A conservationist has warned that Harrogate’s “creaking sewerage infrastructure” needs investment to cope with all the new homes.
Keith Wilkinson, who is chairman of Nidd Gorge Advisory Partnership and honorary secretary of Bilton Conservation Group, said more pollution was likely without improvements.
His comments come as investigations into last weekend’s pollution of Oak Beck are ongoing.
The Environment Agency, which previously said it was unable to comment during the Queen’s mourning period, gave a brief update today in which it said it had investigated “several” reports of dead fish and pollution and it was “identifying the source of what caused the fish deaths”.
Oak Beck, which rises at Haverah Park and empties into the River Nidd at Nidd Gorge, is classed as a main river by the Environment Agency even though it is narrow.
Oak Beck looking discoloured this week.
Mr Wilkinson said long-recognised problems with broken and wrongly connected Victorian pipes near The Hydro remained unresolved.
This, along with new housing developments in the area, would exacerbate the issue further, he said.
Mr Wilkinson said:
“North Harrogate’s sewerage system has been operating on optimum-to-overload capacity for at least a decade — before we see the aggravating grey water outputs of the excessive housing expansion on the A59 and Penny Pot Lane.
“In other words ‘we ain’t seen nothing yet’.”
Mr Wilkinson, who was awarded an MBE for services to conservation, also said he wasn’t aware of any plans to develop the northern outfall sewage works at Bilton to cope with the anticipated increase of sewage caused by new homes. He added:
“Their site has many spare acres of unused land — it occupies 56 acres in total — but I detect no suggestion that there will be significant investment in new infrastructure to increase its capacity to receive and process more inputs.”
Oak Beck fish deaths still a mystery
Contaminated water on Oak Beck stretched from The Hydro to Bilton this week. Mr Wilkinson said the watercourse would take three years to recover.
A Yorkshire Water spokesman said yesterday it was “still on site, trying to investigate possible sources” of the contamination. He added initial tests had shown the cause was not sewage.
Read more:
- ‘Hundreds’ of fish killed by pollution on Harrogate’s Oak Beck
- Oak Beck will take three years to recover from pollution, says Harrogate conservationist
Northern Gas Networks said the pollution is unconnected to work it is carrying out on the site earmarked for a new Tesco.
Mark Johnson, senior project manager at NGN, said:
“We’re currently undertaking work to safely dismantle the gas holder on Skipton Road and all of our discharge takes place into the main sewerage system, as is required.
“Following reports of a possible contamination at Oak Beck, we’ve been liaising closely with the Environment Agency and Yorkshire Water, both of whom have confirmed that there is no connection with our work. We will continue to monitor the situation closely.”
‘Heartless’ Morrisons stops pharmacy deliveries from Ripon store
A concerned son has complained to the chief executive of Morrisons after its in-store pharmacy in Ripon stopped delivering prescriptions.
Jonathan Parkin’s mother, who lives in sheltered accommodation in Ripon, received free deliveries from the pharmacy for several years.
But the service ceased this month — leaving Mr Parkin’s family rushing to find alternative arrangements before her medication ran out.
During a recent visit to his mother, she told him she was worried about her supply of tablets expiring in a day or two. He helped her call the pharmacy, which told them its delivery van was no longer in use and the service had ended.
Mr Parkin subsequently wrote to David Potts, chief executive of Bradford-based Morrisons. His letter, which was also sent to the Stray Ferret, says:
“My mother is obviously heavily dependant on her medications so to be told this delivery, which she had come to rely upon, and I’m sure many other elderly people have as well, had now been stopped was devastating and very worrying to her.”
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The letter also accused the company of not communicating the news adequately to customers, some of whom, like his mother, are vulnerable. He added:
“We will obviously now have to find an alternative pharmacy with a delivery service, which is a pity as my sisters and I always did our own family shopping as well as our mother’s when we took her prescription in and so will not now be shopping in Morrisons again due to this heartless, penny-pinching decision.”
Mr Parkin, who lives near Pateley Bridge, today told the Stray Ferret he was glad his family became aware of the situation before Monday, when the Queen’s funeral could have caused major problems getting hold of the various tablets his mother takes.
He added he had yet to receive a response to his letter from Morrisons.
The Stray Ferret has contacted Morrisons but has not had a response.
No bonfire on the Stray in Harrogate this year
Harrogate’s main fireworks night event on the Stray will take place this year without a bonfire.
Last year Harrogate and District Round Table celebrated the 50th anniversary of organising the free-to-attend charity fundraising event
It will return this year on Saturday, November 5 and although there will be fireworks there won’t be a bonfire.
Andy Rickard, who is responsible for planning this year’s event, said:
““I know some people will miss the bonfire, and we certainly haven’t ruled out having a bonfire in future years, but we thought it was time to try something different.
