Local Harrogate News & Views around the district - Page 128 of 1036

Ripon man with incurable cancer to walk 268 miles for Harrogate charity

A Ripon man with an incurable cancer is walking the length of the Pennine Way to raise money for Harrogate cancer care centre, Active Against Cancer.

Anthony Henson, 53, aims to raise £10,000 for the charity, which helps cancer patients maintain a level of fitness as well as supporting their mental wellbeing.

Mr Henson, an architect from the outskirts of Ripon, was rushed to intensive care at St James’s Hospital in Leeds in 2022 after collapsing suddenly. He was later diagnosed with incurable pancreatic and liver cancer.

At the end of 2022, he was given a pioneering operation and treatment which has extended his life. The operation was successful, but he the had to go through eight months of radiation therapy.

The treatment began last July and involves being injected with radiation, spending 24 hours in a lead-lined room and being checked with a Geiger counter to see if he can go home. The medication is flown in from Italy with Mr Henson saying, “it’s all a bit James Bond”.

He then has to isolate at home for two weeks until the radiation has diminished enough for him not to be harmful. This is repeated every two months meaning he is in isolation for eight weeks. He had his last treatment in January and has his final blood test next week.

During this isolation he began to walk the Pennine Way, which is 431 kilometres (268 miles) virtually in his garden, as well as taking walks along the way with friends and family when not isolating. His wife Fiona Henson, a teacher at Ripon Grammar School and their two children will support him on his virtual journey.

Mr Henson said:

“At first I was drained and just was trying to do up to two miles a day, your body takes such a pummelling but I have been fortunate in that I have had no pain, I just had sickness from the treatment. I started because I couldn’t go out and it kept me fit and I wanted to give something back to the phenomenal service.

“We have had amazing support. An incurable diagnosis is horrific for any family but the staff at Action Against Cancer, Macmillan’s and St James’s have done an amazing job keeping me alive I can never thank them enough. Active Against Cancer have kept up my physical and mental well-being for the past eight months and helped me live as normal a life as possible.

“Without them I would not have been able to deal with the treatments I have received and would not be able to continue to move forward, they have been a key part in keeping me alive and positive. I am therefore aiming to raise £10,000 to help support them so that they can help provide this vital service to those with cancer.”

Mr Henson is nearing the end of his challenge and has already raised over £8,000 of his £10,000 target.

To follow his journey or donate click here.

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New auction house planned for Harrogate

A new auction house is planned for a Harrogate business park.

Plans to create the facility at Springfield Farm Business Park, near Kettlesing, have been submitted to North Yorkshire Council.

Springfield Farm is situated just off the A59 Skipton Road, seven miles east of Harrogate.

The plans propose converting an existing building on the business park to an auction house.

The site has been vacant since January 2023 and has been advertised for sale on Hayfield Robinson property consultants since last year.

The planning documents do not reveal which firm plans to move in, but correspondence between the council and the senior planner revealed the company set to occupy the unit “have auction houses elsewhere” and 10 jobs would be created.

If approved, the auction house will be less than five miles away from Thompson’s Auctioneers at Killinghall but Thompson’s director Kate Higgings said the proposed new venture was not part of its business.

Planning documents submitted to North Yorkshire Council say:

“The main proposed use of the application site is that of an auction sales rooms, with associated offices and storage space on the first floor.

“The proposed layout allows for one large auction room to be created and it is envisaged that only one auction sale would be conducted at any particular time. There would be one auction sale per week on a Saturday. The car park layout allows for a service yard for the delivery and collection of lots.

“Potential bidders will be able to attend the auction rooms in person, leave commission bids, bid via telephone or via one or more online platforms. There will be approximately 20 bidders likely to attend auctions in person and the existing car parking spaces will be sufficient for their business needs.

“It is anticipated that the auction rooms will employ around 10 full time equivalent staff including auctioneers, valuers, accountants, and administrative staff and porters.”

The council will decide whether to accept the plans.

Springfield Farm Business Park plans for a new auction house

Harrogate GP surgeries to merge

Two Harrogate GP surgeries are set to merge towards the end of this year.

East Parade Surgery and Park Parade Surgery, which are both located on the same floor of the Mowbray Square Medical Centre on Myrtle Square, announced the move today.

