John Plummer, Author at The Stray Ferret

Henshaws introduces parking charges

The social enterprise Henshaws has announced it is to introduce parking charges at its arts and crafts centre in Knaresborough.

Automatic number plate recognition cameras will be in place at the centre at Bond End from April 15.

Parking is currently free and people using the site sometimes struggle to find space as others use it for general car parking. Last year’s opening of the Knaresborough Inn has increased pressure on spaces.

Henshaws said in a statement the move was “a vital step towards ensuring the safety of our artmakers, visitors and staff”. It added:

“In recent months, the car park, which is for staff and those attending the centre, has become very busy and we want to ensure as safe environment as possible.

“As a charity, we have ensured that the charges when the car park is open to the public are reasonable.”

It will become the latest local organisation to introduce parking charges in recent years. Others include Yorkshire Water at its reservoirs, Ripley car park and the Inn at South Stainley.

Parking will be restricted to Henshaws staff and visitors all day only from Monday to Friday. Anyone else will be liable for parking charge notices.

It will cost £1 for an hour, £2 for three hours or £4 for all-day parking on Saturdays and Sundays from 6am to 10pm. Payment can be made by cash: card or mobile phone

There will be a time allowance during weekdays for taxis and support staff to drop-off and collect artmakers.

Anyone without valid parking could receive a £100 penalty charge notice, reduced to £60 if paid within 14 days.

Henshaws added:

“These charges are thoughtfully set to strike a balance between affordability and supporting ongoing initiatives at Henshaws Arts and Crafts Centre.

“We trust that these rates are reasonable and acceptable to our valued visitors.”

It added:

“All funds generated through parking charges will be reinvested into Henshaws Arts and Crafts Centre, ensuring a vibrant and enriching experience for our community members.”

Further details are available here.

Police arrest Harrogate councillor Pat Marsh

Police have arrested former Harrogate borough mayor Pat Marsh over anti-semitic messages.

In an update just before 2pm today, North Yorkshire Police said:

“A woman has been arrested in connection with an investigation into anti-semitic ‘tweets’ shared on X, formerly known as Twitter.

“She remains in custody while enquiries continue.”

The Liberal Democrats suspended Cllr Marsh, who was the party’s leader in Harrogate and Knaresborough, yesterday after details of her social media messages emerged.

Cllr Marsh, who was the leader of the Lib Dems in Harrogate and Knaresborough, said she intended to continue to serve as an Independent councillor.

She chairs the Harrogate and Knaresborough area constituency committee, which advises North Yorkshire Council on local issues.

Harrogate hospital to demolish ‘crumbly concrete’ building

A building riddled with reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) is set to be demolished at Harrogate District Hospital.

North Yorkshire Council gave planning approval this week for the therapy services department building to be torn down after it was found to contain RAAC, or “crumbly concrete”, which is a lightweight material that can run the risk of collapse.

It will allow for the construction of a replacement building later in the year with demolition due to begin in June.

In the meantime, all services will be relocated within the hospital with the exception of the podiatry and speech and language therapy services, which will move to a new location in Harrogate.

The first section of Harrogate District Hospital was built in 1975 during a period when RAAC was used in the construction of public buildings.

Last year Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the hospital, found 2,500 panels containing RAAC across the estate.

The trust made a £20 million bid to NHS England for funding to eradicate RAAC across the Harrogate District Hospital site. The first element of the request worth £2m was approved in December.

Matt Graham, the trust’s director of strategy, said:

“Unfortunately, when Harrogate District Hospital was constructed RAAC was used in several locations in the hospital.

“The work we have undertaken so far has ensured there is no safety risk for our patients, visitors and our staff, but as a long term solution we now need to replace this roofing material.

“In the case of our therapy services department, this will require the demolition of the building in which the services are currently located.

“Most of the services in the building will remain on the Harrogate District Hospital site, which will maintain services for our patients. As community services, our podiatry and speech and language therapy services have been looking for an opportunity to move off the hospital site and this work has created the opportunity to establish a new community based, podiatry and speech and language therapy centre for Harrogate.

“We would like to assure patients and visitors to our hospital and local residents that any disruption caused by the demolition will be kept to a minimum.

“As well as removing a large proportion of the RAAC on the hospital site, this work will also provide the opportunity to build brand new facilities which will improve our services and increase the quality of care we offer our community.”

