Fundraiser set up for well-known Harrogate woman who has died

A fundraiser has been launched for a well-known Harrogate woman who has died.

Helen McCallum, who was described as a “wonderful member of the community”, died on Saturday.

She had worked as bar manager at Harrogate Hockey Club and volunteered at Harrogate Cat Rescue during the covid lockdowns.

A fundraiser has been set up by Mandy Lotts to help give Helen “the wonderful send off that she deserves”.

At the time of writing, the page had raised £2,556.

In a social media post, Harrogate Hockey Club said:

“Helen has been at the club for several years, greeting everyone who walked into the bar with open arms and a smile.

“Her passion and dedication to her role led to the transformation of Hockey Saturdays and an increase in social activity at the club.”

Harrogate Cat Rescue said:

“Helen offered to help. All through the lockdowns, she home checked everyone who applied for a cat or kitten. 

“She was professional and thorough and helped me enormously in preparing all the paperwork necessary to run a rescue. Helen only retired from the role when she no longer had time – due to work commitments.”

For more information, visit the GoFundMe page here.

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Why LCF Law has lawyers you will like to work with

This story is sponsored by LCF Law.

Here at LCF Law, we are lawyers you’ll like to work with. With offices located in Leeds, Bradford, Harrogate and Ilkley, we are an established member of the Yorkshire legal community.

We support all our colleagues in their career development to maximise their potential. Whether it’s members of legal teams or support staff, we aim to meet colleagues’ aspirations for personal and career development and place great emphasis on training.

We have developed a series of pathways – guides to behaviours and conduct that direct colleagues to what is expected of them to reach the next level of their career progression with LCF Law. We recognise that supporting development gives strength to the firm while helping colleagues to meet their ambitions and aspirations.

At LCF Law we look after the wellbeing of all our colleagues whether physical or mental. We have 12 trained and accredited Mental Health First Aiders throughout the firm as part of that support network. We recognise the vital role that the team plays in the development of the practice and its importance in supporting colleagues careers.

Staff benefits and a prestigious award

To further support staff wellbeing, we provide a number of benefits including the Westfield Health cash plan, Westfield rewards, a 24-hour advice and health line, seven hours of paid wellbeing hours, Perkbox membership, a wellbeing hub and a full day off for your birthday. Happy lawyers are better lawyers. Colleagues who feel respected and appreciated better support their colleagues and our customers.

LCF Law celebrating being listed as a Sunday Times Best Places to Work.

In May 2023, LCF Law was recognised as one of the top employers in the UK after being named in the new Sunday Times Best Places to Work Awards. The prestigious award ranking index anonymously surveyed the opinions of employees from hundreds of businesses operating in every industry sector across the UK.

The Sunday Times 26-question survey was completed by 87% of LCF Law’s team. It measured employee experience using six key drivers – reward and recognition, information sharing, empowerment, instilling pride, job satisfaction and wellbeing. An excellent rating of between 84% and 89% was received in all six drivers

This is what makes us lawyers you’ll like to work with. Our colleagues are the core of LCF.

We are currently recruiting dynamic, high performing professionals at every level across our four Yorkshire offices. For further information, please visit www.lcf.co.uk/about-lcf/careers or contact HR Manager, Rebecca Gosling at rgosling@lcf.co.uk.

‘Collective will’ at council to rescue £11.2m Harrogate Station Gateway

Senior councillors at North Yorkshire Council have agreed to consider different options to rescue the £11.2m Harrogate Station Gateway scheme.

At a meeting of the council’s Conservative-run executive in Northallerton this morning, executive member for highways Keane Duncan said there was a “collective will” to secure the “£11m prize” from government to deliver a transport scheme in Harrogate.

The original plans included reducing a 300-metre stretch of Station Parade to single lane to make space for cycle lanes, part-pedestrianising James Street and overhauling Station Square.

A report to councillors today said North Yorkshire Council may now focus on the most popular aspects of the scheme. It does not mention active travel or cycling.

The report added the project was likely to have been scaled-back due to inflationary pressures so some of the changes may have taken place anyway.

The meeting heard the other options were either continuing with the scheme as it is, which may bring more legal peril for the council, or scrapping it entirely.

The council paused the project last month due to a legal challenge from Hornbeam Park Developments.

Cllr Duncan said today:

“There is a collective will across the council that we try and secure investment for Harrogate, this is an £11m prize.

“It’s right we don’t kill off the gateway at this point in time, it is important we take a step back to look at all of the options and see what is deliverable.

“Let’s secure investment, not for investment’s sake, we should exhaust all options to find a way forward.”

