Local Harrogate News & Views around the district - Page 789 of 1289

Harrogate Convention Centre ‘could lose £250 million without investment’

A council report has warned Harrogate Convention Centre will suffer huge losses of £250 million unless a major redevelopment is carried out.

The ageing centre is facing a pivotal moment in its 40-year history as it presses ahead with renovation plans while competition from new conference venues – including one planned for Leeds – ramps up.

Harrogate Borough Council owns the venue and has proposed an investment project which could cost £49 million in what would mark the single biggest spend by the authority in its lifetime.

Without this, the council has warned the centre will “fall behind in the market” and “may fail to survive”.

£250 million losses

A report to a meeting of the council’s cabinet next week said the venue could be hit by £250 million losses over the next 40 years which would have to be subsidised by taxpayers.

The warning comes as the clock is ticking until the centre is handed over to the new North Yorkshire Council next April and as questions mount over how the redevelopment could be funded after cash was not included in a devolution deal for the county.

Harrogate Borough Council has also bid for convention centre cash from the government’s Levelling Up Fund.

However, the maximum amount available per project is £20 million and Harrogate is ranked as a low priority area.

The report to next Wednesday’s meeting said:

“The redevelopment of the Harrogate Convention Centre (HCC) site offers the only opportunity to modernise facilities, improve connectivity within and replace failing mechanical and electrical systems – and to turn around the financial performance.

“HCC plays an important role in the district’s and region’s economy, attracting visitors and significant spend each year.

“It is the only event venue in the Yorkshire and Humber region that is able to compete with major facilities in cities elsewhere, such as Liverpool, Manchester, Gateshead and Glasgow.”

The new events venue planned for the former Yorkshire Bank HQ in Leeds highlights a growing conference industry which is seeing more venues compete for big events that local economies benefit hugely from.

Council officials have estimated that Harrogate Convention Centre attracts over 150,000 visitors a year, with an economic impact of more than £35 million.

But the venue’s own financial performance has been poor over the last decade when its annual revenue has decreased by an average of 3% per year.

That is according to the new report which described the centre as “underutilised” and said increasing competition and operating costs have resulted in a need to “rethink” its offer.

Redevelopment plan

The redevelopment plans include a major refurbishment of event areas and upgrades to the venue’s heating and ventilation systems.

There are also plans to create a flexible events space for up to 1,200 people. These works were due to start in October after a warning that the centre could miss out on several big events next year, however, the plans have now been delayed.

The next stages of the redevelopment will see a £3.3 million contract awarded for further design, price and programming works.

More than £1.5 million has already been spent on the project before a final decision has been made. This is scheduled for July or August next year – meaning it will be the new North Yorkshire Council which will decide whether to proceed.

If approved, construction on a first phase of works would start in September 2023 for just over a year.

Harrogate Borough Council estimates the upgrades would increase the centre’s visitor numbers from 147,000 in 2020 to 192,000 in 2040, with profits of £29 million over a 40-year period.

The report added:

“Investment in HCC will attract business visitors, support significant employment, encourage conversion of business to repeat leisure visitors and support inward investment.

“The redevelopment has the potential to provide a significant place-shaping, cultural and economic boost to the region.”

Harrogate hospital introduces yellow socks for fall victims

Harrogate District Hospital has started issuing yellow socks to victims of falls.

The scheme, which has been introduced by other hospitals, allows staff and visitors to identify patients who require extra assistance with their mobility.

Under the scheme, if a Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust patient is admitted having previously fallen, they will be automatically given a pair of non-slip yellow socks.

Katie Butterworth, falls specialist and corporate nurse at the trust, said:

“The bright colour of the socks let both staff and visitors know that a patient who is wearing them may need assistance when walking and could be a potential fall risk.

“We would like all staff to see (yellow socks), think (extra assistance) and then act (review falls risk assessment).”

‘Huge’ increase in demand for Harrogate council homeless services

Harrogate Borough Council has revealed a “huge” increase in demand for its homeless services due to the cost of living crisis which is only set to get worse as inflation rises.

A 60% jump in people seeking help has been reported by the council which also said it is struggling to recruit staff in line with national shortages.

It added cases which its staff deal with are “more complex than normal” and that finding suitable accommodation for those facing homelessness “isn’t always easy due to complicating factors like mental health or debts”.

A council report said:

“Following a huge increase in the number of families approaching the service, the homelessness indicators performance have worsened.

“Our homelessness performance indicators, though off target, unfortunately reflect broader national trends around homelessness.

