Decision today on Harrogate Tesco and two major housing schemes

Councillors will decide today whether to allow a new Tesco supermarket and two major housing schemes be built on the outskirts of Harrogate.

Tesco has applied to build a supermarket, petrol station and 209 car parking spaces on the site of the former gasworks off Skipton Road.

Persimmon Homes has submitted plans to erect 162 homes off Kingsley Drive and another developer, Jomast, wants to build 53 homes off Knox Lane in Bilton.

Harrogate Borough Council officers have recommended all three scheme be approved. But the Conservative-controlled planning committee will vote whether to approve or reject each recommendation. They could also defer a decision to request further information.

The meeting, which begins at 2pm, can be watched live on the council’s YouTube page here. People can also watch the meeting at the council offices at Knapping Mount.

The Stray Ferret will also cover the meeting.

Concerns about committee chair

Kingsley Ward Action Group, which campaigns to protect green spaces in the Kingsley area, where several hundred homes are in the process of being built, has written to members of the planning committee expressing concerns about the role of Cllr Rebecca Burnett, who chairs the planning committee.

The action group claims Cllr Burnett, a Conservative who represents Harrogate St Georges, has a “disclosable interest” in Kingsley planning matters, according to the council’s own planning code of good practice, which states members living “close to an application site” should — subject to an exception — declare it and leave the room while the application is discussed. The code says:

“A member who lives close to an application site, will usually have a disclosable interest to declare under the Code of Conduct. This means that, subject to the exception referred to in paragraph 1.5 (ix), they cannot take part in the decision and must declare the interest and leave the meeting room. A member in these circumstances may not stay to listen to such an application even if they are not a member of the committee making the decision. This may also be the case if a relation or friend of the member lives close to the application site or where the relative or friend has submitted the application.”

Cllr Burnett’s address listed on the council website is within about half a mile of the proposed Persimmon site.

The action group is desperate to prevent further development in Kingsley. The Stray Ferret has contacted the council and Cllr Burnett repeatedly to get a response to its claims but has not received a reply on the issue.

As chair, Cllr Bennett had the casting vote in favour of the 30-home Kingsley Farm scheme when the planning committee met last month and was tied 6-6 on whether to approve the scheme.

Read more:

 

Harrogate care home plans to increase to 60 bedrooms

A Harrogate care home has tabled plans to expand and increase the number of bedrooms on its site by 20.

Apley Grange, which is based on Oatlands Drive, has submitted the plans to Harrogate Borough Council.

The move would see the number of bedrooms increased from 40 to 60.

As part of the plan, alterations would be made to three of the buildings on the site. A garage would also be demolished as part of the extension.

The Society of the Holy Child Jesus, which runs the home, said in documents submitted to the council that the move would also create 20 full-time jobs and bring the total number of staff at the facility up to 80.

The society added that the proposals would help to “ensure the viability over the next generation” for the home.

It said:

“The stated catalysts present great opportunity to address the issues in a considered and coordinated fashion to deliver a more integrated and responsive care home to meet current expectations and to maximise the potential afforded by available space.”

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

Read More:

 

Business Breakfast: Three new hires at Masham’s Theakston brewery

The Stray Ferret Business Awards, sponsored by Prosperis, will be held on March 9 at the Pavilions of Harrogate. The event will celebrate success and business excellence across the Harrogate district. It’s a night not to be missed! There’ll be a fabulous prize draw for all attending and Richard Flinton, the incoming Chief Executive of North Yorkshire Council, is guest speaker. You can purchase tickets here.

Masham-based brewery, T&R Theakston, has announced a trio of new hires.

Helen Barrett has joined as a national account executive, whilst Ben Parkinson and Hayley Dodds-Baddon have taken up the roles of sales development manager and Visitor Centre manager respectively.

Helen has previously worked for whisky-brand, Douglas Laing and Co. Her experience equips her to lead on projects in the spirits industry. Theakston’s has recently entered the market with its ‘Theakston Spirit of Old Peculiar’.

In the sales development manager role, Ben Parkinson will be responsible for expanding Theakston’s presence in North Yorkshire and Teeside.

Hayley Dodds-Baddon will work at the Theakston’s Visitor Centre, where she will draw on her skills as a qualified teacher, as well as her career in marketing.

Managing director Simon Theakston, said:

“In 2022 we sought to drive the business forward under difficult trading circumstances and as we move forward in 2023 with further growth plans, I’m delighted to welcome Helen, Ben and Hayley to our team.”

Read more:

 Strive Group boosts employee wellbeing

To promote employee welfare, Strive Group has partnered with Champion Health, a health and wellbeing solution provider.

