Thomas Barrett, Author at The Stray Ferret

‘Green’ car club launches in Harrogate

A ‘green’ car club has launched in Harrogate where you can hire low-emission vehicles by the hour.

Motorists sign up to a membership and can then book the cars online with as little as 30 minutes notice.

The scheme is backed by Harrogate Borough Council and the first ten hybrid cars are parked around Harrogate at HBC’s on-street parking spots including Montpellier, Commercial Street and Franklin Road.

The hourly rate for a hybrid Toyota Yaris is £5.50 an hour and the daily rate is £38.50.

Durham-based social enterprise Co-Wheels runs similar car clubs around the country. Rebecca Townend from Co-Wheels told the Stray Ferret that she hopes Harrogate’s environmentally-minded public will get on board.

Co-Wheels has a special introductory offer for people in Harrogate available on its website.

She said:

“It’s the first car club there’s ever been in Harrogate so it’s about educating people so they can give it a go.”

Hybrid cars combine petrol or diesel engine with an electric motor. Electric power can be activated in urban areas to reduce air pollution.

Ms Townend said they hope to introduce fully electric models at some point in the future.

According to the Department for Transport, Harrogate currently has 42 public electric vehicle charging points, which is above the national average.

Harrogate College welcomes cash boost for apprenticeships

The principal of Harrogate College says a government scheme to pay companies who take on new apprentices will help address the “skills gap” in Harrogate.

Speaking to the Stray Ferret, Danny Wild said he was “very pleased” at today’s announcement from the Chancellor — but the college is waiting for more details on how the scheme will operate.

In his summer statement Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced that from August to January, any company that hires an apprentice aged 16 to 24 will receive £2,000 from the government, while those that hire apprentices over 25 will be paid £1,500.

The government will also inject £100m into further education colleges to create more places on level 2 and 3 courses.

Speaking in the House of Commons, Mr Sunak said:

“Over 700,000 people are leaving education this year and many more are just starting out in their careers. Coronavirus has hit them hard. We cannot lose this generation.”

Harrogate College offers a number of apprenticeships in a range of sectors including hospitality, beauty and engineering.

They currently have 120 apprentices which they had hoped to double in 2021 before Covid-19 struck.

Mr Wild said the scheme will encourage employers in the district to take on apprentices.

He said:

“18 – 19-year-olds are a real vulnerable group at the moment. We’re really pleased with this announcement and it supports what Harrogate College is trying to do in the district and some of the labour market needs that Harrogate has.”

Covid-19 has brought about a new way of working for many businesses and Mr Wild hopes some of them will take advantage of the scheme to re-skill staff.

He added:

“We’re not going back to be our offices from 9-5. A lot of businesses are looking at how they operate and pulling out of office spaces. This scheme will help businesses who have employees looking to move up or change their way of working.

“Apprenticeships are for all age groups and for all organisations. This money will help all businesses re-map how they are going to operate or bring new skills to their operation.

“The positive is it will address the skills gap within all businesses in the district.”

Harrogate estate agents relieved at stamp duty holiday

Harrogate estate agents say a stamp-duty holiday could help revive a struggling housing market.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced in his summer statement that the threshold for stamp duty will be raised from£125,000 per home to £500,000.

The measure will only be temporary and is intended to boost a flagging housing market that has been disrupted due to coronavirus.

Harrogate has been no exception and it is hoped the change in stamp duty could bring some confidence back to the market.

Estate agent Andrew Hill told the Stray Ferret that the stamp duty holiday will give the market in Harrogate a boost after several fallow months.

He said:

“I think it will be a positive step in the right direction and it might just help people buy a house. It’s money in the right place at the right time to kickstart the housing market. We’re looking forward to it.”

Even though the market shut down from March to May, Mr Hill said the early signs for the rest of the year are positive.

He added:

“The market has set off a lot stronger than we ever dreamt of.

A lot of pent up demand got satisfied as lockdown restrictions eased. The news about stamp duty will help again.

The market will slow down people will be a bit more nervous but there hasn’t been too many signs of that so far.”

Will Linley, chief executive of Linley & Simpson, said it was a major boost for the industry and one that should “turbo charge” the Yorkshire property market.

He said:

“Whilst we have seen the property market making a steady post-Covid recovery, today’s announcement by the Chancellor is very welcome news indeed.

“There was a fear that its introduction would be delayed, which would have immediately put the brakes house sales.

“The stamp duty holiday will make a huge difference for those purchasing properties up to £500,000 and will encourage some to look at flats and houses that were originally out of their price bracket.”

Ripon residents ‘not being listened to’ on plan for 1,300 homes

Residents in Ripon have accused Homes England of a lack of transparency around its proposed 1,300 housing development at Ripon Barracks.

