Harrogate Civic Society calls for Station Gateway to remain two lanes

Harrogate Civic Society said today that plans to reduce traffic to one lane on the town’s Station Parade could be detrimental without a clear traffic plan for the rest of town.

The society, which campaigns to protect the town’s character, issued its comments as part of the consultation into the proposed £7.9 million Station Gateway proposals.

Concerns over traffic, which the highways boss at North Yorkshire County Council seems to share, is one of the key aspects of the consultation, which closes on Wednesday.

The society’s planning and development sub-group says it has a ‘strong preference’ for the two-lane option on the £7.9 million Station Gateway Project.

Read more:

The society also called for a study on the impact of making West Park and Parliament Street two-way, something it said would mitigate for the problems created by changes on Station Parade.

Its response said:

“There is a problem with making comments on these specific options when there is no indication of these being part of a longer-term, integrated traffic policy for the wider area.

“As with previous proposals there is the very real possibility that, without a clear traffic policy for the whole of the town, these changes will in the future be seen as having been unnecessary or detrimental.

“The society would like to see a study of the impact of re-opening West Park and Parliament Street to two-way traffic. This could relieve many of the problems that have been identified as the reasons for these present proposals.”

The society also said the re-location of taxis away from Station Parade would be ‘seriously detrimental’. Taxis, it says, ideally should be accommodated in the station forecourt. The response says:

“Taxis need to be immediately available for those arriving at the station and bus station; they cannot sensibly be re-located to James Street.”

Ambitious bid to reinstate Harrogate – Ripon – Northallerton trainline

Plans to reinstate a trainline Harrogate, Ripon and Northallerton are once again back on the table.

Dr Beeching axed the line in the late 1960s but it is a candidate in the government’s new ‘Restoring Your Railway Fund.’ The Department for Transport (DfT) launched the fund in January.

Harrogate – Ripon – Northallerton is one of 195 bids. So far 25 have been successful. It means that those projects will be given money towards feasability studies.

The government announced on Friday that it will deliver on the first Restoring Your Railways scheme in Devon.

If the plans went ahead it could be one of the biggest ever investments in the Harrogate district. Some expert estimates put the potential cost as high as £500 million.

This is not the first time that these proposals have cropped up and it may prove to be problematic. Homes have been built on some parts of the track and on Ripon’s former train station.

Former Ripon mayor Dr Adrian Morgan is a keen supporter of the plans. He has been fighting for reinstatement for the last 34 years and told the Stray Ferret:

“I will keep slogging away at this but it probably will not happen in my lifetime. Back in 2006 it would have cost up to £46 million but that price has gone up since then.

“Now it costs around £20 million per mile of track so we are looking at around £500 million to reinstate the Harrogate – Ripon – Northallerton line.

“This might sound like a lot but when you start rebuilding bridges, embankments and laying track the cost soon adds up.”

Read more:

The project has broad support from North Yorkshire County Council, Ripon City Council and Kevin Hollinrake MP.

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

“There has been a campaign to restore the Harrogate – Ripon – Northallerton line for many years, we would be supportive of that.

“It would not be a small job. It is a medium to long term project so it would take between five and 30 years.

“Any move to take traffic off of the busy roads would be good news. But we do need realistic, it would take a lot of work.”

Cllr Andrew Williams, leader of Ripon City Council, told the Stray Ferret how this line could be good news for Ripon in particular:

“This certainly has the broad support of the city council. It would be economically beneficial.

“The lack of a train line was cited as the main reason why Ripon lost the teacher training college in the 1990s.

“It would be also very important as a way to bring more tourists in the city. I say broad support because it would be unfair if it impacted those who had homes on the line.”

Kevin Hollinrake, the MP for Thirsk and Malton, also said:

“I am very supportive of the bid to re-open the Leeds to Northallerton Railway Line, a section of which would run through my constituency of Thirsk and Malton.

“Local transport connections are key to boosting regional economic activity by attracting new business and creating new jobs in the region.

“It would make the journey from Leeds to Northallerton 13 miles shorter and could also provide an emergency diversion between York and Northallerton.”

Ripon firm fined nearly £50k after worker suffered burns

A Ripon-based construction firm has been fined nearly £50,000 after one of its worker suffered multiple burns.

Walden Builders Ltd was in the process of demolishing an outbuilding on September 18, 2018 when an excavator struck a wall containing a 415v cable.

The contact with the digger caused it to arc and a fire soon broke out. Workers then used a sheet of tin to try and contain the blaze.

However the tin soon heated up and dropped onto one of the workers, causing burns to their scalp, arm and hands.

Read more:

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigated and found that the company failed to act on a quote from Northern Power Grid to terminate supply to the building.

Leeds Magistrates Court last week fined Walden Builders Ltd £42,000 and ordered the company to pay £4,707 in costs.

HSE inspector Paul Thompson said after the hearing:

“The company should have ensured that there was no live power to the building prior to the start of demolition work.

“The company had failed to prepare a written plan for the demolition of the building or any site-specific risk assessments.

“This incident could so easily have been avoided by simply carrying out correct control measures and safe working practices.”

Live: Harrogate district traffic and travel

Good morning and welcome to Friday and our live updates on traffic and travel for the Harrogate district.

Whether you travel by car, bus or train we will keep an eye out for any possible disruption to your journey. All brought to you by The HACS Group.

It’s Connor again back on the travel desk from 6.30am. Spotted an accident or a road closure? Send your updates to contact@thestrayferret.co.uk.

If traffic is moving well or it’s at a standstill then we will let you know with our updates every 15 minutes.

9am – Full Update 

Thanks for checking out the traffic and travel blog today. Do get in touch if you have any updates for us. I am heading to the newsdesk now so have a good weekend and Suzannah will be back from 6.30am on Monday.

Roads

Traffic hotspots where congestion is busy:

Traffic is building on these roads:

Be aware of a continuing road closure on Dishforth Road, near Ripon, going both ways from New Road to Strait Lane.

Temporary traffic lights in place:

There are also continuing road closures in the Old Barber and Franklin Road areas of Harrogate.

Trains

Buses

8.45am – Full Update 

Roads

Traffic hotspots where congestion is busy:

Traffic is building on these roads:

Be aware of a continuing road closure on Dishforth Road, near Ripon, going both ways from New Road to Strait Lane.

Temporary traffic lights in place:

There are also continuing road closures in the Old Barber and Franklin Road areas of Harrogate.

Trains

Buses

8.30am – Full Update 

Roads

Traffic hotspots where congestion is busy:

Traffic is building on these roads:

Be aware of a continuing road closure on Dishforth Road, near Ripon, going both ways from New Road to Strait Lane.

Temporary traffic lights in place:

There are also continuing road closures in the Old Barber and Franklin Road areas of Harrogate.

Trains

Buses

8.15am – Full Update 

Roads

Traffic is building on these roads:

Be aware of a continuing road closure on Dishforth Road, near Ripon, going both ways from New Road to Strait Lane.

Temporary traffic lights in place:

There are also continuing road closures in the Old Barber and Franklin Road areas of Harrogate.

Trains

Buses

8am – Full Update 

Roads

Traffic is building on these roads:

Be aware of a continuing road closure on Dishforth Road, near Ripon, going both ways from New Road to Strait Lane.

Temporary traffic lights in place:

There are also continuing road closures in the Old Barber and Franklin Road areas of Harrogate.

Trains

Buses

7.45am – Full Update 

Roads

Traffic is building on these roads:

Be aware of a continuing road closure on Dishforth Road, near Ripon, going both ways from New Road to Strait Lane.

Temporary traffic lights in place:

There are also continuing road closures in the Old Barber and Franklin Road areas of Harrogate.

Trains

Buses

7.30am – Full Update 

Roads

Traffic is building on these roads:

Be aware of a continuing road closure on Dishforth Road, near Ripon, going both ways from New Road to Strait Lane.

Temporary traffic lights in place:

There are also continuing road closures in the Old Barber and Franklin Road areas of Harrogate.

Trains

Buses

7.15am – Full Update 

Roads

Traffic is building on these roads:

Be aware of a continuing road closure on Dishforth Road, near Ripon, going both ways from New Road to Strait Lane.

Temporary traffic lights in place:

There are also continuing road closures in the Old Barber and Franklin Road areas of Harrogate.

Trains

Buses

7am – Full Update 

Roads

Be aware of a continuing road closure on Dishforth Road, near Ripon, going both ways from New Road to Strait Lane.

Temporary traffic lights in place:

There are also continuing road closures in the Old Barber and Franklin Road areas of Harrogate.

Trains

Buses

6.45am – Full Update 

Roads

Be aware of a continuing road closure on Dishforth Road, near Ripon, going both ways from New Road to Strait Lane.

Temporary traffic lights in place:

There are also continuing road closures in the Old Barber and Franklin Road areas of Harrogate.

Trains

Buses

6.30am – Full Update 

Roads

Be aware of a continuing road closure on Dishforth Road, near Ripon, going both ways from New Road to Strait Lane.

Temporary traffic lights in place:

There are also continuing road closures in the Old Barber and Franklin Road areas of Harrogate.

Trains

Buses

Bettys to start reopening from end of the month

Bettys is to start reopening its branches from the end of the month.

The famous Harrogate-based company will re-open its tea house in RHS Harlow Carr for takeaway food and drinks from March 29.

Bettys shops will then open to visitors on April 12, which is the earliest that non-essential shops can re-open under the government’s road map.

All Bettys cafes will then re-open on May 17, except for the Stonegate branch in York, which the company has said is too small for social distancing.

As part of the reopening, Bettys is now accepting bookings for afternoon tea in the Imperial Room in Harrogate and the Belmont Room in York from May 17.

Read more:

However, Bettys has warned the dates may change subject to the government’s lockdown rules and road map.

Bettys closed its branches completely in January.

Simon Eyles, Bettys managing director, said at the time:

“Given the severity of the coronavirus pandemic that we are currently witnessing, Bettys has decided to close its Yorkshire branches completely. This means our café tea rooms and now our shops too will be shut until further notice.”

Live: Harrogate district traffic and travel

Good morning and welcome back to our live updates on traffic and travel for the Harrogate district.

Whether you travel by car, bus or train we will keep an eye out for any possible disruption to your journey. All brought to you by The HACS Group.

It’s Connor again back on the travel desk from 6.30am. Spotted an accident or a road closure? Send your updates to contact@thestrayferret.co.uk.

If traffic is moving well or it’s at a standstill then we will let you know with our updates every 15 minutes.

9am – Full Update 

That’s all from me today on the traffic and travel. We hope you find this service useful. I am heading over to the news desk now but I will be back again bright and early at 6.30am.

Roads

Traffic is building on these roads:

Be aware of a continuing road closure on Dishforth Road, near Ripon, going both ways from New Road to Strait Lane.

Temporary traffic lights in place:

There are also continuing road closures in the Old Barber and Franklin Road areas of Harrogate.

Trains

Buses

8.45am – Full Update 

Roads

Traffic is building on these roads:

Be aware of a continuing road closure on Dishforth Road, near Ripon, going both ways from New Road to Strait Lane.

Temporary traffic lights in place:

There are also continuing road closures in the Old Barber and Franklin Road areas of Harrogate.

Trains

Buses

8.30am – Full Update 

Roads

Traffic is building on these roads:

Be aware of a continuing road closure on Dishforth Road, near Ripon, going both ways from New Road to Strait Lane.

Temporary traffic lights in place:

There are also continuing road closures in the Old Barber and Franklin Road areas of Harrogate.

Trains

Buses

8.15am – Full Update 

Roads

Traffic is building on these roads:

Be aware of a continuing road closure on Dishforth Road, near Ripon, going both ways from New Road to Strait Lane.

Temporary traffic lights in place:

There are also continuing road closures in the Old Barber and Franklin Road areas of Harrogate.

Trains

Buses

8am – Full Update 

Roads

Traffic is building on these roads:

Be aware of a continuing road closure on Dishforth Road, near Ripon, going both ways from New Road to Strait Lane.

Temporary traffic lights in place:

There are also continuing road closures in the Old Barber and Franklin Road areas of Harrogate.

Trains

Buses

7.45am – Full Update 

Roads

Traffic is building on these roads:

Be aware of a continuing road closure on Dishforth Road, near Ripon, going both ways from New Road to Strait Lane.

Temporary traffic lights in place:

There are also continuing road closures in the Old Barber and Franklin Road areas of Harrogate.

Trains

Buses

7.30am – Full Update 

Roads

Traffic is building on these roads:

Be aware of a continuing road closure on Dishforth Road, near Ripon, going both ways from New Road to Strait Lane.

Temporary traffic lights in place:

There are also continuing road closures in the Old Barber and Franklin Road areas of Harrogate.

Trains

Buses

7.15am – Full Update 

Roads

Traffic is building on these roads:

Be aware of a continuing road closure on Dishforth Road, near Ripon, going both ways from New Road to Strait Lane.

Temporary traffic lights in place:

There are also continuing road closures in the Old Barber and Franklin Road areas of Harrogate.

Trains

Buses

7am – Full Update 

Roads

Traffic is building on these roads:

Be aware of a continuing road closure on Dishforth Road, near Ripon, going both ways from New Road to Strait Lane.

Temporary traffic lights in place:

There are also continuing road closures in the Old Barber and Franklin Road areas of Harrogate.

Trains

Buses

6.45am – Full Update 

Roads

Be aware of a continuing road closure on Dishforth Road, near Ripon, going both ways from New Road to Strait Lane.

Temporary traffic lights in place:

There are also continuing road closures in the Old Barber and Franklin Road areas of Harrogate.

Trains

Buses

6.30am – Full Update 

Roads

Be aware of a continuing road closure on Dishforth Road, near Ripon, going both ways from New Road to Strait Lane.

Temporary traffic lights in place:

There are also continuing road closures in the Old Barber and Franklin Road areas of Harrogate.

Trains

Buses

Artisan market heading to Harrogate this summer

A Harrogate church in the Duchy area is set to welcome a monthly artisan market from summer until December.

The Little Bird Artisan Market will sell locally produced arts and crafts, ceramics, jewellery, clothing, flowers, food and drink.

St Wilfrid’s Church on Duchy Road will host the first outdoor market on Saturday, June 19 between 10am and 3pm.

The outdoor market will then be at the church every month until December 18.

Read more:

Organisers hope lockdown easing measures permit the market to go ahead as planned.

The team has already launched artisan markets in Boroughbridge, Ripon, Pateley Bridge, Wetherby and Easingwold.

St Wilfrid’s Church will host the market.

Jackie Crozier, from Little Bird Artisan Market, said:

“This will be my first artisan market in Harrogate and I’m really looking forward to welcoming an exciting range of different local stallholders, who’ll be showcasing their fantastic local produce.

“It has been a difficult year for small businesses and so to start a new market and get people out shopping again benefits everyone.

“We hope that visitors to the market will also wander into Harrogate and enjoy a day out. I really hope the community will get behind this and come and meet the makers.”

Each month the market will also offer a free space for local charities and community groups. Interested parties should send an email here.

The market will be at St Wilfrid’s Church on June 19, July 17, August 14, September 18, October 16, November 20 and December 18.

Live: Harrogate district traffic and travel

Good morning and welcome back to our live updates on traffic and travel for the Harrogate district.

Whether you travel by car, bus or train we will keep an eye out for any possible disruption to your journey. All brought to you by The HACS Group.

It’s Connor again back on the travel desk from 6.30am. Spotted an accident or a road closure? Send your updates to contact@thestrayferret.co.uk.

If traffic is moving well or it’s at a standstill then we will let you know with our updates every 15 minutes.

9am – Full Update 

That is all from me this morning. Thanks again for checking out of traffic and travel blog. Do get involved if you have any updates we may have missed – it helps others to avoid problems. I am heading over to the news desk now but will be back from 6.30am tomorrow.

