Stray Ferret Readers, Author at The Stray Ferret

Stray Views: Stop this Wetherby Road traffic madness!

Stray Views 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. See below for details on how to contribute.

Wetherby Road recycling queue is dangerous

Again today, I found that travelling south on Wetherby Road, beyond Hookstone, was compromised by cars queuing to access the waste site.

Vehicles queuing on a main arterial road is dangerous, to say the least. The volume of traffic along that road means that any obstruction creates long tailbacks very quickly.

Reduced access to the waste site through reduced spaces for cars within the site, and an intimidating audit now being taken of each driver before they are allowed to drop their waste, has exacerbated the queuing problem.

This congestion is cause for concern, as frustrated drivers are moving into the middle of the road to avoid the queue, which is endangering drivers coming into Harrogate, not to mention the increased pollution being generated in an already highly polluted area.

Nick Bentley, Knaresborough

Council pay rises would be a joke

Your piece on Harrogate Borough Council pay rises is an insult to the people who live in the town.

Harrogate Borough Council is the worst council for spending money on its ‘vanity project’ council buildings. It is a joke.

The council ignores important issues that its council tax payers have. The people sitting in their ivory tower don’t deserve anything.

Susan Mitchell, Harrogate

Stop these proposed changes to Harrogate

My husband and I enjoy the articles from the Stray Ferret: they are accurate, to the point, and echo the views of people like myself who have lived most of my life within a five-to-seven mile radius of Harrogate town centre.

We have, nevertheless, travelled abroad many times during our 52 years of married life living in close proximity to this lovely town. Some of the proposed changes to the town are just not appropriate – if only Councillor Mackenzie would listen to the views of residents of Harrogate and its outskirts. Surely, the government cannot allow them to go ahead?

Pat Perry, Kirkby Overblow

The great rewilding debate: grass-cutting or cost-cutting?

I love the long and lovely wild verges – they don’t need to be cut at all, except at junctions to let drivers exit side roads safely.

Helen Barclay, Harrogate

Do you really believe that this is anything to do with being eco friendly? It’s about cost-cutting.

The grass verges where l live are prime dumping ground for dog excrement. The verges are unsightly and the result looks like we live in a dump.

Jen Dent, Harrogate

I love the council’s efforts to allow biodiversity to gain ground on the Stray! Keep it up!

Ann Broderick, Harrogate

Deliberately planting colourful wildflowers brings the Stray to life. Looks fabulous.

Leaving roadside verges uncut and scruffy is just another lazy wheeze to short-change council taxpayers.

If you park your car next to them you get wet trying to get into your car in the morning. Several residents on Coppice Drive have taken the obvious action.

Tim Emmott, Harrogate

Wild verges looks amazing, nature always needs more help these days.

Perhaps a few wildflower seeds added will give it a lift for those who think it is just a scruffy look.

Encouraging wildlife in the centre of town is is very uplifting.

Jen Mackay, 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.

Stray Views: Do something about these awful bins!

Do something about these awful bins!

I totally agree that the large commercial waste bins that seem to be permanently kept in Princes Street are an eyesore.

These bins obstruct the highway (carriageway and footway). A loading bay marked on the carriageway is surely for use by vehicles loading and un-loading, not for waste bin storage.

The county council highways department is surely responsible for ensuring that the highway is not obstructed. The business owners are also responsible for removing their bins to their premises immediately they have been emptied. If these owners do not remove their bins they become liable to prosecution for obstruction.

The county council commercial waste management must manage its waste collection service much better to avoid this public health situation.

Angus Turner, Harrogate

Cycling to work? No, thanks

The whole point of cycle lanes is being missed.

Cyclists will, of course, like them. The issue is that the lanes need to encourage non-cyclists to start riding bikes.

I rode my bike to work from near Harrogate Grammar School to ICI when I was on Hornbeam Park for about three years, every working day, in all weathers.

The difference between cycling and riding a bike to work is immense. If you cannot have a shower on arrival at work you WILL stink all day. If it’s raining you will have, at a minimum, wet legs for half a day.

Once I had a car I only rode my bike for fun, and it can be fun. But as a means of daily travel for work, shopping and the rest? Not for me thanks.

