Ripon teenager assaulted in unprovoked attack

North Yorkshire Police is appealing for witnesses following an assault on a 17-year-old in Ripon.

It happened outside Majestic Wine on North Street between 9.45pm and 10pm on Wednesday May 4.

The victim was approached by two unknown young men who punched him several times in an unprovoked attack.

He suffered minor facial injuries but did not require medical treatment.

The suspects are described as being aged around 16 to 18 years old and were wearing dark tracksuits.

Anyone with information that could assist the investigation should contact North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 2, and ask for Mark Nursey. You can also email mark.nursey@northyorkshire.police.uk.

If you wish to remain anonymous, you can pass information to Crime stoppers on 0800 555 111. 

Read more:

 

Woodlands pub to keep its name after £200,000 refurb

Heineken hopes to complete a £200,000 refurbishment of the Woodlands pub by Christmas — and the name will stay the same.

Star Pubs and Bars, who’s parent company is the Dutch brewing giant, first unveiled plans to give the pub a facelift in December 2020 that included a new outdoor seating area.

But it planned to give the pub a controversial new name, West Riding Harrogate, which didn’t go down well with some local residents.

Pat Marsh, the Liberal Democrat borough councillor for Harrogate Hookstone, said local people were attached to the Woodlands name and she hoped the owners would rethink plans to change it.

Cllr Marsh believed there had been a pub called the Woodlands on the site since at least the 1940s.

The name will stay

Last week Heineken announced it has earmarked £2.3m for investment into some of its venues in Yorkshire and Humber.

Jez Scott, North East investment manager at Star Bar and Inns, told the Stray Ferret he expects £200,000 of this will be spent on the Woodlands.

But he said the refurb will only begin once they have found a new landlord for the pub. It has been advertising the role for the last 18 months.

Read more:

Mr Scott said:

“We are in talks with a couple of interested parties, it does take time to find the right operator and to align our shared ambition for investment of our tenanted public houses and agree terms.

“We are hoping to be able to agree terms, get board approval and re-launch the site in time for Christmas.

He confirmed that the company no longer plans to call the pub West Riding Harrogate.

Mr Scott added:

“We are looking at incorporating the Woodlands name into the final scheme, the feedback from the local community was appreciated and we listened.”

Knaresborough woman given freedom of the town

Knaresborough woman Hazel Haas has been awarded the title of Honorory Freedom of the Town for her “extraordinary contribution” to the community.

Ms Haas became the first woman to join Knaresborough Rotary Club and in 1996 became its first female president.

For many years she has chaired the Knaresborough Christmas Markets Committee and has also been involved in the BEBRA town twinning association.

With the advent of covid, she has helped to run local vaccination centres as principal co-ordinator.

Read more:

The freedom of the town title has been awarded by Knaresborough Town Council.

Cllr Christine Willoughby, Knaresborough’s Mayor, paid tribute to Ms Haas who she called one of the town’s doers.

She added:

“She works incredibly hard for our community and we are very grateful to her. This award is very well deserved.”

Peter Lacey, chair of Knaresborough Connectors, said:

“Knaresborough Connectors recognise the invaluable work that Hazel undertook from the start of the pandemic to co-ordinate volunteers and keep a cheery face during difficult and stressful times.

“Her organisational skills and energy when applied to supporting the vaccination centre with local volunteers was equally heroic and we’re delighted that she continues to steer the work of Connectors through her role as a Director.  Long may her wisdom and example inspire others!

Redevelopment of former Harrogate council headquarters approved

Plans to transform Harrogate Borough Council’s former headquarters with a two-storey extension and rooftop restaurant have been approved five years after the authority vacated the building.

The proposals for Crescent Gardens – which has sat empty since 2017 – also include a gym and new office space.

Harrogate-based property developers Impala Estates bought the building for £4 million in 2020 and are behind the plans after previous proposals for luxury apartments and an art gallery fell through.

