Harrogate street evacuated after bomb scare

Police evacuated a Harrogate street due to a bomb scare yesterday.

People had to leave their homes on Leadhall View, which is a cul-de-sac off Leadhall Road, for about three hours while bomb disposal experts arrived on the scene.

The drama began when John Shackleton, who lives on Leadhall View and runs aid missions to eastern Europe, tried to help a woman at his church.

Mr Shackleton, who used to work in bomb disposal, said the woman told him she had a couple of old shells in her attic.

He added:

“I said I would take them home and have a look at them. So I put them in the back of my car and the following day started dismantling them.

“There was a phosphorous liquid and I thought ‘this doesn’t look right’.”

Mr Shackleton told a bomb disposal friend about his concerns and within about half an hour police arrived on the scene and began telling people to leave their homes.

He said the two shells appeared to date back to the Second World War, adding:

“The bomb squad took them away and said they were totally unsafe but I don’t know what they did with them.

“The incident put the fear of god up everyone on the cul-de-sac — I won’t be very popular with my neighbours!”

A spokesperson for North Yorkshire Police today told the Stray Ferret:

“Police officers attended and took photographs of the items which were sent to the Army’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team for assessments.

“The EOD team arrived at 12.45pm and they were able to confirm that the shells were empty and they removed the items.

“Nearby neighbours within a 100m safety cordon were able to return home at around 1.30pm.”

The Stray Ferret has spoken to residents who said they were asked to leave their homes but knew few other details.

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Driver in Knaresborough reports himself for drink-driving

A driver in Knaresborough called the police today to say he was “drink-driving and doesn’t know what he is doing”.

The man told the 999 police call handler that he had a heavy weekend when he called just before noon yesterday (Monday, February 12).

He turned out to be more than three times over the drink-drive limit.

North Yorkshire Police said in a statement last night officers arrived on the scene in 15 minutes.:

It added:

“A roadside breath test was carried out and the driver blew 118 at the side of the road, the legal limit is 35. The man in his 50s was arrested on suspicion of drink driving.

“He currently remains in custody.”

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GALLERY: Prime Minister Rishi Sunak visits Harrogate

There was a slightly surreal start to the day in the Starbeck area of Harrogate when Prime Minister Rishi Sunak dropped by.

Mr Sunak, on his first engagement of the week, visited the Harrogate Bus Company ‘s depot to show support for Conservative MP Andrew Jones, who will attempt to win the  Harrogate and Knaresborough seat for a fifth time at the next general election.

The Stray Ferret joined the media melee at the depot this morning for the hour-long visit, which got underway shortly before 9am.

Journalists waited in an upstairs meeting room for a brief round of questions after the PM and former transport minister Mr Jones had finished touring the site and speaking to engineering apprentices and trainee drivers.

The Harrogate Bus Company, a subsidiary of Transdev, is getting 39 new all-electric buses at a cost of £21 million, part funded by £7.8 million from the government.

Transdev’s managing director Henri Rohard and operations director Vitto Pizzuti showed Mr Sunak and Mr Jones around the depot before Mr Sunak and Mr Jones cheerfully breezed in to greet the media, saying:

“Sorry we are in a rush. We will just whizz round — one each.”

After answering questions on whether to dual the A64, local government finance, bus franchising and the economic forecast, the Stray Ferret asked Mr Sunak and Mr Jones when was the last time they had caught a bus.

Mr Sunak replied that “with my job it’s taken out of my hands these days” and went on to talk about HS2 money being reinvested on bus services and £2 fare caps. When we asked if that meant he couldn’t remember when, he said:

“I’ve had this job for the last year which obviously makes my transport slightly different but before that I took buses in my constituency in particular to focus on provision of buses in rural areas. It’s not about me it’s about everyone across communities using buses.”

Former transport minister Mr Jones said:

“I can answer that question very clearly. I catch the bus quite regularly here and when down in Westminster. The last time I caught the bus here was the 36 into Leeds and I catch the 24 between where I stay during the week and Parliament. So I am on the bus every week.”

As Mr Sunak left the room, he turned back to say he used to catch the 45 and 45 blue line services in Southampton, where he grew up.

Speaking after the PM’s visit, Mr Rohard said government investment was helping “us to deliver a revolution in the quality and sustainability of public transport in Harrogate and North Yorkshire”.

