River Nidd bathing water bid to be sent next month

An application for the River Nidd in Knaresborough to be designated bathing water status is to be submitted to the government next month.

If successful, the move would oblige organisations such as the Environment Agency to take action to clean the Nidd, amid concerns about high sewage levels and bathers falling ill at Knaresborough Lido.

Harrogate and Knaresborough Conservative MP Andrew Jones will submit the application after overseeing a survey of how many people use the Lido during the bathing water season from May 15 to September 30.

Mr Jones said the deadline for sending the application to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs was the end of October. He added:

“Once submitted, there begins a long process in which Defra consult with many key stakeholders including Yorkshire Water and the Environment Agency.

“Whilst we can’t be sure when the result will be known, applications that were submitted last year found out around March of this year.”

He said further surveys at the Lido were unlikely due to the colder weather, adding:

“The numbers we received from the surveys were excellent, and were nicely capped with that final burst of good weather a couple of weeks ago which saw hundreds of people swimming in the River Nidd at the Lido.”

The surveying was hampered a change in guidance in early July, but Mr Jones said “we have a committed team of volunteers which enabled us to adjust our plan quickly and fulfil the new criteria”.

Water sampling continues

Last month’s sampling in Bilton.

Nidd Action Group, which consists of anglers, academics, conservationists and volunteers has undertaken water sampling along the Nidd as part of the clean-up campaign.

The first round of sampling took place last month and a second round is required.

David Clayden, chairman of the group, said:

“We have identified four possible dates, but they are dependent on getting four days with no rain prior to the sampling day – so the first two, September 25 or 27, are no good.

“We are now aiming for either October 4 or 5 – again dependent on prior weather forecasts.”

Knaresborough Lib Dems send message to MP

Knaresborough Town Council gave its backing to the bathing water application this week — but the Liberal Democrat-controlled council added clauses urging the government to do more to protect rivers.

Cllr Kathryn Davies, a Conservative elected in Aspin and Calcutt who took part in the Lido survey, proposed a motion calling for the council to support the application.

It said the Nidd at the Lido was an important resource for the people of Knaresborough and improving water quality “would have significant benefits for the environment, public health, recreation and the local economy”.

But David Goode, a Liberal Democrat who represents Castle ward, said the motion “looked like a concerted effort by the Tory party to deflect attention” from allowing water companies to dump sewage in the river.

He proposed additional clauses, which included writing to Mr Jones requesting he “votes against any legislation that weakens planning and environmental policy” and “supports the call for water companies to be turned into public benefit companies with the aim of reducing leaks and sewage dumping, as well as limiting returns to shareholders”.

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New photos show Knaresborough’s £17m leisure centre shaping up

New photos have shown Knaresborough’s £17 million leisure centre taking shape.

Knaresborough Leisure and Wellness Centre is due to open in November. It will replace Knaresborough Pool, which closed a month ago.

Like the old site, it will have a pool and a fun pool with a slide. But unlike the old site it will also have a a studio, gym, steam room and sauna.

Councillors were given a tour of the site today.

Matt Walker, a Liberal Democrat on Knaresborough Town Council and North Yorkshire Council, shared some photos on his Twitter account. He said:

“It’s a huge investment for the town with lots more facilities than the previous pool.”

Cllr Walker added green technology would save about 50% of the running costs and 85% of the old pool will be recycled after demolition.

The children’s playground and zip wire is due to be reinstated.

The new sauna

The steam room

The site is due to open in November.

The leisure centre will be run by Brimhams Active, a leisure company controlled by North Yorkshire Council.

Brimhams reopened the former Harrogate Hydro as Harrogate Leisure and Wellness Centre this month.

Look out for an interview with Mark Tweedie, the managing director of Brimhams Active, this weekend.

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Ripon Cathedral clergy to discuss £6m expansion plans tomorrow

People will get the chance to ask senior clergy at Ripon Cathedral about the proposed £6 million expansion tomorrow.

The cathedral applied in December to build a two-storey annex on nearby Minster Gardens. It would include toilets, a song school, shop and cafe.

The project. known as Ripon Cathedral Renewed would involve felling 11 trees, including a veteran beech tree.

How the scheme would look.

The planning application, which can be viewed here, contains 406 documents and has received 242 comments.

North Yorkshire Council has yet to decide whether to accept the scheme.

The cathedral is launching its annual review at 10am tomorrow. In a Facebook post, it said:

“Dean John and members of chapter will give a presentation on how the cathedral has been delivering its strategy of growing God’s kingdom and progress made on Ripon Cathedral Renewed, together with time for questions.”

The veteran beech tree is pictured in the foreground.

According to the cathedral’s website, the expansion would “provide key facilities” and “enable it to host more events, exhibitions, and concerts, which will attract increased numbers of people to the city, to the benefit of all”.

Pat Waterfall, who has campaigned against the loss of trees, said:

“I will be going and, if I get the chance, will ask for clarification on the proposed tree planting. Is it 300 or as more recently reported about 60?

“Much of the planting seems to be shrubs or short-lived small trees which will in no way compensate for the loss of the existing trees let alone mitigate the huge carbon footprint of the new building.”

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Harrogate in Bloom winners revealed

Hotels, shops and schools were among those recognised for their floral displays at the Harrogate in Bloom awards last night.

The annual awards ceremony, which was held at West Park Hotel in Harrogate, honours individuals and businesses who use flowers to make the town more attractive.

Pam Grant and Chris Beard organise the judging each year on behalf of Harrogate in Bloom, which is a voluntary group formed in 1989 to support council efforts to maintain the town’s reputation as a floral town.

The winners included Helen James Flowers, which won the shop window competition, the White Hart Hotel, which won the hotels and guesthouses category and Richard Taylor Church of England Primary School, which won the schools contest.

(from left) Matthew Chapman, Pam Grant and Chris Beard at last night’s awards.

The awards were organised by Harrogate Business Improvement District, which runs various floral-themed initiatives, including the Harrogate Floral Summer of Celebration. It also provides floral displays as part of its mission to encourage more people to visit the town centre.

Ms Grant, president of Harrogate in Bloom, said the support of the BID meant there was “a real opportunity to bring back the halcyon days when Harrogate was the floral capital of northern England”.

Nick Smith, director of Harrogate Flower Shows, which stages the annual spring and autumn flowers shows in Harrogate and at Newby Hall near Ripon, compered the awards ceremony.

Harrogate in Bloom winners 2023

HAMMOND MANN TROPHY – SCHOOLS COMPETITION

Richard Taylor C of E School

Mc CRINDLE TROPHY – SHOP WINDOW COMPETITION

Helen James Flowers

CROWTHER TROPHY – HOTELS AND GUESTHOUSES

The White Hart

HARROGATE IN BLOOM SHIELD – COMMUNAL GROUNDS CATEGORY

Royal House – Laxford Ltd

PARKS DEPT ROSE SHIELD

The Winter Gardens

BETTY’S TEAPOT – RESIDENTIAL COMMUNITY

Swan Court

CHAMBER OF TRADE AND COMMERCE TROPHY – DISCRETIONARY AWARD

Open Country

PRESIDENT’S AWARD – DISCRETIONARY AWARD

Refuse Collection Team

MAYOR’S TROPHY – DISCRETIONARY AWARD

Carolyn Rothwell

EDGAR SCHOLEY SHIELD – BEST ALLOTMENT SITE

Pine Street Allotment Site

HARROGATE COUNCIL TROPHY – BEST ALLOTMENT PLOT

Peter Walker – Pine Street Allotment Site

Harrogate’s Great Yorkshire Show director to stand down

Next year’s Great Yorkshire Show in Harrogate will be the final one for director Charles Mills.

The Yorkshire Agricultural Society, the farming charity that runs the event, announced today it was seeking a successor to Mr Mills, whose tenure will end in 2024.

The show, from Tuesday, July 9 to Friday, July 12 will be his ninth as director.

Since taking over the role in 2016, Mr Mills has been part of the team behind changing the structure of the show, which moved from three days to four days due to covid in 2021.

Tickets are now sold in advance only with visitor numbers capped at 140,000 equating to 35,000 people a day to prevent overcrowding.

Recalling the decision to stage the show in 2021, he said:

“We were one of the only agricultural shows to go ahead that year and it was such a pleasure to host King Charles III and Queen Camilla who supported us at that show and spent a whole day meeting exhibitors, stewards and public.

