Council defends car park charges rise

North Yorkshire Council leader Carl Les has defended a move to introduce inflation-busting charges at car parks.

Cllr Les said the 20 per cent increase in car parking charges from April 19 was “not just about raising money”, but also about traffic management.

The authority, which has repeatedly introduced the maximum permitted rise in council tax without having to hold a referendum, says the car parking charge rise is needed so it avoids diverting funds away from vital frontline council services.

The council has also stated it is investing in automated payment systems and the installation of electric vehicle chargers. It added more funding is needed to cover the cost of providing parking facilities, including infrastructure, repairs, lighting, and security has risen.

Car parking fees have been frozen in some areas for more than a decade and most car parking charges have remained the same for at least three years.

On that basis, the council says, the increase it is introducing is “broadly aligned with inflation”.

Opposition councillors have claimed the rise will create confusion, particularly in towns where there are different tariffs at council run car parks. In Scarborough, charges at council-run car parks range from free to £2.20 an hour.

Critics have also highlighted the cost of car parking in town centres compared to out of town retail parks, such as the extensive one being developed at Scotch Corner.

Leader of the authority’s Labour group, Cllr Steve Shaw Wright, said while some towns had free publicly owned car parks, people were facing mounting charges from the council to park in neighbouring towns.

He said:

“It’s like a lot of things North Yorkshire Council is trying to harmonise services across the county – there’s a lot more problems than they thought.

“They are milking the easiest target, which is car parking. However, they need to monitor it because in places like Selby there is only a parking warden one day a week, and it’s usually the same day.”

However, Cllr Les said alongside the car parking charges rise, a review of car parking charges across the county was needed.

He said it would be possible to harmonise the principles behind what drivers in North Yorkshire are charged.

Cllr Les said:

“Car parking charging policy remains the prerogative of the council where car parks exist, but the mayor can introduce special measures to waive car parking charges for up to a year, as long as he or she pays for that out of his or her mayoral pot.

“Car parking charges are not just about raising money, they are also about traffic management. If there was free parking in town centres all day people would park up at 8am and the car would be there at 5pm.

“There is a lot of discussion to be had about the merits of car parking charges, the reasons behind it and how the money is spent. We raise the money as a council, but must spend it in certain ways, to do with the traffic management and flows.”

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Boys arrested after bottles thrown on Harrogate’s Parliament Street

Three boys have been arrested after items including fire extinguishers and glass bottles were hurled on to Harrogate’s Parliament Street today.

Police were called to reports of a burglary just before 2am. Parliament Street was closed and fully reopened at about 8am.

A North Yorkshire Police statement this morning said:

“CCTV in the area showed three young people throwing items from the top floor of the property into the street.

“Items included fire extinguishers, poles and boxes, one of which contained an amount of glass bottles, which smashed across the road.

“Specialist officers, including negotiators were called to the property bringing the incident to a safe conclusion around 6.30am.”

Yorkshire Ambulance Service and North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service were also called out and highways workers cleared debris before the road fully reopened at about 8am. Many windows on floors above the businesses on Parliament Street were broken this morning.

Two lanes of Parliament Street reopened until the remainder of the debris was removed.

The statement added:

“Three boys aged, 15, 16 and 17-years-old were arrested a short time later on suspicion of burglary and affray. They remain in police custody while the investigation continues.”

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service’s incident report said it was alerted at 2.43am.

“A crew from Harrogate responded to reports of a large number of youths inside an unsafe derelict building, throwing items from the roof.

“Fire crew stood by awaiting instruction form the police. Eventually incident was dealt with without fire service intervention.”

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Harrogate Greens report Lib Dems to police for by-election leaflet

The Green Party candidate in the forthcoming Stray, Woodlands and Hookstone by-election in Harrogate has reported the Liberal Democrats to the police.

The by-election for a seat on North Yorkshire Council will take place on April 11 following the resignation of former Lib Dem councillor Pat Marsh, who posted anti-semitic comments on social media.

The cost of the by-election is expected to be £15,000.

Andrew Timothy, the Lib Dem candidate, sent out a leaflet saying ‘the Green’s (sic) have stood down this election’.

But the Harrogate and District Green Party has chosen Gilly Charters to contest the division, as reported by the Stray Ferret on March 11.