The practices said in a statement the surgeries already “work closely together and share several teams and services” .

It added the partners Emma Keating and Sarah Wilkinson felt a single, larger practice will allow them to “pool the skills of team members to create an organisation equipped to survive and thrive in the NHS of the future”.

The statement said:

“We believe in continuity of care and the people you already know will be part of the new surgery. There will also be the choice for you to see clinicians from across a larger team.”

The statement said the merger, which is being overseen by the Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board, will take place in early October, adding both sites will “work hard” to ensure a smooth transition for patients.

Patients already registered will be automatically transferred to the new surgery, which does not yet have a name.

The statement said people can contact the medical centre to express their views, as well as to submit ideas for a new surgery name.

Harrogate hospital greengrocer for sale

A Harrogate fruit and vegetable company is up for sale.

KD Fruiterers, a family-run business based outside Harrogate District Hospital, today took to social media to announce the news.

In a video shared on Facebook, owners Kris Dickinson and Cat Recchia said although they have “worked very hard to build KD”, the couple feel it’s time to “start a new chapter”.

Since launching the business in 2018 the couple have started a family, they said, and are now looking for someone to take over KD Fruiterers so they can “realign” their work-life balance.

The owners added:

“This then becomes a great opportunity for someone with the time to grow the business further.

“For anyone who may be interested in taking on a well-established business, please get in touch.”

The Stray Ferret approached KD Fruiterers about the sale. Ms Recchia said:

“It’s a really great business and we want to support whoever takes it on to continue its success.”

The owners said the company’s delivery service would also be included in the sale, but did not disclose the asking price of the business.

The video assured existing customers that the current owners will “continue to provide the same great service” until the change of ownership, and the couple urged people to “please stick with us and we will keep you informed”.

KD Fruiterers asked those looking for more information to contact Ms Recchia on 07837100009.

Irish firm revives name of collapsed Flaxby housebuilder Ilke Homes

Collapsed local modular housebuilding firm Ilke Homes‘ name has been brought back to life.

The company, based alongside the A1(M) at Flaxby near Knaresborough, ceased trading and entered administration last June with the loss of more than 1,000 job losses and debts of £320 million.

Government housing agency Homes England, which was owed an estimated £68.7 million, was among the substantial list of creditors. Employee claims were reported to be more than £720,000, while HMRC was owed £2.1 million and unsecured creditors’ debt at the company totalled £249.3 million.

However, Irish company Homespace Residential Limited is now using the Ilke Homes name.

The Stray Ferret understands Homespace bought some of Ilke Homes’ assets in October last year, including some inventory items and the intellectual property, which gives it the right to use the firm’s name and logo.

The home page of the Ilke Homes website how contains information about Homespace.

It says:

“Homespace was born through the completion of a strategic asset purchase agreement, taking ownership of Ilke’s trademarks, design IP, modular stock and technology patents.”

It goes on to say Ilke Homes “delivered over 1,000 high-quality energy-efficient homes” during its six-year lifespan and that Homespace has “proven built designs available for nine core house types”.

AlixPartners UK, which was appointed liquidator last year, said Ilke Homes faced “challenges of unprecedented inflation and a lack of land supply linked to planning processes”.

The firm told the Stray Ferret today it was still acting as liquidators for Ilke Homes, but declined to comment further.

The Stray Ferret reported in August that more than 600 former employees of the company were to take legal action over the handling of the redundancy process.

We contacted Homespace to find out more about the acquisition but did not receive a response by the time of publication.

Former Harrogate vet died after injecting animal euthanasia drug, inquest hears

A former Harrogate vet took her life by taking drugs used to euthanise animals after reactivating her licence, an inquest heard.

Sarah Jane Bromiley, 49, was found dead at a house on Red Hills Road, Ripon, on May 22, 2023.

Coroner Catherine Cundy said the death raised questions about how registered vets can acquire controlled drugs without an official premises inspection.

Ms Bromiley first registered as a veterinary surgeon in 1988 but stopped practising in 2006 following the birth of her first child.

The inquest heard during that time she had “non-practising status”, and instead began working as a practice manager at her husband’s dental surgery in Ripon.

