Local Harrogate News & Views around the district - Page 156 of 1074

Stray, Woodlands and Hookstone by-election preview: Geoff Foxall, Labour

Labour are predicted to win a landslide at the next general election and Geoff Foxall is hoping some of that optimism will rub off on his campaign to become the new councillor for Stray, Woodlands and Hookstone.

He believes John Ennis and the Conservatives “don’t stand a chance” so he hopes people who typically vote tactically for the Lib Dems will feel confident enough to vote Labour this time.

Mr Foxall said:

“We have to try and persuade voters in the division it’s worth voting Labour in this by-election. I would say in Harrogate voters are pretty smart.”

Born and raised in Harrogate, he was a councillor for Labour on Harrogate Borough Council for eight years in the 1990s.

He’s also a former teacher in the town and has been saddened at how council finances and public services have been squeezed.

He said:

“The changes have accelerated over the last 14 years since the coalition. I’ve never witnessed so much diminishing of the budgets coming from central government. It’s had an impact on all services. As the Labour group on North Yorkshire Council, we’ve got to try and increase that funding.”

Mr Foxall was a campaigner against the relief road through the Nidd Gorge and is a board member of Long Lands Common, the community woodland between Harrogate and Knaresborough.

He also organises weekly walks for elderly residents and says improving social care and helping people to live independently is an issue he’s passionate about.

He said traffic and congestion are a huge issue in the division, particularly around Wetherby Road, and would like to see a park-and-ride scheme introduced for Harrogate and improvements to buses.

He added:

“Harrogate has already started operating electric buses but we would aim to require all public transport road vehicles to be electric by 2030 as well as all the council’s own vehicles.”

Mr Foxall is optimistic about his chances and hopes he can be a bold voice for Harrogate on North Yorkshire Council. He said:

“Harrogate has been controlled by Conservatives and Lib Dems for years with little growth or progress. Just look at the mess they have made of the Station Gateway project. Labour in Harrogate can provide the change that is needed.”

The by-election will take place on Thursday April 11. For more information visit the council’s website.

A full list of candidates is below:

Conservative – John Ennis.
Green – Gilly Charters.
Labour – Geoff Foxall.
Liberal Democrat – Andrew Timothy.
Reform – John Swales.

Ripon man admits impersonating a police constable in Harrogate

A Ripon man has admitted impersonating a police constable to steal an electric scooter in Harrogate.

Harley Stacey, 18, of Cedar Close, denied impersonating a police constable when he appeared at Harrogate Magistrates Court on October 27 last year.

But he changed his plea to guilty at York Magistrates Court on Tuesday (April 2) this week.

Stacey also this week admitted falsely claiming to be a police officer to steal an electric scooter for himself on the same date — a charge he had also previously denied.

In a statement at the time, North Yorkshire Police said the incident happened in Bilton.

He was ordered to complete 120 hours of unpaid work within the next 12 months and pay £200 compensation.

According to court documents, his guilty plea was taken into account on sentencing.

Harrogate’s Crescent Gardens fencing to remain for ‘foreseeable future’

Fencing put up in Harrogate’s Crescent Gardens six months ago shows no sign of being removed.

Fences were erected to block a group of rough sleepers last October, who set up an encampment in the pavilion.

It came after nearby residents complained of anti-social behaviour from the rough sleepers, who were removed from the site after two weeks.

The Stray Ferret followed the saga closely at the time – and in the months following – and has repeatedly tried to find out what long-term measures would be put in place to prevent similar encampments and help those needing accommodation.

However, six months on, the fencing look set to remain indefinitely.

When we approached North Yorkshire Council for an update, Karl Battersby, the council’s corporate director for environment, said:

“The temporary fencing will remain up for the foreseeable future until a further solution can be found.

“We are working with Harrogate Business Improvement District with a view to wrapping it with images of the town/area in the short term.”

Matthew Chapman, chief executive of Harrogate BID, said the organisation held talks with the council along these lines before Christmas, and it was willing to “re-open that conversation”.

Rough sleepers offered ‘support and accommodation daily’

The Stray Ferret also asked what provisions are in place to help homeless people in Harrogate.

Kim Robertshaw, the council’s head of housing needs, said:

“We have a proactive rough sleeper team that engages with people at risk of rough sleeping on a daily basis, offering support and accommodation.

“We hope this consistent approach continues to reduce the number of instances where encampments are created in Harrogate. Where incidents do occur we work with partners to resolve issues as quickly as we can.”

The news comes just weeks after the Stray Ferret’s Trading Hell series, which investigated the anti-social behaviour faced by business owners in Harrogate.

Some traders did not feel confident that such offences would be dealt with by authorities, and some even pointed the finger at rough sleepers as the root cause.

