Last week was about floods — this week was more about fire. Or fire services, to be more accurate.
Our story last weekend about four Harrogate firefighters losing their jobs in April as part of plans to reduce the number of nighttime fire engines on Skipton Road from two to one caused a lot of concern — not just in Harrogate but also in rural areas like Summerbridge where local fire stations struggle to attract on-call firefighters and rely heavily on full-time crews in Harrogate.
Ripon’s rich military heritage came under threat this week. The soldier-poet Wilfred Owen, whose time in Ripon is commemorated in a plaque on Borage Lane, is part of a story that needs telling more widely, not ripping apart.
It’s been a bad week for shops in the Lower Station Parade area of Harrogate. This week’s stories on Party Fever and Go Herbs followed hot on the heels of the closure of the Fabulous 50s Diner.
On a lighter note, will you be going to Starbeck to see Manchester City’s five trophies? Even for non-City fans, this is surely too good a chance to miss.
This was also the week when Knaresborough got its second Asda Express and fencing went up around one of the last green spaces in the Kingsley area of Harrogate to make way for 162 homes.
If you have a view on any of our articles, or indeed anything else that’s bugging you about life in Harrogate, Ripon, Knaresborough, Boroughbridge, Pateley Bridge and Masham, do email us at letters@thestrayferret.co.uk and we will consider it for publication in our Stray Views letters page.
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Read more:
- Manchester City to display all five trophies in Harrogate
- New Knaresborough venue in ‘ongoing’ talks with council over planning
- Bid to create dog walking field near Ripon set for refusal
Manchester City to display all five trophies in Harrogate
Manchester City are to display the five trophies the club currently holds in Harrogate this month.
City performed the treble last season when they won the Champions League, the Premier League and the FA Cup.
Since then. they have also lifted the FIFA Club World Cup and the UEFA Super Cup.
All five trophies will be on display at The Forest Club, which was previously called Starbeck Working Men’s Club, on Tuesday, January 23 from 6.30pm to 8.30pm.
Entry is free and people will be welcome to take photos.
The rare opportunity has been made possible through the local branch of Manchester City’s official supporters club.
Harrogate Blues has about 200 members and organises a coach for weekend home games that picks up fans in Boroughbridge, Harrogate and Leeds.
Ex-players in the Harrogate area include Danny Mills and Micah Richards, although they are not expected to attend on the night.
City fan Peter Arnold said everyone — including non-City fans — was welcome at what will be an informal event where people just turn up on the night.
He said:
“It’s a unique opportunity to see all five trophies together. It might never happen again.”
Read more:
- Leeds United footballer banned from driving after speeding in Harrogate
- New Harrogate bakery and coffee shop will be ‘a game changer’, says owner
Cycleway set to be built on Harrogate’s Station Parade
A cycleway looks set to be built on Harrogate’s Station Parade as part of the reduced £11.2 million Station Gateway scheme.
Cllr Keane Duncan, North Yorkshire Council‘s executive member for highways and transport, said today the full business case for the scheme had been submitted to West Yorkshire Combined Authority.
He said it included a southbound cycleway on the same side of the road as the bus station, and maintaining two lanes of traffic.
The details have not been released but the decision to keep two lanes of traffic and build a cycleway raises questions about the future of the taxi rank and loading bay on the other side of Station Parade.
The taxi rank
The loading bay
The council scrapped its previous proposals, which included reducing some of Station Parade to single lane and part-pedestrianising James Street, after admitting its plans were legally flawed.
The original scheme was hailed as a key active travel scheme that would be part of a cycle route to Cardale Park so its abandonment disappointed cyclists.
The revised scheme includes better coordinated traffic signals, footways and crossings, public realm improvements to areas including the One Arch tunnel, a bus lane and a southbound cycleway along Station Parade.
Cllr Duncan, who has been chosen to represent the Conservatives in the York and North Yorkshire mayoral election on May 2, said:
“This represents a significant cross-party effort and many hours of discussions.
