The Harrogate district’s historical buildings, churches and graveyards will open to the public for free again in September as part of a national scheme to encourage people to explore history on their doorstep.

Heritage Open Days, which is billed as England’s largest festival of history and culture, will run from September 10 to 19.

Harrogate Civic Society and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, which maintains Stonefall cemetery, are among those leading the initiative locally.

The civic society has arranged for numerous churches and other landmarks to open for free guided tours. The Gothic revival chapel at Rudding Park, built in 1874, will be included for the first time.

Another new feature this year will be walking tours around places such as Valley Drive and the civic centre. The civic society has organised these in case covid restrictions are in place.

Free guided tours of the Commonwealth War Graves at Stonefall cemetery will also be available.

The civic society will release the full Heritage Open Days programme in the weeks ahead.

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A controversial plan to build 217 homes on Kingsley Drive in Harrogate has been recommended for refusal.

Harrogate Borough Council‘s planning committee will make a decision on Tuesday next week. But council officers have recommended the scheme be rejected.

The council received 388 objections to the scheme and no responses in favour.

The current application, submitted by Persimmon Homes, has seen the number of properties planned on the site reduced from 244 to 217.

The Kingsley ward area will eventually see more than 600 homes built, including developments at Granby Farm and 149 homes on Kingsley Road.

However, residents have raised a number of concerns over Persimmon’s plan, including overdevelopment and traffic congestion.

Officer concerns

Council officers have recommended that councillors on the committee reject the application next week.

Although the site is allocated for housing under the council’s Harrogate district Local Plan 2014-35, which outlines development in the district until 2035, officers have concerns about overdevelopment and inadequate information on surface water drainage and noise.

Read more:

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• Government overturns council decision to refuse 149 homes in Harrogate
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Under the plans, a total of 86 homes would be allocated as affordable housing with the rest being market value homes.

It would see a mixture of one, two, three and four-bedroom homes built.

But an officer report due before councillors says:

“Although overall [the plan] would contribute towards maintaining housing supply within the district, the density of the development and its scale and layout would result in overdevelopment of the site.

“The quantum of dwellings, their resultant layout, extent of frontage parking, private drives and lack of adequate cycle parking along with inappropriate drainage arrangements, inadequate air quality and noise assessments and lack of a number of documents are such that the proposal is clearly contrary to the terms of the development plan.”

The council added that the planned number of homes for the site was 173. The current application, when combined with the nearby Stonebridge Homes development, would see a total of 313 houses built if it was approved.

In a planning statement submitted to the council last month, Persimmon Homes said it had sought to address the authority’s concerns and had completed a “comprehensive re-assessment of the scheme”.

It said of the reduction to 217 homes:

“These changes were necessary to accommodate the level of open space, landscaping and space between dwellings so as to create an effective and coherent urban realm.”

“Nightmare” development

One of the residents who objected to the development was John Hansard, of the Kingsley Ward Action Group.

In a letter to the borough council, Mr Hansard said the area would not be able to cope with another development.

He said:

“We now find ourselves faced with the nightmare of a possible fifth development of another 217 houses from Persimmon. 

“This, in an area which simply does not have the infrastructure, road network, amenities, schools to cope with at least another possible 1,000 extra residents and another possible 500 cars. We have had enough and wish this urban sprawl to stop.”

Another resident, Anthony Buck, told the council that the development would “take away our last remaining open space”.

Sarah Knapper, a resident of Kingsley Park, said:

“This area of Harrogate has already been grossly overdeveloped. 

“This has led to a huge increase traffic and pollution. It has led to a loss of habitat for wildlife and reduction in the quality of life for local residents. The local road infrastructure is already overwhelmed.”

Traffic congestion

Hundreds of residents raised concerns that traffic caused by the development would lead to problems.

They said that the Kingsley area does not have the infrastructure to cope with more cars and that another development would cause congestion issues on nearby Knaresborough Road.

A lorry collided with a car in the Kingsley area this year. There are also concerns about the volume of traffic.

In May, residents called for urgent road safety action after a lorry hit a car in the area.

In an email to the county council, residents said they had “repeatedly” said Kingsley Road was not suitable for construction traffic.

They also objected to a one-way system proposed by developers Persimmon, which would stop traffic entering Kingsley Drive or Wreaks Road from Kingsley Road.

Mr Hansard added in his letter of objection:

“The road network is not capable of supporting the extra number of vehicles likely to impinge on our daily life.”

Puss the cat, who escaped from the Great Yorkshire Show after sneaking into a Scottish farmer’s sheep trailer, was reunited with her tearful and relieved owners this morning.

Farmer David Mitchell and his wife Annette drove 200 miles from East Ayrshire to collect the intrepid moggy who they feared was lost forever.

Mr Mitchell arrived at the showground on Wednesday last week to show sheep. When he opened the trailer, Puss bolted and disappeared. He then had to return to Scotland to tend to his farm.

When news broke that the cat was missing, The Stray Ferret appealed for information to find Puss.

David’s wife Annette even came back to Harrogate last week to look for her but had no success.

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Puss found refuge, and food, at a house in the Crimple Valley a few days ago. The cuddly and friendly feline was well looked after during her Harrogate sojourn,

The Mitchells drove south this morning to collect Puss, who was purring on the lap of Helen McCallum, a volunteer at Harrogate Cat Rescue.

When the couple arrived, there were tears and thanks to the people of Harrogate for looking after their treasured family pet.

Ms Mitchell said:

“It’s just amazing, so it is. It’s a great team of folk down here looking out for other people’s animals.”

A vegan restaurant chain with three sites in Manchester is set to open a fourth site in Harrogate.

Vertigo, which describes itself as a plant-based eatery, has started to fit out the former Stevie’s Bar unit under the Everyman Cinema on Station Parade.

It is unclear exactly when the restaurant will open but the company has said it will be “very soon”.

Although many restaurants have vegan options in Harrogate, it is believed this will be the only dedicated vegan restaurant in town.

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The new venue will have 55 seats and be open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Other Vertigo restaurants serve burgers, bao buns, jackfruit and blackbeen chilli, sweet potato dhal, falafel bowls and more.

The Harrogate menu will also include coffee, cakes and natural wines.

A Harrogate children’s clothing shop may be forced to remove its iconic bears after they became the target of vandals.

Milk and Honey of Harrogate, on Cheltenham Parade, has displayed the bears outside for five years but in the last couple of months they have suffered a lot of damage.

Sarah Elizabeth Wood, the shop manager, takes in the smaller bears overnight and locks the largest bear with a chain locked but even this is not enough to deter troublemakers.

Following the latest attack, which happened just after 3am on Sunday morning, Mrs Wood is considering whether the bears should remain.

CCTV footage from the night showed three people, believed to be teenage boys, attack the bear with a stick before pulling it to the floor and jumping on it.

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Mrs Wood told the Stray Ferret:

“I do think the red carpet and the bears help us get customers because it makes us stand out.

“Everyone who walks past at least comments on the bears or takes a photo with them. So it would just be really sad if we have to take them away.

“I don’t think the bears can take anymore. One more weekend of them being ravaged like that and they will have to go.”

Mrs Wood has tried to repair the broken feet and ears of the bears but she fears that if they are damaged again they may become unstable and fall on people.

She put out a post on Facebook yesterday evening warning that the bears days may be numbered.

The post has had hundreds of reactions, with many people sharing stories of their time with the bears.

Ripon’s Jack Laugher goes for gold at the Olympics tomorrow — but the diving boards at the Harrogate Hydro pool where he used to train have been out of use for eight months.

Laugher began his career with Harrogate District Diving Club, as did Oliver Dingley, who represents Ireland in the Olympic diving tomorrow.

The top club has seen an increase in the number of young people interested in taking up the sport since the Tokyo games began.

But the diving boards at the Hydro, which is owed by Harrogate Borough Council, have been out of action since November last year after cracks were found in the concrete supports.

It means local young divers who aspire to be the next Jack Laugher are having to make do with a mobile one-metre board or travel to another pool in West Yorkshire.

Families have expressed frustration at the apparent lack of urgency to resolve the matter.

Today Richard Cooper, the Conservative leader of Harrogate Borough Council, which owns the Hydro, described the situation as “concerning” and called for a report to be produced within weeks.

In an article on the Community News website run by Andrew Jones, the Conservative MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, Cllr Cooper said:

“This is very concerning and I am hoping to see a further detailed report within the next few weeks with recommendations as to how we can move forward.

“Clearly the safety of customers is paramount and the boards cannot be opened until they are made safe.”

Read more:

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The Stray Ferret asked the council for an update on when the boards will be repaired.

A council spokesperson said there had been no update since its previous statement this month, which said:

“Unfortunately, during a routine inspection of the diving board platform at The Hydro in Harrogate, cracks in the concrete were discovered.

“A further independent survey was carried out to establish the stability, integrity and durability of the diving structure.

“Results show that the diving platform should not be used until work has been carried out.

“We are exploring possible options and will have an update in due course.”

A plan to open Harrogate’s first Lidl supermarket looks set to be given the green light.

Harrogate Borough Council officers have recommended the proposal for Knaresborough Road is approved at a planning committee meeting on Tuesday next week.

If councillors ratify this, it would pave the way for the store to be built on the former Lookers car dealership site.

The multi-million pound proposal includes a 1,263 square metre sales area, an in-store bakery, customer toilets and 94 parking spaces.

It would open from 8am to 10pm Monday to Saturday and 10am to 4pm on Sunday.

Read more:

• Bid to open Lidl in Ripon wins support of city council
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Lidl has also submitted plans for a new store in Ripon.

The German supermarket chain has lodged proposals for a store at St Michael’s Retail Park in the city.

Earlier this month, the application won the support of Ripon City Council.

Cllr Andrew Williams, leader of the city council, said:

“It will bring 40 new jobs, increase choice for Ripon’s residents and also serve our growing population, with the new homes that we have coming on stream.”

Harrogate Cricket Club overcame Wetherby Carr Manor to win the Addison Cup in Knaresborough last night.

The Addison Cup, which is contested by the top 16 teams in the Harrogate and District Amateur Evening Cricket League, is one of the oldest cricket competitions in the world, dating back to 1922.

Harrogate scored 131 for 7 in their 20 overs then limited Wetherby Carr Manor to 99 all out.

Harrogate’s hero was captain Will Bates, who was named man of the match for scoring 59 in a game in which runs were hard to come by.

Will Bates collects his man of the match award.

Skilful, accurate bowling by Harrogate’s opening bowlers led to early wickets and the match was effectively over by the halfway stage of Wetherby Carr Manor’s innings.

Clive Addison, grandson of Harry Addison, who the cup is named after, presented the trophy at Knaresborough Cricket Club on Aspin Lane.

Next year the event will celebrate its 100th year.

Read more:

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Harrogate Clothes Bank will be without a permanent home at the end of this week, meaning services will be cut.

The charity provides free clothing for local people in need but its lease on a unit at McCarthy’s Storage World on Ripon Road, Harrogate is coming to an end.

It means the organisation will no longer be able to offer in-person appointments or accept public donations. It will, however, provide home deliveries.

Mike Procter, the charity’s co-ordinator, said the charity was likely to move its stock to a number of temporary locations until it found a permanent solution.

The clothes bank has already called for new accommodation but with no success. It is in need of a 1,200 square foot unit at an affordable rent.

The space also needs to be in an easily accessible location, ideally on a main bus route.

A Harrogate Clothes Bank Facebook post today said:

“Changes are coming at the clothes bank: Saturday 31st July is our last day at McCarthy’s Storage World before we move into temporary premises. Please call in to see us between 10.30 and 12.30 if you need our service, it will be your last chance to visit in person for a few weeks.

“We are unable to accept donations at the moment.”

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The clothes bank, which is run entirely by volunteers, was set up in 2016. Families in financial difficulty in Harrogate can get in touch on Facebook and inform the charity of its needs.

Mr Procter previously told the Stray Ferret:

“There are many reasons why people may need our help, it could be due to long-term financial issues or a crisis situation causing critical need such as escaping an abusive relationship.

“We will continue to help as many people as we can.”