The boss of Harrogate District Hospital says improving its record in delivering timely cancer treatment is being made more difficult due to doctors going on strike.

Jonathan Coulter, chief executive of Harrogate & District NHS Foundation Trust, made the comments in papers published ahead of the organisation’s board meeting in Harrogate yesterday.

Mr Coulter admitted the hospital was facing challenges in delivering the “standard that we would want to” but added that several waves of industrial action have taken their toll.

Across England and Wales more than one million treatments and appointments have been cancelled due to the strikes with waits for cancer treatment being particularly affected.

NHS England says a patient should start treatment within 31 days of an urgent cancer diagnosis and referral by a GP.

Statistics published by the hospital reveal 9 in 10 patients are receiving treatment within this target.

However, after 62 days since a referral, only 7 in 10 patients have begun treatment.

Mr Coulter added: 

“It is fair to say that this is the area that has been most significantly impacted upon by the industrial action, with clinics cancelled, but if we assume that there will be no further service interruptions due to strikes, then we have plans in place to deliver the overall Faster Diagnosis Standard expected by the end of the year.”

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Both consultants and junior doctors took part in industrial action at the hospital in the first week of October.

The BBC reported this week that a fresh pay offer has been made to NHS consultants which could end future strike action.

The government is also in negotiation with junior doctors although a deal has not yet been agreed.

Mr Coulter added: 

“We need to always remember the impact that this industrial action is having and the cost to patients who have services disrupted and delayed, the actual financial cost of cover, and the more significant opportunity cost, as management time is necessarily taken up with planning and managing these periods of strike action safely. We know in particular that this has had an impact on our cancer pathways as clinics have been cancelled.

“And at a time when the NHS is being criticised in some quarters for poor productivity, we know that staff morale and goodwill – so important in the delivery of safe, productive services – is not helped by this ongoing dispute.”

Yorkshire Water has paid a record £1 million to environmental and wildlife charities after polluting a Harrogate river, following an investigation by the Environment Agency.

The utility company polluted Hookstone Beck with an unauthorised sewage discharge from Hookstone Road combined sewer overflow, killing fish and breaching its environmental permit.

It submitted an Enforcement Undertaking to the Environment Agency, proposing a charitable donation totalling £1 million, which is the largest ever accepted by the Agency.

It has paid £500,000 to Yorkshire Wildlife Trust and £500,000 to Yorkshire Dales Rivers Trust. It has also completed a significant £1.85 million sewer network upgrade in the area as part of the enforcement terms.

Claire Barrow, Environment Agency area environment manager in Yorkshire, said:

“We always consider enforcement options on a case-by-case basis and Enforcement Undertakings allow companies to put right what went wrong and contribute to environmental improvements and outcomes.

“This significant £1 million civil sanction will be invested back into the local area to enhance the environment for people and wildlife.

“The Environment Agency investigation also led to significant improvements to the sewer network in this area to prevent repeat incidents and ensure future compliance with environmental requirements.”

Polluted water flowing into Hookstone Beck. Photo: Environment Agency.

The Stray Ferret has extensively covered this issue.  As we reported  in July 2023, it agreed to pay £235,000 to Yorkshire Wildlife Trust following an illegal discharge into Hookstone Beck in 2015. Two years ago, we also reported on a “sea of bubbles” that appeared in the beck.

And the problems are not confined to that particular watercourse. Earlier this year, the Stray Ferret revealed that Yorkshire Water had discharged sewage into the River Nidd 870 times in 2022, and levels of the harmful bacteria E. coli are “concerningly high”.

Read more:

• Yorkshire Water pays £235,000 for illegal Harrogate sewage discharge
• Environment Agency investigating possible pollution of Harrogate’s Oak Beck
• Investigation into ‘sea of bubbles’ in Harrogate’s Hookstone Beck

An Enforcement Undertaking is a voluntary offer made by companies or individuals to make amends for their offending, and usually includes a payment to an environmental charity to carry out environmental improvements in the local area.

Hookstone Road combined sewer overflow has an environmental permit which allows a discharge into the beck when the storm sewage facility is full due to rainfall or snow melt.

On August 31, 2016 the Environment Agency received a report of pollution in Hookstone Beck. Investigating officers traced it to the overflow at Hookstone Road, which had blocked and not alerted Yorkshire Water due to faulty telemetry equipment.

The investigation found that almost 1,500 fish had been killed and water quality affected for 2.5km downstream. A series of further blockages and discharges took place in the following months.

A detailed Environment Agency investigation was undertaken, this included the use of devices called sondes in the river to measure the impact of ammonia and an assessment of Event Duration Monitoring data that revealed the company was in breach of its environmental permit.

