Nidderdale wakes to snow

Higher ground in Nidderdale experienced a white start to Boxing Day this morning.

A yellow weather warning for snow and high winds was in place from shortly after midnight and it did indeed create some treacherous conditions.

This photo shows Greenhow Hill, near Pateley Bridge, in the early hours.

It is one of several this morning on the North Yorkshire Weather Updates Facebook page.

One showed treacherous driving conditions on the road from Blubberhouses to Greenhow Hill.

Current conditions on the road between Blubberhouses and Greenhow Hill. @juliatetley @UKWX_ @UKsnow_updates @bezberesford @JonMitchellITV @Hudsonweather @SimonLeeWx @uksnowmap pic.twitter.com/uz2PEKdr2v

— NorthYorksWeather (@northyorkswx) December 26, 2021

 

The show appears to have been confined to the west of the Harrogate district and is not expected to last long as wetter weather moves in.

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Boxing Day snow warning for Harrogate district

The Met Office has issued a Boxing Day weather warning for snow and strong winds in the Harrogate district.

The warning comes into effect just after midnight and is in place until midday tomorrow.

A band of snow is expected to move in from the north-west in the early hours, turning to rain later on in the morning.

The warning says:

“Snow and strong winds are expected, leading to possible disruption, mainly to travel over higher ground.

“Some roads and railways likely to be affected by snow or ice, leading to longer journey times by car, as well as by bus and possibly train services.

“Some short term loss of power and other services is possible.”

Yellow warnings are less severe than amber and red warnings so it is unlikely there will be widespread disruption but it is possible some parts the district, especially higher areas around Pateley Bridge, may experience early morning travel problems.

The cold weather is unlikely to last. Temperatures are expected to be as high as 13 degrees centigrade by Wednesday and stay extremely mild into the new year.

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Picture quiz answersVandals wreck outdoor nativity scene near Boroughbridge

Villagers near Boroughbridge were left angry and upset after vandals wrecked a nativity scene in their parish churchyard.

The nativity was put in place at St John’s Church in Minskip last week in time for a carol service, held outside because of covid concerns.

A central part of it was the nativity scene, which three or four of the church council had put up themselves.

The first indication that something had happened came early this morning.

Minskip nativity scene

The scene this morning.

Churchwarden Robert Beaumont said:

“The lovely couple, Jason and Helen, who live next door to the church, heard a noise at about 5am.

“They’re not sure if that was the vandals destroying the nativity scene but when they looked out of their windows at about 7am, all the wise men, the crib, everything, was scattered all around the churchyard.

“To have it just destroyed in this wanton and mindless manner was heart-breaking. And we’ve all been thinking, why would anybody want to do that?”

The church has reported the incident to police.

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Villagers have managed to salvage the scene and rebuild it,

Mr Beaumont said.

“Although the vandals kicked parts of the scene all over the church or they didn’t break them in two.

“So with a lot of love and care, three members of our church committee worked from about half past eight this morning and put the whole scene back together again.

“And so, as one of our church council members said, love will always triumph over hate and good over evil. And that’s one of the messages of Christmas, so that was rather appropriate.

“But that doesn’t quite extinguish my anger as churchwarden that people should find it appropriate to desecrate our churchyard.”

It caps a difficult period for St John’s. A drunken motorist crashed into the church wall about six weeks ago. Insurance covered it but the church had to pay a £500 excess.

Covid-permitting, the village will hold an outdoor Christmas Day service with the nativity scene firmly in the foreground.

 

Men suspected of murder after body found in Harrogate

Three men have been arrested on suspicion of murder after a body was found on Mayfield Grove in Harrogate.

North Yorkshire Police received a report that a man had died in a flat at about 11.30pm last night.

They went to the scene and found the body of a man.

A police statement said three men, two in their 30s and one in his 20s, were arrested at the flat on suspicion of murder. They remain in custody at this time.

Chief Inspector Andy Colbourne, county commander, said:

“I recognise that local residents will be extremely concerned by what has happened, but they can be reassured that an extensive investigation is underway.

“Officers will be conducting enquiries in the area, and the neighbourhood policing team are carrying out extra patrols to provide further reassurance.”

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Anyone with information that could assist the investigation is asked to contact North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 2 and ask for the major investigation team.

Alternatively you can call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. Please quote reference number 12210264785 when passing information.

Harrogate man Daniel Ainsley, 24, was jailed in October for murdering Mark Wolsey, 48, on Mayfield Grove.

Disabled Harrogate woman threatened with Christmas eviction from care home

The mother of a disabled woman who faces eviction from her Harrogate care home and being moved into a Premier Inn has accused the local authority of treating her daughter like a “slab of meat”.

