Local Harrogate News & Views around the district - Page 555 of 1163

No.2: Questions over Harrogate Convention Centre future

In this article, which is part of a series on the 12 stories in the Harrogate district that shaped 2022, we look at the the questions surrounding Harrogate Convention Centre’s future.

Harrogate Convention Centre is at a pivotal moment in its 40 year history.

That much was clear this past 12 months when political leaders, business owners and HCC officials debated its very future.

Amid the shake-up of local government, council bosses have juggled a strategy to make the centre viable with how best to run the facility in the coming years.

For the past two years, Harrogate Borough Council, which owns the HCC, has been working up a £49 million plan to renovate the convention centre in an attempt to make it attractive to future users.

The money would have been the single biggest investment the council has ever made in modern times – but that will no longer be the case.

In four months’ time, the authority will no longest exist and the keys to the HCC will be handed to North Yorkshire Council.

The new authority will not only be burdened with a figuring out how best to manage one of the town’s biggest assets, but also how to pay for a project that would keep it viable.

Questions over money

Questions have mounted over recent months over exactly how the scheme would be paid for.

Since January, borough council bosses have made multiple attempts to figure out how to fund their ambitious project.

Officials pinned their hopes on the devolution negotiations with government. Within the document submitted to ministers was a bid for funding specifically for the convention centre refurbishment.

However, much to the dismay of council leader, Cllr Richard Cooper, ministers refused to commit any funding to the project.

Another blow came in the shape of Chancellor Jeremy Hunt dropping plans for investment zones, which Harrogate Convention Centre was earmarked for – though council leaders said this was expected.

Council bosses went back to the drawing board and drew up a bid to the government’s Levelling Up fund.

The £20 million bid is another roll of the dice in terms of finances.

In the end, any decision on the project will be entirely out of the borough council’s hands.

Councillors on the new North Yorkshire Council will decide the fate of the project.

Not only that, but the new council will also decide how the facility is run – a topic which is already being considered by a strategic board set up by the authority.

Stray Ferret Christmas Appeal: Match funding brings total to more than £30,000

This year’s Stray Ferret Christmas Appeal is for Resurrected Bites in Harrogate and Knaresborough. Today, the final day of our appeal, we look at its success and the difference your donations will make to this vital organisation.

The fundraising page remains open. Please give generously to support local people who are struggling this Christmas. They need your help.

The last four weeks have seen an incredible £25,000 donated to the Stray Ferret Christmas Appeal.

The campaign has been supported by Techbuyer, which generously offered to match fund up to £5,000 of donations from the public and other businesses.

With their contribution now added, the total raised through the appeal is more than £30,000. Helen Blakey from Techbuyer said:

“Techbuyer have been involved with Resurrected Bites in various capacities over the last couple of years donating IT hardware and providing monetary donations.

“As champions of the circular economy, we think it is important that every resource is properly used – especially when precious food can help sustain someone in need. That’s why we chose to work with Resurrected Bites as their values really resonate with ours.

“We are amazed at the generosity of local people and businesses that have helped increase the total. It is reassuring to know that, with the success of this appeal, many more people can enjoy as merry a Christmas as possible.”

Thank you to everyone who has given any amount, large or small, to our appeal. Every penny will go directly to Resurrected Bites and will make an enormous difference to local people.

Thanks to your generosity, Resurrected Bites goes into 2023 with a more certain future.

Not only can it continue to support the customers who rely on its community groceries and enjoy its pay-as-you-feel cafe, it can welcome more people through the doors.

Times are hard for many and, with the cost of living set to rise further next year, it is likely more people will find themselves struggling to pay their bills and put food on the table.

Some of the stories we have heard have shown just how easily people can fall into a situation where their incomes do not cover all their outgoings.

Take Ickle Mills, mum to a young son, who found her maternity pay was nowhere near what she had expected. Despite her partner’s steady job and good income, the family suddenly struggled to afford food after the added expense of a baby. She said:

“All of a sudden, we were hundreds of pounds down a month on what I would have earned.

“We were at the point of incurring a lot of debt. Thanks to Resurrected Bites, we didn’t. It was the only thing that kept us from having to fall into quite bad debt.”

