Fears up to 3 million litres of water wasted during lengthy Ripon leak

There are fears up to three million litres of water went to waste in Ripon yesterday, after a Yorkshire Water mains pipe burst on North Street.

The pipe burst at around 5am and meant around 4,000 homes in Ripon and the surrounding area woke up to no water.

It wasn’t fully restored until 7pm later in the day, with the company setting up two emergency bottled water stations at Ripon fire station and Ripon Racecourse for residents.

Emergency bottled water stations were set up in the city.

The Bishop of Ripon was among those criticising Yorkshire Water’s response to customers, saying its lack of communication was “unacceptable”.

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A source at the scene told the Stray Ferret that engineers working on the leak said 70 litres of water were lost every second before it was fixed.

In a 12-hour period, this would have meant over three million litres could have been lost in total.

We put this figure to Yorkshire Water. A spokesperson said the figure was “inaccurate” but was unable to say how much water had been lost.

They said as soon as the leak was located engineers managed to stem the flow.

However, according to the company’s Twitter account, the leak wasn’t identified until 12pm, seven hours after it was first reported.

This suggests between 1.5 million and 2 million litres of water could have been lost.

Engineers on the scene Pic: Paul Smith

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The burst main has come at a bad time for Yorkshire Water. The Harrogate district is now officially in drought and a hosepipe ban will come into force from August 26.

We asked Yorkshire Water what caused the leak and a spokesperson sent the following statement:

“Our pipework has been under a lot of pressure recently – with high peaks of water usage and the dry ground causing soil to contract, which causes pipes to fracture more easily. We’ve increased resource in our field teams over the last few weeks, so that we can catch more small leaks before they turn into bursts and fix the big bursts as soon as possible.

“It took a little bit longer than usual to locate the burst pipe and complete the fix yesterday, as it was underground and tricky to locate. We delivered bottled water to customers on our priority services register and updated our customers via the website, social media and text, as to where they could collect bottled water.

“We’re grateful to our customers for their patience whilst we fixed the issue – those eligible for compensation in relation to the water supply interruption will receive it automatically.”

Cheers! Knaresborough and Harrogate to host beer festivals

Beer lovers in the Harrogate district will be spoiled for choice with two festivals taking place in Knaresborough and Harrogate.

This weekend, Knaresborough Lions will stage their annual beer festival during the FEVA arts festival. It gets underway tonight (Friday) at Knaresborough House from 7pm where there will also be live music on offer for revellers.

Entry is free and there will be a large selection of beers, ciders, lagers, wine, soft drinks and food available.

On Saturday, the festival runs from 12pm until 11pm and will coincide with FEVA’s Picnic in the Park, which is also being held at Knaresborough House.

On Sunday, the festival starts from 12pm until the beer runs out.

Harrogate Beer Week

Harrogate is gearing up for the return of its beer week following its debut event in 2021.

Running from September 19-25, Harrogate Beer Week will celebrate the town’s craft beer scene, brewing heritage and beer in the community.

There will be events hosted at bars, brewery taps, and other venues across Harrogate such as beer and food pairings, blind beer tasting quizzes, bottle shares, home brew competitions, talks and brewery tours exploring the making of beer.

Other features on the programme will include an ‘Indie Beer Trail’ and live local music and a special local beer has been brewed for the occasion. The programme will be announced on August 24.

The event is being sponsored by Harrogate Business Improvement District, Cold Bath Brewing Co, Daleside Brewery, Harrogate Brewing Co, Roosters Brewing Co, and Turning Point brew Co and Black Sheep Brewery.

Harrogate Beer Week was created by Harrogate-based Rachel Auty. She said:

“This event is a spotlight on the very best of what’s on offer in Harrogate and is created and delivered by people who actually live and work here, and know the town.

“The north of England is a superb destination for great craft beer and I’m incredibly proud of the beer scene we have in Harrogate — we boast some of the UK’s leading innovators in brewing and a truly unique portfolio of indie bars and taprooms.”

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Ripon residents collect thousands of bottles of water as taps run dry

Thousands of bottles of water were handed out in Ripon this afternoon after a burst water main left around 4,000 homes without water all day.

Yorkshire Water set up an emergency bottled water station at Ripon fire station for thirsty residents, which had a steady stream of people in cars coming to pick up bottles of H2O, helped by on shift firefighters.

Mike and Kay had only just returned to Thornborough, north of Ripon, this afternoon after a holiday in Krakow, Poland.  Mike said:

“We’re waiting for a decent cup of tea!”

Colin from Copt Hewick was there to collect water for his pets.

“We’ve got animals, four dogs, so you’ve got to think of them first.”

Ripon firefighters help out.

Ant, from Stockton-on-Tees, holidays at a static caravan at Riverside Meadows holiday park. He said:

“It was a shock to wake up this morning and not be able to flush the toilet! I’m taking plenty of bottles for my neighbours too.”

Whilst spirits were generally high, one woman gave a Yorkshire Water employee a hard time over what she said was poor communication. The company has been slow to tell the public when normal water supply will resume.

She said its website had barely been updated all day so had tried to find updates on Twitter.

Her opinion was shared by Bishop of Ripon, Helen-Ann Hartley, who described communication from the water company as “unacceptable”.

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The burst water main on North Street has caused more disruption than a typical water leak, with many homes now without water for 12 hours.

Supermarkets in Ripon ran out of bottled water earlier today.

A Yorkshire Water employee told the Stray Ferret that service was likely to return at around 7pm but similar promises earlier today did not materialise.

The stock of water was quickly depleted.

One woman who arrived at the emergency bottled water station said to make sure there was room in the boot for a wine delivery that she was going to collect afterwards. “I can’t turn water into wine!” joked the Yorkshire Water employee, as he carried some bottles into her car.

More bottles of water will be available from Ripon Racecourse until 9pm.

Harrogate Cat Rescue’s urgent appeal to save Pedro the kitten

Harrogate Cat Rescue has issued an urgent appeal for donations following an unprecedented influx of kittens.

Celia Dakin set up the centre in 2020 to rescue and rehome cats and kittens but said this summer in particular has been “relentless” with kittens coming in from all over Yorkshire, as the cost of living crisis bites. She said:

“I’ve never seen anything like it. We are overrun with kittens.”

The centre, near to Asda supermarket in Harrogate, has around 70 kittens at the moment but many are sick and in desperate need of medical attention. Ms Dakin’s vet bill for last week alone came to £2,300.

One of the kittens in need of help is Pedro, who was rescued this year after suffering abuse. He suffers from a disease called FIP (feline infective peritonitis), which affects his eyes and will kill him without treatment. However, it costs £5,000.

Ms Dakin said:

“He’s had such a rough life. I have to save him. It would lift my heart.”

A crowdfunder has been set up to raise money to pay for Pedro’s vet bills, and is almost halfway to reaching its target. If you would like to donate visit here.

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With pet food prices rising, the cost of living crisis is being felt acutely by many cat owners.

Ms Dakin has even taken calls from people saying they can no longer afford to feed their pets and want to give them up for adoption.

But she is determined to do her best for the cats and praised the Harrogate community for their kindness in supporting her organisation. She added:

“My phone rings incessantly but I can’t not answer. It’s who I am.”

The cat rescue, which is currently applying for charitable status, is also in need of cat food and cat litter. If you would to donate, or are interested in becoming a cat foster, visit its website.

Water returns to some properties in Ripon

Water has returned to some homes in Ripon following a burst pipe on North Road this morning.

Many properties in the city have had no water or low water pressure all morning.

Some companies in Ripon were forced to close, including the coffee shop at Larkhill Nurseries and the Water Rat pub. The latter has now reopened.

The problem has also affected people in nearby villages Sharow and Littlethorpe, as well as further afield in Thirsk.

Residents on Lead Lane in Ripon told the Stray Ferret at about midday that water had come back on, as have residents living in Deep Ghyll Croft and Saint Marygate. However, one person living in Sharow says water is still off as of midday.

Yorkshire Water has been slow to tell the public when normal water supply will resume.

North Road will soon be closed to traffic whilst repairs take place.

A spokesperson issued the following statement.

“Our teams are dealing with a burst 12-inch water main on North Road, Ripon. We are currently working to rezone our network and return water supply to those affected.

“To allow our teams to complete the repair safely, traffic management will be required. We’re working closely with North Yorkshire County Council highways teams to minimise disruption.”

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£70,000 energy bill increase forces Harrogate district farm shop to close

Ainsty Farm Shop is to close next month after its owners were told their annual energy bill was set to jump from £20,000 to £90,000 a year.

Farmers Lily and Stuart Beaton have run the popular store for 22 years and have been in their current premises off the A59 near Kirk Hammerton since 2005. The shop sells meat from their farm as well as other produce grown locally.

The couple’s annual energy bill is due to renew next month and they received a new quote last week that was so shocking they didn’t think it was real.

Ms Beaton said:

“I said they’ve sent the wrong quote, this can’t be right. Are you sure they sent the right quote?”

Massive price hike

They contacted an energy broker, who managed to get the quote down to £76,000, but it was still far more than they are able to afford.

It led to the heartbreaking decision to close the farm shop, which has turned their lives “upside down”.

Ms Beaton added:

“We just don’t have that extra £50,000, it’s not the type of money that sits spare.

“If we were to try and put an increase on prices and charge customers more, that wouldn’t be fair, it would exclude a lot of customers. We’d just price ourselves out of the market.”

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The cost of living crisis is now being felt by just about everyone, with wholesale energy prices soaring due to the war in Ukraine as well as high demand post-covid.

But for owners of small businesses like Ainsty Farm Shop, it can sting seeing oil companies like Shell and BP post record profits whilst they are forced to close their doors.

Ms Beaton said:

“It’s just phenomenal the record profits they are announcing for these businesses, yet everybody else underneath them is going out of business because they can’t sustain the rises. That’s where the problem lies, that’s what needs sorting out.”

‘Tip of the iceberg’

She believes the closure of their business is the “tip of the iceberg” and fears for how the food and retail landscape could eventually look.

The couple hope their plight acts as a warning to show that small businesses need more help if they are going to weather the current crisis and come out the other side. Ms Beaton said:

“It will be a very sad day when there are only supermarkets and no independents. It’s what will happen unless something is done now, but it’s been too late for our shop”.

Since announcing their closure over the weekend they have been heartened by the messages of support and goodwill from customers.

After September, they will continue to sell meat and produce from their farm via their online shop.

“Some of the customers came through the doors when we opened our first shop. They are very loyal, lovely customers. It’s heartbreaking to think these people you see weekly you won’t see them again.

“Its been a long time, our kids have been born since we’ve had the shop, they’ve worked here too during school holidays. It’s just all going to end which feels very strange.”

To sign up to the Ainsty Farm Shop mailing list for updates on how to still buy meat from them after they close, email sales@ainstyfarmshop.co.uk or call 01423 331897

Northern’s new timetable includes early Harrogate to Leeds trains

Rail operator Northern has published a new timetable that confirms the 6.07am and 6.33am services from Harrogate to Leeds will return from December.

Northern controversially axed the services earlier this year, blaming a lack of resources and the need to recruit and train more drivers.

It provoked a backlash from business travellers who relied on the services to get to London before 9am.

The operator had always promised that the services would return in December, which has now been confirmed with publication of the timetable.

Brian Dunsby, of the Harrogate Line Supporters Group, welcomed the announcement. He said:

He said:

“It is very encouraging that Northern has kept their promise to reinstate all the lost services that were cut out in May 2022, although they have not been able to bring any forward to September 2022 due to the ongoing industrial action.”

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No trains will run through Harrogate and Knaresborough tomorrow or Saturday due to a day of national strike action.

The Rail, Maritime and Transport workers’ union and Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association are striking over pay and conditions.

Last month, members of the RMT union organised a picket line outside Harrogate train station as part of the ongoing dispute.

Calls to tackle construction vehicles who cause ‘misery’ in Harrogate

A councillor says more should be done to tackle construction vehicles that are making people’s lives a ‘misery’ in residential areas.

There has been an unprecedented levels of housebuilding in the Harrogate district in recent years, which has resulted in an increasing number of trucks, lorries and other construction traffic going to-and-from sites.

