Harrogate’s ‘biggest dance music festival ever’ coming to the Stray

Record label and house music brand Love To Be is to host a dance music festival on the Stray in Harrogate, on Saturday, September 14. 

In a social media post announcing the event, Love To Be said it would be ‘the biggest dance music festival ever to take place in Harrogate’.

Love To Be, which has been staging events for 30 years, said it would be a full festival production with two arenas, VIP entry and a food court lasting from 1pm to 11pm. It added:

“A massive and unmissable line up of international house music DJs, Vocalists, musicians and performers will be revealed soon

“In our 30th anniversary year we’ll be bringing you 30 years of house plus the sounds of Ibiza!”

The organisers said demand for the Harrogate festival had been “absolutely insane with 1,000 plus sign ups in 24 hours”. They added:

“Our 30th year is looking like our biggest year to date and we can’t wait to create some amazing dance floor moments with you all this year.”

Love To Be began in 1994 at Sheffield’s Music Factory. Its 30th anniversary celebrations also include events at Mint Warehouse in Leeds on February 10 and a ay festival in Sheffield on April 27. 

Other events include headliners including Bez from the Happy Mondays, DJ Grant Nelson and Sheffield talent Adelphi Music Factory. 

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What will the new combined authority mean for Harrogate?

York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority had a launch event yesterday in the grand surroundings of York’s Guildhall.

The new public body will see four councillors from York and North Yorkshire work with a newly elected mayor to deliver schemes worth £18m a year related to transport, housing, net-zero and business.

The combined authority era will begin in earnest after mayoral elections on May 2.

But for all the aspirational talk from leaders at the launch about “historic milestones” and “flourishing together”, what will it actually mean for people living in Harrogate?

The Local Democracy Reporting Service spoke to Cllr Carl Les, Conservative leader of North Yorkshire Council and James Farrar, interim head of paid services for combined authority, to try and get a better sense of how the combined authority will work — and how the mayor could use their new powers to improve Harrogate.

Some key decisions will be made in Harrogate

A common criticism of North Yorkshire Council is the location of its headquarters in Northallerton with it frequently being described by Harrogate residents as remote and out-of-the-way.

The combined authority will have two main offices — in York and at County Hall in Northallerton.

Cllr Les disputed the argument that this means even more decisions affecting Harrogate will not be made locally and he insisted the town will have a voice.

As the mayoral role will also include the brief of the current Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Zoe Metcalfe, her office and staff at Harrogate Police Station on Beckwith Head Road will come under the control of the mayor.

Although the crime and fire duties will be led by a deputy mayor who will be appointed after the election.

Cllr Les said:

“Devolution is the holy grail of local government. It’s about moving decision-making away from Whitehall to County Hall and to York. I’ve been around local government for nigh-on 30 years and I’ve never met a councillor who doesn’t believe we can’t make better decisions locally.”

The mayor could help fund the Harrogate Convention Centre redevelopment.

North Yorkshire Council has a £49m problem with what to do with the ageing Harrogate Convention Centre.

It’s seen seen two funding bids rejected by government to help pay for a planned redevelopment that it inherited from the defunct Harrogate Borough Council.

It was even recently suggested by council chief executive Richard Flinton that the council-run facility could be sold to the private sector.

However, Mr Farrar said the convention centre redevelopment project could win funding from the mayor providing it delivers “good bang for the buck”.

Cllr Les was more enthusiastic about the idea and said “absolutely” when asked if the mayor could help pay for it.

He added:

“That’s a discussion we’d want to have with the mayor, whoever he or she is.”

The launch event today.

The mayor could reverse cuts to Harrogate’s fire service

Conservative fire and crime commissioner Zoe Metcalfe has faced strong criticism from fire unions and the public over her decision to reduce the number of fire engines available in Harrogate overnight to one.

She also recently announced that from April, four firefighters based in the town will lose their jobs, saving £210,000.