You can read our Trading Hell feature on homeless charity, Harrogate Homeless Project, here.

Harrogate Town increase season ticket prices for next season

Harrogate Town has increased season ticket prices for the 2024/25 season.

The club announced that the full price of a ticket will increase to £384 for standing and £435 seated for new adult supporters.

Existing adult season ticket holders will be charged £351 standing and £402 for seated.

The prices are an increase on £349 for standing and £395 for seated, which fans paid in the 2023/24 campaign.

However, the club has offered an early bird window between April 4 and June 5 where season ticket holders can renew at a reduced rate.

New fans can also purchase within the window.

Full price season tickets at Harrogate Town after June 5, 2024.

Existing adult ticket holders can renew at £335 for standing and £383 for seated within the time frame.

Meanwhile, new adult supporters can purchase standing tickets for £367 and seated for £415 in the window.

Prices for concessions have been set at £268 for standing and £307 for seated for existing ticket holders within the early bird period. New supporters will pay £299 and £338.

However, this increases to £281 standing and £322 for existing fans after June 5 and £314 and £355 for new ticket holders.

Prices for under-18s are set at £139 for standing and £177 seated for both existing and new ticket holders before June 5. This increases to £146 and £186 for both groups after that date.

Meanwhile, under-12s pay £104 standing and £145 seated for existing and new fans in the early bird window.

This increases to £109 standing and £152 seated after June 5.

Tickets for those aged under five years old will cost £40 standing and £45 seated for both existing and new fans.

The club has also offered fans to pay in instalments on tickets to spread the cost.

Match day ticket rises

Town have also increased the prices of match day tickets.

An adult standing ticket bought in advance will increase to £22 or £24 if bought on the day. A seated ticket would cost £25 if bought in advance or £27 if purchased on the day.

Meanwhile, concessions will be priced at £17 standing and £20 seated in advance or £18 and £21 if bought on match day.

Under-18s will cost £9 standing and £12 seated if bought ahead of the game or £10 and £13 on the day.

Those under-12 will be priced at £7 standing and £10 seated in advance or £8 standing and £11 seated on match day.

Children under-5 will cost £3 for both seated and standing in advance or £4 on the day of the game.

Harrogate Town match day ticket prices for 2024/25.

Sarah Barry, chief executive at Harrogate Town FC, said the club had seen overall attendances increase at the EnviroVent Stadium by 20% this season.

She said:

“Our supporters are the heartbeat of this club and you are the most important stakeholders of our club.

“Your support benefits the entire Harrogate district going way beyond football, as it enables our club and community foundation to achieve our primary objective, to maintain a healthy, happy and connected Harrogate district.”

Harrogate Town currently sit four points off a play off place in EFL League Two with five games left.

Well known Yorkshire auto repair shop expanding services into Harrogate

This story is sponsored by Great North Auto Services.

A well known Knaresborough auto repair shop is opening a new site at Hookstone Park, as well as expanding the range of services offered.

Great North Auto Services specialises in a vast variety of vehicle services including offering MOT checks, tyres, air-conditioning, four wheel alignment, repairs and more.

Their new shop will not only offer the same standard of service customers have come to expect but will also have a showroom selling high quality, second-hand cars.

As a business specialising in repairing many different types of vehicles, the team at Great Northern Auto Services felt they could apply this knowledge to ensure customers shopping for a used car can be assured they reach the ‘dealership quality’ that all repairs are delivered to.

(Image: Great North Auto Services)

Managing director Jamie Forster explained:

“Great North Auto Services has proven itself to be a leading garage in the local area.

“Our customers praise our willingness to go the extra mile and provide a reliable service at a good value. Customers want to trust us with their pride and joy – their vehicle.”

Due to their reputation and popularity with not only residents of Knaresborough, but Harrogate, Wetherby and beyond, when an opportunity arose to expand into a unit at Hookstone Park, Great North Auto Services didn’t hesitate.

Since first opening in Knaresborough in 2020, an underpinning ethos for the business has always been to build a loyal customer base who know they can rely on the experienced team to solve their vehicle problems, ‘without the premium price tag’.

(Image: Great North Auto Services)

Jamie added:

“We believe in dealing directly with the customers from start to finish and building a lasting, trusted relationship.

“Without a happy and loyal customer base, we don’t have a business. We work hard to complete every job to the highest quality, and we are pleased when customers drive away happy with the service they have received.”

With the Hookstone Park site due to open in a matter of weeks, 2024 looks set to be a big year for the business – and the team are urging existing and new customers to find out how Great North Auto Services can help them get the most out of their vehicle.

Find out more:

Visit the Great North Auto Services website, call 01423 368060 or fill out an enquiry form and one of the members of the team will be in touch.

Body found in search for missing Molly, 25

A body has been found in the search for missing 25-year-old Leeds woman Molly Ann Garbutt.

North Yorkshire Police joined West Yorkshire Police in the search today after Molly’s black Renault Clio was seen in the Grassington area last night and then found just before 8am today parked near Dibbles Bridge at Hebden, about two miles from Greenhow in the former Harrogate district.

But in a statement tonight, North Yorkshire Police said the search “has been called off after a body was found at around 3.15pm today”.

The statement added:

“While formal identification has not yet taken place, Molly’s family have been informed about the death and they are being supported by the police.

“We ask that their privacy is respected at this difficult time as we prepare a report for the coroner.”

RAF Mountain Rescue, Upper Wharfedale Fell Rescue Association and a HM Coastguard helicopter joined the search for Molly, whose disappearance on Tuesday night led police to say they had “immediate concerns for her welfare”.

Officers urged anyone with information that could assist their enquiries to call 101, select option 4, and speak to the force control room. Quote reference number 12240057708.

Alan Titchmarsh helps Harrogate charity Horticap celebrate 40th birthday

Horticultural charity Horticap celebrated its 40th anniversary today.

The charity, located at Bluecoat Wood Nurseries on Harrogate‘s Otley Road, has helped adults with learning disabilities train in horticulture and outdoor skills since 1984.

Students learn garden maintenance, woodwork and social skills as part of their time at Horticap.

Pupils gathered for today’s birthday celebrations alongside TV gardener and Horticap patron Alan Titchmarsh and His Majesty’s Lord Lieutenant of North Yorkshire Jo Ropner.

Alan Titchmarsh with two Horticap students. Pic: Gerard Binks.

They were presented with awards as part of the special day.

Harrogate and Knaresborough Conservative MP Andrew Jones was also in attendance, as was the president of the National Allotment Society, Phil Gomersall, the Knaresborough town crier and Look North journalist Amanda Harper.

The charity is hosting a range of events throughout the year to celebrate the milestone, including a 40th anniversary garden display at both the Harrogate Spring Flower Show and the Great Yorkshire Show.

TV gardener Alan Titchmarsh. Pic: Gerard Binks.

Overflowing bins in Valley Gardens prompt summer fears

A resident has raised concerns about litter in Valley Gardens in Harrogate after bins overflowed at Easter.

North Yorkshire Council has been criticised for its decision to reduce the number of litter bins to save money.

It is spending £478,000 on replacing about 1,500 litter bins in the former Harrogate district with 775 larger bins.

The Stray Ferret has covered the issue extensively, with the council saying in January it would review the policy after complaints.

Eileen Dockray, who took the photos accompanying this article on Sunday morning, raised concerns about the impact of the new approach on Valley Gardens.

She said:

“More than half of the bins in the gardens have been removed.

“I am not sure when they had last been emptied but they were not like that on Saturday morning. Monday was very similar after the good weather and families taking advantage of it.”

Ms Dockray added she feared the situation would get worse as summer approaches and visitor numbers increase.

A North Yorkshire Council spokesman denied there was a problem. They said:

“There was not a reduced service over Easter. The bins were emptied as normal with no overflowing bins reported.”

The spokesperson did not respond to our request for details about the number of bins that have been removed from Valley Gardens.

In 2022, smart bins were trialled in the town as a joint venture between the now defunct Harrogate Borough Council and North Yorkshire Council.

According to a Harrogate borough councillor at the time, the bins used sensors to send alerts when they need emptying to avoid overflowing. Later the same year Harrogate Borough Council installed six smart bins, costing a total of £26,100, in Valley Gardens.

Last year a May bank holiday gathering required a major clean-up operation the following day.

5 things to do in and around Harrogate this weekend

Get out and about with our guide of the top cultural goings-on from 5-7 April.

Attend a calligraphy course

(Image: Pixaby)

Handwriting seems to be somewhat of a dying art form, partly due to the rise in technology. Learn the skills of beautiful handwriting at this two-hour calligraphy workshop in Knaresborough.

Aimed at beginners and improvers, you will learn the strokes that are based on ancient manuscripts and get the knowhow to create Celtic designs.

£25, booking is required as spaces are limited, 10am-12noon, April 6, Briggate Art, 9a Briggate, Knaresborough, HG5 8BQ, 07931 778 276, chameleonartclasses@gmail.com.

Meet the artist exploring the life of a curlew

(Image: Paco Valera)

Did you know that the curlew is the largest European wading bird, found on estuaries in winter and the moors in summer?

Head up to the Yorkshire Dales this weekend and meet one of the artists behind the Curlew Calling exhibition, Sally Zaranko.