But the coroners court in Northallerton heard yesterday Ms Bromiley later registered to re-activate her licence with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) in October 2020, and was able to order a quantity of a controlled drug to her home address without an official premises inspection.

Ms Cundy said Ms Bromiley’s application was accepted by the RCVS just a month later, when she registered her family’s second residential home as her practice premises.

In May 2021, Ms Bromiley indicated to the RCVS she was “not sure” when she would officially begin practising as a vet but outlined her business plan to offer euthanasia services to small animals and horses through home visits.

The coroner said, based on evidence supplied by the RCVS, which is responsible for regulating individual vets and sole practitioners, and the Veterinary Medications Directorate (VMD), which is responsible for inspecting veterinary practices, she was satisfied that this method of veterinary practicing was “not uncommon, particularly in rural areas”.

No inspection of premises

Although originally registered in Ripon, the court heard Ms Bromiley changed the address of her registered veterinary practice to that of her family home on Rutland Drive, in Harrogate, on July 1, 2021.

The VMD was notified of the change, the coroner said, and offered Ms Bromiley an official inspection of the new address.

The coroner said:

“I accept that the VMD emailed Sarah and offered to carry out an inspection of the updated premises on February 2, 2022.

“Sarah replied to the email a week later, on February 9, to say she had ‘not yet started operating as a practice’, and asked what the inspection would involve.

“Sarah was then sent the inspection criteria by the VMD and was told she would be contacted again in six months’ time. But by then, she would sadly already be deceased.”

The coroner attributed the VMD’s delay in carrying out inspections to a “considerable backlog following the pandemic”.

In January 2022, Ms Bromiley told the RCVS she was planning to use both the Harrogate and formerly registered Ripon addresses as her practices, but just over a year later, added she “still had not begun work on animals”.

Neither property was ever inspected, the court heard.

Ordering the controlled drugs

The court heard, although a formal premises inspection never took place, as a registered veterinary surgeon, Ms Bromiley was able to order controlled drugs.

She placed the first of two orders with wholesaler National Veterinary Services in July 2021 and said the substance would be “for use on small animals”.

The coroner said the wholesaler undertook the relevant checks “as required” when a vet places an order of restricted substances, adding Ms Bromiley filled in the relevant forms before the drugs were delivered to her home address in Ripon.

The coroner said there was “no evidence” to suggest the first order was ever used on animals.

Ms Bromiley then ordered a larger quantity of the same controlled substance in April 2023. However, this time, she noted the order was “urgent” and was, again, required for use on small animals.

Instead of home delivery, Ms Bromiley made a 200-mile round trip from Harrogate to Stoke-on-Trent to collect the drugs, where she was required to show her drivers’ licence and provide a signature.

At the time, she also collected other veterinary paraphernalia, which the coroner concluded was used to assist her death a little more than a month later.

Coroner’s conclusion

Ms Cundy said from the spring of 2020 until her death, Ms Bromiley attended regular medical consultations. She complained of “chest pains, fatigue and low blood pressure”, but the only diagnosis ever given was that of a cyst on her jaw, the court heard.

She was also told she may be suffering from long covid, the coroner said, adding Ms Bromiley grew “frustrated” at the absence of an official diagnosis.

However, Ms Cundy cited Ms Bromiley’s medical records, which stated she was showing signs of “low mood” in April 2022 – more than a year prior to her death – but had declined a referral to mental health services.

The coroner then concluded the journey to obtain the euthanasia drug, instead of home delivery, was done to “conceal” the order from others, adding:

“I find collecting the drugs was indicative of Sarah’s mind and I suspect her growing intent to take her own life.”

On Sunday, May 21, 2023, Ms Bromiley told her husband, Roger, she would be staying at their second property in Ripon, which the court heard was “normal” for the couple.

The coroner said the couple exchanged messages that evening until 10pm.

However, concerns grew after Ms Bromiley did not turn up for work at the dental practice the following day (Monday, May 22).

The court heard Mr Bromiley visited the property at lunch time to check on his wife, but found the door was “locked with the key on the inside”.

