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.

Two Harrogate based companies have won awards at the regional Small Business Federation’s Yorkshire and Humber Awards 2023.

Robotas Technologies Ltd won the Business & Product Innovation Award – and The Harrogate Brewing Company won the Family Business of the Year Award.

Robotas Technologies, which is about to move to carbon zero premises in Pannal, is a family-owned business which has been a leader in the field of optimising the PCB assembly process for customers all over the world.

Managing Director of Robotas Technologies, Nick Walters said:

“I couldn’t be prouder of our incredible team of talented engineers for their non-stop innovation which has led us to winning this award.

“This recognition is well deserved for the excellent work that you carry out every single day. Thank you Guys, this is your award, and it is very much well deserved!!

“Now, on to the National Awards in May!!”

Joe Joyce, who co-owns the Harrogate Brewing Company with his wife Julie, said:

“We’re equally delighted and surprised at this award. As a family business it is a validation that we are doing more things right than wrong.

Thank you all in our team.”

Joe and Julie Joyce (centre) receiving their award 

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The next Harrogate Chamber of Commerce meeting will focus on connectivity and superfast broadband.

The meeting  entitled, “The Highway – super and public”,  will hear from NYnet, CityFibre and North Yorkshire County Council’s member for highways and connectivity, Cllr Keane Duncan.

The event is at the Harrogate Convention Centre and starts at 5.30pm.

To attend click here.

Stray Views is a weekly column giving you the chance to have your say on issues affecting the Harrogate district. It is an opinion column and does not reflect the views of the Stray Ferret. Send your views to letters@thestrayferret.co.uk.

Shockingly, the UK has a food shortage. It seems more will follow. Continental friends confirm they have no such shortages. Have our local MPs done anything to press our government and their party to address this urgently?  As usual, Nigel Adams, Julian Smith and Andrew Jones have been silent on this matter (confirmed via Hansard records). They could have pressed their government ages ago to prepare for such challenges but just as with the pandemic, it has come as a needless surprise.

EU countries are supporting farmers to ensure the continuity of production (€500 million will be allocated to those most affected by higher input costs). Minette Batters (NFU) raised the alarm about the need for food security to be a major priority in the UK months ago – yet we have food shortages.

Using environmental arguments now to encourage the public to eat seasonally for entirely the wrong reasons, namely as a fig leaf to disguise the dereliction of duty of the government, is outrageous. The effects of climate change on food production have been warned about for years. Far more should have been done a long time ago.

War, covid, weather events and climate change have been affecting all of Europe and elsewhere yet only the UK is suffering food restrictions. It seems to me that the underlying reason for this is that the continent is benefiting from having a plan – and not having Conservative Party MPs in charge.

Friedy Luther, Spofforth

Concern over electric vehicle charging points

I welcome the provision of new electric vehicle charge points in the district but have a couple of concerns.

Firstly instead of contactless payment, users have to sign up for yet another app. When signing up you have to give your credit card details, agree to an initial £10 payment and later adhoc payments. Most ev drivers want contactless in the same way that petrol can be paid for and with no apps. 

Secondly these 7 kW chargers are intended in part to benefit ev drivers with no home charging facility. They take eight or nine hours for a full charge so will residents have to pay for long stays? In Knaresborough it might have been better to have some chargers at the long stay car park where day trip visitors are more likely to park.

Ralph Armsby, Harrogate

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• Stray Views: Rossett Nature Reserve ‘has been slashed back’
• Stray Views: Otley Road cycleway a “scandalous waste of public money”

Why was the press not notified of Ukraine war anniversary?

A friend and I wondered why there were no press present on Friday, 24 February 2023, when an important ceremony at the Cenotaph in the centre of Harrogate took place. One year on to mark the sombre anniversary of the illegal invasion by President Putin.

The Mayor of Harrogate (Councillor Victoria Oldam) came to raise the Ukraine flag. The flying of the Ukraine flag had been agreed by the full council a year before.  

It was taken down before the Rememberance Day ceremonies for some reason. A few of us with the help of Councillor Chris Aldred initiated once again that the Ukraine flag flew.

The presence of the mayor and the local MP and a few staff clearly thought it was important that there was an official ceremony sanctioned by the council. All in all there were about 10 of us to witness this event.  

A young Ukrainian woman who had place two candles – one blue and one yellow on the steps of the Cenotaph stayed when we told her about the Ukraine flag being raised. This time it flew prominently from one of the two flag poles in front of the Cenotaph.  

The mayor and her small party went on to raise the Ukrainian flag outside the council offices.

We are sure that many more people would have come if it had been promoted and the press notified. So why wasn’t it?

Lindis Percy, Harrogate

Do you have an opinion on the Harrogate district? Email us at letters@thestrayferret.co.uk. Please include your name and approximate location details. Limit your letters to 350 words. We reserve the right to edit letters.

A Follifoot disabled riding club is celebrating six of its volunteers reaching 30 years of service.

Follifoot Park Disabled Riders Group, which was established in 1986, has helped more than 100 riders from children to adults enjoy the benefits of horse riding.

The charity now has 120 volunteers who help those who are disabled to ride.

This past week, six of the group’s volunteers were awarded certificates for reaching three decades of service.

Beryl Fleming, one of those who reached the milestone, said:

“It is a real pleasure volunteering here and so rewarding to see the progress that our riders make and the fun that horse riding gives them.”

Morag Bennett, chair of the riding group, said:

“Volunteers are the lifeblood of our charity and we are lucky to have so many people willing to give up their time to help our riders.

“To have served for 30 years is a remarkable achievement and shows amazing dedication for which we’re very grateful. 

“We are also fortunate to be based at Follifoot Park Riding Centre, with its excellent facilities and continued support.”

For more information on the group and how to get involved, visit the charity’s website here.

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A public health boss has revealed how an educational programme to counter the social media marketing of vaping products to children was being developed, amid growing concerns about the number of youngsters being “enticed” into using e-cigarettes.

Cllr Michael Harrison, North Yorkshire County Council’s executive member for health and adult services, announced the move following the leader of Selby District Council questioning what action could be taken to reverse an apparent escalation in children vaping.

Cllr Mark Crane told a meeting of the county authority he was seeing more and more young people using vaping products, adding: 

“I see them in school uniforms and I also see ones that seem very young to me.”

A NHS survey in 2013 of 10,000 children found three per cent of children aged 11 to 15 had vaped, but last year the figure had risen to 10%.

Cllr Crane was speaking days after England’s chief medical officer called for a clampdown on firms who use social media sites, such as Tik Tok, to market colourful e-cigarettes with flavours such as pink lemonade and strawberry, banana and mango to youngsters.

Sir Chris Whitty told MPs it was beyond doubt that firms were designing vapes to appeal to children, branding their actions “appalling”.

It is believed e-cigarettes have increased in popularity with children due to their relatively low cost, bright colours and fruit flavours.

Last month, the leader of neighbouring council Stockton, Councillor Bob Cook said the authority would lobby for more regulation on vaping following concerns over growing under-age use of the products.

Meanwhile, Dr Elizabeth Garthwaite, a kidney specialist and clinical director at Leeds Teaching Hospitals, has told teenagers at Ripon Grammar School that an increasing numbers of young people were presenting to hospital with problems associated with addiction and vaping.

Read more:

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She said while vaping products were initially designed as a nicotine replacement to help smokers break their addiction, vaping was far from harmless.

Cllr Harrison said there was “certainly something national government could do” to tackle the marketing, but the council was intent on educating people about the dangers of vaping.

He said: 

“It is illegal to sell vape materials to under-18s, but it is clear that there is marketing going on that is enticing under-18s to take up vaping…”

The meeting was told the authority’s public health team were working on a programme of education and awareness which would be rolled out across our schools and young people in the coming months.

Cllr Harrison said the authority recognised the place of e-cigarettes in helping people to give up smoking, but the council’s educational campaign would stress that neither habit was healthy.

Underlining the scale of the challenge to educate young people, he added: 

“You are fighting a battle if there’s advertising that is more prevalent on social media than mainstream media.”

A new council is set to take over in the Harrogate district in four weeks’ time.

Both Harrogate Borough Council and North Yorkshire County Council will make way for North Yorkshire Council on April 1.

While the move throws up questions over council tax and economic development, perhaps the first thought on residents’ minds is who is going to collect the bins?

In this article, we will explain what this means for waste collection and disposal in the district.

Who currently collects my bins?

At the moment, Harrogate Borough Council collects household bins across the district.

Waste collection staff employed by the borough council collect bins on a weekly basis.

This includes garden, general and recycling bins.

What about waste disposal?

Disposal of waste is currently a responsibility for North Yorkshire County Council.

It is responsible for household waste recycling centres, including those on Wetherby Road and Pennypot Lane in Harrogate and Dallamires Lane in Ripon.

The county council also oversees the Allerton Waste Recovery Park near Knaresborough, which recycles and converts biodegradable waste to biogas.  

What will happen on April 1?

On April 1, the borough council will no longer be responsible for waste collections as it will not exist.

Instead, North Yorkshire Council will take over the responsibility and bins will be collected as normal.

Staff who currently work for the borough council on waste collection will move over to the new authority.

The new council will also be responsible for the running of household waste recycling centres in the district, as well as Allerton Waste Recovery Park.

Residents may not notice much change in their collections. However, for council bosses, the idea is that the transition to the new authority is smooth.

Read more:

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• Harrogate councillors approve transfer of council-owned companies

Zoe Metcalfe, the North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, is hoping to stand for election to become the county’s first mayor, the Stray Ferret understands.

A Conservative Party source has told the Stray Ferret that Ms Metcalfe had indicated she planned to launch a bid for the party’s nomination for next year’s mayoral election.

The mayor will oversee a significant budget for York and North Yorkshire and have the power to allocate funds to areas such as transport, education and housing.

He or she will also swallow up the commissioner’s role currently occupied by Ms Metcalfe.

Ms Metcalfe has strong local connections: she was born in Ripon, educated in Harrogate and lives near Boroughbridge.

A former Harrogate borough councillor, she was elected to her commissioner’s role in 2021 with 39.5% of the vote in a by-election caused by the resignation of fellow Conservative Philip Allott following comments he made about the murder of Sarah Everard.

Since taking up the role on a salary of £74,000, she has overseen the introduction of a Risk and Resource Model for North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service, which sets out how resources will be deployed from 2022 to 2025.

The changes included reducing Harrogate Fire Station’s nighttime cover from two fire engines to one.

The commissioner’s role gives Ms Metcalfe a countywide profile that could enhance her prospects of winning the Conservative nomination for mayor — a new role being created as part of North Yorkshire devolution.

The Stray Ferret contacted the crime commissioner’s office asking whether Ms Metcalfe planned to stand but did not receive a response.

Read more:

• Knaresborough’s Zoe Metcalfe pledges to be ‘people’s commissioner’ in £74,000 crime role
• Long-awaited £1.2m refurbishment of Ripon’s police and fire station confirmed

Harrogate Borough Council has defended installing new bins in Burton Leonard after concerns it is “oversized”.

The council installed the bin on the village green last month as part of changes to waste collection.

More than 250 of the facilities have been put in place across the district, with a further 450 to come.

Council officials said the new bins are able to be collected by waste vehicles, which means more time can be spent on litter picking.

However, residents have said the bins are not wheelchair accessible, are “eight to 10 times” bigger than normal bins and appear unsightly.

Burton Leonard Parish Council objected to the plan to install the bin.

It said:

“The parish council objected on the grounds that the proposed bins would appear incongruous in a conversation area. Other parishes objected on similar-grounds.”

A borough council spokesperson said:

“We want to ensure litter is kept to a minimum across the Harrogate district.

“The new litter bin infrastructure allows street bins to be emptied by our waste vehicles so reducing resource requirements, miles travelled and the associated carbon emissions.

“Meaning we can spend more time litter picking and keeping the district clean and looking its best.

“There are ongoing discussions with the parish council on the final location of one of the bins installed and we will work with them to find a satisfactory solution.”

Read more:

• Councillor calls for housebuilding in Harrogate to be paused
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A control room monitoring more than 200 CCTV cameras in the Harrogate district has not been manned at times over the last year due to staff shortages.

The control room, run by Harrogate Borough Council, oversees cameras operating 24 hours a day in Harrogate, Ripon and Knaresborough.

Control room staff are able to respond to police reports and track suspicious activity. Police can buy the footage to use as evidence in pursuing crimes.

Julia Stack, community safety and CCTV manager at the council, was asked by Councillor Victoria Oldham at a meeting of the council’s overview and scrutiny commission this week whether the room needed to be staffed.

Ms Stack replied the priority was to “man that service for 24 hours a day”, adding:

“I will be honest,. We have had some challenging issues in terms of recruitment within the last 12 months so there have been times when we have been unable to have the staff there but the cameras will be recording.”

Ms Stack added the team was now “almost at full complement of staff”.

Cllr Oldham, a Conservative who represents Washburn, replied:

“I’m aware of two incidents last week when it wasn’t manned and one of them could have been very embarrassing.”

Julia Stack speaking at the meeting

Ms Stack said the service worked closely with police but added:

“There’s always the risk we may be dealing with one location and there may be something happening in another one. That is down unfortunately to consistent funding cuts to the service.”

The long-term future of the service when Harrogate Borough Council is abolished at the end of this month and North Yorkshire Council takes over is unclear.

Scarborough and Northallerton also have CCTV control rooms in the county and Ms Stack the service overall was inconsistent and would be reviewed.

Cllr Windass speaking at the meeting

Councillor Robert Windass, a Conservative who represents Boroughbridge, said Boroughbridge had been “kicked out” of Harrogate Borough Council’s CCTV monitoring system years ago.

Cllr Windass said Boroughbridge Town Council now provided CCTV and, unlike Harrogate Borough Council, did not charge the police for accessing it. He said:

“If the police request footage for any crimes there is absolutely no charge because we consider it a valuable service we should provide and support to the police.”

Cllr Mike Chambers, the Conservative Cabinet member for housing and safer communities, replied:

“I agree it is a service that is valuable to the police. But we have a control room that has staff. If we don’t levy charges as many other departments within this council do then how do we pay for the staff?”

CCTV overlooking Harrogate’s Royal Hall

‘Limited resources’

After the meeting, the Stray Ferret asked Harrogate Borough Council about the control room staff situation and what will happen to the service when the council is abolished in four weeks.

A council spokesperson said:

“Our CCTV control room is in Harrogate and has five operators and one CCTV and business crime operations officer, as well as a small pool of casual staff who work alongside full-time officers, who are responsible for surveillance of cameras covering Knaresborough, Harrogate, Ripon and council buildings.

“They also undertake reviews and produce evidence for the police and other third parties, operate a RadioLink service and support a business crime partnership.

“Like ourselves, North Yorkshire Police have limited resources and even if the control room report an incident to the police, there is no guarantee that they are always in a position to respond straight away. Therefore, we ensure cameras record 24-hours a day, 365 days a year so that our staff can aim to get the best evidence to assist with any incidents.

“Closures are kept to a minimum and shifts are extended with staff work overtime to ensure sufficient support for the CCTV control room.

“In recent months, we have seen a limited number of applicants to the roles available. And once appointed, each post is subject to police vetting which takes times to be thoroughly carried out, followed by a two-month training period.

“However, we can confirm that two new appointments have recently been made.

“From 1 April there will be no change to the service.”

The departure of New Look from the town centre this week has led to concerns over what the Harrogate district offers to people on low incomes.

Its closure, which reportedly came despite the company’s wish to stay in Harrogate, follows the departure of M&Co in Ripon when that company went into administration.

While many large brands remain, alongside new and long-standing independent businesses, the budget end of the market is less well-served.

Other than Primark, affordable fashion – especially for men – is hard to find anywhere in the Harrogate district, especially following the departure of the likes of H&M in recent years.

The issue is recognised by local organisations working with people on low incomes, including Harrogate and District Community Action.

Its information and communications officer Angela Jones said:

“Local charities in Harrogate district recognise the challenges of finding affordable food and clothing in the current economic climate and are very active in supporting people facing food and clothing poverty.

“HADCA signposts people to organisations who can help, including through our Where To Turn directory. Local charity shops also play a vital role, recycling unwanted clothing at a lower cost, whilst fundraising for their causes.”

Mike Procter, co-ordinator of Harrogate Clothes Bank

Among the organisations supporting people who can’t afford to buy new clothes is Harrogate Clothes Bank.

Based on Hornbeam Park, the charity takes donations from individuals and passes them on to people who need them.

Its operations director, Mike Procter, said:

“We try to provide dignity to people who struggle to afford clothes. We try to create shopping experience.

“Everything we provide is free of charge. Customers can self-refer or be referred by a support organisation – no proof of referral or proof of low-income is required. We operate on a basis of trust.

“We have noticed a significant increase in customer numbers in last 12 months.”

The clothes bank was founded in 2016 by St Mark’s Church and is run by volunteers, including people of all faiths and none.

Last year, it saw 550 customers taking 8,000 items. It shared some of its clothes with other organisations, including Harrogate Homeless Project and the women’s refuge charity IDAS.

It also gave 700kg of clothing to a Ukrainian church via Harrogate’s Calvary Chapel, and 1,000kg to other clothes banks in West Yorkshire. A further 900kg of clothes were sold at a nominal price for reuse, recycling and repurposing.

The clothes bank is holding a fundraising end-of-season sale tomorrow, Saturday, March 4, from 10.30am to noon, with high-quality winter clothes for men, women, and children of all ages.

Read more:

• New Look in Harrogate to close
• M&Co store in Ripon set to close

Meanwhile, Harrogate Business Improvement District said it is working to ensure the town centre continues to deliver shops and services that meet the needs of all residents, as well as visitors.

BID manager Matthew Chapman said:

“The future of high streets is evolving into ‘mixed use’, so that whilst we absolutely champion national chains and independents, the direction is moving towards town centre living on second and third floors. Mixing with retail and hospitality and leisure and professional services will become the norm

“Latest data shows that 47 per cent more people are buying ‘own brands’ in supermarkets due to inflation, and the increase in the cost of living will affect where people buy their clothes.

“We continue to lobby the government to look to reform the way in which business rates are collected and collated, as well as encouraging landlords to make Harrogate a more appealing – and affordable – place to do business.”

Mr Chapman said the BID’s primary aim was to keep the town safe, clean and welcoming, as well as organising events designed to increase footfall.

While New Look may have left this week, the BID is working on a fashion show, to take place in May, promoting local fashion shops, hairdressers and jewellers. He added:

“It is always a shame when we see a well-known name leave the town, but Harrogate still has plenty to offer in terms of retail fashion outlets.”

A Harrogate drug pusher has been jailed for over two years after police caught him with over 50 grammes of high-purity cocaine.

Robert Marsh, 27, was stopped by a plain-clothed officer near his home on Burley Bank Road, Killinghall, in March last year. 

The officer found just over two ounces of cocaine inside Marsh’s car, prosecutor Adam Walker told York Crown Court.

Marsh was arrested and a subsequent search of his home revealed a cornucopia of drug items including weighing scales and dealer bags, the court heard.

Police also found cocaine inside a Tupperware box and £90 cash inside a cupboard, added Mr Walker.

He said the 55g of cocaine found inside the vehicle had a street value of up to £5,550. The value of the drugs and the period of time that Marsh had been dealing suggested he stood to make “significant” profits.

Police also seized two mobile phones from Marsh, which showed he had played an “operational or managerial” role in the drug racket. He had been giving people drugs “on tick” and was “managing a customer’s debt”.

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Defence barrister Susannah Proctor said Marsh, of Pinemoor Caravan Park, had never been in trouble before and was easily led due to his vulnerabilities. 

She said Marsh “struggles intellectually” and found himself hanging around people he met at house parties who had persuaded or coerced him to deal drugs for them, although the prosecution didn’t accept this claim.

Gambling debt

Ms Proctor added Marsh had a £7,000 gambling debt at the time and sold drugs to try to pay that off. He had struggled to pay his rent due to his gambling and moved into a caravan owned by his parents.

She added:

“He’s going to lose his home (and) he’s going to lose his job.”

Judge Sean Morris, the Recorder of York, told Marsh: 

“Prior to starting drug dealing you had been going to house parties and you realised there was more money to be made and got involved in drug dealing as a means to an end.

“That involved having money put into your bank account, giving people cocaine on tick and being caught by police (with) very-high-purity cocaine in your car, which on the street would be worth thousands of pounds.” 

He said Marsh was “not the most robust of characters” and now found himself in a “nightmare” of his own making. 

Mr Morris added:

“Cocaine is an absolute scourge.

“If you swim with sharks, you are going to get bitten.”

He said Marsh “had to go to prison because Class A dealers must go down, otherwise people might be tempted to earn a little extra cash like you”.

Marsh was handed a 30-month jail sentence of which he will serve half behind bars before being released on prison licence.