Tesco has still yet to reveal when work will start on its new supermarket in Harrogate.

The now-defunct Harrogate Borough Council approved plans for a store on the former gasworks site on Skipton Road in February.

The scheme, which will create 100 jobs, also includes a petrol station and 209 car parking spaces.

It was approved despite concerns about the impact on the nearby Jennyfields local centre, which includes a Co-op, medical centre and Post Office.

But seven months on, work has yet to begin on the site near New Park roundabout.

The former gasworks site pictured from Ripon Road this week..

The application was approved subject to conditions, such as a £50,000 contribution to a new bus service from Penny Pot Lane in Killinghall.

The Stray Ferret understands Tesco is still working through the details of the conditions and hopes to start on site in the near future.

But the supermarket still hasn’t given a date.

The council received 82 representations about Tesco’s planning application. A total of 24 were supportive and 57 objected, mainly on the grounds of amenity, traffic, environmental and drainage impacts.

But the council’s planning committee went along with case officer Kate Broadbank’s recommendation for approval.

She said the development would “create jobs and provide social, environmental and economic benefits to the local area” and was “in accordance with the development plan policies”.

Tesco first secured planning permission on the site in 2012 but revived its plans in December 2021.

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Harrogate District Hospital has defended its new parking charges and said the ticketless system is reducing congestion.

Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust introduced a new system and charges on September 6.

The old entry barriers have been replaced by automatic number plate recognition.

Visitors are now entitled to 20 minutes of free parking. It then costs £4 for up to two hours, £6.50 for up to four hours, £8.50 for up to six hours and £11 for up to 24 hours.

The new prices have attracted criticism on social media, with some complaining £4 is a lot to pay for a visit that might only last for 25 minutes.

Visitors previously received 30 minutes free parking and were then charged £2.60 for up to 90 minutes, £3.80 for up to two-and-a-half hours and £6.10 for up to four-and-a-half hours.

A trust spokesperson said:

“Increasing parking charges is never an easy decision to make, but we have to ensure that our car parks are well maintained and safe for patients, visitors and staff.

“All funds gathered from parking charges are invested back into the delivery of patient care and maintaining facilities, such as car parks across the trust.

“Over the next five years we anticipate that we will need to invest significant sums in our car parks and security, and the revenue raised through car parking charges will help us to fund this work.

The old barrier has been removed.

The spokesperson added the trust chose to keep free parking or concessionary rates for certain patients and visitors including blue badge holders, patients receiving cancer treatment, parents visiting the paediatric ward or special care baby unit, and those in receipt of benefits.

They added:

“Parking is also free for the first 20 minutes allowing for patients to be dropped off and collected without the driver needing to pay for parking. It also encourages drivers from waiting in the car park after dropping someone off, ensuring that other people who require our services can find a parking space.”

The spokesperson said car park management firm Parkingeye had not issued any parking charge notices to date because the hospital was operating a grace period.

He did not say how long this would last.

Asked how the new system was working, the spokesman said:

“The new ANPR parking system is helping eliminate congestion on Lancaster Park Road through the removal of barriers which has improved flow into the hospital grounds.

“We welcome feedback from users so that we can further improve on their experience of our new car parking system.”

The ANPR system will be expanded into the trust’s staff car parks in October, where staff will be charged a monthly fee to use the car parking facilities calculated on their vehicle’s emissions, their pay band and their contracted hours.

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A new Women’s Institute group has been formed in Kirkby Overblow.

The group held its inaugural meeting in August and has already amassed over 30 members.

The group, known as the KO-Girls, will hold monthly meetings on the last Thursday of every month and endeavours to include speakers at some events, as well as establish a partnership with the All Saints’ Church and The Shoulder of Mutton pub.

Chairman Victoria Black decided to set up the group with two of her neighbours shortly after moving to the area as she “hardly knew anyone” in the village.

Ms Black, who moved from Baildon, had never been part of a WI before, but hopes it will “help people to get to know each other better”.

