Harrogate councillors block fellow Conservative from civic title as standards row continues

Six Conservative councillors have denied a councillor from the same party the chance to receive a prestigious civic title.

Harrogate Borough Council has the power to bestow the title of honorary alderman or honorary alderwomen to past members who have given over 15 years of good service.

The impending abolition of the council on March 31 to make way for the new North Yorkshire unitary council means a host of councillors can be considered.

The list includes Nick Brown, Conservative councillor for Bishop Monkton and Newby, who has been a borough councillor for 15 years but had been the subject of a standards investigation following comments he made.

During a meeting last month, Conservative council leader Richard Cooper proposed a successful motion to change the council’s constitution and effectively ban councillors from becoming an honorary alderman or alderwoman if they have fallen foul of the council’s code of conduct but have then refused to take any of the recommended actions such as apologise to members.

The authority’s general purposes committee met yesterday evening and voted on which councillors would be recommended for the title.

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Before voting on Cllr Brown, head of legal and governance Jennifer Norton read out a statement on his behalf that said the councillor believed he had no outstanding course of action to take following his investigation.

Ms Norton said:

“The decision notice identifies two actions, the first one being to draw the process to a close as it’s not been possible to reach a satisfactory conclusion or an apology — and the second one is to recommend to Cllr Brown that he reflects on the concerns raised and considers whether the points he was trying to make in a submission were well served by his style of presentation or use of injudicious language.

“Cllr Brown advises me that he’s reflected on the concerns raised and has also informed me that on September 24, 2021, he sent an email to all his colleagues with an informal apology. In this way he feels there are no outstanding courses of action for him to take when you assess that against the decision notice.”

However, six Conservative councillors on the committee — Richard Cooper, Tim Myatt, Rebecca Burnett, Matt Scott, Ed Darling and Sam Gibbs — all voted against recommending Cllr Brown for the honorary alderman title.

Ripon independent, Pauline McHardy, Liberal Democrat, Philip Broadbank and Cllr Brown himself voted in favour.

Longest serving female also excluded

By six votes to three, the committee also voted against recommending Liberal Democrat member for Hookstone, Pat Marsh, who is the longest-serving female councillor on the authority with 33 years’ service.

Cllr Marsh was found to have breached the council’s code of conduct after she made comments to a resident, that were secretly recorded, about council leader Richard Cooper, council officers and Cllr Cooper’s employer, Conservative MP for Harrogate & Knaresborough Andrew Jones.

A standards panel at HBC asked Cllr Marsh to make a public apology but she refused, citing her right to free speech and accusing the panel of not being politically balanced, having two Conservatives and one independent councillor.

By five votes to four, councillors voted against former Ripon councillor and current county councillor Andrew Williams from becoming an honorary alderman despite his 20 years of service.

The full list of councillors put forward for the title and how long they have served is below:

Philip Broadbank, Liberal Democrat councillor for Starbeck (44 years)
Nigel Simms, Conservative councillor for Masham and Kirkby Malzeard (24 years)
Margaret Atkinson, former Conservative councillor for Fountains and Ripley (23 years)
Jim Clark, former Conservative councillor for Harlow (22 years)
Trevor Chapman, Liberal Democrat councillor for Bilton Grange (19 years)
Michael Harrison, Conservative councillor for Killinghall and Hampsthwaite (19 years)
Sid Hawke, Ripon Independents councillor for Ripon Ure Bank (18 years)
Stuart Martin, Conservative councillor for Ripon Moorside (18 years)
Christine Willoughby, Liberal Democrats councillor for Knaresborough Eastfield (17 years)
Matthew Webber, Liberal Democrat councillor for New Park (16 years)
Robert Windass, Conservative councillor for Boroughbridge (15 years)

North Yorkshire Police using lie detector tests to target sex offenders

North Yorkshire Police is using lie detector tests to target suspected and convicted sex offenders across the county.

At a public accountability meeting of the North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner this afternoon, the force’s head of safeguarding, Heather Whorriskey, revealed officers have used a polygraph test 87 times since it first started using the equipment in October 2020.

The tests work by measuring how a person responds to certain questions, such as if their blood pressure rises or if they get sweaty palms, to detect traits associated with lying.

However, the tests are controversial as they are not 100% accurate and the results can’t be used as evidence in the courts.

After a guest on ITV’s Jeremy Kyle Show died after reportedly failing a lie detector test, MPs in 2019 criticised the producers after they admitted they did not know how reliable their lie detector tests were.

Detective Superintendent Whorriskey said NYP uses the tests before a suspect is charged to investigate if they have been in communication with children using a device.

The tests are also used on “lower-level” people on the sexual offenders register to understand the risk they might pose to the public.

However, Det Supt Whorriskey said many people about to take these test reveal things before it starts as they “realise their answers are likely to give away some untruths.”

She said:

“It’s used quite significantly whenever offenders are using communication devices to assess whether or not they have engaged in further communication with children. We’re able to use that to prioritise those devices for examination within our digital forensic unit.”

Det Supt Whorriskey said the use of polygraph tests is increasing and will be used 13 times in the next three weeks alone. She added:

“It identifies unknown risks and offences we would not have known about without having used the equipment. It’s absolutely value for money.”

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Long-awaited refurbishment of Ripon council flats approved

Harrogate Borough Council’s planning committee has given planning permission to refurbish 12 “eyesore” council flats in Ripon that date from the 1960s.

The project will include rendering of the brickwork, new stainless steel walkways and balconies, a communal garden and six car parking spaces at Allhallowgate.

The council approved spending £600,000 to improve the properties in December and the decision was ratified by the planning committee this week.

Plans to refurbish the homes date back seven years but have been delayed due to sinkhole concerns in the area.

In 2015, planning permission was granted to demolish a block of flats at 4-14a Allhallowgate and replace them with nine townhouses. The plan also included a major refurbishment of an existing block of flats.

The flats were demolished but the rest of the scheme was halted in 2019 after an engineering firm found ground instability “could be foreseen” on or near the site. They warned that measures to reduce the risk of the townhouses collapsing were not cost-effective.

Ripon sits above a layer of gypsum, which is a water-soluble rock that leads to the formation of large underground caves that can collapse.

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The council pledged to continue with the refurbishment of the existing flats that weren’t demolished. However, its plans were paused again during covid as they were used as temporary accommodation for homeless people.

In May, the council was quoted £1.1m for the project by a contractor — almost double its budget of £650,000. It has since removed plans to build an extension to the building to reduce costs.

‘Somewhat of an eyesore’

Conservative cabinet member for housing and safer communities, Mike Chambers, who is also councillor for Ripon Spa, said he was happy the project was finally moving forward.

Cllr Chambers told a meeting in December after the funding was approved:

“This is a project that for a number of years has hit the buffers for various reasons. It is now appropriate we start moving it forward again. It is somewhat of an eyesore so I’m delighted we’re moving forward.

“It will improve the streetscene and a number of residents are concerned about the state of the block following the demolition. It’s high time we moved on.”

Councillor ‘absolutely amazed’ Maltkiln landowner able to pull out

A councillor whose division could be transformed by thousands of new homes says he is “absolutely amazed” that a landowner was able to pull out of the Maltkiln scheme at the 11th hour.

Last week, Harrogate Borough Council revealed a landowner had decided against selling a parcel of land that would have formed part of a 3,000 to 4,000-home settlement called Maltkiln.

The potential town, which includes two primary schools, would be built off the A59 towards York near the villages of Cattal, Green Hammerton and Kirk Hammerton.

The news came as a blow to Wetherby-based Caddick Group, which has been developing plans for several years.

The developer called the decision by the landowner “regrettable” but said it was confident the scheme would continue.

The broad location for Maltkiln is allocated for development in the council’s Harrogate district Local Plan 2014-35, which maps out where housebuilding can take place.

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Planning permission for Maltkiln is yet to be granted but a development plan document has been painstakingly prepared by the council over the last two years and was close to being submitted to the government for approval.

The council has said work on the development plan has now been “paused”.

