Stray Views: New Harrogate Starbucks will increase roadside litter

Stray Views is a weekly column giving you the chance to have your say on issues affecting the Harrogate district. It is an opinion column and does not reflect the views of the Stray Ferret. Send your views to letters@thestrayferret.co.uk.

 Take a drive around Beckwithshaw and North Rigton and have a look at the grass verges.

From country lanes to main roads they are surrounded, almost exclusively, by crap from ‘drive-thru’ restaurants or coffee shops.

Once you’ve noticed it you really can’t un-see it.

It’s got way worse since Costa opened in Pannal with motorists happy to lob their latte out of their windows as they head to work.

It’s not just where I live either. Verges all over the Harrogate district are absolutely covered with rubbish from the same places.

I’m not lovin’ it.

Do our learned councillors ever consider litter when approving these places?

I dread Starbucks on Wetherby Road opening because it’s obviously going to make the litter epidemic much, much worse.

These corporations are poisoning our countryside and shame on the lazy ‘tossers’ who chuck rubbish out of windows.

Tex Crick, North Rigton

Crime commissioner ‘can’t rescue anyone’

Regarding the loss of firefighters at Harrogate, has police, fire and crime commissioner Zoe Metcalfe noticed that Harrogate has a lot more houses than it did?

More opportunities for fires and, as the Ferret reported, fire personnel needed to rescue drunken drivers this week. What would have happened had there been a fire during the rescue?

Then, there is the new Maltkin settlement, which could house 8,000 people. Which fire service will cover that, should it be needed?

Let’s save the money we spend on her salary by disposing of the commissioner position.

She can’t rescue anyone.

Gill Knight, Harrogate

Do you have an opinion on the Harrogate district? Email us at letters@thestrayferret.co.uk. Please include your name and approximate location details. Limit your letters to 350 words. We reserve the right to edit letters.

The new venue injecting energy into Knaresborough’s night life

Everyone loves Knaresborough. Independent shops, characterful pubs and historic views. But a night out? You have to go elsewhere for that.

That’s the traditional view — but things are changing. Several new venues have appeared lately, but none has had more impact than 1858 Bar and Restaurant. With its size, central location and live DJs it’s injecting some energy into Knaresborough night life.

Owners Jaime Wilkinson and Kim Lancaster, who are both from Knaresborough, opened 1858 almost six months ago in the former NatWest bank, which closed in 2017.

Being situated in a listed building, which it is believed was built in 1858, has brought its planning challenges but it’s difficult not to feel impressed when you walk in. It’s spacious, elegant and serves food throughout the day, seven days a week. Many of the old features have been retained, including the old heavy doored-bank vault, which has been turned into a dining area, with an imaginative penny design floor.

But it’s also transforming the town’s nighttime offering for younger people, especially the live DJ sets at weekends.

Kim Lancaster and Jaime Wilkinson

Mr Wilkinson says:

“The live DJ nights have been massively successful because again people don’t have to go to Harrogate. They also attract people from outlying villages.

“It’s giving people the option. If they want to come out and have a bit of a buzz they can stay in Knaresborough.”

Mr Wilkinson set out to create something different. He says:

“We saw there was a market for something like this. To have the opportunity to do something more ambitious was exciting.”

The old bank vault is now a dining area.

 

Mr Wilkinson and Ms Lancaster are well known in Knaresborough, having grown up in the area. She was area manager for Drake’s after previously working at the town’s So! Bar and Eats. His career has followed an unusual trajectory. He started off as a tree surgeon but his mum worked in a fish and chip shop and he got a job frying. For a while he combined the two jobs but then he got the chance to take on the Ripon franchise of Drake’s, and over time that expanded.

He now owns the franchise for seven Drake’s fish and chip shops, including the ones in the centres of Knaresborough and Ripon and the one on Knaresborough Road in Harrogate. Chances are you’ve sampled his fish and chips. He continues to operate these franchises and says he “still jumps on the pans” from time to time.

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Mr Wilkinson says although chip shops and bars are different, handling staff remains the main issue and “if you can work alongside people you can adapt”.

When it came to developing the bar, balancing their aspirations with the cost of living crisis and the impact of high inflation has been tricky.

