Environment secretary ‘impressed’ by River Nidd bathing water bid

Harrogate and Knaresborough’s Conservative MP Andrew Jones has briefed new environment secretary Steve Barclay MP on the bid to designate the River Nidd as a bathing water.

If the bid is successful, the Environment Agency will be obliged to work with Yorkshire Water, farmers, businesses and residents to put in place a five-year plan to improve water quality in the river.

The campaign, which Mr Jones has led, is focused on the Lido at Knaresborough because of the number of leisure users it attracts but the changes would be felt along a much wider stretch of the river.

The bid has been backed by local councils, wild swimmers, anglers and community groups who have submitted letters of support to the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. A decision is expected in spring.

After the meeting, Mr Jones said:

“Mr Barclay has taken up post since I submitted the bid and so I wanted to brief him personally.  While a decision is yet to be made, it was clear to me that he was impressed with the information gathered by local volunteers and the many letters of support.

“The Nidd is used by hundreds of people for recreation.  The bid is about helping them to do that in a consistently cleaner and healthier environment with water quality that shows sustained improvement.

“The main cause of pollution in the Nidd is run-off from farmland which contains chemicals from pesticides and animal waste.  The farming community upstream are key partners for our campaign for better water quality.”

Mr Jones added Yorkshire Water was investing £180 million over two years to reduce the operation of storm overflows, which stop sewage from backing up into homes. He added:

“There is also a legacy of mining along the Nidd.  When the abandoned mine workings flood iron, zinc, lead, cadmium, aluminium, manganese and copper leach into the river.

“So it is a complex issue needing the input of many different groups.  That is why it is important that we have an agreed plan backed by the Environment Agency.”

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Council inflicts significant financial blow on Harrogate Theatre

Harrogate Theatre has suffered a significant financial blow after North Yorkshire Council reviewed its booking agreement.

The theatre currently programmes entertainment at the council-owned Royal Hall and Harrogate Convention Centre, as well as at the theatre itself.

It benefits from a reduced booking fee and income from these events.

But North Yorkshire Council, which succeeded Harrogate Borough Council in April last year, has decided to review its agreements with all cultural venues in North Yorkshire. The changes will come into effect next year.

It means the theatre will no longer organise the programme of events including music, comedy and drama at the Royal Hall and the convention centre, and income will go to the Northallerton-based council instead.

The move will have financial consequences for Harrogate (White Rose) Theatre Trust, the charity that operates the theatre although the full implications are not yet clear.

Jo Ireland, the council’s assistant director for culture and leisure, said in a statement:

“We are reviewing the agreements we have with all our cultural venues and organisations in North Yorkshire, and Harrogate Theatre is part of that work.

“All existing arrangements will remain in place for 2024/25 whilst we complete this work which is being carried out in consultation with the cultural organisations affected.

“Harrogate Theatre has an arrangement to book 30 events a year at the Royal Hall at a reduced fee and there are currently 33 events programmed for the coming year. Those bookings will be honoured.

“Outside of this arrangement, programming at the Royal Hall and Harrogate Convention Centre will continue to be undertaken by the team at Harrogate Convention Centre.”

The Stray Ferret has approached Harrogate Theatre for comment.

According to the theatre trust’s latest financial statement, for the year ending March 31, 2022, it generated income of £3.1 million, which was considerably up on the covid-hit figure of £1.4 million for the previous year. It recorded a surplus of £421,000. Staff numbers fell from 38 to 27.

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Council may consider selling Harrogate Convention Centre

North Yorkshire Council is in talks with private companies about the possibility of selling Harrogate Convention Centre.

The convention centre has been council-owned since it opened in 1982.

But last year’s abolition of previous owners Harrogate Borough Council, along with the need to find tens of millions of pounds for a major refurbishment, has prompted North Yorkshire Council to consider a fresh approach.

Richard Flinton, chief executive of North Yorkshire Council, told Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce last night it wanted to “understand private sector interest in the building” although he added “that doesn’t necessarily mean the council will look to offload it”.

Richard Flinton at last night’s meeting.

