600 Ilke Homes staff join legal action over job losses

Over 600 former workers at collapsed Flaxby housebuilder Ilke Homes are taking joint legal action over job losses.

More than 1,000 people were made redundant when the firm, which was situated close to junction 47 of the A1, entered administration in July.

Manchester law firm Aticus Law said yesterday it was now acting on behalf of more than 600 ex-employees over the way the redundancy process was managed.

The claim will focus on whether the correct consultation process was followed, and whether ex-employees are eligible to claim for a protective award claim against the company.

Those involved could receive up to eight weeks’ worth of pay in compensation, with a cap of £643 per week.

Edward Judge, a partner at Aticus Law, said:

“The protective award is a vital safety net for so many families in fast-paced redundancy situations that often leave them with no source of income and absolutely no notice.

“However, many people don’t realise that you can only get a protective award payment if you are included as part of the claim and are listed as part of the schedule of claimants attached to the tribunal judgment.”

Former staff members have until September 4 to add their names to the schedule of claimants.

Mr Judge said:

“After this unfortunately we won’t be able to accept new applicants, as we will be doing all of the necessary work needed to submit the claim to ACAS.”

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Rare blue supermoon seen over local skies

A rare blue supermoon, which will not be seen again for another 14 years, lit up local skies last night.

A blue moon happens when there are 13 full moons instead of the usual 12 in a year.

Also known as a supermoon, it appeared larger and brighter than usual because the moon was near the closest point in its orbit around Earth.

Photographer Mark Doherty took this image at the top of Harlow Hill in Harrogate using a Sony mirrorless camera, telephoto lens, set up on a tripod.

© Caught Light Photography Limited

In the picture below, Joyce Liggins caught the moon looking radiant over Pateley Bridge while her 16-year-old granddaughter Phoebe, a keen photographer,  took the stunning picture of the moon with a golden glow.

Our Ripon reporter Tim Flanagan was out in the centre of Ripon to photograph it over the city’s town hall.

Although the full moon has passed, it will still appear much brighter than usual again tonight.

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River Nidd sampling reveals high levels of faecal bacteria

A major water sampling operation along the length of the River Nidd has revealed high levels of the faecal bacteria E.coli.

Dozens of volunteers tested water quality at 45 locations on August 3 as part of an ongoing clean-up campaign.

Analysis of the results has now revealed high levels of E.coli, which can cause illnesses such as vomiting and diarrhoea, along the Nidd and “extremely high levels” at some points — especially the beck tributaries.

Volunteers conduct sampling at Oak Beck this month.

A second round of water sampling is due to take place next month before a formal bid is submitted to the government to designate bathing water status on the Nidd.

If accepted, agencies will be obliged to undertake measures to clean the Nidd, as has happened on the River Wharfe in Ilkley.

David Clayden, chairman of Nidd Action Group, which is coordinating the sampling, said:

“The results so far indicate high levels of E.coli, particularly down river. Specific locations, including some of our becks, show especially high values whose origins we need to understand better through discussions with the organisations charged with keeping our River Nidd clean.

“I’m not surprised by the findings as this is a uniquely comprehensive, citizen science led activity, aimed at exposing the true levels of pollution in the Nidd, and through rational analysis getting them improved.”

River Nidd water sampling

Volunteers involved in the project to test Nidd water quality.

Knaresborough bathing levels

The results showed in the upper catchment, down to Birstwith, the concentrations of E. coli were much lower than in the middle and lower catchment.

E.Coli concentrations rose below Killinghall sewage treatment works and stayed high, with the most extreme value at Nidd viaduct, below the confluence of Oak Beck and the River Nidd.

Knaresborough sampling locations had concentrations well above the levels deemed sufficient for inland bathing water. Reports of bathers around Knaresborough Lido falling ill played a major role in prompting the campaign.

The tributaries in the middle and lower Nidd catchment all had particularly high concentrations of E.coli – Ripley Beck, Oak Beck and Crimple Beck. Bilton Beck was extremely high.

Mr Clayden said besides next month’s second round of testing, “many more local actions” were being planned to provide improved information to help look after our river. He added:

“During the survey I was heartened to meet many wonderful local people, volunteering their precious free time to understand and benefit their local river.”

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Police warn of spate of sneak-in burglaries in Ripon

People living in the Harrogate district, particularly in Ripon, have been urged to keep doors and ground floor windows locked following a spate of sneak-in burglaries.

A message on North Yorkshire Community Messaging said three incidents had been reported in Ripon over the last few days.

A sneak-in burglary occurs when a door or window has not been locked and an offender chances their luck by trying handles or windows to gain entry.

If they find something to be unlocked, they sneak in and steal items.

Alison Swan, of North Yorkshire Police, said:

“Please be sure to secure doors and ground floor windows particularly at night, also consider locking doors during the day especially if you are in rear gardens where you are not able to monitor your front door.”

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Hammering can’t hide how far Harrogate have come

Ten years ago today, Harrogate Town played Stockport County in the National League North.

