Covid vaccination site to open in Knaresborough

A new covid vaccine site will open on Monday in Knaresborough on the site of the former Lidl supermarket on York Road.

The site will be run by Homecare Pharmacy Services, a Knaresborough-based pharmacist.

It will be the third vaccination site to open in the district so far.

Harrogate’s Great Yorkshire Showground vaccine site opened on December 22 and can carry out up to 1,800 jabs a day.

A vaccine site at Ripon Races opened this month and has the capacity to vaccinate between 500 and 600 people each day.

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It was revealed at this week’s North Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum press briefing that 422,000 people in North Yorkshire, York, East Riding and the Humber have had their first vaccine.

A total of 17,000 have had their second dose.

Consultation on £8m Harrogate redevelopment set to begin

A four-week consultation will launch next week on redeveloping Station Parade in Harrogate.

North Yorkshire County Council secured £7.8m in funding from the government’s Transforming Cities Fund last year to create a “gateway” to connect the bus and railway stations with the town centre.

A media briefing to discuss the proposals and forthcoming consultation will be held online tomorrow.

The money awarded in March has to be spent within three years and NYCC’s executive member for highways Cllr Don Mackenzie told the Stray Ferret that building work could begin on the scheme before the end of this year.

The public will be asked to contribute ideas for the project, which aims to promote sustainable transport.

Cllr Mackenzie said one idea could involve building cycle lanes on Station Parade but he added there would be no ban on cars.

Plans for a ‘station gateway’ have been in the works for several years and in 2016 Harrogate Borough Council published an artist’s impression of how it might look:

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The plan fits into a wider strategy for Harrogate drawn up by the borough council in its 2016 Town Centre Strategy and Masterplan.

It said:

“Harrogate’s railway station and adjoining facilities, including the town centre’s bus station, have long been identified as an area for improvement. The current buildings and infrastructure detract from the overall quality of the town centre environment and provide a poor gateway for visitors.”

Could a Claro Road rail station solve Harrogate’s congestion?

A Harrogate conservative councillor has suggested a rail station could be built near Claro Road to ease the town’s congestion problems.

Paul Haslam, who lives in Bilton and represents the area on both North Yorkshire County Council and Harrogate District Council, is gathering support for the idea.

He thinks a station could be built near the footbridge at Dragon Junction between Harrogate and Starbeck stations on the Leeds to York line.

He told the Stray Ferret the station would be a “win-win” for Harrogate because it could reduce traffic congestion on Skipton Road, improve links to the Claro Court Business Centre and improve the quality of life for local residents.

He said it would also promote cycling because of its proximity to the Nidderdale Greenway.

Cllr Haslam said:

“I am convinced this would make significant inroads to congestion on Skipton Road, our quality of air, our reduction in CO2 emissions and most importantly the quality of life to those who live in this area.

“It should also improve links to the business park and therefore help local prosperity and jobs. Adding a supermarket would also add jobs whilst improving the facilities in the area.”

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Cllr Haslam said he has had conversations about the idea with North Yorkshire County Council, which would need to undertake a feasibility study to determine costs.

The government is keen to open new rail stations and last year awarded funding to help bring back ‘forgotten’ stations axed in the Beeching cuts during the 1960s.

A new rail station opened in Wales earlier this week at an estimated cost of £8 million, but it took over 11 years to develop the plans.

The latest station to open in the Harrogate district was Hornbeam Park in 1992, which was used by 400,000 passengers in 2019/20 and is a popular stop for commuters and visitors.

Don Mackenzie, executive member for highways at North Yorkshire County Council, told the Stray Ferret he supported the idea of a Claro Road station.

However, he said that due to a lack of funding the chances of it being built were slim, and that any final decision would be made by Network Rail.

He added:

“Just as I supported Hornbeam Park 30 years ago I would be supportive of this, but I can’t see it happening any time soon.”

Plan to convert Windsor House into 94 flats refused

A plan to convert the Harrogate office block Windsor House into 94 flats has been refused.

A Harrogate Borough Council report said not all of the flats would benefit from adequate natural light.

Owner of the building, Boultbee Brooks, wanted to turn the seven-storey building on Cornwall Road into 94 flats consisting of 14 one-bedroom and 80 two-bedroom properties.

There have been two previous applications to convert Windsor House into flats, in 2014 and 2017, which were both approved under permitted development rights.

However, a condition was attached to both applications that said the conversion must be completed within three years.

First introduced in 2013 as a way to mitigate the UK’s housing shortage, office-to-residential permitted development rights make it easier for owners of office blocks to convert them into homes.

With the building still being used by local businesses, a fresh application was submitted in 2020, which would have given the owner another three years to complete the conversion.

But this time, the council’s chief planner, John Worthington, deemed it not applicable for permitted development due to what he said was a lack of natural light in some of the rooms.

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The Windsor House application received an objection from a tenant of the building, who said the conversion would “drive businesses out of Harrogate”.

