Senior Conservative councillors could be asked to reconsider the decision to close Fountains Earth primary school in Nidderdale. North Yorkshire Council’s executive met last month in Northallerton to approve the closure following a consultation. The school in...
Mayoral candidate makes compensation pledge regarding A59 Kex Gill closure
Independent candidate Keith Tordoff has said he will aim to pay compensation to businesses affected by the A59 closure if he becomes mayor of York and North Yorkshire. The main route between Skipton and Harrogate has been shut since February due to a landslip. It’s...
Friends of Pat Marsh recall ‘hard-working and warm’ Harrogate councillor
Friends of former Harrogate councillor Pat Marsh have paid tribute to a “hard-working, warm and conscientious” councillor and said her decades of public service should not be forgotten. Ms Marsh resigned under a cloud in February following alleged antisemitic comments...
‘A huge disappointment’: Ripon GP surgery responds to merger announcement
Ripon Spa Surgery has responded to an announcement that a merger between GP practices in the city will move forward without it. Last year, the NHS proposed merging the city’s Ripon Spa Surgery with North House Surgery and Park Street Surgery. However, in an update...
£1.3m to be spent resurfacing pothole-ridden roads in Harrogate district
Anyone who has driven around the Harrogate district recently will have noted the poor state of the roads, with a prolonged spell of wet weather making the pothole problem worse. But there are now hopes the situation could finally improve for road users after the...
Stray, Woodlands and Hookstone by-election preview: John Swales, Reform UK
Reform UK wants to shake up British politics this year and John Swales believes he can become the party’s first North Yorkshire councillor. Mr Swales describes himself as one of Thatcher’s children but says that nationally and locally the Conservatives have lost their...
Stray, Woodlands and Hookstone by-election preview: Andrew Timothy, Liberal Democrats
Andrew Timothy says North Yorkshire Council needs more enthusiasm in its ranks. He believes he can offer that if elected as councillor for Stray, Woodlands and Hookstone on April 11. He’d be the youngest member of North Yorkshire Council at 25. Originally from the...
Stray, Woodlands and Hookstone by-election preview: Geoff Foxall, Labour
Labour are predicted to win a landslide at the next general election and Geoff Foxall is hoping some of that optimism will rub off on his campaign to become the new councillor for Stray, Woodlands and Hookstone. He believes John Ennis and the Conservatives “don’t...
Stray, Woodlands and Hookstone by-election preview: Gilly Charters, Green Party
Green Party candidate for the Stray, Woodlands and Hookstone by-election, Gilly Charters, points to the controversial planning approval of Wetherby Road’s Leon drive-thru, soon-to-be Starbucks, as an example of where things have gone wrong in the division. Critics say...
Stray, Woodlands & Hookstone by-election preview: John Ennis, Conservative
The Conservative John Ennis is hoping his previous 12-year stint as a Harrogate councillor will stand him in good stead for the upcoming by-election. Voters will go to the polls on April 11 following the resignation of Pat Marsh. Mr Ennis believes his experience means...
Valley Gardens pump track could open next winter
North Yorkshire Council has said it will move forward with proposals to create a pump track for bikes in Harrogate’s Valley Gardens. In an update, the council said the new facility, which would replace the pitch and putt course, could open next winter. A pump track is...