Sally’s work is shown alongside Paco Valera’s photography as well as experienced and highly regarded North Yorkshire artists including Judith Bromley, Hester Cox and Robert Nicholls.

You can chat, draw and write about the beautiful bird at the event.

Free, 10am-3pm, April 6, Dales Countryside Museum, Station Yard, Hawes, DL8 3NT.

Attempt to grow the tallest sunflower

(Image: Pixaby)

You know warmer climes are on the way when you’re sowing sunflower seeds. And this weekend is the last chance to take part in the Sunflower Challenge at F Tate & Sons in Ripon.

Plant your sunflower seed at the planting table at the nursery, take your seed pot home and then post the results on social media by August 15, tagging @FTateandSons and @RiponBID for a chance to win one of three kids’ gardening prizes.

Free, 10am-4pm, April 6, F Tate & Sons, Larkhill Nurseries, Studley Road, Ripon, HG4 2QR.

Visit Goldsborough Hall gardens

(Image: Goldsborough Hall gardens)

This week is Community Gardens Week for the National Open Garden Scheme, and to mark the occasion Goldsborough Hall is opening its gardens to the public on Sunday 7 April. Visitors can expect to see colourful displays from spring bulbs, the woodland walk and a stroll up the quarter-mile long Lime Tree Walk that is lined by a carpet of more than 50,000 daffodils.

There will also be garden talks in the Kitchen Garden at 12pm and 2pm by Goldsborough Hall’s head gardener, and a plant stall on the terrace too.

£7.50 per adult, children free, 11am-4pm, April 7, Goldsborough Hall, Knaresborough, HG5 8NR.

**Last chance to see For the Love of Art at 108 Fine Art Gallery**

(Image: For the Love of Art at 108 Fine Art Gallery)

Forming part of 108 Fine Art Gallery’s collections that breathe new life into the stories they tell, For the Love of Art explores personal narratives and shared experiences.

Showcasing the works of artists Paul Wager and Laimonis Mierins, expect to see work that’s from the heart and explores memories and personal connections that have been made.

Free, 11am-5pm, until April 6, 108 Fine Art Gallery, Cold Bath Road, Harrogate, HG2 ONA.

Do you have an event that you’d like us to potentially feature in the future? Drop me an email at francesca@thestrayferret.co.uk

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Ex-Tory council leader named Harrogate Homeless Project chief executive

Former Harrogate Borough Council leader Richard Cooper has been named as the new chief executive of Harrogate Homeless Project.

Richard Cooper, who led the council from 2014 until last year, will relinquish his role as office manager for Harrogate and Knaresborough Conservative MP Andrew Jones to take up the role on July 1.

He will succeed Francis McAllister, who is retiring after two years in charge of the charity. Its hostel on Bower Street is close to Mr Jones’ East Parade constituency office and Harrogate Conservative Club

In a press release announcing the move, the charity said Mr Cooper began voluntary work at the hostel in 1996 after becoming “drawn by its vision of ending rough sleeping in the Harrogate district”.

It added Mr Cooper continued to support Harrogate Homeless Project during his time as a councillor, and “regularly gives talks on homelessness, rough sleeping and street begging to community groups”.

Mr Cooper said:

“After so many years being closely connected to the homeless project as a volunteer and supporter it feels like a bit of a dream to become the organisation’s chief executive.

“Preventing homelessness and supporting people sleeping rough is a difficult task and I know we have a small and dedicated team of staff, volunteers and donors who have an amazing impact.

“And I have big shoes to fill. Francis McAllister has led Harrogate Homeless Project through a significant period of change and growth. Our Springboard day centre is a hive of activity providing a wide range of support from an array of partners. The team is better-placed than ever before to support clients. Francis has made a real difference to homelessness in our area.”

Mr Cooper’s last working day with Mr Jones, which will be on June 28, will mark the end of one of the most influential careers in local politics this century.

David Thomas, chairman at the project, added:

“I know Richard understands the challenges facing Harrogate Homeless Project. The economic climate remains difficult, there is a shortage of affordable property for rent and support services are stretched. Our charity has a big job to do to meet these challenges and with his background in the community and decades-long support for Harrogate Homeless Project I know he will be an energetic leader for the Harrogate Homeless Project team.

“We will miss Francis but respect his decision to retire after a lifetime working for local and national charities. He will forever be a friend to HHP and to the many people whom he helped during his tenure.”

Asked how much Mr Cooper will be paid by the charity, Mr McAllister replied:

“I cannot discuss individual salaries but it is at a similar level to our existing CEO and commensurate with CEO roles at charities of a similar size and complexity.”

According to its latest accounts filed with the Charity Commission for the year ending August 31, 2022, no employees received annual remuneration of £60,000 or more.