Stray, Woodlands & Hookstone by-election preview: John Ennis, Conservative

The Conservative John Ennis is hoping his previous 12-year stint as a Harrogate councillor will stand him in good stead for the upcoming by-election.

Voters will go to the polls on April 11 following the resignation of Pat Marsh.

Mr Ennis believes his experience means he can better navigate the large Conservative-controlled North Yorkshire Council on behalf of his residents.

He said being a councillor is not for the faint-hearted and requires someone who already understands the intricacies of local government in Northallerton. He added:

 “There is a mystery about the new council with some people perceiving it as being a bit remote.”

Mr Ennis was born in Northern Ireland and had a career in the NHS where he worked in Leeds.

He’s the only candidate standing in the by-election who lives in the division, which he says gives him a better insight into the issues.

Potholes are one of the area’s biggest problems and he said he has experience in battling for repairs.

He also said that residents in Hookstone are poorly served by the number 8 bus route and hopes to lobby the bus operator to make changes if elected.

The Saints area has long faced traffic problems linked to local schools. Mr Ennis said he would be in favour of neighbourhood parking schemes to cut down on parking congestion.

He said:

“There are issues in particular around St Aidan’s. Residents around there say it’s a very dangerous situation with people parking right up to the junctions.”

Nationally at least, there is a sense that the winds of change are blowing, with some people wanting a fresh start and a change from the Tories.

The Conservatives will also face a challenge from Reform UK candidate John Swales who is targeting disgruntled Tory voters.

However, Mr Ennis said he is “not trembling in my boots” about Reform and suggests the party could take votes from all parties.

Despite the Conservatives polling poorly nationally, Mr Ennis hopes his experience as a councillor and promises to tackle nuts and bolts local issues like potholes and parking that will count the most.

He added:

“The division has had a Lib Dem for the last two years so if people want a change, I am a change.”

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:

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Woman rescued from muddy bog near Brimham Rocks

A woman was rescued after getting stuck in a muddy bog near Brimham Rocks last week.

Upper Wharfedale Fell Rescue Association was called to the scene on Wednesday, March 27, at around 12.45pm.

Rick Hudson, one of the association’s volunteers at the scene, told the Stray Ferret the casualty had been walking at the National Trust-owned site and became stuck in the mud whilst on her way back to the car park, after the “weather came in quite nastily”.

Mr Hudson added:

“We received an alert from North Yorkshire Police and six team members were called to the scene.

“When we arrived, it was clear the woman was cold and distressed, and was unable to get out of the boggy area.”

Mr Hudson said the woman did not sustain any injuries as a result of the incident.

The association said on social media:

“With assistance she was brought back onto the path and walked back down the track to Fell 2.

“She was driven around to her car parked in Brimham Rocks CP and advised to wait a while before driving back to her hotel in Gargrave.”

The rescue mission took around a total of 15 minutes, Mr Hudson added.

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Lib Dem mayor candidate pledges support for Flaxby train station

The Liberal Democrat candidate to be York and North Yorkshire’s first directly elected mayor has pledged to support a station at Flaxby Park, if elected.

Felicity Cunliffe-Lister announced the policy as part of her manifesto launch.

The announcement also included pledges to campaign for better services on the Harrogate to York line, a single ticket integrated bus services and converting empty premises above shops into flats.

The Lib Dem candidate’s support for Flaxby Parkway has its roots in a long running saga over the need for a station in the area, which developers Flaxby Park Ltd promised in 2018.

The topic was at the centre of a debate for a new 3,000 home settlement in the Harrogate district, which was subject of a High Court appeal in 2020. The former Harrogate Borough Council later settled instead on an area in Hammerton and Cattal, which will be called Maltkiln.

In her manifesto pledge, Ms Cunliffe-Lister said:

“We need a faster and more reliable service across the north, this is key to delivering economic growth in the region, and I will lobby hard for this. 

“Within the region, I will support Flaxby Parkway station and park and ride, the addition of a second platform at Malton, improvement of access at Thirsk and explore the viability of increasing the service on the York to Harrogate line.”

Meanwhile, Ms Cunliffe-Lister added she would invest in the green energy and bioeconomy sectors to generate growth and to create a catchment wide natural flood management scheme for the Nidd, Ure and Swale rivers.

She also pledged to create flats in empty premises above shops in market towns and to control second home and holiday let ownership with regulation and licensing schemes.

She said:

“Having lived and raised a family in North Yorkshire and run a successful business there for 24 years, many of my policies are based on my experience and legal background. 

“I have also taken specialist advice on some of the more thorny issues, to help establish what the most effective solutions are to the issues we face, that will also deliver the best value for money.”

Voters across North Yorkshire will go to the polls on May 2 to elect the first ever mayor of York and North Yorkshire.

The deadline to register to vote is midnight on April 16.

Who is standing for mayor?

Pateley Bridge man and former police officer Keith Tordoff will stand as an independent.

The Green Party has chosen councillor and former soldier Kevin Foster as its candidate.

The Conservative Party has picked Malton councillor and ex-journalist Keane Duncan, who is currently in charge of transport at North Yorkshire Council.

Labour has chosen local business owner and chair of the York High Street Forum David Skaith.

Harrogate resident and North Yorkshire councillor, Paul Haslam, will stand as an independent candidate after resigning from the Conservative Party.

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Pizzeria planned for ex-Regal Fruiterers site in Harrogate

A new pizza restaurant is planned to open on King’s Road in Harrogate.

A premises licence has been submitted to North Yorkshire Council by Stefano’s Pizza restaurant UK Ltd. at 144 King’s Road.

The company has applied for the sale of alcohol from 11am until 11pm, Monday to Sunday.

The site was formerly Regal Fruiterers, which was located at the site for 50 years with a neighbouring florist, Regal Flowers.

The fruiterers, owned by Peter and Dawn Weatherhead, moved from King’s Road to Harlow Hill last year.

Mr Weatherhead told the Stray Ferret at the time:

“Regal has been in Harrogate for over 50 years and we’re excited to be writing a new chapter. A lot of our customers live up in the Harlow Hill area anyway, and a lot of the customers we have spoken to on King’s Road have said they’ll follow us up there.”

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Plan to turn central Harrogate offices into flats

A new planning application in Harrogate has further highlighted the trend towards town centre living. 

An applicant named as Govind wants to turn the offices on the first, second and third floors of 5 Cambridge Road into three flats.

Each apartment will take up a whole floor and have two double bedrooms – one of them with en suite shower room – as well as an open-plan kitchen, living room and dining area. 

The property stands between William Hill and the Cambridge Café, opposite The Den. 

Changing the use of town centre properties from class E – the term used by planners to denote commercial, business and service usage – to C3, residential, has become increasingly common in recent years.

In 2021, the government introduced a new permitted development right  to allow changes from E to C3 without planning permission in most cases.

The aim was to reverse the decline of town and city centres that have experienced an exodus of retailers and company offices in the wake of covid. The increase in online shopping has led to falling footfall on shopping streets and the trend for home-working has resulted in less demand for office space.

The decision on this latest application, which is being handled by agent Elite Dwellings Ltd, will determine whether the conversion falls under the permitted development rules or whether the applicant needs to give prior notification of development.

The consultation period on the application will run until Monday, April 8, and council planning officers aim to make a decision on the case by Friday, May 3. 

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Business Breakfast: Three Boroughbridge pubs awarded national accreditation

Three Boroughbridge pubs have been awarded Cask Marque accreditation.

The award recognises the quality of the beers at the Grantham Arms, Fox and Hounds and Tap on the Tutt, based on temperature, aroma, appearance and taste.

Simon Wade, who owns the pubs, said the accreditation would help put Boroughbridge on the map as a destination for quality ales. He said:

“For all three of our pubs to get the accreditation is incredible. It means we now become part of the national Real Ale Trail which will hopefully bring new visitors to the town. Great credit to our teams at all three venues for keeping on top of cellar management and to our fantastic sponsor Rudgate Brewery.”

The three pubs offer 12 cask ales between them from breweries including Rudgate, Timothy Taylor’s and Theakstons, alongside guest beers on rotation.

Harrogate Healthcare company wins national care award

A Harrogate healthcare company has won a national award.

Vida Healthcare, which specialises in dementia care, won the accolade at the Great British Care Awards.

It won the National Three Rs (Recruitment, Retention and Recognition) award at the event. The company also won the same award last year.

James Rycroft, managing director at Vida Healthcare, said:

“We’re over the moon to have won the national Three Rs award at the Great British Care Awards – it’s a fantastic achievement and a reflection of our commitment to nurturing the future of social care talent. As part of our dedication to creating better care for people living with dementia, our long-term mission is to continue to build on our cohort of understanding and professional care workers.”

From left to right: Bernadette Mossman, healthcare director, Jill Young, operations director, James Rycroft, managing director.

Digital agency appoints new director of international

National digital agency idhl has appointed Sam Ogrizovic as Director of International to launch the firm’s first office in the US.

