Harrogate Town set for Bradford derby day showdown

Harrogate Town are set to face off against Bradford City today in the first Yorkshire derby of the season.

Simon Weaver’s men go into the game following a hard fought point against Mansfield Town on Tuesday night.

The two sides face each other for the first time after the fixture at Valley Parade was postponed on Boxing Day.

A bumper crowd is expected at the Envirovent Stadium as both teams look set to face each other twice in just over a fortnight.

Speaking to the media ahead of today’s game, Weaver said:

“We’re really looking forward to this fixture and been looking forward to it all season. We like the derby games, getting stuck into to the heat of the battle and they don’t come any bigger for us at this level than Bradford City.

“We’ve enjoyed them over the years, the battles with York City and now at this level we’re playing against the likes of Bradford with their rich history and the fanbase, they’ll bring in lots of fans.”

Simon Weaver after the win against Rochdale on the opening game of the season. Picture: Matt Kirkham, Harrogate Town.

Simon Weaver, Harrogate Town manager. Picture: Matt Kirkham, Harrogate Town.

Weaver confirmed that centre-back Rory McArdle and Lewis Richards face fitness tests after picking up injuries against Mansfield.

Ryan Fallowfield and Simon Power remain sidelined with injury.

Bradford looking to avenge last season

Meanwhile, Bradford head into the fixture just three points above Town in the League Two table.

The Bantams will be looking to avenge the two defeats they suffered at the hands of Harrogate last season.

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Bradford can expect a strong support at Wetherby Road after fans sold out their 550 ticket allocation within a minute.

City will be without Charles Vernam and Dion Pereira. But Nathan Delfouneso could make his debut and Luke Hendrie is available for selection.

Jamie Walker is also fit, despite going off injured against Leyton Orient.

Bradford manager Derek Adams said his side will be prepared for the occasion at Harrogate.

He said:

“We are looking forward to it, but we have to understand the environment of the game.

“We have a full capacity away crowd with us and they have a good following too. The atmosphere will be good.

“Harrogate have done really well since they have come up and will want to beat us, but we are going there to win the game.”

Last chance to have you say on quality of Harrogate hospital care

Time is running out for people in the Harrogate district to have their say on how they feel about the care they receive at local hospitals.

Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Harrogate District Hospital and Ripon Community Hospital, is carrying out a survey aimed at improving services and quality of care.

The survey runs until Monday and will be used to improve the experience for patients, highlight areas where the trust performs well and identify the areas where it needs to improve.

Matt Graham, the trust’s director of strategy said: 

“HDFT’s last strategy was created in 2014 and during this time the trust, the NHS, and our communities have changed significantly.

“The covid pandemic has meant that over the last two years we have had to adapt to the pressures we have faced and this has impacted upon the services we have been able to offer. It is important we now look to the future and create a strategy which delivers on our top priorities – to provide the highest quality of care for the people in our communities and the best possible experience for our patients.

“We need to get the perspective of our patients, carers and other members of the community so that we can understand what issues are important to them.

“We will then use this feedback to improve the care we offer over the next five years so that we are well placed to meet the opportunities and challenges of the future.”

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The trust has also conducted a focus group this month in collaboration with Healthwatch North Yorkshire.

The one-hour session gave people the opportunity to learn about why the trust is refreshing its strategy, comment on feedback received to date, and have their questions answered.

You can take part in the online survey here and for more information on attending a focus group email hdft.strategy@nhs.net.

Harrogate council awards £280,000 electric vehicle contract to London firm

A London company has been awarded a £280,000 contract to install 34 electric vehicle charging points across the Harrogate district.

Connected Kerb, which installs charging points across the country, has been appointed to oversee the project.

The company has already overseen electric vehicle charging point projects in Kent and Swindon.

Harrogate Borough Council has commissioned the company on a contract due to start this month.

The company will be tasked with installing, maintaining and managing charging points at:

Cllr Phil Ireland, Harrogate Borough Council’s cabinet member for carbon reduction and sustainability, said previously: 

“The Harrogate district has seen a rapid uptake in the purchase of electric vehicles, outstripping all other districts in North Yorkshire.

“If we are to achieve our ambition of net-zero by 2038 it is important we support those residents that have the ability to purchase electric cars, while also encouraging more cycling and walking.

“These new charging points will support the uptake in electric vehicles for both our residents and our visitor economy.”

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The contract is due to end in January 2027, however a council report published last month recommending the contractor be appointed said this could be extended.

The move comes as the council aims to get 10,000 electric vehicles on the districts’ roads by 2023.

To help hit this target, the authority plans to install charge points at several council-owned locations to encourage motorists to make the switch ahead of the government’s ban on the sale of petrol, diesel and hybrid cars in 2030.

Harrogate councillor encourages people to have their say on mosque

A Harrogate borough councillor has been encouraging residents to submit their views on a proposed mosque.

Conservative Cllr Sam Gibbs circulated a leaflet, which doesn’t contain any personal views, to people living close to the mosque’s proposed location.

Harrogate Islamic Association has submitted plans to build what would be the district’s first mosque on the corner of Tower Street and Belford Road.

The location falls within the Harrogate Central ward rather than the Harrogate Valley Gardens ward Cllr Gibbs represents.

However, the two wards will join after May’s local government elections.

Cllr Gibbs, who is also the constituency agent for Chancellor and Richmond MP Rishi Sunak, asks in the leaflet whether people support the application and for additional comments.

Some people have raised concerns on social media about a councillor canvassing views on the subject.

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However, Cllr Gibbs told the Stray Ferret he had only “circulated a leaflet – a neutral information piece that reported the details of the development factually”.

He added:

“As a local councillor I am aware that residents do not always realise when a development is submitted in their area.

“I also believe a good councillor does what they can to raise awareness of things that will affect residents.

“I do this regularly for planning applications. It is what good councillors do and it is certainly not unusual for me to do localised surveys on a wide variety of issues.

“This is about making it easier for residents to have their say and ensuring no one is disenfranchised.”

Cllr Gibbs has forwarded copies of replies sent to the local Conservative Party office on East Parade, Harrogate to the case officer dealing with the planning application at Harrogate Borough Council.

Sunday deadline for comments

Residents have until this Sunday to have their say on the mosque. So far 80 people have written in support while 60 people have objected.

Households across Harrogate reported receiving anonymous leaflets encouraging them to oppose the plans with a guide on how to word the objection. Those leaflets had nothing to do with Cllr Gibbs.

Zahed Amanullah, from the Harrogate Islamic Association, told the Stray Ferret:

“We appreciate that our application has drawn significant attention and have pledged to respond to any concerns.

“But we’ve also had people misrepresent us before through leaflets to residents and we’d ask anyone concerned to speak with us directly. We have nothing to hide.”

The HIA was established in 2011 and has been looking for a permanent place to convert into a mosque for years. Other attempts to find a home have fallen through.

Around 100 worshippers currently meet in the Quakers’ Friends Meeting House on Queen Parade.

A council spokesperson said:

“The council has a Planning Code of Good Practice for members and officers. Elected members are entitled to take an interest in planning applications outside of their ward.”

Harrogate’s Pots2Go to re-open in new town centre shop tomorrow

Ceramic cafe Pots2Go will reopen in a new, larger shop on Harrogate’s Beulah Street tomorrow.

The shop, previously located on Montpellier Parade, closed on Christmas Eve to prepare for the move into new premises.

Owner Zoë Hill said they had outgrown the old shop and now had 13 tables instead of just five.

Customers can now enjoy pottery painting, children’s parties and coffee and cake in more spacious surroundings.

It also means customers can just walk-in whereas limited space in the old shop meant booking was essential.

The upstairs area includes two benches for people to paint alone or in small groups.

The shop still offers a range of children’s activities, including make-a-bear sessions, slime and foam clay parties.

Ms Hill said:

“We’re really excited, obviously it’s a massive risk but we had to just go for it. We’ve got lots of bookings so it hasn’t put anyone off.”

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Ms Hill and her husband, Dave took over the business four years ago and coronavirus forced them to find new business avenues, such as at-home kits and holding parties at outside venues.

Ms Hill will have seven members of staff working alongside her and hopes to keep collection time to five-to-seven days.

“There’s so much more we could do with the business, especially now we have more staff. I’m hoping it will allow me to take a step back and look at other avenues.

“The last two years have been a nightmare, open and shut, open and shut it wasn’t easy. This is a fresh start.”

The shop reopens tomorrow at 10am.

The upstairs area alone is bigger than the previous shop.

Council refuses to say if jobs at risk at Harrogate Convention Centre

Harrogate Borough Council has refused to say whether any jobs are at risk of redundancy as part of an ongoing staffing review at Harrogate Convention Centre.

The review began last year and is expected to conclude in April.

It is being headed by centre director Paula Lorimer who has a core team of 21 staff including managers, accounts and admin staff and events planners.

The council, which owns the venue, said in a statement that changes to the staffing structure are being considered because the reopening of the centre after covid restrictions had “highlighted a need” to review how events are delivered.

However, the council refused to say if any jobs were at risk of redundancy.

A council spokesperson said: 

“Following on from successfully redeploying two-thirds of the convention centre’s employees to assist in delivering our critical frontline services, the return to providing event operations in a post-pandemic industry has highlighted a need to review how these are delivered.

“This review is ongoing and is anticipated to be concluded in the spring.

“At this stage, there is nothing further to add.”

The staffing review is due to be discussed at a meeting of the council’s human resources committee on February 10.

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The committee previously discussed the changes behind closed doors in December, and it is likely this will happen again at next week’s meeting.

Ms Lorimer – who is one of the council’s top earners with a £104,502 salary – said in a report that the convention centre did not earn any income from events in 2021/22.

She said this was because of covid cancellations and the venue’s use as an NHS Nightingale hospital, although she added events have since made a positive return.

Ms Lorimer said: 

“Following venue reinstatement and the reopening of the events industry we have welcomed back a significant number of existing and new clients, contributing to the prosperity of the district.

“Our sales strategy continues to focus on attracting larger association conferences.

“There have been a number of events attracted to the convention centre as a result of both the sales strategy and the national publicity regarding the use of the venue as a NHS Nightingale.”

£47m refurbishment in pipeline

The staffing review comes after the council created a new destination management organisation in 2020 when Gemma Rio was appointed as its head to promote the Harrogate district as “exceptional place to visit, meet and invest”.

It also comes as the council is pushing ahead with plans for a major redevelopment of the convention centre.

This week the council’s cabinet backed the spending of £2.8 million in cash reserves to speed up the first phase of the works at the venue’s studio two.

Overall, the whole project could cost up to £47 million over three phases if approved and involve three exhibition halls being demolished to make way for a new 5,000 sq m hall and a refurbished auditorium.

A decision on the plans is expected from councillors in summer.

Harrogate and Knaresborough artisan markets cancelled this weekend

Forecasted strong winds and rain have prompted the organisers of artisan markets in Harrogate and Knaresborough to cancel this weekend’s events.

Little Bird Artisan Markets was due to stage its monthly Knaresborough market on Saturday.

The organisers were also planning to hold their first regular monthly market in Harrogate’s Valley Gardens on Sunday after a successful Christmas market trial at the same location in December.

Both markets were fully booked by stallholders.

Winds are predicted to reach up to 44mph in the afternoon on both Saturday and Sunday. Storm Malik brought similarly strong winds seven days ago.

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Organisers say they had little choice but to cancel due to concerns over the safety of stallholders and visitors.

Jackie Crozier, managing director of Little Bird Markets, said:

“We are sad about cancelling. The decision was not made lightly but we really do have to put health and safety first.

“We were expecting a busy weekend, our marketing has been strong and the online buzz about the events has been amazing.

“We hoped the weather was going to improve, but we have just had to cancel, and we are devastated.”

Little Bird Markets will be back in Knaresborough on March 5 and Harrogate Valley Gardens on March 6.

Wanted: entertainment with ‘wow factor’ for Harrogate town centre

Harrogate Business Improvement District is offering grants to entertainers that can liven up Harrogate town centre’s streets.

The BID issued a plea today for events and installations that will drive footfall into the town centre.

It is offering the grants in order to cover any costs incurred as long as the idea satisfies funding criteria.

Matthew Chapman, Harrogate BID manager, said:

“We are really keen to bring something new and exciting to Harrogate town centre each weekend, and we are calling on individuals and groups to help us achieve this.

“We are particularly looking for something that is unique, exciting and has the wow factor. Harrogate is a standout town, and we want anything that we help deliver to also stand out.”

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Mr Chapman added that grants weren’t just available for performers, but for individuals, groups and organisations who want to play a part in benefitting the BID levy area.

art on the Stray

Last year’s art on the Stray.

He said:

“Last year, we commissioned the incredible mural that adorns the side of Monsoon, on Cross James Street. We also commissioned Artizan UK to create nine mosaic letters spelling Harrogate to cover the bricked up windows on the side of Boots building, along Cambridge Place.

“I’m really pleased to say these will be in situ next month, adding a much-needed splash of colour to this drab street linking Oxford Street and Cambridge Street. We also provided a colourful banner for Commercial Street to help promote the independent businesses it’s home to.

“We have five key project areas; marketing, promotions and events, access and car parking, safe, clean and welcoming, business plus, and evening and night time economy, and if an idea fits in with one of these, then we are interested and a grant may well be available.”

More information on the grant can be found on the Harrogate BID website.

Harrogate man to compete at Winter Olympics for Trinidad & Tobago bobsleigh team

Harrogate man Axel Brown will compete for the Trinidad & Tobago bobsleigh team in the Beijing Winter Olympics, which kicks off today.

If you ask someone about bobsleigh, most people will recall the 1993 smash hit film Cool Runnings. It featured the trials and tribulations of the Jamaica team as it battled to compete in the Winter Olympics.

Brown was born and raised in Harrogate. He attended Harrogate Grammar School from 2003 to 2011 and excelled at American football and taekwondo before discovering bobsleigh in 2014.

He previously competed for Great Britain but qualified to switch to Trinidad & Tobago because his mum is from Pointe-a-Pierre in the country.

For the uninitiated, bobsleigh is a winter sport where teams barrel down an iced track in an aerodynamic sleigh while racing against the clock.

Brown has a crucial role as the pilot of the team, and sits in the sleigh to steer it along so it can produce the greatest speed.

The Caribbean country hasn’t competed in the games for 20 years, and Brown is hoping their efforts can inspire a new generation.

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Speaking to Trinidad & Tobago Newsday in December, Brown said:

“It is exciting that now all of a sudden the Trinidad & Tobago population is kind of embracing us and what we are able to do.

“Hopefully there are other Trinidad & Tobago teams that are inspired by what we are doing. I think we certainly have the athletic pool from which to choose great athletes from but also the four that we’ve got at the moment are doing incredibly well and I am really excited to see what they can do.”

The Beijing Winter Olympics 2022 opening ceremony takes place today, where Brown will be cheered on from back home.

Brown is a supporter of Harrogate horticulture charity Horticap, which showed its support for him when some of its students held the Trinidad & Tobago flag.

Harrogate council responds to calls for recycling wheelie bins

Harrogate Borough Council has responded to calls to introduce recycling wheelie bins, which were backed by 200 residents.

The Stray Ferret asked readers whether they would welcome the change after last weekend’s storms blew recycling left out for collection across streets throughout the district.

We received an overwhelming response to the question on our Facebook and Twitter pages. Of 200 comments, the vast majority were supportive of the proposal.

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

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

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Given the level of support for the change, we asked Harrogate Borough Council if it would be possible to roll out recycling wheelie bins. A spokesperson for the council said:

“Using wheelie bins for recycling can in some instances lead to higher contamination rates (items presented that can’t be recycled). So any changes would need to be carefully considered.

“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.”

“Recycling rates have increased significantly across the Harrogate district year-on-year and the current contamination rates are less than one per cent. This community effort ensures our recycling is high-quality and easily accepted at the processing sites so we’d like to say a massive thank you to the residents for always going above and beyond to help us and our crews.”