Bewerley Park Outdoor Learning Centre faces an uncertain future because of the impact of covid and the need for significant investment in its facilities.
North Yorkshire County Council’s executive is due to meet next week to decide whether to mothball the site in the short-term, as it is not currently in use.
The long-term future of the site is also under consideration, with staff posts likely to be lost and no certainty of reopening after the coronavirus crisis.
Amanda Newbould, assistant director of education and skills at NYCC, has written a report recommending a review of the site’s viability. The report said:
“The Bewerley Park site requires significant investment to maintain and improve the facilities; there is a capital maintenance backlog and the design and layout of the current buildings do not meet the demands and function required by a modern outdoor education centre.
“A strategic review of the service was planned in early 2020 but was put on hold due to the pandemic.”
As a result, the Nidderdale site – which last year celebrated its 80th anniversary – has seen its income fall dramatically from around £2.25 million, with a deficit of just under £80,000 in 2019-20.
This year, its forecast deficit is almost £1m.
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NYCC’s other residential site, East Barnby near Whitby, is also set to be mothballed and have its future reviewed.
Most of the 42 outdoor learning service staff across the two sites have been furloughed, with five redeployed to local covid response services until the end of March. A number of short-term contracts and traineeships have not been renewed.
Even when residential visits are allowed, the report says it is likely to take some time before schools are on site again to generate income:
“The effect of the current public health and economic situation and their impact on schools and parents’ willingness to commit to residential learning experiences is not yet understood.
“The prospect of sufficient confirmed bookings of residential visits with numbers to produce a viable income for the service to balance its budget is unlikely to improve in the next financial year.
“When residential visits are permitted it is likely that risk mitigation measures will lead to much smaller sized cohorts accessing the residential centres at any time and this will significantly affect levels of income.”
Bewerley Park requires significant sums spending on it to meet modern educational needs. Photo: North Yorkshire Outdoor Learning Service.
The planned long-term review will look at the overall need for outdoor education across the county and how this can best be provided. Among the options being considered are partnerships with voluntary and community organisations.
The report proposes mothballing Bewerley Park at the end of the financial year, at a cost of £36,000. This would include ‘winterising’ and draining down services and installing CCTV, with a £20,000 budget to the council’s property services department to keep the site secure.
Consultation on job losses
Some of the staff could be redeployed to other departments depending on need, and the report recommends doing this as soon as possible.
Once the long-term review is complete, a consultation would have to be held about the number of staff retained to work at the two sites in future. The estimated cost of making staff redundant would be just over £200,000.
The report said the earliest the posts could be lost was the end of August this year, following the required consultation and notice period. A “small number” of staff also have tenancies at Bewerley Park linked to their employment, requiring notice to be given for them to move out.
Impact on education
The report also recognises the implications for children’s education. In 2019, 133 schools from across North Yorkshire visited one of the two venues, along with some from outside the county.
Last autumn, a survey indicated 97 North Yorkshire schools were planning to visit again, but covid restrictions have prevented any from doing so. However, the report also says that all the schools planning a visit “said they would consider an alternative delivery model if the residential element were not possible”.
Cllr Graham Spooner, chairman of Bewerley Parish Council, said he was unaware of the proposals until contacted by the Stray Ferret, but was concerned about the impact on the community and the region’s school children.
Council chairman rolls up sleeve for covid vaccine“If it was going to close, it would be a loss for employment within the area. And a lot of kids from all over Yorkshire come here and would miss it.”
The chairman of North Yorkshire County Council has urged people to follow his example and get the covid vaccination when it is offered.
Cllr Jim Clark, who lives in Harrogate and represents Harrogate Harlow division, received his vaccination at the Great Yorkshire Showground.
He said:
“It is a very efficient operation, despite challenges posed by the weather, and everybody who attended for their jab at the same time as me was very pleased with the service from the NHS and the many volunteers on hand and ready to help.
“We have all come to value the work of the NHS more than ever during this pandemic and the staff working on the frontline in very challenging circumstances and the best way we can show our continuing support is by taking up the offer of the vaccination.
“This is the biggest contribution we can all make, along with following social distancing and hand hygiene rules, to reducing the pressure on our hospitals and to saving lives.”
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Cllr Clark, who is 73, recalls being vaccinated for the first time when the NHS was formed after the Second World War. Since then, he has been inoculated for serious illnesses including mumps and diptheria, as well as taking up his flu vaccine each winter.
He was vaccinated by Dr Ian Dilley, a GP partner at East Parade Surgery in Harrogate and clinical director of the Mowbray Square Primary Care Network. Dr Dilley said:
Crown court trial for Bishop Monkton man accused of attacking police“The vaccine rollout is going extremely well and it is great to see so many people enthusiastic to have their vaccination. All the staff have worked very hard to ensure our systems are smooth and well organised and we hope all our patients experience a process that is safe, reassuring and friendly.
“The combined effort across primary care, the incredible voluntary sector, NHS North Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and many other organisations has resulted in a service the whole county should be proud of.”
A man from Bishop Monkton charged with a string of offences against police officers and property faces trial at crown court.
Kevan Michael McGrail, 54, of Hungate Lane, appeared before York Magistrates’ Court on Friday to face 12 charges.
They included four counts of assaulting people by beating them, including three police officers, three counts of making threats to kill police officers, and two counts of damaging police vehicles.
He was also charged with damaging another vehicle, possession of a claw hammer, and possession of cannabis. The offences are alleged to have taken place at Harrogate Police Station and in Settle on October 25 last year.
McGrail will face trial at Bradford Crown Court on a date to be set. In the meantime, he was made subject to a curfew with electronic monitoring, requiring him to be at his home address from 7pm to 7am each day.
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Gritting and plouging services across the Harrogate district will be taken over by a new organisation from next winter.
NY Highways Ltd, a company set up and run by North Yorkshire County Council, is set to begin operations this summer and will be running gritting services from then on.
In recent years, highways services including gritting have been sub-contracted to Ringway, with a contract value of £40 million. Instead, by next winter NYCC will directly control the work through its new local authority trading company or ‘Teckal’, with a revenue budget of £20m, a capital budget of £35m, and an expected turnover of £60m.
Cllr Don Mackenzie, NYCC executive member for access, said:
“Having our own company gives us greater control and flexibility over our highways service delivery, while removing the contractual constraints that exist with the current arrangements.
“Through more direct accountability for the works on the ground we aim to deliver a ‘right first time’ service with the customer continuing to be at the heart of everything that we do.
“A very large proportion of the highways team live in North Yorkshire, they are passionate about their communities and take pride in delivering services which are used by their own friends and families. We believe the new company will ensure that we get the maximum benefit from that local pride and passion.”
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The news has been welcomed by Pateley Bridge Town Council, which has issued a letter about the arrangements for winter gritting and ploughing after residents raised concerns.
The Mayor of Pateley Bridge, Cllr Mike Holt, explained NYCC’s role and priorities in bad weather, and said he hoped the changes over the summer would bring improvements by next winter.
New snow warning issued for Harrogate district“At the moment NYCC subcontract all this work and much more to outside contractors but later this year, after many years they are bringing these services back in house.
“This should mean a more efficient cost-effective service and also through local knowledge, potentially a different set of priorities, concentrating on the worse affected areas instead of just following a scheduled programme.
“Certainly when the changes occur, you can be assured that Pateley Bridge Town Council will be monitoring the situation.”
Residents across the district are bracing for another spell of wintry weather, with warnings in place for snow and ice in North Yorkshire until the middle of next week.
The Met Office has today issued new yellow weather warnings for snow and ice from first thing on Monday until Wednesday lunchtime.
It had already issued warnings of snow and ice from Saturday afternoon until Monday night, saying there may be disruption to travel and icy patches on pavements.
However, the Harrogate district looks set to escape the worst of the conditions, with amber warnings having been issued for the south-east of England and parts of Scotland. In North Yorkshire, snow showers are expected from Saturday evening until Monday afternoon, with the forecast currently showing significant breaks between them.
However, the weather is expected to remain cold for at least another week, with more snow forecast for the district from Thursday onwards.
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Meanwhile, Pateley Bridge Town Council has issued a reminder to residents about gritting and ploughing in the area after a number of queries were raised during bad weather over recent weeks.
Chairman Mike Holt said roads were gritted on a priority basis by North Yorkshire County Council, with tier one roads such as bus routes treated first, followed by tier two, including the B6165 from Ripley to Pateley Bridge. He said:
“Once these roads are clear the third tier is tackled. These are the minor roads and side streets that make up the remainder of the road network.
“Bearing in mind that the county has over 5000 miles of roads I do believe it is understandable that more often than not, the snow clears before they can get to tier three, or sometimes even the second tier.
“NYCC also employ local sub-contractors to plough and grit their local area. Unfortunately this costs extra money which NYCC does not have, so this facility is not used as often as it possibly should be.
“I am led to believe that the grit bins are each allocated two refills per season. Extra refills can be arranged but at a considerable cost and of course when the weather is poor, it is impossible to say when those top-ups might occur.”
If the snow causes disruption over the coming days, the Stray Ferret will provide live updates about road conditions, school closures and more. Keep checking our website and social media for the latest news.
Gross misconduct hearing for Harrogate crash detectiveA police officer found guilty of causing serious injury by dangerous driving in Harrogate is set to face a gross misconduct inquiry.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said it has recommended the inquiry into Detective Constable Quita Passmore after investigating the collision.
North Yorkshire Police had already said an internal investigation would be held, but the IOPC today confirmed its recommendation for a gross misconduct inquiry had been accepted by the force. The organisation had passed its findings to the Crown Prosecution Service, saying DC Passmore had driven through a red light at high speed without stopping, colliding with another car.
IOPC Regional Director Miranda Biddle said:
“We recognise that police officers undertake a difficult role within our communities however it is necessary that when undertaking their role they follow the policies, procedures and guidance set by their forces. On this occasion our investigation found that DC Passmore drove dangerously when responding to an emergency call which resulted in two members of the public receiving serious injuries.
“The two women and their families have understandably suffered a great deal of stress and anxiety since the incident and we hope that [this] verdict offers them a degree of closure.
“We believe that DC Passmore has a case to answer for gross misconduct. North Yorkshire Police have accepted our recommendation and a hearing will be scheduled by them in due course.”
DC Passmore was this week handed a 10-month jail sentence suspended for two years after being found guilty at a trial at Bradford Crown Court. She was banned from driving for two years, after which she will have to take an enhanced driving test.
The court heard she was responding to an emergency call and driving through the junction of Otley Road and Cold Bath Road in May 2018. She hit a red Vauxhall Corsa, causing broken bones and a punctured lung to driver Patricia Bulmer and passenger Janet Roberton. DC Passmore was also injured.
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Police appeal after man punched and spat at in Ripon
Police are appealing for help to trace a man following an assault in Ripon.
A man was punched and spat at by another man on Bondgate in the city, on Friday, November 27 last year, around 2.30am.
North Yorkshire Police has now issued an appeal for witnesses and information to help with its investigation, saying:
“We are requesting the public’s assistance to help establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident and in particular we are appealing for anyone who can identify the man pictured as we believe he may have information which could help the investigation.”
Anyone with information should contact North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option two, and ask for Katie Bell. You can also email katarina.bell@northyorkshire.pnn.police.uk.
Alternatively, to report information anonymous, call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Quote the North Yorkshire Police reference number 12200211252.
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TV show to go behind the scenes at Swinton Park
An historic hotel near Masham will be featured on a national television series later this month.
Swinton Park, part of the Swinton Estate, will be on BBC Two’s Amazing Hotels: Life Beyond the Lobby, which looks behind the scenes at some of the world’s most extraordinary hotels.
In the second of three episodes, newspaper columnist and restaurant critic Giles Coren and international chef Monica Galetti will visit the Yorkshire Dales and work at Swinton Estate, the ancestral home of Lord and Lady Masham. As well as the 32-room castle hotel, it includes a cookery school, country club and spa, and the Swinton Bivouac, a tree lodge and glamping retreat.
Work is currently under way to transform the coach house into 10 further hotel rooms.
Seeing the once private estate now opened up for guests to enjoy, the presenters explore the challenges of bringing a historical home into the modern world. Proprietor Felicity Cunliffe-Lister said:
“We were thrilled to be included in this series, alongside some of the real grand dames of the hotel industry. We loved welcoming the film crew ‘back of house’ to meet our amazing staff and experience some of the unique activities available to our guests.”
The show is due to air on BBC Two on Thursday, February 18 at 9pm.
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Rise in fraud and stalking reports as North Yorkshire crime rates fall
Crime across North Yorkshire fell by 9% in the year to September 2020, according to the latest data.
Using statistics for crimes reported to police forces across the country, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said 42,879 crimes were reported in the county up to September 2020, compared to 47,368 up to September 2019.
Among the most significant falls were burglary, which fell by 30%, theft from person, which dropped by 49%, and shoplifting, which dropped by 28%. Reports of sexual offences also declined by 16%.
However, there were increases in the number of violent crimes reported, with stalking and harassment increasing by 19% year on year. Fraud and crimes relating to computer misuse rose by 32% compared to the previous year.
Drug offences rose by 13%, there was an 18% rise in reports of possession of offensive weapons, and an increase of 12% in public order offences.
North Yorkshire Police Deputy Chief Constable Phil Cain said:
“We believe stalking and harassment offences have continued to rise due to the fact victims have increased confidence in reporting it. The increase can also be attributed to the requirement to record multiple crimes where stalking and/or harassment has occurred, rather than simply one crime per incident.
“With drugs offences, the rise reflects our pro-active approach to dealing with drugs issues such as county lines. This issue causes a disproportionate amount of harm to local communities and increases the fear of crime – this is why county lines continues to remain a priority.
“My thanks go to the public for providing the community intelligence which enables this pro-active work to be carried out. This intelligence is key to us achieving these results.”
He said while the first lockdown had reduced many areas of crime, there was a significant rise in people being stopped by officers at some of the county’s beauty spots last summer. Taking increased enforcement action led to the number of public order offences being higher than the previous year.
Low crime rate
North Yorkshire remains one of the lowest-crime areas in the country, according to the new statistics, falling sixth behind of Cumbria, Warwickshire, Gloucestershire, Wiltshire and Dyfed-Powys. Taking into account population size, the crime rate for North Yorkshire is the lowest in England and Wales.
The county showed the lowest crime statistics for the whole of Yorkshire in almost every area. However, the number of bicycle thefts was higher than South Yorkshire in the year to September 2020, and the rate of cycle thefts when factoring in population size was higher than both South and West Yorkshire.
The rate of fraud and computer crime offences in the county was also higher than in any other area of Yorkshire when taking into account population size.
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Nationally, the latest statistics show overall crime has fallen in England and Wales compared to the previous year. Helen Ross from the Office for National Statistics Centre for Crime and Justice said:
“The coronavirus pandemic and related lockdown restrictions have resulted in fluctuations in the level of crime experienced in England and Wales. Data from the survey showed decreases in crime at the start of the pandemic, with rises seen over the summer months, specifically in theft, following the easing of lockdown measures, with overall crime now back at pre-lockdown levels of January to March 2020.”
Mr Cain added:
Stray Foodie recipes: A very tasty weed recipe!“The landscape of policing will endure change as we respond to the pandemic, however we will continue to place victims at the centre of everything we do.
“I want to take this opportunity to thank our committed workforce who do their very best every day to keep our communities safe. Equally I want to thank the public of North Yorkshire and the City of York for their support during this incredibly challenging time for us all.”
Stray Foodie Lockdown Recipes are written by Michelin-starred chef, Frances Atkins. In 1997, Frances opened the Yorke Arms near Pateley Bridge, where she was the owner for 20 years. During her ownership, she held her Michelin-star status for 16 of those years.
“I’ll be bringing you some of my favourite recipes each week. I’d love to see how you make the recipes your own – let me know by using #StrayFoodie or tagging @thestrayferret in your social media posts.”
Alexander is a weed with a terrific flavour but beware, when foraging for it, not to mix it up with similar weeds. You find it growing from February to June and the young stems have a unique flavour experience. In the Spring they are the biggest and boldest plants in the hedgerow.They are a type of ancient cultivated food that the Romans brought to Britain, hence it is known as a Mediterranean plant. It appears in hedgerows, woodlands and along road sides and the stems are similar to celery and has yellow or green bell flowers. Every part is edible including the stems and leaves.
Having said that, in these times if you don’t have the access to look for this lovely weed the taste is similar to celery leaf which I often use with the zest of a lemon. We love the flavour of spelt cooked without seasoning and chopped Alexander put through it. This marriage produces a very spring like flavour. Roasting cabbage in a herb pesto or making a stuffing to include spelt and alexander, again is something different.
Alexander, cabbage, spelt and pesto
While some of us have more time on our hands at the moment, experiments in the kitchen for a special dinner can be creatively satisfying and good fun. In my photograph this week you will see my dish of Green Pasta, Stuffed Cabbage, Wild Mushrooms & Crusted Brill. This dish I have chosen to demonstrate what you can do with Alexander or another herb that you might be particularly fond of.
To start with:
Green Pesto: Put your herbs and leaf into your blender and choose a good olive oil blending approx. the same quantity of oil to herb. You can then season taste popping in a little cider vinegar to produce acidity. Correct the seasoning.
The Green Pasta: The green pasta can be made adding the green oil from the pesto to replace the oil in your favourite recipe.
Frances’s Alexander and Green Pasta
The Stuffed Cabbage: Remove the outer leaves of the cabbage, trim the core, plunge into salted water and cook for a couple of minutes until the leaf is soft, not overcooked. Dry on a paper towel. Chop a shallot, mushroom, cooked spelt and a handful of chopped alexander. Cook in a little olive oil. Mix together and place on the cabbage leaf. Roll together and tie with some string making a parcel. Roast in the oven with a little olive oil. Or quarter your cabbage, spread over with alexander pesto and roast both versions in the oven for 8 – 10 minutes until soft but still has a crunch at 180c – 200c.
Wild Mushrooms:Not always readily available. If this is the case Shitake Mushrooms sliced and sauteed off add a great flavour dimension.
Crusted Brill: For the crust, fry a handful of breadcrumbs in a knob of butter or oil with grated lemon zest until crispy. Add a teaspoon of chopped alexander through it. Place on top of your cooked, seasoned fish.
As in my picture, this can all be brought together with a fine, plain tomato sauce.
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