Goose play centre set to go into liquidation

Children’s play centre Goose is set to go into liquidation.

The company, based on Hornbeam Park in Harrogate, issued a notice on Saturday seeking a decision from its creditors on the nomination of a liquidator.

A virtual meeting is set to be held on August 21, when a resolution to wind up the company will be considered. Creditors are expected to be contacted directly to attend the meeting, but anyone who has not been contacted can get details of the meeting from nominated liquidator Kieran Bourne of Cromwell & Co Insolvency Practitioners in Coventry.

Prior to the coronavirus lockdown, Goose was a popular destination for families, offering play and craft facilities as well as a cafe area.

Director Rachael Howard set up the business as Goose Playspace Ltd in September 2017. It had previously been open under the same name and closed suddenly in July 2017.

‘The plastic revolution is over and grass is going down’- CNG stadium prepares for EFL

Harrogate Town’s 3G pitch is being replaced with grass as the club prepare to play in the EFL for the first time.

Synthetic surfaces are not permitted in League Two, so Town is now in the process of changing back to turf in order to be allowed to compete in the EFL.

The new ground is expected to cost a hefty total of around £200k to complete.

 

Garry Plant, managing director at the club told the Stray Ferret that it’s a “great shame” that it has to go:

“The EFL criteria says we have to play on grass so the plastic revolution is over and grass will be going down. It’s a bag of mixed feelings… it’s a great feeling to promoted, but this pitch has been amazing for the club, one of the best things we ever did and I just wish we could leave it down…

“It’s time off the pitch and so many teams train here, but it’s time to say goodbye to a very old friend that’s done brilliantly for the club.”

Turf delivery CNG stadium

Turf delivery to CNG Stadium

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It is full steam ahead with the work at the stadium to be finished by the October 10 – though the new season starts on the weekend of Saturday, September 12. Town will ground share with Doncaster Rovers until the new pitch is finished.

Golf event to raise money for Harrogate charity

A woman from Harrogate has organised a golf event at Rudding Park to raise money for Saint Michaels Hospice.

Patricia Blenkinsop decided to start raising money for Saint Michael’s Hospice two years ago after her father was cared for by the team.

The golf competition is just one of a number of events she has organised in the hope of raising money for the charity.

The event, which was supposed to have taken place in April, has been rescheduled for October. Participants will be in teams of four and will complete a round of golf at Rudding Park followed by lunch, a raffle and a silent auction.

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Patricia was also supposed to be climbing Mount Kilimanjaro last month, but due to covid had to rearrange her trek for next June. She told the Stray Ferret:

“The change of date for both events has definitely allowed me more time to fundraise. I was just starting to gear up to really get into training to climb Kilimanjaro and then lockdown came.

“When you’re training to climb the world’s tallest free standing mountain, it is difficult because nowhere in England is that high! All you can do is be as fit as you can.”

Saint Michael’s Hospice offers specialist care and support to people with terminal illnesses.

In 2016, Patricia trekked the Grand Canyon to raise money for the hospice and this year wanted to take on a new challenge. Having got the idea to climb Kilimanjaro a number of years ago when she saw it from the window of a plane, she decided to make it her next target.

The golf event at Rudding Park will take place on October 8. To reserve your team or for more information, email Patricia or visit her JustGiving page.

Strayside Sunday: Harrogate council leader risks looking like a bully

Strayside Sunday is our weekly political opinion column. It is written by Paul Baverstock, former Director of Communications for the Conservative Party. 

Here are some facts about the recent financial performance of Harrogate Convention Centre under the stewardship of Harrogate Borough Council:

  1. In the twelve years since 2008, the centre turned a profit on just three occasions; 2009, 2016 and 2017.
  2. During that twelve-year period, reported turnover has fallen steadily each year, from £7.1m in 2008 to £4.6m in 2019. This represents a cumulative fall in annual income of 36%, that’s more than a third, to you and me.
  3. Prior to 2020, public domain council documents (not least the now surely discredited town plan) stated that the economic contribution of the centre to the town’s wider economy was £57m. Harrogate council now say that this figure is £35m, a discrepancy blamed on the introduction of a new economic impact methodology.

Some of this we knew already and some we now know because the Stray Ferret was in receipt of a leaked, confidential council cabinet report into the performance of and possible future for what is fast overtaking Knapping Mount as the largest white elephant in town.  In short, the report calls for the council to make a wince inducing £46.8m investment to renovate the centre, reduce the effects of its ageing and make the centre quality competitive with other convention destinations across the country.

Council Leader Richard Cooper is not best pleased that the report has reached the public domain and this week used a full meeting of council to threaten to expel, if identified, the leaking culprit from the Conservative Party (if indeed the leaker is a Conservative) and force them to stand down from the council.  Astonishingly, Cooper managed to get the Lib Dem opposition to match this pledge.  Let’s deconstruct all this.

The Harrogate Convention Centre is failing, this largely as a result of cumulative underinvestment and deficient operational oversight, both the responsibility of the current council administration.  The leaked report is sensitive precisely because it shines a light on more than a decade of poor management.  Given the numbers above it’s no wonder that the council wanted the report and its contents kept confidential.  The facts are an embarrassment.

