Local Harrogate News & Views around the district - Page 271 of 1176

North Yorkshire mayor to be paid £81,300

The Mayor of York and North Yorkshire is set to be paid an allowance of £81,300 a year.

York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority, which the elected mayor will chair, met to approve the figure yesterday (March 18) following an independent renumeration panel recommendation.

A report by the panel said the salary had to be of “sustainable value” to attract appropriately skilled candidates, but should also “note the public duty” of the role.

The figure is below that of Andy Burnham, mayor of Greater Manchester, who is paid £110,000 but above the amount paid to Ben Houchen, of nearby Tees Valley, at £80,000.

The allowance will be reviewed in May 2025.

James Farrar, director of economy and interim head of paid service at the combined authority, told the Stray Ferret:

“Both City of York Council and North Yorkshire Council have an independent renumeration panel which are non-political people and experts from their region who they can call on.

“We brought them together and looked at the evidence base of what the role is, what other mayors get etc. That independent panel came forward with that recommendation and that recommendation was approved yesterday.”

In its report, the panel said it considered the level of payment to other metro mayors, the £76,300 salary of North Yorkshire’s Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Zoe Metcalfe, whose role will taken over by the mayor, and the responsibilities of the mayor.

The panel also noted that the average allowance for a metro mayor nationally was £86.617.

It added:

“The panel agreed that the mayor’s allowance had to be of a sustainable value, sufficient to attract and retain appropriately skilled candidates, bearing in mind the budget and level of accountability and responsibility that the mayor will have across the York and North Yorkshire region, whilst also noting the public duty and nature of the role.”

Voters across North Yorkshire will go to the polls on May 2 to elect the first ever mayor of York and North Yorkshire.

A combined authority report published in January revealed that the election is set to cost taxpayers £2.2 million.

Who is standing for mayor?

Pateley Bridge man and former police officer Keith Tordoff will stand as an independent.

The Green Party has chosen councillor and former soldier Kevin Foster as its candidate.

The Conservative Party has picked Malton councillor and ex-journalist Keane Duncan, who is currently in charge of transport at North Yorkshire Council.

Labour has chosen local business owner and chair of the York High Street Forum David Skaith.

Swinton Park owner Felicity Cunliffe-Lister will stand for the Liberal Democrats.

This week, Harrogate resident and North Yorkshire councillor, Paul Haslam, announced he will stand as an independent candidate after resigning from the Conservative Party.

Photo: Mayoral candidates (clockwise, from top left) Keane Duncan, David Skaith, Felicity Cunliffe-Lister, Paul Haslam, Kevin Foster and Keith Tordoff

Concern as school suspensions rise by 40% in Harrogate and Knaresborough

Concerns have been raised after the number of children suspended in Harrogate and Knaresborough schools rose by more than 40% in the last year.

Figures recently published by North Yorkshire Council revealed there were 459 suspensions in 2022/23 — a rise from 314 in the previous year.

The most common reason for suspensions was “persistent disruptive behaviour”, according to a report.

The chief inspector of Ofsted has said that behaviour in schools has deteriorated since the covid pandemic, with some pupils refusing to comply with rules, talking back to teachers and walking out of class mid-lesson.

The topic was raised at a meeting of local councillors in Harrogate on Thursday.

Cllr Paul Haslam, an independent representing Bilton and Nidd Gorge, said he was “concerned” at the level of suspensions in the area.

He said:

“What we’ve got is a symptom and not a cause. I’m keen to understand the causes of suspensions. I do not underestimate the commitment of teachers.

“As a past school governor and trustee, I know how hard they work but how can we best support them? Can we catch [poor behaviour] at primary school so it doesn’t happen in secondary school?”

Last week, youth education charity Impetus published research that found children suspended from school see their exam results suffer.

It suggested some children were found to be lagging a year behind their peers with some unable to achieve a standard pass in GCSE maths and English.

Amanda Newbold, assistant director for education and skills at North Yorkshire Council, responded to Cllr Haslam and said the rise in suspensions reflected a national trend.

She also said the figures were “linked disproportionately” to children with special educational needs and disabilities.

Ms Newbold said:

“What we’ve seen is an increase in suspensions and exclusions across the county. Those numbers have risen over the last few years. We can link it back to wider issues in families rather than school-specific issues.

“We’ve focused on all things inclusion this academic year and are offering support around suspension and exclusions. We’ve had headteacher workshops to make sure we can do as much preventative work as possible but it will take time to see outcomes.”

Three arrested following police chase between Harrogate and Ripon

Three people have been arrested following a police chase involving dogs and a helicopter through several villages near Harrogate this afternoon.

North Yorkshire Police said in a statement officers attempted to stop a VW Golf on the A61 at Ripley at about 1.45pm.

The statement added the vehicle raced off and was pursued through Bedlam, Bishop Thornton and Shaw Mills before coming to a stop on a country lane in Markington.

Police and dogs searching for the suspects

It added:

“The occupants ran from the vehicle and a significant amount of resource was sent to the area.

“A police dog was involved in the search and a police helicopter was scrambled to assist with checking on a vast open area.

“A 17-year-old boy, an 18-year-old man and a 20-year-old man were arrested in connection with the incident.”

In an updated statement, the force said searches carried out by police drug dogs found a quantity of “what is suspected to be a class-A drug” was forensically recovered from the side of the road.

Police added the teenager and two men were arrested on suspicion of theft of a motor vehicle, dangerous driving, failing to stop for the police and intent to supply a class-A drug.

All three were interviewed and released on conditional bail.

The Stray Ferret received reports of a large police presence on the verge of the A61 at South Stainley, which runs between Harrogate and Ripon, just after 2.40pm today.

A witness, who was a passenger on a passing bus, said the police appeared to be carrying out a “manhunt”.

Another witness on the same bus added:

“I saw police officers searching along a hedge line and in a field. There were two cars parked and a lady was talking to the police. I’m guessing the other car belonged to whoever they were looking for.

“There were two police vans and four police cars. One of them drove of at speed towards Nidd, behind South Stainley.”

The VW Golf

A member of Markington Village Facebook group also said a car went “racing through” the village followed by “six police cars after it”.

Someone commented on the post to add the police had been “looking for someone on foot who has gone through the fields”.

The Stray Ferret was also alerted to a large police presence in Killinghall.

Reports say the A61 Ripon Road between Killinghall and Ripley is also closed.

Harrogate primary school launches campaign to fill new library

St Peter’s CE Primary School in Harrogate has unveiled its new library.

The library aims to give children a place to build and nurture their love of reading. It was funded by the Friends of St Peter’s and a grant from local charity the Johnson and Mukherjee Trust. St Peter’s worked with York outdoor play company Playscheme to develop the design.

To celebrate the opening, the school and the Friends of St Peter’s have launched a wish list campaign in partnership with independent Harrogate bookshop Imagined Things, which aims to restock the school library with additional books.

Debbie Phillips, the manager and school’s co-ordinator from Imagined Things, said:

“We love partnering with local schools and encouraging that love for reading within their communities. We’re so excited by St Peter’s new library and can’t wait to help fill it with new books.”

Head teacher Paul Griffiths

Paul Griffiths, headteacher at St Peter’s, said:

“Reading from physical books in an inspiring environment is incredibly important to us all St Peter’s. It is at the heart of our focus on enabling children to become fluent, confident, lifelong readers, giving them access to all the wonderful opportunities available to them now and in the future.

“That’s why we are we are truly delighted to have been able to provide such a wonderful child-friendly and exciting space within our school.”

St Peter’s is a member of Yorkshire Causeway Schools Trust and is housed in a Victorian building formally home to Harrogate Hospital. The primary school is now looking at plans to further develop its nurture space The Nest.

Anyone can support St Peter’s library by visiting Imagined Things Bookshop on Montpellier Parade to buy a book of their choice that will be placed in the new library, including a personalised note if they wish.

Harrogate entrepreneur bags Dragon’s Den deal

A Harrogate woman has received an offer on Dragon’s Den for her hospitality platform, Dinerly.

Marina Prokoiosifi, 23, launched the platform, which allows restaurants to build their own website to use for orders and table bookings. They then pay a subscription fee, ranging from £25 to £65 a month.

She moved to Harrogate from Greece aged 16 and began working as a waitress to pay the bills and eventually dropped out of education at Harrogate College to focus on working in hospitality.

A few years later when the pandemic hit 20-year-old Ms Prokoiosifi was working as a manager at Taverna, a Greek restaurant on Cheltenham Crescent. She thought the restaurant’s website could be improved and the company was paying commission on its orders so she asked her boss if she could improve it and set about the task, launching Dinerly.

She said:

“I wasn’t thinking about starting a business I was just trying to help the restaurant out. I also knew if we didn’t make any money I wouldn’t have a job. It went from there really, the boss called his friend who called someone else and we soon got 30 restaurants.”

Ms Prokoiosifi met her business partner while working at The Whole Caboodle, a marketing company in Harrogate. As the brains behind the idea the business is split 60:40 to Ms Prokoiosifi, with her business partner designing the software for Dinerly.

Marina Prokoiosifi

She decided to take her idea to Dragon’s Den due to wanting a business mentor. She opted for the Greek version of the TV show to launch her business internationally.

Ms Prokoiosifi said:

“The English Dragon’s Den has such a long waiting list because it is so well established. I also think it would be a lot scarier.”

She entered the pitch asking for £30,000 for 4% of her business. Her offer was accepted within five minutes when ‘dragon’ Tassos Economou offered the asking price, making it she says the fastest deal ever in any Dragon’s Den series.

She said:

“At first I was really scared like a deer in the headlights, I was so stressed all day I couldn’t eat or do anything. Then I went in and it was over so quickly I was starstruck and completely taken aback, then I thought ‘what a waste of a day, I was stressed over nothing, just to walk out with the fastest ever deal’.”

She said Dinerly now has 40 restaurants signed up and more than 100 on the waiting list until the business expands. Restaurants in in the UK, Greece, Germany and the USA are currently signed up. Taverna in Harrogate still uses the site.

Ms Prokoiosifi added:

“It has been such a good experience. It has been really eye opening and Dinerly has already grown so much.”

See Marina’s pitch below:

Police CCTV appeal after Harrogate Waitrose theft

North Yorkshire Police has issued CCTV images of two people they wish to speak to following a Harrogate shop theft.

The theft took place at Waitrose on Station Parade at approximately 1.15pm on Sunday, February 4.

Officers said spirits and champagne to the value of £887 were taken from the store.

A spokesperson said:

“Please contact us if you recognise the people pictured on CCTV, as we believe they may have information that will assist our investigation.”

Anyone with information is advised to speak to Fiona.Wilding@northyorkshire.police.uk or call 101 quoting reference 12240022503.

Contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Read more:

Harrogate to Skipton bus suspended due to Kex Gill work

The Saturday DalesBus 59 service between Harrogate and Skipton has been suspended due to the closure of the A59 at Kex Gill.

The service had been following a lengthy diversion around Ilkley after North Yorkshire Council suddenly closed the road last month due to a cracked verge.

But the Dales and Bowland Community Interest Company, which operates the DalesBus, has now called a halt to it.

It said in a statement:

“We’re sorry to advise that DalesBus 59 is currently suspended during the closure of the A59 at Kex Gill for emergency repairs.

“Very few people used the service during the diversion via Ilkley, and the diversionary route is now subject to additional roadworks and delays at Manor Park from March 18.

“We’re sorry for the inconvenience caused. A full service will resume every Saturday as soon as the road reopens.”

The DalesBus had been taking a diverted route via Otley and Ilkley, and stopped calling at Blubberhouses or Bolton Bridge.

The closed road at Kex Gill.

The A59 is the main route between Harrogate and Skipton. It is not expected to reopen until after Easter and work is unlikely to begin before the end of March.

In its latest update last week, Karl Battersby, the council’s corporate director of environment, said:

“We are currently finalising the programme for the repair scheme, which will include sheet piling and backfilling, to address the slippage and reduce further movement of the carriageway.

“This will involve driving long sheets of interlocking steel into the ground to create a continuous structural wall which provides strength and stability. Once this has been completed, we will be backfilling the excavated area between the sheet piles and the road.

“When we have the final programme and timescales, we will endeavour to update road users.”

This has been met with frustrations from motorists and residents.

How City Plumbing is helping Harrogate to a greener future

This story is sponsored by City Plumbing.

A Harrogate plumbing store has recently celebrated its first anniversary – and recommitted to helping residents’ future-proof their homes with energy efficient alternatives.

City Plumbing operates a nationwide network of over 360 branches across the UK and Ireland, spanning the trade, home improvement and DIY markets.

Open to both trades companies and the general public, it stocks a wide product range of plumbing and heating essentials.

From boilers and copper tubing to a bathroom showroom and specific electrical parts from big-brand names, City Plumbing prides itself on supplying most products from its central distribution centre, cutting down on waiting times.

The Harrogate branch – based in Hookstone Park – first opened in 2023, and last month celebrated a successful year of trading.

