Briggate roadworks likely to last ‘several months’ in Knaresborough

Business owners in Knaresborough have reacted with dismay to the news that roadworks on a main route into town are likely to remain for several months.

Temporary lights were installed on Briggate after a wall collapsed in September.

Two months later, the lights remain. But no repair work has taken place and residents and traders don’t know why it is taking so long or why the rubble cant be removed until work commences so traffic can flow freely again.

Parking in Knaresborough is notoriously tricky, and exasperated traders say this and a spate of recent temporary lights in town, including Briggate, is deterring people from visiting.

North Yorkshire Council has now said lights are likely to remain on Briggate for several months.

The roadworks on Briggate.

Danielle Bartley, who opened The Hungry Caterpillar kids cafe on High Street in September, said just getting in to work from her Calcutt home “takes ages” because of the lights. She said:

“Parking is a massive issue in Knaresborough. A lot of customers pull up outside and say ‘where can I park?’

“I’ve been surprised since we opened how busy Knaresborough is. There’s a lot going on. If you get that much footfall there needs to be something better put in place for parking. It’s also dangerous.”

Rebecca Lombardi, from The Clothing Store of Knaresborough on High Street, has started offering free deliveries to help people who struggle to get into town.

Ms Lombardi said long-term lights near the leisure centre had caused problems during summer and the recent spate of roadworks, especially Briggate, added to the woes. She said:

“We have a really big problem with parking and it puts people off coming into town. People are so busy these days and if they want to nip somewhere they want somewhere to park.

“It’s a challenging time for retailers with the cost of living and every customer counts. It feels like everything is against you as a business.”

Two months after the wall collapsed, the rubble remains.

Hairdresser Kelly Teggin, who has campaigned for better parking Knaresborough, said she didn’t understand why the rubble from the wall couldn’t be removed until work began. She added:

“Most businesses and residents want the road cleared as soon as possible.”

North Yorkshire Council highways area manager Melisa Burnham said:

“We have temporary lights on Briggate as a result of the wall collapse. Work to repair the wall and ensure the safety of the structure will start in the next few weeks. This work is likely to take until Christmas, after which we will carry out maintenance on further parts of the wall, so signals will be in place for several months.”

Ms Burnham said emergency gas works at Abbey Road and Blands Hill had also caused disruption recently, but this was “unavoidable”.

Ms Burnham added the council had “asked Northern Gas Network to man the lights at peak time to minimise the disruption”.

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Flood alerts active on Ure and Nidd as Boroughbridge bears brunt

Flooding is expected in low-lying areas alongside the River Ure near Boroughbridge, the Environment Agency said this morning.

Two flood alerts and one flood warning are active in the Harrogate district, which is at greater risk of flooding than almost anywhere else in northern England and the Midlands.

The more severe flood warning is from Aldwark Bridge to Cuddy Shaw on the Ure, just south of Boroughbridge.

An Environment Agency update for this area at 7.04am today said:

“River levels in the lower River Ure remain high due to recent rainfall associated with Storm Debi. Areas affected are properties at Aldwark Bridge and at Thorpe Underwood in Cuddy Shaw.

“Levels at Aldwark Bridge are continuing to fall but remain high. We expect levels to continue falling today.

“Please put your flood plan in place.”

Environment Agency advice on what to do is available here.

Two people had to be rescued from a vehicle trapped in flood water in Boroughbridge yesterday. The previous night, firefighters pumped two-feet of standing water from a home in the town.

Less severe flood alerts are active for the lower Nidd catchment and the lower Ure.

The flood alert area for the Nidd includes land around the lower Nidd and its tributaries including Sand Beck, Sike Beck, Pool Beck and Great Gutter.

For the lower Ure, the area at risk is low-lying land including agricultural land and local roads in the areas around Masham, Boroughbridge, Aldborough and Bishop Monkton.

Brighter is weather is expected this afternoon and tomorrow before further outbreaks of rain this weekend.

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Tree campaigner accuses Harrogate Spring Water of ‘greenwash’

Tree campaigner Sarah Gibbs has described Harrogate Spring Water‘s plans to plant 1,200 trees to offset the loss of 450 others as “greenwash”.

The company revealed yesterday it will create a two-acre community woodland if it is granted permission to expand its bottling plant on Harlow Moor Road in Harrogate.

Expanding the plant would involve felling 450 trees in adjoining Rotary Wood, including some planted by schoolchildren in the 2000s.

But Ms Gibbs, who frequently dons a tree costume as part of her campaign to save Rotary Wood, said “the idea that you can offset this destruction is ludicrous”.