But the performance and future of Harrogate Convention Centre is clearly a matter of public interest, especially if, as the council seems set to do, it is to be in receipt of almost £50m of taxpayer money to keep it going (under the same loss-making political leadership).  To attempt to make decisions of this magnitude and effect under a veil of secrecy is at the very least an insult to the people of Harrogate and, in my view, a dereliction of the duty of public servants to deliver government that is transparent and accountable.

Mr. Cooper tries to argue that the cabinet report contained confidential information and that its release could damage the local economy.  Really?  In the Harrogate Advertiser it was reported that a Harrogate council spokesperson told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that 95% of the leaked document was “already in the public domain.”

Second, let’s look at the politics of this.  Richard Cooper’s threat to expel the leaker doesn’t look good and, from experience, I can tell you is not the right way to handle a leak. To some, Mr. Cooper’s words and actions give the appearance of bullying. Like an angry schoolboy not getting his way, it seems plain to me that this leader is stamping his foot in frustration. Perhaps Mr. Cooper is so used to getting his own way that he was actually just upset by the fact that the leak undermined his beloved authority.  It leads one to wonder whether making threats is an effective way to keep your council team in order or whether there is a point at which it serves to build resentment and create internal opposition.

It beggar’s belief too that Pat Marsh and the Lib Dem group supported Mr. Cooper’s expulsion threat tirade.  The Lib Dems should have celebrated the leak, not least because, however rump, they are the official opposition and it is their role to hold those in power to account.  And boy do they need holding to account in respect of the Convention Centre and their magic money tree spending plans for it.

Finally, congratulations are due this week to Harrogate Town, now proud members of The Football League, for the first time in the club’s history.  Great news indeed for the club, the town and for our economy.  Taking his cue from the MP’s instruction manual, Andrew Jones was quick and fulsome in his praise for Town, his initial breathless account of his own emotional rollercoaster as the game ebbed and flowed spoilt only his reference (before it was corrected) to Notts County’s non-existent equaliser at the start of the second half.  Were you really watching Andrew, or might this have been a little positive PR gone wrong?

That’s my Strayside Sunday.

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Thousands line streets for Harrogate Town’s open-top bus parade

Thousands of Harrogate Town supporters lined the streets to cheer on their team during a celebratory open-top bus parade today.

The parade was in celebration of the club’s historic 3-1 win over Notts County at Wembley last Sunday, taking them into League Two and the English Football League for the first time in their history.

The open-top bus was provided by Harrogate Bus Company and left a sunny CNG Stadium at Wetherby Road at around 12pm. It continued past the Empress pub, West Park, Bettys and the Cairn Hotel before returning to the ground by 12.40.

At Wetherby Road, there were scores of supporters wearing yellow and black and singing “Town are going up” as the bus passed.

Police were in attendance but the fans were well behaved and largely adhered to social distancing guidelines.

In scenes reminiscent of the UCI cycling event last summer, fans lined West Park to cheer on manager Simon Weaver and his players who showed off their National League play off trophy.

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COLUMN: What happens if your job is at risk after furlough

This article is written for the Stray Ferret by Harrogate employment lawyer Richard Port. Richard is Principal Solicitor and Founding Director at Boardside legal. In a series of articles, he explores the issues raised for employers and employees returning to work post furlough. This article is not legal advice – more a look at the complexities of the current situation. 

This week Richard looks at what to do if you lose your job: 

So, in recent weeks, I have written about necessary considerations for employees returning to work following the easing of lockdown. In this third article, we now look at the issue of restructurings and, sadly, the prospect of redundancies in the context of COVID-19.

Unfortunately, as the lockdown restrictions ease and employers slowly return to more ’normal’ ways of working, it is clear to us from instructions being received that the impact of the coronavirus means some businesses will have to seriously consider restructuring and the inevitable consequential risk of redundancies in order to survive.

The government’s furlough scheme has enabled employers to receive compensation from the government for certain employment costs. That scheme has been subject to amendment on a number of occasions, including by now allowing employers to take advantage of part-time furloughing. However, the scheme will end in its entirety on 31October 2020.

The fact that an employer has furloughed staff does not prevent that employer from dismissing employees on grounds of redundancy. However, the existence of the furlough scheme until 31 October means that employees could well challenge the need for redundancies. However, such a challenge may carry less force from 1 August from which date employers will be expected to shoulder more of the financial burden of the furlough scheme themselves.

Where a company is proposing redundancies in relation to any roles held by furloughed staff, it needs to ensure that the process is carried out fairly, thereby reducing the risk of tribunal litigation. Of course, such steps will include meaningful consultation, in line with legal obligations, taking into account staff may be working remotely.

In terms of consultation, it is clear from the guidance in relation to the furlough scheme that employee representatives can still act without being considered to be “working” but employers will be well advised to bear in mind the following:

These are hard times for everyone, but it is important that employers plan their restructuring processes carefully, to support employees as best they can thereby to reduce the risk of future litigation.

Redundancy exercises are stressful but, conducted sensitively with effective communication and proper consultation that take into account guidelines and measures to deal with the coronavirus pandemic, are key.

 

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Harrogate Lib Dems campaign to abandon plans for devolution

Harrogate and Knaresborough Liberal Democrats have launched a petition today calling for plans of a mega council and executive mayor to be abandonded.

The “Hands Off Harrogate” campaign argues that the district should make its own decisions and run its own services.

It also says that councillors as far away as Scarborough would be “out of touch” with concerns in the Harrogate district.

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Councillors from the local Lib Dems have urged residents to sign the petition on their website.

Pat Marsh, leader of the Liberal Democrats on Harrogate Borough Council, said:

“Harrogate Conservatives are too busy fighting one another to stand up for residents in our district, with council leader Richard Cooper writing articles in the press, criticising his Tory colleagues. At such a difficult time, with many residents really suffering from the effects of coronavirus, do we really need to be going through a massive local government reorganisation that could cost taxpayers millions and disrupt vital local services?”

Cllr Marsh also called for Andrew Jones to “stand up for our area” on devolution. The MP has yet to comment publicly on the proposals.

Judith Rogerson, Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Spokesperson, added:

“Nobody in Harrogate and Knaresborough will think a huge new council is acceptable. If we have to have local government reorganisation the most sensible solution would be to create a unitary council covering just the present Harrogate district. There are similar sized authorities in other parts of Yorkshire & the Humber.”

Harrogate 16-year-old girl missing for five days

A 16-year-old girl has been missing from Harrogate for five days and is believed to be in the Leeds area moving around hotels.

Casey Ackerley has been described as white, approximately 5ft 6in tall and of slim build.

She has very long, light, brown hair and was last seen wearing a salmon pink tracksuit and white trainers.

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North Yorkshire Police has passed the case onto West Yorkshire Police and has urged the public to share any information with the neighbouring force.

To share information anonymously, call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 – quoting 12200132258 as the police reference number.

Council could spend £4.5m on 52 homes in Harrogate

Harrogate Borough Council is planning to buy 52 homes at the Castle Hill Farm development on Whinney Lane.

In a report due to be discussed by the council’s cabinet next week, the council says the homes would cost £4.5m in total.

Sixteen homes would be transferred to HBC’s housing company, Bracewell Homes, to be sold under shared ownership, and the rest would be made available for social rent.

Developer Stonebridge Homes has planning permission to build 130 homes at the site. Work is currently under way and the first homes are scheduled for completion in November.

HBC says it could recoup between £1.18m and £2.37m from the 16 shared ownership properties, with the council turning a profit on the purchase after at least 13 years thanks to the rental income.

The council said the shared ownership homes will support first-time buyers in the district.

“The acquisition of 16 shared ownership homes by the council or its housing company will provide a great opportunity to meet high demand from potential first-time buyers in the district and will generate a revenue stream to support council services.”

The council also believes the purchase would help ease demand for socially rented homes as there are currently 1,249 households on the waiting list.

However, the council warned there is “uncertainty” over the medium- to long-term future of the housing market as estate agents in the district report a “pent up” demand for housing following the easing of lockdown restrictions.

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The Stray Ferret asked Stonebridge Homes about HBC’s involvement in the scheme but the company had not responded by the time of publication.

There have been signs locally that, since lockdown, housebuilders are being more cautious with developments. Last month, the UK’s largest housebuilder, Barratt Homes, pulled out of a 390-home development in Littlethorpe, Ripon.

Meanwhile, Banks Group submitted plans for 270 homes and a primary school on the opposite side of the Castle Hill Farm site on Whinney Lane.

Whinney Lane is now closed for seven months due to the construction of two site access points for the Castle Hill Farm housing development as well as a new roundabout.

The manager of the Squinting Cat pub told the Stray Ferret that the closure “could kill” the business.

Gallery aims to ‘put Harrogate on the map’ for art

A contemporary art gallery has relocated from Kirbymoorside to Harrogate.

Bils & Rye on John Street specialise in 3D works such as sculptures and ceramics, as well as abstract paintings. The owner said there’s room in the market and he hopes the move will add to Harrogate’s rich culture scene.

The owner, Nick Bentley, decided to move his gallery to Harrogate as a result of taking part in an arts festival in 2015. He told the Stray Ferret that Harrogate has great competition for art galleries and he would much rather position himself among his idols in the business.

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He said:

“Harrogate has always been a top destination and the strength of the competition here is brilliant. I think there’s room in the market. We have a very different offering to other galleries, yet I think we can work quite well together and put Harrogate on the map as an art destination.

owner inside gallery

The gallery will be selling sculptures by Simon Gudgen, as well as internationally acclaimed contemporary British painter Dion Salvador Lloyd.

Despite opening up during a pandemic, Nick told the Stray Ferret that covid has given him more opportunities. He said:

“For me, corona was like a gift of time – it really gave me time to think and realise that this is what I want to do. Because I am relocating the business it gave me chance to say ‘lets do it, but let’s do it right’.”

The gallery will open its doors for the first time in Harrogate this weekend and visitors are advised to pre book an appointment.