Police investigate Harrogate Lib Dem leader for racism and anti-semitism

Police are investigating Harrogate councillor Pat Marsh for racial and anti-semitic social media posts.

North Yorkshire Police said in a statement this morning it was looking into posts shared on X, formerly Twitter, which are believed to have been shared between Wednesday, January 24 and Sunday, February 18.

It added it was “investigating the incidents of hate crime and is appealing for anyone with information to come forward”.

Neighbourhood policing inspector Nicola Colbourne, of Harrogate neighbourhood policing team, said:

“North Yorkshire Police takes hate crime extremely seriously and we are committed to identifying those responsible.

“We are following all available lines of enquiry and would ask anyone who has any information that could support our investigation, other than seeing the tweets, to please come forward.”

Cllr Marsh, who represents Stray, Woodlands and Hookstone, described Jews as “vile” and “horrendous” in a series of posts on X, formerly known as Twitter.

The long serving Liberal Democrat leader in Harrogate and Knaresborough and former mayor of the Harrogate borough was suspended by the party yesterday but has said she will continue to serve as an Independent councillor. She has deleted many of her tweets.

A Lib Dems spokesperson described her views as “appalling” and said a swift investigation would follow.

Antisemitism campaigner Steve Cooke highlighted some of her posts, which included comments saying, ‘It is shameful the world is silent and the Jews are horrendous’, ‘I hope the Jews fell proud of this, they are evil’, and ‘how many other people are out there slaughtering babies and children as the Jews are at the moment’.

An account on X called Business Yorkshire said it had reported Cllr Marsh to the police and it was “taking it very seriously”.

I’ve just reported her to the police and they are taking it very seriously!

— Business Yorkshire (@Businessyorks) February 19, 2024

Issue raised in Parliament

Andrew Jones, the Conservative MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, reiterated claims in Parliament last night that other Lib Dems must have known about the posts.

In a Commons debate about anti-semitism, he said the “most senior Liberal Democrat councillor in Harrogate and Knaresborough has been exposed for tweeting horrendous antisemitic comments for the past five weeks”, adding:

“She had hundreds of followers, including many senior local Liberal Democrats; she tweeted over 500 times on the subject, and those tweets were read over 10,000 times, so it beggars belief that no Liberal Democrat knew what she was saying.

“They must have known, but in the five weeks she has been tweeting, they did nothing until it was exposed in the media today.”

Police urged anyone with information is asked to contact North Yorkshire by calling 101, quoting job number 12240031057.

Alternatively, independent charity Crimestoppers can be contacted anonymously online at Crimestoppers-uk.org or by calling 0800 555 111.

Pat Marsh refuses to resign as councillor following antisemitism row

A defiant Pat Marsh has said she will not resign as a councillor following comments on X about Jews that have been widely condemned as antisemitic.

In a series of posts made over the past month related to the conflict in Gaza, Cllr Marsh described Jews as “vile”, “evil” and “a disgrace to the world”.

It led the Liberal Democrats to suspend her from the party yesterday but she denied the comments were antisemitic and said they were made to highlight her opposition to the ongoing war and the deaths of thousands of children.

Despite senior councillors on North Yorkshire Council calling on her to quit, Cllr Marsh told the Local Democracy Reporting Service this morning that she intends to sit as an independent for the remainder of her term of office, which is another three years.

She claimed she had received emails of support from residents urging her to carry on serving them in her Stray, Woodlands and Hookstone division.

Cllr Marsh said:

“I do not intend to resign I will complete this term of office as an Independent. I am receiving quite a few emails of support from my residents asking me to remain as their independent councillor.

“I have worked for my residents and the wider community for 33 years and will continue to do so until my term of office ends.”

However, Cllr Marsh’s comments about Jewish people may find her in breach of the council’s code of conduct which all councillors sign up to.

This includes ensuring councillors do not discriminate against any person, treat others with respect and must not bring the council into disrepute.

The Local Government Association says a councillor can be removed from their role by the local authority should they be found to have committed a serious breach of the code.

Council leader Carl Les said a complaint has been made to the council’s monitoring officer which could lead to a referral to North Yorkshire Police.

Conservative MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough Andrew Jones raised Cllr Marsh’s comments in the House of Commons yesterday evening during a debate about antisemitism.

He said:

“The most senior Liberal Democrat councillor in Harrogate and Knaresborough has been exposed for tweeting horrendous antisemitic comments for the past five weeks.

