Harrogate district Conservative MPs Andrew Jones, Julian Smith, and Nigel Adams voted against an amendment to the Agriculture Bill yesterday that would have forced any future trade deal to meet UK food safety and animal welfare requirements.
The government said the amendment was not needed as it had already committed to ensuring UK food standards would be retained in any post-Brexit trade deals.
MPs voted by 332 votes to 279 to reject the House of Lords amendment. Former Harrogate councillor and current York Outer MP Julian Sturdy was one of 14 Tory rebels who voted against the government.
The bill will now return to the Lords.
Harrogate and Knaresborough Liberal Democrat parliamentary spokesperson Judith Rogerson accused Andrew Jones of “selling out” farmers.
She said:
“It’s disappointing to see Harrogate & Knaresborough’s MP fail to stand up for local farmers by voting to allow countries with lower standards undercut them.
”The UK should be leading the way in upholding the highest environmental and animal welfare standards, not selling out our planet, animals, and farmers for the sake of future trade deals.”
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Farming minister Victoria Prentis told the Commons the government was “absolutely committed to high standards”.
Last week, protestors met outside Mr Jones’ constituency office in Harrogate urging him to vote down the amendment.
Philip Knight, who attended the protest, told the Stray Ferret he was worried the bill would lead to lower food standards in post-Brexit trade deals:
“Personally, I’m worried that because of Brexit and a frenzy for a trade deal that the government is going to make some mistakes and lower food standards in this country, which will affect not only what we eat but the livelihoods of farmers.”
The Stray Ferret asked Mr Jones, Mr Smith, and Mr Adams for comment but none had responded at the time of publication.
Harrogate Town: Project Big Picture should be ‘seriously considered’
Harrogate Town managing director Garry Plant has said proposals that could see the club potentially receive millions of pounds in funding from the Premier League should be “seriously considered”.
Details of Project Big Picture, which would radically overhaul the way finances are distributed down the football pyramid, were leaked to the media over the weekend.
Under the proposals, put forward by Liverpool and Manchester United, the top nine clubs in the Premier League would get more control in return for giving an immediate £350m rescue fund to the English Football League, plus 25% of revenue from future deals.
This would give EFL clubs, who have struggled financially since the lockdown, a much-needed cash windfall. Currently, each EFL club receives £430,000 a season from the Premier League as a “solidarity payment”.
Speaking to the Stray Ferret yesterday, Mr Plant said:
“Any assistance that the clubs can get has to be seriously considered otherwise there might not be some clubs in the EFL for much longer.
“The club is being guided by and trusts the EFL to arrive at the very best solution for the football family.”
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The proposals would also see the League Cup scrapped, which Mr Plant suggested would be a small price to pay if it guaranteed the survival of EFL clubs.
Mr Plant warned if communities lost their football clubs it would have a lasting impact that would run deeper than purely sport.
He added:
Only 17% of Harrogate hate crime reports lead to charges“The key important thing is the survival of football.
“Bury and Macclesfield have already closed and it would have a massive impact on local communities.”
A total of 264 hate crimes were reported in the Harrogate district in the last three years — but fewer than two in 10 led to a charge.
One hundred and sixty seven of the reports were for racial hate crimes, 32 were for homophobia and 20 related to disabled people. There were also 13 reports relating to Muslims and eight relating to trans people.
In total, 46 charges were brought, which represents 17 per cent of the number of complaints made.
The Stray Ferret obtained the figures, which cover 2017, 2018, and 2019, from North Yorkshire Police through the Freedom of Information Act.
The number of reported hate crimes was stable in each of the three years but the number of reports that led to a charge decreased from 21 in 2017 to nine in 2019.
The police cited a variety of reasons for not bringing charges, including being unable to identify the suspect, the victim deciding not to support police action, and community resolutions.
Crown Prosecution Service figures show that the national conviction rate for hate crimes in 2018/19 was 84.3%.
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Hate crime often involves verbal or physical abuse but can also cover vandalism, criminal damage, graffiti, arson, cyberbullying, offensive communications, threats of attack, or financial exploitation.
This week is National Hate Crime Awareness Week and superintendent Mark Khan, North Yorkshire Police’s lead for hate crime, said he wanted the public to feel confident reporting hate crime.
He said:
Match Preview: Bradford City vs Harrogate Town“Hate crime has a devastating impact on its victims, their families and their communities.
“It’s so important that we do not let this type of behaviour go unnoticed or unchallenged. Reporting hate crime is everyone’s business. We want people in Harrogate, and across North Yorkshire, to report it – and to feel confident reporting it.
“So whether you are a victim of any kind of hate crime, or have witnessed a hate crime incident, no matter how insignificant it may seem, we would urge you to call the police, via 101 or 999 in an emergency.
“If you do not wish to speak to the police, contact Supporting Victims in North Yorkshire or visit True Vision, who can both be contacted confidentially and can offer support and advice.”
When Harrogate Town won promotion to the English Football League, Bradford City away was the fixture many fans were looking forward to most.
Harrogate are no strangers to the city, having recently played in the National League North against Bradford Park Avenue.
However, Bradford City’s 25,000 all-seater Valley Parade is worthy of a higher division and would have been a special day out for fans.
Instead, they will have to make do watching the game, which kicks off at 7.45 pm tonight, live on Sky Sports.
Muldoon set to return
Both clubs have five points so far, with Town having played one more game than their West Yorkshire rivals.
City beat Stevenage 2-1 in their last league fixture whilst Town’s good start to the season faltered when they went down last week 1-2 against Bolton Wanderers.
Town missed Jack Muldoon against Bolton but Simon Weaver has confirmed that the free-scoring forward is likely to return after recovering from a recent injury.
Weaver could give a start to experienced striker Jon Stead, who played for Bradford on loan in 2014/15.
He said:
“The fixtures do not come much bigger for us at this level. We are looking forward to it and have been doing since the fixtures were released.
“Bradford have an experienced manager who Paul Thirlwell knows very well in Stuart McCall, who is a club legend.
“We have looked at their games and they have some really experienced players, so it is sure to be a big challenge.”
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City manager Stuart McCall said he is looking forward to the game:
Developer cuts larger homes at Boroughbridge due to ‘market conditions’“Harrogate have started very well and are a good footballing side.
“They have two guys in Simon Weaver and his assistant Paul Thirlwell – who I know well having played with him at Sheffield United – who have done a fantastic job. We are really starting to see the emergence of the football club as a whole.
“They play some very good football and are a strong team. It is a match I am really looking forward to.”
Linden Homes will cut the number of four- and five-bedroom homes at its Riverside Mills development as a response to “market conditions”.
This week, Harrogate Borough Council approved a planning application from the developer to alter the already-agreed 95 homes on the site, where work has already begun.
Linden will replace nine 3-bedroom, sixteen 4-bedroom and seven 5-bedroom homes with four 4-bedroom, 34 three-bedroom and eight 2-bedroom homes. This will increase the total number of homes in the development by 14, and the total number of bedrooms by eight.
The application to make the changes was first submitted in October 2019.
The Stray Ferret asked Linden Homes to comment but the company had not responded by the time of publication. A document submitted to HBC by Pegasus Group on behalf of Linden Homes said:
“The proposed scheme seeks [to] maintain the existing infrastructure layout of the site, whilst introducing a number of smaller units to reflect market conditions in Boroughbridge.”
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There have been signs locally that, since lockdown, housebuilders are being more cautious with developments. In July, the UK’s largest housebuilder, Barratt Homes, pulled out of a 390-home development in Littlethorpe, Ripon.
In August, Harrogate Borough Council agreed to buy 52 homes for £4.5m at Stonebridge Homes’ Castle Hill Farm development on Whinney Lane.
Despite some caution from housebuilders, estate agents in the district have reported a “manic” period since June.
Alex Atkinson, sales manager at Linley & Simpson, told the Stray Ferret that 2020 will end strongly thanks to the government’s Stamp Duty holiday, which ends in March 2021.
He said:
Another 42 coronavirus cases in Harrogate district“Since lockdown we’ve seen a massive shift in our village and rural properties. Anything with land or outdoor space is selling like hotcakes at the moment.”
A further 42 cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in the Harrogate district, according to the latest Public Health England figures.
It takes the total number of cases in the district since the start of the pandemic to 1,412.
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- Newby Hall’s relief at £450,000 government grant
Earlier this week, Harrogate Borough Council was allocated £57,951 as part of government attempts to enforce coronavirus restrictions.
The government has awarded £60 million to councils and police forces across the country.
North Yorkshire’s Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner has been allocated £291,987 as part of the deal.
Councils are expected to use the money for compliance and enforcement, such as recruiting covid marshals, carrying out inspections, issuing fines and closing premises in the case of non-compliance.
Although covid marshals will not have any enforcement powers, government guidance says they should “engage, explain and encourage best practice and national covid secure guidance”.
‘Mindless vandals’ damage trees on the StraySeveral trees on the Stray have been damaged, believed to be by vandals.
Sgt Andy Graham from North Yorkshire Police tweeted that he saw the trees, which are on the York Place section of the Stray, when walking to work this morning.
https://twitter.com/KnaresPolice/status/1314819033053757440?s=20
Responding to Sgt Graham’s tweet, the Stray Defence Association tweeted:
“What motivates these mindless vandals? Why would anyone destroy their local environment?”
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It is not the first time this year trees have been damaged on the Stray.
In June, two young trees were pulled up following reports of large gatherings.
Newby Hall’s ‘great relief’ at £450,000 government grantThe owner of Newby Hall has expressed ‘great relief and gratitude’ at receiving a £450,000 government grant to ensure the popular attraction remains open to the public into 2021 and beyond.
The money has come from a £103m Cultural Recovery Fund for Heritage, aimed at safeguarding the future of heritage venues such as Newby, which have been hit hard by coronavirus restrictions.
2020 has seen all major events, weddings and corporate events cancelled at Newby Hall. While the gardens opened to the public in early June, visitor numbers are down by around 75%.
Owner Richard Compton said without the funding there was a “real threat” that Newby could close to the public.
He said:
“Our business model, relying on day visitors and events, has allowed us to stand alone financially and add a little each year in terms of restoration and improvements. Covid and 2020 has shattered all plans and posed a real financial threat to Newby.
“This funding has allowed the business model to be rebuilt for 2021, thus safeguarding the wonderful house and the award-winning gardens for future generations of visitors to enjoy.”
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Menwith Hill protest to take place tomorrow
A protest will take place tomorrow both online and outside Menwith Hill against what campaigners say is the increasing “militarisation of space”.
It’s been organised by the Menwith Hill Accountability Campaign (MHAC) and the Yorkshire branch of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (YCND). The event will include speakers, film, and an online link with protesters at the base.
The event forms part of “Keep Space for Peace Week”, which aims to highlight concerns about the US Space Force, a new branch of the US Armed Forces.
One of the speakers, Will Griffin, will be showing extracts from his recent film about the role of Menwith Hill.
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Built in the 1950s on the edge of Nidderdale, Menwith Hill is the United States’ largest overseas surveillance base. Giant radomes, or “golf balls”, are a distinctive feature of the site.
Since 2000, protestors have taken part in a weekly demonstration outside Menwith Hill, which has been halted due to lockdown.
In February this year, Harrogate Borough Council granted planning permission for the Ministry of Defence to build three new radomes at the site.
It’s goodbye Doncaster for Harrogate TownHarrogate Town have played their final ‘home’ fixture at Doncaster Rovers’ Keepmoat Stadium.
Following promotion from the National League, Town were forced by the English Football League to remove its artificial 3G surface at Wetherby Road and replace it with grass.
This meant the team has been playing its home fixtures at Doncaster, 46 miles from Harrogate.
Harrogate Town chairman Irving Weaver’s housing company, Strata Homes, is also based in the South Yorkshire town.
The team signed off from the Keepmoat with an impressive 3-1 win against Leicester City’s under-23 side on Tuesday in the EFL Trophy.
Work on Town’s new pitch at the club’s EnviroVent Stadium is now nearly complete.
Playing at the Keepmoat seemed to be popular with Town’s players, with veteran striker Jon Stead tweeting yesterday:
“What a venue, unreal hospitality, and fantastic ground staff. Thank you Donny.”
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Town’s next fixture will be a hotly anticipated local derby against Bradford City at Valley Parade on Monday night. The game will be shown live on Sky Sports.
Simon Weaver’s men will play at Wetherby Road for the first time since July on October 17 when they face last season’s National League champions Barrow.
Meanwhile, a petition has now been signed by over 180,000 people urging the government to allow fans to safely return to football stadiums, amid reports that several EFL clubs face a precarious financial situation.
Initially in the summer, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said fans would be able to return to grounds from October 1. But rising coronavirus infection rates put this plan on hold indefinitely.