Anti-social behaviour, dog fouling and traffic congestion were the main issues Bilton residents said they wanted their new councillor to tackle after tomorrow’s by-election.
Voters will choose a new North Yorkshire county councillor for the Bilton and Nidd Gorge division following the death of Liberal Democrat Geoff Webber.
It is the only local council election taking place in the Harrogate district.
We asked each candidate how they would respond to the issues raised by residents. For more information about each candidate visit here.
Anti-social behaviour
Andrew Kempston-Parkes, Liberal Democrat:
“I have always found Bilton to be a safe place to be, somewhere I would be happy to walk home to on a night time.
“It is a place lived in by honest, good people. They need the support of our council, our police and other residents when things go wrong.
“Personally, I would like to see increased numbers of police community support officers and police in our area.”
Matt Scott, Conservatives:
“I am aware of recent reports of anti-social behaviour and am working with fellow councillor Paul Haslam and Harrogate Borough Council’s safer communities team to ensure information is shared.
“I have noticed more police on the streets of Bilton recently, which I believe is down to increased reporting because police resources are concentrated when and where more incidents are reported.”
Tyler Reeton, Labour:
“I believe we need to create a ‘warning system’ so anti-social behaviour doesn’t spiral out of control and therefore, I would create a forum between the police, council and the public.
“This will offer the opportunity for residents to express concerns which can be addressed by our amazing local police team.”
Arnold Warneken, Greens:
“One thing Bilton has in its favour is a strong community spirit and that will be an asset in overcoming the problems of anti-social behaviour.
“I don’t think the answer is just more police, it’s about policing differently, with everyday police presence on the streets and active engagement of these officers with schools and community groups, including a reinvigorated Neighbourhood Watch.”
John Hall, Yorkshire Party:
“Are we doing enough to provide out of school activities such as sports clubs? This would be my priority. We need to work with schools and the local police and target with mobile CCTV in trouble areas”.
Harvey Alexander, Independent:
“There is an old saying: ‘The devil makes work for idle hands’. Anti-social behaviour is mostly caused by people who are unemployed, who feel that they do not have a stake in society. The best way to deal with the anti-social behaviour is for the council to bring manufacturing jobs to the Harrogate area.”
Traffic congestion
Andrew Kempston-Parkes, Liberal Democrat:
“Firstly I would not have allowed thousands of houses to be built on the Skipton Road and in Killinghall and Hampsthwaite.
“For this senseless over-development, we have to thank this Conservative concrete council who failed to put in place the right type of local development framework. This allowed the developers free reign.”
Matt Scott, Conservatives:
“With the relief road rightly defeated, options to accommodate more cars are limited though in the greenway we already have a direct cycle and walking route into town from Bilton, which is accessible from several points.
“Free bus passes are provided for senior citizens by the county council to give another alternative to car travel.
“We also need to work with schools to encourage participation in ‘walking buses’ where children walk to school in a parent-led group. We all need to think about the journeys we make and whether we could make them in a more environmentally-friendly way.”
Tyler Reeton, Labour:
“I will support implementing a park-and-ride scheme to connect Bilton to the rest of Harrogate through Skipton Road. This park-and-ride scheme has to be a genuine green alternative, which is affordable and accessible for residents to consider for travel to work and leisure.”
Arnold Warneken, Greens:
“The Yorkshire rail improvement survey found that over 700 people would use the train every day if Bilton station were re-opened, but that the location made the necessary engineering works too difficult. That’s the kind of initiative I want North Yorkshire County Council to be looking at. Yes there will be tough decisions and money will need to be spent but doing nothing is not an option”
John Hall, Yorkshire Party:
“I would like to see a full review of public transport in and around Harrogate. This would include more buses with affordable fares in all parts of Harrogate including Bilton. I would also support the proposed new railway station in Bilton.”
Harvey Alexander, Independent:
“The easiest way to reduce congestion on Skipton Road would be to syncronise the traffic lights and to adjust their timing according to the flow of traffic at different times of day.”
Dog fouling
Andrew Kempston-Parkes, Liberal Democrat:
“I would propose the reintroduction of the dog license.
“The proceeds would be ring-fenced to hire more dog wardens, increase surveillance in known fouling areas and prosecution of those dog owners who do not clean up after their pets.
“Firstly a warning, secondly a hefty fine (with naming and shaming) and finally the confiscation of the dog and its re-homing.”
Matt Scott, Conservatives:
“Following a resident on Tennyson Avenue getting in touch with me, I met with Harrogate Borough Council’s dog warden to discuss the issue of dog fouling.
“We put penalty notice stickers on lamp posts and visited a few hotspots residents had let me know about. I have informed the street cleansing team about the hotspots and will include them on future litter picks I hope to organise as restrictions on gatherings ease.”
Tyler Reeton, Labour:
“I believe signs are a great way to create awareness of not picking up dog mess but rather than create generic signs, I would like to work with local primary schools and social enterprises to put this measure in place. Each primary school can have their own project – recycling point, bin or rubbish point.”
Arnold Warneken, Greens:
“In certain locations it is acceptable to ‘stick and flick’ as dog mess is a food source for so much of our wildlife. I’d like to see more hedgerows along our grass verges, lining every street. They’d discourage people from parking on the verges and dog owners could simply scoop their pet’s mess under the hedge, providing an increased source of food that is almost guaranteed to bring a hedgehog to every street.”
John Hall, Yorkshire Party:
“Mobile CCTV can also be used to identify dog owners who allow their dogs to foul pavements and walkways. In addition, anyone walking a dog off the lead or who fails to show that they are unequipped to pick up dog mess would face a £100 fine.”
Harvey Alexander, Independent:
Bilton by-election: What issues matter most to voters?“The council should use CCTV to discover the culprits and prosecute them.”
The people of Bilton head to the ballot box on Thursday to elect a new county councillor for the Bilton and Nidd Gorge division.
The election is being held following the death of Liberal Democrat councillor Geoff Webber.
We spoke to different Biltonians to find out what are the issues that matter to most them.
We will ask each candidate standing in the by-election what they will do to tackle the issues raised and publish their responses tomorrow. Read more about each candidate here.
Debbie Dilasser moved to Bilton with her family in 2006.
She said she “loves living here” but that anti-social behaviour is an increasing problem. She thinks community wardens could be employed to talk to young people who might be mixed up in bad behaviour.
She said:
“Anti-social behaviour is definitely on the increase. There are a lot of suspected drug deals happening on back streets.”
Ms Dilasser said she wants to see councillors active in the local community.
“Councillors should be representative of their constituency and unsettle the status quo.”
She said due to the proliferation of new housing in Harrogate, Bilton gets “short-changed” when it comes to infrastructure. She also thinks councillors can do more to improve other things such as street lighting.
“There’s not a lot of space. Schools and doctor’s surgeries are all full.”
“Street lighting around here is quite bad. If I come back home late at night they are not very good at all”.
Read more:
Steve Pepper is a retired businessman and ran the Bilton community and police group until 2010.
He said safety is an important issue to him and praised the late Geoff Webber for his contributions on the issue.
He said:
“Geoff Webber always supported the group and turned up at every meeting.
“We got some good advice from him. He was a typical local councillor and if we can find someone like that who can represent our community on the council then I’ll be happy.”
Mr Pepper said national issues such as the government lobbying scandal won’t be playing on his mind when he votes. He said the national political parties “are all as bad as each other”.
He is proud of the Nidderdale Greenway but said dog fouling is an increasing problem and more action needs to be taken to clean the popular cycling and walking route up from discarded poo bags and mess.
“If horses eat dog poo it can cause them problems. Why people don’t take their bags home, God only knows”.
Andrew Castelow lives in Bilton with his family and said environmental issues are important when he votes in local elections.
He said he was proud of the local efforts to create Long Lands Common and the fight to protect Nidd Gorge from a new “relief road”.
North Yorkshire County Council rejected the relief road proposal in 2019 and Mr Castelow said he hopes the controversial issue doesn’t come back on the table in the future.
“I can’t see the relief road idea coming back as an issue in the next year or two, but in another five years it depends on how rapidly things change with people working from home.”
He said anti-social behaviour and crime is not an issue in the part of Bilton where his family lives, “and long may that continue.”
Congestion on Skipton Road is a long-standing problem and he would like to see more bus services to help encourage car drivers off the road.
Match preview: Harrogate Town vs Concord Rangers“Congestion is an issue. It would be more helpful to see more local bus services”
“The town has done a commendable job getting electric buses, but we have to walk further than we’d like to our nearest stop.”
Harrogate Town are heavy favourites to beat Concord Rangers at Wembley Stadium in the final of the 2019/20 FA Trophy this evening.
It will perhaps be one of the most unusual English cup finals to ever take place, as Harrogate Town are no longer a non-league club but are playing in one of non-league football’s showpiece events.
The game was supposed to take place last year but was delayed due to the covid pandemic.
Concord Rangers play in the National League South, which was cancelled in January due to the pandemic. It means they’ve not played a competitive fixture since January 2.
Forward Alex Wall was their top scorer in the league with seven goals in 11 fixtures.
Experienced winger Danny Green is another player to watch and comes with football league pedigree. He played most of his career for league clubs including Dagenham & Redbridge, Charlton, Luton and MK Dons.
Read more:
- BT Sport to show Harrogate Town’s Wembley final for free
- Kids’ football camps kick off half term at Harrogate Town
Manager Simon Weaver told the Stray Ferret his squad won’t be taking the opposition lightly.
He played a weakened team against Cambridge United on Friday night to rest some of his key players ahead of the final.
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 game kicks off at 5.00pm and will be shown live on BT Sport, with the channel deciding to show the game for free both online and on TV.
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.”
Read more:
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.
Read more:
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.
Read more:
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.
Read more:
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.