Councillors give backing to Harrogate council chief executive’s £101,000 redundancy pay-out

Councillors have backed a package worth £101,274 for outgoing Harrogate Borough Council chief executive Wallace Sampson.

The five councillors on the authority’s chief officer’s employment committee, which includes four Conservatives and one Liberal Democrat, met yesterday to discuss a report written by HBC’s head of legal & governance Jennifer Norton.

The report recommends Mr Sampson is paid a settlement due to the impending abolition of HBC.

HBC will cease to exist along with six other district councils and North Yorkshire County Council from April 1, 2023. A new unitary authority called North Yorkshire Council will replace them to run services across the county.

Mr Sampson’s settlement is made up of a contractual £71,633 redundancy payment and £29,641 for a 12 week notice period that he will not have to work as his job will end on March 31. 

He is paid a salary of £118,447.

After HBC is abolished, his employment would automatically transfer to North Yorkshire Council. 

However, the report says because the new council is “likely to refuse to recognise” Mr Sampson as an employee he would be “effectively stranded” and it could lead to an unfair dismissal claim.

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A redundancy package offered now would therefore reduce the “risk of the risk of costly legal proceedings that will be picked up by the public purse”.

Ms Norton summarised the report and described the settlement as a “practical and pragmatic” solution.

Conservative deputy council leader Graham Swift chaired the meeting in place of council leader Richard Cooper, who was absent.

Cllr Swift said HBC had been “disciplined” in preparing the settlement for Mr Sampson.

Hambleton District Council has faced criticism after offering a £225,000 pay-off for outgoing chief executive Justin Ives.

Cllr Swift praised Mr Sampson for his commitment to the role as staff prepare to move to the new council.

He said:

“We’re fortunate that we have a chief executive that is not just hanging around but ensuring employees are protected into the new organisation, that’s very important for staff to see leadership taking place.

“My experience is the chief executive role is one that nobody wants to do but everyone thinks they can do it better. As Wallace steps down we’re in great shape. At full council we’ll express our sincere thanks for his commitment.”

A full meeting of the council will take next Wednesday where councillors will have a final vote on Mr Sampson’s redundancy package.

Speaking ahead of the meeting, leader of the Liberal Democrats on the council, Pat Marsh, said she will be asking her colleagues to approve the package next week.

Cllr Marsh said:

“Looking at what some other district and borough councils are proposing for their chief executives, I welcome what is being recommended.

“I will be urging my group to support the package being offered to Wallace Sampson.”

Current North Yorkshire County Council chief executive Richard Flinton has already been announced as the chief executive of North Yorkshire Council.

He will earn a salary of up to £197,000 a year with responsibility for an annual budget of £1.4 billion and a workforce of 10,500 staff.

Wetherby Road crossing ‘likely to cause further delays’ for Harrogate drivers

A new crossing on Harrogate’s Wetherby Road is likely to cause “further delays” for drivers, a county council officer has said.

North Yorkshire County Council yesterday revealed plans to install a toucan crossing on the road next to Slingsby Walk on the Stray to encourage walking and cycling in Harrogate.

The crossing would be the fourth set of lights in less than a mile between the Empress roundabout and the Woodlands junction, which is already one of the most congested stretches of road around Harrogate.

In a report outlining the proposal, Barrie Mason, assistant director for highways and transportation, accepted the move would likely increase pressure on the road network.

He added there were also officer concerns over “existing traffic congestion on this section of Wetherby Road”.

However, he said that the measure had to be balanced with the benefit that it would offer to both pedestrians and cyclists.

Slingsby Walk

Slingsby Walk is popular for walkers and cyclists.

Mr Mason said:

“Any additional crossing of the A661 Wetherby Road will likely cause further delays for people travelling on the road.

“It is felt, however, that the signalised crossing would be of benefit to pedestrians and cyclists and the safety and movement of vulnerable road users should be prioritised in this location in order to achieve a better balance between travel modes.”

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Mr Mason added that the measure has the potential to more than double the cyclists on Slingsby Walk.

