Harrogate Town fans’ anger as FA confirms Wembley date can’t be moved

The Football Association has confirmed that it won’t move Harrogate Town’s FA Trophy final in May so fans can attend, despite a fan petition and the issue being raised in Parliament.

Last season’s postponed FA Trophy final between Harrogate and Concord Rangers will take place behind closed doors at Wembley on May 3, just two weeks before fans can return to stadiums.

It means Town fans will be cruelly denied a trip to the home of English football for the second time in 12 months.

Phil Holdsworth, the club’s fan liaison officer, set up a petition that called on the FA to move the date. It received over 1,000 signatures and support from all over the world.

He said fans were “disappointed and angry” with the decision but said due to a busy summer at Wembley, which will host several European Championship fixtures, it was always going to be a tough ask.

“All of us are disappointed and there’s a lot of anger at the FA’s treatment. But it was always going to be difficult to rearrange it with everything that is going on at Wembley over the summer.”

Harrogate & Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones backed his petition and asked Prime Minister Boris Johnson at PMQs earlier this month if he would ask the FA to move the date.

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An FA spokesperson said it was unable to move the date due fixture congestion at Wembley.

They said:

“Despite our best efforts to accommodate limited spectators at these Buildbase FA Trophy and FA Vase Finals, a suitable date was sadly not available and both fixtures will be played behind closed doors. Fans are the lifeblood of our game, so we held detailed discussions with relevant stakeholders and explored all the potential options available to us.

“Unfortunately, due to the pandemic creating a large amount of fixture congestion, EURO fixtures being held at Wembley Stadium and other events after the tournament, the window to accommodate our showpiece events is particularly small this season. We want to make sure that as many fans as possible can enjoy these fixtures, so we believe it is very important that they are broadcast live, and are pleased that it has been possible to ensure they will be available to watch on BT Sport.

“Any other possible dates ahead of the autumn are mid-week but they would potentially create issues for the participating clubs and their fans as many would need to take time off work. A final option would have been to move these fixtures to the autumn, but this would mean playing them after the 20/21 competitions have been completed, create fixture challenges for the 21/22 season and was not preferable for all relevant stakeholders.”

Transport leader Don Mackenzie to step down next year

Harrogate Conservative county councillor Don Mackenzie has said he will not stand for re-election in 2022.

Cllr Mackenzie has represented the Saltergate ward in Jennyfields on North Yorkshire County Council since 2009.

He is also NYCC’s executive member for access, which includes responsibility for transport.

He has been the council’s public face for numerous high profile transport proposals in recent years, including the £60 million Kex Gill re-route, the controversial Nidd Gorge relief road that was rejected, the Beech Grove low traffic neighbourhood and the Station Gateway.

County council elections were due to take place in May this year but have been delayed until May 2022 because of local government reorganisation.

Cllr Mackenzie will be aged 72 by then and told the Stray Ferret that it would be “the right time to call it a day”.

He added:

“I shall look forward to some time to myself. But there’s a lot to do between now and then and I’m not thinking about my pipe and slippers just yet.”

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Cllr Mackenzie has sent leaflets to residents in his ward informing them of his intention to step down.

He first won a seat on North Yorkshire County Council in 2009 when he took Saltergate from the Liberal Democrats.

He was also elected to represent Harlow Moor on Harrogate Borough Council in 2006 and spent time as the borough council leader in 2011/12. He stepped down as a borough councillor in 2018.

Prior to being a councillor, he had a career in business for the Harrogate-based industrial firm MMP.

Harrogate council: zero fines for littering or dog fouling in 12 months

Harrogate Borough Council has revealed it hasn’t issued any fines in the last year to people who drop litter or allow their dogs to foul in public.

The two issues have been hot topics recently.

The Stray has been a litter hotspot over the past year with takeaway boxes, leftover food, beer bottles and cans frequently discarded.

The Pinewoods Conservation Group has also highlighted on social media the problem of empty plastic bottles and other waste being left in the woodland.

Meanwhile, people have complained about an increase in dog owners leaving poo bags tied to trees, dumped in bushes or even thrown into private gardens.

Pateley Bridge Town Council is due to consider on Tuesday what action it can take against dog fouling at the play area.

A spokesperson from Pinewoods Conservation Group said:

“Litter has always been a major issue for us but seems to have worsened over the last 12 months.

“We often report specific areas of concern to the council but also have a number of volunteers who continue to work hard collecting litter from within and around The Pinewoods.

“Seeing large number dog waste left in plastic bags is specifically disappointing but a regular sight along the main footpaths. We would certainly encourage more enforcement of the rules with fines being applied where necessary. Without this it is difficult to see the situation improving.”

The council can issue fixed penalty notices of £100 for littering and up to £80 for dog fouling.

But a council spokeswoman told the Stray Ferret littering and dog fouling were “not a major problem” in the district.

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Yorkshire Live reported last week that Harrogate Borough Council was one of two councils in North Yorkshire that had not issued any fines for littering in two years.

A council spokeswoman said:

“The fact we’ve not issued any fines in the last 12 months is because littering and dog fouling is not a major problem and we have dedicated teams of people who keep the Harrogate district clean and tidy.

“Dedicating officers to deal with this issue is very resource intensive, and requires us having people in the right place at the right time to catch someone committing an offence within the 505 square miles of the district.

“We are very fortunate that the vast majority of people who live here or come to visit take considerable pride in the appearance of the area. Because of this they do the right thing and pick up after their dog, don’t drop litter and dispose of their waste responsibly.”

Bilton residents frightened to leave homes due to anti-social behaviour

As reports of anti-social behaviour in Bilton increase, the Stray Ferret has been told some older residents have become afraid to leave their homes.

North Yorkshire Police has recently issued appeals to help find the group of youths who assaulted a teenage girl on the iron bridge behind Woodfield Primary School, and vandals who targeted Richard Taylor Primary School.

There have been other reports on social media about “almost daily” damage to cars and properties.

Bilton resident Andrew Hart told the Stray Ferret that lockdown and a “lack of police presence” are to blame for the rise in crime.

He said:

“It became more apparent in July, I can’t even think how many cars have been scratched and tyres slashed. My car has been targeted several times. It’s a waste of time ringing the police as nothing ever happens.

“The lack of police presence in Bilton definitely doesn’t help. Lockdown has exacerbated the problem. Of course there has been crime in the 27 years I’ve lived here but there hasn’t been this amount of vandalism and confrontation before. Some older residents have even said they’re frightened to come out in the afternoons.”

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Steve Pepper, who has lived in Bilton since 1989, is forming a local action group with Mr Hart to try and get to the bottom of the problem.

He is hoping to speak to candidates standing for the upcoming North Yorkshire Police, Fire, and Crime Commissioner elections to discuss the issue.

Mr Pepper said “people have been doing all sorts of horrible stuff” in the area and blamed cuts to police funding as one reason for the increase in anti-social behaviour.

Other residents in Bilton told the Stray Ferret that the police should increase their presence in the area to act as a deterrent.

Ella Cooper and Melissa Underwood both said more police patrols are needed and Carol Deeming said CCTV should be installed on the iron bridge near Claro Road.

The Stray Ferret asked North Yorkshire Police to comment but we did not receive a response by publication.

Fears 4,000 new homes in Harrogate could increase sewage in rivers

Building thousands of new homes in Harrogate could lead to more raw sewage ending up in the River Nidd, the Harrogate & District Green Party has warned.

A Stray Ferret investigation published this morning revealed Yorkshire Water released raw sewage into rivers and becks such as the Nidd, Ure and Coppice Beck for 36,000 hours last year.

Water companies are legally allowed to release sewage through overflow pipes when the sewage system becomes too full.

New housing developments are being built on Skipton Road and Penny Pot Lane.

With more developments proposed for Otley Road. it could mean over 4,000 new homes being built on the western side of Harrogate alone.

The Greens say Oak Beck, which runs from near Beckwithshaw, through the west of Harrogate and into the River Nidd, could suffer the brunt of this.

Oak Beck

Arnold Warneken, who is standing for the party in the upcoming North Yorkshire County Council Bilton and Nidd Gorge by-election, said more needed to be done to tackle the problem.

He said:

“Whose job is it to mitigate the negative impacts of housing developments on the environment?

“We would like to see that any developments in this area are built with consideration to the combined sewer overflows, that Yorkshire Water fixes long-standing issues, and ensures new housing developments do not exaggerate these issues.”

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Yorkshire Water said yesterday it is investing £137m in storm overflow improvements, investigation and increased monitoring by 2025.

“We are also investigating the environmental impact of 158 frequent spilling overflows as part of the Water Industry National Environment Programme.

“As frequency of spill does not necessarily equate to environmental harm and environmental permits do not set spill threshold limits, these investigations will be key to understanding environmental impact, and what action needs to be taken to resolve any impacts.”

