Cycling campaigners stop in Harrogate on 500-mile tour to Glasgow

Nine cyclists arrived in Harrogate last night on the fifth day of their tour from Brighton to Glasgow for the UN climate change conference Cop26.

The cyclists are travelling across the UK ahead of Cop26 to talk to people about what they can do to go green.

The group set off from Loughborough yesterday morning and made it to Harrogate by 5.30pm.

One of the cyclists, Sophie Gordon, said the aim was to make people aware of the small changes they can make that have a big impact.

Travelling with banners and flags, the cyclists have been stopped by people wanting to discuss projects, such as planting trees or driving electric vehicles.

Ms Gordon, from Guildford, said:

“We all felt a bit helpless about the environmental crisis and everything we could see going on around us and we knew we couldn’t miss COP26 since it was so close in Glasgow.

“We just want to inspire people to get involved and make it happen.”

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Last night the group went the The Old Bell, in Harrogate, to host a quiz and talk to people to find out their concerns and see what can be done to tackle them.

Ms Gordon is as an avid cyclist who works for a cycling charity and said she hoped the government would invest more in cycling infrastructure across the UK to combat vehicle emissions.

‘It could happen to anyone’, says Harrogate woman who had stroke at 37

At just 37-years-old, a Harrogate woman suffered a stroke that left her needing emergency surgery and permanently altered her outlook on life.

Caroline Brady is sharing her story today, on World Stroke Day, in hope of raising awareness that a stroke can happen to anyone, no matter their age.

On January 17, 2020 she was working as a fitness instructor at Harrogate’s David Lloyd gym when she began slurring her speech.

Ms Brady finished teaching her abs class but over the next two hours continued to slur and felt dizzy.

Her colleagues grew concerned and called for an ambulance. The paramedics performed a stroke assessment, which she passed, so she was taken to Harrogate District Hospital for further investigation.

Four hours after the initial signs, Ms Brady lost control of her left side and had a stroke in hospital at 1.30pm.

By 4pm she was in theatre to remove a clot on her brain. She said she remembers “a feeling of urgency” around her but it wasn’t until she came round that she understood what had just happened.

Fresh outlook on life

Since then, Ms Brady has been focused on recovery. She said she was “extremely lucky” to have recovered to the extent that she’s back at work, walking and even running.

She has returned to David Lloyd working part-time as a receptionist, but said her outlook on life has changed.

“It’s been a hard journey back to work. I was very work conscious, always picking up extra hours and covering for people but going back after the stroke I knew I couldn’t do the same.

“So I had a word with myself and said ‘you aren’t weak to slow down’. When you have such a shock at a young age, with no underlying health issues, you can’t help but think differently.”

She no longer teaches gym classes and has been advised to stop weight training but says she is happy just to be walking and occasionally running again.

Ms Brady is enjoying the outdoors again.

Following her experiences, she is determined to raise awareness of strokes and who they can affect.

She added:

“For anyone that knows me it was a huge shock, you never expect to hear ‘I’ve had a stroke’ from a young person. But it can happen to anyone.

“There’s also a misconception that if you have one at a young age you will recover well, but that’s not always the case.”

Ms Brady said she was extremely lucky to be treated so quickly. Other young stroke survivors she’s met were left for hours waiting for a diagnosis by doctors who didn’t diagnose a stroke.

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She is holding a 12-hour charity event at the gym today from 8am to 8pm. Members and staff are walking or running on a treadmill for 30 minutes at a time to raise funds for A Stroke of Luck, a charity that gives stroke survivors access to fitness professionals to help with recovery.

To donate click here.

111 covid cases in Harrogate district as rate continues to fall

A further 111 covid cases have been confirmed in the Harrogate district as the seven-day covid rate continues to fall.

The rate has dropped to 517 per 100,000 people – yesterday it was 573.

It is now the third highest rate in North Yorkshire, below Craven and Ryedale.

North Yorkshire’s average is 503 per 100,000 and England’s is 450.

No further covid deaths have been reported at Harrogate District Hospital, according to latest NHS England figures.

The hospital was treating 19 covid patients as of Monday.

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Furthermore, 12-15 year olds can now book their covid vaccines appointments.

As of today, a total of 130,659 first doses have been delivered and 122,031 second doses of the vaccine.

Harrogate pharmacy customers face long queues outdoors

Queues of up to 20 people waiting for up to an hour to be served have been reported outside a Harrogate pharmacy.

Several residents have contacted the Stray Ferret to complain about regular queues at Lloyds Pharmacy on Knaresborough Road over the last three weeks.

Signs in the pharmacy window say a new dispensary system and lack of staff is creating additional workload.

One resident, Brian Souter, said he gave up after queueing for 30 minutes when there were still eight people in front of him.

He said there were about 20 people queueing, including older people, and said the company needed to ensure the pharmacy had enough staff.

