Tories woo independents to maintain grip on North Yorkshire Council

The ruling Conservatives on North Yorkshire Council are attempting to woo independent councillors in a bid to maintain control.

The Stray Ferret understands meetings have taken place with a view to securing the support of three independents.

The Conservatives currently hold 45 of 90 council seats following this month’s defection of Cllr Mike Jordan — precisely half.

They still retain control by virtue of having the chair’s casting vote. But with the power balance on a knife-edge, and the next North Yorkshire elections not scheduled until 2028, the Tories are worried about losing control if further defections or by-election losses occur.

They held 47 of the 90 seats after last year’s election in May but the death of Margaret Atkinson, whose Masham and Fountains division was won by the Liberal Democrats in a by-election, eroded their majority and Cllr Jordan’s defection wiped it away.

Multiple sources from different parties have told the Stray Ferret discussions have taken place between the Conservatives and independents who are believed to be open to their advances.

It is not clear what form any alliance would take but the Liberal Democrats are believed to be concerned about any deals that may be struck as part of whatever arrangement is agreed.

Nine councillors currently belong to an Independent group on North Yorkshire Council. Another six are unaffiliated.

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Student’s floral design becomes reality in Ripon Spa Gardens

A Ripon student’s floral design has been turned into reality at the city’s Spa Gardens.

Evie Wood, 17, won a competition open to schools across the Harrogate district to design a floral tribute to King Charles III.

It was organised by the now-defunct Harrogate Borough Council in conjunction with local In Bloom groups.

The winning Ripon entry was assessed by the council parks team and Ripon in Bloom.

Evie’s design in Spa Gardens

Ripon Grammar School pupil Evie has now seen her winning entry translated from paper to flowerbed by the council’s parks team.

Evie, who plans to take a degree in fine art, said:

“I am very interested in the design side of gardening.

“I knew the flowers that I wanted to incorporate and the colours I wanted to use and so I just went from there really. It was so nice to see the flower bed I designed come to life as I didn’t expect it to, so it was a really nice surprise!”

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Council investigates planning breach claims at 53-home Harrogate site

North Yorkshire Council is investigating an alleged breach of planning in a Harrogate field where 53 homes could be built.

North-east property developer Jomast has applied to build the homes off Knox Lane in Bilton. Councillors deferred the scheme for a third time this month amid concerns about land contamination.

Since then, the council has opened a probe into potential damage to trees within the tree preservation order.

The Stray Ferret has seen a letter from a council planning enforcement officer to a resident saying it is investigating and will provide a further update within 28 days.

When we approached the council about it, assistant director for planning Trevor Watson said:

“We can confirm that we are currently investigating a possible breach of planning regulations at that location.

“While that investigation is ongoing we will not be commenting further.”

The Knox scheme has received more than 300 objections amid concerns about its impact on a quiet corner of Bilton.

Sue Wrightson, of the Keep Knox Natural campaign group, which opposes the development, claimed field activity undertaken at the site this month did not conform with council guidelines on contaminated land.

Photos of the site

Dr Damian Bowen a toxicologist and local resident who has submitted a review of Jomast’s phase two contamination report, alleged the company had not addressed concerns raised about the reliability of its data.

In response to a request for comment on the council investigation, Stephen Courcier, planning consultant for the application at Jomast, said:

“We can confirm that the further site investigative works to the railway embankment took place over Thursday and Friday of last week.

“These further investigative works were specifically requested by the local planning authority.”

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Boroughbridge to be removed from Harrogate and Knaresborough constituency

The Harrogate and Knaresborough constituency is set to shrink following a national review of parliamentary boundaries.

The Boundary Commission for England today published its final recommendations for new constituency boundaries.

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

Goldsborough, Flaxby, Allerton Park, Hopperton and Burton Leonard will be added to the seat.

The overall size of the constituency electorate will reduce from 78,372 to 75,800.

The current boundary for the Harrogate and Knaresborough constituency.

The current boundaries for the Harrogate and Knaresborough and Selby and Ainsty constituencies.

The government now has four months to bring forward an Order to give effect to the final recommendations, which will then be implemented at the next general election.

There will therefore be no changes before next month’s Selby and Ainsty by-election on July 20.

Andrew Jones, MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough.

Andrew Jones

Mr Jones, who has represented Harrogate and Knaresborough since 2010, said he was “very sad” to lose “beautiful parts of the constituency” he has represented for 13 years.

He said:

“I will support whoever is elected to represent those areas as part of the new Wetherby and Easingwold constituency so that there is a seamless transfer of issues and constituent casework from my office to their office.”

Mr Jones added he welcomed the addition of the new villages to Harrogate and Knaresborough. He said:

“Being so close to my current constituency I have a strong relationship with those areas and look forward to that continuing.

“The  Boundary Commission review takes place over several years and takes exhaustive evidence from individuals, local community groups and politicians. The purpose of the review is to ensure that constituencies are similar sizes and make sense in terms of community links.”