Ms Charters said her husband and political agent, Ian, had contacted North Yorkshire Police and he was due to be interviewed about the matter on April 1.

She said voters were confused by the leaflet and the by-election might even have to be re-run “if the police find electoral malfeasance”.

The leaflet urges postal voters to ‘return your postal vote in the next few days’.

Ms Charters said:

“I want the Lib Dems to write to their postal voters with first class stamps and very clearly say ‘we are terribly sorry, Gilly Charters is standing for the Green Party’. It would retract what has gone out.”

A spokesperson for the Liberal Democrats said:

“A small number of leaflets were printed in error. We stopped delivering them when we realised our mistake.

“Our future campaign materials will make clear this election is a two-horse race between the Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives, and that Labour and Green candidates cannot win.”

Mr Charters described that as “nonsense”, adding:

“A lot has changed since the last election here in 2022. Polling for the Conservatives has gone down and down and down. It’s not straightforward.”

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School holiday frustration as Knaresborough play area remains closed

A family has voiced frustration about the ongoing closure of the new council-owned play area next to Knaresborough Leisure and Wellness Centre.

Fysche Hall Field Play Area opened briefly in February only to close a few days later due to wet weather. It has not reopened since and is now not expected to do so until May.

This is disappointing news for Knaresborough families whose young children would like to use the facilities, which include swings, a climbing frame and a slide, during the Easter holidays.

Hayley Lister, whose step-grandson is nearly two, said it was frustrating not to be able to use council facilities when council tax was rising.

She added:

“I understand we have had a lot of rain but surely if they are building a brand new park they would have a good drainage system in place for the water to run away.

“It’s the Easter holidays now and I just hope this will be open as there will be a lot disappointed children if it stays shut.”

The Stray Ferret asked North Yorkshire Council for an update.

Karl Battersby, the council ’s corporate director of environment, said:

“The play area was installed as part of the new swimming pool complex in Knaresborough and was handed over to our parks team to manage once building work on the development was completed.

“The play area opened in time for the February half–term holiday, but the site became very muddy due to extremely wet weather over the last few months and was closed as the newly-laid turf needed to dry out.

“As the weather has not improved and heavy rain is still forecast, the current plan is to reopen the site at the beginning of May.”

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Boys arrested after bottles thrown on Harrogate’s Parliament Street

Three boys have been arrested after items including fire extinguishers and glass bottles were hurled on to Harrogate’s Parliament Street today.

Police were called to reports of a burglary just before 2am. Parliament Street was closed and fully reopened at about 8am.

A North Yorkshire Police statement this morning said:

“CCTV in the area showed three young people throwing items from the top floor of the property into the street.

“Items included fire extinguishers, poles and boxes, one of which contained an amount of glass bottles, which smashed across the road.

“Specialist officers, including negotiators were called to the property bringing the incident to a safe conclusion around 6.30am.”

Yorkshire Ambulance Service and North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service were also called out and highways workers cleared debris before the road fully reopened at about 8am. Many windows on floors above the businesses on Parliament Street were broken this morning.

Two lanes of Parliament Street reopened until the remainder of the debris was removed.

The statement added:

“Three boys aged, 15, 16 and 17-years-old were arrested a short time later on suspicion of burglary and affray. They remain in police custody while the investigation continues.”

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service’s incident report said it was alerted at 2.43am.

“A crew from Harrogate responded to reports of a large number of youths inside an unsafe derelict building, throwing items from the roof.

“Fire crew stood by awaiting instruction form the police. Eventually incident was dealt with without fire service intervention.”

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Harrogate’s Parliament Street reopens after vandals smash windows

Harrogate’s Parliament Street was closed this morning after numerous windows were smashed in what appeared to be an outbreak of vandalism.

Police and workers were on the site this morning clearing glass off the road.

Two of the lanes had reopened at 7am but the lane where traffic turns right on to King’s Road remained closed while glass was being swept off the carriageway.

Some of the smashed windows.

However, the road was expected to fully re-open shortly.

Police at the incident did not give any details about what had happened.

The Stray Ferret has contacted North Yorkshire Police’s press office for further information but has not. had a response.

