Business Breakfast is sponsored by Harrogate law firm Truth Legal. 

Knaresborough’s potential for economic development will be the subject of a business meeting on November 9.

Knaresborough Chamber of Trade and Commerce has invited two senior regional business experts to the event at Knaresborough Rugby Club on Hay-A-Park Lane from 530pm to 7pm.

They are James Farrar, chief operating officer of the York and North Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership and Alan Reiss, director of strategy for West Yorkshire Combined Authority.

Delegates will have first sight of data about Knaresborough’s economic future, which has been compiled by Leeds not-for-profit organisation Open Innovations, which was commissioned by Knaresborough Connectors to provide insights and intelligence.

Peter Lacey, chamber executive member and owner of a nationwide consulting firm based in Knaresborough, said:

“Economic development is crucial for a town like Knaresborough, bringing together all the skills and opportunities across the town and local district.

“We’ve got some great companies based here, but to date there’s been little joined-up thinking about how we can all add to the wellbeing of local residents, the community and how we see the future of the town as a thriving centre of innovation and growth.”

Further details of the event, which the chamber has organised in association with Knaresborough Voice and Knaresborough Connectors. are available here.

Success for Harrogate solicitor 

The crime department at McCormicks Solicitors of Harrogate has extended its ability to assist people who are interviewed under caution with the admittance of criminal law executive Kate Develly as an accredited police station representative.

It means Ms Develly can assist not only those interviewed by police but also by other bodies, such as the Department for Work and Pensions, HMRC or the Environment Agency.

The accreditation scheme covers publicly funded criminal defence work and accredited representatives are usually called to a police station to advise and assist people who would otherwise have no legal representation.

Head of the crime department Peter Minnikin said:

“Kate’s accreditation brings the total number of the team who can act in legally-aided police station visits to seven and comes at a time when we have been exceptionally busy so is very welcome.”

Ms Develly joined the criminal team last year.

McCormicks was the only Harrogate firm to be ranked for general crime and fraud in the latest edition of the UK Legal 500, a leading guide to the legal profession.

A consultation will begin on Monday on new plans to promote cycling and walking in Harrogate.

North Yorkshire County Council also revealed today it now “hopes” to start phase two of the Otley Road cycle route in summer next year — more than a year after it had planned to begin.

Monday’s consultation will ask for suggestions to improve active travel in and around Oatlands Drive, as well as for views on the Otley Road cycle route, its links with Beech Grove and the town centre.

Previous plans to reduce congestion in Oatlands, which included introducing a one-way system on Oatlands Drive, were shelved in spring last year after numerous complaints.

As part of its latest plans, the county council will undertake a traffic survey looking at parking, modes of transport and the volume and speed of traffic.

North Yorkshire County Council’s executive member for highways, Cllr Keane Duncan, said:

“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.”

Cllr Duncan said he hoped “potential options” would be presented by the end of the year “so they will be ready when further funding becomes available”.

Read more:

• Plan to cut congestion on Oatlands Drive won’t be ready until autumn
• ‘Nightmare’ and ‘flawed’: Harrogate’s Otley Road cycle path under further fire

Further public engagement on phase two of Otley Road cycle route, its links with Beech Grove and the town centre will run alongside that of Oatlands Drive, focusing on the final designs.

‘Pros and cons for all designs’

Three options for the cycle route are being considered. A meet the designer event will also be held for local stakeholder groups and residents, allowing them the opportunity to discuss the options in further detail.

Cllr Duncan added:

“There are pros and cons for all of the proposed designs which is why we need to engage with local residents and stakeholders.

“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.”

The interactive map showing proposed town centre cycle routes.

An interactive map giving an overview of active travel projects in Harrogate and how they link together is available here.

The consultation will run from Monday until November 28. Further details will be available here.

County council bosses rejected a suggestion by Harrogate Borough Council to allocate contingency funding to the town’s £11.9 million Station Gateway project.

According to a North Yorkshire County Council report, the borough council was consulted on the use of surplus money from on-street parking charges – known as civil parking enforcement.

The county council manages on-street parking across North Yorkshire and collects fines which are enforced by the districts.

