Paul Baverstock is an advisor to leaders in business, politics and the third sector . His roles have included Director of Communication for the Conservative Party, Director of Engagement and Communication for the British Medical Association and Director of Communication for Paperless 2020, the government’s digital transformation plan for Health and Care. He is a graduate of Harvard University and the Yale University School of Management.

The Stray Ferret is delighted Paul has agreed to write a political column for us every week -we’re calling it Strayside Sunday.

Let me set out my stall:  I am a conservative.  A sometime member and sometime not.  I worked for the party as Director of Communication for Iain Duncan Smith, a job that, when I accepted it, my father described as a triumph of ambition over reason.  I strongly support the measures taken by Boris Johnson’s government in response to the coronavirus pandemic.  A response that, to date, has diminished our peacetime liberties as never before, an interventionist response so spendthrift, that you, I, and everyone, will be paying for it far into the future. In short, a most un-conservative approach.

Our leaders have been visible front and centre, their actions have been transparent and, when the inevitable post-pandemic investigations and reckonings come, they will be made accountable for their decisions in office.  Would that were true of our local Conservative leaders here in Harrogate and North Yorkshire.

On the 24^th March I wrote to the Stray Ferret calling on Andrew Jones MP to demonstrate visible leadership during this crisis.  This week the Stray Ferret reported that in the last month Mr. Jones’ public voice – one news story, three tweets and one public statement – has done little to fill the leadership void.  Hardly “roll your sleeves up” stuff is it?

As and when we are able to move on from lockdown, Harrogate, in common with places everywhere across the United Kingdom, faces a generational challenge to recover its economy, build business and improve the lot of its people.  The question is whether our leadership and the local institutions they run are up to it?  Evidence suggests not.

The town’s business community despairs over the machinations of the Harrogate Business Improvement District, four of whose members, including the Chair, resigned in protest at what they see as the Council’s impeding of the BIDs’ plans.  Council Leader Richard Cooper dismissed their actions as nothing more than a “distraction from what really matters.”  Hmmm. Is that really good enough?  At a time when leadership and conciliation is what we most need, isn’t this response complacent and graceless at best?

From the dilapidated eyesore of our pedestrian precincts to the vacancies on James Street, the town centre is dying on its feet.  With experts predicting that as little as 10% of the restaurant trade will make it through the current crisis and recession to follow, this trend toward “hollowing out” is only likely to get worse.

This week has also seen “Bollardgate.”  Brand spanking new bollards deployed in the district’s towns to general bemusement; the socially distanced pavements clear for those wanting to window shop our largely shuttered retail outlets.  Well intentioned no doubt, but barmy none the less.  Paving the way, to coin a phrase, for the pedestrianisation debate.

The existing town masterplan envisages more pedestrianisation, more walking and more cycling, while the local business community believe that there still needs to be space and parking for people to pop into town, park up and shop.  Post-covid we will likely see a tussle between the pro-car, pro-parking traders represented by Independent Harrogate, desperate to rebuild their business in the face of economic difficulty, with pro-walking and cycling environmental and sustainability activists like Zero Carbon and Sustainably Harrogate.  Both have a point and need a way to engage with each other, to talk it out in collaborative spirit.

As the town’s MP, Andrew Jones holds a unique convening power to bring together these countervailing interests, to reach across the divides of politics and activism, lead debate and build bridges.  To do that he has to represent all his constituents, not only those who, like me, voted for him at the last election.  For the next few years, as we dig ourselves out of the economic Mariana Trench to come, none of us, I argue, has the luxury of our existing ideology. We have to get deeply consensual, practical, and we have to do it fast.

Innovative planning, incentives to attract independent (local) place-based business, helping developers bring residents back to the town centre, park and ride, cycling-first, and wellbeing strategy, all these and more will help Harrogate thrive but not, if the interests that represent them, are set squarely against each other.

Surely we have to talk out these issues publicly if we are to negotiate a vision we can all get behind?

In this column I hope I can stimulate debate so that together we can emerge from the covid crisis in good health, in good spirits and in good economic order.  So, I’d like to hear your ideas; how can we work together to bring about the radical structural and institutional changes we need to make Harrogate a better place to live in, to shop, and to work?  How can we press our leaders to do more on our behalf and do it better in these testing times?  I want to hear from you.  You deserve nothing less.

That’s it for this week’s Strayside Sunday.

Contact me with your views on paul@thestrayferret.co.uk

Today we report on the growing frustration and noise among the cycle lobby which has campaigned in Harrogate for better cycling routes.

The pandemic has led to fewer cars on the road, cleaner air and a boom in bike sales. These factors have strengthened campaigner’s resolve who see now as the time to push for transformational change.

Around half a dozen cycling and environmental groups exist in the district. All pushing for improvements for cyclists  and pressurising council leaders to deliver.

A lack of ambition, a need for more infrastructure and a sense of frustration were among the complaints from the groups the Stray Ferret spoke to, as promised schemes have yet to come to fruition.

Kevin Douglas, who chairs the Harrogate District Cycle Action group, said a lack of movement on any infrastructure has left cyclists disappointed.

He said: “It is frustrating. They did an excellent job in getting the funding but the delivery is the key.

“During the past five weeks, families and young people have been riding because the roads are quiet and they are doing it because it is safe.”

For others, lockdown has offered an extra boost to the message that more people want to cycle- a view which is backed up by research undertaken before the crisis.

In a survey by Andrew Jones MP last year, nearly half of residents who responded said the town’s cycling facilities were poor and needed to be improved.

Caroline Linford, founder of Sustainably Harrogate, said the town could improve its infrastructure after lockdown and called for more ambition from the county council.

She said that the lack of progress on Otley Road was indicative of the will of those in charge to deliver for the town.

She said: “I think for me what I would like to have seen is using it to make the town move again.”

“There is a lack of action and what I would like to see is some ambition from the county council.”

Tomorrow in our Focus on Cycling series we put the concerns of cycling campaigners to Don Mackenzie, the senior county councillor in charge of highways.

A Wedding planner from Harrogate has offered some advice to couples that were supposed to walk down the aisle this summer.

Laura Lindsay, who is a wedding planner in Harrogate, usually organises around 50 weddings between April to August but said that everything is 100% a write off until at least August.

Laura has 5 tips of advice for couples who were or are still planning to get married in 2020:

1. Have a plan B: I know many couples are hanging in there to get married this year, but it is sensible to check with your venue what is available for 2021 as dates will fill up quickly.
2.  Think of other the other ways you can get married: Human ceremonies, celebrants, possibly look at going to the registry office midweek to do the legal part…
3. Use this time wisely: a lot of people are furloughed and at home so if you have any DIY crafts that you want to do for your wedding… do it now!
4. Make a list of all your suppliers: Helps if you are planning a Plan B wedding… As you don’t want to realise further down the line that your photographer or makeup artist is booked up on your new date.
5. Look at the positives: It might not feel like there are any at the moment, BUT your big day will be valued so much more, it will be an amazing celebration as we’ve all missed each other so much!

Today’s figures show 2 more patients with coronavirus died at the hospital over the last few days – one on the 21st May , the other yesterday. It means the total number of deaths at the hospital has now risen to 60.

This week Harrogate District Hospital said it had discharged a total of 104 patients after treatment for coronavirus since the start of the pandemic.

Outside the hospital, there have been 51 deaths from coronavirus in care homes in the district.

ONS figures today showed a further 157 people in England, who tested positive for coronavirus have died, bringing the total number of confirmed reported deaths in hospitals to 25,544.

Patients were aged between 12 and 100 years old.  Seven of the 157 patients had no known underlying health condition.

SLG, the group which owns Country Living Hotels went into administration last night- blaming the impact of covid-19.

Described as “mid-range”, St George Hotel sits at the heart of Harrogate, opposite the Royal Hall- it’s Edwardian building is grade II listed. All staff will now be contacted by the administrator.

Specialist Leisure Group operated a range of travel and holiday businesses and specialised in the over-50’s market.  Across the whole group 2,500 jobs have been lost and 64,000 bookings cancelled.

Companies operated by Specialist Leisure

In a statement it said:

The Specialist Leisure Group entered Administration on 22 May 2020. All tours, cruises, holidays and hotel breaks booked with the Specialist Leisure Group have been cancelled and will not be rescheduled. All hotels trading as Bay Hotels, Coast & Country Hotels and Country Living Hotels will not reopen.

Over the past few years, Harrogate has positioned itself as a cycling destination. It hosted the Tour De France, Tour De Yorkshire and UCI Cycling championships – yet the reality is, it hasn’t completed one of its major cycling routes into town. 

At a time when the voices of cycling groups and environmental campaigners are growing louder, less than a mile of cycle route down the Otley Road has yet to be built and the larger Station Parade “Gateway” project also looks set to be problematic.  

Otley Road: Stage One

£3.2 million was secured in 2018 for a scheme as part of a wider project called the West Harrogate Sustainable Improvement Package.  The money was for a cycle lane from Cardale Park to the Prince of Wales roundabout. 

The first stage from Harlow Moor Road to Harrogate Grammar School had begun but the project was then halted due to coronavirus.

Council bosses have said that the project could re-start next month, the money will be held over.  All this, after two years of waiting. 

This part of the Otley Road cycle lane is Stage Two

Otley Road Stage Two

But Stage Two has run into more serious problems.

It required removing verges from The Stray. The Stray Defence Association urged any removal must be consulted on and, as a result, council bosses have been in lengthy negotiations with the Duchy of Lancaster. 

It means the second phase of the scheme is unlikely to go ahead anytime soon much to campaigners’ frustration. 

But the route is not the only proposal to have been tabled to help boost cycling rates and cut traffic. 

Impression of how Station Parade would look under pedestrianisation plans.

Station Parade

In March, the council secured £7.8 million for a “gateway” project on Station Parade which has to be spent within three years. This scheme aims to create a transport hub – connecting the bus and rail stations to the town centre.  The plan means fewer cars and more space for cyclists and walkers.

After the difficulty of negotiating with different parties to deliver Otley Road though, the gateway scheme faces possibly tougher negotiations. 

Much furore was caused after the gateway plans were unveiled a few years ago and recent bollards put up for social distancing have reignited this fierce debate among traders over the best way to survive the serious economic crisis Harrogate faces.  Any reduction of on-street parking to create space for cycle lanes will face opposition from many retailers. 

So council bosses will have to negotiate through this and, although a large amount of money has been secured, it’s not enough and extra funding is needed from both the district and borough councils. This might prove very hard to find in an age post coronavirus. 

What do those in the cycle lobby think about the progress made on infrastructure projects? Tomorrow we will hear from those pushing for more cycle routes in Harrogate.

Dacre, Son & Hartley, which has offices across the Harrogate district, has reported a surge in online traffic and enquiries as interest among people looking for a new home or to sell their property, has returned to pre-coronavirus levels.

Yorkshire’s largest  independent estate agent, had agreed its first sale since lockdown by 9.15am on Wednesday 13th May, the same day that the government announced that travel restrictions were being relaxed and estate agents, surveyors and valuers  in England could resume their work and both buyers and renters could start making their moves.

In the six weeks preceding the lifting of the lockdown on the sector, 47,000 people visited the firm’s website and Patrick McCutcheon, head of residential at Dacre, Son & Hartley, said:

“We have plenty of evidence of good levels of demand and over the last few weeks, we have had lots of calls from buyers wanting to arrange viewings and potential sellers requiring sales and marketing advice.”

He added:

“In terms of market conditions, unlike the last market jolt in 2007/08, funding remains readily available and that can only help the liquidity  of the marketplace, which in turn will support buyer confidence.”

David Waddington, Land and New Homes Director for Linley and Simpson, writes for The Stray Ferret and says lockdown has had a surprising effect on the market: 

Who would have guessed? Never have estate agents and property advisers had it so good since the Brexit referendum in June, 2016.
An unlikely phenomenon you would think, with only a small proportion of the folk returning to work following the COVID-19 outbreak. A number of sources are reporting enquiry levels at a new high with multiple offers against individual properties, sales on homes that have been marketed for a number years, and new developments receiving unprecedented requests to view.

So, when all we hear about is economic Armageddon, what’s going on?

I think the pent up demand is fuelled by a couple of factors:
Firstly, being cooped up in one’s home for 8 weeks is a sure way to test any relationship, an opportunity to buy bigger, downsize, or at least a change of environment to preserve sanity.
Secondly, whilst many have struggled financially, others have remarkably saved money and with the cost of borrowing being so low, the time seems right for aspiring buyers.

Economically the country is faced with a number of challenges, how do they pay for the furloughing of over 6 Million people? This is heightened by a surge in borrowing in the UK by £62.5bn in April, but putting this into context, the war debt was only concluded within the last ten years, so what’s the rush to pay it back?  Income tax however is likely to increase, but whilst we are all so indebted to the NHS, the metaphorical pill should be easy to swallow.

Worrying times we know, but such headline grabbing snap-shots need to be balanced against low inflation and still very cheap mortgage borrowing, assuming that your loan to value is on the right side of 75%.

Estate agents though are having to calm the storm by ensuring that social distancing requirements are observed.
Within the new homes sector, open days with hoards of people are now a thing of the past but properly managed, social distancing arrangements can be arranged for buyers. A recent campaign for a new apartment scheme in Harrogate has resulted in twenty back to back appointments over a two day period, giving each party a private dedicated slot of half an hour to inspect without the need for a shiny suited estate agent asking irrelevant questions. Following each viewing, the property is cleansed, with door handled wiped within a 15 minute window, to allow for the next party to view.

One social distance advantage though….the removal of the luke warm Prosecco and vol-au-vents.

Here in the Harrogate region, we have a strong sense of belonging to the finest area of God’s creation. It has inspired many to look to a new home, to enhance their home life, whilst being comforted by the familiarity of an area that is already enjoyed.

Retailers in the district are reporting an increase in the number of bikes sold since the coronavirus crisis began.

Some bike store owners in the district said they’ve seen more people opt for two wheels, with one reporting as selling as many as seven bikes a day.

It comes as the government urged more people to cycle to work as the lockdown eases.

In Harrogate, Prologue Cycling, which deals with performance model bikes, said it had seen good sales during the lockdown period from people who felt they had more time to upgrade their bikes.

Meanwhile, Damian Brooks, manager at Motor World in Ripon, said he had also seen an increase in sales at his store during lockdown.

He said: “I have never known it so busy. Since the coronavirus, people have become very fitness conscious and we are selling six to seven bikes a day. That’s as many as we were selling in a month before the crisis.”

National outlet, Halfords, reported a “better than expected” month in April where shares in the company jumped by 11%.

Grant Shapps, Transport Secretary, said people should consider taking up two wheels as the commute to work changes  and announced a £2 billion funding package to increase cycling and walking capacity across the UK.

Stray Ferret Focuses on Cycling

Over the next three days, The Stray Ferret will explore the debate surrounding the future of cycling in Harrogate in a Focus On Cycling series.

Each morning we will publish a story which will cover how the debate is shaping and what is being done as the call for more cycling lanes grows louder.

Tomorrow we will look at the projects planned in Harrogate and what progress has been made on them.

Make sure you sign up to notifications from The Stray Ferret so you don’t miss a story.

Harrogate Theatre has announced that it has raised £40,000 in its emergency appeal.

The theatre, which has always been widely supported,  has faced a funding crisis as it was forced to lower its curtains in March, due to coronavirus.

Alex Monk, a spokesperson from the Theatre told the Stray Ferret:

We rely on a very small amount of public funding, most of our earnings are from ticket sales, so our income has been stripped away, It’s been a worrying time… To raise £40,000 ( and still rising) is just phenomenal… a lot of that has been from audience members that have donated their ticket money from a cancelled show to our emergency fund.

We need £4,000 a week to keep the theatre going…Things are all moving and changing very quickly.. Our current closure notice is up until July at the earliest.

We are exploring models for social distancing in the theatre for when it is safe and possible to open our doors. This does reduce the capacity to around a third which would have severe financial implications.

Members of the community are pulling together to help raise money to try and keep the theatre-going.

Dance Matt,  a children’s entertainment business in Harrogate is doing a virtual 12-hour dance-a-thon children’s mini disco starting at 8 am tomorrow. All money raised will go to the theatre’s emergency appeal. Matt Pullan, who runs the company, has raised £410 so far, with a £500 target.

It’s a very special place to me, I used to go to the panto every New Years Eve with my gran. I’m sure the theatre has touched us all at some point, so I wanted to do something to raise money to contribute… It will be a long 12 hours, but it will absolutely be worth it.

Alex Monk thanked Matt Pullan for his gesture:

This is just one of many of the kind offers we have received. It shows the real strength and place that Harrogate theatre holds.