Cllr Arnold Warneken, Green Party councillor for Ouseburn division on North Yorkshire County Council, described the situation as “a bit of a mess”.

Cllr Warneken told the Local Democracy Reporting Service:

“How did Harrogate Borough Council and the developer not tie-up people to legal agreements for the sale of land? I’m absolutely amazed they didn’t tie-up all these options.

“They are back to the drawing board and I wouldn’t want to be paying for this. The development plan document goes back on hold and will need to be redrafted. It almost starts again.”

Cllr Warneken said he understood the parcel of land formed a significant part of the overall masterplan.

He described an initial celebratory mood in the affected villages after the council released its statement, with residents hoping it could throw the whole project into doubt.

Now the dust has settled, he fears it could mean the developer will have to reduce its ambitions for the scheme in order to make it financially viable. 

He said:

“The viability will have to be adjusted and could mean a change in the nature of properties. There might be higher density, bigger properties, and they could build one primary school instead of two. I wanted this to be an ecologically exemplar development but I’m concerned they will chip away at that.”

Responding, a spokesperson for Caddick Group said:

“It is usual for landowners to want differing terms when entering into agreements to sell their land and all such agreements are only for a specific period. In this particular case, the family concerned were previously willing to sell but wished to limit their legal agreement to a shorter period of time than the other landowners and subsequently decided not to extend or renew their agreement.

“Our proposals include innovative approaches to reducing both energy and vehicle use which will still apply to an updated new settlement boundary, which will also now incorporate a significant element of renewable energy generation.

“We are now in the early stages of reviewing our draft masterplan for Maltkiln in consultation with Harrogate Borough Council and North Yorkshire County Council, both of which will need to decide how best to advance the new settlement from this point on.

“Once we know how the councils wish to approach the change in land area, and we have explored how our proposals could be best aligned with their intended process, we will engage with the community and key stakeholders once again.”

Harrogate council looks to protect ‘darkest skies in the country’ from light pollution

Harrogate Borough Council wants to introduce stricter light pollution rules to ensure Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty remains home to some of the darkest skies in the country.

Astronomers commissioned by Nidderdale AONB in spring last year found the night skies in the north west of the area, including Upper Nidderdale and moorland near Masham, are some of the least affected by light pollution in England.

Countryside charity CPRE says clear dark skies reduce stress and increase a sense of peace. But in the wildlife-rich Nidderdale AONB, artificial light can also disturb how animals perceive the transition between day and night.

This disrupts their sleep and results in reduced foraging or hunting periods for nocturnal species such as bats.

Light pollution can even affect plants whose flowering is linked to day length.

To help combat the problem, the authority has drawn up a Nidderdale AONB-specific supplementary planning document for its Harrogate district Local Plan 2014-35, which outlines where development can occur.

If approved by Conservative cabinet member for planning Tim Myatt today, the document will go out for public consultation.

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It says light pollution from farm and commercial buildings is “the most obvious source” of light pollution in the darkest zone of the AONB.

It adds that all new outside lights in this zone should comply with the latest design standards and be fully shielded and include a lighting plan prepared by a lighting professional.

All external lighting should be fitted with a system to ensure lights are automatically switched off when they are not needed.

All external lights should be also positioned so that the light shines downwards.

The document recommends that external lights in the darkest zone, which includes Upper Nidderdale, should only have 500 lumens, which is a measurement of visible light to the human eye.

A council report that accompanies the document says:

“Protecting dark skies is important as light pollution has potential to disrupt wildlife, adversely affect human health and erode tranquillity. Poor lighting choices can also waste energy and contribute to climate change.

“The Nidderdale AONB contains some of the darkest skies in England as well as a diverse range of wildlife and habitats, making it particularly important to ensure that light pollution is reduced in this area.”

Why are nurses going on strike in Harrogate?

Nurses working at Harrogate District Hospital will take part in industrial action on Wednesday, January 18 and Thursday, January 19 due to a pay and conditions dispute with the government that has rumbled on all winter.

It’s taking place after members of the Royal College of Nursing union who work for Harrogate District NHS Foundation Trust voted to strike last year.

Harrogate is one of 70 trusts in England that will strike as part of the largest organised action in NHS history.

Here is everything you need to know about the nurses strike.

When is the strike?

The strikes will take place from 7.15am to 8.15pm on both days and there will be a picket line outside the hospital on Lancaster Park Road.

Two days of strikes were held in England, Northern Ireland and Wales on December 15 and 20 but Harrogate nurses did not take part.

What services will be affected?

During the December strikes, thousands of appointments across the country were cancelled or postponed. A trust spokesperson said the hospital will contact patients that have appointments on strike days to let them know if they are still going ahead.

All life-preserving treatment must be provided and nurses in intensive and emergency care will be expected to continue working.

Harrogate District Hospital, Lancaster Park Road.

Harrogate District Hospital, Lancaster Park Road.

However, routine operations such as hip or knee replacements are likely to be affected.

A trust spokesperson said:

“We are working to ensure there is safe patient care and that emergency services continue to operate during any industrial action, and have plans in place to mitigate the impact of disruption on direct patient care.

“If you have an appointment or operation that is scheduled on a proposed strike day we would kindly ask you to be patient and we will notify you as soon as possible to confirm if your consultation or treatment will be affected.

“The industrial action will see a picket line outside our hospital in Harrogate and we will be working with local RCN representatives to minimise any disruption this may cause for residents in the vicinity and visitors to our hospital.”

Why are nurses striking?

According to the royal college, 25,000 nursing staff around the UK left the Nursing and Midwifery Council register last year. It’s left hospitals with staff shortages which the union feels has compromised patient safety.

The union argues that many people are leaving the profession or deciding to work for private providers due to low pay within the NHS. It has repeatedly called for a pay increase of 5% above inflation.

However, the government says this increase would be unaffordable to tax payers.

Royal College of Nursing general secretary and chief executive, Pat Cullan, said: 

“The government had the opportunity to end this dispute before Christmas but instead they have chosen to push nursing staff out into the cold again in January. I do not wish to prolong this dispute but the Prime Minister has left us with no choice.

“The public support has been heart-warming and I am more convinced than ever that this is the right thing to do for patients and the future of the NHS.

“The voice of nursing will not be ignored. Staff shortages and low pay make patient care unsafe – the sooner ministers come to the negotiating table, the sooner this can be resolved. I will not dig in, if they don’t dig in.”

When will the dispute be resolved?

The royal college is yet to reach an agreement with the government over the dispute but talks have been ongoing since December’s strikes.

The government has raised the possibility of a one-off hardship payment to nursing staff but an offer has not been made.

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In an interview with the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg on Sunday, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said:

“The door has always been open to talk about the things that nurses want to talk about.”

A trust spokesperson said:

“While pay is a matter for government and the trade unions, we greatly value our staff and want to see a resolution as soon as possible to ensure we can continue to focus on delivering high quality patient care to all those who need it.

“We understand the importance of good pay and conditions for individuals and their families, as well as wider NHS staff retention and recruitment.”

Harrogate Station Gateway consultation in numbers

A third consultation on the Harrogate Station Gateway has given an up-to-date picture of how Harrogate feels about the £11.2m scheme.

On the overall question of whether the plans will benefit the town, opinion is almost split down the middle.

A total of 2,044 people took part in the third consultation, which is 50% higher than the previous round in 2021.

It revealed 46% were either ‘negative’ or ‘very negative’ about the overall plans while 44% were ‘positive’ or ‘very positive’. A total of 9% were neutral and 1% said they did not know.

Business impact

Station gateway third consultation

One of the most contentious aspects of the scheme is how it will impact businesses in the town centre.

This was highlighted in the consultation as most respondents said the primary reason they visit Harrogate is to go shopping.

James Street is perhaps the district’s premier retail destination but some landlords have argued that part-pedestrianisation will hurt footfall.

North Yorkshire County Council’s economic case suggests the opposite will happen.

The consultation revealed 41% of people thought the scheme would benefit businesses whereas 40% said it would have a negative impact.

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The the visual appearance of the plans generated support, with 51% saying they will make better use of public space, helping to keep visitors in the town for longer.