She added:

“I suggested it to two of my neighbours and they agreed it was a good idea.

“We welcome anyone aged 18 and upwards.

“We’re all about inclusion – women and anyone that identifies as a woman is welcome.”

The village has not had a Women’s Institute since the 1950s – which one current member in her 80s was a part of.

The KO-Girls will hold its next meeting on Thursday, September 28 at 7pm.

It will take place at All Saints’ Church and will include a salsa dancing demonstration for guests to try their hands at.

The meeting is free to attend, but annual membership is £47 per year.

Attendance can be registered through the KO Girls Facebook page.

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• Harrogate’s Archie Gray could be in line for Leeds United debut

Yemi Adelekan is a food writer and blogger who was a semi-finalist in last year’s BBC TV’s Masterchef  competition. Every Saturday Yemi will be writing on the Stray Ferret about her love of the district’s food  and sharing cooking tips– please get in touch with her if you want her to review a restaurant, visit your farm, taste the produce you sell or even share a recipe.  

Walking in to Ellers Farm Distillery immediately brought up memories of growing up in Nigeria, as the smell of fermentation reminded me of the Palm wine my grandfather tapped on his farm. It was a happy memory and a great way to start my educational journey into the craft of vodka, gin and liqueur making.

It is one of ten distilleries that make their own alcohol out of 450 distilleries in the UK. The state-of-the-art distillery purposely built near York to be carbon neutral, is one of the largest in the country and its vision is to create incredible drinks with a positive impact on people and the planet.

This ethos shines through as Tabitha, the head of sustainability, was keen to show me the natural habitat they are creating to support nature in and around their orchard.

Yemi and Tabitha (R)

Ellers Farm’s ingredient of choice is apple, and they were the first to make vodka from the fruit –  rather than the traditional potatoes or grains.

Despite the UK being home to 2,600 variations of apple, our country is at risk of losing them as orchards are being re-purposed. For this reason, the distillery is on a mission to preserve the UK’s apple heritage by planting over 28 types of apple in their orchard – with plans for even more.

It is clear the team has given the end products a lot of thought, driven by the farm’s powerful and clear vision to make the world’s best spirits in the most sustainable way.

Great quality produce, copper-finished equipment for a smoother finish and the most-awarded distiller in the world, Jamie Baggott, have all contributed to Ellers Farm’s success so far.

The exceptional front of house team are just as passionate about educating customers on how to use distillery’s products, while creating cocktails with flair and pizzaz.

Fun facts from Jamie included ‘Dutch courage’ coming from British soldiers being given a pint of 60% alcohol to help them fight in the war, and London dry gin is a way of distilling gin – not a brand name.

In addition, he explained that whisky is aged for 3 years, with the 3% lost to evaporation described as the ‘angel’s share’, and the proportion absorbed by the cask is the ‘devil’s benefits’. The rest is for us mortals to enjoy.

I also learnt triple distillation is a minimum requirement, but Ellers Farm distillery don’t do minimum requirements – they go above and beyond with the distillation process…

I was very pleased to discover Jamie uses Rounton’s coffee in the coffee liqueur, as well rare spices, including Vietnamese wild forest or lai chau pepper, herbs and botanicals used in their flavoured gins.

The distillery has created a range of sublime products – which it is extremely proud of –  backed by world-class craftsmanship and minimal footprint and waste thanks to the sustainable practices.

More importantly, its award-winning products are delicious and easy to drink.

Their Dutch Barn Orchard Vodka and Espresso Vodka tasted amazing, and the wide range of liqueurs including Elderflower & Elderberry and Pineapple and Grapefruit, were all fantastic.

I was drawn to the labelling of their Sloe Gin which tasted beautiful, with a jammy sweetness that gives way to complex flavours of piney juniper, cardamom, and a warming ginger – finished with luscious notes of plums, raisins, and a moreish acidic tang.

