Harrogate district health bosses expect ‘long journey’ to tier one

Health bosses in the Harrogate district said today they expect it to be a “long journey” from tier two to tier one.

The government is due to review the tiers every two weeks, which means the first opportunity to change will be on December 16.

But with infection rates in North Yorkshire nearly double those in tier one areas, any hopes of change before Christmas appear slim.

Richard Webb, director of adult social care at the county council, said at a coronavirus media briefing today:

“We need to work really hard to stay at tier two and hopefully reduce in due course to tier one.

“I think the advice that we are getting is that it might be quite a long journey to get out of tier two and into tier one.

“I know there will be some parts of the county that are very anxious to see that change. So we are going to have to continue to work hard to drive infection rates down.”

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Infection rates have shrunk considerably since the second half of November.

The Harrogate district’s seven-day average rate of infection is now 90 people per 100,000. This is lower than both North Yorkshire and England, whose rates are 104 and 152 respectively.

The R number for the district, which refers to how rapidly the virus is spreading in the community, has fallen again this week from 0.6 to 0.5. This means every 10 people with covid will infect five.

Public Health England reported another 25 cases today.

Killinghall and Hampsthwaite is by some distance the district’s covid hotspot. It has recorded 27 infections in the last seven days.

The next highest sub-districts are Harrogate West and Pannal and Ouseburn, Hammerton and Tockwith, both of which have had 14.

Killinghall and Hampsthwaite actually has the fourth highest number of infections of all the sub-districts in North Yorkshire.

 

 

Masterchef finalist to open new cafe in Harrogate

A Masterchef finalist will open a new cafe in Harrogate this weekend after a successful trial in the town earlier this year.

Matt Healy’s third Scandinavian-inspired Gron Kafe will take over the site of the Quantro restaurant on Royal Parade when it opens on Saturday.

The cafe will serve up pescatarian, vegetarian and vegan-friendly dishes. They could be for breakfast, brunch or an afternoon pick-me-up.

It is good timing for the cafe as the nation comes out of lockdown and the Harrogate district moves into tier two restrictions.

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Matt had opened a pop-up at the Cold Bath Clubhouse earlier this year, where Paradise Tap and Taco have recently taken over.

With the success of that trial, Gron Kafe has been able to move into its own dedicated site on Royal Parade.

When the cafe opens on Saturday it will serve pancakes, smoothie bowls, vegan mac and cheese, healthy smoothies, coffee, alcohol and more.

Chef Matt Healy, who rose to fame in 2016 as a Masterchef finalist, said:

“There’s something for everyone. Whether you’re after a post-workout refuel, grabbing snacks for the school run, or you’re craving pancakes and strong coffee after a few too many tipples last night.

“We couldn’t miss an opportunity to snap up an amazing spot in the heart of Harrogate.

“It’s been a lot of work transforming it into our new home but we’re looking forward to being a part of the thriving food and drink scene here.”

The new venture follows in the footsteps of Grön in Leeds and York, which have given the team the confidence to expand into Harrogate.

Harrogate shoppers excited to be back as high street reopens

 

People in Harrogate spoke today of their relief about shops reopening after a month-long lockdown.

Today’s easing of covid restrictions allowed businesses to swing open their doors and there were plenty of eager shoppers there to support them.

A strong ‘shop local’ message has been pushed during the pandemic and it seems people in Harrogate today were keen to heed it and keep their high street shops alive.

Beryl Westerman said she was glad to be out again after staying inside for the past month:

“It’s lovely to come out and see people again.”

Beryl Westerman

Beryl was glad to be back out and about again.

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The pandemic has had a huge impact on some retailers.

Huge names such as Debenhams have fallen into administration following losses in trade. Some others won’t be opening their doors again.

The run-up to Christmas will be a crucial time for those that have survived the second lockdown.

Harrogate hospital reports 100th coronavirus death

Harrogate District Hospital today recorded its 100th coronavirus death since the start of the pandemic.

The grim milestone comes on the day England ended its second lockdown.

The hospital reported its first coronavirus death on March 16.

NHS England figures out this afternoon revealed the latest death happened at the hospital on Monday.

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The hospital is currently caring for 22 coronavirus patients, which is nine fewer than the same time last week.

