Public meeting to be held about state of River Nidd

A public meeting is to be held in Knaresborough next month to discuss the campaign to improve water quality in the River Nidd.

The drop-in meeting will follow a similar format to the one held in March, which marked the start of the campaign.

Groups involved will give short presentations and talk to people on a one-to-one basis.

Topics will include the results of recent water sampling on the Nidd, which revealed high levels of faecal bacteria, the bid for bathing water status and Yorkshire Water’s business plan for 2025 to 2030.

Nidd Action Group, which includes Knaresborough town councillors, environmental campaigners, anglers, councillors and community groups, will again stage the event at the Centre-on-Gracious Street.

The meeting, titled ‘What do we know about the River Nidd and its tributaries – and what do we need to do?’ will take place on December 5 from 3pm to 6.30pm.

Stands and displays will enable visitors to familiarise themselves with the campaign, which was prompted by concerns about water quality and bathers at Knaresborough Lido suffering sickness and diarrhoea,

Andrew Jones, the Conservative MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, submitted the bid for bathing water status to rivers minister Rebecca Pow last week.

If successful, government agencies would be obliged to take action to improve water quality at the lido. This would also improve water quality on a much longer stretch of the river.

The bid has been backed by 33 organisations and businesses, including Knaresborough Town Council, North Yorkshire Council, Yorkshire Agricultural Society and Bilton Conservation Group.

A decision is expected by the end of April next year.

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Road closed after serious crash near Harrogate

A section of Ripon Road near Harrogate has been closed following a serious traffic collision this evening.

An air ambulance and numerous police cars were called to the bridge between New Park roundabout and Killinghall shortly before 6pm.

The incident occurred close to the junction with Knox Mill Lane.

No details have been released but the road is expected to be closed for some time.

The road closure in Killinghall.

Vehicles were forced to turn around and eventually the police closed a section of the A61 from New Park roundabout to the junction with Otley Road in the centre of Killinghall.

We will bring further details when they become available.

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Valley Gardens bike track — further details revealed

Further details of the proposed new bike track in Harrogate’s Valley Gardens have been revealed.

North Yorkshire Council is running a six-week consultation on whether to replace the nine-hole pitch and putt course with a pump track.

Pump tracks use bumps and bends in the land to allow cyclists and scooter riders to generate momentum.

The consultation says the “new facility would be approximately 2,000 square metres”.

However, the council has now said the track itself wouldn’t be this size, and much of the pitch and putt course would be returned to grassland.

A council spokesperson said the track, which would cost £2,000, is likely to be similar in size to the one in Wetherby, which is shown below and in the main image. It could be open by April.

A council spokesperson said:

“It is a small beginners track that would be made of compacted hardcore.

“It would be 1 to 1.5 metres wide and will be based in a circular shape.

“The pump track is aimed at beginners to complement the existing skate park that attracts older and more competent children.

“It is not going to cover the whole area of the pitch and putt, only a smaller area where holes one to nine are. The frisbee golf is staying.”

Asked what would happen to the remainder of the pitch and putt area, the spokesperson added:

“The whole pitch and putt course would be closed and the remainder would be returned to normal parkland.”

Karl Battersby, the council’s corporate director for environment, previously said:

“The track proposed would have gentle slopes, curves and bumps, be accessible all year, and replace the existing nine-hole pitch and putt golf course.”

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Knaresborough bridge to close tonight for nighttime resurfacing

High Bridge in Knaresborough will be closed to nighttime traffic for the next 11 days from this evening due to resurfacing.

North Yorkshire Council posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, today that the closure will be in effect from 7pm until midnight daily until Friday, November 17.

It added a “fully signposted diversion” will be in place.

The grade two listed bridge over the River Nidd, which passes Mother Shipton’s Cave, is the main route into Knaresborough from the Starbeck direction.

Councillor Matt Walker, a Liberal Democrat who represents Knaresborough West, said it was a standard resurfacing project and he wasn’t aware of any concerns.

But he added:

“What the council haven’t done is put new lights over the bridge yet.

“This funding was put in place prior to us being elected and we keep getting a push back on when it will happen.”

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Emergency services called to person trapped in barbed wire in Harrogate

Police and firefighters were called to deal with a person trapped in barbed wire in Harrogate yesterday.

Harrogate firefighters were summoned to assist police at Ripon Way, which runs alongside the former gasworks site earmarked for the new Tesco supermarket, at 9.06pm.

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service‘s incident report said:

“Harrogate crews responded to assist police with a person trapped in barbed wire.

“The person was released prior to fire service arrival with no action taken by crews.”

No details of how the person became trapped, the extent of any injuries or the precise location on Ripon Way, have been released.

Firefighters also dealt with a fire at premises on Scriven Road in Knaresborough at 3.06am this morning.

The incident report said a gas pipe had caught fire. It added:

“Fire extinguished using two breathing apparatus and one hose reel. Incident handed into care of gas board.”

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Northern Lights captured near Ripon

The skies above the Harrogate district turned green and red last night as the Northern Lights made another appearance.

The aurora borealis was visible across the country for a second night running.

Photographer Paul Oldham took this stunning image over Grantley Hall, near Ripon, at about 6.30pm.

It was not the first time Mr Oldham has captured the natural light display, which appears during geomagnetic storms.

In September, he took this shot above How Hill in Ripon.

Paul Oldham’s Northern Lights photo in September.

