Local Harrogate News & Views around the district - Page 581 of 1042

Traffic and Travel Alert: Roadworks and train cancellations in Harrogate district

Roadworks in Harrogate could cause disruption for motorists during rush hour this morning.

Here is your Stray Ferret traffic update.

Roads

Drivers should take care this morning as planned roadworks are in place in Harrogate.

Wetherby Road outside the Leon drive-thru has one lane partly reopen following resurfacing work.

The work caused major disruption yesterday as queues tailed back to the Empress roundabout and along Skipton Road.

Motorists should allow extra time for usual traffic during rush hour on both Wetherby Road and Skipton Road this morning.

Meanwhile, further works are due to start on Westmoreland Street and Dragon Parade which may cause disruption as CityFibre undertake maintenance work.

Trains and buses

LNER has cancelled its 7.33am service from London Kings Cross to Harrogate due to train repairs.

Passengers for Harrogate have been advised to use the 8.03am service to Leeds and change to the next available Northern service.

Northern services between Harrogate and Knaresborough going to York and Leeds are scheduled to run as normal this morning.

Meanwhile, the Harrogate Bus Company is reporting a cancellation on the 7 bus from Leeds to Harrogate,

You can find out more information on the service disruption here.

Tributes paid across Harrogate district for Harry Gration

People across the Harrogate district have been paying tribute to Yorkshire broadcasting legend Harry Gration, who died suddenly on Friday.

Helen Mackenzie won Harry’s Heroes last year — a Stray Ferret competition in partnership with Harrogate Spring Water and Harry to find the people in the district doing exceptional things to help others in the community.

Helen won for her role in starting Back to Basics in 2019 in Ripon, which gives families ingredients and instructions on how to make meals.

Today she said:

“I was so shocked and saddened to hear of Harry’s sudden passing.

“As Harry’s Heroes last summer I had the pleasure of meeting him in the flesh when he presented my award. It’s so lovely when you finally meet a celebrity and he turns out to be just as nice as he is on the telly.

“I was honoured to be the first Harry’s Hero. I am devastated that I am also the last. Hopefully this wonderful accolade can still be kept alive by Harry’s colleagues in his memory.

“My love and prayers go to his wife and family. Rest in Peace, Harry.”

Helen Mackenzie with Harry and Alex Hutton (centre), who nominated Helen.

Harrogate Spring Water described Harry as a “true gentleman” in a tweet.

We were honoured to have worked with Harry on our Harry’s Heroes campaign. What a true gentleman. RIP Harry. https://t.co/Qat66Km7ne

— HarrogateSpringWater (@HarrogateSpring) June 27, 2022

Sue Cawthray, from elderly care charity Harrogate Neighbours sent us this message:

“Together with Yorkshire, I am still in shock at such sad news. Can’t believe I was only sat listening to him last Saturday 18 June at the Harrogate Brigantes Rotary Dinner. So funny, entertaining and interesting. Always a supporter of local charities.

“Lovely memory of a news story we did with him on our meals service at Harrogate Neighbours. Was a pleasure to meet him on several occasions through the work I do as a member of the ICG board.”

Artist Caryl Hallett designed the stained glass monument in Harrogate’s Montpellier district that was commissioned by Harrogate Borough Council to celebrate the town hosting the Tour De France Grand Depart. Harry came along to support when it was unveiled.

Caryl’s husband, Shaun Hallett, said:

“He was interested, inquisitive, friendly, helpful, and charming.

“Hopefully, Caryl’s piece will be enjoyed by many for years to come and will help to represent a legacy that has been steadily building in terms of local cycling participation.

“There can be no doubt that Harry’s legacy as a journalist, presenter, and reporter of the very highest quality is firmly cemented in the hearts and minds of Yorkshire people. “

Caryl Hallett with Harry in 2014

Ripon auctioneer recruits new painting and sculpture specialist

Business Breakfast is sponsored by Harrogate law firm Truth Legal.

New expert joins Elstob & Elstob

Rohan McCulloch has joined Ripon based Elstob & Elstob as the auctioneer’s paintings and sculpture specialist.

Mr McCulloch has more than 15 years’ experience at Sotheby’s, Bonham’s and Lyon & Turnbull. He is passionate about paintings, drawings and sculpture and has a particular interest in British and European art, Old Masters and portraits.

Educated at Newcastle University, where he studied archaeology, Mr McCulloch has built up a large following of private collectors, top art dealers and corporate curators who both buy and sell art.

He is also well known for finding ‘sleepers’ – undervalued works of art which have been misattributed in the past.

Speaking about his new role, Mr McCulloch said:

“I am very much looking forward to sharing the whole process with clients – from valuing, advising and selling. It’s such as huge pleasure to tell people about their objects and their histories.

“I have great admiration for Elstob & Elstob and have been aware of the strides it has been making within the auctioneering world – so it is fantastic to be joining David and his talented team. It will be a privilege to put together exciting and varied consignments for each auction.”

Windsor House refurbishment

A Harrogate office building has completed the first phase of an extensive refurbishment.

Windsor House was originally home to the Grand Hotel in the 1900s, then converted into offices in the 1980s.

It is one of the largest office buildings in Harrogate, comprising of circa 75,000 sq ft of flexible workspace and is home to over 115 local, national and international businesses.

Recent refurbishment work on the reception area has been done by Construction North Group Ltd.

The second phase of the work will start soon on the original Palm Court.

Karen Winspear, from Boultbee Brooks said:

“This new look helps give everyone who enters Windsor House a bright, inviting welcome – while preserving the timeless heritage of the building.

“Quality spaces are vital to our wellbeing and collaboration at work. This new renovation encourages our tenants to relax, connect and enjoy our refreshed open areas.

“There is a great community inside Windsor House, and we want to give something back to all of the companies who choose to work here by providing an enjoyable, well-designed, modern environment.”

An image of the newly refurbished reception area at Windsor House

Woman charged with attempted murder in Harrogate

A woman in her 40s has been charged with attempted murder in Harrogate.

Clare Bailey was due to appear at York Magistrates Court today.

A man, also in his 40s, has been bailed after being arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder.

The two people were arrested on Friday after an incident on Byland Road in Bilton on Thursday.

A woman was taken to hospital with what police described as ‘substantial injuries’.

Forensic officers were called to the scene after the incident.

Today’s update by North Yorkshire Police said the man has been bailed while the investigation continues.

Harrogate District Hospital sees rise in covid cases

Harrogate District Hospital has seen a rise in covid case this past month due to the spread of new variants.

The hospital currently has 11 patients who have tested positive for covid.

However, none of those patients are primarily in hospital for treatment for the virus.

It comes as the Harrogate district has seen a rise in cases due to the spread of the more transmissible Omicron variant.

At the end of May, the district’s rate of infection was 55 people per 100,000. It is now 172.

A spokesperson for Harrogate District Hospital said:

“There has been a rise in covid cases at Harrogate District Hospital over the last month as numbers rise in the community due to the new covid variants. This is a trend which is being seen across the country.

“We currently have 11 patients at Harrogate District Hospital who have tested positive for covid and none of these are primarily in hospital for treatment for covid.

“The trust continues to manage covid patients in line with national guidance. Patients with covid are cared for in specific areas of the hospital to minimise transmission and in these areas more strict PPE is in use.”

Last week, public health officials in North Yorkshire urged people to take measures to avoid covid after the rate surged.

Dr Victoria Turner, public health consultant at North Yorkshire County Council, said:

“Cases of covid are once again rising across the UK, including in North Yorkshire.

“The latest increase is being driven by the BA.4 and BA.5 sub-variants of Omicron, which has also caused high rates in other countries across the world.

“There is evidence that BA.4 and BA.5 are more transmissible than previous variants, and there is limited protection from infection with previous variants against BA.4 and BA.5.”

Dr Turner added that getting vaccinated, meeting outdoors or in well-ventilated areas indoors, wearing face coverings in enclosed spaces, and good hand and respiratory hygiene would reduce the risk of transmission.

She also advised people with covid symptoms to try to stay at home for five days following the day of their positive result.

Harrogate murder suspect claims he feared for his own life after ‘brutal’ assault

A man on trial for murder claimed his friend violently killed Gracijus Balciauskas after a drunken game of chess turned ugly — and then threatened to do the same to him if he dialled 999 for help.

Jaroslaw Rutowicz, 39, and Vitalijus Koreiva, 36, are accused of murdering Mr Balciauskas at a flat on Mayfield Grove in Harrogate on December 20 last year.

The trial at Leeds Crown Court began last week with the prosecution giving evidence. The court heard how Mr Balciauskas’s body was found wrapped in a rug and CCTV footage was shown of the three men buying alcohol in the hours leading up to his death.

Mr Rutowicz took the stand today to begin his defence.

Speaking through a translator, the Polish national said he came to the UK in 2004 and worked as a bricklayer.

After moving to Harrogate in 2019, he developed a friendship with Mr Koreiva and Mr Balciauskas through work.

The three men ended up living together at 6 Mayfield Grove. Mr Rutowicz described Mr Balciauskas as a “brother” and said they would meet in the evenings after work to drink and talk about their future plans.

‘Brutal’ assault

The drinking session that ultimately led to Mr Balciauskas’ death began on December 19. Mr Rutowicz said tensions flared after Mr Koreiva shaved off some of Mr Balciauskas’s hair as a practical joke whilst he was sleeping.

Mr Rutowicz said in the early hours of the next morning the three men ran out of alcohol so Mr Koreiva and Mr Rutowicz took a taxi to Pannal’s BP petrol station to buy more.

They returned to Mayfield Grove at around 5am when Mr Balciauskas challenged the two men to a game of chess, which they often enjoyed playing together while drinking.

Mr Rutowicz said Mr Koreiva erupted in anger during his game with Mr Balciauskas and described the ensuing beating of Mr Balciauskas by Mr Koreiva as “brutal”.

He said:

“Vitalijus was shouting more than Gracijus. At one point Vitalijus got up and threw Gracijus onto the floor from the stool. He started to beat him with his fist and with the heel of his foot.”

Mr Rutowicz then filmed a bloodied and bruised Mr Balciauskas with his mobile phone. He claimed this was to stop the fight and provide evidence that he was not involved in case it was later needed by police.

He said:

“I then decided to start filming. It was brutal. I wanted to use that in order to stop the fight. I approached and started to pull Gracijus away. Vitalijus was beating him and kicking him.”

‘If you call the police, I will kill you’

After the assault, Mr Rutowicz said Mr Balciauskas was still alive but fading out of consciousness.

He said he wanted to call 999 but was stopped by Mr Koreiva who said he would kill him if he did.

Mr Rutowicz said:

“He started to threaten me. Gracijus was lying on the floor. I could hear him saying something. I was afraid to approach because Vitalijus told me to stay away or he would kill me.

“At a certain point, Gracijus’s head was drooping. I approached to film him and recorded what he was saying to me.

“I had my phone in my hand and turned towards Vitalijus. I said I was going to call the police. He raised his fist to me and said if you call the police or ambulance, I will kill you.

“That terrified me. I felt fear as if my body was paralysed by it.”

Mr Rutowicz said he and Mr Balciauskas “loved each other like brothers” and maintained that he did not strike or kick him during the assault.

He then went to check his pulse, which was faint. He said:

“Gracijus whispered to me, ‘it hurts’

“I said to him, “brother, everything will be fine, hang in there.”

“He knew I wanted to help him, he said ‘thank you’.”

Mr Rutowicz, who was tearful in court, described the moments after Mr Balciauskas died.

“It was a shock to me. I had lost my brother. I turned my head towards Vitalijus and said, ‘You’ve killed Gracijus. Gracijus is dead.’

“I said, ‘If I had called the ambulance when I wanted to, he would still be alive’.

“But I was threatened. It was a complete nervous breakdown for me. Vitalijus sat and looked at what I was doing. I simply got up feeling broken and sat down on the bed.”

‘Total shock’

With Mr Balciauskas now dead in the flat, Mr Rutowisz claimed Mr Koreiva wanted to cover up the crime and suggested wrapping his body up in a rug before burying him. Mr Rutowisz told the court:

“He said, ‘Shut your trap. I was in prison for four years. I will not go back’.”

Mr Rutowisz claimed he was in fear for his life after Mr Koreiva ordered him to go to Asda on Bower Road to buy more whiskey and cigarettes. He said he would “find him and kill him” if he did not return to Mayfield Grove.

He said the reason he returned to the flat and didn’t call 999 was due to fear.

“Never before had I the feeling that someone could kill me. There was a second feeling of realising that my brother was dead. Those two feelings caused total shock in me and a breakdown.”

After Mr Koreiva fell asleep later that evening, Mr Rutowisz went back to Asda at around 11pm.

He called family members in Poland to tell them what had happened before calling 999 to say there was a dead body at the flat.

He strongly denied telling an Asda employee that he confessed to murdering Mr Balciauskas.

The trial is expected to last until the end of this week.

Harrogate girl, 13, admits drunken attack on police officers

A 13-year-old girl from Harrogate has pleaded guilty to being drunk in public and attacking three police officers.

The girl, who who cannot be named for legal reasons, was referred to North Yorkshire Youth Justice Service for seven months.

The organisation provides a range of services to reduce crime and help young people stay out of trouble.

North Yorkshire Youth Court, sitting in Harrogate on Friday, heard that the girl was drunk and disorderly in Ripon Market Place on March 24.

She assaulted two police officers there and another one at Harrogate police station on the same day.

The girl pleaded guilty to all the charges as well as to a separate public order offence in Harrogate on April 3.

Calls for action over ‘overwhelmed’ North Yorkshire children’s mental health services

Children’s community mental health services need a root and branch review, officials in North Yorkshire have said.

North Yorkshire County Council’s director of children and young people’s services Stuart Carlton, said ongoing concerns over a lack of available support had been highlighted to the Department for Education.

It comes amid concerns the strategy to deal with a post-pandemic surge in youngsters requiring support is grossly inadequate.

Mr Carlton said increasing the amount of help for children with mental health issues ranked alongside child exploitation and online safety as the most significant challenges his colleagues were facing.

He was speaking at a meeting of the authority’s children and young people’s scrutiny committee a year after the NHS announced it was rapidly expanding children’s mental health services to offer support teams in schools to almost three million pupils by 2023.

At the time, the NHS said by intervening in mental health issues early it was hoped to prevent problems escalating into serious concerns.

Earlier this year the committee heard mental health services for children in the county and elsewhere were struggling to cope with an “exponential growth in demand” due to the isolation and upheaval of the pandemic, compounded by factors like pressure experienced by children on social media platforms.

In February, Tees Esk and Wear Valley NHS Trust bosses told the scrutiny meeting its community-based mental health team (CAMHS) was treating more than 2,500 children across the county.

They said referrals to its services for issues such as eating disorders had risen from about 100 a month at start of pandemic to more than 300 a month during 2021.

18-month waiting list

Four months on, a youth support worker told the committee the waiting list for CAMHS had risen to 18 months, which was not a sufficiently timely reaction to what children needed.

She said:

“The biggest challenge we face on the ground is mental health. I cannot overestimate how challenging it is. Pretty much all the young people we work with have some element of mental ill health.”

When asked about a timeframe for getting mental health support teams into schools, Mr Carlton said the authority had told government officials the scheme was too being implemented too slowly and the ambition needed to be to get mental health teams available for all schools.

He added:

“I just don’t see how that’s going to happen. I have called nationally for a fundamental CAMHS review because it is not working. It needs significant funding and significant review and enacting clearly across the whole of the country.”

Mr Carlton said the authority was providing support to schools through mental heath training while working with North Yorkshire NHS bosses to reassess what was needed from the service and how it could be modernised.

He said there had been promising collaborative work with the NHS, but financing extra support for children would be “very challenging”.

Mr Carlton said:

“We can see through the pandemic increased demand. The services are probably feeling a bit overwhelmed and overstretched and it’s an area of absolute focus.

“Any interaction with a child from a professional is a mental health opportunity. However, we need enough capacity for specialist support when it is required.”

Four-mile queues as traffic chaos descends on Harrogate

Motorists are enduring misery on the roads in Harrogate today, with long delays on three of the main routes around town.

Wetherby Road, Skipton Road and Ripon Road have all been affected by incidents, bringing traffic to a standstill on the northern side of Harrogate.

Resurfacing outside the yet-to-open Leon drive-through close to the Woodlands junction is causing long delays in both directions on Wetherby Road and Hookstone Drive.

Resurfacing outside Leon

Traffic heading towards the Kestrel roundabout is backing up all the way from Leon to the Empress roundabout and all along Skipton Road to New Park roundabout – a distance of almost four miles.

The four-way traffic lights at the Woodlands junction, near the Leon site, brought tailbacks to Hornbeam Park.

Many vehicles were turning around in attempts to avoid the queues.

The fallen traffic lights.

The central reservation damaged by the traffic lights.

The situation was made worse this morning when a traffic light at the junction of Skipton Road and King’s Road, near Bilton Working Men’s Club, came crashing down.

That has now been removed but traffic was still queueing for miles in all directions when the Stray Ferret cycled around town at about midday today.

Queueing on Skipton Road

Motorists trying to avoid the delays on Skipton Road by heading into town on Ripon Road were hit by further roadworks outside Cygnet Hospital.

Roadworks on Ripon Road is adding to delays.

Review finds Harrogate 2019 UCI cycling championships ‘effectively closed’ town centre

A draft review into Harrogate’s controversial hosting of the 2019 UCI Road World Championships has found that there was a perception that the event “effectively closed” the centre of the town for a month.

Members of Harrogate Borough Council’s overview and scrutiny commission are behind the review, which has been published ahead of a meeting on July 4 where it will be considered.

The report found that while there was a place for shorter events which “portray Harrogate and North Yorkshire in a good light, nationally and throughout the world”, residents and businesses considered the road closures for the UCI “unacceptable”.

It also concluded that “in future greater priority should be given to serving the needs of those who live, work and create wealth and employment in this great town and district”.

The nine-day cycling event was hailed by organisers as a “once in a lifetime moment” for Harrogate, but was also criticised by businesses and residents in the town who had complaints about disruptions during road closures.

Fifteen recommendations have been made as part of the review, which are aimed at assisting the planning of major events in North Yorkshire in future.

‘Effectively closed’ Harrogate

Conservative Cllr Nick Brown, who chaired the cross-party review, said in a foreword for the report that the review was “wide-ranging” and considered the views of residents, businesses and others.

He said that one conclusion reached by the committee was that there was a “common perception” that the set-up and dismantling of the UCI shut off the town centre to residents.

Cllr Brown said:

“An important conclusion reached was that there was a common perception that the event effectively closed down the centre of Harrogate not just for the nine days of the UCI but for nearly a month including set up and dismantling and this was considered unacceptable to many residents and businesses in the town.”

The UCI World Cycling Championships came to Harrogate in 2019. Credit: Tony Bailey

The review has made a number of recommendations including involving residents in planning events at an “early stage” and including Harrogate Borough Council on the board of large scale events.

Other recommendations include early engagement on large events and hosting short events in the district in order to “minimise disruption for local residents”.

Cllr Brown added:

“The recommendations and an outline of the findings of the review are presented in this summary report and have taken into account the views and evidence from residents and organisations about this major event in Harrogate.

“It is intended that they assist the planning and hosting of major future events in North Yorkshire.”

Separate reviews

The review is separate to an economic impact study carried out by accountancy firm Ernst and Young at a cost of £19,000 to the council.

This study concluded the championships resulted in an economic boost to the local economy of £17.8 million and was watched by a global television audience of 329 million.

It also said 84% of people who came to watch the event were satisfied or very satisfied with it.

However, it did not take into account a reported drop in earnings for some businesses, whose complaints rumbled on long after the event was held.

Based in Harrogate as the host town, the championships were held in the UK for the first time in nearly 40 years after a joint-bid by British Cycling, UK Sport, Welcome to Yorkshire and the government’s sport and culture department.

The event organisers were Yorkshire 2019 – a now-dissolved company which was set up by the government and later contributed £35,500 towards the West Park Stray repair costs.

A further £95,000 was spent on park upgrades by Harrogate Borough Council which spent a total of £606,000 on hosting the event.

The biggest single cost was £200,000 for the fan zone on West Park Stray.

Roads

Trains and buses

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New expert joins Elstob & Elstob

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Windsor House refurbishment

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‘Brutal’ assault

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‘If you call the police, I will kill you’

‘Total shock’

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18-month waiting list

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‘Effectively closed’ Harrogate

Separate reviews

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