Vicky Carr, Author at The Stray Ferret

Man fined for headbutting police officer in Harrogate

A man has been given a £324 fine for headbutting a police officer as he tried to arrest him.

Paul Stephen Turner, 47, of Albany Road, Harrogate, had pleaded guilty in February to the charge.

Acting for him in court today, Sonia Bhalla, of Watson Woodhouse solicitors, said Mr Turner had suffered a head injury when he was assaulted by three men with a baseball bat several years before, which still affected his actions and judgement.

Turner had been watching a documentary about fake police officers on August 18 last year when police officers knocked at his door and attempted to arrest him in relation to a separate allegation against him.

During the arrest, Turner headbutted one of the officers, PC Ryan Rudd, causing pain to one of his teeth. Turner later said he had not done so deliberately, but the process of the arrest had caused severe pain in his feet, where he had a pre-existing injury.

A carer for his disabled father, the court heard Turner had 26 previous convictions for 52 offences, but none of a similar nature to the charge of assaulting a police officer. Ms Bhalla added:

“At 47 years of age, he has not been in trouble with the courts for a very, very long time. His last conviction was in 2011.”

Magistrates said they did not impose the maximum sentence for assaulting a police officer because the injuries appeared to be minimal, with no follow-up treatment required.

As well as the fine, magistrates ordered Turner to pay a victim surcharge of £34 and costs of £200.

Private hospital introduces GP services in Harrogate

A private hospital in Harrogate has launched a new service offering GP appointments to the public.

The Duchy Hospital, on Queen’s Road, will be offering the appointments with Dr Jason Jones at £100 for a 30 minute appointment.

He said:

“I’m very happy and excited to be joining the team at The Duchy and providing some primary care services.

“Being based within the hospital will also give me access to all the hospital’s facilities, services and consultant colleagues. This should improve the patient journey if any secondary care referrals are needed.”

The news follows reports that people across the UK have been struggle to get GP appointments, particularly face-to-face, following the covid pandemic.

In the Harrogate district, demand for GP services has also risen thanks to extensive house-building in recent years, increasing the population.

A report by Healthwatch North Yorkshire in December found people were struggling to access appointments either over the phone or in person. The service added:

“Several people expressed their concern about digital exclusion for people who can’t access GP and other services online. Others raised issues about misdiagnosis following telephone appointments.

“We know that GP practices across North Yorkshire are working hard to ensure everyone can access the right services for them.”

Appointments with Dr Jones at The Duchy Hospital are available from Monday, April 25 and can be booked by calling 01423 567136 and selecting option four.

The Duchy’s executive director Rick Sanders added:

“The private GP service is a great addition for our patients at The Duchy. This new service will allow patients to see a GP face to face with easy access to any diagnostic tests, scans or onward referrals that may be required.”

New Leeds Bradford flights link Harrogate district passengers with North America

Two new daily flights have been announced to help travellers from the Harrogate district reach Ireland, the USA and Canada.

Emerald Airlines will be operating its Aer Lingus Regional flights on the route from Leeds Bradford Airport to Dublin from today.

As well as visiting the Irish capital, the route gives travellers the option to pre-clear US immigration at Dublin Airport, allowing them to enter North America as a domestic passenger and avoid lengthy queues on arrival.

Nicola McMullen, aviation director at Leeds Bradford Airport, said:

“As passenger levels return to normal, the connection between LBA and Dublin remains an important one for our region, with many passengers travelling for both business and leisure.

“The route will provide a valuable connection to the US with pre-clearance, meaning passengers can travel through immigration smoothly.”

Flights will depart Leeds Bradford at 8.35am every day, as well as 7.40pm every day except Saturday. Return flights depart Dublin at 6.50am daily and 5.45pm every day except Saturday.

Ciarán Smith, head of commercial at Emerald Airlines said:

“We recognise the vital importance of regional air connectivity and the key role that this air link to Dublin provides for business, tourism and leisure travel.

“In addition, we’re excited to add additional capacity to our existing service from Leeds to Belfast City from mid-May, and I am sure this additional capacity will prove popular for business customers.

“In particular, the new morning and afternoon flight facilitates day return options.”

Garden seeks artist for year-long residency in Harrogate

Artists across the Harrogate district are being sought by RHS Harlow Carr as the garden aims to appoint its next artist in residence.

The year-long appointment would see the chosen artist encouraged to take inspiration from the landscape, as well as the charity’s scientific and biological work.

Education and learning manager Kirstie Blything said:

“We are looking for an artist to present a personal interpretation and perspective of Harlow Carr, creating new work that is innovative, pushes boundaries and inspires well-being.

“We hope this new work will inspire the public to examine their own vision of the gardens and encourage them to engage in new, creative conversations, continuing the development of Harlow Carr as a site that inspires creative practice.”

The artist would spend at least three weeks on site, carrying out research and demonstrating their practice at the garden.

They would be able to work closely with the garden’s team as well as discussing their work with the public. The role includes creating a programme of workshops, talks, open studios and more to encourage visitors to take inspiration from the gardens for their own creativity.

The year would end with an exhibition at the RHS Harlow Carr Flower Show in 2023.

Previous artists in residents include Nel Whatmore and Anita Bowerman.

For further information about the role, click here. Applications close on Friday, May 20 at noon.

Police on West Park after attempted muggings in Harrogate

Police have been dealing with an incident in Harrogate this evening after a number of people were reported to have been attacked.

Officers were called to the area near the parade of shops on West Park, close to the junction with Tower Street, where witnesses said a man had attempted to mug several people.

A local resident called police after hearing one of the victims screaming for help on West Park.

Two police cars, two vans and an ambulance were at the scene shortly after 7pm.

The Stray Ferret understands a man has been arrested. We will update this story when more information is available.

Chocolate project seeks new business links to build on students’ growth

Chocolate may be associated with Easter for many people, but for one Harrogate social enterprise it’s a year-round obsession.

Harrogate Chocolate Factory has been making its own chocolate “from bean to bar” for the last three years.

With new equipment being brought in, it will significantly increase its manufacturing capacity over the coming weeks. More bars will soon be available from its website and from local stockists including Crimple and Artizan.

CEO Hadyn Moorby-Davies said the way the project has developed has been rewarding:

“You have got to have some optimism to start projects like this, but it’s really satisfying seeing it now.”

After a delay thanks to covid, last summer Harrogate Chocolate Factory Cafe opened next to the Odeon cinema on East Parade. The last year has proven to be a successful one and now Harrogate Skills 4 Living Centre (HS4LC), the organisation behind the project, is looking to build on its growth by engaging with the business community.

The chocolate factory and café are staffed by people with learning difficulties. They were set up to provide a stepping stone to employment, providing real-world experience in a familiar and supported environment.

From there, students go on to placements with local companies, ranging from small businesses to large corporations. Among the list of places to have taken students so far are Labcorp, Rudding Park, the Army Foundation College and Ilk Homes at Flaxby.

Students and staff at Harrogate Chocolate Factory Cafe

Angie Russell, who runs several local businesses including Skye Blue Cleaners and Harrogate changeovers, has also taken on two students from HS4L. She said:

“We advertised for somebody to work in the laundry. Paul [from HS4L] said he had someone who might be interested.

“My initial reaction was ‘no, we can’t’. My perception was there would be to many problems with stairs and so on. He said, ‘can we come and have a chat?’.”

With some of her fears allayed, Angie took on a student for a couple of hours a week doing administrative tasks such as sending out letters. Now, she is working in the laundry, and Angie has taken on another student to join her housekeeping team.

The result has been a complete turnaround in Angie’s attitude to the programme, so much so that she’s now working with HS4LC to increase its engagement with the business community and provide more opportunities for students – and for businesses themselves.

“Having someone who comes in who doesn’t care if you have a Gucci handbag or who said what about who – it changes the atmosphere.

“The employers we work with have a genuine interest in the students. People get to realise there are far more benefits to employing that diverse workforce: it can just brighten up a room.”

The training the students are receiving at the Harrogate Chocolate Factory and Café could be perfect for Harrogate hospitality businesses, which have reported significant problems recruiting since the covid pandemic began.

While many business owners are nervous about the practicalities of taking on an employee with learning difficulties, often, they are more risk-averse than is necessary.

Students are given a job coach who comes to work with them to begin with. That direct support remains in place for as long as is needed, whether it is a few months or throughout their employment.

However, in many cases, once they get to know the role, the students are confident to be left alone with their coach checking on them and their employer from time to time.

The chocolate factory itself has proven that students can adapt to, or even enjoy, some of the most mundane tasks.

Hadyn added:

“It’s really that routine with steps that is great for people with autism. We’ve got quite a few students who really love that routine.

“Often, the boring jobs that nobody wants to do, they like it because they can focus on it. That was quite satisfying to realise that initial idea worked.”

Now, as part of their plans for expansion, staff at HS4LC have launched Engage 22. The project is designed to put the interests and aspirations of students at the heart of the services on offer, from the training they receive to the social activities they can attend.

The charity’s home on North Park Road has been offering classes for many years, but the calendar of events is still expanding. Gym memberships, swimming sessions and cinema trips are all adding to the variety of art, craft, music, dance and drama lessons.

Angie said:

“They really aspire to working. They can see their friends and peers doing similar stuff and living independently.”

Hadyn added:

“Our purpose is to overcome inequality and help people do what they want to with their lives.”

Proposal to close footpath in Burton Leonard

A public footpath in Burton Leonard is set to be closed after an application by North Yorkshire County Council.

The authority argues the path — which is adjacent to Burton Leonard Church of England Primary School — is not needed for public use.

The village is situated between Ripon and Harrogate.

The 118m stretch of path runs north-east from public footpath 15.18/12 at Dolly Walk to emerge next to the primary school’s western end, joining footpath 15.18/22.

If approved, the proposal would see public footpath 15.18/10 extinguished and the definitive map modified.

Comments about or objections to the proposed extinguishment order should be made by April 28 to Steve Metcalfe, North Yorkshire County Council, County Hall, Northallerton, North Yorkshire, DL7 8AD, stating the grounds for objection or support.

Plans submitted for redevelopment of Bewerley Park

Plans have been submitted to create a new, modern outdoor learning facility at Bewerley Park, near Pateley Bridge.

The proposals include two new accommodation blocks, a changing and wet suit drying room, and a central ‘hub’ space.

Each accommodation block would include 12 en-suite dormitories – seven with six beds and five with eight beds – and eight single rooms for staff.

The two-storey ‘hub’ would have space for lessons, dining, games and indoor sports, as well as a reception and kitchen facilities.

The new, larger buildings would be built in the same part of the site as the current smaller dormitories and would be centred around a courtyard. The project would be completed in phases, with the first accommodation block built before the old rooms are demolished.

The proposed new buildings at Bewerley Park

In a supporting statement, North Yorkshire County Council‘s agent, Align Property Partners, said:

“Simply, the design and layout of the current buildings do not meet the demands and function requirements of a modern outdoor education centre.

“The size and layout of the existing dormitories are inflexible in terms of varying occupancy and limit the potential use of the centre. For this reason, a new dormitory block is proposed in the first phase.”

As well as catering for schools and other groups, the plan references including facilities for campers, with a shower and toilet block. This, it says, forms part of the business plan: NYCC has emphasised the need for Bewerley Park to be sustainable without relying on funding from the taxpayer.

The residential centre had faced an uncertain future last year when owners North Yorkshire County Council said it was running at significant loss and its accommodation was not up to scratch.

However, after extensive support from schools and individuals, the county council decided to invest in the site for future use.

Full details of the planning application can be found here. Harrogate Borough Council will make a decision about the proposal on a date to be confirmed.

Woodfield leaders ‘listening to parents’ before deciding school’s future

Parents at a Harrogate primary school facing an uncertain future have spent the day meeting with governors and the headteacher.

Woodfield Community Primary School opened its doors for parents to ask questions after a planned merger with Grove Road Community Primary School fell through.

The proposal had been put forward after Woodfield was placed in special measures by Ofsted two years ago. Governors had been unable to find a multi-academy trust to join, as required by Ofsted, and an announcement was made yesterday that the planned merger had also fallen through.

Cllr Paul Haslam, who has been a governor at the school since early 2019, told the Stray Ferret:

“It is bitterly disappointing. The school has got the best teaching it has had for many years.

“The calibre of the teaching and learning of the children can’t be faulted, in my opinion.

“I believe it’s more to do with Grove Road feeling they don’t have the resources in order to accomplish what the amalgamation set out to do, rather than anything else. We’ve all got the children’s interests at heart.

“We’re listening to parents rather than telling them what to do. It’s about having an ear.

“Let’s get through this stage and understand what this stage is; listening to parents and their concerns will help us formulate what we do in the future.

“We will come to a conclusion based on what parents tell us and what all parties believe is right.”

Cllr Haslam said the governors had written to all parents about amalgamation being dropped before the news was announced publicly.

“We view this as a very urgent situation that needs to be dealt with as quickly as possible. We will be doing everything we can in order to expedite and get information for people.

“We’re challenged with the Easter holidays – the governors were 200% behind the fact we had to offer to sit with the parents today.

“We didn’t want them to go away worrying about this. Obviously, they will worry, but we are giving them an opportunity to talk about this.”

After the merger proposal was initially announced, North Yorkshire County Council and leaders from both schools held two online public meetings in January for parents to ask questions.

Asked what would happen if the planned amalgamation fell through, Andrew Dixon, strategic planning manager for NYCC, said they “would have to consult on a school closure”.

However, Cllr Haslam said today that he wanted to reassure parents:

“Until further notice, the school continues to operate exactly as it is. That’s the legal obligation of NYCC – we have to operate the school as is.

“The first and most important thing is that the children are the centre and the core of everything that we as governors do. That’s our utmost consideration at all times.”

Woodfield was rated ‘Inadequate’ by Ofsted in March 2020, but monitoring visits by inspectors have since found that improvements are being made.

They particularly praised the efforts made by the school’s new leaders and governors to identify the work needed to improve and how they can be evaluated.

Harrogate returns to list of UK’s best places to live

The Sunday Times has identified Harrogate as one of the best places to live in the UK.

The newspaper’s annual Best Places to Live list, published today, names the town as one of nine places in the north and north-east of England, and 70 nationally, which are among the most desirable.

Judges cited the town’s schools, parks, shops, cafes and restaurants as among its attractions, describing it as “all the fun and fresh air of Yorkshire without any of the gritty bits”.

They listed an average house price of £390,000, which they said had risen by 20% in the last two years.

The Times and Sunday Times property editor Helen Davies, one of the list’s judges, said:

“The Sunday Times Best Places to Live list is necessarily subjective. Leave it just to statistics and you will never capture the spirit of a place.

“For that, you need to visit to take into account that ‘you have to be here’ feeling. Is the pub dog-friendly, for example? Can you live car-free? What are the schools and houses like? Is it multicultural and multigenerational, and can it offer a good way of life to lots of different sorts of people?

“Ten years ago, when we launched the inaugural list, London’s gravitational pull was strong, the WFH [working-from-home] revolution had not yet reached our doorstep and high streets were stacked with chains. How times have changed — and how welcome that change is.”

Ilkley has topped the Sunday Times Best Places to Live list for 2022, though Slaithwaite in West Yorkshire was named as the best place to live in the north and north-east of England.

Also on the list for the region were Leeds City Centre, Cawthorne in South Yorkshire, Hovingham and Great Ayton in North Yorkshire, Tynemouth in Tyne and Wear, and Morpeth in Northumberland.

Harrogate last appeared on the list in 2016. In 2020, Ripon was featured, while last year Masham was singled out as one of the top places to live.

Property website Rightmove has frequently listed Harrogate as one of the happiest places to live in the UK.

More dubiously, a BBC Two programme named it as the country’s “porn capital” in 2010, with more people browsing for explicit content than anywhere else. Three years earlier, it was identified as the second-worst place for problematic drinking in a study conducted by the North West Health Observatory at the Centre for Public Health.

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