“Housing teams across the country have been dealing with higher case loads.

“In Harrogate, cases are about 60% higher than previous years.”

The increase comes amid big rises in the cost of living with soaring prices, especially energy, putting a squeeze on people’s finances.

Energy bills are expected to rise even further later this year when a typical household will be spending almost £300 a month. That is according to the Bank of England which also predicts the UK economy will fall into a recession, with inflation climbing as high as 13%.

Harrogate Borough Council itself has not been immune to the price rises and is forecasting a £701,000 overspend on this year’s budget.

This time last year, the forecast was an underspend of £32,000 for 2022/23.

The latest outlook is largely due to soaring energy bills, with the council expecting to spend around an extra £1 million on gas and £750,000 on electricity this year.

A report said:

“The council’s latest financial position shows that we are forecasting an overspend of £701,000.

“It is, however, early in the year and there will inevitably be other variations during the course of the year.

“We have yet to receive any actual bills for this year and the national position with regard to future price increases remains highly volatile.”

Ex-Harrogate headteacher found guilty of making indecent images of children

A former Harrogate headteacher has been found guilty of making indecent images of children.

Matthew Shillito, 42, pleaded not guilty to making 20 Category B images and 3,829 Category C images between December 3, 2012 and December 31, 2015.

Shillito was appointed headteacher of Western Primary School in 2019.

He was previously headteacher across the Goldsborough Sicklinghall Federation of schools.

None of the offences related to his employment.

Shillito appeared before York Magistrates Court this morning, where District Judge Adrian Lower found him guilty on both charges.

He said the evidence showed Shillito had a “corrosive, addictive interest in child pornography”.

During the case, “making” was defined as knowingly accessing a site that contained an indecent image.

The court was told that there was no evidence that Mr Shillito downloaded the material onto his laptop.

The prosecution opened proceedings at Harrogate Magistrates Court last month and said the indecent images were found on the cache in Shillito’s computer, which could have only have got there had he accessed sites with those images.

Philip Morris, prosecuting, said there were “indicative” terms found on Shillito’s laptop which showed intent to access the images.

Police arrested Shillito and seized two computers at his address on January 4, 2020.

Officers recovered a Dell laptop and a MacBook Pro, which contained a back up from an iPad mini which was not found.

Giving evidence to the court last month, Zoe Warboys, a digital forensic investigation officer at North Yorkshire Police, said that while the defendant may not have been aware of the cache, he could have only got them by accessing the material.

A Russian website named in court was frequently accessed on the Dell laptop, which Ms Warboys told the court was a site which contained indecent images of children.

The site is public and allows users to upload albums of images which others can view.

The court heard how the site was frequently visited on February 26, 2011.

Mr Morris told the court that Shillito visited some of the pages which were “indicative” of possibly including indecent images 30 times.

Shillito repeatedly denied both charges throughout the case.

This morning, District Judge Lower adjourned sentencing Shillito until September 7. He bailed Shillito but warned him all sentencing options would be considered including jail.

More to follow.

Last chance to comment on proposed Harrogate Fire Station changes

There are just a few days left for people to comment on controversial plans to cut the number of night-time fire engines in Harrogate to just one.

This Sunday is the final day of a three-month consultation on the proposals from the North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service.

The county’s Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Zoë Metcalfe is running an online survey on the plans which she said would “continue to provide an immediate emergency response” during the night when emergencies are less likely to occur.

She has also insisted the proposals are not cost-cutting measures as the fire service already has a balanced budget.

Yet union officials and councillors have raised concerns over the plans which have been described as “seriously concerning” and “putting money before lives”.

Steve Howley, secretary at the North Yorkshire Fire Brigades Union, said the proposed move would leave the area with a “second-rate emergency response service that will put lives at risk” as he also urged commissioner Metcalfe to fight for more funding from the government.

The proposals are included in the fire service’s new risk and resource model which sets out how it will deploy staff and equipment over the next three years.

There are similar proposals for fire stations in Scarborough and Huntington which commissioner Metcalfe said along with the Harrogate plans would save over £1.5 million a year to allow for investment in fire prevention.

She added the proposals are based on an “extensive risk assessment” which has identified the likelihood of fires, road traffic collisions and other emergencies.

Commissioner Metcalfe said:

“The assessment shows that in our area, the risk of having a fire in your home is generally low, with pockets of higher risk in some of our urban areas and also in the south-east of the service area.

“In fact, other emergencies, such as collisions on our roads or rescues from water during storms and floods, make up a larger proportion of what our service responds to.

“Based on this evidence, your fire and rescue service has put forward proposals that it feels will ensure it has the right people with the right equipment in the right place at the right time to reduce the risk of harm in our communities.

“Before I make my decision on whether to implement them, I want to know what you, the people of North Yorkshire and York, think of them.”

To have your say go to www.TellCommissionerZoe.co.uk.

Rachel Daly joins Aston Villa on three-year deal

Harrogate’s Rachel Daly has signed for Aston Villa on a three year deal for an undisclosed fee.

The 30-year-old England international has joined the club from Houston Dash, where she spent six years and made 101 appearances in the National Women’s Soccer League.

Daly joins Villa off the back of a historic Euro 2022, where the Lionesses won the tournament after defeating Germany 2-1 at Wembley.

On joining the club, she said:

“It was a big decision, I’ve been away from home now for 10 years and for me family is the most important thing.

“I had a tough year with family and being away from them, so it was a big decision to come home.

“I spoke to a few clubs along the journey and it felt right to sign for Villa. The journey that the club is on is one I want to be a part of.”

Villa will embark on their third season in the Women’s Super League after finishing 10th and ninth in their last two campaigns since promotion.

Manager Carla Ward said:

“This is a big signing for us and one we’ve worked hard on completing. Rachel is a top forward and a proven goalscorer.

“Having performed admirably at full-back this summer, she showed us that she is a player you simply need in your team.

“But for us, she is a forward and we can’t wait to see her scoring goals.”

#NewProfilePic pic.twitter.com/WQwRrYJ7Yw

— Rachel Daly (@RachelDaly3) August 9, 2022

Final consultation event on Harrogate Gateway to be held online today

An online event on Harrogate’s Station Gateway project will be held today after officials signalled their determination to push ahead with the scheme despite a legal threat.

It will be held at 6pm after drop-in sessions took place at the Victoria Shopping Centre last week.

The events are part of a third consultation on the £10.9 million project which aims to make the town centre more accessible with cycle lanes and pedestrianisation.

However, the plans have failed to win over the support of some residents and businesses who are worried the changes could cause more congestion and drive shoppers away.

These concerns came to a head when one of Harrogate’s leading property companies made a proposed claim for a judicial review against North Yorkshire County Council which is leading on the project and delayed the submission of a final business case to secure funding.

Hornbeam Park Developments claims a previous consultation was “unlawful” and that the county council “failed conscientiously” to take into account the feedback.

Yet the authority said it “does not accept” the claims and now aims to submit the final business case at the beginning of next year.

Cllr Keane Duncan, executive member for highways, said the county council wanted to “crack on” with next stages of the project as he also urged people to share their views on the latest designs.

He said:

“The county council is keen to hear views on ambitious plans to help make Harrogate town centre more accessible to residents and visitors.

“As part of the latest consultation we will be sharing updated designs and seeking views on key elements of the Gateway project, particularly around traffic and transport.

“Your responses will be vital to ensuring we deliver the very best scheme for residents and businesses.”

An online survey is also being run as part of the latest consultation which will close on 23 August.

The county council has stressed that the survey is not revisiting the principle of key parts of the project – including reducing Station Parade to one-lane traffic and a part-time pedestrianisation of James Street – but instead is gathering views on final designs and traffic impacts.

After the consultation ends, the authority aims to start construction early next year with completion in winter 2023/24.

There are, however, questions over how possible court proceedings could impact deadlines for the project which is being funded by the government’s Transforming Cities Fund.

A Department for Transport spokesman said it expects the project to be delivered by an already extended deadline of March 2024 and that where there are any further delays, deadlines will be “reassessed by a panel on a case-by-case basis”.

But when asked what a possible judicial review could mean for the scheme, the spokesman added “we can’t comment on the specific funding arrangements… as this information is commercially sensitive”.

Also included in the Gateway plans are upgrades for Station Square and the One Arch underpass, as well the Odeon cinema roundabout and several other streets in the area.

More details of the proposals are available online where you can also have your say and find out more about today’s online event.

Go to www.yourvoice.westyorks-ca.gov.uk/harrogate.

Business Breakfast: Harrogate man launches health inequality app

Business Breakfast is sponsored by Harrogate law firm Truth Legal.

A Harrogate man has launched a new app in Leeds which aims to reduce health inequalities.

The Caterpillar app aims to encourage people to take small steps to improve their’ lifestyles, such as increasing daily steps or making healthy changes to dietary habits.

The app was founded by Paul Baverstock, who lives in Harrogate, and has been hailed by Leeds City Council chief executive Tom Riordan as a “gamechanger”.

It is also backed by two-time Olympic gold medallist and public health advocate, Alistair Brownlee.

Mr Baverstock said:

“We’re using Nobel Prize-winning behavioural science techniques to help people create healthy habits that stick.

“This isn’t for those who set extreme fitness challenges or track every calorie, it’s for those who might struggle to engage with and make small and important changes in their lives.”

Caterpillar connects to health apps, such as Google Fit and Apple Health, and sets personalised physical activity goals.

It uses the latest expert information to help people make choices about their dietary habits.

Caterpillar is based at Leeds University and was incubated by the Leeds City Council’s BUILD programme in 2021.

Business groups hold first social

Business members at Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce and Harrogate BID social.

Harrogate businesses leaders met up for the first Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce and Harrogate BID summer drinks event on Monday night.

Representatives from firms from across the district attended 63rd+1st cocktail bar on Albert Street for the get-together.

It gave business leaders the chance to network with other members.

Chamber of Trade

Liz Truss breezes into Harrogate on campaign trail

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss breezed into Harrogate today as part of her campaign to be the next Prime Minister.

Local Conservative Party members paid £10 to take part in an Ask Liz event at a private house on the Duchy estate. Attendees didn’t receive the address until this morning.

Those who arrived early made the most of the sunshine by sitting on a wall in front of the property, many dressed in their finest attire.

One woman said Ms Truss had “come across very well” at a recent hustings in Leeds, another said she was there to “see what she’s got to say”.

And there were mutterings that there was no support from MPs in the district, including Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones and Skipton and Ripon MP Julian Smith. Both are backing rival leadership candidate Rishi Sunak, the former Chancellor of the Exchequer.

Instead Alec Shelbrooke, MP for Elmet and Rothwell, hosted Ms Truss’s visit. He could be seen with other prominent members of the party waiting at the large black metal gates to greet Ms Truss.

Graham Swift thanks people for attending.

Harrogate Borough Council deputy leader Graham Swift, who the house is believed to belong to, was also spotted at the event.

Stickers and signs emblazoned with the words ‘In Liz we Truss’ and ‘Liz for Leader’ were given out to visitors, as they were directed to a garden at the back of the house.

The press weren’t invited to attend, however the Stray Ferret captured a video of Ms Truss arriving in a black Range Rover, before she was whisked into the property by security, which included the Metropolitan Police.

Although the event was billed for 90 minutes, Ms Truss left after about 30 minutes and then made a fleeting visit to Harrogate town centre.

Liz Truss leaving the venue with her security entourage.

After a walk up Montpellier Parade, she was shown the sights of the Stray and the town’s war memorial, which was surrounded by people enjoying the 25 degree heat.

From there, the leadership hopeful headed into Bettys Tea Rooms armed with her entourage, before swiftly leaving to head down Parliament Street.

Passing the queue at Bettys. Pic: The Stray Ferret

With that she was gone on to the next leg of her campaign to defeat Sunak when party members vote to choose the next leader.

The result of the race to replace Boris Johnson will be announced on September 5.

‘Big change’ to tree lighting on Harrogate’s Stray

New lights are being installed on some of the trees on the Stray in Harrogate.

The existing lighting along Montpellier Hill, West Park and York Place is set to be replaced.

The new lighting will be modelled on recently installed lighting in Valley Gardens, where the lights are wrapped around the trunk rather than strung through the branches.

Harrogate Borough Council said in a statement today that the new system “should result in better resistance to the weather and fewer repair requirements through the season”. It added:

“More than 40 trees will each have around 100m of lights that will be a mixture of bright white, warm white and coloured, to produce a beautiful array of colour across the town during the autumn and winter months.”

The new lights have started to be installed this week following approval from Councillor Sam Gibbs, the cabinet member for environment, waste reduction and recycling.

Councillor Gibbs said:

“The Stray is such an iconic landmark for Harrogate and throughout the year attracts thousands of visitors.

“We’re often complimented on the existing lighting, but it can be difficult to manage due to lights getting blown around, hanging down and becoming dangerous.

“The replacement project will be a big change compared to the current display and should continue to bring a smile to people’s faces as they travel through the town in the evening.”

£250 million losses

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Business groups hold first social

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