He added:

“In combination with our existing eight Harrogate Electrics-branded Volvo 7900E electric buses, the first of their kind in Britain, 47 fully-electric vehicles will be in service when our project is complete by this summer. All our bus fleet will be renewed, giving the Harrogate Bus Company the most modern and passenger oriented network in Britain.

The 20 new Mercedes-Benz E-Citaro all-electric single deck buses will be used on route 1 between Harrogate and Knaresborough, route 7 linking Harrogate, Wetherby and Leeds, and route 24 between Harrogate and Pateley Bridge.

A further 19 new Alexander Dennis Enviro 400EV fully electric double deck buses will relaunch the company’s flagship route, the 36 linking Ripon, Harrogate and Leeds.

Here are some images from today’s visit.

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Shaking hands with Mr Jones.

 

Managing director Henri Rohard and operations director Vitto Pizzuti show Mr Sunak and Mr Jones round.

 

Meeting drivers and engineers.

 

 

 

Aboard one of the new buses.

 

 

 

 

Harrogate teen jailed for terrifying knifepoint robbery

A Harrogate teenager has been jailed for an attempted knifepoint robbery in which he lunged at the victim with a serrated blade after warning him: “Don’t think I won’t take your life”.

The named victim and his female friend heard the “click” of a folding knife after Danny Smyth crept up on them in King Edward’s Drive in the Bilton area of Harrogate and demanded his mobile phone.

Smyth, 19, from Pannal, had followed the two friends onto King Edward’s Drive and crossed over onto their side of the street before creeping up behind them, prosecutor Kelly Clarke told York Crown Court.

The victim asked him:

“What’s your problem? What’s wrong?”

Smyth replied:

“Don’t think I won’t take your life.”

The victim and his friend then heard a “click” and saw Smyth holding a three-inch serrated switchblade which he “flicked out”.

They said they heard the flick or lock knife “crack into place”.

Smyth then told the victim:

“Don’t think I won’t stab you. Don’t get lippy.”

The terrified victim quickly crossed the road to try to escape. As he walked away, he said to his friend: “What was all that about?”

Ms Clarke said that Smyth must have heard him because he crossed the road again towards the victim and repeated: “Don’t get lippy.” Ms Clarke added”

“He saw the phone in (the victim’s) hand and demanded it. He then lunged at him with the knife.”

The knife missed and the victim struck Smyth in the face in self-defence, knocking him into a bush. The victim and his friend then ran away and called police.

They said the victim’s eyes were “like saucers” and that he was clearly under the influence of some kind of substance.

Officers soon located Smyth and arrested him. He was taken to Harrogate Police Station where he became extremely aggressive and verbally abusive with officers.

Abused police

One officer was called a deeply offensive name as Smyth threatened to “knock her the fxxx out” and spit in her face, before kicking that officer and her colleague repeatedly in the arms and legs.

The shocking series of events occurred on June 13 last year while Smyth was already facing a public-disorder charge at the Crown Court following a previous violent incident in Harrogate on April 16, 2021, when police were called out to Knox Chase by neighbours.

“Police were called (out) to reports of…males fighting with residents,” said Ms Clarke.

One of Smyth’s co-defendants in that case, 20-year-old Lewis Edmondson, of Byland Place, and a youth who can’t be named for legal reasons, had been walking along the street when the youth fell into a hedge outside a property in Knox Chase.

Neighbours Neil Lyons, 51, and Andrew Preston, 50, came out of their property to confront the pair because there had been “a number of incidents involving youths in Knox Chase in the past”.

Ms Clarke said a fight broke out among all five males present, including Smyth. The incident was captured on CCTV and witnessed by residents including an elderly woman.

All five males were charged with an offence under the Public Order Act, namely using or threatening unlawful violence. They all admitted the offence and appeared for sentence today – almost three years after the incident.

Defence counsel for all but Smyth were spared the need for mitigation after judge Sean Morris said that all the defendants would be receiving 12-month conditional discharges for the offence.

However, as Smyth’s co-defendants walked free from court, he remained in the dock to be sentenced for the attempted robbery, carrying a knife and two counts of assaulting police officers during the incident in June 2023, all of which he admitted.

14 previous offences

Before sentence, Ms Clarke reminded the court of Smyth’s six previous convictions for 14 offences including carrying a knife, public disorder, battery and racially aggravated threatening behaviour.

Defence barrister Kristina Goodwin said that Smyth, a former Harrogate College student, had mental-health issues and traits of an anti-social personality disorder.

She added that Smyth, who had once been involved with the Sea Cadets and gained a Prince’s Trust award at college, had endured a difficult childhood and turned to alcohol and drugs to cope. He had been using cocaine “for a few years” and the drug abuse had resulted in him starting to get into trouble by 2020.

She said that Smyth, of Pannal Green, had been remanded in custody since his arrest in June last year, which was the equivalent of 16 months’ jail time already deemed served.

Judge Mr Morris, the Recorder of York, told Smyth he was “so lucky you didn’t kill someone” in the attempted knifepoint robbery.

He added:

“Knives are the scourge of the city streets at the moment and you would have been up for murder (if the attack had been fatal). You should hang your head in shame.”

Handing Smyth a two-year jail sentence, he told the teenager he already had a “nasty” record for one so young.

However, Smyth will only spend half that sentence behind bars, less the time he had already spent on remand, before being released on prison licence.

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Harrogate firm sold to Irish multinational

Harrogate firm Groundtrax Systems has been acquired by an international company based in Dublin.

Groundtrax, which was founded by Simon Adams in 2011, has a storage and distribution facility at Station Yard in Ripley. It provides specialist ground protection products, such as reinforced paving, for roads, car parks and commercial sites.

According to a media release issued today, it has been bought for an undisclosed sum by Origin UK Operations Ltd, which is part of Irish multinational Origin Enterprises PLC.

The release added the business, led by Mr Adams and supported by director Laura Tyrrell and sales manager David Marsh, “has experienced strong growth in recent years” and has “built a UK-wide customer base of high-profile organisations that operate in the construction, hospitality and transport sectors, amongst others”.

Mr Adams, who will remain with the business, said:

“I am exceptionally proud of what we’ve built at Groundtrax Systems with a prestigious portfolio of customers and a reputation for quality and service.

“As part of Origin, the business will experience the next stage of its growth, benefiting from the strong presence the group has in a diverse range of industries, supplementing where we already operate. I’m excited to support the Origin team as we integrate into the group and deliver new opportunities for the business.”

Advising Mr Adams, who was the 100% shareholder of Groundtrax, was north-east based RG Corporate Finance. LCF Law provided legal advice.

Chris Clark, managing director of Origin Amenity, said:

“Groundtrax Systems is a welcome addition to our amenity and landscaping operations as we accelerate the diversification of the group beyond our core agricultural business.

“There are strong synergies with our existing amenity businesses and its products and distribution capabilities will add value to our expanding offering to our key sector client base.”

Origin Enterprises provides a range of agricultural advice, services and products to arable, fruit, vegetable growers amenity and landscaping professionals in the UK, Europe and Brazil.

Photo caption: Simon Adams, managing director of Groundtrax, with its trackway and truck grade cellular paver products ready for dispatch from the company’s facility in Ripon.

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Taylor Wimpey to reveal plans for 402 homes in Knaresborough

Taylor Wimpey is to hold a public consultation event tomorrow (Tuesday, February 13) to discuss plans to build 402 homes in Knaresborough.

The housebuilder is set to submit a planning application for a mixture of two, three and four-bedroom homes at York Road, close to the 600-home Manse Farm development.

The prospect of 1,000 new homes has reignited concerns about the volume of housing being built along the A59 to the east of the town centre and whether local services can cope.

Taylor Wimpey said the development, known as Highfield Farm, “will provide much needed housing in the borough” and boost local businesses by creating extra customers.

Its website added a Section 106 legal agreement with North Yorkshire Council would “cover any required improvements to the existing and local infrastructure and services as well as community projects”.

Its added:

“We have also proposed an extensive open space, with footpath and vehicle links throughout, linking the development to the surrounding wider area.”

The consultation exhibition will take place at the Trinity Fields sales centre on York Road from 3pm to 7pm on February 13.

‘Additional pressure’

North Yorkshire County Council unveiled plans in 2020 to open primary schools in Knaresborough and Northallerton “to serve housing growth”.

The Stray Ferret reported last month that the school in Northallerton, where the council is based, is due to open in autumn this year.

