Harrogate and Knaresborough Reform candidate included in list of ‘unsavoury rogues’

The Reform UK parliamentary candidate for Harrogate and Knaresborough has been included in a list of ‘unsavoury rogues’ selected by the party.

Richard Brown was one of eight candidates named in a Mail on Sunday investigation.

The article said the right wing party “has surged in the polls but the party harbours some unsavoury rogues – from a candidate who supports Tommy Robinson to a covid conspiracy theorist who likened Boris Johnson to Hitler and even another who’s a convicted animal abuser”.

Referring specifically to Mr Brown, it said he “made misogynistic remarks about Labour MP Jess Phillips, calling her a ‘bitch’ in 2022”, adding:

“Last year, Brown also shared the false claim that doctors refused to treat Boris Johnson on the basis that he didn’t have covid, and claimed the pandemic was an ‘illusion’ that had been ‘planned’ by the government ‘since 2016’.”

Reform UK polled 16% — just 4% behind the Conservatives — in a YouGov survey last week.

The party announced former chartered accountant Mr Brown as its parliamentary candidate in August last year.

He describes himself as a “passionate believer in the United Kingdom as an independent agent on the world stage, self reliance, small state, lower taxes for corporations and individuals, control of immigration and cancelling net zero” on Reform UK’s website.

The Stray Ferret has contacted Mr Brown for a response to the article but not yet had a response.

A Reform spokesman told the Mail on Sunday the article was “pathetic nit-picking”, adding:

“Reform UK’s candidates are real people living real lives. Like all parties, Reform UK has had a small number of candidates who have said or written something unacceptable.

“We are proud that, when made aware of unacceptable behaviour, we act, and if necessary immediately remove candidates that have gone beyond the pale. Again, this is not something you will often see from our political opponents.

“Richard Brown was rude about a politician. He also shared claims that at the time were reported as fact.”

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Harrogate gallery to host Beatles exhibition

An exhibition of photos taken of The Beatles in 1968 will go on display at a gallery in Harrogate next week.

The Beatles: Mad Day Out will open on April 19 at RedHouse Originals on Cheltenham Mount.

It features 23 images by Tom Murray who was invited to assist renowned photojournalist Sir Don McCullin in capturing a new publicity campaign for The Beatles.

The Fab Four were in the midst of recording the White Album at the time and Murray, armed with just two rolls of film and a Nikon F:35mm, produced some of the most famous colour images of the band.

Speaking later, he said:

“It was as perfect a day as I could wish for. Getting to hang out with one of my favourite bands and take pictures was just sensational.”

The Mad Day Out portfolio consists of 23 images from the 195-print UK edition published in 2007. All prints are available to pre-order.

Just one example of each image, signed and numbered by Mr Murray, will be on display so the images are subject to availability.

The collection will be complimented by original artworks and rare 1960s ephemera, including pieces by German photographer Astrid Kirchherr, who was known for her association with The Beatles, and pop-artist Dudley Edwards.

The exhibition will run throughout spring.

All images by Tom Murray.

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Knaresborough care home set to expand

A Knaresborough care home has been granted planning permission to expand.

Thistle Hill Care Home will be able to provide more accommodation for younger people with physical disabilities and acquired brain injuries.

Barchester Healthcare, which owns the home on Thistle Hill, applied to North Yorkshire Council to create single storey extensions to the front and rear of the existing building, a roof terrace and four car parking spaces.

The home provides 24-hour nursing and specialist dementia care, and also operates the Farnham Unit, which offers specialist care for younger people with physical disabilities and acquired brain injuries.

According to a design and access statement by Harris Irwin Architects in support of the application, the scheme will provide eight additional en-suite bedrooms for these younger people.

The statement said:

“The 20-bed Farnham Unit is in high demand and always runs at full capacity. Potential permanent and respite admissions are routinely turned away due to lack of available beds.

“The home operates a waiting list for both private and respite admissions due to lack of capacity and has had to cease regular respite return stays due to full occupancy with permanent residents.”

It added:

“There is high demand locally for services that support younger adults with physical disabilities and/or acquired brain injuries. There are currently insufficient numbers of specialist beds that cater for both these needs locally. This insufficient local provision is leading to such cohorts being placed out of area, which is an undesirable outcome for all concerned.”

The home is situated 1.2 miles from Knaresborough town centre on Green Belt land.

Aimée McKenzie, the case officer at the council, said in the decision notice report:

“From a visual prospective the additions will be minimal. The scheme is an extension to an existing site, which is sustainable as it ensures its continued use.