Chris Knight, Bilton

Roads used as race tracks

I live in a house on East Parade in Harrogate and the road from Bower Road to Skipton Road is used as a race track in the evening for noisy cars.

I can’t understand why all the other roads around East Parade, eg Chudleigh Road, have a 20 mph limit while East Parade, where two cars can’t even pass, has a 30mph limit.

The antisocial driving is well in excess of that 30 mph limit.

Vicky Taylor, Harrogate

Cut the verges

I have noticed on my travels around Ripon, Harrogate and various other North Yorkshire areas the lack of cutting of the grass verges on all types of roads.

There is now a situation on some roads where the height of the grass is impeding the view of oncoming cars, cyclists and motorcyclists

Peter, Ripon

Stray Views: Harrogate park and ride was a great idea – what happened?

What’s happened to the park and ride?

Have I missed something or has the sensible idea of a park and ride for Harrogate been shelved?

While the council continues to charge blindly forward with idiotic cycling/single file traffic schemes thinking that the traffic will disappear, a park and ride really would help reduce cars in the town centre.

So where is it?

Judy Rowson, Harrogate

Encouraging cyclists will make motoring better

Bob Hankinson makes several strawmen in his letter, making the argument that if “everyone shifts to bikes” when clearly not everyone will.

But hopefully enough will that the various roads in Harrogate are relieved of traffic at least to enough of a degree that it isn’t an utterly ridiculous proposal to actually drive into and through Harrogate as it currently is.

Bob is clearly not a cyclist given his complaint about hills and rain, which to most cyclists is neither a problem nor an obstruction. As, I assume, a car driver (his letter has all the hallmarks of someone who spends all morning sat immobile in their car trying to get to work).

Surely Bob would welcome less cars on the road — it would make Skipton Road, Leeds Road and Wetherby Road more of a road and less of a car park from 8am to 10am, wouldn’t you agree Bob?

Alastair Moore, Bilton

What about dog muck, Philip?

It’s great that Philip Allott, the new crime commissioner, is concerned about dog theft. Will he also be stamping out dog muck?

Nigel Heptinstall, Darley

The Stray Ferret is underselling itself

Meeting people on my daily walk, I ask if they receive the Stray Ferret. To those that don’t, I explain how simple it is to sign up and that it’s free.

Invariably this is a surprise to them so the purpose of this letter is to suggest your advertising on shop windows, roundabouts etc should contain the word ‘free’.

My grandfather started the first advertising agency in the north and he instilled into me how strong the word ‘free’ is in marketing. Many years later as a retailer in Harrogate I used this magic word in my advertising with great success.

Keep up your very good work!

David Hill, Harrogate

Stray Views: cycling and pedestrian schemes are based on flawed dogma

Beware of dogmatic assertions on pedestrians are cyclists

Marilyn Stowe is right in her article for criticising the dogmatic assertion that “if you build it, they will come” when the council dreams up fantasy numbers of extra pedestrians and cyclists.

It rains in Harrogate. There are hills. Electric bikes are legal up to 25 kilometres per hour (that’s 15 miles per hour) on a bike path shared with pedestrians and with house entrances peppered along the pavement.

E-scooters, Segways, hover bikes are all illegal to use anywhere in the UK except on private land. And if everyone shifts to bikes anyway, where will all the bikes be parked when people are going about their shopping or having a coffee? We will need loads of ‘toast racks’ on pavements for bikes to be secured against theft, and these obstructions on the pavements will make it harder for pedestrians, not easier or more enjoyable.

The destruction of Otley Road environs is inevitable if the council forces in two cycle lanes, two pedestrian walkways and two lanes of traffic. What will go? Trees, hedges, common sense and money.

Just because there is a grant of £8 million, it does not have to be spent.

A small fortune has been spent at the Harlow Moor Road / Otley Road junction; minimal benefit for large disruption and large cost.

It seems that any amount of traffic disruption is justifiable now if some trivial improvement can be made.

Councils used to be good stewards of the taxpayers’ and ratepayers’ money. Now the approach seems to be to grab money from any source and spend it on pet projects — but keep most of the discussion papers secret.

Bob Hankinson, Harrogate

Salon was right to refuse customer with no face mask

I fully support the actions of the salon that refused to admit a customer who wasn’t wearing a face mask.

People who enter a shop without a face mask, whether they are disabled or not, present an unacceptable health risk to everyone else in that shop.

Coronavirus has put restrictions and loss of liberty on all of us. Disabled people cannot be excluded from this.

Those granted exemption from wearing a face covering are not exempt from catching or spreading coronavirus and are a risk to the health of everyone else.

We cannot allow the needs of the few to put at risk the health of the many.

Mike Monkman, Bilton

I fear for the future of Harrogate

I am sad to have to say it, but, I fear for the future of this lovely town, which is being steadily damaged by the council’s ‘no common sense’ plans.

I wonder what percentage of the population here is too old to cycle everywhere? What are we elderly people to do, when all this pedestrianisation is completed?

With the number of shops vacant, something serious must be done straight away to attract future visitors.

I could go on for ages on poor maintenance etc. But anyone who cares about Harrogate, will see that clearly for themselves.

Sheila Macdonald, Harrogate

“Shocked” and “depressed” at Stray litter

Just walked back from Harrogate town centre this evening and shocked and depressed to see all the litter left by the kids on The Stray near the Tewit Well.

This isn’t the first time. I just don’t understand it – this is an area to be enjoyed by everyone. Why can’t the kids just tidy up after themselves?

I don’t know what the answer is but I would like to see some attempt being made to stop this happening over and over again.

Nicola Barnett, Harrogate

Stray Views: Noisy cars are a blight on Harrogate life

Time for a Harrogate museum?

Having read some articles by Harrogate historian Malcolm Neeson, recently published by the Stray Ferret, I was reflecting on how many historical exhibits there must be in and around Harrogate, which are in storage possibly.

As the town centre is now changing following the pandemic, there are lots of empty properties available.

Could now be the time for Harrogate to celebrate its history by creating a museum? This might complement the excellent Royal Pump Room Museum and enhance the historic walks in Harrogate in the future.

Jane Malster, Harrogate

Vaccinated people should not have to pay for covid tests when we go abroad

I can not get my head around the fact we have had second covid injections but when we go on holiday we have to pay for a test.

We have to pay nearly £100 to test before we go into a country and the same amount again when we come back. Now we have had second injections we still have to wear masks and test. It’s puzzling a lot of people. I thought the vaccine would be the end of it.

If it isn’t, why put everyone through the injection? Fully vaccinated people should not have to pay to do a test. It’s wrong and costs a lot of money, especially if there are a few adults in the family.

Diana Pollitt, Harrogate

Noisy car exhausts blight Harrogate life

We have recently moved to Harrogate from the south to live and really like it here.

We live in the Granby area near the Skipton Road and there is one aspect of the traffic that troubles us and that is cars that have very noisy exhausts, which I assume have been modified.

They accelerate up to or after the traffic lights and presumably carry on like this wherever there is a stretch of open road around Harrogate.

They are a blight on this beautiful town; both the loud noise and associated extra pollution they cause when they accelerate.

Is it legal for these vehicles to have this capacity to make this extra loud noise? I know some cities in Europe are addressing this problem with noise detectors that work similar to speed cameras.

Linda Loy, Harrogate

Stray Views: Stop the scourge of e-scooters in Harrogate

E-scooter scourge

Recently I have noticed an increase in the use of electric scooters in the Harrogate town centre.

I am aware that the use of such is illegal on both road and footpath, yet this appears not to be preventing their increased use.

A few months back I was surprised to see one being ridden in the dark by a youth dressed in dark clothing. He seemed to come out of nowhere, riding it down the middle of the road. When I protested all I received was a barrage of foul-mouthed abuse!

Recently my wife and I were forced to step aside for another scooter rider, who crossed West Park from the Stray, using the crossing, but then entered back on to the road in Tower Street.

I’ve tried to find a police officer to ask what is being done to keep us safe from this blight. I couldn’t find one! I’ve reported my near misses, using NYP’s online system, but haven’t had a reply!

Could you find out what their plan is?

Richard Abbott, Harrogate

Use ornamental gravel instead of fake grass

A good alternative to the fake grass in the planters in Harrogate would be ornamental gravel. Easy to maintain and not costly. It would look much more attractive than plastic grass.

Sylvia Barnes, Knaresborough

Random approach to recycling

I totally understand the frustration of Pete Dennis about the random approach to recycling at our council-owned and apparently council-run tips.

Unfortunately, this is a nationwide problem. A throwback to the days when the Labour unions ran this country.

Any fool can see that having a tip at the Sainsbury’s traffic lights is not sensible.

Tim Emmott, Harrogate

We need investigative journalism

Well done for pursuing council secrecy with your articles this week — good investigative journalism.

Hardly anyone in North Yorkshire got the chance to elect councillors this time round “because it would be confusing with an impending change of government structure [in two years]”. We need journalists to keep up the pressure.

Bob Hankinson, Harrogate

Contact me if you need help in Bilton

I would just like to thank all those people in Bilton Nidd Gorge who gave me their support in last week’s by-election. Over the weeks of the campaign, it was wonderful to meet so many of you on your doorstep.

I am saddened at not being elected to represent you at North Yorkshire but I am still here and if you feel I can help on any issues, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

I wish Matt Scott all the best in his new role and thank all my other opponents for a fair and clean fight.

Andrew Kempston-Parkes, Harrogate

Stray Views: recycling rules make recycling difficult

Malcolm’s history walks are a real treat

How fortunate we are to have local historian, Malcolm Neesam, who is so interested in the history of Harrogate that we can all enjoy two virtual walks with his knowledge of the town.

The walks are beautifully set up on the best website I have seen with maps, photos and information clearly displayed. A real treat!

Thank you, Malcolm!

Audrey Culling, Nidderdale

Recycling rules don’t make recycling easy

I queued to get into a recycling depot with a fridge in a trailer. No trailers were allowed but I managed to get rid of it anyway.

Maybe I just fell foul of a rule that has been in place for a while, but I wonder how North Yorkshire County Council expects people to get rid of bulky items, which either won’t fit n a small car or are too dirty. Garden clippings, for example, which are too numerous for the fortnightly garden waste collection or too wet and leafy to decently burn yet will go into the large recycling skips.

Trivial but infuriating.

Pete Dennis, Harrogate

We are lucky to have birdsong – do your bit to keep it going

Many of us living in or around towns such as Harrogate and Wetherby and surrounding villages may not realise just how lucky we are to still have nesting and breeding swallows, house martins and swifts.

Unfortunately, they are all suffering declining numbers. These birds are nest site faithful, returning year after year. Swifts actually live in colonies that will have taken years to build.

This all means that if their nests or nest holes and crevices are knocked down or blocked up, it can be the end for them as there is often nowhere else to go.

So this is a plea to everyone to help look after these birds: keep the sounds of summer going by helping to keep Yorkshire skies full of the happy chittering and screams of these birds: help by keeping their old nests and put up more swallow/house martin nest cups and swift boxes if you possibly can.

Friedy Luther, Spofforth

Stray Views: has Marilyn Stowe heard of climate change?

Does Marilyn not know about climate change?

Does Marilyn Stowe really not understand? The growth in cycling provision in Leeds or Harrogate is not to provide for the few people that already cycle.

The intention is to persuade a lot more people to cycle. Does she not know about climate change and melting polar ice?

Her article on Stray Ferret is just so incredible.

Andrew Willoughby, Knaresborough

Why prioritise cyclists when Harrogate needs parking?

I wrote to North Yorkshire County Council twice last year about the experiences of towns that have installed harmful, counter-productive cycling lanes and low-traffic neighbourhoods.

I wrote that the planners of those towns might be forgiven for not anticipating how damaging the reality of their schemes was going to be – because there were no precedents. Our councils here have no such excuse, not with the evidence from other towns writ large since 2017.

Throughout five different journeys by car, in and out of town, Monday to Friday last week, I counted 12 cyclists — in mild and sunny weather. We really don’t have many homegrown cyclists – for good reason.

The hills on Harrogate’s town-centre access routes, together with wet and windy weather, discourage cycling for local residents. Dedicated cycling lanes will never change that.

It is different for hobby cyclists. They are mostly the ones to be seen on high days and holidays, often grouped on the roads, identifiable by their distinctive apparel and indifferent to bad weather. They are rarely spotted using our shops and cafes or services.

Are we really going to make changes that prioritise cyclists over our entire population, when our town is in dire need of footfall, residents and visitors to shop and pile goods into their cars, or to drive into town to enjoy cafes and restaurants again? Surely we should be welcoming all comers and that means providing plentiful parking if we are to support the prestigious services and the famous retail heart of Harrogate.

On account of working-from-home there are already fewer cars coming into town, and perhaps fewer cyclists – a trend that may progress. Changes are coming and I think we should wait and see.

Jacky Little, Harrogate

Ripon people have chips on both shoulders

The attitudes expressed by both Harrogate borough councillors Swift and McHardy are insulting to the Scottish Nationalist Party, which exists to promote and advance the people of Scotland, and have nothing at all to do with Harrogate or Ripon.

Councillor McHardy’s response is quite typical of the constant whinging from people in Ripon, which is completely unwilling to accept that in 1974 Ripon was absorbed into the Harrogate district. We fail to see any similar grouses from other towns in the district, such as Knaresborough, Boroughbridge or Pateley Bridge, who seem prepared to work with Harrogate Borough Council to get the best deal for their locality.

Ripon seems to live in the past and many Ripon city councillors, who incidentally are often Harrogate borough councillors and North Yorkshire county councillors too, seem to regularly be elected on the basis of their anti-Harrogate Borough Council attitudes.

It’s often said that Ripon people are well-balanced because they have a chip on both shoulders.

John Edmonstone, Ripon

Stray Views: one-way proposals spark safety concerns in the Saints

One-way traffic safety concerns

I fully support the changes specific to Oatlands Road, including the 20mph speed limit, double yellow lines along the Stray and additional safety crossings that will improve the safety of pedestrians and cyclists. But I am really not sure if speed bumps help. Experience in St Winifred’s Road shows that people tend to accelerate between them.

However, I do not support the introduction of one-way controls at St Winifred’s Road and St Hilda’s Road.

Under this proposal, all traffic from Oatlands wishing to enter St Hilda’s Road, St Catherine’s Road and St Ronan’s Road (about 180 properties) must travel down St Winifred’s Road or approach along St Catherine’s, St Hilda’s or St Leonard’s roads from Hookstone or from Wetherby Road at St Winifred’s Avenue where there is already a real pinch point.

Traffic will still be allowed to enter St Winifred’s Road from St Winifred’s Avenue but not allowed to exit onto Oatlands. This means any delivery drivers and visitors will have to do a three-point turn. Refuse collections will need to be re-routed.

From 8.30am every morning there is only single file traffic for the full length of St Winifred’s Road due to parking on both sides of the road by Harrogate hospital workers.

Cyclists most certainly will not have a safe passage from St Winifred’s Avenue to Oatlands, having to cycle against one-way traffic and three-point turns.

I have tried to envisage what will happen at school drop-off and pick-up time. Many driveways at the Oatlands end of St Winifred’s Road are already blocked by cars waiting to pick up children. Imagine delivery and other drivers having to turn around in these circumstances with many schoolchildren passing on the pavements.

There are real safety and environmental concerns raised by the one-way proposal and surely an in-depth and professional study should be undertaken before this proposal progresses further.

David Leah, St Winifred’s Road, Harrogate

Bilton’s iron bridge was once wooden

I just have to write a small note for those of us who are now quite elderly and who lived in Bilton in their youth. What you now call the iron bridge was known as the wooden bridge as it was, of course, made of wood. It was not dark and gloomy but light and airy and a wonderful place to stand and spot trains!

On another note, thank you for the Stray Ferret. I live in the United States and miss my dear Yorkshire and Harrogate in particular very much so my daily dose of local news brings me great comfort.

Bridgett Parrette, United States

Harrogate needs wardens

As a resident of Harrogate I would love to see some wardens dedicated to keeping the town and park areas free of unsociable behaviour, unsuitable clothing for town wear and littering.
What are the chances of you taking up the cause?

Linda Shackleton, Harrogate

Stray Views: Don’t sell Ripon Spa Baths!

