Antique safe stolen from Harrogate

Police are appealing for information about the theft of an antique safe from Harrogate.

The safe was stolen from a property on Sussex Avenue between 6.30pm and 8pm on Monday, 10 January. Its value has not been revealed.

North Yorkshire Police said in a statement:

“Three people are believed to have been involved and we are appealing to anyone who either saw something suspicious in the area around the time of the burglary or who has seen it since.”

It urged anyone with information to get in touch by emailing sam.clarke2@northyorkshire.police.uk or by calling 101, selecting option 2, and asking for PC Sam Clarke

Alternatively, information can be passed anonymously to the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Quote reference 12230006025 when providing information.

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Harrogate school to recruit fourth headteacher in two years

A Harrogate secondary school has begun the search for its fourth headteacher in two years.

St Aidan’s Church of England High School has set up a website outlining its vision for the next post holder after facing a number of challenges since late 2021.

The website says:

“The school has had challenges in the last 18 months, including a 2021 Ofsted inspection that highlighted concerns regarding safeguarding processes.

“But the school and the trust responded to this quickly and decisively, and we were delighted that the subsequent inspection in early summer 2022 both acknowledged this, and confirmed the many strengths of the school.

“Our commitment is that we will build on these strengths to re-establish the school’s judgement as an outstanding school.”

St Aidan’s was rated inadequate in an Ofsted report published last January, following a visit by inspectors more than three months earlier. The report found four out of five areas to be ‘good’ but because the leadership and management were ‘inadequate’, the overall rating was also brought down.

However, a monitoring visit in May led Ofsted to return for a full inspection just two days later. The report, published in June, concluded the school was ‘good’, with pupil behaviour and its sixth form both rated ‘outstanding’.

At the time, the school was being led by acting headteacher Chris Ives, who had replaced Chris Burt when he left through ill health in December 2021 after two years in the post.

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Since last summer, headteacher David Thornton has been in post on an interim basis, but has said throughout that he does not want to be considered for the permanent role.

The recruitment website said:

“The school will look to its new headteacher not solely to manage and maintain its strengths, but to build on them.

“An exceptional leader who can challenge, support, and stretch an already strong team, you’ll understand how to nourish an organisational culture founded on continuous professional development and learning.

“It’s important not only that your own values resonate with the Christian ethos of the school, but that you can also embed these personal values into daily school life.

“You will nurture a learning environment that is welcoming and inclusive, where students feel safe and cared for, and where they have the opportunity to develop as individuals, as well as achieving their academic potential.

“This is a fantastic career opportunity – to take on a leadership role in a school where high expectations are shared by staff and students alike and where all feel they have a stake in the school’s success.

“Harnessing and fully realising the potential of such a school requires sophisticated and assured leadership skills, founded on the highest aspirations for every pupil who passes through the school’s doors.”

Potential candidates have until Monday, February 13 to apply, with interviews expected to take place in early March.

St Aidan’s has almost 2,000 students on role, including in its associated sixth form with St John Fisher Catholic High School.

The school became an academy in 2011. It then formed the Yorkshire Causeway Schools Trust, which now includes eight primary schools across Harrogate and Skipton.

A spokesperson for St Aidan’s High School said:

“To suggest that the school is looking for the fourth headteacher in two years is slightly misleading.

“After our last permanent headteacher stepped back from the role, two interim heads have helped lead the school. The decision to appoint interim heads was a pragmatic response based on the changes to our Ofsted grading and headteacher recruitment cycles.

“Now that our Ofsted grading is clear and we are Good with Outstanding features, we have reached the right point in the school year to start a leadership recruitment process, and a national search to find our new permanent headteacher is underway.

“Initial feedback has been very positive, and we look forward at keeping our community updated as we go through the process.”

Eight North Yorkshire Council officers set for £100,000 salaries

Eight senior managers at North Yorkshire Council are set to receive a salary of more than £100,000 a year.

The authority will replace Harrogate Borough Council and North Yorkshire County Council in April.

