Voters head to the polls for Selby and Ainsty by-election

Voters will head to the polls this morning as a by-election is held in Selby and Ainsty.

The election was called after former Conservative cabinet minister, Nigel Adams, resigned with immediate effect in June.

The constituency’s northern border includes Harrogate district areas such as Huby, Follifoot, Spofforth and some of the villages in the Vale of York, such as Tockwith, Green Hammerton and Long Marston.

A total of 13 candidates have been confirmed for the contest. The full list is below:

Voters are reminded that the by-election is the first to be held in North Yorkshire where ID will be required at the voting booth.

Acceptable forms of ID include photocard driving licences, UK passports, and bus passes for older or disabled people.

Polls for the by-election will open at 7am and close at 10pm.

You can find your nearest polling station by entering your postcode on the North Yorkshire Council website here.

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Business Breakfast: Ripon motor group announces refurbishment and recruitment drive

There’s not long to go until the Stray Ferret Business Club’s breakfast event on Thursday, 27 July at Banyan in Harrogate between 8-10am.

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

A Ripon motor group has announced plans to refurbish its site and recruit 10 new staff.

Lloyd Land Rover, which is based at Hutton Bank in the city, is set to redevelop its branch with a new building and modernised facilities.

As part of the move, the group is set to hire new staff and hold a recruitment evening on Thursday, July 27.

Positions will include sales executives, service advisors, a parts manager and parts advisor and various technician roles including master technician, prep technician and apprentice parts and technician roles.

Mark Redding, head of business of Lloyd Land Rover Ripon, said:

“This is going to be an exciting two years for Lloyd Ripon, as we will see a complete redevelopment of the whole site, with a new building and modernisation of all facilities.

“With the expansion of the site, there will be new opportunities that will take the staff numbers from just over 60 to eventually over 70.”

For more information on the recruitment event, contact the Lloyd Motor Group by visiting its website here.

Harrogate BID plans town floral celebration

A Harrogate business group is set to host a floral celebration in the town this summer.

Called the Floral Summer of Celebration, the event will be hosted by Harrogate BID and include flowers from local florist Helen James Flowers.

It will be held between July 21 and August 4 this year.

Helen James Florist on Station Parade.

Helen James Florist on Station Parade.

The event is set to include prop displays from EPH Creative, an interactive floral trail and shop window competition. Harry Satloka, who hosts regular free walking tours in the town centre, will take guests around the floral installations during the week.

Matthew Chapman, Harrogate BID Manager, said:

“We are proud to be recognised as a finalist for the Britain in Bloom UK finals, especially as we are the only town in Yorkshire that made it through to this stage in the competition.”

The installations will be designed to celebrate multi-national cooperation, in particular the twinning of Harrogate with other towns such as Luchon in France, Montecatini in Italy, Barrie in Canada and Wellington in New Zealand. 

In addition, the special links that Harrogate fosters with Switzerland and Japan will also be feature.

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Harrogate dog-walkers shocked by new barbed-wire fencing at showground

Residents of south Harrogate have been left “disappointed”, “shocked” and “upset” by the fencing off of a large section of the Great Yorkshire Showground, making it inaccessible to the public. 

The area, a 41-acre green space between the Yorkshire Event Centre and Hookstone Beck, has long been a popular place to go for a stroll and walk the dog, but the site’s owner, the Yorkshire Agricultural Society (YAS), has decided to use it for grazing sheep instead.

Since the weekend, most of it has been lined with stakes and barbed wire to create stockproof fencing, and work is ongoing.

Jill Burrell, who lives in the nearby Saints area, told the Stray Ferret: 

“I’m just upset. There’s no point in taking a dog there anymore if you’ve just got a concrete walkway to go on. I just think they don’t want dog-walkers there. 

“It’s so sad. I’d always thought we were blessed to have it, because it’s such a lovely place to go.” 

A map showing where a 41-acre area of the Great Yorkshire Showground has been fenced off for sheep-grazing, leaving dog-walker disappointed.

The 41-acre green space has long been a favourite spot for dog-walkers from the surrounding area.

Reader Sarah Millett contacted the Stray Ferret to say the move had “taken away” a benefit that previously compensated residents for putting up with the disruption caused by events at the showground.

The Great Yorkshire Show, for example, attracts about 140,000 visitors over a four-day period every summer, often causing long tailbacks on the town’s roads.

This was a view echoed by Jackie Mahon, who walks her dog at the showground up to three times a week. She said:  

“I’m shocked. I sort of assumed that the space was accessible in recognition of the chaos that Harrogate residents suffer when the Great Yorkshire Show is on, and other shows throughout the year. It’s going to cause a lot of anger in Harrogate. People will be very disappointed.” 

She added:  

“I appreciate the YAS might need some money, but it’s the extent of it that seems over the top. There has been no warning that I am aware of.” 

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Charlie Cudworth, who walks his dog in the showground fields twice a day, contacted the Stray Ferret and said: 

“These fields have been used for over 15 years by tens of thousands of families, walkers, dog-walkers and children for exercise and staying mobile. We have walked there as our children grew up when we moved to the vicinity 10 years ago. 

“This has been done without any communication to the local community and seems a very unnecessary, given it is only used once a year at the moment! It also seems a pole in the eye for the local community who put up with the annual disruption to parking and traffic without complaint.” 

Photo of a sign put up by the landowner, the Yorkshire Agricultural Society, telling the public where they may still walk.

A sign put up by the Yorkshire Agricultural Society shows where the public may still walk, but all the paths skirt the edges of the green space. Photo: David Greaves.

The YAS told the Stray Ferret that appropriate signage was in place to direct the public, and access to public footpaths and bridleways remained unchanged, although the map it posted on a walking route did not appear to include a concrete path running through the middle of the site (as seen in our main picture).

In a statement, Allister Nixon, CEO of the YAS, said:

“The Yorkshire Agricultural Society is a charity which supports and champions agriculture. The Society owns the Great Yorkshire Showground where we will soon be turning some of the land, formerly the golf course, over to grazing for sheep.

“Although the area will be in use by livestock, we continue to welcome the public to use kilometres of signed permissive routes and designated footpaths across our land and we thank the community for their support.”

TV antique expert coming to Harrogate

A star of the antiques world will be in Harrogate next week, signing copies of his book, Romp with the Georgians. 

David Harper, who has been a resident expert on the BBC’s Antiques Road Trip and Bargain Hunt, will be spending the day on Montpellier Mews, filming in Antiques on High and interviewing some of the dealers who have cabinets or space within the store.

He has previously made promotional videos at the company’s other antique centres in Oxford, Sidmouth, Taunton and Bowness-on-Windermere. 

Vincent Page, director of Antiques on High, said: 

“I had an idea a while ago that we should try and find someone almost like a social media influencer to help us promote the brand, and David’s unique brand of fly-on-the-wall ‘film it as it is’ style of documentary works very well for us. He has such a relaxed way about him that just about anyone will talk to him, which all makes for very real, honest videos.” 

Antiques on High opened in June, after it took over Montpellier Mews Antiques Market. It rents display cabinets to antiques traders, who must commit to working in the centre for three days a month. But they may also rent an additional cabinet in any of the company’s other centres for £10 a month, plus an extra day’s work. The business will transport their stock to whichever centre it is to be sold in.

Mr Page added:

“As the centre is set to expand its stock list, a watch dealer moves in later this month and confirmed dealers taking up cabinets include a coin dealer, model car dealer and book dealer, with more to follow. The opportunity to have their stock transported to any one of the four other stores within the company, including the popular Bowness-on-Windermere store, at subsidised rates only goes to reinforce the potential for dealers.”

David Harper’s book, Romp with the Georgians, takes a lighthearted look at the Georgians, unearthing some weird and wonderful facts about the period, which started in 1714 and ended in 1837.

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Harrogate primary school’s first and only headteacher retires

Pupils and staff at a Harrogate primary school will be saying a sad farewell on Friday, when their headteacher retires after 15 years at the helm. 

Dr Helen Davey has led Willow Tree Community Primary School since it was created.

Before that, she was headteacher of Wedderburn Infant and Nursery School, which merged with Woodlands Community Junior School to form Willow Tree in 2011. 

James Hughes, deputy headteacher, said: 

“Helen has been a wonderful headteacher to work for. She has always put the children first and created a truly inclusive community school. She has impacted so many children’s lives, having led the school for 15 years and we know that she will be sorely missed by children, staff and parents alike.  

“From everybody at Willow Tree, we would just like to say the biggest thank you to a very special person and we hope you enjoy your retirement.” 

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Dr Davey, who first wanted to be a teacher when she was just five years old, completed her Doctorate in Education through Durham University in 2016, having previously obtained her Masters in Educational Leadership from the University of Chichester. 

She said:

“I would like to thank the staff, parents and most importantly the children who I have worked with over the past 15 years at Willow Tree. We are a great team and I will miss them all.” 

Willow Tree, which has about 540 children on the school roll, is now a member of the Northern Star Academies Trust, which also includes Harrogate High School, Hookstone Chase, New Park and Starbeck primary schools in Harrogate, Skipton Girls’ High, Greatwood Community Primary in Skipton, and Holycroft and Eastwood primary schools in Keighley. 

Jenn Plews, CEO of the Northern Star Academies Trust, said:

“Helen has made a lifelong contribution to education, influencing the lives of thousands of children across Harrogate and Craven. She can be proud of what she has achieved. We wish her well with her retirement.”

Another Harrogate Hydro delay appears to rule out summer holiday swimming

Harrogate Hydro looks set to stay closed throughout the school summer holidays after another delay.

The Hydro closed in April last year for what was supposed to be a nine-month refurbishment costing £11.9 million.

But the scheduled re-opening in January this year did not happen and in its latest update in May, North Yorkshire Council said the cost of the scheme had risen to £13.5 million and customers would be welcomed back in August.

That suggested families would be able to use the swimming pool for at least some of the summer holidays, which start next week and end on September 4.

Brimhams Active, the council-controlled company that operates leisure centres, is now advertising the re-opening.

Its adverts say the Hydro, which will be renamed Harrogate Leisure and Wellness Centre, is now “anticipated to open early September 2023”.

The news will be a blow to families as the school holidays start next week.

The Stray Ferret asked the council if it could confirm the re-opening date and explain the reason for the latest delay. We also asked if the new £17.6 million Knaresborough Leisure and Wellness Centre was still due to open in November.

A council spokesperson said it would provide an update after a site visit with contractors today.

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Council leader apologises for saying only 129 bin collections missed

The leader of North Yorkshire Council has apologised after incorrectly stating just 129 bin collections were missed in the first 100 days of the new authority.

North Yorkshire Council took over responsibility for waste collections from the seven former district councils, including Harrogate, on April 1.

Cllr Carl Les, the Conservative leader of the council, said today that out of 5.6 million collections across the county since April 1, just 129 were missed in that time.

He said:

“We hope that there will be even fewer missed bins as we move forward as even one missed bin collection is important to that household.”

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However, Cllr Hannah Gostlow, a Liberal Democrat who represents Knaresborough East, questioned the accuracy of the figure at today’s meeting.

Cllr Gostlow said:

“Talking with my colleagues across the former Harrogate borough and hearing from my own residents, I understand that there has been a much higher than normal missed general, garden and recycling waste bins.

“Unfortunately it also includes assisted bin collections.”

Cllr Les apologised when it was established the figure was wrong, but added he was unable to provide Cllr Gostlow with the correct figure today.

He added that the information in his statement today was given in “good faith”.

Cllr Les said:

“I will establish that figure in due course. I will send you a written answer and circulate it to all members together with the verified figures.

“As I am wrong, I apologise.”

Taxi drivers fear criminal prosecutions amid North Yorkshire Council ‘error’

Taxi drivers say they are living in fear of facing criminal prosecutions after North Yorkshire Council’s move to unify the trade left them “plying for hire illegally”.

The council has been warned by a consultant working for taxi drivers that it has been reported to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman after failing to acknowledge it had made an error when attempting to change where taxi drivers can work earlier this year or to take any remedial action.

It follows a taxi industry expert claiming in its rush to introduce a single area for taxis across the county, the council had not followed the legal procedure to create a single hackney carriage licensing.

Earlier this year opponents of the council’s proposed taxi policy had told a meeting of the authority’s executive it would lead to the clogging up of taxis in town centres while leaving sparse cover in rural areas, particularly for wheelchair users.

A meeting of the authority’s executive heard that while a working group of elected members with significant experience of licensing had made a series of recommendations which the council’s officers had “tossed aside like a pair of old slippers” and come up with a series of different proposals.

Before the launch of North Yorkshire Council in April, taxis were licensed by the seven district and borough councils, including Harrogate Borough Council, which meant hackney carriage taxis could only ply for hire on the ranks and in the streets in the area of the district council by which they were licensed.

In the weeks after vesting day, the new licensing authority oversaw all hackney carriage taxis being able to ply for hire on all the ranks and streets of any town in North Yorkshire.

It is illegal for anyone to ply for hire in an area for which they are not licensed. On conviction, a fine of up to £2,500 may be imposed.

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Although hackney carriage taxi drivers do not expect the council would prosecute them for plying illegally, as the council has already decided it wants Hackney carriage taxis to be able to ply for hire throughout the area, drivers are concerned they might still face prosecution by the police, and fines from the courts on conviction.

Ripon cabbie Richard Fieldman, formerly a Harrogate Borough Council hackney carriage taxi driver, said drivers had only discovered the council had not followed the legal procedure after seeking a consultant’s advice.

He said the council was applying different rules to hackney carriage taxis licensed in different parts of the county, “even though we were now supposed to be one area, subject to one set of rules”.

Photo of Ripon taxi driver Richard Fieldman

Richard Fieldman, who runs his taxi in Ripon.

In a response to consultant David Wilson, of A2Z Licensing, the council said he had raised “important issues”, but added it did not agree it was facilitating the illegal operation of hackney carriages within its area.

A council spokesman said: 

“The council has been clear through its communication, consultation and within the executive report that the council intended to create a single hackney carriage zone.”

Mr Wilson said as the council has failed to acknowledge its error and to take remedial action to comply with the current legal position, in the three weeks since the situation was brought to its attention in June, trade representatives were set to report the council to the ombudsman.

Mr Wilson said: 

“Although admitting an error was made may be embarrassing for the new council and those licensing officers and lawyers involved, we are all human and make mistakes from time to time.

“What is important is that the council acknowledges its mistake and takes urgent action to comply with the law, restricting hackney carriage taxis to ply for hire in one of the former seven district council areas until such time as the council legally merges then into a single area.

“Members of the public can, however, be reassured that a hackney carriage taxi is insured, even if plying for hire illegally in an area in which it is not licensed.”

Ripon hackney carriage driver Katie Johnstone said: 

“The time has come for the council to admit it has driven a coach and horses through taxi law and to get around the table with trade representatives to work out how this situation can best be resolved.”

In response, North Yorkshire Council’s corporate director of environment, Karl Battersby, said:

“We have received the letter and are taking legal advice on the points raised. We will be responding as soon as we can.”

Hundreds object to Crimple Valley housing plans as decision looms

A controversial Harrogate planning application which has attracted more than 350 objections could be decided this week.

The proposal for 17 new homes at the bottom of Almsford Bank has attracted 364 public comments, all but five of which are against the plans.

A target decision date for the plans, which include a mix of self-build and affordable homes, has been set by North Yorkshire Council for this Thursday.

Objectors have raised concerns about the impact on the Crimple Valley, which is designated a special landscape area (SLA), as well as safety around the entrance to the homes on the A61 Leeds Road.

In documents submitted with the plans, applicants Square Feet Limited and Antela Developments Limited said:

“There are currently no dedicated cycling facilities/routes along the A61 between Pannal and the southern fringes of Harrogate.

“Coupled with that, the existing 50mph speed limit on this section of Leeds Road means that traffic speeds are not particularly conducive to providing a pedestrian/cycle friendly environment – including the Almsford Bank section where the existing overtaking lane only serves to encourage higher traffic speeds.

“This overtaking lane is historic (prior to the by-pass) and is considered to be unnecessary and in an inappropriate urban location, only serving to increase vehicle speeds further as traffic enters a 30mph residential [area].

“Whilst not considered necessary, particularly for a scheme of just 17 dwellings now, the proposed development presents an opportunity to address this infrastructure/accessibility deficiency and assist in encouraging sustainable travel.”

The applicants propose installing a shared pedestrian and cycle path on the footpath on the western side of the A61 going up Almsford Bank, as well as a cycleway on the southbound carriageway going downhill.

They also suggest removing the stretch of 50mph limit along the A61 and maintaining a 40mph limit from Pannal to the top of Almsford Bank, where it becomes 30mph.

However, North Yorkshire Council’s highways department has raised concerns about those proposals, saying traffic is already travelling too fast on the A61.

Its response to the application said the entrance to the site could lead to slow-moving traffic on the A61 as vehicles approach at speed, while introducing cycle lanes could make the road too narrow for large vehicles to pass bicycles safely.

Its statement added:

“Any reduction in capacity on Leeds Road will inevitably lead to more traffic using alternative routes through Burn Bridge, Yew Tree Lane and Pannal Ash Road which are less suitable, predominantly residential, and already congested.”

The site of the proposed 17 homes at the bottom of Almsford Bank . The red line shows the development area, and the yellow the self-build element, within the blue line of the owners' land.The red line shows the development area, and the yellow the self-build element, within the blue line of the owners’ land

Other concerns raised by consultees include the practicalities of enforcing any section 106 agreement, which require developers to pay for investment in local infrastructure when building new houses.

They says the inclusion of 10 self-build plots on the site would likely mean there would be multiple developers involved, making such an agreement harder to enforce.

The site, which is not included in the local plan guiding where development should take place, has previously had applications for larger numbers of houses turned down or withdrawn.

Last year, a proposal for 35 homes including 14 self-build plots was rejected by Harrogate Borough Council, after attracting almost 250 people to write in opposition.

Plans for 35 homes submitted in 2019 were withdrawn, as was a scheme for 65 houses put forward in 2018. Each had received more than 100 letters of objection.

Among the 359 letters objecting to the current plans is one from Mike Black, a Pannal resident, who said:

“Here we go again. This is another ridiculous attempt to build a housing development in a special landscape area that is one of the most precious and beautiful areas of countryside on the edges of Harrogate.

“It is highly valued by local communities as an unspoilt green space where you can walk and relax. A housing development will destroy much of this precious resource.

“Not only that, but its location will increase traffic flow at a very dangerous bend on the A61. There have been a number of fatal accidents here already. It is crazy to increase the dangers that already exist.

“Please do not let developers ruin our natural environment. Their gain would be a massive loss to thousands and thousands of people in our local community.”

To view the application, visit the North Yorkshire Council planning website and use reference 23/01082/OUTMAJ.

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Climate change: sunshine and showers a year after record heat in Harrogate district

What a difference a year makes.

This time last year, the Harrogate district was baking in record temperatures approaching 40C.

Last year’s hot weather, which came amid warnings about the impact of extreme heat, saw several schools close for the day.

Some businesses shut their doors, while others only opened for a few hours. Bin collections started early and were called off as the heat increased.

Dog owners and parents of small children were also out and about earlier than usual, trying to avoid the peak temperatures.

Paula with her fox red labrador at Hell WathDog walkers were out early before it got too hot

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service was among many around the UK to declare a major incident because of the level of demand it was facing. Harrogate and District Foundation Trust also said its services were under higher than usual pressure thanks to the weather.

However, the trust was also offering a more indulgent way for patients on its wards to keep cool – it handed out ice creams and lollies during the day.

Care homes were also ensuring elderly and vulnerable residents kept cool and hydrated. Vida Healthcare‘s chefs made jelly sweets, each containing 20ml of water, to help.

Today, however, the forecast is for top temperatures of no more than half that figure, with sunshine and showers through the day. The forecast for the coming fortnight remains similar, after heavy rain and thunder storms hit the district this month.

Heavy showers at last week’s Great Yorkshire Show

Meanwhile, Europe is experiencing an extended heatwave and hitting highs in the mid-40s every day.

The extreme weather is said to be caused by climate change, with experts predicting we will face more high temperatures in future.

Mike Kendon from the Met Office said:

“While the UK has always had periods of warm weather, what climate change does is increase the frequency and intensity of these warm weather events, increasing the likelihood of high temperature records being broken, like we saw for 2022’s annual temperature for the UK.

“It is particularly telling that of the 12 months of the year, for UK average maximum temperature the records for the warmest months include 2019 (February), 2018 (May), 2015 (December), 2012 (March), 2011 (April), 2011 (November), 2006 (July) and now 2023 (June).

“Statistics such as this clearly tell us of the changing nature of the UK’s climate and how it is particularly affecting extremes.”

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