Fears for trees in next Otley Road cycle path phase

Fears have been raised that work to build the next phase of the Otley Road cycle path in Harrogate will cause permanent damage to mature trees.

A meeting about the cycle path was held last night at Harrogate Grammar School between North Yorkshire County Council officers and local groups, including Harlow & Pannal Ash Residents Association, Zero Carbon Harrogate, The Stray Defence Association and Harrogate District Cycle Action.

The first section between Harlow Moor Road and Arthur’s Avenue was completed in January.

Work on the next phase from Arthur’s Avenue to Beech Grove have been earmarked to begin in autumn.

Yesterday’s two-hour meeting was not open to the media but we spoke today to some of the people that attended.

‘Can’t afford to lose the trees’

Plans for phase one and phase two of the cycle path were first published in 2019.

Officers delivered a presentation on the plans for phase two last night, which remain largely the same as the 2019 proposals.

These show one tree will be felled below Victoria Road and some grass verges down both sides of Otley Road will be tarmacked over to make way for the cycle path, which will be shared with pedestrians and built close to two rows of large trees.

The trees and verges on Otley Road are technically part of Stray land. Last year Harrogate Borough Council agreed a land swap with a section of grass on Wetherby Road so the cycle path could proceed.

Judy d’Arcy Thompson, chair of the Stray Defence Association, called the first section of cycle path on Otley Road, which has been widely criticised for its design, “a dog’s dinner”.

She said the 100-year-old trees on Otley Road were vital for absorbing water during heavy rainfall, adding:

“I’ve sought repeated assurances they will not create any damage to the trees. Those trees are on Stray land. They are protected by the law and they are a huge environmental asset to the town. We can’t afford to lose the trees.”

‘Pure scaremongering’

Malcolm Margolis, a Harrogate District Cycle Action member, said he needed more time to study the plans but any suggestion workers would damage trees on Otley Road was “pure scaremongering”.

He said:

“It is regrettable if a tree has to be lost, if this is unavoidable as part of a high quality cycle path. No doubt it will be replaced with new saplings nearby. We have previously asked North Yorkshire County Council to consider a 20mph speed limit and narrowing the carriageway, which might avoid tree loss.

“The suggestion that more may be lost if workers dig into the roots is pure scaremongering. Similar suggestions were made about phase 1 but the only trees that went were those in the plans, and almost all of those were for changes to Harlow Moor Road, which were purely to benefit drivers, not cyclists or pedestrians.”

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‘Preserve beauty of town’

Otley Road resident Chris Dicken has been an outspoken critic of the scheme since it was first proposed several years ago. He said “there’s no doubt Otley Road will be spoiled” by its next phase.

“It will change the ambience. It’s a very nice tree-lined boulevard.

“Trees have roots that go everywhere. How do you make sure they don’t damage those trees for the future? It won’t show up immediately but it could affect the trees. How do you get around that?”

Michael Schofield, the newly elected Liberal Democrat county councillor for Harlow & St Georges, said the council needed to ensure no trees are damaged:

“The last thing we want is for someone to be doing work and to accidentally dig into the roots. Those trees do take up a lot of water. They help that.

“The trees give Harrogate an identity. It’s one of the reasons people come to visit. We need to preserve the beauty of town.”

Government guidelines

New government guidance on cycle lanes in July 2020 said any new infrastructure should be “high quality, with a strong preference for segregated lanes”.

It warned against councils building routes that require a lot of stopping and starting from cyclists.

But the guidance was introduced after the designs for phase one and phase two were published, so it doe snot apply to these sections.

The Stray Ferret was offered an interview with Melisa Burnham, NYCC highways area manager. But today the offer was retracted.

Instead it issued the following statement from Ms Burnham

 “As part of our planning for Phase Two of the Otley Road cycle route we invited a range of stakeholder groups from across Harrogate to contribute their views and ideas on the project.

“They included the Ramblers Association, the Youth Parliament, Civic Society, residents associations, Stray Defence and the Cycle Action group. North Yorkshire councillors who represent the area also attended and the event resulted in positive and constructive discussions between group members and officers responsible for designing the scheme.

“County Council officers, alongside Harrogate Borough Council colleagues, explained the role Otley Road will play in creating a sustainable transport corridor, which will help provide residents with better choices for their travel needs.

“We also took the opportunity to update attendees of Phase One progress and the outstanding remedial work, including resurfacing, signage relocation and lining. This will be complete in June. Advanced notification will be sent to the residents indicating a confirmed start date.

“The design for Phase Two has not changed significantly since the first engagement in 2019 but we wanted to take this opportunity to discuss this again in person with the groups present.

“Key themes which emerged included the need to consider all sustainable transport users (cyclists, walkers and buses) of the routes and a recognition of the competing priorities of all users, the impact on the surrounding area, trees and Stray. We will ensure contractors are aware of the need to protect trees through the use of appropriate working methods.

“Some present raised concerns around communications for the Phase One delivery and they have been taken on board. Work on Phase One took place during the Covid-19 restrictions, which meant at times programmes moved at an unexpected pace.

“We also took the opportunity to share the Phase Three feasibility study, but this is not at a detailed design stage and further consultation will take place as that develops. Issues around the segregation of pedestrians and cyclists, set against the availability of land, have yet to be addressed.

“We hope that this meeting provided a positive start to addressing the communication concerns and a ‘meet the contractors’ event will follow in early autumn, before Phase Two works commence.”

Harrogate council chief scolds councillor for calling influencer a ‘waste of money’

A leaked email reveals Harrogate Borough Council chief executive Wallace Sampson gave a councillor a dressing down after he said spending £700 on a social media influencer to promote the town was an “appalling waste of money”.

The Stray Ferret has obtained an email Mr Sampson sent to the Liberal Democrat councillor for New Park, Matthew Webber, in February.

In the email, Mr Sampson claimed the councillor’s comments, published on this website, caused a “great deal of hurt” to council staff.

However, Cllr Webber said the tone of Mr Sampson’s 500-word email was “laughable” and compared it to a schoolteacher telling off a child for being naughty.

Cllr Webber said:

“Councillors should be there to hold people to account. People shouldn’t get upset if we’re asking difficult questions. Nothing was said in a personal way or at individual people.”

Value for money?

The Stray Ferret revealed in January that Harrogate Borough Council paid Heather Cowper from Bristol £700 to promote the town’s Christmas Fayre in a blog — which only received two likes when posted on Facebook, including one from the council itself.

Her posts performed slightly better on Instagram but the investment raised questions over whether the fee represented good value for money to council tax payers.

Cllr Webber, who sits on the council’s audit and governance committee that scrutinises council spending, said the council should have used local residents to promote the town instead.

Cllr Matthew Webber

He said in January:

“It probably received less likes on the various social media platforms than we could have got from just posting a similar article ourselves or other local residents who have social media profiles.”

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A telling off

The email from Mr Sampson to Cllr Webber was sent in February this year.

Mr Sampson also copied in local Liberal Democrat leader Cllr Pat Marsh as well as council employees Gemma Rio, head of Destination Harrogate, Paula Lorimer, director of Harrogate Convention Centre and communications officer James Sherwood.

Mr Sampson’s email said “I don’t expect an apology from you” but warned that negative comments about the council in the press can “undermine morale and motivation of our hardworking staff”.

The email says:

“I also don’t think that it is unreasonable to expect members to support the hard work and dedication of their officers, especially following the events of the last two years, and to trust in their professionalism.”

The full email is below.

The email from Wallace Sampson to Cllr Webber

Free to comment

Cllr Webber said he was “surprised” to receive the email from Mr Sampson regarding his comments about the £700 spend on a social media influencer, which he said he stood by.

He said councillors should be free to comment on how the council spends the public’s money without interference from the chief executive.

The Stray Ferret asked Mr Sampson for a comment but did not receive a response.

Plan to cut congestion on Oatlands Drive won’t be ready until autumn

New proposals to cut congestion on Harrogate’s Oatlands Drive won’t be ready until at least autumn – more than a year-and-a-half after original plans were abandoned.

North Yorkshire County Council scrapped plans to make the street one-way traffic in March 2020 before launching a feasibility study for the wider area.

However, there have been several delays and the council has yet to go out to consultation.

A council spokesperson said the consultation is “still being finalised” and “likely to start soon after” next weekend.

The spokesperson also said the new proposals will be made available at the end of the study, “which will be in the autumn”.

The original plans were met with widespread opposition from residents who warned the one-way system would be “disastrous” for the area which includes St. John Fisher Catholic High School and St. Aidan’s Church of England High School.

The one-way proposals were replaced with a 20mph limit and traffic filters.

However, this still caused upset among locals who complained the changes would cause disruption on residential streets.

This led to the plans being dropped altogether from the council’s active travel schemes for which the authority received around £2.5 million for projects across North Yorkshire to get more people walking and cycling.

A common complaint for Harrogate’s Oatlands Drive is that parked cars block cycle lanes near the Stray where there are no double yellow lines.

Residents also say their streets are busy with rat-run drivers looking to avoid town centre traffic.

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Allan McVeigh, the council’s head of network strategy for highways and transportation, said as well as the consultation, data gathering including parking surveys will be carried out before the new proposals are brought forward.

He also said new traffic measures would be trialled before being introduced permanently.

He said:

“The purpose of this study is to review the existing designs and prepare new ones, based on the data we collect, to give us some options for active travel and traffic calming improvements in the Oatlands area that could be trialled in a pilot to test before implementation.”

Separately, the council has confirmed it is aiming to start work on phase two of the long-delayed Otley Road cycle path also in autumn.

Phase one was completed in January, with phase two set to start after a review of the designs was launched following new government guidance and safety concerns being raised by residents.

Phase three relies on funding from housing developers, and the council said this final stage will also include a feasibility study.

Council officers behind the Otley Road cycle path are meeting with cycling and walking campaigners, councillors and residents’ groups this evening to discuss the progress so far and next steps.

Ripon’s retro gaming arcade to close in July

New Wave Arcade in Ripon will close for good in July.

The venue on Westgate offers the chance to play games from the glory days of arcade gaming, including Street Fighter 2, Ridge Racer and Gunblade.

It was something a bit different for families in Ripon, as the Stray Ferret found out when we visited in March.

However, owner Rory Lofthouse said he has decided to close the business to concentrate on his wife’s health and his digital marketing company.

Mr Lofthouse said:

“It’s been well received in Ripon so it’s a shame I’m having to close it.

“I didn’t do it to make thousands of pounds, it was so there is something in Ripon for different generations to enjoy together. A lot of dads bring their kids to show them what they played when they younger.”

New Wave Arcade opened just a few weeks before the first covid lockdown and has had a stop-start existence.

Mr Lofthouse said things could have been different with the business if the pandemic didn’t happen when it did.

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Gamers who enjoyed visiting paid tributes on Facebook:

“Such a shame, the arcade was a great asset to Ripon.”

Another person said:

“We will definitely make sure we come down again before you close your doors. You’ll be sadly missed.”

New Wave Arcade’s last day will be on Saturday, July 23.

Mr Lofthouse is also selling off some of his machines. If you’re interested you can contact him rory@newwavearcade.co.uk

Why Reed Boardall in Boroughbridge is a great place to work

This advertorial is sponsored by Reed Boardall.

Harrogate man Tom Cowgill is proud to work at Reed Boardall.

The long-established Boroughbridge company is a local success story and has grown into the UK’s largest single-site cold storage facility with an 800‐strong team.

It stores and delivers stocks of the UK’s leading chilled and frozen brands across the UK, Europe and further afield to all of the best‐known supermarkets and food service providers.

Tom joined the company straight out of school aged 18 and works in its warehouse operation. He said he enjoys being an important cog in a well-oiled machine and says “there’s no place” like Reed Boardall.

Family values

Reed Boardall’s HQ is capable of storing over 168,000 pallets of frozen produce at any one time.

It’s a huge operation but Tom, who is now 24, said the company has strong family values.

However, that wasn’t a surprise to him as his dad, Paul, works there too – he’s been with the company for 12 years and is currently a Development Manager.

Tom has earned three promotions and is currently a team leader in the picking department. He said the company is “great for advancement”.

Reed Boardall, which is based in Boroughbridge. Picture: Reed Boardall.

Reed Boardall, which is based in Boroughbridge. Picture: Reed Boardall.

He added:

“They’ve looked after me really well and I got promoted quickly. They obviously see something in me. 

“You build good relationships with management and they’ll help you as much as you help them.”

Every day is different

Tom manages a tight-knit team of seven people who he said can have a laugh together. He considers them to all be his friends.

The facility is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week and Tom said shifts are flexible to fit around employees’ lives.

He said there are always opportunities to earn extra money too by doing overtime.

Tom hopes to progress further with the company and said there are teams that specialise in engineering, transportation, packing or office-based roles.

He said:

“There are always different career paths at Reed Boardall.”

He added:

“It is a challenging job, especially in a picking department. It’s different every day and it’s a great place to work.”

Click here to find out more about what careers are available at Reed Boardall.

Jennyfields has Harrogate’s noisiest neighbours

The Jennyfields area of Harrogate had the most noisy neighbour complaints across the Harrogate district last year, figures reveal.

Calling the council might be the last resort when a noise is driving you to distraction, but a freedom of information request shows residents in the district made more than 500 complaints during 2021.

Nine of the complaints were in the Saltergate council ward, higher than any other area.

The three most common objections across the district were about neighbours making a racket, barking dogs, and noise from construction sites.

The early months of last year were spent in lockdown and 84 complaints were made about annoying noises from next door such as babies crying, DIY or loud dance music.

Yapping dogs

An explosion in dog ownership since the pandemic has also tested the patience of Harrogate district residents, with 104 complaints made about yapping dogs.

Those complaints were spread evenly across the area, with reports in almost every corner of the district, including Starbeck, Knaresborough and Ripon.

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Construction misery

With new housing developments going up across the district at a ferocious pace, it’s no surprise that noise from building machinery has been getting on people’s nerves.

There were 79 complaints about noise from construction sites, including three in the Granby area.

Last year, the Stray Ferret reported how a piledriver at a housing development on Granby Farm was ruining people’s day.

Other complaints included a summer fireworks display in Grantley and a bird scarer in Langthorpe.

Harrogate Borough Council has powers to take action against nuisance noise but a spokesperson recommends a more informal approach before the authority gets involved.

He said:

“We encourage people to try to resolve the matter in an appropriate informal manner before we get involved, as experience shows that, if done well, it will often lead to better and more permanent solutions.

“If this does not work, the environmental protection team can investigate your complaint.”

Harrogate youngster watches Leeds drama from bench…before sitting GCSEs today

Sixteen-year-old St John Fisher Catholic High School student and talented footballer Archie Gray enjoyed jubilant scenes in the Leeds United dressing room yesterday after the club secured their Premier League status.

But the celebrations didn’t last long as he had to be at school for 9am this morning to sit a geography GCSE.

Archie was an unused substitute in Leeds United‘s dramatic win over Brentford yesterday.

He’s in year 11 at the Harrogate secondary school and is still two years from legally being able to have a celebratory alcoholic drink with teammates.

Less than 24 hours after celebrating survival in Brentford with star internationals like Raphinha and Kalvin Phillips he was back in Harrogate to sit in a silent exam hall for his GCSEs.

St John Fisher deputy head Matthew Flanagan said Archie’s quick progress in his football career has been a “fantastic achievement”.

He told the Stray Ferret:

“From the school’s perspective, what impresses us about Archie is not just his sporting aptitude. He is polite, engaging and has a real humility about him.”

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The midfielder is yet to make his debut for the first team but scored a wonder goal for the under-23 team against rivals Manchester United earlier in the season.

In April he also captained England under-16s at a tournament in France.

Mr Flanagan called him a “wonderful ambassador” for St John Fisher.

“There is no sense of arrogance, he is popular with his peers. He’s a nice young man who deserves all the accolades and success that will come his way.”

Archie is highly rated by the club and was just 15 when former manager Marcelo Bielsa put him on the bench for a Premier League game.

He’s the great-nephew of Leeds legend, and Kirkby Overblow resident, Eddie Gray.

Green Shoots: Ethical raw dog food brand founded in Tockwith

We love our dogs in the Harrogate district, and increasingly owners are wanting to feed their four-legged companions more nutritious and organic meals.

One company making inroads in the market is Naturaw, which was founded in Tockwith in 2015 and has built a name offering ethically sourced and sustainably packaged dog food.

It’s grown from a small operation in Marston Moor Business Park to an annual turnover in the millions.

Its products are sold by more than 160 UK retailers and supplied directly to dog owners online.

Chris Broadbent, director, said Naturaw’s green credentials are its “raison d’etre” and help it stand out in a competitive market.

There is no plastic in its packaging and the meat they use comes from animals reared on high welfare farms.

A growing market

The UK dog food industry is worth £1.5bn a year but the market is dominated by brands selling processed wet and dry food on supermarket shelves.

Raw food is still a relatively small piece of the pie, worth £100m.

Naturaw’s core range of products includes chicken, duck, venison, beef and lamb meals. They are made up of 80% meat, 10% offal and 10% bone.

Naturaw’s raw chicken meal. It costs £2.80 per pack.

It’s more expensive than traditional dog food but Mr Broadbent said it’s in-keeping with what a dog is designed to eat. Raw food is said to give the dog’s coat a healthier glow.

Mr Broadbent said:

“The dog has really become part of the family and more thought is going into giving them healthier food.”

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Plastic-free

Anyone who regularly buys pet food will know how much plastic packaging can end up in the bin.

When Naturaw was formed in 2015 founders Jess Warneken and Tom Johnson wanted to ensure it sold a plastic-free product.

The company recently achieved the prestigious B-Corp certification after a rigorous 18-month audit.

It means Naturaw is recognised globally due to its high social and environmental performance.

The tubs are made from fibre from carbon-positive forests in Scandanavia and the food is wrapped in wool, rather than polystyrene.

The lid is made from plants and the text on the packaging is even printed with vegetable ink.

It’s all compostable too, so you can throw empty packaging on with your garden waste.

Fierce debate

The debate over raw dog food has been fierce within the veterinary profession.

Unlike commercial food, raw meat products are not pasteurised to remove bacteria.

Some vets believe this bacteria can pose a risk to the dogs, whereas others say it is perfectly healthy.

Mr Broadbent said there has been some “scaremongering” about raw food.

“Some say it will turn the dog into a rabid animal and start baying for blood. There’s an awful lot of misinformation, so it’s about education.”

Growth

Last year, Naturaw expanded its premises and moved into the Thorp Arch Estate near Wetherby.

Mr Broadbent said he hopes the company will continue to grow as more consumers look to ethical products when it comes to their pets.

Naturaw co-founders Jess Warneken, Tom Johnson and their baby Etta

He said:

“We’re all proud of our little business. Our ‘green-ness’ does make sense to the consumer, and the fact we have the B-Corp certification is a big feather in our cap.

“But ultimately its about the dogs, and the most healthy diet for them.”

‘Oyez! Oyez! Oyez!’: Knaresborough’s town crier ready for special jubilee weekend

What makes a good town crier?

Knaresborough’s Roger Hewitt says surprisingly, it’s not all about how loud you shout:

“You have to shout but a big voice is not enough. You have to be able to write your own stuff, it has to be engaging. It’s all about intonation, accuracy, engaging your audience and doing your best. It’s a good thing that volume isn’t the main thing!

The town crier is gearing up for a busy four-day weekend in early June, with the town’s Platinum Jubilee committee organising a huge list of events to celebrate the Queen’s 70 years on the throne.

Mr Hewitt says he’ll available whenever his town needs him.

One of his most important jobs will be leading a flag procession from the Market Place to the grounds of Knaresborough House for the Jubilee Garden Party.

He’s also written a special message to deliver on market day that pays tribute to Her Majesty.

Service to the town

Mr Hewitt has lived in Knaresborough for 45 years and has been the town crier for 8.

He dons his 18th-century-inspired robe, laces up his boots and rings his bell every Wednesday at the market, with one week off a year in between Christmas and new year.

The role is organised by the Knaresborough Chamber of Trade & Commerce and Mr Hewitt joked the unusual role came about through a promotion.

“I was the Chamber’s Santa Claus at the market, they said ‘you’re used to wearing silly costumes’, and I was asked if I’d become the town crier.”

Long lineage

Knaresborough’s town crier lineage goes back to 1680.

In the old days, they would inform the townspeople of the latest news, proclamations, bylaws and any other important information, as at the time most people were illiterate and could not read.

“The town crier was the local literate, then it went to hell when it came to me!”

Mr Hewitt’s role today is not too dissimilar to how it was hundreds of years ago, although he quipped that today, most locals tend to get their news from the Stray Ferret.

He called Sid Bradley, who was the town crier in the 1980s and 1990s, “absolutely brilliant and the town crier that everybody would have liked to be.”

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Photo credit: Charlotte Gale

Former teacher

Mr Hewitt is well known to pupils of Harrogate Grammar School where he was a legendary chemistry teacher from 1991 until he retired in 2014.

He said his experience managing teenagers in the classroom has made him an even better town crier.

“Being a teacher helped tremendously.

“Somebody said to me recently, you don’t shout, you talk loud.

“That comes from teaching, particularly being a science teacher. When there are practical experiments going on in the classroom you can’t shout.”

Mr Hewitt has had a few unusual run-ins during his time as a town crier, including an encounter with a hen party that he called “the most harrowing day of my life”.

Good for the town

Hopefully, Mr Hewitt will be entertaining and informing visitors to Knaresborough for years to come.

He added:

“People come up to me and say ‘can I take your photo?’ I say yes, it’s complusory.

“Everytime they take a photo they take a bit of Knaresborough away.”

Harrogate Borough Council leader reshuffles top team

Harrogate Borough Council’s Conservative leader Richard Cooper has made changes to his top team, 10 months before the local authority is abolished.

Cllr Cooper has appointed Cllr Sam Gibbs, who represents Harrogate Valley Gardens, as cabinet member for the environment, waste reduction and recycling brief on his six-person cabinet.

Rebecca Burnett, who represents Harrogate St George’s, has been appointed chair of the planning committee, which makes decisions on major housing and development projects.

Ed Darling, who was elected in Knaresborough Castle, is the new chair of the 12-person licensing committee, which can grant or refuse alcohol and Hackney cab licences.

Sam Gibbs

Cllr Gibbs, who has represented Valley Gardens since 2018, will replace Cllr Andrew Paraskos.

Collecting household waste is one of the council’s biggest responsibilities and this year it will be trialling wheelie bins for housing recycling.

According to the Richmond Conservatives website, Cllr Gibbs is employed as the constituency agent for Chancellor and Richmond MP Rishi Sunak.

He is also a county councillor, winning the Valley Gardens & Central division in this month’s local elections.

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Rebecca Burnett

Rebecca Burnett replaces Cllr John Mann as chair of the planning committee.

Cllr Burnett has been a councillor since 2014 but will be stepping down from local politics when the council is abolished in April 2023.

She was the cabinet member for planning from 2015 until 2020, during the formation of Harrogate district Local Plan 2014-35, which allocates over 13,000 new homes for building in the district up to 2035.

Other appointments

Ed Darling will become the new chair of the licensing committee, replacing Cllr Victoria Oldham, who will become the council’s final Mayor.

The Stray Ferret asked Cllr Gibbs, Cllr Burnett and Cllr Darling for comment but none responded.

The committee memberships will be confirmed at next week’s full council meeting. Read the full list here.