Help give homeless and elderly people free Christmas hampers

The Wesley Chapel in Harrogate is fundraising to buy hampers for people who are alone this Christmas after covid prevented its usual lunch from taking place.

For the past 35 years the Methodist chapel has provided Christmas day lunches for up to 100 people.

All guests are offered a full Christmas dinner, entertainment, carol singing, and a snack before being transported home.

It has given mainly elderly, lonely and homeless people not only a hot meal but also company.

Now it has set up a crowdfunding campaign to buy a minimum of 120 hampers.

Esther Hitchen, a volunteer helper for the Wesley Chapel, said:

“Sadly, this year we are unable to provide a Christmas Day lunch due to the covid restrictions.

“Instead, we are organising hampers, which will be delivered to the door of our guests on the 25th of December.

“We hope it will brighten up their day and help them feel less alone this Christmas.”

Any funds that don’t get used will go towards next year’s Christmas dinner.

You can support the appeal here.

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Will falling covid rate save Harrogate district from tier 2?

Covid rates in the Harrogate district and North Yorkshire overall are continuing to fall sharply — but will it be enough to prevent the county moving into tier two restrictions next week?

Public Health England reported just 21 infections for the district today, which followed 11 announced yesterday.

The district’s seven-day average rate of infections is now 157 per 100,000 people — about half of what it was a fortnight ago.

North Yorkshire’s current rate is 196. The England rate is 207.

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The government is due to reveal on Thursday which tiers each area will be in.

It would appear North Yorkshire is likely to be in tier one or tier two — and the difference between the two is vast.

In tier one, pubs and restaurants can open with table service; in tier two, they can only open if they serve substantial meals and there is no household mixing indoors.

The decision could therefore determine whether many hospitality businesses stay open — and possibly even survive.

King James’s School spending £7,000 a week on covid

King James’s School in Knaresborough is spending an extra £7,000 a week tackling covid, Parliament was told yesterday.

Covid has imposed additional costs on all schools, such as paying for supply teachers to cover teachers who are isolating.

But the scale of the problem at one local school was laid bare during a Commons education debate.

Andrew Jones, the Conservative MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, asked if the government would take into account variable infection rates when planning education budgets for tomorrow’s Spending Review.

Mr Jones said:

“The highest levels of infection lead to the highest levels of people having to isolate, including teachers, so there are increased budgetary costs from having to backfill teaching staff.

“King James’s School in Knaresborough, a secondary school in my constituency, briefed me that this is running at £7,000 a week, so schools are facing a significant challenge.”

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Paul McIntosh, acting headteacher of King James’s School, urged ministers to help. He told the Stray Ferret:

“In the present climate, it is unsustainable to keep spending the extra money on resources like additional cleaning and supply teachers in order simply to maintain the school functioning in a relatively normal capacity.

“We would greatly appreciate the government giving serious consideration to providing schools with additional funding in order to support us through these difficult winter months.”

Gillian Keegan, the skills minister, told the Commons debate the government had provided £75,000 additional funding for “unavoidable costs that could not be met from their existing budgets”.

She added:

“There will be a further opportunity later in the year for schools to claim for eligible costs that fell between March and July.”

 

Harrogate and Knaresborough libraries partially reopen

Harrogate and Knaresborough libraries are set to resume their reduced lockdown services this week.

The libraries closed last week after a member of staff in each one tested positive for covid.

The buildings have been given a deep clean and staff who needed to have self-isolated.

Harrogate library will resume services tomorrow and Knaresborough is expected to be back in operation on Saturday.

Library members will be able to use the select and collect service, which allows them to order books by phone or email and pick them up from the library entrance.

Library computers will also be available for essential use, but must be booked in advance.

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Harrogate will open from 10am to 4pm on weekdays and from 10am to 2pm on Saturday.

Knaresborough will open from 9.30am to 1.30pm on Saturday, 9.30am to 12.30pm and 2pm to 5pm on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, 9.30am to 1.30pm on Thursday and 9.30am to 12.30pm and 2pm to 7pm on Friday.

North Yorkshire county councillor Greg White, executive member for libraries, said:

“We have robust safety measures in place, including collecting contact tracing details, strictly limited numbers and plentiful hand sanitiser, so customers can continue to use our select and collect and to book public computer sessions with confidence.”

All libraries in the county are currently closed for browsing.

Bid to turn former Harrogate post office into 25 flats and offices

Harrogate’s former post office could be radically transformed into a four-story building containing 25 flats plus offices.

Property development company One Acre Group has submitted plans on behalf of Post Office Ltd to Harrogate Borough Council to convert and extend the disused building on Cambridge Street.

If approved, the three-storey sandstone terraced building would be converted into a four-storey mixed use facility consisting of 25 one and two-bedroom flats and office space.

The post office controversially relocated to WH Smith last year amid claims by Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones the service was being “downgraded”.

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A heritage report commissioned by One Acre Group describes the ex-post office, which was designed by architect Sir Henry Tanner and built at the turn of the last century, as an ‘unimposing building of little distinction’.

The report adds the building contributes ‘very little’ to the character and appearance of the Harrogate conservation area in which it is located, and would in fact provide ‘minor beneficial effects on the character and appearance’.

The report adds:

“The proposed development will secure high density residential development within a highly accessible location through the conversion and extension of an existing vacant building in easy access to a wide range of shops, services, job opportunities and public transport infrastructure.”

The application also seeks to demolish the building’s rear extension, car parking, refuse area and cycle parking.

One Acre Group, which is based in Harrogate, commissioned planning consultants ELG Planning, which has offices in Harrogate and Darlington, to draw up heritage and planning reports on the proposal for the council, which must now decide whether to approve the scheme.

If it does, work could start in the summer.

 

Harrogate district covid infections hit five-week low

The Harrogate district’s hopes of being in the lowest tier of restrictions when lockdown ends in 10 days time received a boost today when just 28 covid infections were reported.

The figure, from Public Health England, is the lowest since the 26 positive cases on October 18.

Infections soared after then and were well above the national average this month until a considerable recent slowdown.

Just 31 were reported yesterday.

The R number, which refers to the virus’ reproduction rate, was 1.6 a fortnight ago but is now down to 1.1.

The seven-day rolling average rate of positive cases has declined significantly from over 300 to 190.

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In more good news today, no hospital deaths were reported.

North Yorkshire was in the lowest tier of restrictions pre-lockdown and the recent trend has raised hopes it may be classified the same when the government announces new measures later this week.

Boroughbridge and Marton-cum-Grafton has become the district’s current covid hotspot, with 29 infections in the last seven day — one more than Killinghall and Hampsthwaite.

Pateley Bridge and Nidd Valley has recorded the fewest positive test results in the last seven days, with just seven.

 

 

Plastic toaster put in oven causes house fire in Harrogate

Firefighters using breathing apparatus were called to an oven fire in Harrogate early this morning when a plastic toaster was put inside an oven.

The toaster caught fire and two women who were in the house at the time received precautionary check-ups from paramedics at the scene.

Two fire crews from Harrogate and one from Knaresborough were called to the incident on Otley Road at 2.36am.

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North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service’s incident log said the women were in their early 20s but did not name them.

The log said smoke detectors were fitted at the property, adding:

“The cause is believed to be careless use of a heat source. Crews used two breathing apparatus and one hose reel.”

Fears solar panel farm in Harrogate could dazzle pilots

Plans for a five-acre solar panel farm in Harrogate have attracted concern from the aviation industry that it could dazzle pilots flying to and from Leeds Bradford Airport.

Yorkshire Water has submitted initial plans to Harrogate Borough Council to erect panels at its Bachelor Gardens sewage works in Bilton.

George Graham, airside operations unit supervisor at Leeds Bradford Airport, said in a written consultation response on behalf of the airport it would like to review the scheme against aviation safeguarding criteria. He added:

“Specifically we’d review the application with a view to understanding the potential glint and glare risk and its impact on aviation activity.

“Harrogate is a published visual reference point for aircraft operating into and out of Leeds Bradford Airport using ‘out of the window’ navigation and as such we’d like to safeguard against any potential threat to airline safety.”

Mr Graham added the airline would need to conduct an initial review before deciding if a formal glint, glare assessment was necessary.

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Yorkshire Water, which is the second largest landowner in the county, plans to develop energy at 150 of its sites as part of its bid to become carbon net zero by 2030.

A spokesman for the company said the sewage farm would continue to operate alongside the solar panels.

Yorkshire Water has applied to the council for an environmental impact assessment screening opinion to determine whether the project would be likely to have significant effects on the environment. It has yet to submit formal a formal planning application.

A spokesman said:

“Many of Yorkshire Water’s treatment works include land that could be used for different purposes, such as ground mounted solar arrays.

“These allow us to maximise the value of otherwise un-used land, while providing renewable energy to offset the consumption of existing on-site assets.”

Plea for free staff parking at Harrogate hospital

Councillors have unanimously supported a plea for free staff parking at Harrogate District Hospital.

Staff pay up to £1,300 a year to park at the hospital, which suspended charges during the first lockdown.

Charges were reinstated on September 23 and have continued to apply since.

North Yorkshire County Council yesterday unanimously supported a Liberal Democrat motion calling for NHS hospital trusts to provide free parking for staff during the covid crisis.

However, this does not mean it will happen.

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The decision is down to Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the hospital. It has not indicated that it plans to discontinue fees.

Liberal Democrat county councillor Geoff Webber, who represents Bilton and Nidd Gorge, moved the proposal, which said:

“That this council makes known to all NHS hospital trusts in North Yorkshire that this council supports and encourages free on-site parking for frontline NHS staff at their place of work for the duration that covid places a strain on the NHS.”

Cllr Webber said:

“I am delighted that this proposal has received unanimous and cross-party support.

“It is the least we can do to show our appreciation to the front-line NHS staff who daily put their lives at risk for the community.”

The Stray Ferret asked Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust whether it supported the motion or had any plans to suspend parking fees but had not received a response by the time of publication.

The parking fee situation in the Harrogate district is currently confused.

Harrogate Borough Council, which controls off-street parking, has suspended charges.

But North Yorkshire County Council, which controls on-street parking, continues to charge.

 

 

 

Harrogate teen jailed for supplying heroin and cocaine

A Harrogate drug runner has been jailed for three-and-a-half years for supplying heroin and crack cocaine.

Daniel Chatten, 18, was first arrested in July when police spotted him walking away from a known drug user in the town centre, York Crown Court heard.

He was bailed pending further enquiries but was then caught “bang at it” again, said prosecutor Dan Cordey.

On this occasion, police spotted the teenager on Coach Road, arrested him and searched his home, where they found dozens of wraps of heroin and crack cocaine.

Chatten was inordinately co-operative with police, even telling them where to find the drugs cache, adding helpfully: “There’s loads!”

The teen appeared for sentence via video link on Wednesday after pleading guilty to two counts of possessing Class A drugs with intent to supply.

High purity cocaine

Mr Cordey said officers on patrol in Tower Street on July 6 spotted Chatten “walking away from a known drug user”.

He ran off but was stopped in Victoria Avenue. Officers searched him and found £675 in his rucksack, as well as a “debt list” and a mobile phone that was “constantly ringing”.

They also found 100 wraps of Class A drugs in his underpants, including 57 wraps of “high-purity” cocaine and 43 wraps of heroin.

As he was being arrested, Chatten bragged to officers that the cash found on him “wasn’t even half of a day’s takings”.

Mr Cordey said Chatten was operating as a drug “runner” on behalf of suppliers higher up the chain who badgered the teen with text messages such as “Sort it out” and “It’s getting late”.

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Chatten was released on bail following his arrest, but about six weeks later patrol officers spotted him on Coach Road. Again, he tried to scuttle off but officers recognised him from his first arrest and he was quickly apprehended.

They found a single wrap of cocaine, which Chatten had stuffed inside a cigarette lighter after unscrewing the top. Chatten’s phone was “ringing constantly again”, said Mr Cordey.

Drugs kept in sock

During a subsequent search of Chatten’s home, he told officers where they would find the drugs stash and added: “There’s loads – they’re in the wardrobe, in a sock in a jacket pocket.”
Inside the wardrobe were two purple tubs containing 22 wraps of cocaine and 11 wraps of heroin.

Officers also found a snap bag, inside which were 23 smaller bags of heroin, a set of weighing scales, £160 in cash and 23 “deal” bags of crack cocaine.

In August at York Magistrates’ Court, Chatten, of no fixed address, was given a 12-month conditional discharge for sending an offensive or menacing text message on February 27.

Magistrates committed him to the crown court for sentence on the drugs matters.

Nicholas Leadbeater, for Chatten, said his young client had no previous convictions for drug offences.

He said Chatten had begun selling drugs so he could buy his own house, and after his initial arrest he continued peddling heroin and cocaine to repay his “employers” for the drugs seized by police.

Jailing Chatten for three-and-a-half years, judge Sean Morris said he could not overlook the fact the teenager had been dealing potentially lethal substances that “create misery”. He added:

“To make things worse, once arrested – albeit (you were) honest with police – you were bang at it straight away because you were in debt.”

The judge made a confiscation order in relation to the cash seized from Chatten.