Illegal traveller encampment arrives at Harrogate parkCouncillors back plans for 76 homes near Knaresborough

Councillors today backed plans to build 76 homes in a village between Knaresborough and Boroughbridge.

The application, which was initially tabled to North Yorkshire Council in January 2023, was put before the Harrogate and Knaresborough area constituency planning committee this afternoon.

Applicant Thomas Alexander Homes proposes to build a mixture of terraced, semi-detached and detached houses on Minskip Road in Staveley.

The site would include one, two, three, four and five-bedroom homes – 30 of which would be classed as affordable housing. There would also be three “accessible bungalows”.

A computer-generated image of the proposed development.

However, the final decision is still yet to be made.

Councillors voted in favour of the recommendation, which suggested the application be delegated to the assistant director of planning, who will decide on the outcome in consultation with committee chair, councillor John Mann (Conservative), and vice-chair, councillor Chris Aldred (Liberal Democrat).

They will negotiate and finalise the conditions of the section 106 agreement, in which the developers agree to pay costs to mitigate for the impact of development. This will include contributions towards affordable housing, travel plans, education provision, the village hall and more.

Of the five councillors present, three voted in favour of the recommendation, one voted against and one abstained.

Proposed site plan of the Minskip Road development.

If approved, the applicant said the development will provide “energy efficient buildings” and would promote use of “sustainable transport” through nearby bus services to Harrogate, Knaresborough, Ripon and Boroughbridge.

The plans also suggest it would offer “positive economic growth” for Staveley and the surrounding areas through “construction and occupation”.

But the application has not come without scrutiny and has received 184 objections since submission.

Councillors also today raised concern about the potential presence of gypsum at the site, which can dissolve at the surface and underground, ultimately leading to sinkholes.

However, a ground investigation report by Edlington Consulting Group Ltd submitted on behalf of the applicant concludes there is “no direct evidence of bedrock dissolution and its related displacement of the superficial coarse-grained soils beneath the northern-most anomaly”.

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Land train runs into lamppost in Harrogate’s Valley Gardens

A land train, which is part of a funfair in Harrogate’s Valley Gardens, pranged a lamppost on its first trip of the event today.

Fun in the Park, which opened at 11am today, offers family-friendly entertainment, rides and street food during this bank holiday weekend and half-term.

But the Magical Express, which takes people to-and-from the entrance of the gardens, ran into some bother when trying to negotiate a bend.

A witness, who asked to remain anonymous, told the Stray Ferret they suspected the driver “misjudged how big the front of the train was” when turning a corner, before hitting a lamppost. They added:

“Fortunately, no one was hurt.”

The source also said the event “got off to a rocky start” due to issues with the generator.

They continued:

“There were problems with the generator first thing, which meant all the rides opened late. Once they did open, this train incident happened on its first lap round!”

The event, which is running daily from today and throughout next week’s school half-term holiday, is operated by Northallerton-based Crow Leisure Group Ltd.

It is the first time the company has held an event in Harrogate.

The land train. Pic: Crow Leisure Ltd.

The Stray Ferret contacted founder and chief executive, Alex Crow, about the train mishap.

Mr Crow said it was the “first time” the driver had operated the train around the Valley Gardens with passengers, adding:

“The corner seemed tight.

“The driver reversed back and drove forward again. No one was injured and there’s no damage to the train.

“We have now put mats down on the left side to allow it to make a wider turn.”

Mr Crow also said the train was taken for two practice runs around Valley Gardens this morning and five practice runs yesterday without people onboard.

When asked about problems with the generator, Mr Crow added it “needed a filter change”, which he claims has now been sorted.

He said:

“Everything is running smoothly now. People have said they’re really enjoying the event.”

The event is free to enter but rides come with a charge.

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Knaresborough man to stand for Lib Dems in Wetherby and Easingwold

The Liberal Democrats have today revealed their parliamentary candidate for Wetherby and Easingwold.

James Monaghan, who lives in Knaresborough, will run as the party’s first candidate for the newly formed constituency.

Mr Monaghan has been involved in the party as a campaigner for more than 20 years.

He was formerly a Knaresborough town councillor and Leeds city councillor, and currently works as a director for a local financial services company.

Mr Monaghan said:

“It is a privilege to stand as the Liberal Democrat candidate in Wetherby and Easingwold.

“As a brand-new constituency, the Liberal Democrats have a real opportunity to challenge the Conservatives for change here.”

He also previously chaired the Leeds Climate Change Partnership and Knaresborough Civic Society.

Mr Monaghan added:

“The Liberal Democrats and I are fighting to get a better deal for Wetherby and Easingwold. We’re demanding better access to GP and dental services, fighting for a fair deal for our NHS and calling for real action to tackle the cost-of-living crisis.”

The new Wetherby and Easingwold constituency was formed after the Boundary Commission for England review concluded in June last year.

Locally, it means Boroughbridge, Minskip, Marton-cum-Grafton, the Dunsforths, Ripley and Nidd have all been removed from the Harrogate and Knaresborough constituency – currently held by Conservative Andrew Jones.

Goldsborough, Flaxby, Allerton Park, Hopperton and Burton Leonard have also been added to the new seat.

The election is being held on July 4 this year.

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Summer DalesBus service begins in Harrogate district this weekend

Another summer DalesBus service will begin operating in the Harrogate district this weekend.

The 825 service, which operates on Sundays and bank holidays over the summer period, will serve people in Harrogate, Knaresborough and villages near Ripon.

