Otley Road cycleway extension: a welcome boost for active travel or a costly folly?

When transport chief Cllr Keane Duncan announced last year phase two of the Otley Road cycleway had been scrapped, it appeared to signal the end of the project.

It therefore came as a surprise this week when Harlow and Pannal Ash Residents’ Association‘s spring meeting, attended by North Yorkshire Council officers, heard the scheme had been revived.

So what has changed and is the prospect of extending the shared route for cyclists and pedestrians a welcome step forward for active travel or a costly folly?

The cycleway was due to be built in three phases and form part of a safe, off-road cycling route from Harrogate Rail Station to Cardale Park, encouraging people to get out of cars in an area where 4,000 homes are being built.

Phase one, from Cold Bath Road to Harlow Moor Road, was completed late and over budget.

Phase two was supposed to extend east from Cold Bath Road to Beech Grove, eventually connecting to a yet-to-be-built cycleway on Victoria Avenue.

Phase three, extending west from Harlow Moor Drive to Cardale Park, was never officially abandoned but the political will to proceed appeared to have been sapped. So reviving it has attracted considerable debate in recent days, although the route will now only extend 1.1km up Otley Road to Harlow Carr.

The junction of Otley Road and Harlow Moor Road, showing where the cycleway would be extended.

Phase three will be funded by developers as mitigation for building homes in west Harrogate, whereas phase two was due to be funded by the council, which has struggled to secure funding for active travel schemes. This goes a long way to explaining why phase three is going ahead rather than phase two.

Also, unlike previous phases, there won’t be a specific consultation on phase three, limiting the prospect of dissent.

Hapara has distributed leaflets to residents about the plans and clearly isn’t a fan.

The leaflet says:

“The general view of this scheme is that it will not deliver any real benefits to mitigate against the high levels of traffic on Otley Road which is how it was sold when initially launched.

“If the intention is to get more people cycling, which is a perfectly sensible aim, this scheme appears to be an expensive way of delivering the objective. Perhaps a better option would be to publicise the existing network of cycle paths to a greater extent.”

Some residents at this week’s meeting agreed and said the money would be better spent on improving bus services.

But the leaflet drew a stinging rebuke from the campaign group Harrogate District Cycle Action, which fired off a series of tweets that accused Hapara of “misleading” statements.

It is v disappointing to see @HaparaHgt putting out an anti-Otley Road Cycleway leaflet https://t.co/FYUk5bgtJv
If you are anti-cycle infrastructure, you are in effect anti-more people cycling more often @NeilHind @walkbikescoot @HKLibDems @HarrogateGreens 1/ pic.twitter.com/UHlHHa49Gc

— Harrogate Cycle Action (@cycle_harrogate) April 17, 2024

 

For example, the leaflet said construction would result in the loss of five trees around the junction of Otley Rd and Beckwith Road, which Harrogate District Cycle Action said “would only be lost if the council widens the road to create extra lanes for motor vehicles”.

The cycling group also said the leaflet was wrong to say there was a “strong negative public response” to phase two because 104 people told a second round of consultation they were in favour of going ahead while only 83 were against, despite the comments by Cllr Duncan, the council’s executive member for highways, saying the project was shelved due to its unpopularity.

It concluded:

“Overall, the individuals steering Hapara are not serving or representing the residents of the local area well by taking such a hostile stance to cycling. Hapara should be working with the council to create the best cycle facilities possible in Otley Road.”

Speaking after Wednesday’s meeting, Hapara chair Rene Dziabas said:

“I am not opposed to cycling but I do think the whole basis on which this scheme was conceived was wrong. It was never going to provide the mitigation required on Otley Road.”

Cyclists are frustrated about the council failing to deliver on schemes in Harrogate and Knaresborough. While pleased to see progress, many share concerns that such a disjointed scheme on Otley Road will make a significant difference, particularly as without phase two it won’t form the holy grail of an integrated route around town.

Public consultation concerns

Cllr Mike Schofield not only has a political interest in the matter but also a personal one. As the independent North Yorkshire councillor for Harlow and St George’s, the cycleway is on his patch. He is also landlord of the Shepherd’s Dog pub on Otley Road, which the extended cycleway will pass.

The Shepherd’s Dog

Cllr Schofield said he had two concerns:

“Whilst I accept that appropriate legal requirements may have been satisfied I am extremely disappointed that no public consultation is to take place for the residents of Harlow Hill, Beckwithshaw and those who use the Otley Road corridor.

“Yes, residents can make their viewpoints known via the planning portal and searching through the planning application documentation but that can be like wading through a minefield whereas a simple consultation would make it more accessible and easier for residents.”

He added:

“I also have concerns around the developer funding, my worry being that developers of sites that are not on the Otley Road corridor may seek ways of avoiding their financial commitment to the scheme and therefore leaving the residents of Harlow Hill and Beckwithshaw with a substandard and not fit-for-purpose scheme as we have in phase one.

“It seems to me so much is either still undecided, up in the air or being kept very secret.”

The Stray Ferret contacted the council requesting more details about the scheme, including why it had decided to revive it and the expected cost.

A council spokesperson said, as the highways authority, it was a statutory consultee in the planning application process and not the promoters of any of the off-site mitigation measures being offered.

Allan McVeigh, the council’s head of network strategy, added:

“The third phase of Otley Road cycle route has been progressed as part of developer-funded off-site works linked to the west of Harrogate planning applications, rather than a scheme promoted by the council.

“The planning application process will form the consultation, as is the case for all other off-site highway works put forward by developers. The timescale for construction will depend on how the applications progress and are determined.”

The cycle route is back on the agenda. But the route ahead remains unclear.

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North Yorkshire mayoral election: Where do the candidates differ?

As the race to become York and North Yorkshire’s first mayor heats up, candidates have outlined their pledges and promises.

The six candidates contesting the election have published manifestos and pledges which range from the economy to climate change.

Some are eye catching, while others are modest.

The mayor will have an investment fund of £18 million per year, which will go towards powers such as transport, housing and skills.

As candidates go into their last week of campaigning, we look at their pledges and analyse where they differ from each other.

Grand Hotel

Conservative candidate Keane Duncan has unveiled ambitious promises as part of his campaign.

These range from free car parking to introducing facial recognition cameras in North Yorkshire to help tackle crime.

But perhaps his most eye catching pledge is to purchase the Grand Hotel in Scarborough, which first opened in 1867, in order to restore it.

Mr Duncan admitted in a press release that the plan was “radical” and that he would use new mayoral funding to purchase the hotel.

He added that, while he was keen to agree a sale price, he would resort to compulsory purchase powers if necessary.

Keane Duncan

The mayor will have the power to compulsory purchase land for development. However, the mayoral investment fund, which could be used for the project, only extends to £18 million.

The project raises questions over how exactly the hotel would be paid for, what the price would be and how much the regeneration would cost.

Mr Duncan’s pledge echoes that of a similar project carried out by Tees Valley Mayor, Ben Houchen, and the Tees Valley Combined Authority.

In 2018, Mr Houchen and the combined authority purchased Durham Tees Valley Airport for £40 million in order to bring it back into public ownership and prevent it being sold for housing.

Railway stations

Among the various pledges included in Felicity Cunliffe-Lister’s 26-page manifesto is a pledge to lobby for a new railway station at Flaxby.

The promise is unique as no other candidate has mentioned the station specifically.

The Lib Dem candidate’s support for Flaxby Parkway has its roots in a long running saga over the need for a station in the area, which developers Flaxby Park Ltd promised in 2018.

The topic was at the centre of a debate for a new 3,000 home settlement in the Harrogate district, which was subject of a High Court appeal in 2020. The former Harrogate Borough Council later settled instead on an area in Hammerton and Cattal, which will be called Maltkiln.

Felicity Cunliffe-Lister

Ms Cunliffe-Lister made the pledge as part of a wider need for “faster and more reliable service across the north”.

Lobbying for the station would be the extent of her power, should she be elected mayor.

However, funding and business cases for some stations have been secured through partnerships between local authorities and developers. 

Recently, West Yorkshire Combined Authority, Leeds City Council and developer Munroe K secured £26.5 million worth of funding for a station at the White Rose centre in Leeds.

Paul Haslam, who is standing as an independent candidate, has also called for a new station at Claro Road in Harrogate and Mr Duncan, the Conservative candidate, has called for Haxby station to reopen.

The mayor themselves does not have any power to build new stations.

However, as the figurehead of the region’s combined authority, she would have the power to lobby the Department for Transport, local authorities and other government agencies, such as Network Rail, to consider such a project.

Meanwhile, both Mr Haslam and Ms Cunliffe-Lister have also made pledges for a single transferrable ticket on transport across North Yorkshire – which the mayor could include in their transport strategy.

Mayor funds

Both the Labour Party and Green Party have pledged to create mayoral funds to help businesses in York and North Yorkshire.

Creating funds for businesses would likely come from the mayoral investment fund, which will be £18 million for the next financial year.

Labour’s David Skaith has pledged a high street fund, while Kevin Foster of the Green Party has promised an innovation fund.

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Mr Skaith’s announcement included a promise to provide access to support for high street businesses. However, it appears to stop short of putting a figure on how much money would be available.

Meanwhile, Mr Foster said his fund would see £1 million allocated from the mayor’s budget for the next financial year.

Such a move would require discussions with combined authority officials, as Mr Foster acknowledged to the Stray Ferret in a recent interview.

Both pledges would also require support from the combined authority board, as would any proposal drawn up by the mayor.

A59 compensation

The closure of the A59 at Kex Gill has been a contentious issue, not least due to the complaints of business owners on their trade.

Keith Tordoff, the Pateley Bridge-based independent candidate, has sought to capitalise on the issue.

Among his many pledges, he has promised a compensation fund for businesses on the A59.

He said the money would come from wealthy people, businesses and charities in order to invest in the region and would be separate from the £18 million investment fund.

While the closure at Kex Gill is a matter for North Yorkshire Council, such a move from the mayor would need support from the combined authority board – including the two members from North Yorkshire Council.

Photo: Mayoral candidates (clockwise, from top left) Keane Duncan, David Skaith, Felicity Cunliffe-Lister, Paul Haslam, Kevin Foster and Keith Tordoff.

Did you know that Everyman in Harrogate screens National Theatre Live productions?

There’s no need to travel to the Big Smoke to see what’s on at the National Theatre, instead you can feel as though you’re at the renowned theatre in London thanks to the luxury cinema chain’s live screenings at its regional premises.

An initiative operated by the Royal National Theatre in London, it broadcasts live, by satellite, performances of their productions – and those of other theatres – to cinemas and arts centres around the world.

The programme began its pilot season in June 2009 with a production of Phèdre, starring Helen Mirren, which screened live in 70 cinemas across the UK. Two hundred more venues eventually showed the production internationally, resulting in a combined audience of around 50,000 people for this one performance.

The second production, All’s Well That Ends Well, was shown at approximately 300 screens.

Today, the number of venues that show NT Live productions has grown to approximately 700 with 11 million people watching them across the globe. Many of the cinemas also offer repeat screenings of popular productions which are termed as ‘Encores’.

Whether you’re watching Kit Harington go to battle in Henry V, or Phoebe Waller-Bridge delivering her solo tour de force in Fleabag, you’ll be at the heart of the action without the big trip down to London.

Did you know?

Most venues screen the productions live as they are broadcast, but due to time differences in South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and the United States venues in those countries, they show the recorded production some days later.

The actors on stage deliver their performances as they normally would any other night. But to make sure audiences watching in the cinemas have the best seat in the house, it tailors the position of its cameras to capture each production and works closely with technical teams to make sure every element on stage such as lighting, hair and make-up look as good on the big screen so it’s the next best thing to being there.

What National Theatre productions are on this month and next at Everyman Harrogate?

Harrogate’s Everyman is showing Nye, which details the story of Aneurin ‘Nye’ Bevan, the Welshman who has often been referred to as the politician with greatest influence on our country without ever being Prime Minister.

This is all thanks to his tireless campaign for the nationalisation of hospitals that eventually became the birth of the National Health Service in 1948.

Roger Evans (Archie Lush), Michael Sheen (Nye Bevan) and Sharon Small (Jennie Lee). Photography credit: Johan Persson

Written by Tim Price and directed by Rufus Norris, fellow Welshman Michael Sheen plays the title role which delves Bevan into his deepest memories and a mind-bending journey back through his life; from childhood to mining underground, Parliament, and fights with Churchill.

It’s a must-see minus the travel.

Tickets from £19.50, it runs for two hours 40 minutes at 6.45pm on April 23, and 1pm on May 8. Everyman Harrogate, Westgate House, Station Parade, Harrogate, HG1 1HQ.

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Dog owners urged to be ‘vigilant’ amid reported ‘poisoning’ at reservoir near Harrogate

Yorkshire Water has urged dog owners to be “vigilant” after reports of multiple dogs being poisoned at a reservoir near Harrogate.

Owners have taken to social media to report suspected poisoning when walking at Lindley Wood Reservoir, in the Washburn Valley, Harrogate.

Leeds man James Bevan lost his Cockerpoo, Winston, to acute kidney failure from toxic poisoning. The five-year-old dog ate something toxic on Sunday, April 7, at the reservoir and died eight days later.

Winston was a healthy award-winning agility dog and Mr Bevan said in a post on social media:

“Please do not walk in Lindley Wood at the moment with your dog. Tell people who do about this as it can’t be a coincidence and I wouldn’t wish this on anyone.

“I don’t have the words to do this justice right now. Maybe I never will. Everyone knows what he meant to us. My boy. My best friend. My team mate. My world. He changed our lives completely and made everyone who met him love him.”

Other dog owners have also taken to social media to warn walkers about the reservoir. Another dog who died from similar circumstances after being walked at the site was a puppy named Bear.

Lindley Wood, along with nearby Swinsty, Fewston and Thruscross reservoirs is owned by Yorkshire Water.

The company told the Stray Ferret that it was aware of the reports, but at this stage there has been no substance found.

However, a Yorkshire Water spokesperson urged dog owners to remain vigilant and to report anything suspicious at its reservoirs.

They said:

“We are saddened to hear of these incidents, which we were made aware of via social media. Our colleagues have not found anything suspicious at the reservoir, but we would encourage the dog owners to reach out to our customer service team and share specific details of where they were walking at the time so we can establish if this was on land owned by Yorkshire Water, and if so, support with any required investigation.

“In the meantime, we would continue to urge walkers and owners to remain vigilant and keep their dogs on a lead when walking around our reservoirs, for their safety, and the safety of surrounding wildlife.”

The Stray Ferret has also approached North Yorkshire Police for comment.

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Harrogate team take on coast-to-coast cycle on a quadtandem

Four people from the Harrogate district have set out on a coast-to-coast quadtandem challenge for charity.

Thebike ride along 170 mile Way Of The Roses began yesterday in Morecambe at 8am and is set to end tomorrow evening in Bridlington.

The team are raising money for Yorkshire Cancer Research and Yorkshire Air Ambulance. Their target is £5,000 and will be split between the charities.

On the way the team have passed through Pateley Bridge and Ripon, they stayed in Applewick last night and will dismount in York tonight.

The quadtandem is handmade using parts from four scrap bikes that the team found on scrap piles and Facebook marketplace, which have been welded together. The creation took a few months to complete.

The team is made up of Pete Wyldbor, riding in first position, Tom Hardy, in second, Ed Yates in third and Paul Abbott at the rear.

The team on their 170 mile ride

The team have honoury members in the form of their substitute rider, Ian Lythe, who will take over third position tomorrow, and John Marshall, the team’s top supporter and is at the ready with spare parts.

The team are all from the district, with members from Harrogate, Knaresborough, Pateley Bridge and Scotton.

The challenge began as an idea from Mr Wyldbor, 40, who crafted the four-person bike. He revealed the inspiration behind the challenge was the 2006 film ‘Beerfest’, in a scene where five people ride one bike.

Mr Wyldbor said:

“I just thought I’d make one, just for something to do and it all escalated from there. It is a mad idea so I thought it would be good to put it to use for worthwhile charities. If we were doing it for the sake of it that would be nuts.

“We all know someone, friends or family who have been touched by cancer in the past and you really never know when you might need an air ambulance.

“None of us are cyclists and the weather has been against us, we are tired and the hills have been horrific, I will be scrapping the bike when we are done, but we are keeping going for good causes.”

The team at Morcambe, the start of their challenge

To donate to the team’s fundraiser click here.

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The businessman tasked with winning Labour the North Yorkshire mayoral election

David Skaith is tasked with winning York and North Yorkshire’s mayoral election for Labour in under two weeks’ time.

The York-based businessman joined the party in 2015 after becoming “fed up” with the way the country was going politically.

Born and raised in Harrogate, Mr Skaith studied at York St John University and later set up his men’s clothing brand, Winstons of York, in the city. He has run the business for eight years.

After an unsuccessful campaign to win a seat on Labour-run City of York Council in 2023, he is now tasked with making the first Mayor of York and North Yorkshire a Labour one.

In an interview with the Stray Ferret, he says he sees the role as one that is more business-orientated, rather than political.

He said:

“I wanted to stand because I see it as different to a traditional political role, such as an MP or a councillor.

“It lends itself to someone who has come from a business background. It’s a job that is about representing York and North Yorkshire, showing leadership and bringing organisations together.”

Mr Skaith meets Lilla Bathurst, Ripon BID manager, on a visit to Ripon.

Mr Skaith meets Lilla Bathurst, Ripon BID manager, on a visit to Ripon.

Mr Skaith, who is also chair of the York High Street Forum, has focussed many of his pledges on helping people and businesses.

Inspired by a similar scheme in neighbouring West Yorkshire, he has promised to introduce a cost of living support fund to help those who are struggling financially.

He has also announced that his term as mayor would also include a high street fund which will be designed to support businesses financially and strategically.

“That [the high street fund] is going to bring in support and investment to support our high streets across the region.

“I know growing up in Harrogate that Harrogate town centre is not maybe where it was a few years ago. A lot of town centres and high streets are the same, even in York as well.”

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Mr Skaith says he is confident going into the election May 2.

He points to the resurgence of Labour in the national polls, plus the fact that the party has mayors in West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire and Greater Manchester.

Mr Skaith says he has spoken to and met with current Labour mayors Tracy Brabin in West Yorkshire and Andy Burnham in Greater Manchester during his campaign.

He said:

“They all see York and North Yorkshire as a real key area for the north because it is really going to join up the rest of Yorkshire with the south and west and link that east west connection.”

‘I want to be Mayor of York and North Yorkshire and nothing else’

With under two weeks to go until voters go to the polls, Mr Skaith says his team will continue canvassing across the county — including in Harrogate, which traditionally has backed Conservatives and Liberal Democrats.

When asked why he felt confident going into polling day, he said that he hoped that voters would see him as someone who is passionate about the area.

“This is not something that I’m doing for glory and a title, it’s something I’m doing because I’m completely dedicated to it and passionate about it.

“I’m completely fed up with how the country has gone in the last 14 years and I think that passion is coming through. I’m not just another politician, I have some real world experience of having a business and a family and I think that resonates with people. It’s not just another career politician who is coming in for a pay day and onto the next step.

“I don’t want that. I want to be Mayor of York and North Yorkshire and nothing else.”

The York and North Yorkshire mayor will be chosen by residents of the region in an election on Thursday, May 2, 2024.

The full list of candidates are:

We will feature an interview with Conservative candidate, Keane Duncan, on Monday.

Rivers charity seeks volunteers to join River Nidd improvement project

A charity in Pateley Bridge is recruiting volunteers to take part in a project to improve the quality of the River Nidd.

Yorkshire Dales Rivers Trust received £500,000 from Yorkshire Water last year after the company breached its permitted level of sewage discharge into Hookstone Beck, in Harrogate. The incident in 2016 led to the loss of fish and invertebrates.

The trust has now joined forces with the Wild Trout Trust and Nidd Action Group to deliver the iNidd scheme to improve the river and is seeking volunteers.

Charlotte Simons, senior project manager at the trust, said:

“The £500,000 payment has enabled us to redouble our efforts in monitoring the health of the River Nidd and its tributaries, which will help us target our restoration plan.

“The appointment of a river enhancement project manager to oversee this iNidd workstream means that we have been able to start building partnerships and are now ready to recruit a cohort of volunteers, who will be specially trained to support the programme.”

The charity is looking for 20 people to join the riverfly monitoring programme and monitor aquatic invertebrate populations in a certain part of the river.

Volunteers will be required between May and September. No prior experience is needed.

Ms Simons added:

“Riverfly monitoring is a vital tool in establishing the overall health of a stretch of river, since testing the chemistry of the river water only offers a snapshot of actual pollution levels.

“Animals in our rivers respond to water quality throughout their whole life span with many aquatic invertebrates such as caddisfly and dragonfly larvae and nymphs not able to survive in polluted water, so their presence or absence is a very strong indicator of pollution levels.”

The trust said all training, equipment and protective gear will be provided.

To sign up, email jennifer.lee@ydrt.co.uk.

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Andrew Jones MP highlights housing estate problems in Commons debate

The problems experienced by residents on new housing estates were highlighted by Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones in a House of Commons debate yesterday. 

The debate on New Build Homes Standards: North Yorkshire – in reality a single question-and-answer exchange between two members of the same party – was the final item of the afternoon session. 

Mr Jones said he had been running a ‘fair deal for new estates’ campaign for over a year and had been alerted to the issue when residents in newbuild properties came to him for support in dealing with problems they were having with their new homes.   

He said: 

“There are too many individual cases to detail in this debate. We are talking about over 200 cases located across Harrogate, Knaresborough and some surrounding villages, so the issue is not limited to a specific geography.

“The developments include Kings Croft, Garten Close, Harlow Green, Swincliffe Mews and others.”

Kings Croft is a Harron Homes scheme in Killinghall, Garten Close is an Avant development in Knaresborough, Harlow Green is a Taylor Wimpey scheme in Harrogate and Swincliffe Mews is a Newby development in Harrogate.

Mr Jones said the problems could be divided into two groups: issues with individual properties and issues across whole estates. 

Estate-wide issues cover matters such as drainage, road surfacing, street lighting, street signage and play areas, and “simply being a good neighbour during the final build-out of an estate by keeping roads as clean as possible, and making consideration for delivery times and the types of vehicles used”.

Screengrab of Andrew Jones MP speaking in a House of Commons debate on New Build Homes Standards: North Yorkshire.

Andrew Jones MP addressing the House of Commons yesterday. Image: Parliamentlive.tv.

He said: 

“I have had complaints about how long it has been taking to finish estates and how the focus can seem to move on when much of an estate has been sold. One issue that is regularly raised is about drainage for open spaces, play areas or individual homes. I have seen blocked drains, as well as standing water significant enough to reach front doors and threaten to flood individual properties, which is very worrying for residents.” 

On problems with individual properties, he said: 

“Issues raised with me range from totally inadequate guttering to very patchy fitting of insulation, from window panes separating from their frames to poorly fitted bannisters, and from walls having to be rebuilt to bathrooms having to be taken out and replacements fitted. That is just a snapshot because the list is long.” 

He said he had been dealing with housebuilders including Taylor Wimpey, Avant Homes and Harron Homes. 

Last April, he met representatives of Barratt Homes to discuss concerns raised by residents of the Hay-a-Park Barratt development in Knaresborough – the building of which finished many years ago. 

In the debate, Mr Jones spoke of the the need for housebuilders to be more proactive in their communication and keep householders informed. He said: 

“I have raised this point with housebuilders and, in all cases, they have recognised that there have been communication problems—no one has attempted to deny it—and, indeed, they have sought to correct them.” 

Mr Jones rounded off his speech by asking for an update on the government’s work on future homes and building standards. 

In response, Jacob Young, Conservative MP for Redcar and Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, said that more needed to be done to address homebuyers’ concerns where standards had fallen short. He said: 

“We have been taking action to ensure that happens: reforming building control as part of the biggest changes to the construction sector in a generation; and strengthening warranties to give homebuyers greater protection.” 

He also spoke about the government’s work on construction skills, energy efficiency and the new homes ombudsman. He added: 

“Ultimately, it is private developers, not the state, that hold the key to raising standards. Only by local and central Government working together with developers can we ensure that new homes being built in Yorkshire and across the country are safe, decent, warm and finished to a high standard, and that buyers in my hon. Friend’s constituency and elsewhere are treated fairly.”

But the Liberal Democrats’ parliamentary candidate, Tom Gordon, laid into that the government’s record on regulating developers. He told the Stray Ferret:

“After 14 years in Government it is clear that the Conservatives have failed to stop dodgy developers and the pain they inflict on new homeowners.
“The Conservative-run council have consistently dropped the ball on planning matters, including failing to produce a local plan in a timely fashion, which led to a free-for-all for developers.
“This isn’t a new issue. The Conservatives have let developers get away with this time and time again, if they haven’t fixed this in 14 years then how can residents trust their words now?
“Liberal Democrat MPs have led debates on this Parliament and tabled amendments to the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill that would strengthen the law to protect people against dodgy developers. If the Conservatives and Government were serious about this they would take the chance to strengthen the law now.”

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Harrogate RAF veteran receives 850 cards for 100th birthday

A Harrogate RAF veteran was flooded with more than 850 cards for his recent 100th birthday.

A Facebook group dedicated to the RAF launched an appeal to send Stanley Clark, who lives in Harcourt Gardens Care Home, 100 cards for his milestone birthday.

However, after the post went global, he received more than eight times the anticipated amount – including one from King Charles III.

Mr Clarke, who joined the air force at just 16 as an electrical fitter in 1940, went on to become a servicing commando, RAF pilot and station commander. He served in North Africa and Europe before retiring in 1979.

The veteran woke up to birthday wishes from former service men and women from across America, Canada and Australia.

Mr Clarke said:

“I just want to say thank you so much to everyone who sent me these wonderful cards and gifts, this was totally unexpected and overwhelming but very much appreciated.”

He spent his centenary birthday enjoying afternoon tea alongside friends and family who had travelled from Australia and Canada.

Home manager at Harcourt Gardens, Adelina Pangilinan, also said:

“The cards just kept on coming, it was quite amazing.

“Nobody knew just how well the request would be received and it was absolutely wonderful to see the look on Stanley’s face when we delivered him the cards.

“It’s clear to see that Stanley, alongside all the other brave and admirable veterans are part of a very tight knit community and it’s wonderful see the support and admiration for him.”

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Harrogate woman competes on MasterChef

A woman originally from Harrogate is competing on this seasons MasterChef.

Abi Kempley, 21, was born and brought up in Harrogate but now lives in Leeds and works in sales for her family’s business.

The BBC One cookery show, which sees UK chefs battle it out to win the MasterChef trophy, is now in its 20th series. It is judged and hosted by culinary duo John Torode and Gregg Wallace.

Abi appeared in this week’s firs episode (Series 20, episode 9) and made her way through to knockout week.

In the episode, Gregg Wallace said:

“In a room full of great cookery we did have two absolutely stand out contestants, and those contestants are going straight through to knockout week.”

He added one of those was Abi, who along with fellow chefs Dinta and Tom was put through to the next round.

At the end of the episode Abi said:

“I definitely want more than knockout week, you can’t just get to knockout week and get knocked out, that would be rubbish.”

In a previous interview with the BBC, she said:

“Food has always been a massive part of my life. My family have always enjoyed eating out, everywhere we went when I was growing up was influenced by where we could eat. I think this has massively impacted my own cooking style – I love to cook what I love to eat. I’ve always loved Japanese and Asian flavours, and this is always what I love to eat when out. In 2020 I started trying to recreate these dishes from home and my cooking has developed from there.”

She revealed her mum pushed her to apply for the show:

“I love cooking and I love food, and wanted a challenge and to see that I really can cook.”

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