The West Park area of the Stray was flooded this morning after the first night of heavy rain since Harrogate Borough Council spent £20,000 improving drainage.
Several large puddles covered the Stray this morning, the largest of which is at the corner of West Park and Otley Road.
The council announced in April it had awarded £130,000 to Glendale Services to restore the Stray after last year’s UCI Road World Championships caused widespread damage.
More than £20,000 of this was set aside to improve poor drainage, which caused regular flooding.
More puddles on the corner of Beech Grove and West Park.
Council leader Richard Cooper said the investment would “address the historic drainage issues at the corner of Otley Road and West Park” that had been “an issue and frustration to local residents for a number of years”.
But today’s evidence suggests the problem of flooding remains.
Read more:
- West Park Stray — 12 months of mud, repair and debate
- Harrogate council: Dangerous West Park Stray claims ‘simply ridiculous’
- West Park Stray opening is ‘frankly dangerous,’ says SDA
A council spokesman said:
“Overnight, there was a significant amount of rainfall that has resulted in numerous areas in Harrogate and across the district experiencing standing water. West Park Stray being one of them. This standing water will filter through to the drainage channels in due course.”
Harrogate Borough Council reopened West Park Stray in August, more than 11 months after the UCI championships ended.
The council promised to fix the problem.
The Stray Defence Association said it believes the work did not fully repair the damage and said it remains “dangerous” – something the council disputes as “frankly ridiculous.”
West Park Stray: A year at a glance
- UCI World Championships – September 2019
- West Park Stray pictured as a quagmire – October 2019
- Partial recovery but problems remain – March 2020
- Heavy machinery moves in to work – May 2020
- Green shoots of hope – July 2020
- West Park Stray opens to public after 316 days – August 2020
- Debate rumbles on about West Park Stray – September 2020
- West Park Stray floods – October 2020
The Harrogate branch of the pregnancy crisis support charity Reflect is asking people to light candles next week to remember babies that died during pregnancy.
The candles will form a virtual wave of life during Baby Loss Awareness Week, which begins tomorrow.
The week raises awareness of pregnancy and baby death in the UK.
This year will focus on the isolation many people experience after pregnancy and baby loss – women, partners, other family members and friends, especially since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
To get involved, Reflect is asking people to light a candle at 7pm on October 15 and share a photo of it online, accompanied by the hashtag #WaveofLight.
Landmarks across the UK will light up blue and pink, and virtual services will be held as part of the week-long activities.
Tanya Allen, manager of Reflect Harrogate said:
“We hope that Baby Loss Awareness Week will spark conversations about baby loss and give local bereaved parents and families an opportunity to talk about their precious babies.
“For some people Covid has meant that they have felt more isolated in their loss, and for others the slowdown has caused the past pain of loss to surface, which they may now need to process.”
Tanya Allen, manager of Reflect
Read more:
- Harrogate charity Frank’s Fund moves comedy night online
- Friends conquer the hills for Ripley charity
Reflect provides free and confidential support services for individuals and couples to help them cope with their bereavement.
For further information about Baby Loss Awareness Week visit: www.babyloss-awareness.org
No plans to reopen Harrogate restaurant months after ‘temporary closure’There appear to be no plans to reopen Las Iguanas in Harrogate, six months after the restaurant said it would close temporarily.
Las Iguanas, on John Street, remains closed with chairs stacked on tables. A notice in the window from staff still reads “we can’t wait to see you very soon”.
Big Table Group acquired Casual Dining Group in August and took on 150 of its restaurants trading as Las Iguanas, Bella Italia and Cafe Rouge.
But Las Iguanas in Harrogate was not included in the deal, which has left its future uncertain.
Read more:
- Questions surround future of Harrogate’s Jaeger store
- Harrogate family pet shop to close after more than 50 years
The Stray Ferret asked Big Table Group whether the restaurant will reopen but a spokesperson said it would not comment on individual sites.
James Spragg, chief executive of The Big Table, said of the takeover in August:
Coach and Horses: date set for licence decision“We inevitably emerge from this process as a leaner business, and one that is now equipped to navigate the challenges the industry faces, safeguarding thousands of jobs.”
The Coach and Horses could soon get a new landlord after Harrogate Borough Council set a date to decide on a new licence.
Samantha Nelson, the daughter of previous landlord John Nelson, applied to take over the pub at the start of last month.
Her application will be heard on October 29.
Harrogate Borough Council revoked the pub’s licence in July after council officers claimed Mr Nelson showed a “blatant disregard” for coronavirus social distancing rules.