But no work has taken place in Knaresborough, where the school was supposed to cater predominantly for newcomers on the Manse Farm and Highfield Farm estates. A second proposed opening date of September 2024 looks certain to be missed. There has also been no progress on a community centre.

Manse Farm school

This illustration of the school was produced three years ago.

Cllr Matt Walker, a Liberal Democrat who represents Knaresborough West on North Yorkshire Council, said:

“If this development is approved it will put additional pressure on the town’s schools, doctors and other services and the right infrastructure must first be put in place.

“The developer hasn’t delivered on the building of the community centre that was in the original scheme. It’s disappointing that North Yorkshire Council is dragging its feet and has made no progress on the building of the primary school.”

The council will decide whether to approve the planning application when it is submitted. However, the proposal is on land currently allocated for housing.

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Readers’ Letters: ‘It suddenly clicks – you are not alone’, says Andy’s Man Club member

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 an article published this week about the new Harrogate branch of Andy’s Man Club. 

I’m aware that you guys were present just prior to Monday’s meeting and the coverage is much appreciated. It neatly outlined exactly what happens every week — nothing dramatic or exciting, but simply inviting men to talk. Although I do wish it were that simple!

Acrimonious divorces, unemployment issues, financial woes, suicidal ideation, the challenges of living with autism, substance misuse, the trauma of abuse: young men trying to find their way in the world, the middle-aged having a bit of a crisis and the elderly perhaps bereaved and lost. It really is there for everyone, from every walk of life. Some are in sheltered accommodation and on benefits; plenty, like me, are in full time employment and have all the trappings of a comfortable life.

No one is immune from mental health issues.

It’s not always easy to hear some of the stories, but it is a genuinely safe and respectful place to talk, free of pressure or judgement. I’ve seen grown men in tears simply because they are astonished at the number of others in the room, and it suddenly clicks – they are not alone. And there are some who are presently doing quite well and attend purely to remind the rest of us that it can get better. I hope to be amongst them some day.

In some respects, there is nothing special or magical about it. But it’s a sad indictment on society that men have been ‘trained’ to withhold emotions instead of sharing. Some of them have got the knack of it, others literally crumble and pass on the baton because they have never before been invited to talk about what the hell is going on in their heads.

I’ve dealt with chronic depression since my early teens and I’m finally tired of putting on a mask every day and lying to the world. If people read anything published, put 2 + 2 together and form a negative opinion, they’re simply not worth knowing.

I would also like to give credit to the community mental health team, the crisis team and Horizons. I’ve engaged with all of them recently and have nothing but praise.

Mark Fuller, Harrogate

Restricted access to Crimple Valley ‘mean-spirited and unnecessary’

Last summer, the Yorkshire Agricultural Society fenced off a huge area of the Crimple Beck valley, previously hugely popular with families and walkers.

The wide tarmac paths which go up and down the hill provided excellent access for buggies, children, elderly people and anyone else wanting to enjoy access year round. We used to regularly walk there with my friend who has a child in a wheelchair. The straggly grassy path we are now restricted to is overgrown, uneven, and too muddy for families to enjoy even in August. In a town as built up and busy as Harrogate, access to green spaces is massively important for people’s mental and physical health, and this restriction is mean-spirited and unnecessary.I have contacted the Yorkshire Agricultural Society about their decision, and they claim this is so the land can be used for sheep. This is inadequate reasoning, it’s a huge area they’ve fenced off, and the sheep are only there for part of the year.

Plus, public footpaths frequently go through fields of sheep, so they could still allow access and just ask dog owners to put dogs on leads. They haven’t given us a chance to show this could work. They have also fenced off many of the access routes to Hookstone Woods, with no apparent reason as they don’t keep sheep there.Finally, there were three large sculptures in the fenced off area – a red kite, an owl, and a lovely bench for the public to enjoy. These are now nowhere to be seen and the YAS has not responded to my requests to know where the sculptures can now be enjoyed.

Kate Morton, Harrogate

‘No improvement’ to state of drains around Weeton and Huby

This letter is in response to a story published last week about flooded drains and gullies in Harrogate.

I noticed that one of your colleagues had an article last week about Harrogate area flooding due to poor drain maintenance among other issues.At the risk of becoming boring about the issue round Weeton and Huby, there has been no improvement since you last highlighted the issues round here. Crag Lane and Strait Lane in Huby as well as Woodgate Lane in Weeton turn into small streams or worse, rivers when rain arrives.Drains are clearly blocked by silt and leaves plus other debris as per the attached photo of a drain on Crag Lane. There is no chance at all that this drain could ever function correctly unless properly cleaned and maintained.

