Peter Banks: the man withdrawing from Rudding ParkRiver Nidd will probably not improve ‘for several years’, says campaigner

Water quality in the River Nidd will probably not improve “for several years” despite having been granted bathing water status, according to the chair of the Nidd Action Group, which successfully campaigned for the designation. 

As we reported ahead of yesterday’s official announcement, Knaresborough Lido is one of 27 new bathing water sites named by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) ahead of the 2024 bathing season, which runs between 15 May and 30 September. 

The status means that the Environment Agency will now test river water at the site regularly and have a duty to act if water quality does not come up to the required standard. 

Defra’s approval of the status has been hailed a victory for campaigners, who were led by NAG and enjoyed heavyweight support from Andrew Jones, MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough. 

But David Clayden, chair of NAG, said that although he was pleased with the result, it did not mean the matter had been settled, or that the river had been cleaned up yet. He said: 

“I’m certainly happy that we’ve established the Lido as safe bathing water. It’s a good move for the town, for people who use the Lido, and for the river in general. 

“I would suggest, though, that we won’t see any improvement for several years.” 

He said that the Environment Agency would now be testing river water at the Lido every week for the next 30 weeks, after which it will decide on the basis of the data collected what classification the Lido will have: ‘excellent’, ‘good’, ‘sufficient’ or ‘poor’.  

Mr Clayden said: 

“I suspect it will be ‘poor’. The Environment Agency will then have to present a plan to improve the river’s water quality and work with Yorkshire Water and others to make it happen. 

“NAG’s actions now will be to keep on their tail, pressing, checking and challenging to make sure water quality does actually improve.” 

The lido for yesterday’s ministerial visit.

The campaign to have Knaresborough Lido designated as a bathing site came in response to long-standing concerns that the water in the River Nidd was dangerously polluted. 

In 2020, every section of the Nidd in the Harrogate district failed Environment Agency water quality tests, in part due to pollution from raw sewage. Since then, tests have consistently found high levels of harmful E.coli bacteria in the water.

E.coli in water is a strong indicator of faecal contamination and ingesting it can cause vomiting and diarrhoea, or even lead to more severe illnesses.

Nidd Action Group was set up by concerned residents and fishing enthusiasts in October 2022 and last year organised an army of volunteers to test water quality at sites along the river. They found that E.coli concentrations were strongest downstream of Oak Beck’s confluence with the Nidd and peaked in August, after wet weather caused Yorkshire Water to discharge untreated waste into the river. 

Earlier this year, a report from the Angling Trust found the Nidd to be among the UK’s most polluted rivers. 

The granting of bathing water status has been claimed as a victory for Mr Jones, who said: 

“Whilst I was quietly confident we would be successful I am delighted that we did it!” 

‘We deserve much better’

But his adversary Tom Gordon, the Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate, said that although the move was a “step in the right direction”, the government needed to do more. He said: 

“The government needs to go much further and stop sewage being pumped into the River Nidd and all swimming sites. Conservative ministers allowed disgraced water firms to spill sewage into the Nidd for a staggering 17,229 hours last year, a 113% increase on 2022.

“No swimmer should have to fear raw sewage making them sick. 

“Whilst the announcement is a step in the right direction, we deserve so much better. “

Mr Gordon said water companies would face punitive fines under Lib Dem plans to create a blue flag scheme for the Nidd. He added:

“Today the Liberal Democrats have tabled an amendment to make water companies criminally liable for their sewage pollution. I am urging Andrew Jones to back this and finally get tough on these firms.”

Rivers minister Robbie Moore and Andrew Jones MP at Knaresborough Lido yesterday.

Shan Oakes, the Green Party parliamentary candidate for Harrogate and Knaresborough, said yesterday’s announcement came as “no surprise”, adding:

“As soon as we saw photos, some months ago,  of Andrew Jones MP posing with a minister, we knew that bathing water status would be conferred – because the Conservative Party wants Mr Jones to win here at the next election.

“This is laughable because it is Conservative policy which has led to the exponential destruction of our river habitats.”

Ms Oakes said bathing water status meant “very little in fact” because the Environment Agency, which will be responsible for monitoring water quality, “has been reduced  by the Tories to a tiny fragment of its original size” and “will have difficulty in carrying out this added responsibility”.

“To actually improve water quality, there needs to be a fundamental change in ideology.  That change is to stop depending on  ‘the market’ to run things. We need government to put back real dynamic regulation or to bring these public services back into proper public control.”

Read more:

Peter Banks: the man withdrawing from Rudding Park

Peter Banks is giving out books. They’re copies of one of his favourite novels, Shane by Jack Schaefer, and he’s milling around Rudding Park Hotel, dropping them off with various former colleagues as leaving gifts. 

That’s because, after spending the best part of three decades creating Britain’s best hotel, he’s just called it a day. He hasn’t been on the payroll at Rudding Park for a couple of weeks now, but his bearing is of a man still in his own domain. It’s clearly hard to let go. 

In an exclusive interview with the Stray Ferret, he told us: 

“I’m a rescuer, I’m a sorter-outer. When there’s a problem, I know what to do and what to say to people to get them to come out with the desired result. It’s incredibly stressful but incredibly flattering being at the centre of all that.

“I’ve been mainlining that for 28 years. When all of a sudden that goes, it’s like your dealer’s left town, he hasn’t given you a forwarding address, he’s not answering your phone calls, and you’re going ‘cold turkey’. It’s pretty brutal.” 

If it sounds like a strong drug, perhaps that’s because Peter’s first ‘hit’ was so powerful. A self-confessed “gobby idiot” as a boy, his careers master – who despaired of his “scattergun humour” – told him: 

“Banksy, you ought to try something with your mouth, not your brain. Try hotels.”

Rudding Park

‘An exercise in survival’

So following a “good education”, thanks to a bursary at Christ’s Hospital, the Tudor-era independent school in West Sussex, he left to become a management trainee at the Savoy in London. 

He said: 

“I still remember to this day going into the kitchen of the Savoy as a spotty 17-year-old, and there was this maelstrom of noise.  

“The head chef was there with his massive, tall hat, and it was all in French: ‘Ça marche! Envoyer!’, ‘Oui, chef – coming now!’. And all this food would arrive out of various areas and would be put together on the hotplate. It was like an ocean-going liner’s engine room, there was that much going on.  

“And then these incredibly glamorous, good-looking Italian waiters with dark, swept-back hair and flashing brown eyes, wearing tailcoats and stiff collars, glided into this maelstrom of noise, picked up these beautiful trays of food and then went back out of the swing doors.  

“We followed them out, and there was a string quartet playing in the Thames Foyer, and I just thought it was so glamorous. I thought, this is the job for me. I was hooked.” 

The highs were offset by some alarming lows, though. Assigned to the meat department on his first day, within 10 minutes a “massive” butcher tried to strangle him in a pitch-black service lift simply because he didn’t like management trainees. On another occasion, he was kicked headfirst into a hot oven by a disgruntled chef. It was, he says, “an exercise in survival”. 

But it also gave him a thorough grounding in every aspect of the business, and during his five years there Peter worked as a waiter, barman, chef, fruit-and-veg porter, switchboard operator, housekeeper, receptionist, cashier, maintenance man and even ‘carpet spotter’, getting burns and stains out of carpets. 

He then took his skills to Scotland, working, “drinking and playing a lot of golf” at the Old Course Hotel in St Andrews, before moving back to London and the Hilton on Park Lane, which was, he says, “an absolute zoo”.  

He says: 

“The manager would say, ‘You’ll never get anybody’s respect until you sack someone!’. I disagreed. 

“I hated working there. I used to come out of Hyde Park Corner tube station each morning and see the Hilton in front of me, and I’d be really disappointed that it hadn’t burnt down in the middle of the night!” 

But it was there that he was told to “look after our guests as if they were your guests in your home”. He says: 

“If you do that, 999 times out of 1,000 you’re going to get it right. If this person was a guest at my house, what would I say to him? You wouldn’t say ‘The kitchen’s closed’ – you’d rustle him something up.” 

It was an approach that he’d never forget and that would serve him well at his next posting, which he secured after seeing a small ad posted by a brand-new hotel in The Caterer. If the Savoy, the Old Course and the Hilton were ‘gateway drugs’, he would find his main fix in Harrogate. 

Rudding Park Spa

Rudding Park

The manager at the Hilton had told Peter that moving up to Yorkshire would be the “death of his career”, so when he and owner Simon Mackaness launched the brand-new Rudding Park Hotel on April 15, 1997, he set out to prove him wrong.  

Initially only in charge of housekeeping, bedrooms and reception, he soon started accumulating extra responsibilities, and within a few years he was in charge of the whole thing. Gathering the staff, he told them: 

“First of all, we’re going to be the best hotel in Harrogate. Second, we’re going to be the best hotel in the north of England. Then we’re going to be the best hotel in England, and then we’re going to be the best hotel in Britain. That’s where we’re going from here.” 

Commercially minded, he did leave for a stint to open his own boutique restaurant with rooms in Southwold, Suffolk, while still working for Simon Mackaness two days a fortnight. Sutherland House was the first in the UK to list food miles on the menu, and was already winning awards within a year of opening, but Peter got bored and came back to Yorkshire. 

He said: 

“I was polishing glasses at 12 o’clock at night, and I realised that it didn’t matter whose glasses you were polishing, you’re still polishing glasses at midnight.” 

Returning to Rudding Park, he oversaw the most dramatic programme of expansion and upgrade seen by a Yorkshire hotel in decades. 

An £8 million project in 2010 doubled the number of rooms to 90, which meant that staff numbers doubled too. In 2017, a £10 million scheme saw the launch of the spa, requiring a further 50 employees. 

Under his management, Rudding Park’s turnover grew from £2m to £28m, and staff numbers ballooned from 20 to 400.

Along the way, the hotel has collected scores of awards, including the “industry Oscar” that Peter says he’s proudest of – the Independent Hotel Catey of the Year in 2019, which marked Rudding Park out as the best hotel in the UK. 

He says: 

“That vindicated all the work and stuck two fingers up at everyone who laughed at me for coming up here.” 

Highs and lows

He’s also welcomed some extremely high-profile guests. He’s taken President George Bush Sr (“a real gentleman”) for a golf-buggy tour of the grounds, had Archbishop Desmond Tutu (“a funny guy”) taking a turn on reception, and even caddied for President Bill Clinton. He says: 

“Clinton was incredible. I thought that I was immune to charisma, but he had that incredible skill of making you feel like the most wanted, important person in the world. He left the room and it felt strangely empty, and then you realised it was because he’d gone out. Amazing.” 

The satisfaction he takes from the Catey win is made all the sweeter by the fact that his time at Rudding Park has not been a uniformly easy ride: there have been hard times too. 

In 2008, a couple who were regular customers were tragically killed when their helicopter crashed in the grounds, and in another incident, a colleague died on duty when struck down by a heart attack. 

Then there was covid, which played havoc with the hospitality industry worldwide and forced many hotels and restaurants to close permanently. After a fortnight of tense uncertainty under lockdown, staff were furloughed and Peter set about keeping them active and engaged, as he recounted for the Stray Ferret in 2020. But although he acknowledges the wider catastrophe, his feelings are not all negative. He says: 

“In an ironic, strange way I almost enjoyed covid after those two weeks, because it was problem management: who can be quickest, who can be most creative?” 

Photo of Peter Banks, the former manager of Rudding Park Hotel in Harrogate.

That fleet-footed flexibility is a quality that hotel managers have always needed to have, but some things are not the same as they used to be. So just what has changed over the 38 years Peter has been in hospitality? He says: 

“It’s much better. There’s none of the ‘homicidal chef’ activity going on. There’s none of the monstrous abuses of power that I experienced at the Hilton.  

“Also, when I started, the guests would accept a lot more, but now – with all the TV shows like Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares – they’re all ‘experts’.  

“Social media has made our job a lot more difficult – anybody can say whatever they like about you and your property to the whole wide world, and you have no recourse. 

“They slag off staff as well. I’m big enough and ugly enough to take it, but when they have a go at the staff, it demotivates the team. Some of them might leave. If we’re not careful, we’re only going to be left in this industry with people who don’t care – and then it really will be bad.” 

He adds: 

“Every time there’s a complaint, that’s a scar on your back. In this industry, you don’t so much get physical injuries, but you end up carrying scars on your soul – if you care.” 

How is his soul? 

“Fairly scarred.” 

But that’s not why he’s left Rudding Park. That has far more to do with wanting to spend more time with his family, whom he feels he has neglected for decades. He says: 

“My eldest son is 28 and I’ve spent one Christmas with him. That’s how much dedication you need to this job. It crucifies you. I’ll never ever have that chance again. 

“To work as hard as I have for 38 years, you need to want it and need it in equal measure, because you have to sacrifice so much. I still want it, because I still love the industry, but I don’t need it. My kids are grown up and ‘off the payroll’, so that’s it. Happy days. Somebody else can work Christmas Day.” 

