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.”

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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.

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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.”

No trains in Harrogate and Knaresborough on Saturday amid further strikes

Train passengers in the Harrogate district are set to face further disruption this weekend amid strike action.

Members of the RMT Union are set to strike on Saturday, July 29, over a pay dispute.

Northern, which operates trains between York and Leeds through Harrogate, has announced that the industrial action will affect services.

It means no trains will run through Harrogate or Knaresborough stations on Saturday.

The company has also urged passengers to check before they travel on Sunday (July 30) as “some services may be affected”.

The move comes as the district was hit by two days of strike action last week, when RMT members walked out on July 20 and July 22.

At the time, Tricia Williams, chief operating officer at Northern, said: 

“Yet again, thousands of our customers will be inconvenienced as a result of this action by the RMT union.

“We all want to see an end to this dispute and the uncertainty that on-going strike action causes to people’s confidence in the railway.”

Defending the move, Mick Lynch, general secretary of the RMT, said:

“This latest phase of action will show the country just how important railway staff are to the running of the rail industry.

“My team of negotiators and I are available 24/7 for talks with the train operating companies and government ministers.

“Yet quite incredibly neither party has made any attempt whatsoever to arrange any meetings or put forward a decent offer that can help us reach a negotiated solution.”

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Business Breakfast: Johnsons of Whixley supplies thousands of plants to luxury hotel

Johnsons of Whixley has secured a contract to supply five thousand plants to a five-star luxury spa hotel in County Durham.

The horticultural business supplied a range of shrubs and trees to Seaham Hall Hotel, for planting around its bungalow lodges, spa area and hotel terrace.

Johnsons of Whixley worked with garden designer Richard Porter of Garden Vision Ltd.

Founded over 100 years ago, Johnsons is a three-generation family business. Previous hotel projects include Grantley Hall in Ripon.

Seaham Hall Hotel was converted into a luxury hotel in 2012.

Johnsons’ marketing manager, Eleanor Richardson, said:

“We are thrilled to work with the Seaham Hall Hotel team as their ambitious development plans get underway, in collaboration with our customer Richard from Garden Vision Durham, who delivered the design, hard and soft landscaping of the project.”

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A team from Berwins solicitors in Harrogate spent yesterday cycling in the centre of town to raise money for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance.

8 staff members of the legal firm- ranging from a director to team assistant- peddled in a fundraiser entitled “Go The Distance”.

The 85km static cycle was taken in stages by two team members at a time – cycling a theoretical journey from the YAA’s Air Support Unit at Nostell near Wakefield to the Berwins’ offices in Leeds, Harrogate and York before ending at RAF Topcliffe.

The air ambulance is Berwins’ chosen charity for 2023.

The Berwins team peddling away for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance

Yorkshire Water pulls ad featuring Russia and Herefordshire after criticism

Yorkshire Water has been criticised on social media, after a scene in its new promotional video was found to have been filmed a little way outside the county – in Russia. 

The film was supposed to promote the utility company’s campaign urging customers to save water, but that message was drowned out by a deluge of criticism from viewers who complained that the traditional Yorkshire pub had been replaced by a bar in Sochi.  

Worse still, the majestic fells and dales of Yorkshire Water’s catchment area had been usurped by the Malvern Hills in Herefordshire. Other stock footage is believed to have been shot in Ukraine. 

Yorkshire Water said it had removed the advert from its social media channels. 

A spokesperson told the Stray Ferret:  

“We recently shared a short teaser video for our new ‘word of mouth’ social media campaign to promote water saving. Unfortunately, it was shared before we’d had chance to do our normal checks on it and the stock footage that had been used didn’t capture the spirit of Yorkshire.  

“Once we were aware of the mistake, we immediately took the video down. The ‘word of mouth’ video series all contain Yorkshire residents talking about their water saving tips, and footage of our wonderful county.” 

Asked about rumours that its next video, billed as featuring Harrogate residents, would instead showcase citizens of Hamburg, the spokesperson added: 

“We’ve just posted our first video in the series on our Facebook page about some neighbours in Wetherby and the Harrogate one will be published in a few days.”

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New name for Harrogate taxi firm following acquisition by York company

A Harrogate taxi company is to be renamed after being acquired by a growing York-based firm.  

Elite Taxis, which is based on Claro Road, came under new management on Monday, when it was bought by York Cars Taxis, and will be rebranded as Dash within the month. 

York Cars is one of York’s biggest taxi companies, with 15 locations in the area, and Elite’s 30 drivers brings its fleet to around 200 cars. 

Manager Billy Iqbal told the Stray Ferret: 

“When we bought York Cars in 2014, we had 15 drivers, and that increased more than tenfold over the next nine years.

“We did it by providing a great service to the people of York, and now we’re looking to expand and provide a great service to people in Harrogate and the surrounding area. Ultimately, our aim is to expand across Yorkshire, into Leeds and West Yorkshire too.” 

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Dash will provide a 24-hour-a-day service, and customers will be able to book by phone or via the Dash Request A Ride app, which is free to download on Google Play or Apple Store. Payment can be made by card, Google, Apple Pay or cash. 

York Cars Taxis now intends to enlarge its fleet and is recruiting new drivers in Harrogate and York to meet demand. Drivers’ rent is charged at 15% and capped at £75 regardless of takings. 

Harrogate district wheelchair accessible trails to be given additional promotion

Rural trails in the Harrogate area, which can be enjoyed by wheelchair users and people with mobility problems, are to be given additional promotion.

Knaresborough West Liberal Democrat councillor, Matt Walker, has provided a £2000 grant from his locality budget to print new Breakfree packs highlighting where the trails are.

Every councillor has an annual locality budget of £10,000 to support local projects of their choice that “promote the social, economic, or environmental wellbeing of the communities they represent.”

The packs, produced by the charity Open Country, consist of a variety of different trails in Harrogate, Knaresborough, and Ripon that are accessible for people with disabilities.  They include maps, detailed routes, and access information.

Cllr Walker said:

“There are many good reasons to get out into the fresh air to enjoy the hugely varied countryside our county has to offer.

“The benefits to our mental and physical wellbeing are well documented, and it is essential that the opportunity is open to everyone, so I am delighted to have been able to support the creation of these packs, which are readily available, and which offer accessible routes to local residents as well as visitors from other parts of North Yorkshire and beyond.”

David Shaftoe, chief officer of Open Country, said:

“We’re really delighted to be able to issue this updated guide to the very best of our local accessible countryside. It’s all part of Open Country’s goal to help disabled people access and enjoy the great outdoors.

“We hope that people will enjoy using it and will want to try one of our other Breakfree packs for adjacent areas.”

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Sun shines on Yorkshire-Lancashire match in Harrogate

After days of rain, spectators were granted a day of sunshine for the 50-over Roses cricket match in Harrogate today. 

Any game between Yorkshire and Lancashire is likely to be hard-fought, but this one is a warm-up for the forthcoming Metro Bank One-Day Cup 50-over competition.

The priority for both county second teams at Harrogate Cricket Club‘s St George’s Road ground is practice. 

Photo of Karl Krikken, second team coach for Lancashire County Cricket Club.

Lancashire coach Karl Krikken said the outcome of the match didn’t matter.

Lancashire second team coach Karl Krikken told the Stray Ferret: 

“It doesn’t matter about the outcome today – this is just about getting the lads some overs.

“Winning’s always nice, but it’s not the most important thing today.” 

Lancashire will face Essex at Sedbergh when the One-Day Cup starts next week. 

Photo of James Lowe, assistant coach at Yorkshire County Cricket Club.

Assistant coach James Lowe was confident of Yorkshire’s mix of youth and experience.

In the home camp, assistant coach James Lowe said: 

“We’ve got some good players – Dom Bess, Harry Duke, Will Luxton and Ben Mike – as well as a couple of young players from the academy, so we’ve got a nice mix of youth and experience. 

“It’d be nice to get a win, especially against Lancashire, but whatever happens, it’s sure to be a good game.” 

Yorkshire will play Cheshire in the 50-over competition on Sunday. 

Photo of the Turnbull family of Harrogate, who were watching the Roses cricket match: (left to right) Kit, Caspar, Elsa and Ava.

Kit Turnbull (left) had brought along his children (l to r): Kit, Caspar, Elsa and Ava.

As the players practised ahead of the 11am start, Harrogate resident Kit Turnbull was settling in on the stands with his children: Caspar, 12; Elsa, 14; and Ava, 16.

He said: 

“I’m here mostly as an accompanying adult for Caspar, who plays cricket at Bilton. For the girls it’s just something different to do on a nice day – and it’s free.

“For Caspar, this acts as kind of a benchmark. You can watch the cricket on TV as much as you want, but it’s different in person. Just to see the speed they bowl the ball at, you get a real appreciation of it when it’s right there in front of you.

“My only concern was the weather, but it’s looking OK. We’ve got our packed lunch with us, so we’ll be here all day.”

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Police appeal after car window smashed in Harrogate

Police have appealed for information after a car was damaged in Hollins Road in Harrogate.

Officers said the incident happened at 2am on Tuesday (July 25) when a driver’s side rear window of a Peugeot 207 was smashed.

In a statement, North Yorkshire Police said two men dressed in dark clothing were seen running away from the scene towards Hampsthwaite Road.

Police added:

“Anyone with information that could assist officers with their investigation should email Sam.Clarke2@northyorkshire.police.uk.

“You can also call North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 2, and ask for PC Sam Clarke.

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

“Please quote the North Yorkshire Police reference number 12230138046 when passing on information.”

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Friday night live music returns to Montey’s in Harrogate

Regular live music is returning to Montey’s in Harrogate for the first time since the pandemic began.

For more than twenty-five years the bar, which has a capacity of up to 200 revellers, has had a long-standing reputation for showcasing many local bands.

The bar began by reintroducing live music on Bank Holiday Sundays and has now decided to regularly put on bands after it was sure there was enough customer demand.

Colin Speirs, general manager of Montey’s, told the Stray Ferret:

“Obviously lockdown was tough for all businesses, but for small independent venues like Montey’s it was particularly challenging.

After several false starts and partial re-openings throughout the pandemic we faced multiple challenges.

Some of our most regular bands had taken the decision to stop performing, some guests still felt uneasy about crowds, and we had to be careful about our spending after such long closures.”

Local bands will be performing on Friday evenings.  The live music calendar will launch with Barr Lane on Friday 18 August.

Mr Speirs added:

“Three of the first five bands lined up for the Friday Sessions are brand new to us, which is very exciting and shows our commitment to showcasing the very best bands we can find.

“It feels great to be back in the game, we have always had a passion for live music since our very first night way back in 1996”.

For more information on live music at Montey’s click here. 

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