Ten days of roadworks are due to commence on Harrogate’s Wetherby Road on Thursday.

Northern Powergrid will carry out work to connect new electric vehicle charging points at Leon restaurant to the electricity network.

It will mean closing the inside lane of the carriageway outside Leon on the approach to the Woodlands junction.

Roadworks took place in the same area from April to June last year in the run-up to Leon opening.

Project engineer Richard Appleyard said in a letter on behalf of Northern Powergrid to residents in the area:

“I regret it will be necessary to excavate a trench, install new cables and cable joints in the highway footpath, in front of the previously installed green substation kiosk at the front corner of the property.

“It is appreciated that there will be a certain amount of disruption during the implementation of this work, but every effort will be made to keep this to a minimum.”

The letter added it would be necessary to close a section of the inside lane “and set up a barrier system incorporating a temporary footpath within the carriageway”. It added:

“Every effort will be made to maintain access to adjacent properties at all times.”

Joe Shields, who lives in the area, questioned why the work wasn’t carried out when the road was previously dug up. He said:

“I can see the tailbacks and frustrated drivers already. Not to mention locals and pub customers.

“Last time there was work it was complete chaos and took weeks and weeks.”

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• St George Hotel in Harrogate to close at end of month

Harrogate’s St George Hotel is to close at the end of the month.

Staff at the 90-bedroom Edwardian hotel, situated opposite Harrogate’s Royal Hall, were informed of the news yesterday.

The Inn Collection Group confirmed the closure when the Stray Ferret called today.

The company’s portfolio also includes the Dower House in Knaresborough and Ripon Spa Hotel in Ripon, which are both currently being renovated.

A spokesperson said:

“We are currently in consultation with colleagues about a proposed closure to Hotel St George from January 30 for a period of refurbishment and renovation.

“Further details of developments at Hotel St George and the ongoing refurbishments at The Ripon Spa Hotel and Knaresborough’s The Dower House will be communicated in the near future.”

The historic hotel is situated in the heart of Harrogate.

The Inn Collection Company bought the venue for an undisclosed sum a year ago.

The St George Hotel, which has a restaurant and six function rooms. has had a number of owners in recent years, including Bespoke Hotels and Specialist Leisure Group.

Read more:

• Dower House renovation set to start — but still no opening date
• Harrogate’s St George Hotel sold again
• Ripon’s Spa Hotel aims to reopen next spring

Work to repair a leaking sewer pipe on the River Ure at Sharow, near Ripon, looks set to last another fortnight.

Several vehicles and staff have been working round the clock for more than a week to fix the pipe at the pumping station on Sharow Lane.

Yorkshire Water said on Wednesday the leak had caused “short term” discharge into the Ure on December 30.

Yesterday a large tree was felled at the site where work is taking place.

In an update today. a Yorkshire Water spokesman said:

“The repairs, due to the depth and complexity, could take two weeks to complete. Our teams are working hard to carry out the work as quickly as possible and we apologise for the disruption caused.

“The length of the repair is due to the depth of the excavation and location which makes it complex.”

Vehicles are still at the scene of the incident.

The spokesman said the tree had to be felled because nearby repair work was taking place five metres below the surface and “there were concerns the dig could cause the tree to fall onto the site where people were working”.

He added there had been no further discharge since the pipe was isolated on December 30 and Yorkshire Water had not received any reports of fish deaths.

Read more:

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• Sewage discharged into River Ure near Ripon after pipe leaks

One Sharow villager, who asked not to be named, said the number of vehicles working at the site over several days suggested “the scale and severity of what’s happened must be significant”.

Yorkshire Water, however, has said it “believes there was a low impact on the environment due to the speed at which the pipe was isolated”, adding:

“Our teams attended quickly, isolated the main and began a tankering operation to prevent further wastewater entering the river and ensure customers could continue to use their services, as well as informing the Environment Agency of the incident.”

A picket line operated at Harrogate Rail Station this morning as the latest wave of strikes by the RMT union draws to a close.

Union members are expected to picket the station again tomorrow before trains begin to run a limited service on Sunday.

No further strikes are currently planned and normal service is due to resume on the Harrogate and Knaresborough line on Monday for the first time in more than three weeks due to strikes, an overtime ban and bank holidays.

Pickets told the Stray Ferret the main reasons they were striking were concerns over passenger safety and working conditions, rather than pay.

An RMT member at Harrogate station today.

They said ticket offices faced closure and safety would be compromised by cuts to staff unless they took action.

Transport Secretary Mark Harper has said “it’s time for the unions to get off the picket line and back round the table” and claimed he has “delivered new, improved pay and reform offers”.

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• Vandals leave Harrogate hospital facing large flood repair bill

The decision to close three Nidderdale surgeries on the day of the group practice manager’s funeral this week has generated controversy.

