Harrogate Town manager Simon Weaver said his squad aren’t taking Concord Rangers lightly, in what is being billed as a David vs Goliath cup final at Wembley on Monday.
Town are two divisions above the semi-professional National League South outfit who haven’t played a game since January 2, but the long-serving boss told the Stray Ferret his players aren’t expecting an easy game.
He said:
“We’ve seen hundreds of teams bitten by smaller clubs. People expect us to win but it’s not as easy as that. This group of players won’t take things lightly.
But we have a strong resolve and belief we can win.”
The rise of Harrogate Town towards the football league for the first time in their history captured the imagination of the football world last summer, which Weaver said clubs like Concord Rangers will take inspiration from.
Many of the Town players such as Lloyd Kerry, Mark Beck and James Belshaw played for the club when they were at the same level as Concord, which Weaver said means they will be hungry to win on Monday:
“Our group of players are from when we played in the National League. We have no illusions of grandeur or egos in our camp, or we’d get rid of them.”
For many professional footballers playing at Wembley is the pinnacle of their careers, especially those in the lower divisions, and Weaver said the game on Monday will be a special experience.
“I’m ecstatic to be having an opportunity to make the journey. It’s exactly the same feeling as last time.”
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With Town’s first season in the EFL drawing to a close, Weaver reflected on a positive season that has seen them stay in the division for another year.
He said the “light at the end of the tunnel” is fans returning next season.
“There have been many positives including the two wins against Bradford City and the fixture against West Bromwich Albion. But it’s been a steep learning curve. It’s been like entering a war zone with our pitch being cut up, but that will be a lot better next season.”
After Town won their historic play-off final in August, the sun shined on the streets of Harrogate for a memorable open-top bus parade. Weaver is hoping for similar scenes if they lift the trophy.
He added:
“That would be beautiful. It was totally amazing how many people in Harrogate turned out last time.”
The Waiting Room, a new craft beer bar and cafe/restaurant run by the owners of So Bar and Eats will open this summer on Starbeck High Street.
Harrogate Borough Council granted local pub company Appetite for Life planning permission earlier this week.
The building at 34 High Street was previously occupied by Greenalls and Your Factory Bed Shop, but has been empty for some time. The name of the bar ties into its location near Starbeck railway station.
The company already runs a number of bars in the Harrogate district including the So Bars in Harrogate, Knaresborough and Ripon, The Hart pub in Knaresborough, and the Tap on Tower Street in Harrogate.
Appetite for Life owner Rob Thompson told the Stray Ferret he hopes to get the venue up and running in about three months.
He added:
“As a local family-run Harrogate company, we are excited to bring Starbeck our new bar, The Waiting Room, in the next few months. Our plan is for a cafe bar, selling local craft beers, amazing wines and the best in premium spirits and gins in a comfy environment.
“We will be serving a variety of food all day, including artisan coffee, pastries, homemade world food bowls, pizza and grazing boards to nibble on while you are enjoying a drink. We plan to trade all day with food and drink available for take-out for those on the go. When we have more details to share we will let everyone know more”.
A logo of the new venue
The Waiting Room will open from 7am Monday to Saturday and from 9am on Sunday, It will close at 11.30pm Monday to Wednesday and 00.30am during the rest of the week.
Read more:
- ‘Quirky’ Starbeck mural could see Marc Almond floating on a teabag
- New Starbeck bar granted alcohol licence
Starbeck is currently served by one pub, the Prince of Wales, plus two clubs.
There were plans to open a micropub called the Office Ale House on 67d High Street, but proposals fell through.
Julia Mulligan’s track record as Police, Fire & Crime CommissionerJulia Mulligan formally began her role as North Yorkshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner in November 2012.
Representing the Conservatives, she was the first person to ever hold the newly-created position after beating the Labour Party candidate by 13,000 votes. She receives a salary of £74,400.
The former Craven district councillor was re-elected in 2016, and in 2018 the fire service was added to her brief when she became the North Yorkshire Police, Fire & Crime Commissioner.
She has, at times, been a controversial figure. She’s faced accusations of bullying and has been outspoken on social media.