“It is considered based on the need presented for this site specifically and local community benefit of continued specialist support; on balance and the cumulative benefits, there is justification for the expansion of this care home in this location. It is considered the proposal in principle does accord with local and national planning polices.

“On the basis of the above the development proposed is considered on balance to be acceptable in principle and would not create harm in relation to design, amenity, highway safety, impact to the green belt and protected landscape.”

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Exclusive: Council spent £1.9m on consultants for scrapped Harrogate Convention Centre plans

Almost £2 million of taxpayers’ money has been spent on consultants to come up with plans to upgrade Harrogate Convention Centre that have now been scrapped.

North Yorkshire Council and its predecessor Harrogate Borough Council have hired various consultants since 2016 as part of the long running saga to redevelop the convention centre.

So far none of the work has been carried out and last month North Yorkshire Council revealed it had abandoned previous plans drawn up by Harrogate Borough Council and recruited another firm of consultants called 31ten to carry out ‘soft market testing’ on the future use of the events and exhibition complex.

North Yorkshire Council refused to reveal at the time how much it had paid the 31ten — prompting the Stray Ferret to submit a freedom of information request.

We asked not only how much had been awarded to the London firm but also how much had been spent on consultants for all work involving the possible upgrade of the convention centre.

The response said 31Ten had been paid £23,000 plus VAT for work that is expected to be concluded by ‘late spring’. This figure pales in comparison to the overall sum awarded to consultants since 2016.

The freedom of information response said besides funding awarded to 31Ten “the remaining £1,948,590 relates to historic spend committed by Harrogate Borough Council”.

Harrogate Borough Council was abolished a year ago and succeeded by North Yorkshire Council.

The response added:

“It is North Yorkshire Council’s intention to use internal resource to support future proposals for Harrogate Convention Centre, and minimise spend with external consultants, wherever possible.”

‘More affordable’ way forward

North Yorkshire Council’s Conservative-controlled executive agreed last month to scrap a two-phase development plan for the building drawn up eight years ago after being told the cost of the first phase had soared to £57.2 million.

Instead it agreed to come up with a “more affordable” way forward. Centre director Paula Lorimer, who last year called for the refurbishment, said she had now changed her mind and agreed with the new approach.

The way forward will be guided by 31ten’s findings. The freedom of information response said:

“The aim of the soft market testing is to assist North Yorkshire Council in assessing the options for the future development and operation of Harrogate Convention Centre. Options may include, but are not limited to, alternative delivery and funding models, partnership working, alternative uses for parts of the site, and asset ownership.”

North Yorkshire Council currently subsidises the convention centre to the tune of £2.7 million a year.

The centre opened in 1982 and has a 2,000-seat auditorium and 13,000 square metres of exhibition space.

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12 local council staff named in Town Hall Rich List

A dozen council staff whose jobs covered the Harrogate district are named in today’s annual Town Hall Rich List.

The list, compiled each year by the TaxPayers’ Alliance, reveals which council staff were paid more than £100,000 in 2022/23.

The period covers the final year of Harrogate Borough Council and North Yorkshire County Council, which were abolished on April 1 last year to make way for the new North Yorkshire Council. Almost all staff transferred to the new local authority.

Four staff from the borough council are included on the list, including chief executive Wallace Sampson, who was one of the few not to transfer to North Yorkshire Council.

Mr Sampson received a total remuneration package of £237,534, which included a salary of £136,226 and £101,275 compensation for loss of office.

Paula Lorimer, director of Harrogate Convention Centre, is listed as the second highest paid member of staff at the borough council, on total remuneration of £121,818.

The borough council’s director of corporate affairs and director of economy and culture are the other two members of staff listed as earning in excess of £100,000.

£223,934 package

Chief executive Richard Flinton was North Yorkshire County Council’s highest earning member of staff, commanding a salary of £194,176 in a total package worth £223,984.

Mr Flinton, who was appointed chief executive of North Yorkshire Council, saw his salary increased to £205,897 this year.

Eleven other county council staff were paid in excess of £100,000, according to the list.

The list reveals 188 council employees nationally had a higher salary than Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who had a salary entitlement of £164,951 in 2022-23.

The highest remunerated was the now former director of culture, community and business services at Hampshire council, Felicity Roe, who received £651,158 in total remuneration

John O’Connell, chief executive of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said:

“The new financial year has seen council tax soar across the country, and taxpayers will notice that top brass pay has simultaneously surged.

