Two teenagers have been arrested in connection with burglaries in Harrogate and Knaresborough.

The offences took place in Westbourne Avenue, Harrogate, on Tuesday, July 28, and in Park Avenue, Knaresborough, on August 3, both in the early hours of the morning.

In both cases, keys were taken from inside the homes and cars stolen from the driveway. A black Toyota Hilux taken from the Harrogate burglary has not yet been recovered.

A 17-year-old boy has been arrested in connection with both burglaries, along with a third which took place on Danum Road, York, overnight on August 3. The victims discovered the following morning that a handbag, wallet, two purses and bank cards had been stolen.

The boy has been remanded in custody and is due to appear in court in relation to a separate matter.

A 19-year-old man was also arrested in connection with the Knaresborough burglary and has been released on conditional bail.

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Police are still appealing for information, including CCTV, dash-cam or doorbell camera footage, to help with the investigation. Email dominic.holroyd@northyorkshire.pnn.police.uk or call North Yorkshire Police on 101.

Alternatively, to report information anonymously, call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Quote North Yorkshire Police reference numbers 12200128831 for the  Westbourne Avenue, Harrogate burglary, 12200132924 for the Park Avenue, Knaresborough burglary, and 12200133548 for the Danum Road, York burglary.

Train operator Northern ordered over 600 rail replacement bus journeys on the troubled Harrogate to Leeds and Leeds to Harrogate services in 2019.

Figures obtained by the Stray Ferret through a Freedom of Information request reveals the scale of disruption to commuters throughout last year, which Northern blamed on “significant” engineering work, poor weather and the UCI cycling event.

Engineering work is carried out by Network Rail who own and maintain the tracks.

In January 2020, the government stripped the Northern of its franchise due to years of poor performance. The government has operated the franchise since March 1.

According to research published earlier this year by the Sunday Times and ontimetrains.co.uk, the 7.13 am Harrogate to Leeds service was the most cancelled in the UK during the first three months of 2020.

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We also asked Northern for the number of rail replacement bus journeys between York and Harrogate — which was a fraction of the Harrogate to Leeds figure.

So far in 2020, there have been over 80 replacement bus journeys between Harrogate and Leeds, but train schedules have been reduced due to the coronavirus lockdown.

The full figures provided to us by Northern are below.

The number of rail replacement buses on each line. Figures provided by Northern.

A spokesperson for Northern told the Stray Ferret:

“During 2019 there was significant engineering work, carried out by Network Rail, on the Harrogate Line which meant it was necessary to provide much higher levels of rail replacement transport than usual.

“Northern also provided additional standby rail replacement road transport throughout the World Road Cycling Championships and during the prolonged periods of adverse weather which resulted in flooding on the railway and made certain parts of the route impassable.”

Harrogate International Festivals says its first ever virtual event was a success, with over 10,000 people tuning in from more than 60 different countries worldwide.

The HIF weekender had to adapt to an online format for the first time in its history. The festival saw people enjoying the event from countries such as Brazil, Japan, Australia and Canada.

The weekend began with the announcement of the winner of the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award. This year the award was given to Uber driver and barman Adrian McKinty for his book The Chain. 

McKinty’s book has since been published in 36 countries with its movie rights sold in a seven figure deal.

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• Adrian McKinty was “gobsmacked” when he won the prestigious award
• Harrogate theatre announces it will not reopen until 2021

This was followed by a line-up featuring internationally acclaimed musicians and best selling authors. The weekend also saw the world premiere of Eclipse, an exclusive new piece of music written by internationally renowned composer Dr David Lancaster.

In an interview with the Chief Executive of Harrogate International Festivals, Sharon Canavar told the Stray Ferret that the online event was a different experience. She said:

“We are an arts charity which delivers live events, so not having that in our arsenal was really strange for the organisation. What makes great events is the fact that people come together to share a live experience, not having that was very odd.”

The Theakston Old Peculiar Crime Writing Festival usually welcomes nearly 15,000 people to its three day event. Sharon said that it was important that the festival still took place. She said:

“The crime festival runs across three days so it is very different when you put an event like that online, but the reach and opportunity is much more. We wanted to make sure artists and our team were kept in work. We felt there was an element there that we wanted to keep people in work but also still offer the viewers a taste of Harrogate.”

Harrogate borough councillors have voted to spend £1 million on design costs ahead of a potential £47 million investment in the town’s convention centre.

A meeting of the full council approved the spend as part of a planned phased renovation of the nearly 40-year-old centre.

The money will be spent on feasibility studies and professional fees for design ahead of a two phased redevelopment of the venue. A report on the business case for potential investment will return to the council at a later date.

Most of the £1 million cost would be borrowed, though council officers said that no sources of funding have yet to be identified.

Meanwhile, a confidential cabinet report leaked to the Stray Ferret last week warned the centre “will not survive” unless councillors approved the project.

Read more:

• £60m or £35m: What is the value of Harrogate Convention Centre to the district?

• District businesses’ ‘dismay’ over plans for £46.8m convention centre upgrade

• HCC upgrade : ‘£46.8m is enough to regain a strong place in the market’

But some councillors from the surrounding district said the investment would not benefit their towns.

Paula Lorimer, director of the convention centre, said that it was important that the council “looked forward” and invested in the HCC.

She said:

“The district has had a taste of what it would be like without a convention centre

“Many businesses rely on us and many jobs will be created as part of the convention centre.”

Graham Swift, cabinet member for resources, said he understood that some people were concerned about coronavirus but added that the plan would consider the future.

He said:

“I know that some councillors have expressed some concern around that.

“But this business plan has made it clear that the future plans will be in consideration of that fact that the world will be in a different spot.”

But Cllr Pauline McHardy, independent Ripon councillor, told the full council meeting that areas outside of Harrogate will be “short changed” by the move.

She said:

“I think you can flower this up as much as you want, this is the first step to spending £47 million.

“There is going to be a large amount of money that the council tax payers are going to have to find.”

A Costa drive-thru will open tomorrow near Pannal with new coronavirus safety measures in place.

The coffee company had planned an earlier opening but the pandemic delayed construction works at the Leeds Road site.

It is a key commuting route into Harrogate from the south of the town.

Most of the work now appears to be complete from the outside with a few workers at the Costa drive-thru today putting in the finishing touches.

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A Costa Coffee spokesperson told the Stray Ferret:

“The safety of both our team members and customers are our number one priority and ahead of opening we have put in place enhanced safety measures and hygiene procedures that align with government guidelines. We look forward to being an active member of the local community and serving customers a perfectly handcrafted cup of coffee.”

Harrogate Borough Council approved the demolition of a petrol station and shops for the development despite concerns over traffic.

Costa Coffee is taking part in the Eat Out to Help Out scheme so will give a 50% discount on Mondays to Wednesdays throughout August.

This will be the third Costa Coffee in Harrogate with the other two in the town centre and in Starbeck.

A couple from Harrogate has become one of the first to get married post lockdown.

Hannah and Tim Laughlan were supposed to get married on June 6, but had their plans cancelled due to covid. Instead, the couple decided to have their wedding on July 4, the first day marriages were allowed again.

The couple had planned a big wedding with a church service and large reception in a hotel. However, when their special day finally came, the bride and groom had to settle for a much smaller event, with just 25 guests in attendance at Emmanuel Baptist Church in Horsforth.

Singing wasn’t allowed at the wedding and guests had to abide by social distancing rules throughout the day.

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Hannah told the Stray Ferret that despite it being different to what had been planned, the day was more intimate. She said:

“It was definitely different to what we had imagined, but it was really nice because we didn’t have to worry about as much. On the day I was so chilled out, I didn’t have to stress about things I probably would have done like seating arrangements and colour schemes.”

The couple made a collage of all their guests who couldn’t attend.

The couple live streamed their wedding from the church so guests could still join them for their special day. Even Hannah’s uncle got dressed up for the occasion and tuned in all the way from Australia.

In November, Hannah and Tim are hoping to celebrate their wedding again with those who couldn’t make it. They plan to go to church for a blessing and then have a bigger reception so that they can “do everything properly” when it is safe to do so.

Photography by Emily Green Photography, www.emily-Green-photography.co.uk.

Harrogate Borough Council swam against the tide in 2019 when it refused to declare a “Climate Emergency” — instead opting for a carbon reduction strategy that sets out how the authority aims to cut emissions over the next two decades.

But with the UK government saying a green-based recovery will be key to how we bounce back from Covid-19, the opposition Liberal Democrats are again putting pressure on HBC to make the pledge — but would it amount to anything meaningful?

What does declaring a “Climate Emergency” mean?

“Climate Emergency” was the Oxford English Dictionary word of last year and over two-thirds of all UK councils have now made the declaration.

It comes from the green movement created by Greta Thunberg and Extinction Rebellion and the pledge has been used as a line in the sand for organisations wanting to improve their environmental footprint.

It’s largely a symbolic gesture but councils have declared climate emergencies to drive environmental policy and give some green momentum to issues from housing, energy and education.

Climate emergencies have been declared across the political spectrum, including by 42 Conservative district authorities, but it has meant different things in different places.

For example, as part of the Conservative-led Gloucester City Council’s declaration, they aim to use 100% renewable energy across the council’s operations by 2030.

The Labour-led Warwick District Council included a pledge to build all new council homes to the UK Green Building Council definition net zero carbon buildings, which is housebuilding to the strictest environmental standards

Some councils including Bath and North Somerset, even have a cabinet member for climate emergency who has a specific brief to drive the agenda.

A political manoeuvre?

In 2019 the Liberal Democrats tabled a motion to HBC calling on them to declare a climate emergency, which was knocked back by Conservative council leader Richard Cooper.

As reported at the time by the BBC’s Local Democracy Service, he suggested the motion was a political manoeuvre.

He said:

“We shouldn’t actually be voting on whether there is a climate emergency or not. To have a vote is to say climate change is a matter of opinion – it is not, it is a fact.”

Instead, HBC set up what it boldly called the “most radical environmental manifesto put forward by a borough council ever”, including a carbon reduction strategy that aims to make Harrogate a net-zero carbon economy by 2038. This means Harrogate would balance the number of greenhouse gases emitted with the equivalent emissions that are offset.

Harrogate’s Climate Coalition was also created that brings together councillors as well as green groups and local businesses with the aim of working together in the name of sustainability and helping the environment.

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Progress so far

Last month, environmental campaigner Malcolm Margolis quit Harrogate’s Climate Coalition, citing a “lack of action” around sustainable travel.

ClientEarth, the environmental lawyers who beat the UK government in court over illegal levels of air pollution in 2015, say climate action at a local level can “transform” people’s quality of life.

But they warned councils they need to be bold and not wait for policy from central government.

ClientEarth climate lawyer Sam Hunter Jones said:

“There is a collective failure by local authorities across England to plan adequately for climate change. Too often climate change is perceived to be just a national or international issue and therefore solely the responsibility of central government.”

According to the local Liberal Democrats at Harrogate’s current rate of reducing CO2 emissions, it is way off reaching its 2038 target for net-zero and would struggle to achieve it by 2050.

Lib Dem Cllr Pat Marsh said she has written to Conservative cabinet member for sustainable transport, Cllr Phil Ireland, calling on HBC to declare a climate emergency and improve the way the Climate Change Coalition is run.

Cllr Marsh said:

“To effectively play our part in addressing this environmental crisis, it is imperative that we declare a Climate Emergency and commit to becoming net zero carbon by 2030 at the very latest.”

Caroline Linford set up the green group Sustainably Harrogate and told the Stray Ferret that it’s essential HBC makes the pledge.

She said:

“It’s essential that HBC understand the likely impact of the changing climate on the Harrogate district, as well as explore practical solutions which are available to them. I believe declaring a Climate Emergency would focus the council on this mission and help engage the wider public to take the action.”

A Harrogate Borough Council spokesperson said:

“As agreed by the council in the Notice of Motion last year, the council supports measures to address the climate emergency as outlined by the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

“Our carbon reduction strategy outlines an action plan for a number of priorities with an overall vision of having net-zero carbon emissions by 2038. Further information is available on our website.

“We have also launched the Harrogate District Climate Change Coalition, a group of businesses, public sector organisations and voluntary groups, which promotes and implements carbon reduction activities throughout the Harrogate district.”

North Yorkshire Police is growing increasingly concerned for the welfare of a 16 year-old girl from Harrogate who has been missing for three days.

Casey Ackerley has been missing since Sunday, August 2.

She is believed to have travelled to the Leeds area over the last few days and stayed in a number of hotels.

Casey has been described as white, approximately 5ft 6in tall and a slim build. She has very long, light, brown hair and was last seen wearing a salmon pink tracksuit and white trainers.

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• The police are warning Harrogate residents of a scammer impersonating a police officer over the phone.
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The police are appealing for anyone with information to call 101. Information of previous sightings can also be emailed to john.hobson@northyorkshire.pnn.police.uk.

To share information anonymously, call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 – quoting 12200132258 as the police reference number.

An Independent  Ripon councillor is urging fellow councillors representing outlying areas of the Harrogate district, to vote against plans for a £47m redevelopment of Harrogate’s conference and exhibition facilities.

Councillor Pauline McHardy claimed:

“If this gets the go-ahead, it will be a financial burden around the district’s neck for years to come.”

The three-times Mayor of Ripon added:

“I think it’s totally wrong for Harrogate Borough Council to even be considering spending money of this magnitude, while there are so many other things that need support in places such as Boroughbridge, Knaresborough, Pateley Bridge, Spofforth and here in this city.”

Councillor Pauline McHardy

Cllr McHardy said many areas require more council investment such as  social housing, particularly for the elderly, more town centre parking provision to accommodate the increase in cars brought by new housing developments and community bus services for those in rural areas who do not have alternative transport.

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She pointed out:

“We keep being told that the Harrogate Convention Centre brings economic benefit across the whole of the district, but I don’t see evidence of that and people I speak with here and in Knaresborough feel the same.

“It’s time for councillors of all political colours, particularly in the outlying areas, to think first about the people who elected them, before putting their hands up for more spending on the convention centre.”

The proposals for Harrogate Convention Centre were set out at a virtual extraordinary meeting of the Harrogate Borough Council cabinet last Wednesday, when centre director Paula Lorimer said:

“We need this redevelopment not only to drive more conferences, but for the district and the community. We run school events, remembrance events, entertainment, orchestras and community groups.

“We do a great deal to support the community and the revenue we provide goes back into the council. What comes into us ripples out into the district. We need a successful HCC.”

This evening, a virtual extraordinary meeting of the full Harrogate Borough Council will be held at which elected members from across the district will vote on the HCC spending plans.

A new bus service will set off from Harrogate to Leeds Bradford Airport from the end of this month.

The ‘Flyer’ bus from Transdev will replace the current 747 ‘Flying Tiger’ service from August 30.

An airport return ticket, valid for 28 days, will cost £8 for a single adult and it will cost £15 for a group. A 7-day ticket costs £24 and a 28-day ticket costs £77.

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People working at the airport will be able to get a 50% discount on their single, return tickets and weekly tickets for £10.

The Harrogate route will set off on an hourly basis from Harrogate bus station and will take roughly 30 minutes to get to the airport.

It will start at 5.45am from the bus station on weekdays. The last service from the airport sets off at 9.12pm.