The route departs at 9.02am from Wigginton, in York, before stopping at Knaresborough bus station, Harrogate bus station, Ripley Cross, Burnt Yates, Brimham Rocks and Fountains Abbey.

It then proceeds to Galphay, Kirkby Malzeard, Grewelthorpe, Hackfall Woods and Masham.

It continues as far as Richmond, where it arrives at 12.30pm.

The return service departs from Richmond at 3.15pm and will reach the first Harrogate district stop (Masham Market Place) at 4.10pm.

The 825 will run every Sunday and on bank holidays from May 26 to October 6.

Single fares are capped at £2 in line with the national initiative.

People can also use the 820 and 821 DalesBus services, which run throughout Nidderdale over the summer.

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Harrogate College taking ‘massive gamble’ with parking space reduction, councillor saysHarrogate florist wins third gold medal at RHS Chelsea Flower Show

A Harrogate florist has been awarded its third gold medal at this year’s Royal Horticultural Society’s (RHS) Chelsea Flower Show.

Helen James Flowers, based on Station Parade, received the accolade for the RHS Chelsea Florist of the Year category.

It is the fifth year the company has been invited to compete at the show.

Laura Pannitt, daughter of owner Helen James, created the design and represented the business at the show.

She told the Stray Ferret:

“This year was the first time I’ve submitted a design and exhibited at Chelsea.

“The RHS usually release a schedule at the end of the previous year or beginning of the year. You then submit your design with an explanation of how it would be executed and what flowers would be used, then you’re selected from there.”

Ms James said her daughter was one of just 10 lucky florists selected to compete in the category.

Helen James Flowers’ display at Chelsea Flower Show.

The category brief was ‘colour’, Ms Pannitt said, adding she felt inspired to create something “bold” and “energetic”.

She said:

“I wanted to represent something like the cycle of nature.

“The base structure was neutral, a little like a seed first being sowed, then it becomes this colourful and exciting display. It’s a bit like the seed then blossoming into a plant or flower.”

The display, which had to sit on a 40cm x 40xcm plinth, featured a range of fresh flowers, including gloriosa, knipofia, scabious, clematis, dahlias and more.

The base structure took around a week to build, Ms Panitt said, adding the flower arrangement then took another 7 hours to put together.

She added:

“I was so excited but it’s also so nerve-wracking. You know you’re down there with the best of the best.

“I’d love to do it again though. Hopefully, if we get selected again, I can.”

Helen and Laura are only the second mother-daughter team to win gold medals at the show, Ms James said.

Helen James Flowers also struck gold at the show in 2019 and 2023. It was awarded a silver gilt medal in 2022.

The floristry firm was also named RHS Chelsea Florist of the Year in 2019.

Lara Thorpe of London-based Wild at Heart Flowers won the RHS Chelsea Florist of the Year award this year.

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Police launch investigation after girl, 13, attacked on the StrayHarrogate surgery accused of discriminating against older people

A Harrogate charity for older people has raised concerns about a GP surgery making it more difficult for patients to request prescriptions.

Spa Surgery at Mowbray Square Medical Centre has sealed up letterboxes outside the surgery where patients could deposit prescriptions to encourage more people to post orders online.

It prompted 68-year-old patient Michael Burlinson to claim the move was an “egregious example of ageism’, as reported by the Stray Ferret last week.

Kate Rogata, director of Supporting Older People, told the Stray Ferret the move “does feel discriminatory”.

Ms Rogata, whose organisation alleviates isolation and loneliness, said the surgery should recognise “not everyone can use the technology to order prescriptions online”, adding:

“It feels as though they are disenfranchising elderly people. We have to remember the minority and make sure there are options that everyone can use.”

The sealed letter boxes.

Ms Rogata urged the surgery to “reverse” the move, which she described as “slightly retrograde”, and “consider all means for people to request their prescriptions”.

Spa Surgery has said patients can still drop off paper requests in person at the surgery. Ms Rogata welcomed this but said she still had concerns:

“That can only really be done when the practice is open. There should be methods in which people can request or send their requests at any time – like posting it in the letterbox.

“My own surgery welcomes any method of requesting prescriptions.”

‘We are sorry if there’s been any confusion’

Spa Surgery said it had nothing to add to its previous statement in response to Mr Burlinson’s concerns.

Practice manager Clare Hedges said at the time:

“We are sorry if there’s been any confusion.

“In the letter to our patients we wanted to first direct people to our telephone and online services. However, we realised that people who had contacted us with issues which prevented them using digital media or a telephone service may still have a paper prescription.

“If they were heading to our surgery with the intention of using our post box – now sealed – we thought it would be helpful for patients to know they could still drop these off in person or post them to us using Royal Mail.”

Mowbray Square Medical Centre comprises of Spa Surgery, East Parade Surgery and Park Parade Surgery under one roof.

The sealed letter boxes belong to all three practices.

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Digger stolen in ‘high value’ theft at Nidd Gorge

North Yorkshire Police is appealing for information after four items of machinery were stolen from a worksite near Harrogate.

The force said in a statement today the “high value” commercial burglary happened at Nidd Gorge, near Bilton Lane, between Friday evening (May 17) and Monday morning (May 20).

One digger and three smaller tracked barrows were stolen.

The statement said:

“We’re appealing for information about any suspicious 4×4 vehicles sighted leaving Bilton Lane over the weekend, potentially with a trailer carrying the stolen equipment.

“Please email ben.wheatley@northyorkshire.police.uk if you have any information that could help our investigation.

“Alternatively, you can call North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 2 and ask for Ben Wheatley, or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or via their website.”

Quote reference number 12240088312 when passing on information.

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