Ms Dunn said:

“I woke up and he asked me if he could borrow my car. It was the car he always wanted.

“It’s the second time something like this has happened. My partner has rung the council about the tree before.”

Ms Dunn added that the tree had almost hit the front window of their house.

It also narrowly missed her Range Rover, which was parked next to the Porsche 911.

North Yorkshire County Council’s highways teams arrived to deal with the tree this morning.

Workers from North Yorkshire County Council’s highways team were on scene this morning to deal with the tree.

It comes as Storm Otto caused widespread disruption across Harrogate this morning.

On Montpellier, a tree fell onto a picture frame where tourists pose for pictures. However, the frame appeared to have withstood the impact.

Meanwhile, fallen trees caused disruption for motorists on Leeds Road, Ripon Road and on the A61 near Pannal.

You can recap all of today’s storm news in the Harrogate district here.

Read more:

• Strong winds bring morning disruption to Harrogate district
• Ofsted praise for ‘warm and welcoming’ village pre-school near Harrogate

The government has announced that a cap on single ticket bus fares will be extended for three months.

The move means single bus fares will be capped at £2 until the end of June 2023.

It could be good news for passengers of the Harrogate Bus Company and Connexions Buses, which are among more than 130 transport firms taking part in the current £2 fare cap supported by government funding.

It was introduced at the start of January and was due to finish at the end of March. But the Department for Transport announced today it was providing £75 million to extend the scheme until the end of June.

It added that details of the bus operators which are continuing the £2 fare cap scheme would be confirmed in “due course”.

The Stray Ferret has contacted Harrogate Bus Company and Connexions to confirm whether it will be continuing the scheme.

The £2 cap has reduced the cost of a 29-mile journey from Ripon to Leeds on the 36 bus by 73 per cent from £7.50 to £2, while the cost of a ticket from Harrogate to Bradford on the Flyer A2 has fallen by 63 per cent from £5.40 to £2.

Ministers hope the initiative will reinvigorate bus services amid fears many routes will be cut when funding runs out.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said:

“I want to make bus travel affordable for all, that’s why we’re continuing to cap fares at £2 and protecting local routes, ensuring we have a modern and efficient network that’s accessible for everyone.

“Getting more people onto reliable and affordable buses will strengthen communities and help grow the economy – connecting people to jobs, driving pensioners to see friends and family, and helping people attend medical appointments or access education.”

Read more:

• Bilton bus services to merge under new route changes
• Public control of North Yorkshire bus network ‘not realistic’, says transport chief
• North Yorkshire bus routes may avoid financial ‘cliff edge’, says transport boss

Meanwhile, the government also announced a further £80 million in bus recovery grants.

The grants are designed to help to support commercial bus operators in England due to the ongoing impacts of coronavirus and drop in passenger numbers.

Transport Secretary Mark Harper said:

“Travelling by bus remains the most popular option for commuters and families across the country, but the sector is still trying to recover after the end of the pandemic.

“We’re providing £155 million to help passengers save money on fares, get more people on the bus and protect vital bus routes – helping with the cost of living and enabling people to get where they need to in an affordable and convenient way.”

Nurses at Harrogate District Hospital will stage another 48-hour walk-out next month.

The Royal College of Nursing has announced further nationwide industrial action in a dispute over pay and conditions.

The strike, which will include nurses at 128 NHS hospitals, will take place from Wednesday, March 1.

Speaking following the announcement, Pat Cullen, chief executive at the RCN, said:

“It is with a heavy heart that I have today asked even more nursing staff to join this dispute.

“These strikes will not just run for longer and involve more people but will leave no area of the NHS unaffected. Patients and nurses alike did not want this to happen.

“By refusing to negotiate with nurses, the Prime Minister is pushing even more people into the strike. He must listen to NHS leaders and not let this go ahead.

“I will do whatever I can to ensure patient safety is protected. At first, we asked thousands to keep working during the strikes but it’s clear that is only prolonging the dispute. This action must not be in vain – the Prime Minister owes them an answer.”

