Homelessness in Harrogate — what’s the best way to help?

Few topics arouse greater emotions in the Harrogate district than homelessness.

Most residents are highly sympathetic to people sleeping in shop doorways in places like Harrogate’s Parliament Street.

But some regard them as a blight on the town’s image and call for the ‘tramp camps’ to be dispersed.

And there is widespread confusion over whether it’s cruel or kind to give money to people on the streets.

Harrogate Homeless Project has been on the frontline of helping rough sleepers for 30 years.

Francis McAllister, the new chief executive, is keen to extend its services and raise the charity’s profile in the town.

Emergency accommodation

Harrogate Homeless Project, which employs 29 staff, is best known for its Bower Street hostel, which provides emergency accommodation for up to 21 people in 16 rooms. If people turn up with nowhere to go at 2am, the hostel takes them in.

Mr McAllister, a Northern Irishman with a strong background in the voluntary sector at charities including Barnardo’s, the NSPCC and St George’s Crypt in Leeds, describes the hostel as “the revolving door of homelessness”, helping people with damaged, chaotic lives and multiple addictions.

The organisation also provides ‘move-on’ accommodation and support for people who want to get off the streets.

It also offers services at Springboard Day Centre, which operates out of the Wesley Centre in Harrogate. Anyone can turn up Monday to Friday lunchtimes and receive a meal, no questions asked.

Wesley Centre

The Wesley Centre

For many it’s their only decent meal of the day. The hostel also provides a GP drop in, psychotherapy and counselling, a hairdresser, a podiatrist and even a drop-in vet service.

Mr McAllister wants to extend this further by getting more agencies involved to help those keen to make the transition to independent living. Cookery lessons are one example. He says:

“People ask, ‘what’s the formula for stopping homelessness?’ It’s not that straightforward. A lot of people struggle to have the skills to maintain a tenancy.

“Giving them keys to a house isn’t the solution — it’s more about giving them skills.”

If Harrogate Homeless Project is to broaden its impact, it needs more volunteers and funding.

It currently receives about £500,000 a year. About 10% to 20% comes from statutory sources, including Harrogate Borough Council; the rest is mainly from trust and grants.

Very little comes from public donations, which seems strange given how visible and emotive homelessness is.

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Giving to rough sleepers

The charity recently appointed its first professional fundraiser and Mr McAllister hopes this will not only generate funds but also help to raise awareness of the organisation and its work so that it becomes as natural a cause for local people to support as, for example, Yorkshire Air Ambulance.

Does he recommend giving to people in the street, many of whom have addictions?

“That’s a difficult one. I wouldn’t give them money. But I would give money to Street Aid or a cause that’s helping them.

“If you want to do something for someone on the street, get them a sandwich or a cup of coffee.

“Sometimes what they really need is someone to talk to.”

With the cost of living crisis, Harrogate Homeless Project is set to get busier.

It hopes local people will rally to its cause. Mr McAllister says:

“We are local. The money we raise gets spent in Harrogate. We are co-operating with a lot of agencies and I really hope we can do more.”

New Harrogate Station Gateway details revealed today

The councils behind the Harrogate Station Gateway said it was time for the town to “seize the opportunity” today, as new details of the project emerged.

A media briefing was held in Harrogate today before a third phase of consultation on the latest proposals begins on Wednesday.

Key elements of the scheme, including the part-pedestrianisation of James Street and some of Station Parade being reduced to single lane, remain in place and are non-negotiable, councillors said.

But the briefing did reveal some changes:

Odeon roundabout

The Odeon roundabout

Conservative councillor Keane Duncan, the executive member for access and transportation at the county council, told the briefing it was time to “crack on”.

He said:

“We want to continue with this scheme. It’s an exciting opportunity for Harrogate. We are at the stage where we either seize the opportunity or lose it.

“We need to take this scheme forward. If we didn’t it would be a travesty for Harrogate.”

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The scheme aims to encourage cycling and walking and make the town centre a more pleasant place to visit.

But business groups fear the loss of parking spaces and potential congestion could deter shoppers.

Cllr Duncan said the council didn’t want a “war” with businesses, which have expressed major doubts about the initiative.

He said the gateway would attract more people into the town centre and be good for business.

‘First major investment in Harrogate for 30 years’

Councillor Phil Ireland, Harrogate Borough Council’s cabinet member for carbon reduction and sustainability, said the scheme was a “fantastic regeneration project and the first major investment in Harrogate in 30 years”.

Cllr Ireland added that if it didn’t succeed, after months of wrangling, it could “affect how Harrogate is looked upon when future funding is available”.

