Harrogate hospitality businesses call on council to release £6,000 covid grants

Hospitality business owners have called on Harrogate Borough Council to release government grants of up to £6,000 that were created to help them through the Omicron wave.

The Omicron Hospitality and Leisure Grant scheme was announced in December to help businesses that faced cancelled bookings and staff isolating over winter.

But almost two months later, some businesses in Harrogate are still waiting to be paid.

Two hospitality business owners, who asked not to be named, told the Stray Ferret they were unhappy that the council had not released the funds yet.

The Times published an article this week that said UK councils were sitting on over £850m of funds intended for businesses.

The Stray Ferret has seen an email from the council to one of the business owners dated a month ago. It said a decision on its application for the grant would be assessed within 10 days. The business owner called the delay “a joke”.

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David Simister, chair of Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce said “it’s simply not good enough” that the council has not distributed the grant yet to all eligible businesses.

However, he said some members of the chamber had received their grant.

Mr Simister said:

“From speaking to chamber members in the hospitality sector, some have received grants whilst others are still waiting.

“The announcement of Plan B dealt the leisure and hospitality sector a huge blow, just as businesses were gearing up for an extremely busy Christmas and New Year, and were relying on these takings to help them through the lean months of January and February.

“This grant was to go some way to recompense for the loss of trade and earnings, and if businesses are still awaiting payment it’s simply not good enough.”

A council spokesperson said:

“On December 30 initial guidance and eligibility criteria for the Omicron Hospitality and Leisure Grant scheme was provided to local authorities.

“Following this date, we have been carrying out the necessary work to make applications available, which went live on our website on January 17.

“We are now processing applications in the order in which they were received, ensuring applicants meet the necessary verification and audit requirements, in accordance with government guidelines.

“We are currently allocating grants to eligible businesses – who have provided a full and accurate application – within 20 working days.”

Starbeck residents pledge to fight 181-home Kingsley Drive plans ‘tooth and nail’

A heated meeting in Starbeck last night saw local residents question Persimmon Homes about controversial plans to build 181 homes on Kingsley Drive.

The meeting was organised by Kingsley Ward Action Group, a residents’ group formed four years ago to fight the wave of housing applications in the area.

Around 100 people packed into St Andrew’s Church for the meeting, which was chaired by Liberal Democrat district and county council councillor for Starbeck, Philip Broadbank.

Three Persimmon employees attended, as did two highways consultants and a planning consultant, who spoke on behalf of the developer.

Planning consultant Paul Butler, from PB Planning, gave a brief presentation on behalf of Persimmon that outlined its latest plans for the site.

It’s the third time the developer has brought forward plans at this location, which used to form part of Kingsley Farm.

When it was refused by the council in August, Kingsley Ward Conservative councillor Nigel Middlemass called the scheme “the biggest and worst thought out housing site in the area”.

The new application is yet to be validated by the council but Mr Butler said it should be live on Harrogate Borough Council’s planning portal in March, when the public will be able to submit their comments.

The number of homes has been reduced from 217 to 181.

Mr Butler said the amended scheme offered increased open space, widened footpaths and more trees.

Traffic concerns

There were several questions about how the new homes would impact the already-clogged Knaresborough Road, with the plans not offering any significant changes to the road layout.

Residents queried the developer’s previous traffic surveys for the scheme, suggesting they did not give an accurate picture of how many cars use the area.

Resident Brian Souter said

“Four hundred potential vehicles on Knaresborough Road. Where do they go? The roads are not suited to more traffic.”

Ian Greaves said:

“Knaresborough Road is a total standstill and Bogs Lane is a rat run. You [the developers] don’t have to put up with this.”

Highways consultant Geoff Bowman, from Bryan G Hall, defended the methodology used by Persimmon.

He said:

“There has been very extensive surveys of traffic in the area. There is a perception that we are nasty developers and it’s dead easy to get through planning, but the highways authority are rigorous.”

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Local Plan

On several occasions, planning consultant Mr Butler reminded residents that the site is allocated for development in the Harrogate district Local Plan, a council document that outlines where new housing schemes can be built until 2034.

One woman was applauded when she said the Local Plan had been “forced” on the community.

“Residents do not want more development. We do not want any more. The Local Plan has been forced on us. When are our politicians going to do something about the Local Plan that forces homes on people who do not want them?”

Another resident said:

“We don’t need this. Since Brexit we’ve lost a lot of the population. We don’t need this amount of homes.”

Tooth and nail

Whilst Mr Butler and Persimmon focused on the nuts and bolts of the application, such as the types of homes and access, the opportunity to quiz representatives from the developer elicited strong emotions from residents.

John Hansard, from Kingsley Ward Action Group, said residents “will fight tooth and nail” to stop it from happening.

