St Aidan’s Church of England High School’s new floodlit artificial sports pitch is set to open from 6pm to 8pm for community clubs to use.

The school has launched a consultation on when the FIFA-approved pitch can be hired, as well as the type of floodlights that will be built.

Last January councillors gave the school permission to build the pitch, despite the council’s own report recommending refusal.

Some nearby residents had complained that the 15-metre high floodlights would cause light pollution to their homes and the Stray.

However, the application attracted a huge amount of support from Harrogate residents, with some hailing “people power” for helping to influence councillors’ decisions.

Hours of use

The consultation document proposes the pitch will be available from 6pm to 8pm from Monday to Friday.

On Saturdays, it would be available for hire from 9am to 5pm and on Sundays from 10am to 2pm.

During school holidays, the pitch would be available to be booked from 9am to 4pm.

It says prices will be similar to other council-run facilities in the Harrogate area.

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The school will employ its own staff to manage and operate the facility and a committee will review its hours of use every year.

There has been a lack of 3G pitches available in Harrogate since Harrogate Town were forced to remove theirs following promotion to the English Football League two years ago.

A pre-school in Harrogate with just 10 children on the roll has maintained its ‘good’ rating from Ofsted.

St Joseph’s Pre-school and Playgroup on Skipton Road was praised by inspectors for the welcoming and supportive atmosphere it offered to children aged two to four.

As well as praising the pre-school’s use of outdoor space, support for children’s learning and communication with parents, the report said:

“Staff are good role models and interact positively with children. They give children plenty of praise and encouragement as they play. This helps children to develop a can-do attitude towards their learning.

“Children with special educational needs/and or disabilities (SEND) are extremely well supported.

“The special educational needs coordinator is swift to work in partnership with other professionals, in order to help children with SEND reach their full potential.”

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Inspectors recommended that staff could do more to help the most able pupils to develop further, and that more support could be in place for staff members’ professional development.

The pre-school, which can cater for up to 24 children over four mornings each week, was first registered in 1986. Its last inspection in 2016 also delivered a ‘good’ rating.

A sensory garden has been planted in Harrogate town centre for visually impaired people.

Spenceley Gardens, which is opposite Waitrose on Station Parade, has been transformed as part of a joint initiative between Vision Support Harrogate District, RHS Harlow Carr and Harrogate Borough Council.

The garden encourages people with visual impairments to develop their sense of smell and touch and provides an area of relaxation for everyone.

The area has already been planted and is set to be in full bloom in time for an opening ceremony at the end of this month.

Ann Routledge, a volunteer at Vision Support, said lots of herbs and textured plants had been planted to allow the visually impaired to explore their other senses.

She said:

“The aim is to encourage wildlife, even though it’s next to a busy road, and give people a space to sit and reflect. Our members are very excited to use the space. I just think it’ll be great to have a space like this in the centre of town.”

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The charity, which has 400 members in the Harrogate district, offers support to anyone with a visual impairment.

It also hopes that having a garden in such a prominent location will raise awareness of the charity.

The area has been previously designated as a sensory garden but those involved in the project this time hope it will become more popular.

North Yorkshire County Council has said the layout of a 53-home development in Bilton is ‘not acceptable’ and the plan should be refused unless the developer agrees to pay for the widening of Knox Lane.

North East firm Jomast wants to build the homes on a field on Knox Lane in an application that has been reduced from 73 homes.

The county council, which is in charge of the Harrogate district’s roads, has submitted a response to the application as part of the consultation process.

It warned the development does not comply with standards it sets around roads and new housing schemes.

The section of Knox Lane where the homes would be built is narrow and leads towards a popular beauty spot.

Residents have long argued the road is unsuitable for any extra traffic the homes would bring but the developer’s transport report concluded the development would not lead to congestion.

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Paul Roberts, the county council’s highways officer, wrote to Harrogate Borough Council last week and said the development should be refused unless changes are made to Knox Lane as well as private roads within the site.

He wrote:

“The highway authority therefore advise that the application should be refused unless further information is provided by the developer. The layout of the site is not acceptable and will need to be amended to comply with the highway authority guidance/standards.”

Mr Roberts said Knox Lane should be widened to 5.5 metres with a two-metre footpath.

He added:

“This work shall be implemented as part of the project and if the application is approved implemented under a S278 agreement with the highway authority which the authority may wish to lead on.”

Residents’ concerns

The Stray Ferret met a group of Bilton residents in February who raised their concerns about the development and its impact on local roads.

With the busy Skipton Road nearby, and Knox Lane itself a narrow thoroughfare, Bob Wrightson said the roads surrounding the development would soon be gridlocked.

Mr Wrightson said:

“Fifty-two houses — a lot of people have cars, which has not been addressed. There might be another 100 cars using these roads and it will be gridlock.”

In February, Jomast and planning consultants Spawforths issued the following joint statement to the Stray Ferret:

“The planning application is supported by a number of specialist technical reports, including a transport assessment, which demonstrates the proposed development would not lead to any additional congestion of the local roads.”

Harrogate Borough Council’s planning committee will decide on the application.

A Harrogate home was severely damaged when an unattended chip pan caught fire last night.

Firefighters used a door breaker tool to get into the home, which is in the Coppice area, at about 6.20pm.

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service‘s incident log does not say whether anyone was hurt.

Harrogate and Knaresborough firefighters responded to the call. The incident log says:

“This was a fire to a chip pan that had been left unattended.

“This caused 70% smoke damage throughout the property.

“Crews used a door breaker to enter the property and extinguished the fire using a hose reel jet and a 45mm hose.”

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Sirius is a new cafe on Beulah Street that offers homemade food inspired by Turkey.

Istanbul is said to have the world’s oldest cafe culture, and Cuneyt Yazicioglu wants to bring some flavours from his home city to Harrogate.

Dishes at Sirius include kumpir, which is a Turkish jacket potato with a wide range of toppings to choose from.

Homemade sweets include the pistachio-flavored baklava. Turkish coffee and tea are also available.

Inside Sirius on Beulah Street

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Mr Yazicioglu has lived in North Yorkshire for 24 years and previously ran a Turkish restaurant in Ripon.

Pictures of famous Turkish singers, actors and comedians adorn the walls of the cafe, which used to be a card shop and is next door to Costa.

It’s the ‘Turkish breakfast’ that takes top billing on the menu. It’s a twist on the English breakfast and includes feta cheese, olives, Turkish pepperoni and honey.

As well as offering Turkish treats, the kitchen serves English breakfast, sandwiches, pizza, paninis and omelettes.

Sirius is open from 9am to 5pm seven days a week at 9 Beulah Street, Harrogate.

Emergency services are dealing with a road traffic collision on the A59 between Harrogate and Menwith Hill.

Police at the scene have asked drivers to avoid the area whilst they help those involved.

The collision happened at the junction with White Hall Lane near Menwith Hill.

@your_harrogate @HgateAdvertiser @thestrayferret @Harrogate_News @BBCYork @BBCYorkshire @itvcalendar

— Sgt Paul Cording BEM (@OscarRomeo1268) May 5, 2022

Drinkers will be able to finally reacquaint themselves with the Coach & Horses this summer after over two years.

Provenance Inns, which owns West Park Hotel on the same street, bought the pub in October last year.

It’s been closed since May 2020 after the previous landlord John Nelson had his licence revoked for breaching covid rules.

Provenance has been busy revamping the bar and kitchen area and reinstating the corner entrance.

The first floor is also being converted into a restaurant area along with staff accommodation and office space.

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Scaffolding outside the building recently came down ahead of the Coach & Horses’ new era.

The company has designed a new logo for the pub but has promised to respect its long heritage with the refurbishment.

Provenance’s commercial manager Anthony Blundell said there is still work to do but he is hopeful the pub and restaurant will reopen in early July.

He said:

“Everyone is eagerly awaiting the reopening of the Coach and no one is more excited than us to get to know some of the previous patrons and, hopefully, some new ones too.”

Polling stations across the Harrogate district opened at 7am this morning as elections take place for the new North Yorkshire Council.

The unitary authority, which comes into existence on April 1 next year, will replace North Yorkshire County Council and seven district councils, including Harrogate Borough Council.

Councillors elected will serve on North Yorkshire County Council for its final year and then a further four years on North Yorkshire Council.

The political make-up of the council, which will be determined today by voters, will shape services for 600,000 people in North Yorkshire over the next five years.

A total of 310 candidates are contesting 90 seats in the county.

Polling stations close at 10pm tonight and results will be announced tomorrow.

The Stray Ferret will attend the declaration of results and provide full details as they happen.

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Two appointments at Roecliffe pub

A new chef and general manager have been appointed at the Crown Inn in Roecliffe, near Boroughbridge.

The 16th century coaching inn was bought by the Coastal and Country Inns Group in September 2020 and was subsequently refurbished.

The group has hired chef Paul Murphy, who previously helped to establish the Timble Inn near Otley into a five-star hotel. He also worked with fellow chef Frances Atkins at the Michelin-starred Yorke Arms near Pateley Bridge.

Paul Bennington will also join the team as general manager.

Mr Binnington, who first teamed up with Paul Murphy at the Station Inn in Birstwith, previously ran the Black Lion in Thirsk.

Chris Hannon, managing director of Coastal and Country Inns, said:

“These two appointments are crucially important for the future of the Crown. The two Pauls, who are both very experienced and very talented, are a true dream team. They work brilliantly together.”

Harrogate’s Duchy Hospital sends medical supplies to Ukraine

The Duchy Hospital in Harrogate has worked alongside a UK-based Ukrainian Doctor to deliver more than 110 tonnes of medical supplies to Ukraine.

Working with the Ukrainian doctors’ union and the British Red Cross, the Duchy Hospital has identified the supplies needed by war-hit hospitals.

The Duchy Hospital is one of 53 Circle Health Group hospitals that has stockpiled supplies such as ventilators, crutches, respiratory masks, scrubs, wound kits and operating tables for Ukrainian hospitals.

The latest delivery contained £185,500 of medical equipment loaded on 35 pallets.

Staff and doctors at Duchy Hospital have raised additional funds with a bake sale, food collection and a 12-hour continuous cycle, which have raised more than £2,000.