Local Harrogate News & Views around the district - Page 815 of 1272

‘Go for it!’ says Harrogate district apprentice on Women in Engineering Day

An apprentice engineer working in the Harrogate district is urging more women to consider career opportunities in the sector.

Freya Osment joined Northern Gas Networks last year as an electrical and instrumentation apprentice.

To mark International Women in Engineering Day today, she has been discussing her role and why she’d recommend a career in engineering to anyone considering it – even if they are the only girl in a class full of boys.

She said:

“I always wanted to do something involving engineering. My dad was a mine engineer, and then moved into precision engineering and lathe work.

“Growing up I was kind of a tomboy, and I liked helping him out, helping fix things.

“At secondary school, I did the usual subjects but after I left, I went to college to study general engineering which I did for three years. That involved CAD, lathe work, welding.

“In my class of 30 students, I was the only girl. But I was in Army Cadets between 13 and 18, and always enjoyed doing logical things so it just felt like the right fit for me.”

Northern Gas Networks said it is keen for more women to explore careers in the energy sector, adding to its existing workforce.

As well as apprentices, it has women working at senior levels and in green energy, such as hydrogen development manager Stella Matthews, whose role involves developing zero-carbon gas for heating domestic homes.

She said:

“My advice to girls wanting to get involved in engineering is ‘go for it’ and say yes to every opportunity. It’s such an exciting time to be involved in our industry, shaping the future of energy.

“We definitely don’t shout enough about our achievements. Role models are really needed, so girls interested in a career in engineering, or in industry, can see them and aspire to get there too. The more visible we are, the better.”

Gender decoder

Across the UK, 16.5% of engineers are women. This is the ninth year the country has marked International Women in Engineering Day, this time focusing on a theme of inventors and innovators.

NGN has a diversity and inclusion strategy to offer more opportunities to female engineers. It uses a gender decoder for its job adverts, ensuring their language suits anyone who might consider applying.

For women already employed by NGN, a women’s network community has been created to ensure women’s voices are heard across the organisation.

For Freya, there are more benefits to a career in engineering than enjoying her job. She spends her working hours travelling around Yorkshire to different ‘off-take’ sites and has days at college working towards two qualifications.

She added:

“My advice to any girl considering engineering would be to go for it, don’t worry about what people think and be yourself.

“If you like being out and about, days that are very different from each other and logical ways of working then it’s a great job to be doing.”

Pinewoods charity to meet Harrogate Spring Water to discuss expansion

Pinewoods Conservation Group is to meet representatives from Harrogate Spring Water to discuss the company’s plans to expand its bottling plant.

The French-owned firm announced last month it will revert to its original 2017 planning application, which involves felling trees in a section of the Pinewoods called Rotary Wood.

However, the number of trees felled would be less than contained in plans rejected last year by Harrogate Borough Council.

Harrogate Spring Water’s new application will propose how the lost trees will be compensated for.

The meeting is set to take place within the next few weeks. It will be the first time the charity, which protects the council-owned woodland, has met the company since it announced it was pressing ahead with the expansion.

Online platform

The charity has used online polling platform Harrogate District Consensus to find out what is and isn’t acceptable to residents with the new planning application.

At the time of publication, over 420 people have given their thoughts on issues such as how many trees the company should replant and plastic pollution and biodiversity loss.

Neil Hind, chair of Pinewoods Conservation Group, said it would bring some of the most popular statements that people have submitted to the meeting in the hopes of presenting a consensus.

He said:

“We know this is a very emotive subject, so we need a way to gather some more scientific based views from our members, visitors to the Pinewoods and Harrogate residents. This system allows people to agree or disagree with statements but also add new statements to express their own feeling on the subject.

“We hope that this will form a consensus of views and even some new thinking on this issue. We would really encourage people to get involved and make their views known. These views will then be shared with the Harrogate Spring Water and Danone management when we meet and will also be used as part of our submission to the consultation process.”

Harrogate Spring Water’s new chief executive Richard Hall recently told the Stray Ferret the company would be “much more open” about its latest plans, which are yet to be submitted to Harrogate Borough Council.

A series of meetings with local stakeholder groups are planned and there will be an open consultation event next month.

A spokesperson for Harrogate Spring Water, whose headquarters is on Harlow Moor Road. said:

“We are starting our consultation process this month via meetings with community stakeholder groups prior to an open public consultation event which we plan to hold in July.

“We will announce details of this event shortly, but anyone who cannot come along can still have their say via a dedicated webpage at https://www.harrogatespring.com/facility-extension/”

Harrogate Town set for Christmas cracker against Bradford

Harrogate Town will travel to Bradford for a Christmas Yorkshire derby.

Today’s fixture list revealed that Town will start with a home match against Swindon Town on August 30.

They will also end the season with a home game, against Rochdale on May 6.

But most Harrogate fans will have looked first for the matches against Yorkshire rivals Bradford City, against whom Town did the double last season.

Valley Parade holds up to 25,000 fans.

Simon Weaver’s men will entertain the Bantams on October 1. The return fixture will take place at Valley Parade on December 29, when a bumper festive crowd is likely.

The two teams played twice in 16 days last season. After defeating Bradford 2-0 at the EnviroVent Stadium, Harrogate then came from behind to win 3-1 in a thrilling encounter in Bradford.

Former Manchester United striker Mark Hughes was named as Bradford’s new manager shortly after that game.

The only other Yorkshire team in League Two of the English Football League is relegated Doncaster Rovers.

Town will travel to the Eco-Power Stadium on December 17 then Doncaster will come to Harrogate on April 15.

The dates of fixtures are liable to change.

Suspected drunk driver hits two cars and demolishes wall after Harrogate driveway crash

An 18-year-old man has been arrested after crashing into a Harrogate driveway this week and hitting two parked cars and demolishing a wall.

The driver was in a black Audi A1 when he drove onto the driveway on Kingsley Drive just before 1am yesterday, Wednesday, June 22.

The driver hit the cars with such force he reportedly damaged the garage door behind them too.

He attempted to flee the scene but, with the arrival of other officers and a police dog, a man matching his description was found nearby.

An 18-year-old was arrested on suspicion of drink driving, and has since been released under investigation while the investigation continues.

Anyone with information should call North Yorkshire Police on 101 and use crime reference number 12220107265.

Rail strike: 10% of Harrogate and Knaresborough trains to run today

Rail services in Harrogate and Knaresborough will be severely affected by a second day of strike action today.

Only about 10% of services are expected to operate on the line between York and Leeds.

Rail operator Northern is expected to be among the worst affected by today’s industrial action by the RMT union.

A third strike is expected on Saturday.

People hoping to travel by train to the first day of the England vs New Zealand Test match at Headingley will be among those affected.

Harrogate station has been largely deserted for the last two days.

Many services ran yesterday but passengers had heeded warnings not to travel.

Rail campaigner Brian Dunsby, of the Harrogate Line Supporters Group, said:

“We are very concerned that this unnecessary national rail strike will risk driving people away from rail and thereby undermine and set back rail’s steady recovery from the pandemic.

“We express deep regret and concern given the uncertainty the industry and its consumers face following the effects of covid on passenger numbers.

“We ask management and government to get talking to the unions resolve things and for everyone to avoid further aggravating tensions by making hostile or critical comments. We urge the union to be more considerate of the impact on passengers of all categories.”

Read more:

A statement by Northern said:

“Customer safety is our priority, we advise you not to travel between Tuesday 21 and Sunday 26 June and make alternative plans.

“There will be no replacement buses or alternative travel provided.”

Jules B to open in Harrogate in September

Luxury fashion retailer Jules B said today it hopes to open in Harrogate in September.

The Stray Ferret revealed in April the company planned to trade in the former Jaeger unit on Cambridge Crescent.

The retailer sells women’s designer brands including Holland Cooper, Hayley Menzies, Stine Goya, Oska and Lurdes Bergada.

The Harrogate shop, which will be the company’s sixth store, has been empty since Jaeger cleared its stock in January last year. But it is now set to reopen in the second week of September.

The shop, which will sell womenswear only, will feature an autumn and winter collection when it opens.

An artist’s impression of how the shop will look.

Julian Blades, managing director of Jules B, has said its brands “will be perfect for the sophisticated customer demographic in Harrogate and surrounding areas”

The retailer is currently recruiting for full-time and part-time staff for Harrogate, including a store manager and assistant store manager.

Several national retailers, including Pret A Manger and Hotel Chocolat, have announced they will join Harrogate’s high street recently.

Oliver Bonas is also due to open in September.

Mr Blades and his wife, Rhona, opened their first womenswear store in Jesmond in 1984.

Townhouses plan for Harrogate’s Old Courthouse approved

A plan to convert the Old Courthouse in Harrogate into townhouses has been approved.

The building on Raglan Street was previously occupied by Stowe Family Law, which vacated the property for another site in town in February this year.

Park Design Architects tabled plans to convert the site from offices into two three-bedroom and one two-bedroom townhouses.

Now, Harrogate Borough Council has given the go-ahead for the proposal.

The developer said in documents submitted to the council that the site was a “sustainable location” for new homes.

It said:

“Overall, the site is located within a highly sustainable area and will utilise existing car parking provision to serve the proposed use, with easy access to alternative means of transport other than the private car to support sustainable travel.”

The original building was built in 1857 and was initially a police house for the town.

This was later demolished and replaced with a courthouse, which was used by justices of the borough until 1991.

Stowe Family Law moved into the property as tenants in 2004.

Harrogate hairdresser to rebrand with new name and new look

The Joseph Ferraro salon on Cheltenham Crescent in Harrogate is to be taken over by salon manager Nicola Rayner and rebranded with a new name and new look.

Ms Rayner has worked for Joseph Ferraro, who has another salon on Leeds Road, for 10 years and been part-owner of the salon for six years. But the pair have now decided to part ways and Miss Rayner is taking on the salon alone.

From August, she plans to rebrand as Rayner and Green and refurbish the salon. She said:

“As the years have gone on we both decided it was the right time to separate and I’m really excited to take on the salon as my own. All of my team will be staying with me too.”

Ms Rayner and her four staff intend to make a few changes including setting up Klarna, a payment app which allows customers to pay for their hair appointment over a number of instalments.

Investment advisor with Harrogate branch makes deal with The Law Society

Wealth and investment advisor, St James’s Place, has struck a deal to become strategic partner of the Law Society of England and Wales.

As part of the relationship St James’s Place (SJP) will help solicitors at all stages of their professional career decide how to invest, manage significant cash bonuses or business cash flow, acquire or merge with other practices or create a legacy plan for their business.

The advisor has more than 4,000 partners across the UK with one of those offices being in Harrogate. The deal allows it to work with all solicitors represented by the Law Society.

Paul Ainslie, head of campaigns and partnerships at SJP, said:

“I am delighted that the Law Society of England & Wales have chosen to work with St. James’s Place, affording us the opportunity to expand on the support we already provide to solicitors via The Law Society of Scotland.”

“Our remit is simple, we will share our professional expertise with members so that they have the confidence and knowledge to help make the right decisions at the right time to create the future they want for themselves, their family, their business and their clients.”

Hound parade cancelled at Harrogate’s Great Yorkshire Show

The traditional parade of hounds in the main ring at Harrogate’s Great Yorkshire Show will not take place this year, organisers have confirmed.

The Telegraph reported on Sunday that the parade, which features hunting dogs, had been cancelled due to pressure from animal rights activists.

The newspaper said event organisers Yorkshire Agricultural Society had acted “following a sustained campaign of emails and letters, in particular from a Welsh activist known to be linked to hunt saboteur groups”.

It added the decision had prompted a “backlash” from local farmers who had accused the organisers of “caving unnecessarily over the issue”.

The show, which has taken place annually since 1837, is one of the country’s premier agricultural events.

Princess Anne will be the royal guest at this year’s show, which takes place from July 12 to 15.

The hound show will still take place but the parade in the main ring will not.

The Stray Ferret asked the society whether the decision was due to pressure from animal rights activists.

A spokesperson from the organisation replied:

“The hound show will be held as usual at the Great Yorkshire Show and we have very strong entry numbers across all types of hounds this year including for Foxhounds, Beagles, Harriers, Draghounds and Bloodhounds.

“Across the site, there have been several changes to the content of the Great Yorkshire Show and this includes in the main ring. All decisions taken are always considered and balanced, and that includes the decision to postpone the hound parade in the main ring this year.

“We remain committed to demonstrating the best of farming and rural life in all its forms to our visitors.”

County council rules out ‘printing money’ to attract staff

North Yorkshire County Council leaders have pledged they will not be “printing money” to boost its workforce’s wages despite facing its highest staff turnover on record and struggling to recruit staff .

A meeting of the council, which employs some 15,000 people, heard that many staff had left for higher salaries, resulting in a turnover rate of nearly 16 per cent.

The Tory-led authority’s executive heard the county’s significantly lower unemployment level than the region was exacerbating the recruitment issue, and despite launching innovative recruitment campaigns finding staff remained “a significant challenge”.

Liberal Democrat group leader Cllr Bryn Griffiths said that because local government pay had been “significantly suppressed” over austerity and recent pay rises had been outstripped by the private sector. it was not surprising the council had an issue with filling job vacancies.

Cllr Gareth Dadd, the authority’s finance boss, replied the council had to find a way to respond to workforce competition,

He added while the council had set aside £375,000 in bonuses to boost social care recruitment, “it’s no good just printing money”.

Gareth Dadd

He said it was important the council highlighted the benefits of working in the public sector, adding:

“Sooner or later local government generally has got to recognise that perhaps its policies and offer isn’t in many cases what it was 40 years ago, we are competing with the private sector.”

Condemning the RMT union’s railway strike as “absolutely disgraceful”, Cllr Dadd said the cost of living crisis was not just confined to transport workers.

He revealed a cost of living crisis action plan would be considered by the authority’s executive next month, coupled with a revised list of priorities, such as council tax reductions, benefits and revenues.

Cllr Dadd said:

“From that I am confident we will see our priority will be helping those that are really struggling. It is only a small part, but nonetheless it flags up the commitment.”

People in crisis

The meeting heard the council’s Local Assistance Fund, designed to help people in crisis, would be used as part of the initiative, and while the fund had spent almost £200,000 more than its £675,000 budget last year, it would not be capped.

Stronger communities executive member Cllr David Chance said:

“If there is a need we will consider it.”

He said the council was working in numerous ways to help with the crisis.

Alongside the council injecting funds into the Citizens Advice network, school holidays programmes and a domestic property improvement scheme to reduce fuel bills, and as petrol prices continue to soar trading standards officers were visiting numerous “more remote petrol stations to ensure the equipment they use it accurate”.

He said the authority’s Income Maximisation Service, which works to ensure residents receive the best benefits they can from government, has gained about £45 million in additional funds for the county’s residents.