“I can’t stand for very long so I had to leave after 30 minutes. They were doing two in at a time.

“I rang head office to complain about a week ago, it’s not down to the staff inside, they can only do what they can with a few staff. Head office need to come and help.”

A sign outside the pharmacy.

Other residents have also contacted the Stray Ferret to say they endured long queues of between 15 minutes and an hour for prescriptions.

One resident, who lives close by but asked not to be named, said the pharmacy was usually “very efficient” but long queues had become the norm. He said:

“A lot of people are elderly or infirm and to have them waiting outside for up to an hour is ridiculous.”

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A spokesperson for Lloyds Pharmacy said:

“It is always our priority to ensure our patients, customers and colleagues are safe and that all our pharmacies are open and accessible.

“Recruiting new pharmacists became more challenging during the pandemic, and this continues to be the case. We have an action plan in place to address staffing issues.

“In addition, a software issue that caused our dispensary system to run more slowly than normal impacted this pharmacy, causing some delays for the pharmacy team and its customers and patients over the weekend.

“A resolution was swiftly identified and quickly deployed to return the system to normal dispensing speeds.”

River Nidd a ‘potential health risk’ after MPs’ vote on sewage

Residents have said MPs voting against an amendment to stop raw sewage being pumped into rivers have created a “potential health risk” in the River Nidd.

Last week, MPs voted 268 to 204 against the Lords amendment, which means water companies such as Yorkshire Water can continue pumping raw sewage into British rivers.

Andrew Jones, the Conservative MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough was among those voting against the amendment.

Last year, every section of the Nidd that runs through the Harrogate district failed water pollution tests due to wastewater contamination – including raw sewage.

The Nidd is used for recreation by families, swimmers and even competitors in Knaresborough Bed Race. Some have expressed disappointment at the MPs’ vote.

Jacqui Renton, from Knaresborough, who swims in the Nidd as part of her training for a British championships open water swimming competition, said:

“Last year the River Nidd failed water pollution tests due to the river being contaminated with wastewater. This included raw sewage, making swimming in it a potential health risk.

“More worryingly, raw sewage being discharged into our rivers of course has a bigger consequence for wildlife, threatening the biodiversity and ecosystem health, which is why urgent action is needed.”

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A section of the river in Knaresborough is also used by competitors in the annual bed race. Kevin Lloyd, chairman of the bed race committee, urged Yorkshire Water to stop pumping sewage into the river on the day of the event.

However, Mr Lloyd said more action was needed:

“Any initiative that protects the environment is a good thing so I am disappointed at this defeat.

“Yorkshire Water are sympathetic to the event and do what they can but there’s always more that can be done to protect the environment.”

Nidd a ‘huge leisure attraction’

Cllr Hannah Gostlow, a Liberal Democrat who represents Knaresborough Scriven Park on Harrogate Borough Council, also raised concerns as a councillor and local resident.

She said the Nidd was a “huge leisure attraction” used by paddle boarders and young children.

She added:

“The River Nidd is already polluted with wastewater, including with raw sewage, and failed recent pollution tests. The government should be stopping sewage going into our rivers full stop.”

The Stray Ferret contacted Mr Jones about the issue but he declined to reply.

However, he said on his Community News website that he would support a new amendment to the government’s Environment Bill providing a costed plan to reduce sewage in our waterways. He said:

“It would not be sensible to support such a complicated change without having a costed plan. This is what the Lords amendment lacked and why I did not support it.”

Police appeal to find wanted Harrogate man

North Yorkshire Police is appealing for information to find a wanted man from Harrogate.

Andon Llalla, 40-years-old, is wanted on recall to prison.

Despite extensive enquiries to find Mr Llalla, officers are now asking the public to come forward if they have seen him or know his whereabouts.

He is believed to be in Harrogate but he also has links to West Yorkshire, specifically Halifax and Brighouse.

It is unclear what Mr Llalla was in prison for.

A police statement added:

“If you see him or have information for the police, call North Yorkshire Police on 101, quoting reference number 12210179751.

“To report information anonymously call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”

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Harrogate’s Firecracker Ball cancelled for second year due to covid

A major fundraising event in Harrogate has been cancelled for the second year running due to covid.

The Firecracker Ball has raised £3 million for children’s charity Barnardo’s since 2002.

The spectacular event, which is usually held at Rudding Park Hotel in November, is also one of the highlights of the social calendar.

Each year the ball adopts a different theme in the hope of encouraging people to donate and get involved in the charity auction too.

Barnardo’s, which organises the annual event, has assured people it will return in 2022. In a statement the organising committee said:

“The Firecracker committee reluctantly decided that the Firecracker Ball 2021 had to once more be postponed until we are able to hold our usual spectacular event in 2022. The decision has been a difficult one, as the funds you generously help us to raise have never been more important for Barnardo’s.

“We are making sure that we do our best to raise as much as we can in other ways at such a difficult time for everyone.”

