Local Harrogate News & Views around the district - Page 421 of 1304

Well-known Harrogate family business mourns death of founder

One of the best-known butchers in the Harrogate area died on Monday, more than 50 years after founding his family business.

Ian Audsley, 84, was a well-known figure both in food retail circles and in his local area in the south of Harrogate.

Mr Audsley launched his business in 1970, and his shop on St Winifred’s Avenue West, JE Audsley Family Butcher, long ago widened its customer base far beyond the Saints area of the town. Now run by his son, John, it continues to command loyalty among many of its clientele.

A notice issued by his family said:

“His commitment and passion have shaped the character of our establishment, and his unwavering dedication has made it a cherished part of the lives of countless individuals.

“Ian’s impact extends far beyond the business he founded; it encompasses the relationships he nurtured, the moments he shared, and the lives he touched. His genuine kindness, infectious spirit, and commitment to community service have left an indelible mark on all who had the privilege of knowing him.”

Council rejects 20mph limit on main roads near Harrogate schools

North Yorkshire Council has rejected requests to reduce the speed limit on some main roads outside schools in Harrogate to 20mph.

A report due before Cllr Keane Duncan, executive councillor for highways, will recommend creating a 20mph zone outside schools in the Pannal Ash and Oatlands area of the town.

The council announced plans for the “landmark” zone in September following a safety campaign by residents, councillors and schools.

The proposed area for the new zones included seven Harrogate schools. These are Harrogate Grammar School, Rossett Acre Primary School, Rossett School, Ashville College, St Aidan’s Church of England High School, Oatlands Junior School and Oatlands Infants School.

It included roads such as Arthurs Avenue, Oatlands Drive, Yew Tree Lane and Cromwell Road.

But it now appears main routes Leeds Road, Wetherby Road, Otley Road, Hookstone Road, Hookstone Drive, York Place and Leadhall Lane will not be included in the plan.

A map of the 20mph areas in Pannal and Oatlands. Picture: NYC.

Neil Renton, headteacher at Harrogate Grammar School, told the council’s Harrogate and Knaresborough area constituency committee in September he hoped Otley Road — where students enter the school — could be reduced to 20mph.

But the report due before Cllr Duncan on December 18 says the main roads were identified as either “strategic distributor” or “main distributor” roads.

It added:

“Practically given the recognised role in the strategic network and their function to carry high volumes of traffic between primary destinations it is not considered appropriate to implement physical traffic calming features and an associated speed reduction to 20mph.”

Meanwhile, the council said Leadhall Lane “does not have identified destination points such as schools, shops or sports centre” and a 20mph limit would be “difficult to achieve”.

‘Incredibly disappointed’

Christopher Harrison, headteacher at Oatlands Infant School, said he was “incredibly disappointed” by the plans.

The school caters for pupils between the ages of four and seven.

Mr Harrison said he hoped the council would reconsider its proposals and reduce the speed limit on Hookstone Road from 30mph to 20mph.

He said:

“As headteacher of Oatlands Infant School, I am incredibly disappointed by the decision to keep Hookstone Road at 30mph.

“We have a healthy, active school community who love to walk, cycle and scooter to school alongside Hookstone Road on a daily basis.

“We worry that the current speed limit of 30mph is not safe enough for our children, and that a reduction to 20mph would enable more families to travel to school in safety. We hope that North Yorkshire Council reconsider this decision with our youngest, most vulnerable members of our community in mind.”

Otley Road

Hazel Peacock, of the Oatlands Road Safety and Active Travel Campaign, said the plans did not go far enough and urged the council to include the roads in the proposals.

She said:

“For the safety and well-being of the 9,000 school children and the wider community in Oatlands and Pannal Ash we urge North Yorkshire Council to reconsider the inclusion of Hookstone Road, Hookstone Drive, Leadhall Lane, part of Leeds Rd (A61), Otley Rd (B6162), Wetherby Road (A661) and York Place (A6040) as 20mph in the Harrogate (south and west) 20mph Speed Limit review to be considered by Cllr Keane Duncan, North Yorkshire Council’s executive member for highways and transportation and mayoral candidate, on Monday 18th December.

“Without the inclusion of Hookstone Road, Hookstone Drive, Otley Road and part of Wetherby Road specifically only five of the nine schools in the zone will be fully covered with 20mph roads immediately surrounding them; leaving St John Fishers Catholic High School and Willow Tree Primary School on 30mph roads and a combination of 30mph and 20mph in the case of Harrogate Grammar School and Oatlands Infant School.

“Considering people hit by a vehicle at 20mph are around five times less likely to be killed than at 30mph (Transport for London data) and that 16 children are killed or seriously injured in road crashes every week on their way to or from school (Public Health England), it is clear why the inclusion of these roads as 20mph matters.

“We hope Cllr Duncan will include them to prioritise the safety and well-being of the school children and members of the community as has been done on ‘main roads’ by other local authorities, in many including nearby Otley, Leeds, Nottingham, Manchester, Glasgow, London, rural villages in Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire.”

The scheme is estimated to cost the council £200,000.

The authority has recommended proceeding to consultation on traffic regulation orders for the areas proposed to be reduced to 20mph.

A decision will be made on the recommendation at next week’s meeting.

Council cancels another Harrogate and Knaresborough planning committee

North Yorkshire Council has cancelled another Harrogate and Knaresborough planning committee due to a lack of planning applications to consider.

The meeting was set to take place next Tuesday at the Civic Centre in Harrogate.

It means since the new council was formed in April, just four out of nine planned meetings have taken place with none happening since the last meeting on September 26.

The ability to approve or reject planning applications is a key responsibility of elected councillors, with cross-party planning committees based around parliamentary constituencies scheduled to meet each month.

But there have been concerns across the county that power has been concentrated centrally with unelected officers making the decisions instead.

Last month, the Harrogate & Knaresborough committee chair Pat Marsh told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that the council was making a “nonsense” out of the current planning system.

In a statement published this week, the council’s assistant director of planning services, Trevor Watson, said one reason for the paucity of meetings was that planning applications in the former Harrogate district area are now been heard by councillors in the Skipton & Ripon and Selby & Ainsty constituency areas instead.

This includes plans for an eco home development in Flaxby tomorrow, which is a resubmitted version of a scheme previously refused by Harrogate Borough Council.

Mr Watson said:

“We are committed to open and transparent governance and always endeavour to hold planning meetings where possible.

“Unfortunately, due to a lack of agenda items, the Harrogate and Knaresborough area constituency planning committee meeting scheduled for December 19 had to be cancelled.

“However, as the former administrative boundary of Harrogate Borough Council is split over three area constituency planning committees, a number of applications were considered at the Skipton and Ripon planning committee last week.

“A further two items are scheduled to be considered by the Selby and Ainsty committee on Wednesday.”

The next Harrogate & Knaresborough planning committee is set to take place on January 30.

Labour designates Harrogate and Knaresborough ‘non-battleground’ seat

The Labour Party has designated Harrogate and Knaresborough as a “non-battleground” seat at the next election.

The party published a list online of 211 seats which it considers to be non-target constituencies.

Among them is Harrogate and Knaresborough, as well Skipton and Ripon, both of which are currently held by Conservative MPs.

Local Liberal Democrats have claimed the move means the Harrogate and Knaresborough constituency will be a “two horse race” at the next election.

Tom Gordon, Lib Dem parliamentary candidate for Harrogate and Knaresborough, said:

“This constituency will be a two horse race between the Liberal Democrats and a desperately out of touch Conservative party.

“Even Labour have now admitted they cannot win here. The Liberal Democrats are on a winning streak locally, as people send this government a message.”

The Stray Ferret has approached the Harrogate and Knaresborough Labour Party, which has yet to name a parliamentary candidate, for comment.

It comes as speculation over the date of the next general election has increased amid continued infighting in government.

Andrew Jones, Conservative MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, has been selected to fight the seat for the Tories again.

He is aiming for a fifth straight election win in the constituency at the next election.

Business Breakfast: Harrogate firm wins dealer excellence award

Excellence deserves to be recognised and celebrated. The 2024 Stray Ferret Business Awards is the event to put your business, people or great initiative in the spotlight!

Make the most of your efforts by reading our top 10 tips for writing your submission for success.

Entries close on January 19, 2024.

An office supplies company from Harrogate has beaten stiff competition from the south at a national awards ceremony.

Supplies Web Ltd, which is based at Claro Court Business Centre, won the dealer excellence award for companies that turn over less than £5 million a year at the national BOSS Awards, which were held in Manchester and attended by more than 450 people.

The BOSS Awards are held annually by the BOSS Federation, which is the trade association for the business supplies industry.

Paul Graves, director of Supplies Web, said:

“Delivering a sustainable and ethical solution is imperative to us and we are looking forward to building on this in 2024 and beyond, helping our designated charities, communities, and the planet.”

Supplies Web beat competitors from across the south-east and East Anglia and was singled out by judges for its strategic approach, combining organic growth, acquisitions, and diversification to achieve achieved a 18% growth from 2022 to 2023.

Judges also highlighted the company’s overwhelmingly positive feedback, with 62% of customers giving a perfect 10/10 in customer surveys.

Supplies Web started from two home offices in 2009 with a vision to put the customer first, save them money and provide reliability and efficiency.

Managing director Grahame Barnes said:

“Rather than just words, we wanted to deliver unique services for businesses of all sizes and solutions that would benefit them. We had the passion and that drove us through the journey.”

New face at Harrogate law firm

LCF Law in Harrogate has appointed a new solicitor to its personal law team.

Nicole Narey previously spent five years at another Yorkshire law firm, where she completed her training and worked as a private client solicitor. She said:

“My role is a varied and interesting one. Within our team of 12 lawyers, we all have our individual disciplines, and mine involves Court of Protection work.

“Assisting people at a difficult time in their lives is highly rewarding and I’m looking forward to developing this aspect of LCF Law’s legal services throughout Harrogate and beyond.”

Neil Shaw, partner and head of personal law at LCF Law, said:

“Nicole is very personable and professional, and she helps clients ensure their affairs are all in order and safeguarded. Her experience working with the Court of Protection will be an asset to our team and will continue to ensure that we secure the best outcomes for our clients.”

Accused in Harrogate schoolboy crash didn’t check road was clear, court hears

A highly decorated colonel in the US military has gone on trial accused of causing serious injury to two Harrogate schoolboys by careless driving.

Benjamin Oakes, 46, was in a white Vauxhall Astra which pulled out of a junction at the end of a driveway next to Ashville College in Harrogate and collided with the back end of a Ford Ranger pick-up truck, York Magistrates’ Court heard.

Prosecutor Louise Berry said that the Ford Ranger, driven by Sam Goodall, had swerved in an attempt to avoid the Astra.

But the Astra clipped the back of the truck which careered across the road and mounted a pavement on the opposite side of Yew Tree Lane into the path of two teenagers who were walking along the footpath.

The truck struck both boys, who can’t be named for legal reasons, and ploughed through a wall at the edge of the college grounds.

Ms Berry said that at least one of the boys was “buried under the debris” and both were left with serious injuries including a horrific leg injury.

A pick-up trick has crashed into a wall outside Ashville College

The scene of the crash in February.

Ms Berry said it was the Crown’s case that Oakes, of Tewit Well Avenue, Harrogate, had caused the accident because he hadn’t checked that the way was clear before pulling out of the junction.

She said that Oakes’s Astra had been “edging” out of the junction before pulling out completely into the path of the Ford Ranger.

Witnesses said they saw the Astra “edging out” of the junction before “rolling back” and then pulling out again.

Oakes – who according to his Linked In profile was chief of the space policy division for the US joint chiefs of staff at the Pentagon – was charged with two counts of causing serious injury by careless driving.

He denied the allegations and appeared for trial today at the York court in front of district judge Adrian Lower.

‘Aggressive and inpatient’

Ms Berry said it was the Crown’s contention that Oakes had driven carelessly because he had failed to check if the road was “completely clear” before he pulled out.

A female motorist who witnessed the collision described Oakes’s driving in the moments before the crash as “aggressive and inpatient”.

She said he appeared to be “in a rush to leave the junction” before the collision with the pick-up truck driven by Mr Goodall, who said that following the crash Oakes told him: “I didn’t see you.”

Another witness said he saw the Astra pull out of the junction “too far” before “clipping” the back end of the Ford Ranger.

The onus is on the prosecution to prove that Oakes directly contributed to the subsequent collision with the teenagers by pulling out of the junction carelessly, giving the truck driver no chance to take sufficient evasive action to avoid contact with the Astra.

Oakes’s Linked In profile said he had held his current role, which involves directing space policy for the joint chiefs of staff at the Pentagon in Washington, for more than four years.

The joint chiefs of staff consist of the most senior leaders in the United States Department of Defense, who advise the president.

He was previously a political-military analyst in the space policy division and before that was commander of the operational support squadron in the US Airforce.

Hundreds of US military personnel are stationed at RAF Menwith Hill near Harrogate.

The trial continues.

Stray Ferret Christmas Appeal: An important message from Dementia Forward

This year’s Stray Ferret Christmas Appeal aims to raise money for a much-needed minibus for Dementia Forward in the Harrogate district.

The appeal is kindly sponsored by Vida Healthcare.

Please give generously to support local people and their families living with dementia. Let’s not forget who needs our help this Christmas.

Dementia Forward is a saviour for hundreds of families across the Harrogate district.

Today, we hear from people the charity continues to help.

The Stray Ferret hopes to raise £30,000 to buy the charity a new minibus but we’re still a long way off our target – and we need your help.

We know times are hard, but please donate whatever you can to this vital cause.

Every donation to our campaign will go directly to Dementia Forward. It will fund a new minibus and improve the lives of people living with dementia and those around them.

Dementia Forward’s current bus is old and urgently needs to be replaced. The charity would seriously struggle to afford a new one, which is why they need your help to keep this vital service going. Without it, many people living with dementia wouldn’t be able to access the help and support they need.

Let’s not forget those who need our help this Christmas.

Thank you.

Harrogate and Knaresborough MP won’t say if he will support Rwanda bill

Harrogate and Knaresborough‘s Conservative MP Andrew Jones has declined to say whether he will support the government’s Rwanda bill tomorrow.

The Safety of Rwanda Bill aims to block legal challenges that prevent deportation flights of asylum seekers from taking off. The government is bringing forward the bill after the Supreme Court ruled its previous attempt to send asylum seekers to Rwanda was unlawful.

The verdict triggered the resignation of Home Secretary Suella Braverman and has led to threats of a rebellion from the right of the Conservative Party, which fears the new bill does not go far enough.

At the same time, some more centrist Conservatives are concerned the bill ignores international law.

If the Conservatives lose the vote, it would be a serious blow to the authority of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

The Stray Ferret asked Mr Jones if he would vote in favour of the bill.

He replied:

“We should not think of the Rwanda bill in isolation. It is part of a number of measures designed to deter people from making the dangerous journey across the English Channel.

“Among these measures are new returns agreements with Albania, enhanced deals with the French authorities, greater support for asylum application processing and more besides. These measures have led to crossings coming down by a third this year already.”

Mr Jones went on to say he “will be looking closely at the bill and any amendments which might be selected for debate by the Speaker”, adding:

“When considering those amendments my thoughts will be about how we break the people smuggling gangs and, most importantly, how we stop the grim certainty of more fatalities in our coastal waters.

“This issue is not confined to the UK; we see it again and again in the Mediterranean too. Breaking these gangs requires an international effort and I know we are working closely with partners on how this is done to the best effect.”

‘Two in one’ burglars strike in Harrogate

Thieves broke into a house in Harrogate and stole car keys before making off with a Kia Picanto.

North Yorkshire Police said today it was investigating the ‘two-in-one’ burglary on Lindrick Way, in the Jennyfields area,

It happened last weekend between 11.15pm on Saturday and 3am on Sunday (December 9 and 10).

A silver Kia Picanto, registration RE17 KNG, was taken.

“Police are urging the public to get in touch if they saw anything that could help the investigation or have any CCTV doorbell footage.

“If you can help please contact North Yorkshire Police on 101 and ask for PC822 Cleary.

“You can also contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.”

Quote reference number 12230233921.

Liberal Democrat councillor chosen as next Harrogate charter mayor

Councillor Chris Aldred, who represents High Harrogate and Kingsley for the Liberal Democrats, has been confirmed as the Harrogate charter mayor from next year.

Cllr Aldred will be the town’s second charter mayor, which is a role created by North Yorkshire Council following the abolition of Harrogate Borough Council in April.

The non-political, unelected role involves promoting the historic and ceremonial traditions of the Harrogate area during events such as last month’s Remembrance Sunday.

Cllr Aldred was chosen this morning by the Harrogate charter trustees, which are 10 councillors who represent divisions covering the unparished parts of Harrogate town.

He will be supported by deputy charter mayor Michael Schofield, who represents Harlow and St Georges as an independent.

The mayoral tradition will pass to a future Harrogate Town Council but this is not expected to happen until at least 2025.

The current charter mayor is Cllr Michael Harrison, who represents Killinghall, Hampsthwaite and Saltergate for the Conservatives.

Cllr Harrison said:

“As charter trustees we’ll still be in play for at least one more year.

“We asked for nominations and I’m delighted to report that there was one nomination for charter mayor to be Chris Aldred as charter mayor and Mike Schofield for deputy mayor. I’d like to congratulate both of those people.”

Cllr Aldred and Cllr Schofield will become charter mayor and deputy at a meeting in May.

The charter mayor role differs from the former Harrogate Borough Council mayoralty, which covered the whole of the former borough with the mayor undertaking a wider range of engagements.

The charter mayor is not entitled to expenses such as a chauffeur driven car that the former Harrogate Borough Council mayor could benefit from.

Although the charter mayor is still entitled to wear chains and civic regalia as worn by previous mayors.

At the meeting this morning, councillors approved increasing the annual budget for charter trustee business from £12,100 a year to £12,800, with most of the money set to be spent on North Yorkshire Council staff costs.

It means a Harrogate resident living in a band D property will spend 46p on the charter trustees and charter mayor next year through council tax.

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