As part of the move, a new management has been appointed to oversee the authority.

A report due before the council tomorrow (January 24) will also recommend a pay structure for the management and council as a whole.

Among them includes Richard Flinton, the new chief executive, who will receive a salary of £198,935.

Meanwhile, Stuart Carlton, Richard Webb, Gary Fielding and Karl Battersby — all of whom are directors under the county council — will receive £150,044.

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An unnamed director of community development is due to receive a salary of £139,125.

Elsewhere Rachel Joyce and Trudy Forster are due to be paid £111,500 and Barry Khan, currently assistant chief executive for legal and democratic services at the county council, will receive £120,000.

The Stray Ferret asked the county council how it had arrived at the salaries, but had not receive a response by the time of publication.

A report due before senior councillors on Tuesday said:

“The grading structure has been amended this year following a review of all eight councils structures to consider the differences and the changing nature of the council resulting from local government reorganisation.

“Whilst North Yorkshire County Council is the continuing authority, changes in pay terms and conditions have been made as a result of this review, to address the changing nature of the council and also the market pressures causing ongoing staff attraction and retention difficulties.”

Cllr Carl Les, leader of the county council, said:

“The pay which we offer is designed to attract and retain the most talented staff that we can, as we want the best people on board to drive forward the vision of the new North Yorkshire Council for the benefit of everybody who lives and works in the county.

“The new pay structure also highlights some significant savings on roles for chief executives and chief officers of £3.7 million compared to the costs across the previous eight councils.

“We are one of the largest local authorities in the country, managing large and complex operations. 

“In establishing the grades for the new management structure, senior managers’ salaries were analysed against other comparable authorities with the use of independent data.

“We are proud of the ability of our senior managers, and we believe it’s important to be open and transparent about our pay structure.” 

Business Breakfast: Harrogate law firm strengthens commercial team

The Stray Ferret Business Awards will be held on March 9 at the Pavilions of Harrogate. The event will be a celebratory night with prize draw and afterparty. Richard Flinton, the chief executive of the new North Yorkshire Council is the guest speaker. Early bird ticket prices are available until February 9 and available to buy here. Bring your team, network and have fun. 

Harrogate law firm, Berwins, has announced a string of appointments in its commercial property team.

Parminder Matharu has been appointed Team Leader, Khal Shahjahan joins the unit as a Senior Associate, and Jonny Noble has started as a trainee solicitor with the unit.

Parminder has experience of working on a broad spectrum of commercial property work, including secured lending and acquisition finance.

Khal, who has almost 20 years’ experience as a property lawyer, focuses on development and agricultural work.  Jonny will work as a Legal Assistant in Berwins’ Residential and Commercial Property departments.

The team is supported by Gayle Waring, who celebrated 23 years with Berwins in the summer.

CEO, Paul Berwin said:

“Berwins has a strong track record with supporting businesses, landlords, tenants and landowners in a range of commercial property matters. That record has been built both on the deep expertise within the unit and the levels of care it seeks to employ when delivering legal services.

“I’m excited to see the drive Parminder and her team have to build on those core ways of working, continuing to service not only existing clients, aided by Berwins’ growth as a rapidly growing regional presence, extend that into new and emerging markets.”

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The owner of Harrogate’s gastropub, Three’s a Crowd is set to open a second venue in Leeds.

John Quinlan has bought The Reliance on North Street. It’s understood the venue will change its name to Threes a Crowd and is currently closed for refurbishment. All current staff have been retained and ten new jobs have been created.

Three’s a Crowd opened on West Park in 2019.  The venue is to open in February.

 

Stray Views: Who deserves a pay rise? Councillors? Nurses?

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.

Nurses pay

18 January 2023  -today I have just come out of Harrogate District Hospital after a stay of 6 days.

Every single member of staff deserve better treatment from Government by receiving wages for the hard work, long hours, caring and patience they have for all patients.

The additional hours the majority of members of staff work deserve to be paid in the correct manner and not by someone fiddling figures because of the departments budget.

