First there were the planters… now artificial grass is causing anger in Harrogate.

Fake grass first appeared on raised flower beds on Cambridge Street a few days ago. Today workers were tearing out plants and laying more artificial grass on Oxford Street.

It has led to passionate debate on social media about not only the aesthetics of the hyper-green look but also whether it conforms with modern thinking on the use of plastics.

A post by Lizzie Brewster drew almost universal condemnation.

https://twitter.com/HgCatherine/status/1390176171233628160

Andy Dennis replied on Twitter:

“Plastic is not the way forward and normalising this very abnormal product is misguided. This needs to be removed.”

The Little Ale House, which is based nearby, added:

“It’s also visually depressing.”

The Pinewoods Harrogate twitter account noted wryly the bright new look might be part of Harrogate Borough Council’s commitment to be the greenest council ever.

Cartoonist Graeme Bandeira was somewhat blunter:

“What the hell is that?”

Nina Jolly commented that astro turf belonged on sports pitches and nowhere else.

The Stray Ferret has asked Harrogate Borough Council about the artificial grass and will publish its response when received.

Read more:

• James Street pedestrianisation back on the cards in major town centre scheme
• Stray Views: Planters, pruning and the NHS Nightingale..

Harrogate couple Kate and Paul Banerjee have launched an appeal to buy oxygen equipment for covid patients in India with breathing difficulties.

Money raised will go to the British Asian Trust, a charity founded by the Prince Charles and British Asian business leaders in 2007 to tackle poverty and injustice in the poorest parts of Asia.

The trust is working with the Swasth Foundation in India, a non-profit healthcare provider, to source medical equipment that is in desperately short supply in the covid-hit country.

Read more:

• Cranes remove Nightingale oxygen tanks in Harrogate
• Just 363 first vaccines in Harrogate last week as supply drops

The couple set an £8,300 fundraising target — enough to buy 10 oxygen concentrators.

Since it launched on Monday, the appeal has so far generated £4,995, which is about 60% of the target.

Ms Banerjee said:

“It all started because I know that there’s a lot of people who want to help but don’t know how to do it in a way that will get the money to the people that need it.

“We raised over £10 a minute in the first five hours — it shows the big heart that Harrogate has.”

The couple are not resting on their laurels: they plan to print leaflets and go door-to-door in the next week to raise awareness.

Ms Banerjee said:

“The fundraiser is open-ended. If we reach the target, we’ll see if we can increase it and keep moving. They haven’t reached the peak yet in India and I’m afraid things are going to get worse before they get better.”

The daily number of covid cases of covid in India approached 400,000 this week, amid widespread reports of oxygen shortages.

The oxygen concentrators which the appeal will provide extract oxygen from the air, and are therefore independent of oxygen supplies.

Harrogate Borough Council has rejected repeated calls for the sale of Ripon Spa Baths to be halted while work on the city’s regeneration masterplan is underway.

The council put the historic baths on the market in February in a move which sparked concerns that it could lose its community use if snapped up by a private developer.

Groups including Ripon City Council, Ripon Civic Society and Ripon Together have since made calls for the sale not to be rushed through.

But a Harrogate Borough Council spokesperson has now made its intentions clearer than ever. The spokesperson said:

“We have no plans to withdraw the sale of Ripon Spa Baths.

“The building will soon become surplus to our requirements and we do not have the resources to maintain it.

“Selling the baths for redevelopment, subject to planning permission and listed building consents, would allow this local asset to be given a new lease of life, retain its key features and remain as a city landmark.

“Ripon City Council, or another interested party, is welcome to submit a bid.”

Read more:

• Ripon Together organises free summer events for children
• Ripon Spa Baths gets date to reopen in May

Alternative options

City council leader Andrew Williams told a meeting on Tuesday that it was “clearly inappropriate” for the 116-year-old baths to remain on the market while the Ripon Renewal Project is underway.

The Harrogate Borough Council-led project started in January with a consultancy firm being paid £85,000 to draw up a vision for the future of the city and help it win funding for major infrastructure, planning and community projects.

At Tuesday’s meeting, Cllr Williams also pledged to set up a community working group to think up future uses for the baths, which will reopen on May 14 following months of closures caused by the lockdown and staffing issues.

He said:

“This council needs to take a lead in bringing other groups together to look at alternatives in terms of what the Spa Baths site could potentially be used for.

“With this master-planning exercise going on at the moment, we shouldn’t be taking this building out of the equation.”

The Harrogate Borough Council spokesperson said the building was being sold because it will no longer be needed by the authority when the refurbishment of Ripon Leisure Centre is completed later this year.

