John Plummer, Author at The Stray Ferret

Knaresborough councillors reject call to prevent second BID vote

Town councillors in Knaresborough have rejected a motion to prevent traders having another vote on creating a business improvement district until 2026.

Knaresborough firms voted against setting up a BID by 80 votes to 73 in October 2021.

But the creation of a Facebook group called Get the BID for Knaresborough Back on Track has led to suggestions some businesses could push for another ballot.

If firms vote to set up a BID — as has happened in Harrogate and Ripon — town centre traders pay an annual levy to support schemes that boost footfall.

Cllr Kathryn Davies, a Conservative who represents Aspin and Calcutt, proposed the motion at this week’s full council meeting.

She said BID terms lasted five years and there should be “parity in the time lapse” between ballots when one is rejected.

Cllr Davies said another ballot would ignite “old tensions” and the motion would “bring some calmness to the situation”. She added:

“Businesses in the town will have the certainty of no additional taxes for that period.”

This week’s Knaresborough Town Council meeting.

But Cllr Matt Walker, a Liberal Democrat who was also elected in Aspin and Calcutt, said it could equally be argued the town had lost out on £400,000 of investment the BID levy would have generated and that ultimately it was a decision for traders, not councillors.

Cllr Walker said:

“If the business community wants a BID I’m happy to support them. If they don’t want a BID I’m happy not to support one.”

The Castle Courtyard shopping centre in Knaresborough.

Nobody has formally called for a second ballot and Cllr David Goode, a Liberal Democrat who represents Castle ward, said “it would be madness for any local group to move forward without knowing the majority of local businesses were in favour”.

He added:

“This is not an issue for the town council. This is an issue for the business community.”

The motion failed when John Batt, a Conservative who represents Eastfield, withdrew his support as a seconder to the motion.

Cllr Batt agreed “it’s not our job to dictate to the business community what they should do”.

New head begins at Harrogate school

A new head teacher has started at a Harrogate school.

Phil Soutar has taken the helm at Ashville Prep School, a fee paying school for children in years one to six.

The school also announced today it has become a member of the Independent Schools Association, which represents the heads of about 650 independent schools.

Mr Soutar, who is national chair of the ISA, said:

“I look forward to leading the prep school on the next phase of its development journey, and sharing my vision for the year ahead when our focus will centre on optimising creativity, excellence and opportunity for every pupil.

“Becoming a member of the ISA will help us deliver these aims by opening up a greater range of activities and creative experiences for our children.”

Mr Soutar was previously head at Rosemead Prep School and Nursery in Dulwich, South London.

Being part of the ISA enables pupils to take part in regional and national events for sport, art, music and drama and gives teachers access to courses and continuous professional development.

Ashville Prep School is part of Ashville College, which is an independent day and boarding school for boys and girls aged two to 18.

It consists of Ashville Acorns pre-prep, and Ashville’s prep school, senior school and sixth form.

Council confirms Harrogate bridge is damaged again

North Yorkshire Council has confirmed a historic bridge in a Harrogate village has been damaged — just days after it reopened.

Grade two-listed Hampsthwaite Bridge, which was initially constructed in 1598, closed suddenly on June 2 for £60,000 repairs.

it reopened on September 7 but concerns were raised when a photo appeared on social media of a large JCB crossing the bridge.

Phil Richardson, the council’s bridges manager, said today:

“One of the parapets on Hampsthwaite Bridge has been damaged and we are currently considering what action needs to be taken.

“We will be carrying out a thorough inspection of the bridge and will update the public as soon as possible.”

The council’s inspection confirms the findings of local resident and retired engineer Martin Weston, who checked the bridge after reading concerns about the JCB crossing.

Mr Weston told the Stray Ferret the parapet walls had been pushed out and loosened over a six-metre section.

He reported his findings to Hampsthwaite Parish Council, which forwarded them on to North Yorkshire Council, which is the highways authority.

Latest £100,000 Harrogate cycle plan branded ‘a waste of money’ — by cyclists

Plans to spend £100,000 on making a minor Harrogate road better for cycling have been branded a waste of taxpayers’ money.

North Yorkshire Council revealed this month it wants to upgrade Nursery Lane into an off-road leisure route.

It was one of 10 proposals put forward costing £585,000 to reduce congestion in west Harrogate.

But the no through road off Otley Road is already tarmacked and gets very little traffic, prompting cyclists to question the merit of the scheme.

