Vicky Carr, Author at The Stray Ferret

Pure Gym confirms May opening in Knaresborough

National chain Pure Gym has confirmed it will open its Knaresborough branch in May, after a delay from its planned opening this month.

The gym, on the site of the former Lidl supermarket on York Road in Knaresborough, is already inviting locals to sign up for membership.

It has an opening offer of £12.99 per month for the first six months, after which the price rises to £23.99.

Pure Gym first revealed it was planning to take on the Knaresborough site last March. In November, it said it planned to be open by March this year but this has been pushed back by two months.

The York Road site was previously a Lidl supermarket until 2018. During covid, it was used as a vaccination site by Homecare Pharmacy Services until it moved to larger premises on nearby Chain Lane in September.

A Pure Gym spokesperson said:

“Following some delays to building works, we can confirm that our contractors are now on site and doing all they can to get PureGym Knaresborough open as soon as possible.

“The brand-new gym, which is expected to open in mid-May, will provide members with an extensive range of first class fitness equipment including a functional zone, free weights area, cardio equipment, fixed resistance and fitness studio – all available with Pure Gym’s affordable and flexible memberships.

“We look forward to welcoming new members to Pure Gym Knaresborough in the coming months.”

Kirkgate to close for Easter street party in Ripon

Live music, al fresco dining and entertainment will draw residents and visitors into central Ripon on Easter Monday.

The day of entertainment will see Kirkgate closed to traffic on April 10 from 10am to 4pm, allowing people to enjoy the party atmosphere and businesses to see the impact of pedestrianisation.

The street party will feature live music from Hyde Family Jam, as well as pop-up entertainers and street food from Jaflong Indian and Manchega’s tapas.

The event will be part of the new Totally Locally scheme being adopted by traders and Ripon Business Improvement District, designed to encourage people to spend with independent businesses in the city.

Promoting the event, the BID said:

“Totally Locally have calculated that if every adult in the population were to spend just £5 per week in local shops and businesses, that would contribute £13.5 billion per year to the local UK economy.

“If every adult in Ripon spent just £5 per week in their local independent shops that would result in an extra £3.1 million per year going into our local Ripon economy.

“Kirkgate is the heart of independent business. The street party on Easter Monday is a celebration of the ‘buy local’ movement.”

Independent businesses interested in getting involved in the event can contact Manchega.

New plans submitted to create 12 flats in former Harrogate care home

A former care home in Harrogate that has been empty since 2016 could be converted to flats if new plans are approved.

The Pines, on Harlow Moor Drive, was closed after a Care Quality Commission inspection found it inadequate in all areas.

Now, plans have been submitted to Harrogate Borough Council to create 12 one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments in the property at 56-57 Harlow Moor Drive.

The lower ground floor would contain five one-bedroom apartments, with a sixth on the upper ground floor, while the third floor would offer living accommodation as part of a penthouse with three bedrooms on the second floor.

The remaining five apartments on the upper ground, first and second floors would each have two bedrooms.

Documents submitted with the plans said:

“The Pines comprises of a pair of semi-detached houses which had been linked and converted into a privately-owned care home. The care house is no longer in operation – the property is redundant.

“The proposed works is the de-conversion of the care home into the original semi-detached dwellings (retaining and utilising the existing front doors) and then converting each original house (above lower ground floor level) into self-contained apartments, retaining as much as possible the existing building and limiting any structural works to new door openings, removal of isolated walls, walling up of isolated doors and windows with thermal and sound proofing upgrading works to the retained structure as required to meet current building regulations requirements.”

In the seven years since the care home was closed, three applications have been put forward to convert it to a house of multiple occupation (HMO) and to 12 flats.

All were turned down by the council before the applicant appealed unsuccessfully against each decision. An enforcement notice was also served by the council in 2017 to prevent the house being used as an HMO without permission and an appeal against that notice also failed.

The previous proposal to turn the building into 12 flats in 2020 was refused on the grounds it was not in line with the council’s policy of retaining buildings for community use, including care homes.

Justifying the decision at the time, the council said the owner had not made sufficient efforts to sell the building to someone who would retain it as a care home or other community facility.

It has since been marketed by FSS and Healthcare Property Consultants without a guide price, but with “offers invited”.

The current plans have been put forward by Mr R Doyle of Flatcap Properties LLP, through agent Marcus Whitmore of nineteen47 Ltd. Supporting statements with the plans said:

“The application follows a number of refusals of planning permission and dismissals on appeal of previous proposals for changes of use of the property. Those refusals related to separate applications for change of use to a 24-person house in multiple occupation and 12 self-contained apartments.

“In these cases, the main issue for refusal related to the lack of marketing of the property for sale as a community use. In addition, the issue of the impact of a house in multiple occupation on the amenity of nearby residents through disturbance due to the intensity of the use was a reason for refusal.

“In relation to the 12-apartment scheme additional reasons for refusal were based on the unacceptable living conditions for future occupiers and likely disturbance to neighbours and a lack of appropriate contributions towards affordable housing or open space.

“This application is based on amended proposals for the conversion of the property to self-contained apartments and is supported by evidence of the marketing of the property for a community use for a period of 12 months in advance of its submission.

“This has been informed by pre-application discussions that were undertaken with Harrogate Borough Council and subsequent correspondence with the pre-application case officer to refine the terms of marketing.”

To view or comment on the plans, visit the planning pages of Harrogate Borough Council’s website and use reference 23/00620/FULMAJ.

Business Breakfast: Drop-in sessions praised for support to Harrogate businesses

Drop-in sessions to help growing businesses access support have been praised by by participants.

The monthly sessions, held at Co-Lab in Harrogate Convention Centre, are a partnership between Harrogate Borough Council, Ad:Venture and the York and North Yorkshire Growth Hub.

Specialists from each organisation are on hand to speak to business owners about anything from starting a new venture to accessing grant funding.

Among recent attendees is Lynda Fussell, pictured, whose business Dales Consulting is based in Harrogate. She said:

“I was initially looking at funding and marketing opportunities but the challenge was understanding who was out there and what was available.

“I value the guidance this service offers, the team are approachable, independent and knowledgeable. It’s fantastic to have the support that is provided.”

John Hartley from Forsta Projects in Harrogate said:

“The drop-in sessions, and the Co-Lab workspace, help to bring the local business community together and it provides immediate access to a range of sources of support.

“Our goal was to make new connections and we’ve achieved that – we’ve met some great people.”

The drop-in sessions were launched last summer and have proved popular with local business owners.

Karen Booth, business relationship manager at York and North Yorkshire Growth Hub, said:

“I speak to lots of people who are at the early stages of setting up a business as well as established businesses who are looking to grow and develop. I position myself as that critical friend where we can discuss their plans and ideas in a supportive and impartial way.

“Where appropriate I can connect them with other business support services and to our Growth Hub resources, events and webinars.”

The next drop-in sessions will take place on Tuesday, April 18, Wednesday, May 10, and Tuesday, June 13, all between 9am and 5pm. They are held at Co-Lab, which is at Entrance 3 of Harrogate Convention Centre.

For more details of these and other upcoming events, visit the Growth Hub website.

Free brownies after Harrogate cafe refurbishment

A Harrogate cafe has reopened after a refurbishment – and is offering free treats to celebrate.

Love Brownies on Montpellier Parade has had a makeover which saw the shop closed for a week.

Now reopened with a new look, it is offering a free brownie with every hot drink bought between Monday and Thursday until the end of March to customers who use the password ‘this brew needs a brownie’.

Owner Lee Teal said:

“We are extremely excited to announce the reopening of our Harrogate store and café. We can’t wait to welcome everyone back in to check out the shop’s new look and enjoy one of our delicious brownies and tasty savoury dishes.

“Our new interior is a true reflection of Love Brownies – it is fun, vibrant and colourful. Being a Yorkshire-based business has meant that our Harrogate store has become a flagship for Love Brownies’ brand future, and we can’t wait for you to see it.”

Love Brownies’ parent company went into liquidation last summer, but the Harrogate branch, which was franchised, remained open.

Mr Teal, who founded the business with wife Chantelle in 2009, told the Stray Ferret at the time that they planned to rebuild the business “from the bottom up”.

Final Harrogate planning meeting to decide on proposed new council home

The last ever meeting of Harrogate Borough Council‘s planning committee will see it asked to give permission for a new home on its own land in Huby.

A report to the committee proposes the plans for a two-bedroom house are approved, subject to conditions including providing electric vehicle charging points at the property.

The council’s proposal would see the house added to the council’s affordable rental homes, which will be transferred to North Yorkshire Council from April 1.

Describing the proposal for land between 20 and 22 Kingsway in the village, a report for the committee by planning officer Arthama Lakhanpall says:

“Since the site is not currently used for any purpose, and is maintained as underused grassed land, the proposed plans are supported by the housing team who wish to see more social housing in the area to meet identified need. This site will help address that need.

“The housing team has confirmed that there are currently 2,199 households registered on the council’s waiting list for affordable rented accommodation across the district. There are currently 169 households registered for two-bed social rented housing within this sub-area.”

Since the plans were submitted, objections have been received from three neighbours. They raised concerns over the new property overlooking the existing homes, as well as the impact on what they said was an already busy road, often used for parking by people travelling by train from the nearby Weeton station.

Residents also said there was a lack of facilities in the village, forcing residents to drive elsewhere. They said the new house would have an impact on sunlight to other houses, as well as drainage and water supplies, which residents said were already problematic.

However, neither Yorkshire Water nor North Yorkshire County Council had any objections to the scheme, and Weeton Parish Council did not oppose the plans.

The report to the planning committee said the proposed house did not have any side windows and that those at the front and rear of the property would not add to the way in which nearby houses already overlook each other.

The plans include a driveway large enough for two vehicles. The report added:

“The site is currently vacant from built development. It is accepted that the proposed dwelling would have some impact on the openness and spatial quality.

“The proposal however would be well confined within the site and read in relation to the scale, bulk and massing of the neighbouring dwellings within the street. It includes hardstanding and soft landscaping that would help preserve a state of openness.

“For that reason, the scale and massing of the proposed dwelling would not be visually dominant in this landscape. The impact on the openness of the green belt therefore would be limited.”

The planning meeting will be held at Harrogate Borough Council’s civic centre on St Luke’s Mount, Harrogate, on Tuesday, March 28 from 2pm. It will also be broadcast live via the council’s YouTube page.

‘Good’ Ofsted rating for Boroughbridge nursery and out-of-school club

A Boroughbridge nursery helps children to feel “safe and secure” and “eager and ready to learn”, according to its latest Ofsted report.

Stepping Stones Day Nursery and Out of School Club on York Road has maintained its ‘good’ rating in the latest report, with inspector Janet Fairhurst praising the way children are helped to develop skills and independence.

She said:

“The manager has developed a curriculum that focuses on promoting children’s communication and language, and independence. Staff gain good information from parents about children’s starting points and create activities to build on these skills.

“Staff know the children well. They speak confidently about what children already know. Staff take account of this information to plan activities and provide targeted support that helps children make progress in their learning.”

Ms Fairhurst said energetic play outdoors, nutritious meals and good hygiene routines all helped to teach children the importance of a healthy lifestyle.

She praised the way staff used songs, rhymes and questions to promote children’s language development. The report said children were encouraged to stop their activities and listen at appropriate points in the daily routine, and that they were able to maintain their concentration for sustained periods.

Looking at areas for improvement, Ms Fairhurst said the nursery could do more to help children learn about other cultures and ways of life. She added:

“The provider, manager and staff build strong relationships with families. They establish effective communication with parents to inform them of their children’s learning and the next steps in their learning.

“Parents appreciate the online system for sharing information, and say they are ‘impressed’ with how much progress their children make.

“However, staff have not yet established effective working relationships with other settings that some children also attend. This means that relevant information to support continuity of children’s learning and development is not shared.”

Stepping Stones has welcomed the latest report and rating. Owner Nadine Blakey said:

“We are really delighted with the outcome of our recent Ofsted inspection, the inspector was particularly impressed with our children’s behaviour, manners and independence.

“I am really proud of all our staff team who work really hard to give all our children the best start in life.”

New town centre venture for Harrogate coffee shop owner

A Harrogate coffee shop owner is set to open a new business in the centre of town.

Simon Somerville-Frost, who opened Brew Bar on St Winifred’s Avenue in May 2018, has just picked up the keys for 3 Royal Parade.

He plans to turn it into a coffee, brunch and evening venue, under the name &… Harrogate.

Brew Bar has been teasing the new development on its social media accounts over the last week before finally revealing more details last night. In a post on its Instagram account, it said:

“We’ve got keys! Introducing @ampersand_harrogate, our new coffee, brunch and evening venue situated at 3 Royal Parade, Harrogate.

“We’re looking forward to sharing our progress prior to our launch.”

The business is recruiting kitchen and front-of-house staff, as well as managers and supervisors, ready for the new venue’s launch. The date has yet to be confirmed.

The premises was previously home to Gron, a small chain of Leeds-based cafes serving vegetarian, vegan and pescatarian dishes. It closed its doors in Harrogate late last year, having first arrived in the town in December 2020.

Brew Bar was opened by Simon opposite his own home, when he realised he didn’t know any of his neighbours and wanted to build more of a sense of community.

Last year, it set up a ‘community table’ where people could sit if they wanted someone to chat to. It also enabled customers to gift a coffee to others who couldn’t afford to buy one.

Support for plans to twin Knaresborough with town in Ukraine

Knaresborough could be twinned with a town in Ukraine in a show of support and solidarity from the town council.

Councillors last night voted in favour of writing to the mayor of Volodymyr in western Ukraine with the proposal, after a motion was put forward by Cllr David Goode.

The meeting saw a presentation by Bob Frendt, the retired lorry driver from Knaresborough who last year made six trips to deliver aid to people affected by Russia’s invasion of the country.

Mr Frendt said:

“I addressed Knaresborough Town Council and they agreed to my request to twin Knaresborough with Volodymyr in Ukraine to promote cultural, education, commercial and sporting links between our two towns going forward.

“I am very proud and pleased to have got this twinning project through.”

Cllr Goode described Mr Frendt as a “force of nature” and said his hard work to deliver medical equipment as well as toys to Ukraine had inspired the town twinning committee to back the idea.

Mr Frendt had already broached the subject with the mayor of Volodymyr and had an enthusiastic response. Now Cllr Goode’s proposal has been voted through by Knaresborough Town Council, a letter will be sent to the mayor to formalise the plans.

Cllr Goode said there would be some details to work out over the exact wording of the twinning agreement. If the councils in both Volodymyr and Knaresborough are happy with the wording, the twinning will be made official.

However, the arrangement is likely to be less active than the 50-year twinning agreement with Bebra in Germany, which has seen partnerships between groups including Knaresborough Silver Band, civic organisations and local schools.

Cllr Goode said:

“I think, at this stage, it’s more moral support and commitment to the people in Volodymyr, as much for them to know there’s another group of people out there really thinking about them and what they are going through.

“There’s also an element of continuing to support Bob in what he’s doing.

“That’s what came across to the town council in terms of introducing the motion. It might not be a massive commitment, but it’s something more we are doing than just flying the flag in front of Knaresborough House.”

Cllr Goode said he was hopeful Ukrainians who had moved to Knaresborough since the war began last year would be keen to get involved if the twinning project went ahead.

Meanwhile, Mr Frendt will set off on another trip to Ukraine tomorrow afternoon. He will drive his lorry through Europe to Volodymyr to deliver supplies – including 200 Easter eggs donated by people and businesses in Knaresborough.

As with previous trips, his lorry has been filled with donated medical supplies, and has raised funds to cover insurance, fuel and other expenses, as well as using his own money.

Individuals or businesses wanting to offer support can email him, or call him on 07836 514952.

Call for parents to share maternity experiences in Harrogate district

A group of volunteers is calling for parents to share their experiences of maternity services across the Harrogate district.

Harrogate Maternity Voices Partnership (MVP) is an independent group of volunteers aiming to use feedback from parents to ensure maternity services are the best they can be.

From community midwifery to the hospital’s delivery suite and postnatal care at home, the MVP wants to hear from anyone who has experienced the maternity services provided through Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust.

The group’s chair, Jen Baldry, took up the role in early 2022. She said:

“I’ve had three children in Harrogate and I think I’ve had really positive experiences throughout my maternity journeys. However, I always think there’s room for improvement.

“I have a passion for developing local maternity services, in particular focusing on personalised care and informed choice.

“I had a baby during covid so that massively impacted me wanting to do this role and give my experience of that, compared to having two before covid.”

The MVP holds regular coffee mornings around which any parents are welcome to drop in to. They offer space for children to play while the parents can chat to each other, MVP volunteers and maternity professionals about their experiences.

There are also regular, free information sessions, such as one next Friday evening on the biomechanics of birth, led by a hypnobirthing teacher and a student midwife. It will cover how different positions and movements can be used during labour and childbirth.

Feedback over the last year has seen the MVP work with maternity professionals to look at the language they use, the birthing environment at the hospital, and delivering personalised care to suit each person going through pregnancy and birth.

As well as giving feedback, people who have experience of maternity care in Harrogate are always welcomed as volunteers with the MVP. Jen said:

“We have over 40 active volunteers. I ask everyone for one to two hours a month, and that could be for reviewing leaflets or coming to a coffee morning, or even going in to the unit for a ’15 steps’ review, when we look at what the experience is like for someone arriving there.

“Anybody who has had experience with maternity services or worked in a field related to maternity can join us.”

Pilot project

While the MVP will operate long term with all parents, at the moment it is working on a pilot project with the maternity department in Harrogate.

Across the NHS, midwives will soon be required to undertake more training each year. Harrogate’s involvement in the pilot project will see it help to produce training based on feedback from people using its services.

The MVP is helping to find parents to take part and is particularly seeking those who have experienced pregnancies with twins and multiples, surrogacy, their child being cared for on the special care baby unit, or giving birth outside NHS guidance.

It also wants to hear from anyone from black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds who has been cared by for through Harrogate’s maternity services.

Two focus group events are being held at the end of March – one online and one in person in Harrogate – to gather feedback from those parents.

Jen said:

“The biggest challenge for the MVP is hearing the voices of people who don’t necessarily speak up.

“People tend to get in touch if they’ve had an amazing experience or a really bad experience. We don’t often hear from that middle ground, where it was fine, but there are some areas that could be improved.

“All those tweaks, we’re here to help with. Was there anything that would have made it even better?

“We also want to ensure we represent everybody in the community, from all different types of background – anybody who has had an experience of maternity services.”

For details of upcoming events, visit the MVP Facebook page.

To contact Harrogate MVP, or give feedback on your experiences of maternity services, visit its website.

Photo-a-day man from Harrogate writes autobiography aged just 30

A young Harrogate man who made international news when he turned 21 has written an autobiography to mark his 30th birthday.

Cory McLeod has led an extraordinary life since he was born, from trekking through South America as an infant with his parents to partying with boxer David Haye in his 20s.

It was a project begun by his dad on the day of his birth that first brought Cory to international attention.

Ian McLeod decided to take a photograph of his son’s face every day for the first year, or perhaps up to the age of two or three. At the time in 1991, he planned to turn into a flick-book – but the project soon grew.

Mr McLeod would send the camera with Cory’s teachers on school trips to ensure he didn’t miss a day, and even travelled for an hour late at night to take a shot when Cory was staying at a friend’s house, before driving home again.

Former Oatlands and St Aidan’s student Cory said:

“It was a family art project for a couple of years, but it became his passion or addiction and he just kept going.

“In his mind, 18 or 21 seemed a good time to stop, but when we got that far, we thought, ‘let’s keep going’.”

In 2012, Cory turned the photos into a video which he uploaded to YouTube, showing his development each day for more than two decades.

It proved a hit: it has since been viewed more than six million times. As a result, Cory and Ian hit the headlines and appeared on TV and radio shows around the world.

In the decade since, his life has been even more eventful.

Moving to Dubai to work in events has brought him into contact with numerous celebrities, from Rihanna to Prince Harry – who, on one memorable night, asked Cory to stop offering him drinks and leave him alone.

A keen traveller, Cory has had many adventures, not all of them trouble-free. He has been held at gunpoint and met bandits during his travels, but always managed to take his daily photograph to keep the project going.

Last month, he published a new video, including images up to his 30th birthday.

His new autobiography, which he began writing during the covid lockdown when he was stuck in his apartment in Dubai, is called 30 Years: A Life Lived Every Day. It covers all his experiences up to the age of 30, in late 2021.

It took him more than two years to complete it, often writing for six or seven hours after work.

The daily photographs, documenting wherever he was in the world, proved a useful prompt in his writing.

The photos are a kind of social history, from masked selfies during the covid pandemic to the shot of him holding a Blockbuster video from the late 1990s. His favourites are those that show his travels around the world, and special moments in his family life.

Yet taking them has not always been easy, he said.

“I went through a phase where I was constantly remembering at 10 or 11 at night. I’m trying to get out of the habit of doing that.

“Over the course of the whole thing, we’ve only forgotten a handful of times.”

Cory’s autobiography will be published in August and is available to pre-order now.

It is his second book, after he turned his blog about his journey to Everest base camp into a book. He said he now has the writing bug and hopes to use his degree in TV and film production to turn to script writing next.

That drive to create comes from his parents, who were also adventurous: they took him backpacking in South America when he was just one. Dad Ian has since begun a new photo-a-day project, taking him from 60 to the end of his life.

As for the photographs – now selfies taken by Cory wherever he is in the world – he has no intention of stopping. He has his sights set on a lifetime of daily photos.

“I think it would be amazing – the first time you could see a full life, from birth to death.”

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Free brownies after Harrogate cafe refurbishment

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Pilot project

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