John Chadwick, Huby

Blue badges not recognised by parking system at Swinsty reservoir

I’m a disabled resident and frequently like to go to Swinsty to sit. It’s my solace and I go a lot.

I wanted to let you know, so other disabled people are aware, that you have to register your permit with your own vehicle registration number.

I asked what would happen if, for instance, you were taken by your carers or family members due to mobility issue and I have just been told by the people organising this charade that every time you go, you have to go online and re-register your car that you intend to go in each and every time. This is because they are not giving physical permits.

I thought you should know in case any anyone else gets caught out on this.

Having lived in Harrogate most of my life, it is becoming too hard for disabled people like me to enjoy our surroundings, which for some of us, is the only thing we have.

Editor’s note: The Stray Ferret contacted Yorkshire Water about Lindsay’s concerns. A spokesperson responded:

“The ANPR system at reservoirs recognises number plates not Blue Badges. If disabled people visit in multiple vehicles, they will need to register each one”.

Lindsay Frazer, Harrogate

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.

Yemi’s Food Stories: My review of new Harrogate fine-dining restaurant Rhubarb

Yemi Adelekan is a food writer and blogger who was a semi-finalist in the 2022 series of BBC TV’s Masterchefcompetition.

Every Saturday Yemi writes on the Stray Ferret about her love of the district’s food and shares cooking tips – please get in touch with her if you want her to review a restaurant, visit your farm, taste the produce you sell or even share a recipe.

This week, I had the opportunity to eat at the newly opened Rhubarb in Harrogate.

It is located of Cheltenham Crescent, above Sukhothai, and is just a stones throw from the town centre and a multi-storey car park.

Harrogate has an abundance of restaurants, bars and coffee shops so one might be tempted to ask if there is room for yet another restaurant. After my meal at Rhubarb, I can confidently say yes.

Appetisers

The head chef Varun Khanna, who has previous experience at Restaurant Sat Bains in Birmingham and the Pipe and Glass in Beverley, has curated an exciting and innovative menu that reads like a dream.

The complimentary truffled pudding with walnut ketchup and winter truffle delivered a tang that woke up the tastebuds, and this was followed by sourdough breads with caramelised onion chicken liver parfait and marmite butter.

The parfait was silky smooth, light and delicious. The sun-dried tomato and basil bread combined the sweetness of the tomatoes with the fragrance of basil, making it the perfect vessel for the umami from the parfait.

The marmite butter grew on me — it was delicious. Marmite lovers would adore it, and marmite haters may even be pleasantly surprised by how the perfect blend of marmite and butter draws you in to have yet another taste.

The beetroot cured salmon starter.

Starters

The beetroot-cured salmon with Exmoor caviar, Whittaker’s gin and crème fraiche sorbet, and compressed cucumber was sublime. I am not usually a fan of smoked or cured salmon, but when done right it’s a thing of beauty. This was certainly done right! The texture and the sweetness of the beetroot shone through, and the sorbet was the perfect accompaniment. This was a 10 out of 10 starter.

The second starter was a dressed Whitby crab, brown crab bhaji, pickled okra and curried carrot, coconut and lobster bisque. It was beautifully plated and tasted delicious with a generous amount of crab. The bisque also showcased the delicate curry flavour.

The Whitby crab starter.

Mains

The main of Skrei cod loin with trout caviar, nasturtium, samphire and champagne sauce was a feast for the eyes – with the fish topped with radish scales. The cooking of the cod was on point, with each layer flaking away, super juicy and glistening. The sauce was delicious, light and delicate, but I think I would have liked it to be a touch thicker.

The cod loin

I loved the second main, which was a rack of lamb with spiced leg and potato puri, apple chutney, tamarind, mango chutney and mint. The lamb was pink, juicy and had a slight smokiness from finishing it on the grill, which added a layer of delicious complexity. Given this is a fatty cut, perfect rendering of the fat whilst still keeping it pink is a must.

