Harrogate and Ripon vaccine centres to close in August

The vaccination centres at the Great Yorkshire Showground in Harrogate and Ripon Races will close in August after clinical leaders decided they were no longer needed.

The two GP-led sites have administered more than 120,000 jabs so far. The Harrogate centre will close on August 13 and the Ripon site will close on August 31.

The pharmacy-led centres in Knaresborough and Pateley Bridge are set to play a larger role in the vaccine rollout as a result.

NHS England believes the pharmacy sites, along with regional vaccine hubs in Leeds and York, will provide more than enough capacity to administer vaccines after August.

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Dr Chris Preece, a GP partner at Church Lane Surgery in Boroughbridge and clinical director of the Knaresborough and Rural District Primary Care Network, said the vaccination programme in the Harrogate District had been “phenomenally successful”. He added:

“As the programme moves towards vaccinating younger and more mobile cohorts, we’re already seeing evidence that people are choosing to travel to one of the larger, regional vaccination hubs, rather than waiting to be contacted by their GP practice.

“We would like to place on record our extreme gratitude to the Yorkshire Events Centre and Ripon Racecouse for their support and the generous use of their facilities.”

Dr Ian Dilley, a GP partner at East Parade Surgery in Harrogate and clinical director of the Mowbray Square Primary Care Network added:

“With the huge number of people now vaccinated in the local area, we feel August is an appropriate end date.

“We need to be mindful of the other pressures that will be placed on doctors’ surgeries as we head towards autumn and winter, and the annual flu vaccine campaigns that GP practices need to provide.

“We also need to enable our kind hosts at the Yorkshire Events Centre and Ripon Racecourse to provide their own events as restrictions continue to be eased and more public events are permitted.”

The primary care networks will continue to run vaccination clinics from both the Harrogate and Ripon sites for the next three months,

Knaresborough vaccine site cancels all appointments for today’s clinic

The vaccination centre in Knaresborough cancelled all appointments for today’s clinic due to staff problems.

The site, run by Homecare Pharmacy Services at the former Lidl supermarket, needs to have a pharmacist present at all times to oversee injections.

But the pharmacist scheduled to attend today was unable able to make it so the clinic was cancelled.

Jason Baskind, managing director of Homecare Pharmacy Services, told the Stray Ferret:

“We did not have too many people signed up today but we did have to cancel the clinic today. Most people did get a notification but unfortunately some did not.

“The pharmacist was not able to attend so it cannot go ahead. As part of our contract we have to have a pharmacist on site.

“But we will be back tomorrow and for the rest of the week, including the weekend.”

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The vaccine centre reopened last weekend and administered 1,800 jabs after supply shortages forced it to close for almost a month.

The site, which is now able to give both the Pfizer-BioNTech and Oxford-AstraZeneca jabs, is set to re-open tomorrow for the rest of the week.

It aims to give an average of 1,000 jabs a day.

‘Victory for the people!’: Harrogate’s plastic grass removed this morning

Harrogate Borough Council has removed the plastic grass from planters on Cambridge Street after a huge backlash.

Workers have already taken out the fake turf as the council considers what to do next to brighten up the town centre. It said yesterday it hoped to have something vibrant in place by June.

Last night’s council apology prompted a big reaction on social media. Many praised the council for holding its hand up and admitting it had made a mistake while others called for it to collaborate more with people and groups to prevent a repeat.

Sarah Gibbs, an environmental campaigner who set up a petition calling for the removal of the fake grass, told the Stray Ferret:

“It’s a victory for the people. This change shows that people power really does work.

“I was really pleased when I saw the council’s second apology. This is a real one this this time because they are actually doing something about it.

“The petition still stands though. It also called for the council to work with schools, businesses and others to manage the planters.”

So far, in just under two days, her petition has attracted about 500 signatures.

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Shan Oakes, a spokesperson for the Green Party in Harrogate, said:

“It’s good that the council have apologised and accepted that they had done something wrong.

“I just hope the council will review its policy on biodiversity going forward, it needs to change its whole outlook.

“There should be a people’s assembly. If the council collaborated with people then this would have been avoided.”

Fake grass and planters

How it looked before the plastic grass was removed.

While many called over the last two weeks for the council to remove the astro turf, Extinction Rebellion Harrogate took direct action last week when it replaced the plastic grass with plants in one of the raised beds.

Jess Thompson, who took part in the protest, told the Stray Ferret;

“We are pleased with the council’s apology. It is a positive step but there is still a way to go.

“Biodiversity needs to be the priority, not aesthetics. I do not know how much would have been done if we did not take action.

“Hopefully the council will use this as an opportunity. Hopefully the people will also continue to hold those in power accountable.”

