Harrogate Borough Council leader Richard Cooper says schemes to improve walking and cycling infrastructure in the town “will always cause controversy” but they are essential to reduce emissions.

Cllr Cooper was speaking yesterday evening at a Q+A session for members of the Yorkshire and Humber Climate Coalition, of which he is vice-chair.

Proposals such as the Station Gateway scheme have divided opinion in Harrogate with some welcoming it as a bold step to encourage people out of cars but others believing it will hurt local businesses and shops.

The Stray Ferret asked Cllr Cooper why these schemes have been so divisive and what local politicians can do to ensure they bring all residents along with them.

In response, he said local politicians have “to be honest with people” about the climate challenges ahead and accept that they will not please everyone.

He said:

“You can’t say we support sustainable transport but on the other hand carry on using cars. The two things are not able to be done at the same time.

“Sustainable transport means taking away tarmac from cars to buses, bikes and walking. That will always cause controversy.

He added:

“People want to carry on as they are. If we carry on we’ll never get to net-zero. Travel is one of the biggest emitters. It’s about being honest with people and the putting facts in front of people.”

“Whenever you change things it’s going to be divisive. You’ll never get everyone agreeing with you.

“If people are committed to net-zero they have to realise that we can’t have no change and expect things to get better.”

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Cllr Cooper also responded to a question about the impact of new housing developments on the environment in Yorkshire.

He said that in Harrogate he gets housing developers together with residents to discuss environmental issues.

“I try and get developers together with local residents to talk about how we can get cycle routes or how we can put green barriers in. 

“Every developer wants residents to support their development. They will usually be amiable to discussion with residents.”

The Yorkshire and Humber Climate Coalition was set up earlier this year to bring public, private and third sectors together to support climate actions across the region.

Other members include Liz Barber, the CEO of Yorkshire Water, Dan Jarvis MP, the Mayor of the Sheffield City Region, and Professor Andy Gouldson from the University of Leeds.

Harrogate Fake Festival, which was set to be held on the Stray on July 17, has been cancelled.

Organisers said on its Facebook page that the easing of lockdown restrictions “was paramount” for the event to go ahead.

It has been held inside a marquee on the Stray every summer since 2015, except for 2019 when it was moved to Killinghall Moor Country Park, and last year, when it was cancelled.

This year’s edition was due to feature tribute acts for artists including Green Day, the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Queen.

The company Fake Festivals runs similar events across the country during the summer.

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A post on its Facebook page said:

“To all our loyal fans that have supported us, bought tickets and then had your festivals cancelled… Thank you for trying, we will be back next year and we can’t wait to see you then.”

The company added that ticket bookings will be automatically refunded within the next 14 days and tickets will not be carried over to 2022.

Police have appealed for information about a missing woman from Wetherby who they believe may be in Harrogate.

Judith Holliday, 72, was reported missing this morning.

West Yorkshire Police described her as 5ft 2ins tall and slim. She is believed to be wearing floral trousers, a blue-t-shirt and black shoes.

Anyone with information is asked to call 101 and quote log 309.

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An adventurous Sphynx cat has been found in Knaresborough — 35 miles from her home in Wakefield.

It’s not known how India, who is two and has no fur, managed to cross county lines but one theory is she snuck into a delivery van that was doing the rounds in the area.

Gareth Cole found the cold and shaking feline outside his home in Knaresborough at 2am one night recently.

He said:

“I looked over and could see this…thing.

“I realised it was a cat. We got some milk for it and it was so friendly.”

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Gareth and his partner Katie took the Sphynx, which cost on average £1,500, to Pets at Home, which managed to track the microchipped moggy’s owner in Wakefield.

She made a one-hour drive to collect her yesterday.

Gareth and his son Hugo playing with India.

Gareth said the owner was “very, very happy” that India was returning home and had a huge smile on her face when they were reunited.

He added:

“I have to say we fell in love with her so much and would have kept her in a heartbeat if the owner had not have been found. We we are truly grateful and over the moon we found her family and could reunite them.”

However, one family member was less pleased about the reunion… Gareth’s three-year-old son Hugo burst into tears when he was told the cat had to return home to West Yorkshire.

The number of people on out-of-work benefits in the Harrogate district fell by over 350 in May, a decrease of 10% on the previous month.

Figures from the Office for National Statistics show 3,185 people were claiming out-of-work benefits as of May 13 — down from 3,545 in April.

This accounts for 3.4% of the local population, which is below the UK average of 6%.

From May 17, indoor hospitality venues such as bars and restaurants were able to reopen with social distancing measures in place.

David Simister, chief executive of Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce, said:

“Any drop in the number of people unemployed has to be welcomed. However, I do fear that when furlough comes to an end the figure could well creep up again.”

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Financial support for those out of work includes Universal Credit and Job Seekers’ Allowance.

Figures in the district have remained stable throughout the pandemic, which suggests the government furlough scheme has protected many staff from redundancy.

Fresh plans have been submitted for a major new retirement apartment complex in Knaresborough, after a similar scheme was refused by Harrogate Borough Council’s planning committee earlier this year.

Adlington, part of the Gladman group, wants to build 68 apartments with additional care facilities on land adjacent to the single-track Grimbald Bridge on Wetherby Road, alongside the River Nidd.

Cllr Phil Ireland, who sits on both Knaresborough Town Council and Harrogate Borough Council, criticised the original application for 69 apartments when he spoke at the planning committee in February. He said:

“The size and scale of the development is overpowering. The visual intrusion will be evident to all entering Knaresborough”.

Councillors on the committee agreed and voted overwhelmingly to reject the bid.

Grimbald Bridge is a pressure point for congestion and the original proposals also faced objections from both Knaresborough Civic Society and Knaresborough Town Council on transport grounds.

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In planning documents attached to the new application, the developer said it “strongly refutes” the reasons for refusal:

“The fact that the proposal would introduce a substantial building on the site, does not mean that it would lead to the building being dominant, inappropriate in its setting, or harmful in views, just because it would be visible in parts”.

The developer has made changes to the original plans including removing four apartments from the top of the building to reduce its height and adding ten electric vehicle car parking spaces. The housing mix will be changed to regain the lost apartments.

It said the need to provide this type of accommodation for older people in the area was “critical” due to an ageing population.

HBC’s planning committee will consider the scheme at a later date.

Harrogate & Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones has been spotted in Batley campaigning for the Conservatives in the upcoming by-election.

The Batley & Spen by-election is being held after Labour’s Tracey Brabin stepped down to become the first Mayor of West Yorkshire.

A photo emerged on social media of Mr Jones eating fish and chips in the town alongside the Tory candidate Ryan Stevenson.

Current betting odds make Mr Stevenson favourite, ahead of the Labour candidate Kim Leadbetter who is the sister of the constituency’s former MP Jo Cox. She was murdered by a white supremacist in 2016.

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It appears Mr Jones was back in West Yorkshire over the weekend as the MP stopped for a selfie with a young Conservative activist.

A spokesperson for Harrogate & Knaresborough Liberal Democrats said:

“It is disappointing that he prioritises Batley and Spen over dealing with important local issues.

“But he’s free to do this as long as he’s not doing it at the expense of the public purse.”

https://twitter.com/luca_s05/status/1403650019773792258?s=20

It’s not the first time in recent months that Mr Jones has been enlisted by his party to bolster support. He revealed in the House of Commons last month that he spent time knocking on doors in Hartlepool for the recent by-election there.

Political parties of all stripes often send in big hitters and high profile politicians during by-elections. The Guardian reported the Labour Party sent “dozens” of MPs to campaign in Hartlepool, which was won by the Conservatives.

The Stray Ferret contacted Mr Jones for comment but he did not respond.

Pubs, bars, and hotels in Harrogate have reacted with disappointment tonight to the prime minister’s announcement that the end of all lockdown restrictions will be delayed.

Alison Griffiths, landlady of the Prince of Wales pub in Starbeck, said she understood the “safety first” approach, especially as 10 of the pub’s regulars have lost their lives to covid.

But with a busy month of Euro 2020 fixtures ahead, she expects many customers will now prefer to watch the matches at home rather than in the stilted, socially distanced confines of the pub.

She added:

“People would rather be in their houses where they can stand up and shout”.

Andy Burrows, co-owner of District Bar on Cold Bath Road in Harrogate, said he understood the rationale behind the delay but said he’d grown weary of the restrictions.

“It just drags on, but it is what it is.

“Everyone has to be safe. We won’t complain and we’ll do what’s best”.

Mr Burrows said social distancing guidelines and masks dampened the bar experience and made it hard for staff to understand what customers were saying.

“But we’ve been lucky to have an outside area where people feel more comfortable.”

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Wayne Topley, managing director of Cedar Court Hotel, said the hotel faced a busy summer ahead with banquets, weddings and charity events booked in.

He said he awaited further details, adding:

The owner of Harrogate nightclub The Viper Rooms has criticised the government as the June 21 removal of social distancing looks set to be delayed by up to a month.

Perhaps no business in Harrogate has been hit harder than the town’s last surviving nightclub. It’s been closed indefinitely since March 2020, except for one night on Halloween.

The club has a ‘Covid-19 leaving drinks’ night planned for June 21 but media reports suggest prime minister Boris Johnson will throw cold water on the celebration when he makes his announcement later day.

Paul Kinsey told the Stray Ferret that delaying the date will be a blow for his staff and the town’s young people who have missed out on the social experience of clubbing.

“The government has no interest in whether we survive. It wants to kill off late nights”.

Major trouble

An empty Viper Rooms dancefloor

Mr Kinsey first opened Moko Lounge in 2005 followed by the Viper Rooms in 2007 and Kings Club in 2009.

He’s seen many venues come and go in the town over the years and covid meant Vipers could have been next. He estimates the shutdown has cost him almost a million pounds and said the government has offered little financial assistance to the sector.

“We employed over 200 people across the company but we laid off everybody except 16 people.

“If we hadn’t done that we’d be in major trouble.

“It’s horrible”.

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Mr Kinsey said the way the government has treated young people during the pandemic has been “cruel”.

He’s rehired almost a full team ready for June 21 but a delay would mean a nervous wait for staff.

“I’ve been around a long time so I’m sanguine about the reality. But kids who work with us have anxiety, are they going to have a job?

“These people have done nothing wrong. I can’t give them certainty or even hope.

“A lot of these guys have young families.

“By definition we’re social animals, but that’s drained away over the last 15 months.”

Viper Rooms had a £400,000 refurb 12 weeks before covid hit.

Yesterday, with press speculation that reopening could be delayed by four weeks, Mr Kinsey tweeted:

If nightclubs have to stay shut on June 21st,we must demand that the govt pay the costs we have incurred preparing for another false start. We have had no £ support, so what do I do with the 200 staff I’ve just employed who aren’t eligible for furlough?? @bbclaurak @KayBurley

— paul kinsey (@paulkin36224449) June 12, 2021

Mr Kinsey said masks and social distancing are contrary to the ethos of a nightclub and he will feel emotional when he finally sees Vipers packed with revellers — dancing and embracing each other again.

“It will emotional and exciting. It’s why we do it.”

Harrogate building equipment rental company Vp has reported a turnover of £308 million and profits of £23.3 million, down from £48.1 million in the previous year.

Vp, which has its headquarters at Central House on Otley Road, said following the pandemic it took steps to reduce costs and save cash including closing or merging 25 of its locations.

The company said trading in the current financial year has started strongly, with the infrastructure sector expected to grow and the housebuilding and construction sectors showing signs of sustained improvement.

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Jeremy Pilkington, chairman of Vp plc, said:

“I am pleased to be reporting a set of results that are ahead of our expectations in a year that has seen unprecedented challenges for the business and its customers. The past twelve months saw a focus on cash management which delivered a significant reduction in net debt.

“We have exited the year at nearly pre-Covid levels which is a better recovery than we anticipated at the beginning of the pandemic.”