As Ms Mulligan prepares to leave office after the upcoming election, we explore whether she has delivered on some of her key pledges from 2013, and look at how she has handled issues such as county lines drug dealing and the impact of austerity on the force.
What did she pledge?
Keep North Yorkshire the safest place in England: SUCCESSFUL
According to figures published in April 2020 by the Office for National Statistics, the county is still the lowest crime area in England and Wales, despite a 9% rise in recorded offences.
Ms Mulligan partly put the rise down to a change in the way the force records crimes but said she was “particularly concerned” about a rise in violent crime.
The figures show bicycle theft, vehicle offences and criminal damage are among the crimes that decreased since the previous year.
Continuously improving satisfaction levels and confidence in the police: FAILED
The government’s programme of austerity has meant cuts in funding for police forces across the country and North Yorkshire has been no exception.
Mrs Mulligan championed the rights of victims when she was first elected, but a 2019 study that she commissioned on attitudes towards NYP showed that public confidence was mixed.
It found that 48% of people feel the service is deteriorating, and 44% felt the force was getting worse at responding to crimes quickly.
Ms Mulligan called the results “worrying but not a surprise”.
“It has been clear to me for some time now that the public are concerned about the erosion of local policing services.”
A continued reduction in the number of people killed or seriously injured on our roads: SUCCESSFUL
Ms Mulligan made reducing deaths and injuries on the roads one of her top priorities when she took office, and there has been a decline over the past decade.
In the year Ms Mulligan took office, 473 people were killed or seriously injured on the roads, which was reduced to 335 in 2019.
The office of the Police, Fire & Crime Commissioner sold the historic AJ1 vehicle registration plate and raised £190,000 to support road safety projects across North Yorkshire and York.
Controversies
Former police HQ at Newby Wiske Hall.
Ms Mulligan’s 2015 decision to sell the police headquarters at Newby Wiske and move to Northallerton was mired in controversy.
It resulted in a High Court challenge from residents of the village after the building was sold to a company that wanted to create a holiday centre for children with 550 guest beds. They said it would “ruin the tranquillity” of the area.
In 2018 she pushed to expand her role and take over the running of the fire service in the county replacing local councils. However, this was unpopular with North Yorkshire County Council, City of York Council and six of the seven district councils who all opposed it.
In October 2018 the North Yorkshire Police and Crime Panel upheld a complaint of bullying against Ms Mulligan. The panel decided that four people had been subjected to bullying behaviour by her during her time in office.
Ms Mulligan responded that she was “shocked and disappointed” and that if there was there a mechanism to appeal, “I would certainly do so”.
In 2019 she faced an inquiry after allegations she instructed a member of her staff to take down links to a convicted kidnapper from her personal Facebook page. She called the allegations “upsetting and untrue”.
Other issues
County lines drug dealing has become a major national issue during Ms Mulligan’s 9 years in office.
In 2019 a National Crime Agency report named Harrogate as an “area of concern” due to county lines drug-dealing in the town. It said Harrogate is the target of seven organised “lines” bringing in drugs.
In response to the report, Ms Mulligan said that government funding had so far failed to tackle the problem and that police couldn’t “arrest their way out of the problem”.
Pateley Bridge police station was sold earlier this year
Another major issue has been the closure of a third of North Yorkshire’s police stations.
Following a freedom of information request, the force revealed 12 staffed stations were closed in the county between February 2010 and February 2020 with Pateley Bridge the latest station to be closed and sold off.
After stations have closed Ms Mulligan has regularly cited cost savings and the ability to reinvest the money into frontline policing.
In February, the Stray Ferret requested an interview with Ms Mulligan to discuss her time in the role, which her office did not respond to.
Additional reporting by Rhys Talbot.
Drink-drive arrests up 75% since beer gardens reopenedThirty-five suspected drink drivers have been arrested by North Yorkshire Police within a fortnight of beer gardens reopening.
The number represents a 75% increase compared to this time last year.
Those arrested include eight people in the Harrogate district. The only district with more arrests was York, with 11.
North Yorkshire Police launched a “Be a hero, Stay at zero” drink-drive campaign to coincide with pubs reopening on April 12.
It urged people thinking of going for a drink to use public transport or select a designated driver.
Roads policing sergeant, Andrew Morton, said:
“We’ve already encountered too many people who have ignored our warnings. Our message is simple – if you drink or drug drive, we will catch you.
“We have only just been allowed to start going to beer gardens again – don’t ruin this for yourself by losing your licence, getting a criminal record and driving ban, paying a heavy fine or going to prison.”
Read more:
- Police launch drink-drive campaign as pubs reopen
- Police and council to check Harrogate venues comply with outdoor rule
RAF Menwith Hill protest to take place tomorrow
A protest will take place at RAF Menwith Hill tomorrow as part of the International Day of Action Against Foreign Military Bases.
Campaigners say the day will “show solidarity and opposition” to over 1,000 overseas military bases that exist around the world.
The socially distanced protest is being organised by Menwith Hill Accountability Campaign and Yorkshire CND.
Built in the 1950s on the edge of Nidderdale, Menwith Hill is the United States’ largest overseas surveillance base. Giant radomes, or ‘golf balls’, are a distinctive feature of the site.
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Meanwhile, Harrogate Borough Council is expected to make a decision on the latest expansion at the base soon.
The Ministry of Defence, which owns the site, has submitted plans to add a new visitor centre, vehicle canopy and changes to the road junction on Menwith Hill Road.
However, the application has proved controversial because it would involve felling a memorial tree planted in memory of the late Bob Cryer MP in 1994.
Mr Cryer campaigned for transparency at Menwith Hill and secured a debate in parliament a few months before he died in 1994. He claimed the aim of the base was to “assert and retain United States supremacy”.
Mr Cryer’s widow, the former Keighley MP Ann Cryer, told the Stray Ferret she was “very upset” at the proposals.
No covid marshals in Harrogate districtHarrogate Borough Council has not employed any covid marshals and does not intend to do so — unlike many other local authorities.
Local authorities were awarded £30m by the national government in October for covid compliance and enforcement.
Harrogate Borough Council’s share was £58,000.
The government said one of the purposes of the funding was to recruit covid marshals, who do not have any enforcement powers but are there to “engage, explain and encourage best practice and national covid secure guidance”.
However the funding could also be spent on other covid measures.
Nearby local authorities in Leeds, York, Scarborough, Ryedale, Richmondshire and Selby have all employed marshals, who take to the streets wearing brightly coloured high-vis vests or jackets.
But none have appeared on Harrogate district streets.
A Harrogate Borough Council spokesperson said:
“We believe the most effective use of resource was to fund our specialist covid enforcement work, which included weekend joint patrols with North Yorkshire Police to provide advice and guidance.”
The spokesperson added it had no plans to recruit marshals in the future.
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The Daily Mail reported yesterday several councils in England are in the process of recruiting more covid marshals who are expected to take to the streets after lockdown measures end on June 21.
Hertfordshire County Council plans to recruit 60 marshals to ‘provide practical support to aid and encourage compliance’.
Ripon Cathedral awarded £126,000 for re-opening
Ripon Cathedral has been awarded £126,000 from the second round of the government’s Culture Recovery Fund.
The grant will help the cathedral re-open its doors when lockdown restrictions are eased on May 17.
It will also help provide new information to visitors and market the cathedral to fresh audiences.
The grant is being distributed by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and the public body Historic England.
The Dean of Ripon, the Very Rev John Dobson DL said:
“Ripon Cathedral exists to serve the people of the region and visitors from across the country and beyond. We pride ourselves in welcoming people of all faith and no faith, as well as those who come as Christian worshipers and pilgrims.
“These much-needed funds will enable us to open our doors wide for all, as the country emerges from lockdown.”
Visitor numbers at the cathedral are still limited due to covid restrictions. However, it has been streaming some services on its YouTube channel.
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The owner of Newby Hall received £208,300 from the heritage fund and The Parochial Church Council Of The Ecclesiastical Parish Of St Peter High Harrogate received £39,800.
Four other cultural organisations in the district also received funding from the government fund through Arts Council England.
These were:
- Harrogate Theatre: £91,078
- Harrogate International Festivals: £80,000
- Ripon Museum Trust: £69,350
- Cause UK: £35,000
Nearly £400 million has been awarded to thousands of cultural organisations across the country in the second round of funding from the £1.57 billion fund.
Harrogate council refuses to reveal how much income it receives from Harrogate Spring WaterHarrogate Borough Council has again refused to disclose details of its financial relationship with Harrogate Spring Water.
The council owns the land where the company is based on Harlow Moor Road and receives £13,000 a year in ground rent.
Harrogate Spring Water also has to pay a percentage of annual turnover to the council. This is known as turnover rent.
The turnover rent agreement was drawn up in the early 2000s when the council granted planning permission on the land leased to the company.
In 2019 Harrogate Spring Water, which is now owned by French multinational Danone, posted annual sales of £21.6 million.
However, the council has never revealed publicly what it receives in turnover rent.
This week it refused to disclose the figures to the Stray Ferret for the second time.
‘Commercially disadvantageous’
We submitted a freedom of information request to the council in January asking how much it received in turnover rent from Harrogate Spring Water in the last five years.
The council replied in February saying the figures were exempt from disclosure because:
“This information is deemed to be of commercial value and, if disclosed, may impact on the council’s ability to negotiate and harm its legitimate interests, putting it in a commercially disadvantageous situation.”
We then requested an internal review of the decision. Yesterday’s response upheld the original exemption.
Joanne Barclay, acting chief solicitor at the council, repeated the claim that the council could be weakened commercially if the sum was disclosed.
Ms Barclay said:
“Whilst I agree there is public interest in openness and transparency when the council is utilising public money, there is also a public interest in allowing the council to withhold information which would reduce its ability to negotiate in a commercial environment if disclosed.
“I also consider an impact on other negotiations. It is important that leaseholders feel confident in the council as a provider of accommodation to the area. Confidence may be eroded if commercial rents were to be disclosed.
Furthermore, it is in the public interest that the council is able to compete in a competitive marketplace and in respecting the commercial interests of both the council and leaseholders as this assists it in the provision of public services. The work it does for the local community is inherently in the public interest and it is essential that it is able to carry on that work in the most effective and efficient way possible.”
Read more:
- Campaigners protest against Harrogate Spring Water’s Pinewoods plans
- Harrogate Spring Water’s Pinewoods expansion refused
What happens next?
The council’s financial relationship with Harrogate Spring Water came under scrutiny last year when the company submitted plans to expand its bottling plant in the Pinewoods from 0.77 hectares to 0.94 hectares.
Council officers recommended the application be approved but the planning committee went against this and refused in what was was one of the most high-profile planning decisions of recent years.
But the matter is far from over.
Harrogate Spring Water already has outline planning permission, granted in 2017, to expand into Rotary Wood in the Pinewoods.
The company now needs to go through a second stage of the application process, known as reserved matters, to ratify details such as the appearance of the bottling plant and the felling of trees in Rotary Wood.
The council’s planning committee is expected to consider this application this year.
Pinewoods Conservation Group has repeatedly called on the council to publish how much money it receives each year from Harrogate Spring Water.
A spokesperson said:
“It is clear that if Rotary Wood is leased or sold to Danone then this will be an additional income stream for Harrogate council.
“This income will need to be balanced by councillors against the loss of green space, impact on carbon reduction plans and the obvious ecological loss to the district.
“Without the public knowing the figures involved this is likely to be a very difficult debate to have in a transparent way.”
The Stray Ferret has appealed the decision not to disclose the figures to the Information Commissioner’s Office, which is a non-departmental public body.
Harrogate Town’s FA Trophy final against Concord Rangers is to be broadcast live for free by BT Sport.
The match will be played behind closed doors at Wembley on Monday.
BT Sport usually charges to watch matches but has decided to show Harrogate’s game for free across all its platforms.
It will be available via BTSport.com, the BT Sport App, BT TV, the Sky Digital Satellite Platform and Virgin Media channel 100.
After the game, the channel will also show Proud To Be Town, its documentary on the rise of Harrogate Town that gives a unique insight into a football club during the first coronavirus lockdown.
The schedule for the day is as follows:
12.45pm – Live – FA Vase Final – Consett v Hebburn Town
3.30pm – The Grassroots Football Show
4.30pm – Live – FA Trophy Final – Harrogate Town v Concord Rangers
7.30pm – BT Sport Films – Proud To Be Town
Simon Green, head of BT Sport, said:
“Following a period when many lower league football fans have been unable to watch their sides, we hope our coverage will provide them with an opportunity to watch an exciting non-league finals day live from Wembley Stadium.”
Read more:
- Star striker Muldoon hoping to end career at Harrogate Town
- Harrogate Town trip to Wembley confirmed – but no fans allowed
A fan campaign supported by Harrogate & Knaresborough Conservative MP Andrew Jones attempted to persuade the Football Association to let fans watch the match live.
But the FA confirmed this month it wouldn’t allow this, which means Town fans will be cruelly denied a trip to the home of English football for the second time in 12 months.
The Stray Ferret will be at the Cedar Court Hotel on Monday to watch the game with the fans and will be reporting throughout the day.
The club and the hotel have got together to show the game on a big screen to 42 supporters and are offering food and drink as part of the package. Click here to purchase a ticket.
Video highlights issue of motorists parking on Oatlands cycle laneA social media video has highlighted the long-running issue of motorists parking on Oatlands Drive in Harrogate and blocking a cycle lane.
Frequent parking in the lane has become a major frustration for cyclists, many of whom lament what they consider to be inadequate cycling infrastructure in the district.
Advisory cycle lanes run down both sides of Oatlands Drive. One side of the road has double yellow lines, which makes it an offence to park there.
But the other side doesn’t have any yellow lines, which means there are no parking restrictions. Cars often park on this side of the road, particularly at weekends when football matches take place on the Stray.
The video was shared with the Stray Ferret by a person who asked to remain anonymous. You can watch it below:
‘It really upsets me’
Several Harrogate residents criticised motorists for parking in the cycle lane when asked by the Stray Ferret.
Ruth Ker said:
“I cycle down there regularly and it really upsets me that people park over the cycle lane and onto the Stray.”
Zoe Oxley said:
“There’s not enough cycle lanes in Harrogate as it is without drivers parking over the few we have.”
Cyclist Ian Hallett on Oatlands Drive.
Ian Hallett, a keen cyclist who lives in the nearby Saints area, said:
“When occasional cars are parked in the cycle lane, it is very dangerous as cyclists have to move out into the flow of traffic to avoid them. This is all very frustrating as the road could form a good cycling link from a popular residential area into the town centre.”
Stuart Macintosh said:
“I’d strongly support double yellow lines along there. It would stop the cars parking half on the Stray as well.”
Read more:
- Residents welcome decision to drop Oatlands Drive one-way scheme
- Stray Views: one-way proposals spark safety concerns in the Saints
Active travel scheme
As part of four active travel schemes in the county, North Yorkshire County Council has proposed various measures for the Oatlands Drive area, including painting double yellow lines on both sides of the road to stop people parking there.
However, NYCC scrapped one element of the proposals, a one-way system for Oatlands Drive, after receiving “overwhelming” opposition in its initial consultation.
The scheme has now entered its second consultation phase, but a one-way system around the Saints has proved unpopular with residents, which could throw the whole scheme into doubt.
Cllr Don Mackenzie, executive member for access at NYCC, told the Stray Ferret a decision on whether the plans go ahead will be made next month.
He said:
“We have sought to resolve this problem through the development of the Active Travel Fund scheme for Oatlands Drive, first by proposing one-way traffic management which would create sufficient road width for fully compliant cycle paths, then by proposing double yellow lines along Oatlands Drive as part of a later package of measures for the scheme, which excluded the one-way option.
“In the meantime, it is regrettable that drivers are deciding to block the eastern cycle path by inconsiderate parking.”
Harrogate Borough Council enforces parking restrictions but said it has no power to stop people parking on the Oatlands Drive cycle lane.
A council spokesperson said:
“We can only enforce if there are parking restrictions when a cycle lane is advisory, like they are in Oatlands Drive.
“Unless NYCC puts a double yellow line down both sides of the road, we can only enforce the restrictions on the one side.”