Around three cyclists an hour using Harrogate’s new low traffic neighbourhood

Around three cyclists an hour are using Harrogate’s new low traffic neighbourhood initiative on Beech Grove, figures obtained by the Stray Ferret reveal.

North Yorkshire County Council closed Beech Grove to through traffic in February, initially on a six-month trial. It later extended the trial to 18 months.

The council said the move would encourage cycling and walking on the road, which runs alongside the Stray but the move angered some residents and motorists.

Following a freedom of information request, North Yorkshire County Council has released the results of five surveys that counted the number of cyclists using the low traffic neighbourhood over a 24-hour period across two weeks.

Surveys took place in August 2020, April 2021, May/June 2021, June 2021 and July 2021. The surveys divided Beech Grove into three sections — north, mid and south.

The busiest month was in April 2021, when an average of three to four cyclists an hour were recorded using the road. In August 2020, before the road closed to through traffic, between one and two cyclists an hour were recorded.

The most recent survey was undertaken in July, when two cyclists an hour were counted.

The council said in a statement it expected the number of cyclists to increase once the Otley Road cycle scheme was finished and the initial data should not be used to judge whether the low traffic neighbourhood has been a success. Work on the Otley Road cycle route is due to start on September 20 and take up to 10 weeks.

The statement said:

“It should be stressed however, that given the Otley Road cycle scheme is not yet under construction, the usage is also not as it would be expected to be once the Otley Road scheme (and the town centre Victoria Avenue/ Station Parade schemes) is constructed offering further improved cycling and walking facilities and therefore an even greater incentive for residents/ motorists to leave their motor vehicles at home for shorter journeys.

“Therefore, these figures are not being used as sole data to consider whether the experimental order is a success. Impact upon neighbouring road network, local resident support and more are all being used to consider whether the scheme be retained.”

The data

Beech Grove North

August 2020 – 50 cyclists/day

April 2021 – 89 cyclists/day

May/June – 57 cyclists/day

June – 62 cyclists/day 

July 50 cyclists/day 

Beech Grove Mid

August 2020 – 36 cyclists/day 

April 2021 – 84 cyclists/day 

May/ June – 79 cyclists/day 

June – 76 cyclists/day 

July – 49 cyclists/ day 

Beech Grove South

August 2020 – 32 cyclists/ day 

April 2021 – 83 cyclists/ day

May/ June – 44 cyclists/ day

June – 50 cyclists/day

July – 60 cyclists/ day

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The response

Kevin Douglas, chair of Harrogate District Cycle Action told the Stray Ferret the figures were “pretty good” and that numbers would increase when the Otley Road cycle route was in use.

He said:

“Those people who say no cyclists are using Beech Grove are wrong.

“The fact that the Otley Road cycle route isn’t in place and the Victoria Road scheme isn’t in place means that this key link is working in isolation so I think the numbers relate to those confident of cycling on busy roads.

“The real test should be when those two key pieces of the network are in place.

“However, the LTN must remain in place until the work on the two schemes are completed.”

Anna McIntee, co-founder of Harrogate Residents Association, which has launched a petition against the closure, which received over 600 signatures. She told the Stray Ferret the figures show that the low traffic neighbourhood has not increased cycling.

“The numbers of cyclists have not risen substantially or exponentially the longer the scheme has been in place.

“If a day is counted as 24 hours then it seems the maximum number of cyclists recorded gives less than four per hour.

“Plus, do the figures include the same cyclists’ return trips? In which case the figures could probably be halved.

“All the disruption this low traffic neighbourhood has caused to residents doesn’t seem worthy of the small increase in cyclists.”

 

Pannal residents ‘erupt in fury’ at Dunlopillo housing plans

Plans have been submitted to demolish the former Dunlopillo office block in Pannal and build new apartments.

However, the proposal, which would see the new building being two storeys higher than the old one, has proved unpopular with local residents.

Otley-based developer Quattro Property Group has submitted the plans, which would see the 1961 office block demolished and replaced with 48 one-and two-bedroom apartments.

It would be split into two blocks, one with four storeys and another with six.

There would also be one car parking space per apartment plus additional spaces for visitors at the back of the building.