Read more:

• Harrogate ambulance striker: ‘Nobody wants to wait three hours to offload patients’
• Harrogate care home plans to increase to 60 bedrooms

The move comes as nurses in Harrogate have staged two walkouts since January.

Staff staged the industrial action outside the hospital on Lancaster Park Road.

Meanwhile, on February 6, nurses walked out alongside ambulance workers from Yorkshire Ambulance Service.

Bus services in North Yorkshire may avoid a “cliff edge” over funding next month, according to the county’s transport boss.

Cllr Keane Duncan, executive councillor for highways at North Yorkshire County Council, had previously warned that up to 79 services faced reduced frequency or ceasing altogether when central government funding comes to an end in March.

It comes as a drop in passenger numbers and increased costs for operators has put some routes at risk.

Some services, such as the 24 service in Pateley Bridge, have been secured for another year.

However, in a statement to next week’s full council meeting, Cllr Duncan has suggested others may be saved.

He said:

“North Yorkshire’s bus network remains in a fragile position, with lower passenger numbers and increased costs continuing to affect the profitability of several services.

“However, there are positive signs that the council’s close cooperation with operators will allow us to avoid the feared March ‘cliff edge’ when post-covid government funding is expected to end.”

Read more:

• Bilton bus services to merge under new route changes
• Public control of North Yorkshire bus network ‘not realistic’, says transport chief
• 24 bus from Pateley Bridge to Harrogate saved

Cllr Duncan added that the county council intends to focus on securing funding for other services after recently securing bus routes in Selby and Scarborough.

He said:

“Our focus now shifts to other parts of the county. 

“It is our hope that we can find funds to protect services here too until at least 2024.”

The comments come as the county council negotiated funding to secure the 24 bus route between Pateley Bridge and Harrogate until April next year.

Transdev, which operates the service, had initially planned to withdraw most services on the route.

Work on a major realignment of the A59 at Kex Gill has been further delayed as the scheme awaits sign off from government.

North Yorkshire County Council had earmarked work on the scheme to finally start in January.

The project will see a diversion built west of Blubberhouses on a stretch of road blighted by a history of landslips.

The scheme has faced numerous delays and following tender returns, the estimated cost of the scheme increased by £7.2 million to £68.8 million, which the council attributes to inflation affecting constructions costs.

In a statement to full council next week, Cllr Keane Duncan, executive councillor for highways, will say:

“We are almost ready to begin construction work to realign Kex Gill, which is amongst the council’s biggest ever infrastructure projects.

“The council has awarded preferred bidder status to John Sisk & Son (Holdings) Ltd, a family-owned international civil engineering and construction contractor with a strong track record.

“We are in the final stages of completing land acquisition processes ahead of a decision on our full business case which was submitted to the Department for Transport in August.

“A decision is expected very soon to coincide with a planned start on site.”

Read more:

• Council warns of ‘high risks’ as Kex Gill cost soars to £69m
• Council sets aside £11m for A59 Kex Gill contingency funding

The project is due to be funded by a £56.1 million grant from the Department for Transport, with the council covering the rest from its reserves.

A further £11 million has been factored into the £68 million budget to cover any issues with ground conditions or bad weather.

It comes as senior county council officials have warned about the risk involved with the authority’s major projects amid soaring inflation.

Gary Fielding, the council’s director for strategic resources, warned previously that the “burden of risk” for major projects, such as the realignment of the A59 at Kex Gill, will fall on the authority amid soaring inflation.

The A59 at Kex Gill, near Blubberhouses, is the main route between Harrogate and Skipton. Since 2000, the route has been closed 12 times following landslips.

The estimated completion date for the scheme is May 2025.

A weather warning for strong wind has been issued for the Harrogate district.

The Met Office has put the yellow warning in place for Friday (February 17) between 6am and 6pm.

The organisation has said strong winds through the day “may bring disruption to traffic”.

It has also warned that there is a “slight chance” of power cuts and cancellations to public transport services.

Meanwhile, Northern Powergrid has assured people that it is aware of the warning and has measures in place to tackle any disruption to its network.

A statement from the company said:

“Teams are ready to mobilise colleagues and support as this situation develops.

“This weather front does have the potential to have an impact and cause damage to the network, so there is a possibility that there could be disruption to power supplies in at least some parts of the region.

“Relevant teams are on standby and ready to be diverted onto the storm response should this materialise.”

Read more:

• New 5G masts proposed for Harlow Hill water tower
• Plans for two masts to meet ‘acute need’ for 5G in Harrogate

North Yorkshire County Council looks set to establish a new property company to look after its estate.

Under plans outlined in a report due before the council’s executive, the new firm would be established with £200,000 working capital backed by a loan.

It would also see the authority’s current estates company, Align Property Partners Limited, operate on a commercial basis.

The new firm would be wholly owned by the council and would transfer to North Yorkshire Council from April 1.

As part of the plan, the company would adhere to “teckal” exemptions – meaning the council could directly award it contracts without open procurement.

Vicki Dixon, assistant director for strategic resources, said in a report that the current firm, Align Property, was “well-placed” to operate commercially.

She said:

“A substantial market exists for the services provided by Align, with the company well placed to capitalise on its existing reputation in the commercial space.

“The growth is being driven by non-NYCC externally generated income and indicates that Company trading aspirations have outgrown the initial Teckal-based operating model.”

Read more:

• Harrogate’s Royal Baths: the council’s under-performing ‘trophy investment’
• Council’s Brierley Group reports £327,000 loss

Ms Dixon added that the new company’s function would be to “continue providing high quality property, highways and estates services to the council and associated bodies, while being Teckal compliant”.

Senior councillors will discuss the plans at a meeting on Tuesday, February 21.

The move comes as the new North Yorkshire Council is set to take control over a host of district-council run companies.

Brimhams Active, the arms-length leisure firm, and Bracewell Homes – both of which are owned by Harrogate Borough Council – will transfer over to the new authority on April 1.

The county council has previously been criticised for the performance of its own companies after its Brierley Group of firms reported losses in recent years.

North Yorkshire County Council has revealed plans to expand places at Springwater School in Starbeck.

The authority’s executive will discuss plans on Tuesday to create an additional 45 places at the school.

Springwater School, which is based off High Street, teaches children aged two to 19 with “profound and multiple, severe or physical difficulties”.

A report due before councillors says the move would help to provide “more local, quality in-house special school places” within the county.

As part of the plan, the council intends to spend £3.1 million from its High Needs Provision Capital Allocation, which is granted by government.

However, Gary Fielding, strategic director of resources at the council, said in a report it was “disappointing” the amount of funding allocated to the council.

He said:

“Whilst it is appreciated that the Department for Education has prioritised resources to address limited capacity in special schools nationally, it is disappointing that the level of funding allocated to NYCC is the lowest in the country (expressed in terms of £ per pupil aged 2 to 18).”

Senior councillors will make a decision on the proposal at a meeting on February 21.

Read more:

• Starbeck special needs school rated ‘good’ by Ofsted
• Children at Starbeck school plant new community garden

Police have issued an appeal after an attempted house burglary on Bramham Drive in Jennyfields this week.

The incident happened on Monday between 2.15pm and 3pm.

Officers said “significant damage” was caused to the doors of the house, but the suspect failed to gain entry.

Police added that a driver of a dark coloured Seat Leon with a registration containing “70” was seen at the time of the attempted burglary.

The driver is described as a young white man with a round face, about 5ft 8in tall, with short dark hair and wearing a dark hoodie.

A North Yorkshire Police statement added:

“Anyone with information that could assist the investigation should email elizabeth.parry@northyorkshire.police.uk or call 101, select option 2, and ask for Elizabeth Parry.

“If you wish to remain anonymous, you can pass information to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

“Please quote the North Yorkshire Police reference number 12230027326 when providing details.”

Read more:

• Cyclist seriously injured in collision with van near Weeton
• Two men jailed after dealing cocaine in Harrogate