Parents risk losing child’s place at school over coronavirus fears, says county council

Parents who keep their children out of school from September due to concerns over them catching Covid-19 risk losing their place at the school, according to North Yorkshire County Council.

From next month the government says all primary and secondary school pupils must return after being away from the classroom since March, when the lockdown began.

The Stray Ferret put a range of questions about schools in the Harrogate district going back in September to Cllr Patrick Mulligan, executive member for schools at North Yorkshire County Council. His responses are below.

Cllr Patrick Mulligan, executive member for schools, North Yorkshire County Council.

Professor Neil Ferguson said last week that schools re-opening in September risks a second wave of Covid-19. Do you agree?

“There are so many different points of view about this but we’re listening to advice from the government. With young people and children, the risk of contracting coronavirus is very low.

“I’ve had a lot of contact with parents who are upset with the school lockdown. They say their kids are not getting an education.

“The government didn’t give so much guidance so it was up to the governors and teachers about what should be done. So in one village the school might have been doing everything electronically and in another village, they were doing hardly anything.

“The government didn’t have a national policy so it was up to the individual school. NYCC didn’t have the power to intervene if a school wasn’t doing anything because it was at their discretion.

“That turned out to be problematic. It was one of those things that was unforeseen when the lockdown occurred.”

Are you preparing to close schools if there is a second spike?

“We’ve learned a lot of lessons and it’s the last thing we want to see. We’re trying to mitigate it through local lockdowns and the same could be true for schools. Theoretically, the NHS could come in and shut a school down. Everything is evolving from day to day.

“If it did happen again we would hope there would be better internet provision and lessons set up. It’s a difficulty if children don’t have electronic devices or anyone at home supporting them.”

Will school buses be at full capacity?

“If the government had said we’d have to maintain social distancing for school transport that would be a huge issue for NYCC because frankly, we don’t have the number of vehicles to make two or three trips to the school instead of one.

“But the government has said where there’s a dedicated school bus service there doesn’t have to be social distancing.”

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What options does a parent have if they don’t want to send their child back to school in September due to safety concerns?

“As it stands now, the parents would have to keep their children at home then they would have to say they would home school their child. The risk is they would lose their child’s place at the school.

“Otherwise, if you keep your child off school then they are liable for a fine. That’s a big issue.

“Our absolute priority is to keep the children safe. If there is any thought they won’t be safe then we’d be advising the school to close.

“All the schools are taking it very seriously and implementing safety recommendations.”

Will teachers receive any extra training to prepare for any mental health issues children may face in September?

“It’s so hard to say what the mental health of our children is. Our mental health officers say there have been less calls than usual, which might be worrying.

“My daughter went back to school in June for a bit and she was quite relieved to see her friends and have more structure in her education.”

Does a teacher have to go back to work if they, for example, have a partner at home who is shielding? 

“I think they’d be allowed to wear PPE if they wanted to. It’s a very difficult one and it’s an individual choice. If someone wanted to stop working then that’s their choice.

“I don’t think there’s any more risk to a teacher than to someone in any other workplace. It’s completely understandable that someone might be nervous going back to work. In my experience, people are getting more confident about going out.”

Have there been any positives for children not being at school for so long?

“Maybe they have learnt to value things they have took for granted, just like all of us. My main concern is about their education. But I’d like to think they’ve learnt the value of family a bit more.”

Thousands line streets for Harrogate Town’s open-top bus parade

Thousands of Harrogate Town supporters lined the streets to cheer on their team during a celebratory open-top bus parade today.

The parade was in celebration of the club’s historic 3-1 win over Notts County at Wembley last Sunday, taking them into League Two and the English Football League for the first time in their history.

The open-top bus was provided by Harrogate Bus Company and left a sunny CNG Stadium at Wetherby Road at around 12pm. It continued past the Empress pub, West Park, Bettys and the Cairn Hotel before returning to the ground by 12.40.

At Wetherby Road, there were scores of supporters wearing yellow and black and singing “Town are going up” as the bus passed.

Police were in attendance but the fans were well behaved and largely adhered to social distancing guidelines.

In scenes reminiscent of the UCI cycling event last summer, fans lined West Park to cheer on manager Simon Weaver and his players who showed off their National League play off trophy.

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Council could spend £4.5m on 52 homes in Harrogate

Harrogate Borough Council is planning to buy 52 homes at the Castle Hill Farm development on Whinney Lane.

In a report due to be discussed by the council’s cabinet next week, the council says the homes would cost £4.5m in total.

Sixteen homes would be transferred to HBC’s housing company, Bracewell Homes, to be sold under shared ownership, and the rest would be made available for social rent.

Developer Stonebridge Homes has planning permission to build 130 homes at the site. Work is currently under way and the first homes are scheduled for completion in November.

HBC says it could recoup between £1.18m and £2.37m from the 16 shared ownership properties, with the council turning a profit on the purchase after at least 13 years thanks to the rental income.

The council said the shared ownership homes will support first-time buyers in the district.

“The acquisition of 16 shared ownership homes by the council or its housing company will provide a great opportunity to meet high demand from potential first-time buyers in the district and will generate a revenue stream to support council services.”

The council also believes the purchase would help ease demand for socially rented homes as there are currently 1,249 households on the waiting list.

However, the council warned there is “uncertainty” over the medium- to long-term future of the housing market as estate agents in the district report a “pent up” demand for housing following the easing of lockdown restrictions.

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The Stray Ferret asked Stonebridge Homes about HBC’s involvement in the scheme but the company had not responded by the time of publication.

There have been signs locally that, since lockdown, housebuilders are being more cautious with developments. Last month, the UK’s largest housebuilder, Barratt Homes, pulled out of a 390-home development in Littlethorpe, Ripon.

Meanwhile, Banks Group submitted plans for 270 homes and a primary school on the opposite side of the Castle Hill Farm site on Whinney Lane.

Whinney Lane is now closed for seven months due to the construction of two site access points for the Castle Hill Farm housing development as well as a new roundabout.

The manager of the Squinting Cat pub told the Stray Ferret that the closure “could kill” the business.

Fears over Tockwith explosives facility

Residents in Tockwith have said they are worried about the safety of an explosives storage facility that will be built in the village.

Explosives firm Brexco were granted planning permission for a storage site at the former Tockwith Airfield last year.

Six metal storage buildings will be built to house explosives and detonators for use in mines and quarries. The facility can hold up to 85 tonnes of ammonium nitrate, which is the chemical blamed for the blast in Lebanon this week.

The initial application faced fierce opposition from residents, with more than 600 people signing a petition objecting to the plans.

Former Green Party parliamentary candidate and Tockwith resident Arnold Warneken told the Stray Ferret that businesses and residents fears were heightened after witnessing the explosion on TV.

He said:

“The community is very concerned about what might happen once it’s built.”

The Beirut explosion this week involved 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate – a much larger quantity than the amount planned for Tockwith. There have been allegations of criminal negligence in Lebanon around how safely the chemical was stored.

Brexco told the Stray Ferret that it follows strict UK government regulations for the handling of ammonium nitrate to ensure the safety and security of the chemical.

A Brexco spokesperson said:

“The Health & Safety Executive are the UK statutory regulator and as such provide detailed information regarding general duties imposed on employers by the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 with regard to the safe storage and handling of ammonium nitrate.

“This is the point of reference for manufacturers, blenders, ports and harbours, importers, warehouse keepers and farmers.

“FIAS (Fertiliser Industry Assurance Scheme) has been developed to assist industry manage the safety, security and traceability of all fertilisers.

“The scheme is supported by the British Government and requires companies to demonstrate that they comply fully with all relevant EU & GB legislation, security, traceability, and product safety.”

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Decision to refuse 46 homes in Killinghall overturned on appeal

Almost 50 new homes will be built on the edge of Killinghall after the government’s Planning Inspectorate overturned a decision by Harrogate Borough Council to refuse the plans.

In October 2018, HBC’s planning committee rejected the application from Linden Homes because it said the development would harm the appearance of the area and that residents will be forced to use their cars because of a lack of more sustainable options.

The council had also warned that trees covered by tree preservation orders (TPO) may have to be removed due to their proximity to some of the proposed 46 homes.

The homes will be built opposite Pharmall animal food store on Otley Road, close to the junction of the A59 and B6161. The site is not designated for development within HBC’s Local Plan.

