‘Over the moon’ as sale completes on planned Harrogate mosque

A new mosque will be created in central Harrogate after the sale of the former Home Guard club completed today.

Harrogate Islamic Association has collected the keys for its new Tower Street premises after raising the £500,000 needed to buy the now-dilapidated building.

However, the hard work is not over: the group will continue to raise funds throughout Ramadan, which started today, to fund the renovations needed to bring the property back into use.

Zahed Amanullah, a member of the association, told the Stray Ferret:

“We are just over the moon — we’re so excited.

“Other communities in Yorkshire are looking this way and are really impressed with what they have seen.

“It’s a great example of how to establish a community within a wider society that is really harmonious and supportive.”

Mr Amanullah said Friday prayers for members of the association had been celebratory, with many having moved to Harrogate a decade or more ago and been searching for a place for a mosque ever since.

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Harrogate Borough Council granted planning permission in March for changes to the building to create a place of worship.

HIA then began a crowdfunding campaign to raise £200,000, alongside loans, to complete the purchase and to carry out repairs. Mr Amanullah said the first priority was to repair the roof and ensure the building was water-tight before any further work was carried out.

Zahed Amanullah of Harrogate Islamic Association

Then, he hopes some space can be refurbished and opened later this year while the remainder of the building is renovated. He added:

“There are some real architectural surprises in there – we’re looking forward to having a good look around. We had just one or two walks through the building in total darkness so far!

“We’ve had people offering in-kind support. That alone is hugely helpful — we’ve got tradesmen and women offering their services.

“We’ll be using an architect, and we’ll be working with Harrogate Civic Society on our plans.

“We’re looking forward to welcoming people into the building. We will have some sort of public open house when it’s safe to do so.”

Delight as Summerbridge school rated ‘Good’ by Ofsted

A Nidderdale primary school has been rated ‘Good’ by Ofsted.

Inspectors visited Summerbridge Community Primary School in February and have now given the ‘Good’ rating across all five areas assessed, as well as for its overall effectiveness.

They highlighted pupils’ behaviour and concentration, after-school clubs and residential trips, and the ambitious learning opportunities, as among the areas where the school performed well.

The inspectors’ report said:

“Leaders want the best for pupils at this small village school. The school has a caring ethos where pupils are taught to develop skills and knowledge to maximise their potential… Positive relationships between staff and pupils are evident throughout the school. Pupils feel safe, happy and well cared for.”

The report praised the school’s teaching across numerous subject areas, as well as the special educational needs and disabilities provision. It also recognised the leadership team’s effectiveness, and said staff were positive about their jobs and enjoyed working at the school. It added:

“Staff feel valued and say that leaders are considerate of their well-being.”

To improve further, the school was advised to offer staff the opportunity to refresh and update their knowledge of the method chosen to teach phonics, and to support subject leaders to ensure staff understood how best to deliver lessons that match the intended learning outcomes.

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Reacting to the new Ofsted report, headteacher Nick Coates said:

“I am delighted with the outcome following a four-year journey of hard work by everyone involved with the school.

“The parents, the governors, the staff, the local authority and of course the children have all had a significant part to play in the success of the school and given the challenges of the last two years, this hasn’t always been easy, but we are thrilled that all our hard work has paid off and has been recognised by the inspection team.”

At its last inspection in 2018, Summerbridge Primary School was rated as ‘Requires Improvement’.

Mr Coates became headteacher in September 2016. He has also been headteacher at Darley Primary School since January 2009 and the two schools have formed a federation, with a total of 160 pupils.

Dispute over Harrogate council by-election raised in House of Lords

A dispute over the decision not to hold a by-election in the Harrogate district has reached the House of Lords.

Following the death of Conservative Cllr Normal Waller at the end of January, Harrogate Borough Council has announced a by-election will not be held in Marston Moor.

The ward includes the villages Tockwith, Cattal and Bilton-in-Ainsty.

The council said a routine election was due to take place within six months of Cllr Waller’s death, meaning a by-election would not be needed.

Norman Waller

However, that election has since been cancelled, as all existing HBC councillors have had their terms extended by a year while the new North Yorkshire Council is set up.

Confirming the decision, the council said:

“As a matter of law when a casual vacancy arises within six months of the date for the ‘ordinary election’, then the casual vacancy is to be filled at the next ‘ordinary election’. For this reason, a notice of vacancy stating the election for Marston Moor would be on May 5 was published.

“However, local government reorganisation and the Structural Changes Order has changed this by cancelling the Harrogate Borough Council ordinary elections on May 5 and extending all serving Harrogate Borough Council members’ term of office until April 1, 2023 at which point Harrogate Borough Council will be dissolved as part of unitary re-organisation.

“Having taken legal advice and consulted with the Association of Electoral Administrators we cannot see any way forward for the election to fill the vacancy at Marston Moor ward.”

However, the decision has been criticised by former councillor Arnold Warneken, who was intending to stand for the Green Party in the by-election.

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Mr Warneken highlighted the inconsistency with Wathvale ward, where a by-election is set to be held on May 5 following the retirement of Cllr Bernard Bateman. He said:

“I’m not at all happy with the situation that Harrogate council have allowed the residents of Marston Moor ward to end up with, which is that as a result of the death of my friend and colleague, former district councillor Norman Waller, we would all expect there to be a by-election but for reasons beyond me this is not the case, and we will be without an elected representative for the next 13 months.”

House of Lords

Now, the issue has been raised by Baroness Natalie Bennett of Manor Castle in the House of Lords.

Baroness Bennett, a former leader of the Green Party, submitted a question to the government on Wednesday about its correspondence with HBC about holding a by-election in Marston Moor after the planned local elections were cancelled. The government has two weeks to provide a response.

Harrogate Borough Council yesterday reiterated that its decision about Marston Moor was made before the planned elections for the district were cancelled. The decision to hold a by-election in Wathvale was made after this date.

The by-election for Wathvale takes place on Thursday, May 5. It is the same day that voters across North Yorkshire will go to the polls to elect their representatives for the new county-wide unitary authority.

Over the next year, work will take place to set up North Yorkshire Council ready to take over from the existing county council and seven district councils, including Harrogate, next spring.

Free events at Harrogate’s Festival of Wellbeing

A day of free events in Harrogate will promote wellbeing to mark the beginning of Stress Awareness Month next weekend.

The Festival of Wellbeing on Saturday, April 2 will include pilates, yoga, barre, and nutrition sessions hosted by the company OneWellness at its studio on Mowbray Square.

It is the third time the festival has been held and aims to boost participants’ moods as well as increasing their energy levels through activities as part of a group.

Alasdair Everest-Ford, head of OneWellness, said:

‘’Lack of support can cause loneliness and isolation, lowering personal wellbeing and impacting people’s health.

“At OneWellness, we believe community support should continue during and beyond challenging times. A community is much more than just a group of people; it’s about connection, having fun, and feel supported and accepted.”

The day will also feature Rose Petal Tea Room from Knaresborough, Sweaty Betty, and The Body Shop. It will raise money for mental health charity Mind, including through donations as part of a series of fitness challenges.

For more information or to book a place on one of the sessions, click here.

Charity seeks volunteers to care for dogs in Harrogate district

A charity is seeking dog lovers to help look after pets across the Harrogate district.

The Cinnamon Trust matches walkers and foster carers to owners who are no longer able to care for their pets alone.

They may be elderly or undergoing medical treatment which prevents them from going out for walks each day. In some cases, the owner may be moving into a care home or facing the end of their life and looking for someone to look after their pet in the long term.

Mandy Scott, appeals coordinator at the trust, said:

“We need more volunteers in the Harrogate area. We’ve got seven volunteers already. There are three long-term foster pets, and across Yorkshire there are 114 pets with 795 volunteers.”

The charity, which was founded in 1985, matches each pet and owner with a team of volunteers. This means there is less pressure on a volunteer to walk a dog every day and there is always cover if anyone is unwell or goes on holiday.

Flexible arrangement

Volunteers can give as much or as little time as they are able, even down to a single half-hour or hour long walk each week, and Ms Scott said the trust recognises that people’s availability can change over time.

When an owner dies or moves into a care home and can’t take their pet, a long-term foster place is found among the volunteers. The trust keeps in touch with all foster carers and helps to coordinate any vet treatment required. Pets which are older and need more care can be rehomed at one of the charity’s two sanctuaries in the south-west, where they receive 24-hour care.

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Volunteer walkers range from teenagers completing their Duke of Edinburgh awards – with support from a parent – to people in their 80s who are still active. Each is checked via references from people who have known them over many years.

Ms Scott added:

“It’s about their experience, their empathy with the older generation, their experience with animals and how they will manage in a crisis. We ask them to complete a form and they can elaborate if they want to – you get a good feel for people that way.”

Once matched, owners are slowly introduced to volunteers, who use ID badges when meeting them in person to give reassurance that they are sent by the Cinnamon Trust. The process of finding the right volunteers after a request for help can be onerous, but Ms Scott said it is worth it to give someone peace of mind.

“It’s an absolute privilege to be able to say you’ve got that extra help, you can close the appeal. You talk to an owner and they say, ‘once I had spoken to you, I felt a weight lift off my shoulders’.

“We do what it says on the tin. We provide that extra help and reassurance.”

For more information about volunteering with The Cinnamon Trust, click here.

Work to begin on new boules court in Darley

A new boules court will be built in Darley next week to add to the growing community facilities.

The project is being organised by Darley Playing Fields Association, which already manages the nearby children’s play area and football pitch as well as leasing out the pavilion to farm shop Crimple Valley Fresh.

Using volunteers from nearby Menwith Hill and the Men’s Shed at Pateley Bridge, the group hopes most of the work will be completed next Friday, ready to open the new court in time for Easter.

Chairman Mark Simpson told the Stray Ferret:

“We only have a relatively small area and we wanted something different that’s not very common and would appeal to people of all ages.

“We know someone who has played boules in the past, and the landlord of the local pub is French, so we thought, ‘let’s see if there is interest’.”

A survey of villagers followed at the beginning of this year, with an impressive 99% of those who responded supporting the idea of a boules court on the Station Road site. The playing fields association then sought funding and materials from their contacts to bring the project together.

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As well as money from the National Lottery Community Fund, Darley and Menwith Parish Council has supported the work and will fund two benches by the courts to mark the Queen’s platinum jubilee. The project could cost up to £12,000 in total, though the committee is hoping to use its contacts to get discounted materials.

Once open, the court will be available to play on free of charge. With no other boules courts in Nidderdale, players could travel from around the area to enjoy the new facilities, which the playing fields association hopes will also bring more income to the shop in the pavilion.

Mr Simpson added:

“We’ll have sets of boules in the shop to rent. If people are keen and want to start a competition, we will happily facilitate that with hire of the court for a charge.

“If there’s interest, we could end up with people joining leagues too.”

Covid testing sites in Harrogate district to close next week

Covid testing sites across North Yorkshire, including on Tower Street in Harrogate and Ripon’s coach park, will be closed next week.

As free testing comes to an end from Friday, April 1, the last day for the testing sites to operate will be Wednesday, March 30, North Yorkshire County Council‘s Outbreak Management Advisory Board heard today.

Cllr Michael Harrison, the county council’s executive member for adult services and health integration, asked whether testing would still be made available for care homes and other key groups, such as schools, but was told an announcement on this had not been made yet. There was also no information about any free testing for care and education settings.

Public health consultant Victoria Turner said:

“I think it’s fair to say that is the one we are going to be looking at most closely. We are expecting care guidance coming out next week as well on this.

“From what was said in February we expect there to be some symptomatic testing remaining for care home staff but that’s about as detailed a picture as we get at the moment. Care homes are going to be the one area we still have a particular focus on from April 1.

“We are still seeing quite a lot of outbreaks in care settings, or rather whenever there’s a high degree of community transmission there’s an inevitability that that does affect care settings as well.

“We were hoping that we could have done some of that planning before April 1 but unfortunately the guidance just isn’t out yet.”

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The outbreak management advisory board, which was set up to recommend on the county’s covid response and communications, has also been stood down. It had been meeting monthly but members agreed there was little need to continue as national restrictions were removed.

However, the group said it will remain in abeyance, rather than being disbanded, so it can be brought back into action if required, such as with the emergence of a new variant.

Infection rate almost trebles this month

At present, cases are still rising, though at a slower rate than previously.

The Harrogate district’s infection rate, which was 343 per 100,000 people at the start of the month, is now at 923.

Hospitalisations are also rising at a slower rate, with 30 patients with covid currently being treated at Harrogate District Hospital.

Deaths among people who have tested positive for covid within the last 28 days remain steady, at an average of one each day across North Yorkshire.

Richard Webb, corporate director of health and adult services, said:

“Many of us are continuing to work on the impact of acute and long-term covid in many different ways.”

Meanwhile, covid vaccination centres are preparing to begin giving spring booster jabs to over-75s, and vulnerable children aged between five and 11 in the county are now being given their first doses.

Festival date marks new era for Harrogate thrash metal band

A thrash metal band founded by schoolmates in Harrogate more than 30 years ago is enjoying a renaissance in the digital era.

Acid Reign was set up in the mid-1980s by Howard ‘H’ Smith, Mark Ramsey Wharton, Garry Jennings and Ian Gangwer. 

All pupils at Granby High School, they would rehearse every Sunday at Calcutt Village Hall. Because of its remote location, their classmates rarely visited to listen in and the band didn’t develop much of a following. 

However, Howard said this allowed them to hone their craft – later joined by Kev Papworth and Adam Lehan – and ultimately led to them getting a record deal with Metallica’s former record label, Music For Nations, after sending out their second demo tape. 

Their first and only gig in Harrogate followed shortly after, at the Lounge Hall – now Wetherspoons on Parliament Street – before they went on to record two studio albums, touring the UK and Europe. 

Stand-up comedy

When the band members went their separate ways in 1991, Howard moved north to Newcastle and joined another band. He had an urge to try his hand at stand-up comedy and applied for a course in London. 

The morning after his new band broke up, Howard received a letter confirming he had a place on the six-week comedy course. However, after several years of success on bills with the likes of Al Murray, Catherine Tate and Jimmy Carr, he began to feel differently about the job. 

“I just wasn’t enjoying it. I failed to find my voice. I was getting lots of laughs and bookings, but I thought, ‘I wouldn’t pay to see me’.  

“Eventually I realised, despite the fact that it’s a cool job, if you aren’t happy, it doesn’t matter what job it is.” 

The next few years were spent writing, including for BBC Choice. Then, with the break-up of a long-term relationship, Howard returned to stand-up – and inspiration struck. 

“I was on a trip to France, in a beautiful patisserie. The three of us were going ‘look at that!’ at all the incredible, delicate creations.  

“I just put this voice on and said, ‘I bet they haven’t got any pasties, have they?’” 

A new comedy character, Keith Platt, Professional Yorkshireman, was born. A charity shop raid created his costume and, at his first gig, Howard even impressed comedy legend Frank Skinner. 

For the last 16 years, he has continued to perform as Keith, having finally found his comedy voice. Unexpectedly, the character brought him back into the metal scene: he performed stand-up at the Download festival in 2014, where he closed his set with a cover of Pantera’s Walk, complete with a plastic guitar to smash up. 

Reforming Acid Reign

There was talk of a reunion in 2015 to mark 25 years since their final album. However, now each had their own lives and commitments, the band members struggled to find time to rehearse and drifted apart again.  

Members of the original Acid Reign line-up, formed at Granby High School: Mark Wharton, Adam Lehan, Ian MacDonald, Howard Smith and Kev Papworth

Howard invited friends – all former fans – to join him for some rehearsals and soon realised he could bring Acid Reign back in a new form for a new era. 

Now made up of members from around the UK, the band put out a new album in 2019 and Howard said it was a completely different experience. 

“Originally, when you put something out, if the critics didn’t like it you had no real way of knowing what the fans thought. Now, because of social media, they tell us directly. It’s great – you feel much more connected to what they think and how your album is being received.” 

Covid put paid to hopes of a tour of South America, but Howard said the first festival they played last summer, Bloodstock, was an incredible experience. They are now lined up to play Dominion Festival in July and are looking forward to writing and recording their next album. 

The sudden death of original band member Ian Gangwer last year was “devastating” for Howard, bringing back memories of how close they all were in their teens and early 20s. However, he has taken comfort in seeing the impact he has on other people, whether they know Acid Reign from the early days or a new fans. 

“Nothing will ever touch that kind of feeling when people come up and stop me and say, ‘I just want to say thank you for doing this and making me feel 16 again’. My response is always, ‘thanks for coming and making me feel 16 again too’.”

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Consultation on bid to join bridleways in Harrogate’s Crimple Valley

A decade-long bid to join two bridleways on the rural edges of Harrogate could finally come to fruition this year. 

North Yorkshire County Council is consulting on a creation order, which would enable it to join up bridleways 61 and 129 in the Crimple Valley. 

The link between the two would be created via a stretch of former railway line on the Rudding Park estate, which its owners agreed could be designated a bridleway in 2014. 

Sue Rigby, who represents the Byways and Bridleways Trust and has been involved in the Opening Up Crimple Valley campaign from the outset, told the Stray Ferret: 

“The whole point of the Rights of Way Network is that it is a network and it makes sense. It’s a much-needed and historic route and it was there long before any of us. 

“Particularly for riders, they are extremely brave to use the roads around there. The riding school takes disabled children out too. To have somewhere for them to go rather than into the road is so important.” 

The current proposal, which would create a circular route, has been widely supported by walkers, horse riders and countryside organisations. However, it has been held up because of a piece of land, measuring just a couple of metres wide, which would be needed to create the final link. 

The owner has so far refused to give permission for the bridleway to cross the 2m stretch of land. People using bridleway 61 alongside the Crimple Viaduct continue to find the path comes to an abrupt halt before it joins the former railway. 

A map showing bridleways in the Crimple Valley

Bridleway 61 (blue) and bridleway 129 (orange) could be joined by a stretch of former railway line on the Rudding Park estate (green) despite objections over a short stretch of land (red).

Mark Mackaness, owner of the Rudding Park estate, who has worked with the council and local supporters to plan the bridleway link, expressed his frustration that the process had taken so long and was still not complete. 

“This is a tragic example of maladministration and waste of public funds over the eight years since the creation order was first made.” 

Ms Rigby said everyone involved was very grateful for Mr Mackaness and the Rudding Park estate’s generosity. Now, she hoped the struggles of the last decade could be set aside and the aim could finally be achieved.

“People lose faith in the system when things don’t work, especially with something as obvious as this. But we are now all positive and hopeful for the future.”

‘Long-standing issue’

Michael Leah, NYCC’s assistant director for travel, environmental and countryside, said: 

“We are currently carrying out a consultation to inform a decision on whether to make a creation order under s26 of the Highways Act 1980. 

“If made, the order would record a short length of bridleway to connect bridleway no 61, which runs under and alongside the Crimple Viaduct, with bridleway no 129, which runs along a section of old railway line and was dedicated as a public right of way by the Rudding Park Estate. 

“This has been a long-standing issue, and a decision will be made once all views have been considered as part of the consultation.” 

The consultation currently being held over the creation order closes on Tuesday, March 22. Anyone who wants to take part can email their views to NYCC’s definitive map officer Ron Allan at ron.allan@northyorks.gov.uk. 

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Masked thieves attempt to take cash machine from Harrogate shop

Four masked men broke into a Harrogate shop and attempted to remove a cash machine in the early hours of this morning.

The Co-op store at the junction of Skipton Road and Bilton Lane was targeted at around 2.35am.

The Stray Ferret reported the break-in this morning. Now North Yorkshire Police has released further details.

It said thieves broke through the front door and attempted to remove the ATM. When this failed, they stole cash from inside the shop.

Police were alerted by store security and sent officers to the scene, supported by a National Police Air Service helicopter.

Eyewitnesses said the men left in a small, dark car — possibly a Volkswagen Golf — and made off towards New Park roundabout. Despite attempts to trace the thieves, there were no further sightings of the car.

Now, detectives are appealing for more witnesses and CCTV footage to help their investigations. They have asked anyone living near the Co-op or along Skipton Road who has CCTV or a doorbell camera to check for footage of a small dark car leaving the area around that time. Drivers with dash cams are also asked to check their footage.

Anyone with information should call North Yorkshire Police on 101, selection option one and speak to the force control room, or email tom.baker@northyorkshire.police.uk, quoting reference 12220041651. Alternatively, call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

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