Harrogate Town to open pop-up shop next week

Harrogate Town football club will open a pop-up shop on Commercial Street for a week from Monday.

The club’s Community Foundation will open the shop at number 32 Commercial Street on April 12 at 9am in a unit previously occupied by Scandinavian lighting company Nordium.

Town supporters will be able to buy club merchandise in person for the first time since before the latest lockdown came into effect.

Fans can also have their picture taken with the National League promotion trophy that the team won last summer.

Information will be available on community initiatives, including Louie Swain’s boot camp, walking football, a running club, sporting memories, man vs fat, and NCS summer programmes.

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On Wednesday, in association with the English Football League’s Day of Action, when clubs showcase their community work, club mascot Harry Gator and former player Jack Emmett will be available for pictures and a chat from 2-3pm.

Then at the weekend, visitors will have the chance to show their skills as Harrogate Town on FIFA 21.

The first customer through the doors each day will receive a prize.

The shop will open Monday to Saturday from 9.30am to 5.30pm and on Sunday from 10am to 4pm.

Raw sewage released into Harrogate district rivers for 36,000 hours last year

Yorkshire Water released raw and untreated sewage into Harrogate district rivers and becks on 3,800 different occasions last year for a total of 36,000 hours.

The figures, which were shared with the Stray Ferret by Yorkshire Water, show the scale of river pollution that the Environment Agency said is causing harm to the environment.

Water companies are legally allowed to release sewage through overflow pipes when the sewage system becomes too full which can happen during increased rainfall.

Some of the data is below:

‘Wouldn’t even let dogs in’

Yorkshire Water said the sewage has been diluted by rainwater and it is investigating the environmental impact of the storm overflows. But people who use and enjoy the rivers said they were concerned about the pollution.  Harrogate district rivers such as the Nidd, which runs through Pateley Bridge and Knaresborough, offer some of our most scenic places to visit.

Kath Martin, who runs the Facebook page Keep Nidd Gorge Gorgeous, said the Nidd “can get very nasty” due to the pollution.

She said:

“I wouldn’t let children or even dogs in the water”.

Kath was part of the campaign that fought to protect Nidd Gorge from a major new road and said “it’s an area we have to protect.”

She added:

“It needs someone at the top to do something about the pollution. We have to address it.”

Concern

Whilst the raw sewage that lurks in Nidd or the Ure makes it unappealing for anyone wanting to wild swim, its impact on local wildlife could also be severe.

Environment Agency data from last year revealed that every section of the River Nidd that runs through the Harrogate district failed annual water pollution tests due to the river being contaminated.

David Clayden is secretary of the Harrogate Flyfishers’ Club. Members fish on the section of the Nidd that runs through Darley, close to where Yorkshire Water released sewage over 2,800 hours last year.

He said he was concerned about the figures and added the club will soon testing the water to try and gauge its impact on the fish.

He said:

“Sewage takes oxygen out of the water so fish can’t breathe. This is particularly important for trout which we fish. They need clear water.”

“The club would want to know that every effort is being taken to maintain the river in a lovely, as well as fishable, state.”

Harm to the environment

The Environment Agency told the Stray Ferret that nationally, the number of sewage spills has increased by 27% since 2019.

It said this was, in part, due to increased monitoring of water companies.

Sir James Bevan, chief executive of the Environment Agency, said:

“The Environment Agency is working actively with the water companies to ensure overflows are properly controlled and the harm they do to the environment stopped.”

A Yorkshire Water spokesperson said:

“Combined sewers carry both foul water from homes and businesses as well as rainwater which falls onto impermeable areas such as paved areas, roofs and highways. As rainwater can be unpredictable, we have permitted storm overflows on our sewer network to act as a relief valve. They help to reduce the pressure on sewers during heavy rainfall events and stop the system from backing up and flooding homes and gardens by allowing heavily diluted wastewater to be discharged into watercourses. This is permitted by the Environment Agency and closely monitored by them and us. Many storm overflows have preliminary treatment such as screens or storm settlement before any discharge is made.

“We are seeing a combination of factors, from urbanisation to climate change, frequently testing the design and capacity of our network. At the same time, increased awareness of the operation of storm overflows is driving an important debate on what society sees as acceptable. We’re committed to supporting the Defra Storm Overflow Taskforce activity in ending pollution from storm overflows.