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The previous ball in 2019 raised more than £250,000 for the charity.

The committee said it launched a justgiving page last year so people can still donate towards the work Barnardo’s does in Yorkshire.

Knaresborough businesses take over Christmas tree duties from chamber

A group of Knaresborough businesses has said it will put up Christmas trees in the town this year instead of Knaresborough Chamber of Trade.

The chamber has traditionally installed about 65 four-foot high trees on shopfronts and buildings around the town.

But local businesses said the chamber had indicated it was no longer able to do so and therefore they had stepped in.

A chamber meeting last week saw numerous people walk out and board positions left unfilled following an acrimonious vote not to set up a Business Improvement District.

Two local business owners, Annie Wilkinson-Gill of the Crystal Buddha and Natalie Horner of Sid Horner and Son, said they had taken the lead on the Christmas tree project and have set up a Facebook page for businesses to place orders.

The two women said they had made a completely fresh start, ordering the trees from Stockeld Park as well as new solar powered lights.

Ms Horner said:

“Chamber said they were going to cancel the trees this year as sadly they weren’t able to do them, so a few of us independent business owners decided to come together as it would be such a shame for Knaresborough not to have Christmas trees.

“This is a really huge community project and so many wonderful businesses have come together to make it happen.”

The trees will be put up by volunteers during November.

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The pair of business owners are also hoping to use the new Knaresborough Business Collective Facebook page to organise other events and projects.

The Stray Ferret tried to contact members of the chamber but had not received a reply by the time of publication.

Controversial plans for Goldsborough homes approved

Plans for 36 homes in Goldsborough have been approved despite fears the development will “tear up” the historic village’s conservation area.

Stonebridge Homes was granted final approval by Harrogate Borough Council yesterday at the third time of asking.

The housing company was previously told to rethink its Station Road scheme and hold a meeting with councillors and residents.

This meeting was held in August but it was followed only by complaints that the developers “weren’t willing to shift” on issues including the density and design of the homes.

Speaking at a meeting of the council’s planning committee, councillor Andrew Paraskos, a Conservative who represents Spofforth with Lower Wharfedale, said:

“A meeting did take place but there was no movement from the developers at all.

“Residents understand that there will be something on this plot, but they would just like something that is more in keeping with the village.

“We have deferred this plan twice and I think it is now time to refuse it.”

‘Conservation area is a sham’

Resident Noel Evans also said the plans appeared to be “set in stone with no bridge for improvements” and that the development would amount to a “public tearing up of the Goldsborough conservation area”.

The conservation area sits adjacent to the site and was introduced in 2008 as an area of architectural and historical interest, including much of the village.

Mr Evans said:

“The tallest buildings proposed on this site will be amongst the highest buildings in Goldsborough – higher than the church and Goldsborough Hall.

“This will irretrievably destroy the historic skyline. This site needs an entirely fresh and appropriate set of plans.

“The conservation area is a sham and has no reason to exist with this council.”

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In its latest proposals, Stonebridge Homes included additional tree planting and information relating to materials.

The developers also argued the plans met national requirements and had received the backing of council officers three times with recommendations of approval.

Becky Lomas, an agent for Stonebridge Homes, told the meeting:

“The proposal before you today creates a well designed scheme, which is able to meet national requirements.

“This is a position which has been supported by council officers three times now at planning committee and the proposal of 36 dwellings is not considered to be in conflict with the development plan.”

The plans – which include a mix of one to five-bedroom properties – received 39 objections from residents and no letters of support.

The application was approved by councillors on the planning committee with six votes for, three against and one abstention.

North Yorkshire Police appoints pet theft officers

North Yorkshire Police has appointed its first officers dedicated to dealing specifically with pet theft.

The force issued a statement today saying it now had a pet theft lead and a “small team” of pet theft liaison officers.

It said they would “work to ensure every officer recognises the need to offer the best possible support to victims of this type of crime”.

The team’s duties will include conducting “reassurance visits”, in which officers accompany pet theft victims on walks to help them feel more confident when walking their dogs.

The news comes even though North Yorkshire Police said there had only been 16 reported cases of pet theft so far in 2021.

Today’s announcement also said the pet theft team would also ensure other officers recognised the need to support victims of this type of crime.

An online training programme has been launched to help achieve this and North Yorkshire Police also has a seat on a national working group led by Devon and Cornwall Police.

North Yorkshire Police has also published a leaflet on keeping pets safe.

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Sergeant Simon Whitby, head of North Yorkshire Police’s dog section, said:

“As dog owners ourselves we completely understand the theft of a family pet is extremely distressing and a crime which has huge long-lasting emotional impact.

“The leaflet contains information and advice such as microchipping, reporting the theft, use of appealing through social media and where to get support.

“We want the public to know just how dedicated we are to tackling pet theft and that we take it extremely seriously.”