Resurrected Bites enabled the couple to buy milk and other supplies for their son, as well as putting food on the table for themselves. As he moved onto solid food, Ickle found she had access to produce she might otherwise not have been able to buy, giving him a varied, healthy diet – all while reducing the amount of food going to landfill.

Then there was Justin Hardcastle, for whom a series of bereavements led to a mental health crisis – and Resurrected Bites was among the organisations that stepped in to help, alongside housing charity Lifeline. Now volunteering in its grocery and cafe, he told us:

“I love coming here. It gives me a purpose. Everyone is so friendly and I feel like I’m giving something back.

“It’s heart-warming and beneficial for me, just to be part of a team and know I’m appreciated…

“I feel like I contribute – I give as much as I can. Thinking about where I was, if it wasn’t for Resurrected Bites, Lifeline and my network of friends, I don’t know where I would be now.”

Justin Hardcastle, left, and Lara Rundle

For single mum of four Lara Rundle, the problems began when her youngest child went away to university.

A small pay rise from the NHS meant she was no longer entitled to benefits, leaving her £90 a month worse off – and health problems for her and one of her children further impacted on her finances.

Speaking to her GP practice about the challenges she faced, Lara was referred to Resurrected Bites. She told the Stray Ferret:

“You feel you are paying something, so it’s not a hand-out. It’s fresh fruit and vegetables. They’re the kind of things I can’t afford to buy.

“If I go to the supermarket, the only thing I have to buy is cheese and butter, sometimes meat. There’s stuff there I could never have afforded to buy even if I wasn’t in this situation.”

The impact on her mental health has been significant, taking away the pressures she was feeling. She said:

“It has made such a massive difference. I know I don’t have to worry.

“If you have an extra fiver you put it on your account so you don’t have to worry about paying next time.

“I just can’t thank them enough. They’re angels. The service is a life-saver.”

Resurrected Bites also has plans to extend its service and reach more people in new communities.

In early spring, founder Michelle Hayes hopes to open its third pay-as-you-feel cafe, this time at Killinghall Methodist Church.

Like the others at Gracious Street Methodist Church in Knaresborough and Harrogate’s West Park United Reformed Church, it will use food that would otherwise go to waste. Ingredients collected from supermarkets and other commercial outlets will be turned into delicious, filling hot meals.

A roast beef dinner at Resurrected Bites’ pay-as-you-feel cafe in Knaresborough

They’re sold on a pay-as-you-feel basis: if anyone can’t otherwise afford to eat out, they can contribute whatever they are able for their meal. The cafes are also open to those who can afford to give more, as cafe manager Ian Booth told the Stray Ferret:

“Often, people don’t come because they think it’s just for people who are struggling. We’re absolutely dependent on people who can afford to give generously.

“At the same time, it’s great when people come who can’t afford to, knowing that someone who is struggling has had a good hot meal.”

As Ian begins to look towards retirement, Resurrected Bites is recruiting cafe managers for both the new Killinghall cafe and the West Park cafe. Ian knows just what a privilege the roles will offer:

“I always think one of the best things about my job is the people I work with.

“We’re totally reliant on volunteers. The sort of people that volunteer are nice people, kind and caring, thinking of others.

“I just feel so blessed to have so many nice people to work with.”

To find out more about Resurrected Bites and the paid and voluntary roles it has available, visit its Facebook page.

While the Stray Ferret Christmas Appeal has officially ended, the donation page will remain open over the Christmas period.

Click here to contribute now. Thank you.

No.1: The changing of the Harrogate political landscape

In this article, which is part of a series on the 12 stories in the Harrogate district that shaped 2022, we look at the May elections and the signing of a multi-million pound devolution deal.

From senior councillors being ousted to council chiefs putting pen to paper on a deal which will change the scope of politics in the district forever, the last 12 months proved to be a seismic year for the Harrogate district.

While much of the major change in local government will come in 2023, the past year has been full of landmarks which have paved the way for what is to come.

In May, the electorate voted with their feet and opted to vote out some senior Harrogate councillors.

Among the political casualties were Conservative Cllr Graham Swift, deputy leader of Harrogate Borough Council, who failed in his bid to get a seat on the new North Yorkshire Council.

With the borough council being abolished in four months time, a seat on the new authority would have helped he Tories keep a grip on local power.

But while some were turned down by the public, other seasoned politicians decided the upcoming shake-up of local government was their last stand.

Conservative Graham Swift gave a consolation speech after failing to win a seat on North Yorkshire Council.

Cllr Richard Cooper, Conservative leader of the borough council, decided against standing.

Meanwhile, long-standing county councillor and highways chief, Cllr Don Mackenzie, called time on his political career.

The move was symbolic and suggested changing times for local Conservatives and the political make-up of Harrogate.

Devolution

But while there were gains for the opposition Liberal Democrats locally – some aspects of local governance remained the same.

Conservative Cllr Carl Les was re-elected leader of North Yorkshire County Council unopposed and will go on heading the council into April.

Part of his reasoning for standing was to get over the line a £540 million devolution deal for the county and oversee the biggest shake-up of local government since 1974.

Pictured: Cllr Carl Les, leader of North Yorkshire County Council, Greg Clark MP and Cllr Keith Aspden, leader of City of York Council sign the document.

Cllr Les, who has sat on the authority for 25 years and been leader for seven, was among the political leaders present in York in August when council officials signed on the dotted line with the then levelling up minister, Greg Clark.

The deal has lit a bomb under the political landscape, with an elected mayor and combined authority promised for the coming years.

Along with the abolition of the borough council, it could prove to be pivotal for the future economic prospects of the district.

Cyclists light up Harrogate streets to raise funds in memory of founder

Fifteen cyclists took to the streets of Harrogate in festive style in memory of one of the group’s founders.

Members of Bertie Bikers toured the streets of Harrogate, calling into pubs to collect donations for the British Heart Foundation.

The event was held in memory of group founder Andy Sample, who died unexpectedly earlier this year after suffering a heart attack.

Co-founder Mark Madeley said:

“He was larger than life, a real character who liked a beer and liked a laugh.

“He used to come away if we went on trips. We hadn’t seem him for a while because of covid and things, but we thought he was OK.

“We were all incredibly shocked.”

Mr Sample, who was a grandfather and worked at Bettys and Taylors, helped to set up the group almost two decades ago. As a customer of Prospect Building Supplies in Starbeck, he met employees Mark Gilbert and Gary Johnson.

Mr Madeley, who is Mr Gilbert’s brother-in-law, said the trio began discussing ways of keeping fit as they headed into their 40s, and a cycling group was set up by all four of them.

It has met every Thursday since to tour parts of Harrogate and Knaresborough, often ending at Bertie’s on Knaresborough Road. More friends and colleagues have been added to the numbers over the years.

Read more:

The annual Christmas ride began a few years ago, complete with costumes and decorated bikes, but has never been used to raise money – until now.

More than £750 has been raised already, with donations still rolling in, and Mr Madeley said the group is planning to use the Christmas ride as a fundraiser every year from now on:

“We had loads of cars parping their horns, people walking were waving and cheering, and even cars with windows winding down and the children waving at our Santas.

“We’ve talked about doing it for charity for a number of years. This year, it spurred us into action and in future we’re going to nominate a local charity to support each year.”

To donate to the British Heart Foundation in Mr Sample’s memory, click here. To find out more about Bertie Bikers, click here to email Mr Madeley.

North Yorkshire Council warns of cuts amid £30 million shortfall

The new North Yorkshire Council is set to face a £30 million shortfall in its first year, despite increased funding from government.

Michael Gove, Levelling Up Secretary, unveiled £60 billion worth of funding for councils across the UK on Monday — a 9% increase on last year.

The council is set to receive an additional £22 million from government as part of the announcement.

However, soaring inflation and the impact of the covid pandemic is still set to leave a blackhole in the authority’s finances.

A council press release said the shortfall would be met “by the one-off use of reserves as well as some savings”.

Cllr Carl Les, Conservative leader of the council, said:

“We are faced with the biggest financial pressures which I have witnessed in all of the time I have been a member of the county council since I was elected more than 20 years ago.

“While the extra funding from the government is extremely welcome, it will still not be enough to alleviate the extraordinary challenges which we do need to tackle in the coming financial year.

“The pressure on budgets will be felt across all of the directorates which provide key services for the hundreds of thousands of people who live and work in North Yorkshire.

“However, we are committed to ensuring that we can continue to provide the best possible services to the public in the face of these immense financial challenges.”

The new council, which comes into force on April 1, is set to inherit £18 million in deficits from the seven district authorities which will be abolished, including Harrogate Borough Council.

However, increased costs from inflation and growing demand on council services such as adult social care is expected to add an additional £50 million.

Authority officials estimated that, once government funding, council tax and savings are factored in, the council will have a shortfall of around £30 million.

In order to plug that gap, it is expected that the council will have to dip into its reserves and find savings from streamlined services.

A budget for the upcoming North Yorkshire Council is expected to be set in February.

Stray Ferret Business Awards: Does your business deserve the Sustainable award?

The Stray Ferret Business Awards 2023 are for businesses across all sectors in the Harrogate district.

Over the next few weeks we will reveal what our judging panel is looking for when it comes to each of the 10 categories.

Next up is the Sustainable Business Award, which is sponsored by the York & North Yorkshire Growth Hub.

This award recognises those businesses that have put sustainability at the top of their agenda.

These businesses are helping drive change and leading the way by reducing their impact on the environment.

Companies looking to enter for the Sustainable Business Award need to provide details of the changes the business has made, the impact the changes have had on the business and wide community with any details of any planned changes.

By giving vital recognition to those who have sustainability at the heart of their business, we hope others will follow their example.

Does your business deserve to win the Sustainable Business Award at the Stray Ferret Business Awards? Entries close on January 16. It’s simple and quick, so enter today!

Click here or the banner below to enter for the Stray Ferret Business Awards, sponsored by Prosperis.

Harrogate set to get town council after 75% back the idea

A proposal to create a town council for Harrogate has received overwhelming backing from people and organisations who responded to an initial consultation.

Harrogate and Scarborough are the only parts of North Yorkshire which do not have a parish or town council.

North Yorkshire County Council said today more than two thirds of residents who responded to public consultations in the two towns were in favour to the idea of creating the new councils.

In Harrogate, 74.7 per cent were in favour of creating a parish council, with 14.5 per cent against, while in Scarborough the figures were 69.9 per cent and 18 per cent.

The recommendation for Harrogate is that a new parish be established for the currently unparished area of the town, and that the new authority be called Harrogate Town Council.

The parish would be divided into divisions, based largely on those that will apply to the new North Yorkshire Council after April 1. A total of 19 members would be elected to the town council.

The town council would be formed for administrative purposes from April 2024, and the first elections would be on May 2, 2024, when councillors would be elected for a reduced term of three years. Elections would then take place every four years from 2027.

Subject to approval by the council’s executive, there will be a further consultation on the draft recommendations between February and April to allow final recommendations to be presented to North Yorkshire Council in the summer.

On April 1 next year, North Yorkshire County Council, Scarborough Borough Council and Harrogate Borough Council, along with the county’s five other district authorities, will be replaced by a new North Yorkshire Council that will deliver all local services.

A central pledge in the case for this change was that town and parish councils would be enabled to take on greater responsibilities if they want to and can make a successful business case.

As centres of population without parish councils, residents of unparished parts of Scarborough and Harrogate were invited in summer to give their views on whether they wanted to create a council.

North Yorkshire County Council’s executive member for corporate services, Cllr David Chance, said:

“Parish and town councils have a vital role in representing their communities. That local voice is essential in understanding the issues facing a community at a local level and the needs of the people within that community.

“Although the new North Yorkshire Council will cover a large, diverse geographical area, it aims to be the most local in the country. We have made a clear commitment to work with town and parish councils, as well as other partners, to support and empower communities to drive local action and local priorities.

“Therefore, I am pleased that such a strong majority of respondents in both the Harrogate and Scarborough areas recognise the benefits of seizing this opportunity.”

Harrogate district’s garden waste collection to remain county’s most expensive

The cost of garden waste collection in the Harrogate district looks set to rise to £43.50 next year.

The service currently costs £41 a year, which is £15 a year more than people in Richmondhsire pay and is also higher than charges in the other five districts. Selby’s is free.

Harrogate Borough Council, which is currently responsible for the service, will be abolished on April 1.

North Yorkshire county councillors, who will transfer to the new single unitary authority North Yorkshire Council on the same date, look set to agree a six per cent increase in the cost of the service.

It would mean Harrogate district households that choose to pay for the service will see the charge increase by £2.50. Hambleton households will pay the next highest at £40, followed by Scarborough and Ryedale at £38, Craven at £36 and Richmondshire at £25.

The service is currently free in Selby.

Garden waste is a discretionary service, which councils are not legally required to provide.

North Yorkshire County Council’s executive member for business and economic development, Cllr Derek Bastiman, whose portfolio includes the management of waste disposal, said the service would be fairer because currently households in some districts that didn’t use the service subsidised those who did.

He said:

“This is a service people choose to opt into and it is important that we are clear on the need for it to pay for itself, alongside our commitment to continue to provide it to those residents who would like to receive it.

“There are real benefits to the service, including the environmental benefits of recycling garden waste and the convenience of not having to take your own garden waste to a recycling centre. It may well be cheaper than paying the fuel to get there, too.”

North Yorkshire County Council’s executive members will be asked to agree the new rate when members meet on January 10.

Harrogate hospital nurses to go on strike next month

Nurses at Harrogate District Hospital and Ripon Community Hospital will go on strike next month as part of a national walkout.

The Royal College of Nursing today announced further industrial action on January 18 and 19.

It comes shortly after nurses walked out at hospitals across England for two days this month in a dispute over pay and conditions.

Locally, staff at Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust took strike action on December 15 and 20 — but Harrogate did not take part.

This time, however, nurses at Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust will walk out as the RCN looks to escalate industrial action.

Pat Cullen, RCN general secretary and chief executive, said:

“The government had the opportunity to end this dispute before Christmas but instead they have chosen to push nursing staff out into the cold again in January.

“I do not wish to prolong this dispute, but the Prime Minister has left us with no choice.”

The Stray Ferret has approached the trust for a response to the announcement.

Harrogate hospital

However, previously managers at Harrogate hospital pledged to minimise the disruption caused by the walkouts and urged patients to continue to come forward for care.

A Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust spokesperson said:

“While pay is a matter for government and the trade unions, we value our staff and want to see a resolution as soon as possible to ensure we can continue to focus on delivering world class patient care to all those who need it.

“We understand the importance of good pay and conditions for individuals and their families, as well as wider NHS staff retention and recruitment.

“We are working to ensure there is minimal disruption to patient care and that emergency services continue to operate as normal should any strike action take place, and have tried and tested plans in place to manage any disruption.

“We are committed to keeping disruption to services to a minimum, and any members of the public that need care should continue to come forward as normal.

“If you have an appointment or operation that is scheduled on a proposed strike day we would kindly ask you to be patient and we will notify you as soon as possible if strike action at HDFT is confirmed and your treatment will be affected.”

The walkouts are set to become the latest to hit the Harrogate district.

Rail and postal workers staged action this month, which has affected travel and deliveries over Christmas.

Meanwhile, Yorkshire Ambulance Service set up a picket line on Lancaster Park Road as staff staged a 24 hour strike yesterday.

Still no decision on future of Woodfield school site

A decision has still not been taken on the future use of the Woodfield Community Primary School site.

The school in Bilton will officially close on December 31 but has been empty for some time.

There has been no event to mark the closure, unlike Kell Bank Primary School near Masham, which organised several activities celebrating its history when its doors closed for the final time last year.

North Yorkshire County Council, the local education authority, said in a statement in October:

“The county council will be exploring whether there are alternative educational uses for the school buildings. There are controls around the reuse or redevelopment of school sites, and any alternative uses that are proposed will be the subject of consultation.”

The county council-owned site also houses Bilton and Woodfield Community Library, Harrogate Bilton Children and Family Hub and Oak Beck House, which remain open.

After Woodfield school’s final term ended, the Stray Ferret asked the council for an update on its plans for the site.

A council spokeswoman said:

“There is no update from our last statements. We are still in discussions about the future use of the site.”