Daniel Ainsley’s brutal stabbing of Mark Wolsey was the culmination of more than a decade of trouble at one of Harrogate’s most notorious crime hotspots.

Now, as Ainsley awaits his sentence, angry local residents want to know why North Yorkshire Police and Harrogate Borough Council failed to clamp down harder on activities at the house where the murder happened.

They also want to know why the council transferred thousands of pounds to landlord John Willis Properties Ltd to accommodate homeless people, and accuse the council of being complicit in the problems by funding the volatile situation in the property when it should have been taking action.

Numerous residents, whose campaign to make the area safer fell on deaf ears, have vented their frustration to the Stray Ferret. They want to know why so little was done to address longstanding problems at the house — and what is being done to prevent a repeat.

Mark Wolsey, who was murdered at 38 Mayfield Grove.

A recipe for trouble

38 Mayfield Grove was branded the House from Hell in 2005 when a court granted a three-month closure order following a spate of crime, including a crossbow being held at a resident’s head.

The house, owned then and now by John Willis Properties Limited, of which the landlord John Willis is the sole director, has absorbed a huge amount of police time since then.

In this report we’ll hear the views of the local residents, Mr Willis, the council and the police. There is no suggestion of illegal activity by Mr Willis’ or John Willis Properties Limited’s behalf.

But the situation highlights how the system can fail to protect homeless people.

Flowers outside the home after the murder. The closure notice is pinned to the door.

255 police reports about 38 Mayfield Grove

A Freedom of Information request by the Stray Ferret revealed that between April 2008 and July this year, the public reported 38 Mayfield Grove 255 times to North Yorkshire Police. This averages almost two reports a month over 13 years.

The house is divided into six privately let bedsits and tenants often have guests. Ainsley was staying in Mr Wolsey’s bedsit when he killed him. Many tenants over the years have had multiple issues, such as drug and alcohol addictions and mental health problems, as well as backgrounds of homelessness and crime.

Local residents told us it’s difficult to think of a more dangerous scenario than housing people with multiple needs together in a terraced home on a busy street, and this problem should have been identified and tackled.

Daniel Neill, who until recently lived on Nydd Vale Terrace, a street parallel to Mayfield Grove that has other properties let by Mr Willis’ company, has been at the forefront of the residents’ campaign for a safer neighbourhood. He said:

“The entire set-up is a recipe for trouble. It doesn’t take a genius to work it out. The worst thing you can do with addicts is put them alongside other addicts.

“For 15 years people knew that 38 Mayfield Grove was the place to go for drugs. It was an open secret. Police did regular drive-bys. Yet it just kept going on.”

£7,000 council payments to John Willis Properties Ltd

Yet despite longstanding concerns about 38 Mayfield Grove, the council transferred £2,112 in 2017 and £5,424 in 2018 to John Willis Properties Ltd.

The council says the payments were “for the benefit of our homeless customers and were not made as part of a contract or agreement with the landlord”. It adds:

“The money paid to John Willis Properties Ltd was transferred to help customers assessed as homeless or threatened with homelessness to access private rented accommodation.”

Taxpayers’ funds were transferred to John Willis Properties Ltd until as recently as December 2018.

Read more:

• Mayfield Grove: house at centre of crime concerns allowed to re-open
• Harrogate man Daniel Ainsley found guilty of murder

While the council was paying John Willis Properties between March 2017 and December 2018, it received six housing complaints relating to seven properties let by the company and seven noise complaints relating to five properties.

Residents, who tried unsuccessfully to get a closure order against another of Mr Willis’ properties in the area in 2018, say the council not only failed to tackle problems going on inside the house but contributed to them by funding the landlord.

A letter from 45 residents to Richard Cooper, the leader of Harrogate Borough Council, sent after the murder, accused the council of oversight and complicity. It added:

“We don’t feel like valued members of the community. We don’t feel safe. We don’t feel like our voices are being heard.”

The letter also accused the council of “pulling the plug” on police and residents’ efforts to tackle issues at 38 Mayfield Grove.

