Plans for 9 more warehouses at business park near A1(M)

Plans have been submitted for a further expansion of the Harrogate 47 business park next to the A1 (M) near Knaresborough.

Described as a “sustainable employment development,” the site is off junction 47 of the motorway and once completed will include employment space for office, hi-tech and logistics businesses.

It’s one of the key employment sites in the former Harrogate Borough Council Local Plan with the potential to bring 2,000 jobs to the district.

The development is being brought forward by Flaxby Investment LLP, which is a joint venture between Opus North and Bridges Fund Management.

The developer won planning permission from Harrogate Borough Council to develop part of the site last year.
It is bringing the development forward in stages and is now seeking permission to build nine further warehouses with a total size of 129,953 sq ft.

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The first four warehouses would be located close to the Flaxby roundabout that was completed in 2014. These will be smaller starter units for business with a size of under 5,000 sq. ft each. The remaining larger units would be situated close to the Ilke Homes factory which produces modular homes. The plans include 72 car parking spaces that would also be added to the site.

Speaking previously about the scheme, Ryan Unsworth, development director at Opus North said:

“This development is key for the Harrogate and wider North Yorkshire economy due to its capacity to transform vacant land into office and industrial space for local, regional and national occupiers, and the vast job-creating potential it has.

“The delivery of Harrogate 47 will allow local companies to expand and grow within the region in addition to attracting inward investment into the district.”

The application will be decided by North Yorkshire Council at a later date.

Anger management order for Knaresborough man who assaulted taxi driver

A former member of the armed services has been handed a community order for assaulting a taxi driver near Knaresborough.

Cameron Michael Dumsday, of Hawthorn Avenue in the town, pleaded guilty to common assault at Harrogate Magistrates’ Court yesterday.

The court heard he had taken a taxi from outside McDonald’s in Harrogate, along with another man, on Thursday, March 23.

During the journey to Knaresborough, the other passenger began to challenge the way the taxi was being driven, alleging the driver was speeding and cutting across junctions.

When the driver pulled over into a lay-by, the court heard Dumsday, 26, was trying to calm the situation down, but the other passenger called the police.

Dumsday then lost his temper and began making threats towards the driver, who had locked himself in the car. Prosecuting, Alison Whiteley said:

“He was telling the police that if they didn’t get there very soon, he would assault the taxi driver. He said, ‘I’ve been done for assault before and I don’t mind being done again’.”

The driver then decided to try to run away, and the defendant chased him across a busy road three times before police arrived.

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Defending, Andrew Tinning said Dumsday had drunk six or seven pints in Harrogate, but it had been an untroubled evening until they became concerned about the way the taxi was being driven on the way home.

Dumsday acknowledged he should not have lost his temper in the way he did, said Mr Tinning, adding:

“Fortunately, he doesn’t touch [the taxi driver]. He is here for assault on the basis the taxi driver feared he was going to use violence against him.”

The court heard Dumsday, who had served four years in the army and now worked as a lorry driver, had “a short fuse” and could lose his temper when he felt he needed to defend those around him. He had two previous convictions for assaulting police officers in 2018, for which he received fines.

Magistrates imposed a 12-month community order with the requirement to undertake 20 days on a programme to help him manage his emotions.

He was fined £710 and ordered to pay a surcharge of £114, costs of £85, and compensation of £6.80 for the taxi fare and £100 for the distress caused to the taxi driver.

No Harrogate district roads included in county surface dressing programme

The new North Yorkshire Council is beginning its annual surface dressing programme — but it doesn’t include any roads in the Harrogate district.

Hundreds of miles of roads across England’s largest county are to be treated this spring and summer.

The work makes roads more skid-resistant and waterproof. It also prevents potholes, and can extend the life of a road by up to 10 years.

Cllr Keane Duncan, North Yorkshire Council’s Conservative executive member for highways and transport, said £8 million of surface dressing would be carried out this year — £2.6 million more than last year.

But Harrogate is the only district in North Yorkshire not to be included in this year’s programme.

Work is due to begin mid-April in the Hambleton, Selby and Scarborough districts.

It is due to carry on in Ryedale and Richmondshire in May and finish in the Craven district in early June.

Cllr Duncan said:

“Careful prioritisation of works, additional investment and close cooperation with our contractors means we will be delivering an extra £2.6 million worth of surface dressing schemes this year, the equivalent of an extra 60 miles.”

In this year’s Budget, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt awarded North Yorkshire £6.5 million from a £700 million fund to tackle potholes.

Details of North Yorkshire roadworks are available here.

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Business Breakfast: Senior appointment at Harrogate law firm

It’s time to join the Stray Ferret Business Club. The fourth in our series of networking events, with Banyan Bar & Kitchen, is a breakfast event on April 27 from 8am.

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 law firm, LCF Law, has appointed a new business development and marketing director.

Nick Greenwood has spent the past 25 years working for banking, accountancy, and legal firms across Yorkshire.

In his new role, Mr Greenwood will head a broad spectrum of business development and marketing projects at LCF Law and oversee the firm’s overall growth strategy.

He said:

“I started my career at Barclays as a branch manager in both the Leeds and Bradford flagship branches, soon progressing through SME into corporate banking and agriculture, supporting all types of businesses with their financial needs.

“After that, I became part of the senior leadership team at a mid-tier accountancy firm as head of sectors, and then moved to a business development role at a 48 partner law firm supporting its achievement to become one of the most profitable law firms in the east of England.

“Whether it be providing finance, accountancy, or legal services, the key is always to focus on how firms can solve problems for their clients and deliver cost-effective solutions that help them achieve their business and personal goals.”

Simon Stell, managing partner at LCF Law, said:

“We have significant growth aspirations and Nick’s expertise and enthusiasm will help us to deliver those. At the heart of any good business are its people. We recruit great people and help them to achieve their potential and career ambitions. The addition of Nick to the team will help the business and our lawyers meet our goals..

“Nick’s appointment will help us to reach even more clients across a broad spectrum including the manufacturing, agricultural, healthcare, digital and charity sectors.”

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Harrogate BID funds town spring clean

Harrogate’s Business Improvement District has completed a spring clean as part of its business objective to keep the town ‘safe, clean and welcoming’.

The 150-hour long clean-up operation saw hot steam and pressure jet washing of pavements on Cambridge Street, Beulah Street, Oxford Street, Cambridge Road, James Street, Parliament Street, West Park, John Street, The Ginnel, Montpellier Mews, Kings Road and Station Parade.

The work was backed up by Chris Ashby, the BID’s in-house street ranger, who recently won the Unsung Hero Award at the Stray Ferret Business Awards 2023, in recognition of his hard work and dedication to keeping the town spotless.

Matthew Chapman, BID manager, said:

“First impressions really do count, which is why we ensure our streets are cleaned on a regular basis.

“It is clear to see from the before and after pictures that the deep cleans make a huge difference to the aesthetic appearance of the town for all who visit it.

“I would encourage all businesses who are part of the BID community to make the most of the additional services the street ranger team offers over and above the deep cleaning.

“We provide reactive support for improvements to properties within the BID radius, to make sure they look professional, clean and inviting. Anyone wanting to make the most of this offering should email info@harrogatebid.co.uk.”

Harrogate hospital food rated worst in country by patients

Hospital food in Harrogate is the worst in the country, according to patients.

Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust received the lowest rating of all the hospital trusts assessed in the NHS survey.

Patients awarded the trust, which runs Harrogate District Hospital, 72% for food quality.

The next lowest was Mid-Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust with 74%, closely followed by York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

Private provider Bupa rated the highest with 100%.

NHS Digital published the figures as part of its 2022 Patient-Led Assessments of the Care Environment programme.

PLACE assessments are an annual appraisal of the non-clinical aspects of NHS and independent/private healthcare settings.

Harrogate fared better on cleanliness, ranking 53rd of the 222 organisations with a score of 99.49%.

But it was a lowly 192nd on privacy, dignity and wellbeing with a score of 81%.

Hospital issues apology

A Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust spokesperson said:

“We strive to provide the best possible levels of service for those people in our care and we are extremely disappointed that we were unable to meet the expectations of our patients when the assessment took place.

“We would like to apologise to anyone who has been dissatisfied by the service we provided.

“It is important that we learn lessons from these findings as food is an important part of a patient’s hospital experience. The quality of food provided to our patients has always been high, but there is the opportunity to improve on the levels of service.

“We take such assessments extremely seriously and have already started to make improvements to address the concerns that have been raised.”

“These improvements have already had a significant impact and we will continue to make further changes to ensure we are meeting our patients’ expectations.”

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Driver fined for seriously injuring pedestrian in Killinghall

A woman has been fined for a collision in Killinghall which left a father of young children with serious injuries.

Susan Marshall hit the man with her car as he used the pedestrian crossing near the Tesco Express shop in the village at around 5.15pm on Monday, January 30 this year.

She pleaded guilty to causing serious injury by careless driving at Harrogate Magistrates’ Court today.

The man, who was named in court, had to be taken to hospital by ambulance. His ankle was broken in several places and he had significant bruising to his hip, as well as a haematoma on his brain.

He had to have an operation to insert two plates into his ankle and was kept in hospital for four days for observation.

The cast on his ankle had only recently been removed and he was still having physiotherapy, the court heard.

Prosecutor Alison Whiteley said:

“He was previously very active and athletic. Now, of course, he has difficulty walking, let alone running, and it impacts on his driving ability.

“He needs to drive as part of his job. In addition to that, he lives alone with young children and of course he needs his car to ferry them about and look after them.”

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The court heard the collision took place in the dark in heavy traffic, when weather conditions were good. Ms Marshall, 56, pulled out of the Tesco car park to turn right and travel north on the A61 towards Ripley.

A passenger in the car behind said the lights on the pedestrian crossing ahead of her turned red, but Mrs Marshall failed to slow down. She collided with the pedestrian, who was knocked to the ground.

Defending, Andrew Coleman of Watson Woodhouse solicitors said Ms Marshall’s record to that point was otherwise unblemished, without even any points on her driving licence.

Describing the collision as a “momentary lapse in concentration”, he said:

“She was concentrating on the traffic and she didn’t see the red light.

“She stopped immediately and went straight to the victim to see if he was OK. She didn’t realise the extent of his injuries.

“She shouted immediately for someone to assist in calling an ambulance. She stayed until the emergency services came.”

He told the court she had worked as a carer for 30 years and, faced with losing her licence, was determined to continue in her job, despite a two-mile walk from her home in Town Street, Shaw Mills, to the nearest bus route.

Magistrates imposed a £500 fine, £200 victim surcharge and £85 costs on Ms Marshall, along with a 12-month driving ban.

They said compensation for the victim was not for the court to decide and would be arranged through their insurance companies.

Back-bedroom start-up to smash £1 million barrier 12 years after launch

The story is sponsored by Kempston-Parkes Chartered Surveyors.

A firm of chartered surveyors founded in a back bedroom 12 years ago is on track to break through the £1 million turnover barrier this year, its founder has revealed. 

Kempston-Parkes has grown its client base and turnover every year for over a decade, and is now the foremost Harrogate firm in its sector, with nine professionally qualified members of staff and six administrators. 

The landmark turnover figure comes as a welcome milestone for Andrew Kempston-Parkes, who founded the firm in 2011. 

Having started his working life at the Valuation Office Agency – part of the Inland Revenue – he received his professional qualifications from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) in 1997. He started carrying out residential valuations and survey work in 1999, and worked for over a decade at a national firm of chartered surveyors in Leeds and then Harrogate before branching out on his own. He said: 

“Working for such a large company, I’d progressively moved further away from the client; in fact, I was encouraged to have as little communication with the client as possible, which I felt flew in the face of professionalism. 

“Setting up on my own was the right decision. There is a healthy market for honest, personal service with clear communication and a human touch.” 

Kempston-Parkes Chartered Surveyors focuses on pre-purchase surveys (RICS Level 2 HomeBuyerReport and RICS Level 3 Survey), along with valuations for all purposes: purchase, inheritance tax, capital gains tax and matrimonial assessments, as well as Party Wall Act boundary disputes and Land Registry plans. 

Mr Kempston-Parkes said a lot had changed since he first entered the profession, including the approach to customer service: 

“There’s a lot more diversity in the workforce now, which is great, and the technology’s developed beyond all recognition – we have iPads, laser measurers, drones, thermal imaging equipment, telescopic poles – lots of technology to help us see things that are out of reach.  

“And as an industry, we’re concentrating more and more on what clients need. We’re a lot more responsive. If you have a problem with land or property in the Harrogate area, we’re the people to come to.” 

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Kempston-Parkes Chartered Surveyors provide surveys and valuations for all purposes, including purchase, inheritance tax, capital gains tax, matrimonial assessments, boundary disputes and Land Registry plans.  
For more information, go to www.kempston-parkes.co.uk, or for a confidential conversation about your requirements, call 01423 789111. 

 

‘Grim’ future predicted for Harrogate cycling after funding snub

Cyclists have expressed concern about the future of active travel in the Harrogate district after funding for two schemes was rejected.

The Department for Transport’s active travel fund last month turned down North Yorkshire County Council’s bid for £3.19 million.

It would have paid for segregated cycle routes on Victoria Avenue in Harrogate and on the A59 in Knaresborough between Mother Shipton’s Cave and Harrogate Golf Club.

Coming on the back of the county council’s decision to scrap phase two of the Otley Road cycle route, it has left plans for a connected, segregated cycle route between Harrogate train station and Cardale Park in tatters.

It has also raised questions about whether the council can deliver on active travel schemes despite the rhetoric.

Harrogate cycling campaigner Malcolm Margolis said

“The future for investment in cycling in Harrogate is clearly grim if the council is unable to attract government funding.

“It will only do that if it shows that it can deliver, which it has repeatedly failed to do for many years.

“That’s one of the reasons why the Station Gateway project must go ahead, not only that it would greatly improve the town centre, but that it shows the council has the capacity to turn successful bids to improve the public realm into successful changes on the ground.”

The Harrogate Station Gateway scheme.

Cycleways on Station Parade are a key feature of the Station Gateway.

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Kevin Douglas, chairman of Harrogate District Cycle Action, agreed next month’s expected gateway decision was now of even greater significance given the legacy of failed cycling schemes. He said:

“If the council can’t attract government funding then it isn’t looking good for cycling.

“The government is reducing funding for active travel so it will be more difficult to succeed with bids and without a track record it will be doubly difficult.”

The Conservative-run North Yorkshire Council, which has replaced the county council, has said it will abide by its Liberal Democrat-controlled Harrogate and Knaresborough area constituency committee’s gateway decision on May 30.

‘Immense challenges’

Cllr Keane Duncan, the Conservative executive member for highways and transportation on North Yorkshire Council, said the local authority remained determined to “rebalance transport” in the town and would “not be dispirited” by Active Travel England’s rejection.

He said:

“We know the immense challenges the town is facing in terms of congestion, air quality and road safety. Unless the new North Yorkshire Council takes action to address these problems, they will only get worse.

“Rebalancing transport and promoting more sustainable travel is essential, but with limited financial resources and often vocal opposition, this is not always easy to deliver in practical terms.”

Otley Road cycling

The Otley Road cycleway

Cllr Duncan added:

“The Otley Road corridor remains a challenge, but I stand by the decision to step back from phase two of the cycleway to allow local councillors to consider alternative options.

“And of course, it will be local councillors who will determine the hot topic of gateway once and for all. They will give their verdict and I will respect this. I feel this is the fairest possible approach.

The Stray Ferret asked Active Travel England why it rejected North Yorkshire County Council’s bid.

A spokesman said it couldn’t go into detail until the successful applicants were notified after next month’s local elections. They added:

“Each bid we have received has undergone a robust assessment process that considered a range of criteria. Feedback is being provided to authorities with unsuccessful bids over the next few weeks.

“Active Travel England will support local authorities in designing and delivering schemes that meet national standards for safety and accessibility.”

 

 

 

Calls for tougher parking enforcement in Harrogate district

Councillors have called for tougher parking enforcement in towns and villages in North Yorkshire.

North Yorkshire Council’s transport, economy, environment and enterprise scrutiny committee heard yesterday some visitor hotspot villages were examining how parking restrictions could be introduced as it was impacting on residents’ quality of life.

One elected member claimed “nothing seems to be done about people parking on pavements”, while others highlighted issues resulting from people parking in residential areas to avoid payments.

The meeting heard North Yorkshire has a forecast £3m annual parking enforcement surplus.

It also heard claims that an unfair proportion of the resources generated had been pumped into Harrogate-based projects in recent years.

An officer’s report to councillors revealed how the the lion’s share of the surplus had been used to reimburse bus operators for pensioners’ concessionary fares, boost the road repairs budget and improve the A1(M) junction 47 between Harrogate and York.

Councillors expressed concerns that while parking enforcement surpluses in some areas had been used to bolster general council “rainy day” funds, Harrogate Borough Council had put forward a lengthy wish list of transport and road projects for its area.

Committee chairman, Cllr David Staveley, a Conservative who represents Settle & Penyghent, said:

“It does feel slightly inequitable to other areas that have possibly contributed quite substantially to that fund. It does some of our areas are getting slightly short-changed.

“I think going forward we are one council. All residents should get a fair crack of the whip.”

Labour Cllr Melanie Ann Davis, who represents Selby West, said enforcement in Selby, which had received a “derisory” three per cent of the parking enforcement income, was “very poor” due to a lack of wardens.

She said:

“I think we need an assurance that there is going to be a new look at this to see that there is a much more uniform service.”

The meeting heard although the parking enforcement surplus had been collected from across the county, there had been an agreement that Harrogate and Scarborough councils be consulted on how it was spent.

Councillors were told while the authority’s position would remain focused on encouraging off-street parking to reduce congestion, the launch of the unitary authority and the unification of off-street and street parking responsibilities at the new council presented an opportunity to review policies and investment priorities.

The authority’s corporate director, Karl Battersby, said the surplus was currently being spent on an “eclectic mix” of legally permissable projects.

He added the review would examine the county’s “mixed bag of charges, policies, enforcement”, and links between parking and active travel. He said:

“Going forward we are going to have a proper look at what this budget should and shouldn’t fund.”

North Yorkshire Council bans TikTok from staff phones

North Yorkshire Council has banned the Chinese-owned social media app TikTok from staff devices over security fears.

The move means people working for the new council are not be allowed to use the app on any work devices.

Staff have also been “strongly discouraged” from using the app on personal devices that are also used for work purposes.

It follows the lead of parliament, which banned the app last month.

A council spokesperson said the ban came into effect from April 1, which was the council’s first day of existence.

TikTok has over 1.5 billion users around the world and allows people to create and share short-form videos.

However, there have been growing fears over what the company does with the personal data it collects from users.

TikTok, which is owned by Chinese company ByteDance, has strongly denied allegations that it shares data with the Chinese government.

Assistant director of technology for North Yorkshire Council, Madeline Hoskin, said:

“North Yorkshire Council does not allow the media sharing app TikTok on any of its corporate devices and it is not approved to be used for any work purpose.

“In addition to this, we would strongly discourage any use of the app or website on personal devices that are also being used for work purposes.

“We have made this decision because both the TikTok app and the website collect a lot of personal and very detailed information that is stored outside of the UK, and though currently this data is predominantly used for targeted advertising, the volume and depth of the data being captured and stored poses a potential risk we do not believe is acceptable.”

‘Fundamental misconceptions’

A TikTok spokesperson said:

“We believe recent bans are based on fundamental misconceptions and driven by wider geopolitics, in which TikTok and our community around the world play no part.

“We remain committed to working with governments and partners to address any security concerns, but ask to be judged on facts, not fears, and treated equally to our competitors.

“We have already begun implementing a comprehensive plan to further protect our US and European user data, building on the principles of local data storage and introducing third-party independent oversight of our approach.”

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