A total of £29,190 is to be diverted from the Harrogate district’s street lighting budget to pay for the replacement of decorative lights on the Stray.
The trees line the Stray around West Park, Otley Road, Leeds Road, Montpellier Hill and York Place and are a popular winter attraction.
Last autumn Harrogate Borough Council replaced the old sodium lights with energy-efficient LED bulbs and wrapped them round trunks to prevent them hanging from branches and getting damaged.
The new lighting being installed
In a report due before Cllr Mike Chambers, cabinet member for housing and safer communities at Harrogate Borough Council, council officers are set to request retrospective permission to pay for the lights.
The report says the cost of the new lights “has been partly funded by parks and environmental service budgets” but a £29,000 shortfall remained.
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The report says responsibility for annual maintenance of the Stray tree lights rests housing and property services.
It adds:
“However, parks and environmental services were able to provide one off funds to contribute from the cost of the new lights from underspends in the financial year 2021/22. This left a shortfall in funding of £29,000.
“The housing and property reserve includes £84,680 which has built up over the years in relation to street lighting cyclical works which had not been carried out.
“It is recommended that £29,190 of this should be utilised to fund the cost of Stray lights.”
The report adds the council has only received one complaint about the new lighting.
Two arrests after bogus police seize boy’s scooter in Bilton
Police have made two arrests after reports of bogus police officers seizing a boy’s electric scooter in Bilton.
North Yorkshire Police issued a statement last night saying it was investigating a “disturbing incident” which happened at 7.20pm on Saturday (March 18).
It involved the suspects mounting the pavement in an unmarked car before seizing the scooter from the teenager.
Police said patrols in the area had “been stepped while the investigation continues”.
In an update this afternoon, the force said it had arrested two suspects in connection with the incident.
It said in a statement:
“We are still urging people to come forward if you can help the current investigation, including relevant dash-cam, doorbell or CCTV footage.
“We’d also would like to speak to anyone who has experienced anything of a similar nature.”
If you would prefer to remain anonymous, you can pass information to Cimestoppers on 0800 555111 or by making an online report.
Quote reference number 12230049556.
Read more:
Harrogate Turkish Baths nude ban: police probe ‘ongoing’
North Yorkshire Police has said an investigation into “inappropriate behaviour” at Turkish Baths Harrogate is ongoing.
Harrogate Borough Council banned nude bathing at the Victorian baths last week after it received a complaint.
Until the decision, clothing was optional at two single sex sessions for men and women. It is compulsory at mixed sessions.
But the council, which runs the venue, made swimwear compulsory for all sessions without consulting users following the complaint.
In a statement, it said the complaint was of a “serious nature”, adding:
“We have a duty of care to our customers and staff members, and in order for all single sex sessions to operate in a safe environment, it has been decided that swimwear must be worn until further notice.”
North Yorkshire Police confirmed today it was looking into the matter. A spokesperson said:
“Police received a report of an incident of inappropriate behaviour at the Turkish Baths earlier this month. Enquiries are at an early stage and are ongoing.”
The baths opened in 1897 and with its restored Moorish design is one of Harrogate’s premier attractions.
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- Harrogate Turkish Baths bans nude bathers
- Inspectors says Harrogate hospital maternity services ‘ improvement’
Hampsthwaite pupils prepare for epic 1,000-mile bike ride!
A village primary school near Harrogate is taking on an epic challenge to raise £2,000 for improvements to its school playground.
Pupils, parents, teachers and governors from Hampsthwaite Church of England Primary School will be riding over 1,000 miles from Land’s End to John o’ Groats on March 29 and 30 — without leaving the school hall.
Just over 100 pupils from Years 1 to 6 will take turns on one of four stationary bikes in the school hall alongside teachers and members of the Hampsthwaite community to collectively achieve the mammoth distance in a cumulative 24 hours.
To add to the challenge, the bikes will use a ‘magic road’ setting on the Wahoo RGT fitness system, which will recreate the exact route including all of the hills, twists and turns.
Headteacher Amy Ross and the school PTA have made playground improvements a top priority for 2023.
Ms Ross said:
“Everyone at Hampsthwaite Primary School is counting down the days until we take on our virtual bike ride.
