Cllr Andrew Williams who also received unanimous support when he was re-elected as leader ‘strong-armed’ the ‘reluctant recipient’ of Ripon’s highest office into the chamber, with assistance from Cllr Peter Horton.
He quipped:
Ripon’s extensive celebrations for the Queen’s platinum jubilee, are growing by the day, as June 2 fast approaches.
The latest initiative has seen Rotary Club of Ripon Rowels give specially ‘minted’ wooden pennies to every pupil at the 17 primary schools in the city and surrounding villages.
The pennies, which have been delivered to the schools this week by club members, feature the official platinum jubilee logo on one side and the club’s logo on the other.
They have been made by a team of workers at Jennyruth Workshops, which is a social enterprise that works with people with learning disabilities,
Workers at Jennyruth Workshops produced the 2,200 platinum jubilee pennies. Picture Jennyruth Workshops
Club member David Suddards, who has delivered pennies to Greystone Outwood Academy Primary, told the Stray Ferret:
“We have had 2,200 made by the our wonderful friends at Jennyruth Workshops, so that we can give them as a memento of the Queen’s magnificent 70-year reign.”
The pennies are being presented to primary schools by the Rotary Club of Ripon Rowels.
“The idea came from our president Bernard Thain, and we all thought it was a marvellous way of giving the children something that will be a lasting reminder of the platinum jubilee and what Her Majesty has done for this country.”
Mr Suddards, whose prized possessions include a specially-made spoon that he and children across the country were given to mark the Queen’s coronation in 1953, added:
“Club members have been delivering the wooden pennies to all schools in Ripon and outlying villages, before they break up for the Whitsun holiday and we hope that this special gift will add to the enjoyment of this very special occasion.
Read more:
- Luxury glamping site near Ripon expands for summer season
- Plans to convert former Ripon Choir School to housing approved
New Ripon mayor joins a rollcall rich in history
Sid Hawke received warm applause from fellow councillors, civic dignitaries and family and friends when he received Ripon’s ornate and historic chain of office this week.
The newly-installed Right Worshipful The Mayor of Ripon, was born and bred in the city.
He previously served as mayor from 2008-2009, meaning his name now appears for the second time on a roll of honour dating back to 1604, when Hugh Ripley became Ripon’s first mayor.
The celebrated rollcall of former first citizens. includes George Frederick Samuel Robinson, the First Marquess of Ripon and Viceroy of India from 1880 to 1884 , who was born at 10 Downing Street on October 24, 1827 when his father, Viscount Goderich, was briefly resident there as Prime Minister.
After serving as mayor in 1895-1896 he presented Ripon Town Hall to the municipality in 1897 — just one of his many acts as a major benefactor in the city, that also saw fittings from St Mary’s Church on the Studley Royal estate where he had lived, bequeathed to St Wilfrid’s Catholic Church on Coltsgate Hill, following his death in July 1909.
In a city steeped in history, the stately Regency period town house that became Ripon Town Hall, has been a fitting setting for the mayor making ceremony since it was first used as the location for council meetings,
Following age-old tradition, Cllr Hawke was ‘dragged’ into the elegant council chamber before accepting his place in the hot seat, with the unanimous approval of his fellow councillors.
Councillor Sid Hawke was ‘dragged’ into the council chamber by fellow councillors Andrew Williams and Peter Horton.
“I don’t think Sid will be winning any acting awards.
“Cllr Hawke’s heart and soul is in this city and I am delighted to propose him as mayor, sure in the knowledge that he and his wife Linda as mayoress, will represent Ripon with dignity in this year of the Queen’s platinum jubilee.”
Councillors voted unanimously to install Sid Hawke as the Mayor of Ripon.
There were equally warm words for Cllr Eamon Parkin who, from May 2019 to May 2022, made history by becoming the first mayor of Ripon to serve in three consecutive years.
Civic duties in much of his period in office were severely curtailed by covid lockdowns and Cllr Williams said:
“You and your consort Nigel have represented Ripon through a most difficult time and done so in a most gracious way. We thank you for all that you have done for this council and for the city.”
Cllr Parkin, who has accepted the post of deputy mayor, thanked the many volunteers and unsung heroes that supported the community during his term of office and also thanked those who supported his charity appeal, raising £14,000 to be shared between Vision Support Ripon and the city’s Christmas Lights fund.
