Final Harrogate planning meeting to decide on proposed new council home

The last ever meeting of Harrogate Borough Council‘s planning committee will see it asked to give permission for a new home on its own land in Huby.

A report to the committee proposes the plans for a two-bedroom house are approved, subject to conditions including providing electric vehicle charging points at the property.

The council’s proposal would see the house added to the council’s affordable rental homes, which will be transferred to North Yorkshire Council from April 1.

Describing the proposal for land between 20 and 22 Kingsway in the village, a report for the committee by planning officer Arthama Lakhanpall says:

“Since the site is not currently used for any purpose, and is maintained as underused grassed land, the proposed plans are supported by the housing team who wish to see more social housing in the area to meet identified need. This site will help address that need.

“The housing team has confirmed that there are currently 2,199 households registered on the council’s waiting list for affordable rented accommodation across the district. There are currently 169 households registered for two-bed social rented housing within this sub-area.”

Since the plans were submitted, objections have been received from three neighbours. They raised concerns over the new property overlooking the existing homes, as well as the impact on what they said was an already busy road, often used for parking by people travelling by train from the nearby Weeton station.

Residents also said there was a lack of facilities in the village, forcing residents to drive elsewhere. They said the new house would have an impact on sunlight to other houses, as well as drainage and water supplies, which residents said were already problematic.

However, neither Yorkshire Water nor North Yorkshire County Council had any objections to the scheme, and Weeton Parish Council did not oppose the plans.

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The report to the planning committee said the proposed house did not have any side windows and that those at the front and rear of the property would not add to the way in which nearby houses already overlook each other.

The plans include a driveway large enough for two vehicles. The report added:

“The site is currently vacant from built development. It is accepted that the proposed dwelling would have some impact on the openness and spatial quality.

“The proposal however would be well confined within the site and read in relation to the scale, bulk and massing of the neighbouring dwellings within the street. It includes hardstanding and soft landscaping that would help preserve a state of openness.

“For that reason, the scale and massing of the proposed dwelling would not be visually dominant in this landscape. The impact on the openness of the green belt therefore would be limited.”

The planning meeting will be held at Harrogate Borough Council’s civic centre on St Luke’s Mount, Harrogate, on Tuesday, March 28 from 2pm. It will also be broadcast live via the council’s YouTube page.

Woman denies being in charge of dangerous dog in Harrogate

A woman has denied being in control of a dangerous dog which is alleged to have attacked a 15-year-old boy in Harrogate.

Deborah Patterson, 60, appeared before Harrogate Magistrates Court this morning charged with being in charge of a dog dangerously out of control and causing injury in the small park at the junction of Skipton Road and Ripon Road on August 1 last year.

The court heard claims the boxer dog bit the teenager on the leg while he was sitting on a bench.

Ms Patterson, of Southville Terrace in Harrogate, was also charged with being the owner of a boxer dog on August 9 on Ripon Road, which is also alleged to have been dangerously out of control.

She denied both charges.

A trial date was set for May 18 at Harrogate Magistrates Court.

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Honorary alderman row overshadows final Harrogate council meeting

A row over standards in politics overshadowed the final full meeting of Harrogate Borough Council.

Councillors past and present, dignitaries and families members came to the Harrogate Convention Centre to watch the council bestow the title of honorary alderman or honorary alderwoman to councillors who have given over 15 years of good service to the authority, which is being abolished next week after 49 years.

Hookstone councillor and leader of the Liberal Democrat group, Pat Marsh, was eligible as she was first elected 33 years ago.

But last year a council standards panel ruled that Cllr Marsh breached its code of conduct after she made comments to a resident, that were secretly recorded, about Conservative council leader Richard Cooper, council officers and Cllr Cooper’s employer, Conservative MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough Andrew Jones.

The panel asked Cllr Marsh to make a public apology but she refused, citing the political make-up of the panel and her right to free speech.

At a meeting in December, Cllr Cooper put forward a successful motion to effectively ban a councillor from becoming an honorary alderman or alderwoman if they refuse to take recommended actions such as apologise to members.

However, Cllr Cooper revealed last night that Cllr Marsh had emailed him an apology over the affair, which he has accepted. He said:

“It would be wrong to claim that Pat Marsh and I have had a relationship of outstanding friendship over the last nine years of my leadership and her leadership. We’ve had our ups and downs.

“We’re talking about the recovery from a down. I was very pleased to receive your email. I wish you all the luck in the world with the new council.”

Cllr Cooper then proposed an amendment that would see Cllr Marsh become an honorary alderwomen.

‘Theft, corruption, lies and bullying’

But during the debate, Cllr Cooper’s deputy, Conservative councillor for Duchy, Graham Swift, spoke out against the wishes of his leader before demanding that Cllr Marsh made a public apology to the room.

Cllr Swift said:

“Theft, corruption, lies and bullying — these are all serious issues and there is no space for partisan politics in such things.

“The Liberal Democrats have form. I’ve been accused twice for very serious offences. I know what it’s like to have lies spread about you.

“Four of the Lib Dems here today signed a complaint against me even though they were not in the meeting. That’s how serious they are about throwing mud.

“In my own personal case, the complaints were dismissed but I never got an apology despite being accused of a very serious offence.

“Why has the apology come so late and why now? I suspect it would never have come out at all if the distinguished title of alderman was not available.”

But despite Cllr Swift’s intervention, councillors voted to approve Cllr Cooper’s amendment and Cllr Marsh was made an honorary alderwoman of the borough.

After accepting the title later in the evening, Cllr Marsh said:

“This is quite a surprise. If you can see a few tears, I’m sorry. I’ve represented the people of Hookstone ward for 33 years and it’s been such a privilege to do that.”

‘Stand up and be counted’

Nick Brown, Conservative councillor for Bishop Monkton and Newby, has been a borough councillor for 15 years so he was also eligible to become an honorary alderman.

Like Cllr Marsh, he had been the subject of a standards investigation following comments he made about Cllr Cooper but there has been a disagreement over whether Cllr Brown took the recommended action following the investigation.

Cllr Sam Green, Conservative councillor for Wathvale, proposed an amendment that would see Cllr Brown awarded the title of honorary alderman due to his length of service and because of a “misunderstanding” over the apology.

He said Cllr Brown believed he had no outstanding course of action to take but added he still issued a “comprehensive and sincere” apology to Cllr Cooper and other councillors through email.

Cllr Green, who was elected last year in a by-election and is the youngest member on the council, called on councillors to have the “courage of your convictions” and “stand up and be counted” to award Cllr Brown the title. He said:

“Let us end this council united so the minutes of this meeting will be looked back on in years to come that a clear wrong against one of the best of our own was righted.”

However, Cllr Cooper said he would still not be accepting Cllr Brown’s apology. He said advice from the council’s Independent Person deemed it as “not acceptable”.

Cllr Cooper said:

“Nick has given stertling service to borough for a great many years, that’s not an issue.

“But on the standards complaint I can’t let that quite stand. It is a closed matter, there are no further actions to take, but it is not a resolved matter. It was drawn to a close without an apology. The independent person who is our sounding board deemed the apology was not acceptable.

“That principle isn’t something that I’m able to get over.”

Councillors eventually voted to approve each individual honorary alderman and alderwoman nomination, including Cllr Brown by 21 votes to eight with four abstentions.

Cllr Cooper has dominated local politics in Harrogate for the last decade but will retire as a councillor next week.

In a sign that his power has now waned, those who voted to award Cllr Brown the title included a large group of Conservative councillors. The four councillors who abstained on the vote were members of his cabinet.

Cllr Cooper was entitled to the honorary alderman title, but turned it down in January. The full list of councillors put forward for the title and how long they have served is:

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13 local primary schools to give concert at Harrogate’s Royal Hall

Four hundred children from 13 local primary schools will be taking centre stage at Harrogate’s Royal Hall in just over a week for the bi-annual Kids Aloud concert.

The Last Dragon, which is organised by Harrogate Brigantes Rotary, is a musical extravaganza featuring pupils from the Harrogate, Knaresborough and Ripon areas.

The young performers have written a lot of the music themselves, with help from storyteller Guy Wilson and composer Roland Fudge.

Kids-Aloud- Royal Hall

Hundreds of pupils take part. Pic: Charlotte Gale

The children have also illustrated a book to accompany the show, which is available from local independent bookshops, Imagined Things in Harrogate and The Little Bookshop in Ripon.

Some 200 children will be involved each night on Saturday, April 1 and Sunday, April 2.

Guy said:

“This is the eighth Kids Aloud concert Harrogate Brigantes Rotary has put on and the first that is entirely original.

“It gives our children a memorable chance to celebrate post-covid freedom with a lung-bursting performance at a full Royal Hall. We’re grateful to all the local businesses who’ve sponsored us and to Arts Council England who’ve given us a Youth Music grant.”

Guy paid particular tribute to This will be the last Kids Aloud for Harrogate primary schools music teacher Carmel Wake.

“As usual, Carmel has brought all her musical and organisational skills to the show. She has sourced and adapted music, conducted performances and coordinated the work of the schools.”

