Councillors across Harrogate and Knaresborough have today voted to support plans for the £11.2m Station Gateway project.

The scheme, which would see Station Parade reduced to one lane of traffic in favour of a bus lane and cycle route, received 10 votes in favour and three against.

Members of North Yorkshire Council’s Harrogate and Knaresborough Area Constituency Committee heard views and evidence and debated the project for more than three hours before making their decision.

They voted on a motion to support the scheme, on condition that the council would engage further with local businesses and residents to address their concerns.

The heated meeting began with time for members of the public to address the committee.

Members of the public at the start of the meeting.

Sue Savill, owner of Party Fever, raised the issue of lack of access to businesses on the east side of Lower Station Parade. She said the scheme would remove parking spaces immediately outside the front in favour of a bus lane and cycling path, adding:

“The cost to local businesses would be devastating. It would make Harrogate less attractive to visit.”

William Woods, of Independent Harrogate, said it, Harrogate BID, Harrogate Chamber and Harrogate Residents Association opposed the plans, adding:

“You must ask yourselves, can all these businesses really be wrong?”

He said the Station Gateway project would do “absolutely nothing” to reduce queues on the main approaches to Harrogate, such as Wetherby Road.

There was raucous laughter when Judy D’Arcy-Thompson, of the Stray Defence Association, said a report supporting the plans highlighted the lack of cycling connection between the railway and bus stations, which she pointed out were just “20 paces” apart.

She said the “largely intelligent, conscientious population” was already aware of the need to protect the local environment without the scheme being needed. She concluded:

“Please do not bring down the portcullis and tear the heart out of Harrogate.”

How Station Parade will look

Just two members of the public spoke in favour of the scheme: Kevin Douglas, of Harrogate District Cycle Action, and Jemima Parker, of Zero Carbon Harrogate.

There were loud shouts from the public against them. Committee chairman Pat Marsh had to ask several times for people to be quiet to allow the speakers to be heard.

There were snorts of derision as Harrogate District Cycle Action leader Kevin Douglas told the meeting:

“To make cycling an option for all, including children, we do need dedicated cycle tracks…

“Of course this scheme does not prevent people from driving in the town centre if they choose to.”

Evidence from officers

After statements from the public, the meeting moved on to hear from councillors and officers putting forward the plans.

North Yorkshire’s executive member for highways, Cllr Keane Duncan, said the scheme was not “total and perfect” but was an “opportunity” to address the issues Harrogate was facing.

He said he was not trying to pass the buck of a controversial decision to the committee, but was willing to listen to their views and look at any concerns they raised.

Richard Binks, the council’s head of major projects and infrastructure, addressed concerns about the loss of parking spaces. With a total of 6,789 parking spaces – and around 7,500 if nearby supermarkets were included – he said the impact of losing 40 spaces across James Street and Station Parade would be minimal.

Tania Weston, programme manager of the Transforming Cities Fund, added:

“This is not just a cycling scheme – it’s about accessibility. It’s not about preventing driving, it’s giving people options.”

Economic and regeneration manager Matt Roberts told the meeting:

“Change is often daunting but in Harrogate’s case is much needed.”

Otley Road cycle route fears

After the presentations, the meeting moved to debate among the 13 councillors on the committee.

Cllr Michael Schofield, the Lib Dem representative of Harlow and St Georges, said businesses felt the consultation on the scheme was insufficient. He questioned the authority’s ability to deliver on a sustainable travel scheme, given the recent problems with the Otley Road cycle route.

“These people are really worried about their livelihoods. Why haven’t they been consulted properly and why hasn’t a business impact report been carried out with them?”

Matt Roberts said it was not usual for schemes like that to include that, but an economic impact report had been completed.

Liberal Democrat Cllr Matt Walker, of Knaresborough West, said he welcomed investment, and the council’s offers to meet with residents and businesses, but said:

“This scheme is actually an £11m vanity project. It delivers nothing more than an expensive landscaping project…

“It does not sit within a wider strategic plan. Nobody is going to visit the gateway project. People visit for thriving independent shops, along with the Valley Gardens… and others.”

However, speaking in support of the plans and addressing the public gallery, Green party Cllr Arnold Warneken of the Ouseburn division, said:

“I find it very difficult to sit here and listen to how impolite some of you have been. I feel some members of this committee might have wanted to say something but the hostile atmosphere might have prevented them.”

He said most people wanted to protect the environment and called on councillors to “have the courage” to vote for something that would do that.

The plans for James Street

Cllr Paul Haslam, the Conservative representative for Bilton and Nidd Gorge, supported the scheme. His view was that the town needed to be a welcoming place to support businesses of all kinds, in order “to retain quality people” and reduce the number of young people leaving for “more exciting” towns.

As a long-standing businessman and retailer, he said there was already a changing retail landscape thanks to the internet, exacerbated by covid. He argued Harrogate had to “create a USP to attract shoppers”, adding:

“It’s a serious planned investment in our home that will enrich the economy for years to come.”

Cllr Monika Slater (Lib Dem, Bilton Grange and New Park) welcomed officers’ and Cllr Duncan’s assurances that they were open to developing the plans and willing to speak to businesses and individuals about their concerns. She said:

“I really feel that the Otley Road cycle scheme has caused a big problem… It has taken away the public’s confidence in North Yorkshire.”

Lib Dem Cllr Hannah Gostlow, of Knaresborough East, said she supported measures to support active travel but they needed to be joined up. She said it regularly took her 45 minutes to travel from Knaresborough to Harrogate.

“We need a holistic approach to active travel in the constituency.

“We need inspiring schemes that celebrate our heritage and win the support of residents and businesses.”

She called on the area committee to drive through measures to improve active travel with support from the community.

‘Deeply divided’

Holding a leaflet handed to her by a member of the public who had earlier spoken against the scheme, Lib Dem committee chairman Pat Marsh said she was “totally against” the Station Gateway, adding:

“I actually think this alternative solution that connects into my own community and into Bilton, Knaresborough and Starbeck – why aren’t solutions like that being looked at instead of one that’s sending idling traffic up through our town?”

Cllr Peter Lacey (Lib Dem, Coppice Valley and Duchy) said the town was “deeply divided” over the plans. He said:

“This scheme is caught in a sea of disgruntlement and disappointment that I personally share.”

Cllr Lacey put forward a motion to support the scheme, with conditions which would see council officers work with residents and businesses to find the best use of the money. He added:

“This is a test of our ability to work together to deliver the best possible scheme.”

Cllr Duncan said there were time pressures to proceed with the scheme and submit a business case, but he was happy to undertake to follow the councillors’ wishes.

Three councillors – Matt Walker, Michael Schofield and Pat Marsh – voted to oppose the plans, while Cllr Arnold Warneken was ineligible to vote. The rest supported taking the plans forward.

The scheme, including any amendments, will be put before North Yorkshire Council’s executive on May 30 for a final vote.

A crucial vote will be held today over whether the controversial Harrogate Station Gateway scheme should go ahead.

The Harrogate and Knaresborough area constituency committee will meet at 10am to decide whether to back the £11.2 million project.

While the final decision will be made by North Yorkshire Council’s leaders later this year, executive member for transport Cllr Keane Duncan has said he will abide by the vote given by local representatives.

The project, financed by the government’s Transforming Cities Fund, would see a bus lane and two-way cycle space introduced on Station Parade, with traffic reduced to one lane.

Cheltenham Mount would become a one-way street, while James Street would be partially pedestrianised from Princes Street eastwards

Improvements would be made to junctions and crossings on Cheltenham Parade and Station Parade, and to the roundabout near the Odeon cinema on East Parade. There would also be work to the One Arch underpass, Station Square and the length of Station Parade to create a more welcoming environment.

A report due before the committee today said:

“The scheme seeks to balance the needs of all modal users in ensuring continued access to businesses for loading and the ability to drive into and park within the town centre area, albeit with a predicted modest increase in average car journey times.

“The proposals aim to introduce a significant high-quality uplift to the public realm in the heart of the towns eastern side aimed at increasing retail footfall and quality of experience for residents and visitors.

“The project will also provide safe cycling infrastructure and improved footways which is key in promoting healthier and more sustainable travel choices originating from the rail station hub.”

A part-pedestrianised James Street

The meeting will hear from the council’s head of major projects and infrastructure Richard Binks and its economic and regeneration project manager Matt Roberts, as well as Tania Weston, Transforming Cities Fund programme manager.

Half an hour is allocated to public questions and statements, though these had to be submitted in advance of the deadline earlier this week.

The committee, meeting at the civic centre in St Luke’s Avenue, Harrogate, is made up of 13 councillors who represent divisions in Harrogate and Knaresborough. Of them, eight are Liberal Democrats and five are Conservatives.

Only two have so far declared their voting intentions: Michael Schofield, who represents the Harlow and St Georges division for the Lib Dems has said he will not support the plans.

Cllr Schofield argued the plans could damage local businesses, and said North Yorkshire Council has a poor track record in delivering active travel projects, citing the much-criticised Otley Road cycleway.

However, Conservative Paul Haslam, of the Bilton and Nidd Gorge division, said he is planning to vote in favour.

He said the changes would be a step forward in encouraging active travel, and would also make for a better first impression for people arriving in Harrogate by bus or train.

Read more:

• Stray Views: Time for councillors to back Harrogate Station Gateway
• Dutch-style roundabout ditched from £11.2m Harrogate Station Gateway

Businesses have raised concerns about the potential impact of the changes on town centre trade, arguing fewer people would shop there if they could not park nearby.

A total of 40 parking spaces would be lost through the changes: 20 on Station Parade and 20 on James Street.

Four taxi spaces and three disabled bays would be lost on James Street, but one extra taxi space and three disabled bays would be added on Station Parade.

After a third consultation on the plans was held at the end of last year, Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce said:

“It is going to have a massive impact on town centre business, many of whom are vehemently opposed to the scheme as they believe it will have a detrimental impact on their livelihoods.

“We recognise the impact of climate change and the need to encourage active travel, but it’s clear this project is not the correct way forward because the majority do not support it.”

However, the plans have found support among other groups and individuals.

In a letter to the Stray Ferret last month, former town centre business owner and cycling campaigner Malcolm Margolis said:

“It’s true that many local businesses are noisily opposing it. It was the same in the 1980s when Cambridge, Oxford and Beulah streets were pedestrianised. A chorus of local business owners said it would be a disaster. It wasn’t.

“As the owner of a sports shop in Beulah Street I supported the changes. I thought they would be good for my business and they were. Our business increased appreciably because footfall increased.

“It also created a considerably more pleasant environment for our staff to work in – quieter and cleaner.”

Today’s meeting begins at 10am. The Stray Ferret will be covering the debate and vote live – keep an eye on our website for the latest updates.

Pannal Cricket Club has launched a £20,000 campaign to replace its ageing nets and enable its members to improve their game.

Under the title ‘Netfix’, the club is offering rewards to supporters ranging from branded caps and popular pies to a hospitality day when Headingley hosts the Ashes this year.

With almost 300 members across its junior and senior teams, committee member Andy Herridge said the club is keen to ensure it offers the best facilities.

“We’ve really needed some new nets for the last couple of years. They’ve got holes in and have just been used and abused. The storm damage we had over winter just finished them off this year.

“We can only use one of the sides for the juniors and the seniors can’t practice in it now – it can’t take the force of a senior’s ball.”

Mr Herridge said the club has already received a £10,000 grant for the nets from the England and Wales Cricket Board and had saved some funds in recent years to put towards the project.

The £20,000 crowdfunder will ensure there is enough in the put to complete the replacement, and almost a quarter of the money has already been raised.

The club has even put together a promotional video to explain the benefits of the new nets.

Mr Herridge said the rewards on offer had also proved popular:

“They’ve been really well received and we’re asking anybody else who can put in a reward for a pledge to contact us, even if it’s local restaurants or bars for 10% or even 5% off a bill, that we can offer for small amounts – £10, £15, £20.

“We’re all volunteers and we all work full time, so it’s really hard to spend the time going round getting everything done.

“We’re doing some events on evenings to add to the fundraising. One of our players, Mo, is a Methodist minister and he’s going to cook curries for a curry night that we can sell tickets for.

“We’re keen to try and make the events as relaxed as possible so everyone has fun.”

Pannal CC was established in the late 19th century and has been based between Pannal and Burn Bridge, on Burn Bridge Lane, since 1918.

It has been part of the Nidderdale League since 1972, and is also part of the York Senior League and Harrogate Evening League.

Mr Herridge said it costs around £25,000 a year to run the club, which has almost 300 members from age five upwards. They include girls’ teams, who often play against boys and mixed teams because there are so few other girls’ teams in the local league.

As well as membership fees, the club’s covers its costs through sponsorships from local businesses.

To donate to the Netfix crowdfunder, click here.

Bunting, flags and even a giant crown have been appearing across the Harrogate district as preparations get under way for the coronation weekend.

Shops, cafes, hotels and community centres have all been adorned with union flags and royal symbols ready for the coronation of King Charles III on Saturday.

Among the most eye-catching displays is a huge crown added to the Market Cross in Knaresborough today. It has been created by members of Knaresborough Flower Club, with a £300 grant from Knaresborough Town Council.

The crown was put together in the conservatory at club chairman Lesley Dalton’s home. She said:

“One of the girls worked out we had spent 100 hours on it – and that’s without the time spent travelling to buy supplies and so on.

“We’ve had flowers round the Market Cross every time there has been a big occasion like the Queen’s funeral and the jubilee last year. We try to put Knaresborough Market on the map!”

Club members Margaret Darley, Maureen Robinson, Dorothy Gerrard, Julie Ward, Trish Hesford and Cath Oldfield were instrumental in its design and manufacture, as well as adding the flowers to the sculpture.

They spent almost six hours today putting it all together and will be out watering it regularly until it is taken down on Sunday, May 14.

Meanwhile, shops around the town have also got into the spirit, with plenty of bunting on show in their windows.

Harrogate has also got into the coronation spirit.

Supplies shop Party Fever, on Lower Station Parade, has been inundated with customers this week.

Owner Sue Saville and her team have been answering requests for themed plates, napkins, balloons, flags, hats and more, with demand growing over the last few days.

The shop will be open all day tomorrow and on Saturday morning from 9am to 11am for last-minute shoppers.

The Stray Ferret will be out and about across the Harrogate district this weekend, reporting on how our communities are marking the historic event.

Send us details and photos of your event by email and keep an eye on our live blog for the latest pictures and news from around the area.

Still looking for things to do this weekend? Check out our list of local events.

Read more:

• Coronation events: where to celebrate across the Harrogate district
• Fireworks finale will end Ripon’s coronation day celebrations

A petition calling for improvements to roads around schools in Harrogate will be delivered to the highways authority next week.

Set up by a group of parents concerned about safety for youngsters travelling to and from school, the petition has attracted almost 900 signatures.

It calls for a 20mph limit on roads across Oatlands, Pannal Ash, Rossett and the Saints area of Harrogate. The parents said thousands of pupils travel to four primary schools, five secondary schools, Harrogate College and several nurseries and pre-schools in the area each day.

In their petition, the parents said:

“Change is urgently needed. Without it the safety, health and well-being of the children, young people and the wider community remains at stake and road safety will continue as a barrier to walking and cycling in the area and across Harrogate.

“Maximum speed limits of 20mph have been delivered in other rural and urban areas of Yorkshire and the UK including Calderdale, Cornwall, Oxford, Edinburgh, the Scottish Borders, London and in Wales. We want these improvements for south and west and other communities within Harrogate.”

The petition references two serious collisions earlier this year – one on Beechwood Grove and one on Yew Tree Lane – which left three children hurt and requiring hospital treatment.

The incident on Yew Tree Lane left two 15-year-old Rossett School boys with serious, potentially life-changing, injuries.

Read more:

• ‘Comprehensive’ road safety improvements announced for Harrogate schools
• Children raise awareness of road safety issues affecting Ripon schools

After the collision, there were renewed calls for better safety measures around schools in the area. However, the campaign for changes dated much further back, with local parents having presented their requests to North Yorkshire County Council last year.

This year, meetings have been held between all headteachers in the area with representatives of North Yorkshire Council’s highways department. All the affected schools have put their names to the campaign for reduced speed limits.

Hazel Peacock, one of the parents who set up the petition, said:

“A big thank you to all of you who have signed the petition for a maximum speed of 20mph on roads in south and west Harrogate to improve road safety. There are a a total of 870 signatures to date!

“We will be submitting the petition to North Yorkshire County Council [next week]. If you have yet to sign it or would like to share with friends or family living or working in the Harrogate and Knaresborough constituency area, who may also be interested in supporting the campaign, please sign and share the petition by May 8, 2023.”

To see or sign the petition, click here.