“Local authorities provide crucial services and residents will want to make sure they are getting bang for their buck with their ever-increasing bills.

“Residents can use these figures to ask whether precious funds are really going towards frontline services, or whether town hall bosses can get better value for money.”

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Moped youths arrested in Knaresborough

Four youths are being investigated for riding a stolen moped, traffic offences and possession with the intent to supply drugs.

North Yorkshire Police said in a statement today, a police community support officer spotted three youths riding a moped without helmets in Knaresborough yesterday (Sunday, April 7).

It added five youths were subsequently arrested following “police activity” and four are now under investigation.

The statement added:

“House-to-house enquiries were carried out in the Stockwell area yesterday, however any CCTV footage would assist with the investigation.

“If you were in the Stockwell and surrounding areas yesterday between 3.30pm and 5pm please check any CCTV or ring doorbell-type CCTV for a red Yamaha moped and a group of youths.

“If you have footage or any information please contact NYP on 101 quoting reference 12240060502.”

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Brew York buys The Mitre pub at Knaresborough

Brew York has acquired The Mitre in Knaresborough.

It is one of three venues taken over by the independent brewery via an agreement with Market Town Taverns.

Brew York, which was founded in 2016 on Walmgate in York by Wayne Smith and Lee Grabham, has also acquired the Horse & Farrier in Otley and Coopers Bar and Brasserie in Guiseley.

The Mitre opened in 1923 but its future had been uncertain since it closed last year.

The pub, which is next to Knaresborough’s grade two listed train station, has a large central bar, function room, outdoor seating area and rooms to let.

According to a statement issued today, the plan is to take over all three venues this month with no significant changes,

Brew York beers will become the bar offer – across traditional hand-pull cask and keg, including lager – and the street food offer that has been a formula across existing Brew York venues will be introduced.

The Mitre

All Brew York beers are brewed in York either at the original brewery on Walmgate or at the main production facility in Osbaldwick, so the three venues will be a showcase of Yorkshire beer.

Towards the end of 2023 Brew York recruited John Hoe as bar operations director to lead an expansion programme.

As part of this, the existing four Brew York bars in York (Walmgate and Osbaldwick), Pocklington, and Leeds city centre have had their opening times extended.

Brew York managing director Wayne Smith said:

“We’ve now developed four solid Brew York venues that all offer a dynamic craft beer experience and we’ve realised a key opportunity to further strengthen and grow the business in this area.”

Business finance group Fresh Thinking Advisory advised on the deal.

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Police officer suspended after violent incident in Harrogate district

A police officer has been suspended after an arrest turned violent in the Harrogate district.

North Yorkshire Police said in a statement yesterday (April 7) it had referred the case to the Independent Office for Police Conduct “following concerns raised about the officers’ use of force”.

The incident happened in the Tockwith area on January 26 this year. Tockwith is between Knaresborough and York on the edge of the Harrogate district.

Police received a report of a road traffic collision. The statement added:

“Officers attended, and arrested a man in his 40s in connection with the incident.

“The man became violent towards officers, who used force to restrain and arrest him. He was taken to custody, and subsequently released on bail while enquiries continue.

“Following concerns raised about the officers’ use of force, the incident was referred voluntarily by North Yorkshire Police to the Independent Office for Police Conduct who are investigating the circumstances.

“Following a review, one officer was subsequently suspended from duty.”

The IOPC is a non-departmental public body which investigates the most serious complaints about conduct matters involving police.

The statement concluded:

“We want to reassure our communities that we take concerns of this nature very seriously, and will continue to work closely with the IOPC.”

The IOPC said in December last year a senior North Yorkshire Police officer had been suspended and was under criminal investigation “for the potential offences of misconduct in public office, improper exercise of police powers and intent to pervert the course of justice”.

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Readers’ Letters: Harrogate ‘feels like Narnia’ compared to where I’m from

Readers’ Letters is a weekly column giving you the chance to have your say on issues affecting the Harrogate district. It is an opinion column and does not reflect the views of the Stray Ferret. Send your views to letters@thestrayferret.co.uk. 

This letter is in response to two stories. The first being about recent vandalism on Harrogate’s Parliament Street, which prompted a letter from a reader feeling ashamed of the town’s appearance.

Vandalism anywhere is wrong. I can’t understand why the Parliament Street building was vandalised and it makes me annoyed.

I moved here from Bradford in December 2022. Where I used to live, there was constant noise from balaclava-wearing youths riding quad bikes or off road bikes with no lights or reg plates and boy racers driving their cars down my road like it was a racetrack.

Bradford and Harrogate are like chalk and cheese when compared. I felt like I was in Narnia. The trees on the Stray were lit at night and not just for Christmas. Everywhere I walked I was in awe, and still am, of the magnificent buildings, the history and the open green spaces.

In addition, the ever changing flower displays; the shopping and hospitality choices; Harry’s walking tours and the events organised by the Harrogate BID and Harrogate International – and so much more – are brilliant.

I take pride in Harrogate, and I wasn’t even born here. I wonder how many residents, whether born and bred here, or incomers like me, either take it all for granted or don’t even notice the great things that surround them. If only they were to take their eyes off their mobiles for a minute and look up.

I can appreciate that the roads are not paved in gold (I am not going to rant about the potholes) and not everything is wonderful, like anti-social behaviour, county line drug dealing, homeless and street beggars.

I know these issues can be seen in towns and cities throughout the UK, but I find it sad knowing and seeing how much wealth there is in some areas of Harrogate and yet so much poverty in other areas. More social affordable housing needs to be developed and not just another conversion of a former office building.

Richard Coulter, Harrogate

Harrogate’s overflowing bins give a ‘dire impression’ of the town

The following two letters are in response to a story published this week about overflowing bins in Valley Gardens. North Yorkshire Council denied the claims, but the images were pretty damning.

How indescribably irritating it is to hear that as far as the council are concerned “there are no reports of bins overflowing”.

Frankly, it’s a routine sight in Harrogate, despite the new bins being installed. People are trying their level best to dispose of waste appropriately, but the number of times I’ve seen bins crammed to the hilt is too often to count. It’s now the norm, not the exception.

At the risk of sounding vicious… your staff are clearly lying. Because the fact of the matter remains that we constantly see bins overflowing in and around the town. It creates a dire impression and clearly indicates whatever measures are in situ are wholly inadequate.

Don’t rely on staff to report their own efficacy – go out and see the mess for yourself!

Mark Fuller, Harrogate

I have just read the article concerning rubbish bins in Valley Gardens. We are currently in Japan where there are no litter bins and no litter.

Everyone takes their litter home for disposal. We are simply a dirty and uncaring people.

Yes, the bins should be larger and emptied more frequently but we need to take some responsibility for our lovely town and gardens.

Cheryl Johnston, Harrogate

Perhaps the Dean should focus on Ripon residents – rather than one-day tourists

This letter is in response to the ongoing Ripon Cathedral annexe saga. The Stray Ferret has covered the topic extensively.

What’s wrong with the present toilet facilities which are a few yards away from the cathedral that would benefit from a smartening-up? The Dean appears to be the only person who is embarrassed about the cathedrals facilities that appear to have been accepted by most Ripon people for many years.

And if there is a concern with the running costs of the cathedral, why don’t they make an entrance charge as does York Minster?

A previous knowledgeable correspondent asked how do they expect to cover the overheads of the new annexe – which are bound to be very large.

Why wasn’t the Old Deanery, which is right on the doorstep and stood empty for many years, considered for the cathedrals expansion? It is such a magnificent building inside and out, and now leased as a restaurant.

Maybe it should have been time to give up when Historic England refused to back the south-side proposal for the new annexe – rather than ruin Minster Gardens with a huge carbuncle. It is beautiful, restful area with mature trees.

Rather than gaining funding from extra tourism from people who will be here one day and gone the next, maybe the Dean should be more concerned about looking after Ripon‘s city and its people, and invest its £8 million into more rewarding projects.

Gordon Lund, Sawley

Do you have an opinion on the Harrogate district? Email us at letters@thestrayferret.co.uk. Please include your name and approximate location details. Limit your letters to 350 words. We reserve the right to edit letters.

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Tree falls on Harrogate road as strong winds continue

A tree crashed down on Fulwith Mill Lane in Harrogate today as strong winds continued to affect the district.

Yesterday’s warmest day of the year so far was accompanied by Storm Kathleen.

Although the worst of the winds hit Scotland, there was widespread disruption in England as flights were cancelled at Heathrow, Manchester and Birmingham.

The Harrogate district has been relatively unscathed and winds are expected to abate this afternoon.

Besides the fallen tree, Little Bird Markets cancelled artisan markets in Knaresborough yesterday and Harrogate today because of the weather.

Further gusts of over 40mph are forecast on Tuesday afternoon.

Photo: The tree blocking Fulwith Mill Lane at about noon today (April 7).

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