The county council estimates it will allocate £3 million in funding to projects and services over the next three years and consulted the borough council on the matter.

Trevor Watson, director of economy at Harrogate Borough Council, said in a letter that part of the money could be allocated to the gateway scheme.

He said:

“With inflation rising it would be prudent to budget for additional match funding from civil parking enforcement surplus expenditure.”

Mr Watson also suggested the funding could be used to develop mitigation measures as part of the west of Harrogate infrastructure plan and as “top-up” funding for cycling schemes on Victoria Avenue and at Pannal.

However, county council bosses turned down the gateway idea and said that “it would not be possible” to match the funding.

Read more:

• Council warns of ‘high risks’ as Kex Gill cost soars to £69m
• County council ‘monitoring’ major projects amid soaring inflation
• Ripon MP warned councils are facing ‘enormous’ costs as inflation rises

It added it could not do so “as the surplus is fully committed for the continuation of delivering services and projects”.

The Stray Ferret asked the authority whether it had identified any other areas for contingency funding for the gateway scheme.

We had not received a response by the time of publication.

Inflation hits major projects

The move comes as the county council is facing higher costs for major projects amid rising inflation.

In August, the council’s realignment of the A59 at Kex Gill increased in cost from £61 million to £68.8 million.

The council put the increase down to rising inflation affecting construction costs.

Gary Fielding, corporate director at the county council, warned councillors that the “burden of risk” for major projects will fall on the authority amid the current economic climate.

Mr Fielding said in August that the authority continues to “monitor costs and market conditions when embarking on projects”.

Railings are to be installed on Harrogate’s Bower Street in an attempt to reduce anti-social behaviour.

Businesses and councillors have expressed concerns about persistent problems caused by people “milling around” on the street, which is the other side of the One Arch tunnel into the town centre.

The issue came to a head last Friday night when a man was stabbed on the street.

Some people have said they are frightened to walk down the street and businesses are concerned about the impact on trade.

Police say the street attracts anti-social behaviour partly because it is located close to many agencies that provide help, and also because of the street design, which encourages people to linger.

Today Harrogate Borough Council revealed it had reached an agreement with private landlords on the street to tackle the problem. It said:

“The council has facilitated negotiations with private owners including landlords and Leeds Federated Housing Association to make the area more secure and have now reached an agreement to install railings to premises on the parade of shops to reduce access.

“These areas have consistently been used as a location where people congregate and where there is evidence of repeat antisocial behaviour.”

The Stray Ferret understands the council has been negotiating for years with the landlords to take action. The council statement said:

“As the land is privately owned, negotiations have taken longer than hoped however this work will look to be progressed as a priority with partners continuing to work alongside the council.”

Read more:

• Police say Harrogate town centre ‘is safe’ despite highest anti-social behaviour rate in county
• Man charged after Harrogate stabbing

Bower Street is located close to Harrogate Conservative Club and the office of Harrogate and Knaresborough Conservative MP Andrew Jones.

‘Trouble for a long time’

Cllr Richard Cooper

Richard Cooper, the Conservative leader of the council and its elected member for Central Ward, who is also Mr Jones’ office manager, 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 antisocial behaviour and criminal activity has on the quality of life of residents, businesses and the wider community.

“That is why we have offered to help the property owners secure their boundaries and I am glad agreement has been reached on how to do this.  I am grateful to the property owners for working with us on this.”

Mr Cooper added it was important to recognise “the people who congregate in these areas often have complex physical and mental health needs”, adding:

“When criminal acts are committed the legal process needs to happen.  But we also need to redouble our efforts to support agencies like Harrogate Homeless Project and Harrogate StreetAid who can provide the wrap-around support enabling people to break out of chaotic lifestyles.

“Securing this area will solve the anti-social and criminal behaviour problem at this location.  It will not, on its own, change the lifestyles of those who congregated on Bower Street.  Long-term dedicated support is the only way to do that.”

The leader of Harrogate and Knaresborough’s Liberal Democrats has called for the dismissal of a senior council officer after the Stray Ferret revealed yesterday he was behind an anonymous, abusive Twitter account.

Steve Rogers, Harrogate Borough Council’s parking enforcement manager, used the handle @ChippyGlory to send abusive and obscene tweets -— many directed at Liberal Democrat councillors.

Pat Marsh says she will be raising the issue as a matter of urgency with the council’s chief executive, Wallace Sampson, at a meeting tomorrow.

Cllr Marsh says the revelation that the tweets came from a council officer are deeply unsettling.

“”I am deeply, deeply concerned. The tweets I have seen are deeply offensive. How’s he got away with it without other people knowing it was him?

“I need to know what process he is undergoing. He can’t be in the role he is in. He has lost trust from all sides. Isn’t this instant dismissal?

“This has damaged the relationship councillors have with officers. You start to become concerned – it might be one rogue person but you don’t know.

“It raises issues of whether there is a toxic culture at the council – it is very unsettling. We have got to have a relationship of trust between councillors and officers. “

Many of Mr Rogers tweets were sexist and some explicit and obscene towards women.

Cllr Marsh, said she is angry that Mr Rogers has been tweeting for so long and will asking the council to take the following action:

• That Mr Rogers is removed form a position where he has any daily supervision and work programming responsibilities with female members of staff.
• That the council fully explores any other tweets of a similar nature that The Stray Ferret may have and are not publishing at this moment.
• Investigate if the tweets were made using council equipment during the actual working hours  i.e. was he engaging in this activity during time he was being paid by the council.

In yesterday’s report, the Stray Ferret published a particularly abusive tweet Mr Rogers posted about the New Park Liberal Democrat councillor Matthew Webber.  It was done with the consent of Cllr Webber to illustrate the nature of @ChippyGlory’s posts.

Cllr Marsh paid tribute to Cllr Webber and said he was brave to agree to the tweet being published:

“It impacts on people hugely – Matthew Webber has had a difficult year with the loss of his father. His tweets were personal – it is not acceptable.

“It was very brave of him to let the Stray Ferret show the tweet about him. We will give him every support at this time. It is totally, totally unacceptable.

“To have this thrust out into the public arena is not acceptable – let alone if it’s done an officer of the council.”

She added that Cllrs Philip Broadbank and Chris Aldred who were also targeted by Mr Rogers have given years of service to the town of Harrogate:

“Philip has given more than 40 years service to this town. Chris has also worked very hard and I feel really angry on their behalf.”

Read More:

• EXCLUSIVE: Senior Harrogate council officer’s abusive and obscene Twitter account
• Harrogate cyclists urged to be vigilant after spate of bike thefts

Conservative councillor Nick Brown who was also the subject of Mr Rogers’ derogatory tweets has called for his immediate suspension whilst the council investigates him.

“I am totally opposed to anonymous twitter accounts – it is a cowardly thing to do.

“I think he needs help, as do his 146 followers.

“What he is doing is totally obnoxious and he should be suspended immediately until a full investigation is completed.”

The Stray Ferret will ask the council for a response to the councillors’ demands.

Yesterday a spokesperson said:

“The council will consider any concerns in relation to the conduct of any of its officers and where appropriate investigate the matter in accordance with its policies and procedures.

“The council will not be commenting further at this time.”

The fate of Harrogate’s Woodfield Community Primary School is to be confirmed next week after a recommendation was made to close it at the end of the year.

North Yorkshire County Council’s executive will next Tuesday be asked to agree to the closure on December 31.

It comes after council officials said they “exhausted all options” to try to keep the Bilton school open after years of falling pupil numbers and an inadequate rating by Ofsted inspectors in 2020.

But parents say the school has been “badly let down” by the local education authority, while councillors have labelled the planned closure a “disgrace”.

The school reception

There was just one pupil on the school roll earlier this month after the closure plans were revealed in summer and parents were forced to start looking elsewhere ahead of the new term.

Ward councillor Paul Haslam, who is also a governor at Woodfield, said the sudden death of a former headteacher in 2018 led to instabilities at the school and that an “unfounded slur” on social media then caused an “exodus” of about a third of the pupils later that year.

He said in a letter: 

“The school was exonerated of any wrongdoing and the correct safeguarding procedures were found to have been followed and to be in place by the local authority, as they were at the Ofsted judgement.

“What failed to happen was a restoration of the reputation of the school and difficulty in getting permanent, long term leadership.

“The school did not get enough support to come back from this reputational damage.”

Cllr Haslam also argued the school should not be closing because Harrogate’s population is growing and it had made good progress since the inadequate rating in January 2020.

Read more:

• Parents vow to fight closure of ‘fantastic’ Woodfield primary school
• Woodfield school taking ‘effective action’ to improve, says Ofsted

But a report to Tuesday’s meeting said government legislation requires the school to close unless an academy sponsor can be found. Any school rated as inadequate is required to become part of an academy, but Woodfield has failed to find one to secure its future.

The school had also held merger talks with the nearby Grove Road Community Primary School, but these fell through.

If approved, the closure will mean the Woodfield catchment area will be shared with Grove Road and Bilton Grange Primary School.

The school’s debts, which were forecast to reach almost £100,000 by the end of 2022/23, will be absorbed by the council.

North Yorkshire Police has appealed to cyclists in Harrogate to be vigilant after a spate of bike thefts.

The force said in a statement it had made “four arrests of individuals in connection with burglaries across the local area” in the last few days.

It added:

“A number of bikes have been returned to their owners but we still have several which have not yet been claimed so if your bike has been stolen in the last few weeks, please get in touch by calling 101.”

The statement said thieves were targeting garden sheds. Some bikes weren’t locked while in other incidents the locks had been forced.

Read more:

• New start date for next phase of Otley Road cycle path works to be revealed
• Thieves steal seven bikes from Ripon cycle shop

Police issued the following advice to cyclists:

• Double lock it: Using two locks slows thieves down and makes your bike less of a target. Use two quality locks, at least one of which is a D-lock. Thieves are less likely to carry multiple tools, so use two different types of lock if possible.
• Lock the lot: Lock the frame and both wheels to a secure cycle stand.
• Secure it: Secure your bike as close to the stand as possible to give any thieves little or no room to manoeuvre.
• Take removable parts with you.
• Park securely: Lock your bike at recognised secure cycle parking. It should be well lit and covered by CCTV.
• Register it: Register your frame number for free on a cycle database such as BikeRegister. The frame number is usually found underneath the bike between the pedals or where the back wheel slots in. If your bike is ever stolen and recovered by the police, it can be traced back to you.
• Mark it: Get your bike security marked. It’s a highly effective, visible deterrent to bike thieves. They know that if they are caught with a registered bike, the owner can be traced and they will be arrested. BikeRegister provide a list of police bike marking events. You can also mark your bike with SmartWater.
• Remember safety begins at home: Take the same care to lock your bike securely at home as you would on the street.
• Check ownership: Ask for proof of ownership and check the bike frame number on a cycle database such as Bike Checker at BikeRegister.
• Act fast: If your bike has been stolen, contact police as soon as possible by calling 101 or use the online reporting tool. Provide your frame number, cycle database number, a photo and any other details and make sure you update the status on the cycle database where you registered it.

Read more:

• Revealed: the three Harrogate district sites that could become investment zones
• Andrew Jones MP launches ‘non-political’ fact-checking service

Green Party rejects Mr Jones’ claims

Paul Ko Ferrigno

But Harrogate and District Green Party prospective parliamentary candidate Paul Ko Ferrigno criticised Mr Jones’ stance.

“Like his government, Mr Jones has had 12 long years to establish his green credentials, and it is on that track record that he must be judged, not some aspirational scheme that has been rushed in so quickly that councillors have not been given time to scrutinise the detail.

“It isn’t even clear that these investment zones are needed because we haven’t been told which regulations are potentially holding schemes back.”

Business support

Lilla Bathurst, manager of Ripon Business Improvement District, backed the county council’s submission. She said:

“Whilst the Potter Space is outside the Ripon BID area, we welcome any investment into the Ripon city region.

“The potential for more businesses and employment in the area, and therefore further footfall and spend in our BID businesses, can only be a positive and we fully support Cllr Carl Les and North Yorkshire County Council in their submission.”

However, the North Yorkshire branch of Unison took a different view:

We share the concerns of @WildlifeTrusts, and our branch committee has voted unanimously to oppose #InvestmentZones and we arw asking @northyorkscc to withdraw its interest.@AJonesMP @nadams @JulianSmithUK @JulianSturdy @RishiSunak @kevinhollinrake

@ChrisGPackham https://t.co/3oHgEsdb3u

— North Yorkshire UNISON (@NYUnison) October 15, 2022

Community libraries in Bilton and Starbeck are set to be given 10-year leases to continue their services.

North Yorkshire County Council‘s executive will be asked next week to approve the proposal, which aims to give long-term stability to libraries run by volunteers.

Both Bilton and Woodfield, and Starbeck, were previously run by NYCC but difficulties with funding led them to handing over day-to-day running to the communities.

The county’s libraries budget fell from £7.8m in 2010 to £4.3m in 2017, prompting communities to rally to ensure their facilities stayed open. Across the county, 1,700 volunteers came forward.

Bilton and Woodfield was the area’s first community library, celebrating its 10th anniversary earlier this year.

The libraries have continued to receive support from the council with books and IT services, as well as support from paid library service staff.

North Yorkshire County Council’s executive member for libraries, Cllr Greg White, said:

“We take great pride in the community-run model with our service being in the top 10 per cent of performance nationally. Working in partnership with communities alongside volunteers in all libraries allows the service to meet local needs.

“There continues to be interest from other local authorities and central government as it is proven to retain high standards whilst delivering savings. The original leases of five years were introduced as the new model was unique and unproven. However, it has been a great success so we are proposing to introduce longer leases which will avoid costs around future renewals.”

Read more:

• Community library marks 10 years at the heart of Bilton and Woodfield
• Library visits remain low following pandemic, says council

Around half of North Yorkshire’s book-lending is via community libraries across the county and almost 40% of active library users belong to them.

During the summer, more than 1,000 people visited community libraries to claim household support fund vouchers, while 3,500 children used them to complete the summer reading challenge.

Libraries manager Chrys Mellor said:

“During the pandemic many of the community libraries became the base for community support organisations who were vital in the delivery of food, prescriptions and books.

“During the cost of living crisis our libraries are offering warm spaces for vulnerable people in their communities, providing a range of activities.

“Residents should be proud of their communities and library service for retaining such a high-class service which is delivered at a local level.”

A Ripon IT company has announced it has bought Skipton-based Verus Solutions.

Fresh Mango Technologies, which is based on Barker Business Park, acquired the company, which specialises in IT support, computer systems and server supply and installation.

Officials at Fresh Mango said the purchase was an ideal fit due to Verus’ location and customer base.

Guy Phoenix, managing director at Fresh Mango, said:

“Their offering and ethos is almost identical to ours with a customer reach beyond Yorkshire’s borders. 

“The Fresh Mango mission is to bring much-needed first-class IT support to even more SMEs. Verus Solutions will help us to continue to fulfil that mission and we’re delighted that they’re now part of the Fresh Mango family.” 

Paul Roach, director of Verus Solutions, said: 

“Due to our close and long-standing relationships with our clients it was crucial for us to find an organisation that shared the same values as us, while at the same time having sufficient scale to provide the highest levels of customer service. 

“Fresh Mango demonstrated this throughout our discussions with them.”

Harrogate estate agents comes top at industry awards

A Harrogate estate agents picked up four awards at an industry awards ceremony.

Myrings Estate Agents came top in three categories and won silver in a fourth at the Estate Agent of the Year Awards.

The firm won Regional Sales Award for North Yorkshire, Lettings Agent Landlords Award, Estate Agents Sales Award and silver for Lettings Agent Tenants Award.

A post on the company’s social media said:

“We are truly grateful and our sincere thanks go out to all our wonderful customers for your reviews and support. We would not be where we are without you, combined with our amazing team that made this happen.

“It is all thanks to their hard work, positivity, and outstanding customer service we are where we are.”

Read more:

• Harrogate district business groups cautiously welcome mini-budget
• Harrogate district businesses ask police for help tackling anti-social behaviour