According to the report, a cycle count in the area on a single day in 2021 counted 84 cyclists.

Mr Mason said:

“Given the route’s geography, it is highly likely that most of these cyclists reached the A661 at the proposed crossing point location.

“The proposed crossing is thought to satisfy a key desire line for present and future cyclists.”

‘Creating opportunities’ for cycling and walking

Cllr Keane Duncan, North Yorkshire County Council’s executive member for highways and transportation, is to consider the proposal at a meeting on Wednesday, December 14.

If approved, implementation of the crossing will be subject to a detailed design and safety audit before it could be introduced in 2023/24. 

Funding of £75,000 for the crossing has been secured from Harrogate Borough Council’s sustainable transport budget.

Cllr Duncan said:

“We are committed to creating opportunities for people who want to walk or cycle for work, education, shopping or other reasons. This is clear in the Harrogate area through our Transforming Cities Fund gateway project and Active Travel Fund schemes to develop a safe, accessible network for cyclists and pedestrians.

“The Slingsby Walk crossing could offer a significant addition to the town’s infrastructure, providing a safe, formal crossing point for pedestrians and cyclists who might be hesitant about using the link at the moment.”

Business Breakfast: Harrogate firm acquires Ripon advertising company

Business Breakfast is sponsored by Harrogate law firm Truth Legal

A Harrogate advertising company has acquired Adverta Transport Advertising as part of an expansion at the firm.

CP Media, which has offices on East Parade, will add 23 more staff to its team following the acquisition.

Adverta, which is based in Ripon, is one of the UK’s largest bus and tram advertising specialists and represents around 30 bus companies.

Mike Brennan, chief executive of CP Media, said: 

“The bus and tram advertising sector is one that we know well. I was heavily involved in transport advertising for many years alongside my business partner Andrew Walker. This means that Adverta is a perfect fit for our ambitious growth strategy.

“We are really looking forward to working with the Adverta team and growing the business in the same way that we have grown the main CP Media business and subsequently Eye Airports following our 2019 acquisition.”

Lisa Ratcliffe, managing director of Adverta, said: 

“I am proud of Adverta and very happy that it will be joining the CP Media group.

“CP Media has a great track record of diversification, acquisition and growth and I know that this move will help Adverta to grow significantly.”

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Knaresborough opticians win social media award

A Knaresborough opticians has won an award recognising its social media practice.

Yorkshire Eyewear, which has a branch on High Street in the town, picked up the award at the Opticians Awards in London.

The awards aim to recognise best practice in the industry.

A total of 32 categories were up for nomination, including technology, lens, frame, and contact lens award.

In a tweet, Yorkshire Eyewear said it was delighted to win the best social media practice award.

It said:

“Congratulations to all the other finalists. We are all winners.”

Council plans new crossing on Harrogate’s Wetherby Road

A new crossing could be installed on Wetherby Road in an effort to improve walking and cycling in Harrogate.

The crossing, which could include traffic lights, would be put in place next to Slingsby Walk on the Stray.

North Yorkshire County Council has proposed the measure, which would cost £75,000, which it says could “double the number of people using a popular cycling and walking route”.

Cllr Keane Duncan, North Yorkshire County Council’s executive member for highways and transportation, is to consider the proposal at a meeting on Wednesday, December 14.

Cllr Duncan said: 

“We are committed to creating opportunities for people who want to walk or cycle for work, education, shopping or other reasons. This is clear in the Harrogate area through our Transforming Cities Fund gateway project and Active Travel Fund schemes to develop a safe, accessible network for cyclists and pedestrians.

“The Slingsby Walk crossing could offer a significant addition to the town’s infrastructure, providing a safe, formal crossing point for pedestrians and cyclists who might be hesitant about using the link at the moment.

“We recognise concerns around existing traffic congestion on this section of Wetherby Road. While an additional crossing would place extra pressure on the network, this needs to be weighed against the benefit to pedestrians and cyclists that already use this location and those that would if there was a formal crossing.

“We need to consider the benefits a signalised crossing would bring to pedestrians and cyclists and the safety of vulnerable road users in this location to achieve a better balance between different modes of travel.”

