District hotels, pubs and restaurants desperate for one metre clarity

Hotel owners, pub landlords and restaurants in the Harrogate District say they are desperate for clarity on the reopening of the hospitality sector after a tough three months of lockdown.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to make an announcement today on cutting the two metre social distancing rule and relaxing restrictions as pressure mounts on the government to revive the economy.

It comes as the industry has been hit hard by lockdown with hundreds of staff furloughed and hotels, bars and restaurants closed to the public since March.

In Harrogate, Simon Cotton, owner of The Yorkshire Hotel and White Hart Hotel, said introducing a one metre rule would “without question” help his business and boost capacity to around 80% compared with just 25% under the current guidance.

The Yorkshire Hotel, Harrogate.

Mr Cotton added that he was eager for the government to give more clarity on social distancing rules so that hotels can prepare for a July opening.

He said: “We need to know that now. We have prepared for a lot of things, but we cannot do more until we known the rules.

“We are desperate for this to be able to plan. We are in the time of the year where we normally make our money. It is where most businesses survive. If you do not have a good summer, then you will not survive the winter.”

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The need for clarity is shared by pub owners who will have to grapple with the number of drinkers looking for a long awaited pint.

Trade bodies have already called for local authorities in the district to speed up the licensing process to help bars in the district open out onto the street and create space for customers.

But Tony Brown, manager at The Crown in Pateley Bridge, said it would not be viable for his pub to reopen if the two metre distancing rule is not cut.

He said: “For us, it’s quite simple, if social distancing doesn’t come down from two metres to one, it won’t be financially viable for us to reopen on July 4.

“Even with a change in social distancing, we will still need to look at what other measures we will need to put in place, such as a screen at the bar and markings on the floor. I’ve kept in touch with our regulars and they can’t wait for us to reopen.”

Sara Ferguson, owner of Sasso restaurant in Harrogate.

Meanwhile, Sara Ferguson, owner of Sasso restaurant on Princes Square, Harrogate, said the need for a clear picture from government extends to staff.

She said: “We need clarity on whether it’s one metre or two metres and whether we are allowed customers inside or outside.
“We also need clarification on the coronavirus job retention scheme and if staff can work part time.”
Masks and visors for staff serving in restaurants to be new normal

Toilet traffic light systems and pre-booking an arrival time are to become the new normal as pubs and restaurants set to reopen from 4 July.

Hospitality businesses in the district are anxiously waiting to hear the reduced one metre distance to be announced during todays’s coronavirus briefing. Even with the new distance in place, the experience previously offered for customers is likely to be different when they reopen.

Jack Woodruff who owns The Disappearing Chin in Harrogate, said the distancing rule has made planning problematic:

“We are offering pre-booked slots for maybe two or three hours but due to our size the distancing is problematic when it comes to the toilets. For example, we couldn’t have one person walking to the toilet and another sat at the bar as they would be too close together so we’ve had to introduce a one-way system to the toilets.

“For the sake of the size of our bar we have also had to order perspex screens to use and we will have to limit contact between staff and customers.”

Simon Wade is the owner of the Grantham Arms in Boroughbridge, like many others he will have to introduce new safety systems once he can reopen:

“We’re now taking orders from tables, those orders will then be placed on large barrels, that are dotted around, for the customers to collect.

“We also have a one way system for the toilets. It’s like a traffic light system, so a person will press a button with their elbow to indicate they’re inside and will press it again as they leave another way to let the next person waiting to go in know they can. We will also have staff constantly sanitising areas and we just hope customers are happy to follow our rules.”

Outdoor spaces are invaluable for pub owners who may be limited to indoor space.

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David Straker, is the co-owner of the William and Victoria restaurant in Harrogate, believes the new dining experience may not be as enjoyable for guests:

‘It will be a lot quieter. The width of the room is about two metres. We could fit four tables in downstairs, then the same in each room upstairs”.

“My biggest reservation is do people want to be served by people wearing masks and visors? It doesn’t lend itself to a nice experience. It’s not going to be forever but we’re going to have to. We have a responsibility to our members of staff and you have to give them the right stuff.”

Nick Rahmen, owner of Cardamom Black in Harrogate, said:

“There will be no toilets open and people won’t be allowed to congregate at the bar. We’ll have thermometers to test if somebody is visibly under the weather. But we cant go too far to offend people.”

Harrogate rotary launches kids poetry competition

The Harrogate Brigantes Rotary Club have launched a poetry competition for children to raise funds for its covid relief appeal.

Children, under 12 years old, can enter the can enter their poem until the end of the summer term (17 July). The £5 entry fee will be donated to the group’s covid relief fund which helps local causes and organisations.

Children can submit any number of poems under the following subjects- “my hero”, “I wish”, and “a better world”. Poems must be no more than 28 lines long and the writer of the best poem on each subject will receive a £30 book token.

Club member Guy Wilson said:

“When Covid-19 struck we were making plans for ‘save our planet’ concerts next year in the Royal Hall, linked with an exhibition by the children in Ripon Cathedral and a poetry competition. Sadly we have had to cancel, or at least postpone, all of these. But then it struck us that, using our good contacts with schools, we could run a different poetry competition.”

The covid relief fund has been used to support local charities, including Wellsprings.

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The covid relief fund continues to support local causes, Guy Wilson added:

“The Club has given away over £9000 in cash or kind to care providers and charities in need in the Harrogate area. At first the priority was ’emergency help’ but now the focus has changed to helping local charities that are coping with the longer term issues that are arising such as mental health, such as Wellspring Therapy & Training, Supporting Older People and Carers’ Resource.”

For further information click here.

Harrogate restaurants battle for survival

Harrogate’s highly competitive restaurant scene is preparing for an announcement this week from government on when restaurants are allowed to reopen but the financial scars of lockdown could mean some don’t survive.

David Straker, co-owner of popular Harrogate restaurant William & Victoria told the Stray Ferret that the situation is perilous for many restaurants in the town.

He said:

“It’s hard. It’s really, really hard. We’re fortunate here as we own our property and we have a fantastic loyal clientele which is absolutely paramount to a business.”

William & Victoria received a government grant and has taken advantage of the Bounce Back Loan scheme. From Thursday to Sunday it has also been providing a takeaway service which Mr Straker said has helped keep the restaurant afloat.

Mr Straker added that Harrogate restaurants were already having a “hard ride” before lockdown and many could cease trading the longer they are not able to open at full capacity. He said running a restaurant is all about “getting as many people through the door as possible”.

David Straker, William & Victoria.

He added:

“The streets in Harrogate aren’t paved with gold. It’s hard work. There are big rents and they need a big turnover.

“We’re all fighting. At the minute, it’s about survival. That’s what it’s all about.”

Nick Rahman, owner of Cardamom Black on Cheltenham Parade, told the Stray Ferret that due to the size of his property he wasn’t eligible to apply for a government grant of up to £25,000. He said this has created haves and have-nots in the town.

He said:

“There are two stark realities [for restaurants] and I’m on the dark side of it. All of my rivals are doing full fit-outs and decorating but it’s not something we could do. It’s been really tough for us.”

“We’re in a really bad position and we’ve had a big loss over the last 12 weeks. We’re just trying to survive. We just hope we can make that money back quickly.”

Cardamom Black is preparing to re-open on July 4th but Mr Rahman said extra cleaning and social distancing measures are “huge, significant costs.”

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Sara Ferguson, owner of Sasso on Princes Square, said because of economies of scale, the larger restaurant chains in the town have been able to better protect themselves against the losses incurred by lockdown.

She said:

“It gets tougher all the time to be an independent”

Like William & Victoria and Cardamom Black, Sasso has been providing a takeaway service to customers throughout lockdown. Not only has it provided a vital revenue stream it has been “psychologically” important to Ms Ferguson as it has continued the relationship with loyal customers. She said it’s important for the town that independent restaurants survive the months ahead.

She added:

“The more independents there are, the more vibrant we are as a town and more diverse our offering is but there may well be restaurants unable to go forward”.

Harrogate courts reopen to backlog in cases

Harrogate Justice Centre has reopened today for the first time since lockdown to deal with a backlog in cases.

The centre, which encompasses both the Magistrates and County courts, is opening with social distancing guidelines in place.

From Monday to Wednesday this week it will solely deal with family law matters before it moves onto criminal matters on Thursday.

Ministry of Justice (MOJ) officials have assessed Harrogate Justice Centre and approved it to hold socially-distanced hearings.

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The Harrogate Justice Centre has put out stickers to mark where people can queue at a safe distance and blocked off the waiting area outside.

Around 159 courts and tribunals service locations have remained open throughout the pandemic and close to 100 more have reopened since the start of April.

Stickers for socially distanced queues outside the court.

There is a major backlog in cases which has been made worse by the lockdown. There were 483,678 cases waiting in Magistrates courts and 40,526 cases waiting in Crown courts in May according to the Criminal Bar Association (CBA).

But Caroline Goodwin QC, who is chair of the CBA, said that the courts estate is “on its knees” and has been for a long time.

“It is pretty low really to suggest that the backlog which we know is a pre COVID-19 issue and practically has nothing to do with COVID-19 is in fact due to COVID-19. What we are facing is a culmination of mismanagement and years of starving the system of investment. We are not blind.”

The MOJ has also started to identify suitable venues to house so-called ‘Nightingale’ courts.

These would use public spaces, such as civic centres or university moot courts, to allow traditional court buildings to manage more work while maintaining social distancing.

Currently, Harrogate Justice Centre is not aware of any ‘Nightingale’ courts planned in its area.

No coronavirus deaths in Harrogate with lowest UK toll since lockdown

Harrogate District Hospital has not reported any coronavirus deaths today as the UK records the lowest daily toll.

The hospital in Harrogate remains at 80 deaths in total and has also discharged 125 patients.

New statistics from the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) show that there have been 15 coronavirus deaths in the UK. It means that the UK has now recorded 42,647 deaths.

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It will be welcome news for many but there is usually a lag in reporting after weekends.

That is across all settings including care homes and anywhere in the community, not just hospitals.

Separate NHS figures out today revealed that England’s hospitals reported 20 deaths – the fact that these hospital deaths are lower than deaths in all settings may seem confusing.

Our understanding is that the DHSC figures are for all settings reported on the previous day whereas the NHS hospital figures could be from days or even weeks ago.

Queues form outside Bettys as Harrogate shop reopens

Long queues have formed outside Bettys in Harrogate today as its shop reopened to the public.

Bettys closed all of its six cafes and shops back in March but today has opened their Harrogate shop, with Ilkley, Harlow Carr and York opening next week.

Queues have been forming all day outside the Harrogate shop.

Managing Director of Bettys, Simon Eyles said:

“We are truly delighted to be welcoming customers back to our Bettys shops, we’ve missed them. To ensure their safety and that of our colleagues, we have new shopping systems in place. So, while it might not be the full Bettys experience that customers are used to, people will still find the mouth-watering Bettys treats they have been missing and, of course, our warm Yorkshire welcome.”

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Queues are being monitored by the Bettys staff with a limited number of people allowed in at once. Hand sanitiser is provided on entrance as well as floor markings throughout the shop.

Screens have been placed in the shop to protect customers and staff.

All of the Bettys cafes remain closed until further notice.

‘Well done lads’: Harrogate men win praise for cleaning the Stray

A group of four young men has won lots of praise for cleaning up rubbish on the Stray this weekend.

Dan and Tom Locke as well as Jack Wignall and James Wilson have been using the area to play football and frisbee during the lockdown.

In recent days they have noticed people leaving more and more rubbish on the Stray so decided to take action on Saturday evening.

The group managed to fill around five bin bags with rubbish by riding their bikes around for about three hours.

Hannah Lee Skinner came across the group on Saturday. She posted a picture of them online, where hundreds commented to call them heroes.

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Tom Locke, who is 22-years-old and works at Newnham Street Garage, told The Stray Ferret:

“We just want people to consider the others and the environment more. I have been starting to notice that small changes can make a big difference. Hopefully people will follow our lead or at least pick up their own rubbish. It wasn’t too difficult to do, we had a laugh.”

He added that people were very appreciative on the Stray but when he asked them to help out they would say that it wasn’t their rubbish.

This really MUST stop. Why do people, sadly especially the young ones, leave their garbage behind them?
Please , please use the bins and also take your litter home. pic.twitter.com/S1EDcAGOtl

— Stray Defence (@StrayDefence) June 18, 2020

The Stray Defence Association (SDA) recently called for people to take their litter home after finding empty beer bottles, sweet wrappers and leftover takeaway food.

Litter has been an increasing problem in recent days with pleasant weather and the lockdown leading to more people meeting up on the Stray.

Harrogate Borough Council has welcomed more people using the district’s parks but added that people should dispose of their rubbish correctly.

Harrogate support helpline Just B is ‘Hear to Help’

Just B, the bereavement and counselling service run by St Michael’s Hospice, has encouraged those who are struggling to reach out.

The ‘Hear to Help’ initiative was launched by Just B, a service provided by Saint Michaels Hospice, as a response to covid-19. The community support line helps those feeling anxious or struggling emotionally during lockdown.

Numbers have risen during lockdown, and the specialist team is now answering calls for a wide range of needs, including bereavement, mental health troubles and relationship worries.

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Tony Collins, chief executive of Just B, said:

“We have all been challenged over the last few months by the ever-changing situation caused by coronavirus. As lockdown rules see some relaxation and a new normal begins to emerge, it stands to reason that different worries and concerns may appear as well all adjust to the changes in our daily lives.”

Just B has also joined with other charities as part of the NHS Staff Support Initiative which provides help to frontline NHS staff who are experiencing the devastating effects of Covid-19.

The Hear to Help support-line is available to all ages and lines are open between 8am-8pm, seven days a week. To speak to a specialist support worker call 01423 856799. 

Visible return of rough sleeping in Harrogate as lockdown eases

With more tents and sleeping bags on the streets, there has been a visible return of homeless people and rough sleepers around Harrogate.

Back at the start of the lockdown, the government rolled out the ‘Everyone’s in’ scheme to put people in hostels, hotels, and B&Bs.

Harrogate Borough Council housed its homeless community in hostels in the town as well as hostels and hotels in Leeds as part of that scheme.

Both the council and the Harrogate Homeless Project (HHP) worked with them to give them medication, food, laundry facilities, showers, and around 25 mobile phones.

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Neither the charity nor the local authority believes that there has been an actual rise in homeless numbers, just that some people in temporary accommodation are venturing out more.

Liz Hancock, the chief executive of HHP, told The Stray Ferret:

“We have been working hard to maintain our services during coronavirus while also keep our staff and clients safe. We do have worries about the mental health of those shielding when they are stuck inside for so long, we have distributed puzzles, books, and colouring activities to help.”

She added that she is worried about the homeless people it looks after venturing outside more and potentially bringing coronavirus back into its hostels.

But Liz Hancock also insisted that when the ‘Everyone’s in’ scheme comes to an end, homeless people will not just be turned out onto the streets. What happens next is up to the council.

What is the council’s homeless plan?

With the £3.2 billion ‘Everyone’s in’ scheme comes to an end soon, the council will work with those in temporary accommodation to find a more permanent place.

Part of the council’s plan is to get more people into Avondale Hostel, which it has just bought. It plans to renovate the building and make sure that it is only families living there.

This is the plan for the Spa Lane hostel.

Another key part is the council’s new hostel on Spa Lane. The construction works have been delayed and the expected completion date of October has been moved back to early next year.

Cllr Mike Chambers, the cabinet member for safer communities, told The Stray Ferret:

“It was a major challenge bringing in rough sleepers, we do not have that many but we do have some. We managed to make sure that all those who wanted to come inside could do. We will give everyone in temporary accommodation an opportunity to get more permanent accommodation.”