Yorkshire Water giving out free bottled water at Ripon’s Market Place

People in the Ripon area have woken up to a water outage for the second time in a week.

North Road in Ripon is flooded, with pictures of it on Blow Your Horn Facebook page prompting comments by people in Ripon, Melmerby, Dishforth and Sharow they have no water.

Ripon and surrounding villages were hit by an outage last Thursday after a pipe burst on North Street.

In Harrogate, a burst main in Otley Road has cut water to some homes in HG2.

Follow our live coverage below.

5.45pm – Engineers ‘recharging the system’

The Stray Ferret asked a Yorkshire Water spokesperson if the burst main could leave some households without water into tomorrow.

He was unable to give any timescales but said engineers are working to ‘recharge the system’ which should restore the water supply. However, he said this needs to be done carefully to manage water pressure.

The spokesperson said he expects water will be ‘back on soon’.

5.20pm – Still no water for parts of Ripon

There is still no water for some properties in Ripon following this morning’s burst water main on North Street.

Yorkshire Water has arranged a bottled water station in Market Place, where anyone is free to come and collect bottles of water.

2.00pm – Yorkshire Water pumping water into Ripon network

Yorkshire Water is currently pumping water into its network via tankers. It’s so the city centre remains with water whilst engineers work to fix the burst main. No time has been given for when water will return back to normal.

The company is also looking for somewhere in the city for customers to collect bottles of water.

A Yorkshire Water spokesperson said:

“We are on-site fixing the issue and working hard to restore water supply as soon as possible.

“Our teams are delivering bottled water to customers on our priority service register, additional vulnerable customers and care homes. We’re also working with our partners to deliver bottled water to rural communities and set up a bottled water collection point for customers in Ripon. We will update as soon as we have a location for that.

“We’ve also put measures in place – such as tankering into our network – to make sure we can restore supply to as many customers as possible, as quickly as possible.”

12.05pm – Water restored in Harrogate, but Ripon awaiting a fix

A Yorkshire Water spokesperson has said the burst water main in Otley Road, Harrogate has now been fixed with customers back to their normal supply.

However, in Ripon engineers are still working to fix the burst pipe on North Street. It happened because last week’s burst, also on North Street, weakened another part of the pipe today causing it to burst.

Bottled water is being delivered to vulnerable customers and a bottled water station will be set up soon.

“Last week there was a burst on a 12-inch main on North Street, Ripon – we fixed the issue on the same day, but unfortunately it weakened another area of the pipe, which burst this morning. The new burst is around 20m away from the original burst.

“We’re on site working on the fix this morning – with temporary traffic lights and the same diversion still in place. We’re currently delivering bottled water to vulnerable customers, care homes and those on our priority services register. We will be setting up a bottled water station for other customers shortly.”

10.05am – Works on Otley Road

This is the current scene on Otley Road near to the junction with Pannal Ash Road where work is being carried out to restore water in the HG2 area.

9.55am – Ripon residents pitch in to prevent flooding

Barry Dolan, who helped to clear the drains.

Barry Dolan, who helped to clear the drains.

A group of residents of North Road whose houses are beyond the clock tower junction when heading out of the city, ensured that their gardens and those of neighbours across the road, were not flooded for long, as they worked to unblock drains full of straw debris and fallen leaves. 

Barry Dolan (pictured) said: 

“The reason that the gardens were flooded by the water from the burst main, was because of the blocked drains (see photo) that get jammed up with straw that comes off passing trailers whose loads get caught by overhanging branches.

“When we woke to see what had happened a number of us joined in to clear the blockages and the water subsided.”

One of the blocked drains on North Street, Ripon.

One of the blocked drains on North Road, Ripon.

Mr Dolan added: 

“Because the drains are not cleared out regularly, we also get flooding along this section when there is heavy rain.”

9.45am – Ripon retirement apartment manager hopes water can be restored quickly

Yvonne Mulholland, outside McCarthy and Stone's Dawson Grange.

Yvonne Mulholland, outside McCarthy and Stone’s Dawson Grange.

For the second time in four days, Yvonne Mulholland, the manager of McCarthy and Stone’s Dawson Grange retirement apartments on North Street (pictured) had to call Yorkshire Water for an emergency supply of bottled water. 

She told the Stray Ferret:

“We have residents in 28 apartments, some of whom are vulnerable and needing to keep hydrated. 

“Yorkshire Water were very good last week and supplied us with 40 bottles to give to residents and I have spoken with them again this morning. 

“With the burst main immediately outside our premises, I just hope that the problem can be sorted out quickly and with the minimum of disruption to our residents and neighbours.”

9.40am – Temporary lights on Pannal Ash Road

Temporary lights have been put in place between the junction of Pannal Ash Road and Pannal Ash Drive.

Yorkshire Water said this morning that technicians were on site to carry out repairs and return water to residents.

8.45am – Water could be off for up to six hours

Yorkshire Water is reporting on its social media that water in Ripon could be off for between four to six hours.

The company added that it will “aim to get the water back as soon as possible”.

https://twitter.com/YWHelp/status/1561596914608619521?s=20&t=a4N3hfvun0oDwQWv6NjV-g

8.20am – Technicians on Otely Road

Yorkshire Water has confirmed that technicians are on site at Otley Road to try and get water back on for residents.

https://twitter.com/YorkshireWater/status/1561608712887930880?s=20&t=RJa7hFCYZHV6nTLeUeZ1tQ

8.10am – Pictures from North Street

This is the current scene at North Street in Ripon, where a burst pipe is causing a water outage for residents in the area.

7.55am – Yorkshire Water confirms burst pipe

Yorkshire Water has tweeted this morning to say a burst pipe on North Street is causing the outage in Ripon.

⚠️ #HG4 #Northstreet ⚠️ I am sorry to inform. Customers may have low pressure or no water due to a repair of a main needed due to a burst pipe. Apologies for any inconvenience. Updates to follow. -Laura pic.twitter.com/jAqfVMoKmr

— Yorkshire Water Help (@YWHelp) August 22, 2022

7.52am – Ripon resident: ‘This is ridiculous’

One resident in Ripon has got in touch with the Stray Ferret to report the outage.

They said:

“The burst water main in North Street has gone again, this morning it’s flooding the road again. We live on a residential park on Palace Road and had no information the first time.

“This is ridiculous, how are pensioners supposed to carry four litres of water to their homes.”

7.48am – Bishop of Ripon reports outage

The Bishop of Ripon, Helen-Ann Hartley, tweeted to Yorkshire Water:

“No water in Ripon again. Any idea how long this time? Will more bottled water and information be forthcoming, especially to outlying villages please?”

7.45am – Reports of water outage

Reports have come in from Harrogate and Ripon of a water outage and low pressure in the areas.

Yorkshire Water said on its website:

“Customers may have no water or low pressure due to a burst main. We are working to restore supplies back to normal as soon as possible.”

In Harrogate, a burst main n Otley Road has cut water to some homes in HG2.

One person affected received the following response from Yorkshire Water:

“Our technicians are on site dealing with the repair, however it could be 4-6 hours before the water comes back on and when it does it may be a little cloudy and discoloured.”

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Calls to grit more Harrogate district roads set to be rejected

Councillors look set to reject calls to grit more roads in the Harrogate district this winter.

North Yorkshire County Council, the highways authority, meets on Friday to agree its gritting programme from October 1 to April 30.

A report by Barrie Mason, assistant director for highways and transportation at the council, recommends councillors at the meeting approve the same arrangements as last year.

The council has a winter maintenance service budget of £7.5 million. Details of its gritting routes are here.

Motorways and trunk roads in the county, including the A1, A1(M), A66, A66(M), A64, A168 (Dishforth to Thirsk) and A19 (Thirsk to Crathorne) are gritted separately by National Highways.

Each year the council’s business and environmental services committee considers requests for amendments to its gritting routes.

Five have been received from the Harrogate district but Mr Mason said in the report:

“Currently there are no external routes upgrade requests that are supported by officers.”

The only proposed change this year is to include the north Northallerton link road in winter gritting when it opens “as this is commensurate with its network hierarchy”, the report said.

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The 5 roads requested for gritting

The council received five requests from residents, parish councils and local councillors in the Harrogate district to grit additional roads.

They are:

Old Barber in Bilton

A resident said when it snows and is icy it is “very dangerous for elderly people”.

West End, Blubberhouses

A resident said the location has a a number of farms and hamlets with steep gradients and should be gritted.

Wheatlands Road, Harrogate

A local councillor said it is a very steep road and residents “find themselves unable to get vehicles out of the road at all”.

Walton Park, Harrogate

A local councillor said “when it’s icy it’s sometimes difficult to walk across the road never mind traverse the pavements”, adding parents walking down hill to primary school are “at risk in the morning”.

The access road to Heyshaw village in Nidderdale

The parish council said the road “becomes impassable when very icy or snowy” and links to a dairy farm.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MPs warned energy bills are pushing Harrogate district businesses to ‘tipping point’

Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce has warned the area’s MPs that many businesses will soon reach a “tipping point” and have to close as soaring energy bills hit the high street.

Chamber chief executive David Simister said in letters to Conservative MPs Andrew Jones, Julian Smith and Nigel Adams that he had “grave” concerns for the outlook of high streets with the worst of the energy crisis yet to come ahead of the looming recession.

Mr Simister urged the MPs to put pressure on the government to “act now” and provide support for firms “before it is too late”.

He said:

“Whilst the focus seems very much to be on the cost of living crisis for homeowners, there is little being said about industry and commerce, and what, if any support, will be given to prevent businesses being forced to shut.

“Very soon, the 12-month, 50% business rates discounts is to end.

“This again is going to heap more financial woes on those who pay this tax to central government.

“Coupled with the rising costs of raw materials, fuel, the living wage, and National Insurance, many businesses will soon reach a tipping point, and unfortunately for some the only option will be to shut.”

Unlike households, small businesses’ bills are not covered by the energy price cap, which is set to go up in October when annual bills will average £3,554.

The Labour Party has proposed freezing the cap at the current level of £1,971 a year for households until April when it is hoped prices may start to ease.

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The party argues this would ease pressure on households and potentially give a boost to businesses as shoppers would have more money to spend.

However, Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak – the two Conservative candidates competing to replace Boris Johnson as Prime Minister – have both rejected the plan.

The massive bill increases are already being felt by Harrogate district businesses and with further rises on the horizon, Mr Simister said many will simply not be able to cope with the double impact of shoppers cutting back spending.

He added these impacts were being felt even harder off the back of the covid pandemic which brought “two years of extreme difficulties for businesses”.

He said in his letter to MPs:

“For some, I fear the looming energy crisis, which is yet to bite, will be one storm too many to weather,”

“I urge you as our constituency MP to put pressure on your government colleagues to act now, not in two or three weeks’ time, to bring certainty, and hopefully some comfort, to business owners, including myself, who are incredibly worried.”

The three MPs have been contacted for comment.

TV presenters join Harrogate mayor at jurassic golf

The Mayor of Harrogate borough and former presenters from ITV Calendar took part in jurassic golf in Harrogate town centre last weekend.

Duncan Wood and Christine Talbot joined Cllr Victoria Oldham to take on the nine-hole course.

The course has been set up outside the Victoria Shopping Centre until Saturday, August 28.

Alongside the course, a Dino Trail has been set up in the town centre.

As people complete the trail, they will also be collecting letters that form a simple, themed anagram. Users can then submit the anagram/answer via the LoyalFree app for an additional chance to win a prize draw.

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Matthew Chapman, manager of Harrogate Business Improvement District, which has led on the initiative, said:

“In addition to coming into town to shop, eat and drink, visitors can now add mini-crazy golf to the list. The crazy golf in the Valley Gardens is incredibly popular, and we are confident our jurassic golf will be a roaring success.

“And once you have completed the challenging nine-hole course, there’s a dinosaur-themed themed trail to follow around town. A great way to spend an hour or two before or after visiting Harrogate’s great shops, bars and restaurants.”

Those wishing to play a round of golf can turn up on the day or book on the jurassic golf website here.

The cost is adults £3, children £2.50, family of four (two adults and two children) £10 and one adult and one child £5.

Consultation into Harrogate town council starts today

A consultation has started today into plans to set up a Harrogate town council.

North Yorkshire County Council is to launch a review into whether to create a lower tier authority in the town.

Harrogate Borough Council will no longer exist from April 1 when the new unitary authority, North Yorkshire Council, is created.

It will leave both Harrogate and Scarborough as the only areas of the county with no parish authority.

The unparished areas of Harrogate include these current county council divisions:

Bilton and Nidd Gorge

Bilton Grange and New Park

Coppice Valley and Duchy (part)

Fairfax and Starbeck

Harlow and St Georges

High Harrogate and Kingsley

Killinghall, Hampsthwaite and Saltergate (part)

Oatlands and Pannal (part)

The Stray and Hookstone

Valley Gardens and Central Harrogate

Residents can give their views in the consultation online. It will close on September 30.

Cllr David Chance, executive member for corporate services, said: 

“Parish and town councils have always had a key role in representing the needs of their communities, and will have even greater opportunity to do so – as well as to take on greater responsibilities if they so wish – with the formation of the new North Yorkshire Council in April.

“As two of the county’s major centres of population, it’s vital that Harrogate and Scarborough have this opportunity and I would urge people to look at the consultation and have their say.

“At this stage, no firm proposals are being put forward. Depending on the response to this consultation, a further consultation on detailed proposals could follow.”

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The county council is due to send letters to residents in Harrogate informing them of the consultation.

Copies of the consultation will also be available from:

You can fill in the consultation online here.

What is a town council?

Town and parish councils run services such as community centres and play areas, as well as maintaining bus shelters. Councillors are elected to serve on them but they are not paid.

The councils can also charge a precept as part of council tax bills to fund the services provided, meaning there is a cost to the people they serve.

In the Harrogate district, there are town councils in areas such as Ripon, Knaresborough, Pateley Bridge and Kirby Hill.

Because Harrogate does not currently have a lower tier council, it also raises questions over what its boundaries would be.

£49m Harrogate Convention Centre redevelopment plans move to final design stage

The redevelopment of Harrogate Convention Centre has moved to the next design stage – although a final decision on the £49 million plans is still a year away.

It will be in July or August next year when that decision is made and because of local government reorganisation, it will be taken by the new North Yorkshire Council.

The convention centre is currently owned by Harrogate Borough Council which will hand over ownership of the venue after warning it “may fail to survive” without investment.

It said the convention centre – which is a key driver of business to the district’s hospitality and tourism trades – could lose up to £250 million over the next 40 years unless the redevelopment is carried out.

That warning was put to members of the borough council’s cabinet on Wednesday when they approved spending £3.3 million to progress final designs.

Trevor Watson, director of economy, environment and housing at the borough council, told a meeting that the redevelopment would enhance the appearance of the 40-year-old building and improve access to its auditorium.

He said:

“But absolutely critically, it would replace the ageing and failing mechanical and electrical facilities which we will have to do regardless of whether this scheme goes ahead.”

“The reality is we can’t do nothing as we would still require many millions of pounds of investment just to keep the venue ticking over”.

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The convention centre competes with venues in Manchester, Birmingham, London and other major cities for events. And now there is a new threat much closer to home after plans for a Leeds conference venue were revealed.

Those proposals for the site of the former Yorkshire Bank HQ were set for approval by Leeds City Council last week until a wave of objections from Harrogate Convention Centre and the town’s business leaders delayed the decision.

Paula Lorimer, director of Harrogate Convention Centre, criticised the city council for an “absence of dialogue” on the plans which she fears will have a big impact on Harrogate’s place in the “very competitive” events industry.

She also told Wednesday’s meeting:

“The convention centre’s role is to protect and create jobs for Harrogate, and to ensure it does not become a seasonal town and shut in the winter.

“Although the venue has retained many loyal clients over the years, increasing competition and growing operating costs have resulted in us having a major rethink of what our offer actually is.

“We need to innovate to recapture our position in the market and I very much believe this is achievable.”

The next stages of the proposed development will see designs produced by next May, before final costs are revealed the following month.

If approved, construction works would start later in the year with completion in November 2024.

Kex Gill realignment cost increases to £68m

The cost of a county council project to realign the A59 at Kex Gill has increased to £68.8 million.

A North Yorkshire County Council report said the authority faces a £7.2 million shortfall on the cost due to a rise in inflation.

The project will see a diversion built west of Blubberhouses on the stretch of road, which has been blighted by a history of landslips. The A59 is the main route between Harrogate and Skipton.

County council officials originally estimated that the scheme would cost £61.6 million.

Of that figure, £56.1 million worth of funding has been granted by the Department for Transport and the remaining cost will be covered by the authority.

However, in a report due before an executive meeting on Tuesday, the council has now said it faces a further shortfall of £7.2 million in funding for the scheme.

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It means the council has had to increase the funding it is allocating to the scheme to £12.7 million.

As a result, the council intends to use £7.2 million from its Brexit reserve account in order to fund the scheme.

It said:

“Should alternative funding resources be secured, whether in part or in full, the reserve provision will be relinquished.”

Council officials expect work to start on the scheme next year and continue until 2025.

North Yorkshire County Council previously said it hoped the reroute would start in autumn last year and take 15 months.

Ahead of appointing a contractor for the scheme, a full business case will be submitted to the Department for Transport.

Harrogate estate agent records £15m turnover

Business Breakfast is sponsored by Harrogate law firm Truth Legal. 

Company accounts show Linley & Simpson recorded a turnover of £15m in the year ending 31 December 2021, up from £11.7m in 2020.

Pre-tax profit was £2.81m, compared to £2.86m the previous year, while operating profit before depreciation and amortisation was £4.67m, up from £3.95m.

The group completed seven acquisitions during the period, with five share purchases and two trade and asset purchases.

The group’s residential portfolio increased from 11,477 to 12,515 during the year, primarily driven by its acquisitions.

The company is planning to expand its land and new homes department to cover the whole of Yorkshire and the Humber from its 23 offices.

David Waddington, the agency’s director of land and new homes, said:

“Having grown into the largest land and new homes agent in the area, we now have a strong launch pad for taking our services to house builders in new territories.”

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Digital marketing graduate scheme announced

Harrogate digital agency group IDHL has welcomed 14 new starters to its biggest ever graduate training programme, which will be run from its Harrogate, Leeds and Manchester offices.

The 12-month specialist digital development programme for graduates has a goal of attracting new talent and investing in the training and development of entry level candidates.

The graduates will undergo training and get first-hand agency experience in other digital marketing service specialisms such as 6technical SEO, copywriting and digital PR as well as web development and design.

Graduate training manager Giacomo Palmieri said:

“I am proud to see this graduate scheme grow, with our successes and learnings in Paid laying solid foundation for the wider teams.

“When we started this programme, we had just one graduate candidate in place at a time, but this year we’ll have four people in Paid Media alone, and a further ten across other areas of the business. It’s so great to see.

“Our six alumni have become key to the day-to-day running of our team, and one has recently been promoted to senior executive.”

Nidderdale campsite owner calls for more regulation of ‘pop-up campsites’

The owner of a Nidderdale campsite has called for more regulation of “pop-up campsites” which she claims are impacting established businesses.

Louise Pullan co-owns the Breaks Fold Farm camping and glamping site in the Washburn Valley, next to Thruscross Reservoir, in the Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).

She said the pop-up campsite trend was having a big impact on established sites and needed regulating by local authorities.

A change in regulations to allow landowners to establish pop-up campsites for up to 56 days was introduced in July 2020, to help the rural economy recover from the covid pandemic.

Previously, they were able to operate for only 28 days a year without applying for planning permission.

This 28-day rule is now back in place.

Ms Pullan said:

“It should be being enforced by local authorities, as many are operating well over and above this. It is time for the rules to stop being bent to suit now.”

A spokesman for Harrogate Borough Council said:

“Should anyone believe an area of land is being used as a campsite for more than the allocated number of days per year they are advised to get in touch with us by emailing planningenforcement@harrogate.gov.uk.”

Ms Pullan said outdoor accommodation search and booking platform Pitchup.com had a lot to answer for in relation to the issue.

Encouraging people to support the #bookdirect movement, which encourages customers to book direct with businesses to avoid fees, she said:

“People are setting up sites thinking they can make a massive profit. They are encouraging this trend of unregulated sites and pushing for the 56-day rule to be made permanent.

“We feel these sites are a risk to public health, in the same way an unregulated food business is, and they are ruining places like the national parks and AONB areas.

“If people want to support small accommodation businesses book direct, not through booking agents. They should support their favourite established sites to help them get through and recover from the impact of covid, when we only had a very limited window to open our businesses.”

She said that she was grateful to her client base for their continued support, but added:

“At the moment it is a fight to keep going, especially after we lost a huge part of our business in the form of our bistro Flock to the Fold. But everyday we feel lucky to still be here, because many haven’t made it through.”

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Pitchup.com founder and managing director Dan Yates said booking platform currently lists more than 3,100 sites and aims to be the most “comprehensive and user-friendly” online resource for outdoor accommodation in the UK.

He said that as a result, it includes detailed listings for sites that take bookings through the platform, as well as basic listings for sites that don’t.

He said:

“Pop-ups are a recent innovation and represent only a small part of Pitchup’s business (less than 10 per cent).

“In the past two years, pop-up campsites have brought desperately-needed revenue to farms and rural businesses across the UK as they negotiate the double whammy of a farming crisis and the aftermath of the pandemic.

“Following the reduction in the permitted development rights (PDR) allowance for pop-up sites to open from 56 to 28 days in England and Wales, a quarter fewer popups are using Pitchup this year and our popup bookings so far this year are down 27 per cent on last year.

“Although camping searches in the UK for 2022 are slightly down (-6 per cent) on the record volumes of 2021, double the number of Pitchup bookings by Brits have been made compared to 2019, equating to 720,000 additional customers – the vast majority of those are for established sites.

“From our side it’s great to see more and more people enjoying the beautiful UK countryside, ensuring the camping and caravan sector is best placed of any accommodation type to enjoy a bright future.”

Stray Views: Starbeck should support KFC expansion

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.

Starbeck should support KFC expansion

Thank you for your recent coverage of the KFC expansion. I’m saddened by the responses of Starbeck residents to the expansion of a successful business, and the demonisation of the industry as a whole.

Starbeck has rightly or wrongly become a refuge for the care system, the homeless, and people needing supported and sheltered accommodation. These people don’t have the incomes to support lovely deli’s and independent retail units that some residents loudly protest we should have. The businesses in Starbeck need to survive in a tough local environment. However, they can use the strategic location between Harrogate and Knaresborough to reach a massive local market and we should support them in doing so.

Empty shops bring disasters like McColl’s burnt out shell and feed a vicious cycle of crime and poverty. On an evening, our high street is a hive of activity and there is a real hustle and bustle thanks to our takeaways and food outlets. We should be leaning into this to create a real foodie destination to bring more jobs and improve Starbeck’s reputation.

Any one of us could take over these empty shops and start a business. If they believe there is a genuine demand for smaller retail shops, then I would challenge them to put their money where their mouth is.

William Powell, Starbeck

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Stonefall Cemetery deserves more care

Stonefall Cemetery has traditionally been kept beautifully and was always cared for. However it seems this year the grass cutting is rough, careless and damaging. 

I have noted now that the last five cuts have been made with heavy machines which aren’t really suitable for delicate areas. The cut grass is being left and is now preventing new growth, leaving the plots looking awful. I’m sure the council realises this is a graveyard and not a roadside verge. Our families deserve more care and respect.

I contacted Stonefall and they were sorry to hear my complaint but told me that the council had changed the garden team before Christmas.

I also frequent Harrogate Valley Gardens in Harrogate, which is beautifully cared for. Shouldn’t we provide the same care for our dearly departed?

Mark Anthony Taylor, Harrogate

Gateway correspondence response

In response to last week’s Stray Views letter regarding Station Gateway being “long overdue”, I note that the correspondent lives in Knaresborough.

Gillian Long, Harrogate

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.