Refilling Station eco-shop in Harrogate to close

The Refilling Station is to close after three years of trading in Harrogate.

The plastic-free shop attracted a lot of goodwill when it opened because of the way it promoted sustainable shopping.

Customers bring their own containers for products to reduce packaging waste.

The business initially welcomed customers on Grove Road before moving to larger premises on Cold Bath Road.

Owner Kirsty Dodds said it had a core of loyal customers, but wider support had dwindled over the last two years.

She said the Refilling Station did well during covid when people were reluctant to go to supermarkets and it was able to source products, such as flour, which were in high demand.

“When covid was at a peak people described us as a lifesaver but unfortunately many people didn’t stick with us.

“As soon as the supermarkets caught up they went back to their old shopping habits.”

Ms Dodds said she had really enjoyed running the business but the outlook was bleak for independent shops. She said there was a misconception that supermarkets were cheaper and this, combined with their convenience, made it difficult to compete. She said:

“A lot of people have supported us in concept and on social media but not in person. It is sad but we do have staff and overheads to pay.

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Ms Dodds, who lives in Leeds, said the Refilling Station will probably close mid-September but she had yet to finalise a date. She will then focus on another business venture outside Harrogate.

She said she still thought Cold Bath Road was the ideal location for a business like hers. But she feared for the future of independent shops in Harrogate.

“I walked through the town centre recently and yes it was bustling but the shops weren’t that busy and the rents would be far more expensive than Cold Bath Road.

“I find it difficult to imagine a world where independents will survive. A lot will find the next 12 months tricky.

“The outlook is terrifying. I have family too and I feel the pinch. It’s a bleak picture if things keep going the way they are.”

 

Hosepipe ban introduced for Harrogate district

The Harrogate district will be covered by a hosepipe ban from  August 26.

Yorkshire Water announced this morning it was introducing the measure as England teeters on the brink of a drought.

It will be the area’s first hosepipe ban since 1995.

Neil Dewis, its director of water, said:

“Parts of Yorkshire have seen the lowest rainfall since our records began more than 130 years ago.

“The hot, dry, weather means that Yorkshire’s rivers are running low and our reservoirs are around 20% lower than we would expect for this time of year.

“We’ve been doing everything we can to avoid putting in restrictions but unfortunately, they’re now necessary as part of our drought planning.

Mr Dewis said Yorkshire Water had reduced water lost by leaky pipes by 50% since 1995/6 but the measure was still necessary.

But he said the “trigger point” for a ban had now been reached.

He added:

“We need to make sure that we have enough supply for the essential needs of people across the region this year and next, as well as making sure we’re able to protect our local environment by limiting the amount of water we have to draw from the rivers.

“Our decision to introduce a hosepipe ban is based on the risk that water stocks continue to fall in the coming weeks and the need to be cautious about clean water supplies and long term river health.”

A hosepipe ban also allows Yorkshire Water to apply for drought permits from the Environment Agency, which means it can abstract more water from rivers.

The hosepipe ban includes:

Watering a garden using a hosepipe
Cleaning vehicles or boats using a hosepipe
Watering plants with a hosepipe
Filling or maintaining a domestic swimming or paddling pool
Drawing water, using a hosepipe, for domestic recreational use
Cleaning walls or windows of domestic premises using a hosepipe
Cleaning paths or patios using a hosepipe
Cleaning other artificial outdoor surfaces using a hosepipe

People can still undertake these activities without using a hosepipe if they use tap water from a bucket or watering can; or use water that is not sourced from taps such as grey water, rainwater from a water butt, or a private borehole, for example.

Businesses will be allowed to use a hosepipe if it is directly related to a commercial purpose.

There are restrictions on using a hosepipe if not for those essential commercial needs – so using a hosepipe to clean a path outside a business property, for example, would not be allowed.

Blue badge holders, those on Yorkshire Water’s Priority Services register or WaterSure tariff for medical reasons, are also excluded from the ban.

More information is available here.

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Business Breakfast: Harrogate hearing company expands to second practice

Business Breakfast is sponsored by Harrogate law firm Truth Legal. 

A Harrogate health business is set to expand to a second branch after four years of success in the town.

The Hearing Suite will open a new practice at No 6 The Grove in Ilkley following growth at its premises on East Parade.

Founder Emily Woodmansey, pictured, set up the practice alone but has expanded to offer a team of three audiologists and an ENT consultant.

Having grown up in Ilkley, she recognised that many of her current patients are making the journey to Harrogate and a closer practice would be more convenient for them.

She said:

“Our Harrogate practice is thriving, our ethos is firmly grounded in having a small group of very happy people, and right now Ilkley doesn’t have a full time, dedicated audiology practice.

“The pandemic has reminded people how precious communication is and I’m excited to share our brand of audiology with the people of my home town.”

The practice will have a dedicated wax removal room on the ground floor, along with a full testing suite on the first floor.

The Hearing Suite’s employee Olivia, a former NHS senior audiologist will be the practice’s head of service and it will offer the same services as the Harrogate branch including wax removal, hearing consultations, tinnitus management and hearing aids.

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Ripon BID considers joint trade waste provision

Businesses in central Ripon could benefit from a collective trade waste contract if plans by the city’s Business Improvement District are supported.

The BID is currently asking businesses for their views on the plans, which could also be opened to businesses which don’t pay the levy in exchange for a fee.

In a message sent out with the survey, BID manager Lilla Bathurst said:

“Ripon BID is seeking to save money for levy payers, improve the waste services they receive and enhance the appearance of local streets by procuring a waste collector to offer a high quality, low cost waste and recycling service.”

The organisation said a central contractor could improve reliability and frequency of collections, as well as reduce the costs to BID levy payers. It could also increase the amount of waste sent for recycling instead of going to landfill.

There is also the potential to improve the city centre environment by making more frequent collections and reducing the number of vehicles being used to complete them, said the BID.

Junior soldiers graduate at Harrogate’s Army Foundation College

Junior soldiers from Harrogate’s Army Foundation College took part in a passing out parade yesterday.

More than 500 graduates, who are all under the age of 18 when they joined, marked the end of their initial training by marching off the parade square.

The event was watched by a crowd of around 4,000 family members and friends.

Lieutenant Colonel Simon Farebrother MC, Commanding Officer of the AFC, said: 

“These soldiers represent the very best of our nation’s young people. They are now ready for their second phase of training which will hone the skills learnt here and develop those required for their chosen trade.

“They follow in the footsteps of those who have graduated from the Army Foundation College before them and gone onto great careers in the British Army.”

The mascot of the Queen’s Dragoon Guards with his handler, walk down Sir Tom Moore Walk at the Army Foundation College Harrogate as the graduation parade begins.

The mascot of the Queen’s Dragoon Guards with his handler, walk down Sir Tom Moore Walk at the Army Foundation College Harrogate as the graduation parade begins.

Members of the public take photos of their loved ones during the graduation parade at Army Foundation College Harrogate.

The parade not only marked the end of the graduates training, but also the 75th anniversary of Harrogate’s Uniacke Barracks.

The Senior Inspecting Officer, General Sir Patrick Sanders KCB, CBE, DSO, ADC Gen, Chief of the General Staff, said:

“There are some moments in a person’s life that they remember forever. These are the moments that matter. This is one of those moments.

“This is an army that is currently mobilising to prevent the spread of war in Europe. It is a task inherently linked to our core purpose – to protect the nation by being ready to fight and win wars.”

The Chief of the General Staff, General Sir Patrick Sanders, KCB, CBE, DSO, ADC Gen makes a speech during the graduation parade at Army Foundation College Harrogate.

The Chief of the General Staff, General Sir Patrick Sanders, gives a speech.

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Ripon man jailed for arranging to meet underage girls for sex

A Ripon man has been jailed for arranging to meet underage girls for sex and carrying a knife.

Mark David, 32, was sentenced at York Crown Court yesterday after pleading guilty to both offences.

David admitted carrying a lock knife in High Street, Starbeck, on December 15, 2019, which was the same day he had arranged to meet a 14-year-old girl for sexual purposes.

Prior to his guilty plea to the knife offence, David had already admitted two counts of attempted sexual communication with two girls under 16 years of age.

Those offences occurred in Harrogate between November 25 and December 16, 2019. The communication was via Whatsapp and Facebook Messenger.

David, of North Street, Ripon, also admitted the offence of arranging to meet an under-age girl for sex in Harrogate.

He was sentenced to 43 months in prison, placed on the sex offenders’ register and made subject to a sexual harm prevention order. He was also ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £181.

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Harrogate Neighbours set to relocate residents to Boroughbridge

Harrogate Neighbours is set to relocate some of its residents to a new home in Boroughbridge.

The not-for-profit organisation, which provides residential and community care, has acquired a new site formerly known as Springfield Garth in Boroughbridge from North Yorkshire County Council.

The site is undergoing refurbishment and will see residents from 28-bedroom Heath Lodge on Pannal Ash Road, Harrogate, moved to the new facility.

Sue Cawthray, chief executive of Harrogate Neighbours, said: 

“We have been working very closely with North Yorkshire County Council and the local authorities to identify a suitable site that will allow us to offer and deliver excellent quality care to residents and clients now and in the future.

“The site in Boroughbridge will enable us to grow and develop our services into the community, as well as providing job opportunities within the care sector. We are delighted to be moving to the area and we look forward to being part of a supportive and caring community.

“Heath Lodge residents and their relatives have been updated on the relocation and have all been very supportive on the move. We look forward to welcoming them and new residents to the newly named ‘Heath Lodge Community Haven’ in the next few months.”

Harrogate Neighbours said the new building has larger communal areas, wider corridors and improved facilities.

Heath Lodge Community Haven is due to open November 2022.

Cllr Michael Harrison, North Yorkshire County Council’s executive member for Health and Adult Services, added: 

“Harrogate Neighbours provides much needed services in this part of North Yorkshire and we have been very pleased to help make sure this very positive development could happen.

“It not only brings a building back into use but offers potential for growth and an opportunity to be more sustainable, whilst caring for older people in the local area, which is of paramount importance for our ageing population.”

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Harrogate district house prices fall £6,000 on last month

Average house prices in the Harrogate district fell by £6,000 in a month, according to latest government figures.

Data released by the Land Registry shows that from April to May the average price of a property dropped from £332,641 to £326,123.

However, the figures also reveal that prices have increased year on year.

Since May 2021, the average cost of a property has increased by 7.4%. Buyers could purchase a house for £303,528 last year.

By comparison, a property in Leeds could be bought for £229,139 in May this year.

The number is also a drop on last month by £604.

Average house price increased by 13%

The average cost of a home in the Harrogate district is slightly above that for the country.

Across England, latest figures show that the average price is £303,278.

This is up 13.1% on May last year.

In a statement, the Land Registry said:

“England house prices grew by 13.1% in the year to May 2022, up from 11.6% in April 2022. England house prices were growing faster than the UK annual rate of 12.8% in the year to May 2022.

“The South West was the fastest growing region with annual growth of 16.9% in the year to May 2022. The lowest annual growth was in London, where prices increased by 8.2% over the year to May 2022.”

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Former Harrogate nurse struck off over 19 misconduct charges

A community psychiatric nurse who was based in Harrogate has been struck off after facing a series of charges of misconduct.

Gordon Eric Finlay was found to have failed to keep accurate records for patients in his care, or to maintain professional boundaries, when he worked for the Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust, covering the Harrogate area in 2017.

He was also found to have acted inappropriately with colleagues, including sexually inappropriate behaviour, when working for Bradford District Care NHS Foundation Trust in 2019.

In a nine-day hearing last month, the Nursing and Midwifery Council heard evidence from multiple witnesses in relation to 19 charges. A report from the hearing said:

“It came to light that that Mr Finlay had communicated with a vulnerable mental health patient (Patient A) by telephone and a number of text messages which contained inappropriate content after the patient ceased to be under his care.

“Further regulatory concerns identified from this referral relate to a failure to preserve patient safety, in that Mr Finlay failed to escalate Patient A’s care when Patient A had disclosed a decline in mood and increased thoughts of suicide in a number of text messages to Mr Finlay. Patient A committed suicide during this period of communication.”

The three-person panel also heard he had signed off text messages to Patient A with “Gx”. The report said she had “severe and enduring” mental health problems, “particularly in relation to building trust and maintaining relationships”, and was “particularly vulnerable to any blurred… lines of professional communication”.

Mr Finlay, who was not present or represented at the hearing, was found to have failed to share Patient A’s deteriorating mental health with colleagues not through a genuine mistake, but in order to protect his job.

Relating to other charges of failing to keep accurate records for his patients in both Harrogate and Bradford, the report said:

“The panel considered the written representations of Mr Finlay, in particular, his admission that he was unfamiliar and not comfortable with the electronic diary and therefore recorded appointments in his paper diary.

“The panel was of the view that Mr Finlay would have had sufficient time to learn and use the electronic diary system over the approximate four-month period that was affected and he should have escalated any concerns or issues that he believed were preventing him from completing his patient records as required.”

The NMC panel also heard Mr Finlay’s line manager had offered him additional support with his record-keeping, but this had not been taken up.

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Mr Finlay was also accused of hugging and kissing a colleague on the cheek, as well as touching another colleague’s bottom, and making sexual comments in his workplace as well as showing an inappropriate video to colleagues.

In a written response to the charge of the hug and kiss, he said:

“It felt like a normal thing to do around someone’s birthday and I didn’t give it much thought, it was innocent and I would stress this hopefully reinforced by the CCTV footage that it was non-sexual and did not appear to create a reaction.”

The panel found the kiss and the hug was not sexual in nature, but that touching the other colleague’s bottom was.

It also found the latter – against a colleague described as “a junior colleague and a young and inexperienced person in the workplace” – amounted to bullying and harassment. The other sexual behaviours were found not to be bullying.

‘Undermine public confidence’

Addressing all charges, the panel found Mr Finlay’s conduct had fallen “seriously short” of the standards expected of a nurse and amounted to misconduct. Its report said:

“In considering whether the conduct has been remediated, the panel acknowledged that Mr Finlay cooperated in the local investigation and made admissions to some of the charges.

“He has also engaged with the NMC process and provided detailed written information by way of reflection and further information, although he did not attend the hearing.

“The panel acknowledged Mr Finlay had developed a health issue over the course of these events relating to depression and anxiety. The panel also acknowledged that both Mr Finlay and the rest of the mental health team in the area were under considerable work pressure.”

The report said there were 315 patient contacts which had not been recorded by Mr Finlay and that he had shown “no insight into the impact of his failures… on wider patient care or upon his colleagues”.

It said Mr Finlay’s written submissions had shown he felt he was “prioritising patient care”. However, the panel said having had the matter addressed by one NHS trust, he still failed to keep accurate records when he moved to a new trust.

The report concluded:

“Mr Finlay’s actions were significant departures from the standards expected of a registered nurse, and are fundamentally incompatible with him remaining on the register.

“The panel was of the view that the findings in this particular case demonstrate that Mr Finlay’s actions were serious and to allow him to continue practising would undermine public confidence in the profession and in the NMC as a regulatory body.”

As a result of the panel’s findings, Mr Finlay was struck off the nursing register.

Teen pleads guilty to Stray robbery and possessing zombie knife

A 17-year-old male has admitted robbing a male on the Stray and possessing a zombie knife in Harrogate.

The teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was charged with stealing a mobile phone, cash and credit cards during the robbery.

It took place on the Stray at Knaresborough Road on July 23.

He also admitted possessing a zombie knife the following day on The Ginnel in Harrogate.

The youth denied assaulting a police officer on The Ginnel on July 24 and the charge was dismissed. But he admitted resisting arrest by the same officer that day.

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The teenager, from Sheffield, was remanded into the care of the local authority until August 19, when he is due to appear in front of Harrogate magistrates again.

He was given a doorstep curfew between 7pm and 7am, told to attend three appointments a week with the Youth Justice Service and not to enter Harrogate before the court appearance.

Harrogate Convention Centre ‘could lose £250 million without investment’

A council report has warned Harrogate Convention Centre will suffer huge losses of £250 million unless a major redevelopment is carried out.

The ageing centre is facing a pivotal moment in its 40-year history as it presses ahead with renovation plans while competition from new conference venues – including one planned for Leeds – ramps up.

Harrogate Borough Council owns the venue and has proposed an investment project which could cost £49 million in what would mark the single biggest spend by the authority in its lifetime.

Without this, the council has warned the centre will “fall behind in the market” and “may fail to survive”.

£250 million losses

A report to a meeting of the council’s cabinet next week said the venue could be hit by £250 million losses over the next 40 years which would have to be subsidised by taxpayers.

The warning comes as the clock is ticking until the centre is handed over to the new North Yorkshire Council next April and as questions mount over how the redevelopment could be funded after cash was not included in a devolution deal for the county.

Harrogate Borough Council has also bid for convention centre cash from the government’s Levelling Up Fund.

However, the maximum amount available per project is £20 million and Harrogate is ranked as a low priority area.

The report to next Wednesday’s meeting said: 

“The redevelopment of the Harrogate Convention Centre (HCC) site offers the only opportunity to modernise facilities, improve connectivity within and replace failing mechanical and electrical systems – and to turn around the financial performance.

“HCC plays an important role in the district’s and region’s economy, attracting visitors and significant spend each year.

“It is the only event venue in the Yorkshire and Humber region that is able to compete with major facilities in cities elsewhere, such as Liverpool, Manchester, Gateshead and Glasgow.”

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The new events venue planned for the former Yorkshire Bank HQ in Leeds highlights a growing conference industry which is seeing more venues compete for big events that local economies benefit hugely from.

Council officials have estimated that Harrogate Convention Centre attracts over 150,000 visitors a year, with an economic impact of more than £35 million.

But the venue’s own financial performance has been poor over the last decade when its annual revenue has decreased by an average of 3% per year.

That is according to the new report which described the centre as “underutilised” and said increasing competition and operating costs have resulted in a need to “rethink” its offer.

Redevelopment plan

The redevelopment plans include a major refurbishment of event areas and upgrades to the venue’s heating and ventilation systems.

There are also plans to create a flexible events space for up to 1,200 people. These works were due to start in October after a warning that the centre could miss out on several big events next year, however, the plans have now been delayed.

The next stages of the redevelopment will see a £3.3 million contract awarded for further design, price and programming works.

More than £1.5 million has already been spent on the project before a final decision has been made. This is scheduled for July or August next year – meaning it will be the new North Yorkshire Council which will decide whether to proceed.

If approved, construction on a first phase of works would start in September 2023 for just over a year.

Harrogate Borough Council estimates the upgrades would increase the centre’s visitor numbers from 147,000 in 2020 to 192,000 in 2040, with profits of £29 million over a 40-year period.

The report added: 

“Investment in HCC will attract business visitors, support significant employment, encourage conversion of business to repeat leisure visitors and support inward investment.

“The redevelopment has the potential to provide a significant place-shaping, cultural and economic boost to the region.”