The company specialises in performance media, e-commerce, web development, data and email marketing.

idhl was established in Harrogate in 2000. The agency now operates nationally across the UK with offices in London, Leeds, Manchester and Newcastle – employing more than 400 people.

Ogrizovic will hire a team of digital experts in the coming months, with the New York office due to open in summer 2024.

Mr Ogrizovic said:

“I’m an entrepreneurial person and there are few occasions in your career which allow you to work with a business you know well to launch a new territory from scratch. Knowing that I have the strong engine and reputation of idhl behind me is a huge advantage and I cannot wait to get going!”

Ben Wood, CEO at idhl, said:

“Sam is the perfect candidate to spearhead our US office launch, his tenacity and ability to form really strong relationships with clients as we deliver fantastic results for them is second to none. This is an extremely exciting time of growth for idhl, the potential to roll-out our products and services to the US market is huge.

Henshaws College completes outdoor classroom

Henshaws Specialist College has opened a new yurt as part of its Forest School offering.

The move follows a £25,000 donation from Barratt Developments Yorkshire East to fund an outdoor classroom.

The college provides education and care for young people aged 18-25 years old who have disabilities and complex needs.

Gemma Young, fundraising development manager at Henshaws, said:

“With the donation we were able to have a 22 ft yurt with a wood burning stove installed to base the sessions from, so the students can continue to learn outdoors, even in bad weather. We were so pleased to welcome Barratt Developments Yorkshire East to the college so they could see how far their generous donation has gone for our students and facilities.”

Henshaws Specialist College completes outdoor classroom following local housebuilder donation

Skin Clinic shortlisted in The UK Hair and Beauty Awards

Relax & Renew Skin Clinic, Green Hammerton has been shortlisted in the UK Hair and Beauty Awards.

The firm has been nominated in the ‘‘Skin Specialist Of The Year’ category.

The UK Hair and Beauty Awards supports businesses of all sizes, and provide candidates with opportunities in the sector.

Gemma Carlisle of Relax and Renew said:

“This business means the absolute world to me. I only started it 2.5 years ago and it has grown & grown into the thriving business that it is today! This is down to my utter determination and passion but also the support of the local community, that have truly allowed me to make my dreams come true”

Tech business nominated for national awards

Phase 4 Computers has been nominated in the Tech Awards 2024 by Tech for Techs.

The recognition acknowledges commitment to innovation, excellence, and performance in the tech industry.

The company has been nominated for a total of four awards, in the following categories: Tech For Techs Community Expert, Best Use Of Social Media, Best Tech Website (not an online store) and Best Shop Front.

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Discover your ideal workspace at The Lenz, Hornbeam Park

This story is sponsored by Robbins Associates. 

Are you seeking a remarkable space for your business to call home?  Look no further than The Lenz, Grade A office space nestled within the heart Hornbeam Park.

A fully glazed, bow-fronted, three-storey office building, The Lenz blends modern aesthetics with functionality, suitable for many different types of businesses – as well as offering competitive rental prices and service charge fees.

Put your stamp on the second floor

The large, mainly open plan space is a blank canvas suitable for either open plan or partitioned offices; an adaptable layout which can be configured in a way that suits your business.

Energy-efficient heating and cooling systems, as well as natural sunlight exposure and LED lighting are all carefully designed additions to enhance your sustainability credentials.

A shot of the reception area of The Lenz

Hornbeam Park offers a rare combination of easy access and high specification spaces

Convenience and accessibility built in

From the moment you arrive, either by train at the Hornbeam Park’s on-site railway station or by car, the keypad-controlled entry systems ensure security and exclusivity.

The 13-person lift provides access to the underground car park and all the upper floors.

Join the community

Apollo Capital Group is one of the businesses that rents office space at The Lenz since 2020, and its CEO and founder Andy King has expressed his satisfaction as a commercial tenant of the building.

He said:

“We considered many options when looking for a suitable office and location close to Harrogate, and without question Hornbeam Park offers the very best of both.

“At the Lenz we enjoy a spacious new office, secure, modern, adequate parking, clean and well-maintained commercial areas, internal and external.”

From independent businesses seeking retail space, to those requiring warehouse storage or corporate offices, Hornbeam Park has the capacity to accommodate a vast array of requirements.

The interior of the office space

It’s a destination for both business and leisure visitors alike, with a wide variety of on-site leisure facilities including a Premier Inn, Nuffield Health fitness centre, restaurants such as Fayre Pub, Al Bivio Italian restaurant and much more.

