People living on Harrogate’s Duchy Road were without water today after a pipe burst.

Yorkshire Water was carrying out planned work to repair a section of pipe.

But a Yorkshire Water spokeswoman explained things didn’t go entirely to plan. She said:

“During that repair, an unexpected burst happened nearby. This was then repaired live by the guys on site already there.

“It’s unclear how many houses were affected but I can tell you we had five calls from customers.

“This issue should now be resolved, customers may experience low pressure as their water comes back on.”

Read more:

• Harrogate district MP Nigel Adams to step down at next election
• Hot Seat: Farewell to the Harrogate district’s transport chief

#HG1 Apologies if you have no water due to work on #DuchyRoad. We will get supplies back on ASAP and will tweet when resolved. pic.twitter.com/WD9otVNaPE

— Yorkshire Water Help (@YWHelp) April 10, 2022

In less than a month’s time, the curtain will come down on the career of one of the most influential — and divisive — politicians in the Harrogate district this century.

Don Mackenzie served 16 years as a Harrogate borough councillor, but will be best remembered for his current role as executive member for access at North Yorkshire County Council.

His portfolio includes transport, which means he has led on key decisions, such as the Harrogate Station Gateway, the junction 47 upgrade of the A1(M) near Knaresborough, realignment of the A59 at Kex Gill and numerous schemes to promote cycling and walking.

In an era when some politicians pick and choose which media to talk to, and hide behind press officers, Cllr Mackenzie has always been willing to pick up the phone and front up. He believes in transparency, he says. Colleagues say he’s on top of his brief, and some think he would have made a good county council leader.

But the judgement of the people is more brutal. Barely a day passes without references to ‘Dismal Don’ or calls for his resignation on social media. Complex transport schemes rarely please everyone and rarely progress swiftly and he is remarkably relaxed about the fallout:

“If I let these things upset me, I would have given up years ago. The only thing that occasionally annoys me is social media, especially anonymous posters.

“Tough decisions have to be made and all they do is sit in the comfort of their own home posting anonymous criticism. It’s cowardly.”

‘Right time to go’

On the day we met Cllr Mackenzie, who has lived in Harrogate since 1973 and represents Harrogate Saltergate, he received an email asking how dare he approve 770 houses being built on Otley Road — the decision has not been made yet and will be taken by Harrogate Borough Council, of which he has not been a councillor since 2018.

Such confusion will end when North Yorkshire County Council and Harrogate Borough Council are abolished next year to make way for North Yorkshire Council, which will become the new unitary authority for the county.

New weather stations have been introduced to help drivers in difficult conditions.

That looming seismic change has persuaded Cllr Mackenzie, 72, not to seek re-election on May 5. He is the only one of 10 members of the county council executive not to do so. Wasn’t he tempted to continue?

“No I wasn’t. It’s a five-year commitment. I felt that my time as a county councillor had come to a natural end. Many of my colleagues have great difficulty deciding when and if to retire. Many people say a career in politics always ends in tears so I feel this is the right time to go.”

Read more:

• Harrogate bus plans in tatters after government rejects £116m funding bid
• £7.8 million awarded to help make Harrogate Bus Company’s fleet all-electric
• Transport leader Don Mackenzie to step down next year

Nevertheless he will be sad to depart.

“I’ve enjoyed almost every minute of it.

“Most councillors set out to do something for their local community. Most people like me are in it to make a difference and sometimes it’s difficult to make that difference. There are inevitably disappointments. We’ve been disappointed this week with our Bus Service Improvement Plan.”

The county council’s plan involved bidding £116m to the Department for Transport to improve bus services in North Yorkshire. It received none. A significant chunk would have been spent easing congestion in Harrogate. But in March the government awarded the council and Harrogate Bus Company £7.8m to make the firm’s fleet all-electric.

There have been other successes, such as the Bond End double mini roundabout in Knaresborough, which eased congestion at one of the most polluted spots in the Harrogate district.

“It was a highlight because many people thought it would not work and were worried about safety and taking away the traffic lights.”

Junction 47, trains and Kex Gill

Cllr Mackenzie lauds the A1(M) junction 47 upgrade, due to end end anytime now, as a rare example of infrastructure investment coming before development.

He says train services are far better now, with more frequent direct trains to London, than before he became a councillor despite rail operator Northern’s announcement last month of cuts to Harrogate services. He says:

“Northern have assured me these reductions will be short-term only.”

He admits to being a “little frustrated” the Kex Gill realignment won’t be completed before he leaves office. Delays, he says, are inevitable when “taking a major trans-pennine highway across a sensitive area of countryside”. Peat deposits are among the vexed considerations. But the project has levered £56m from the Department for Transport and should start this year.

