Harrogate’s Valley Gardens to host spectacular fire and light show

Harrogate’s Valley Gardens will host a spectacular series of displays next month that celebrate fire, light and water.

Harrogate International Festivals has teamed up with outdoor events company Culture Creative for the event, which is being billed as ‘The Fire and Light Experience – a trail of blaze and brilliance through the Valley Gardens’.

Taking place from dusk until 10pm on the nights of Thursday, March 24 to Saturday, March 26, it will be HIF’s first event of 2022 and is being part-funded by Harrogate Borough Council and Harrogate Business Improvement District.

Culture Creative specialises in creating shows in heritage and landscape settings. Its clients include Kew Gardens, Blenheim Palace, The National Trust and English Heritage.

Sharon Canavar, Harrogate International Festivals’ chief executive, said:

“The town is famed for its waters, and this arts installation will bring all the elements of nature alive – earth, air, water and fire – in a spectacle of brilliance and blaze.

“With covid having cast a dark shadow for almost two years, we wanted to create a magical experience for the whole family to marvel at. And those who venture into the Valley Gardens will find themselves immersed in a trail of discovery, and one where they will be able to reimagine the natural world around them.

“They will lose themselves in the magic of nature, as each twist and turn reveals a new picture of tranquillity and wonder.”

Tickets for the event, priced at £12 for adults, £6 for 5-16-year-olds, and under-fives go free. You can buy tickets from the Harrogate International Festival website.

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Harrogate man fined for damaging train

A man from Harrogate has been fined for causing £1,093 worth of damage to a stationary train at Harrogate Station last year.

Michael Anthony Burke, 56, pleaded guilty at York Magistrates Court on Monday to causing criminal damage to a LNER train.

The incident occurred on June 11 last year.

Burke, of Nydd Vale Terrace, was fined £120, ordered to pay a victim’s surcharge of £85 and to pay £85 in costs to the Crown Prosecution Service.

He also pleaded guilty to trespassing on the railway lines.

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Burke also pleaded guilty to attempting to enter Crampton Moore Electronics on Commercial Street, as a trespasser with intent to steal.

The court issued a further community order to Burke for the final two offences.

Video contradicts Harrogate council’s claim about wheelie bins and recycling

A video sent to the Stray Ferret appears to contradict Harrogate Borough Council‘s claim that its fleet of bin wagons can not accept wheelie bins for recycling.

Currently, residents in the Harrogate district use blue bags to recycle paper and card and lidless black boxes for tins, plastic and glass.

In some other areas of the country, people use large wheelie bins for recycling.

Today’s storm has once again see recycling left out for collection blown across streets, prompting some residents on social media to call on the council to introduce wheelie bins.

A spokesperson for the council said this month this was not possible. They said:

“Another challenge we would need to overcome is the wagons used for collection. At the moment they cater for black boxes so any change would require adaptation of the fleet.”

However, the video, which was taken in Harrogate this week and sent to us by a resident, shows council workers emptying recycling from black boxes into garden waste wheelie bins and then into the refuse trucks.

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There is no suggestion of any wrongdoing by the bin workers, who are clearly carrying out their jobs efficiently.

After showing the footage to the council, a spokesperson said it operated 10 bin lorries and only two could operate wheelie bins.

Writing today on the Bilton Community Group Facebook page, Matt Scott, the Conservative councillor for Harrogate Bilton Woodfield, explained why the council prefers to use black boxes over wheelie bins.

He wrote:

“When recycling is processed the clean plastic etc. is sold on with the money raised going into council services. Dirty recycling has to go to landfill as it can not be processed. In Harrogate less than one per cent of our plastic goes to landfill. Much of this is down to us all cleaning the recycling before it goes into the box.

“Councils that use wheelie bins have much higher landfill rates often of around 15%. Recycling wheelie bins are often treated simply as bins with the contents not cleaned before being put in. This means higher costs for the council and more landfill waste. I do not want to see either of that happening locally.

“The issue is not as straightforward as it may seem. Any changes would require significant expense for the bins themselves though also changes to how it is collected. This may mean new vehicles, changing routes and working patterns for existing refuse collectors. Any change to bins I would expect to be trialled first in certain areas to see if our excellent plastic purity rates are maintained. If they are not we would be spending money to lose even more money and send more to landfill.”

Harrogate charity chief executive Frances Elliot receives MBE

A Harrogate charity chief executive has been awarded the MBE at Windsor Palace.

Frances Elliot, who leads Harrogate and District Community Action, received the accolade yesterday from Princess Anne.

It was awarded in the 2021 Queen’s birthday honours for services to the community in Harrogate during the pandemic.

Ms Elliot said:

“It was good to have the opportunity to be able to tell her about the crucial role our volunteers and staff have played in supporting our community here in Harrogate and Ripon.

“Whilst it was slightly nerve-wracking when I first got there, I was put at ease and made to feel very welcome by everyone at Windsor Castle.”

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Ms Elliot has been involved in the district’s voluntary sector for 10 years. For nine of these years, she led HADCA’s Harrogate Easier Living Project, which offers practical support services assisting people to live safe and well at home.

In May 2020, she took over as HADCA chief executive from Karen Weaver and spearheaded the charity’s response to covid.

Proud to have been awarded an MBE at Windsor, in recognition of what we have collectively achieved during the pandemic. I feel so lucky to lead a caring & resourceful staff team @hadcacharity @HELP_Harrogate & none of it possible without our kind & committed volunteers. pic.twitter.com/o5OpomNXn8

— Frances Elliot (@FrancesElliot) February 16, 2022

HADCA supports other charities in the district as well as providing services.

It coordinated more than 250 volunteers to help local people on over 8,000 occasions with practical and emotional support when they were shielding or self-isolating during the pandemic.

Strong winds set to hit Harrogate district today

Strong winds are set to hit the Harrogate district from early this morning and will continue for the rest of the day.

BBC Weather is reporting that gusts of between 40 mph and 45 mph are expected throughout Wednesday.

A weather warning for Storm Dudley has been issued from Wednesday until Friday evening.

Visitor attractions in the district including RHS Harlow Carr and Fountains Abbey have announced they will change their opening hours tomorrow due to the winds.

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Due to the forecast of high winds, the woodland (including play area) and glasshouses will be closed Weds to Fri this week.

We apologise for any inconvenience, but the safety of everyone is paramount. We will continue to monitor the situation, please check for further updates. pic.twitter.com/2CBsh0gMVT

— RHS Harlow Carr (@RHSHarlowCarr) February 15, 2022

It's likely we'll be opening the mains site & deer park later tomorrow (Wed 16 Feb) to allow the worst of Storm Dudley to pass and make the site safe.
Our team will make a decision on opening in the morning so please check in with our website for the most up to date information. pic.twitter.com/Rltps8lVCC

— Fountains Abbey & Studley Royal, National Trust (@fountainsabbey) February 15, 2022

North Yorkshire local government reorganisation called a ‘political move’

Local government reorganisation in North Yorkshire is “blatant gerrymandering” by the Tory government and will create Europe’s least democratic local authority, it has been claimed.

Some elected members serving on the county’s seven district and borough councils say it has become increasingly apparent the forthcoming North Yorkshire Council was being introduced by the government to consolidate power in the hands of the Conservative Party from April 2023.

While North Yorkshire’s 225 district and borough councillors represent the same residents as the 72 county councillors, the Conservative Party has 74% of county seats but just 51% of elected members on the district and borough councils.

The district and borough councils feature almost 29% of Independent and Green councillors, but less than 17% on the county council. Labour and Liberal Democrat groups on the county council have less than half the share of seats they have on district and borough authorities.

Although opposition councillors have alleged the new authority’s 89 divisions, many of which resemble the existing county council divisions, have been designed to favour the Conservatives, senior Tories leading the changes have dismissed suggestions the division boundaries were politically motivated.

The Green Party and Independent councillor for Catterick Leslie Rowe said a study by the District Council’s Network had found creating unitary authorities for counties would in North Yorkshire’s case lead to the least democratic local authority in Europe, with each of the 90 councillors representing around 7,000 people.

He said:

“Compare this to Barking and Dagenham Council, which is also undergoing reorganisation, with each councillor there representing 3,200 people.

“Clearly, the sole justification for this costly local government reorganisation is to consolidate power into the hands of the Conservative Party.”

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County council opposition leader Stuart Parsons said the creation of the new authority was “blatant political gerrymandering” by the government as the smaller neighbouring county of Cumbria was being split into two councils to ensure the Conservatives were in control of at least one local authority there.

He said:

“It’s fairly obvious this is Conservative Party politics and they are hoping they will be able to dominate the new local authority in the same way they have dominated the county council, but have had less success in some of the borough and district councils.

“They don’t like not being in control and get very upset when they lose control of a council. However, it could nicely backfire on them. The public are not over the moon about the Tories at the moment and there’s a great opportunity in May to have as few Tories re-elected as possible.”

However, the authority’s Liberal Democrat group leader Councillor Bryn Griffiths said while local government reorganisation was a political move, he believed the changes represented an opportunity for a more politically diverse council covering the county.

He said:

“If candidates listen to their communities and put their community’s views forward I think there is a better chance of a more representative county, but if you haven’t got proportional representation you get stuffed.”

County council leader Councillor Carl Les said claims that the new authority would be Europe’s least democratic were wrong as at least one unitary council, Leeds, had a smaller proportion of councillors to residents.

When asked if the reorganisation had been motivated by politics, Coun Les replied:

“No. It’s a move to make sure we get the benefits of negotiating devolution asks with the government.”

Harrogate residents group raises concerns over ‘dangerous’ cycle path

A group behind campaigns to stop the Beech Grove Low Traffic Neighbourhood and the Station Gateway has now written to councillors about what they call the “very dangerous” Otley Road cycle path.

North Yorkshire County Council has now completed the initial stretch of the path from Harlow Moor Road to Arthurs Avenue. It is the first of three phases on Otley Road.

However, the project has got off to a difficult start with the council facing criticism about the design of the route, which weaves on and off a shared path with pedestrians.

Anna McIntee and Lucy Gardiner, co-founders of Harrogate Residents Association, have written to every councillor on North Yorkshire County Council expressing fears somebody could get hurt.

They wrote:

“The creation of these paths has been hugely expensive and disruptive. Now, all pedestrians of differing ages and disabilities have to share the path with cyclists and electrics scooters.

“It is very dangerous and there could be an accident.”

Harrogate District Cycle Action has called part of the route unsafe and business owners, including the landlord of Charlie’s Place pub, believe there could be an accident between cyclists and pedestrians due to the way the route has been designed.

The council has also been forced to correct two erroneous signs, including one that points to Harrogate in the wrong direction.

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As well as work to build the cycle path, contractors widened the junction on Harlow Moor Road for motorists, which involved the felling of 10 trees.

Two trees were felled for the cycle path.

Flooding fears

Ms McIntee and Ms Gardiner added:

“Environmentally, it’s also been disastrous as 12 healthy, mature trees have been removed, replaced with concrete and tarmac. Not only were these trees essential for carbon sequestering, but also each tree absorbs litres of water per day.

“This will not help with the continuing flooding at the Prince of Wales roundabout and surrounding area.”

A North Yorkshire County Council spokesperson said it would be issuing a response to Harrogate Residents Association.

Conservative Cllr Don Mackenzie, executive member for access at the county council, told the Stray Ferret last month:

“There has been some criticism about the fact that it is shared access with pedestrians and cyclists, but that has always been part of the design.

“We have reached an agreement with Yorkshire Water so we can widen the path. I cannot give a date on when those works will start.”

 

Harrogate council spent £5,000 on King’s Cross snow globe

Harrogate Borough Council paid £5,220 to install a Christmas snow globe at London’s King’s Cross station for two days, the Stray Ferret has learned.

The giant inflatable globe was put on the passenger concourse at King’s Cross in November to promote Harrogate’s Christmas Fayre and entice people towards a £140 LNER train service from the capital to Harrogate to sample the festivities.

The snow globe also offered people the chance to have selfies taken inside a winter wonderland scene.

The idea came from the council’s tourism organisation, Visit Harrogate, which partnered with LNER for the rail offer. The first-class service included special Harrogate goodie bags.

Through a freedom of information request, the Stray Ferret discovered Visit Harrogate spent £5,220 to hire the globe for two 12-hour days at King’s Cross. The price included VAT and the wages of two people who operated the globe.

The Stray Ferret also asked Harrogate Borough Council how many tickets to Harrogate were sold for the Christmas rail offer but the council said it did not know. LNER declined to disclose the information.

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Harrogate Christmas Fayre took place from December 2 to December 12 in the town centre. It replaced the previous Harrogate Christmas Market after organisers were not given a licence to run the event by the council.

The Stray Ferret revealed last month that Visit Harrogate paid a social media influencer from Bristol £700 to promote the fayre in a blog, which only received two likes on Facebook, including one from the council itself.

Christmas festivities across the country were dampened by the Omicron wave that hit the UK in the days leading up to Christmas.

‘Record traffic’

A spokesperson for Destination Harrogate, which includes Visit Harrogate, said:

“Visit Harrogate’s partnership with LNER saw the eye-catching snow globe travel to the capital to take a prime position in one of London’s busiest train stations, Kings Cross. The station which sees hundreds of thousands of commuters each day, allowed for maximum exposure of Harrogate district while promoting the direct LNER line from London to Harrogate.

“Located in the centre of the concourse and visible from all the main approaches, the giant snow globe became a key meeting point at the station on a Friday and Saturday – two busy days for a train station in the capital – with hundreds of people pulling out their phones to take photographs, sharing them on social media and further extend the reach of the campaign.

“During this period, the Visit Harrogate website received record levels of traffic, demonstrating the success of not only this activity, but also the wider Destination Christmas campaign.

“The purpose of all of our campaigns is to support our local visitor economy which makes up around 15% of the economy in the Harrogate district and provides jobs for around 8,000 people. For a visitor economy to continue to thrive and grow, it requires a collaborative approach and ambitious and exciting campaigns, such as this.”

Moves to close Woodfield School in Bilton to begin next week

Formal moves to close Woodfield Community Primary School in Bilton will begin next week.

North Yorkshire County Council revealed plans in October to ‘technically close’ the school and merge it with Grove Road Community Primary School.

Now, after a two-month consultation, the wheels are to be set in motion.

A report by Stuart Carlton, corporate director for children and young people’s services at the council, recommends councillors vote to approve the closure on Tuesday next week.

If they agree, the council will issue statutory notices on March 3 proposing to amalgamate the schools from August 31 this year.

Mr Carlton’s report says:

“While it is acknowledged that the proposed closure of Woodfield Community Primary School will cause uncertainty and disruption for pupils, parents and staff, Grove Road School would work closely with parents, as both schools do now, to meet the needs of individual children.”

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Woodfield has been unable to find an academy willing to take it on since it was rated inadequate by Ofsted in January 2020.

The council says it therefore has little option but to close it.

Walking bus between sites

Two online public meetings were held on January 10 and 17 as part of the closure consultation.

According to council notes of the meetings, concerns were raised at the meetings about problems for parents picking up and dropping off children at both sites, leadership arrangements, provision for children with special educational needs and use of the Woodfield site.

Woodfield School parents

Parents rallied to oppose the closure when it was announced.

If the plans go ahead, all nursery children would be based at the current Woodfield site from September and all other children would be at Grove Road. From September 2023, reception children would join nursery children at Woodfield and eventually all early years and key stage one children would be located at Woodfield.

There are plans to organise a ‘walking bus’ between the two schools, which would see pupils move between the two sites accompanied by staff via the Nidderdale Greenway cycle route, the iron bridge and a school crossing patrol on Skipton Road.

One parent said during the consultation that children would be:

“Absolutely freezing and there is going to have to be half an hour at either end of the day to allow for walking. It doesn’t seem feasible.”

Another parent raised safety concerns.

There are plans to re-open a rear entrance to the Woodfield site to shorten the journey.

Pupil numbers fall to 41

Documents to councillors reveal that pupil numbers at Woodfield have slumped from 49 to 41 since the closure proposal was announced.

Some parents told the consultation that the closure was already a done deal, with one saying “the children will have to suffer for it”.

But another response said it provided “unprecedented” opportunities, adding:

“I believe the benefits to our current pupils and prospective ones will be enormous.”

 

Energy crisis could mean £796 increase for Harrogate district households

Harrogate district residents will be among the hardest hit by the energy crisis with households paying around £796 more this year, according to analysis by the Liberal Democrats.

The Lib Dems have hit out at government proposals to deal with soaring energy bills and urged Chancellor Rishi Sunak to scrap the planned National Insurance tax hike, which will pile further pressure on household budgets from April.

Their calls come as figures show the Harrogate district will be the 12th hardest hit area in England during the energy price hikes.

Cllr Bryn Griffiths

Bryn Griffiths

Councillor Bryn Griffiths, leader of the Lib Dems on North Yorkshire County Council, said:

“Residents across North Yorkshire have been sorely let down by this Conservative government, they are shouldering the financial pain of Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s poor decisions.

“The Lib Dems demand better and object to the Chancellor’s approach, he is not fit to lead.”

Windfall tax

The Lib Dems are also calling for a windfall tax on big profit oil and gas companies, something Spain’s left-wing government has already announced.

However, the UK government has argued that a one-off tax like this would stop companies investing as it also defended its own plans for a repayable £200 discount on all energy bills and a further £150 council tax rebate for most households.

Andrew Jones

Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones said:

“I understand the arguments for a windfall tax and can see it is superficially attractive.

“But we can only tax UK companies and the current tax rate on oil and gas profits is already 40% – double that on most other sectors of the economy.

“In the gas and oil industry we have investment needs of £11bn in an industry and supply chain which supports almost 200,000 jobs.

“Putting that investment and those jobs at risk would be a very dangerous and potentially hugely damaging blow to British industry.”

“Global gas prices are high due to various factors but primarily driven by an increase in demand, a reduction in the availability and because the number of suppliers and the length of the supply chains has decreased.

“Many expect these changes to be medium-term effects and that the factors that have driven the price increase will ease but not totally disappear.

“Anyone claiming that there is a way of avoiding these global higher energy prices for domestic customers going forward is simply making it up.”

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Council tax rebate

The council tax rebate will apply from April to homes in council tax bands A to D, benefiting around 52,000 households in the Harrogate district.

It will be made directly by Harrogate Borough Council and will not need to be repaid.

The further £200 discount on energy bills will apply to all domestic electricity customers from October, with the government meeting the costs.

However, unlike the council tax rebate, this discount will be automatically recovered from people’s bills in equal £40 instalments over a five year period from 2023, when it is hoped global wholesale gas prices will have come down.

Announcing the measures earlier this month, Chancellor Rishi Sunak said:

“I know the number one issue on people’s minds is the rising cost of living.

“That’s why the government is stepping in with direct support that will help around 28 million households with their rising energy costs over the next year.

“We stood behind British people and businesses throughout the pandemic and it’s right we continue to do that as our economy recovers in the months ahead.”