Andy added:

“We couldn’t find another industrial office park anywhere near Harrogate that offers all these facilities.

“The only ‘downside’ is the fantastic Italian restaurant that we enjoy a little bit too much.”

Hornbeam Park also boasts excellent transport links between Leeds, York, Harrogate and even London, due to the railway station, regular bus routes, and its close proximity to A1/M1 motorway.

Find out more: 

If you have any further enquiries, contact Chris Robbins of Robbins Associates at 01423 505501. For all available office space, visit the website or email info@robbinsassociates.net.

The York and North Yorkshire mayoral election is approaching – have your say

This story is sponsored by The York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority.

The York and North Yorkshire mayor will be chosen by residents of the region in an election on Thursday, May 2, 2024.

Once elected, they will serve a four-year term, at which point they can either stand down, or choose to stand for re-election.

The deadline to register to vote is 11:59pm, Tuesday, April 16, 2024. Don’t forget – if you’re voting at a polling station, you’ll need to bring along a valid form of photo ID.

The new mayoral role will be an important addition to the way the combined authority operates – but what exactly does this mean for local people, and why is it important to have your say in May?

What is the role of the mayor?

York and North Yorkshire has a 30-year devolution deal, which will give the mayor £18m a year to invest directly into the region. Once elected, they will then have certain powers and responsibilities, devolved to them by central government.

(Image: York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority)

The aim of the role is to facilitate greater investment to improve transport, boost job opportunities, unlock housing developments and develop training for the regional workforce.

While the full scope of these can be found in the Combined Authority Constitution, these will include:

Have your voice heard

(Image: York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority)

The upcoming election aims to appoint a leader to be a strong voice for York and North Yorkshire, and to act as an advocate for the region on a national – and international – stage.

That’s why it is important for you to have your say on who you feel would best represent your views, and your vision for the local area.

No registration, no vote

You must be registered to vote in this election by 11.59pm on Tuesday, April 16, 2024. If you’re voting at a polling station you need to show a valid form of photo ID.

This includes a full or provisional driver’s licence; UK passport and some travel passes such as an older person’s bus pass or blue badge. If you don’t have these you can apply for free voter ID by 5pm on Wednesday, April 24 by visiting the government website.

You can also vote by post and by proxy – where you ask someone you trust to cast your vote for you.

Find out more:

Visit the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority website at: www.yorknorthyorks-ca.gov.uk/mayor to find out more about the election and what it means for you. 

Golfers gather at Rudding Park to meet the President

Golfers from clubs across the Harrogate district and beyond will converge on Rudding Park next month for special annual event organised by the area’s governing body. 

The Meet the President event held by the Harrogate & District Union of Golf Clubs (HDUGC) will see 120 golfers take on Rudding Park’s Hawtree Golf Course – the home course of 2024’s president Phil Kitching – before more than 150 guests attend an evening event at the Rudding Park Hotel. 

Founded in 1943, the HDUGC spans 13 golf clubs, spanning Otley and Ilkley up to Bedale, and Thirsk and Northallerton, as well as all the clubs in Harrogate and Knaresborough, and represents more than 9,000 members at a local, county and national level.    

Attendees at the event on Friday, April 26 will include the captains and lady captains of all 13 HDUGC clubs, as well as officials from five other Yorkshire inter-district unions. 

Matt Wharldall, of Rudding Park Golf Club, said: 

“The HDUGC runs 44 events throughout the year, and this one is the only one that is by invitation only.  

“This year’s Meet the President event promises to be the best yet. As well as the usual breakfast, golf, barbecue and President’s speech, this year we’ll be holding an auction and raffle to raise funds for junior golf.” 

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Bid to send 100 cards to Harrogate RAF veteran on 100th birthday

A campaign is underway for a Harrogate RAF veteran to receive 100 cards on his 100th birthday.

Stanley Clarke joined the RAF as a 16-year-old electrical fitter appliance in 1940.

He volunteered for Commando training in 1942 then spent the war in North Africa and Europe. He retired in 1979.

A Facebook page about the RAF with 23,000 followers is now trying to make his milestone birthday special.

It says Stan is “alive and well living in care home in Harrogate”, adding:

“Stan is 100 years old on April 6th and we’re hoping to fill his care home with cards.

“Please take a couple of minutes of your day and write a card, or go to Moonpig and help make this great man’s day.

“Let’s get Stan over 100 cards.”

It urges people to send cards to: Gp Capt Stan Clarke, Harcourt Gardens Care Home, Harcourt Road, Harrogate HG1 5NL.

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