Pat Berriman was close to retirement after 21 years’ service at Nidderdale Group Practice when she died suddenly. Hundreds of people attended her funeral at Stonefall Crematorium in Harrogate at 12.30pm on Tuesday.

All three surgeries in the practice — Feastfield Medical Centre in Pateley Bridge, The Grange Medical Centre at Dacre Banks and Spring Gables Surgery at Birstwith Grange — closed for the day to allow staff to attend.

One patient told the Stray Ferret she was “astonished” to hear a recorded message when she tried to book an appointment on the day of the funeral saying the practice was closed. The woman, who asked not to be named, said:

“I am known to be an empathetic and reasonable person, having spent 20 years myself working in an inner city stressful front-line public service.

“But am I being unreasonable when I say I am dumbfounded, astonished and, the more I think about it, incensed with the decision made to close all three medical centres across the whole of Nidderdale, all day?”

She added:

“Yes, the practice manager was, I have heard, a long-standing, dedicated and much respected member of staff who died suddenly. And I understand that staff would want to attend her funeral. But all staff, all day?

“There being no NHS primary care provision from the three medical centres in person or on the telephone, on the first day after a long bank holiday weekend, in the current NHS crisis is ludicrous.”

Feastfield Medical Centre

The patient said the surgery was extra busy on Wednesday due to the backlog and she saw one elderly man leave without his prescription because it wasn’t ready due to the surgery being closed since Friday.

The woman said:

“The service provided… by the Nidderdale Group Practice fell far short of what is expected by a front line service.”

‘A most unsatisfactory situation’

Tom Watson, a Liberal Democrat who represents Nidd Valley on Harrogate Borough Council, said it was a “most unsatisfactory situation”. He added:

“I am in agreement that adequate medical cover should have been provided by the group practice, particularly after the extended period of closure and/or reduced service provided as a result of the Christmas/New Year period.”

Cllr Watson said it was a matter for NHS North Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group rather than the council and he would bring up the subject when he next attended a North Yorkshire health scrutiny committee meeting.

‘Sometimes even the NHS needs to pause’

The Stray Ferret asked the medical group to respond to the concerns.

It said in a statement:

“We the team at Nidderdale Group Practice sadly and unexpectedly lost our wonderful practice manager, Pat Berriman, on December 5.

“Pat, well respected by colleagues and patients alike, was about to retire after 21 years of dedicated service at the practice. The majority of Pat’s working life was spent doing all she could for patients and staff, during some incredibly challenging times for the NHS.

“The loss came as a huge blow to us as her ‘work-family’. Her funeral was held at 12.30pm on January 3 at Harrogate crematorium, several hundred family, staff and former colleagues — many of whom live more than an hour away — attended to pay their final respects and celebrate the life of this kind, professional, selfless lady. Many of us are still coming to terms with our loss.

“Closing the surgery to pause and come together like this was not done lightly. Closure of the surgery for such a pivotal staff member as a practice manager or GP partner is NHS England’s recommended policy, to allow staff to grieve together.

“The closure was supported by the Integrated Care Board, with whom the practice collaborated closely to ensure adequate GP cover was in place. Likewise temporary closure in these circumstances is actively encouraged by the Royal College of General Practitioners.

“Three GPs were engaged to take urgent calls for the day of Pat’s funeral and our answerphone message clearly signposted patients to call 111 to speak with one of the doctors should their matter be medically urgent.

“We’re sorry that a patient has felt moved to complain about our temporary closure but we can assure them that adequate medical cover was in place and, sometimes, even the NHS needs to pause.”

Firefighters rescued a horse trapped in floodwater today in the Harrogate district.

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service’s incident log said it was alerted to the danger at 8am this morning. It occurred off the A59 York Road at Kirk Hammerton.

The incident log said:

“Crews from Acomb and Tadcaster attended an incident where a horse had become trapped in floodwater.

“Crews attached a general purpose line and dragged the horse to safety.

“The horse was then covered with a blanket to keep warm.”

The Environment Agency issued a flood alert today for the Lower River Ure in the Harrogate district.

Read more:

• Firefighters rescue horse after collision in Killinghall
• Flood alert issued in Harrogate district
• Knaresborough man admits assaulting two police officers in Harrogate

Brimham Rocks and Fountains Abbey will feature in an episode of Take a Hike on BBC Two tonight.

In the series, five hikers go head-to-head to find Britain’s best walks. Taking it in turns to lead, they are judged on their route, picnic, views and fun.

Tonight’s programme shows 73-year-old retired psychiatric nurse Edwin lead the other walkers on a nine kilometre hike between the two National Trust properties in the Harrogate district.

Brimham Rocks, near Pateley Bridge, combines heather moorland and unusually shaped giant rock formations created by an immense river 100 million years.

