Harrogate climate change scientist warns of more extreme heatwaves

Harrogate climate scientist Professor Piers Forster has warned extreme heatwaves could be common in just 10 years due to climate change.

Prof Forster, who has lived in the town since 2005, was one of the main authors of last year’s “code red for humanity” climate change report published by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change on behalf of the United Nations.

The report was discussed around the globe and warned of climate catastrophe unless action is taken now.

Prof Forster has spent his career analysing the effects of climate change and is a director of the Priestley International Centre for Climate and professor of physical climate change at the University of Leeds.

The weather in Harrogate is set to peak at 38 degrees tomorrow, breaking all-time records. Prof Forster told the Stray Ferret why we are currently experiencing this extreme weather:

“The heatwave comes from a combination of a blast of hot air from Europe blowing over very dry soil. Global warming plays a big part in both these factors. Wild fires are raging across southern Europe with temperatures approaching 50 degrees centigrade in parts of Portugal.

“Climate change is warming the land and ocean, and has brought extended drought conditions to much of Europe. This means that heatwaves are over two degree more intense than they would otherwise be and are occurring much more often.  We have some of the longest records in the UK, we can use these to estimate how likely such as heatwave is.”

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Many climate change skeptics have pointed to the UK heatwave of 1976, when temperatures peaked at 35.9 degrees during one day in Cheltenham. But this was five degrees lower than what is forecast for parts of England tomorrow.

Prof Forster said the weather this week is particularly unusual but will become more common unless countries around the world take action to reach net zero.

He added:

“One hundred years ago a heatwave such as this would have occurred once every 300 years, now it’s every 15 years. In a decade or so this will be a typical summer. The science is clear that these heatwaves will worsen until the UK and every other country In the world has reached net zero emissions: all sectors of every economy will need to decarbonise. 

“Given the current crises in the world this seems like a tall ask but there is no other way. Wheat dies if it experiences temperatures of 34C or more at the time of flowering  – this is not a world we want our children growing up in.”

Grim future ‘not a given’

Today, trains from Harrogate to London have been cancelled, Knaresborough Town FC has called off a match and schools, care homes and businesses are putting measures in place to protect vulnerable people from the extreme heat.

Prof Forster said we will have to learn to adapt to more heatwaves but a “grim future” is not guaranteed if policymakers work to urgently cut emissions.

He added:

“I don’t think people realise how much the UK’s climate will change over the next two decades: we are going to have to adapt our behaviour, homes, work places, hospitals, schools, roads and trains to such hot days. Expect wild fires and spending days in doors to avoid bad air quality. 

“Our research at the University of Leeds shows that this grim future is not a given: cutting emissions urgently and strongly now can slow the rate of warming, giving societies time to adapt. We need to take this heatwave seriously: adjust your day accordingly, stay safe and hydrated.”

Harrogate barbershop group encouraging new singers with fun course

Harrogate Harmony Barbershop Chorus is encouraging men to take up barbershop singing through a fun five-week course.

The course, which will take place at St Peter’s Church on Cambridge Road, is aimed at both newcomers and those who already enjoy singing.

There are no auditions or a need to read music and no experience is necessary. Men of all ages are welcome.

The course culminates with a concert to entertain family and friends in the final week.

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The course begins on Wednesday July 27 at 7.30pm.

It costs £10 for the five weeks, which includes all course materials and tuition.

Greg Tunesi, a member of Harrogate Harmony, said:

“Being part of an ensemble, creating a harmony in music and in friendship is good fun, relaxed and informal. When you sing well amongst 16 to 18 other men, it’s an amazing feeling and produces a beautiful sound.

“Those attending will have singing in four-part harmony explained and demonstrated to them. They will then be guided as to which voice part, tenor, lead, baritone or bass best suits their voice”

For more information visit www.harrogateharmony.org.uk or contact Harold Blackburn at haroldblackburn2@outlook.com or on 07949 267344 to book a place.

Harrogate fields valued at £5m sold as ‘development opportunity’

Thirty acres of land valued at £5m on the outskirts of Harrogate has been sold.

Land agents Lister Haigh had been marketing the green fields, which are adjacent to Forest Lane and Forest Moor Road, as having potential for future development subject to planning permission.

The company said the location benefited from nearby commuter access to Leeds and York from Starbeck and Knaresborough train stations.

The fields between Harrogate and Knaresborough are designated as green belt land to prevent urban sprawl.

Current planning rules prohibit housing from being built on the green belt unless there are exceptional circumstances.

Other exceptions are for agricultural and forestry buildings and some outdoor sports facilities.

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The land is not allocated in Harrogate Borough Council‘s Local Plan, which sets out where development can take place until 2034.

The fields are in the division of Liberal Democrat county and district councillor Pat Marsh.

Cllr Marsh said:

“The land in question is green belt and therefore protected from development. There are exceptional circumstances such as a sports pitch and the needs of forestry workers, other than that the only other reason would be lack of housing land and Harrogate is certainly not short of that. I am keeping a firm eye on the land.”

The Stray Ferret asked Lister Haigh for more details on the sale but it did not respond.

‘Crazy Russian’ found guilty of murder at Harrogate’s Mayfield Grove

A man nicknamed the ‘crazy Russian’ has been found guilty of brutally murdering Gracijus Balciauskas at a flat on Mayfield Grove, Harrogate in December last year.

After two days of deliberation, the jury at Leeds Crown Court found Vitalijus Koreiva guilty by a majority verdict of 11-1.

Polish national Jaroslaw Rutowicz was found not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter by a majority of 11-1. Judge Rodney Jameson QC told him he will also receive a “substantial custodial sentence”.

Mr Balciauskas, from Lithuania, was just 41 years old when he was killed.

Body wrapped in a rug

The trial began last month with the court hearing how Mr Balciauskas’s body was found wrapped in a rug after a lengthy drinking binge involving the three friends turned violent.

CCTV footage was shown of the men leaving the flat to buy more alcohol on several occasions in the hours leading to the murder.

Rutowicz told the court how Koreiva, who is Lithuanian, erupted during a drunken game of chess with Mr Balciauskas at 5am, which led to Koreiva punching and then kicking him.

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Harrowing video footage taken on Rutowicz’s phone of a bloodied and bruised Mr Balciauskas was shown in court. The clips showed him being kicked by Koreiva whilst he was laying defenceless on the floor pleading for help.

In one of the videos, Rutowicz was heard shouting at Mr Balciauskas in Polish, “Why the f*** did you send us there? Now you look like this”.

‘The crazy Russian’

During the trial, Rutowicz said he had been threatened by Koreiva with his life if he called 999 after Mr Balciauskas died. He said Koreiva’s nickname in Harrogate was the “crazy Russian” and he had an unpredictable character.

However, prosecuting barrister Peter Moulson QC poured scorn on his claim and accused Rutowicz of lying.

Last week, Koreiva pleaded guilty to manslaughter after telling the court he had been an alcoholic since he was 13. He argued he was not in control of his actions on the night Mr Balciauskas died, which the jury ultimately rejected.

Mr Balciauskas died of internal bleeding after being kicked in the spleen. The prosecution told the jury he could have been saved if either man had called an ambulance sooner.

Instead, the pair carried on their drinking session.

Koreiva and Rutowicz will be sentenced next month.

Residents unconvinced about Harrogate Spring Water’s expansion

Harrogate residents remain unconvinced about Harrogate Spring Water‘s plans to fell trees in Rotary Wood to expand its bottling plant.

The company, which is now owned by the French firm Danone, held a three-hour consultation event yesterday at Harrogate’s Crown Hotel.

It was a chance for people to make suggestions on the design and landscaping of the proposed extension. The company said the responses would influence its final design.

Since 2017, it has had outline planning permission to expand its production facilities on its site on Harlow Moor Road that would involve felling trees.

It is now putting together a ‘reserved matters’ application which will detail how the new building will look, how the surrounding area will be landscaped and crucially, where new trees will be be replanted.

The Stray Ferret went along to speak to attendees and representatives of Danone, including Harrogate Spring Water’s managing director Richard Hall.

Passionate views

Throughout the evening there was a slow trickle of curious people looking at display boards that offered background on the plans and reasons why the company feels it needs to expand. The boards are available to view online here.

Some saw the event as a chance to passionately tell Mr Hall what they feel are the wrongs of the company, including the merits of plastic bottles.

Sarah Gibbs has been a long-term campaigner against the expansion and often dons her trademark tree costume. She said:

“My stance is we are in a climate emergency. We need to start acting like it. Why do we need bottled water?”.

Rotary Wood

Rebecca Maunder campaigns for the environment in the Harlow Hill area.

She believes it’s not a certainty that the trees will be lost if a case can be made that any replacement tree planting proposals are insufficient.

She suggested the company should instead look to expand its premises in different ways.

“They should build it on their car park.”

Ms Maunder said Rotary Wood “belongs to all of us” and is worried the business will look to further encroach into the woodland in the future.

She added:

“In three years they might want more space.”

How the site currently looks from above.

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Complex issues

When Harrogate Borough Council’s planning committee considered the company’s last bid to expand in January 2021, it was for some, a simple battle between the profits of a private business and the environment.

Richard Hall said to frame the debate in these terms is unfair and is “more complex” than what is sometimes presented.

When asked if he is personally concerned about the effects of climate change. He said:

“I think that everyone is thinking about the climate. I’d like to behave in a way that takes into account the future”.

Mr Hall confirmed the company still wants to plant trees in a private field behind RHS Harlow Carr, as it proposed last time, but this is “not enough” and it wants to plant more.

Mr Hall said they have been in talks with some landowners but are yet to come to any agreements.

Last time many objectors, including local climate scientist Professor Piers Forster, were unhappy that the felled trees would be replaced elsewhere with saplings, which are much less effective at soaking up CO2 emissions.

Mr Hall said the company is looking into how the new trees can ensure a “biodiversity net gain”.

On Rebecca Maunder’s car park suggestion, Mr Hall said it was not possible due to a sustainable drainage system underneath.

Sadness

Terry Knowles is a member of Rotary Club of Harrogate and chaired the group’s environmental committee from 2000 until 2015.

Mr Knowles is a key reason the trees were planted there in the first place, which began in 2005 and took around four years.

Terry Knowles inspecting the boards

Speaking in a personal capacity, he said he felt sadness that some trees that he planted with local schoolchildren, who are now adults, could be lost.

He said:

“Bottled water is not an environmental product. The last permission was in 2017 and a lot has changed since then.”

St Aidan’s in Harrogate appoints interim head

St Aidan’s Church of England High School has appointed an interim headteacher who will start in September.

David Thornton, an experienced head who has led five schools, will join the school on a temporary basis until a permanent appointment is made. He will be the school’s third headteacher in the last 12 months.

Mr Thornton will replace Chris Ives, who has been acting head since Chris Burt left in December 2021 due to health reasons.

Mr Ives has been offered a post as head of an international school in Kathmandu, Nepal.

Mr Thornton will spend some time at St Aidan’s before the summer holidays start. A school spokesperson said he does not want to be considered for the role permanently and it will be recruiting for another headteacher.

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Yesterday, St Aidan’s announced it had received a ‘good’ rating from Ofsted after being rated ‘inadequate’ in January.

The previous report was critical of the school’s leadership and management but the latest report said leaders “have acted swiftly to address the concerns raised at the previous inspection”.

St Aidan’s has shared with the Stray Ferret a letter its governors sent to parents about the change in leadership. It says:

“Mr Thornton is a very experienced head and teacher of history who has led five schools in his career. From establishing a new school in County Durham to supporting the development of new school leaders while in interim roles, his expertise and experience shone throughout the process. We have every confidence that he will be an excellent addition to our school community.   

“Alongside his impressive track record, most recently at a school in the south east, Mr Thornton also demonstrated the values that are so important to St Aidan’s. One line from his application really stood out to us, and he evidenced throughout our discussions that he wants to be, ‘Of service to young people and their community and deliver an outstanding inspirational educational experience for all.’

“We remain enormously grateful to Mr Ives for all that he continues to do as acting headteacher. During this extraordinary year he has led the school in a calm and purposeful manner which has undoubtedly been of significant benefit to staff and students alike. While we know Mr Ives will be hugely missed by us all, we are also excited to be welcoming Mr Thornton to St Aidan’s.”

Business workshop to take place in Harrogate

Business Breakfast is sponsored by Harrogate law firm Truth Legal. 

Business workshop to take place in Harrogate

ActionCOACH Harrogate is hosting a free business workshop at Starling Independent Bar Cafe Kitchen next week.

It’s been designed for business owners who want “a more manageable, more profitable business that can work without them.”

Andrew Joy will talk business people through the ActionCOACH “6 Steps” model that’s used by many successful companies around the world.

The free morning of business coaching will include marketing concepts, sales promotion and profit-building systems that can be put into practice straight away.

To register visit here.

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Nidderdale to host events on how farmers can improve their businesses

Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) is hosting a series of events throughout August to help local farmers respond to current challenges.

This includes farmers who have taken on regenerative farming practices, or who have diversified into new enterprises, including artisan cheese production and the development of a Yorkshire barn wedding venue.

Speakers include a regenerative farming consultant, a Nuffield scholar veterinarian, and representatives from the Pasture Fed Livestock Association.

The events are hosted in locations across Nidderdale, including Middlesmoor, Grewelthorpe and Blubberhouses. For more information visit here.

Matthew Trevelyan, farming in protected landscapes officer at Nidderdale AONB, said:

“We want to help farmers respond to current challenges. It is likely that ‘business as usual’ won’t work for many of the AONB’s farmers in the future, especially as the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) is withdrawn.”

St Aidan’s school in Harrogate receives ‘good’ Ofsted rating

St. Aidan’s Church of England High School has received a ‘good’ rating from Ofsted, six months after being rated ‘inadequate’.

The inadequate rating came as a shock to many staff and parents, as the school had previously been graded ‘outstanding’.

When a school is rated inadequate it has to wait up to three years before another full inspection and is subject to regular monitoring visits to check on progress.

But after the first monitoring visit at St Aidan’s in May, inspectors felt the rating “was not a fair reflection of the school” and returned two days later for a full three-day inspection.

In the previous report, published in January, the school was rated ‘good’ in all areas except leadership and management, which was rated ‘inadequate’ and meant it automatically achieved the same overall outcome.

It was highly critical of the school’s safeguarding policies and said pupils were “at risk of harm”. However, the new report said the school has “robust systems in place” for safeguarding.

It praised leaders for “swiftly” addressing the concerns raised in the prior report.

The report added:

“Staff know the signs that suggest a pupil may be at risk of harm. Adults promptly report any concerns they have. Leaders take swift action to ensure that pupils are safe.

“Where necessary, leaders refer concerns to appropriate external agencies.”

Nurturing environment

The secondary school has over 2,500 pupils, which includes those in a shared sixth form with St John Fisher Catholic High School.

The report said the sixth form provision was ‘outstanding’ and pupils “demonstrate a real love of learning”.

The new Ofsted report also gave an ‘outstanding’ rating to behaviour and attitudes at St Aidan’s, calling it a “happy school with a positive and nurturing environment where pupils flourish.”

It added:

“Pupils enjoy their lessons and value teachers’ knowledge and enthusiasm for their subject. Leaders have established clear routines that result in calm lessons. This enables pupils to focus on their work. They are keen to succeed.”

Quality of education and personal development were rated ‘good’.

The report said:

“Teachers have strong subject knowledge. They bring their subject to life for pupils with the clarity of their explanations and richness of examples. Pupils are captivated in lessons and are keen to answer the questions that teachers ask.”

The school’s response

Chris Ives, the school’s acting headteacher, said:

“This is an outcome that we think is a much fairer reflection of our school. In saying that, it is important to stress that changes have been made since the initial inspection outcome. We have collectively worked tirelessly to ensure that our approaches mirror what is required under the Ofsted framework.

“We have always believed in what we do and how we do it, and the process we have been through ensures that is fully in line with every expectation that is placed on us.”

Jo Wicks, chair of governors, said:

“After a period where we hadn’t been inspected in 15 years, to have three inspections in the matter of months has been challenging.

“There have, however, been real positives through this journey. The support we have had from our immediate community has been heartening, and the impact it has had on our school is immeasurable. Our staff have been unbelievably focused and determined to do their very best to ensure our school got the grading it deserved. The Yorkshire Causeway Schools Trust has given their unwavering and constructive support.

“Most importantly, our students have not let this distract them from achieving their own goals and thriving as individuals. They continue to impress with their generosity of spirit and sharpness of their aspiration.

“We are truly delighted that we can end the year so positively and hope that we can build on the recent success when Ofsted next visit us to secure an outstanding judgement overall.”

Harrogate’s Rossett School could swap three tennis courts for 3G pitch

Rossett School is planning to remove three tennis courts and replace them with a new artificial 3G football pitch.

The school has submitted a planning application to Harrogate Borough Council that would see football facilities improve at Rossett Sports Centre.

There is currently a high demand for 3G pitches in the area, particularly since Harrogate Town were forced to remove theirs after promotion to the English Football League two years ago.

Last year, the school raised £10,000 through a fundraiser to replace its current 3G pitch.

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3G pitches are a way for schools to make extra income by hiring out the facility to local teams.

St Aidan’s Church of England High School has planning permission to build a new 3G pitch, which is set to open from 6pm to 8pm for community clubs to use.

St John Fisher Catholic High School also has a 3G pitch available for hire and Ashville College has an astroturf pitch.

The Stray Ferret asked Rossett for further details on its plans but a spokesperson declined to comment.

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Major crop fires underway near A61 in Ripon

Firefighters are attempting to put out crop fires in fields close to Ripon this afternoon.

The fires are in fields alongside the A61 around Hutton Bank and billowing smoke can be seen for miles around the area.

Today has been the hottest day of the year so far with temperatures of 29 degrees recorded in the Harrogate district.

North Yorkshire Police has advised motorists to avoid the area. A spokesperson said:

“We’re asking motorists to avoid the area and find other routes for their journeys while our Fire Service colleagues work at the scene. Thank you for your patience and understanding”

You can watch a video of the fire that was posted by North Yorkshire Weather Updates below:

UPDATE 6pm: Harrogate Fire Station has said the fire is now out.

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