“I have also thoroughly enjoyed hosting members of the Royal family including Princess Anne who visited twice during my tenure and is very highly respected among the farming community.”

Talking to the Duke of Gloucester at this year’s show.

Mr Mills looks forward to spending more time with wife Jill and family and supporting son James in running the family business of hosting weddings at their farm in Appleton Roebuck in Selby.

He said:

“When I was a young boy in short corduroy trousers sitting in the grandstand, never in my wildest dreams did I think I would get the honour of one day becoming the show director of the Great Yorkshire Show.

“It is a wonderful organisation and getting the opportunity to meet and work with so many dedicated people will stay with me for the rest of my life.”

Allister Nixon, chief executive of the society, said:

“Charles has been a fantastic ambassador for the Great Yorkshire Show and we can’t thank him enough for his amazing contribution over the years and for his passion, commitment and leadership.”

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Knaresborough councillors reject call to prevent second BID vote

Town councillors in Knaresborough have rejected a motion to prevent traders having another vote on creating a business improvement district until 2026.

Knaresborough firms voted against setting up a BID by 80 votes to 73 in October 2021.

But the creation of a Facebook group called Get the BID for Knaresborough Back on Track has led to suggestions some businesses could push for another ballot.

If firms vote to set up a BID — as has happened in Harrogate and Ripon — town centre traders pay an annual levy to support schemes that boost footfall.

Cllr Kathryn Davies, a Conservative who represents Aspin and Calcutt, proposed the motion at this week’s full council meeting.

She said BID terms lasted five years and there should be “parity in the time lapse” between ballots when one is rejected.

Cllr Davies said another ballot would ignite “old tensions” and the motion would “bring some calmness to the situation”. She added:

“Businesses in the town will have the certainty of no additional taxes for that period.”

This week’s Knaresborough Town Council meeting.

But Cllr Matt Walker, a Liberal Democrat who was also elected in Aspin and Calcutt, said it could equally be argued the town had lost out on £400,000 of investment the BID levy would have generated and that ultimately it was a decision for traders, not councillors.

Cllr Walker said:

“If the business community wants a BID I’m happy to support them. If they don’t want a BID I’m happy not to support one.”

The Castle Courtyard shopping centre in Knaresborough.

Nobody has formally called for a second ballot and Cllr David Goode, a Liberal Democrat who represents Castle ward, said “it would be madness for any local group to move forward without knowing the majority of local businesses were in favour”.

He added:

“This is not an issue for the town council. This is an issue for the business community.”

The motion failed when John Batt, a Conservative who represents Eastfield, withdrew his support as a seconder to the motion.

Cllr Batt agreed “it’s not our job to dictate to the business community what they should do”.

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New head begins at Harrogate school

A new head teacher has started at a Harrogate school.

Phil Soutar has taken the helm at Ashville Prep School, a fee paying school for children in years one to six.

The school also announced today it has become a member of the Independent Schools Association, which represents the heads of about 650 independent schools.

Mr Soutar, who is national chair of the ISA, said:

“I look forward to leading the prep school on the next phase of its development journey, and sharing my vision for the year ahead when our focus will centre on optimising creativity, excellence and opportunity for every pupil.

“Becoming a member of the ISA will help us deliver these aims by opening up a greater range of activities and creative experiences for our children.”

Mr Soutar was previously head at Rosemead Prep School and Nursery in Dulwich, South London.

Being part of the ISA enables pupils to take part in regional and national events for sport, art, music and drama and gives teachers access to courses and continuous professional development.

Ashville Prep School is part of Ashville College, which is an independent day and boarding school for boys and girls aged two to 18.

It consists of Ashville Acorns pre-prep, and Ashville’s prep school, senior school and sixth form.

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Council confirms Harrogate bridge is damaged again

North Yorkshire Council has confirmed a historic bridge in a Harrogate village has been damaged — just days after it reopened.

Grade two-listed Hampsthwaite Bridge, which was initially constructed in 1598, closed suddenly on June 2 for £60,000 repairs.

it reopened on September 7 but concerns were raised when a photo appeared on social media of a large JCB crossing the bridge.

Phil Richardson, the council’s bridges manager, said today:

“One of the parapets on Hampsthwaite Bridge has been damaged and we are currently considering what action needs to be taken.

“We will be carrying out a thorough inspection of the bridge and will update the public as soon as possible.”

The council’s inspection confirms the findings of local resident and retired engineer Martin Weston, who checked the bridge after reading concerns about the JCB crossing.

Mr Weston told the Stray Ferret the parapet walls had been pushed out and loosened over a six-metre section.

He reported his findings to Hampsthwaite Parish Council, which forwarded them on to North Yorkshire Council, which is the highways authority.

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Latest £100,000 Harrogate cycle plan branded ‘a waste of money’ — by cyclists

Plans to spend £100,000 on making a minor Harrogate road better for cycling have been branded a waste of taxpayers’ money.

North Yorkshire Council revealed this month it wants to upgrade Nursery Lane into an off-road leisure route.

It was one of 10 proposals put forward costing £585,000 to reduce congestion in west Harrogate.

But the no through road off Otley Road is already tarmacked and gets very little traffic, prompting cyclists to question the merit of the scheme.

A meeting of the council’s Harrogate and Knaresborough area constituency committee heard a statement from David Mitchell, of Harrogate District Cycle Action, which said spending £100,000 on Nursery Lane was “not sensible because it would not make a meaningful difference to the cycle network”.

Paul Haslam, a Conservative who represents Bilton and Nidd Gorge, told the meeting the cycling community had told him the proposal was “a complete waste of money because that lane is already safe”.

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The Hedgehog Cycling website has also been highly critical of the scheme. A blog post, which does not identify the author, said:

“Nursery Lane is already fine as it is. There is very little traffic, no through traffic, and a sealed surface. There is absolutely no need for a cycle track. Spending £100,000 on it would be an outrageous waste of public money.

“Nursery Lane could be a useful cut-through from an Otley Road cycleway to Harlow Moor Road – but there would need to be an Otley Road cycleway. As it is, North Yorkshire Council is intent on building ‘ribs but no spine’ which is brainless.”

Cyclists’ frustration is compounded by the council’s failure to deliver on schemes such as the Station Gateway, Otley Road cycle path, Beech Grove and Victoria Avenue, which were supposed to form part of a connected route.

Mr Mitchell also criticised another of the 10 proposals, which is to spend £25,000 on a review of cycle route signs.

He said signs were improved in 2014 and cyclists “need safe cycle routes not more signposts”. He added spending £25,000 “presumably to consultants WSP would be a waste of public money”.

Discussing Nursery Lane at last week’s meeting, the council’s area highways manager Melisa Burnham said “there’s certainly been a historic desire from locals to see that widened and improved to improve the links that side of Harrogate”.

Ms Burnham said the transport measures had been compiled by an officer group that took part in community engagements, including one with Harlow and Pannal Ash Residents Association in May.

She said that meeting included representatives from the local cycling group.

Traffic lights at the junction of Cold Bath Road, Otley Road and Arthurs Avenue.

The council has also faced criticism about the biggest of its 10 proposed schemes, which is a £200,000 upgrade of the traffic lights at the junction of Otley Road, Cold Bath Road and Arthurs Avenue.

Arnold Warneken, the Green Party councillor for Ouseburn, told last week’s meeting the proposal was “sustainable for cars but not sustainable for active travel and the environment”.

Mr Burnham said the signal upgrade would relieve congestion, which was a “key objective” of the funding and the junction improvements “would create a safe space”.

New national retailer set to open in Harrogate

A new upmarket national retailer is set to open a store on Harrogate’s West Park.

Mandarin Stone, which sells natural stone, porcelain and decorative tiles for homes and businesses, will open in the former Lynx Menswear unit.

Helen Cox-Rawnsley, a director of Montpellier Property Consultants, announced today it had let the site.

The site of the new store.

Mandarin Stone already has showrooms in 15 locations, mainly in southern England and Wales.

The family-run business, which is based in Monmouth, announced last week that its pre-tax profit for the year ended 31 December 2022 had increased to £7.5 million, compared with £6.9 million the year before.

Alma Small, managing director of Mandarin Stone who founded the business more than 30 years ago, said the company continued to grow “despite the challenges and uncertainty within the building sector”.

The company’s website says it has “the most innovative and exciting wall and floor surfaces to the UK market, placing Mandarin Stone at the forefront of interior design”.

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