Town centre living trend gathers pace in Harrogate

New plans have been submitted to change the use of a former Harrogate shop into flats as the trend towards town centre living gathers pace.

York-based Andrew Farr has applied to create six flats on West Park above the former Orvis store, which closed in April 2022 after 25 years of trading in the town.

It follows similar recent planning applications to change the use of town centre retail units into flats.

The former River Island shop on Cambridge Street is in the process of being converted to 15 flats and similar residential schemes have been proposed for the former main post office on Cambridge Road and the ex-King’s Club strip club on Oxford Street.

Work has begun on converting the former River Island shop into flats.

This is the second time Mr Farr has brought forward the scheme.

He withdrew plans in March to convert the upper floors of the former Orvis to six flats and create bin and bike storage. Planning documents say that application was halted “following the receipt of the comments from the council’s private section housing officer”.

They add the “revised proposal is largely identical” except for amendments to the internal layout.

It would see the upper floors of numbers 21a, 21 and 22 West Park converted.

Since Orvis closed, a bridal shop has opened on the ground floor of the premises.

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A planning and heritage statement sent to the council in support of Mr Farr’s application says future residents of the flats would be able to apply for monthly or annual parking pass for West Park multi-storey car parking.

It adds the scheme would “enhance the vitality of the Harrogate town centre” and bring vacant floors back into use “without any identified harm to the character of the host building and the neighbouring Harrogate Conservation Area”. It concludes:

“It is considered that the proposed scheme responds to the constraints of the site, planning policy constraints and its heritage context and should fall within the parameters of acceptable development.”

 

13 candidates to contest local parliamentary by-election

Thirteen candidates will contest the Selby and Ainsty parliamentary by-election next month.

Nominations for candidates closed on Friday and voters will go to the polls on Thursday, July 20.

All 13, except the Conservative candidate Claire Holmes, are male.

This will be the first local election to require photo ID following recent changes introduced to prevent fraud.

The candidates are:

Although Selby and Ainsty is centred on Selby and reaches almost as far south as Pontefract, its northern portion includes Spofforth and many of the villages in the Vale of York, such as Great Ouseburn, Green Hammerton and Tockwith.

Voting will take place from 7am to 10pm with the election count taking place in the evening after the close of polling.

The by-election has been called following the resignation of Conservative MP Nigel Adams, who had held the seat since 2010. The Tories will be defending a 20,137 majority.

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The electorate in the Selby and Ainsty constituency have until midnight on Tuesday, July 4, to register to vote and until 5pm on Wednesday, July 5, to apply for a postal vote.

If someone is unable to vote in person or by post, they have until 5pm on Wednesday, July 12, to apply for a proxy vote.

Voters will need to bring photographic identification to be able to vote.

Accepted forms of ID include a UK or Northern Ireland photocard driving licence, full or provisional, a UK passport or a passport issued by the EU, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, the Isle of Man, or any of the Channel Islands, and some concessionary travel passes, such as an older person’s bus pass or blue badge.

Voters will be able to use expired ID if they are still recognisable from the photo.

Anyone without an accepted form of ID can apply for a free voter authority certificate by 5pm on Wednesday, July 12.  You can do so here.

You can register to vote here.

More information on the by-election is available here.

After 18 months, still no progress on Ripon Lidl

Eighteen months on since planning permission was ratified for a Ripon Lidl, there is still no sign of work starting.

Lidl submitted a planning application in May 2021 and it was approved on Christmas Eve of the same year.

The company ran a public consultation on the scheme, which involves opening a 1,250 square metre store at St Michael’s Park, Rotary Way.

It would be located near the existing M&S Foodhall and create up to 40 jobs

In its planning application, Lidl said the site was ideal:

“Lidl has a commitment to secure representation in Ripon and has been searching for suitable premises for a number of years. The nearest Lidl food stores are located some distance away in Knaresborough, Thirsk and Northallerton.”

However, there is no sign of the store opening. This is despite the planning documents saying Lidl hoped that 2022 would be the “first full and settled trading year for the new store”.

The Stray Ferret is regularly asked by readers for an update on what would be the town’s first Lidl.

As today marks 18 months since the plans were signed off, we contacted the company to find out more about its plans.

But as with our previous request for an update in April, did not receive a response.

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Ripon car rally set for 9am start from Market Place

Ripon Motorsport Club is inviting the public to join them on a drive, with the chance to view some classic cars.

The club is best known for the Riponian Stages Rally and the St Wilfrid’s Road Rally.

The stages has been running since 1986 on February 12 and consist of several timed stages. St Wilfrid’s is held on August 6 and runs for almost 150 miles stretching across the Vale of York and the Yorkshire Moors.

