Local Harrogate News & Views around the district - Page 655 of 1289

Harrogate hospital told to reduce 18 month waiting list to zero patients

NHS bosses have set a target for no patient to be waiting 18 months for surgery at Harrogate District Hospital.

Officials at NHS England have told Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the hospital, that its waiting lists of more than 78 weeks should be brought down by the end of March.

Currently, the trust has 120 patients waiting more than a year and a half to have an operation.

The figure has gradually fallen since April 2022, when 205 people were waiting 18 months or more for surgery.

The number of patients waiting for an operation at Harrogate District Hospital since April 2022. Data: HDFT.

However, the number of patients waiting 52 weeks or more still stands at 1,299 people, an increase on the figure of 1,187 last April.

A spokesperson for Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust said:

“During the Covid-19 pandemic there was a risk of the NHS being overwhelmed with the number of patients seriously unwell with the virus. Protecting the NHS became a top priority and to ensure there was hospital capacity to cope with the pandemic, and to protect patients and staff, non-urgent routine hospital treatment was postponed.

“Since we emerged from the pandemic, a key focus for the NHS has been to reduce waiting lists, with a particular focus on those waiting longest for planned care, and to eliminate waits of over 104 weeks by March 2022 and 78 weeks by April 2023.

“Elective (planned) care is planned treatment at our hospital involving specialist clinical care or surgery, following a referral by a GP or health professional. It can refer to elective admission, outpatient appointments and diagnostic services, and relate to many conditions to improve the quality of life of a patient, to help them psychologically, or extend their life – for example cataract surgery, hip replacement, physiotherapy, or reconstructive surgery.

“Our teams have been doing extraordinary work to reduce waiting times and to see patients as soon as possible despite the ongoing difficulties that Covid-19 has caused. They have worked hard to add additional clinics, scans and operations; as well as adapting pathways and using technology to improve our offer to patients.”

Last year, the trust’s board approved an increase in capacity at the hospital to help deal with the long waiting list.

The £14 million project will see two additional operating theatres, two procedure rooms and a 12-bed ward for patients who require extended stays in care built on the site.

The trust also hopes the project will help to “future proof” the hospital for a growth in population and changes in demographic in the district.

North Yorkshire Police using lie detector tests to target sex offenders

North Yorkshire Police is using lie detector tests to target suspected and convicted sex offenders across the county.

At a public accountability meeting of the North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner this afternoon, the force’s head of safeguarding, Heather Whorriskey, revealed officers have used a polygraph test 87 times since it first started using the equipment in October 2020.

The tests work by measuring how a person responds to certain questions, such as if their blood pressure rises or if they get sweaty palms, to detect traits associated with lying.

However, the tests are controversial as they are not 100% accurate and the results can’t be used as evidence in the courts.

After a guest on ITV’s Jeremy Kyle Show died after reportedly failing a lie detector test, MPs in 2019 criticised the producers after they admitted they did not know how reliable their lie detector tests were.

Detective Superintendent Whorriskey said NYP uses the tests before a suspect is charged to investigate if they have been in communication with children using a device.

The tests are also used on “lower-level” people on the sexual offenders register to understand the risk they might pose to the public.

However, Det Supt Whorriskey said many people about to take these test reveal things before it starts as they “realise their answers are likely to give away some untruths.”

She said:

“It’s used quite significantly whenever offenders are using communication devices to assess whether or not they have engaged in further communication with children. We’re able to use that to prioritise those devices for examination within our digital forensic unit.”

Det Supt Whorriskey said the use of polygraph tests is increasing and will be used 13 times in the next three weeks alone. She added:

“It identifies unknown risks and offences we would not have known about without having used the equipment. It’s absolutely value for money.”

‘No suspicious circumstances’ in sudden death in Harrogate, police say

North Yorkshire Police has said there were “no suspicious circumstances” in the sudden death of a 77-year-old woman in Bilton this week.

The woman, who has not been named, died in a flat at Dene Park on Monday afternoon.

A 76-year-old man was arrested and later released under investigation.

Police were present at the scene from Monday afternoon until last night.

Police were at the scene until last night.

In an update this afternoon, police said:

“The investigation into the sudden death of a 77-year-old woman at a flat on Dene Park in Harrogate on Monday afternoon has confirmed there were no suspicious circumstances.

“The 76-year-old man arrested in connection with the investigation has been released without charge with no further action to be taken.

“The scene has been stood down at the address and a report has been sent to the coroner.”

Campaigners call for North Yorkshire Council to embrace proportional representation

Campaigners are calling on North Yorkshire Council to become the first local authority in England to reject the first-past-the-post electoral system.

Cllr Chris Aldred, a Liberal Democrat representing High Harrogate, has proposed a notice of motion calling on the council to press the UK government to enable proportional representation to be used for general, local and mayoral elections.

Executive members of the unitary council’s forerunner, North Yorkshire County Council, will consider Cllr Aldred’s proposal next month.

The move comes two months after Richmondshire District Council resolved to lobby the government to “end minority rule” after members highlighted how proportional representation systems were already being used to elect the parliaments and assemblies of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

North Yorkshire-based campaign groups, including Compass, say while the first-past-the-post system originated when land-owning aristocrats dominated parliament and voting was restricted to property-owning men, proportional representation would ensure all votes count, have equal value, and those seats won match votes cast.

They say with MPs and councillors better reflecting their communities, there would be improved decision-making, wider participation and increased levels of ownership of decisions taken.

Electoral campaigners say given the volume of votes which have effectively been ignored at County Hall, the “relatively weak electoral accountability” of the authority has an impact on public procurement, as, without sufficient critical oversight, costs can spiral out of control.

Campaigners highlight that at the last general election just 41% of the votes in North Yorkshire constituencies were for Conservative candidates but under the first-past-the-post system the Tories secured all seven seats.

Campaigner Georgie Sale said while numerous councils were considering the issue, North Yorkshire’s council should show leadership and embrace a fair and modern voting system.

She said:

“People are looking for their politicians to do things that are honest, right and fair and we have got a new unitary council and the opportunity to do something different.

“The bigger the variety of people you have got thinking about a problem, the better the solution you come to. People from different perspectives can bring a fresh set of eyes and new ideas to the table, so it has got to be for the good of us all.

“You could have knocked me down with a feather when it was approved by Richmondshire council and I am optimistic we might get this through at North Yorkshire, but even if we don’t this time, I feel that door is now ready to be pushed.”

Council approves Northern Energy plan to move from Hampsthwaite

Harrogate Borough Council has approved plans for Northern Energy to relocate to Marton-cum-Grafton.

The company is currently based In Hampsthwaite and has had its headquarters in the village for more than half a century.

However, officials at Northern Energy tabled a proposal to the council in February 2021 to move to Limebar Lane, one kilometre from the village of Marton-cum-Grafton and next to the A168.

The plans include 10,000 square feet of office space, a vehicle depot, LPG and oil storage tanks and a new car park.

In documents submitted to the council, the company said it had outgrown its current site.

“Such is the success of the business, the company have now outgrown their current premises on the edge of Hampsthwaite.

“Indeed, the location of the facility, some distance from the local highway network, and the absence of oil and fuel storage capacity on site is now beginning to hinder the business.”

The proposed Northern Energy site off the A168 as submitted to Harrogate Borough Council in planning documents.

The firm, which has an annual turnover of £27 million, supplies more than 50 million litres of oil and liquid petroleum gas across the UK each year.

However, the proposals were met with strong objections from local parish councils.

Both authorities said the development is inappropriate and would have “unacceptable consequences”, such as loss of agricultural land, increase in traffic and the proximity of the site to local residents.

Arkendale, Coneythorpe and Clareton Parish Council wrote to the council to object in “the strongest terms”.

It said:

“The other consequence is of course that valuable agricultural land will be lost.

“Such land is increasingly being lost to development and for us to be as sustainable as a nation we need to preserve our agricultural capacity rather than rely on importing foodstuffs from abroad.”

Meanwhile, Marton-cum-Grafton added in its response that the development was “not of exceptional quality” and “does not enhance its immediate setting nor is it sensitive to the defining characteristics of the local area”.

Business Breakfast: Ripon company invests £500,000 in new manufacturing machinery

The Stray Ferret Business Awards will be held on March 9 at the Pavilions of Harrogate. The event will be a celebratory night with prize draw and afterparty.

Richard Flinton, the chief executive of the new North Yorkshire Council is the guest speaker. Early bird ticket prices are available until February 9 and available to buy here. Bring your team, network and have fun.

A Ripon company has invested £500,000 in new machinery to improve its manufacturing base.

Econ Engineering invested money into new Bystronic Xpert Pro press brakes, which are used for bending sheet metal.

The two new acquisitions, one of which is a 2500KN 3.1m machine, the other a 3200KN 4.3m machine, means the firm will be able to press materials up to a length of 7.4 metres.

This latest investment comes on the back of the family-owned and run business – which makes more than eight out of 10 winter maintenance vehicles on the UK’s roads – purchasing a £250,000 welding robot and the opening of a £7m engineering facility in Sowerby, Thirsk, which has now become home to Econ’s 1,000-strong gritter hire fleet.

Jonathan Lupton, Econ Engineering’s managing director, said:

“The purchase of these two new press brakes is a further demonstration of our commitment to investing in new technology within our manufacturing process.

“The opening of Sowerby has given us more space within our Ripon headquarters to accommodate the press brakes and the laser cutter, which help to boost efficiency and reduce waste.

“One of our strengths is being able to adapt our products to a customer’s individual specification, and this technical advancement will enhance our ability to craft each vehicle to meet their exacting needs.”

Harrogate developer starts work on £4.5m business park

Artist’s impression of the Marrtree Business Park, Clifton Moor, York.

A Harrogate developer has started work on a £4.5 million new business park in York.

The 2.4 acre park will be built on the site of the former B&M store at Clifton Moor in the city.

Marrtree Investments is constructing the scheme, which will create a 27,000 sq ft of modern business space across four units ranging from 4,000 sq ft to 8,000 sq ft, as well as a Starbucks drive-through café.

William Marshall, director of Marrtree Investments, said:

“We are really pleased to be bringing more of the high-quality modern business space, for which Marrtree has become well known, to York.

“Since the pandemic, well-thought-out, ergonomic workplaces, where people actively want to come to work each day, have become more important than ever and that’s what we aim to deliver with all our business parks and the kind of space that is in short supply for York employers.”

The new units are due to be completed in the autumn.

Harrogate-based HACS construction group has been appointed as main contractor for the construction of the business park.

Man, 76, arrested after ‘unexplained death’ of woman in Harrogate

North Yorkshire Police is investigating the “sudden and unexplained death” of a 77-year-old woman at a flat in Harrogate.

Officers were called to the property on Dene Park in Bilton at 2.49pm on Monday this week. Enquiries at the flat are still ongoing.

A 76-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the sudden death inquiry and released under investigation.

A police statement today added:

“At this stage, the cause of death remains unexplained.

“Anyone with information that could assist the investigation is urged to make a report via the North Yorkshire Police website or by calling 101, option 1, and speak to the Force Control Room.

“If you would prefer to remain anonymous, contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.

Please quote refence number 12230013571 when providing details.”

Harrogate’s Otley Road cycleway: next phase looks set to be shelved

The second phase of Harrogate’s Otley Road cycleway looks set to be scrapped in the face of continued hostility towards the scheme.

The results of a consultation on options for phase two of the project are due to be released within days.

But Cllr Keane Duncan, executive member for highways and transportation at North Yorkshire County Council, said none of the three options put forward had been well received and he was asking “serious questions” about whether to proceed. He said:

“None of the options have found significant favour with members of the public, including pedestrians and cyclists – the exact people this infrastructure is supposed to benefit. That for me is quite striking.

“If we’ve got pedestrians and cyclists, who are supposed to be the intended users of this infrastructure, saying to us ‘please think again’ that does not fill me with reassurance that we are looking at this in the right way so I’m very reluctant for us to repeat some of the issues that have arisen in phase one again with phase two.”

Phase one of the scheme, between Harlow Moor Road and Cold Bath Road, finished a year ago. The value of the contract was £827,000.

Some of the cycle path is shared with pedestrians.

It was widely criticised for the way the cycle path zigzags between the highway and shared paths with pedestrians. Rene Dziabas, chairman of Harlow and Pannal Ash Residents’ Association, described it as like “crazy golf construction”.

Cllr Duncan said phase two would face the same challenges: the road’s narrow width, protected trees and Stray land and therefore would not be fully segregated or compliant with current government recommendations for cycle infrastructure design.

However, there is still a chance the third phase, leading up to Cardale Park, could proceed.

He said:

“We get hit over the head all the time for schemes that are not compliant. This isn’t. So I want to look seriously at ‘have we looked at this in the round and is there any alternative option that we might need to look at?’. Is this going to achieve the benefits for active travel which it is intended to?

“I am more than prepared for us to deliver active travel schemes in the face of opposition. They are never going to be universally popular.

“But what I’m not prepared to do is to deliver an active travel scheme for the sake of delivering an active travel scheme, that the intended beneficiaries — walkers and cyclists — are saying to me, ‘please think again, this doesn’t make sense and we are not going to use it’.”

Was it a mistake to start?

Asked whether the scheme, which dates back well before Cllr Duncan took up his post last year, was a mistake, he replied:

“I don’t know all the various considerations that went into the proposals. Where things maybe went wrong is that we tried to get the mixture of segregated where we could and shared use where that wasn’t possible. That has led to quite a disjointed cycle route.

“I’m reflecting on that feedback and certainly where there have been problems – and it’s fair to say problems have been created with phase one – I would not want on my watch to repeat those same mistakes.”

Cllr Duncan said funding for the scheme was secured from the government’s National Productivity Investment Fund, which has to be spent on easing congestion in western Harrogate rather than specifically on cycle schemes and if the Otley Road project does not go ahead it would continue to be used for this purpose.

Tomorrow Keane Duncan gives an update on the Harrogate Station Gateway and on Saturday we will publish a full interview in which he talks about Harrogate district transport schemes.

Harrogate train passengers braced for further strikes next week

Train passengers in the Harrogate district are set for two days with no services next week due to strike action.

Members of train drivers’ union the Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen (ASLEF) are set to walk out on Wednesday and Friday in a dispute over pay and conditions.

Northern, which operates services between Leeds and York, has confirmed no trains will run on the days of strike action.

The company has also urged passengers not to travel as no rail replacement services will be operated.

It said in a statement:

“There will be no rail replacement buses on strike days for Northern services and some Northern stations may be closed or have reduced hours due to the limited staffing and services.

“Advanced tickets have been withdrawn from sale for strike day.”

The operator added that some services on the day after strikes may be also be affected.

Meanwhile, LNER, which runs services to London King’s Cross from Harrogate, said it would be running a limited timetable on the days of strike action and urged passengers to check their journeys before travelling.

Union bosses said the planned walkouts were a result of a pay proposal made by train operators which it said could not be accepted as it represented a “real terms pay cut” amid soaring inflation.

Mick Whelan, general secretary of ASLEF, said:

“The proposal is not and could not ever be acceptable but we are willing to engage in further discussions within the process that we previously agreed.”

Besides train drivers, teachers, nurses and ambulance workers are all set to strike in the Harrogate district in the next two weeks.

Harrogate mum launches group for neurodiverse children and their parents

A Harrogate mum who set up a play and support group for neurodiverse children and their parents says the response has been “incredible”.

Emily Yeates, whose three-year-old daughter Elsie is non-verbal and still awaiting a formal autism diagnosis, launched Neurodiverse Stay & Play to provide parents with a supportive environment and a chance to swap experiences.

Emily said:

“Being the parent of a non-neurotypical child can be quite isolating. Elsie can go from being calm one moment to having a meltdown the next. All people see is a ‘naughty child’, but actually, Elsie just doesn’t understand.

“Birthday parties, meals out, and even soft-play areas have all become difficult – they’re too loud, there are too many people, or too many restrictions – so we don’t tend to take her to them any more.

“It got to the point where I was isolating myself so much that I was struggling, and I wanted to find other parents in the same position.”

The group held its first session on Saturday, and more are planned in the coming weeks. The two-hour-long events take place at Oatlands Community Centre and will initially be free; from April it will cost £4 a session, but remain free for members of local community network myLifePool.

Parents and children enjoying food and drink at the first Neuropdiverse Stay & Play session in Oatlands Community Centre in Harrogate.

Parents and children at the first Neurodiverse Stay & Play session enjoyed food and drink sponsored by The Harrogate Dog Walking and Pet Company.

Emily said:

“Our first session was fully booked, and the feedback has been incredible. The Harrogate Dog Walking & Pet Company very generously sponsored the food and drink, and we’ve been contacted by speech and language therapists and even by North Yorkshire County Council about grants. It just goes to show how much this is needed in Harrogate.

“We offer an environment where there’s no judgement – if your child kicks off, we get it! – and where parents can just chat and offer each other moral support and understanding.”

The next sessions run by Neurodiverse Stay & Play will take place at Oatlands Community Centre on:

Tuesday, February 10 – 10-12 noon
Saturday, February 25 – 2-4pm
Thursday, March 9 – 10-12 noon
Sunday, March 19 – 10-12 noon

To book in for a session, go to the Events page at myLifePool.

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Harrogate developer starts work on £4.5m business park

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Was it a mistake to start?

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