Harrogate roads to close for St George’s Day parade this weekend

Several roads will close in Harrogate’s town centre this weekend as the traditional St George’s Day parade is set to return.

The parade, which will take place on Sunday (April 28), will see the Harrogate and Nidderdale Scouts lead the march through the town.

They will be joined by hundreds of Cubs, Beavers, Squirrels, Guides, Brownies and Rainbows for the event.

According to North Yorkshire Council’s roadworks map, the parade will begin on Beech Grove and will make its way to Christ Church Track.

Both roads will be closed during the event, as well as Victoria Avenue, East Park Road, Queen Parade, North Park Road and Coach Road.

The road closure notice on Victoria Avenue.

The roads will be closed from 2pm to 2.30pm. A spokesperson for the Scouts said the parade will commence at 2pm.

There will also be a Scouts and Guides St George’s Day service held at Christ Church High.

The church’s online calendar said the service will run from 2.30pm until 3.45pm.

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Harrogate football team set for county cup final this weekend

An under-13 Harrogate football team will go head-to-head with York at a county cup final this weekend.

The Harrogate and Craven School Boys team has made it to the final of the Yorkshire Federation Schools’ Football league against York School Boys.

The squad, made up of 24 boys from across the two districts, was whittled down from hundreds of hopefuls at the initial trials.

The boys were put forward by their school PE teachers at the time and all represent a range of local schools, including Ripon Grammar School, Harrogate High School, Rossett School, King James’ School, Ashville College, St John Fisher’s and St Aidan’s.

They have taken on teams from Scunthorpe, Sheffield, York and more during the campaign.

Now, following victories against Rotherham and Wakefield, the U13s will compete in the final at Bridlington Town this Saturday.

Manager Andrew Pears said some of the players have “been signed” or are currently in talks with “a number of professional football clubs”, including Hull City, Bradford City and Huddersfield Town.

He added:

“With a focus on developing young talent and fostering a love for the game, the team is dedicated to honing their football abilities, whilst also emphasising the importance of academic excellence and good sportsmanship.

“Coached by experienced mentors, the players are provided with the guidance and support necessary to excel both on and off the field.

“Throughout the season, the team competes in various tournaments and matches, showcasing their abilities and representing their districts with pride. Their dedication and passion for the sport serve as an inspiration to their peers and a source of pride for the Harrogate and Craven communities.”

Mr Pears also said players who have represented the district at a competitive level will be presented with honour caps at the team’s awards night in May.

Harrogate and Craven School Boys U13s will play York School Boys in the league cup final on Saturday, April 27. Kick-off is at 12.30pm.

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Plans submitted to extend Pateley Bridge cemetery

A planning application has been submitted to extend Pateley Bridge Cemetery.

The application, which was tabled to North Yorkshire Council, outlines plans to build new traditional and natural burial sites, ash internments and parking spaces on land adjacent to the existing cemetery.

It comes after land next to the site was last year sold to the former Harrogate Borough Council by Pateley Town Council, after a report revealed it required more burial spaces for the next 300 years.

Following the abolition of the district council, the site is now owned by North Yorkshire Council, but the authority is still required to submit planning applications for its own assets.

According to a design and access statement, which was curated by CDS Cemeteries & Crematoria on behalf of the council, 314 new traditional burials and 48 natural burials would be built at the site.

The plans also show there would be 364 new ash internments, as well as five parking bays – including one for a hearse – and “cycle hoops” if plans are approved.

A visual of the proposed site. Pic: The CDS Group.

The plans also include a proposed two-way access road via the existing cemetery, which is by St Mary’s Church.

It adds the existing cemetery’s footpath would be extended for pedestrian access, and says native hedges, heathers and other bulbs would be planted for “the enjoyment of mourners”.

A new hedgerow with a timber post-and-rail fencing would also be erected to the west of the site boundary.

The grassland on which the extension would be built is currently used for livestock grazing, the application says.

The design and access statement concludes:

“This proposal would deliver a project that would provide essential additional burial provision to North Yorkshire Council.

“The design development has been informed by the sites semi rural and tranquil location and its immediate proximity to the existing cemetery.

“Its landscaping has been designed to provide a subtle yet valuable addition to the locality in terms of increasing the traditional hedgerow features, scattered trees, surrounding heathers and a species rich grassland of particular environmental value is the avoidance of damage to existing trees or vegetation.

“These design considerations thus ensure no adverse visual impact on the surrounding landscape.”

Planning officers will make a decision on the application at a later date.

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Harrogate man pleads guilty to racial harassment at fish and chip shop

A man has admitted racially aggravated harassment at a fish and chip shop in Harrogate.

Darren Beeforth, 37, of Charles Avenue in Harrogate, appeared at York Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday.

According to court documents, Beeforth was charged with one count of racially aggravated harassment and one count of threatening to damage property.

