Masham pre-school rated ‘inadequate’ by Ofsted

A Masham pre-school has been rated inadequate by government inspector Ofsted due to “weaknesses in the leadership and management that compromise children’s safety and welfare”. 

Acorns Pre-School, which caters for 23 children aged two to nine, received its first inspection for six years on July 6. 

The pre-school was rated ‘good’ for quality of education and behaviour and attitudes in a report published today.

But its overall ‘inadequate’ rating was due to ‘inadequate’ gradings for leadership and management and personal development

The report said not all staff who work directly with children had an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check in place. It also described the safeguarding arrangements as “not effective”, adding:

“Supervision, coaching and mentoring of staff is not effective. Managers do not regularly monitor the quality of education delivered to children.”

‘Children are happy’

The report praised many aspects of Acorns Pre-School, which is based in Mashamshire Community Office on Little Market Place. It said:

“Despite weaknesses, children are happy to arrive and enter the pre-school confidently, ready to start their day.

“Staff are caring, kind and nurturing towards children. Children show that they feel secure, as they form relationships with staff and friendships with their peers from an early age.”

Children behave well and staff are positive role models who support children to be independent and confident, the report adds. Partnership with parents is described as a strength of the pre-school.

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Val Horstool, manager of Acorns Pre-School, said the overall rating was predominantly due to one new member of staff not having a DBS check at the time of the Ofsted visit.

Ms Horstool said:

“That has been resolved and we have complied with everything they wanted us to do.”

She added she expected the assessment to be upgraded when inspectors returned in the next six months.

GALLERY: Terrier racing, giant tortoises and axe-throwing at Ripley Show

More than 6,000 people attended Ripley Show yesterday.

The event, which dates back to 1849, is a traditional village show held each year in the grounds of Ripley Castle.

Despite dark clouds, the day stayed mainly dry as visitors enjoyed everything from terrier racing to axe throwing and giant tortoises.

Organised by Ripley and District Agricultural and Horticultural Society on the second Sunday of August each year, there was also sheep dog trials, ferret racing and the judging of numerous animal classes and homemade produce.

Here are some photos from the day.

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Axe throwing was among the activities on offer.

Terrier racing was a big hit in the main ring.

There were more than 100 stalls to browse.

The sheep dog trials are a major part of the show.

More than 600 sheep were entered for judging.

The show is held in the grounds of Ripley Castle.

Judicial review launched against £11.2m Harrogate Station Gateway

A judicial review has today been launched against the £11.2 million Harrogate Station Gateway scheme.

Planning lawyers have been instructed by Hornbeam Park Developments to challenge North Yorkshire Council‘s decision-making on several grounds.

They include the council’s alleged failure to disclose documents relating to climate change, and a failure to properly consult upon the scheme as a result.

The judicial review threatens to de-rail the controversial scheme, which would see James Street partly pedestrianised and a 300-metre section of Station Parade reduced to single lane traffic to make way for new cycling routes.

A spokesperson for Hornbeam Park Developments said:

“Residents deserve to be fully informed on a major scheme with significant environmental and economic impact on our town.

“This judicial review challenges the decision-making process and lack of crucial information provided to the public as part of previous consultations.

“The impact of this disastrous scheme will be felt across the district, but specifically on the businesses on James Street, and residents nearby. These groups should be confident the correct processes and information was provided to help inform the public. Our investigations show this is not the case, so we are challenging this”.

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Councillors approved plans to proceed with the gateway in May.

Most Liberal Democrat and all Conservative councillors on North Yorkshire Council’s Harrogate and Knaresborough area constituency committee supported the scheme although the Liberal Democrats later withdrew support.

Latest Station Gateway visuals which show Harrogate's James Street pedestrianised.

How James Street would look.

A statement sent today on behalf of Hornbeam Park Developments said the scheme “has proved unpopular with the majority of residents and local businesses due to potential impact on the local economy and on town centre congestion due to increased waiting times throughout the day”.

It adds:

“Redirected traffic from the town centre gyratory could also make residential streets nearby less pedestrian friendly, fuelling concerns across the town centre.”

Key climate data not released  

Today’s legal challenge claims a council-commissioned climate change appraisal, which concludes the scheme is predicted to result in an increase in 1,356 tonnes of CO2e over its lifetime, was not made available during public consultation or taken into account by the council when it decided to go ahead.

Instead, consultation materials indicated the initiative would be beneficial in terms of climate change.

The judicial review also claims a plan showing proposals for traffic regulation orders on highways such as James Street was incorrect and should have triggered a public inquiry.

The spokesperson continued:

“The decision to omit the damning independent analysis into the predicted carbon emissions of this scheme will contribute during public consultation is shocking.

“In this climate emergency, information around environmentally damaging schemes should be front-and-centre to help people appraise the scheme.

“Instead, we have a document which states that the reduction of Station Parade to one lane and the part-time pedestrianisation of James Street will reduce general traffic capacity and force drivers onto longer alternative routes – predicted to result in an increase in 1,356 tonnes of CO2e over the project’s lifetime.

“Everyone in the town wants to see improvements to the area, but it needs to have a democratic mandate that we can all get behind, and be fully thought through.”

North Yorkshire Council has been approached for comment.

Police remove Nazi swastika flag hung over Harrogate Train Station

Police are investigating a suspected hate incident after a Nazi swastika flag was hung from a flat overlooking Harrogate Train Station.

The swastika appeared on Saturday and was visible to commuters until police removed it that night.

It was displayed from the window of a flat on East Parade, high above the train station.

North Yorkshire Police said in a statement last night:

“Police in Harrogate are investigating a suspected hate incident after a swastika flag was placed in the window of a flat near Harrogate Train Station on Saturday.

“Two separate complaints were made to North Yorkshire Police.

“Following enquiries, officers attended the property just before 10pm to remove the offensive item.”

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The spokesperson added:

“The matter is now subject to an investigation and the occupant of the flat, who was not present, will be spoken to in due course.

“Officers will also be taking formal statements from the two complainants during the week, as well as conducting further enquiries in the neighbourhood.”

‘We couldn’t believe it’

Harrogate man Thomas Norman, who reported the incident to police, was travelling to the Harrogate Brewing Co. beer festival on Saturday evening when he noticed the swastika at the station. He added:

“We couldn’t believe it at first and had to ask each other if it was what we thought it was, it was uncanny, I’ve never seen that in a real life context.”

It is the second time in just over a year a swastika has been displayed from a property in Harrogate.

On the previous occasion, the man responsible said it was a kriegsmarine flag which he put up to mark the sinking of the Bismarck ship.

Police asked witnesses to the latest incident, or anyone with information, to make a report via the North Yorkshire Police website or by calling 101, option 4.

If you would prefer to remain anonymous, contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555111 or make an online report.

Quote reference number 12230151540.

New cafe due to open in Harrogate today

A new cafe is due to open in Harrogate town centre today.

Central Cafe is located on Oxford Street, between travel agent TUI and stationers Jespers of Harrogate.

The unit has been empty for almost two years since The Works vacated the site.

The discount books and stationery store moved over the road into the former Edinburgh Woollen Mill in October 2021.

According to signs in the window, Central Cafe will open today and specialise in gelato and crepes.

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Plans to install electric vehicle charging points at Harrogate M&S food hall

Plans have been submitted to install eight electric vehicle charging points in the car park of  Marks and Spencer’s food hall at Oatlands in Harrogate.

BP Pulse, which is BP’s electric vehicle charging business, has applied to North Yorkshire Council for the scheme.

BP Pulse has an agreement to install high-speed electric vehicle charge points at about 70 M&S stores.

A planning statement by Manchester planning consultants Rapleys LLP on behalf of BP Pulse said the charging points would be located to the north of the store, next to Hookstone Road.

The statement says six of the spaces have their own dedicated charger, and two spaces would share a hyper charger, which is an ultra-fast DC to DC charger that can fully charge batteries in a a few minutes.

One of the spaces would be a disabled bay.

A planning document showing the chargers would go alongside Hookstone Road.

The statement said the “modest scale” development was “entirely consistent with the site’s established land use as a car park”.

It added:

“The central imperative of the development, at this site and others nationwide, is part of the inevitable and essential move away from hydrocarbons into a world where net zero carbon transport is the norm.

“The development is a key part of the move to a cleaner energy mix, and should be embraced by the local authority in these terms.”

The council must now decide whether to approve the plans.

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Ex-Simply Red band member to judge at Harrogate allotment show

A former member of the band Simply Red will be among the judges at next weekend’s allotment show in Harrogate.

Harrogate and District Allotment Federation will be holding its 62nd annual show in the Sun Pavilion in Valley Gardens from 11pm to 4pm next Sunday.

The show gives allotment plot holders from Harrogate, Ripon, Knaresborough and Boroughbridge the opportunity to showcase their gardening achievements.

The allotment sites will display Simply Red-themed arrangements for this year’s inter-site allotment competition

The arrangements, which will include red flowers, fruit and vegetables, will be judged by Knaresborough-born Tim Kellett, a former member of the band Simply Red.

The outstanding exhibit winner in 2021.

Judging will take place between 10am and noon and then Councillor Eamon Parkin, deputy mayor of Ripon, and his consort Lucy Proud will officially open the show.

Trophies will be awarded at the end to plot holders who have achieved the most points in certain categories or who have presented particularly good exhibits.

Nick Smith, director of Harrogate Flower Shows, will present the prizes.

Profits from the show go to a local nominated charity each year to enhance their gardening projects.

This year’s chosen charity is Ripon in Bloom, which intends to use the donation to help with the refurbishment of Bedern Bank.

The show includes a plant stall.

Entry to the Show is free. There will be a raffle, tombola stall, cakes, produce and plant stalls as well as artisan craft stalls and stalls showcasing local charities.

Stray Horns will play in the Bandstand from 1.30pm to 3.30pm.

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Missing Harrogate girls found safe

Three missing girls from Harrogate have been found safe.

North Yorkshire Police have confirmed that two 13-year-old and a 16-year-old girl were found in Leeds and returned to their families.

The girls were last seen at 5pm on Thursday (August 10).

A police statement said:

“Protecting vulnerable people is of paramount importance to North Yorkshire Police.”

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Harrogate and Knaresborough MP supports housing asylum seekers on barge

Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones has said he supports the use of the Bibby Stockholm barge to house migrants.

The barge, moored in Dorset, has dominated the news this week.

Thirty-nine migrants onboard were removed on Friday after traces of Legionella bacteria were found in the water system.

However, the government remains committed to housing up to 500 men aged 18 to 65 on the vessel while they await the outcome of asylum applications — and Mr Jones agrees. He said:

“The people coming to this country on small boats are not fleeing an immediate threat of persecution.  They are coming from France.

“They are being exploited by people smugglers who are responsible for hundreds of migrant deaths in the Channel and in the Mediterranean. This is international, organised crime and we must not simply ignore it.

“I am interested in helping genuine refugees and preventing drownings in coastal waters. I also want to see migrants who are not fleeing persecution returned to their home country quickly.

“So I do agree with the decision to use the Bibby Stockholm as it will help speed up our processing of asylum applications, prevent people absconding once they arrive here and help us get genuine refugees into our housing and healthcare system quickly.”

‘We should be proud of our record’

The Stray Ferret asked Mr Jones if he agreed with fellow Tory MP Lee Anderson’s comment that the government had failed on immigration.

We also asked what he thought of Mr Anderson saying asylum seekers should “f*** off back to France” if they don’t like being housed on the barge. Last year Mr Jones told the Commons there was a ”problem with standards in our politics”.

Mr Jones said there was a collective failure across continents to tackle the issue. He said:

“People leaving poor countries where that country is a safe place and trying to get to rich countries is not something that can be prevented by the United Kingdom alone.  It is a global problem which requires a global response.

“That said, we should be proud of our record on helping genuine refugees. Since 2015 we have offered a safe and legal route to the UK to almost half a million men, women and children seeking refuge as well as family members of refugees.”

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Mr Jones suggested he disapproved of the use of the f word by Mr Anderson, who is deputy chairman of the Conservative Party. He said:

“Anyone who knows me, even slightly, knows how I express myself and it is very different to the way Mr Anderson expresses himself.  Indeed it is different to the way Labour’s Diane Abbott expressed herself on Twitter on exactly the same issue.

“I like to dial down the heat and focus on the facts.  And those facts are that we have migrants coming to this country, some legally and some illegally.  We need to help those who genuinely need it and return those who do not to their home countries.”

 

Hot Seat: The man luring shoppers to Harrogate

Harrogate has one. So has Ripon. But Knaresborough hasn’t.

We are talking about business improvement districts, which are set up when businesses agree to work together to fund schemes that encourage more shoppers into town and city centres.

You might not know much about Harrogate BID but you have probably seen its work.

The recent Harrogate floral summer of celebration, which saw nine town centre floral installations ranging from a Buddha to giant cakes, was its handiwork.

So are the town’s Christmas lights, street entertainers and street ranger Chris Ashby, who buzzes around in an electric vehicle cleaning and weeding.

One of nine Harrogate floral summer of celebration displays by the BID.

In June, 76% of almost 500 Harrogate businesses eligible to vote did so in favour of supporting the BID for a second five-year term.

Such landslide support seemed inconceivable in the BID’s early days, when it was riddled with in-fighting. But the appointment of Matthew Chapman as chief executive in 2021 heralded a change of fortune.

Former semi-professional rugby league player Mr Chapman has navigated his way through the Harrogate business world with a deftness and charm not usually associated with cauliflower-eared rugby bruisers.

June’s vote, which means town centre businesses with a rateable value of at least £19,000 will continue to pay a levy to fund the BID’s work, was a testament to faith in the BID and his rigorous campaigning.

Was he surprised by the whopping majority?

“No. We had done a lot of homework. The groundwork started 14 months before the ballot. We were confident we could prove our worth and I spent a lot of time talking to businesses.”

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Even Mr Chapman’s sunny disposition was tested when North Yorkshire Council, whose Harrogate businesses include the Turkish baths, the tourist information office and the library, abstained from the vote.

The now-defunct Harrogate Borough Council’s block vote helped the BID win its first ballot five years ago. Was he disappointed its successor local authority didn’t offer the same support?

“It was a tough pill to swallow because we were the first BID in the UK to have a local authority abstain. But at least we can say it was a true business decision.”

(from left) BID staff members Bethany Allen, Chris Ashby and Matthew Chapman join chair Dan Siddle and vice-chair Andrea Thornborrow to celebrate the ballot result.

The yes vote means the BID’s work, which also includes events such as fashion shows and dog shows, the Harrogate Gift Card, street art and targeted free parking, will continue.

But will Mr Chapman? His departure for a managerial role at North Yorkshire Council was announced last year before her performed a U-turn and stayed. He says:

“I’m very confident of staying for the next five years. What that process made me realise is I’m very passionate about BIDs and Harrogate is a great place to deliver one.”

Harrogate ‘vibrant — but needs big brands’

Mr Chapman previously worked for BIDs in Leeds and Huddersfield but says “coming to Harrogate was like going from the second division to the premier league” because of the town’s prestige. He says:

“I’ve learned that Harrogate is a very traditional place where people are really passionate about its history.”

Harrogate, he says, is vibrant and people have a lot of pride in it, adding shop vacancy rates are below average and footfall is above average for a town of its size.

But he says the town centre “could do with some big brands” and some parts, such as Cambridge Street, are “looking tired and could do with a makeover” although he adds Harrogate’s affluent reputation makes it harder to win bids for regeneration funding.

“Look at Montpellier — that says ‘Harrogate’. We would like all the town to say that.”

Which brings us to the £11.9 million Station Gateway scheme — is he for or against?

Cambridge Street

‘Tired’ looking Cambridge Street

Mr Chapman displays a nifty rugby player’s sidestep by asserting the BID’s neutrality. Some retailers oppose the loss of parking spaces and part-pedestrianisation on James Street, while some hospitality businesses think it would encourage cafe culture, he says.

Mr Chapman commutes in daily from York, where he was born, to the three-strong BID team’s Victoria Shopping Centre office.

Its term two income is set to fall from £540,000 a year to £485,000 a year, mainly because the council’s latest reassessment of rateable values took more businesses below the levy threshold.

But Mr Chapman is confident his team will continue to delight and keep members happy.

“I want to show a clear return on investment. I have got to be able to stand in front of businesses and show what we are doing in return for charging a levy.”