Business Breakfast: Experienced solicitor returns to Harrogate law firm

Business Breakfast is sponsored by Harrogate law firm Truth Legal

A Harrogate law firm has welcomed back an experienced conveyancing solicitor to the company.

Liz Webster has returned to LCF Law, where she last worked in 2012.

She said:

“Having started out as a legal executive more than 24 years ago, I worked at firms in Wakefield, Leeds and Bradford before qualifying as a solicitor in 2007 and then becoming a partner at the Wakefield-based firm where I started out.

“I have taken two career breaks to travel and worked for LCF Residential in between but having settled back in Yorkshire, I was keen to return to the firm permanently. The ethos at LCF Residential is unparalleled and the team are first-rate.”

Julie Davis, a director at LCF Residential, said:

“We are thrilled to have Liz back. Despite the ever-changing political landscape, the housing market has remained buoyant, with lots of transactions.”

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Harrogate company reaches supply agreement with Romanian security firm

A Harrogate communications firm has reached an agreement with a Romanian security company to supply telephone and workplace technology.

Storm, which is based at Cardale Park, has announced the partnership with Civitas Group, which works with major oil, gas and petrochemicals companies in the country.

The Harrogate-based firm will supply Civitas with workforce management and communications technology, including radio phones known as Push-to-Talk over Cellular.

Luke Wilkinson, founding director of Storm, said:

“We are delighted to be partnering with Civitas Group, a long established and highly respected provider of security services to blue chip clients and their interests across Romania and its fast-growing economy.

“Our agreement represents a new customer and new region for Storm and is another sign of increasing market confidence in the strength and resilience of our world-leading technologies.”

Stray Ferret Christmas Appeal hits £5,000 target in less than a week

There’s been an overwhelming response to the Stray Ferret’s Christmas Appeal for local food charity, Resurrected Bites.

Our target of £5,000 was reached over the weekend – less than a week after we launched the appeal. Public donations now stand at £7,638.

With Harrogate firm Techbuyer generously match funding the first £5,000 of public donations – it means our overall total is now £12,638.

Many of the donations have been given anonymously so whoever you are, we would like to thank you and everyone else who has generously given money in these difficult economic times.

THANK YOU!

But we keep going. As we have a few weeks to go before the appeal ends at midnight on Christmas Eve, we have now raised the overall target to £20,000.

This would give Resurrected Bites almost three months of operating costs, as each month costs the charity a minimum of £7,500 to run the cafes and grocery stores. If you want to know more about the charity please read the stories below.

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Michelle Hayes of Resurrected Bites says to hit the target so quickly is amazing:

“I am blown away by the generosity of so many people who have got the total to £7,558 in under a week. This equates to a month’s basic operating costs and with Techbuyer’s amazing donation of 5k match funding on top, we are heading towards covering our costs for two months. We have a lot of anonymous donors and so I have not been able to thank them directly but please know that every penny means so much.

I know there was a significant amount of anxiety amongst some of our service users when they saw the headline that Res Bites might close and I said at the time, I was determined to ensure we wouldn’t close as we know so many rely on our services.

In the same way that we need to talk about mental health more, we also need to talk about food poverty more..I hope these articles [on the Stray Ferret] help to end the stigma and encourage more people to come forward for help as we don’t want anyone to go hungry.”

Please don’t let anyone go hungry this Christmas — Resurrected Bites needs your support.

The more money raised, the more people it can feed at a time of rising demand for its services.

Thank you again. To donate click here. 

 

Man fined for breaching Harrogate council order over scrap cars

A man has been fined for breaching an enforcement notice by storing scrap cars at a Harrogate district farm without permission.

Malcolm Grange, 67, of White Wall Farm in Felliscliffe, was found to have breached the order which was first issued to him in May 2016.

Harrogate Borough Council ordered Grange to stop using the land for the storage of external vehicles, vehicle parts and tyres without planning permission.

The 67-year-old appeared before Harrogate Magistrates Court on November 28 charged with breaching the order between July 27 and September 3, 2021.

He was fined £480, ordered to pay costs of £2,700 and a victim surcharge of £48.

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Grange, who was convicted for a similar offence in 2012 by the Environment Agency, had initially appealed the order to the government’s Planning Inspectorate.

However, planning inspector John Braithwaite ruled in favour of the borough council.

He said:

“Evidence indicates that the land was in use for the storage of vehicles, vehicle parts and tyres on the date of issue of the enforcement notice.”

Hampsthwaite school completes £270,000 upgrade

A village school near Harrogate has completed a £270,000 upgrade.

Hampsthwaite Church of England Primary School was built by public subscription in 1861 and now has 142 pupils and a nursery. It is part of the multi-academy Yorkshire Causeway Schools Trust, which includes St Aidan’s Church of England High School and a number of other Church of England and community schools in the district.

Since Amy Ross became headteacher in September 2019 the elegant stone building, which originally comprised a schoolroom with classroom, and master’s house, has been further extended and modernised.

It now has an early years foundation stage outdoor area, a perimeter fence, a main school entrance and school office, a link lobby which prevents classrooms being a thoroughfare that disrupted learning and a staff room.

Hampsthwaite school

The new staffroom and link lobby.

The £270,000 refurbishment was paid for by a combination of section 106 infrastructure funding from housing developers along with school and trust funds

Ms Ross said:

“We are delighted to have completed this next stage of our journey at Hampsthwaite which has further enhanced our facilities for the benefit of children, families and our passionate, dedicated and exceptionally talented staff team.”

“With fantastic support from Yorkshire Causeway Schools Trust we have been able to achieve such a huge amount in a short space of time, and all of this despite covid.

“Completing the build also highlighted what a wonderful school community we have. Parents donated furniture, including a sofa and coffee tables for the staffroom and Graham Sanderson Interiors (Harrogate) made us some beautiful new blinds for the main office and for the staff room, which will be treasured for decades to come. I feel privileged and proud to be a part of this community.”

Jo Stott, the school business manager, said:

“Following the addition of a further classroom in recent years, the school had been lacking in facilities to support this extra provision, in particular to ensure a suitable entrance into school and also in providing staff room facilities.

“The improvements made to school make a huge difference in the day-to-day operations and will without doubt help Hampsthwaite School continue to thrive.”

New Tesco supermarket would threaten future of Jennyfields Co-op, warns report

Two of the largest retailers in the country are locked in a battle over the location of a potential new Tesco supermarket in Harrogate.

Last December, Tesco submitted plans to Harrogate Borough Council for its first major supermarket in the town.

The store, off Skipton Road on the site of an old gasworks, would be 38,795 square feet and include a petrol station, 200 car parking spaces and electric vehicle charging points. Tesco says 100 jobs would be created.

Tesco argues the supermarket is needed due to the proliferation of new housing around Skipton Road and towards Killinghall.

However, less than a mile away is the Co-op, which has been attached to Jennyfield Local Centre since 1980. The Co-op claims a new Tesco would lure shoppers and damage takings.

Harrogate Borough Council commissioned consultants Nexus Planning to examine how the new Tesco would impact on the local centre.

This is because key to the Co-op’s argument is a policy in Harrogate Borough Council’s Harrogate district Local Plan 2014-35, which says development must not “lead to a significant adverse impact” of local centres, such as the one in Jennyfields.

Artist impression of how the Tesco will look on Skipton Road.

If it can be successfully argued Tesco would harm the centre it could give the council grounds to refuse the application.

Jennyfield Local Centre was built in the late 1970s to support the growing community on the estate and it includes a small shopping precinct and the Stone Beck pub.

The Nexus report said the new Tesco, and to a much lesser extent the new Lidl on Knaresborough Road, could divert as much as 38% of trade away from the Co-op.

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The report adds that such an impact on the centre’s anchor tenant would, in turn, threaten the future of the whole local centre.

It said:

“In light of [The Co-op’s] well-below benchmark average turnover, its importance in anchoring the local centre and the potential future loss in turnover should the Tesco food store proceed, we have significant concerns in respect of the future vitality and viability of Jennyfield Local Centre as a result of the proposal.”

Tesco’s response

Tesco consultants, MRRP strongly disputed the claim the Co-op would be at risk of closure from the new supermarket, arguing that it is likely to lose just 5% of its regular trade after residents from new housing developments are taken into account.

It said the Co-op and local facilities in Jennyfields would be boosted by the hundreds of new homes that are set to be built in the area. It added:

“In these circumstances, there is not considered to be any threat of closure in relation to the Co-op, none has been asserted by its consultants, or that there is a real risk of other shop units falling vacant.”

MRRP also disputed Nexus’s claim that the Co-op acts as an anchor tenant for the local centre. It said most people visit only to shop and do not use its other units. Two are currently empty and the other is a charity shop.

On November 22, a letter sent by Louise Ford, Tesco’s town planning manager, to the council said it was “disappointed” the two consultants could not agree on the potential impact of the new store.

Ms Ford pledged that Tesco would open a mini supermarket in Jennyfield Local Centre if the Co-op closed within five years of the new Skipton Road supermarket opening.

She said:

“If the Co-op does close within five years of the Tesco store opening and remains vacant for more than six months, then Tesco would use reasonable endeavours to open a convenience format store within Jennyfield Local Centre.”

Starbeck woman, 67, takes on swimming charity challenge

A Starbeck woman is set to take on a 50-length swim in aid of a children’s cancer charity.

Carol Bland, who is 67 and has chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, arthritis and fibromyalgia, aims to raise funds for Candelighters, which helped her after her 12-year-old daughter Faye died.

Faye had leukaemia and passed away in 1991.

Carol said the Leeds-based charity helped the family during the two years her daughter was ill.

She said:

“The Candlelighters did a lot for us as a family for the two years that Faye was ill. They also provided us with a free caravan at Primrose Valley after we lost her.”

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The 67-year-old now wants to thank the charity for their help and is planning a 50-length swim at Starbeck Pool.

She will take on the challenge on her birthday and is asking for donations instead of presents.

Carol added:

“I’m not in the best of health anymore and can’t participate in the walks or runs so I decided that for my birthday on December 17 instead of presents I would ask for sponsorship to do a 50-length swim of Starbeck Pool.”

For more information about Candlelighters and to donate to Carol’s swimming challenge, visit the donations page here.

Asylum seekers begin volunteering projects in Harrogate district

Asylum seekers from countries including Iran and Syria have been taking part in a conservation project in the Harrogate district.

The participants have no right to work in the UK while their asylum claims are assessed so they undertook volunteering at Nether Timble Farm, Swinsty to get exercise and regain a sense of purpose.

Those taking part are skilled workers, such as software programmers, digger drivers, electricians and farmers, in their own countries.

Abdul Aziz, Hysni Latif, Ali Reza, Imran and Salih from Syria, Iran, Turkey and Sudan took part in coppicing work at the farm with Josh and Rowan from Leeds Coppice Workers.

Coppicing is a traditional method of woodland rejuvenation that is both productive and good for nature. The group worked hard creating a number of coppice products, including stakes and weaving rods for hedge-laying and bean poles for the garden.

The scheme is part of Nidderdale AONB’s farming in protected landscapes funded project. It is the first of six outings planned to take place throughout the next year. Future visits will offer opportunities to take part in hedge-laying, dry-stone walling, as well as visits to working farms.

Matt Trevelyan, farming in protected landscapes officer at Nidderdale AONB, said:

“Being outdoors is proven to boost mental and physical well-being, and the group really appreciated the day out in the AONB, which despite being a rather grey day in November saw the sun peek out from behind the clouds — the landscape looked its moody best!”

Plan to create six flats above former Harrogate Orvis store

Plans have been lodged to create six new flats above the former Orvis store in Harrogate.

The proposal lodged by York-based Balance Planning Solution Ltd on behalf of Andrew Farrar would see the upper floors of the unit on West Park converted for housing.

Orvis closed its doors back in April after 25 years of trading in the town.

The plan would see part of the ground floor unit converted for access to the apartments, along with an entrance to the back of the building next to the Coach House flats on Robert Street.

It would see a mixture of one bedroom and two bedroom apartments created.

The developer said in documents submitted to Harrogate Borough Council that the plan would not include any extension of the building.

It said:

“It is considered that the proposed scheme responds to the constraints of the site, planning policy constraints and its heritage context and should fall within the parameters of acceptable development.”

Harrogate Borough Council will make a decision on the plan at a later date.

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Business Breakfast: Harrogate marketing agency get sore feet for mental health charity

Business Breakfast is sponsored by Harrogate law firm Truth Legal

A team from Harrogate marketing agency, Big Bamboo, has raised more than £2,500 for the mental health charity, Mind.

Staff completed the 23-mile-long Harrogate Ringway trek and also walked barefoot across red-hot embers on the Leeds Mind firewalk.

Some of the bolder members of the group spent a hour training and then walked across the red-hot embers.  The company said the challenge was more mental than a physical, and  felt it was an appropriate way to raise money for a mental health charity.

Jen Winterschladen, Operations Director at The Big Bamboo Agency, said:

“We are thrilled to have exceeded our fundraising target for this year, raising £2,572 for Mind…

“..The fundraising challenges we undertook emphasised the importance of mental health: walking in the countryside around Harrogate took us away from our screens and gave us a chance to have a proper talk, while the firewalk was a lesson in the power of the mind and believing you can do anything you put your mind to.

“We felt Mind was a truly fitting charity to support, and we look forward to supporting another amazing charity in 2023.”

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ASE Computer Services Ltd is to sponsor the Digital Innovation category at the Stray Ferret Awards 2023.

The award ceremony on March 9 at the Pavilions of Harrogate will recognise excellence in a wide range of business practices with 10 coveted awards.  The judging panel comprises some of the most influential business leaders in the district.

