Harrogate property developer gets 16-month drink-driving ban

Harrogate property developer Adam Thorpe has been banned from driving for 16 months after being caught almost twice over the legal limit.

Thorpe, 41, of Ingerthorpe Hall, Markington, was stopped by police in November last year on the B6265 near Risplith Hill.

He was found to have 66 micrograms of alcohol per 100 ml of breath. The legal limit is 35 micrograms.

Thorpe pleaded not guilty in April but changed his plea at Harrogate Magistrates Court on Friday.

Magistrates said his 16-month disqualification from driving would be reduced by 16 weeks if he completed a course.

Thorpe was fined £984. He was also ordered to pay £98 to victim services and costs of £85 to the Crown Prosecution Service.

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Thorpe announced plans for a £75 million redevelopment of the former Harrogate Borough Council building at Crescent Gardens in 2017.

The plans included luxury apartments, an art gallery, underground car park, swimming pool and restaurant.

But his company ATP Ltd went into administration with debts of almost £11 million.

Online meetings during covid saved council £4m

The introduction of online meetings due to covid saved North Yorkshire County Council £4 million.

An officer’s report to a meeting of the authority’s executive tomorrow reveals the huge amount of money saved as well as environmental benefits.

The staff mileage bill fell by more than £1.7 million In the year to April 2021 compared with the previous 12 months.

Staff drove 4,117,062 fewer miles to meetings than in 2019/20.

The introduction of online meetings by the authority, which employs 15,000 staff, saw a total saving of almost £4 million, the equivalent to more than 2,700 average annual council tax bills.

The report estimates over the two years it saved 369,500 hours, or 49,200 working days, the equivalent to some 233 full-time staff.
It states:

“Over 2,000 employees had moved quickly to work from home at the start of the pandemic and the way in which teams can work remotely and virtually has been transformational.

“There has been a carefully considered approach to developing future ways of working post-covid following whole organisation engagement in 2021.

“Hybrid working has been welcomed by council staff. This new approach provides great flexibility for many roles.”

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The authority, which aims to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2030, reduced carbon emissions by 2,710 tonnes over the two years because of the reduced mileage.

The council aims to generate further post-pandemic savings by rationalising its extensive property portfolio as more work is completed virtually and demand for physical meeting spaces has been reduced.

The officer’s report states:

“It should also be noted these savings are just in terms of travelling to and from meetings.

“The savings to individual members of staff working from home, fuel cost and time, and to the environment, will be significantly bigger.

“Although some of these figures will start to increase again as staff return to the office on a more frequent basis, there will be many other benefits that new ways of working have brought us that can be retained.”

7m fewer documents printed

The report highlights other benefits of changed working practices, including improved attendance at multi-agency meetings, the ability to attend more meetings and arrange meetings sooner than if relying on getting people together at the same place.

With many staff working from home and attending meetings online, there has been a sharp reduction in the number of documents being printed.

In the year before the pandemic the council’s staff printed some 14.5 million sheets of paper compared to 7.6 million last year. Over the last two years the reduction in printing has saved the equivalent of 1,800 trees.

The authority’s deputy leader, Councillor Gareth Dadd, said while it remained unclear as to the level of savings that the work practice changes would produce in the coming years, how technology could be used to cut travel would “feature very heavily in our thinking moving forward”.

Police appeal after motorcyclist seriously injured near Harrogate

Police today issued an appeal for witnesses following a crash near Harrogate in which a man suffered serious injuries.

The collision, on the A59 near Kettlesing, involved a white Transit van and a motorcycle.

Both were travelling in the direction of Harrogate.

The incident happened at about 2.30pm on Friday and led to the road being closed for several hours.

The motorcyclist sustained life-threatening injuries.

North Yorkshire Police are appealing for any witnesses to the collision, or anyone with relevant dashcam footage.

If you wish to do so you can call 101 and speak to the force control room, quoting reference number NYP-17062022-253.

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Harrogate commuters braced for ‘inconvenient’ train strikes

As train services prepare to wind down today ahead of the looming rail strike, the Stray Ferret went to Harrogate station this morning to speak to commuters.

No trains will run between York and Leeds on Tuesday and Thursday this week, which will affect rail passengers in Harrogate and Knaresborough.

Further strike action is planned on Saturday and rail operator Northern is urging people not to travel on trains between tomorrow and Sunday.

No replacement buses are being put on.

The RMT union has called the strike over pay and conditions. It will see thousands of drivers, signal operators and guards walk out.

Commuters in Harrogate said they had been forced to change their working days this week or work from home. Some have had to rearrange or cancel meetings.

Kevin Dalton told us:

“I’m not a regular train user as I work from home most of the time.

“But I had a meeting this week and I’ve had to rearrange to today just so I can make it. The idea of driving into Leeds or York for 9am just isn’t worth thinking about.”

For others still having to travel into the office, the additional petrol and taxi fees were a concern.

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Kayleigh, who works at Hornbeam Park and asked not to publish her surname, said:

“I’ve had to arrange for someone to come and pick me up and bring me home each day.

“It is an inconvenience, I work with people from York and Leeds so they’ve either got to work from home or spend two and a half hours on the bus.”

Another commuter, Diane Hitchen, sympathised with the strikers and said the difficulties it is causing highlighted how much rail workers do. She added:

“I have a lot of teacher friends who have taken strike action before so I understand why.

“Clearly rail workers feel they have to make an impact for their requests to be met.”

Northern has said it will publish its Sunday timetable shortly.

Further details on how the strike will affects services are available here.

Boy, 11, and man seriously injured after blade incident in Beckwithshaw

A boy and a man have been taken to hospital with serious injuries after a major incident in Beckwithshaw this morning.

Armed officers and a police helicopter were deployed at about 8.20am to a house on Church Row in the village.

North Yorkshire Police released a statement minutes ago saying an 11-year-old boy and 40-year-old man had suffered “serious injuries believed to be sustained by a bladed article”.

Both males have been taken to hospital and police remain on the scene.

The statement said:

“Officers were called to a property in Church Row, Otley Road, at 8.20am today and on arrival found an 11-year-old boy and 40-year-old man with serious injuries believed to be sustained by a bladed article.

“Both males have been taken to hospital.

“The incident is not connected to the nearby school.”

This morning, the Stray Ferret received reports of numerous emergency services vehicles and an air ambulance attending the scene.

A police cordon is in place and the road from the roundabout near the cricket club to the junction with Shaw Lane was closed.

One villager told the Stray Ferret the road had reopened.

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Road closure in Beckwithshaw as emergency services respond to incident

A road closure is in place between the cricket club and the junction of Shaw Lane in Beckwithshaw as emergency services and the air ambulance respond to an incident.

The details of the incident are unknown but reports suggest there are multiple police cars, ambulances and an air ambulance near the village hall, opposite the Smiths Arms pub in the village.

Reports suggest the main scene of the incident is near the mini roundabout close to the cricket club, at the northern end of the village. Police at the scene confirmed there was not believed to be any risk to the wider public or the nearby primary school.

Drivers should avoid the area if possible. Officers said they expected the closure to be in place for some time.

We will update you when we get more information. Anyone with further details can email contact@thestrayferret.co.uk.

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Ofsted praise for Harrogate school that ‘turns around’ teenagers’ lives

A pupil referral unit in Harrogate which helps students get back into education has won praise from Ofsted inspectors.

Springwell Harrogate – previously known as The Grove Academy – received a ‘good’ rating in its latest report from the schools watchdog.

Inspectors referred to the “strides” taken by students after starting at Springwell, often following a period out of education. They said:

“While at the school, pupils develop their self-esteem, confidence and sense of purpose. Their time at the school has a tremendously positive effect on them.

“For example, many become more engaged in their education. Pupils told inspectors that the school had ‘turned them around’. One parent, echoing the views of others, described the school as a ‘lifeline’ for their youngster.”

The report said the unit, which takes students aged 11 to 16, helped to develop an interest in reading, in other cultures and in their own future careers.

However, it added that the curriculum is most effective for those who are at the school for short periods and less strong for those who are there for more than a year. Inspectors recommended doing more to deepen the curriculum for those staying longer.

They also suggested building on teaching of vocabulary to enable pupils to improve their use and understanding of language.

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Inspectors highlighted the “dramatic” improvement in some pupils’ attendance after staff worked “tirelessly” to encourage them.

They added:

“Since the previous inspection, there have been significant changes at the school, including to the staffing structure. Several new methods for working with pupils have been introduced.

“New leaders and staff are ambitious for pupils and are determined that they succeed in their next steps. Most pupils move back to their original school or to appropriate settings, including college.

“Pupils join having missed large amounts of their schooling and lacking in motivation. The curriculum reignites pupils’ interest in learning.

“It enables pupils to fill some of the gaps they have in reading, writing, mathematics and science.

“The ‘experiential learning programme’ develops pupils’ physical fitness as well as broadening their knowledge of the world around them.”

‘Positive difference’

According to Ofsted, all of Springwell’s 29 pupils have special educational needs and/or disabilities and five have education, health and care plans. It takes students from across the Harrogate area.

The school has welcomed the new report, which comes after a difficult two years. Executive principal Scott Jacques said:

“Everybody at Springwell Harrogate is pleased with the outcome of our recent Ofsted inspection and that the school has been recognised as good in all areas.

“The school was under threat of closure when it joined the Wellspring Academy Trust in April 2020, and the report notes the considerable change that the academy has been through since then, which has secured its future.

“We are particularly pleased with the fact that inspectors acknowledge the positive difference Springwell Harrogate makes to the lives and educational journey of the young people with whom we work.

“We would like to thank the pupils for their engagement and positive attitudes and also their parents and carers for their continued support in working with us. We also thank all staff involved for their daily dedication and hard work, and the governing body for backing the vision of the academy.”

Stray Views: Dogs without leads ruining Valley Gardens

Stray Views is a weekly column giving you the chance to have your say on issues affecting the Harrogate district. It is an opinion column and does not reflect the views of the Stray Ferret. Send your views to letters@thestrayferret.co.uk.

Dogs without leads ruining Valley Gardens

Yesterday I walked through the valley gardens at 9am and I counted 20 dogs off their leads. One did a huge poo and the owner was oblivious on their mobile. 

Another was digging up the amazing flower beds. This has got to stop. I’ve lived in Harrogate all my life and this is preventing me from using the amazing Valley Gardens.

Gale Filburn, Harrogate

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Ripon Cathedral plans ‘adequately discussed’

Councillor Williams is leader of Ripon City Council and as such has no statuary right of consultation about the Cathedral plans. The Cathedral has more than adequately discussed its plans with the relevant local authorities in Harrogate and Northallerton. 

The City Council of Ripon is represented on Ripon Together where local organisations have a voice on all local issues.

I suggest that Cllr Williams’ time be better spent in finding out why the Spa Hotel remains closed in spite of purchase by The Inn Collection, a disaster for Ripon tourism and its economy.

Dr Christopher Bennett, Ripon

Thank you, Stray Ferret

Thank you so much for your coverage of the Great Knaresborough Bed Race. 

As I have been laid up with some mysterious illness I was unable to do my usual duties at Bed Race, so therefore I would have missed it all except for being able to watch your videos. So thank you all once again for yesterday.

Pamela Godsell, Knaresborough

Do you have an opinion on the Harrogate district? Email us at letters@thestrayferret.co.uk. Please include your name and approximate location details. Limit your letters to 350 words. We reserve the right to edit letters.

Experts set to take centre stage at Harlow Carr Flower Show

Thousands of visitors will descend on Harrogate next weekend as the annual RHS Harlow Carr Flower Show takes place.

Running from Thursday, June 23 to Sunday, June 26, it will feature talks and demonstrations by gardening experts as well as stalls, displays and more.

Among those on the line-up is Martin Fish, the renowned horticultural writer, broadcaster and RHS judge, who will share advice from more than 30 years of gardening.

He will be joined by celebrity floral designer Jonathan Moseley, offering visitors inspiration and tips to create stunning cut flower displays.

The show will also feature live music as visitors explore the gardens.

Tickets for the event have sold out, but organisers said some last-minute cancellations may allow more to be released via the website.

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Harrogate’s roller derby team seeks new recruits

The Spa Town Roller Derby Team is on the lookout for new recruits after covid took its toll on numbers.

The team, which was set up in 2012, is Harrogate’s only roller derby league team and has 19 players.

It is made up of men and women putting on their skates and taking to the floor at Harrogate Ladies’ College each Sunday.

Roller derby is a contact sport played by two five-person teams skating counter-clockwise around a track. In each team there is a jammer and four blockers.

The jammer scores points by lapping members of the opposing team. The teams attempt to hinder the opposing jammer while assisting their own jammer, in effect playing both offence and defence simultaneously.

The team sometimes competes and is currently at tier 4 of the British Championships. In 2016 to 2020 the team competed in the championships each year and without the disturbance of covid the team could have moved to tier 2.

Gemma Wilson has been a member from the start. She started after the birth of her son when she was living with post-natal depression and said being part of the team “saved” her:

“When I put my skates on I was able to forget everything and just laugh, sweat and learn alongside the team. Some say it’s cheap therapy!

“I am one of millions of people who were saved by the crazy, fast paced sport full of some of the most supportive and incredible people the world has to offer.

“During my time skating I have competed all over the country, travelled abroad, tried out for Team England, have some hilarious after party stories and have made lifelong friends across the globe.”

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Ms WIlson is encouraging people of all ages and abilities to sign up. They began recruiting six weeks ago and are in the middle of teaching new members the basics of contact.

The hope is with more members they can add another session in each week. She added:

“People really can take from it what they want as some just want to have a little slice of time for themselves or get fit whilst having fun, but if players want to then they can compete in scrimmages and bouts against other teams.”

To find out more about joining click here.