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
No Harrogate district roads included in county surface dressing programme
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
Naked walk to take place near Ripon
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
Harrogate hospital food rated worst in country by patients
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
M&Co Ripon store to close in nine days
Retailer M&Co is to close its branch on Fishergate in Ripon a week on Saturday.
The Scottish company, which sells clothes and homeware, went into administration for a second time in December.
Yours Clothing bought the website, brand and intellectual property but not the shops.
It means all 170 M&Co stores have either closed already or will do so shortly. About 1,900 staff are affected.
Remaining stores are offering up to 60% discounts.
Retail manager Shirelle Wallace-Hoyle posted on the Ripon M&Co’s Facebook page:
“The last day of trading for us will be Saturday 22nd April, when the last few store within the business will all close.
“We are literally one of a few of the the last stores standing till then.
“I would like to say a massive thank you to everyone who has supported the store since it opened in 1979. We have had so many lovely customers support us.”
Read more:
‘Grim’ future predicted for Harrogate cycling after funding snub
Cyclists have expressed concern about the future of active travel in the Harrogate district after funding for two schemes was rejected.
The Department for Transport’s active travel fund last month turned down North Yorkshire County Council’s bid for £3.19 million.
It would have paid for segregated cycle routes on Victoria Avenue in Harrogate and on the A59 in Knaresborough between Mother Shipton’s Cave and Harrogate Golf Club.
Coming on the back of the county council’s decision to scrap phase two of the Otley Road cycle route, it has left plans for a connected, segregated cycle route between Harrogate train station and Cardale Park in tatters.
It has also raised questions about whether the council can deliver on active travel schemes despite the rhetoric.
Harrogate cycling campaigner Malcolm Margolis said
“The future for investment in cycling in Harrogate is clearly grim if the council is unable to attract government funding.
“It will only do that if it shows that it can deliver, which it has repeatedly failed to do for many years.
“That’s one of the reasons why the Station Gateway project must go ahead, not only that it would greatly improve the town centre, but that it shows the council has the capacity to turn successful bids to improve the public realm into successful changes on the ground.”
Cycleways on Station Parade are a key feature of the Station Gateway.
Read more:
- Cycling signs on Otley Road are ‘temporary measure’
- Government rejects cycling schemes in Harrogate and Knaresborough
Kevin Douglas, chairman of Harrogate District Cycle Action, agreed next month’s expected gateway decision was now of even greater significance given the legacy of failed cycling schemes. He said:
“If the council can’t attract government funding then it isn’t looking good for cycling.
“The government is reducing funding for active travel so it will be more difficult to succeed with bids and without a track record it will be doubly difficult.”
The Conservative-run North Yorkshire Council, which has replaced the county council, has said it will abide by its Liberal Democrat-controlled Harrogate and Knaresborough area constituency committee’s gateway decision on May 30.
‘Immense challenges’
Cllr Keane Duncan, the Conservative executive member for highways and transportation on North Yorkshire Council, said the local authority remained determined to “rebalance transport” in the town and would “not be dispirited” by Active Travel England’s rejection.
He said:
“We know the immense challenges the town is facing in terms of congestion, air quality and road safety. Unless the new North Yorkshire Council takes action to address these problems, they will only get worse.
“Rebalancing transport and promoting more sustainable travel is essential, but with limited financial resources and often vocal opposition, this is not always easy to deliver in practical terms.”
The Otley Road cycleway
Cllr Duncan added:
“The Otley Road corridor remains a challenge, but I stand by the decision to step back from phase two of the cycleway to allow local councillors to consider alternative options.
“And of course, it will be local councillors who will determine the hot topic of gateway once and for all. They will give their verdict and I will respect this. I feel this is the fairest possible approach.
The Stray Ferret asked Active Travel England why it rejected North Yorkshire County Council’s bid.
A spokesman said it couldn’t go into detail until the successful applicants were notified after next month’s local elections. They added:
“Each bid we have received has undergone a robust assessment process that considered a range of criteria. Feedback is being provided to authorities with unsuccessful bids over the next few weeks.
“Active Travel England will support local authorities in designing and delivering schemes that meet national standards for safety and accessibility.”
Assets to be sold at failed Ripon firm Farmison
Administrators running collapsed Ripon firm Farmison & Co said today it planned to begin the sale of assets.
FRP took charge of the company on Thursday, when it ceased trading and most staff lost their jobs.
Farmison co-founder John Pallagi held talks over the bank holiday with a consortium led by two Yorkshire businessmen about reviving the business.
