A picket line operated at Harrogate Rail Station this morning as the latest wave of strikes by the RMT union draws to a close.

Union members are expected to picket the station again tomorrow before trains begin to run a limited service on Sunday.

No further strikes are currently planned and normal service is due to resume on the Harrogate and Knaresborough line on Monday for the first time in more than three weeks due to strikes, an overtime ban and bank holidays.

Pickets told the Stray Ferret the main reasons they were striking were concerns over passenger safety and working conditions, rather than pay.

An RMT member at Harrogate station today.

They said ticket offices faced closure and safety would be compromised by cuts to staff unless they took action.

Transport Secretary Mark Harper has said “it’s time for the unions to get off the picket line and back round the table” and claimed he has “delivered new, improved pay and reform offers”.

Read more:

• Ambulance workers in Harrogate district begin strike
• Vandals leave Harrogate hospital facing large flood repair bill

Thirty years of fundraising for Cancer Research UK will be celebrated on the Stray in Harrogate this summer.

The Race for Life will offer participants routes of 3km, 5km and 10km as the national event marks its 30th anniversary.

It has already raised more than £920 million for research into ways to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer.

Cancer Research UK’s spokesperson in Yorkshire, Michaela Robinson-Tate, said: 

“We’d love for as many people as possible across Harrogate to join us during our 30th year of Race for Life.

“Race for Life is a powerful way to celebrate and remember loved ones affected by cancer and to raise money for pioneering research.   

“Whether people are living with cancer, taking part in honour of or in memory of a loved one with cancer or signing up to protect their own children’s future, everyone has a reason to Race for Life.    

“Sadly 1 in 2 of us will get cancer in our lifetime, but support through events like Race for Life funds groundbreaking work to see more people surviving cancer.  

“For some, the Race for Life is literally a walk in the park. Slow and steady still wins. For others, it’s a jog. Others may opt to push themselves harder and take part in the 10K distance. But what is for certain is we’re looking forward to welcoming people of all ages and abilities.”  

Taking place on Sunday, July 9, the event is open now for bookings. Anyone who signs up in January can get 50% off the entry fee by using code RFL23NY.

To find out more, visit the Race for Life website.

Read more:

• 1,400 runners set to take part in Harrogate Race for Life
• Charity pays for two cancer nurses at Harrogate hospital

Harrogate District Hospital has been left with a repair bill after vandals caused thousands of pounds’ worth of flood damage. 

The perpetrators pulled away panelling behind a men’s toilet sink and ripped pipework off the wall, causing significant flooding to the antenatal department, the ground-floor corridor in the Strayside wing and several offices. 

The attack was carried out in the early hours of Tuesday, December 27.

As a result, there was damage to equipment stored in the area and flooring in the departments needs to be replaced. 

Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust estimates the clean-up and repair operation – which includes hiring equipment to dry the areas out – will cost £4,000-£6,000, which it said “could be used for patient care rather than repairing damage caused by vandals”. 

A spokesperson for the trust said:

“Such anti-social behaviour is unacceptable and whilst the safety of the patients in our care was unaffected, it did cause additional work for our staff when they should be focused on patient care. Repairs also have a financial implication for our trust. 

“The people responsible were recorded on a CCTV camera within our hospital and the incident was reported to the police.”

Now is your time to shine with the Stray Ferret Business Awards. We are encouraging businesses of all sizes from right across the Harrogate district to enter for our awards and get recognition from our top panel of judges. Entries close on January 16.

A Harrogate law firm partner has reached the final of the Northern Powerhouse awards.

Kate Banerjee, who heads the children’s department at Jones Myers solicitors, has been shortlisted in the private client category.

Organised by the Legal 500 guide, the prestigious accolades recognise outstanding firms, lawyers, rising stars and in-house teams across 23 categories and celebrates their achievements over the last 18 months.

Ms Banerjee said:

“This recognition is a true team effort and attributable to the relentless dedication of our specialists who consistently provide the best solutions for our clients regionally, nationally, and internationally. Well done to every team member and we wish all the finalists the best of luck.”

Richard Peaker, managing partner at Jones Myers, said: 

“Kate’s shortlisting among the best lawyers in their field is well deserved and reflects the esteem in which Kate and the Children’s Department are held.

“The recognition also reinforces Jones Myers standing as a leading family law practice which has maintained its number 1 position in the legal guides for over two decades.”

The awards will take place on March 23, 2023, at the Kimpton Clocktower Hotel in Manchester.