City Plumbing’s Harrogate branch

‘Be bold, try new things, and create the future’

Not only has it made a name for itself locally as a one-stop shop for customers and tradespeople, but City Plumbing also strives to be at the forefront of greener forms of technology.

After all, a key ethos underpinning the business is ‘be bold, try new things, and create the future’ – and there are a number of services offered to deliver on this promise.

One such service is their in-house design and quote service for air source heat pumps and solar panels, which offers bespoke solutions tailored specifically to your household.

The team also lends their expertise to heat loss calculation – after consultation, they can work out on average how much a home is losing through energy inefficiency, and advise on ways to improve this.

City Plumbing’s bathroom showroom

There’s even a recently expanded range of renewable energy products on offer, including air source heat pumps, solar panels, and underfloor heating, further enhancing the business’ goal of being at the forefront of the latest innovations in the sector.

City Plumbing has previously worked with prominent local businesses such as Yorkshire Energy Systems and Tetley Renewables to supply the aforementioned technology to help them enhance their own renewable energy goals.

The friendly team at the Harrogate branch are always on-hand to answer any questions customers may have about how to start their greener energy journey, as well as tackling any other queries surrounding plumbing and heating.

Find out more:

City Plumbing Harrogate’s store is located at Unit 2B Hookstone Park, HG2 7DB. For more information, visit the website or call 01423 649808.

Trading Hell: Shocking rise in shoplifting in Harrogate town centre

Yesterday, we heard traders concerns that anti-social behaviour and shoplifting are getting worse, but do the official statistics back these experiences?

Our Trading Hell survey showed that traders feel that incidents of shoplifting, drug misuse and general anti-social behaviour are far too common.

Traders also expressed a deep sense of frustration that not enough is being done to make our shopping streets the safe and pleasant places they used to be.

The Stray Ferret has examined official statistics for the “hotspot” areas identified in our survey.

Shocking rise in shoplifting

Among the areas of most concern for traders has been shoplifting, which 78% say is an issue.

The Stray Ferret has found that statistics show a shocking rise in the number of reported incidents to police.

Our research of the force’s own data found that in 2022, 139 reports of shoplifting in the town centre were made.

In the same period last year, this increased by 66% to 232.

Concern over the problem have been heightened following incidents of thefts worth hundreds of pounds on Beulah Street and Commercial Street last year.

Another incident in November 2023 saw a “prolific shoplifter” threaten staff in Asda on Bower Road after staff tried to stop her stealing two bottles of alcohol.

One business owner told us:

“I’ve seen a group of five people coming out of the shop next door with armfuls of hangers, just walking off. Not even running. The security guard couldn’t do anything. They just told him to f*** off.”

Anti-social behaviour

Much of traders concerns centre around anti-social behaviour, a term which often can capture various different issues.

The police define anti-social behaviour as “someone acting in a manner that causes or is likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress to one or more people not living in the same household”.

According to the force’s own data, in the 12 months to January 2024, a total of 285 reports were made to police in those hotspot areas.

This compares with 261 incidents in the same period in 2022.

While this is a slight increase, almost every business of the 50 which were surveyed (96%) told us that anti-social behaviour is a problem – only two said it isn’t.

Organisations such as Harrogate BID feel not enough businesses are reporting what is really happening.

One reason is a lack of confidence among traders that the police will act.

One business owner told us:

“Ring for thefts – not interested. Ring for feeling unsafe out the back of our courtyard due to large group of kids smoking weed and intimidating staff, and drunks – nothing done after ringing several times for numerous incidents.”

It means that the true picture of just how much of an issue anti-social behaviour is in the town is unlikely to be reflected in the figures.

Although shoplifting and anti-social behaviour are among the most concerning issues, there are other offences which crop up in the statistics such as violence and sexual offences.

Last year, a total of 99 reports of violent and sexual offences were reported to police in the “hotspot” areas identified in our survey. This compares to 98 in the previous year.

The most high profile of those incidents was a report of a serious sexual assault in the town centre which saw police cordon off areas of James Street, Petergate and Market Place on October 5, 2023.

Rough sleeping, street drinking and drugs

Among the other areas of concern raised in our survey was rough sleeping (70%), street drinking (74%) and drug taking (66%).

Traders feel that these three issues are part of a wider problems currently affecting the town.

According to police data, reports of drugs, which includes possession, consumption and supply, has fallen slightly from 44 in 2022 to 40 last year.

The force themselves said Harrogate has a “low level” of drug offences for a town of its size.

Paul Rawlinson, who owns Baltzersen’s and Bakeri Baltzersens on Oxford Street, told us that the issue of rough sleeping is most pronounced in the summer when it is a “more comfortable option”.

A rough sleeper outside Primark in Harrogate town centre.

According to a freedom of information request from North Yorkshire Council, last year three females and 27 males were counted as sleeping rough in the Harrogate town centre area.

The council said all except eight of those were provided with alternative accommodation.

It added that the rough sleeping count for each year “could represent the same people where accommodation has been secured and then lost”.

There have been flashpoints over the last couple of years where businesses and residents have complained of people sleeping rough causing issues in their area.

In November 2022, concern was raised over rough sleeping, street begging and drinking at the back of Primark on Oxford Street.

At the time, Harrogate Borough Council said three “entrenched, long-term” rough sleepers had been sleeping overnight in the area.

The authority sought to assure residents and businesses that those gathering in the area had been offered accommodation, but was turned down. Those gathered there later accepted support.

Similarly, in November 2023, North Yorkshire Council erected fencing at a pavilion at Harrogate’s Crescent Gardens after rough sleepers occupied the area and returned twice after being dispersed.

The Stray Ferret followed the saga closely after nearby residents, who complained of anti-social behaviour during the group’s encampment. Many sympathised with the rough sleepers but wanted to know what long-term measures would be put in place on the site.

Why the stats matter?

Whether the statistics reflect the true picture is a significant issue because police crime figures determine how much resource is given to tackling a problem. The figures mean Harrogate is still designated as a low crime area by the police, despite the trader’s experiences.

On Thursday, we will be asking the force whether they could do more to tackle Harrogate’s problems and give confidence to the traders to report crimes.

But there are other agencies who work with the police to support people who traders feel to a greater or lesser extent are involved in some of the town’s issues. Those who help support the homeless and have responsibilities for youth justice.

Tomorrow, we look at the agencies outside of police enforcement who are involved in supporting people considered to be part of Harrogate’s issues.

Another 135 homes off Harrogate’s Skipton Road set for approval

Plans to build up to 135 homes off Skipton Road in Harrogate look set to be approved next week.

Harrogate company Rowan Green Developments submitted plans to North Yorkshire Council for a development on 8.8 hectares of agricultural land at Cow Dyke Farm, between the New Park roundabout and the Curious Cow of Harrogate roundabout.

Up to 54 homes termed affordable would be included.

Council case officer Helen Goulden has recommended members of the council’s Harrogate and Knaresborough area constituency planning committee approve the application, subject to 33 conditions, when it meets on Tuesday, March 26. The meeting will be broadcast live online by the council here.

Ms Goulden said in her 34-page report:

“The proposed development will make a valuable contribution to meeting housing need, including the delivery of affordable housing.

“The proposal will have an acceptable impact on the character and appearance of the area and no issues are raised at this outline stage in terms of highway matters, trees, ecology, or amenity.”

The land allocated for the scheme.

Her report added, however, that an outstanding objection from the lead local flood authority still required resolving.

The application, described in the report as “a significant and sensitive development”, received 71 objections and no representations of support during the public consultation phase.

The key concerns include the adverse impact on the character of the area, the visual impact, the loss of agricultural land and the loss of trees, hedgerows and wildlife habitat.

The site, which is included for development in the Harrogate District Local Plan 2014-35, has a long planning history.

A bid for 180 homes in 2018 was refused amid concerns for housing density and further plans were then submitted for 145 homes.

The site is located on two fields of agricultural grassland to the north of the A59 Skipton Road (A59) towards the northwestern edge of Harrogate.

A map showing the site north of Skipton Road.

Killinghall Parish Council said in its consultation response it “neither objects nor supports the scheme” but raised various concerns, including problematic site access during construction.

The council suggested the developer should contribute £1.2 million for funding school expansion and new school places at primary and secondary level in mitigation for the impact of the scheme.

It has also called for an additional £369,000 to be spent on enhancing “various off-site open spaces in the locality and Killinghall Village Hall”.

A design and access statement on behalf of the developer said:

“Cow Dyke Farm will be a special place in Harrogate; strongly rooted in its landscape setting, with a unique character, providing the best of town country living.

“The site presents a wonderful opportunity for the provision of new housing within the wider setting of Harrogate in a site which strongly benefits from its strategic connections to the town and surrounding areas.”