He said:

“People lived here for decades and have had this beautiful view, how do you think they will feel [when it’s gone]?”

Carl Good said:

“Are you pleased that you will upset so many people in this area? Do you understand us?”

In response, Graham Whiteford, from Persimmon Homes, said the developer was “fairly proud of this scheme”.

He added:

“All concerns raised by the council in the refusal have been addressed. It’s unusual for Persimmon to have this amount of green space.”

Photo caption: (Left to right) Paul Butler (PB Planning), Graham Whiteford (Persimmon), Josh Popely (Persimmon), Cllr Philip Broadbank, Catherine Maguire (KWAG) and Chris Watt (Starbeck Residents’ Association)

Harrogate’s Valley Gardens to host spectacular fire and light show

Harrogate’s Valley Gardens will host a spectacular series of displays next month that celebrate fire, light and water.

Harrogate International Festivals has teamed up with outdoor events company Culture Creative for the event, which is being billed as ‘The Fire and Light Experience – a trail of blaze and brilliance through the Valley Gardens’.

Taking place from dusk until 10pm on the nights of Thursday, March 24 to Saturday, March 26, it will be HIF’s first event of 2022 and is being part-funded by Harrogate Borough Council and Harrogate Business Improvement District.

Culture Creative specialises in creating shows in heritage and landscape settings. Its clients include Kew Gardens, Blenheim Palace, The National Trust and English Heritage.

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

“The town is famed for its waters, and this arts installation will bring all the elements of nature alive – earth, air, water and fire – in a spectacle of brilliance and blaze.

“With covid having cast a dark shadow for almost two years, we wanted to create a magical experience for the whole family to marvel at. And those who venture into the Valley Gardens will find themselves immersed in a trail of discovery, and one where they will be able to reimagine the natural world around them.

“They will lose themselves in the magic of nature, as each twist and turn reveals a new picture of tranquillity and wonder.”

Tickets for the event, priced at £12 for adults, £6 for 5-16-year-olds, and under-fives go free. You can buy tickets from the Harrogate International Festival website.

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Cycling group to meet council to raise concerns about Otley Road cycle path

Harrogate District Cycle Action will meet officers from North Yorkshire County Council next week to discuss concerns over the Otley Road cycle path.

Work has now been completed on the path from Harlow Moor Road to Arthurs Avenue in Harrogate. It is the first of three phases on Otley Road.

Kevin Douglas, chair of HDCA, told the Stray Ferret members of the group will meet council officers at Otley Road on Tuesday next week when they will share their positive and negative thoughts on the route.

Mr Douglas said he had ridden the path and described the experience as “mixed”.

He said:

“There are some good points and some things that need to be addressed, the best way to do that is meet them and talk them through it.

“The major Harlow Moor Road junction is not safe for pedestrians and cyclists. They have widened the road to make it better for cars. It’s a major concern.

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Mr Douglas said he hoped the council would take on board its concerns for phase two, work on which is set to begin in April. Phase two will see the path extended from Arthurs Avenue to Beech Grove.

He added:

“Some people are concerned it switches from dedicated lane to shared use, that’s always going to be the case with tight space and not wanting to remove the trees. A shared use footpath is never as good as segregated.”

North Yorkshire County Council has reached an agreement with landowner Yorkshire Water to widen the path on Harlow Moor Road.

Melisa Burnham, highways area manager, said:

“The designers and project manager will be carrying out a walk through with the cycle group. We will of course listen to any concerns and act if necessary.”

 

Video contradicts Harrogate council’s claim about wheelie bins and recycling

A video sent to the Stray Ferret appears to contradict Harrogate Borough Council‘s claim that its fleet of bin wagons can not accept wheelie bins for recycling.

Currently, residents in the Harrogate district use blue bags to recycle paper and card and lidless black boxes for tins, plastic and glass.

In some other areas of the country, people use large wheelie bins for recycling.

Today’s storm has once again see recycling left out for collection blown across streets, prompting some residents on social media to call on the council to introduce wheelie bins.

A spokesperson for the council said this month this was not possible. They said:

“Another challenge we would need to overcome is the wagons used for collection. At the moment they cater for black boxes so any change would require adaptation of the fleet.”

However, the video, which was taken in Harrogate this week and sent to us by a resident, shows council workers emptying recycling from black boxes into garden waste wheelie bins and then into the refuse trucks.

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There is no suggestion of any wrongdoing by the bin workers, who are clearly carrying out their jobs efficiently.

After showing the footage to the council, a spokesperson said it operated 10 bin lorries and only two could operate wheelie bins.

Writing today on the Bilton Community Group Facebook page, Matt Scott, the Conservative councillor for Harrogate Bilton Woodfield, explained why the council prefers to use black boxes over wheelie bins.

He wrote:

“When recycling is processed the clean plastic etc. is sold on with the money raised going into council services. Dirty recycling has to go to landfill as it can not be processed. In Harrogate less than one per cent of our plastic goes to landfill. Much of this is down to us all cleaning the recycling before it goes into the box.

“Councils that use wheelie bins have much higher landfill rates often of around 15%. Recycling wheelie bins are often treated simply as bins with the contents not cleaned before being put in. This means higher costs for the council and more landfill waste. I do not want to see either of that happening locally.

“The issue is not as straightforward as it may seem. Any changes would require significant expense for the bins themselves though also changes to how it is collected. This may mean new vehicles, changing routes and working patterns for existing refuse collectors. Any change to bins I would expect to be trialled first in certain areas to see if our excellent plastic purity rates are maintained. If they are not we would be spending money to lose even more money and send more to landfill.”

Strong winds set to hit Harrogate district today

Strong winds are set to hit the Harrogate district from early this morning and will continue for the rest of the day.

BBC Weather is reporting that gusts of between 40 mph and 45 mph are expected throughout Wednesday.

A weather warning for Storm Dudley has been issued from Wednesday until Friday evening.

Visitor attractions in the district including RHS Harlow Carr and Fountains Abbey have announced they will change their opening hours tomorrow due to the winds.

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Due to the forecast of high winds, the woodland (including play area) and glasshouses will be closed Weds to Fri this week.

We apologise for any inconvenience, but the safety of everyone is paramount. We will continue to monitor the situation, please check for further updates. pic.twitter.com/2CBsh0gMVT

— RHS Harlow Carr (@RHSHarlowCarr) February 15, 2022

It's likely we'll be opening the mains site & deer park later tomorrow (Wed 16 Feb) to allow the worst of Storm Dudley to pass and make the site safe.
Our team will make a decision on opening in the morning so please check in with our website for the most up to date information. pic.twitter.com/Rltps8lVCC

— Fountains Abbey & Studley Royal, National Trust (@fountainsabbey) February 15, 2022

390 homes approved in Ripon despite concerns over impact on Fountains Abbey

Plans for 390 homes in Ripon have been granted final approval despite repeated concerns over the impact on nearby Fountains Abbey.

Harrogate Borough Council initially rejected the proposals for land off West Lane in 2017 over the impact on the countryside and Fountains Abbey which is home to the largest monastic ruins in the country.

But the decision was later overturned at appeal by the Planning Inspectorate which said the impacts would be “extremely limited”.

The council’s planning committee has now granted final approval at a meeting today, although some councillors said their concerns also including highways and parking remained.

Councillor Pat Marsh, leader of the Liberal Democrat group, described the plans as being “forced upon” the area following the appeal.

She said:

“The impact on these particular areas which include a World Heritage Site that we must protect are going to be there whether we like it or not.

“I feel strongly that these reasons for refusal still stand.”

Councillor Richard Cooper, Conservative leader of the council, said raising objections over areas that have been dismissed by the Planning Inspectorate was “fighting battles that have already been lost”.

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The proposals were initially brought forward by Britain’s largest housebuilder Barratt Homes before the developers pulled out of the scheme.

The government’s housing agency Homes England and developers Taylor Wimpey then struck an £89.5m deal to acquire the site in February 2021 and get the plans back on track.

The approved plans include 156 affordable homes, 42 bungalows, cycling and walking links, a new bus route and children’s play areas.

There will also be 40 modular homes provided by Flaxby-based company llke Homes.

All homes with parking will also have electric vehicle charging points.

Four objections against the plans were lodged with the council, including one from Littlethorpe Parish Council which flagged concerns over how the area’s roads, schools and health services will cope with another population increase.

The plans include a £455,000 contribution from the developers towards local bus services, £91,000 towards upgrades for nearby traffic signals and £50,000 towards cycling improvements.

Harrogate residents group raises concerns over ‘dangerous’ cycle path

A group behind campaigns to stop the Beech Grove Low Traffic Neighbourhood and the Station Gateway has now written to councillors about what they call the “very dangerous” Otley Road cycle path.

North Yorkshire County Council has now completed the initial stretch of the path from Harlow Moor Road to Arthurs Avenue. It is the first of three phases on Otley Road.

However, the project has got off to a difficult start with the council facing criticism about the design of the route, which weaves on and off a shared path with pedestrians.

Anna McIntee and Lucy Gardiner, co-founders of Harrogate Residents Association, have written to every councillor on North Yorkshire County Council expressing fears somebody could get hurt.

They wrote:

“The creation of these paths has been hugely expensive and disruptive. Now, all pedestrians of differing ages and disabilities have to share the path with cyclists and electrics scooters.

“It is very dangerous and there could be an accident.”

Harrogate District Cycle Action has called part of the route unsafe and business owners, including the landlord of Charlie’s Place pub, believe there could be an accident between cyclists and pedestrians due to the way the route has been designed.

The council has also been forced to correct two erroneous signs, including one that points to Harrogate in the wrong direction.

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As well as work to build the cycle path, contractors widened the junction on Harlow Moor Road for motorists, which involved the felling of 10 trees.

Two trees were felled for the cycle path.

Flooding fears

Ms McIntee and Ms Gardiner added:

“Environmentally, it’s also been disastrous as 12 healthy, mature trees have been removed, replaced with concrete and tarmac. Not only were these trees essential for carbon sequestering, but also each tree absorbs litres of water per day.

“This will not help with the continuing flooding at the Prince of Wales roundabout and surrounding area.”

A North Yorkshire County Council spokesperson said it would be issuing a response to Harrogate Residents Association.

Conservative Cllr Don Mackenzie, executive member for access at the county council, told the Stray Ferret last month:

“There has been some criticism about the fact that it is shared access with pedestrians and cyclists, but that has always been part of the design.

“We have reached an agreement with Yorkshire Water so we can widen the path. I cannot give a date on when those works will start.”

 

Harrogate council spent £5,000 on King’s Cross snow globe

Harrogate Borough Council paid £5,220 to install a Christmas snow globe at London’s King’s Cross station for two days, the Stray Ferret has learned.

The giant inflatable globe was put on the passenger concourse at King’s Cross in November to promote Harrogate’s Christmas Fayre and entice people towards a £140 LNER train service from the capital to Harrogate to sample the festivities.

The snow globe also offered people the chance to have selfies taken inside a winter wonderland scene.

The idea came from the council’s tourism organisation, Visit Harrogate, which partnered with LNER for the rail offer. The first-class service included special Harrogate goodie bags.

Through a freedom of information request, the Stray Ferret discovered Visit Harrogate spent £5,220 to hire the globe for two 12-hour days at King’s Cross. The price included VAT and the wages of two people who operated the globe.

The Stray Ferret also asked Harrogate Borough Council how many tickets to Harrogate were sold for the Christmas rail offer but the council said it did not know. LNER declined to disclose the information.

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Harrogate Christmas Fayre took place from December 2 to December 12 in the town centre. It replaced the previous Harrogate Christmas Market after organisers were not given a licence to run the event by the council.

The Stray Ferret revealed last month that Visit Harrogate paid a social media influencer from Bristol £700 to promote the fayre in a blog, which only received two likes on Facebook, including one from the council itself.

Christmas festivities across the country were dampened by the Omicron wave that hit the UK in the days leading up to Christmas.

‘Record traffic’

A spokesperson for Destination Harrogate, which includes Visit Harrogate, said:

“Visit Harrogate’s partnership with LNER saw the eye-catching snow globe travel to the capital to take a prime position in one of London’s busiest train stations, Kings Cross. The station which sees hundreds of thousands of commuters each day, allowed for maximum exposure of Harrogate district while promoting the direct LNER line from London to Harrogate.

“Located in the centre of the concourse and visible from all the main approaches, the giant snow globe became a key meeting point at the station on a Friday and Saturday – two busy days for a train station in the capital – with hundreds of people pulling out their phones to take photographs, sharing them on social media and further extend the reach of the campaign.

“During this period, the Visit Harrogate website received record levels of traffic, demonstrating the success of not only this activity, but also the wider Destination Christmas campaign.

“The purpose of all of our campaigns is to support our local visitor economy which makes up around 15% of the economy in the Harrogate district and provides jobs for around 8,000 people. For a visitor economy to continue to thrive and grow, it requires a collaborative approach and ambitious and exciting campaigns, such as this.”

Harrogate district covid rate continues rapid fall

The Harrogate district’s covid rate is continuing to fall rapidly and now stands at 756 cases per 100,000 people.

It’s the lowest the rate has been since December 20. At the peak of the Omicron wave in early January, the rate had risen to almost 2,000 cases per 100,000 people.

A total of 132 more positive covid cases were reported today in the district, according to UK Health Security Agency data.

Meanwhile, the number of positive patients with covid who have died at Harrogate District Hospital since March 2020 remains at 221.

The latest death was reported on February 5, according to NHS England figures.

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The Stray Ferret reported yesterday that Harrogate District Hospital reached maximum bed occupancy this month, with all 292 beds filled.

Figures published by NHS England show that on February 4 the hospital was at maximum capacity although the situation has improved slightly since.

The hospital is currently operating at 90% bed occupancy, as it battles covid and winter pressures, say trust managers.