A Christmas Networking Extravaganza at Starlings Bar and Kitchen

The festive season is nearly upon us, and what better way to kick off the fun than by attending a Christmas networking event at Starling Bar and Kitchen in Harrogate on November 30th.

This promises to be an evening filled with laughter, good company, and the spirit of giving, all in support of the Christmas appeal for Dementia Forward.

The highlight of the evening will be a fun Christmas quiz, adding a competitive edge to the networking experience. Gather your colleagues and friends to form teams and put your Christmas knowledge to the test. The winning team will not only earn bragging rights but will also each take home a delectable hamper filled with Mr. Stanley’s fudge and sweet goodies. It’s the perfect way to blend merriment with a touch of friendly competition.

In the true spirit of giving, the event will also feature a raffle with an array of fantastic prizes generously donated by local companies.

The proceeds from the raffle will contribute to the Christmas appeal for Dementia Forward, making this evening not just about professional connections but also about making a positive impact in the community.

Among the coveted prizes up for grabs are Cloud Nine hair straighteners, ensuring you’ll be in style for all Christmas events. The Inn Collection Group has contributed a £55 dinner voucher, providing the perfect excuse for a festive night out. If you’re looking to bring the holiday spirit into your home, Jules B has donated a luxurious Dr. Vranjes Firenze diffuser worth a whopping £350.

For those seeking a more active experience, there’s the opportunity to win 2 hours free at Surge Padel, a thrilling and engaging sport that combines elements of tennis and squash. Sports enthusiasts will also appreciate the family ticket to watch the Leeds Knights, a fantastic ice hockey team that promises an exciting evening for all.

For a touch of magic, win 2 tickets to the enchanting Harlow Carr Christmas Glow event, where the gardens come alive with festive lights and decorations. Finally, the Christmas bundle from Sophie Allport is a delightful addition, ensuring your home is adorned with charming and seasonal decorations.

Starling Bar and Kitchen is the perfect venue for this festive gathering, providing a warm and inviting atmosphere for networking and celebration in the heart of Harrogate.

Gather your colleagues and friends, and join us at Starlings Bar and Kitchen for a night of networking, laughter, and giving.

Click or tap here to register your ticket now, as space is limited.

Kirk Hammerton furniture firm plans 24 flats for over-55s

A developer has lodged plans to build 24 new flats for people aged over 55 in Kirk Hammerton.

The scheme would see the flats built on the Geoffrey Benson and Son Furniture Showroom site on York Road in the village.

The showroom, which would remain open, has been on the site since 1992 when it moved from York. It is a distinctive feature on the A59 between Harrogate and York.

Under the plans, which have been submitted to North Yorkshire Council by the furniture company, a further four two-bedroom apartments would be created in the first and second floors of the existing showroom building.

In documents submitted to the council, the company said:

“The applicant has established through dealing with a particular sector of customers that there is a huge gap in current planning policy for dwellings for purchase for over-55s and there is a large demand and need in this area for high quality freehold apartments with 2 bedrooms for the over-55 age group. 

“They are by and large people who already live locally and do not wish to move to a town away from their friends and relations. 

“These people do not necessarily require affordable dwellings but well designed and appointed quality spaces with fewer responsibilities and maintenance requirements of larger a property.”

North Yorkshire Council will make a decision on the plan at a later date.

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North Yorkshire’s special needs black hole could soar to £100m

North Yorkshire Council has revealed it is facing an annual black hole of up to £100m over its spending on special educational needs and disability (SEND) children in as little as four years due to spiralling demand for support services.

While the council says the projected financial pressure was triggered by legislation in 2014, it says a simultaneous increase in complex needs has seen SEND children each cost up to £1.5m a year to support.

In addition, sources say while covid will have had an impact, it is difficult to pinpoint why North Yorkshire is seeing such an explosion in numbers of SEND children, for which the council already has a £13m annual deficit.

Some point to the Children and Families Act 2014, which allows young people and their families to request local authorities to carry out an assessment and provide support, including allocated funding, for each child or young person who applies.

