Harrogate man banned from keeping animals for five years

A Harrogate man has been banned from keeping animals for five years after being found guilty of cruelty.

Robbie Nelson, 24, neglected a Mastiff called Rocco and a Lurcher called Smudge at a house on High Street, Harrogate, in March last year.

The case was brought by animal charity the RSPCA.

Nelson failed to turn up in court to respond to the charges on December 17 last year and was found guilty in his absence.

Police issued a warrant for his arrest on the same day and eventually arrested him in June.

He was then remanded on bail for pre-sentence reports to be prepared.

Nelson, of Woodfield View, Harrogate, appeared before North Yorkshire Magistrates Court in York on Tuesday for sentencing.

Magistrates disqualified him from owning or being left in charge of any animal for five years.

He was also ordered to pay £200 costs and a £95 surcharge to fund victim services, and was given a community order to undertake rehabilitation activity.

The RSPCA will decide what to do with Rocco and Smudge.

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Harrogate College to undergo £16m transformation

Harrogate College has been awarded £16m of government funding to replace its main building on Hornbeam Park.

The college, which serves the Harrogate district, is one of five education institutions in Yorkshire to receive funding from the Department for Education’s Further Education Capital Transformation Fund.

The £1.5 billion fund was set up last year to upgrade further education colleges over the next five years.

It means the Harrogate district will get a new a purpose-built space for technical and vocational education.

The new energy-efficient building will include a workshop providing facilities aligned to industry needs. It will complement the college’s existing tech centre, which is home to its motor vehicle, electrical, joinery and welding workshops.

An existing £4m budget will be used to pay for the demolition of the old college building.

A statement by the college today said the move will support priority growth sectors for Harrogate and North Yorkshire such as advanced manufacturing, low carbon construction, retrofit, sustainable energy and bioeconomy, health science and hospitality.

Danny Wild

Danny Wild

Danny Wild, principal at Harrogate College, welcomed the funding and said it will go a long way in improving the college’s facilities.

“Being able to work towards having a net zero carbon building, alongside a learning environment that will help our students progress on to university or the workplace is central to our strategic priorities, and this funding will be central in supporting us to achieve this.

“The development will also help us deliver a wide range of T Level qualifications, which will not only close the skills gaps, but will reinforce the government’s nationwide plan to strengthen technical education and give it the credibility it deserves.

“This upgrade will strengthen the work we are doing with businesses in the district to deliver an employer-led curriculum, alongside supporting the council’s aims to prioritise and support ‘good growth’ in the district, and achieve a sustainable economy.”

As part of the project, there are also plans to install green electric based heating systems, as well as a soft landscaped social hub, which will improve biodiversity on site.

The government says the investment will ensure that colleges are “great places to learn and students have access to modern, fit-for-purpose facilities”.

Contactless donation points for homeless could come to Knaresborough and Ripon

Contactless donation points which raise money for projects to tackle homelessness could come to Knaresborough and Ripon under an expansion of the Harrogate Street Aid scheme.

Street Aid was the first project of its kind in Yorkshire when it launched in 2019 and it has since raised over £20,000.

Three tap terminals have opened in Harrogate town centre and now more could be introduced in Knaresborough and Ripon.

It is a joint project from North Yorkshire Police, Harrogate Homeless Project and Harrogate Borough Council, which is looking into possible new donation points.

Helen Richardson, community safety officer at the council, said the money raised so far was having a positive impact on tackling begging and rough sleeping, and that there was now an opportunity to expand.

She wrote in a report:

“The number of reported incidents of street sleepers and begging has reduced in the time Harrogate Street Aid has been in existence.

“Street Aid continues to give a focus for agencies to work together to support those street sleeping and begging, and a reduction has been visible – particularly with regard to anti-social behaviour in Harrogate town centre.

“There has been much positive feedback and we can continue to work together to support those on the street or with a history of street sleeping.”

Why it started

Street Aid was introduced after the number of people begging in Harrogate town centre increased and residents became concerned.

It was based on schemes in Cambridge and Norwich which saw similar problems on the streets.

Donations made through the tap terminals are not given directly to homeless people, but instead made available for things like training courses, gym memberships and work equipment.

To highlight the project’s success, the council previously shared stories of how the money has helped individuals.

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One homeless man who was mugged and had his driving licence stolen was awarded a £350 grant to get his replacement licence and take a refresher forklift truck course to start his journey back into work.

Another individual who had a history of breaking into shops and substance misuse told probation officers that being able to access the local leisure centre would help him get in a better routine.

He was granted £500 for a leisure centre membership, training sessions and a voucher for equipment and clothing.

Three other homeless people were given £300 each for computer tablets to apply for jobs, maintain their benefits and stay in touch with family.

Councillor Mike Chambers, cabinet member for housing and safer communities at the council, previously said:

“Harrogate District Street Aid is about making a real change to people who find themselves on the street.

“Some people assume that giving a few pounds to a beggar is helping them.

“Sadly, in some instances it may actually keep them on the street.

“Through Harrogate District Street Aid, we can work with our partner organisations to make best use of the money that has been kindly donated, work with homeless people and make a real difference to their lives.”

Review into stalking and harassment response in North Yorkshire

A review is to be carried out into how stalking and harassment is dealt with in North Yorkshire.

The review aims to help police and partners respond better to such incidents.

It is being funded by £100,000 of government money secured by Zoe Metcalfe, the North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner.

The review will be conducted in partnership with the Suzy Lamplugh Trust, a charity that aims to reduce the level of violence and aggression in society.

A press release by Ms Metcalfe’s office said:

“It will see a victim-focused assessment of local systems, processes, training and practice carried out to help North Yorkshire Police and partners understand and respond better to stalking and harassment.

 

“Bespoke training will be provided to police officers and staff from partner organisations to become ‘stalking and harassment advocates’ and provide information, support, advice and guidance to their colleagues.”

£700,000 to protect homes 

Me Metcalfe has also secured £700,000 to prevent neighbourhood crime with an extension of her office’s Protect Your Home scheme.

More than 1,000 homes and 90 farms along the borders of Harrogate borough and Craven district will use the funding to prevent burglaries and protect individuals, families and businesses,

Security upgrades include new locks for vulnerable doors, windows, garages and sheds, and alarm systems for farms and small holdings.

Eligible residents will receive a registration pack through the post shortly.

North Yorkshire Police will also purchase additional Automatic Number Plate Recognition cameras and upgrade Rural Watch signs in specific locations to detect and deter potential burglars.

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Total funding of £809,095 has been secured for the two schemes from the Home Office Safer Streets Fund, which the government launched in 2020 to reduce and prevent crime.

Preventing neighbourhood crime and addressing violence against women and girls are two of Ms Metcalfe’s priorities as commissioner.

She said the schemes will have “a real, tangible impact on how safe people feel both in and outside their homes”, adding:

“This is the fourth time the commissioner’s office has secured additional Home Office funding to support residents across North Yorkshire and York be safe and feel safe and I am confident that what these two schemes will deliver will make a huge difference to individuals, families and communities.”

Parishes eligible for the Protect Your Home scheme are:

 

 

 

Striking RMT union pickets Harrogate train station

Members of the RMT union organised a picket line outside Harrogate train station this morning.

No trains are expected to operate today from Harrogate and Knaresborough due to a national strike called by the RMT.

Some 40,000 members of the union are taking part in the industrial action.

Four of them arrived on Station Parade at Harrogate at about 7am this morning.

Speaking to the Stray Ferret at about 9am, they said they had received a lot of support from passers-by, with motorists tooting their horns and passers-by giving them drinks.

They said they didn’t want to be on strike and regretted the disruption but felt it was necessary because of concerns about pay, conditions and job security.

Trains are expected to resume tomorrow in Harrogate and Knaresborough.

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UK’s largest weir removal project begins on River Nidd at Scotton

The largest weir removal project ever in the UK has begun on the River Nidd at Scotton.

The scheme, which costs about 80,000 euros, will open up another 18km of river to migratory fish such as salmon, sea trout and European eel.

