Plans for Harrogate mosque attract 100 comments

A proposal to open Harrogate’s first mosque has attracted 100 comments ahead of a decision by Harrogate Borough Council.

Residents have until Sunday, February 6 to have their say. So far 56 people have written in support while 40 people have written to object.

Planning applications rarely receive as many comments.

The objections highlight concerns about traffic, parking and the fact that the building is a non-designated heritage asset.

Households across Harrogate have reported receiving anonymous leaflets through their doors encouraging them to oppose the plans with a guide on how to word the objection.

Supporters dispute the concerns. They say there is enough parking nearby and that it would be good to see the building brought back into use.

Following a successful crowdfunding campaign, the Harrogate Islamic Association (HIA) revealed that it wants to convert the former Home Guard club into a place of worship.

The HIA was established in 2011 and has been looking for a permanent place to convert into a mosque for years. Other attempts to find a home have fallen through.

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Around 100 worshippers currently meet in the Quakers’ Friends Meeting House on Queen Parade.

Zahed Amanullah, from the HIA, told the Stray Ferret that they hope to run religious, community and charitable events at the building.

It would also support Syrian and Afghan refugees who have moved to the area. He added:

“We thought this is our best chance to have somewhere in the town centre. The location is fantastic.

“We recognise its historical value and we want to be mindful of that when we restore the building. We will retain its period features. We’re not going to put a minaret up or anything like that, it’s needed as a space. Nothing will be added.

“We see ourselves as part of the fabric of the town. We’re all in Harrogate because we love Harrogate. We have a very diverse community of Muslims from Asia, Africa and England, but the nearest mosque is more than 15 miles away.

“It’s a rare vacant spot where there are no facilities for the community and it will easily handle our weekly needs.”

Andrew Jones MP calls for Sue Gray report to be published in full

Andrew Jones, the Conservative MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, asked Boris Johnson whether the Sue Gray report will be published in full during a heated debate in Parliament today.

Mr Jones asked a question after the Prime Minister’s statement on the report this afternoon.

The report lists 16 gatherings over a 20-month period. Of those, four did not reach the threshold for the police to investigate.

Mr Jones — sitting next to former Prime Minister Theresa May — asked:

“The update that we have from Sue Gray is, as she says herself, extremely limited.

“So will (Boris Johnson) confirm that at the earliest opportunity he will have the report published in full?”

Mr Johnson did not commit to that request. He replied:

“What we will do is wait until the police have concluded their enquiries and then see what more we can publish. That is what we are going to do.”

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The Stray Ferret asked all three Harrogate district MPs, which besides Mr Jones include Skipton and Ripon MP Julian Smith and Selby and Ainsty MP Nigel Adams for their reaction to Sue Gray’s report and whether they would call on the PM to resign.

None replied by the time of publication.

You can read the report here. Ms Gray concluded:

“The whole of the country rose to the challenge. Ministers, special advisers and the Civil Service, of which I am proud to be a part, were a key and dedicated part of that national effort.

“However, as I have noted, a number of these gatherings should not have been allowed to take place or to develop in the way that they did.

“There is significant learning to be drawn from these events which must be addressed immediately across government.”

The PM said today he is making changes to how Downing Street and the Cabinet Office is run so they can get on with the job of government. He said:

“I get it and I will fix it.”

Fitting send-off for Harrogate’s humble D-Day veteran

A bugler from the Royal Marines today marked the final journey of Harrogate’s humble D-Day veteran, who has died at the age of 97.

John Rushton, known as Jack to friends, passed away peacefully at Harrogate District Hospital after a visit from his family on New Year’s Day.

There was a fitting send-off for Mr Rushton today, which began with a procession from his former home on Beech Road to St Robert’s Church for a funeral service.

The procession then headed to Stonefall Crematorium on Wetherby Road where it was met by representatives from the military.

A bugler played The Last Post in front of a packed crown to mark the committal.

Jack on his 96th birthday and during his military service.

Son’s tribute

Dave Rushton, one of John’s four sons, said:

“We are very sad but my dad has left a great legacy and history. We have had so many goodwill messages, which has been an enormous help.

“He fought the illness really hard, he fought right to the end. I want to put on record our thanks to the staff on Wensleydale Ward and at Lister House care home in Ripon.

“I think people will remember him for his character. So many people have told me how much of a character he was, even if he never thought he was a hero.

“We did manage to get in a trip back in 2019 to Normandy to mark the 75th anniversary of D-Day. We had hoped to go again but we certainly ended on a high.

“I already know a lot about his life but since his passing I have learned a lot more about the affection people held him in.”

A buglar played The Last Post for Mr Rushton.

A British Army spokesman said:

“We are indebted to the bravery of Mr Rushton and his comrades. Our thoughts are with Mr Rushton’s family and friends at this difficult time.”

David Houlgate, vice chair of the Knaresborough branch of the Royal British Legion, said:

“What I will say is clearly he was in a sense a true hero of this country. John defended this country and helped to free Europe from tyranny.”

Military Standards for the committal.

The remarkable life of John ‘Jack’ Rushton

Mr Rushton was born on May 24, 1924 in Doncaster, where he was brought up and educated before leaving school to become an apprentice joiner.

he was too young to enlist at the outbreak of World War II so he joined the Home Guard before volunteering for service shortly after his 18th birthday.

On the night of June 5, 1944, he set off from Portsmouth, having been sent in place of another marine who had fallen ill.

The crossing was made in a flat bottomed tank landing craft, and as the weather was poor, he sheltered with a comrade underneath one of the tanks, lying on top of the ammunition.

It was such a rough crossing, he later said he preferred being shot at in France to staying on board.

Arriving on the Normandy beach at 6am on June 6 he proceeded to deploy and arm his unit’s tanks and guns and spent much of the assault without his helmet or rifle as they impeded his tasks.

During that day, he narrowly avoided death three times, including when he ran over an anti-tank mine several times. He often said with a wry smile that only the good die young. He also said that the real heroes are the ones who didn’t return home.

Mr Rushton with his honours.

Having been promoted to sergeant, Jack was then sent to India, travelling by ship and often sleeping on riveted steel decks. On arrival in Bombay his unit was tasked with keeping the peace during the country’s internal struggles, and later training to join the war against Japan further east.

In 1945 he was sent to Malaysia to await deployment to the battlefront, however the atomic bomb spared him the ordeal of another fight.

After the war was over, his unit was sent back to India to quell a naval mutiny. As a result, he didn’t make it home until 1946, when he was demobbed, and returned to Doncaster.

He moved jobs and towns before he settled in 1972 with a final family move to Harrogate College of Further Education.

Jack retired in 1988 and turned to his interests in the local brass bands and the Royal Naval Association. He was widowed in 2012 after almost 61 years of marriage, which produced four children, four grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.

Hampsthwaite volunteers clear-up after tree falls in churchyard

Volunteers arrived at a Hampsthwaite churchyard today to clear debris left after a tree was urgently felled.

The centuries-old tree splintered during Storm Malik on Friday night, luckily avoiding graves in the cemetery at St Thomas a Becket Church.

But with some of the tree remaining, and Storm Corrie approaching, the decision was taken yesterday to fell the rest of it urgently in case it was blown over and damaged the graves.

Fortunately Darley tree surgeon Ross Hanley was able to fulfil the task before the winds picked up last night.

The clear-up operation of the fallen tree began today.

Today about 15 volunteers including a group from Community Payback, an initiative whereby offenders help with projects in their local communities, joined the clean-up operation.

Lead volunteer and Hamspthwaite resident Geoff Howard said:

“Ross Hanley was here to look at a tree that fell during Storm Arwen only a few weeks ago and he saw how close this one was to falling.

Luckily the branch that came down on Friday night fell between graves but if the full tree had fallen it could have caused damage to dozens and dozens of graves.”

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The graveyard has over 3,000 plots. The church also has a public right of way running through it.

Mr Howard said it would have been too dangerous to leave the tree in such a precarious position because of the risk it posed to people and the churchyard.

He thanked volunteers for dealing with the debris today and hoped the clean-up operation would be completed by the end of the day.

Family seeks answers after ex-Harrogate ICI woman’s death linked to asbestos

The family of a woman whose death is being linked to asbestos is trying to get in touch with her ex-work colleagues at the former ICI plant in Harrogate.

Cher Elizabeth Wray, who was known as Sharon Cooper until her marriage in 1990, died aged 63 from a lung cancer called mesothelioma — which is commonly associated with asbestos.

Ms Wray died in February 2019, leaving a husband, Michael, five children and seven grandchildren.

Before she died, she asked law firm Irwin Mitchell to investigate how she had encountered asbestos.

Her family is now appealing to anyone who worked with her during her first job after school at the age of 16 to get in touch.

Ms Wray was a PA at ICI in Harrogate between 1971 and 1973.

ICI was one of the largest employers in Harrogate at the time. The company, which was founded in 1926, became defunct 14 years ago.

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Ms Wray started work at the plant when she left school at 16. She told Irwin Mitchell she was a PA but her role would see her move across the entire plant.

Dirt and dust

She recalled seeing colleagues undertaking maintenance on pipework and added that the pipes tended to be lagged. She said that the activity generated lots of dirt and dust.

Ms Wray left the company in 1973 when she had children. She did not return to work until 1986.

Her husband, Michael Wray, 68, said:

“Cher was a much-loved wife, mother and grandmother and the entire family misses her so much every day.

“It was awful to see how mesothelioma affected her and we all still have so many questions about how this happened.

“She lived for her family and loved nothing better than spending time with them. That’s what made her the happiest.

“While time has moved on from Cher’s death, our family hasn’t. Occasions such as family birthdays are not the same without her.

“Still having so many questions about how she was exposed to asbestos makes her death even harder to try and come to terms with.

“We know nothing can make up for what’s happened but if we could at least have answers regarding Cher’s death at least we will be able to honour her memory.”

Office workers also affected by asbestos

Ian Toft, a partner at Irwin Mitchell who is representing Ms Wray’s family, said:

“This is sadly yet another case that highlights the huge impact that asbestos can have on individuals, often years after exposure may have taken place.

“Cher’s death at a young age from mesothelioma has left her family greatly upset and with many concerns about how she could have been exposed. It’s not just people in industrial jobs that contract mesothelioma.

“Sadly we see a number of office workers and those who worked in public buildings such as schools, hospitals and offices who fall victim to this disease.

“If anyone has information about the conditions Cher faced during her time as a PA at ICI it could make all the difference to her family being able to honour her memory.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact Mr Toft on 0113 218 6453 or email  ian.toft@irwinmitchell.com.

Police seek man carrying gun in Harrogate

Police are searching for a man believed to have been carrying a gun in a street close to Harrogate town centre yesterday.

Officers received reports of a man acting suspiciously in Harlow Oval at 12.30pm yesterday.

According to police, he had approached a nearby car and spoken to the driver. As the man moved away from the car, a witness saw what is believed to have been a gun tucked in the waistband of his trousers.

The suspect is described as white, in his early to mid-twenties and around 5ft 10/11in tall.

He had black short hair with a receding hairline and a short fringe. He’s described as having red blotchy, acne-marked skin and was wearing a blue facemask pulled down his chin.

A statement from North Yorkshire Police today said:

“He was dressed in a plain navy t-shirt and a black mid-length coat, which was unzipped, blue jeans with a belt. He is described as having a local accent and was smoking a cigarette at the time.”

Police are asking anyone who was in the area at the time who saw the incident or anyone who recognises the description of the man to contact them.

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Anyone with information can call North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 2 and ask to speak to PC 1606 Kinnear or email chloe.kinnear@northyorkshire.police.uk.

To remain anonymous, call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

The crime reference number 12220017125.

Nearly 200 sign petition supporting new Harrogate Tesco

A counter campaign has been launched in support of a new Tesco supermarket in Harrogate after a group of residents petitioned against the plans.

Tesco has applied to build the supermarket at the former gas works site on Skipton Road in a move which it said would create 100 new jobs.

The plans have been met with opposition from a group of residents who live on the nearby Electric Avenue and have gathered the support of almost 500 others as part of a ‘No To Tesco’ campaign.

But another petition has now been launched by residents who say there is a “significant need” for a new supermarket in the area.

Ann Lambert, who launched the second petition and has so far gathered more 100 signatures, said:

“There are thousands of homes on this side of Harrogate, the majority of which will travel at varying times across town to other supermarkets.

“The area is growing at a fast pace and it needs a supermarket that is close by and large enough to deal with the customers that are created from so much house building.”

Ms Lambert also said the 100 new jobs were much needed as she highlighted how Tesco has scaled back its plans after it was first granted planning permission for the site in 2012.

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These previous plans were never brought forward by the supermarket chain which has now proposed a smaller store.

Despite this, the group of residents living on Electric Avenue are still opposed to construction at the former gas works site which they say has become a home and feeding ground for animals including badgers, frogs, squirrels and hedgehogs.

Resident Jennifer Dance also criticised a public consultation carried out by Tesco and said there were further concerns over the potential impacts of the new store on people’s daily lives.

She previously said:

“I believe sites like this should be nurtured and cherished, not destroyed and replaced with concrete, steel and tarmac in the name of progress, prosperity and profit.”

Tesco has also acknowledged the concerns raised by residents and said all feedback would be taken onboard ahead of a decision on the plans from Harrogate Borough Council around April.

Residents can comment on the plans on the council’s website up until Sunday.

If approved, Tesco said the supermarket could open in 2023.

Tree planting across Harrogate district this weekend to mark Queen’s jubilee

Trees will be planted this weekend in Harrogate, Ripon, Knaresborough, Pateley Bridge and Boroughbridge as part of an initiative to mark the Queen’s platinum jubilee.

The Queen’s Green Canopy, which was created as part of celebrations for the Queen’s 70 years on the throne, which invites people from across the United Kingdom to ‘Plant a Tree for the Jubilee’.

Trees will be planted in Valley Gardens and on Wetherby Road in Harrogate, at Jacob Smiths Park in Knaresborough, at High Cleugh in Ripon, at Pateley Bridge Recreation Ground and at Boroughbridge Recreation Ground on Sunday.

All but one tree at each of the locations has been planted already. The final tree ones will planted this weekend to coincide with Her Majesty’s accession day.

Harrogate borough mayor, Councillor Trevor Chapman, will unveil the ceremonial tree in Valley Gardens, Harrogate at 2pm.

The Lord Lord-Lieutenant of North Yorkshire, Johanna Ropner, will join Councillor Andy Paraskos to unveil the ceremonial tree at Boroughbridge Recreation Ground at 11am.

Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones will join the mayor of Knaresborough, Councillor Christine Willoughby, at Jacob Smith Park in Knaresborough at 1pm.

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Cllr Eamon Parkin, the mayor of Ripon and Cllr Mike Holt, the mayor of Pateley Bridge, will plant trees in their respective locations.

Species being planted include elm, oak, hornbeam, sycamore and lime.

Individuals, town and parish councils, community groups, schools, businesses and landowners will be encouraged to plant tress during the planting season from October to March.

White Rose Forest

The Queen’s Green Canopy will coincide with the council’s plans to plant thousands of trees in Bilton Beck Wood and Willow Wood, Harrogate and Upper Horse Shoe Fields, Knaresborough as part of the White Rose Forest partnership.

The White Rose Forest is the community forest for North and West Yorkshire being created by local authorities, landowners, businesses and communities.

Councillor Andy Paraskos, Harrogate Borough Council’s cabinet member for environment, waste reduction and recycling, said:

“The Queen’s Green Canopy is a wonderful opportunity for us to not only honour Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee but also help address the climate situation and deliver carbon reduction initiatives throughout the Harrogate district.

“Similar to the White Rose Forest project, we want to encourage as many people as possible in the district to get involved to improve air quality and biodiversity.”

Sarah Wells, community manager at Bettys & Taylors Group, which has supported the scheme, said:

“Trees remain very close to our hearts at Bettys & Taylors and we are delighted to support this unique project which not only highlights the importance of climate action, but also the positive impact of community collaboration. We hope that these trees will be enjoyed by residents and visitors to the area for many years to come.”

 

 

Harrogate nurse to raise money through 24-hour gameathon

A Harrogate nurse has pledged to game non-stop for 24 hours to raise money for Medecins Sans Frontieres, a charity also known as Doctors Without Borders.

Andy Masters will start his gameathon at 10am next Saturday, February 5, and hopes to raise £1,000 for the medical charity.

Mr Masters has worked as a nurse for 30 years and began working at Harrogate District Hospital seven years ago.

The charity offers medical assistance in areas affected by conflict, epidemics and natural disasters. Mr Masters said he’s known doctors who have worked with the charity and seen first hand how necessary its help is.

Mr Masters said:

“It’s a highly respected charity and they go and help those in real need in areas others don’t. I just want to do a little bit to help them.

“Last time I raised over £1,000 so if we can get close to that it would be great, but anything is amazing.”

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He is a keen gamer and said he will switch between multiple games to help keep him awake. The whole event will be streamed on his Youtube and Twitch accounts.

To donate, click here.

Stray Views: Harrogate’s John Shackleton deserves an honour

Stray Views is a weekly column giving you the chance to have your say on issues affecting the Harrogate district. It is an opinion column and does not reflect the views of the Stray Ferret. Send your views to letters@thestrayferret.co.uk.

John Shackleton deserves an honour

I’ve just watched John Shackleton’s interview on BBC feature stories. I know him from St. Robert’s Church in Harrogate, he’s a dear friend and a great supporter of the youth. 

I think what he’s done over these years is remarkable and extraordinary. He has served not only our local community but also our European neighbours especially those in need. 

John is an amazing person who has touched and changed so many lives and it’s time he is recognised for his bravery, selflessness, generosity and service. I would like to make an appeal to nominate him for the Queen’s honours. 

I tried to apply online but I wasn’t very successful. He deserves the gratitude not just from us but from the world. If we are all a little bit like John, the world would be a much better place to live.

Joy O’Brien, Harrogate

Objections to proposed mosque

We live very close to the proposed development and have canvassed our neighbours, none of whom have received one piece of paper through our letterboxes opposing this development. I should also point out there has not been one piece of publicity supporting this development.

No one who lives near this development supports it, but the reasons for this are not based on race or religion. This development is surrounded by residential properties and a primary school on three sides then joined to a retail premises on the fourth, all of which have to cope with horrendous traffic and pollution as it is.

Traffic from two hotels, two pubs, a 24 hour gym, a primary school, the Alms houses and a church already pass our doors at all hours of the day and night.

Does anyone really think adding to this with a community building that opens 24 hours, catering for up to 200 people a day together with the attendant traffic will in some way improve the quality of life and air pollution and congestion in this small area of Harrogate?

I also note that of those who support this plan, not one of them lives in the area so would not be affected by it.

Brian Preston, Harrogate

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Influencer post has more channels

Commenting on your council influencer story. Facebook is not the influencer’s primary channel. A two-minute tally of Instagram shows 300 likes for her Harrogate post series (eight posts) and 5,000 video views across two Harrogate/ North Yorks videos.

I’m not suggesting that is good value (at 7p per like or view on insta) or that the council’s mico-influencer strategy is correct, but I normally find the Stray Ferret a lot more accurate and feel that’s really important when reporting on public spending. 

If we slate every penny the council spends, when they really misspend the public’s ears will be closed to it and we only really have the Stray Ferret to shine a light on this matters.

Kate Garrett, Harrogate

Do you have an opinion on the Harrogate district? Email us at letters@thestrayferret.co.uk. Please include your name and approximate location details. Limit your letters to 350 words. We reserve the right to edit letters.