Harrogate Borough Council has said it will spend £165,000 revamping its tourism website Visit Harrogate  — after previously refusing to reveal the sum.

The council awarded the contract two months ago to a company from Ipswich in a private meeting without undertaking a competitive tender process.

It told the Stray Ferret at the time that coronavirus had created an “economic crisis” that forced it to bypass competitive tendering.

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A report prepared for the meeting said it would take six months for a “full procurement process” and the site needed to be ready for the 2021 tourist season.

The council acquired the Visit Harrogate site last year.

The authority believes the site has suffered from “historic underinvestment” and “visually no longer meets the user requirements or expectations”.

Jacob Bailey Group won the four-year contract to create what the council called a new destination management system.

Yesterday the council revealed the £165,000 sum in response to a question on Twitter.

A council spokesperson told the Stray Ferret:

“This new destination management system will allow our destination management organisation to effectively attract new leisure and business visitors to the district through the work of Visit Harrogate and a new conference bureau. This is vital in order to support the recovery of the Harrogate district’s visitor economy.

“This destination management system is a comprehensive set of tourism management tools and functionality, including databases of marketing information for accommodation, businesses and visitor attractions; reporting and evaluation; event and booking services; news and blogging functions; visitor planning tools; integration with review sites such as Trip Advisor as well as integration with Visit Britain’s flagship tourism exchange.”

Jack Emmett, Harrogate Town’s longest-serving player, is to leave the club to focus on recovering from chronic fatigue.

The 27-year-old, who was born in Harrogate and has played 229 times for the club, has not closed the door on his football career and said he could return if he overcomes his illness. He said:

“It has been an incredible journey and I have loved every minute, but I know this is the right decision for my health moving forward. Hopefully one day I will be able to fully recover and return to the game.”

Emmett, who went to Harrogate Grammar School, spoke to the Stray Ferret ahead of the club’s historic Wembley play-off final last year when he spoke about his footballing upbringing and turning out for Knaresborough Celtic juniors.

His final performance for the club was in the Papa John’s Trophy this season against Leicester City under-23s.

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In 2017/18 Emmett formed a midfield partnership with Josh Falkingham, with whom he was named joint Player’s Player of the Season. The duo helped Town into the National League for the first time.

According to the NHS, chronic fatigue syndrome is a long-term illness with a wide range of symptoms, the most common being extreme tiredness.

Manager Simon Weaver paid tribute to Emmet and said “the door is always open” for a return.

He said:

“It’s a sad loss for the club and the supporters, Jack has been thrilling to watch over the years, he has always played with a joy and desire to run at people and entertain.

“He was part of first under-17s set up under Mark Forster, who recommended we take a look at him and we would later send him on loan to Forster’s Wetherby side, he was getting kicked all over park but kept getting up, we were so impressed with attitude.

“We kept in touch when he went away to university and were delighted when he returned and would be training full time with us. I remember in pre-season at Thorpe Arch we put him in central midfield against Leeds United and he was waltzing past players, that was a big turning point for him and the club as he went on to play a massive part in us earning promotion from the National League North.

“His recent issue has saddened us all, but we respect his views and that his health is of paramount importance.
“He’s been with me for 11 years here and we have always shared a good bond, I’ll always think highly of Jack and the door is always open for him at Town, he is very much still a part of our family.”

North Yorkshire Police has said it will challenge lockdown rule breakers on the Harrogate district’s roads and beauty spots.

Superintendent Mike Walker, the force’s lead for coronavirus, today set out the countywide policing strategy for the third national lockdown.

He said police presence and visibility would increase to “reassure” people, and anyone caught breaking the rules would be challenged and possibly fined up to £200.

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Supt Walker said:

“Under these new regulations, if you are outside of your home without a reasonable excuse, or gathering indoors or outdoors with others, the police can take enforcement action against you and you can be fined up to £200.

“I would also stress that it is important to stay as close to home as possible. While exercise is permitted, this should be done in your local area, preferably from your doorstep.

“The new restrictions have been put in place to limit people’s movements in order to suppress the spread of a deadly virus. If you travel further than is essential, you are putting yourself and those communities you visit at risk of contracting this virus.

“Our health service is at a crucial point and as a nation we face a very serious situation, so it’s vital that we stick to the rules and stop the spread of the virus.”

People in the Harrogate district will step onto their doorsteps tonight to bang pans and clap their hands to show support for the heroes of the pandemic.

The weekly Clap for Carers that took place during the first lockdown is being revived under the new name of Clap for Heroes at 8pm.

Annemarie Plas, who founded the initiative, said the new name not only celebrated the NHS, care workers and key workers but every hero who has played their part in tackling the pandemic.

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Clap for Carers started as a one-off on March 26 but proved so popular it continued for 10 weeks.

In the Harrogate district, people not only stepped onto their doorsteps but many also turned up at care homes and hospitals to show their support directly.

This time around, with coronavirus infection rates rising rapidly, the organisers have reiterated a call to wear masks and keep a safe distance while clapping.

Will you join in Clap for Heroes tonight at 8pm? Send your videos to contact@thestrayferret.co.uk.

Hundreds of hospital staff in Harrogate have had their first doses of the coronavirus vaccine.

On Monday, Harrogate District Hospital began offering the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to its staff after the first batch was delivered.

Seven hundred staff have been booked in this week to be vaccinated and 266 had received the jab after the first two days of the programme.

A total of 820 staff from high risk categories were invited to be inoculated first.

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It comes as public health officials in North Yorkshire said they expected the Oxford-Astrazeneca vaccine to arrive in the county by the end of the week.

It means more care home residents will be able to access the vaccine as it is easier to transport.

The government has ordered 100 million doses of the vaccine, however just 530,000 were cleared for use earlier this week.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said yesterday the NHS would begin to publish daily figures on the number of vaccinations from next week.

A community group in Harrogate is at the forefront of a drive to donate laptops and tablets to pupils studying from home.

Schools were preparing to reopen after the Christmas break for face-to-face learning until the third national lockdown caused a last minute U-turn this week.

This has left some students, especially from poorer backgrounds, in need of computers for home schooling.

There was a big drive during the first lockdown to hand out laptops and tablets and some schools did not receive what they requested from government.

Consequently some pupils are now without the means to access their education.

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Stuart Carlton, the corporate director of children and young people’s services at North Yorkshire County Council, said:

“All the laptops we had in March have been distributed, that was the first part of the scheme.

“There was then a second part where the government provided laptops directly to schools.

“We know there were some problems with that scheme because of the volume of requests. Not all laptops that schools wanted were given to them.”

Julie Mills, head of the Supplies for Key Workers in and around Harrogate Facebook group, has partnered with Phase 4 Computers in Harrogate to supply devices.

She told the Stray Ferret:

“People have been really good, they have been fabulous. I put up a request just yesterday and we have had plenty of donations already.

“Phase 4 Computers has offered to clean the laptops and tablets up and get them ready for schools. We are all pulling together once again.”

Anyone wishing to donate can either drop it off at Phase 4 Computers on weekdays between 10am and 4pm or get in touch with the Supplies for Key Workers in and around Harrogate group.

Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said in the House of Commons today the government would deliver 750,000 laptops to pupils by the end of next week.

That pledge is part of a wider commitment to deliver one million devices to students in need.

Harrogate Business Improvement District is to give the Harrogate Homeless Project £15,000 a year for the next four years.

The funding will go towards converting the lower hall at the Wesley Centre into a day centre for homeless people.

The sum is in addition to the £37,500 the church received from the National Lottery’s coronavirus community support fund.

The Wesley Centre will use the awards to install new toilets and refurbish the kitchen ready for the day centre services.

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Liz Hancock, chief executive of Harrogate Homeless Project, said it was “hugely grateful” to the BID:

“We will now be fundraising hard to realise some of the ambitions we have to extend our operating hours and expand health, wellbeing, skills and rehabilitation services.

“This significant donation will be over four years, allowing us to plan with certainty to develop this fundamental service.”

Sara Ferguson, acting chair of Harrrogate BID said:

“One of our key objectives is to make Harrogate town centre ‘safe, clean and welcoming’, and we see our partnership with Harrogate Homeless Project as a key driver in this.

“When homeless people gather in the town it can be intimidating for some people, and Springboard will offer them a sanctuary where they can go and receive the support they need.”

German supermarket chain Lidl has submitted plans to open its first store in Harrogate.

If approved, the supermarket would create about 40 full and part-time jobs on the site of the former Lookers car dealership on Knaresborough Road.

The multi-million pound proposal includes a 1,263 square metre sales area, an in-store bakery, customer toilets and 94 parking spaces.

It would open from 8am to 10pm Monday to Saturday and 10am to 4pm on Sunday.

Lidl GB said in a statement a public consultation in November revealed 87 per cent of more than 1,000 responses supported the scheme.

Harrogate Borough Council must now adjudicate on whether to accept plans to redevelop the site, which is surrounded by hoardings.

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Robert Beaumont, Lidl property director for the north of England, said:

“Following this extremely positive feedback, we have now submitted a planning application for the site to Harrogate Borough Council.

“We have been looking forward to bringing a new store to Harrogate for a while and we hope that the council agrees that this is a great location for a new supermarket to serve the local community.”

Lidl entered the UK market in 1994 and now has more than 800 stores across the country, including one in Knaresborough.

Harrogate businesses could be in line for further financial support as more grants have been announced by the government.

Rishi Sunak, Chancellor of the Exchequer, unveiled a one-off top up grant of up to £9,000 for retail, hospitality and leisure businesses amid the national lockdown.

The funding comes as part of a £4.6 billion package and the grants will be based on the rateable value of each business.

The government expects the grants will help to support more than 600,000 businesses.

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Mr Sunak also announced a further £594 million worth of discretionary funding for local authorities to target those who will not be eligible for the grant but might be affected by the lockdown.

He said:

“The new strain of the virus presents us all with a huge challenge – and whilst the vaccine is being rolled out, we have needed to tighten restrictions further.

“Throughout the pandemic we’ve taken swift action to protect lives and livelihoods and today we’re announcing a further cash injection to support businesses and jobs until the Spring.

“This will help businesses to get through the months ahead – and crucially it will help sustain jobs, so workers can be ready to return when they are able to reopen.”

It comes as businesses in the district reacted to the announcement of a further national lockdown.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced on Monday evening that a new lockdown would come into force, with a stay at home order.

Sandra Doherty, chief executive of Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce, said the measures would be difficult but were necessary to reduce transmission until the vaccination took effect. She said:

“It’s going to be incredibly tough for all businesses over the coming months, and sadly not all will survive into the spring.

“Until we can resume life as we knew it in pre-covid days, the Government is going to have to continue its support to businesses, and extend it to those self-employed people who have so far not received any financial help at all.”

Councillors have approved St Aidan’s secondary school’s plans to build a floodlit artificial sports pitch, subject to conditions on lighting and flooding.

A report from HBC officer Jeremy Constable had recommended the proposals for refusal due to its impact on the surrounding area.

However, councillors on Harrogate Borough Council’s planning committee voted by a near unanimous decision this afternoon (nine in favour with one abstention) to defer to the chief planner for approval once new reports on drainage and light pollution are drawn up.

Nearby residents in Harrogate had complained the 15-metre high floodlights would cause light pollution to their homes and the Stray. However, Jeremy Constable, who wrote the council report, conceded at the meeting that light pollution would be minimal.

He said:

“There’s not going to be a great deal of light pollution. It can be mitigated with shields so that shouldn’t be a large issue.”

St Aidan’s chair of governers Jo Wicks spoke and said the pitch is “first and foremost” for the school but will also be used by the community in the evenings because of a “desperate shortage” of 3G pitches in the town.

Its hours of use will be 9am-8pm, Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm on Saturdays and 10am-2pm on Sundays.

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Last week on HBC’s planning portal, the application had 40 objections and three in support. However, since the Stray Ferret story about the plans was published on Tuesday, there has been a surge of comments in favour, with 123 comments in support and 41 objections.

Several councillors spoke up in favour of the plans at the meeting, including Cllr Pat Marsh ,who said the council “would be letting our young people down” if they refused the plans.

She added:

“The weather at this time of year means the current pitches are unplayable. This is a way of providing to our young people. We owe it to them to provide this, not just for the school but for the wider community.”