The former offence took place at Dougie’s Fish and Chips on King Edward’s Drive, on March 22, while the latter happened on the same road on the same day.

Beeforth reportedly harassed members of staff at the takeaway and then threatened to smash a man’s windows, the document added.

The defendant also pleaded guilty to one count of assault by beating, which happened on the same day.

Beeforth reportedly assaulted a woman by beating her at an address in Harrogate.

He has been remanded in custody until his sentencing, which will take place on May 7, 2024, in York.

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Firefighters called after car crashes into Knaresborough home

Firefighters were called to a Knaresborough home after a car crashed into it last night.

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service’s incident log today said Harrogate and Knaresborough crews responded to reports of a single-vehicle road traffic collision, on Blind Lane, at 10.04pm.

The log said the car collided “into a property”.

Firefighters added:

“The occupants of the house safely evacuated the property.

“Crews isolated the utilities while waiting for further assistance from an emergency gas engineer.”

The report also said the occupants of the car were out on arrival and “not at the scene”.

North Yorkshire Police told the Stray Ferret “enquiries are ongoing” into the collision.

No further details have been revealed.

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New bus service set for Harrogate’s Wedderburn Road

A new bus service is set to once again serve Wedderburn Road in Harrogate.

The X4, operated by Connexions, will offer two return services a day from Monday to Friday.

It will depart from Harrogate Bus Station to Wedderburn Road, via Wetherby Road, and will return to the bus station via Knaresborough Road.

The X4 will leave Harrogate at 10.30am and 1pm, and will return from Wedderburn Road at 10.42am and 1.12pm, Monday to Friday.

A Connexions spokesperson told the Stray Ferret the X4 service will begin operating on May 20.

They said, due to “registration reasons”, the service will be free to ride between May 20 and June 3. After that, the £2 bus fare cap will apply.

The spokesperson added:

“We wanted to give people in that area a service since they didn’t have one.

“I just hope as many people use it as possible to make sure it keeps running.”

The service is funded solely by Connexions, the spokesperson said.

The news comes after the 104 service, which ran between Wedderburn Road and Harrogate town centre, was scrapped in November 2018.

Nearby residents and councillors have since called for the service to be reinstated, as one local told the Stray Ferret the removal of the service was like a “slap in the face”.

Conservative MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, Andrew Jones, responded to the news:

“It has been many years since there was a bus service from Wedderburn Road into town. Local councillors and I tried repeatedly to persuade bus companies to re-instate a service.

“Whilst this is a low number of services per day I hope that residents are able to use the service and demonstrate to the operators that there is demand for the service to grow.”

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Historic Harrogate Arms reopens for first time in a decade

The Harrogate Arms Café has opened to the public today.

The site, which sits in the Royal Horticultural Society Harlow Carr Gardens, has been closed since 2014.

It was originally built in 1844 by the then-owner of the estate, Henry Wright, along with a Bath House.

During its time, it has seen many guises, including a hotel, Thai restaurant, nightclub and pub.

However, after the RHS bought the site in 2014, it set out to restore the two historic buildings.

Today, it reopened for the first time in a decade as a café.

The Harrogate Arms Café.

Conservative councillor of Killinghall, Hampsthwaite & Saltergate and mayor of Harrogate, Michael Harrison, cut the ribbon alongside Clare Matterson, the director general of the RHS to mark the occasion.

The RHS was granted listed building consent in 2019 and has since spent “several millions” on the renovation process, head of site Liz Thwaite said.

Liz Thwaite.

Ms Thwaite told the Stray Ferret:

“The RHS didn’t have the internal funding for the works back in 2014, but by 2019, when we got the building consent, the funding was then in place internally.

“There has been a lot of unforeseen issues along the way and things popped up that we didn’t expect, like bats roosting and wet weather.”

Inside the café.

Ms Thwaite said the horticultural charity decided to take on the project to “link both the Harrogate Arms and the Bath House back to their historic landscape”.

It wanted to give visitors a garden café, as well as the teahouse and Bettys, and offer “more space” to enjoy the gardens, she added.

A spokesperson for the RHS said at the opening sustainability is “at the core” of the charity and has been central to the renovation process.

They added the café will not offer plastic water bottles or single-use coffee cups, and uses Brazilian coffee from “one of 200 regenerative coffee farms”.

The coffee kiosk.

Ms Thwaite told the Stray Ferret:

“We’re feeling really, really excited about the opening.

“We had hoped it would open sooner, but due to weather issues it hasn’t been possible. But nevertheless we’re still so excited.

“I think customers are going to be delighted with it and it will help grow visitors and memberships to the site. People can walk around the garden and have a lovely coffee or lunch here.

“It will showcase what we grow, as well as offer an important message to encourage people to grow their own produce.”

The RHS hopes to use locally sourced produce at the Harrogate Arms Café, and will source a lot of ingredients from the Harlow Carr kitchen garden.