Brimham Rocks

Fountains Abbey, near Ripon, is one of the largest and best preserved Cistercian monasteries in England.

A trust spokeswoman said:

“There were certainly lots of giggles while filming the episode as the group were surprised with an activity for the brave to start their time at Brimham – you’ll have to tune in to see what they got up to.

“It really is a lovely programme and as always, will be a great opportunity to show off the beauty and fun on offer at both properties in the wonderful Harrogate district.”

The programme will be broadcast at 6.30pm and will be available to watch afterwards here.

Read more:

• Photo of the Week: Tree breaks through the mist at Brimham Rocks
• National Trust plans major £3.6m building project at Fountains Abbey

The owner of Ripon celebrity cat Badger has said she has been overwhelmed by support from people after shocking cruelty towards her pet.

Badger was regularly seen in Ripon and even has a Facebook page with 1,000 followers dedicated to him and his brother Bodger.

But Badger has rarely ventured out since the incident in which he is believed to have been kicked and hung by his collar by children.

The attack has sparked a huge response, with numerous posts on social media and local people putting up £2,000 for information leading to the conviction of whoever was responsible.

Naomi Walker, who owns Badger and Bodger, said she has been amazed by the response but at the same time doesn’t want to encourage vigilantes, particularly towards children. She told the Stray Ferret:

“If anything comes out of this, I would like it to be for people to talk to their kids about animal cruelty. You don’t have to like cats to not hurt them.

“But I can’t thank everyone enough for all they’ve done. I’m overwhelmed and grateful for all the support.”

Ms Walker said she didn’t go public about the incident for several weeks because she didn’t want to generate too much fuss, particularly because Badger is now nearly 12, but she felt people deserved to know what had happened. She said:

“It’s endearing that people care so much about him. He does have a large fan base and has become a local celebrity.”

Badger was seen regularly around Sainsbury’s and the cathedral until Ms Walker moved elsewhere in the city. The gregarious moggy then started frequenting Lead Lane, and took a particular fondness to a local fish and chip shop.

Bodger has always been less adventurous and rarely strays far from home.

Read more:

• Sewage discharged into River Ure near Ripon after pipe leaks
• Ripon and Knaresborough men spared jail after TikTok fight

A festive fundraiser ending this weekend is set to raise around £1,500 for a group of Scouts near Harrogate.

1st Pannal Scout Group will be collecting Christmas trees from households on Saturday for the fourth time.

This year, the service has expanded – and the team also added in tree sales int he run-up to Christmas to further boost its fundraising.

Deputy group Scout leader Andy Bielby said they sold 34 trees in one day, and it was such a success they hope to turn it into more of an event next Christmas. He said:

“It was great to meet our customers, some of whom told us they were former Cubs and Scouts from Pannal.”

Now, the volunteers will be out collecting trees from pre-booked households on Saturday as the final stage of what is expected to be the biggest fundraiser of the year by some margin.

Proceeds from the project will be put towards ensuring young Squirrels, Beavers, Cubs and Scouts at 1st Pannal, along with the partner Explorer unit, have valuable experiences in the coming year.

The children, all aged between four and 18, have already been able to go on camping trips thanks to the money raised by previous tree collections.

Read more:

• Knaresborough Christmas tree fundraiser expands after huge demand
• Christmas tree disposal service provides vital funding for Ripon Walled Garden

This year, there are two gold and one bronze Duke of Edinburgh award scheme expeditions planned, as well as a group summer camp, and an autumn Scout and Explorer camp with more than 1,000 young Scouts taking part.

1st Pannal members will also be learning vital life skills in their weekly sessions and working towards the Chief Scout awards.

Mr Bielby said demand for places was as high as ever and the group was always keen to hear from anyone who could volunteer to ensure as many young people as possible could benefit from the experiences of Scouting.

He added:

“The experience of camping and becoming more independent has never been more important than for the young people impacted by the lockdowns of the last couple of years.

“We have seen the changes that they have gone through, with many having their first opportunity to be away from home much later than they would usually have had if it wasn’t for the pandemic.

“In our Scouting, we aim to provide access to events and opportunities they might otherwise not have such as trips to the fire station, talks with local services like the police and activities like scuba diving and even gliding.”

A flood alert has been issued for the Lower River Ure in the Harrogate district.

In an update at 7.14am this morning, the Environment Agency said “flooding is possible” in low-lying land, including agricultural land, and local roads in the areas around Masham, Boroughbridge, Aldborough and Bishop Monkton.

The alert said:

“Avoid using low lying footpaths or entering areas prone to flooding. Start acting on your flood plan if you have one.”

There are currently 25 flood warnings, where flooding is expected, and 64 flood alerts, where flooding is possible, active in England.

Another band of rain is expected across the district at about 7pm this evening but should clear up overnight and give way to a dry day tomorrow.

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