Just one covid case reported in Harrogate district today

Just one positive covid case has been reported in the Harrogate district today.

There have also now been no covid-related deaths at Harrogate District Hospital for 11 days, according to NHS England data.

Currently, the number of covid-positive patients who have died at the hospital since last March stands at 178.

Meanwhile, the district’s seven-day covid rate stands at 14.3 cases per 100,000 people. The England average is 27.9.

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The Stray Ferret visited the new covid vaccination centre in Pateley Bridge this morning.

The site at the Pateley Bridge and Bewerley Memorial Hall opened today and has the potential to vaccinate up to 400 people a day.

Proud Nidderdale resident Phil White said “it means everything” to have a vaccination site near to his home in Dacre — and even walked the five miles in the sunshine to get his second jab.

He said:

“I’ve walked it here and it took two and a quarter hours too. It’s a bit of exercise in the beautiful weather and countryside and I’ve been well looked after here. It’s been superb. Nidderdale is the best place on Earth!”

Image gallery: Prince Philip in the Harrogate district through the years

The Duke of Edinburgh had a long association with the Harrogate district and made several visits over many decades.

These included a visit to the Majestic Hotel in 1949 with the future Queen, and a trip to the newly constructed Conference Centre in 1982.

Thanks to local historian Malcolm Neesam for providing us with some of these images.

Did you ever meet Prince Philip during one of his visits or through the Duke of Edinburgh awards? Get in touch at contact@thestrayferret.co.uk 

Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip at the Majestic Hotel in 1949. Credit: Walker-Neesam archive

Visiting Harrogate Railway Station on July 10 1957 with the Queen. Credit: Walker-Neesam archive.

The Duke of Edinburgh at the Conference Centre on March 26, 1982. Credit: Walker-Neesam archive.

Visiting Knaresborough’s Working Men’s Club in 1998. Credit – the BBC.

The Queen and Prince Philip pictured in Ripon.

The Queen and Prince Philip in Ripon in 2004 commemorating the 400th anniversary of the city’s royal charter.

Prince Philip and the Queen at the Great Yorkshire Show in 2008.

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‘It’s been superb’: Nidderdale welcomes Pateley Bridge vaccination centre

The new Pateley Bridge covid vaccination centre is set to be a vital lifeline to the people of Nidderdale.

The site at the Pateley Bridge and Bewerley Memorial Hall opened today and has the potential to vaccinate up to 400 people a day. The Stray Ferret visited to speak to some of the staff and volunteers, as well as those excited to receive their jab.

Pharmacist Samina Khan owns Pateley Bridge Pharmacy which is running the site. She said prior to the vaccine centre opening, her patients have had to travel to the Great Yorkshire Showground in Harrogate or Ripon Racecourse, which isn’t always easy.

She said:

“Most of our patients are elderly who’ve had to rely on public transport or Nidderdale Plus to take them. Some have had to use taxis which cost a £60 round trip, or asked children to come over to take them”.

‘A huge difference’

Her comments were echoed by Pateley Bridge GP Lewis Caplin who helped set up the site with Samina. He said he knows of two people who have avoided taking the vaccine because they didn’t want to travel a long distance.

From Pateley Bridge, it’s a 26 mile round trip to the Great Yorkshire Showground site.

He said:

“It’s made a huge difference for those people to walk around the corner and get their vaccine.”

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The Pateley Bridge and Bewerley Memorial Hall on Park Road

Andrew Cockroft is from the Nidderdale Plus community hub. He said over 100 local volunteers have risen to the challenge to help residents get vaccinated at Pateley Bridge as well as in Harrogate and Ripon.

He added:

“All the volunteers are keen to see centres open up that have less of a journey. What Samina has done with Lewis to set it up has been a lot of work. It’s terrific to see people come from around the corner to get their jabs.”

‘The best place on Earth’

Proud Nidderdale resident Phil White said “it means everything” to have a vaccination site near to his home in Dacre — and even walked the five miles in the sunshine to get his second jab.

He said:

“I’ve walked it here and it took two and a quarter hours too. It’s a bit of exercise in the beautiful weather and countryside and I’ve been well looked after here. It’s been superb. Nidderdale is the best place on Earth!”

Column: A marriage that provided constancy through our challenges and joys

This column is written for the Stray Ferret by the Bishop of Ripon The Rt. Rev Dr Helen-Ann Hartley, who reflects on the life of Prince Philip, his service to the nation and her experience of taking part in the Duke of Edinburgh scheme: 

When I heard the news of the death of HRH The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh my mind was immediately taken back to my schooldays, and to the overnight expedition I took part in as part of my bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award.

I am sure I am not alone in having such a memory.  These were definitely pre-internet days: myself and two friends had a map, a compass, and a carefully planned-out route.

We tramped through fields and forests, and set up our tent for the night in a field behind a pub somewhere in County Durham.

The Bishop of Ripon, the Rt Rev Dr Helen-Ann Hartley

The Bishop of Ripon, the Rt Rev Dr Helen-Ann Hartley

Thankfully it didn’t rain!  Corned beef hash was on the menu for dinner, and funnily enough I don’t think I’ve tried it since, which probably says less about my cooking skills aged 16 and more about developing food tastes as an adult!

Countless numbers of young people were pushed, challenged and in some cases saved by the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme.

I read an article online following the Duke’s death, in which two men very much attributed the Award to setting them on the right path in life.  Maybe you have your own stories of taking part in expeditions, volunteering, learning a new skill?

HRH Prince Philip will perhaps best be remembered for his unwavering support of Her Majesty the Queen.  Married for 73 years (that’s amazing in itself), their lives witnessed so many ups and downs in global life: their constancy something of a foundational soundtrack to our own nation’s challenges and joys.

To live a life so much in the public eye, and at the same time to forge an identity filled with commitment to so many good causes: it’s hard to sum it up or do it justice in just a few paragraphs.

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HRH Prince Philip’s interest in the environment, sport, the armed forces (let’s not forget his own naval career), in agriculture and farming, to name but a few topics he was devoted to were in many ways commitments that underpinned so much of the uniqueness of our United Kingdom.

He will be remembered most of all however for a life lived in service and support of our Queen, our country, and the Commonwealth family of nations.  We salute and give thanks for him, and our love and prayers are with Her Majesty and all the Royal Family.

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.