Additional time off to cover any overtime does not put food on the table or pay the bills.

Margaret Beckingham, Harrogate

Councillor’s pay

What sort of message does a pay hike of 50% for councillors send to public sector workers who are struggling to live on their present wages and being told that 10% is too much to ask for?

Many councillors still have jobs or businesses. Those who don’t are by and large comfortably retired.

As most of the premises and staff of Harrogate Council are apparently being kept on after North Yorkshire take over, where are the savings we were promised coming from?

Diane Stokes, Harrogate

Station Gateway consultation

You have now reported on two Station Gateway consultations. Who are these people who have been consulted? Apparently 2,044 people this time, and about half that number last time, chosen (how?) from over 150,000 residents of Harrogate District.

I am one of those never invited to give an opinion. Had I been asked I would have strongly supported the proposal which would give a much more welcoming appearance to those arriving by train or bus, and would enhance the east end of James Street.

Incidentally, why is no “Welcome to Harrogate” sign together with relevant information displayed in either the train or bus station?

Emeritus Professor Tony Wren, MA, DSc, DEng, Harrogate

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Former Harrogate Chinese restaurant to be converted into home

A former Harrogate Chinese restaurant is to be converted into a house.

The proposal submitted by John Tang will see the former Kwun Wah on Strawberry Dale changed into a four-bedroom home.

Harrogate Borough Council has approved the plans.

The Kwun Wah restaurant has been closed since 2006.

Planning permission was granted back in 2011 to convert the former restaurant into a home, but has since expired.

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Government help needed to achieve carbon cutting targets, admits council

Senior North Yorkshire councillors have admitted many of the authority’s climate change goals will only be achieved if the government funds them.

Approving a public consultation over its long-awaited carbon-cutting masterplan, several executive members of North Yorkshire County Council emphasised the authority would steer clear of over-promising what it could achieve given funding and powers at its disposal.

Cllr Greg White, the authority’s climate change executive member, said six months after declaring a climate emergency the authority had formed a plan about how it would get its own emissions to net zero.

He said in addition, the North Yorkshire and York Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) had developed its own plan or roadmap for the area, featuring what he described as the “extremely ambitious” target of net zero carbon emissions by 2034 and becoming carbon negative by 2040.

He told executive members they were being asked to endorse, rather than adopt the LEP’s plan, whilst “recognising many of the actions and ambitions are actually the responsibilities of others and not in control of this council” and approve a draft carbon cutting plan for the new unitary authority.

When questioned by Liberal Democrat Cllr Steve Mason over whether the authority would pursue area-wide ambitions, Cllr White replied the authority would be reliant on residents, traders and the government for the latter.

He said the authority was set to endorse the LEP’s roadmap, but would stop short of adopting it as it could not fulfil many of the targets.

Cllr White said: 

“What we are today doing is widening what we do as a council beyond a focus on what we actually do ourselves, in terms of our vans and our buildings, to how we can help across the whole of the council and help with things like homelessness.

“However, we have to be constantly aware we can only do what we can do within the funding that we have available and the powers we have available to us. We want to take a leadership role and that is the most you can hope for.”

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Cllr Mason said the carbon-cutting plans had already taken several years to be drawn up. He added: 

“We are now three years down the line and are still talking about endorsing the plan. To be honest, we need to be taking action.”

Executive member for transport, Cllr Keane Duncan, appeared to question whether some ambitions in the LEP’s plan, such as reducing private car use by 48% and a 900% increase in cycling miles by 2030, were realistic.

He said: 

“It’s very easy for us to agree to a pledge that sounds nice on paper, but when you look at the deliverability of what’s going to be involved in making that happen in reality it becomes much more difficult.”

Cllr Duncan added the public would thank the authority for setting realistic goals.

In order to get the reductions in levels of car use, said Cllr White, there would need to be a huge injection of funds from central government.

He concluded: 

“All we can do is help people move in the right direction.”

Cllr Gareth Dadd revealed following the launch of the unitary authority “an accelerated programme of property rationalisation” would be brought forward to tackle climate change.

He said: 

“Everybody agrees with climate change until it affects them. It’s like housebuilding. Everybody agrees we need more homes until they’re next door to them.”

Photo of the Week: Sunset over Trinity Church

This week’s photograph was taken by Bill Shaw, featuring the silhouette of women photographing the sunset overlooking the Stray and Trinity Church.

Bill Shaw

 

Photo of the Week celebrates the Harrogate district. It could be anything from family life to capturing the district’s beauty. We are interested in amateur and professional photographs, in a landscape format.

Send your photographs to letters@thestrayferret.co.uk for a chance to be featured next week, we reserve the right to adjust and crop images to fit into our format.

Explained: North Yorkshire Council’s plan for council tax

North Yorkshire Council looks set to propose a council tax hike as part of its first budget.

The authority, which will take over Harrogate Borough Council and North Yorkshire County Council, is set to recommend a bill of £1,759.96.

However, the total bill will also include precepts for fire and police services which will be decided next month.

Here is all you need to know about your council tax this coming year.

What will my council tax be?

For 2023/24, taxpayers will no longer pay council tax to Harrogate Borough Council and North Yorkshire County Council.

Instead, tax will be paid solely to the new North Yorkshire Council.

As part of its first budget, authority officials are proposing a band D rate of £1,759.96 for the year – an increase on last year by 4.99%.

That does not include the precepts for fire, police and parish councils which will be decided separately by those organisations.

Why has the council chosen to increase council tax?

The council is proposing the sum in order to meet costs for providing public services across the county.

It has also decided that council tax rates will be harmonised for the next two years – meaning taxpayers will pay the same sum across the county.

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The council has calculated that council tax for the average band D property in Harrogate would normally be valued at £1,783.35.

But, the harmonised average for the county – which includes a 4.99% hike – will be set at £1,759.96.

The council also says it has to make income in order to tackle a £30 million blackhole caused by inflation and spiralling costs.

What has the council said about the proposal?

Despite an increase in funding from the government, the new authority is set to start the next financial year from April with a predicted shortfall of more than £30 million in its budget.

The council is set to receive an additional £22 million from government as part of the announcement.

However, soaring inflation and the impact of the covid pandemic is still set to leave a blackhole in the authority’s finances.

A council press release said the shortfall would be met “by the one-off use of reserves as well as some savings”.

Senior councillors will meet to discuss the council’s first budget, including council tax, on January 24.

Conservative Cllr Carl Les, who will assume the leadership of North Yorkshire Council from April, said: 

“We are facing the greatest ever financial challenges in North Yorkshire, which means we have a huge task in ensuring that services can be delivered effectively and efficiently for the public.

“However, without the opportunities presented with the launch of the new council, the situation would be a great deal worse, and it is vital that we take full advantage of these opportunities.

“We have the chance to make millions of pounds in savings by reorganising the way services are delivered, meaning that we get the most out of every pound of taxpayers’ money in North Yorkshire.”

Long read: Is a new vision needed for Harrogate Convention Centre?

Debate has continued this week over the future of Harrogate Convention Centre.

After Harrogate Borough Council‘s (HBC) bid for £20 million from the levelling up fund was unsuccessful, council leader Richard Cooper expressed his disappointment.

He said the council will look to bid again in the next round of funding, as part of plans to carry out a £49m improvement to the convention centre (HCC).

It has long been argued that the centre is vital to the economy of the Harrogate district. HBC says it brings around £30m each year to local businesses – though that has fallen from a claim of £60m before the covid pandemic.

The benefit to the hospitality businesses closest to HCC is easy enough to see: guesthouses booked up during major events, and bars buzzing at the end of each day of a conference.

Harrogate BID agrees the centre is essential to the town. Manager Matthew Chapman said:

“Harrogate Convention Centre is a vital component of the local economy, and I’m confident in saying that the vast majority of businesses recognise its importance, not just to Harrogate but the whole district.

“Its exhibitions benefit our shops, bars, restaurants, hotels, guest houses, and many local suppliers.

“Annually, it brings more 150,000 visitors to the district, boosts the economy to the tune of £30m and it supports hundreds, possibly thousands, of jobs.

“Last year, Harrogate BID was happy to back Harrogate Convention Centre in its fight against the development of a rival venue in Leeds.

“Investment is needed to ensure its continued viability which will enable it to compete against venues around the country, securing Harrogate’s position as the conference and exhibition capital of the UK.”

Guesthouses and B&Bs near Harrogate Convention CentreGuesthouses and B&Bs near Harrogate Convention Centre

HCC’s impact further out into the district is less easy to measure.

The Stray Ferret spoke to Jonathan Rose, who owns Kell House B&B in Pateley Bridge with his wife, Heather.

He said:

“Nobody has used us who is visiting the convention centre in Harrogate, as far as I know. A lot of people have gone to Harrogate for different things but not specifically for that.

“I think we’re a little bit too far out if someone is visiting for for business reasons or for exhibitions and so on. There’s so much choice in Harrogate.”

The couple renovated the building in 2021, only opening for a couple of months. Last year was their first full season welcoming guests, so Mr Rose acknowledged it was too early to fully assess the impact of HCC on their trade.

However, Sarah Cannon, who owns The Old Smithy B&B on the outskirts of Knaresborough, said she does welcome some guests who have been to HCC.

Public events like the Knitting and Stitching show in November seemed to bring her more custom, she said, though she has welcomed delegates from trade fairs for groundskeepers, golfers and jewellery specialists.

She said there was also a benefit to other businesses in the area:

“I’ve got a document with all the restaurants in Knaresborough, but also the Guy Fawkes at Scotton because it’s my favourite. I’ll email that out when people book with me in case they want to book a table.

“Generally, my guests either go to the Guy Fawkes or somewhere in Knaresborough. Very occasionally, they say they have gone into Harrogate of an evening, regardless of whether they’re in Harrogate during the day.”

Every news story about HCC brings a range of responses. There are those who would see the site flattened and given over to housing, and others who say there is no option but to keep pushing through the planned redevelopment for the sake of the local economy.

The centre has run at a loss over many years. In the decade to April 2019, it only made a profit in three years: £269,215 in 2009-10, £741,000 in 2016-17, and £3,000 in 2017-18.

Its losses in the other years ranged from £212,631 to £1.2 million. Total losses for the 10 years were just over £4 million.

The question is do the benefits of the HCC outweigh the amount of tax payers’ money that props it up and would investment change that?

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Even in a difficult week for HCC, it has had good news: Harrogate Christmas and Gift Fair has confirmed it has agreed a five-year deal to remain at the venue each January. Other multi-year deals have also been done in the last 12 months.

Harrogate Borough Council continues to underpin the centre on the basis of its contribution to the district’s economy.

However, under devolution, its running will transfer to North Yorkshire Council on April 1.

Its chief executive Richard Flinton suggested last week that the new authority will not continue to support a drain on public finances and that it will “consider it again with a fresh pair of eyes”.

His comments came in response to a question from Cllr Michael Schofield, a Liberal Democrat who represents the Harlow and St George’s division on North Yorkshire County Council.

Cllr Schofield said he was frustrated that there was no open discussion about the future of the centre at Harrogate Borough Council, as councillors and directors “do not wish to engage”. He told the Stray Ferret:

“I firmly believe that there is an opportunity to repurpose parts of the Convention Centre that will bring them an income stream all year round and also attract visitors to Harrogate.

“HCC is a vital part of Harrogate town centre, however I fear current HBC councillors and directors are not looking at the bigger picture.

“Let Leeds push for conferences. Let’s look at re-marketing and look at the markets we can bring to Harrogate. Our offer is so strong as a town that can give the personal touch to emerging markets. The scope is huge if only HBC councillors and directors opened their eyes.

“I see it very much being in partnership with external bodies. I am having quite a heated debate with my party as I believe it can work but my HBC friends are not prepared to open their eyes.”