Council seeks academy sponsor for new Harrogate special school

North Yorkshire Council has invited academy trusts to sponsor a planned new special school in Harrogate.

The authority agreed proposals to create the facility at the former Woodfield Community Primary School in Bilton in August 2023.

The school is expected to cater for up to 80 pupils aged between 11 and 19.

Council bosses said the school is needed to meet demand for special educational needs places locally.

Now, the authority has invited academy trusts to sponsor the school and operate it.

According to the invitation report, which has been published on the council website, the school would be opened on a phased basis from April 2025.

It adds that the authority has committed a £3.5 million budget to establishing the school.

This includes a two phased project to modify the buildings on the Woodfield site ahead of an April 2025 opening, plus a potential extension of its facilities afterwards.

Each pupil is expected to attract base funding of £10,000 each in line with the Department for Education’s high needs funding. Top up funding will also be given based upon the needs of the pupils.

The report said:

“The council’s current range of provision needs to be extended to cater more effectively for young people with a primary need of autism who require specialist support to maximise their potential.

“Those who require a more formal secondary curriculum and associated academic accreditation routes would benefit most from the proposed development.”

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A shortlist for those academy trusts who have applied is expected to be drawn up this month.

The move comes as a six-week consultation, which ended on July 24, 2023, saw 90 out of the 105 responses – a total of 86 per cent – support the proposed school.

Woodfield Community Primary School closed in December 2022 after an “inadequate” rating by Ofsted and a decline in pupil numbers.

Harrogate man takes on round the world yacht race

A Harrogate man is taking on a 40,000-mile yacht race around the world.

Sean McPartland, 53, is taking part in the Clipper Round the World Race, which organisers describe as one of “the biggest challenges of the natural world and an endurance test like no other”.

The retired Birstwith resident is part of the Dare to Lead crew who are tackling the epic journey from the UK to South America on a 70-foot ocean racing yacht.

Mr McPartland said in a video on the team’s website:

“I will be completing the full circumnavigation of the globe racing for 40,000 nautical miles. If you didn’t think that was mad enough, I have never sailed before.

“I just love challenges, the last challenge I did I cycled from the Arctic to Africa. I wanted to do something else and when I saw the Clipper race on YouTube I thought why not. I love inspiring people it is just a great adventure”.

The Clipper Round the World Race began on September 3 last year in Portsmouth and is divided into eight legs and between 13 and 16 individual races including six ocean crossings.

The team is halfway through its journey and is currently on the east coast of Australia.

The race, which first took place in 1996, was created by Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, the first person to sail solo non-stop around the world. Since 1996 almost 6,000 race crew and over 60 nations have trained and raced as part of the Clipper Race.

Eleven identical racing yachts are supplied by the organisers and have fully qualified skippers and first mates to safely guide the crew. The crew complete four levels of intense ocean racer training before competing.

UNICEF is the charity partner for this year’s race and Sean said he was “proud to be raising money to support their vital work for children”.

You can track his progress here and find his fundraising page here.

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Business Breakfast: Ripon firm marks 20 years of top farm machinery show

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Ripon Farm Services will be celebrating the 20th anniversary of its New Year Show this month.

The event, which is one of the UK’s leading agricultural machinery displays, will be held in the Yorkshire Event Centre at the Great Yorkshire Showground in Harrogate on Wednesday, January 24 and Thursday, January 25, from 10 till 5pm. Entry is free.

Product specialists from Ripon Farm Services, Ripon Ground Care and Ripon Technology will be on hand to provide advice on machine choice, set-up, optimisation and job management. Visitors will be able to explore the latest innovations, speak to experts and see the products up close.

The star of the show is expected to be the new John Deere 300M self-propelled sprayer.

Richard Simpson, commercial director of Ripon Farm Services, said:

“We are delighted to be showcasing the new John Deere 300M self-propelled sprayer, it was first introduced at Agritechnica in November last year so it’s great for it to be taking centre stage at our show in January.

“We can’t wait to welcome our customers and guests for what promises to be a very busy 20th anniversary event.”