Speaking at a council meeting today, David Hartley, director at Impala Estates, said the latest plans would bring “significant public benefits” to the town.

He said:

“Unusually for an application of this size, there have only been five letters of complaint from members of the public.

“The small number of complaints is perhaps testament to the level of pre-application public consultation we undertook and that the final design has, where possible, taken this into account.

“This scheme brings significant public benefits which include bringing an empty building back into use and creating quality office space.”

Knapping Mount

Crescent Gardens was vacated by the council when it moved into its new Knapping Mount headquarters in 2017.

At the time, the council announced it would sell the building to property developer Adam Thorpe who had plans for a £75 million redevelopment including luxury apartments, an art gallery, underground car park, swimming pool and restaurant.

However, Mr Thorpe’s company ATP Ltd then fell into administration with debts of almost £11 million, including £24,394 owed to the council.

The latest proposals from Impala Estates had attracted objections from Historic England which questioned the public benefits and said the roof extension should not exceed one storey.

Read more:

Some residents living on Swan Road raised further concerns over their privacy and how else the rooftop terrace could be used if the restaurant failed.

Speaking at today’s meeting, resident Jackie Davis said:

“Mr primary concern is the roof terrace – this must have adequate screening, preferably trees behind the roof glass balustrade to try to protect our privacy.

“As we already know, many restaurant spaces are empty in Harrogate. The Royal Baths directly opposite the building has recently failed.

“I worry that this venue will follow the same fate over the years, leading to the possibility of a bar or perhaps a nightclub ending up there.”

In response, council officers said licensing restrictions would be put on the building’s use.

It was also agreed that extra screening would be installed on the rooftop terrace.

Furthermore, Mr Hartley said double-yellow lines would be introduced on the nearby Swan Lane to reduce disruption from parking and deliveries which he added would be “significantly less” than when the council occupied the building.

Long-running saga

Today’s decision to grant approval will have felt like a big weight off the shoulders of the council which is keen to see the long-running saga of Crescent Gardens come to an end.

But attention will soon turn to the future of its new Knapping Mount headquarters which has been brought into question ever since last year’s announcement that the council will be abolished in April 2023.

The council said the building cost £13 million. However, the Stray Ferret investigated the overall cost of the move from Crescent Gardens and put the figure closer to £17 million.

A decision on how the site is used in the future could well fall into the hands of the newly-elected members of the forthcoming North Yorkshire Council.

Carter Jonas acquires Follifoot estate strategy practice

Property consultancy Carter Jonas has acquired Tomorrow Advisory, a specialist real estate strategy practice in Follifoot.

The purchase means Tom Devine has joined Carter Jonas as a partner and Nicky Visick as a consultant to its Leeds office. It’s the agency’s second acquisition this year.

Devine and Visick work with clients including charities, local authorities, non-departmental government bodies and central government, to provide advice at critical points in the property lifecycle.

Former clients include the Science Museum Group, Durham County Council, Greater Manchester Police and several Higher Education Institutions, including the University of Manchester, the University of Salford and the University of York.

Alexandra Houghton, head of public sector at Carter Jonas, said:

“Tom and Nicky bring a wealth of experience to our team operating throughout the country. They have extensive knowledge of the regional and national markets and of the pressures facing public bodies to improve efficiencies on property holdings and deliver robust and sustainable estates.”

Eddisons’ triathlon team raise over £8,500 

Twenty two colleagues from Eddisons’ building and project consultancy division raised £8,600 for the British Heart Foundation in the Harrogate Sprint Triathlon, to help fund life-saving research into heart and circulatory diseases.

The charity was chosen after a colleague’s father died this year due to a heart complication. Having beaten their £7,500 fundraising target, the team is now aiming to smash ta new goal of £10,000.

This is the latest in a series of fundraising challenges by the Eddisons building and project consultancy team, which has seen them raise almost £35,000 for a number of charities over the last six years.

The triathlon challenge consisted of a 420m pool swim, a 24km cycle sprint and a 4.6km run in and around Harrogate.

Eddisons’ building and project consultancy director Joseph Fitzsimmons said:

“It was tough, but we did it. There are some sore legs in the office, but it was all worth it for this amazing cause. Having beaten our target of £7,500 we are now pushing to raise over £10,000 for the British Heart Foundation.”

 

Badgers delay approval of 133 homes at Kingsley Road

Final approval for 133 homes on Kingsley Road in Harrogate has been delayed whilst more badger surveys are undertaken in the area.

Redrow Homes won outline planning permission to build the development on appeal in August 2020 after it was initially refused by Harrogate Borough Council.

As part of the application, the developer submitted two ecology studies that found there were four badger setts in the area but only one or two were still actively used.

A previous ecological study undertaken in 2019 by a different developer found no evidence of badgers.

Members of Kingsley Ward Action Group (KWAG) bought a trail cam, which is a camera that is left outside and captures the movement of animals.

They claim their investigation found evidence of 11 badger setts, six of which are still active.

Badger activity

Badgers and their setts are protected by law.

Developers must have a licence from Natural England to remove or modify a badger sett.

This afternoon, councillors on the council’s planning committee met to discuss a reserved matters application that dealt with the appearance and layout of the homes.

However, the four-legged mammals dominated the debate.

Read more:

To the north of the proposed site are train tracks owned by Network Rail.

Dan McAndrew, the council’s principal ecologist, said most of the badger setts are more than 30m away from the site on land owned by the rail body.

Mr McAndrew said he was satisfied the developer had put measures in place to protect the badgers.

He said:

“Badgers actually do well in urban fringe areas, they are able to adapt to those conditions. The key issue is, where are the setts located and can they be maintained?

“The main sett will not be affected and will be left in place.”

However, John Hansard from KWAG said his group’s badger surveys were at odds with the developer’s surveys. He criticised the 2019 survey.

He said:

“If you know what you’re looking for, signs of badger activity were plentiful, clear and unmissable, so why were they missed or ignored?”

‘Somebody has got to speak for the badgers’

Both Sue Lumby, Conservative member for Coppice Valley, and Victoria Oldham, Conservative member for Washburn, cast doubt on the developer’s claims that badgers would not be harmed by the development.

Cllr Lumby said:

“Somebody has got to speak for the badgers and that’s what we are trying to do.

“This population of badgers would have lived here for generations. I’m very, very concerned why the 2019 survey didn’t find any badgers.”

Cllr Oldham added:

“On the assumption you do get licence from Natural England, what mitigation are you prepared to offer for remaining badgers to forage? You are going to put tarmac, concrete where they like to dig for worms, for setts. What are you offering? What wildlife enhancement will there be on this estate?”

In response, Mike Ashworth, on behalf of Redrow Homes, said

“A significant area of site will be undeveloped and landscaped, 30% of the site, a lot more than a normal housing estate. In there you’d have a combination of planting of trees, wildflower, shrubs.”

An unimpressed Cllr Oldham responded:

“Badgers don’t eat pretty flowers, they like to eat worms.”

Further surveys

Mr Ashworth revealed the developer received permission from Network Rail last week to survey the land above the site for badgers.

After councillors rejected the council’s recommendation to approve the scheme, committee chair Cllr John Mann proposed deferment pending the publication of the badger survey, which councillors agreed to unanimously.

New councillors urged to back creation of North Yorkshire Mayor

There have been fresh calls to create a mayor for North Yorkshire following the election of new councillors last week.

Henri Murison, director of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, has written to each of the county’s 91 newly elected councillors urging them to back a devolution deal that includes the creation of a metro mayor.

Mr Murison, who went to school in Boroughbridge and Harrogate, said the move could unlock “a huge amount” of funding for the county, with the mayor responsible for allocating much of it.