Councillors agreed to allow officers to work on detailed options for the scheme.

A decision on what the council intends to do is expected before November but time is running out as the government has said the money must be spent before March 2025.

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Woman sexually assaulted and punched in Harrogate bar

A woman was sexually assaulted, punched and had her hair ripped out in a Harrogate bar on Saturday night.

A man was also headbutted and punched repeatedly in the incident, which happened in Mojo on Parliament Street at about 3am.

Police issued CCTV images of two men they wanted to speak to following what officers described as “a serious assault and sexual assault”.

Officers have since confirmed that the men were identified.

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North Yorkshire Council urged to fine utility firms over roadworks

Utility firms should be fined for failing to complete planned maintenance on time and for shoddy work to repair roads, councillors have claimed.

A North Yorkshire Council meeting heard senior council officers were examining whether utility firms could be fined from the day their repairs failed to when they were put right amid escalating frustration being expressed by residents and other businesses.

The authority’s Richmond constituency committee was told Yorkshire Water had rejected a request for its senior managers to appear before the committee to explain why its planned works in the Upper Dales market town of Hawes had sparked traffic chaos in May.

The move comes as Northern Gas Network recently pushed back its completion date for roadworks on Harrogate’s Skipton Road.

Three-way lights were in operation close to the junction with Sykes Grove for more than a month to enable Northern Gas Networks to replace metal pipes with plastic pipes.

Richmond councillor Stuart Parsons said firms across the county were seeing utility companies repeatedly disrupting their business by failing to properly repair roads after cable and pipe-laying works and then taking years to rectify poor quality work.

Yorkshire Water had, the committee heard, given assurances it was examining the issue in Hawes and that regular meetings between the council and the water firm were set to take place to prevent a recurrence of the Hawes incident.

Councillors heard a number of actions, such as improving its communications and taking on board local residents’ views, had been agreed by the firm.

The committee’s chair, Cllr Yvonne Peacock, said although she had initially wanted the firm to face questions from elected representatives, Yorkshire Water’s refusal to do so had led to “possibly a better outcome”, as the firm was now working with the council’s officers on a range of schemes.

The Upper Dales councillor added: 

“We don’t want a diversion taking us a round trip of 90 miles just because you’ve got a hole in the ground.”

Councillors said while most of the utility companies were not acting responsibly, Northumbrian Water had recently set an example by working with the authority to avert unnecessary traffic issues.

Cllr Heather Moorhouse, who represents Great Ayton, added: 

“If we increased the fines by the minute I think we might get a very different action. That they can just clear off on a Friday of a bank holiday weekend and leave a gap in the road.

“Emergency works is one thing, but planned maintenance is another. They make a lot of money. We should start charging them as the police do.”

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Major new event aims to revive sports tourism around Harrogate

Nine years ago there was the Tour de France; then there was the UCI Road World Championships in 2019.

Now the Harrogate district has another major sports tourism event heading its way — the Long Course Weekend.

The three-day event is less well known, which is little surprise given that it’s never been held in England before.

But the annual Long Course Weekend in Wales has grown to attract 11,000 athletes and 35,000 supporters from 56 nations to Pembrokeshire.

North Yorkshire Council, which has agreed to host the event annually for the next three years in Pateley Bridge, has estimated it will bring £2 million to the local economy.

The council has paid a £25,000 hosting fee to the event organisers.

Matthew Evans, the founder and chief executive of Long Course Weekend, was at Nidderdale Showground yesterday for a media event to announce the venue will be the centrepiece of next year’s inaugural event from September 6 to 8.

Mr Evans pledged to bring to Nidderdale “a different sports event to anything you have had here before”. He joked:

“Pateley Bridge will be turned into a bit of a Lycra-clad community for a few days.”

But what is Long Course Weekend and what will it mean to local people and businesses?

Mike Holr of Nidderdale Plus, Cllr Derek Bastimam, Harrogate GB triathlete Emma Robinson and Matthew Evans, founder of Long Course Weekend.

(from left) Mike Holt, Cllr Derek Bastiman, Emma Robinson and Matthew Evans at yesterday’s launch.

What is Long Course Weekend?

The Long Course Weekend caters for swimmers, cyclists, runners and triathletes of all abilities over one weekend.

But unlike triathlon, in which competitors perform all three disciplines in succession, a day is dedicated to each activity.

Friday will feature swimming in a Nidderdale reservoir; Saturday will feature a cycle ride around North Yorkshire and Sunday will see a run ending on a red carpet in Nidderdale Showground.

Competitors can participate in one discipline or all three.