While declining to go on the record, some politicians at County Hall have suggested the relatively large proportion of middle class parents in the county is partly behind the council’s plight, with a common view that getting a SEND statement for a child brings financial and other benefits.

North Yorkshire is in the bottom quartile of funding per head of population for SEND children nationally, partly because the government funding formula is weighted towards areas of high deprivation. 

However, some politicians believe areas with more middle class people able to articulate arguments for their children end up with significant SEND demand.

Parents are believed to have had an almost perfect success rate in getting children, some of whom have “mild” or “borderline” issues, classed as having special needs after appealing the council’s decisions.

One source stated: 

“It is getting to the stage where children with mild difficulties are taking funds away from children who actually need it. It is just unsustainable.”

The financial alert, issued at a full meeting of the authority this week, came days after the authority’s chief finance officer gave evidence to the House of Commons Levelling Up, Housing and Communities select committee the authority was facing “a perfect storm” financially.

Gary Fielding, the authority’s corporate director resources, told the committee even well-run councils were now facing “existential challenges”.

He added the council was looking at using savings of between £30m and £70k generated by merging the county’s eight district, borough and county councils into a unitary authority, “cashing in the dividend that has been delivered by unitarisation” to balance the books.

Mr Fielding said: 

“There is a whole host of issues, which I would describe as a perfect storm, with SEND, adult social care and children’s placements.

“What we’ve got in part is a disrupted market, a dysfunctional market in most areas, we have supply and demand out of kilter, we’ve got not enough money chasing not enough places, so prices go up.

“We are seeing incredible increases in levels of complexity. There is demand increases, but what I am observing more is the complexity of need that’s presenting, and therefore the cost of that.”

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Mr Fielding said while the funding for many SEND services came from a ring fenced Department for Education grant, the increase in demand was draining the council’s general budget, for example with the SEND home to school transport cost soaring from £5m annually to £21m in just five years.

He added the council would be reviewing policy areas as a contingency if the unitarisation savings plan did not work.

The full council meeting had heard residents were questioning when the authority would “reap the benefits of the millions saved by becoming a unitary authority”, a leading argument behind the controversial reorganisation of local government in North Yorkshire.

After outlining “benefits” such as devolution and savings on senior officers’ salaries the authority’s executive member for finance, Cllr Gareth Dadd, said the savings would “help mitigate some of those challenges that we are facing”.

He said: 

“We are in a far better position, I would contend, than most other local authorities up and down the country.

“We have a plan that’s yet to be fully aired and scrutinised by members and that will become apparent in the budget-setting process. It will be two or three years before we reach the top of that hill and can look down with some ease. We have a plan – it will be extremely difficult.”

After the meeting Cllr Dadd added: 

“The incoming government will either have to take the [SEND] criteria up and give children different guidance or find a load of money. This has the potential to bankrupt prudent, decent local authorities. It is the biggest hurricane we can see on its way.”

Council criticised for making ‘nonsense’ of Harrogate planning committees

The chair of the Harrogate and Knaresborough planning committee has strongly criticised North Yorkshire Council after another meeting was cancelled.

Planning committees comprise of a group of cross-party councillors who are supposed to meet each month to make decisions on the most important planning applications.

However, North Yorkshire Council has cancelled the next Harrogate and Knaresborough meeting scheduled this month due a lack of applications to consider.

Out of eight planned meetings, just four have taken place since North Yorkshire Council was created in April to replace Harrogate Borough Council as the lead planning authority.

North Yorkshire Council pledged to allow local councillors the ability to approve or refuse key applications but there have been concerns across the county that power has been concentrated centrally with unelected officers making the decisions instead.

The committee’s chair Pat Marsh, who represents Stray, Woodlands and Hookstone for the Liberal Democrats, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service this week that she believes the current system is “wrong” and is removing councillors from the decision-making process.

Councillors are able to call in applications to be considered by the planning committee but only if there are sound planning reasons.

Cllr Marsh said: 

“It is making a nonsense of having a planning committee and removes public participation from the planning process. I would like a review of the process and not just rely on councillors calling an application in. This is about openness and transparency.”

