A Harrogate cycling group has said North Yorkshire County Council needs to “deliver” cycling schemes after years of promises.
The council revealed yesterday it planned to bid for £3.19 million to help fund projects in Harrogate and Knaresborough.
Both schemes — on Victoria Avenue in Harrogate and Harrogate Road in Knaresborough — were previously announced in 2020.
Now the council needs to await the outcome of its bid to tranche four of the Department for Transport’s active travel fund before knowing if either initiative can go ahead.
It follows the council’s decision to abandon phase two of the Otley Road cycle route in Harrogate and the closure of nearby Beech Grove to through traffic, as well as ongoing uncertainty over whether the £11.2 million Harrogate Station Gateway will go ahead.
The Otley Road cycle route
The initiatives were part of a wider ambition to create a linked off-road cycle route from Cardale Park to Harrogate train station.
Plans to improve cycling on Oatlands Drive were also shelved.
Kevin Douglas, chair of Harrogate District Cycling Action, said:
“We welcome the fact that the council is continuing to bid. But what we would like to see is some delivery.
“Standalone cycle schemes are not going to work. We need a single, segregated, joined-up cycle route to make sure people are safe.”
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Mr Douglas described as “slightly embarrassing” yesterday’s comments by Councillor Keane Duncan, the Conservative executive member for highways at the council, that the latest bid was “another significant milestone in our efforts to deliver a more balanced approach to travel in the county”.
Mr Douglas said the only new active travel scheme had been the first phase of the Otley Road cycle route, which he said remained incomplete and unsafe, adding:
“There have been no new schemes here. Now they are seeking additional funds for schemes they have already announced.
“I’m not sure how they can talk about their track record for delivery.”
Victoria Avenue, which is the council’s priority scheme, would see improvements to public spaces, pedestrian crossings and segregated cycleways. Parking spaces would be removed.
A decision on bids submitted for the active travel fund is expected from the government on March 17.
Construction must begin on successful projects before March 31, 2024.
Harrogate district organisations invited to bid for slice of new £16.9m fund
Businesses and voluntary organisations in North Yorkshire are being invited to apply for a share of £16.9 million made available this week.
The government has allocated £2.6 billion nationally to the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, which is part of its levelling up agenda that aims to tackle inequality. It replaces the old EU structural funds.
A total of £16.9 million of the sum has gone to North Yorkshire.
North Yorkshire County Council, which is distributing the funding, this week invited expressions of interest from organisations that may wish to bid.
It said in a press release the fund “covers a wide range of activities and investments and is available to almost all formally constituted organisations and businesses for projects ranging from small community-based initiatives to larger capital projects”.
The North Yorkshire funding will be delivered against five themes designed to tackle challenges and priorities identified across the county. These are: addressing rurality and inequality; building pride in our places; boosting productivity; decarbonising communities and businesses; and supporting an active labour market.
Groups in Knaresborough will be submitting a bid covering a number of local priorities identified in the recent Knaresborough Voice initiative.
Peter Lacey, chair of community support organisation Knaresborough Connectors, said:
“It is being put together as a single collaborative set of proposals by a number of local groups including Renaissance Knaresborough, the Knaresborough Museum Association, Knaresborough Connectors, the civic society and Chain Lane Community Centre.
“The proposals will seek to develop the town’s museum offer in collaboration with the new North Yorkshire Council; work to improve town connectivity in both the short and long term; and to build on the economic dashboard that will both steer and evidence the impact from any investment into the town and the surrounding area.”
‘Town connectivity’ could include examining the idea of setting up a road train that would help people navigate the steep slope between the town centre and Waterside.
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Open webinars for all interested parties will be held at noon on Thursday, February 23, and at 3.30pm on Tuesday, February 28.
Details of how to join will be online here along with a copy of the prospectus, investment plan and expression of interest form. All enquiries should be submitted to ukspf@northyorks.gov.uk
Cllr Carl Les
Councillor Carl Les, the Conservative leader of North Yorkshire County Council, said:
“Communities across our county face diverse challenges, and each also presents its unique opportunities. This funding application invitation offers a chance for local organisations who understand and live with the challenges facing their towns and villages to come forward with solutions.
“We want to see this fund used to maximum effect to enable communities to build the foundations for their own economic development, to help businesses to thrive and to reduce the barriers people of any age might face in entering and progressing in work or education.”
Dog owners urged to keep dogs on leads after sheep attacks
Dog owners in the Harrogate district are being urged to keep their pets on leads by the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust following two attacks on sheep at nature reserves last week.
