Rail operator Northern has told passengers to expect six days of disruption during the next wave of strikes.

The RMT union has scheduled strikes on Saturday, November 5, Monday, November 7 and Wednesday, November 9 as part of an ongoing dispute over pay and conditions.

Northern, which operates the line passing through Knaresborough and Harrogate, today advised people not to travel by train on those days.

It also warned that “services are also expected to be affected”  on November 6, 8 and 10 November.

The company added disruption would occur “especially in the morning, so please check before you travel”.

The RMT previously announced a strike on November 3, however, this was cancelled and Northern said trains will be operating as usual that day.

The company said in a statement:

“On strike days, only travel by rail if necessary and if you do travel, expect severe disruption and plan ahead — especially the first and last trains of the day.  Remember to check your entire journey as other train service providers may be affected.

“Advanced tickets will be withdrawn from sale, until an alternative strike timetable is in place.”

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Rainbows have designed a Stop, Look and Listen banner to display on the gates of Saltergate School.

It was one of a series of activities undertaken by members of 5th Harrogate Rainbows to help them learn about road safety.

As part of the initiative, Lauren Doherty, who lives in Knaresborough and uses her own experience of a traffic accident to educate people about road safety, gave a talk to the group.

The banner was the Rainbows’ final assignment and will encourage others to take road safety more seriously.

Samantha Suttle, leader of 5th Harrogate Rainbows, said”

“We hope this will help all children and adults stay safe when crossing the road. Well done Rainbows!”

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Northern Gas Networks has paused its “slower than anticipated” gas mains replacement works in Harrogate town centre.

The company said yesterday the scheme had proved “challenging” and would be temporarily halted to avoid Christmas disruption.

It means five weeks of traffic lights on Cold Bath Road, which were initially due to take place in September, won’t happen until at least January.

Northern Gas Networks, which transports gas to 2.7 million homes in northern England through a network of underground pipes, also said it had finished long-term work at Crescent Road, near the tourist information centre.

But it added it still needed to “make good” the area before traffic and pedestrian restrictions were lifted — hopefully this week.

Scott Kitchingman, business operations lead for Northern Gas Networks said:

“Our gas mains replacement works in Harrogate town centre have progressed well, but it has been a challenging project to undertake due to the location of the main.

“The complexity of the engineering involved means the pace of the works has been slower than anticipated and that has extended their overall duration.

“We want to minimise disruption for Harrogate residents and motorists as much as possible, so rather than impact customers during the busy festive period by continuing the works now, we’ve temporarily paused the project and will return to complete it in the new year.”

Mr Kitchingman added the company’s customer care officers would keep residents and businesses updated with new dates “as soon as they are agreed with North Yorkshire County Council’s highways team”, adding:

“We sincerely apologise in the meantime for any inconvenience customers have experienced.”

Read more:

• Gasworks on Cold Bath Road rescheduled until Monday
• Harrogate road closure means 1.4-mile detour for walkers and cyclists

The long-term gas works on Crescent Road In Harrogate town centre are due to be paused this week.

Motorists are still unable to turn left at the Parliament Street junction and traffic coming the opposite way on Ripon Road is unable to turn right but by next week the restrictions should have ended.

Roadworks near the Harrogate Town ground on Wetherby Road in Harrogate are due to end tomorrow.

According to North Yorkshire County Council’s roadworks map, two sets of traffic lights will be active on Skipton Road, between the Empress roundabout and King’s Road.

Traffic lights on the A59 York Road near the junction with the A658 in Knaresborough are due to remain in place until November 11.

Yorkshire Water has installed four-way traffic lights as it lays a new water main for a housing development.

In Ripon, roadworks are due to be active on Heckler Lane and New Road today and tomorrow.

Work to reconstruct the landslip-hit B6265 at Red Brae Bank, Bewerley, near Pateley Bridge, is ongoing.

The road is closed and a diversion is in place via Pateley Bridge; the B6451 Dacre; Menwith Hill Road; Duck Street and Greenhow Hill village. Temporary traffic lights will be in place during the remainder of the work.

Trains and buses

Rail operator Northern is not reporting any problems on the line passing through Harrogate and Knaresborough this morning but the live departure and arrival board for Harrogate shows the 7.37am LNER service to London is cancelled.