A vast range of ground care machinery will be on display, from ride-on mowers through to pressure-washers and hedge-trimmers, as well as parts, tools and store items from brands including Milwaukee, Draper and Portek.

Mr Simpson added:

“Apart from the stand-out John Deere machines, we will be showcasing our high-quality machinery, ground care and parts brands that are including Kramer, Bailey Trailers, Kuhn, Sumo, Dalbo, Ifor Williams, Stihl, Husqvarna and Spearhead.

“This really is the very best opportunity to see all that Ripon Farm Services has to offer in agriculture and turf technology, new and used machinery, parts and services in one single location. We’ll also have some special show offers and a wide range of used equipment deals.

“Our specialists across all sectors will be on hand to answer any questions during the two days, so the event is truly a one-stop shop for farmers and ground care professionals across the north of England.”

Ripon employer grows

Wolseley, the national plumbing supplies firm that employs around 250 people in Ripon, continued to grow organically last year, according to figures published in its latest annual report.

Over the 12 months to July 31, 2023, the company increased revenues by £140 million (8%) to £1.87 billion. This caused a jump in operating profit to £75 million, from £65 million in 2022.

However, profits before tax fell to £73 million, from £146 million in 2022, and the directors have not yet declared a final dividend to shareholders.

The company also increased its number of branches by one to 544, and its employee headcount rose by 234 to 4,720.

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Ex-Harrogate Town player cleared of rape and sexual assault charges

Former Harrogate Town player Jack Diamond has been cleared of rape and sexual assault.

Mr Diamond, 23, was found not guilty on both charges by a jury at Newcastle Crown Court this afternoon.

He was charged by Northumbria Police in March last year.

Mr Diamond, of Washington, had his loan spell at Lincoln City terminated at the time of the charges. His parent club Sunderland also suspended him pending the outcome of judicial proceedings.

A statement from Sunderland following the verdict said:

“Sunderland AFC notes the verdict from Newcastle Crown Court today, where a jury has found Jack Diamond not guilty of all charges.

“Following the conclusion of the judicial process, Jack will now return to the Academy of Light and resume footballing activity.

“SAFC will be making no further comment at this time.”

Mr Diamond played for Harrogate on loan during their National League campaign in 2019-20, scoring one of the goals at Wembley that earned promotion to the English Football League for the first time ever.

He returned to the club on loan during the 2021-22 season in League Two of the English Football League.

In his two loan spells, he scored 16 goals in 66 appearances.

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Harrogate man jailed for stalking ex-partner

A vengeful Harrogate man has been jailed today for stalking his ex-partner, breaking into her home and smashing her work van — while she was inside.

Colby Beattie, 22, waged a relentless stalking campaign against the young woman following the breakdown of their relationship, York Crown Court heard.

In September last year, about six months after their relationship ended, Beattie broke into her home on Albert Road, Harrogate, and started smashing items in her kitchen including kettles, plates and the oven door while she was upstairs.

Prosecutor Brooke Morrison said the victim called police who arrested Beattie. He was released on bail on the proviso that he didn’t contact the victim or go to her address.

However, about two weeks later she came downstairs to find him standing in her kitchen doorway. The terrified victim screamed and called police as Beattie fled from the property.

About a week later, on October 1, the victim noticed there were two flat tyres on her Citroen Berlingo works van. She suspected that Beattie had tampered with the tyres as she had only just recently had their pressure checked.

The following day, one of the tyres came off the vehicle and she noticed that some of the bolts were missing from the wheel.

Three days later, she noticed that a screw had been inserted into one of the tyres and another had been slashed.

On October 11, she received a message from Beattie while she was out of the house. Part of the message read: “Whose are the joggers?”

It was obvious to the victim that Beattie had been inside her home because the jogging bottoms belonged to a man with whom she was in a new relationship and had been left in her bedroom.

She called police out again and they searched her home to check if Beattie was still there. He wasn’t, but an hour after they left the victim received a series of phone calls from him.

Ms Morrison said:

“Later that day she left the house again and when she returned in her work van, she saw him come round the corner on a pushbike.

“He got off the pushbike and approached her van (while she was still inside), climbed onto the van and started kicking and stomping on the windscreen until it smashed.”

He then started “kicking and pulling” at the driver’s door and tried to open it. When it failed to open, he jumped on the roof and started stamping on the vehicle again.

The petrified victim called police and was “screaming down the phone for help” from inside the van, at which point Beattie jumped off the vehicle and rode off on his bike. Ms Morrison added:

“She stayed in the van for a period of time out of fear.

“When she got out, her garden gate was open and her dogs came running out.”

The victim knew this meant that Beattie must have been inside her home again. When she went inside the property, she found that the dinner she had left out had been tipped in the kitchen sink, her bank card and passport had been cut up and “left in pieces” on the kitchen island, her TV screen and iPad had been smashed up, and a packet of prescription pills and the contents of her washing machine and dryer had been emptied onto the floor. She also discovered that £240 had gone missing from a money box.

She received yet more phone calls during and after this horrifying discovery but didn’t answer them.

‘Only one sentence can be imposed’

Beattie, of Parliament Terrace, Harrogate, was charged with burglary, stalking and damaging the victim’s property. He admitted all three matters and appeared for sentence today.

The court was told that the victim hadn’t been able to work since the incident because of the damage to her van. The repair bill was as yet unknown.

At the time of the offences, Beattie was subject to a community order imposed in June last year for threatening to damage property.

Defence barrister Benjamin Bell said that Beattie “lost (everything) when the relationship went downhill” because the victim was his “first love”.

Judge Simon Hickey told Beattie:

“For this type of behaviour against this young woman there’s only one sentence that can be imposed and that’s immediate custody.”

He said the victim must have been “terrified” by Beattie’s behaviour which was aggravated by the fact that he was on bail and under a court order at the time of the offences.

Beattie was jailed for 17 months but will only serve half of that time behind bars before being released on prison licence.

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Lovett Care to open brand-new home in Harrogate later this month

This story is sponsored by Lovett Care.

A stunning new purpose-built care home is set to open on Wetherby Road in Harrogate this month. Fairfax Manor will provide high-quality residential, dementia and respite care, 24 hours a day.

The new home, from award-winning care provider Lovett Care, also has an enviable range of truly exceptional facilities, including a café, bistro, library, orangery, beauty salon, private dining room and bar – placing it in the top rank of care homes in the region. The home has 90 fully-furnished en suite rooms with outdoor space provided by balconies, patio areas and landscaped gardens for all to enjoy. 

An architect's impression of how the lounge in Lovett Care's new Harrogate care home, Fairfax Manor, will look.

One of the lounges at Fairfax Manor.

The home have recruited an activities team who will promote a healthy lifestyle and positive wellbeing all year round. Their holistic approach to care and support will ensure the team provides a full and varied activities programme that meets the needs of everyone who lives in the home. The dedicated team will arrange daily supported sessions and activities to ensure everyone benefits from life at Fairfax Manor.

Lovett Care also employs two people to lead activities seven days a week, including morning exercises, an art club, trips out in the minibus, and a lot more – all tailored to the residents’ needs.

General Manager Gillian Allatt said: 

“We know the key to a successful home is down to the individuals who work there.

“We have recruited an exceptional team who have been selected for their individual qualities but most importantly their dedication to wanting to make a difference. I truly have a team who cares.

“I am looking forward to welcoming our new residents to Fairfax Manor as that is when it truly becomes a home. The unrivalled facilities have all been thoughtfully designed and will offer an exceptionally high standard of living yet with a homely feel. My team will be on hand 24 hours a day to provide the very best care and support, enabling our residents to enjoy their next chapter.”

An architect's impression of how the gardens at Lovett Care's new Harrogate care home, Fairfax Manor, will look.

The landscaped gardens will have plenty of beautiful seating areas.

Lovett Care already operates nine homes across the North West and north Wales, supporting more than 500 residents. Fairfax Manor will be its first east of the Pennines. 

The company employs more than 700 people, and a further 100 or more will be employed in the new Harrogate care home, which is located within a mile of the town centre. The home will be a welcome addition to the local area with the growing demand for elderly care and support. 

You can find more details about Lovett Care on the company website, lovettcare.co.uk. 

To register your interest in one of the fabulous rooms at Fairfax Manor, contact us here.

Plan for River Wharfe footbridge withdrawn

A plan to build a footbridge over the River Wharfe to connect West Yorkshire with North Yorkshire has been withdrawn.

The proposal was submitted by volunteer group Burley Bridge Association. The group said there have been hopes of building a bridge over this section of the Wharfe for 120 years.

Currently, there is a public right of way connecting the two banks of the river between Burley-in-Wharfedale and Askwith on the edge of the Harrogate district and walkers have to navigate a series of stepping stones.

The association lodged proposals for a footbridge to both North Yorkshire Council and Bradford Metropolitan Council in November 2023.

At the time, the group said the bridge would provide a safe route for walkers over the river which would then connect to its 42-mile Yorkshire Heritage Way trail that links Bradford with Ripon.

It said:

“A reliable, safe, and weather-proof crossing will be of benefit to the entire local community who regularly use the stepping-stones to access walking and running routes, and to those who travel into the area to enjoy all that the Yorkshire Dales National Park and the adjacent Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty have to offer.”

However, the plans have now been withdrawn.

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In comments submitted to North Yorkshire Council, Dan McAndrew, principal ecologist at the authority, raised concern that the river is a designated UK priority habitat, which includes “in channel gravel bank features”.

While Mr McAndrew acknowledged that the bridge would offer a “sustainable and accessible” route for walkers, he added that the Environment Agency recommends that “in-channel impacts should be avoided through the provision of a single span bridge”.

He said:

“The recently submitted ‘design rationale’ does not address this matter, although I acknowledge that the application proposes some mitigation measures such as planting of riparian alders, bat boxes and provision for nesting birds and control of Himalayan balsam. 

“Whilst these are welcome measures, they do not address the fundamental issue of damage to a priority habitat, which, as the Environment Agency suggests, ought to be avoided through the design of a single span bridge.”

Police warn of spate of pushy cold callers in Harrogate

Police in Harrogate have urged people to be wary of cold callers turning up on doorsteps offering garden maintenance work.

In a statement today, North Yorkshire Police said it was aware of individuals and groups targeting elderly residents in the area.

It added some could be “pushy and threatening” or “charge inflated prices or pretend to find more and more jobs that need doing on a property”.

A North Yorkshire Police spokesman said:

“We’re aware of Harrogate households in different areas of the town being approached for landscaping and gardening work. We’re working proactively to address this.

“As part of this work, we want residents to be aware of the risks and to know what to do if someone turns up at their door offering services like gardening work, building maintenance or selling goods.

“We’d advise people to be wary – legitimate gardening and maintenance businesses usually work through recommendations and don’t need to knock on doors to get business.”

Unsolicited calling, or cold calling, is when people are approached by someone offering a service despite not requesting it.

Although cold calling is not an offence, North Yorkshire Police said it frequently investigated frauds, thefts and burglaries that happened as a result of doorstep calls.

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The spokesman added:

“Always give yourself plenty of time to make decisions about who you employ and ask friends, family and neighbours for recommendations.

“And don’t feel bad about saying ‘no’. Normal businesses understand that people want to shop around and won’t try to pressure you into a decision on the spot. If they do, that’s a massive red flag.

“Sadly, elderly people are particularly at risk. So if you have older parents, relatives or friends, please share this message with them and check they know how to stay safe if cold callers knock on their door.”

Police urge anyone suspicious about cold callers to dial 101.

Car catches fire in Harrogate multi-storey car park

Harrogate firefighters were called to the fifth floor of the town’s Victoria Car Park yesterday when a car caught fire.

Both Harrogate appliances were summoned to the multi-storey near the train station following reports of smoke billowing from the boot of the vehicle in the multi-storey.

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

“Fire crews used a hose reel, breathing apparatus, thermal camera and tools to access and extinguish the fire.”

It added the cause was attributed to an electrical fault to a CD multi-changer in the car boot.

The incident proved to be the start of a busy morning for Harrogate firefighters.

At 10.36am,  they released two people trapped in a lift at an undisclosed location on Crescent Road in Harrogate.

Then at 11.41am, a women’s walking group alerted them to a cow trapped in barbed wire on a fence at the edge of woodland off the A661 Harrogate Road at Spofforth

The incident report added:

“On finding the cow, the fire officer was able to establish which farm the cow belonged to. The farmer then attended with bolt croppers to free the cow.”

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Business Breakfast: Rudding Park to hold Dragons’ Den for local businesses

Excellence deserves to be recognised and celebrated. The 2024 Stray Ferret Business Awards is the event to put your business, people or great initiative in the spotlight!

Make the most of your efforts by reading our top 10 tips for writing your submission for success.

Entries close on January 19, 2024.

Rudding Park in Harrogate will be hosting a Dragons’ Den-style event this month to give local businesses the opportunity to pitch their products to key decision-makers at the luxury resort.

The hotel plans to revitalise the range of gifts it gives to VIP guests, and is looking for fresh ideas from the local business community.

Candidates will have three minutes to pitch their products and will then answer questions from the Rudding Park ‘Dragons’ – Matthew Mackaness (managing director), Karen Tyson (resort general manager), Julia Featherstone (head of rooms division), Matthew Wilkinson (head of kitchens) and Nicola Cook (head of marketing).

The Dragons will be looking for high-quality products with links to travel, lifestyle, food and drink, design or well-being. They must also align with sustainability and/or giving back to the community.  

Julia Featherstone, head of rooms division at Rudding Park, said: 

“We always strive to surprise and delight our guests, many of whom return time and time again. Our selection of VIP gifts are given to guests to help recognise and reward loyalty, so we are really excited about this initiative and I am hoping we will discover a range of new, quality products to incorporate into our VIP gifting to really wow our guests”.  

Nicola Cook, head of marketing at Rudding Park, said: 

“I am conscious it can often be quite challenging, particularly for smaller businesses, to get a foot in the door to showcase their products. It occurred to me that a Dragon’s Den-inspired event could be great opportunity for us to discover some amazing products to enhance our guest experience and a chance to showcase some talented local suppliers in a fun and innovative initiative.”  

The initiative also supports the Rudding Park Giving Back initiative, as the Rudding Park Dragons will each have a pot of Rudding Park gift vouchers ready to ‘invest’ in charities nominated by candidates who particularly impress.

Dacres still top in Knaresborough

Dacre, Son & Hartley has once again claimed the top spot as Knaresborough’s best-performing estate agent, an accolade it has now held for more than a decade.

The agent’s Knaresborough office sold more than twice as many homes as its nearest competitor in the HG5 and YO26 postcodes, with a total of 75 sales, according to figures from Rightmove. The other companies in the top five sold 35, 31, 30 and 20 each.

This also means that Dacre, Son & Hartley successfully marketed more than a fifth of the 373 homes that sold during the 12-month period across the two postcodes, which include Knaresborough town centre and surrounding villages including Scotton, Arkendale, Coneythorpe, Flaxby, Goldsborough, Kirk Hammerton, Green Hammerton, Whixley and Little Ouseburn.

Dacre, Son & Hartley has had an office in Knaresborough for 45 years and senior associate, Nick Alcock, who is branch manager at the firm’s Knaresborough office, has worked for the business for 28 years. He said:

“With 52 different companies selling homes in the HG5 and YO26 postcodes in the last 12 months, it’s clearly very competitive, but our dominance in the local area is undisputed.”

Dacre, Son & Hartley was founded more than 200 years ago and is Yorkshire’s largest independent estate agent, with 20 offices across North and West Yorkshire.

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