Thomas Barrett, Author at The Stray Ferret

Nidderdale eco-business plants 50,000th tree

The eco-business Make It Wild planted its 50,000th tree in the Harrogate district earlier today.

The tree was planted by volunteers at its Dowgill Grange site in Summerbridge, which means the company is now halfway to its goal of planting 100,000 trees in the district by 2030.

Helen and Christopher Neave, who own Make It Wild, estimate their team has planted over 11,000 in the current planting season alone, which began in November and ends soon.

The trees will contribute to the Northern Forest, a government initiative to plant 50 million trees from Liverpool to Hull.

A wide variety of native species have been planted including oak, silver birch, wild cherry, rowan and willow.

Helen said the trees are great for biodiversity and will attract a wide variety of insects and birds.

Helen said as well as capturing carbon dioxide from the amtosphere, the trees will have other benefits including drawing up water from the River Nidd to help alleviate flooding.

Make It Wild started 10 years ago when the couple bought a 26-acre plot of land near Kirk Hammerton.

More sites have been bought in Nidderdale including 111 acres at Bank Woods and a 44-acre neighbouring site known as Dowgill Grange.

Helen told the Stray Ferret they were inspired after planting 20,000 trees on the land at Kirk Hammerton. She said after waiting five years for the trees to grow, the amount of wildlife that came was “absolutely incredible”.

To fund the tree planting, Make It Wild sells tree dedications for weddings or birthdays, carbon offsetting for businesses and eco-friendly products including animal habitat boxes.

MPs watch: we’re off to Wembley?

Every month the Stray Ferret tries to find out what our local MPs have been up to in their constituencies and in the House of Commons.

By the end of March, we’d partially emerged from lockdown and more than 80,000 people had been vaccinated in the district.

We asked the district’s Conservative MPs- Harrogate & Knaresborough’s Andrew Jones, Ripon’s Julian Smith, and Selby and Ainsty’s Nigel Adams if they would like to highlight anything in particular that they have been doing this month, but we did not receive a response from any of them.

Here is what we know after analysing their online presence.

Andrew Jones, Harrogate and Knaresborough MP.

Andrew Jones, Conservative Harrogate and Knaresborough MP.

In Harrogate and Knaresborough, here is what we found on Mr Jones:

Mr Jones didn’t post any updates on his official website but four stories about his activity appeared on his local “news” website, Community News. These included a tribute to former HBC council leader Geoff Webber who passed away.
The Harrogate and Knaresborough MP defended a crime bill that gives police new powers to deal with protests. He said: “It is possible to protest without impacting others so what we need to strike therefore is that balance and that is what the bill does.”.
In the Commons, he praised news that the Treasury will base a National Infrastructure Bank in Leeds. He said: “It is great news for the city and will bolster its established financial services and legal hubs.”
On March 23, Mr Jones gave an update on the vaccine rollout on Community News. He wrote that in the North Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group Area, 215,522 people have had their first dose of the vaccine.
Mr Jones voted against a Lords amendment to the Fire Safety Bill to give more protections to leaseholders and tenants in England from footing the bill for fire safety work on buildings.
At PMQs on March 24, the MP urged the Prime Minister to support Harrogate Town’s bid to rearrange the date of its trip to Wembley so fans can attend. He even told a Harrogate Town supporter that he’d be on the train to Wembley with the fans if date is changed.

Conservative Julian Smith, MP for Ripon and Skipton.

In Ripon, here is what we found on Mr Smith:

On March 1, the MP posted on his website to say he has spoken with North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, Julia Mulligan, about reports of crime and anti-social behavior in Ripon. He did not give any further details on what was discussed.
Like Mr Jones, Mr Smith also voted against the Fire Safety Bill amendment.
The MP for Ripon has not spoken in the House of Commons since February 10.
5 of his 7 tweets in March were related to Northern Ireland.
Mr Smith attended a virtual meeting of the Skipton and Ripon Area Constituency Committee. The MP praised the local effort in getting people vaccinated.
Writing on his website about the challenges facing farmers in his constituency due to Brexit and covid, Mr Smith wrote: “I will continue to represent farmers in Parliament and do everything possible to help.”
Last week, he introduced the charity PeerTalk‘s virtual morning ‘Let’s Have a Chat’ event which focused on mental health.

Nigel Adams, Conservative MP for Selby and Ainsty which includes rural Harrogate.

In rural south Harrogate, he is what we found on Mr Adams:

At a HBC planning committee on March 9, it was revealed Mr Adams personally wrote to committee members with his concerns about an 80-home development in Green Hammerton.
The Minister for Asia criticised a military crackdown on protestors in Myanmar that saw scores of civilians killed. He tweeted: “There’s no justification for such cowardly acts which bring more shame on the #Myanmar regime & its leaders. Those responsible must be held to account.”
On March 26 he summoned the Chargé d’Affaires from the Chinese Embassy to the Foreign Office following Beijing’s decision to impose sanctions on British politicians and individuals who have highlighted human rights abuses against the Uighur Muslim minority group.
Mr Adams paid tribute to former Leeds United striker Peter Lorimer who died aged 74. He tweeted: “So sad. Another of the LUFC greats gone. 238 goals and some absolute belters amongst them. Great memories.”

Is it a buzzard? A great tit? …Or a police speed van?

Cunning motorists in Harrogate have attempted to avoid a possible fine for posting the location of mobile police speeding vans on social media by using coded birdwatching terminology.

The Harrogate Road Watch group on Facebook has over 3,000 members who post up-to-date locations of North Yorkshire Police‘s mobile safety camera vans in an attempt to warn other motorists of their presence.

Earlier this month, news articles circulated online that said drivers who post updates on social media warning other road users of police “speed traps” could face fines of up to £1,000.

It said this is because there is a law that states it’s an offence to “wilfully obstruct a constable in the execution of his/her duty”.

This prompted members of the Harrogate group to get creative. Members have recently referred to the police speeding units as “great tits” with “beaks pointing towards the A1”.

One member said:

“Greater spotted tit in Killinghall fluttering towards Ripley.”

Another said:

“Great tit on Harrogate bypass usual spot near Haggs Road turning Tuesday 1pm in Birdwatching van.”

One member warned of a bird of prey.

“1230. Buzzard nesting near Melmerby. Beak pointing at A1.”

North Yorkshire Police publishes details of every location mobile safety camera vehicles visit, when they attended and for how long. It also includes a breakdown of every offence recorded at each location and how each offence was dealt with.

A spokesman for NYP said he would not comment on how people use social media but said sharing information about where mobile speed cameras are does not present any issues for the force.

Tree felling at Hornbeam Park ‘traumatic’ for residents

Residents have been shocked by the number of trees chopped down beside the tracks near Hornbeam Park railway station, according to a local councillor.

Network Rail recently carried out the works, which it said was essential for trains to run safely and reliably.

Trees up to 6.5 metres tall were removed and larger trees that could have fallen onto the tracks have been cut back or removed.

John Ennis, the Conservative councillor for Harrogate Stray, said local people had been “taken aback” by the scale of pruning and has complained to Network Rail.

He wrote on Community News website, a website run by Harrogate and Knaresborough Conservative MP Andrew Jones:

“As well as vegetation clearance, we have seen the removal of some mature trees in apparent good health. This has been quite a traumatic experience for those living nearby.

“I would for instance have preferred to see fencing used, which was more appropriate to a mature residential area. I will continue to raise these issues with Network Rail as necessary.”

In January, Network Rail submitted a planning application to Harrogate Borough Council about the works, which included photos of which trees it planned to remove or prune within the Harrogate Conservation Area.

The company said an independent ecologist had provided a risk assessment of the area to look for protected species.

It said some mature trees had to be removed to protect the tracks.

Richard Owens, infrastructure director for Network Rail’s north and east route, told the Stray Ferret:

“We know how important the trees near Hornbeam Park station are for people in the community. Network Rail has completed essential work to remove and cut back some of the vegetation with measures in place to protect the environment.

“Work also took place to allow natural saplings and flowers to flourish. Network Rail sent information to people who live near the railway and to local stakeholders with more details about the work.

“Some of the mature trees had to be removed to allow train services to continue running safely and reliably, and so our teams can safely carry out railway maintenance work.

“Trees can obstruct signals or get blown onto the tracks and leaves can also affect acceleration and braking when they fall onto the railway in the Autumn. This work will help to prevent future disruption to services.”

Conservatives choose candidate for Bilton by-election

Harrogate borough councillor Matt Scott has been chosen as the Conservative candidate for the vacant Harrogate Bilton and Nidd Gorge seat on North Yorkshire County Council.

A by-election is taking place following the death of Liberal Democrat councillor Geoff Webber.

Cllr Scott has represented the Bilton Woodfield ward on Harrogate Borough Council since 2018 and works in Harrogate and Knaresborough Conservative MP Andrew Jones’ office. He has lived in Bilton all his life.

He said:

“I am proud to call Bilton my home and there are many aspects of the area that make it a great place to live.

“We are served by many small independent businesses; we have great schools and of course we have the Nidd Gorge, a vast green space on our doorstep.

“I was part of the campaign to save it when proposals came forward for a relief road and my view has not changed.”

He said he wanted to be a “strong, local voice” on the county council, alongside fellow Conservative Paul Haslam, who also lives in Bilton and sits on both the borough and county councils.

He added:

“I will work hard to ensure we continue to have great schools, safe neighbourhoods and that our valuable green spaces remain untouched.”

The by-election is scheduled on May 6. Nominations must be submitted by April 8.

It will be the only time residents can vote to elect county councillors this year after the government delayed elections due to local government reorganisation.

The Conservative-controlled county council currently has 53 Conservative councillors, four Labour councillors and four representing the Liberal Democrats. There are also eight North Yorkshire Independent and three independent councillors.

When the by-election was last run in 2017, Conservative Paul Haslam and Liberal Democrat Geoff Webber won the ward’s two seats with 1,618 and 1,414 votes respectively.

Liberal Democrat Mark McDermid came third with 1,285 votes and Conservative Graham Swift was fourth with 1,207 votes.

A spokesperson for the Liberal Democrats said it would choose its candidate after Mr Webber’s funeral today.

Beckwithshaw has worst superfast broadband coverage in North Yorkshire

The village of Beckwithshaw near Harrogate has the worst superfast broadband coverage in the whole of North Yorkshire.

House of Commons library data published recently reveals the village, alongside Menwith & Denton Moor, has superfast coverage of 66.4%, much lower than the UK average of 94.9%.

Superfast broadband is defined as a speed of between 30 Mbps and 300 Mbps.

Terri Micallef has run Rigg Farm Montessori Nursery in Beckwithshaw since 1994. She said she has faced years of poor broadband coverage which had a negative impact on her business.

She said:

“We use iPads for child observation and it was so slow and wasted so much time. It was so frustrating having to wait.”

In the end, she said she became so annoyed with poor speeds she ditched the broadband for a mobile internet router that has “worked really well.”

The area of Beckwithshaw, Menwith, and Denton Moor has the second slowest average broadband speeds in the Skipton and Ripon constituency at 37.2 Mbps, which is to be expected considering it has the worst coverage in the county.

Pateley Bridge and Nidd Valley has the overall slowest speeds in the constituency at 36.4 Mbps.

In the Harrogate & Knaresborough constituency, Boroughbridge & Marton-Cum-Grafton has the slowest speeds at 46 Mbps. Saltergate has the quickest internet with a 94.1 Mbps average.

North Yorkshire County Council has responsibility for broadband in the county.

Robert Ling, assistant director for Technology and Change, said:

“We understand the importance of high-speed connectivity to businesses and residents. For that reason, North Yorkshire has been at the forefront of investment in broadband for some years, through the creation of high-speed connectivity provider NYnet and the Superfast North Yorkshire programme.

“We acknowledge that some areas are particularly difficult to reach for geographical and technical reasons, but we are working alongside communities and Building Digital UK to find innovative solutions.”

78 homes proposed at former Trelleborg factory site in Knaresborough

People in Knaresborough are being asked to comment on a proposed 78-home housing development on the site of the now demolished Trelleborg factory on Halfpenny Lane.

Countryside Properties, which is part of the Pegasus Group, is behind the scheme. They are yet to submit a formal planning application but say comments will help inform the types of homes it will include.

The site is not allocated for housing in Harrogate Borough Council’s Local Plan, but it is included on the council’s Brownfield Land Register which identifies sites that are considered to be appropriate for redevelopment for residential use.

A website for the development claims the company specialises in homes that focus on “energy efficiency and green living, making people’s lives and the environment a better place to be.”

The consultation ends on April 7 and people can submit their comments here.

Meanwhile, work recently begun on a separate development on Halfpenny Lane where Persimmon Homes is building 74 homes. The first homes are expected to be completed this Autumn.

200 acre solar farm could be built near Burton Leonard

Proposals to build a major solar farm near Burton Leonard have been lodged with Harrogate Borough Council.

Harmony Energy Limited wants to build the renewable energy infrastructure on farming fields on land to the east of the village of Wormald Green and to the southwest of Bishop Monkton.

The company has requested the council undertakes an environmental scoping study that looks at the possible effects of the solar farm on the environment.

This would take place before any formal planning application is submitted.

The solar panels are expected to have a lifespan of 40 years.

The site would cover 200 acres of agricultural land.

Two other plans for major solar farms in the Harrogate district have emerged over the past few months.

Yorkshire Water, which is the second-largest landowner in the county, plans to develop energy at 150 of its sites, including one in Spofforth and another in Bilton, as part of its ambition to become carbon net-zero by 2030.

However, the proposed five-acre solar panel farm in Harrogate attracted concern from the aviation industry who claimed that it could dazzle pilots flying to and from Leeds Bradford Airport.

Young Harrogate Town footballer to take up exciting USA scholarship

A young footballer at Harrogate Town will spend a “once in a lifetime” summer in Iowa, USA after being offered a business scholarship.

Promising 18-year-old striker Harry Wheat will spend the summer studying at Southeastern Community College studying Business Administration after being offered the opportunity thanks to the help of First Point USA, a scholarship agency.

Harry first joined the club via the Player Development Centre aged 15 and went to school at Rossett high school. He is currently completing his final year of a Level 3 Extended Diploma (Performance and Excellence) in Sport, equivalent to three A-Levels.

Harry said:

“Moving to the United States is a great opportunity for me, not only to play football everyday but to get a degree in an area I want, which will open doors to a whole alternative career path.” explained Harry.

“Harrogate Town has been a massive help in getting me to where I am today. After leaving Guiseley at 15 I wanted to experience a high standard of coaching so got in touch with Dave Riley about the Player Development Centre.

“I was with the Player Development Centre for a year and felt I really developed as a player, learning from some top coaches, before progressing up to the Shadow Squad.

“After leaving school I joined the education programme at Harrogate Town and have been here for the last three years.

“The programme means I get to play football and study at the same time and has played a big part in my journey towards my scholarship in the US as I have developed massively on the pitch and in the classroom.”

Andrew Jones MP criticised for his ‘news’ website

Harrogate & Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones has been criticised for launching a local “news” website but not making it clear enough that it is a Conservative party publication.

The website Harrogate and Knaresborough Community News went live in September 2020.

Stories include Conservative councillor John Mann reporting “terrible” potholes in Pannal to the county council and Conservative council leader Richard Cooper speaking out against speeding on East Parade in Harrogate.

The home page makes no reference to the fact that it’s set up by the office of Andrew Jones. It only becomes clear when you click on the “about” page, which also says the aim of the website is to provide news stories in “a non-political way”.

Nearly every story on the website is about work and lobbying done by local conservative councillors and Mr Jones.

During last year’s general election, the Conservative Party was critical of the Liberal Democrats for issuing campaigning leaflets masquerading as “fake” newspapers.

Mr Jones already has his own website which includes news stories informing constituents about what he’s been up to. Yet in March his website published no new stories and Community News website published four.

The Society of Editors, has issued a warning about political parties looking to circumnavigate the media to mislead the public and “blur the lines for readers”.

Yesterday, the News Media Association launched a “Don’t Be Duped” campaign demanding an end to the practice of political parties issuing “fake” newspapers.

Opposition parties in Harrogate have had their say on Mr Jones’ new website and called on him to “be honest” with the people of Harrogate & Knaresborough.

Chris Watt, spokesperson for the Harrogate & Knaresborough Labour Party said:

“Honesty is important in politics. Harrogate & Knaresborough Labour always makes it clear to voters when we are contacting them. Whilst this may meet the letter of the law, it’s clearly designed to disguise the fact that it’s a Tory campaign communication. It’s a shame to see them taking lessons from the Lib Dem playbook but we wonder why they are so keen to hide their identity from voters?”

Pat Marsh, leader of the local Liberal Democrats, said:

“If it’s going to be publicly promotional for the Conservative Party it should say that clearly. He should be honest with the people.”

The Stray Ferret contacted Andrew Jones but he did not respond.

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