The swim distances range from 1.2 miles to 2.4 miles, cycling routes will be from 56 miles to 112 miles and the run will start at five kilometres to a full marathon. There will also be a children’s running event.

The number of swimmers and cyclists is expected to be capped at 1,000 each for the first year at Pateley Bridge, although no figure has yet been given for the maximum number of runners.

Where is it being held?

Nidderdale Showground.

Nidderdale Showground

Nidderdale Showground will become ‘event village’ — the centrepiece of the three days. A red carpet will be laid out in the showground.

The full 112-mile cycle ride is expected to take in most of North Yorkshire and finish at the showground. The swim will be in a yet-to-be-finalised Nidderdale reservoir — not the River Nidd.

The exact details have yet to be finalised and applications for competitors are due to be opened later this year.

Why is it being held in Pateley Bridge?

Gemma Rio, Harrogate Borough Council's new head of destination marketing

Gemma Rio

Yesterday’s announcement was the culmination of years of discussions between Gemma Rio, head of council-owned tourist body Destination Harrogate and Mr Evans.

Ms Rio said she hopes it will “become a significant annual event like the Great Yorkshire Show” that will boost the wider local economy. She added:

“There will be a festival feel at the showground and the benefits of the event will extend to multiple Nidderdale villages and dales.”

Will Pateley Bridge cope with the crowds?

Between 18,000 to 25,000 people are expected to visit for the event, according to the council.

Cllr Derek Bastiman. the Conservative-run council’s executive member for open to business, said it was an ideal opportunity to improve the post-covid Nidderdale economy.

He said accommodation providers and hospitality businesses for miles around would benefit and although there were likely to be road closures and some disruption the benefits would outweigh any problems.

Pateley Bridge-based voluntary organisation Nidderdale Plus will help to mobilise volunteers for the event.

Asked whether Pateley’s infrastructure could cope, Mr Evans acknowledged each Long Course Weekend “comes with challenges” but pledged to work with organisations to ensure the area could cope.

According to the council, North Yorkshire’s visitor economy brings in more than £1.5 billion a year from domestic visits alone. Tourism accounts for 10 per cent of the county’s overall economy, and 41,200 workers are employed in the sector.

What they say about it

Emma Robinson

Yesterday’s announcement at the showground included representatives from the council, tourism and sport.

Emma Robinson, 43, a mum-of-three and member of Harrogate Triathlon Club who has competed for Great Britain in the 35 to 39 age group, said:

“The beauty of the Long Course Weekend is the chance to take part in the individual disciplines. As a triathlete I will probably take part in all three, but it’s great that others can choose to just take part in the swim, the cycle or the run.”

Former Pateley Bridge mayor Mike Holt, a volunteer with the Nidderdale Plus community support organisation, said:

“Pateley Bridge and Nidderdale are such wonderful places, and we do attract a lot of visitors from around the country and from abroad already.

“But to have such a successful internationally-recognised event coming here will broaden our appeal to an even wider audience.”

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Matthew Evans, the Long Course Weekend’s founder and chief executive,  said:

“We have wanted to bring the Long Course Weekend to England for a long time now, and North Yorkshire is the perfect location as the county has a proven track record of staging major sporting events, such as the Tour de France’s Grand Départ.

“It is one of only a few sporting events that encompasses swimmers, cyclists, runners and triathletes of all abilities over one weekend.”

Cllr Bastiman said: “To host such a well-respected and internationally-renowned sporting event is a real coup for us.

“The Long Course Weekend has become a very popular date in the sporting calendar in countries across the world, and it will be a privilege for North Yorkshire to host an event next year. It will give us the chance to showcase to a global audience what we can offer here in what is one of the most beautiful and diverse parts of the country.”

Plan to convert former Harrogate hostel into flats set for approval

A plan to convert a redundant homeless hostel in Harrogate into housing looks set to be approved.

The former Harrogate Borough Council submitted the proposal to convert Cavendish House on Robert Street into six flats.

The house was formerly a hostel, which was operated by the borough council between 1983 and November 2021.

It closed after the council opened its new homeless centre, Fern House in Starbeck.

In planning documents published before it was abolished at the end of March, the borough council said converting Cavendish House would make a small dent in its social housing waiting list, which now features over 2,100 households.

It said:

“The building was utilised previously as temporary accommodation for single homeless households, however it is no longer fit for purpose and does not meet the needs of this client group (Fern House, a new facility for the same client group, has recently been completed at Spa Lane).

“The building has been empty since November 2021. As such, it has a negative impact on residential amenity and increasingly risks attracting anti-social behaviour.