“She had hundreds of followers, including many senior local Liberal Democrats; she tweeted over 500 times on the subject, and those tweets were read over 10,000 times, so it beggars belief that no Liberal Democrat knew what she was saying.

“They must have known, but in the five weeks she has been tweeting, they did nothing until it was exposed in the media today.”

A Liberal Democrats spokesperson said there was “literally no evidence” to back up Mr Jones’ “unsubstantiated” claims.

They added:

“Ms Marsh was removed from her role in the party long before Andrew Jones made a comment. Andrew Jones had never raised these appalling remarks with the Liberal Democrats, until this afternoon in a press comment. These antisemitic views have no place in our party or our country.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism said the party had acted in a “swift and decisive” manner following the Tweets.

Special guests revealed for Harrogate crime writing festival

The special guests for this year’s Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival in Harrogate has been revealed today.

The event, which is the world’s largest celebration of crime fiction, will be held for the 21st time at the Old Swan from July 18 to 21. .

Curated by bestselling crime writer and 2024 festival programming chair Ruth Ware, the special guests include Chris Carter, Jane Casey, Elly Griffiths, Erin Kelly, Vaseem Khan, Dorothy Koomson, Shari Lapena, Abir Mukherjee, Liz Nugent and Richard Osman.

Organised by the arts charity Harrogate International Festivals, the event offers fans from around the world the chance to hear from the biggest stars of the genre, discover new talent and enjoy a programme of panels, talks and creative workshops.

Ruth Ware said:

“I’m so proud of the incredible roster of special guests appearing at this year’s festival- together they showcase the strength, breadth and sheer excellence of the crime-writing landscape.

“Harrogate has always been a festival with readers at its very heart, and there really is something for everyone in this glorious celebration of our brilliant and bloody genre.”

Festival highlights

Vaseem Khan, award-winning author of the Baby Ganesh Agency series and the Malabar House novels and last year’s festival programming chair, will open the festival in conversation with Abir Mukherjee, author of the globally bestselling Wyndham & Banerjee series.

Ruth Ware will interview author and television presenter Richard Osman about his multi-million copy bestselling Thursday Murder Club series.

International bestseller Shari Lapena visits from Canada to talk about her latest thriller What Have You Done with Liz Nugent, winner of four Irish Book Awards and fellow Irish crime writer Jane Casey will be in conversation with Erin Kelly, whose new novel The Skeleton Key is published in April.

Big name thriller writers Chris Carter, the bestselling author of the Robert Hunter series, and Dorothy Koomson – the ‘Queen of the Big Reveal’ – unveil their latest novels and festival favourite Elly Griffiths will discuss her new standalone mystery The Last Word.

Sharon Canavar, chief executive of Harrogate International Festivals, said:

“Ruth has curated a thrilling programme with every crime fiction reader at its heart.”

Simon Theakston, chairman of T&R Theakston Ltd, said:

“It continues to be a privilege to support the world’s best crime writing festival as we have over the last 21 years.”

The full programme will be announced in Spring 2024.

Pic credits: Gemma Day, Conor O’Leary and Sara Reeve

Andrew Jones MP says Lib Dems ‘must have known’ about local leader’s anti-semitic tweets

Andrew Jones MP has questioned why the Liberal Democrats failed to act sooner on anti-semitic posts by the leader of their party in Harrogate and Knaresborough.

The Lib Dems today cut ties with Cllr Pat Marsh, who represents Stray, Woodlands and Hookstone, after she described Jews as “vile” and “horrendous” in a series of posts on X, formerly Twitter.

It has since emerged Cllr Marsh’s X account contains hundreds of similar comments about the Israel-Gaza situation dating back a month.

Conservative MP Mr Jones said:

“Cllr Marsh chose to express herself in clearly antisemitic terms. It is reasonable to assume that because of the repeated language she uses over a sustained period that these are her real views.

“I was shocked and appalled by her views. I was shocked too that she has been doing this nearly a month and it seems no-one in the Liberal Democrats sought to stop her from doing so or questioned it.

“They must have known; she has hundreds of followers on Twitter among them were senior local Liberal Democrats. She has secured invites as her civic guest to constituency events for Tom Gordon, their parliamentary candidate. She was the most senior elected Liberal Democrat in Harrogate and Knaresborough chairing the planning committee and the area committee. They must have known.”

