Strayside Sunday is our weekly political opinion column. It is written by Paul Baverstock, former Director of Communications for the Conservative Party. 

Harrogate Borough Council has been up to its usual incompetent, vainglorious tricks this week and looks set, at the next full council meeting, to greenlight a staggering £1m – yes that is a cool £1m – consultancy project to design and plan a £46m (gasp) renovation of the loss-making lemon that is Harrogate Convention Centre.

In its 2014 town plan, the council made much of the fact that the activities of HCC contributed £57m to the town’s wider economy each year.  Now, to support its case for new investment in the centre, the council tells us that the convention centre contributes £35m to our local economy.  The explanation – a different way of compiling the figures. The lower figure produced with methodology set by an external body, Visit Britain. What a whopping discrepancy from figures the council had previously been in control of compiling. It doesn’t inspire confidence in its ability to now get the maths right with the eye-watering sums it  proposes spending.

So, having presided for years over the centre’s demise as a desirable destination conference venue, the council now seems set to absolve itself of the guilt of its previous underinvestment and mismanagement with profligate and horribly misguided public spending.  The question for Councillor Cooper is why, when you have so clearly been asleep at the wheel, should we trust you to spend a penny more, let alone the millions you plan?

Instead, the centre should be sold to specialist private enterprise, as large conference venues in Manchester and Birmingham have been, to great financial effect.  This would serve to secure the undoubted wider economic benefits of a successful conference centre for the town, away from political interference and leave the council free to focus on serving residents better.

Such a sale would yield significant and sorely needed investment capital for a truly progressive and innovative council to reimagine Harrogate town centre, or to promote independent local business, or to deliver much and never more needed services.  However, as former Harrogate Liberal Democrat MP Phil Willis said in these pages this week, the councillors involved are “amateurs”.  They should not be trusted to run any business of scale with public funds. Harrogate Council is simply unable to articulate what it is for and lurches from one expensive vanity project announcement to the next. Crescent Gardens, Knapping Mount, now this. It catches the eye, but for none of the right reasons. The sooner Harrogate council is folded into a single, devolved North Yorkshire Unitary Authority, the better. It’s fair to say that Harrogate council’s leadership don’t welcome the prospect, choosing Yorkshire Day, August 1, to announce the launch of an alternative devolution bid campaign.  And I’ll return to this subject in detail next week.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps dropped another clanger this week; heading off to a family holiday in Spain just hours before the air bridge back to the UK was closed – by Transport Secretary Grant Shapps – thereby condemning himself and his family to a 14-day quarantine on return to the United Kingdom.  Shapps arrived in Spain on Saturday and, at a virtual meeting with departmental and devolved colleagues the same day, was presented with new covid-19 infection figures that suggested a Spanish second wave.  Closing the bridge, he promptly boarded a return flight home to begin a fortnight of self-isolation.  Left in situ on their own in Spain, I suspect Mrs Shapps and their three children are not best pleased that Dad has made a bit of a prat of himself again.

The tragi-comic quality of episodes like this have been described as part of the continued “Graylingisation” of British Politics; so named by journalist Gavin Esler, in honour of poor old Chris “Failing” Grayling, who must surely go down as one of the most spectacularly incompetent British Cabinet Ministers in living memory.  The hapless MP for Epsom and Ewell has most recently been in the news for failing to secure the Chairmanship of the Parliamentary Intelligence Select Committee, despite the fact, or more likely because of it, that he was Boris Johnson’s preferred candidate.  So sure was he that he would emerge victorious, Grayling missed the manoeuvres of Julian Lewis MP (who is highly respected in parliament for his intelligence, his Intelligence expertise and his principle).  By the time Grayling realised he was being gazumped, it was too late and Mr Lewis won the Chairmanship of the committee at a canter.  In a fit of petulant and retaliatory pique, BoJo stripped Mr Lewis of the Conservative whip, at once earning the ire of parliament and reminding us all that what seems to matter in contemporary politics – nationally and locally – is not competence and probity, but patronage and blind fealty.

Finally, I’d like to recognise that, in respect of his vote, mentioned in my last column,  for the “continuity” Trade Bill and against several amendments to the bill seeking protections for the NHS from foreign trade, Ripon MP Julian Smith made a public statement this week.  Mr. Smith would still have us take as an item of faith the government’s claim that it will not sell out the NHS, but none the less I very much respect his willingness to spell out his position transparently.  It builds trust and understanding between people and their elected representatives, especially if mediated, on the record, through the fourth estate.  Trust has never been needed more.  Andrew Jones MP, why haven’t we heard from you?

That’s my Strayside Sunday.

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Harrogate Town has cancelled a party it had organised for fans to watch tomorrow’s promotion final at the CNG Stadium.  Town travel to Wembley tomorrow for the first time in the team’s history as the players bid to enter the Football League.

Fans though are not allowed to attend the big game due to coronavirus . So the club had set up the ticketed event at the Harrogate stadium.

Now it seems new advice means the fans will have to find somewhere else to watch the historic game.

A statement on the Club’s website said:

Following the latest guidelines issued by central Government we have been contacted by North Yorkshire County Council Public Health who have strongly advised that it would be preferable that our Promotion Final watch party event be cancelled.In light of the latest guidelines, the advice from Public Health and the statutory rights available to Public Health to stop the event we have very little choice but to cancel the event.Full refunds will be processed next week for anyone who has purchased a bubble.

Please accept our sincere apologies for these unfortunate circumstances which are completely beyond our control.

We must act on the advice of Public Health and in the best interests of everyone involved, supporters and staff.

Read More:

• The 10 years that changed Harrogate Town’s fortunes
• The fans talk of their pride as the team prepares for the big game tomorrow

Below is a list of bars and venues in Harrogate that are showing the game live, which will be broadcast on BT Sport at 3pm.

The Harrogate Arms, Parliament Street (online bookings only)

Bilton Working Men’s Club, Skipton Road (non-members welcome)

Manhatten Snooker Club, Beech Avenue (non-members welcome)

Mojo, Parliament Street (online bookings only)

Prince of Wales, Starbeck High Street

Harlow Hill Sports and Social Club, College Street 

Bilton Cricket Club, Bilton Lane

The Woodlands Hotel, Wetherby Road

The following pubs are showing the game but are already fully booked:

The Alexandra, West Park

The Last Post, Cold Bath Road 

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From facing relegation to English football’s seventh tier to potentially playing Bolton Wanderers at a 28,000 seater stadium, the last 10 years have proved to be a whirlwind for Harrogate Town.

Years of change at Wetherby Road have seen the club’s current crop of players on the brink of history as they prepare to play at Wembley for a place in the Football League for the first time.

As Town gear up for the biggest game in their 101 year history, the prospect of a place in League Two seems a world away from 2010 when the club faced relegation.

After a dismal campaign, Town faced playing the 2010/11 season in the then Unibond Premier against the likes of Whitby Town and FC United of Manchester.

Simon Weaver took over the club in the 2009/10 season. Picture Credit: Matt Kirkham Harrogate Town

It was the first season in charge for manager Simon Weaver, who will lead the club out at Wembley this weekend, and a restricted budget left Town bottom of the division.

But the club were saved from relegation after Northwich Victoria were demoted instead for failing to pay their debts on time. The reprieve proved to be pivotal as Town underwent a decade of change which could lead them into the EFL.

Irving Weaver, Simon’s father, took ownership in 2011 after chairman Bill Fotherby decided to stop funding the club. But success was not immediate and Town spent the following season in a relegation dogfight again.

CNG Stadium, Wetherby Road, home of Harrogate Town FC.

A few more seasons of mid-table finishes and struggling in the bottom half of the division began to take its toll on supporters.

Jordan Ford, of the Harrogate Town Supports Club, said much of the change at the club came after New Years Day in 2015. A 4-2 defeat away at Guiseley forced Mr Ford and fellow supporters to call for a meeting with the club.

He said:

“We were just not happy with the way things were going and there was not the relationship that is there now with fans.

“A few things were said, but they were very honest and had an open conversation with us.”

Town fans felt the club lacked direction and a question and answer session with management laid all the concerns on the table.

Read more:

• Harrogate Town prepares for £1 million game

• ‘We’re off to Wembley!’ Harrogate Town win historic play off semi

• Harrogate Town to play outside of Harrogate if they win promotion

The following season saw the club record its highest ever league position and reach the play-offs, only to be eliminated at the hands of AFC Fylde.

A 3G pitch, new crop of players and a more entertaining style of football followed and, from there, Town began to rewrite the history books.

In 2018, a 3-0 triumph over Brackley Town in front of a 3,000 strong sellout crowd saw the club promoted to the fifth tier for the first time.

Town kept up the momentum and reached the play offs at the first time of asking last season, but were again eliminated by AFC Fylde.

Picture Credit: Matt Kirkham Harrogate Town

Now, the current crop of players are on the brink of writing their own story as Harrogate look to claim a place in the Football League for the first time in their 101-year history.

For Mr Ford, part of the success at the club is down to its transparency and the relationship it now has with its supporters following New Years Day five years ago.

He said:

“The numbers of supporters at the club has increased.

“It is a great time to be involved and to feel as though we have been a part of that journey. The club appreciates what we do.”

Supporters of Harrogate Town have a sense of pride ahead of the biggest game in the club’s history this Sunday as they look to clinch Football League status.

While fans will be absent from Wembley on match day, Town will have the backing of thousands at home as some watch from their living rooms or in the company of fellow fans at the pub.

For Jordan Ford, of the Harrogate Town Supporters Club, the feeling of watching his team in the final is more one of excitement than nerves.

“I feel more excited than nervous to see my club at Wembley.

“The players have been at the club for many years and it will be a great experience for them to see what their hard work has brought them.”

Promotion to League Two would see a £1 million windfall for Town and hosting the likes of Bradford City and Bolton Wanderers at the CNG Stadium.

Read more:

• Harrogate Town prepares for £1 million game

• ‘We’re off to Wembley!’ Harrogate Town win historic play off semi

Mr Ford, who organises the travel for supporters to away games, said the prospect of travelling to such places with Town is enticing.

He said:

“There’s a lot more northern places in League Two, so there will be interest.

“It would be amazing to play teams like Bradford, and Bolton were in Europe not so long ago.”

However, the road to the Football League would be bittersweet as supporters are absent from Wembley due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The 90,000 seater stadium will be empty as Town play Notts County for a place in the EFL, but Mr Ford said the supporters will still play their part.

He said:

“It’s frustrating but that’s the way it is.

“Notts County fans are in exactly the same position and we want to do what is best.

“This is the situation we are in and we have to make the best of it.”

Town booked their place in the final after a 1-0 win over Boreham Wood last Saturday. After 150 days since a football was kicked at the CNG Stadium, some supporters were anxious about the restart.

Rob Nixon, who has followed Town for the past five years, said the feeling of getting to Wembley was sweeter after the long break.

But he added that it will not be the same without supporters there

He said:

“When we got promoted last time and they did so well, it was quite a crazy situation to be in.

“We have been doing better than before and it is a natural progression. But it’s not not quite the same feeling when we are not there.

“The feeling would be more palpable for us if we were there.”

A Harrogate restaurant will be celebrating both its reopening and Yorkshire Day with a make-shift beach this Saturday.

To mark its namesake’s day on August 1, as well as the re-launch of its Scran restaurant, The Yorkshire Hotel has created a beach at the front of the building and is offering a free glass of prosecco for those ordering food.

Its sister property, the White Hart Hotel and Fat Badger pub, installed an outdoor beach earlier this month to celebrate hospitality venues being allowed to reopen. Simon Cotton, managing director of HRH Group, said:

“Since we opened two years ago, Scran has been at the heart of Harrogate’s dining and bar scene, but with our new fresh, contemporary look, we are excited to bring a new concept to our loyal and new customers.”

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Dean Sowden and Dario Silviera pictured outside the new restaurant.

The restaurant’s food will be in the hands of head chef Dean Sowden of the former Deano’s, with Harrogate’s barman of the year, Dario Silviera, managing the bar.

Simon added:

“Dean’s food has such a good local reputation that we are delighted he is heading up the kitchen of Scran, and with head barman, Dario at the cocktail helm we have the dream team!”

Screens have been placed around the bar and more space has been created between tables to allow for social distancing. It is recommended that customers pre book.

Harrogate’s Turkish Baths’ 123-year-old flooring could have “become dangerous” if specialists had not carried out repairs.

A report seeking retrospective approval for the work detailed how Harrogate Borough Council needed to spend close to £30,000.

The baths have been closed since the start of the coronavirus lockdown and the specialists took it as an opportunity to work on the floor.

In the report, the council said that the floor is showing signs of water egress, wear in grouted joints, and cracks in the terrazzo.

Read more:

• How the council handed over control of leisure services to a new company
• When the district’s leisure facilities closed over coronavirus fears
• Turkish Baths Harrogate considers cutting same-sex sessions

The report also mentions that the floor could become uneven and “potentially dangerous” where mosaic pieces are exposed.

Andrew Tiles and The Mosaic Restoration Company carried out the works earlier this month and it is expected to be complete next month.

The council says the works were badly needed. Pictures from the Turkish Baths.

Turkish Baths Harrogate does not yet have a set date to reopen as saunas and steam rooms have not been given the go-ahead.

Harrogate Borough Council has launched a consultation into dropping single-sex sessions from the Turkish Bath’s timetable. Moving to mixed-sessions only would reflect “equality and balance,” according to the council.

Meanwhile, the historic venue is set to become part of a new local authority controlled company (LACC), along with the district’s pools and gyms, as part of an overhaul of leisure services.

There is still no confirmation from the NHS over the future of the Nightingale hospital in Harrogate with just hours to go until the contract expires.

NHS England had agreed to use Harrogate Convention Centre until the end of July for its temporary field hospital.

However, with the clock ticking to the end of the agreement today, there is still no confirmation of what will happen next. A spokesperson for the NHS Nightingale Hospital Yorkshire and the Humber said:

“We are tremendously grateful to the people of Harrogate for their support and we continue to work closely with our colleagues at NHS England and Harrogate Borough Council to agree the next steps for our regional temporary hospital at Harrogate Convention Centre.”

Read more:

• Harrogate Nightingale cost £15m – but still no news on its future
• Harrogate businesses back £47m conference centre renovation

The NHS has not confirmed what arrangement is in place after midnight tonight for the hospital to be removed, should it fail to agree a new contract with the centre’s owners, Harrogate Borough Council.

The Nightingale hospital cost £15m to build and was officially opened in April by Captain Tom Moore, who has since been knighted by the Queen.

It took three weeks to build but has never been used to treat Covid patients. Instead, since early June, it has provided CT scans to help the NHS catch up on tests delayed during the height of the crisis.

Last week, calls were made for the future of the Nightingale hospital to be confirmed in order to allow local businesses to plan for the coming months. If the hospital is decommissioned, Harrogate Convention Centre will be able to reopen for events, which bring significant money to the town’s hospitality businesses.

West Park Stray appears lush and green after the grass was mowed for the first time since work began in spring.

However, anyone hoping to take advantage of the warm weather this weekend and enjoy the newly-mown grass will have to look elsewhere.

Harrogate Borough Council said an announcement about the reopening of West Park Stray will be made in the coming days, but for now, it remains fenced off.

A drone image of West Park Stray taken today, July 31, by David Simister.

Work to restore the Stray began at the end of April, with Lancashire-based Glendale Services appointed to carry out the work under ‘urgent circumstances’. The organisers of the fan park for the UCI Road World Championships last September, when the damage was done, have agreed to pay £35,500 towards £130,000 of work.

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The council said that sum was not purely for repairs following the UCI event, but comprised repair to other long-standing issues:

• £38,105 for repairs to grassed areas of West Park Stray
• £65,385 for pavement, footpaths, Heras fencing, bedding and verge repairs, reinstatement of bins and benches plus any additional council work
• £20,156 to fix longstanding drainage issues
• £6,325 project management and delivery costs

When seeding began in late June, scarecrows created by local primary school children were put up across the Stray to protect the grass.

The Stray was still showing extensive damage in March

Harrogate Town will play Notts County at Wembley on Sunday in the National League play off final — but fans will agonisingly miss out on a special day out to the home of English football due to social distancing restrictions.

The club has offered a limited number of fans the chance to watch Sunday’s play-off final with fellow supporters at The CNG Stadium.

If you can’t make it to the ground, below is a list of bars and venues in Harrogate that are showing the game live, which will be broadcast on BT Sport at 3pm.

The Harrogate Arms, Parliament Street (online bookings only)

Bilton Working Men’s Club, Skipton Road (non-members welcome)

Manhatten Snooker Club, Beech Avenue (non-members welcome)

Mojo, Parliament Street (online bookings only)

Prince of Wales, Starbeck High Street

Harlow Hill Sports and Social Club, College Street 

Bilton Cricket Club, Bilton Lane

The Woodlands Hotel, Wetherby Road

The following pubs are showing the game but are already fully booked:

The Alexandra, West Park

The Last Post, Cold Bath Road 

Did we miss a pub or bar that is showing the game? Email contact@thestrayferret.co.uk to let us know.

Read more:

• Harrogate Town manager: ‘Promotion can put us on the footballing map’

• Harrogate Town to play outside of Harrogate if they win promotion

The high volume of roadworks around Harrogate is due to a backlog of work caused by lockdown, according to North Yorkshire County Council.

Many of the major routes into town, including Ripon Road, Skipton Road and Leeds Road, have been recently affected by road works this month.

Barrie Mason, assistant director for highways and transportation at the county council, told the Stray Ferret the authority had tried to provide “as close to a business as usual service as possible” during lockdown. But he added:

“Across the country utility companies and developers saw a temporary reduction in resources as a result of the pandemic, which caused delays.

“There was a temporary suspension of planned utilities and developer works while companies considered how staff could safely work on site and adhere to the government’s social distancing guidelines for the benefit of the workforce as well as the public.

“Therefore, many of these planned programmes of works this year have inevitably been affected and delayed.”

Mr Mason added that more people were also using the roads since lockdown restrictions were eased. He added:

“We appreciate that all works cause an element of disruption but as always we ask drivers for their patience while they are being carried out.”