As part of the Enforcement Undertaking requirements Yorkshire Water has already carried out a significant £1.85 million improvement and rebuilding project to the overflow and surrounding sewer network to bring it back into compliance with its environmental permit.

Photo: Environment Agency.

A spokesperson for Yorkshire Water said:

“This incident was initially caused by a plank of wood that shouldn’t have been in the sewer network and took place seven years ago. We acted quickly to stop the pollution but understand incidents of this kind are distressing and when things go wrong, we understand we have a responsibility to make it right and to prevent these things from happening at all.

“Unfortunately, it has taken seven years to reach an agreement with the Environment Agency to donate funds to local wildlife charities that will directly benefit Yorkshire, but we are pleased to have finally provided funds to the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust and Yorkshire Dales Rivers Trust.

“We’re committed to protecting the environment and our procedures and processes have evolved significantly since 2016, contributing to a halving of pollution incidents in the last five years. Following this incident in 2016, we spent almost £2 million to improve the sewer network in the area to prevent repeat issues.”

Individuals and organisations that pollute the environment will soon face unlimited penalties under new legislation being brought forward by the government. The current limit of variable monetary penalties that the Environment Agency can impose directly on operators will be lifted, following a government consultation which received widespread public support.

This will offer regulators a more efficient method of enforcement than lengthy and costly criminal prosecutions, although the most serious cases will continue to be taken through criminal proceedings.

Water Minister Robbie Moore said:

“This record penalty paid by Yorkshire Water demonstrates that those who damage our natural environment will be held to account.

“Our Plan for Water is all about delivering more investment, stronger regulation and tougher enforcement right across the water sector – and this penalty for Yorkshire Water demonstrates that we will take robust action when required.

“Our Plan includes scrapping the cap on civil penalties by introducing unlimited fines and significantly broadening their scope to target a much wider range of offences – from breaches of storm overflow permits to the reckless disposal of hazardous waste.”

Yorkshire Wildlife Trust will use the payment in North Yorkshire for new and improved homes for wildlife, mainly on their wetland reserves. This includes reprofiling Ripon City Wetlands to create muddy shores for wading birds, safe breeding islands and removing invasive plants, as well as replacing equipment. Habitat improvements on the River Tutt at Staveley nature reserve will also help to store flood water, protecting communities downstream.

Yorkshire Dales Rivers Trust will use the payment to develop a programme of improvements along the River Nidd. It will be working through the catchment partnership – Dales to Vales Rivers Network – with local communities and other organisations to build on existing work with citizen scientists.

Tesco is set to pay £50,000 to improve bus stops as part of the planning agreement for its new store in Harrogate.

The supermarket was granted planning approval subject to conditions for a store on the former gasworks site on Skipton Road in February.

As part of its section 106 agreement with North Yorkshire Council, Tesco will pay for improvements to five stops as part of a service in the Killinghall area.

The agreement, which has recently been published on the council website, says the money will go towards new extended shelters with information boards, seating and “where necessary raised kerbs to each carriageway”.

The five bus stops would be on Skipton Road and Ripon Road.

A council report said:

“North Yorkshire Council wish to provide a new bus service in the Killinghall area as part of the bus service contribution from the housing development on Penny Pot Lane and these additional improvements would add value to the new service and help encourage sustainable travel by bus to reach the new store.”

It added that the council felt the contribution was a “reasonable request”.

Read more:

• Still no start date for work on new Harrogate Tesco
• New Tesco supermarket would threaten future of Jennyfields Co-op, warns report

The supermarket has also agreed to pay £5,000 towards a travel plan for the area.

It has also agreed to provide a replacement store at Jennyfields Local Centre should the existing store close within five years of Tesco opening.

Tesco has also committed to on-site and off-site provision, maintenance and monitoring habitat provision for biodiversity.

The move comes as construction work has yet to start on the new store nine months on from its approval.

Planning documents say a new roundabout will be built at the store entrance and the A59 will be widened to provide a filter lane.

The Stray Ferret approached Tesco for an update on when it intends to start work on the scheme, but we had not received a response by the time of publication.

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

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

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

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

Council finance bosses have warned long-awaited transport schemes in Harrogate, Selby and Skipton will put taxpayers’ money at risk.

A meeting of North Yorkshire Council’s executive on Tuesday saw the Tory-led authority push forward an £11.2m project for Harrogate, £28.7m of improvements for Selby and a £7.8m initiative for Skipton, as part of the Department for Transport’s Transforming Cities Fund programme.

