Thomas Barrett, Author at The Stray Ferret

Plans submitted for 400-home eco-resort at Flaxby

The developer that wanted to build 3,000 homes on the former Flaxby golf course has now submitted plans for a 400-lodge eco-resort on the site.

The Stray Ferret reported in November that Flaxby Park Ltd was considering an eco-resort as an alternative scheme for the site close to the A1.

It has now submitted plans to Harrogate Borough Council and claims the project could generate £53m a year of visitor spending and employ 460 full-time staff.

According to documents filed with the planning application, the eco-lodges are “intended to attract the most discerning visitors” and would have a focus on sustainability.

The plans also include a hotel, outdoor swimming pool, spa and sports area as well as a pub/cafe, farm shop, gift shop and activity hub.

The documents say the “driving principle” behind the resort is to allow families to “reconnect with nature” in “an ecologically rich environment” using renewable energy. They add:

“The development of this unique, environmentally conscious eco-lodge holiday complex would generate significant benefits for the local economy and that of the wider region.”

The application accepts noise from the A1(M) “may be audible in certain areas of the site” but says trees will help to minimise the impact. It adds:

“Overall, the scheme proposed will promote a sustainable tourism and leisure development that will considerably strengthen the offer within the district.”

If planning permission is granted the developer says the resort could be built by 2024.

An aerial view of the proposed resort.

The site of the former Flaxby golf course has had a tumultuous recent history.

There were plans to build a £7m, 300-bedroom five-star hotel on the site but the company behind the scheme filed for bankruptcy.

Current owner Flaxby Park Ltd bought the site in 2015 and hoped to build 3,000 homes but its hopes were dashed when Harrogate Borough Council chose Green Hammerton and Cattal as the location for the homes instead.

The controversial decision came to a head in October when Flaxby Park Ltd and Harrogate Borough Council contested a judicial review in London’s High Court.

The judge ruled the council’s decision to choose Green Hammerton and Cattal over Flaxby did not have to be made again.

Police investigating alleged illegal New Year’s Eve party at Harrogate hotel

North Yorkshire Police has confirmed it is investigating an alleged illegal party that was held at a hotel in Harrogate on New Year’s Eve.

Yesterday the Stray Ferret published claims that Harrogate hotelier Simon Cotton flouted covid restrictions by holding a party involving himself and 10 friends at the Yorkshire Hotel on New Year’s Eve.

The Stray Ferret spoke to multiple sources who allege the party ate on a single table, did not observe social distancing and that speakers were brought in to play music and bar staff were on hand to serve drinks into the early hours of the morning.

The party stayed in the hotel overnight and new staff were then brought in to serve the group breakfast on New Year’s Day.

Our sources say some staff were extremely unhappy at being asked to work but feared for their jobs if they refused.

A spokesperson from North Yorkshire Police said:

“North Yorkshire Police have received complaints about an alleged prohibited gathering at a hotel in Harrogate on New Year’s Eve. Working together with Harrogate Borough Council, enquiries are ongoing to determine whether any offences have been committed under the Coronavirus regulations that were in place at the time.”

Simon Cotton is the managing director of the HRH Hotel Group, which runs the Yorkshire Hotel, the Fat Badger, and the White Hart in Harrogate.

Mr Cotton keeps a high profile on social media. He has frequently appeared on national and local TV news talking about the impact of covid on the hospitality business. He gained a lot of publicity last April by serving pizzas to staff who built the NHS Nightingale hospital in Harrogate.

Harrogate moved into tier 3 on News Year Eve at short notice which prohibited people from meeting socially indoors except with their support bubble or people they live with.

Mr Cotton denies the allegations.

Claims well-known Harrogate hotelier held illegal New Year’s Eve party

The Stray Ferret can reveal claims today that well-known Harrogate pub and hotel manager Simon Cotton held an illegal New Year’s Eve party for himself and 10 friends at the Yorkshire Hotel, flouting covid rules.

It’s alleged Mr Cotton asked staff to work for the party on New Year’s Eve and then the following morning to serve breakfast to the group. We understand the party was reported to the police on New Year’s Day.

Mr Cotton has denied the allegations.

Simon Cotton is the managing director of the HRH Hotel Group, which runs the Yorkshire Hotel, the Fat Badger, and the White Hart in Harrogate.

Harrogate moved into tier 3 on News Year Eve at short notice which prohibited people from meeting socially indoors except with their support bubble or people they live with.

The higher tier put paid to many festivities on New Year’s Eve and upset local hoteliers, including Mr Cotton, who went on ITV Calendar that night to say they had not been given enough time to cancel events without losing money.

Simon Cotton delivering pizza to NHS staff last year.

The Stray Ferret has spoken to multiple sources independently who all wish to remain anonymous. All were in some way involved in the event and have given similar accounts of what happened. We have been shown evidence supporting their claims that Mr Cotton hosted the event at the Yorkshire Hotel on New Year’s Eve breaking covid rules.

They allege the party ate on a single table, did not observe social distancing and that speakers were brought in to play music and bar staff were on hand to serve drinks into the early hours of the morning. The party stayed in the hotel overnight and new staff were then brought in to serve the group breakfast on New Year’s Day.

Our sources say some staff were extremely unhappy at being asked to work but feared for their jobs if they refused.

It is not clear how many staff were asked to work to serve the party but we believe it to be around 7.

Our sources describe Mr Cotton of “acting irresponsibly” and said holding the party was a “massive error of judgement”.

Another added:

“A lot of the staff felt put in a position that wasn’t right.”

And:

“’Flouting the rules yourself is one thing but involving staff is another.”

The Yorkshire Hotel, Harrogate.

It’s claimed Mr Cotton told staff that Harrogate Borough Council had given him authorisation to have the New Year’s Eve event.

We asked Harrogate Borough Council if this was possible. A spokesperson said:

“We do not have any evidence of any parties, nor do we authorise anything that is considered to be breaking the law.”

Mr Cotton declined our request for an interview.

There is no evidence or suggestion that anyone more senior than Mr Cotton in the HRH Group sanctioned the event.

Harrogate council to correct planning objection after ‘censorship’ complaint

Harrogate Borough Council has blamed a computer error for accidentally redacting sections of a resident’s objection to a housing development.

Bill Shaw, a keen birdwatcher who lives near Richborough Homes’ proposed 95-home development at Granby Farm in Harrogate, wrote to the council highlighting the site’s wildlife value.

Mr Shaw, of Roseville Drive, was then shocked to discover some of his comments had been redacted on the council’s online planning portal.

Under privacy laws, the council can redact words or sentences if they refer to people or places.

But Mr Shaw found it difficult to understand why merely making observations such as that owls roost on the site, and red kite feed there, merited such action.

He told the Stray Ferret:

“It’s censorship and it doesn’t seem right at all”

The original letter (left) and the redacted version (right)

The Stray Ferret contacted Harrogate Borough Council, which today said the comments had been removed in error by a “redaction algorithm”.

The council uses a computer programme to automatically black out private information.

It said the original letter would be “reinstated imminently”.

A council spokesman said:

“We normally redact information regarding protected species. However, our redaction algorithm has been over zealous and removed information in error.

“Thank you to the resident who has spotted this error. It will be reinstated imminently.”

Suspected poachers in Pateley Bridge receive covid fines

Suspected poachers in Pateley Bridge have been issued with fixed penalty notices by police for breaching covid regulations.

Officers on anti-poaching patrols stopped four 4×4 vehicles at about 6pm on Sunday.

North Yorkshire Police said in a statement today none of the occupants could provide a reasonable excuse for being there during lockdown and were fined. A first offence fine is typically £200.

Police had received reports the previous day from a local rural watch group of men gathering in Pateley Bridge.

A member of the rural watch group also contacted the Stray Ferret about the gathering, saying they were “horrified” to watch the men eat pies in a car park and smoke cigarettes before driving off.

They added:

“There were eight of them in the car with no masks on. They’d gone on to Pateley High Street and could have come from West or South Yorkshire.”

Enquiries are ongoing into both incidents.

Poachers normally travel in groups with dogs, using 4×4 vehicles. They typically hunt brown hare or deer.

Inspector Matt Hagen, from North Yorkshire Police, said it had increased poaching patrols to prevent similar incidents:

“It beggars belief that anyone would breach vital public health regulations to go poaching. But we’ve had a number of concerning reports from residents in rural parts of North Yorkshire, particularly around Pateley Bridge and Skipton, that this may be happening.

“Poaching is far from a victimless crime. Poachers have no regard for farmers or landowners and often cause thousands of pounds worth of damage to fields and crops. Not only that, but their actions can leave residents feeling extremely vulnerable and fearful. And in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, this criminality is even more unacceptable.”

The police urged people to pass on details of suspicious activity, such as unusual vehicle movements, particularly in remote or isolated areas.

Knaresborough could get scuba diving pool

A bespoke scuba diving training pool could be built in Knaresborough.

Tim Yarrow, owner of Harrogate-based DiveShack UK, is behind the plans. He told the Stray Ferret the facility would be something “unique” for the district.

Mr Yarrow, who has been a scuba instructor around the world for 30 years, wants to build a three to four-metre pool near Knaresborough Celtic FC in the south of the town.

Before covid, his company organised diving trips off Malta in the Mediterranean but says a local pool would enable divers to learn closer to home.

He also hopes to work with charities so people with disabilities can use the pool.

Mr Yarrow submitted plans for a pool in September but withdrew them last week following an objection from Knaresborough Town Council, which objected to the size of the building and said there was “no proven supporting need for this facility”.

A revised plan is expected to be submitted soon.

Mr Yarrow told the Stray Ferret the covid pandemic had hit his business hard:

“We were getting a really good momentum going then covid hit and knocked us back.

“We’re very much reliant on taking people abroad and they want to learnt to dive as they are going on holiday, but people aren’t going on holidays so the diving industry has had a massive kick between the eyes.”

Despite the UK’s cold water, Mr Yarrow said it is still a fantastic place to dive.

“Yes it’s cold but we’re kitted out for it.

“Marine life around the coast is fantastic and I don’t think people realise how good it is. We have seals in the Farne Islands, Scotland’s marine protected areas and spectacular shipwrecks.”

Impasse between Harrogate Spring Water and local groups continues

The relationship between Harrogate Spring Water and local groups is under increasing strain after what the latter described as an “unconstructive” meeting last week over plans to expand a bottling plant into the Pinewoods.

Trees in the area of Pinewoods known as Rotary Wood, which were planted by families in 2015, would be felled as part of plans by Harrogate Spring Water’s parent company Danone to expand its bottling plant.

A coalition of groups is opposed to the proposal because it fears Danone’s plans to compensate for the loss of trees are inadequate.

Members of the coalition met with representatives from Harrogate Spring Water on Wednesday last week, following earlier meetings in December, but they are yet to reach an agreement on where to plant trees to replace ones that would be lost.

The groups include Harrogate Civic Society, Harrogate and District Green Party, Pinewoods Conservation Group, Zero Carbon Harrogate, the Rotary Club of Harrogate and Duchy Residents’ Association.

Danone’s current proposals are to re-plant trees close to the site, but the local groups says this is not satisfactory as the area is not currently open to the public, unlike the woodland which will be lost.

According to members of the Pinewoods Conservation Group and Harrogate District Green Party, who were both at the meeting, the two opposing parties are no closer to reaching an agreement on where the trees should be planted, with relations now becoming increasingly strained.

A spokesperson from Pinewoods Conservation Group said:

“Meetings over the last few weeks with the planning consultants had been a useful forum to understand and influence plans.

“However, after the recent meeting including HSWL management, it seems there is no real intent to consult or amend these plans. Our ideas on alternative sites have not been investigated and the submitted proposal is not acceptable to any of the group who have been involved.”

Rebecca Maunder from Harrogate and District Green Party called on Harrogate Spring Water to propose a better alternative for the felled trees.

She said:

“Currently, the value Harrogate Spring Water and Danone are placing on the current woodland ecology is unacceptable.”

Harrogate Spring Water declined to comment on the situation.

Harrogate Borough Council’s planning committee is expected to consider the proposals early this year.

‘We won’t abandon children’ on exams, says Harrogate headteacher

Harrogate Grammar School headteacher Neil Renton says the secondary school “won’t abandon children” as uncertainty on what will happen with GCSE and A-level grades continues.

Yesterday in Parliament, education secretary Gavin Williamson said that a form of teacher-assessed grades will be used in place of exams — but Mr Renton said schools are still awaiting clarity on how this will work in practice.

He said Year 11s and Year 13s in Harrogate are increasingly anxious about how they will be assessed,

“We need information very quickly as last year was a fiasco. Because this lockdown has come earlier than last year, we’ve got to do something to keep Year 11 and Year 13 children engaged in learning.

“We can’t just suddenly stop now and abandon them and just give them grades. We need to collect more information and teach them and finish GCSE and A-Level courses.

“The government needs to come out and give us real clarity on what evidence we will need to give them for their final grades.

“I really, really hope they base this on the information we’ve had from over two years of the course. Children have had so much disruption so we need more time to fully assess the level they’ve achieved.”

‘Chuffed to bits’

Mr Renton said the school is embracing online learning, with every pupil having access to the technology they need and the school maintaining the timetable, including live contact with teachers in each period. He said:

“This means that we’ve been able to protect their provision. We’ve been chuffed to bits with the feedback we’ve been receiving. Parents say it’s given the children structure and they’ve had that interaction with their teacher, which was harder to achieve in the first lockdown.

“Some people say it must be tiring for children to do six hours of Teams or Zoom lessons. We’re mindful of that so they are breaking off to do activities, speak to each other and talk to the teacher. It feels very similar to what they experience in school.”

Children at Harrrogate Grammar School playing in the snow on Friday.

After a heavily disrupted half term up to Christmas, with whole year groups having to self-isolate, a degree of certainty with lockdown has been welcomed. But staff and parents have been left to deal with last-minute announcements by the government, he said.

“The vast majority of the profession are really struggling because of the lateness of information and the number of U-turns by the government but I’ve been proud of our staff and community and how they’ve responded.”

On Friday, the school carried out its first lateral flow covid test, as they are rolled out across the country in an effort to identify asymptomatic cases and reduce transmission of the virus. Staff will begin being tested this week, after which students who are in school because their parents are key workers will be tested every week.

Testing for children began at Harrogate Grammar School today

While national reports suggest there have been many more students in school this time compared to the first lockdown, Mr Renton said the grammar school’s numbers were broadly the same, at around 50 to 60 students. However, he expects the number to rise as any students who are struggling at home are brought back in, and says staff are ready to support them.

Looking to the future, Mr Renton said the current challenges may result in better long-term teaching and learning, such as embracing more use of technology. He added:

“There has been a great kind of bonding. The behaviour in school was so good in September and children were so appreciative to back at school.

“We want there to be a long shadow from this experience and for it to have a positive impact in the future.”

37 homes in Ripon look set for go ahead

Thirty-seven houses look set to be built on the site of former warehouses in Ripon after Harrogate Borough Council granted outline planning permission this week.

Prime Talent Ltd submitted plans to demolish vacant buildings at the Old Goods Yard, 2 Hutton Bank, which were previously used by companies such as Millennium Windows and Power Plastics, and build the homes.

Originally, 43 homes were mooted but the number was reduced after concerns were raised about the loss of the site for employment use.

An updated scheme was put forward with fewer homes and six units, which can be used by local businesses.

In August 2019, the council’s planning committee deferred approval to the chief planner subject to conditions, which included the completion of a legal agreement that dealt with the number of affordable homes.

Councillors also asked for a study on how the homes would be protected against subsidence.

Because the development involves bringing a vacant brownfield site back into use, the developer was able to apply a vacant building credit.

The government introduced vacant building credits to encourage developers to bring back into use previously developed sites containing vacant buildings by reducing the number of affordable homes they are obliged to build.

This reduced the number of affordable homes for this development to six, which is 16% of the development.

Normally on brownfield sites, the council asks developers to include 30% affordable housing.

As the site is in an area that may be subject to gypsum-related subsidence, developers undertook a study that recommends using rafting foundations on the buildings to mitigate any potential subsidence issues.

The developer is now set to submit a reserved matters application, which deals with the site’s appearance and types of homes.

Hometown midfielder Jack Emmett leaves Harrogate Town due to illness

Jack Emmett, Harrogate Town’s longest-serving player, is to leave the club to focus on recovering from chronic fatigue.

The 27-year-old, who was born in Harrogate and has played 229 times for the club, has not closed the door on his football career and said he could return if he overcomes his illness. He said:

“It has been an incredible journey and I have loved every minute, but I know this is the right decision for my health moving forward. Hopefully one day I will be able to fully recover and return to the game.”

Emmett, who went to Harrogate Grammar School, spoke to the Stray Ferret ahead of the club’s historic Wembley play-off final last year when he spoke about his footballing upbringing and turning out for Knaresborough Celtic juniors.

His final performance for the club was in the Papa John’s Trophy this season against Leicester City under-23s.

In 2017/18 Emmett formed a midfield partnership with Josh Falkingham, with whom he was named joint Player’s Player of the Season. The duo helped Town into the National League for the first time.

According to the NHS, chronic fatigue syndrome is a long-term illness with a wide range of symptoms, the most common being extreme tiredness.

Manager Simon Weaver paid tribute to Emmet and said “the door is always open” for a return.

He said:

“It’s a sad loss for the club and the supporters, Jack has been thrilling to watch over the years, he has always played with a joy and desire to run at people and entertain.

“He was part of first under-17s set up under Mark Forster, who recommended we take a look at him and we would later send him on loan to Forster’s Wetherby side, he was getting kicked all over park but kept getting up, we were so impressed with attitude.

“We kept in touch when he went away to university and were delighted when he returned and would be training full time with us. I remember in pre-season at Thorpe Arch we put him in central midfield against Leeds United and he was waltzing past players, that was a big turning point for him and the club as he went on to play a massive part in us earning promotion from the National League North.

“His recent issue has saddened us all, but we respect his views and that his health is of paramount importance.
“He’s been with me for 11 years here and we have always shared a good bond, I’ll always think highly of Jack and the door is always open for him at Town, he is very much still a part of our family.”

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‘Chuffed to bits’

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