Police: no rise in far right activity in Harrogate district

North Yorkshire Police has said there is nothing to suggest an increase in far right activity in the Harrogate district despite several shocking incidents this year.

The Stray Ferret has reported three instances of swastikas and anti-semitic slogans appearing in Harrogate and Knaresborough in 2021, including one last weekend.

In addition, racist stickers appeared on the window of a disused shop on James Street in September.

A Freedom of Information request to the police revealed it had logged just five incidents of anti-Jewish hate crime in total in 2017, 2018 and 2019.

So far this year swastikas have appeared on Trefoil Drive and Bilton Lane in January, on the iron bridge in Bilton in August and on Knaresborough castle last weekend.

A North Yorkshire Police spokesperson said:

“These incidents are clearly abhorrent and disturbing. We can assure the local community that the police take such matters extremely seriously.

“It is unclear what the motivation was behind the recent incidents in Knaresborough, and it is not yet known if they are linked or have any connection with the previous incidents of this nature at Harrogate.

“However, there is nothing to suggest an increase in extreme right-wing ideologies or activity in the local area.”

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The constabulary urged residents to report hate-related incidents, such as graffiti and criminal damage, by dialling 101.

The Stray Ferret approached the Harrogate Hebrew congregation to ask if it had noticed any increase in ant-semitic activity but it declined to comment.

The swastikas and a vile anti-semitic message sprayed on Knaresborough castle last weekend have now been removed.

Police said a 49-year-old man was arrested in connection with the attacks in January and remains under investigation.

Closure of Starbeck footpath prompts accessibility fears

A Starbeck resident has expressed concerns about the impact of a footpath closure on wheelchair users and people with pushchairs.

The opening of homeless hostel Fern House this year led to the loss of a much-used footpath next to the bowling club on Spa Lane.

People used to head down from Forest Avenue through Belmont Grove and over what was a car park towards Starbeck Baths.

But since the footpath closed, people coming from Forest Avenue must use Belmont Terrace to access the footpath on the other side of the bowling green and walk down a flight of stairs. Alternatively they have to walk the length of Forest Avenue to High Street and turn down Spa Lane.

Resident Stephen Hunt said the loss of the footpath had been more keenly felt since lockdown ended.

He said his main concern was accessibility problems caused by the steps and the extra length of the journey for wheelchair users and people with pushchairs, such as himself, who used the baths.

He said:

“It’s really limiting for someone with a wheelchair or a pushchair like me.

“We visited once a week before lockdown for swimming lessons and now it’s a much longer walk. It just makes the baths less viable or accessible.”

The loss of the footpath was a key concern among Starbeck people during the planning stages for Fern House in May 2018.

Harrogate Borough Council said at the time:

“While the paths do appear to be used, comments were also made during the community engagement process that anti-social behaviour activities were occurring as a result of people being able to easily access the land from Belmont Grove. The paths are not designated public rights of way.

“As a result of comments received during the community and stakeholder engagement process it has been decided to close the site along its northern boundary so as to dissuade anti-social behaviour.”

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Starbeck councillor Philip Broadbank told the Stray Ferret:

“The path was closed for security at Fern House. Nobody has mentioned it to me recently, but I know there were concerned residents at the time.

“I did raise it with the council at the time but it was overruled and accepted.”

Harrogate councillor calls for new ‘no cycling’ signs on Stray

A Harrogate councillor has called for new ‘no cycling’ signs to be painted on footpaths on the Stray after local residents raised concerns.

Sam Gibbs, a Conservative who represents Harrogate Valley Gardens on Harrogate Borough Council, said calls from concerned residents had prompted him to act.

He told Harrogate and Knaresborough and Conservative MP Andrew Jones’ Community News website:

“Cyclists were using the footpaths and travelling at great speed.

“The Stray should be enjoyed by everyone but cycling should only be on the routes that are permitted.”

Cllr Gibbs said signs should be painted on footpaths around Byron Walk Mews, which backs onto the Montpellier stretch of the Stray.

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The 200 acres of Stray land includes some routes for cyclists but they are prohibited to use many areas.

Judy d’Arcy-Thompson, chair of the Stray Defence Association, said:

“One of the best things about the Stray is the freedom but if you’re walking along and a cyclist comes behind you when you aren’t expecting it, it can be distressing.

“If people are getting worried or feel unsafe we would agree with Cllr Gibbs that it was a good idea.”