Mr Wilkinson says:

“We knew we wanted to do nice food and a bar. To what level was the question. Do you go too high end? No.

“From the outside it’s one of the best looking buildings in town and we wanted to take that forward and make it one of the best looking ones on the inside as well.”

The bar

The restaurant

The restaurant can seat 40 people and the capacity can be extended into the bar. Main courses are generally in the £15 to £20 bracket. Ms Lancaster says:

“There’s a misconception that we are expensive. On a scale of 1 to 10 I’d say we were a seven-and-a-half.”

At a time when people go out less but spend more when they do, the venue is well suited for a leisurely stay.

It opens from 9.30am to 10pm weekdays and is licensed to stay open until midnight at weekends and 2am on bank holidays. Food is served from 9.30am to 8pm daily. Mr Wilkinson says:

“My ethos is if someone wants to eat here they know they can. They don’t have to worry about whether we are open or doing food.”

The owners talk about introducing “less energetic” acoustic sessions on Sundays and midweek to bring a different vibe. But the early signs are promising. Mr Wilkinson says:

“If you had said to me that in the first three months we would be doing the figures we are doing and getting the footfall we’re getting and the response we have had I would have said ‘thank you very much’.”

Yemi’s Food Stories: the versatility of honey

Yemi Adelekan is a food writer and blogger who was a semi-finalist in last year’s BBC TV’s Masterchef  competition.

Every Saturday Yemi writes on the Stray Ferret about her love of the district’s food and shares cooking tips – please get in touch with her if you want her to review a restaurant, visit your farm, taste the produce you sell or even share a recipe.

 

One of my most used ingredients in the kitchen is honey.

It’s timeless and versatile, with a rich, golden allure bringing both sweetness and complexity to so many dishes.

But not only is it delicious, it’s also a beacon of health benefits for our bodies. Honey is a natural source of antioxidants, with antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties.

It has been revered for centuries for its potential to soothe sore throats, promote wound healing, and even alleviate allergies.

So, to ensure I take advantage of all its benefits, I try to add honey into my dishes wherever I can.

Today, I’m going to share the versatility of honey and how you can easily implement it into your kitchen.

Flatbread

 A simple way to elevate a flatbread is to mix some honey with melted butter and brush over warm bread, finish with a sprinkle of fresh coriander or parsley and some chilli flakes for a lovely side dish.

Honey and mint mocktail 

This is a great alternative for those of you doing Dry January.

It’s a simple honey and mint lemonade, which slightly resembles a mojito, but you can replace the sugar syrup with honey.

To make it you will need:

Ingredients:

Instructions:

  1. In a blender, blend the lemons, mint leaves, honey and cold water.
  2. Taste and adjust the sweetness to your liking.
  3. Add ice cubes and garnish with lemon slices to serve.

Yemi’s honey and mint mocktail.

Honey glazed salmon

Honey glazed salmon is a simple but effective recipe that always goes down a treat in my house and is quick to whip up.

You will need:

Instructions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
  2. In a bowl, whisk together honey, soy sauce, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, salt and peppercorns.
  3. Place salmon fillets on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
  4. Brush the honey glaze generously over each fillet.
  5. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the salmon is cooked through. Remove and sprinkle with the chilli flakes.
  6. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve over a bed of quinoa or steamed coconut rice with lemon or lime wedge.

Citrus honey vinaigrette 

This, too, is a quick and easy sauce that elevates dishes immediately.

It works particularly well with fish meat, salads and pastas.

Ingredients:

Instructions:

  1. In a bowl, whisk together olive oil, honey, white wine vinegar, lemon zest, salt, chilli flakes and pepper.
  2. Drizzle this citrusy honey vinaigrette over your favourite salad greens for a perfect balance of sweetness and acidity in every bite.

Yemi’s spiced honey cake.

Spiced honey cake

If the above still isn’t sweet enough for you, I suggest you try my spiced honey cake for pudding. I personally like to use Nidderdale honey for this, but any will work.

It’s simple: just follow a regular cake recipe and replace (most) of the sugar with honey, then add in some cinnamon and ginger.

Whilst it is baking, infuse some honey with orange rind. Once baked, brush the cake with the infused honey.

Serve this with some whipped cream or vanilla ice cream – and that’s it!