You can also find their products in Morrisons, ASDA and on Amazon, and can even sign up to be one of the first to own a cask of their whisky.

The company is open to collaboration with chefs, as they have a versatile space, which is perfect for pop up events, where food can be paired with their drinks.

Here is a deliciously beautiful recipe for you to try – please drink responsibly.

Hero Serve

2 shots of Dutch Barn Orchard Vodka

2 dashes of orange bitters

Loads of ice

Slice of red grapefruit

Sprig of rosemary

Next week, I will bring you some highlights and recipes from the RHS Festival of flavours.

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Police closed several Harrogate town centre streets last night for several hours when a distressed man climbed on to a roof.

The man was on top of the Linley and Simpson building at the junction of Princes Square and Albert Street fro about 6.30pm until midnight.

Both streets were cordoned off, as were some other nearby routes, including James Street.

Police in Princes Square.

Crowds gathered in Princes Square and elsewhere last night.

North Yorkshire Police eventually published a social media post saying “our officers are currently speaking to a person in distress in Harrogate town centre” and urged people to avoid the area.

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service’s incident report said it responded at 6.32pm. It added:

“Harrogate crew assisted police with a male who had climbed on the roof of a property and refused to come down.”

Albert Street was among the streets blocked off.

The police cordons prevented people from visiting numerous hospitality businesses on a busy Friday night.

Some people were allowed to cross the cordons at certain point to enter restaurants but others closer to the incident were not.

In a social media post this morning, North Yorkshire Police said:

Read more:

• Harrogate men spend night in car after youth hostel refuses entry for lack of ID
• Man dies suddenly in Harrogate town centre

This email letter was sent to the Stray Ferret following our story yesterday: Crescent Gardens rough sleepers offered accommodation ‘daily’, council says. 

Mr Kirk Wilber-Moran has also circulated his letter to his MP, Andrew Jones, North Yorkshire Council leader, Carl Les , The Harrogate Homeless Project and North Yorkshire Police.  

Read More: 

• Concerns over encampment of rough sleepers in Harrogate’s Crescent Gardens
• Local streetlights could be switched off at night to save money

Two Harrogate men were forced to sleep outdoors on Wednesday night when they were refused a bed for the night at a youth hostel in the Lake District. 

John France and Mick Murphy had just completed a 15-mile walk up three mountains when they turned up at dusk at YHA Patterdale, where they planned to stay the night. 

But staff at the hostel said Youth Hostels Association (YHA) policy required visitors provide some official form of identification, such as a passport or driving licence. John had a driving licence, but Mick did not, so staff members said John was welcome but Mick was not. 

Not wanting to leave Mick out in the cold, John refused his offer of a bed and both men slept in their car. 

John said: 

“Patterdale has one B&B and it was full, so we had to sleep outside. It was cold and raining and we were drenched, so it was a very uncomfortable night. 

“We thought it was just the staff at Patterdale being inflexible, so when I finally got home on Thursday I called the YHA head office, but they confirmed that the policy had been correctly enforced. 

“But what if we’d been teenagers and it had been winter? There’s a big difference between a hotel in a town and a youth hostel in an isolated area. If they carry on like this, someone is going to perish out there – within sight of a youth hostel.” 

When visitors book places in YHA hostels online, they are told that “all guests aged 18 or over will be required to show a valid form of photographic ID upon arrival”.

It also warns: “We reserve the right to refuse accommodation at our discretion.” 

Forms of identification accepted by the YHA include a passport or driving licence, a student ID card, a Travelcard, UK CitizenCard, an EU resident’s ID card, YOTI digital identification, or government-issued identification for members of local authorities, the police and fire services, the NHS or the armed forces. 

But some walkers arrive at youth hostels without booking, so may not be aware of the requirement to show ID. 

Asked about the policy, a YHA spokesperson told the Stray Ferret: 

“YHA’s number-one priority is safeguarding the thousands of young people that stay with us each year. As such, and as per the industry norm for accommodation providers, all guests are required to have proof of ID when arriving at the hostels. This has been the case for a number of years. 

“The ID requirement is clearly stated in the pre-stay communication guests receive and also in our booking terms and conditions on our website.” 

They added: 

“Under no circumstance would YHA turn anyone away from its site if there was a risk to life.” 

But John said he did not accept the YHA’s explanation of its ID policy. He said: 

“This is not about safeguarding. Turning 18-year-olds away, most of whom won’t have photo ID, is not safeguarding them.

“The YHA have lost sight of the ethos they were founded upon. It’s a charity that is supposed to ‘help all, especially young people of limited means, to a greater knowledge, love and care of the countryside’.

“But the prices have rocketed beyond the means of most young people and they’re acting like any other branch of the hospitality industry. It’s crazy – the YHA have lost the plot.”

Read More: 

• Crescent Gardens rough sleepers offered accommodation ‘daily’, council says
• Local streetlights could be switched off at night to save money

A father-of-five from Harrogate has launched a campaign to raise funds for his own medical treatment after being diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of cancer. 

Stuart Gray, whose father is Leeds United legend Eddie Gray, has stage four cholangiocarcinoma – a cancer that forms in the bile ducts. He has been told that by the time this cancer begins to show symptoms, it is usually too advanced for surgery, which is currently the only known cure. 

Complicating the situation, he has also been diagnosed with primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), a chronic liver disease with no known cure, which doctors believe was a likely contributing factor in the development of the cancer. 

Writing on the GoFundMe page set up by his brother Nick, Stuart said: 

“The severity of my illness means that doctors expect my life expectancy to be significantly reduced. However, treatments are available for the cholangiocarcinoma that can prolong life expectancy, and in some rare cases even cure this terrible disease, and I am determined to do everything I can to fight it with everything I have.” 

By Friday afternoon – just a few days after launch – Stuart, 49, had already raised over £30,000 of his £100,000 goal. 

In an update posted today, Stuart said: 

“To all the people who have donated and sent messages and good wishes, I want to say how deeply thankful I am to each and every one of you. It means the world to me and my family to see the support we have. Love Stuart x” 

Some of the treatments for Stuart’s illness are widely available on the NHS, but some of the newer and more experimental treatments are less readily available and very costly. 

In addition, Stuart’s treatment could include biopsies and testing, CT, MRI scans and X-rays, the fitting of stents to relieve pain, alternative wellbeing therapies, and travel and accommodation costs when seeing consultants in London or abroad. 

Stuart said: 

“Unfortunately, time is not on my side, and to wait for approval of these various experimental treatments, and then for the treatments to be administered by the NHS, will likely take years. Accessing these drugs and treatments privately is costly and can be difficult. 

“My family and I will be posting regular updates along the way and will be partaking in various fundraising efforts to help pay for any treatment that may be needed in the coming months and, God willing, years. 

“Any help or support you can offer during this process would be appreciated more than you will ever know.” 

Stuart will also donate a percentage of the funds raised to AMMF, the cholangiocarcinoma charity. He added: 

“If/when treatment is no longer needed, for whatever reason, all of the surplus funds will also go to the AMMF.”

Like his father and his famous uncle, Frankie Gray, Stuart is also a former footballer, having played for various clubs including Celtic and Reading, as well as making seven appearance for Scotland at under-21 level.

Read more:

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This story is sponsored by Vida Healthcare.

James Rycroft, Managing Director, discusses how Vida Healthcare is leading the way in the provision of care for people living with dementia.

Supporting the dementia journey

When we founded Vida, our aim was to create a safe place for people living with dementia and their families, where our staff would be trained as dementia ambassadors. Over the years we’ve looked into and deployed a range of alternative approaches and techniques. This innovation has given us the tools to provide outstanding care to our residents. We’re so proud to play a part in people’s dementia journeys. We’re always looking out for new approaches that support their wellbeing.

Our care is centred around taking the time to get to know our residents and support them as individuals. By learning about their family and friends, hobbies and interests, likes and dislikes, we can make meaningful connections. That helps people to feel at home. We are also passionate about providing the most effective care by keeping up to date with the latest research and findings, alongside drawing on our high level of clinical expertise.

We continue to secure numerous awards and accolades as a result of our continued drive for excellence. As of June 2023, all three care homes are rated ‘Outstanding’ by the Care Quality Commission.

Our specialist houses

We have worked closely with healthcare experts, specialist architects, interior designers and landscape gardeners to help create unique environments in our homes. Every element, from our residents’ bedrooms to our outdoor spaces, has been designed with our residents’ health and wellbeing in mind.

Residents are made to feel at home.

Within all three of our homes there are multiple, smaller houses which allow us to provide tailored care for our residents no matter where they are on their journey with dementia. In total we have 20 specialist care homes across our three buildings. Each house has a similar look and feel but offers a different level of care and support. Should care needs change over time, our residents do not have to experience the upheaval of moving to a completely different care home.

Our staff

Every member of the Vida team has been selected because they share our values. Vida treats everyone with respect and dignity. We are transparent, honest and fair at all times. We support people to make their own decisions so that they can lead independent lives where possible, and we treat everyone equally.

Our in-house Learning, Performance and Development team that form our bespoke staff training programme, Vida Academy, are always on hand to support our staff to excel. They provide our staff with multiple opportunities to learn new skills, develop in their roles and achieve career progression. Vida Academy supports all our staff, from new starters through to senior managers. The academy promotes lifelong learning and establishes our team as dementia ambassadors.

Communicating with families

As we have developed and grown as a provider we have recognised the importance of clear and engaging communication channels in order to inform and update family members, and build their trust in our ability to care for their loved ones.

Effective communication with families is essential which is why we have developed our own in house app, Family Team Talk. The app offers a lifeline for our families, giving them a digital platform and news feed to keep up to date with daily life through text, video and image posts from staff. Originally launched in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, the app continues to raise the morale of relatives, residents and staff and give everyone a greater feeling of connectivity and reassurance.

For more information, please visit www.vidahealthcare.co.uk or contact admissions@vidahealthcare.co.uk. You can view the life inside Vida by visiting us on our social media pages.

A Harrogate crematorium has donated £12,000 to two charities as part of a county-wide metal recycling scheme.

Stonefall Crematorium raised the funds through the recycling of metals recovered from cremations — with the consent of bereaved families.

Parts used to construct coffins and orthopaedic implants including hip, knee, and replacement joints were all retrieved to be recycled.

North Yorkshire Council bereavement services raised £82,000 in total from its four crematoriums, which besides Stonefall also include Skipton Crematorium, Maple Park in Thirsk and Woodlands Crematorium in Scarborough.

The council partnered with the Institute for Cemetery and Crematorium Management and BRUCE Metals to choose which local charities receive donations.

Stonefall donated £6,000 to Candlelighters, a children’s cancer charity, and another £6,000 to The Friends of Harrogate Hospital which raises money for advanced hospital equipment and services the NHS cannot provide.

Cllr Michael Harrison, the charter mayor of Harrogate, presented the cheque to the Friends. He said:

“The charity, run by volunteers, helps ensure patients of Harrogate hospital have the most pleasant experience possible, often during an unsettling time.

“I’d like to thank those families who, during a difficult time, have consented to us recycling metals recovered. By raising this money, everyone involved has done their bit to helping local charities.”

John Fox, chair of the Friends, added:

“We are extremely grateful for this generous donation to support our future work.

“As well as thanking the ICCM for their generosity, I’d like to thank our former mayor, Trevor Chapman, for nominating us and the council’s bereavement services.”

Read more:

• Man dies suddenly in Harrogate town centre
• Concerns over encampment of rough sleepers in Harrogate’s Crescent Gardens