Local Harrogate News & Views around the district - Page 301 of 1077

Dates set for reopening historic hotels in Knaresborough and Ripon

An historic Knaresborough hotel will reopen next month after a refurbishment and renaming by its new owners.

The Knaresborough Inn – previously known as the Dower House – is set for an official opening on August 31.

It follows the closure of the hotel last summer, with a contractor appointed for the work at the end of the year.

Visitors to the refurbished facility will find its spa and gym have been replaced by an additional nine bedrooms.

A new portico entrance has been built on the Grade II-listed 15th century building, with an accessible ramp to the entrance and repairs to its roof and brickwork.

News of a reopening date follows the company’s unveiling of The Harrogate Inn, formerly the St George Hotel, on July 3 after a 152-day refurbishment.

Chris Moor, operations director for The Inn Collection Group, said:

“We’re excited that The Harrogate Inn has been received so positively since reopening and we are looking forward to unveiling The Knaresborough Inn as our second North Yorkshire site to complete refurbishment in a few weeks.

“Creating a new-look for a much-loved venue has been a painstaking process as has the renovation programme, making sure we take great care of what in parts dates back to the 15th century but we are confident that we have done what we set out to achieve.

“The inn will breathe new life into the venue and retain it as a resource and vital hub for the local community as much as guests coming to stay.

“We will be announcing plans for our reopening celebrations very shortly and I look forward to seeing the doors back open before the end of the summer.”

Meanwhile, The Ripon Inn, which used to be the Spa Hotel, is now set to welcome guests from October 2.

Its opening has been delayed from an initial expectation of spring this year, later updated to August, and now put back a further two months.

All three hotels were bought by the Inn Collection Group over the last two years. Based in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, the company owns 32 hotels across northern England and north Wales.

Developer appeals Harrogate office block conversion refusal

A developer has appealed a council decision to refuse a plan to convert Simpson House in Harrogate into flats.

Bramhope Property and Investments Limited tabled the proposal to North Yorkshire Council to convert the the former office block off Clarence Drive into 12 two-bedroom flats.

It would have seen the ground, first and second floors converted.

However, the authority rejected the plan in May this year on the grounds that the flats would not have enough natural light.

In a decision notice, the council said that existing trees and hedges at the site which would lead to “large amounts of shade” to the flats during the day.

Now the developer has taken the decision to the government’s Planning Inspectorate, which deals with planning disputes.

In documents submitted to the inspector, the developer argued that the council’s reason for refusal was “not based on any detailed technical evidence”.

It said:

“The local planning authority considers that the proposal would fail to provide adequate daylight within all apartments.

“However, the appellant has provided a detailed assessment following national guidance.

“This demonstrates that appropriate levels of daylight can be provided and as such the proposal is acceptable.”

A government planning inspector will make a decision on the appeal at a later date.

The move comes after two previous proposals to change the use of the office block to residential were refused in 2022.

Meanwhile, another application by Artium Group was withdrawn in July 2022 amid concern from the former Harrogate Borough Council officers over the impact on neighbouring trees.

Business Breakfast: Harrogate firm manufactures 10 millionth energy display device

A Harrogate company has manufactured its 10 millionth in-home display for smart meters.

Chameleon Technology, which is based on Otley Road, has supplied the devices to energy companies since 2012.

The devices connect to a home’s smart meter in order to show how much energy is being used.

The company delivered the 10 millionth in-home display this summer. It has manufactured on average 1.6 million devices a year.

An example of an in-home display manufactured by Chameleon Technology.

Mike Woodhall, co-founder and chief executive of Chameleon Technology, said:

“Manufacturing and delivering 10 million IHDs to UK households is a milestone to be proud of.

“Access to real-time energy data is a crucial step to enable low carbon solutions to have maximum impact and provide tangible benefits to all UK households.

“Continued uptake of smart meters, alongside the real-time data provided by IHDs, will help build a flexible, decarbonised and digitalised energy system that will benefit both the environment and consumers through lower energy bills.”

Housing developer acquires new site in Leeds

A Harrogate housing developer has acquired a 223-home site in Leeds.

Casa By Moda, which is based at Beckwith Knowle, will take on the site which is called Abbey Court and is based between Kirkstall and Headingley.

The company acquired the site from Artisan Real Estate and it is set to include 223 family homes.

The site in Leeds which has been acquired by Casa By Moda.

The houses will range from one, two and three-bedroom homes.

Matt Townson, director of development and projects at Casa by Moda, said:

“We’re entering an exciting phase with the delivery of our first neighbourhoods, and as a business headquartered in Yorkshire, Casa, Abbey Court is special for us, as it marks our first neighbourhood that will open in our home region.

“With demand for rental accommodation remaining high, our approach as a long-term owner and operator is to create not only high-quality, sustainable homes, but new communities that go beyond bricks and mortar by actively supporting the wellbeing of our residents.”

James Bulmer, regional director for Leeds-based Artisan Real Estate North, said:

“The collaboration with Casa by Moda provides a significant opportunity to deliver much needed new homes for rent in one of Leeds’ most desirable suburbs for young professionals and families alike, offering fantastic connectivity to the city centre.”

New Mexican restaurant to open in Harrogate tomorrow

A Mexican restaurant and cocktail bar is to open in Harrogate tomorrow.

The Rooftop is situated in the large upstairs premises above Sukhothai on the corner of Cheltenham Crescent and Cheltenham Parade.

The short-lived HG1 Grill and World Bar opened on the site in November last year. It was previously occupied by restaurants Samsons and Le Bistrot Pierre.

The Rooftop is divided into two areas — a restaurant that can seat about 70 people and a cocktail bar that can cater for about 100 customers.

The restaurant will serve Mexican meals, including tacos and burritos, and will feature tapas options.

The restaurant area

The late night bar will have live DJs at weekends.

Owner Mason Elyas, who lives in Leeds, has been involved with several restaurants in West Yorkshire but this is his first in Harrogate. He said:

“I’ve always loved Mexican food and I thought there was an opportunity in Harrogate. It’s a beautiful place and local people seem very supportive.”

The Rooftop, which employs 16 staff, will welcome its first customers at 4pm tomorrow. It will then open from 4pm to midnight on Thursdays, from midday to midnight on Fridays and Saturdays and from midday to 10pm on Sundays.

It will be closed Monday to Wednesday.

Mr Elyas said he took control of the site just three weeks ago and new signs were due to be installed tonight.

Calls grow for Harrogate’s Rachel Daly to start for England in World Cup

Harrogate-born striker Rachel Daly is the centre of attention in the run-up to England’s second Women’s World Cup match tomorrow.

The Lionesses’ Group D match against Denmark kicks off at 9.30am tomorrow in Sydney. It will be broadcast live on BBC One.

England, who scraped home 1-0 against Haiti in their opening match on Saturday, have not scored in 337 minutes of open play.

Manager Sarina Wiegman left out Daly, who was the leading scorer in the Women’s Super League with 22 goals last season for Aston Villa, in favour of Arsenal’s Alessia Russo.

But the team’s toothless display, in which they had 11 shots on target, has increased pressure to start with Daly up front.

Daly training with England. Pic: Rachel Daly Instagram

Ex-England forward Eniola Aluko described the team’s attacking play as “predictable” on ITV and suggested Daly would be more effective at winning crosses from wingers Lauren Hemp and Chloe Kelly. She said:

“In the first half Russo was playing, but if that is the approach and the pattern of play, should it be Rachel Daly up there instead? She is stronger in the air.”

Daly’s 337,000 Instagram followers have also been clamouring for her to start a match which will see England almost certainly qualify for the knockout stages if they win.

Daly came on as a 76th minute substitute against Haiti, which England won thanks to a re-taken Georgia Stanway penalty.

The former Killinghall Nomads player said afterwards:

‌“No-one’s happy to sit on the bench. If you are, then you are not in the right place, not in the right career. But that’s the beauty of having a competitive squad. Everyone’s digging for a position.

‌“It’s a headache Sarina has to have in multiple positions.”

Fun for all ages as Birstwith Show returns this weekend

Children’s entertainment will take centre stage as an annual village show returns to Nidderdale this weekend.

Birstwith Show takes place on Saturday, July 29 and has introduced a number of new features this year after asking for feedback from the community.

Show committee member Amy Howard said:

“People felt there was a gap for teenagers and a gap for toddlers, so we’ve got a toddler tent this year with hay bales and toys.

“We’ve got two sessions with Hazel, who does singing and signing for toddlers. Parents can have a sit down and it’s near the play area too, so they can keep an eye on their older children at the same time.

“For teenagers, we’ve got a silent disco this year, so they can have a bit of fun and a bit of a chill. I’m sure there will be a few grown-ups in there as well!”

Also new this year will be a dog and duck display in the main ring, along with the usual popular mix of entertainment.

Children’s races, a tug-o-war, a dog show with Miss Mollies Rescue, and live music through the day and into the evening are also on the programme.

Another new feature will be food demonstrations, including two by the Little Yorkshire Scone company. As well as showing how to make savoury scones, the company will demonstrate recipes to use up leftovers.

Ms Howard said the schedule of classes has proved popular this year, with Birstwith Primary School and other village organisations getting involved. She added:

“Entries are up this year. We were a bit low last year and we think it’s just people getting back into the swing of shows post-covid.”

The tents and marquees are all in place thanks to the team of volunteers, and trade stands, food and drink stalls will be ready to welcome visitors from noon on Saturday.

Soldiers from the Army Foundation College will be on hand to help with parking and traffic management on the day.

Entry is £7.50 on the gate or £7 in advance via the website, until midnight on Friday.

Harrogate resident claims council did not properly minute planning meeting

A resident who objects to 53 homes being built on Knox Lane in Bilton has complained to the council about its minute taking at meetings which she says falls “well below” the standards expected for public bodies.

At North Yorkshire Council’s Harrogate and Knaresborough planning committee this week, Adele Lawrie-Wilson addressed councillors about the minutes produced following a meeting on May 31 regarding the controversial housing scheme by developers Jomast.

Planning committee meetings are usually streamed live on YouTube. But technical difficulties on the day meant the only way to watch proceedings was in the council chamber.

Ms Lawrie-Wilson said residents who were unable to attend could not get an accurate picture of what was discussed due to “missing information” and “inaccuracies” in the minutes, which were later published on the council’s website.

She said:

“Given the livestream wasn’t available and no alternative recording was made, I would have expected more detailed minutes taken.

“There was no recording of what Cllr Haslam spoke about or what several residents covered in their speeches. It also omitted any content of the fairly tense debate.”

Ms Lawrie-Wilson also said the minutes recorded the council’s planning officer Nick Turpin saying no houses were proposed in the Special Landscape Area, which is incorrect.

She added:

“I urge that the minutes are expanded to give a more accurate recording of the meeting that took place.”

Mr Turpin responded to the claims and said it is not in the council’s practice to produce verbatim minutes of meetings.

He said:

“They accurately reflected the decision taken and reflect good practice. The published minutes meet all legal requirements and follow the council’s agreed standards.”

However, Mr Turpin conceded that his comment about the SLA was inaccurate and would be changed.

The Knox Lane plans will go before the council’s planning committee again at a later date.

Harrogate hospital cancelled 117 appointments due to consultants strike

Harrogate District Hospital was forced to cancel 117 appointments as a result of last week’s consultants strike.

Members of the British Medical Association walked out for 48 hours on July 20 in a dispute over pay.

Consultants carried out what was described as Christmas Day cover, which meant most routine and elective services were cancelled but full emergency cover remained in place.

At the time, Dr Vishal Sharma, chair of the BMA consultants committee, said consultants had been left with “no option” but to strike after years of pay cuts.

Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust confirmed 117 outpatient appointments were cancelled across a range of hospital services due to the walkout last week.

Among the areas affected included breast surgery, trauma, orthopaedics and general surgery. Neurology and gynaecology also saw cancellations.

A spokesperson for the trust said:

“Appointments were re-arranged as a matter of priority with many being re-arranged at the time of cancellation.”

The hospital is set to be hit by further strike action next month.

Yesterday, junior doctors voted to walk out for four days in August amid an ongoing dispute with government over pay.

Members of the BMA will stage the industrial action from 7am on Friday, August 11, until 7am on Tuesday, August 15.

The organisation is calling for a 35% pay rise in order to restore pay to 2008 levels after below inflation increases.

Dr Robert Laurenson and Dr Vivek Trivedi, co-chairs of the BMA junior doctors committee, said:

“It should never have got to the point where we needed to announce a fifth round of strike action.

“Our message today remains the same: act like a responsible government, come to the table to negotiate with us in good faith, and with a credible offer these strikes need not go ahead at all.”

North Yorkshire 20mph policy ‘not based on evidence’, say councillors

Councillors have rejected a claim that the decision to undertake a six-month review into speeding was based on insufficient evidence about the benefits of 20mph zones.

At a specially arranged meeting in Northallerton yesterday, Andy Brown, Green Party councillor for Aire Valley, requested a “call in” of the Conservative executive’s decision to begin the review into how it tackles speeding across North Yorkshire.

The executive said the review will lead to a speed management strategy and a rolling pipeline of safety improvement schemes, but it fell short of the demands of campaigners who want widespread 20mph speed limits implemented as soon as possible.

Cllr Brown said a report that underpinned North Yorkshire Council’s decision to undertake the review underestimated the benefits of 20mph speed limits and overestimated how difficult they are to implement.

He said:

“This is not a political issue, go to Cornwall and the Conservatives there got themselves elected and promised 20mph zones where residents support it. We should be thinking about this whatever our politics are.”

The 20’s Plenty campaign has the backing of more 150 parish councils, and campaigners met at County Hall in Northallerton yesterday with several making passionate pleas about why they want action on speeding now.

A statement was read out on behalf of Pam Fawcett, who said she had lived in Beverley for more than 50 years but is now worried about the speed of traffic. She said:

“I’m afraid to cross the road in the village and I must get somebody else to collect my pension. I have great-grandchildren living in the village, they must cross the road to get the school bus and I’m genuinely frightened they’ll be hit by a speeding car.”

Both the Green Party councillor for Ouseburn, Arnold Warneken, and Liberal Democrat councillor for Knaresborough East, Hannah Gostlow, queried why the report rejected calls to have a 20mph pilot in Harrogate and Knaresborough despite it being backed by local councillors. Cllr Gostlow said:

“Where was the consultation regarding local communities? We can’t just mention active travel in our strategies, we have to take action. Our goal won’t be reached by words alone.”

However, several Conservative councillors spoke to say they backed the review, including the councillor for Bentham and Ingleton, David Ireton, who said:

“This is not about whether we like speed limits, it’s about whether the executive’s decision was made correctly. I do believe they had sufficient evidence in front of them. I feel that it was a sound decision that was made.”

Alan McVeigh, the council’s head of highways network strategy, defended the council’s approach to speeding in the chamber, as did Cllr Keane Duncan, the Conservative executive member for transport, who spoke through a video link.

Mr McVeigh said:

“We’ve heard a lot, quite rightly, about the benefits of 20mph zones. None of that is in dispute. But a one size all default risks imposing speed limits on communities that may not want them.”

Cllr Duncan that parish councils will still be able to ask for 20mph zones and the strategy should speed up the process for these requests. He added:

“We will be communicating with all parish councils in North Yorkshire to explain the policy and how they can shape proposals. I’ll make sure every councillor gets that in advance. We’re working with communities and I think we can make a positive difference over time.”

Councillors ultimately voted by nine to six to back the executive’s initial decision to undertake the review.

Harrogate Hydro delay will see no change in £13.5m project budget, says council

A delay in opening Harrogate Hydro due to “unplanned work” will see no change in its budget, council officials have said.

The Hydro is undergoing a £13.5 million refurbishment and will welcome customers back under the new name Harrogate Leisure and Wellness Centre.

However, North Yorkshire Council confirmed last week that the centre will not re-open until after the school summer holidays. It had been planned to open in August.

In a statement, Nic Harne, corporate director for community development at the council, said the Hydro’s reopening would be delayed until September due to “unplanned works being required”.

He added:

“Refurbishment projects often uncover historic issues that need to be resolved and this complex construction is no different.”

The Stray Ferret asked the council what the unplanned works are and whether this would cost the council any more than its budgeted £13.5 million for the project.

A spokesperson for the authority said:

“There is no one thing, it is a culmination of works discovered during the complex refit.”

They added that there would be no change to the budget for the scheme.

The leisure centre in Jennyfields closed in April last year for what was supposed to be a nine-month refurbishment costing £11.9 million.

But January’s scheduled re-opening did not happen. In May, North Yorkshire Council said the cost of the scheme had risen to £13.5 million and customers would be welcomed back in August.

However, Mr Harne said previously the Knaresborough scheme was still due to re-open later this year.

Mr Harne said:

“The new Knaresborough Leisure and Wellness Centre remains on-track to open in November.”

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Housing developer acquires new site in Leeds

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