John Plummer, Author at The Stray Ferret

Autumn statement will boost business and pay in Harrogate and Knaresborough, says Andrew Jones MP

Andrew Jones MP has said today’s autumn statement will “benefit businesses here in Harrogate and Knaresborough and boost the pay packets of tens of thousands locally”.

However, the Liberal Democrat hoping to replace him at the next general election said Chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s statement amounted to “empty promises and stale nonsense”.

Mr Hunt’s hour-long statement this afternoon included cutting the main rate of National Insurance contributions from 12 per cent to 10 per cent, increasing the state pension by 8.5% from April 2024 to £221.20 and a reduction in business rates.

But next year’s economic growth forecast was downgraded from 1.8% to 0.7%.

Andrew Jones

Mr Jones, the Conservative MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, said:

“This was an impressive autumn statement delivered by a Chancellor who understands his brief. Mr Hunt announced a series of measures which will benefit businesses here in Harrogate and Knaresborough and boost the pay packets of tens of thousands locally.

“The cut to national insurance contributions and the increase to the national living wage will put more cash in the pockets of the least well-paid. This is very important in an area like ours that depends on the often less well-paid hospitality sector.

“The hospitality industry will be further supported with a freeze in alcohol duty and by the changes to business rates and hospitality and leisure relief.”

Tom Gordon

Tom Gordon, the Liberal Democrat candidate for Harrogate and Knaresborough at the next election, accused the government of being “content with local health services crumbling” by failing to provide additional funding for local health services.

The party had called on the Chancellor to invest in a NHS rescue plan and inject £20 million into repairing crumbling concrete at Harrogate District Hospital.

Mr Gordon said:

“This Conservative government seems completely content to sit back and allow Harrogate and Knaresborough’s local hospital to crumble. They are either so out of touch they cannot see how many people are struggling to access healthcare, or they simply do not care.

“The Autumn Statement was an opportunity to get people off NHS waiting lists and allow them to return to work so we can rescue our flatlining economy. Instead we got empty promises, stale nonsense and a tax cut that’s not even a drop in the ocean compared to what people have already paid.”

Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty renamed National Landscape

All designated Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty in England and Wales, including Nidderdale, have been rebranded National Landscapes from today.

The new name aims to create greater understanding and awareness of the sites’ environmental importance in combating issues such as climate change.

There are 46 AONBs in the UK, covering 14% of England, Wales and Northern Ireland including moorland, farmland, coast, forests and International Dark Sky Reserves. The first to be designated an AONB was the Gower Peninsula in 1956; the most recent, in 1995, was the Tamar Valley, which spans Devon and Cornwall.

All are now known as National Landscapes.

Iain Mann, lead officer for Nidderdale National Landscape, said:

“Nidderdale’s landscape is treasured by those who live here and the many people who come to visit.

“Next year will mark 30 years since our partnership came together to conserve and enhance this special place. We look forward to continuing to work with the wide range of partners, from farmers and landowners to volunteers and conservation organisations, as we jointly face up to challenges such as climate change and nature recovery.

“Our new name reflects the national importance of this work and, we hope, sends a welcoming message to people who don’t yet know us to come and visit.”

Pateley Bridge

Tony Juniper, chair of Natural England said:

“For decades the AONBs have helped protect the beauty of our finest landscapes. Today though we need so much more from these wonderful places, helping us adapt to climate change, catching carbon, restoring depleted wildlife and encouraging more people outside, at the same time as producing food, sustaining local communities and enhancing historic environments.

“Modern challenges require new approaches and today marks the beginning of a new phase for our National Landscapes.”

Police begin clampdown on uninsured drivers in North Yorkshire

North Yorkshire Police began a week-long blitz today on motorists driving without insurance.

Officers on patrol will use automatic number plate recognition and in-car technology to find offenders.

The activity is part of the national police campaign Op Drive Insured.

A North Yorkshire Police statement today said:

“In a three-hour window in the York area, our officers have already seized four vehicles and arrested one uninsured driver on suspicion of drug driving.

“At a time when austerity is high, vehicle insurance is not a cut back you can afford to make.”

You can check if your vehicle is insured here.

Three people seriously injured in head-on crash on Harrogate bypass

Three people have been treated in hospital for serious injuries after a two-vehicle head-on collision on the Harrogate bypass.

Firefighters had to extract two people from one of the cars involved in the collision, which occurred on the A658 at yesterday afternoon.

The incident led to long tailbacks between Harrogate and Knaresborough.

In a statement today, North Yorkshire Police said:

“North Yorkshire Police was called to the scene of a serious two-vehicle head-on collision on Harrogate by-pass at around 3.20pm on Monday, 20 November.

“North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service also attended the scene, sending two appliances from Harrogate. Firefighters extracted two people from one of the cars involved in the collision.

“Three people were taken to hospital by Yorkshire Ambulance Service for treatment to serious injuries.

“Road closures were put in place in the immediate area while emergency crews attended the scene and the area was made safe.”

The statement added no arrests have been made and an investigation into the cause of the collision is “ongoing”.

Witnesses are urged to contact North Yorkshire Police on 101, quoting reference 12230220890.

Harrogate street closure: police investigation ‘ongoing’

North Yorkshire Police has said the closure of a street in Harrogate town centre on Friday night is part of an “ongoing investigation”.

Back Cheltenham Mount was cordoned off for several hours on Friday afternoon and evening.

The closure led to speculation about the nature of the incident but the force had not disclosed any information until today.

Officers also sealed off the steps on Cheltenham Mount and King’s Road that cut across Back Cheltenham Mount.

The steps starting on King’s Road.

A police officer on patrol on Back Cheltenham Mount.

In response to a media enquiry from the Stray Ferret, a North Yorkshire Police spokesperson said this morning:

“A police cordon was put in place in Harrogate town centre as part of an ongoing investigation.

“Enquiries are at an early stage, and a further update will be provided when possible.”

‘Operational challenges’ delay major Harrogate roadworks

The completion of seven weeks of roadworks in Harrogate town centre has been delayed, Northern Gas Networks has said.

The company has been replacing metal pipes with plastic pipes on some of the main routes, including Parliament Street, King’s Road and Cold Bath Road.

The project was due to end yesterday but Mark Mawhood, operations manager for Northern Gas Networks, said:

“I can confirm that the extensive work taking place in Harrogate will be completed this week.

“We will however need to return to complete a small section of the network, which due to some operational challenges could not be completed in the timeframe. The planning team is currently working on dates for when this work will be caried out and we will then notify the public and media once this is scheduled.

“We apologise for inconvenience caused during these works, and we thank the public for their patience during this large-scale scheme.”

The roadworks are the second phase of delayed works that were “paused” a year ago.

Starbeck tap dancers take part in world record bid

Forty dancers from Starbeck took part in a bid to break the world record yesterday for the largest number of people to perform the same tap routine at multiple venues simultaneously.

Children and adults from Summerbell Dance Academy took to the floor of the Victoria suite at the Crown Hotel in Harrogate as part of BBC Children in Need’s fundraising activities.

The youngest tapper was aged two and the oldest was 86.

They performed a routine they had been learning since September to Wham!’s Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go.

The figures are being collated today to see whether the tapathon world record of 7,596 was beaten.

Regardless of whether the target was achieved, the local dancers managed to raise £380 for Children in Need.

Performing their routine at the Crown Hotel.

Jennie Summerbell, the principal of Summerbell Dance Academy, said:

“It was a national initiative but it gave us a challenge and something to aim for.”

Summerbell Dance Academy, which is based at St Andrew’s church hall in Starbeck, has 200 students.

Opening date for £17.5m Knaresborough leisure centre revealed

Knaresborough’s new £17.5 million leisure and wellness centre will open on December 11.

The centre includes a six-lane 25-metre pool, a leisure pool with flume and a 60-station fitness suite.

There is also a studio for group fitness classes, a bespoke group cycling studio, sauna and steam rooms, a café and an outdoor children’s play area.

The centre has been developed next to the old Knaresborough Pool, which was built in 1990 and last refurbished 20 years ago.

Work on the exterior of the site.

The changing room area.

Cllr Simon Myers, North Yorkshire Council’s executive member for culture and leisure, said:

“I am delighted that we have an opening date for this exciting new leisure provision for Knaresborough – it’s a perfect Christmas gift for the town.

“The local community had long outgrown the old pool – there was a call for fitness provision as well as spaces for classes and post workout relaxation spaces.

“By shifting the service offer from conventional swimming pool provision to a community health and wellbeing service we aim to help people move more, live well, feel great and reduce the proportion of the population that is physically inactive.”

The project is part of a wider £47.9 million investment in leisure provision, including the recently completed refurbishment of Harrogate Leisure and Wellness Centre and the Jack Laugher Leisure and Wellness Centre in Ripon.

All the centres are managed day-to-day by Brimhams Active, the council’s health and wellbeing company.

Campaigners step-up fight against Allerton asphalt plant

More than 1,000 residents have now objected to plans to build an asphalt plant next to the Allerton waste incinerator, between Knaresborough and Boroughbridge.

Andrew Jones, the Conservative MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, joined about 100 campaigners fighting the proposal at Marton cum Grafton village hall on Saturday.

Mr Jones told the meeting organised by Communities Against Toxins he too was against the proposal, adding:

“The reasons are two-fold and to do with both head and heart. The heart brings the community together to show this is not welcome, and the head tells you that the dangers of pollution – both air pollution and water pollution – are major risks.

“Campaigners have done an incredible job marshalling the arguments and I hope when councillors come to consider the application they act on these concerns and turn the application down.

“This is the wrong idea in the wrong location.”

Campaign organiser Michael Emsley (left) talks to Andrew Jones.

Campaigners at the meeting.

Tynedale Roadstone Ltd plans to build the asphalt plant at the Allerton Waste Recovery Park.

A 22.5-metre exhaust stack would emit fumes containing carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and lead.

The group fears people living within a three-to-nine kilometre radius of the site would be affected by potentially harmful pollutants.

Communities Against Toxins organiser Michael Emsley wants to put pressure on North Yorkshire Council to scrutinise the proposal’s environmental impacts assessment.

He said:

“We do not believe this plant should be built in this location and we will continue to do all that we can to fight it.

“We will not stop. We will make sure that when North Yorkshire Council sit down to make its decision, they are in no doubt as to what the local communities think and that our concerns regarding the EIA have been addressed.”

Police silent on Harrogate street closure

North Yorkshire Police has remained silent on why it closed a Harrogate town centre street yesterday.

Cordons were placed at either end of Back Cheltenham Mount on Friday, November 17.

Police also sealed off the steps on Cheltenham Mount and Kings Road that cut through Back Cheltenham Mount.

The steps on Kings Road

Officers at the scene would only say they were investigating a crime.

Residents were advised to remain indoors.

The Stray Ferret asked North Yorkshire Police about the incident last night but has not received a response, and the force has yet to publish any information.

We will give more details when they are available.

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