However, 184 people fear the scheme will send shoppers away from Harrogate to other towns or cities and 104 said the reduction in parking spaces will negatively impact businesses.

There was a mixed response to the question of whether the scheme would encourage visitors to spend longer in the town centre — 44% disagreed and 43% agreed.

Active travel

Station gateway third consultation

Around a quarter of the 2,044 respondents said a bicycle was their primary mode of transport for travelling into Harrogate.

A key aim of the scheme is to improve walking and cycling infrastructure in the town centre, which campaigners have argued is long overdue.

A total of 48% said the plans would encourage more people to cycle whereas 38% said there would be no change.

However, when asked if the designs balance the needs and safety of all road users, including motorists and cyclists, 45% said it was unsuccessful and 39% said it was successful.

Traffic congestion

Will the Gateway scheme alleviate congestion by getting people out of their cars or will making Station Parade single-lane exacerbate the problem and shift traffic elsewhere?

A total of 52% said they believe the scheme will discourage people to drive whereas 40% said there would be no change.

The council has undertaken modelling that suggested a single-lane Station Parade will not cause “excessive congestion” but 326 people submitted individual comments with their concerns about the possibility.

A total of 913 people said they think the scheme will help to improve air quality in the town centre whereas 916 people do not.

You can read the full findings here:

Harrogate to get new civic figurehead in place of mayor

Harrogate will get a new civic figurehead from April to perform ceremonial duties following the abolition of Harrogate Borough Council.

The role of the mayor will be abolished along with the council this spring, to make way for the unitary authority North Yorkshire Council.

From April 1, a new position called a charter trustee will be created by North Yorkshire Council and will remain in place until the likely creation of a Harrogate town council.

The charter trustee would only represent the unparished area of Harrogate, which includes the town centre and surrounding areas such as Bilton and Starbeck.

Like the current mayor of the borough, they would wear mayoral chains and other civic regalia.

North Yorkshire County Council leader Cllr Carl Les, who will also lead the new authority, said the first charter trustees would be voted in by councillors at a meeting in April.

These will be the 10 councillors sitting on North Yorkshire Council with wards that fall within the unparished area.

He said:

“Charter trustees will come into existence on April 1, following the dissolution of Harrogate Borough Council, and will remain in place unless or until a town council is created which would take responsibility for the continuation of the mayoral and civic function.

“They will be responsible for the mayoral chains and other civic regalia and for continuing any ceremonial rights and traditions in the unparished areas.”

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The mayor of the borough has historically been appointed by HBC each year, usually in May, and chairs meetings of the full council.

He or she is known as the “first citizen” of the borough and also represents the council on ceremonial occasions, welcomes visitors and attends events organised by local people and community groups.

In recent years, the holder of the role has rotated between Conservative and Liberal Democrat councillors.

The current and final mayor is Victoria Oldham, Conservative councillor for Washburn. The deputy mayor is Robert Windass, Conservative councillor for Boroughbridge.

Other areas of the borough, such as Knaresborough, Ripon and Pateley Bridge, already have their own mayors and these will be unaffected by devolution.

Just 1% of Harrogate council’s art collection on public display

Just over 1% of 2,658 artworks owned by Harrogate Borough Council are currently on display to the public, figures reveal.

A freedom of information request to the authority by the Local Democracy Reporting Service found that 37 artworks are on display at its galleries or museums.

The council refused to publish the total value of the collection, saying that doing so could attract thieves.

However in 2019 it valued its 2,642 artworks at a combined £6.7m.

Harrogate Borough Council owns the Mercer Art Gallery on Swan Road in Harrogate. It also owns the Royal Pump Room Museum in the town as well as Knaresborough Castle and Museum.

A HBC spokesperson said there was “finite capacity” to exhibit more of its pieces but added it regularly rotates artworks across its locations and also lends pieces to exhibitions across the country. A further 70 artworks will be put on public display later this month, they said.

The collection will become owned by the new unitary authority North Yorkshire Council on April 1.

