A special meeting has been convened to discuss whether to proceed with the £11.2 million Harrogate Station Gateway.

The new North Yorkshire Council has organised a meeting of its Harrogate and Knaresborough area constituency committee on May 5.

The sole item on the agenda is the gateway, which would see James Street partly pedestrianised and some of Station Parade reduced to single lane traffic to encourage cycling.

The 15-strong committee comprises of nine Liberal Democrats, five Conservatives and one Green.

Area constituency committees are advisory bodies to North Yorkshire Council, whose Conservative-controlled executive retains the final say.

But Cllr Keane Duncan, the Conservative member for highways and transportation at the council, has pledged to abide by the area constituency committee’s decision.

Cllr Duncan said this would fulfil the council leadership’s pledge of “double devolution” whereby more decisions would be taken locally.

But some Liberal Democrats think the Conservatives have given them a hospital pass by passing on responsibility for such a hot political potato that has divided local opinion.

How James Street would look

To date the Liberal Democrats have been quiet on whether they will back the gateway.

The Stray Ferret asked area constituency committee chair, Cllr Pat Marsh, the Liberal Democrat for Stray, Woodlands and Hookstone, whether her party would support the gateway.

On March 9, she said:

“Until we have a group meeting to discuss it I am not prepared to comment.”

We asked Cllr Marsh again on Friday whether the Lib Dems had formulated a position. She replied:

“We will let everyone know our opinions on May 5.”

Speaking at a Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce meeting on March 14, Cllr Duncan said:

“I will implement whatever decision is taken. It’s right that Harrogate and Knaresborough councillors have their say.”

He told the meeting the scheme would see the removal of 40 parking spaces — 20 on James Street and 20 on Station Parade.

He added the Station Square water feature had been removed from the scheme “due to practical and cost constraints”. It would have cost £500,000.

Cllr Keane Duncan (centre) at the chamber event

Cllr Duncan committed to four pledges if the scheme goes ahead:

1 To conduct a full review of car parking in Harrogate town centre.

2  To manage disruption, adding: “It cannot be denied there will be disruption. We will draw up a construction management plan.”

3 No compromise on quality of construction materials.

4 Traffic flows will be revisited and reassessed.

The meeting at the Civic Centre in Harrogate on May 5 will take place at 10am and is open to the public.

A consortium led by Farmison & Co founder John Pallagi has submitted a bid to bring back the firm.

The premium online meat retailer ceased trading nine days ago and went into administration with the loss of 75 jobs.

But Mr Pallagi said he and two “high profile Yorkshire businessmen” made an offer last night to administrator FRP to buy the business and its assets.

He said the offer, if accepted, would revive Farmison and provide jobs for 50 staff.

Mr Pallagi said the consortium believed in the business model and recognised the value of the firm to Ripon. He added:

“Farmison is very important to Ripon and I am thrilled that we have attracted the interest of high profile Yorkshire businessmen with proven track records.

“It’s great that we’ve got to this point but we are not there yet.”

FRP said on Wednesday it planned to begin the sale of assets. It will now assess the bid before deciding whether to accept it.

Mr Pallagi said he hoped to have an answer by midday Monday so Farmison could operate again as quickly as possible and “create the best level of continuity possible”.

Not only have jobs been lost, but the supply chain has also been interrupted.

Last year Mr Pallagi sold the award-winning firm, whose customers include Harrods and Fortnum & Mason, to Scottish private investors Inverleith LLP.

Mr Pallagi remained as chief executive and a new three-year business plan was agreed.

FRP’s statement on Wednesday outlined the issues that brought down the award-winning company after the takeover. It said:

“The business recently underwent a fundraising process to secure external investment to support its business plan but did not secure a sufficient level of interest.

“Following a period of significant operational investment, the business has not generated the required level of revenues to sustain its high cost base.”

Read more:

• Assets to be sold at failed Ripon firm Farmison
• “Intense’ talks to save Ripon firm Farmison after buyout collapses

Police investigating the disappearance of Jesus Moreno have found the body of a male.

The body was found by a police search team yesterday afternoon on land close to the River Wharfe in the Harewood area.

West Yorkshire Police announced the discovery in a statement this afternoon. It added there were no suspicious circumstances. The statement added:

“The family of Mr Moreno have been informed of this development and enquiries are ongoing to confirm the identity of the deceased.”

Mr Moreno, 41, who worked at a Leeds brewery, was last seen more than eight months ago in August 2022.

A poster in Harrogate appealing for help

He was spotted on CCTV catching a 36 bus to Harrogate at Leeds bus station at 6.10am on Monday, August 1.

He got off the bus at Swindon Lane near Dunkeswick, just north of Harewood bridge on the A61, at 6.39am.

He was then seen on CCTV near the bridge at 8.14am.

Today’s news comes two weeks after West Yorkshire Police said it had “exhausted every possible line of enquiry” and issued a fresh appeal for help.

Police had searched the countryside and river near where Mr Moreno was last seen.

Drones were used and the family even used a psychic to try to help.

Read more:

• Police: All lines exhausted into missing man last seen on A61 near Harewood Bridge
• Search continues for missing man last seen on A61 near Harewood bridge

Two footballers who started out on pitches in Harrogate and Knaresborough will be bidding for a place in the Women’s FA Cup final this weekend.

Leah Galton and Rachel Daly have risen from local leagues to play as strikers for two of the biggest clubs in the country.

Galton, who began as a junior with Knaresborough Celtic and then played for Harrogate Railway, has banged in 29 goals for Manchester United Women since she joined them from Bayern Munich in 2018.

She is the joint third highest scorer in the Women’s Super League this season with eight goals.

Manchester United Women will line-up against Brighton & Hove Albion Women at 5.15pm today.

United, who have never won a major women’s trophy but are top of the Women’s Super League, will be fancied to beat lowly Brighton.

Tomorrow, Daly’s Aston Villa Women will take centre stage in the second semi-final against Chelsea Women at 2.15pm.

Daly, who started at Killinghall Nomads and won Euro 2022 with England last year, is second on this year’s leading scorer list with 13 goals.

If Manchester United and Villa win, it could result in the remarkable prospect of two local women playing up front in the cup final at Wembley.

Both semi-finals will be televised live on the BBC.

Read more:

• Harrogate’s Rachel Daly on target as England win Finalissima
• Harrogate’s Leah Galton wins WSL Player of the Month

A model boating club is to vote this week on whether to continue following the decision to install a fountain in Harrogate’s Valley Gardens.

Model boating has taken place on the boating lake near the cafe for 99 years.

But in one of its final acts before abolition, Harrogate Borough Council spent £6,000 on a new fountain.

Claro Marine model boating club pleaded with the council not to press ahead with the water feature, warning it would jeopardise their hobby.

Boats could run aground if they hit the fountain and their engines could be damaged by the spray.

But the council brushed aside the concerns and the fountain is now active.

The fountain in Valley Gardens

Claro Marine appealed last week for access to a new lake but so far nothing has transpired.

Club secretary Dave Finnegan said members would meet on Tuesday night to decide whether to continue.

“Some members, including myself, are members of other clubs. The only bad part is the distance — at least two of our members do not drive.

“There is a real chance Claro Marine modellers will close.”

Read more:

• ‘The council have destroyed 99 years of model boats in Harrogate’
• Model boating must continue, says Friends of Valley Gardens

Two schemes to protect land between Harrogate and Knaresborough from development are to form a partnership.

The Knaresborough Forest Park campaign enabled 61 acres of farmland to be bought last month and turned into a green space and nature reserve.

It followed the Long Lands Common campaign in which 3,000 people bought shares to raise £375,000 to purchase 30 acres of land near Nidderdale Greenway.

Land involved in the two projects meets at Bilton Hall Drive and the those involved now plan to work together on developing a wider vision for how it can best be managed for nature and the community.

Shan Oakes, from the Knaresborough Forest Park group, told a Knaresborough & District Chamber meeting last week it made sense for the initiatives to join forces as they had similar aims.

Ms Oakes added that because Long Lands had already been through the share buying process, it could take ownership of the legal process to buy and restore land in the ancient Knaresborough Forest, just outside the town.

George Eglese, who is also part of the Knaresborough Forest project, told the meeting the Long Lands initiative had inspired the “rebirth of Knaresborough Forest” and together the schemes would “create a barrier against development across the greenbelt”.

Celebratory walk

To celebrate the partnership, a walk and picnic will take place on April 29 from Nidd viaduct through Long Lands Common and Knaresborough Forest Park.

The walk will end at The Mitre pub in Knaresborough, where George Moore was born in 1928.

The Mitre

Mr Moore, who died in 2016, was a philanthropist and the George A Moore Foundation set up in his memory donated £410,000 to the Knaresborough Forest Campaign.

Mr Eglese said the community initiatives could, in the future, look at bringing together the greenbelt under a “unifying vision” that could encompass areas such as Nidd Gorge and Horseshoe Fields, all of which either adjoin the land being bought or are close to it.

Update: the walk on April 29 has been postponed until a later date

Read more:

• Knaresborough forest campaign secures 61 acres from development
• Long Lands Common organisers aim to create food forest on Harrogate green belt

Former staff at CNG Group look set to receive £43,200 in claims against the failed Harrogate firm.

CNG, which employed about 145 staff, blamed spiralling wholesale gas and electricity prices for going out of business in 2021.

Administrators Interpath Advisory has published a progress report, which was uploaded on the Companies House website this week, for the period from September 2 last year to March 1.

It said staff — classed as ordinary preferential claimants — claimed £43,200 for arrears of wages up to a maximum of £800 a week, accrued holiday pay and pension benefits.

The report by joint administrators Timothy Bateson and Christopher Pole added:

“We anticipate that ordinary preferential creditors should receive a dividend of 100p in the £.”