Chris Dickinson Managing District ASE said:

“As an IT consultancy with support services, ASE works in a wholly the digital space. We’re delighted to sponsor the Digital Innovation category in the Stray Ferret Business Awards 2023.

“Technology moves so fast that keeping up and making it bring benefits to a business can seem daunting.  We’re here to help with that.

“So celebrating and sharing digital best practice, new ideas and creativity is something we are very interested in promoting, both for our clients and the wider Harrogate business community “

Entries are open now until mid January. Put your business or team forward for an award that recognises their achievements.

Stray Views: Valley Gardens boating pool should remain for boats

Stray Views is a weekly column giving you the chance to have your say on issues affecting the Harrogate district. It is an opinion column and does not reflect the views of the Stray Ferret. Send your views to letters@thestrayferret.co.uk.

Valley Gardens boating pool is for boats

May I quote from my book Souvenir Guide to the Valley Gardens in relation to Fountain v Model Yachts.

The Valley Gardens grew from an ancient footpath that linked the Old Sulphur Well beneath the Royal Pump Room with the mineral wells on Bogs Field. During the nineteenth century, the walk was embellished with planting. At this time, there were paths either side of the stream which incorporated ponds, fountains and a rock garden.

The boating pool was built as a children’s paddling pool in 1925. Over time its use changed from a children’s paddling pool to the Boating Pool.

The boating pool should be left for boats and the Fountain should be where it used to be in the stream not far from the Magnesia Well where it was much admired.

Anne Smith, Harrogate

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Government should take climate crisis seriously with flexible planning laws

I confess to being disappointed with the performance of the government of late – a fiasco on many levels, I’d say. I would not have been able to continue to keep my reputation and run a business for the twenty years I did had I acted in the manner of our representatives.

However, putting that aside, I want to do something – for myself – to mitigate the risks associated with the current crises of climate change, energy pricing and the cost of living but seem to be being blocked at every turn.

You see, I’m lucky enough to live in a conservation area – not that it had that designation when I bought the property over thirty years ago. In addition, in the late 1990’s, I bought a derelict barn at the bottom of my garden that was originally part of a farm. The developer building houses on the site of the farm was intending to demolish the barn (which is over 100 years old) and build a garage for the new builds, three expensive new properties. 

To cut a long story short, we purchased the barn, repaired the walls and roof, then made it into habitable accommodation and connected it to our bungalow for my mother-in-law to move into as she had some health issues, made worse by the loss of her husband. This work was completed in 2000.

For energy efficiency reasons, I’d like to fit good quality uPVC doors & windows (which are almost indistinguishable from wood) in the barn and have applied twice to change the original planning permission which stipulated wood was to be used – the last time going to appeal. Permission was refused. The bungalow attached to the barn already has uPVC windows, as do many other properties in the conservation area, and the barn windows are not visible from the road.

What I am asking is that our governments decides what they want to do. We can live in a pretty country with quaint houses we can’t afford to heat – generating higher levels of CO2 – and be unable to do anything about it or we can take the crises we face seriously and allow some flexibility in the planning process – face the problems head-on.

The front of my house faces south and I’d be willing to install, at my cost, solar panels and an energy storage system but, this requires planning permission with the associated cost and hassle; some applications have been refused because it spoils the look of the village – which has to be nonsense in light of the current crises.

I’d like our governments to decide what they want. The energy crisis is fundamentally of our own making –  don’t tell me it is a world problem, out of our hands; nonsense – it isn’t. We should never have done the dash-for-gas – generating electricity from gas; had we refrained, we’d still be self-sufficient in natural gas. This isn’t hindsight; as a Fellow of the IET, I have given numerous talks on climate change – warning of the dangers for decades – and I am on record as saying that we should not be generating electricity with gas. The reasoning, gas can be delivered to the home for burning at 90% efficiency. This drops to 30 or 40% (at best) if it is delivered as electricity. If I’m generous I’d say we have wasted 60% of the gas we used in electricity generation.

We’ve screwed up, and the current Conservatives must take some of the blame – they’ve been in power for long enough. What we need is vision; the government isn’t leading but has been forced to act by the (inevitable) rise of the evil empire and its invasion of Ukraine. What it has done is too little and too late. We all need to rise to the challenge. We can achieve more but what is currently being done is green-washing and simply not enough. Governments local and national must remove the roadblocks and let us be accountable for solving the problem ourselves. Give me the chance.

Paul Smith, Staveley

Do you have an opinion on the Harrogate district? Email us at letters@thestrayferret.co.uk. Please include your name and approximate location details. Limit your letters to 350 words. We reserve the right to edit letters.