Harrogate’s Victoria Avenue could lose parking spaces under cycle plans

Harrogate’s Victoria Avenue could lose a number of parking spaces and its central refuges as part of plans to create a cycleway.

North Yorkshire County Council this week identified Victoria Avenue as its priority cycling scheme of three in the pipeline. The others are on the A59 Harrogate Road at Knaresborough, and in Richmond.

Victoria Avenue would see segregated cycle lanes 1.5 metres wide and buffer zones created on both sides of the avenue.

The West Park junction and kerb line would be remodelled to improve the crossing and new traffic lights installed. The pedestrian crossing would also be upgraded and pay and display meters would be removed or relocated.

A report to councillors says “some existing parking and central refuges” would be removed but doesn’t specify how many. When the Stray Ferret has asked the council for the number, a spokesperson said:

“The designs of the Victoria Avenue scheme are still to be finalised, so the reduction in parking spaces is yet to be confirmed.”

Victoria Avenue

The Victoria Avenue scheme, which is part of the council’s plans to encourage active travel, is budgeted to cost £1.57m and is likely to go ahead because funding is already secured.

The council has £492,000 from tranche two of the Department for Transport’s active travel fund remaining. This, along with £1.08 million the DfT has awarded in tranche four, will cover the cost.

The council has also been invited to bid for an additional £2.16 million and whether the schemes in Knaresborough and Richmond proceed will largely depend on this.

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Council leader refuses to rule out staff redundancies with North Yorkshire Council

North Yorkshire County Council leader Carl Les has refused to rule out future staff redundancies after the new council is created in April.

In just over a month, the county’s seven district councils and North Yorkshire County Council will be replaced by a new unitary authority called North Yorkshire Council to run services across the county, which will also be led by the Conservative Cllr Les.

A key argument for local government reorganisation was that it would save the taxpayer money but some district councils have faced criticism from the Taxpayers’ Alliance and union officials for offering outgoing chief executives six-figure redundancy packages.

Hambleton District Council and Selby District Council agreed packages worth £225,000 and £210,000 for its outgoing chief executives, Justin Ives and Janet Waggott, respectively.

At a full meeting of North Yorkshire County Council on Wednesday in Northallerton, Cllr Andy Brown, Green Party member for the Aire Valley division, asked Cllr Les if he could offer assurances that there would not be similar redundancy payments as a result of the move to the new authority.

In response, Cllr Les said:

“I can’t give an assurance that there won’t be further redundancies for posts with the new council because the council will always be looking for efficiencies.”

He added:

“I can assure that those redundancy processes will be fair both to employee and taxpayer.”

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The vast majority of staff working for the district councils and North Yorkshire County Council will transfer over to the North Yorkshire Council under TUPE terms on April 1.

David Houlgate, Harrogate branch secretary at local government union Unison, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service after today’s meeting that Unison does not expect there to be compulsory redundancies with the new council but there may be voluntary ones.

He added:

“We’d look at voluntary redundancies which may in some instances be mutually beneficial for our members and taxpayers but in reality the staffing issue in local government is around recruitment not over-staffing.”

Fare dodging falls on Northern trains after fines increase fivefold

Rail operator Northern has issued 10% fewer penalty fares in the first month since the government increased the fine to £100.

The government raised the penalty fare from £20 to £100 on January 23 amid concerns the figure was too low and was no longer an effective deterrent to fare evaders.

In the month since then Northern, which runs services passing through Harrogate and Knaresborough, has issued penalty fares to 3,831 people caught travelling without a valid ticket or ‘promise to pay’ notice, compared to 4,261 in the same period last year.

Northern, which provides 2,500 services a day to more than 500 stations in northern England, revealed adult passengers accounted for 81% of the penalty fares issued, with under 18s making up the remaining 19%.

Mark Powles, commercial and customer director at Northern, said:

“A sudden 10% reduction in the number of penalty fares being issued would suggest the increase to £100 has been effective in terms of a deterrent. Of course, this is only the first month – but it is definitely a step in the right direction.

“Upwards of 95% of our customers do the right thing and buy a ticket before they travel – and having invested in the largest network of digital ticket infrastructure of any train operator in the country, Northern has made it easier than ever to buy a ticket via our app, website or one of more than 600 ticket machines across the network. There really is no excuse.”

Industry body, the Rail Delivery Group estimates that every year around £240 million is lost through fare evasion on British railways.

The £100 penalty fare forms part of The Railways (Penalty Fares) (Amendment) Regulations 2022. Penalty fares are reduced to £50 if paid within 21 days.

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Business Breakfast: Small indies to pop up on Harrogate high street

It’s time to join the Stray Ferret Business Club!

The second in our series of networking events in association with The Coach and Horses in Harrogate is an After Work Drinks event on February 23 from 5.30pm. Don’t miss out on this chance to network with businesses from across the Harrogate district, get your tickets now by clicking or tapping here.

Harrogate’s initiative to give more independent retailers a spot on the high street will see a clutch of new names take over a unit in the Victoria Centre this spring. 

Harrogate Pop Up, on the corner of Cambridge Street and Station Parade, was first made available for short-term rent by retail property agent Barker Proudlove in autumn 2021. 

Jessica Swain, from Barker Proudlove, helped set up the pop-up shop. She said: 

“It is fantastic to see the pop-up shop so heavily in demand. Harrogate has such a diverse mix of businesses already and we hope those businesses popping up with us will see a space for them to be part of this community permanently after their pop-up ends.”

This year’s spring line-up includes Beauchamp Accessories, Bamboo Beautiful, Headlock Vintage, We Got U Covered and Martha and Bea:

Beauchamp Accessories, a York firm specialising in Italian leather handbags, will fill the space during February and April, following a series of successful pop-ups in the space in 2022. 

Bamboo Beautiful, which sells sustainable bamboo products including homeware and gifts, will occupy the unit from the March 13 for one week. 

Headlock Vintage will be selling its range of vintage and “preloved” clothing from March 27. 

We Got U Covered returns to the space from the April 10, offering its range of swimsuits, clothing and holiday supplies. 

Martha and Bea will return from the April 17, to transform the space into a boutique of ladies clothing and accessories. 

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Free eco-friendly building course in Harrogate

Harrogate College is hosting a free course where construction business can find out how to build energy-efficient buildings.

Passive House for Construction Professionals and Management is a four-week, one-day-a-week training programme, funded by the government.

The course will start on Tuesday, March 7.

‘Passive houses’ are eco-friendly houses built to be extremely energy efficient. They are designed to remain at an almost constant temperature, reducing bills and emissions.

Passive house in construction

The course is run by Leeds-based passive house manufacturers Pure Haus, who are going to build a mini example-house in the college grounds.

Kevin Pratt, director of Pure Haus, said:

“We’re looking forward to installing a ‘mini pure haus’ at the college… It will be a real eye-opener for students and help educate them about how we need to build homes to play our part in tackling climate change.”

Harrogate college is aiming to achieve carbon zero status by 2035, and is planning a variety of environmentally-focused events for March, which is its Green Month.

Events include a free talk on retrofitting your home on March 16.

Harrogate College principal Danny Wild said:

“It is such practices that we all need to adopt, as organisations and individuals, if we are to make real change, reduce our collective carbon footprint and, of course, save money.”

North Yorkshire’s Levelling Up failure blamed on ‘too many bids for too small a pot’

North Yorkshire County Council‘s leader has blamed the county’s failure in securing Levelling Up funding on “too many bids” across the country for “too small a pot”.

Last month the government revealed the winners of the second Levelling Up Fund round that saw £2.1bn up for grabs.

Several district councils in the county made bids for funding, including £20m to redevelop Harrogate Convention Centre. North Yorkshire County Council also submitted a £39.3m bid to upgrade Thirsk, Seamer and Scarborough stations.

In total, bids worth £118.4m were made for projects in the county but only Richmondshire District Council received funding, which will see £19m spent regenerating Catterick town centre in prime minister Rishi Sunak’s constituency.

At a full meeting of the county council in Northallerton this week, Cllr Bryn Griffiths, Liberal Democrat member for Stokesley division, asked council leader Carl Les why most of the bids in North Yorkshire had failed.

He said:

“We don’t seem to be very good at obtaining Levelling Up money, do we? Do we know why? What are the reasons? Are our processes wrong or is central government not listening to us?”

Cllr Lindsay Burr, independent member for the Malton division, said the rejections were both “concerning and disappointing” for the county. She added:

“Levelling Up was announced with great fanfare and the majority of residents felt it was a given that Yorkshire would be levelled up. Could our leader press central government to ensure Yorkshire can get its fair share?”

‘Too small a pot’

Cllr Les said NYCC had received feedback from government on why bids failed but added that he believes not enough money was available for all the bids to be successful. He said:

“We do ask civil servants for feedback and we get that. The issue with the fund was there was too many bids for too small a pot.

“I use my powers to urge government to give us more in North Yorkshire, I do that all the time but other leaders around the country do that as well. We’ll always bang the drum for North Yorkshire and try to get our fair share.”

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During the first two rounds of the Levelling Up Fund, 834 bids were submitted but only 216 were successful.

The government scored each bid out of 100 with criteria including deliverability and the characteristics of each place.

It will be opening a third round of funding with a further £1bn available to councils.

Earlier this month, the Local Democracy Reporting Service revealed that Harrogate Borough Council spent £45,000 on consultants to help prepare its failed Levelling Up bid.

Liberal Democrat member for the Kingsley division, Cllr Chris Aldred, asked Cllr Les how much was spent in total in North Yorkshire for consultants to help with bids.

Cllr Les promised to answer his question before the district councils are abolished in just over a month.

Minister ‘open’ to inflation funding discussions for A59 Kex Gill

Ministers are open to discussions over funding should a major realignment for the A59 at Kex Gill hit further inflationary pressures.

Richard Holden, the minister for roads, told the Stray Ferret that he believed the government had struck a “sensible deal” with North Yorkshire County Council for the £69 million scheme.

Mr Holden visited the Kex Gill site along with officials from the county council this morning.

It comes as the Department for Transport gave the final go-ahead for the project today, which will see the road rerouted.

The move comes as the project has been beset by delays and mounting costs due to inflation.

However, work now look sets to start in April on the scheme — three months after the council’s most recent anticipated start date.

When asked if the government would step in should the project face rising costs, Mr Holden said:

“We have done a sensible deal with them [the council], we did not want to sign anything before it was all ready.

“Obviously, there have been inflationary pressures across construction particularly the last few years.

“I hope we don’t need to get to that point, but I think we have got a good project team here who are going to keep costs under control working with National Highways.

“I think we are in a good place, but obviously discussions are always open when it comes to money.”

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The scheme has faced numerous delays and, following tender returns, the estimated cost of the scheme increased by £7.2 million to £68.8 million, which the council attributed to inflation affecting constructions costs.

The project will be funded by a £56.1 million grant from the Department for Transport, with the council covering the rest from its reserves.

A further £11 million has been factored into the budget to cover any issues with ground conditions or bad weather.

The Kex Gill realignment site, which is set for construction.

The Kex Gill realignment site, which is set for construction.

Irish civil engineering and construction firm John Sisk & Son (Holdings) Ltd has been appointed to build the road.

Speaking following the announcement, Cllr Keane Duncan, executive councillor for highways, said:

“This is really the culmination of seven years worth of work to get to this stage.

“It’s very welcome that we are now able to proceed.”

The A59 at Kex Gill, near Blubberhouses, is the main route between Harrogate and Skipton. Since 2000, the route has been closed 12 times following landslips.

The estimated completion date for the scheme is May 2025.

Pictured above (left to right) council leader Cllr Carl Les, minister for roads Richard Holden, and Cllr Keane Duncan, executive councillor for highways.

Fruit and veg shop to move to Harlow Hill after 50 years in Harrogate

A familiar fruit and vegetable brand in Harrogate for more than 50 years is set to move to a new home next month.

Regal Fruiterers will leave its King’s Road home to take over a vacant shop at 137 Otley Road.

Peter and Dawn Weatherhead, who have run the business for the last 21 years, said they would take their two part-time staff with them when they move.

Mr Weatherhead told the Stray Ferret:

“We’re closing the shop on King’s Road on Saturday, March 18, the day before Mother’s Day.

“We’re then reopening on Harlow Hill on Friday, March 24.

“Regal has been in Harrogate for over 50 years and we’re excited to be writing a new chapter.”

The unit has been a fruit and veg shop for the last few years, first set up by Shepherd’s Dog landlords Mike and Donna Schofield.

They took on the shop after running a stall outside the pub during covid and realising the level of demand in the area. They decided to end the project in autumn 2021 and focus on the pub.

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In early 2022, the shop was reopened by Ilkley-based Wharfedale Fruit and Veg, which ran the shop until last October, when it was taken on by The Village Greengrocer.

However, residents took to social media to express frustration that the shop was not always open as expected, and it has since closed for good.

Mr Weatherhead said he hoped there would be a warm welcome from the community when Regal opens its doors in four weeks’ time.

“A lot of our customers live up in the Harlow Hill area anyway, and a lot of the customers we have spoken to on King’s Road have said they’ll follow us up there.

“I’ve introduced myself to the shop owners and had a very warm welcome. It’s all good news.”

The shop will be open Monday to Saturday, 9am to 5pm, offering Regal’s range of fresh local produce and cooking ingredients.

Man accused of sex offences at Harrogate train station

A man has appeared in court on two counts of groping men at Harrogate train station.

Jason Darren Graham Wilson, 51, was charged with inappropriately touching a man at the station on April 29 and May 24 last year.

He is also accused of the same crime, which is contrary to the Sexual Offences Act 2003, at York train station on June 20 last year.

Mr Wilson, of Hope Street, York, denies all charges and following his appearance at York Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday will stand trial on May 17.

He was remanded on bail on condition that he does not enter Harrogate or York train stations unless it is within 30 minutes of a train he intends to use, and he must have a valid travel ticket.

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Government gives final go-ahead for £69m Kex Gill reroute to start

The government has given the final go-ahead for work to start on a £69 million realignment of the A59 at Kex Gill.

Officials at the Department for Transport have signed off on North Yorkshire County Council’s business case, which will see the landslip-hit road re-routed west of Blubberhouses.

The move comes as the project has been beset by delays and mounting costs due to inflation.

However, work now look sets to start in April on the scheme — three months after the council’s most recent anticipated start date.

Richard Holden, the government’s roads minister, said:

“Making journeys safer, faster and more reliable for motorists to reduce travel times and help grow the economy is vital.

“The new route at Kex Gill will benefit businesses across the North of England and local towns and villages nearby by boosting economic growth, enhancing connectivity and putting an end to disruptive road closures.

“Investing in projects like this to provide long-term improvements shows how the government is committed to levelling up transport links with long-term sustainable solutions.”

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The scheme has faced numerous delays and following tender returns, the estimated cost of the scheme increased by £7.2 million to £68.8 million, which the council attributed to inflation affecting constructions costs.

The project will be funded by a £56.1 million grant from the Department for Transport, with the council covering the rest from its reserves.

A further £11 million has been factored into the £68 million budget to cover any issues with ground conditions or bad weather.

The council had previously earmarked groundworks on the project to start in January, but was awaiting sign-off from government on a full business case.

Irish civil engineering and construction firm John Sisk & Son (Holdings) Ltd has been appointed to build the road.

Cllr Keane Duncan, the council’s executive member for highways, said:

“It is welcome news that the government has given us the final go-ahead to begin construction. The re-alignment of Kex Gill will undoubtedly be one of the council’s most ambitious ever highways projects.

“The A59 provides a very important east-west connection in North Yorkshire and is of national significance. We remain committed to completing the scheme as quickly as possible and in the most cost-effective way.”

The A59 at Kex Gill, near Blubberhouses, is the main route between Harrogate and Skipton. Since 2000, the route has been closed 12 times following landslips.

The estimated completion date for the scheme is May 2025.

Harrogate cycling group: ‘We need delivery, not just bids’

A Harrogate cycling group has said North Yorkshire County Council needs to “deliver” cycling schemes after years of promises.

The council revealed yesterday it planned to bid for £3.19 million to help fund projects in Harrogate and Knaresborough.

Both schemes — on Victoria Avenue in Harrogate and Harrogate Road in Knaresborough — were previously announced in 2020.

Now the council needs to await the outcome of its bid to tranche four of the Department for Transport’s active travel fund before knowing if either initiative can go ahead.

It follows the council’s decision to abandon phase two of the Otley Road cycle route in Harrogate and the closure of nearby Beech Grove to through traffic, as well as ongoing uncertainty over whether the £11.2 million Harrogate Station Gateway will go ahead.

Otley Road cycle path

The Otley Road cycle route

The initiatives were part of a wider ambition to create a linked off-road cycle route from Cardale Park to Harrogate train station.

Plans to improve cycling on Oatlands Drive were also shelved.

Kevin Douglas, chair of Harrogate District Cycling Action, said:

“We welcome the fact that the council is continuing to bid. But what we would like to see is some delivery.

“Standalone cycle schemes are not going to work. We need a single, segregated, joined-up cycle route to make sure people are safe.”

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Mr Douglas described as “slightly embarrassing” yesterday’s comments by Councillor Keane Duncan, the Conservative executive member for highways at the council, that the latest bid was “another significant milestone in our efforts to deliver a more balanced approach to travel in the county”.

Mr Douglas said the only new active travel scheme had been the first phase of the Otley Road cycle route, which he said remained incomplete and unsafe, adding:

“There have been no new schemes here. Now they are seeking additional funds for schemes they have already announced.

“I’m not sure how they can talk about their track record for delivery.”

Victoria Avenue, which is the council’s priority scheme, would see improvements to public spaces, pedestrian crossings and segregated cycleways. Parking spaces would be removed.

A decision on bids submitted for the active travel fund is expected from the government on March 17. 

Construction must begin on successful projects before March 31, 2024.