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Conservative vice chair of the committee Paul Haslam, who represents Bilton and Nidd Gorge, told the LDRS there is an ongoing review of the new planning committees and workload to ensure that they are deemed “fit for purpose.”

He said there has been recent meetings between the various chairs and vice-chairs and officers, where several reasons were given as to why there are fewer items going to committee.

Cllr Haslam said: 

“Development applications are down 10% nationally, locally its about 20%. The nature of applications has also changed and there are more individual housing applications such as extensions as a percentage of the applications. All developments over 50 houses would automatically come to the planning committee.

“Additionally, we have a local plan and this has reduced the number of speculative applications. Finally the Harrogate district is much reduced in size and if you were to take the original area then we might have had as many as six applications to review, but these are now with other planning committees.

“I am therefore not sure that there is too much wrong with the process but that it’s a function of the market place and having a local plan. However it is subject to review and I am keen for us to get to the bottom of this sooner rather than later.”

Business Breakfast: Harrogate marketing agency wins contract

Are you already thinking of how to reward your employees this Christmas? Why not choose the Harrogate Gift Card?

The Harrogate Gift Card can be spent in over 100 businesses in Harrogate town centre including retail, hospitality and leisure, whilst keeping the spend locked into the local economy.

Complete a corporate bulk order of over £250 and receive 15% discount from November 1 to 15 with the code ‘HGT15’.

A Harrogate marketing agency has won a contract with a luxury car financial broker.

The Big Bamboo Agency, which is based at Windsor House, has been appointed by Apollo Capital to oversee its communications.

The company will be tasked with overseeing Apollo’s PR, social media strategy and implementation as well as brand, design and community positioning work.

Nicola Stamford, founding director of Big Bamboo, said:

“We are thrilled to have been appointed by Apollo Capital, which is a leading player in its field.

“The company’s story is an impressive one, led by a very passionate and inspirational CEO, managing director and wider team – all of whom we look forward to working with.”

Small businesses offered £10,000 grants

Small businesses in the Harrogate district are being urged to bid for up to £10,000 of funding.

The fund, administered by North Yorkshire Council through the North Yorkshire UK Shared Prosperity Fund (SPF), is focused on increasing business growth, productivity and resilience.

Grants of between £1,000 and £10,000 are available.

Micro businesses, with less than 10 employees, and small firms with less than 50 employees can also access free support beyond the grant through the business advisory teams at the council and the York and North Yorkshire Growth Hub.

Cllr Carl Les, council leader and chair of the shared prosperity fund board, said:

“We are delighted to open up this funding stream, which we hope will be accessed by all – sole traders, start-ups, home businesses and social enterprises as well as landlords and people looking to diversify their farm businesses and limited companies.”

For more information on how to apply for the grants, visit the North Yorkshire Council website here.

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Stray Views: ‘Shame’ on councillors who voted for allowance rise

Stray Views is a weekly column giving you the chance to have your say on issues affecting the Harrogate district. It is an opinion column and does not reflect the views of the Stray Ferret. Send your views to letters@thestrayferret.co.uk.

How dare they give themselves a pay rise at this time. They already all got a rise when everything went to Northallerton because they were going to have more responsibility with the wider district to cover. 

Then instead of the economies of scale and savings we were promised we find they have given us £25 million debt. Shame on them.

Diane Stokes, Starbeck

Briggate would be fixed quicker in Northallerton

I have just read John Plummer’s article on the lack of progress with the roadworks on Briggate, Knaresborough

I believe that Ms Burnham is being somewhat economical with the truth when she states that the work will take until Christmas to complete but only begin in a few weeks time. There are only 25 working days until Christmas.

I also believe that had this happened in Northallerton – it would have been fixed in September. It is not equitable to leave local council tax payers ‘simply’ having to put up with the daily misery of the situation which currently has no committed end in sight

Having examined the collapse closely myself, the rubble could easily be removed – thus freeing up the road again. Despite significant rainfall and gale force winds since September it has shown no further signs of collapse. I note also that the houses above have not been evacuated nor the footpath itself closed to pedestrians. The situation could then be monitored regularly until such time as the work could be carried out.