The multi-million pound upgrades were due to be completed earlier in 2021 but there have been construction and covid delays.

The spokesperson added:

“Our strategy of disposing of assets no longer required means we have been able to invest more than £10m in Ripon.

“The city’s new state-of-the-art, bigger, and better swimming pool and refurbished leisure centre will open at the end of this year”.

Voters will head to the polls tomorrow to elect a new county councillor for Bilton and Nidd Gorge.

A new councillor will be elected to North Yorkshire County Council following the death of Liberal Democrat Geoff Webber.

It is the only local council election taking place in the Harrogate district.

Ahead of polling day, the Local Democracy Reporting Service has interviewed and profiled each candidate.

Andrew Kempston-Parkes, Liberal Democrat candidate for Bilton and Nidd Gorge.

Andrew Kempston-Parkes, Liberal Democrat

The Liberal Democrat candidate standing in tomorrow’s Bilton and Nidd Gorge by-election says a vote for Labour or the Green Party “will just let the Conservatives win”.

Andrew Kempston-Parkes, who has previously represented the Bilton area on Harrogate Borough Council, said in a message to Labour and Green voters: “your vote is safe with me”.

He is one of six candidates competing to take the Bilton and Nidd Gorge seat.

Mr Kempston-Parkes said he has “big shoes to fill” but hoped to continue the “great work that Geoff did” if elected.

He said:

“I would be honoured if the people of Bilton and Nidd Gorge would trust me to be their county councillor – they have my word that I will work tirelessly for them.

“I want to continue the great work that Geoff did in being a voice for local people, the homeless and those seeking affordable houses. I also want to support our great educational establishments, protect our green spaces and stop overdevelopment.

“Another big thing I would push for is a park and ride similar to the one in York which has been a great success.

“Harrogate could benefit hugely by taking more traffic out of the town and bringing more people in. Sadly there has been lots of talk but no action on this in the past.”

Mr Kempston-Parkes is a local businessman who runs a chartered surveyors firm in Harrogate. He previously served as a borough councillor for four years but lost his seat in the 2011 elections.

He said there is a “real need for change” in local politics which has “Conservatives at every level”.

Mr Kempston-Parkes said:

“I feel there is incompetence and arrogance, and the Conservatives are not helping our town.

“It’s only through hearing opposing views and listening to arguments that we can find the best way forward.

“I would ask anyone who sees themselves as centre or left-centre on the political spectrum to vote for me. A vote for Labour or the Green Party will just let the Conservatives win.”

Matt Scott, Conservative candidate for Bilton and Nidd Gorge.

Matt Scott, Conservative

Conservative candidate Matt Scott has told voters to “judge my record on its own merits” ahead of polling day for the Bilton and Nidd Gorge by-election.

Cllr Scott has represented the Bilton area on Harrogate Borough Council since 2018 and is one of six candidates competing to take the vacant seat on North Yorkshire County Council.

He said:

“I have lived in Bilton my entire life which means I use the same roads, shops and all the same council services as local residents – and I’m immensely proud to already represent the community I have grown up in.

“As a Harrogate borough councillor since 2018, I have been handing out newsletters into the Bilton division which set out our record of action locally.

“In addition to the Bilton and Nidd Gorge seat, there is the current Conservative county councillor Paul Haslam who is a sort of next door neighbour to me. We have a great working relationship and I would want that to continue if I was elected.”

Cllr Scott, who is employed as a case worker by Andrew Jones, the Conservative MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, added:

“I will still be serving as a Harrogate borough councillor if I’m elected and will continue my current top priority of tackling litter. I’m hoping as restrictions ease further, I can organise more outdoor gatherings for litter picking and street cleansing.

“I also know anti-social behaviour has been an issue of late and in my capacity as borough councillor I have worked with safer communities teams on this.

“I’m putting a positive message out there that I will allow residents in my division and the wider Bilton and Nidd Gorge area to judge my record on its own merits.”

Tyler Reeton, Labour candidate for Bilton and Nidd Gorge.

Tyler Reeton, Labour

A teenager who will become North Yorkshire County Council’s youngest member if elected this week has pledged to bring a “fresh face” and “real change” to local politics.

Tyler Reeton, 19, is standing in his first election for the Labour Party and is one of six candidates competing to fill the Bilton and Nidd Gorge seat left vacant following the death of Liberal Democrat councillor Geoff Webber.

Voting will take place on Thursday and Mr Reeton said tackling anti-social behaviour is his top priority as he also promised to launch a new annual event to “bring the community back together”.

He said:

“While I’m young at 19-years-old, that doesn’t make me any less passionate than the ordinary person – I will be a fresh face and the only candidate who will be truly accountable to residents.

“Anti-social behaviour is a problem which is spiralling out of control because not enough has been done. It’s a difficult situation to tackle but I believe in the message that if we all work together, we can get the job done.

“I would organise surgeries so residents can speak directly with police to crackdown on the problem before it gets to this point again.

“My local recovery plan will focus on rebuilding the community after Covid and using my county councillor grants, I will bring back a yearly community event like the Bilton Gala which has been fundamental for so many years.”

The Labour candidate is a former Harrogate Grammar School student and aspiring solicitor who says his sole aim in life is to help others.

Read more:

• Bilton by-election: every candidate announced

• Local elections 2021: Everything you need to know in Harrogate district

• What the Bilton by-election candidates say on the big issues

He believes “years of party politics” have damaged relationships in Bilton but vowed to start a “rebuilding process” if he is elected.

He said:

“I am not in this for myself, my aim is to help others and make Bilton a better place to live. I feel party politics has damaged reputations between councillors and residents and I now want to start on that rebuilding process.

“With the effort I am putting in and the fact I will be accountable to residents, I believe I have a great chance of winning this election.

“We need a councillor who is accountable and can crack on with the job. If you pledge a vote for me, you will be voting for real change.”

Harvey Alexander, Independent candidate for Bilton and Nidd Gorge.

Harvey Alexander, Independent

An independent candidate has vowed to do everything he can to bring more speed camera warning signs to North Yorkshire if he is elected as the new Bilton and Nidd Gorge county councillor.

Harvey Alexander said he is standing in Thursday’s by-election because he has become “incensed” with the “lack of” warning signs in the county as he also pledged to push for the creation of more high-tech jobs in Harrogate to support the economic recovery from covid.

He said:

“Every other local authority in the Yorkshire area puts up speed camera signs but in North Yorkshire there are none.

“The point of these signs is to slow traffic, not catch people speeding. Some areas have signs up 24/7 even when there are no cameras there and they do their job to make the roads safer.

“If you vote for me I will do everything I can to bring more speed camera signs to the area and also address concerns about unemployment.”

Mr Alexander is a former UKIP member and retired electronics engineer who first became involved in politics when he stood for Leeds City Council at 21-years-old.

He most recently represented UKIP at a Leeds election in 2016 and is one of six candidates competing to take the Bilton and Nidd Gorge seat.

He said:

“There is an awful lot of housebuilding going on but there is no industry being brought in to give jobs to local people.

“There is also a hell of a lot of commuters who travel outside Harrogate and this is a problem which is only going to get worse.

“What I find so annoying is all these big companies taking their business down south. We need to be doing a lot more to encourage big businesses to come here in Harrogate, especially these companies in high-tech industries.”

Mr Alexander, who also served as a parish councillor in North Rigton and Pannal, said he could not support any of the options on the table for local government reorganisation in North Yorkshire and instead believes Harrogate should reclaim its historic links with the west of the county.

He said:

“I do feel Harrogate should go back to its connections with West Yorkshire. A huge number of people have links with Bradford and Leeds – that’s where people work and travel to the most.”

Arnold Warneken, Green Party candidate for Bilton and Nidd Gorge.

Arnold Warneken, Green Party

The Green Party candidate contesting in this week’s Bilton and Nidd Gorge by-election has claimed the community is at risk of being “dismantled” by current councillors.

Arnold Warneken is one of six candidates competing to become the division’s new county councillor with voters set to go to the polls on Thursday.

He has put anti-social behaviour, littering, traffic pollution and loss of green space as his top priorities and has promised to “retain the uniqueness of the Bilton community” if elected.

Mr Warneken said:

“With the backing of the Green Party, I would work to solve these issues, push to retain the uniqueness of the Bilton community, and build on the fantastic resources they already have here, which are under-rated, under-stated and under-funded.

“Local councils must have our climate in mind as we build the economy back after covid.

“More Green councillors mean a substantial commitment to the climate action we all know is urgently needed in all our council chambers. Future generations depend on the steps we take now, protecting green spaces, reducing CO2 pollution from cars, making our roads safer and providing resources for them.”

Mr Warneken became the first ever Green councillor in the north of England when he was elected to Harrogate Borough Council in 1991.

He has lived in the district for 65 years working as a farmer and currently sits on a number of committees and environmental groups including Harrogate District Climate Change Coalition.

Mr Warneken added:

“As chair of the area planning, town twinning and environmental health committees, my experience will be invaluable moving forward as the region changes under the re-organisation of the authority in the coming years.

“I will use my experience working with and for the community, if I’m elected; I’ve been the district council representative on the Selby Police Liaison committee and a director of Harrogate Theatre and established and chaired Harrogate Environmental Forum.

“Now is the time to help local people have a say in local matters they deserve. I want to amplify their voices for the good of the community, to ensure that services they rely on and the future of the community is not at risk.”

John Hall, Yorkshire Party candidate for Bilton and Nidd Gorge.

John Hall, Yorkshire Party

The Yorkshire Party candidate competing in this week’s Bilton and Nidd Gorge by-election says it’s time the county got a fairer share of government funding.

John Hall is standing in his third election for the party which launched six years ago with the aim of devolving spending and decision-making powers from Whitehall to Yorkshire.

And while the government rejected its ‘One Yorkshire’ devolution bid in 2019, Mr Hall said the party’s priorities remained clearer than ever.

Mr Hall said:

“Fairer funding for Yorkshire is our main message..

“School pupils who live in the London borough of Tower Hamlet receive around £6,965 of government funding per head, while those in Yorkshire get £4,613. This is not fair and something I want to tackle.

“We want a proper Yorkshire devolution package to keep as much localism as possible.

“And where Yorkshire Party candidates have been elected in the past, they have always been a success. We are pushing a new message but we know we can make a difference.”

Mr Hall previously stood to be MP for Thirsk and Malton and also for the Starbeck seat on Harrogate Borough Council.

His party have previously won seats on three councils in Yorkshire including North Yorkshire County Council, East Riding Council and Selby District Council.

Speaking about the issues he hopes to tackle as the new county councillor for the Bilton and Nidd Gorge division, he said:

“I do know anti-social behaviour is becoming an issue so I would hope to get a good working relationship with police right from the word go.

“Affordable housing is another issue I want to get involved in and I would insist that any new homes to be built must fit almost seamlessly into the area.

“It’s going to take time for me to truly understand all of the issues and concerns in Bilton but I would be a new broom who could start afresh and not be tied to any existing problems or difficult relationships, as I know there is some hostility currently.”

Two people have been found dead in an incident at the DoubleTree by Hilton Harrogate Majestic hotel.

Police are currently at the hotel on Ripon Road. No further details are currently available.

A spokesman for the DoubleTree by Hilton Harrogate Majestic Hotel & Spa said:

“Following an incident last night, the police were called and we are currently assisting them with their enquiries.”

Read more:

• Hotel guest’s shock after two die at Harrogate’s Majestic
• The man hired to revive one of Harrogate’s most historic hotels

Like blossom on the Stray, bluebells in Ripley are a highlight of spring in the Harrogate district.

As these images by amateur photographer Michael White show, the annual display in Ripley woods is now in full glory.

Mr White, who lives in Birstwith, took the photos at 6.30pm on Sunday.

The route through the woods is popular with dog walkers and cyclists.

Besides bluebells, the woods also feature numerous pheasants and other wildlife, such as squirrels, which were beautifully captured in these photos.

Read more:

• Ripley Show cancelled due to covid
• WATCH: Harrogate blooms with cherry blossoms on the Stray

The author Lady Antonia Fraser will discuss her latest book’s Ripon connections in this year’s Markenfield Hall lecture series.

The hall, near Ripon, has held lectures since 2013 to raise funds for restoration work.

Past speakers include the writers Phillippa Gregory, Diane Atkinson, Julian Fellowes, Leanda de Lisle and Anne de Courcy.

Lady Antonia, who headlines this year’s series, will talk about her book The Case of the Married Woman, which is due out next month.

The book portrays the Victorian women’s rights activist Caroline Norton, whose descendant Lord Grantley owns Markenfield Hall.

Lord Grantley and Lady Antonia will talk about Norton’s life, as well as how the Markenfield archives were used as a source for the book.

The lecture will take place online on May 12.

Read more:

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Until last year, lectures were held in the drawing room at Markenfield Hall, which can seat about 50 people.

This year’s planned online events also feature the author Alexander McCall Smith, the writer A N Wilson and the Guardian journalist Madeleine Bunting.

Lord Grantley’s mother, Lady Deirdre, lives at the hall with her husband Ian Curteis, the former TV director.

The programme for 2021 is available here.

Train operator Northern is introducing new timetables with more trains from Sunday May 16.

Northern has been running a reduced service since the current lockdown began in January but the new timetable will return services to similar levels to before the pandemic.

It means the Harrogate line will have more trains during peak hours, and services will start earlier and end later on some days.

Throughout most days there will continue to be a roughly half-hourly service between Harrogate and Leeds, and an hourly service between Harrogate and York.

