Two Harrogate businessmen have given North Yorkshire Council notice that they intend to press ahead with a judicial review of the Harrogate Station Gateway scheme.

Chris Bentley, of Hornbeam Park Developments, and Dr Terry Bramall CBE have lodged the claim against the scheme.

The pair have concerns over the legality of the council’s consultation process over the gateway.

In a letter from solicitors Walton&Co sent to North Yorkshire Council and West Yorkshire Combined Authority, which are overseeing the project, they argue that the procedure for the gateway scheme was unlawful on six grounds.

It includes claims that the council failed to hold an inquiry on planned traffic regulation orders, that it carried out unlawful publicity of the orders, and that it acted “irrationally” when approving them before receiving funds for the project.

The letter also claims the council’s consultation was “unlawful” and that it failed to “take into account material considerations”, such as access to premises, when deciding to proceed with the gateway scheme.

Mr Bentley told the Stray Ferret previously that he felt the council had come up with “utopian ideas” and that the plan should be shelved.

He said:

“They just keep throwing the dice until they get the right answer. I think it should be shelved.

“There is so much other stuff that the town needs.”

Read more:

• Council spends £2m on consultants for Harrogate’s Station Gateway
• North Yorkshire councillors back £11.2m Harrogate Station Gateway project

Mr Bentley and Mr Bramall declined to comment further on the matter.

The Stray Ferret asked North Yorkshire Council whether it would be defending its position against the claims made.

In response, Karl Battersby, corporate director of environment at the council, said:

“We will be responding to the pre-action protocol letter, and we will look to defend our position should legal action be taken.”

The gateway project includes proposals such as the pedestrianisation of part of James Street and the reduction of a section of Station Parade to single lane traffic to encourage walking and cycling.

The scheme is still to receive final approval but won the backing of senior councillors in Northallerton at a meeting last month.

The predicted cost of the scheme is now £11.2m — a sum that has risen considerably from the £7.9m initially suggested by council.

A planning application has been submitted for an equestrian centre in a Harrogate district village.

Zarina & Zarina Ltd, a real estate company based in Leeds, submitted an application on June 1 to North Yorkshire Council for an equestrian centre on Harrogate Road, Leathley.

The design and access document was submitted by Dart Engineers Ltd.The application site is currently agricultural land dedicated to equestrian use.

It states:

“It is bounded to the south by Harrogate Road with an existing access to the SE corner and buy agricultural land and residential properties.”

The site plan.

The development will comprise of a parking area with 20 spaces and an access road that will be widened to allow suitable two-way access.

The site would have a large stable block, an office block, a covered lunge pen, a winter turnout area, and a menage.

Lower Washburn Parish Council stated the application “will compromise the visual amenity” as well as suggesting the highway access could cause danger due to the “fast moving vehicles”.

The environmental health officer at North Yorkshire Council also noted several issues, including waste disposal and lack of flood lighting in the application.

The application is yet to be approved or denied, but a planning notice has been put up at the location.

Read more:

• Headteachers unite to support 20mph speed limit near Harrogate schools
• Ripon Independent councillor Andrew Williams joins Tory alliance

The Stray Ferret Business Club’s next meeting is a 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.  Tickets will be available later this week. 

At the most recent Stray Ferret Business Club lunch, LCF Law spoke about the firm’s approach to staff wellbeing.

The Yorkshire-based legal firm which employs 170 people was recognised by the Sunday Times as one of the best places to work in the UK.

Rebecca Gosling, HR Lead for LCF Law, gave a presentation on how the company achieved an “excellent” ranking in welfare.

LCF scored 86% and above in all pillars of the wellbeing survey, including spiritual and emotional wellbeing, physical wellbeing, and financial wellbeing – 18% above the industry average.

All staff members have 24/7 access to helplines, specialist training on career progression, frequent group activities and even recognition portals in which colleagues can thank and praise one another.

Rebecca said:

“Companies don’t have to throw loads of money at staff wellbeing to be successful.

“I don’t think we would retain staff if we ever went backwards in terms of staff welfare – which we never will, anyway.”

Read more:

• Business Breakfast: Harrogate Town announces community scheme sponsor
• Business Breakfast: Harrogate care company launches new day centres

Paul Atkins of Leisure Park Internet Solutions

Holiday home WIFI specialist in Harrogate becomes employee-owned

Harrogate-based Leisure Park Internet Solutions has recently become an employee-owned business after 10 years of trading.

The company provides WIFI services to over 100 holiday parks throughout the UK and has developed its own “direct to van” solution to provide faster broadband for holidaymakers.

In a deal backed by a SME loan from Mercia Asset Management, founder, Paul Atkins, has transferred his shares into an Employee Ownership Trust which will own the business on behalf of 15 team members. Mr Atkins will continue his role as Managing Director for the foreseeable future.

The company has almost doubled its turnover in the two years to March 2023.

Mr Atkins said:

“I’m proud of the progress that the business has achieved to date and look forward to leading its expansion in the years to come.

“However, as we celebrate our tenth anniversary, I also felt I needed to consider its long-term future. Employee ownership seemed to be the most appropriate option while at the same time recognising the commitment of our team.”

Harrogate Theatre is holding auditions for chorus dancers to take part in this year’s pantomime.

Dick Whittington starts on November 22 and lasts until January 14. The theatre is looking for 12 dancers aged 13 to 17 to be part of the action.

Choreographer David Lee is holding auditions on Saturday, July 15 from 1.30pm to 4pm at St Peter’s Church Hall for young people of all gender identities.

Rehearsals take place from October 23 to November 13 and include some Saturday mornings. Technical and dress rehearsals from November 13 to 21 November will require time off school.

A theatre statement said:

“Being part of the Harrogate Theatre pantomime company is a wonderful experience and lots of fun, but it does require a serious commitment from you and your family.

“Our three dancer teams will take part in performances over the festive season. Whilst we are unable to offer any payment to pantomime dancers this is an excellent opportunity to be part of a professional performing company and learn about the commitment and skill required to be a performer.”

Further information is available here.

Read more:

• Olympic champion to present prizes at Sunday’s Harrogate 10K
• Sneak peek: Transformed Harrogate hotel to re-open on Monday

Stray Views is a weekly column giving you the chance to have your say on issues affecting the Harrogate district. It is an opinion column and does not reflect the views of the Stray Ferret. Send your views to letters@thestrayferret.co.uk.

So, Sheffield City Council is sorry that its residents were “misrepresented as unrepresentative and primarily concerned with their own streets” (Sheffield Council issues apology over tree-felling scandal, The Guardian, 20 June).

How long, I wonder, before Harrogate Borough Council and North Yorkshire Council apologise for ignoring the representations from Harrogate residents and business community for going ahead with the Station Gateway Project and its anticipated devastation of our beautiful spa town.

Val Michie, Low Harrogate

Trees on Empress roundabout a hazard

I’m writing a letter regarding the greenery in the middle of the Empress roundabout. How on earth are drivers supposed to see what’s coming from across the Stray with a full leaved tree (or is it two trees) blocking their view.

From experience when I was a driver, I know just how difficult and dangerous trying to get across the roundabout can be. Have the council gone mad?

Will they finally act to take away the trees in the centre if and when (God forbid) someone is seriously hurt in an accident simply because they couldn’t see what was coming from all sides of the roundabout? It is simply ludicrous?

Carole Nowell, Harrogate

Read More:

• Stray Views: Stranded in Leeds thanks to shambolic trains
• Stray Views: Drivers use Badger Hill as ‘speed track’

Local government a mess long before devolution

Sir,
Lord Wallace of Saltaire claims that devolution in North Yorkshire has made local government an incoherent mess and destroyed local democracy. His words must have a hollow ring in towns and villages which were placed under Harrogate’s thumb in the last local government reorganisation dreamt up by some genius in Whitehall  fifty years ago.
Where was local democracy when Harrogate’s recent Town Plan re-designated  parts of the supposedly sacrosanct Green Belt between Harrogate and Knaresborough to accommodate illicit Traveller sites despite massive opposition from the people of Calcutt and close environs ?
Where is the coherence in the massive house building around Knaresborough, and indeed Harrogate itself, with no expansion of amenities other than the odd supermarket and the corresponding increase in commuter traffic being dumped onto already congested roads ?
As for the fantasy of Maltkiln, a sustainable village, it is the environmentally damaging creation of yet more commuting built around an antiquated railway and an inadequate main road and opens the way to further destruction of North Yorkshire’s green and pleasant land.
How can North Yorkshire do worse ? Heaven help us if it can.