The Harrogate Bus Company is reporting cancellations on the 36 bus, the 9am and 10.55am Harrogate to Leeds services are cancelled, as are the Leeds to Harrogate 7.40am, 9.55am, 11.55am services and the Starbeck to Leeds 6.23am bus.

You can get updates here.

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A section of a busy Harrogate road is to be closed for up to a year to allow work to begin on a 133-home housing scheme.

Kingsley Road will be completely sealed off beyond the junction with Kingsley Drive up to the bridge leading to Bogs Lane.

It means people travelling along Kingsley Road will be unable to get to Bogs Lane without a lengthy 1.4-mile detour on to the main A59 Knaresborough Road.

Pedestrians, dog walkers and cyclists, who use the route to get to the bridge going down to the shared off-road walking and cycling route to Bilton, will also be affected.

The bridge leading down to the pedestrian and cycle route.

Jenny Mills, who lives in the area, said

“It will now mean when I take my two little boys for a bike ride or a dog walk I will now have to walk the entire way around Starbeck to get to the cycle track, which is less then 50 metres from my front door.

“The sad part is I meet so many elderly and disabled people on the cycle path for whom the path is a lifeline, basically. Without it they don’t have access to a safe and level walk in the fresh air or to a safe place to walk their dog.

“There’s no way these people will be able to walk the huge distance to get to the cycle path which then leaves them limited options to walk their dogs safely.”

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North Yorkshire County Council has issued a temporary prohibition of traffic order, which says the closure will come into force on November 7.

The order says “it is envisaged” to last until May 8 next year, but the maximum duration is 12 months.

A map showing the Kingsley Road detour.

Councillor seeks solution

Harrogate Borough Council granted final approval in July for Redrow to build 133 homes on Kingsley Road, in what will be the latest development in the Kingsley area.

Chris Aldred, a Liberal Democrat who represents High Harrogate and Kingsley on North Yorkshire County Council, said he planned to hold talks with Redrow to see if access for walkers and cyclists could be maintained for some periods while work is carried out.

Cllr Aldred said the road closure would stop the route being used as a “rat run” by motorists trying to avoid the A59 Knaresborough Road and there were long-term plans to close it permanently to through traffic.

But he said those plans involved maintaining non-vehicular access and he couldn’t see why this couldn’t also be achieved now.

“They won’t be digging for all six months so I would have thought there might be option where pedestrians and cyclists can go up there for maybe five months out of six.”

Business Breakfast is sponsored by Harrogate law firm Truth Legal. 

Harrogate College is holding an event that gives businesses the chance to talk to customer service-trained students about part-time work that fits around their studies.

The college’s employer network recruitment fair enables Harrogate district firms the opportunity to come into college and speak to students directly.

Each business can approach the recruitment fair in its own way: it can conduct an interview and offer work that day, or share information about the business before inviting students for a formal interview at the place of work.

The free event takes place at the college, on Hornbeam Park, on November 2 from 11am to 1.30pm. Tickets can be booked here.

Construction firm wins award for junction 47 upgrade 

Junction 47

Building contractor, Farrans Construction, won the Best Highways and Transportation Project award at a recent CIHT Yorkshire and Humber event for its delivery of the junction 47 A1(M) upgrade for client North Yorkshire County Council.

The project, near Flaxby, involved widening of three of the four slip roads onto and off the roundabout to increase capacity as well as a number of junction improvements.

Cllr Keane Duncan, North Yorkshire County Council’s executive member for highways and transport, said:

“It is one of the busiest junctions in North Yorkshire and since the scheme was completed earlier this year we have seen a significant difference in reducing congestion and improving road safety.

“It represents a successful collaboration between the county council, Farrans, AECOM and National Highways in overcoming difficult situations without major delays to the travelling public during construction on this key route which unlocks future growth in and around Harrogate.”

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The organisers of Harrogate’s annual Stray fireworks announced tonight that this year’s event will include a bonfire after all.

Harrogate and District Round Table revealed last month that it had decided not to hold a bonfire at this year’s volunteer-run event on Saturday, November 5 because of the costs and logistics.