Administrators paid £635 an hour

The report also revealed Interpath is being paid £635 an hour for handling the administration. It said:

“We have incurred time costs of £153,269. These represent 241 hours at an average rate of £635 per hour.”

Interpath’s final fee by the time administration is due to end on March 1 next year is expected to be £298,759.

Preferential creditors are expected to be paid in full, the report said, and “it is likely that the unsecured creditors will receive a dividend” although the amount is unknown.

The timing of payments is also unclear.

The report described the company’s primary assets as “inter-company debtor balances and investments in others groups”.

These are expected to generate “significant realisations” but the administrators added:

“The flow of funds between the CNG group of companies is complex and will depend on each company within the group resolving matters which are currently preventing distributions being made to the company.”

Read more:

• 45 former CNG staff in £210,000 tribunal win against Harrogate firm
• CNG building in Harrogate goes back on the market
• Administrators reveal state of Harrogate firm CNG Energy’s finances

The new North Yorkshire Council is beginning its annual surface dressing programme — but it doesn’t include any roads in the Harrogate district.

Hundreds of miles of roads across England’s largest county are to be treated this spring and summer.

The work makes roads more skid-resistant and waterproof. It also prevents potholes, and can extend the life of a road by up to 10 years.

Cllr Keane Duncan, North Yorkshire Council’s Conservative executive member for highways and transport, said £8 million of surface dressing would be carried out this year — £2.6 million more than last year.

But Harrogate is the only district in North Yorkshire not to be included in this year’s programme.

Work is due to begin mid-April in the Hambleton, Selby and Scarborough districts.

It is due to carry on in Ryedale and Richmondshire in May and finish in the Craven district in early June.

Cllr Duncan said:

“Careful prioritisation of works, additional investment and close cooperation with our contractors means we will be delivering an extra £2.6 million worth of surface dressing schemes this year, the equivalent of an extra 60 miles.”

In this year’s Budget, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt awarded North Yorkshire £6.5 million from a £700 million fund to tackle potholes.

Details of North Yorkshire roadworks are available here.

Read more:

• Three months of roadworks on A61 from Harrogate to Ripon set to begin
• Harrogate road to be closed until November

A naked walk is to be held near Ripon to raise funds for the British Heart Foundation.

British Naturism, which promotes naturism, is organising fundraising walks in which people will strip off and feel the breeze on their skin at gardens, stately homes and castles across the country.

The seven venues taking part in this year’s Naked Heart Walks include the Himalayan Garden and Sculpture Park, between Ripon and Masham.

It will host a two kilometre walk for over-18s only on July 1.

This year’s walks are clothing-optional so there is no compulsion to strip naked.

An Ipsos poll commissioned by British Naturism in 2022, revealed almost seven million Brits describe themselves as naturists or nudists.

Andrew Welch, national spokesman for British Naturism, said:

“Taboos around nudity are eroding and the health and well-being benefits of going naked are more widely understood, with more and more people wanting to get the exhilarating feelings for themselves.

“I’m delighted to see the number of our Naked Heart Walks more than double this year and would encourage anyone to come and give it a go — and raise much needed funds for our charity partner.”

Ben Bishop, fundraising manager at the British Heart Foundation, said:

“There are lots of ways you can support the BHF and this is one of the more unusual, but why not try something new?

“Whether you dare to bare or keep your clothes on you can take part knowing that you will be helping our researchers find the new treatments and cures that can keep families together longer.”

Read more:

• Historic Harrogate naturist club holds first open day since covid
• Assets to be sold at failed Ripon firm Farmison

Hospital food in Harrogate is the worst in the country, according to patients.

Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust received the lowest rating of all the hospital trusts assessed in the NHS survey.

Patients awarded the trust, which runs Harrogate District Hospital, 72% for food quality.

The next lowest was Mid-Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust with 74%, closely followed by York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

Private provider Bupa rated the highest with 100%.

NHS Digital published the figures as part of its 2022 Patient-Led Assessments of the Care Environment programme.

PLACE assessments are an annual appraisal of the non-clinical aspects of NHS and independent/private healthcare settings.

Harrogate fared better on cleanliness, ranking 53rd of the 222 organisations with a score of 99.49%.

But it was a lowly 192nd on privacy, dignity and wellbeing with a score of 81%.

Hospital issues apology

A Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust spokesperson said:

“We strive to provide the best possible levels of service for those people in our care and we are extremely disappointed that we were unable to meet the expectations of our patients when the assessment took place.

“We would like to apologise to anyone who has been dissatisfied by the service we provided.

“It is important that we learn lessons from these findings as food is an important part of a patient’s hospital experience. The quality of food provided to our patients has always been high, but there is the opportunity to improve on the levels of service.

“We take such assessments extremely seriously and have already started to make improvements to address the concerns that have been raised.”

“These improvements have already had a significant impact and we will continue to make further changes to ensure we are meeting our patients’ expectations.”

Read more:

• Harrogate hospital to remove parking barriers to ease traffic queues
• Harrogate hospital reports improved A&E waiting times