Walking and cycling schemes

Active travel schemes have been the most contentious, particularly the Harrogate Station Gateway. It was one of three initiatives worth £42million funded by West Yorkshire Combined Authority.

Making the case for the Station Gateway at a business meeting.

Cllr Mackenzie says the Selby and Skipton projects “have been problem free”; Harrogate has been anything but, with strong opposition from businesses and residents to reducing Station Parade to single lane and pedestrianising part of James Street. He remains a staunch advocate:

“It’s bringing £11million of much needed investment into the town centre. It will be a radical improvement to a part of town that needs improving and it will be good for the visitor economy.”

He says he would be “inclined to continue’ with the closure of Beech Grove in Harrogate to through traffic when the 18-month experiment ends in August, with the caveat that he “would be guided by the data”.

As for Otley Road cycle path, he was “a little surprised to hear complaints from the cycling lobby” because “what we have delivered is exactly what the plans showed so they had plenty of time to raise concerns then”.

He says the council will conduct another round of consultation on phase two “so people are absolutely clear” about the plans this time.

Why have these schemes provoked so much anger?

“In Harrogate, when one attempts change — in this case to improve facilities for walking and cycling — you get roughly half the population behind you and half against you.

“Also, many people feel any restrictions on car driving is a bad thing whereas if you want to overcome congestion you have to have a realistic alternative.”

Conservative for 40 years

Don Johannes Josef Mackenzie was born in Germany and is bilingual — his dad stayed there after the war and met a German woman. The family moved before Cllr Mackenzie’s first birthday and he grew up in Ipswich.

He became managing director of MMP International, which supplied industrial repair and maintenance products worldwide. The job brought him to Harrogate 49 years ago.

MMP was acquired by US company ITW in 1998. Mr Mackenzie was a minority shareholder and stayed on for 10 years as business manager. He then became self-employed, “doing small things representing British manufacturers worldwide”.

A Conservative Party member for 40 years, he cut his political teeth as a Harrogate borough councillor in Pannal from 1987 to 1991 before a 15-year hiatus to concentrate on his career and raising his daughter, who would later become the agent for Andrew Jones, the Conservative MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough. Who are his political heroes?

“I liked Mrs Thatcher but I don’t have any political heroes. I also liked David Cameron — I thought he was very good.”

He returned to serve three terms in Harrogate from 2006 to 2018, during which he became the cabinet member for planning and transport for three years — a role that included oversight of the creation of the original Local Plan — a document that outlines where planning can take part in the development.

Speaking at an online county council meeting.

The plan allocated 390 new homes a year in the district — a number that was rejected by the government’s Planning Inspectorate as too low and was eventually bumped up to around 700, leading to ongoing concerns about the number of new developments. He says:

“In hindsight 390 was a little low. Now it’s nearer 700. I don’t have a problem with 700 but recently it’s been much higher than that.”

Cllr Mackenzie was appointed executive member for public health at the county council in 2013 until council leader Carl Les moved him to his access portfolio in 2015.

It’s a bruising role but says the only time he gets real abuse is when he’s knocking on doors canvassing. It doesn’t seem to bother him — he likes a good argument. Or as he puts it:

“I can’t say I enjoy it but I wouldn’t shrink from it.

“I belong to that generation when a candidate didn’t rely on social media. I relied on public meetings. But there’s far less of that face-to-face stuff and that has led to a decline in behaviour because people think their behaviour doesn’t matter as much.”

Bird watching

Cllr Mackenzie, who is 72, doesn’t intend to retire. He has applied to become a non-executive director of a British public sector organisation and wants to keep busy.

“I wouldn’t like to think I didn’t start each day without an active programme ahead.”

He’s a keen bird watcher who engages in his hobby on family holidays in Norfolk. He doesn’t cycle but walks a lot. He often catches the bus or strolls into town from his home, near Leeds Road about a mile from the town centre. He says it’s too close to go by car.

He claims not to have any major regrets. What does he think his legacy will be?

“I would like people to think that whatever decision I took, I took with the best of motives and I thought the decision was right. I can’t claim to have got every decision right – but they were all taken with the best of intentions.”

With many of his schemes set to outlast him, his legacy will be felt in the district for years to come.

The Curious Cow of Harrogate will open to the public tomorrow after a £650,000 rebrand.

Revere Pub Company, which has transformed the former Old Spring Well pub, has held a series of soft launches and opening parties over the last week.

The pub, on the A59 in Killinghall, provides contemporary dishes alongside pub classics, plus pizza and steak.