Ms Cundy then said Mr Bromiley returned to the house at around 6pm with a screwdriver to unlock the door, adding:

“Inside, Mr Bromiley found an envelope on the landing outside one of the upstairs bedroom doors. It said, ‘do not come in – call the police or 999’.”

Ms Cundy concluded, according to notes left by Ms Bromiley addressed to her husband, children, family and even the coroner, she was “adamant she was not mentally ill” and instead said she was suffering from “grief”.

The coroner also said:

“I find along with the police investigation there was no third party involved or any suspicious circumstances surrounding Sarah’s death.

“I believe she acted alone and intravenously self-administered the drug, which was found at a level associated with fatality in the toxicology report.

“I conclude a cause of death of suicide and find Sarah, sadly, took steps to meticulously end her own life.”

Ms Cundy noted she would send a “letter of concern” to the Veterinary Medications Directorate and the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons expressing concern over the means by which registered vets, who are in the “same regime someone like Sarah was in”, can acquire controlled drugs without an official premises inspection.

She did, however, recognise it would not be “practical or realistic” to request a second signature upon delivery of controlled drugs to sole practitioner vets as a means of preventing similar acts, when they “don’t work alongside other vets”.

Car park charges to rise by up to 25% in Harrogate district

North Yorkshire Council is set to increase car park charges across the Harrogate district by up to 25%.

Notices have been put up announcing new prices for off-street parking from April 19.

People parking at Conyngham Hall in Knaresborough for short periods look set to be hardest hit, with the cost of one hour and two hour parking going up by 25%. Most other price hikes are around 20%.

It is not known whether on-street parking charges will also increase. The council is expected to issue a media statement this week.

According to the notices, the affected car parks in Harrogate are Dragon Road, Montpellier Shoppers on The Ginnel, Odeon and Park View, West Park and Station Parade. The multi-storey car parks are not mentioned.

The Montpellier Shoppers car park on The Ginnel.

The cost of an annual permit to park at the Odeon and The Ginnel will shoot up from £756 to £907.20 and £1,425.60 to £1,710.72 respectively.

The affected car parks in Knaresborough are Castle Yard, Chapel Street and Fisher Street, Conyngham Hall, Waterside and York Place.

An annual permit at York Place will rise from £270 to £324.

Notices displayed in car parks state the changes come under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, which ‘provides that a local authority may vary the charges to be paid in connection with the use of its off‐street parking places by notice’.

It comes despite the council increasing council tax bills by 4.99% in 2024/25.

It means the amount paid by an average Band D property for council services will increase by £87.80 to £1,847.62.

The council faces a shortfall of more than £30 million for the next financial year.

LNER to offer free period products on Harrogate trains

LNER has become the UK’s first train operator to offer free sanitary products onboard its trains.

The firm, which operates services between Harrogate and London King’s Cross, said in a statement today it will introduce the scheme across its entire fleet.

Passengers can request a ‘package for a friend’ directly from an LNER team member onboard, or by scanning the catering service QR code next to their seat. A team member will then “discreetly” deliver the products to seats, LNER added.

The move comes after a survey, carried out by YouGov on behalf of LNER, found 22% of people have experienced a time when they, or someone they are with, needed sanitary products but could not access them.

LNER said it first introduced the scheme at London King’s Cross station after recognising “everyone should have access to period care products when they need them”, and has now partnered with organic period product company TOTM to expand the delivery.

Gill McKay, an on-train delivery manager at LNER, said:

“Customer feedback, supported by research, highlighted the upset that can be experienced by not having access to period products.

“We believe everyone should be able to travel with confidence and in comfort and providing free, environmentally friendly products to anyone who needs them is just one way we can provide support, help the planet and break down barriers and stigma.”

Kiley Yale, head of sales at TOTM, added:

“We are really excited to be working with LNER to champion period comfort, wellbeing and dignity across their trains, stations and offices.”

Cycling infrastructure in Harrogate and Knaresborough ‘absolutely terrible’

Councillors have criticised North Yorkshire Council for not prioritising the needs of cyclists in Harrogate.

At a meeting of Harrogate and Knaresborough councillors, Alex Kay, the council’s senior transport planning officer delivered a presentation that included options for future cycle links in the town.

These included Bilton to Starbeck and Jennyfields to the town centre with cost estimates running into the millions.

In recent years the council has built a widely-criticised stretch of cycle route on Otley Road and abandoned the next phase, scrapped a Low-Traffic Neighbourhood on Beech Grove and decided against creating a one-way system on Oatlands Drive.

Meanwhile, funding bids have been rejected by the government for new cycle paths on Knaresborough Road and Victoria Avenue.

Its flagship active travel scheme, the £12.1m Harrogate Station Gateway, has also been drastically scaled back following opposition from local businesses with only a small section of Station Parade now set to include a cycle lane.

Cllr Matt Walker, a Liberal Democrat for Knaresborough West, criticised the state of the cycle infrastructure in the area.

He said:

“To improve things you have to acknowledge there’s a problem. Active travel is absolutely terrible. Roads are gridlocked and full of potholes, buses are missed all the time between Harrogate and Knaresborough.

“We have to make improvements and the council needs to step its game up. It needs to get its act together so people can get out of cars and get around in a quick and environmentally-friendly way.”

Cllr Arnold Warneken, a member of the Green Party for Ouseburn, added:

“The frustration of people who want to cycle in Harrogate and Knaresborough isn’t being taken seriously.”

With several of the proposals put forward by the council years from being built, Cllr Paul Haslam, an Independent for Bilton and Nidd Gorge, said there are not enough “shovel-ready” schemes on the table.

The council’s predecessor North Yorkshire County Council undertook a much-publicised Harrogate Congestion Survey in 2019 which showed there was an appetite for improving walking and cycling infrastructure in the town so people are incentivised to leave their cars at home.

Cllr Philip Broadbank, a Liberal Dem for Fairfax and Starbeck, said:

“I get frustrated with talks and plans and various things we spend time preparing [regarding cycling] yet year-in-year-out nothing happens.”

However, Cllr John Mann, a Conservative for Oatlands and Pannal, defended the council and said it “hadn’t done a bad job” on active travel in his constituency.

Cllr Mann said:

“They’ve installed numerous cycle lanes, several 20mph zones, and school streets. The gateway scheme has not been without teething problems and it’s progressing.

“We shouldn’t be too hard on the highways team. The bigger picture is difficult on financing and funds. Costs of construction projects have gone up enormously and inflation is huge.”

Young flautist and actor win top prizes at Harrogate Competitive Festival

Flautist Alannah Saphir was crowned Young Musician of the Festival and actor Isabella Withy won the Speech & Drama Championship at the final concert of this year’s Harrogate Competitive Festival for Music, Speech and Drama.

Alannah, a sixth former at St. Aidan’s, performed the last two movements of Carl Reinecke’s challenging sonata Undine, the same work that won her the woodwind section final two weeks before.

Alannah, who is about to take her A levels, has been playing the flute since the age of six. She already holds a performance diploma and is also a talented pianist. She currently studies both instruments with her mum Nichola, herself a professional musician and Royal College of Music alumnus. Nichola said:

“We are so delighted and proud of this achievement. It has come just at the right time for her.”

Alannah hopes to study at one of the London conservatoires next year and will be preparing for auditions after leaving school.

Isabella, who attends Ripon Grammar School, reached the finals of the competition after coming first in the Shakespeare category with a solo piece from Twelfth Night. She also performed a duo from the play Bird with her fellow student Amber Stevenson-Mian.

The 18 year old has ambitions for a career in theatre and television, and is hoping to pursue an acting degree next year. She has already secured offers from the prestigious Guildford School of Acting and the Chichester Conservatoire.

Isabella entered the festival with a group of students from the Upstage Academy in Ripon, which she joined when she was nine. Her win marked the fourth year running that Upstage have won the festival’s overall speech and drama trophy. The academy’s founder, Amelia Urukalo, said:

“Issy has been entering the festival since primary school and this is her last year before she leaves us, so for her to win is incredible.”

The Harrogate Competitive Festival has been a mainstay of the town’s artistic life since 1936 when it was established as an educational trust by the then Harrogate Town Council.

This year’s festival, which attracted more than 1,000 entries, was held over three weekends at Harrogate High School this month.

Nowadays, it is run by a large team of volunteers and a committee that works all year round.