He or she would assume control over areas such as transport and economic development for the whole of North Yorkshire. The mayoral office could also swallow up the role of the North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner.

Mr Murison’s letter, which has been shared with the Stray Ferret, said:

“The maximum powers and funding are only available for a devolution deal with a directly elected mayor. As the Tees Valley has proven, a large urban metropolitan area is not a prerequisite and the mayoral model can prove hugely successful in areas where the economic geography is dominated by towns.

“Locally-led economic growth strategies to raise productivity in areas such as these are vital. The North of Tyne Combined Authority shares much of its geography with the Borderlands Growth Deal, which included Carlisle, parts of Scotland and rural Northumberland – and these places are already reaping the benefits.”

Read more:

The government’s Levelling Up White Paper was published in February and cited the creation of strong, local mayors as a key part of its levelling up agenda.

It said the government would open up negotiations over a devolution deal, including a mayor, with leaders at North Yorkshire County Council and City of York Council. However, a deal is yet to be signed off.

York council is run by the Liberal Democrats whereas NYCC is controlled by the Conservatives.

“Metro mayors are needed”

Labour’s Andy Burnham in Greater Manchester is often cited as an example of a mayor who has used his platform to win more funding from government and put a spotlight on the region.

Conservatives mayor for Tees Valley, Ben Houchen, has also built a strong reputation for making the most of his region’s devolution deal.

But others, like Bristol’s Labour mayor Marvin Rees, have been divisive. Bristol residents voted last week in a referendum to scrap the position from 2024.

Mr Murison added:

“Devolution is flourishing in some places (South Yorkshire has just elected its second Metro Mayor) while stalling in others. It is not right that Cumbria or North Yorkshire should miss out on empowered local leadership – nor the government funding which goes hand in hand with it.

“Metro mayors are needed for cities, towns, and rural areas alike if we are serious about building a truly productive, prosperous Northern Powerhouse.”

Harrogate mum hosting family fun day to mark daughter’s legacy

A Harrogate mum is hosting a family fun day in June to raise money for two organisations that supported her daughter before she died 13 years ago.

Katie Beadle gave birth to her daughter Millie in August 2009. But immediately after she was born, she knew something wasn’t right.

Millie was diagnosed with hypoxia, a condition that results in low oxygen levels in the blood. It can lead to multiple medical conditions and requires around-the-clock care.

Ms Beadle said:

“Most of Millie’s time with us was spent in Manchester St Mary’s Children’s Hospital in the beginning. When she was allowed back to Harrogate, we spent a few days on Special Care Baby Unit at Harrogate District Hospital, before finding a new way of living on Woodlands Ward.”

Millie spent a few weeks at home before she contracted an infection. The family returned to the Woodlands, which is the hospital’s children’s ward, before they were told the devastating news:

“Millie has suffered a substantial amount of trauma at such a young age, her body is tired and I’m afraid this time she isn’t strong enough to fight this one off. It’s only a matter of time, so enjoy your final days with your precious daughter.”

Read More: 

Millie wasn’t strong enough to travel to Martin House Hospice in Wetherby, so the hospice came to them and set up a room for her on the ward until she passed away in December 2009.

She would have been coming up to her 13th birthday in August so her mum wants to mark her legacy by raising funds for Martin House and Harrogate hospital’s children’s ward.

The family fun day will be held at Knaresborough Rugby Club on June 25 from 11am where there will be a bouncy castle, live music, face painting, stalls, food and drink, rides and more.

Ms Beadle added:

“I am arranging Millie’s 13th birthday party with an open invite for everyone! It’s been a rollercoaster of emotions, stress and required copious amounts of coffee & fizz, however, things are just about finalised and it should be a grand day for all.”

“An incredible job”

The two organisations both paid tribute to Ms Beadle for her fundraising efforts.

