Diners will be able to get 50% off their bill from Mondays to Wednesdays at certain restaurants during August, but how do people in Harrogate feel about this?

This comes as the government announced its new scheme “Eat Out To Help Out” earlier today. The scheme aims to encourage more people to eat out at restaurants as lockdown measurers ease.

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The Stray Ferret asked the general public in Harrogate whether they will be running out to get their discounted meal.

There was a mix of emotion with some people more inclined to go out and others not.

Restaurants in the district had a mixed response to the Chancellor’s announcements today to help the hospitality sector. One restaurant owner said she was “very pleased” but others were cautious.

Rishi Sunak’s announcements included a 6 month reduction in VAT to 5%. The ‘eat out to help out’ scheme was also introduced to give diners a 50% discount on Monday and Wednesday in participating restaurants and cafes.

Restaurants were grateful for the additional help but wanted to see how the measures would be introduced. These announcements are hoped to encourage people to return to eating out.

Sarah Hinchliff, owner of Drum and Monkey restaurant in Harrogate said:

“I am very pleased with what has been announced. It’s increased my confidence. We are still going to be here but it’s been difficult, anything that helps to bring people back in is great. It’s been a difficult week but it’s bolstered how I am feeling it just going to take time for people to return. It will help us immensely.”

Nicole Mangan, general manager at Farmhouse restaurant Harrogate:

“The devil is in the detail, the reduction in VAT is fantastic. We expected that as a way to help businesses stay open. The discount is great but we’re closed Monday and Tuesday normally so it may be something we look at to see if we open. It could really help us on quieter days, £20 is essentially a main and dessert which could encourage people to come to us if they know they can get all of that for £10. We need to see more details before we get our hopes up I think.”

The Chancellor’s announcements are in an effort to encourage people to return to eating out.

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Margaret Ninness, owner of The Willow Restaurant in Pateley Bridge:

“I’ve recently changed my business to make it smaller so I no longer pay VAT, but for those still registered this would be fantastic. The ‘eat in’ scheme would be fine for me but if you’re waiting to get the money back with a tight budget it could be difficult. But I do think they’re doing their best and they are helping everyone.”

Harrogate was busy over the weekend as restaurants and pubs reopened for the first time in three months. Sandra Doherty, Chief Executive of Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce, said:

“The Chancellor’s statement will be welcomed by many businesses in Harrogate, in particular those in the hospitality sector. Whilst the cut in VAT for food, accommodation and attractions, coupled with the ‘Eat Out to Help Out’ scheme are only temporary, I’m sure they will make it more attractive for businesses in the hospitality sector to reopen their doors.”

No deaths of patients who tested positive for coronavirus have been recorded at Harrogate District Hospital today, according to NHS figures.

It means that the death toll at the hospital remains at 81.

Yesterday saw the first coronavirus death in 16 consecutive days at the hospital and care home deaths near 100 in Harrogate.

Meanwhile, a further 42 people who tested positive for covid-19 have died in England’s hospitals.

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Of that number, six were recorded in the North East and Yorkshire.

NHS England said the patients who died were aged between 22 and 100 years old and six, between the ages of 60 and 94, had no known underlying health conditions.

It means the national total number of deaths in hospitals has increased to 28,969.

A top Harrogate hotelier has said he hopes that a cut in VAT for the sector and a discount on sit down meals will help to generate demand.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced today that VAT for the sector will be cut by 15% for six months and a 50% discount for sit down meals from Monday to Wednesday for the whole of August.

The sector is worth a reported £200 million to Harrogate and employs around 9,500 people across the district.

Peter Banks, managing director of Rudding Park Hotel and Spa and chairman of Harrogate Hospitality and Tourism Association, said the measures were good news for the sector which has bore the brunt of lockdown.

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He said:

“It’s great news if it generates demand for us.

“The discount was very creative and I’m going to have to get my head around the announcement and come up with marketing strategies.

“So far the response has been very good to reopening our pub.”

The move comes as restaurants, bars and cafes reopened across the Harrogate District this past weekend after three months of lockdown.

The measures by Mr Sunak are the latest effort to get the sector, which saw 80% of businesses across the UK temporarily stop trading during lockdown, back up and running.

Local authorities in the Harrogate District have already moved to create more space outside bars and restaurants to increase capacity.

But industry owners have already warned that businesses will have to take advantage of the remaining summer months in order to survive a “tough winter” period.

Harrogate Borough Council leader, Richard Cooper, warned earlier this week that some businesses will not survive the impending economic downturn.

Harrogate Theatre has been on its knees in recent months but has welcomed a £395,000 grant from Arts Council England to help it survive until September.

The money is part of a £90 million fund separate to the government’s £1.5 billion arts rescue package – there are no details for that yet.

David Bown, Harrogate Theatre’s chief executive, told The Stray Ferret that he was “very grateful” for the money but he added that they still needed more support:

“This is a good amount of money and it will help us to survive to the end of September but we still need more support. We have had a fantastic response from Harrogate so far. We understand that a lot of businesses are struggling financially but we are important to the town’s economy.”

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So far more than 1,200 people have donated over £60,000 to keep Harrogate Theatre going. Donate by clicking or tapping here.

The theatre has been losing £1 million every three months since coronavirus forced it to close its doors.

Mr Bown also estimated Harrogate Theatre brings in around £25 million a year to Harrogate’s local economy which is leaving a “huge hole” the longer it remains closed.

Harrogate Theatre relies on the panto season which Mr Bown said they may have to cancel due to social distancing guidelines.

Harrogate and Knaresborough MP, Andrew Jones, has given a cautious welcome to assurances from Bauer Media over the future of Stray FM.

Mr Jones wrote to the owners of the local radio station following its decision to come off air and become Greatest Hits Radio.

Since then, more than 3,000 people have signed a petition set up by the local Liberal Democrats to save Stray FM with hundreds submitting stories of what the station means to them.

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• Andrew Jones MP writes to Bauer Media for assurance over the station he calls a “winning formula”.
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In response to Mr Jones, Dee Ford, group director of Bauer Radio, said:

“Our plan at this stage is to deliver local news much as it is currently delivered by Stray FM. 

In fact, we expect access to the size and scope of the wider Bauer news team will enable the local team to better cover major local stories and issues. 

“With respect to your question concerning the retention of a Harrogate-based news team, while we are yet to make any final decisions on specific staffing requirements, we expect to retain these roles.”

Ms Ford added that Greatest Hits Radio will still have locally based journalists and businesses will have “improved options” for targeting their advertising.

She said any money raised locally for its charity, Cash for Kids, would also go towards supporting local children.

Andrew Jones, MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough.

Mr Jones said he welcomed the assurances from Ms Ford, but added that the “devil will be in the detail”.

He said:

“This is positive movement on the issues local people have been raising and, frankly, a much more optimistic position than I expected we would be in.  Any new arrangements for our local radio have huge shoes to fill and it is good to hear that several key principles about keeping it local, supporting local organisations and prioritising local advertising are understood and will be kept.

“However, we now need to see what those principles will mean in reality; how they will manifest themselves in what we hear when we tune in.”

“So, alongside local businesses and our community, I want to meet with senior management at Bauer Media to hear exactly how the promised local news will be delivered, practical examples of the community support they expect to do and the kinds of packages they will offer to local advertisers.

“It would be great too if we could retain some sort of local branding so that, if we can confirm the news content and the community and business support, the station doesn’t feel like a one-size-fits all operation even when it is still very much grounded in the community.

“In conclusion, this is progress and I am pleased certain principles about being a locally-based community-grounded radio station are confirmed.  As ever, the devil will be in the detail and that is what we need to look at next.”

The last street in Harrogate will be partly pedestrianised this week. North Yorkshire County Council has said no further road closures are planned beyond that.

The authority has so far helped 11 businesses in the town to provide extra seating space outside premises and had said it would only close roads “if there is a clear demand”.

It comes as both the county council and Harrogate Borough Council promised to work with bars, restaurants and cafes to open up space in an effort to increase capacity.

From tonight, The Ginnel, which hosts Monty’s Rock Bar and Manahatta, will become the latest street to be closed to provide extra space.

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The road will be closed between 5pm until 11pm Wednesday to Saturday and 1pm until 11pm on Sundays.

https://www.facebook.com/134929643221066/posts/3127553957291938/?d=n

Gareth Bentley, food, licensing and occupational safety manager at the borough council, confirmed the pedestrianisation of The Ginnel area to the authority’s scrutiny committee.

Mr Bentley said the move was needed to help with more capacity.

He said:

“It’s not something that comes naturally to allow people to drink on the street, but the reality is that when licensed premises implement the covid-19 control guidance well their occupancy is 30% or 40% of what it used to be.

“We are working really hard to promote relaxations to allow them to use the outdoors more and more with an eye on making sure that it is done respectfully.”

Meanwhile, parking bays have already been suspended on Montpellier Hill and Royal Parade as part of the measures to create space.

But cones placed on West Park proved to be controversial with business owners and county council officials took them down.

The pedestrianisation of streets come as the hospitality sector looks to take full advantage of what remains of the summer months to increase capacity and raise income.

However owners in the sector have raised fears that some businesses will fall victim to the three month battering of lockdown and the upcoming winter.

Peter Banks, managing director of Rudding Park Hotel and Spa, said that bars, restaurants and hotels should expect a tough winter.

Meanwhile, last night, borough council leader, Richard Cooper, warned that some businesses will not survive the impending economic downturn.

Harrogate’s care homes have now recorded 99 deaths – five more compared with the week before.

The latest figure on care home deaths is from the ONS and only covers deaths that occurred up to June 26.

It comes as Harrogate District Hospital reports its first coronavirus death for the first time in more than two weeks.

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The figures come on the day Prime Minister Boris Johnson has faced fierce criticism from care home providers after he blamed them for the number of coronavirus deaths.

He said on a visit to Yorkshire yesterday that too many care homes did not “follow the procedures.”

And a government spokesman said he would not be apologising for the remarks, and said the government had “put in place rigorous testing and additional funding”.

A Yorkshire-wide community fund set up by an estate agent has helped local organisations buy equipment that their budgets don’t cover.

Linley and Simpson has made £30,000 available to local schools, sports clubs and community clubs.

The 6th Ripon Cathedral Scout group were given £250 through the scheme, it helped them to buy equipment for their water activities.

Group Scout leader, Ian Bardon said:

“We used the funds to buy a stand-up paddle board as our scouts love water activities. It’ll be very beneficial as we can use it on future camps, it’s a bonus to us from the pandemic as funds are tight. Depending on when we can return we’ll be using it as soon as possible and the young people love it, it’ll definitely get some good use.”

The nursery at Bishop Monkton Primary School will use the funds to develop their outside area with more facilities for the children.

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Bishop Monkton Primary School also applied for the fund and received £500 to put towards outdoor equipment. Headteacher Sally Cowling said:

“We applied for extra funding as school budgets are extremely tight. Budgets have to be managed carefully and can usually cover the essentials but do not stretch to ‘the extras’. As our nursery has expanded some of the school field has now been allocated for their use.  Nursery staff are keen to develop this area by putting a climbing frame, swings and slide on it and making it safe for the younger children.”

Will Linley, Chief Executive of Linley & Simpson added:

“We pride ourselves on playing an integral part in our local communities and this initiative is all about helping a range of good causes where support such as this can make a big difference. We are encouraging local businesses and community groups to continue applying for the grant so that we can help them to get back on track.”

Work has restarted on a new £15 million care home specialising in dementia care for Harrogate.

The original plan had been for a completion date of spring 2021 but the developers have pushed that date back to summer.

Vida Court, near RHS Harlow Carr, will be the third care home from Vida Healthcare following Vida Hall in Starbeck and Vida Grange in Pannal.

When it is complete it will house 100 residents in eight self-sufficient houses with en-suite bedrooms and communal areas – such as newsagents, cinemas, and sensory gardens.

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They have provided full PPE across the site with temperature testing stations and social distancing signage to get work going again.

The next stages of the construction are already on track. They are currently installing the external brickwork and concrete floor slabs.

James Rycroft, Managing Director at Vida Healthcare, said:

“Vida Court is a culmination of everything we’ve learned. Our trademark features will be included, such as the self sufficient houses. It will enable us to offer care for residents who are at different stages with their dementia.”

Chris Allott, Senior Contract Manager at Caddick Construction, added:

“We’re very happy with the progress being made on site and the Caddick team has adapted very well to the challenging circumstances.”