Local Harrogate News & Views around the district - Page 297 of 1172

Man seriously injured after Harrogate collision

A man in his 60s has been left seriously injured after a collision in Harrogate.

The incident happened at 5.30pm on Thursday (November 30) at the junction of Roberts Crescent and Knapping Hill.

It involved a pedestrian and a white Vauxhall van. A man in his 60s was taken to hospital by ambulance where he is in a serious but stable condition.

The van driver, also from Harrogate, is assisting police with the investigation.

Officers have appealed for witnesses and dashcam footage of the collision.

A North Yorkshire Police statement said:

“Police are appealing for any witnesses to collision or motorists with relevant dashcam footage to come forward as soon as possible.

“Please email Chris.Storey@northyorkshire.police.uk or call 101, select option 2, and ask for Chris Storey. quoting reference number 12230227805.”

Harrogate Town eye glamorous FA Cup third round spot

Harrogate Town will hope to book a place in the third round of the FA Cup tomorrow when they play four-time winners Bolton Wanderers.

Town will travel to the Toughsheet Community Stadium to take on the League One leaders for a chance to play against Premier League and Championship sides in the next stage.

Wanderers go into the game in form with 38 points from 18 league games.

Harrogate defeated non-league Marine 5-1 in the first round to avoid a potential cup upset. Now they are hoping to provide an upset of their own.

Simon Weaver, Town manager, described the match as a challenge for the players.

He said:

“It’s a great ground to go and play in a FA Cup tie. They are doing fantastically well at the top of League One.

“It’s a big challenge for us, but we plan on enjoying the day.”

Harrogate will be hoping to reach the third round for the second ever time after reaching the stage in 2021/22.

More than 400 supporters will make the 69-mile trip for the second round match.

A chance to play against Premier League sides such as Manchester City and Liverpool in the third round will be up for grabs.

Harrogate Town will kick off against Bolton at 3pm tomorrow.

GALLERY: Harrogate Christmas Fayre gets underway

Harrogate Christmas Fayre opened today to ensure the town is in full festive swing.

The fayre, which is organised by Greater Manchester events company Market Place and tourism organisation Destination Harrogate, includes town centre stalls selling foods, gifts, and homeware.

There are also fairground rides near the war memorial and children’s entertainment, as well as the Candy Cane Express road train and an open-top bus tour.

The fayre also includes the Harrogate Ice Rink in Crescent Gardens, where there is also a bar and alpine tipi, as well as a carousel, bungee jump and children’s stalls.

The fayre is open daily until December 17, and the ice rink runs until January 7.

Here are some photos from the opening day.

Pic: Stephen Garnett.

Harrogate pantomime’s Naail Ishaq & Tim Stedman

The Summerbridge and Dacre Silver Band playing on the open-top bus. Pic: Stephen Garnett

The Enchantica’s Christmas Choir

The Harrogate Ice Rink

Pic: Stephen Garnett.

The Candy Cane Express road train

Crescent Gardens.

The open-top tour bus.

The alpine tipi in Crescent Gardens.

Plans submitted to convert Harrogate Debenhams into 34 flats

Fresh plans have been lodged to convert the former Debenhams building in Harrogate into 34 apartments.

Wetherby-based Stirling Prescient No. 1 Limited has tabled the proposal to North Yorkshire Council for the site on Parliament Street.

The building has been home to different retailers for more than a century. Before Debenhams, it housed the Buckley’s and Busby’s stores.

A previous application from Stirling Prescient had proposed the demolition of the building to make way for 50 flats. However, this was withdrawn in May 2022.

The fresh plan would retain the site and see the upper floors converted into 34 flats. The ground floor and basement levels would be used as “flexible commercial space” or a “drinking establishment”.

Debenhams on Parliament Street, Harrogate pictured in April 2020.

It also proposes erecting a rooftop extension, plus the removal and replacement of canopies, shop fronts and slate roof, and removal and re-cladding of the facade of the 1960s element of the building.