Planning consultants Johnson Mowat has submitted planning documents to Harrogate Borough Council on behalf of the developer that says the scheme would be an improvement on the current empty office block, which has been deteriorating for several years. It says:

“This site has been a blot on the landscape for far too long and we are looking forward to delivering a high quality building.”

A computer generated image of the plans.

Residents’ fury

Long-term Pannal resident Anne Smith, who has also written several books about the village, told the Stray Ferret residents had “erupted in fury” at the proposals and were mobilising to submit objections.

She said:

“It will look awful. It looks bad enough as it is. It will swamp Pannal. Forty-eight flats will mean up to 96 people.”

“Everybody I’ve spoken to in Pannal will put objections in.

“The building is a monstrosity and we in Pannal had hoped it was going to be demolished and replaced with smaller houses.”

The Stray Ferret asked Johnson Mowat to comment but did not receive a response at the time of publication.

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History of the site

From 1938 to 1949, the site was occupied by the Bintex factory, which manufactured radar equipment for use during the Second World War.

It was bought by rubber manufacturer Dunlop, which changed its name to Dunlopillo and made the site its headquarters.

It is estimated around 440 people worked there in its 1970s and 80s heyday producing pillows, mattresses, beds and latex cushioning for cars.

Much of the site has already been demolished and replaced with housing as well as the Vida Grange care home.

Harrogate Town boss nominated for Manager of the Month

Harrogate Town manager Simon Weaver has been nominated for the manager of the month award in League Two of the English Football League.

It’s been a dream start to the new campaign for Town despite a covid outbreak forcing the club to postpone two league fixtures.

Weaver’s men are currently sitting pretty at the top of table, with four wins and one draw from their opening five games.

August saw home wins against Rochdale and Barrow and a 1-1 draw with Exeter.

Their only defeat last month came in a 0-2 loss to Leyton Orient.

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The winner will be announced on Friday. The shortlist is below.

Dave Challinor (Hartlepool United)

Rob Edwards (Forest Green Rovers)

Ben Garner (Swindon Town)

Simon Weaver (Harrogate Town)

Five school bus routes to Rossett replaced as autumn term begins

Five school bus routes to Harrogate’s Rossett School have been replaced by new services as pupils return to school this week.

North Yorkshire County Council, which contracts school buses to private bus companies, announced last week that Harrogate Bus Company‘s 780H, 781H, 782H, 783H, 784H services have been cancelled.

The old routes began in the Jennyfields, Bilton and Woodlands areas of Harrogate.

Children can instead take the 6, 52, S3, 8A, 620H and 620H services.

Some parents have described the changes as confusing and  on social media and said they should have been announced sooner.

The new routes

S2: Crab Lane post office (7.55am), Knox Way (8.07am), Harrogate Bus Station (08.17am), Rossett School (08.34am). Return from Rossett School at 3.20pm.

2A Dene Park Community Centre (8.00am) via Sandhill Drive (8.02am), Fountains Avenue (8.03am), Poplar Grove (8.05am) and King Edwards Drive (8.07am) to Harrogate Bus Station (8.15am).

The journey then extends to Pannal Ash on number 6. The nearest stop to Rossett School is Wellfield Court (8.36am). Return from Wellfield court stop at 3.20pm

S3: Oakdale Burley Avenue (7.58am), Jennyfields Saltergate Roundabout (8.06am) White Hart Hotel (8.23am), Rossett School (8.35am). Return from Wellfield court stop at 3.20pm.

8A: Woodlands Hotel (7.54am), Granby Corner (7.58am), Starbeck Swarcliffe Road (8.03am), Forest Lane (8.06am), Hookstone Chase Crossways (8.12), Leadhall Corner (8.27am), Rossett School (8.35am). Return from Rossett School at 5.20pm.

620H: Dacre Banks (7.40am), Providence Chapel (7.34am), Darley Moke Hill (7.50am), Birstwith Post Office (8am), Clapham Green (8.02am), Hampswhaite Memorial Hall (8.05am), Little Wonder (8.17am), White Hart Hotel (8.23am), Rossett School (8.35am). Return from Rossett School at 3.20pm.

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The cancelled routes

780H: The Hydro (8.01), Ripon Road, Skipton Road, Harewood Road, Jennyfield Drive, Ripon Road, Crescent Road, Cold Bath Road and Pannal Ash Road.

