Harrogate Borough Council awarded a Somerset company a contract worth £2 million to develop plans to build a new Knaresborough leisure centre and refurbish Harrogate Hydro.

Alliance Leisure was formally chosen for the contract in November last year and appointed development manager for the £26 million projects.

The Stray Ferret asked the authority the value of the contract, which was awarded without competitive tender, but did not receive a response.

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Now, details on a local authority contract register have revealed that the contract is worth £2,107,161 and will last for 11 months.

The value is broken down into £873,783.50 for the Harrogate Hydro and £1,233,377.50 for the new Knaresborough leisure centre site.

Jim Anderson, who runs Ripon recycling firm K A Anderson, told the Stray Ferret in November he was “utterly dismayed” that the authority had given the contract to the Somerset firm.

He said:

“You see plenty of business struggling in Harrogate now.

“I just think there are lots of good local firms that could do the work. I think whatever the work, it should be given to them especially now.”

Council bosses plan to build the new Knaresborough centre on the existing leisure centre site.

The authority has started to draw up designs for the new facility after a consultation revealed that 80% of respondents supported the site.

But residents criticised the consultation and have since launched a campaign to save a local playing field next to the development from being built on.

Police have appealed for information after champagne and spirits worth more than £800 were stolen from a supermarket in Harrogate.

The theft took place at Morrisons on Hookstone Road in Starbeck at about 10.30am on Thursday April 22.

Officers have released CCTV footage of two men they would like to speak to. They believe the men “hold information which would be of assistance to the investigation”.

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A spokesperson for North Yorkshire Police said:

“While it’s recognised that the men in the images are wearing face masks, officers are appealing to anyone who may recognise them by their hair or clothing to get in touch.”

Anyone who has information can call the police on 101 and quote reference 12210103291.

If you wish to remain anonymous, you can pass information to Crimestoppers by calling 0800 555 111.

A brass band will give a free live performance tonight on the Stray in Harrogate from 7pm.

Harrogate Band will play hymns and gentle music alongside the In Memoriam artwork that was installed last week on West Park Stray as a memorial to NHS workers who have died due to covid.

In Memoriam, which is the first of a series of art installations organised by Harrogate International Festivals this summer, will be available to see until June 7.

Harrogate International Festivals organised tonight’s live music.

Harrogate Band consists of 25-30 members and has been performing for 51 years.

Band chairman Ed Dennis said;

“The band are delighted to be back performing after 14 months of not seeing each other of being able to make music together.

“We’re so pleased to be working with Harrogate International Festivals once again on this very special project.”

Catch them tonight in front of the memorial on the Stray from 7pm to 7:40pm.

A Harrogate ice cream van’s Mr Whippy cones have been judged the best in Britain.

John Taylor, whose family has been selling ice cream since 1889, is parked outside the Victoria Shopping Centre most days from March to September.

After a desperate few months of lockdowns and cold weather, business is now booming thanks to soaring temperatures and recognition at the National Ice Cream Competition 2021, which is run by the Ice Cream Alliance, the sector’s UK trade association.

C and M Ices, which Mr Taylor runs with his step-cousin Chris Walker, was awarded the gold medal for its Mr Whippy ice cream. It is the most prestigious ice cream competition in the country and has been running for 76 years.

Harrogate born and bred Mr Taylor, who is his family’s fourth generation ice cream seller, said:

“I am not often lost for words but the moment it was announced I was literally speechless.

“As an ice cream van operator you can’t get a much more prestigious award, and it proves to everyone we put quality products as a core part of our trading.”

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The last time Mr Taylor’s family won the award was in 1979, the year he was born. Back then vans manufactured their own Mr Whippy ice cream; now it is judged on qualities such as flavour, appearance and texture. The amount of air is one of the crucial factors, Mr Taylor explained.

The championships are normally held at the Ice Cream and Artisan Food Show in Harrogate but it was cancelled due to covid so the ICA organised a panel of judges to tase the entries at its head office.

Zelica Carr, chief executive of the ICA, said:

“Congratulations to John. There was very stiff competition in all the categories so to win gold is a very big achievement.”

According to the ICA, the pandemic cost ice cream parlours and ice cream vans £289million of income in 2020.

Mr Taylor said it had been a tough year and he was sad his uncle David McBretney, who also ran the business until he died in September, was not around to collect the award.

He added he hoped the current fine weather continued.

“Everyone thinks we are millionaires because we have had three days of hot weather but we have only got June, July, August and September until our season is over again.”

The return of Harrogate Christmas Market looks set to be popular with many visitors and traders already booked to attend.

Organisers have said 40 coach loads of visitors and 150 traders have booked for the four-day November extravaganza.

Last year’s market was cancelled due to covid but with lockdown restrictions due to be lifted on June 21, planning for this year is going ahead.

The event will take place at its usual location on Montpellier Hill and St Mary’s Walk from November 18 to 21.

Opening times will be 10-8pm on Thursday and Friday, 9.30-8pm on Saturday and 9.30-5.30pm on Sunday.

A newsletter sent today by market organisers Brian and Beryl Dunsby, and Steve Scarre, said:

“We have been taking applications since early March and have now accepted a total of 150 traders’ applications towards a maximum of 190 stalls – with many enquiries outstanding for a follow-up.

“We began inviting coach groups on May 2 and bookings have started to come in – now up to 40 coach loads.”

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The newsletter added that access to Montpellier Hill and Esplanade will be restricted during the build-up and for the four days of the market. St Mary’s Walk North will be closed from November 15 to 23.

Admission to the market, which is expected to include a funfair and Father Christmas and his reindeer as usual, is free.

The first meeting of the Christmas market supporters group will take place on June 23 at Harrogate’s White Hart Hotel.

Police were called late last night when a car crashed into a lamppost on Mayfield Grove in Harrogate and the driver and a passenger fled.

A resident woken by the commotion sent these images to the Stray Ferret and described hearing the driver and another man in the vehicle beg passers-by not to call the police before running off.

The driver had tried to reverse the car out of the hedge and grass verge after it hit the lamppost and spun out of control but were unable to do so.

The resident, who did not wish to be named, said he was in bed when he heard a loud bang followed by shouting. He added:

“I got up to have a look. A large crowd had gathered and I could hear voices saying ‘don’t call the police’. People were saying ‘why don’t you want us to call the police?’

“The two men then ran down the back roads and one deliberately smashed his phone on the floor. They both legged it.”

The resident said the police arrived 20 minutes later and removed the black VW Golf at about 12.30am this morning.

The lamppost was repaired by the morning.

The resident said Mayfield Grove was notorious for anti-social behaviour and cars with modified exhausts often drove along the road at excessive speeds.

A North Yorkshire Police spokesman said:

“Officers attended reports of a damage-only collision just after 11pm. The driver had left the vehicle, which was recovered by police and enquiries are ongoing.”

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Harrogate Borough Council has begun a review of the UCI Road World Championships, almost two years after the event was held.

Posted on the council’s website, the survey is open to residents and businesses and will run until June 16.

The authority says the purpose of the review is to build on “its successes and identifying any areas for improvement to inform the organisation of future events”.

The review will be conducted by the council’s overview and scrutiny committee, which is made up of elected councillors and aims to scrutinise council business.

The Stray Ferret asked the council why it was holding the survey and what the process was for the review.

A spokesperson for the council said:

“The overview and scrutiny commission has decided to look at the UCI Road World Championships with the aim of building on its successes and identifying any areas for improvement to help inform the organisation of future events.

“Following the consultation the task and finish group of the overview and scrutiny commission will produce a report.”

You can give your thoughts on the 2019 UCI World Cycling Championships by filling out the survey here.

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A controversial event

Hundreds of cyclists from 67 countries took part in the event over nine days in September 2019, with each day’s race finishing in Harrogate town centre.

It received a hostile reception from many local traders, who said they did not feel the benefits of the event coming to town, particularly as it led to many road closures that deterred people from coming into Harrogate.

But a council-commissioned report by Ernst and Young claimed the championships brought in an estimated £17.8 million boost to the district economy.

The UCI event was held on West Park Stray.

The event, which was cursed by rain, generated further controversy when it was revealed £130,000 of damage was caused to West Park Stray.

Seven months after the competition, the council brought in Lancashire firm Glendale Services to restore the Stray.

The authority gave the contract for the restoration works “under urgent circumstances”, a decision criticised by local companies at the time.

Yorkshire 2019, the organisers of the UCI, agreed to pay £35,500 to help restore the Stray.

Missing Harrogate teenager Lucy Morris has been found safe and well in Woking town centre, police said this morning.

North Yorkshire Police issued an appeal for information on the whereabouts of Lucy, 17, on Sunday.

It said she was believed to be in Leeds but this morning it said she had been located yesterday evening by Surrey Police.

A statement by North Yorkshire Police added:

“We thank everyone who has supported the appeal. We are very grateful for your help.”

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The £1million replacement of Harrogate Theatre’s ageing roof is well underway in preparation for the hopeful return of live shows this year.

The huge scaffolding structure erected around the 120-year-old venue will remain in place until the roof replacement is complete.

The aim is for the roof to be fully stripped back next month in what will mark a crucial stage of the project. The true extent of the works is expected to be revealed beneath.

David Bown, chief executive of the theatre trust, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service the venue was planning for the worst but hoping for the best with its sights set on the return of shows in November.

“This is a huge and complex project in terms of the geography of the building, which is such a difficult site to work on.

“We also have the uncertainty of what we are going to find underneath once the roof is taken off. We just don’t know what will be there – it could be rotten beams.”

If the roof replacement stays on schedule, shows will return in November. This will mark 20 months since the theatre was last filled with spectators in March 2020.

The theatre’s survival has only been possible thanks to around £650,000 in emergency government grants and a fundraising appeal which raised more than £100,000.

There was also a need for the theatre to make 60% of its staff redundant in the wake of £4million losses from cancelled shows.

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Mr Bown said:

“The roof replacement project was due to start last year but when the pandemic hit we just couldn’t get the people power to make it happen. And even though we are in a period of uncertainty, it was still agreed that now was the best time to get it done.

“I can’t quite envisage what it will be like having audiences back – it has been an empty building for so long. But what I am looking forward to though is the return of our pantomime, that is the jewel in the crown of our shows.”

Harrogate Borough Council owns the Grade II-listed theatre and is funding and overseeing the roof replacement works.

The council’s deputy leader councillor, Graham Swift, said once completed the project will provide a theatre fit for the future.

“Like any heritage building of this age and complexity, there will always be a certain amount of conservation and investment required to ensure the building is fit for another 120 years.

“This significant investment will allow the fantastic performances to continue, promote cultural activity in the town, attract visitors and support the local economy at a time when it is needed the most.”

A Harrogate farm shop and bohemian-style cafe has applied for a licence to serve alcohol.

Harrogate Borough Council will decide whether to grant the licence for 53 Bo’Grove at a meeting next week.

The shop on Grove Road has applied to sell alcohol with meals on the premises from 9am until 5pm Monday and Tuesday, 9am until 8pm Wednesday to Saturday and 10am until 4pm on Sundays.

In its application, Bo’Grove said the premises would operate as a farm shop, cafe and bistro, not as a bar or “vertical drinking establishment” where people mostly stand up to drink.

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It added that any drinks purchased on site would only be allowed to be taken off premises in sealed containers.

Kyrensa Bentley, owner of 53 Bo’Grove, set up the cafe back in 2019 and later opened a farm shop on the site.

Bo’Grove Groceries subsequently opened on Commercial Street, Harrogate this year.

Kyrensa Bentley outside her shop on Commercial Street in Harrogate.

A report due before the licensing committee next week said North Yorkshire Police initially objected to the application, but later withdrew its concern after conditions for the licence were met.

Councillors on the committee will make a decision on June 8.