The land at Claro Barracks, Deverell Barracks and Laver Banks is being developed by the government’s housing agency, Homes England, and the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO). There are 1,300 homes mooted and it’s designated within Harrogate Borough Council’s Local Plan.

Homes England is set to publish its full masterplan for the site next week. On its website last year it said residents have a “once in a lifetime” chance to influence how the masterplan is formed.

However, Barbara Brodigan from the Ripon Spa Residents Action Group told the Stray Ferret that lockdown has meant local residents have failed to have their voices heard.

Ms Brodigan said:

“There’s been a lot of strong feeling about this. We’ve had a problem with lockdown that it prevented residents not being consulted properly and not being listened to. They are not being given any information.”

Homes England held a consultation last year to get the public’s views on the development.

They had planned to engage with residents again in April, but Ms Brodigan said these meetings failed to materialise due to lockdown.

She said traffic in Ripon is already “horrendous” and the addition of an extra 1,300 homes will make congestion worse. Homes England have so far proposed several minor improvements to the local road infrastructure including the addition of two new mini-roundabouts.

Ripon City Council also commissioned its own traffic report into the development which is still yet to be published.

Ms Brodigan criticised Julian Smith MP, for not meeting with the group since January or updating residents about his discussions with Homes England.

Last week, Mr Smith published on Facebook a letter he sent to Homes England detailing concerns raised by residents around transport infrastructure.

He also called on Homes England to hold a “renewed round of engagement” in ways “as open as possible”.

Ms Brodigan added:

“Where is Julian Smith? These people are accountable to us but they are not sharing information with us.”

Julian Smith’s office told the Stray Ferret that he is yet to receive a reply from Homes England.

Homes England sent the following statement to the Stray Ferret:

“We are shortly going to write to local people to invite them to view an online exhibition we are holding to explain our proposed planning application, this follows on from the exhibition we held last year and the meetings we have had with a range of community groups.

“We understand that because of the restrictions in place due to COVID 19 we have not been able to hold the usual face-to face exhibition, but the online exhibition will be supported by an explanatory video, which will provide local people with significant information.

“The Exhibition will provide detail about our proposed transport improvements, which covers a range of measures, including improvements to junctions and other works.

“Our first principle is to create a development that sustainably helps reduce car journeys by providing local facilities. We understand that this is not practical for everyone so as a next step we will also enhance the pedestrian and cyclists’ routes within the development and to Ripon City centre. We understand that a development of this size will create extra car journeys and working with the local Highways Authorities our modelling has identified the need for a number of junction improvements which we will explain at the exhibition.”

Harrogate MP votes against financial support for migrant abuse victims

Harrogate & Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones voted against offering financial support for migrant victims of domestic abuse.

Non-EU nationals with limited leave to enter or remain currently have “no recourse to public funds”, meaning they are not entitled to any financial support such as housing benefit, child benefit, tax credits or Universal Credit.

Charities say the condition is forcing some survivors to return to their abusive partners.

An amendment to the Domestic Abuse Bill yesterday intended to change this to give migrant survivors of domestic abuse a safety net if they are escaping from their abuser or trying to start a new life.

The rule was introduced in 2012 and critics say it forms a key part of the government’s so-called “hostile environment” for migrants coming to the UK.

Last night’s vote in the House of Commons was met with dismay from local and national charities.

Carmel Ossard, spokesperson for the Independent Domestic Abuse Service (IDAS) which runs a women’s refuge in Harrogate, told the Stray Ferret they had written to Andrew Jones asking him not to support the amendment.

She said:

“For migrant women who are faced with a choice of destitution or to remain with their abusive partner, it is not an acceptable situation and we hoped our local MPs would have supported this amendment.”

The Joint Council for Welfare of Immigrants also spoke out against the vote.

It said:

“Extremely sad news. The government has chosen to continue creating a hostile environment for migrant survivors, instead of granting them the safety & protection they need.”

The Stray Ferret asked Mr Jones to explain why he voted against the amendment but he has not responded at the time of publication.

Council Leader: some Harrogate businesses will not survive

Harrogate Borough Council leader Richard Cooper said Harrogate can “thrive again” following lockdown. However, he warned that some jobs and businesses in Harrogate will not survive.

Speaking alongside HBC chief executive Wallace Sampson last night at the first-ever virtual Harrogate District Chamber Meeting, he said “hard questions” need to be asked around the future of Harrogate retail.

He said he shopped online for the first time during lockdown and questioned if many shoppers who enjoyed the convenience of online shopping will ever return to the high street.

Cllr Cooper gave a vote of confidence in Harrogate International Centre and said the council is in discussions with the NHS about its future.