Kevin Douglas, chair of Harrogate District Cycle Action, said more needed to be done to offer safe routes for cyclists so riders didn’t feel they had to use the Stray:

“Most responsible cyclists don’t use them. But until there is proper, safe cycling infrastructure people will use the Stray.”

Ripon Racecourse to reopen as vaccine centre

Ripon Racecourse will reopen as a covid vaccination centre and Knaresborough’s York Road site will relocate for the vaccine booster programme.

The rollout of third doses to around 30 million people across the UK began this week.

Amanda Bloor, accountable officer for the NHS North Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group, said Ripon Racecourse will reopen as a vaccination centre and that Knaresborough’s York Road site at the former Lidl supermarket will move to the town’s Chain Lane Community Hub.

Speaking at a meeting of the North Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum today, Ms Bloor said these sites would help increase capacity and that other venues were being confirmed by NHS England.

She said:

“We are going to have a mix of venues delivering the booster programme – some of our practice sites will be delivering the vaccines and in addition there will also be a number of community pharmacy sites across North Yorkshire.

“The community pharmacy sites are managed by NHS England and are currently undergoing a site assurance process.

The old Lidl vaccination site in Knaresborough is relocating to the Chain Lane Community Hub from Tuesday. It will mean this site can significantly increase capacity.

Ripon Racecourse closed as a vaccination centre in July after being used for the first phase of the rollout, while Knaresborough’s York Road site is still being used.

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The rollout of booster jabs follows a recommendation from the government’s vaccine advisers, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), which said third doses should be given at least six months after a person has had their second – with the Pfizer-BioNTech jab recommended.

The recommendations come amid concern about waning immunity, with JCVI saying that it wanted to take the precautionary approach of boosters to ensure the most vulnerable people maintain high levels of protection.

Those eligible for the booster jabs include over-50s, younger adults with health conditions and frontline health and care workers.

Patients will be invited on a priority basis and they have been urged not to contact the NHS, but to wait to hear from the health service.

Ms Bloor added:

“The booster programme will be delivered as it was in phase one with the most vulnerable being invited first, so care home residents will be prioritised.

“Cohorts one to nine, in order, will be invited for a booster no earlier than six months from their second dose. The boosters will be by appointment only and there won’t be a drop-in service at this point.

Summerbridge woman gets trapped in loft

A woman in Summerbridge needed rescuing from her loft when the hatch closed and she was unable to get out.

A postman was alerted to the danger when he heard the woman shouting for help shortly after 11am yesterday.

Firefighters from the nearby Summerbridge station rushed to the house and managed to get in through a window using a triple extension ladder.

They were then able to rescue the woman, who has not been named, from the loft.

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Are pop-ups set to stay in Harrogate after boom in popularity?

The trend of pop-ups stores appears to be on the rise in Harrogate town centre with two new ones opening recently at the Victoria Centre.

The latest ones follow the Ellie Warburtons pop-up cake shop which took over the former Swarovski store on James Street.

The idea of a pop-up is that it gives prime town centre space to small, local businesses at a fraction normal Harrogate high street rents.

The pop-up space outside the Victoria Centre near Claire’s is run by property consultants Barker Proudlove.

Before opening, Barker Proudlove had five businesses booked in for the first seven weeks.

The first tenant of the space, last week, Laura Berryman of L&N Candles said her pop-up was a “great success”.

She suggested similar venues should open in Harrogate to give small businesses the chance to reach more customers.

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Today, a ping-pong pop-up parlour opened in the shopping centre as a community space for locals to use. The aim is to encourage more people in to the town centre.

Pop-ups also stop a unit standing empty in Harrogate, even if only temporarily.

The trend has been welcomed by the Harrogate BID manager Matthew Chapman. He said:

“The BID is very supportive of having pop-up shops, albeit temporary, to bring empty units back to life. It is a great way of helping breathe new life into the high street, and also helps start up and independent businesses to test the market with their products without unnecessary financial risk.

And for the landlord, it also means they aren’t liable to pay ‘empty shop’ rates.”

Road closure on main Ripon to Pateley Bridge route

The main road into Ripon from Pateley Bridge has closed due to roadworks, forcing motorists to take a lengthy diversion into the city.

Work on the B6265 prompted the closure of the road from Eavestone to Bishopton, which is the main western approach to Ripon and includes traffic for Fountains Abbey and Studley Park.

Work started yesterday and is scheduled to continue until Friday next week.