The historic cars will start in Ripon Market Place tomorrow at 9am. Among the cars expected to attend are classic Ford Escorts, Minis and Mercedes.

Club members plan to drive through the Vale of York before reaching the NY500 motoring cafe near Pickering around 11:30am.

The club has encouraged the public to join them either on the drive or at the start and end destinations. There will be opportunities for members of the public to be shown round the cars.

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Harrogate man’s colourful garden is ‘biggest display yet’

Harrogate man Paul Ivison is once again opening his garden to the public with the aim of raising money for charity and getting a visa for his fiancé.

Paul has lived on the corner of Mayfield Grove and Mayfield Terrace for more than 15 years. He has changed his garden’s design many times and become something of a local celebrity.

Previous displays have raised money for North Yorkshire Horizons, the Disasters Emergency Committee and many more charitable causes.

This year’s garden will feature a number of themes: mental health, LGBT Pride and the danger of plastic to our oceans.

He said:

“This year’s display… is the biggest I have done in three years”

At the garden’s opening there will be information available on where to get help for those suffering with poor mental health.

As well as this there will be a colourful LGBT section. Gnomes have been painted in the six colours of the pride flag and there will be a number of other rainbow painted  items on display.

On the topic of plastic in our oceans, Paul has installed a fully working bathroom suite which will be filled with plastic waste. Red water will be flowing out of it to symbolise the danger of discarded plastic.

This is all with the aim of raising money for the Samaritans.

He also wants to raise money for his partner, who lives in the Philippines, to get a UK visa and move to Harrogate.

The garden is opening Sunday 25 June at 3pm and Paul has invited neighbours and friends round to enjoy it.

Entrance is free but there will be a box by the gate for any charitable donations. Paul also has a GoFundMe page for his partner’s visa, which you can find here.

Paul Ivison's newest garden on themes including mental health.

Paul Ivison's newest garden on themes including mental health.

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Fundraising appeal set up for Sophie Lambert’s funeral

The brother of Harrogate woman Sophie Lambert has set up a crowdfunding appeal for her funeral.

Sophie’s body was found in the River Nidd this week, five days after she wet missing from her home in Starbeck.

Hundreds of people took part in searches to find her.

Her older brother Craig Robinson launched a gofundme appeal yesterday to raise £3,000 to pay for ‘the best funeral for my sister Sophie’.

It was already over halfway towards its target last night.

Craig said Sophie was a bright girl who loved to laugh and had two dogs but had battled suffering every day for 10 years.

Craig shared this photo of his sister.

He added:

“This gofundme is for her funeral for us to be able to give her the best send off ever, please don’t feel pressured into donating as we have already set one up before for fuel and other resources,

“Sophie my little sister what can I say, you’ve grown your wings and flown away, I hope you’re safe up there.”

You can support the appeal here.

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Muffin Break cafe coming to Harrogate?

An empty shopping unit in Harrogate town centre looks set to host a Muffin Break cafe.

Notices have appeared in the window of the former Hotter shoe shop on Cambridge Street for a pavement licence application.

The notice says the applicant is FoodCo UK Franchising Ltd, known as Muffin Break bakery cafe.

Muffin Break is a franchise business of FoodCo that originated in Canada and now has about 60 UK outlets. The closest one is in Bradford.

The former Hotter shoe shop

They typically sell muffins, cakes and coffee and also provide breakfasts and light lunches.

The licence application is dated June 9 and says the deadline for comments is June 13 — four days later.

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The Stray Ferret asked North Yorkshire Council, which determines licence applications, for further details.

The council displays pavement licence applications on its website here. But a spokeswoman said the Muffin Break application was no longer available because the objection expiry date had passed. She added the licence had been granted.

We tried to contact FoodCo UK Franchising but have not had a reply.

 

Boroughbridge performers pick a pocket or two

Boroughbridge theatre company, The Hightimers,  are returning to the stage this weekend with a new performance of Oliver Twist.

The Hightimers are named after Boroughbridge High School where they held their first performances back in 1985.

Director, Marlo Lomas, described the company as a family, with many members joining as kids before growing in experience and talent and landing bigger roles.

The company has got “bigger and bigger”  according to Lomas and have members ranging from 8-80 years old playing a part in the production.

Oliver Twist was picked as it combines the talents of both younger and more senior actors.

Christopher Bishop, playing the titular Oliver was described as “incredible” by Lomas. He compared his singing voice as “identical” to Kathe Green’s, the woman who’s voice was dubbed over the boy Oliver in the 1968 film version “Oliver!”

The theatre’s previous performances include Grease and Cinderella.

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Performances at Coronation Hall in Boroughbridge are on every Friday and Saturday until 1 July. You find tickets here starting at £10 with concession tickets available.

They’re a self-funded organisation with the profits going towards future productions and local charities.

Hightimers Oliver Twist debuting this weekend.

Hightimers Oliver Twist debuting this weekend.

 

 

 

Two people robbed and assaulted on Knaresborough street

Two people were robbed and assaulted while walking in Knaresborough in the early hours of this morning.

North Yorkshire Police this afternoon appealed for witnesses and information following the incident, which occurred at about 2am.

The force said in a statement:

“The two victims were walking on Aspin Lane when they were approached by two men and assaulted. One of the victims had their mobile phone stolen. The offenders left the area in a black Alfa Romeo.

“A short time later officers arrested a 19-year-old man on suspicion of robbery, possession of a class-A drug and class-B drug and drug driving.

“An 18-year-old man was also arrested on suspicion of robbery and possession of a class-B drug. Both men currently remain in police custody.”

Anyone with information or CCTV footage is asked to email jenifer.doyle@northyorkshire.police.uk or dial 101, select option 2, and ask for Jenifer Doyle.

If you wish to remain anonymous, you can pass information to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Quote reference number 12230113081.

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Harrogate High School ‘requires improvement’, says Ofsted

Harrogate High School‘s Ofsted rating has been downgraded from ‘good’ to ‘requires improvement’ in a newly released report.

Inspectors said the quality of education had declined and older pupils in particular “do not achieve well in external examinations”.

They also said some parents had raised concerns about pupil behaviour and some students with bad attitudes were “not challenged quickly enough” and some truant pupils were “disrespectful to staff and cause disruption”.

However, the report acknowledges new school leaders understood the problems and their actions “have secured improvements in the quality of education”.

It also says arrangements for safeguarding are effective, staff are well trained and leaders have developed an “ambitious curriculum”, including for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities – and that pupils with additional needs are “well supported in lessons”.

Two-day Ofsted visit

Harrogate High, which was founded in 1973 as Harrogate Granby High School, has more than 700 pupils.  It is part of the Northern Star Academies Trust – a partnership of nine schools across Harrogate, Skipton and Keighley. Ofsted visited the school on April 25 and 26.

The report, which the school has released but has not yet been uploaded onto Ofsted’s website, gave it an overall rating of ‘requires improvement’ and awarded the same grade for all four sub-categories assessed: quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development and leadership and management.

The school’s last full inspection was 10 years ago, when it was rated ‘good’ overall. It retained the grading following a short inspection in 2017.

‘Good’ is the second highest of four possible ratings; ‘requires improvement’ is the third highest.

The report says leaders have prioritised improving the curriculum and changed the subjects pupils study at key stage 4 to offer a more broad and balanced curriculum. But it adds “the academic experiences that pupils receive continue to be mixed” and goes on to say:

“Teachers do not consistently check if pupils know or understand what has been taught. As a result, misconceptions are not always identified and addressed. In particular, older pupils, who have not benefited from improvements in the curriculum, do not achieve well in external examinations.”

Ofsted says there is a range of extra-curricular activities but “the wider development of pupils needs to be a sharper focus for leaders”.

It adds:

“Leaders recognise the need to improve behaviour across the school. They are working with external support to implement new systems to tackle poor behaviour.”

The report highlights “there have been many changes in leadership since the last inspection”, which “has led to delays in addressing some of the weaknesses in the school” and although there have been improvements “there is much more work to do”.

 

‘Exciting time for Harrogate High’

Sukhraj Gill

Responding to the report, headteacher Sukhraj Gill said:

“This is an exciting time for Harrogate High School. Inspectors have recognised the improvements we have already made and confirmed that we are on the right track to make Harrogate High a great school. We have achieved a great deal at Harrogate High School – with a lot more to do.

“We will continue our relentless drive to make Harrogate High the best school it can be for all the young people that we educate.

“We’re especially pleased that inspectors recognised that we provide good support for pupils with additional needs. We value every young person in our school, whatever their needs. Ofsted’s findings are a vindication of our values as a truly inclusive school.”

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Jenn Plews

Jenn Plews, chief executive of Northern Star Academies Trust, said:

“Harrogate High School has made massive strides forward under its new leadership. The Ofsted report is clear: leaders’ actions have improved the quality of education. The fact that the school is full and has been oversubscribed is a testament to the work our school and our trust across Harrogate.

“Inspections are always an opportunity to learn from the inspectors’ feedback and recommendations to help us develop and improve. We welcome this report as a positive contribution to continue Harrogate High School’s continuing journey to become a great school”.