Nurses working at Harrogate District Hospital will take part in industrial action on Wednesday, January 18 and Thursday, January 19 due to a pay and conditions dispute with the government that has rumbled on all winter.

It’s taking place after members of the Royal College of Nursing union who work for Harrogate District NHS Foundation Trust voted to strike last year.

Harrogate is one of 70 trusts in England that will strike as part of the largest organised action in NHS history.

Here is everything you need to know about the nurses strike.

When is the strike?

The strikes will take place from 7.15am to 8.15pm on both days and there will be a picket line outside the hospital on Lancaster Park Road.

Two days of strikes were held in England, Northern Ireland and Wales on December 15 and 20 but Harrogate nurses did not take part.

What services will be affected?

During the December strikes, thousands of appointments across the country were cancelled or postponed. A trust spokesperson said the hospital will contact patients that have appointments on strike days to let them know if they are still going ahead.

All life-preserving treatment must be provided and nurses in intensive and emergency care will be expected to continue working.

Harrogate District Hospital, Lancaster Park Road.

However, routine operations such as hip or knee replacements are likely to be affected.

A trust spokesperson said:

“We are working to ensure there is safe patient care and that emergency services continue to operate during any industrial action, and have plans in place to mitigate the impact of disruption on direct patient care.

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

“The industrial action will see a picket line outside our hospital in Harrogate and we will be working with local RCN representatives to minimise any disruption this may cause for residents in the vicinity and visitors to our hospital.”

Why are nurses striking?

According to the royal college, 25,000 nursing staff around the UK left the Nursing and Midwifery Council register last year. It’s left hospitals with staff shortages which the union feels has compromised patient safety.

The union argues that many people are leaving the profession or deciding to work for private providers due to low pay within the NHS. It has repeatedly called for a pay increase of 5% above inflation.

However, the government says this increase would be unaffordable to tax payers.

Royal College of Nursing general secretary and chief executive, Pat Cullan, said: 

“The government had the opportunity to end this dispute before Christmas but instead they have chosen to push nursing staff out into the cold again in January. I do not wish to prolong this dispute but the Prime Minister has left us with no choice.

“The public support has been heart-warming and I am more convinced than ever that this is the right thing to do for patients and the future of the NHS.

“The voice of nursing will not be ignored. Staff shortages and low pay make patient care unsafe – the sooner ministers come to the negotiating table, the sooner this can be resolved. I will not dig in, if they don’t dig in.”

When will the dispute be resolved?

The royal college is yet to reach an agreement with the government over the dispute but talks have been ongoing since December’s strikes.

The government has raised the possibility of a one-off hardship payment to nursing staff but an offer has not been made.

Read more:

• Ambulance workers form picket line in Harrogate
• Picket line at Harrogate station as latest RMT strikes near end

In an interview with the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg on Sunday, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said:

“The door has always been open to talk about the things that nurses want to talk about.”

A trust spokesperson said:

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

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

A third consultation on the Harrogate Station Gateway has given an up-to-date picture of how Harrogate feels about the £11.2m scheme.

On the overall question of whether the plans will benefit the town, opinion is almost split down the middle.

A total of 2,044 people took part in the third consultation, which is 50% higher than the previous round in 2021.

It revealed 46% were either ‘negative’ or ‘very negative’ about the overall plans while 44% were ‘positive’ or ‘very positive’. A total of 9% were neutral and 1% said they did not know.

Business impact

One of the most contentious aspects of the scheme is how it will impact businesses in the town centre.

This was highlighted in the consultation as most respondents said the primary reason they visit Harrogate is to go shopping.

James Street is perhaps the district’s premier retail destination but some landlords have argued that part-pedestrianisation will hurt footfall.

North Yorkshire County Council’s economic case suggests the opposite will happen.

The consultation revealed 41% of people thought the scheme would benefit businesses whereas 40% said it would have a negative impact.

Read more:

• New consultation reveals more people still oppose than support £11.2m Harrogate Station Gateway
• Harrogate business group calls for ‘better solution’ to Station Gateway

The the visual appearance of the plans generated support, with 51% saying they will make better use of public space, helping to keep visitors in the town for longer.

However, 184 people fear the scheme will send shoppers away from Harrogate to other towns or cities and 104 said the reduction in parking spaces will negatively impact businesses.

There was a mixed response to the question of whether the scheme would encourage visitors to spend longer in the town centre — 44% disagreed and 43% agreed.

Active travel

Around a quarter of the 2,044 respondents said a bicycle was their primary mode of transport for travelling into Harrogate.

A key aim of the scheme is to improve walking and cycling infrastructure in the town centre, which campaigners have argued is long overdue.

A total of 48% said the plans would encourage more people to cycle whereas 38% said there would be no change.

However, when asked if the designs balance the needs and safety of all road users, including motorists and cyclists, 45% said it was unsuccessful and 39% said it was successful.

Traffic congestion

Will the Gateway scheme alleviate congestion by getting people out of their cars or will making Station Parade single-lane exacerbate the problem and shift traffic elsewhere?

A total of 52% said they believe the scheme will discourage people to drive whereas 40% said there would be no change.

The council has undertaken modelling that suggested a single-lane Station Parade will not cause “excessive congestion” but 326 people submitted individual comments with their concerns about the possibility.

A total of 913 people said they think the scheme will help to improve air quality in the town centre whereas 916 people do not.

You can read the full findings here:

People with new year’s resolutions to improve their fitness are being sought by Saint Michaels Hospice to set themselves a new challenge.

The Harrogate charity is looking for 60 runners to take part in this year’s Great North Run and raise money to support its work.

Last year, runners at the event raised £30,000 for the hospice, which works with families living with terminal illness and bereavement.

Saint Michael’s chief executive Tony Collins said:

“New year is the ideal time to take up a personal fitness and wellbeing challenge. What better way to stay motivated than by knowing that your running challenge will bring care and comfort to local families at the most difficult of times.

“As an independent local charity, we rely on our community to help raise the majority of the funds we need to provide our vital care.”

“By taking part in the Great North Run for Saint Michael’s, you’ll be helping us to care for patients and their families in their own homes as well as at our hospice, and providing much-needed support for children, young people, and adults living with bereavement.”

Read more:

• Charity run in Harrogate set to mark 30 years of fundraising
• Paralympic champion among new trustees at Harrogate charity

The hospice offers participants tips to prepare for the half marathon, and has a marquee in the charity village with drinks and goody bags after runners cross the finishing line.

However, a spokesperson said there was usually a “flurry” of interest and sign-ups after the ballot places were announced in February, so anyone hoping to take part should sign up soon to avoid disappointment.

Entries are £30 each and there is a discount for people signing up in teams. Supporter David Brigham was one of those taking part with his daughter Charlotte Simpson last year.

He said:

“The atmosphere was amazing with a feeling of great achievement as runners collected their medals and had photographs taken to remember the occasion. Personally, I will never forget the experience and the pride in what we achieved.”

The Great North Run will take place on Sunday, September 10, starting in Newcastle and finishing in South Shields. To find out more about taking part for Saint Michael’s Hospice, click here.

Killinghall Cricket Club has submitted plans to demolish its pavilion and construct a two-storey replacement on the same site.

Planning documents sent to Harrogate Borough Council describe the current 1970s structure as “deteriorating and neglected” and would cost more to refurbish than it is worth.

It is poorly insulated with ageing communal showers and the changing rooms lack privacy, the documents say. They add:

“Umpires and female cricketers currently have nowhere designated to get changed, so have to use communal areas, the toilets or come already changed. The facilities for the scorers on matchdays are currently a wooden hut situated next to the clubhouse, which is neither attractive nor very comfortable to sit in.”

Killinghall CC has been on the rise in recent years, Last year the team were crowned first division champions in the Nidderdale and District Cricket League.

The club has opened up its facilities to the public during summer.

Since the demolition of the Three Horseshoes pub and long-term closure of The Greyhounds Inn, the club has also used its pavilion and bar to provide a social centre for the village at weekends.

It hopes a new pavilion would help it fulfil this and encourage the creation of a junior team. The documents say:

“The proposal will provide exceptional changing and hosting facilities for visiting teams, which would be of the best in the current Killinghall teams’ leagues.

“There is a hope to introduce junior cricket back to the cricket club, that used to be a vibrant and engaging part of the local community. The introduction of these new facilities will help facilitate the introduction of this and hopefully attract them to the club.”

“This development is very much needed to the club and the village community. We feel that the scale of the pavilion is appropriate for the size of the site and has been carefully considered. The chosen materials and design compliment and contribute positively to the overall character of the pavilion, cricket ground and the surrounding village.”

Read more:

• Honour for Killinghall resident after five decades of volunteering
• Rapidly growing Killinghall school praised by Ofsted

Eight organisations in the Harrogate district have benefitted from a share of £94,000 worth of grants provided by the Freemasons.

Freemasonry is a male only, fraternal organisation that traces its origins back to the local guilds of stonemasons.

A total of 40 grants have been distributed to organisations across Yorkshire, with many charitable organisations, including youth clubs, food banks, community groups and schools.

Those Harrogate District organisations benefiting from the latest round of grant giving were:

• Artizan Café and Creative Space, Harrogate, £5,000
• Henshaw’s Society for Blind People, £3,395,
• Harrogate Hospital Radio, Harrogate, £3,000, for broadcasting software
• Coppice Valley Primary School, Harrogate, £2,748, for outdoor playground equipment
• Ripon’s Men’s Shed, Ripon, £2,000, for woodworking equipment
• Girlguiding Birk Crag Centre, Harrogate, £2,000, for shop storage, display units, seating and furniture
• Supporting Older People, Harrogate and Knaresborough, £1,586, for warm comfort packs
• Ripon YMCA, Ripon, £1,000, for branded clothing for staff and youth leaders
• Staveley Sports Association, Staveley, Knaresborough, £1,000, for football goal posts, nets and equipment

James H Newman, OBE, The Provincial Grand Master of The Province of Yorkshire West Riding, said:

“With these grants we are able to financially support 40 organisations, which are each integral to the local area in their own way, is something I am very proud of.

“Each year, we donate some £200,000 from this specific fund to good causes around the Province, with the money coming directly from our members, keen to help support the community they live and work in.

“These grants were a superb way to end 2022, and the money each of these 40 recipients is receiving will help them continue the work they do in their own individual communities.”

Based on the old West Riding, the Province has around 5,000 members and reaches from Sheffield in the South to Ripon in the North, Goole in the East to Bentham in the West.

Read More: 

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The company behind Harrogate’s Christmas ice rink has said it was “very happy” with how it went and plans to return for at least the next two years.

Events by Cynosure transformed Crescent Gardens into a festive treat, installing the ice rink and a host of fairground attractions, including a carousel.

The ice rink, which operated for a month, was one of the highlights of Harrogate’s Christmas offering, which also included a ferris wheel, a market and the Candy Cane Express free road train.

Harrogate Borough Council tourism organisation Destination Harrogate organised the activities in partnership with Events by Cynosure, Harrogate Business Improvement District and events company Market Place Europe as part of a bid to attract more Christmas visitors.

John Lowery, director of Events by Cynosure, told the Stray Ferret it had a three-year deal to operate the ice rink in Harrogate.

Mr Lowery said the ice rink attracted about 15,000 bookings and although he was pleased overall there was room for improvement.

He said the main improvement would be to extend the length of the 10-day market, which ended before mid-December:

“When the market ended it did go quieter. A lot of traders said the same thing. I’d like to see the market there right up until Christmas.

Read more:

• Harrogate’s Christmas ice rink opens for bookings
• Harrogate council spends £2.2m on new tourism body in first year

Mr Lowery also said he wanted the Crescent Gardens site to include a Santa’s grotto and better bar facilities.

He said:

“Our intention is to make Harrogate a destination for people to go at Christmas so they spend money in town and restaurants.

“We’ve learned more about the site and the flow of people and how Harrogate works. Between Christmas and the new year was a lot quieter than I expected.”

Decisions over some housing developments are set to be handed to Harrogate councillors ahead of North Yorkshire Council coming into force.

The new authority will replace Harrogate Borough Council in April, which left questions over how decisions over planning would be made.

Now, the county council has outlined plans for six area committees which will consider planning applications at a local level.

Under proposals for its new constitution, the Harrogate and Knaresborough committee would oversee housing decisions in the constituency area.

Meanwhile, Ripon and Skipton committee would oversee planning in the Ripon area.

However, councillors in those area will only consider applications under 500 homes. Anything above that threshold will be considered by the strategic planning committee in Northallerton.

Cllr Carl Les, Conservative leader of North Yorkshire County Council, said it was important that local councillors make decisions in their local areas.

He said:

“Local voices and local accountability are central to the vision of the new North Yorkshire Council.

“Area committees are a key element in this, providing local community leadership in conjunction with the community networks we propose to create, helping to shape economic development in their locality and holding the executive to account, complementing the work of the scrutiny committees.”

Read more:

• New housing plan to be created for Harrogate district
• New Harrogate district housing plan should not be ‘tickbox exercise’, says councillor

The move comes as Cllr Pat Marsh, the Liberal Democrat chair of the Harrogate and Knaresborough area committee, said previously that not handing powers to such committees would “erode accountability”.

In Harrogate, decisions are still expected on a bottling plant at Harrogate Spring Water and a 3,000 home town between Knaresborough and Cattall called Maltkiln.

Senior county councillors will consider the powers as part of a draft constitution for North Yorkshire Council at a meeting on January 17.

The latest consultation on the £11.2 million Harrogate Station Gateway scheme has revealed more people still oppose the scheme than support it.

The results, published today, show 46 per cent of the responses were negative, 45 per cent were positive and nine per cent neutral.

However, the outcome is closer than the previous consultation when 59 per cent were negative and 39 per cent positive.

The £11.2 million scheme would transform the area around Harrogate’s railway and bus stations but has proved controversial because of its potential impact on business and traffic. It would see James Street partly pedestrianised and traffic on Station Parade reduced to single-lane.

North Yorkshire County Council, which is leading on the scheme, said today’s results “demonstrate significantly higher support for the proposals”.

A total of 2,044 people responded to the latest consultation — almost twice as many as last time.

Just 41 per cent felt very positive/positive about the likely impact on businesses whereas 51 per cent strongly agreed/agreed the proposals would be a better use of public space, and make the town centre more attractive to residents and visitors.

North Yorkshire County Council’s executive member for highways and transportation, Cllr Keane Duncan, said:

“It is encouraging to see the public voice significant and growing support for the gateway scheme and its objectives.

“While overall opinion of the scheme is split almost 50:50, key elements of the scheme received positive support from the public who took part. They told us they believe the scheme will be positive for business, make getting around the town centre safer and encourage more people to walk and cycle.”

How the area outside the train station would look.

Cllr Duncan added:

“I am hopeful that this thorough process will address areas of concern and help build further support for the gateway scheme from Harrogate residents, businesses and visitors.

“The next stage will be for local Harrogate and Knaresborough councillors to consider the feedback and have their say on whether they wish the scheme to go ahead. Subject to approvals, we remain on track to start construction in November.”

Harrogate Borough Council’s cabinet member for carbon reduction and sustainability, Cllr Phil Ireland, said:

“I am delighted to see that the majority of people who responded agreed that the proposals would encourage walking and cycling in the town centre.”

What happens now?

The council now intends to draw up final designs.

The findings of the third consultation and details about next steps will be presented to North Yorkshire County Council’s executive member for highways and transportation on January 20.

These will include publication of the necessary traffic regulation orders, which is scheduled for February.

In May, executive councillors will consider the outcome of the recent consultations and whether to submit the full business case to West Yorkshire Combined Authority, which would need to be approved to release the funding.

In the event that all approvals for the scheme are received, construction is expected to begin by November.

Read more:

• Council leader faces call to drop £11.2m Harrogate Station Gateway if public oppose it
• Transport chief still ‘committed’ to Harrogate Station Gateway, despite inflation fears

What is the Station Gateway?

The project is one of three in North Yorkshire, and 39 nationally, being mainly funded by the Department for Transport’s Transforming Cities Fund to promote active travel.

North Yorkshire County Council, Harrogate Borough Council and the West `Yorkshire Combined Authority are working together on the scheme, funded by £10.9m of funding from the Government’s Transforming Cities Fund and a £300,000 contribution from Harrogate Borough Council.

North Yorkshire County Council, Harrogate Borough Council and West Yorkshire Combined Authority all support the gateway.

A Harrogate man who has been growing his hair since before the first lockdown in March 2020 is to have it shaved this weekend to raise funds for Saint Michael’s Hospice.

Graeme Fenwick will be left completely bald at The Harlow on College Street in Harrogate, where he and wife Linda will be wearing t-shirts supporting the charity.

Linda has been supporting him and sharing the fundraiser on social media to raise as much money as possible.

She said:

“After some ribbing by family and friends about cutting his hair, he announced he would if I could raise £1,000 for Saint Michael’s Hospice.”

Since then, they have raised more than £1,600 and some donors have promised to attend the event on Saturday to see Mr Fenwick shave his head in person.

A local barber will remove his locks but friends and family will also be able to have a go with the clippers.

Read more:

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• Charity shop to open in Ripon’s former Argos

Saint Michael’s, which provides care to people living with terminal illness and bereavement, is close to the couple’s heart as Ms Fenwick’s dad and other family and friends spent time at its Hornbeam Park hospice.

The pair said they have been overwhelmed by the response they have had on their JustGiving page.

Ms Fenwick told the Stray Ferret:

“We were in a taxi the other night and were talking about it and when we were getting out the taxi driver donated £30 and said it sounded like a good cause.”

To donate to the appeal, click here.

Four teenagers from Harrogate are attempting to lift 700,000 kg in January to raise money for a charity that helps men struggling with mental health.

Francis Brennan, 19, had the idea for the Lift for Life campaign after undergoing his own battle with depression last year.

He and friends Olly Broadhead, 19, Jack Pierce, 19 and Will Hart, 18, have been hitting the gym daily this month and recording their exploits on Instagram and TikTok to raise money and awareness.

The group had already been regular gym attendees and decided the challenge would help their own physical and mental wellbeing as well as the well being of others by promoting fitness. Every time they perform a repetition in the gym, the amount lifted goes towards the target.

They have already smashed their £1,000 for The Baddy Foundation , which was set up by British UFC fighter Paddy ‘the Baddy’ Pimblett and aims to combat the stigma around mental health.

The four young men are continuing with the challenge throughout the month with the goal of raising as much money as possible.

They have been using a variety of gyms in the Harrogate area, including PureGym, Coach, David Lloyd and Energise.

Read more:

• Harrogate’s Leah Galton wins WSL Player of the Month
• Gym offers free Harrogate classes to boost fitness in January

Francis said:

“It is a chance to show how mental illness can affect anyone regardless of their personal situations. Additionally it is a good message to put out in to the world about fitness and the positive impact it has not just on physical health but on so much more.”

Francis’ mum, Louise is one of his biggest supporters.

She said:

“I was so impressed that they had come together to organise the video and to work to raise money for a cause they all feel strongly about. I am really proud that they are going to the gym every day and lifting massive weights.”

You can donate to the groups charity for men’s mental health here.