Don’t sell Ripon Spa Baths

Ripon Spa Baths, which was built in 1905 and is the last of its kind to be opened in England, is a Grade II listed property. Its distinctive building has great character.

It should not be sold off to make space for housing but needs to be kept as a community centre to benefit the citizens of Ripon. I would feel the same if it was suggested that the Royal Baths in Harrogate were to be torn down to provide a housing development.

Reading recent news on the Stray Ferret, it is obvious that some troublesome youths in Ripon need somewhere to meet and use their energy. Indoor health facilities are badly needed, whether it be a pool, gym, climbing walls or bowling alleys.

Think again Harrogate Borough Council and come up with a better idea for the people of Ripon which makes good use of the building that is there already.

Audrey Culling, Nidderdale

Let people and businesses enjoy the Stray!

With reference to Barry Adams’ letter about turning the Stray into an ‘uncontrolled beer garden‘.

As a reminder of the past year, we have endured a pretty significant event in our history. Living through a pandemic, through lockdown and (understandably) having limited travel enforcements, it’s been a pretty torrid time. The proposal, which I understand was knocked back by the Duchy of Lancaster, provided a way of establishing some level of normality and relief.

I’m always amazed when people want to prevent the enjoyment of others. Our town is gifted with a huge piece of land, yet some people feel it’s their place to make sure others can’t make full use of it. Grass grows back; we learned this from the after events of the UCI Cycling Championship. You’d never know it took place.

I think it’s a shame that the Duchy didn’t let these proposals go ahead. It would have been an uplift for the town. The Stray needs to be considered an area for common enjoyment, not some kind of area to be looked at from a distance or at speed. It’s great to see folk of all ages using the Stray for whatever sort of celebration. If there was ever a good time to make full use of the Stray, it’s now.

Stu Mitchell, Pannal Ash

Never a better time than now to open up the Stray

The Stray IS for the people’s benefit, surely? We need to be outdoors as much as possible. The alternative? Little space outdoors means more people indoors = more possibility of infection rates going up.

There was never a better reason for opening the Stray than for such a purpose, in my view.

Has this person not heard of the many events held on the Stray where people buy drinks, and food?

Please, Harrogate, let the people use this tiny slither of the Stray for their health, if nothing else.

Teresa Liddell Shepherd, Harrogate

Recycling rules

I queued to get into the Wetherby Road recycling depot with a fridge in a trailer. No trailers were allowed but I managed to get rid of it anyway.

Maybe I have just fallen foul of a rule which has been in for a while but I wonder how the council expects people to get rid of bulky items, which won’t go in a small car or are too dirty, eg too many clippings for the fortnightly green bin collection or too wet and leafy to decently burn and would have gone into the large recycling skips.

Trivial but infuriating.

Pete Dennis, Harrogate

Got 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.

Wetherby Road recycling queue is dangerous

Council pay rises would be a joke

Stop these proposed changes to Harrogate

The great rewilding debate: grass-cutting or cost-cutting?

Read more:

Do something about these awful bins!

Cycling to work? No, thanks

Roads used as race tracks

Cut the verges

Read more:

What’s happened to the park and ride?

Encouraging cyclists will make motoring better

What about dog muck, Philip?

The Stray Ferret is underselling itself

Read more:

Beware of dogmatic assertions on pedestrians are cyclists

Salon was right to refuse customer with no face mask

I fear for the future of Harrogate

“Shocked” and “depressed” at Stray litter

Read more:

Time for a Harrogate museum?

Vaccinated people should not have to pay for covid tests when we go abroad

Noisy car exhausts blight Harrogate life

Read more:

E-scooter scourge

Use ornamental gravel instead of fake grass

Random approach to recycling

We need investigative journalism

Contact me if you need help in Bilton

Read more:

Malcolm’s history walks are a real treat

Recycling rules don’t make recycling easy

We are lucky to have birdsong – do your bit to keep it going

Read more:

Does Marilyn not know about climate change?

Why prioritise cyclists when Harrogate needs parking?

Ripon people have chips on both shoulders

Read more:

One-way traffic safety concerns

Bilton’s iron bridge was once wooden

Don’t sell Ripon Spa Baths

Let people and businesses enjoy the Stray!

Never a better time than now to open up the Stray

Recycling rules