Daniel Ainsley was staying in Mr Wolsey’s bedsit when he murdered him.

What could the council have done?

The council argues it has limited power to act but Mr Neill says the payments beggar belief considering the well-known problems associated with some of Mr Willis’ properties. The council, he says, was either blind or neglectful.

The options included adopting provisions in the Housing Act 2004, which give local authorities the power to use selective licensing to tackle anti-social behaviour, or introducing special interim management orders, which allow local authorities to take over the management of houses in multiple occupation.

The council’s private sector housing enforcement policy, which sets out its approach to complying with its statutory duties to ensure private sector residents live in good quality, safe accommodation, says the council will adopt ‘a positive prevention, intervention and enforcement approach’ to protect people from harm.

Three John Willis properties closed since murder

In the wake of the murder on March 5, the police and council moved swiftly to get a court order to close 38 Mayfield Grove for three months from March 22, which meant tenants had to find alternative accommodation.

On June 28, magistrates granted the police and council partial closure orders against two other properties let as bedsits by Mr Willis, at 19 and 31 Avenue Grove, Starbeck, due to crime concerns.

The police and council have also organised a residents’ summit and a community engagement drop-in session to discuss 38 Mayfield Grove and to reassure people that ‘the Harrogate district remains a safe place to live and any anti-social behaviour is taken very seriously’.

But residents say the recent flurry of activity contrasts sharply with years of inertia that allowed crime to scar the neighbourhood and blight residents’ lives. They also want to see action to prevent a repeat.

Mr Neill, who like many people in the area was concerned about the safety of his family, said:

“These problems have been going on for years.

“I don’t want individuals fired. I just want to make sure this doesn’t happen again, but I don’t get the impression the council is facing up to it.”

Mayfield Grove is close to Harrogate town centre.

Residents scared

Mr Neill says local police officers “have been nothing but helpful and straightforward” and share residents’ frustrations about the lack of council action.

But he was critical of a police initiative asking 120 homes to log anti-social behaviour, which attracted just three replies. The log obliged people to leave their names and addresses, which many residents were scared to do because it came shortly after a woman who was dragged down the street by her hair was threatened after going to the police

Another resident, who asked not to be named, said she had struggled to sell her house because of the area’s reputation. Another said:

“The amount of hassle caused by people in that house over the years is unbelievable.

“It’s almost like there are no lessons being learned. The same things happen again and again. I’m sick to my back teeth about it because nothing ever gets done.”

“I’m passionate about helping disadvantaged people”

The Stray Ferret put these accusations to John Willis. He said he was passionate about helping disadvantaged people, unlike many other housing providers, and did everything he reasonably could to protect them.

“Other landlords cherry pick the best tenants and sadly that leaves a disadvantaged group. Homeless hostels are full. I try to help them.”

Mr Willis said he lets 10 properties in Harrogate and the average age of his tenants is 50.

He said he’d taken many tenants from the council and partner agencies, such as Harrogate Homeless Project on Bower Street, close to Mayfield Grove, during his 31 years as a landlord. Some tenants, he said, had been with him throughout that time.

Asked whether housing people with multiple problems under one roof was a recipe for trouble, he said:

“Some have drug and alcohol addictions but they are mostly engaging with healthcare providers. Sometimes I’ve had to evict tenants but I have always had to work within the framework of the law.

“Sometimes you have to find likeminded people to live together. It can be difficult with tenants with challenging behaviours, that’s why it’s so important to engage with external agencies. But it can accentuate problems when you have them largely living under one roof.”

John Willis

Mr Willis said he offered to pay for a support worker to help tenants in his 10 Harrogate properties.

“I advertised for it and had 22 applications. But the council said it wasn’t a direction they wanted to go in because there was sufficient help already.”

The council, he said, had told him it had “paused” recommending tenants to him.

He said the 255 police reports about Mayfield Grove could include numerous cases of incidents merely being logged. But he added:

“There have been incidents and they have been followed up. Most tenants did have some healthcare professional or support worker. They were all on the radar.

