Coronavirus clinic to open at Harrogate community centre

A coronavirus clinic will open in a Harrogate community centre next week and will be in place until January next year.

The Jennyfield Styan Community Centre in Grantley Drive will enable those with coronavirus or symptoms to see a GP face-to-face.

Currently, patients with covid-19 who need an in person appointment attend their own surgery.

While other surgeries have strict safety measures in place, doctors have been pushing for a dedicated site.

GPs and part-time doctors will begin seeing patients next week between 12pm and 6pm on Mondays to Fridays.

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Appointments will alternate between the two rooms, enabling a deep clean between each patient.

Patients will be asked to wait in their vehicle on arrival, wear a face covering and keep hands sanitised, before they are escorted to the appointment.

If the patient requires medication then they will get an electronic prescription sent directly to the patient’s usual pharmacy.

NHS North Yorkshire CCG and the Yorkshire Health Network secured the community centre from Harrogate Borough Council.

The CCG’s clinical chair, Dr Charles Parker, said:

“This additional capacity will be of enormous benefit to practices. It will help ensure surgeries can continue to meet the demands of a busy winter period.”

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

“Jennyfield Styan Community Centre plays a vital part of the community for so many, and now more than ever.

“I hope the NHS can make use of the facility and provide much needed GP appointments for those that so desperately need them.”

Three weekends of disruption to improve Harrogate rail services

Three weekends of rail disruption in and around Harrogate will begin this weekend.

The disruption is due to a £9.8 million project that will enable trains to run more frequently between Leeds and York.

North Yorkshire County Council and the York and North Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership is funding the upgrades, with Network Rail carrying out the work.

Network Rail will begin by installing equipment at Harrogate’s train station this weekend that enables trains to change track.

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Weekends of disruption

North Yorkshire county councillor Don Mackenzie, the executive member for access, said:

““When complete, it will significantly enhance the rail infrastructure in the north. The capacity of services as well as their frequency will be increased, making it much more convenient and reliable for passengers using this line.”

Building site hijacks Ripon Christmas display

To the dismay of Ripon residents, a building site has been erected in the city’s historic market place alongside the city’s Christmas display.

Ripon spent an extra £65,000 on Christmas lights this year, with the tree in the market place the centrepiece of the attraction.

But just two days after the lights were switched on the festive mood soured slightly when Yorkshire Water, which is carrying out emergency sewer repairs on Kirkgate, set up portable cabins right next to the tree in the heart of the city.

The market place has been the centrepiece of the city since the 12th century and is one of the most famous landmarks in the Harrogate district,

Cllr Stuart Martin, the Harrogate district’s mayor, told the Stray Ferret:

“It is not right to put this slap bang in front of a Grade II* Listed Building, next to the Christmas tree. This has obviously caused a lot of upset.

“The positioning could have been better. Hopefully it will be moved in a couple of days.”

The Stray Ferret understands Harrogate Borough Council has asked Yorkshire Water to find a more appropriate place for the cabins.

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In the spirit of making the best of a bad situation, people on a Ripon community group suggested decorating the cabins as giant presents or as Santa’s sleigh.

Another wrote:

“We have so little to look forward to this year. Surely it’s not too much to ask to be able to take a photo of our beautiful square!”

The Stray Ferret approached Yorkshire Water for a comment but had not received a reply by the time of publication.

The company has said Kirkgate will be closed until December 2 and any remaining work will be postponed until the new year.

Several hundred people miss early cancer diagnosis in Yorkshire

Several hundred people in Yorkshire have missed potentially life-saving early cancer diagnosis because of covid, according to a Harrogate-based research charity.

Dr Kathryn Scott, chief executive of Yorkshire Cancer Research, gave the figure in an interview with the Stray Ferret.

The NHS halted screenings in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic.

Dr Scott said:

“We have lost some opportunities to find early cancers. People were also very nervous to go to the doctors. Then the people that do go have delays in diagnosis and treatment.

“The NHS tried innovative ways to get around that. But it is still a sad fact that we think several hundred people have missed out on early diagnosis in Yorkshire.”

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She added that when people miss out on early diagnosis they often have to go through more invasive treatments and have a worse chance of survival.

Dr Scott spoke to us after the publication of the charity’s annual accounts for the year ending 31 March 2020, which showed total income had increased from £12.8 million to £18.7 million.

Royalty income accounted for £12 million – up from £6.7 million – of this.

The charity, however, is expecting its next accounts to be more challenging because of covid, with fundraising income likely to be down by more than £1 million.

£8.3 million for new cancer research

To combat what Dr Scott sees as a “big hill to climb” with cancer, the charity is pumping another £8.3 million into new research.

Of this sum, £3.4 million will be used to fund research into whether chemotherapy before surgery in bowel cancer patients improves survival rates.

Other projects it funds will look into ways to use medication to slow the spread of prostate cancer, urine tests to detect bladder cancer and whether vaping products can help those with mental illness quit smoking.

How coronavirus vaccine push can help cancer research

There has been much excitement about the development of coronavirus vaccines with efficacy of up to 95%.

Dr Scott hopes the development of new technologies, such as synthetic DNA-based vaccines, could be adapted to improve cancer treatments. She said:

“One of the benefits of the way they have run the clinical trials is the new technology and the new techniques they’re using in those trials.

“It really compresses the time and so absolutely in the future, fingers crossed, we can get cancer treatments and therapies through that pipeline faster.”

Although the pandemic is likely to hit Yorkshire Cancer Research hard financially, it believes its future is bright, and that it will be able to continue with its aim of helping 2,000 more people survive cancer every year in Yorkshire.

Rudding Park named hotel spa of the year in global awards

Rudding Park has been named hotel spa of the year in a global competition.

The Harrogate-based venue beat competition from top spas in London and Paris to win the award.

The annual World Spa and Wellness Awards, which are organised by the Professional Beauty Group, were held virtually this year due to covid.

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It has been a difficult year for spas and the hospitality industry in general so this will bolster the team at Rudding Park.

Peter Banks, the managing director at Rudding Park, said:

“Winning such a prestigious global award voted by high profile industry judges is a fantastic endorsement.

“We are confident there will be a real appetite for people to experience a change of scene, relax and unwind.”

As the end of the second lockdown approaches, Rudding Park said it was confident of plenty of bookings during the Christmas period as people look for a chance to relax and unwind.

Huge bears brighten up Ripon for Christmas

A display of six-feet tall bears is brightening up Ripon in time for Christmas.

Hornseys, a gallery on Kirkgate, has acquired the bears as part of its shop front display.

The Charlie Bears are worth thousands of pounds but the gallery is not in a rush to sell them.

Daniel Hornsey, the gallery owner, told the Stray Ferret it has been his most popular display ever.

“People find it uplifting, we can always hear them talking about which bears they like most.

“It is a wonderful story. Anything that brings joy to people at the moment is a very good thing.”

Watch our video above to see the display in its full glory.

Daniel Hornsey, the gallery’s owner.

Man jailed for raping woman as she slept in Knaresborough

A man has been jailed for raping a woman in Knaresborough as she slept after a night out.

Dariush Behdarvandi-Aidi, 33, was convicted of the rape in Knaresborough in December 2017 and another rape in Leeds in April 2017.

Behdarvandi-Aidi, from Pocklington, was sentenced today to six years and 10 months at Leeds Crown Court.

When Behdarvandi-Aidi raped the Knaresborough woman, she woke and pushed him away.

She then called the police while he was still in the house. Officers attended immediately and arrested the man.

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A month later another woman reported to the police that her friend had been sexually assaulted and raped by Behdarvandi-Aidi in Leeds.

Like the Knaresborough case, the woman was sleeping after a night out. When she woke she had no memory of what had happened.

Detective constable Emma Dawson, who investigated the case, said:

“I am pleased that justice has been delivered for both victims today. No prison sentence can make up for the distress and suffering they have endured.

“But I hope they can both take some comfort from the fact that Behdarvandi-Aidi is now behind bars for his crimes.”

If you have been the victim of a sexual offence recently or many years ago then call North Yorkshire Police on 101. Or 999 if you are in danger.

The Bridge House Sexual Assault Referral Centre in Bishopthorpe, York is available for those who may not want to speak to the police on 0330 223 0362.

Harrogate and Knaresborough schools ‘could be forced to axe teachers’

Schools in Harrogate and Knaresborough could be forced to lay-off teachers because of spiralling debts, a councillor has warned.

Cllr Geoff Webber, a Liberal Democrat who represents Harrogate Bilton and Nidd Gorge on North Yorkshire County Council, said schools may be forced to act after new figures showed debt increasing.

A council report published last week on schools in Harrogate and Knaresborough showed four schools are projected to have debts totalling £1.6 million by March 2021.

By March 2023, this is forecast to have risen to five schools with total debts of £1.6 million.

Cllr Webber told the Stray Ferret:

“The schools will start off with an overspend one year and will not be able to bring that debt back under control. It just spirals from there.

“When the schools are in debt the only way for them to save money is to make staff redundant. It’s usually the more experienced ones that go first.”

The financial situation is bleak across the county: 37 schools in North Yorkshire have total debt of £7.2 million.

This is expected to soar to 93 schools with total debt of £18.3 million by 2022/23. This would mean 40 per cent of schools in the county will be in debt.

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Two primary schools, one secondary school and one special needs school are currently in debt in Harrogate and Knaresborough. The council paper does not name them.

The government has frozen education funding in recent years.

North Yorkshire misses out

The funding formula focuses on deprivation. So schools in more affluent areas like the Harrogate district tend to miss out.

The report says:

“North Yorkshire secondary schools are placed 133 out of 149 local authorities in terms of funding.

“On average, a school in North Yorkshire will receive £5,151 per pupil in 2020/21 compared to a national average of £5,496.

“Comparing the funding for a 1,500 pupil secondary school this equates to a difference in funding of £0.5m.”

Cllr Webber said the council should use its reserves to plug funding shortfalls if the government does not increase funding.

Cllr Patrick Mulligan, the Conservative executive member for education and skills at the council, who represents Airedale, told the Stray Ferret:

“I do sympathise with the schools. It has been difficult for them since the funding was frozen with austerity. This puts us in a difficult position.

“We have been lobbying MPs to ask for more school funding. We had a 3% rise in funding per pupil this year and hope that continues.”

Swinsty Reservoir footpath to close for 18 months

Yorkshire Water it to close a footpath at Swinsty reservoir and introduce diversions over the next 18 months as part of £6m safety works.

The reservoir, in the Washburn Valley, is a popular location for families and dog walkers in the Harrogate district.

Work on the reservoir’s east bank spillway is due to start on Monday next week and be completed by summer 2022.

The project will divert excess water from the reservoir to Lindley Wood reservoir to protect the embankment from flood erosion.

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Yorkshire Water said in a statement:

“As the route is on uneven and sometimes wet ground, it is not suitable for pushchairs or wheelchairs – walkers are advised to wear suitable footwear and keep dogs on leads.”

Mark Allsop, customer liaison advisor at Yorkshire Water, said:

“This ensures that the reservoir can continue to play its part in supplying drinking water to the homes of millions of customers in Yorkshire.

“The investment will reinforce the structure and protect the area in the face of extreme weather.”

The water company worked with local landowners and North Yorkshire County Council to map out the footpath diversion.

District’s homebuyers and agents furious over council search delays

Homebuyers and agents are furious with Harrogate Borough Council over its land search delays.

The council has admitted it is currently struggling with the volume of requests but insisted the wait is around 30 working days.

Since publishing a story about the delays we have been contacted by people who dispute the council’s timescale.

Far away from the estimated 30 working days, some claim they put requests in at the end of summer to be told that it won’t be cleared until December.

A financial adviser in Harrogate, who requested anonymity, wanted to move to a bigger house as his family is growing.

He says he put in a search request on September 25, only to be told this week that will likely be the end of December when it is complete:

“Our main issue is the communications from Harrogate Borough Council, we have had too many mixed messages.

“I think anyone could have predicted that the Stamp Duty holiday would increase demand. Why wasn’t the council prepared?”

In an email to the financial adviser, the council said it has just two staff working on searches after two “experienced members of the team” left.

An increase in demand, a backlog of searches from the first lockdown and struggles with staff numbers have all put strain on the process.

Hours after that email the communications department at the council said it currently has eight staff processing searches.

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The council also disputed the claim that searches submitted in September will not be complete by December:

“The 30-day figure is an average therefore it is the case that some searches are taking longer than 30-working days.

“We anticipate that, depending on submissions, which are currently running at twice the number we would expect, additional resources will allow us to soon reduce processing times.”

James Wort, a director at Strutt and Parker, told the Stray Ferret that his clients have experienced delays up to 90 days:

“I can give about 17 examples where the search delays have been three times what the council have said.

“We have emails from the council saying that requests from September will be complate by December. But they say it’s not true. It’s scandalous. “