Harrogate council refuses to reveal how much income it receives from Harrogate Spring Water

Harrogate 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.”

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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.

BT Sport to show Harrogate Town’s Wembley final for free

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.”

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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 lane

A 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.”

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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.”

‘Quirky’ Starbeck mural could see Marc Almond floating on a teabag

A “quirky” mural has been proposed for a wall in Starbeck that could see famous former residents, such as the 14th-century Duke of Lancaster John of Gaunt and Soft Cell singer Marc Almond, painted as if they are floating on teabags.

Mark Leicester, who owns a block of buildings on Starbeck High Street, said such a mural would liven up a wall that was formerly the side of a launderette and joins Camwal Road.

Mr Leicester told the Stray Ferret his vision for the mural includes making the windows look like car windscreens and underneath depicting famous ex-residents flying on teabags as if they are magic carpets.

He said he wants the artwork to offer something different from the norm.

“We’re proud of Starbeck. A lot of unsung heroes have lived here.”

“We’re trying to do something that isn’t just a landscape, we want it to be quirky and interesting too.”

The mural would be painted on this wall.

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Mr Leicester has asked local residents to suggest famous people who lived in Starbeck that could be included on the mural.

Suggestions so far include John of Gaunt, William Slingsby, pub owner Sam Smith, Marc Almond and Henry Peacock.

Colourful murals have become increasingly popular in the area.

Local artist Sam Porter recently finished working on a nature mural at Cheapside in Knaresborough and a fox-themed mural was painted on the iron bridge at Bilton this month.

Mr Leicester said his son, who is an animator, has volunteered to help with the design and he is in discussions with local mural artists that might be able to do the work.

He added:

“I want it to make people smile when they see it. And for them to see Starbeck as a nice place.”

Work could begin on the mural this summer.

Harrogate council publishes heavily redacted Turkish Baths responses

Harrogate Borough Council has today published heavily redacted responses to its consultation on single-sex sessions at the town’s Turkish Baths, after previously saying the information was restricted.

The council considered banning single-sex sessions at the 124-year-old council-owned baths but changed its mind after the consultation revealed 92% opposed the move.

A summary of the consultation’s 325 responses was published this month. But the council took the unusual step of not revealing individual responses on the grounds that they contained personal information.

After being questioned about this, the council today released a statement saying that because of its commitment to being “open and transparent”, it had decided to disclose the information after all.

But many of the responses are heavily redacted in black type.

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One person said:

“Single sex sessions are invaluable and help women feel that they can fully relax and enjoy the experience. It would be a huge loss for women if those sessions were removed.”

Another said:

“Don’t let down the majority by slavishly following a trend that may be short-lived. Harrogate has had the courage of its convictions for centuries.”

A spokesman for Harrogate Borough Council said:

“When someone takes part in one of our consultations, they do so on the basis that the information they provide will be kept secure and treated in accordance with data protection laws.

“We also owe them a duty of care to treat their responses as private and confidential.

“In the case of this consultation, responses included highly sensitive information including stories from victims of violent crimes.

“However, in recognition of our commitment to be an open and transparent council, a redacted version of the responses has been published in the Have Your Say section of our website.

“All personal data, identifying or confidential information has been removed to maintain respondents’ anonymity.”

Harrogate transparency campaigner Peter Lilley, a long-time critic of the council, called the number of redactions in the document “ludicrous”.

He told the Stray Ferret:

“Harrogate Borough Council makes itself look more and more ridiculous every day.

“Considering council officers have had seven or eight months to process the information it received from the consultation on proposed changes at Harrogate’s Turkish Baths, it’s hard to imagine how the responses could have been presented more unattractively; with so many comments ‘blacked out’ that, in places, the document is totally unintelligible and unreadable.

“The sheer number of redactions is ludicrous. They must amount to several hundred – and on what grounds? The council has even blacked out answers to the question: how often do you visit the baths? How can that possibly be considered sensitive information?”

Fresh plans for housing at former Ripon timber yard

New plans have been submitted to build 13 homes at the former NY Timber yard in Ripon.

Harrogate Borough Council refused previous plans in December when chief planner John Worthington said the scheme by Red Tree Developments would cause “unacceptable harm” to the Ripon Conservation Area.

The site is adjacent to the listed buildings The Federation of Holy Trinity Church of England Junior School and St Wilfrid’s Catholic Church.

Christopher Hughes, chairman of the Ripon Civic Society also objected to the plans and said the structure should be retained due to its historical importance.

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The building in 1929.

For its latest application, the developer has included a document prepared by planning consultancy firm mb Heritage & Planning, which specialises in historic buildings.

The document, which evaluates the importance of the site as well as its impact on local landmarks, concluded that whilst the existing buildings have ‘some heritage value’ a scheme that involved retaining the original buildings was not financially viable.

Planning consultant Jay Everett also supported the application on behalf of the developer. He said:

“In my view, the proposed development represents the optimum viable re-use of the site, which will deliver substantial public benefits that outweigh the ‘less than substantial harm’ arising from the demolition of the existing building.”

Harrogate Borough Council will now decide whether to accept the application.

Ripon taxi driver ‘dumbfounded’ by lack of mask-wearing in cabs

A taxi driver from Ripon has pleaded with customers to wear facemasks and protect drivers from covid as too many passengers are ignoring the rules.

Richard Fieldman, who has been a cabbie in Ripon for 28 years, said the last 12 months had been “absolutely horrendous” for the trade.

After not working since New Year’s Eve, the owner of A1 Cars recently began taking passengers again.

However, he told the Stray Ferret he’s been disappointed by the number of people who either don’t get in his taxi with a mask, or don’t wear one properly.

Taxi passengers must wear face coverings unless they have an exemption.

Mr Fieldman said:

“You ask them to put their masks on when they get in the taxi, but they pull it down as soon as the car sets off.”

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Mr Fieldman said he was “dumbfounded” by customers claiming they forgot their masks, adding that he believed many people didn’t think being in a taxi posed the same risk as being in a shop.

He estimated that seven out of 10 passengers wore masks, and the large minority that didn’t included many older people. He said:

“They’re just as bad. You can’t blame it on young people flouting the rules.”

He added:

“I had two lads get in with masks last week. The next minute I look in the mirror they’re chomping on sandwiches.

“People think with covid it’s game over, but it’s not.”

Knaresborough Road betting shop could become piri-piri chicken restaurant

Plans have been submitted to convert the former Coral bookmakers on Knaresborough Road in Harrogate into a piri-piri chicken restaurant.

Planning documents indicate the restaurant would open as part of the franchise Pepe’s Piri Piri, which has 132 restaurants in the country including in Leeds, Bradford and Huddersfield.

The chain specialises in flame-grilled fried chicken.

The company Foodie Zone Ltd applied to Harrogate Borough Council last week to open the restaurant. The application said it would create 15 full-time jobs.

Documents say the restaurant would provide family-friendly ‘healthy grilled food’. They add:

“The proposed restaurant will provide a family-friendly dining experience with family seating areas, providing healthy grilled food, as part of the new healthy style of living, something which is limited in the area and would be very successful.”

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Kids’ football camps kick off half term at Harrogate Town

Harrogate Town FC will run football camps for children throughout the May half-term holiday at St John Fisher High School.

The club’s camps are designed to provide boys and girls with high-quality coaching through exciting activities in a fun and safe environment.

Children aged six to 14 can attend from Monday May 31 to Thursday June 3.

It costs £28 per day, or £24 per day for members of the club’s Player Development Centre.

Alternatively, all four days of one camp week can be purchased for £95, or £82 if a member of the PDC.

More information about the camps can be found here or you can email Josh Falkingham with any questions.

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Harrogate to host climate change conference ahead of COP26

Harrogate District Climate Change Coalition (HDCCC) will host a conference in October that aims to highlight how local businesses can do their bit to tackle climate change.

The event will take place on Friday October 15 at Harrogate Convention Centre in the run-up to COP26 — a major international climate change conference run by the United Nations that will take place in Glasgow.

HDCCC says its Harrogate event will include expert speakers and workshops from businesses that have successfully decarbonised their operations or supply chains.  

The coalition was set up by Harrogate Borough Council to bring together local government, green groups and businesses. In February, its members voted to become an independent organisation from the council.

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The event will be part of the Climate Action Festival (CAFé) that will include several events over three weeks in Harrogate in October.

Kirsty Hallett, communications lead for HDCCC, said she hoped the festival will be fun and encourage people to act to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, help to limit climate change, and benefit nature and wildlife.

Ms Hallett added:

“We aim to involve the skills, energy and ideas of as many of our fabulous local people and organisations as possible.

“We hope the CAFé becomes an exciting period of climate-focused events, which reach multiple audiences and inspire a wide range of climate actions.”

If you would like an exhibition space, to provide a speaker, participate in a panel discussion or can offer sponsorship to the conference, email HDCCC here.