Girls Aloud Royal Hall

Carmel Wake conducting the choirs in rehearsal. Pic: Guy Wilson

The Last Dragon is a tale of good and evil, courage and victory set in the imaginary country of Rubovernia. It tells how two children, helped by the very last dragon in the country are able to fight off the evil that threatens it.

Any money that’s left at the end will help to fund the next Kids Aloud or go towards local good causes Brigantes Rotary supports.

Tickets are £15 for adults and £5 for under 17s and can be purchased from Harrogate Theatre box office or online here.

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Westmorland Sheepskins set to close Harrogate store

Westmorland Sheepskins on Montpellier Parade is due to close its Harrogate store.

The shop which opened in 2018, specialises in sheepskin, leather, and wool products.

The date of the shop’s closure is uncertain, but the company believe it will be “around June” this year.

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In a statement, Westmorland Sheepskins told the Stray Ferret:

“We have invested a lot into our website and our bricks and mortar store.

“But, we haven’t been able to renegotiate a flexible extension with our landlord post-covid”.

The Montpellier Parade unit has recently been listed to let on Rightmove for £2,500pcm and is over 1,200 sq. ft.

The company said:

“We have loved being part of the Harrogate community.

“We are now actively seeking other opportunities, collaborations and journeys to go on with the brand”.

Customers will still be able to shop all the products on Westmorland Sheepskin’s online store.

The company has “no doubt” the brand will “pop up” again in the area soon.

New office hire hub to open at Harrogate station today

An office for hire will open at Harrogate train station today.

Sheffield-based Workfromhub has designed the facility to create private working space for an “ever growing remote workforce”.

The start-up company has already introduced hubs in Sheffield and Swinton in Rotherham.

The hub will be available for a flat fee of £11.99 per hour.

Neal Byers, founder of Workfromhub, said:

“We are working closely with Northern Rail to help transform underused spaces within stations. We can see the need for people who are on the move to have somewhere private and connected to work from.

“We feel that there are not enough remote working private spaces around to keep up with the demand of a growing remote workforce.”

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People can access the hub by downloading the Workfromhub app and booking a time or filling in a form on the company’s website.

Those who book will receive a code to enter the facility for their allocated time.

The facilities include space for two people along with internet access, a second screen and desk space.

For more information on the hub, visit the Workfromhub website.

Business Breakfast: Harrogate hotel owners hire project manager ahead of refurbishment

It’s time to join the Stray Ferret Business Club. The third in our series of networking events in association with The Coach and Horses in Harrogate is a lunch event on March 30 from 12.30pm.

Don’t miss out on this chance to network with businesses from across the Harrogate district. Get your tickets by clicking or tapping here.

A project manager has been appointed for the refurbishment of the St George Hotel in Harrogate.

Inn Collection Group, which runs the hotel, has hired Silverstone Building Consultancy to act as project manager and contract administrator for the scheme.

The hotel, which is set to be renamed The Harrogate Inn, will see six new bedrooms added on the ground floor and a “complete transformation of the venue’s hospitality spaces”, according to the owners.

Tom Wright, senior chartered building surveyor, who is based in the Leeds office of Silverstone Building Consultancy, said: 

“We are, naturally, very pleased to continue our working relationship with The Inn Collection Group. We have developed a great rapport with the team, which is built on the successful delivery of a diverse and complex range of projects.

“As well as the project management and principal designer role, our remit has progressed to contract administrator. Work on site has started with the appointment of the principal contractor, 7formation.

“The restoration of the hotel will very much be in keeping with the proven style of the Inn Collection Group and is a 16-week construction project that will see extensive internal and external works.

“We are looking forward to working with all parties to deliver a truly high-quality refurbishment which will be a major asset to The Inn Collection Group, to the town of Harrogate and to future guests, who will undoubtedly feel the benefit of the extensive investment made in the hotel.”

Louise Stewart, property director at The Inn Collection Group, said: 

“We’re delighted to be working with Silverstone Building Consultancy on Hotel St George and the renovation project and strengthening our excellent relationship with them. 

“We are working in partnership with them across several refurbishments at the moment and have already completed some high-quality projects. It’s a measure of the strength of our relationship, that we have made them our contract administrator with this project, as well as project managers and principal designers. 

“The works at St George Hotel are going to give the venue an exciting refresh with the creation of new bar spaces, a new main entrance and external patio spaces, as well as undertaking some maintenance to the fabric of the building, including the roof and external elevations.”

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Housing developer donates £25,000 to Henshaws 

Henshaws Specialist College based in Starbeck has received a £25,000 donation from local housebuilder, Barratt Developments Yorkshire East.

The money will fund the creation of a new outdoor classroom to support their Forest School.

The college, which provides education, learning and care for young people aged 18 to 25 years with a wide range of disabilities and complex needs, plans to add an outdoor classroom to the school which will enable students to develop skills using the natural environment.

Gemma Young, from Henshaws, said:

“We’re so grateful to Barratt Developments for their generous £25,000 donation in support of our college. The addition of a new outdoor classroom to our forest school will really help our students to develop new learning opportunities in a change in scenery, whilst also broadening their knowledge and understanding of the natural world.

‘We look forward to working with Barratt Developments in bringing this to life!”

Daniel Smith, managing director at Barratt Developments Yorkshire East added:

“We’re extremely passionate about supporting the communities in which we build, and our donation to Henshaws Specialist College is a wonderful way for us to support incredible organisations within the local area…. We hope that our forest school donation makes a positive impact in students’ education and life at Henshaws and we look forward to working closely with them over the coming months.”

Harrogate teenager crowned national cross-country champion

Eighteen year old Harrogate student, George Couttie, has been crowned winner of the senior boys race at the English Schools’ AA Cross Country Championships.

The event in Nottingham saw hundreds of sixth form pupils representing both schools and clubs from across the nation.

The races were split into age groups – junior, intermediate, and senior – with 100 boys competing in the senior category.

George, who studies at Harrogate Grammar School, won the senior’s 7km race by a 5-second lead, with a time of 0:19:12.

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George is currently studying for his A-Levels, after which he will study sports science at the University of Charleston, in West Virginia, on a sports scholarship.

He is coached by Joanne Day at Harrogate Harriers and is hoping to run for Great Britain in the future.

Alice Couttie, George’s mother, said he has competed most weekends over the winter:

“George has high hopes for track races over summer.

“He deserves this recognition”.

Eve Whittaker, another member of Harrogate Harriers, also competed and ranked fourth place in the senior girls’ race.

She completed the 5.9km race with a time of 0:16:25.

Audi driver pleads guilty after 140mph police pursuit in Harrogate

A man has admitted dangerous driving in Harrogate after leading police on a 140mph pursuit.

Jason Ryder, 45, of Wellgarth, Bishop Auckland, appeared before York Magistrates Court yesterday.

Ryder was charged with dangerous driving on York Place in Harrogate, on Wetherby Road, on the A658 John Metcalf Way, on the A1(M) and on the A6055 on Monday (March 20).

He was also charged with driving his Audi A3 while disqualified and driving without insurance.

Ryder, who was eventually halted by a police stinger, pleaded guilty to all the offences.

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He appeared in court just a day after being disqualified from driving for 12 months for drug driving at junction 47 of the A1(M) near Knaresborough.

He was pursued by North Yorkshire Police immediately after leaving Harrogate Magistrates Court on March 20.

Officers described him as “weaving dangerously in and out of traffic” while reaching speeds of 140mph.

Paul Cording, a roads policing sergeant for the force, said he had shown “a complete disregard for road safety and the judicial system”.

Ryder will appear before York Crown Court to be sentenced on April 11.

Residents frustrated after Harrogate district planning portal goes down

Residents have raised frustration over Harrogate Borough Council’s planning portal being down for more than a week.

The portal allows people to check and comment on pending planning applications in the district.

The council advertised planned maintenance would be carried out on the site from Monday, March 13 to Wednesday, March 15 and then from Monday, March 20 to Wednesday, March 22.

However, residents have reported the portal has been inaccessible since March 13.

Graham Bowland, from Staveley, told the Stray Ferret the matter had been frustrating for locals in the village.

Some have been trying to comment on a pending proposal for 73 homes on land off Minskip Road near Staveley Nature Reserve.

Mr Bowland said:

“How are we expected to view documents relating to the application?

“This issue has galvanised the residents into submitting letters of objection which we are batching up and delivering by hand.”

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Other residents raised concern they may miss the deadline for comments on applications due to the portal being down.

The Stray Ferret asked the council why the maintenance was needed.

A spokesperson for the council said:

“Our online register of planning applications (public access) is currently unavailable due to essential maintenance.

“Comments on planning applications will be accepted after the end of any formal consultation periods. Applications will also be considered on a case-by-case basis when they are ready for determination and, where they may have been affected by the downtime, we will make individual assessments as to whether members of the public have been given sufficient time to comment.

“We anticipate the system returning later today, but anyone with any concerns or has an urgent need to view plans and/or make comments can email dmst@harrogate.gov.uk.”