All NHS staff working at Harrogate District Hospital will be able to park their cars for free during the coronavirus pandemic.

The government will cover the cost after a petition calling for the move reached over 400,000 signatures.

It also comes after some private firms decided to waive fees for NHS staff, who can pay up to £1,300 a year to park according to the GMB union.

Matt Hancock, the health secretary, said: “I will do everything I can to ensure our dedicated staff have whatever they need.

“So we will provide free car parking for our NHS staff who are going above and beyond every day in hospitals across England.”

Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust sent out a message to staff before the announcement to say that parking charges would be scrapped.

With a surge of volunteers signing up to help at hospitals, they will be able to use council parking bays for free.

They just need to display evidence of their role in their windscreen to avoid a ticket.

Ministers are also urging all businesses near hospitals to work with their local NHS Trusts to consider allowing NHS staff to use their car parks.

The leader and chief executive of Harrogate Borough Council have issued a public statement on coronavirus for the first time since the pandemic started.

Read their message here in full:

This is probably one of most challenging times either of us have faced in local government and as you can imagine we, as a local authority, are focussed on continuing to deliver the best service we can to residents, businesses and customers who need it the most.

We have undertaken reviews of all our services so that we can support everyone in our community, especially the most vulnerable. We are also working closely with North Yorkshire County Council, and other vital services such as the NHS and volunteer sector, to ensure we provide the best service we can in these unprecedented times.

Understandably a lot of people will have questions and concerns so we’d like to share some of the latest information from Harrogate Borough Council.

Following an announcement by government, around £40million will be made available to support Harrogate district businesses in the coming weeks. This funding will be in the form of business rates relief and government grant and details will be made available on our website in due course.

This message comes just days after the former Director of Communication for the Tory Party accused Cllr Richard Cooper and Andrew Jones MP of a lack of leadership.

Our commercial tenants will be offered three months’ rent free and we’ll be doing all that we can to encourage other landlords in the district to consider what support they can offer their tenants.

We’re also looking at what financial support can be provided to residents who need it the most.

As you may have already noticed, our leisure centres, swimming pools, community centres, Turkish Baths, museums, children’s play areas, etc. are obviously closed until further notice to help prevent the spread of this disease. Please abide by these closures to help prevent the spread of this disease.

Many of our staff who work across these sites have kindly volunteered to support our other services, such as waste collections, during this time and we’d like to thank them publicly for doing so. This reiterates just how dedicated we are to serving the community, just like the many other people are doing across the district.

The leader of Harrogate Borough Council Richard Cooper.

While on the subject of waste and recycling collections. We’re working hard to make sure our waste and recycling collections take place as usual, but disruption is anticipated so please bear with us.

A number of other services we provide will obviously be affected by this pandemic and again will be changing daily. Therefore, I’d encourage any residents to visit: www.harrogate.gov.uk/covid19 for the latest council information and where they can also sign up for our residents’ news.

I’m sure many of you are feel anxious about what is happening and are struggling if you are self-isolating alone. We’d like to ask that everyone looks out for one another and to think about those in your own community who might need help, while following the latest guidance. This might be getting in groceries, collecting medication or delivering a hot meal. Even just a phone call to an elderly neighbour can help wonders.

NYCC are working with community organisations to ensure vulnerable people are looked after and we’re supporting their efforts in doing so. Anyone needing help should contact the county council’s customer service centre on 01609 780780.

The charity Mind also has lots of information, from eating healthy to regular exercise, so please do visit their website if you are feeling anxious.

This is a fast changing environment, something most of us have never experienced before, and the latest advice and guidance is changing frequently. We are therefore following government and NHS advice and suggest residents do as well. This can be found at: www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19

On Saturday, Harrogate Hospital  made an ‘urgent appeal’ for more volunteers as the Coronavirus pandemic worsens. A spokesperson from the Hospital has since posted  to say they have been ‘overwhelmed’ with the rapid response from the community. We have been speaking to some of those who have applied to volunteer.

North Yorkshire has recorded its biggest daily rise in confirmed coronavirus cases since records began.

The latest data from Public Health England has revealed that there are currently 45 COVID-19 cases.

It is a rise of 15 cases from the day before but that number could be far higher in reality.

At the moment, only patients in hospitals are being tested for coronavirus on a regular basis.

More regular testing could mean that those who have recovered from coronavirus and are now immune will be able to go back to work.

So far, one patient has died with coronavirus at Harrogate District Hospital with 463 deaths nationwide.

A young Harrogate farming family with underlying health conditions has urged walkers to stay off their land during the coronavirus pandemic.

Despite the lockdown, which was imposed on Monday, the farm in Haverah Park has seen an increase in people passing through.

Francesca Ryder, who farms sheep and suckler cattle with her husband Josh, are both in the high-risk category for COVID-19.

She fears that people will bring the virus to her home by touching gates, walls and other surfaces on their way through.

