Arsonist sets fire to historic Knaresborough pub

An arsonist set fire to an historic Grade II listed Knaresborough pub where the owners live.

Blind Jack’s, on Market Place, was damaged in the blaze which was started at around 4am on Sunday morning.

Owners Christian and Alice Ogley were away at the time of the fire so nobody was injured.

The fire service managed to put out the blaze and police officers tracked down a suspect and arrested him.

However, it will take a highly-skilled craftsman to replace the badly damaged entrance as the windows and door is around 200-years-old. There is also smoke damage inside.

The pub is named after Knaresborough’s John Metcalf, the first professional road builder to emerge in the Industrial Revolution.

Mr Ogley told the Stray Ferret:

“Luckily a local had just gotten back from a stag do in Leeds. He had decided to cut through Market Place where he saw the fire.

“He banged on the door because he knew we lived there and then called 999. Without him it would have been much worse.”

Since news of the fire got out, Christian and Alice have been inundated with messages and offers of support. He added:

“That is the best thing to come out of this. We have had so many kind messages and treats from local people and businesses.

“We managed to open last night. So many people came to offer their support. All of this positivity has really outweighed the negativity.”

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While the pub will get a temporary replacement, the owners will need to get in experts to fix entrance which may force it to close for a few days in the near future.

A North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson said:

“Crews were called to a report of a door of a building on fire. Crews extinguished this using a hose reel jet. This was believed to have been deliberate.”

A North Yorkshire Police spokesperson said:

“Police were called to Blind Jack’s pub in Knaresborough after reports that a man had set fire to the front door.

“Officers arrested a 44 year old man on suspicion of arson and he was later released under investigation.”

Court approves emergency closure of ‘filthy’ Ripon takeaway

A court has approved the emergency closure of a Chinese takeaway in Ripon which hygiene officers found to be filthy.

Harrogate Borough Council served the Dragon Inn Chinese Restaurant with a Hygiene Emergency Prohibition Order last week and took the owners to court.

Leeds Magistrates Court has now approved the closure and ordered the takeaway to pay the council’s costs of £1967.10 within 28 days.

The court heard how the council’s environmental health team found a series of potentially dangerous hygiene issues.

Officers found the Dragon Inn was filthy throughout, had very poor structural conditions, with the kitchen and other food preparation areas in a dirty state.

The basement with toilets was also dirty with no handwashing facilities. Staff were also seen to not wash their hands after handling raw food.

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We tried to contact the owner but found a notice at the door which said the business is closed until September 8 at the earliest.

The takeaway will only be allowed to reopen once the council is satisfied it no longer poses a risk to public health.

Dragon Inn has received ‘good’ four out of five food hygiene ratings in the past five years from the council with the last inspection in January 2020.

It is the second food venue to be closed by the council under a Hygiene Emergency Prohibition Order in as many weeks.

Harrogate Borough Council believes that standards at some businesses have dropped since the UK has come out of the coronavirus lockdown.

Cllr Mike Chambers, Harrogate Borough Council’s cabinet member for housing and safer communities, said:

“Since we came out of the lockdown periods the council is finding that hygiene standards have deteriorated significantly in some premises.

“It is imperative that food businesses maintain hygiene and food safety at all times, even more so during the currently covid-19 pandemic.

“Council offers work hard to provide guidance and advice for businesses so that they can operate safely.

“Any businesses who fail to act upon this advice, and the resulting inspection identifies a risk to public health, then we have no option but to consider formal action.”

Olympian Adam Peaty inspires young swimmers in Harrogate

Olympian Adam Peaty has inspired the next generation of swimmers in Harrogate at Ashville College today.

Adam Peaty headed to the college’s sports centre early this morning, where he will be all day to train young athletes and leave parents and staff starstruck.

Fresh from taking two gold medals at the Tokyo Olympics and the announcement that he will take part in Strictly Come Dancing, Mr Peaty was keen to take that momentum with him.

The Race Clinic in Harrogate was a £219 per ticket sell-out event.

It is one of ten taking part across the UK and the only one in Yorkshire. Staff at Ashville College believe that he may be back next year as well.

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Adam Peaty told the Stray Ferret outside the sports centre where there was a festival atmosphere:

“I mean obviously you can win Olympics and do everything in your sport but if you cannot take that to the grassroots level back home then you are not maximising that potential.

“So this is the whole project around it. You never know what the butterfly effect of something like this can be.