The chain of office continues in the hands of newly-installed mayor Cllr Hawke, who said:
“The last few years have been hard for everyone because of covid, but I’m not going to look back and instead, Linda and I are looking forward to representing Ripon and seeing our city go from strength to strength.”
Picture: Ripon’s newly-installed Mayor and Mayoress of Ripon, Councillor Hawke and his wife Linda, are pictured with their Chaplain, The Rt. Revd Bishop of Ripon Dr Helen-Ann Hartley, the city’s serjeant at mace Jonathan Owens (left) and city councillors.
Plans for a £6million extension to the south side of Ripon Cathedral’s west-facing frontage are on hold and alternative proposals have been put on public display.
The Ripon Cathedral Renewed Project, which aims to provide 21st century facilities for the cathedral’s parishioners, choristers, the wider community and an ever-increasing number of visitors, already has £4 million in pledges.
But it needs to secure a further £2 million if ambitions are to be achieved.
Signs at the exhibition, being held in the north transept, explain that the alternative plan has been brought forward after reservations were expressed about the previously proposed extension
The new plan, captured in this artist’s impression, involves creating new indoor and outdoor space.
Proposals involve a standalone two-storey development to the north of the iconic building on an area of land that also houses the Old Courthouse Museum and the Royal British Legion Garden of Remembrance.
Proposal to close Minster Road to through traffic
They also include the suggested closure of Minster Road to through traffic, to provide a safe link for pedestrians and people in wheelchairs or families with prams and buggies, to move between the cathedral and the new building.
The proposal includes the provision of pedestrian-friendly links between the cathedral and the new building and into the Cathedral Car Park.
The community consultation aims to gauge views on the design of the new building, landscaping of the site and the Minster Road proposal.
Approval required at every level
A message from the Dean of Ripon, the Very Revd. John Dobson, thanks donors who have already pledged support to the Ripon Renewed Project and adds that the bid to make the vision a reality is ‘nearer than ever before.’
He points out that in addition to obtaining further financial pledges:
“We need plans that will attract approval at every level.”
The wooden model on display shows the new two-storey building to the right and its relationship to the cathedral.
The new building would incorporate indoor toilets, including a Changing Places toilet for disabled people, a café/refreshment area, improved shop, meeting room, new facilities for the choir school and additional storage capacity to take the pressure off use of space in the cathedral.
A national treasure
When the Ripon Renewed project that was announced Dean John, said:
“It is clear that the development of the cathedral is vital to bring this national treasure into the 21st century.
“As custodians of this fantastic building we are only too aware of the legacy we uphold. We have this ancient history, this wonderful architecture – what we haven’t got are the facilities that people need.
“Each generation has, over 13 centuries, taken on what has been handed to it and made its own contributions. We take none of this for granted and we have a responsibility, in our generation, to make our contribution now.”
The site for the proposed new building, is to the right of the Old Courthouse Museum and adjacent to the Royal British Legion Garden of Remembrance
Serving future communities
He added:
“Over the last few years it has become increasingly obvious to a growing number of people that the development of Ripon Cathedral is vital as we seek to serve the communities of the region now and in the future.”
The community consultation will help to shape a formal planning application that will be submitted to Harrogate Borough Council and people who go to view the plans, are asked by Dean John to fill out a short questionnaire available at the exhibition.
If successful, plans would see the first major development in hundreds of years of the cathedral’s facilities, for a building containing the oldest built fabric of any English cathedral – St Wilfrid’s Crypt – dating back to 672 AD.
Ripon Grammar School is making its sports pool available to local primary school children for swimming lessons.
The importance of children learning to swim is paramount, particularly in a city that has the rivers Ure, Skell and Laver, a canal, and a lake near the racecourse.
Pupils from St Wilfrid’s Catholic Primary School are saving money on coach hire costs by using the grammar school’s pool.
The primary school’s headteacher Jill Allen said:
She said:
“We are very grateful to have use of the pool. It is a walk across the field rather than a long trudge to the new baths or coach which we can’t afford. The children all love it!
“We are now on track to ensure all Year 6 children can swim 25 metres before leaving primary school, despite the disruption of the past few years,” she said.
More than one million children in the UK are believed to have missed out on swimming lessons during the pandemic, and there are fears this could lead to a ‘lost generation’ of swimmers, with many leaving primary school unable to meet the minimum national curriculum standards.
Mrs Allen thanked RGS’s ‘tremendous’ sixth form students for supporting Year 5 and 6 pupils, including those in the water helping youngsters who were unable to swim.
“At the other end of the scale one child achieved her gold award and others silver and bronze.”
RGS director of sport Adam Milner said he was delighted the local community was able to access the RGS pool. He said:
“As a state school, we are lucky to have it and are pleased it’s helping more children to learn to swim, a vital life skill every child should have.
“We hope it will also help those primary school pupils who go on to attend Ripon Grammar School with their transition to secondary school. Hopefully there will be opportunities for other schools to join us in the pool in future.”
Read more:
- Policing in Ripon comes under the public spotlight
- Ukrainian refugee is rebuilding her life in Ripon
Nidderdale luxury glamping site expands
Yurtshire, in the Nidderdale countryside, is drawing on the power of nature, to create a revitalising experience for visitors from across the Harrogate district and further afield.
The 93-acre site, which features Eavestone Lake, is being developed by Tom Sterne, whose family are long-term investors in the retail, leisure and hospitality sectors, in Ripon and surrounding areas.
Located between Ripon and Pateley Bridge, just off the B6265 road, the site with its nine luxurious tree yurts, opened last summer.
Following the high demand of a staycation year, three more units are being added, after planning permission was granted by Harrogate Borough Council.
Plans are also in hand to add spa-type facilities and services, including a sauna, facial and body massages.
The site features the 13-acre Eavestone Lake
Mr Sterne, who has more than ten years of experience of outdoor hospitality-based business, gained through his operation of hire company Yorkshire Yurts and YurtBar, which caters for the corporate entertainment market, told the Stray Ferret:
“I’m using the expertise that I have gained to create a new facility to satisfy the needs of people who are increasingly focused on wellness, lifestyle issues and the environment.”
He pointed out:
“Our site has an abundance of natural assets, including forty acres of forest, a 13-acre lake and the biodiversity that goes with them, from birds, butterflies and insects to clear night-time skies that are perfect for people whose spirits are lifted by looking at the stars.
“The aim is to harness and harmonise with all aspects of the natural environment – woodland, water and wildlife – to provide guests with a restful and regenerative stay that is good for mind, body and the healing process.
“That is why people wanting to find a peaceful and idyllic place to go on retreat, represent a growing part of our business.”
The yurts have been designed to provide a five-star level of luxury
In the Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Yurtshire is surrounded by stunning scenery, that would not look out of place on a canvas by the landscape master painter J.M.W. Turner.
Views from the decking of each Yurt site, which has its own private hot tub, underline why nearby Grassington was chosen for filming of the smash-hit Channel 5 programme All Creatures Great and Small.
Each of the nine placements has its own private hot tub and decking area
With Grassington and other attractions, such as Fountains Abbey, Studley Royal, Brimham Rocks and Stump Cross Caverns, drawing more staycationers to Yorkshire, there is scope for Yurtshire to build on a successful first season.
Nicola Warters, pictured here with Tom Sterne, says the yurts provide five-star luxury in idyllic surroundings
Yurtshire manager Nicola Warters, said:
“We are providing the type of luxury accommodation that can be found in a five-star hotel, but instead of waking up surrounded by bricks and mortar, our visitors are in the heart of the woodland and arise to the sound of birds singing.
“Some also come for the pleasure of picking out the star constellations, as they relax in the soothing waters of their hot tub. It’s therapeutic on every level.”
Read more:
- The natural beauty of Fountains Abbey captured on camera
- Stars of All Creatures Great and Small stars seen in the Harrogate district
Ripon City Council proudly presents the biggest free Platinum Jubilee celebration in the north
This article is sponsored by Ripon City Council.
Ripon City Council invites people of all ages from the Harrogate district and further afield to join its citizens in a once in a lifetime celebration in this Right Royal city, where the biggest free Platinum Jubilee party in the north is being held over four days to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee and her selfless 70 years of service to this country.
Three days of continuous FREE musical entertainment from June 2 to 4 on a stage in front of Ripon Town Hall will see 24 of the country’s leading tribute acts perform, alongside FREE fairground rides for all the family and face painting, Punch and Judy and magic shows for children.
Full details can be found by clicking or tapping here to see Ripon City Council’s Platinum Jubilee brochure.
