Banana plant flowers at RHS Harlow Carr for first time

A banana plant has flowered at RHS Garden Harlow Carr in Harrogate for the first time.

Known as a Musa basjoo, the flower was planted at the gardens in 2019.

It started to flower this summer and stands at 15 feet with green, paddle-like leaves that can each grow up to three metres long.

Its creamy yellow flowers are often followed by yellowish-green fruit.

Russ Watkins, floral team leader at RHS Garden Harlow Carr said: 

“The plant originally came from the garden of one our horticulturists and was later brought to Harlow Carr where it has really thrived.

“The banana plants play a key role in the design of the sub tropicana garden at Harlow Carr, really adding to the jungle feel, transporting our visitors from Yorkshire to the tropics. We can’t wait to see how it develops over the coming weeks.”

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The flower is expected to open out more over the coming weeks.

The plant will then be carefully wrapped again in November, to ensure it stays cosy and protected throughout the winter.

Police release CCTV image after Bilton-in-Ainsty church theft

Police have issued a CCTV image of a man they wish to speak to after historic items were stolen from a church in Bilton-in-Ainsty.

Officers said the items have been located after the force issued an appeal to find them in July.

The artefacts have since been returned to their rightful owner.

Now, North Yorkshire Police has issued a CCTV image of a man they would look to speak to in connection with the incident.

A force statement added:

“Officers investigating the theft have also now issued CCTV stills of a man they would like to speak to, as he may have important information that could assist their ongoing enquiries.

“If you recognise him, or have any information about the theft, please email sophie.hodgson@northyorkshire.police.uk or call North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 2 and ask for PC 1787 Hodgson. If you wish to remain anonymous, you can pass information to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Please quote reference number 12230134302 when passing on information.”

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New Harrogate Leisure and Wellness Centre opens

The newly refurbished Harrogate Leisure and Wellness Centre opened its doors today after a £13.5 million project.

The facility, which was previously called the Harrogate Hydro, had been closed since April last year as part of a renovation scheme.

Now, the centre off Jennyfield Drive is open under a new name.

The refurbishment included a 400 square metre fitness centre, a new sauna and steam suite, improved reception and café, as well an overhaul of the existing gym, spin, leisure and swimming facilities.

Local man Alan Harwood was among those visiting the newly opened leisure centre this morning.

He told the Stray Ferret he had never been to the facility before, but took up one of the swimming membership offers advertised by Brimhams Active, which operates the site on behalf of North Yorkshire Council, as part of the opening.

Mr Harwood said:

“It looks good. I had never been to the Hydro before but wanted to try it out for swimming.”

The centre is open for swimming from 6.30am until 9pm Monday to Thursday, 6.30am until 8pm on a Friday and 6.30am until 7pm on a weekend.

Meanwhile, the gym will be open from 6.15am until 9.30pm Monday to Thursday, 6.15am until 7.30pm on a Friday and 6.15am until 6.30pm on Saturday and Sunday.

Prices include £5.45 for an adult swim, but there are also membership schemes available at £33.95 a month.

The centre also offers all inclusive memberships, which includes access to the gym, for £44.95 a month or £35.95 for concessions.

Mark Tweedie, managing director of Brimhams Active, said:

“There will be an increase to membership fees, but we are committed to keeping fees as low as possible and we have additional discounts for students, people who are unemployed, disabled or aged over 65.

“The increase delivers an all-inclusive membership fee with access to unlimited swim, gym and group exercise at all Brimhams facilities that remains lower than our 2021 prices, as we temporarily reduced prices upon reopening after covid.”

Two children and woman killed in collision between Ripon and Harrogate

Three people, including two children, were killed in a collision on the main road between Harrogate and Ripon yesterday.

A silver Vauxhall Meriva, a blue Toyota Aygo and a double-decker bus were involved in the incident near South Stainley at 2.20pm yesterday.

It was the second fatal collision on the A61 Ripon Road between Ripon and Harrogate on consecutive weekends.

North Yorkshire Police today said a woman and two children from the same vehicle died and appealed for witnesses and dashcam footage. Their names have not yet been revealed.

The force said in a statement:

“The Vauxhall and Toyota were travelling south towards Ripley and the bus was travelling in the opposite direction.

“Sadly, all three occupants of the Vauxhall Meriva, a woman in her 30s, a teenage girl and a six-year-old boy, died following the collision. Their next of kin have been informed and are receiving specialist support.

“The driver of the bus was taken to hospital with leg injuries, some of the bus passengers sustained minor injuries and were taken to hospital, and the two people in the Toyota were not injured.”

The road was closed to allow all emergency services to attend to the collision and for investigators to examine the scene. It reopened at around 11.30pm.

Officers are appealing to anyone who saw any of the vehicles prior to the collision or witnessed the collision to get in touch if they have not already spoken to officers.