A HBC spokesperson said:

“Harrogate Borough Council’s collection of artworks includes thousands of different items including reproductions, uneditioned prints and a number of pieces of fine art.

“We are very fortunate to have inherited items from people or organisations who have kindly donated to us, so that residents and visitors have the opportunity to see a vast array of art from different periods and movements.

“Due to the nature of our museum venues in Harrogate, and understandably, there is finite capacity to exhibit these valuable pieces and we also want to ensure that when someone visits an exhibition they are encapsulated by the theme or narrative.

“What we put on display therefore varies from year to year and will depend on what exhibition is on show at that time. This is common practice by all museums and galleries across the world – helping to ensure displays stay fresh and dynamic and encourage repeat visits as well as new visitors.”

The spokesperson added:

“Last year we held an exhibition from some of the biggest names in Modern British Abstract art, including John Hoyland, Patrick Heron, Gillian Ayres and Albert Irvin.

“And in the coming weeks we launch our new exhibition, ‘Now You See Me’. It showcases 100 portraits from the Harrogate Art Collection, ranging from one of the earliest works in the collection – a portrait of Sir Francis Slingsby from the 1590s – to our most recent acquisition, a photowork by Irish artist Dorothy Cross, purchased by the Contemporary Art Society and the Friends of the Mercer Gallery.

“We look forward to welcoming new and returning visitors to enjoy this exciting exhibition, which opens on January 21.″

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Harrogate hospital A&E waiting times improve but strikes loom

Accident and emergency department waiting times at Harrogate District Hospital have improved since the Christmas peak but the hospital remains under “considerable pressure” with almost no unoccupied beds available and two days of strike action expected next week.

A challenging winter at the hospital on Lancaster Park Road has seen a higher than average number of admissions to its A&E department as well as a fresh wave of covid and flu inpatients.

The hospital will be under further pressure on January 18 and 19 when members of the Royal College of Nurses strike over pay and conditions.

Workers at Yorkshire Ambulance Service are also expected to walk out today as part of a 24-hour strike.

Members of the royal college who work for Harrogate District NHS Foundation Trust are on the list for the second wave of action in an escalation of its pay dispute with the government.

Two days of strikes were held in England, Northern Ireland and Wales on December 15 and 20 but Harrogate nurses did not take part.

Visitors to A&E have experienced long waiting times as healthcare staff have prioritised patients with serious and life-threatening conditions.

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Between December 19 and January 1 a total of 1,993 people attended A&E, an average of 142 a day.

Of these, 524 were then admitted to the hospital for further treatment.

However, since the new year the average number of daily visitors to A&E has fallen to 127, helping to reduce waiting times and ease the burden on under-pressure staff.

The overall situation at the hospital also worsened due to the high number of beds filled with patients suffering with covid but since January 4 that figure has fallen from 22 to 17.

The number of patients with flu has also dropped to single digits from over 30 last week.

A trust spokesperson said the fall in covid and flu patients has “made flow through our hospitals a little easier”.

To further ease pressure at A+E, the hospital recently introduced a new “streaming model” for minor injuries so staff can focus on patients with more serious conditions.

Last Friday, the hospital had its largest-ever discharge day with 81 patients returning to their homes or care home.

The spokesperson said: 

“We would like to thank everyone involved at HDFT and our partners in social care who helped us which made the weekend a lot easier.”

Two free beds

But despite an improving situation with more free beds in certain wards, the spokesperson said that yesterday there was just two unoccupied beds out of 298.

They added there are still many patients who are able to return home but cannot as they are waiting to be placed into a care home or home.

The spokesperson said:

“We would ask for the families of patients to help us support their loved one’s discharge home as soon as their medical condition allows.

“For people who require medical assistance and are considering visiting our emergency department, unless it’s a life-threatening or severe illness or injury, we would ask them to contact NHS 111 first either by calling or going online. The NHS will help them right away and if they need urgent care, the NHS can book them in to be seen quickly and safely.

“People with life-threatening illnesses or injuries should continue to dial 999 and anyone who arrives at A&E without calling NHS 111 will still receive medical care, with those needing emergency treatment prioritised.”