He said the average car journey in the Harrogate district was less than 2km and this scheme would encourage more people in the town centre vicinity to walk or cycle. Those who didn’t, he added, still had 6,000 parking spaces, many of which are free.

The Harrogate scheme is one of three in North Yorkshire, and 39 nationally, being funded by the Department for Transport’s Transforming Cities Fund.

Tania Weston, Transforming Cities Fund programme manager at the county council, hailed the public realm benefits, such as completely revamping Station Square to include a water feature and new seats.

Ms Weston added empirical evidence suggested there was widespread misconception about the impact of active travel schemes on businesses, with them usually having a “positive or neutral” impact.

One Arch

One Arch

She said there would also be a focus on making One Arch “pleasanter” by improving the landscaping and introducing lights with a “shimmering” effect inside the tunnel.

Drop-in sessions will be held from 9am to 5pm at the Victoria Shopping Centre on August 4, 5 and 6 as part of the consultation. An online event will be held on August 10 at 6pm.

 

Drone captures scale of Ripon field fire

The scale of this week’s field fire near Ripon is captured in this drone image sent to the Stray Ferret.

Harrogate district drone photographer Paul Smith took the image on Tuesday, the day after the blaze occurred at Hutton Bank, Sharow.

It was one of two crop fires in the district that day. At one point the flames came close to the main A61 road.

Ripon and Harrogate fire crews were first at the scene and requested a further four appliances due to the 300-metre fire front.

Firefighters worked with the farmer to extinguish the blaze, in which nobody was hurt.

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Knaresborough golfer beating Tiger Woods at The Open

Knaresborough golfer John Parry is leading the likes of Tiger Woods and Bryson DeChambeau after the first day at The Open Championship.

Parry, competing in his first Open, shot a three-under par 69 to end yesterday five shots off the lead.

If he posts another good round today he will make the cut for the weekend and play at St Andrews in Scotland alongside the biggest names in the sport.

Parry, who grew up in Knaresborough, is an honorary member of Harrogate Golf Club and still plays the course regularly.

The club, just off the A59, dates back to 1892 and is the oldest in Harrogate.

Club pros Sam Everson and Gary Stothard have known him since their junior days together and Mr Everson said everyone at the club was delighted to see him doing so well:

“He’s a local guy who has worked hard on his game. He’s never got above his station — guys turn up on the tee and he will have a game with them.”

Parry, 35, represented Great Britain and Ireland in the Walker Cup before turning professional at the end of 2007.

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He has competed on the European Tour and even won a tour event but currently plays on the second-tier Challenge Tour.

Parry, who now lives in Leeds, has twice played at the US Open and made the cut on both occasions.

He needed to finish in the top four of the final qualifier to compete at St Andrews this week. He finished joint fourth and then won the play-off.

Mr Everson said:

“You could tell he was talented even at a young age. He had a natural swing and a very gifted short game.”

 

New town with 3,000 homes could get just 20% affordable housing

The proportion of affordable homes to be built at Harrogate’s biggest development in decades could be just 20 per cent.

Maltkiln is a 3,000-home settlement planned for the Hammerton and Cattal area.

It aims to play a major role in addressing the district’s housing need by providing “much-needed homes and jobs in a sustainable location”.

But a newly-published development plan document from Harrogate Borough Council states that the number of homes to be classed as affordable is “anticipated to be within a range of 20 to 40 per cent”.

The council’s target for affordable homes at all new housing sites is 40 per cent.

It said achieving this figure at Maltkiln will be “challenging” as the development needs to be financially viable.

Yet the council also admits the affordability of homes is a “key issue” that needs to be addressed as Harrogate remains as one of the most unaffordable places to live in England.

High house prices

Average house prices in the district are around 11 times average incomes, forcing many people out of the area.

The Maltkiln document states:

“Whilst we want to strive to deliver as much affordable housing as possible, an element of flexibility will also be required.

“This is explicitly acknowledged in the justification to the affordable housing policy where delivery is anticipated to be within a range of 20% to 40%.”

The document also said this range is “not out of step” with other large housing settlements elsewhere in the UK “where figures of 15 per cent, 25 per cent and 35 per cent have been set”.

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But councillor Pat Marsh, leader of the opposition Liberal Democrat group on the council, said the authority should be aiming for at least its own 40 per cent target in order to provide homes for those most in need.

She also said that during the creation of the Harrogate district Local Plan 2014-35, her party’s vision for Maltkiln was an “eco-village” which is not car dependent and has many community facilities.