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Gothic dancers from Knaresborough seek recruits

A women’s Morris dancing team that wears black and purple and only performs to tunes in a minor key is seeking recruits.

Sally Smith founded Medusa Gothic Morris, which regularly performs in and around Knaresborough, in 2005.

But numbers have dwindled, prompting Sally to issue an appeal for women to join.

Despite the exotic name, she insists anyone willing to give it a go isn’t signing up to a mystical cult. She said:

“We are definitely not goths — we haven’t got lots of piercings or anything like that.

“We adopted the colours just because I just like wearing black and purple and wanted to adopt a gothic, pre-Raphaelite style.

“I wanted the dances to be very flowing and feminine that women of any age can do.”

Sally, who is also a member of Harrogate women’s Morris dancing team Betty Lupton’s Ladle Laikers, said numbers had dwindled to about half a dozen, plus musicians, and urged people to have a go.

No experience is necessary as training is given at practice evenings, which are in Knaresborough on a Thursday evening.

For more details, call Sally on 01423 868753 or email fellow dancer Amy at spolem@hotmail.com.

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Air ambulance rescues horse rider in Bishop Thornton

Air ambulance and mountain rescuers came to the aid of a woman who fell off a horse in Bishop Thornton.

Volunteers from Upper Wharfedale Fell Rescue Association were called to the village, which is between Harrogate and Ripon, early on Friday evening.

According to its incident report. Yorkshire Air Ambulance was also on the scene and providing care.

Its report added:

“Once stable, the team assisted in lifting the rider on to a stretcher and in to an ambulance for onward travel to hospital.”

No further details, including the extent of the injuries, were provided.

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Classical line-up for Harrogate’s Sunday Series revealed

This winter’s line-up for the Harrogate International Sunday Series of chamber and classical music has been revealed.

Five concerts will take place in what will be the 30th annual series at the Old Swan in Harrogate.

It will begin with the return of clarinettist Robert Plane, accompanied by pianist Tim Horton, on January 28 to give a programme featuring 20th century and contemporary composers, complemented by Brahms’ Sonata in F minor, Op.120, No. 1.

The two appearances by solo pianists will see Daniel Lebhardt play Brahms, Scriabin, Bartok and Ligeti and Clare Hammond perform a diverse programme featuring work by Hélène de Montgeroult, Clara Schumann, Ravel, Coleridge-Taylor, Spanish post-Romantic Isaac Albéniz, and contemporary composer Edmund Finnis.

The Astatine Trio will give a traditional recital comprising Haydn, Mendelssohn, Shostakovich and Tailleferre.

Rounding off the series, violinist Hyeyoon Park and pianist Zlata Chochieva will perform Vaughan Williams’ The Lark Ascending, sonatas by Mozart, Debussy and Grieg, and Distance de fée by 20th century Japanese composer, Tōru Takemitsu.

Sharon Canavar, chief executive of Harrogate International Festivals, said:

“We’re delighted to unveil the programme for Harrogate International Sunday Series 2024, which once again brings some of the world’s most talented classical and chamber musicians to Yorkshire.

“Whilst celebrating our 30th anniversary, this year’s programme is decidedly forward-looking, featuring award-winning young performers and platforming an exciting blend of both traditional and innovative works.

To encourage young people to attend, tickets for under-35s are priced at just £5.

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New bike track could be in Harrogate’s Valley Gardens by April

A bike track for young people in Harrogate’s Valley Gardens could be installed by April next year, according to North Yorkshire Council.

The council is running a six-week consultation on whether to replace the nine-hole pitch and putt golf course with a pump track, which cyclists and scooter riders navigate using the natural bumps and bends in the land to generate momentum.

The track, which would take up 2,000 square metres, would be free to use and provide an additional activity for children aged up to 10.

Karl Battersby, the council’s corporate director for environment, said:

“We are running a six-week consultation to see what people think of the idea of a free of charge compressed hardcore beginner’s pump track as an addition to our popular Valley Gardens.

“The track proposed would have gentle slopes, curves and bumps, be accessible all year, and replace the existing nine-hole pitch and putt golf course.”

‘Significant drop’ in golfing

The track would signal the end of pitch and putt in Valley Gardens.

Mr Battersby said:

“The decision to look at closing the golf course has been made for numerous reasons including a significant drop in people using it over the last 10 years, despite attempts to increase popularity by reducing it from 18 holes to nine, introducing season tickets and working with schools.

“Equally, unpredictable weather and natural springs creates sloping wet land making it unsuitable for golf for a large portion of the year.

“We do not want to close an activity in the gardens without replacing it and a pump track would lend itself to the existing slopes and bumps in this area. We are always looking to enhance our parks and the proposed track would also work alongside promoting nature and wildlife as we would also plant more trees and longer grass areas.

“If there is support we hope the track, which would be installed the council’s parks team, could be in place by April next year.”

Cllr Sam Gibbs, a Conservative who represents Valley Gardens and Central Harrogate on the council, welcomed the proposal.

He said:

“I’m supportive of schemes that bring more visitors into the Valley Gardens and supportive of activities for young people.

“I’m also keen the views of other local people, community groups, such as the Friends of Valley Gardens and others who use the park on a regular basis are taken into account and have encouraged many to take part in the consultation.

“From speaking with people in the gardens, most seemed supportive. Nobody I spoke to used the golf facilities although some did raise concerns around safety of participants and whether the area would be fenced off.”

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