781H: Burley Bank Avenue (7.58am), Penny Pot Lane, Oaker Bank, Skipton Road, Crowberry Drive, Jennyfield Drive, Saltergate Roundabout, Jennyfield Drive, Ripon Road, Crescent Road, Cold Bath Road and Pannal Ash Road.

782H: St Joseph’s Church, Bilton at (07.58am), Skipton Road, Knox Lane, Bachelor Gardens, Hill Top Mount, Hill Top Avenue, Crab Lane, Bilton Lane, Skipton Road, Knaresborough Road, York Place, Otley Road and Pannal Ash Road

783H: Richard Taylor School (07.56am), Bilton Lane, Hall Lane, Tennyson Avenue, Bilton Lane, Sandhill Drive, Poplar Grove, King Edward’s Drive, Skipton Road, Kings Road, Crescent Road, Cold Bath Road and Pannal Ash Road.

784H: Woodlands Corner (07.54am), Wetherby Road, Empress Roundabout, Knaresborough Road, Starbeck, Forest Lane, Hookstone Chase, Hookstone Drive, Leadhall Lane and Green Lane.

 

Lidl supermarket in Ripon set for go-ahead

Plans for a new Lidl supermarket at St Michael’s Retail Park in Ripon look set to be given the go-ahead by councillors next week.

The new 11,840 sq ft store, which would create up to 40 jobs, has been recommended for approval at a meeting of Harrogate Borough Council’s planning committee on Tuesday.

If councillors agree with the recommendation, the supermarket would occupy two units at the £10m retail park, which opened in July last year.

A report to next Tuesday’s meeting said:

“The proposed development is acceptable and meets the requirements of the sequential and retail impact tests.
“The development will create jobs and provide economic benefits to the local area.”

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The plans were submitted to the borough council in May following a virtual consultation with the local community earlier this year.

Lidl previously said the store would represent a “multi-million-pound” investment into the Rotary Way retail park, which is currently only occupied by Marks and Spencer and owned by Leeds-based retailers Rothstone Estates.

Separately, plans for a Lidl store at the former Lookers car dealership on Harrogate’s Knaresborough Road were approved by the borough council last month.

The German supermarket chain previously said these plans will also create up to 40 jobs.

Harrogate Male Voice Choir to resume meeting after 18 months

Harrogate Male Voice Choir will resume face-to-face practice tomorrow night for the first time since March last year.

The choir began in October 1969 but members were forced to practice over Zoom during the pandemic.

It will meet at 7.30pm every Tuesday at Woodlands Methodist Church in Harrogate.

Lawrie Coulthard, who has sung in the choir for several years, said Zoom hadn’t been the same.

“You can’t sing all at once. It’s not conducive to group singing”

The choir, which had about 50 regulars pre-pandemic, will welcome a new musical director, Richard Kay.

Covid precautions include ensuring all singers are doubled jabbed.

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Mr Coulthard said he’s looking forward to meeting his friends face-to-face after a long absence. He said the first hymn sung is likely to be Softly and Tenderly.

He added:

“We’re absolutely excited. We’re all going to be a bit rusty but it will be fantastic.

“It’s not just singing, it’s a social event too. It’s a fellowship.”

If you are interested in joining the choir, contact Lawrie Coulthard on 07905515492 or lawriecoulthard@hotmail.co.uk

Charity Corner: Giving Harrogate’s homeless people dignity again

Lifeline is a Harrogate-based charity that houses people who have been homeless, acting as a crucial stepping stone between sleeping rough and independent living.

It was set up by Carl Good and his wife Georgie in 2012 after they met a homeless man in need of help in Bower Road’s tunnel.

They partnered with a Christian social enterprise called Green Pastures that buys properties and leases them to Lifeline. The charity’s volunteers also help residents learn new skills and overcome issues that led them to sleep rough in the first place, whether that be an addiction, mental health problems or debt.

They now have five three-bedroom homes across Harrogate, four for men and one for women, and they are looking for a sixth.

80 people have been housed over the past eight years and 60% of its residents have gone on to live independently with paid work.

The Stray Ferret visited one of Lifeline’s five properties in Harrogate to meet Mr Good and a former homeless man who is living there. Lifeline prefers to keep the location of their properties private.

Stability

Liam has been living in a Lifeline home in Harrogate for four months after moving from Harrogate Homeless Project’s hostel on Bower Road.

He said he enjoys the privacy and freedom it offers.

“It’s given me stability and hope to push myself more.”

Liam hopes to stay there for a year while he continues to build his confidence and learn new skills.

“I’m learning gardening skills. I’d like to learn a language, perhaps Polish or Spanish”.

He said he particularly enjoys looking after the home which he shares with two other people.

“I like taking pride in it”.

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County lines

Mr Good says homelessness has increased in Harrogate since the charity was formed due to a range of factors including drugs, housing and the benefits system.

He said hard drugs have become much more prevalent over the past ten years with county lines drug dealers specifically targetting vulnerable people living in Lifeline homes.

He said:

“Drugs are used much more in Harrogate than they used to be”.

Another issue is many people moving into the homes have a low level of financial resilience. Mr Good had a 20-year career as a financial advisor before setting up Lifeline and said navigating the Universal Credit system is as complicated as inheritance tax or capitals gains tax.

Sky’s the limit

Lifeline hopes to give its residents some dignity back after they’ve experienced often chaotic and traumatic experiences living on the streets.

Mr Good added:

“It’s brilliant because they have their own front door key. It gives them that dignity.

“A change of mindset is sometimes what is needed, then the sky’s the limit. They first have to feel safe and have a roof over their head.

“They need someone to believe in them. We all need support and it doesn’t mean they can’t succeed in life. We all need that leg up.”

Harrogate’s 74-year-old walking football star dreams of winning World Cup

Harrogate Town and England walking football player Lawrie Coulthard dreams of winning the World Cup at the ripe age of 74.

He’s been capped by his country three times in the emerging sport, which is a twist on the beautiful game that makes running a foul — do it three times and you get a blue card and placed in a sin bin for two minutes.

Lawrie had a career in the civil service and played for amateur teams in London until he retired aged 45. He thought he’d given up on the football buzz forever until he was persuaded to give walking football a try by a fellow member of Harrogate Male Voice Choir.

He said:

“You get this adrenaline burst playing and you really enjoy it. It’s very competitive. It all came back. It helps your fitness, physical fitness and mental fitness as you get older, and there’s a social side of it.”

Harrogate Town’s 50s and over 60s teams train once a week at Rossett Sports Centre and Lawrie describes his teammates as “a good set of chaps”. He says you need quick feet and a sharp brain to prosper in the game, which is six-a-side and played on smaller pitches.

He made his England debut against the Republic of Ireland last year and hopes to line up when they play Wales next month.

“We sing the national anthem and every time the hairs bristle on your neck. I’m so proud singing that.”

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Manchester will host the first-ever walking football World Cup next year, which Lawrie hopes England can win. He says he could carry on playing until his 80s.

“I’m 74 and in good health. I don’t see why I shouldn’t play until my 80’s unless my legs start giving way. I still enjoy it. You still get that buzz.”

Lawrie paid tribute to his late wife for believing in him.

“My wife died in 2020, she was really ill and persuaded me to carry on with my singing and football. I’m eternally grateful to her for that.”

He added:

“We were staying at friends once and I fell out out of bed and the bed was quite high up. My wife said, ‘what are you doing?’ I told her I was just scoring a goal for England at Wembley in my dream.

“I never thought I’d one day be playing for England!”

Myth buster: Afghan refugees in the Harrogate district

Since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan earlier this month, four families have been resettled in Harrogate through the government’s Vulnerable Persons and Vulnerable Children’s Resettlement Scheme.

Our story on Harrogate Borough Council pledging to house refugees fleeing the country provoked a big reaction on social media, both positive and negative, and we wanted to answer some of the questions raised in the responses.

Refugees are people fleeing armed conflicts or persecution and are protected in international law.

An asylum seeker is someone who claims to be a refugee but whose claim hasn’t been evaluated.

We put several questions to Belinda Goode, chair of Harrogate District of Sanctuary, a charity that supports refugees and asylum seekers in the Harrogate district.

Who is coming to Harrogate?

These are Afghan families and their arrival was planned. They knew Nato forces were withdrawing and there was a deal with the Taliban in 2020. They are interpreters who worked for the British Army and their families who were in a vulnerable situation in Afghanistan. They’ve been here a couple of weeks self-isolating in hotels then arrived in Harrogate.

Do refugees jump the social housing queue?

There are a very small number of people coming through the resettlement scheme and they will be given accommodation [in council housing]. North Yorkshire County Council approached Harrogate Borough Council for that.

Housing is sourced and they are supported by the Refugee Council who makes sure they have access to the healthcare that we take for granted. We support them with this.

In the last five years, we’ve not had 20 families and not all of them live in local authority accommodation.

If they don’t come through this planned resettlement scheme they won’t be entitled to social housing. They will be placed in private rental accommodation but it’s usually substandard.

Can refugees work — and do they want to?

Yes, they’ve been given the right to remain here and contribute to society.

Often people come here with great skills but can’t find work. I met a woman who was an engineer in Iran. She couldn’t work and she found it incredibly frustrating and odd that she couldn’t pay her taxes and contribute. She’s doing a course to eventually become a doctor. It’s not that people don’t want to work, they want opportunity.

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Are asylum seekers coming to the UK illegally?

One of the biggest issues is people understanding that asylum seekers are not illegal. It is a legal right to seek asylum. There’s no such thing as a bogus or illegal asylum seeker. 

Asylum seekers are experiencing the same struggles as refugees, but an asylum seeker flees the country on their own and not through an organised resettlement process. They have to apply for asylum once they get here.

Does Harrogate have the space to house refugees and asylum seekers?

We’re not in the top 10 countries that take Syrian refugees. It’s countries like Lebanon, Turkey, Jordan, Germany, Iraq and Egypt.

The idea that people will always come to England through other countries isn’t factual. Often they will stay in nearby countries.

It’s easy to find these statistics if you look in the right places. We take a very small proportion of refugees. We see the boats coming over and the media use words like “hoards” and “flooded” but in Syria, the statistics are scary. Five million people live without direct access to water. These are often children who are desperate. 

Is Harrogate a ‘welcoming, tolerant and diverse’ place, as suggested by the council leader?

That is aspirational but people’s hearts have been wrung out by the scenes in Afghanistan and at Kabul airport. The majority of people have that humanitarian pull to ask what can we do to help.

There are another group of people who will never change their minds, equally you’ll never change my mind about the situation. 

Our culture in Harrogate is not multi-ethnic and in that sense, it’s more of a challenge. It’s not a big city where naturally there are people from all sorts of races but I’ve seen some wonderful kindness in Harrogate.

There have been some issues [with racism], but that’s not just Harrogate it’s everywhere.

The refugees bring a huge richness of culture with them. What I’ve learned about Syrian food and culture is brilliant. And how welcoming a culture it is. You’re always offered food and these are people that don’t have a lot.

If you visit a refugee family, leave plenty of time, you’re not going to get away with a quick cuppa like you would in the UK. They enjoy life and they want to share it.

Harrogate College: ‘Consider hospitality as a career’

All week, the Stray Ferret has been reporting on the reasons behind the jobs crisis facing hospitality venues in Harrogate — from low pay, to high housing costs and Brexit.

Harrogate BID recently organised a meeting with Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce, HBC, Harrogate College, and figures in the town’s hospitality industry to discuss how to encourage more people to look at hospitality as a real career option.

Danny Wild, principal of Harrogate College, told the Stray Ferret that employers struggling to find staff should contact the college who will ask current students if they are interested in a role.

It also says the college offers courses that develop the skills of hospitality staff so they can view their job as a long-term career.

He said:

“It is our responsibility to support the sector at this key time by helping to provide the skilled employees they require.

“The college is supporting the hospitality sector by working with lots of local businesses who are coming to us to help promote or fill their vacancies and look at bespoke training packages.

“And we are actively encouraging employers to speak to the college directly about staffing shortages to see how we can help by, for example, enabling our current students to work part-time or take up apprenticeships.

“For anyone interested in customer service training, meanwhile, we would urge them to contact us so we can signpost them towards the most appropriate solution.

“There isn’t a one-size-fits-all so we always aim to discuss what each employer needs and then offer a solution that works best for them, whether it be a one-day customer service course, an apprenticeship or ways to develop their own management skills.”

Read our series on the jobs crisis: