Transport chiefs urged not to lose focus on improving Harrogate bus services

Transport chiefs have been urged not to lose focus on improving buses in Harrogate after warnings that services are facing a “potential cliff-edge” due to more funding cuts.

North Yorkshire County Council’s bid for £116 million from the high-profile Bus Back Better scheme was rejected in April when the government claimed the plans to upgrade buses and infrastructure across the county lacked “sufficient ambition”.

And now there are warnings that bus services could be at risk of being axed when other government funding comes to an end in October.

Conservative councillor Keane Duncan, executive member for transport at the county council, said in a report that services are already facing “significant pressures” ahead of the cuts which “presents a potential cliff-edge in terms of the future profitability of routes our residents rely upon”.

He added a review was underway to identify the risks and “keep as many of our vital services running as possible”.

At a full council meeting on Wednesday, Liberal Democrat councillor Chris Aldred said the loss of services was all too familiar following years of austerity cutbacks.

He said:

“We have got this deregulated system where as soon as a service isn’t making a profit in the eyes of the provider, it gets lost.

“In our urban communities of Harrogate and Knaresborough, we have suffered from this in recent years.”

Councillor Aldred – who represents High Harrogate and Kingsley – also made a political dig at the Bus Back Better scheme as he urged the council to keep pushing for improvements, particularly in urban areas.

He said:

“I would be worried – appalled even – if I was presenting a scheme for funding from a Conservative government to a Conservative council and the comeback was that the plan was unambitious.

“However, we are where we are and I note that we are assessing the support the council can provide at the moment.

“I would just plead that as well as looking at rural buses – which we all agree are a problem to provide regular and reliable services – we don’t forget urban services as well.”

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The council’s Bus Back Better bid included £23 million for new bus lanes, £74 million for other infrastructure changes and £14 million for support for services.

However, North Yorkshire was one of many areas across the country which did not receive any funding.

In total, just 34 of 79 areas which applied were successful.

The council previously said some of its plans could still go ahead without government support, including an expansion of its on-demand bus service, YorBus, which is being trialled in Ripon, Bedale and Masham.

The possibility of a Harrogate park and ride scheme is also still being assessed, although progress has been slow and questions remain about how this would be funded.

Meanwhile, there has been success in a separate council bid for £7.8 million to make Harrogate Bus Company’s fleet all-electric with the delivery of 39 zero-emission buses

The project will cost almost £20 million in total, with more than £12 million being invested by the company’s parent firm Transdev.

At Wednesday’s meeting, councillor Duncan repeated disappointment over the Bus Back Better bid, but added the council would not be deterred from applying for future funding.

He said:

“Unfortunately our bid wasn’t successful and we didn’t receive the funding.

“That was an immense disappointment to the team that worked on the bid and we are trying to ascertain from government how we can ensure bids in the future are successful.”

Councillor Duncan also said he was keen to see the YorBus scheme rolled out across other parts of North Yorkshire following the trial.

He said:

“The feedback we have received has been very popular… but we do need more time to consider how we can roll out what I believe is an innovative scheme across other parts of the county.”

Harrogate’s crime writing festival names its novel of the year

Newcastle novelist Mick Herron has won the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year 2022, presented by Harrogate International Festivals, for his crime novel Slough House.

The announcement was made at The Old Swan Hotel in Harrogate last night during the opening ceremony of the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival, which runs until Sunday.

The book, which is the seventh installment in the bestselling series of the same name, follows a band of failed spies.

This year marks Herron’s first time winning the award after five appearances on the shortlist in just six years.

The author received a £3,000 prize, as well as a handmade, engraved beer barrel provided by T&R Theakston Ltd.

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Mick Herron said:

“This is the most coveted trophy in the crime writing community and I couldn’t be more thrilled to have won it.”

Sharon Canavar, chief executive of Harrogate International Festivals, said there was “an incredibly strong shortlist”.

The festival will see crime fiction icons including Kathy Reichs, Tess Gerritsen, Denise Mina, Lynda La Plante, Mark Billingham, Ann Cleeves and more take to the stage to discuss all things crime fiction at the world’s biggest celebration of the genre.

For more information on the line up and tickets, visit here.

Fashion-inspired Harrogate restaurant reopens

A Harrogate restaurant inspired by fashion styles and food trends from around the world has reopened.

Fashion House, which was previously called Fashion House Bistro, has undergone a major refurbishment.

The restaurant on Swan Road is the concept of fashion photographer David Dresser and Leeds-based businessman Joel Feldman.

Fashion House

The kitchen will be run by Peruvian head chef Erika Ramos, who will be serving up dishes from her home country with an Italian twist.

Fashion House hosted a garden party to celebrate reopening this week.

A spokesperson for the restaurant said:

“From London to LA, Italy to Barcelona, this new restaurant has taken inspiration from fashion styles and food trends across the globe and streamlined it together to create Fashion House in Harrogate.”

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Harrogate’s Turkish Baths celebrates 125th birthday

Harrogate’s Turkish Baths will celebrate its 125th birthday this weekend.

The Harrogate Borough Council-run leisure facility was opened on July 23, 1897 by Duke of Cambridge Prince George and cost £120,000 to build.

In its early days, water was pumped to the baths from several different springs, with treatments for conditions such as rheumatism, arthritis and sciatica being offered.

Facilities available during the baths’ Victorian heyday included dispensing of medicinal waters, hydrotherapy departments, mud baths and steam rooms as well as consulting doctors.

The baths were popular with members of royal families from around the world and a particular favourite of Queen Victoria’s granddaughters – Princess Alix and Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine.

Although Turkish baths were common in Victorian times, only seven remain that date back to the 19th century.

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To help celebrate the baths’ 125th birthday, heritage experts will be at Victoria Shopping Centre all this week from 10am until 3pm.

They will be sharing archive images and fascinating details about the original Victorian relaxation and health treatments, as well as information about the baths experience and treatments available today.

Conservative councillor Stanley Lumley, Harrogate Borough Council‘s cabinet member for culture, tourism and sport, and chair of the board of directors at council-owned leisure company Brimhams Active, said:

“In a year of celebration, it’s fantastic that Turkish Baths Harrogate has reached such a significant milestone.

“It truly is a jewel in Harrogate’s crown, and each year tens of thousands of people visit us to enjoy a unique journey of heating, cooling and cleansing treatments, just as our Victorian ancestors did.

“And following our investment in 2018 and our ongoing commitment to the baths, customers can continue to enjoy both traditional and modern wellness experiences in such a historic setting.

“Here’s to another 125 years perfecting the art of relaxation in Britain’s most fully restored Victorian Turkish baths.”

Knaresborough IT company expands

Business Breakfast is sponsored by Harrogate law firm Truth Legal. 

Integral IT in Knaresborough has accelerated its growth strategy in cyber security and managed IT services by acquiring Digital Media Infrastructure.

Under the terms of the deal, two engineers Tom Roberts and Andrew Johnson have been welcomed into the 10-strong Integral IT support team along with their clients who between them represent 350 clients including accountants, solicitors, estate agents and recruiters.

The acquisition is Integral IT’s first since the company moved to larger premises in the heart of Knaresborough’s, Manse Lane and since Founder Jonathan Edwards started the business back in 2004.

Jonathan Edwards, Integral IT’’s founder said:

“I’m delighted to welcome the team and its clients to the Integral IT team. Nicholas Sumner and his team have done a phenomenal job for their clients since 2006, building a business of excellence that perfectly aligns with our own values.”

Andrew Johnson, support manager at DMI commented:

“It was important for Tom and I to partner with an organisation that shared our core values of putting the client’s needs at the centre of everything we do. It was clear from our first meeting this carried over to Integral IT’s ethos and core values. We will be able to strengthen our service proposition, improve response times to customers and to be a beneficial partner to our clients”

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McCormicks expands crime department

Harrogate Law firm McCormicks Solicitors has added additional expertise to its expanding Crime and Fraud department with two new faces.

Mark Fowler is a solicitor specialising in serious fraud, particularly tax fraud, and the proceeds of crime work connected to such cases.

Mr Fowler has been dealing with serious VAT fraud cases since the early 1990’s, building extensive knowledge and expertise on the subject. He has experience of cases of VAT fraud such as precious metals, mobile telephones, computer chips, scrap metal and the film industry.

Ismael Uddin is a qualified Barrister and police station representative with more than 24 years’ experience in criminal and regulatory law.

Mr Uddin has been involved in prosecuting and defending cases for the Government, public and private sector organisations, such as the Crown Prosecution Service, HMRC, and Environment Agency, but now exclusively defends in all cases.

His experience means he is familiar with Government procedures from the Crown Prosecution Service and cases involving the various Government bodies.

 

Mark Fowler (L) and Ismael Uddin (R).

Harrogate blogger blackmailed by scammers reclaims Instagram account

A Harrogate blogger who was blackmailed by scammers is relieved today after managing to get back into her Instagram account.

Lucy Playford has run the Harrogate Mama blog and social media channels for six years and provides updates on family life in the town and visits to local businesses.

But Turkey-based scammers tricked their way into her Instagram account, which has 6,000 followers, and demanded money to hand it back. She feared the account was lost forever.

However, there has been a twist in the tale — a day after a Stray Ferret article highlighted the blogger’s plight, she has managed to get back into her account.

Ms Playford described yesterday how it happened:

“The hackers posted on my account tonight at a little after 9pm, thankfully due to your reporting and so many people knowing I’d been hacked lots of people contacted me to let me know the hackers were posting.

“This quick alerting led me being able to see the hackers had changed the name of my account to HarrogetaMama (deliberately spelled wrong to trick people) – and they were trying to extort money from my followers asking for investment.”

The suspicious Instagram post posted last night.

Ms Playford added:

“This meant now I could see what the account had been re-named, I could go through the verification process with Instagram again. This time the selfie verification process worked and I received retrieval codes from Instagram, albeit in Turkish, so Google Translate came in handy!

“After over two hours’ work between my husband and myself we managed to get back into the account. We have now changed the username back to HarrogateMama, changed the email address and set up the two-factor authentication.

“The swift action of so many people alerting me to the hackers posting meant I could get my account back.

“Lessons learned and message to spread about ALWAYS setting up two-factor authentication.”

Police to refer man who left four dogs in hot car to RSPCA

North Yorkshire Police has said it will refer the owner of four dogs who were left inside a baking hot car to the RSCPA.

The Stray Ferret reported yesterday that bystanders at Oak Beck Retail Park off Skipton Road had to smash a Land Rover Discovery window to free the dogs.

They had been trapped for over half an hour without even a window open.

Fortunately, there were vets working at the nearby Vets4Pets, which is inside Pets At Home.

The Labradors were given treatment and after a health check that showed they were OK, were handed back to the owner.

But that might not be the end of the matter. A North Yorkshire Police spokesperson has confirmed that an officer spoke to the male owner and will refer the incident to the RSPCA.

A spokesperson said:

“Members of the public witnessed the dogs being left unattended with the windows up and seemingly without air conditioning for around 30 minutes.

“One of them smashed a window on the vehicle and the dogs were taken into the care of a vet.

“Police spoke to the owner of the dogs and are due to report him to the RSPCA.”

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What powers does the RSPCA have?

It is not illegal to leave a dog in a hot car but owners are legally responsible for their pets’ health and welfare.

If a dog becomes ill or dies in a hot car, the owner could be charged with animal cruelty under the Animal Welfare Act 2006. This could lead to a prison sentence and/or a fine.

The charity has no legal enforcement powers or authority in its own right, so all prosecutions are brought via independent solicitors acting for the RSPCA.

The charity runs a regular ‘dogs die in hot cars’ campaign that warns motorists of the dangers of leaving a dog inside a car during hot weather.

A spokesperson said:

“Despite our very clear message each year, some people still continue to leave their dogs in hot cars thinking there is no risk, and many more take their dogs out for walks in hot temperatures when pavements are red hot.

“It’s so important to remember not to leave any animal in any vehicle or caravan, or in a conservatory or outbuilding, where temperatures can quickly rise, even when it doesn’t feel that warm outside.”

Four dogs rescued from hot car in Harrogate given back to owner

Four dogs rescued from a hot car in Harrogate today are fine and have been handed back to their owner after receiving treatment from a vet.

The Stray Ferret reported today that bystanders at Oak Beck Retail Park off Skipton Road had to smash a car window to free the dogs who were trapped for 40 minutes without even a window open.

Fortunately, there were vets working at the nearby Vets4Pets, which is inside Pets At Home.

A spokesperson for Vets4Pets said the labradors were given treatment and after a health check that showed they were OK, were handed back to the owner. They added:

“Touch wood we got to them in time”.

The article provoked a furious response from Stray Ferret readers on Facebook with many incredulous that the owner would put their pets’ health at risk during today’s sweltering heat.

It is not illegal to leave a dog in a hot car but owners are legally responsible for their pets’ health and welfare.

If a dog becomes ill or dies in a hot car, the owner could be charged with animal cruelty under the Animal Welfare Act 2006. This could lead to a prison sentence and/or a fine.

The Stray Ferret understands a North Yorkshire Police officer attended the scene. We have asked NYP for a statement on the incident but are yet to receive a reply.

PDSA, the vet charity for pets in need, has an article on its website that advises people on what to do if you find a dog in distress inside a car.

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Free summer parties to be held in Harrogate, Knaresborough and Ripon

Harrogate Borough Council is organising three summer events in Harrogate, Knaresborough and Ripon for the whole family to enjoy.

The events are all free and are a chance for young people to enjoy juggling and circus shows, magicians, character meet and greets, and mini discos.

Details about each event are available below:

Valley Gardens, Harrogate on Thursday August 11 and Friday August 12 between 11am and 4pm

Knaresborough Castle on Friday August 26 between 11am and 4pm

Ripon Spa Gardens on Saturday August 27 between 11am and 3pm

Conservative councillor Sam Gibbs, HBC’s cabinet member for environment, waste reduction and recycling, said:

“Following the success of our free events to celebrate Her Majesty The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, we’re back with four events across the summer for all the family to enjoy.

“We know it can be difficult, and sometimes costly, to entertain the family during the six-week holidays, that’s why we’ve decided to provide free events once again to help keep children entertained. And what better setting than Valley Gardens, Knaresborough Castle and Ripon Spa Gardens?

“So why not bring a picnic and enjoy our parks this summer?”

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Bystanders smash car window to rescue four dogs in Harrogate

Bystanders in Harrogate had to smash a car window today to free four dogs who were trapped for 40 minutes without even a window open.

Ruth Watson and her partner had been shopping at Aldi on Oak Beck Road at around midday when they spotted the labradors who were visibly distressed and barking in the sweltering heat, which has topped 38 degrees today.

Dogs in hot cars can suffer from potentially fatal heat stroke in as little as 15 minutes.

Ms Watson told the Stray Ferret she went inside B&Q, which is next door to the supermarket, to ask staff to broadcast a message on the tannoy to try and find the owner but there was no response.

A group had congregated around the car with people bringing buckets of water ready to cool them down.

She said:

“It is upsetting. I got a little upset but I was more angry than anything else.”

Quick thinking staff at the DIY store used a hammer to smash open the window and set the animals free.

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Fortunately, there were vets working at the nearby Pets At Home who were able to give the animals immediate medical attention. However, one of the dogs had to be carried away and Ms Watson said it looked in poor health.

The owner eventually came out to the car but Ms Watson said “He seemed oblivious like he’d done nothing wrong.”

She added:

“He’s not a responsible dog owner. Questions should be asked if he’s competent enough to have animals”.

Abi Linden was also shopping at the time and spotted the incident take place. She said what she saw was “appalling” and called on the police to take action against the owner.

She said:

“The sheer stupidity in leaving the dogs in this heat without even windows open. It made me so angry”.

A North Yorkshire Police officer was believed to have attended the scene. The Stray Ferret has asked NYP for comment on the incident. We have also asked the vets for an update on the dogs.