Every month the Stray Ferret tries to find out what our local MPs have been up to in their constituencies and in the House of Commons.

In December, Harrogate’s MP met with ministers over the future of River Nidd’s water quality. Meanwhile, Ripon MP Julian Smith focused much of his tweets this month on matters in Northern Ireland.

We asked Harrogate & Knaresborough MP, Andrew Jones, Ripon MP Julian Smith, and Selby and Ainsty MP Nigel Adams if they would like to highlight anything in particular, but we did not receive a response from any of them.

Here is what we know after analysing their online presence.

Andrew Jones, MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough.

In Harrogate and Knaresborough, here is what we found on Mr Jones:

• At the start of the month, Mr Jones urged pensioners to look at pension credit eligibility amid the cost of living crisis.
• On December 7, Mr Jones announced he had raised matters of bathing quality status for the River Nidd in Knaresborough with environmental quality minister Rebecca Pow.
• Following the meeting, Mr Jones said he was “confident” of achieving the status.
• On December 22, he wrote on his Community News website that he intends to work with businesses and residents to submit a case to government for the status in 2023.
• Mr Jones made four spoken contributions in the House of Commons on skills, planning decisions in West Cumbria, biodiversity and alcohol duty.

Read more:

• MPs Watch: A new Prime Minister and government U-turns
• MPs Watch: ‘Wrong’ tax cuts and the death of the Queen

Julian Smith, MP for Ripon and Skipton.

In Ripon, here is what we found on Mr Smith:

• Mr Smith visited Nidderdale Museum on December 13 for a guided tour around the volunteer-led facility.
• On December 15, Mr Smith tweeted that he was Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was visiting Northern Ireland.
• On December 18, he tweeted that it was important that concerns in the Unionist community were addressed and that “here is full focus on ensuring that the EU & UK rework the post Brexit trading arrangements” in order to restore stability in Northern Ireland.
• Mr Smith met with the chief executive of Airedale Hospital on December 22 to discuss “the challenges that the hospital is facing”.
• Mr Smith made no spoken contributions in the House of Commons this month.

Nigel Adams, MP for Selby and Ainsty which includes rural Harrogate.

In rural south Harrogate, he is what we found on Mr Adams:

• Mr Adams tweeted just twice in December. One was to congratulate a Ukraine-related charity and another was about a beer brewed in Tadcaster.
• On December 6, Mr Adams advertised a consultation on a devolution deal for North Yorkshire and York.
• The following day he visited a new NHS diagnostics centre in Selby.
• He made three news posts on his website throughout December.
• Mr Adams made no spoken contributions in the House of Commons.

A man has been arrested on suspicion of assault after an incident in Harrogate last night.

Officers were called to a property in Devonshire Place where they arrested the man, who remains in custody today, according to North Yorkshire Police.

An ambulance was also called and a witness reported seeing a man in handcuffs being led away from the scene around 9pm.

The Stray Ferret understands officers have today been back in the area speaking to residents about the incident.

Read more:

• 18 arrests as North Yorkshire drink-drive campaign gets underway
• North Yorkshire Police urged to explain 20mph zones enforcement

In the last article of our series on the 12 stories in the Harrogate district that shaped 2022, we look back at the story of the closure of Harrogate’s last night club – the Viper Rooms.

For generations of young people growing up in Harrogate, nightclubs have been an essential part of weekend life.

The likes of Carringtons, Jimmy’s and Josephines are still talked about fondly by people of a certain age. So it’s hard to believe not a single nightclub remains.

The last one, Viper Rooms, closed on December 9 — and the end was swift and brutal.

North Yorkshire County Council, which owns the site on Parliament Street, sent in bailiffs to repossess the building and change the locks just hours before the club was due to welcome Friday night revellers.

Repossession notices on door.

