The headteacher of one of the largest primary schools in Harrogate has called for extra road safety measures outside the building to help parents and children comply with social distancing.
Tim Broad, headteacher of Western Primary School, said some people were taking risks crossing the busy Cold Bath Road at pick-up and drop-off times to avoid crowding at the nearby pelican crossing.
Mr Broad has asked North Yorkshire County Council to provide a temporary lollipop person outside the school, but the local authority has so far not agreed any action.
Mr Broad, who has worked at the school for 20 years and has been headteacher since January, said:
“This is the first time I can remember feeling deeply concerned that we could have a road traffic accident.
“The first week back was chaotic. We had a meeting on the Friday evening and changed the system as best we can.
“But we still have some children and parents trying to cross the road where it isn’t safe.”
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Western has 500 pupils, including its nursery intake, and the sheer volume of pedestrian traffic creates a social distancing hazard compounded by the narrow pavement outside the school and the busy road.
The school has introduced staggered start and finish times and uses three entrances and exits and to ease congestion.
But concerns remain, hence the school’s request for a temporary crossing patrol or signs urging drivers to slow down.
Mr Broad said the council had been responsive to the school’s concerns but it was proving frustratingly difficult to get action.
The Stray Ferret approached North Yorkshire County Council for comment but had not received a reply by the time of publication.
Montpellier Parade pedestrian plans may contravene Stray Act
Plans to pedestrianise Montpellier Parade and allow bars and cafes to put tables there may not get off the ground because they appear to contravene the Stray Act.
North Yorkshire County Council told the Stray Ferret on Wednesday it was was considering a request by Simon and Sharon Colgan, the owners of the Blues Bar, to close the highway.
But although Montpellier Parade is a highway it still forms part of the Stray, which is covered by a 1985 Act of Parliament.
The Act says the 200 acres of Stray land should not be used for commercial gain.
Judy d’Arcy Thompson, chair of the Stray Defence Association, which upholds the Act and safeguards the Stray against building, said individuals were free to enjoy a drink on the Stray but commercial gain was prohibited. She added:
“Presumably Harrogate Borough Council will have to do what the Stray Act dictates.”
Read more:
- Council considers plan to pedestrianise Montpellier Parade
- Blues bar denied permission to keep tables on the Stray
A spokesman for HBC, which is responsible for management of the Stray, said: “Montpellier Parade is part of the Stray. We will consider the recommendations provided by the highways authority.”
A spokeswoman for NYCC, which is responsible for highways, said it was still investigating the possibility of closing Montpellier Parade.
The Colgans sent their request to NYCC after HBC ordered it to remove tables from Stray land opposite its premises.
Another 16 positive covid tests in Harrogate district
A further 16 people have tested positive for covid in the Harrogate district, according to the latest daily figures from Public Health England.
Only one day since the end of May has seen a higher number of daily infections in the district.
The figure brings the total number of district infections to 961 since the start of the pandemic.
The Dragon Road car park in Harrogate will host another Department of Health and Social Care testing site tomorrow from 11am to 3pm.
Read more:
- Covid case confirmed at Ripon Grammar School
- Covid restrictions won’t stop “beautiful” weddings, says Harrogate celebrant
Sharp increase in speeding tickets pre-lockdown
The number of speeding tickets in North Yorkshire increased significantly before lockdown due to “intensified efforts” by police.
North Yorkshire Police issued 13,424 fixed penalty notices for speeding in January and February this year, compared with 9,726 during the same months last year and 6,147 during the same months in 2018.
It means the police, who released the figures following a request made under the Freedom of Information Act, more than doubled the number of speeding tickets issued during the two-month period compared with 2018.
The number of fixed penalty notices fell from 5,836 in February to 3,624 in March when lockdown began and has remained down on last year’s comparative monthly figures. However, the roads have generally been quieter.
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- Community groups to carry out speed checks in district villages
- Police crackdown on drivers abusing empty Harrogate district roads
A North Yorkshire Police spokesman said it was committed to tackling speeding and had been focusing particularly on towns and villages with a 30mph limit.
The spokesman said there had been some “awful driving and motorcycling” in spring on quieter roads during lockdown and it had launched “a significant operational response to tackle this”. The spokesman added:
“North Yorkshire Police has carried out several high-profile, county-wide roads policing operations in 2020 to address speeding in communities, on main routes and other dangerous road use.
“We saw speeds of more than 60mph in 30mph zones and more than 130mph on main roads during lockdown, when roads were quieter.
“The consequences of hitting a pedestrian or another vehicle at those speeds don’t bear thinking about, which is why we intensified our efforts to target irresponsible motorists.”
‘Horrific consequences’
The spokesman said police officers saw the “horrific consequences of excessive speed” when they attended incidents. He added:
“In the last few months, our officers have had to help people crushed by mangled vehicles, pick up body parts from the carriageway and witness people in their final moments of life. Then they’ve had to break the devastating news to the families left behind.”
Montpellier Parade in Harrogate could be closed to traffic and used instead for outdoor drinking and eating.
North Yorkshire County Council told the Stray Ferret it was considering a request by the Blues Bar to close the highway.
It is the latest twist in the saga in which Simon and Sharon Colgan, the owners of the Blues Bar, have been battling to maintain more outdoor space to compensate for a reduction in indoor capacity post-lockdown.
The bar’s indoor capacity reduced drastically from 80 to 25 when it reopened in July due to social distancing.
Harrogate Borough Council temporarily allowed the bar to have tables on the Stray to help business.
Read more:
- More than 2,000 call for council to leave tables outside Harrogate bars
- Blues bar denied permission to keep tables on the Stray
But the borough council insisted the tables were removed on Monday to “prevent damage to the Stray and also reduce the risk of injury should it become wet and muddy”.
Now North Yorkshire County Council, which is responsible for highways, is offering a lifeline.
Melisa Burnham, the county council’s highways area manager, said:
“We have received a request from the owners of the Blues Bar to close Montpellier Parade.
“We have not made any commitment to close this road as further investigation and relevant consultation with the emergency services and adjoining businesses still needs to take place.
“If practically feasible, necessary temporary traffic regulation order requirements would mean that this could be a number of weeks before it could be delivered.”
Any closure at this stage would be temporary, but Ms Colgan said Montpellier Parade was hardly used by traffic and pedestrianising the street would benefit the town as a whole as well as the Blues Bar. She said:
“It would create more areas for outdoor eating and be a popular area for people in the town centre.”
The toilet rolls aisle in Waitrose was empty at lunchtime today, sparking concerns that panic buying has returned to Harrogate.
A shopper sent this photo from the store to the Stray Ferret at about 1pm today. It is believed Waitrose stocked its shelves with toilet rolls this morning but they sold out in a couple of hours.
Reports on social media suggest some other supermarkets in the Harrogate district have also had a surge in demand for toilet rolls and other products, amid concerns the country could be heading for a second lockdown.
Flashback to March, when the Sainsbury’s store on Wetherby Road was affected by panic buying.
Yesterday the government announced new restrictions in response to rising covid infections.
A Ripon businessman led police on a cat-and-mouse road chase in which he shot through red lights and bombed through built-up areas at more than twice the speed limit on an uninsured Kawasaki motorbike.
Craig Hindson, 34, rode like a “lunatic” as he clocked up speeds of more than 80mph through Knaresborough and put at least one cyclist’s life in danger, York Crown Court heard.
He was jailed for six months and given a 15-month driving ban.
During the death-defying chase, the father-of-two taunted the pursuing officer by slowing down and “waving with his hand, indicating to pull over” – only to drop down the gears and speed off again, said prosecutor Dan Cordey.
At one stage, Hindson appeared to give himself up after pulling into a layby and stopping the bike. Police pulled in and an officer got out – only for Hindson to speed off again.
Read more:
- Four arrested after police helicopter chase in Ripon
- Crown court trial awaits man arrested for supplying heroin in Harrogate
The chase began on the A59 at the junction of York Road and Wetherby Road on 20 March.
Hindson began revving his engine aggressively in a line of traffic at temporary traffic lights at roadworks, drawing stares from people waiting at a bus stop.
Suddenly, Hindson “accelerated sharply, straight through a red light at high speed towards the Goldsborough roundabout”, added Mr Cordey.
80mph in 30mph zone
Among the queue of traffic was a marked police car, which gave chase but despite the wailing of sirens and flashing blue lights, Hindson sped up to “at least” 80mph on a 30mph stretch of road.
He shot through another set of lights, hotly pursued by police, just as two cyclists – a man and a woman – were crossing the junction.
The female cyclist had to stop in her tracks to avoid a potential collision. The scenes were witnessed by startled pedestrians walking along the pavement.
Hindson, wearing shorts, kept looking over his shoulder at the police car as he tore through Goldsborough.
“At times, he would slow down (and) wave with his hand, indicating to pull over, (then) drop gear before accelerating quickly away,” said Mr Cordey.
Ignored police
A short time later, Hindson appeared to give himself up when he pulled into a layby and came to a stop. The police car pulled up beside him, an officer got out and walked up to Hindson.
“He shouted at (Hindson) to remove his helmet and switch the machine off,” added Mr Cordey.
“The defendant nodded, but then very quickly accelerated away…onto the A59, towards the A1.”
The police vehicle managed to prevent Hindson pulling onto the A1 and instead the Kawasaki was forced into a dead-end, where it came to a halt. Hindson was duly arrested.
The officer found false registration plates on the Kawasaki, which Hindson said he had obtained from a “local lad”. The exact provenance of the motorbike remains unclear.
Hindson, of Princess Close, Ripon, was charged with dangerous driving, handling a stolen Kawasaki ZX and using a vehicle without insurance or a licence.
The tweed-jacketed businessman appeared in court on Tuesday when he admitted all three driving matters but denied handling stolen goods. His pleas were accepted by the prosecution and the handling charge was allowed to lie on file.
‘Foolish and out of character’
Defence barrister Holly Clegg said Hindson’s actions were “foolish”, albeit out of character.
He had been going through a “difficult time” after being kicked out of the family home and separating from his partner.
She said Hindson had been offered a go on the bike by a “lad he had seen around the local area” and “foolishly” the businessman took up the offer because he thought the motorbike was “cool”.
Hindson, who wore a crisp blue shirt and gold-coloured tie, ran a successful groundworks and Tarmacking company, which employed eight people.
References from business contacts described him as a hard-working, “reputable businessman” who was a devoted father and “very honourable individual”.
Judge Sean Morris told him he had ridden “like a lunatic” and could easily have killed someone, particularly the female cyclist who was in danger of being struck by the police car due to Hindson’s actions. This was no fault of the pursuing officer.
Julia Mulligan, the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for North Yorkshire, has published her first expenses since lockdown.
The latest data shows she claimed virtually no expenses from June to August, when lockdown caused many events to be cancelled.
Ms Mulligan’s highest claims are for a £373 two-night hotel stay and a £282 train ticket.
The two items are included in her May expenses, when her total monthly claims were £738.52, but relate to a pre-lockdown trip to London in early March.
Read more:
- More lockdown fines issued in North Yorkshire than anywhere else in England
- North Yorkshire crime commissioner estimates £1.6m coronavirus shortfall
A spokesman for the Office of the North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner said the tickets were purchased on 6 March for a visit to London the following week.
The spokesman said the £373 for hotel accommodation was for two nights and the £282 for rail travel was the cost of a standard class open return to London from Skipton.
Budget hotel
Ms Mulligan said she spent three days in London where she gave evidence to the Home Affairs Committee about North Yorkshire’s progress on workforce diversity, met the family of a serious case of online grooming and represented victims of serious sexual offences at a national meeting seeking improvements in the criminal justice system. She added:
“Unfortunately, as with many meetings at Westminster, the details for Home Affairs Committee were not confirmed in time for us to book advance tickets so we had to pay full fare, standard class tickets.
“Similarly, the cost of two nights accommodation in Westminster, booking last minute, does not come cheap, notwithstanding my staying in a budget hotel.
“It is my job to stand up for North Yorkshire, for our dedicated police officers and for victims of crime – and the cost of these meetings is an investment worth making to ensure our voice is heard.”
Ms Mulligan was accused of ‘extravagant spending’ on hotels and train fares last year by transparency campaigner Gwen Swinburn for claiming nearly £1,000 in eight weeks on her credit card,
Ms Mulligan replied that she always tried to achieve best value.
Ms Mulligan holds her next monthly public accountability meeting online at 1pm on Tuesday next week.
It will focus on the fire and police services’ response to coronavirus. People can watch live and submit questions.
The details are here.
Not-for-profit organisations, including schools and parish councils, are being invited to apply for grants of between £500 and £4,000 for food projects that improve the lives of young people in Yorkshire.
The Bettys and Taylors Family Fund has provided funding for the initiative, which opened for applications this week.
Organisations have until November 9 to submit bids.
Examples of eligible projects include cookery courses, food hygiene training and healthy eating initiatives.
Read more:
The fund supports food schemes because food is key to the business of Bettys and Taylors of Harrogate.
The guidance notes for organisations interested in applying say the fund “actively encourages applications to include costs for overheads (staff, rent, equipment, utilities etc.) that the project will incur”.
Organisations from all of Yorkshire can submit bids to York-based Two Ridings Community Foundation, which is distributing the funding.
Schools can only bid for projects that fall outside their curricular activities.
Contact Two Ridings Community Foundation on 01904 929500 for further information.
Four people have been arrested in connection with the theft of a car amid dramatic scenes in Ripon city centre today.
A silver Ford Galaxy was reported stolen from a house in the city just before 11am this morning.
Police found the car abandoned at about 12.15pm. A police spokesperson said:
“A number of people were seen running from it. Air support was called in from the police helicopter, and officers on the ground continued to search the immediate area.
“By 1pm, four people had been arrested, all on suspicion of theft of a motor vehicle. “
The suspects, who include a man in his 20s and three teenagers, remain in custody. The car is undergoing forensic checks.
Read more: