Trees in new Bilton woodland to be dedicated to covid victims

A new woodland in Bilton will be planted next month with trees dedicated to lives lost during the covid pandemic.

Around 500 trees will be planted by Bilton Conservation Group volunteers in Bilton Fields close to the viaduct.

It will be called Victory Wood, as it was originally intended to mark VE Day, with the trees planted in the shape of a V.

However, covid has delayed the planting by several years. Keith Wilkinson, chair of the group, said planters can dedicate a tree to a friend or family member that has died from the virus.

The dedication will be private as trees will not be identified with a plaque.

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Planting will take place on Saturday May 21 from 10.00am.

Twelve species will be planted, including oak, cherry and hazel trees.

If you’d like to plant a tree and make a dedication, contact Mr Wilkinson: niddgorge2016@icloud.com

The woodland has been sponsored by the Harrogate Lions.

Ex-Navy officer from Harrogate scoops £5,000 on veterans’ lottery

An ex-Navy officer from Harrogate has pledged to donate some of his £5,000 lottery prize money to a charity that supports veterans.

Jerry Anderson, 70, scooped the top prize in the latest Veterans’ Lottery draw. The lottery provides the main source of income for the Veterans’ Foundation, a military charity that supports men and women who served their country.

Mr Anderson served for 32 years in the Royal Navy and said he was shocked to learn he’d been awarded the winner’s cheque.

He said he planned to spend his winnings on two electric bikes, but he also wanted to give some of it back to the charity after seeing the work it does supporting fellow veterans.

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Mr Anderson said:

“Now I’m getting on a bit and I’m 70 with dodgy knees, we’re going to buy two electric bikes.

“But I’m also going to donate some back – I want to help veterans a bit more.”

He added:

“I’ve got some empathy with veterans as I was medically discharged myself.

“You’re not only supporting a very worthy cause (playing the Veterans’ Lottery), you might just win a prize.”

Find out more about the lottery here.

Missing Leeds man could be in Harrogate

West Yorkshire Police has said it has serious concerns for the welfare of a missing Leeds man who may have travelled to Harrogate.

Bede Chapman, 32, from Armley in Leeds, is described as being slim and 6 ft tall. He was wearing a chequered jacket, blue jeans and black boots.

It’s possible he may have made or is currently making his way to Harrogate in a black Renault Twingo with a registration plate beginning LG58.

Anyone who can assist is asked to contact police in Leeds on 101 or by using the LiveChat facility on the West Yorkshire Police website.

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Ripon library to close for refurbishment

Ripon library will close next month for a nature-inspired refurbishment.

The library, in The Arcade, will be redesigned with the beauty of the natural world in mind.

The new children’s area will include decorative shelving and brightly coloured furniture, along with a story wall for children to share their reading experiences.

Ripon library

North Yorkshire County Council has also spent £3,000 on reading material that includes picture books, board books and audio books, as well as popular junior fiction and non-fiction titles.

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North Yorkshire County Council’s libraries manager Chrys Mellor said:

“Ripon library is always filled with children and families so news of the refurbishment has been welcomed in the community. We are continuing to invest in new reading material for children in many of the county’s libraries to encourage them to support their local branch and start reading from an early age.

“Unfortunately the library will be closed to the public for a short time but we are doing our best to accommodate users. Loans will be extended over the closure period and arrangements have been made to cover home library service deliveries.”

The library will close for refurbishment at 2pm on Saturday, May 14. From Monday, May 23, it will reopen except for the children’s area, which will be temporarily moved to another space.

The library will operate its full services from Monday, May 30.

The nearest alternative libraries are Boroughbridge community library, Knaresborough library, Harrogate library, Mashamshire community library, and Nidderdale Plus community library.

Programme revealed for Harrogate’s crime writing festival

Harrogate International Festivals has announced the full programme for the 2022 Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival.

The four-day event offers the chance to discover the next big names in crime fiction and hear giants of the genre discuss their work. It includes panels, workshops and talks.

The line-up has been curated by this year’s festival chair, the novelist Denise Mina.

