Five candidates to contest Stray, Woodlands and Hookstone by-election

Five candidates will contest a North Yorkshire Council by-election in Harrogate next month.

Nominations for the Stray, Woodlands and Hookstone division seat have closed with voters going to the polls on Thursday, April 11.

The by-election is being held following the resignation of Liberal Democrat Pat Marsh, who posted anti-semitic comments on social media.

The candidates are:

Voting will take place from 7am to 10pm with the election count taking place in the evening after the close of polling.

Residents of the Stray, Woodlands and Hookstone division have until midnight on Friday, March 22, to register to vote and until 5pm on Monday, March 25, to apply for a postal vote.

If someone is unable to vote in person or by post they have until 5pm on Wednesday, April 3, to apply for a proxy vote.

Voters attending the polling station will need to bring photo ID to be able to vote.

This could include a UK or Northern Ireland photocard driving licence, full or provisional; a UK passport or a passport issued by the EU, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, the Isle of Man, or any of the Channel Islands; and some concessionary travel passes, such as an older person’s bus pass or blue badge.

Voters will be able to use expired ID if they are still recognisable from the photo.

Anyone without an accepted form of ID should apply for a free voter authority certificate by 5pm on Wednesday, April 3.

You can register to vote here and apply for a postal vote here. You can apply for voter ID here.

More information on the by-election is available here.

Read more:

Ripon set for parish meeting on cathedral annexe

A rare Ripon parish meeting will take place on Monday evening at Holy Trinity Church where residents will debate the cathedral’s £8m proposed annexe.

If at the meeting just 10 Ripon residents on the electoral roll vote in favour of a referendum, also called a parish poll, it would then take place, likely in April.

Kirkgate resident Stanley Mackintosh is behind the meeting, which starts at 6pm.

He called the poll a “very powerful democratic device” that he hopes will encourage the cathedral to find a solution to its annexe plans that has the support of the public.

It wouldn’t be legally binding but would include around 10 yes or no questions on topics including the felling of trees, open space and impact on businesses.

The planning application submitted to North Yorkshire Council has proved divisive and it’s believed TV crews from both the BBC and Channel 4 are planning to film the meeting.

Mr Mackintosh said:

“This fine setting can help present Ripon at its best as Ripon residents and surrounding communities work constructively together. All are eligible and welcome to attend and contribute to this meeting, whether Ripon electors or not, but only Ripon electors may vote at this Ripon parish meeting.”

At a full meeting of Ripon City Council this month, councillors voted unanimously to denounce the referendum in a motion that described it as a “waste of money”.

However, it will still have to pay the costs of the poll which could be around £10,000.

At a meeting of North Yorkshire Council’s Skipton and Ripon councillors on Thursday, Cllr Andrew Williams (Conservative and Independents Group, Ripon Minster and Moorside) raised the cost of the parish poll with Conservative MP for Ripon Julian Smith.

Cllr Williams said parish polls are intended for smaller, village parish councils whereas Ripon has 7,000 residents. He added:

“Can I ask you to press the minister responsible to bring forward legislation that protects parish councils the size of Ripon from this abuse of process.”

Mr Smith did not comment on the specifics of the annexe referendum but said he would write to ministers on “the general issue” of cost.

Regarding the application, Mr Smith added:

“The cathedral is a huge draw to the city and I hope we can get something everybody can support.”

Ripon Cathedral says the proposed annexe on an area of public space called Minster Gardens is crucial to offer 21st-century facilities including a cafe whilst safeguarding the future of its choir.

But it has paused its planning application to North Yorkshire Council in order to take stock and listen to suggestions from the public following criticism of the new building’s location, the felling of 11 trees and its impact on local businesses.

Read more:

Firefighters retrieve gazebo from Harrogate church roof

Firefighters were called to a church in Harrogate today when a freak gust of wind blew a gazebo on to the roof of the church hall.

An eyewitness said the gazebo had been used as a car port for a property near St John’s Church on Bilton Lane.

But a sudden gust of wind sent it flying towards the heavens at about 1.30pm before it landed on the roof of the hall.

He added the firefighters handled the incident with expertise and “the main thing is nobody got hurt”.


North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service’s incident report said:

“Harrogate crew attended to make safe a gazebo which had blown onto a roof.

“Crews handled the gazebo down to ground level and made safe using tyres to weigh down. Incident handed over to responsible person.”

Read more:

Concerns raised about leadership at Nidderdale primary schools

A Nidderdale councillor has raised concerns about the leadership of two primary schools in the same federation as Fountains Earth in Lofthouse — which is set to officially close for good at the end of this month.

Fountains Earth is part of Upper Nidderdale Federation alongside St Cuthbert’s Church of England Primary School in Pateley Bridge and Glasshouses Community Primary School.

Last year, the governing board at Fountains Earth approached North Yorkshire Council to request a consultation on a proposal to close the school saying it had “exhausted all options” following dwindling pupil numbers.

The council’s executive approved the closure in January following a public consultation.

However, parents and former staff launched a petition calling for an investigation into the leadership of the federation which has been signed by 1,103 people.

Former Fountains Earth parent Fiona Ewbank addressed Skipton and Ripon councillors at a meeting on Thursday and said parents withdrew their children from the school after “losing trust” in the school’s leaders.

Stephen Ramsden from Upper Nidderdale Parish Council said losing the school was an “awful blow” to the community and that the same “poor management persists” at St Cuthbert’s.

Although there is no suggestion from the Conservative-run council that the schools in Pateley Bridge or Glasshouses are in danger of following the same fate as Fountains Earth, Cllr Andrew Murday, a Liberal Democrat who represents Pateley Bridge and Nidderdale, said it was a “problem” that the federation runs the two other schools.

He argued there isn’t a mechanism for the council to look into the governance of the federation.

Cllr Murday added:

“My anxiety is the same problems that arose at Fountains Earth will recur in the other two primary schools.”

Cllr Barbara Brodigan, a Liberal Democrat for Ripon Ure Bank and Spa, warned that a “pattern will be repeated” unless changes are made.

She said:

“Parents do vote with their feet. Schools with no pupils get no funding and it’s a downward spiral all the time.

“In some respects, the council is powerless to determine parents’ choices but I share your concerns that the same may happen again.”

Skipton and Ripon MP Julian Smith was questioned by Cllr Murday about the federation earlier in the meeting and said he “hadn’t heard any issues” regarding its other schools but said he would be happy to meet concerned parties.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service asked Upper Nidderdale Federation to respond to Cllr Murday’s comments on two occasions but we did not receive a reply.

Read more:

Council tree expert ‘not in a position to support’ Harrogate Spring Water

North Yorkshire Council‘s tree expert has said he is “not in a position to support” Harrogate Spring Water‘s bid to expand into woodland alongside its headquarters.

Arboricultural officer Alan Gilleard raised a series of concerns in his response to the consultation on the company’s planning application.

Mr Gilleard said “normally an application includes a tree survey though I cannot find one”. He added he could also not find any evidence detailing the species to be removed.

He raised several other issues that required further information before concluding:

“Reading through the documentation we seem to be light on detail and some way off a position where we could support. At the moment I am not in a position to support.”

The company, which is part of French-owned multi-national Danone, wants to fell trees in a section of the Pinewoods known as Rotary Wood to make space for a new building. It has agreed to plant 1,500 saplings to create a community woodland as mitigation for the loss of trees.

Rotary Wood in the Pinewoods

The public consultation was due to end on Sunday (March 10) but has been extended following a request from Pinewoods Conservation Group, which does not feel it has sufficient information to give its view. Representatives from Harrogate Spring Water are due to attend the group’s annual general meeting on Wednesday, March 20.

So far the consultation has attracted 590 objections and six expressions of support.

Concerns about ‘large scale industrial’ building

In another blow for the company, Helen Golightly, the council’s principal landscape architect, has said the “planting details are incomplete for the stage of the proposals” and requested further details.

Ms Golightly said it was “essential” for Harrogate Spring Water to produce a landscape visual appraisal that “should account for the loss of woodland and the consequences of this on both visual amenity and the character of the area”.

She said there needed to be “a rudimentary tree survey” and raised concerns about the latest designs for the proposed new building. which she described as a “very large scale industrial building”. She said:

“The reserved matters application shows a building which is much more monolithic than the outline proposal which had a series of components which helped to provide some relief along elevations and incorporated areas of glazing along the north elevation.

“There was also a suggestion of a green roof which now appears to have been removed from the proposals.”

Harrogate Spring Water has pledged to replace any trees lost on a 3:1 ratio. It has said the scheme will create 50 jobs plus 20 more during construction.

Richard Hall, managing director at Harrogate Spring Water, previously said the new community woodland “will be fully accessible to the public and we hope will become a valued resource for the local community for many years to come”.

Harrogate Spring Water received outline planning permission for the scheme in 2017, which remains valid. The current reserved matters stage deals with its appearance, size and landscaping. Councillors rejected a previous reserved matters application in 2021,

You can view planning documents and comment on the application by visiting the council’s planning portal here and typing in reference number 20/01539/REMMAJ where it says ‘enter a keyword’.