See you next week for another edition of Yemi’s Food Stories.

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Harrogate firefighters axed, Ripon military heritage threat and the Champions League comes to Starbeck

Last week was about floods — this week was more about fire. Or fire services, to be more accurate.

Our story last weekend about four Harrogate firefighters losing their jobs in April as part of plans to reduce the number of nighttime fire engines on Skipton Road from two to one caused a lot of concern — not just in Harrogate but also in rural areas like Summerbridge where local fire stations struggle to attract on-call firefighters and rely heavily on full-time crews in Harrogate.

Ripon’s rich military heritage came under threat this week. The soldier-poet Wilfred Owen, whose time in Ripon is commemorated in a plaque on Borage Lane, is part of a story that needs telling more widely, not ripping apart.

It’s been a bad week for shops in the Lower Station Parade area of Harrogate. This week’s stories on Party Fever and Go Herbs followed hot on the heels of the closure of the Fabulous 50s Diner.

On a lighter note, will you be going to Starbeck to see Manchester City’s five trophies? Even for non-City fans, this is surely too good a chance to miss.

This was also the week when Knaresborough got its second Asda Express and fencing went up around one of the last green spaces in the Kingsley area of Harrogate to make way for 162 homes.

If you have a view on any of our articles, or indeed anything else that’s bugging you about life in Harrogate, Ripon, Knaresborough, Boroughbridge, Pateley Bridge and Masham, do email us at letters@thestrayferret.co.uk and we will consider it for publication in our Stray Views letters page.

And if you don’t already, sign up to our daily bulletins for a round-up of the news every evening straight to your inbox. Click on the link below.

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Crime commissioner requests Michael Gove meeting over ‘really disappointing’ council tax limit

Zoe Metcalfe has requested an “urgent meeting” with secretary of state for local government Michael Gove after being told she can only raise the fire service’s council tax precept by a maximum of 3%.

The North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner is consulting on what the annual police and fire precepts should be from April.

She has put forward increases of 2.99%, 6.2% and 9.2% as well as a precept freeze.

For Band D properties a 2.99% increase would see an extra £2.41 added onto council tax bills to pay for the fire service. But Ms Metcalfe warned this would be inadequate due to rising inflationary costs and staff pay awards.

According to a report that went before councillors at a meeting of City of York and North Yorkshire Council’s police, fire and crime panel in Northallerton this afternoon, four firefighters in Harrogate will lose their jobs in April in a move that will save £210,000.

From April 2025, a further four firefighter jobs will go in Scarborough to save £215,000 as well as seven other members of staff across the county saving another £375,000.

A report described the fire service’s finances as “exceptionally tight”.

Around half of the crime commissioner’s budget comes from council tax with a government grant making up the rest.

Ms Metcalfe told councillors she was “really disappointed” to discover the fire precept can be raised by a maximum of 3%, whereas she said a 5% rise “would make such a difference.”

However, a rise of more than 3% would require a public referendum.

She said:

“I have asked for an urgent meeting with Michael Gove to have a conversation so we can address this and so they can see the real impact it has on North Yorkshire’s fire and rescue service.”

“I’ve always fought really hard to get additional funding and I really hope we can turn it around this time. Unfortunately inflation has had such an impact.”

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Ms Metcalfe received support from councillors including Conservative council leader Carl Les who said the panel would be prepared to write a letter of support to government that asks for more “flexibility” in the council tax precept.

Cllr Lindsay Burr, who represents Malton as an independent, said the financial situation for the fire service gets “grimmer and grimmer and grimmer”.

She said:

“We know you’re trying to do your best. We had horrific floods in Malton and who was there? The fire brigade. It’s such a service that we really depend on. This cannot go on. You can only cut so far.”

Conservative councillor for Romanby, Peter Wilkinson, added:

“When setting the budget every year it seems to get worse or rather than better.”

The precept survey, which is open until January 21, is available here.

Manchester City to display all five trophies in Harrogate

Manchester City are to display the five trophies the club currently holds in Harrogate this month.

City performed the treble last season when they won the Champions League, the Premier League and the FA Cup.

Since then. they have also lifted the FIFA Club World Cup and the UEFA Super Cup.

All five trophies will be on display at The Forest Club, which was previously called Starbeck Working Men’s Club, on Tuesday, January 23 from 6.30pm to 8.30pm.

Entry is free and people will be welcome to take photos.

The rare opportunity has been made possible through the local branch of Manchester City’s official supporters club.

Harrogate Blues has about 200 members and organises a coach for weekend home games that picks up fans in Boroughbridge,  Harrogate and Leeds.

Ex-players in the Harrogate area include Danny Mills and Micah Richards, although they are not expected to attend on the night.

City fan Peter Arnold said everyone — including non-City fans — was welcome at what will be an informal event where people just turn up on the night.

He said:

“It’s a unique opportunity to see all five trophies together. It might never happen again.”

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Councillors refuse Kirk Hammerton retirement homes plan

Councillors have voted to refuse plans for 58 retirement homes with care facilities in Kirk Hammerton.

It was described at North Yorkshire Council‘s Selby and Ainsty planning committee this afternoon as being “the right scheme in the wrong location”.

The homes were proposed at Station Road by the A59 junction and developer SageHaus Living said in documents they would help meet a “significant demand” for this type of elderly accommodation in the area.

Councillors heard from former Labour MP and health minister Stephen Ladyman who is now the director of Oak Retirement, which is the company that would run the facility on behalf of SageHaus Living.

The site would not be a care home but would have on-site qualified care staff, a community hub for people to socialise and a small shop. Mr Ladyman said older people who live in this type of development stay healthy and maintain their independence for longer.

He added:

“Older people don’t want to move out of their local community into urban environments.”

The scheme had been designed as a carbon neutral development to include solar panels on the roof, heat pumps as well as efficient lighting which Mr Ladyman said would result in 90% less energy use.

This was praised by Cllr Arnold Warneken, the Green Party councillor for Ouseburn, who said:

“We should allow planning applications that help us save the planet.”

He also said he had heard from people in the Kirk Hammerton area who would like to work at the facility if it was approved.

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But the plans were recommended for refusal by council officer Kate Broadbank due to its location, which she said would be unsuitable to the village surroundings.

Ms Broadbank also criticised the scheme’s accessibility to public transport. A bus stop on the A59 is nearby but there is no footpath, shelter or road crossing.

However, Mr Ladyman argued that residents would only have to walk five minutes to get to Hammerton railway station, which is on the York to Harrogate line.

Councillors sided with the officer’s recommendation and voted by four votes to two to refuse the plans.

Cllr John Cattanach, independent councillor for Cawood and Escrick, said:

 “I think this is the right kind of scheme we’d welcome in North Yorkshire but I don’t see it as the right location.”

Council set to submit Maltkiln development plan next month

North Yorkshire Council is set to submit to the Secretary of State for Housing a 100-page document that outlines how the Maltkiln new settlement could be developed.

Harrogate Borough Council worked on the development plan document (DPD) for several years before handing it over to the unitary authority due to local government reorganisation.

The potential 4,000-home town and two primary schools would be constructed near the villages of Cattal, Whixley, Green Hammerton and Kirk Hammerton.

As the site is the largest allocation for housing in the Harrogate local plan, the council has a major say in how the scheme is developed. Wetherby-based developer Caddick Group has been chosen to build and sell the homes.

According to a report prepared for councillors ahead of a meeting next week, the draft DPD “sets a clear and ambitious thirty-year vision” for Maltkiln.

It includes details of the site’s boundaries, how the scheme will be developed alongside local transport infrastructure and how homes will be built to combat the effects of climate change.

A site map produced by Harrogate Borough Council.

If, as expected, the document is submitted to the secretary of state in February, it will be scrutinised by a planning inspector who will judge whether the scheme is viable or if changes are needed to be made to the DPD.

This will take place at a public meeting which the public can attend, similar to when a local plan is examined.

But whether the scheme continues in its current form remains to be seen after a key landowner who owns fields around Cattal train station, making up around half of the proposed site, pulled out last year.

The council’s Conservative-run executive agreed last month to consider compulsory purchasing the land as a “last resort” if the landowner doesn’t change their mind.

This led Kevin Bramley from Hunsingore, Walshford with Great Ribston and Cattal Parish Council to compare the housing scheme to HS2, which saw its northern leg scrapped despite millions being spent on compulsory land purchases.

Before the draft DPD is submitted, it will be debated by a council committee on Tuesday. It will then go to the executive and finally full council on February 24.

The report said:

“The development of a new settlement known as Maltkiln is a key part of the Harrogate District Local Plan’s growth strategy, providing much needed homes and jobs in a sustainable location along the York-Harrogate-Leeds rail line.

“The broad location of the new settlement was established in the Harrogate District Local Plan (adopted 2020), but the plan states that the boundary, form and nature of the new settlement will be set through a development plan document.

“A draft DPD has now been prepared which sets an ambitious 30-year vision for Maltkiln and a policy framework to guide how it is developed. Its evolution has been underpinned by evidence base work, community involvement and public consultation.

“The next and final stage of the DPD process is submission to the secretary of state for an examination in public. This will allow independent scrutiny of the DPD and allow a further chance for communities and stakeholders to influence the process and the final DPD. If adopted, the DPD will provide a robust framework for the council to guide and manage the long-term development of Maltkiln.”

The draft DPD is available to read here.

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A million more tonnes of sand and gravel to be mined at quarry near Ripon

Councillors have granted permission for a further million tonnes of sand and gravel to be mined at Nosterfield Quarry near Ripon.

Tarmac, which operates the quarry, says it will be the final extension of the Nosterfield site and it will stop mining there at the end of 2031.

The new extraction area is currently two agricultural fields to the northwest of the site.

The plans will also see the rest of the quarry eventually restored to extend the wetlands at Nosterfield Nature Reserve, which is next to the working quarry.

It will also see new areas of grasslands created for nesting birds.

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The nature reserve was created out of a former part of the quarry and is a nationally recognised haven for birds and nature as well as a designated Site of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINC).

However, the proposals received an objection from Lower Ure Conservation Trust, a charity which runs the nature reserve.

It said there should be a more “comprehensive approach” approach to mitigating the environmental and ecological impact of the mining.

The RSPB charity also objected due to the impact the expansion might have on curlews.

The birds are declining in the wild but have been successfully breeding at the nature reserve.

Councillors on North Yorkshire Council’s strategic planning committee ultimately decided to approve the plans at a meeting in Northallerton yesterday. There were 12 votes in favour and two abstentions.

A report prepared ahead of the meeting said:

“The application, along with the supporting environmental statement and additional information, has been assessed and it is considered on balance that there is a need for the mineral and there would be no unacceptable adverse environmental impacts resulting from the proposed development.”

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Cycleway set to be built on Harrogate’s Station Parade  

A cycleway looks set to be built on Harrogate’s Station Parade as part of the reduced £11.2 million Station Gateway scheme.

Cllr Keane Duncan, North Yorkshire Council‘s executive member for highways and transport, said today the full business case for the scheme had been submitted to West Yorkshire Combined Authority.

He said it included a southbound cycleway on the same side of the road as the bus station, and maintaining two lanes of traffic.

The details have not been released but the decision to keep two lanes of traffic and build a cycleway raises questions about the future of the taxi rank and loading bay on the other side of Station Parade.

The taxi rank

The loading bay

The council scrapped its previous proposals, which included reducing some of Station Parade to single lane and part-pedestrianising James Street, after admitting its plans were legally flawed.

The original scheme was hailed as a key active travel scheme that would be part of a cycle route to Cardale Park so its abandonment disappointed cyclists.

The revised scheme includes better coordinated traffic signals, footways and crossings, public realm improvements to areas including the One Arch tunnel, a bus lane and a southbound cycleway along Station Parade.

Cllr Duncan, who has been chosen to represent the Conservatives in the York and North Yorkshire mayoral election on May 2, said:

“This represents a significant cross-party effort and many hours of discussions.

“While there has been inevitable compromise, there is encouraging agreement on key elements of the revised scheme which takes us closer to securing £11 million of investment for Harrogate.

“Station Parade will remain two lanes, with no pedestrianisation of James Street.”

Cllr Keane Duncan, executive councillor for access at North Yorkshire County Council.

Cllr Keane Duncan

He added the revised plan “delivers key benefits to all road users”, adding:

“We now standby for approval of the business case before construction can begin, hopefully later this year.

“There will be further public engagement and consultation on the detail of the plan in coming months.”

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