There’s something for everybody – from parents with a three-year-old wanting to have their face painted, to a 103 year-old great grandmother who wants to come and enjoy the nostalgic wartime songs made famous by forces sweetheart Vera Lynn.
All the fairground rides are free and there will also be a Twister ride suitable for adults
Seating will be provided on Market Square for the comfort of those wanting to take the weight off their feet while watching the tribute acts.
Music in Ripon’s Market Square
The extensive concert programme will feature just about every musical genre, from rock and roll to soul and Britpop to disco dancefloor fillers and popular classics.
Ripon’s Market Square will be in the national and international spotlight at 9.45pm on Thursday June 2, after Ripon Community Poppy Project successfully applied for the city to be be one of the 1500 locations included in the UK-wide chain of Platinum Jubilee beacons that will be simultaneously lit across the land.
Beacons will also be lit in Commonwealth countries.
During the three days of activities on Market Square, Jubilee celebrations, including the beacon lighting in London and elsewhere in the UK, can be seen live on a large TV screen.
Adding to the very special nature of the beacon lighting event, a lone piper will play Diu Regnare, which has been written specifically for the Platinum Jubilee.
The Platinum Jubilee Horn sounds
Another huge highlight will come at 9pm on Saturday June 4, when Ripon’s world-famous setting of the watch ceremony will be in the spotlight as the city council presents the Platinum Jubilee Horn, commissioned and made by craftsmen to provide a lasting memento of this history-making celebration.
The setting of the watch, which is the world’s longest unbroken ceremonial activity, will also be performed at 9pm on each concert night, by one of the city’s very-own ‘fab four’ hornblowers, resplendent in their distinctive uniforms and tri-cornered hats.
The concerts, with a programme that has been carefully arranged to include something for people of all ages and musical tastes, will start at 10.30am on Thursday June 2 and Friday June 3 and at 11am on Saturday June 4. They will go on into the night, finishing at 11.30pm on each of the three days.
Local residents and visitors to the city can enjoy three full days of free musical entertainment provided by 24 acts and going on until 11.30pm
Concert goers can listen to tribute acts singing the songs of Elvis, the Everly Brothers, Madonna, Little Mix, Phil Collins, George Michael, Katherine Jenkins and many more.
Music from Ripon City Band will accompany an afternoon of family fun in Spa Park on Sunday June 5. They will start at 2pm with a Jubilee Big Band welcome and conclude at 4.30pm with a rousing Last Night of the Proms performance, ending with Land of Hope and Glory.
Ripon Community Poppy Project – whose Knit and Natter group made the miles of Royal bunting that adorn the city’s streets – will be running the activities in the park, that also includes face painting, Jubilee-themed crafts and a treasure hunt for children,
Ripon, whose regal roots reach back to 886 and King Alfred the Great, is primed for the biggest royal bash in its long and distinguished history and 1,136 years after the first blast of his ceremonial horn, the city council, citizens and visitors, will celebrate and thank the most enduring member in a long line of monarchs – HRH Queen Elizabeth II – for her remarkable service.
For those who wish to celebrate by raising a loyal toast or two in Ripon’s many pubs and restaurants, the regular Transdev 36 bus service may be an advisable means of getting to and from this city that certainly knows how to throw a party.
Policing in Ripon comes under a barrage of firePolicing in Ripon came under a barrage of fire last night at a packed public meeting at the Jack Laugher Leisure and Wellness Centre.
Insp. Alex Langley, who heads Ripon’s neighbourhood policing team, chaired the hour-long meeting and faced a potent mix of concerned residents and newly-elected city councillors.
The councillors came fresh from weeks of pre-election doorstep meetings where thousands of voters put Ripon’s recurring problem of anti-social behaviour top of the agenda.
Among the attendees were residents who have suffered violent attacks at the hands of young thugs and witnessed their property being destroyed in incidents for which nobody appears to have been prosecuted.
Youths with iron bars attacked this car in a residential street, as the owner rang 999 and waited for police to arrive.
A taxi driver, who has both suffered and witnessed violence while on the rank in Market Place East, has also been threatened and seen hooded youths using iron bars to smash cars and house windows in the street where he lives.
He asked Insp. Langley:
“How many people have been identified, arrested and prosecuted after being caught on city centre cctv or reported by somebody who has rung 101?”
When Insp Langley said he did not have that information, the taxi driver responded:
“It is clear to me that the CCTV cameras are not being monitored by anybody. In the past you could see the cameras moving, showing they were in use, but that doesn’t happen any more.”
City centre CCTV failings
The Mayor of Ripon, Councillor Eamon Parkin asked:
“With the CCTV all around Market Square, why has nobody been arrested and prosecuted for any of the four attacks on the Cabmen’s Shelter?”
No arrests have been made or prosecutions brought against the vandal or vandals who have targeted the Cabmen’s Shelter
Insp Langley replied:
“You can have the best quality CCTV images, but if the vandals are wearing hoodies and have their faces covered — it’s difficult to identify them.
“The latest attack on the Cabmen’s Shelter was reported three days after the vandalism was noticed.
“Do you want officers to spend their time looking through three days’ of CCTV footage?”
There was a resounding response of ‘yes’ from the floor.
Cllr Pauline McHardy said:
“The shelter is a rare building that belongs to the city and was refurbished at a cost of £22,000 and we want to catch and prosecute the vandals”
Cllr Andrew Williams said:
“When charges were brought in by Harrogate Borough Council for parking on Market Square, the money raised was supposed to be used to pay for the CCTV cameras and monitoring, so what is happening with that money now?
“It looks as if the cameras covering Market Square are not fit for purpose and footage being captured by them is not being monitored.”
Police and Crime Commissioner did not attend
Cllr Williams said that this and other matters impacting on the effectiveness of policing in Ripon had been raised with North Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner Zoe Metcalfe, to whom a formal complaint had been made by the city council.
He said:
“We are still awaiting a response from her and it is very disappointing to say the least that she is not in attendance tonight to hear the concerns raised by Ripon’s residents.”
Cllr Barbara Brodigan, who is newly-elected to serve on the North Yorkshire unitary authority as well as the city council, said:
“We were told by former commissioner Julia Mulligan that the money raised from selling the police station on North Street would be used to pay for more police officers, but there is no evidence of this and people are not receiving the high visibility policing that they want.”
Unanswered 101 calls
In addition to use of CCTV and police resources, concerns were raised throughout the meeting about the delay in getting a response to 101 calls.
A resident told the meeting:
“When I rang up to report a gang of youths causing trouble near my house, I got no reply and after the same happened on another occasion, I just gave up, thinking that I was wasting my time.”
That feeling of frustration was echoed throughout the meeting and heightened when Councillor Tony Duncan was told by Insp Langley that he would need to submit a Freedom of Information request to find out how many 101 calls to Ripon police go unanswered.
An estimated 80 people attended the meeting, many of them standing.
At the start of the meeting when Insp Langley showed a graph indicating a downward trend over the past 22 month of recorded anti-social behaviour incidents in the Minster Ward, his presentation was interrupted by Cllr Williams, who said:
“I’m sorry, but I have to stop you there. These statistics are flawed, by virtue of the fact that so many people who try to get through on 101 give up after being kept waiting for so long.
“Showing a graph like this and presenting it as fact, does not reflect the actual experience of thousands of people that I and other councillors were told about on the doorstep before the election.”
The 101 problem
Insp. Langley accepted that there is a problem with the 101 system that needs to be resolved and throughout the meeting, pointed out that he and fellow officers are doing their best for Ripon, often ‘with their backs against the wall.’
Clllr McHardy said:
“We appreciate you coming here tonight and answering our questions and would like to point out that comments made here are not aimed at you, but are for those senior to you who make the decisions and need to provide you with the resources that you need to do your job.
“There has been a sizeable increase in the precept that we pay through our council tax for policing in Ripon, but the commissioner is nowhere to be seen this evening to tell us what she is going to do to support you and your officers.”
Police: meeting ‘highlighted real challenges’
After the meeting, Insp Langley in an email to the Stray Ferret, said:
“It was a really good meeting and highlighted some of the real challenges that Ripon face. There is a real balance to be had around national type challenges and those wider issues such as 101, recruitment, funding and HBC CCTV that it’s really important that we discuss.
“Equally there is limited scope and control that I have on those topics but it’s good to discuss them.
“I hope at the next meeting that we can spend less time on those wider issues as we have discussed them and focus more on local Ripon issues. I would have liked to have focused more on the today problems and areas that I can direct my teams towards. The next meeting we should be able to get more into that level of detail and discuss other issues.”
Read more:
Ukrainian refugee plans to rebuild her life in Ripon
After receiving a hero’s welcome from the mayor of Ripon, Ukrainian Tanya Bogdanovska is looking forward to rebuilding her life in the city.
Councillor Eamon Parkin, along with his consort Nigel Guy, greeted Ms Bogdanovska, her partner Lewis Edwards and his mother Ali, at The Magdalen’s pub.
To a round of applause, he spoke of the heroism of the young couple who have captured the hearts and minds of the Ripon community.
In her first media interview, Ms Bogdanovska, who made the long journey to seek sanctuary in the UK with support from her partner and his family in Ripon, told the Stray Ferret:
“All of the time, I think about Ukraine and the ongoing suffering of the people there facing Russian aggression and cruelty.
“Thankfully, members of my family managed to escape the attacks on Zaporizhzhia and move to a safer part of the country, but I have friends who didn’t make it.”
The flag of Ukraine has been flying over Ripon Town Hall in a show of solidarity.
Becoming refugees overnight
The 31-year-old graphic design teacher and illustrator, who left Kyiv on February 25 as Russian troops began their invasion of Ukraine, became a refugee overnight.
Ms Bogdanovska said:
“On February 24, Lewis and I were teaching children and the next day we were fleeing for our lives, heading for the Slovakian border.”
Having made the 500-kilometre journey on roads packed with cars and coaches carrying women, children and men over the age of 60 to the safe haven of a NATO country, they and eight friends set up a shelter to help fellow refugees following on behind them.
The shelter was set up largely through the generosity of Ripon people, who read of their plight on the Stray Ferret and dug deep to donate more than £20,000 to a gofundme page launched by Lewis’s family,
Before setting up the page, they received invaluable advice from Nicola David, chair of Ripon City of Sanctuary.
Mr Edwards said:
“Tanya and I stayed for as long as we could in Slovakia but, as we were officially refugees ourselves, there was a limit on the time we could be there.
“However, we and our eight friends were able to help those on their journey to seeking sanctuary and people who were left trapped in Ukraine, by providing vital supplies such as medicines and sourcing military ambulances.
“It was a surreal situation to find ourselves in, but we knew we had to do something.”
Since his recent return to Ripon, Mr Lewis and Ms Bogdanovska have been welcomed with open arms everywhere they go. She said:
“We are grateful for the kindness and love that we have received and are moved by the support being given to my countrymen and women who remain fearless in their fight against the Russians.”
As part of getting her life back on track, Ms Bogdanovska is seeking employment from any local company that may be looking for a graphic designer and illustrator.
Ripon author to sign copies of best-selling book tomorrow
After demand for The Bad Room went through the roof, Ripon author Jade Kelly’s debut book has been reprinted by publisher Harper Collins.
The author, who manages the Navigation Inn at Bondgate Green, features the harrowing true story about the abuse she and other children suffered when they were fostered by an evil woman.
From 11am and 1pm tomorrow, Jade will be signing copies at The Little Ripon Bookshop in Westgate.
She told the Stray Ferret:
“Though the launch plan was disrupted by the covid lockdowns, once the book hit the shelves demand for it went through the roof and to date, 35,000 copies have been sold.
“It appears to have caught the eye of many people – perhaps because it tackles issues that have come to prominence in a number of high-profile inquiries.”
Ranked in the UK as the third best-selling in its genre, the book, which is also available as a download on Apple and Kindle, has been in the top five Amazon best sellers and is in constant reprint.
Ms Kelly has rebuilt her life and been manager of the Navigation since moving to Ripon in 2019.
The Bad Room shares details of the emotional, physical and mental abuse that Ms Kelly suffered as a child and led to her becoming an ambassador for the Maggie Oliver Foundation, which supports survivors of abuse.
The foundation was set up by police detective-turned-whistleblower Margaret Oliver, who resigned from Greater Manchester Police and exposed the now infamous Rochdale grooming scandal.
Read more:
Me Kelly said:
“Writing it brought back many bad memories, but at the same time I felt it helped in my own healing process.
“I hope that reading it will help others who are facing, or have faced similar situations.”
As well as being available at the Little Ripon Bookshop, The Bad Room is on sale at WH Smith, Waterstones and from Amazon.
Frustration after fourth attack on rare Ripon building
Policing in Ripon has come under the spotlight once more, following the fourth vandal attack in 14 months on a rare listed building owned by the city council.
Though the Cabmen’s Shelter on Market Place East, is located just yards away from a CCTV surveillance camera, nobody has been arrested, charged and prosecuted for damaging the historic building’s windows and door.
A possible reason for the lack of success in bringing the vandal or vandals to justice, emerged when the Mayor of Ripon, Councillor Eamon Parkin, told the Stray Ferret that Harrogate Borough Council’s CCTV surveillance team charges police across the Harrogate district, £57 per hour for checking through and supplying footage.
Cllr Parkin, said:
“When I personally reported a vandal attack on the shelter, I was told by the police that I needed to give a precise timeframe in which the vandalism occurred, which is clearly ludicrous.
“Residents and visitors naturally assume, as I did, that the CCTV cameras covering Market Square and other parts of the city, are our constant guardians, watching over us 24 hours a day, while being a vital tool in spotting criminal behaviour and assisting in the arrest of those involved in violence or vandalism.
The CCTV camera at Market Place North, Ripon
‘Confidence further eroded’
“Once I realised that there is no point in contacting the police if you can’t provide exact timings, my confidence in the standard of policing in the city was further eroded and I and other candidates out canvassing across the city in the run-up to last week’s election, discovered that dissatisfaction with the police in Ripon is widespread.”
Cllr Parkin, added:
“I also feel exasperated and sickened in the knowledge that an already deficient service is further impacted by Harrogate Borough Council’s commercialisation of CCTV surveillance, ironically operated by HBC’s housing and safer communities team.”
What does Harrogate Borough Council say?
The Stray Ferret asked HBC about the £57 per hour charge levied to pay for the team at the council’s centralised surveillance unit to look through and provide recorded footage, to help police with their enquiries.
A council spokesperson said:
“CCTV across the Harrogate district, which is owned and managed by Harrogate Borough Council, has on-going infrastructure and running costs.
“As well as the costs to maintain the service, there are also costs associated with a CCTV control room, staffing and the on-going safe storage of footage.
“Should anyone wish to obtain a copy of any footage, this would require an appropriate individual reviewing it first, followed by providing the footage securely along with a witness statement. All while adhering to the Data Protection Act 1998.
“Therefore, any third-party that wishes to view and use any CCTV footage – such as an insurance company, enforcement agency or the police – is charged to do so.”
Response from Ripon police
Insp Alex Langley, who heads Ripon’s neighbourhood policing team, said:
He said:
“I understand the frustrations and concerns of the community on this damage issue and it is totally unacceptable for this damage to be repeated.
“There is CCTV in location and the footage is of excellent quality when zoomed in and an operator is following a suspect. The challenges that HBC face when operating cameras is that the district has many cameras that require monitoring.”
Our photograph shows the proximity of the Cabmen’s Shelter to the cctv camera located at the junction of Market Place South and Kirkgate
Incidents that go undetected
Insp Langley added:
“The control room at Harrogate has numerous operators at peak times covering these cameras, but sadly incidents like this can occur undetected.
“If there is another incident ongoing at the time that the operator is viewing elsewhere then matters can be unchecked and unnoticed. If a suspect stands at distance from the shelter and throws stones they can easily remain undetected and unsighted.
“The location is in the centre of Ripon, opposite a pub, taxi rank and very busy car park yet we never seem to have any witnesses and always discover the damage days after it has occurred.”
He added:
“I am really frustrated with the minor damages and unacceptable conduct of a small handful of local people that cause misery and issues for everybody else.
“What we have found is that when tackling issues of ASB (anti-social behaviour) by increasing patrols, resources and presence It does deter or displace people into other areas of the City where the Police presence is not as high or prominent.
“This is a constant and on-going battle to try prevent and deter ASB and damages such as this from occurring. We are currently working in partnership with local people and the community and we have just recently set up the Ripon Community Alcohol Partnership to try tackle alcohol associated issues.”
Insp Langley encourages anybody with concerns about policing issues in Ripon to attend a public meeting at new Jack Laugher Leisure and Wellness Centre on Monday May 16. The meeting starts at 8pm.
Read more:
- Ripon residents invited by police to public meeting on May 16
- Council’s formal complaint to crime commissioner about Ripon policing