Harrogate district braced for rail and postal strikes

The Harrogate district is set to be affected by rail and postal strikes this week.

No trains will run through Harrogate and Knaresborough to Leeds and York on Saturday due to a walk-out by members of the Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen as part of a dispute over pay and conditions.

Northern, which operates local services between Leeds and York, has urged passengers not to travel as no rail replacement services will be operated.

The company said:

“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.”

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LNER, which operates trains from Harrogate to London King’s Cross, has urged passengers to check services before they travel.

The company is set to operate a limited timetable on Saturday when strike action is being held.

Mick Whelan, general secretary of the ASLEF, said staging a walkout was a “last resort” for the union.

Further strikes are planned after the RMT union announced today it planned four 48-hour strikes on December 13-14 and 16-17 and January 3-4 and 6-7.

Postal strike

The Communication Workers Union has notified Royal Mail they plan to call on their members who collect, sort and deliver parcels and letters to take national strike action on Thursday and Friday this week as well as on November 30 and December 1.

Royal Mail said in a statement:

“Royal Mail has well-developed contingency plans, but we cannot fully replace the daily efforts of our frontline workforce.

“We’ll be doing what we can to keep services running, but we are sorry this planned strike action is likely to cause you some disruption.”

International squash tournament to be held in Harrogate

An international squash tournament featuring many of the world’s top players is set to come to Harrogate.

The Harrogate Squash Open 2022 tournament will be held at Harrogate Sports and Fitness Centre, Hookstone Wood Road, on December 8.

It forms part of the PSA World Tour and Challenge Tour, which sees competitions held across the world.

The tournament will see an array of international squash players come to the town to compete, including top ranked New Zealand brothers Lwamba and Temwa Chileshe.

Local player Josh Rowley will also compete as a wildcard.

The event is free to attend and the final will be held on December 11.

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Harrogate Sports and Fitness Centre, which had to pay about £5,000 to host the event, is a hub for squash, attracting many top players and coaches, including former world champion and Commonwealth Games gold medallist James Willstrop.

The club has increased membership from fewer than 300 to more than 1,000 in recent years, helped by the new padel tennis courts.

James Gaston, general manager of the club, said:

“We’ve been growing for the last five or six years and are trying to reach out to people and show we are a hotbed for squash.”

For more information on the tournament, visit the PSA World Tour website here.

Luxury Harrogate food hall opens pop-up shop in Leeds

Harrogate food hall Weetons has launched a Christmas pop-up shop in Leeds city centre.

The store, in shopping centre Victoria Leeds, is filled with Yorkshire produce from across the region, alongside Weetons’ own private label range, including coffee, chutneys and gin.

Situated in Victoria Gate, the Weetons team said the location was a natural partner, sharing “an ethos of providing luxury, high-quality produce”.

Rob Coutts, managing director at Weetons, said:

“We are pleased to announce that our Leeds city centre pop-up shop is now open. It showcases our extremely popular hampers and gifts range, perfect when looking for the ‘hard to buy for’.

“Whether you want to fill your own hamper, and have it packed by one of the team, pre-order a gift delivery, or just select a few of your favourite bits to take away on the day, we’ve got everything you need.”

Jo Coburn, senior general manager at Victoria Leeds, said:

“We are delighted to welcome one of Yorkshire’s most treasured brands, Weetons, to Victoria Leeds.

“The new pop-up store in Victoria Gate is a fantastic addition to our collection of premium brands and lands with perfect timing for all those gift ideas during the exciting Christmas season.”

The Weetons pop-up will be aopen until Christmas.

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Controversial plan for 35 homes in Crimple Valley rejected

A controversial plan to build 35 homes in Harrogate’s Crimple Valley has been refused.

The application by Square Feet Ltd and Antela Developments Ltd would have seen homes built at Almsford Bank Stables on Leeds Road.

It included plans for 14 affordable homes, seven first homes and 14 self or custom build plots.

The proposal was objected to by residents, who described it as “ludicrous” and unsafe.

A total of 247 letters of objection were submitted to Harrogate Borough Council against the scheme.

The council rejected the development on the grounds that the site was not allocated for housing under the Harrogate district Local Plan 2014-35, which outlines where development can take place, and “would result in harm to the character and appearance of its surroundings”.

It said in its reasons for refusal:

“The proposed development would result in harm to the character and appearance of its surroundings, including the Crimple Valley Special Landscape Area, through the loss of open fields and woodland and the introduction of unacceptable and incongruous (sub)urban development into an area of high landscape value, important to the setting of Harrogate and the grade II* listed Crimple Valley viaduct.”

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The application was the third for the site since 2018, when plans for 65 homes were put forward but withdrawn. 

The following year, a reduced proposal of 35 homes was submitted, but again withdrawn in the face of extensive objections.

Campaign group Save Crimple Valley urged the public to submit objections to the new proposal.

Among them was Judith Hooper, who told the council that the site was unsafe for such a housing scheme.

She said:

“In the time we have been resident in Harrogate there have been numerous car accidents on Almsford bank, the most recent very serious one being only a few weeks ago.

“Cars accelerate down the bank on reaching the 50mph sign and already have to contend with traffic coming out of Crimple Hall.

“Putting access at the bottom of such a busy section of road, on a bend, seems to invite accidents. At night there are many cars clearly speeding on this stretch. At busy periods traffic is queuing both up and down the hill.”

Business rates to reduce for majority of Harrogate firms, says BID

A Harrogate business organisation has said a new business rates valuation will see the majority of local firms pay less.

Following a government review, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt decided to progress with new valuations of properties as part of his autumn statement.

An online service is available to show firms whether their rates will increase from April 1, 2023.

Sara Ferguson, chair of the Harrogate Business Improvement District, said she welcomed the review by government.

She added that while some businesses will see their rateable value rise, they will still receive support from government.

Ms Ferguson said:

“For a number of years, Harrogate BID has been asking the government to review business rates, and I’m really pleased this has now happened.

“Looking at the website, it appears that the majority of the business have seen their business rates reduced, which will be a relief to many, particularly with the rise in fuel, raw materials and energy costs.

“And for those that have seen their rate rise, those at the lower end of the scale will still benefit from rate relief, with plenty of small business not paying anything at all.”

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Last week, Mr Hunt announced £13.6 billion worth of business rates relief targeted at businesses that may see their rates increase.

Mr Hunt said the move would help to “soften the blow” for businesses with new valuations.

Business owners can check their valuations on the government website here.

Criminals in North Yorkshire could make written apologies to victims

Criminals could be asked to make written apologies to victims under new plans for policing in North Yorkshire.

North Yorkshire Police Fire and Crime Commissioner Zoë Metcalfe is consulting on a community remedy document.

Each local policing body must have a community remedy document for its area that is informed by consultation.

The document includes options for dealing with less serious crime and anti-social behaviour.

The options being considered in North Yorkshire include asking criminals to make verbal or written apologies or to sign acceptable behaviour contracts in which they pledge to change their behaviour.

Victims of crime, such as street drinking, littering, noise, animal problems, vehicle nuisance or trespass, will be able to discuss the finalised community remedy options with a police officer and provide their preferred course of action for the officer to consider.

Ms Metcalfe today opened a consultation on plans jointly drawn up with North Yorkshire Police.

The options people are asked to comment on are:

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The community remedy process aims to support victims by giving them reassurance that their offender is remorseful. The aim is to promote public confidence in the out-of-court disposal process.

This is a method for avoiding court proceedings and criminal charges when an offender is known and admits the offence.

Causes ‘misery’

Ms Metcalfe said:

“Anti-social behavioural problems can cause misery in communities, and I want members of the public to feel empowered by the community remedy, in that they have a say in the best way to prevent re-offending and feel reassured by the actions taken by the police.

“Please complete the short survey to inform my decision on the final options.”

Lisa Winward, Chief Constable of North Yorkshire Police, said:

“The community remedy will provide victims of low level crime and anti-social behaviour with a greater say in how an offender is held to account for their actions.

“We know that crimes and behaviour of this kind can take their toll on individuals and communities and I welcome the commissioner’s survey to better understand the menu of remedial options that communities feel best fit the crime.”

To take part in the seven-week survey, which closes on January 10, click here.

Council awarded £2m to tackle bed blocking in North Yorkshire

North Yorkshire County Council has been awarded £2 million to tackle bed blocking in hospitals.

The Department of Health and Social Care announced a £500 million fund to help speed up the discharge of patients across the country.

The county council, which is responsible for adult care, has been granted a total of £2,019,667 of this to increase its social care workforce and increase capacity to take on more patients from hospital.

Two months ago  Jonathan Coulter, chief executive of Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust, said the problem of patients staying in hospital longer than they should because of a lack of private care services was the “biggest issue” the trust faced.

The government said local authorities and health trusts will be free to spend the money on initiatives which have the “greatest impact in their area on reducing discharges into social care”.

Helen Whately, Minister of State for Care, said:

“People should be cared for in the best place for them, but discharge delays mean patients are spending too long in hospital.

“Our discharge fund will get more people cared for in the right place at the right time. We’re asking hospitals and the social care system to work together to help patients and carers too, who often take on a lot of the burden of caring when someone leaves hospital.

“The discharge fund will boost the social care workforce and in turn reduce pressures on the NHS and hospital staff, as it frees up beds and helps improve ambulance handover delays.”

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Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust has already sought to introduce a home care service to free up beds.

A spokesperson for the trust said previously:

“Currently, bed occupancy at our hospitals is around 90%. Due to the increased number of planned operations that are being performed we have more patients occupying beds following their surgery.

“However, bed occupancy is also impacted by patients who no longer require hospital care, but are unable to be discharged as they do not have a suitable location where they can continue their recovery, such as a residential care home, or appropriate home care to support them in their own homes.”

Business Breakfast: Future of farming in spotlight at Harrogate event

Business Breakfast is sponsored by Harrogate law firm Truth Legal.

The future of the farming sector will be under the spotlight at a meeting in Harrogate next week.

Held at the Pavilions of Harrogate, the Future Farmers of Yorkshire’s autumn debate will see industry leaders discuss how the sector can cope with current levels of inflation.

Among the speakers will be Mark Berrisford-Smith, head of economics at HSBC UK’s commercial banking business.

Mr Berrisford-Smith said current inflation levels were having an impact on the agricultural sector.

He said:

“The war in Ukraine has unleashed twin inflationary shocks in the form of higher food and energy prices. For farmers in the UK, annual input price inflation is now running at 30%, while output price inflation stands at 21%. 

“Although many businesses have been able to absorb higher costs thanks to better prices, this is not universally the case. Prices for some cereal products are up by more than 50% compared with a year earlier, while poultry and lamb prices have hardly increased at all.” 

The meeting will also hear from Great Yorkshire Show director Charles Mills, Farmers Weekly young farmer of the year Matthew Nichols and Andrew Hardcastle, director of Hardcastle Rural Surveyors. 

Future Farmers of Yorkshire management board member Isobel Eames will chair the panel.

The event will be held on Thursday, December 1. Those interested in attending can register at the Yorkshire Agricultural Society website here.

Yorkshire business urged to sign climate pledge

Business across Yorkshire are being urged to sign a pledge to tackle climate change.

Yorkshire and Humber Climate Commission, an independent body set up to support and guide the region’s organisations, launched its Climate Action Pledge this past week.

It is the first regional pledge of its kind in the UK to require businesses and organisations to make a commitment across four areas of action: becoming climate resilient; reducing carbon emissions; enhancing nature and biodiversity; and promoting a just transition.

Liz Barber, chair of Yorkshire and Humber Climate Commission, said:

“With COP27 in Egypt putting a global focus on climate action, it’s the perfect time for us to seize the initiative as a region and show how businesses and organisations can demonstrate strong leadership at all levels here in Yorkshire and Humber.

“We are launching a ‘sprint’ of climate action today, and we want to see a year of progress that puts us on the road to net zero, improves our fantastic natural assets, helps us build our resilience to climate impacts, and does this in a way that leaves no-one or nowhere behind.”

Businesses and organisations of all kinds in Yorkshire and Humber are encouraged to sign the pledge here.

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Oliver Bonas set to open in Harrogate this week

Harrogate’s upmarket James Street is set to get a new addition this week with the opening of an Oliver Bonas shop.

The fashion and lifestyle brand has been refurbishing the spacious 3,700-square foot unit formerly used as a discount store.

Next also previously rented the site.

The doors were previously expected to open in September but renovations have been ongoing.

However, sources have indicated Oliver Bonas is finally due to open on Thursday.

The company, which has 85 stores in the UK, is advertising for team members at £9.75 an hour on its website.

The opening will strengthen James Street’s claim to be Harrogate’s premier destination for luxury goods.

Pret A Manger, Ebru Evrim and Carl Scarpa have all joined the street recently and Hotel Chocolat has upsized to larger premises.

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Tom Limbert, director of property consultants, Central Retail, which acted for property owners Countrylarge, previously said James Street had been “reinvigorated”, adding:

“Oliver Bonas will be a great addition to the existing tenant line up on James Street which truly is one of the best high streets in the north of England.”

North Yorkshire transport boss warns bus network faces ‘really grave situation’

North Yorkshire County Council’s transport boss has issued the stark warning that the county’s bus network is “facing a really grave situation”.

Councillor Keane Duncan, executive member for highways and transportation, made his remarks after a meeting where members representing communities across North Yorkshire heard many commerically-run services were in peril or being downgraded.

Seven months ago the government rejected North Yorkshire County Council’s bid for a £116m share of Boris Johnson’s high-profile Bus Back Better initiative, saying the local authority’s plans lacked ambition.

The council has been trialling Yorbus, a demand-responsive transport scheme around Ripon and Masham in the hope of finding a sustainable public transport solution for rural areas. It is yet to announce any alternative public transport proposals to its rejected plans.

A meeting of the authority heard opposition members highlight the importance of public transport as a means of cutting carbon emissions and question the authority’s intentions over investing in the area.

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Liberal Democrat councillor for Pateley Bridge, Andrew Murday, said residents of his division faced having just two services a day to Harrogate.

He said:

“We just have to do something about bus services, and encourage more people onto buses. We need to know how we are going to go about discouraging people from driving and encouraging people on to buses, so bus services can thrive.”

The meeting heard a call from Scarborough Labour councillor Tony Randerson for a “nationalised bus service”.

Cllr Duncan responded saying bus services in the county were facing unprecedented pressure due to higher costs and passenger numbers had fallen to just 80 per cent of pre-covid levels.

He said:

“For many of the routes that represents the difference between profitability and not profitable services.

“It is important to point out that the bus network is North Yorkshire is facing a really grave situation. I think unprecedented pressure as a result of reduced passenger numbers, as a result of higher costs.”

He added: “The message across the county is use it or lose it. We need people to support these services.”

He said the authority subsidised routes to the tune of £1.6m annually, but the situation in the county would “outstrip that many times over”, adding:

“That subsidy is not at a level that which we would be able to support those 79 routes, so it is a very grave situation.”

He added:

“Creating a nationalised service would not solve those fundamental issues if those operators are not there to deliver those services.”

“There may be is more that we could do to become more interventionist in terms of the bus network, but at the moment the backbone of the county’s bus service is the commercial operators.”