From the outside, it looks like a normal terraced house on a Harrogate backstreet, but inside its followers practice the ancient and mystical religion Buddhism.

Around 60 people in Harrogate are practicing Buddhists and visit Harrogate’s Dechen Buddhist Centre on Granville Road.

It has a shrine upstairs for meditation and a meeting room to discuss the teachings of the Buddha, a religious leader who lived more than 2,500 years ago in what is now Nepal.

Followers of Buddhism don’t worship a supreme god or deity. Instead, they focus on achieving their goal of enlightenment, or Nirvana, which they say is a state of inner peace and wisdom.

Buddhism has traditionally been most popular in East and Southeast Asia, but its influence is growing in the west.

David Bullock started following Buddhism 14 years ago after a local newspaper article tweaked his interest.

He said:

“I was looking for a religion and I knew Christianity wasn’t the one. I bought the Knaresborough Post one Friday evening and saw an article about a Buddhist Lama that had been to Harrogate. It gave a phone number, I rang that, and got to speak to someone. 

“I’ve never believed in God anyway. If there was a God and he’s as powerful as the Bible leads us to believe, then why can’t he stop all this violence in the world?”

Howard Quinn said Buddhism has helped him come to terms with a traumatic childhood.

He said:

“I gradually realised that was a set of experiences that stopped defining me, and that’s the thing of the teachings, they are about the rediscovery of the heart, it’s not an intellectual process.”

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Inner peace

The Buddha’s most important teachings, known as The Four Noble Truths, are essential to understanding the religion.

These teachings involve discarding negative emotions such as hatred, anger and jealousy.

The centre in Harrogate is visited by Lama Jampa Thaye twice a year. A Lama is a spiritual guide and has the authority to impart the Buddha’s teachings.

Greg Tunesi used to be a regular churchgoer but said joining Buddhism has been a life-changing experience.

“It’s brought a deep and profound inner peace and joy which is wonderful actually.

“Everybody is searching for true happiness and deep peace to avoid pain dissatisfaction and disappointment. That’s a glue that pulls everybody together, but we don’t always behave in a way that facilities joy. We get caught up in everyday stuff.”

In the shrine room.

Meditation is a key aspect of Buddhism and the path to enlightenment.

The centre offers meditation sessions every Wednesday at 10am and 7.15pm and on Saturdays at 11.15am.

Afterwards, they discuss a Buddhist teaching together and how it relates to their own lives and experiences.

Mr Tunesi said:

“Meditation gives us a real opportunity to observe and quieten that busy mind. Many of us think, ‘we are our thoughts’, but we’re much more. Our thoughts are random things that come and go.

“Once we’ve quietened the mind there’s an opportunity to really reflect on an aspect of the teachings and integrate it into our everyday existence.”

Goodness in life

Mr Quinn said many people come to Buddhism after facing trauma, illness or upheaval in their lives.

He said meditation and the teachings help soften the raw emotions that sometimes come with change.

Mr Quinn said:

“We appreciate what we have much more and see the goodness in life in a much clearer way. We spend much more time living in the moment and much less time reliving negative experiences and habits from the past or worrying what might happen in the future.”

Inside the Buddhist centre

Buddhists believe in karma, which is a philosophy that has transcended the religion and is something many of us are all familiar with.

Mr Tunesi added:

“Be kind and don’t be a cause of suffering, if the whole world was operating like that, goodness me, there wouldn’t be so many people tooting their horn if someone has held them up for a second!”

If you’re interested in learning more about the Dechen Buddhist Centre call 01423 881647 or email info@yorkshirebuddhistcommunity.com

Harrogate district MP Nigel Adams will stand down at the next general election, according to the BBC News.

The broadcaster reported today that the Conservative MP for Selby and Ainsty, whose constituency includes Spofforth, Follifoot, Huby and Weeton, wanted to spend time on other interests.

The next general election is due to take place in 2024.

Mr Adams was first elected in 2010 and has defended the seat in three subsequent elections.

Last September, he was appointed minister without portfolio in the Cabinet Office.

The role does not have responsibility for a specific department but instead helps to coordinate government policy and includes a vote at Cabinet meetings.

A donation to Mr Adams from a Russian businessman came under the spotlight last year. Viktor Fedotov, donated £33,800 to the MP.

Mr Adams was also in the news last year for swearing at anti-Brexit campaigner Steve Bray outside the Commons.

Read more:

• Hot Seat: Farewell to the Harrogate district’s transport chief
• Full list of election candidates in Harrogate district revealed

An independent movie created by a young filmmaker from Harrogate will have its UK premiere at the Everyman cinema later this month.

Created on a low budget, Cardboard Fort is a coming of age movie that follows the story of secondary school student Charlie.

The film, which has been directed by Sam Hartshorn, pays tribute to the borough of Harrogate and celebrates the town’s creative talent. It’s due to be shown at the Everyman on April 23.

One of the central characters, Dom, is played by a student from Harrogate Grammar School, and was found by Mr. Hartshorn through a local school performance of Les Misérables.

Regional musicians are also included, with music from Hope & Social, The Superlatives, and Ben Snowden.

It first premiered in Texas at the Austin Film Festival alongside big-budget movies such as Spencer and C’Mon C’Mon.

Sam Hartshorn (left) director, with Thomas Sandler (right) director of photography on Cardboard Fort

Sam Hartshorn, director of the film, said:

“I’m immensely proud of the film. It’s certainly rough around the edges as we shot it for peanuts in an incredibly short period of time.

“As debut features go, I think we’ve created an entertaining comedy that successfully captures how much fun was had behind the camera during production. I’m indebted to all the actors, supporting artists, crew members and post-production team.”

Cardboard Fort received praise from Shane Black, the director behind Lethal Weapon, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and Iron Man 3. 

Tickets can be purchased online at the Eventbrite website.

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The Easter school holidays are almost here, but for many families this means two weeks of the children at home and increased costs of keeping them entertained.

This year in particular most of us are feeling the crunch thanks to a huge rise in the cost of living and soaring energy bills.

We have teamed up with parenting website Harrogate Mumbler and put together six free or low-cost ideas for the Easter holidays across the district.

Kayti Mewis, content creator for Harrogate Mumbler, said:

“You don’t always have to spend a fortune to have a fun day out with the kids. For example, we always enjoy a day at Valley Gardens with a picnic over the holidays.”

Free street entertainment in Harrogate town centre – from April 9

Following the success of Harrogate Business Improvement District’s (BID) street entertainers during the October half-term last year, they will be back in the town centre over the Easter holidays.

On Saturday, April 9, Pete and Ged Moss the gardeners will be in town with their ‘Easter Egg Stravaganza walkabout special’.

They will entertain crowds with their musical wheelbarrow, brimming over with colourful Easter eggs of all shapes and sizes – expect lots of audience participation.

On Good Friday, April 15, the Easter Bunny will be taking some time out from his Easter duties to share some early treats with the children of Harrogate. He will be at the Victoria Shopping Centre at 11am, 12pm, 1pm and 3pm.

On Saturday April 16, ‘Val N Halla’ will be travelling in their musical longboat through the town centre. The two Abba-obsessed Scandinavians will bring “entertainment, mayhem and mirth wherever they go”.

Peter Rabbit and Friends Easter Trail at Swinton Estate, near Ripon – April 9 to 24

Head to Swinton Bivouac for an Easter adventure with Peter Rabbit and Friends.

Help Peter and Benjamin to save Easter by rescuing all of the Easter eggs from the clutches of the pesky Samuel Whiskers.

Solve the clues to crack the code that will open the chest to rescue the egg – and earn an Easter treat for yourself as well.

There will also be an opportunity to explore the ruins and follies of Druid’s Temple, built in 1820, reconnect with nature in the woodland of Swinton Estate and take in the views over the Leighton reservoir.

Trail maps are £5, with each completed answer sheet earning a prize. All money from the trail goes directly to the Friends of Grewelthorpe School (FROGS) charity.

The Great Knaresborough Bunny Hunt – April 9 to 24

Organised and presented by Painting Pots Knaresborough, this quirky event is now in its fifth year.

There will once again be 17 ceramic bunnies hopping into local businesses.

The bunnies are hand-painted in vivid patterns, some inspired by characters or recognisable personalities and products. Painted mostly in house by Laura of Painting Pots, and more recently Natasha Gilyard.

A map with the locations of the bunnies is hand-drawn and painted by local artist Helen Salmons, who is known as The Relentless Crafter, while the bunnies themselves are the handiwork of Natasha Gilyard and Painting Pots’ Laura.

The maps can be purchased for £3 from Painting Pots, Castlegate, and the Oldest Chemist Shoppe, Market Square.

Bunny hunters use the map to find the bunnies, fill in their form and hand them back in to receive a sweet treat, a wristband, sticker and entry to win prizes donated by local businesses.

Over the last four years, The Great Knaresborough Bunny Hunt has raised more than £6,000 for local charities. All profits this year will go to Lucie’s Animal Rescue and Inspire Youth.

The event will be officially launched at the Knaresborough Spring Fayre on April 9, where there will also be the first ever Great Knaresborough Bunny Hunt Parade.

Activities at Knaresborough Library – April 16 and April 21

Hoglets Theatre will be performing their play The Sleep Pirates on Saturday, April 16 at 2pm, featuring swashbuckling pirates, flying ships and shooting stars.

The event is aimed at families with children aged four to eight. Places are limited so booking is essential and children need to be library members. Pop in to the library or call 01609 533610 to book your place.

Alternatively, enjoy some arty fun with a print workshop with artist Lana Grindley on April 21 at 2pm.

Children aged 7 to 11 are invited to design and print their own book cover artwork, inspired by their favourite book illustrations. The designs will be displayed at a special exhibition in the library following the workshop.

Book your free ticket here.

There are also some great events at places that offer membership. If you are already a member, these events are usually included, or have a small additional price:

The Giant Easter Egg Hunt at RHS Harlow Carr – April 9 to 24

Enjoy a supersized family adventure this Easter holiday at RHS Garden Harlow Carr.

Go hunting for the larger-than-life hand-painted eggs hidden around the garden on ‘The giant Easter egg hunt’, and from Good Friday to Easter Monday meet the Garden Detectives for more family fun.

The Easter egg hunt sees children equipped with an explorer pack. Follow the trail around the garden to find the giant painted eggs. There are fun puzzles to solve and plants and wildlife to spot along the way.

Children will be rewarded with a free chocolate treat after completing the trail.

The event is free to RHS members and children under 5.

Easter egg hunt at Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal – until April 17

Pick up an adventure trail for £3 and follow the map to complete 10 fun activities during your visit.

See if you can shake like a squirrel, rise like the sun and listen to nature’s orchestra. Complete the trail and earn your chocolate egg reward at the end.

You can find koalas, kangaroos and kookaburras in Harrogate — a small rural township in Australia that is named after our district’s original one. 

It’s located in the Adelaide Hills on the banks of the Bremer River and is around 55km away from the bustling city of Adelaide.

People who live there are called Harrogations and there are around 300 of them, happily living a more relaxed pace of life than we’re used to here in North Yorkshire.

Things don’t move in a hurry in the Aussie Harrogate and the post is delivered just three times a week. There is one street light and the nearest shop is 14km away, so locals call on ‘good neighbours’ if they run out of any necessities.

The Stray Ferret got in touch with some Harrogate residents Down Under who told us a bit about their town, which has a thriving community that has weathered the changes of time.

 Di Gray said:

“Harrogations can enjoy the isolation, relaxation and calm that our town and surround brings to families and households, animals and local wildlife alike.”

Changing times

Harrogate used to be well-known for its old-style dances, tennis and table tennis clubs.

There was a school, church and corner shop too, which are now long gone.

But the tennis and table-tennis club remain and Harrogations enjoy playing games of ping pong against nearby towns such as Woodside and Nairne.

Harrogate has an annual Christmas party as well as a bonfire night when the whole community comes together.

The town rallied in December 2019 when bushfires enveloped Harrogate, and locals have spent the last few years regenerating farmland and helping wildlife heal from the devastation.

People in Harrogate enjoy a game of tennis.

Pamela Dashwood said she especially enjoys all the wildlife on her doorstep.

“We have a lot of birdlife, sulphur crested cockatoos, corellas, magpies, rosellas and galahs. Plus kookaburras who have the most gorgeous laugh.

“We have lots of kangaroos at the moment and the occasional koala. We do have brown and red belly black snakes in summer but I rarely see them.  We do have lizards in the garden too sunning themselves on the lawn.”

Di Gray added:

“Families have grown and left and some have returned to raise the next generation here. 

“We have all arrived for different reasons and the diversity is part of the charm along with the knowledge that it will never grow too big.”

Who named Harrogate?

Pioneers moved to Australia from Britain in the 19th century looking to find their fortune. Harrogate, Australia historian Shylie McInnes, told the Stray Ferret that three men staked a claim to naming the town.

The first is Thomas Carling who was born in Harrogate, North Yorkshire in 1820. He arrived in Australia in 1850 and tried his luck as a gold miner before marrying a local woman.

Thomas Carling

He tended to horses in the UK and eventually took up the 700 acres of land that became the township of Harrogate.

Carling won prizes for bushels of wheat grown on his land and his house was said to be filled with gold and silver trophies, cups, medals, diplomas and certificates related to farming. 

An obituary published in the Adelaide Advertiser after his death in 1903 was called ‘Death of a Pioneer’.

It said “the ideal farmer” was “of a reserved nature was genial and hearty with associates, while uprightness and strict integrity were traits of his character.”

A man called Charles Young also claimed to have named Harrogate. He was employed to survey the land that is currently Harrogate by the Britannia Mining Company.

Gold mining greatly contributed to the development of Australia in the second half of the 19th century

Young was from Devon but claimed to have named Harrogate after its UK namesake.

Finally, the politician John Baker, who was born in Somerset, UK, bought the land in 1858 and authorised the township of Harrogate.

He was a major landowner around Adelaide and was the second Premier of the colony of South Australia.

John Baker

In 1869 he bred a thoroughbred racehorse named Don Juan that won the 1873 Melbourne Cup, which remains today one of Australia’s most famous horse races.

Ms McIness said all three men lived in the area around the same time and she has found documents that leads her to believe that they knew each other, but it’s a mystery which man named the town Harrogate as no official records remain.

Intertwined history

In less than a month’s time, the curtain will come down on the career of one of the most influential — and divisive — politicians in the Harrogate district this century.

Don Mackenzie served 16 years as a Harrogate borough councillor, but will be best remembered for his current role as executive member for access at North Yorkshire County Council.

His portfolio includes transport, which means he has led on key decisions, such as the Harrogate Station Gateway, the junction 47 upgrade of the A1(M) near Knaresborough, realignment of the A59 at Kex Gill and numerous schemes to promote cycling and walking.

In an era when some politicians pick and choose which media to talk to, and hide behind press officers, Cllr Mackenzie has always been willing to pick up the phone and front up. He believes in transparency, he says. Colleagues say he’s on top of his brief, and some think he would have made a good county council leader.

But the judgement of the people is more brutal. Barely a day passes without references to ‘Dismal Don’ or calls for his resignation on social media. Complex transport schemes rarely please everyone and rarely progress swiftly and he is remarkably relaxed about the fallout:

“If I let these things upset me, I would have given up years ago. The only thing that occasionally annoys me is social media, especially anonymous posters.

“Tough decisions have to be made and all they do is sit in the comfort of their own home posting anonymous criticism. It’s cowardly.”

‘Right time to go’

On the day we met Cllr Mackenzie, who has lived in Harrogate since 1973 and represents Harrogate Saltergate, he received an email asking how dare he approve 770 houses being built on Otley Road — the decision has not been made yet and will be taken by Harrogate Borough Council, of which he has not been a councillor since 2018.

Such confusion will end when North Yorkshire County Council and Harrogate Borough Council are abolished next year to make way for North Yorkshire Council, which will become the new unitary authority for the county.

New weather stations have been introduced to help drivers in difficult conditions.

That looming seismic change has persuaded Cllr Mackenzie, 72, not to seek re-election on May 5. He is the only one of 10 members of the county council executive not to do so. Wasn’t he tempted to continue?

“No I wasn’t. It’s a five-year commitment. I felt that my time as a county councillor had come to a natural end. Many of my colleagues have great difficulty deciding when and if to retire. Many people say a career in politics always ends in tears so I feel this is the right time to go.”

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• £7.8 million awarded to help make Harrogate Bus Company’s fleet all-electric
• Transport leader Don Mackenzie to step down next year

Nevertheless he will be sad to depart.

“I’ve enjoyed almost every minute of it.

“Most councillors set out to do something for their local community. Most people like me are in it to make a difference and sometimes it’s difficult to make that difference. There are inevitably disappointments. We’ve been disappointed this week with our Bus Service Improvement Plan.”

The county council’s plan involved bidding £116m to the Department for Transport to improve bus services in North Yorkshire. It received none. A significant chunk would have been spent easing congestion in Harrogate. But in March the government awarded the council and Harrogate Bus Company £7.8m to make the firm’s fleet all-electric.

There have been other successes, such as the Bond End double mini roundabout in Knaresborough, which eased congestion at one of the most polluted spots in the Harrogate district.

“It was a highlight because many people thought it would not work and were worried about safety and taking away the traffic lights.”

Junction 47, trains and Kex Gill

Cllr Mackenzie lauds the A1(M) junction 47 upgrade, due to end end anytime now, as a rare example of infrastructure investment coming before development.

He says train services are far better now, with more frequent direct trains to London, than before he became a councillor despite rail operator Northern’s announcement last month of cuts to Harrogate services. He says:

“Northern have assured me these reductions will be short-term only.”

He admits to being a “little frustrated” the Kex Gill realignment won’t be completed before he leaves office. Delays, he says, are inevitable when “taking a major trans-pennine highway across a sensitive area of countryside”. Peat deposits are among the vexed considerations. But the project has levered £56m from the Department for Transport and should start this year.

Walking and cycling schemes

Active travel schemes have been the most contentious, particularly the Harrogate Station Gateway. It was one of three initiatives worth £42million funded by West Yorkshire Combined Authority.

Making the case for the Station Gateway at a business meeting.

Cllr Mackenzie says the Selby and Skipton projects “have been problem free”; Harrogate has been anything but, with strong opposition from businesses and residents to reducing Station Parade to single lane and pedestrianising part of James Street. He remains a staunch advocate:

“It’s bringing £11million of much needed investment into the town centre. It will be a radical improvement to a part of town that needs improving and it will be good for the visitor economy.”

He says he would be “inclined to continue’ with the closure of Beech Grove in Harrogate to through traffic when the 18-month experiment ends in August, with the caveat that he “would be guided by the data”.

As for Otley Road cycle path, he was “a little surprised to hear complaints from the cycling lobby” because “what we have delivered is exactly what the plans showed so they had plenty of time to raise concerns then”.

He says the council will conduct another round of consultation on phase two “so people are absolutely clear” about the plans this time.

Why have these schemes provoked so much anger?

“In Harrogate, when one attempts change — in this case to improve facilities for walking and cycling — you get roughly half the population behind you and half against you.

“Also, many people feel any restrictions on car driving is a bad thing whereas if you want to overcome congestion you have to have a realistic alternative.”

Conservative for 40 years

Don Johannes Josef Mackenzie was born in Germany and is bilingual — his dad stayed there after the war and met a German woman. The family moved before Cllr Mackenzie’s first birthday and he grew up in Ipswich.

He became managing director of MMP International, which supplied industrial repair and maintenance products worldwide. The job brought him to Harrogate 49 years ago.

MMP was acquired by US company ITW in 1998. Mr Mackenzie was a minority shareholder and stayed on for 10 years as business manager. He then became self-employed, “doing small things representing British manufacturers worldwide”.

A Conservative Party member for 40 years, he cut his political teeth as a Harrogate borough councillor in Pannal from 1987 to 1991 before a 15-year hiatus to concentrate on his career and raising his daughter, who would later become the agent for Andrew Jones, the Conservative MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough. Who are his political heroes?

“I liked Mrs Thatcher but I don’t have any political heroes. I also liked David Cameron — I thought he was very good.”

He returned to serve three terms in Harrogate from 2006 to 2018, during which he became the cabinet member for planning and transport for three years — a role that included oversight of the creation of the original Local Plan — a document that outlines where planning can take part in the development.

Speaking at an online county council meeting.

The plan allocated 390 new homes a year in the district — a number that was rejected by the government’s Planning Inspectorate as too low and was eventually bumped up to around 700, leading to ongoing concerns about the number of new developments. He says:

“In hindsight 390 was a little low. Now it’s nearer 700. I don’t have a problem with 700 but recently it’s been much higher than that.”

Cllr Mackenzie was appointed executive member for public health at the county council in 2013 until council leader Carl Les moved him to his access portfolio in 2015.

It’s a bruising role but says the only time he gets real abuse is when he’s knocking on doors canvassing. It doesn’t seem to bother him — he likes a good argument. Or as he puts it:

“I can’t say I enjoy it but I wouldn’t shrink from it.

“I belong to that generation when a candidate didn’t rely on social media. I relied on public meetings. But there’s far less of that face-to-face stuff and that has led to a decline in behaviour because people think their behaviour doesn’t matter as much.”

Bird watching

Cllr Mackenzie, who is 72, doesn’t intend to retire. He has applied to become a non-executive director of a British public sector organisation and wants to keep busy.

“I wouldn’t like to think I didn’t start each day without an active programme ahead.”

He’s a keen bird watcher who engages in his hobby on family holidays in Norfolk. He doesn’t cycle but walks a lot. He often catches the bus or strolls into town from his home, near Leeds Road about a mile from the town centre. He says it’s too close to go by car.

He claims not to have any major regrets. What does he think his legacy will be?

“I would like people to think that whatever decision I took, I took with the best of motives and I thought the decision was right. I can’t claim to have got every decision right – but they were all taken with the best of intentions.”

With many of his schemes set to outlast him, his legacy will be felt in the district for years to come.

Harrogate Magistrates Court has been left as “piggy in the middle” as more cases are being transferred from Skipton, says a solicitor.

Keith Blackwell, of Blackwell Solicitors in Keighley, said that the magistrates in Skipton is being “bled dry” due to fewer hearings being held.

The Skipton court used to sit three times a week, but now cases, such as youth hearings, are being sent to Harrogate or York.

Mr Blackwell, who often travels to Harrogate for cases twice a week, said important hearing such as pre-sentence reports and trials were also being held in Harrogate over Skipton.

He said the frequency of cases being moved is unfair on those defendants and their families who are poor and have to travel long distances.

Mr Blackwell, who has been practising as solicitor since 1975, said:

“It is just not fair.

“The people who make these decisions are all driving in limousines. We are supposed to be levelling up.

“Harrogate has been left as piggy in the middle in all this.”

After being threatened with closure in 2001 and 2010, Skipton Magistrates’ Court has not had any scheduled trial time since a review earlier in the pandemic – with not guilty cases reportedly being sent to Harrogate, York and as far as Scarborough.

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Back in 2010, the axe fell on nine of Yorkshire’s courthouses, but Skipton Magistrates’ Court was spared after a campaign backed by Skipton and Ripon MP Julian Smith and the local branch of the Magistrates Association.

The closures were part of national plans to shut 103 magistrates and 54 county courts across the country in a move which was estimated to save almost £37 million in maintenance and running costs.

In a statement, the HM Courts & Tribunals Service said the recent changes at Skipton Magistrates’ Court were introduced to ensure cases could be heard “safely and with minimum delay” during the pandemic.

It said no decision has been taken to permanently remove criminal trials from Skipton and that “special arrangements” can be made to hear trials locally.

A spokesperson for the HM Courts & Tribunals Service said:

“While listing is a judicial function, the pandemic forced some cases to be moved to ensure cases could be heard safely and with minimum delay.

“Skipton Law Courts continue to hear civil and family cases and special arrangements can be made to hear cases locally.

“Although there is presently no scheduled trial time in Skipton, in individual cases travel distance can be considered when the case is listed and special arrangements can be made to hear cases locally.”

The developer behind a Leon drive-thru in Harrogate has been ordered to take down an eight-metre advertising sign after it was put up without permission.

Pictures from the Wetherby Road site show a sign advertising a Leon restaurant being erected yesterday.

The developer has applied for the installation of 15 advertising boards, which include drive-thru directions, menus and a height restrictor bar.

However, Harrogate Borough Council has yet to approve the advertisements.

Joe Shields, a resident who lives directly opposite the drive-thru, saw the pole being put in place by contractors at around 8am in the morning. He alerted planning officers to the situation.

Speaking to the Stray Ferret, Mr Shields said he was disappointed that the developer had erected the sign without permission.

Mr Shields said:

“There are changes at the site on a daily basis.

“My impression is that they will just continue wacking this [the Leon] up.”

The current construction site at the Leon on Wetherby Road.

A spokesperson for Harrogate Borough Council confirmed that a planning officer attended the Wetherby Road site to order that the advertisement be taken down.

The spokesperson added:

“We have also received an application for advertising at the site. Any works undertaken before the application is at the applicant’s own risk.”

The Stray Ferret asked Euro Garages for a response on the advertisement, but it declined to comment.

£25,000 appeal costs

The move comes as the borough council has agreed to pay Euro Garages £25,000 in appeal costs over the development.

Last year, Helen Hockenhull, a government planning inspector, granted permission for a Starbucks drive-thru on the former Dental surgery site.

It has since emerged that the site will become a Leon drive-thru instead.

Read more:

• New Harrogate Leon set to open early May
• Harrogate council to pay Leon developer £25,000 in appeal costs

Ms Hockenhull awarded costs against the council after she said it “demonstrated unreasonable behaviour”.

The council turned down the development back in 2019 on air quality and highways grounds, but later withdrew its objection.

The move forced residents fighting the proposal to defend the authority’s reasons for refusal at the hearing.

Parents at a Harrogate primary school facing an uncertain future have spent the day meeting with governors and the headteacher. 

Woodfield Community Primary School opened its doors for parents to ask questions after a planned merger with Grove Road Community Primary School fell through. 

The proposal had been put forward after Woodfield was placed in special measures by Ofsted two years ago. Governors had been unable to find a multi-academy trust to join, as required by Ofsted, and an announcement was made yesterday that the planned merger had also fallen through. 

Cllr Paul Haslam, who has been a governor at the school since early 2019, told the Stray Ferret: 

“It is bitterly disappointing. The school has got the best teaching it has had for many years.  

“The calibre of the teaching and learning of the children can’t be faulted, in my opinion.  

“I believe it’s more to do with Grove Road feeling they don’t have the resources in order to accomplish what the amalgamation set out to do, rather than anything else. We’ve all got the children’s interests at heart. 

“We’re listening to parents rather than telling them what to do. It’s about having an ear. 

“Let’s get through this stage and understand what this stage is; listening to parents and their concerns will help us formulate what we do in the future. 

“We will come to a conclusion based on what parents tell us and what all parties believe is right.” 

Cllr Haslam said the governors had written to all parents about amalgamation being dropped before the news was announced publicly.  

“We view this as a very urgent situation that needs to be dealt with as quickly as possible. We will be doing everything we can in order to expedite and get information for people.  

“We’re challenged with the Easter holidays – the governors were 200% behind the fact we had to offer to sit with the parents today.  

“We didn’t want them to go away worrying about this. Obviously, they will worry, but we are giving them an opportunity to talk about this.” 

Read more:

• Future of Woodfield school uncertain as Grove Road merger dropped
• County council ‘would give Woodfield school more time to improve if it could’

After the merger proposal was initially announced, North Yorkshire County Council and leaders from both schools held two online public meetings in January for parents to ask questions. 

Asked what would happen if the planned amalgamation fell through, Andrew Dixon, strategic planning manager for NYCC, said they “would have to consult on a school closure”. 

However, Cllr Haslam said today that he wanted to reassure parents: 

“Until further notice, the school continues to operate exactly as it is. That’s the legal obligation of NYCC – we have to operate the school as is. 

“The first and most important thing is that the children are the centre and the core of everything that we as governors do. That’s our utmost consideration at all times.” 

Woodfield was rated ‘Inadequate’ by Ofsted in March 2020, but monitoring visits by inspectors have since found that improvements are being made.  

They particularly praised the efforts made by the school’s new leaders and governors to identify the work needed to improve and how they can be evaluated. 

Harrogate Grammar’s under 18s rugby squad are celebrating having been crowned champions of the Yorkshire Cup after beating Crossley Heath 19-12.

It is the first time the school has won the cup since 2007.

Tom Ryder, the director of sport at Harrogate Grammar, said:

“Winning the Yorkshire Cup was the icing on the cake of a fantastic year for the Sports Academy. They are a dedicated and motivated group who train hard and commit.

“The Yorkshire Cup final was an extra special occasion, as so many teachers, students, HGS Alumni, friends and family came out to support.

Student Freddie Yates scored two tries, whilst team-mate, Matthew Leatham, won the man of the match award.

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After two years of disruption, students have enjoyed a full season of fixtures across all years. The girls’ under 14 netball reached regional finals recently, as did the boys’ hockey team.

Neil Renton, the school’s headteacher spoke on the win. He said:

“They are talented squad and their dedication not only reflects our values of commitment and excellence, but also inspires our younger students. The Academy is a unique asset to our school, championing success in netball and rugby and we want to attract students from all over the county.

“Our PE faculty works hard to organise so many fixtures, driving forward such successful teams and offering a tremendous range of sports to all our students.”