General manager Michael Baravelli is well known on the local hospitality scene, having worked at venues such as the Gino D’Acampo restaurant in Harrogate, The Joiner’s Arms in Hampsthwaite and The Pine Marten in Harrogate.

Michael Baravelli

He said:

“We are looking forward to creating a beautiful space where the community can escape, switch off and enjoy what we have to offer.”

The revamp has created 40 jobs at the site, which was known as the Travellers Rest before it became the Old Spring Well.

Revere Pub Company, which has 16 pubs in the UK, has replaced the children’s play area outside with a seating area.

Read more:

• Old Spring Well to be renamed Curious Cow in luxury revamp
• Sneak Peek: Paradise arrives in Killinghall

Mayor Trevor Chapman pulls a pint.

Carers’ Resource, the charity which supports unpaid carers looking after family members or friends, is moving to a new base in Harrogate.

The charity has had its head office at North Park Road, Harrogate, since 1995, but is now relocating to more modern premises at nearby Grove Park Court.

Staff have started moving in to the new office, which will be fully operational by April 11.

Andrew Jones, the Conservative MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, will cut the ribbon to officially open the new site on May 13.

Chris Whiley, chief executive of Carers’ Resource, said:

“This charity began its life in Harrogate and while we have expanded over the years, this move demonstrates our huge commitment to carers in the Harrogate area and beyond.

“We have recently secured a new contract from North Yorkshire County Council to continue delivering services for unpaid carers in Harrogate and Craven, and to start delivering a full range of services in Selby.

“This move will give us a strong base from which we can continue to provide vital information, advice and support to carers.”

Read more:

• Harrogate disability charity explains why some crossings don’t beep
• Harrogate Hydro to close on Friday for £11m refurbishment

Carers’ Resource was founded by Anne Smyth, who was awarded an OBE by the Queen in 2013 for her services to carers.

A small carers project initially operated out of Harrogate District Hospital before moving to North Park Road in 1995 and becoming an independent, not-for-profit charity with four staff. The young carer project started a year later.

Carers’ Resource now supports unpaid adult and young carers in Harrogate, Bradford and Craven districts, and will also be providing services in Selby from July 2022.

A Killinghall woman has contacted the RSPCA as part of the attempt to solve the mystery of the village’s missing peacocks.

A muster of peacocks has roamed the village for years but there are fears about 10 have been killed.

The number of peacocks rose sharply in the last couple of years, prompting some residents to say they were sick of the noise and calling for action.

Just two peahens remain, prompting fears somebody has taken matters into their own hands.

Sarah Leanne Hughes said it was possible the birds had been re-homed by the animal charity, which re-homed Peter the Peacock from Bilton. She added:

“I have spoken to three different people at the RSPCA. I’m just asking for advice to see if they have been reported.”

“All I want to know is where the birds have gone. It’s the not knowing that’s awful. People are starting to point fingers. Somebody’s name has been mentioned a couple of times but it’s not a witch hunt.”

Ms Hughes set up the Killinghall Peacocks Facebook page two years ago to celebrate the peacocks, which used to visit her garden regularly.

She moved to Killinghall from Bilton and whereas sightings of Peter were rare, she saw the Killinghall birds regularly. Her home, on Cautley Drive, is close to the tree where the animals roost.

Peacocks roosting in Killinghall last summer.

Ms Hughes said the number of page members had doubled recently amid concern for the peacocks’ welfare. She said:

“It’s causing a lot of upset in the village. Somebody knows something and they should do the decent thing and say what has happened.”

Ms Hughes has asked Killinghall Parish Council to discuss the peacocks at tonight’s monthly meeting.

The Stray Ferret has asked the parish council if the matter will be raised and whether it plans to take any further action to investigate the plight of the birds.

Sue Reid, the clerk, said the peacocks were not on the agenda for the monthly meeting at 7pm but the annual parish meeting, which followed at 8pm, was an open forum that gave residents the opportunity to raise any subject they liked.

The councillor in charge of highways for North Yorkshire has said a park and ride pilot scheme for Harrogate remains possible despite a £116million funding bid rejection.

The Department for Transport yesterday awarded North Yorkshire County Council none of the £116million it bid for from the government’s Bus Back Better scheme. Much of the funding was earmarked to reduce congestion in Harrogate.

Councillor Don Mackenzie, executive member for access at the county council, said he was “very disappointed” with the rejection but parts of the county’s Bus Service Improvement Plan could still go ahead without government support.

Cllr Mackenzie said this included the park and ride, which is likely to operate from Pannal, although questions remained about how a permanent service would be funded.

“The park and ride trial was not part of this funding, and the pilot itself will use the 36 service so it won’t be particularly expensive to find out whether it works or not.

“I’m very anxious that this trial scheme still goes ahead irrespective of today’s result.”

Cllr Mackenzie also said the on-demand bus service, YorBus, which is being trialled in Ripon, Bedale and Masham could be expanded.

He added:

“One of the things in our Bus Service Improvement Plan was to expand the on-demand response service, YorBus, and of course that pilot continues.

“If it continues to be successful, we will roll it out in other areas.

“We will also continue to work in close partnership with bus operators.”

Read more:

• Harrogate bus plans in tatters after government rejects £116m funding bid
• Council could sell Harrogate district grass verge cuttings

The Bus Service Improvement Plan included £23 million for new bus lanes, £74 million for other infrastructure changes and £14 million for support for bus services.

‘Plans didn’t lack ambition’

The government claimed areas that failed to get the cash had not shown “sufficient ambition”. In total, just 34 of 79 areas which applied were successful.

In Yorkshire, this included the West Yorkshire Combined Authority which submitted a bid for £168 million, but was given £70 million, while City of York Council wanted £48 million and got £17.4 million.

Cllr Mackenzie said he believed the plans for North Yorkshire were ambitious enough to win funding and that he was now keen to speak to government officials to understand their decision. He said:

“I don’t think our plans lacked ambition. They were worth £116 million over eight years – that doesn’t lack ambition or aspiration.

“Until such time we have spoken to ministers or senior civil servants, I can’t say exactly what was lacking from our submission.

“We knew the Bus Back Better budget had been severely curtailed… but I expected to get some money, not nothing at all, so I’m very disappointed.”

The county council and Harrogate Bus Company have been successful in a separate bid for £7.8 million to make the firm’s fleet all-electric with the delivery of 39 zero-emission buses.

The project will cost almost £20 million in total, with more than £12 million being invested by Transdev – the parent firm of Harrogate Bus Company.

It will see 20 single-decker and 19 double-decker buses bought over the next three years, as well as the supporting charging infrastructure.

The Nelson Inn in Killinghall is to reduce its opening hours after agreeing to a takeover bid.

The pub, which is situated on the A59 Skipton Road, posted on social media today that it will be closed on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays from next week but open as normal for the rest of the week.

It said:

“The reason for this change in opening hours is because we have been approached by an established company to take over The Nelson Inn and has made us an offer we can’t refuse.

“We believe they will continue with the values and beliefs we have founded into bringing The Nelson Inn back to its former glory.

“We’ve tried to put our very best energy and effort into creating a family friendly pub with good home cooked food. We are hopeful we have created a stepping stone for something special.”

The post thanked customers for their support, adding:

“Hopefully we can see everyone before we close the doors, we will be updating with more information as soon as we know our final date.”

Read more:

• Plan resubmitted to convert Sharow pub into house
• Have missing Killinghall peacocks been secretly killed?

Ambitious plans to transform buses in North Yorkshire were dealt a stunning blow today when the county was completely overlooked for funding.

North Yorkshire County Council applied for £116million from a UK government scheme to improve buses outside London.

The county council warned last month it was unlikely to receive the full £116million after government funding for the Bus Back Better initiative was slashed from £3billion to £1.4billion.

But officials were left shocked today when North Yorkshire didn’t receive a penny, with the government suggesting their plans lacked ambition.

It means plans to create better and more affordable buses in the county will have to be reconsidered.

Harrogate a priority area

Congested Harrogate had been earmarked as a priority area in North Yorkshire to benefit from funding. New bus lanes and a park and ride were among the upgrades planned.

Michael Leah, assistant director of travel, environmental and countryside services at the council, said:

“We are extremely disappointed not to have received an allocation from this round of government funding.

“We believe we had a strong and ambitious bid in our Bus Service Improvement Plan, but we understood that the government’s fund was greatly over-subscribed and that there was no guarantee of funding.

“We are keen to speak to the Department for Transport to understand its decision and to discuss the possibility of any future opportunities to bid for funding.”

Read more:

• £7.8 million awarded to help make Harrogate Bus Company’s fleet all-electric
• Bus strategy ‘hollow’ without more money, says Harrogate Bus Company boss

‘No funding for areas lacking ambition’

The government awarded funding today to 31 councils, city regions and unitary authorities — and some will implement fare cuts of up to 45% from next week.

A Department for Transport statement said:

“The successful areas have been chosen because of their ambition to repeat the success achieved in London — which drove up bus usage and made the bus a natural choice for everyone, not just those without cars.”

“As the government stated in last year’s national bus strategy, Bus Back Better, areas not showing sufficient ambition, including for improvements to bus priority, would not be funded.”

