Unfair to move Skipton Magistrate cases to Harrogate, says solicitor

Harrogate Magistrates Court has been left as “piggy in the middle” as more cases are being transferred from Skipton, says a solicitor.

Keith Blackwell, of Blackwell Solicitors in Keighley, said that the magistrates in Skipton is being “bled dry” due to fewer hearings being held.

The Skipton court used to sit three times a week, but now cases, such as youth hearings, are being sent to Harrogate or York.

Mr Blackwell, who often travels to Harrogate for cases twice a week, said important hearing such as pre-sentence reports and trials were also being held in Harrogate over Skipton.

He said the frequency of cases being moved is unfair on those defendants and their families who are poor and have to travel long distances.

Mr Blackwell, who has been practising as solicitor since 1975, said:

“It is just not fair.

“The people who make these decisions are all driving in limousines. We are supposed to be levelling up.

“Harrogate has been left as piggy in the middle in all this.”

After being threatened with closure in 2001 and 2010, Skipton Magistrates’ Court has not had any scheduled trial time since a review earlier in the pandemic – with not guilty cases reportedly being sent to Harrogate, York and as far as Scarborough.

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Back in 2010, the axe fell on nine of Yorkshire’s courthouses, but Skipton Magistrates’ Court was spared after a campaign backed by Skipton and Ripon MP Julian Smith and the local branch of the Magistrates Association.

The closures were part of national plans to shut 103 magistrates and 54 county courts across the country in a move which was estimated to save almost £37 million in maintenance and running costs.

In a statement, the HM Courts & Tribunals Service said the recent changes at Skipton Magistrates’ Court were introduced to ensure cases could be heard “safely and with minimum delay” during the pandemic.

It said no decision has been taken to permanently remove criminal trials from Skipton and that “special arrangements” can be made to hear trials locally.

A spokesperson for the HM Courts & Tribunals Service said:

“While listing is a judicial function, the pandemic forced some cases to be moved to ensure cases could be heard safely and with minimum delay.

“Skipton Law Courts continue to hear civil and family cases and special arrangements can be made to hear cases locally.

“Although there is presently no scheduled trial time in Skipton, in individual cases travel distance can be considered when the case is listed and special arrangements can be made to hear cases locally.”

Council orders Harrogate Leon developer to remove advertising sign

The developer behind a Leon drive-thru in Harrogate has been ordered to take down an eight-metre advertising sign after it was put up without permission.

Pictures from the Wetherby Road site show a sign advertising a Leon restaurant being erected yesterday.

The developer has applied for the installation of 15 advertising boards, which include drive-thru directions, menus and a height restrictor bar.

However, Harrogate Borough Council has yet to approve the advertisements.

Joe Shields, a resident who lives directly opposite the drive-thru, saw the pole being put in place by contractors at around 8am in the morning. He alerted planning officers to the situation.

Speaking to the Stray Ferret, Mr Shields said he was disappointed that the developer had erected the sign without permission.

Mr Shields said:

“There are changes at the site on a daily basis.

“My impression is that they will just continue wacking this [the Leon] up.”

The current construction site at the Leon on Wetherby Road.

The current construction site at the Leon on Wetherby Road.

A spokesperson for Harrogate Borough Council confirmed that a planning officer attended the Wetherby Road site to order that the advertisement be taken down.

The spokesperson added:

“We have also received an application for advertising at the site. Any works undertaken before the application is at the applicant’s own risk.”

The Stray Ferret asked Euro Garages for a response on the advertisement, but it declined to comment.

£25,000 appeal costs

The move comes as the borough council has agreed to pay Euro Garages £25,000 in appeal costs over the development.

Last year, Helen Hockenhull, a government planning inspector, granted permission for a Starbucks drive-thru on the former Dental surgery site.

It has since emerged that the site will become a Leon drive-thru instead.

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Ms Hockenhull awarded costs against the council after she said it “demonstrated unreasonable behaviour”.

The council turned down the development back in 2019 on air quality and highways grounds, but later withdrew its objection.

The move forced residents fighting the proposal to defend the authority’s reasons for refusal at the hearing.

Woodfield leaders ‘listening to parents’ before deciding school’s future

Parents at a Harrogate primary school facing an uncertain future have spent the day meeting with governors and the headteacher. 

Woodfield Community Primary School opened its doors for parents to ask questions after a planned merger with Grove Road Community Primary School fell through. 

The proposal had been put forward after Woodfield was placed in special measures by Ofsted two years ago. Governors had been unable to find a multi-academy trust to join, as required by Ofsted, and an announcement was made yesterday that the planned merger had also fallen through. 

Cllr Paul Haslam, who has been a governor at the school since early 2019, told the Stray Ferret: 

“It is bitterly disappointing. The school has got the best teaching it has had for many years.  

“The calibre of the teaching and learning of the children can’t be faulted, in my opinion.  

“I believe it’s more to do with Grove Road feeling they don’t have the resources in order to accomplish what the amalgamation set out to do, rather than anything else. We’ve all got the children’s interests at heart. 

“We’re listening to parents rather than telling them what to do. It’s about having an ear. 

“Let’s get through this stage and understand what this stage is; listening to parents and their concerns will help us formulate what we do in the future. 

“We will come to a conclusion based on what parents tell us and what all parties believe is right.” 

Cllr Haslam said the governors had written to all parents about amalgamation being dropped before the news was announced publicly.  

“We view this as a very urgent situation that needs to be dealt with as quickly as possible. We will be doing everything we can in order to expedite and get information for people.  

“We’re challenged with the Easter holidays – the governors were 200% behind the fact we had to offer to sit with the parents today.  

“We didn’t want them to go away worrying about this. Obviously, they will worry, but we are giving them an opportunity to talk about this.” 

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After the merger proposal was initially announced, North Yorkshire County Council and leaders from both schools held two online public meetings in January for parents to ask questions. 

Asked what would happen if the planned amalgamation fell through, Andrew Dixon, strategic planning manager for NYCC, said they “would have to consult on a school closure”. 

However, Cllr Haslam said today that he wanted to reassure parents: 

“Until further notice, the school continues to operate exactly as it is. That’s the legal obligation of NYCC – we have to operate the school as is. 

“The first and most important thing is that the children are the centre and the core of everything that we as governors do. That’s our utmost consideration at all times.” 

Woodfield was rated ‘Inadequate’ by Ofsted in March 2020, but monitoring visits by inspectors have since found that improvements are being made.  

They particularly praised the efforts made by the school’s new leaders and governors to identify the work needed to improve and how they can be evaluated. 

Yorkshire Cup win seals success for Harrogate Grammar’s Rugby Team

Harrogate Grammar’s under 18s rugby squad are celebrating having been crowned champions of the Yorkshire Cup after beating Crossley Heath 19-12.

It is the first time the school has won the cup since 2007.

Tom Ryder, the director of sport at Harrogate Grammar, said:

“Winning the Yorkshire Cup was the icing on the cake of a fantastic year for the Sports Academy. They are a dedicated and motivated group who train hard and commit.

“The Yorkshire Cup final was an extra special occasion, as so many teachers, students, HGS Alumni, friends and family came out to support.

Student Freddie Yates scored two tries, whilst team-mate, Matthew Leatham, won the man of the match award.

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After two years of disruption, students have enjoyed a full season of fixtures across all years. The girls’ under 14 netball reached regional finals recently, as did the boys’ hockey team.

Neil Renton, the school’s headteacher spoke on the win. He said:

“They are talented squad and their dedication not only reflects our values of commitment and excellence, but also inspires our younger students. The Academy is a unique asset to our school, championing success in netball and rugby and we want to attract students from all over the county.

“Our PE faculty works hard to organise so many fixtures, driving forward such successful teams and offering a tremendous range of sports to all our students.”

Harrogate Theatre scaffolding to come down from this weekend

The scaffolding that has covered one of Harrogate’s most-loved historical landmarks for almost a year will be coming down from this weekend.

Harrogate Theatre was in need of a huge, £1 million restoration on its roof. The works were initially meant to be completed last September but covid delays and bad weather meant they were only finished last month.

As a council-owned building, the project has been run in conjunction with Harrogate Borough Council and Harrogate Theatre Trust.

Now that additional works to the building on Oxford Street have been completed, Harrogate Borough Council has confirmed the scaffolding will be dismantled from this weekend.

The scaffolding on Oxford Street will come down first with the rest on Cheltenham Parade coming down towards the end of the month.

A council spokesperson said:

“Like any heritage building of this age, the investment project at Harrogate Theatre has been complex and faced a number of challenges. Not least, material and labour shortages – impacted by Covid-19 and isolation requirements – as well as the numerous storms in the last few months.

“During the removal of the scaffolding, final work will take place to re-point brickwork, re-glaze the canopy above the front entrance, along with decoration to the windows and the shop frontages.”

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The renovations haven’t been without their challenges, during stormy weather in November and February the theatre had to close and cancel performances. In November, the theatre had to cancel a full weekend of its pantomime performances due to a leak and again in February, the final performance of Kinky Boots was cancelled after a second leak.

There was also an incident in January where three young teens scaled the roof and caused £800 damage.

Despite all the ongoing works the theatre has continued to stage multiple productions including its annual pantomime.

It is not clear if the delays have caused the £1 million restoration fee to increase.

Swinsty Reservoir walking route reopens today

The circular walking route around Swinsty Reservoir has reopened today, three months ahead of schedule.

Yorkshire Water closed the circular route around the reservoir In November 2020 to allow it to undertake £6 million safety works that were due to be completed in the summer.

The company introduced a temporary footpath, which drew some complaints for being too muddy.

https://twitter.com/YorkshireWater/status/1512387717430136845

 

The reservoir in the Washburn Valley is a popular location for families and dog walkers in the Harrogate district.

Alastair Harvey, lead recreation advisor at Yorkshire Water, said:

“Swinsty is one of our most popular reservoir sites, so it’s fantastic to have the full circular route open once again. We’re grateful for the patience of our visitors and local residents whilst the work took place.”

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Harrogate returns to list of UK’s best places to live

The Sunday Times has identified Harrogate as one of the best places to live in the UK.

The newspaper’s annual Best Places to Live list, published today, names the town as one of nine places in the north and north-east of England, and 70 nationally, which are among the most desirable.

Judges cited the town’s schools, parks, shops, cafes and restaurants as among its attractions, describing it as “all the fun and fresh air of Yorkshire without any of the gritty bits”.

They listed an average house price of £390,000, which they said had risen by 20% in the last two years.

The Times and Sunday Times property editor Helen Davies, one of the list’s judges, said:

“The Sunday Times Best Places to Live list is necessarily subjective. Leave it just to statistics and you will never capture the spirit of a place.

“For that, you need to visit to take into account that ‘you have to be here’ feeling. Is the pub dog-friendly, for example? Can you live car-free? What are the schools and houses like? Is it multicultural and multigenerational, and can it offer a good way of life to lots of different sorts of people? 

“Ten years ago, when we launched the inaugural list, London’s gravitational pull was strong, the WFH [working-from-home] revolution had not yet reached our doorstep and high streets were stacked with chains. How times have changed — and how welcome that change is.”

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Ilkley has topped the Sunday Times Best Places to Live list for 2022, though Slaithwaite in West Yorkshire was named as the best place to live in the north and north-east of England.

Also on the list for the region were Leeds City Centre, Cawthorne in South Yorkshire, Hovingham and Great Ayton in North Yorkshire, Tynemouth in Tyne and Wear, and Morpeth in Northumberland.

Harrogate last appeared on the list in 2016. In 2020, Ripon was featured, while last year Masham was singled out as one of the top places to live.

Property website Rightmove has frequently listed Harrogate as one of the happiest places to live in the UK.

More dubiously, a BBC Two programme named it as the country’s “porn capital” in 2010, with more people browsing for explicit content than anywhere else. Three years earlier, it was identified as the second-worst place for problematic drinking in a study conducted by the North West Health Observatory at the Centre for Public Health.

Property developer Adam Thorpe pleads not guilty to drink-driving

Harrogate property developer Adam Thorpe has pleaded not guilty to driving at almost twice the legal limit for alcohol.

Mr Thorpe, of Ingerthorpe Hall, Markington, was stopped by police in November 2021 on the B6265 near Risplith Hill.

He was charged with having 66 micrograms of alcohol per 100 ml of breath. The legal limit is 35 micrograms.

Mr Thorpe attended Harrogate Magistrates Court today and pleaded not guilty.

Charlotte Dangerfield, prosecuting, said if the case were adjourned the prosecution would call two witnesses, including a forensic toxicologist.

The chair of the magistrates agreed to adjourn the trial until September 26. It will be heard at Harrogate Magistrates Court.

Mr Thorpe received unconditional bail.

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Harrogate Borough Council announced in 2017 that Mr Thorpe had bought its former offices at Crescent Gardens for £6.31 million.

But the deal never went through and the site was eventually sold to Impala Estates.

Future of Woodfield school uncertain as Grove Road merger dropped

A proposed amalgamation of two Harrogate primary schools is set to be shelved.

The plan would have seen Woodfield Community Primary School close and become part of Grove Road Community Primary School, which would be based across the two sites from September.

However, governors at Grove Road have withdrawn their support for the plans.

It leaves the future of Woodfield hanging in the balance, with its governors saying they need time to consider what will happen next.

They said:

‘’We are saddened to hear about Grove Road’s decision to withdraw support for the amalgamation.

“It has been a difficult time for Woodfield School, and we were very hopeful​​​ that a satisfactory conclusion could found for the future of the school. The school, staff, parents, and governors need a time of reflection before we make any decisions regarding the school’s future.

“We will continue to consult with North Yorkshire County Council regarding any future decisions.’’

Woodfield School parents

Some Woodfield school parents spoke out against the merger.

The proposal had been met with shock and disappointment from some residents, who said they valued the school and did not want to see it closed. A consultation was held for parents and the wider community to enable the schools and North Yorkshire County Council to gather people’s views.

However, the county council is now proposing that the amalgamation should not proceed, with a decision to be made by its executive on April 19.

The merger was put forward after Woodfield was rated inadequate by Ofsted, forcing it to look to be taken on by a multi-academy trust. Ofsted inspectors found the school was making progress, but no academy could be found to take Woodfield on.

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Today, Grove Road’s governors said in a statement:

“When first approached about the amalgamation the leadership and governors could see the potential benefits of the proposal for the communities of both schools and were supportive of the consultation. However, a change of such significance also carries risk.

“During the consultation period we have monitored factors such as the level of support for the proposal and the likely demand for school places.

“Ultimately, the governing board have concluded that we must prioritise the future of Grove Road School and so, sadly, we can no longer support the proposed amalgamation.”

North Yorkshire County Council’s executive member for education and skills, Cllr Patrick Mulligan, told the Stray Ferret in November that the council would have liked to give Woodfield school more time, but its hands were tied by national policy.

He also said the process could be a “downward spiral”, with a poor rating resulting in fewer applications and admissions, then a struggle to make the school viable.

Today, North Yorkshire County Council’s director of children and young people services, Stuart Carlton, said:

“Any proposal to expand a school onto an additional site is a significant change with challenges that should not be underestimated. So, while we are disappointed the proposal is no longer supported, we fully understand why Grove Road governors now have that view.

“I would like to thank the leadership and governors of both schools for their efforts in working with us on this amalgamation proposal.

“We will now need to work alongside the Department for Education and governors at Woodfield primary to re-consider the position for the school over the coming weeks before we are able to comment further.” 

New Harrogate pub opens tomorrow

The Curious Cow of Harrogate will open to the public tomorrow after a £650,000 rebrand.

Revere Pub Company, which has transformed the former Old Spring Well pub, has held a series of soft launches and opening parties over the last week.

The pub, on the A59 in Killinghall, provides contemporary dishes alongside pub classics, plus pizza and steak.

General manager Michael Baravelli is well known on the local hospitality scene, having worked at venues such as the Gino D’Acampo restaurant in Harrogate, The Joiner’s Arms in Hampsthwaite and The Pine Marten in Harrogate.

Michael Baravelli

Michael Baravelli

He said:

“We are looking forward to creating a beautiful space where the community can escape, switch off and enjoy what we have to offer.”

The revamp has created 40 jobs at the site, which was known as the Travellers Rest before it became the Old Spring Well.

Revere Pub Company, which has 16 pubs in the UK, has replaced the children’s play area outside with a seating area.

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Trevor Chapman at Curious Cow

Mayor Trevor Chapman pulls a pint.