“The development proposals will deliver much needed affordable accommodation in a redundant building and a highly sustainable location, complying full with national and local planning policy guidance.”

The proposal will go before North Yorkshire Council’s Harrogate and Knaresborough area constituency planning committee on September 26.

North Yorkshire Council officers have recommended the plan be approved.

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Government approves Harrogate aparthotel plan

The government has approved a plan to convert the upper floors of a Harrogate town centre building into an aparthotel.

Leeds-based Countrylarge tabled the proposal to create the 17-bedroom scheme on the floors above the Oliver Bonas store on James Street.

Aparthotels are serviced apartments with a hotel-style booking system. London-based operator, Beyond, was brought in to run the aparthotel.

However, in November 2022, Harrogate Borough Council rejected the plan on the grounds that the scheme would “not enhance or preserve the character and appearance of the conservation area”.

The developer took the decision to the government’s Planning Inspectorate, which deals with planning disputes.

Now, Graham Wraight, planning inspector, has given the proposal the go-ahead.

In a decision notice, Mr Wraight said the development would provide “acceptable living conditions” should restrictions be made on length of stay — contrary to the council’s reasons for refusal.

He said:

“There would be some benefit in this flexibility in terms of providing a supply of such accommodation. As a whole and in the specific circumstances of this appeal case that I have outlined, a restriction of 90 days strikes an appropriate balance.

“I therefore conclude that, subject to a restriction on the length of stays to a maximum of 90 days, the proposed development would provide acceptable living conditions for the future occupants of the aparthotel.”

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Business Breakfast: Harrogate law firm appoints first apprentice solicitor

A Harrogate law firm has appointed its first apprentice solicitor.

McCormicks, which is based on East Parade, has hired Sophie Hussain to the position.

Ms Hussain graduated from the University of Liverpool in 2020 with a first-class dual honours degree in law and criminology.

She will be based in the firm’s commercial property team and work on all aspects of transactional property work.

Claire Baker-Kemp, head of commercial property at McCormicks, said: 

“Sophie has come to us with more than two years’ solid commercial property experience, which makes her appointment a real benefit to our clients.

“I am also very impressed by Sophie in the short time she has been here.”

Hull company acquires Harrogate care home

A Hull-based care company has acquired a Harrogate care home for an undisclosed sum.

HICA Group has taken on Hampden House on Duchy Road from Elizabeth Finn Homes.

The 66-bed purpose-built nursing home is located within the Duchy Estate and provides nursing care, short-stays and end-of-life care.

The employment of all 70 plus staff has been secured in the handover to new ownership and general manager Jane Hooren continues to lead the team.

Terry Peel, chief executive at HICA Group, said: 

“This new venture marks a significant milestone for us, as we expand our commitment to delivering exceptional care and support services to our community.

“As we extend our care footprint with the introduction of Hampden House into the HICA portfolio, we are excited about the opportunities it brings to enrich the lives of our residents and their families.”

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Controversial Knox Lane 53-home plan recommended for approval

Council officials have recommended a controversial plan to build 53 homes on Knox Lane in Harrogate be approved.

The proposal, by north-east property developer Jomast, was deferred by councillors at the end of May for a third time.

It comes after concerns have been raised over land contamination at the site.

The meeting in May also proved controversial after proceedings were not broadcast live on North Yorkshire Council’s YouTube channel due to a “problem with the connection”.

Now, the proposal will return to the Harrogate and Knaresborough area constituency planning committee on September 26.

A 45-page report published before the meeting by case officer Andy Hough said the plan is “considered to now be in compliance with development plan policy” and should be approved.

It adds that the reasons for deferral at the last meeting would “not form reasonable reasons for refusal”.

The report also said approval would be subject to conditions and the developer paying a section 106 agreement to compensate for the impact of the scheme on local infrastructure.

The application has proved controversial with residents in the Bilton area.

Campaign group Keep Knox Natural has previously called on the council to remove the parcel of land from the Harrogate District Local Plan 2014-35, which outlines where development can take place.

Cllr Robert Windass, a member of the council’s planning committee, previously vowed not to vote for the scheme until he felt the “land is safe”.

The proximity of the land to power lines has also been raised as a concern.

But the report said:

“The Planning Inspectorate has made clear that there is no justification within policy for withholding planning permission based on unsubstantiated evidence and claims of a link between ill health and the proximity of power lines.

“The onus is not on the applicant to demonstrate there would be no risk to human health in these circumstances but is on the council to show that demonstrable harm would be caused to interests of acknowledged importance if the scheme were to go ahead. The council do not have such evidence.”

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