‘We just want to make a living’: Harrogate cabbies hit out at new rules

A group of over 100 taxi drivers has said it feels unfairly targeted by Harrogate Borough Council after the authority agreed new licencing conditions that include suspending drivers who get seven penalty points for speeding.

The conditions also stipulate drivers must keep taxi plates on their vehicles even when they are not working and they must attend mandatory training courses.

The council has said the changes are “reasonable” and will improve safety for passengers but cabbies argue the policies are draconian and will put good drivers out of work.

Several drivers the Stray Ferret spoke to today on Harrogate’s taxi rank on Station Parade said the new conditions were the last thing they needed after a tough couple of years due to covid and spiralling fuel costs.

Currently drivers face a suspension if they tot up 12 points for speeding.

‘Totally out of order’

Dave Goodall, a taxi driver at Blueline, called the new conditions “upsetting” and “totally out of order”.

He said drivers could easily rack up thousands of miles a month and were faced with an ever-increasing number of hidden mobile speed vans around the Harrogate district, as well as cameras in nearby cities such as Leeds, York and Bradford.

He said:

“To have this put on us, on top of everything else, it’s a bit too much.”

Mr Goodall said cabbies often had difficult customers who were drunk, high on drugs or had mental health issues, which could distract drivers and result in them inadvertently going over the speed limit.

He added:

“If someone is caught doing 70mph in a 30mph zone, yes, they should be reprimanded.

“But to say if you get seven points you could be suspended, we think that’s totally out of order. With the best will in the world it’s so easy to get points sometimes. 

“There are drivers who are on six points now who are very, very nervous. They are not bad drivers.”

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Musa Ebzao, a Hackney cab driver in Harrogate, said covid had already led to an exodus of drivers in the town. He fears the changes would put off new drivers from joining.

He said:

“We are fighting for our businesses. There’s a shortage of drivers already and a lot of lads will leave the trade. It’s the Harrogate people who will suffer.”

United front

A letter objecting to the new conditions has been signed by over 100 drivers and it will be delivered to Harrogate Borough Council’s civic centre next week.

The drivers are putting on a united front, with signatures from drivers at all the large firms, such as Blueline, Mainline and Central as well as smaller companies and private hire drivers.

They said they have not ruled out legal action or protests, like those seen in Leeds over similar proposals, in the future.

Council’s response

The proposal to suspend taxi drivers who receive penalty points has been put forward by the Department for Transport. However, it does not specify how many points a taxi driver can get before their licence is revoked.

In Harrogate, drivers will still be given the chance to argue their case and give reasons why their licence should not be revoked.

A council spokesperson said:

“The safety of customers using taxis is paramount.

“Seven penalty points issued for motoring offences is consistent with proposals for City of York and the West Yorkshire authorities and is recommended in national guidance.

“Taxi drivers’ licences are reviewed on an individual basis when points accumulate. And while the policy specifies seven points, an opportunity is given to the driver to put their side and reasons why their licence should not be revoked.

“Once a vehicle is licensed it is always a licensed vehicle and the law does not permit drivers to take licence plates off. It cannot sometimes be a private vehicle and sometimes be a licensed vehicle at the driver’s choice. And by ensuring a valid licence plate is secured and displayed at all times it allows the public to identify the vehicle as licenced by the local authority, and prevents it being stolen and used by others.”

Harrogate walkers highlight shared cycling routes and footpath concerns

A Harrogate walking group has called for public footpaths to be protected from new housing developments.

It is among a new set of proposals issued by the Harrogate Group of the Ramblers’ Association to promote walking in Harrogate and Knaresborough.

The group has suggested that developers should be required to include wide and well-lit public footpaths in all new housing areas and, if possible, link paths with nearby rights of way to provide direct and easy access into the countryside.

It also highlighted how one footpath in Killinghall, which has just reopened after four years of ‘temporary closure’, was an example of “a source of particular concern”. Temporary closure of public rights of way through building sites of new development should be restricted to a minimum amount of time necessary, the group urges.

The proposals, which have been sent to newly elected local councillors at North Yorkshire County Council, also say plans to convert footpaths and footways to shared use with cyclists should be considered on a case by case basis in order “to achieve an outcome that is not detrimental to the interests of walkers and pedestrians”.

This follows concerns about the impact of the new Otley Road cycle path in Harrogate, which includes shared access between walkers and cyclists.

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The letter to councillors says:

“At a time when both walking and cycling are being promoted both locally and nationally as desirable activities, it is particularly important that the needs and interests of the extensive walking and pedestrian community are taken into serious consideration and not just taken for granted.

“Walking is a particularly desirable activity to protect and promote, both for its benefits to the health and wellbeing of people of a very wide range of ages, including the elderly, and for its contribution to the reduction of air pollution by replacing the use of the car for many local journeys. “

Public meeting next week over future of Woodfield school

A public meeting will be held next week over the future of Woodfield Community Primary School in Bilton.

North Yorkshire County Council (NYCC) has vowed it will take parents’ views into consideration as part of a consultation over a possible closure of the school.

The authority has now confirmed the closure would take effect from December 31 this year.

It has announced three options for future school allocations: the Woodfield catchment area could become part of that of Grove Road or Bilton Grange primary schools, or it could be split or shared between the two other schools.

The meeting will take place at Woodfield school on Wednesday at 6pm.

Cllr Annabel Wilkinson, member for education and skills at NYCC, said:

“Woodfield Community Primary School governors, together with North Yorkshire County Council, have worked extremely hard to find a solution which would see the school remain open but, sadly, this has not produced any viable options.

“During the consultation we will listen to parents’ views; we will also review the opinions of other groups involved with the school. Everyone will be given the opportunity to contribute.”

NYCC said it would welcome any views on its proposals, or alternative plans being put forward. All contributions will be part of a formal review which will be considered by the council’s executive before a final decision is made.

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News about the consultation over the proposed closure was announced last month, ending months of speculation about the school’s future.

It followed its last Ofsted report labelling the school ‘inadequate’ in January 2020. Woodfield was then forced to try to find an academy to join.

Governors were in negotiations with nearby Grove Road Community Primary School, but a planned amalgamation to take effect from September fell through this year.

Woodfield’s governors said they had “exhausted all options” and were left with no choice but to consult over the closure.

Woodfield School parentsParents have protested to keep the school open.

As well as attending the meeting on Wednesday evening, parents can take part in the consultation on the council’s website.

Part of the consultation will include asking parents of current pupils to state their preference for an alternative school for their children to attend, either following any decision to close Woodfield, or sooner if they prefer.

A council spokesperson said:

“The overall intention will be to ensure fairness around the school transfer process in the event that a decision is ultimately taken to close the school.

“It will allow the local authority to apply consideration of admissions criteria to each request and avoid allocating places on a first-come, first-served basis.”

The authority said its admissions team is always happy to give advice to parents and can be contacted at schooladmissions@northyorks.gov.uk.

Harrogate care home’s plea to get 100 cards for Olive’s 100th birthday

Do you have time to send a birthday card for soon to be 100-year-old Olive Pope? The Harrogate care home where she lives is calling on local people to send cards to this “one of a kind” woman.

Olive has lived at Southlands Bupa care home, on Ripon Road, since February and will turn 100 on Friday next week.

Staff hope to surprise her with 100 birthday cards from the local community to make it a day to remember.

Olive’s big day will also include afternoon tea from Bettys.

Asked for the secret of reaching this milestone, Olive said:

“Look after yourself. The occasional white wine is the start of looking after yourself, and simple soap and water goes a long way for the skin.”

Olive was born in Leeds and went to Roundhay High School but had to leave at 14 when her mum died so she could care for her dad and sister, Maggie.

After learning typewriting, Olive joined the civil service and cycled from Leeds to Harrogate each day. She later moved to Harrogate during the Second World War and lived with evacuees from London.

She recalls how they paid one guinea a week to stay there and they were fondly nicknamed “the guinea pigs”. She was very envious of her sister, Maggie, who was in the land army, as Olive had the less glamorous job of paying families’ soldiers allowances, also known as the death claim benefits.

Olive married Illtyd Les Pope in 1943 and has two daughters. She now enjoys gardening and seeing her four grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren.

One of her daughters, Mary, lives in Harrogate while another of her granddaughters, Thea, is set to move to the town which Olive is very excited about. Her other relatives live far away in New Zealand and Nova Scotia.

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Olive’s husband has now died, as her sister who was also a resident at Southlands.

Helene Ballinger, resident experience manager at Southlands Bupa care home said:

“Olive is a treasure. She is a truly lovely lady who is kind and polite, we love having her here at Southlands. We are very proud and excited to be celebrating her milestone birthday and hope to receive lots of birthday cards to surprise her with.”

Anyone wishing to send Olive a birthday card can post one to Southlands Bupa care home, 9 Ripon Rd, Harrogate HG1 2JA.

Oliver Bonas to open in Harrogate in September

Oliver Bonas has confirmed it will open a new store on Harrogate’s James Street in September.

The clothing and homeware store will be based in the former Next unit after agreeing a lease for the ground floor, which includes 3,700sqft of space.

The store agreed the lease on James Street with property owners Countrylarge, which is set to unveil proposals to convert the upper floors into serviced apartments.

Antony Rosindale, from Countrylarge, said:

“We’re very excited to be bringing a leading lifestyle brand to the heart of Harrogate town centre and our vision for the building will fully utilise all the existing space. It’s a grand building and we want to ensure that it is all used in the best way possible.”

Oliver Bonas, which was founded by Oliver Tress, opened its first store in London in 1993. It now has 75 outlets in the UK and the Republic of Ireland.

This will be its first shop in the Harrogate district, adding to a number of new arrivals on James Street in recent months.

Rumours of its impending arrival began to circulate earlier this year, as reported by the Stray Ferret. Fashion retailer Jules B is also set to open in September in the former Jaeger unit on Cambridge Crescent.

Tom Limbert, Director of niche property consultants, Central Retail, who acted for Countrylarge said: 

“It’s been a pleasure working with Countrylarge and Oliver Bonas is an iconic brand who befits such a majestic building. Having acted for various landlord clients over the past 12 months, we have introduced Pret A Manger, Ebru Evrim and Carl Scarpa to the street and have also upsized Hotel Chocolat.

“James Street has been reinvigorated and its vibrancy has returned to a pre-pandemic state. There are more outstanding high-end retailers destined for the area. The good news is that all units are now fully occupied.

“Oliver Bonas will be a great addition to the existing tenant line up on James Street which truly is one of the best high streets in the north of England.”

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Plaque unveiled to Harrogate’s first publisher and postmaster

A plaque has been unveiled to commemorate an early founder of publishing in Harrogate.

Pickersgill Palliser established the town’s first printing press and founded the Harrogate Advertiser, as well as being the town’s first postmaster.

He launched the first List of Visitors to Harorgate Spa in 1834, and continued to publish the list in the Harrogate Advertiser after he founded it two years later.

In 1840, he published Palliser’s History and Directory of Harrogate.

Harrogate Civic Society has erected a plaque in his memory at 9 Royal Parade, his former home.

It was unveiled by the Mayor of the Borough of Harrogate, Cllr Victoria Oldham, in an event organised by the building’s current owner, Janet Love, who has been researching Mr Palliser.

A spokesperson for Harrogate Civic Society said:

“In 1855, he purchased the land for 8 and 9 Royal Parade, directly opposite the Royal Pump Room entrance. We have the original handwritten deeds.

“He subsequently had the buildings erected as shops with fine period living accommodation above. He is recorded as living at 9 Royal Parade in the 1871 census and running the shop below as Low Harrogate Post Office.

“We are proud to remember him and to go on honouring Harrogate’s spa history as he did.”

For more information about local plaques, visit the dedicated Harrogate Civic Society plaques website.

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‘Unforeseen circumstances’ delays start of Oak Beck Bridge scheme

“Unforeseen circumstances” has led to the start of a £1 million project to replace Oak Beck Bridge being delayed, council officials say.

The scheme, which is planned by North Yorkshire County Council, will see the bridge on the A59 in Harrogate replaced.

Authority officials say the bridge is in poor condition and needs to be replaced.

Work was due to start in January, but a start date for the project has yet to be confirmed.

The Stray Ferret asked the county council when it expects to start work on the scheme.

Philip Richardson, bridges manager at the authority, said:

“We realise the importance of replacing Oak Beck Bridge. Unfortunately we have not been able to progress the scheme as quickly as we would have liked due to unforeseen circumstances and we cannot confirm a start date.

“At the moment our legal team are still in talks over land agreements for the widening and discussions with Yorkshire Water are ongoing in relation to apparatus close to the existing structure.

“Please be assured that we will begin work as soon as we are able and provide suitable notice.”

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Meanwhile, The Stray Ferret reported this week that the project is set to cost taxpayers £1 million.

A contract valued at £1,067,929.93 has been handed to Leeds-based Howard Civil Engineering to demolish, design and build the new bridge.

The company said on its website that work would take 24 weeks and access would be maintained over the bridge.

It said:

“Access over the bridge will be maintained throughout the project, with the exception of night works for surfacing.”

The A59 road on which the bridge is situated is heavily used by traffic, especially by people visiting Aldi, B&Q and Pets at Home on the Oak Beck retail park.

The volume would increase if Tesco is given permission to build on the former gas works site nearby.

Councillors raise concern over Harrogate fire station cuts

Councillors have raised concerns over plans to cut the number of fire engines at Harrogate fire station.

North Yorkshire’s Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, Zoe Metcalfe, has suggested operating just one fire engine at night as opposed to the current two.

Members of the Harrogate and Knaresborough Area Constituency Committee discussed the proposals, which were unveiled as part of a consultation into changes at the fire service.

The station would continue to be resourced with two fire engines during the day but it would have just one appliance from 10pm to 9am, when fewer incidents usually occur.

The move would also see the station lose its tactical response vehicle, which would be moved to an on-call station elsewhere in the county, and a self-rostering staffing system introduced.

Cllr Robert Windass, who spoke at the constituency committee this morning.

Cllr Robert Windass, who spoke at the constituency committee this morning.

Cllr Robert Windass, who is a former fire fighter, said he welcomed the removal of the tactical response unit which he described as a “total waste of time”.

However, he raised concern over the reduction of crews on a night.

He said:

“My worry is at night time. Night time is when most people die in house fires.

“To have one crew going out, there will be another machine coming from another station. But say it was down at the bottom of Woodfield, the next nearest response vehicle is either going to come from Ripon or from Knaresborough.

“Both of them are part-time, what they call “on-call stations”, where they will get a bleeper going off at home and they would have to go down the fire station before that machine turns a wheel.

“So it’s going to take them quite a few minutes to get to the fire. That concerns me.”

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The committee agreed to invite Ms Metcalfe and the chief fire officer to the next meeting to be quizzed by councillors.

Cllr Chris Aldred said the committee had to get it right before it responds to the consultation.

He said:

“It is so important, as Robert has just stated, that we have a second crew.

“Fires may statistically may not happen that often at night, but as Robert has just said, the ones that do lead to deaths.”

The changes are part of Ms Metcalfe’s Risk and Resource Model 2022-2025, which sets out how the fire service will deploy its people, equipment and resources.

Fire officials told a meeting last month that the proposals would help to save £1.5 million a year from 2025.

Jonathan Foster, interim chief fire officer at North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue, said that the proposals were about investing in “protection and prevention”.

He said:

“I stress this very much so, this is about reinvestment back into the on-call duty system to improve overall availability and then also to reinvest in protection and prevention activities so that we can protect the people of North Yorkshire and City of York in a much more effective manner.”

Flower power to flood Harrogate in summer competition

Business Breakfast is sponsored by Harrogate law firm Truth Legal. 

Flower power to flood Harrogate in summer competition

Town centre shops are pulling out all the stops to take part in a floral competition organised by Harrogate BID.

The Floral Summer of Celebration will see the organisation work with Harrogate in Bloom to stage the contest after a two-year absence.

More than a dozen businesses have already signed up across five categories as they aim to live up to Harrogate’s reputation for floral excellence.

Harrogate BID Manager Matthew Chapman said:

“Harrogate is famed as a floral town, and to mark this wonderful heritage we are staging a Floral Summer of Celebration.

“This will take place between July 15 and August 12, and will see the town centre become home to a floral trail featuring eight unique displays. There will also be an exhibition in Victoria Shopping Centre looking at different aspects of Harrogate’s floral history.

“Floral-themed shop windows will play a big part in this celebration, and we hope as many businesses as possible will participate in the competition.

“We already have more than a dozen businesses signed up, and with three weeks to go, I’m confident they will be joined by plenty more.

“The floral displays will be located across the town centre, and together with dozens of hanging baskets outside town centre businesses, the numerous flower beds maintained by Harrogate Borough Council, more than 200 barrier baskets funded by Harrogate BID, and some specially commissioned floral street art, Harrogate will be a blaze of colour and well worth a visit.”

The project is being supported by Harrogate Borough Council through the government’s Covid-19 business recovery funding.

There are three weeks left for businesses to sign up before judging takes place, with criteria including first impression, overall design, containers’ size and style, and condition of plants.

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Charity seeks sponsor to maintain vital minibus service

A sponsor is being sought for a vital transport service provided by a Harrogate charity.

Harrogate Skills for Living Centre (HS4LC) runs a wheelchair-accessible vehicle (WAV) to enable its service users and residents to get around.

With adaptable seating, it can carry up to two wheelchairs and was in use throughout the pandemic to ensure people could access important services.

Now, a partner is being sought to support the service, which costs £1,500 a month to lease, or to buy a new vehicle for around £35,000. It could carry the sponsor’s branding to show the company is supporting a local charity.

HS4LC CEO Hadyn Moorby-Davies said:

“The WAV is an absolute lifeline for our residents and other service users and frees them from reliance on public transport services.

“During the pandemic, it was the only way some of our residents could get out. Both our care homes use the WAV regularly both for local shopping trips and trips further afield, for instance out to the countryside and coast.

“The only downside is sharing it across services as the demand is always there. In reality we could do with two or even three!”

For more information about sponsoring the vehicle, contact HS4LC.

Until a partner is found, HS4LC continues fundraising to keep the minibus on the road. To donate, visit the JustGiving page.

Man jailed for scamming two Harrogate district women of life savings

A man has been jailed for scamming two Harrogate district women out of more than £450,000 and their entire life savings.

Police say the women were groomed over several months and have been left “absolutely devastated”.

They were called by a person claiming to be from the police, who said their accounts had been compromised.

He advised them to go to their bank and withdraw all their money in cash, which would then be picked up by a ‘police courier’ for safekeeping.

The two victims, whose names and precise locations are not known, were also told to purchase gold bullion with money from their bank accounts and then the gold was collected by the ‘couriers’ to be kept safe.

Ashley Thompson, 26, was sentenced to 21 months in prison for money laundering and fraud by false representation at the Inner London Crown Court yesterday.

Year-long police investigation

North Yorkshire Police received reports a year ago of victims being targeted by the crime, which is known as courier fraud scam.

Officers from the force’s economic crime unit worked with gold dealers to raise awareness of the crime and put other dealers on notice to watch out for suspicious gold sales.

On November 9, they were alerted to Thompson trying to sell one of the gold bullion bars in a London pawnbroker.

Working with City of London Police, two North Yorkshire Police officers travelled to London to arrest him and he was subsequently charged with fraud and money laundering offences.

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In interview, Thompson claimed he had hired a lock-up storage facility and that he had found the gold bar in a bag of tools but had no idea who owned it. He said he had waited to see if anyone claimed it but when no one did, he decided to try and pawn it for cash.

The investigating officers found that Thompson had created fake documents to prove the lock-up facility existed, when in reality it did not.

Victims ‘groomed’ over months

North Yorkshire Police Detective Constable Neil Brodhurst from the force’s economic crime unit, who led the investigation, said:

“Throughout the trial Thompson denied any knowledge of the gold bar’s origin, sticking to his story that he had simply found it in a bag of tools. He also couldn’t explain why he’d gone to the lengths of faking a hire contract for a non-existent lock-up facility to show the pawnbroker.

“The two victims of this courier fraud were absolutely devastated by it. They were groomed over a period of several months with their trust and good nature callously exploited to the extent that they lost their entire life savings to someone claiming to be a police officer.

“We unfortunately see courier fraud targeting North Yorkshire residents time and time again and I’d like to take this opportunity to issue another warning about it. The fraudsters use incredibly calculated and manipulative tactics to convince their victims that they are legitimate police officers or bank officials and will keep going until they get what they want.

“Remember, the police or your bank will never contact you and ask you to move or transfer money and will definitely never ask you to purchase high value items or to hand over your bank cards. Please be on your guard and share this warning with your friends, family and networks.”

DC Brodhurst added he hoped Thompson’s sentence “will serve as some closure for our victims”.

Thompson, of Margery Street, London, pleaded guilty to one count of fraud by false representation and was found guilty of money laundering.

He received a 15 month prison sentence for money laundering and a concurrent 6 month sentence for fraud by false representation.