A nursery set up just two years ago in Starbeck has been rated ‘good’ in its first Ofsted inspection.

Finding Nature’s Little Learners achieved that rating in all four areas, inspector Janet Fairhurst praised its focus on developing children’s communication skills.

Her report said:

“The nursery is a happy and welcoming place for children. They have lots of fun learning and playing. Children are safe and well cared for by staff who want the best for them.

“Even the very youngest children settle quickly and happily in the calm and nurturing environment.”

Ms Fairhurst found children enjoyed reading books with staff, who made story time a “thoroughly enjoyable experience”.

She also highlighted the work done to encourage friendships between children and to teach them to share and take turns. She added:

“The experienced leadership team show dedication to their roles. They have created a curriculum which identifies what they want children to learn.

“Leaders and staff know each child’s needs well. This starts with the building of strong relationships with families before a child joins the nursery.

“Staff get to know the children and are alert to any barriers they face and the knowledge they need to learn next. Such strategies ensure that staff can quickly identify and meet the learning and development requirements of children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities.”

After the inspection in March, the report praised the strong partnerships with parents and the amount of information provided by staff about children’s progress.

It found parents praised the nursery and its staff, appreciating the “wonderful range of learning experiences” it offered to the 136 children registered.

Addressing areas where improvements could be made, the report added:

“Overall, leaders are aware of staff’s strengths and aspects of their practice that can be developed further.

“However, monitoring of teaching has not been precise enough to identify where some staff need further support and guidance. For instance, staff do not always consider the environment when planning adult-led activities, so that distractions are reduced, and children are able to concentrate.

“Equally, on occasion, some staff interactions between children and staff do not stretch or develop older children’s mathematical skills, such as counting and calculation, as well as they might.”

‘Proud of the team’

The report has been welcomed by the nursery, which said a ‘good’ rating is “increasingly difficult to achieve”. Owner Samantha Williams said:

“I am exceptionally proud of the team and their continued commitment to ensure that the children attending our setting receive the very best possible care and education. The inspection was really relaxed and the inspector herself said if she was a child attending our nursery she would want to come back day after day.

“We thank all the parents who flooded our inbox with emails to include their feedback on the day – there is no better representation of the hard work and dedication of the practitioners than what the children and parents have to say about their experiences here.

“As a newly established nursery in the area, we are welcoming ways to strengthen our practice and the Ofsted inspection gave us just that. Through our recent staff training day we have already addressed the improvements suggested and made adjustments in our environments.

“I am a firm believer in there is always room to improve, room to grow and our experienced team show true dedication in their reflective practice.”

Read more:

• ‘Good’ Ofsted rating for Boroughbridge nursery and out-of-school club
• ‘Nurturing’ staff help children to learn at ‘homely’ nursery near Ripon

An Oscar-winning actress made a surprise appearance in a pub in Upper Nidderdale at the weekend.

Kate Winslet visited the Crown at Middlesmoor for a meal with her family, much to the surprise of landlady Angela Snow.

She told the Stray Ferret the Hollywood star said she had been out walking around Scar House Reservoir before stopping by the traditional village pub, which had just a couple of patrons in at the time.

Ms Snow said:

“To be honest, I wouldn’t have known. I was in the kitchen cooking when my bar lady Megan recognised her.

“As she was leaving, I asked for a photo to put up behind the bar. She said she usually pretends to be someone else, but she said she would because it was such a nice pub.”

As well as winning the Oscar for best actress for her performance in The Reader, Kate Winslet has been nominated a further six times. She has won three Baftas, two Emmys, a Grammy and five Golden Globes.

She first came to prominence in the mid-1990s in films including Titanic and Sense and Sensibility, and has more recently been seen in the second Avatar movie.

Angela said she was “starstruck” by the actress, though the pub is known to attract celebrities on occasion. Among other visitors has been cricket legend Ian Botham, who often visits the area.

The Crown is not the only local to attract famous punters in recent weeks. Last month, Harrogate drinkers were stunned to see musician Morrissey enjoying drinks with friends in the Harrogate Arms on Parliament Street.

Read more:

• Heaven knows what Morrissey was doing in Harrogate
• Comedian Alan Carr spotted filming in Harrogate today

Police are appealing for help to trace two men in connection with an incident in Harrogate that left a man unconscious.

It happened at the Foundry Project in The Ginnel on March 11. The victim was taken to hospital for treatment before being discharged.

North Yorkshire Police has today issued three CCTV images of the two men officers would like to speak to, saying one had a “distinctive white hat”.

A spokesperson for the force said:

“Officers are appealing to anyone who can help identify the men in the image, including one who was wearing a distinctive white hat, as they believe they will have information that could assist the investigation.”

Anyone who can provide information should email stephen.mangham@northyorkshire.police.uk, or call 101, select option two and ask for PC 1604 Mangham.

To report information anonymously, call Crimestoppers on 0800 555111, quoting reference 12230044921.

Read more:

• Ex-Harrogate Lib Dem candidate jailed for abusing girl
• Harrogate man jailed for ‘flagrant disregard for people and their property’

The head of a Nidderdale school will take part in today’s London Marathon to support a family affected by blood cancer.

Nathan Sadler, headmaster of Belmont Grosvenor School in Birstwith, will be taking to the streets of the capital this morning to raise money for Blood Cancer UK.

He’s running in memory of Philippa Badger, whose three children were pupils at Belmont Grosvenor, who was just 42 when she died from acute myeloid leukaemia last year.

Mr Sadler is raising money to support her widow James, who is aiming to raise £300,000 for research into the condition.

At the same time as the marathon begins, Mr Badger will be setting off on an eight-day cycle ride from Lands End to John o’Groats with three friends.

Mr Sadler said:

“As a school community we want to do as much as we can to support James and his family in their fund-raising efforts in memory of Philippa.

“James is a truly inspirational man who is driven to raise the funds needed for what could be a life-changing research project. All money raised on my JustGiving page will get added directly to James Badger’s fundraising pot, to help reach his target.

“I am proud to wear the Blood Cancer UK colours and am looking forward to the electric atmosphere on Sunday, especially as other members of the BGS Community will be running and spectating in London as well.”

Read more:

• Harrogate man given two weeks to live calls for more blood cancer research
• Dad to cycle 1,600km to fund research into late wife’s cancer

A keen runner who has already completed seven marathons, Mr Sadler will be taking on three more in the next four weeks. As well as London, he will be running in the Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon on May 14 and a final 26.2 miles at Windermere on May 21.

To support Mr Sadler’s marathon efforts, click here.

Mrs Badger died just 36 hours after being diagnosed with AML on April 22 last year. Her children were aged 12, 10 and six at the time.

AML has a survival rate of just 10% and husband James is hoping to fund a three-year research project to improve its understanding and treatment.

Along with Richard Baldwin, Adam Ellis and Anthony Fraser, Mr Sadler is aiming to raise £100,000 through the 1,600km bike ride alone. He has already reached three-quarters of that target on his JustGiving page.

An event aiming to celebrate disability and promote living life in the way people wish will come to Harrogate next month.

The Slightly Alternative Seminar is organised by Disability Action Yorkshire (DAY) and will see high-profile names tell their own stories of life as a disabled person.

‘Punk Chef’ Scott Garthwaite and TEDx speaker Pippa Stacey will take to the stage, along with Bafta-winning screenwriter, director and journalist Charlie Swinbourne.

Disability Action Yorkshire chief executive Jackie Snape said:

“We are so excited to be holding our second Slightly Alternative Seminar. The feedback from our first event was amazing and we have built on that to bring together some fantastic speakers who have some remarkably interesting stories to tell. We are looking forward to a wonderful day.”

The event takes place at Pavilions of Harrogate on Friday, May 5, from 10am to 3.30pm.

Ms Snape said the charity is aiming to grow it year on year, as a unique event for members of the disabled community and people who support them.

She added:

“There are few events aimed specifically at disabled people apart from those selling equipment.

“The people we work with were telling us that they wanted information on a variety of subjects that matter to them, not just where to buy a wheelchair, and we listened and we responded.”

The Slightly Alternative Seminar is free to attend and includes free refreshments. Attendees can attend for all or part of the day.

As well as British Sign Language interpreters on hand, the venue has step-free access and a hearing loop.

To book a place, email Hanne Jackson at Disability Action Yorkshire or call 01423 855420.

Read more:

• Harrogate man wins landmark disabled settlement against major gym chain
• Paralympic champion among new trustees at Harrogate charity