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If approved, implementation of the crossing will be subject to a detailed design and safety audit before it could be introduced in 2023/24. 

Funding of £75,000 for the crossing has been secured from Harrogate Borough Council’s sustainable transport budget.

Cllr Phil Ireland, Harrogate Borough Council’s cabinet member for carbon reduction and sustainability, said: 

“If we want to achieve our zero-carbon economy targets, we need to invest in sustainable travel options and help make them as safe as possible.

“Introducing a road crossing on Wetherby Road at Slingsby Walk will ensure people have safe access between the east and west of Harrogate town centre. Especially as this route is frequently used by young people accessing the nearby schools.

“I’d like to thank North Yorkshire County Council as well as Councillor Keane Duncan for considering this proposal.”

Harrogate district train passengers warned not to travel for five days next week

Northern has warned passengers not to travel for the majority of next week amid more industrial action.

RMT Union members are expected to stage another walkout from Tuesday (December 13) until Saturday (December 17) in a dispute over pay and conditions.

The strikes will be the latest to hit the Harrogate district rail network this year.

Northern, which operates services from Harrogate and Knaresborough towards Leeds and York, has warned passengers not to travel after Monday next week as services wind down.

The operator said it expects to run a “very limited service” during the days of strike action.

A table issued by Northern warning passengers of days with industrial action.

A visual issued by Northern

It said in a statement:

“On strike days, only travel by rail if necessary and if you do travel, expect severe disruption and plan ahead – especially the first and last trains of the day.

“If you do decide to travel, there will be very limited services running across the whole rail network so remember to check your entire journey as other train service providers may be affected.

“There will be no rail replacement buses on strike days for Northern services and some Northern stations may be closed or have reduced hours due to the limited staffing and services.”

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Northern is also expecting disruption over Christmas as the RMT Union announced further planned demonstrations.

The union is planning to stage a further walkout from Christmas Eve until December 27.

Northern added:

“We’re working on what that means for services, please check before you travel as your usual train may not be running.”

‘Lessons learned’ after covid patient’s oxygen disconnected at Harrogate hospital, inquest hears

Harrogate hospital has “learned lessons” following the death of a woman who became disconnected from her ventilator when she was left alone in a room with the door closed.

Karen Smith was 44 when, in October 2020, she was admitted to the hospital with covid.

She was put on a temporary intensive care ward that had been set up by Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust to deal with the high demand of the pandemic.

An inquest heard this week Ms Smith died on the ward after her oxygen mask became disconnected.

The continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) oxygen machines used on the ward were not connected to the nurses’ station in the way they were on the established ICU.

When Ms Smith’s mask came off and the tube became disconnected around 5am on Saturday, October 24, although the machine’s alarm sounded, there was no way of it sending a signal to the nurses’ station for a rapid response.

The previous day, the hospital’s infection control team had visited the ward and recommended that the doors to each bay, which had been open, should be closed to help reduce the spread of covid.

Dr David Earl, a consultant in anaesthesia and critical care, told the inquest:

“The doors were closed on that Friday and I don’t think enough work was done to recognise the implications of how that might make nursing quite difficult, because you can’t hear behind the doors.

“This is when things start to go a bit wrong, I think, on that Friday.”

On the Saturday evening, a nurse who was covering a meal break had left Miss Smith’s bay to go to the toilet urgently. She had no way of contacting another nurse to cover for her, but believed the original nurse was about to return from her break.

The inquest heard that, during the pandemic, staff were required to remove extensive personal protective equipment (PPE) and go to a bathroom nearby, rather than the one on the ward, which took much longer than usual.

When the nurse she was covering for returned, the disconnection was noticed and Ms Smith’s mask had been completely removed.

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Dr Earl told the inquest many patients find CPAP masks uncomfortable and can attempt to remove them when slightly disorientated, such as when waking up.

The machine’s log indicated Ms Smith had been without hers for around four-and-a-half minutes. A new mask was immediately brought from the store cupboard nearby.

Staff said they hoped the short time of disconnection meant that Ms Smith would not have been affected by the lack of oxygen supply.

The inquest heard that, although her blood oxygen levels quickly rose again, it became apparent to the team on the next shift that she was more sleepy and less responsive than usual.

That night, as her condition further deteriorated, staff called her mother, but she was not allowed to come into the hospital because of covid restrictions.

Addressing Ms Smith’s mother Audrey and brother John, who were at the inquest, Dr Earl said:

“At the time, we were following national guidelines about visiting.

“As someone who worked through all of this, not having visitors all the time was terrible. On intensive care, we spend a lot of time with families getting to know them. To suddenly not have families there was absolutely awful for us, but we know it was even worse for families like yourselves.

“It we could go back, we would get you straight in when we knew [she was dying]. Now, that’s the national guidelines.”

Ms Smith said her daughter had been well enough the day before to be messaging her friends. However, Dr Earl said given the number of days she had been reliant on the CPAP without any sign of improvement, his experience with covid patients suggested she was more likely than not to have succumbed to the virus in the end.

Walkie-talkies introduced

Dr Earl said the hospital had “learned lessons” from Ms Smith’s death and a number of changes had been implemented to prevent the same situation arising again, including changes to nurse rostering and the introduction of walkie-talkies to allow nurses to communicate with each other even when in separate rooms.

He added:

“We realise we can’t make everything perfect, but we try to list all the things where we think there’s a potential danger there and try to minimise them.

“In this new area, we had one of those risk registers and recognised it was constantly evolving, but in these circumstances, it was the best we could do.”

Delivering a narrative conclusion, senior coroner for North Yorkshire Jonathan Heath said Ms Smith, who lived in Wetherby, had died from a hypoxic brain injury caused by becoming disconnected from her oxygen machine. A secondary cause of death was her high body mass index.

Mr Heath said there was no evidence of how Ms Smith’s mask came to be removed and the tube disconnected, so he did not want to make any assumption.

Mr Heath said:

“I am satisfied that a ‘prevention of future deaths’ report is not required.

“Whatever I would be saying to the hospital appears to have been addressed already.”

New board to review Harrogate Convention Centre operating model

A new board is to be created to assess the best way to operate Harrogate Convention Centre.

Harrogate Borough Council, which owns the facility, will be abolished in April and replaced by North Yorkshire Council. The move has raised questions over how the venue on Kings Road will be run from 2023.

In a report to be discussed by councillors next week, Paula Lorimer, director of the convention centre, said a strategic board will be set up by the new authority to oversee the planned £49 million redevelopment and assess how it should operate.

She said:

“This will bring changes for HCC including new structural reporting lines as well as to changes to governance relating to the HCC board. Some of these issues are yet to be clarified but are intended to be resolved ahead of vesting day.

“Additionally, and as mentioned earlier in this report, a new HCC strategic board is to be created by the new authority in order to oversee the redevelopment project and to assess the most appropriate operating model for the venue in the future.

“HCC staff will, however, TUPE transfer to the new authority from April 2023 as they are employees of Harrogate Borough Council.”

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Economic impact up to £31m

Ms Lorimer said the convention centre had recovered “particularly well” from covid and is forecast to reach revenues of 2019 levels next year.

According to the report, the convention centre had an economic impact on the district of £18.6 million for the covid-affected financial year 2021/2022, according to a new Visit Britain methodology.

Ms Lorimer added:

“Now the pandemic is over we are forecasting that the economic impact for 2022/23 should be close to £31 million which is excellent news.

“Our strategy is to focus on winning back larger, multi-day national and professional association conferences.

“Although the exhibitions industry has been in decline for many years, some of HCC’s events are actually growing post pandemic and Brexit. For example the Flooring Show and Nursery Fair have enjoyed a renaissance due to international supply issues caused by the pandemic and exhibitors deciding to promote in the UK.”

Paula Lorimer

Paula Lorimer

Ms Lorimer said it had been “a very positive year”, adding:

“The current order book looks strong and we expect to reach budget for the year ending to 2022/23 on lettings. More encouragingly, the order book for lettings in 2023/34 has almost been achieved over 12 months out from the year commencing.”

Ms Lorimer said an investment in cosmetic improvements, such as new carpets and drapes, “has really paid dividends and now the team await a positive decision to progress with the redevelopment so that HCC can really maximise its full potential”.

The convention centre expects to hear next month whether its £20m Levelling Up funding bid has been successful.

The report adds:

“A final decision on whether to progress the redevelopment will be made by the new authority in summer 2023.”

Union issues warning about directors’ redundancy pay at Harrogate Borough Council

Unison is to write to Harrogate Borough Council today warning them not to offer senior managers more favourable redundancy terms than other staff when it is abolished.

Seven district councils, including Harrogate, and North Yorkshire County Council will cease to exist on April 1, when they will be replaced by the new North Yorkshire Council.

All staff, except the chief executives, are due to transfer to the North Yorkshire Council under TUPE regulations.

But Hambleton District Council has agreed to pay £767,065 to four senior officers who decided they do not wish to work for the unitary North Yorkshire Council after April 1.

The payments were agreed even though the four directors had been assured they would be offered “suitable roles” at no financial loss to themselves when they transferred to North Yorkshire Council .

This has prompted trade union Unison to write to all the councils demands all staff be treated the same.

A spokesman for the North Yorkshire branch of Unison said:

“We will be writing to all the district/borough councils later today to advise them that if they are minded to follow Hambleton we will expect them to offer packages to all staff and not just those on big salaries.”

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Harrogate Borough Council’s chief officer employment committee is due to meet tonight to discuss awarding chief executive Wallace Sampson a £101,274 redundancy package.

Mr Sampson would receive a contractual redundancy payment of £71,633 plus £29,641 for a 12-week notice period he will not have to work.

Mr Sampson’s exit package is considerably less than that announced so far for other chief executives who will leave their jobs on March 31.

Selby District Council chief executive Janet Waggot is to receive a redundancy package worth £210,000 and Hambleton District Council’s chief executive, Justin Ives, is to receive a £225,000 settlement.

New Harrogate district housing plan should not be ‘tickbox exercise’, says councillor

A new plan for housing across the Harrogate district should not be treated as “a tickbox exercise”, says a local councillor.

Senior councillors are set to back drawing up a new county-wide Local Plan ahead of the creation of North Yorkshire Council on April 1.

The blueprint would look ahead for a minimum of 15 years, and at least 30 years in relation to any larger scale developments, such as new settlements or significant urban extensions. It would encompass all areas of the county outside the national parks.

Cllr Arnold Warneken, a Green Party councillor on North Yorkshire County Council, told the Stray Ferret that the document had to look at the “bigger picture”.

He said the county council was in a position to be able to use the plan as a means of promoting sustainable homes, solar panels and affordable housing which is energy efficient.

Cllr Warneken said:

“We are not ticking boxes with this.

“We have to think of this as a bigger picture. It’s not just a case of putting this plan in place, it needs to be at the forefront of it all.”

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Meanwhile, Cllr Stuart Parsons, leader of the North Yorkshire Independent group on the county council, said the plan should also include a ban on fracking.

He added that the blueprint needs to take into account rural areas and health inequalities.

North Yorkshire County Council will be recommended to approve creating a new county-wide strategy at a meeting of its executive on December 13.

Cllr Matt Walker, Liberal Democrat councillor for Knaresborough West, said the move to create one plan was “common sense”.

He said:

“It is just common sense that we would think again about how and where we develop now we are part of the new North Yorkshire authority.

“Harrogate and Knaresborough has seen a huge amount of building in recent years. It has put too much strain on our roads and health services. We do need good affordable local housing, but we have to have the infrastructure to go with it. Now we are one authority, we need one local plan that addresses these issues.”

Harrogate Town Council should oversee planning

Chris Watt, vice-chair of Harrogate and Knaresborough Labour party, said a Harrogate Town Council should be set up to oversee such planning matters.

He said:

“We need more genuinely affordable and sustainable homes, with proper provision of social housing and decent infrastructure.

“With more empty business premises due to the Tories crashing the economy, we should also be looking to see if any of those can be turned into affordable accommodation for people struggling with the cost of living crisis.

“We are concerned that without a new Harrogate Town Council in charge of these matters, decisions taken by the new North Yorkshire Council in Northallerton will ignore the needs of Harrogate and Knaresborough.”

ConservatIve Cllr Simon Myers, executive member for housing and growth on the council, said the plan would help towards the council’s “ambitious targets” on climate change.

He said:

“The plan will be vital to the new North Yorkshire Council’s ambitions to deliver sustainable economic growth, through good homes and jobs, as well as the best facilities and infrastructure for everyone who lives or works in the county.

“Planning guidance will also play a key role in meeting our ambitious targets to tackle climate change. In addition, it can support other services in meeting the needs of our many communities at a local level, taking into account everything from transport and education to housing, health and social care.”

Harrogate district Local Plan set to be scrapped

Harrogate Borough Council currently has its own Local Plan which outlines where development can take place across the district until 2035.

It is due to be reviewed by 2025 but this looks set to be scrapped because of the creation of a new unitary authority North Yorkshire Council and the abolition of Harrogate Borough Council on April 1.

However, a report to councillors who will decide whether to accept the recommendation says a review of the proposed Maltkiln development, which could see up to 4,000 homes built near Cattal, will continue as planned.

Retrospective plans refused after Harrogate district firm builds larger warehouse than agreed

Councillors have refused a retrospective planning application after a bathroom manufacturer in the Harrogate district built a warehouse larger than originally agreed.

Abacus Ltd was formed in 1989 and is a manufacturer and distributor of bathroom products to companies including Villeroy & Boch and Wickes.

It employs 85 people and is based at Jubilee Court on the outskirts of Copgrove, near Boroughbridge, alongside 10 other businesses.

In 2019, Abacus won permission from Harrogate Borough Council to build an extension that would see a steel warehouse erected to support the growing business.

However, the company ended up building a bigger structure than what was approved after securing two large commercial deals.

Abacus extension in Copgrove

Abacus’ extension in Copgrove

The council’s planning committee met yesterday to consider a retrospective application for the larger extension as well as for a pallet store that had to be relocated elsewhere on the premises.

The application was recommended for approval by officers.

Speaking to councillors, Ian Patterson from Abacus conceded the company should have submitted new plans before starting construction but said the early months of the covid pandemic made this difficult. He said:

“We accept as bathroom manufacturers we are definitely not planning experts. We acknowledge that a material change should have been sought prior to works commencing, but timings due to the lockdown and the pressures of business didn’t enable this.”

High Court quashing

The application to retrospectively build the larger extension was originally approved by the council in October 2021 before being overturned in the High Court in February 2022 after Copgrove resident Justin Appleyard requested a judicial review of the decision.

The High Court overturned the decision because it found the council did not take into account the relocation of the pallet store in its approval.

A different retrospective permission had previously been sought for the pallet store, however, it was refused in January 2021 by the council because it said it was not adequately screened by trees.

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Abacus’ plans received 51 objections with no submissions of support.

Nick Stringer, from Staveley & Copgrove Parish Council, told councillors that the company had on more than one occasion sought planning permission retrospectively after building work had already been done. He added:

“The site is in open countryside close to a beautiful medieval church and overlooks Staveley Nature Reserve which has an abundance of floral and fauna. I suggest the impact on the countryside is severe and unacceptable.”

‘Pimple on a pig’s backside’

Councillors were unconvinced by the application, in part, due to the relocation of the pallet store and its visual impact. Conservative member for Masham and Kirkby Malzeard, Nigel Simms, described it as standing out like a “pimple on a pig’s backside.” He added:

“I have no objection to the storage building being built, what I’m objecting to is the pallet store being stuck out in the middle of nowhere. The screening is not sufficient.”

The committee voted to refuse the application by 9 votes to 3. Abacus Ltd can appeal the decision.