Read more:

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Some of the changes include:

• The first train from Harrogate to Leeds on weekday and Saturday mornings will leave Harrogate station at 0605, half an hour earlier than currently.
• There will be 11 trains from Harrogate to Leeds on weekdays and Saturdays leaving before 0900, as against five currently.
• The last train from Leeds to Harrogate will be almost two hours later, at 2339 instead of 2129, every day except Sunday.

Northern do not expect any overcrowding, although a spokesperson said:

“It’s very difficult to say. There is no official capacity limit, however we are very conscious that people may well be concerned so we’re asking people to tailor their journeys to try and travel outside of the busiest times.”

Trevor Chapman was elected to succeed Stuart Martin as mayor of the Harrogate district last night.

Cllr Chapman, a Liberal Democrat who represents Bilton Grange on Harrogate Borough Council, succeeded Conservative councillor Stuart Martin.

Here are 10 facts about the district’s new mayor.

1 He was born in 1944 in Finedon, Northamptonshire, where the Reverend Richard Coles is parish priest.

2 He met his wife, Janet, when they both worked for the East Midlands Electricity Board in Northamptonshire. They married in 1966 and have two children, Zoe and Ben, and five grandchildren.

3 They moved to Harrogate in 1970 when he got a job with North Eastern Electricity Board, where he worked as an energy marketing sales engineer.

4 A keen football fan, he grew up supporting Kettering Town but after moving to Harrogate became a regular season ticket holder at Leeds United and watched the great Don Revie team. He’s also a member of Yorkshire County Cricket Club and a life member of Bilton Cricket Club, where he used to coach the under-17s.

5 He worked in electricity until privatisation in 1999, when he took early retirement.

Read more:

• Trevor Chapman elected as Harrogate district mayor
• ‘Stop dumping waste in recycling bins’, says Pateley Bridge mayor

6 His two political heroes are local Liberal Democrats Geoff Webber and Phil Willis, who ignited his interest in politics. Webber, who died this year, was a Liberal Democrat councillor on Harrogate Borough Council and North Yorkshire County Council and Willis was MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough from 1997 until 2010.

7 With their encouragement, he was elected to represent the Liberal Democrats on Harrogate Borough Council in a New Park by-election in 2004. When the boundaries changed in 2018, he stood successfully in Bilton Grange, which he still represents.

8 The mayor usually holds office for one year. The honour is rotated between the political parties based on the amount of seats each one has. The Conservative-controlled council therefore has the most mayors. This year it was actually the turn of the independents to hold the mayoral office but neither independent councillor wanted to take the role so they nominated Cllr Chapman instead.

9 In a typical year, the mayor can attend as many as 400 events. Covid decimated this for the previous mayor but in-person duties have resumed. One of the highlights Cllr Chapman is most looking forward to is attending the Great Yorkshire Show in Harrogate.

10 His three nominated charities are Supporting Older People, which he is a trustee of, Citizens Advice Craven and Harrogate Districts, which his wife was a trustee of for 19 years and the Friends of Harrogate Hospital.

Harrogate Borough Council has begun making preparations for the live streaming of meetings to continue when councillors return to the chamber next month.

Emergency regulations which allowed local authorities to meet remotely – where councillors tune in from different locations – were introduced in March last year and most meetings have since been broadcast online.

The rules will expire on May 6 when meetings must return in person but there is a government expectation that they must still be live streamed for members of the public.

Harrogate Borough Council has ordered live streaming equipment to install at its headquarters in what marks a major change from when councillors voted against any live streaming in January 2020 before the pandemic struck.

Read More:

• Virtual meetings could ‘drag council into 21st century’ and open up democracy to a wider audience
• ‘Mistake’ to return to in-person meetings, says council leader

They voted against the idea because of claims it would have been too expensive – and it is not yet known how much the new equipment will cost.

Conservative Cllr Ed Darling told a meeting on Thursday that the council was now waiting for the installation of equipment to begin.

He said:

“Remote meetings have become commonplace over the past year – I personally think they have been rather positive.

“A solution has now been ordered and we are awaiting its installation. Once it is installed and tested, the members ICT working group will meet to review the system.”

It comes as the High Court has this week rejected a challenge by local government lawyers and Hertfordshire County Council for online council meetings to continue after May 6.

He also argued councils should be given a choice whether to hold meetings remotely or in-person in the future.

Announcing the end of the emergency regulations last month, Luke Hall, minister for regional growth and local government, said in a letter to councils that he recognised safety concerns but the vaccine rollout and fewer covid cases “should result in significant reduction in risk for local authority members meeting in-person”.