If Nidd tributaries are also included then 35km of rivers will be made available for salmon and sea trout spawning.

The project is being led by river conservation charity the Wild Trout Trust and funded by the European Open Rivers Programme – a grant-giving organisation dedicated to restoring rivers.

It started last week with the creation of an access ramp down to the weir and is expected to get underway properly this week. Work removing the dam is expected to last up to two weeks before further work restoring the bank takes place.

Scotton Weir is at the entrance to Nidd Gorge, a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

It was built at the end of the 18th century to power the nearby mill. At 75m wide and 4m high, it is thought to be the largest weir removal project ever in the UK.

Scotton weir

The weir breached in the floods of 2019 so is already partly demolished. Leaving it to disintegrate gradually over time would have reduced the risk of bankside damage.

Removing Scotton Weir will benefit more than just migratory fish. All fish move up and downstream to some extent as part of their life cycles and the weir removal will help to restore natural processes to the river.

Currently only 16% of rivers are rated as being in ‘good’ condition by the EU Water Framework Directive. A significant cause of failure is man-made barriers interrupting a river’s flow, such as Scotton Weir on the Nidd.

Jonathan Grey, a part-time professor in practice at Lancaster University who is project managing the Scotton Weir removal for the Wild Trout Trust, said:

“The weir has been impounding about 800m of channel for over 100 years, creating deep, sluggish water in a section of the Nidd gorge where the flow should be swift and shallow.

“Think of a river as a conveyor belt of sediment as well as water. Boulder, cobble and gravel that is vital to the health of the bed of the river has been trapped upstream of the weir, unable to resupply that which has been transported away downstream. So the physical habitat downstream has become simplified, dominated by large boulders.

“Then there is fish passage to consider. All fish have to move up and downstream during different stages of their life for a variety of reasons. The weir has made it nigh on impossible to move upstream, and much more difficult to move downstream, and then only under specific flow conditions, so populations have become fragmented or isolated.”

Scotton weir

The weir is already damaged.

Prof Grey said although it was not certain that salmon or sea trout got as far as Scotton Weir, nearby surveys suggested it was “very likely”.

He added:

“There are still more barriers further upstream, the next being at Birstwith 11km away, so there is still work to be done to restore the natural heritage of the river.

“We are aiming to reinstate the natural flow regime to the river by removing the barrier.”

Dr Marie Taylor, operations director for the Yorkshire Dales Rivers Trust, said:

“This project is a great example of partnership working between landowners, experts from the Wild Trout Trust and government bodies, which will deliver benefits to angling groups along the River Nidd as well as wider benefits to nature gained from improving the connectivity of one of Yorkshire’s iconic rivers.”

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Ghost hunt to be held at Harrogate’s Odeon

Paranormal investigators are to visit Harrogate’s Odeon cinema next month to try to find out if the building is haunted.

There have been rumours of ghostly apparitions at the cavernous Grade II listed building, which dates back to 1936.

Now a company called Spiritus Paranormal has hired the venue on August 6. People who buy tickets costing £40 can go along and be part of the investigation.

Wayne Williams, who founded the company, said:

“We will try to find out if it is haunted. We have a lot of equipment that can help to identify paranormal activity.”

The company’s equipment includes items such as electromagnetic field detectors, infrared cameras and Ouija boards.

Participants will split into groups with investigators and carry out paranormal checks in different parts of the building.

Asked if he genuinely believed in paranormal activity, Mr Williams said:

“I’ve seen too much not to. But I also err on the side of caution. If nothing happens so be it. We will not make things happen just to put bums on seats.

The company’s website says of the Odeon:

“This place has never been investigated, staff have reported paranormal activity, this venue has so much history.”

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Do you recognise any of these Harrogate cricketers from 1922?

A newly discovered photo of a Harrogate cricket team from 100 years ago has sparked a quest to identify the players.

Eric Wainwright was clearing out his late elder brother’s house in Starbeck when he found a picture of the first ever winners of the Addison Cup.

The Addison Cup, which is contested by the top 16 teams in the Harrogate and District Amateur Evening Cricket League, is one of the oldest cricket competitions in the world, dating back to 1922.

The 100th final will be contested between Knaresborough and Burnt Yates at 6.15pm on Monday night at Follifoot Cricket Club.

The inaugural winners, seen here displaying the trophy, were a Harrogate team known as The Gas Company.

Mr Wainwright’s father William is the tall man in the middle of the back row.

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Keen to find out the names of the others players, Mr Wainwright contacted Peter Horsman, secretary and treasurer of the league, for help.

Mr Horsman has now asked if Stray Ferret readers can identify any of the men.

He added:

“Eric and myself would be very interested in hearing from anybody who has any old memorabilia associated with the Harrogate evening league and the associated cup competitions.

“Pictures, league handbooks before 1980, individual winner’s medal etc.”

Who will succeed Harrogate?

The winners of the cup on Monday night will be presented the trophy by the grandchildren of Harry Addison, who donated the trophy in 1922.

Harrogate Cricket Club wins Addison Cup 2021

Harrogate Cricket Club, after winning last year’s Addison Cup.

Mr Horsman has invited Mr Wainwright, who lives in York, to the final to present the runners-up trophy.

Harrogate Cricket Club beat Wetherby Carr Manor by 32 runs in last year’s final.

Burnt Yates defeated Harrogate in the quarter-finals this year.

If you have information about the photo you can call Mr Horsman on 07798 582792 or email him at peter_horsman@hotmail.co.uk.

Hot Seat: ‘We are a proud school, independent-minded’

As an opening bowler for Ouseburn Cricket Club, Jonathan Webb has sent down a fair few short pitched deliveries over the years.

But as headteacher of Ripon Grammar School, he must sometimes feel he spends his entire professional life dodging bouncers.

Ripon Grammar is one of 163 UK grammar schools, and Yorkshire’s only state only state boarding school.

Founded in 1555, it is a unique and successful institution but even it is feeling the winds of change.

Covid, mental health, energy bills, pastoral care, academisation, Ofsted — all these issues weigh on leaders’ minds, never mind teaching.

Mr Webb says the last academic year, which ended on Friday, was “less disrupted” by covid than the previous one but the ongoing aftermath is, in some ways, even more damaging. He says:

“Academically our students did relatively well during covid although some did struggle. Where things have been more challenging is the socialising and, dare I say it, the civilising aspect of school.

“By not having that daily interaction with their peers they have got out of that rhythm.”

Many young people were struggling with the corrosive impact of social media and mobile phones even before covid increased their sense of isolation. Mr Webb says:

“A lot of things young people have to deal with, we never had to deal with. Even mobile phones have changed the way students interact with each other and they extend the school day.

“Mental health is a huge issue. But children are much more willing to talk about it. When I was at school the phrase ‘mental health’ wasn’t even coined.”

Jonathan Webb Ripon Grammar

With students at Ripon Grammar School.

Are schools being asked to fill gaps caused by under-funded services?

“It feels like that. There is a big pressure on schools now. Increasingly we can’t just be establishments of education in the old fashioned sense of the world. We have an increasing and growing responsibility in terms of mental health practical support and safeguarding as well.”

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Improving Ripon

Mr Webb was educated at Batley Grammar School and has a history degree from Cambridge. Friendly and approachable, he was deputy head at Durham School for five years before moving to Ripon in 2017.

When he joined, he talked about there always being room for improvement. What does he think has been achieved?

He cites pastoral support. The school now has a pastoral management team with five heads of year, a pastoral support officer, a student welfare officer and a counsellor comes into school three days a week.

Looking ahead, he says pastoral care will remain a priority but there’s plenty else to ponder over summer, such as updating the school’s “pretty antiquated” heating system at a time of soaring energy bills and preparing for a visit from Ofsted.

Ripon Grammar hasn’t had an Ofsted inspection since 2012 when it was rated ‘outstanding’ although its boarding school was assessed to be ‘good’ this year.

Mr Webb says:

“We’ve been ready or aware since January that an inspection is imminent.”

Becoming an academy

There’s also the looming prospect of being forced to join an academy, as part of government’s plans for all schools to go down this route by 2030.

For a school that has excelled in splendid isolation for 450 years, this isn’t an entirely welcome prospect. Heavily oversubscribed at 11+, in 2021, 72 per cent of pupils achieved 9-7 at GCSE and 60 per cent achieved A*/A at A level. At least 85 per cent of students stay on for the sixth form and the over 60 per cent go to Russell Group universities.

There doesn’t seem to be a great reason to change but Mr Webb acknowledges  “academies are the direction of travel”, adding:

“We are a proud school, independent-minded. Inevitably joining a trust involves joining with other schools. However we have to accept it’s going to happen and embrace the benefits.”

Jonathan Webb Ripon Grammar

Boarding fees

Ripon Grammar, which moved to its present 23-acre site in 1874, is free for day pupils. Boarding costs about £11,000 to £12,000 a year, which is about a third the price of independent alternatives.

Former pupils include fashion designer Bruce Oldfield, former Conservative Party leader William Hague MP, Guardian editor Katharine Viner, TV presenter Richard Hammond and Olympic gold medallist diver Jack Laugher.

Mr Webb says there is a renewed focus on high quality teaching and learning. He’s particularly keen on oracy or, as he puts it, “developing the way students speak in an erudite and informed manner”, adding:

“It’s a life skill that never leaves somebody.”

The school is also embedding new subjects such as GCSE PE and A-level politics into the curriculum.

Mr Webb, who lives with his wife Helen and two sons near Ripon, has now spent as long at Ripon as he did at Durham but intends to continue. He says:

“I love this school and I love the job. I live very locally and both of my boys are here. They are doing well and enjoying it so I don’t see any need to move on at this stage.”

 

 

 

 

Commissioner to be quizzed over planned cuts to Harrogate’s night-time fire crews

North Yorkshire’s Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner is set to face further scrutiny over plans to cut the number of night-time fire engines in Harrogate to just one.

Commissioner Zoë Metcalfe will face councillors at a special meeting of North Yorkshire County Council’s Harrogate and Knaresborough Area Constituency Committee next Thursday.

The plans, which are currently out to consultation, have already been criticised as “putting money before lives”.

The Fire Brigades Union also described the proposals as “seriously concerning”.

The plans would see Harrogate fire station continue to have two fire engines during the day, but just one between 10pm and 9am when fewer incidents usually occur.

The move would also mean some of the fire station’s 40 crew members are moved to different stations or roles.

Harrogate Fire Station, Skipton Road.

Harrogate Fire Station on Skipton Road

A report to Thursday’s meeting said Harrogate is of a “predominantly low combined fire risk” and that this “does not warrant” two 24-hour fire engines.

Commissioner Metcalfe has also insisted the fire service would “continue to provide an immediate emergency response” during the night.

Yet concerns remain that the move would increase response times if multiple emergencies occur during late hours and back-up vehicles have to travel further from outside of Harrogate.

Steve Howley, secretary of the North Yorkshire Fire Brigades Union, previously urged the public to reject the proposals which he said would “put lives at risk.” He said:

“The Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner needs to fight for the correct funding from government, not simply mask underfunding by slashing services and providing the public of North Yorkshire with a second-rate emergency response service.”

Save £1.5m a year

Ms Metcalfe said the plans – which also include cuts to services in York and Scarborough – would save over £1.5 million a year, yet she insisted they are not cost-cutting measures.

She also said the savings would allow for investment in fire prevention.

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The proposals are part of the fire service’s Risk and Resource Model which sets out how it will deploy staff and equipment across North Yorkshire over the next three years.

The consultation will run until August 14 and residents are being urged to give their feedback online.

Commissioner Metcalfe said in a statement:

“The role of a fire and rescue service has changed and continues to change, with only 26% of our incidents last year relating to a fire emergency.

“We want to ensure we are addressing our current and future challenges and that we have the capacity to prevent and stop incidents happening in the first place.

“Inevitably, there are some areas where the setup of the service would change but I’m confident the right people, right equipment and the right support would continue to be available to everyone.”

To have your say go to www.TellCommissionerZoe.co.uk