Local Harrogate News & Views around the district - Page 490 of 1176

Non-surgical ‘Brazilian butt lifts’ come to Harrogate

A new aesthetic clinic and training academy offering an alternative Brazilian butt lift service is set to open on King’s Road, in Harrogate.

Classic Cosmetics originated in Boroughbridge but is moving to Harrogate to meet demand.

The clinic will offer aesthetic treatments to clients, as well as training to those wishing to pursue a career in cosmetic treatments.

Classic Cosmetics’ treatments include lip fillers, micro-blading and anti-wrinkle injections.

The clinic also offers a non-surgical alternative to the controversial Brazilian butt lifts, which has been subject to health risk concerns.

The treatment in Harrogate will use a hyaluronic acid injection instead of other methods, such as fat transfer.

Brazilian butt lifts, or BBLs, have grown in popularity in recent years, with the likes of Towie star Dani Imbert among those undergoing surgery.

Alongside its work with clients, the CPD-accredited training academy in Harrogate offers one-to-one courses in aesthetic treatments, including facial fillers, lip blush and eyelash extensions.

Vicki Barnes, founder of Classic Cosmetics, explained those wishing to train in advanced cosmetics treatments “must be trained in physiology and anatomy first”.

Ms Barnes has 18 years of experience in the beauty industry and has trained in aesthetics since 2019.

She said:

“Harrogate has become a selling point for my clients now.

“They will come to train with me and then spend a weekend in Harrogate”.

The clinic will open on Wednesday, April 5.

Guilty plea ends trial into alleged Harrogate cocaine racket

The trial of three men allegedly involved in a cocaine-and-cannabis racket potentially worth millions has ended prematurely after one entered guilty pleas to conspiracy and two others were acquitted.

Kole Lleshi, 54, of Hargrove Road, Harrogate, Allaman Tatariku, 25, from Hampshire, and Gavin Woodley, 44, of Ashfield Road, Harrogate, were on trial for their alleged part in the lucrative narcotics conspiracy run by an Albanian organised-crime group.

The trial began at Leeds Crown Court on Monday when the prosecution told the jury how “kilo blocks” of cannabis and cocaine were being transported between London and Harrogate where they were sold on the street.

However, on the second day of the trial, Kole Lleshi and Woodley, who both admitted involvement in the supply of Class A and B drugs but denied being part of the wider conspiracy, were acquitted of the more serious charge after the prosecution decided to offer no evidence against them.

Tatariku, of Penhale Road, Portsmouth, ultimately admitted two counts of conspiring to supply Class A and B drugs and will be sentenced on a date to be fixed.

The gang’s ringleader, former Harrogate restaurant worker Ermal Biba, 38, is also due to be sentenced after already admitting his part in the mega-money drug plot, along with Kladji Lleshi, 23, of Kinloss Court, London, and Adam Sarkowski, 41, formerly of Wedderburn Close, Harrogate.

Dritan Lleshaj, 53, formerly of Spring Mount, Harrogate, had already been jailed and deported for possession with intent to supply cocaine and cannabis.

Biba, of Trafalgar Court, Harrogate, admitted conspiring to supply cocaine and cannabis between June 2019 and May 2022.

Prosecutor Katherine Robinson said the conspirators, mostly Albanian nationals, were also involved in a £1.5 million cannabis farm in Rochdale which was connected to the Harrogate operation.

Biba was the lynchpin between two distinct conspiracies in which, after his first foot soldiers were arrested, he recruited others, incliuding Kladji Lleshi, Tatariku, Woodley and Sarkowski.

Biba was released under investigation following his initial arrest in May 2020 for the first conspiracy, which involved Kole Lleshi and Dritan Lleshaj, but continued operating “dealer lines” in Harrogate run by an “organised-crime group”.

Kole Lleshi admitted his part in the drug operation by transporting a kilo of cocaine from London to Harrogate in September 2019.

However, he denied being involved in the wider conspiracy.