“It’s not necessarily the talent, it’s more about the energy. We overwork and overthink with our children. I just want them to stay in the present and enjoy the moment, have a bit of a laugh.”

Dominic Bradburne, director of sport at Ashville College, also told the Stray Ferret:

“I don’t think we can measure the difference it will make, maybe we will see that in 10 or even 15 years time.

“Adam could inspire that one person to become a star, we just do not know. I am sure that everyone will take something away from today.

“Who knows? We might see some of these pupils here today at the next Olympics. I have spoken to him a couple of times, he’s very grounded.

“We can only hope that we have picked up some knowledge from him and take that into the other sports camps we have got at Ashville College.”

The swim clinic features three different stations. The first will focus on the breaststroke and will be led by Adam Peaty and Edward Baxter, a British swimming champion and record holder.

Adam Peaty’s gym coach Robert Norman will lead the second session which will dive into injury prevention.

Station three, led by Tim Shuttleworth, will give an insight into how to gain the mental edge necessary to compete successfully.

It comes just weeks after one of the biggest names in world ballet Wayne Sleep also visited the school for the Yorkshire Ballet Seminar.

Swedish-inspired cafe concept launches in Harrogate

A new Swedish-inspired coffee shop has opened its doors in Harrogate with ambitious £780,000 plans to roll out the concept across Yorkshire.

Fi:k has renovated 1 Montpellier Gardens, which used to be the home of furniture business Covet. The venture has created eight jobs in the town.

The cafe is working with Leeds-based North Star Coffee Roasters, True Tea in Harrogate, Kokoa hot chocolate suppliers and Jenny Wren’s Bakehouse in Whitby.

Fi:K opened on Saturday and sells Swedish-inspired open sandwiches, salads, artisan pastries and smoothie bowls.

It is named after the Swedish term for cafe “Fi:K” and the Swedish ideal of “fika” which considers making time for family, friends and colleagues every day as essential.

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Vicky Somerville, who used to work for Grantley Hall and Filmore & Union, has taken on the design and marketing for Fi:K. She said:

“We see Fi:k as a fusion of Yorkshire and Swedish ideas, the cafe will very much be about high-quality products, provenance and people.

“Increasingly, customers want to ‘shop’ local and the majority of our ingredients and produce will hail from the North of England, often from small artisan producers.

“Post-lockdown, we all need to treat ourselves to a little indulgence and rediscover time to enjoy being together.”

Ms Somerville believes that the coffee house is set in one of the most characterful buildings in Harrogate. So Fi:K has made the existing stoves, pillars and Victorian windows as focal points.

Original Harrogate Christmas Market will not return next year

The original Harrogate Christmas Market will not return next year after Harrogate Borough Council entered into formal talks with an organiser from Manchester.

Brian Dunsby, who established the Christmas market in 2012 and built it up to a success, has admitted defeat in his battle to hold the event on Montpellier Hill.

Harrogate Borough Council refused the licence at the end of July and has now revealed that Market Place Europe is now planning to hold a smaller event in December.

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After three weeks of wrangling with the council Brian Dunsby told the Stray Ferret:

“It is a shame for traders we have and for the sake of the town centre businesses which all need the Harrogate Christmas Market.

“Some of the traders may go bust. I think that very few will get into the event being organised by Market Place Europe.

“We created a marvellous event, it was a great success. It is also a distressing situation for the local charities we raise money for.

“Over the years we donated £90,000 from the profits we made.”

Mr Dunsby does not plan to hold the Harrogate Christmas Market this year of next but thinks there may be an opportunity for it to return in 2023. He added:

“By 2023 North Yorkshire County Council will be in charge. So whether we have another go then, I don’t know. It’s too early to say.

“I will not try next year because I do not think there is any point when Harrogate Borough Council is still in charge.”

The orginial Harrogate Christmas Market had around 170 traders booked in, 55 coaches and it expected to attract around 90,000 visitors for the four-day event.

Harrogate Borough Council refused a licence for Brian Dunsby’s event at the end of July.

It said that the event management plan did not fully take into account overcrowding, counter-terrorism and the ongoing risk of coronavirus.

However, Market Place Europe is planning to host 45 stalls with a mixture of European and local traders over 10 days at a yet undisclosed location in the town centre.

Harrogate MP welcomes new Christmas market as local traders move on

Andrew Jones MP has welcomed the proposal of a new Christmas market but some disappointed local traders have already moved on.