North Yorkshire is well below the England seven-day average rate of infection at 107 per 100,000 people, compared to 154 per 100,000 nationally.

The Harrogate district has the lowest rate in North Yorkshire at 92 per 100,000. Selby is the highest with 134.6 per 100,000.

 

Harrogate’s Kimberley Hotel permanently closes

The Kimberley Hotel in Harrogate has announced it has permanently closed due to the impact of covid.

The 70-bedroom, four-star hotel, close to Harrogate Convention Centre on King’s Road, has been welcoming guests for over 50 years.

But posts on the hotel’s Twitter and Facebook pages yesterday confirmed it would not reopen.

The post said:

“It comes with a heavy heart that we have to tell all our loyal guests and friends that due to the financial position caused by covid, we unfortunately have to close the hotel.

“We sincerely thank everyone, customers and staff alike, that have supported us over the years and regret deeply that covid placed us in a situation that we cannot recover from.”

The post adds enquiries should be directed to Wakefield insolvency company Booth & Co.

The Kimberley Hotel opened in the 1960s when five townhouses dating back to the turn of the 20th century were converted.

It benefitted from the opening of what was then called the Harrogate Conference Centre in 1982, which is a short walk away.

The properties were originally built as homes for some of the wealthier families in Harrogate during its Victorian expansion.

In 2018, the owners of the Kimberley were granted planning permission by Harrogate Borough Council to partly demolish and convert the hotel into five townhouses and nine apartments.

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Hospitality businesses that rely on trade from the convention centre have endured a tough year as it continues to be used as a Nightingale hospital.

In September, Alexa Guest House on Ripon Road submitted proposals to convert the hotel into seven apartments.

Harrogate district ready for coronavirus vaccine rollout

Health bosses for the Harrogate district have welcomed news of a coronavirus vaccine and say they are ready to roll it out locally.

The UK is the first western nation to approve a vaccine, which was developed by Pfizer-Biontech and is up to 95% effective.

It poses a major logistical challenge, not only because of the sheer numbers that need the vaccine but also as it needs to be kept at minus 70 degrees Centigrade.

Amanda Bloor, accountable officer for the three North Yorkshire clinical commissioning groups, which commission health products, said at a coronavirus press briefing this morning:

“We are working across the system and planning in real time to take stock of the vaccine as it become available next week.

“I think we should be optimistic and are right to be delighted. We will work through the plans that we have put in place over the last few weeks.

“There are a lot of logistics around it in terms of moving the vaccine around, getting it where it needs to be and then getting people in the right place.”

The briefing did not provide details of how the programme would be administered in the district but the first vaccines are likely to be injected in the main hospitals before Nightingale hospitals and GPs also get involved.

Care homes residents and care home staff are top of the list, followed by people aged over 80 and other healthcare staff.

A total of 800,000 doses are expected to be distributed next week but it is unclear how many will be awarded to each local area.

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Ms Bloor spoke at a weekly media briefing of the North Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum, which is a partnership of organisations that tackle emergencies in the county.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency approved the Pfizer-Biontech vaccine after a process known as a “rolling review”.

Scientists reviewed the data as it became available in order to approve it as soon as possible.

Dr June Raine, chief executive at the MHRA, said:

“Vaccines are the most effective way to prevent infectious diseases. They save millions of lives worldwide.”

Two arrested in Harrogate police drugs swoop

Police have seized drugs from a house in Harrogate and arrested two people.

Officers based in Harrogate entered a flat on Knaresborough Road on Friday and recovered drugs, including edible cannabis, and other drug paraphernalia.

A 27-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply a controlled drug and an 18-year-old woman was also arrested for being concerned in the supply of a controlled drug.

Both were later released. Enquires are ongoing.

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PC Nicholas Woods, of North Yorkshire Police, said:

“Drugs have a negative impact on our communities, and I encourage everyone to look out for common signs of drug dealing and to report it.

“Harrogate Police will continue to proactively disrupt drug activity and help make Harrogate a safer place to live and work.”

North Yorkshire Police urged anyone noticing suspicious drug activity to report it using the non-emergency number 101, or pass information on anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

 

Harrogate council to stop selling plastic wreaths

Harrogate Borough Council has said it will not buy any more plastic wreaths for its horticultural nursery after complaints.

The nursery, which is in the heart of the Pinewoods, mainly stocks poinsettias over Christmas but also sells decorations.

Some decorations are made with plastic and glitter, which contravenes a council commitment to stop using single-use plastic.

Neil Hind, chair of Pinewoods Conservation Group, wrote to senior councillors and shared his concerns with the Stray Ferret:

“We were surprised to see a range of plastics/glitter decorations on sale.

“We find it difficult to see how these fit with the council’s aspirations on reducing single-use plastic and becoming more sustainability focused.

“We would not want to see stranded costs for the taxpayer but can we request that once these items are sold no other such items are purchased for resale?”

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Alison Wilson, head of parks and environmental services at the council, wrote back to Mr Hind:

“I can confirm we do have a small number of products on sale that are plastic in the form of wreaths.

“However, we would consider this as something to be purchased for use over a number years rather than a single-use product.

“They were provided by our supplier, however I can confirm we will not be looking to purchase any more.”

Ms Wilson added the nursery had recently sourced recyclable plant containers, which will be introduced soon.

Harrogate district restaurants tables filling up fast

Restaurants in the Harrogate district have seen their tables fill up fast as the national lockdown comes to an end.

Eateries will be able to open their doors for the first time tomorrow after a month under the new tier two rules.

With strict rules forbidding Christmas parties and household mixing they do not expect to see anywhere near the same takings as in the summer.

However, many are already seeing the results of pent up demand of a month.

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John Roberts, the owner of The Tannin Level in Harrogate, told the Stray Ferret that the phones started ringing as soon as the area made it into tier two:

“We are filling up fairly quickly now which is great. The weekends are looking very busy already over the next three weeks.

“It will be interesting to see how the weekdays in December, which are normally occupied by Christmas parties, will perform.”

Vivien Kovacs, one of the owners at Two Brothers Grill and Pizzeria in Knaresborough, added:

“The business has been fine over lockdown because we have done takeaways. We are now preparing to open tomorrow.

“We will not be able to serve the same numbers of people because of the stricter rules but we are hoping for a good December.”

Rick Jones, who is one of the owners of Valentino’s and the Water Rat, also told the Stray Ferret:

“It looks like this first week back will be a busy one, it’s already looking quite full. The restrictions will limit the number of people we can serve.

“We will not see similar takings over December compared to previous years but we are just happy to see people and to cook.”

North Yorkshire will come out of lockdown just after midnight tonight. Here is a breakdown of the new rules.

The new tier two restrictions gives hope for the restaurants and hotels but wet-led pubs that cannot serve a “substantial meal” will need to stay closed.

Ashville College Headmaster dies of cancer aged 48

Tributes have been paid to Ashville College’s tenth Headmaster, Richard Marshall, who has lost his battle with cancer at the age of just 48.

Mr Marshall joined Ashville three years ago from Bury Grammar School for Boys.

Today Jamie Search, Chair of Governors, described Mr Marshall as an “outstanding leader who has been tragically taken from us far too early”.

Elspeth Fisher, Ashville College Acting Head, said it was

“an incredibly sad day for Ashville College and the wider Ashville family”,

Ian Brown, President of the Ashvillian Society, added “we will remember the many ways Richard positively impacted on so many Ashville lives”

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Highlights of Mr Marshall’s Ashville headship saw record numbers of pupils on the school register, the launch of Ashville International Kindergarten and Nursery in Lantau Island, Hong Kong, and Ashville winning accreditation to the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC), an international association that works to establish and maintain high standards within education.

Mr Marshall was a graduate of University of Birmingham and had an MSc in Science Communication from Imperial College London.

He described himself as “loving technology” and was an advocate of using technology in the classroom to improve pupil outcomes.

His three young children, Ethan, Emily and Harry, became Ashville pupils the same day he became its Headmaster, with his wife, Kym, joining the teaching staff. Today she holds the role as Deputy Head of Prep School (Academic).

A service celebrating Mr Marshall’s life will be held at a later date.

Donations can be made in his memory to Saint Michael’s Hospice here.