Knitted poppies start to be put up around Harrogate’s war memorial

In the bright morning sunshine, two Harrogate Borough Council workers and their friend started putting up the annual knitted poppy display outside Bettys, ready for Remembrance Sunday.

Frank McCann and Michael McElhinney both work as as civic attendants — but today have been putting up the poppies display with volunteer, Lindon Wallace.

Mr McCann told the Stray Ferret:

“The poppies have all been hand knitted by thoughtful volunteers in Harrogate and we’ll put them all around the war memorial.

“It reminds people of the sacrifice made and on a beautiful day like this it really adds a splash of colour and interest.”

On the pavement there are bin liners full of the handmade poppies. The men have no idea how many poppies there are — they have 500 ties so Mr McCann said hundreds, maybe thousands, will be put up in the coming days.

Mr McCann added:

“It’s been very noticeable over the last few years that there’s been an increasing interest in this. Ever since the 100th anniversary of the First World War — it brought people’s mind back into focus.

“As another part of my role, I will be up at the war graves at the crematorium. Young people are buried there — a lot from Canada. Something like that hits home. They were really little kids who died all those years ago.”

The Royal British Legion will formally launch its Poppy Appeal on Thursday. To donate click here.

Remembrance Sunday is on November 13.

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Long awaited Oatlands Drive cycling survey launched

A long awaited survey on cycling and walking plans for the Oatlands Drive area of Harrogate has finally been launched more than a year-and-a-half after original proposals for one-way traffic were scrapped.

Residents are being asked to make suggestions via an online map ahead of plans being presented by North Yorkshire County Council later this year.

The consultation comes after the council was awarded government funding, but later binned its plans for a one-way traffic system in March 2021 following widespread opposition from residents who said the changes would be “disastrous” for the wider Saints area.

A 20mph limit and traffic filters were then proposed, however, residents were still unhappy.

The council then announced it would use the £200,000 it was awarded from the government’s Active Travel Fund to carry out a review which includes the survey launched today.

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But progress up until now has been slow and it could still be some time before any road changes are introduced as the council said it will have to wait for further funding opportunities.

Kevin Douglas, chairman of Harrogate District Cycle Action, said the delays for all active travel schemes in Harrogate have been “incredibly frustrating” and that he believes there has been some “muddled thinking” on the Oatlands Drive area.

He said: 

“We have said all along that there needs to be a segregated cycleway on Oatlands Drive to encourage people to link with the Harrogate gateway project.

“But whatever they decide to do, they are going to have to get on and have the backbone to deliver.”

As well as the survey, the council is also gathering traffic data looking at parking and how people choose to travel in the Oatlands Drive area which includes St. John Fisher Catholic High School and St. Aidan’s Church of England High School.

The council said this will capture the volume and speed of traffic, as well as what type of vehicles are used.

Cllr Keane Duncan, executive member for highways at the authority, added: 

“We are looking at options for active travel and traffic calming improvements in the Oatlands area as part of our aim to encourage cycling and walking, easing congestion and improving air quality in Harrogate.

“Previous consultations about the Oatlands area have generated a lot of comments, so we have made a commitment to carry out a more detailed study to assess possible improvements there.

“The public engagement demonstrates our commitment to ensuring local people are involved in the design process from the outset.”

Under other active travel schemes, the council previously said final designs for Harrogate’s Victoria Avenue and the A59 near Knaresborough – which include cycle lanes, improved crossings and reduced speed limits – were “likely” to be revealed this summer.

However, this has been pushed back until at least the New Year.

To have your say on proposals for Oatlands Drive here.

Historic Harrogate building set to put on a Halloween show

A spectacularly spooky light show will be held at a historic building in Harrogate this weekend.

The Chapel on Grove Road will celebrate the occasion with its first ever display, complete with projected images, creepy smoke and themed music.

Owner Mark Hinchliffe said he hoped the free display would be enjoyed by people of all ages:

“It’s a bit mad – when you get one of those ideas and think, ‘what a great Halloween thing to do opposite the cemetery and on the road so you can see it easily’.

“It’s local, in town, and people can come and see it.”

Although the concept came from Mr Hinchliffe and his partner Heidi, they say they have had a huge amount of support from other local businesses.

FTAV has put together the programme of projection, lighting and effects, while Studio One and Kall Kwik helped with producing publicity material to promote the event.

In full costume, the couple will be greeting visitors with sweets donated by Asda, Waitrose and The Serious Sweet Company.

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The show will run on Sunday, October 30 as well as Halloween itself, Monday, October 31, from 6pm to 8pm each day.

It may only be two days long, but Mr Hinchliffe has already set his sights on something more extensive for the next significant event in the calendar. He said:

“If I do things, I like to make it really visual. I’m a creative and I’m a bit bonkers.

“It all started with Halloween and now I’ve had another idea of doing a Santa’s grotto. I’ve found an antique sleigh to die for – it’s 2.5m from North America, about 1900, with a double button cushioned seat. It’s the real thing.”

Details of the grotto will be confirmed nearer the time, but Mr Hinchliffe said he hoped to tie it in to Harrogate’s other Christmas celebrations for the benefit of the whole community.

Harrogate council sees increase in complaints in last five years, says study

Harrogate Borough Council has seen a rise in complaints over the last five years, according to an analysis of local government data.

A study by legal firm claims.co.uk shows that the authority has seen an 18.97% increase in complaints since 2017.

The analysis used figures from the Local Government Ombudsman and showed the most improved council’s across the Yorkshire and Humber region.

According to the study, Harrogate came 19th, below Kirklees Borough Council and City of York Council, out of 19 council where full data was available.

The figures show that the council received on average 3.6 complaints per 10,000 people across the district between 2017 and 2019.

This increased to 4.3 between 2019 and 2022.

Scarborough Borough Council was the most improved with a decrease in complaints of 38.95%, followed by North Lincolnshire Council with 34.62%.

George Patton from Claims.co.uk said:

“Council tax has increased by an average of £67 for Band D properties this year amid the cost of living squeeze.

“Along with the tax hike are residents’ rising expectations towards their local authorities to provide better services.

“Hence, although taking on your council might seem daunting, it’s vital to know your right as a resident and speak out if you feel that your council has failed to deliver a service.”

A Harrogate Borough Council spokesperson said:

“Harrogate Borough Council aims to provide an excellent service to our customers. If we get something wrong, we want to try to put it right quickly and learn from the mistake to help improve services in the future.

“We are generally able to resolve the complaints we receive but sometimes our customers are not satisfied with our response to their complaint and we signpost them to refer their complaint to the Local Government & Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO).

“The data published by the LGSCO shows that it has received 103 enquiries or complaints relating to Harrogate Borough Council over the last 5 years and made 101 decisions on these referrals.

“Many of these cases were closed after initial enquiries (43), referred back for local resolution (29), or not upheld (11).

“In only nine cases was the complaint against the council upheld.”

In June, the Local Democracy Reporting Service revealed that in 2020/21 13 complaints were made against councillors alone.

There were 11 complaints where a monitoring officer and independent person ruled that investigations were not needed. This included allegations of bullying by a parish councillor.

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Business Breakfast: Raworths renews Harrogate Literature Festival sponsorship

Business Breakfast is sponsored by Harrogate law firm Truth Legal. 

Law firm Raworths has renewed its sponsorship of the Harrogate Literature Festival for the next five years.

This year marks a decade of Raworths association with the annual event, which is produced by Harrogate International Festivals.

Festivals Managing Partner, Simon Morris said:

“We are very proud to have supported the Harrogate Literature Festival since its inception a decade ago. Over that time it has grown from strength to strength, bringing a diverse array of speakers to Harrogate, enriching the community and promoting the region.

“We are delighted to be committing to the next five years and look forward to working alongside the festival team in continuing to develop this cultural keystone.”

Sharon Canavar, Harrogate International Festivals Chief Executive, said:

“This month sees us celebrating ten years of an amazing partnership with Raworths, and I’m thrilled it’s to continue for another five years.

“We are incredibly proud of our relationship, and delighted that the firm has put its faith in us to continue to produce an exciting programme of events as part of our literature festival.”

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The General Tarleton at Ferrensby has been awarded an AA Rosette for culinary excellence after a recent inspection.

The restaurant was recognised for culinary excellence and also achieved a five-star Inn rating for accommodation.

General Manager, Silviu Hasna, said:

“We are delighted to have been awarded two such important awards.

“It’s been a difficult journey out of the pandemic and to be recognised by the AA is an incredible achievement indeed.

“Whilst the hospitality market is constantly evolving, what remains a constant for me is the need and desire to provide the best possible overall guest experience… Whilst quality is key we also recognise customers demand value at the same time.

“I know it’s cliché but as a team we work really hard to source the very best quality ingredients Yorkshire has to offer. Even the toiletries are from H2K in Harrogate.”

The General Tarleton 

Kirkby Overblow celebrates new playground

A new playground in the village of Kirkby Overblow, south of Harrogate, was officially opened this weekend.

The play area now boasts a giant tractor, climbing frame, nest swing and roundabout – all on astroturf.

Local mum Katie Fox told the Stray Ferret that she started to look into how to renovate the area two years ago:

“It was not very nice. It was run down and the equipment was really old.

“It was lacking colour and modernisation and needed a good update. There were also no disability facilities and it was all muddy.”

Katie said she’d spotted that the play area at Ripley had been funded by a government community grant so she contacted Harrogate Borough Council which supported the application. Soon a village committee was formed to work through the application process – part of which required the villagers to raise 10% of what was required.

So, while the committee worked to complete the form, it started fund raising.

It held quizzes at the Shoulder of Mutton pub and took contributions from village’s summer arts festival. There were also generous donations from locals and the playground’s fence was supplied and built by the Moortown Group.

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Finally they heard that the scheme had been awarded £70,000, the village had raised what it needed to and work could start.

Katie thinks the result has transformed the village:

“Life is so expensive nowadays – it is so nice to walk or bike and go to the local park and sit on the benches and have a picnic.

“We want to include a nature area – it is such a big space so there is loads of potential to add more to it and fund raise more.

“We want to involve the local school more. It’s a nicer, prettier place to be and the different play equipment means it is more suited to wider age groups.”

The ceremony this weekend was attended by villagers, councillors and the mayor of Harrogate, Cllr Victoria Oldham.

Teenage boys arrested after Mercedes stolen in Harrogate

Two 16-year-old boys have been arrested after a Mercedes was stolen from a home in Harrogate.

The black Mercedes G Class, registration YK71 NKZ, was taken from Harcourt Drive in the early hours of Friday, October 21.

The two boys arrested in relation to the incident have since been released on conditional bail while police continue their enquiries.

A spokesperson for North Yorkshire Police said:

“Offers are appealing for anyone who has information about the incident, or the stolen car, or who saw anything suspicious in the area at the time, to contact police.”

To report information, call 101, press one and use reference 12220187200.

Alternatively, report information anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.

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Burglar jailed for breaking into Harrogate home and stealing car whilst couple slept upstairs

A burglar raided a couple’s home while they slept and drove off with the husband’s Land Rover, but was later caught due to a tracking device the victim had connected to his vehicle.

Michael Balog, 21, was on prison licence and wore an immigration tag at the time of the burglary at the semi-detached home on Eleanor Road, Harrogate, in the early hours of August 31.

He broke in while the couple were asleep upstairs and stole a purse, wallet and the keys to the husband’s Land Rover Discovery, said prosecutor Neil Coxon at York Crown Court today.

He said that Balog was on an electronic tag at the time due to “matters concerned with immigration”.

The named victim, who had parked his 17-plate Land Rover outside, woke up the following morning to find that the front door of the house was ajar and his car keys and wallet had disappeared. His wife’s purse or handbag, containing bank cards, had also gone, as had his Land Rover, worth “many thousands of pounds”.

Mr Coxon told the court:

“Fortunately, he had both the car and his wallet fitted with a tracker device and that was connected to an app on his mobile [phone], and therefore he was able to track the vehicle to the location where he and police were able to recover it.

“He even had his keys attached to the tracker device.”

The tracking app enabled police to find the car keys, which had been hidden behind a loose brick in a wall at Balog’s home.

Balog, originally from the Czech Republic, had removed the mortar from around the brick and slipped the car keys into the cavity “like a spy’s ‘dead letter drop’”, before “carefully” putting the brick back in place.

Balog was brought in for questioning but initially denied all allegations. He was charged with burglary and theft of the Land Rover and ultimately admitted both offences.

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Balog, of Kennion Road, Harrogate, was charged with a third allegation of attempted burglary at a property on nearby Wetherby Road on the same night but denied this and the charge was allowed to lie on court file.

He appeared for sentence via video link today after being recalled to prison to serve the remainder of a previous jail sentence.

Mr Coxon said Balog had five previous convictions for eight offences including burglary, vehicle theft, handling stolen goods and drug dealing.

In August 2019, he was sentenced to 16 months in a young offenders’ institution for burglary.

In December 2020, he was jailed for over two years for dealing crack cocaine. He was released from jail in January this year when he was fitted with a tag to enable police to monitor his movements.

He was still subject to the tagging order and on prison licence when he targeted the family home on Eleanor Road.

Defence barrister Jeremy Barton said Balog had stolen to fund a drug habit and pay off drug debts.

Judge Sean Morris, the Recorder of York, slammed Balog for “invading somebody’s house while [he] was asleep with his wife upstairs”.

“You took the keys and you took a vehicle that would have been worth many thousands of pounds.

“It is just good fortune that the [victim] had put a tracking device on the keys [which] were secreted in a ‘dead-letter drop’.

“Were it not for the tracker on the key fob, those keys would not have been found. There was good police work in this case.”

Jailing Balog for 22 months, the judge told him:

“You are yet again back before the courts (and) you only have yourself to blame.”

Balog will serve half of that sentence behind bars before being released on prison licence.

Otley Road cycle path could be re-routed with new traffic restrictions

The next stage of Harrogate’s Otley Road cycle path could be re-routed onto side streets with restrictions for traffic under new proposals currently out to consultation.

North Yorkshire County Council is considering diverting part of the route onto Queens Road or Victoria Road in order to build wider cycle paths and footways.

Both of these options would link with Beech Grove which is seen as a key route for cyclists and could become a one-way traffic system – or see the return of bollards blocking cars and other vehicles as part of a low traffic neighbourhood which was removed in summer after a trial.

Option 1

The first option is what was originally proposed for this phase of the Otley Road cycle path which runs between the junctions of Cold Bath Road and Beech Grove.

These plans include junction upgrades and shared cycle paths and footways, similar to what has already been built on Otley Road. But the county council said some sections could be too narrow, which is why it is considering re-routing.

Option 2

Under these plans the route would be diverted onto Victoria Road with a one-way traffic system and the removal of some parking spaces to allow for a 1.5 metre wide cycle path.

The one-way traffic system would run up until Lancaster Road, before connecting with Beech Grove.

Option 3

This final option would see a 3m wide shared cycle path and footway built on Queens Road before connecting with Lancaster Road and Beech Grove.

Parallel and toucan crossings are also proposed.

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The long-awaited consultation, which runs until November 28, comes as the county council has faced sustained criticism for slow progress on the cycle path and other active travel plans in Harrogate.

It was in 2017 when funding was first awarded to upgrade Otley Road and construction of phase two of the cycle path now won’t start until at least next summer.

Parts of the existing route which opened at the start of this year are also set to be rebuilt following safety concerns.

These setbacks follow further controversy for the county council and its Beech Grove low traffic neighbourhood which is now set to be reignited as a topic of debate following the latest proposals.

Beech Grove is seen as a key link to connect Otley Road and the £11.9 million Harrogate Gateway project. But there was both joy and dismay when the traffic restrictions were removed from the street in August.

And although there were strong feelings on both sides of the debate, most residents were unanimous in their view that the county council failed to properly consult with the public.

Councillor Keane Duncan, executive member for highways at the authority, said there are pros and cons for all of the latest proposals “which is why we need to engage with local residents and stakeholders”.

He said:

“It’s important to consider the possibility of conflict between road users, including cyclists and pedestrians, as well as the impact on properties along the route and parking.

“We would urge everybody to have their say and help us to shape the final designs.”

As part of the consultation, a meet the designer event is also being organised to allow for people to discuss the Otley Road proposals in more detail.

The county council is also seeking views for cycling and walking improvements in the Oatlands Drive area of Harrogate after previous plans for a one-way traffic system were scrapped.

For more information and to have your say go to www.northyorks.gov.uk/current-consultations.

Levelling up council tax charges over two years is ‘best compromise’

A move to harmonise council tax payments across North Yorkshire “provokes a whole host of issues around fairness”, a meeting has heard.

A meeting of North Yorkshire County Council’s executive was told residents in Hambleton district were facing having to pay significantly higher bills to bring their charges into line with those being levied by second tier authorities elsewhere in the county.

However, leading members highlighted that many Hambleton residents were also facing significant council tax charges from parish councils for services such as public toilets that in other places were being charged for by district councils.

In addition, concerns have been raised that under proposals to level up council tax charges across the county, residents in districts such as Harrogate, Scarborough and Richmondshire would end up paying more for the same services from the unitary council for the next two years.

Councillors were told while Selby and Craven district residents faced paying relatively modest increases in their council tax to bring their payments up to the average, Hambleton district residents were currently paying £89 less than the average district council charge across the county.

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The meeting heard a cross-party group of councillors representing all seven districts had agreed while it was necessary to bring council tax charges into line across the county as part of devolution, the authority would not seek to increase the funds it generated from the levelling up exercise.

Corporate director Gary Fielding told the meeting that councillors had achieved a consensus that levelling up the charges over two years would be the best compromise.

He added:

“The group did recognise that this does provoke a whole host of issues around fairness. Fairness is perhaps in the eye of the beholder, but this was recognised as an appropriate way forward.”

The authority’s executive member for finance, Councillor Gareth Dadd, said there was no easy way for the council to harmonise council tax charges and that there would be “winners and losers”.

He said while Hambleton residents paid less council tax to the district council than other areas, they paid council tax charges to town and parish councils that residents of other areas did not.

Coun Dadd said:

“In some of the ‘winning’ areas there currently isn’t a town council that picks up some of the services.”

After receiving the approval of the authority’s executive, residents will be consulted over the proposal, which will also be considered at a full meeting of the council next month.