Live: Harrogate district traffic and travel

Good morning everyone and welcome back. Traffic is getting busier on the district’s roads now so make sure to keep and eye on our morning blogs.

It’s Connor here with you bright and early this morning, please get in touch with me via social media or email me at contact@thestrayferret.co.uk.

This blog, brought to you by The HACS Group, brings you updates every 15 minutes on the road and rail links near you.

9am – Full Update

Roads

That’s all from me this morning. I will be back bright and early from 6.30am tomorrow to keep you moving. The roads are now becoming more busy in the Harrogate district this morning. There are some traffic hot spots to look out for:

Temporary traffic lights are in place:

Road closures in place here:

Trains

Buses

8.45am – Full Update

Roads

The roads are now becoming more busy in the Harrogate district this morning. There are some traffic hot spots to look out for:

Temporary traffic lights are in place:

Road closures in place here:

Trains

Buses

8.30am – Full Update

Roads

The roads are now becoming more busy in the Harrogate district this morning. There are some traffic hot spots to look out for:

Temporary traffic lights are in place:

Road closures in place here:

Trains

Buses

8.15am – Full Update

Roads

The roads are now becoming more busy in the Harrogate district this morning. There are some traffic hot spots to look out for:

Temporary traffic lights are in place:

Road closures in place here:

Trains

Buses

8am – Full Update

Roads

The roads are now becoming more busy in the Harrogate district this morning. There are some traffic hot spots to look out for:

Temporary traffic lights are in place:

Road closures in place here:

Trains

Buses

7.45am – Full Update

Roads

The roads are now becoming more busy in the Harrogate district this morning but there are no traffic hotspots to report just yet.

Temporary traffic lights are in place:

Road closures in place here:

Trains

Buses

7.30am – Full Update

Roads

The roads are now becoming more busy in the Harrogate district this morning but there are no traffic hotspots to report just yet.

Temporary traffic lights are in place:

Road closures in place here:

Trains

Buses

7.15am – Full Update

Roads

The roads look to be clear so far this morning. No traffic hotspots to report just yet.

Temporary traffic lights are in place:

Road closures in place here:

Trains

Buses

7am – Full Update

Roads

The roads look to be clear so far this morning. No traffic hotspots to report just yet.

Temporary traffic lights are in place:

Road closures in place here:

Trains

Buses

6.45am – Full Update

Roads

The roads look to be clear so far this morning. No traffic hotspots to report just yet.

Temporary traffic lights are in place:

Road closures in place here:

Trains

Buses

6.30am – Full Update

Roads

The roads look to be clear so far this morning. No traffic hotspots to report just yet.

Temporary traffic lights are in place:

Road closures in place here:

Trains

Buses

Trevor Chapman elected as Harrogate district mayor

Liberal Democrat councillor Trevor Chapman has tonight been virtually voted in as the new Harrogate district mayor.

He takes over from Conservative councillor Stuart Martin, who held the role since 2019 and served an extended term due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Speaking at a virtual annual meeting tonight, cllr Chapman said:

“Let’s hope we can return to some form of normality following events over the last year so that I can fulfil the role fully.

“I would like to express my sincere thanks to the outgoing mayor Stuart for not only carrying out his year of office but also standing in as caretaker during this unprecedented year.

“Stuart, you and April have carried out your duties in an exemplary manner for which I thank you very much.”

Cllr Chapman, who represents the Bilton Grange ward, was chosen to take on the role in March last year before the handover was cancelled because of the pandemic.

It has meant cllr Martin has stayed in the post for an extra 12 months during the same year that his wife, mayoress April Martin, became critically ill with covid.

Read more:

After tonight’s meeting, councillor Martin said in a statement:

“As my time as Harrogate district mayor comes to an end this evening, I’d like to say thank you to everyone for their help and support over the past two years.

“Both April and I have thoroughly enjoyed being mayor and mayoress, and we have met some truly incredible organisations and charities during that time.

“I am delighted to be able to pass on the chain of office to councillor Trevor Chapman, who I know will make an excellent mayor. It has been a great pleasure and I will leave with many happy memories of my two years in office.”

The role of the mayor is to chair full council meetings and represent the borough at ceremonies and events.

The mayor also raises money for charities and is required to put his or her political affiliations aside to be impartial.

Councillor Chapman has selected Supporting Older People, Citizens Advice and Friends of Harrogate Hospital as his chosen charities.

Christine Willoughby elected deputy mayor

Meanwhile, Liberal Democrat councillor Christine Willoughby, who represents Knaresborough Eastfield and served as mayor for the town, was also elected as deputy mayor for the Harrogate district at tonight’s meeting.

She takes over from Conservative councillor Zoe Metcalfe, who represents the Claro ward.

