Lib Dems criticise Harrogate MP for supporting return to parliament

The Liberal Democrats have labelled Andrew Jones, MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, “deeply irresponsible” for voting in favour of MPs returning to parliament.

Yesterday, MPs queued outside of Westminster for over 90 minutes to vote on whether or not they should return to London.  The Commons Leader Jacob Rees-Mogg put forward the vote arguing that the virtual system didn’t allow MPs to hold the government to account effectively.

The proposal was carried forward, with 261 votes to 163. 31 Tory MPs though, voted against the return.

The Lib Dems said he was setting a “dangerous precedent”. Judith Rogerson, Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Spokesperson for Harrogate and Knaresborough, said:

“With the Government continuing to advise that people should work from home where possible, it is extraordinary that the Conservatives have voted to take away the system which had allowed MPs to do just that. Forcing MPs to decide between risking their health and that of their family and constituents, and depriving their constituents of their voice in Parliament is deeply irresponsible.”

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There has been criticism too from MPs who are at risk due to age or health conditions and those living with vulnerable people, who said they could be left without a voice in parliament.

The Stray Ferret asked Mr Jones for the reasons behind his vote in favour of a return to parliament. But we received no response.

 

Council delays fully opening Knaresborough and Ripon markets

Knaresborough and Ripon markets won’t be fully re-opening this week- despite the government relaxing restrictions.

From Monday markets can open if social distancing guidelines are in place. But Harrogate Borough Council has chosen to delay fully opening the markets until next week, saying it wants to put more safety systems in place.

After seeing markets in Leeds and Barnsley re-opening fully, Ripon market traders were confused by the council’s decision.

The market stallholders representative at Ripon market, Brian Murphy said:

“I only heard from the council on Monday evening that we would not have a full market on Thursday. This has come as a surprise and disappointment to a number of non-food traders who hoped to be back after being unable to trade for weeks.”

Essential stalls such as those selling fruit and vegetables have remained open but other sellers have had to stay away.

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However, Steve Teggin, the President of the Knaresborough Chamber of Trade thought this was a sensible decision:

“The council have been sensible to make this decision, they need to take time to see how it goes. There’s no way that we can accommodate all the stalls, so I think it’s the right decision. The health and safety would allow for 25 market stalls to open but road closures would be needed to accommodate this. The difficulty comes when they have to decide who to allow to return to their stalls.”

Mr Teggin said he thought it was likely there would be staggered approach to opening and that the chamber is having a meeting with the council later this week to discuss it.

Yorkshire Water urges residents to be careful with water use

Yorkshire Water is asking residents to be careful with the amount of water they’re using.

The lack of rainfall and increase in people staying at home is having huge impacts on the water levels in the district, the organisation said.

The Met Office has announced that May was the sunniest month on record for the UK and with many residents at home during this warm weather, water consumption has increased.

Filling paddling pools and watering gardens more regularly has led Yorkshire Water to warn customers to be more vigilant with the amount of water they’re using.

“This good weather has meant we haven’t had much rain over the past few months and the levels of water in our reservoirs are lower than they normally would be.”

Leighton reservoir, near Masham, has changed dramatically over the sunny months, with water levels decreasing.

Leighton reservoir is just one of the reservoirs within the Harrogate district that is low in water.

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New practices are being put in place by Yorkshire Water in order to meet the requirements of the public, many of whom are still at home more than usual.

“We have a team of experts who work hard to make sure we keep Yorkshire’s water supply resilient. We have the ability to move water around our underground grid network and utilise different options to help us keep taps flowing but we need our customers to play their part too.”

As a turn in the weather approaches, Yorkshire Water is confident the low water levels can still cover the needs of the public. But they’re encouraging people to remain cautious and make small changes such as shorter showers.

Knaresborough car showrooms open hoping to see sales

Car showrooms on St James Retail Park, Knaresborough have opened hoping for customers to return.

One-way systems, heat cameras to record customers’ temperatures and sanitising kits are just a few of the ways car showrooms in the Harrogate district are ensuring customer safety.

The Toyota showroom in Knaresborough are scheduling customers on an appointment-only basis. They are using clear floor markings and a one-way system to comply with social distancing.

Steve Rowbothan, the Centre Principal for the showroom, said:

“We sanitise any cars before we get in them, and then following the service we re-sanitise thoroughly to ensure a contactless transaction. Our priority is safety and to make sure the customers feel safe when they’re here with us.”

A heat camera will check customers’ temperatures

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Another Knaresborough dealership, Redline Specialist cars, opened their doors for the public using a heat detection camera.

The camera can monitor the customers’ temperature as they stand in front of it. The screen will flash green if the person has a safe temperature but if it is above 38 degrees it will turn red.

It’s been a very tough few months for the car industry. The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders reported a 99.9% decline in the production of engines for domestic markets in April compared with the previous year.

John Graeme, one of the directors, though, is optimistic:

“I think this will be a really positive year for the used car industry, due to the demand. I think we’ll be one of the lucky sectors. We have been planning for this day for six weeks in order to follow all the guidelines as you’ve still got to make sure the customer is comfortable.