A meeting of the council’s Harrogate and Knaresborough area constituency committee heard a statement from David Mitchell, of Harrogate District Cycle Action, which said spending £100,000 on Nursery Lane was “not sensible because it would not make a meaningful difference to the cycle network”.

Paul Haslam, a Conservative who represents Bilton and Nidd Gorge, told the meeting the cycling community had told him the proposal was “a complete waste of money because that lane is already safe”.

The Hedgehog Cycling website has also been highly critical of the scheme. A blog post, which does not identify the author, said:

“Nursery Lane is already fine as it is. There is very little traffic, no through traffic, and a sealed surface. There is absolutely no need for a cycle track. Spending £100,000 on it would be an outrageous waste of public money.

“Nursery Lane could be a useful cut-through from an Otley Road cycleway to Harlow Moor Road – but there would need to be an Otley Road cycleway. As it is, North Yorkshire Council is intent on building ‘ribs but no spine’ which is brainless.”

Cyclists’ frustration is compounded by the council’s failure to deliver on schemes such as the Station Gateway, Otley Road cycle path, Beech Grove and Victoria Avenue, which were supposed to form part of a connected route.

Mr Mitchell also criticised another of the 10 proposals, which is to spend £25,000 on a review of cycle route signs.

He said signs were improved in 2014 and cyclists “need safe cycle routes not more signposts”. He added spending £25,000 “presumably to consultants WSP would be a waste of public money”.

Discussing Nursery Lane at last week’s meeting, the council’s area highways manager Melisa Burnham said “there’s certainly been a historic desire from locals to see that widened and improved to improve the links that side of Harrogate”.

Ms Burnham said the transport measures had been compiled by an officer group that took part in community engagements, including one with Harlow and Pannal Ash Residents Association in May.

She said that meeting included representatives from the local cycling group.

Traffic lights at the junction of Cold Bath Road, Otley Road and Arthurs Avenue.

The council has also faced criticism about the biggest of its 10 proposed schemes, which is a £200,000 upgrade of the traffic lights at the junction of Otley Road, Cold Bath Road and Arthurs Avenue.

Arnold Warneken, the Green Party councillor for Ouseburn, told last week’s meeting the proposal was “sustainable for cars but not sustainable for active travel and the environment”.

Mr Burnham said the signal upgrade would relieve congestion, which was a “key objective” of the funding and the junction improvements “would create a safe space”.

New national retailer set to open in Harrogate

A new upmarket national retailer is set to open a store on Harrogate’s West Park.

Mandarin Stone, which sells natural stone, porcelain and decorative tiles for homes and businesses, will open in the former Lynx Menswear unit.

Helen Cox-Rawnsley, a director of Montpellier Property Consultants, announced today it had let the site.

The site of the new store.

Mandarin Stone already has showrooms in 15 locations, mainly in southern England and Wales.

The family-run business, which is based in Monmouth, announced last week that its pre-tax profit for the year ended 31 December 2022 had increased to £7.5 million, compared with £6.9 million the year before.

Alma Small, managing director of Mandarin Stone who founded the business more than 30 years ago, said the company continued to grow “despite the challenges and uncertainty within the building sector”.

The company’s website says it has “the most innovative and exciting wall and floor surfaces to the UK market, placing Mandarin Stone at the forefront of interior design”.

Woman sexually assaulted and punched in Harrogate bar

A woman was sexually assaulted, punched and had her hair ripped out in a Harrogate bar on Saturday night.

A man was also headbutted and punched repeatedly in the incident, which happened in Mojo on Parliament Street at about 3am.

Police issued CCTV images of two men they wanted to speak to following what officers described as “a serious assault and sexual assault”.

Officers have since confirmed that the men were identified.

Major new event aims to revive sports tourism around Harrogate

Nine years ago there was the Tour de France; then there was the UCI Road World Championships in 2019.

Now the Harrogate district has another major sports tourism event heading its way — the Long Course Weekend.

The three-day event is less well known, which is little surprise given that it’s never been held in England before.

But the annual Long Course Weekend in Wales has grown to attract 11,000 athletes and 35,000 supporters from 56 nations to Pembrokeshire.

North Yorkshire Council, which has agreed to host the event annually for the next three years in Pateley Bridge, has estimated it will bring £2 million to the local economy.

The council has paid a £25,000 hosting fee to the event organisers.

Matthew Evans, the founder and chief executive of Long Course Weekend, was at Nidderdale Showground yesterday for a media event to announce the venue will be the centrepiece of next year’s inaugural event from September 6 to 8.

Mr Evans pledged to bring to Nidderdale “a different sports event to anything you have had here before”. He joked:

“Pateley Bridge will be turned into a bit of a Lycra-clad community for a few days.”

But what is Long Course Weekend and what will it mean to local people and businesses?

Mike Holr of Nidderdale Plus, Cllr Derek Bastimam, Harrogate GB triathlete Emma Robinson and Matthew Evans, founder of Long Course Weekend.

(from left) Mike Holt, Cllr Derek Bastiman, Emma Robinson and Matthew Evans at yesterday’s launch.

What is Long Course Weekend?

The Long Course Weekend caters for swimmers, cyclists, runners and triathletes of all abilities over one weekend.

But unlike triathlon, in which competitors perform all three disciplines in succession, a day is dedicated to each activity.

Friday will feature swimming in a Nidderdale reservoir; Saturday will feature a cycle ride around North Yorkshire and Sunday will see a run ending on a red carpet in Nidderdale Showground.

Competitors can participate in one discipline or all three.

The swim distances range from 1.2 miles to 2.4 miles, cycling routes will be from 56 miles to 112 miles and the run will start at five kilometres to a full marathon. There will also be a children’s running event.

The number of swimmers and cyclists is expected to be capped at 1,000 each for the first year at Pateley Bridge, although no figure has yet been given for the maximum number of runners.

Where is it being held?

Nidderdale Showground

Nidderdale Showground will become ‘event village’ — the centrepiece of the three days. A red carpet will be laid out in the showground.

The full 112-mile cycle ride is expected to take in most of North Yorkshire and finish at the showground. The swim will be in a yet-to-be-finalised Nidderdale reservoir — not the River Nidd.

The exact details have yet to be finalised and applications for competitors are due to be opened later this year.

Why is it being held in Pateley Bridge?

Gemma Rio

Yesterday’s announcement was the culmination of years of discussions between Gemma Rio, head of council-owned tourist body Destination Harrogate and Mr Evans.

Ms Rio said she hopes it will “become a significant annual event like the Great Yorkshire Show” that will boost the wider local economy. She added:

“There will be a festival feel at the showground and the benefits of the event will extend to multiple Nidderdale villages and dales.”

Will Pateley Bridge cope with the crowds?

Between 18,000 to 25,000 people are expected to visit for the event, according to the council.

Cllr Derek Bastiman. the Conservative-run council’s executive member for open to business, said it was an ideal opportunity to improve the post-covid Nidderdale economy.

He said accommodation providers and hospitality businesses for miles around would benefit and although there were likely to be road closures and some disruption the benefits would outweigh any problems.

Pateley Bridge-based voluntary organisation Nidderdale Plus will help to mobilise volunteers for the event.

Asked whether Pateley’s infrastructure could cope, Mr Evans acknowledged each Long Course Weekend “comes with challenges” but pledged to work with organisations to ensure the area could cope.

According to the council, North Yorkshire’s visitor economy brings in more than £1.5 billion a year from domestic visits alone. Tourism accounts for 10 per cent of the county’s overall economy, and 41,200 workers are employed in the sector.

What they say about it

Emma Robinson

Yesterday’s announcement at the showground included representatives from the council, tourism and sport.

Emma Robinson, 43, a mum-of-three and member of Harrogate Triathlon Club who has competed for Great Britain in the 35 to 39 age group, said:

“The beauty of the Long Course Weekend is the chance to take part in the individual disciplines. As a triathlete I will probably take part in all three, but it’s great that others can choose to just take part in the swim, the cycle or the run.”

Former Pateley Bridge mayor Mike Holt, a volunteer with the Nidderdale Plus community support organisation, said:

“Pateley Bridge and Nidderdale are such wonderful places, and we do attract a lot of visitors from around the country and from abroad already.

“But to have such a successful internationally-recognised event coming here will broaden our appeal to an even wider audience.”

Matthew Evans, the Long Course Weekend’s founder and chief executive, said:

“We have wanted to bring the Long Course Weekend to England for a long time now, and North Yorkshire is the perfect location as the county has a proven track record of staging major sporting events, such as the Tour de France’s Grand Départ.

“It is one of only a few sporting events that encompasses swimmers, cyclists, runners and triathletes of all abilities over one weekend.”

Cllr Bastiman said: “To host such a well-respected and internationally-renowned sporting event is a real coup for us.

“The Long Course Weekend has become a very popular date in the sporting calendar in countries across the world, and it will be a privilege for North Yorkshire to host an event next year. It will give us the chance to showcase to a global audience what we can offer here in what is one of the most beautiful and diverse parts of the country.”

Council declines to say if it ignored warnings about Knaresborough wall

North Yorkshire Council has declined to comment on claims it failed to heed warnings about a wall that collapsed in Knaresborough last week.

The wall, which was painted by Knaresborough artist Joseph Baker Fountain last century, crashed on to the road on Thursday.

Nobody was hurt, and traffic lights remain in place at the site on Briggate.

Nearby resident Catherine Rogerson told the Stray Ferret she and other local people reported the wall to North Yorkshire Council last month because it appeared unsafe.

The Stray Ferret asked the council whether it had been alerted to concerns about the state of the wall.

Melisa Burnham, the council’s highways area manager, replied:

“Two-way traffic lights will remain in place until repairs to the wall are carried out.

“We are liaising with residents of nearby properties and are in discussions with contractors to ensure the work is completed as quickly as possible.”

Ms Rogerson told the Stray Ferret last week:

“I said it was an emergency and could collapse, causing a nasty accident.

“Several other local people have also contacted them about it. We all stressed it was in a dangerous state.”

Cllr Matt Walker, a Liberal Democrat who represents Knaresborough West on the council, said he understood the wall was inspected this month.

He added:

“I realise that the council have to use council tax wisely but the obsession with finding the owner of the wall has put the public at risk.

“I’d like the council to review how they assess the safety of walls and have asked to see the survey report that I’ve been told showed the wall was safe when it was inspected last Monday.”

Tens of thousands set to flock to Pateley Bridge for major new sports event

A major sporting event expected to attract thousands of competitors will be staged in Pateley Bridge next year.

The Long Course Weekend started in Wales in 2010 and now attracts over 11,000 athletes and 35,000 supporters from 56 nations to Pembrokeshire over three days.

The event is based on the principles of the triathlon but is tailored to open up the three disciplines of swimming, cycling and running to as wide an audience as possible.

Long Course Weekends now take place worldwide but this one — hosted by North Yorkshire Council — will be the first one in England.

Nidderdale Showground.

It will take place in Nidderdale between September 6 and 8 next year.

Competitors will have the choice to participate in one of the individual disciplines or choose all three, with different distances for swimming, cycling and running available to suit those taking part.

Cllr Derek Bastiman, the council’s executive member for open to business whose portfolio includes the visitor economy, announced the Long Course Weekend at a media event at Nidderdale Showground in Pateley Bridge this morning.

Harrogate bridge may not be demolished after all

Oak Beck Bridge in Harrogate may not be demolished and replaced after all.

North Yorkshire County Council received planning permission to destroy the existing structure on Skipton Road and build a new one in November 2021.

It said the £1 million project was necessary because the current bridge was in poor condition.

Howard Civil Engineering was due to start the 24-week scheme in January last year.

But in June last year, council bridges manager Philip Richardson said the scheme had been delayed due to “unforeseen circumstances” and the council was still in talks with Yorkshire Water.

Mr Richardson gave an almost identical response when the Stray Ferret asked for an update in April this year, adding “please be assured that we will begin work as soon as we are able”.

With no sign of progress five months later, the Stray Ferret asked North Yorkshire Council, which succeeded North Yorkshire County Council this year, for another update.

Mr Richardson said

“Over the summer we carried out short-term works including resurfacing the road and repairing stonework to ensure the bridge remains safe for all road users.

“We will be looking at longer-term options including widening the bridge or strengthening the existing structure.”

Although this does not rule out replacing the bridge, it indicates this is no longer the only option.

The Stray Ferret asked why it no longer appeared necessary to replace the bridge as it had been deemed unsafe.

A council spokesperson said:

“As the statement says, the bridge remains safe. We were in discussions around costs and will now be looking at possible long-term works.”

The bridge is located near the junction with Ripon Road at New Park — close to where the new Tesco supermarket is due to be built.

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What is Long Course Weekend?

Where is it being held?

Why is it being held in Pateley Bridge?

Will Pateley Bridge cope with the crowds?

What they say about it

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