A secure cycle store and seven car parking spaces are also included in the plan.

In documents submitted to the council, the developer said the new proposal would help to restore the site.

It said:

“The proposed development is located within the heart of the town centre with excellent pedestrian and public transport links and will provide a high quality and vibrant new residential development.

“The proposed building will create a new focal point along Parliament Street, restoring and sympathetically converting the current buildings on the site.”

‘Substantially revised’ proposal

The move comes as previous proposals to demolish the site were met with opposition.

In March 2022, Emma Gibbens, conservation officer at Harrogate Borough Council, said the demolition of the building would harm the local area.

She said:

“The loss of the traditional building form and architectural detail would be harmful to the street scene and character and special interest of the conservation area, the building forming part of the designated heritage asset in a manner that contributes positively to its character.”

The objection followed similar concerns from campaign group Save Britain’s Heritage, which said the developer had failed to provide “clear or adequate justification” for demolishing the building.

However, Historic England said it supported regeneration of the site but added that there should be a “sensitive conversion” of the two older department store buildings.

Documents submitted to the council as part of the fresh proposal acknowledged that plans to demolish the store were not well received.

However, it added that the scheme had been “substantially revised and positively respond to the feedback received”.

It said:

“The proposals will secure the long-term future of the site which will deliver wide ranging and lasting benefits to the town centre. Flexible commercial space at ground level and new residential development will strengthen the town’s long-term vitality and viability.”

North Yorkshire Council will make a decision on the plans at a later date.

Council quashes hopes of west Harrogate bypass

North Yorkshire Council has no plans to build a western bypass in Harrogate, with one councillor saying the move would “reopen old wounds”.

Business group Independent Harrogate published a document this month called A Vision for Harrogate that set out an alternative course of action for the controversial £11.2m Station Gateway scheme.

The document, written by retired architect Barry Adams, also puts forward suggestions to tackle congestion, such as establishing a park and ride scheme and building a western bypass.

A bypass proposal has been debated for decades, with Independent Harrogate arguing it could be key to link west and north Harrogate and reduce congestion.

Cllr John Mann, the Conservative councillor for Oatlands and Pannal, asked Cllr Keane Duncan, the council’s executive member for highways, if North Yorkshire Council would commit to building the bypass as a long-term project.

Cllr Mann said:

“I do know that congestion in Pannal and Oatlands would be much relieved if a relief road would be constructed.

“I think there’s merit in the idea, as we’ve only built 700 out of 4,000 scheduled homes for western Harrogate.

“Congestion is already quite severe and dangerous to motorists, cyclists and pedestrians.”

However, Cllr Duncan poured cold water on the idea and said the council’s predecessor, North Yorkshire County Council, held a widely publicised consultation about congestion in 2019, which rejected more roads being built in favour of sustainable travel, like improved cycling or walking routes.

The council abandoned unpopular plans to build a relief road by the Nidd Gorge following the consultation.

Cllr Duncan said:

“The results resoundingly favoured sustainable transport and demanded management solutions to congestion rather than the provision of new roads. The council then determined to respect that outcome and the council does not now plan to reopen old wounds.”

The council is working on a document called the Harrogate Transport Improvement Programme that will set out improvements to walking, cycling and bus infrastructure.

A report is expected in spring 2024.

Yorkshire Water’s £1m pay-out to charities branded ‘pathetic’

News of Yorkshire Water’s record £1 million payout to environmental charities to atone for polluting Hookstone Beck in Harrogate has met with mixed reactions, with one local politician branding it “pathetic”.

As we reported yesterday, the utility company polluted Hookstone Beck in 2016 with an unauthorised sewage discharge, killing fish and breaching its environmental permit.

Following an investigation, it offered the Environment Agency an Enforcement Undertaking to pay £500,000 to Yorkshire Wildlife Trust and £500,000 to Yorkshire Dales Rivers Trust. The Agency accepted the undertaking, making it the largest civil sanction it has ever accepted.

Yorkshire Water has also completed a £1.85 million sewer network upgrade in the area as part of the enforcement terms.

But Tom Gordon, parliamentary candidate for the Liberal Democrats, slammed the agreement. He said:

“This is a pathetic pay-out for a firm which raked in over £500 million in profit last year. Conservative Ministers need to get tough on this polluting firm and fine them far more, as well as ban their insulting bonuses.

“It is a scandal that Yorkshire Water’s exec bonuses are more than double the amount offered for killing animals and destroying rivers in Harrogate.

“This reeks of a pathetic bribe, which Ministers have fallen for – hook, line and sinker.”

Mr Gordon’s adversary, Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones, who is a colleague of the Ministers referred to by Mr Gordon, was more phlegmatic. He said:

“This is a significant sum in respect of an incident over seven years ago. These incidents should not happen and I am aware through my regular contact with Yorkshire Water on water-quality issues that substantial investment has been made since this event.

“The fact that such a large penalty has been paid by Yorkshire Water shows the seriousness with which the government takes pollution. I am pleased to see that the money is being spent locally – importantly on improvements to the River Nidd catchment and at Staveley Nature Reserve to support wildlife habitats.”

Photo of volunteers from Nidd Action Group sampling water quality in Oak Beck.

Volunteers from Nidd Action Group sampled water quality in rivers and becks across the district over the summer.

Meanwhile, Nidd Action Group (NAG), which was set up in Knaresborough in 2022 to stop sewage pollution and make local rivers safer, said it was disappointed the deal had taken seven years to strike, but hoped it would serve to change water companies’ behaviour.

David Clayden, chairperson of Nidd Action Group, said:

“NAG deplores the huge amount of sewage (treated and untreated) that continues to enter the river Nidd, often via becks that meander through parts of Harrogate and Knaresborough (2,000 spills and 12,000 hours in 2022, according to the latest data available).

“NAG’s recent two citizen science surveys, in August and October, have confirmed continuing high levels of E. coli bacteria and phosphates in parts of the Nidd Catchment, including many becks.

“One of our sampling points was on Hookstone Beck, and our surveys this year showed high concentrations of both forms of pollution, causing risk to human life and to the ecology in and around the becks, even after extensive work has been carried out.”

“NAG is disappointed that resolution of these incidents has taken so long, but hopes that this ‘charitable donation’ acts as a meaningful deterrent to the neglect of our rivers and results in significant improvement of our becks for the healthy enjoyment of these formerly attractive local assets.

“NAG looks forward to working with The Environment Agency and with Yorkshire Water to review the current evidence gathered by local citizen scientists and to ensure much needed improvements in the Nidd Catchment.”

Campaigners protest outside Harrogate Spring Water consultation event

A group of protesters demonstrated outside Harrogate Spring Water’s public consultation event this evening in opposition to the company’s latest expansion plans

Members of the Save Rotary Wood Again group stood outside the Crown Hotel, in Harrogate, to campaign against the company’s revised plans to expand its bottling plant off Harlow Moor Road, which involve felling 450 trees planted by schoolchildren to combat climate change.

It comes after the company, which is part of Danone, announced it is in a contractual agreement with a landowner to buy two acres of land and plant 1,200 saplings – which it said would equate to around a 3:1 replacement of those removed during expansion – to offset the impact if the reversed matters planning application is accepted.

It claims this would deliver a 10% increase in current biodiversity levels in the area, as well as boost the level of economic output generated by the company to around £6.2 million per year.

However, one member of the group, Sarah Gibbs, who wore a tree costume at the protest, feels the new community woodland is “just a tick box exercise”.

She added:

“They’ve done it to tick boxes and get public access. We just want our woods safe.”

When asked about what alternative plans the group feels may be suitable, Ms Gibbs said:

“We just don’t want to develop into the woodland.