Catherine Bradwell, 49, who was left partially paralysed and mildly brain damaged from a fall down stairs five years ago, has been staying at Southlands Care Home on Ripon Road since June last year.

North Yorkshire County Council, which provides social care, has been trying to find more suitable long-term accommodation and considered moving Catherine into a homeless unit in Starbeck before deciding she should go to a disabled access room at the Premier Inn hotel on Springfield Avenue in Harrogate.

Catherine’s mother, Gaye Bradwell, 81, was told the move would take place over Christmas but since contacting the Stray Ferret has discovered it has been put back to an unconfirmed date.

Nevertheless, her daughter’s long-term accommodation remains uncertain and Gaye believes the case highlights how “shoddily” disabled people with specialist housing needs are treated.

Gaye, whose late husband was an eminent surgeon at Harrogate District Hospital, wonders how many other families are in a similar situation. She said:

“My daughter is being treated like a slab of meat that’s being pushed around. They have no idea what stress it’s causing. It’s simply unbelievable.”

Gaye Bradwell

Gaye Bradwell

Catherine needs help showering, getting dressed and preparing food. She can walk unassisted indoors but due to balance problems and the risk of falling on uneven surfaces, uses a wheelchair outside. Gaye said:

“The ideal solution would be that she is found sheltered accommodation with access to help and a warden that can check if she’s OK.

“But social services will not agree that she needs to be in sheltered accommodation, which she jolly well does.”

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Southlands, which offers long-term residential and nursing care, was never considered to be a permanent option for Catherine, who is much younger than other residents and does not require round-the-clock care.

Gaye said Southlands staff had been wonderful but agreed a more suitable long-term option had to be found for her daughter, who wants to live as independently as possible.

She said social services had suggested three retirement homes, as well as Fern House, Harrogate Borough Council‘s 19-bed homeless unit on Spa Lane in Starbeck, and now the hotel.

No continuity of care

She said Catherine’s age made retirement homes, which cater for over-55s, unsuitable and the other options highlighted how woeful provision was for disabled people who want to live independently.

When threatened with the move to the homeless unit, Gaye paid for an independent occupational therapy assessment, which concluded “that retirement housing or a hostel for homelessness people would be suitable for her vulnerable physical, cognitive and psychological difficulties”.

The assessment added:

“She needs to live somewhere with adequate support where she can remain as independent as possible within safe limits but where she can be assisted promptly in the event of a fall, a seizure or being unable to complete essential activities of daily living.”

The council assessor eventually agreed the homeless unit would be unsuitable but then said Catherine would be moved to the Premier Inn, where she would be supported by a care package, on December 27.

Gaye said five different social workers had been allocated to help her daughter over the last one, which made continuity of care difficult.

Richard Webb, director of health and adult social services at the county council, said:

“Whilst we cannot comment on individual cases, in situations like this one, the county council will undertake assessments and look at all options.

“Sometimes we provide people with accommodation for a limited period  to help their discharge from hospital while reviewing their ability to live independently.

“However, we will only fund and provide permanent 24-hour care where that is required: wherever possible, we will provide home care and try and help individuals to stay in their own home and/or work with them and housing services, to find alternative accommodation.”

Jackie Snape, chief executive of Disability Action Yorkshire, which runs a residential care home for adults with physical disabilities on Claro Road, Harrogate, declined to comment.

Police appeal after ‘violent robbery’ in Harrogate

Police are appealing for information after a 17-year-old boy had his trainers stolen in a “violent robbery” in Harrogate.

The incident happened at Bilton Grange Close, near to the junction with Skipton Road, at about 11pm on Saturday, December 11.

According to North Yorkshire Police, two males thought to be aged between 16 and 18 years of age chased the victim from the Majestic Wine shop on Skipton Road to Bilton Grange Close.

They then assaulted and threatened him and stole his footwear – a distinctive pair of black and orange Nike Air Max 90, which are sold for about £125.

Police want help identifying the two suspects, who are described as slim, wearing face coverings and dressed all in black.

A police statement said:

“They were seen in the vicinity of the Texaco Petrol station on Skipton Road shortly before the robbery took place.

“One of them was riding a black mountain bike and the other on foot.

“Officers are particularly keen to identify a man who was in the area at the time of the assault, who was wearing a distinctive black EA7 baseball cap as they believe he may be able to assist their enquiries.

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Anyone with information can contact North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 2, and ask for PC 1484 Dave Foyston . You can also email david.foyston@northyorkshire.police.uk

If you wish to remain anonymous, you can pass information to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Please quote the North Yorkshire Police reference number 12210260693.

