Each month the Stray Ferret tracks what the three MPs in the Harrogate district have been up to in Parliament and their constituencies.

As this is the last month of the year, this time we have provided a round-up of the activities of Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones, Skipton and Ripon MP Julian Smith, and Selby and Ainsty MP Nigel Adams throughout 2020.

The district’s three elected Conservative representatives in the House of Commons have a combined 30 years’ experience as MPs but nothing could have prepared them for 2020 and the arrival of coronavirus.

As always, we asked all three if they would like to highlight anything in particular. Once again, we did not receive a response from any of them.

Andrew Jones, Harrogate and Knaresborough MP.

In Harrogate and Knaresborough, here are some of the key moments from Mr Jones’s year:

• Fresh from a fourth straight general election victory, Mr Jones began the year by speaking out on his website against what he described as the toxic nature of modern political campaigning. He wrote: “Politics needs to grow up and step away from this old-fashioned and frankly US-style attack ad approach. I hope over the next few years – at least locally – there will be agreement to adopt a more positive approach.”
• In April, at the height of the first lockdown, Mr Jones warned constituents about the dangers of covid: “This virus doesn’t discriminate between rich and poor, by race, by religion, by nationality, by gender or sexuality or by political allegiances.”
• One of Mr Jones’s nine tweets in June was that he found some car keys near to Tewit Well in Harrogate.
• On his website in June, Mr Jones wrote to the head of Bauer Media to “seek assurances” about the future of Stray FM. The radio station rebranded as Greatest Hits Radio in September.
• On August 2, Mr Jones hailed Harrogate Town’s win at Wembley as “the best news in ages”. He also tweeted about Notts County’s non-existent equaliser, which was quickly deleted. This led to the Stray Ferret’s Paul Baverstock suggesting that Mr Jones might not have been actually watching the game.
• Mr Jones released a statement apologising for the government’s u-turn over A-Level results. He said: “I am sorry for the distress and uncertainty this has caused pupils. In all about 20 students contacted me personally and I am writing to each of them”.
• Mr Jones refused to comment on a Stray Ferret story involving a police investigation into allegations of missing Porsche sports cars from GMUND in Knaresborough. The company was run by Andrew Mearns, while his wife Cllr Samantha Mearns was a company secretary until late 2018 and is now a caseworker in Mr Jones’s office.
• At Prime Minister’s Questions in October, the MP urged Prime Minister Boris Johnson to commit to a support package for the conference and exhibition industry.
• In October, Mr Jones voted against an opposition motion to extend the provision of £15-a-week school meal vouchers throughout the October half term through to the Easter 2021 holidays. Following a backlash, Mr Jones responded in the local press and in a local Conservative news bulletin email. The email said: “I know that many of you will have seen the coverage about free school meals during the holidays in the news lately. I hope that people who know me, or who have been helped by me, would realise that I would not vote to increase child hunger or ensure children starve.”
• Mr Jones said on October 20 “a blanket national lockdown is wrong and local interventions are what we need now to tackle this crisis”. On November 2 he voted in favour of a new national lockdown.

Julian Smith, MP for Skipton and Ripon.

In Ripon, here are some of the key moments from Mr Smith’s year:

• In February, Mr Smith was sacked as Northern Ireland secretary. Despite lasting just 204 days in the role, he was widely praised for his work, including brokering talks between rival political parties to restore a power-sharing government at Stormont.
• In May, the MP contacted the Bishop of Ripon, the Rt Rev Dr Helen-Ann Hartley, offering support after she received death threats for speaking out over Dominic Cummings’ decision to travel with symptoms of covid-19, against government advice.
• In July, Mr Smith voted against protecting the NHS in a future trade deal with the US. Unlike Mr Jones, he wrote to the Stray Ferret to explain why he voted this way. He said: “No future trade agreement will be allowed to undermine the guiding principle of the NHS.”
• Throughout the year, Mr Smith has raised residents’ concerns about the 1,300-home Ripon barracks development to local health leaders and Harrogate Borough Council officials, including chief executive Wallace Sampson.
• The Stray Ferret revealed in August that Mr Smith has been appointed as an external advisor to a hydrogen company at a rate of £3,000 per hour.
• In September, he abstained on both Internal Markets Bill votes, which related to Brexit. Opponents of the bill said it could lead to a trade border between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK.
• That month, the MP visited Ripon Cathedral to view its new £6m design plans, which include new toilets, a cafe and the creation of rehearsal space for Ripon Cathedral Choir.

Read more:

• MPs watch: Free school meals, food safety and lockdowns
• MPs WATCH: Care home visits, the Brexit bill and a visit to Ripon Cathedral

Nigel Adams, MP for Selby and Ainsty which includes rural parts of the Harrogate district.

In rural south Harrogate, here are some of the key moments from Mr Adams’s year:

• The arch Brexiteer celebrated January 31 when the UK left the European Union. He wrote on Facebook: “Today is a historic day but tomorrow, the work to take our country forward continues with renewed enthusiasm.”
• In April, the MP offered his “thoughts and prayers” to prime minister Boris Johnson, who was in hospital with coronavirus. He wrote: “The Boris I know is a fighter and will defeat this.”
• In July, Mr Adams hit out at Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer saying he had an “obsession” with undermining the Brexit vote.
• In September, he criticised environmental group Extinction Rebellion after it blocked vehicles from leaving a printing press in London, causing disruption to several national newspapers. He called the group “socialist anarchists masquerading as well-meaning hippies”.
• In October, Mr Adams voted against the amendment to the Agriculture Bill. In a post on his website, he defended his decision. He said: “Several people have been in touch who appear to have been misled into thinking that Tuesday’s vote on the Agriculture Bill was somehow a vote against our high food standards. This is not the case. In fact, the amendment to the bill which was defeated was well meaning but I believe unnecessary as well as having some negative unintended consequences.”
• Ahead of a planning committee hearing into 72 homes in Spofforth in November, Mr Adams’s office confirmed to the Stray Ferret that he had made representations to councillors ahead of their decision, which was ultimately to refuse the plans in their current form.

Councillors look set to refuse St Aidan’s Church of England High School’s plans to build a new floodlit artificial pitch.

The 2,000-pupil school has said the pitch is “urgently required” but nearby residents have complained the 15-metre high floodlights would cause light pollution to their homes and the Stray.

St Aidan’s, on Oatlands Drive, withdrew a previous application in March last year following concerns by residents about light pollution, noise and traffic.

Now Harrogate Borough Council’s planning committee has been recommended to refuse the school’s latest application when it meets on Tuesday.

In a report to councillors, case officer Jeremy Constable said noise and lights from the pitch would have a “significant adverse impact” on the surrounding area even though a new pitch would benefit the school and local football teams. He added:

Read more:

• St Aidan’s floodlights raises old concerns over light pollution

• Treacherous roads in Harrogate district after heavy snowfall

The previous application said the facility would close at 10pm on Monday to Friday.

The latest plans reduced the closing time to 8pm but still received 40 objections, including one from the Stray Defence Association, which said the lighting would have an “immense and detrimental” impact on the Stray.

Robert Holmes, from project management firm MHB Partnerships, explained on behalf of St Aidan’s why the new facility is “urgently required”.

He said current facilities were “woefully inadequate” and prevented the school from hosting sports fixtures.

He added there was a shortage of 3G artificial pitches in Harrogate, made worse by Harrogate Town replacing their artificial surface with grass over the summer due to English Football League requirements.

He wrote that the floodlights would be directed onto the pitch and no lights would shine on neighbouring homes, adding:

“The school cares greatly about their relationship with their neighbours and make every effort to listen to any concerns raised by them. The comments published on the planning portal have been read and digested by the school and it is considered that the school has done as much as possible to address the concerns raised.”

A treasure trove of stolen jewellery and medals, including some from the First World War, have been recovered by police.

North Yorkshire Police today appealed for people who may have lost the items to come forward.

It is urging anyone who suffered a burglary between August and October this year to check these photos and get in touch if they believe any belong to them.

The items include some distinctive items including First World War medals, one inscribed with the name DVR.P.WRIGHT.R.A., spirit level cufflinks, engraved signet rings and cufflinks, cluster rings, necklaces and gold chains.

Read more:

• North Yorkshire Police issues alert over delivery fraud

• Police arrest 100 for drink and drug driving

The force believes the items could have been stolen during burglaries in North Yorkshire and other parts of the country, including West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, Humberside, Sussex, Dorset, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire, the West Midlands and Staffordshire.

Anyone wanting to get in touch with the police should contact David.Pegg@northyorkshire.pnn.police.uk or call 01904 618691, select option 2 and ask for Dave Pegg.

Harrogate Town are appealing to fans to help clear their Wetherby Road pitch in time for tonight’s game against Carlisle.

Snowfall hit Harrogate overnight, covering the grass at Town’s EnviroVent stadium on Wetherby Road.

The game is due to kick off at 7.45pm so there is a race against time to get the snow cleared.

The club has asked volunteers with snow shovels to come to the ground this afternoon to help out.

The club tweeted:

“We would greatly appreciate some volunteers turning up ASAP with snow shovels to help move the snow ahead of tonight’s game.”

Read more:

• Harrogate Town offer half season tickets for remainder of season
• Harrogate Town fans gear up for return to Envirovent Stadium

An extra 300 children in the Harrogate district received free school meals after the coronavirus pandemic began, figures reveal.

A total of 2,402 children received the meals in October this year, compared with 2,109 in January this year.

The Stray Ferret obtained the figures from a freedom of information request to North Yorkshire County Council, the education authority for the district.

To qualify for free school meals a parent must apply to North Yorkshire County Council with evidence that they are receiving a benefit, such as Child Tax Credit, Income Support, or Universal Credit.

Since January 2018 the number of children in the district receiving them has increased by over 58%.

Over 10% of children in the district are now receiving them, which is lower than the national average of 17.3%.

Harrogate District Food Bank project manager Lucy Stewart told the Stray Ferret that parents who work in Harrogate’s hospitality sector have been hit hard by covid restrictions.

She said:

“A lot of families live right at the end of their means. When you get furloughed and are on 80% of your income, a lot of us are not set up for living on that.

“People will have had to start claiming benefits, which triggers free school meals. The whole area will struggle because we rely so much on the conference industry normally.

“A huge industry has gone from the town and the fallout from that cascades down to working families in the hospitality industry.”

Read more:

• Harrogate shop ‘blown away’ by free school meals support

• What is the situation in the Harrogate district on free school meals?

• Harrogate restaurant to deliver meals to families in need

The issue of free school meals rocketed up the agenda this year following a high profile campaign by Manchester United and England footballer Marcus Rashford.

A Labour motion to extend the provision of £15-a-week food vouchers to 1.4m disadvantaged children in England during holidays until Easter 2021 was voted down in the House of Commons in October.

Several food venues in Harrogate decided to offer families free meals, including Portofino, Major Tom’s Social, and Thug Sandwich.

The government launched a £170m Covid Winter Grant Scheme for vulnerable families across England.

Waste and recycling centres in the Harrogate district will be open every day over the festive period except Christmas Day, Boxing Day, December 30 and New Year’s Day.

The North Yorkshire County Council household waste recycling centres on Wetherby Road and Pennypot Lane in Harrogate, and Dallamires Crescent in Ripon will be open from 8.30am to 4pm.

The centres accept discarded electrical goods, Christmas packaging, broken Christmas lights, household batteries and Christmas trees.

Good reusable toys can be donated to the Reuse Santa appeal within the reuse containers at the recycling centres. Toys will go to the No Wrong Door campaign and other charities.

Wrapping paper that passes the scrunch test (if you scrunch the paper in your hand and it stays in a ball) can be put in blue recycling bags for kerbside collection. Check collection dates over the holiday period.

Read more:

• North Yorkshire Police issues alert over delivery fraud

• Music licensing organisation demands fee for Ripon carol singers

North Yorkshire County Council’s household waste recycling centres in the district are managed on the council’s behalf by private firm Yorwaste.

County Councillor Andrew Lee, executive member for business and environmental services, said:

“Working together, the county council and Yorwaste are continuing to give residents the opportunity to recycle as much as they can over this Christmas period.”

Yorkshire Water has closed a temporary footpath at Swinsty reservoir that has drawn complaints about it being too muddy to use safely.

The footpath was introduced last month while maintenance works takes place on the usual route.

The closure will continue until the £6m works are completed in summer 2022.

It means there will no longer be a circular walking route at the popular beauty spot, which many people from the Harrogate district visit over the festive period.

The Stray Ferret reported how a pregnant woman had to be rescued by a passing family after she struggled to walk the diversion.

The company has employed marshals over the break to offer advice to visitors on safety issues, including parking if the car parks become full.

A spokesperson for Yorkshire Water said it expected Swinsty to be busy over the festive period and the diversion south of the reservoir, which went through farmer’s fields, had become too muddy.

Read more:

• Marshals at Swinsty and Fewston reservoirs over Christmas

• Swinsty reservoir footpath diversion ‘too muddy to walk’

Yorkshire Water is encouraging walkers wanting a circular route to visit Fewston instead.

A Yorkshire Water spokesperson said:

“As a result of ongoing engineering work at Swinsty reservoir the circular route around the reservoir is no longer available.

“We have put up signs around the site to inform people of the closures. The circular walk around nearby Fewston reservoir is still available.

“Additionally, extra colleagues will be on hand at Swinsty over the festive period, which is expected to be busier than normal, monitoring car parking at the site and advising people of the closures.”

An updated map of the current walking routes at Swinsty is below:

The future of next year’s Great Yorkshire Show is uncertain as the Harrogate venue that hosts the event begins a huge mass vaccination project.

The NHS began the programme on Tuesday at the showground. It is expected to last several months, which raises questions about the viability of the 2021 show, which is provisionally scheduled for July 13 to 15.

Heather Parry, managing director at Yorkshire Event Centre, told the Stray Ferret is is “looking at all the options at the moment” for the 2021 event.

Ms Parry said:

“It’s a changing picture. It’s obviously a big event with lots of people so whether we do it the same way or a different way, we are keen to do something if we can.

“We don’t know how many months we’re in this for. We would like to run a Great Yorkshire Show, absolutely, whether it’s the same or different, we don’t know. We are doing lots of planning.”

Read more:

• Coronavirus vaccine centre opens in Harrogate

• Harrogate researcher finds two-thirds will take vaccine

Ms Parry said none of the contingency plans involved moving the event, which has been held at the Great Yorkshire Showground since 1951, to a different site.

The show was cancelled in 2020 due to coronavirus. A virtual event took place instead with three days of video footage.

Ms Parry added that at least 200 other events have been cancelled this year at the Yorkshire Event Centre and the Pavillions of Harrogate venue, which is also on the showground, due to the pandemic.

Andrew Jones, the MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, has said people must “show patience” before the UK turns the corner on coronavirus.

Reflecting on the year on his website, Mr Jones said many people would be glad to see the back of 2020.

But he added we “can be certain life will slowly return to normal” due to vaccinations and improved care for severe cases of covid although it will take “some time.”

Mr Jones wrote:

“As we quietly move into the new year we must show patience and further restraint as that process takes place.”

Coronavirus vaccines began at Harrogate’s Great Yorkshire Showground on Tuesday. People aged over 80, care home residents and care home staff were first in line.

It is believed about 900 vaccines a day are being given although the NHS has yet to reveal figures.

Read more:

• Andrew Jones MP calls for HS2 work to start in Yorkshire
• Andrew Jones MP criticised for lockdown U-turn

In further reflections on 2020, the Conservative MP praised the public, private and voluntary sectors for rallying together during a year like no other.

He wrote:

“We didn’t need a pandemic to know how brilliant our public services are but it was a very powerful reminder.

“We have though learnt some things about ourselves and one another which I hope we can carry through into 2021 and beyond.  And we have also learnt lessons that reinforce that which we already know but perhaps didn’t recognise enough.

“Community matters.  We looked out for our neighbours who were elderly or less well than us. We got in touch with support organisations to volunteer our services.  Street-based groups sprang up to help those around them.”

The Den bar on Cambridge Street will host a night of live music and food in Harrogate on Sunday December 27.

The bar, which recently reopened after refurbishment, has teamed up with Fashion House Bistro on Swan Road for the ticket-only venture.

Chefs from the bistro will cook food for the event, which will start at 6pm. Tickets are £60 per couple.

Singer and pianist Dan Burnett will perform a selection of blues and soul classics from 7pm. He will be followed at 8.30pm by Biz Denton on vocals and guitar and Jason Odle of “Ont’ Sofa” ont’ drums, who will play two sets.

The fixed menu consists of six tapas dishes.

Read more:

• Former Yorkshire pub of the year could be turned into a home
• Harrogate sisters’ literary lunches go global in lockdown

Rob Taylor, from The Den, said:

“The event is strictly limited to socially distanced tables of two, and will provide a relaxed and enjoyable evening of post-Christmas entertainment.

“2020 has been a very difficult year for everybody, and in particular for those in the hospitality trade. David and I are really looking forward to jointly hosting this event.”