And bad weather can’t be blamed for lack of progress either since it hasn’t prevented significant , planned gas works from being carried out on Aspin Lane etc

Ultimately the situation appears to boil down to the council’s apathy or disinterest in sorting this problem out for local taxpayers.

Alice Woolley, Knaresborough

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Thanks to Connexions Buses

Connexions Buses have ended their X1A and B services Harrogate to Knaresbrough estates.

I would like to thank them for their reliable service over the past years and the friendly drivers who always would wait for us older passengers to be seated and wish them all the best for their future employment.

Paul Smith, Knaresborough

Do you have an opinion on the Harrogate district? Email us at letters@thestrayferret.co.uk. Please include your name and approximate location details. Limit your letters to 350 words. We reserve the right to edit letters.

Bilton Grange remains a ‘good’ school, says Ofsted

Bilton Grange Primary School in Harrogate has retained its ‘good’ rating by Ofsted.

The findings were published in a report on Thursday, following an inspection in October.

It comes after the school was rated ‘good’ in 2018. Ofsted carries out short routine inspections every four years to confirm schools previously assessed as ‘good’ have maintained standards.

Government inspectors said the school, which is part of the Yorkshire Collaborative Academy Trust, is a “very happy place to learn” and found “pupils are proud to be themselves”.

The report added:

“The school has established a curriculum that helps pupils to secure a deep knowledge of the subjects that they encounter.

“Leaders have established an extra-curricular offer that significantly enriches pupils’ learning.

“Learning is brought to life by visits and trips, as well as the clubs on offer. Many pupils attend the exceptional school choir. They enjoy the frequent opportunities to rehearse and perform. Pupils participate with pride and enthusiasm.”

Behaviour is exemplary, inspectors added, and said the school, which has 315 pupils, gives children the right support when they struggle to manage their behaviour.

The report also said, “pupils recognise the importance of their learning, so lessons are calm and focused”, adding that children “understand what they learn now will support them in the future”.

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The inspectors found:

“Pupils understand differences and know that everyone deserves to be respected. One pupil summed this up saying, ‘we are a respectful community here.’

“Pupils talk with maturity about issues such as healthy relationships and consent.

“They are well prepared for their future lives.”

The report also said pupils receive expert guidance from teachers across a range of subjects, adding:

“Pupils find this learning absorbing.  As a result, their knowledge is impressive.

“Children in early years get off to a flying start with phonics. They use their secure knowledge of phonics to become confident readers.”

Inspectors also noted pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) “learn the same ambitious curriculum as their peers”, and said adults “work to remove any barriers that pupils might face to their learning”.

Pupils with SEND flourish because of this support, the report added.

The report also praised those responsible for governance for being “extremely knowledgeable about the school”, and said “the trust and the school deliver highly effective support and professional development for staff at all levels”.

It did not include any areas of improvement for the school to work on.

Ofsted also said, if a graded inspection was carried out now, the evidence gathered suggests it might be rated ‘outstanding’.

‘We are thrilled’

Sian James.

In response to the report, Sian James, headteacher of Bilton Grange Primary School, said:

“The report captures everything about Bilton Grange Primary School that we are so very proud of.
“Everything we do at Bilton Grange has the children’s best interests at heart and we are thrilled this ethos was encapsulated throughout the inspection.
“Our success is because of the dedication and talents of everyone who works at Bilton Grange, alongside the fantastic support we receive from our Academy Trust, YCAT, and the positive relationships we have we our parents, carers and of course our amazing children.”
Photo of the Week: Tewit Well

This week’s photograph was taken by Brian Morrison, capturing the autumnal colours around Tewit Well in Harrogate.

Brian Morrison

Photo of the Week celebrates the Harrogate district. It could be anything from family life to capturing the district’s beauty. We are interested in amateur and professional photographs, in a landscape format.

Send your photographs to letters@thestrayferret.co.uk for a chance to be featured next week, we reserve the right to adjust and crop images to fit into our format.

Explained: the North Yorkshire councillors’ pay rise

North Yorkshire councillors voted to increase their allowances by 10% this week .

The vote, which was held at a full council meeting in Northallerton, proved contentious with some members of the council claiming it was immoral due to the ongoing cost of living crisis.

Others argued that the increase amounted to a “real terms pay cut”.

It represented an ongoing debate over how elected councillors should be paid for their service.

Here is what you need to know about how North Yorkshire councillors are paid

How are councillors paid?

Councillors on North Yorkshire Council are not paid a salary. They are paid an allowance, which each elected member can decide whether to accept all or part of.

Some offer to donate parts of their allowance to charity.

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The purpose of the allowance is to cover expenses which come with the commitments of a councillor, such as time and travel to meetings for council business on behalf of their constituents.

They are not paid a salary like council officers and directors.

How much is the allowance?

Prior to this week’s vote, all 90 councillors were offered a basic allowance of £15,550.

If a councillor has a special responsibility, such as the leader of the council or a cabinet member, then they are paid an additional allowance.

For example, the leader of North Yorkshire Council has a special responsibility allowance of £39,654 and the chair of the council receives an additional £12,142.

Who decides how much the allowance is?

An independent renumeration panel meets every year to review councillors’ allowances.

The panel, which consists of three members, publicises its recommendations.

Those recommendations are then discussed by the council’s executive before going before a full council meeting to be voted on.

Why did councillors vote to increase their allowances?

On Thursday, a full council meeting of North Yorkshire Council voted to increase allowances by 10%.

It means the councillors’ annual basic allowance will be increased from £15,500 to £17,000.

There will be a two per cent increase in the special responsibility allowances paid, with the exception of sessional payments to chairs of the licensing sub-committees.

Panel chair Keith Trotter cited the increased workload caused by the creation of North Yorkshire Council, inflation and the cost of living as reasons for the recommendation.

However, Liberal Democrats voted against the recommendation on the grounds that there was a cost of living crisis and it would not be right to support the increase.

Other councillors, such as Cllr Andy Brown argued that it represented a “real terms pay cut” as it prevented working people from being able to become councillors.

Conservative Cllr Carl Les, leader of the council, said the independent panel had considered the current cost of living when making the decision to recommend the rise.

North Yorkshire councillors reject call to ban trail hunts on council land

Councillors in North Yorkshire have rejected calls to ban trail hunting on North Yorkshire Council owned land.

This week, Labour councillor Rich Maw, who represents Weaponness and Ramshill, and Green councillor Arnold Warneken, who represents Ouseburn, tabled a motion at a full council meeting to prohibit the practice.

Trail hunting involves laying an animal scent, usually urine, for hounds to track and is followed by a group on foot or horseback.

The practice is legal, but organisations such as animal welfare charity the RSPCA and the League Against Cruel Sports have called for it to be banned.

Cllr Maw and Warneken said in their motion the hunts had been used as a “loophole to carry on hunting foxes and other animals”.

At a meeting on Thursday, Cllr Warneken said:

“The issue is that we’re trying to ask this council to stop an illegal activity taking place on their land and any measures that we can do to achieve that.

“I think that’s ethically and morally responsible, if we can do it within the law.”

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Conservative and Independents Cllr Andrew Williams, of Ripon Minister and Moorside, said he had no desire to stop people undertaking a “legal pursuit” and called for the motion to be rejected.

The motion was rejected by 47 votes to 26.

Ahead of the vote, the Countryside Alliance, which previously described the call as a “waste of time”, contacted councillors urging them to vote it down.

Following the meeting, Polly Portwin, director at the Countryside Alliance, said:

“While we are pleased that North Yorkshire Council has finally kicked this divisive motion out, we are incredibly disappointed that so much vital council time and resources has been wasted on debating a lawful activity.

“To be frank, Cllr Maw should apologise for demonising significant swathes of North Yorkshire’s rural community. In the future he should use his time as an elected member to pursue an agenda which benefits the people living in the Weaponness & Ramshill division. The trail hunting community across Yorkshire provides invaluable benefits to the countryside, both socially and economically.”