Local Harrogate News & Views around the district - Page 298 of 1077

Eight ultra-rapid electric vehicle charging points activated at Harrogate Sainsbury’s

Sainsbury’s has activated eight ultra-rapid electric vehicle charging points at its supermarket on Wetherby Road in Harrogate.

‘Ultra-rapid’ is the fastest type of EV charging available on the market. It means people will be able to charge their electric vehicles in as little as 30 minutes.

The 150kW charging points, which are located in the car park near, are available to all drivers, not just those shopping in-store. They were activated on Friday.

Sainsbury’s said in a statement the charging points are designed to be easily accessible for disabled customers, as well as those with young children, thanks to the additional space around and between bays.

The new charging stations at Harrogate Sainsbury’s.

Patrick Dunne, Sainsbury’s director of property, procurement and EV ventures, said:

“We know that demand for speedy, efficient EV charging facilities in the UK continues to grow and that’s why we’ve brought this great new service to the people of Harrogate.

“We hope customers enjoy the speed and convenience it offers and we look forward to hearing their feedback.”

He added the charging points would help the company achieve its goal of reducing carbon emissions to net zero by 2035.

There are currently four generally recognised speeds of EV charging available in the UK, classified by the level of power or “flow” of electricity that the chargers are able to provide, in kilowatts. They are slow – 3-6kW; fast – 7-22kW; rapid – 25-99kW and ultra-rapid – 100kW+.

More information about EV charging at Sainsbury’s is available here.

Firefighters called to Harrogate trailer park

Firefighters have been dealing with an early morning fire at a static home in a Harrogate trailer park.

Crews from Harrogate and Knaresborough were summoned to Shaws Trailer Park on Knaresborough Road in Starbeck at 5.11am.

The scale of the fire is unknown.

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service’s incident report this morning said:

“This incident is ongoing. Crews are using two hose reel jets, and two breathing apparatus to deal with the incident.”

Shaws Trailer Park, a residential park home estate, has 140 permanent park homes.

War veteran to launch Harrogate war memorial centenary commemorations

A war veteran is set to launch Harrogate war memorial’s centenary commemorations this year.

The 12-week commemorations will begin on September 1 and mark 100 years to the day after the memorial was unveiled in Prospect Square.

World War Two veteran Sheila Pantin, who lives in Harrogate and will celebrate her own 100th birthday in October, will launch the programme.

She won a scholarship to Leeds Girls’ High School aged 11, and went on to become one of the first women in this country to earn her public service vehicle licence.

Sheila joined the army aged just 17 and trained as an ambulance and staff car driver with the Auxiliary Territorial Service, the women’s branch of the British Army, rising to the rank of sergeant.

She was also one of the first British service women to enter a German concentration camp in April 1945.

The Harrogate war memorial.

After being posted abroad in autumn 1944, she was detailed to lead a convoy of about ten three-tonne Bedford lorries across France and Belgium entering into Nazi Germany from Holland.

When she got there she was asked if she wanted to work in the camps.

Reflecting on the time, Sheila said:

“I thought they meant barracks but it turned out they didn’t mean that at all. There was the camp with this huge entrance and an awful lot of huts surrounded by barbed wire fencing.

“We were entering Belsen. I could see our boys digging out mass graves to give the bodies proper burials.

“The only people left alive were in rags and were in a terrible state. They didn’t even know how to eat.”

It was Sheila’s job to look after the survivors in the camp, to clean them, dress them, show them how to use a knife and fork, to try to restore a little humanity after the horrors of the Nazi Holocaust.

As part of the war memorial centenary commemoration programme, a series of events will be held including 15 illustrates talked running from September 1 to Remembrance Sunday on November 12.

Meanwhile, to mark the anniversary, the names of 1,163 service men and women who died in the two World Wars and are etched onto the Harrogate memorial will feature in a multimedia exhibition called More than a Name on a Memorial.

Sheila will also give a talk on her experience during the war on Wednesday, September 27.

The exhibition and talks will be held at the West Park United Reformed Church and are free to attend.

More details of the centenary commemorations are available here.