Special guests headlining the festival include crime fiction authors Lynda La Plante, Paula Hawkins, Tess Gerritsen, Michael Connelly, Lucy Foley, Charlie Higson, John Connolly, CL Taylor and Kathy Reichs.

Other speakers set to appear include broadcaster and crime fiction debut author, Rev Richard Coles, comedian Frankie Boyle and TV chef Rosemary Shrager.

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This year’s programme will also feature two author dinners, attended by popular crime and thriller writers including: politician and debut novelist Alan Johnson, author Andrew Hunter Murray and bestselling thriller writer Syd Moore.

The festival runs from July 21-24 at Harrogate’s Old Swan Hotel.

Sharon Canavar, chief executive of Harrogate International Festivals, said:

“We are absolutely thrilled to announce the programme for this year’s Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival. Denise has done a wonderful job curating a line-up which demonstrates the amazing breadth of crime fiction writing and points to an exciting future for the genre.

“We can’t wait to hear all these brilliant speakers take to the stage and share their insights, stories and predictions of what lies ahead for crime fiction and thriller writing!”

For more information visit HIF’s website.

‘Devastating news’ as 500 trees to be chopped down in Nidd Gorge

Five hundred larch trees will be felled in Nidd Gorge due to a disease that is ripping through the woodland.

The Woodland Trust, which owns Nidd Gorge, says the infectious disease is called phytophthora ramorum and is already having a devastating impact on native trees.

Government body Forestry England has given the trust permission to fell the trees before it spreads further.

It means some of the footpaths in the popular beauty spot will close this spring and summer whilst work takes place.

Paul Bunton, community engagement officer at the trust, said:

“It is devastating news for our site team and visitors that we are having to reluctantly fell these diseased trees at Nidd Gorge to protect others. Phytophthora ramorum, while of no risk to the public, is one of the biggest threats to our native tree species at the site.

“Nidd Gorge is and will remain a really popular and cherished woodland close to Harrogate and Knaresborough and we ask the public to bear with us while we carry out the work.

“Our community events are a great opportunity for people to find out more before the work starts,  especially those who visit the woodland on a regular basis.”

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Keith Wilkinson, chair of Bilton Conservation Group, described what happens to larch trees once they become infected with the disease.

“It’s not a mould or a fungus but it is between the two and it attacks the larch. The needles start dying. It takes a while to kill the tree, but once it’s got it, it’s doomed.”

The Woodland Trust is holding two drop-in sessions in Bilton where members of the public can find out more about the works and ask questions to staff.

These will be held tomorrow (Thursday) at Bilton Community Centre between 6pm and 9pm and on Nidderdale Greenway off Bilton Lane on Saturday between 10am and 4pm.

Calls to reduce ‘plethora’ of Otley Road cycle path signs

The Otley Road cycle path has seen drastic alterations to the road and pavement but the sheer number of signs erected has been called confusing and damaging to Harrogate’s visual appearance.

North Yorkshire County Council, which is behind the £2m scheme, has erected 37 new signs to let cyclists, pedestrians and motorists know where the path starts and ends.

It means blue and white signs dominate the eyeline on a stretch of road in Harrogate that is less than half a mile long.

Critics of the scheme suggest if the cycle path had a better or more streamlined design, it wouldn’t need so many signs.

‘It’s confusing’

Harrogate Civic Society was formed in 1971 with an aim to preserve the appearance of the town.

Members of the group walked the cycle path route last week and were disappointed by the volume of signs.

Its chair, Stuart Holland, said the group would like to see some of them removed.

He added:

“We think there are too many signs. We’d welcome a reduction. We think there needs to be more clarity about where cyclists go as it is confusing. As a society, we encourage less signage in the town.”

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‘Street clutter’

Otley Road resident Chris Dicken has been an outspoken critic of the scheme since it was first proposed several years ago.

He said he warned North Yorkshire County Council about the number of signs but “they didn’t listen”.

He said:

“My argument is that it’s not much of a design if you need that many signs to alert people to the cycle path and then of course many cyclists either don’t understand it’s a one way system or choose to ignore it. That’s not even taking account of the impact on the environment in a town that is proud of its heritage and its green credentials.

“Most towns are looking to reduce street clutter. Here, North Yorkshire County Council are adding lots to it. This is all in a short distance too, with many more to come for the next phase.

“To me, as a main artery into the town, Otley Road should be of a high standard and make visitors welcome with a tree-lined boulevard. Instead we get grass and tree removal and a plethora of blue and white signs. It has certainly disturbed the ambience of my road.”

Mr Dicken will meet North Yorkshire County Council next month as a representative of Harlow and Pannal Ash Residents’ Association to discuss the next phase of the cycle path, which will connect Arthur’s Avenue to Beech Grove.

He is pessimistic that the number of signs will be reduced for phase 2 because the route has already been designed.

However, he is more hopeful for phase 3, which will connect the route up towards Cardale Park. Mr Dicken hopes to see a “better-designed” route and far fewer signs.

Council’s response

Melisa Burnham, North Yorkshire County Council’s highways area manager, said:

“All signs within the Otley Road cycle way scheme are as indicated in the designs presented at the public engagement event in 2019 and subsequently published on our website.

“Appropriate signage is important in mitigating the risk of conflict between cyclists and pedestrians using the space. The signs, all of which are within highway land, were identified as necessary to the improvement scheme.

“We will be inviting stakeholders, including representatives of the residents’ association and the civic society, to a workshop in May to discuss detailed designs for phase two of the scheme. The workshop will also present details of the wider Harrogate sustainable transport packages, recognising the key links to the Otley cycle route that will be made in the future.

“Mr Dicken has previously raised concerns about aspects of the scheme, including conflicts between road users, though not signage. We have corresponded about those concerns. After the engagement event in 2019, our designers met Mr Dicken on site to discuss the designs in detail.

“We have invited Mr Dicken to meet officers again after next month’s workshop, should he wish to discuss any of his concerns further.”

Landmark Knaresborough pub sold

The Half Moon pub in Knaresborough has been sold.

The free house on Abbey Road has been bought by Trust Inns, a Chorley-based company that owns nearly 500 pubs in England, Scotland and Wales.

The landmark pub is close to the town’s Low Bridge and has been extensively refurbished in recent years.

A team from the Half Moon takes part in the annual tug-of-war competition over the River Nidd against punters from nearby Mother Shipton’s Inn, although the event has been cancelled for the last two years due to covid.

Trust Inns tweeted news of its new purchase today, and included a photo of the pub’s new landlord, Tom.

https://twitter.com/trustinnsuk/status/1518969438405632002?s=20&t=fejl1LtYkJh3DBFS29WLXA

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Ripon supermarket submits plans for car valeting pod

Morrisons supermarket in Ripon could be getting a car valeting pod.

The supermarket hopes to offer a ‘wash whilst you shop’ service in the store’s car park.

Morrisons would remove 10 car parking spaces to create the pod, which could be a prefabricated single-storey structure.

Services offered would range from a basic wash to upholstery and seat cleaning.

Plans have been submitted to Harrogate Borough Council this week and will be decided at a later date.

Documents submitted on behalf of the supermarket said:

“Wm Morrison Supermarkets Ltd would also add that car park valet offer a service which is highly valued by Morrisons customers and firmly aligns with their plan to bring more and more popular and useful services to the communities that they serve.”

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Harrogate brothers wanted by police

Two Harrogate brothers who failed to turn up in court are wanted by North Yorkshire Police.

Robbie Nelson, 23, failed to appear in court after being charged with animal cruelty.

His older brother Charlie Nelson, 27, failed to appear in court for sentencing after being convicted of animal cruelty.

Warrants have been issued for their arrests by York Magistrates’ Court.

Police said in a statement today that they believed the men are in the Harrogate area and “enquiries have been ongoing to locate them”.

They added that if you have seen either of them or have any info about where they could be, call 101, quoting reference number 12210262539

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