Local Harrogate News & Views around the district - Page 451 of 1119

Business Breakfast: National firm acquires Harrogate accountants

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 Harrogate chartered accountants has been acquired by a national wealth management company.

Evelyn Partners has take over Leathers LLP, which has an office on Haggs Road.

The deal will see Evelyn Partners, which has offices and departments across the country, expand its services into the north of England.

Andrew Wilkes, chief professional services director of Evelyn Partners, said:

“We are delighted to have acquired Leathers LLP. Michael Leather has built a highly respected firm with a great client base and one which is a very complementary fit with Evelyn Partners both in terms of expertise and culture.

“Strategically this acquisition will further develop our professional services presence in the North of England, supporting our ambition of being able to provide our range of professional services to private clients and businesses right across the UK.

“I look forward to welcoming Stuart Wright and Ryan Harrison to the partnership group where their expertise and experience will be a great asset to us in developing our professional services offering in the North of England.”

Michael Leather, senior partner and founder of Leathers LLP, said:

“Forward planning, client service and development of the team have been at the forefront of our success but in a changing environment, it is time for the business to gear up, extend the resources available to clients and to further develop the client service offering.

“Identifying the best way to do this has been challenging, but Evelyn Partners’ clear commitment to developing the business and their range and depth of resource have been key to the decision we took.”

Raworths makes new appointment

A Harrogate solicitors has announced a new appointment to its legal team.

Raworths, which has offices on Station Parade, has hired Lucy Allen as a paralegal.

Lucy Allen. Picture: Raworths.

Ms Allen will join the trusts, wills and estates team at the solicitors.

The move comes as Raworths announced its latest senior promotion last month as Adam Colville-Robins joined the dispute resolution team as an associate.

Mr Colville-Robins’ appointment was the latest in a series of promotions over the past year overseen by managing partner, Simon Morris.

Police launch arson investigation after Harrogate Kimberley Hotel fire

North Yorkshire Police has launched an arson investigation after a fire last night at the Kimberley Hotel in Harrogate.

Eight fire engines were called to the blaze at the hotel off Kings Road at around 11pm. Half the main building was damaged by smoke and an annex was destroyed.

Firefighters closed the road for several hours.

A spokesperson for the police confirmed to the Stray Ferret that officers are now investigating the incident as arson.

They said:

“The incident has been confirmed as arson and a police investigation has been commenced.

“Anyone who witnessed anything suspicious in the area, or anyone who has any information which would assist officers with their enquiries is asked to contact the force control room on 101, quoting reference 12230042171.”

Pictures of the damage caused by the fire. Picture: Harrogate Fire Station.

Pictures of the damage caused by the fire inside the hotel. Picture: Harrogate Fire Station.

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue’s incident log this morning said:

“Crews from Harrogate, Knaresborough, Ripon, Tadcaster, Northallerton, Skipton and Malton along with the aerial ladder platform responded to reports of smoke issuing from a disused hotel.

“Crews used 20 breathing apparatus, four hose reel jets, one main jet and lance, lighting, thermal imaging cameras, small tools, door enforcer, hydraulic spreaders, reciprocating saw, drills and a triple extension ladder to fight the fire.

“The fire caused 100% fire damage to the annex measuring 10m by 10m and caused 5% fire damage and 50% smoke damage to the main building.”

The hotel off Kings Road has recently being subject to drug and crime concerns.

Harrogate crime hotspot gets £6,000 railings to prevent loitering

Railings have been installed on one of Harrogate’s worst streets for crime in a bid to prevent problems.

The railings, which cost £6,000, follow long-running concerns about anti-social behaviour on Bower Street.

Harrogate Borough Council and private owners of the properties affected each paid half of the sum.

North Yorkshire Police recently named Bower Street as one of Harrogate’s crime hotspots.

The street, on which Harrogate Homeless Project is based, often sees people loitering on the steps of the retail unit that was formerly occupied by donut shop Doe.

A Harrogate Borough Council press release this afternoon said “negotiations have taken longer than hoped” due to the land being privately owned.

The railings being installed today.

Councillor Richard Cooper, the Conservative leader of Harrogate Borough Council, said:

“All of us who live or work near this location know that it has been trouble for a long time. While the council has worked with the police on the issues, the land is privately owned and installing secure boundaries is the responsibility of the property owner.

“Nonetheless, the council and other partners recognise the impact that anti-social behaviour and criminal activity has on the quality of life of residents, businesses and the wider community.

“That is why we have agreed to help the property owners secure their boundaries and install these railings. I am grateful to the property owners for working with us on this and am pleased to say that said railings are now installed.

The council statement said it had been working with residents and partners to “tackle ongoing issues of anti-social behaviour in this area of Harrogate town centre”.

The measures regular police patrols and targeting individuals who cause harassment, alarm and distress, the release added. Now the railings have gone up.

Cllr Cooper added:

“We know that securing this area will not immediately solve the anti-social and criminal behaviour problem at this location. Long-term dedicated support is the only way to do that. And we must recognise that the people who congregate in these areas often have complex physical and mental health needs.

“We need to continue to support agencies and schemes like Harrogate Homeless Project and Harrogate Street Aid that provide help to people in need.”

Killinghall Nomads opens cafe named after ex-player Rachel Daly

A Harrogate district football team has opened a cafe named after its former player — superstar Rachel Daly.

Nomads Daly Brew Cafe is situated at Killinghall Moor Community Park, which is the home of Killinghall Nomads Junior Football Club. A mural of Rachel playing for England is on the wall.

Rachel, who was part of England Lionesses’ success at UEFA Women’s Euro 2022 last year, started her career at Killinghall Nomads and still has strong connections with the club.

Her mother, Louise, lives nearby and Rachel did a zoom call with girls during lockdown and has paid for kit.

Nomads Daly Brew Rachel Daly

Mary Beggs-Reid, social media officer for the club, said the club was trying to arrange for Rachel to attend an official opening in the next few weeks, and there was the possibility of England men’s manager Gareth Southgate also attending.

Mary said Rachel was thrilled when the club asked if she would be happy for the cafe to be named in her honour, adding:

“She’s absolutely over the moon about it. Some people get streets named after them but nothing had been done for Rachel.”

Mary said the club committee got permission from Harrogate Borough Council to build the cafe at its clubhouse, which already had a kitchen. It cost £50,000 which was paid for by club funds and a grant from sports charity the Football Foundation.

The cafe is currently open on Saturday and Sunday mornings and most mornings during the week, but the times are a bit ad-hoc until the cafe officially opens.

Killinghall Moor is popular with dog walkers who can call in for refreshment. There is free WiFi and snacks such as bacon sandwiches as well as drinks. Mary said:

“It’s for the club and the community. Everyone is welcome.”

Nomads Daly Brew Rachel Daly

A Facebook group here has further details.

After winning Euro 22, Rachel moved from Houston Dash to Aston Villa Women, who are fifth in the Women’s Super League. She is the league’s second highest scorer with 10 goals.

Killinghall Nomads, which was formed in 1987, offers football coaching and competition from under-6 to under-16, including dedicated girls’ age groups from under-7 to under-16, as well as a pan-disability section.

Eight fire engines tackle blaze at former Kimberley Hotel in Harrogate

King’s Road in Harrogate was closed for several hours last night due to a fire at the former Kimberley Hotel.

Eight fire engines were called to the large site, which has been the subject of drugs and crime concerns lately.

An eyewitness, who asked not to be named, said the incident happened at about 11pm.

The eyewitness, who lives and works nearby, said the road was closed until about 2.45am.

The cause of the fire and extent of damage. North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service’s incident log said:

“Crews from Harrogate, Knaresborough, Ripon, Tadcaster, Northallerton, Skipton and Malton along with the aeriel ladder platform responded to reports of smoke issuing from a disused hotel.

“Crews used 20 breathing apparatus, four hose reel jets, one main jet and lance, lighting, thermal imaging cameras, small tools, door enforcer, hydraulic spreaders, reciprocating saw, drills and a triple extension ladder to fight the fire.

“The fire caused 100% fire damage to the annex measuring 10m by 10m and caused 5% fire damage and 50% smoke damage to the main building.

“One crew is currently still in attendance. The cause is under investigation.”

Zoë Metcalfe confirms bid to become North Yorkshire’s first mayor

Zoë Metcalfe has confirmed she wants to stand as the Conservative candidate in next year’s York and North Yorkshire mayoral election.

Ms Metcalfe, who lives near Boroughbridge, is the current North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner.

