Council to pilot banning cars outside North Yorkshire schools

Cars could be banned on streets directly outside many schools at drop-off and pick-up times to improve safety, encourage active travel and cut pollution.

North Yorkshire County Council looks set to examine the impacts of the Department Of Transport-backed School Streets initiative over 18 months, just weeks after ratifying a new 20mph zone policy, under which the authority has undertaken to scrutinise where it could lower speed limits outside schools.

While the move followed years of pressure from road safety campaigners calling for blanket 20mph zones across all built-up areas in the county, the authority has insisted such action would not be suitable everywhere.

The authority’s executive member for access, Cllr Don Mackenzie, said it hoped if a Safer Streets pilot outside Seamer and Irton Community Primary School was successful, that the initiative would complement the council’s 20mph zone policy.

The trial would involve the school placing a ‘Road Closed’ sign across the road by the school at the appropriate times.

However, an officer’s report on the proposal states while North Yorkshire Police would be responsible for enforcing road closures, the force had advised that “it is supportive of School Streets, but could not resource enforcement”.

The council officer’s report states:

“An appropriately applied scheme should minimise the risk of regular contravention and enforcement issues.”

It states the trial will be judged on whether it has led to an increase in active travel, cut traffic speeds and volumes in the area and the impact on the surrounding community and environment, but it was anticipated Schools Streets would not be appropriate for the majority of locations.

Read more:

The move comes weeks after a Transport for London study of 300 established School Streets found most people believed the vehicle bans had pushed congestion and parking issues elsewhere, while the lack of enforcement created safety concerns.

Coun Mackenzie said introducing restrictions in front of schools could displace parking problems elsewhere, but added:

“I would rather have the problem removed from in front of schools because that is an area that deserves more protection than any other.”

“We fully appreciate, and I personally understand, why the police have areas of greater concern to them to enforce than 20mph limits. In North Yorkshire we have very very few road traffic incidents involving injury in our built-up areas where there is a 30mph limit.

“We’re looking at other interventions to improve safety outside schools, to persuade people not to park in front of schools, or even worse, to drop their children off and leave the engine running.

“If this pilot is successful we will look to introduce it in many other locations in front of schools.”

North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Zoë Metcalfe said decisions on how North Yorkshire Police enforced any restrictions put in place were operational ones for the chief constable and her team.

She said:

“North Yorkshire Police will always prioritise those areas where there is greatest risk to road users and will deliver on road safety enforcement activity where appropriate with partners.

“Once decisions are made by the county council, I am sure all groups and organisations in the York and North Yorkshire Road Safety Partnership will come together to discuss how any School Streets projects can be implemented and supported as part of the wider delivery of the recently published Safer Roads Strategy.”

Harrogate hospital paid consultants £82,000 to investigate bullying

Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust has paid consultants £82,000 to investigate concerns of a “culture of bullying” within the organisation.

Deloitte was commissioned for £30,000 to examine concerns about leadership and culture at the trust and Harrogate Integrated Facilities, a a wholly-owned subsidiary that supplies services to Harrogate District Hospital and community services.

A 2018 national NHS staff survey, a British Medical Association member survey and the trust’s own ‘fair and just culture’ diagnostic had triggered concerns.

After it found issues in some areas of the service, the trust commissioned Deloitte for a further £52,000 to undertake a detailed review of leadership and recruitment practices at HIF which was published at a trust board meeting in June 2020.

Deloitte’s report said some staff described the culture at HIF as “toxic”. It cited cases of people being ignored or ostracised, belongings defaced with offensive graffiti and people’s lockers and equipment being glued.

£82,000 culture review

The initial review included interviews with 52 members of staff and 63 surveys. It found “widespread concerns” over bullying, leadership and poor recruitment practice at HIF.

The report said a “significant number” of those interviewed explicitly stated that bullying was taking place or described events that could be labeled as such. It added some of the reports were dismissed as “banter”.

Read more:

Deloitte also found that the approach to recruitment at HIF “did not demonstrate good practice” and recommended a thorough review of its policies.

As a result, the trust launched a formal investigations into the findings.

Trust ‘confident’ it has addressed report findings

The Stray Ferret asked the trust how it had addressed poor recruitment at HIF and whether any staff members were disciplined as a result of the investigation.

The trust said it was confident its recruitment policy complied with company policy and that it had addressed Deloitte’s findings.

Steve Russell, chief executive of HDFT, said:

“In 2018, we conducted a staff survey which showed that whilst staff at both HDFT and our subsidiary company Harrogate Integrated Facilities generally had positive experiences, there were some experiences that were not in line with the trust’s values.

“We felt that a more detailed assessment of culture at HDFT and HIF was required to help us to understand the issues. It was important that the assessment was independent, objective and avoided conflicts of interest to ensure we had an accurate picture of what we were doing well, but more importantly what we needed to improve on.

“Deloitte was commissioned at an initial cost of £30,000 to undertake the assessment. This revealed a number of issues that needed to be addressed in a small number of services, and we decided therefore to commission a second piece of work from Deloitte at a cost of £52,000, which explored in much greater detail the areas of concern that had been identified.

“The concerns have been treated as a matter of priority. An investigation into the issues identified within our radiology department was undertaken by two experienced people who were independent of the trust and each other. Their finding and recommendations have been used to improve the environment for our staff.

“A formal investigation into allegations and harassment in estates and HIF was undertaken by colleagues within the trust. A capacity and capability review of leadership in HIF was also conducted by an independent, experienced NHS director of estates and facilities. This review has led to changes within the company. We are confident that recruitment practices now comply with the company’s policy.

“There are a number of other changes we have made in line with the plan we published at the time of the Deloitte review to improve the experience of colleagues who work here and this work will continue.”

Harrogate jigsaw marathon to raise money for dementia charity

A Harrogate woman is organising a jigsaw marathon to raise money for the Ripon-based charity Dementia Forward, after her husband was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease aged just 54.

Wendy Thickett turns 60 this year and has created a bucket list of 60 things she wants to do to celebrate the milestone.

On the list is organising a fundraising event for the charity, which has supported her family since her husband Mark was diagnosed five years ago.

There will be seven hours of continuous jigsawing from 12-7pm on Sunday at Geek Retreat on Oxford Street to see how many jigsaw puzzles they can complete. Anyone can join in and they are accepting donations at the following JustGiving page.

Ms Thickett said:

“We decided to do something different hence the idea for the jigsaws marathon. We approached The Geek Retreat as we need tables and thought their central position would make it easy for people to join us. They were amazing and said yes with out hesitation.

“I decided to try to raise as much money as I can in as many ways as I can in my birthday month of February. So I have also been making cakes and baking, posting donated items and and making marmalade to sell this week.”

Read more:

 

Disappointment for Harrogate bobsleigher Axel Brown at Winter Olympics

Harrogate’s Axel Brown competed for the Trinidad and Tobago bobsleigh team today in the Beijing Winter Olympics.

However, there was disappointment as out of 30 countries, the two-man team he piloted finished 28th in heat 1 and 27th in heat 2. Both heats today were won by Germany.

But the Olympic dream is not over yet as Brown’s team will compete in heat 3 and 4 tomorrow.

Brown was born and raised in Harrogate. He attended Harrogate Grammar School from 2003 to 2011 and excelled at American football and taekwondo before discovering bobsleigh in 2014.

He previously competed for Great Britain but qualified to switch to Trinidad and Tobago because his mum is from Pointe-a-Pierre in the country.

Read more:

Writing on Instagram, Brown said he was looking forward to competing again tomorrow.

“Olympic Games run 1&2, done! The 20 year wait is over! 🇹🇹 Very happy with what we accomplished, especially given our setbacks! Very happy with my drive, looking forward to improving again tomorrow.

“Thank you SO MUCH for all the support. It really does mean the world. I’ll get round to replying as soon as I can! Time to focus up and hit the track again tomorrow!”

Foundation to run sports clubs for disadvantaged children in Harrogate

The Sporting Influence Foundation is raising money to help disadvantaged youngsters in the Harrogate district attend sports clubs during school holidays.

Classes will take place at Harrogate Ladies College during the Easter break to develop young people’s sporting, teamwork and social skills.

Children will be able to choose five activities, ranging from swimming and tennis to football and dodgeball. At the end of the day, there will be a presentation of social skills wristbands.

The foundation is a community interest company that uses sport and exercise to tackle social inequalities. Its crowdfunder for this initiative, known as The Together Project, hopes to raise £1,500 to help pay for classes. If that target is reached, Sport England will donate £750.

Perks for donating include a year’s supply of Yorkshire Tea.

Read more:

David Moss

David Moss

The foundation’s director, David Moss said:

“We realise that Harrogate is seen as an affluent area by many people, however at the Sporting Influence Foundation we see many children across our schools living with challenging circumstances every day.

“Sadly, they don’t get the same opportunities as others. The foundation will make positive steps forward in supporting our young people by working on their social skills. The Together Project is seeking crowdfunding to enable us to make school holidays fun, healthy, and safe for all children”.

Harrogate hospital’s beds full as it battles winter pressures

Harrogate District Hospital reached maximum bed occupancy this month, with all 292 beds filled.

Figures published by NHS England show that on February 4 the hospital was at maximum capacity although the situation has improved slightly since.

The hospital is currently operating at 90% bed occupancy, as it battles covid and winter pressures, say trust managers.

Officials at Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust said the hospital was dealing with a “variety of winter infections”, such as flu and the Omicron variant of covid.

Russell Nightingale, chief operating officer at the trust, said the hospital reached maximum bed occupancy last week “for a short period of time”.

He said:

“Our trust’s primary purpose is to ensure the best possible healthcare service for patients in our care.

“Winter is always a busy time of the year at Harrogate District Hospital as we deal with a variety of winter infections such as flu and the Omicron variant of covid, in addition to all other regular activity.

“Bed occupancy rates are always increasing during the winter months and last week for a short period of time we did reach maximum bed occupancy rates.

“Currently we are at around 90% bed occupancy rates; however we do have process in place to deal with such eventualities and to ensure we can continue to look after our patients.”

Read more:

Mr Nightingale said “we do not want patients spending longer than they need to in our hospital” and that tye trust worked with other agencies, such as North Yorkshire County Council, to support them after discharge.

He added:

“We also have our Same Day Emergency Care Unit, which is rapidly assessing and treating patients to reduce the number of patients staying overnight and supporting those who are ready to be discharged and would benefit from being out of a hospital environment.”

New monthly food market coming to Harrogate

A new monthly food market will take place at Crescent Gardens in Harrogate — and it starts this Sunday.

Real Food Markets, a community interest company that has organised a food market in Ilkley for six years, will be hosting food and drink and craft stalls on the third Sunday of every month.

The free-to-attend market will be based at Crescent Gardens opposite the old Harrogate Borough Council offices and will run from 10am to 3pm.

February’s market will feature stalls offering cheeses, sushi, sticky toffee puddings, scotch eggs and gluten-free products. There will also be stalls selling products including goat milk soaps, candles, fine art and blankets.

Read more:

Matthew Chapman, Harrogate Business Improvement District manager, said:

“We are delighted to be working with Real Food Markets who are looking to replicate the success they have tasted in Ilkley here in Harrogate.  This year, we are hoping to work with a host of different organisations to stage events in Harrogate town centre, which will offer visitors a different experience on each occasion.”

Tim Dabell, event management officer at Harrogate Borough Council, said

“We look forward to working with Lucy and her team in 2022 to encourage the residents of the Harrogate district to shop locally for products in a safe environment. We feel this addition will enhance the whole town centre shopping experience.”

Julia Gabler, owner of Harrogate children’s clothing brand 2 Little Mice, which is among the stallholders, said:

“Our items are ethically made at our Harrogate workshop. While online and retail trading takes up most of our time, we do love to meet our customers face to face and Real Food Harrogate will be a great way to interact with our wonderful customers and show them the faces behind the brand. “

Harrogate Hydro reduces opening hours due to staff shortages

Harrogate Hydro is to reduce its opening hours due to staff shortages.

The facility, which is run by Harrogate Borough Council-controlled Brimhams Active, will be closed on either a Saturday or Sunday from this weekend, which coincides with the start of half-term holidays.

It said ongoing staff shortages and effects of the covid pandemic has left it “no choice” but to make the decision.

The Hydro said in a post on its Facebook page:

“As you may be aware, the Hydro is currently operating with a reduced team and reduced programme as we continue to respond to the covid pandemic as well as being affected by the national staff shortages at leisure facilities.

“Despite our best efforts, these shortages leave us with no choice but to reduce the opening hours.

“With immediate effect, the Hydro will either be closed on Saturdays or Sundays until we close for the refurbishment project which we can now confirm will be Friday, April 8.”

The Hydro will be closed on the following days:

Meanwhile, the facility will be closed for a refurbishment project from April 8.

The council has not said how long the Hydro will be closed.

It said the programme for the construction of the scheme was being finalised and will go before the authority’s cabinet for approval “in due course”.

Read more:

As part of the refurbishment, the council will demolish the current ‘drum’ entrance and replace it with a larger structure that includes a bigger café and reception area on the ground floor and a new 400-square metre fitness suite on the first floor.

Outside, the car park will be reconfigured with a new area bicycle storage and room for six electric vehicle charging points.

As part of its plans to overhaul leisure services, which were approved in June 2020, the council outlined a £13.5 million project to refurbish The Hydro.

Do you have a Harrogate Theatre love story to share?

On Valentine’s Day, Harrogate Theatre is asking people to share their theatre love stories to form the base for its next community performance.

Last year the theatre got local people involved in its Our Gate production and now it wants to do so again.

It is looking for 122 love stories linked to Harrogate Theatre, to match it being open for 122 years.

It could be a story about meeting a best friend in the stalls, or locking eyes with your sweetheart across the stage, or even a production that made you fall in love with the theatre. The stories will then serve as a backdrop for performances in August.

The project was inspired by a photograph, seen by chief executive David Bown, of a wedding reception held at the theatre in 1961. He said:

“It prompted me to contemplate how many love stories does this amazing building have to tell. Harrogate Theatre has been at the centre of our community for over a century, it has many poignant tales to share.”

Read more:

The community show will be put on by local playwright and community producer Rachael Halliwell and director Amie Burns-Walker.

Ms Halliwell said:

“I’m absolutely thrilled to have been commissioned by Harrogate Theatre to return with Amie Burns-Walker to make our biggest and boldest community play to date, but we cannot do it without you. 

“We need local participants of all ages to join us on this production – not just actors but anyone who is up for being creative and telling stories with us.”

To share you story or get involved on or back stage email love@harrogatetheatre.co.uk.

Workshops start in March with performances taking place in early August. Participation is open to everyone aged 13 and above and no experience is necessary.

Another error spotted on Otley Road cycle path

A reader has alerted the Stray Ferret to another error on the Otley Road cycle path in Harrogate.

A bicycle has been painted on the ground on the wrong side of the path as it heads up Harlow Hill.

It contradicts the blue sign alongside it, which suggests bikes should be in the lane closest to the road and could lead to confusion for pedestrians and cyclists.

On Monday, the Stray Ferret reported that a town centre sign for the cycle path was built pointing in the wrong direction.

North Yorkshire County Council appointed Hull-based PBS Construction to build phase 1 of the project, in a contract worth £827,000.

Melisa Burnham, highways area manager, said it was a “genuine mistake” by the contractor.

She added that the error will be amended as soon as possible at no cost to the council.

The county council previously called the firm “the standout applicants” following a tendering process.

Read more:

The long-awaited cycle path has been called a step forward for cycling in the town by Harrogate District Cycle Action but even its supporters would admit it’s had a bumpy ride so far.

Work to build phase 2 of the route, which will extend to Beech Grove, is set to begin in April. Funding for the third phase has yet to be finalised.