Groups in Knaresborough are set to apply for funding to investigate the feasibility of major new schemes for the town, including a road train.
Knaresborough and District Chamber, Knaresborough Town Council and Knaresborough Museum Association will be among those submitting a bid to the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
The UK government created the fund for schemes that encourage local investment and regeneration. It replaces European Union structural funds.
Up to £16.9 million is available in North Yorkshire and £2 million will be awarded in the first year of funding, which is due to open for applications shortly.
This month’s Knaresborough and District Chamber meeting heard it was collaborating with other town groups to formulate a bid for about £40,000 to £50,000.
Peter Lacey, executive member of the chamber, said if funding were awarded it would enable the town to undertake research into four priority areas: heritage, connectivity, developing economic data, and street enhancements.
The land train, which would take people up and down the steep slope between the town centre and Waterside, would fall into the connectivity area. He said:
“The fund would finance fuller feasibility and evidence-gathering to build the case for local capacity-building.”
Read more:
- Knaresborough Castle could host more events as new era dawns
- Business case to be drawn up for Knaresborough road train
Full fibre broadband rolled out in new parts of Harrogate
Thousands of homes and businesses in Harrogate have just been connected to full fibre-enabled broadband services
Fibre optic company CityFibre said yesterday it had made homes in reach of its network in Bilton, Woodlands, Rossett Green, Pannal, Valley Gardens and New Park ‘ready for service’, which means people can choose to connect to full fibre-enabled broadband services.
CityFibre is investing £46 million on upgrading connectivity Harrogate, Knaresborough and Ripon.
The rollout is due to be completed in Harrogate this year and will mean almost every home and business locally will have access to full fibre services from a range of internet service providers. The rollout is also now progressing into new areas in Ripon.
Kim Johnston, CityFibre area manager said:
“Our rollout to date has helped transform Harrogate and Ripon’s digital capabilities for both residents and businesses, making them some of the best-connected towns in Britain. We have almost finished in Harrogate and just have a small amount left to do along Otley Road.
“Digital infrastructure has become the cornerstone of modern day-life, and the people we have spoken to say they are already reaping the benefits of lightning fast and more reliable broadband.”
Unlike copper-based fibre broadband services, full fibre networks use 100% fibre optic infrastructure to carry data at lightning speed from the home to the point of connection.
This gives users consistently faster speeds for upload and download and near limitless bandwidth.
Construction is being delivered by Makehappen Group on behalf of CityFibre.
Read more:
- Full Fibre broadband is coming to Harrogate, what does this mean?
- Plan to convert former Harrogate post office into 11 flats approved
Graveleys fish and chip shop serves first customers after 1,000 days away
Graveleys fish and chip shop in Harrogate served its first customers in more than 1,000 days today.
Owner Simon Pilkington was in town to oversee the reopening of the Harrogate institution, which appeared to have gone for good when it was sold in November 2019.
The takeaway is currently open five days a week and Mr Pilkington said he hoped the restaurant would return in about three weeks, but certainly by Easter, which he said was the trade’s busiest time of year. He said:
“It’s great to be back. My dad would have been elated today to see this if he was still alive.
“Being here has reminded me of all the good times, such as the Great Yorkshire Show week, when we were always absolutely rammed.”
Mr Pilkington said his family had no intention of selling Graveleys until Catch Seafood made an offer.
When Catch went into liquidation last year, the opportunity to return to the same site on Cheltenham Parade proved too tempting for him and his brother Andrew, who own other restaurants elsewhere.
Manager Sarah Knox holds a portion of chips.
Mr Pilkington reiterated the pledge made by manager Sarah Knox yesterday to go “back to basics”, adding:
“We will focus on providing quality fish and chips and then add some seafood delights depending on the feedback.
“Every day is a learning day. We will listen to what customers tell us and go with what they want.”
The takeaway menu includes fish and chips — either cod or haddock — for £9. The takeaway also sells a range of other fish and seafood, including squid, plus other chip shop basics, such as battered sausages and chicken nuggets.
One of today’s first customers
Read more:
- Graveley’s fish and chip shop to reopen in Harrogate tomorrow
- Harrogate’s former Graveley’s fish and chip restaurant closes
Safety audit to be carried out at Killinghall junction
A formal safety audit is to be conducted at a Killinghall junction after a pedestrian was hit by a vehicle last week.
The news was revealed at a packed meeting last night of Killinghall Parish Council, at which residents vented frustration about safety at the notorious Ripon Road and Otley Road junction.
Michael Harrison, a Conservative who represents Killinghall, Hampsthwaite and Saltergate on North Yorkshire County Council, told the meeting:
“I have a commitment from the county council to do a formal safety audit. It will be proper highways modelling to see what options they will come up with.”
Cllr Harrison added the county council, which is the highways authority, had said it would come up with proposals in three months.
He said he shared residents’ concerns about the junction but admitted he didn’t know the solution, adding.
“If it was obvious there’s no doubt we would have done it.
“I don’t think anyone in this room knows the solution, unless it was a bypass, and I have to say there isn’t support for that.”
Read more:
- Accident reignites calls for traffic lights at ‘horrendous’ Killinghall junction
- Refurbished church aims to meet needs of growing Killinghall community
- Killinghall Cricket Club applies to build new two-storey pavilion
Parish council chairman Anne Holdsworth said plans were approved for a Killinghall bypass in 1937 and the village had been campaigning unsuccessfully for one ever since.
One resident told the meeting the person injured on the crossing outside the Greyhounds Inn last week had suffered a broken ankle and was on crutches.
Most people at the meeting agreed speed was a problem at the junction and in the wider village but there was little consensus over what to do.
Opinions included a 20mph limit, a mini roundabout and traffic lights. There were also concerns about the location of the pedestrian crossing and the bus stop as well as the new Tesco Express entrance.
Cyclist seriously injured in collision with van near WeetonPolice are appealing for witnesses to a collision near Weeton in which a cyclist was seriously injured.
It occurred on the A658 Harrogate Road between Weeton railway station and Pool Bridge on Monday, January 30, between 5.50pm and 6.15pm.
A North Yorkshire Police statement today said:
“It involved a van and a bicycle, which collided near to Riffa Business Park, resulting in serious injury to the cyclist.
“Anyone who witnessed the incident, or may have relevant dashcam of the collision or the van or bike involved, is asked to contact TC174 David Minto of North Yorkshire Police Road Policing Group.
“Please either dial 101, or email david.minto@northyorkshire.police.uk, quoting reference number NYP-30012023-0380.”
Read more:
- North Yorkshire Police to balance books by leaving 120 posts vacant
- Pothole damages dozens of cars on busy Harrogate district road
- Rain highlights concerns about state of Harrogate district drains and gullies
Graveleys fish and chip shop to reopen in Harrogate tomorrow
One of Harrogate most famous names, Graveleys, is to make a comeback tomorrow.
The fish and chip restaurant and takeaway was a feature of Cheltenham Parade for decades until it was sold in 2019.
New owners Catch Seafood spent £250,000 refurbishing the property and introduced a champagne and oyster bar as well as cocktails.
But all five Catch restaurants ceased trading last year when the company went into administration, paving the way for Simon Pilkington, the son of former Graveleys owner Robert, to buy back the building.
The takeaway will reopen tomorrow at 11am.
The takeaway will open at 11am tomorrow and the restaurant is due to open in the next few weeks. A final date has not been confirmed.
Sarah Knox, manager of Graveleys, said the venue would be going “back to basics”, adding:
“The focus will be on fish and chips. We just want to get back to basics and serve quality products.
“We will listen to what customers tell us and adjust our menu accordingly. Come in and see us!”
Ms Knox, who has worked all her life in hospitality and was previously employed by Catch, said the new venture had come about quickly and she had spent the last week preparing for the reopening. New staff are wanted.
The takeaway will be open from 11am to 2.30pm and 4.30pm to 8pm from Tuesday to Saturday. It will be closed on Sundays and Mondays.
Read more:
- Harrogate’s former Graveley’s fish and chip restaurant closes
- Graveley’s fish and chip restaurant to be renamed Catch Harrogate
Person airlifted to hospital after serious crash near Harrogate
A person has been airlifted to hospital after a serious crash on the A59 Skipton Road near Harrogate this morning.
Police and firefighters have been at the scene along with paramedics following a two-vehicle collision between The Nelson Inn and the farm shop crossroads.
The incident caused long tailbacks to New Park roundabout in Harrogate, with police diverting traffic onto Otley Road towards Penny Pot Lane and Beckwithshaw.
Harrogate Fire Station posted on social media:
“This morning, Harrogate crew attended a two-vehicle road traffic collision on the A59. One transported to Leeds hospital via air ambulance.”
North Yorkshire Police tweeted about the incident at 9.24am.
https://twitter.com/NYorksPolice/status/1622888981460357120
Read more:
- Graveley’s fish and chip shop to reopen in Harrogate tomorrow
- Harrogate’s first Tesco supermarket set to be approved next week
Tesco supermarket in Harrogate set to be approved next week
Harrogate looks set to get a Tesco supermarket after a long-running saga dating back more than a decade.
The store will be built on the site of the former gasworks, off Skipton Road, and include a petrol station and 209 car parking spaces. It is expected to create about 100 jobs.
Harrogate Borough Council ‘s planning committee has been recommended to approve the plans next week, despite “significant concerns” about the impact on the nearby Co-op in Jennyfields and neighbouring shops.
In her report recommending approval, case officer Kate Broadbank says there is “real potential for the proposed Tesco store to have a significant adverse impact upon the Co-op store and the wider performance of the Jennyfield local centre”.
The report adds the cumulative impact of a new Tesco on the Co-op could be as high as -22.4% and the Co-op “acts as a key anchor to the local centre, including its wider post office offer”.
The local centre in Jennyfields
Tesco will therefore be asked to sign an agreement to use “reasonable endeavours” to open a Tesco Express at Jennyfields local centre if the Co-op closes within five years of Tesco opening and will operate this for at least five years.
Ms Broadbank’s report adds:
“A post office and pharmacy would also be required. An additional clause has also been added that requires an independent expert to determine matters should dispute arise between Tesco and the council, as to whether the replacement store can be provided.”
New footpath and cycle lane
The report says no environmental impact assessment will be necessary for the brownfield site project even though trees will be felled on the north side of Skipton Road to accommodate the creation of a new roundabout at the site entrance, where the A61 Ripon Road and A59 Skipton Road meet at New Park.
The site of the former gasworks
North Yorkshire County Council plans to widen Oak Beck Bridge in a scheme that could see six months of roadworks in the area.
The report adds:
“A continuous footpath will be provided along the northern edge of the roundabout with additional uncontrolled pedestrian refuge island crossings on the site access and the eastern arm of Skipton Road.
“A new segregated cycle lane will be provided along the south of Skipton Road from the access to the bridleway further along Skipton Road. These works will be secured by condition and a Section 106 agreement.”
The 209 parking spaces will include four click and collect spaces, six electric vehicle charging spaces, 12 blue badge spaces and nine parent and child spaces. Two motorcycle spaces and 24 cycle spaces are also provided.
£50,000 for bus services
North Yorkshire County Council has requested a contribution from Tesco for improvements to bus stops on Skipton Road and Ripon Road. Ms Broadbank’s report adds:
“North Yorkshire County Council wish to provide a new bus service in the Killinghall area as part of the bus service contribution from the housing development on Penny Pot Lane and these additional improvements would add value to the new service and help encourage sustainable travel by bus to reach the new store.
“A contribution of £50,000 (£10,000 per bus stop) is requested to help fund this service and will help provide new extended shelters with information boards, seating and where necessary raised kerbs to each carriageway.”
The report also says discussions have taken place between the applicant and Northern Gas Networks about “potential interaction” between the proposed petrol station and an existing Northern Gas Networks high pressure gas transmission pipeline located beneath the site.
It says the risk of interaction is “acceptably low”.
The site is highlighted on a planning document.
Majority opposed to scheme
The council received 82 representations about the scheme. Just 24 were supportive and 57 objected, mainly on the grounds of amenity, traffic, environmental and drainage impacts.
Ms Broadbank has recommended the project be approved subject to conditions being met. The Conservative-controlled planning committee will decide whether to accept her recommendation when it meets on Tuesday next week. The meeting will be broadcast live on the council’s YouTube page.
It will be the penultimate meeting of the planning committee before Harrogate Borough Council is abolished at the end of next month.
Ms Broadbank’s report concludes:
“In summary, the development is acceptable in principle and meets the requirements of the sequential and retail impact tests with appropriate mitigation.
“The scheme uses previously developed land and is in a sustainable location within the development limits of Harrogate.
“The design and landscaping of the buildings are appropriate for this site and impacts with regards to the residential amenity, environmental impact and highways are acceptable.
“The development will create jobs and provide social, environmental and economic benefits to the local area.
“The scheme is in accordance with the development plan policies as a whole and represents sustainable development as required by the National Planning Policy Framework.”
Tesco first secured planning permission on the site in 2012 but revived its plans in December 2021.
Read more:
- New Tesco supermarket would threaten future of Jennyfields Co-op, warns report
- Waitrose objects to plans for new Tesco in Harrogate
Harrogate ambulance striker: ‘Nobody wants to wait three hours to offload patients’
Ambulance workers and nurses formed picket lines within metres of each other in Harrogate today as part of the biggest-ever day of NHS strikes in England.
Members of the Royal College of Nursing began two days of industrial action outside Harrogate District Hospital on Lancaster Park Road.
A two-minute walk away, members of the GMB union were huddled around a fire at Harrogate Ambulance Station for a one-day strike due to take place from 6am to midday and from 6pm to midnight.
Unison ambulance workers are due to strike on Friday.
The hospital picket line today
Laura Faulkener, an ambulance practitioner and GMB rep, told the Stray Ferret patients were more likely to get an ambulance today than on non-strike days because of the measures put in place to respond to the most serious incidents.
Asked why the GMB was striking, Ms Faulkner said:
“There’s been a lot of focus on pay but it’s about conditions, above all.
“None of us want to wait seven hours in a corridor with patients while they wait to be seen.”
She said the situation was particularly bad at York Hospital but paramedics could still be left looking after patients in the back of ambulances for three or hour hours at Harrogate District Hospital while they waited to be treated.
Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust said in a statement key services continued to operate during the strike and nobody should be put off seeking urgent or emergency care. It added:
“Patients should continue to attend appointments as planned unless contacted to reschedule.”
RCN staff will be taking part in industrial action today (6 February) and tomorrow (7 February). This will impact our services at HDFT. Unless it’s a life-threatening injury/severe illness contact NHS111 https://t.co/h6tkZbXSie #nhsstrikes https://t.co/sUdV7rONPD
— Harrogate NHS FT (@HarrogateNHSFT) February 6, 2023
Read more:
- No trains in Harrogate district today amid further rail strikes
- Harrogate cannabis gardener jailed after £250,000 farm found
- Harrogate’s first Tesco supermarket set to be approved next week
Confirmed: second phase of Harrogate’s Otley Road cycle route scrapped
The second phase of Harrogate’s Otley Road cycle way has been scrapped, North Yorkshire County Council confirmed today.
The council, which is the highways authority, also revealed it would not be bringing back restrictions for motorists on nearby Beech Grove.
Instead it will propose new measures to tackle speed in the streets surrounding Otley Road, improved crossings for cyclists, better signage for cycle routes and improvements to bus infrastructure.
Cllr Keane Duncan, the Conservative executive member for highways and transportation at North Yorkshire County Council, hinted last month the second of three proposed phases for Otley Road would not proceed after none of three options put forward proved popular with cyclists, walkers or motorists.
Today the council issued a statement saying “an alternative package of measures for Otley Road will be outlined and presented to the Harrogate and Knaresborough area constituency committee this summer”.
The area constituency committee advises North Yorkshire County Council on local issues although its powers are expected to be beefed-up when North Yorkshire Council comes into existence on April 1.
The statement said:
“After listening to public concerns, it is proposed that construction of phase two of Otley Road cycle way is not advanced, and the Beech Grove restrictions are not made permanent.
“Instead, it is proposed that the remaining funding of up to £500,000 in the National Productivity Investment Fund package is used for other measures to encourage active travel, support growth and address safety concerns along the Otley Road corridor.”
Otley Road cycle path
Phase one of the Otley Road cycle way, which was completed in January last year, links Harrogate Grammar School, residential areas and Cardale Park. It has been widely criticised for its design.
The proposed phase two would link Arthurs Avenue to the town centre, and phase three Harlow Moor Road to Cardale Park.
The experimental traffic restrictions on Beech Grove and Lancaster Road, which prevented non-residential through traffic, ran from April 2021 to August last year.
‘Listening to feedback’
Cllr Duncan said today:
“Our proposal to consider an alternative package of sustainable transport measures demonstrates how we are listening to public feedback. Halting construction of phase two allows us the opportunity to prepare new measures with local input and support.
“The constraints of Otley Road meant it was always going to be difficult to meet government cycle infrastructure design standards without infringing on the Stray, widening the road or removing trees.
“We consulted on a number of options, but these were not fully compliant and attracted criticism. Cyclists have expressed concerns that the proposed cycle way would not encourage more cycling due to its design, while pedestrians said they were concerned about their safety.
“Given the concerns, it is right that we think again and explore alternative measures to promote walking, cycling and use of public transport.”
Concerns were expressed about possible conflict between cyclists and pedestrians because an entirely segregated cycle way could not be created due to constraints such as protected trees, Stray land and carriageway width.
The next steps will be considered at a meeting of North Yorkshire County Council’s business and environmental services corporate director and executive member on Friday.