Local Harrogate News & Views around the district - Page 582 of 1213

Harrogate council looks to protect ‘darkest skies in the country’ from light pollution

Harrogate Borough Council wants to introduce stricter light pollution rules to ensure Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty remains home to some of the darkest skies in the country.

Astronomers commissioned by Nidderdale AONB in spring last year found the night skies in the north west of the area, including Upper Nidderdale and moorland near Masham, are some of the least affected by light pollution in England.

Countryside charity CPRE says clear dark skies reduce stress and increase a sense of peace. But in the wildlife-rich Nidderdale AONB, artificial light can also disturb how animals perceive the transition between day and night.

This disrupts their sleep and results in reduced foraging or hunting periods for nocturnal species such as bats.

Light pollution can even affect plants whose flowering is linked to day length.

To help combat the problem, the authority has drawn up a Nidderdale AONB-specific supplementary planning document for its Harrogate district Local Plan 2014-35, which outlines where development can occur.

If approved by Conservative cabinet member for planning Tim Myatt today, the document will go out for public consultation.

It says light pollution from farm and commercial buildings is “the most obvious source” of light pollution in the darkest zone of the AONB.

It adds that all new outside lights in this zone should comply with the latest design standards and be fully shielded and include a lighting plan prepared by a lighting professional.

All external lighting should be fitted with a system to ensure lights are automatically switched off when they are not needed.

All external lights should be also positioned so that the light shines downwards.

The document recommends that external lights in the darkest zone, which includes Upper Nidderdale, should only have 500 lumens, which is a measurement of visible light to the human eye.

A council report that accompanies the document says:

“Protecting dark skies is important as light pollution has potential to disrupt wildlife, adversely affect human health and erode tranquillity. Poor lighting choices can also waste energy and contribute to climate change.

“The Nidderdale AONB contains some of the darkest skies in England as well as a diverse range of wildlife and habitats, making it particularly important to ensure that light pollution is reduced in this area.”

Harrogate council paying £25,000 a month on hotels and B&Bs for homeless

Harrogate Borough Council is spending £25,000 a month on temporary hotels and bed and breakfasts for homeless people, a freedom of information request has revealed.

The council, which has a statutory duty to prevent homelessness, is paying individual hotels up to £126 a night because its hostels are full.

The figures highlight how acute and costly the issue of homelessness is in the Harrogate district.

The Stray Ferret submitted a freedom of information request after a well-placed source revealed some of the town’s best-known hotels were being paid to put up homeless people.

The council confirmed at the time it used hotels “as a last resort” but declined to reveal costs.

Following the FoI request it has now released details of the monthly amounts paid to each of the hotel and B&B accounts used to provide temporary accommodation for homeless people in the six months from April to September last year.

The names of the individual establishments have not been released to protect the identity of vulnerable people but the sums for each one range from £30 to £126 a night.

Two hotels each received more than £10,000 from the council in August and one received more than £13,000 in July. Payments are subsidised through housing benefits.

‘No one should ever sleep on the streets’

The Stray Ferret asked the council about the sums and the amount of accommodation it had for homeless people in the district.

A council spokesperson said:

“We believe no one should ever be sleeping on the streets, and should an individual or a family become homeless we have a statutory responsibility to prevent this and several options available.

“This includes working with families, landlords or mortgage providers to help people stay in their homes, provide financial support to cover arrears or identify alternative private rental accommodation.

“Additional to this, when all other options have been exhausted, is our temporary accommodation – including hostels in Harrogate, Ripon and Knaresborough – to ensure residents have somewhere safe to stay and not end up sleeping on the streets.

“If we have no availability in our hostels, or they are not suitable for the individual or family, then we may need to place them in a B&B or a hotel temporarily.

“We use a variety, depending on availability and any specific needs that may be required. For example, to support a family and/or individual with additional needs that may require an accessible room. As such, this will naturally cost more than accommodation for a single adult who requires no additional support.

The spokesperson added:

“The cost of using B&Bs or hotels will understandably vary throughout the year but on average in the last 12 months, it has cost around £25,000 per month and is subsidised through housing benefits.

“During this time, a dedicated housing options officer works with each household, alongside partner organisations, to ensure the correct support is provided. This includes health and well-being support, budget advice and independent living skills.

“This is a short-term arrangement until either a vacancy within our hostel accommodation becomes available or a more permanent housing solution is found.

“We are committed to providing decent and quality homes for everyone in the Harrogate district. To achieve this, we have a number of plans in place; such as requiring developers to provide a specific amount of affordable housing (40 per cent or 30 per cent depending on location), building our own stock through our housing company Bracewell Homes, as well as encouraging private landlords to return empty properties back into use.

“Tackling homelessness is something that all local authorities face but we are determined to meet these challenges and ensure no one ends up sleeping on the streets.”

North Yorkshire’s first ‘knife drop’ bin installed in Harrogate

The first “knife drop bin” to be installed in North Yorkshire has been set up in Harrogate.

North Yorkshire Police and Harrogate Borough Council worked together to install the orange bin between Asda car park and Dragon Road car park near to the recycling bins.

The facility is designed for people to dispose safely of knives, blades or sharp tools in a safe, anonymous way.

People wishing to deposit a knife are advised to wrap the blade in either thick paper or cardboard and secure with tape as a safety precaution. Once secure, take the knife directly to the bin location and deposit it safely by dropping it through the hatch.

Nicola Colboure, North Yorkshire Police inspector in Harrogate, said:

“While knife crime in North Yorkshire is very low compared to many surrounding areas, we do see the awful injuries knives and other bladed items can inflict if they fall into the wrong hands.

“This is an excellent way to ensure they’re permanently taken out of circulation, which in turn helps us ensure North Yorkshire remains officially England’s safest county.”

The force said the purpose of the bin is to give reassurance to the public that knives are disposed of, but also to reduce knife crime and violence.

A police press release said those who use the knife bin for its intended purpose of disposing of weapons will be granted amnesty to do so and will therefore not face prosecution for disposing of their knives.

It added:

“Discarding knives by handing them directly into police stations can be a daunting prospect, which is why introducing this simple and discrete method of disposal will hopefully encourage people to utilise the knife drop bin, particularly when coming across old surplus kitchen knives or sharp work tools such as Stanley knives.

“Under the Offensive Weapons Act 2019 it is now also illegal to possess certain weapons in private places. Items that could have previously been considered as decorative, collectable or antique pieces are now unlawful to own and you will face prosecution if weapons such as samurai swords, shurikens and flick knives are found in your home.

“Many of these weapons are held in innocence or lack of knowledge of their illegality. We therefore want to urge those in possession of such items to take advantage of the knife drop bin.”

Knaresborough councillor says male-dominated executive not tackling road safety concerns

North Yorkshire County Council’s leadership has defended itself amid claims that its largely older male membership has not experienced the impacts of motorists speeding through market towns and villages.

Knaresborough councillor Hannah Gostlow and Selby member Melanie Ann Davis told a meeting of the authority’s transport scrutiny committee action to tackle road safety in built-up areas was being limited due to the executive having different experiences to those of women, people with pushchairs and young people.

The council’s 10-member executive features two women and the majority of its members are aged above 50.

The meeting examining road safety and the introduction of 20mph zones in built-up areas also heard claims North Yorkshire Police were routinely failing to tackle motorcyclists as well as refusing to enforce 20mph zones.

The meeting heard while road incidents in the county had seen 36 people killed in 2020 and 37 the year before, motorcyclists had accounted for seven of the deaths in 2020 and 11 in 2019, which represented a far higher proportion than the volume of motorbikes on North Yorkshire’s roads.

Councillors heard the council had been examining the decision to make Wales one of the first countries in the world to introduce legislation to have a 20mph speed limit on roads where cars mix with pedestrians and cyclists.

Cllr Gostlow told the committee the majority of people supporting the Welsh move had been women and those with young families and that North Yorkshire’s executive lacked the experience of walking on narrow paths beside busy roads.

She said the executive needed to listen to grass roots views rather than “deal down from the top”, adding:

“I am worried that the executive do not represent the people who are going to benefit.”

Cllr Davis agreed, saying the “car was king because it represents economic power” and that the views of women and young people were being overlooked.

After the meeting, the authority’s leader, Cllr Carl Les said he did his best to balance the executive in terms of gender, between retired people and those in work and in terms of geographical coverage.

He said:

“I think we are all road users and represent those people in our communities and I wouldn’t say it has any adverse effect on our decisions.”

Mobile cameras ‘effective’

A North Yorkshire Police spokesperson said its mobile safety cameras were effective when used on any vehicle, including motorbikes.

The force said it had publicised a significant amount of prosecutions involving motorcyclists, including riders who have been recorded exceeding 120mph and riders who have been prosecuted for various dangerous driving offences.

The spokesperson added:

“Independent research by Newcastle University has found that North Yorkshire Police’s mobile safety cameras have reduced casualties by 20 per cent in the areas they’ve been deployed to.

“The force decides where to deploy cameras based on lots of different factors around risk and safety. These include data about previous collisions, demand from communities and even the weather.

“We never consider locations based on the revenue they could generate. This is a common misconception, but finances are made publicly available every year. The figures clearly show that some years the service costs slightly more to run than it generates, and other years vice versa.

“Residents frequently raise concerns about speeding in their communities specifically request mobile safety cameras, which we’ve deployed on a wide range of roads including village high streets, outside schools, suburban routes, main roads and rural roads.”

Bid to improve WiFi at Harrogate’s Great Yorkshire Showground

A 25-metre telecommunications tower could be installed at Harrogate’s Great Yorkshire Showground to improve WiFi.

The showground attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors each year but many often struggle to get online.

A planning application has been submitted to Harrogate Borough Council by telecommunications company EE to erect a lattice tower that will host three antennae, two dishes and several cabinets.

A design and access statement submitted by telecommunications technology company Harlequin Group on behalf of EE to the council said the proposal would not only boost WiFi at the showground but also provide “much improved and upgraded coverage to surrounding businesses and residents who currently see limited indoor coverage”. It added:

“It should be noted there is no 5G coverage within the immediate or surrounding area whatsoever.

“The area, in particular the Great Yorkshire Showground, has been subject to coverage supplied by way of a temporary emergency solution during events.

“The proposal will be tucked within a building corner, meaning that the equipment will be obscured on two of the four sides.”

Great Yorkshire Showground telecommunications tower

The proposed location, according to planning documents.

EE claimed the enhanced network “should be considered critical infrastructure within the UK to support the local community in perpetuity”. It said:

“At present, a temporary mast is brought out during events such as the Great Yorkshire Show that take place within the showground. Whilst this has been a solution that has worked adequately in the past, currently there is an ever-growing demand to find a more permanent solution.

“Local residents and businesses who currently experience little to no coverage, as well as visitors to the showground, have been pushing for a fixed solution that would consistently meet the demands of the surrounding area.”

‘Vital to ensure latest connectivity’

Allister Nixon

Allister Nixon, chief executive of the Great Yorkshire Showground told the Stray Ferret:

“The Great Yorkshire Showground is an intrinsic part of the local community that hosts numerous events throughout the year and brings significant employment and money to the area.

“To ensure that we can continue to develop and evolve with the changing demands of customers and business, it is vital to ensure that the latest connectivity is present; the proposed lattice tower is centrally located and has been designed to allow multiple operators to host on the same infrastructure.

“The public benefit goes beyond the Great Yorkshire Showground, with the proposal able to provide upgraded coverage and capacity to the surrounding residential properties, commercial properties, visitors and businesses in the locale. It is therefore believed that this proposal enables the provision of future connectivity for numerous individuals and companies.”

Councillors will decide whether to approve the planning application.

Harrogate district festival launches £7,000 search for classical singers

A leading Harrogate district arts festival has launched a nationwide search to find and reward talented young classical singers.

The Northern Aldborough Festival’s New Voices Singing Competition offers a prize fund of £7,000.

The winners will also receive performance opportunities at leading UK music festivals, including Leeds Lieder, Newbury Spring Festival, Ryedale Festival and Music@Malling, as well as the Northern Aldborough Festival itself.

The judging panel includes Dame Felicity Lott, one of Britain’s leading sopranos,

Robert Ogden, the festival’s artistic director, said:

“Hundreds of young singers graduate every year with dreams and aspirations to become professionals, but the majority have to seek temporary work while they build their careers.

“A competition success can be a turning point for a young artist. Our festival has, from its inception, strived to support and nurture young talent.”

The winner will receive The Seastock Trust Prize of £5,000, with a second prize of £1,500 from The Yorkshire Music Future Fund, and a third, audience prize of £500.

St Andrew’s Church in Aldborough hosts many of the festival events.

The competition is open to solo singers and ensembles of up to eight performers, and celebrates classical vocalism in all its forms. It is open to vocalists aged 21-32 years-old. Deadline for entries is Friday 14 April, 2023.

Mr Ogden, who is also an opera singer, said:

“At a time when the arts sector — particularly opera — has faced funding cuts, we feel a competition to help launch singing careers is of its time. What’s more, there are very few significant open vocal competitions north of London.”

The judging panel also includes the artistic director of The Early Opera Company, Christian Curnyn, director of Leeds Lieder, Joseph Middleton, and artistic director of the Northern Aldborough Festival, Robert Ogden. The panel is chaired by Sir Andrew Lawson-Tancred, chairman of the Northern Aldborough Festival.

The semi-final and grand-final will be performed live to audiences at the end of this year’s Northern Aldborough Festival, which is hosted in the North Yorkshire village from Thursday 15 to Saturday 24 June 2023.

It will be the 29th festival and highlights include trumpet star and winner of BBC Young Musician of the Year, 26-year-old Matilda Lloyd and the youngest winner of the Leeds International Piano Competition for 40 years, Sunwook Kim.

Volunteers donate life-saving equipment to Harrogate hospital baby unit

Volunteers have donated life-saving equipment to Harrogate hospital’s baby unit.

The Friends of Harrogate Hospital raised £11,000 to purchase a new video laryngoscope for the special care baby unit to help babies who require ventilation.

The new equipment will make it easier for staff to see inside the mouth and throat to intubate babies, allowing for an inspection of a patient’s airways before a breathing tube is inserted.

Vicky Lister, head matron at the special care baby unit, said:

“We would like to give heartfelt thanks for the amazing video laryngoscope which was donated to the special care baby unit by the Friends of Harrogate Hospital.

“This piece of equipment will help support doctors when intubating newborns and very young babies whose airways can be difficult to manage due to their small size.

“We looking forward to making use of this equipment when the need arises.”

John Fox, chair of the Friends of Harrogate Hospital, said:

“The Friends are highly delighted that after three years, we are back in action supporting Harrogate hospital and its patients.

“We know the video laryngoscope will be extremely useful to the special care baby unit in a range of clinical circumstances involving premature birth babies.

“I would like to thank those who have helped to fund this vital equipment on behalf of the Friends of Harrogate Hospital.”

Antique safe stolen from Harrogate

Police are appealing for information about the theft of an antique safe from Harrogate.

The safe was stolen from a property on Sussex Avenue between 6.30pm and 8pm on Monday, 10 January. Its value has not been revealed.

North Yorkshire Police said in a statement:

“Three people are believed to have been involved and we are appealing to anyone who either saw something suspicious in the area around the time of the burglary or who has seen it since.”

It urged anyone with information to get in touch by emailing sam.clarke2@northyorkshire.police.uk or by calling 101, selecting option 2, and asking for PC Sam Clarke

Alternatively, information can be passed anonymously to the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Quote reference 12230006025 when providing information.

Harrogate school to recruit fourth headteacher in two years

A Harrogate secondary school has begun the search for its fourth headteacher in two years.

St Aidan’s Church of England High School has set up a website outlining its vision for the next post holder after facing a number of challenges since late 2021.

The website says:

“The school has had challenges in the last 18 months, including a 2021 Ofsted inspection that highlighted concerns regarding safeguarding processes.

“But the school and the trust responded to this quickly and decisively, and we were delighted that the subsequent inspection in early summer 2022 both acknowledged this, and confirmed the many strengths of the school.

“Our commitment is that we will build on these strengths to re-establish the school’s judgement as an outstanding school.”

St Aidan’s was rated inadequate in an Ofsted report published last January, following a visit by inspectors more than three months earlier. The report found four out of five areas to be ‘good’ but because the leadership and management were ‘inadequate’, the overall rating was also brought down.

However, a monitoring visit in May led Ofsted to return for a full inspection just two days later. The report, published in June, concluded the school was ‘good’, with pupil behaviour and its sixth form both rated ‘outstanding’.

At the time, the school was being led by acting headteacher Chris Ives, who had replaced Chris Burt when he left through ill health in December 2021 after two years in the post.

Since last summer, headteacher David Thornton has been in post on an interim basis, but has said throughout that he does not want to be considered for the permanent role.

The recruitment website said:

“The school will look to its new headteacher not solely to manage and maintain its strengths, but to build on them.

“An exceptional leader who can challenge, support, and stretch an already strong team, you’ll understand how to nourish an organisational culture founded on continuous professional development and learning.

“It’s important not only that your own values resonate with the Christian ethos of the school, but that you can also embed these personal values into daily school life.

“You will nurture a learning environment that is welcoming and inclusive, where students feel safe and cared for, and where they have the opportunity to develop as individuals, as well as achieving their academic potential.

“This is a fantastic career opportunity – to take on a leadership role in a school where high expectations are shared by staff and students alike and where all feel they have a stake in the school’s success.

“Harnessing and fully realising the potential of such a school requires sophisticated and assured leadership skills, founded on the highest aspirations for every pupil who passes through the school’s doors.”

Potential candidates have until Monday, February 13 to apply, with interviews expected to take place in early March.

St Aidan’s has almost 2,000 students on role, including in its associated sixth form with St John Fisher Catholic High School.

The school became an academy in 2011. It then formed the Yorkshire Causeway Schools Trust, which now includes eight primary schools across Harrogate and Skipton.

A spokesperson for St Aidan’s High School said:

“To suggest that the school is looking for the fourth headteacher in two years is slightly misleading.

“After our last permanent headteacher stepped back from the role, two interim heads have helped lead the school. The decision to appoint interim heads was a pragmatic response based on the changes to our Ofsted grading and headteacher recruitment cycles.

“Now that our Ofsted grading is clear and we are Good with Outstanding features, we have reached the right point in the school year to start a leadership recruitment process, and a national search to find our new permanent headteacher is underway.

“Initial feedback has been very positive, and we look forward at keeping our community updated as we go through the process.”

Eight North Yorkshire Council officers set for £100,000 salaries

Eight senior managers at North Yorkshire Council are set to receive a salary of more than £100,000 a year.

The authority will replace Harrogate Borough Council and North Yorkshire County Council in April.

As part of the move, a new management has been appointed to oversee the authority.

A report due before the council tomorrow (January 24) will also recommend a pay structure for the management and council as a whole.

Among them includes Richard Flinton, the new chief executive, who will receive a salary of £198,935.

Meanwhile, Stuart Carlton, Richard Webb, Gary Fielding and Karl Battersby — all of whom are directors under the county council — will receive £150,044.

An unnamed director of community development is due to receive a salary of £139,125.

Elsewhere Rachel Joyce and Trudy Forster are due to be paid £111,500 and Barry Khan, currently assistant chief executive for legal and democratic services at the county council, will receive £120,000.

The Stray Ferret asked the county council how it had arrived at the salaries, but had not receive a response by the time of publication.

A report due before senior councillors on Tuesday said:

“The grading structure has been amended this year following a review of all eight councils structures to consider the differences and the changing nature of the council resulting from local government reorganisation.

“Whilst North Yorkshire County Council is the continuing authority, changes in pay terms and conditions have been made as a result of this review, to address the changing nature of the council and also the market pressures causing ongoing staff attraction and retention difficulties.”

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

“The pay which we offer is designed to attract and retain the most talented staff that we can, as we want the best people on board to drive forward the vision of the new North Yorkshire Council for the benefit of everybody who lives and works in the county.

“The new pay structure also highlights some significant savings on roles for chief executives and chief officers of £3.7 million compared to the costs across the previous eight councils.

“We are one of the largest local authorities in the country, managing large and complex operations.

“In establishing the grades for the new management structure, senior managers’ salaries were analysed against other comparable authorities with the use of independent data.

“We are proud of the ability of our senior managers, and we believe it’s important to be open and transparent about our pay structure.”

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