The trust looks after more than 100 nature reserves across Yorkshire, including sites in Burton Leonard, Staveley, Bishop Monkton, Ripon and Upper Dunsforth, near Boroughbridge.
At a reserve in Huddersfield, an attack from a dog left one of the trust’s Hebridean grazing sheep with deep bite wounds.
Meanwhile, at Kilnsea Wetlands in East Yorkshire, pregnant ewes were chased by dogs, angering the local grazier.
As well as posing risks to livestock, dogs have also been trampling rare plants and bird nests.
The majority of ground-nesting birds are in decline in the UK, including curlews, woodcocks and skylarks. If dogs scare birds away from their nests, they leave chicks at risk.
A Skylark, one of the vulnerable ground-nesting birds.
Increasing instances of dogs disturbing wildlife has led the charity to issue the plea for owners to keep dogs on leads.
Rachael Bice, Yorkshire Wildlife Trust’s chief executive said:;
“Dog walking is one of the best reasons to get outdoors, feel great and enjoy our beautiful countryside – and we thank every responsible dog owner who keeps their dog on a lead and encourages others to do the same.
“Wildlife is suffering huge declines and dogs in wild places can cause problems, especially when many species are breeding and resting close to the ground.”
Jenna Kiddie, head of canine behaviour at the charity Dogs Trust, added:
“Dogs [should be] kept on a short lead, and close to their owners, whenever livestock are nearby, within seeing, hearing or smelling distance or whenever their presence is likely to be expected.
“It is important to remember that chasing is normal dog behaviour, and that any dog is capable of chasing, irrelevant of breed, type, age or size.”
You can find more info about being a nature-friendly pet owner here.
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Harrogate’s Royal Pump Room Museum closes for refurbishment
The Royal Pump Room Museum in Harrogate has closed for a fortnight for refurbishment.
The domed grade two listed building, which was originally a spa water pump house and now tells the story of Harrogate’s spa past, will look different when it re-opens on March 7.
Most notably, the welcome desk that visitors see when they walk in will be returned to its original location in the octagonal room. The Egyptology exhibits have been sent for study at Cardiff University and are not expected to return for two years.
The building, whose notable visitors include Tsarina Alexandra of Russia and novelist Charles Dickens, is operated by Harrogate Borough Council.
The Stray Ferret asked why the refurbishment was being carried out and the cost.
A council spokesperson said:
“This year marks the 70th anniversary since Harrogate’s pump room opened as a local history museum.
“We want to ensure the museum remains open and enjoyable for residents and visitors for another 70, and are excited to announce that we are restoring the original welcome desk back into its position in the octagonal room for which it was designed.
“We are also creating a glass floor above the wells so that these can be seen more clearly and redesigning some existing displays to tell more fascinating stories of Harrogate’s past.”
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- Pet crematorium opens today in Harrogate
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Pet crematorium opens today in Harrogate
A pet crematorium opened in Harrogate today.
The crematorium, run by Harrogate Borough Council, gives pet owners the chance to say farewell to their cats, dogs and small animals.
Prices start at £72 for small animals and from £85 for cats and from £115 for dogs.
The ashes will be placed in a scatter tube, which owners can collect, along with a memorial certificate.
The crematorium is located at Stonefall Cemetery and Crematorium on Wetherby Road.
The crematorium is at Stonefall on Wetherby Road.
Councillor Sam Gibbs, the council’s cabinet member for environment, waste reduction and recycling, said:
“Pets are like part of the family and they deserve an ending with dignity and respect, just like humans.
“The new pet crematorium will provide the most sympathetic setting for people to say goodbye to their pets.
“This service will also provide people, as well as veterinary surgeries, a local, trusted and reliable pet cremation service – operated by experts in bereavements.”
The Stray Ferret revealed last year the council was set to award a £40,000 contract to create a pet crematorium at Stonefall.
Further information on the facility is available here.
Inside the crematorium
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Clergy race along Kirkgate as part of Ripon’s Pancake Day fun
Clergy raced along Kirkgate today as part of Ripon Cathedral‘s annual Pancake Day event.
The event has become a traditional Shrove Tuesday event in the city, although it was halted during covid.
It sees cathedral clergy, vergers and staff join school children and local residents for races on Kirkgate.
It is one of many Pancake Day events taking place in the Harrogate district.
In Harrogate, the Fat Badger pub is giving people the chance to earn the title of ‘fastest flipper in town’.