“While there has been inevitable compromise, there is encouraging agreement on key elements of the revised scheme which takes us closer to securing £11 million of investment for Harrogate.
“Station Parade will remain two lanes, with no pedestrianisation of James Street.”
Cllr Keane Duncan
He added the revised plan “delivers key benefits to all road users”, adding:
“We now standby for approval of the business case before construction can begin, hopefully later this year.
“There will be further public engagement and consultation on the detail of the plan in coming months.”
Read more:
- Cyclists brand scaled-back Harrogate gateway plans a’huge disappointment’
- Harrogate streets reopen after bomb scare
- Four Harrogate firefighters to be axed in April
Harrogate streets reopen after bomb scare
Several streets in Harrogate town centre closed this morning due to a bomb scare. Harrogate Magistrates Court was evacuated and police blocked Victoria Avenue, where the court is based, along with several other streets. Police, paramedics and firefighters were at the scene until after midday. Here’s what happened.
1.05pm: Police say enquiries are ‘ongoing’
North Yorkshire Police said no arrests have been made following the incident.
Enquiries are ongoing, the force said, but the scene appears to now be cleared.
12.56pm: Evacuated school issues statement about ‘most unusual day’
St Peter’s Church of England Primary School in Harrogate was evacuated as part of today’s bomb scare.
A spokesperson said:
“We quickly responded to advice from the police and evacuated all staff and pupils to a local church. All were calm and happy throughout the process and we would like to thank our staff and our pupils’ parents/carers for their support in dealing with what has been a most unusual day.”
12.48pm: Last police car leaves Victoria Avenue
Things appear to have returned to normal in Harrogate town centre after today’s bomb scare. We still await further information about what happened from the police, but for now it seems the bomb scare is over.
12.37pm: Police cordons being removed
Police are removing cordons and police vehicles are leaving the scene. We haven’t had an official update but it appears the incident may be under control.
Victoria Avenue reopens to traffic.
12.32pm: Aerial view of Victoria Avenue
Brian Simpson has posted this view on X, formerly Twitter. He added:
“I live down the street and there don’t seem to be too many concerns. Certainly they’re not doing a huge amount to stop people moving around Victoria Avenue towards the junction with Station Parade and they’ve even directed some cars that way.”
bomb scare 9 Jan 2023
12.24pm: West Park reopens to traffic
West Park has reopened to traffic. It had been closed at the Prince of Wales roundabout but it has now reopened after the cordon went up on Victoria Avenue.
12.15pm: More cordons go up
Police cordons have now gone up on Victoria Avenue, where firefighters and an ambulance incident response unit are on site, and on Princes Square.
12.10pm: Cordon extended to Raglan Street
The whole of Victoria Avenue is cordoned off, but police have now extended the exclusion area to Raglan Street. Traffic is still blocked from West Park, which leads on to Victoria Avenue, which is the focus of police activity.
12.03pm: Police issue update
North Yorkshire Police has just issued the following statement:
“We are attending reports of a suspicious vehicle on Victoria Avenue, Harrogate. We ask members of the public to avoid the area for the time being, and we’re very grateful for your patience and understanding.:
11.56am: Bomb scare in car?
An officer at the scene has said the incident is a suspected bomb scare in a car on Victoria Avenue.
Court staff have been evacuated.
11.46am: Police cordons up
Dog walkers heading out of town were turned away from a police cordon across the pavement by the Prince of Wales roundabout.
The Stray Ferret has contacted North Yorkshire Police for details about the incident. We will update this article when more information is available.
West Park is closed to traffic.
Read more:
Four Harrogate firefighters to be axed in April
The number of firefighters stationed in Harrogate will be cut by four in April.
The move, which will save £210,000, is part of plans to reduce the number of nighttime fire engines based in the town from two to one.
The Stray Ferret broke the news in 2022 that Zoe Metcalfe, the North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner planned to shed frontline firefighting jobs as part of her Risk and Resource Model, which sets out how fire resources will be deployed.
The proposals were later adopted despite widespread safety concerns but they have yet to be implemented.
A report that will be debated by councillors on Thursday (January 11) about setting the police and fire service precepts for the next financial year gives a brief update.
It says Harrogate will have four fewer firefighters from April this year. Scarborough is due to lose four firefighters next year, saving another £215,000. Another seven firefighters, described as ‘operational staffing reserve’, will also go in April next year, saving £375,000.
The report, which comes after Ms Metcalfe hinted council taxpayers may have to pay more for police and fire services this year, warns “finances continue to be exceptional tight”.
The Stray Ferret asked Ms Metcalfe’s office how many firefighters will remain at Harrogate after the changes take effect and whether those affected had been offered alternative roles.
A spokesperson said:
“The proposals in the precept report are in line with the consultation and decisions made in relation to the Risk and Resource Model in September 2022.
“The report to which your questions refer will be discussed at the police, fire and crime panel meeting on Thursday, January 11 and it would not be appropriate for us to provide any further information at this time.”
The North Yorkshire Police Fire and Crime Panel, which is a joint committee of North Yorkshire Council and City of York Council, scrutinises the performance of the commissioner.
How will it work?
Harrogate Fire Station
Currently, Harrogate Fire Station on Skipton Road has one fire engine which can respond to all callouts and one smaller tactical response vehicle. Both operate around the clock.
The tactical response vehicle will be replaced by a larger fire engine but it will only be crewed during the day.
Ms Metcalfe’s Risk and Resource Model said more fires occur during daytime, and having two fire engines at Harrogate would provide better daytime protection at key times.
But the second Harrogate appliance won’t be staffed between 10pm and 9am, meaning greater dependence on on-call firefighters in Knaresborough when a second fire engine is required at major incidents.
Read more:
- Crime commissioner Zoë Metcalfe hints at council tax increase
- Confirmed: Harrogate to have just one night time fire engine
Police warn of spate of pushy cold callers in Harrogate
Police in Harrogate have urged people to be wary of cold callers turning up on doorsteps offering garden maintenance work.
In a statement today, North Yorkshire Police said it was aware of individuals and groups targeting elderly residents in the area.
It added some could be “pushy and threatening” or “charge inflated prices or pretend to find more and more jobs that need doing on a property”.
A North Yorkshire Police spokesman said:
“We’re aware of Harrogate households in different areas of the town being approached for landscaping and gardening work. We’re working proactively to address this.
“As part of this work, we want residents to be aware of the risks and to know what to do if someone turns up at their door offering services like gardening work, building maintenance or selling goods.
“We’d advise people to be wary – legitimate gardening and maintenance businesses usually work through recommendations and don’t need to knock on doors to get business.”
Unsolicited calling, or cold calling, is when people are approached by someone offering a service despite not requesting it.
Although cold calling is not an offence, North Yorkshire Police said it frequently investigated frauds, thefts and burglaries that happened as a result of doorstep calls.
Read more:
- Who is the man set to lead North Yorkshire Police?
- Car catches fire in Harrogate multi-storey car park
The spokesman added:
“Always give yourself plenty of time to make decisions about who you employ and ask friends, family and neighbours for recommendations.
“And don’t feel bad about saying ‘no’. Normal businesses understand that people want to shop around and won’t try to pressure you into a decision on the spot. If they do, that’s a massive red flag.
“Sadly, elderly people are particularly at risk. So if you have older parents, relatives or friends, please share this message with them and check they know how to stay safe if cold callers knock on their door.”
Police urge anyone suspicious about cold callers to dial 101.
Car catches fire in Harrogate multi-storey car parkHarrogate firefighters were called to the fifth floor of the town’s Victoria Car Park yesterday when a car caught fire.
Both Harrogate appliances were summoned to the multi-storey near the train station following reports of smoke billowing from the boot of the vehicle in the multi-storey.
North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service’s incident report said:
“Fire crews used a hose reel, breathing apparatus, thermal camera and tools to access and extinguish the fire.”
It added the cause was attributed to an electrical fault to a CD multi-changer in the car boot.
The incident proved to be the start of a busy morning for Harrogate firefighters.
At 10.36am, they released two people trapped in a lift at an undisclosed location on Crescent Road in Harrogate.
Then at 11.41am, a women’s walking group alerted them to a cow trapped in barbed wire on a fence at the edge of woodland off the A661 Harrogate Road at Spofforth
The incident report added:
“On finding the cow, the fire officer was able to establish which farm the cow belonged to. The farmer then attended with bolt croppers to free the cow.”
Read more:
- Signs up but Starbucks silent on Harrogate drive-through launch date
- Jules B to close Harrogate store
‘Don’t waste our time’ — firefighters issue plea to wild campers
Firefighters have urged wild campers to “think about the consequences of your actions” after a remote call-out took three hours of their time.
On call firefighters from Masham and a crew from Ripon responded to police reports of a fire near Roundhill Reservoir at 8.47pm on Saturday night.
The location, near Leighton Reservoir, is between Masham and Lofthouse.
Masham Fire Station said on social media the call was to a camp fire set up by a group of youngsters wild camping.
It added:
“The crews were unable to reach this destination by road so the crews had to walk over unknown ground from Roundhill Reservoir in the pitch dark using only torches.
“This not only put them in danger walking this area in the dark but was an unnecessary waste of resources which may have been required for another more serious incident elsewhere.
“This incident tied up both crews for up to three hours. Although it was only a campfire it could have been more serious.
“Please think about the consequences of your actions before wild camping in rural areas.”
It urged people to look at the picture of the location “to see what the conditions were like and imagine having to walk that in the pitch dark. Not fun.”
Read more:
- Three fire crews called to Ripon house blaze
- Lidl scraps plan to open Ripon retail park store
- Grantley Hall near Ripon wins helipad appeal
Knaresborough roadworks to resume for 10 weeks on Monday
Traffic lights will return to a main road in Knaresborough for 10 weeks from tomorrow (January 8).
The lights will enable the next phase of a £200,000 scheme to repair and maintain the wall on Briggate to take place.
A section of the wall collapsed on to the road on September 14. Nobody was hurt but the rubble remained on the carriageway for almost three months.
Traffic lights were put up and North Yorkshire Council, which had been warned about the state of the wall multiple times in the run-up to the incident, finally began repairs on November 27.
Karl Battersby, the council’s corporate director for environment, said in November some cellars belonging to residents had been impacted by the collapsed wall and consequently the “works are now more complex than first anticipated”.
Work paused before Christmas when the first phase of repairs finished.
Now the next phase is set to begin. The council posted on social media yesterday:
“We will be carrying out further repairs and maintenance work to the wall on Briggate in Knaresborough from Monday, with work due to be completed by Friday, 14 March.
“This follows the collapse of a section of the wall.
“For the safety of our team and road users, two-way lights will be in place while the work is carried out.”
Read more:
- No 12: The Great Wall of Briggate saga in Knaresborough
- Briggate wall repair brings Christmas respite to Knaresborough
- What has happened to Knaresborough’s new £6 million primary school?
Three fire crews called to Ripon house blaze
Firefighters from Ripon, Boroughbridge and Harrogate were called to a house fire in Ripon last night.
The crews were alerted to smoke billowing from the roof of a detached home in the Gallows Hill area of the city at 6.21pm.
Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus used the aerial ladder platform based at Harrogate Fire Station to tackle the fire on the third floor.
North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service‘s incident report said:
“The cause was believed to be radiated heat from the flue of a wood-burning stove.”
No further details have been released.
Read more:
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