Still only 55, he’s not planning on retiring completely. A second career as a hospitality consultant beckons, and he’s already got “nine or 10” projects to consider. 

But for the time being, he’s taking a three-month break, and today is handing out those books. But why has he chosen Shane? He says: 

“It’s all in the final paragraph. Answering the question of who Shane was, it says ‘He was the man who rode into our little valley out of the heart of the great glowing West, and when his work was done, rode back whence he had come, and he was Shane’.

“I sometimes feel that I’m the Shane of the hospitality world. I rode into this little valley, not meaning to stay here as long as I did, but my job is done now. 

“It’s a young man’s game.” 

Read more:

 

Business Q&A: Tim Brown, Brown Trout

This week, we spoke to Tim Brown, owner of Brown Trout on Cold Bath Road in Harrogate.

Tell us in fewer than 30 words what your firm does. 

We’re a fly-fishing emporium and country clothing outdoor specialist shop. We also do quite a lot of destination fly-fishing trips. I’ve just come back from a month on the River Spey in Scotland.

What does it take to be successful in business? 

In my business you’ve got to have a complete passion for what you do. Hopefully, that comes through the instant you walk in the door.

So long as you’re honest and sell well and you’re competitive, you should be fine.

Photo of Brown Trout, the fly-fishing and outdoor clothing specialist shop on Cold Bath Road in Harrogate.

Brown Trout is one of the longest-established and most recognisable shops on Cold Bath Road in Harrogate.

What drives you to do what you do every day? 

It’s a passion. This is definitely not work!

What has been the toughest issue your company has had to deal with over the last 12 months? 

I think the increase in mortgage rates has put a little bit of a damper on people’s spending. On the other hand, all the wet weather we’ve been having has meant I’ve sold lot of wellies! You’ll never have the perfect trading year.

Which other local firms do you most admire, and why? 

Jeremy [Beaumont] at Rhodes Wood at the bottom of Parliament Street has had a wonderful business for many years – centred on himself, of course. When people come out of the convention centre and see all the takeaways, it’s one business that really represents Harrogate.

Ben at Ogdens, the jewellers on James Street, has done very well too. To keep a family business going for that long is remarkable.

Who are the most inspiring local leaders? 

Anybody who volunteers their spare time to get kids into sport.

Photo of Tim Brown, owner of Brown Trout, the fly-fishing and outdoor clothing specialist shop on Cold Bath Road in Harrogate.

Tim Brown also runs fly-fishing trips to some of the best salmon rivers in Scotland.

What could be done locally to boost business? 

Get the traffic and parking sorted out in Harrogate. We need somebody who knows what they’re doing to get to grips with it. Bring back disc parking!

Best and worst things about running a business from Harrogate? 

The hospitality businesses in Harrogate do a very good job of making sure that we get an awful lot of visitors here. It amazes me how far people come – I’ve just served a gentleman from the United States. This is a conference town, and a lot of people explore beyond their hotel and find me here – I do very well out of it.

The worst thing is that the traffic is pretty grim, but I do appreciate that it’s pretty bad in most towns.

What are your business plans for the future? 

To keep going. As you get older, you realise how fragile life is. Health and happiness are the most important things, so you’ve got to make sure you do something you enjoy.

What do you like to do in your time off? 

Fly-fishing. Close to home, on the Nidd, Wharfe or Ure, which are both good for trout, or further afield, the Wear for sea trout and salmon.

Best place to eat and drink locally? 

William & Victoria’s – it’s an institution. David [Straker, the owner] does a great job.

This is the latest in a regular series of weekly Business Q&A features. If you’d like to suggest someone in business in the Harrogate district for this feature, drop us a line at contact@thestrayferret.co.uk.

Read more:

Business Q&A: Andrew North, Alexanders Prestige

This is the latest in a regular series of Business Q&A features published weekly.     

This week, we spoke to Andrew North, director of Alexanders Prestige, the luxury car specialist based in Boroughbridge.

Tell us in fewer than 30 words what your firm does. 

We buy, sell and service all makes of prestige, luxury and supercars. We’re based in Boroughbridge and we’ve been looking after our national clients for 20 years.

What’s the most expensive car you’ve sold?

A very rare Porsche 911 for £650,000.

What does it require to be successful in business? 

You’ve got to love what you do. It’s important to employ the right people, who have the same beliefs and work ethic that you do. And one thing all businesses need to recognise: cash is king!

What drives you to do what you do every day? 

Probably my huge overheads!

I love what I do and I’m a car enthusiast. I’m always trying to find new ways to adapt to the marketplace, which is ever-changing, both from an economic and a digital point of view.

You’ve got to be constantly on it, and more than ever, that means digitally. Apart from repeat customers, the majority of our leads come via the internet. You wouldn’t believe the amount of £200,000 to £300,000 cars we send to customers around the UK who we’ve never met, and who haven’t even seen the car before. It’s all done online.

What has been the toughest issue your company has had to deal with over the last 12 months? 

Probably two things. First, post-covid the availability of stock has been limited. A lot of the cars we sell are used, but not very old, and because of the pandemic, not many cars were produced in 2021-22, so they can be quite hard to find.

Secondly, after covid there was a big surge in prices of cars, but that was followed in late 2023 by a big price crash. Some cars went down by £50-60,000 overnight. When you’re carrying about 100 cars in stock, that’s quite painful!

Which other local firms do you most admire and why? 

I think what Valeria Sykes achieved at Grantley Hall should be commended. She took a ruin and turned it into the best hotel in the UK, but using only Yorkshire firms. What Valeria’s done for Yorkshire is absolutely fantastic.

Photo of Andrew North, director of luxury car specialist Alexanders Prestige in Boroughbridge.

Alexanders Prestige turns over £70 million a year.

Who are the most inspiring local leaders? 

I’m not political at all, so I probably couldn’t give you one!

What could be done locally to boost business? 

Whether it’s classed as local or not, I don’t know, but more could be done for green energy. A business of our size would definitely go more green if there were more incentives, such as grants for solar energy and electric charging for cars.

Best and worst things about running a business from Boroughbridge? 

Yorkshire people are the best, in that they’re lovely and straight-talking and honest.

Then again, they’re probably the worst too – we all know how careful with their money Yorkshire people can be!

What are your business plans for the future? 

Our plan is to continue to organically grow our business. Our big focus now is on the digital and social media side. If we’re not at the forefront of that, we could be left behind. I think we are at the forefront now – or close to it – but we need to stay there.

What do you like to do in your time off? 

I like to spend it with my family, travelling, eating out, and watching my son go-karting.

Best place to eat and drink locally? 

We eat fairly regularly at Grantley Hall, and I also like the Abbey Inn at Byland. It has a very relaxed atmosphere, and Tommy Banks, the Michelin-starred chef, does the best ‘real’ food you can get. If you have a burger there, it’s the best you’ll ever have.

I also like Will & Vic’s on Cold Bath Road in Harrogate. It’s a great social place, and I like being in the hustle and bustle of town.

Read more:

Should Harrogate have a ‘magnificent’ water feature?Should Harrogate have a ‘magnificent’ water feature?

There have been numerous schemes devised over the years to improve Harrogate. Some come to fruition, such as the 19th-century plan to develop a wedge of land called the Crookisnab between the villages of High and Low Harrogate, which resulted in our town centre. Others are not so successful, like the 1970 traffic management plan that included a flyover passing close to the Majestic Hotel. 

But one that keeps cropping up time and again is the dream of creating a grand water feature somewhere in the town centre. 

In 1946, the town council spent £100 on erecting a fountain to emphasise the importance of water to Harrogate, but it was soon turned off to save power and eventually scrapped. 

A few years later, the council re-introduced a water feature as part of its reconstruction of Station Square, but that was eventually filled in.

Photo taken circa 1950 of Station Square, showing the water features that were later filled in.

Photo taken circa 1950 of Station Square, showing the water feature that was later filled in. Photo: Vik Lokie/Walker-Neesam Archive.

Then in 1992, when the area outside the Victoria Quarter remodelled, developer Speyhawk incorporated pools and fountains, but these too were later removed. 

Just over a decade ago, developer Lateral unveiled a scheme to pedestrianise Parliament Street and reroute through-traffic via a hairpin bend round the Pump Room. That scheme – which failed to find much support – also included water features at various places around town. 

Most recently, the original Harrogate Station Gateway plans envisaged water jets shooting vertically out of a plaza on Station Parade, but that part of the plan was also dropped. 

Photo taken around 1992 showing the fountains that were part of the original Victoria Shopping Centre design, but which were removed a few years later.

The fountains that were part of the original Victoria Shopping Centre design in 1992 were removed a few years later. Photo: Walker-Neesam Archive.

But why the recurring interest in something so apparently inessential? A nice-to-have, rather than a need-to-have? 

Well, it all comes down to identity. Look around most towns and cities and the reason for their location is usually fairly obvious. Some are on a defensible hill or a navigable inlet, and go to the heart of almost any large settlement and you’ll see a river running through it.

But spa towns are different. Towns like Harrogate have no castle, harbour or river, and their origin or purpose is not immediately obvious. A water feature, it has been argued, could remedy that, acting as a focus for Harrogate’s identity and embodying its Latin motto – arx celebris fontibus – a citadel famous for its springs.

The late Malcolm Neesam, Harrogate’s historian par excellence, clearly gave the matter a lot of thought. When asked by the Stray Ferret in 2021 how he would improve Harrogate, he included prominent fountains on his wish-list. 

He said: 

“The time is well overdue to provide Harrogate with some magnificent water features to celebrate its Spa past.” 

He described his vision: 

“Given unlimited funding, I would add something so spectacular as to make visitors arriving at the town’s centre gasp with wonderment.”

Of the gardens on Prospect Place, in front of the Yorkshire Hotel and Hotel du Vin, he said: 

“I would introduce at least four multi-bowled cascade fountains to advertise Harrogate as the original Spadacrene Anglica – the English spa fountain – which would be illuminated at night, and of such a design as to ensure the minimum side-effects from wind. Along the low row of boundary stones, which separate the gardens from the footpath, I would add a long ornamental railing, which would be attractive to the eye and useful in emphasising that pedestrians should remain on the path.”

The intention would be to announce to people coming into the town from the south: “This is a spa town. Water is why it exists”. 

At the last attempt, the general idea gained a fair amount of public support. In the second round of public consultation on Harrogate Station Gateway Public in 2021, comments mentioning the water feature element of the proposals were largely positive. A typical comment read: 

“There should be a public fountain like in European cities. Water features are great for well-being.” 

Another said: 

“These are fantastic and interactive. They have been very successful in places like Kings Cross, Manchester and Bradford. Please include this in the final scheme.” 

Photo of the fountains in City Park, Bradford.

The fountains in City Park, Bradford. Photo: Creative Commons/Phil Champion.

But some were less enthusiastic, for example: 

“Water features especially usually attract litter and anti-social behaviour (see Bradford and its lake, for example). Too many of schemes like this just produce what looks like clutter in reality, as opposed to pretty impressions.” 

Another gave it a firm “no”, adding: 

“It would be very difficult to prevent children getting wet and Harrogate is a windy town, so spray would blow all over.” 

Andrew Brown, interim chair of Harrogate Civic Society, is inclined to agree. Speaking to the Stray Ferret in a personal capacity, he said: 

“I was not a fan of that proposal. I quite like the idea of waterjets in public places, but Station Square was not the right location. It’s a relatively small space and fairly shadowed, even in the summer.” 

But he does like the broader idea. He said: 

“It would be very appropriate for Harrogate to have one or more water features, but it would very much depend on what form it would take. It could take many forms in different locations, and its form might also be influenced by its location.” 

Sites other than Station Square and Prospect Gardens could feasibly include the area around the Cenotaph, Montpellier Gardens, Crescent Gardens (in front of the old council offices) and the heart of the shopping district, where Cambridge Street opens up into Market Place. 

For Matthew Chapman, manager of Harrogate BID (business improvement district), the idea could provide a welcome – and Continental – boost to Harrogate’s social and cultural life. He said: 

“We’d be fully in support of such a proposal that celebrates the heritage and traditions of Harrogate. 

“If we look at some of the highest-performing European cities, they all have an excellent public realm offer. Cities like Rome, Krakow and Paris all have main squares where people can congregate, and where different partners – policing, the council, street cleansing – all work together towards a shared vision. Harrogate needs that too.” 

Cllr Sam Gibbs, who represents the Valley Gardens & Central Harrogate Division on North Yorkshire Council, is more measured in his enthusiasm for the notion, but ultimately open to suggestions. He said: 

“It’s not a terrible idea, but it would really depend on where it was, how much it would cost, and who would be responsible for it.

“I supported the original plans for the Station Gateway, and a key part of that was improvements like these to the public realm.

“I’m all for things that smarten up the town centre. If we can attract more footfall and encourage people to stay here, that can only be a good thing.”

He added:

“If it’s part of a wider conversation about how we encourage people into the town, as far as I’m concerned, nothing’s off the table.”

Read more:

 

Firefighters battle major house fire in Starbeck

Fire has caused widespread damage to a house and garage in Starbeck this morning.

The blaze is believed to have started in the garage of the property on Avenue Close, off High Street.

Crews from Harrogate, Knaresborough, Wetherby and Moortown, along with the aerial ladder platform from Harrogate, battled the fire.

Harrogate watch manager Nev Scott said crews were mobilised at 9.52am to what he described as a “significant fire”.

Mr Scott said:

“The fire has significantly affected one two-storey property, and there is smoke damage to a neighbouring property.

“The work of the crews has prevented the fire spreading to an adjacent property. Crews will continue to work through the day to dampen the fire and mitigate any further damage.”

He added the occupants had got out of the property by the time firefighters arrived at the scene, and no-one injured. An investigation into the cause us ongoing.

The burnt wreckage of the garage.

A statement by North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service said:

“Fire crews were called at around 9:50 this morning to reports of a house fire on Avenue Close in Harrogate.

Crews have been working to fight the fire and stop it spreading to a second property.”

Firefighters at the scene of a house fire in Starbeck.

Paramedics and police were also at the scene.

North Yorkshire Police said in a statement:

“Police are assisting North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service at the scene of a fire at a residential property on Avenue Close in Harrogate.

“The incident was reported at 10.17am.”

Photo of smoke billowing from a window in the fire-damaged roof of a house in Starbeck.

Smoke billows from the roof of the fire-damaged roof.

Read more:

 

Access is a ‘shambles’ at purpose-built Harrogate flats, says disabled resident

A brand-new block of flats that was described as “setting the standard” for assisted living facilities when it was opened this month is “an absolute shambles”, according to a resident who moved in last week. 

St Roberts Grove, which offers residential care and support to people with a range of disabilities, was described as “what the future of care looks like” by Harrogate and Knaresborough Conservative MP Andrew Jones when he cut the ribbon on the Claro Road facility in Harrogate this month. 

But new resident Nick Moxon, 35, has highlighted one of the building’s shortcomings by filming himself trying to get into the lift he needs to use to reach his first-floor flat.

As shown in the video, which Mr Moxon shared with the Stray Ferret, he has first to go through a door and turn immediately right, stopping on a very small landing at the top of a flight of stairs. Then, he has to reverse his wheelchair and press the button to call the lift, before edging forward again to allow the first door to close behind him. 

Once the lift has come and the door opened for him, he has to reverse through 90 degrees into the lift. But the passageway is so narrow that the manoeuvre requires a lot of shunting back and forth, and in the video clip he shared, the attempt is in vain because the lift door ‘times out’ and closes automatically, meaning that Mr Moxon has to start the process all over again. 

He said: 

“I can use the lift, but it usually takes me a few goes. We tenants were only allowed to see inside the building a week before we moved in, and when I saw the lift, I thought ‘why on earth have they done that?’” 

Mr Moxon, who previously praised the spaciousness of the flats themselves, said that the problems at St Roberts Grove aren’t just confined to the lift: 

“The flats are lovely, but the corridors and doorways you have to use to get to them are too narrow. In some places, two wheelchairs going in opposite directions can’t get past each other. Some people’s wheelchairs are too big to access all parts of the building, and some people can’t work the lift to see their friends because they have limited mobility in their hands.

“We were sold this idea of the building being completely accessible, allowing people to live independently, but it’s not – it’s an absolute shambles. It’s completely unacceptable for a 2024 building. The person who designed it just hasn’t put any thought into how wheelchairs can get about.” 

The £7.5 million St Roberts Grove development was built and is owned by Sheffield-based Highstone Housing Association, which specialises in supported living accommodation for vulnerable adults, in partnership with local authorities across Yorkshire. The new facility has 35 accessible flats and on-site support staff is run by Disability Action Yorkshire. 

Two of three planned blocks have been built, and the third, due to be built on the site of Disability Action Yorkshire’s current care home, is expected to be completed by spring 2026. 

Mr Moxon said: 

“Far from the promise of increased independence, the layout of the two current blocks of flats deeply undermines the overall objective of the project, which should ensure that disabled persons should be allowed to dream and aspire to achieve their potential, and not be hidden by archaic and outdated attitudes obviously held by the architect who was in charge of designing our new homes.”  

Mr Moxon has contacted Disability Action Yorkshire about the accessibility issues at St Roberts Grove and has presented a list of recommendations to Highstone Housing Association, which has said it will consider the matter carefully.

