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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Harrogate Town’s history boys promoted after Wembley win

Harrogate Town will play in the English Football League for the first time in their history after beating Notts County 3-1 today at Wembley Stadium.

Town dominated the first half and went into the half-time break leading 2-0 thanks to goals from George Thompson and Connor Hall.

After conceding early in the second half and weathering a significant Notts County storm, Town clinched promotion from the National League after an incisive counter-attack saw on-loan midfielder Diamond make it 3-1 with twenty minutes to go.

For what was billed as the biggest game in the club’s history, Town fans missed out on songs and beers on the bus down to London and the walk up Wembley Way.

Even a planned screening of the game at the CNG Stadium was cancelled by North Yorkshire County Council at the last minute, so Town fans could be forgiven for thinking that just perhaps promotion just wasn’t meant to be.

But Town have relied on more than luck or superstition over the past few seasons and put in an accomplished performance to see off Notts County who have spent 156 of their 157 years playing in the EFL.

Town named an unchanged side with Aaron Martin, in only his second game for the club, getting the nod up front over the experienced Jon Stead.

It was a confident start from Town at the home of English football and it only took them five minutes to score after George Thompson swept home a cross from Ryan Fallowfield to give Town the dream start.

Aaron Martin should have made it 2-0 when he was through clean on goal in the 9th minute but he dragged his shot wide.

Jack Diamond was tripped on the edge of the box which led to a free-kick and Town’s second goal. Connor Hall put the ball away to continue Town’s dream start.

Town players did not rest on their laurels and continued to control the first half. Aaron Martin had a clear chance to make it 3-0 on 40 minutes, but his shot struck the post.

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Notts County’s Callum Roberts scored a curling free-kick immediately following the half-time breaking bringing Town right back to earth. Town dealt with some heavy pressure throughout the first 15 minutes of the second half but managed to weather the storm with a lead still intact.

Bringing the veteran Jon Stead on at the hour mark to replace Aaron Martin was a canny move from manager Simon Weaver, and his team began to look much more settled. Muldoon almost made it three after a scramble in the box.

The tension that had been building throughout the second half was extinguished when on-loan Sunderland winger Jack Diamond made it 3-1 on 70 minutes after a brilliant counter-attacking move.

Town managed to see the game out comfortably – although James Belshaw made a razor-sharp save to keep County out on the 76th minute.

Harrogate Town will play in League Two next season for the first time in their history — and after playing at Wembley with such confidence and style, they will fear no team.

For the fans, they have trips to Bradford City, Bolton Wanderers and Oldham Athletic to look forward to, should social distancing guidelines be relaxed. Even though they couldn’t be at Wembley today they will be celebrating long into the night.

 

Match preview: Harrogate Town vs Notts County

Harrogate Town will play Notts County at Wembley later today with the winner playing in the English Football League next season.

Not quite a David vs. Goliath occasion — the National League play off final will be a meeting between two clubs that have tasted different fortunes throughout their histories.

On Sunday, the Magpies will be hoping to return to league football where they have spent 157 of their 158 years, whereas Harrogate Town hopes to enter a new frontier.

Notts County are the oldest professional football league club in the world and are even former FA Cup winners, but there won’t be any fans who can remember them lifting the trophy in 1894.

Harrogate Town will walk out at Wembley for the first time this weekend. Picture Credit: Matt Kirkham Harrogate Town

They’ve been managed by some of the biggest names in English football including Howard Wilkinson, Howard Kendall and Sam Allardyce.

County were relegated from League Two in 2019 but bounced back strongly in the National League finishing just three points behind Town in third position.

In their one league encounter this season, County beat Town at the CNG Stadium 2-0, with goals from Kristian Dennis and Enzio Boldewijn.

They were due to play each other again over two legs in the semi-final of the FA Trophy, which was curtailed due to the lockdown in March. It still might go ahead which could lead to another day out at Wembley for the winning club.

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County beat Barnet in their play off game last week to reach Wembley and looked impressive with goals from Kristian Dennis and Callum Roberts.

They are the best-supported club in the division with an average attendance of 5,200 whereas Harrogate welcomes around 1,300 to the CNG.

But social distancing is a great leveller and they won’t be able to count on extra fans at Wembley with the game played behind closed doors.

Town are the current favourites with the bookies at 6/4 with Notts County at 7/4 which manager Simon Weaver isn’t fazed by.

He told the Stray Ferret:

“That’s fine and it means we must have played well and done well in the season. We know Notts County have a very strong squad and a lot of strength in depth.

“They have without doubt a lot more league experience than us but we hope to cause them problems.”

Striker Aaron Martin made his debut for Town in the tie with Boreham Wood, and he will hope to start ahead of Jon Stead and Mark Beck following an energetic performance.

But Jon Stead has big-game experience from his time in the Premier League which Weaver may look to count on.

Notts County manager Neal Ardley is expected to name the same side that beat Barnet last week.

 

MPs watch: NHS ‘on the table’ in US trade talks?

Every month the Stray Ferret has been trying to find out what our local MPs have been up to in their constituencies and in the House of Commons.

In July, lockdown restrictions were eased which saw a raft of businesses reopen in the district, including pubs, restaurants and hairdressers. It was also the last month in Parliament before the summer recess and several crucial votes were cast.

This month, we have included Conservative MP Nigel Adams as several villages in his Selby and Ainsty constituency fall within the Harrogate district — including Huby, Spofforth, Kirby Overblow and Sicklinghall.

We asked Mr Adams as well as Harrogate & Knaresborough MP, Andrew Jones and Ripon MP Julian Smith, if they would like to highlight anything in particular, but we did not receive a response from any of them at the time of publication.

So here is what we know after analysing their online presence and activity in Parliament.

Andrew Jones, MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough.

In Harrogate and Knaresborough here is what we found on Mr Jones:

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Julian Smith, MP for Ripon and Skipton.

In Ripon here is what we found on Mr Smith:

Nigel Adams, MP For Selby and Ainsty

In rural south Harrogate here is what we found on Mr Adams.

 

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Where to watch Harrogate’s historic play-off final on Sunday

Harrogate Town will play Notts County at Wembley on Sunday in the National League play off final — but fans will agonisingly miss out on a special day out to the home of English football due to social distancing restrictions.

The club has offered a limited number of fans the chance to watch Sunday’s play-off final with fellow supporters at The CNG Stadium.

If you can’t make it to the ground, below is a list of bars and venues in Harrogate that are showing the game live, which will be broadcast on BT Sport at 3pm.

The Harrogate Arms, Parliament Street (online bookings only)

Bilton Working Men’s Club, Skipton Road (non-members welcome)

Manhatten Snooker Club, Beech Avenue (non-members welcome)

Mojo, Parliament Street (online bookings only)

Prince of Wales, Starbeck High Street

Harlow Hill Sports and Social Club, College Street 

Bilton Cricket Club, Bilton Lane

The Woodlands Hotel, Wetherby Road

The following pubs are showing the game but are already fully booked:

The Alexandra, West Park

The Last Post, Cold Bath Road 

Did we miss a pub or bar that is showing the game? Email contact@thestrayferret.co.uk to let us know.

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Knaresborough air pollution still illegal, despite Bond End changes

Air pollution at Bond End in Knaresborough remains at illegal levels, despite a mini-roundabout being put in to cut toxic vehicle fumes.

These were the findings of Harrogate Borough Council’s latest air quality report that has been submitted to the government. It tracked levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) at various monitoring sites across the district throughout 2019.

NO2 is an air pollutant produced mainly by exhaust fumes and has been linked to myriad health conditions including heart disease, lung cancer and Alzheimer’s.

The UK still adheres to EU legal limits for air pollution stating no monitoring site should exceed 40 micrograms per cubic metre (µg/m3) over the course of a year — which was breached at Bond End in 2019.

Bond End has been a hotspot for congestion for many years, with regular tailbacks towards the River Nidd.

HBC declared an Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) for the road in 2010, which the government requires councils to do to try and improve areas with particularly bad air pollution. In September 2018, North Yorkshire County Council replaced traffic lights at Bond End with a mini-roundabout to reduce congestion and improve the flow of traffic.

There are four sites monitoring air pollution at Bond End which all reported decreases in 2019. However, one remained above the legal limit at 40.47 µg/m3. The other three monitors at Bond End measured 38.6 µg/m3, 31.2 µg/m3 and 24.27 µg/m3 in 2019.

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Across the Harrogate district, the report revealed that air pollution is falling. Concentrations within the Harrogate AQMA at Wetherby Road fell, as did Ripon’s AQMA along Low Skellgate, High Skellgate and the junction with Westgate.

During the height of lockdown in March and April, government air pollution monitors reported 50% drops in major towns and cities. However, numbers have almost returned to normal levels since restrictions have eased.

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95 homes at Granby Farm will destroy ‘green corridor’

A residents group has told the Stray Ferret that 95 homes proposed for Granby Farm near Harrogate High School will destroy a vital “green corridor” that connects the Stray to the countryside.

Richborough Estates has submitted plans for 95 homes to be built on the land that is designated for development within Harrogate Borough Council’s Local Plan.

In a site assessment produced by HBC when formulating the Local Plan, the council said because the site “is an important part of the green infrastructure network” of Harrogate, any development on the site should maintain 50% open fields — yet plans submitted propose only 25% is kept green.

Gary Walker, from Granby Residents Association, said HBC should refuse the plans on this basis to “create a legacy” for the town.

He said:

“We believe a green corridor needs to be maintained. We don’t feel the current plans address that objective. There’s an opportunity for the council to create a legacy for the town by providing an access route for the Stray through to Nidd Gorge that could be enjoyed by the people of Harrogate.

 

“People are totally opposed to the proposals. We accept the field will be developed, however we are extremely disappointed the proposal on the table doesn’t meet the council’s recommendation for green space. The council could miss a big opportunity to create a green corridor and help the environment and wildlife.”

Richborough proposes 38 homes will be affordable and 57 will be sold at market rate. All the market rate properties would be either four or five-bedroom houses.

The public consultation for the plans will end on August 14.

The Stray Ferret asked Richborough to comment but it had not replied at the time of publication.

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

Richborough is also the developer for a separate application for 155 homes on Kingsley Road.

Last month it was told by HBC to “go away and rework” its proposals due to overdevelopment. Updated plans will go before HBC’s planning committee next week.

Harrogate Town manager: ‘Promotion can put us on the footballing map’

Harrogate Town manager Simon Weaver has said promotion to the English Football League on Sunday would make Harrogate known for football as well as tea shops.

Town play Notts County at Wembley on Sunday with the winner playing in League Two next season.

Speaking to the Stray Ferret, Weaver said playing in the EFL for the first time in the club’s history would be a major boost to Harrogate.

He said:

“It would put us right on the footballing map. We often get the mickey taken out of us saying we’re a town full of tea shops but hopefully we’ll be known for the brand of football and the style we play and that’s the aim of getting in the football league.

Weaver hailed the “amazing” performance of his team last Saturday for beating a physical Boreham Wood side 1-0 in the play-off semi-final at the CNG Stadium.

After not playing since March, the players looked sharp, which Weaver expects to continue into the final.

He said:

“It was amazing that they put on a show after such a long absence. I couldn’t have been prouder of everyone’s attitude.”

Weaver has managed Town for over 500 games — and it will be a sweet occasion to lead his team out on Sunday at the famous Wembley Stadium, despite Town fans being unable to attend due to social distancing restrictions.

He said:

“I’m sure they will be watching and listening where they can but we’ll have them at the forefront of our minds. It’s painful them not being there but we’ll have to focus our minds on the day and do our best for the supporters and make them proud back home.”

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A key strength of Town’s squad over the past few years has been its stability: the majority of the team that won promotion to the National League in 2018 are still present and Weaver said if they do get promoted he won’t be making wholesale changes.

He said:

“Either way we won’t rip up what we’ve got. I think we’ll be very competitive should we be lucky and good enough to win on Sunday.

“We’d be looking at boosting the size of squad so we’d probably need two or three players. Defensively we only have four in the squad right now.”

If the game ends 0-0 on Sunday, Town will be faced with a penalty shootout for the first time since 2012 when they were knocked out of the F.A Cup second round by Hastings.

Fortunately, the squad had a penalties expert on hand to come and give them advice before the Boreham Wood game — England manager and Harrogate local Gareth Southgate.

Weaver said:

“I’ve known him for a few years and thought it might be nice for him to talk about his experiences for 40 or 50 minutes. He’s a really nice guy and talked about how they dealt with penalties in the last England tournament.”

Harrogate Town vs Notts County kicks off at 3pm on Sunday and will be shown live on BT Sport.