The officers also said Mr Nelson was “aggressive and abusive” towards council officials and the police when they served him a prohibition notice on May 31.
Read more:
A total of 449 people signed a petition calling on the council to grant Samantha Nelson the licence to run the pub.
When the council’s licensing sub-committee revoked the licence, Mr Nelson’s lawyer Paddy Whur said his client “accepted he made a chronic error of judgement”.
The Stray Ferret has approached the Coach and Horses several times to inquire about its future. We had still not received a reply by the time of publication.
Teenager tackles Yorkshire Three Peaks as tribute to grannyA Harrogate teenager will attempt to complete the Yorkshire Three Peaks in December as a tribute to her grandmother, who died of sepsis.
Leah Gresty undertook the challenge, which will raise money for the UK Sepsis Trust, in honour of Elizabeth Simmonite, who died on September 29.
Elizabeth was a former butcher and baker on Knaresborough Road, Harrogate.
Leah said:
“She always liked being with nature and going for walks, so it seemed quite fitting, and it’s something that she would have liked to do herself.”
Leah’s grandmother, Elizabeth, enjoying the outdoors
There are about 48,000 deaths from sepsis every year in the UK.
Early diagnosis is crucial for improving survival rates. Leah, who has so far raised more than £500, hopes her challenge will spread the message.
The tough Three Peaks challenge involves climbing Pen-y-ghent, Whernside and Ingleborough in less than 12 hours – a particularly difficult feat in the darkness of winter.
You can donate here to Leah’s JustGiving fundraising page.
Read More:
- Woman’s plea after cyclist runs over her dog on Stray
- Harrogate Scrubbers steps in to help disability charity
How to spot Spesis:
Sepsis, also known as blood poisoning, is a life-threatening reaction to an infection. It happens when your immune system starts to damage your body’s own tissues and organs, causing organ failure and death if not treated quickly.
www.nhs.uk advises you to call 999 or visit A&E if an adult or older child experiences any of these symptoms:
- Acting confused, slurred speech or not making sense.
- Blue, pale or blotchy skin, lips or tongue.
- A rash that does not fade when you roll a glass over it.
- Difficulty breathing, breathlessness or breathing very fast.
Andrew Jones urges PM to give support package to conference sector
Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones today urged Prime Minister Boris Johnson to commit to a support package for the conference and exhibition industry.
Speaking at Prime Minster’s Questions, Jones said Johnson had recognised the difficulties facing the industry last month when he revealed ministers were working urgently on a support package for sports clubs that rely on paying spectators.
Jones said the the exhibition industry was “really important in Harrogate and Knaresborough”, adding:
“Could he tell the House when that package will be coming forward, and will it include the conference and exhibition industry?”
Read more:
Johnson said the conference and exhibition industry was worth about £90 billion to this country and of “massive importance” but did not commit to any firm support.
He added:
“It was a very difficult decision to take to pause conferences and exhibitions. We want to get them open as fast as possible.
“Of course, they have had a lot of support, as I indicated earlier—the £190 billion package is there to help businesses of all kinds—but the best way forward is to get the kind of testing systems that will enable not just conferences and businesses of that kind but all types and even theatres to reopen and get back to normality. That is what we are aiming for.”
Hundreds sign petition to make the Stray bee-friendlyMore than 300 people have signed a petition calling on Harrogate Borough Council to make the Stray more bee-friendly.
Harrogate and District Green Party wrote to the council last month urging it to plant native wildflowers rather than its stick to its current plan to plant 60,000 crocuses on West Park Stray.
Rebecca Maunder, chair of the Harrogate and District Green Party, has now set up a petition after the council wrote back to say it did not intend to change its plans.
A week later the online petition, which is on the 38 Degrees website, has reached 327 signatures.
Read more:
- Plant wildflowers on the Stray, says Green Party
- Call for volunteers to plant 60,000 crocuses on Harrogate Stray
Ms Maunder hopes that, with enough support, the petition will sway the council’s decision and lead to a more bee-friendly Stray,
A spokesperson for Harrogate Borough Council said it had nothing to add to its previous statement on the matter, which said:
“We are also looking at biodiversity as part of our wider horticultural plan for the future. We understand the need to encourage biodiversity and already manage a number of native wildflower meadows across the district. The thousands of plants and flowers in our numerous parks and gardens also support this.”
The council called for volunteers last month to dig 60,000 holes in the hope that the crocuses will bloom better than ever next spring.
Harrogate Bus Company to plant more treesHarrogate Bus Company is to plant more trees in Harrogate as part of its commitment to cutting carbon emissions.
The company introduced fume-free buses in 2018 after it won £2.25 million of government funding.
Last year it pledged to plant one tree for every 10,000 miles covered by its fleet of eight electric buses.
To celebrate Clean Air Day tomorrow, the company has announced its buses have together covered over 400,000 miles.
It has already planted an oak tree on West Park and has now revealed another 39 trees will be planted in three areas served by the buses – Nidd Gorge, close to Bilton, Jennyfield and in the pine woods near Pannal Ash.
Alex Hornby, chief executive of Harrogate Bus Company, said:
“Every year, air pollution causes up to 36,000 deaths in the UK so our Harrogate Electrics buses play a vitally important role in clearing the air and protecting our local environment.
“Alongside our electric buses, trees help by absorbing even more carbon dioxide emissions.”
Clean Air Day is normally held in June but was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Read more:
- Local lib dems have proposed a citizen’s assembly to tackle climate change.
- More buses are in place as pupils return to school in an attempt to limit contact between pupils and the public.
The local campaign group, Zero Carbon Harrogate, welcomed the news. Chair Jemima Parker said:
“We are dedicated to making Harrogate a zero-carbon community by 2030 to secure a sustainable future, and The Harrogate Bus Company’s electric buses are making a vitally important contribution towards realising that ambition.
“As we begin rebuilding our local economy beyond the pandemic, we can’t just go back to congested streets and traffic jams.”
Woman’s plea after cyclist runs over her dog on Stray
A woman has called for tighter cycling controls on the Stray after her dog was hit.
Sara Clark said her chihuahua Milo was lucky to be alive after being struck by a cyclist on part of the south Stray where cycling is prohibited.
Ms Clark, who was walking Milo on Friday evening, said:
“He went under his wheel and I heard his scream and he ran towards the road. The vet said he was surprised he wasn’t killed.”
Ms Clark said Milo was badly bruised and required a painkiller injection.
Cyclists are supposed to dismount on this stretch of the Stray but Ms Clark said they often ignored the rules. She added:
“There was a sign 10 metres from us saying cyclists aren’t allowed. I know of three dogs, including Milo, and two elderly people that have been hit.”
“The cyclist just said, ‘What could I have done he should’ve been on a lead?’ My dog should be able to be off a lead, we should feel safe, but now I feel like I can’t let him off a lead. They have ruined it now.”
All of these cyclists were pictured on the south Stray by Sara Clark within the same hour on Monday.
Ms Clark said Harrogate Borough Council should do more to tackle the problem:
“Accidents like this are happening but they are washing their hands of it rather than dealing with it. It is their responsibility to enforce it, even just by doing something to say they are taking it seriously, like using cameras or fines.”
A council spokesman said:
“Our staff will always challenge cyclists who ignore the rules if they witness it happening. Unfortunately, as the Stray covers 200 acres and is accessible 24/7 it is incredibly difficult to witness anyone breaching these rules. Thankfully, the vast majority of cyclists in Harrogate dismount when they should. ”
Ms Clark disputed the claim that the vast majority of cyclists dismounted.
Read more:
- WATCH as dog rescue owner discusses her concerns following the lockdown puppy boom.
- Harrogate cat went missing for four months and was found 20 miles from home.
Lucky sick pigeon on James Street finds someone who cares“There’s no excuse for a cyclist being on a footpath where it’s banned. I am of course sorry about the dog being knocked over and the upset to the owner. I don’t agree with cyclists ignoring the rules. I also don’t agree with drivers ignoring the rules, which they do more often and with far more serious consequences.”
A Harrogate woman found a sick pigeon on James Street and instead of walking by decided to rescue it and nuture it back to health.
Hayley Norman, who works for local charity Carers’ Resource, was moved when she saw a rather sad looking young bird on James Street.
At first she decided to leave the bird with the assumption that its parents would come back to care for it.
Three days and plenty of rain later Hayley decided to go back and see if the pigeon was still there. It was and looking in a worse state.
Armed with a shoe box Hayley managed to scoop up the young pigeon, who she has named James after the street where she found it, and took it home.
Read more:
With days of hand feeding and keeping James warm, Hayley managed to find him a professional in Pickering to help eventually release it. She told the Stray Ferret:
“I rang a vet for some advice. They said that I could bring it in and they would put it to sleep. That’s not what I wanted to do so I decided to take on its care myself. When I rescued it I am sure some people thought I looked crazy. Normally I would just walk past but I couldn’t this time.”
Would Hayley do it again? Absolutely. It might not be for everyone but there are plenty of groups online dedicated to pigeon rescue.
The RSPB’s advice tells people that it is rarely possible to catch injured birds and warns that careless handling may cause further injury.