Knaresborough signs twinning agreement with Ukrainian town

A town twinning agreement has been signed between Knaresborough and Volodymyr in Ukraine.

Councillor Hannah Gostlow, the Mayor of Knaresborough signed the agreement yesterday on a table drpaed with a Ukrainian flag.

It means Knaresborough is now twinned with Bebra in Germany and Volodymyr in the Volyn region of Ukraine.

Bob Frendt, who has regularly delivered aid and supplies to Volodymyr, approached Knaresborough Town Council about twinning the two locations.

Mr Frendt and a colleague, accompanied by Knaresborough town councillor David Goode, are driving to Ukraine this week to deliver two fire engines to Volodymyr. They will take the twinning agreement with them for the Mayor of Volodymyr to sign.

The town council said in a statement:

“Both Knaresborough and Volodymyr look forward to more peaceful times when exchange visits can become a reality for those who wish to be involved.”

It added the agreement “does not in any way deter from or alter” Knaresborough’s relationship with Bebra, which has existed for more than 50 years.

In the new agreement, Knaresborough and Volodymyr have ‘solemnly declared that they wish to be united with one another in lasting partnership and have pledged to foster close friendly contact with one another and when peace is established, to encourage the interchange of representatives of their younger community members, of schools, of culture and other associations, to exchange ideas and to take their stand for peace and the well-being of their citizens’.

Pictured at the signing are (from left): Angela Pulman, town council clerk, Bob Frendt, Cllr Hannah Gostlow, Mayor of Knaresborough, Mavis Clemmitt, chair of town twinning, Cllr David Goode and Hazel Haas, secretary of town twinning.

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No Christmas lights switch-on event in Harrogate this year

Harrogate’s Christmas lights will be switched on in three weeks’ time — but once again there won’t be an official event marking the occasion.

The event, which traditionally drew a crowd to the town centre to mark the start of the festive season, was halted due to covid.

It has not returned since and Harrogate Business Improvement District confirmed in a social media post the situation has not changed. It said:

“Harrogate BID are excited to announce that the Christmas lights will be switched on from Thursday 16th November in the town centre to kick start the festivities.

“As previous years, there will be a ‘soft’ switch on and no official event.”

The Stray Ferret asked Matthew Chapman, chief executive of the BID, why the big switch-on wasn’t happening this year.

Mr Chapman said:

“Whilst we totally understand and respect how popular the Harrogate Christmas lights switch-on used to be, taking feedback from our members on the return on investment it offered, it was decided to utilise our festive budget in more impactful ways as well as funding events throughout the year such as the Harrogate Celebration of Fashion, Harrogate Music Weekender and recent Britain in Bloom gold award-winning Floral Summer of Celebration.

“As with all projects at Harrogate BID, we are constantly reviewing and will do so again in 2024.”

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‘Happy and safe’ Kirkby Malzeard school rated ‘good’ by Ofsted

Kirkby Malzeard Church of England Primary School has retained its ‘good’ rating in an Ofsted report published this week.

Inspectors visited the 90-pupil school, which is between Ripon, Masham and Pateley Bridge, on September 26 for only its second assessment in a decade.

As with the previous one in 2018, the school was judged to be ‘good’.

The report said:

“Pupils love coming to school. Pupils are happy and safe in this nurturing environment. The school’s values of kindness, patience, love and peace thread through every aspect of school life.

“Excellent relationships develop between staff, pupils and families. Many pupils move into the area from other schools. They settle in well and make new friends quickly. Staff listen well to pupils and value their ideas.”

Bullying was described as “rare”, safeguarding was assessed to be “effective” and the school was described as “calm”.

The buddy system, where older pupils mentor younger pupils, was praised for being a good way for pupils to “get to know each other really well”.

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Governors were praised for supporting and challenging senior leaders well.

Inspectors said the “well designed and ambitious” curriculum “deepens pupils’ thinking about culture and life beyond Kirkby Malzeard”, adding:

“For example, pupils learn about the reasons why people migrate. They study the Industrial Revolution and the Windrush generation.”

Some areas in need of improvement at the school, which is federated with St Nicholas Church of England Primary School in West Tanfield, were highlighted.

“There is a lack of consistency in the way in which members of staff check pupils’ knowledge systematically, identify misconceptions and provide direct feedback. This means that some pupils are not given a direct steer to make their learning better.

“The school should ensure that all staff are trained to assess pupils’ knowledge and give them timely feedback.”

‘Hugely positive feedback’

Head teacher Sarah Taylor (pictured above) said the school was proud of the “hugely positive feedback” in the report.

Ms Taylor added:

“The report identified how much our pupils love coming to school and praised the behaviour of pupils who they say live up to the high expectations of behaviour set by staff and treat one another with high levels of respect.

“Inspectors also commented on the calmness within school and the ‘working hum’ as pupils focus on the learning in our ambitious curriculum.

“We are delighted that they recognised the hard work of the staff to provide such a positive environment for our pupils.”

Knaresborough scarecrow trail to begin on Saturday

Knaresborough will host a scarecrow trail from this weekend in a fun scheme to attract more people to the town.

From Saturday, Ye Older Chymist Shoppe will sell maps for £3 revealing the locations of 18 scarecrows.

Anyone who finds them and fills in a form on the map will then be entered for a £50 prize draw.

Children hunting for scarecrows last year.

Knaresborough Business Collective, which represents independent traders in the town, has organised the initiative to boost trade in the pre-Christmas period. It will run until November 5.

Natalie Horner, co-founder of the collective, said:

“We try to do things when it’s quiet and there is less going on. We thought this would bring people into town and provide a cheap activity to do.”

This is the second year the scarecrow trail has been held. Last year saw 444 maps sold and raised almost £2,000.

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Proposals to revive Starbeck’s ‘burnt-out shell’ due by Christmas

A public exhibition on plans to bring the former McColl’s building in Starbeck back into use is expected to be held before Christmas.

The empty High Street building has blighted High Street since it was ravaged by fire five years ago.

In an article on his Community News website, Harrogate and Knaresborough Conservative MP Andrew Jones said plans for ground floor retail and flats above were finally coming to fruition.

Mr Jones, who described the building as “a burnt-out shell” that local people and residents’ groups were keen to see redeveloped, commented after meeting the owner of the site.

The article said the site owner, who was not named, “outlined the various issues they have had with developing a proposal” but “were able to reassure Mr Jones that they would be bringing a scheme forward very soon”.

It added the owner and architect hoped to run a public exhibition in Starbeck before Christmas “so that Starbeck residents can examine the proposals and have their say”.

Mr Jones said:

“This is very positive as, like many others, I have been keen to see proposals brought forward so that we can see progress on removing a building which is, frankly, an eyesore.  It is important that in bringing this site back into use the setting next to St Andrew’s Church is respected.

“I was grateful to the owner for sharing his thoughts with me and I urge people to keep an eye out for the start of the public consultation.”

A five-year eyesore

The old Harper's building in Starbeck.

The building was painted last year.

The historic building in the centre of Starbeck was originally a Harper’s grocery store and still bears the name. It continued to function as a supermarket but was vacant when fire broke out in July 2018.

It was brightened up last year when regulars at the nearby Prince of Wales pub painted it in the blue and yellow colours of the Ukraine flag.

However, its size, history and prominence lead many to regard it as a key part of regenerating Starbeck.

Harrogate Borough Council, which was abolished in April, approved plans submitted by Leeds-based developer Bates & Hemingborough in November 2021 to demolish the building.

The owner hoped to build retail and housing units on the site but a formal planning application for the development did not proceed after the council asked for safety documents, which were later submitted, addressing how the demolition would impact the adjacent St Andrew’s Church.

Planning agent Pete Gleave from Zerum Consulting told the Stray Ferret in February last year the developer would “was looking to progress the redevelopment of the site as quickly as possible and will be working up a planning application in the coming months” but the building remains derelict.

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New pasty shop to open in Harrogate next week

Cornish Bakery has announced it will open its first Harrogate shop next week.

The eat-in or take-out bakery will be based in the former Paperchase unit that closed at the end of May.

Cornish Bakery, which has more than 50 shops in the UK, sells pasties, breakfast pastries, cakes and coffees.

The Stray Ferret revealed in July the company was heading to upmarket James Street. Now the company has revealed the opening date.

The shop, which will serve customers from 8am to 6pm every day of the week, will provide competition to the nearby Greggs bakeries as well as the Cornish Pasty Bakery in the Victoria Shopping Centre.

The unit was originally the home of a chemist and later part of the Ogden jewellery store, which is now its neighbour.

Steve Grocutt

Cornish Bakery founder and owner Steve Grocutt said:

“We are delighted to be opening our Cornish Bakery in the beautiful spa town of Harrogate.

“We are on a constant journey to redefine what a bakery is does and what it can be, and we therefore build all our bakeries differently.”

He added:

“We have taken on this historic Harrogate property, uncovering some interesting features within it that will be showcased in the beautiful interior we have created.

“We also believe a bakery should be part of the community so our newly employed team will be actively seeking opportunities to work with local organisations in the Harrogate area.”

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Police car involved in Killinghall collision

A police car was involved in a two-vehicle crash in Killinghall today in which both drivers were taken to hospital.

North Yorkshire Police said it was contacted at 3.45pm today about a collision between a white Hyundai car and a police car on Otley Road.

It is believed the incident occurred at the junction with Grainbeck Lane.

The police statement said:

“Emergency services attended the scene. No serious injuries have been reported, but both drivers of the vehicles have attended hospital with minor injuries.

“Road closures were put in place between Lund Lane and Otley Road, to allow officers to determine the circumstances around the collision and to enable the vehicles to be recovered. These have now been lifted and the road is now open.”

It added:

“While the police car involved will have audio and video recordings of the collision, officers are still keen to hear from any other witnesses who saw the collision and/or recorded dashcam footage.”

Anyone with information can email Dan.Stoppard@northyorkshire.police.uk or dial 101 and ask to speak to traffic sergeant 880 Dan Stoppard quoting reference NYP-24102023-0320.

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Harrogate man unveils world’s first vertical bathroom

An inventor from Harrogate is set to unveil the world’s first vertical bathroom.

Paul Hernon’s design includes a rotating toilet, basin, shower and storage space combined in one upright unit.

Known as the Vertebrae, it will be displayed at the Homebuilding and Renovation Show at Harrogate Convention Centre from November 3 to 5.

Mr Hernon already has one of his space-saving bathrooms in his Starbeck home.

Now he hopes the pioneering invention, which according to his website costs £9,480 plus VAT, will lead to a paradigm shift in bathroom design.

The units rotate to save space.

The gadget enthusiast hit on the idea while studying as an industrial designer and has since refined the idea. He said:

“By associating space within a bathroom with particular activities, I rearranged them in a vertical configuration, which was both space saving and ergonomic.”

After numerous funding application failures, the Royal Academy of Engineering awarded him a grant, to reach his goal of manufacturing the Vertebrae.

In 2020 he installed a pre-manufacture version of his all-in-one bathroom in a dedicated extension in his Starbeck home. It has been fully working for the last three years and is now ready for market.

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Bid to create butterfly bank and dipping pool at Staveley nature reserve

A fundraising appeal has been launched to improve Staveley Nature Reserve.

Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, which owns the wetlands site between Boroughbridge and Knaresborough, plans to introduce new features and increase the number of visitors.

The proposals include the creation of a butterfly bank — a type of chalk grassland habitat — so people will be able to see more butterflies across the wildflower meadows.

The trust also wants to create a dipping pond and platform at the edge of one of the pools so it can run pond-dipping sessions, which are popular with children.

There are also plans to install a toilet so the site can cater for school visits and events and enable volunteers to work longer.

Pic: Jono Leadley (10)

A barn owl at Staveley. Pic: Carl Watts

The reserve, which is close to the River Tutt just outside Staveley, is one of 111 sites owned by the trust and attracts almost 40,000 visitors a year. Entry is free.

Staveley is home to hundreds of species including otters, water shrews, foxes, roe deer and more than 150 species of bird including bitterns and barn owls.

Over autumn and winter the reserve hosts spectacular starling murmurations, bats and kites.

Staveley. Pic: Paul Fox

A goldfinch and linnet flock. Pic: Carl Watts

The trust hopes to raise £20,000 from a public fundraising appeal and will also apply for grants.

The goal is to raise funds before February next year so work can begin in spring.

Staveley reserve manager Laura Harman said:

“Staveley is hugely important for Yorkshire’s wildlife, but also offers a unique space for local people and visitors to experience and enjoy the benefits of being in nature.

“As well as creating even more habitat space for wildlife such as butterflies and breeding birds, we want to improve routes and information, facilities like pond dipping and activities for schools – to make Staveley nature reserve a welcoming, easily accessible and inspiring place for everyone.”

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Harrogate wins gold at national Britain in Bloom awards

Harrogate Business Improvement District has won gold at the RHS Britain in Bloom awards.

The organisation, which aims to increase footfall in the town centre, was successful in the BIDs, town centres and city centres category.

It was recognised for its Harrogate Floral Summer of Celebration campaign, a fortnight-long initiative that celebrated the town’s international connections through a series of town centre floral designs.

The summer of celebration was in addition to Harrogate BID’s regular floral offering of almost 200 barrier baskets, shop doorway planters and hanging baskets.

One of the gold-winning displays.

Matthew Chapman, the manager of Harrogate, said:

“Three years ago this award was a huge aspiration of Harrogate BID and after winning gold in last year’s Yorkshire in Bloom awards and then being entered as an RHS Britain in Bloom finalist, we are absolutely thrilled to have been awarded a gold award.”

“This summer’s Harrogate Floral Summer of Celebration was the second year of the campaign and it was a huge success, increasing footfall, spend and first impressions with visitors and residents alike.”

Pictured receiving the award from left to right: Pam Grant (Harrogate in Bloom), Bethany Allen (Harrogate BID), Matthew Chapman (Harrogate BID), Kitti Johnson (Harrogate BID) and Nick Smith (Harrogate Flower Shows)

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