“But it’s not 24/7 support and there’s only so much you can do.”

Mr Willis said he occasionally moved tenants between properties if they didn’t settle.

“Some tenants want to move and this is discussed with external agencies.”

He said he was responsive to tenants’ needs and operated legally.

“I’m not an absent landlord. It’s just unfortunate that there has been this incident.”

He said he and police had met Mr Wolsey a month before his death to discuss ways of helping him.

“He was a jovial character and I was very sad about what happened but at the end of the day there’s only so much a landlord can do.”

Forensic officers at the scene after the murder.

Police and council joint statement

The Stray Ferret asked Harrogate Borough Council and North Yorkshire Police a series of specific questions about why they hadn’t done more to address concerns at 38 Mayfield Grove and their relationship with Mr Willis. It also asked what actions were being taken to prevent further problems.

The two organisations issued a joint statement after the murder verdict. It said:

“Anti-social behaviour can blight the lives of residents and shatter local communities and we are absolutely committed to taking a multi-agency partnership approach to deal with any issues in Harrogate in both the short and long term via a range of strategies.

“In relation to 38 Mayfield Grove, extensive work has been undertaken over the years to ensure that a robust plan is in place to respond to concerns about crime, drug use and anti-social behaviour at the property and improve the quality of life for those living in the area.

“This has included undertaking a full options appraisal to consider the best use of available legislation and powers; progressing the use of a closure order at the property; and meeting with the landlord to specifically discuss the management of the property including the vetting and letting of perspective tenants. Further to this, a number of online meetings have taken place with community representatives; a community engagement event took place in June 2021 with representatives from both the police and council and residents have been sent several updates via letter.

“Since 2008, North Yorkshire Police has received 255 reports connected to the address – an average of around 20 reports a year – which has enabled authorities to respond and deal with issues quickly and effectively. The local community are our eyes and ears, and we would urge neighbours and residents to continue reporting matters and intelligence to us and we will continue to take the necessary action. If people commit criminal acts then they will be held to account for their actions.”

Northern Gas Networks has yet to reveal what caused the leak that left 3,000 Harrogate homes without gas last weekend.

Gas could be smelled for miles around following the incident at the Ripon Road roadworks near the Hydro leisure centre. Thousands of electric fan heaters, electric hobs and food vouchers were distributed to residents in the Jennyfields area.

An emergency hub opened at the Styan Community Centre to help those affected.

One week on, the cause remains unknown and the roadworks, which were initially due to last for four weeks from September 6, are still ongoing.

John Richardson, director of customer operations at Northern Gas Networks, said a “full investigation” would take place after a new pipe was laid.

He said:

“Our engineers are continuing to closely monitor the gas network in the Jennyfields area of Harrogate while we complete our essential work.

“We’re aware that some people were experiencing low gas pressure yesterday, which occurred while we worked to permanently repair the gas pipe. Our engineers responded promptly and normal pressures were restored the same day.

“We worked around the clock, laying a further over-land bypass pipe to increase the gas available to the local network and also increased gas pressure in the area to ensure that supplies were maintained while our engineers worked.

Read more:

• Gas leak: Harrogate told to reduce heating and showers again
• Harrogate man Daniel Ainsley found guilty of murder

“Once a new pipe has been commissioned this weekend, we will be carrying out a full investigation into the cause of the gas escape, which occurred on Friday 15 October.

“Temporary two way traffic lights will remain in place at the junction with Grainbeck Lane and Otley Road for another week while we complete our essential work to modernise the gas network in Harrogate.”

A spokesperson for North Yorkshire County Council, the highways authority, said:

“We approved an extension to the roadworks on October 6 lasting until October 22. Northern Gas Networks has since requested an extension until October 28.”

The £10.9 million Station Gateway will boost Harrogate businesses by enhancing the town centre, according to those leading the scheme.

An online consultation event last night gave people the first chance to ask questions about the scheme, which aims to transform the area around the bus and train stations and encourage more people to walk and cycle, since the latest designs were revealed this week.

The current proposals would see traffic on Station Parade reduced to single lane and James Street pedestrianised between Princes Square and Station Parade.

Work could begin next summer and last up to a year, causing major disruption to the town centre and reduced parking, which concerns some businesses still trying to recover from covid.

In response to a question about what assessment had been made about the impact of the scheme on businesses, Matthew Roberts, economy and transport officer at Harrogate Borough Council, said it was a case of “short-term disruption for long-term gain”.

He said case studies from similar schemes had shown they could boost trade by up to 40 per cent by making the town centre more attractive and making it easier to access for non-car users.  Mr Roberts said:

“Behaviours are changing and the town needs to evolve with it.

“The mixture of case study evidence and local evidence has led me to believe this will firmly benefit the town’s economy.”

Read more:

• First glimpse of how Harrogate will look after £10.9m transformation
• £10.9m Harrogate Station Gateway ‘must focus’ on cycling and walking

In a video message to the event, county councillor Don Mackenzie, executive member for access at North Yorkshire County Council, which is leading on the scheme, said the Station Gateway would provide a “great economic boost to the town centre but also boost sustainable travel”.

Chris Harris, who is leading the design team on the project, said changes to James Street would “significantly the feel of the street for people shopping and moving around on foot” and also enable more features such as trees and plants.

He said the scheme would also “make more of a feature” of the Victoria monument by making it more visible.

Mr Harris added the project had a “tight window” but there was “still an opportunity to update things as we move forward”.

What happens next?

A second online consultation event will be held from 6pm to 7pm on Thursday next week.

People can meet members of the project team face-to-face to discuss the plans at the Victoria Shopping Centre on October 27, October 29 and November 5. There is also a business-only event on November 1.

People can also fill in a form online giving feedback.

Details of the consultation, which runs until November 12, are available here.

Councillor Mackenzie will discuss the scheme with Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce on November 8.

Following the consultation, a final business case will be prepared before approval is sought to deliver the schemes.

What is the Harrogate Station Gateway?

The Harrogate scheme is one of three projects worth a combined £42m in Harrogate, Skipton and Selby funded by the Leeds City Region Transforming Cities Fund, which encourages cycling and walking.

They are being delivered in partnership by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, North Yorkshire County Council, Harrogate Borough Council, Craven District Council and Selby District Council.

It is anticipated that work in Harrogate will begin by the middle of next year.

Harrogate District Hospital has the capacity to increase its number of beds by 50 as part of winter escalation plans.

Dr Matt Shepherd, deputy chief operating officer and consultant in emergency medicine at Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust, revealed the numbers in an interview with the Stray Ferret yesterday.

Talking about the trust’s winter plans, Dr Shepherd said the hospital currently has 260 beds, 20 more than in summer, and has the potential to increase this to 310. Ripon Community Hospital has the capacity to increase beds from 16 to 20.

The hospital covid situation remains considerably better than last winter, when the number of patients in Harrogate with coronavirus peaked at 70, and during the first wave in spring last year, when the figure was about 40.  He said:

“Up to four or five weeks ago we had on average four or five patients with covid, then it crept up to 10 and then a couple of weeks ago it went up to 20. It’s trickled down in the last few days to 15.”

The Harrogate district currently has one of the highest covid rates in the country, with the seven-day rate currently 727 per 100,000 people.

But he pointed out that this time last year the hospital had cancelled many other services due to covid and this time staff were heading into winter dealing with coronavirus “on top of other things”.

‘Big impact’ of vaccines 

How worried is he about the months ahead?

“It’s a bit like when covid first arrived. It’s that fear of the unknown. Your imagination runs wild with worst case scenarios, which could be very difficult.

“But the vaccine programme has had a big impact. We are seeing far fewer covid patients in intensive care.”

Read more:

• Harrogate district schools urged to bring back face masks
• Harrogate hospital invests £110,000 in staff and dementia care

The hospital currently has eight beds in intensive care and four are being used. Last winter it had to increase the number from eight to 30 to cope.

After two previous waves of covid, the trust now has well rehearsed ‘flex’ plans to cope with fluctuating coronavirus patient numbers. Dr Shepherd said:

“We currently have half a ward devoted to covid patients. When we get to the mid-20s we convert a full 30-bed ward.”

Waiting list increase

He expects extra patients with other respiratory viruses this year because people are mixing more.

It spells difficult times ahead for staff, particularly as the district’s high infection rate has forced a lot of staff to isolate.

Like other NHS organisations, the trust is also dealing with recruitment problems. Dr Shepherd says shortages are often specific to certain areas, such as theatre staff and nurses.

It doesn’t sound like a good time for any of the trust’s 4,000 staff to put in requests for a fortnight in Lanzarote over Christmas. Dr Shepherd says:

“It’s the relentless nature of the last year and a half. The chances of proper rest haven’t been the same. Staff having to isolate is one of the biggest challenges now.”

The impact of lockdown is still being felt. The trust waiting list was 18,000 pre-covid. Now it’s 22,000. Dr Shepherd says the situation varies from department to department.

“There’s been good progress in some areas, for example scans, where we’ve really caught up and there is no real backlog. Also endoscopy.

“But some of the more complex operations take much longer to do and patients are still waiting much longer than they have done in the past in Harrogate and much longer than I would like. We are a small hospital and there are only so many operating theatres.”

Pressure on the emergency department has increased significantly, with most people now seen and either admitted or discharged within six hours rather than four.

Masks and vaccines enough for now

Medical organisations, including the British Medical Association, have said this week it’s time for the government to adopt winter planning now to prevent the NHS being overwhelmed by growing numbers of coronavirus cases.

Dr Shepherd says Harrogate and Ripon hospitals have “never stepped away from asking people to wear masks”.

Does he think it’s time for other measures?

“It’s important that we inform the public that infection rates are higher in the Harrogate district and the best thing they can do is attend vaccination clinics.

“Masks and vaccines are the first next step. If that’s not enough and we continue to see a rise we need to consider a more mandatory position.”

North Yorkshire County Council reassured people today that it has enough drivers to operate a full complement of gritters this winter.

The council, which spends between £6m and £10m each winter on gritting, has spent £2.2m on 18 new vehicles to replace some of the 80 in its gritting fleet.

The fleet, which is on call 24 hours a day, is complemented by more than 100 farm contractors.

County Councillor Don Mackenzie, executive member for access, said:

“People may recently have seen media reports suggesting the risk of a shortage of drivers in parts of the country. We can reassure people that in North Yorkshire we have sufficient drivers and robust systems in place to ensure we can operate our full complement of gritters.

“Our salt stores are well stocked, with 55,000 tonnes of salt – enough to fill 21 Olympic-size swimming pools – plus about 8,000 grit heaps and bins, and we have a strong relationship with a local supplier.”

Read more:

• Minimum gritting will not affect service, say council bosses
• North Yorkshire County Council sets up highways company

The council recently announced it would save up to £120,000 by improving the efficiency of its gritting operation, which led to concerns that the service would be cut back. But Cllr Mackenzie said:

“This change is in no way a reduction in our services and will not compromise the safety of our roads. It enables us to use our resources to maximum effect.

“We remain committed to maintaining the level of service that sees us routinely treat a greater proportion of our network than any other council in England.”

NY Highways formed

The new vehicles join NY Highways, which is one of numerous new companies formed by the council to bring back services in house. NY Highways took over the council’s £40 million a year contract with Ringway to maintain North Yorkshire’s roads.

Ross Bullerwell, managing director of NY Highways, said it was “well prepared” to “ensure we deliver a successful winter programme to keep the roads safe and clear for users”.

The council is also providing travel information to road users from 10 new weather stations on some of the highest and most exposed roads in the county.

Further information about when and where gritting takes place, grit bins and access to live road cameras images can be found here.

A Harrogate thalidomide campaigner has defended local firm Labcorp Drug Development in the row over animal testing.

Guy Tweedy said if thalidomide had been tested on animals in the 1950s, thousands of people such as himself might have been spared birth defects caused by the drug.

Mr Tweedy, who is one of 447 beneficiaries of the Thalidomide Trust, as well as a trustee of Harrogate-based charity Disability Action Yorkshire, said thalidomide was barely tested before it went on sale.

He added:

“If there had been better testing on animals before thalidomide came out in the UK between 1958 and 1962, it might have shown they could have been born with deformities, which would have prevented the same thing happening in humans.”

Harrogate and Knaresborough Conservative MP Andrew Jones is lobbying the government to help the company, previously called Covance, to expand. About a third of the American firm Labcorp’s 4,000 UK staff are based in Harrogate.

The site on Otley Road is frequently targeted by animal protestors. Harrogate Borough Council heard this month that live animals, including Beagle puppies, non-human primates. rabbits, mice and mini-pigs are experimented on in Harrogate.

Read more:

• Harrogate animal testing company bids to expand
• Explainer: Animal testing in Harrogate

Cllr Victoria Oldham, the Conservative representative for Washburn, recently called for a moratorium on animal testing in the Harrogate district.

Her motion was rejected but councillors did agree to visit the site.

Mr Tweedy said he was an animal lover with several pets, including a dog and rabbits, but he nevertheless understood the necessity of testing for non-cosmetic purposes.

“At the end of the day they are doing tests for scientific purposes. If they had done the same for thalidomide I wouldn’t still be campaigning 60 years later.”

Primarily marketed under the brand name Distaval, thalidomide was sold to pregnant mothers in the UK for less than four years before it was withdrawn.

North Yorkshire Police has said it has contacted Harrogate district MPs Andrew Jones and Julian Smith about their personal security following the killing of Southend West MP Sir David Amess.

MPs held a minute’s silence this afternoon for Sir David, who died after being stabbed meeting constituents in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex. A 25-year-old man has been held on suspicion of murder and the incident has been declared as terrorism.

North Yorkshire Police issued a statement today saying:

“Members of Parliament from North Yorkshire and the City of York have been contacted as part of Operation Bridger, which provides tactical options for protective physical security in their constituencies.

“This is managed by the parliamentary liaison and investigation team that was formed in 2016 following the murder of Jo Cox, the MP for Batley and Spen.

“In order to help protect themselves, their family and staff members, and their constituents while attending surgeries, we are advising our MPs to report any security concerns without delay.

“North Yorkshire Police will continue to review the security advice on a regular basis, based on an assessment of changing threats and risk.”

Read more:

• New designs of Harrogate town centre after £10.9m project revealed
• New Ripon pool to open on December 8

The two Harrogate district MPs whose constituencies fall in North Yorkshire are Andrew Jones, who represents Harrogate and Knaresborough, and Julian Smith, who represents Skipton and Ripon.

Mr Smith has tweeted personal recollections of fellow Conservative Sir David.

As a youngster I remember @amessd_southend for his oratory, looks & dynamic hair. When I became Chief Whip I saw his humanity- the deep level of commitment he had to his Colleagues when they were ill or in distress was formidable. For him to be killed in this way is devastating.

— Julian Smith MP (@JulianSmithUK) October 15, 2021

James Street will be partly pedestrianised and Station Parade reduced to single lane traffic in updated designs published today for the £10.9m Harrogate Station Gateway project.

The ambitious scheme aims to encourage cycling and walking and make the town centre more attractive. It has led to concerns from businesses about loss of parking and slower traffic, which could deter shoppers.

Today’s proposals, which are based on previous consultation feedback, say full pedestrianisation of James Street received the strongest public support but this had “the potential to significantly delay the delivery of the scheme”, which could jeopardise funding.

“As such, full pedestrianisation is not considered viable at this time.

“We have therefore decided to progress with a part-time pedestrianisation proposal which restricts vehicle access to ‘loading only’ and at limited times.”

It means non-delivery traffic will be prohibited from Princes Square to Station Parade on James Street at all times.

Today’s proposals say the potential to make all of James Street fully pedestrianised in future “would remain an option”.