The Stray Ferret reported on Saturday that she was believed to be planning a bid for election.

Ms Metcalfe is the first person to formally declare an intention to stand for the role of mayor, which is being created as part of the North Yorkshire devolution process. The election will be held in 14 months’ time.

The mayor will oversee a significant budget for York and North Yorkshire covering areas such as transport, education and housing.

He or she will also swallow up the commissioner’s role currently occupied by Ms Metcalfe, who was born in Ripon, educated in Harrogate and lives in Aldborough.

Speaking to the media

In a statement issued last night, she said she was “uniquely qualified” for the role and had the “necessary business experience and close links to Westminster to promote economic growth”,

Ms Metcalfe is a former Harrogate borough councillor who was elected to the commissioner’s role in 2021 following the resignation of fellow Conservative Philip Allott.

Since taking up the role on a salary of £74,000, she has overseen the introduction of a Risk and Resource Model for North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service, which sets out how resources will be deployed from 2022 to 2025.

The changes included reducing Harrogate Fire Station’s nighttime cover from two fire engines to one.

‘Close links to Westminster’

Ms Metcalfe’s statement in full said:

“This is a really exciting role that I am uniquely qualified to do.

“The mayor will have responsibility for economic growth, transport, housing and regeneration, but will also see the integration of the responsibilities and decision making of my current role as Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner within it too.

“There is a rich synergy between creating safer streets and economic growth, two areas that I am passionate about.

“I have the necessary business experience and close links to Westminster to promote economic growth. I will also continue the great work I have started in turning around community safety in York and North Yorkshire and I will see through the transformation of both the police force and fire and rescue service.

“I have always been a supporter of devolution as it will bring many exciting opportunities for York and North Yorkshire, it will be a great platform to enable and enrich the lives of our residents and businesses bringing hundreds of millions of pounds worth of investment into our region”.

Government ‘refuses to consider’ compensating North Yorkshire for scrapped care pilot

The government has “refused to consider” funding the costs of additional work on a now scrapped care reform scheme in North Yorkshire.

North Yorkshire County Council was one of six pilot authorities chosen by the Department of Health and Social Care for the project, which would have seen a cap of £86,000 placed on each individual’s spending on their care in their lifetime.

The reforms would also have allowed people to retain up to £100,000 of their own assets and still qualify for funding for their care. The current limit is £23,250.

However, the government has since informed councils the scheme is being abandoned after initially delaying it until October 2025.

The council carried out an overhaul of its IT system as part of the move and looks set to absorb any additional costs associated with staffing into its own budget.

It was awarded £1,159,684 in funding from government as part of the pilot.

But despite this initial funding, the Department of Health and Social Care has refused to contribute to the ongoing costs.

Anton Hodge, assistant director for strategic resources at the council, said in a report due before councillors on Friday:

“Although funding already received to cover costs in 2022/23 will not be required to be repaid, we and other trailblazers have pointed out the ongoing costs of staff already appointed in support of the project and we continue to pursue that aspect.

“However at this stage the Department of Health and Social Care has refused to consider any contribution towards these and therefore any continuing costs will have to be consumed within existing budgets.”

Senior councillors had previously warned that the pilot could “bankrupt councils” if more funding was not made available.

Cllr Michael Harrison, the Conservative executive member for adult services at the council, said much of the work for the trailblazer was taken on by staff taking on additional responsibilities.

He added:

“The county council was asked by the Department of Health and Social Care to be one of six national sites for testing adult social care charging reforms. Early funding was identified nationally to support this work.

“Given that the bulk of this work involved frontline social care and customer services staff undertaking additional responsibilities, the national funding has been used to enhance existing staffing levels rather than to create separate new posts.”

A Department for Health and Social Care spokesperson said:

“The department is grateful to all the trailblazers for their work on charging reform and has been working closely with them to understand any costs incurred as a result of their work to date.”

Business Breakfast: Harrogate bus company offers local firms ‘flagship’ sponsorship

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.

Bus operator Transdev is offering companies in the Harrogate district the chance to advertise on its flagship routes.

The company, which runs the 36 route from Harrogate to Leeds, trialed a sponsorship campaign with John Lewis to promote its new store on Victoria Gate in Leeds city centre.

The move saw messaging on two buses on its flagship route in north and west Yorkshire.

The company is now offering the same opportunity to lcal firms in the Harrogate district.

Matt Burley, commercial manager at Transdev, said:

“John Lewis instantly saw the unique advantage in linking their brand with ours, and now their name can be seen across miles of town and country, inviting potential customers to hop on a bus and be chauffeur driven to the door of their store.

“We believe bus sponsorship is a formula for business success for firms throughout Yorkshire.”

Harrogate company hired to manage Bristol Airport advertising

Bristol Airport has hired a Harrogate company to manage and sell its advertising assets.

Eye Airports, which is based on East Parade, has been hired by the airport on a five-year contract.

The company will be tasked with managing all advertising and promotional opportunities, working closely with the airport’s commercial team to deliver innovative campaigns to customers.

Rachel Davies, managing director at Eye Airports, said:

“We enjoy an excellent working relationship with Bristol Airport, so we are naturally delighted to secure a new five-year contract. As the terminal developments take shape, we are looking forward to delivering some exciting new initiatives using the latest digital technology, both inside and outside the terminal.”

Rupert Lawrie, commercial director at Bristol Airport, said:

“We are delighted to appoint advertising specialist Eye Airports to manage and sell our advertising assets. The award of this new contract follows a competitive tender process and we look forward to working with Eye Airports over the coming five years and seeing the creative advertising campaigns across the airport.”

New 5G mast at Harrogate’s Great Yorkshire Showground approved

A bid to improve 5G connectivity by installing a new telecommunications tower at the Great Yorkshire Showground in Harrogate has been approved.

A planning application was submitted to Harrogate Borough Council by telecommunications company EE to erect a lattice tower that will host three antennae, two dishes and several cabinets.

The firm said in documents the proposal would not only boost WiFi at the showground but also provide “much improved and upgraded coverage to surrounding businesses and residents who currently see limited indoor coverage”.

The council has now approved the proposal.

In planning documents, Harlequin Group, which lodged the plan on behalf of EE, said:

“It should be noted there is no 5G coverage within the immediate or surrounding area whatsoever.

“The area, in particular the Great Yorkshire Showground, has been subject to coverage supplied by way of a temporary emergency solution during events.

“The proposal will be tucked within a building corner, meaning that the equipment will be obscured on two of the four sides.”

Great Yorkshire Showground telecommunications tower

The proposed location for the 5G mast.

Allister Nixon, chief executive of the Great Yorkshire Showground told the Stray Ferret previously:

“The Great Yorkshire Showground is an intrinsic part of the local community that hosts numerous events throughout the year and brings significant employment and money to the area.

“To ensure that we can continue to develop and evolve with the changing demands of customers and business, it is vital to ensure that the latest connectivity is present; the proposed lattice tower is centrally located and has been designed to allow multiple operators to host on the same infrastructure.

“The public benefit goes beyond the Great Yorkshire Showground, with the proposal able to provide upgraded coverage and capacity to the surrounding residential properties, commercial properties, visitors and businesses in the locale. It is therefore believed that this proposal enables the provision of future connectivity for numerous individuals and companies.”

Boy, 17, electronically tagged after Harrogate crime spree

A teenager has been sentenced to an electronically monitored curfew for breaching a court order issued after committing a string of offences in Harrogate.

The 17-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, appeared before Harrogate Youth Court on March 3 after failing to comply with an order issued in August last year.

The court made the order after the teenager was charged with numerous offences in Harrogate.

These included carrying a knife and assault on Forest Lane, stealing £56 worth of watches from TK Maxx in Victoria Shopping Centre and stealing a bike from Swarcliffe Road in August 2022.

He also faced charges on theft of a Berghaus hoodie from Blacks on Station Parade, assault on Hookstone Drive and knowingly being carried on a stolen Piaggio Zip scooter in Harrogate on December 3, 2022.

The 17-year-old was also charged with stealing mountain bikes from St Aidan’s Church of England High School in October last year.

As a result of the offences, the court imposed a new youth rehabilitation order on the teenager.

It requires him to abide by a curfew at his home address in Skipton for two months, which will be electronically monitored.

He was also ordered not to enter St Aidan’s for three months.

Raworths makes new appointment

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‘Close links to Westminster’

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Harrogate company hired to manage Bristol Airport advertising

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