Local Harrogate News & Views around the district - Page 357 of 1041

Harrogate Neighbours opens care home in Boroughbridge

Not-for-profit care provider Harrogate Neighbours has opened a care home in Boroughbridge.

Heath Lodge Community Haven is a 31-bed home providing residential and dementia care.

The site was previously a North Yorkshire County Council-run care home called Springfield Garth.

Harrogate Neighbours acquired it as part of a swap agreement that saw the council take over the voluntary organisation’s former 28-bed Heath Lodge care home on Pannal Ash Road in Harrogate.

Harrogate Neighbours hopes its Boroughbridge home will eventually offer the same services as those provided at The Cuttings, its 55-flat development in Starbeck that includes domiciliary care as well as meals on wheels to older and vulnerable people living nearby.

It spent £500,000 refurbishing the York Road site with the help of Yorkshire interior design firm Design Tonic, which donated furniture and staff time to help create a warm and welcoming environment for residents, relatives and staff.

Design Tonic advised on colour palettes to create a calming and comfortable atmosphere and refurnished the ground floor bedrooms with fresh paint and new curtains and carpet. It also re-designed the entrance area using splashes of gold and built a feature reception desk.

Sue Cawthray, chief executive of Harrogate Neighbours said:

“We can’t thank the wonderful team at Design Tonic enough. As a not-for-profit organisation, we rely on the generosity of local businesses.

“The staff, residents and relatives have all commented on how fantastic the entrance area looks – we’re so grateful for all their hard work.”

Design Tonic founder Amanda Cook, said:

“Working with Harrogate Neighbours and seeing first-hand the impact the transformation has had on residents and staff is why we do what we do.

“We work with a number of local charities that we align ourselves with and it’s great to share our expertise and give something back – particularly when we know what a huge difference it makes.”

Heath Lodge Community Haven received a ‘Good’ rating in all areas following a recent Care Quality Commission visit.

Otley Road to be closed for cycle route improvements

Otley Road in Harrogate will be closed for five nights next month while remedial works are carried out to the cycle path.

The work follows a review of the project by North Yorkshire County Council and contractor WSP after its completion last February.

The company had been asked to carry out improvements, including carriageway resurfacing, but this was delayed until after CityFibre installed new fibre broadband infrastructure earlier this year.

Now, dates have been set for the remedial work.

Otley Road will be closed between Cold Bath Road and Harlow Moor Road every night from April 24 to 28, from 7pm to 3am.

The Stray Ferret asked the council for full details of the work to be carried out, but had not received a response by the time of publication.

The news of the planned works follows an announcement from the council that it was scrapping the second phase of the three-part cycle lane scheme.

The first phase, which saw shared and segregated cycle lanes installed on Otley Road between Cold Bath Road and Harlow Moor Road, has come under fire since its construction. As part of a joint project which also aimed to widen the junction between Otley Road and Harlow Moor Road, it cost more than £2.2m.

Pedestrians have said the shared paths do not feel safe, while cyclists said it did nothing to encourage more people to cycle.

As a result, the council said it is reviewing plans for schemes to encourage active travel and would not be extending the cycle route to Beech Grove, as originally planned.

Speaking last month, the council’s executive member for transport, Cllr Keane Duncan, said:

“Our proposal to consider an alternative package of sustainable transport measures demonstrates how we are listening to public feedback. Halting construction of phase two allows us the opportunity to prepare new measures with local input and support.

“The constraints of Otley Road meant it was always going to be difficult to meet government cycle infrastructure design standards without infringing on the Stray, widening the road or removing trees.

“We consulted on a number of options, but these were not fully compliant and attracted criticism. Cyclists have expressed concerns that the proposed cycle way would not encourage more cycling due to its design, while pedestrians said they were concerned about their safety.

“Given the concerns, it is right that we think again and explore alternative measures to promote walking, cycling and use of public transport.”

Plan approved to convert former Harrogate RAF club into flats

A plan to convert a former Royal Air Force club in Harrogate into flats has been approved.

The club on East Parade occupied the building between 1966 and 2022 and served to support ex-RAF servicemen and servicewomen throughout the Harrogate district.

Its members were part of the RAF Association, a registered charity that provides welfare support to the family of RAF members nationally.

Now, Harrogate Borough Council has approved a proposal by Mr Aaron Dean to convert the club into four flats following its closure last year.

The club closed after over 50 years in June 2022 due to a dwindling membership locally.

A statement from the club chairman last summer said the club was no longer viable and when sold, the proceeds would be given to the RAF Association.

A closing party was held at the club where people made donations to obtain some of its remaining military memorabilia.

Despite closing the club, the Harrogate district branch of RAFA is continuing with its charitable endeavours and remaining members will still attend annual events such as the Battle of Britain commemorative parade at Stonefall Cemetery and Remembrance Sunday parades.

Harrogate hospital trust spends £9m on agency staff

Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust has spent £9 million on agency staff costs this year.

The figure covers staffing in areas such as nursing, dental and clinical support staff.

The trust set a target to spend no more than £473,000 each month on agencies — the equivalent of a maximum of £5.7 million over the year.

However, according to board papers, the trust has spent £9.8 million on agency staff – £4.1 million more than its target spend for the year.

In January alone, the hospital spent more than £1 million on agency staff.

HDFT agency staff spending per month. Table: HDFT.

It comes as Alex Sobel, Labour MP for Leeds North West and the party’s shadow environment minister, described Harrogate hospital’s reliance on agencies as “a disgrace”.

He told the House of Commons last month that a constituent called Marjorie Dunn spent just over seven weeks at the hospital last year.

Mr Sobel said:

“In that time she saw NHS nurses leave the service and she was treated predominantly by agency staff — mistreated, I have to say, by agency staff. It is a disgrace.

“When she was eventually moved to a recovery hub run by Leeds City Council she got excellent treatment there.

“She had broken her pelvis and been told she would never walk again, but it was the council physiotherapist who got her up and walking again. Is it not right that we should be supporting local authorities such as Labour-run Leeds to get such facilities as well as the NHS?”

The Stray Ferret has approached Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust for comment.

A spokesperson said previously:

“We pride ourselves on providing the best possible standards of care for our patients, wherever that care may be being delivered. On the rare occasions when this has fallen below our expectations or those of our patients, we have procedures in place to identify this and ensure we continuously improve.

“Workforce challenges in the NHS are well documented. As a trust, we monitor recruitment, retention, turnover and staff wellbeing closely and have a bank of the trust’s own nursing staff, who are available to support where we have short- term absence. These staff are familiar with Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust and our standards of care.

“On occasion, we do need to use the services of agencies to support nursing gaps, however we expect all staff working at Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust to provide the same standards of care for our patients, and we will address this if it is found not to be the case.”

Business Breakfast: Knaresborough finance firm makes three new hires

It’s time to join the Stray Ferret Business Club. The third in our series of networking events in association with The Coach and Horses in Harrogate is a lunch event on March 30 from 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 Knaresborough-based financial advisory firm has hired three new employees as part of growth within its group.

Prosperis Ltd, which is based at St James Business Park, made the hires to meet demand from corporate clients locally and around the UK.

Corporate services associate Ben Morris has joined the firm at its Knaresborough head office, while Dominic Ferneyhough joins as an independent financial adviser at its Skipton office.

Meanwhile, Ryan Green joins as a trainee in Skipton.

Niall Gunn, managing director at Prosperis, said:

“Recruiting new staff is never easy but we are delighted to have secured the services of Dom, Ben and Ryan,

“We will look to add high quality staff to the team as we continue with our expansion plans this year.”

Knaresborough company to sponsor Harrogate 10k

A green energy company based in Knaresborough is to sponsor this year’s Harrogate 10k.

Harmony Energy announced this week it will sponsor the event, which is being held on Sunday, July 2, and organised by Harrogate Harriers.

Peter Kavanagh, Harmony Energy CEO, and Rachel Gregson, Harrogate Harriers’ communications officer

The annual race starts and finishes at Harrogate Sports and Fitness Centre on Hookstone Wood Road.

Peter Kavanagh, Harmony Energy chief executive, who along with five other Harmony employees ran last year’s 10k, said:

“We are delighted to once again be partnering with Harrogate Harriers to sponsor this year’s Harrogate 10k.

“I was approached last year by one of the committee, who lives near me, asking if we would consider sponsoring the Harrogate 10k. I’ve always enjoyed running and the health benefits it brings so I welcomed the opportunity to support the event.

“Harmony Energy already sponsors the Brownlee Foundation, which sees thousands of children taking part in triathlons, and it is great being able to support another sporting event involving children and adults on our doorstep.”

Rachel Gregson, Harrogate Harriers’ communications officer, said:

“Once again we are indebted to Harmony Energy for sponsoring the Harrogate 10k.

“Their funding allows us to not only stage the event, but to ensure it is properly marshalled, with first aiders and the necessary insurance in place.

“Last year nearly 500 runners took part in the event, and this year with covid fading into the distance we hope it will attract many more. It’s a really good course, takes in some beautiful scenery and is suitable for runners of all ages and abilities.”

Aquarium store opens in Harrogate tomorrow

A Knaresborough man has turned his passion into a career by opening an aquarium store in Harrogate.

Wave Aquariums will join the many independent retailers on Commercial Street when it welcomes its first customers tomorrow.

It specialises in saltwater coral reefs and marine life, such as venomous lionfish, clownfish, anemones and bamboo sharks.

Store manager Jonny Rhodes, who has kept fish tanks since he was 14, returned from 10 years in London as a website designer to pursue the venture.

He and dad Ken, who owns the business, and mum Irene have been transforming the unit that was previously a nail salon next to Harrogate Town’s club shop.

Wave Aquariums Jonny Rhodes

Besides tanks, accessories and equipment, it will also sell coral reefs and have a large e-commerce offering on its website.

Mr Rhodes, who studied marine biology at university at Cambridge, said:

“I’ve been debating whether to do it for years and finally decided to bite the bullet and go for it.”

He said there was a gap in the market for marine aquariums between Leeds and York.

Harrogate Aquatic, at Moorland Nurseries on Forest Moor Road in Knaresborough specialises in tropical fish and the two businesses would complement each other, he added.

Wave Aquariums is one of 80 official retailers of Red Sea Fish products in the UK and also stocks products by other aquatic companies, including Reef Factory, Ecotech Marine and D&D Aquarium Solution.

Clownfish in the store

Besides catering for specialists, Mr Rhodes said he hoped the shop would appeal to children and passers-by and was keen to offer advice to anyone interested in keeping fish or corals.

Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones will officially open the store on Saturday afternoon at 2pm.

Albanian crime group ran huge cocaine racket in Harrogate, court hears

An Albanian organised crime group ran a cocaine and cannabis racket in Harrogate potentially worth millions, a court heard.

The mega-money conspiracy involved “kilo blocks” of cocaine and cannabis being transported between London and Harrogate where the drugs were sold on the street, a jury at Leeds Crown Court was told yesterday.

Prosecutor Katherine Robinson said the conspirators, mostly Albanian nationals, were also thought to be involved in a £1.5 million cannabis farm in Rochdale which was connected to the Harrogate operation.

Yesterday, Kole Lleshi, 54, of Hargrove Road, Harrogate, Gavin Woodley, 44, of Ashfield Road, Harrogate and Allaman Tatariku, 25, of Penhale Road, Portsmouth appeared for the first day of their trial after they each denied playing a part in the wider conspiracy.

The gang’s ringleader, former Harrogate restaurant worker Ermal Biba, 38, had already admitted his part in the lucrative drug plot, along with Kladji Lleshi, 23, of Kinloss Court, London, Dritan Lleshaj, 53, formerly of Spring Mount, Harrogate, and Adam Sarkowski, 41, formerly of Wedderburn Close, Harrogate.

Biba, of Trafalgar Court, Harrogate, admitted conspiring to supply cocaine and cannabis between June 2019 and May 2022.

Ms Robinson said Biba was the lynchpin between two distinct conspiracies in which, after his first foot soldiers were arrested, he recruited three others, namely Kladji Lleshi, Tatariku, Woodley and Sarkowski.

She said the first conspiracy involved Biba, Kole Lleshi and Dritan Lleshaj, who had also admitted, and been jailed for, possession with intent to supply cocaine and cannabis. Lleshaj was deported to his homeland.

‘Dealer lines’

Biba was released under investigation following his initial arrest in May 2020 for the first conspiracy but then recruited another group of conspirators and continued operating “dealer lines” in Harrogate run by an “organised-crime group”, added the prosecuting barrister.

Kole Lleshi was arrested and admitted his part in the drug operation by transporting a kilo of cocaine from London to Harrogate in September 2019. However, he denied being involved in the wider conspiracy.

Ms Robinson said police surveillance officers had been tracking Biba, Lleshaj and Kole Lleshi during the first conspiracy in 2019.

They recorded Biba and Lleshaj “meeting regularly” and were monitoring their whereabouts when, in September 2019, Biba arranged a “drug run” which involved Kole Lleshi driving to London and bringing back Class A drugs to Harrogate.

Biba was in contact with an unknown man in London from whom Lleshi was ostensibly to collect the drugs, added Ms Robinson.

A few weeks later, Biba sent Kole Lleshi a text message saying: “We go tomorrow.”

The following day, Lleshi set off for London again in a Kia vehicle, ostensibly for a drug pick-up, and returned to Yorkshire where he was stopped by police on the A1 near Doncaster. During a search of his car, officers found a kilo block of high-purity cocaine in a plastic bag wrapped in a sock. The drugs had a “wholesale” value of £25,000.

The following day, Lleshaj was arrested after meeting Biba in a Harrogate restaurant. Lleshaj was found with £419 in cash and five wraps of cocaine.

He told police he was homeless, but they found the keys to his house in Spring Mount and searched it. They found “various quantities” of cocaine and about £2,000 cash.

High-purity cocaine

She said Woodley played the role of “facilitator” in the conspiracy by allowing the gang to supply drugs from his rented house in Ashfield Road, where they found 264g of high-purity cocaine and two large “vacuum packages” of cannabis worth up to £11,000.

Biba, Lleshaj, Tatariku and Kladji Leshi were said to be regular visitors to this property where police also found “debt lists”, cash, digital weighing scales and hydroponic equipment for growing cannabis.

Woodley was subsequently arrested at his then home in Fairfax Avenue, Harrogate, where police found a small amount of cocaine and cannabis and a torch-like stun gun.

Ms Robinson said Greater Manchester Police raided an industrial unit in Rochdale in March last year when they arrested two Albanian men after they found a large cannabis grow on an “industrial” scale.

Those two men admitted cultivating cannabis at the factory which had an estimated harvest of 144 kilos with an estimated “street value” of £1.5 million. Ms Robinson added:

“(Police) surveillance had been carried out and members of the organised crime group in Harrogate regularly visited this industrial estate in Rochdale.

“ANPR (cameras) showed Mr Biba’s vehicle travelling in that direction and Kladji Lleshi and Allaman Tatariku’s phones showed they travelled down the M62 from Harrogate to Rochdale.”

Woodley’s red Transit van also made journeys to Rochdale, said Ms Robinson.

Biba, Kladji Lleshi and Sarkowski all admitted their part in that cannabis conspiracy. Tatariku said he was involved in the supply of cocaine and cannabis but that he was not involved in a conspiracy with other people.

Woodley said although he was the tenant at the Ashfield Road property, he “couldn’t remember” the name of the landlord and “knew nothing” about the drugs found there. He denied playing any part in drug supply but said he knew Biba, with whom he worked in Harrogate restaurants.

The trial continues.

Harrogate Town plans new terrace and merchandise kiosk

Harrogate Town has lodged plans to install a new terrace and merchandise kiosk at its Wetherby Road ground.

The club has tabled the proposal, which would see a new 100-person terrace built near to the north stand turnstiles, to Harrogate Borough Council.

Meanwhile, a kiosk is also planned in order to serve fans refreshments and Harrogate Town merchandise.

The club said the new terrace is required because the English Football League will no longer accept perimeter standing at stadiums.

In planning documents, it said:

“The proposed terrace will accommodate spectators which use the existing perimeter standing areas and will therefore not increase the overall ground capacity.

“The small kiosk building will be used for the club shop selling on site merchandising on match days, as well as a replacement (non-alcoholic) drinks servery to replace a kiosk within the AON Terrace that was recently converted to WC’s.”

The location for the terrace and kiosk at the Envirovent Stadium.

The council will make a decision on the plan at a later date.

The club recently saw its proposal to upgrade its Envirovent Stadium approved.

It will see almost 1,000 seats installed to bring the ground up to EFL standards.

To the south of the ground, the Myrings terrace will see 264 seats installed and the 1919 bar will be demolished and replaced with a new standing terrace.

A total of 603 seats were installed in the Black Sheep Brewery stand a few weeks ago.

The changes will not increase the overall capacity of 5,071 but will see the number of fans that can be seated rise from 1,193 to 2,060.

Lawyers helped me through worst time of my life, says Harrogate mum

This story is sponsored by Harrogate Family Law

A Harrogate mother-of-three who divorced her husband says she couldn’t have got through the challenging process without the support of Harrogate Family Law (HFL).

Mrs H had been married for 14 years when her previously happy marriage hit the rocks and she was left feeling there was no other option than separation.

For Mrs H and many people in this situation, this is a time of mixed emotions. Feelings of deep unhappiness, guilt about splitting up a family, and complete failure for breaking wedding vows are a heavy weight to bear.

Mrs H was married to a successful lawyer who regularly threatened that she would be left with nothing if she divorced him.

She said:

“Mine was a very acrimonious separation. My ex-husband was very controlling, and approached our break-up very aggressively.”

Contacting a lawyer is a very daunting prospect and Mrs H mulled over whether to make the call and set the wheels in motion.

However, she was surprised at the initial meeting, as its aim was to ensure that all avenues had been explored before making a final decision on separation.

On HFL’s advice, the couple tried counselling in an attempt to work through their problems with the aim of avoiding separation or divorce. Unfortunately, counselling was not successful.

HFL advised Mrs H to try mediation in the hope that a fair and amicable settlement could be agreed.

Cut off at Christmas

In Mrs H’s words, mediation was a “disaster” and a lengthy period of correspondence followed. During this period, Mr H tried every trick possible to get Mrs H to agree to his terms.

His actions included, without notice, a significant reduction in funds to the account which supported Mrs H and their three children.

Mrs H said:

“My ex-husband cut off all funds to me. I was faced with a really difficult Christmas with the kids – I didn’t even have the money for our Christmas dinner.

“If it weren’t for a good friend lending me some money, his children would have been left living on nothing over the festive period.

“Thankfully, HFL didn’t invoice me until they absolutely had to and they were incredibly understanding about the situation I was facing.”

In the end, Mrs H’s ex-husband took the case to court in an effort to exhaust her funds, but things didn’t go his way – the judge awarded a fair settlement to Mrs H and her three children, including the payment of her legal costs.

Mrs H said:

“My ex-husband tried to leave me with as little as possible, but with HFL’s help the outcome was fair and ended up being just what they’d said it would be – they called it absolutely right.

“They stood up to my ex-husband and his lawyers, and were very robust in their counter-arguments. For them, it was never about the fees – it was all about the desire to get the best possible result for me and my children in a fair way.”

Mrs H was so impressed with her lawyers that she’s already referred several friends to Harrogate Family Law. She said:

“HFL really made a difference. They don’t sugar-coat anything, so you always know exactly where you are.

“If you phone HFL there’s a really understanding person on the other end of the line. You share a lot of personal information with your lawyer, more than you do with your friends, but never once did I feel judged. They were the right people, at the worst time of my life.”

Find out more:

For clear, honest advice from a supportive solicitor at Harrogate Family Law, call 01423 594680 or go to harrogatefamilylaw.co.uk.

Harrogate woman jailed for 10 weeks

A woman from Harrogate has been jailed for 10 weeks for failing to comply with a community order.

Claire Read, 28, of Fairfax Avenue, admitted the offence when she appeared at Harrogate Magistrates Court on Friday.

Read received a suspended sentence, which included a community order, on September 23 last year.

As part of this, she was required to attend an appointment on February 15 but failed to do so.

Court documents say Read was jailed for ‘wilful and persistent failure to comply with the requirements of a community order’.

The documents added her guilty plea was taken into account when the sentence was imposed.

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Knaresborough company to sponsor Harrogate 10k

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‘Dealer lines’

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High-purity cocaine

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Cut off at Christmas

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