Questions surround future of Harrogate’s Jaeger store

Questions surround the future of Harrogate’s Jaeger store after it has remained closed after lockdown restrictions were eased.

While other retailers have implemented social distancing measures and reopened, Jaeger has yet to let any customers back into its Cambridge Crescent outlet.

The Stray Ferret contacted Jaeger to ask if it intended to reopen and if any date was set for the return of shoppers, but did not receive a response.

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Prior to the pandemic, Jaeger’s parent company, Edinburgh Woolen Mill Group, narrowed its losses at the clothing outlet to £1.1 million and expanded its stores in 2019.

EWM Group added seven further stores and four concession outlets to its portfolio.

The upmarket retailer fell into administration and was acquired by EWM Group in 2017. The year before, the retailer recorded losses of £7.1 million.

Harrogate Neighbours praised for covid response

Harrogate Neighbours, which cares for the vulnerable, has maintained its ‘Customer Service Excellence’ accreditation and been praised for its response to the coronavirus pandemic.   

Harrogate Neighbours was formed by town residents about 50 years ago. The non-profit group provides accommodation for the elderly, supports private homes and delivers meals to the community. 

It is responsible for Heath Lodge on Pannal Ash Road and the Cuttings on Station View. 

An external body assessed Harrogate Neighbours in its customer insight, culture, information and access, delivery, timeliness and quality of service.  

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The housing association maintained its accreditation and was praised in its response to the coronavirus pandemic. It is one of the only care groups in the area to have reported no coronavirus cases.  

Commenting on the certification, Sue Cawthray, CEO at Harrogate Neighbours, said: 

“I am so proud of the hard work and dedication shown by everyone at Harrogate Neighbours – particularly in the face of the worst pandemic we have ever had to deal with.” 

The ‘Customer Service Excellence’ standard was introduced by the Cabinet Office in 2008. It welcomes all types of organisation and encourages a focus on customer needs. 

Harrogate district gets £2m discount with Eat Out to Help Out

Diners in the Harrogate district who took part in the Eat Out to Help Out scheme got a discount of more than £1.9 million in August.

New figures out today from HM Treasury also revealed that people in the Harrogate and Knaresborough and Skipton and Ripon constituencies ate 314,000 meals in the scheme.

The scheme was designed to help the struggling hospitality sector get back on its feet. The Stray Ferret reported that many cafes and restaurants saw a big spike in interest last month.

Some restaurants were fully booked and were forced to turn some diners away who were trying to take advantage of the Eat Out to Help Out discount.

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In Harrogate and Knaresborough 153 restaurants signed up compared with 205 restaurants in Skipton and Ripon.

Some restaurants across the Harrogate district have seen such a boost that they have extended the discount without any government backing to fund it.

Lydia Hewitt-Craft, supervisor at So! Bar and eats Harrogate, said:

“It’s been massively helpful and it’s a relief because it was hard at the start when everyone was worried about coming out but this has been great for us.”

Nertil Xhallo, manager at Sarando on Station Bridge, said:

“It has been really busy, we’ve had a lot of bookings. Most people have returned which is good. The offer has been helpful for the business.”

Sara Ferguson, acting chair of Harrogate BID and owner of two Harrogate restaurants, said:

“I think it’s been a massive help, everyone I have spoken to says it’s been worth doing. I think with the uncertainty going forward its given all those places a boost.”

District’s house building sites hotspots for burglaries

North Yorkshire Police is urging for vigilance following an increase in burglaries on new home development sites across the district.

During the past 24 hours, two incidents have been reported. One at a new site one in Langthorpe, near Boroughbridge, and the second in Penny Pot Gardens in Harrogate.

Boilers are the main item to be stolen. The perpetrators are cutting the gas and water pipes before removing the boilers, meaning some of the homes are left flooded.

Other targeted locations in the district include Knaresborough and Ripon. Furnishings valued at £70,000 were stolen from two show houses at a site in Knaresborough. In Ripon, a dumper truck was stolen from a site in the nearby village of Markington.

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The police are asking local residents to keep an eye out and report any suspicious activity.

It has also asked if any CCTV overlooking any of the targeted sites is checked for activity such as large vans driving around the sites.

Information can be reported using the 101 number, dial 1 and pass the information onto the Force Control Room.

WATCH: Do you want to see district councils scrapped?

 

A devolution deal is yet to be agreed but how do you want the future of North Yorkshire to look?

Harrogate people have mixed feelings on the subject of devolution and whether the district council should be scrapped.

The seven district councils, including Harrogate Borough Council, want to see two councils for North Yorkshire: one for the east of the county and one for the west.

But North Yorkshire County Council would prefer a single unitary authority.

We canvassed views in Harrogate yesterday.

People of Harrogate gave their opinions on devolution

Devolution split opinions for people in Harrogate yesterday.

Extra buses for safety as district’s pupils go back to school

Extra buses will be provided by North Yorkshire County Council next week to reduce the risk of coronavirus among pupils using public transport go back to school.

The local authority has also introduced additional bus safety measures, such as asking pupils aged over 11 to wear face coverings.

Most buses will operate according to their usual timetable. But some additional journeys will take place on public service routes from next week to minimise contact among passengers as the number of pupils and commuters increases.

In Harrogate, the following additional services will be in place from September 7:

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Different safety measures will apply on school buses to those on public transport.

Social distancing is not required on school buses on the grounds that the vehicles will carry the same group of children regularly and no members of the public travel with them.

But school bus users will be asked to avoid unnecessary contact with other pupils by, for example, trying to sit in the same seat with the same group of pupils every day. Pupils aged over 11 are also encouraged to wear face coverings.

Cllr Patrick Mulligan, executive member for education at NYCC, said:

“We would like to reassure parents and pupils that everything possible is being done to enable children to return to school and education as swiftly as possible, as well as minimise the risk of spreading the virus. The instructions for travelling on school buses and straight forward and largely the same as if you were visiting a shop or other public place.

“We expect that things will soon feel second nature to pupils and they can settle back into their school routine quickly.”

Harrogate’s Crown Hotel under new management

The Crown Hotel in Harrogate has had its operations taken over by a new management company.

RBH has added the historic building to its portfolio of 45 other hotels in the UK.

The Crown is one of the oldest hotels in Harrogate, dating back over 300 years. It has 114 bedrooms and seven conference rooms.

The hospitality sector was hit hard during lockdown, with hotels having to remain closed. But London-based RBH is optimistic booking levels will resume now that lockdown restrictions have eased.

Andrew Robb, RBH’s chief business development officer, said it was “an exciting new chapter for this unique venue”, which is owned by Singapore-based developer the Fragrance Group.

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Mr Robb added:

“Our ethos is very much based on developing and nurturing our people, and this will be extended to The Crown as we look to maximise the potential of the team and in turn offer an outstanding experience to guests.

The covid pandemic has resulted in an exceptionally challenging time for the hospitality sector, however RBH has emerged from lockdown in a strong position and we are eager to help guide The Crown through this period and on to continued success.”

‘Someone is getting sacked!’ jokes over county council poster error

Harrogate residents have joked that “someone is getting sacked” for a printer error in a new bus shelter advertising campaign.

North Yorkshire County Council has put up posters encouraging people in Harrogate to run, bike and walk to work but there’s a small problem.

The poster has four symbols and while the ‘walk it’ and ‘love it’ match up there has been a mix up with the ‘bike it’ and ‘run it’ lines.

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Some eagle-eyed residents noticed the mistake and took it to a Harrogate community Facebook page to poke fun at the council.

Rachel Webster snapped a picture on Knaresborough Road and shared a post which said: “When you see it…Bravo North Yorkshire County Council, bravo.”

Others commented that it “took a while to see the mistake,” that “someone was getting sacked” and that the proof reader “had one job”.

The Stray Ferret asked North Yorkshire County Council how many of these posters it had printed, how much it cost and what they plan to do now. The council did not respond to those questions but said it was happy for the publicity.

Fiona Ancell, Road Safety Team Leader, said:

“While we can see there is a mistake in their poster, the messages are still clear and we are glad for the extra publicity the posters are receiving.”

Open Harrogate is a North Yorkshire County Council project aimed at encouraging people to use more environmentally-friendly ways of travelling.

Harrogate police treatment centre reopens

The police treatment centre in Harrogate will reopen on Monday.

The centre, which provides physiotherapy and psychological rehabilitation services for police officers, has been closed since March due to coronavirus.

The St Andrews treatment facility in Harrogate, previously known as the Northern Police Convalescent Home, has operated on the same site on Harlow Moor Road since 1903.

It is one of two sites run by the Police Treatment Centres charity. The other is located in Perthshire. 

The charity supports the recovery of both serving and retired police officers. Its patients primarily serve in the forces of northern England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. 

The organisation is funded by a voluntary levy of £1.80 a week by police officers.

It will restart its psychological wellbeing programme next week. Physiotherapy services will also recommence but at reduced capacity. 

A new wing, scheduled to open in spring 2021, will offer 20 new beds and space for group activities.  

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The Stray Ferret recently reported that assaults on police officers and police staff in North Yorkshire rose by almost 60% during lockdown. 

In 2019, the charity supported 215 officers from North Yorkshire. 

Harrogate Borough Council plans £10m homes boost

Harrogate Borough Council is looking to loan its housing company Bracewell Homes £10m to invest in shared ownership homes.

A report is due to go before HBC’s cabinet next week to rubber-stamp the move, which would see the authority make more investments like its recent unprecedented £4.5m spend on 52 homes on Whinney Lane.

With shared ownership, people buy between a quarter and three-quarters of a property from the council but then have the option to buy a bigger share in the property at a later date. The scheme is aimed at people who don’t earn enough to buy a home outright.

The council sees shared ownership as a way for people earning a modest salary to get on Harrogate’s notoriously unforgiving housing ladder.

HBC’s draft housing strategy 2019-24 said the town was one of the most unaffordable places to live in England, with average house prices around 11 times the median annual income of people who work in the town.

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HBC asks housing developers to include 40% “affordable” housing in every development, which can include shared ownership homes.

When the council formed Bracewell Homes in 2019, a key part of its business plan was to purchase affordable shared ownership homes from developers, as it is doing on Whinney Lane.

With several major developments planned for the district over the coming years, HBC now says it wants to accelerate these types of investments.

Bracewell Homes has also earmarked other sites in the district to develop, including Frogmore in Knaresborough, on vacant and derelict land behind some council homes.

A council spokesperson said:

“The report going to cabinet next week is to seek approval for Bracewell to borrow £10m to acquire properties. If approved, this will include 16 shared ownership at Whinney Lane.

“Bracewell Homes has sold three properties and offers accepted on a further six.”