But the organisation has now said it has reversed the decision.

Andy Rickard, from the Round Table, said:

“Due to the cancellation of six bonfire and fireworks displays run by neighbouring Leeds City Council, we have taken the decision to reinstate the annual bonfire alongside the fireworks and live entertainment on the Stray this November.

“Unlike other council-run fireworks displays, our event is made possible by volunteers and the generosity of local residents, businesses and visitors to our town.

“This year we are on a mission to raise £10,000, with all proceeds going to Harrogate Homeless Project which this year celebrates its 30th anniversary.”

Read more:

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• No Bonfire Night event in Tockwith this year

Francis McAllister, chief executive of Harrogate Homeless Project, said

“The Stray fireworks will be a cornerstone event in the charity’s 30th anniversary calendar.

“The money raised from the event will help us deliver more support, serve more hot meals and help more people into accommodation.”

The night’s schedule

In addition to the bonfire and fireworks display, there will be a licensed bar, food stalls, face-painting and family-friendly entertainment on stage.

The schedule is:

• Entertainment will start from 5pm
• The bonfire will be lit at 5.30pm
• The fireworks finale will begin at 7.15pm

For safety reasons visitors are advised not to bring sparklers, but light-up toys will be available for sale by volunteers from Pannal Primary PTA and Harrogate Gymnastics inside the event area.

The Round Table also said attendees should be aware any street-sellers outside of the Stray are not affiliated with them and do not make any contribution to the event costs or its charities.

The fireworks are held on the Stray alongside Oatlands Drive, and will include 1,400 shots and over 250 mortar shells all provided by Ferrensby Fireworks, a local company with over 30 years experience.

There is no parking in the immediate vicinity.

Entry is free but a collection will be held throughout the evening.

Event costs are paid for out of charitable funds and the entertainment is run entirely by volunteers.

After event costs have been covered the net proceeds will be donated to Harrogate Homeless Project.

You can make a donate here.

A person required medical assistance at lunchtime today after an incident at the crossing outside Bettys in Harrogate.

Paramedics covered the injured person in blankets and administered first aid until an ambulance arrived at about 2pm.

The person was lying on the ground near the traffic lights on the opposite side to Bettys.

Traffic on Parliament Street was diverted into a single lane while help was administered.

The Stray Ferret has asked Yorkshire Ambulance Service for further details.

The crossing outside Bettys has been the scene of numerous incidents involving pedestrians and traffic over the years.

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Harrogate’s Christmas ice rink has opened for bookings.

The rink, at Crescent Gardens, will be open every day except Christmas Day from December 1 to January 2.

One-hour sessions can be booked throughout each day, with the final session at 8pm. A website has been set up for bookings.

Tickets cost £14 for adults and £13 for children aged five to 16. Family tickets costing £37.50, £50 and £62.50 are available.

Parent and toddler sessions and relaxed sessions, catering for parents and carers and children with additional support needs, are also on offer.

The ice rink is among the highlights of this year’s Harrogate Christmas Fayre, which will also include a Ferris wheel, carousel and other fairground rides, Candy Cane Express road train, town centre stalls and an artisan market in Valley Gardens.

The fayre is a joint venture between Harrogate Borough Council, Harrogate Business Improvement District and Market Place Europe, which took over the town’s seasonal activities last year after the council refused to grant a licence to Harrogate Christmas Market, a locally-run organisation behind the previous event on Montpellier Hill.

The bookings website says:

“Harrogate ice rink is magical for all ages, great for families, date nights, catch ups with pals, Christmas parties with a twist, skaters, non-skaters, those who want to learn to skate at our skate school or just enjoy one of the most fascinating spectator sports with a drink and bite to eat.”

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• Ice rink will be part of ‘bigger and better’ Harrogate Christmas
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North Yorkshire Police is appealing for help finding a Land Rover Discovery, which was stolen from Wormald Green.

Police today released pictures of the grey vehicle, which they say was taken from an address in the village, which is midway between Ripon and Harrogate.

It was stolen at about 11.30pm on Wednesday last week.

A police statement said:

“Please keep your eyes peeled for the car and if you have any info, call 101 quoting ref: 12220186546.”

A police image of the wanted vehicle.

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