They are also appealing to anyone who may have dashcam footage of the vehicles travelling along the A61 prior to the collision or of the collision itself, to get in touch.

You can email Julie.brown@northyorkshire.police.uk or call North Yorkshire Police on 101 and pass information for incident 12230166439.

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Harrogate hospital trust paid £4.9m in compensation claims since last year

Harrogate District Hospital has paid out £4.9 million in compensation claims in the last 12 months.

Figures obtained through a freedom of information request by law firm Legal Expert show Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust made the payments during the period July 2022 to July 2023.

The claims covered medical negligence complaints, which occur when a healthcare professional provides substandard care to a patient that falls below the standard expected of any healthcare professional.

However, the trust said some of the payouts were historical claims and were not necessarily claims resolved within the 12 month period.

In total, the trust paid £4,914,799.05 in compensation payouts. In the same time period, the hospital received 28 new letters of claims.

A spokesperson for the trust said: 

“In the event that the care we provide falls below our expectations or those of our patients, we have procedures in place to investigate what has happened, so that we can learn and continuously improve patient safety.

“We treat a large number of patients across the year and the vast majority are positive about the treatment we provide – the number of claims we receive reflects an extremely small percentage of the patients we care for.

“It is important to note that the compensation figure is not only for claims which were resolved over the 12 month period in question, but also includes payments for historic claims which have been ongoing for several years.”

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Council refuses Harrogate apartment plan

North Yorkshire Council has refused a plan to demolish a former co-working space on Grove Road in Harrogate to build five apartments.

The application was submitted by planning agent David Birtles on behalf of an unnamed developer.

It asked to raze the building and replace it with five two-bedroom flats built over three floors as well as six car parking spaces.

The building was most recently used as the Indieworx Collective co-working space before it closed in 2019.

According to planning documents submitted by architects Architecture One Eight, the unlisted building has “little merit” and a new stone-built structure would enhance the site and improve the Harrogate Conservation Area.

However, Rebecca Micallef from the council’s economic development team raised concerns about the loss of employment space in the town if the development went ahead.

She said: 

“There is a major shortage of suitable commercial accommodation for new and growing businesses across the Harrogate area – this is forcing businesses to relocate elsewhere and is acting as a real constraint to business growth and potential inward investment.”

The council’s assistant director of planning, Trevor Watson refused the plans for reasons including a “fussy” appearance which he said did not respect the traditional surroundings, its size causing harm to the neighbouring property and there being no parking bay or turning area for larger vehicles.

The developer can appeal against the decision.

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Business Breakfast: Harrogate restaurant confirms Leeds venue opening date

A Harrogate restaurant has confirmed an opening date for a new venue in Leeds.

Farmhouse, the breakfast and brunch destination owned by Jordan Aspinall, opened in Harrogate four-and-a-half years ago.

It has now acquired the site formerly occupied by ASK Italian on Lands Lane in Leeds.

The restaurant has now said it will open in the city on Monday, September 11.

Area manager Nicole Mangnan said previously that the two restaurants will be run on similar lines, serving customers from 8am to 5pm. 

She added:

“Harrogate has been doing well and we always wanted to open in Leeds.”

Harrogate care group wins industry award

A Harrogate care group has won an industry award after being ranked among the top 20 care providers in the UK.

St Margaret’s Homecare, which is based on Cornwall Road, was given the recognition after being ranked by homecare.co.uk.

The award is based on the home care group’s reviews from the people they care for, plus their friends and relatives.

Ross Kneller, director at St Margaret’s Homecare, said:

“We are humbled and proud to have won this award.

“It’s a testament to the dedication, care and compassion of our care professionals who go above and beyond to ensure that our clients and their families and safe and assured.”

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Harrogate teenager wins double gold at world swimming event

A Harrogate teenager, who is already a British champion, took home two gold medals at a world swimming event last week.

Gabriel Shepherd, 15, represented England in the World School Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and took home eight medals in total.

He came first in the 50m freestyle and the 100m freestyle.

Gabriel also competed in four relay races — winning two more gold medals and two silver.

The Harrogate Grammar School pupil was also awarded male swimmer of the competition.

The event is for athletes under the age of 15, and included over 2,000 contestants from 44 countries.

Gabriel also achieved huge success at the British Summer Championships in July.

He took home another two gold medals for 100m freestyle, with a time of 51:47 seconds, and 200m freestyle (1:54:18 seconds).

Following this, he is now the fastest 15-year-old 100m freestyle swimmer from Yorkshire of all time and the third fastest in the UK for his age group.

The championships is an invite-only event, based on rankings following a qualifying period in which the nation’s top swimmers compete.

Andrew Shepherd, Gabriel’s father, told the Stray Ferret:

“Gabe has had some great success in his speed swimming.

“Although we had our summer holidays in between these events, he had to train every day to maintain his fitness.”

Gabriel began his swimming career at the age of nine and trained at Harrogate District Swimming Club until last year.

He now trains at the City of Leeds Swim Club — one of England’s six national performance centres.

Mr Shepherd said:

“He now trains seven times per week in Leeds, getting up at 4am to train in the mornings before school and leaving 10 minutes before the bell to train after school.”

Gabriel will join the Swim England national youth development pathway next year.

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Stray Views: Valley Gardens rotundas need security cameras

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.

A few weeks ago the higher up of the two rotundas in Valley Gardens was vandalised. The floor was covered in what looked vomit and other unidentified residues, possibly food, on the floor and some dark substances thrown up the walls.

The evidence of this is still there and little has been done to clear it up. The floor is also frequently covered in broken glass. This does not make a very good impression. There also used to be three benches there, now there is only one.

The previous council spent money putting up gates outside the Sun Pavilion, preventing people walking through, which are still locked (although the gates are too low to deter vandals) despite promising to review the situation. They also put lighting down the colonnades. 

Surely it would be sensible to put security cameras in both the rotundas to cut down on the vandalism?

Bridget Tayan, Harrogate

‘Simple explanation’ to Knaresborough EV charging points use

The 10 electric vehicle parking slots in Chapel Street Car Park in Knaresborough are reported to be rarely used and take up valuable parking slots in the town centre which petrol and diesel car drivers cannot use.

There is a simple explanation as to why they are not used by EV drivers, which may not be obvious to non-EV drivers or the council. 

The meters are all 7 kWh. This means in one hour the meter will provide 7 kW. A non luxury EV car has an average battery size of 49kWh which is enough to drive 175 miles. Most shoppers might expect to park for one hour which means they could add a whopping 25 miles worth of electricity to their car battery.

In contrast, an ultra rapid EV charging point such as the new ones at Sainsbury’s Wetherby Road branch provides 150 kWh, or enough to fully charge the battery, and the parking is free.

The 7kWh meters fitted by the council are really intended for office car parking use so the battery can be charged throughout the working day. They are not suitable for a council car park. Town centres do need some EV charging points otherwise EV drivers will go to supermarkets. The way forward is to have a smaller number of parking slots e.g. 2 to 4, fitted with ultra rapid EV charging points, with a maximum stay of 30 minutes, and the parking should be free.

Duncan Petty, 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.

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North Yorkshire Council launches investigation into rising number of empty homes

North Yorkshire Council has announced a probe into why the number of empty homes in the county continues to rise.

Cllr Simon Myers, the council’s executive member for culture, arts and housing, said it was “distressing” that 6,500 people were on waiting lists for social housing in a county where more than 3,000 properties were standing empty.

An officer’s report to a meeting of the council’s leading members highlighted how at the end of June there were nearly 900 empty homes in the Harrogate borough area and more than 700 in Scarborough borough, while there were 500-plus empty homes in the Craven and Hambleton areas.

Both Richmondshire and Ryedale had nearly 400 empty homes and there were more than 200 in the Selby area.

The investigation comes as the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill, which is at the report stage in the House of Lords, moves to reduce the minimum period councils can charge a premium for empty premises from two years to one year.

It is almost a year since North Yorkshire Council adopted a policy to implement a 100 per cent council tax premium for empty premises that have been left unoccupied and substantially unfurnished for a year or more, from April next year.

The report added demand for affordable housing was set to rise as residents struggle with mortgage payments and rental costs, and fuelled by a forecast downturn in housebuilding completions, changes to planning policy, rising material costs and wider economic pressures linked to the cost of living.

The report stated: 

“Maintaining a robust affordable homes programme is essential to meet this future demand.”

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After being pressed on how the council intended to bring empty homes back into use, Cllr Myers told the meeting empty properties represented some 1.1% of housing stock in North Yorkshire, while the national average is one per cent and the average for Yorkshire and Humber is 1.6%.

He said: 

“It’s distressing when you have 6,500 people on housing waiting lists in North Yorkshire, to know that there are over 3,000 empty properties.

“In Yorkshire and Humber terms, we’re at the lower end of the scale. However, it is not something we want to read about when we know the pressures on people finding housing.”

Cllr Myers said causes behind the rise in empty properties may include the economy, leading to properties not selling quickly, and changes in legislation leading landlords to take properties out of the rental market.

He said the authority was having to develop a county-wide strategy as some boroughs and districts had tackled the issue, going as far as compulsory purchases, some did not have a strategy and only Scarborough and Harrogate had designated empty homes officers.

Pledging to “get to the bottom of it and work out a strategy about what can be done”, Cllr Myers added: 

“You can’t help but look at the waiting lists for affordable housing and consider the question of empty homes and think something has to be done here. So we’ve got our eyes on it.”