The pub is providing pans and pancake mixes for anyone who turns up between 9.30am and 4pm today and fancies trying to complete a short course in the beer garden as quickly as possible while tossing pancakes.
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The Dean of Ripon Cathedral, the Very Rev John Dobson (left), joins in the fun.
A 14-year-old Harrogate girl is to be electronically monitored after being found guilty of another assault.
The girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, pleaded guilty to beating a female when she appeared before North Yorkshire Youth Court in Harrogate on Friday.
She was given a three-month curfew to stay at a named address between 8pm and 7am daily until May 16. The court ruled the curfew was to be electronically monitored.
Magistrates also ordered her not to contact two named individuals and to avoid a particular street, as well as given a £100 fine.
The youth rehabilitation order replaced a previous order issued by magistrates to the same girl on January 27 this year for four counts of assault, one of which was on a police officer, and two counts of arson.
The arson attacks involved setting fire to commercial-sized bins belonging to Primark on Oxford Street in Harrogate and Harrogate Borough Council on Oxford Place in Harrogate on May 23 and May 26 last year respectively.
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Body of man in his 20s found in Harrogate nature reserve
The body of a man in his 20s has been found at Hookstone Wood in Harrogate.
A dog walker is believed to have made the discovery in the nature reserve between the Great Yorkshire Showground and Hornbeam Park yesterday morning.
North Yorkshire Police said in a statement:
“North Yorkshire Police were called at around 8am on February 20 after a member of the public found the body of a man in woodland on the outskirts of Harrogate.
“The ambulance service also attended and provided assistance, but sadly the man, who is aged in his 20s, was pronounced dead at the scene.
“Officers do not believe there are any suspicious circumstances surrounding his death and a report will be prepared for the coroner.
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Harrogate pub hosts free Pancake Day fun tomorrow
A Harrogate pub is hosting free Pancake Day fun tomorrow that gives people the chance to earn the title of ‘fastest flipper in town’.
The Fat Badger will provide pans and pancake mixes and anyone who turns up between 9.30am and 4pm is welcome to make their own treats and then see how quickly they can complete the course.
The event is being held in the pub’s beer garden on Cold Bath Road, adjacent to the footpath so people walking past can see it.
There is no charge to enter and the winner will receive Sunday lunch for two people, including a bottle of wine, at the Fat Badger.
Simon Cotton, managing director of the HRH Group, which owns the Fat Badger, said:
“The rules are simple; it’ll be against the clock and each person will need to make a regular size pancake and successfully flip it twice to be entered.
“One go per person but everyone can enter for free as it’s just for fun and community engagement.”
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Developer apologises for debris in River Crimple at Spofforth
A housing developer has apologised after debris from its site near Harrogate entered a nearby waterway.
Polystyrene and plastic from the 72-home Yorkshire Housing site at Spofforth was floating in the River Crimple in the village over the weekend.
Yorkshire Housing was granted permission to build the homes at Massey Fold in October 2021 after a long-running campaign by some villagers against the development.
Litter strewn across the river and the nearby area. Pic: @spofforthmark
The organisation, which owns and manages about 20,000 homes, said in a statement:
“On Friday, some insulation blew open in the high winds and broke up. The contractor notified the Environment Agency straight away to let them know what had happened.
“Because of the stormy weather over the weekend it wasn’t safe to retrieve and clear-up the debris until this morning. We’re working quickly to do this.
“Windy weather isn’t an excuse and this shouldn’t have happened. We’ve discussed this with the contractor who will ensure any loose materials are secure to prevent this happening again.”
Signs on site say the development, known as Bridgewell, will consist of two, three and four-bedroom homes built in partnership with construction company the Jack Lunn Group and the non-departmental housing agency Homes England.
Villager Mark Lee raised concerns about the incident on social media.
Devastating pollution in Spofforth today, waste and debris from the new development by @JackLunnGroup @HomesEngland @yhousing @EdwardArch the river Crimple is actually blocked by your mismanagement and carelessness! @ClimateDesk @thestrayferret @Harrogate_News @UnderwaterMedia pic.twitter.com/IiszgX96hV
— mark lee (@spofforthmark) February 19, 2023
Conservationist Keith Wilkinson, who is chairman of Nidd Gorge Advisory Partnership and honorary secretary of Bilton Conservation Group, said the incident reinforced the need to look holistically at problems associated with Harrogate’s three rivers — the Nidd, Crimple and Oak Beck.
Mr Wilkinson said contamination from the Nidd tributaries inevitably impacted on the Nidd itself and therefore it would be better to adopt a more strategic view to managing water quality.
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