One Stray Ferret reader got in touch to say he hadn’t seen any signs in advance warning of the work and was therefore forced to turn around near Sawley when he encountered it. This meant his usual seven-minute journey into the city took over 30 minutes.

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The Stray Ferret contacted North Yorkshire County Council, which is the highways authority, for further details of the work and to inquire whether warnings were issued in advance.

We did not receive a response by the time of publication but the council’s interactive roadworks map states.

“Highway resurfacing works along the B6265 between Ripon and Eavestone. Road closure in force however access for residential and businesses will be made available wherever possible.

“The works will be phased to allow a shorter diversion via Sawley/Ripley for the most part of the works.

“There are a number of other road closures around Ripon city centre this week. Including Luncarr Lanne in Copt Hewick for resurfacing works, this road will reopen Friday afternoon.”

Follow our morning Traffic and Travel blogs for live updates on roadworks and delays. 

Bilsdale: more disruption before TV signal returns on October 5

Bilsdale mast owner Arqiva has warned of further disruption to TVs on October 4 before signals return to 90 per cent of households the following day.

In an update today, Arqiva said the first of over 200 air lifts of materials to the site of the 80-metre temporary transmitter had taken place, including huge concrete blocks to anchor it down.

But it added that other temporary sites that have restored signals to some areas would need to be switched off to test the transmitter.

Adrian Twyning, chief of 0perations at Arqiva, said:

“This is a huge logistical effort involving over 100 people and, subject to bad weather or any other unforeseen difficulties, we are making good progress towards completing the works on Tuesday 5th October.

“The 80m temporary mast more closely matches the coverage pattern of the existing mast than the temporary sites we have built at Eston Nab, Arncliffe Wood and Sutton Bank.

“Properly checking the 80m temporary mast requires us to turn off those other temporary sites for a period the day before, Monday 4th October. That means some households will see disruption to their service on that day, for which we apologise in advance.”

Some homes will have been without TV for almost two months by October 5.

The fire at the Bilsdale transmitter near Helmsley on August 10 caused about 500,000 homes in the north-east, including many in the Harrogate district, to lose their TV and radio signal.

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People without Freeview TV coverage for more than a month can apply for a partial refund or an extension to their TV licence.

But applications are only valid if you have been unable to access BBC iPlayer or any live TV in any other way, including via cable, satellite and online streaming services.

Pateley Playhouse re-opening delayed until spring

The scheduled autumn reopening of Pateley Playhouse has been delayed until next spring.

The theatre, in Pateley Bridge, has been undergoing major renovations, including work to the downstairs and foyer area and to install a lift.

But work has paused while Pateley Bridge Dramatic Society, which oversees the theatre and its productions, finds a new contractor to take on the works.

It means November’s performance of Educating Rita will take place in Pateley Bridge Memorial Hall instead.

The Playhouse has been closed throughout the pandemic.

Keith Burton, the society’s treasurer, said it was getting quotes from a number of local firms but he was expecting to have to raise more funds due to the delays:

“We are expecting to be affected by an uplift in building material costs due to shortages and the limited availability of builders due to current levels of demand for their services.

“We have cost overrun contingencies but only when we see the tender returns will we know if affordability issues will require another hard press on fundraising.

“We are continuing to seek donations as we know there will be pressures.”

He added work was expected to resume towards the end of the year.

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Disabled access

Renovating the historic 1930s Playhouse while retaining its character has been a complex project.

The first floor auditorium was only accessible via two steep staircases and a lift was needed to comply with disabled access regulations.

Despite the setbacks, the society is adamant it is “business as usual”.

After staging Educating Rita in the new venue, the Playhouse Juniors will also be performing at Brimham Rocks Adventure Park this weekend.

To support the Playhouse’s fundraising, click here.

Harrogate district reports highest daily covid cases in two weeks

Another 129 covid cases have been reported in the Harrogate district today — the highest daily number in almost two weeks.

Today’s spike in cases is the highest since the district recorded 132 cases on September 7, according to Pubic Health England figures.

It takes the total number of cases since the pandemic began to 15,122.

The district now has the second highest seven-day case rate in North Yorkshire, with 291 infections per 100,000 people. Scarborough’s rate of 322 is the highest.

The Harrogate district rate remains above North Yorkshire’s at 263 and England at 257.

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The death toll at Harrogate District Hospital from covid-related illnesses since March 2020 remains at 186.

There have been 247,388 first and second vaccinations given in the Harrogate district.