Two boys in their late teens have been arrested in connection with the incident. Both have been released on conditional bail.

Covid rate surges in Harrogate district as jab clinics open for children

The covid rate increased significantly in the Harrogate district today in another sign that the Omicron variant is beginning to have an impact.

The seven-day rate leapt from 419 per 100,000 people to 476. It was 383 two days ago. It comes after another 144 daily infections were reported by NHS England.

The rate remains considerably lower than the England average of 783 but slightly above the North Yorkshire average of 444.

Harrogate West and Pannal Ash, which has had 57 confirmed cases in the last seven days, is the district’s current covid hotspot.

A total of 91,569 people in the district have received either booster or third doses of the covid vaccine.

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The Great Yorkshire Showground in Harrogate will accept walk-in patients and booked patients for booster jabs tomorrow this week.

Children aged 12 to 17 will also be able to turn-up for walk-in boosters at the showground from 1.30pm to 4.30pm tomorrow and from 9am to 12.30pm on Tuesday.

Ripon racecourse, which was not open today. is due to administer more jabs tomorrow.

200 people sign petition to save Harrogate M&S cafe

More than 200 people have signed a petition opposing the closure of the cafe in Marks & Spencer‘s store on Leeds Road, Harrogate.

The company wants to increase the size of its food hall at Oatlands by more than 70% and extend into the neighbouring Sofa.com retail unit.

But the plans would also see the closure of the cafe, which is a popular meeting point.

The petition, sent to the Stray Ferret by one of the signatories, says:

“There is such strong feeling about the cafe. Your customers really appreciate the service and feeling of community there. The staff are also so kind and friendly.

“The customers see it as a wonderful meeting place, a resource which is convenient for shopping and a place for parents and children to meet up before and after school.

“The elderly and lonely also find friendship in the cafe. Plus the food and drink is excellent! I really hope you will read all the comments and reconsider closing the cafe.”

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The petition has also been sent to Andrew Jones, the Conservative MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough.

If M&S’ plans are approved by Harrogate Borough Council, the expanded store will include an in-store bakery, wine shop, fill your own section to reduce waste and new decor throughout.

The retailer said in a statement:

“Our expansion plans at M&S Harrogate Oatlands are designed to deliver a bigger, better and fresher new-look food hall for shoppers and mark a significant investment in the local area.

“Whilst these plans involve closing the in-store café, they will allow us to transform the store to deliver the very best of M&S for our customers in Harrogate, with a bigger range of M&S food products than ever before.”

Harrogate business groups call for Station Gateway to be revised

Three Harrogate business groups have called for the Harrogate Station Gateway scheme to be halted after the latest consultation found a majority was opposed to the scheme.

The results, published yesterday, revealed that of 1,320 people who replied to an online survey, 55% feel negatively towards the initiative, 39% feel positively and five per cent are neutral. One per cent said they didn’t know.

North Yorkshire County Council, which is leading on the scheme, is set to decide whether to proceed next month.

But a statement issued yesterday by the county council suggested it and Harrogate Borough Council, which is also behind the scheme, remain in favour.

A joint statement today from Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce, Harrogate Business Improvement District and Independent Harrogate, accused those behind the project of ignoring criticism and urged them to “put the brakes on”.

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The statement said:

“Despite concerns raised by businesses, the civic society and residents who will be directly affected by the proposed scheme, it’s full steam ahead.

“As we have said on many previous occasions that we welcome investment in the town centre and encourage active transport, and during the first round of consultation we put forward a number of alternative suggestions regarding the cycle lanes, James Street and the A61, which have been disregarded. Negative comments are also ignored.

“In the summer, we conducted our own poll, and the majority of those who responded were against reducing the A61 from Cheltenham Parade to Station Bridge to a single carriageway, and pedestrianising James Street.

“At last month’s Chamber meeting, an overwhelming number of those present were not in favour of the proposals.

“With covid having had such a massive impact on business, and our hospitality sector once again suffering due to the latest Omicron strain, can our town centre economy endure a further 12 months of disruption to deliver this project?

“We ask the county council to put the brakes on this scheme, take into account our views, and come back with a revised plan that the majority of business and the public will wholeheartedly support.”

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.

The Harrogate scheme aims to make the town centre more attractive and encourage cycling and walking.

The most contentious aspects are plans to reduce a section of Station Parade to single lane traffic, part-pedestrianise James Street and re-route some traffic off Cheltenham Parade into neighbouring streets.

If the scheme goes ahead, work will begin by the middle of next year.