Bogus police officer targets Harrogate residents

A scammer pretending to be a police officer has targeted households in the Harrogate area.

Several residents in the town have reported calls from a ‘DC Mason Greenwood’ who claims to work for West Yorkshire Police or the Metropolitan Police.

He goes on to tell the residents that their nephew or grandson is in custody and has their bank cards as well as other stolen bank cards.

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North Yorkshire Police has recorded 12 incidents in the past week and is currently attempting to identify the caller.

Andy Fox, North Yorkshire Police financial abuse safeguarding officer, said:

“This is yet another example of a scam call designed to obtain full bank account details from an unsuspecting victim. You can protect yourself from scam calls by fitting a call blocker or speak to your phone provider as to what call blocking options they offer.”

The police have issued a warning today and said that they will never ask someone for their account details over the phone.

Mr Fox continued: “If you are in any doubt about who you are speaking to, terminate the call immediately and call 101 from a different phone.”

Council leader leaves Harrogate BID

The leader of Harrogate Borough Council has resigned from Harrogate BID.

Cllr Richard Cooper is still listed as a board member on the organisation’s website, but information on Companies House reveals he stepped down in June.

He was replaced on the same date by Trevor Watson, HBC’s director of economy and culture. Neither the council nor the BID has given a reason for the change.

Harrogate BID Acting Chair Sara Ferguson said:

“On behalf of Harrogate BID, its Board and members, I would like to thank Richard for his valuable contribution.

“Richard’s place on the BID board has been filled by Trevor Watson from Harrogate Borough Council’s economic development team, who has already attended a number of board meetings.

“Additionally, we have also co-opted two additional advisors, Lesley Wild, the former Chair of Bettys and Taylors Tea, and Jim Mossman, co-owner of Cold Bath Brewing Company.”

‘Strong influence’

Cllr Cooper’s resignation came six weeks after four board members – including the chairman – stepped down, citing the undue influence of the council in the organisation.

In their joint resignation letter, outgoing chairman Bob Kennedy and board members Chris Bentley, Robert Ogden and Rob Spencer said:

“Without a consensus view on the board of the dire state of the town’s economy, particularly its retail heart, and its causes, addressing the key issues cannot be achieved.

“The strong influence of Borough and County Council on the board of an organisation that according to government guidance is supposed to be a ‘business-led’ partnership means that any initiative that addresses the councils’ input is endlessly debated, and sensible options resisted. It has not even been possible to garner cross-board agreement that the current aesthetic state of Harrogate town centre is not adequate, something that is self-evident to business leaders and residents alike but is constantly denied or excused by councils.”

Mr Spencer, of Townhouse Design, told the Stray Ferret at the time that the council members on the board were “very defensive” about what others felt were problems in the town, such as the level of cleanliness and the overall appearance. The letter also said additional confidentiality restrictions imposed on board members were a threat to the organisation’s transparency and were incompatible with the function of a public body.

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Harrogate BID is funded by a compulsory rates levy on businesses in the centre of Harrogate. It was voted in at the end of 2018 and began operating the following year, with a five-year term before rate payers will have to vote on whether it should continue.

As lockdown was eased, the BID announced it would fund additional street cleaning in early June to make the town centre attractive to returning shoppers. It also offered small grants to businesses to fund social distancing measures to enable them to open safely, and sent out packs of signage for levy payers to use around their premises.

David Bowe, director of North Yorkshire County Council, remains on the BID board, along with representatives of local businesses across sectors including independent retailers, chain stores, hospitality and service companies.

Harrogate Borough Council did not respond to the Stray Ferret’s request for a comment.

Harrogate theatre will remain closed until 2021

Harrogate Theatre has announced it will not reopen until 2021, saying that introducing social distancing in the auditorium would not be financially viable.

The theatre has also warned that 60% of permanent roles may have to be made redundant. It has said this decision is a direct result of the pandemic and the loss of income it has caused.

A theatre spokesperson said:

“We look forward to the day we raise our safety curtain and once again share the magic that live performance in our building brings. Whilst we understand the impact of this decision, as custodians of our organisations we will do everything in our power to safeguard the company to be able to entertain, educate and inspire for the next 120 years.

“We are extremely grateful for the funding received from Arts Council England and Harrogate Borough Council to cover losses incurred from March through to September.”

Empty seats in Harrogate theatre

The social distancing requirements would be too detrimental for the theatre’s finances.

The theatre is heavily reliant on its annual pantomime which is performed over two months in the festive period. Its business model requires 90% of the seats to be sold over the two months, but with social distancing in place only 20% of seats can be used.

The spokesman said the theatre is cautious to invest in any shows this season in case of further lockdowns. It has moved most of its shows for the autumn season into next year and this winter’s pantomime, Cinderella, will go ahead in 2021.

The theatre’s emergency funding campaign, launched during lockdown, will continue.

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149 homes near Harrogate High School refused

Councillors have refused 149 new homes on Kingsley Road near Harrogate High School because they said it would make already clogged roads in the area even worse.

Harrogate Borough Council’s planning committee had previously blocked the development twice this year due to concerns over the number of homes, traffic congestion and the environment.

Since the plans were last put before HBC in June, developer Richborough Estates reduced the number of homes from 155 to 149 and included a new transport assessment saying residents could use a bus stop in Bilton 1km away.

The site is designated for development within HBC’s Local Plan and HBC’s solicitor has previously warned councillors that refusing the plans could leave them open to a legal challenge by the developer.

However, meeting this afternoon via Zoom, councillors voted by 10 to 1 to refuse the application.

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There are several developments in the Kingsley area of Harrogate — which could see over 650 homes eventually built.

John Hansard from the Kingsley Ward Action Group spoke to the committee and called the transport assessment produced by the developer “a work of fiction”.

He said:

“There are still serious issues and walking over 1km to public transport makes a mockery of HBC’s carbon reduction strategy.

“Once this natural oasis is lost it’s gone forever and this area of Harrogate will be so much poorer for it.”

Dean Knight, technical director from Richborough, said the developer “has listened” after previous planning committees, but he faced a grilling from Cllr Pat Marsh who asked whether a 1km walk to the nearest bus stop was practical for elderly people or families carrying shopping.

Cllr Marsh called the traffic implications for the development “wrong, very wrong”.

Mr Knight said bus operator Transdev told the developer it was not possible to add a bus stop nearer to the site but said the 1km distance was not an “insurmountable” distance for people to walk.

Harrogate charity receives grant to support pupils during holidays

A Harrogate bereavement and emotional wellbeing charity has been awarded a grant boost of more than £30,000.

Just ‘B’ will use the money to provide workshops and therapy sessions for vulnerable students during the school holidays. Themes covered will include gangs and youth violence, domestic abuse, and digital media risks.

The grant is part of £6.5m from the Youth Endowment Covid-19 Fund and has been offered to 130 organisations across the country. It aims to limit the number of people being drawn into violent crime as well as tackling issues young people have experienced as a result of covid.

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Tony Collins, chief executive of Just ‘B’ said:

“The challenges and hardships that some of our most vulnerable young people face have been exacerbated by covid… we are proud to be one of the organisations chosen for this grant and it will enable us to build on the work we are already doing to help children and young people to overcome difficult circumstances and face a more positive future.”

Just ‘B’ is also calling for the community’s help to win £1m in a charity competition. Persimmon Homes Yorkshire has shortlisted three charities across the county to represent the region in its Building Futures scheme. Voting closes on September 18.

Two further deaths at Harrogate district care homes

Care homes in the Harrogate district have recorded a further two coronavirus deaths – after two weeks of recording none for the first time in the pandemic.

Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures today, which cover up until July 24, show that care homes across the district have reported 106 deaths where coronavirus is the cause of death.

The figures also reveal that there have been five deaths at home, one death at a hospice, and two more deaths at “other communal establishments”, since the start of the outbreak.

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Meanwhile, Harrogate District NHS Foundation Trust remains at 82 coronavirus deaths and said last week that it was not treating any coronavirus patients in its wards.

For that reason, the Stray Ferret paused its daily reporting of the coronavirus statistics from NHS England. We will continue to monitor the information and report any deaths as they are confirmed.

The new ONS data revealed that there have been five extra deaths at the hospital where covid is mentioned on the death certificate. However, they are not part of the official statistics, which only include cases where the virus is the cause of death.

Two-week extension for Nightingale hospital as negotiations continue

The contract for Harrogate’s Nightingale hospital has been extended for two weeks to allow for talks between the NHS and the council to continue.

The NHS contract was due to expire last Friday, July 31, with no announcement made at the time about whether it would be extended or the field hospital would be decommissioned.

Now, Harrogate Borough Council has said it is continuing talks with the NHS over the future of the site. If the hospital moves out, Harrogate Convention Centre would be able to host events and conferences over the winter, in line with covid guidelines.

A council spokesman said:

“We continue our discussions with colleagues from the NHS about their future plans, and a two week extension has been granted to the current agreement to allow those discussions to continue. However, at this stage, nothing has been decided.”

The delay is likely to cause concern among businesses in the town. Andrew Manby, a director of events company Joe Manby Ltd, previously told the Stray Ferret the NHS needed to make a decision to enable local businesses to plan for the future.

Hospitality in the town, including hotels, restaurants and bars, is heavily reliant on people visiting the convention centre for trade and public events. As the rest of the country begins to reopen, Mr Manby said Harrogate could be left behind if the Nightingale continues to occupy the whole venue.

Inside of Harrogate's Nightingale Hospital

The convention centre owners and managers are still planning ahead for future events whilst the future of the Nightingale is uncertain

The convention centre team, meanwhile, have been preparing measures to enable events to go ahead safely as soon as they are possible. Additional space could be offered free of charge, one way systems introduced, and even cameras allowing organisers to measure crowd density around the halls.

Longer days and additional dates could also be offered to event organisers to allow more people to visit over longer periods, supporting social distancing.

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The two-week extension comes after the Prime Minister announced a £3 billion fund to support the seven Nightingale hospitals until the end of March. Since then, however, the one hosted at Birmingham NEC has been scaled back, allowing the venue to resume events from October with a smaller standby hospital in another part of the site.

The Harrogate Nightingale Hospital is yet to treat any coronavirus patients, but has been used as a facility for outpatient CT scans since early June. The NHS is not paying any rent to the council for use of the convention centre.

The Stray Ferret has previously reported the convention centre is under financial strain. The council is this week due to vote on a £1m investment which would pave the way for a £46.8 million renovation project.

Rise in civil ceremonies inspires new career for Harrogate teacher

A former teacher has set up a new business in Harrogate offering civil ceremonies as a result of a growth in non-religious weddings, funerals and naming ceremonies.

Weddings overall have been in decline over recent years, and religious ceremonies now account for less than a quarter of all weddings that take place in the UK.

Data published this year by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) shows that in 2017, North Yorkshire had a total of 4,606 marriages of opposite-sex couples, 3,443 of which were civil ceremonies with only 1,163 religious ceremonies.

A chart showing marriage statistics since 1967 in England and Wales

Former international teacher Melanie Gail has recently launched her new business in Harrogate. She told the Stray Ferret that the trend towards civil ceremonies sparked her interest in becoming an independent civil celebrant.

She said:

“The reason I am attracted to it is because I think it’s great that it offers people the freedom of choice. They can choose to have it on their front garden, or on a mountain top, or in a forest.

“People can get married whenever they want, provided they do the legal part in a registry office. They can have a ceremony which really reflects who they are.”

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As of August 1, larger wedding receptions can return but guest numbers will be limited to 30. Melanie argued that this may also make civil ceremonies more popular.

She said:

“Everything is becoming a lot smaller because of the legislations and potentially also a lot more intimate. With the new limits on numbers of guests at weddings, people are rethinking the venues they choose.”

Harrogate gym in liquidation after ‘economic challenge’ of lockdown

Gambaru Fitness has gone into liquidation after the owners spoke of the “economic challenge” of remaining closed for four months.

Jonathan Walker opened the Harrogate gym on Station Parade in 2006. He appointed liquidators on Friday to sell the company’s assets.

The gym is named after the Japanese phrase “to be the best you can be” and was open 24 hours a day. Jonathan Walker and John Walker were co-directors of the business from the outset.

Gambaru Fitness had in recent years opened up an “Adversity Awards” to recognise young people who had kept going when it was easier to give up.

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It did not reopen on July 25 when the government gave gyms the green light. At the time, the gym owners said the announcement came with “challenging guidelines”.

The Stray Ferret attempted to contact Gambaru Fitness but received no reply by the time of publication.

In the gym’s most recent Facebook post on July 23, it said:

“Due to ongoing negotiations, and business restructuring, at this present time we do not have an official opening date. We appreciate this may be frustrating, however we are sure you will understand the economic challenge we are under after being closed for four months. We are hopeful to have positive news shortly so please watch this space.”

Despite the gym’s closure Diveshack UK, which had a shop at Gambaru, is still open for business and will continue to trade remotely while discussions with the landlords continue.

Coronavirus backlog sees roadworks double in Harrogate district

Roadworks in the Harrogate district are double what North Yorkshire County Council would expect for this time of year.

At the end of last week, there were 88 individual road and street works in progress. The council said coronavirus had delayed a “significant amount” of those works.

The council also pointed to a “greater number” of new developments in Harrogate when compared to previous years, which need utility works.

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Barrie Mason, the assistant director for highways in North Yorkshire, said:

“Not all of these works will have a traffic impact and many will be relatively minor works with little or no traffic impact. North Yorkshire County Council has continued with works throughout the covid-19 lockdown period taking all necessary safety measures to continue to deliver as close to a business as usual service as possible.”

Businesses said they were heartbroken after seeing roadworks on Leeds Road roundabout. It often means a reduced taking, something particularly painful after the coronavirus lockdown.

Local pressure led to reduced roadwork on Leeds Road but queues of traffic have been a common sight in the district in the past month.

Tony Colbeck, the owner of Country Butchers, voiced his frustration at the start of the works:

“It should have been done in the coronavirus lockdown when there weren’t as many cars. We found today that because it is quiet, people stay away. I don’t know what it is about Harrogate at the moment but they seem to be ripping up every road.”