Viper Rooms, owned by Paul Kinsey, did not hold back in a social media post announcing the club’s demise after 15 years. It said:

“Having tried for nearly three years to negotiate a new lease with our landlord in good faith and after spending £350,000 refurbishing the club in 2019 they have taken possession of the site, hijacking the process and causing 30 team members to be laid off and causing the cancellation of all the pre-booked Christmas parties.”

Paul Kinsey

Gary Fielding, corporate director for strategic resources at the council, responded by saying it was “protecting the best interests of North Yorkshire’s taxpayers”.

Mr Fielding added:

“We have tried hard to understand the difficulties all our tenants have experienced as a result of the covid pandemic and to offer them our support. This has, in turn, had an impact on our own finances.

“Residents and businesses here rightly expect us to ensure that every effort is made to protect public money and we have a duty to do just that.

“While we do not want to comment on individual cases, we must be fair and consistent and act in the best interests of the public who we serve.”

Viper Rooms is no more.

The closure of the Viper Rooms means two of the four commercial units in the Royal Baths, which North Yorkshire County Council bought off Harrogate Borough Council for £9 million in 2018, are now empty.

The  JD Wetherspoon pub and the Royal Baths Chinese Restaurant continue to trade. Mr Fielding said the Viper Rooms site had already generated “significant interest from potential tenants” and a “new agreement for the final one is in the final stages of negotiations”.

So what about Harrogate’s nightclub scene? In its social media post announcing Viper Rooms’ closure, the owners said they would release a “new venue announcement soon”.

But with so many pubs and bars staying open late these says, nightclubs no longer mean as much to many young people.

Have they become an inevitable victim of social trends, or is Harrogate’s nightclub scene set for a revival? The next year should provide some answers.

Read more:

• ‘Significant interest’ in Harrogate’s former Viper Rooms, says council
• Viper Rooms: council issues statement after repossessing Harrogate nightclub
• Harrogate nightclub Viper Rooms closes suddenly

A charity project organised by young farmers in Knaresborough has proved so popular, it has been expanded before it has even started.

Knaresborough Young Farmers Club planned to visit villages around the area next Saturday, January 7, to pick up trees in exchange for a £5 donation to mental health charity Mind.

Demand for the collection has already been so high that the collection has been extended to include Knaresborough and Harrogate by arrangement.

A tractor and trailer will be taken through each village, with club members on foot. They will call at each house where a tree has been left out to organise the donation to the Just Giving page or by bank transfer.

Households also have the option of taking their tree to Manse Lane in Knaresborough between 9am and 3.30pm for a £3 donation.

Club chairman Katy Addyman said:

“Our club is well known for our annual tractor run, but since that was set up we’ve had an increase in junior members aged 10 to 16 and they now create the vast majority of the club.

“We wanted to arrange something where all of our members can get involved in some way and help raise money for a great cause.

“This wouldn’t be possible without Andway Healthcare, who are allowing us to use their car park on Manse lane, and Travis Perkins for providing us with a chipper, and our very generous club leaders who have put the time and effort in behind the scenes.”

The villages on the collection route are: Brearton, Coneythorpe, Farnham, Ferrensby, Flaxby, Follifoot, Goldsborough, Kirkby Overblow, Kirk Deighton, Lingerfield, Little Ribston, Nidd, North Deighton, Ripley, Scotton, and Spofforth.

Anyone in Knaresborough or Harrogate who wants to arrange a collection can complete the online formor call Katy on 07443 650033.

Read more:

• Christmas tree disposal service provides vital funding for Ripon Walled Garden
• Record turnout for return of Knaresborough farmers’ tractor run

No.11: Investigations reveal council payments – and a secret Twitter account

In this article, which is part of a series on the 12 stories in the Harrogate district that shaped 2022, we look back at the significant news broken by the Stray Ferret as part of our commitment to hold those in control of public money to account.

Throughout 2022, the Stray Ferret has continued to report on stories affecting readers across the Harrogate district.

From revealing the latest planning applications for major developments to recording cases going through local courts, we have ensured matters of public record are shared with our readers.

Among our most-read stories this year was the live blog delivering the results from the elections to the new North Yorkshire Council. It was a significant day for the Harrogate district, with the Conservatives’ hold on power slipping in favour of the Liberal Democrats, who won 10 seats in the area to the Tories’ nine, along with one Green and an independent.

Across the county, the Conservatives’ majority slipped to just four, having previously secured 76% of the vote at the last county-wide election.

Investigations

Next year, Harrogate Borough Council will be no more as a new unitary authority comes into effect on April 1, but in its final days, it is still being held to account by our journalists.

This autumn, we revealed the results of a two-year investigation into the identity of the person behind an anonymous Twitter account.

As @ChippyGlory, parking enforcement manager Steve Rogers had been posting abusive, misogynistic and obscene messages. He targeted high-profile people, including the then-Prime Minister’s wife, Carrie Johnson, as well as local individuals.

Among his victims was Cllr Matthew Webber, who said he was offended by what Mr Rogers had posted about him and would be contacting the chief executive about the way the council had been brought into disrepute by the tweets.

Read more:

• What now for Harrogate Convention Centre after investment zones dropped?
• £540m North Yorkshire devolution deal looks set to progress, say officials

Mr Rogers apologised, and resigned later that week, though not before another row began.

After Liberal Democrat leader Pat Marsh called publicly for Mr Rogers to be dismissed, Conservative council leader Richard Cooper sent an email to all councillors calling for an apology – from Cllr Webber, for following Twitter accounts which were insulting towards Cllr Cooper.

Cllr Cooper wrote:

“Clearly if, as you state, Mr Rogers’ actions on his Twitter account bring the council into disrepute then the same could apply to your actions in following accounts clearly and specifically designed to insult and degrade me.

“I hope you will considering apologising and stop following those accounts and any others that I haven’t spotted that seek to demean, ridicule and insult local politicians.”

The council leader also copied the email to Mr Rogers, “for transparency’s sake”, and to chief executive Wallace Sampson.

Cllr Richard Cooper and Wallace Sampson

Mr Sampson was then forced to issue an instruction to all councillors to remain silent on the issue. He told them:

“Any further public comment or communication regarding this matter must cease with immediate effect, as such actions could be prejudicial to ensuring a fair and transparent process as the investigation takes its course.”

Contracts

This year, the Stray Ferret also reported on major contracts awarded by both Harrogate Borough Council and North Yorkshire County Council.

In January, a request under the Freedom of Information Act revealed that HBC had paid Bristol-based travel blogger Heather Cowper £700 plus VAT to promote its Christmas offerings.

Gemma Rio, the head of the council’s tourism marketing body Destination Harrogate, defended the spend, saying:

“Social media advertising and the use of influencers to increase brand awareness looks like it will continue to be one of the most beneficial marketing tools.

“We’re keen to continue using it to showcase what the Harrogate district has to offer and stand out amongst competitor destinations.”

However, the project led to a further clash between councillors and the chief executive after Cllr Matthew Webber publicly criticised what he saw as an “appalling waste of money”. Mr Sampson said Cllr Webber’s comment had caused “a great deal of hurt” to council staff.

Harrogate Spring Water

After a two-year fight, the Stray Ferret finally obtained details of how much income Harrogate Borough Council receives from Harrogate Spring Water.

As well as its £13,000 ground rent per annum, the authority receives a percentage of annual turnover from the business – but it had refused to reveal how much this amounted to after requests from this website.

An appeal to the Information Commissioner’s Office led to the authority being told to reconsider its decision – and the numbers were finally revealed.

Since 2017, HBC has received almost £500,000 from Harrogate Spring Water.

Harrogate Spring Water, Harlow Moor Road in Harrogate.

Meanwhile, a further request under the Freedom of Information Act showed that HBC had told the water company it would consider selling Rotary Wood – the piece of land controversially earmarked for expansion of the bottling plant.

And in October, we revealed that Harrogate Spring Water had been given permission to test water in a borehole at HBC’s Harlow Hill nursery, which is currently allocated for a new housing development.

The company said the results “weren’t what [it was] looking for” but it continued to try to understand the local groundwater in more detail.

The latest plans to expand the bottling plant were said to be being “finalised” in September but have not yet been submitted to the council.

In Ripon, an £85,000 contract looking at the renewal of the city centre was paused in August, more than a year after it was announced.

Bauman Lyons Architects had been commissioned in February 2021 to draw up plans to create a vision for the city, which would help it to win funding for infrastructure, planning and community projects.

However, the one-year deadline for the project was missed and, in August, HBC’s director of economy and culture Trevor Watson admitted he did not know when it would be finished. He said it was the council’s “intention” that it would conclude before HBC is abolished in April 2023.

Kex Gill

Meanwhile, at NYCC, a contract worth more than £50m was awarded to Irish firm John Sisk & Son (Holdings) Ltd for work on the rerouting of the A59 at Kex Gill.

The total amount allocated to the project now stands at £68.8m along with an £11m contingency for bad weather and ground conditions – but work has been delayed until early 2023 and is expected to take more than two years.

Also this year, a £5m contract was awarded to four national consultancy firms as part of the process of transferring to the new unitary authority.

KPMG, PricewaterhouseCoopers, PA Consulting Ltd and Capita Business Service Ltd were all contracted to support the reorganisation – but the move came under fire from both independents and Liberal Democrats, who questioned why the expertise of council officers could not be used.

In November, NYCC commissioned London-based Steer-ED to draw up a strategy for economic growth in North Yorkshire, with a contract worth almost £90,000.

An Oxfordshire company was awarded £200,000 to oversee a review of junctions relating to house building in the west of Harrogate. NYCC selected RPS Consulting Services Ltd to oversee the work, part of the West Harrogate Infrastructure Delivery Strategy, building on the West Harrogate Parameters Plan.

And finally, this year the Stray Ferret continued to monitor the long saga of Harrogate Convention Centre and plans for its refurbishment to the tune of £49m.

The proposal was first publicised more than two years ago but devolution, changes to government policies and shifting goalposts for potential sources of funding have all played a part in its slow progress.

A steering group, consisting of officials from both HBC and NYCC, has been set up to decide how the centre should be run in future and how to fund investment.

The Stray Ferret will continue to report on the way public money is spent across the Harrogate district in what is set to be a year of significant change.

A developer has reduced the size of a planned housing development on Kingsley Drive to 162 homes.

Persimmon Homes had initially lodged plans to Harrogate Borough Council for 181 homes in March this year.

However, the proposal was met with concern from council officials and 222 letters of objection from residents.

In documents submitted to the council, Persimmon said it has reduced the size in response to comments from the authority and “other third parties”.

It added that it had also enlarged garden plots, provided public open space and removed some housing designs.

In its amended plans, the developer said:

“The development proposals have again been amended to respond directly to the comments and matters raised following the submission of amended documentation in August 2022.

“The proposed amendments to the scheme will deliver a green space and landscape driven development, which will enhance pedestrian and cycling connectivity within the local area, and which will overall provide a very high standard of residential amenity for prospective residents.”

The amended layout of the Kingsley Drive scheme as submitted by Persimmon Homes.

The move comes as housing officers at the borough council raised concern over the design of the some of the properties.

Meanwhile, residents in the area have held long concerns about the amount of housebuilding in the area and its affect on traffic, noise and loss of green space.

Gillian Hamilton, one of the residents who wrote to the council to object, said in a letter to the authority:

“Local residents have had years of disruption due to building houses in the area. Road closures, noise, constant digging up of pathways and roads to facilitate the various essential utilities.

“The green spaces are disappearing and this further proposal to build houses off Kingsley Drive will result in no more green space left.”

Read more:

• Developer submits 181-home Kingsley Drive plan
• Starbeck residents pledge to fight 181-home Kingsley Drive plans ‘tooth and nail’

Persimmon Homes odged the fresh plan after Harrogate Borough Council rejected a development for 217 homes on the site back in August.

The application would see a mixture of one, two, three and four bedroom properties built.

It is the third time that the developer has submitted a proposal at the location, which used to form part of Kingsley Farm.

The Stray Ferret Business Awards 2023 are for businesses across all sectors in the Harrogate district.

Over the next few weeks we will reveal what our judging panel is looking for when it comes to each of the 10 categories.

Next up is the Best Independent Retailer Award, which is sponsored by the York & North Yorkshire Growth Hub.

This award recognises the work of independent retailers across the Harrogate district that have survived the pandemic and are now tackling a cost-of-living crisis.

These businesses are truly beating the odds to support customers and make the high street work for them.

Companies looking to enter for the Best Independent Retailer Award need to provide information on the challenges your business faced in 2022, what the business did to overcome those challenges and evidence the success the actions had on the sutainability of the business.

Does your business deserve to win the Best Independent Retailer Award at the Stray Ferret Business Awards? Entries close on January 16. It’s simple and quick, so enter today!

Click here or the banner below to enter for the Stray Ferret Business Awards, sponsored by Prosperis.

Just 3.5% of homes sent information packs as part of a consultation on creating a Harrogate town council bothered to respond.

Letters were posted to each of the 35,431 households on the electoral register in the unparished area of Harrogate inviting them to have their say on the subjects. Only 1,250 did so.

A total of 75% favoured setting up a town council but the low response rate triggered concerns about the validity of the response.

Establishing a town council, wit yet to be determined powers, would create an additional annual council tax charge for the 35,431 homes affected.

A report to North Yorkshire County Council‘s Conservative-controlled executive on January 11 recommends it proceeds with moves to create a 19-person town council in April 2024. But it says:

“There was some concern raised about the apparent low response rate and whether this gave a sufficient democratic mandate to create new town councils.

“It is further noted that whilst the rates are low, it is not unusual with the background of similar reviews and the Association of Electoral Administrators consultant has advised that it is sufficient to proceed with the response rate at this level based on previous reviews.

“The decision being requested is whether to proceed with a further set of consultations on a preferred proposal and the response rate and details of that consultation can be considered before a final decision is made.”

No referendum

The county council is also likely to ignore a plea by Harrogate Borough Council to hold a referendum.

On September 21, the borough council unanimously passed a resolution:

“This council calls upon North Yorkshire County Council to hold a binding referendum of Harrogate town residents who could become constituents of a new Harrogate Town Council to determine whether such a council should be formed.”

The resolution also said information should be made available prior to the referendum as to which services a new town council could provide, together with an indicative level of investment required to give “democratic legitimacy” to the process.

But the report to the county council quotes leader Carl Les saying:

“it should be noted that it is not legally possible to hold a binding referendum to create a town council as the legislation does not provide for this and the council cannot fetter its discretion in this way.”

Read more:

• Harrogate set to get town council after 75% back the idea
• Revealed: the Harrogate areas set for new council tax charge

Cllr Les adds the consultation, which will now proceed to a second stage, should merely “take into account” the views of the borough council. The report added:

“It is not clear that a referendum would elicit a different response. There is no requirement under the law for a referendum to form part of a community governance review to provide democratic legitimacy to the outcome.

“The additional cost of a referendum may not be justified if the outcome is likely to be the same as writing to all households.”

Community and volunteer groups that run venues including village halls, sports and leisure facilities, theatres and museums in North Yorkshire are being offered access to expert advice on how to reduce their carbon dioxide emissions and save on running costs.

Up to 50 buildings will be included in a free study, which will show members of community and voluntary groups how to reduce the carbon footprint of their buildings, enabling them to become more energy-efficient and to save money.

The project will be funded by £75,000 from the government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and is open to venues managed by the community and voluntary sector. Elderly people’s residential care homes are also included.

The study will create a decarbonisation plan for each building, highlighting opportunities to decarbonise properties through energy efficiency measures, such as double glazing and insulation and improved heating options, as well as considering renewable energy such as solar power and battery storage.

Property design company Align Property Partners, which is wholly owned by North Yorkshire County Council, will conduct the surveys between January and March next year.

North Yorkshire County Council’s executive member for climate change, Cllr Greg White, said:

“Many community-managed buildings tend to be older and can be poorly insulated. They are often ‘off gas’ and rely on either expensive and high-carbon electric or oil and gas for heating.

“This study will show organisations where there are opportunities to reduce greenhouse gases and to save money.”

Read more:

• Ripon angler among 57 fined in illegal fishing clampdown
• New Mediterranean restaurant opens in Harrogate

Venue managers will be asked to provide information on heating costs and patterns of usage, and there will be a site visit to each building.

They will then receive free information on how to make decisions on any alterations needed and how these might be funded. There is no commitment to implement the findings.

For your venue to be considered for inclusion in the study, register your interest by January 10 by contacting Fiona Protheroe at FProtheroe@cravendc.gov.uk or on 01756 706230.

In this article, which is part of a series on the 12 stories in the Harrogate district that shaped 2022, we look at the way our communities market the death of the Queen and the ascension of King Charles III.

The announcement of the death of Her Majesty the Queen on Thursday, September 8 led to a series of historic events across the Harrogate district. 

Among the first was a two-minute silence held by the Ripon hornblower following the setting of the watch at 9pm, less than three hours after the official announcement. 

Tributes quickly came in from dignitaries around North Yorkshire, including the Lord Lieutenant, Jo Ropner, who said: 

“I had the privilege of meeting Her Majesty at Buckingham Palace when I was appointed as Lord Lieutenant in 2018, and I know from personal experience that every engagement was conducted with grace and genuine interest, that every person felt the spark from meeting not only their monarch, but a truly remarkable woman whose commitment to her role will be remembered for generations to come.” 

The following morning, official arrangements began to be put in place to mark the death of Britain’s longest-serving monarch. 

Church bells tolled for an hour at noon, while flags at public venues, including Ripon Town Hall, Knaresborough House and the Royal Hall in Harrogate, were flown at half mast. 

Many churches opened books of condolence for people to sign, and invited people to visit and pray. Flowers were laid on the grass by the war memorial in Harrogate. 

A number of events were cancelled over the following days as a mark of respect. Sporting fixtures around the country were called off, including Harrogate Town’s match against Carlisle. 

Both Harrogate Borough Council and North Yorkshire County Council cancelled all meetings for the week following the Queen’s death. 

Read more:

• Queen’s coffin drape supplied by royal flag makers in Knaresborough
• Harrogate district pays final respects to the Queen

On Sunday, September 11, a ceremony was held by the war memorial in Harrogate. It saw the Mayor of the Borough of Harrogate read the proclamation of the new King. 

A similar ceremony was held in Ripon, where Deputy Lord Lieutenant Richard Compton was on duty to read the proclamation. 

Over the following days, in unprecedented circumstances, some businesses altered their opening hours and some major events had to be changed too. 

Nidderdale Show was forced to move from its traditional Monday slot when the Queen’s funeral was announced for the same date. However, it later said the weekend show had proved a success and future events would be held on a Sunday. 

The funeral on Monday, September 19 saw several businesses close for the day, including Bettys tea rooms, Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal, and RHS Garden Harlow Carr. 

Many supermarkets closed all day, or opened from 5pm onwards. Bin collections were suspended for the bank holiday and council-run leisure centres were closed. 

The funeral was shown on big screens at Ripon Cathedral and the Royal Hall in Harrogate, as well as some pubs.