The Harrogate-based experience and brand agency hopes to benefit from Champion Health’s data-driven approach to employee wellbeing. Its platform works by measuring things like stress-levels and possible low-moods, and offers personalised, targeted solutions.

Director of Strive Group, Alistair Grant, said:

“Partnering the Champion Health is one of our core initiatives to make Strive Group a place to work…

“By championing employee wellbeing, we will be able to retain and attract talent, which will not only benefit every individual but also the company”.

 

Jack Muldoon signs contract extension at Harrogate Town

Harrogate Town forward Jack Muldoon has a signed a contract extension until June 2025.

Muldoon, who signed for Town in 2018, has made 224 appearances for the club, scoring 63 goals and 41 assists.

During his time at Harrogate, the 33-year-old helped the them achieve promotion to the English Football League, lift the FA Trophy and scored the club’s first ever goal in League Two.

The former Fylde forward is among Town’s longest serving players, with only Warren Burrell, George Thomson and Josh Falkingham having been at the club longer.

Now, alongside captain Falkingham, Muldoon has committed his future to Town.

He said:

“I’m delighted to get it over the line and to be able to keep concentrating on keeping the club where it should be in the Football League.

“I’ve been here a long time now through thick and thin, when I first signed I wanted to get the club as high as possible and that aim hasn’t changed.

“We got where we are through attitude and work ethic and we need to all come together now to keep striving forward.

“The club means so much the lads and it’s important that we instill that personality and attitude onto the young lads, I take big pride in that part of my role making sure standards are as high as they have ever been.”

Read more:

 

Harrogate’s St John Fisher school rated ‘good’ by Ofsted

Saint John Fisher Catholic Academy in Harrogate has been rated ‘good’ by Ofsted in a report published today.

Government inspectors visited the secondary school in December last year as part of its first inspection since it was converted to an academy in 2021.

The 1,405-pupil school on Hookstone Drive is now part of Bishop Wheeler Catholic Academy Trust.

Ofsted graded the school as ‘good’ in all areas and praised the “rich set of extra-curricular opportunities”.

It found that pupils who attend St John Fisher left “well equipped for their next step in education, employment or training”.

Inspectors added that pupils behave “considerately and maturely” and “wear their uniforms with pride”.

The report said:

“Their achievements are celebrated in rewards assemblies. However, a minority of pupils think that leaders do not celebrate positive behaviour as much as they could.”

Inspectors said the school had put “careful thought” into its curriculum.

They added that recent staff training had also increased teachers understanding of special educational needs and/or disabilities.

The report said:

“There is an effective programme to deliver reading support to those pupils who need it. Pupils with reading difficulties are identified swiftly. Well-delivered reading sessions build pupils’ reading competence and confidence over time.”

Read more:

However, while inspectors praised the school’s new leaders for bringing “stability” and “expectations” to pupils and staff, they said it needed to do more to involve the community.

Inspectors said:

“A small but significant minority of parents do not feel that communication between school and home is effective. Previous instability in leadership has not helped. Sometimes leaders are slow to respond to parents who raise concerns.

“Over time, some parents of pupils with SEND have not been involved sufficiently in their children’s education. Some parents recognise recent improvements in communication. However, more is needed to include the whole community fully in the school’s improvement journey.”

New chocolate and coffee cafe to open in Harrogate next month

A new chocolate and coffee cafe is to open in Harrogate town centre next month.

The Chocolate Works, which already has cafes in Clitheroe and Skipton, will open on Station Parade.

It will be situated in the vacant unit that was intended to house the ill-fated vegan restaurant Vertigo, which went out of business a year ago before its Harrogate eatery opened.

The Chocolate Works

Signs advertising the new venture on Station Parade have gone up.

Owner Guy Middleton, who opened the Clitheroe store in 2017 followed by Skipton three years later, said the Harrogate cafe will employ about 10 staff and open on March 25.

Mr Middleton, who entered the chocolate business about a decade ago after a career in marketing and communications that included a spell in California, promised the cafe would be “delicious, fresh and fun” in a “space to come and enjoy yourself”.

The Chocolate Works cafes serve predominantly Belgian chocolate dishes, including hot chocolate, as well as loose chocolate that can be taken away.

They also stock a wide range of coffees and speciality teas plus waffles, ice cream and milkshakes.

Read more:

 

Harrogate council refuses plan for 5G mast overlooking the Stray

Harrogate Borough Council has refused plans to erect a 20-metre tall 5G mobile phone mast overlooking the Stray.

5G is the quickest mobile internet connection available and offers up to 20 times faster speeds than 4G. However, the town is currently poorly served by 5G signal, particularly on its southern side.

Reading-based telecoms firm Cignal Infrastructure Ltd hoped to erect a mast at Granby Park, which is adjacent to the section of the Stray by Skipton Road. It said there is an acute need for coverage in the area.

The company reviewed other nearby locations including County Square, Devonshire Place, Sanders Walk and Westmoreland Street but discounted them due to their pavements being too narrow to accommodate the equipment.

It decided the Granby Park location was the best compromise to extend 5G in the area’s “coverage hole”.

But Harrogate Borough Council case officer Emma Howson wrote in her refusal that she had concerns about its visual impact on Harrogate’s much-cherished parkland.

Read more:

Ms Howson said the mast would be “highly visible” from the Stray, as well as on Skipton Road and Claro Road.

The plans received 20 objections, including one from from Harrogate Civic Society. There were no letters of support

Henry Pankhurst, from the civic society, wrote that the plans should be refused due to “a negative visual effect on the conservation area and on the Stray.”

Ms Howson agreed and concluded:

“The public benefits of 5G coverage and capacity have been noted however the harm arising from the impact on the conservation area would substantially outweigh this.”

Meanwhile, plans from Cignal to erect a 15-metre mast outside the Co-op on Otley Road have been approved.

The rollout of 5G has led to fears the frequencies emitted from the masts could be dangerous to humans. But during tests in 2020, regulator Ofcom found “no identifiable risks”.

Rudding Park installs 12 new electric vehicle charging points

Rudding Park in Harrogate has commissioned 12 new electric vehicle charging points as part of a £50,000 investment.

The charging points will be available to the public and will be powered from the Rudding Park Energy Centre.

The hotel and spa teamed up with Yorkshire-based Utley-EV in order to design and install the facilities.

Managers at the hotel and spa said they intend to increase the number of charging points at the site in order to accommodate drivers of electric vehicles.

Matthew Mackaness, Rudding Park director said: 

“As a responsible business it is vital we do our bit and ensure the environment is at the heart of all business decisions.

“The way to give people confidence to switch to electric is to increase the provision of chargers across the district.

“We are therefore delighted to welcome Harrogate residents and visitors to use our EV chargers.”

Mr Mackaness added that the charging points can be activated on a “tap and go” basis, rather than drivers requiring a mobile app to use the facilities.

Meanwhile, Adam Utley, director Utley-EV said:

“As an independent local business like Rudding Park, we are pleased to support them with their EV charge point design and installation roll out and look forward to working with them in the future.”

Read more:

 

Council renames leisure centres in Harrogate, Knaresborough and Pateley

Nidderdale Pool and Leisure Centre in Pateley Bridge has been renamed Nidderdale Leisure and Wellness Centre.

Harrogate Borough Council, which runs the facility, also revealed today The Hydro in Harrogate and Knaresborough Pool will be known as Harrogate Leisure and Wellness Centre and Knaresborough Leisure and Wellness Centre when they re-open.

It is part of a move to rebrand council-run leisure facilities in the Harrogate district with a greater focus on community health and wellbeing.

Mark Tweedie, managing director of Brimhams Active, which is the council-controlled company that operates the facilities, said:

“Through our new pioneering strategy Brimhams has committed to revitalising and reinventing conventional leisure services to focus on what people want and need to optimise their health and wellbeing whatever their starting point.

“Changing the names of our facilities symbolises this, and this investment is another example of the serious commitment to support the communities we serve.”

Signs have been installed at Nidderdale Leisure and Wellness Centre showing the new name.

Nidderdale Leisure and Wellness Centre

The new signage

The rebranding has already started at other facilities in the Harrogate district, including the Jack Laugher Leisure and Wellness Centre, Fairfax Wellbeing Hub, Knaresborough Wellbeing Hub and Jennyfield Styan Wellbeing Hub.

Harrogate Leisure and Wellness Centre and Knaresborough Leisure and Wellness Centre are due to reopen this year after multi-million pound investments.

Read more:

 

Fees waived for Harrogate district street parties to mark coronation

Fees for street parties in the Harrogate district to celebrate the coronation of King Charles III will be waived.

North Yorkshire County Council today confirmed the move, which will encourage celebrations to mark the coronation of the first monarch in 70 years.

The council is waiving the £300 standard street closure fee on residential streets from Saturday, May 6, to Monday, May 8.

Charles III’s coronation will take place on Saturday, May 6, at Westminster Abbey in London, where he will be crowned alongside Camilla, the Queen Consort.

Cllr Keane Duncan, executive councillor of highways at the council, said:

“The coronation of King Charles III will be a momentous event in history, and we recognise that communities across North Yorkshire will want to plan their own celebrations.

“Street parties are always a popular way for people to get together, whether that’s for games or a royal lunch. By waiving the fees, we hope many residents will apply to ensure they have a safe open space to use.”

Anybody wishing to host a street party must apply before March 10. For more information on how to apply, visit the county council website here.

Read More: