Local Harrogate News & Views around the district - Page 302 of 1039

No date set for Swinsty and Fewston parking charges, says Yorkshire Water

Yorkshire Water has said no date has been set for the introduction of parking charges at Harrogate district reservoirs.

The company is to introduce payment machines and automatic number plate recognition at Swinsty, Fewston and Thruscross car parks.

It said previously that the revenue generated will help to pay for an in-house rangers team, which would undertake maintenance jobs and tackle anti-social behaviour at its sites.

Proposals for parking machines at both Fewston and Swinsty reservoirs were approved by Harrogate Borough Council in September last year.

The Stray Ferret asked Yorkshire Water this week if it had confirmed an implementation date for the machines.

A spokesperson said a date had yet to be confirmed and that the plans were “still in progress”.

While no date has been set for when charges will come in, Yorkshire Water said they will include season tickets for one or multiple sites.

A spokesperson told the Stray Ferret previously:

“There will be an option for visitors to purchase a ‘season ticket’ for the year which can cover just one car park or all car parks in the Washburn Valley, obviously this will work out cheaper than ‘pay as you go’ option, depending on how frequently people visit.

“The prices for the season tickets will be £30 per annum for a single site and £45 per annum for multiple sites. Blue badge holders, as previously stated, will be able to park free of charge.”

Car park users will be able to pay via card payment on site, by using the RingGo app or telephone.

The proposed tariffs will be one hour at £1, two hours at £2, six hours at £3 and an all day pass for £5.

Bransby Wilson Parking Solutions, based in York, has been appointed to operate the parking meters.

Hot Seat: The man bringing international artists to a village near Harrogate

In June every year, something close to a miracle occurs in a small village 11 miles from Harrogate.

Major names in the international arts world converge for 10 days on Aldborough — a beautiful and historic place but hardly known for capturing the zeitgeist.

For arts lovers, however, an annual pilgrimage to the Northern Aldborough Festival has become part of the summer arts scene. They park in fields, drink Pimm’s in a churchyard marquee and get to see the kind of names who usually appear in less soulful venues in Leeds or York.

The festival, which grew out of a fundraising initiative to restore the church organ in 1994, consistently attracts major international talent.

This year’s line-up, from June 15 to 24, includes the likes of South Korean pianist Sunwook Kim, TV historian Lucy Worsley, trumpeter Matilda Lloyd and a singing competition judged by a panel that includes Dame Felicity Lott.

Lucy Worsley is among those appearing this year. Credit Hay Festival / Paul Musso

Festival director Robert Ogden, who overseas the programme, is best known locally for running Ogden of Harrogate, the fifth generation family jewellery business on James Street.

But Mr Ogden has strong credentials in the arts world: a former chorister at Westminster Cathedral Choir School in London, he completed a choral scholarship at King’s College, Cambridge before forging a successful career as a countertenor, singing around the world in major productions alongside the likes of Jose Carreras.

Since he became festival director in 2010, the festival line-up has broadened and this year includes spoken word events and jazz as well as classical music and culminates with an outdoor pop music party and fireworks in the grounds of Aldborough Manor.

Mr Ogden says the change reflects his own wide tastes but also acknowledges “we can’t rely on our core audience”.

Robert Ogden

Festival planning is year-round but he takes a two-week break from the jewellery business to focus fully on the festival in the immediate run-up.

He says things are shaping up well this year ahead of Thursday’s opening night. Asked for his personal highlights, he cites Matilda Lloyd, the opening night Haydn opera double bill, Monteverdi’s Vespers and the new £7,000 singing competition. He says:

“Of all the things we have done in the last 15 years this competition is perhaps the most exciting. I’m certain at least one or two of the semi-finalists will be household names in the next few years.

“There’s nothing a festival wants to do more than to unveil and support new talent.”

How does he persuade occasionally temperamental artists to head to the eastern side of Boroughbridge? He says it’s a combination of the festival’s reputation, the St Andrew’s Church acoustics, the setting and the welcome. Aldborough, he says, is the “perfect chamber music space” and there is something undoubtedly magical about it.

St Andrew’s Church in Aldborough

Mr Ogden says he never feels the festival is in competition with the year-round Harrogate International Festivals and thinks there is scope for another local summer arts festival “if it’s marketed well”. Besides Ryedale Festival and Swaledale Festival, competition isn’t fierce.

But it isn’t an easy time in the arts world. Brexit, he says, has denied many emerging artists the opportunities he enjoyed to develop his craft in Europe. The cost of living crisis had had an impact on ticket prices, but Mr Ogden says Aldborough hasn’t made “any major price rises”.

Future festival ideas include live streaming, although digital connectivity in the village isn’t great, and recording music under the Northern Aldborough label.

He plans to stay at the heart of things, reporting to festival chairman Sir Andrew Lawson-Tancred:

“As long as I feel I still have that creative urge and impetus I will aim to do it as long as they allow me to.”

What is his message for anyone thinking of attending, perhaps for the first time?

“Aldborough is not far to drive from Harrogate. It’s an oasis of calm, the acoustics are wonderful and the welcome is wonderful. Try something new.”

Further information on the Northern Aldborough Festival is available here.

FoI reveals Harrogate council spent nearly £3,000 on booze for staff party

Harrogate Borough Council spent almost £3,000 of taxpayers’ money on booze for a staff party, a Freedom of Information request has revealed.

The party was held to mark the abolition of the council at the end of March — even though nearly all staff transferred to the new North Yorkshire Council the following day on the same terms.

The Stray Ferret reported last month the party cost £14,910. But a full breakdown of the costs, including the amount spent on alcohol, was not known.

The FoI has now revealed the costs included £1,438 on beer, cider and lager, £630 on wine and £587 on spirits. Just £376 was spent on soft drinks.

The council also spent £4,745 on food, £450 on a DJ, £765 on event staff and £302 on decorations. A further £5,556 went on technical equipment for the event, which was held at the council-owned Harrogate Convention Centre on February 23.

The party was held at Harrogate Convention Centre.

The Stray Ferret was alerted to the party by an unnamed source who said they were “appalled, disgusted and downright annoyed that this amount was spent without the prior knowledge and consent of the people paying for it”.

Conor Holohan, media campaign manager of the pressure group the TaxPayers’ Alliance, added:

“Taxpayers will be shocked to find they were funding parties for council staff.

“While residents were struggling with the cost of living crisis, town hall officials were charging them for dinner and drinks.”

Final day parties

Seven district councils and North Yorkshire County Council were abolished on March 31 to make way for the new North Yorkshire Council.

Harrogate Borough Council’s final day staff party cost the most.

Scarborough was the next highest, spending £9,004, followed by Hambleton at £3,783. Ryedale awarded staff a £148 bonus and spent £3,001 on a party. North Yorkshire County Council did not spend anything.

Staff from the district councils, except the chief executives and a handful of others, transferred to North Yorkshire Council on April 1. It said in a statement:

“The new council for North Yorkshire did not play any part in sanctioning or organising any parties.

“For any further comment you will need to ask the district and borough council decision-makers who were in place at those councils at the time.”

Former Harrogate Borough Council leader Richard Cooper has declined to comment on council business since the authority was abolished.

Woman jailed for 22 years for attempting to murder ex-lover’s partner in Bilton

A woman turned up at her ex-lover’s home, forced her way in and stabbed his wife repeatedly with a large carving knife as she lay helpless in the hallway.

Clare Bailey, 44, a secondary-school maths teacher and mother-of-two, was wearing a red wig, blue covid mask and sunglasses when she rang the doorbell at her former lover Christopher Russell’s home on Byland Road in Harrogate intent on murder on June 23 last year.

When Mr Russell’s wife Emma, a senior hospital technician, answered the door, Bailey — holding a bunch of flowers in front of her face to disguise herself — told her the bouquet was “for her”, then barged into the hallway brandishing a large carving knife and began “stabbing, hacking and slashing” her all over her body, Leeds Crown Court heard.

Prosecutor Rupert Dodsworth said Ms Russell was stabbed repeatedly in the neck, chest, stomach and arms.

Mr Dodsworth said:

“Emma Russell could be heard screaming for help and was in considerable distress.

She tried desperately to fend off Bailey, who remained silent during the ferocious attack, but this only caused more deep wounds to her hands.

“It was a sustained attack (with) repeated stabbing of the victim while she was lying helpless on the ground.”

Within seconds of the attack, Mrs Russell’s teenage daughter came downstairs and witnessed the horror unfolding in the doorway.

She tried to get Bailey off her mother, only for the deranged attacker to turn to her still brandishing the carving knife, forcing her to flee upstairs, calling for help.

Video footage of the attack captured Bailey continuing to stab and slash Ms Russell while bending over the stricken victim.

Police at the scene of the incident on Byland Road in Bilton.

Police at the scene of the attempted murder on Byland Road in Bilton on June 23, 2022.

Neighbours and passers-by saw Bailey walking calmly down the street. One neighbour described her as looking “super casual and smartly dressed”.

It was only when he noticed the front door to Ms Russell’s house was slightly ajar that he realised the full horror of what had occurred, but when he ran back up the street to look for Bailey, she had disappeared.

Another witness said he saw Bailey walking off serenely with what appeared to be a 30cm-long carving knife.

As she lay bleeding on the floor surrounded by paramedics, Mrs Russell, whose face was ashen, said to one of her neighbours: “Please don’t let me die.”

She had suffered multiple stab and slash wounds all over her body, including to her neck, chest and arms, and a puncture wound to her stomach. She also suffered a liver laceration, a colon injury, bleeding to the bowel and multiple tendon injuries.

She was taken to Leeds General Infirmary by ambulance and rushed into intensive care. She underwent emergency surgery to her stomach and had a stoma inserted for bowel leakage.

She remained in intensive care for four days and was kept in hospital for a month for further exploratory surgery. An MRI scan revealed she had suffered a seizure and a brain syndrome which required anti-epilepsy medication.

She discharged herself on July 27 against doctors’ advice because of her “life-changing” injuries.

An LGI doctor said the stab wounds to Ms Russell’s neck and stomach were “within millimetres of being a threat to life”.

Arrested in Birmingham

Bailey was arrested the following morning at her home in Dudley, near Birmingham.

She claimed she was not at the scene and when presented with video footage of her being on the Russells’ doorstep at the time in question, she claimed to have amnesia and claimed it wasn’t her.

Police searched her home and found her blood-stained clothes in the washing machine, a bloodied tissue, the covid mask, and the red wig, the bunch of flowers and gloves in a bin bag.

Footage from a Sainsbury’s supermarket near the Russells’ home showed she had bought the accoutrements, including Dettol hand wipes and a box of gloves, at the store just before launching her savage attack at about 4.50pm. She went into the supermarket’s toilets to change her leggings and footwear before the attack.

Examination of her mobile phone showed that she had sent seven text messages to Mr Russell on the morning of the attack.

Mr Dodsworth said:

“She told him she didn’t understand why he wasn’t speaking to her.

“She asked why he had blocked her on Facebook and repeatedly told him how much she loved him.”

At about 10.20am that day, she sent a message to her school saying she couldn’t make it into work that day because of a medical mishap and was “having problems” with her poorly son.

But police ANPR cameras showed that she was driving up the motorway northwards, bound for the Russells’ home in Harrogate. When the school called her in the afternoon, she said she was in her kitchen “getting a doctor’s appointment and would be back in the following day”.

An hour later, she was at Sainsbury’s in Harrogate getting prepared to carry out the act.

When distraught Mr Russell sent her a text message following the attack asking her where she had been at time of the stabbing, Bailey told him: “Is everything okay? Why would you think I’d be up there?”

When she told him his wife had been stabbed, Bailey “feigned a lack of knowledge and offered sympathy”.

Charged with attempted murder

Bailey, of The Riddings, Pedmore, was charged with attempted murder but initially denied the offence. A trial was scheduled but she ultimately changed her plea to guilty. She appeared for sentence today after being remanded in custody.

Mr Dodsworth said that Bailey and Mr Russell had known each other since childhood in the area where they grew up and he was the best friend of her brother.

A sexual relationship began in 2019 when they were reunited after 20 years at her brother’s wedding and continued over the course of a few years during which Bailey and Mr Russell met up on a “handful” of occasions, mainly at hotels.

Mr Dodsworth said:

“It was clear to Mr Russell that (Bailey) wanted him to leave his wife.

“He accepted he may have given her the (wrong) impression he might (leave his wife).”

Leeds Crown Court. Picture: the Stray Ferret.

At Christmas 2019, Mr Russell answered a knock on the door at about midnight to find a bunch of flowers and cardboard love notes on the doorstep. No-one was at the door, but a woman was seen running up the street.

The handwritten notes were intended to suggest that Ms Russell was having an affair and the flowers had been left by a lover to try to cause a rift in the marriage.

One of the notes read: ‘I’ll keep on waiting until I can spend (time) with you.’

Ms Russell, who worked as a sterile-services hospital technician, also received a call at her workplace from someone telling her: “I know what he’s up to.”

Despite Bailey’s wicked machinations, the marriage remained intact and in March last year, Mr Russell told her the affair was over.

Mr Dodsworth said:

“He said (his children) were (his) priority (but) she seemed unwilling to accept the decision.”

Mr Russell blocked Bailey on Facebook but in May 2022 he went out for a walk for a lunchtime break from work and felt a “tap on the shoulder”.

Mr Dodsworth said:

“He turned around to see the defendant.

“When he asked her why she was there, she said she was there to see him. He told her the relationship was over and that this couldn’t keep happening. That was the last time that Christopher Russell had contact with her.”

Needs wheelchair

In a statement read out in court, Ms Russell said she had since lost her job at the hospital due to the severity of her injuries which had severely restricted her mobility to the extent that she now relied on a wheelchair to go out, had to sleep downstairs and was unable to carry out even the most basic household chores.

She had to use crutches in her home, couldn’t cook, relied on the care of her husband and daughter, couldn’t sleep and suffered flashbacks, panic attacks and nightmares about the gruesome attack. She had no feeling in her right leg or hands, had suffered nerve damage and had been told by doctors that the feeling in her limbs may never return.

She was still in severe pain, still having monthly hospital appointments and physiotherapy and receiving counselling to help her deal with the huge trauma and “mental scars”.

Worse still, her husband had had to give up work to look after her and they were both now on benefits. She was now on “constant edge” whenever someone rang the doorbell or walked past the house, she had lost all her independence and she feared she would never be able to work again.

Defence barrister Curtis Myrie said Bailey had a clear understanding of the misery and trauma she had caused the Russell family and was “genuinely remorseful”.

He said that her problems started in 2019 following the breakdown of her “very difficult” marriage which left her looking after her children on her own and led to a drink problem and mental-health issues.

He added:

“Nevertheless, she managed to maintain a very respectable job as a teacher at a secondary school, teaching maths.

“She struggled to deal with life, struggled to cope with life…and she turned to alcohol and the extramarital affair with Mr Russell was something which represented…a haven from these very difficult circumstances in her life.

“The end of that relationship with Mr Russell was something she took very badly and (it was) difficult for her to come to terms with.”

He said that Bailey suffered from an emotional and personality disorder, although a doctor’s report noted that there were no underlying serious mental-health problems that could explain such behaviour.

Judge Robin Mairs said it was clear that Bailey had seen Ms Russell as a “stumbling block” to her relationship with Mr Russell and “to your future happiness”.

He said that Bailey had tried to “poison one side against the other” by trying to insinuate that they were both having affairs.

He told Bailey:

“Emma Russell had done you no harm (and) it would appear that she was largely unaware of your existence. You slashed and stabbed repeatedly at all parts of Emma Russell’s body.

“You remained silent while she frantically called out for help and called out in pain. For a period of about 90 seconds…you hack, slash and stab repeatedly at the prostrate body of Emma Russell.

“Your intention you admit, by your guilty plea, was to murder her.”

He said the effect on Ms Russell and her family had been “extreme” and life-altering.

Bailey was jailed for 22 years and four months and given a lifetime restraining order banning her from contacting Mrs Russell and her family.

Harrogate woman recalls horror attack by husband’s ex-lover in Bilton

A Harrogate woman has spoken of suffering life changing injuries in a horrific attack at her home in Bilton.

Emma Russell, 43, was stabbed and slashed with a knife by Clare Bailey on Byland Road on June 23 last year.

Bailey, 45, of Dudley, was jailed for 22 years for attempted murder at Leeds Crown Court today.

She turned up at Ms Russell’s house wearing a covid mask, wig and sunglasses and offered a bouquet of flowers before attacking her.

A court heard that Bailey had previously had a relationship with Ms Russell’s husband.

The attack left her in a wheelchair and requiring painkillers every day.

In an interview with North Yorkshire Police, she outlined her traumatic ordeal and spoke of how she still has flashbacks to the attack.

You can watch the full video below.

Ms Russell said:

“I am still in pain every day and need painkillers to help with this. I use crutches to get around as I am still unable to use my right leg fully and for longer distances I have a wheelchair.