Asked by the Stray Ferret for further details at the meeting, Mr Flinton said:

“We are looking at whether the private sector is interested in either owning it, partnering with it or becoming more involved in its organisation.

“We will then feed that information into a very difficult political decision Carl and his colleagues will have to take.”

Mr Flinton was referring to Cllr Carl Les, the Conservative leader of North Yorkshire Council, who also attended last night’s gathering.

Carl Les at the meeting.

Shadows grow over centre’s future

The convention centre’s future has become increasingly uncertain.

Harrogate Borough Council awarded construction company BAM a £3.3 million contract in February last year to undertake designs for a £49 million refurbishment even though the funding had not been secured.

Paula Lorimer, the director of the convention centre, warned at the time that Harrogate would ‘wither on the vine’ if the venue closed and suggested the government’s levelling up fund was one possible funding source.

Paula Lorimer

Paula Lorimer

But the levelling up fund has twice since rejected £20 million bids for the convention centre.

Mr Flinton first hinted at a change of approach at a chamber meeting in January last year, before North Yorkshire Council took ownership of the building. He said then it needed to be vibrant and relevant in the face of competition from a new venue in Leeds rather than “an enormous drain on public finances”.

The conference and events venue made a loss in all but three years in the decade from 2010 to 2020 but Harrogate Borough Council said visitors pumped £30 million a year into the local economy.

But last night Mr Flinton said the convention centre required “north of £60 million investment” and that “beholds us to look at all options available”. He added:

“We inherited good thinking and a large maintenance bill on the convention centre from Harrogate Borough Council but not what the private sector would do with it. That feels like the final piece of information.

“We will see how that moves thinking further forward.”

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Survey launched on Knaresborough cliff lift idea

A survey has been launched as part of a project to investigate installing a cliff lift in Knaresborough.

The Stray Ferret reported last year that the government’s shared prosperity fund had awarded £20,000 to conduct a feasibility study into the idea. A lift has long been seen as a way to connect the steep divide between Waterside and the castle and encourage people to stay in town longer.

Knaresborough and District Chamber, Renaissance Knaresborough and the Knaresborough Civic Society are behind the scheme. Professional tourism group Carey Tourism is supporting them.

A press release announcing the survey on behalf of the groups said a cliff lift “is one of our dreams to bring economic prosperity and build for the next generation of Knaresborians, both young and old”.

It included an image, shown here, which Peter Lacey, an executive member of the chamber, said was “an example to get a wow factor and signal our ambition” even though no design — or even a decision on whether to proceed with the idea — has been approved yet.

The release said:

“This is an exciting opportunity for residents young and old, as well as visitors to the town to help shape the future of our town making it fit for the next generation.”

The release urged people to complete the survey here or have their say on the Polis website here, in the hope that this will lead to a consensus about what matters most to people.

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Council to review locations of ‘reeking’ Harrogate district litter bins

North Yorkshire Council is to review its litter bin policy in the Harrogate district after complaints.

The council is spending £478,000 on replacing about 1,500 litter bins in the district with 775 new, larger bins.

The new bins are emptied less frequently and more likely to be located alongside main roads to make them easier for council staff to collect. It is hoped the new approach will save between £17,000 and £19,000 a year and free up staff for other duties like litter picking.

But the decision to get rid of many old bins in parks, where dogs are walked, and empty them less frequently has upset residents.

The Stray Ferret covered this issue widely last year, reporting on concerns in Knox and Jennyfields as well as submitting a freedom if information request to the council.

The larger new bins are emptied less frequently.

Numerous complaints — including stench — were raised at a meeting of the council’s Harrogate and Knaresborough area constituency committee on Friday.

Monika Slater, a Liberal Democrat who represents Bilton Grange and New Park, said the placement of bins was “something I have a bit of a problem with”.

Cllr Slater said some were overflowing and one in Charles Avenue in Bilton “did absolutely reek”. People, she added, were dropping poo bags where bins used to be.

Paul Haslam, a Conservative who represents Bilton and Nidd Gorge, said he received more emails about poo bins than anything else. He added:

“If you are going to empty those once a fortnight they are going to smell. Lots of people are very concerned about it.”

Cllr Hannah Gostlow, a Liberal Democrat who represents Knaresborough East, said Knaresborough Town Council “received lots of emails about it not working” and asked when the promised additional street cleaning would begin.

Michael Leah assistant director for environmental services, told councillors:

“The founding principle from what I’ve seen is the bin needs to be in the right place and it needs to be collected with the right frequency.

“These are fairly straightforward things and when I’ve been out on the patch that isn’t the case. Some are in the wrong place, some are missing and thy are not being collected with the right frequency. We recognise that and will address that.”

Michael Leah (left) and Harry Briggs at the council meeting.

Mr Leah and Harry Briggs, the council’s newly appointed head of waste and streetscene services, said the new policy was a legacy project inherited from Harrogate Borough Council. which was abolished on April 1 last year.

Mr Briggs said the bins were located “as close to a road as humanly possible because staff have a large work programme for the day so they don’t have time to go into the park”.

But he acknowledged the system hadn’t worked smoothly:

“It’s right that we now pause to reflect to see if the locations could be improved upon or the number of bins that have been rationalised is too great.

“The new management team at North Yorkshire Council is looking at this again, that’s not to say that the project was delivered incorrectly but we want now as a new organisation to review that.”

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Tories and Lib Dems clash over River Nidd water quality

Conservative MP Andrew Jones has clashed with Liberal Democrat politicians over water quality in the River Nidd.

The state of the Nidd is likely to be one of the key election issues in Harrogate and Knaresborough in the year ahead, with both parties focusing heavily on it. The Stray Ferret has been following developments — you can read a recent summary here.

Mr Jones, the MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, was questioned on the subject when he appeared before a Liberal Democrat-controlled committee of local councillors on Friday.

Mr Jones has been leading a campaign to achieve bathing water status on the Nidd at Knaresborough Lido, which would oblige the Environment Agency to monitor water quality along the river.

Hannah Gostlow, a Liberal Democrat who represents Knaresborough East on North Yorkshire Council, asked Mr Jones when it would be safe to swim in the Nidd.

Mr Jones said the government was expected to adjudicate on the bathing water status application by late spring or early summer.

He added:

“It isn’t reasonable to say it’s not safe to swim in the River Nidd because the whole point about the bathing water status is it’s measuring people actually already swimming in the Nidd. People like swimming in the Nidd. This about helping them do that.

“So I think the question is slightly loaded and slightly wrong. The work to improve water quality is a complex piece of work which will require prolonged investment — some changes in agricultural practice as well.”

Cllr Gostlow replied by saying she asked the question because an Environment Agency report in December 2023 gave ‘poor’ water quality status to the only three rivers in England to hold a distinct classification for swimming,  meaning they were unfit for swimming.

Those waterways are the River Wharfe at Ilkley, Wolvercote Mill Stream in Oxfordshire, and the Deben estuary at Waldringfield —

After the meeting, Cllr Gostlow accused Mr Jones of failing to answer the question on when it will be safe to swim in the Nidd. She added:

“Every summer we have countless children and adults who get sick as a result of swimming in the Nidd. If it was already safe to do so then there wouldn’t be a need to concerted effort and a community campaign to improve water quality.”

Mr Jones (right) sitting alongside an aide at last week’s meeting.

Mr Jones told the Harrogate and Knaresborough area constituency committee, which advises North Yorkshire Council on local issues, the bathing water status application had been “a hugely successful piece of work”.

He said agricultural run off that is the largest cause of pollution in rivers and the Nidd’s mining past also caused issues.

He added:

“I look at the quality issue in a very positive way This is the first government ever to have tackled water quality with an action plan.

“A key thing is by the end of last year we had 100% of the storm overflows in our country monitored for the first time.

“And it was a big change because it was only in 2016 that it was 6% monitoring so we now can quantify the scale of the problem and we will be able therefore to direct where investment will be going to make the quickest biggest difference.”

He said monitoring “has changed the entire national debate” and would enable everyone shortly to be able to see live data on water quality.

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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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