Mr Jones added he had raised concerns previously with Lib Dem leader Ed Davey about a breach of councillor standards by Cllr Marsh. He said:

“Since December last year I have written to him four times identifying appalling behaviour by other local Liberal Democrats too. He didn’t even reply to my letters. Perhaps he might reflect on that.

“There was an opportunity for him to act on these complaints and sort out the problems which have taken hold of the local Liberal Democrats of which these tweets are the most serious and appalling manifestation.”

The Stray Ferret asked Mr Gordon, who will bid to unseat Mr Jones in Harrogate and Knaresborough at the next general election, if he wished to respond to his rival’s comments. We also asked Cllr Bryn Griffiths, the leader of the Lib Dems on North Yorkshire Council.

We received a response from a party media spokesperson saying:

“Ms Marsh was removed from her role in the party long before Andrew Jones made a comment. Andrew Jones had never raised these appalling remarks with the Liberal Democrats, until this afternoon in a press comment.

“These antisemitic views have no place in our party or our country.”

The Lib Dems also flagged up a tweet by the charity Campaign Against Antisemitism, which commended the Lib Dems on its “swift and decisive handling of this matter”.

‘I have not been treated fairly’

Cllr Marsh, a former Harrogate borough mayor and councillor for more than 30 years, criticised the Lib Dems after the party disowned her.

She told the Stray Ferret:

“Obviously I do not feel I have been treated fairly by a group who believe in freedom of speech.

“I believe I have every right to express my feelings. I cannot watch the slaughter of 14,000 children and say nothing. I want the world to come together to stop this now and get a safe resolution for all.”

Anti-semitism campaigner Steve Cooke highlighted Cllr Marsh’s tweets today.

Another Lib Dem councillor embroiled in antisemitism scandal over ‘vile Jews’ comments https://t.co/iwIdVcwTrl via @JewishNewsUK

— Steve Cooke (@Steve_Cooke) February 19, 2024

Although Cllr Marsh is no longer part of the Lib Dem group, she remains a North Yorkshire councillor.

Cllr Carl Les, the Conservative leader of North Yorkshire Council, suggested Cllr Marsh’s comments could be criminal.

He told the Local Democracy Reporting Service:

“I think the tweets she has made may be criminal, that’s for others to investigate and decide. I would think she should consider her position. The comments I have seen are outrageous and offensive.

“I understand a number of complaints have been made to the monitoring officer. I don’t follow Pat Marsh’s Twitter account so I haven’t seen these before, but I understand there is a number of them.”

Chris Watt, who hopes to get the Labour Party nomination to stand against Conservative Julian Smith in Skipton and Ripon at the next general election, said:

“We are appalled by Cllr Marsh’s racist comments and the material she has reposted in support of.

“Antisemitism has no place in our society and it’s clear she can no longer represent the local community. Her lack of recognition of the harm she has caused only makes matters worse. She should resign immediately.”

Lib Dems axe Harrogate and Knaresborough leader over anti-semitism row

The Liberal Democrats have removed Pat Marsh, their leader in Harrogate and Knaresborough, in a row over anti-semitism.

Cllr Marsh, who represents Stray, Woodfields and Hookstone, described Jews as “vile” and “horrendous” in a series of posts on X, formerly known as Twitter.

A spokesperson for the Lib Dems said this morning:

“These appalling antisemitic views have no place in our party, Ms Marsh has been removed from the council group and has been reported to the council’s Standard Officer.”

Cllr Marsh’s account made a series of comments about the conflict in Palestine.

Another Lib Dem councillor embroiled in antisemitism scandal over ‘vile Jews’ comments https://t.co/iwIdVcwTrl via @JewishNewsUK

— Steve Cooke (@Steve_Cooke) February 19, 2024

Mr Cooke tweeted:

”I’m guessing North Yorkshire councillor Pat Marsh has strayed from official Lib Dems policy when she says Jews are ‘evil’, ‘vile’, ‘horrendous’, ‘a disgrace to the world’ and claims “Israel owns the USA. It looks like antisemitism to me.”

The Stray Ferret contacted Cllr Marsh this morning who denied the posts were anti-semitic. She said she could not stay silent while children were being killed, adding:

“I’m not anti-Jewish, I’m anti-people killing people and that happens to be Jews.”

However, shortly afterwards a Lib Dem spokesperson contacted with the message saying Cllr Marsh had been removed from the party.

Reform UK backs Independent Keith Tordoff for mayor

The Reform UK parliamentary candidate for Harrogate and Knaresborough has backed Independent Keith Tordoff to be Mayor of York and North Yorkshire.

Mr Tordoff, from Pateley Bridge, is the sole Independent candidate standing for election on May 2.

Reform UK is not fielding a candidate but Richard Brown, who will stand for the party in Harrogate and Knaresborough at the general election, has given his support to Mr Tordoff and suggested the alliance could extend beyond May. He said:

“My focus is on becoming the MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, so working strategically with Keith would be beneficial, not just to both us, but the whole region”.

“Having spoken to Keith, I have got to know about him and what he believes in. Working with him now, and going forward would be very useful.

“I think people want to see the country come together. They also want parties to work together, where there is common thinking, to give focus on delivering for the people.”

Mr Tordoff said:

“While I am not affiliated to a political party as an independent, I do of course need to work with other parties going forward.

“It is certainly true that many are watching the development of Reform UK, some welcoming the possibility of change and others still unsure — Reform UK does though, have the potential to change UK politics fundamentally and in my opinion for the better.

“I share their views that there needs to be fundamental change to how politics operates in this country.”

In a statement today announcing the news, both men highlighted concerns about the £11.2 million Harrogate Station Gateway scheme, which has recently been scaled back after North Yorkshire Council admitted its initial plans were legally flawed.

Mr Tordoff said it “has been fraught with problems from day one, and now we have a project that is proceeding with little focus over the benefits”.

He added:

“Fundamentally it’s an example of a mismanaged project, without a clear set of objectives, and it seems to divide the community, but North Yorkshire Council are pushing ahead regardless.”

Mr Brown described the gateway as a “fiasco”, adding:

“I think we need to develop a better understanding of how the Station Gateway project has gone wrong for Harrogate, and what that means for the project going forward.

“It will give important learning for similar projects that come under the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority. We need to do much better than we have done, or are doing.”

Whoever is elected mayor will oversee a new combined authority, and a multi-million budget in areas such as housing, transport and the police and fire services.

Heritage groups back plans to convert Harrogate Debenhams

Harrogate Civic Society and Historic England have supported plans to convert the former Harrogate Debenhams building into shops and 34 flats.

Debenhams closed on Parliament Street in 2021 after the company went into administration.

Wetherby developer Stirling Prescient initially applied to demolish the building and build 50 flats but withdrew these plans in May 2022 after widespread opposition.

But Harrogate Civic Society and the non-departmental public body Historic England, who were among those objecting, have backed latest proposals submitted to North Yorkshire Council in November last year.

The new application is to convert the first floor into 34 flats and use the ground floor and basement as a ‘flexible commercial space’ or a ‘drinking establishment’.

It also proposes erecting a rooftop extension, the removal and replacement of canopies, shopfronts and the slate roof, and re-cladding the part of the building with a 1960s facade. The plans also include a secure cycle store and seven car parking spaces.

Stirling Prescient has said the development would “provide a high quality and vibrant new residential development” as well as “a new focal point along Parliament Street”.

The civic society submission to council as part of the consultation process says it is pleased demolition is no longer being proposed, adding:

“We are content with the currently proposed uses of the building and are keen to see it returned to beneficial use and retain its positive place in the conservation area

“Loss of the existing façade of the 1960s building next to the Westminster Arcade will not be mourned, likewise the ugly canopy that does the conservation area no favours.

“Overall, we are very pleased to see this proposal for re-use of the building and look forward to it making a positive contribution to the conservation area and the vitality of the town.”

The HArrogate branch of Debenhams, which has filed for administration

Debenhams on Parliament Street closed in January 2021.

Suzanne Lilley, inspector of historic buildings and areas at Historic England, said in its consultation submission the site at 22-30 Parliament Street “forms part of an iconic commercial street-scene”, adding:

“The proposals have benefited from pre-application engagement with Historic England and we now welcome the approach taken by the applicant.

“There is an exciting opportunity here for a positive restoration and conversion scheme which enables these buildings to be appreciated and enjoyed by the public.”

You can view details of the application on North Yorkshire Council’s planning portal here, entering the reference number ZC23/03273/FULMAJ.

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Issue raised in Parliament

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Festival highlights

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‘I have not been treated fairly’

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