Conservative council leader Richard Cooper also announced at tonight’s meeting that no changes have been made to the cabinet, while a raft of committee chairs, vice-chairs and members were also voted in.

Harrogate vaccine centre gives 100,000th jab today

The vaccination centre at Harrogate’s Great Yorkshire Showground marked a major milestone today when it gave its 100,000th jab.

James Eaton, pictured above, had the honour of receiving the 100,000th inoculation.

Yorkshire Health Network, a federation of 17 GP surgeries in the Harrogate district, is delivering the vaccine programme.

The tally includes all first and second jabs at the Harrogate and Ripon sites, as well as vulnerable people who are housebound or homeless.

It does not include the pharmacy-led sites in Knaresborough and Pateley Bridge, which today told the Stray Ferret they have separately administered 15,000 and 400 vaccines respectively.

Today’s milestone is a major leap from when an 83-year-old woman called Anne was among the first to be vaccinated in Harrogate in late December.

Read more:

Dr Ian Dilley, a member of the Harrogate and rural coronavirus vaccination steering group, said:

“As we take a moment to celebrate this monumental achievement we would like to thank all those who have been involved, without whom this endeavour would not have been possible.

“That includes our resilient workforce of practice staff, our tireless volunteer marshals, the local organisations who have donated goodies, Transdev bus company and our kind hosts.

“A huge thank you to all involved”.

However, the progress of the vaccination programme in the Harrogate district may slow in the weeks ahead.

A letter seen by the Stray Ferret from the Humber, Coast and Vale Integrated Care System, which oversees the vaccine programme in the Harrogate district, revealed how those hoping for a first dose may have to wait until June.

The letter, which you can read more about here, was sent to senior health officials in the region as well as large scale vaccination sites and community pharmacies.

Exclusive: No more first vaccines in Harrogate district until June, leaked letter reveals

People hoping to receive a first dose of the coronavirus vaccine in the Harrogate district may have to wait until June, a letter leaked to the Stray Ferret has revealed.

The Harrogate district had made good progress with the vaccination programme. According to the latest NHS England figures, more than 95,000 jabs have been given.

But as the national rollout focuses on people aged just over 40, it seems the NHS has cut vaccine supply to the Humber, Coast and Vale Integrated Care System, which oversees the vaccine programme in the Harrogate district.

A letter signed by Amanda Bloor, accountable officer for North Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group, and Beverley Geary, chief nurse at Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, and leaked to the Stray Ferret, revealed the supply problem. The letter says:

“We were informed earlier this week that there would be no first dose vaccination supply for the ICS until June.

“The situation is still developing and there may be some Pfizer vaccine available earlier in May. This is a huge disappointment to everyone who has worked on the vaccination programme in the ICS.

“We know you will all be concerned about the impact of this national supply issue on your own ability to continue to deliver the programme, the impact on patients as well as the reputational risk.”

The letter, dated April 22, was sent to senior health officials in the region as well as large scale vaccination sites and community pharmacies.

It says Humber, Coast and Vale ICS is “extremely concerned about the proposed national campaign for the vaccination programme due to start next week”, when the focus is likely to be on over 40s.

“We have expressed our surprise at such a disjointed approach at the national level and the impact that this will have on local areas managing patient expectations.”

Read more:

The pharmacy-run vaccination centres in Knaresborough and Pateley Bridge have not held a vaccine clinic since April 17 and because of supply problems do not have a date for the next one.

Since it opened at the beginning of the month, the Pateley Bridge centre has only been able to give 400 coronavirus jabs.

Samin Khan, who runs Pateley Bridge Pharmacy, told the Stray Ferret:

“We have only managed to hand out 400 vaccines since opening because we have not been given any coronavirus vaccines.

“Other places are getting a supply. The NHS is sending people out to York and Leeds when they want to get a jab in their local area.

“It seems like because the Harrogate district has done so well with the coronavirus vaccines that we have been penalised.”

Ms Bloor told a North Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum press briefing today that first dose supply was “getting low.” She added:

“I think it is fair to say that throughout the vaccination programme there have been peaks and troughs in vaccine supply.

“It is a bit lumpy, some weeks we get more and some weeks we get less. At the moment, we are getting slightly less in terms of first doses than we have been previously.

“But, actually, what that means is we can really focus on getting people through for second doses because we have got that guaranteed second dose supply.

“We are also assured that we will still be on track to deliver first doses to all of those aged over 18 by July 31 in line with the government guidance.”

Harrogate council to review staff payouts after spending more than £600,000

Harrogate Borough Council will review how it agrees staff payout packages which have cost taxpayers around £632,000 over the past two years.

That is according to a report from independent auditors Mazars. The company has recommended a rethink on how payments including redundancy cash and compensation for loss of office are agreed for departing members of staff.