Market Place Europe has entered into formal talks with Harrogate Borough Council about holding its own version of a Christmas market.

Talks are in the early stages but the plan is to hold a 45 stall event from December 3 to 12. There is no word yet on where it will be held but it will be in the town centre.

There will be a mixture of European stall holders as well as some local traders.

However, it’s unclear just how many of the 170 booked in with the former organisers will be able to get involved with the new organisers.

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Bridget Bailey, founder of Bags and Glad Rags, told the Stray Ferret:

“I have been a trader at the Harrogate Christmas Market since it started so I find it very sad that such a successful event has been destroyed.

“We have been messed about so could not wait for this to be sorted. So I am already committed to other things around that time.”

Howard Heaton, managing director of Westmorland Sheepskins, also said:

“This has been quite frustrating to watch. Harrogate is a destination so we need to build on that.

“But from what I have seen of the new Christmas market I am not sure if it will draw in the same crowds, it’s a much smaller event.”

Steven Green, co-founder of Harrogate Tipple, added:

“I think it’s laughable really to have 45 stalls. With European traders as well I cannot see how the locals will get much of a look in.

“Harrogate Tipple always did well at the Christmas market in Harrogate but we are now going to York instead.”

What does Andrew Jones MP make of the new plans?

Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones has released a statement for the first time about Harrogate Christmas Market since the council refused a licence for Montpellier Hill.

Mr Jones welcomed the news:

“I have read that the usual organisers have announced that they are not going to be seeking approval for a new event plan on Montpellier Hill which addresses the issues raised.

“Retailers contacting me simply want to make sure there is a safe and quality Christmas market in Harrogate. They are not too interested in the wrangling over the exact location.

“That is why, putting the past in the past, I am pleased that a commitment remains from the council to pick up the problem and sort it by speaking to other Christmas market organisers.

“Time though is marching on. I am pleased that contingencies are in place and moving forward at pace.”

Ripon takeaway forced to close after hygiene inspection

A Chinese takeaway in Ripon has been forced to close its doors after a routine inspection found serious food hygiene concerns.

Harrogate Borough Council has served the owner of the Dragon Inn Chinese Restaurant with a Hygiene Emergency Prohibition Order.

A council officer found poor food hygiene controls, waste issues and insufficient hand washing facilities so closed the takeaway down on Tuesday.

We tried to contact the owner but found a notice at the door which said the business is closed until September 8 at the earliest.

The council will present the prohibition notice and its evidence to the magistrates court at a date to be confirmed.

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If the courts rule in favour of the council then the takeaway owner will likely need to pay costs, rectify the issues raised and then apply for a reinspection.

However, if the courts rule in favour of Dragon Inn then it will be able to apply for costs for the time it was forced to close.

Dragon Inn has received ‘good’ four out of five food hygiene ratings in the past five years from the council with the last inspection in January 2020.

A Hygiene Emergency Prohibition Order entitles the council to prevent the premises trading in any food-related activity immediately.

Such orders are usually granted when an environmental health officer believes serious breaches of standards are putting customers or staff at risk.

A Harrogate Borough Council spokesperson said:

“The Dragon Inn was served with a Hygiene Emergency Prohibition Notice due to poor food hygiene, waste issues and insufficient hand washing facilities.

“This Hygiene Emergency Prohibition Notice will now be presented to the magistrates court.”

£20m bid to replace Harrogate buses with electric fleet

An entire fleet of buses in Harrogate could be replaced with electric models as part of an ambitious £20 million bid.

North Yorkshire County Council (NYCC) is working with the Harrogate Bus Company, part of Transdev, on a bid for more than £8 million in government money.

Transdev has also proposed to prop up the bid with £11.5 million of its own funds.

If successful, Harrogate would welcome a total of 39 zero-emission buses over the next three years.

The buses come with next stop announcements, USB power and free wifi.

There would be an even split of single-decker and double-decker electric buses which would come with supporting charging infrastructure.

Now, the Department for Transport (DfT) has asked the council to submit a business case for the project.

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The bid must be submitted by the end of January 2022 with a decision from the DfT expected by March 2022.

Cllr Don Mackenzie, the executive member for access at NYCC, said:

“We’re near the start of a competitive process and success is not guaranteed, but this action illustrates the scale of our ambition and commitment.

“This project aligns with the decarbonisation ambitions we share with partners across the region to protect the environment and counter climate change.