“They could take it into the car park and get a coach to work to be considered ‘green’.”

Another campaigner, Matt Jacobs, added:

“We’re at a point in life whereby we must reconsider single use plastic – it shouldn’t event be legal to sell it.”

An artist impression of the revised plans.

However, despite the group opposing the plan, Harrogate Spring Water already has outline planning permission, and it is now preparing the reserved matters planning application to agree and finalise the details.

At the event, managing director Richard Hall told the Stray Ferret:

“Following last year’s public consultation, we listened and we knew people were concerned about the loss woodland.

“I hope people will see this evening we’ve listened and worked on their feedback, and that this an opportunity for the community.”

Mr Hall said the company understands people’s concerns and said the campaigners “have the right to protest”.

He added that Harrogate Spring Water had “worked hard” to balance investment into the community, jobs, and the environment.

The company said the expansion will create more than 50 jobs and at least 20 construction jobs during the development phase.

In addition, it says it is working alongside local forestry experts to identify other locations in Harrogate where an additional 1,500 trees will be planted to further improve the replacement rate.

The Stray Ferret has reported on Harrogate Spring Water’s plans extensively. You can read more on the topic here.

Yorkshire Water begins £19m works in bid to improve River Nidd quality

Yorkshire Water has started work on a £19m project to improve the River Nidd’s water quality.

The scheme, which is taking place at the Killinghall wastewater treatment works on Crag Hill Lane, will see new technologies introduced to remove phosphorus from treated wastewater.

Phosphorus is often found in household products, including washing detergents and shampoo, as well as in land fertilisers.

The company said it is an “essential” part of many ecosystems, however, it can become harmful to humans and wildlife when unmanaged.

As part of the scheme, Yorkshire Water will install 800m2 aerated rush beds, which are described as a “natural solution” for treating sewage during heavy or prolonged rainfall. These will be the first aerated beds installed at any Yorkshire Water plant.

Andy Wilmer, project manager at Yorkshire Water, said:

“We are committed to reducing how much Phosphorus enters the River Nidd and in addition to improving water quality, we’re also improving the natural environment in the area and ensuring our site meets our WINEP targets.”

In a letter to Killinghall residents, seen by the Stray Ferret, the company said the normal sewage treatment process does not remove much phosphorus, meaning much of it passes through the plant and out in the treated effluent.

It added:

“By carrying out this work, we’ll be removing more phosphorus and releasing less into the environment.”

Yorkshire Water hopes the project will lead the company to reduce phosphorus levels in the county’s rivers and seas by 56% by 2025.

The work, which began last week and will take place Monday to Friday, between 7am and 6:30pm, is expected to continue until Spring 2026.

Mr Wilmer added:

“For the duration of this scheme, you may notice an increase in vehicles coming to the site as we take delivery of equipment and materials. Our delivery route will be from Otley Road to Crag Lane and on to Crag Hill Lane.

“We are aware there is a school on this route and for safety reasons have asked that all site traffic avoids school drop and pick up times.”

Rossett sixth form back on site in 2024, says trust head

The sixth form at Rossett School in Harrogate will be fully operational from its own on-site facilities from September 2024, the Stray Ferret can reveal.

It was reported earlier this year that the sixth forms at Rossett and Harrogate Grammar School were to merge, but this was not the case, according to Richard Sheriff, chief executive of the Red Kite Learning Trust, which both schools belong to.

Mr Sheriff told the Stray Ferret:

“A merger was never on the cards. It was always about a partnership – both schools choosing to work together in the interests of the young people they serve.”

Over the last year, Rossett School’s Year 13 students – upper-sixth formers – have carried on being taught at Rossett.

But Year 12 students – lower-sixth formers – have been taught at Harrogate Grammar School, because a dip in pupil numbers at Rossett meant there were not enough pupils for the courses.

Mr Sheriff said:

“From September 2024, we’ll have a larger group of students, so we’ll be offering more courses at Rossett for both Year 12 and Year 13 students.

“Rossett and the Grammar School may not both offer all courses, but students at one school may be able to do a course at the other school if it’s not offered at their own. For example, we don’t offer A level PE at Harrogate Grammar School, but we do at Rossett.

“Sharing resources like this allows us to offer a broader curriculum across the two schools.

“The collaboration between the two schools is fantastic. We all have the same values, the same mission, in our DNA. We’re all just trying to do things together for the benefit of the community.”

In recent years, the school roll at Rossett has shrunk from around to 1,500 to about 1,000. But Mr Sheriff said the decline in numbers had been halted and was being reversed. He said:

“We really expect numbers in Rossett’s sixth form to grow as the school grows. Rossett went through a difficult period, but we expect them to rise again.

“We’ve got a great new head in Tim Milburn, a new executive board, and trust is coming back among parents and in the wider community.

“Housing is going up all over the town, and we want those children to have a really good choice of schools. They can’t all go to Harrogate Grammar School.”

Rossett School is benefiting financially from the presence of Red Kite Learning Trust’s offices and facilities within its grounds.

The Trust was previously located at Harrogate Grammar School, but there was little free space at the school. In contrast, Rossett’s diminished roll meant it had underused buildings, so the Trust decamped there and pays to use its buildings, giving the school a new revenue stream.

Through its training arm, Red Kite Education, the Red Kite Learning Trust is one of the largest teacher training providers in the country, with more than 160 trainee teachers.

From its base at Rossett School, it offers national professional qualifications for headteachers, executive leaders and middle leaders, early career framework support for teachers in their first two years of teaching, and training and support for business managers and teaching assistants.

As many as 800 adults at 150 different schools are in some kind of training through Red Kite.

‘Flatlining’ North Yorkshire stop smoking service blamed on lack of medicines

Efforts to help people stop smoking are being undermined by the unavailability of key medicines, North Yorkshire councillors have heard.

North Yorkshire Council’s executive heard while the authority’s public health team had seen improvements in the numbers of people quitting since taking its stop smoking service in-house, fewer people were using the service due to “no access to Varenicline (Champix) or Bupropion (Zyban)”.

The medicine issue was highlighted by the authority’s scrutiny of health committee chair, Cllr Andrew Lee, referred to performance figures which he said showed the council’s stop smoking results were “flatlining a little bit”.

According to Public Health England statistics in 2021, Harrogate and Scarborough have the highest smoking prevalence across North Yorkshire with 14.4% and 13.6% respectively.

Smoking remains the single largest cause of preventable ill health and premature death in the county and is a key driver of health inequalities.

Nearly 3,000 deaths in North Yorkshire between 2014 and 2016 were estimated to be attributable to smoking.

Analysts say the government’s target for England to become smoke-free by 2030 is being significantly hampered by the unavailability of smoking cessation medicines, and in particular “nicotine receptor partial agonists”.

Medicines such as Varenicline work by stopping nicotine from binding to receptors in the brain and reducing the rewarding effects of smoking.

When asked to explain why the number of people stopping smoking had tailed off, health and adult services director Richard Webb said there had been an improved level of quitting since the council had taken the service back in-house, before he pointed to the lack of medicines.

An officer’s report to the executive meeting stated quit rates were remaining low compared to previous years.

It stated the reductions in people accessing the service had been “largely driven by the limited access to stop smoking medications over the course of the last 18 months”.

The report stated although e-cigarettes have been an option as a stop smoking tool since July this year, e-cigarettes were only available via the Living Well Smokefree service and not through primary or secondary care, as well as not being available for pregnant smokers.

It added:

“Whilst it is still too early to quantify if this has influenced referral rates into the service and therefore successful quits, it will be interesting to compare to previous years and previous quarters to establish this if this is the case.

“We also expect the return of medications to market that support an individual to stop smoking.”

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‘Substantially revised’ proposal

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