Roads

Traffic hotspots:

Traffic building in the area:

Be aware of a continuing road closure on Dishforth Road, near Ripon, going both ways from New Road to Strait Lane.

Temporary traffic lights in place:

There are also continuing road closures in the Old Barber and Franklin Road areas of Harrogate for carriageway repairs.

Trains

Buses

8.45am – Full Update 

Roads

Traffic hotspots:

Traffic building in the area:

Be aware of a continuing road closure on Dishforth Road, near Ripon, going both ways from New Road to Strait Lane.

Temporary traffic lights in place:

There are also continuing road closures in the Old Barber and Franklin Road areas of Harrogate for carriageway repairs.

Trains

Buses

8.30am – Full Update 

Roads

Traffic hotspots:

Traffic building in the area:

Be aware of a continuing road closure on Dishforth Road, near Ripon, going both ways from New Road to Strait Lane.

Temporary traffic lights in place:

There are also continuing road closures in the Old Barber and Franklin Road areas of Harrogate for carriageway repairs.

Trains

Buses

8.15am – Full Update 

Roads

Traffic hotspots:

Traffic building in the area:

Be aware of a continuing road closure on Dishforth Road, near Ripon, going both ways from New Road to Strait Lane.

Temporary traffic lights in place:

There are also continuing road closures in the Old Barber and Franklin Road areas of Harrogate for carriageway repairs.

Trains

Buses

8am – Full Update 

Roads

Traffic hotspots:

Traffic building in the area:

Be aware of a continuing road closure on Dishforth Road, near Ripon, going both ways from New Road to Strait Lane.

Temporary traffic lights in place:

There are also continuing road closures in the Old Barber and Franklin Road areas of Harrogate for carriageway repairs.

Trains

Buses

7.45am – Full Update 

Roads

Traffic is building in these areas:

Be aware of a continuing road closure on Dishforth Road, near Ripon, going both ways from New Road to Strait Lane.

Temporary traffic lights in place:

There are also continuing road closures in the Old Barber and Franklin Road areas of Harrogate for carriageway repairs.

Trains

Buses

7.30am – Full Update 

Roads

Traffic is building in these areas:

Be aware of a continuing road closure on Dishforth Road, near Ripon, going both ways from New Road to Strait Lane.

Temporary traffic lights in place:

There are also continuing road closures in the Old Barber and Franklin Road areas of Harrogate for carriageway repairs.

Trains

Buses

7.15am – Full Update 

Roads

Traffic is building in these areas:

Be aware of a continuing road closure on Dishforth Road, near Ripon, going both ways from New Road to Strait Lane.

Temporary traffic lights in place:

There are also continuing road closures in the Old Barber and Franklin Road areas of Harrogate for carriageway repairs.

Trains

Buses

7am – Full Update 

Roads

Be aware of a continuing road closure on Dishforth Road, near Ripon, going both ways from New Road to Strait Lane.

Temporary traffic lights in place:

There are also continuing road closures in the Old Barber and Franklin Road areas of Harrogate.

Trains

Buses

6.45am – Full Update 

Roads

The roads look clear so far this morning but there are some areas likely to cause delays later on.

Be aware of a continuing road closure on Dishforth Road, near Ripon, going both ways from New Road to Strait Lane.

Temporary traffic lights in place:

There are also continuing road closures in the Old Barber and Franklin Road areas of Harrogate.

Trains

Buses

6.30am – Full Update 

Roads

The roads look clear so far this morning but there are some areas likely to cause delays later on.

Be aware of a continuing road closure on Dishforth Road, near Ripon, going both ways from New Road to Strait Lane.

Temporary traffic lights in place:

There are also continuing road closures in the Old Barber and Franklin Road areas of Harrogate.

Trains

Buses

TGI Fridays applies to open venue in Harrogate

TGI Fridays is planning to open its first Harrogate venue in the former Ask Italian restaurant on Albert Street.

The American restaurant chain has submitted plans to Harrogate Borough Council to operate on the site.

The licensing application includes films, live music, recorded music, late night refreshment and the supply of alcohol for consumption on and off the premises from 9am to 0030am Monday to Sunday.

TGI Fridays UK was tight-lipped about the initiative when approached by the Stray Ferret.

But there could be a twist on the usual TGI restaurant offering.

The company has launched a new cocktail-led bar and restaurant venture called 63rd+1st, which is named after the location of the original restaurant in Manhattan.

Read more:

The company has promised that it will be a “vibrant meeting place” and that it will have the feel of a New York loft in the 1960s.

When the new brand was announced last year, Robert Cook, chief executive of Fridays and 63rd+1st, said in a statement that “audiences are becoming increasingly discerning and their attitudes towards food and drink are evolving”. He added:

“We are in a strong position to cater to this audience and, as a result, we are securing other sought-after sites in prime locations.”

The first 63rd+1st was set to open in Cobham, Surrey in January but the coronavirus lockdown put a stop to those plans.

It’s unclear how many UK venues will accommodate the new TGI Fridays brand, or whether they include Harrogate.

Investigation: ‘Shocking’ waits for NHS dentists in Harrogate district

An investigation by the Stray Ferret has found that just two NHS dentists in the Harrogate district are accepting new patients — and both have a waiting time of at least two-and-a-half years.

Our investigation reveals how acute the problem of dental care is for people on low incomes in the district.

John Ennis, who chairs North Yorkshire County Council‘s scrutiny of health committee, described our findings as “shocking”.

We looked into the availability of free NHS services at the 18 Harrogate district dental practices listed on the NHS website.

Many have not updated their information for years. But they all fall into one or three categories: they have a long waiting list; they have such a long waiting list that they are not taking on new patients; or they no longer hold an NHS contract.

We found of the 18 only MyDentist in Knaresborough and AW Jones Dental Practice in Boroughbridge are taking patients — with wait times of two and a half years and three years respectively.

Read more:

The situation looks like it will get worse: Chatsworth House Dental Centre, one of the few dentists in the area providing NHS services, is proposing to close and move its NHS patients to a dental practice in Starbeck. Chatsworth House has not yet made a formal approach to the NHS but it has revealed its plans in letters to patients.

John Ennis, a Conservative councillor who represents Harrogate Stray on North Yorkshire County Council, and chair’s the council’s scrutiny of health committee, told the Stray Ferret that Harrogate and Knaresborough are some of the worst affected areas in the county. He added:

“I have been on the scrutiny of health committee for the last seven years and it has been an issue bubbling along for all of that time.

“Coronavirus has made the issue worse. Between June and December last year the NHS only expected dentists to carry out 20% of their usual appointments.

“That should increase to 45% soon but that is still too low. Dentists do have to clean between patients, given the nature of their work, so that has created delays.

“Harrogate and Knaresborough has a particular problem. While I am not entirely surprised by your findings, I do think that those delays are shocking.

“We have just started to investigate the provision of NHS dentists in North Yorkshire. I am currently trying to gather as much information as I can.

“I will then prepare a report and share my findings at the next committee meeting in June.”

Cllr Ennis added the county council only has power to scrutinise when a practice proposes a closure. He suggested the committee would have greater powers if the proposed reorganisation of the NHS devolved decisions on NHS dentistry to a more local level.

National bodies raise concerns about NHS dentists

The provision of NHS dentists has been a contentious local and national issue for some time.

Healthwatch England, the national watchdog, has said the coronavirus pandemic has stretched services to crisis point and even forced some patients to attempt their own treatments.

Healthwatch England and the British Dental Association (BDA) have both recently published damning reports into NHS dentistry.

The BDA found in October that NHS dentist treatments were at a quarter of the level prior to the coronavirus pandemic. It also found that dentists face an uphill struggle to catch up because they missed more than 14 million appointments in 2020 than the previous year.

A Healthwatch England survey of 1,300 people found that 73% said it was difficult to access help and support when they needed it. Many were only offered private treatment.

The accompanying report also suggested that the scarcity of information about whether dentists were taking NHS patients was ‘a real problem and is masking a potentially bigger issue’.