Debenhams could be missing from Harrogate town centre once it re-opens following the coronavirus crisis, after the national chain filed for administration.

It is the second time that the company has called in administrators, and it said the move was designed to get it through the current challenges in order to re-open stores once restrictions are lifted.

However, it is unclear how many and which of its branches will re-open, with 50 permanent store closures already announced. One Harrogate business leader said he was unsurprised by the news, as the chain had been in trouble for some time, and he did not expect the Harrogate store to re-open.

Bob Kennedy, chairman of Harrogate BID, said: “I’m sure there will be a Debenhams that comes out of administration. I would be very surprised if the Harrogate store was part of their plans.”

Mr Kennedy said he felt it was more likely the building would be split into smaller retail units on the ground floor and residential above. Such a large building was not likely to be appealing to many retailers, he said, as changes on the high street continue to affect brands’ needs.

The size of the Debenhams store makes it unlikely to appeal to a single retailer, according to Bob Kennedy

Regarding the pressures on other town centre businesses while the coronavirus continues, Mr Kennedy said the BID is doing all it can to ensure they make a strong start once trading is possible again.

“While nothing can be done physically at the moment, the board members are trying to put things in place so when we do all get re-open we are in the best possible position to try and catch up on some trade we’ve lost,” he said.

 “One of the main priorities is to make sure the town has had a good deep clean. Then to focus on the autumn and the run up to Christmas and making sure we try to have plans in place to make that as good as it can possibly be.

“For all these businesses that have lost an absolute fortune, hopefully it’s a chance to catch up and pull at least some money back.”

The future of one of Harrogate’s leading cultural programmes is in the balance after coronavirus forced organisers to cancel an entire season of events. 

Harrogate International Festivals has called off its renowned Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival and popular Spiegeltent, as well as numerous outdoor theatre and community events set to run through the summer. 

Instead, it is setting up an online resource to share some of its work with people at home. 

In a statement, the organisation said: “As a not-for-profit arts charity, we are reliant on our events programme and ticket income, alongside sponsor support and donor philanthropy, and so the cancellation of our main season has huge financial implications that place the future of our Festivals at risk.  

“But despite the unprecedented challenge we now face, our mission to bring immersive and moving cultural experiences to as many people as possible remains unchanged.” 

Although the festivals will not be going ahead, the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award will still be announced in July, with nominated authors set to give online interviews. HIF Player, meanwhile, will be a free online hub of archive performances, educational material and activities for families to use at home. 

The statement concluded:

“Art and culture help us understand what it means to be human and how to make sense of life, and festivals are a vital part of this ecology. When this troubling time passes, we will need – more than ever – the transformative power of the arts to bring communities together, to inspire hope, to lift spirits and change lives.”

Figures released today show that two more patients at Harrogate District Hospital, who tested positive for virus have died– one on Friday and one on Saturday.

It brings the total number of people who’ve died of coronavirus at the hospital to 10.

103 out of the 555 latest deaths reported today were in Yorkshire and the North East .

The total number of confirmed reported deaths in hospitals in England has risen to 4,494.

An NHS statement said those who’d died were aged between 33 years and 103 years old.

29 of the 555 patients (aged between 35 and 95 years old) had no known underlying health condition.

David Waddington, Land and New Homes Director for Linley and Simpson, gives his views on the impact of coronavirus on the Harrogate district property market:

Estate agents are reporting difficult trading conditions as a result of the near lockdown situation, but is our North Yorkshire bubble more insulated than most?

Our local agents are experiencing tough times again, Brexit was a three year turn off for both sellers and buyers culminating in a general election in December 19 followed by the Boris Bounce which lasted for a total of four weeks. This was short lived and when things couldn’t get much worse Coronavirus came hurtling over the hills in early March.

It is clear to see that the property market and associated industries have not had an easy ride for at least three years, but what will be the real outcome be when this current disaster has returned back over the hills?

The positives are that inflation is low, as is the cost of borrowing but job security is by far the most concerning aspect. Many employees are currently furloughed, a word that most had to look up on Google to understand, and will they have a job to return to? This will inevitably have an effect on the market, we can only hope that the lenders will be understanding. Once the virus is a  memory, hopefully home ownership will return with gusto, particularly in the new homes sector where the Government’s Help to Buy scheme will be available in its current format for the next 11 months giving buyers a 20% helping hand.

The supply of larger homes, particularly within the Harrogate area is at an all-time low with a mere 150 homes for sale over £750,000, therefore the choice is limited. Owners of larger homes have deferred marketing their properties for many years and it is hoped that the choice will become wider once this current catastrophe is out of the way. The up-sizers from the leafy semi’s will have an aspirational target to aim at, something that has been lacking for a few years.

