Hollywood director Oliver Stone to star in Harrogate Film Festival

A Hollywood director is to star in one of Harrogate Film Festival‘s headline events when it returns for a fifth year.

Oliver Stone directed the film JFK about the assassination of American president John F. Kennedy, which was nominated for eight Academy Award nominations, including best director.

The film will be screened online on April 23 and be followed by a question and answer with Mr Stone. It is the 30th anniversary of the political thriller’s release.

Festival director Adam Chandler said:

“We are beyond thrilled to be welcoming Oliver Stone to the Harrogate Film Festival. JFK is an amazing piece of cinema that set a high bar for the political thrillers that followed it.”

Organisers said this year’s events have been planned to ensure they’re in-line with covid restrictions.

Unlike the usual 10-day event, this year’s festival will be a series of mini festivals between April and September. It is hoped some of the later events will run face-to-face.

Mr Chandler said:

“Since our 2020 festival, a lot has happened in the world. We have planned the 2021 festival to allow for a fully online event, holding events in person, or a combination of the two.

“We really hope that by running a full schedule of events we can help bring some normality and joy to film fans. Whatever the situation at the time, all events will be streamed online.”

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The event with Mr Stone is part of the festival’s Independent Filmmakers competition. The four-day event offers a platform for up and coming filmmakers to show their work and attend workshops.

When restrictions ease in May, the JFK event and Independent Filmmakers will be re-run in cinemas in May.

Founded in 2017, the festival has welcomed numerous famous faces and says its aims are to captivate audiences with film education and interactive events.

Harrogate Convention Centre to reopen on June 26

Harrogate Convention Centre is set to re-open on 21 June when government guidelines permit.

Paula Lorimer, director of the centre, which has operated as a Nightingale hospital for the past year, said she was confident the venue would be ready to re-open by that date.

All restrictions on social distancing are due to be lifted on June 21.

Ms Lorimer said:

“Discussions with colleagues from the NHS about their plans for returning the Harrogate Convention Centre to us are on-going.

“However, we are confident that the venue will reopen from 21 June in-line with government restrictions ending.

“We have more than 30 confirmed events planned between June and next March, and a further 56 provisional events in the diary that we hope to confirm in due course.

“We also have more than 115 events confirmed and provisionally booked in the Royal Hall over the same period.”

The convention centre website currently lists events from May 6 in the ‘What’s On’ but says the dates are to be confirmed.

The first events listed after June 21 are Harrogate Proms on June 26 and Harrogate International Nursery Fair on June 27 to 29.

Ms Lorimer added that conferences, exhibitions and events had been “one of the most severely hit during the pandemic” but the industry would be back soon.

The loss-making convention centre is due to undergo a £47 million redevelopment amid concerns it will not survive without it.

Harrogate Borough Council has awarded Dutch firm Arcadis a £1.1 million contract to design plans for the first phase of the redevelopment.

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Dutch firm awarded £1.1m design contract for Harrogate Convention Centre

Harrogate Borough Council has awarded a £1.1m contract to Dutch firm Arcadis to design the first phase of the £47 million redevelopment of Harrogate Convention Centre.

The firm was appointed following a procurement process using YORconsult2, which helps local authorities find consultants.

Arcadis employs 28,000 people in 70 countries, including the UK.

The council has been criticised previously for not working with local firms, including when it appointed Ipswich firm Jacob Bailey last year to redevelop its tourism website Visit Harrogate without a competitive tender process.

A council spokesman said:

“Arcadis will also work with a number of highly skilled, local and regional architects, engineers and specialists.”

The convention centre, which is due to return to council control next month after operating as a Nightingale hospital for a year, usually attracts 157,000 visitors a year. The council estimates its annual economic impact to be £35m.

But although the venue brings significant income to the district, the building itself makes a loss and requires a subsidy.

According to council documents, the building is now in ‘critical need of investment’.

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The council has estimated that doing nothing would cost at least £19m in long-term maintenance.

It has therefore agreed to a £46.8m redevelopment delivered in two phases.

Arcadis will provide the design development and detailed feasibility of phase one, including an options appraisal into the district heating system. The council will then decide whether to proceed to phase two.

The council has also agreed to appoint a project manager for three years at a cost of £155,000, funded by borrowing.

Harrogate bars and cafes bid for pavement licences

Several Harrogate bars and cafes have applied to serve customers on pavements outside their venues when they re-open on April 12.

Gron Kafe, Hidden Bar Harrogate and Cold Bath Brewing Co have all applied to Harrogate Borough Council for pavement licences.

It is likely that many other businesses across the Harrogate district will apply before the outdoor reopening of hospitality venues next month.

Pavement licences will help venues compensate for some of the capacity they have lost by spacing out tables and chairs for social distancing.

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Harrogate Borough Council said the move will help encourage people back into town centres to support local businesses.

Jim Mossman, co-owner of the Cold Bath Brewing Co, told the Stray Ferret:

“We are just trying to grasp any opportunity we can. We want to come back from coronavirus stronger than ever.

“This pavement licence will mean we can put out four benches. It just gives us a bit of leeway to expand our space and serve customers in a safe way.”

The government introduced pavement licences last year but has made them easier and cheaper to apply for.

The licence fee is now capped at £100 with a consultation period of five working days.

One more covid death confirmed at Harrogate hospital

Another patient who had tested positive for coronavirus has died at Harrogate District Hospital, according to today’s figures from NHS England.

The death, which was registered yesterday, brings the total number of deaths at the hospital to 167 since the start of the pandemic.

Meanwhile, seven new cases of covid have been confirmed in the Harrogate district today by Public Health England.

The total number of confirmed cases in the district since the start of the outbreak now stands at 7,391.

The Harrogate district seven-day covid rate has fallen to 42 per 100,000 people. This is lower than the rate for England which is 60,

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Jewellery thieves strike in Jennyfields

Police have released a rather grainy image of two suspects they’d like to speak to after jewellery thieves broke into a Harrogate home.

The incident happened in the Norwich Drive area on Jennyfields between 5.30pm and 9.30pm on Wednesday.

The suspects broke the lock on the front door before stealing sentimental and valuable items, including wedding rings, necklaces, Gucci watches, a Givenchy bag and Dior Air Trainers.

North Yorkshire Police said today they would like to speak to the two people in the image, who were in the area at the time, and appealed for any information that could help to identify them.

Anyone with information can contact the force on 101. Select option two and ask for Elizabeth Estensen. You can also email elizabeth.estensen@northyorkshire.pnn.police.uk

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

Quote the North Yorkshire Police reference number 12210070785.

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Huge increase in Harrogate district allotment applications

Applications for allotments in the Harrogate district have gone up massively since 2018.

The increase is being attributed to lockdown tempting people with the promise of clear air and fresh vegetables grown from a patch of ground they can call their own.

Harrogate Borough Council owns and manages allotments at Claro Road and Pearl Street in Harrogate and Ferrensby in Knaresborough. The remaining 23 allotments in the district are run by parish councils or managed privately.

In 2018, Harrogate Borough Council received 12 requests for allotments at its Claro Road site, which is one of the biggest allotments in the district with 56 plots.

In 2020 there were 103 applications, an increase of over 750%.

The other two council-run sites saw a similar surge of interest. Pearl Street went from two applications in 2018 to 27 in 2020. Ferrensby saw an increase of six to 37 over the same period.

The council warns on its website that applicants could wait for up to five years, depending on which site they apply for.

Caroline Linford, who runs the website Sustainably Harrogate, has been on the waiting list for an allotment in Harrogate for two years. She would like her own plot so she can re-use food waste from her family’s dinner table.

“I love the idea of creating our own circular system where our food waste turns into nutritious compost that helps our vegetables grow. I intend to garden organically too so will avoid pesticides to help with local biodiversity.”

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The six allotments in Ripon are owned by Ripon City Council and leased to the Ripon Allotments Society.

Malcolm Hutchinson from the Ripon Allotments Society said there are now 76 people on the waiting list for a plot in Ripon, a significant increase over previous years.

He’s had an allotment since the 1970s and says they have become popular for people with more time on their hands due to lockdown.

He said:

“A lot of people are wanting to have a go at it. For most people, it’s something to do where they can potter away at their own pace.”

Harrogate helicopter company expands

A Harrogate helicopter company has acquired another firm in a deal that will give it access to markets in London and the south-east.

The Helicopter Company, which was established in 2008, provides private helicopter charter services.

Its acquisition of Hampshire-based Atlas Helicopters includes a medical evacuation contract for the Isle of Man TT and other motorcycle races on the island.

The Helicopter Company already has bases in Scotland and the East Midlands as well as North Yorkshire.

Jason Schofield bought the interests of the other shareholders in 2016.

McCormicks Solicitors, of Harrogate, advised on the acquisition. Sagars advised on corporate finance.

Mr Schofield said:

“We are very pleased to have acquired Atlas, which enables us to grow our business in the south of England.”

James Towler, head of corporate and commercial at McCormicks, said:

“We were delighted to work with the Schofield family, with whom we have a long relationship, and it is great to have secured this acquisition which will allow them to grow their business and target the market in and around London from Atlas’s base in the south of England.

The Helicopter Company offers private charter for business and leisure, as well as aircraft management and a helicopter purchase service.

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Food hall to open in Harrogate this summer

Harrogate will get its own food hall this summer, a concept which has become increasingly popular across the UK.

Solita FoodHall Harrogate will see see six different stalls, all under the Shoot The Bull brand, set up shop in the former Wagyu building on Parliament Street.

The food hall plans to open its roof terrace on April 12 and then open fully on May 17. From then it will be open in the morning until late at night.

However, once established the company has said it will be open to working with different street vendors.

Customers are then able to order a mixture of different cuisines including burgers, pizzas,  fish and chicken through an app on their phones.

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Chris Harrison, CEO of Shoot The Bull, told the Stray Ferret:

“There is so much that goes on in Harrogate and there is a big draw to the town so I jumped at the opportunity to open our first food hall here.

“Especially after the coronavirus lockdowns I think people will be desperate to meet up with friends over some food.

“Food halls tend to be quite popular with younger people but I think this will bring in quite a mixed demographic.”

Shoot The Bull already has restaurants in Manchester, Hull, York, Beverley and will soon have another in Sheffield.

HBC chief executive interview: The vision for Harrogate is very clear

On Friday the Stray Ferret interviewed Harrogate Borough Council chief executive Wallace Sampson OBE on a range of subjects including the covid pandemic, housing, the cost of HBC’s new offices and the future of Harrogate town centre.

It is the first time a senior figure at HBC has agreed to an interview with the Stray Ferret- all previous requests have been declined.  Over the next four days we will publish sections of the interview.

Today focuses on Harrogate town centre and whether the council’s proposed £50m investment into the Harrogate Convention Centre could be throwing good money after bad.

The vision for Harrogate town centre

Mr Sampson, what is your vision for the future of Harrogate town centre?

We need to look at what’s being happening generally with town centres around the country and I don’t think Harrogate is any different or immune to them. If you look at trends over the last few years, everybody would agree the impact of internet shopping is having a fundamental impact on retail and people’s shopping trends. It’s meaning fewer people are coming into our town centres.

If you look at the last 12 months, covid has shown that people want their town centres to be clean, successful, safe and accessible. They also want to see more use of public space and to do that in a very safe and responsible way.

Without a shadow of a doubt, there’s a need to look at how we can reshape our town centres to make them welcoming and where people can meet, visit and spend time. We need to use our open and public spaces in a much more accessible way than we have done before.

Some people have been critical of HBC’s vision and they see a different Harrogate from the one they once knew. They also might be critical of your leadership and role in putting this vision forward. Have you been clear enough and is it getting through to people?

I think the council has been very clear with its vision for the town centre. We’ve had a town centre masterplan that’s been in place for many years now. We’ve been through our economic recovery framework and are looking at ways we can support the town centre and infrastructure requirements.

But there will be significant jobs in retail that will be lost over the next few years. Without being complacent, there are still signs that the Harrogate district’s economy is reasonably resilient.

I did a comparison across the district looking at retail vacancy rates today compared with as far back as 2013. Across the district, our average retail vacancy rates are currently 7.3%. In 2013 it was 8.3%.

If you suggest retail in Harrogate is better than in 2013, why is there a perception that the town centre is declining?

There are fundamental structural changes that are taking place in retail behaviour and Harrogate isn’t immune to that. There’s also the point about high rents affecting the ability of businesses to retain a presence on the high street. That’s affecting small businesses and big strong brands.

The fact that big brands such as Debenhams and Topshop are closing isn’t a sign of a lack of confidence in Harrogate, it’s a sign that big businesses are going through a period of change and how to respond to issues such as internet shopping and their own costs, particular premises-related costs around rent and rates.

Tackling vacant space is something that should be market-led, but we can try and support it. That’s why we’re doing things like the Transforming Cities project that’s going out to consultation and the redevelopment of the Harrogate Convention Centre.

Those things are really, really important to supporting the vibrancy and resilience of our town centres. I say town centres plurally because quite often the conversation is about Harrogate but it’s important we talk about the district as a whole.

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The future of Harrogate Convention Centre

What makes you convinced that spending £50m on the Harrogate Convention Centre will revitalise Harrogate? The Stray Ferret reported the HCC has been losing money consistently over the last 10 years. Is this investment throwing good money after bad?

It’s important to understand how important the convention centre is to the economy of the town. We’ve obviously been affected by covid over the last 12 months but in a normal year the conventions centre attracts about 150,000 visitors a year and its economic impact is significant. We’re talking £30-£40m it brings to the economy a year.

If we understand and accept that the HCC is of fundamental importance to the economy of the town and district, do we do nothing or do we just do the minimum in terms of patching up what is very ageing infrastructure?

If we do the minimum, what does that mean for the ability to attract events to the convention centre? Is there a risk that this leads to a very slow decline? That is the question that ultimately councillors will have to consider.

We need to work up what a redeveloped HCC will look like. We’re just starting that work to get the designs up so we have very clear designs and feasibility. We’ll take a full economic impact report to understand the benefits if we were to redevelop the HCC.

We’ll bring it all back to councillors who can eventually make a decision. In short, do we do nothing or see a decline in infrastructure, or do we invest and show confidence in an ability to win business so that has a knock-on impact to all the businesses in the district.

But the world has changed and conferences might look completely different following covid. Is there a risk the council could spend a significant sum redeveloping the HCC which could turn out to be a huge mistake? 

Councillors make the final decision and that will probably be in about 12 months’ time. They’ll need to take into account assumptions about future opportunities for the business. We will need to reshape our targets to reflect those opportunities.

We also need to look at conferences as well as public events and corporate events.

We’re looking at ensuring how we can retain our exhibitions and ensuring things like entertainment and trade events are much more on a weekend rather than on a weekday. The conferences on weekdays really drive the strong economic impact.

Covid is driving changes of behaviour and whether people in the future will attend trade shows exhibitions. We’ll use all that over the next 12 months to feed into the business plan. That will ultimately drive the decision.

Tomorrow Mr Sampson responds to questions about the number of new homes being built in the district and the Local Development Plan.