Ahead of polling day on May 5, the Stray Ferret will be previewing each of the divisions in the Harrogate district up for election to North Yorkshire Council.

A total of 21 seats will be up for grabs in the district with most of the major parties contesting each one.

Today, we look at the Coppice Valley and Duchy division which will see five candidates standing for election.

Graham Swift, Conservative

Graham Swift will be standing as the Conservative candidate for the Coppice Valley and Duchy division on North Yorkshire Council.

Mr Swift sits on Harrogate Borough Council and is the deputy leader and cabinet member for resources, enterprise and economic development on the authority.

He currently represents the Harrogate Duchy ward on the borough council, to which he was elected in 2018.

Mr Swift moved to Harrogate in 2010 after spending most of his working life living and working abroad for a large food company.

Mr Swift, who is the only candidate who lives in Coppice Valley and Duchy division, said:

“I have a proven and long track record of correspondence with and action for residents and I don’t just turn up at elections. 

“Actions include improving public space, liaising with police to reduce crime and supporting residents in getting better services. I am already an established district councillor and the future unitary council will strengthen my ability to support residents on a much wider range of issues.”

Leighton Regayre, Green Party

Leighton Regayre is set to stand for the Green Party in Coppice Valley and Duchy ward.

Mr Regayre is a climate science researcher at the University of Leeds and has lived in North Yorkshire for more than 20 years.

He said he was standing because he wants to tackle the climate emergency and cost of living crisis.

He said:

“We subsidise hugely profitable fossil fuel companies rather than taxing them fairly. Yet, a Green New Deal offers a huge economic opportunity.

“With a Green New Deal, we could put people to work insulating our nation’s homes and investing in future renewable technologies.

“The Green Party is committed to making these things happen. Yorkshire has an important role in any progressive future vision for the UK.

“I want to help Yorkshire lead the implementation of a Green New Deal that brings near-term prosperity to our region and long-term security to our nation and planet.”

Daniel Thompson, Independent

Daniel Thompson is standing as an independent candidate in the division on May 5.

Born and raised in Harrogate, Mr Thompson said he wanted to “bring new energy and ideas to the table” which would be “unconstrained by a political party”.

He said:

“During this campaign I could talk about potholes and dog poo but we have to tackle the elephant in the room, housing.

“The Conservatives and Liberal Democrats have signed away our green fields to national developers with a town plan that was never fit for purpose.

“They talk of sustainable homes but where are the locally sourced building materials; solar panels, electric charging points; cycle lanes? Where are the new schools; new doctors surgeries, new dentists? Where is the funding for greater capacity in our NHS A&E?”

Mr Thompson, who also runs a business in the town, added that he would be “fighting for an immediate halt and reversal to all multi home planning approvals”.

“In truth, we need to be ambitious, proposing a new settlement near to road and rail links, surrounded by new woodland and benchmarked by the highest standard of sustainable construction.”

Patricia Foxall, Labour

The Labour Party candidate for Coppice Valley and Duchy will be Patricia Foxall.

Ms Foxall has lived in in Harrogate for more than 40 years and brought her children up in the town.

She spent most of her working life in local government, but has since retired. Ms Foxall said she would fight to reverse cuts to council grants.

Ms Foxall added that she would also make housing one of her priorities.

She said:

“The council have finally produced a housing plan.

“However, it fails to address the desperate need for affordable housing and the need for local services to keep pace with development. That said, I am in favour of all parts of the district taking a share of new housing.”

Read more:

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• Full list of election candidates in Harrogate district revealed

Peter Lacey, Liberal Democrat

Peter Lacey will be standing for the Liberal Democrats in the division on May 5.

Mr Lacey runs a strategic consulting business in the health and care sector and is also the executive committee member of Knaresborough’s Chamber of Trade and a director of the Community Land Trust.

He said he believes strongly in “the need to devolve more decision making to local communities”.

Mr Lacey said:

“Building community engagement and doing more to support neighbours is important to developing stronger local communities.”

Mr Lacey, who is a local methodist, is also chair of Knaresborough Connectors, a community development organisation that has grown out of the covid response working with the county council’s Stronger Communities department.

He added:

“I will work to see a clear, locally owned and deliverable strategic plan developed for the town that embraces all elements from tourism to manufacturing, which are key to bringing high quality, well paid jobs to our area.”

Election hustings

The Stray Ferret is hosting an election hustings at the Wesley Centre on Tuesday, April 26, at the Wesley Centre in Harrogate.

The event is a chance for you to ask your local election candidates who will be standing in divisions in Harrogate the questions that matter to you.

For more information and to book your free ticket for the evening, visit our Eventbrite page.

Harrogate-based S&SA Architects will be expanding the company to Leeds city centre.

The architect practice, which operates out of a head office in Harrogate, will open its new office at Park House in Park Square in April.

The company had continued to grow during the pandemic and received several notable commissions in the healthcare and residential sectors, which created a demand for its expansion.

Inside the new office at Park House Credit: S&SA Architects

It plans to recruit people in roles at all levels, including in apprenticeship and senior positions.

Chris Paraskos, associate architect at S&SA Architects, said:

“We’re incredibly excited about this expansion. The office location is easily accessible for our diverse London and Leeds clients, being only a few moments’ walk from the station.

“It also offers all our staff the ability to work flexibly at home and across both offices. It will encourage collaboration between teams and better wellbeing, which is a part of our cultural response to the changing world of hybrid work post covid.”

S&SA Architects specialises in residential, retail, logistics, healthcare, sports and leisure sectors. Clients include Tesco, Keepmoat, Exemplar Healthcare and Broadacres.

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Plans have been approved to convert a former restaurant in Harrogate into a craft pub.

Husk Beer Emporium, which has a shop on King’s Road, lodged the proposal to change the unit on Station Square into a bar.

The vacant unit was previously home to Greek restaurant Souvlaki and is opposite the Queen Victoria monument.

Now, Harrogate Borough Council has approved the plans.

Danny Duckworth and Tom Gill, who own the Husk Beer Emporium, told the Stray Ferret previously that the aim of the bar will be to showcase the best craft beers from across the UK and abroad.

Husk Beer Emporium owners Danny Duckworth and Tom Gill.

It would also offer live music, meet the brewery nights, food, outdoor seating and an ‘Aladdin’s cave’ of unique beers.

Mr Gill told the Stray Ferret in March that he hopes Husk bar can be part of a Harrogate craft beer trail, boosted by the Station Gateway scheme that would see the outside area at the end of James Street pedestrianised to allow for al-fresco summer drinking.

He said:

“More and more people are seeking places like this out.”

Mr Duckworth added:

“The craft beer scene in Harrogate is buzzing for us to open, we hope they can support us.”

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The mental health benefits of gardening are being celebrated at the Harrogate Spring Flower Show which starts tomorrow.

Designers from across the country will be creating a flash of floral inspiration aimed at showcasing the country’s growing connection with plants and flowers.

The four-day event at the Great Yorkshire Showground will feature ‘Grow Your Home’, a colourful installation created by floral stylists from Leeds-based Leafy Couture.

The display, featuring hundreds of blooms around a central courtyard setting, offers visitors a glimpse of the joys which flowers can bring, which was particularly highlighted during the pandemic.

Show director Nick Smith said:

“After a difficult time for many of us, this year’s Spring show concentrates entirely on the positives which plants and landscapes can bring to us all.

“Gardening is the great leveller – from sweeping lawns to a simple window box, we can all benefit from the life-affirming pleasure which plants and flowers can make to our own personal space.”

Harrogate Business Improvement District (BID) has chosen the flower show to launch its latest campaign – ‘A Floral Summer of Celebration’.

Between July 15 and August 12, the town centre will be home to a floral trail featuring 10 unique displays, floral-themed shop windows and events starring key speakers from the world of gardening.

Pictured at their art deco-themed flower show stand: From left, Harrogate BID Chair Sara Ferguson, BID manager Matthew Chapman, Blameys florist Fran Addis, BID business and marketing executive Bethany Allen, Blameys owner Ruth Fisher and BID business liaison officer Jo Caswell.

This will be in addition to dozens of hanging baskets outside town centre businesses, the numerous flower beds maintained by Harrogate Borough Council, more than 200 barrier baskets funded by Harrogate BID and some specially commissioned floral street art.

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Matthew Chapman, Harrogate BID manager, said:

“Harrogate is renowned for its floral displays; it’s the home to RHS Garden Harlow Carr, the stunning Valley Gardens, and of course the Spring Flower Show, which is one of the biggest and best in the North of England, if not the whole country.

“This summer, Harrogate Floral Summer of Celebration will see us celebrating our floral excellence and the return of Yorkshire in Bloom after a two-year absence.”

Featuring show garden features, plant nursery displays and floral art, the show will include plenty of colour, style and inspiration.

Local charities will also be showcasing their work, including Jennyruth Workshops in Ripon and Horticap in Harrogate.

This year the programme of live entertainment includes talks and demos across four stages.

A new show, ‘Human Gardener’ will offer a series of fun and engaging sofa conversations with the people behind the plants – from bee inspectors to fungi fanatics.

Over on the Gardener’s Kitchen stage, TV cook and chef consultant Stephanie Moon will create dishes from veg patch produce, with the help of grow-your-own guru Martin Walker. 

Meanwhile, the GROW! Live team will provide answers to  gardening questions, whilst the CREATE! Floral stage will host celebrity floral designer Jonathan Moseley.

Thousands of garden products, handmade crafts, gifts and specialist foods will also be on offer.

Tickets

Pre-booked tickets with a £3 saving on gate prices are available online until midnight tonight.

Thursday to Saturday tickets are £20.50 online, £23.50 on the gate.

Sunday tickets are £18 online, £21 on the gate.

Children under 16 are free when accompanied by an adult. General car parking is free.

The long Easter weekend saw the blooming of Harrogate’s Cherry Blossoms, with the most noticeable lining the footpaths of the Stray.

The 200-acre landscape is now multiple shades of pink after the weekend’s warm weather brought out the cherry blossom trees.

The blooming trees have come just in time for the start of the Harrogate Spring Flower Show which opens at the Showground tomorrow, April 21.

This beautiful picture was sent in by Lizzie Gentry

Photograph: David Simister

This shot was sent in by Margaret Smith from the Tewit Well area of the Stray

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Another blossom picture sent by Wil Lo

Police have confirmed that a 39-year-old man has been arrested following two attempted robberies on Harrogate’s West Park.

The Stray Ferret reported yesterday that officers were called to the area near the parade of shops, close to the junction with Tower Street, where witnesses said a man had attempted to mug several people.

Officers said two woman reported a man had tried to take their mobile phones.

A local resident called police after hearing one of the victims screaming for help on West Park.

Two police cars, two vans and an ambulance were at the scene shortly after 7pm.

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Officers added there were also reports that an object had been thrown at a woman on Oxford Road.

North Yorkshire Police confirmed this afternoon that a 39-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of two attempted robberies, assault and a public order offence.

A police statement said:

“The man currently remains in custody and enquiries into the incident are ongoing.

“Members of the public are asked to contact officers if they have any information that could assist the investigation. Please call North Yorkshire Police on 101 and quote reference number 12220066183 when providing any information.”

A leading Harrogate hotelier says new rules which see calories listed on menus are “bizarre”.

Restaurants, cafes and takeaways with more than 250 staff must print how many calories are in meals on their menus, websites, and on delivery platforms.

Peter Banks, managing director of Rudding Park, said:

“From an industry perspective, it is bizarre.

“Why is the number 250? It’s an entirely arbitrary figure. Surely it’s nothing to do with the number of people you employ, it’s to do with the number of calories.

“It means a business that might employ 200 people for example doesn’t have to put calories on the menu, which makes no sense.”

Peter Banks, managing director of Rudding Park in Harrogate.

Mr Banks said other problems included it being a huge task to get the calorie information for dishes, making it more difficult to change or update the menu.

He added that guests were also being put off from ordering food.

He said:

“The big one last week was a lady ordered cauliflower cheese and broccoli for her main course. When it was pointed out that these were side dishes, she said she only had a 2,000 calorie daily allowance so couldn’t have anymore.

“This means it is limiting spend in restaurants. We have certainly noticed a decrease in the number of puddings being ordered.”

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He stressed that he understood what the Government was trying to achieve and agreed that action needed to be taken to tackle the obesity crisis.

However, he added:

“I’m not sure it’s a very well through piece of legislation. Diners should be given a choice. If they want to see a menu with calories listed then they should have that option. This way it’s forcing it down their throats. It’s really strange.

“It’s another layer of admin, it’s another layer of costs.

Also, how are the Government going to monitor if the number of calories is correct? Is there going to be someone coming around to weigh how many potatoes are in a dish? How are they going to enforce it?”

Members of the F45 Harrogate gym, on Albert Street, have mixed opinions on the new legislation.

Georgina Lambley said:

“Personally I don’t mind it and I find it useful for tracking calories. However, I think it’s detrimental to the mental health of many people such as those battling eating disorders.”

Megan Rose said she had mixed feelings.

She said:

“I understand that on one hand there is an obesity epidemic in the UK and this is another way of tackling that.

“On the other hand, I used to have an eating disorder and would have found it crippling when I was at my lowest. I have heard however that restaurants are still able to offer calorie free menus for those that are prone to disordered eating.”

However, Sarah Hart said it was a positive change.

She said:

“I think it’s a great idea and helps guide choices – thumbs up from me!”

Richard Hall added:

The vast majority of parents have got their child in to their first choice primary school in the Harrogate district, new figures reveal.

Primary school admissions statistics for entry in September show that 96.6 per cent of children have been given their first preference.

The figures published by North Yorkshire County Council also show that 99.5 per cent of pupils got one of their five preferences.

However, some parents have been left disappointed.

Nicola Njie’s daughter missed out on a place at her first choice school of Killinghall and her second of Hampsthwaite. She was offered her third choice of Bilton Grange, which she says is closer to where she lives, but she works full-time at a nursery in Killinghall.

She plans to appeal against the decision, but said she had to explain to her daughter that she “probably wouldn’t be going to school with most of her friends”.

She said:

“I will appeal and see what happens.”

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Stuart Carlton, the county council’s corporate director of children and young people’s services, said every effort was made to accommodate the families’ preference of school for their child.

He said:

“The handful of children not offered one of their families’ school preferences were offered a place at their local school.

“Families can preference any school, and are encouraged to preference up to five schools.

“Where a school is oversubscribed, the admissions criteria for the school determines the priority for places. In most cases, the deciding factor is the distance from home to school.

“We closely monitor developing areas to ensure that there is sufficient capacity to accommodate the children living in the local area.”

Mr Carlton said parents could appeal here.

Across North Yorkshire, there has been a slight increase of more than one per cent from last year to 96 per cent on the number securing their first choice.

Mr Carlton added:

“We wish all children who start primary school in September all the best and hope they enjoy a happy and exciting start in their new schools.”

Ahead of polling day on May 5, the Stray Ferret will be previewing each of the divisions in the Harrogate district up for election to North Yorkshire Council.

A total of 21 seats will be up for grabs in the district with most of the major parties contesting each one.

Today, we look at the Stray, Woodlands and Hookstone division which will see four candidates standing for election.

John Ennis, Conservative

John Ennis, who currently sits on both Harrogate Borough Council and North Yorkshire County Council, will be standing for the Conservatives in two-weeks’ time.

Mr Ennis said his priorities ahead of the election will be environment and open green space.

He said:

“I live within the Stray, Woodlands and Hookstone ward, the only candidate from a major party who does.  I have been a resident for over 25 years, and am Andrew Jones MP’s endorsed candidate for our ward.

“My priority is our environment and precious green spaces, especially the Stray, Hookstone Woods and Panhandle Park.  On my initiative new trees have been planted, ‘heritage’ lampstands installed, seating areas improved, new paths laid for walkers.

“I have a record of getting the small things done that make a difference:  street signs and street lights repaired, potholes filled and roads resurfaced, litter and graffiti removed promptly, anti-social behaviour tackled.”

Mr Ennis added that he believes his 12 years as a councillor at both county and borough level is the “best guarantee of results” for the division.

Anna McIntee, Independents

Local resident Anna McIntee is set to stand as an independent candidate in the Stray, Woodlands and Hookstone division on May 5.

A mum-of-three, Ms Mctinee will be one of five independent candidates standing for North Yorkshire Council in divisions within Harrogate.

She said she was standing as she believes the town needs “fresh, forward thinking”.

Ms McIntee said:

Helen Burke, Labour

Helen Burke, who has lived in Harrogate for 44 years, is set to stand for Labour in the Stray, Woodlands and Hookstone division.

Ms Burke, who has worked as a welfare rights worker, said she has spent most of her life working to support people on benefits and “to appeal against unjust decisions”.

She is also a member of the campaigning group Keep Our NHS Public, which campaigns for better resources for hospitals and the NHS.

The Labour Party will be fielding 12 candidates in Harrogate and Knaresborough at the local elections in two weeks time.

Chris Watt, acting chair of the Harrogate and Knaresborough constituency party, told the Stray Ferret previously that the party is campaigning on housing, public transport and working with police to tackle anti-social behaviour.

Patricia Marsh, Liberal Democrats

Patricia Marsh, who is currently leader of the Liberal Democrat group on Harrogate Borough Council, is set to stand for North Yorkshire Council.

Ms Marsh has been a councillor for 32 years and lived in Hookstone for more than 40 years.

She said that she wants to listen to and work with local residents to improve not only her ward but all of Harrogate.

Ms Marsh said:

“It is important that more is done to protect our green spaces, fix potholes, make the town a cleaner place and where possible address issues of inappropriate development. 

“There needs to be improved partnership working between local business and the County Council.

“The level of road congestion  and pollution we have to suffer is becoming intolerable. We need an integrated Park and Ride scheme for the town.”

She added that Harrogate would need a new secondary school and that she would campaign for a town council to replace Harrogate Borough Council.

Read more:

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• Council chiefs promise ‘seamless transition’ to new North Yorkshire Council
• Full list of election candidates in Harrogate district revealed

Police have been dealing with an incident in Harrogate this evening after a number of people were reported to have been attacked.

Officers were called to the area near the parade of shops on West Park, close to the junction with Tower Street, where witnesses said a man had attempted to mug several people.

A local resident called police after hearing one of the victims screaming for help on West Park.

Two police cars, two vans and an ambulance were at the scene shortly after 7pm.

The Stray Ferret understands a man has been arrested. We will update this story when more information is available.

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