Harrogate Borough Council has lodged plans to demolish 10 garages in Bilton to build two new houses.

The garages are on Woodfield Close, near the iron bridge in the Harrogate suburb.

As part of the proposal, two one-bedroom homes would be built on the site.

A council report  in August said there were 24 garages on the site but only 12 were occupied. Of these, four were used by local residents.

The report proposed demolishing seven garages to allow for the new development but the number has now increased to 10.

Read more:

• Pannal garages to be demolished for housing despite parking complaints
• Government rejects plan for new townhouses in Ripon

The council owns and rents out garages across the district and has increasingly looked at the pockets of land as a way to build social housing.

In planning documents, the council said the development would help to provide “much needed affordable homes”.

The move comes as the council approved plans to earmark the site for housing back in August 2021.

The authority also plans to build a two-bed property for social rented housing on grassland it maintains on the corner of Poplar Crescent and Poplar Grove

Harrogate Borough Council will make a decision on the Woodfield Close plan at a later date.

Harrogate library will close on Saturday for just over a fortnight to enable large-scale maintenance work to be carried out.

The project, which involves all three floors, includes remedial damp works, redecoration and the replacement of energy-efficient lighting.

The building will close at 4pm on Saturday and is scheduled to reopen at 9am on Monday,  April 4. Customers will be able to borrow additional books to cover the closure period.

North Yorkshire County Council, which is responsible for libraries, announced the news today.

Neil Irving, assistant director for policy, partnerships and communities at the council, said:

“These much-needed improvements will have lasting benefits to Harrogate library; one of our largest and busiest in the county.

“We apologise for the inconvenience it will cause to library visitors but we are encouraging people to come and borrow a selection of books to keep them going over the closure period.”

Read more:

• Refurbishment reveals ‘ghost sign’ of former Harrogate library
• Bilton and Woodfield Community Library closed due to flooding

The nearest alternative libraries are Starbeck Community Library, Knaresborough Library and Customer Services Centre and Nidderdale Plus Community Library.

You can also browse, reserve and renew items and access your library account online here or via the library app.

The work was previously scheduled to take place from January 22 to February 7.

St Robert’s Catholic Primary School in Harrogate has raised £504.98 for a Ukraine humanitarian appeal by selling crafts and old school uniforms.

St Robert’s has a large number of Eastern European children so the school wanted to do something to help at such a difficult time.

Mum Catherine Maguire made Ukraine-inspired crafts, including painted stones, cards, bookmarks, ribbons, pom-poms and cupcakes.

The school also donated all proceeds from a school uniform sale held at the same time to the Ukrainian disaster appeal run by the Catholic aid agency Cafod on behalf of the Disasters Emergency Committee.

Some of the crafts that were on sale

Ms Maguire said:

“It’s about showing our support for them and their families. It’s not just about raising money”.

The school also created a prayer tree where children could write prayers on a sunflower and hang them.

Read more:

• Ukraine crisis: Guide to how you can help locally

• Ukrainian couple in Harrogate speak of fears for family under Russian fire

Headteacher Jill Collins added:

“St Robert’s Catholic Primary has lots of children from different countries and especially eastern European countries. We want to extend our love and support to our families who have relatives in Ukraine and nearby countries.

“The fundraising event is small way of letting people know we are truing to help and support in any way we can.”

Thankful for support

Ukrainian couple Taras and Viktoriia Jakubiak, whose daughter Isabella attends St Robert’s, said they were thankful to everyone at the school for holding the fundraiser, which took place on Friday afternoon.

The Jakubiak family at the fundraiser.

Mr Jakubiak also spoke about his fears for close family members who are encircled by Russian forces in Ukraine and unable to flee.

Read the full article here.

The Yorkshire Agricultural Society has appointed Allister Nixon as its new chief executive.

Mr Nixon, who has been chief operating officer at Castle Howard Estate Limited for the past six years, will replace Nigel Pulling in the role.

He has also held positions at multinational companies, such as Global and Kanter Media Audiences.

Mr Pulling is retiring at the end of the month after 20 years in charge of the society, which organises the annual Great Yorkshire Show in Harrogate.

Its other businesses include Fodder, Yorkshire Event Centre, Pavilions of Harrogate and the Harrogate Caravan Park and Springtime Live.

Mr Nixon, who is a chartered accountant, said:

“I am delighted to be joining this outstanding organisation which does so much invaluable work for the agricultural industry. There is a lot of good work to continue and there are many opportunities for the society to develop still further.

“I am really looking forward to working with the trustees, staff and other stakeholders in the industry to ensure that, by supporting, promoting and celebrating the industry as effectively as possible, the exceptional reputation of the Yorkshire Agricultural Society continues to grow.”

Read more:

• Yorkshire Agricultural Society chief executive to retire in March
• Ripon online butcher acquired

Nigel Pulling

Rob Copley, chairman of trustees, said: 

“On behalf of all the Trustees, council members and all staff we would like to thank Nigel for his hard work, determination and expertise and we are looking forward to welcoming Allister and beginning the next phase of development under his leadership and direction.”

Almost 400 tractors took part in Knaresborough Young Farmers Club‘s annual tractor run yesterday.

A large crowd gathered for the start of the event, which returned after a covid interruption last year, at the Great Yorkshire Showground in Harrogate.

The tractors left at 9am and drove around Nidderdale, stopped for lunch in Pateley Bridge at noon then finished in Knaresborough by late afternoon.

The event combines fun and fundraising, by raising money through entry fees and donations for Yorkshire Air Ambulance — a cause close to the heart of many farmers working in isolated areas.

The previous event in 2020 attracted about 360 vehicles and raised over £20,000.

Passing Mother Shipton’s Inn in Knaresborough. Pic: Charlotte Gale

Showing support for Ukraine.

This event exceeded that, with 383 tractors taking part and raising £21,000.

It started as a private club event in 2012 but was opened up in 2018 to allow anyone to take part and has grown in scale since.

People lined the streets in towns and villages to cheer on the farmers, some of whom had decked their tractors out especially for the occasion.

Passing through Birstwith. Pic: Ann Lilley

Some had adopted yellow and blue to show support for people in Ukraine.

Donations to the air ambulance can be made here.

Leaving the showground.

Read more:

• 350 tractors set to take to Harrogate district streets tomorrow
• Bus leaves Knaresborough on 1,550-mile mission to help Ukrainians flee

Bilton Dragon Bowling Club is due to open a new clubhouse next Sunday.

The crown green bowls club was founded in 1909 and has members aged 14 to 93. The club plays on a green behind the Co-op on Skipton Road.

Its first clubhouse was a wooden pavilion erected in 1910 at a cost of £17 and 10 shillings.

The new one has been funded by a £20,000 grant from Sport England and fundraising by members.

The club had hoped to open it last year but it was delayed due to covid.

Players at the club.

Read more:

• New woodland with 2,000 trees planted in Bilton
• Bilton and Woodfield Community Library closed due to flooding

Mayor of Harrogate Trevor Chapman will be there today to cut the ribbon.

The club is also looking for new members. If you’re interested in playing or have any questions, email the club’s chairman Trevor Whincup here or call John Archer on 07715030832.

Mr Whincup said:

“Bowls is perceived to be an older person’s sport, but we have members of all ages. It’s good exercise and it’s a good game.”

As temperatures finally start to reach double figures and we get a glimpse of sunny days ahead, our focus starts to turn towards the garden.

You can’t fail to be inspired by the bursts of colourful crocuses on the Stray and it won’t be long before we see Harrogate’s famous pink cherry blossoms appearing too.

This is usually the time of year I tentatively step out of the back door, have a look at the dire state of the barren landscape before me and then retreat back to the house. ‘I’ll tackle it later’, I tell myself as I metaphorically bury my head in the kids’ waterlogged sandpit.

Therapeutic

I actually really enjoy gardening once I get into the swing of things. I find it really therapeutic. But I usually have no idea where to start and can sometimes it can feel a bit overwhelming.

So I turned to the experts from two horticultural charities to get their tips on how to tackle the garden now spring has finally sprung.

Horticap

Phil Airey, manager of Harrogate gardening charity Horticap, on Otley Road, said:

“It’s March and the garden is coming alive. The bulbs are ready to shine, with snowdrops, daffodils, crocuses and tulips to follow.

“Perennials are just starting to grow, so this is your time to cut away all the old growth from winter. Before you do, just check for wildlife. They might have been using the old foliage as cover, so just check before you remove it.”

Phil said it was now time to cut down any dogwood, also known as Cornus, which are deciduous trees and shrubs.

Vibrant stems

He said:

“Cut it down to one or two buds from the ground so you will leave it stumpy. This will help it grow vigorous shoots, leaving you with the vibrant coloured stems for next winter.”

After being battered by three storms, Phil said it was worth making sure any ripped branches in damaged trees had “clean cuts”.

He said:

“Just use any saw to make a clean cut and this will help protect the tree from infections. This is for small trees, as larger ones must be carried out by a trained tree surgeon.”

I was surprised at Phil’s next tip, as I would usually wait a bit longer to start tackling the grass, but if it helps get rid of messy old leaves, I’m all for it.

He said:

“Have you had your mower serviced? Because you can start cutting your grass. Cut it at your highest setting, don’t cut it too low just yet.

“Doing this will act like a vacuum, sucking up old leaves and twigs. Leaving the lawn looking tidy and free of debris.”

Phil said it was now “all go” at Horticap, which provides training in horticulture and rural skills to adults with learning and other disabilities.

Read more:

• TV architect George Clarke will bring buildings to life at Harrogate’s Royal Hall
• Stray Gardener: March is the perfect time to start planting seedlings

No better sight

He said:

“The summer bedding is here and there is no better sight than a tiny geranium (pelargonium) starting to grow.

“The students are busy getting labels ready and clearing the beds. We are also sowing the veg in the greenhouse, but you can start sowing peas and broad beans directly into prepared beds and pots.

“It’s also time to start “chitting” your seed potatoes. It is a simple process of forcing seed potatoes into growth before they are planted out. You can place them on a window sill or glasshouse.

“It’s getting very busy at Horticap, and that means only one thing. People want to be out in the gardens so this weekend is a great time to start. Spring has definitely sprung.”

RHS Harlow Carr

Over the road at RHS Harlow Carr, which is run by the UK’s leading gardening charity, horticulturists Malcom Dewar and Philip Keesing said it was time to “sit back and enjoy the display of all the spring-flowering bulbs as they start to pop”.

RHS Garden Harlow Carr.

This is something I think most of us are particularly looking forward to after what feels like an eternal winter.

Top tips

They offered the following top tips:

• Finish cutting back grasses and perennials if you haven’t already done so, to make way for this year’s growth.
• Trim winter-flowering heathers as they finish flowering, to prevent them from becoming leggy.
• Deadhead winter pansies and violas to encourage them to keep on blooming into the spring.
• Deadhead daffodils as they finish flowering and let the foliage die back naturally.
• Sow some seeds.
• Trim up overgrown hedges and ivies before the bird nesting season.
• Carry on cutting back herbaceous perennials, weeding and tidying flower beds as you go.
• Repair any paving or hard surfaces in the garden that may have been damaged from snow and ice.

The main borders at RHS garden Harlow Carr.

A van has set off from Knaresborough to transport Ukrainians out of the war-torn country to safety.

The 34-seat bus has been provided by two Harrogate district businessman, Mark Smith of The HACS Group and Ray Allott of Chimneycrete.

Mr Allott had the idea after a chat with a friend called Pavl in Poland.

Pavl said he was using his car to drive 39 miles from his home to the Polish/Ukraine border each night to transport people and supplies.

Mr Allott wanted to do all he can to help so, with support from Mr Smith at HACS, he acquired the bus.

He set off from Knaresborough yesterday afternoon to drive 1,550 miles to Ukraine.

The bus will then be left in Ukraine to be used to help refugees get to safety. It is currently packed with generators and radios, donated by local supporters.

Once it reaches the border it will be handed over to local activists to help get women and children out of Ukraine to other European countries, including the UK.

Mr Smith said:

“It was all Ray’s idea, as soon as he asked I just said ‘yes’. We’ve got to do something and do it fast, there’s plenty of people that need help. Our aim is to get as many people as possible out of Ukraine or further from the Polish border into mainland Europe.

“We’ve put a tracker on the bus too, to see how often Pavl is going into Ukraine then we can send over sufficient funds to cover petrol costs.”

Mr Allott has set up a justgiving page for people to donate to. Money raised will be used for petrol and supply costs. So far it has raised more than £3,000.

Read more:

• Harrogate firefighter Bruce Reid forced to abort Ukraine mission
• Ripon man helping Ukraine says ambulances are being shot by Russians

Ray Allott

Progress on a cycle route on Harrogate’s Otley Road is “appalling”, says a local cycle group.

The comments come as the next stages of Harrogate’s Otley Road cycle path are to be reviewed in line with new government guidance after complaints that parts of the completed route are “unsafe”.

It is likely to mean further delays for the troubled project, which first secured funding in 2017 and is seen as key to cutting congestion in the town.

Officials at North Yorkshire County Council this week held a walkthrough with cycling campaigners who have been left frustrated over the delays and have also raised concerns over the completed works.

John Rowe, vice chairman of Harrogate District Cycle Action, described the progress made so far as “appalling” – but said he was glad the feedback and new guidelines are now being taken into account.

He said:

“Talks have been constructive, but the challenge we have got is that the designs were done before the new national standards were introduced.

“There also wasn’t an awful lot of willingness on behalf of the council to look at best practice without those standards. They wanted to do what they felt was adequate with the experience they had.

“The results are a little disappointing, but that is not hugely unexpected.

“We are hoping the next stages can be built better and with these new quality design standards in mind.”

Read more:

• ‘Do you need to wait until somebody is killed by a speeding car?’
• Next phase of Otley Road cycle path delayed and reviewed

The guidance published in 2020 says “cycles must be treated as vehicles and not as pedestrians” – and also gave new priorities including wider cycle lanes which are segregated from traffic.

Mr Rowe said while recognised there are space constraints on Otley Road, parts of the completed route were “badly designed”.

A particular concern is a narrowed section of cycle path at Otley Road’s junction with Harlow Moor Road which has been described as “unsafe”.

The council is currently in talks with Yorkshire Water to buy a small plot of land in order to remove a wall and widen a corner on this part of the route.

Mr Rowe said: 

“That whole corner needs taking out because there is just no space – the gap is barely wide enough for a bike to get around.

“You can just imagine kids cycling around there – plus pedestrians – at school run time. There is just no space for that to happen safely.”

Council ‘will listen to concerns’

Melisa Burnham, area highways manager at North Yorkshire County Council, has insisted the completed route is safe and that the council will listen to all current concerns and further feedback under the next stages.

She also said the new guidelines would be used as a “starting point to create a safe route” under the next stages, although she added they “cannot be fully applied” to all parts of the route.

Ms Burnham said:

“We recognise the new cycling guidance and the benefits this brings to users.

“We are always ready to take on board the experience of users which is why we walked through the route with the cycle group and designers to understand if any further improvements to phase one can be made.

“The route is safe and we will be carrying out a third safety audit in the next few weeks.

Ms Burnham also said the council is committed to widening the corner at Harlow Moor Road and that the land purchase should be concluded “within the next three to six months.”

She added: 

“We will be holding further workshops with key stakeholder groups to review designs for the second and third phases of the cycleway scheme in light of this new guidance.

“Once all phases of the scheme are finished it will help to improve safety along the entire length of the Otley Road corridor.

“The aim is to accommodate all users – pedestrians, cyclists and motorists – to aid sustainable travel, ease congestion and support the future growth of Harrogate.”

The Otley Road cycle path is part of a wider package of sustainable transport measures for the west of Harrogate which once completed will cost around £4.6 million.

The council previously said it hoped to start work on the next stage in April.

Starbeck nurses Andy Dennis and Tracey Hill are to embark on a mammoth 2000km charity cycle ride from Amsterdam to Gibraltar.

The trip is to raise money for a charity close to their hearts, which offers vital medical care for those who need it around the world.

The couple hopes the journey will raise £30,000 for Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF).

An impressive £115,000 has already been raised for the charity to reach their overall target of £200,000, which was set in 2010.

It’s the third major fundraising effort they have undertaken for MSF. In 2011, Mr Dennis walked from Amsterdam to Barcelona and in 2016, the couple cycled across the USA.

Ms Hill said:

“We are raising money to give to MSF so they can use it to help people who are desperately in need of healthcare. That’s relevant right now as MSF are in Ukraine. We’re trying our best to get the word out to raise as much money as we can.”

Ukraine crisis

MSF’s medical teams act fast to save people’s lives in conflict zones, natural disasters and epidemics and go to where they are needed most.

MSF works in over 70 countries and has health workers in Ukraine at the moment.

Mr Dennis has worked in Uganda, South Sudan and Sierra Leone for MSF

Specialist teams are in hospitals in the war-torn country treating wounded people, providing surgical care, emergency medicine and mental health support.

Mr Dennis said donations big or small are greatly appreciated.

“There’s no such thing as a small donation, it impacts someone somewhere.

“£3 can pay for an oxygen mask, for example. We can’t change the world but you can change the life for the person sat in a clinic and bring them healthcare access they wouldn’t normally have.”

Read more:

• Defibrillator saves man’s life in Starbeck
• ‘Community goodwill’ helped to overcome anti-mosque campaign, says Harrogate Islamic Association

‘All about grit’

The trip will take three months, which they will break up so they have time to rest and connect with local media outlets to promote the fundraiser.

Mr Dennis is an ICU nurse at Harrogate District Hospital and Ms Hill is a dermatology nurse at York Hospital. Both of their employers have supported them by giving them time off with some unpaid leave.

Ms Hill said the endurance trip will be “all about grit”.

“You find out the core of you, you peel back so much and you know how determined you are. It’s all about grit, can you tolerate being dirty every day? If you find a river, you go for it.”

The couple cycling in the USA in 2016.

Mr Dennis added:

“What Tracey described is the every day life of the people we are raising money for. We are choosing to do this to make a bit of difference.”

Proud Starbeck man

Mr Dennis has a reputation in Harrogate as a caring and compassionate member of the local community.

The proud Starbeck man said, “I’m not Bob Geldof”, but wants to show how anyone can make a difference in the world.

He said:

“I was no achiever but I was interested in biology at school and it was the only subject I was good at. Combine biology with compassion you find nursing at the end. It’s an incredible job, it might not look attractive with jaded looking nurses on the TV during covid, but I’ve travelled the world.”

All money raised for the trip, which they have called Ride To The Rock, will go to the MSF and the couple will pay for all expenses themselves. It will start in May.

They are also looking for corporate sponsors too. You can email Andy at andy4msf@pm.me for more information.

Their websites are www.andy4msf.com and www.thecyclingnurse.co.uk

To donate, visit the JustGiving page.