Road works in the Harrogate district will continue during the third lockdown, according to North Yorkshire County Council.
Several long-term projects were scheduled to take place on some main routes at the start of the year, including Otley Road and Skipton Road in Harrogate.
The lockdown has brought many businesses to a halt, with staff encouraged to stay at home.
But county councillor Don Mackenzie, executive member for access, said construction projects, including street and road works, were permitted to continue in accordance with Public Health England and industry guidance.
He added:
“All of this work contributes to the safe, efficient operation of the highways network so other key workers can do what they need to do.”
“As traffic levels are reduced to a minimum, our repair work can be carried out quickly, efficiently and with little or no disruption.”
Mr Mackenzie added contractors were nearing completion of the £15.1m Local Full Fibre Networks scheme, which has seen 170km of gigabit fibre installed in 20 towns in North Yorkshire. He added:
Can you help deliver hot meals to vulnerable people?“At the same time, the Superfast North Yorkshire project has continued throughout the covid pandemic in order to ensure that increasing numbers of businesses and households in rural areas have access to high quality broadband, which is even more vital in times of lockdown.”
A charity that delivers hot meals to older people has issued a plea for more volunteers during the lockdown.
Harrogate and Ripon Foods Angels needs extra help because of rising demand for its services and a reduction in volunteers due to shielding.
The food angels prepare and deliver about 120 meals daily for vulnerable people in Harrogate and Ripon.
Today’s plea is not only for individual volunteers but also for businesses: for instance, two staff at Harrogate firm Slingsby Gin help every Thursday.
The service not only provides meals but also helps reduce isolation among vulnerable people during the pandemic.
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Sue Cawthray, chief executive of Harrogate Neighbours, which oversees the food angels, said it expected demand for meals to increase in the weeks ahead and any help would be appreciated. She added:
“New shielding guidelines have forced regular and willing volunteers to take a step down, which has left a big gap in the number of people we need to deliver the meals each day.
“We are asking those individuals or local businesses who can spare some time to please do so, so that we can continue to provide the much-needed service into the community.
Volunteers follow government guidelines and protocol, including wearing PPE.
For more information on volunteering visit here or call 01423 888777.
Police appeal for help finding fraudsters who conned woman, 80Fraudsters pretending to be from a disability service stole three bank cards from a woman in her 80s in Summerbridge.
Police in Harrogate today issued a CCTV appeal to find the man and woman responsible.
The suspects took three bank cards and subsequently made fraudulent transactions in Ripon and Darlington.
The incident occurred on Hartwith Bank at around 4.45pm on October 14.
A North Yorkshire Police statement said:
“We are appealing for information which will help to identify the suspects, including anyone who recognises the person in the CCTV image, which is from TK Maxx in Darlington around an hour after the incident.
Read more:
- Man jailed for breaking police officer’s leg and threatening ex-partner
- Police arrest suspected cocaine dealers after chase in Harrogate
Anyone with information can contact North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 2, and ask for Katie Bell.
You can also email katarina.bell@northyorkshire.pnn.police.uk.
If you wish to remain anonymous, you can pass information to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Quote the North Yorkshire Police reference number 12200181553.
The Harrogate district’s top five covid hotspotsThere have been 633 covid infections recorded in the Harrogate district in the last seven days, according to government statistics.
The infection rate has rocketed over the last month and the current seven-day average rate is now 494 people per 100,000.
But there are considerable variations within the district.
The government breaks each district into smaller areas known as middle super output areas, each with a population of about 7,200 people.
According to the latest figures, the middle super output areas with the most current infections are central Harrogate and central Knaresborough.
The more rural Pateley Bridge and Nidd Valley, which has been consistently less affected throughout the pandemic, has the fewest current infections.
Most infections
1 Central Harrogate 76
2 Knaresborough Central 61
3 Harrogate West and Pannal 59
4 Killinghall and Hampsthwaite 53
5 Starbeck 47
Read more:
- All over 80s in Harrogate district to be offered vaccine by end of month
- Three Harrogate Town players test positive for covid
Fewest Infections
1 Pateley Bridge and Nidd Valley 13
2 Hookstone 17
3= Dishthorpe, Baldersby and Markington
3= Spofforth, Burn Bridge and Huby 19
5 Masham, Kirkby Malzeard and North Stainley 21
Frontline Harrogate hospital staff ask for car parking refunds
Some frontline staff at Harrogate District Hospital have requested £150 refunds for being asked to pay for car parking during the pandemic.
Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust suspended parking charges for staff and visitors during the first lockdown but reinstated them in September.
The trust then wrote to staff last month saying it had decided to donate staff parking fees to Harrogate Hospital & Community Charity, where they would be put towards a staff health and wellbeing fund.
The monthly parking charge is £50.50, which means staff paid £151.50 to park on site during the last quarter of 2020.
Employees have now been given the choice to opt out of this arrangement or continue contributing to the health and wellbeing fund.
Most have chosen the latter, but a number have opted out and some are seeking refunds for parking charges incurred in the final quarter of 2020.
One frontline worker, who asked to remain anonymous, told the Stray Ferret they felt it was unfair to be charged for parking after such a demanding year, particularly with the risk of covid, or to be pressured into paying into the hospital charity, however worthy the cause. They added:
“It feels like a kick in the teeth after all we’ve been through in 2020. We were busy before Christmas but right now it’s manic and we feel we deserve this money back.”
Read more:
- 700 Harrogate hospital staff to be vaccinated this week
- Looking back: Extraordinary effort to build a Nightingale hospital in Harrogate
The person added £50.50 was a considerable monthly sum for low wage staff, including cleaners and porters, who paid for onsite parking to know their cars were secure when they worked overnight shifts rather than leave them on nearby streets, which can also annoy residents.
In a letter to staff last month, Jonathan Coulter, finance director of the trust, encouraged staff to continue contributing fees to the health and wellbeing fund but added:
“By necessity this needs to be optional for colleagues, and therefore you could simply opt out and park for free, but we would hope the vast majority of colleagues would like to continue this, given the positive impact that the money raised will have for all staff, and the fact that this will be at no cost over and above what you currently pay.”
Mr Coulter told staff last week that at the start of the year 13 of 300 staff the trust had written to had asked to opt out but he was aware more had done so since.
He added the issue would be kept under review.
A Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust spokesman told the Stray Ferret the car parking fees would be “specifically used to benefit colleague health and wellbeing all across the trust” and a staff group would decide where it is paid.
The spokesman declined to say whether staff would be offered refunds or why the trust had changed its parking policy again to offer the opt-out option.
Sixteen sheep died when they fell through broken ice on a pond in Burton Leonard yesterday.
North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service was called to the village at 5.30pm, when much of the Harrogate district was covered by ice and snow.
The service’s incident report said:
“A number of crews attended a large quantity of sheep that had wandered on to a frozen pond, causing the ice to break.
“Crews worked to rescue the sheep using two inflatable walkways, raft, lines, lighting, thermal imaging camera and crew power.
“Unfortunately of the 19 sheep rescued, 16 were dead.”
Rising temperatures have seen much of the snow and ice thaw today but many minor roads and pavements remain treacherous.
Three Harrogate Town players test positive for covid
Three Harrogate Town players have tested positive for covid, the club announced before this afternoon’s fixture with Cambridge United.
The trio consists of winger Brendan Kiernan, striker Aaron Martin and defender Ryan Fallowfield.
All three have been regular first team players recently but despite their absence today’s match goes ahead.
Aaron Martin. Pic credit: Harrogate Town
Ryan Fallowfield. Pic credit: Harrogate Town
The club tweeted that the players tested positive in the most recent round of testing and are now isolating. It added:
“All other tests at the club returned negative results and we wish all three a speedy recovery.”
Many of today’s fixtures have been postponed due to the weather but Harrogate’s trip was to high-flying Cambridge is still on.
Read more:
- Hometown midfielder Jack Emmett leaves Harrogate Town due to illness
- Frustration as Harrogate Town game abandoned after 10 minutes
Travel problems remain in Harrogate district after freezing night
Freezing temperatures after yesterday’s snow are continuing to cause problems in the Harrogate district.