New manager hired at property firm to oversee Harrogate portfolio

Darran Ezard, new property manager at Scanlans.

A property management firm has appointed a new manager to oversee its portfolio in Harrogate, Ripon and Boroughbridge.

Scanlans, which is based in Leeds, has hired Darran Ezard to oversee its properties in the district.

Recent additions to Scanlans’ Harrogate management portfolio include Queens Close, Grayson House, Oak Lodge, Cavendish Place, Beech Grove, Trafalgar Court and Byron Court.

Michael Willans, the head of property management for Scanlans in Yorkshire, said: 

“Darran is an excellent addition to our growing team and we are really pleased to welcome him to the firm.

“He has a track record of successfully managing a wide variety of large and small developments in the Yorkshire area, and is adept at working with contractors, tenants and owners as well as management bodies and their directors.

“Having him on board extends our capabilities at a time when we are seeing good growth in contracts as we continue to strengthen our presence in the Yorkshire regional market.

“Harrogate in particular is proving to be an area of rapid expansion for us, with around a dozen new, sought-after sites coming under our management in the first quarter of this year alone.”

Mr Ezard added:

“It’s an exciting time to join Scanlans as we build our presence in the North Yorkshire market and across the region.

“I look forward to utilising my property management and accounting experience to help us further develop our market share, working with a strong team of colleagues and with tenants, leaseholders, freeholders and management companies to look after their interests.”

A man has admitted assaulting two police officers outside Tesco Express in Harrogate town centre.

Jonathon Bogg, 31, pleaded guilty to two charges of assault by beating of an emergency worker on December 11, 2022.

The court heard how Bogg had been spotted by the officers on Cambridge Road and tried to run.

The 31-year-old was being pursued by police for another offence. Once caught, he punched both officers in the face and head.

Bogg, of Windsor Lane, Knaresborough, appeared before Harrogate Magistrates Court this morning where he spoke only to confirm his name and enter his plea.

He also admitted a further charge of being in possession of 10mg of diazepam, which is a class C controlled drug.

Bogg was bailed and ordered to appear before the court on January 27 to be sentenced.

Read more:

• Man jailed for two-month fraud spree at Harrogate and York hotels
• Ripon man appears in court charged with attempted murder

A three-storey building of six apartments will be built on Wetherby Road despite concerns from residents over traffic problems.

The site, at the corner of Wayside Crescent, was previously a home with a large garden, where two detached homes have been built since 2020.

Meeting today, Harrogate Borough Council‘s planning committee followed officers’ recommendation to approve the plans to demolish the building and create the new flats.

They had heard from Martin Hughes, representing nearby residents on Wayside Crescent, who said the area was a “living hell” with cars regularly mounting the pavement to pass each other.

The situation had become worse, he said, during construction of the two detached homes in the former garden of the house in question.

Mr Hughes said:

“We had contractor vehicles parking on double yellow lines throughout — in fact they are still parking on double yellow lines.

“There’s no policing of that and I understand why, because there’s insufficient resources, but it doesn’t help matters on the ground.”

The location of the site, close to the football ground, hospital, and several schools, made it a busy “rat run”, said Mr Hughes.

As a result, he said, residents had undertaken their own survey on a weekday morning in November to assess the situation.

They found 151 pedestrians had crossed the end of Wayside Crescent between 8am and 9am, of which 26 were accompanied children and 72 were unaccompanied children.

Meanwhile, 162 cars were driven along Wayside Crescent, and 17 of those had to take evasive action, either pulling into a driveway or going onto the pavement, in the face of an oncoming vehicle.

He added:

“This is already a dangerous road and are we really, seriously going to add to this madness?”

Read more:

• Plan to convert former Markington pub into house approved
• Plan to convert former Harrogate Post Office into holiday flats rejected

While Cllr Pat Marsh, of the Liberal Democrats, said she could not support the proposal because of the impact on the nearby roads, Conservative Cllr John Mann disagreed.

He said although traffic was clearly a problem in the area, there had been no objections raised by North Yorkshire County Council‘s highways team to this plan. On those grounds, he said, he would support the application.

He added:

“I agree with the comments of colleagues and the objector. In relation to the rat-running and the amount of traffic on Wayside Crescent and the difficulty of crossing Wetherby Road apart from using the pedestrian crossing.

“I also agree with the amount of pedestrian traffic, the school children etc. But at the same time, I don’t think the addition of six flats is going to change that at all in terms of the quantity of traffic and the difficulties which people experience with that.

“I don’t think that will alter the situation one way or the other.”

Planning committee members voted by nine votes to one in favour of the plans. They also voted by the same margin to write to the highways department to ask for traffic on Wayside Crescent to be assessed with a view to making improvements, which could include making the road one way.

The Stray Ferret Business Awards 2023 sponsored by Prosperis is set to celebrate the best of businesses from across the Harrogate district.

With the deadline for entries fast approaching on Monday, January 16 we are revealing the top reasons why businesses simply cannot miss the opportunity to get involved.

The entry process is simple, fast and free, so what are you waiting for? Enter or nominate today!

Shout about your achievements

We know the Harrogate district is home to thousands of incredible small, medium and large businesses.

In the face of the coronavirus pandemic and now a cost of living crisis, local businesses are doing amazing things for their staff and customers.

So why not get recognition for those achievements? Whether your business has seen significant growth, made positive changes for sustainability or inclusivity, we can help you celebrate.

Attract top talent and keep employees motivated

Now more than ever we know just how important it is to attract new employees and keep your existing employees motivated.

Winning or being shortlisted for an award is a great way to set your business apart from the rest. Who doesn’t want to make for an award-winning business?

Not only do we have awards celebrating overall business achievements, we also have awards geared specifically towards celebrating the work of your best staff.

So if you have a Rising Star Under 30 or an Unsung Hero at your business then show them your appreciation and nominate them today.

Exposure with the Stray Ferret’s audience

The Stray Ferret has a huge, local audience. We get more than 200,000 readers every month from across the Harrogate district and beyond.

With ten categories come ten winners and we will profile the great work of all of our winners. So this is a great chance to get your business in front of our readers.

Incredible judging panel

When you are looking to get recognition for your business, it is key that those on the judging panel are the best of the best.

That is why we have handpicked the leaders of top businesses from across the Harrogate district with expertise and experience in a wider variety of sectors.

We have Charlene Lyons, CEO of Black Sheep Brewery in Masham, Marcus Boardall, CEO of Reed Boardall in Boroughbridge, Martin Rae, CEO of Cloud Nine in Harrogate and James Farrar, COO of the York and North Yorkshire LEP in Northallerton.

Network with the best local businesses

The Stray Ferret Business Awards will be a great way to network with the event culminating in a glittering awards dinner on March 9.

With our stellar judging panel, sponsors and shortlisted businesses for each of our ten categories, this is not an event to be missed.

You can see a full list of award categories on the Stray Ferret Business Awards page. Entries close on Monday, January 16.

The number of children eligible for free school meals in the Harrogate district has risen by 50% since before the start of the covid pandemic.

The figures, obtained by the Local Democracy Reporting Service through a freedom of information request, highlight the financial pressure many families face due to rising food, energy and housing costs.

To qualify for free school meals a parent of a child who is in year three or above must apply to North Yorkshire County Council with evidence they are receiving a benefit, such as Child Tax Credit, Income Support, or Universal Credit.

All children in reception, year one and year two automatically receive free school meals through the Universal Infant Free School Meal Scheme.

At the end of 2019, the number of children eligible for free school meals in the Harrogate district was 1,794 — representing 8% of all children. But by the close of 2022 this figure had risen to 2,715, taking the overall percentage to 12%.

The figure is still far below the national figure of 22.5% but Dawn Pearson, area manager at Harrogate District Foodbank, told the LDRS more working parents in the district are in need of help to feed their children.

She believes the situation will not improve without “drastic” measures to improve wages and reduce inflation. Ms Pearson said:

“It’s getting worse. People are struggling and it’s a bad time for everyone. If you’ve got children they are always in need. There’s school uniform, breakfasts, lunch and dinner. Things now cost a lot”.

Read more:

• Ofsted paves way for new Harrogate school offering additional support
• New foodbank planned for Jennyfields

A council spokeswoman said the increase in eligible children for free school meals was down to factors including the introduction of Universal Credit and the effects of the pandemic. She said:

“In April 2018, the new Universal Credit was rolled out and nationally, children were able to remain on free school meals as they continued through their present school even if families’ overall income increased, to mitigate the impact.

“Increases in people meeting the income threshold for free school meals during the first year of the pandemic could potentially be linked to the effects of the pandemic.
The county council has been on a drive to improve take-up of those entitled to free school meals after it was revealed that one in five children who are entitled to the benefit are still not receiving it.”

The spokeswoman added:

“We would like every family eligible for free school meals to take up that offer. Last year we launched an extensive campaign to encourage this. School catering teams can provide support with issues such as food sensitivities and help children enjoy new foods. They provide children with nutritious healthy food which can help them stay focused on learning and keep up their energy levels throughout the day.”

A festive fundraiser ending this weekend is set to raise around £1,500 for a group of Scouts near Harrogate.

1st Pannal Scout Group will be collecting Christmas trees from households on Saturday for the fourth time.

This year, the service has expanded – and the team also added in tree sales int he run-up to Christmas to further boost its fundraising.

Deputy group Scout leader Andy Bielby said they sold 34 trees in one day, and it was such a success they hope to turn it into more of an event next Christmas. He said:

“It was great to meet our customers, some of whom told us they were former Cubs and Scouts from Pannal.”

Now, the volunteers will be out collecting trees from pre-booked households on Saturday as the final stage of what is expected to be the biggest fundraiser of the year by some margin.

Proceeds from the project will be put towards ensuring young Squirrels, Beavers, Cubs and Scouts at 1st Pannal, along with the partner Explorer unit, have valuable experiences in the coming year.

The children, all aged between four and 18, have already been able to go on camping trips thanks to the money raised by previous tree collections.

Read more:

• Knaresborough Christmas tree fundraiser expands after huge demand
• Christmas tree disposal service provides vital funding for Ripon Walled Garden

This year, there are two gold and one bronze Duke of Edinburgh award scheme expeditions planned, as well as a group summer camp, and an autumn Scout and Explorer camp with more than 1,000 young Scouts taking part.

1st Pannal members will also be learning vital life skills in their weekly sessions and working towards the Chief Scout awards.

Mr Bielby said demand for places was as high as ever and the group was always keen to hear from anyone who could volunteer to ensure as many young people as possible could benefit from the experiences of Scouting.

He added:

“The experience of camping and becoming more independent has never been more important than for the young people impacted by the lockdowns of the last couple of years.

“We have seen the changes that they have gone through, with many having their first opportunity to be away from home much later than they would usually have had if it wasn’t for the pandemic.

“In our Scouting, we aim to provide access to events and opportunities they might otherwise not have such as trips to the fire station, talks with local services like the police and activities like scuba diving and even gliding.”

Harrogate District Hospital has apologised after cancelling patients’ planned surgeries with less than 24 hours’ notice during the Christmas break.

One patient, who asked not to be named, said she was due to have essential orthopaedic surgery last Friday, December 30.

However, she received a call at lunchtime on Thursday to say there had been a leak and the operating theatre was out of use.

Due to go into hospital at 7am the next day, she instead had her surgery cancelled and no new date provided.

She told the Stray Ferret:

“The not knowing is really uncomfortable. I understand that these things happen, but why can’t they reschedule the surgeries out to other hospitals or get us some more information?

“The problem was discovered last week. They’ve had a week to make arrangements and it’s still not sorted.”

Read more:

• Harrogate hospital nurses to go on strike next month
• 500 Harrogate hospital staff apply for cost-of-living hardship fund

Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust said the last-minute cancellation was down to a water leak the basement, near the air handling units for the operating theatre.

A spokesperson said:

“Whilst the leak was quickly repaired and minimal damage occurred, the basement needed to be dried and the air handling units inspected by a specialist engineer to ensure they were safe to use.

“Unfortunately, as the air handling units provide ventilation and filter the air within our main operating theatres, it was necessary to cancel some, but not all, elective surgery that had been planned for that day.

“We are committed to providing the best possible healthcare for our community and as a priority we have now re-arranged the non-critical operations that were cancelled. We contacted all those affected, but we would like to reiterate our apologies for having to re-arrange their surgery.

“The air handling units have been inspected and passed checks, and planned activity in our operating theatres has been taking place this week.”

The patient, who is self-employed and works in the wedding industry, said she had been waiting for the last year to get a date for her surgery.

She had been offered a slot in the summer but, as it was at the height of the season, she had to turn it down or face losing all her business for the year.

She was then offered the December date around eight weeks ago. The new date had been ideal, she said, as it would give her the required time to recover before this year’s wedding season began in spring.

She said:

“It’s 12 weeks’ recovery – that’s why it has such a big impact when it’s postponed, because you have got to rearrange your whole life.

“Our season starts in April. I have a very physical job and I need to be able to move around.

“My husband had taken time off work. He’s a solicitor and hadn’t booked in any appointments this week so he could be at home to help me.

“Cancelling like this has massive implications for people’s lives.”