Harrogate Spring Water said its plans, which would create 50 jobs, would see three trees replace each one lost and “deliver a 10% increase in biodiversity levels in the area”. It is also identifying other locations in Harrogate to plant an extra 1,500 trees.

How the site would look.

But Ms Gibbs said:

“A sapling is not adequate compensation for the loss of a mature tree.

“It’s a misconception to say they can be replaced like this. It’s incorrect in terms of the wider impact on ecology.

“Clearly they have not listened to the public. They should leave the trees alone. They were planted by children to avert a climate crisis. This is ludicrous greenwash and I hope North Yorkshire Council steps in and says ‘no’.”

Harrogate Spring Water, which is part of French multinational Danone, secured outline planning permission in 2017, which means the principle of development has been established.

But it still requires North Yorkshire Council to approve a reserved matters application that agrees the details of the scheme.

A previous application by Harrogate Spring Water was rejected by councillors in January 2021.

Managing director Richard Hall said yesterday the company had listened to concerns because the proposed new woodland would, unlike previous plans, be open to the public.

But Ms Gibbs said:

“26,000 single-use plastic bottles an hour, shipped globally. That’s what they produce now. If this development goes ahead this number will increase. Global shipment means lorries, planes will increase, CO2 will increase, water extraction will increase. The only thing that will increase that they care about, is profit margins.

“Who’s to say years down the line they won’t want to expand again and destroy more of our beautiful pinewoods, and planet.

“We need less plastic. We need to protect our existing woodland.”

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Masterchef star Owen Diaram to have stall at Harrogate Christmas Fayre

Owen Diaram, a quarter-finalist on BBC MasterChef UK 2023, has won a competition to have a stall at this year’s Harrogate Christmas Fayre.

He was named as the winner of a competition organised by the market operators to give free trading opportunities at the town centre festive market, which begins on December 1.

The winners of Market Place Europe and Destination Harrogate’s  Jolly Big Business Boost competition also receive business mentoring and PR opportunities.

Mr Diaram, who was yesterday named as this year’s winner, uses his South African Indian heritage to create traditional spice packs that only need to be mixed with two ingredients to produce tasty bhajis.

Mr Diaram said he was “blown away” by being selected, adding::

‘’Harrogate has now been my home for the past eight years and I am so excited to trade at what is a truly fantastic event that will allow me to achieve my goal of bringing South African Indian cuisine to mass audiences.’’

Market manager Nick Rhodes said:

‘’The Jolly Big Business Boost is a fantastic way for local, ambitious entrepreneurs to get their foot in the door and has proven to be very successful.’’

The fayre’s opening hours are Monday to Saturday 10am to 7pm and Sunday 11:00am to 430pm.

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Andrew Jones ‘embarrassed’ after car spotted without valid MOT

Andrew Jones, the Conservative MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, has admitted failing to renew his car’s MOT on time.

The Stray Ferret received an email saying the former transport minister had been spotted outside Starbeck Library driving a diesel Jaguar XE which the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency website said had an expired MOT.

The sender — who called themself Mrs T Neale, Lady Blueberry Blower of Ripon Town — sent photos of the vehicle in Starbeck and the results of an online search revealing the MOT had expired on October 3.

The person said they had contacted North Yorkshire Police, adding:

“Should this DVLA information be accurate, I would presume Mr Jones is therefore driving without valid insurance.

“The police have got back to me, telling me they are forwarding my information to the relevant department.”

Mr Jones admitted he was “embarrassed” by the oversight.

He added it wasn’t the first time he had been “covertly photographed” and that he found the behaviour “odd and slightly disconcerting”.

He said:

“I am grateful to the anonymous individual who reminded me via the media that my car’s MOT has expired. It is currently in my garage as this week I took the train to London as I like to do when diary commitments allow.

“I’m quite embarrassed by my oversight. The car is booked in for its MOT and all the relevant authorities informed and reassured accordingly.”

Mr Jones’ Jaguar pictured in Starbeck.

He added:

“It is odd and slightly disconcerting to know that I am being covertly photographed by an anonymous individual who sends these photos to the media under a pseudonym.

“This is not the first correspondence I and others have received from a person using this pseudonym. Previously they have sent me information about a political opponent, whom I informed of the communication, and also sent my office insinuations about a councillor even going as far as including a photograph of their home.

“Despite this strange behaviour, I remain grateful that I have been reminded about my MOT.”

The Stray Ferret asked North Yorkshire Police if it was taking any action against Mr Jones.

A spokesperson replied:

“In line with the College of Policing national, authorised professional practice, we would not confirm the names of anyone who is or isn’t suspected of an offence, nor would we name anyone who may or may not have been issued with an out of court disposal such as a fixed penalty or caution.”

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Two people rescued from car stuck in flood in Boroughbridge

Two people were rescued today after their car got stuck in flood water in Boroughbridge.

Firefighters were summoned to the town at 8.22am, North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service‘s incident report said.

It added:

“Crews from Ripon and Knaresborough attended a water rescue involving a vehicle stuck in flood water with two persons trapped inside.

“Crews used water rescue gear to retrieve the individuals and got them to safety.”

No further details, including the precise location, have been revealed.

It comes after firefighters were called to a house with two-feet of water in Boroughbridge last night.

Firefighters were also called to a fire in the lounge of a home near East Parade in Harrogate today.

Harrogate firefighters were summoned at 1.19pm.

The incident report said:

“The fire was out on the arrival but the room was heavily smoke logged.

“The crew ventilated the property and carried out an inspection.”

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Harrogate Spring Water reveals plans for 1,200-tree community woodland

Harrogate Spring Water has announced plans to plant 1,200 trees to offset concerns about the expansion of its bottling plant in the Pinewoods.

The French-owned company wants to fell trees in Rotary Wood, including some planted by schoolchildren in the 2000s, to expand its site on Harlow Moor Road in Harrogate.

It already has outline planning permission agreeing in principle to develop the site but North Yorkshire Council still has to agree to a reserved matters application agreeing to the site layout and design.

The company has been silent on its plans since a public consultation last summer but today said it would acquire two acres of land next to Rotary Wood and create a community woodland if its reserved maters planning application is approved.

It said this would replace the woodland impacted by the development and deliver a 10% increase in biodiversity levels in the area.

Richard Hall

Richard Hall, managing director at Harrogate Spring Water, said:

“We promised before the public consultation last summer that we would listen to what people told us and take their feedback on board when deciding what we would do next.

“One of the things which came through clearly was that people were concerned about the potential loss of access to community woodland.

“Since then, we have been working long and hard on ways to address this which still allow us to expand operations on the site to meet the increasing demand for our products and invest further in the town.

“Our proposed new area of community woodland will be home to around 1,200 trees, will be fully accessible to the public and we hope it will become a valued resource for the local community for many years to come.

“It sits at the heart of our vision for the future of our operations in the town, fully part of the local community, and represents a significant part of the overall investment which we are making in expanding our presence in Harrogate.”

A Harrogate Spring Water press release today said the community woodland would result in a replacement rate of 3:1 for any trees removed during the expansion.

It added the company was “working alongside local forestry experts to identify other locations in Harrogate to plant an extra 1,500 trees, further improving the replacement rate”.

An artist’s impression of the site.

Harrogate Borough Council approved the outline planning permission for expansion in 2017. It was abolished in April and its successor, North Yorkshire Council, will adjudicate on the reserved matters application.

Harrogate Spring Water plans to hold a public consultation in November and will post information online here before submitting plans to North Yorkshire Council.

Mr Hall said:

“We want everyone to be able to see what we have planned and to be reassured that we have listened to and addressed their concerns.

“The town of Harrogate and its people are the foundation of our success as a business. So it is very important for us that, as we look to grow the company, create new job opportunities and invest further in the local and regional economy, we take time to listen to what the community has to say.

“I believe that our new plans demonstrate this commitment and our determination to act upon it.”

The expansion will create over 50 jobs and at least 20 construction jobs during the build phase.

‘A well-loved woodland’

Pinewoods Conservation Group said Harrogate Spring Water had “taken on board feedback” and added it hoped to be consulted on the proposed design.

A spokesperson for the group said:

“It has now been six years since outline planning was granted for this site and the loss of any green space and trees within our footprint will always be a disappointment to the Pinewoods Conservation Group.

“Rotary Wood, originally planted by local children and residents, has matured into a well-loved woodland used regularly by residents and visitors alike with obvious environmental and conservation benefits. However, we acknowledge that Danone have taken on board the feedback from ourselves and others regarding replacing this land with a proposal to purchase two acres of replacement land adjacent that could form an extension to the Pinewoods.

“The group has asked for direct input into the proposed design of this new area of woodland.

“When made available, we will review the full plans carefully, and as needed, seek relevant assurances around the future of this proposed land, accessibility, and detailed planting proposals. We would also encourage our members and residents to attend a planned consultation event for 30th November (full details to be confirmed) and let us know their thoughts regarding the reserved matters application.“

 

 

Commercial waste could be banned at council tips in North Yorkshire

North Yorkshire Council is considering whether to ban people depositing commercial waste at all of its household waste recycling centres.

It is one of a range of options being considered as part of cost-saving measures.

Other ideas include restricting the number of trips vans can make to the centres and banning people who don’t live in North Yorkshire from using them.

The options, which would affect sites at Penny Pot Lane and Wetherby Road in Harrogate, Dallamires Crescent in Ripon and mobile sites in Pateley Bridge and Boroughbridge, are due to go out to consultation.

Penny Pot Household Waste Recycling Centre

The Penny Pot Lane tip.

A council decision notice last week announced plans to consult on changes, which it said would “avoid the need to reduce the service but do impact certain site users”.

The Stray Ferret asked the council why it was proposing changes, what the options were and the likely cost associated with them.

In a statement, it replied:

“To help make savings and improve the service they provide, North Yorkshire Council is looking at various changes at household waste recycling centres.

“This includes limiting the use of HWRCs to North Yorkshire residents only, limiting the access for commercial-like vehicles as well as changes to commercial waste.

“Around 15 per cent of visits are not made by North Yorkshire residents. Limiting the use to the county’s residents could generate savings of about £140,000 every year and would align with neighbouring authorities.

“The council is also proposing to limit access for commercial-like vehicles (including those in a van or pick-up). Figures show 93 per cent of visitors in a commercial-like vehicle make less than 12 visits per year. Limiting these vehicles to 12 visits could bring savings of about £370,000 and could reduce congestion at the sites.

“Before implementing these changes, people will be asked to share their views on the proposals, as well as whether they support commercial waste continuing to be accepted at HWRCs.”

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According to the council’s website, commercial waste is currently accepted at all of its centres except Wetherby Road in Harrogate.

Environment minister Rebecca Pow announced in June that households would no longer have to pay to get rid of DIY waste at household waste recycling centres.

DIY waste is now treated the same as household waste, saving tip visitors up to £10 per sack of rubble or sheet of plasterboard. 

North Yorkshire Council said this would cost £889,000 and force it to look for new ways of saving money. 

Last month, the Local Government Association, which is a membership body for councils, warned the change could mean tip closures and reduced hours in some council areas.

 

Harrogate school crash: US colonel to face trial next month

The trial of a highly decorated American colonel accused of seriously injuring two schoolboys in a collision in Harrogate is to take place next month.

Benjamin Oakes, 46, of Tewit Well Avenue, Harrogate, is charged with causing injury by careless or inconsiderate driving on Yew Tree Lane on February 2. He has pleaded not guilty.

Two 15-year-old boys, who cannot be named for legal reasons, suffered serious injuries in the collision near Ashville College.

A pick-up trick has crashed into a wall outside Ashville College

The scene on Yew Tree Lane in February.

A two-day hearing is scheduled to begin at York Magistrates Court on December 11, a case management hearing in York was told on Friday. Mr Oakes, who is on unconditional bail, did not attend.

He previously appeared at Harrogate Magistrates Court in August when both he and magistrates opted not to send the case to crown court, where he would have faced a jury trial.

The schoolboys are expected to give evidence via a video link during the trial.

According to his LinkedIn profile, which was taken down before August’s hearing, Mr Oakes is chief of the space policy division for the US joint chiefs of staff at the Pentagon.

The joint chiefs of staff consists of the most senior leaders in the United States Department of Defense, which advises the president.

He was previously a political-military analyst in the space policy division and before that was commander of the operational support squadron in the US Airforce.

Hundreds of US military personnel are stationed at RAF Menwith Hill, near Harrogate.

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Bus passenger death prompts visibility concerns on “dark” Harrogate road

The death of a man who had just got off a bus near Harrogate this week has prompted calls for better visibility on the unlit stretch of road.

The unnamed man, who was in his 90s, died after being hit by a vehicle on the A61 Ripon Road between New Park roundabout and Killinghall at about 5.50pm on Monday, November 6.

The man had just alighted at the northbound bus stop on the bridge close to the junction with Knox Mill Lane.

Councillor Monika Slater, a Liberal Democrat who represents Bilton Grange and New Park on North Yorkshire Council, contacted council officers after the incident. She said:

“It is a very dark stretch of road with a speed limit of 40mph and no central reservation. I feel that work could be done to improve the visibility for both drivers and pedestrians in that area.

“North Yorkshire Council need to ensure that bus stops are located in safe places and I have asked them to have a look at what they can do to increase the safety of  bus passengers using that stop.”

The unlit stretch of road where the collision occurred.

Cllr Slater received a response saying the council’s road safety team was working with North Yorkshire Police “to fully assess the incident and identify the cause”.

The council officer replied:

“This includes an assessment of the road condition, signs, lines and lighting in the area. Once the report is completed it goes to the North Yorkshire Council executive to review and this would include, if appropriate, any recommendations to alter any of the signs, lines, lighting, etc.

“This is not a quick process as the investigation is very detailed, but we will keep you appraised as this is progressed.”

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