A highly anticipated Harrogate performance by an international soprano has been cancelled due to the rail strike.
Elizabeth Llewellyn was due to perform a song recital accompanied by pianist Simon Lepper at the Wesley Centre on Monday.
Born to Jamaican parents, Ms Llewellyn is widely regarded as today’s must-see soprano in the world’s opera houses and concert halls.
But the latest round of strikes called by the RMT rail union has scuppered the lunchtime event, which was called off before the strike action was cancelled.
However, acclaimed pianist Steven Osborne has agreed to step in instead.
Steven Osborne
His programme includes Debussy’s Pour le piano and two Rachmaninov pieces: the Nunc Dimittis from All-Night Vigil and his piano sonata number one 1 in D minor.
Monday’s concert starts at 1pm and tickets costing £10 will be available on the door.
It is part of the long-running series of lunchtime concerts organised by Andrew Hitchens at the Wesley.
The rest of this season’s programme includes:
December 5 — Elisa Tomellini (Italian pianist)
January 9 — London Horn Duo
February 6 — Harmoniemusik (Four woodwinds and piano)
March 6 — Kitty Whately (mezzosoprano) and Joseph Middleton (piano)
April 3 — Emma Abbate and Julian Perkins (piano, four hands)
May 8 — Gareth Brynmor-John (tenor/winner of the Ferrier 2013) and Christopher Glynn
June 5 — Susan Tomes
July 3— Jazz concert with the Richard Weatherall Trio
There will also be two evening concerts, details to be announced.
Council appoints London consultants to draw up North Yorkshire growth strategyAn £89,537 contract to draw up a strategy to grow the economy in North Yorkshire has been handed to a London company.
North Yorkshire County Council has commissioned Steer-ED to carry out the work on behalf of the upcoming North Yorkshire Council.
The new authority will come into force on April 1, 2023.
The Stray Ferret asked the county council whether it had considered local companies for the work and if the strategy could have been drawn up by its own staff.
Cllr Carl Les, leader of North Yorkshire County Council, said:
“The advent of the new North Yorkshire Council provides us with an opportunity to create a county-wide strategy to drive forward economic growth and support existing businesses while attracting new enterprise.
“Working with council officers, Steer-ED will produce a new county-wide economic growth strategy which will be guided by extensive consultations and engagement with a number of key organisations. This will help us maximise North Yorkshire’s economic potential and drive inward investment across the county.
“Steer-ED was appointed following a competitive procurement process, and the contract was awarded in accordance with the procurement framework requirements. The framework consists of 41 consultants from across the country, and all were invited to tender for the contract.
“Our economic development teams will work very closely with Steer-ED. The decision was taken to recruit consultants to provide an important external perspective as well as ensuring there is additional capacity so the work is completed soon after the launch of the new North Yorkshire Council on April 1 next year.”
The move is the latest contract to be awarded to a national firm as the county council transitions towards the new North Yorkshire Council.
In July, the Stray Ferret revealed that four consultancy companies were awarded £5 million for “reorganisation support for North Yorkshire Council”.
The contract was awarded to KPMG, Price Waterhouse Cooper, PA Consulting Ltd and Capita Business Service Ltd.
However, councillors on the authority criticised the move as a “waste of money” and questioned whether it could have been better spent elsewhere.
Harrogate Town set for FA Cup Yorkshire derby at BradfordHarrogate Town are set for a crunch Yorkshire derby in the FA Cup first round today.
Town travel to Bradford City for a 12.30pm kick off as they look to get their cup campaign off to a good start.
More than 300 Harrogate fans are set to head to Valley Parade, and planned strike action on the railways this weekend has been called off.
Town manager Simon Weaver said his side have to remain focussed if they want to get through to the next round.
He said:
“We will just have to make sure we are focussed and concentrated throughout the game.
“We know that if you allow Bradford to play then they have got some good quality players and are organised by a very good manager.
“We can’t take our eye off the ball throughout the entirety of the game. We have got to make sure we are on it.”
Town will be hoping for a repeat of last season when they managed to beat League One side Portsmouth to make it to the third round.
Harrogate beat Bradford last season on their visit to Valley Parade. But the Bantams took the bragging rights last month at the EnviroVent Stadium with a 2-1 win.
City boss Mark Hughes has said his side are also eyeing a cup run this campaign.
Hughes said:
Council could create new Pannal business park“I am looking forward to it. A local derby is always a good watch, and we are hoping for a big turnout.
“We want to progress in the cups this season. There clearly is a financial edge to going far, but the reality is, if you get to the third round, there are some good ties we want to be involved in.
“We will try and get there. Our intention is to stay in the competition for as long as we can.
“There is a real understanding within the squad about the history of the competition. The FA Cup is not on the same level, in terms of the prestige and standing, compared to other competitions.
“We have to navigate the game at the weekend. We have beaten them away from home, so there is no reason why we should not be confident.”
Plans to create a new business and industrial site on the southern approach to Harrogate could be progressed next week.
Harrogate Borough Council‘s cabinet will decide on Wednesday whether to begin speaking to developers to gauge interest in the site.
Allocated for employment use in the Harrogate district Local Plan 2014-35, which outlines where development can take place, the site lies along the eastern side of the A61 near Pannal. It is between the railway line and Crimple Beck, north of the Mercedes garage and the M&S Food shop at the petrol station.
A strategic sites masterplanning document prepared by consultants BDP and Colliers will be reviewed by the cabinet as part of the decision next week. It says:
“Crimple Valley Viaduct, to the north-east of the site, is a Grade II* listed building.
“Development of the site should minimise harm to the setting of this designated heritage asset and seek to enhance its significance; this should include retaining key views of the viaduct from within the site and from beyond the site through the site.”
An officer’s report summarising the document said the focus of any development should be on “high quality place-making and low carbon development”, referring to the council’s “aspirations for high-tech/high skilled job creation”.
Access to the site would be via public transport or the A61
The consultants’ report suggests the site could be accessed via traffic lights or a roundabout, with pedestrian and cycle access further south to link with bus stops on Leeds Road and the railway station in Pannal.
It says the site could be used for high-tech manufacturing, research and development, or business headquarters. Buildings would be up to three storeys and 5,000m sq in size.
The total office space allocated for the site is 10,000m sq alongside 31,500m sq of industrial space. The report says:
“In order to support the local economy there is a need to provide a range of office, manufacturing and warehousing accommodation from shared spaces to single occupiers.
“There is also the opportunity to include a hub building at the heart of the development that can offer a mix of business space and shared facilities for the business community.
“The site should feel like an extension of the existing community, rather than a gated ‘estate’. Access to the existing right of way along the eastern boundary of the site is to be retained and enhanced with new pedestrian connections through the site and safe crossing points on Leeds Road.”
With the site designed to encourage sustainable travel, one parking space has been allocated for each 40m sq of office space or 50m sq of industrial space.
As well as tree planting through the site, the document suggests a wildflower meadow and attenuation pond could be created to the north of the site, adjacent to Crimple Beck.
The suggested layout, with industrial space in orange and office in brown
The officers’ report acknowledges that any development of the site is likely to take place after Harrogate Borough Council is abolished next spring, when the new North Yorkshire Council comes into effect. It adds:
“Taking into consideration current market conditions/costs and uncertainties around the new strategic objectives of North Yorkshire Council from April 1, 2023, it is currently not clear how much direct involvement the council should or could have in the development of the site.
“Officers therefore recommend the next steps to be engagement in expressions of interest with developers to test market appetite, focussing on high quality place-making and low carbon development.
“This can then inform a future decision about the appropriate level of local authority involvement and timescales for delivery of the site.”
Man ordered to pay £1 for role in £500,000 Harrogate cannabis racket
An Albanian drug conspirator involved in a half-a-million-pound cannabis racket in Harrogate has been made to pay back just £1 to the public purse and is apparently “nowhere to be found”.
Andi Kokaj, 23, was part of a London-based gang which conspired with former Harrogate guest-house owner Yoko Banks to set up three lucrative cannabis factories in affluent streets.
He was jailed for three years in August last year for being concerned in the production of cannabis.
At a financial confiscation hearing today at Leeds Crown Court, judge Tom Bayliss KC ruled that Kokaj would pay a nominal fee of £1 after the prosecution said he played a “minor” role in the criminal enterprise.
Prosecutor Michael Bosomworth said the gang had converted three of Banks’ properties on Alexandra Road, Woodlands Road and Somerset Road near Harrogate town centre into cannabis farms with potential yields of up to £456,000. The gang made an estimated £345,000 from the drug plot.
However, Kokaj, played a “lesser role” and was paid just £80 a day for his part in the conspiracy and so made a financial gain of £1,120, added Mr Bosomworth.
He said that Kokaj, from London but of no fixed address, had no assets.
Mr Bayliss KC duly made the nominal £1 order due to Kokaj’s limited financial means.
Kokaj didn’t attend the confiscation hearing and the court heard he was “probably nowhere to be found”.
When he was sentenced last summer, he was told he would only have to serve half of the three-year sentence behind bars, less the time he had spent on remand, which means he is likely to have been released from jail.
Banks, 74, of Scargill Road, Harrogate, was also due to face financial confiscation today but her case was adjourned yet again for the service of financial documents setting out her complex web of assets and properties.
Earlier this year, the former B&B boss and property tycoon failed in her bid to have her conviction quashed after being convicted of three counts of being concerned in the production of cannabis.
Yoko Banks
The court heard the disgraced pensioner was the “facilitator” for the Albanian gang’s cannabis-cultivation enterprise.
Her six co-conspirators, Kokaj, Visar Sellaj, 33, Kujtim Brahaj, 50, Indrit Brahaj, 27, Bledar Elezaj, 36, and 31-year-old Erblin Elezaj, were jailed for a combined 22 years for various offences including drug supply and production of the highly potent skunk cannabis in August 2021.
Banks, who rented out her three properties to the gang to convert into cannabis farms, was jailed for three-and-a-half years and is due to be released from New Hall women’s prison in West Yorkshire on December 31, halfway through her sentence.
At a previous adjourned confiscation hearing, Mr Bosomworth said that Banks owned a string of “highly marketable” properties in some of Harrogate’s most desirable areas.
He added, however, that her “complicated accounts and property empire” were proving to be a major sticking point in the ongoing financial investigation.
On that occasion, Banks claimed she had no money because it had been frozen in her bank account. She said, however, that she had “a lot” of assets.
Mr Bosomworth said that Sellaj, the gang’s ringleader, had made £438,000 from the cannabis-cultivation enterprise and that he had £76,000 in the bank which he could pay back into public coffers.
At a contested financial confiscation hearing in May, it was found that Indrit Brahaj had jointly benefited from the criminal enterprise to the tune of £133,328. In his case, a confiscation order of £24,082 was made.
Kujtim Brahaj was found to have benefited to the tune of £1,194. The judge made a nominal confiscation order of £1 in his case due to limited financial means.
The prosecution said that Banks rented out her properties to the “professional” drug gang for “industrial” cannabis production “in the expectation of significant profit”, though she had no part in the actual cultivation process.
Their mega-money plot finally unravelled when police were called to a five-bedroom villa owned by Banks in September 2020 after reports of a “disturbance” in the street involving what appeared to be two rival gangs vying for the cannabis farm.
Banks, who had previous convictions for health-and-safety offences through her work, was due to be paid at least £12,000 a month in rent for use of the three properties and was also receiving “high” deposits, said Mr Bosomworth.
Her final confiscation hearing was adjourned to January 6 next year to give her defence counsel time to provide evidence that some of the bank transfers to her account were “legitimate”.
Ringleader Sellaj’s financial confiscation proceedings were adjourned for a full-day hearing to determine the amount of cash available to him.
Guide to bonfire and fireworks displays in the Harrogate district
This story is sponsored by Belmont Grosvenor School which will be holding a Bonfire Night Party on Friday, November 4. There will be s’mores round the campfire, music, hot food, a licensed bar, stalls and more. Gates open at 6pm, the bonfire will be lit at 6.30pm and the firework display starts at 7.20pm.
Tickets can be purchased at the gate and cost £10 for adults (children under the age of 18 are free). Get them in advance by emailing kaye.walker@bewonder.co.uk.
Bonfire night is fast approaching so we have put together a list of events coming up in the Harrogate district.
They all take place over the weekend of November 4, 5 and 6.
Let us know if we have missed your event and we will add it to the list. Email contact@thestrayferret.co.uk or call us on 01423 276197.
Belmont Grosvenor School Bonfire Party
Where: Belmont Grosvenor School, Swarcliffe Hall, Birstwith, Harrogate, North Yorkshire, HG3 2JG
When: 6pm start, 6.30pm fire lit, 7.20pm firework display
Tickets: £10 with children under the age of 18 entering for free
Ripon Rowels Rotary Charity Bonfire and Firework Display
Where: Ripon Racecourse, Boroughbridge Road, Ripon, HG4 1UG
When: 5.30pm start, 7pm fire lit, 7.30pm firework display
Tickets: adults £6, children £3, family (2 adult, 2 child) £12, under 3s free
Spofforth Village Firework Display
Where: Spofforth Cricket Ground, School Lane, Spofforth, HG3 1BA
When: Gates open 5pm, 7pm-7.15pm firework display.
Tickets: Family pre-paid £12:50 and on the gate £15. Adult pre-paid £4 and on the gate £5. Child pre-paid £2:50 and on the gate £3.
Swinton Bivouac Silent Bonfire Night
Where: Swinton Bivouac, Masham, Ilton, Ripon, HG4 4JZ
When: 6.30pm bonfire lit. There will be no fireworks or loud bangs.
Tickets: free entry, food and drinks available from the Bivouac Café
Aspin Park Academy Fireworks Night, Knaresborough
Where: School grounds
When: 5.15pm start, 6.30pm firework display
Tickets: Advance online booking – adults £4, children £3, family ticket £12, preschoolers free. On the gate – adults £5, children £4
Harrogate Stray Bonfire and Fireworks, Harrogate Round Table
Where: Oatlands Stray, Harrogate, HG1 1BJ
When: 5pm start (there will be entertainment), bonfire lit 5.30pm, 7.15pm firework display
Tickets: free entry, donations welcome
Upper Nidderdale Scouts Group Pateley Bonfire
Where: Pateley Bridge Showground
When: 6pm start, 6.30pm torchlit procession and bonfire lit, 7pm fireworks
Tickets: free entry, donations welcome
Kirkby Malzeard community village bonfire
Where: North Close Farm, Ripon Road, Kirkby Malzeard
When: 6pm start, 6.30pm bonfire lit, 7pm fireworks
Tickets: Free entry but donations welcome to fund next year’s event. Parking is available at North Close Farm. No sparklers allowed. Bring a torch.
Yolk Farm Bonfire and Burger Night – dog-friendly
Where: Yolk Farm, Minskip Road, Minskip, York, YO51 9HY
When: 5.30pm start, 6.30pm bonfire lit, no fireworks
Tickets: free entry for the event, advanced bookings only for Burger Night in the restaurant – 5:30pm and 8pm sittings
Staveley Arms Bonfire
Where: The Staveley Arms, Greenfields, North Stainley, Ripon, HG4 3HT
When: 6pm
Tickets: £5 per person to include a choice of hot dog or cup of soup
Harrogate Theatre will not receive any funding from Arts Council England from next April until 2026.
The funding body had previously given the White Rose Theatre Trust, which runs the theatre, just over £140,000 a year since 2015 through its national portfolio scheme.
The last round of awards from 2018 to 2022 gave the theatre a total of £563,636.
In today’s funding announcement, however, the theatre misses out completely — and no other organisations in the Harrogate district are included either.
Deborah Larwood, chair of the Harrogate Theatre board, said:
“Following this news, the board and leadership team will take some time to reflect and reimagine our plans from April 2023, as we continue to support the [ACE] Let’s Create agenda and ensure that Harrogate Theatre continues to deliver a vibrant cultural offer for people of all ages across the Harrogate district.
“We will continue to work alongside Arts Council England and to advocate for the value of the arts in all our lives.”
In a statement, the theatre said it was disappointed by the news, but was grateful for ACE’s support to date.
It said the money had enabled the theatre not only to bring a “fantastic range” of artists to Harrogate, but also to engage with children and young people and to support emerging artists – as well as putting on the annual pantomime.
Arts Council funding has helped Harrogate Theatre to put on its popular annual pantomime. Photograph: Karl Andre
Theatre chief executive David Bown said:
“I am proud of the positive impact Harrogate Theatre has on our community. Our extensive programme of events and workshops reach an audience of over 150,000 per year due to the extraordinary talent and dedication of our staff, volunteers, board and the incredible artists on our stages.
“Harrogate Theatre has played a key role in the economic recovery of Harrogate post-pandemic and will continue to provide a rich artistic programme to inspire and entertain the town and its visitors.”
ACE said it was sharing out £446m each year across 990 organisations around England.
It said the list of organisations receiving funding was “richer and more varied than ever before”, featuring the likes of Blackpool illuminations, Unlimited in Yorkshire which commissions work by disabled artists, and community arts organisation intoBodmin.
ACE chief executive Darren Henley said:
“Together, each of the 990 organisations that have been offered funding today will contribute to a portfolio that is rich, varied and truly national. This is our widest ever spread of investment across the country, ensuring that many more people will have access to a wider choice of exceptional art, culture and creative opportunities on their doorsteps.
“We are in tough times but we must remember creativity brings with it extraordinary dividends, boosting our country’s economic growth, creating jobs, bringing communities closer together, and making us happier as individuals.
“Everyone deserves to enjoy the benefits it brings, and with this investment, we believe we’ve taken a decisive step towards making that vision a reality.”
The organisation’s chair, Sir Nicholas Serota, added:
Harrogate Town submits major new ground redevelopment plans“As well as continuing our commitment to our many established and renowned cultural organisations, I am deeply proud of the support we will be giving to those new organisations which will help ignite creativity across the country.
“We are facing economic pressures at present but this funding is about an investment in our future. This portfolio will support the next generation of visionary inventors, makers, performers and artists. In particular, the growth of our funding for organisations that support and develop work for children represents a profoundly important long-term investment in our country’s talent.”
Harrogate Town has submitted major new plans to redevelop its Wetherby Road ground.
The club has until April 30, 2024 to provide a capacity of 5,000 fans with a minimum of 2,000 seats to comply with English Football League membership criteria.
It currently caters for 5,000 fans but only has 1,000 seats.
Planning documents published today by Harrogate Borough Council reveal the club has applied to convert the Black Sheep and Myrings standing terraces to seated areas, providing 603 seats.
It also intends to demolish the 1919 venue and construct a new 1919 terrace with seating, a spectator refreshment area and toilets.
The club also wants to install ball stop netting and has submitted a separate planning application for a temporary marquee containing a refreshment bar.
David Smith, associate director of planning consultants WSP, which is acting on behalf of the club, said in a letter to the council:
“The proposed works will provide additional seating and spectator facilities for existing fans.
“The new spectator facility will encourage away fans to get to the ground earlier on match days and ease congestion immediately before kick-off.
“As such, the proposals will not give rise to any significant traffic congestion and road safety problems.
The club needs to create another 1,000 more seats.
The club previously applied to build a new, bigger South Stand.
Mr Smith’s letter said:
“This further application proposes an alternative, less disruptive and more efficient means of achieving the EFL requirement.
“There will be less demolition of existing buildings and a quicker construction programme with this proposal.
“This proposal will also help improve the match day experience. The proposal will mark an important step in the on-going success of the club.”
The Stray Ferret asked Harrogate Town, which secured promotion from the National League to the EFL for the first time in the club’s history in 2020, how much the project will cost and when it hopes work will take place.
A club spokesman said:
“Cost – we don’t know as yet, we are still working through the preliminary work but needed to get the application through early to reach the target date for having 2,000 seats.
“We aim to start in December/January time subject to planning and be ready for the start of season 2023 though we may still have some internal works to finish.”
We also asked how the club will handle the disruption on match days and what happens if the club, which is currently 21st of 24 in division two of the English Football League, gets relegated.
The spokesman said:
Myrings estate agents scoops four top awards at ‘the Oscars’ of the UK property industry“No plans to move any games, work can be done in between games and facilities may be affected on match days at the away end but suitable provisions will be made if that’s the case.
“The plans will progress as we are aiming to improve facilities and match day experience for our loyal supporters and we have more families visiting us now to cater for, plus we hope to attract more first generation fans as we grow.”
This article is sponsored by Myrings.
Harrogate’s leading family estate agents Myrings has scooped four prestigious titles at the biggest awards in the UK property industry.
The independent agency received the Gold Estate Agent Award, Gold Landlord Award, Silver Tenant Award and Best in County for North Yorkshire at the prestigious ESTAS Customer Service Awards 2022.
The team from Myrings, which is based on Princes Square, collected the award at a glittering ceremony in London.
The winners were announced by Phil Spencer, who co-presents Location, Location, Location with Kirstie Allsopp.
The awards are powered by the ESTAS customer review platform that highlights the best agents, conveyors and brokers for customer service in the UK.
Gemma Myring, Managing Director of the family-run business, which was established in 1998, said:
“We are absolutely thrilled to be recognised in this year’s ESTAS.
“It means so much to us as we know it’s our customers who have judged our performance. We take our levels of customer service very seriously because we know clients have a choice. We have always been very proud of the personal service, and this proves we are delivering what we promise.”
Ms Myring put the continued success of the agency, which is ranked in the top 2% for sales in the country, down to the hard-working team.
She said:
“The staff have pulled out all the stops and I’m so proud of all of them. A good team is what sets you apart.
“We are going into our 25th year really proud of what we have achieved.”
Phil Spencer, who has hosted The ESTAS every year since their inception in 2003, addressed the audience at the awards.
He said:
“I’ve said it many times but the work of agents, conveyancers and brokers is vastly underrated by the general public and it’s only when clients go through the process that they understand the effort, complexity and hard work that goes into your job.
“It’s your passion for what you do that makes The ESTAS the most important day in the property calendar every year.”
The organisers of the Stray Bonfire are appealing for help to meet the costs of putting on one of Harrogate’s best-loved events tomorrow.
Harrogate Round Table has set a £10,000 fundraising target, but so far less than a tenth of that has been pledged.
The Stray Bonfire event costs about £13,500 to stage, with £5,000 spent on fireworks alone. Organiser Andy Rickard said:
“We run the event as volunteers, but there are costs we can’t avoid, such as parking, medical care and closing roads. It’s free to attend and we’d like to keep it that way, so if you can afford to help out with the costs it would be very much appreciated.”
The event, which starts at 5pm tomorrow (Saturday, November 5) and finishes with a fireworks finale at 7.15pm, will also feature music from three bands, hot food stalls, a licensed bar and – new this year – on-site toilets. The Met Office is forecasting an evening of dry weather.
The organisers had planned to ditch the traditional bonfire this year in favour of other entertainment, but changed their minds last week and reinstated it.
As well as individual donations, the team of volunteers is interested in hearing from any businesses or other organisations which might sponsor the event.
Mr Rickard said:
“If there are any companies that are interested, for £250 you can become a community sponsor and we’ll put your logo up on the big screen in front of about 10,000 people – right before Christmas.
“You can also donate at our GoFundMe page, or give £5 by texting BONFIRE to 70460.
“On the night we’ll even have card-readers, so you can donate that way, but we’ll only have four of them, so we’d urge people to bring cash, as we’ll have 60 bucket-shakers collecting donations.”
Any surplus funds will be donated to Harrogate Homeless Project, which marks 30 years in the town this year.
Mr Rickard added:
“We really wanted to celebrate Harrogate Homeless Project’s 30th anniversary, but also, the cost-of-living crisis is going to affect everybody, but the homeless are potentially the most vulnerable, so we wanted to help as much as we can as winter approaches.”