“I’ve lost all my independence, I couldn’t go back to work, we are having to rely on disability benefits, I have just lost my whole life really, I need help with everything I do.

“I don’t sleep and when I do sleep, I have flashbacks and nightmares of that afternoon.

“I can’t imagine what my daughter went through, to witness what she did, to try and stop the attack, she is my hero, she will always be my little hero, I honestly don’t think I would still be here if she hadn’t been home that day.

“I know people will have their opinion about what I should have done following the attack, but I have done what was best for me. Affairs happen, they aren’t nice, but they happen and no-one would ever imagine something like this would be the outcome, this was not a normal reaction to someone breaking up a relationship.”

She added:

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank those who came to help on that day, people who didn’t know me, didn’t know whether they were safe or if they would be attacked too, thank you.”

Clare Bailey, who was jailed for 22 years today

Jonathan Surgrove, senior investigating officer at North Yorkshire Police, said:

“First of all I must commend the bravery of Emma, she has shown such courage throughout the investigation and I hope today’s sentence will allow her some closure on the events of that afternoon.

“This was an horrific attack on an innocent and blameless lady who is now unable to feel safe in her own home, work, or spend time independently with her children, as a result. Emma had to spend weeks in hospital away from her family receiving treatment for injuries which simply, should never have happened. All she did was open the front door to her home.

“From receiving the initial call from the ambulance service this was an extremely fast-paced investigation which led to the quick arrest and charge of the offender. It soon became clear the level of planning Bailey had put in place and the little regard she had for anyone getting in the way of what she wanted and I welcome the sentence handed to her today.”

Man admits assault and having knuckleduster in Harrogate bar

A man has admitted assaulting two women and possessing a knuckleduster in Harrogate.

Adam Smith, 40, pleaded guilty to the charges at Harrogate Magistrates Court yesterday.

Smith, of Bunting Drive, Tockwith assaulted a named woman and a female police officer on The Ginnel on April 15 this year.

He also admitted having a knuckleduster in Manahatta, which is also on The Ginnel.

Magistrates gave Smith a community order, which required him to abstain from alcohol for 120 days and carry out 80 hours of unpaid work.

He was also fined £349.

Court documents said the defendant’s guilty plea was taken into account when imposing sentence.

Harrogate rail line ‘close to capacity’, says report

The Harrogate rail line is “close to capacity” and should be electrified, according to a West Yorkshire Combined Authority report.

The line carries passengers between Leeds and York and includes stations in Harrogate, Starbeck and Knaresborough.

However, a draft report to inform West Yorkshire Combined Authority’s rail strategy says the line is close to full capacity for services.

It adds the line between Harrogate and Leeds “may struggle to accommodate new services” in future.

The report before Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire, adds that in 2019 it had peak-time demand greater than the total seating and standing capacity of the trains.

It says:

“Most lines will see demand greater than seating and standing capacity in the future, meaning that some passengers will not be able to get on their chosen service unless capacity is enhanced.

“Additional train capacity will therefore be needed to provide enough space for everyone and make travelling by train a more comfortable experience.”

The report, which was published as part of the ongoing consultation into West Yorkshire’s rail strategy, adds that an electrifying the Harrogate line should be considered. It mentions Harrogate because of its connection with Leeds in West Yorkshire.

It says the line is one of three, alongside Calder Valley and Wakefield Westgate/Deame Valley, that would benefit the most from electrification and should be a “high priority” route.

The report adds that electrifying the Harrogate line would help with flexibility on services.

It says:

“Many neighbouring routes are electrified, so electrification would enable more flexibility of local service patterns, and high numbers of diesel vehicles would be removed.”

Brian Dunsby, of the Harrogate Line Supporters Group, said the move would be beneficial for services.

He said:

“I would expect the operator to be able to provide four-coach trains in place of the current three-coach Class 170. But it will not be in the near future.”

West Yorkshire Combined Authority is expected to use its finalised rail strategy to lobby government for investment in rail infrastructure in the region.

UN report questions Harrogate army college’s recruitment of ‘child soldiers’

The United Nations has called for the army enlistment age to be raised to 18 — which would have significant implications for Harrogate’s Army Foundation College.

The recommendation was contained in a report published this week by the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child.

The committee cited multiple concerns over children’s rights and welfare in the British armed forces and urged the government to investigate all forms of abuse against children in the armed forces.

The Harrogate college, which trains junior soldiers aged 16 and 17, has been hit by a spate of recent allegations of abuse and bullying.

The UN committee heard evidence that, in 2021 alone, investigations were opened into the sexual abuse of 22 recruits at the college.

Jim Patrick Wyke, campaigns coordinator at the campaign group Child Rights International Network, called on the government to end recruitment at 16 in light of the evidence.

He said:

“The UK government’s continued recruitment of under-18s into the military is unnecessary, harmful and puts the UK well outside international norms.

“The government must heed the UN’s warning and end the recruitment of children into the armed forces immediately.”

The Stray Ferret approached the British Army for a response and to ask what the implications would be on the college if the age was raised.

A MOD spokesperson said:

“We are proud of the opportunities serving in the Armed Forces affords young people, from upskilling in literacy and digital skills and support for postgraduate degrees, to high-quality accredited training and unique employment prospects.

“Recruitment of under-18s into the Armed Forces meets all legal and policy requirements, both national and international. We take our duty of care for all personnel extremely seriously and ensure under-18s are not deployed on operations that would expose them to hostilities.”

Last month, a government minister told the House of Lords that the Ministry Of Defence introduced new policies to deal with sexual offences, which had helped to improve the situation at the college.

Baroness Goldie, a minister in the MOD, said that the Army Foundation College had a “much improved climate” since 2021.

She said:

“The MoD has introduced new policies and changes to deal with sexual offences and unacceptable sexual behaviour below the criminal threshold.

“It has taken steps to improve the complaints system, has created the Defence Serious Crime Unit and has a zero-tolerance policy for sexual offences and sexual relationships between instructors and trainees.

“All of that now reflects a much-improved climate at the college.”

Business Breakfast: Harrogate business meeting to focus on marketing

It’s time to join the Stray Ferret Business Club. Our next networking event is lunch at Manahatta, on June 29th at 12.30pm.

Don’t miss out on this chance to network with businesses from across the Harrogate district. Get your tickets by clicking or tapping here.

A Harrogate business meeting is set to focus on marketing next week.

Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce will be holding the event on Monday (June 12) at the Crown Hotel.

Speakers at the meeting will include include representatives from Artus Digital Marketing, Berwins Solicitors and Cicada Communications.

As part of the monthly meeting’s regular charity slot, George McNaught, local events co-ordinator from The Guide Dogs Charity will also be speaking.

Martin Mann, acting chief executive at the chamber of commerce, said:

“Marketing is such an important focus for businesses, which can sometimes be overlooked or dismissed during tough financial times, so we are dedicating our June meeting to this important subject.”

Sue Kramer, president of the chamber, added:

“As part of our monthly meeting format, we now regularly hear from a local charity, and we look forward to hearing from The Guide Dogs Charity, which has been in existence sine 1931, providing assistance dogs to blind or partially sighted people.”

Doors to the event open at 5.30pm with the meeting proper commencing at 6.15pm.

First time visitors and members are asked to register their attendance on the chamber website here.

Harrogate rental firm reports ‘solid’ trade results

A Harrogate rental firm has reported “solid trading” results as part of its full year report.

Vp, which is based at Central House on Beckwith Knowle, recorded a 6% increase in revenue to £371.5m from £350.9m on the previous year.

The results cover the year ended March 31, 2023.

Meanwhile, the firm reported an adjusted profit before tax, amortisation, impairment of intangible assets and exceptional items of £40.5m.

This was up from £38.9m on 2021/22.

Responding to the results, Jeremy Pilkington, chairman of Vp plc, said:

“We are pleased to report another solid year of trading with good progress made across all key metrics, with the Group successfully navigating a highly volatile macroeconomic backdrop.

“The group’s return on average capital employed of 14.4% continues to demonstrate our excellent quality of earnings and resilience in times of supply chain disruption and slowing growth in some markets. In line with our dividend policy and underpinning our confidence in the business, we are pleased to propose a final dividend of 26.5 pence per share, making a total for the year of 37.5 pence.

“We remain confident that the group will continue to provide shareholders with an attractive level of returns. Vp has an excellent track record and we believe the current market challenges will bring into view profitable growth opportunities.”

Mum of boy seriously injured on school run in Harrogate issues plea for 20mph limit

The mother of a 15-year-old boy seriously injured in a collision on the way to school in Harrogate has issued an emotional plea for road safety improvements.

Stephanie Talbot’s son Reuben was one of two Rossett School students hit by a pick-up truck on Yew Tree Lane on February 2.

Four months on from the collision, she has given her backing to a campaign to impose a 20mph limit on streets across a swathe of south and west Harrogate.

In a statement read by road safety campaigner and fellow parent Jenny Marks at today’s meeting of North Yorkshire Council‘s Harrogate and Knaresborough area constituency committee, she said:

“They were on the pavement [when they were hit]. My daughter was also involved in the collision as her car was hit by the same truck. My youngest son was right behind his brother on the pavement and so witnessed the whole incident.

“My husband and I were right there within a few minutes of the accident happening. Reuben’s body had landed in positions it should never be in.

“Pieces of wall had to be removed from his body and he had eight broken bones: arms, leg and back… I was later told that when the paramedics arrived his stats showed that he could easily have died while on the ground there.

“I will never get over what I saw and heard that day.”

Some members of the committee were moved to tears as Dr Marks continued to read Ms Talbot’s statement.

It said her daughter had never felt safe walking to school in the area and had even been hit by a car near Rossett Sports Centre last September – which also happened while she was on the path.

Ms Talbot said she felt a 20mph network around schools in Harrogate would make children and parents feel safer to walk and cycle around the area, adding:

“Putting action in place should not be done as a consequence to a child’s injury or even death, but this accident should be a wake-up call to all parents, grandparents and the community to know that we need to make a change in our beautiful but busy town to enable our children to feel safe.

“Seventeen weeks on and many aspects of our lives are still on hold because of these injuries. I cannot even explain the pain and trauma that we have all gone through and will live with for the rest of our lives.

“Please be the people that make a difference.”

Petition

Campaigners Hazel Peacock and Vicki Evans presented a petition at the meeting with 924 signatures from people in support of reducing the speed limit to 20mph across the Oatlands, Hookstone, Pannal Ash and St George’s areas, where around 9,000 children attend local schools.

Ms Peacock told the meeting that evidence from other projects around the UK showed the reduction could have a significant impact on the severity of collisions.

She added:

“You have just heard of the devastating effects of the collision on Yew Tree Lane in February, and you are also aware of the collision outside Oatlands Junior School, also on the pavement, in January.

“These awful events coupled with overwhelming evidence of the benefits of 20mph limits demonstrate why change is urgently needed.”

Hazel Peacock handed the petition to North Yorkshire Council last month, with support from councillors and campaigners

While councillors on all sides of the chamber gave their support to the calls for a reduced speed limit, the Conservatives highlighted the fact that a pilot project had already been requested.

North Yorkshire Council is developing a policy on 20mph limits around schools and other urban areas, and Cllr John Mann (Conservative, Oatlands and Pannal) said he was keen to see the results of that work guide how a lower speed limit could be used in the area.

Conservative Cllr Sam Gibbs of the Valley Gardens and Central Harrogate division said:

“I do have one very slight reservation: 99% of the roads that are in this scheme I don’t have an issue with. However, the main roads of Leeds Road and Otley Road would be a slight concern to me if they were brought in to 20mph.”

Cllr Paul Haslam, the Conservative councillor for Bilton and Nidd Gorge, said there needed to be a shift in attitudes and behaviours to make the school run safer, adding:

“We can put in a 20mph speed limit, but at the end of the day it’s all about behavioural and attitude changes to this. When we did the stats on Harrogate in 2018, I think more than 60% of the journeys in this town are less than 1.8km – not even miles, 1.8km.

“Surely we should be able to walk those distances, and a lot of that is to do with school commuting.”

The Liberal Democrats put forward a motion in support of the petition, calling on North Yorkshire Council to deliver a 20mph limit on streets across the area.

The proposal was voted through and will be passed to NYC’s executive.

Liberal Democrat Cllr Matt Walker, representing the Knaresborough West division, added:

“This is an opportunity that we should not miss and we need to show the executive our views on this.

“This tragedy should not have happened and it’s within our gift to send that message on our views to the executive so that this does not happen to anybody else.”

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Final day parties

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Arrested in Birmingham

Charged with attempted murder

Needs wheelchair

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Harrogate rental firm reports ‘solid’ trade results

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Petition

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