Parkrun tentatively scheduled to return to Harrogate and Knaresborough in two weeks

Parkrun could resume in Harrogate and Knaresborough in just over a fortnight’s time after an absence of more than a year.

Organisers hope to restart the weekly 5km run in the two towns on June 5.

The government’s roadmap out of lockdown has permitted parkrun since March. But obstacles have remained in the way of organisers, who still have to negotiate with whoever owns the land on which the runs take place.

Harrogate Borough Council has given parkrun permission to return on the Stray in Harrogate and Conyngham Hall in Knaresborough.

However, a spokesperson for the National Trust, which owns Fountains Abbey in Ripon told the Stray Ferret:

“We are still working closely with the organisers and volunteers at parkrun. We have no set date for a return yet.

“The National Trust is committed to working with parkrun. But we have to limit the numbers of people in our busiest areas.”

The Harrogate district appears to be in better position than much of the rest of the country. So far parkrun only has permission for 161 of its 589 locations.

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That low number means that the return of parkrun “hangs in the balance.” A spokesperson for Parkrun UK said:

“A combination of obstacles, including misunderstanding the government’s roadmap, reluctance, hesitation and unnecessary red tape threatens to delay the return of parkrun indefinitely.

“Parkrun UK must make a decision two weeks ahead of the planned return on whether restarting events on June 5 is viable.

“With all other sports returning, alongside the reopening of indoor dining and hospitality, further roadblocks to parkrun’s return feel unreasonable.”

‘We got it wrong’: Harrogate council agrees to remove plastic grass

Harrogate Borough Council has made a dramatic U-turn this evening and agreed to remove plastic grass from planters in the town centre.

The council’s decision to install the artificial grass sparked a fierce backlash, which saw protesters from Extinction Rebellion replace the turf with plants.

The council initially defended the £800 scheme, claiming it had received “lots of positive feedback” despite complaints it looked “cheap and tacky” and was damaging to the environment.

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It then said it had failed to communicate the move properly but now, after 400 people signed a petition in the last 24 hours calling for the fake grass to be removed, the council has issued a mea culpa.

It said in a statement posted on social media:

“We got things wrong with the artificial grass in the planters on Cambridge Street.

“The artificial grass was a last resort, and the decision to use it was made with the best intentions, but on reflection it was the wrong one.

“We will be removing the ‘grass’ and keeping the planters while we continue to find a better solution.

“We hope to have something installed by the end of June that provides a vibrant display of colour all year round.”

The statement added it considered using stone or bark instead of the plastic grass but ruled it out because “we felt it will most likely end up being used as an ashtray or thrown around”.

It added the saga had detracted from other initiatives, such as planting 5,500 wildflowers on the Stray and the upcoming white rose project, that will see thousands of trees planted.

Three years for running over police officer in Harrogate

A man has been sent to prison for three years and two months after he ran over a police officer in Harrogate.

Llewellyn Mitcham, 30, was sentenced today at York Crown Court after pleading guilty to dangerous driving.

On March 16, police spotted a car on Bewerley Road in Harrogate that they believed belonged to a drug dealer.

They followed the car into a car park and then left their police vehicle to speak to the suspects.

Mitcham, of Harold Place in Leeds, drove off as the officers approached and hit PC Lister, throwing him into the air.

As a result of the impact, PC Lister suffered a severe fracture to his knee, which he is still recovering from two months later.

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The court heard how Mitcham left the car park and was spotted speeding away before police brought his vehicle to a stop and arrested him.

Mitcham pleaded guilty to causing serious injury whilst dangerous driving, driving without insurance and driving whilst disqualified.

North Yorkshire Police Detective Constable, Kirsty Smith, said:

“PC Lister has served as a North Yorkshire police officer for a number of years and on the day of the incident was carrying out proactive work to prevent drug dealers from surrounding counties entering the Harrogate area and committing crime.

“During this line of duty he was seriously injured following Llewellyn Mitcham’s actions trying to evade arrest. Mitcham gave no regard for PC Lister’s welfare and made good his escape where he was finally apprehended some 20 miles away following a police pursuit.

“When you suffer an injury like this although we may be able to heal physically, the trauma stays with you. As police officers we know our job comes with risk but Mitcham’s actions and the long-lasting impact of these should not be underestimated, a fact which has been clearly reflected in the sentencing.”

Hundreds call on Harrogate council to remove plastic grass

Nearly 400 people have signed a petition calling on Harrogate Borough Council to remove plastic grass from planters in the town centre.

Sarah Gibbs, an environmental campaigner, set up the petition yesterday. It had 365 signatures at the time of publication.

The petition demands the council “prioritise biodiversity and remove the plastic grass”.

It also “requests that local businesses, schools and residents be invited for a community scheme to manage the planters”. It adds:

“Artificial grass holds no biodiversity net gains. Burrowing insects, such as solitary bees can’t get past the membrane, and worms beneath the soil are compromised and unreachable by consumers within each habitat community.

“This is likely to have a negative impact on local bird populations.

“We need more habitats, not more plastic.”

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The plastic grass has been widely condemned on aesthetic and environmental grounds.

In a statement today, the council said the planters that have been installed on top of the fame grass were temporary measures while it looked at a permanent solution.

It did not comment on the petition by the time of publication.

Last week it released a statement apologising for the lack of communication with residents.

It said:

“We haven’t explained this well and we are sorry about that. We concentrated too much on getting the trial in place and not enough time explaining the totality of what we were doing.”

Extinction Rebellion Harrogate removed the fake grass from one of the raised beds on Cambridge Street and replaced it with plants, which still remain.

The environmental group later handed the fake grass back to the council, which spent £800 on the scheme.

Sneak peek: First food hall opens in Harrogate next week

Harrogate’s first food hall will open its doors next week to serve up a range of cuisines under one roof.

Solita FoodHall Harrogate, on Parliament Street, has had its rooftop terrace open over the last month with a reduced menu.

Now it is ready to invite people indoors as restrictions ease. The food hall is set in a huge building over two floors. There is room for 80 covers inside with social distancing.

Watch the chefs cook your food.

But it will open fully next Monday with Rupert’s Coffee House, Rotisserie & Grill, Solita Wagyu Burger, Slice Me Nicely Pizza, Cure & Pour Wines and Solita Fish Bar.

As well as the six original stalls, all under the Shoot The Bull brand, Solita has welcomed other businesses on board and is in talks with even more.

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Huddersfield-based Kwas, which is promised to be another first for Harrogate as a natural wine shop, will open next week. It will stock more than 100 vegan, organic and eco-friendly wines.

An eco-farmer from Sheffield is also opening up a stall on the ground floor. Leaf and Shoot will sell house plants, flowers and pottery.

The double bacon cheese burger.

Shoot The Bull already has restaurants in Manchester, Hull, York, Beverley and Sheffield. The Harrogate branch has created around 30 jobs.

Chris Harrison, CEO of Shoot The Bull, told the Stray Ferret:

“I am so passionate about food and the whole team has so many different ideas. So I think when we saw this venue we saw it as a place to unleash all of those ideas under one roof.

“Our food hall is just a food experience, more of an emporium. We want people to come here as a family or with friends and everyone be able to get the food they want.

“It’s completely different and this is something Harrogate has not got. It’s a lovely, busy town. There are a lot of big players here so we think we will fit in here.”

There is plenty of room, even with social distancing.

Watch: Volunteers plant wild flowers on Harrogate’s Stray

Harrogate Borough Council is working with volunteers to plant more than 5,500 wild flower plugs on the Stray.

The flowers will be planted between the Empress and Prince of Wales roundabouts on the Stray.

Volunteers from the Bilton Conservation Group and the Rotary Club of Harrogate are helping to plant the bulbs over this weekend and next.

The council hopes that by September the flowers will be in full bloom.

Work starts on £500,000 business hub at former Harrogate council offices

Harrogate Borough Council is set to create a £500,000 digital business hub in its former offices at the convention centre.

The council has appointed York-based Lindum for the refurbishment of Springfield House. Work starts next Monday and is due to be complete by the start of October.

When the Harrogate Digital Incubator is finished, the building will provide flexible working spaces aimed at small businesses or individuals in the tech, digital and media industries.

It will also provide event and meeting spaces with a business support hub for advice on business plans, finances and more.

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The building has been set for renovation for a couple of years and work was due to start last year. However, when the convention centre became the Nightingale hospital the council put the project on hold.

Harrogate Borough Council vacated Springfield House in 2017 when it moved over to the civic centre at Knapping Mount. Since then the council has let it out to businesses.

Jonathan Sizer, managing director at Lindum, said:

“We are delighted to be working with Harrogate Borough Council to deliver this long-awaited project, which will bring empty office space on the third and fourth floors of Springfield House back into use.

“It will not only provide a modern work space, in the heart of the town centre, but a space where businesses can work individually or together to share knowledge.

“High quality, flexible and affordable office space is in desperately short supply and high demand. We are delighted to be working with Harrogate Borough Council to deliver this project.”

The Leeds City Region Local Enterprise Partnership is funding the project. Harrogate Borough Council believes it will bring in around £49,000 a year in rent.