“I’m incredibly excited about this year’s event and can’t wait to see everyone there.”
Mr Rickard said feedback from last year indicated most people attended for the fireworks and were ambivalent about the bonfire.
The cost and logistics required to source and move suitable wood were also factors for what aspires to be an environmentally sustainable event.
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However, the event will start earlier, include fairground rides and see local groups perform on the stage, which will be moved to a more prominent position.
Besides the usual firework finale, visitors can expect to see fire performers as well as local entertainers on the stage.
The fireworks will be back. Pic by Tyler Parker
The district Scouts and commercial vendors will sell food.
Craig Stephenson, chair of the Round Table, said:
““It’s great to see new ideas and innovation in this community event and I know that there’s a lot of work going on behind the scenes to put together a fantastic programme, which we look forward to announcing in the forthcoming weeks.”
The event will open at 4pm on the Saturday afternoon and culminate with the firework display at about 7.30pm.
It will be free to attend with net proceeds from donations going to a local charity.
The Round Table charity raises funds for local good causes through events such as Harrogate Beer Festival.
It also provides community service events, such as The Old Peoples Lunch and The Stray Charity Fireworks.
Generating over half a million pounds in the last 15 years, it has awarded grants to individuals and organisations supporting the young, old, sick or vulnerable and anyone in need.
Autumn Harrogate Flower Show starts tomorrow at Newby HallFloral designers have created a Cinderella-themed display for the Autumn Harrogate Flower Show, which starts tomorrow.
The three-day event takes place at Newby Hall, between Boroughbridge and Ripon.
Harrogate Flower Shows are staged twice a year, in April and September, by the North of England Horticultural Society.
The society announced the relocation of its autumn event to Newby Hall at the end of 2019.
The spring flower, which remains at the Great Yorkshire Showground in Harrogate, will next be staged on April 20-23.
The show at Newby will feature plant nurseries, a giant vegetable competition, live theatre and Britain’s biggest display of autumn blooms.
Visitors will also see arrangements from celebrity floral designer Jonathan Moseley and hear the story of Newby Hall’s rock garden.
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Tickets cost £23.50 for adults and £8 for children aged five to 15. Under fives enter for free. Admission includes access to Newby’s gardens and children’s adventure park.
Show director Nick Smith said:
Junior soldiers in Harrogate among first to swear oath to King Charles III“Last year we held the autumn show at Newby Hall for the first time, we were delighted that it was such a huge success.
“This autumn, with so many fantastic exhibitors and an enticing programme of events lined up, we are incredibly excited to welcome our visitors and exhibitors back for what promises to be a bigger, brighter and even better autumn show.”
Junior soldiers in Harrogate have become some of the first British army service personnel to swear the oath to King Charles III.
A total of 211 junior entry soldiers at the Army Foundation College, on Penny Pot Lane in Harrogate, swore the oath on Sunday night, signifying their enlistment into the army.
The college provides basic training to recruits aged 16 and 17. The courses last for either 23 or 49 weeks.
credit MOD Crown Copyright 2022
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Covid infections in Harrogate district lowest for 15 months
Covid infections in the Harrogate district have fallen to their lowest level since June last year.
Latest figures show the district’s weekly infection rate per 100,000 people currently stands at 47. The last time it was below this level was 15 months ago.
The rate is also well below its record of 1,906 in January when the Omicron variant fuelled a huge wave of infections at the peak of winter.
Health experts have predicted there will be a jump in covid and flu infections ahead of this winter, and they are urging anyone who is eligible for an extra vaccine to boost their protection against both illnesses.
The autumn booster campaign began across most of the UK last week, with care home residents being vaccinated first.
The other groups who qualify and will be invited over the coming weeks are:
Adults aged 50 and over
- People aged five to 49 with health conditions that put them at higher risk,
- Pregnant women
- Care home staff
- Front line health and social care workers
- Carers aged 16 to 49
- Household contacts of people with weakened immune systems
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In Harrogate, some walk-in appointments are available at the Great Yorkshire Showground’s Event Centre, although booking is advised via the NHS website or by calling 119.
North Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) is running covid vaccinations at the site everyday between 9am and 5pm until Friday.
The CCG said those eligible must be aged 80 and over, or work in health and social care, or were previously shielding.
Meanwhile, Harrogate District Hospital currently has 28 covid-positive patients, although only two of these are primarily receiving treatment for the virus.
The hospital last reported the death of a patient who tested within 28 days on 19 August, with its toll since the pandemic began standing at 274.
Harrogate butchers pays pork pie tribute to QueenLongstanding Harrogate butchers Addyman has come up with a creative window display tribute to the Queen.
Keith Addyman has traded on Commercial Street for 48 years and his grandfather previously had a pork butchers at New Park.
His wife, Sue, created a ‘cake’ for this year’s platinum jubilee made out of a crown and containers the shop uses to make pork pies for weddings.
Ms Addyman, who once met Princess Margaret, said:
“I did it for the jubilee and when it ended I removed the crown. When the Queen died I put it back on.”
The pork pie wedding cake
The pork pie wedding cake, as it’s known, now adorns the shop window alongside a photo of Her Late Majesty.
Ms Addyman added:
“A gentleman came in and said ‘you’re one of the only shops in Harrogate doing something to commemorate the queen.”
Addyman will be closed on Monday, when the state funeral takes place.
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- The Queen’s funeral: Harrogate district arrangements for Monday
- No requirement for staff day off on Queen’s funeral, says Harrogate solicitor
Business Breakfast: Knaresborough firms to be quizzed on energy bills
Business Breakfast is sponsored by Harrogate law firm Truth Legal.
Knaresborough businesses are to be quizzed about the impact of higher energy bills.
Knaresborough Chamber of Trade & Commerce said at its latest meeting it would undertake a survey of local businesses in the coming weeks.
It will attempt to find out how much their bills are increasing by and how much difference recently announced government plans to support them will make.
Peter Lacey, executive member of the chamber, which has about 60 members, said the online survey was likely to go out in the middle of next week and it is hoped members and non-members will respond to provide a fuller picture of the situation confronting businesses in the town.
Harrogate law firm partners with Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust.
LCF Law staff plant hundreds of trees at their first volunteering day.
Harrogate law firm, LCF Law has entered a partnership with the Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust.
LCF Law will help the trust, which looks after the Yorkshire Dales, plant 1,000 trees over the next two years.
Simon Stell, managing partner at LCF Law, said:
“We are hugely committed to working sustainably and offsetting our carbon footprint and we also want to leave a long-term legacy.”
Staff at the law firm, which employs 125 people at offices in Harrogate, Bradford, Leeds and Ilkley, will volunteer for the trust as part of the partnership.
In 2021, the trust planted 31,851 trees.
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- No requirement for staff day off on Queen’s funeral, says Harrogate solicitor
- Queen’s coffin drape supplied by royal flag makers in Knaresborough
Harrogate woman gets suspended prison sentence for ‘appalling assault’
A Harrogate woman has received a suspended prison sentence after being found guilty of assault.
Elaine Manaley, 55, of Dene Park, attacked the woman who was named in court on August 2 last year.
She denied the offence, which occurred at Dene Park, Bilton, but was found guilty at York Magistrates Court on Monday.
Court documents described it as an “appalling assault on a member of the public”.
Manaley was also found guilty of damaging a pair of glasses and a wrist watch worth £120 belonging to the same victim. She denied the charge.
Read more:
A warrant was issued for the arrest of Manaley when she failed to appear in court on Friday last week to answer the charges against her.
York Magistrates Court. Credit: Flickr.
She was subsequently arrested and appeared before magistrates on Monday where she admitted three instances of failing to submit to custody having been released on bail.
Manaley was sentenced to nine weeks in prison, suspended for 12 months.
She was also ordered to pay a total of £894. This consisted of £620 to the Crown Prosecution Service and £274 compensation.
For sale — the quirkiest home in the Harrogate districtIt has to be the quirkiest home in the Harrogate district — yet it appears nobody is in a rush to buy it.
Skelton Windmill has seven floors and offers rooftop views of Ripon Cathedral, York Minster and the white horse at Kilburn.
Built in 1822, it was the windmill for Newby Hall until the First World War. It then remained derelict until it was converted to a home in the 1990s.
Wendy Wilby, a priest, and her husband Peter, a composer, have lived in it since 1998 but are now looking to sell. With their children grown up, the four-bedroom, grade two listed building and accompanying half acre of land is too big.
But after four months on the market it remains unsold, with the seven flights of stairs a drawback to some potential buyers. It’s now on the market for £850,000.
The windmill was built 200 years ago.
Ms Wilby said:
“It’s unique and quirky but you have got to love old buildings and feel the poetry of it.
“My husband is a composer and he finds it an extremely inspiring place to live.”
“We love it but we are getting older. I’m 73 and it’s all right now but in another 10 years it won’t be quite so easy.”
The windmill, which is between Boroughbridge and Ripon, has 70 steps leading to a trap door on to the roof.
Harrogate estate agents Strutt and Parker, which is marketing the property, describes the windmill as ‘one of the most complete windmills surviving in the country’ with ‘stunning views across the North Yorkshire countryside’.
Inside the windmill
The windmill comes with half an acre of land.
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