Harrogate ‘drug run’

In September 2019, Biba arranged a “drug run” which involved Kole Lleshi driving to London and bringing back Class A drugs to Harrogate.

Biba was in contact with an unknown man in London from whom Lleshi was ostensibly to collect the drugs. A few weeks later, Biba sent Kole Lleshi a text message saying: “We go tomorrow.”

The following day, Lleshi set off for London again in a Kia vehicle, ostensibly for a drug pick-up, and returned to Yorkshire where he was stopped by police on the A1 near Doncaster. During a search of his car, officers found a kilo block of high-purity cocaine in a plastic bag. The drugs had a “wholesale” value of £25,000.

The following day, Lleshaj was arrested after meeting Biba in a Harrogate restaurant. Lleshaj was found with £419 in cash and five wraps of cocaine.

He told police he was homeless, but they found the keys to his house in Spring Mount and searched it. They found “various quantities” of cocaine and about £2,000 cash.

Woodley played the role of “facilitator” by allowing the gang to supply drugs from his rented house in Ashfield Road, where they found 264g of high-purity cocaine and two large “vacuum packages” of cannabis worth up to £11,000.

Biba, Lleshaj, Tatariku and Kladji Leshi were said to be regular visitors to this property where police also found “debt lists”, cash, digital weighing scales and hydroponic equipment.

Woodley was subsequently arrested at his then home in Fairfax Avenue, Harrogate, where police found a small amount of cocaine and cannabis and a torch-like stun gun.

Ms Robinson said Greater Manchester Police raided an industrial unit in Rochdale in March last year when they arrested two Albanian men after they found a large cannabis grow on an “industrial” scale.

Those two men admitted cultivating cannabis at the factory which had a harvest of 144 kilos with an estimated “street value” of £1.5 million.

Ms Robinson said:

“(Police) surveillance had been carried out and members of the organised crime group in Harrogate regularly visited this industrial estate in Rochdale.

“ANPR (cameras) showed Mr Biba’s vehicle travelling in that direction and Kladji Lleshi and Allaman Tatariku’s phones showed they travelled down the M62 from Harrogate to Rochdale.”

Biba, Kladji Lleshi and Sarkowski all admitted their part in that cannabis conspiracy.

Kole Lleshi admitted possessing cocaine with intent to supply and had already served a 40-month prison sentence for that, but denied having knowledge of the wider conspiracy, claiming he was “simply on an errand” to collect something from London in September 2019 but that he didn’t know what that was.

Woodley, who was said to have worked in Harrogate restaurants with Biba, admitted possessing a prohibited weapon, namely the stun gun, and allowing his premises to be used for the supply of drugs, but was acquitted of all other charges including conspiracy in the wider drug plot.

He was given a 23-week suspended prison sentence.

Biba, Sarkowski, Kladji Lleshi and now Tatariku will be sentenced at a later date.

Government rejects cycling schemes in Harrogate and Knaresborough

Cycle schemes in Harrogate and Knaresborough will not go ahead after the government rejected the bids for funding.

North Yorkshire County Council applied for £3.19 million from the fourth round of the Department for Transport’s active travel fund.

It would have paid for segregated cycle routes on Victoria Avenue in Harrogate, a section of the A59 between Mother Shipton’s Cave and Harrogate Golf Club and a project in Richmond.

But the DfT allocated the £200 million to bids from other local authorities instead.

The council indicated in a news release last month it had been allocated £1.08m from the fourth funding round and been invited to bid for an additional £2.16m. But it said today it had actually not been awarded a penny.

The news is another blow for attempts to encourage cycling in the Harrogate district after phase two of the Otley Road cycle route was abandoned and traffic calming measures on nearby Beech Grove were reversed.

There is still no final decision on the £11.2 million Station Gateway, which would improve cycling around the train station.

It also appears to leave wider plans to create a connected, segregated cycle route from Cardale Park to Harrogate town centre in tatters.

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

“We are inevitably disappointed that our ambitious £3.19 million bid to enhance facilities for cyclists and pedestrians through the fourth round of the government’s active travel fund has not been successful.

“We believe we put forward strong proposals for the three schemes.

“We are seeking detailed feedback from Active Travel England so we can understand the reasons behind their decision. We hope to work with them to progress schemes in these areas and elsewhere in the county successfully in future.”

Harrogate’s Valley Gardens to host three-day coronation celebration

Valley Gardens in Harrogate is set to host a three-day celebration event for the coronation of King Charles III.

The free event will take place from Saturday, May 6, until Monday, May 8.

It will include live stream of the coronation ceremony on a big screen from Westminster Abbey.

Besides the big screen, a stage will feature a line-up of family-friendly entertainment.

There will also be fairground rides, food and drink stalls, pop-up character appearances, circus workshops and an artisan market in the gardens Sun Colonnade.

Cllr Sam Gibbs, Harrogate Borough Council’s cabinet member for environment, waste reduction and recycling, said:

“Valley Gardens provides the perfect backdrop for our three-day event to celebrate the coronation of King Charles III.

“There will be rides, family entertainment throughout the weekend, pop-up character appearances and circus workshops. There truly is something for everyone and even better, it’s all free.

“So pack a picnic and come on down to Valley Gardens to mark the coronation.”

For more information on the event, visit the Visit Harrogate website.

17 more defibrillators to be available in Harrogate district

Local voluntary organisations in the Harrogate district are set to be given 17 public defibrillators.

The move comes as part of £22,000 worth of funding from Harrogate Borough Council.

The council, which will be abolished at the end of today, launched a defibrillator grant scheme in January.

Defibrillators provide 24-hour access to life-saving emergency equipment when a cardiac arrest is suspected.

The council has now selected the 17 groups which will receive them.

Cllr Richard Cooper, leader of Harrogate Borough Council and chair of the voluntary and community sector liaison group, said:

“I am delighted that the borough council has been able to provide these defibrillators to local communities.

“They can save lives, and while I hope they never have to be used, it is reassuring to know that so many are now out there across the district.”

Dishforth Parish Council, which has received funding for a defibrillator, said:

“This grant will play a vital part in ensuring our parishioners and members of the public have the use of a defibrillator at the playing field and sports pavilion should it be needed.”

Starbeck Tennis Club said:

“It is so important to our members and the neighbourhood that this defibrillator is available for anyone who needs access as every second matters in a medical emergency.”

Groups that will receive defibrillators

1. Dishforth Parish Council

2. Fewston Parochial Hall

3. Haverah Park with Beckwithshaw Parish Council

4. Healey Masham

5. High Ellington Masham

6. Knaresborough Football Club

7. Knaresborough Lions

8. Knaresborough Forest Cricket Club

9. Little Ribston Village Hall

10. Low Burton

11. Moor Monkton Parish Council

12. Ripon Community Link

13. Rotary Club of Knaresborough

14. Starbeck Tennis club

15. The Parish Meeting of South Stainley with Cayton

16. Thornthwaite Scout Centre

17. Thruscross Parish Council

Paperchase in Harrogate to close tomorrow

Paperchase in Harrogate will close tomorrow after the company went into administration last month.

The cards, gifts and stationery company has been holding a closing down sale since administrators Begbies Traynor took control of the business.

The James Street shop has already sealed off half of the unit as stocks run low. It is running a 70% off sale and selling some cards for as little as 10p.

Tesco bought the rights to the cards, gifts and stationery brand, entitling it to sell Paperchase items in its supermarkets, but did not buy the stores.

The move affected 106 Paperchase shops and more than 800 staff nationally. All stores are due to cease trading by Monday.

Harrogate school begins search for new headteacher

Harrogate’s Rossett School has begun its search for a new headteacher.

Its current acting head, Pete Saunders, has been in post since January after the departure of Helen Woodcock, following a second consecutive Ofsted inspection which rated the school ‘requires improvement’.

The school is aiming to appoint a new permanent headteacher to begin in September. Its recruitment pack said:

“Harrogate is changing rapidly, with lots of new housing and a younger population bringing renewed energy into our community.

“There are also new challenges and although a town famous for flowers and cream teas, it also has pockets of significant deprivation and a fair share of the social issues that are prevalent in communities up and down the country.

“Our school also has its challenges and the second requires improvement judgement has accelerated our existing plans to join a multi academy trust.”

Governors have already confirmed they are hoping Rossett will join the Red Kite Learning Trust, which is already home to several local schools. Rossett School was a founding member of the Red Kite Alliance, a partnership of local schools, alongside Harrogate Grammar School.

Pete Saunders, acting headteacher of Rossett School, and Richard Sheriff, CEO of Red Kite Learning Trust

In a letter to prospective applicants for the headteacher post, chair of governors John Hesketh said:

“We have chosen to join a trust that shares our values but will also help accelerate our improvement journey and allow us to deliver success for everyone.

“We have listened carefully to the inspectors and have already made changes that have demonstrated our willingness to embrace change for the benefit of the young people we serve.

“We were delighted that inspectors judged the quality of education to be ‘good’, indeed 3 out of the 5 judgements were ‘good’. We are not complacent however and we know that there is much more to do, we are incredibly ambitious for our school.”

Salary up to £95,000

The school’s advert said it is looking for a new head who is “determined and ambitious for every child”, with the highest ethical standards. Professional generosity and kindness are also required, along with a willingness to pull together and to be creative in finding solutions.

As well as experience as a headteacher or deputy, the application pack said the successful candidate will have an “impressive” record of teaching in the classroom.

In line with national pay scales. the school said the new headteacher can expect a salary between £86,040 and £94,898, though it is open to negotiation. Should the school expand as the local population increases, the application pack said this could increase.

Mr Hesketh’s letter added:

“We can offer you the chance to lead a school at a really exciting time, a period when change is desired and where you can make a real difference as a leader.

“Within the trust you will have the support and opportunities you need to help achieve your goals. The trust describes its role as ‘helping you make our schools brilliant’, they don’t put limits on how high you can fly, they just want you to fly safely and sustainably.

“Support also means looking after your wellbeing and ensuring you can enjoy your leadership role and your life beyond the school gates. You will need time to discover and enjoy our glorious Yorkshire countryside as well as all our town and nearby city of Leeds can offer.”

Harrogate Borough Council to be abolished today

Harrogate Borough Council will be abolished at the end of today after 49 years of existence.

The council, along with six other district councils and North Yorkshire County Council, will be replaced by North Yorkshire Council from April 1.

The move comes as part of the biggest shake-up in local government since 1974.

It means North Yorkshire Council, which will employ 11,500 staff, will be responsible for all council services in the district, including bin collections, planning, licensing and highways.

The change will also see the district represented by 16 councillors, instead of the current 40 on the borough council plus more on the county council.

Among those councillors stepping down are Richard Cooper and Graham Swift, the leader and deputy leader of Harrogate Borough Council respectively.

‘We will be locally-based’

The new leaders of the unitary council have pledged the new authority will be local, despite being based in Northallerton.

Speaking ahead of the takeover, Richard Flinton, the new chief executive of the council, defended the authority from criticism that it was too remote.

He told the Local Democracy Reporting Service:

“We will have locally-based managers who have a strong understanding of the issues in their areas.”

The authority’s leadership says while one safeguard against parochialism on the new authority would be in its executive members representing communities from across the county, another is by retaining its headquarters in Northallerton.

Richard Flinton, chief executive of North Yorkshire Council.

Mr Flinton said:

“If our headquarters was in Harrogate or Scarborough then there might be more of a concern that we would be focused on that as the council view of the world.

“Being in a fairly modest market town mitigates against that.”

Meanwhile, Cllr Carl Les, the Conservative leader of the new council, defended the decision to create 90 councillors to cover the entire county – rather than the current number of 319 which cover different councils.

He said:

“Representation by numbers doesn’t work. What matters is if you’ve got energetic people in the cohort of 90. The great benefit of reducing from 319 is that we have saved £750,000.

“I think we’ve got enough members to represent the people and continue the political process. You don’t have to go to a parish meeting to understand what’s happening in that parish.”

Business Breakfast: ‘Bed bug dog’ proves a hit as pest event returns to Harrogate

It’s time to join the Stray Ferret Business Club. The fourth in our series of networking events, with Banyan Bar & Kitchen, is a breakfast event on April 27 from 8am.

Don’t miss out on this chance to network with businesses from across the Harrogate district. Get your tickets by clicking or tapping here.

More than 500 professionals have been in Harrogate for a pest control conference for the first time since early 2020.

PPC Live, hosted by the British Pest Control Association, shared the latest innovations in the industry with visitors from across the UK and Europe.

Held at the Yorkshire Event Centre, it included a demonstration by Brian Leith and Benji the dog, showing how they can identify a bed bug infestation.

Lauren Day, events manager at BPCA said:

“We were delighted to be back in Harrogate and networking with visitors, sponsors and exhibitors from across the industry.

“PPC Live gave visitors the chance to get hands-on with new pest kit, meet the people designing and distributing the latest in pest control technology and of course see interesting demos like Benji the bed bug detection dog in action.”

Harrogate firm secures first council wellbeing award

A council-run workplace wellbeing scheme has given the first level of accreditation to a Harrogate business.

Pemco, based in Starbeck’s Spa Lane, signed up to the Workplace Wellbeing Award through the public health team at North Yorkshire County Council.

The scheme gives businesses a framework to ensure staff welfare is made a high priority.

For Pemco, which offers management support and training services to other companies, this has meant hybrid working, modern office facilities, and team-building events. The company has also committed to not contacting staff by email outside working hours.

Holly Astbury, a partner at Pemco and the company’s wellbeing lead, said:

“The award process has been a fantastic opportunity for us to focus on our employees’ health and wellbeing.

“The support from the Workplace Wellbeing team at the council has been invaluable, especially the opportunity to carry out an in-depth health needs assessment, which gave us an insight into our employees’ needs and allowed us to tailor an action plan to suit them, rather than guessing in the dark about which interventions to implement.”

Design lead Andrew Liddle said:

“Flexible working has made a massive difference to mine and my family’s routine. It takes away a huge headache of having to pick the kids up from school before work finishes.

“The monthly team meals are great for us all to catch up together, as well as the social events outside of work like the picnic and quiz night.”

Established in 2010, Pemco currently has a team of seven, and is recruiting as part of its expansion plans.

Record readership for Stray Ferret with 2 million page views this month

The Stray Ferret has had a record breaking March, with more than two million page views and almost 300,000 unique users.

The Harrogate district news service, which is now three years old, has seen consistent growth in readership.

The figures quoted have all been verified by Google Analytics.

More than 30,000 people follow Stray Ferret posts on the various social media channels.

The most read stories in March included hundreds of job losses due to the sudden close of telemarketing firm Amvoc in Harrogate, disruption across the district due to snow fall, Knaresborough tractor run and the closure of the fast food restaurant Leon.

Tamsin O’Brien, director of the Stray Ferret said:

“We set out to provide a service that we thought the residents of the Harrogate district wanted — well written news and information in an easy-to-read digital format. We constantly aim to be first with the news and be as local as possible. To have two million page views shows just how much people value this information and are engaged in where they live.

“Our readers tell us how much they like the fact our news content is free of annoying pop-ups or Google ads and we only allow local advertisers who also want to engage local residents — so the whole site is solely for the people and businesses of the district.”

This month also saw the Stray Ferret launch its annual Business Awards and establish a networking Business Club.

Thanks to all our readers and advertisers. Please keep us up to date with your news and views.

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