Cattle introduced to Brimham Rocks

The National Trust has introduced cattle to the moorland at Brimham Rocks in Nidderdale.

A herd of Belted Galloways will graze the vegetation from June to October as part of the site’s moorland management plan.

The trust said grazing will improve the moorland at Brimham as well as improving the habitat for ground nesting birds.

A fence has been erected around the cattle’s roaming area on the south and north moors. To maintain Brimham moorland as open access land, gates have been installed on public rights of way as well as on the most popular desire lines.

Natural heather moorland habitats are rarer than rainforest. According to the Moorland Association, 75% of the world’s remaining heather moorland is found in Britain and that habitat has been declining rapidly.

The moorland at Brimham has the distinction of being home to three local varieties: ling heather, bell heather and cross-leaved heath. Unattended bracken will damage the heather moorland beyond repair, according to the trust.

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Brimham Rocks

Alec Boyd, area ranger at Brimham Rocks said reintroducing cattle was “a very important step to improving the condition of the moor”, adding: 

“We are using cattle instead of sheep or horses because the cattle rips and pulls rather than nibbles at the vegetation.

“They also eat on the move, a little here and a little there, and are less selective than sheep or horses – they aren’t as choosy about what they eat. This helps create a varied age structure that will benefit other species that call moorland their home.”

Belted Galloways are hardy but placid, which means they are unlikely to be fazed by members of the public and their dogs.

A trust spokesperson said it acquired Brimham Rocks in 1970 and there has not been any grazing since then, but it is thought grazing took place prior to this.

Further information is available here.

Ripon man wanted by police believed to be in Harrogate

North Yorkshire Police has appealed for help locating 32-year-old Dwaine Layton, who is wanted in connection with a serious assault.

The force said today Layton is believed to be in the Harrogate area.

It added:

“If you have any information which could help to locate Layton then please call 101 or if you wish to remain anonymous, you can call Crimestoppers on 08000 555 111.

“If you have an immediate sighting, then please dial 999.”

The reference number is 12230099771.

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No trains in Harrogate and Knaresborough tomorrow as strikes hit services

No trains will operate through Harrogate and Knaresborough tomorrow as rail workers take strike action.

ASLEF, which represents train drivers, will walkout tomorrow in a dispute over pay and conditions.

It comes as members of the RMT Union are striking today, which has left limited services available.

Tomorrow’s industrial action means no Northern trains will operate on the Leeds to York line. The company has said services will return to normal on Sunday (June 4).

Tricia Williams, chief operating officer at Northern, said:

“We apologise, once again, for the disruption this action by ASELF and the RMT will cause to our customers.

“This latest round of industrial action looks set to hamper people’s opportunity to explore the region during the half-term holidays. It’s understandably very frustrating.

“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.”

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Bridge near Harrogate closes suddenly after crack appears

A bridge in a village near Harrogate closed suddenly yesterday after a crack appeared.

A two-inch wide gap appeared at the side of the bridge on the edge of Hampsthwaite. It is possible to look through the gap and see the River Nidd.

The issue was reported yesterday on the Hampsthwaite Village Facebook group and later that day the bridge was closed to traffic.

The closure was unannounced by North Yorkshire Council, which is the highways authority.

Hampsthwaite bridge

The bridge between Hampsthwaite and Clint

Hampsthwaite bridge

A long crack has appeared

The bridge, on Church Lane, carries traffic between Hampsthwaite and Clint.

A North Yorkshire Council spokesperson said:

“The bridge has been closed due to structural concerns. We will be assessing it today and will provide an update.”

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Business Breakfast: Harrogate Specsavers sponsors Henshaws BedFest

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.

Harrogate Specsavers has been announced as main sponsor for this year’s Henshaws BedFest.

The festival, which takes place on June 10 at Henshaws Arts and Crafts Centre in Knaresborough, is set to feature live music from local artists, a variety of street food vendors, a licensed bar and an ideal spot to watch the Bed Race.

The event will also raise money for Henshaws’ work supporting people with sight loss and a range of other disabilities.

Andy Bryer, retail director for Specsavers Harrogate, said: 

“We’re delighted to be sponsoring this year’s Bed Fest, it’s such a fun-filled event tied to an iconic Knaresborough tradition and the proceeds go towards an incredible cause.

‘The work that Henshaws does is quite literally life changing and we’re really proud to be working with the team on ongoing fundraising and volunteer opportunities throughout the year.”

Harrogate Town announces new match day sponsor

Harrogate Town has announced Belzona Polymetrics as a new sponsor for next season.

The company, which is based on Claro Road, will feature on the club’s match day celebration announcements on its scoreboard.

Staff at Belzona in Harrogate.

Staff at Belzona in Harrogate.

Belzona, which was founded in 1952, is a global designer and manufacturer of industrial repair and protection materials.

Joanna Towler, commercial director at Harrogate Town, said:

“Their support means that we can continue to enhance the match day experience for our fans, creating an engaging sentiment at every game.

“We are proud to be partnering with such a reputable and community- minded company, and we look forward to a successful collaboration both on and off the pitch.” 

A spokesperson for Belzona said:

“Historically, Belzona has always fostered strong links with the local community and is delighted to have the opportunity to uphold this relationship by supporting Harrogate Town AFC, a football club that lies at the heart of the town, providing entertainment and many jobs for the local community.”

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Wanted: Field with boggy corner for new wildlife pond in Harrogate district

An environmental organisation is looking for land around the Harrogate district to create a wildlife pond.

Wildscapes community interest company is hoping a landowner with at least 150sq m – equivalent to around 10m by 15m – will come forward to host the project.

The creation of the pond would be funded by Natural England, which works with Wildscapes to improve biodiversity through habitat creation and conservation.

Jordan Porter, pond programme manager for Wildscapes, told the Stray Ferret:

“If someone comes forward with a site, we come and assess the site and meet the landowner.

“We look at the surrounding land usage and test the subsoil. They are natural ponds, not lined ponds, so we have to have quite a good clay content or very high water table in the area.

“If you have a field corner or a patch that’s always wet, that’s a good sign a pond would fill in that area. If it’s farmland, those are often the areas that are the least productive anyway.”

Wildscapes has already created around 250 wildlife ponds across South Yorkshire, Derbyshire and Lincolnshire, and has begun working in North Yorkshire in the last two years.

The primary aim of the ponds is to encourage great crested newts, a protected species, to colonise.

Mr Porter said once the newts had moved into a pond, it was a good indication other species were thriving in the area.

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After a pond was created, Mr Porter said Wildscapes would maintain it for the next 25 years – though landowners are not obliged to have the pond for the full 25 years.

Fences can be installed, all funded through the scheme, to ensure nearby livestock could not access the area.

Funding for the ponds often comes from housing and other developments, through compensatory requirements when planning permission is granted.

Mr Porter said:

“Whoever is doing the development, the mitigation isn’t their main priority.

“The idea is this is given to us, as an arm of the Sheffield and Rotherham Wildlife Trust, and the money comes to us to use in target areas where those compensation payments came from.

“It goes back into local landowners through the creation of habitats, and we do offer one-off landowner incentives for signing up.

“If they stay in the scheme, there’s a 25-year monitoring and maintenance programme which we deliver.”

Anyone interested in taking part in the scheme can find out if their land is in the target area by using the government’s Magic Map.

Select ‘Land Based Schemes’, then ‘Other Schemes’, then ‘Great Crested Newts Strategic Opportunity Areas’ to see which parts of the Harrogate district are being considered for wildlife ponds.

Alternatively, call Wildscapes on 0114 303 5123 or email info@wildscapes.co.uk.

Controversial Knox Lane 53-homes plan deferred for third time

A controversial plan to build 53 homes on Knox Lane in Harrogate has been deferred for a third time.

Councillors on Harrogate and Knaresborough constituency planning committee made the decision over land contamination concerns.

The committee requested that a further report into land contamination be produced, as was previously requested by Harrogate Borough Council’s planning committee.

The proposal, which has been proposed by North-east property developer Jomast, was initially recommended for approval subject to conditions by council officers.

Among the conditions is that Jomast would be required to pay £64,000 for healthcare, £140,000 for education and £60,000 for open spaces in the form of a section 106 agreement to compensate for the impact of development on local infrastructure.

However, councillors decided to defer the pan for a third time.

The meeting, which was held at Harrogate Civic Centre yesterday, was due to be streamed onto the authority’s YouTube channel — but was not broadcast.

A spokesperson for North Yorkshire Council said a “problem with the connection” in the council chamber meant it was not possible to livestream the proceedings.

The application has proved controversial with residents in the Bilton area.

Campaign group Keep Knox Natural has previously called on the council to remove the parcel of land from the Harrogate District Local Plan 2014-35, which outlines where development can take place.

Meanwhile, Cllr Robert Windass, a member of the council’s planning committee, previously vowed not to vote for the scheme until he felt the “land is safe”.

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New Pride train to pass through Harrogate

London North Eastern Railway has revealed a new named and full liveried train as Pride celebrations get underway.

The Azuma train will call at more than 50 stations, including Harrogate.

Featuring eight LGBTQ+ flags, the train was revealed today to coincide with the start of Pride month.

Named ‘Together’, it celebrates LNER’s support of Pride activities as well as the company’s commitment to diversity, equality and inclusion.

An LNER press release said the name “champions the unification of all communities which LNER is proud to support”.

David Horne, managing director at LNER, said:

“It’s a momentous occasion for everyone at LNER to be unveiling the first full liveried Azuma in celebration of Pride ahead of our summer of supporting Pride events on our route.”

LNER will be supporting Pride events in York, Edinburgh and London this month on the east coast route.

The flags included on the train are the intersex-inclusive progress pride flag, the transgender pride flag, the bisexual flag, the trans-inclusive gay men’s flag, the lesbian pride flag, the pansexual pride flag, the nonbinary pride flag and the asexual pride flag.

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Hiring: “No two days are the same”, says Harrogate stone specialists

This story is sponsored by Lapicida.

A Harrogate company is seeking staff for several vacancies at its successful showroom.

Lapicida is a Harrogate-based company, specialising in luxury surfaces for both floors and walls. It sources and supplies an extensive range of new and reclaimed natural stone and marble, as well as new generation porcelains and ceramics.

The business evolved from the owners’ travels around Asia, from which they discovered a gap in the market for feature stones. The idea sparked a passion for the industry and led them to undertake extensive geological research in South Africa.

Jason Cherrington, director, said:

“The trip was incredibly rewarding, and we came back some very unique natural stone products which, until then, were unseen in the UK.”

Since then, the company has seen exponential growth and now procures products from across the globe – including Italy, Israel, Portugal, and Germany.

The three-acre Harrogate showroom is the largest in Europe, with a manufacturing facility and stone warehouse. Alongside the luxury surfaces, the artisans work with advanced technology to create bespoke furniture and ornaments. The company has recently launched a new in-house brand called ORNAMENTI that sources high-end garden ornaments that would not be found in a regular garden centre.

With so many avenues to the business, employees can expect to work on a variety of projects: large, small, interior, exterior, UK-based, or even international.

Lapicida covers many parts of the industry but has set itself apart as a company with the reclaimed division. It has built up an unrivalled network of suppliers to offer the highest quality antique stone and terracotta floor tiles. The company’s combination of traditional stonemasonry techniques and high-tech machinery means employees can transform antique flooring materials into stylish products for contemporary living. All reclaimed products are expertly recalibrated into a more regular thickness to ensure easy installation, before being carefully colour matched to meet clients’ specific requirements.

Lapicida takes great pride in being a Yorkshire-based company and encourages those locally that may be interested in the trade to join the company.

Mr Cherrington said:

“Being a Yorkshire business is a key part of our identity.

“Although we have a global outreach, we work on many local interior projects and have been recognised as a trusted local brand for many years.”

Lapicida supplied the tiles for Grantley Hall’s floor

The company also loves to be involved within the community and aims to join fundraising efforts or sponsor local charities where possible.

As with any job role, there can be highs and lows. The company said the challenging bespoke commissions it has tackled have “pushed us forward and encourages us to find unique design solutions”. Those that work for Lapicida can expect to work with some of the most beautiful materials in the world, alongside some very talented craftspeople.

“Operating at this level is sometimes challenging, as it is important we maintain a very high standard, but it also extremely rewarding.”

Lapicida has worked on multiple prestigious commercial projects, including the beautiful bespoke mosaic floor in the entrance to Bettys, on Parliament Street. The company also supplied a wide range of opulent marbles and limestones, as well as porcelain and ceramic tiles, to the sumptuous Grantley Hall.

Bespoke mosaic floor in the entrance to Bettys

“Working with private clients and professionals means no two days are the same.

“We have such a great team at Lapicida and are currently looking to add key personnel as the company continues to expand.”

Lapicida is currently hiring for both Warehouse and Fabrication Operatives, as well as Sales Executive roles in the fabulous Harrogate showroom. If these roles are of interest to you, contact carolyn.bjelan@lapicida.com to apply.

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To find out more about Lapicida’s current vacancies, as well as its extensive range of tiles and stone, visit https://www.lapicida.com/ or call 01423 400100 or apply for the Sales Executive role by tapping or clicking here.

Harewood Bridge to be closed for repairs for four weeks

Harewood Bridge near Harrogate will close for four weeks this summer.

The bridge will close from July 26 until August 24 for essential maintenance work to be carried out.

The grade-II listed structure carries the A61 Harrogate Road over the River Wharfe and is a busy route between Harrogate and Leeds.

Leeds City Council is closing the bridge to carry out waterproofing, resurfacing and footpath repair works.

Cllr Helen Hayden, the council’s executive member for infrastructure and climate, said:

“Harewood Bridge is a strategic vehicle crossing used by thousands of people each day and therefore to close it requires careful planning. By carrying out the repair works during the school summer holidays we can hopefully limit the disruption with expected lower traffic levels.

“We apologise in advance for the potential disruption and ask road users for their patience. The works are essential for the long-term maintenance of this vital crossing between Harrogate and Leeds.

“We would please like to urge motorists to plan their journey in advance, follow the signed diversion and allow a bit of extra time for their travel.”

The footway across the bridge will remain open throughout the work.

A diversion route will be in place during the work from Otley Road, Arthington Lane, Main Street, Pool Bridge, Harrogate Road, Swindon Lane and onto Harrogate Road. 

The same route will be in place in the opposite direction.

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