The charity is also undertaking 2-acres of landscaping works around the café, which includes planting mature tree and digging swales to manage rainfall.

The Harrogate Arms Café is officially open to the public.

It offers indoor and outdoor seating, as well and breakfast, lunch and all-day menus. The cafe will be open during summer garden operating hours (9.30am to 6pm) every day.

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Plans approved to convert Tockwith tennis court into multi-use games pitch

A planning application to convert existing tennis courts into a multi-use games pitch in Tockwith has been approved.

The plan, which was tabled to North Yorkshire Council in January, outlines plans to re-surface the two current tennis courts, install LED floodlights and erect new fencing.

The Stray Ferret reported on the proposal in February and spoke to Mike Corbett, chair of Tockwith Sportsfield Trust, which submitted the application.

Mr Corbett said at the time the new site would have an all-weather surface, adding:

“The current tennis courts are hard courts, but the surface is poor and weeds are coming through.

“Of course, we’re doing this to improve the club itself, but also to attract young people and give them something to do, rather than just being on their phones.”

A drawing of the proposed new site.

He said the new pitch will be suitable for tennis and five-aside football, adding the trust also planned to install basketball provisions at the open-air site.

Mr Corbett previously told the Stray Ferret the new fencing could also make the pitch suitable for padel tennis.

The trust planned to fund the project partly through section 106 monies, paid by developers who are building new housing developments in the village.

It will also be funded by the football club and Tockwith Festival. North Yorkshire Council approved the plans on Monday, April 22.

The Stray Ferret contacted Tockwith Sportsfield Trust about the approval, but did not receive a response at the time of publication.

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Man, 31, dies following collision on A1(M) near Boroughbridge

A man has died after his HGV lorry collided with an overhead bridge on the A1(M) this morning.

North Yorkshire Police said the incident, which happened at around 2.10am, occurred on the southbound carriageway of the motorway between junction 48 (Boroughbridge) and junction 47 (Allerton Park).

Police closed the A1(M) this morning to respond to the incident. The force said the southbound carriageway is now expected to be open after 4pm.

In an updated statement, the force said the HGV lorry collided with an overhead bridge near the Allerton Waste Recovery site. The driver died at the scene.

It added:

“The southbound carriageway was closed to allow emergency services to attend the incident and investigate the scene. It currently remains closed for scene recovery work to take place, two lanes are expected to open to traffic after 4pm.

“We’re now urging anyone who saw the collision or the HGV involved in the collision prior to it that has not already made contact to get in touch. Our officers are particularly keen to hear from anyone who may have any relevant dashcam footage.

“Anyone with information is asked to email mcit@northyorkshire.police.uk or phone North Yorkshire Police on 101 and speak to the Force Control Room.”

Quote reference number 12240071188 when passing information.

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Officers also took to social media this afternoon to ask motorists not to use their phones when driving.

It came after several people drove past and filmed the scene of the collision on the A1(M).

Police said it would be taking action against the drivers. A spokesperson for the force added:

“We have taken registration details of approximately 30 vehicles, and we will follow up with action against the drivers – this will ultimately be points and a fine, but they may end up in court.”

Former Harrogate Arms to reopen as café tomorrow

The historic Harrogate Arms is set to reopen as a café tomorrow.

The grade two-listed building, which closed a decade ago, will finally be brought back to working order.

Originally built in 1844 by Henry Wright, the then-owner of the estate, the Harrogate Arms and Bath House were set in pleasure gardens, which are now part of The Royal Horticultural Society’s Garden Harlow Carr.

The Harrogate Arms had several faces during its time, including a hotel, inn, nightclub, restaurant and pub, before closing to the public in 2014.

But the RHS was granted listed building consent in 2019 to convert the site into a café.

The horticultural charity today said it has been “working hard to restore the premises”, which will offer indoor and outdoor seating, as well as a menu focused on “seasonal ingredients”.

It added the café will offer a breakfast, lunch and an all-day menu, along with artisan coffee.

The new landscape of RHS Garden Harlow Carr by planners Gillespies.

In a press release, the RHS said:

“Each day will feature a special menu utilising produce directly from our Kitchen Garden to champion the use of fresh ingredients.

“It will also showcase some fantastic ways for preserving foods from the garden from the summer so they can be used in the colder and less productive months. Think anything from pickled cucumber to chilli oils and kimchi!”

New jobs will be created as part of the café opening, the charity said, adding it hopes to use as much locally sourced produce as possible.

Liz Thwaite, head of RHS Garden Harlow Carr, also said:

“We can’t wait to re-open this building which holds so many memories for members of the local community and really look forward to welcoming them back to the brand new Harrogate Arms Café.

“This project has been a long time in the making, as we wanted to create something fresh and exciting for our visitors that celebrates our rich heritage.”

The Harrogate Arms Café will open to the public from around 11am tomorrow (April 25), an RHS spokesperson said.

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