He added:

“I had a constructive meeting with Highstone and we’re trying to find an amicable solution. Watch this space.”

Andrew Jones MP and Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson cut the ribbon at the opening.

The Stray Ferret asked Andrew Jones MP if he stood by his comment that St Roberts Grove was “what the future of care looks like”. He replied:

“The future of disability care is modern, flexible, aspirational accommodation which gives disabled people the chance to have their own tenancy, their own property and their own front door just the same as everybody else.”

He confirmed Mr Moxon had contacted him about the issue, but said the correspondence was confidential.

The Stray Ferret has contacted Jackie Snape, chief executive of Disability Action Yorkshire, for comment but not yet had a response.

Mr Jones added:

“I feel sure that Disability Action Yorkshire will want to work constructively with any tenant who raises concerns. I understand though that the chief executive is unable to comment until next week.”

Read more:

Business Q&A: Jack Schofield, Atlas Helicopters

This is the latest in a regular series of Business Q&A features published weekly.

This week we spoke to Jack Schofield, managing director of Atlas Helicopters in Harrogate.

Tell us in fewer than 30 words what your firm does. 

Atlas Helicopters provides private helicopter charter in the UK and near continent. We buy and sell aircraft and offer private management services for helicopter owners, so we can guide you through the buying process and then take care of your helicopter for you. We can also put your helicopter on our charter fleet to help you offset the running costs.

What does it require to be successful in business? 

You need determination and a great team of people around you to make sure everything runs well – that’s crucial.

Our business is definitely not nine-to-five, so we put a lot of time and effort into being available 24/7.

Having said all that, I’ve never really thought of myself as a businessman. I was a pilot and ended up running the business and spending more time in the office than in the air.

What drives you to do what you do every day? 

I enjoy getting involved with all aspects of the business. As a pilot, I like making sure customers get everything they need, and I also work with the operations team and spend time training pilots.

It can be hectic – we often have lots of people all wanting to fly on the same day, so it can be a logistical nightmare, but we work well together and that gives me a strong sense of satisfaction.

What has been the toughest issue your company has had to deal with over the last 12 months? 

All aircraft have to be fully serviced every 50 hours of flying time, and parts get replaced all the time. But recently, getting hold of spare parts for aircraft has been very tricky.

We’ve just had to spend a lot of time tracking down a spare part for a helicopter that would have grounded it, had we not been able to find one. The helicopter company, Leonardo in Italy, had said it would take a year to get the part to us – it’s hard to understand why – so we had to source one by other means, otherwise it would have caused chaos in the fleet.

Getting spare parts has definitely been a lot worse this year, possibly as a knock-on effect of the global microchip shortage.

Which other local firms do you most admire and why? 

We work closely with a company in Harrogate called MEC Chauffeurs. It’s a similar company to ours, but with cars rather then helicopters. If our customers need cars to get them to their final destination, we use them. It’s only been around for a year, but it’s a top service.

Who are the most inspiring local leaders? 

Sorry – I’ve got nothing on that one!

What could be done locally to boost business? 

It’s a good question, but I don’t have an answer to that either. There’s a lot of demand for helicopter charter, so business is good for us.

Best and worst things about running a business from Harrogate? 

We’ve got helicopters all around the country, so we could be based anywhere. We’re based in Harrogate because it’s where I live. I’ve lived here all my life and it’s a lovely place to live and work.

The worst thing is probably the cost of living here.

What are your business plans for the future? 

We started last year with three aircraft and now have seven, so we’re growing.

Demand is slowly increasing to be driven around in larger aircraft, so we’re looking to get one. At the moment, we tend to fly small, light two-seaters, but we’re now looking to add a bigger aircraft to the fleet that can seat nine or 10 people.

We’re always looking to get new aircraft on the books and grow our charter business.

What do you like to do in your time off? 

I don’t have a huge amount of spare days, but when I have the time I like to go to the gym. I try to go every day.

I come from a family of six siblings and we all live in Harrogate. We’re quite close, so when I have a day off I like to meet up with them for walks (we all have dogs), or maybe to watch the rugby at the weekends.

Best place to eat and drink locally? 

My favourite pub is Three’s A Crowd on West Park. It’s got a nice atmosphere and on sunny days it’s nice to sit in the big windows, or outside on the pavement when it’s really warm.

My favourite restaurant is Pranzo on Cold Bath Road. I love the pasta there – it’s so good!

Read more: