Government says council’s £20m bid for Harrogate Convention Centre lacked ‘evidence and rationale’

Harrogate Borough Council’s bid for £20 million of government money to upgrade the town’s convention centre lacked evidence and rationale and may have over-stated the economic benefits.

Government feedback on the bid, released following a freedom of information request by the Stray Ferret, revealed several areas of concerns with the bid.

This is despite the fact the council, which was abolished at the end of March, paid consultants £45,000 as part of its submission to ministers.

More than 100 projects were awarded a share of £2.1 billion from round two of the Levelling Up Fund in January.

But the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, led by Michael Gove, rejected Harrogate’s application.

The decision was a significant blow to the council’s plans for a £49 million upgrade of the ageing centre and cast further doubt on the facility’s future.

The feedback described the bid as “relatively strong” and listed stakeholder engagement and deliverability as strengths. But the economic case was widely criticised.

The feedback said:

“There were some key areas that could have been enhanced, particularly in the economic case relating to the analysis of monetised costs and benefits, and the appropriateness of data sources and evidence.”

Harrogate Convention Centre, which is earmarked for a £47 million renovation.

The rejection was a blow to plans for a £49m upgrade to Harrogate Convention Centre.

It went on to say although the bid “evidenced the need to revitalise the visitor economy”, it “could have been strengthened by drawing on a broader range of socioeconomic indicators to demonstrate the multifaceted nature of the problems that the intervention had been designed to address”.

It added:.

“There was a lack of supporting evidence and rationale. The bid could have been strengthened by incorporating more evidence to support the assumptions linking outputs to outcomes and impacts, e.g., it would have been good to understand whether there was unmet demand for this type of space, and how the increased capacity of the centre would address the problems identified.”

Benefits ‘may have been overstated’

The feedback also said the council’s economic case was not based on government guidance. Citing one example of this, it said:

“There was no justification for the 40-year appraisal period (typically it would be 30 years) and so benefits may have been overstated. More detail and discussion in relation to the counterfactual could be provided too – for example, the application mentions that they could borrow money and it also states that £115m of investment would be required in the ‘Do Nothing’ scenario, without any further explanation.

“There were only environmental benefits monetised; with no attempt to monetise other categories of benefits that would be typical for this type of proposal, e.g., wider land value uplift, potential wellbeing benefits from arts/culture, etc.”

In a section on deliverability, the council was praised for its “strong, coherent bid with a high level of detail and explanation throughout”.

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The feedback also recognised the bid’s “strong levels of engagement with most of the relevant stakeholders”.

North Yorkshire Council, which succeeded Harrogate Borough Council on April 1, provided the feedback following our freedom of information request.

Richard Cooper, the Conservative leader of Harrogate Borough Council at the time of the bid, has said he will not comment on any council issues relating to his time in charge of the local authority.

Harrogate man admits pulling off pigeon’s wing

A Harrogate man has admitted pulling off the wing of a pigeon in Harrogate town centre.

Martin Gilham, 53, of Bewerley Road in Jennyfields, pleaded guilty to the offence on Oxford Street at Harrogate Magistrates Court yesterday.

Gilham also admitted a separate charge of being drunk and disorderly on Oxford Street on the same date.

The incidents took place on May 20 this year.

Gilham initially denied the charges but changed his pleas.

He is due to be sentenced at York Crown Court on August 17.

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Rev Jane Ball installed as new vicar for Masham group of parishes

Rev Jane Ball has been installed as the new vicar of the Masham group of parishes in a service led by the Bishop of Leeds, Rt Rev Nick Baines.

The new Bishop of Ripon, Rt Rev Anna Eltringham — who had only moved into her new home in Yorkshire the day before — was also present at St Mary’s Church in Masham for the service on Wednesday.

The Masham group of parishes covers a wide area north of Ripon at the gateway to Wensleydale, with churches in Masham, Healey, Well, Snape, West Tanfield and North Stainley.

Rev Ball has returned to North Yorkshire where she was ordained in Ripon Cathedral in 2003. After being a curate in Bedale, she spent 18 years in southern England in various school, parish and military chaplaincy posts.

A packed congregation of people from these churches and the wider community welcomed her.

The previous vicar was Rev Canon David Cleeves, who retired in June 2021.

Bishop Anna, who succeeds Rt Rev Helen-Ann Hartley as the area Bishop of Ripon, will begin her main ministry in September.

The photo shows Rt Rev Nick Baines (Bishop of Leeds), Ven Jonathan Gough (Archdeacon of Richmond and Craven), Rev Jane Ball (Vicar of the Masham group of parishes), Rt Rev Anna Eltringham (Bishop of Ripon) after the service of institution and induction in St Mary’s Church in Masham.

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Ripon to rock until 10pm tomorrow after St Wilfrid’s Day celebrations extended

Ripon businesses have worked together to ensure tomorrow’s St Wilfrid’s Day celebrations continue until 10pm.

Budget cuts and the cost of living crisis looked set to restrict the day’s activities, which include the procession and a free climbing wall and bungee jumping on Market Square, to a 5.30pm finish.

But businesses, helped by a £829 grant from North Yorkshire Council, didn’t want one of the city’s biggest days of the year to be cut short.

So they arranged for the Kirkgate road closure to be extended into the evening and organised a night of eclectic live music, which includes two rock bands, a harpist and a singer.

It is hoped restaurants will put tables in the street and stay open later to encourage café culture that adds to the festive vibe.

Antony Prince, chairman of the St Wilfrid’s Procession committee, said:

“We are constrained with a reduced budget this year but, thanks to local volunteers, the council and local business sponsors, we are putting on a fantastic day of celebration for St Wilfrid.”

Ripon businesses worked with the St Wilfrid’s Procession committee and Ripon Business Improvement District to organise the evening of free entertainment at short notice.

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Local musician Alannah Creed will sing from her latest album and Lucinda Taylor will give a harp recital. Later in the evening, Knaresborough Vista Social Club and Time Machine will play live.

Kevin Hill, who runs Karma shop on Kirkgate and was one of the traders determined to extend the day’s festivities, said:

“These days, if money is tight, we are finding that events can still happen as long as we work together. We are all dedicated to supporting local business and also supporting local artists in the entertainment we provide.

“All the bands are from the Ripon area and they are of really high calibre.”

Richard Hughes, owner of Manchega Tapas restaurant, said,

“We are dedicated to supporting the economy of Ripon and the rural hinterland.  St Wilfrid’s Day is a great opportunity to party whilst bolstering local business.”

How the day shapes up

Tomorrow’s celebrations get underway with the 7.5-mile procession starting on Studley Road at 1.30pm.

The St Wilfrid’s Procession route

An actor on horseback, playing the role of St Wilfrid, will parade through the streets in honour of Ripon’s patron saint. The procession, accompanied by Ripon City Band, will include 20 decorated floats.

Free entertainment will take place on the market square throughout the afternoon. It includes a climbing wall, bungee jumping, stilt walkers and face painters.

Kirkgate will then take centre stage for the evening of live music.

 

New Mexican restaurant to open in Harrogate tomorrow

A Mexican restaurant and cocktail bar is to open in Harrogate tomorrow.

The Rooftop is situated in the large upstairs premises above Sukhothai on the corner of Cheltenham Crescent and Cheltenham Parade.

The short-lived HG1 Grill and World Bar opened on the site in November last year. It was previously occupied by restaurants Samsons and Le Bistrot Pierre.

The Rooftop is divided into two areas — a restaurant that can seat about 70 people and a cocktail bar that can cater for about 100 customers.

The restaurant will serve Mexican meals, including tacos and burritos, and will feature tapas options.

The restaurant area

The late night bar will have live DJs at weekends.

Owner Mason Elyas, who lives in Leeds, has been involved with several restaurants in West Yorkshire but this is his first in Harrogate. He said:

“I’ve always loved Mexican food and I thought there was an opportunity in Harrogate. It’s a beautiful place and local people seem very supportive.”

The Rooftop, which employs 16 staff, will welcome its first customers at 4pm tomorrow. It will then open from 4pm to midnight on Thursdays, from midday to midnight on Fridays and Saturdays and from midday to 10pm on Sundays.

It will be closed Monday to Wednesday.

Mr Elyas said he took control of the site just three weeks ago and new signs were due to be installed tonight.

Calls grow for Harrogate’s Rachel Daly to start for England in World Cup

Harrogate-born striker Rachel Daly is the centre of attention in the run-up to England’s second Women’s World Cup match tomorrow.

The Lionesses’ Group D match against Denmark kicks off at 9.30am tomorrow in Sydney. It will be broadcast live on BBC One.

England, who scraped home 1-0 against Haiti in their opening match on Saturday, have not scored in 337 minutes of open play.

Manager Sarina Wiegman left out Daly, who was the leading scorer in the Women’s Super League with 22 goals last season for Aston Villa, in favour of Arsenal’s Alessia Russo.

But the team’s toothless display, in which they had 11 shots on target, has increased pressure to start with Daly up front.

Daly training with England. Pic: Rachel Daly Instagram

Ex-England forward Eniola Aluko described the team’s attacking play as “predictable” on ITV and suggested Daly would be more effective at winning crosses from wingers Lauren Hemp and Chloe Kelly. She said:

“In the first half Russo was playing, but if that is the approach and the pattern of play, should it be Rachel Daly up there instead? She is stronger in the air.”

Daly’s 337,000 Instagram followers have also been clamouring for her to start a match which will see England almost certainly qualify for the knockout stages if they win.

Daly came on as a 76th minute substitute against Haiti, which England won thanks to a re-taken Georgia Stanway penalty.

The former Killinghall Nomads player said afterwards:

‌“No-one’s happy to sit on the bench. If you are, then you are not in the right place, not in the right career. But that’s the beauty of having a competitive squad. Everyone’s digging for a position.

‌“It’s a headache Sarina has to have in multiple positions.”

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Harrogate village bridge to close to pedestrians and cyclists tomorrow

A Harrogate village bridge is to fully close tomorrow for five weeks of repair work costing £60,000.

North Yorkshire Council closed the grade two listed Hampsthwaite Bridge suddenly on June 2.

It quickly re-opened to pedestrians and cyclists but has remained closed to vehicles.

Now it is expected to be fully inaccessible until September.

The bridge, on Church Lane, has three arches spanning the River Nidd.

Councillor Keane Duncan, the Conservative executive member for highways and transport, said:

“On inspection of Hampsthwaite Bridge, our engineers found that the parapet has been pushed out over the edge of the bridge deck and this has damaged several of the corbels that support from beneath.

“These need to be repaired and 15 metres of the parapet taken down and rebuilt using hot mixed lime mortar.”

The bridge, which links Hampsthwaite with Clint, is popular with pedestrians, dog walkers, cyclists and runners.

Cllr Michael Harrison, a Conservative who represents Hampsthwaite on the council, said:

“We appreciate the disruption the closure is having on road users so please be assured that our engineers have been getting plans in motion to carry out the repairs as quickly as possible.

“We will keep the public updated on the works as they progress.”

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Rural homes in North Yorkshire could face years of poor broadband

Some rural homes in North Yorkshire could face years of poor broadband, a public meeting in Masham heard this week.

Cllr Felicity Cunliffe-Lister, who cited rural connectivity as a key issue during her successful campaign this year to represent Masham and Fountains as a Liberal Democrat on North Yorkshire Council, organised the meeting.

Representatives of NYnet, the North Yorkshire Council-owned company set up to increase digital connectivity in the county, said 895 premises in Masham and Fountains currently didn’t have access to super-fast broadband.

They said the third phase of Nynet’s Superfast North Yorkshire project, which is due to end in March next year, should reduce this number by 594, leaving 301 homes unable to get 30 Mbps — the speed required to be classed ‘superfast’.

Robert Ling, speaking at the meeting.