“It would accelerate improvements in air quality, as zero emission vehicles produce no tail pipe emissions, bringing health benefits to residents and visitors.”

Alex Hornby, CEO at Transdev, said:

“We have already created a low-emission bus fleet in Harrogate thanks to the huge investment we have made in the past few years.

“We hope this bid will lead to the next exciting step of our vision to create a completely zero-emission bus network, powered by a fully-electric fleet.

“With our partners at North Yorkshire County Council, we aim to create further improvements in infrastructure.

“This comes at a time when we believe our town is ready to embrace more sustainable forms of travel.”

Manchester firm set to take on Harrogate Christmas Market

A Manchester events firm is set to take on Harrogate Christmas Market this year after a row over health and safety concerns.

Harrogate Borough Council has now entered into formal talks with Market Place Europe, which is based in Ashton-Under-Lyne.

The council said that the company is planning to hold a 10-day event from  December 3 to December 12 rather than the usual four-day market.

At this stage it is unclear where the new Harrogate Christmas market will take place but it will be in the town centre.

It is also unclear if the 170 traders and 53 coaches booked in with the former organisers will move over to the new Christmas market.

Market Place Europe is behind the Christmas markets in Glasgow and Belfast. The company also organises a number of food markets across the UK.

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Gemma Rio, head of destination management at Harrogate Borough Council, said:

“I am pleased to see that Market Place Europe has submitted an expression of interest to hold a Christmas market in Harrogate town centre this December.

“To have interest from an organisation with vast experience of operating successful markets across the UK is a great opportunity for the district.

“We look forward to working with them, and our local partners, to ensure this event is delivered safely and drives visitors into the town.”

Councillor Richard Cooper, leader of Harrogate Borough Council, said:

“From what I’ve seen, Market Place Europe have years of experience hosting events. So I know they’ll bring an abundance of knowledge to Harrogate this Christmas.

“You’ve only got to look at the photos online from markets they’ve hosted in major cities such as Belfast and Glasgow to see what they’ll bring is a first-class offering.”

This news comes just over two weeks after Harrogate Borough Council refused a licence for Harrogate Christmas Market run by Brian Dunsby OBE on Montpellier Hill.

Representatives from the founding organisers at Harrogate Christmas Market Ltd met with two council officers on Tuesday.

It was the first time the two groups met but after 90 minutes of talks the council issued a statement saying alternative locations “have been refused” by the current organisers.

The council also said it would “move forward to ensure Harrogate hosts safe, vibrant and attractive Christmas festivities this year”.

Live: Harrogate district traffic and travel

Good morning. It’s Connor with you on this cloudy Thursday morning. The roads have been a little quieter in the last few weeks but make sure to let me know if anything slows you down.

This blog, brought to you by the HACS Group, brings you live travel updates until 9am.

Were you stuck in a jam? Are there some new roadworks on your route? Let’s help everyone have a smoother journey by letting me know so I can add it to the blog.

Please give me a call on 01423 276197 or join our Facebook group ‘Harrogate district traffic and travel’ to give any updates.

9am – Full Update 

Thank you for getting involved this morning. We do have a system to keep an eye on the traffic but it cannot beat local reports. So do keep getting in touch. Leah will be back with you tomorrow from 6.30am. I am heading over to the news desk now.

Roads

The roads are looking quiet so far this morning but there are a few areas to look out for across the Harrogate district, mainly around construction works.

Our system is showing heavy traffic here:

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

Trains

Buses

8.30am – Full Update 

Roads

The roads are looking quiet so far this morning but there are a few areas to look out for across the Harrogate district, mainly around construction works.

Our system is showing heavy traffic here:

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

Trains

Buses

8am – Full Update 

Roads

The roads are looking quiet so far this morning but there are a few areas to look out for across the Harrogate district, mainly around construction works.

Our system is showing heavy traffic here:

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

Trains

Buses

7.30am – Full Update 

Roads

The roads are looking quiet so far this morning but there are a few areas to look out for across the Harrogate district, mainly around construction works.

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

Trains

Buses

7am – Full Update 

Roads

The roads are looking quiet so far this morning but there are a few areas to look out for across the Harrogate district, mainly around construction works.

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

Trains

Buses

6.30am – Full Update 

Roads

The roads are looking quiet so far this morning. Make sure to keep checking in as the morning goes on.

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

Trains

Buses