Their next fixtures were against Histon, Stalybridge Celtic and Gainsborough Trinity.

Last night they entertained Blackburn Rovers, one of only seven teams ever to win the Premier League, in the second round of the Carabao Cup.

It was another one of those occasions that highlighted how far the club has come.

Full stands and optimism before kick-off at Wetherby Road.

Manager Simon Weaver, who was in charge back in 2013 and has since overseen the side’s rise to the English Football League, spoke before the match about relishing the underdog tag and taking the game by the scruff of the neck.

It was, in theory, Town’s first ever competitive fixture against a Championship side but in reality it was anything but as Rovers’ movement caused problems from the start and within 13 minutes they had opened up a 2-0 lead.

Business was brisk at the pie stall.

A rare Harrogate attack.

Their supremacy came despite the absence of most first team regulars, including 19-year-old Harrogate-born Harry Leonard, who scored in Rovers’ 2-1 defeat of West Brom in the opening match of the season.

Town also left out many first team players, a perplexing decision given the opportunity at stake — not to mention the ticket prices. They had a few chances, hitting the woodwork after about half an hour, but the atmosphere soon muted and by half-time they were 4-0 down.

Town star striker Luke Armstrong was brought on but a penalty extended Rovers’ lead to 5-0 and when it became 6-0 with more than 20 minutes another milestone loomed in the shape of a record defeat in the club’s league era.

The start of a busy night for the scoreboard.

When it became eight, the gallows humour set in with the home fans chanting ‘this is embarrassing’. The Beatles sang about 4,000 holes in Blackburn, Lancashire — there appeared to be more than that in the Harrogate defence.

The 2,653 crowd will have swelled the club’s coffers — but a historic night ended in painful fashion.

Most fans realised this was a milestone match in the club’s history and a place in the last 32 alongside the likes of Manchester City and Arsenal was always as likely as a super blue moon. But the 8-0 scoreline left little scope for pride on what should have been a celebratory night.

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Business Breakfast: Boroughbridge holiday park raises £32,000 for charity

The Stray Ferret Business Club’s next meeting is an after work drinks event tonight (Thursday, August 31) at The West Park Hotel in Harrogate between 5-7pm. 

The Business Club provides monthly opportunities to network, make new connections and hear local success stories. Get your tickets by clicking or tapping here.

A holiday park in Boroughbridge has raised £32,000 for Yorkshire Air Ambulance.

Old Hall Holiday Park has raised money for the charity for more than 13 years through a range of events including an annual hog roast, live bands, discos, children’s parties and games, raffles and Halloween parties.

In recognition of Old Hall’s fundraising efforts, Wendy Whittle, park manager, and her husband Denis were invited to the charity’s unveiling of two new state-of-the-art helicopters at Nostell Airbase near Wakefield.

Mrs Whittle said:

“The Yorkshire Air Ambulance is such a fantastic cause and one which everyone at the Old Hall supports. 

“We are lucky to have such a wonderful community at the park, with all our holiday home owners joining in our fundraising activities and giving generously.”

Linda Stead, Yorkshire Air Ambulance’s regional fundraising manager for the North and East, said: 

“We are extremely thankful to everyone at the Old Hall Holiday Park for their continuous and unwavering dedication over the last 13 years.

“This remarkable donation is a testament to their commitment to our mission of saving lives across Yorkshire and from the whole team at YAA I would like to express our heartfelt gratitude for their invaluable support.”

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North Yorkshire Police improve 999 answer times

North Yorkshire Police has recorded an improved 999 call answer time performance, according to latest figures.

The force answered 83% of calls in July 2023 within the national target of 10 seconds. By comparison, just 44% were answered on time in November 2022.

There has been a 30% increase in the number of emergency calls made to the force control room in the past year.

This month, police recorded the highest number of 999 calls made in any August in history with 10,800 calls — 400 more than the same time last year.

The improvement comes after Zoe Metcalfe, the Conservative North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner awarded the force control room £1.8 million a year to improve response times.

The money was earmarked to fund the appointment of 36 additional communications officers, 12 additional dispatchers, six established trainers and two additional police inspectors.

Superintendent Fee Willey, who heads up the force control room, said:

“In the control room we’ve changed our ways of working. We looked at all our processes to see what was stopping our people being efficient in their roles – what were they doing and how were they doing it. We stripped away anything that was not relevant or slowed them down.

“We found that our trained and highly-skilled call handlers were being restricted by the number and complexity of the forms that they needed to complete for every single call that they received.

“We kept any mandated question sets, but beyond that we gave the call handlers freedom to follow their own initiative, while still being able to refer to question sets if needed. This has resulted in a much speedier process to dispatch officers to incidents while still providing a succinct level of information to the attending officers.

“And the more efficient that the force control room is in performing its role, the quicker that officers can be dispatched to scene.”

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Review: Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap celebrates 70 years

Lauren Crisp is a book editor, writer and keen follower of arts and culture. Born and raised in Harrogate, Lauren recently moved back to North Yorkshire after a stint in London, where she regularly reviewed theatre – everything from big West End shows to small fringe productions. She is now eager to explore the culture on offer in and around her home town.  You can contact Lauren on laurencrispwriter@gmail.com 

The West End met West Yorkshire last night as Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap, the world’s longest-running play, hit the stage at Leeds Grand Theatre. The show’s 70th anniversary tour is taking the production to more than 70 venues countrywide, meaning us northerners finally have the opportunity to don our detective hats and guess whodunnit.

It is the early 1950s, and newly married couple Mollie and Giles Ralston have just opened a guesthouse in the countryside outside London. As the pair prepare for the arrival of their first visitors, a newsreader on the wireless reports on a brutal murder in the capital. None the wiser, the Ralstons rally, as one by one, their eagerly anticipated guests arrive at Monkswell Manor.

But, as a snowstorm cuts them off from the outside world, the suspicion and intrigue mounts: could the killer be among them? The scene is set for one of Christie’s classic closed-circle mysteries.

The tour’s staging is a no-expense-spared affair: the set is masterful, with its intimate, wood-panelled drawing room; a fire roars in the hearth, as, outside the window, snow falls thickly; scattered trinkets and nick-nacks on side tables place us firmly in the past, as does costume. In the ornate surrounds of Leeds Grand Theatre, where chairs gently squeak under the weight of their occupants and a chandelier glitters overhead, the play feels quite at home.

Yet, the set’s cosiness is challenged by a mounting sense of isolation and unease, thanks to the play’s eight-strong and triumphant cast. Each member so impeccably drawn in the first instance by Christie’s imagination, the actors make their characters their own, with a clear understanding of their unique roles: each distinct and each crucial to the successful telling of the tale.

I understand now more than ever this iconic play’s longevity: a quintessentially British whodunnit, devised by the Queen of Crime, whose flawless recipe for murder mysteries, which made her the best-selling novelist of all time, is just as perfect a concoction on stage as in the pages of her novels. With its tight structure, ingenious clues and final outrageous twist, The Mousetrap is a must-see. Beyond that, my lips are sealed.

Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap is on at the  Leeds Grand Theatre until September 2.  

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Councillor says Harrogate McColl’s closure has led to resurgence for independents

The closure of the McColl’s convenience store on Harlow Hill in Harrogate has led to a resurgence for independent retailers in the area, according to the local councillor.

McColl’s on Otley Road closed last year after national chain Morrisons bought the company and said it would be shutting over 100 loss-making stores.

The shop was a Co-op for many years before being sold to McColl’s in 2016 as part of £117m deal for 298 stores.

However, McColl’s struggled with competition from independent shops nearby, as well as the Co-ops further down Otley Road and in Pannal.

McColl’s was close to the greengrocer Regal Fruiterers and Harlow Stores, and the area also features Nord Coffee House and the Sandwich Deli.

But this month North Yorkshire Council spelled the end of the building as a shop when it approved its conversion into a three bedroom flat.

Independent councillor Michael Schofield, who is also the landlord of the The Shepherd’s Dog pub on Harlow Hill, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that the shop’s closure has had a positive effect on independent retailers in the area.

Cllr Schofield said:

“Whilst it is not good to see people losing their jobs when a business closes I believe it has helped create a resurgence for our independent retailers.

“We have seen Regal Fruiterers move into the area and a revamped Harlow Stores with longer opening times, both of which have actually helped drive an increase in footfall on Otley Road and enrich the community spirit.

“It is a shame that no-one could see the potential in the old McColl’s site for other outlet purposes such as a chemist, however the building requires a lot of work on its internal structure and therefore probably proved to costly for any interested business.”

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Council paid out £385,000 in pothole compensation claims last year

North Yorkshire Council paid out £385,000 to motorists last year in insurance claims due to cars being damaged by potholes and road defects.

However the amount has fallen sharply from the year before when £1.03 million was spent on compensation by the highways authority.

The figures were published in the council’s quarter one performance report, which was discussed at a meeting of the Conservative-run executive in Northallerton yesterday.

Motorists are able to claim compensation if they are able to prove that damage to a car was caused by a pothole on council roads.

During the last financial year, 282 new claims were received which is the second lowest amount since 2012/13.

David Staveley, the Conservative councillor for Settle and Penyghent, said it was a “myth” that councils are paying out millions a year in claims.

North Yorkshire has one of the largest road networks in the country with over 9,000 km of roads and the council’s executive member for transport and highways, the Conservative Keane Duncan, said:

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Cllr Duncan said:

“In terms of dispelling the myth of millions of pounds being made out in compensation, the annual figure is around £375,000. For a highway network the size of ours, we’re quite comfortable with that figure.”

Figures supplied to the Local Democracy Reporting Service show there were 3,714 reports of potholes across North Yorkshire in 2022/23, the highest number since 2018/19.

During last year, the council spent almost £6.5m repairing roads in the Harrogate district and £2.5m in Craven.