Robert Ling, director of transformation at the council, said superfast coverage across North Yorkshire was expected to be 97% by March.

Mr Ling said this represented significant progress “but this is cold comfort to people here who don’t have it”.

Project Gigabit, the £5 billion government programme to enable hard-to-reach communities to access lightning-fast gigabit-capable broadband, would reach more homes but Mr Ling admitted there was no timeframe on when all premises would be reached.

Many of the 40 people who attended the meeting at Masham Town Hall expressed frustration at the WiFi they received.

Masham Town Hall. Pic: David Dixon

One said it was a “dreadful service that’s not fit for purpose” and another commented that their WiFi frequently went down whenever it rained hard, making it difficult to run a business.

Mr Ling said because Project Gigabit was a government scheme, and this dependence on central government along with other factors such as cost made it difficult for NYnet to accurately predict what will happen after March next year,

NYnet chair Peter Scrope said the organisation would probably have to run its own project to help the hardest to reach homes.

NYnet chair Peter Scrope

Cllr Cunliffe-Lister said she hoped to arrange a follow-up meeting in March to discuss progress.

Afterwards, she told the Stray Ferret she would like to see the re-introduction of a government voucher scheme that enabled people to install their own gigabit-capable connections at reduced cost. She added:

“This is a matter of concern to many people and there is a great deal of doubt about what is being delivered and what the solutions are.”

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Nicola Sturgeon visits Harrogate’s crime writing festival

Former Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon visited Harrogate today for the second day of the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival.

More than 17,000 tickets have been sold for the four-day festival, which ends on Sunday with a discussion featuring TV historian and author Lucy Worsley.

Today’s special guest is Ann Cleeves, creator of Vera Stanhope and Jimmy Perez, who was due to be interviewed by Vaseem Khan at 8.30pm.

But the attendees also included Ms Sturgeon, who stood down after more than eight years as First Minister in March.

Arts charity Harrogate International Festivals, which organises the event at the Old Swan each year, uploaded this image of her looking relaxed alongside fellow Scot Val McDermid on its social media sites today.

Ms Sturgeon is no stranger to the festival — in 2019 she interviewed Ms McDermid at the event.

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Council agrees to meet Knaresborough traders for electric vehicle parking talks

Traders in Knaresborough are to hold talks with North Yorkshire Council in an attempt to resolve the dispute over electric vehicle charging stations.

Ten charging stations were installed late last year in bays previously available to all vehicles in Chapel Street Car Park.

Most are frequently empty, while customers in petrol or diesel cars struggle to find spaces, particularly on Wednesday market days and Saturdays.

The issue has incensed some business owners who say they are losing customers and the town is losing parking revenue.

A petition calling for some of the 10 EV charging stations in Chapel Street Car Park to be made available to all cars is available in five shops.

The petition has attracted more than 500 signatures, which is the threshold for ensuring the council’s Harrogate and Knaresborough area constituency committee debates the subject.

To keep up the pressure, hairdresser Kelly Teggin asked the council to attend a meeting with town centre businesses.

Kelly Teggin

Kelly Teggin

Ms Teggin said:

“Businesses are absolutely fuming but they also want an amicable resolution to this.

“I’ve had another two customers this week say they won’t come back because of this.”

She emphasised traders supported EV parking, but supply currently out-stripped demand.

Barrie Mason, assistant director for highways and transport at the council, said its electric vehicle infrastructure strategy demonstrated its commitment to tackling climate change.

Mr Mason added:

“We are in correspondence with local councillors and campaigners around electric vehicle infrastructure in Knaresborough and would welcome a meeting.”

He added there was a need for a publicly accessible charging network for people who didn’t have access to charging at home.

Asked why the council chose to install the charging stations in the most central car park, where many older shoppers park, he said:

“Chargers were never intended to be installed in York Place car park as there is a covenant on the land and the town centre is an air quality management area, so we want to encourage people to use their electric vehicles there.

“Also, the grant is primarily aimed at residential charging, and in the area surrounding Chapel Street Car Park there is no access to off-street parking.”

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