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Killinghall is one of Harrogate’s main pressure points for new housing and land to the north and east of the site has planning permission for around 345 homes.

However, inspector John Dowsett disagreed with the conclusions of HBC’s planners and said the Linden Homes development “should be perceived as an extension” to an already built-up area on the edge of town.

He added that the homes would not harm the appearance of the area because the existing field is the result of a nineteenth-century division of a larger field and “does not reflect the original, historic, field layout”.

Mr Dowsett also dismissed concerns that any trees with TPOs would have to be removed.

600 rail replacement bus journeys between Harrogate and Leeds last year

Train operator Northern ordered over 600 rail replacement bus journeys on the troubled Harrogate to Leeds and Leeds to Harrogate services in 2019.

Figures obtained by the Stray Ferret through a Freedom of Information request reveals the scale of disruption to commuters throughout last year, which Northern blamed on “significant” engineering work, poor weather and the UCI cycling event.

Engineering work is carried out by Network Rail who own and maintain the tracks.

In January 2020, the government stripped the Northern of its franchise due to years of poor performance. The government has operated the franchise since March 1.

According to research published earlier this year by the Sunday Times and ontimetrains.co.uk, the 7.13 am Harrogate to Leeds service was the most cancelled in the UK during the first three months of 2020.

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We also asked Northern for the number of rail replacement bus journeys between York and Harrogate — which was a fraction of the Harrogate to Leeds figure.

So far in 2020, there have been over 80 replacement bus journeys between Harrogate and Leeds, but train schedules have been reduced due to the coronavirus lockdown.

The full figures provided to us by Northern are below.

The number of rail replacement buses on each line. Figures provided by Northern.

A spokesperson for Northern told the Stray Ferret:

“During 2019 there was significant engineering work, carried out by Network Rail, on the Harrogate Line which meant it was necessary to provide much higher levels of rail replacement transport than usual.

“Northern also provided additional standby rail replacement road transport throughout the World Road Cycling Championships and during the prolonged periods of adverse weather which resulted in flooding on the railway and made certain parts of the route impassable.”

Why Harrogate Borough Council won’t declare a ‘Climate Emergency’

Harrogate Borough Council swam against the tide in 2019 when it refused to declare a “Climate Emergency” — instead opting for a carbon reduction strategy that sets out how the authority aims to cut emissions over the next two decades.

But with the UK government saying a green-based recovery will be key to how we bounce back from Covid-19, the opposition Liberal Democrats are again putting pressure on HBC to make the pledge — but would it amount to anything meaningful?

What does declaring a “Climate Emergency” mean?

“Climate Emergency” was the Oxford English Dictionary word of last year and over two-thirds of all UK councils have now made the declaration.

It comes from the green movement created by Greta Thunberg and Extinction Rebellion and the pledge has been used as a line in the sand for organisations wanting to improve their environmental footprint.

It’s largely a symbolic gesture but councils have declared climate emergencies to drive environmental policy and give some green momentum to issues from housing, energy and education.

Climate emergencies have been declared across the political spectrum, including by 42 Conservative district authorities, but it has meant different things in different places.

For example, as part of the Conservative-led Gloucester City Council’s declaration, they aim to use 100% renewable energy across the council’s operations by 2030.

The Labour-led Warwick District Council included a pledge to build all new council homes to the UK Green Building Council definition net zero carbon buildings, which is housebuilding to the strictest environmental standards

Some councils including Bath and North Somerset, even have a cabinet member for climate emergency who has a specific brief to drive the agenda.

A political manoeuvre?

In 2019 the Liberal Democrats tabled a motion to HBC calling on them to declare a climate emergency, which was knocked back by Conservative council leader Richard Cooper.

As reported at the time by the BBC’s Local Democracy Service, he suggested the motion was a political manoeuvre.

He said:

“We shouldn’t actually be voting on whether there is a climate emergency or not. To have a vote is to say climate change is a matter of opinion – it is not, it is a fact.”

Instead, HBC set up what it boldly called the “most radical environmental manifesto put forward by a borough council ever”, including a carbon reduction strategy that aims to make Harrogate a net-zero carbon economy by 2038. This means Harrogate would balance the number of greenhouse gases emitted with the equivalent emissions that are offset.

Harrogate’s Climate Coalition was also created that brings together councillors as well as green groups and local businesses with the aim of working together in the name of sustainability and helping the environment.

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Progress so far

Last month, environmental campaigner Malcolm Margolis quit Harrogate’s Climate Coalition, citing a “lack of action” around sustainable travel.

ClientEarth, the environmental lawyers who beat the UK government in court over illegal levels of air pollution in 2015, say climate action at a local level can “transform” people’s quality of life.

But they warned councils they need to be bold and not wait for policy from central government.

ClientEarth climate lawyer Sam Hunter Jones said:

“There is a collective failure by local authorities across England to plan adequately for climate change. Too often climate change is perceived to be just a national or international issue and therefore solely the responsibility of central government.”

According to the local Liberal Democrats at Harrogate’s current rate of reducing CO2 emissions, it is way off reaching its 2038 target for net-zero and would struggle to achieve it by 2050.

Lib Dem Cllr Pat Marsh said she has written to Conservative cabinet member for sustainable transport, Cllr Phil Ireland, calling on HBC to declare a climate emergency and improve the way the Climate Change Coalition is run.

Cllr Marsh said:

“To effectively play our part in addressing this environmental crisis, it is imperative that we declare a Climate Emergency and commit to becoming net zero carbon by 2030 at the very latest.”

Caroline Linford set up the green group Sustainably Harrogate and told the Stray Ferret that it’s essential HBC makes the pledge.

She said:

“It’s essential that HBC understand the likely impact of the changing climate on the Harrogate district, as well as explore practical solutions which are available to them. I believe declaring a Climate Emergency would focus the council on this mission and help engage the wider public to take the action.”

A Harrogate Borough Council spokesperson said:

“As agreed by the council in the Notice of Motion last year, the council supports measures to address the climate emergency as outlined by the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

“Our carbon reduction strategy outlines an action plan for a number of priorities with an overall vision of having net-zero carbon emissions by 2038. Further information is available on our website.

“We have also launched the Harrogate District Climate Change Coalition, a group of businesses, public sector organisations and voluntary groups, which promotes and implements carbon reduction activities throughout the Harrogate district.”

149 homes near Harrogate High School refused

Councillors have refused 149 new homes on Kingsley Road near Harrogate High School because they said it would make already clogged roads in the area even worse.

Harrogate Borough Council’s planning committee had previously blocked the development twice this year due to concerns over the number of homes, traffic congestion and the environment.

Since the plans were last put before HBC in June, developer Richborough Estates reduced the number of homes from 155 to 149 and included a new transport assessment saying residents could use a bus stop in Bilton 1km away.

The site is designated for development within HBC’s Local Plan and HBC’s solicitor has previously warned councillors that refusing the plans could leave them open to a legal challenge by the developer.

However, meeting this afternoon via Zoom, councillors voted by 10 to 1 to refuse the application.

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There are several developments in the Kingsley area of Harrogate — which could see over 650 homes eventually built.

John Hansard from the Kingsley Ward Action Group spoke to the committee and called the transport assessment produced by the developer “a work of fiction”.

He said:

“There are still serious issues and walking over 1km to public transport makes a mockery of HBC’s carbon reduction strategy.

“Once this natural oasis is lost it’s gone forever and this area of Harrogate will be so much poorer for it.”

Dean Knight, technical director from Richborough, said the developer “has listened” after previous planning committees, but he faced a grilling from Cllr Pat Marsh who asked whether a 1km walk to the nearest bus stop was practical for elderly people or families carrying shopping.

Cllr Marsh called the traffic implications for the development “wrong, very wrong”.

Mr Knight said bus operator Transdev told the developer it was not possible to add a bus stop nearer to the site but said the 1km distance was not an “insurmountable” distance for people to walk.

Council accused of ‘steamrollering’ through Green Hammerton plans

Harrogate Borough Council has been accused of “steamrollering”  through plans to build a 3,000 home settlement at Green Hammerton.

After a bitter battle over where to build the new homes, HBC formally adopted its local plan in March and took the decision to build at Green Hammerton and Cattal, eight miles to the west of York.

HBC announced last week it is preparing a New Settlement Development Plan Document (DPD) ahead of a public consultation later this summer. The DPD will establish the boundary of the settlement, have details on the types of houses available and outline where new roads could be built.

Chris Eaton from the Keep Green Hammerton Green group told the Stray Ferret that the local community in Green Hammerton has not played a role in the formation of the DPD, which he said goes against promises made by the full council when the Local Plan was adopted.

He said residents were “hugely disappointed” to read the DPD update.

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He said:

“Harrogate Borough Council continue to pay lip service to their obligations and steamroller their policies through without meaningful consultation or involvement of the local communities.

“This means residents having a genuine role in deciding where the boundaries of the new settlement should lie within the so-called Green Hammerton/Cattal broad location. Consultation on a proposal already made by council planners without that stakeholder input would not be the stakeholder engagement promised.

“Whilst we realise the present pandemic has placed constraints on dialogue with council officers, the proper placement of the new settlement is too important a decision to be made with undue and unnecessary haste. We would urge planning officers to ensure that what is termed a consultation strategy does indeed mean residents having a say in the DPD right from the outset.”

A council spokesman told the Stray Ferret that HBC has been designing a “consultation strategy” with local parish councils and residents’ groups.

He said:

“We’re working up a consultation strategy with parish councils and interested residents’ groups ahead of a consultation in the autumn.

“We have received helpful suggestions from local groups and we will be back in touch shortly confirming our approach to ensure as many people are aware and involved as possible.”

The new settlement was originally planned for Flaxby on the outskirts of Knaresborough. In May, Flaxby Park Ltd, the developer behind the Flaxby site, launched a judicial review into HBC’s decision.

Speaking to the Stray Ferret last week, former Harrogate & Knaresborough MP Phil Willis questioned the decision to build at Green Hammerton.

What’s in store for Harrogate Town next season?

It’s mission accomplished for Harrogate Town players and coaching staff who are heading off for a two week holiday.

Whilst they can enjoy a richly deserved break after beating Notts County 3-1 in the National League play-off final at Wembley yesterday, work behind the scenes to prepare the club for League Two football will begin immediately.

Speaking to the Stray Ferret at Wembley after the game, chairman Irving Weaver said promotion to league football was always the aim, but it’s come a lot earlier than anyone at the club had ever imagined.

Mr Weaver confirmed that the team will begin the 2020/21 campaign playing home games at the Keepmoat Stadium which is home to Doncaster Rovers.

This is because Harrogate’s 3G pitch, that was only laid in 2016, will be dug up and replaced with grass as the EFL forbids clubs to play on the artificial surface. It is expected to take ten weeks.

When Simon Weaver became manager of Town in 2009, Bolton Wanderers were playing the likes of Arsenal and Liverpool in the Premier League whilst Town were plying their trade in the sixth tier of English football. Next season they will be playing in the same division and Town fans will be desperately hoping that coronavirus statistics are low enough for them to make the trip to the ground that was once known as the Reebok.

There will also be a tantalising Yorkshire derby against Bradford City, who also have played in the Premier League.

Town will surely be looking to tie down on-loan Sunderland winger Jack Diamond to at least another season at the CNG Stadium. His eye-catching performances in both the semi-final and the final earnt plaudits and his technical skill looked worthy of a higher division.

Simon Weaver said last week that he’s not looking to “rip up” his winning team but said he will look to add strength in depth to the defence.

Veteran striker Jon Stead knows his way around League Two and will be hoping to have done enough to earn a new contract. In both the play-off semi final and final he came on at around the hour mark and his influence changed the course of both games.

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Promotion to League Two will give the club a welcome financial boost which could help pay for some new signings.

Each League Two club receives £472,000 a season as a “basic award” from the EFL which is their share of the league’s five-year £595m broadcasting deal with Sky Sports.

The Premier League also gives clubs £430,000 as a “solidarity payment” — which is designed to trickle some of the league’s riches down the football pyramid.

For the first time in its history, Town would also play in the League Cup, entering in round one. If the club made the draw for the second round, it would be in the hat for potential money-spinning ties with some Premier League clubs — including newly-promoted Leeds United.

Town fans who play the videogame FIFA will also rejoice, as the club will be included in the FIFA 21 edition for the first time ever.

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