The rack of lamb

Desserts

Desserts in many restaurants are often predictable and uninspiring, but the head chef has curated exciting options that make leaving room for dessert a no-brainer. The warm dark chocolate tart of chocolate sourdough French toast was surprising and paired very well with the creamy and delicious artichoke ice cream garnished with artichoke crisp.

I had to try ‘the lemon’, which is a lemon curd mousse with finger lime pearls folded through and bergamot meringue tubes. I expected this to be a sweet dessert given the mousse was encased in white chocolate, but I was pleasantly surprised that the sweetness came from the ice cream and floral meringue tubes and matched the light acidity from the mousse. This is a wonderful dessert to finish a meal on.

The desserts.

The Thai curry ice cream with banana, Exmoor caviar and blood orange consommé was intriguing, and diners could be nervous about it… but it would be a huge miss, as it was a surreal experience to be eating something that perfectly straddled the path between eating a curry and a dessert — something that shouldn’t work but absolutely does. There was spice, sweetness, heat, curry flavour and saltiness.

This is a stunning and phenomenal dessert from conception to execution that everyone should treat themselves to. Caviar on dessert? Yes, please.

The Thai curry ice cream and chocolates.

The dining experience ended with petit four of four chocolate creations. I left immediately thinking about all the people I would want to experience what Rhubarb has to offer.

Rhubarb is a fine dining restaurant without the pretentiousness that sometimes goes with fine dining.

It’s a place you can go for special occasions and opt for their tasting menu, business and casual lunches with their three-course lunch menu priced at £29 or opt for their a la carte menu for mid-week treats or weekend out.

I am delighted that Rhubarb has opened to offer a refreshing, innovative, exciting and accessible take on fine dining right in the heart of the town. I encourage you to check it out.

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Editor’s Pick of the Week: A new Harrogate restaurant and ongoing battles to save trees

Harrogate’s new fine-dining restaurant Rhubarb created quite a stir this week, especially as its town centre location has proved a graveyard for several recent ventures.

Today our food writer, Masterchef semi-finalist and Harrogate resident Yemi Adelekan, reviews it.

On the topic of good food, we also revealed the local entries in the latest Michelin Guide.

Besides food, trees have dominated the local news landscape. Some have been felled at the former gasworks where Tesco is starting sitework on its new Harrogate supermarket.

Campaigners are doing their utmost to resist 450 being felled in Rotary Wood, where Harrogate Spring Water’s expansion plans took a step forward.

In Ripon, the cathedral announced it was still open to ways of saving a veteran beech tree due to be felled as part of a new development on Minster Gardens — but none has been identified yet.

Some weird and wonderful things have been happening in Knaresborough. Tonight the town hosts a show featuring local burlesque performer Foxie Gingerella, better known locally as businesswoman Sarah Lowe, from beauty salon Orchis Escape. And did you see our article about another person having to be rescued from public toilets on Waterside?

It’s difficult to follow that — enjoy the weekend content.

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Ripon Cathedral announces next steps for controversial annexe plan

Ripon Cathedral will host drop-in consultation events in February and March where cathedral members will answer questions regarding its controversial plans to build a new annexe.

The cathedral “paused” its planning application to North Yorkshire Council last month following opposition from campaigners and local businesses.

According to a document published today, senior figures at the cathedral still appear committed to the extension — which it now says would cost £8 million. The figure was previously believed to be about £6 million.

However, a spokesperson said it hopes that through the consultation events it can identify areas of “creative thinking” with possible amendments made to the plans.

They said at present, the cathedral has not yet found an alternative to chopping down 11 trees. But it added the future of a veteran beech tree “remains open”.

A Q&A on its website answers some of the key questions posed by critics of the scheme. These include its potential impact on businesses and whether the annexe could be built elsewhere within the footprint of the cathedral.

It maintains the annexe is crucial to offer 21st century facilities whilst safeguarding the future of its choir.

The proposed new song school and cafe would be built next to the cathedral on Minster Gardens.

Local businesses have said it will take trade away from them and there have been protests against the felling of the trees.

Trees in Minster Gardens

A spokesperson said:

“It is hoped that a pause in the planning application to allow for additional consultation will prompt a genuine exchange of views, the sharing of informed ideas and the constructive discussion of concerns raised.”

You can read the Q&A in full here.

Drop-in events will be held at the cathedral on the dates and at the times shown below.

One event on Thursday March 7, from 9am-12pm, will take place at Ripon Town Hall,

February

March

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