Vicky Carr, Author at The Stray Ferret

Harrogate hospital to remove parking barriers to ease traffic queues

A new parking system is set to be introduced in a bid to ease queues outside Harrogate District Hospital.

Residents and visitors have reported long lines of traffic approaching the hospital on Lancaster Park Road, particularly at visiting times in the afternoon.

Now, the hospital said it will remove parking barriers and introduce a new system to help traffic move more freely around the car park and its approaches.

A Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust spokesperson said:

“We are aware that at certain periods of the day, such as during visiting hours, Lancaster Park Road can become congested with traffic due to an increase in the number of drivers wanting to park at our hospital.

“We understand that this is not ideal for patients and visitors, especially at peak times, and we have been looking at how we can improve the flow of traffic onto our site to ease congestion.

“Entry to our car park is currently controlled by a barrier, however, later this year this will be removed in favour of an alternative parking system, which will help with flow into the car park.”

One nearby resident who contacted the Stray Ferret said it was a daily problem for visitors to the hospital.

Bill Shaw told the Stray Ferret:

“It’s total gridlock and the hospital car park is full! people who have appointments or just visiting have nowhere to park – a weekly day fiasco.

“The ambulances on blue lights have to negotiate this time wasting problem.”

The hospital spokesperson said Yorkshire Ambulance Service had not raised any concerns about delays or access problems caused by traffic.

He added:

“Due to the limited space on our hospital site we are currently unable to increase our car parking capacity and we would encourage visitors to consider other means of visiting if they are able to do so, such as by public transport or walking.”

Pateley Bridge paramedic took his own life after being dismissed from job

A paramedic who lived in Pateley Bridge took his own life the day after he lost his job with the NHS, an inquest has heard.

Andrew Pickering was 57 when he was told he had committed gross misconduct at work, leading to his immediate dismissal from Yorkshire Ambulance Service on February 2 last year.

The inquest held today heard Mr Pickering had attempted to take his own life at home the same day, but was unsuccessful. He had gone to Harrogate District Hospital by ambulance, where he was assessed by the mental health crisis team in the early hours of February 3.

Senior crisis clinician Glen Wilson, from the Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust, which provides mental health services in the Harrogate district, told the inquest:

“He openly engaged with us. He was happy to talk to us. He answered questions about himself.

“Although he had [tried to take his own life], he then alerted someone to his actions. He agreed to come to the [emergency] department to be checked over. He agreed to be seen. He agreed to talk about the events leading up to it.”

Mr Wilson said Mr Pickering, a former RAF serviceman, agreed to follow-up appointments over the next few days and went home at around 6am.

Today’s inquest heard the loss of his job followed a six-month investigation, during which he could have been placed on other duties that would not have involved dealing with the public.

However, the inquest heard Mr Pickering was “embarrassed” by this and was instead signed off work sick. He had not told his family about the problems he faced.

‘Desperate person’

It had also been a stressful period in his personal life, including the breakdown of his 27-year marriage, which saw him move out of the family home he shared with his wife and two teenage children.

His former wife questioned why someone who had attempted suicide was sent home alone. She added:

“A desperate person was left to go home on his own in a taxi in the early hours of the morning to an empty home.”

Mr Wilson said follow-up phone calls were due to be made that day, and Mr Pickering would have been visited daily for at least three days by someone from the crisis team. He said:

“He was saying to me he worked in this field, he can see the devastation on families when people end their lives. He said he would never do that to his family and he was happy to engage with us.”

Staff at the crisis service called Mr Pickering four times between 9.30am and 1.15pm on February 3. They received no answer but, knowing he had been in hospital through the night, thought he must be catching up on sleep.

A friend and colleague, Jonathan Mellor, who knew Mr Pickering had gone to hospital the previous night, called by his house at 10.30am. Seeing Mr Pickering was not yet dressed, he suggested the pair go for a walk later and said he would return in a couple of hours.

When Mr Mellor returned at 12.50pm, he found Mr Pickering had taken his own life. Coroner Jonathan Heath today concluded he had died by suicide.

The inquest, held at the Coroner’s Court in Northallerton, heard Mr Pickering had been an “extremely popular and hard-working” paramedic but had struggled to deal with difficult family circumstances, leading to the situation that saw him put through the disciplinary process – which had lasted six months instead of the recommended four.

At one point, the inquest heard, comparisons were drawn between Mr Pickering and Wayne Couzens, the police officer who murdered Sarah Everard.

Prior to joining YAS in 2009, he had been in the RAF and served in Afghanistan soon after the birth of his son in 2007. His former wife said:

“He came back a very different person. Things were never quite the same.

“Over the years, I asked him to talk to someone, but he didn’t. He wasn’t abusive or violent, but he was more withdrawn.”

The inquest heard Yorkshire Ambulance Service had undertaken a ‘lessons learnt’ review following Mr Pickering’s death.

His brother Richard questioned the way the investigation following the death had been carried out. He said the family felt they had not been listened to and were not trusted to be part of the process.

YAS head of employee relations Alison Cockerill said:

“It was decided it should be internal. We were aware Andrew had deliberately kept some of what was happening from his family and we were still trying to navigate what that meant for us in terms of respecting Andrew’s wishes.”

Mr Heath said in future, the trust should consider adopting a policy of explaining the process to the family at the outset and showing them the findings at the end.

Mrs Cockerill said, following the review, YAS had put in place new measures to support people who were going through disciplinary processes, including assessing the impact on the individual alongside the risk to the public.

All managers and supervisors would now receive skills training to help them support people subject to disciplinary investigations, she added.

Residents rally against new Crimple Valley housing plans

Residents on the south side of Harrogate are rallying against another application to build housing on the edge of a treasured stretch of countryside.

The Save Crimple Valley group is urging people to object to plans for 17 homes at the bottom of Almsford Bank, just off Leeds Road.

A message put out by the group said:

“If you have already commented on this application in the past, please reaffirm your objections to this development by commenting again.

“This site has already been turned down and applications withdrawn or refused on multiple occasions – but the developers are persistent and will get their way if not stopped. Because this is a new application all previous comments are disregarded.”

Residents say access to and from the site via the A61 would be dangerous, while the housing itself would spoil the area.

The application site includes an area that has been used as stables for many years, but it is not included in the local plan, which guides development across the Harrogate district.

The development boundary in red and housing areas in orange, with the owners’ land outlined in blue

Since plans were published at the end of March, 22 objections have been submitted to North Yorkshire Council. Nearby resident Penny Robinson said:

“It is sad that I find myself having to object to this building plan again. This area has been repeatedly refused planning permission to build on, so it is not clear why this application is even being considered.

“All the reasons stated in the last rejection in November 2022 have not changed… The local plan doesn’t need these houses, they are just a money making venture. The same objections stand as they did since the first application to build several years ago.”

The current application by Antela Developments Ltd and Square Feet Ltd is significantly reduced compared to the first, submitted in 2018, for 65 homes. That plan was withdrawn by the applicants, along with an application for 35 homes submitted the following year.

In 2022, a proposal for 35 homes, including self-build plots, was turned down by Harrogate Borough Council.

‘High standard housing’

The latest application is for 10 self-build homes and seven affordable homes. In documents submitted as part of the application, the developers said:

“The form and massing of the new houses will be designed in response to the topography of the site, taking influence from the surrounding context.

“The introduction of self and custom build homes will allow each house to be individually designed but each plot will be set out in response to the natural landform.”

They added:

“The houses will be built to a high standard with quality natural local materials to help integrate within the landscape. It is proposed that traditional principles of rural design will be adopted within the design, with the addition of subtle contemporary details in order to distinguish the new development from earlier buildings within the surrounding context.

“This will ensure continuity of the local vernacular and harmonious integration into the existing setting.”

However, many of those objecting have said they would not accept any number of homes on the site, which they argue is unsuitable for development.

Another local resident, Victoria Draper, wrote:

“We do not want our beautiful, local countryside ripping up to make way for unnecessary, expensive, unsightly houses. We bought our house in the local vicinity so we could enjoy family walks and explore nature with our young daughter.

“The increase in traffic and subsequent danger with additional junctions, on an already extremely busy main road, cannot go ahead. We are such a depleted country in terms of wildlife, we should be trying to increase our natural areas, not reduce them. This cannot go ahead.”

To view or comment on the plans before the deadline of April 23, visit the planning pages of North Yorkshire Council’s website and use reference 23/01082/OUTMAJ.

Plans for adult gaming centre on Knaresborough High Street

A former building society in Knaresborough could become a gaming centre if plans are approved.

Carl Bearman of Spectacular Bid Ltd – a company founded in January – has applied to change the use of the premises at 30 High Street, home to Yorkshire Building Society until March 2018.

Mr Bearman is a director of several other companies, including UK Gaming Solutions, Gaming Solutions Group, and Dubai Dynamo.

If given permission to become an adult gaming centre, the unit, which is 60m sq, could have arcade machines and would only be open to people aged 18 or over.

The application was submitted in late March and North Yorkshire Council is accepting comments until Sunday, April 23.

The environmental health department has already raised concerns about the impact on neighbours, saying:

“There are flats above the existing commercial unit but whereas the office use and the opening hours of the building society would not interfere with the flats above there may be noise including music associated with the use of the gaming centre and the opening hours, which are not stated, could interfere with the residents above.

“It would be useful to get some indication of the proposed hours of operation.”

Environmental health officer Mary Jones recommended the applicant should invest in sound proofing and provide an acoustic report to the council about the impact of the proposed change.

To view or comment on the application, visit the planning pages of North Yorkshire Council’s website and use reference 23/01169/FUL.

Cycling signs on Otley Road are ‘temporary measure’

The company rolling out fibre broadband infrastructure across Harrogate has reassured residents that replacement pavement markings are only temporary.

CityFibre said the bicycle signs on Otley Road should be replaced within the next two weeks with a more permanent finish.

The paths were dug up last month to install fibre optic broadband cables as part of a district-wide project.

The trench was filled with tarmac, which partially removed the markings for the shared cycle path. A can of white spray paint was reportedly used by workers to mark up what was previously in place.

Kim Johnston, regional partnership director at CityFibre, said:

“The restoration works are ongoing, with the current cycle marking a temporary measure. We expect work to be completed on or around April 18, dependant on permit approval.

“We would like to thank residents for their patience and reassure them of our commitment to leaving the area in the same way we found it. Works on Otley Road are part of our £46m full fibre rollout in Harrogate, Knaresborough and Ripon, which is set to future-proof the area’s digital infrastructure for decades to come.”

According to the North Yorkshire Council roadworks map, CityFibre is expected to return to the area from April 11 to 18 for the work, with temporary traffic lights to be used around the junctions of Harlow Moor Road and Pannal Ash Road.

Separately, North Yorkshire Council had previously said the road would be closed between 7pm and 3am from April 24 to 28 for remedial works to the cycle route.

It has now confirmed that daytime work is also expected to take place between Monday, April 24, and Wednesday, May 3, from 7.30am to 5pm.

The work had been due to take place last year, but was delayed until after the CityFibre project was complete.

Melisa Burnham, North Yorkshire Council’s highways area manager for Harrogate, said:

“CityFibre have agreed to reinstate the cycle route and any associated lining back to appropriate standards. Officers are in discussion with CityFibre to ensure this is addressed.

“After phase one of the cycle path was completed, the need for some remedial work was identified. That included resurfacing junctions between Otley Road and side roads, to the tactile paving and grass verges. It was also recognised that additional signs and street furniture were needed.”

‘Just one more trip’ for Knaresborough’s Ukraine aid hero

A Knaresborough man who has just returned from his seventh aid trip to Ukraine has said the next visit will be his last.

Retired lorry driver Bob Frendt has been taking a lorry loaded with medical equipment and other supplies to the west of the country since Russia’s invasion last February.

His latest trip saw him deliver a letter from Knaresborough Town Council to the mayor of Volodymyr proposing a twinning agreement, after Mr Frendt’s trips established a connection between the towns.

He also took with him mobility scooters, walking frames, crutches and other vital equipment for the hospital – as well as 200 Easter eggs. They had been collected by Knaresborough women Stacey Worrall and Joanne Notman with support from family and friends, to ensure young hospital patients will not go without a chocolate treat.

On arrival at the hospital in Volodymyr, Mr Frendt was asked to deliver the eggs to the children himself. He said:

“They were overwhelmed. Because they weren’t expecting it, the kids couldn’t believe it. I bet they haven’t had chocolate since the war started – they were just over the moon, they were blown away by it.

“There was one little girl who was about three. She was really ill. I gave her the Easter egg and you would have thought I was giving her life itself.”

Mr Frendt had planned to make this his last aid trip to Ukraine, saying he was “shattered” after more than a week of travelling and deliveries.

The lorry’s MOT in February cost £4,000 in repairs. Mr Frendt was only able to get it back on the road by using his overdraft, and his wife Maureen’s. He planned to sell the truck after his next trip in order to clear their debt.

School appeal

However, during the meeting at the mayor’s office, something happened to change his mind. He said:

“I got introduced to the principal of the school which had been shut for a year because at the start, all the men teachers had to go into the army and all the women packed up their kids and legged it.

“They heard what I had done for the hospital and wanted me to do the same for the school.

“When it was shut down, the military took all the technology, so they’re absolutely beside themselves and desperate for laptops, computers, monitors, routers – anything to do with IT. They want a 3D printer and everything to go with that, and they want language course stuff to teach English.

“The school was damaged by artillery. They were given funding by the government to rebuild the school, but no funds for equipment or refurbishment. They want about 500 litres of paint and varnish for the floors.”

Unable to say no, Mr Frendt has agreed to do what he can to get what the school needs and plans to set off for his final trip on May 25.

Bob Frendt, in blue, with teachers from the school in Volodymyr

The school also asked for 10 footballs and 10 basketballs for sports lessons. Since returning less than a week ago, Mr Frendt has already sourced 40 of each, but is still seeking sports kits so the teams can play in suitable clothing.

He also still needs as much IT equipment as he can get, and paint and other supplies to make the school a better environment for learning.

And, as he left the mayor’s office, Mr Frendt was given an unusual request. He said:

“The parting shot was, ‘if you’ve got any fire engines lying about, we’ll take them – the army have nicked ours’.

“The military had commandeered the town fire engine, leaving them unable to fight any fires, so they have to let any that happen just burn out, leaving residents and businesses homeless.”

Mr Frendt said he is hoping to arrange an appointment with Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Zoe Metcalfe to see whether an unneeded fire appliance could be given to Volodymyr.

If so, he said he will drive it there himself and fly home, as well as completing his final aid trip in May.

Anyone who can help Mr Frendt with equipment for the school, or funding to cover the £2,500 costs of each trip to Ukraine, can call him on 07836 514952.

Harrogate BID plans Majestic event for coronation

A big screen and live music will be on offer when Harrogate BID celebrates the coronation next month.

The BID is putting on the event in the grounds of the DoubleTree by Hilton Harrogate Majestic Hotel and Spa, and is inviting families and groups of friends to join in.

People can bring picnic blankets and deckchairs to watch the coronation of King Charles III on the screen on Saturday, May 6, as well as the run-up to the ceremony. There will also be entertainment and the chance to win prizes.

The celebrations continue on Sunday, May 7, when DJ Mark Green will provide the music. Food and drink will be available to buy from the hotel throughout the weekend.

BID manager Matthew Chapman said:

“We are delighted to be hosting this event at the DoubleTree by Hilton Harrogate Majestic Hotel and Spa. The coronation will be a joyous occasion – it gives people the chance to come together and enjoy some fun, whilst celebrating.

“The hotel is the perfect venue for the event, with plenty of room in the grounds for local residents to watch the official proceedings on a huge screen, with a great atmosphere to boot.”

The event is expected to open at noon on both days, and full details of timings will be announced once details of the coronation have been released by Buckingham Palace. Attendance is free and there is no need to book.

Destination Harrogate has already announced it will hold three days of celebrations for the coronation in the Valley Gardens.

Plans are also being put in place for big screens and other events in Knaresborough and Ripon, as well as community celebrations across the Harrogate district.

The Stray Ferret will be reporting on how our communities are celebrating the coronation in the run-up to and during the bank holiday weekend. Make sure your event is included by sending us an email with the details.

Harrogate BID to launch campaign for second term

Harrogate BID is set to launch its campaign for a second term at a meeting of its members later this month.

The business improvement district, funded through a levy on business rates for commercial premises in the town centre, was first voted in in January 2019.

Its first five-year period will end at the beginning of next year – but its manager and board are hoping to win support for a business plan for another term.

Harrogate BID chairman Dan Siddle said:

“Harrogate is a key visitor destination and working with our members, BID ensures the town centre excels as a place for business, to shop, visit and enjoy.

“The work of the team over the past five years has been focused on the delivery of five key areas: marketing, promotions and events; access and car parking; safe, clean and welcoming; business plus; and evening and night-time economy.

“The new business plan will see these five areas re-focused on three all-encompassing objectives, with even greater scrutiny of the return on investment in relation to each one.”

The new business plan will be presented to BID members at the Majestic Hotel on Wednesday, April 26. As well as showcasing the draft business plan, it will be an opportunity for the BID to highlight its achievements since it was established.

Among those are events in the town centre designed to draw visitors in, such as a lego trail last summer and attractions over the Christmas period.

It has also carried out regular deep-cleaning of streets, and added floral and artistic installations to make the town centre more attractive to visitors and residents.

It has employed a street ranger and used hosts to welcome visitors to town and give directions, as well as sponsoring free parking and free bus travel on selected routes to boost footfall in the town centre.

The ballot for the BID will open on June 1 and members will be asked to cast their votes by June 28. The result will be announced the following day.

Mr Siddle added:

“I am confident that the offering of our new five-year business plan and streamlined objectives will see a positive vote for the BID – from which we look forward to continuing our work in support of our members to make Harrogate thrive long into the future.”

Any BID members wishing to attend the event at the Majestic on April 26, which runs from 5pm to 8pm, can sign up by emailing the BID.

‘Broken’ system prompts closure of Harrogate hair and beauty training school

A training centre for the hair and beauty industry in Harrogate is set to be wound up after its director said she could no longer work in the “broken” education system.

Intuitions Ltd, previously based in Tower Street before moving to Station Parade, had been working with salons to train hairdressers for almost three decades.

However, Michelle Oliver said she closed the company in January after the Education and Skills Funding Agency reduced funding by 23%.

She said Intuitions had been heavily subsidising functional skills funding for a number of years, and the government had now removed funding for some areas of training including induction, initial assessments, and formal assessments of skills.

Ms Oliver added:

“Despite almost 30 years of trading, gaining a ‘good’ Ofsted result in July 2022 and an excellent relationship with our local employers, I no longer wanted to be part of what I feel is a broken education system with layer upon layer of meaningless bureaucracy that appears to have been put in place to prevent small independent training providers from succeeding.”

Intuitions had moved to Station Parade from Tower Street

The last Ofsted report praised Intuitions’ move to a salon-based approach, offering one-to-one and small group training. As part of this, the company had moved to an office in shared workspace Wizu on Station Parade.

However, Ms Oliver said the number of apprenticeships on offer with local salons had fallen since the covid pandemic, having an impact on the number of students training with Intuitions.

Ms Oliver is one of two remaining directors of Intuitions Ltd, having taken up the post in March 2000, alongside company secretary Berenika Wilkins. The company was founded in summer 1993 by John and Sheila Morton, who resigned as directors following Ms Oliver’s appointment.

She said former Intuitions employees had been given paid notice or made redundant and all had found jobs elsewhere.

Trainees and their employers, meanwhile, were supported to find other training providers.

A meeting of creditors has been called for April 11 at 10am, when liquidators are expected to be appointed.

Ofsted says village school near Ripon ‘requires improvement’

A village school near Ripon has been told to make improvements to its teaching by the schools inspector.

Sharow Church of England Primary School has been rated ‘requires improvement’ by Ofsted in its latest report, with three of the five areas of inspection receiving that rating.

Inspectors found the quality of education, personal development, and leadership and management at the school no longer merited the ‘good’ rating previously given to the school. However, they said the early years provision, and behaviour and attitudes, remained ‘good’.

In a report published just before the end of term, lead inspector Paul Martindale said:

“Pupils, including children in early years, enjoy coming to school. Staff provide a supportive atmosphere where pupils behave well and are friendly to one another.

“Pupils are polite, well mannered, and respectful towards staff and their peers. They listen intently to what other pupils have to say and then build on this with their own ideas or comments.

“Pupils feel safe and say that bulling does not happen at school. They are clear about the school rules, rewards and consequences.”

He added:

“Pupils enjoy taking on many different responsibilities. They appreciate being a member of the school council or a well-being ambassador. Their desire to help others is not limited to these roles.

“Pupils have a friendship bench in the playground where they can help their friends. They enjoy spending time in the peace garden.”

Among the areas inspectors praised in the report was a new phonics programme. After visiting the school in early February, inspectors said the programme had been implemented effectively and pupils made good progress with their reading.

They said pupils who were struggling were given support to make more progress.

Inspectors also praised the “well-sequenced plans” used to deliver maths teaching. In both English and maths, they said teachers used effective assessment to get a clear understanding of what pupils knew and what they needed to learn next.

The report said:

“Staff have high ambitions for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff modify their teaching to help pupils with SEND learn the same curriculum as their peers, wherever possible.

“In early years, adults know the needs and interests of their children. They use ambitious and accurate language in their interactions with children, and this extends their understanding.”

Read more:

However, the report said the standard of education was not as high in all subject areas.

Inspectors found the quality of education was “variable” and learning was “not as deep” in some subjects as others.

Addressing personal development, they said:

“Staff provide pupils with a range of opportunities to support their personal development. This is evident through the different roles that pupils can carry out or the clubs that they can join, such as the lunchtime choir.

“However, pupils’ understanding of British values and protected characteristics is limited. Pupils also have a limited knowledge of religion. They are able to recall general principles, but cannot attribute them to any particular faith. Leaders acknowledge that this is due to previous weaknesses in the curriculum.”

The report acknowledged governors and leaders were aware there were improvements to be made and had begun to do so. It said governors needed to continue their strategic review to ensure they had the appropriate knowledge and skills to hold the school’s leaders to account effectively.

The Stray Ferret contacted Sharow Primary School for a response to the report before the Easter break, but had not received one by the time of publication.

Sharow Primary School has 103 pupils and is federated with Skelton Newby Hall Church of England Primary School, sharing an executive headteacher, Jacqui Palmer, and a governing body.

Skelton Newby Hall Primary School was rated ‘requires improvement’ in March 2020 and is currently under threat of closure by North Yorkshire Council, on the grounds of low roll numbers. Should it close this summer as proposed, the council suggested moving its 10 pupils to Sharow Primary School.