“It will be a great way to bring the local community together, whilst raising vital funds to make some long overdue improvements to our playground.
“All pupils will benefit from a playground refurbishment and it will make a significant difference to their time at school on a daily basis. I am grateful for the support and enthusiasm of the teachers, pupils and their family members, who have signed up to take part and sponsor us.”
Over £1,600 has already been pledged. You can support the school’s fundraising efforts here.
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Inspectors says Harrogate hospital maternity services ‘requires improvement’
Health inspectors have rated Harrogate District Hospital’s maternity services as ‘requires improvement’.
The Care Quality Commission, which inspects hospitals and health services, published its verdict in a report on Friday after an inspection in November 2022.
The CQC visited the hospital as part of a national inspection of maternity services.
Harrogate District Hospital was previously rated ‘good’ in a 2016 inspection that looked at maternity services and gynaecology. This latest report was the first time maternity services were rated as standalone services.
The four possible outcomes are ‘outstanding’. ‘good’, ‘requires improvement’ and ‘inadequate’.
Jonathan Coulter, chief executive of Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust, said it was “difficult to understand” the change in the rating.
The CQC report said “compliance with appropriate safeguarding, life support training and medicines did not meet targets” although it acknowledged “there was a plan in place to recover this position”.
It added that the number of medical staff on hand “were not always sufficient” and there was no clear system in place to “to identify prioritise risks to women in the maternity assessment area”.
Regular checks on life saving equipment “were not always completed”, the report said.
Inspectors said staff at the service “did not always receive and keep up to date” with mandatory training.
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However, the CQC did find the service had enough midwifery staff to care for women and that staff worked well together.
It added:
“Staff had training in key skills, and worked well together for the benefit of women, understood how to protect women from abuse, and managed safety well. The service controlled infection risk well.
“Staff assessed risks to women in most areas, acted on them and kept good care records. They managed medicines well. The service managed safety incidents well and learned lessons from them.”
‘Not a fair reflection’
In response to the report, Mr Coulter said he did not feel that the findings in the report were a reflection of the service at the hospital.
He said:
Harrogate’s Rachel Daly fires Aston Villa Women into FA Cup semi-final“With such positive findings in the CQC report it is difficult to understand the resultant rating change and we do not feel it is a fair reflection of the maternity service we provide. The report describes a maternity unit which is fully staffed, with a positive culture, with staff that are competent, listen to women and are always seeking to improve.
“We are proud of our team for the dedication, professionalism and caring attitude that they show each day whilst supporting those in our care. We are disappointed the rating applied to the service overall and for the safe domain does not appear to reflect the findings in the report.
“Whatever the rating in this report, our response will be to focus on learning and improvement, as it is for any external or internal service review.
“As part of this focus on continually improving our services, we prioritise listening and learning to ensure we can provide the high quality care that our patients deserve. Listening to people who use our maternity services is so important, as we completely understand that peoples’ experience can differ.
“This is why, in addition to our own improvement work, we work in partnership with our Maternity Voices Partnership who provide another valuable way for us to hear the needs of those using our services.”
Harrogate-born Rachel Daly scored the goal that sent Aston Villa Women into their first FA Cup semi-final last night.
Daly’s extra time winner helped Villa overcome last year’s beaten finalists Manchester City Women 2-1
It was her 19th goal of a remarkable first season since her summer move back to the UK from Houston Dash.
Manchester City Women are third in the Women’s Super League — two places above the West Midlands team.
The match hung in the balance until Daly popped up at the far post in the sixth minute of extra time to score the decisive goal.
Villa are now one match from Wembley and will enter Tuesday’s semi-final draw alongside Manchester United Women, Brighton Women and table-topping Chelsea Women.
Daly, who started playing at Killinghall Nomads and now has 319,000 followers on Instagram, has been in fine form all season not only for Villa but also England.
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- Killinghall Nomads opens cafe named after ex-player Rachel Daly
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Harrogate College sets 2035 carbon neutral target
Harrogate College has pledged to become net zero by 2035.
The college, which is based on Hornbeam Park, has made the commitment as part of Luminate Education Group’s drive to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
It aims to reduce its carbon footprint by building a new campus building in Harrogate, which will include energy-efficient, electric-based heating systems.
The college has also pledged to publish annual updates on its progress towards net zero.
Danny Wild, principal at Harrogate College, said:
“Climate change and ecological destruction are some of the biggest challenges of our time and education providers, like all institutions, have a responsibility to play their part by cutting greenhouse gas emissions.
“The government’s target for the UK to reach net zero is 2050, but here at Harrogate College we’re aiming to do so much sooner.”
He added:
“Key to achieving this will be the £20m project we have lined up to replace our campus building at Harrogate. This will allow us to build a sustainable, purpose-built facility, focused on technical and vocational education, that will incorporate energy-efficient, electric-based heating systems.
“We are also recycling materials as much as possible across every single one of our courses, while looking into ways of generating our own energy and introducing a sustainable travel plan.”
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The pledge comes as the college was awarded £16 million from the government to replace its main building on Hornbeam Park.
It means the Harrogate district will get a new a purpose-built space for technical and vocational education.
The new energy-efficient building will include a workshop providing facilities aligned to industry needs. It will complement the college’s existing tech centre, which is home to its motor vehicle, electrical, joinery and welding workshops.
An existing £4 million budget will be used to pay for the demolition of the old college building.
Planned Harrogate district taxi licence fare hikes ‘far too much’A Harrogate district taxi driver has criticised new taxi fare and licence fees planned for North Yorkshire.
North Yorkshire County Council unveiled the new charges as part of its new licensing policy for cabs under the upcoming North Yorkshire Council.
It will see the fixed start fee for a district cabbie increase from £3.60 to £4.00.
However, the night time and Christmas tariffs would remain fixed at £5.40 and £7.20.
Meanwhile, the council is also proposing increasing licence fees for new drivers from the current Harrogate rate of £319 for one-year to £350.
It is also planning a renewal fee increase from £249 to £280 – a hike of 12.5%.
The proposed table of tariffs are due to go before a county council executive tomorrow.
Richard Fieldman, who runs a taxi firm in Ripon, said the new tariffs would not help those who work night shifts.
He criticised the policy and added that the licence fees increase of 12.5% was “far too much”.
Mr Fieldman said:
“They have put their hand in a lottery bag and thrown it in.”
Read more:
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The move comes as North Yorkshire County Council will introduce a single hackney carriage and private hire licensing policy from the spring.
The existing seven district councils, including Harrogate, currently have their own hackney carriage and private hire licensing policies. However, under the new policy, drivers will be able to operate in any area of the county.
Cllr Derek Bastiman, executive councillor for open to business, said:
Bogus police seize boy’s electric scooter in Bilton“The proposed licence fees ensure we can provide the administration of vehicle and operators’ licences, carry out essential inspections of vehicles so that passengers can continue to travel safely and maintain hackney carriage stands, as well as the enforcement of the licences, without creating an additional cost to the taxpayer.
“With the launch of a single local licensing authority for North Yorkshire, the proposed fees also ensures hackney carriage and private hire licence holders and taxi operators across the county are treated equally, and will hopefully encourage them to continue to invest in and maintain high-quality and safe vehicles.
“The setting of taxi fares is also a statutory duty for the licensing authority and our aim is to strike a balance between setting a fare that is acceptable to the customer and to the taxi driver, and not create confusion by varied fares in the licensed area.
“The proposed fares are the maximum hackney carriage drivers can charge. They can of course charge a lower fare, should they wish to do so.”
Two bogus police officers mounted a pavement in an unmarked car before seizing a boy’s electric scooter in Bilton yesterday.
North Yorkshire Police said in a statement this evening it was investigating the “disturbing incident”, which happened at 7.20pm last night as the teenager was pushing the scooter.
The statement added”
“It has caused a great deal of distress and anger both to him and his family.
“Despite extensive enquiries including a trawl of CCTV in the area, the suspects have yet to be tracked down.
“Checks are being carried out with neighbouring police forces in case the offenders have travelled into North Yorkshire.”
Both suspects are described as white, medium build, with tattooed arms, and wearing black police-style clothing including combat trousers.
The are believed to have been driving either a black Ford Mondeo or Ford Focus.
Read more:
Police said patrols in the area “have been stepped while the investigation continues”.
They appealed to anyone with information, dash-cam, doorbell or CCTV footage to report it urgently on the North Yorkshire Police website or by calling 101, option 1.
If you would prefer to remain anonymous, you can pass information to Cimestoppers on 0800 555111 or by making an online report.
Quote reference number 12230049556.
What will be the legacy of Harrogate Borough Council?From the towns of Knaresborough, Masham and Pateley Bridge to the villages of North Rigton, Summerbridge and Kirkby Malzeard, life will continue without Harrogate Borough Council.
For anyone still not aware, the council will be abolished at the end of this month after 49 years of existence.
From April 1, a new council called North Yorkshire Council will be created for the whole county and HBC will eventually become a distant memory.
Harrogate Borough Council has played a role, small or large, in the life of every resident so the Local Democracy Reporting Service asked four different people in the Harrogate district the same question — what will be its ultimate legacy?
The view from residents
Rene Dziabas
For some residents, the council begins and ends with when their bins are collected.
Others are more engaged with the ins-and-outs of council business and how it spends public money.
Rene Dziabas is the chair of Harlow and Pannal Ash Residents Association, a group that covers an area from Harlow Hill to Rossett Green and Arthurs Avenue to Castle Hill.
Mr Dziabas has lived in Harrogate for 40 years. He said even though the town has seen major changes on the council’s watch he would still move here today if he could.
He said:
“The recycling set up and bin collection has been good. The Valley Gardens and the Pinewoods look good. Those elements are still nice features of Harrogate. The Mercer Art Gallery is an absolute jewel, it punches above its weight. Its exhibitions are really good and well-curated.”
But despite these uniquely Harrogate benefits that the council delivers, Mr Dziabas said over-subscribed schools, poor quality roads and pressure on Harrogate District Hospital have all been made worse by planning decisions taken by Harrogate Borough Council.
Over 4,000 homes could eventually be built in the west of Harrogate over the next decade, including over 1,000 homes in fields next to RHS Garden Harlow Carr on Otley Road.
As with elsewhere in the district, these new developments will change the face of Harlow Hill and Pannal Ash forever. However, residents were disappointed with a document drawn up Harrogate Borough Council last year that said how the homes will link up with local roads, schools and healthcare services.
Mr Dziabas said:
“In this neck of the woods, Harrogate Borough Council is not leaving it in a better state. I can’t think of any major piece of work that’s really had a significant mitigation effect on the problems at the west of Harrogate.”
The council’s Harrogate district Local Plan 2014-35, which outlines where development can take place, will mean thousands more people can enjoy living in the Harrogate district but Mr Dziabas said there are lessons to be learned when it comes to consulting with residents about development. He added:
“Harrogate Borough Council ought to have been more communicative with the public in general. Ultimately we live in a democratic society, we are funding those institutions and I don’t think it’s unreasonable for them to communicate.”
The view from the staff
The Civic Centre in Harrogate
Local government union Unison estimates Harrogate Borough Council has employed around 10,000 people since it was created in 1974.
David Houlgate, who has been Harrogate branch secretary at Unison for the last 18 years, said it’s these people who will be the council’s “enduring and lasting legacy”. He said:
“They are the ones who have delivered services over the years, they are the ones who kept those services going during the pandemic, they are the real stars of Harrogate Borough Council.”
The vast majority of council staff will automatically transfer over to the new authority North Yorkshire Council on April 1.
Mr Houlgate is hopeful these staff members will deliver quality services to residents despite the well-documented cost pressures the new council will face. He said:
“If it gets things right and works with its staff and the trade unions to deliver joined-up and effective services then it’s likely that Harrogate Borough Council will fade in the memory. If the new council fails to deliver on what it has said it would then inevitably Harrogate council will no doubt be missed.”
Mr Houlgate has worked for the council for the last 26 years and is currently a local taxation team leader.
Since 2010, the government has slashed funding for the council, which he said has resulted in higher workloads and stress for staff. He added:
“It has changed an awful lot in my time at the council. It delivers more with less which has been necessary as a result of drastic cuts to funding from a central government that only seems to pay lip service to public services.
“To do this it has, over the years, cut the terms and conditions of staff, pay has not kept pace with inflation and workloads and stress absences have increased.
“As it comes to an end, there are recruitment and retention issues like never before. It probably does not offer the career paths it once did. The new council will hopefully offer more opportunities. We will have to wait and see.”
The view from outside of Harrogate
Cllr Andrew Williams
Harrogate Borough Council was created in 1974 as an amalgamation of smaller councils including those in Knaresborough, Nidderdale, Ripon and Harrogate.
The council has been based in Harrogate for all that time, moving from Crescent Gardens to the Civic Centre in 2017.
But for some people living outside of the town, Harrogate Borough Council has focused too much on the district’s largest urban area.
Cllr Andrew Williams is a former councillor on Harrogate Borough Council. He currently sits on North Yorkshire County Council as an independent and is also leader of Ripon City Council.
There are hopes in Ripon that the new council will look at the city as an equal to similar-sized market towns in the county like Thirsk, Malton and Northallerton.
Cllr Williams has been an outspoken critic of Harrogate Borough Council as he believes the authority has not given Ripon a fair shake.
The council has invested heavily in the Harrogate Convention Centre, which he believes has resulted in few benefits for his city.
However, he praised the council’s staff for their work in delivering services to residents over the years. Cllr Williams said:
“It would be fair to say that some of the services provided are not unreasonable. The refuse collection service, parks and gardens and the housing department do their best.
“The staff have worked incredibly hard to deliver services for residents across the district.”
Harrogate Borough Council points to its investment in new state-of-the-art leisure facilities in Ripon and Knaresborough as examples of its commitment to towns outside of Harrogate.
Cllr Williams called the new pool in Ripon a “significant improvement” but added:
“One project in 50 years is hardly justification for its previous misdemeanours in my view.”
Cllr Williams said Harrogate Borough Council’s legacy in Ripon will not be positive:
“[Their legacy is] under-investment and a failure to recognise the Harrogate district encompasses more than Harrogate, the conference centre being the prime example.
“Money has been poured into Harrogate at the expense of everywhere else in the district.”
The view from charities
Jackie Snape
Harrogate Borough Council has been a staunch supporter of the district’s voluntary and community sector.
There are more than 700 charitable organisations in the Harrogate district and many have stepped up over the last 13 years as the council has been forced to cut services due to austerity.
The council organises the Local Fund, which was launched in 2018 by Harrogate Borough Council, Harrogate and District Community Action and Two Ridings Community Foundation.
Last year the fund granted £85,000 to 29 different groups.
Jackie Snape, chief executive of Disability Action Yorkshire, said she has enjoyed working with local councillors on various campaigns, including a recent push to improve accessbility at tourist venues. Ms Snape said:
“Harrogate Borough Council was an early adopter of our Think Access campaign, and one of the major factors that we, and other charities, will miss is the local knowledge with individual councillors, often showing a great interest in causes close to their heart and local area.”
Key to the council’s relationship with charities is the role of the mayor, which is a councillor that for 12 months has a packed diary full of meeting charities and attending events.
Current and final Harrogate borough mayor Victoria Oldham was seen getting stuck in with a shovel last year to break ground at Disability Action Yorkshire’s £7.5m supported living complex at Claro Road.
Ms Snape added:
“For many years we were blessed by regular visits by the mayor of the day, all of whom paid great interest in the work we do, both at Hornbeam Park and at Claro Road.
Ms Snape said the council’s legacy of supporting charities will be remembered. Many charities rely on funding from the council and she hopes the new authority will show the same level of support. She said:
“Its work in helping and supporting a raft of charities working with some of the most vulnerable people in society will certainly be remembered for many years to come.
“We hope that when April 1 arrives, and North Yorkshire Council takes over that the same level of local funding and support continues, which is vital to the survival of many charities in the district.”
Looking ahead
If four more people were asked their opinion on what Harrogate Borough Council has achieved and what its legacy will be — it would likely generate another four very different answers.
This perhaps shows the council has done more for the district than it is sometimes given credit for.
But most would probably agree that how fondly Harrogate Borough Council will be remembered is likely to depend on how successful the new council is at the delivering the nuts and bolts services that residents have always expected for the last 49 years.
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