Harrogate council installs beehives to pollinate flowers

Harrogate Borough Council has installed two new beehives to help pollinate flowers and support biodiversity.

Once established, the bee colonies will produce honey that could be sold to the public.

A council spokesman said the beehives had been put on council-owned land off Wetherby Road, although the precise location wasn’t revealed.

They will be looked after by Terrence Ogilvie, a keen beekeeper who works in the council’s parks and street cleaning team.

If the experiment proves successful, the council could introduce more beehives across the district.

Conservative councillor Andrew Paraskos, cabinet member for environment, waste reduction and recycling, said:

“Bees are a vital part of the ecosystem to help pollinate many of the trees and flowers that provide habitats for wildlife.

“By introducing beehives we are further playing our part to help stop and reverse the decline of wildlife in the district.”

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Earlier this year, the council’s new rewilding strategy saw swathes of green spaces, including on the Stray, left untouched by mowers and strimmers to allow nature to grow free and attract bees.

The idea was welcomed by many, who saw it as a sign that the council was serious about improving biodiversity. But others, who cherish Harrogate’s reputation for organised and elegant planting, believed it made the town look untidy.

New Harrogate walking trail app launched

A new app showcasing walking trails of historic Harrogate locations has been launched.

Harrogate Civic Society started a website two years ago featuring walks around the brown heritage plaques of Harrogate.

Now a free app version, which includes trails for every brown heritage plaque in the town, is available.

It features seven walks, including the Starbeck trail, High Harrogate trail and the Montpellier trail.

Each one takes in a series of plaques across the town. They includes the Magnesia Well in Valley Gardens, the Tewit Well plaque at Cherry Tree Walk and the Southfield plaque, which commemorates Richard Ellis, former Mayor of Harrogate, at Station Parade.

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The app was developed by Simon Dicken, son of civic society treasurer Chris Dicken, who set up the Harrogate plaques website.

A spokesperson for the civic society said:

“It is hoped that visitors and local residents alike will use this new app to help them discover, through the plaques, the people, places and stories that are part of Harrogate’s rich spa history as well as looking at parts of the town with a new perspective.”

The app can be downloaded via the Google Play store on an Android phone for free.

Six months to save Ripon’s Spa Baths for community use

Ripon City Council is seeking a ‘constructive partnership’ with Harrogate Borough Council as it bids to keep Spa Baths as a community facility.

City councillors voted unanimously last night to adopt a two-pronged approach in their attempts to maintain the Grade II listed building for public use.

Their bid to prevent the site being sold for private development received a major boost last week.

Harrogate Borough Council confirmed the city council’s application to have the building listed as an Asset of Community Value had been successful.

This gives the local community six months to put together a bid to buy the building.

Councillor Graham Swift, Harrogate Borough Council’s deputy leader and cabinet member for resources, enterprise and economic development, will be invited to meet with the city council at the earliest opportunity to discuss matters.

In tandem with this, consultants will be invited to submit expressions of interest for drawing up a business plan and development brief looking at options for the building, which is part of the city’s Spa Quarter.

Photo of civic society plaque on Ripon Spa Baths

The Ripon Civic Society plaque underlines Spa Bath’s historic importance.

At last night’s meeting, city council leader Andrew Williams, said:

“Harrogate Borough Council was attempting to plough on with its plan to sell Spa Baths without any proper consultation.

“However, we now need to draw a line under this and move forward in a constructive partnership with them to decide what’s best for Ripon and the future of this city, with its growing population.

“Cllr Swift has indicated his willingness to meet with us and we welcome this and hope the meeting can be arranged as soon as possible.”

The 116-year-old Edwardian spa, whose use was converted to a public swimming pool in 1936, was put up for sale for an undisclosed price by Harrogate Borough Council in February.

It was deemed ‘surplus to requirements’ with a new swimming pool scheduled to open at Camp Close, off Dallamires Lane in November.

At last night’s meeting, Councillor Pauline McHardy, said:

“It’s sensible for us to have two strings to our bow — six months can quickly pass by and we need to act now.”

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A number of potential community uses for the building have already been put forward by members of the public and Councillor Stephen Craggs, added:

“Future use of the building should take into consideration the needs of young people in the city.”

 

Harrogate law firm leads legal challenge over child vaccines

A Harrogate law firm is to lead a legal challenge against the government’s decision to recommend covid vaccines for 12 to 15-year-olds.

Truth Legal has been instructed by Consent, a Gloucestershire-based healthcare charity, to challenge the government and stop children getting vaccinated without fully informed consent from their parents.

Professor Chris Witty, the government’s chief medical officer, today recommended administering a single vaccine for 12 to 15-year-olds after concluding it would have wider benefits for mental health and education.

Ministers will now decide on whether to accept the recommendation.

However, Consent is set to launch a legal challenge after raising concerns that experts still have mixed views over the decision.

Andrew Gray, founder and solicitor at Truth Legal, which is representing the charity, said: 

“We are representing Consent in their quest of investigating what protocol the government is intending to follow to guarantee the safety of our children and ensure that parental consent is a key element of consideration. 

“We have written to the Department of Health, Public Health England and NHS England to demand their policy on the vaccination of children. We still await their reply.”

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, which advises the government on immunisation, previously recommended against vaccinating children because the “individual health benefits” were small.

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However, Professor Whitty said a single dose of a vaccine would “make a material difference”.

Oliver Müller, a trustee for Consent, said: 

“We are very concerned that children will be able to consent to a medical treatment, which even experts are divided over and which may not be in the child’s best interest.

“Even parents may not have enough information to make a fully informed and therefore legally valid consent decision. We are prepared to go to court and have retained leading counsel and solicitors at Truth Legal.”

Truth Legal, whose head office is on Victoria Avenue, also has offices in Leeds.

Starbeck special needs school opens new sixth form building

A special needs school in Starbeck has refurbished a former children’s centre over the road into two new sixth form classrooms.

Springwater School, which offers a modified curriculum for young people aged two to 19 with mainly multiple needs, was given the disused building by North Yorkshire County Council.

The school has grown rapidly in recent years. It currently has 98 students — an increase of about 30 over the last six years.

Head teacher Sarah Edwards said she hoped the new classrooms would provide an opportunity for sixth formers to develop their independence skills.

She added:

“The building creates a high quality educational environment that will be used as classrooms for the really important independence and employment sixth form pathway.”

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The listed building given to the school is next door to Starbeck war memorial on the High Street.

Springwater School is also seeking teachers and volunteers, including governors. Anyone interested can contact Ms Edwards at head@springwater.n-yorks.sch.uk.

 

 

Council to debate petition to lift Harrogate’s Beech Grove closure

A 770-signature petition calling for Harrogate’s first low traffic neighbourhood to be removed is to be debated by councillors this week.

Members of North Yorkshire County Council’s Harrogate and Knaresborough area constituency committee will meet on Thursday to discuss the traffic restrictions.

They were introduced in February and have proved popular with pedestrians and cyclists but caused complaints from some locals.

The trial restrictions have seen planters placed on Beech Grove to stop through traffic and create quieter streets where residents feel safer walking and cycling.

It has made getting around the area by car more difficult and that is the idea behind it – to decrease car use.

David Pickering is one of the 770 residents who have signed the petition against the restrictions, which he said have only made traffic worse on surrounding streets.

He said: 

“I continue to be surprised by the enthusiasm of North Yorkshire County Council and Harrogate Borough Council to spend taxpayers’ money on projects which are universally unpopular with local residents.

“It is all very well for public sector employees to sit around examining ways of maintaining budgets and tinkering with local roads to divert traffic when it has no material impact whatsoever on their personal lives.

“But on the ground it will concentrate traffic down certain roads.

“Anyone with a modicum of common sense would be able to work out that it will just concentrate traffic on Cold Bath Road and Queens Road.

“I just don’t see the point of the initiative.”

The low traffic neighbourhood was introduced by highways authority North Yorkshire County Council and received the strong backing of Harrogate Borough Council.

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Last month, the county council ended a public consultation on the restrictions ahead of a decision on whether to extend the 18-month trial, make the road changes permanent or scrap them altogether.

Barriers on Victoria Road

Last month the county council also announced plans to introduce a one-way traffic filter on nearby Victoria Road in another trial to improve road safety and encourage cycling and walking.

These restrictions will be trialled from this month and involve erecting a barrier to prevent vehicles from leaving to join Otley Road.

Mr Pickering said many residents were also against these plans, which he fears will make traffic “unbearable” on nearby Queens Road and Cold Bath Road.

The county council was contacted for comment but did not respond by the time of publication.

Man jailed for having sex with under-age Harrogate girl

A man who had sex with an under-age girl has been jailed for over three years after a judge heard of the devastating effect on the victim.

Jamie Smart, 21, groomed and took advantage of the “vulnerable” girl who said her life was now “in turmoil”.

Smart, who was 19 at the time of the offences, had sex with the girl in Harrogate but although it was consensual, the victim said it was “wrong”.

Prosecutor Katherine Robinson said that Smart had bombarded the girl with “graphic” text messages and kept asking to meet her for sex, on one occasion in a park in Harrogate. 

He subsequently sent her more messages asking to meet her again for sex and twice she refused. 

However, he finally persuaded her to meet him again and they had sex after smoking a cannabis joint together, but when Smart offered the girl some “orange powder” she refused because she didn’t know what it was. 

He urged her “to go further” but she only consented to sex because she was “worried what (Smart’s) reaction would be if she turned (him) down”. 

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Ms Robinson said the “extensive” text messages sent by Smart to the girl represented a “degree of grooming”.

Smart had been associating with other under-age females before and after his offences against the girl and had “failed to heed” previous warnings about his behaviour.

He was arrested following the discovery of the ultra-graphic text messages but denied the allegations.   

However, a jury found him guilty of two counts of sexual activity with a child and sexual communication with a minor. The offences dated back to the end of 2018. 

Smart, who was also convicted of possessing cannabis which was found upon his arrest, appeared for sentence on Tuesday at York Crown Court.

‘He took my childhood’

In a statement read out in court, the victim, who lived in Harrogate but cannot be named for legal reasons, said:

“I was a child and vulnerable. (Smart) knew this and took advantage of my circumstances.”

She said Smart “took my childhood” and that she now suffered from acute anxiety, a panic disorder and depression.

Smart — latterly of Invicta Court, York — had previous convictions for a racially aggravated incident and resisting a police officer, but none for sexual offences. 

Helen Chapman, mitigating, said Smart was immature and had his own “vulnerabilities” after a troubled childhood spent largely in foster care. 

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Judge Simon Hickey said the offences had had a “drastic” effect on the victim.

He told Smart:

“(The victim) was undoubtedly a vulnerable person – you must have known that given your background.

“It was quite clear you knew her age. You are rather a risk because you don’t acknowledge what you’ve done, even now.”

Smart was jailed for three-and-a-half years, of which he will serve half behind bars before being released on prison licence. 

He was also made subject to a 10-year sexual-harm prevention order which bans him associating with girls under 16 years of age and living or sleeping in any household with under-age children.  

In addition, he was given a 10-year restraining order banning him from contacting the victim and was placed on the sex-offenders’ register for an indefinite period. 

Harrogate BID appoints new marketing executive

Harrogate Business Improvement District has appointed a new business and marketing executive.

Bethany Allen, an event management graduate, joins after two years working for West Yorkshire Police advising businesses on security measures.

The BID aims to improve footfall in Harrogate town centre to boost business.

Ms Allen will work with businesses, BID partners and board members to organise activities.

The former Harrogate Grammar School pupil grew up in the town and worked at the Turkish Baths while studying at university.

BID manager Matthew Chapman said Ms Allen’s local knowledge will be an asset to the BID:

“She knows the town centre incredibly well, which is a real plus for this role.”

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Ms Allen said:

“Harrogate is my hometown, and I count myself incredibly lucky being born here, schooled here, and now working here as part of the Harrogate BID team.

“Harrogate is the jewel in Yorkshire’s crown. It’s a town that is famed for its shops, restaurants, bars and conference facilities.

“I’m looking forward to playing my part in the evolving Harrogate BID story.”

Youths set fire to roof in Harrogate

Two fire crews were called to Ainsty Road in Harrogate last night following reports that youths had set fire to the roof of a building.

When firefighters arrived just after 6pm, they found two chairs on fire in the car park as well as the roof fire, which had already gone out.

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service said in its incident log:

“Crews extinguished the fire and passed the details of the incident onto the police.”

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Later on last night, Harrogate firefighters responded to reports of a young person on a roof believed to be under the influence of alcohol.

The incident, on Forest Lane, happened around 12.30am this morning.

The young man was already down from the roof and with police when the firefighters arrived.

Only 12 of 500 complaints against Harrogate builders led to prosecution

Trading Standards has received 500 complaints against Harrogate district builders or contractors since 2012 — but only 12 prosecutions have taken place.

The Stray Ferret obtained the data from North Yorkshire County Council through a freedom of information request.

The request also revealed that 338 separate investigations have taken place following the complaints. However, the number of investigations each year has fallen sharply: in 2013 there were 72 and the number fell to just 16 in 2020.

The findings, along with the experiences of some of those who have filed complaints, have led to concerns about the value of taking action.

Jon Fallis, who filed a complaint after Harrogate cowboy builder James Moss left a £30,000 conversion in a poor state, said the figures “were not a surprise at all” and raised questions about the effectiveness of Trading Standards in tackling rogue builders.

Trading Standards, which is run by North Yorkshire County Council, has the power to investigate cases of poor work or allegations of fraud against builders.

Mr Fallis added:

“The numbers fit our experience. They have been difficult and obstructive. There’s no feeling they are on the side of the taxpayer.”

We spoke to another person who was so defeated by his dealings with Trading Standards he didn’t bother making a complaint after being unsatisfied with the quality of another Harrogate builder’s work.

The man, who asked to remain anonymous, called the department a “toothless tiger”.

Trading Standards is prevented by law from providing information about individuals or businesses, but its list of prosecutions against builders in Harrogate includes prison sentences, community service and compensation.

The full data is below:

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The Federation of Master Builders, a trade association for builders, conducted a national survey that found 56% of people who commissioned building work had a bad experience with their builder.

The body has called for the government introduce licensing to stamp out rogue traders.

Trading Standards response

In response to the FOI request, Matt O’Neill, assistant director growth, planning and Trading Standards at North Yorkshire County Council, said:

“Our trading standards service is determined in its enforcement work, not only to protect the residents of North Yorkshire as consumers, but also to ensure a level playing field for the many legitimate businesses in the county.

“The service receives about 7,000 complaints from consumers each year. Officers assess these to determine which should be investigated. Following an investigation, enforcement may range from advice and guidance to prosecution and confiscation or forfeiture of assets following conviction.

“In deciding whether to prosecute, the service must first be satisfied that there is sufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction. A decision to prosecute is not taken lightly. Prosecution is a serious step with considerable repercussions for those who face criminal charges.

“The service has a strong track record. For example, a joint operation with colleagues from other agencies last year saw the courts order offenders to give up £140,000 in proceeds from their crimes to compensate their victims.

“There are occasions when the standard of businesses’ work does not meet consumers’ expectations. This is not acceptable and consumers could take action in the civil courts for breach of contract. However, such conduct would not necessarily amount to a practice over which the trading standards service could take action.

“Equally, businesses sometimes fail. This is recognised in law, with provision for the management of bankruptcy and insolvency. A business failure alone will not amount to conduct about which the trading standards service could take action. The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has a remit to investigate sole traders and companies that have acted illegally in relation to the formation or solvency of trading entities.”