“People are treating it like it’s a bank holiday, not a health crisis.”

Francesca told the Stray Ferret: “When we politely ask people to avoid this footpath until the pandemic is over we often get abuse in return.

“We only want to protect our health, People don’t realise that their choice to walk here could kill us.

She fears for her family.

“A lot of people saying they’ll come through just to prove their rights. We know that legally we can’t obstruct the footpath.

“We’ve tried to get a temporary closure from the councils but they are so busy with the pandemic they haven’t given us a straight answer yet.

“We feel that it’s very important to protect ourselves and other farming families – there are five others on this footpath with equally vulnerable family members.”

What are the lockdown rules?

• People can only leave their home to exercise once a day, to commute to work when it is necessary or to shop for food or medicine
• North Yorkshire Police will soon have the power to fine people between £30 and £1,000 for breaching the rules

So far, there are 30 confirmed coronavirus cases in North Yorkshire with one death at Harrogate District Hospital.

Businesses in the Harrogate district will get a share of a new £40 million support package to help them stay afloat during the coronavirus pandemic.

Any business eligible for small business rate relief or rural relief will get a £10,000 grant while hospitality and leisure businesses with a rateable value between £15,000 and £51,000 will get a £25,000 grant.

Those hospitality and leisure businesses, regardless of rateable value, will not need to pay any business rates during the 2020/2021 financial year.

It comes as Harrogate Borough Council announces that its commercial tenants will be able to get three months rent free.

Councillor Richard Cooper, leader of Harrogate Borough Council, said: “We know businesses are struggling.

“Our business rates team are geared up to process tens of millions of pounds of government cash to support local businesses.

“As soon as it hits our bank account we will be getting it into the bank accounts of local businesses.

“We have also been lobbying government on behalf of freelancers and the self-employed who make up a significant part of our local workforce. We are expecting announcements on this over the coming days.

“But we want to go further. So we will be offering nearly all our commercial tenants three months’ rent-free.

“This includes some shops on our high streets, Harrogate Theatre and other offices and business premises around the district.”

More information on these initiatives will be available on the Harrogate Borough Council website.

A tough year lies ahead for charities in the Harrogate district after swathes of fundraising events were cancelled due to the coronavirus outbreak. 

From supporters taking part in the London Marathon to their own community activities, charities rely heavily on numerous events in their annual calendars. 

Now, with almost every event being cancelled because of the coronavirus crisis, many are left wondering how they will meet their costs. 

Stephen Tongue, director of fundraising at Henshaws, said:

“We have got all our usual costs and additional costs of getting back-up staffing and deep cleaning areas – that’s quite expensive.

“It’s a challenging time. We do have some money coming in, but there’s a huge question mark over so many events.”

The charity held an art auction in early March and, even then, attendance was only around half of what was expected. Meanwhile, several upcoming fundraisers have been cancelled, including Knaresborough Beer Festival in May. 

Stephen is hopeful two outdoor events – a golf day at Rudding Park and a Yorkshire Three Peaks walk – will be able to take place in June and July, depending on government advice at the time. Its corporate donations, however, may also dwindle over the coming weeks as SMEs in the Harrogate district – a key source of support to Henshaws – struggle to find spare cash. 

To make up the shortfall and meet the additional needs of its students during the crisis, Henshaws has launched a new fundraising appeal.

For Open Arms Malawi, which sends around £500,000 per year out to its projects in the African nation, the worries are just as severe. Founded by Harrogate couple Neville and Rosemarie Bevis in 2000, it still has strong links with the town and relies on local people to contribute to its work with orphaned children. 

Ashville College has been a long-term supporter of Open Arms Malawi, sending students to volunteer there last summer

Fundraising manager Claire Collins said: “We were having a really good year for fundraising and just starting to look at new and different activities. Everything has been cancelled – all the challenge events, runs, and activities in the schools which support us. 

“We have two corporate partners who do trips to Malawi to see how funds are helping and donate significant amounts to us. They still want to support us, but without the trips it’s very difficult: when people see the work, they become really big advocates for what we do.” 

The charity has two infant homes, 10 nursery schools and five family homes for older children, as well as an outreach programme supporting families in the community. As yet, there are no confirmed cases of coronavirus in Malawi but, with high numbers elsewhere in Africa, all the homes and schools are taking extra precautions with hand washing and cleaning procedures. 

“HIV is still a big problem in Malawi, along with malnutrition,” said Claire. “Coronavirus is a huge risk on top of that. They’re taking it very seriously.” 

Claire has set up a new page on the charity’s website to keep supporters informed about the situation in Malawi. They are hoping supporters will still feel able to contribute, despite the difficulties being faced by many families across the Harrogate district. 

Harrogate Borough Council has defended its decision to allow today’s scaled down market in Knaresborough and tomorrow’s in Ripon to go ahead.

It comes after criticism on social media and from Knaresborough Chamber of Trade. The Chamber, a stalwart supporter of the historic market, said it was incredulous at the councils decision.  Bill Taylor, secretary and treasurer of Knaresborough Chamber of Trade, said:

“In normal circumstances we support the market, but these are not normal circumstances. From our reading of the government’s advice on COVID-19, what is happening is flying in the face of everything the government is telling us to do, with the coronavirus crisis deepening.”

Yellow lines on the ground marked where shoppers were to stand

The market in Knaresborough today was small and only sold food today. A supervisor from the council had worked with the police to ensure government guidelines were followed as they set the stalls out this morning. A number of different social distancing measures had been set up  — at one set of stalls, yellow lines had been drawn in chalk on the ground 2 metres back from the stand. At another, tables had been set back from the stalls themselves (main picture) with traders bring bags of fruit and vegetables around to the shoppers who stood well back as they did so.

In a statement issued by the council explaining its decision, a spokesperson said:

“Knaresborough and Ripon Markets are open air, not enclosed spaces like supermarkets. While keeping people two metres apart can be a challenge, we believe our residents can be trusted to be mindful of the current advice and respect each other and our valued independent traders.”

When the Stray Ferret arrived at around 11.30am it did seem as though shoppers were keeping their distance. Two police officers were watching to ensure people kept to the guidelines. The Chamber of Trade has argued that there are other ways people can get access to fresh food such as  the umbrella group Knaresborough Connections but Sergeant Andy Graham, from the Safer Neighbourhoods Team in Knaresborough, said:

“The market is only selling food and following government guidelines. The people who come to the market tend to be older- they can’t get to supermarkets, haven’t got the facilities to shop online and may be alone with no family. It’s vital they get fresh food”

Sgt Andy Graham in the foreground watching todays trading

Traders and shoppers were pleased it had opened. Judy Matlocks, who runs a vegetable stall, said she was surprised it opened but she was operating within the guidelines. Shoppers too said they appreciated the market opening as it provides quality, affordable fresh fruit and vegetables.

Judy Matlocks serves a customer at her vegetable stall

Harrogate Borough Council said it was not the only council in North Yorkshire currently permitting open air markets to continue but would continue to “review these arrangements on a daily basis, in line with the advice we receive from government”.

Police have warned motorists that they are cracking down on those who are driving at “highly-excessive speeds” on the near-empty Harrogate district roads.

During the coronavirus pandemic, North Yorkshire Police has seen more people risk their lives by using their phones while driving or by speeding on key routes.

Officers believe that less traffic on the road is encouraging some drivers and motorcyclists to flout the law and drive unsafely.

They are urging motorists not to tie up valuable police or NHS resources by committing “dangerous but preventable” offences.

Assistant Chief Constable Mike Walker said: “These actions can have fatal consequences which tie up emergency service and medical resources at a time when they are needed most.

“We have a duty to uphold the law and keep our roads safe for everyone, regardless of the wider situation nationally. And we continue to uphold that duty of care to prevent casualties or fatalities.”

“Let me be very clear – motorcyclists and drivers should be staying at home unless their journey falls into one of the essential criteria outlined by the government.”

People in the Harrogate district are adjusting to life on the coronavirus lockdown but many still have questions about how it will work.

Last night, prime minister Boris Johnson said that people will only be permitted to go outside to shop for food or medicine, to exercise once a day and to travel to and from essential work.

North Yorkshire Police will, from Thursday, be able to disperse gatherings and fine people caught flouting the rules between £30 and £1,000.

There is still some confusion about the rules with the police looking to “obtain the details of the new legislation.”

We put up a post on social media post last night asking people how they felt about the new lockdown rules and here is what they said:

Richard Corfield: “It’s a shame this has been needed, as sensible behaviour could have allowed us to leave it advisory. But then we saw the stockpiling for no need and we’ve seen the massive groups out and about. The advice on pubs was a bit woolly and the advice on going to the country “all the parks are free!” was maybe wrong.”

Helen Bainbridge: “It is definitely necessary. We were busier than ever yesterday. I work in a bank and it was madness.”

Ann Speed: “Sad but necessary. Maybe if people had listened and acted responsibly earlier it would have slowed it down. We have pretty much been self isolating for two weeks now. Only going out for food or a drive for a bit of different scenery”

Rachel Demain said: “Been out of for my first walk of the new rules. It was nice to get out and will make the world of difference to my Mental Health that will give me the resources to cope. I am definitely not going to push my luck with my health or incurring a fine.”

Michelle Recchia: “The problem is the word necessary. If he had said only key workers are classed as necessary. That would have made it clear. We all now know who fall into this category. For me necessary is if the only way you can make a living as you cannot work at home and you can still maintain the 2m guidance ect. For many self employed particularly in the construction industry could still work for now.”

So far there are 24 confirmed coronavirus cases in North Yorkshire with one death at Harrogate District Hospital.