How the roundabout near the Odeon would look.

Station Parade reduced to single lane

Plans to make Station Parade single lane and create a cycle lane will go ahead as intended.

Improvements to Station Square and the One Arch underpass will be taken forward and the Victoria Monument will remain in its current location after the initial consultation generated a “mixed response” to the idea of relocating it.

Read more:

• First glimpse of how Harrogate will look after £10.9m transformation
• Harrogate businesses call for meeting to discuss £10.9m Station Gateway

Don Mackenzie, executive member for access at North Yorkshire County Council, told the Stray Ferret a lot of people instinctively didn’t like change but the scheme would make Harrogate town centre a more pleasant place for people to visit using all forms of transport.

He said the advice he’d received suggested peak afternoon travel time on the southbound A61 would be extended by just 53 seconds if the northern section of Station Parade is reduced to single lane.

Cllr Mackenzie said:

“I believe that small increase in travel time is well worth other improvements that will make the gateway area to Harrogate far more attractive.”

An artists’s impression of how the junction of Station Parade and James Street will look.

What is the Station Gateway scheme?

Today marks the start of the latest round of consultation on the the Harrogate scheme, which is one of three projects worth a combined £42m in the pipeline for Harrogate, Skipton and Selby.

They are being delivered in partnership by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, North Yorkshire County Council, Harrogate Borough Council, Craven District Council and Selby District Council.

The schemes are being funded by the Leeds City Region Transforming Cities Fund, which aims to “transform gateways to towns and cities across the region by making it easier to walk, cycle and use public transport”.

Online events will take place from 6pm until 7pm on October 21 and October 28 for the Harrogate scheme.

Members of the project team will be available to discuss the initiative at the Victoria Shopping Centre on October, 29 October and November 5. A business-only meeting is scheduled for November 1.

Following this consultation, which ends on November 12, a final business case will be prepared before approval is sought to deliver the schemes.

It is anticipated that work will begin by mid-2022 and be completed by March 2023.

A video showing the proposed changes is available here.

You can take part in the online consultation here.

Northern Gas Networks has yet to reveal what caused a huge gas leak in Harrogate that left 3,000 homes without supplies for two days.

The company, which distributes gas, opened an emergency hub at Styan Community Centre in Jennyfields on Saturday to help people without hot water or cooking facilities.

It gave away thousands of electric heaters and hot plates and distributed £10 meal vouchers.

The company’s rapid response earned praise from locals but it has yet to say what caused Friday’s leak, which could be smelt for miles around.

John Richardson, director of customer operations at Northern Gas Networks, said:

“We will be carrying out a full investigation into the cause of the escape in Ripon Road, and it is not possible to comment further at this time.

“Our priority right now is to get the remaining properties reconnected to the gas.”

Read more:

• Gas Leak Live: Emergency hub closes as gas returns to 3,000 Harrogate homes
• Behind the scenes of Harrogate’s new £6m food hall

Temporary lights have been in places near the Hydro on Ripon Road since September 9. The work was scheduled for four weeks so it had already overrun before Friday’s incident.

People were evacuated from the Hydro on Friday.

Asked what the works were for, why they were delayed and when it would finish, a Northern Gas Networks spokeswoman said:

“This is essential gas mains replacement works to modernise the gas network.

“The scope of works changed after the project began, which extended the duration of the work.

“We’ll advise on a completion date as soon as possible, but traffic management is likely to be in place for another couple of weeks.”

The Harrogate district’s seven-day covid rate of infection has risen above 700 per 100,000 for the first time.

Public Health England recorded another 174 cases today, which elevated the rate from 682 yesterday to 723 today.

The North Yorkshire rate is 528 and the England rate is 436.

Harrogate west and Pannal Ash is the current covid hotspot, with 97 infections in the last seven days.

Dishforth, Baldersby and Markington have recorded the fewest cases, with just 25.

Read more:

• Emergency hub closes as gas returns to 3,000 Harrogate homes
• Harrogate hospital treating most covid patients since March