The incoming chief executive of the new North Yorkshire Council has raised questions about the future of Harrogate Convention Centre.
In a significant change of tone, Richard Flinton refused to commit to a £49 million redevelopment of the venue proposed by Harrogate Borough Council, which will be abolished at the end of March.
Mr Flinton also questioned the future use of the site, saying the conference and events venue needed to be vibrant and relevant in the face of competition from a new venue in Leeds rather than “an enormous drain on public finances”.
Speaking at Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce‘s monthly meeting at Rudding Park last night, Mr Flinton said the council had “inherited issues we didn’t expect” about the centre and decisions were not “straightforward”. He said:
“The level of investment the conference centre needs to make sure it’s a relevant venue is something we are facing up to.
“£50 million into one place is a big investment ask. We will need to understand how the conference centre earns its way, faces up to the challenge from Leeds and is a strong investable asset for the new council.”
Mr Flinton at last night’s meeting
Harrogate Borough Council has consistently defended the loss-making centre on the basis that the thousands of visitors it attracts benefit the town’s hotels, bars and restaurants and bring a wider economic benefit to the district as a whole.
But control of the venue will transfer to North Yorkshire Council on April 1, when it comes into existence and Harrogate Borough Council ceases to exist.
The new local authority, based in Northallerton, could find it harder to justify to residents in places such as Scarborough and Selby the merit of spending almost five per cent of its annual £1.2 billion budget on a single building in Harrogate.
Read more:
- New board to review Harrogate Convention Centre operating model
- Working group set up to steer future of Harrogate Convention Centre
In his speech last night, Mr Flinton also cited diversification as one of the new council’s business aims for Harrogate and said there were questions about the town’s over-reliance on the centre.
Michael Schofield, a Liberal Democrat who represents Harlow and St George’s on North Yorkshire County Council, asked whether the new council would consider “repurposing the HCC to make it a viable business”.
Mr Flinton reiterated that it needed to be vibrant rather than a drain on public finances.
Cllr Carl Les and Richard Flinton last night
Carl Les, the Conservative leader of North Yorkshire Council, said:
“We have to consider it again with a fresh pair of eyes.”
In October, Harrogate Borough Council and North Yorkshire County Council formed a working group to discuss the convention centre’s £49 million redevelopment plan and how it could be funded, as well as how the venue should be run in the future.
76 jobs at risk at Harrogate’s St George Hotel
A total of 76 staff at Harrogate’s St George Hotel face uncertain futures amid plans to close the building for refurbishment.
The Inn Collection Group, which bought the historic hotel a year ago, informed staff last week they were at risk of redundancy on January 30.
It plans to carry out a multi-million pound refurbishment that will transform the interior and increase the number of bedrooms from 90 to 96.
A spokesman for the Inn Collection Group, which also owns the Dower House in Knaresborough and Ripon Spa Hotel, said today:
“We currently have 76 colleagues at risk of redundancy as a result of a proposed closure on January 30, however we have started a consultation process to discuss this, to support our colleagues and seek ways in which to mitigate the need for redundancy.”
The spokesman said the refurbishment would include remedial work to some of the building’s systems and “bring it into the look and feel of The Inn Collection Group”, adding:
“The main focus on refurbishment though is centred around the transformation of the ground floor space, which will be brought into our model of hospitality.
“We are a pub with rooms operator rather than a hotel operator and the refurbishment will evolve the offering at Hotel St George into a space where they are made to feel welcome and are encouraged to join us for coffees, drinks and meals.
“There will also be significant improvements carried out to areas that support this such as the kitchens, allowing us to develop what we offer to our guests and residents of Harrogate and beyond.”
Read more:
- St George Hotel in Harrogate to close at end of month
- Roadworks to start on Harrogate’s Wetherby Road this week
The spokesman said the refurbishment was anticipated to take 16 weeks and was “intended to begin shortly following a consultation period with our teams at the site who will be impacted whilst the refurbishment takes place”.
Asked what will happen to customers who have booked accommodation or weddings, he said:
“Our teams are currently contacting these customers directly to discuss their bookings. These discussions will centre around if they wish to retain their stay or event with us or if they wish to find an alternative venue, which we will work with them to accommodate.”
Dower House and Ripon Spa Hotel set for summer re-openings
The Inn Collection Group has properties across northern England, including Dower House and Ripon Spa Hotel, which are both closed for refurbishment.
The Dower House
Work at Dower House began in September last year. The spokesman said:
“Once complete, the Dower House will have grown from a 38-room establishment to a 57-room venue and as with Hotel St George will have enjoyed a significant renovation of its ground floor spaces to provide a space to be enjoyed by guests both staying with us and those visiting from the local area.
“The fabric of the building is requiring a great deal of care and attention as part of the refurbishment, and we are hopeful that works will be complete later this summer.”
The company has started advertising for a general manager at Ripon Spa Hotel but it is not expected to reopen for several months. The building is still surrounded by scaffolding.
Ripon Spa Hotel
The spokesman said:
“Works have been underway at Ripon Spa since summer last year and again have seen us undertake an extensive programme to maintain and enhance the fabric of the building.
“As at the Dower House, there will be an increase in the number of bedrooms for guest. Up from 43 to 59.
“We are again hopeful of launching the newly renovated venue later this summer.”
Photos show how Albanian drugs gang transformed Harrogate home into cannabis farm
Police photos have revealed the scale of a cannabis farm run by an Albanian drugs gang at a Harrogate home owned by landlady Yoko Banks.
Banks, 74, of Scargill Road, was constantly in touch with the drug conspirators but played no active part in the cultivation process.
She was jailed for three-and-a-half years in August 2021 after she admitted three counts of being concerned in the supply of cannabis
Last week she was ordered to repay over £142,333 of illegally earned money under the Proceeds of Crime Act at Leeds Crown Court.
The photos by North Yorkshire Police show how one of her homes on Alexandra Road, close to King’s Road, not far from Harrogate town centre, was completely transformed to cultivate the plants. Even the stairs were covered in cannabis.
Read more:
- Ex-Harrogate guest house owner ordered to repay £140,000 for role in cannabis racket
- Roadworks to start on Harrogate’s Wetherby Road this week
Detective Inspector Janine Mitchell, head of financial investigation at the constabulary, said today:
“The Proceeds of Crime Act allows us to deprive criminals of their illegal income. We will take every opportunity to use the legislation to its capacity to ensure no-one benefits from crime.
“In this case Banks had knowingly rented out high-end Harrogate properties to the organised crime gang in return for thousands of pounds in rental income.
“If you suspect anyone of living off illegally earned income, do not hesitate to call the police. If you don’t want to talk to us, you can report it to Crimestoppers anonymously.”
Cannabis plants propped up in the house on Alexandra Road.
One of the rooms at the house.
The windows were blocked off to prevent people seeing inside.
The cannabis-covered stairs.
Leeds Bradford Airport has announced it will offer a record-breaking 80 destinations in 2023 and 2024.
New routes include Bergen in Norway, Porto in Portugal and Perpignan in France.
Recent additions of Katowice in Poland, Bucharest in Romania and Cluj in Romania will continue along with popular favourites such as Tenerife in the Canary Islands, Faro in Portugal and Palma in Majorca remain on the itinerary.
In a press release today, the airport said it had made “significant investment to its terminal”, including a redevelopment of Hall A facilities and improved facilities in the check-in hall, which services all airlines apart from Jet2.
John Cunliffe, commercial and strategy director at LBA, said:
“With the broadest range of destinations ever, we know that the coming years will be fantastic for LBA passengers. Whether it’s holidaymakers returning to their favourite beaches, travel to see distant family or adventures to new countries, there is something for everybody.”
Further details are available here.
Read more:
- Leeds Bradford Airport scraps plans for £150m terminal
- Roadworks to start on Harrogate’s Wetherby Road this week
Flood warning for Harrogate district from 6am tomorrow
A flood warning is in force for the Harrogate district from 6am to 8pm tomorrow.
Many roads were hit by flash flooding on Saturday and water levels remain high. Now the Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for tomorrow due to persistent heavy rain, although the north-west is expected to bear the brunt.
Yellow warnings, which are less severe than amber and red warnings, are usually issued when it is likely the weather will cause some low level impacts, including some disruption to travel in a few places
In this instance, the Met Office has warned “flooding of a few homes and businesses is likely” and “bus and train services probably affected with journey times taking longer”.
The Environment Agency issued a flood alert on Thursday last week for low-lying areas around Masham, Boroughbridge, Aldborough and Bishop Monkton that are close to the River Ure.
It was removed over the weekend and there are currently no flood alerts or warnings active in the Harrogate district.
Read more:
- Flood alert issued in Harrogate district
- Firefighters rescue horse trapped in floodwater in Harrogate district
Roadworks to start on Harrogate’s Wetherby Road this week
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.”
Read more:
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
Ripon sewage leak: tree felled as repair work set to last two weeks
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:
- Sharow pub owner appeals housing plan refusal
- Owner of Ripon celebrity cat Badger overwhelmed by support
- 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.”
Picket line at Harrogate station as latest RMT strikes near end
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”.
Read more:
- Ambulance workers in Harrogate district begin strike
- Vandals leave Harrogate hospital facing large flood repair bill
Decision to close Nidderdale surgeries for funeral causes controversy
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.”