We will update this article when we have more information.

Workers sweep up the debris.

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Councillors approve 135 homes off Harrogate’s Skipton Road

Councillors have voted to approve 135 homes on the site of a former farm off Skipton Road in Harrogate.

The proposals by Rowan Green Developments Ltd will see the homes built at Cow Dyke Farm near Jennyfields.

The land is allocated for housing in the council’s local plan and the scheme was recommended for approval in a report.

The majority of the homes will have between one and three bedrooms and 54 are expected to be classed as affordable.

Chris Calvert spoke on behalf of the developer at a meeting of North Yorkshire Council’s Harrogate and Knaresborough planning committee this afternoon.

He said the application met all of the council’s planning requirements.

Mr Calvert said:

“The site is within development limits for Harrogate. It’s been assessed by the local authority to be a suitable and deliverable site for new homes on the edge of Harrogate.

“It will be a high-quality and sustainable development ”

Cow Dyke Farm. Image: Rowan Green Developments Ltd.

Councillors visited the site this morning where concerns were raised about the current 40mph speed limit for motorists on Skipton Road.

Hundreds of homes have been built nearby in recent years and Tesco has planning permission to build a new supermarket close to the site.

Cllr Robert Windass (Conservative, Boroughbridge and Claro) asked if the speed limit on the nearby section of Skipton Road could be lowered to 30mph.

He said he saw a woman cross the road this morning with a pushchair, adding:

“40mph was maybe OK when there was no housing there, but I now think it’s inappropriate.”

However, his request was knocked back by a council transport officer who said the 40mph limit was appropriate.

North Yorkshire Council has asked the developer to pay a one-off contribution of £161,906 towards Killinghall Village Hall and £76,347 for improvements at Jennyfields recreation play area.

This led Terry Jones, representing the 72 objectors, to say the developer was offering a “paltry sum” towards local services.

Mr Jones said:

“You all seem to assume it’s going ahead. It’s probably a waste of time objecting, but it’s interesting to see the impact on local services. To employ extra doctors, dentists, teachers, it costs money every year.”

Councillors voted unanimously to approve the plans but a reserved matters application that deals with the scheme’s appearance and landscape will come before the planning committee at a future meeting before homes can be built.

Cllr Windass added:

“It looks to be a sympathetic approach to development on this land. I hope when they come back at reserved matters, the sympathy of the site is maintained and improved on.”

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Harrogate Greens accuse Lib Dems of telling ‘blatant lie’ on by-election leaflet

The Green Party has reacted angrily to a Liberal Democrat leaflet that wrongly says they are not putting forward a candidate in the Stray, Woodlands and Hookstone by-election.

Campaigning is underway for the by-election which will take place on April 11 following the resignation of former councillor Pat Marsh.

Gilly Charters is standing for the Greens in the division, but she was contacted by two supporters over the weekend who asked if she was stepping down after they read a leaflet credited to Liberal Democrat candidate Andrew Timothy.

The leaflet urges voters to submit their postal votes before the deadline and describes the race as being between the Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives.

It says Labour “came a distant third last time” and “the Green’s (sic) have stood down this election.”

Arnold Warneken, Green Party councillor for Ouseburn, was campaigning in the division on Sunday. He told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that the leaflet includes a “blatant lie” about the Greens standing down.

He said:

“I am angry, all these people are out there working hard for us. There should be a sense of mutual respect. The Lib Dems need to read what they put through people’s letterboxes.”

The Lib Dem leaflet.

The Greens did not put forward a candidate the last time the division was contested in 2022 because Cllr Warneken said they supported Pat Marsh.

The party has made a formal complaint about the leaflet to North Yorkshire Council and North Yorkshire Police for a breach of the Elections Act 2022.

The LDRS asked the Liberal Democrats to respond but they declined.

However, we have seen a direct message on social media platform X from a local Lib Dem official that blamed an external printing company for the error.

Cllr Warneken called it a “limp excuse”.

The direct message said:

“The letter that went out on Saturday was printed by an external printer who printed an earlier draft of the letter that was neither approved by the candidate nor the election agent. At no point was the intent to mislead anyone. There is going to be a correction issued once we’ve taken the appropriate advice from party HQ.”

A full list of candidates in the by-election is below:

Conservative – John Ennis

Green – Gilly Charters

Labour – Geoff Foxhall

Liberal Democrat – Andrew Timothy

Reform – John Swales

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North Yorks mayor election: 600,000 poll cards being sent tomorrow

Poll cards are being sent to more than 600,000 voters from tomorrow (Wednesday, March 27) for the York and North Yorkshire mayor election.

The county will go to the polls on Thursday, May 2, to vote for the first elected mayor for York and North Yorkshire.

The mayor, who will be paid £81,300 a year, will oversee the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority, which launched on February 1.

The devolution deal includes an investment fund totalling £540 million over 30 years.

The mayor will also take on the responsibilities of the police, fire and crime commissioner for York and North Yorkshire, who is responsible for holding the chief constable and chief fire officer to account.

The commissioner also sets policing and crime priorities and oversees the police budget.

North Yorkshire Council chief executive, Richard Flinton will be the combined authority’s returning officer for the election, as well as the local returning officer for North Yorkshire.

Richard Flinton

He urged people not to under-estimate how important the election is:

“This is about ensuring benefits for hundreds of thousands of residents and businesses in York and North Yorkshire are realised through devolution, as the government gives more decision-making powers to our region along with millions of pounds in additional funding.

“The mayor will be at the forefront of the decisions being made. This is an opportunity for everyone who is registered to vote to decide on who they want to represent them at what is a defining moment for our region.”

Photo ID required

The deadline for registering to vote is April 16. To vote by post, you must first be registered and apply by 5pm on Wednesday, April 17.

This election will be the first time many people will have to show photo ID when voting in person. Anyone without suitable ID can apply for a free voter authority certificate before 5pm on Wednesday, April 24.

Details of candidates will be outlined in a booklet that legally has to be sent to everyone who is registered to vote in York and North Yorkshire in April.

More information is available here.

The current candidates are:

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Live for Today buys Harrogate climbing wall

Two entrepreneurs who met at Parthian Climbing wall in Harrogate 12 years ago have bought the facility.

Marc Wise, 39, and Dan Miller, 37, worked as instructors at Parthian before setting up their own outdoor activities business Live For Today.

The site on Hornbeam Park will be renamed Live For Today Climbing Centre.

Previously, Mr Miller from Skipton studied outdoor education and Mr Wise from Harrogate worked in IT, before using their savings to launch Live for Today in 2012, with zorbing in a Harrogate farmer’s field.

It has since grown into an outdoor activity business operating across four sites. It has 25 outdoor activities, including quad biking, paddle boarding, axe throwing, air rifle shooting and escape rooms.

Buying the climbing wall marks a significant moment for the pair.

Mr Wise said:

“I was pretty unfulfilled working in IT, and the idea for Live For Today was inspired by a climbing trip we took to Austria. We started from a Harrogate farmer’s field, saving money to buy new equipment, growing into a really robust, exciting business.

“It was a chance to pursue our passion. Buying the climbing wall is a full circle moment for our business, as it’s where we first met and it all began.”

The business grew in 2013 after the pair went to a Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce business safari event and met the manager of Hazlewood Castle, who invited them to bring adventure activities to the 70-acre woodland in Leeds.

In 2014, Live For Today moved into its second activity centre in the grounds of Ripley Castle and launched offsite adventures, such as caving and climbing in the Yorkshire Dales. The team now has its head office at the castle.

It then expanded with summer camps, activities in the Lake District, partnering with the Prince’s Trust, and in 2019, launching their first escape rooms at Ripley Castle.

Mr Wise said:

“The beauty of indoor climbing is its accessibility. It isn’t elitist. People of all abilities and skills share the same wall. We have all ages taking part in our activities from eight to 80-year-olds.”

Climbing will feature at the Paris Olympics this summer. Athletes will compete in two disciplines – boulder and lead, and a new speed event.

Live For Today now has 20 activity instructors and an 11-strong management team.

Mr Wise said:

“Acquiring the climbing wall is really significant and special as it is where it all began.

“There’s been criticism about the lack of indoor activities and things to do for young people, so the climbing wall is a huge asset for the area.”

Parthian Harrogate was one of five Parthian climbing centres in England.

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