Food waste organisation Resurrected Bites has issued a plea for help to businesses after warning it might not survive another year.

The community organisation, which saves food from landfill, has helped thousands of people struggling to get by since it started in January 2018. It operates Give As You Can cafes and shops in Harrogate and Knaresborough.

Founder Michelle Hayes appealed for support at last night’s Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce meeting. She said Resurrected Bites had generated £87,000 and spent £91,000 this year, adding:

“A huge number of people rely on us so we need to look at ways we can still be around in 12 months’ time.

“Since the jubilee, our food supplies have dropped off. We are going to have to start paying for it.”

Michelle Hayes speaking at last night’s chamber meeting.

Speaking to the Stray Ferret afterwards, Ms Hayes said Resurrected Bites currently had sufficient income to survive another six months.

She said it was becoming harder to find supplies because more people were buying reduced price items from supermarkets that might otherwise go to Resurrected Bites.

Ms Hayes also said some supermarkets’ decisions to scrap best before dates was a good move overall but it contributed to there being less food waste in the system for organisations such as Resurrected Bites. She said:

“Fundraising is more challenging because of the economic challenges people are facing.

“We’ve got six months’ income left. I don’t wan’t to go much below that.”

Read more:

• Knaresborough concert raises £800 for Resurrected Bites
• Loss of 15-day festival will have ‘limited’ economic impact on Harrogate

This story is sponsored by The Hearing Suite.

The Hearing Suite’s new clinic in Ilkley is proving to be a major success following its launch last month.

Located at No 6 The Grove, the state-of-the-art practice has a dedicated wax removal room on the ground floor, along with a full testing suite on the first floor.

Founder Emily Woodmansey set up the Ilkley site following rapid growth at the Harrogate branch on East Parade.

The business has continued to expand and now offers a team of three audiologists and an ENT consultant.

Emily Woodmansey, managing director of The Hearing Suite.

Having grown up in Ilkley, Ms Woodmansey recognised that many of the town’s residents were making the journey to Harrogate and a closer practice would be more convenient.

She said:

“Our Harrogate practice is thriving. Our ethos is firmly grounded in having a small group of very happy people, and I thought it was about time Ilkley had its own full-time, dedicated audiology practice.

“The pandemic has reminded people how precious communication is and it has been exciting to share our brand of audiology with the people of my home town.

“Since opening a few weeks ago, we have been quite overwhelmed with the number of people wanting help with their hearing. The local business community has been really welcoming too. We are just so grateful for everyone’s support.”

The Hearing Suite’s employee Olivia, a former NHS senior audiologist, has been appointed as the practice’s head of audiology.

The new branch offers the same services as Harrogate, including wax removal, hearing consultations, tinnitus management and hearing aids.

A solicitor from Harrogate has been remanded in custody after breaching a restraining order preventing him from contacting his ex-wife.

Richard Wade-Smith, 66, appeared at York Crown Court this morning via video link from HMP Hull to be sentenced after pleading guilty to the breach at York Magistrates Court last month.

The court heard he had previously been sentenced to a community order and restraining order on September 15, after ramming his car into his ex-wife’s house at Slingsby Walk, near the Stray in Harrogate. He had admitted harassment causing fear of violence, damaging property, and drink driving.

Just four days after being sentenced, he breached the order, turning up at his ex-wife’s house as well as visiting her neighbour.

Prosecuting, Kelly Sherif said:

“[His former wife] said that ‘I knew that when Richard was released, that he would not abide by any orders and here we are, four days later…

“I sit in my house with the curtains closed, too scared to venture outside in case I see him’.”

The prosecution said Wade-Smith had knocked on his ex-wife’s door at 8.15am, but left when she failed to answer. He then returned at 10.30am and knocked, as well as calling to his wife and saying it was “Susie” at the door.

When she recognised his voice and again did not open the door, he went to the neighbouring house. The neighbour answered the door but told him he should not be there because of the restraining order.

Wade-Smith said he had nowhere to go, but the neighbour repeated that he was not allowed to be near his ex-wife’s home.

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In mitigation, Alasdair Campbell told the court Wade-Smith had been unable to access temporary accommodation following the sentencing on September 15.

It had taken a long time for arrangements to be made for him to leave HMP Hull, by which time Harrogate Borough Council’s offices had closed and he was unable to get a place at a homeless hostel.

He slept rough that night and the next night, then paid “a lot of money” for a hotel the third night. He slept rough again the following night, but woke up in hospital, having been drinking and apparently been robbed, with his bank card and cash taken.

Recovering alcoholic

Wade-Smith, a recovering alcoholic, admitted breaching the restraining order, though he argued he had only visited his former wife’s home once.

Mr Campbell said:

“When I asked him why he did that on that particular occasion, my instructions are that, faced with what he was going through, [he chose] the option of breaching the restraining order to get himself locked up so he had somewhere to stay that night…

“In hindsight, it may have been a foolish option.

“If someone is prepared to breach a serious court order, it does give one some idea of the desperate position he perceived himself to be in.”

Judge Sean Morris, the Recorder of York — who heard Wade-Smith’s original case in September — adjourned sentencing until November to allow a full victim impact statement to be taken from Wade-Smith’s former wife.

He told Mr Campbell that Wade-Smith should have gone back to the council the day after his release to access the hostel place that had been arranged for him by the court.

He added:

“He isn’t stupid, this man. He should have gone the next day.”

Wade-Smith is due to be sentenced on Friday, November 18.

Council tax bills for a Band D property in Harrogate are set to fall by £23.47 for the next two years as part of the transition to the new North Yorkshire Council.

Harrogate Borough Council currently charges the highest council tax of the seven district councils in North Yorkshire.

An average band D property in the district is currently £1,723.27, compared with £1,586.83 in Hambleton, which has the lowest level of council tax in the county.

The seven councils will be abolished on April 1 as part of the government’s devolution agenda and North Yorkshire County Council is to meet next week to discuss ways to harmonise the level of payment across the county.

Under plans being drawn up, Band D bills in the Harrogate district would fall by £23.47 a year for two years while Hambleton’s bills would increase by £89.49.

However, the rises and falls due to harmonisation do not take into account the annual increase in council tax bills, which is set to be approved by county councillors in February. The figures also relate to just the precept for county and district authorities, and do not include money for North Yorkshire Police, the county’s fire brigade and parish or town councils.

If a Harrogate town council is formed, the precept for people living in the town council area would increase.

Decision on Tuesday

The advent of a new council covering the whole of the county in April means there is a legal requirement to ensure all council taxpayers in North Yorkshire are charged the same amount.

The proposals to phase this in over the next two years will be considered by members of North Yorkshire County Council’s decision-making executive when they meet on Tuesday next week. They are based on recommendations by a cross-party working group of councillors.

The working group, which was established by the county council’s executive in June, considered a range of proposals, including harmonising council tax bills over a period of up to eight years.

Read more:

• Harrogate council refuses to say if chief executive will get payout package
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North Yorkshire County Council’s executive member for finance, Cllr Gareth Dadd, who is also the authority’s deputy leader, said:

“The challenge to harmonise council tax bills across the county is obviously a significant one, but it is an issue we have to address before the new North Yorkshire Council is launched in April next year.

“We are acutely aware of the financial pressures which everyone is under not just in North Yorkshire, but across the whole country, as we see inflation rising and the cost of energy soar along with the price of food and drink and other essential items.

“A great deal of work has gone into the proposed scheme to harmonise council tax bills across all seven districts, and we believe that the plan that has been drawn up to introduce the changes over the two years represents the fairest way forward for everyone involved.”

There would be huge variations in the amount of funding generated if the decision was taken to opt for moving council tax levels to the lowest amount seen in Hambleton or choosing to adopt the highest level in Harrogate.

If council tax bills were brought in line with Hambleton, there would be an annual reduction of funding in the region of £21 million, falling from the current level of £401.8 million to £380.4 million.

By comparison, an extra £11.3 million would be generated by increasing council tax bills to the level currently paid in the Harrogate district, with the average across North Yorkshire for owners of a Band D property paying £1,723.27 instead of £1,676.32.

Funding from council tax is used to finance services ranging from waste collection and recycling to highways maintenance and adult social care.

Major gasworks which were due to start on Harrogate’s Cold Bath Road have been rescheduled until Monday.

Northern Gas Networks is due to carry out maintenance work on the road which is set to last for five weeks.

It will see temporary traffic lights put in place in the area, which is likely to cause delays for motorists.

The work was scheduled to start on Thursday last week.

However, a spokesperson for North Yorkshire County Council confirmed that the roadworks have been rescheduled until Monday, October 17.

Read more:

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The move comes as Northern Gas Networks has been carrying out major maintenance work on main routes through Harrogate, including Ripon Road and Kings Road.

Russ Kaye, business operations lead for the company, said previously:

“We would like to apologise in advance for any inconvenience caused during these essential works. However, it is vital we complete them in order to continue to maintain a safe and reliable gas supply to the residents of Harrogate.

“We want to assure residents and road users that we will be working hard to complete this essential scheme as safely and as quickly as possible.”

The director of Harrogate Convention Centre has said the loss of the 15-day International Gilbert and Sullivan Festival will have a “limited additional economic impact” on hotels in the town.

Festival directors Janet and Neil Smith announced last week they will stage next year’s event at Buxton Opera House in Derbyshire from July 29 to August 12.

Harrogate’s Royal Hall had hosted the festival, which attracts thousands of visitors from around the world, since 2014. It provided a major boost to the town’s hospitality sector.

The directors claimed the cost of the Royal Hall had doubled and that no compromise had been forthcoming. By contrast, Buxton Opera House had “pulled out every stop to accommodate the festival,” they claimed.

The absence of Gilbert and Sullivan aficionados for 15 days will be keenly felt by numerous Harrogate hotels, bed and breakfasts, bars and restaurants. But Paula Lorimer, director of the convention centre, said the summer timing would reduce the impact.

Ms Lorimer also said the event had received “a discount of over 90% on venue hire”.

Read more:

• Major blow to hospitality sector as Harrogate loses 15-day festival
• Police start two-week speeding crackdown in Harrogate district

In a statement, she said:

“Over the past eight years, Harrogate Convention Centre and the Royal Hall has been proud to have supported the Gilbert and Sullivan festival to the tune of over £200k of in-kind services and support.

“We have also supported the festival with a discount of over 90% on venue hire.

“We tried to explore with the organisers how their event could change to reduce the costs to the venue however the organisers wished to retain the same event with the same levels of support despite dwindling numbers attending.

“Our feedback from the hospitality sector indicated that the timing of the festival, in the middle of the summer holidays, was at time when hotels are generally at capacity resulting in limited additional economic impact from the festival.

“We regret to see them leave but respect their commercial decision and wish the festival all the best for their future.”

A survey of all police forces in England and Wales has revealed motorists in North Yorkshire are the third likeliest to record speeding offences.

The average number of speeding offences in the county is 4.54 per 1,000 residents, according to the research.

Only Lincolnshire, where the rate is 5.43 offences per 1,000 residents, and South Wales, where the figure is 5.23, are above it in the league table of 43 police force areas in England and Wales.

At the other end of the scale, Durham has the fewest speeding offences committed on average each year, with just 0.95 per 1,000 people.

Price comparison website Forbes Advisor compiled the latest speeding offence data from data.police.uk spanning 2010 to 2020 across each police force area in England and Wales to establish an annual average of speeding offences made.

This was cross referenced with population data from ONS to find the areas with the most speeding offences per 1,000 residents.  

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North Yorkshire was found to have an average of 3,774 speed limit offences per year from a population of 831,600.

Business Breakfast is sponsored by Harrogate law firm Truth Legal. 

Aon has renewed its sponsorship of Harrogate Town for the 2022/2023 Football League season, and also remains the women’s team’s main sponsor.

The investment from the professional services firm will support Town with kit provision, additional media equipment, as well as its business strategy and player development centre.

James Fell, head of office for Aon Leeds Tingley and Harrogate, said:

“We have a long relationship with Harrogate Town Football Club, which has grown year-on-year. Last season we became the main sponsor of the women’s team and it’s great that we are continuing our partnership with the whole club and help make a positive difference in the local community.

“Colleagues in Aon’s new Harrogate office are looking forward to watching the teams this season and collaborating closely with the club on a number of initiatives.”

Pic: Gerard Binks

Joanne Towler, commercial director, Harrogate Town AFC said:

“Aon is a key partner for Harrogate Town Football Club. The partnership over the years has made a significant impact on the club, from the players’ performance on the pitch, to our football academy and most recently to our women’s team.

“Without sponsorship the club would not be where it is today, nor would we be able to support our local community and future players.”

Aon employs more than 115 insurance and risk management specialists across its Yorkshire offices, which include a branch at Harrogate’s Cardale Park.

Commercial litigation solicitor Alex Harrison joins McCormicks

Harrogate-based law firm McCormicks Solicitors has appointed commercial litigation solicitor Alex Harrison to its team.

Mr Harrison has brings experience in a wide range of commercial litigation matters, including disputes in contract, debt recovery, property, IP and construction. He also has experience in professional negligence claims, harassment, defamation and insolvency (individual and corporate) matters.

A keen mountaineer, cyclist, wild swimmer and rugby player, he said:

“I was looking to join a firm with good clients and varied work and the prospects of long-term career progression and McCormicks ticked all the boxes.”

Senior partner Peter McCormick said:

“Alex has made his presence felt already thanks to his positive ‘can do’ attitude and he will be an asset to the team.”

Harrogate based ventilation manufacturer EnviroVent has relocated to a purpose-built zero carbon headquarters just outside the town.

The new 61,000 sq. ft premises on Harrogate West Business Park, near the Army Foundation College on Penny Pot Lane, is the culmination of a 10-month building project.

It brings together EnviroVent’s manufacturing facility, warehousing, head office and training suite into one purpose-built headquarters.

EnviroVent’s 260 employees have relocated from two existing premises on Hornbeam Park in Harrogate.

The new building will reduce the company’s environmental impact significantly and includes many energy efficient initiatives, including solar panels, air source heat pumps and a ventilation heat recovery system to ensure high levels of indoor air quality.

There are also electric charging points for vehicles and LED lighting units and responsive lighting.

Construction of the site

Andy Makin, managing director of EnviroVent, said:

“It is fantastic for the company to be together under one roof in our new zero carbon headquarters.  We are truly committed to good environmental practices throughout our business and these purpose-built premises allow EnviroVent to operate on an even more sustainable basis.

“With much larger premises, we have room to expand and  ambitious plans. Working alongside our parent company Soler & Palau, we fully expect to grow our brand, protecting and creating employees roles, benefitting our customers, our suppliers and the wider community.  We are very excited about the future!”

Read more:

• EnviroVent extends Harrogate Town sponsorship until 2024
• Business is booming in Knaresborough as empty shop units continue to fill

The build was carried out by Skipton-based construction company Sutcliffe Construction, working alongside developer of the new business park, Teakwood Developments. York & North Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership also supported the project with an allocation from the government’s Getting Building Fund. 

Daniel Martin, director of Teakwood Developments, said:

“It’s been a long road but so rewarding to reach the end, providing a facility that we can all be proud of. It secures the future of this fantastic business in Harrogate, providing a state of the art facility, with the all-important expansion capabilities.”

To offset any further carbon emissions, EnviroVent has also entered a partnership with MoreTrees, which will plant 5,000 trees per year on its behalf.

The photo shows (left to right) Andy Makin, managing director of EnviroVent outside the new headquarters with apprentices Dovile Stankeviciute and Stephanie Banks, Rachael Tranter, head of people and sustainability) and
Anna Campey, H&S/HR advisor.

An unusual charity dinner at Harrogate’s Rudding Park next month will see diners eat their main course blindfolded.

The event is being organised to raise money for Guide Dogs UK in Harrogate and to stimulate what dining out is like for people with a visual impairment.

Dine in the Dark will take place at the hotel on November 11.

Guide dog owner Kim Murphy said:

“Having my guide dog Jango has completely changed my life and events such as this are crucial for raising funds so that somebody else with sight loss can get a life changing guide dog like Jango.”

Nicola Ridgway, community fundraising manager for Guide Dogs UK in Harrogate, added:

“Dine in the Dark gives you the opportunity to enjoy great company and to have fun while experiencing the sensory effect of eating food with no vision.

“It will give you an insight into how visually impaired guide dog owners experience life on a daily basis.”

Tickets are £53.30 each (Inc booking fee) and are available here.

All funds raised will be donated to Guide Dogs UK.