Cllr Marsh said:

“That eco-village had to be in a sustainable place and therefore the area around the Hammertons with two rail halts seemed an ideal place.

“Once taken up and accepted as the new settlement site, there has been a need to ensure all the right infrastructure is in place to serve the existing and new community.

“This includes schools including a secondary school, shops, open spaces and sports pitches. Also, that the houses built would be carbon neutral.

“Added to that the requirement of 40 per cent affordable homes which is very important and we should not consider the delivery of less.”

Flaxby rejected

The Hammerton and Cattal area was chosen as the location for the huge housing plans after rival proposals for 2,750 homes on the former Flaxby Golf Course were rejected by the council in a decision which led to a legal challenge from the developers.

The proposals for Maltkiln include two primary schools and land for a secondary school, as well as shops, employment space and a GP surgery which will be centred around the train station.

The council said it chose this location due to its transport links with the York-Harrogate-Leeds railway line and the A59.

It also said this location will “steer development away” from nearby residents who previously warned the housing plans will be “utterly devastating” for surrounding villages.

A six-week consultation on the development plan document is planned for October when residents will be asked to share their views on areas including roads and public transport.

After this, the document will then be submitted to the government for public examination.

GC Motors owner completes £250,000 property refit

Business Breakfast is sponsored by Harrogate law firm Truth Legal. 

Giles Castleton, the owner of GC Motors in Harrogate, has completed the £250,000 refit of Adam House, a four-storey office block adjacent to the car dealership on Ripon Way, Harrogate.

The refurbishment is in preparation for the property being offered for re-letting.

Adam House has parking and electric car charging points as well as secure bike stores.

Mr Castleton said:

“We already own several properties on this site and when Adam House became available we were keen to add it to our portfolio. It’s a fantastic building with a great deal to offer. It’s in a great location, just a mile from Harrogate town centre, it’s very accessible by either car, bike or public transport.”

Clem McDowell, office agency director at property consultants Carter Towler, which is marketing the property, said:

“By removing the existing partitioning, upgrading all the communal facilities including toilets and kitchens, adding energy efficient lighting and air conditioning with air recirculation, this impressive, stand-alone property is now perfect for progressive businesses such as solicitors, accountants, IT and media agencies looking for additional space.”

Harrogate clinic to bring pioneering stem cell treatment to UK

A Harrogate surgery is set to bring a pioneering stem cell treatment to the UK.

Mallappa Kolar, whose family runs Kliniken plastic and cosmetic surgery clinic, is set to pioneer a new variation of the procedure which helps patients with painful osteoarthritis.

The procedure uses a HumanMed ‘Q-graft’ machine that isolates stem cells using a combination of methods to increase the purity of stem cells obtained from the fat.

The treatment itself focuses on utilising fat cells to aid regeneration within the area affected through use of targeted injections at the problem regions and joints.

Mr Kolar said his experience of seeing the effects of arthritis first hand inspired him to pursue stem cell research.

He said:

“It all started when I saw first-hand the disabling effects that arthritis has on both the physical and mental status of an individual, which I witnessed through my own parents’ suffering. This really hit home when seeing my son, their first grandchild, wanted them to join him playing and their inability to join in with him because of the pain.

“I knew then that this was an area I was deeply passionate about and wanting to work further on towards solutions that really work – so that is what I did.”

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Consultation announced for two new cycle routes

Consultation is to begin this summer on two new cycle routes in Harrogate and Knaresborough.

North Yorkshire County Council received £1,011,750 last year from the Department for Transport’s active travel fund to improve cycling and walking infrastructure.

The funding is due to be spent on two schemes in the Harrogate district and one in Whitby.

The Harrogate district schemes are on the A59 Harrogate Road, Knaresborough, between Badger Mount and Maple Close and on Victoria Avenue, between the A61 (West Park) and Station Parade.

Victoria Avenue

The Victoria Avenue cycle path could link with the Beech Grove low traffic neighbourhood.

A third Harrogate scheme for Oatlands Drive was scrapped after a negative response, but new proposals to cut congestion in the area are due to be revealed in autumn.

The funding was secured more than a year ago and little discernible progress has been made since then.

The Stray Ferret asked the county council for an update.

Melisa Burnham, highways area manager at the county council, said:

“The two proposed schemes in Harrogate — along the A59 and on Victoria Avenue — are currently in the detailed design stage to understand the cost and funding requirements.

“We are carrying out road safety audits on the routes this month before taking the final designs to a public consultation in the late summer.”

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But it seems the Knaresborough scheme will not proceed any time soon.

Although North Yorkshire County Council is leading on the project, the issue was raised last week at a Harrogate Borough Council meeting.

Stray land

Harrogate Borough Council has ringfenced £500,000 towards the Knaresborough scheme from its investment reserve.

When asked about progress on the initiative, Councillor Phil Ireland, the cabinet member for carbon reduction and sustainability, told the meeting “there has been an acceptance that this will not happen prior to local government reorganisation” in April next year.

Cllr Ireland said:

“We definitely want a cycleway between Harrogate and Knaresborough. However, it won’t happen quickly as further funding will need to be identified, plus there’s always the perennial issue of Stray land on the verges of Knaresborough Road.”

He added that the borough council, which will be abolished in April, was considering allocating the funding to other “shovel-ready schemes” from North Yorkshire County Council, such as the Victoria Avenue initiative.

Cllr Ireland said the borough council was “waiting for some more information’ from the county council before making a decision.

The Victoria Avenue scheme could link with the Beech Grove low traffic neighbourhood, if the decision to close the road to through traffic is continued.

 

 

Lancaster bomber to fly past at Masham steam rally

A Lancaster bomber is to fly past at Masham Steam Engine and Fair Organ Rally on Saturday.

The two-day event, which started in the 1960s as a fundraiser to save Masham Town Hall, has become one of the Harrogate district summer highlights.

It returns this weekend after a two-year hiatus due to covid. Several thousand people are expected to attend.

There will be 42 steam engines, dancing diggers, a fairground and lots of other activities in the rally field just outside Masham.

Masham steam rally

But the highlight will be the Lancaster bomber, which is due to fly past at 1.02pm on Saturday.

The rally was due to have a Dakota fly past on its 50th anniversary but it had to be cancelled due to the weather. This weekend’s forecast, however, is excellent.

Flo Grainger, who has helped to organise the event for 30 years, said:

“It’s another step to getting back to normal and we are all looking forward to the event returning. We are very lucky to have the Lancaster.”

Entry costs £12 for adults, £7 for concessions and £3 for children over five. Younger children get in for free. A caravan park is available for overnight visitors.

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Man arrested after early morning Knaresborough crash

A man has been arrested following a crash near Knaresborough in the early hours of this morning.

North Yorkshire Police said in a statement this afternoon that it responded to calls about a car that had left the road on the A59.

It occurred near junction 47 of the A1(M), at Flaxby.

Officers attended but could not locate the driver.

Following further enquiries, a man in his 60s was arrested on suspicion of drink driving.

He remains in custody while enquiries continue.

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Local firm averts traffic danger at Harrogate’s Great Yorkshire Show

Quick-thinking traffic management staff averted a highly dangerous situation on a main road outside Harrogate’s Great Yorkshire Show this morning.

Staff at SEP Events, which is based in Boroughbridge, discovered 450 cones and 25 signs were missing when they arrived for work shortly before 6am this morning.

The items, worth thousands of pounds, are believed to have been stolen either by another firm or by thieves looking to sell them on. Several sources have confirmed the details to the Stray Ferret.

The cones and signs were taken at the Kestrel roundabout, which has been the busiest point for traffic during the show, and at the nearby junction of Wetherby Road and Rudding Lane.

SEP Events cones

An SEP van at the Kestrel roundabout.

The stretch of Wetherby Road between the two locations usually accommodates two-way traffic but a one-way system has been operating from 6am until 8pm each day of the show to improve traffic flow.

The cones and signs have played a key part in enforcing this.

But with the items missing, and 6.30am approaching, there could have been chaos with traffic heading towards the show from the Kestrel roundabout in both lanes meeting head-on vehicles travelling in the other direction that should have been diverted off Wetherby Road.

SEP Events at Great Yorkshire Show

SEP employees had to stand in the road in high visibility jackets and use their vehicles to direct traffic while colleagues went back to Boroughbridge to get replacement cones and signs.

Shortly after 7am traffic measures were back in place and no accidents had occurred.

Traffic cones cost several pounds each and weigh about 6kg so whoever was responsible is believed to have had a trailer with a high load-bearing capacity.

North Yorkshire Police has issued an appeal for information. It said in a statement:

“The cones and signage were installed as part of traffic management for the Great Yorkshire Show and the theft led to significant disruption for motorists and showgoers.

“It is believed the items were taken between 9pm on Tuesday 12 July and 4am on Wednesday 13 July so police are appealing for anyone who might have seen anything which could help the investigation.”

The Stray Ferret has contacted SEP Events about the incident.