“We will be investing £137 million by 2025 in storm overflow improvements, investigation and increased monitoring. We are also investigating the environmental impact of 158 frequent spilling overflows as part of the Water Industry National Environment Programme (WINEP). As frequency of spill does not necessarily equate to environmental harm and environmental permits do not set spill threshold limits, these investigations will be key to understanding environmental impact, and what action needs to be taken to resolve any impacts.”

Girl assaulted by teenagers in Bilton

Police are appealing for information after a teenage girl was assaulted by a group of teenagers in Bilton on Sunday.

The incident happened at 5.50pm on the iron bridge behind Woodfield Primary School.

The girl was approached by a group of six or seven youths believed to be about 13 or 14 years old. One of the boys pushed her over, which resulted in bruising.

They were wearing dark hooded jackets and black joggers.

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North Yorkshire Police is asking for help to establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident.

Anyone with information that could assist the investigation can contact North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 2, and ask for PC 822 Cleary. The reference number is 12210092122

You can also email jonathan.cleary@northyorkshire.pnn.police.uk

If you wish to remain anonymous, you can pass information to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Five Harrogate council officers earning over £100,000 named in rich list

Five Harrogate Borough Council officers earning over £100,000 a year have been named in an annual rich list by the TaxPayers’ Alliance.

The pressure group, which claims to speak for ‘ordinary taxpayers fed up with government waste’, published its Town Hall Rich List 2021 report this morning.

It includes details of every council officer in the UK earning over six figures in 2019/20.

Chief executive Wallace Sampson topped the list for Harrogate Borough Council, earning over £125,000.

Paula Lorimer, who runs the Harrogate Convention Centre for the council, was second, earning over £120,000.

The final figure includes salary, pension payments and expenses.

The Harrogate officers in the report are:

The Stray Ferret revealed yesterday that Mr Campbell was paid £55,065 in compensation after he left the role suddenly in March last year.

The report found that at least 2,802 people employed by local authorities in 2019-20 each received total remuneration packages in excess of £100,000.

The average number of people paid over the sum per local authority is seven.

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The report links officer salaries with council tax rises. From this month taxpayers in Harrogate will see a 3% increase in council tax compared with last year.

John O’Connell, chief executive of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said:

“While councils were plunged into tackling the pandemic, many staff will have more than earned their keep, but households have nevertheless struggled with enormous and unpopular council tax rises.”

A Harrogate Borough Council spokesman said:

“We have always published our senior salaries and our pay policy on our website and have nothing to hide.

“These salaries are in line with those paid by comparable local authorities and are regularly reviewed.”

Japanese man’s mission to spread Book of Mormon in Harrogate

Chikara Karino is on a mission from Chiba, Japan to the Harrogate district to spread the word of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, commonly known as Mormonism.

The 19-year-old has spent the last three months in Harrogate as part of a two-year trip away from his home to teach people in the UK about his religion and convert them to the faith.

The missionary said he’s enjoyed his time in Harrogate & Knaresborough so far and feels at home due to our Christian tradition. He first came to the UK last summer when travel was allowed.

“The UK and Japan have very different cultures!

“In Japan a lot of the culture is based on Shinto Buddihism whereas here is Christian so I feel united with the people.”

“It’s so beautiful in Harrogate. I like it so much.”

The religion was founded in the 1820s and now has over 16 million members across the world. They consider themselves Christian but also believe God sent more prophets to earth after Jesus Christ’s death.

Whilst members of the church believe in the Bible, both the Catholic and Methodist churches do not recognise the religion’s form of baptism.

Its suit-wearing young believers go on “missions” to different parts of the world where, in non-covid times, they knock on doors and speak to people in the street about their faith.

He said he hasn’t converted anyone in Harrogate yet, but has appreciated the conversations he’s had with people who are curious about his religion over Zoom.

“It’s been such a crazy time but thanks to technology I’m so grateful.”

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Chikara said he preferred to be called a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints rather than a Mormon. He said this is because Mormon was an ancient prophet who edited The Book of Mormon, rather than a nickname for people who follow the religion.

There are around 200,000 believers in the UK.

He said he misses his mum, dad and six siblings in Japan as well as his favourite dishes of sushi and ramen. He hopes to visit Harrogate’s Japanese restaurant Domo when it reopens, as well as other local landmarks, such as Fountain’s Abbey.

He added:

“I want to thank everyone in Harrogate. I’m so grateful for their kindness. It’s been weird timing but thank you for letting us talk about Jesus and share what we believe in.”