A final decision on whether to make the Beech Grove low traffic neighbourhood in Harrogate permanent is looming, according to the new county council highways chief.

Cllr Keane Duncan, who succeeded Don Mackenzie as the executive member for access at North Yorkshire County Council, said a decision was “upcoming” on the closure.

The measure was controversially introduced in February 2021 as a temporary one-year to closure in an effort to encourage walking and cycling.

County council officials later extended the trial until August this year.

Cllr Duncan told the Stray Ferret a decision will be taken in the coming months as to whether it stays or not.

He said:

“There’s an upcoming decision on Beech Grove as to whether it is made permanent or whether it comes out. We can’t really extend it any further on a temporary basis.

“It is either that it is there or it isn’t.”

Cllr Keane Duncan, executive councillor for highways on North Yorkshire County Council.

He added that further consultation would be carried out if the decision to make the closure permanent and seek a traffic regulation order was taken.

Cllr Duncan said:

“For me, with the benefit of the time that it has been in place, it’s about seeing what people think about it now to see if their views have changed.”

Station Gateway

In a wide-ranging interview, the Stray Ferret asked Cllr Duncan about his views on the many multi-million pound highways schemes in the district.

On the £10.9 million Station Gateway project, Cllr Duncan said he was fully supportive of the the scheme.

He added, however, that he was willing to listen to cyclists, businesses and people ahead of the the third round of consultation this year.

Cllr Duncan said:

“I’m personally supportive of that scheme and we are wanting to progress it.

“We are going out to a third round of public consultation to ensure that everyone can have their say and their opinions.

“For me, my test on the ground is what do the local councillors think and feel? They are the representatives of their local community.”

Read more:

• Another consultation to take place on £10.9m Harrogate Station Gateway
• Under-fire infrastructure plans for west Harrogate will cost taxpayers £25,000

Meanwhile, Cllr Duncan said he was keen to press ahead with the second phase of the Otley Road cycle route.

County council officials were due to go out to tender on a construction contract this month with a view to starting work in the autumn.

Cllr Duncan said:

“We are pushing ahead with delivery of the Otley Road scheme.

“It is important to recognise that there is £4.6 million of funding for that scheme. It does connect in with all the other schemes ongoing within Harrogate.

“It is important to not look at every individual location in isolation. We have got to look at how this adds up to the bigger picture.”

‘Getting the balance right’

Cllr Duncan said he felt that that “on the whole” the council was trying to get the balance right on the various schemes across the district.

However, he added that he was aware of concerns over some of the schemes such as the gateway project.

He added:

“It’s about getting that balance right and recognising that at the moment most journeys are via car in and around Harrogate.

“It’s people trying to get to work, people trying to see friends and family and people visiting the town because Harrogate is a major tourist destination.

“We’re trying to encourage where we can for people to use other modes of transport. That’s not always possible, so we have to make sure we get that balanced approach.”

Look out for an in depth profile with Cllr Keane Duncan on the Stray Ferret later this week.

Business Breakfast is sponsored by Harrogate law firm Truth Legal. 

Harrogate-based Cloud Nine sees turnover rise by a third

Well-known hair tool brand, Cloud Nine, is based in Harrogate and has this week reported a rise in turnover of more than a third.

The firm, based at Hornbeam Park, said turnover increased by more than a third to £35.7m for the year ending December 2021.

It also posted an operating profit of £9.9m, a 39 per cent increase on the previous 12 months.

The company employs more than 60 members of staff at its Harrogate headquarters and said the growth was due to significant growth in Australia, new product launches, and global exposure from its Love Island sponsorship deal.

Chief executive, Martin Rae, said:

“This is a very pleasing set of results, which cements our position as one of the world’s leading sellers of hair styling and beauty products.

“Our Australian business, which grew by over 100 per cent on the previous year, plus the launch of several new products has lifted our turnover and profitability. Over the last few years our online growth has been huge, and this remains a major focus area of our business today.”

Read more:

• Borougbridge hotel owner plans £450,000 refurbishment
• Knaresborough barbers celebrates 20 years in business

Networking Event Harrogate

The next The Northern Affinity monthly event is being held in Harrogate for first time at the new Wizu Workspace  this Friday.

The Northern Affinity describes itself as “a partnership of SMEs and businesses in the North of England who collaborate with shared values and beliefs”.

There are a few places left for guests . The event starts at 9am.

For more information click here. 

A court heard today how a suspected murder victim in Harrogate was found wrapped up in a rug in a flat on Mayfield Grove after one of his alleged killers told somebody nearby, “I killed a man”.

Vitalijus Koreiva, 36, and Jaroslaw Rutowicz, 38, are accused of murdering Gracijus Balciauskas on December 20 last year.

The trial at Leeds Crown Court, which began today and is due to last for 10 days, tracked the movements of the three men on CCTV.

The court heard a witness statement from an employee at Asda on Bower Road, who found an agitated Mr Rutowicz sitting on a wall by the supermarket on the evening when Mr Balciauskas died.

The employee said Mr Rutowicz appeared to have been drinking and told her “I think I’ve killed a man.”

The court was also played a recording of a 999 call from Mr Rutowicz that took place when he was outside Asda that evening. He told a call handler: “The guy, he’s dead. No, it was an accident. We drink something.”

Two police officers then met Mr Rutowicz at Asda who then walked with him to Mayfield Grove.

Inside, they found Mr Balciauskas wrapped in a rug dead. Mr Rutowicz, of no fixed address, and Mr Koreiva, of Mayfield Grove, were then arrested on suspicion of murder.

Timeline of events

Detective Constable Christopher Williams, from North Yorkshire Police, was cross-examined by prosecuting solicitor Katherine Robinson who went through a timeline of events that led to the arrest.

CCTV captured the last time Mr Balciauskas was seen alive when he went to the Polish shop next door to the flat at 1pm on December 19.

Mr Rutowicz was seen later that evening collecting a pizza takeaway and returning to the property.

In the early hours of the following morning, Mr Koreiva was seen on CCTV pacing around the property before going back inside. At around 3am the pair were seen buying bottles of alcohol and returning.

The next day, Mr Koreiva was filmed visiting the Polish shop next door in his dressing gown and Mr Rutowicz was seen buying more alcohol using the bank card of the suspected victim.

Videos on phone

This morning the court were shown films retrieved from Mr Rutowicz’s phone, timestamped at 5am and 7am on December 20.

They showed Mr Balciauskas still alive but beaten with bruises all over his hands and face whilst inside the Mayfield Grove flat.

The videos showed the two men attempting to give Mr Balciauskas cigarettes and something to drink.

Police later retrieved a photo of the victim taken at 12.04pm that day where he was apparently dead and wrapped in a rug.

More alcohol

An hour before the videos of Mr Balciauskas beaten but still alive were filmed, Mr Rutowicz and Mr Koreiva were seen on CCTV ordering a taxi to Pannal’s BP petrol station to buy more alcohol before returning to the property.

Mr Rutowicz was seen leaving Mayfield Grove at around 10am the next day to buy more alcohol. He was again seen using Mr Balciauskas’s bank card to buy more alcohol at 2pm.

At around 11pm, Mr Rutowicz was captured on CCTV leaving the flat to go to Asda on Bower Street when the 999 call took place.

Arresting officer PC Joseph Horne gave a statement to the court that said Mr Rutowicz was crying and talking on the way to the police station.

PC Horne said:

“I couldn’t understand what he was saying because of his thick accent. When in custody he said ‘It was an accident, my brother is dead I will show you how he did it’.”

The trial continues tomorrow.

North Yorkshire County Council’s finance boss has said the new unitary local authority is facing a possible black hole of close to £50 million a year.

Cllr Gareth Dadd, executive member for finance at the county council, said the situation was largely due to deficits it will inherit from district councils and high inflation.

Cllr Dadd said it was far too early for the authority, which will come into existence on April 1 next year, to be considering service cutbacks.

Due to the range of uncertainties facing the authority including the ongoing impact of covid, he likened setting the council’s budgets to “trying to juggle two bowls of jelly”.

He was speaking at a meeting of the Conservative-led authority’s executive where a move to top up a fund to cover the costs of local government reorganisation to £38 million was approved.

Although he did not estimate the total structural deficits that the seven second tier authorities, including Harrogate Borough Council, would have accumulated by the time the new council is launched in April, he said it was believed it would be “substantial”.

Read more:

• Under-fire infrastructure plans for west Harrogate will cost taxpayers £25,000
• 13 complaints against Harrogate district councillors this year

However, it has been estimated the combined ongoing deficits of the district and borough councils could be in the region of £10 million.

In addition, ahead of the recent increasing inflation rate the county authority had been prepared to cover a deficit of up to £20 million.

With inflationary pressures, which include the council’s gas and electricity bill rising by some £3m, it is believed the total deficit could nearly reach £50 million.

Cllr Dadd told today’s meeting: 

“That is a frightening figure, but nonetheless, I think we are right to raise that at this stage.”

‘Higher uncertainty and risk’

An officer’s report to the meeting said: 

“As further savings are required the schemes to achieve these will become more challenging and inevitably contain a higher level of uncertainty and risk. Therefore, it is imperative that delivery of each saving is closely monitored.

“As well as direct costs, higher inflation will feed into increased charges from suppliers and put pressure on wage levels for our own workforce and the wider supply chain. 

“Effective budgetary control will remain critically important in the coming year but this alone is unlikely to be able to stave off unanticipated price increases in delivering the range of council services. 

“This is, of course, at the same time as undertaking key work in transitioning to the new unitary council.”

Cllr Dadd said while the authority had been successful in cutting costs during austerity, it would never be complacent about sound financial management.

The meeting heard the county council’s business case for local government reorganisation had provided for a £252 million saving over a five-year period after £38 million in costs were taken off.

Cllr Dadd said he would be astounded if all of the £38 million was needed for the reorganisation.

The Harrogate Bus Company has reported a 25% increase in customers on the first day of the rail strike.

However, Harrogate taxi drivers have said today “feels like a Sunday” with little trade.

Today’s rail strike left many commuters having to make alternative arrangements.

A spokesman for Harrogate Bus Company said it had anticipated a surge in demand. He added:

“So far, we have carried 25% more customers on the 36 compared to a normal Tuesday.

“All of our buses have ran, including a number of extra 36 buses around rush hour from Harrogate and Leeds to ensure our customers can travel comfortably and rely on us during this time.”

The 36 bus to Leeds.

By contrast, business has been slow at the taxi rank opposite Harrogate train station.

Paul McMahon, who runs PM Taxis, said:

“It’s been exceptionally quiet. Whether people have made alternative plans or booked the day off, i don’t know.”

Mr McMahon said he had been on the rank opposite the station since 6am in case people whose trains weren’t running needed a ride. But little trade had transpired, he added.

“Today feels like a Sunday. I expected to be busier.”

Richard Fieldman, who owns A1 Cars, said he too had been quiet.

But he added he had two jobs booked tomorrow at Thirsk station, which he suspected were for commuters who were affected by the strike.

Read more:

• No trains in Harrogate and Knaresborough as strike begins
• ‘We just want to make a living’ Harrogate cabbies hit out at new rules

The Harrogate and Knaresborough line is due to operate a limited service tomorrow before the strike resumes on Thursday.

But with six days of disruption expected, rail operator Northern is advising customers to seek alternative travel arrangements.

Harrogate train station this morning.

Two key planning documents which have been hit by delays and dismay ahead of a huge urban expansion in west Harrogate will cost taxpayers £25,000, it has been revealed.

The West Harrogate Parameters Plan and a delivery strategy set out how the area’s infrastructure and services will cope with 4,000 new homes.

They have been produced by Harrogate Borough Council, which has worked with North Yorkshire County Council, housing developers and consultancy firm Hyas.

After being forced to defend the plan and announcing delays for the delivery strategy, the borough council has now confirmed Hyas will be paid £25,000.

The council also said the delivery strategy will be signed off in autumn – more than two-and-a half years after a government inspector ordered the creation of the plans.

David Siddans, secretary of Harlow and Pannal Ash Residents Association, said he has been frustrated by the “snail-like progress” of the plans and that he has “little confidence” they will address concerns over areas including traffic congestion which is already a major problem.

He said:

“We are concerned that reorganisation of local government, lack of money and pressure from developers will force developments through with inadequate infrastructure, leaving the community to pick up the pieces.

“At the very least the combination of the parameters plan and infrastructure delivery schedule should address the massive growth on the western edge and go some way to mitigating against existing problems.

“In other words things should be no worse.

“We remain unconvinced that this will be the case.”

Read more:

• Key planning document delayed for west Harrogate residents facing 4,000 new homes
• Harrogate fuel station breaks £2 a litre threshold for diesel

Howard West, chairman of Pannal and Burn Bridge Parish Council, said:

“It remains to be seen whether the £25.000 spent will prove cost-effective.

“As all matters have been handled without serious interim consultation with stakeholders, we won’t even know if Hyas’s recommendations have been followed.”

Once complete, both the delivery strategy and parameters plan will be used together to shape decisions on how west Harrogate will cope with 2,500 new homes – although as many as 4,000 properties are set to be built in the wider area by 2035.

There are proposals for two new primary schools and four playing pitches, as well as two new local centres for shops and health services.

Land has also been designated for other businesses, as well as new cycle lanes, footpaths and bus routes.

As part of the delivery strategy, a review of existing infrastructure is being carried out ahead of the document being published in draft form during a public consultation.

A Harrogate Borough Council spokesperson described Hyas as a “specialist town planning, master planning and place-making consultancy” firm which was commissioned “based on their experience of other complex development schemes”.

The council spokesperson said.

“The cost of this specialist consultancy is £25,000,

“The West Harrogate Infrastructure Delivery Strategy document is part of their commission and is a joint piece of work – in collaboration with the borough council, county council and promoters – to provide the long term co-ordination of infrastructure across the west Harrogate sites.

“The document will be signed-off in the autumn as it requires the input from a piece of work regarding transport mitigation which won’t be concluded until then.”

For the first time ever it now costs over £2 a litre to fill up with diesel at a fuel station in Harrogate.

A photo taken outside Texaco on Skipton Road reveals it is the place in the town to have broken the £2 barrier for diesel, with others in Harrogate, Knaresborough and Ripon heading in the same direction.

Prices at the pump are rising due to increases in the cost of crude oil, which is used to make petrol and diesel.

Diesel in particular has jumped sharply over the last few days. Trade publication Rigzone blames the Russian invasion of Ukraine for a shortage of barrels across Europe this week.

This week’s rail strikes will also see more commuters using their cars which will increase demand and could push up prices.

This month it was announced that it now costs over £100 to fill up a 55-litre family car, which motoring body RAC called a “truly dark day” for motorists.

Read more:

• Petrol station in Harrogate district has joint most expensive fuel in country

• No trains in Harrogate and Knaresborough as strike begins

Where is the cheapest place to fill up?

The website PetrolPrices publishes up-to-date fuel prices at sites across the country.

It says the cheapest place to fill up in Harrogate is at Asda where it’s currently 182.7p per litre of petrol and 190.7p for diesel.

In Knaresborough, it is Co-op Manse Road where petrol costs 188.9 per litre and diesel is 191.1p.

In Ripon petrol is cheapest at BP where it currently costs 188.9p per litre. Esso is the cheapest for diesel at 192.9p per litre.

How has the rise in fuel affected you or your business? email contact@thestrayferret.co.uk 

This year, 13 complaints were made against Harrogate district councillors and only one councillor was found to have breached code of conduct rules.

The councillors have featured in a Harrogate Borough Council report which details how the complaints made during 2021/22 were investigated and dealt with.

This was councillor Pat Marsh, leader of the opposition Liberal Democrat group, whose comments secretly recorded during a conversion with a resident amounted to an “unwarranted personal attack” on other councillors, council officers and Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones.

That is according to a separate report, which concluded that Cllr Marsh “had not treated others with respect”.

Cllr Marsh, who represents the Hookstone ward, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that a complaints panel hearing held in January was “not fairly balanced” because it was made up of two Conservative councillors and one Ripon Independent.

She also said she had a right of freedom of speech and that her comments were “not harmful or disrespectful”.

However, the report concluded that “whilst freedom of speech is important for elected members, there is a need for council to ensure that they do not undermine trust and confidence with ill-judged and inappropriate statements”.

All other councillors involved in the 13 complaints are not named because they are “treated confidentially” unless a panel hearing is held, the council said.

Bullying allegation

There were 11 complaints where a monitoring officer and independent person ruled that investigations were not needed. This included allegations of bullying by a parish councillor.

The report said there had been “historical and ongoing difference of views” between two members of the parish council and that another investigation was “unlikely to resolve the situation”.

A separate complaint alleged that a borough councillor tried to “cajole” the borough council’s planning committee by reading a pre-prepared speech at a meeting.

However, the monitoring officer and independent person ruled that this was “not a cause for concern as it merely demonstrates that a councillor has prepared for the meeting and marshalled their thoughts and arguments”.

Read more:

• Online meetings during covid saved council £4m
• Did 120,000 visitors attend Harrogate council’s jubilee events?

Another complaint claimed that a borough councillor adopted an “unhelpful and obstructive approach” by failing to answer questions during a public consultation.

But this complaint was also not referred for an investigation.

Accusations of lying formed the basis of one complaint which involved a parish councillor who allegedly distributed leaflets containing “inaccurate and misleading information” about a planning application.

This complaint was also closed after a conclusion that there was “no evidence” to support the claims.

The world-famous Band of the Grenadier Guards has performed with young musicians in Harrogate.

The band joined schoolchildren from across North Yorkshire for a concert on Friday to mark the Queen’s platinum jubilee.

People cheered and waved flags as the military band – famous for its scarlet tunics and bearskin hats — made a grand entrance at Harrogate Convention Centre, playing the traditional British Grenadiers marching song.

The concert, which was organised by North Yorkshire County Council’s school music service, featured about 350 pupils.

Pupils playing at the concert.

Trumpet player George Hirst, one of the Grenadier Guards taking part, is a former North Yorkshire student who was a member of some of the music service’s ensembles.

The Band of the Grenadier Guards’ history dates back more than 300 years and played a key role in this month’s jubilee parade in London.

They are taking part in celebratory concerts across the country this year and North Yorkshire’s school music service’s request for the band to join the concert was accepted.

Read more:

• Grenadier Guards band coming to Harrogate
• Ofsted praise for Harrogate school that ‘turns around’ teenagers’ lives

Ian Bangay, head of North Yorkshire county music service, said the event was a “huge success”, adding;

“The children really entered into the spirit of the event, waving their flags and cheering as the band marched in.

“They sang well and the musicians from the music centres performed superbly.”

“The guards were fantastic, interacting with our children throughout the day. They were happy to talk about their roles and even let the children try on their bearskins and have pictures taken with them. It was a great end to an enormous amount of work put in by music service staff and the teachers at the schools taking part.

“We are hoping to continue our relationship with the guards and are looking in to taking the county youth big band down to London to rehearse with them and watch changing of the guard.”

The evening featured popular music from each decade of the Queen’s reign.

The Band of the Grenadier Guards performed Crown Imperial, music from West Side Story, Symphony by Clean Bandit and rounded off the evening with Pomp and Circumstance by Edward Elgar and the National Anthem.

New plans submitted for 35 homes in Harrogate’s Crimple Valley

A new planning application has been submitted for 35 homes in the Crimple Valley to the south of Harrogate.

The outline application is for 14 affordable homes, seven first homes and 14 self or custom build plots at Almsford Bank Stables.

The site, which lies to the east of the A61 at the foot of Almsford Bank, is currently used for equestrian purposes, with stabling and barns.

Supporting information in the application said:

“It is proposed that the site will be developed for residential use through a combination of terraced cottages, semi-detached and detached dwellings.

“The density of the site has been determined to reflect the pattern of development throughout the surrounding area but also taking into account a variety of dwelling sizes in order to serve local demand.

“It is intended that the new dwellings will vary in height, making use of the existing contours and reflecting the density of the residential context to the north whilst allowing the edges of the development to take on a more rural scale.

“The use of traditional building materials – local sandstone and slate will help to reflect the local vernacular buildings and help soften the visual impact of the new development.”

The application includes information about the provision for self and custom build (SCB) homes, which it argues are in short supply in the Harrogate district.

It is the third application to build housing on the site, and is the first time the suggestion of SCB homes has been put forward.

The first proposal, in 2018, was for 65 homes and was withdrawn after 132 objections were submitted by members of the public.

The Almsford Bank site, outlined in red, is less than half of the area owned by the applicants.

In 2019, plans for 35 homes were submitted, including 21 open market houses and 14 affordable homes.

That application attracted more than 100 comments from members of the public, none of whom supported the plans. Many cited concerns about access to the site from a fast and busy road, as well as objecting to the development on land designated a special landscape area in the local plan.

The proposal was again withdrawn.

Read more:

• Consultation on bid to join bridleways in Harrogate’s Crimple Valley
• Key planning document delayed for west Harrogate residents facing 4,000 new homes

All three applications have been put forward by Square Feet Ltd, whose registered address is on nearby Fulwith Mill Lane, and Antela Developments Ltd, two of whose three directors also live on Fulwith Mill Lane.

The new application said:

“The applicant’s ownership extends to an area of approximately 10 hectares. However, the development area extends to 4.4 hectares as a result of the parts of the site which are not considered to be suitable for development including woodland areas, land with steep gradients, flood zone areas and areas which are sensitive to change due to impact on openness and landscape value.

“The site has historically been in equestrian use with associated farmland, barns and stables. Development is only proposed on the northern part of the site, with the southern part of the site providing a significant landscaped area which will remain open.”

To view or comment on the plans, visit the Harrogate Borough Council planning website and use reference 22/02233/OUTMAJ.

A date for the application to be decided by the council has yet to be set.