Liz Truss breezes into Harrogate on campaign trail

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss breezed into Harrogate today as part of her campaign to be the next Prime Minister.

Local Conservative Party members paid £10 to take part in an Ask Liz event at a private house on the Duchy estate. Attendees didn’t receive the address until this morning.

Those who arrived early made the most of the sunshine by sitting on a wall in front of the property, many dressed in their finest attire.

One woman said Ms Truss had “come across very well” at a recent hustings in Leeds, another said she was there to “see what she’s got to say”.

And there were mutterings that there was no support from MPs in the district, including Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones and Skipton and Ripon MP  Julian Smith. Both are backing rival leadership candidate Rishi Sunak, the former Chancellor of the Exchequer.

Instead Alec Shelbrooke, MP for Elmet and Rothwell, hosted Ms Truss’s visit. He could be seen with other prominent members of the party waiting at the large black metal gates to greet Ms Truss.

Graham Swift

Graham Swift thanks people for attending.

Harrogate Borough Council deputy leader Graham Swift, who the house is believed to belong to, was also spotted at the event.

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Stickers and signs emblazoned with the words ‘In Liz we Truss’ and ‘Liz for Leader’ were given out to visitors, as they were directed to a garden at the back of the house.

The press weren’t invited to attend, however the Stray Ferret captured a video of Ms Truss arriving in a black Range Rover, before she was whisked into the property by security, which included the Metropolitan Police.

Although the event was billed for 90 minutes, Ms Truss left after about 30 minutes and then made a fleeting visit to Harrogate town centre.

Liz Truss leaving the venue with her security entourage.

After a walk up Montpellier Parade, she was shown the sights of the Stray and the town’s war memorial, which was surrounded by people enjoying the 25 degree heat.

From there, the leadership hopeful headed into Bettys Tea Rooms armed with her entourage, before swiftly leaving to head down Parliament Street.

Liz Truss

Passing the queue at Bettys. Pic: The Stray Ferret

With that she was gone on to the next leg of her campaign to defeat Sunak when party members vote to choose the next leader.

The result of the race to replace Boris Johnson will be announced on September 5.

‘Big change’ to tree lighting on Harrogate’s Stray

New lights are being installed on some of the trees on the Stray in Harrogate.

The existing lighting along Montpellier Hill, West Park and York Place is set to be replaced.

The new lighting will be modelled on recently installed lighting in Valley Gardens, where the lights are wrapped around the trunk rather than strung through the branches.

Harrogate Borough Council said in a statement today that the new system “should result in better resistance to the weather and fewer repair requirements through the season”. It added:

“More than 40 trees will each have around 100m of lights that will be a mixture of bright white, warm white and coloured, to produce a beautiful array of colour across the town during the autumn and winter months.”

The new lights have started to be installed this week following approval from Councillor Sam Gibbs, the cabinet member for environment, waste reduction and recycling.

Councillor Gibbs said:

“The Stray is such an iconic landmark for Harrogate and throughout the year attracts thousands of visitors.

“We’re often complimented on the existing lighting, but it can be difficult to manage due to lights getting blown around, hanging down and becoming dangerous.

“The replacement project will be a big change compared to the current display and should continue to bring a smile to people’s faces as they travel through the town in the evening.”

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Ripon Leisure Centre ground works will cost £3.5 million

Ground stability work at Ripon Leisure Centre is set to cost £3.5 million and cause further delays for a refurbishment project which is already over budget and more than a year overdue.

The costs have been revealed in a Harrogate Borough Council report, which said the project now won’t be completed until spring 2024.

The centre’s new swimming pool opened this year, but plans for a larger gym and exercise studios have been delayed after underground voids were discovered beneath the older half of the site which was built in 1995.

Engineering firm Stantec carried out ground investigations over winter and has now proposed remedial works, which will cost the council £3.5 million and mean parts of the centre are closed for at least 10 months from November.

Jack Laugher Leisure and Wellness Centre

A temporary gym in the venue’s car park has also been proposed and will cost an additional £300,000, while the new swimming pool will remain open throughout.

A report to a meeting of the council’s cabinet next week said the authority had made “every effort to provide an accurate estimate” of the costs, but added these could rise further once the ground stability works begin.

The report also said:

“It is appropriate and timely to undertake the remedial works now.

“The consulting engineer has previously stated that in their professional opinion a do-nothing approach is unacceptable from a public safety perspective.

“By undertaking the works, which also include installing post works monitoring equipment, the council will ensure that it has put into place adequate mitigation to address the risks.”

‘Deep concerns’ before building began

A decision to build the new swimming pool next to the existing leisure centre was made in 2019 despite some councillors raising “deep concerns” over ground stability issues at the site where a sinkhole opened up the previous year.

The council continually insisted that professional advice made it clear that the site is “safe to use” before it awarded a £10 million contract for the project to construction firm Wilmott Dixon in 2020.

Since then, a further £4.5 million has been set aside by the council after the discovery of the underground voids and other issues which delayed the opening of the new swimming pool.

This extra money does not include the ground stability works or temporary gym costs revealed this week.

If approved by cabinet members, the ground stability works will start in December and end next summer before checks are carried out and a monitoring system is installed.

The refurbishment works would then start after this, with completion in spring 2024.

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Harrogate squash player James Willstrop wins Commonwealth gold

Harrogate squash player James Willstrop has won another Commonwealth Games gold medal — a week before his 39th birthday.

Willstrop, who won gold in the singles at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Australia and is a former world number one, won the doubles in Birmingham yesterday with partner Declan James.

He had earlier finished fourth in the singles.

Willstrop told the Stray Ferret the intensity of the last few days had been immense and he was delighted with the outcome.

He said lockdown had enabled him to reset and focus on competing at another Commonwealth Games at a stage in his career when he thought it might not happen again.

The event, he added, was the highest profile squash competition in the world even though the World Championships featured all the leading players.

Willstrop grew up in Pontefract but lives in Harrogate with his partner Vanessa Atkinson, who is a former professional squash player.

He plays at Harlow Hill Squash and Sports Club and Harrogate Sports and Fitness Centre.

Willstrop now plans to travel to America for some coaching and training camps before having a holiday and deciding what to do next. He said:

“I’ll see how my body reacts and if it’s in good shape I might play a bit longer on the tour.”

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Police identify man after alleged voyeurism in Harrogate

Police have identified a man they issued an appeal to find following alleged voyeurism in Harrogate town centre.

The alleged incident happened inside a shop on Cambridge Street on July 15.

North Yorkshire Police issued a CCTV image on August 9 of a man officers wanted to speak to in connection with the investigation.

But on August 18 the force said:

“Following our CCTV appeal in relation to an alleged incident of voyeurism in Harrogate on the 15 July 2022, the man we wanted to speak to has now been identified and is helping officers with their enquiries.”

We have consequently amended this article and removed the CCTV image.

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Ukrainian who fled to Harrogate sets up vodka and sunflower oil business

A Ukrainian entrepreneur has moved to Harrogate and launched a vodka and sunflower oil import business.

Fedir Haidai undertook a 14-day journey across Europe with his wife Katya and three-year-old son Misha after finding a sponsor family in Harrogate through the Homes for Ukraine scheme.

He said:

“I was on a business trip to Kherson in February when we heard that Russia was assembling soldiers, tanks and military equipment around 100km away. I spoke to my wife in Kyiv and said we must go now.

“She left work, picked up our son from nursery and a few belongings from home. We crossed into Moldova where we were able to stay with friends. A few hours later we watched on TV as the invasion started.

“My parents are still in Ukraine and I am afraid for them.”

Mr Haidai was forced to abandon two businesses that employed 30 people in Kyiv.

His outdoor paving tile manufacturing company was destroyed by Russian attacks. A second company that imports central heating pipes became unsustainable because his main supplier was based in Russian ally Belarus.

He has now joined the North Yorkshire branch of the Institute of Directors to forge new connections and support as he restarts his business journey.

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Three months after arriving in the UK, he has three new ventures.

Sunflower Ltd – named after the Ukrainian national flower – will import Ukrainian sunflower oil, which Mr Haidai will market under the Holla Oils brand.

He is also to import Hetman-branded vodka. Lviv-based Hetman is one of the largest producers of alcoholic drinks in Ukraine, with a history dating back to 1782.

He plans to sell the products through online, physical retail and the hospitality trade.

A third business will help to relocate IT experts from Ukraine to safe European locations.

Mr Haidai said:

“The main thing is that we are safe but we don’t have any savings so I need to set up in business here.

“I know how to organise a company and build relationships with suppliers and clients. My idea is to import products from the west of Ukraine, where it is safer. There is a need for sunflower oil here and significant demand for Ukranian vodka.”

Harrogate ‘like a Harry Potter film’

Mr Haidai has faced challenges in setting up his business – not least finding a bank prepared to open a business account for him – but doors are now beginning to open.

“I need a lot of money to import vodka due to alcohol duty but I have found some people who want to help me,” he said.

“I am surprised and happy that so many local people want to help us in different ways. People are so open and friendly. We have been introduced to so many new people.”

Mr Haidai has been joined in Harrogate by his sister and 17-year-old niece, who have also found a sponsor home in the town. He said:

“My first impression of Harrogate was it looked like a Harry Potter film, with all the old buildings.”

 

Temperatures to soar to 30 degrees – but no weather warning for Harrogate district

Temperatures are set to soar close to 30 degrees in the next few days — but today’s extreme heat warning does not include the Harrogate district.

The Met Office has issued a four-day amber extreme heat warning for much of southern and central England from Thursday.

The warning, which predicts temperatures of up to 35C, extends north as far as Leeds.

Although the Harrogate district is not included, it is still set to be very warm for the rest of the week.

The Met office is forecasting temperatures of 29 degrees centigrade in Boroughbridge tomorrow, with the rest of the district a degree or two cooler.

Temperatures are not expected to fall until Monday to Tuesday next week when there could be thunderstorms.

Many farmers are praying for rain.

Yorkshire Water said today average stocks in its reservoirs were 51% last week, which is around 20% less than usual for this time of year.

https://twitter.com/metoffice/status/1556941086316236800

 

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Harrogate’s James Street to get 17-bedroom aparthotel

A developer has submitted plans to convert the upper floors of a Harrogate town centre building into an aparthotel.

Leeds-based Countrylarge has tabled the plans to create the 17-bedroom scheme on the floors above a new Oliver Bonas store on James Street.

The site was previously occupied by Harrogate Discount Store, which closed in January.

London-based operator, Beyond, has been brought in to run to the aparthotel, if plans are approved.

Antony Rosindale from Countrylarge, which owns the unit, said:

“This planning application will complete the transformation of the building and bring economic benefits to the town centre.

“It is a great way to fully utilise the whole building and we are very excited to have Beyond operating it for us.

“Our aim is to get started as soon as we can, and we already have a contractor lined up to complete the conversion.”

James Fry, founder of Beyond added: 

“Harrogate is a fantastic place and we are thrilled at bringing our sustainable, carbon neutral operating model to the town.

“This building is ideally placed so people can enjoy everything that Harrogate has to offer.”

The conversion the upper floors into the aparthotel will start as soon as possible, if planning permission is granted.

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

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Plans approved to convert 53 Bo Grove into two flats

Plans have been approved to convert part of the former 53 Bo Grove antiques boutique and cafe into two flats.

The bohemian business on Grove Road in Harrogate closed in December 2021 after more than two years of business.

It became a hub for residents during the early coronavirus lockdowns by remaining open to sell food at a time when many supermarkets were struggling for stock.

Now, a plan to convert part of the building into two flats has been given the go-ahead.

The proposal has been lodged by Architecture One Eight Ltd on behalf of David Birtles.

A planning statement tabled to Harrogate Borough Council from the developers said the proposal would help to bring the building back into use.

It said:

“The existing buildings have fallen into disrepair and are having a negative impact on the adjacent conservation area.”

A separate proposal to convert another part of the building into three flats was refused over concerns that the scheme “would not provide adequate natural light” into rooms in the flats.

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Business Breakfast: Former trainee appointed director at Harrogate manufacturing firm

Business Breakfast is sponsored by Harrogate law firm Truth Legal. 

A long-serving employee has been appointed to the board of directors of a Harrogate firm.

Phil Robinson has become the application and training director at Belzona, a designer and manufacturer of polymer repair and protection systems.

Mr Robinson, pictured, joined the firm as a trainee project manager in 2007 and will now be responsible for identifying opportunities to expand Belzona’s work in engineering industries including wind power, hydro power and waste-to-energy.

He said:

“Belzona is a fantastic place to work; it has provided me with an incredible number of opportunities over the years and I’m delighted to be occupying this new role.

“Belzona is incredibly well placed to help resolve so many of the issues faced in industry worldwide and I”m looking forward to doing my part in ensuring that potential is realised.”

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Pitches bring pet and prisoner experience client wins to Harrogate agency

A digital marketing firm in Harrogate is celebrating two new client wins after competitive pitches.

Extreme will deliver paid and organic social media for Alcotraz, described as a “prison-style cocktail experience” which sees guests smuggling “moonshine” past guards.

Meanwhile, the team has also been commissioned to rebrand the pet arm of P Dot Wolf and deliver a new website.

The company, based in Harrogate’s Windsor House on Cornwall Road, was established 20 years ago and already works with a number of national and international B2B and B2C brands.

James Brunyard, client services director at Extreme, said:

“These wins are a great representation of the diverse work we do at Extreme. We’re really excited to help both businesses meet their varied aims with our social media and brand expertise and early results for Alcotraz show we’re able to do that.”