A leading civil liberties group has said it is ‘deeply alarming’ that Harrogate Borough Council uses CCTV cameras supplied by a company controlled by the Chinese Communist Party, and with links to the Uyghur ‘genocide’ in Xinjiang.
HIKVision CCTV cameras have already been banned in the United States over security concerns.
But a report from Big Brother Watch this year revealed almost three-quarters of local authorities use CCTV manufactured by the company, as do many NHS trusts, police forces and schools.
The council has 212 CCTV cameras in total across the district. They are in Harrogate, Knaresborough and Ripon town centres as well as at leisure centres such as the Hydro and Ripon’s new Jack Laugher Leisure and Wellness Centre.
The Stray Ferret sent a freedom of information request to the council asking how many of these cameras were made by HIKVision and was told the number is 86.
HIKVision cameras come at the cheaper end of the market, making them a popular choice for cash-strapped local authorities but critics say they come with other, more sinister, costs.
As well as being used in Uyghur detention camps, software flaws have connected the CCTV cameras back to servers in China leading to fears about spying by the repressive state.
A CCTV camera — one of 212 in the district — overlooking the Royal Hall.
Detention camps
The Uyghurs are a predominantly Muslim ethnic group in north west China who face persecution and oppression by the ruling Chinese Communist Party.
Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have published reports that accused China of crimes against humanity. A UK-based independent tribunal last year ruled Beijing was guilty of genocide.
The BBC has captured evidence of HIKVision CCTV cameras being used to monitor the Uyghur population in the Xinjiang region, as well as in so-called ‘detention camps’ where it’s estimated over a million Uyghurs have been locked up.
Last year, MPs on the foreign affairs committee published a report that said cameras made by Hikvision “have been deployed throughout Xinjiang, and provide the primary camera technology used in the internment camps”.
Madeleine Stone, legal and policy officer at civil liberties group Big Brother Watch said:
“It is deeply alarming that Harrogate Borough Council is purchasing and using Hikvision cameras to monitor members of the public.
“Taxpayers’ money should not be funding a company so closely linked to the Uyghur genocide in Xinjiang. Chinese state-owned CCTV companies have no place in the UK and the government should act now to ban them.”
China has denied all allegations of human rights abuses in Xinjiang.
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Security concerns
As well as the ethical question marks around HIKVision cameras, there are also fears that the cameras could compromise security and be used for spying.
Whilst there is no direct evidence of HIKVision providing data gathered from CCTV cameras to the Chinese state, there was an instance in Italy last year where hundreds of HIKVision cameras suddenly started connecting to a server in China.
The incident in Italy was rare but Big Brother Watch has also reported other “security holes” in one of the company’s main remote viewing software tools that could connect directly to servers in the country.
A CCTV camera on Cambridge Street – one of 212 in the district.
Chris Aldred, Liberal Democrat councillor for Fairfax and chair of the council’s overview and scrutiny commission, said the security implications were potentially “very worrying” for the district. He said:
“It would be very worrying if our cameras in Harrogate district suddenly started transmitting their images anywhere else, not just China.
“I know from my own personal CCTV training within the security Industry that there are, quite rightly, very strict regulations as to who can view CCTV images and for what purpose, even the police have to apply for permission and follow strict guidelines.”
The council publishes an annual report about its use of CCTV but it does not mention who manufactures the cameras.
Cllr Aldred added:
“What is happening in the Uyghur detention camps is truly appalling and it is disappointing that Harrogate Borough Council has ultimately bought our cameras from the same company whose technology is undoubtedly aiding what is happening there”.
Cllr Aldred said he will ask the council if it has concerns about HIKVision, and if it has plans to remove the cameras.
A Harrogate Borough Council spokesperson said:
“HIKVision CCTV cameras are used extensively by local authorities across the UK, as they are known for capturing high-quality footage that can prove invaluable when a crime is committed.
“Like all other organisations that use CCTV, we follow a code of practice, comply with the Data Protection Act, and our system is registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office.
“We await further guidance from central government on any future use of HIKVision cameras.”
The Stray Ferret approached HIKVision for comment but we did not receive a response.
New zip-wire opens in KnaresboroughA new zip-wire on Fysche Field in Knaresborough is now open.
The zip-wire will be part of a new play area to be built next to Harrogate Borough Council‘s £17m new fitness centre and swimming pool.
The facility is due to be finished by the end of summer 2023 and will have a six-lane 25-metre pool, activity pool with flume, sauna and steam room, fitness suite and studio, spin studio, café, electric car charging points and bicycle storage.
The council said in a statement today it will be built to high environmental standards and include air source heat pumps and solar panels to reduce the carbon footprint.
Once complete, the current pool will be demolished and be replaced by a bigger and better play area with swings, slides and a roundabout.
Conservative councillor Phil Ireland, who represents Knaresborough Aspin and Calcutt ward, said:
“This is a great new addition for Knaresborough and the start of a much wider play area and leisure facility for the town.
“I’m delighted it is now available for young people to use and look forward to the scheme being completed next year.”
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Ripon resident says blocked gullies are leading to floods
A Ripon resident has called on North Yorkshire County Council to clean gullies in the city more regularly, after a burst water main led to a street being flooded this week.
People on North Street woke on Monday to water gushing out of a pipe onto the road. It was the second time in four days that a Yorkshire Water pipe had burst on the street and led to fears the flood might damage properties.
Some homes in the city and nearby villages were left without water for most of the day while the leak was fixed.
The street has gullies to take excess surface water but residents say they are regularly blocked by straw, hay and dirt.
Paul Oldham, who lives on North Street, said Monday’s flood was not an isolated incident.
He said whenever there is heavy rainfall in winter, residents have to go out to the drains to move dirt in the gullies so that water can go down.
Mr Oldham said:
“The fact is every year the residents on North Street clean out the drains because they are not maintained. We’re out in our wellies and we poke or prod to get water to subside, and eventually it does. The council needs to be cleaning out the drains.”
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It is the responsibility of North Yorkshire County Council to clean drains and gulleys in the district.
Mr Oldham added:
“I get that budgets might be cut, or cleaning drains might not be a priority, but the fact is it’s happened so often and regularly. It could have really affected properties along here.
“Its not a one off. They need to make sure the drains are cleaned. But I do have sympathy, it is difficult for them to get around and do all the jobs.”
North Yorkshire County Council highways area manager Melisa Burnham said:
Care provider expands to Harrogate district“The gullies in North Street were inspected recently and the team involved found they were in good condition but did need to be jetted.
“Following the inspection a programme had already been devised to have them cleared and cleaned and that work will be delivered today.”
Business Breakfast is sponsored by Harrogate law firm Truth Legal.
A care provider from Northallerton has expanded into the Harrogate district.
Blossom Home Care provides care to the elderly and other adults with home care requirements. Established in 2015 in Northallerton, Blossom has moved into the north-east, North Yorkshire and other areas of the UK.
Carrianne Walters and Darren Kacis, franchise owners of Blossom Home Care Harrogate, have over 30 years experience in social care.
Their office opened this week on Hartwith Way in Harrogate.
They can be contacted on 01423 649885 or by email at managerharrogate@blossomhomecare.co.uk.
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Harrogate town centre flats nears completion
Apartments being developed in central Harrogate are due to be ready to move into this autumn.
Lambert House is being built by Harrogate-based Tate Estates and consists of 12 two-bedroom apartments, just off Station Parade.
All the apartments have private under-croft parking and several of the properties include two-storey duplex layouts and balconies.
Shane Tate, from Tate Estates, said:
Extension to be built on former Ali Raj restaurant in Harrogate“We’re excited to release the homes for sale, and especially because we’ve already had high levels of enquiries from a wide range of potential buyers during the construction phase.”
Plans to build an extension at the back of the former Ali Raj restaurant on Cheltenham Crescent have been approved by Harrogate Borough Council.
The plans were submitted by the owners of the building, who also own the pub downstairs, The Little Ale House.
Richard Park and his wife Danni opened The Little Ale House in 2016 to recreate a rustic country pub atmosphere in the town centre.
The Ali Raj was a longstanding Indian and Bangladeshi restaurant in Harrogate that closed in 2021. It was the first Bangladeshi restaurant in town when it opened more than 35 years ago.
A change of use application was approved in February to turn the restaurant into a bar.
The latest plans will create improved back-of-house and toilet facilities and a roof terrace to increase seating capacity.
Mr Park told the Stray Ferret that building work is set to begin next summer when he will say which business will use the space.
He stressed the new venue will not be an extension of the Little Ale House, which will remain a separate business downstairs.
A CGI image of how the extension will look
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Flaxby modular housebuilder acquires site in Hastings
Flaxby-based modular house builder ilke Homes has bought a site in Hastings to develop 140 affordable properties.
The 12.35-acre site already has outline planning permission and was previously owned by Hastings Borough Council.
Work is expected to start in autumn this year ahead of completion in 2024. A total of 84 homes will be ‘zero carbon’ and powered by renewable energy.
The company, which has 500 employees, builds homes at its factory on Flaxby Moor Industrial Estate near Knaresborough that are then delivered across the UK.
Tom Heathcote, executive director of development at ilke Homes, said:
“We have enjoyed working closely with Hastings Borough Council’s Estates Team and the local authorities planning department to bring forward our proposals for the site at Harrow Lane.
“Subject to the clearance of pre-commencement conditions, we are excited to commence on site later this year.”
Cllr Maya Evans, deputy leader and portfolio holder for housing at the council, added:
“We are very impressed with ilke Homes, who have gone above and beyond in ensuring 84 homes are zero carbon.
“This means the energy they use will be 100 per cent renewable, on top of fabric first sustainable building materials.”
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Free business workshop in Harrogate
ActionCOACH Harrogate is hosting its second free business workshop at Starling Independent Bar Cafe Kitchen on September 7.
It’s been designed for business owners who want “a more manageable, more profitable business that can work without them”.
Andrew Joy will talk delegates through the ActionCOACH 6 steps model that’s used by many companies around the world.
The free morning of business coaching will include marketing concepts, sales promotion and profit-building systems.
To register visit here.
£49m Harrogate Convention Centre redevelopment plans move to final design stageThe redevelopment of Harrogate Convention Centre has moved to the next design stage – although a final decision on the £49 million plans is still a year away.
It will be in July or August next year when that decision is made and because of local government reorganisation, it will be taken by the new North Yorkshire Council.
The convention centre is currently owned by Harrogate Borough Council which will hand over ownership of the venue after warning it “may fail to survive” without investment.
It said the convention centre – which is a key driver of business to the district’s hospitality and tourism trades – could lose up to £250 million over the next 40 years unless the redevelopment is carried out.
That warning was put to members of the borough council’s cabinet on Wednesday when they approved spending £3.3 million to progress final designs.
Trevor Watson, director of economy, environment and housing at the borough council, told a meeting that the redevelopment would enhance the appearance of the 40-year-old building and improve access to its auditorium.
He said:
“But absolutely critically, it would replace the ageing and failing mechanical and electrical facilities which we will have to do regardless of whether this scheme goes ahead.”
“The reality is we can’t do nothing as we would still require many millions of pounds of investment just to keep the venue ticking over”.
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The convention centre competes with venues in Manchester, Birmingham, London and other major cities for events. And now there is a new threat much closer to home after plans for a Leeds conference venue were revealed.
Those proposals for the site of the former Yorkshire Bank HQ were set for approval by Leeds City Council last week until a wave of objections from Harrogate Convention Centre and the town’s business leaders delayed the decision.
Paula Lorimer, director of Harrogate Convention Centre, criticised the city council for an “absence of dialogue” on the plans which she fears will have a big impact on Harrogate’s place in the “very competitive” events industry.
She also told Wednesday’s meeting:
“The convention centre’s role is to protect and create jobs for Harrogate, and to ensure it does not become a seasonal town and shut in the winter.
“Although the venue has retained many loyal clients over the years, increasing competition and growing operating costs have resulted in us having a major rethink of what our offer actually is.
“We need to innovate to recapture our position in the market and I very much believe this is achievable.”
The next stages of the proposed development will see designs produced by next May, before final costs are revealed the following month.
If approved, construction works would start later in the year with completion in November 2024.
Harrogate estate agent records £15m turnoverBusiness Breakfast is sponsored by Harrogate law firm Truth Legal.
Company accounts show Linley & Simpson recorded a turnover of £15m in the year ending 31 December 2021, up from £11.7m in 2020.
Pre-tax profit was £2.81m, compared to £2.86m the previous year, while operating profit before depreciation and amortisation was £4.67m, up from £3.95m.
The group completed seven acquisitions during the period, with five share purchases and two trade and asset purchases.
The group’s residential portfolio increased from 11,477 to 12,515 during the year, primarily driven by its acquisitions.
The company is planning to expand its land and new homes department to cover the whole of Yorkshire and the Humber from its 23 offices.
David Waddington, the agency’s director of land and new homes, said:
“Having grown into the largest land and new homes agent in the area, we now have a strong launch pad for taking our services to house builders in new territories.”
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Digital marketing graduate scheme announced
Harrogate digital agency group IDHL has welcomed 14 new starters to its biggest ever graduate training programme, which will be run from its Harrogate, Leeds and Manchester offices.
The 12-month specialist digital development programme for graduates has a goal of attracting new talent and investing in the training and development of entry level candidates.
The graduates will undergo training and get first-hand agency experience in other digital marketing service specialisms such as 6technical SEO, copywriting and digital PR as well as web development and design.
Graduate training manager Giacomo Palmieri said:
Kingsley residents suffering construction dust call on council to tackle developers“I am proud to see this graduate scheme grow, with our successes and learnings in Paid laying solid foundation for the wider teams.
“When we started this programme, we had just one graduate candidate in place at a time, but this year we’ll have four people in Paid Media alone, and a further ten across other areas of the business. It’s so great to see.
“Our six alumni have become key to the day-to-day running of our team, and one has recently been promoted to senior executive.”
Residents in Harrogate’s Kingsley ward say construction traffic has left them worrying about harmful dust and air pollution — but a “weak” Harrogate Borough Council has done little to clamp down on developers.
Over 700 homes will eventually be built in the ward by five different developers but Kingsley Road and Kingsley Drive are accessed off the busy Knaresborough Road.
This has led to lorries and trucks driving through residential roads to get to the building sites.
Residents say the construction traffic has resulted in vast amounts of dust and dirt from lorries ending up on roads, cars and houses. They say it’s so bad they worry they’ll have to wear masks to protect themselves.
Gary Tremble, from Kingsley Ward Action Group (KWAG), said:
“We have complained for over three years yet to this day the wagons travel down our residential street spewing out dust in summer and dirt in winter, we now even have fully laden uncovered wagons taking dirt into the developments.”
Mr Tremble believes the dust is made up of PM10, an air pollutant typically seen on building sites. When breathed in, it can penetrate deep into the lungs.
Exposure to high concentrations of PM10 has been linked by scientists to asthma attacks, high blood pressure, heart attacks and strokes.
‘We’ve been ignored’
When a development receives planning permission from HBC, conditions are attached that stipulate how housebuilders will minimise the impact of issues including dirt and dust.
This sometimes involves making sure there are onsite wheel cleaners and covering wagons that are carrying materials or waste.
Mr Tremble added:
“We’ve made hundreds of complaints to Harrogate Borough Council but enforcement but are weak. They don’t do anything and we’ve been ignored.”
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Residents criticise key Harrogate planning document as ‘incoherent’
The issue of how effective the council’s planning enforcement team was raised at a council meeting this week.
Conservative councillor for Old Bilton, Paul Haslam, said he and other councillors had received complaints from KWAG accusing the council’s planning enforcement team of not ensuring that conditions were being upheld.
Conservative councillor for the Washburn ward, Victoria Oldham, asked Cllr Haslam if he thought HBC’s planning enforcement team was acting on complaints from residents “in a timeous manner”.
Cllr Haslam said he was concerned that enforcement officers “don’t have enough support”. He said:
“Quite clearly, guidelines are being flaunted [sic] by the developers. We need to make sure we are seen to protect our residents.”
‘Addressing the concerns’
In response to KWAG, a Harrogate Borough Council spokesperson said:
Exploring the universe in a Harrogate back garden“We are aware of concerns relating to dust from HGVs entering and exiting the development(s) on Kingsley Road and have allocated a case officer to address these concerns.
“We have discussed the matter with the county council and the developer and have reminded them of actions they must maintain as per the conditions of the planning permission.
“These actions have been actioned – as well as some further recommendation, including road sweeping – by the developer and we will continue to closely assess this situation to ensure they continue to do so.”
In his garden in Harrogate, James Clark looks through a telescope to millions of light years away, almost all the way back to the start of the universe.
He explains why astronomy fires his passion:
“It’s the wonder of the universe and how small we puny humans are I suppose, it makes you realise how irrelevant we are.”
Now retired, Mr Clark grew up on Star Trek and even had Professor Steven Hawking as a lecturer when he studied maths at Cambridge University.
He’s only been stargazing for a year but has already captured an impressive line-up of planets, nebulae and galaxies through his telescope.
He said:
“I’ve never done any photography before but I’ve always been interested in physics. I realised the quality of picture you can get from your back garden as the technology has developed to such an extent. Once I started I was hooked.”
The Whirlpool Galaxy
As well as studying the stars from his garden, he enjoys packing up his equipment and heading out to a remote spot far, far away in the outer reaches of the Harrogate district.
His favourite place is Thruscross Reservoir car park due to its pitch black skies. He said:
“Astronomy is really great for mental health and communing with nature.
“Sitting outside listening to the wild animals and spotting the occasional meteor in a dark sky is just heaven.”
Saturn and Jupiter. Credit – James Clark
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Mr Clark has been inspired by Nasa’s James Webb Space Telescope, which cost billions of dollars and has recently started to beam back lustrous images from space back to earth.
But he said technology for the amateur astronomer is now relatively affordable. He uses the same software as that at Nasa, bought for just a couple of hundred pounds.
“My favourite picture is of the Whirlpool Galaxy, 30 million light years away. We’ve had some printed up and have a few around the house.”
The Moon. Credit – James Clark
He started out using a cheap Canon DSLR but since upgraded to a telescope that cost over a thousand pounds. To help him develop his skills, he interacts with an active community of “astros” on Twitter who support each other.
With so much time spent looking up at the stars, he said he sometimes ponders the age-old question of whether we are really all alone whilst we float in space.
“Absolutely I believe that we are not the only intelligent life out there.”
Whilst most of us are dreading the shorter days and longer nights that come with winter, the budding astronomer is looking forward to being able to spend more time in the darkness, exploring the endless expanse.
The Squid Nebulae. Credit – James Clark