He said:

“We’re pleased to do our bit for national effort but we have to ask, we’re going to need the ability to hold large scale conferences to support the local economy.”

Wallace Sampson said the role of Harrogate town centre will change forever due to the lockdown.

Like Cllr Cooper, he said the conference centre will be crucial to how the town recovers but suggested it’s started to fall behind its competition.

He said “without a doubt” HBC needs to invest in the buildings to keep up with state-of-the-art conference facilities being built in other towns and cities. He said an investment case will be brought before HBC later this summer.

Mr Sampson also praised HBC for its work supporting businesses during the lockdown. He mentioned various initiatives the council has undertaken including business rates holidays and a rent holiday for its commercial tenants.

He said:

“Without the rapid action of the council and a real can-do attitude from our staff, it is quite possible that many businesses wouldn’t have got through this difficult period.”

Both Mr Sampson and Cllr Cooper also praised the work of Harrogate BID during the lockdown.

Cllr Cooper said “the BID has had its problems but now some of the problems have gone away,” perhaps referring to the resignations of four of the BID’s board earlier this year.

Wallace Sampson and Richard Cooper at last night’s virtual meeting.

Mr Cooper and Mr Sampson answered four questions from Chamber members with two based around transport.

One person asked if Harrogate town centre should be pedestrianised, adding “Harrogate could be stunning – but isn’t”.

Cllr Cooper said:

“Yes, we have problems, but every time I visit my parents in Huddersfield I realise just what an amazing place we live.

“Regarding pedestrianisation, I’m on record as I’m saying I favour, as a trial period, to block off James Street, Albert Street and Princes Square.

“It’s funny, people who don’t want pedestrianisation shout very loudly. But I go and ask people and nearly everybody says they want it.

“If you do want pedestrianisation – you need to say so.”

‘Relief’ for Harrogate Theatre as £1.5bn arts rescue package announced

There was “relief” at Harrogate Theatre as the government announced a £1.5bn rescue package for the arts, but the long-term picture for the venue remains bleak.

Announced late on Sunday evening, prime minister Boris Johnson said the money will help venues “stay afloat and support their staff whilst their doors remain closed and curtains remain down.”

David Bown, chief executive of Harrogate Theatre told the Stray Ferret he welcomed the announcement as it “had been a long time coming” but said they are awaiting further details on how much money might be available to them.

He said:

“It feels as though it’s good news but the devil will be in the detail.”

The government will offer £1.15 billion for cultural organisations which will be made up of £270 million of repayable finance and £880 million in grants, with applications opening later this month.

Mr Bown said the theatre is losing £1 million every three months and an injection of funds could help them become financially stable in the short-term.

In recent days pressure built on social media for the government to rescue the arts sector through the hashtag #SaveTheArts, with several actors making appeals, including Harrogate Theatre patron Reece Dinsdale.

Mr Bown said:

“We’ve all enjoyed Netflix over the last three months but it all starts here. Those actors have to train in theatres. There will be a matrix of consequences for some time to come.”

Harrogate Theatre relies on a busy Christmas panto season to help fund it throughout the year which Mr Bown said they may have to cancel due to social distancing guidelines. He said this could have consequences well into 2021.

He added:

“The problem we’ve got is social distancing. We are the antithesis of that. We invite people to come in and share our confined space. That is the opposite of what we’re being instructed to do at the moment.”

Mr Bown also estimated Harrogate Theatre brings in around £25m a year to Harrogate’s local economy which is leaving a “huge hole” the longer it remains closed.

A video was published over the weekend about why Harrogate Theatre is important to the community, which you can watch below.

Ripon care home praised for no coronavirus cases

Residents and staff at a care home in Ripon have been praised by the mayor of Harrogate for their response to coronavirus.

Borrage House was visited on Friday by the mayor and mayoress of Harrogate, Cllr Stuart Martin and his wife April, to say well done on having no cases of covid-19 so far.

Cllr Martin told the Stray Ferret it was “a real privilege” to visit a care home in Ripon that had such a good record in keeping residents safe.

Borrage House manager Sarah Aitken thanked residents and staff for their perseverance during these difficult times.

Sarah told the Stray Ferret:

“Without wanting to jinx it, we’ve had no cases of covid-19 or any suspected cases. When everyone feels like the world’s ending in care homes it’s nice to have a bit of good news.”

Residents were also given a boost earlier this week when opera singer Katherine Jenkins performed a live stream direct to four care homes across the UK, including Borrage House.

Sarah said song and music have been key to keeping residents upbeat and occupied.

Agnes, a resident at the care home who will soon be 100, loves Katherine Jenkins and the performance brought back happy memories.

Sarah said:

“Katherine sang ‘We’ll meet again’. That has a lot of memories for Agnes. She met her husband during the war when she was working at a munitions factory.”

Although the country is opening up, care homes are still vulnerable. Sarah said the 40 residents at Borrage House have embraced technology to keep in touch with family members, even though it might be confusing for some because they are used to having regular in-person visits.

She said:

“We have to support them and that’s up to us to keep things positive and happy. They are aware, we’re not hiding anything from them.

“We’ve got laptops, families have been doing FaceTime. That’s been fabulous. They’ve been brilliant. They’ve adapted brilliantly to it and understand that this is the way it is for now.”

Harrogate breweries prepare for pubs re-opening

Breweries in Harrogate and Knaresborough are reporting healthy sales ahead of pubs reopening tomorrow, but the long-term landscape remains uncertain.

When lockdown began, drinkers agonised at reports of breweries and pubs having to pour gallons of unwanted beer down the sink. However, Robert Millichamp, head brewer at Daleside Brewery, told the Stray Ferret they managed to bottle most of their stock as demand for drinking at home soared.

He said even though pubs have been shut for three months, “people haven’t been drinking less”.

Daleside is now sold out of bottled beers and is trying to meet a big local demand for cask ales. But Robert said beyond this weekend it’s hard to predict how busy pubs will be.

He said:

“We’ve no idea but we’ve brewed as much as we can with the ingredients we’ve got. We need to replenish the stock after running out very quickly in the last three days.

“After that, we’re going to have to be reactive. Within a few weeks we’ll hopefully find some stability.”

Daleside also sells its beer around the world and they’ve seen steady demand from Sweden during lockdown, one of the only countries in Europe where pubs didn’t close.

In Knaresborough, Aron McMahon from Turning Point Brew Co, told the Stray Ferret he is looking forward to supplying beer and lager to local pubs again. Their stock is sold in several independent bars in Harrogate and Knaresborough including Major Toms Social, Blind Jacks and the Old Bell Tavern.

He said:

“They’ve all bought beer which is great but not many [of the pubs we supply] are opening on Saturday, which is probably quite sensible.”

Aron said one of their 4% beers takes around two weeks to brew, which posed a challenge as the government only gave the green light for pubs to reopen two weeks ago. He said Turning Point began pre-emptively brewing ahead of the announcement to ensure they’d have beer to sell.

Turning Point also has a tap room and Aron is looking forward to welcoming drinkers back from July 11.

“When people get a beer and chat among their groups then people will enjoy themselves despite the measures we’ve put in place.”

Harrogate Brewing Co is also gearing up for pubs reopening in Harrogate and Knaresborough. A typical barrel of beer has 164 litres but owner Matthew Joyce told the Stray Ferret they have been delivering smaller 20-litre boxes of beer to pubs who are unsure of how much footfall there will be.

He said:

“Some pubs requested them as they were conscious over whether people would come to the pub.

“They didn’t want to crack open a full cask and then tip it because they only have about five or 10 people coming to the pub. That seems unlikely and I think the pubs will be very busy.”

Parliament Street and Kings Road could be partly pedestrianised

Parliament Street and Kings Road in Harrogate could be partly pedestrianised to encourage social distancing when bars and restaurants reopen.

However, The Stray Ferret understands this is unlikely to be put in place this weekend.

North Yorkshire County Council said it is working with Harrogate BID, Harrogate Borough Council and local businesses to allocate pavement space to bars and restaurants, which would make part of the roads off-limits to cars.

David Bowe, corporate director for business and environmental services at NYCC, said they will only close roads “if there is a clear demand”.

He said:

“We are prepared to close roads in order to support economic recovery but it has to be on the basis of demand and need. If there is a road that we can practically close, even for part of a day, without adversely affecting access, we will be happy to work to achieve that, provided a business definitely wants to use the space.

James Street, Albert Street and parts of Royal Parade currently have cones placed in the road to widen pavements. However, they have been controversial and North Yorkshire County Council has taken them down on West Park after pressure from businesses.

Two streets that could be partly pedestrianised are Parliament Street and Kings Road.

Jim Mossman, co-founder of the Cold Bath Brewing Co on Kings Road, told The Stray Ferret he had been in discussions with North Yorkshire County Council about road space being re-allocated.

He said:

“If we can create an al fresco type experience in Harrogate then it will help save jobs and businesses in the town.”

Michael Baravelli, general manager at Gino D’Acampo on Parliament Street also said pedestrianisation would help trade at the restaurant.

He said:

“We are working alongside North Yorkshire County Council with the idea and suggestion of putting extra seating outside to give us more street presence. In these summer days, it will help us immensely.”

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