Great Yorkshire Showground vaccine site starts taking booster bookings

Harrogate’s Great Yorkshire Showground vaccination site has started to offer appointments for booster vaccinations.

People who are eligible for a booster vaccination in the Harrogate district can now log onto the NHS booking service site for appointments in December.

Yorkshire Health Network, an organisation which represents GP practices in the district, confirmed on its social media channels today that clinics will be held from Monday next week.

Although Harrogate is the largest place in the Harrogate district, it has not had a vaccine site since the summer, forcing residents to travel to  Knaresborough, Ripon and Pateley Bridge, or further afield to Leeds or York.

The showground site is due to reopen for just two weeks as part of the ongoing rollout of booster vaccinations. However, it is unclear if it will continue beyond that period.

The site closed in August after being used to administer covid jabs for most of the year.

A North Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group spokesperson said previously: 

“Plans are in place to run pop-up covid vaccination clinics at the Yorkshire Showground at the beginning of December for two weeks, as this is when we are anticipating a peak in the number of patients eligible to receive their booster jabs.”

Read more:

The government announced yesterday that vaccinations will be offered to all adults over-18 and the gap between a second dose and booster will be cut to three months.

However, the NHS is currently still only offering appointments to over-40s. The NHS has advised people to wait to be contacted for their booster appointment.

The move comes as 17.8 million booster vaccines have been given nationally, according to government data.

No figures are currently available for the number given in the Harrogate district.

Woman ‘horrified’ at £100 parking fine outside Harrogate pharmacy

A woman in Harrogate said she was “horrified” to be hit with a £100 parking ticket whilst she was collecting an NHS prescription from Well Pharmacy on Wetherby Road.

Shirley Hopkinson collects a repeat prescription from the pharmacy, which is part of Kingswood Medical Centre, twice a month. She said she always phones ahead to check it is ready to collect.

When she came to pick it up on November 17, the pharmacy was busy so she waited for 33 minutes.

This is longer than the 15 minutes free parking allowed in the adjoining car park.

Ten days later, Ms Hopkinson received a parking fine for £100 from a private company called Civil Enforcement, which it said would be reduced to £60 if paid straight away. 

She queried the fine with the pharmacy, which told her customers regularly received fines for overstaying in the car park. It added she could appeal, although there was no guarantee this would be successful.

Ms Hopkinson said:

“I am horrified that an NHS doctor’s surgery and pharmacy have allowed a privately owned parking enforcement company to issue patients, family and friends with huge fines for simply collecting prescriptions.”

Read more:

Ms Hopkinson said the car park should be free to use for longer than 15 minutes, which she said is not long enough if there is a queue or you need advice.

She added:

“Wetherby Road is a very busy road with next to no on-street parking available for people to use. 

“When I was in the pharmacy an elderly lady that was collecting her husband’s prescriptions told me she had also been fined. Why should people who are ill, elderly or simply collecting medication be penalised? The car park has a few signs stating a waiting period of 15 minutes.”

A spokesman for Well Pharmacy told the Stray Ferret that it does not own the car park, so it does not control how long people can park there or whether motorists receive fines.

It said it was “deeply regrettable” that Ms Hopkinson had to wait 33 minutes, but said the pharmacy was under extra pressure due to covid.

Police appeal for help finding men with Harrogate links

Police have appealed for information about the whereabouts of three men with links to Harrogate.

Eighteen-year-old Harrogate man Luke Gibson and 20-year-old Leeds man, Ainsley West, who has strong links with Harrogate, are wanted in connection with a serious assault in Boroughbridge this month.

William Smythe, 19, from Harrogate, is wanted for failing to attend court for drug offences.

North Yorkshire Police said in a statement today it believed the three men could be in the Harrogate area, although West could be in Leeds.

It added:

“Significant enquiries have been ongoing to locate the trio and so we are now issuing an appeal to anyone who has seen them or know where they are to come forward with information.”

The police asked people to report sightings or information about their whereabouts by calling 101 and quoting reference number 12210245826 for West and Gibson or 12210248895 for Smythe.

Alternatively, you can pass on information anonymously through the charity Crimestoppers by calling 0800 555 111 or via its website.

Read more:

 

Power cut leaves Harrogate businesses in the dark

A power cut on Beulah Street in Harrogate this morning has forced several businesses to close.

It is not known if the outage is related to Storm Arwen, which is still affecting electricity supply in the district.

Costa Coffee, British Red Cross, Aplifon Hearing Centre are all closed. At CEX the lights are not working but the tills and card reader are so they can still serve customers who must wait outside.

Power went off at about 8.30am and was still off at the time of publication. It is expected to return later today.

James Buckley, supervisor at CEX, said there are several different power lines on Beulah Street, so businesses on the other side of the road are open as normal.

He said:

“We are in darkness. It’s a health and safety issue, but we can still sell stuff but not let customers into the store.”

Connie Lancaster, assistant manager at the British Red Cross, decided to close completely until the power comes back on. She has been unable to get more information from Northern Powergrid due to telephone wait times of almost two hours.

She said:

“We’ve been very unlucky”.

Read more:

Many homes in the district are still without power following Friday night’s storm, according to a live map by Northern Powergrid, the company responsible for the electricity distribution network across the North East, Yorkshire and northern Lincolnshire.

One reader, who asked not to be named, said the rural area of Skelding, half a mile away from Grantley village, told us last night:

“We feel forgotten about. We were given a tiny bit of power on Saturday night at 7pm so 21 hours of nothing. However this wasn’t enough for most lights, boilers, washer or ovens. Then this afternoon came the good news that Grantley village and school are back on full power however the farms and houses in Skelding are now without anything

Another reader from Grantley said her family had booked into a hotel when temperatures in their house plunged to six degrees centigrade.

 

Harrogate Theatre panto returns to the stage today following leak

The show will go on! Harrogate Theatre has confirmed the pantomime will resume today after the weekend performances were cancelled because of a leak caused by Storm Awern.

Opening night of Cinderella went ahead as scheduled on Friday but the magic of the panto then had to be put on hold when the storm struck later that night.

Four matinee and evening performances were cancelled on Saturday and Sunday.

The theatre is currently covered in scaffolding due to a £1 million roof restoration project, which began in May. Work was due to be completed by November but has been delayed into next year.

However, the theatre confirmed in a statement this morning that today’s 10am showing and future performances would go ahead.

Councillor Graham Swift, Harrogate Borough Council’s cabinet member for resources, enterprise and economic development said:

“The protective, temporary sheeting over the Harrogate Theatre roof was one casualty of this disruptive weather, which led to water ingress to a small area of the building including the stage.

“Emergency repairs were carried out over the weekend and all necessary safety checks have now been completed today. I am therefore delighted to confirm that the theatre building can now be re-opened and the pantomime can re-start again, as scheduled.”

Read more:

Those who missed the show at the weekend have been offered the chance to re-book for future performances. The theatre said there are still plenty of tickets available in January.

Ticket holders can also apply for a refund, put credit onto their theatre account for future shows or leave a donation.

Plans submitted to demolish former Harrogate Debenhams

Developers have submitted plans to demolish the former Debenhams building on Harrogate’s Parliament Street.

Wetherby-based property company Stirling Prescient plans to build 50 apartments on the site along with two commercial units.

The site had been a retail unit on Parliament Street for over a century. Before Debenhams, it housed the Buckley’s and Busby’s stores.

However, the building has stood empty since Debenhams closed for good in January this year.

According to documents submitted to Harrogate Borough Council, a five-storey building would be built in its place.

It would include two commercial units on the ground floor and a mixture of one, two and three-bedroom apartments on the upper floors. The apartments would surround a central courtyard which would include plants and seating for residents.

A CGI of the former Debenhams building from the Ginnel.

A computer generated image of how the former Debenhams building would look from the Ginnel.

Meanwhile, the basement level of the building will include a 15-space car park with access from Union Street. A cycle store with space for 50 bicycles would also be built.

The developer said in a planning statement that there was “no market” for the building to be reoccupied as a department store.

Read more:

It added that there was no scope to convert the building into smaller units “due to its internal layout and the age of the building”.

In documents submitted to the council, Stirling Prescient said:

“The proposals as a whole will strengthen the town’s vitality and viability, increasing footfall and contributing to the local economy. 

“The proposal represents a sustainable form of development and therefore benefits from the presumption in favour of sustainable development, meaning planning permission should be granted without delay.”

Stuart Holland, chair of Harrogate Civic Society, a group that comments on significant planning applications in the town, told the Stray Ferret previously that members had met with the developer for a presentation on their plans.

He said due to the historical significance of the building, demolition will only be acceptable to the civic society if what replaces it is “of the highest quality”.

Harrogate Borough Council will make a decision on the proposal at a later date.

Chocolate donations wanted for Harrogate district people in need this Christmas

Harrogate shoppers are being urged to donate chocolate in the next fortnight to brighten up Christmas for people struggling to make ends meet.

Commercial Street Retailers Group is working with Harrogate District Foodbank on the initiative.

Sue Kramer, of Crown Jewellers on Commercial Street and head of the retailers group, said:

“The foodbank told us that they are absolutely overwhelmed with families needing help at the moment. They also said that the one thing they are short of is chocolate: boxes of chocolate biscuits, selection boxes etc, which are classed as more “luxury” items. It’s incredibly sad to think of families not having chocolate, which many people would not regard as luxury, at Christmas.

“We have decided to become the ‘sweetest street’ in Harrogate and from December 1 to 15 we will have festive drop-off points on the street so that people can drop off anything chocolatey.”

People can donate chocolate at four shops on Commercial Street: Foxy Antiques and Interiors, the Harrogate Town shop, Lilly’s Bistro and Cafe and White Rose Sewing.

Read more:

The retailers group has come up with various initiatives recently to promote Commercial Street’s array of independent shops and to support the community.

It worked with the charity Disability Action Yorkshire to make it more accessible to people with disabilities and held a dog friendly day.

Ms Kramer said:

“We are always trying to do new and innovative things on Commercial Street. We are also getting bespoke Christmassy bunting made by a local company, Flying Colours in Knaresborough.

“Our street is going to look fantastic and will have a real Christmas community spirit — after all it is the season of goodwill unto others.”

 

11 fly-tipping fines issued in Harrogate district despite almost 3,000 reports

Harrogate Borough Council has issued just 11 fines for fly-tipping in the last five years, despite receiving 2,845 reports from the public.

The figures were obtained through a freedom of information request and posted on the website What Do They Know.

The council has the power to fine fly-tippers £400, which is reduced to £240 if paid within 10 days.

A council spokesperson blamed the low number of fines on needing “substantial” evidence before it can take action.

Read more:

The figures also reveal that fly-tipping has cost the council £190,985 in clean-up costs since 2017.

The most commonly dumped items were household waste, construction waste and white goods.

The council spokesperson said:

“Fly-tipping is a selfish crime that blights the landscape and spoils everyone’s enjoyment of our towns and countryside.

“In order to prosecute we need to carry out thorough investigations and provide substantial evidence. This can be a challenge as not all fly-tipping contain personal or business details we can investigate.

“But we will not give up tackling fly-tippers and bringing them to justice.“

‘No justification’ to delay building 200 homes in Pannal Ash

Harrogate Borough Council officers have said a decision to delay a controversial proposal to build 200 homes on a former police training centre site in Pannal Ash was “not justified”.

The council’s planning committee deferred a decision in June on whether to approve the development on the Yew Tree Lane site, pending publication of the West of Harrogate Parameters Plan.

The parameters plan will assess transport and infrastructure needs associated with wider plans to build up to 4,000 homes on the western side of Harrogate.

As reported by the Stray Ferret, the decision to defer was met with frustration by Homes England which told the council in an email it was “extremely disappointing”.

Now council officials have told councillors that the decision had “no policy basis” and urged them to approve the scheme next week.

In a report due before the council’s planning committee next week, they say the parameters plan will not “replace or alter any of the policy requirements set out within the Harrogate District Local Plan 2014-35”.

It adds that the Local Plan, which describes where development is permitted to take place in the district, is the “starting point” for determining any application submitted to the council.

The report says:

“As noted above there is no policy basis for deferring the determination of this application until the West of Harrogate Parameters Plan is concluded.

“There is no reason to delay the determination of this application pending completion of the West of Harrogate Parameters Plan.”

Read more:

The report goes on to say that the development would make “a valuable contribution to meeting the district’s housing need”.

It recommends councillors approve the proposal at the planning committee meeting on December 7.

Homes England, the government housing agency, has permission to build 161 homes on the site on Yew Tree Lane but wants to increase this by 23% to 200 homes by building on a sports pitch.

Indicative masterplan of the homes on the former police training centre, as included in the planning documents.

Indicative masterplan of the homes on the former police training centre, as included in the planning documents.

The proposal has proved controversial with Harlow and Pannal Ash Residents Association, which said its faith in the planing system was being “severely tested” by the development.

A spokesperson for HAPARA said:

“HAPARA and the Western Arc Coordination Group will discuss our response very shortly, but the last time this went before committee we argued very strongly that any decision on this site before the parameters plan is agreed will jeopardise the objective of a joined-up approach to the developments and infrastructure on the west side of Harrogate and be contrary to the statements and assurances the community have been given by Harrogate Borough Council.

“Members agreed with this view.  The new officer’s report is based on a very narrow interpretation of the requirements of the Local Plan which was predicated on the earlier permission for 161 dwellings.  The current application is materially different in scale and content.”

Homes England has already appointed property company, Countryside Properties, to build the scheme as part of a £63 million contract.

The contract was awarded in March this year and runs until December 2026.

Harrogate man’s journey from Hollywood stunt performer to horror film director

A Harrogate man who has worked on some of Hollywood’s biggest movies has just finished directing a film shot in Yorkshire.

Stuntman, actor and prop creator Joe Cash has appeared in films such as Jurassic World and Star Wars: Episode VII. He said his career highlight was being killed by Harrison’s Ford’s character Hans Solo whilst playing a Stormtrooper.

Mr Cash has now written, produced and directed Carnal Monsters, which was filmed at the former RAF Driffield base. The horror movie is due to go out in selected cinemas in January.

He told the Stray Ferret he began his film career in 2005 and soon realised “never to say no to an opportunity”. Since then he has made dinosaur heads for Jurassic World, worked on various Fast and Furious films and made a car for Dumbledore to drive in Fantastic Beasts.

He said he’d always been interested in directing his own films but it was only during lockdown that he had the time to explore it. Talking of his time in the director’s chair, Mr Cash said:

“I started experimenting with short films and then with covid a lot of jobs dried up so I made my first feature film, Jezebel. It did well and we got a lot of love for it so I decided to keep going.

“I’ll always keep going back to stunt and prop work but this is a new challenge which is a lot of fun too. We already have plans for a sequel too.”

Read more:

Carnal Monsters follows a group of prisoners as they discover a deserted lab in which scientists were trying to create a potion to cheat death.

The film also includes footage of Stan Lee, Marvel Comics creator, before he died.

Mr Cash said filming with a small cast and crew, due to covid, meant he could be more hands-on and really take it in his own direction. But he added he would only be able to assess the success of the film when it was released.