Harrogate council scraps parking charges for lockdown

Harrogate Borough Council has announced that it has scrapped parking charges for lockdown.

The council said it will help NHS staff, key workers, essential businesses and those that need it at a difficult time.

It applies to off-street parking only and will be in force from tomorrow until December 2. Across the Harrogate district there are 33 car parks which will all be affected by the move.

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In Harrogate, it will mean that it is now free to park at West Park Long Stay Multi-Storey, Victoria and Jubilee car parks.

Harrogate Borough Council also scrapped the same off-street parking charges in the first coronavirus lockdown.

Parking charges and enforcement will still be in place for on-street parking to prevent issues with traffic management. North Yorkshire County Council, which controls on-street parking, will keep exceptions for NHS and care workers as well as coronavirus support volunteers.

Knaresborough museum plans take a major step forward

Plans to open a dedicated museum in Knaresborough have taken a significant step forward after Harrogate Borough Council backed the plans.

The council’s cabinet have decided to let the Knaresborough Museum Association (KMA) take on the former dance school for a “fair and reasonable rent”.

Before the museum can open the KMA has said it needs to fundraise a few thousand pounds and renovate the building, which has fallen into disrepair.

However the group sees this as a major boost for their museum plans at the Castle Girls’ School building. Kathy Allday, chair of KMA, told the Stray Ferret:

“This is terrific news and it has been around 18 months in the making. This is a great location so close to the castle and the court house museum.

“Knaresborough has such a rich and fascinating history. We want to complement what the existing museum already does, not replicate it.”

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Kathy has called for anyone who wants to join the KMA or just help as a volunteer to get in touch by sending an email here.

The plans for the building on Castle Yard in Knaresborough include a hub for historical exhibitions and to become an educational space for the community.

“Our Knaresborough: Our Stories” will be the first exhibition and it is already ready to go. It tells the town’s story from the pre-historic age right through to WWII.

The group is already working on a second exibition about how life change from the 1930s to the 1950s.

Harrogate group steps up to support mums during lockdown

A Harrogate group has stepped up its support with care packages to support new mums during lockdown.

Hey Mama is an online community designed to be a place for mums to share their experiences and open up about mental health.

Now that we have entered a second national lockdown the group’s founder has set up care packages to give a boost to those in need.

The packages include treats for mum’s like chocolates, tea, face masks, affirmation cards and bullet journals.

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It has been made possible by donations from the Tesco community fund and the Two Ridings Community Foundation.

Trish Pedley, who founded the group nearly three years ago after struggling with postnatal depression, told the Stray Ferret that mums need support more than ever:

“It is hard at normal times to be a mum. Lockdown makes it three times or four times worse. The lockdown takes away that support network that is so vital.

“The group lets mums open up about their experiences with others. It shows them that they aren’t alone and that others are going through the same thing.”

As well as the care packages they are set to launch a text message service on Sunday. It is designed to give any mums struggling a direct line to help.

Since setting up three years ago Hey Mama has slowly built up a solid group of volunteers and mums.

In the future Trish hopes that they can set up Hey Mama groups all over the UK and branch out into a group for dads as well.

Anyone who wants to donate towards the group’s efforts can do so by clicking or tapping here.

Scotton bonfire will be back but will never burn a Guy

Tonight is fireworks night but events across the Harrogate district have been cancelled.

It is usually a special night in Scotton, the small village on the outskirts of Knaresborough where Guy Fawkes grew up.

Fawkes’ home, Scotton Old Hall, is the most famous landmark in the village and still stands today.

The village always lights a bonfire on November 5 but refuses to burn an effigy out of respect for its former resident.

That does not deter visitors though as the event attracts about 1,500 people each year.

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But this year will be different.

Scotton Cricket Club, whose players sport badges displaying Guy Fawkes, organises the event.

The club’s chairman, Andy Marshall, told the Stray Ferret:

“It is a very popular event, people come from all over the country because we have strong connections with Guy Fawkes.

“As we have that connection we will never burn a Guy. Instead we burn other bits of timber and always have a big fireworks display.”

Coronavirus may have forced the event’s cancellation this year but Mr Marshall promises it will be back “bigger and better”.

WATCH: Harrogate before and on first day of lockdown

With near empty streets today, Harrogate is clearly a town in lockdown.

Shops selling goods deemed non-essential are closed for the next month so there are fewer reasons to visit.

Some people are still walking and driving around town but there has a dramatic shift over the last 24 hours.

We filmed at the same spots in the town centre at about 3pm yesterday and today to see what had changed.

Harrogate at the same time on Wednesday and Thursday. The day before and first day of lockdown.

Ripley Castle and Harewood House grounds stay open

The gardens and grounds of Ripley Castle and Harewood House will remain open to the public during the coronavirus lockdown.

The castle and house closed to the public today but the outdoor areas remain open. Both venues will provide takeaway food and drinks.

Ripley Castle will be open daily from 10.30am to 3pm with last entry at 1pm. Adult tickets are £3; entry for children is free.

The owners are also considering keeping the gardens and grounds open up to Christmas. They usually close during winter.

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Booking is currently unavailable online but tickets can be bought from the tea room. There is free parking in the main village car park, which is open from 9am to 6pm daily.

Harewood House will also keep its grounds, gardens and adventure playground open during the lockdown.

It will be open 10am to 4pm daily with last entry at 3.15pm. Pre-booked tickets are required.

Santa taking a break

Ripley Castle has also confirmed it will not be running a Santa experience in the run-up to Christmas this year.

The big man has decided to take a break this year so he won’t be in his grotto at the castle.

Harewood House has also cancelled its Lord Whitney’s Upon a Christmas Wish this year. However, it will be replaced with Christmas at Harewood.

Other places still open in lockdown

RHS Harlow Carr, Brimham Rocks and Fountains Abbey will also remain open for outdoor walks during lockdown.

They will all operate a takeaway service to keep people warm and fuelled for their autumnal and winter walks.

Garden centres are also open.

Care home confusion brings more distress

Local health officials still do not know whether people will be allowed to visit relatives in care homes when lockdown begins tomorrow.

North Yorkshire County Council restricted visits during October but advised homes they could relax the rules in November to allow one designated visitor for each resident.

But there is confusion whether this window of opportunity for visits will prove short lived.

Richard Webb, the county council’s director of health and adult services, said at a press briefing today:

“Our advice still applies as of today but we are promised further government guidance on what will happen with care home visits tomorrow.

“I am assuming there will be restrictions on care home visits. As it stands we are just trying to support families and residents and care home providers.”

Judy Bass, a Harrogate resident, used to see her 99-year-old father with dementia in a care home every day before the first coronavirus lockdown.

Today will be the first time since March that she will be able to see him for a ‘door visit’ after a ‘window visit’ three weeks ago.

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She will wear full PPE to stand at the door of her father’s room. Ms Bass feels the stop-start nature of visiting will confuse her dad:

“I do not want to say that it is all bad because I am actually seeing my dad tonight for the first time in months. The communication has just been poor.

“It seemed that all of a sudden we were allowed to visit care homes and there has been a big rush this week to cram the visits in. But now we have no idea what will happen.”

Harrogate district to get local test and trace system

The Harrogate district will be part of a local test and trace system operating in North Yorkshire from next week.

It comes amid reports the current national programme for test and trace is only managing to reach about 60% of those who have come into close contact with a positive case.

Dr Victoria Turner, a public health consultant for North Yorkshire County Council, revealed the news this morning at a briefing by North Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum, which is a partnership of organisations that responds to emergencies. She said:

“This follows the national trend where most councils now are moving to a local component of contact tracing. These obviously started in the areas of greatest concern, those that were in tier three.

“From Monday we will do contact tracing. Public Health England will start to hand over cases for us to follow-up from tomorrow. It’s been quite a fast turnaround on that.”

If the national test and trace system is unable to reach someone they will hand the case to the local team.

Calls will be carried out by trained staff at North Yorkshire County Council’s headquarters in Northallerton seven days a week.

Dr Turner expects more people will engage with tracing if calls are made from a local number.

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The local call centre will also be able to signpost people to local support groups.

Richard Flinton, chief executive officer at North Yorkshire County Council, called on the community to pull together ahead of tomorrow’s lockdown:

“We have got to positively embrace the national lockdown. I do understand it will have a knock-on effect for businesses and also for people.

“That’s why we need to make sure that we look out for each other and think about those who we live near to. If we work together we can keep this lockdown limited and get to those benefits on the other side.”

Coronavirus in numbers

The briefing revealed there are currently 15 coronavirus patients at Harrogate District Hospital — down one from last week.

The full-time testing site in Harrogate is testing about 150 people a day, which is about half of its full capacity.

The Harrogate district currently has a seven-day average infection rate of 252 cases per 100,000 people — higher than the national average of 225.

Dog rescue charity launches £250,000 appeal for new home

A dog rescue charity has launched a £250,000 fundraising appeal to buy a dedicated home.

Saving Yorkshire’s Dogs, which is based near Masham, wants to buy the former Jerry Green Dog Rescue centre near Thirsk.

The charity already has £170,000 in pledges but needs another £250,000 to make the dream come true.

Over the last six years the charity has rescued about 200 dogs, many of which would otherwise have been put to sleep.

The Jerry Green site closed in the summer and will be sold by informal tender in mid-November.

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SYD, which currently rents premises, believes this is the right time to buy dedicated kennels and “secure its future”.

Julie Hart, who is organising the fundraiser, told the Stray Ferret:

“This would make a big difference. We would have much more space so we would have room to grow. This would be the dream place to move into, it is fully furnished in a great location.

“It has been incredible to watch all of the donations coming through already. People have been very generous. We have had pledges from some people of £10,000.”

So far the gofundme page has reached £2,600 in donations out of the £250,000 target. Click or tap here to donate.

The asking price for the former Jerry Green site starts at £300,000. SYD hopes the fundraiser will help with bidding and set-up costs.

Gracie finds a new home

The English Bulldog Gracie, star of the first Stray Pets Club and SYD rescue, has been given a new home.

Gracie was used for breeding to make money and was abandoned after reaching the maximum age for reproducing.

She has given birth to around 30 puppies in her lifetime and has been left with the scars to show it.

Harrogate district businesses urged to give leftover food to needy

Shops and restaurants in the Harrogate district that will close this week due to lockdown are being urged to donate their leftover food to needy people.

Resurrected Bites, a not-for-profit group that aims to fill bellies not bins, provided weekly food parcels for 1,350 people in October.

It now hopes to generate enough donations to help vulnerable people during the second lockdown, which starts on Thursday.

Knaresborough businesses Mother Shipton’s Cave and Scarlett’s Vintage Tea Rooms have already donated food.

Michelle Hayes, director of Resurrected Bites, told the Stray Ferret:

“The vulnerable people we have helped already have called us a life-saver. Businesses will be sad that they have to close but they are happy to help.

“At the moment we have around 180 people on our system that we help. Many were worried about the end of furlough so are happy that it will continue for a month.”

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When the March lockdown started, Resurrected Bites closed its cafes at St Mark’s Church in Harrogate and Gracious Street Methodist Church in Knaresborough and instead delivered food to those in need.

While it is still delivering food to those in need, its cafes will remain closed. The charity expects its cafes will remain closed until Easter next year.

Businesses wanting to help can email Ms Hayes by clicking or tapping here.