The objection said:

“It took us months to find office space in Harrogate within a reasonable walking distance of town. Please think of business in Harrogate, it can’t all be about residential. We need places to work too, Harrogate needs commercial business.”

Windsor House, which is located in the Duchy estate area, is one of the most distinctive landmarks in Harrogate.

Built in 1900 overlooking Valley Gardens, it was originally the Grand Hotel until it became offices in the 1980s.

The Stray Ferret contacted Boultbee Brooks for a response but did not receive one at the time of publication.

Hopes dashed for Harrogate care home visits despite vaccine

A health leader in North Yorkshire has dashed hopes that face-to-face care home visits could resume soon.

Despite all Harrogate district care home residents now being offered a covid vaccine, North Yorkshire County Council still advises visits only take place behind screens and windows or in visiting pods.

Many family members and friends have not been able to have face-to-face visits for almost a year, including Harrogate resident Judy Bass, who said it has been “horrible” not being able to visit her 99-year old father.

Position remains the same

North Yorkshire County Council‘s corporate director of health and adult services, Richard Webb said the position remained the same on care home visits, despite the success of the vaccination programme.

Speaking at a press briefing of the North Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum this morning, Mr Webb said there is still a risk of vaccinated people spreading the virus.

“Our position remains the same. We need to make sure we don’t have a false sense of security. The vaccine is incredibly good news, however the virus can still be caught and transmitted by people with the vaccine.

“The vaccine stops people dying and stops people needing very acute hospital treatment.”

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Ms Bass told the Stray Ferret this afternoon that she expected face-to-face visits to be possible after care home staff and residents had been vaccinated.

She now thinks she might not be able to visit her dad before his 100th birthday in August.

She added:

“It’s the false hope, they just keep moving the goalposts.”

Impact on transmission

Covid case numbers in the Harrogate district have fallen since January but the impact of the vaccine on the transmission of the virus is yet to be fully understood.

Vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi said on Monday that early data suggests the vaccines are having a “really encouraging” impact on transmission, but the full data will not be published until next month.

It was revealed at this morning’s press briefing that 422,000 people in North Yorkshire, York, East Riding and the Humber have had their first vaccine. 17,000 have had their second dose.

Police say ‘crackdown’ on Ripon crime is working

North Yorkshire Police has said a ‘crackdown’ on crime and antisocial behaviour in Ripon is already paying off.

Ripon has been blighted by crime for months, with five incidents in one three-hour spree earlier in February, including a robbery, thefts and reports of a man carrying a machete.

Since last week, North Yorkshire Police has begun to increase its presence in the city following complaints from residents about the number of officers on the streets.

Inspector Alex Langley, from North Yorkshire Police, said it had already achieved a “significant reduction” in incidents. He said:

“We also saw a reduction in the number of young people out on the streets across the weekend and would like to thank those parents and guardians who continue to support their young people and reinforce that stay home, stay safe message.

“We are actively patrolling. The dedicated operation has seen an increased police presence in and around the city, some more visible than others, and extra teams drafted in to help deter offenders, prevent crime and we continue to enforce where necessary.”

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Cllr Andrew Williams from Ripon City Council told the Stray Ferret the increased police presence was working.

He said:

“I will credit the police, as their profile is more visible. But Rome wasn’t built in a day and it will take a while to get on top of it.”

Earlier this week, a parents group called on the police to ensure the changes are permanent:

“While we welcome this, we want to ensure that it is not simply a cosmetic exercise.

“We need a long-term solution, not a short-term fix.”

Police issue fine for 200-mile Scotland to Harrogate trip

A person has been fined for driving 200 miles from Glasgow to Harrogate to meet a friend in a motorhome.

The unnamed person was one of seven who received fixed penalty notices in the Harrogate district in the past week for lockdown breaches.

The friend, from Wakefield, was also fined.

A total of 186 fixed penalty notices have been issued for lockdown breaches in North Yorkshire over the last seven days — the most in any week during the third lockdown.

Seven were issued in the Harrogate district — all for visitors to the district.

Since January 6, 55 lockdown fixed penalty notices have been issued in the district, with 39 of them going to visitors.

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North Yorkshire Police Superintendent Mike Walker told a press briefing of the North Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum today the police will continue to target “the reckless minority”.

He said:

“To the public who want to breach regulations and travel into North Yorkshire, we are putting more resources out there to respond to public concerns and reports of breaches.

“Our message to people who think North Yorkshire is the place to come and offer various different unacceptable excuses — expect to be encountered by a police officer.”

Plans for 69 retirement apartments in Knaresborough refused

An application to build 69 retirement apartments with additional care facilities near St James Retail Park in Knaresborough has been refused.

Harrogate Borough Council‘s planning committee voted overwhelmingly to reject the bid yesterday. Eleven councillors refused and one abstained.

Adlington, part of the Gladman group, applied to build on land adjacent to the single-track Grimbald Bridge on Wetherby Road, alongside the River Nidd.

Adlington has built similar developments for retired people across the north of England, including Adlington House on Bridge Street in Otley.

Cllr Phil Ireland, who sits on both Knaresborough Town Council and Harrogate Borough Council, said the plans would increase traffic and air pollution for children walking to Aspin Park Academy primary school.

He said:

“The size and scale of the development is overpowering. The visual intrusion will be evident to all entering Knaresborough.”

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Robert Gaskell, planning manager for Adlington, said new retirement complexes were “critical” to the Harrogate district as they helped to release existing homes back into the housing market.

He added:

“The accommodation brings a social life that combats isolation and loneliness. In the context of current lockdown, this is surely something to be supported.”

Several councillors raised concerns about flooding, including Sue Lumby, who said elderly residents would not “be able to make a quick getaway” if the Nidd flooded.

However, Nick Turpin, the council’s planning manager, said officers were satisfied the development would have “minimum risk” of flooding.

The development was proposed be built to the left of Grimbald Bridge on Wetherby Road.

Grimbald Bridge is a pressure point for congestion and the proposals faced objections from both Knaresborough Civic Society and Knaresborough Town Council on transport grounds.

Harrogate phone box transformed into community library

A disused red phone box on St Hilda’s Road in Harrogate has been saved from the scrapheap and turned into a community library.

Last year, BT Group announced plans to remove 32 inactive booths across the Harrogate district, 22 of which were built in the traditional red style.

BT encouraged communities to keep the red telephone kiosks under its “adopt-a-kiosk” scheme, which costs £1 and lets community organisations, including councils and charities, transform the kiosks into defibrillator sites, mini-libraries and more.

The Oatlands Community Group has successfully adopted the St Hilda’s phone box, which is now called The Saints Community Library and can be used to store up to 200 books for people to swap, free of charge.

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Jane Kennerley, a member of the group, told the Stray Ferret she believes similar community libraries have been set up inside former phone boxes in Pannal and North Rigton in the Harrogate district.

The new library on St Hilda’s Road will be adapted for themed events, such as Red Nose Day, World Book Day and Pride.

To kick this off, from Monday it will celebrate Fairtrade Fortnight by featuring books from countries that produce Fairtrade goods.

Hand sanitiser is available on entry and people are advised to quarantine all books for 72 hours prior to using them.

Ms Kennerley said the phone box has already generated a great response from the local community.

She said:

“People seem to love it and it’s been really busy, especially with the charity shops being closed in Harrogate.”

‘Build affordable housing at Harlow Nurseries’

Harrogate Community Land Trust has appealed for the chance to develop affordable housing on the Harlow Nurseries site.

Harlow Nurseries, next to the Pinewoods, is owned by Harrogate Borough Council and sells plants, pots and compost to the public.

However, the council’s Local Plan says 40 homes can be built on the site. The nursery will relocate if the development goes ahead.

The council has appointed three external consultants to draw up plans for the site before the end of the year.

But Harrogate CLT, which wants to develop homes to meet community needs, such as affordable housing or low-carbon housing, fears whatever is proposed will be too expensive for most people.

Sarah Hart, who helped to create Harrogate CLT four years ago after becoming demoralised with the cost of housing in the town, urged the council to consider selling Harlow Nurseries to it rather than a private developer.

Ms Hart thinks Harrogate CLT, which has 39 individual members, could provide homes the current property market does not cater for.

Harrogate Borough Council requires developers to include 40% affordable housing, which includes social housing, shared ownership schemes, and homes sold at lower than the market rate.

But Ms Hart said these options are still out of reach for too many people, forcing some to move outside of the district.

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Highly sensitive development

Any housing on the popular Harlow Nurseries site is likely to be controversial, especially after the local community recently rallied against Harrogate Spring Water’s controversial expansion plans into Rotary Wood.

Ms Hart says the “highly sensitive” nature of any development made it ideal for community-led housing that put the needs of local people first.

Her vision is to create homes for older people who want to downsize, people at the end of the council’s social housing waiting list, and people trapped in the private rented sector due to high rents.

She added:

“If you do housing from the bottom up you can find out what people really need.

“You hear people’s frustrations [about Harlow Nurseries]. So instead of being against a development, it’s better to bring people along”

Flagship scheme

Last week the local Green Party also suggested a housing development at Harlow Nurseries could be Harrogate’s flagship community-led housing scheme.

Residents in community-led housing schemes govern themselves to keep housing affordable in perpetuity.

A well-known local example is LILAC, which is a community of 20 eco-build households in west Leeds.

Raising capital to buy the Harlow Nurseries site would be a hurdle for Harrogate CLT.

Ms Hart said the group was in discussions with a local housebuilding company about working in partnership on the scheme.

She added she wanted Harrogate CLT to be “around the table” with the council before the land is sold.

A council spokesperson said:

“We have now appointed a specialist to progress with masterplanning work on the three strategic sites allocated in our Local Plan.

“We will be working closely with them to engage with and involve key stakeholders and local groups to ensure we create the right type of communities for existing and future residents of the Harrogate district.”