The burning question is, will values be adversely affected once COVID-19 is a memory? We still don’t know how long this situation will last but once the dust has settled and confidence has returned, the factors look good for our “bubble” and hopefully we will see little lasting damage. North Yorkshire is special with many unique properties and locations, it can’t be replicated, it can’t be beaten. It will still remain what it was, with its people returning to its local iconic landmarks perhaps affording them a greater appreciation than before.

This column has been written by Mr Waddington for The Stray Ferret 

IMAGE GALLERY: work started at 5am this morning as a huge crane lifted the oxygen tank into position outside the Royal Hall 

The team at Harrogate’s White Hart Hotel made a special order of pizzas for the construction workers at the Harrogate Nightingale Hospital.  Simon Cotton, the Managing Director of the HRH Group, which owns the White Hart said they were asked what they could do to provide something more than the basic catering the workers have on site — he was told they fancied pizza and he set out to make it happen.

Simon said he “sourced some proper dough”  to try to make the pizzas as tasty as possible.

Mr Cotton sourced the best dough he could find

The White Hart is one of a number of hotels in Harrogate that is being used as accommodation for key workers. The restaurant and bar are closed and all meals are delivered by room service.

The hotel has NHS, MOD and catering staff staying – all working to create a Nightingale hospital at the Harrogate Convention Centre.

“We delivered the pizzas to the construction workers yesterday. A number looked tired but their spirits were up – they are working a 24 hour operation. When we gave them the pizzas we all observed social distancing guidelines. I think they were happy to have something more than the sandwiches on site”

Once the construction workers have finished the Nightingale will then see the arrival of NHS who will undergo training before, and if, patients arrive.

Dr Duncan Petty PhD has urged the public not to be tempted to stockpile drugs and told the Stray Ferret that preparations for Brexit has helped with the supply of medicines during the crisis.

Dr Petty, who lives in Harrogate and is a member of the English Board of The Royal Pharmaceutical Society Society,  said in the early days of the outbreak pharmacies came under huge pressure as people tried to get hold of their drugs in advance before self-isolating. It put a serious strain on community pharmacies at a time when they had reduced staffing due to the coronavirus.

Dr Petty said there is sufficient supply if people order at the correct time.  There will only be a shortage if everyone tries to get their medicines early.

“Interestingly, the government had been stockpiling because of Brexit which is fortuitous as we now have plenty of medicines in the country. A lot of the medicines we supply come from abroad and there will be supply line problems coming from places like India and Italy- many inhalers for example come from Italy so you may find you are prescribed a different type of inhaler but we do have supplies of the vast majority of medicines”

Dr Duncan Petty PhD

Dr Petty says pharmacies do deliver to people who are unable to leave their homes but most have a very limited capacity to do this. He sad the government is organising “hubs” through local councils for patients who are self-isolating to organise volunteers to do the deliveries.

In a statement Harrogate Borough Council said: “The government has contacted vulnerable residents with information about how they can get in touch with support networks, such as community hubs, should they need them”.

WATCH: The sign going up, being tested and then switched on.. marking the HCC’s transformation

The construction site of Harrogate’s Nightingale Hospital has been a hive of activity this week.

When it opens, the temporary hospital will have up to 500 beds available to care for coronavirus patients.

The convention centre’s contract caterers have returned and volunteered to work for nothing to feed the 400 strong team of contractors building the hospital this week.

So far, six patients who tested positive for COVID-19 have died at Harrogate District Hospital with 163 confirmed cases in North Yorkshire.

Paula Lorimer has revealed that the NHS and MOD looked at a number of arenas in the region before deciding to choose the Harrogate Convention Centre as a Nightingale hospital.  She said it was the centre’s vast halls that made it more convertible into a hospital. Her team had to quickly return to the venue, having shut it down due to coronavirus.

“We are so proud and happy to help and play our part but we also feel very emotional at times. It’s given us a deeper respect for the NHS . Getting the building ready is one thing, staying here and delivering the care another. You get that feeling of how brave they’re going to be – we can walk away from this when they are arriving and the duty and bravery they’ll show to combat this”

Paula Lorimer Director of HCC, being interviewed today

Ms Lorimer said the HCC had to bring back its security, cleaning and stewarding teams. The contract caterers returned and volunteered to work for nothing to feed the 400 strong team of contractors building the hospital.

“It’s been a steep learning curve for everybody. We do have the knowledge though- it’s a vast site and very detailed engineering drawings have had to be got out. We had to teach the Royal Engineers their way around the building so they can put in the complex facilities that are needed.”

Paula Lorimer said the public have been calling the centre offering support and that, when the hospital is built , she thinks there will be real opportunities for the community to get involved -but not yet.

When asked how long she was expecting the centre to be used as a hospital she said:

“We just don’t know — it could be months, it could be longer. We just don’t know if it will ever be used. We hope there won’t be a requirement for this – the government has thrown everything into this and we’re here to do our bit”.

A 2017 plan of the Harrogate Convention Centre