Angry parents say closure of Lofthouse school will ‘rip heart out of community’

Devastated parents have said a village near Pateley Bridge will have its heart “ripped out” by the closure of a primary school.

Governors of Upper Nidderdale Federation have issued a statement saying they have taken “the heavy and sad decision to ask North Yorkshire Council to begin consultation on a proposal to close Fountains Earth School” in Lofthouse.

A formal decision on closure is expected next year but the fate of the school, which was rated ‘good’ by Ofsted at its last full assessment in 2017, appears sealed as no pupils remain.

The council has said the closure is part of a trend caused by declining pupil numbers at rural schools but numerous parents have contacted the Stray Ferret to dispute this.

They say they felt compelled to withdraw their children because of the way the school was run and that it could have a viable future if the will remained.

A joint statement by a group of parents said they were “devastated to have been left with no choice but to remove our children”. It added:

“It will remain the view of the former parents that the pending closure of Fountains Earth School is not simply about known challenges around resourcing of rural schools and pupil numbers.

“We believe it has everything to do with the leadership, governance and decision making of the Upper Nidderdale Federation.

“Parents have a degree of choice and can tell when a school is failing its children. As a parent group we’ve been disappointed by how unwilling the school has been to pro-actively communicate with us and surprised by the total lack of accountability that can exist around how a school is governed.”

Some villagers also issued individual comments. Ashley Gatecliffe said it felt as if the school closure was a “deliberate act”. Former parent Leanne Jowett said things started to unravel after a previous consultation on closing the school ended in June 2022. She added:

“I truly believe the heart of the community has been ripped out because of this and questions need asking in relation to accountability, how this is able to happen yet again in North Yorkshire and who is ultimately responsible.”

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‘The whole thing stinks’

Another former parent, Fiona Ewbank, said three generations of her family had been educated at the school but she felt “forced” to move her child outside the federation, which also includes St Cuthbert’s Primary School in Pateley Bridge and Glasshouses Community Primary School.

Ms Ewbank added:

“The school had 11 pupils enrolled in June 2022 and increased to 15 by Sept 2022. Numbers were not declining, despite what is usually the story around rural school closures.”

Lofthouse

The school closure will have a significant impact on Lofthouse.

Former parent Rosie Costello, who runs a playgroup in the village, said:

“We have a thriving village playgroup in Lofthouse with children from both the local area as well as further away. This was a great pipeline for future pupil numbers, and we wanted to work pro-actively with the school to maximise on this but there didn’t seem to be the level of interest to do so that we would have hoped for.”

Stephen Ramsden, chair of Upper Nidderdale Parish Council said:

“In my opinion the parents have been pushed out and they are now forced to travel much greater distances because they’re left with no confidence in the leadership of this federation. The whole thing stinks.”

Cllr Andrew Murday, a Liberal Democrat who represents Pateley Bridge and Nidderdale on North Yorkshire Council, said:

“It’s a sad state of affairs. There has been a failure of communication between parents and the federation.”

‘Difficult decision’ to begin closure process

Asked about moves to instigate closure, Amanda Newbold, the council’s assistant director for education and skills, said:

“We very much recognise the problems of falling pupil numbers at small rural schools, which is an issue affecting a number of communities in North Yorkshire.

“Sadly, there are currently no children enrolled at Fountain’s Earth CE Primary School in Lofthouse in Nidderdale.

“After a challenging time for all, the school governors have made the difficult decision to begin the formal process of applying to the council for a consultation on proposed plans to close the school.

“The request will be formally considered in November. If a consultation is given the go-ahead, it would be undertaken later this year and include a public meeting.”

 

Balaclava-clad burglars target homes in Harrogate

Police are seeking three men wearing balaclavas who attempted to break into a house in Harrogate.

According to North Yorkshire Police, the would-be burglars were disturbed when they entered a home on Azerley Grove in the Jennyfields area.

The incident happened between midnight and 3am last Saturday (October 7).

The force today appealed for witnesses and information. It said in a statement:

“On the same night, three men were seen on ring doorbell footage approaching a second property nearby.

“One of the men was described as wearing a striped body warmer over a long-sleeved top, he was wearing dark joggers and dark trainers.

“A second man was described as wearing a tracksuit with reflective stripes on the lower legs. All three men were wearing balaclavas.”

The statement urged anyone with information or doorbell footage to email ruby.rutter@northyorkshire.police.uk or call North Yorkshire Police on 101 and ask for Ruby Rutter.

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

Quote reference number 12230190164.

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Knaresborough Castle to host free Glastonbury party next year

Knaresborough’s Party in the Castle will return next year, organisers have confirmed.

The free event, which was held in glorious sunshine in the grounds of Knaresborough Castle in June, enabled residents to watch BBC coverage of Glastonbury together on a big screen.

It was organised through a collaboration between business group Knaresborough and District Chamber and North Yorkshire Council.

Hundreds attended this year’s event. Pic: Mike Whorley

Enjoying the Glastonbury vibe. Pic: Mike Whorley

The two groups have now confirmed Party in the Castle 2024 will be held on Saturday, June 29.

A spokesperson for Knaresborough Chamber said:

“We are excited to announce the funding of 50% from North Yorkshire Council through Cllr Matt Walker and we have saved the date with Tim Dabell, manager of parks and open spaces, to secure the castle yard.

“We will be announcing our town events sponsorship packages in the new year. Party in the Castle is on for 2024!”

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Firefighters tackle car fire on A1(M)

Firefighters from Ripon, Masham and Knaresborough used breathing apparatus to tackle a major car fire on the A1(M) today.

Fire engines were called to the southbound carriageway at the junction 49 slip road at 7.24am this morning.

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

“Crews located the Audi that was well alight and extinguished it using one hose reel jet and two breathing apparatus.

“Crews dampened down and made the vehicle safe before leaving the incident in the hands of the highways agency.”

North Yorkshire Police later posted on social media that “the fire is now out and occupants uninjured”.

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Harrogate woman among 16 housemates on Big Brother

A 25-year-old Harrogate woman is among the 16 housemates on the new series of Big Brother.

The programme, which has returned after a five-year hiatus, sees strangers live together in a house for weeks on end. The last one to be voted out wins £100,000.

New hosts AJ Odudu and Will Best introduced the show, which is now on ITV, last night.

Among those entering the house was customer support agent, Yinrun, 25, who is originally from Shanghai, China but now lives in Harrogate.

She described herself as “a pretty adventurous person” whose boyfriend would describe her as “quirky but lovable”.

She told ITV:

“My friends in China think I am like the crazy mother because I always take care of them. I’m very playful.”

Yinrun added that since moving to the UK, she drinks a cup of Yorkshire tea with milk every day.

Asked what she would do with the prize money if she won, she said:

“I want to move to a farm. That’s my final dream, I will live on a farm and have some chickens, grow my organic vegetables and have a puppy to run around. And I’ll have eggs from the chicken, it will be so wholesome. This is my dream.”

She nominated Michael McIntyre as her dream celebrity to live with.

Yinrun and the other 15 housemates. Pic: ITV

The return of Big Brother

ITV describes Big Brother as “the ultimate social experiment”.

It added:

“Big Brother will see a new cast of carefully selected housemates, from all walks of life, become the first people to take up residence in the brand-new Big Brother house.

“Given its own contemporary new look ready for this reimagining of the show, the iconic Big Brother house will play host to all the action – clever tasks, nail-biting nominations and live evictions will be back.”

Big Brother first hit screens in the Netherlands in 1999. Since its debut, over 500 series of the show have aired around the world in over 64 countries and regions.

In the UK, it ran for 11 series on Channel 4 and also led to seven series of Celebrity Big Brother.

The show subsequently aired for eight series on Channel 5, with an additional 15 celebrity series, before ending in 2018.

Big Brother is now broadcast from Sunday to Friday on ITV2 and ITVX at 9pm.

Hydro project planned for River Nidd at Knaresborough

A scheme to build a water-powered turbine on the banks of the River Nidd in Knaresborough has received a £10,000 boost.

Knaresborough Community Energy, a not-for-profit community benefit society founded in February this year, wants to build the turbine at the town’s Lido to produce low carbon electricity.

A £10,000 grant from electricity distributor Northern Powergrid will enable the society to conduct structural surveys of the Lido weir to ascertain its condition.

If the weir is found to be in good condition the scheme will proceed to the next stage, which would involve civil engineering design, environmental permits and a planning application.

Building a water turbine is estimated to cost a minimum of £300,000, which would be raised via a community share offer.

Investors would be paid back from revenue generated from the electricity sold. Any surplus would be reinvested in more renewable energy projects.

Gilly Lacey, director and secretary of KCE said:

”Our purpose is to generate low carbon electricity for the community as a means to tackle climate change in a positive way.

“Our current project is a proposed hydroelectric turbine on the River Nidd at the Lido. It will be similar in design to the one on the Nidd at Goldsborough”.

Fellow director Adam Harper said it hoped to know by next summer whether the Lido project is feasible.

He added the group also had plans to help install rooftop solar panels on local buildings.

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Bilton’s iron bridge mural suffers worst graffiti attack yet

The mural on the iron bridge in Bilton has been covered with offensive graffiti.

Beverley artist Emma Garness was commissioned by Network Rail, which owns the bridge, to paint the mural in 2021.

Its uplifting nature-themed design, which incorporates local elements including cherry tree blossom from the Stray in Harrogate, has been well received.

Artist Emma Garniss finishing her design in 2021.

But the bridge, which links Claro Road and Woodfield Road, has been subject to several outbreaks of graffiti.

Ms Garness used special paint which enables it to be cleaned,

Bilton man Chris Knight has twice volunteered to help after a swastika and anti-Pakistani messages appeared.

The latest outbreak is perhaps the most extensive yet. It includes three slogans, two of which make offensive personal comments about national and local politicians.

The iron bridge

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Starbeck counselling charity Wellspring celebrates 20th birthday

Wellspring Therapy and Training, the Harrogate-based counselling and training centre, is about to celebrate its 20th birthday.

The charity provides affordable short and long-term counselling for people in the Harrogate district.

Founded in 2003, it now faces unprecedented demand for its help tackling issues such as mental health and depression.

The Rt Rev Nick Baines, Bishop of Leeds and a patron of Wellspring, is leasing a service at St Andrew’s Church in Starbeck on Sunday, October 15.

Wellspring is also holding a fundraising dinner at the Crown Hotel in Harrogate on Friday November 17.

Emily Fullarton, executive director of Wellspring, said:

“This is a very special year for us. These two exciting events are celebrating how a small local charity has survived and thrived during the past 20 years and how we have tackled the problem of increasing poor mental health, anxiety and depression, which has threatened to overwhelm the NHS.

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Founding director Elaine Wainaina set up Wellspring as a Christian-based organisation to help those struggling with anxiety and depression but it soon extended its services to everyone who needed them.

Wellspring moved from a terraced house in Prospect Road, Starbeck into nearby St Andrew’s Vicarage after it was bought for the charity by the Bramall Foundation.

This has enabled the organisation to expand its services in the Harrogate area since 2018 and to relieve the burden on the NHS.

Wellspring hopes to counsel 170 this year and 220 by the end of 2025. It helps children as young as eight.

Ms Fullarton said:

“In the UK, one in four people will experience a mental health issue at least once in their lifetime. According to local research, many people in Harrogate assume because it is a ‘nice town’ people don’t struggle with these issues. That simply isn’t true. There is a huge demand in Harrogate for our services and it’s increasing.

“What makes Wellspring’s work unique in is that we offer affordable long-term, open-ended counselling where needed. Unfortunately, this type of therapy is not currently widely available from the NHS. Most private counselling typically costs between £50 or more for each session, but many of our clients are unable to afford this.”

 

Harrogate doctor aims to ‘debunk the myth’ of penicillin allergy

A doctor at Harrogate District Hospital has set up a service to “debunk the myth” of penicillin allergy.

One in 10 people are currently diagnosed with a penicillin allergy but Dr Mike Wakefield, a respiratory consultant, said the true figure was thought to be closer to one in 100.

This meant people often received less effective antibiotics with greater side effects, he said.

Dr Wakefield said people diagnosed as penicillin allergic were more likely to die in the next year, require repeat prescriptions for antibiotics and contract superbugs. He said:

“Penicillin drugs which are used to kill bacteria are a vital part of the antimicrobial armoury.

“I’ve set up a service in the district to start challenging this by finding out more about why people have gained a label of penicillin allergic and when suitable given them a dose of penicillin under close observation.”

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Dr Wakefield said many people were told they were allergic to penicillin in childhood and never challenged this. Sometimes this was because they experienced side effects when taking penicillin but side effects are common with all drugs and don’t necessarily indicate allergic reactions.

He added GPs sometimes found it safer to prescribe alternatives. Also, many people grow out of childhood allergies.

Dr Wakefield said his service aimed to debunk the myth that penicillin allergies were widespread.

Since starting in Harrogate a year ago he has completed a pilot study of de-labelling patients branded penicillin allergic.

He has given supervised amoxicillin or flucloxacillin penicillin tablets to patients with frequent chest infections whose medical history indicated they might not have a real penicillin allergy.

If patients didn’t have a reaction, he said they could take penicillin-based antibiotics for future infections.

Dr Wakefield said a combination of supervised tests and clinical tests meant the likeliness of a true allergy could be understood.

Besides his ad hoc trials at the hospital, Dr Wakefield provides a penicillin service at the Duchy Hospital in Harrogate. People can either be referred by their GP or book appointments.

 

Harrogate’s famous diving club makes fresh start

Harrogate District Diving Club returned to Harrogate this week after more than three years of disruption caused by covid and the refurbishment of the Hydro.

The club has an enviable record of producing talent, including Olympic champion Jack Laugher. It also caters for people who want to dive for fun and runs DiveAbility sessions for children with additional needs.

But it has been a frustrating few years: the delayed re-opening of the Hydro meant club members had to travel to Shipley to practice, not knowing when they would be able to return to their home pool.

Numbers dwindled but the new look club returned to the newly named Harrogate Leisure and Wellness Centre last week.

A host of new appointments have been made, including Albany Thompson, from Leeds Diving Club, as head coach.

Albany Thompson

New chair Mandy Ward said:

“It’s a brand new start to build the club back up. It’s been a difficult period but the investment in the leisure centre means diving in Harrogate has been secured for at least another 20 years.

“Now we need to get more people aware of it and help the club grow.”

Chloe Blackburn prepares to dive.

The pool, which is run by Brimhams Active, a leisure company controlled by North Yorkshire Council, has a one-metre board, a five-metre board and two three-metre boards.

Many local divers have achieved national coaching positions around the world but Ms Ward said anyone aged six or above who can swim and isn’t afraid of deep water was welcome to join.

For more details email diveharrogate@gmail.com

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