A Harrogate vet has warned dog owners to avoid popular walking spots if their pets have symptoms of a mystery illness spreading across town.
There have been widespread reports of vomiting and diarrhoea among dogs that have been to the East Yorkshire coast in the last week. However, dogs have also caught the virus in Harrogate.
The Harrogate Vet, on Leeds Road, told the Stray Ferret that its vets have seen a three-fold increase in dogs with gastroenteritis in the last week.
Sarah Woods, one of the vets at the practice, said:
“It is not unusual for viruses to spread but this is different in terms of the sheer number of unwell dogs we are treating — around a dozen a day.
“We do not want dog owners to panic or change anything they are doing.
“Dogs that have symptoms of vomiting and diarrhoea just need to avoid popular areas to prevent the spread.”
Ms Woods added that most dogs they have seen have responded well to treatment.
Kelly Anne, who owns a miniature schnauzer called Pepper, said her dog became unwell after a walk around the Skipton Road area of Harrogate. She said:
“She has really not been herself at all, it has just been really sad to see.
“Last night I saw her stomach contracting and how much pain she was in. It made me cry.”
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Nicky Shamir, who works as a hypnotherapist, recently took her cockapoo Barney for a walk round Harrogate’s Valley Gardens. She said:
“On the way back he started with diarrhoea and when I managed to get him home he just slept.
“He is just eight months old so it was really unusual and I took him to the vet. We have now got him on some medication and he is starting to improve.”
Kirsty Atkinson owns three cocker spaniels called Isla, Miley and Jet. She told the Stray Ferret:
18-year-old wanted for serious assault thought to be in Harrogate“One started being ill on Tuesday evening then the other Wednesday and last one started yesterday.
“The only place they have been walked is around the block we live on Harlow Avenue and the bit of parkland at the end of Hartley Road so we could only have picked it up there.
“It’s a bit worrying but more reassuring that we maybe know it’s just gastroenteritis and that they should be better within a few days.”
North Yorkshire Police has put out a second appeal for information on the whereabouts of 18-year-old Luke Gibson, who is wanted in connection with a serious assault.
An appeal for the teenager was first posted in late November but the police are still unable to locate him.
They believe he is in Harrogate or Leeds and are asking anyone who has seen him or has information to come forward.
To give information to the police, call North Yorkshire Police on 101 with reference number 12210245826.
To remain anonymous, call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
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Gas supplier objects to Tesco plans in Harrogate
Northern Gas Networks has submitted an objection on Tesco’s plans to build a new supermarket in Harrogate.
The supermarket giant has lodged proposals to Harrogate Borough Council for a new store on the former gasworks in the New Park area of town.
Northern Gas Networks, which sold the site to Tesco for £2.8 million in 2003, is concerned about the potential impact on Harrogate’s gas supply.
The site of the proposed Tesco.
In its formal objection on the council planning portal, NGN said it retained legal rights on a high pressure pipeline at the site that was “instrumental in supplying gas to the town”. It says the legal rights enable it to prevent any building on or near the length of the pipeline.
The pipe cuts across the north-eastern side of the site from Skipton Road to Oak Beck.
It is standard practice for NGN to object to any plans which are close or over a high pressure pipeline. Its objection aims to ensure the company, which distributes gas to 2.7 million homes in northern England, will be involved in the planning process.
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A spokesperson for Tesco said:
“We will consider all feedback received on our application. We will have further discussions with Harrogate Borough Council about the issues raised.”
Artist impression of how the Tesco will look on Skipton Road.
Tesco has harboured ambitions for a new store in the town for almost 20 years. The retailer previously had plans approved in 2009, but pulled out after opposition from local traders.
Although many people have welcomed the prospect of a new supermarket in the north of Harrogate, some are concerned about traffic plus access to the site.
However, the company has said in transport documents submitted to the council that the site would see fewer car journeys than under previous plans.
Harrogate country sports shop Orvis is set to close as part of a major restructure of the business.
Orvis, which sells clothes for men and women, fly-fishing gear, dog accessories and walking items. has had a store in Harrogate for about 25 years. It was on Parliament Street before moving to its current site on West Park, which is currently operating a closing down sale.
The US-owned company confirmed that the Harrogate store, which has about eight members of staff, will remain open until the end of March.
Orvis has 18 shops in the UK and it is believed all but one, at Stockbridge near Reading, will close.
The company will re-focus on online sales, particularly fly-fishing equipment.
Orvis was founded in Vermont in 1856 by Charles F Orvis.
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Andrew Jones MP welcomes pause in smart motorway rollout
Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones has supported the government’s decision to pause the rollout of smart motorways.
Mr Jones was a key advocate of smart motorways during his time as a minister at the Department for Transport between 2015 and 2019.
The government this week shelved any further implementations of the scheme “until five years worth of safety data becomes available” for motorways built before 2020.
There have been mounting concerns about the technology after multiple deaths and near misses have been reported.
Government figures show 38 deaths on smart motorways were recorded between 2014 and 2019, including John Mercer, who died on a stretch of the M1 without a hard shoulder in 2019.
Speaking at a Westminster Hall debate on the issue yesterday, Mr Jones said:
“The pause that has been announced gives us the chance to retrofit, implement and review the stopped vehicle detection technology and perhaps improve it.
“The pace of the development is so fast that I am sure that developments will come into play sooner rather than later.
“We should expect all modes of transport to become busier as we emerge from the pandemic, and that will include our roads. As that happens, road safety must never be compromised, but enhanced.”
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During his time as a transport minister in May 2016, Mr Jones insisted that the rollout of smart motorways was not being done “on the cheap”, as opponents of the scheme had claimed. They said it compromised safety.
At a Transport Select Committee debate at the time, the Conservative MP said:
“Are these things being developed on the cheap? No, no they’re not. This is part of a comprehensive injection of capacity into our national strategic road network.
“This is a key ingredient in our first road investment strategy, that is a £15 billion budget.”
At the same debate, he later added that the government was monitoring the safety of the schemes and that he did not think it was “a question of having a back-up plan or pausing”.
The government has said pausing the rollout builds on its action plan for smart motorways, which includes adding emergency areas and upgrading cameras to detect red X offences.
A new ethical cafe in Harrogate, which provides jobs for people with disabilities, has opened.
Artizan International quietly opened its South-American themed cafe in the former Game unit on Cambridge Road at the start of the week — and it’s already drawing a crowd.
Demand is so high that the cafe is looking to accelerate the renovation of the first floor to make way for more seating.
The charity opened a shop around the corner on Oxford Street in 2020, which helps visually impaired people overseas earn a living by selling their craft work.
However, Artizan International founder Susie Hart discovered there were “countless” young people with other disabilities in North Yorkshire. As a result, she set the cafe on a different path by giving them the opportunity to find employment.
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The cafe serves a speciality Peruvian hot chocolate. All of its coffee, tea and sugar are from Fairtrade sources. It also stocks a range of soups, panninis and cakes.
It is open from 10am until 5pm Mondays to Saturdays. The cafe is closed for art workshops for children on Sundays.
Liz Cluderay, UK programmes officer at Artizan International, told the Stray Ferret:
“The long term aim of the project is very much about reaching local businesses. We want them to see young adults with learning disabilities and just how capable they are.
“Work like this is particularly important because of coronavirus. In the first lockdown they were sent home and, for the most part, their work opportunities have not returned.
“But people shouldn’t come here because they feel sorry for the people who work here. We want customers to come here simply because it’s a brilliant cafe with amazing coffee and food.”
More pictures from inside the cafe
There is plenty of food and drink on offer.
The cafe has been decorated beautifully.
Matthew is cooking up a storm in the kitchen.
Harrogate Town hopes to raise £1,500 tonight to fund a defibrillator on Commercial Street in central Harrogate by selling match-worn shirts.
Shirts signed by captain Josh Falkingham and long-serving midfielders Lloyd Kerry and George Thomson are among those on sale.
A club statement today said:
“The 2020/21 campaign was a historic one for Harrogate Town as it marked the club’s debut season in the English Football League.
“Now you have the chance to own a bit of Harrogate Town history.”
Shirts will be available online from 7pm today on the Harrogate Town club shop. They will be split into categories of £20, £50, £70, £100, and £150 and sold on a first come, first served basis.
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Reformer Pilates and yoga studio opens in old Harrogate chapel
A Pilates and yoga studio aimed at bringing “a London feel” to Harrogate has opened in an old chapel on Skipton Road.
Alicja Palutkiewicz, launched Empowered Movement Space, which specialises in Reformer Pilates, after spending years teaching in community centres, halls and gyms across district.
Ms Palutkiewicz, who is originally from Poland and has lived in Harrogate for 14 years, started instructing Pilates in 2015, before qualifying as a yoga teacher a few years later.
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She said:
“I decided to open this studio to create a relaxed environment for my students where they can come along, socialise, meet like-minded people, move their bodies and clear their mind.
“Also I wanted to be able to teach from one place, have all my equipment stored there and ready to use whenever needed.”
The studio, based at The Old Chapel, offers mat Pilates, Reformer Pilates and yoga classes, as well as private one-to-one sessions.
The new studio is based in The Old Chapel on Skipton Road, Harrogate.
Ms Palutkiewicz said:
“I am a big fan of Reformer Pilates. I have had one Reformer for numbers of years and was teaching private classes only.
“It’s an amazing piece of apparatus and having a space in a studio allows me to have four of them and make it more accessible for everyone to join and try it.
“Also, when I was looking for a Reformer class, I felt there wasn’t one in Harrogate so I had to travel to Leeds to attend one.
“The main difference between mat and Reformer is that you work with your body weight on a mat and against the spring tension on Reformer, so it is more suitable for people with injuries.”
The Reformer Pilates machines in action.
Ms Palutkiewicz said the old church in which the studio is based provided lots of space and a “really good atmosphere”.
She added:
“I hope my studio will bring a little bit of a ‘London feel’ to Harrogate, as nearly every Pilates studio in London is equipped with Reformers.”
The landlord of Charlie’s Place on Otley Road has described the new cycle path, which has sections shared with pedestrians, as a “disaster waiting to happen”.
Work has continued since November to build the first phase of the new cycle route between Harlow Moor Road and Cold Bath Road. It’s part of a package of sustainable transport measures in the west of Harrogate.
Over half of the route will be shared with pedestrians, with only a line of paint to separate them from cyclists, including the section directly outside Charlie’s Place, which has been owned and run by Charlie Tinker for 18 years.
Mr Tinker fears a speeding cyclist coming down the hill will strike a pub patron, who might be standing outside smoking or waiting for a taxi.
He said:
“Cyclists will be coming down the hill at speed, it’s a disaster waiting to happen.
“It wont be long and by the time we get to summer there will be an accident.”
Contractors have been resurfacing the path again this week, which Mr Tinker said has been an “absolute bloody nightmare” with grit, gravel and cones left outside his pub.
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Mr Tinker said the works, which were expected to have been finished before Christmas, have had a negative impact on trade and are putting customers off visiting.
He said he has complained to North Yorkshire County Council about the disruption but has been ignored.
Mr Tinker added:
“The council haven’t had the gall to come out and see us and to not reply absolutely stinks.”
Melisa Burnham, North Yorkshire County Council highways area manager, said:
Premier League appoints Harrogate solicitor as chair“Phase 1 of the Otley Road cycleway is ongoing. While safety audits have been undertaken as part of the design process, the scheme will be subject to a final safety audit and review upon completion.
“The project team is working with the contractors on implementing appropriate signage and lining.
“We apologise for any inconvenience the recent resurfacing has caused. All businesses and residents should have been informed in advance by the contractors.”
The Premier League has appointed a Harrogate-based solicitor as its interim chair for the second time.
Peter McCormick OBE will step into the role on February 1 when the current chair Gary Hoffman steps down.
Premier League clubs unanimously approved his temporary appointment. The clubs will now look for a permanent replacement.
The new role comes for Mr McCormick shortly after he stepped down as the temporary chair of the Football Association. He was succeeded Debbie Hewitt MBE.
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Mr McCormick will remain as chair of the Premier League’s Football Board and Legal Advisory Groups. He previously acted as the chair for the Premier League from 2014 to 2015. He said:
“I am delighted to receive the confidence and approval of the 20 Premier League clubs and the Board as they work to recruit the new chair.”
Premier League chief executive Richard Masters said:
“On behalf of the Premier League and clubs, I would like to welcome Peter to this role. He is well known to us all and a trusted pair of hands who will see us through this transition period.
“The board’s aim is to have a new permanent chair in place before the start of next season.”
A Leeds United fan, Mr McCormick is widely recognised as one of the world’s leading sports and entertainment lawyers.