Harrogate primary school’s first and only headteacher retires

Pupils and staff at a Harrogate primary school will be saying a sad farewell on Friday, when their headteacher retires after 15 years at the helm. 

Dr Helen Davey has led Willow Tree Community Primary School since it was created.

Before that, she was headteacher of Wedderburn Infant and Nursery School, which merged with Woodlands Community Junior School to form Willow Tree in 2011. 

James Hughes, deputy headteacher, said: 

“Helen has been a wonderful headteacher to work for. She has always put the children first and created a truly inclusive community school. She has impacted so many children’s lives, having led the school for 15 years and we know that she will be sorely missed by children, staff and parents alike.  

“From everybody at Willow Tree, we would just like to say the biggest thank you to a very special person and we hope you enjoy your retirement.” 

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Dr Davey, who first wanted to be a teacher when she was just five years old, completed her Doctorate in Education through Durham University in 2016, having previously obtained her Masters in Educational Leadership from the University of Chichester. 

She said:

“I would like to thank the staff, parents and most importantly the children who I have worked with over the past 15 years at Willow Tree. We are a great team and I will miss them all.” 

Willow Tree, which has about 540 children on the school roll, is now a member of the Northern Star Academies Trust, which also includes Harrogate High School, Hookstone Chase, New Park and Starbeck primary schools in Harrogate, Skipton Girls’ High, Greatwood Community Primary in Skipton, and Holycroft and Eastwood primary schools in Keighley. 

Jenn Plews, CEO of the Northern Star Academies Trust, said:

“Helen has made a lifelong contribution to education, influencing the lives of thousands of children across Harrogate and Craven. She can be proud of what she has achieved. We wish her well with her retirement.”

Another Harrogate Hydro delay appears to rule out summer holiday swimming

Harrogate Hydro looks set to stay closed throughout the school summer holidays after another delay.

The Hydro closed in April last year for what was supposed to be a nine-month refurbishment costing £11.9 million.

But the scheduled re-opening in January this year did not happen and in its latest update in May, North Yorkshire Council said the cost of the scheme had risen to £13.5 million and customers would be welcomed back in August.

That suggested families would be able to use the swimming pool for at least some of the summer holidays, which start next week and end on September 4.

Brimhams Active, the council-controlled company that operates leisure centres, is now advertising the re-opening.

Its adverts say the Hydro, which will be renamed Harrogate Leisure and Wellness Centre, is now “anticipated to open early September 2023”.

The news will be a blow to families as the school holidays start next week.

The Stray Ferret asked the council if it could confirm the re-opening date and explain the reason for the latest delay. We also asked if the new £17.6 million Knaresborough Leisure and Wellness Centre was still due to open in November.

A council spokesperson said it would provide an update after a site visit with contractors today.

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Council leader apologises for saying only 129 bin collections missed

The leader of North Yorkshire Council has apologised after incorrectly stating just 129 bin collections were missed in the first 100 days of the new authority.

North Yorkshire Council took over responsibility for waste collections from the seven former district councils, including Harrogate, on April 1.

Cllr Carl Les, the Conservative leader of the council, said today that out of 5.6 million collections across the county since April 1, just 129 were missed in that time.

He said:

“We hope that there will be even fewer missed bins as we move forward as even one missed bin collection is important to that household.”

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However, Cllr Hannah Gostlow, a Liberal Democrat who represents Knaresborough East, questioned the accuracy of the figure at today’s meeting.

Cllr Gostlow said:

“Talking with my colleagues across the former Harrogate borough and hearing from my own residents, I understand that there has been a much higher than normal missed general, garden and recycling waste bins.

“Unfortunately it also includes assisted bin collections.”

Cllr Les apologised when it was established the figure was wrong, but added he was unable to provide Cllr Gostlow with the correct figure today.

He added that the information in his statement today was given in “good faith”.

Cllr Les said:

“I will establish that figure in due course. I will send you a written answer and circulate it to all members together with the verified figures.

“As I am wrong, I apologise.”

Taxi drivers fear criminal prosecutions amid North Yorkshire Council ‘error’

Taxi drivers say they are living in fear of facing criminal prosecutions after North Yorkshire Council’s move to unify the trade left them “plying for hire illegally”.

The council has been warned by a consultant working for taxi drivers that it has been reported to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman after failing to acknowledge it had made an error when attempting to change where taxi drivers can work earlier this year or to take any remedial action.

It follows a taxi industry expert claiming in its rush to introduce a single area for taxis across the county, the council had not followed the legal procedure to create a single hackney carriage licensing.

Earlier this year opponents of the council’s proposed taxi policy had told a meeting of the authority’s executive it would lead to the clogging up of taxis in town centres while leaving sparse cover in rural areas, particularly for wheelchair users.

A meeting of the authority’s executive heard that while a working group of elected members with significant experience of licensing had made a series of recommendations which the council’s officers had “tossed aside like a pair of old slippers” and come up with a series of different proposals.

Before the launch of North Yorkshire Council in April, taxis were licensed by the seven district and borough councils, including Harrogate Borough Council, which meant hackney carriage taxis could only ply for hire on the ranks and in the streets in the area of the district council by which they were licensed.

In the weeks after vesting day, the new licensing authority oversaw all hackney carriage taxis being able to ply for hire on all the ranks and streets of any town in North Yorkshire.

It is illegal for anyone to ply for hire in an area for which they are not licensed. On conviction, a fine of up to £2,500 may be imposed.

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Although hackney carriage taxi drivers do not expect the council would prosecute them for plying illegally, as the council has already decided it wants Hackney carriage taxis to be able to ply for hire throughout the area, drivers are concerned they might still face prosecution by the police, and fines from the courts on conviction.

Ripon cabbie Richard Fieldman, formerly a Harrogate Borough Council hackney carriage taxi driver, said drivers had only discovered the council had not followed the legal procedure after seeking a consultant’s advice.

He said the council was applying different rules to hackney carriage taxis licensed in different parts of the county, “even though we were now supposed to be one area, subject to one set of rules”.

Photo of Ripon taxi driver Richard Fieldman

Richard Fieldman, who runs his taxi in Ripon.

In a response to consultant David Wilson, of A2Z Licensing, the council said he had raised “important issues”, but added it did not agree it was facilitating the illegal operation of hackney carriages within its area.

A council spokesman said: 

“The council has been clear through its communication, consultation and within the executive report that the council intended to create a single hackney carriage zone.”

Mr Wilson said as the council has failed to acknowledge its error and to take remedial action to comply with the current legal position, in the three weeks since the situation was brought to its attention in June, trade representatives were set to report the council to the ombudsman.

Mr Wilson said: 

“Although admitting an error was made may be embarrassing for the new council and those licensing officers and lawyers involved, we are all human and make mistakes from time to time.

“What is important is that the council acknowledges its mistake and takes urgent action to comply with the law, restricting hackney carriage taxis to ply for hire in one of the former seven district council areas until such time as the council legally merges then into a single area.

“Members of the public can, however, be reassured that a hackney carriage taxi is insured, even if plying for hire illegally in an area in which it is not licensed.”

Ripon hackney carriage driver Katie Johnstone said: 

“The time has come for the council to admit it has driven a coach and horses through taxi law and to get around the table with trade representatives to work out how this situation can best be resolved.”

In response, North Yorkshire Council’s corporate director of environment, Karl Battersby, said:

“We have received the letter and are taking legal advice on the points raised. We will be responding as soon as we can.”

Hundreds object to Crimple Valley housing plans as decision looms

A controversial Harrogate planning application which has attracted more than 350 objections could be decided this week.

The proposal for 17 new homes at the bottom of Almsford Bank has attracted 364 public comments, all but five of which are against the plans.

A target decision date for the plans, which include a mix of self-build and affordable homes, has been set by North Yorkshire Council for this Thursday.

Objectors have raised concerns about the impact on the Crimple Valley, which is designated a special landscape area (SLA), as well as safety around the entrance to the homes on the A61 Leeds Road.

In documents submitted with the plans, applicants Square Feet Limited and Antela Developments Limited said:

“There are currently no dedicated cycling facilities/routes along the A61 between Pannal and the southern fringes of Harrogate.

“Coupled with that, the existing 50mph speed limit on this section of Leeds Road means that traffic speeds are not particularly conducive to providing a pedestrian/cycle friendly environment – including the Almsford Bank section where the existing overtaking lane only serves to encourage higher traffic speeds.

“This overtaking lane is historic (prior to the by-pass) and is considered to be unnecessary and in an inappropriate urban location, only serving to increase vehicle speeds further as traffic enters a 30mph residential [area].

“Whilst not considered necessary, particularly for a scheme of just 17 dwellings now, the proposed development presents an opportunity to address this infrastructure/accessibility deficiency and assist in encouraging sustainable travel.”

The applicants propose installing a shared pedestrian and cycle path on the footpath on the western side of the A61 going up Almsford Bank, as well as a cycleway on the southbound carriageway going downhill.

They also suggest removing the stretch of 50mph limit along the A61 and maintaining a 40mph limit from Pannal to the top of Almsford Bank, where it becomes 30mph.

However, North Yorkshire Council’s highways department has raised concerns about those proposals, saying traffic is already travelling too fast on the A61.

Its response to the application said the entrance to the site could lead to slow-moving traffic on the A61 as vehicles approach at speed, while introducing cycle lanes could make the road too narrow for large vehicles to pass bicycles safely.

Its statement added:

“Any reduction in capacity on Leeds Road will inevitably lead to more traffic using alternative routes through Burn Bridge, Yew Tree Lane and Pannal Ash Road which are less suitable, predominantly residential, and already congested.”

The site of the proposed 17 homes at the bottom of Almsford Bank . The red line shows the development area, and the yellow the self-build element, within the blue line of the owners' land.The red line shows the development area, and the yellow the self-build element, within the blue line of the owners’ land

Other concerns raised by consultees include the practicalities of enforcing any section 106 agreement, which require developers to pay for investment in local infrastructure when building new houses.

They says the inclusion of 10 self-build plots on the site would likely mean there would be multiple developers involved, making such an agreement harder to enforce.

The site, which is not included in the local plan guiding where development should take place, has previously had applications for larger numbers of houses turned down or withdrawn.

Last year, a proposal for 35 homes including 14 self-build plots was rejected by Harrogate Borough Council, after attracting almost 250 people to write in opposition.

Plans for 35 homes submitted in 2019 were withdrawn, as was a scheme for 65 houses put forward in 2018. Each had received more than 100 letters of objection.

Among the 359 letters objecting to the current plans is one from Mike Black, a Pannal resident, who said:

“Here we go again. This is another ridiculous attempt to build a housing development in a special landscape area that is one of the most precious and beautiful areas of countryside on the edges of Harrogate.

“It is highly valued by local communities as an unspoilt green space where you can walk and relax. A housing development will destroy much of this precious resource.

“Not only that, but its location will increase traffic flow at a very dangerous bend on the A61. There have been a number of fatal accidents here already. It is crazy to increase the dangers that already exist.

“Please do not let developers ruin our natural environment. Their gain would be a massive loss to thousands and thousands of people in our local community.”

To view the application, visit the North Yorkshire Council planning website and use reference 23/01082/OUTMAJ.

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Climate change: sunshine and showers a year after record heat in Harrogate district

What a difference a year makes.

This time last year, the Harrogate district was baking in record temperatures approaching 40C.

Last year’s hot weather, which came amid warnings about the impact of extreme heat, saw several schools close for the day.

Some businesses shut their doors, while others only opened for a few hours. Bin collections started early and were called off as the heat increased.

Dog owners and parents of small children were also out and about earlier than usual, trying to avoid the peak temperatures.

Paula with her fox red labrador at Hell WathDog walkers were out early before it got too hot

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service was among many around the UK to declare a major incident because of the level of demand it was facing. Harrogate and District Foundation Trust also said its services were under higher than usual pressure thanks to the weather.

However, the trust was also offering a more indulgent way for patients on its wards to keep cool – it handed out ice creams and lollies during the day.

Care homes were also ensuring elderly and vulnerable residents kept cool and hydrated. Vida Healthcare‘s chefs made jelly sweets, each containing 20ml of water, to help.

Today, however, the forecast is for top temperatures of no more than half that figure, with sunshine and showers through the day. The forecast for the coming fortnight remains similar, after heavy rain and thunder storms hit the district this month.

Heavy showers at last week’s Great Yorkshire Show

Meanwhile, Europe is experiencing an extended heatwave and hitting highs in the mid-40s every day.

The extreme weather is said to be caused by climate change, with experts predicting we will face more high temperatures in future.

Mike Kendon from the Met Office said:

“While the UK has always had periods of warm weather, what climate change does is increase the frequency and intensity of these warm weather events, increasing the likelihood of high temperature records being broken, like we saw for 2022’s annual temperature for the UK.

“It is particularly telling that of the 12 months of the year, for UK average maximum temperature the records for the warmest months include 2019 (February), 2018 (May), 2015 (December), 2012 (March), 2011 (April), 2011 (November), 2006 (July) and now 2023 (June).

“Statistics such as this clearly tell us of the changing nature of the UK’s climate and how it is particularly affecting extremes.”

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Business Breakfast: Harrogate Town agrees player development centre sponsorship

There’s not long to go until the Stray Ferret Business Club’s breakfast event on Thursday, 27 July at Banyan in Harrogate between 8-10am.

The Business Club provides monthly opportunities to network, make new connections and hear local success stories. Get your tickets now by clicking or tapping here.

Harrogate Town has agreed a new sponsorship deal for its player development centre.

The club has partnered with Harrogate College to sponsor the centre for the forthcoming season.

The centre provides additional football coaching to young players from under 7s to under 17s as part of their development.

Jo Towler, commercial director at Harrogate Town, said:

“The partnership reflects our shared dedication to supporting young people and fostering their development both on and off the field.”

Danny Wild, principal at Harrogate College, said:

“Harrogate Town AFC, just like our college, is committed to giving great opportunities to the district’s young people to help them flourish and grow. Collaborating with brilliant local organisations is in our DNA, and we know that sport brings all kinds of benefits – physical, mental and social – to those involved.”

Harrogate IT company forecasts improved revenue despite results delay

A Harrogate IT company has said it anticipates an increase in revenue despite a delay in publishing its year-end results.

Redcentric, which is based on Otley Road, was due to publish its report on July 19, but announced a delay to allow the company’s auditors to complete “the finalisation of the results”.

However, in a trading update, it said it expects revenue to increase to £141.8m in line with its forecast in April this year.

The figure would be an increase on £93.3 million at the end of 2022.

The move comes as Peter Brotherton, chief executive of Redcentric, said in January that he expected the firm to capitalise on an “enlarged customer base and increased breadth of products and service”.

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Historic 17th century Harrogate farmhouse put up for sale

A Grade-II listed former Harrogate farmhouse which dates back to the 17th century has been put up for sale.

Dacre, Son and Hartley is marketing Bilton Grove Farm, on Hill Foot Lane near Burn Bridge, for offers over £850,000.

The property, which is thought to originate from the mid-17th century, offers two reception rooms and three bedrooms, and adjoins an extensive range of outbuildings.

They include stone stables, a barn, garages and storerooms that extend to approximately 10,500 sq ft.

Offers on the property are being accepted until midday on Friday, July 28.

Sophie Tillisch, branch manager at Dacre, Son & Hartley’s Harrogate office, said: 

“Opportunities like this in Harrogate’s exclusive south side neighbourhoods, close to the villages of Pannal and Burn Bridge, the local railway station and the A61, are very rare.

“Subject to the relevant planning consents, Bilton Grove Farm, with its extensive range of outbuildings and delightful south facing paddocks, could be transformed into an exceptional home, or a range of bespoke dwellings.

“As a result, this opportunity is already attracting plenty of interest from local developers and individuals.”

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Tory mayor candidate says he has ‘vision and fight’ to make a difference

The Conservative hoping to become the first-ever Mayor of York and North Yorkshire has said he has the “vision and fight to make a difference”.

Journalist and councillor Keane Duncan was selected at a meeting of North Yorkshire Conservatives at the Bridge Hotel and Spa at Walshford, near Wetherby on Friday.

Only party members who attended were eligible to vote and the full results have not been announced.

A senior party source told the Stray Ferret six people applied for the role and the field was reduced to three on the ballot paper. Each gave a presentation then answered questions.

They said Mr Duncan received 141 votes, York tech entrepreneur Matt Freckelton polled 38 votes and Zoe Metcalfe, the North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner who lives near Boroughbridge, received just 15.

Ms Metcalfe has not responded to questions from the Stray Ferret about the vote.

Her role will be subsumed by the mayor’s office after the election in May next year.

Whoever is chosen will also oversee the delivery of a £540m devolution deal, with responsibility for economic development, transport, housing and skills.

Mr Duncan, who is from Malton in North Yorkshire, is a deputy news editor on the Daily Star as well as the Conservative executive member for highways and transport at North Yorkshire Council. His councillor remit includes oversight of the £11.9 million Harrogate Station Gateway,

He said:

“It’s an honour to win the confidence of party members to fight for my home area in this critical election.

“Our landmark £540m devolution deal represents an unprecedented chance to unlock opportunities for everyone who lives here, particularly the next generation.

“My vision for York and North Yorkshire is one that is open for business and proud of success – a greener and more productive area embracing future industries and offering highly-skilled, well-paid job opportunities.”

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He added:

“Ahead of polling day in May I hope to convince voters I have the vision and fight to make a difference for people in every corner of our diverse and vast county.”

Andrew Jones, the Conservative MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, said:

“Keane’s enthusiasm for and knowledge of York and North Yorkshire is impressive.

“He understands the challenges we face and the opportunities which devolution offers to address those challenges in transport, skills, housing and employment.”

The Stray Ferret asked Mr Jones’ office is he voted for Mr Duncan but was told he was in meetings all afternoon and it might not be possible to contact him.

Harrogate businessman given suspended sentence for stalking ex-partner

A millionaire Harrogate businessman has been given a suspended jail sentence for stalking and assaulting his ex-partner.

Jason Ronald Shaw, 54, told the named victim he hired a private detective to keep track of her movements and even installed a hidden camera on her phone charger.

Shaw – the owner of Pineheath, the historic Harrogate mansion which has been the subject of much intrigue in the town recently after it was put up for auction at a reduced asking price of £3 million – was charged with stalking, common assault and damaging the victim’s property but initially denied the offences. 

He ultimately admitted all three matters a week after being remanded in custody.   

He appeared for sentence via video link at York Magistrates’ Court today knowing his liberty was in the balance. 

‘Looking dangerous’

Prosecutor Kathryn Walters said Shaw and the named victim had been in a “toxic, on-off” relationship between November 2020 and May this year after meeting at the David Lloyd gym in Harrogate where they were both members. 

Matters came to a head late at night on May 20 when her niece called police to her home in Harrogate after spotting Shaw “snooping around in the garden” and “looking dangerous”.

She told the call operator that Shaw had “turned up looking for (the named victim)” and that he had attacked her following a “tussle over a mobile phone” which caused bruising to her arm.

Shaw had then headed to her home nearby and removed the ring doorbell from the front of the house, before returning to her niece’s property where he rang the doorbell and started shouting.

The two women, who were at the niece’s home, then spotted Shaw in the back of the garden where the named victim’s car was parked. 

They believed he had been “fiddling” with the car’s wheels. They later discovered that valve caps had been removed and the tyres were deflated.

Police arrived and found Shaw hiding in the property wearing only shorts and flip flops. He was duly arrested.

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The named victim told police that she had been stalked by Shaw for over a year during which time he had followed her around in public places, monitored her movements and loitered around her house. 

She said that Shaw had isolated her from friends and family and would take her phone from her “to check what she had been doing”.

Photo taken from the rear of Pineheath, the derelict mansion on Cornwall Road in Harrogate that is currently up for sale. The Rutland Drive building plot is shown in the foreground.

Pineheath in Harrogate

She said he tried to control her and make her financially dependent on him. He would turn up at her workplace and follow her around when she was out shopping.

She said he would constantly make video calls to check “where she was and who she was with”.

Hidden camera

In the moments before the attack on May 20, Shaw had been looking through her phone and asked her who one of her male contacts was. When she told him it was a friend, he grabbed her arm, causing injury.

She said Shaw would “buy her things and then take them from her”. He once gave her a phone charger on which he had installed a hidden camera.

He would turn up unexpectedly when she was out with friends, at the gym or the cinema, and once told her he had hired a private investigator to carry out surveillance on her.

Shaw’s behaviour had had a “huge” impact on her mental wellbeing and self-worth. She had since hired a life coach to help with problems such as sleeplessness. 

The stress she had suffered had affected her work as a beautician and the relationship with her family had deteriorated.

She said she had “absolutely no escape” from Shaw and had lost her bubbly personality. She was left feeling “constantly down, tired and miserable”. 

In 2020, Shaw was given a jail sentence at the crown court for stalking and assaulting another partner. He had also uploaded sexual photos of her onto the internet.

His solicitor advocate Peter Minnikin said that Shaw realised his behaviour was “disgusting”. 

He added:

“He accepts that it is now over and accepts that he needs to improve himself.”

A probation report concluded that Shaw presented a “high risk” to future partners.

‘Cause for concern’

Magistrates’ chairman Mr R Childerhouse said there were “quite a few high risks here that give us cause for concern”.

He said the offences were so serious that they warranted a jail sentence, but that this could be suspended because Shaw had ultimately admitted the offences and there was a “realistic prospect of rehabilitation”.

Shaw was given a 20-week suspended prison sentence with 150 hours of unpaid work and a 30-day rehabilitation programme. He was ordered to pay £125 costs and £500 compensation to the named victim. 

He was also slapped with a five-year restraining order banning him from contacting the victim and entering her street in Killinghall.

Pineheath, the former home of Indian shipping magnate Sir Dhunjibhoy Bomanji, was put up for auction last month at a much reduced asking price after failing to find a buyer. 

The derelict, 40-room mansion on Cornwall Road, near Shaw’s home in Rutland Drive, is part of the Duchy estate and in its heyday as a family home it was fully staffed and had gold-plated taps and a centrally heated garage of Rolls-Royces. 

Following the death of Sir Dhunjibhoy’s daughter in 2012, Pineheath was sold for £2 million to Mr Shaw in 2013.