 Pete Dennis, Knaresborough

Campaigners will hold an Independence from America demonstration at RAF Menwith Hill on Tuesday.

Menwith Hill Accountability Campaign and Yorkshire CND have timed the event to coincide with the Fourth of July — American Independence Day.

The groups believe the American spy base poses a significant risk to local people because its surveillance work makes it a military target.

The demonstration aims to increase awareness of US operations at the base and ensure activities take place in accordance with UK and international law.

RAF Menwith Hill. Photo credit – Wikimedia.

Running from 5pm to 8pm, speakers include Peter Burt of Drone Wars UK, Prof Fiona Macauley from Bradford Peace Studies and Prof David Webb from Yorkshire CND.

There will also be a steel band, performance poet and a choir.

This year’s gathering will not occur outside the main gate as usual. Instead if will take place at Kettlesing lay-by on the A59 as the area around the main gate will be closed for upgrades and expansions. 

Read more:

• RAF Menwith Hill submits fresh plans to expand
• MP’s memorial tree at RAF Menwith Hill saved 

From Japan to New Zealand, Sam Fox’s love affair with rugby union has taken him around the world.

As early as he can remember, he recalls being taken to his local rugby club in Cornwall with his dad where he would kick balls into the river.

These days, he’s tasked with leading Harrogate Rugby Club as head coach.

While most sportsmen tend to swap the pitch for the touchline after retirement, Sam had his eye on coaching well before his last kick of a rugby ball.

He hopes his ambition for improving players and Harrogate as a whole will bear fruit in the coming years.

Taking rugby abroad

Sam grew up in Cornwall and has been playing rugby since he was three-years-old.

The love for rugby was bred from an early age. His dad was an ex-England schoolboys player and his mum a big supporter of the sport.

At 16, he went to college in Truro and started playing for Exeter Chiefs RUFC where he spent his formative years in the academy.

His most memorable experience was spending time in New Zealand after a stint in Japan, where he played in a world championships.

Sam played for Wellington Lions under-19s alongside guys who would go onto elite rugby.

However, it was the developmental side that caught Sam’s eye and led him onto a career path in coaching.

“It was amazing. In the UK, you’re coached and taught in a very similar way the whole way through. To see how differently it’s done in Japan and then New Zealand, you can see why they are one of the best teams in the world in the way they go about their coaching.

“It being their national sport out there, every kid has a ball in their hand from the second they’re born. Whereas here it’s football.

“It was really interesting to see and probably what pushed me down that route of coaching and wanting to explore different coaching methods and how to improve players.”

Read more: 

• How Pateley Bridge man won two league titles with Leeds United
• Knaresborough Town pair championing women’s football after remarkable season
• Harrogate cricket club captain aiming for success after relegation survival

The standard of rugby at Wellington was high.

Sam was lucky enough to count Thomas and Peter Umaga-Jensen as teammates. Both are nephews of former All Blacks captain, Tana Umaga. He said:

“They were just a different level altogether.

“They are both playing Super Rugby now in New Zealand. What they can do with a ball, I have never seen anything like it.

“It was great. I was playing 10, they were at 12 and 13, and I’d just give them the ball and they would score.”

Returning home to study

Sam returned to England in 2017 and enrolled at Leeds Beckett University.

It was here that he started to embark on his ambition for improving players and started to study sports coaching alongside playing for Harrogate.

About three years ago, Sam says he accepted that he was not going to make it as a professional player.

“There were people that were just a lot quicker and a lot more skilful than me at that stage.

“Knowing that I wanted to be involved in rugby for the rest of my life, coaching was the next best thing that I could do.”

For Sam, coaching is a craft and something that can be explored beyond just teaching players how to play rugby.

There is academic theory behind it and the application of that theory when it comes to improving players.

But it’s also about relationships with people and those that work with you on a weekly basis.

“A lot of the advice that I’ve got is it is a lot about relationships.

“If you can form good relationships with your players and coaching staff then you are already one step ahead of everyone else.

“Maybe you would see in the 80s and 90s, when the game was starting to turn professional, it was very much a dictatorship where the coach says ‘this is what you’re going to do and you do it’. No questions asked.

“Whereas now there is a lot more back and forth. There is a lot more challenges of what you’re doing and making sure your practices are as good as they possibly can be.”

Sam Fox playing for Harrogate Rugby Club.

Alongside his colleague Aled Jones, Sam launched the academy at Harrogate.

From there, he was made head coach of the first team for the 2021/22 season.

Harrogate were promoted to the Northern Premier League during the season which was effected by the covid pandemic.

However, the last campaign saw Harrogate relegated after a 24-12 loss to Tynedale.

For Sam, his squad, which had an average age of 22, lacked the experience to see games out. However, he added there was a lot the team could take into next season.

“While I was pleased with a lot of the things that we did, ultimately we conceded too many points and lacked the experience to see out games where we were within the seven points range.”

Preparation for next season has started in earnest.

Promotion will be the aim, but for Sam it will also be about improving the players enough so that they can maintain themselves in the next division.

Improving players is a thread that runs through much of Sam’s philosophy.

From setting up the academy with Aled to drawing up a curriculum for the younger players, much of the emphasis is on creating a squad that starts at Harrogate and, hopefully, finishes there.

This is the fifth article in a series of Sporting Spotlight interviews. If you have any local sporting heroes who you think should be featured, contact calvin@thestrayferret.co.uk.

Almost two-thirds of Harrogate residents who took part in the latest consultation have backed a Harrogate Town Council being set up next year.

Every household in what would become the Harrogate parish had the chance to take part in the consultation, which ran for nine weeks from March 2.

However there were only 1,698 responses to the consultation, which makes up 4.7% of eligble households.

We took a deeper look at the numbers to gauge how the public in Harrogate feels about more councillors and a new layer of local democracy being created.

‘We want a more local council’

There were 1,104 respondents (65.0%) who agreed with the recommendation to create a town council called Harrogate Town Council.

With repeated criticism of the new Northallerton-based North Yorkshire Council being too remote, there were 196 additional comments from people saying local representation and decision-making is needed in Harrogate.

Meanwhile, 36 respondents said a town council would be better equipped to look after Harrogate’s heritage and interests and would also be able to improve local services.

‘Waste of money’

Just a few months after the abolition of Harrogate Borough Council many questioned the need to set up a new council for the town.

There were 483 respondents (28%) who said they did not want one setting up.

It has not been confirmed what powers the new council would have but Harrogate households would be asked to pay between £40 and £60 on top of their council tax each year to pay for it.

Read more:

• Second consultation to be held on whether to form Harrogate town council
• Liberal Democrats back creation of Harrogate town council

This led to 215 respondents saying they were against the proposal because it would be a “waste of money”.

One person said they wanted to see the return of Harrogate Borough Council instead.

Size of new council

North Yorkshire Council has recommended that each of the proposed 10 wards in Harrogate be represented by two councillors per ward, with the exception of Saltergate which would have one councillor, taking the total number of councillors to 19.

This is just under half the number of councillors of Harrogate Borough Council, which had 40 but covered the whole Harrogate district including Ripon and Knaresborough.

The areas in Harrogate which would fall under the new town council.

When asked about the size of the new council, 956 respondents (56%) said they were happy with the size whereas 501 (30%) were not and 241 (14%) were not sure.

Of those who disagreed with the size, 52 people commented that one councillor per ward would be a better arrangement for the new council.

Demographics of consultation

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the highest numbers of responses come from people aged 50 to 64 and 65 to 74.

There were just 37 responses from people in their 20s and 98 from people in their 30s, raising questions about how engaged younger people are in the process to create a town council.

North Yorkshire Council has proposed that the elections to the new council be held on May 2 next year for a reduced terms of three years, with ordinary elections taking place in 2027 and every four years thereafter.

A final decision to create a town council has not been made yet and a full meeting of North Yorkshire Council will debate the proposals later this year.

Every month the Stray Ferret tries to find out what our local MPs have been up to in their constituencies and in the House of Commons.

In June, Nigel Adams, Selby and Ainsty MP, resigned with immediate effect. The move came after the resignation of former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who was later found to have deliberately misled parliament by the Privileges Committee.

Meanwhile, 13 candidates have put their names forward to contest the Selby and Ainsty by-election. Voters will go to the polls on Thursday, July 20. 

We asked Ripon MP Julian Smith if he would like to highlight anything in particular, but did not receive a response.

Here is what we know after analysing their online presence.

Andrew Jones, Harrogate and Knaresborough MP.

In Harrogate and Knaresborough, here is what we found on Mr Jones:

• Mr Jones attended the Harrogate Hospital Community Charity summer extravaganza on June 4.
• On June 8, Mr Jones spoke in the House of Commons to ask how the government would promote open access railways.
• On June 11, he attended the Army Foundation College Freedom Parade in Harrogate.
• Mr Jones also took part in a community litter pick in Bilton as part of the Great Big Green Week on June 11.
• Mr Jones also spoke in parliament to ask government what steps were being taken to support female entrepreneurs amid concern that the number of women starting businesses is below that of men.
• Mr Jones voted in the House of Commons for the Privileges Committee report on June 19.
• On June 22, Mr Jones weighed in on the debate over designating Harrogate’s Stray as common land. He there was “no positive reason for change”.
• Mr Jones gave Harrogate Ladies College prefects a tour of the Houses of Parliament on June 28.

When we contacted Mr Jones for comment, his office sent a list of his engagements for June.

Among those included hosting a charity coffee morning for Henshaws, attending the bed race in Knaresborough and taking part in a Barclays Business roundtable event at the West Park Hotel.

He also attended a National Farmers Union event on June 6 and filmed a video for World Environment Day.

Mr Jones’ office pointed out that his engagements and activities could also be found on his Community News Website and his Facebook and Instagram feeds.

Julian Smith, MP for Ripon and Skipton.

In Ripon, here is what we found on Mr Smith:

• On June 5, Mr Smith spoke in the House of Commons on the government building trust with the current inquiry into the coronavirus pandemic.
• Mr Smith voted in the House of Commons for the Privileges Committee report on June 19.
• On June 24, Mr Smith joined the Conservative by-election campaign in Selby and Ainsty.
• On June 28, Mr Smith attended a networking event with Ripon Business Improvement District where he heard concerns from local businesses.
• Mr Smith met with the Dean of Ripon Cathedral in Westminster on June 28. Among the discussion was refurbishment plans at Ripon Cathedral.
• Mr Smith updated his MPs constituency website 10 times throughout June.

Read more:

• Selby and Ainsty MP resigns with immediate effect
• Local MPs vote in favour of Privileges Committee report

A  new café chain is to open on Harrogate’s Cambridge Street later this month.

Muffin Break is a franchised chain of cafés, with stores across the UK, serving sweet treats and coffee, as well as savoury breakfasts and light lunches.

News of the store, which will be housed in the former Hotter shoe shop,  came to light after notices appeared in the window for a pavement licence application.

The notices were registered to FoodCO UK Franchising Ltd – trading as Muffin Break.

Read more:

• Lack of special need provision in schools ‘failing children’, says Harrogate mother
• Headteachers unite to support 20mph speed limit near Harrogate schools

The franchise originated in Canada, but now hosts around 60 UK branches – the closest one being Bradford.

Muffin Break UK told the Stray Ferret:

“Fit out of the shop has begun.

“We have everything from flat breads to bagels, and everything is made fresh in store each morning.”

The Harrogate branch will be open from Monday, July 17.