But there has been no news of a deal since and FRP has now issued a statement clarifying the situation.
The statement outlined the problems that brought down the award-winning company. 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.
“In recent weeks interest in the business and assets has been explored but a transaction could not be completed, and the directors have therefore placed the company into administration.”
The statement confirmed Farmison had ceased trading, adding:
“Regrettably, the majority of its 75 roles were made redundant. A skeleton staff has been retained to support the joint administrators in fulfilling their duties as they move towards an asset sale, notably the brand, goodwill and intellectual property.”
Read more:
- ‘Intense’ talks to save Ripon firm Farmison after buyout collapses
- New city-wide Ripon bus service to start on Monday
Arvindar Jit Singh, partner at FRP and joint administrator of Farmison, said:
“Farmison had made significant investment in recent years in its operations as it aimed to carve out a differentiated brand and offering in the online retail space.
“However, it proved too heavy a burden to sustain without the uplift in sales that it had expected.
“Without a major capital injection, the business could not continue trading and we must now commence an asset sale. We encourage any interested parties to come forward.
“In the meantime, we have a specialist team working with impacted staff to access support through the Redundancy Payments Service.”
Customers and creditors can contact the administrators by emailing farmison@frpadvisory.com.
Starbeck Baths to be closed until late MayStarbeck Baths looks set to be closed for several weeks due to an “unforeseen mechanical failure”.
The Victorian swimming pool closed on Thursday last week. Its website says an air leak in the pool plant equipment caused poor water clarity.
The timing was unfortunate because of the ongoing Easter school holidays as well as the long-term closure of The Hydro in nearby Harrogate for a delayed £11.8 million upgrade.
Brimhams Active, which was set up by Harrogate Borough Council but is now run by North Yorkshire Council, manages leisure facilities in the Harrogate district.
North Yorkshire Council’s assistant director for culture, arts and leisure, Jo Ireland, said:
“We are working with Brimhams Active to resolve an unforeseen mechanical failure.
“The situation requires the expertise of specialist contractors, and a work schedule has been set to address the issue.
“During the downtime, other important planned maintenance work will also be carried out to ensure the facilities are in top condition when the baths reopen.
“Although we regret any inconvenience this may have caused, we anticipate that Starbeck swimming baths will be back in operation by late May.”
Read more:
- ‘No plan or intention’ to sell Starbeck Baths, says council
- Sneak Peek: New Starbeck pub aims to bring ‘community feel’ back
History group to show archive footage of Ripon and Harrogate
Rare archive footage of the Ripon and Harrogate areas will be shown on a big screen this month.
The event is being jointly staged by Yorkshire Film Archive and Bishop Monkton Local History Group.
A professional film archivist will introduce a series of locally produced films as well as footage from other parts of Yorkshire.
Some were professionally shot, others were amateur home movies but all give an insight into how people lived around here in years gone by.
Work, holidays, leisure, sports, home life, transport and war are among the subjects featured in the films.
Some content was included in four recent sell-out events at the Odeon in Harrogate organised by Yorkshire Film Archive in conjunction with Harrogate’s Civic Society and FIlm Society.
The event will be held at Bishop Monkton Village Hall on April 27 at 7pm.
Clips from some of the films that will be shown can be viewed here.
Tickets are free to Bishop Monkton Local History Group members and £10 to non-members.
They are available from Annabel Alton on 01765 676538 or via email annabel@annabelalton.com
There will be a cash bar selling wine and soft drinks before the event and during the interval.
Read more:
- Odeon packed for 90-minute archive film of Harrogate district
- Knaresborough to host free big screen broadcast of coronation
Harrogate man jailed for assaulting three police officers in Ripon
A man from a village near Harrogate has been jailed for six months for assaulting police officers.
James Ashley Gibb, 34, initially denied attacking three police officers in Ripon Market Place on October 28 last year.
But Gibb, of Ripon Road, Killinghall, changed his plea and was sentenced at Harrogate Magistrates Court last week.
Court documents say he was jailed due to the seriousness of the offence and also “because of different kinds of assaults including biting, kicking and threat of spitting and committed whilst on post-sentence supervision”.
The offence was aggravated by the defendant’s record of previous offending, the documents added.
The incident in Ripon Market Place last year
Gibb also pleaded guilty to using racially aggravated threatening or abusive words.
He was also given a concurrent four-month prison sentence for threatening a person on Station Parade in Harrogate on January 14 this year.
Besides being jailed, he was fined £275.