Harrogate Lib Dem claims Tories using delaying tactics to avoid town council

A row over the creation of Harrogate Town Council has continued with a Liberal Democrat councillor claiming the Conservatives are attempting to delay the process because they fear they’d lose the election.

This month North Yorkshire Council agreed to hold a third public consultation on the creation of a Harrogate Town Council, which is now likely to form in 2025, a year later originally than planned.

Despite residents backing plans for two councillors to represent single wards in the previous consultation, Conservative councillors want single councillor wards based around the 19 former Harrogate Borough Council boundaries.

A consultation on the new proposals is expected to begin this year.

The move has frustrated opposition parties including the Liberal Democrats, which would like to see the currently unparished area of Harrogate represented by a town council as soon as possible.

Liberal Democrat councillor for High Harrogate and Kingsley, Chris Aldred, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that he believes the Conservatives “do not like town councils” and also want to delay the process in order to avoid the electorate at the ballot box.

He said:

“The truth is that they feel the further away they can push any possible election, the better for them. They know what the public think of them, nationally and locally, and they are running very, very scared.”

One of the most vocal opponents of the two councillors per ward proposals has been Conservative councillor for Killinghall, Hampsthwaite and Saltergate, Michael Harrison, who also sits on the council’s decision-making executive.

This year, Cllr Harrison was unanimously chosen by Harrogate councillors as its first charter mayor. However, Cllr Aldred suggested the Lib Dems, which is the largest party in Harrogate, now regret backing him due to his stance on the town council.

He added:

“We installed Cllr Harrison as our charter mayor for this year, partly in the hope it would educate him in the important role played by the mayoralty in our town, which can’t legally be continued or expanded upon, without a fully functional town council.

“We had the numbers to put in one of our own, but we felt this issue was actually so important, we were prepared to forgo this civic honour and elect a Tory. So we are doubly disappointed that he still continues in his attempts to usurp the creation of a democratically elected town council.”

Cllr Michael Harrison

In response, Cllr Harrison told the LDRS that local politics and the mayoralty are “strictly separate.” He said:

“I am honoured to be the mayor of Harrogate and was very grateful that my fellow councillors elected me to represent them. It has been a pleasure to carry out various civic duties over the last five months, and I will continue to do so for the rest of the civic year.

“It is no secret that I remain to be convinced of the need for a town council but recognise that colleagues continue to make the case, and I will be happy to support a decision at the right time.

“I make no apology for trying to ensure that if we are to create a new town council, that it is structured in the best way possible, we understand what it might achieve and what strategic objectives it will deliver in return for the precept that the residents of the town will have no choice to pay.”

The Conservative leader of North Yorkshire Council Cllr Carl Les described Cllr Aldred’s claim that the Tories are against town councils as “nonsense”.

Cllr Les told the LDRS:

“Most of my colleagues in the Conservative group have served on parish councils themselves and we all attend parish councils in our divisions. If we didn’t value their role, we wouldn’t have proposed offering the two communities in North Yorkshire which aren’t parished the opportunity to create two new parish councils.

“However it is important to get this right, as these bodies will be existence for many years to come, so it’s right to take time at the start. Cllr Aldred raised some points about warding which we are now addressing, so I don’t know why he is now criticising us. We have to do this with communities, not to them, so we need some further consultation.”

Local Remembrance Sunday parades under threat after police withdraw traffic help

This year’s Remembrance Sunday parade in Knaresborough may not go ahead after police told organisers they could no longer provide traffic management.

David Houlgate, vice-chair of Knaresborough Royal British Legion, said the charity had been “rocked to the core” by the news.

A letter from the assistant chief constable of North Yorkshire Police told the legion it would no longer provide traffic management because the force needed to ensure it focused resources on tackling crime.

Mr Houlgate said:

“This immediately puts this year’s Remembrance Day parade’s at risk of being cancelled and future ones not happening too.”

It is unclear whether this will jeopardise other local Remembrance Sunday parades or other events which require police traffic management.

Will Harrogate’s Remembrance Sunday commemorations also be affected?

The Stray Ferret asked North Yorkshire Police to clarify the situation. It said it was working on a statement about traffic management which would be forwarded on.

Mr Houlgate said:

“We were not expecting this and it is a major blow for the town. There is of course a cost to providing our own traffic management provision so this decision by North Yorkshire Police almost certainly means there will be no Remembrance Day Parade in Knaresborough as things currently stand.

“And it is not just Knaresborough, it appears that North Yorkshire Police have made this decision right across the county. We are devastated.”

Mr Houlgate added:

“We are a charity and we are focused on raising funds to provide lifelong support to serving and ex-serving personnel and their families. So even though every year we also lead the nation in commemorating and honouring those who have served and sacrificed, we cannot justify spending funds on traffic management.”

Remembrance Sunday commemorations in Knaresborough begin with a service at St John’s Church followed by the parade, which lasts about 20 minutes, to the war memorial in the Castle Yard.”

Mr Houlgate said:

“Apart from the covid lockdown this will be the first time in living memory the Remembrance Day parade will not happen here in Knaresborough unless there is a change of heart by North Yorkshire Police, which seems unlikely, or something else turns up.”

Council to offer new Harrogate district foster carers £500 ‘golden hello’

New foster carers in the Harrogate district will be offered a £500 “golden hello” payment if they are approved to look after young people.

North Yorkshire Council’s fostering service, Fostering North Yorkshire, is offering the payment to newly approved carers until December 31.

The move comes as the council is launching a recruitment drive for more foster carers over the summer.

Cllr Janet Sanderson, executive councillor for children and families at the council, said:

“We are delighted to announce the ‘golden hello’ for all newly approved foster carers between now and the end of December.

“Our foster carers are there day in, day out giving our local children a loving home and offering them support and guidance.

“Our foster carers are very much appreciated, and we are fully committed to ensuring our foster carers are properly supported and rewarded. We would encourage anyone who has been thinking of fostering to enquire now.”

The service currently has 181 carers looking after children in care.

However, the council said more children are coming into care and there is a national shortage of foster carers.

Those who join will receive training and support from the authority. Anyone aged over 21 can foster.

There are also payments and allowances for every night a carer fosters, most of these are tax-free.

For more information on fostering, visit the North Yorkshire Council website here.

Police appeal after sexual assault in Harrogate

Police have appealed for witnesses after a sexual assault in Harrogate.

Officers said the incident happened at a pizza takeaway on lower Station Parade in Harrogate at 2.30am on Saturday, July 29.

A women was approached by a man who offered money for sex, tried to kiss her and then sexually assaulted her.

Police arrested a man in his 40s in relation to the allegation of sexual assault and he has been released on bail pending further enquiries.

In a statement, North Yorkshire Police said:

“We are requesting the public’s assistance to help establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident.

“Officers would particularly like to speak with two men who were not involved but were in the pizza shop at the time the assault took place.

“Anyone with information that could assist the investigation should email Michael.crawshaw@northyorkshire.police.uk

“You can also call North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 2, and ask for Michael Crawshaw.

“If you wish to remain anonymous, you can pass information to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

“Please quote the North Yorkshire Police reference number 12230141013.”

Yorkshire Party calls for August 1 to be made a bank holiday

The Yorkshire Party is calling for Yorkshire Day – August 1 – to be made a bank holiday within the region.

White rose bunting has been installed in Harrogate to mark the yearly celebration, which occurs tomorrow.

The Yorkshire Party, which campaigns for devolution for Yorkshire in the form of a Yorkshire Regional Parliament, wants to take things further.

It said today an extra summer bank holiday would enable the county to celebrate its Yorkshire heritage and break up the long period between May and Christmas, which currently has only one bank holiday.

Yorkshire Day bunting on Princes Street.

England has eight bank holidays — fewer than many other countries.

Dr Bob Buxton, the Yorkshire Party’s co-leader, said:

“There’s a strong argument that England should have more bank holidays. Why not have one to celebrate our regional identity here in Yorkshire, at the height of summer?”

“Scotland and Northern Ireland both have their own bank holidays; there’s no reason why Yorkshire couldn’t do likewise, which could give a massive boost to Yorkshire’s tourist and leisure sectors, from the coast to the Dales.”

Yorkshire Party candidate Mike Jordan finished fourth – ahead of the Lib Dems and Reform UK – with 4.2 per cent of the vote in this month’s Selby and Ainsty by-election.

‘Official announcement’ due on new Harrogate restaurant

An ‘official announcement’ is expected soon about Harrogate‘s newest restaurant.

The Stray Ferret revealed on Thursday the Mexican restaurant and cocktail bar was due to open on Cheltenham Crescent the following day.

The article generated more than 300 comments, with many people welcoming the opportunity to buy tacos and burritos in the spacious town centre venue.

But The Rooftop opened to mixed reviews online from customers who posted their experiences on sites such as Restaurants Harrogate Review Club Facebook page.

A social media account for The Rooftop replied on the thread:

it said:

“We know there have already been speculations circulating among the public.

“Currently we are in the process of sorting things out before making an official announcement.

“Please let’s all be kind to each others. We truly appreciate everyone.

“We are hoping to publish an announcement as soon as possible.”

Leeds-based owner Mason Elyas initially declined to comment when the Stray Ferret asked him to clarify the situation but later said the restaurant remained open as usual. It is open Thursday to Sunday each week.

Mr Elyas took control of the premises above Sukhothai on the corner of Cheltenham Crescent and Cheltenham Parade just three weeks ago.

Le Bistrot Pierre occupied the site for many years. It was then briefly occupied by Samsons and then HG1 Grill and World Bar.

Knaresborough man jailed for strangling former partner

A man who strangled and terrorised his former partner has been jailed for nearly two years.

Craig Moorey, 31, from Knaresborough, strangled the victim to the point where she was struggling to breathe, York Crown Court heard.

He handed himself in following the drunken attack – albeit only because he knew the named victim had called police – but after being quizzed about the assault he went back to her home and started banging on her windows, threatening to smash them in.

Prosecutor Andrew Finlay said the assault occurred during an argument at the victim’s home in Harrogate on October 16 last year.

The victim said he only stopped when she pushed him away. Moorey claimed he pushed her away and said he “briefly” strangled her after she threatened to stab him.

The prosecution accepted that the victim had threatened to stab him but did so while being subjected to vile verbal abuse from Moorey. It was also set against a background of violence and domestic abuse she had suffered at his hands.

Mr Finlay said that in the moments before the attack, the victim had asked Moorey to leave after returning home to find empty beer cans strewn around the room.

Moorey refused and aimed abuse at her. The argument spilled into the kitchen where he strangled her.

Mr Finlay added:

“The defendant grabbed her by the neck with both hands and grabbed her clothing.

“She pushed him away before phoning police.”

Moorey left the house and handed himself in a few days later but refused to answer police questions.

He was released under investigation but on November 9, while on a bail condition to stay away from the victim, he returned to her home and asked to be let in.

The victim, realising he was drunk, refused, but Moorey returned later that night and flew into a rage after looking inside the house to find she was with her former partner.

Mr Finlay said:

“The defendant was angered by this and banged and punched the windows while threatening to smash them and shouting at her former partner.”

The victim said she was afraid that Moorey would smash the windows because “he had done so before”.

She called police again, told Moorey she had done so, and he left. He was brought in for questioning and again refused to answer police questions.

Drink problem

Moorey, of Main Street, Scotton, was charged with offences including intentional strangulation, assault and threatening to damage property. He denied the allegations but ultimately admitted strangulation and threatening to damage property on the day of trial.

The allegations he denied were either dropped by the prosecution or allowed to lie on court file.

He appeared for sentence via video link on Friday (July 28) after being remanded in custody.

Mr Finlay said the former couple’s relationship ended a few years ago after the victim had suffered a catalogue of domestic abuse.

Moorey, a father-of-two, had nine previous offences on his record including damaging the victim’s property, sending offensive communications and breaching a restraining order. There had been previous violence against the victim.

Moorey’s defence counsel said that his client, a ground worker, had already spent about six months on custodial remand.

Judge Simon Hickey noted previous violence against the victim and that Moorey appeared to have a drink problem.

He added:

“This lady has spoken a number of times (in the past) of finding you in drink and cans of alcohol littered around the premises. That is your problem, I’m afraid, Mr Moorey. Drink is your downfall.”

Moorey was given a 22-month jail sentence and handed a 10-year restraining order to keep him away from the victim.

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Drink problem