At a Harrogate Borough Council meeting last night, Conservative councillor for Old Bilton, Paul Haslam, queried what more the council could do to support residents dealing with disruption.

When a development receives planning permission, conditions are attached that stipulate how housebuilders will minimise the impact of issues such as noise and dust.

But Cllr Haslam said he and other councillors had received complaints from residents that the council’s planning enforcement team was not ensuring that conditions were being upheld.

Cllr Haslam said:

“I’m very concerned at the moment about some building work that’s going on in Harrogate, where it’s close to existing properties. [The housebuilders] have been given permission to build, not to make their lives a misery.

“How can we help officers enforce conditions to ensure that development is conducted in a safe and healthy way?”

He added:

“I have potential building on the edge of my area at the moment. The people who live next to it will have 10 years of disruption.”

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In response, Conservative councillor for Killinghall and Hampsthwaite, Michael Harrison, suggested council officers should meet with the directors of housing companies so they can better understand “how much work they need to do” to support people who live next to building sites.

Conservative councillor for the Washburn ward, Victoria Oldham asked Cllr Haslam if he thought HBC’s planning enforcement team was acting on complaints from residents “in a timeous manner”.

Cllr Haslam said he was concerned that enforcement officers “don’t have enough support”. He said:

“Quite clearly, guidelines are being flaunted by the developers. We need to make sure we are seen to protect our residents.”

Starbeck groups call truce and promise to work ‘positively together’

Two rival community groups in Starbeck have called a truce and are promising to work together.

Starbeck Residents Association, chaired by Chris Watt, was formed in the 1990s and awards grants and campaigns to safeguard local facilities in Starbeck.

Starbeck Community Group was launched by Starbeck Post Office owner Andrew Hart in 2020 and has been involved in several local campaigns including painting a giant Ukraine flag on the former McColl’s supermarket building.

But the group’s two leaders have history — there was public acrimony when Mr Watt was appointed chair last year at the residents association’s annual general meeting.

In May this year, Mr Hart then said it was “an insult to the community” that Labour Party member Mr Watt was standing for a political party in local elections and called on him to step down from his role as chair.

There have also been unpleasant comments on social media.

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Mr Watt, alongside SRA secretary Geoff Foxhall, met Mr Hart and SCG member Lucky Hubbard over the weekend and they agreed to put their differences aside and work together.

Mr Watt and Mr Hart issued a joint statement that said “public attacks and criticism of other local groups only create division and foster a negative impression of Starbeck”.

The statement said:

“Starbeck is a wonderful area, where we are proud to live and work. The Starbeck Residents’ Association and Starbeck Community Group have been working hard, in our respective ways, to support the area. We complement the many other groups and organisations who put so much into Starbeck and we are proud to support them as well.

“For the good of our area, it is important that we work together. Public attacks and criticism of other local groups only create division and foster a negative impression of Starbeck among people who live here and are considering moving to or investing in our area. It also discourages people from contributing their time and energy into local groups and organisations.

“For the good of Starbeck, we are promising to work constructively and positively together.”

Harrogate district now officially in drought

The Environment Agency declared drought status in Yorkshire today due to low water levels.

This year’s prolonged spell of dry weather has led to exceptionally low river flows and reservoirs levels in the county.

Last week’s heatwave has added further pressure on the water network.

Moving to drought status means that the Environment Agency and Yorkshire Water can implement stricter controls on water use.

Yorkshire Water has already announced a hosepipe ban that will come into effect from August 26.

The last drought in Yorkshire was declared in autumn 2018.

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The region joins large parts of England which moved to drought status on August 12.

Victoria Slingsby, environment planning and engagement manager for the Environment Agency in Yorkshire, said:

“The high temperatures we are experiencing have exacerbated pressures on wildlife and our water environment in Yorkshire. These extreme weather conditions become more likely with climate change.

“We are experiencing some much-needed rain this week, but it will not be enough to correct weeks of dry weather, and it will take more prolonged rainfall to wet up soils and replenish rivers, reservoirs and groundwater levels.

“It’s important for everyone to manage the amount of water they are using in this exceptionally dry period.”