Before the meeting, the council issued a press release saying the schemes would be “transformative” for the towns. But all three have been scaled back from their original proposals and there are concerns costs could rise due to inflation.

In Harrogate, the latest plans focus on public realm improvements to Station Square and One Arch, improved access to the bus station and better coordinated of traffic signals.

More ambitious aspects, such as the part-pedestrianisation of James Street, reducing a stretch of Station Parade to single lane traffic and changes to the Odeon roundabout have been dropped.

In Selby, works will see improvements to pedestrian and cycling access along Station Road and Ousegate, the new station access and car park to the east, along with improvements to the station building and the new plaza entrance into Selby Park.

In Skipton the scheme will focus on a canal path connection from the railway station to the cattle mart and college, and a walking route to the bus station, including Black Walk and a replacement Gallows Bridge.

In response to the proposals, the authority’s Labour group leader Cllr Steve Shaw Wright issued a statement saying Selby “deserved better” and that the proposal had been stripped back so much it now represented “a relatively, cheap and cheerful, superficial facelift”.

Read more:

• Councillors push ahead with scaled-back £11.2m Harrogate Station Gateway
• Lib Dem leader accuses Tories of ‘pinching’ Harrogate Station Gateway ideas
• Harrogate BID says amended Station Gateway scheme ‘should proceed’

Harrogate Conservative councillor John Mann told the meeting the business group Independent Harrogate was convinced the scheme would fail to tackle traffic issues in the town, and a bypass or relief road was needed, particularly with more than 3,000 homes set to be built in the town’s west.

However, executive member for transport Cllr Keane Duncan replied that a consultation over congestion in Harrogate had concluded residents wanted sustainable public transport improvements more than new roads and the authority was not about to “open old wounds”.

He said the proposals represented “landmark” improvements for the three towns, before underlining concerns over funding large scale projects “in this era of high inflation and supply chain issues”.

Cllr Duncan said the authority needed to be “realistic about what we can achieve”, and said the revised proposals focused on “core elements with the most public support” and were based on “frank, honest conversations”.

The meeting heard while the authority was set to submit full business cases to the West Yorkshire Combined Authority for the Skipton and Selby schemes in December, and for the Harrogate scheme, as soon as possible, key elements of the project would now be brought forward at later dates.

Cllr Duncan said: 

”We are not reneging on the ambition and scale of our overall vision.”

The council’s finance boss, Cllr Gareth Dadd said: 

“These three projects, whichever way you cut it, are risky in terms of financial over-runs. A 10 per cent over-run could put this authority at £5m of risk.

“I’m not saying we shouldn’t do it but we have to justify any cost over-run to every member right across this county. At what point can we get off the hook if it all becomes unsustainable?”

The meeting then heard the council would not be able to “mitigate against all the potential cost over-runs”.

The authority’s environment director Karl Battersby said the council would not enter into contracts unless they represented good value for taxpayers and were affordable within the proposed budgets.

Are you already thinking of how to reward your employees this Christmas? Why not choose the Harrogate Gift Card?

The Harrogate Gift Card can be spent in over 100 businesses in Harrogate town centre including retail, hospitality and leisure, whilst keeping the spend locked into the local economy.

Complete a corporate bulk order of over £250 and receive 15% discount from November 1 to 15 with the code ‘HGT15’.

A Harrogate marketing agency has made two appointments to its team.

Extreme, which is based at Windsor House, has hired Lucy Willis as a social media manager and Garon Ross as a developer.

The company said it has seen a rise in enquiries as businesses seek to elevate their position and gain competitive advantage with consumers.

Garon Ross.

Mark Gledhill, director at Extreme, said: 

“2023 has been another busy year, with demand for our web development and social services particularly high, so we’re thrilled to welcome Lucy and Garon to enable us to meet that need.”

Harrogate communications company announces new partnership

A Harrogate communications company has announced a partnership to expand its reach into the UK market.

Mobile Tornado, which is based at Cardale Park, has agreed a reseller deal with The Barcode Warehouse.

The agreement means the company’s push-to-talk over cellular and workforce management technologies will be made available to a wide range of sectors including education, healthcare, logistics, manufacturing, retail and utilities.

Andrew McNamara, channel sales manager at Mobile Tornado, said: 

“This exciting new partnership opens up important new markets for Mobile Tornado in the UK and gives large organisations and SMEs the chance to improve safety, efficiency and productivity through our cutting-edge technologies for instant communications and workforce management.”

Temperatures have plummeted this week across the Harrogate district as winter begins to bite.

The cold weather, which has in some areas dropped to -3 degrees, has left many worried about how to keep warm.

Netmakers, a movement of churches formerly known as Harrogate Hub, has provided a list of churches and community organisations offering support during the cold weather.

The list includes organisations in Harrogate, Knaresborough and Starbeck offering space Monday to Friday.

You can find the list below.

Resurrected Bites and Harrogate District Food Bank are also offering space amid the freezing temperatures.

If you know of any others in these places or in Boroughbridge, Pateley Bridge and Masham let us know and we will add them. Email contact@thestrayferret.co.uk.

Further information on warm spaces can also be found on the Harrogate and District Community Action website here.

Meanwhile, the Prince of Wales pub in Starbeck has also invited people to use the pub as a free place of warmth this winter.

Landlady Alison Griffiths told the Stray Ferret previously that “inflation has caused everything to go up – I just hope to save some people money”.

People don’t have to declare they’re using the service, she added, but instead can just take a seat, chat and enjoy themselves for as long as they like.

Read more:

• Starbeck pub opens as warm space this winter
• Knaresborough Heritage Centre to open next year

This year’s Stray Ferret Christmas Appeal is to raise £30,000 for a much-needed minibus for Dementia Forward in the Harrogate district. 

The appeal is kindly sponsored by Vida Healthcare.

Please give generously to support local people and their families living with dementia. Let’s not forget who needs our help this Christmas.

Today, we find out how Dementia Forward works.

For over a decade, Dementia Forward has become a lifeline for thousands of families in the Harrogate district.

Many don’t know where to turn after a dementia diagnosis. Their lives have changed suddenly, and it can feel lonely and isolating. But the Dementia Forward team are on hand every step of the way to provide unrivalled support.

The dementia support advisers’ (DSAs’) first step is to visit the person living with dementia and their carer at home. They want people to feel as comfortable as they can in a time of such uncertainty. The advisers form a relationship with them and let them know they’re not alone.

One of the founding members, Kathy Patton, said:

“We see how they are, see how they feel about the diagnosis and signpost any help they need.

“That’s our core service.”

The team make it their mission to advise on what they see in front of them – rather than to frighten people over what is to come – and, from there, the support and care remains.

For those that may not be ready to take the leap with Dementia Forward yet, the team makes routine check-ins every six months to ensure the person is doing well and to provide any updated guidance that may be needed.

Better yet, the core service is entirely free.

Some of the Dementia Forward team.

The DSAs tailor their care and support to the individual. Whether this is emotional or physical support, financial or legal advice, the team understand the condition and the needs of the families, and work tirelessly to meet them.

CEO Jill Quinn said:

“Once the ducks are in a row, we work with people to keep them well. Our advisers need to know everything in their area that could help them – like walking groups, singing groups etc.”

Dementia Forward also offers regular social groups across the district. These offer a temporary escape from the disease, a place to feel understood and less isolated, as well as much-needed respite for carers.

The charity’s Hub Club takes places every Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. Those living with dementia spend the day at the Burton Leonard’s site and enjoy hours of games, puzzles, music and good company.

People with dementia can also visit the weekly wellbeing café, which offers board games, table tennis and lunch to enjoy. It’s a safe space where they can feel heard and carers can offload to others sharing the experience.

Kathy added:

“Dementia Forward is support for the person with dementia and their family or carer.

“The support can be as much or as little as they want.”

Dementia Forward also hold monthly coffee mornings for those living with dementia, their carers, their families, and anyone else in the wider community. They fundraise for the charity and educate people on dementia and the life changing affects it has.

But none of this would be possible without Dementia Forward’s minibus service. The minibus is already used by more than 50 people in the district; it allows those living around Harrogate and Ripon to attend social groups and access support they may not otherwise receive.

However, Dementia Forward’s current bus is old and urgently needs to be replaced. The charity would seriously struggle to afford a new one, which is why they need your help to keep this vital service going. Without it, many people living with dementia wouldn’t be able to access the help and support they need.

Every donation to our campaign will go directly to Dementia Forward to help us hit our £30,000 target.

Please give generously to those that need our help this Christmas. Click here to donate whatever you can – you never know when you, your family or a friend may be in need of Dementia Forward’s help too.

Thank you.

The NHS found that one in 11 people over the age of 65 in the UK are living with dementia. If you need urgent help or have a dementia-related enquiry, call 0330 057 8592 to speak to a helpline adviser.

Police have appealed for information on a wanted man from Harrogate.

Bailey George Samuel Townend, 21, is believed to be evading arrest after being recalled back to prison.

He was released from prison on licence on November 1, 2023, after being handed a 51-week custodial sentence for burglary and theft offences.

However, the Probation Service has reported that Townend has failed to reside at approved accommodation in Leeds, thereby breaching his licence.

A North Yorkshire Police statement said:

“Police enquiries are ongoing in the Harrogate and Leeds areas in the effort to return Townend to prison.

“Townend is described as white, 5ft 8in tall, slim build, with short brown hair and green eyes.

If you can help us track him down, please report information to North Yorkshire Police on 101, option 4, and speak to the Force Control Room.

“For immediate sightings, dial 999 to ensure a rapid response.

“Information can also be provided to Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online.

Please quote reference number 12230220557 when providing details.”

Read more:

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• Harrogate man jailed for insulting magistrates

Parking charges will be introduced at Weeton Station in a fortnight’s time.

Northern Railway has announced it is one of 10 station where charges are being brought in.

From Monday, December 11, motorists will have to pay £2 per day between 8am and 4pm on their phones to park at Weeton.

Northern said the charges would “ensure car parking facilities remain available for rail users only” but the move has sparked fears about the impact on parking in the village.

One resident, who asked not to be named, said:

“There is already a problem locally with how inconsiderately rail users park on the roads around the station.

“This will only make it worse.”

Read more:

• Tory transport chief urges Lib Dems to back scaled-back Harrogate Station Gateway
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Northern said in a statement:

“We know that the introduction of charges might be unwelcome news for some customers and colleagues, and we’re committed to keeping our car park arrangements under review to ensure they meet the needs of colleagues and customers alike.”

Northern said, in line with the approach taken by councils and parking companies, the machines will be cashless.

It means people will not be able to pay for parking through the ticket offices or onboard any of the services; they will have to pay via phone, smartphone or app.

None of the other rail stations in the north of England where parking charges are being introduced on December 10 are in the Harrogate district.

The other locations include Poppleton, Buckshaw Parkway and Snaith.

But motorists already have to pay to park at many local stations. For instance, Harrogate charges £4 per day and Pannal charges £3 per day.

The Liberal Democrat candidate aiming to be Harrogate and Knaresborough’s next MP has said he opposes the latest expansion plans by Harrogate Spring Water.

However, the current Conservative MP Andrew Jones has not given an explicit indication of whether he supports or opposes the plans.

Harrogate Spring Water revealed proposals this month to fell 450 trees near its Harlow Moor Drive headquarters so it can expand its bottling plant and produce more plastic bottles.

It says the scheme will create 50 jobs and lead to a net biodiversity gain because it will create a 1,200-tree publicly accessible woodland nearby.

But the campaign group Save Rotary Wood is leading opposition to the loss of trees, which were planted by schoolchildren concerned about climate change.

Harrogate Spring Water, which is owned by French multinational Danone, is holding a public consultation event at the Crown Hotel in Harrogate from 4pm to 7pm tomorrow (Thursday, November 30).

Ahead of the meeting, we asked Mr Jones and Mr Gordon for their views on the subject.

Mr Gordon said:

“Whilst I absolutely want to see more jobs in Harrogate, and the benefit that would bring for our local economy, I do not support the plans in their current form.

“We should be protecting woodland and preserving biodiversity; to suggest there will be a net gain is not guaranteed, as it would take years for new trees to mature.”

Mr Jones gave a lengthier response but did not state explicitly whether he supported the proposal.

He said:

“The level of community engagement by Harrogate Spring Water on their latest application is a significant and welcome improvement on their previous attempt to achieve approval for their extension. That public consultation is critical as the outcome will rightly be a significant part of the considerations of the Harrogate and Knaresborough planning committee when they look at the application.

“The environmental offer is a big improvement on what we saw previously. And that is important, as constituents to whom I have spoken want significant additional tree planting and public access to that new woodland if the council are minded to approve the proposals.

“On the face of it, replacing trees that are lost on a 3-to-1 or a 6-to-1 ratio is a large increase in cover. The concern is that saplings will be replacing trees with 25 years’ growth. I have spoken to people who helped plant saplings in Rotary Wood all those years ago and I can understand why that is a very emotive part of these plans.”

Read more:

• Campaigners to protest at Harrogate Spring Water meeting
• Harrogate Spring Water plans reignite debate on trees and plastic

Mr Jones added:

“Having said that, it is also important to acknowledge that Harrogate Water is a successful local business that carries the name of our town across the world. I want that success to continue and to grow.

“So a welcome for the vastly improved public engagement, a welcome for the increased environmental offer alongside public access and a recognition that we want successful businesses locally. But I understand the caution about habitat loss and the loss of an area enjoyed by many for recreation.

“There is a public consultation event this week which can help further shape the proposals. I encourage everyone with an interest to attend that meeting and help ensure that the planners get the best possible application to consider.”