Overnight temperatures plunged as low as minus 12 degrees centigrade in some parts of North Yorkshire and a Met Office yellow warning for ice remains in place until 11am.
This has caused problems for motorists, travel companies and some venues that have remained open during the lockdown.
The Harrogate Bus Company said this morning it was unable to operate the 2A/2B – Bilton; 3 – Jennyfield; 6 – Pannal Ash; 8 – Knaresborough to Wetherby and the 24 – Pateley Bridge.
It added the 1 would operate between Harrogate, Starbeck and Knaresborough bus station only, saying it was still unable to reach the Knaresborough estates.
And the 21 will be a non-stop service between Boroughbridge and Knaresborough on the motorway.
However, the 36 is running its full route from Ripon to Leeds.
Read more:
- Gallery: Full day of heavy snow hits Harrogate district hard
- How Harrogate’s snow day unfolded and caused chaos
Gritters have teated main roads but North Yorkshire County Council has warned the reduced lockdown traffic could make it less effective and many minor roads are treacherous.
The council also tweeted its household recycling centres in Harrogate and Ripon will open late today due to the weather.
RHS Harlow Carr remains closed today, as does Fountains Abbey, near Ripon. Both are offering refunds.
No further significant snowfall is expected and temperatures are forecast to rise slightly over the weekend.
A Harrogate snow scene sent by reader Yvonne Davies
Alice Brooke Thwaites captured this image of the impact of the snow at Starbeck train station.
Police arrest suspected cocaine dealers after chase in Harrogate
Police have arrested two suspected cocaine dealers after a chase in Harrogate.
North Yorkshire Police said officers on patrol followed a car on Leeds Road travelling towards Harrogate last night.
When the vehicle stopped the passenger ran off, discarding a large amount of suspected cocaine and a mobile phone.
Following a short chase on foot he was found to be in possession of £700.
The pair from Leeds, aged 28 and 44 were both arrested on suspicion of possessing class A drugs with intent to supply.
The driver was also arrested on suspicion of drug driving after a roadside drugs test showed a positive result.
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- Police drugs bust near Harrogate’s Valley Gardens
- Police to challenge rule breakers on Harrogate district roads and beauty spots
Both men have since been released while under investigation to allow for further enquiries.
Detective Sergeant Marcus Dawson, of Harrogate police’s Operation Expedite team, which deals with county lines drug dealers, said:
“We are sending a clear message to the drug peddling fraternity that despite lockdown, it’s business as usual when it comes to disrupting drug dealing and the misery it causes.
“We urge members of the public to keep on reporting suspicious activity to us, we are still here and still need you to report information to us.
“If you prefer not to talk to us, remember you can report information to Crimestoppers anonymously.”
The police urged people to report signs of drug dealing, including ‘cuckooing’ – where drug dealers take over a vulnerable person’s house.
The signs to look out for include an increase callers at a property, an increase in cars pulling up for short periods of time, different accents at a property and windows covered or curtains closed for long periods.
Anyone with information can call North Yorkshire Police on 101. If you wish to remain anonymous, you call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Weather warning issued for snow and ice tonightWeather warnings are in place for snow and ice tonight in the Harrogate district as temperatures are set to plunge to minus four degrees centigrade.
The Met Office warning says some disruption to travel is possible due to icy stretches and snow falling.
North Yorkshire County Council gritters have been out but untreated roads could be hazardous.
The council warned in a tweet today the lockdown could make conditions worse;
“Although we’re gritting roads whenever needed they might still be icy. Salt needs traffic to activate it – less traffic during lockdown means gritting isn’t as effective and icy conditions may last longer than you would expect.”
A yellow warnings is in place from 5pm today until midnight tomorrow. Yellow warnings are less severe than amber and red warnings.
Tonight’s forecast. Credit: Met Office
The district has been in the grip of a cold snap since Christmas, which has seen occasional heavy snowfall in places, such as the A59 at Blubberhouses and Kex Gill.
Although it is forecast to stay cold, temperatures are expected to rise slightly over the weekend, bringing some respite from the freezing conditions.
Read more: