Harrogate District Hospital has reported one more coronavirus death, taking its total number of deaths up to 68.

This latest death at Harrogate hospital happened on June 3. It was announced as the NHS reports 123 in hospitals across England.

The hospital in Harrogate has discharged 118 patients who tested positive for coronavirus – an increase of nine on last week.

Read more:

• Nearly 1,000 Harrogate hospital staff absent in April due to coronavirus 
• Clock ticking to the end of NHS Nightingale contract in Harrogate

It also comes as the number of people who have died in the UK in all settings has now passed 40,000.

Over 2000 people have signed a petition to try and save local radio station Stray FM in just one week.

The campaign, launched by Liberal Democrats, calls for Bauer Media to reverse its decision to replace Stray FM with a national station.

Stray FM, a 26-year-old station based in Harrogate, is set to be replaced by Greatest Hits Radio with three hours a day of regional presenting covering Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.

Liberal Democrat spokesperson Judith Rogerson told The Stray Ferret:

“We understand that it’s not an easy challenge to get a private company to reverse a decision once it’s been made, but seeing the community rally together like this and seeing all the words of appreciation is incredibly heartening. Local journalism is about so much more than large profits — we sincerely hope that this petition shows Bauer just how much ‘Proper Local Radio’ means to our area.”

Read more on this story

• Why Stray FM could be coming off the air
• This is what the station means to locals

Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones has also written to Bauer Media to seek assurances over Stray FM’s future.

In a post on his website, he said he was “disappointed” that Bauer Media’s “winning formula is set to change.”

Woodfield Community Primary School in Harrogate reflects on its first week back after re-opening to limited year groups on Tuesday.

Woodfield Primary has remained open throughout the lockdown for the children of key workers. However, all pupils in nursery, reception, and year 1 are now also able to go back to school.

Jo Marwood, headteacher at the school, spoke to the Stray Ferret about how they have found the first week back:

 It’s definitely not the normal… We have about 25% of  our children back. We are focusing on the ‘bubble’ element. We have no more than 10 in each group and we keep the bubbles completely seperate. They have seperate start and finish times, break times and we have two metres between each desk in the classroms. We are staggering the return of pupils, so year 6 pupils will start to come back from next week.

There are government guidelines for schools to adhere too but there is no set  “uniform” approach.” This means not all schools have re-opened, and the ones that are may all be taking a slightly different approach.

 No school is the same… It depends on the size of the building, how many pupils you have and also how you interpret the guidelines. We are doing absolutely everything we can to ensure the safety of our pupils and staff. I dont think at the moment we could have all of the children back… We just don’t have the staff or the rooms.

Despite the gradual re-opening of schools within the borough, it is up to individual parents to decide if they feel it is safe to send their children back.

A new group has been established in Harrogate to support the protests being held around the world following the death of George Floyd in the USA.

Black Lives Matter Harrogate has more than 400 members on Facebook after being established at the beginning of the week.

While organisers say they will not be setting up marches like those seen elsewhere – such as London, pictured above – because of the risks during the Covid-19 pandemic, they wanted to give people in Harrogate a place to discuss racial equality and show their support.

Dianna-Roxanne Kananowitz, who set up the group, said:

“This group isn’t a knee jerk reaction to current events, although that was the initial catalyst.

“Black lives should matter every day, so it’s an on-going thing. I’ve emailed the local MP and I’m awaiting a reply. I’m in design talks about a logo that can be shown in cars or shops to show solidarity – I still need to figure production costs as a non-profit organisation. I’ve tons of ideas. I’m hoping people will have a few of their own.”

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• WATCH: couple meet their new grandson for the first time since lockdown began
• Mayoress pays tribute to NHS staff who saved her life

For Pajwa Mo, who has volunteered as an admin on the group, marches are less important than educating people and helping to make the next generation more aware of institutional racism.

Pajwa, who ran Spoilt Gelato in Starbeck until last year, lives in Bradford but still works in the Harrogate area and keeps in touch with friends he made. He says he experienced racism in Harrogate a number of times, but he has also seen it in Bradford, despite a more multicultural population.

However, he believes it is everyone’s responsibility to stand up against racism and challenge problems they see. He said:

“The problem we have got with the younger generation is, if it’s something that concerns us directly, we will get involved, but if it’s happening in London, America or Syria, we aren’t interested. Whether it’s in Asia, Africa, England – if it’s wrong, we should all speak up and say it’s wrong.

“Today it’s America. Tomorrow it could be Harrogate. Then what? When will we speak up? We don’t want to lose someone before we realise we have to do something.”

A former teacher, Pajwa strongly believes educating and setting good examples to children is vital in giving them the confidence to stand up for equality. Showing love and care for people, he said, will generate more of the same and make a better society for everyone.

He likened the Black Lives Matter movement to the support shown for the NHS and key workers from the beginning of the coronavirus crisis.

“With the rainbows in windows and coming out to clap, people made an effort in their own homes first.

“You can’t fix the world without fixing your own house first. The only way we can take a step forward is if we all take a step in our own homes first.”

Marks & Spencer is likely to open its M&S Food store in Ripon in mid July, The Stray Ferret understands.

The M&S store, on Rotary Way, was originally due to open on April 29 but that was put on hold because of coronavirus.

It is part of the £10 million Saint Michael’s Retail Park development. A spokesperson for M&S said:

“We’re working hard to finish our Ripon store and as soon as we have more information on the opening we will update the community.”

The new store, located close to the Ripon bypass, was first granted planning permission by Harrogate Borough Council in 2017. It will provide up to 80 new jobs, including people who have been recruited locally.

Ripon is currently served by four supermarkets – Aldi, Booths, Morrisons and Sainsbury’s.

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German budget supermarket Lidl, which already has a store in Chain Lane, Knaresborough, has announced that it plans to open up to 89 new stores in Yorkshire and has Harrogate and Ripon on its list, saying:

The company, which is hoping to double the number of stores it has in the UK added, that it was looking for ‘prominent sites  in town, district, edge of centre or out of town locations, ideally with main road frontage with easy access and strong pedestrian or traffic flow.’

“We want to double our portfolio. To continue our phenomenal growth we require further sites across the country.”

The proposed locations for Lidl stores in Ripon and Harrogate is not as yet known.

Final plans for almost 400 new homes to the west of Harrogate are set to be approved despite concerns about access to the site.

Harrogate Borough Council’s planning committee gave the go-ahead this week for the second half of the new Penny Pot Lane housing development to be signed off by the chief planner.

It will see 367 homes built, along with a link road for buses, cyclists and pedestrians to the Jennyfield estate. The site layout also includes allotments, public open areas and space for a primary school.

The full site was given outline planning permission for 600 homes in 2016. This week’s meeting looked at the detailed layout of the northern half of the site, including layout and amenities, after the southern half had its details approved in 2018 and construction began.

New homes are already under construction and some occupied on the southern half of the site off Penny Pot Lane

Cllr Pat Marsh raised concerns about access to the homes, saying:

“I’ve opposed this application every time it has come to committee. I still think one access road for that amount of houses is ridiculous. In a way my hands are tied.

I’ve got no reason to refuse it but I still want to put my point across that I really don’t support the principle. To have 600 houses off that road I think is wrong.”

Planning committee members also raised concerns about the bus route which, they said, if open to cyclists, could also be accessed by motorbike riders. Planning officer Mark Williams confirmed the details would be supplied at a later date and would be approved by the chief planning officer.

Cllr Marsh abstained from the vote, but the rest of the committee agreed to defer the decision to the chief planner to approve, subject to receipt of additional details relating to issues including the bus route.

Separate plans are expected to be submitted for a primary school once more homes have been completed and occupied.

Read more:

• Council breaks listed building guidelines to give itself permission to put up fence
• Who will run Ripon’s £10m leisure centre?

Meanwhile, plans for 52 new extra-care apartments on Wetherby Road were approved by the planning committee. The site – formerly Greenfield Court care home – will include a mix of one- and two-bedroom apartments for over-70s requiring support with personal care.

It will include a communal lounge and dining facilities, as well as laundry space on each of its three floors of apartments.

Cllr Marsh raised concerns about the proposal having just 30 parking spaces for both residents and staff, alongside cycle sheds. She said the area already had significant problems with parking relating to the nearby hospital, football club and schools.

However, planning officer Mike Parkes said the applicant, McCarthy and Stone, had similar developments elsewhere in the country and had found that level of parking to be adequate, especially among residents requiring extra care who were unlikely to drive.

Planning committee members voted in favour of the application, with just one abstention.

Two boys have been assaulted on the Bilton to Ripley cycle path after a confrontation with a group of teenagers.

The victims and a friend were chased onto the Bilton viaduct on Tuesday, between 6.15pm and 6.30pm, by a group of between five and seven people.

One of the group approached the first victim and punched him in the face a number of times. The boy suffered facial injuries which required hospital treatment.

The second victim tried to help his friend and was punched in the back of the head by another member of the group.

A spokesman for North Yorkshire Police said:

“This incident took place on a busy public footpath, in broad daylight, where members of the public are exercising. We are requesting the public’s assistance to help establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident.”

Police are trying to trace two suspects. Both are described as white teenage boys, aged between 16 and 18. One was between 5ft 9ins and 6ft tall and well-built, with medium length brown hair. He was wearing a blue t-shirt and grey shorts and was on a bicycle, carrying a dark blue backpack.

The second suspect had a thin build and was more than 6ft 2ins tall. He is also believed to have been on a bike and was wearing a black t-shirt with grey jogging bottoms. Both of the suspects were part of a group of up to seven people.

Anyone with information that could assist the investigation should contact North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 2, and ask for Ryan Rudd. Alternatively, email ryan.rudd@northyorkshire.pnn.police.uk. Quote the North Yorkshire Police reference number 12200093071.

To report information anonymously, call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

A real-life stray ferret spotted last Saturday has returned home safely to its rightful owners.

Owner Jess Silver and Jordan Croxford noticed their ferret, Dynamite, was missing from his cage in the early hours of Saturday morning and suspected he had been stolen.

But Dynamite was spotted by Evelyn Rose on Saturday, May 30 on Skipton Street at 10.15pm. Evelyn then got in contact with us at The Stray Ferret in a bid to unite the animal with its owners.

However, much to the Croxford’s surprise and relief, Dynamite returned back home safely on Sunday morning.

Dynamite – preferred life a home than roaming the streets of Harrogate

Owners Jess and Jordan told The Stray Ferret:

“We left the cage door open and on Sunday morning we thought we’d check to see if he had come back and he was fast asleep in his bed.”

The owners suspect Dynamite was stolen from his cage in their garden in the early hours of Saturday morning and was most likely set free when he revealed his sharp teeth.

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• Churches in the Boroughbridge area unite for pet service 
• South Stainley farmers paint their sheep in honour of the NHS 

Jess Silver said:

“In a year he’s never escaped so there’s no way possible he has just gone out. We couldn’t believe it when we saw where he’d been!”

Dynamite was rescued from his previous owner who no longer wanted him just under a year ago. Along with Dynamite, Jess and Jordan also have a second ferret named Jill who has recently had a litter of Kits.

The owners of the ferret are both very pleased to have Dynamite home safely!

Debenhams will reopen its Harrogate store on June 15 as retailers in the town centre gear up to bounce back after lockdown is eased.

The department store is preparing to open 50 of its outlets across the UK with strict social distancing measures in place.

Non-essential stores, such as clothing shops and electronic outlets, will be allowed to reopen as of June 15 as lockdown restrictions are relaxed further.

It comes as the future of Debenhams store in Parliament Street was thrown into doubt after the company filed for administration back in April.

Read more:

• Primark announces it will reopen Harrogate store
• Harrogate town centre will be deep cleaned in preparation for shoppers to return. 

Now, the store will reopen with Perspex shields at tills and PPE in place for staff as part of social distancing guidelines.

Steven Cook, chief executive of Debenhams, said the company was looking forward to opening again:

”We are delighted to be welcoming customers back to our stores in the coming weeks. 

“From the installation of perspex screens at till points to the roll-out of social distancing procedures and PPE, we have been working hard to ensure our colleagues and customers can work and shop with confidence. 

“Our reopening plans follow the successful conclusion of lease negotiations on 120 stores, meaning that the vast majority of our stores will be reopening.”

A series of major fundraisers in Harrogate has been called off, leaving a hole in the budget for a national charity.

Race for Life, along with Pretty Muddy and Pretty Muddy Kids, had already been postponed from July to October but has now been cancelled altogether for this year.

Organisers Cancer Research UK say the decision has been made to keep participants safe. The events usually attract hundreds of participants onto the Stray, completing 5km and 10km courses.

Lisa Millett, the charity’s spokesperson in North Yorkshire, said:

“Since it began in 1994, Race for Life has raised over £890m for Cancer Research UK’s life-saving work. We’re incredibly grateful to everyone who has taken part and hope their support will continue.

“We know Race for Life is such a treasured part of the UK’s events calendar and it is with a heavy heart that for the first time in 27 years we have to announce that it won’t be taking place. The safety of our supporters, volunteers, suppliers and staff is however essential.

“We hope the Race for Life event series will be back bigger and stronger than ever in 2021. In the meantime, we’d love to invite as many people as possible to join us by taking part in Race for Life at Home in these challenging times.”

As a result of lockdown, Cancer Research UK says it expects to see a drop in income of up to 25 percent.

Through Race for Life at Home, the charity is encouraging people to set themselves challenges to complete in their own gardens or public places. It hopes the money raised will go some way towards filling the gap left my its major events, which fund long-term research and pioneering trials to treat people across the UK.

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Cancer Research UK is expecting a 25 percent drop in income this year because fundraising events have been called off

Lisa added: “Cancer hasn’t stopped and people affected by cancer need our support more than ever.

“From a run or 5K walk around the garden or local park to limbo in the living room, there is no wrong way to Race for Life at Home. With no entry fee, people might choose to twerk, star jump, squat, skip, dance, trampoline, or come up with their own novel way of taking part and share it with friends. We’re urging everyone – men women and children – to join our community and help raise vital funds.”