Chris Verney, regional fundraiser for Martin House, said:

“Katie has done an incredible job in organising this event and we hope everything goes well for her.  Fundraising like this makes a huge difference to the families with seriously ill children that we support across West, North and East Yorkshire.”

Victoria Lister, manager of acute paediatrics at Harrogate District Foundation Trust, said:

“Katie has worked tirelessly to organise this event to help support our unit. We as a ward are so grateful for her hard work and preparation for Millie’s Fun Day in June. The funds raised will help transform the ward into a more welcoming, bright environment for the children attending Woodlands at HDFT.”

There are still some spaces to hold a stall on the day. If anyone would like more information email Katie-beadle92@hotmail.com

 

Conservative leader says ‘send Boris a message theme was clear’ in local elections

The leader of Harrogate Borough Council has spoken out after his Conservative party were left bruised during last week’s elections to the new North Yorkshire Council.

Councillor Richard Cooper – who was not standing for re-election – partly blamed Boris Johnson for the election results which saw the Liberal Democrats win the most seats in the Harrogate district after more than a decade of Conservative control.

Councillor Cooper said:

“It is right to reflect when you have results that don’t go as you would have wished and I have been in local politics long enough to have seen results go both ways; sometimes with the trend and sometimes against.

“A knee-jerk reaction is seldom the right one although it is clear that the opposition’s oft-repeated ‘send Boris a message’ theme was clear and had some degree of resonance to put it mildly.

“We will need to reflect too on local issues although they did not seem to be the dominant theme of the literature or social media activity during the campaign.

“But while that reflection occurs, as an outgoing council leader and someone who announced his retirement from representative politics some time ago, I would like to congratulate the winners of all parties, commiserate with the losers and look forward to them all promoting our fantastic area in a constructive way for the next five years.”

Councillor Cooper last year announced he will stand down after 24 years of service when the borough council is abolished in April 2023.

Read more:

And although the new North Yorkshire Council will remain a Tory majority, the party have suffered some big losses in Harrogate where several senior councillors – including deputy leader Graham Swift – were defeated in last Thursday’s elections.

Previously, the Conservatives had 16 Harrogate district seats on North Yorkshire County Council compared to just two for the Lib Dems.

Now, they have nine while the Lib Dems have taken 10 in what marks a significant swing of power.

Meanwhile, one Independent and one Green councillor were also elected.

Speaking after the results were announced on Friday, Lib Dem leader Pat Marsh – who was voted in to represent the Stray, Woodlands and Hookstone division – said the Conservatives “should realise that being elected isn’t just about having the title of councillor”.

She said:

“You have got to be on the council for a reason – and that is to improve the area you represent.”.

Harrogate law firm announces merger

Harrogate-based law firm Haddletons has announced a merger with Leeds firm SCE Solicitors.

SCE provides specialist employment, HR support and health and safety services.

The merger is expected to provide the enlarged firm with the opportunity to bolster the range of services it offers to clients.

The company will trade under the name of Haddletons

The merger is expected to provide the enlarged firm with the opportunity to grow, strengthen and further develop the range of services offered to clients.

James Haddleton, chief executive of Haddletons, said:

“We are delighted to welcome Samira and the SCE team into the Haddletons family.

“At both SCE and Haddletons we know our clients well and we know what we want to offer them. For that reason, the tie-up is a strategic and mutually beneficial move for both our firms’ clients, bringing them excellent practical support borne of decades of experience. We can’t wait to get going with our extended team.”

Read more:

Harrogate business group celebrates 125th birthday

Robert OgdenMore than 100 business people attended the 125th birthday celebration for Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce last night.

The event, which was held at Roosters taproom at Hornbeam Park, included the presentation of several awards, including the President’s Cup, which was given to Robert Ogden (pictured above) of jewellers Ogden of Harrogate for services to the town.

The chamber’s 125 birthday was actually last year but the celebration was postponed for 12 months due to covid.

Chamber meeting