Boost for Lib Dems?

Harrogate and Knaresborough Liberal Democrats are not unhappy at the loss of affluent Boroughbridge, which they think will enhance their prospects of preventing Mr Jones winning a fifth consecutive election.

Tom Gordon

Tom Gordon

Tom Gordon, the party’s prospective parliamentary candidate for Harrogate and Knaresborough, said:

“The new Harrogate & Knaresborough constituency boundaries will make it an even closer battle between the Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives at the next general election.”

Tim Bowden, secretary to the Boundary Commission, said:

“The recommendations we have published today mark the end of a thorough and consultative process to build the new map of parliamentary constituencies.

“We have taken into account over 60,000 public comments, travelled the country, and heard many passionate views about how best to reflect local community ties in our recommendations.”

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The changes, which include retaining a total of 650 constituencies across the UK, see each seat contain no less than 69,724 voters and no more than 77,062.

England has been allocated 543 constituencies — 10 more than it currently has.

The commission began its review in January 2021. It issued initial proposals in June 2021 and revised proposals in November last year.

Toaster and alarm clock cause false alarms for firefighters

Firefighters in Harrogate responded to two unusual false alarms today.

At 8.46am, a crew from Harrogate responded to reports of a fire alarm sounding on Kings Road in the town.

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service‘s incident report said:

“This was a false alarm caused by burnt toast.”

Shortly afterwards, the Harrogate crew was summoned to The Spinney in Knaresborough at 10.01am after another fire alarm went off. The incident report said:

“This was a false alarm, where an alarm clock had been mistaken for a fire alarm.”

It was the third strange false alarm in less than a day for the Harrogate firefighters, who responded to a house alarm going off at 5.04pm yesterday on Leeds Road.

Again, there was no fire — the cause this time was described “a faulty deaf alarm”.

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Knaresborough hosts county’s biggest ever female cricket festival

Knaresborough Forest Cricket Club hosted the biggest women and girls cricket festival North Yorkshire has ever seen on Sunday.

The club was joined by 22 teams at its Calcutt Oval ground.

About 200 females played a series of short-format softball matches. Softball is a fast-paced version of the game, suitable for all ages and abilities.

Players pose for the camera.

Rachel Hildreth, women and girls cricket development manager for north and east Yorkshire at the Yorkshire Cricket Board, said:

“The day was an incredible success, and I was particularly impressed with how the club showcased their sense of community”.

Bella Simpson, who plays for Ouseburn Cricket Club under-15s, said:

“It was so nice to see so many other girls enjoy cricket and be able to get the opportunity to play it.”

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David Alloway, chairman of Knaresborough Forest Cricket Club, said:

“I couldn’t be prouder of the whole club and the direction it is going in. We are inclusive and family orientated, which has led to increasing membership of our junior and senior groups.”

Action from Sunday’s event.

The club’s female squad The Willows was founded in 2021 and now has 22 players. They currently play in the Hambleton Women’s Soft Ball Cricket League.

One of the team’s founding players, Hilary O’Callaghan said:

“The Willows started as a group of mums who watched our kids play. To see how far we’ve come with hard work, training and lots of laughs is amazing.

“I would say to any girl or woman who’s thinking about stepping onto the pitch, just go for it. You’ll learn a new skill, make great friends and be part of a wonderful cricket community.”

The club also has four senior men’s teams and several junior teams. More information is available here.

Police reopen Harrogate street after suspected explosive found

Police have re-opened a Harrogate street after a suspected First World War artillery shell was discovered this afternoon.

A cordon was put up after the discovery at Rossett Avenue in Harrogate.

North Yorkshire Police tweeted at 2.33pm this afternoon:

“Cordon in place after munition found in Harrogate.

“We’re at a location on Rossett Ave after the discovery of a suspected WW1 shell.

“A cordon is in place to keep everyone safe, so please avoid the area.”

But the road re-opened quickly after officers discovered it was a decommissioned shell filled with sand.

Police tweeted:

All clear on Rossett Avenue 👍

We've established that a suspected First World War artillery shell found earlier today at a property on Rossett Avenue, Harrogate, had been decommissioned, and is no danger.

The cordon's been lifted and everything is back to normal. pic.twitter.com/nIfKaWlJoM

— North Yorkshire Police – Harrogate (@NYP_Harrogate) June 28, 2023

 

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Harrogate village church dating back to 1904 to be sold

Hampsthwaite Methodist Church, which closed in October 2021, has been put up for sale for £175,000.

The church, which dates back to 1904, has been a feature of Hampsthwaite life for more than a century. It served as a Sunday school as well as a place of worship.

It is among a group of churches being sold by Nidd Valley Methodist Circuit in Harrogate. The asking price has not been revealed.

Rev Ben Clowes, superintendent minister of the circuit, said:

“Hampsthwaite chapel stood at the heart of the community for over 100 years and the work of the people there is remembered very fondly by many across the area.

“The time has come to sell this property as our mission to the village of Hampsthwaite continues from our other local churches.”

The single-storey building on Hollins Lane includes a main hall, two school rooms, a kitchen, toilets, a small basement and garden space at the front.

The organ was relocated to another Methodist church in Hebden Bridge by a specialist company from Norfolk, W & A Boggis, which dismantled it, transported the parts and then rebuilt it in situ in Hebden Bridge.

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Commercial property consultants Lambert Smith Hampton, which has been instructed to find a buyer, has said the site has development potential for a variety of uses, subject to planning permissions and other consents.

Richard Corby, director at Lambert Smith Hampton, said:

“We are excited to be marketing this outstanding opportunity to acquire an important historical asset in the beautiful North Yorkshire village of Hampsthwaite, just 5 miles from Harrogate.

“Several individuals have already come forward with a wide range of proposed uses for the building, so we need to assess what will be the best outcome for the church.”

Urgent appeal to find Harrogate woman not seen for two weeks

Police are urgently appealing for information to find a Harrogate woman who has not been seen for two weeks.

Felicia Dunkley, 56, was last seen by neighbours at her flat on Spa Lane in Starbeck just before 6pm on Wednesday, June 14.

She was reported missing by her family on Tuesday, June 20.

North Yorkshire Police said last night concerns were growing for her welfare following enquiries in both North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire.

It said in a statement:

“Felicia previously lived in Leeds and she is known to travel by bus to Leeds Bus Station.

“As well as her home in Starbeck, she has also lived in the Euclid Avenue area of Harrogate and often visited the Aldi supermarket on Oak Beck Road.

“She tends to go to busy areas such as shopping centres where she likes to sit down on benches or in seating areas.”

It added:

“Checks have been made with transport hubs, hospitals and homeless shelters without any sign of Felicia.

“It is not known if she has access to money and she does not have a mobile phone.”

Police are urging people to come forward if they have potentially seen Felicia at any point since June 14.

Felicia is described as black, aged 56, 5ft 6in tall, stocky build, medium-length black hair, and she wears glasses.

She is likely to have on a knitted grey cardigan, all dark clothing, and green trainers.

Anyone with information about Felicia’s whereabouts during the past two weeks should contact North Yorkshire Police without delay on 101, select option 1, and speak to the force control room.

For immediate sightings, dial 999.

Quote reference number 12230113606.

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Knaresborough could get country’s first water-powered EV charging station

Knaresborough is in line to receive the country’s first water-powered electric vehicle charging station.

North Yorkshire Council plans to install a hydro turbine to power vehicles parked at Waterside Car Park, alongside the River Nidd.

The council successfully bid to the government’s Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure scheme, which funds schemes by local authorities in England to install charge point infrastructure for residents without off-street parking.

The River Nidd is within metres of the car park.

A council spokesperson said:

“The reason it has been chosen is to pilot rolling out EV charging points in areas with high grid connection costs.

“While Waterside car park in Knaresborough is not as grid-constrained as some, it is the ideal site to pilot due to the weir, flow rate of the river and landownership with that stretch of the river and car park belonging to the council.”

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The spokesperson added:

“Hydroelectric power should be able to reliably provide power throughout the year except in extreme droughts and each site is looking to have a secondary renewable generation capability, either solar or wind if appropriate.

“The renewable sources will provide power to a large battery system and which will then be able to charge up to five vehicles at once.

“Full costs are to be determined once the procurement process has been completed.”

They added “as far as we are aware it will be the first one in the country” and the likely installation date was next year.

Traders fear lost revenue

Electric vehicle EV Chapel Street car park parking

Empty electric vehicle charging stations in Chapel Street Car Park.

The roll-out of electric vehicle charging stations has proved controversial in Knaresborough

Ten bays have been installed in Chapel Street Car Park in the town centre but there is rarely more than one or two in use.

This has infuriated some traders, who say they are losing business on Wednesday’s busy market day because customers in non-electric vehicles struggle to park.

They have called for some electric vehicle bays to be available to all vehicles until demand for the charge points catches up with supply.

Twelve EV bays have been installed at Conyngham Hall Car Park but are not yet active and the bays have been coned off to all motorists. None of the five bays planned for Waterside Car Park have yet been created.

Matt Walker, a Liberal Democrat who represents Knaresborough West on North Yorkshire Council, said hydro turbine-powered charging bays at Waterside Car Park were “really positive” but he shared concerns about the allocation of parking bays in the town.

Cllr Matt Walker

Cllr Walker said:

“The council needs to make sure these spaces can be used by people if they are not being used by people with electric vehicles.

“If they are sat empty it benefits nobody. Businesses are losing out on customers and the council is losing out on thousands of pounds of revenue.”

Cllr Walker said he had been told by the council the situation would be reviewed.