Harrogate businesses back £47m conference centre renovation

Harrogate business leaders have urged the local authority to press ahead tomorrow with plans for a £46.8m renovation of the town’s convention centre.

Harrogate Borough Council’s cabinet will recommend spending £1.1m on a detailed feasibility study and a full economic impact assessment, according to confidential cabinet documents seen by The Stray Ferret.

The prospect of this leading to such a huge investment in the centre of Harrogate has alarmed some people in Ripon, Knaresborough and Pateley Bridge, who fear their locations won’t reap the benefits.

But businesses in Harrogate have said investment is necessary for the survival of the town’s hotels, restaurants and bars.

Simon Cotton, managing director of the HRH Group, whose properties include the Yorkshire Hotel, the White Hart Hotel and the Fat Badger pub, said the visitor economy was “massively driven” by the centre, which is currently being used as a Nightingale hospital. He added:

“The hotels are really feeling the effects of it being closed. Some are asking whether they can afford to stay open.

“I absolutely support investment. I don’t see an alternative.”

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A spokesperson for Harrogate Hospitality & Tourism Association said redevelopment “will help Harrogate attract new events and drive even more business to the town, which is great for local restaurants, retailers and the hotel and accommodation sector”.

Sandra Doherty, chief executive of Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce, said the “backbone of the town” would change if Harrogate lost the centre.

But Ms Doherty said the centre was “far behind its rivals, which offer more adaptive space to include breakout rooms, the ability to offer smaller conference space and the technology to support it”. She added:

“The need to invest should be part of a rolling programme rather than years of little to no investment, which results in the big ticket option we are faced with today.”

Sara Ferguson, acting chair of the Harrogate BID, said:

“It’s vital we have a modern facility, one that will continue to attract major clients from not just within the UK, but from abroad too.”

270 homes and primary school proposed for Whinney Lane

Plans have been submitted for 270 homes and a new primary school on Whinney Lane.

Durham-based developer Banks Group is behind the proposals for the site, which is designated for development within Harrogate Borough Council’s Local Plan.

Whinney Lane in Pannal Ash is one of Harrogate’s main pressure points for new housing and the site is located directly opposite the Castle Hill Farm development where work has already begun on 130 homes.

With 2,500 new homes in various stages of development on the south side of Harrogate, HBC would like to see new schools built in the area to ease pressure on local primary schools in Pannal, Rossett Acre and Beckwithshaw.

The primary school would be built at the top of Whinney Lane opposite Castle Hill Drive and documents say it would employ 40 full-time staff. No details about the number of pupils are available.

Banks Group is proposing a mix of 1 bedroom (29%), 2 bedroom (38%), 3 bedroom (28%) and 4 bedroom (4%) homes. 40% will be affordable.

The developer suggests the development could generate HBC about £3m over six years as a result of the government’s New Homes Bonus scheme in addition to £500,000 per year in council tax payments.

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Notices were placed on Whinney Lane about the plans on July 16. However, Whinney Lane closed this week for seven months for highways improvements related to the new housing.

Residents say people will now not see the notices or be able to raise any objections before the deadline of August 16.

Speaking to the Stray Ferret, resident Ian Watson questioned why the green planning notification signs were put up on a road that is now closed.

He said:

“Very few people will know about the green signs. And, with a partial lockdown still with the pandemic very few people are out. The footpath will be closed. The road is not used by cars.”

In response, a spokesperson for Banks Group said it had posted nine notices at locations on Whinney Lane, Castle Hill Drive and Lady Lane.

The spokesperson added:

“They have been placed in nine different locations around the area, which will hopefully provide local people with plenty of opportunity to see what’s being proposed.”

The plans will go before HBC’s planning committee later this year.

YEC Flooring Show moves to new Harrogate venue

A trade show usually held at Harrogate Convention Centre in September has announced it will stay in Harrogate, with new dates released.

With the future of the NHS Nightingale still unconfirmed, The Flooring Show has struck at deal with Yorkshire Event Centre to use its halls from February 28 to March 2 next year.

It is good news for the town’s economy, keeping visitors in the area to use hotels, guesthouses, restaurants, bars and more during the event. Organisers said they will put on a free shuttle bus for delegates to access the town’s “unique charm and plentiful amenities”.

Heather Parry, Managing Director of Yorkshire Event Centre Ltd said:

“We are delighted to be able to host The Flooring Show at the Yorkshire Event Centre and ensure that the UK’s biggest national flooring event remains here in Harrogate.

“Harrogate continues to be an ideal destination to hold events, in keeping with the latest government advice on social gatherings. We are pleased to play our part in supporting the local economy.”

Event director Alex Butler said:

“We have been in discussions with our exhibitors and visitors to find a new date for The Flooring Show that will work for the whole industry. After listening to key stakeholders, it’s clear that moving to the early part of 2021 is the preferred option for the sector to meet and do business.

“As well as sourcing the latest products, we know that networking and making valuable new connections is a hugely important part of The Flooring Show. There is no substitute for those face-to-face interactions, and they will be much easier to facilitate next year.”

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The show also plans to keep its usual September dates in 2021, meaning there will be two events next year, though the venue has yet to be confirmed.

Pool and gym opens at Harrogate Hydro with safety measures

The Hydro in Harrogate will reopen tomorrow with new safety measures in place for the pool and gym.

All sessions will need to be pre-booked to help the centre control numbers and allow for cleaning.

The safety measures mean that people will only be able to swim for up to 45 minutes and use the gym for up to an hour. Anyone who turns up early will need to queue outside or wait in their cars.

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Harrogate Borough Council has not yet given a date for the reopening of its other leisure facilities.

This comes after the council gave its backing to an overhaul of its leisure services. It will mean that the council will hand over control to its new company.

Heading to the pool?

Those heading to the pool will be allocated their own changing cubicle and locker to ensure social distancing.

However, the current guidelines mean that the showers will need to remain off-limits.

The council has limited the number of people who can swim to a maximum of five per lane. Family sessions will be in the activity pool.

At the end of the session, the staff will ask people to leave as soon as possible.

Heading to the gym?

There are no lockers or changing cubicles available for those visiting Brimhams Fitness Centre so people will need to turn up ready for their sessions.

Staff have widened the space between equipment and limited the number of members in each zone, so there may be a wait.

The council has also provided cleaning equipment for gym users to apply before and after their workouts.

Knaresborough and Ripon market traders call for public support against rent rise

A petition headed ‘Save Your Market’ is being launched in Knaresborough tomorrow.

Market traders in both Knaresborough and Ripon hope public support will force Harrogate Borough Council to cancel rent increases of more than 25% from Saturday which, they say, will put some of them out of business.

The petition, which will be available to sign at stalls at Knaresborough Market tomorrow and Ripon Market on Thursday, calls for ‘urgent’ public support to make the council think again about the increase. It says:

“Increasing the cost of rent and stall assembly to traders by over 25% will mean that it will not be financially viable to continue trading for several market traders.

“Other local councils helped market traders who could trade during lockdown providing essential food products. This was through charging no rent or discounting rent.

“When non-food traders were allowed to return, after not being able to trade for 3 months, full rent was charged despite other local councils providing financial assistance.

“This 25% increase is being introduced on August 1 and excludes VAT which is charged by Harrogate Borough Council but not by other councils, most traders are not VAT registered so cannot recover the VAT.

“This will lead to the loss of more traders from the ancient markets of Knaresborough and Ripon.

At a full council meeting earlier this month, Councillor Andrew Paraskos, the HBC cabinet member whose portfolio includes the markets across the Harrogate district, said:

“There is a rumour going around that Harrogate Borough Council is wanting to get rid of the markets. This is not true.”

In response to questions raised by Ripon Independent councillor Pauline McHardy, he said measures had been put in place to support and promote the markets – including the waiving of fees for those traders who were not allowed to attend for 11 weeks because of government restrictions and the holding of rental levels at the 2019-2020 rates from April until July.

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Stephen Teggin, pictured, president of Knaresborough Chamber of Trade and a long-time supporter of the town’s market – which is the longest continuously operating in England – described the council’s handling of spending across the district as ‘unfair’.

In response to news that the council plans a multi-million pounds package of spending on Harrogate Convention Centre, Mr Teggin told The Stray Ferret:

“It’s all about Harrogate. We are struggling like mad to keep Knaresborough going and attract tourists and the council finds £50m to keep something going that already loses money.”

Emotional goodbye for Harrogate jeweller after 43 years

A Harrogate jeweller may shed a tear when he closes the doors for the final time in the next month after 43 years in business.

GA Taylor, on Oxford Street, is coming up to the end of its five-year lease in September but will not renew after the owners saw sales dwindle.

They are holding a closing down sale.

The shop’s owners did not blame coronavirus and said it had plenty of government support. But, they said, the business is not viable going forward.

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It has seen a spike in interest recently after holding a closing down sale, but will close when the stock runs out, which could be in the next few weeks.

Andrew Taylor, son of the owner Graham Anthony Taylor, told The Stray Ferret:

“It’s sad but positive at the same time. Speaking for my father, it is hard to tell that anything is happening, but when we close that door for the final time I think it will be emotional for him.

Through the years we have seen a lot of changes in Harrogate. It was quite a prosperous business when we first set up but there wasn’t the competition from online shops.”

They have seen a spike in interest since the closing down sale.

Mr Taylor added that a combination of high rent and low footfall in the area has made it difficult for the business going forward.

Since announcing the closure, GA Taylor has been inundated with supportive messages from former customers – many of whom reminisced about buying their wedding rings from the long-standing firm.

Harrogate Convention Centre investment ‘obscene’, says Mayor of Ripon

The Mayor of Ripon has denounced a £46.8 million investment in Harrogate Convention Centre as a waste of money which will not benefit people elsewhere in the district.

It comes as senior councillors on the borough council will decide on Wednesday whether to spend £1 million to develop plans for the upgrade and spend £155,000 over three years to appoint a project manager.

A confidential cabinet report leaked to the Stray Ferret warns the HCC “will not survive” unless councillors approve a £46.8 million project, which includes full renovation of the venue.

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But, the decision has raised concern among those in the wider district who feel that the investment is centred on what economic benefit can be increased in Harrogate and not in the surrounding areas.

Eamon Parkin, mayor of Ripon 2019-20

Cllr Eamon Parkin, Mayor of Ripon.

Cllr Eamon Parkin, independent mayor of Ripon, said the city and its residents will not benefit from the investment. He added that few visit the convention centre.

Cllr Parkin said:

“It’s an obscene amount of money.

“We never benefit from it here in Ripon. In my opinion, there is never anything worth going to.

“My background is in entertainment and a building like that should be attracting big names, but there is never anything on. I think it is shambolic.”

He added that the HCC suffered from better events and entertainment being held at Leeds Arena.

Meanwhile, opposition Liberal Democrat councillors said years of underinvestment has damaged the HCC and council officials need to “bite the bullet” and invest in the venue.

Pat Marsh, leader of the Lib Dems and board member at the HCC, said the future of the centre was a stark decision between spending money on the centre and walking away from it.

Despite the coronavirus pandemic, Cllr Marsh said people will still want to meet at events in person and attend conferences which the HCC needed to be prepared for.

But, she added that any move to spend money on the centre needed to be value for money for taxpayers.

Cllr Marsh said:

“It is a stark decision between investing in the centre or selling it and walking away.

“It is valuable to the local economy. We have to bite the bullet and unless someone can come forward with another way, I cannot see any other way than investing for our people.

“What we need to do is make sure that there is value for money. We have got to make sure that this investment is key for the taxpayer.”

Harrogate Borough Council was approached for comment to respond to the concerns of those in the wider district, but did not respond.

However, the authority has always maintained that the venue has a benefit to the district and that the renovation will help to improve the economy.

Cllr Graham Swift, cabinet member for economic development, said last week:

“Harrogate Convention Centre makes such an important contribution to the district’s economy.

“It is central to the viability of many hundreds of businesses and our recent experience of lockdown shows just what a positive difference it makes locally.

“Redeveloping the centre will make it a much more flexible space that can attract a broader customer base and will have the potential to substantially increase its economic contribution.

“It will also enable us to create a unique facility we can all be proud of which also attracts new events to Harrogate, the district and North Yorkshire.

“I hope my fellow councillors will support this initial investment that will enable us to get the ball rolling on design and construction plans.”

Clap for Saint Michael’s Hospice who cared for friend’s “soul-mate”

A Harrogate resident has organised an emotional tribute to her friend who was cared for in her final days by Saint Michael’s Hospice.

Anne Boland lost her “soul mate” Dora Storey this month. Dora was cared for by the home service palliative team at Harrogate-based charity Saint Michael’s.

To say thank you, Anne invited residents from her street to clap for the end of life team when the hearse carrying Dora passed by on Friday.

Both Anne and Dora worked in end of life care for over 25 years. Anne said:

“Dora knew how ill she was and wanted to die at home – she got her wish and for the last weeks of her life received the most wonderful care. We both felt the Saint Michael’s home care service was thoughtful, responsive and that the level of communication between services was extraordinary.

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Residents of Poplar Crescent as well as a member of the Saint Michael’s home team lined the street to applaud as the hearse drove past. Anne said:

“I invited the street to come and applaud as I wanted to be able to honour Dora and at the same time, draw attention to the wonderful teams who work in local palliative care.”

More than 100 Eat Out to Help Out businesses in Harrogate district

From next week people will be able to ‘Eat Out to Help Out’ by taking advantage of a 50% discount on food and non-alcoholic drinks in the Harrogate district.

More than 100 restaurants, cafes, bars, and pubs in the district have signed up to the new government scheme to boost hospitality.

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It is valid all day Monday to Wednesday from August 3 to 31, as long the town or city is not in lockdown.

Customers can get a maximum of £10 off food and drink when they eat or drink in. There’s no minimum spend and it can be used in conjunction with other offers.

The government has released a list of establishments registered for the scheme, which we have compiled by area. If your business is not on the list then get in touch.

Harrogate – 66

Knaresborough – 14

Ripon – 9

Boroughbridge – 6

Nidderdale – 6

Masham – 4

No further Covid deaths for the whole of Yorkshire

There have been no further deaths in hospital patients with coronavirus across the whole of the North East and Yorkshire, according to today’s figures.

It means the number of deaths at Harrogate District NHS Foundation Trust remains at 82, with no deaths for the last 12 days.

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NHS England confirmed a further 10 deaths today across the country, bringing the total number since the beginning of the outbreak to 29,291.

Of those reported today, all 10 were aged between 48 and 93 and had known underlying health conditions.