Two new smart bins branded an ‘eyesore’ outside Harrogate’s Valley Gardens are to be moved.

Harrogate Borough Council said today it would “find a more suitable location for the bins”, which it revealed cost £4,350 each.

The bins use sensors to identify different types of waste, as well as how full the receptacles are and whether they have been damaged.

Harrogate Civic Society and the Friends of Valley Gardens both called for the bins to be relocated this week because of their visual impact on the conservation area.

The council has installed six smart bins, costing a total of £26,1000, in Valley Gardens. But it is the two outside the main entrance that have attracted criticism.

Stuart Holland, co-chair of the civic society, said it welcomed receptacles to collect waste and recycling but described the smart bins as ‘eyesores’.

Ann Beeby, secretary of the Friends of Valley Gardens charity, said it has aesthetic concerns and had asked the council to consider moving them inside the entrance.

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A council spokesman said today:

“The location of the bins was chosen in areas where footfall is high and where in peak season bins require emptying multiple times a day.

“We’d like to thank Harrogate district residents and Harrogate Civic Society for sharing their comments on the bins. And following feedback from the civic society, we will work with them to find a more suitable location for the bins outside Valley Gardens to preserve the heritage of the town while maintaining a high footfall area.”

Smart bins ‘improve efficiency and increase recycling’

Two bins have also been installed in the children’s play area.

The council spokesperson said the new solar-powered compacting public bins would “improve efficiency and increase recycling”.

They added:

“Each self-contained 240l bin, that prevents birds and vermin from entering, can compact the volume of up to 10 standard bins.

“Resulting in each pair accommodating a total of up to 4,800 litres of waste and recycling and a reduction in the time and cost of emptying bins, as well as a reduction in fuel costs and carbon emissions.

“Meaning we can spend more time litter picking and keeping the district clean and looking its best.

“The allowance for recycling glass, plastic and cans means that these items can be removed from general waste and increase the district’s recycling rates.

“Much like the standard bins that have recently been retrofitted with a sensor, we are also able to monitor fill levels and are alerted if there are issues with the bin, or the bin becomes full before its next collection, ensuring litter is kept to a minimum and we can ensure the district is kept clean and tidy.”

Sports clubs in Harrogate could get free life-saving defibrillators thanks to a cricket club’s fundraising efforts.

Luke Trower, a member of Bilton in Ainsty CC, who play in the York and District Senior Cricket League, wanted to do something after his dad died while playing football. He might have survived if a defibrillator had been available at the ground.

Mr Trower and 10 other club members embarked on a sponsored climb of Ben Nevis to raise money for the machines, which revive people having cardiac arrests. Those taking part included umpire Jim Stevens, who is 67 years old.

So far their efforts have generated almost £6,000, which has funded new machines at Bilton in Ainsty CC’s ground and Wetherby bandstand. Donations can still be made here.

Drew Walker, one of those who climbed Ben Nevis last month, said:

“We are looking to put defibrillators in other sports clubs in the Harrogate area that need them. We think we can fund another three.”

Mr Walker said any organisations interested should contact Mr Trower on 07897409689.

Those that climbed Ben Nevis were Luke Trower, Drew Walker, Alex Bowden, Grace Piechocki, Chris Newby, Adam Stobert, Henry Gardner, Andrew Wilson, Jim Stevens, James Good and James Wilkinson.

Here are some images from their expedition.

Harrogate Thalidomide campaigner Guy Tweedy has laid a wreath to pay tribute to victims of the morning sickness ‘wonder drug’.

Mr Tweedy placed the wreath at the foot of a copper beech tree planted on the Harrogate’s Montpellier Hill in 2012.

The tree was the UK’s first-ever memorial to those who died as a result of their mothers being prescribed the drug in the early stages of pregnancy.

The wreath commemorates the 60th anniversary of the Thalidomide Society, which was formed in 1962 by the parents of children affected by the drug.

Mr Tweedy, who turns 60 in June and is himself a Thalidomider, is a prominent campaigner for the society.

The society was formed by parents of children affected by the drug in order to provide mutual support and seek compensation.

At least 2,000 babies in the UK were born due to Thalidomide, and more than half of them died within their first year. An unknown number also died in the womb.

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Common deformities included missing or shortened limbs, blindness, brain damage and missing internal organs.

442 UK Thalidomiders still alive

There are a total of 442 Thalidomiders aged between 56 and 63 still alive in the UK today.

Over the last two decades, Mr Tweedy – who sufferers from shortened arms and fingers fused together, has helped secure hundreds of millions of pounds from the government for the ongoing care of fellow survivors.

He said:

“A decade ago, we planted this tree to commemorate those who died from this hideous drug. Thalidomide was the worst man-made disaster in peace time history.

“It killed thousands of babies in the womb and in their first years of life. It left thousands more with terrible deformities and affected the lives of thousands of families around the world.

“For the last ten years I have watched the memorial tree grow – and it will be here long after I, and all the other Thalidomide survivors, have passed away.

“The Harrogate district has seven thalidomide survivors, and since its inception 60 years ago the Thalidomide Society has fought our corner and championed our welfare.

“Whilst this wreath is to commemorate the victims of this tragedy, it’s also to recognise the ongoing work of the Thalidomide Society which aims to ensure the impact of thalidomide is never forgotten.

A Knaresborough teenager has been ordered to do 300 hours of community work after pleading guilty to having a knife in Harrogate bar Mojo.

Arterus Moisejevas, 19, was accused of having a flick knife in the venue on Parliament Street on April 10.

Moisejevas, of Colebrooke Meadows, admitted the charge at Harrogate Magistrates Court on Thursday.

He was also ordered to pay a £95 surcharge to fund victim services and £85 costs to the Crown Prosecution Service.

His case is one of a spate of recent knife crime offences heard in court in Harrogate recently.

Harrogate Pubwatch revealed on Thursday that it had imposed a life ban on someone found carrying a knife in a town centre venue.

The organisation represents about 40 licensed venues in town. Members share information on troublemakers and jointly impose sanctions.

Sadly we have had to impose a lifetime ban on someone found to be carrying a knife in one of our town centre venues a couple of weekends ago. The possession of weapons in Harrogate's pubs, clubs and bars simply won't be tolerated #Harrogate

— Harrogate Pubwatch (@hgpubwatch) April 27, 2022

Police: knives produce ‘false sense of security’

Asked whether knife crime in the Harrogate district was increasing and, if so, what action it was taking, a North Yorkshire Police spokesperson said:

“Carrying a knife is a completely false sense of security. Producing a knife does not de-escalate a confrontation, it makes a bad situation worse and drastically increases the chance of you yourself being injured by that blade.

“As part of our efforts to tackle knife crime, we support Operation Sceptre, which is a twice-yearly national coordinated week of activity where police forces across the country help keep knives off the streets and deter people from carrying them, and through information and intelligence, proactively target knife-related offences.

“In July last year, changes to the Offensive Weapons Act 2019 were introduced which mean it is an offence to possess certain items such as knuckledusters, throwing stars and zombie knives, even in private.

“To anyone who is concerned for a friend or family member who they think maybe carrying a knife, please speak to them and explain the dangers. Tell them the safer and smarter thing to do is to put the knife down or come and surrender it at one of our police stations. You could be saving a life.

“Anyone with information on knife crime in their local community can always contact police on 101 or can pass information to Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. In an emergency, always dial 999.”

Plans to redevelop Harrogate Borough Council’s former headquarters have been recommended for approval next week.

The proposals for Crescent Gardens, which has sat empty for five years, include a two-storey extension, rooftop restaurant, gym and new office space.

The plans have been recommended for approval at a meeting on May 10 after the council’s planning department released a report saying the redevelopment would “increase the vitality of this town centre site and prove beneficial in boosting Harrogate’s economy”.

Harrogate-based property developers Impala Estates are behind the proposals after purchasing the building for £4 million in 2020.
This came after the council moved to its new Knapping Mount headquarters in 2017.

At the time, the council announced it would sell Crescent Gardens to property developer Adam Thorpe who had plans for a £75 million redevelopment including luxury apartments, an art gallery, underground car park, swimming pool and restaurant.

But two years later, Mr Thorpe’s company ATP Ltd fell into administration with debts of almost £11 million, including £24,394 owed to the council.

Crescent Gardens

Crescent Gardens then went back up for sale and was eventually bought by Impala Estates.

Historic England objection

In the report to next Tuesday’s meeting, the council’s planning department said the latest plans from Impala Estates would “alter the locality but on balance are considered acceptable.”

An objection by Historic England questioned the public benefits and said the roof extension should not exceed one storey. The body also said the plans relate “very poorly” to the existing building.

However, the council has argued this view contradicts a previous assessment from Historic England’s predecessor body, English Heritage, which described the building as “poorly proportioned in classical terms” because it was originally restricted to two storeys.

These comments came when English Heritage refused listed status for the building in 2002.

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Meanwhile, the latest proposals have already won the support of Harrogate Civic Society which described the scheme as “excellent”.

The civic society previously said:

“The existing roof lends itself to a two-storey extension, something that was advocated many times to Harrogate Borough Council, making use of the original design that envisaged future extensions at roof level.

“We are pleased to see that the building will be retained and refurbished as offices, with a restaurant on the roof and meeting rooms within the historic core, as this will retain a degree of public access and use of the building.”

Police are appealing for witnesses after 64 sheep were stolen from a field near Boroughbridge.

Forty-eight ewes in lamb and 16 hoggs were taken from land off the A168 at Marton-cum-Grafton.

It happened between 5pm on April 27 and 7am the following day.

A statement by North Yorkshire Police today said the sheep were worth a total value of tens of thousands of pounds. It added:

“They were stolen from a field on Legram Lane. It is believed a wagon would have been used to take the sheep.

“Officers are requesting the public’s assistance to help establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident.

“In particular, they are appealing for information about any wagons in the vicinity in the early hours of 28 April, or anything else that may assist with the investigation.”

Of the 48 ewes, 39 are Beltex and 9 are Bleu du Maine. The 16 hoggs were all young Beltex sheep aged 9-18 months.

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Anyone with information can contact North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 2, and ask for PC Chloe Kinnear. You can also email chloe.kinnear@northyorkshire.police.uk

If you wish to remain anonymous, you can pass information to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Quote the North Yorkshire Police reference number 12220071650.

Harrogate Civic Society and the Friends of Valley Gardens have called for new smart bins at Harrogate’s Valley Gardens to be moved.

The bins use sensors to identify different types of waste, as well as how full the receptacles are and whether they have been damaged.

But Harrogate Borough Council’s decision to site two of them immediately outside the main entrance to Valley Gardens, in Harrogate’s conservation area, has been criticised.

Stuart Holland, co-chair of the civic society, said it welcomed receptacles to collect waste and recycling but described the smart bins as ‘eyesores’.

Mr Holland added:

“What is unfortunate is that these particular ones have been positioned in such a way that they spoil the entrance to the gardens and have been laid on a crude base of concrete over paving slabs with no regard for quality of installation.

“This location is at the heart of Harrogate conservation area, opposite a Grade 2* listed building and at the entrance to a designated area of significance.”

A conservation area is defined as an area that has special architectural or historic interest, the character and appearance of which it is considered desirable to preserve or enhance.

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Some planning applications are rejected because of the impact on the conservation area.

Mr Holland added:

“Valley Gardens itself is Grade 2, included within the Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest by Historic England, for its special historic interest.

“The paved area on which the bins have been positioned is land incorporated under the Stray Act and as such is subject to strict controls.

“There is no evidence that these controls have been respected. The civic society would welcome meeting with local councillors to look at satisfactory ways of re-positioning these bins.”

The smart bins in the play area. Pic: Harrogate Civic Society

‘Consider moving them’

“The existing bins are constantly overflowing, leaving rubbish blowing around;  the gardening team had to spend many hours removing the rubbish, and this will now be done by a different team.

“The new bins are being trialed in the gardens, and we will be keeping a watching brief.

“We are however concerned about the pair of bins at the entrance on aesthetic grounds, as they are in a significant heritage area. We have asked the council to consider moving them inside the entrance, to the area near  the signboard.”

Firefighters urged people to have their chimneys swept regularly after being summoned to a blaze in Scotton last night.

A crew from Knaresborough dealt with the incident at a home in the village at around 9pm.

Using the aerial ladder platform from Harrogate, firefighters were able to extinguish the flames and make safe the chimney pot.

Harrogate Fire Station said in a social media post the cause is believed to be an accumulation of flammable materials within the flue. It added:

“Please do make sure you regularly sweep your chimneys to prevent fires from happening.

“We recommend that your chimney should be swept at least once a year for smokeless fuel, at least twice a year for bituminous coal, and quarterly for wood.”

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Three years ago, David Elstob had the urge to open his own auction house. It was an ambitious idea for a 34-year-old with a large mortgage and a toddler, but he felt it was now or never.

After cutting his teeth at a site in Bedale, he relocated to Ripon Business Park where he now hosts auctions every four weeks, specialising in fine art, antiques, and silver and jewellery.

It has been quite a journey. Mr Elstob opened in Ripon in December 2019 — three months before the first national covid lockdown.

But although covid decimated many start-ups, it has had a more favourable impact on auctions by hastening the transition to online bidding and more modern digital approaches, which suits a man who is considerably younger than many in the trade.

Online auctions attract more bidders, meaning higher prices and more commission, which explains why many auction houses still operate remotely post-covid restrictions.

At 37, David Elstob is younger than most auctioneers.

Elstob and Elstob allows bidders back in on sales days but whereas 100 people may have turned up pre-covid, there’s unlikely to be more than 20 these days. Fortunately this is more than offset by the number of online and telephone bidders.

Mr Elstob says:

“We’d love a room full of people again but I don’t think we will ever go back to that.

“Covid has moved things on 10 years. It’s made us work differently — it’s so easy to bid online now.”

£50,000 brooch

As with many things in life, the thrill of live bidding has moved online.

Mr Elstob recalls with infectious excitement hosting the only online auction in Europe one day during the first lockdown in April 2020, when thousands of bidders worldwide competed for 600 lots. Instead of finishing by mid-afternoon as usual, the bids kept coming long into the night.

“It was a phenomenal sale. I don’t think I will ever experience anything like that again. People in Australia started logging on when it got dark over here. I brought the gavel down on the last lot at 9.45pm.”

A Tiffany orchid brooch sold for £50,000, adding to the frisson.

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Like Morphets of Harrogate and Tennants Auctioneers in Leyburn, Elstob and Elstob focuses on high-end collectables rather than general items, like Thompsons Auctioneers in Killinghall and Harrogate Auction Centre, which specialise in house clearances.

His most unusual lot? A bull’s scrotum that had been made into a handbag. It fetched £30. Nostalgia-fuelled 1960s and 1970s furniture is currently fetching good money and the market for Chinese porcelain and art remains strong.

Hidden gems

Mr Elstob, who is originally from Bishop Auckland and has a master’s degree in antiques, initially planned to “go down the surveying / estate agent route and quickly realised that wasn’t for me”.

He headed up the sales room team at Addisons of Barnard Castle in County Durham before becoming director at Thomas Watsons in Darlington.

Outside the sales room in Ripon.

A specialist in 20th century design, particularly the work of Robert ‘Mouseman’ Thompson, who was part of the 1920s arts and crafts revival, he is nevertheless a general valuer, who can call on a range of experts for help.

“It’s like being a GP. I might not be able to give you a figure for everything you bring in but I will be able to say if it’s authentic and point you in the right direction.”

Often solicitors get in touch asking him to conduct probate valuations. One such coin collection in Southport was worth £50,000.

Mr Elstob, who enjoys keeping fit and spending time with his daughter, employs five staff. He plans to conduct more specialist sales and online auctions and to run more eBay themed auctions, which appeal to younger people.

At 37, his youthful vigour makes him well placed to capitalise on the changes to auctioneering. But he remains steeped in the traditions of the trade and the thrill of discovering what lurks in the attic:

“My favourite part of the job is being out on the road. You never know what you will find in someone’s home.”

A leading Harrogate businessman is expected to cross the border into Ukraine this weekend as part of a major aid mission.

James Rycroft, managing director of Vida Healthcare, is a member of a team taking eight wagons containing aid worth about £2 million for Ukrainian soldiers and citizens who intend to stay in the country.

The journey has been organised by Yorkshire Aid Convoy, a charity which has been running overseas aid expeditions for more than 30 years.

Mr Rycroft said he was travelling in a personal capacity because he felt the need to help. He said:

“It’s a really awful situation for everyone involved. I wanted to do something meaningful to help rather than just make a monetary donation.”

The convoy is carrying a variety of items, including medical equipment, beds and hygiene products. It is also taking a mobile classroom, which will be left in Ukraine.

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Those involved will meet Ukrainian military administrators at the border, where they will be escorted to a secure hub about 20km inside the border to deposit the goods. They will then immediately turn round and head home.

Mr Rycroft, whose company owns several specialist dementia care homes around Harrogate, said:

“I’m apprehensive but positive as I know we have the right people on board.

“There’s an element of risk but it’s a short sprint into Ukraine then back out again.”

Back in UK on Wednesday

Two people in each of the eight wagons are taking it in turns to drive up to 10 hours a day across Europe.

The convoy, which set off yesterday, expects to reach Germany tonight and Slovakia tomorrow before arriving at the Ukraine border on Sunday. The team expects to dock in Hull on Wednesday morning.

Mark and Felix Murphy of Yorkshire Aid Convoy.

Mark Murphy, who founded Yorkshire Aid Convoy, said the mission involved travelling about 2,500 kilometres each way.

He initially ran convoys to Romania but the war in Ukraine has changed the current focus. He said:

“We will meet military administrators and get a police escort to a secure hub.”