The funding means passes for unlimited bus travel across Cornwall — one of the successful bidding areas — will be reduced from £9 a day to £5.

Despite today’s setback, Mr Leah said:

“We remain committed to enhancing North Yorkshire’s public transport and continuing to work with bus operators to improve services across the county.

“Our recently agreed enhanced partnership with operators is not entirely reliant on this funding, so we will be able to progress elements of that partnership.”

A disused Methodist chapel near Masham dating back more than 100 years could be converted into a home.

The Old Chapel at Breary Banks, Healey, was built in 1911 for workers building reservoirs that served people in Leeds. Breary Banks was later used as a prisoner of war camp during the First World War.

The slate roof chapel is not a listed building but is considered to be a non-designated heritage asset located within the Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Harrogate Borough Council has now received a planning application from Clementine Godwin to convert the chapel into a single house.

The rear of the chapel.

Planning documents submitted to the council say:

“The proposal is to convert the redundant former chapel into a single dwelling unit. This will be open plan and the sleeping area will be on an upper mezzanine level.

“The intention is to repair and maintain the external character and appearance of the old chapel. The entire development is contained within the existing envelope of the building, without the need for additional structure or openings in the external walls.

“The external repairs to the building will all be carried out with the utmost care and be sympathetic to the original construction.”

Read more:

• Plan to build 26 homes on former Masham livestock mart
• Lorry fears over million-tonne Masham quarry extension plan

Masham Parish Council has supported the application.

Breary Banks village was constructed in 1900 by the Leeds Corporation, which had commissioned the creation of two nearby reservoirs to supply Leeds with water.

The village was designed to house the navvies working on the construction of the reservoirs and their families. By spring 1904 the settlement accommodated 400 men with more huts being built, according to planning documents.

Sixteen men lived lived in each hut.

Planning permission was granted for the chapel to be used as a furniture workshop in 1983 but it was never acted on.

Ripon Grammar School‘s boarding school has been rated ‘good’ by Ofsted.

A report published on Saturday said children “enjoy boarding at this school”, safeguarding arrangements are “effective” and “the school is very well supported by a skilled, experienced governing body”.

Government inspectors rated the boarding provision ‘good’ in all areas assessed. It was rated ‘outstanding’ at its previous Ofsted inspection in 2017.

Ripon Grammar has 929 boys and girls aged 11 to 18 years, of which 94 are boarders. Yearly fees for years seven to 11 are £11,719.

Accommodation is provided in two houses: School House for boys and Johnson House for girls.

School House

The latest Ofsted visit took place from February 8 to 18 this year.

The report said:

“Children enjoy boarding at this school. They make new friends and enjoy socialising with children of all ages. Older children help the younger children, or those new to boarding, to feel at home.

“Children feel they are fortunate to board at this school. They believe that the experience helps
their overall development.

“Children are helped to settle as boarders. There is a well-established routine of visits
to the school before children begin boarding.”

Headteacher Jonathan Webb

Boarders told inspectors their boarding houses were like ‘big families’. The report said:

“Everyone has someone they can talk to, which means that children feel reassured
about being away from family members.”

Areas to improve

Ofsted recommended improvements in three areas. It described the arrangements for auditing medication as “mixed”, adding:

“This reduces the effectiveness of the oversight of medication that is stored in the boarding houses. The head of boarding accepts this shortfall and plans to improve these processes.”

Read more:

• Ripon Grammar BMX rider earns place in world championships
• Art gallery will be retained in plans to redevelop Ripon building

Inspectors also said that although most areas are well maintained “the physical condition of the boarding houses varies” and that “some bathrooms need improving and one of the houses lacks homely touches” .

“Given that some children stay in the boarding houses for long periods, this is detrimental to their experiences.”

Ofsted also said there was a potential risk to children, recognised by leaders, due to the siting of the artificial playing field and their were plans “to improve screening to enhance the protection afforded to children”.

Headteacher ‘extremely pleased’

Mr Webb said:

“Overall we are extremely pleased with the outcome of this report given the increased rigour, now evident from Ofsted, which is being applied to the inspection framework.

“Since our last inspection in 2017, boarding at RGS has most definitely moved on with some essential, possibly less eye-catching, initiatives such as the considerable amount of investment we have made to site and fire security in both houses, extensive upgrades to staff accommodation to ensure we recruit and retain highly qualified and committed staff, and improvements in some of the social spaces such as communal kitchens and common rooms.

“Last year we also added a further 10 new bedrooms in School House to accommodate boarders. In addition, a huge amount of work has been done to standardise routines across both houses and promote boarders’ independence.”