Last month, Ms Metcalfe said she was going to write to local government secretary Michael Gove to plead with him for an increase in funding available to the fire service through council tax.

Cllr Les admitted government hasn’t always listened to the requests of crime commissioners but said that could change with a more high-profile mayor who may be able to negotiate more money for North Yorkshire’s cash-strapped fire service.

Cllr Les said:

“They could [reverse the cuts].  But if the mayor wants to reverse the savings, they have to find the money.”

Mr Farrar added that the budget of the fire service will be “entirely down to the mayor”

More active travel schemes for Harrogate?

Harrogate’s £11.2m Station Gateway has turned into one giant headache for North Yorkshire Council.

The active travel scheme has been drastically scaled-back following opposition from local businesses and the finished version could end up satisfying nobody.

One of the mayor’s responsibilities is to bring forward a strategic transport strategy for the region and Mr Farrar said this could include suggesting new schemes to promote cycling and walking in Harrogate.

He added:

“We’ll be looking at how people move around in Harrogate in an effective way.”

But how will the combined authority be able to succeed where the council has arguably failed?

Cllr Les said:

“The station gateway is a classic example of putting forward a scheme and finding two distinct lobbies in Harrogate where there are well-educated people who know how to put a coherent argument forward.

“Its very clear a lot of people wanted a scheme that’s much more pedestrian and cycle-friendly, other people wanted it to be more business-friendly. We’ve tried to strike a balance, whether we’ve got it right, only time will tell.”

One of the first jobs in the mayor’s in-tray could be repairing the fractured relationship between Harrogate businesses, cycling community and the public sector following the station gateway debacle.

But if he or she decides to encourage more active travel in Harrogate, they could also run into the same problems and divisiveness faced by North Yorkshire Council.

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Rivers Nidd and Ure named among UK’s most polluted rivers

A report from the Angling Trust has found the Nidd and Ure to be among the most polluted rivers in the UK.

The results are contained in the first water quality monitoring network report published by the organisation, which represents anglers.

The report is based on the findings of 641 anglers from 240 angling clubs who monitored pollution on 190 rivers.

Twenty flyfishers from four clubs on the Nidd collected 165 water samples from 13 locations over a period of a year as part of this national project, which the Angling Trust has hailed as ‘the UK’s largest citizen science water testing’ project.

The report found 83% of English rivers now show evidence of high pollution and deteriorating water quality. 

An Angling Trust press release said:

“Mapped catchments with the highest phosphate site averages were the Medway; Swale, Ure, Nidd and Upper Ouse; Severn Middle Worcestershire; Loddon and tributaries; Wey and tributaries; Warwickshire Avon; Ribble; Hampshire Avon; Upper and Bedford Ouse.”

The Ure at Boroughbridge.

The Nidd flows through Pateley Bridge and Knaresborough as well as many villages near Harrogate. The Ure passes through Masham, Ripon and Boroughbridge.

The organisation conducted the Water Quality Monitoring Network testing as part of its Anglers Against Pollution campaign. It also did so because of reduced essential testing from the Environment Agency.

Angling Trust chief executive Jamie Cook said:

“The first annualWater Quality Monitoring Network report proves that across the country rivers are suffering from too much phosphate which is extremely damaging in freshwater.

“We need to see much more enforcement and an update of existing laws to tackle the scourge of river pollution and hold polluters to account.”

The Nidd has been the subject of an ongoing clean-up campaign dating back to the formation of the Nidd Action Group in October 2022.

It organised sampling along the length of the Nidd in August and October last year, which found high levels of phosphates and E.coli in much of the main river and also its becks.

David Clayden, chair of Nidd Angling Group, said:

“Yorkshire Water has proposed to reduce phosphate levels from discharges from its assets, and Nidd Action Group intends to scrutinise the delivery of those improvements and the actual results of their actions over the next several years.”

Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones has led a campaign for the Nidd to achieve bathing water status at the Knaresborough Lido, which, if achieved, would lead to measures to improve water quality.

Andrew Jones (right) and Environment Secretary Steve Barclay discuss the bathing water status bid.

The application was submitted to the government in October 2023. A decision is expected in spring.

The Stray Ferret previously reported concerns about the Nidd, including reports of bathers falling ill with sickness, as well as wider pollution concerns. 

A report claimed that the equivalent of 317 Olympic swimming pools worth of raw sewage was discharged into Nidd in 2020. 

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New Harrogate pregnancy and wellness clinic to open

A pregnancy and wellness clinic called Cocoon will open on Victoria Avenue in Harrogate on Saturday (February 3).

The clinic will offer private scans and midwifery care to families in Harrogate and surrounding areas, as well as support. 

Mother-of-two Sam Naughton founded Cocoon after experiencing her own difficult path to parenthood. 

In 2022, Ms Naughton gave birth to son Alby but previously lost her baby, Willow, at 10 weeks, meaning she had many private scans during her pregnancy with Alby. 

This appointment process inspired her to create Cocoon as a means of nurturing parents at every and any stage of pregnancy. 

Ms Naughton said:

“While on maternity leave, I couldn’t shake the feeling that there had to be a better way. I imagined a clinic that nurtured and supported parents at every stage.

“I wanted to create somewhere that was inclusive and accessible to all families, all emotions and all outcomes.

“We’re also hearing from women who are feeling anxious or worried in the weeks and months after their baby has been born – and this is something we are here to help with.”

A private scan room at Cocoon.

The business will provide ultrasound scans alongside bereavement therapy, life-coaching and mentoring. 

The Cocoon team consists of five specialists, including sonographers and midwifes.

The clinic has also partnered with local midwifery organisation Taking Baby Steps, which will be on-site two days a week to provide support to families pre, during and post pregnancy. 

Cocoon also offers scans throughout pregnancy, starting from six to 11 weeks through to 36+ weeks, as well as gender and 4D scans.

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Work begins to convert Harrogate’s Herald Buildings into flats and shops

Work is underway to convert the Harrogate’s Herald Buildings on Montpellier Parade into shops and flats.

The buildings, which date back to the 1850s, were headquarters to the Harrogate Advertiser for over 100 years until the company moved out in 1990.

They then operated as a Slug and Lettuce pub until May 2021. They have been vacant since.

Yorkshire-based property investment company Rushbond, which acquired the site in 2021, has appointed Ashfield Projects to renovate the buildings.

It will convert the site into four ground floor retail units and five flats, including a penthouse.

The Montpellier area. Pic: Rushbond PLC

The apartments will be marketed by Rushbond’s new housebuilding arm – Fallowdale Homes – and are expected to be ready to move into from spring next year.

Richard Gough, project manager for Rushbond, said:

“We are excited to have begun work on this iconic local landmark.

“The renovations will create a sustainable, long-term use for these significant buildings, offering future generations of people the opportunity to live and work in this locally designated heritage asset.

“We hope that by breathing new life into this historic building, the much loved Montpellier neighbourhood in Harrogate will be further enhanced with new retail spaces to be enjoyed by a growing community of residents.”

The Harrogate Herald buildings. Pic: Rushbond PLC

The Stray Ferret reported in 2022 that Rushbond had applied to convert the building.

These buildings will add to Rushbond’s portfolio. Its previous projects included restoring Leeds Corn Exchange and the northern headquarters for Channel 4

The wider project team for the Harrogate scheme also includes Richard Boothroyd & Associates Ltd, Topping Engineers and HG Consulting Engineers.

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Man arrested after police chase from Harrogate to Knaresborough

A man has been arrested following a police chase between Harrogate and Knaresborough last night.

North Yorkshire Police issued a statement this morning that said officers attempted to stop a vehicle on the A61 at 10.15pm last night (Wednesday, January 31)  Ripley before it made off at speed.

It added the force deployed its specialist operations team, which located the vehicle just before 11pm on Oatlands Road in Harrogate.

A further attempt was made to stop the vehicle before it made off again in the direction of Knaresborough.

The statement added:

“The vehicle was sighted driving dangerously, it went the wrong side of the road and drove through red light traffic lights before it eventually stopped on Stockwell Drive in Knaresborough when several occupants ran from the vehicle.

“A 20-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of possession of criminal property, he was interviewed and released under investigation.

“Enquiries are taking place to identify and locate the outstanding suspects.”

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York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority launched today

A launch event for the of the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority took place at the Guildhall in York today. We were there — here’s what was revealed about the new authority and the mayor who will lead it.

11.45am: Launch event draws to close

Today’s event is ending. We leave you with photos of two of today’s speakers — Cllr Claire Douglas, leader of City of York Council and Levelling Up minister Jacob Young, who gave a short video address.

The mayoral election is 91 days away. So far the Conservatives, Labour, the Greens and an Independent have put candidates forward.

The new branding

11.40am: How will the combined authority work?

Whoever is elected mayor on May 2 will chair the combined authority board. The board will also include:

11.31am: Combined authority website launched

A website launched today for the new organisation. You can see it here.

11.14am: Harrogate College welcomes change

Danny Wild (pictured above), the principal of Harrogate College, is at the launch. There is provision for adult skills in the gainshare budget — gainshare is the buzzword for new money from central government as part of the devolution deal. Mr Wild said:

“The combined authority gives us a real opportunity to address some of the adult skills challenges we have across North Yorkshire.”

He added conversations were already taking place on how the funding would be allocated and welcomed the fact that decisions previously taken in Westminster were now happening at sub-regional level.

He said this would lead to a more flexible and targeted approach to adult education.

10.55am: How will the money be spent?

The mayoral investment fund is worth £540 million spread over 30 years.

From launch to March 2025, the new combined authority will receive £56 million, which includes £12.7 million for housing to build 700 new homes on brownfield sites, £10 million to support transition to net zero, unlocking economic opportunity, empowering business growth and creating jobs. An adult education budget will also be devolved to York and North Yorkshire.

10.47am: Mayor’s role outlined

Whoever is elected mayor on May 2 will take up the role on May 7. The salary has not been revealed yet. His or her roles (although only four men have declared they will stand so far) will include:

10.39am: Combined authority will be based in York and Northallerton

Now the speeches are over, some interesting details are emerging in the media briefing notes.

The combined authority, which will employ 54 staff, will use offices in York (West Offices, Station Rise) and Northallerton (County Hall).  The Mayor will work from both offices.

10.28am: ‘Region before politics’

Cllr Claire Douglas, the Labour leader of City of York Council continues the heady rhetoric. The word ‘momentous’ is being used a lot.

Cllr Douglas describes the deal as “absolutely fantastic, a historic milestone for our region” and says it is a case of “region before politics”, which reflects how the Labour Council she leads will work alongside the Conservative one in North Yorkshire.

10.21am:  ‘First truly rural and city deal’

Richard Flinton, the chief executive of North Yorkshire Council, is standing in for Conservative council leader Cllr Carl Les, who he says is stuck in traffic on the A19.

Mr Flinton says it’s a “strong deal” that will open up more conversations with government. He adds:

“It’s the first truly rural and city deal binging together the largest county with cities like York and binding us together.”

10.15am:  Minister gives video speech

Levelling Up minister Jacob Young gives a short video address in which he talks about transferring power to “god’s own county”.

10.10am: ‘Momentous day’

James Farrar, the interim head of paid services for the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority, gets things underway by saying it’s a “pretty momentous day”.

Mr Farrar, who lives near Harrogate, says North Yorkshire has “joined the Premier League for ambition” and says achieving a devolution deal “required political leadership to get us where we are today”.

He adds “half a billion pounds of investment comes along with the mayor”, which will be spent in areas such as transport, adult skills, housing and net zero.

“This is new money we wouldn’t otherwise get so this is quite a moment in time. Public sector finances are under incredible pressure and this is a chance to show real ambition.”

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Knaresborough woman, 18, accused of being three times over drink-drive limit

An 18-year-old woman from Knaresborough is due to appear in court charged with being more than three times over the drink-drive limit.

Olivia Ann Salmons was arrested at 1am yesterday (Wednesday, January 31) after police on patrol spotted a broken down blue Peugeot 307 estate on Cemetery Road in York.

According to North Yorkshire Police, the front nearside of the car was badly damaged and the driver failed a roadside breath test.

At the police station, she provided an evidential sample of 107 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath — the legal limit is 35 micrograms.

Ms Salmons is due to appear at York Magistrates’ Court on February 29, charged with drink-driving.

She was released on bail ahead of the court appearance.

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1,000 sign petition to protect Bilton’s Knox Lane from housing

More than 1,000 people have signed a petition to prevent land targeted for homes in Bilton being available for development.

North Yorkshire Council’s Harrogate and Knaresborough planning committee rejected an application by the developer Jomast to build 53 homes off Knox Lane, as reported by the Stray Ferret in September.

Residents have been engaged in a long-running campaign to protect the land from housing. More than 500 objections were made against the Jomast plans.

With the immediate threat of housing removed, the campaign organisation Knox Community Conservation Group is now attempting to protect the land from further planning applications.

It set up a petition to remove the land from the forthcoming North Yorkshire Local Plan, which will replace the current blueprint for where development can take place.

The plan will replace the current Harrogate District Local Plan 2014-35, which was created by the now defunct Harrogate Borough Council.

Richard Flinton, chief executive of North Yorkshire Council, said this month the new plan was expected to be finalised in about four years. He added a call for sites was due to go out to consultation this spring.

Knox Lane

The land off Knox Lane. 

Knox Community Conservation Group campaigners were at Nidderdale Greenway last weekend urging people to sign the petition, which closes on February 5. 

It will then be presented to the council’s Harrogate and Knaresborough area constituency committee at its next meeting on March 14. 

The petition says previous site assessments conducted by Harrogate Borough Council of the Knox Lane site in 2013 and 2016 found it to be unsuitable for development because it “would have adverse or highly adverse effects on historic environment, priority habitats and/or species and landscape”.

The group says these concerns remain and has called on people to “preserve and protect” the historic area of Bilton, where a former railway line used to run through.

The photo shows (from left) Margaret Cockerill, Alison Heyward and Jill Harrison all from Knox Community Conservation Group.

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Elite Meat celebrates 25 years of Starbeck shop

Starbeck butchers Elite Meat is celebrating the opening of its shop 25 years ago today.

Brothers Gordon and Andrew Atkinson, the sons of a local farming family, opened the traditional butchers on High Street in 1999. 

The brothers prided themselves on providing quality locally produced Yorkshire meat and although much has changed in the last quarter of a century, Elie Meat remains part of the Starbeck community — and attracts customers from further afield because of the quality of its cuts.

How Elite Meat looked when it opened in 1999.

Gordon Atkinson said:

“The past five years haven’t been smooth sailing with covid and the economic crisis for many, but it is still great to see even after 25 years people still support their local independent businesses. 

“I still love coming to work every day and working alongside my enthusiastic and passionate team who keep the cogs turning.

“We wouldn’t be here without you and it is more important than ever to shop locally, so thank you to our loyal customers. Here’s to the next 25 years.”

The shop today

Since opening, Elite Meat has won almost 30 awards for its products and service — with notable accolades for Britain’s Best Sausage and North Yorkshire’s Best Traditional Butchers Shop in 2023. 

Andrew Atkinson left the business several years ago to focus on farming in Kettlesing and Harrogate, but still helps with sourcing farm suppliers and lambs for the butchers. 

The business has evolved to offer cooking and butchery classes for people to take part in. 

Elite Meat is celebrating its milestone by offering a range of discounts this week. Further information  can be found on its Facebook page. 

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