It comes after figures published in the council’s annual statement of accounts showed £354,000 was paid out to 19 former employees in 2019/2020 – an increase from the previous financial year when £278,000 was agreed for 15 staff.

Mazars has warned the current process, which sees payments signed off by a monitoring officer, risks a lack of balance between “inappropriate expenditure” and “allowing ineffective employment relationships to continue”.

The report said any staff payout packages should require a final approval from elected councillors before they are made:

“We encourage members to consider updating their risk management arrangements for employee settlement agreements to ensure that, for each case, members also approve payments after satisfying themselves that there is a clear rationale and payments comply with legislation, costs are minimised and available options have been considered.”

Read more:

In response, the council said in the report that it would carry out a review even though the current process already ensured there is a “clear rationale” for the payments which are “properly authorised”:

“Although the number of such cases has been small, and flexibility is sometimes needed to deal with them in a timely manner, the council will review its processes in order to ensure member involvement in future decisions.”

The statement of accounts shows one member of staff received a £62,000 exit package in 2019/2020, although it is not known what job title they had or how much they were earning before they left their role.

The only member of staff who was named in the document was former director of community Paul Campbell who left suddenly last year and was paid £55,065 in compensation for loss of office.

Mr Campbell had an annual salary of £89,727 and oversaw a range of council services including emergency planning, housing, parks, waste and health and safety.

He has not been replaced since leaving 13 months ago and his responsibilities are being shared by other directors, the council previously said.

Nearby in York, the city council has been forced on the defensive after a report from Mazars said a £117,000 redundancy settlement to ex-chief executive Mary Weastell was paid unnecessarily.

The report suggests the authority wanted to avoid defending a tribunal claim which Ms Weastell dropped after the payout was agreed.

Mazars said the council paid out £24,884 in redundancy and a £65,779 ex-gratia payment, effectively a gift, neither of which were required.

The city council has defended the payments saying they were contractual obligations.

In numbers: Harrogate Borough Council

Exit packages agreed for departing staff between April 2019 and March 2020 – 19 (at a cost of £354,000)

Exit packages agreed for departing staff between April 2018 and March 2019 – 15 (at a cost of £278,000)

Number of exit packages totalling less than £20,000 – 20

Average cost of exit package for single employee in 2019/20 – £18,632

Average cost of exit package for single employee in 2018/19 – £18,533

These figures include compulsory and voluntary redundancy costs, associated pension costs and payments in lieu of notice.

In a statement, a council spokesperson said:

“The council’s constitution currently provides for delegated approval by the monitoring officer for settlement agreements.

“Although the number of cases are relatively small, we will review the process in line with the audit recommendation.”

Live: Harrogate district traffic and travel

Good morning everyone and welcome back. Traffic is getting busier on the district’s roads now so make sure to keep and eye on our morning blogs.

It’s Connor here with you bright and early this morning, please get in touch with me via social media or email me at contact@thestrayferret.co.uk.

This blog, brought to you by The HACS Group, brings you updates every 15 minutes on the road and rail links near you.

9am – Full Update

That’s all from me this morning. The roads are definitely much more busy than they were a few weeks ago. So stay on top of the delays by following this live blog and help keep us updated by sending any news to contact@thestrayferret.co.uk.

Roads

The roads are becoming quite busy this morning with traffic hot spots on these roads across the Harrogate district:

Temporary traffic lights are in place:

Road closures in place here:

Trains

Buses

8.45am – Full Update

Roads

The roads are becoming quite busy this morning with traffic hot spots on these roads across the Harrogate district:

Temporary traffic lights are in place:

Road closures in place here:

Trains

Buses

8.30am – Full Update

Roads

The roads are becoming quite busy this morning with traffic hot spots on these roads across the Harrogate district:

Temporary traffic lights are in place:

Road closures in place here:

Trains

Buses

8.15am – Full Update

Roads

The roads are becoming quite busy this morning with traffic hot spots on these roads across the Harrogate district:

Temporary traffic lights are in place:

Road closures in place here:

Trains

Buses

8am – Full Update

Roads

The roads are becoming quite busy this morning with traffic hot spots on these roads across the Harrogate district:

Temporary traffic lights are in place:

Road closures in place here:

Trains

Buses

7.45am – Full Update

Roads

The roads look to be clear so far this morning. No traffic hotspots to report just yet.

Temporary traffic lights are in place:

Road closures in place here:

Trains

Buses

7.30am – Full Update

Roads

The roads look to be clear so far this morning. No traffic hotspots to report just yet.

Temporary traffic lights are in place:

Road closures in place here:

Trains

Buses

7.15am – Full Update

Roads

The roads look to be clear so far this morning. No traffic hotspots to report just yet.

Temporary traffic lights are in place:

Road closures in place here:

Trains

Buses

7am – Full Update

Roads

The roads look to be clear so far this morning. No traffic hotspots to report just yet.

Temporary traffic lights are in place:

Road closures in place here:

Trains

Buses

6.45am – Full Update

Roads

The roads look to be clear so far this morning. No traffic hotspots to report just yet.

Temporary traffic lights are in place:

Road closures in place here:

Trains

Buses

6.30am – Full Update

Roads

The roads look to be clear so far this morning. No traffic hotspots to report just yet.

Temporary traffic lights are in place:

Trains

Buses

Otley Road cycle lane: work to start in next ‘two to three months’

Work will not begin on the new Otley Road cycle lane in Harrogate for at least another two or three months.

Cyclists who use the busy road have already waited a long time for the scheme. A total of £3.2 million funding was set aside in 2018.

The final remaining barrier, after delays caused by coronavirus and negotiations over Stray land, is the ongoing utility works.

An 11-week programme of works by Northern Powergrid is due to finish on May 17. But there will be some other smaller works taking place then.

Once all utility works are complete North Yorkshire County Council has said it can start the cycle route. The local authority will also make improvements to the junction with Harlow Moor Road.

Read more:

Cllr Don Mackenzie, executive member for access at North Yorkshire County Council, told the Stray Ferret:

“We are planning to start work on the Otley Road cycle route in the next two to three months.

“The main set of works has been those by Northern Powergrid. They should be finished soon and there will be some more minor works after that.

“Once all of those utility works are out of the way then we can start work.”

Melisa Burnham, the highways area manager at the county council, added:

“A number of utility works are required to facilitate both the junction works and the cycle route. All necessary parties have been identified and programmes are planned in.

“If there are any further changes, we will provide an update on our web page. Affected residents will also be notified by advanced notification boards on site.”

WATCH: Harrogate blooms with cherry blossoms on the Stray

Harrogate’s cherry blossoms on the Stray have come out in full force in a sign of brighter times to come.

Lots of people were out enjoying the vibrant colours of the trees and the warm spring sun today.

The blossoms started to emerge over the weekend and are now close to full bloom.

Watch our video above to experience the cherry blossoms on the Stray. Have you been to see them yet? Send in your pictures to contact@thestrayferret.co.uk.

Harrogate hospital covid patient finally feels the sun

This is the moment when a coronavirus patient at Harrogate District Hospital was finally able to enjoy the sun after nearly four months in intensive care.

After much planning and collaboration, the intensive care unit team took the patient to the hospital’s friends’ garden.

The patient, who asked to remain anonymous, was admitted with coronavirus early in January.

Although she still needed the aid of oxygen tanks for last week’s first trip outside, the fresh air boosted her recovery.

Dr Sarah Marsh, who is a consultant in anaesthesia and intensive care, said:

“Thankfully they are now at a stage where we are able to safely take them out of the intensive care environment.

“The patient very much enjoyed the visit to the garden to feel the sun on their face, hear the birds, smell the flowers and to look at the sky.

“It also really gave the patient a huge boost and new determination to strive for home.

“She still has a long road ahead in terms of recovery and rehabilitation, but acts like this make such a positive difference in terms of outlook.”

Read more:

The NHS has well-established rehabilitation methods but coronavirus has forced doctors and nurses to rethink their methods.

Harrogate District Hospital has said starting rehabilitation early and trips out to the garden are both part of its arsenal for treating coronavirus.

Vera Davison, physiotherapy team leader, said:

“Being able to take this lady outside has been wonderful. It is helping to motivate her and her family too; they can see progress being made.

“Rehabilitation is hard work and slow progress, so any positive steps towards normality are welcomed.

“It’s really heartening to see people getting better while in hospital and also after they’ve gone home. This really helps us to appreciate that our efforts are really worth it.”

The plot thickens! Passerby saw artist paint ‘Banksy’ in Scotton

As speculation mounts over a “Banksy” mural in Scotton, a passerby has claimed she saw the artist in the act.

The owners of the historic Guy Fawkes Arms found the piece on the pub’s wall earlier this week and are currently trying to find out whether it is a genuine work by the notorious street artist.

Guy Fawkes lived in Scotton. The mural, which bears a Banksy signature, shows Guy dropping covid passports into a burning Houses of Parliament.

Danielle and Adam Vear, who own the pub, were shocked to discover the design at around 3.30pm on Wednesday.

Read more:

While the Vears await news from the Pest Control website, which was set up to verify Banksy pieces, a witness has come forward.

Lucy Anne Morgan happened to be passing the pub on Wednesday and told the Stray Ferret:

“I was driving past the pub at around 3.30pm. I saw two men. One guy was finishing off the spray job and another, who was wearing a red hoodie, had a camera.

“They definitely looked a bit suspicious. I don’t know if Banksy would paint it in the middle of the day with a witness but it could be.”