Read more:

Bid to convert High Harrogate Working Men’s Club to flats

Plans have been submitted to convert High Harrogate Working Men’s Club into two flats.

The club, which forms part of a three-storey building on Devonshire Place, has operated since 1901, according to planning documents sent to North Yorkshire Council.

The documents add the club, which last posted on Facebook on May last year, is currently closed.

It was granted permission in 2022 to convert the first and second floors into six flats while retaining and refurbishing the ground floor bar.

But a planning and heritage statement in support of the new application says “the continued public house / working men’s club facility within the building is now no longer considered to be viable”.

A planning document showing where the club is.

The statement highlighted a marketing exercise by Nationwide Building Sales. It said:

“This states that the costs of the approved refurbishment substantially outweigh the valuation of the completed bar and that any investment would not be protected in the property value should the business not be successful.

“Interested parties have been deterred by the costs of the refurbishment and NBS have not been able to progress a sale beyond the initial enquiries.

“Potential buyers were also unconvinced that the area warrants another new bar when the area is already saturated.”

The statement also refers to a viability and marketing report prepared by commercial property consultants Everard Cole in September last year, which said “poor trading performance and the provision of alternative facilities nearby” deterred buyers. It added:

“To refurbish the working men’s club, a capital expenditure of circa £600,000 to £750,000 would be required and this would not see a return sufficient to be viable, especially due to its out of town location.”

The planning documents do not give the name of the applicant but identify the agent as Nicholas Gallagher, of Leeds agents Nicholas and Nicholas Ltd.

The club, which is a registered society under the Cooperative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014, opened in a local public house before moving into 5 Devonshire Place.

You can view the planning documents on the council’s website here. Type in reference number ZC24/00704/FUL

Read more:

Abseil down Brimham Rocks to help neurodiverse children

The charity Autism Angels is giving people the chance to abseil down Brimham Rocks to raise funds.

The organisation is holding its first charity abseil during World Autism Acceptance Week on Saturday, April 6.

Individuals, families, friends, work colleagues and corporate teams can take part at the National Trust site near Pateley Bridge. Registration costs £30.

Autism Angels, which is based at Summerbridge, works with horses to support neurodiverse children and their families.


It relies heavily on donations to provide services and hopes the event will boost its coffers. Further details are available here.

You can also donate on JustGiving, where a fundraising page has been set up with a £4,000 target.

Read more:

Barman at Ripon’s South Lodge jailed for dealing cocaine

A barman at a well-known pub in Ripon has been jailed for over three years for dealing cocaine and cannabis from his living quarters.

Jay Goodall, 29, a heavily convicted felon, was arrested at the South Lodge pub on Harrogate Road after police searched his bedroom and found about £3,000 of cocaine, cannabis and benzocaine, York Crown Court heard.

Police found all manner of drug paraphernalia inside his room including digital weighing scales – which Goodall claimed were for baking cakes.

He was brought in for questioning and initially claimed the drugs were for personal use.

Prosecutor Kelly Clarke said that would be impossible because it would have meant he had a £1,750-a-week drug habit on a £400 weekly wage.

Goodall was charged with possessing cocaine and cannabis with intent to supply and admitted both offences. He appeared for sentence via video link today after being remanded in custody.

Ms Clarke said police executed the search warrant at South Lodge on February 9 after receiving a tip-off that someone was potentially dealing drugs at the hotel owing to a “strong smell of cannabis” emanating from the staff quarters.

Police at the scene on February 9.

An officer turned up at the newly refurbished pub – one of the largest and most prominent in the area – as Goodall parked his vehicle in the car park. He was detained in the communal bar area.

Ms Clarke said police noted a “strong smell of cannabis (coming) from the living quarters upstairs”.

Officers followed the smell to Goodall’s bedroom where they found a “large quantity” of suspected cocaine in various snap bags and boxes.

They also found two plastic boxes and a black safe full of dealer bags. One of the boxes contained a pestle, used for grinding substances, on which police found “remnants of Class A drugs”.

They also found a large bag containing 330 grammes of benzocaine, a cutting agent used to bulk up drugs which can also be used as a painkiller.

Inside Goodall’s wardrobe was a black balaclava, two zip bags full of cannabis, the digital weighing scales and a box for an air pistol, although no weapon was found inside.

Ms Clarke said:

“He said the drugs were for his own personal use and (that he) had consumed around three-and-a-half grammes per day.

“He said the scales were for when he baked cakes.”

The estimated value of the drugs stash, including the benzocaine, was about £3,000.

Police also seized two mobile phones – one from inside a rucksack in the wardrobe and one from Goodall’s car – but Goodall failed to provide officers with the PIN numbers to enable them to analyse his messages.

Racial offences

The prosecution outlined Goodall’s criminal record which included several convictions for racially aggravated harassment and criminal damage, as well as assaulting an emergency worker and a previous conviction for dealing cannabis.

Other previous convictions included driving while unfit through drink or drugs, battery and sending malicious communications.

He received a nine-month suspended prison sentence for possession with intent to supply cannabis in Leeds in 2021.

In July last year he received another suspended jail sentence for yet more racially aggravated offences. The new offences in Ripon put him in breach of that 16-week suspended prison term.

Goodall’s solicitor advocate Stephen Smithson said the former barman was a drug addict but “there’s no suggestion (that he had conducted) this criminality for the sake of his own addiction”.

Judge Sean Morris, the Recorder of York, told Goodall:

“You were caught red-handed in your place of work and residence, and you had the full paraphernalia for drug-dealing in your room. It’s quite clear this was determined drug-dealing.

“You should have learnt your lesson (following the previous conviction for dealing drugs). You haven’t.”

He told Goodall he had a “bad record for unpleasant” offences including ones with a racial undertone.

Goodall was jailed for three years and seven months for possession with intent to supply cocaine and breaching the suspended sentence. There was no separate penalty for dealing cannabis.

Read more:

Police ‘increasingly concerned’ for missing Harrogate man

North Yorkshire Police has issued an urgent appeal to find a man who has been missing from the Harrogate area for nearly two weeks.

The constabulary said in a statement this afternoon Cao Xuan Tuan, 25, has not been seen since  Thursday, February 29.

The statement added:

“Cao is Asian, with short straight black hair, brown eyes and around 5 foot 6” tall.

“We’re growing increasingly concerned for Cao’s welfare and are asking for anyone who may have seen him, or knows where he is, to contact us immediately.

“Cao, if you are reading this, please get in touch with someone, we just want to know that you are safe.”

Officers urged anyone who has seen Cao, or have information that could help, to urgently call 101 or, if you know his immediate whereabouts, 999.

Quote reference number 12240041667.

Read more:

Council predicts positive future for Harrogate Convention Centre despite scrapping £57m redevelopment

Senior Conservative councillors confirmed this morning that a proposed £57 million redevelopment of Harrogate Convention Centre will be scrapped.

But they offered a positive outlook for the facility’s future and heard it could operate without a £2.7m annual council subsidy in less than three years if it can attract outside investment to make smaller improvements.

North Yorkshire Council’s executive met in Northallerton this morning and agreed to discontinue the project it inherited from the defunct Harrogate Borough Council.

A council officer described the project as unaffordable and blamed spiralling building costs which have seen the cost jump from £49m to £57m.

It also failed in a bid to win Levelling Up money worth £20m from the government that would have helped to pay for the project.

The council’s executive member for finance Cllr Gareth Dadd said it had been a “long and arduous task” to get to a decision on the redevelopment which he said would have achieved “dubious outcomes to say the least”.

Executive member for corporate services, Cllr David Chance, said it would have been “ludicrous” to move forward in light of the current financial predicament facing the authority.

The council is facing a £41.6m deficit in its budget this year with significant financial pressures on adult social care and special educational needs.

Cllr Dadd said:

“It was our job to get under the bonnet of the issues and see how the landscape has changed.”

The council will now undertake market testing to see if the venue can attract investment from the private sector or elsewhere. Cllr Dadd also proposed that the council writes to each mayoral candidate for the upcoming York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority urging them to support further investment.

Despite scrapping the redevelopment, Cllr Dadd maintained the council was committed to improving the convention centre and said it was “not the end of the story, far from it”.

The Harrogate Convention Centre opened in 1982 with conferences and events providing a boost to the town’s bars, restaurants and hotels.

North Yorkshire Council says the convention centre contributes £45m a year to the wider Harrogate district economy which Cllr Dadd said “should be ignored at our peril”.

Convention centre director Paula Lorimer came out against the redevelopment, arguing to do so would be counterproductive as it would involve shutting the venue for large periods.

Ms Lorimer is a proponent of creating new break-out spaces for conference delegates, which she believes could attract £1m additional income each year.

She told councillors that last year was the venue’s most successful in many years and if the upturn continues, along with a more commercial business model and investment, the convention centre could be “cost-neutral” for the council within just three years.

Ms Lorimer also suggested the venue could be renamed to reflect “a broader Yorkshire identity”. It was previously known as the Harrogate International Centre until 2017.

She said:

“I’m very committed to getting investment in the HCC but not at any cost, I do feel there are better ways of investing tactically, so we can do parts of the venue each year.”

Read more: