Live: Harrogate district traffic and travel

Good morning, it’s the start of another week! It’s Leah with you this morning to try help prevent any Monday blues due to any traffic and travel disruption. As usual, I’ll be bringing you all the latest traffic news.

The aim of these blogs, brought to you by The HACS Group, is to make sure your journey is as smooth as possible.

I’ll include all the latest roadworks, traffic hotspots and any delays to public transport.

If you spot anything or get stuck in a jam, give me a call on 01423 276197.

9am – Full Update 

That is it from me this morning, Connor will be back with you tomorrow morning with updates every 15 minutes starting from 06.30. Have a lovely day!

Roads 

The roads are starting to look busier this morning, today’s traffic hotspots are likely to show up a little later. Keep checking in.

Traffic is building here:

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

Trains

Buses

8.45am – Full Update 

Roads 

The roads are starting to look busier this morning, today’s traffic hotspots are likely to show up a little later. Keep checking in.

Traffic is building here:

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

Trains

Buses

8.30am – Full Update 

Roads 

The roads are starting to look busier this morning, today’s traffic hotspots are likely to show up a little later. Keep checking in.

Traffic is building here:

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

Trains

Buses

8.15am – Full Update 

Roads 

The roads are starting to look busier this morning, today’s traffic hotspots are likely to show up a little later. Keep checking in.

Traffic is building here:

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

Trains

Buses

8am – Full Update 

Roads 

The roads are starting to look busier this morning, today’s traffic hotspots are likely to show up a little later. Keep checking in.

Traffic is building here:

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

Trains

Buses

7.45am – Full Update 

Roads 

The roads are starting to look busier this morning, today’s traffic hotspots are likely to show up a little later. Keep checking in.

Traffic is building here:

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

Trains

Buses

7.30am – Full Update 

Roads 

The roads are starting to look busier this morning, today’s traffic hotspots are likely to show up a little later. Keep checking in.

Traffic is building here:

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

Trains

Buses

7.15am – Full Update 

Roads 

The roads are looking clear so far this morning, today’s traffic hotspots are likely to show up a little later. Keep checking in.

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

Trains

Buses

7am – Full Update 

Roads 

The roads are looking clear so far this morning, today’s traffic hotspots are likely to show up a little later. Keep checking in.

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

Trains

Buses

6.45am – Full Update 

Roads 

The roads are looking clear so far this morning, today’s traffic hotspots are likely to show up a little later. Keep checking in.

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

Trains

Buses

6.30am – Full Update 

Roads 

The roads are looking clear so far this morning, today’s traffic hotspots are likely to show up a little later. Keep checking in.

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

Trains

Buses

 

Stray Views: Starbeck is worse than Bradford and Birmingham

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. See below for details on how to contribute.

Harrogate is in trouble and needs to wake up

I can only say what I see. I am originally from Birmingham and still have my business there. We lived in Cottingley, near Bradford for 11 years before moving to Starbeck in 2018 to be near our daughter and grandkids.

Since living here, I don’t see any difference between Harrogate, Bradford or Birmingham. In fact, Starbeck is a lot worse. It’s certainly the worst place we have lived in for over 40 years and most of that time was around Birmingham, including Erdington, Longbridge and Bournville — where my business is.

The drug problem here is horrific (like everywhere), and almost everywhere I can smell pot smoking. Harrogate is overcrowded, and the roads into the town are ridiculously busy, as bad as the big cities, mainly due to the poor planning of the town over the decades.

I lived in Redditch in 1989-1990 and Harrogate compares to that time, but probably worse. Prospect Road area is now renowned for drugs, antisocial behaviour, supermarket trolleys everywhere daily, and broken glass and litter strewn everywhere, and if it is cleared up it’s back the same within days.

Harrogate town centre is just like any other which is struggling, and no one is doing anything about it other than seemingly making things worse with wrong decision after wrong decision. Don’t get me wrong, it is still nice, but the spiral is seemingly downwards and it needs radical common sense thinking to turn the town around.

Is Harrogate in decline? It seems it’s been in decline for a long time, and the town needs to wake up because as an outsider if this is my experience of it then the town is already in trouble.

Martin Morris, Starbeck

Harrogate is clean, tidy and beautiful

I read some of the comments about “is Harrogate in decline”? I recently moved to Harrogate after spending over 20 years living and working in Northampton. To me Harrogate is a lovely place to live.

It is clean, tidy, mostly well organised and has beautiful buildings and parklands. The hospitality industry is excellent. I am so happy I moved here and the locals are genuinely so friendly.

A note of caution: I went back recently to Northampton for a few days. They are one of the towns / cities trialling e-scooter hire schemes. They should be avoided at all costs until proper well informed regulations are in place and enforced. Scooter riders are a law unto themselves, riding on pavements with no helmets and multiple riders. They are then just abandoned on pavements until they’re next hired, causing blockages and generally look a mess and tacky.

I hope Harrogate resists such schemes until proper regulations are in place and enforced. You have a lovely town and i am very happy to be part of it now.

Peter Hannon, Harrogate

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Devolution will lead to more waste and incompetence

Any councillors expressing regret over the government’s decision to choose to have a super-council for North Yorkshire should focus instead on their own faults for backing the present arrangements, which have never worked very well anyway.

Now we have a proposed local authority, which will be even more unaccountable to the public and which will only consult on its own terms.

Experience shows that there are no savings with large unitary bodies, only more waste and incompetence in handling larger revenues. You only have to listen to the regular facts uncovered by the TaxPayers’ Alliance and similar to see what we are in for now.

Robert Jenrick, the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, has overruled many public concerns and is going the wrong way here too. It’s up to councillors and MPs to make him realise there are no advantages to Joe Public — only poor control of costs

John Holder, Harrogate

 

Campaigners in Harrogate call for change to ‘unequal’ voting system

Campaigners in Harrogate called for a change to the “unequal” UK voting system yesterday.

Members of the cross-party pressure group Make Votes Matter were at the town’s war memorial handing out leaflets about proportional representation (PR) and speaking to passers-by.

In the 2019 general election, 54% of votes in North Yorkshire went to the Conservative Party yet they hold 7 out of the 8 seats in Parliament. Members of the group believe the political make-up of Westminster and local councils should better reflect the way people vote.

Elections for councillors and MPs in this country currently adopt the first-past-the-post system whereby the candidate in each constituency or ward who gets the most votes wins.

Harrogate resident Graham Dixon would like to see the current system replaced with a version of PR so that “every vote matters”.

Scotland, Wales and London, for example, use a version of PR called mixed-member proportional representation whereby people get two votes: one to choose a representative and another for a party.

Many European countries such as the Netherlands and Spain, operate the party list proportional representation, whereby voters elect a group of MPs, rather than a single person.

Mr Dixon said:

“First-past-the-post polarises society and sets people against each other. It encourage a two-party state.

“Very few seats change hands in the UK, they are cast in stone.”

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The Harrogate and Knaresborough constituency has been held by the Conservative Andrew Jones since 2010. Critics of the current system locally believe it makes a two-horse race between the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats a near-certainty, with Labour and Green voters often forced to vote tactically.

Former Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate for Skipton and Ripon Andrew Murday wants to see first-past-the-post in the bin.

Mr Dixon believes a PR system would mean the electorate wouldn’t have to choose the “least worst option”.

“PR does away with the need for tactical voting and encourages people to vote. Some people don’t bother to vote in Harrogate.

“From the housing mess in Harrogate to cycle lanes, it’s all affected by how people have voted.”

Harrogate Borough Council is set to be abolished to make way for a North Yorkshire mega council in 2023.

Mr Dixon said re-organisation presented an opportunity to bring in PR and enable all voters to have a stronger voice in what is a traditional Conservative heartland.

However, he accepts that the chances of it happening under the current government are unlikely.

Harrogate Christmas market organisers call for urgent talks to save event

The organisers of Harrogate Christmas market have said they were “staggered” by the decision not to grant a licence for this year’s event and called for urgent talks to save it.

Event organisers Brian and Beryl Dunsby, and Steve Scarre, the chairman of Harrogate Christmas Market Ltd, issued a statement this afternoon in the latest development in the saga.

The statement said the organisers had “bent over backwards” to fulfil safety measures and that Harrogate Borough Council had acted prematurely “without any discussion with the organisers over the outstanding issues”.

The council said on Thursday it had refused to grant a licence for the event because the organisers had not addressed concerns about safety and terrorism.

But today’s statement by the organisers said:

“At no point has there been any opportunity to meet the council officers and other key experts to discuss their outstanding concerns.

“We expected to be invited to a safety advisory group meeting to discuss the event plan and the supplementary information but we have not been given that opportunity.

“We have bent over backwards to fulfil all the recommended security and safety measures around the site. In contrast to all their criticisms, we have not had the opportunity to talk about the benefits which the market brings to town centre businesses. These appear not to have been considered by them.”

Mr Dunsby was unaware of the news until he was informed by the Stray Ferret on Thursday night.

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The statement added:

“We regret that the council has acted prematurely in refusing to grant a licence for the market in 2021 without any discussion with the organisers over the outstanding issues.

“We appeal for a proper consultation meeting with the relevant council officers and experts as soon as possible.

A total of 170 traders and 53 coaches had booked to attend the market on Montpellier Hill from November 18 to 21. It was expected to attract 85,000 people to the town, boosting its economy by £2.5 million.

The statement said the event had “strong support from over 20 local trade and voluntary groups based in the town centre”.

‘Little choice but to refuse’

Council leader Richard Cooper said yesterday the event organisers had ignored concerns, leaving the council with “little choice”.

He also warned them “not to think that trying to galvanise public opinion to put pressure on the council will change the decision”.

He said the council had suggested alternative locations to Montpellier Hill for several years but the organisers had refused.

However, today’s statement refers to a council-commissioned 2016 report by consultant Malcolm Veigas that concluded to the Stray was the best location.

The statement said:

“The network of tarmac paths surrounded by grass enables the mix of many visitors and the erection of marquees and canvas stalls on the same site, whatever the weather holds for us all in November. So we do need a large and versatile site.

“We still believe that the totally open nature of this location with free access in all directions provides a safe location for the event whilst being as close as possible to the town centre shops, hotels, restaurants and cafes.

“The action we have already taken to close Montpellier Hill during the Market to through traffic and the hill-top concrete blocks mitigate against the risk of a terrorist attack.

 

 

Harrogate ‘Lego Trail’ launches today

Harrogate landmarks including Betty’s, the Turkish Baths and the Great Yorkshire Showground’s main ring, have been built in Lego form for a new family trail around Harrogate.

Harrogate BID’s Lego Trail launches today and runs until Sunday, August 22. It features ten mini-models located in nine different locations, some created especially for this three-week event.

The models have been made by Fairy Bricks, a charity that donates Lego sets to children’s hospices and hospitals.

Other models include Harrogate Town’s mascot Harry Gator and Hogwart’s School from the Harry Potter books.

The models can be found at the following locations:

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There is also a competition with 500 Lego prizes to be won. To enter, participants need to download the LoyalFree app and ‘check in’ at each venue using the QR code displayed.

The prizes will be collected from Toyland in the Victoria Shopping Centre.

Harrogate BID Manager Chapman Matthew Chapman said:

“With the school summer holidays already here we wanted to create a trail that would really appeal to families.

“With restrictions now lifted, this is one that can be enjoyed by people of all ages, and will be a fun way to spend a few hours visiting different parts of the town.

“As a child I loved Lego, and so do my two sons. And as you will see from these creations Lego can be anything but child’s play. I’m really excited to say that we have commissioned a number of models that will be unique to our trail.

“One of our key remits is to drive footfall into the town centre, and we hope our Lego trail will help us to achieve this.”

Harrogate council leader: ‘Christmas Market organisers refused other locations’

Harrogate Borough Council leader Richard Cooper today insisted that for “several years” HBC tried to persuade the Christmas Market organisers to change its location from Montpellier Hill to elsewhere in the town.

This is despite a 2016 council-commissioned report that categorically concluded the site was the best location for the market in Harrogate.

The Conservative council leader issued a statement this afternoon that explained why the authority decided not to issue an events licence for Montpellier Hill to organiser Brian Dunsby of Yorkshire Business Market, citing concerns over visitor safety.

Cllr Cooper said:

“If we allowed the event organisers to ignore those concerns, licenced them to press ahead and, God forbid, there was an incident of some kind I know exactly what would happen.

“For several years, including this year, we have suggested other locations to the event organiser but these have been refused.”

Alternative sites

In 2016, HBC commissioned Malcolm Veigas Consultancy to review the Christmas Market and its impact on the district since it began in 2012, which included looking at six alternative sites it could move to.

The other sites were Valley Gardens, the Great Yorkshire Showground, Victoria Road, Cambridge Road/Oxford Street, the top of Montpellier and Dragon Road Car Park.

However, the report said the current site was the only location to receive a tick for all six requirements which included access, quiet enjoyment and “good atmospheric opportunities”.

The safety of visitors was not one of the considerations of the report’s authors when comparing the six sites with its current location.

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The report says:

“It is clear that YBM have a good understanding of how to manage and deliver an outdoor event and that they have chosen the best location in Harrogate Town Centre.”

It concluded:

“The review confirms that the Stray is the best location for events in the town and as such should continue to be used as the location for the Christmas event.”

The report was presented to HBC cabinet members in September 2016 and its recommendation to reject the alternative sites was voted by all senior HBC cabinet members, including Cllr Cooper.

“Breakdown in communications”

In his statement today, Cllr Cooper also accused organisers of trying to “galvanise public opinion” in an attempt to get the council to change its mind.

He added:

“A number of people have asked; ‘why haven’t we worked with the event organiser to allow it to continue?’ I can assure you, we have. We have had ongoing conversations to encourage them to address the concerns over a number of years, and we recognise that progress has been made.

“However, significant concerns remain and as the event organiser isn’t willing to address these, then we simply cannot grant a licence for this location.”

The 2016 report suggests ill-feeling has lingered between HBC and organisers for some time.

It refers to a “breakdown in communications” during the early years of the market which led to “mistrust on both sides”.

It appears history has repeated itself as Mr Dunsby was first made aware that HBC would not be issuing a licence when he was told by a Stray Ferret journalist yesterday evening.

Mr Dunsby said Montpellier Hill was the only suitable location for the market and told the Stray Ferret that he was “disgusted” by the council’s decision. He said he plans to appeal it.

The future of the market

It’s unclear what the future of the Christmas Market is at this stage.

Tonight Harrogate BID manager Matthew Chapman said the organisation is “open and willing” to work with all parties to ensure it happens “for the good of the town”.

Mr Chapman said:

“This news will be bitterly disappointing to the organisers who have done a fantastic job over the last nine years, firmly putting Harrogate Christmas Market on the festive shopping map.

“The pressing matter now is to ensure a Christmas Market can still proceed, particularly as 170 stallholders and scores coach companies are already signed up to it. However, safety must always come first, and I hope a new location, within the town centre, can be found quickly.

“The last thing we, and town centre retailers, want is to miss out on the opportunity of welcoming tens-of-thousands of visitors to the town for a day’s shopping, and the economic benefit this event ultimately brings.

“We, as an organisation, are open and willing to work in collaboration with all parties to ensure this event happens for the good of the town, and for the many businesses who are relying on a bumper four days of trade to help offset some of their losses brought about by three national covid lockdowns.”

Police say be vigilant as scammers flag down motorists on A59 for money

North Yorkshire Police has issued a warning after receiving a rising number of reports of scammers attempting to flag down motorists asking for money to fix their car.

The police said it received at least seven reports in the past two days in the Harrogate, Scarborough and Ryedale areas.

The force said suspect’s descriptions range from Asian, Portuguese and Eastern European men driving a silver Volkswagen or a dark-coloured Fiat.

In one incident on the A59 near Harrogate yesterday two men in separate lay-bys were seen trying to flag down motorists. One was described as a smartly dressed Asian man with a silver Passat and the other as European with a dark-coloured Fiat.

Soon after, another man managed to flag down a car on the A61 near Ripley. He was descried as Romanian and was then joined by two other men asking for money after breaking down.

Throughout the evening and into this morning similar reports were received in the Scarborough and Kirbymoorside area.

In one of those incidents the suspect wanted to take motorists to a cash machine to withdraw money and in others children were in the suspect vehicles.

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The police said most motorists realised it was a scam and drove away without giving any money.

The police has urged the public not to give money to anyone on the side of the road and be vigilant against anyone trying to flag down cars.

To report any information, call 101.

Crime commissioner pledges extra police for Harrogate’s Mayfield Grove

The North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner has pledged to push for increased policing in the Mayfield Grove area of Harrogate.

Philip Allott visited the area yesterday to hear concerns about crime and anti-social behaviour on Mayfield Grove and nearby streets, such as Mayfield Terrace and Nydd Vale Terrace.

He was invited by Paul Ivison, who has set up a residents group for people worried about drug dealing, car crime, speeding and anti-social behaviour, particularly in some houses in multiple occupation let by landlords, .

Mr Allott said:

“I will ask the police to step up neighbourhood policing in this area. I will ask them to target the drug dealers and make it hard for the supply chain to operate.”

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He also urged Harrogate Borough Council to take a tougher line against landlords that didn’t do enough to prevent crime and anti-social behaviour on their premises.

“The council possibly needs to be a little more active and realise this is a serious issue. I don’t think the district council has quite latched on to that.

“I will be asking Harrogate Borough Council to be more proactive and serve further closure notices against landlords where relevant.”

North Yorkshire Police and Harrogate Borough Council issued a three-month closure order on 38 Mayfield Grove in March. The two organisations can apply to a court for a closure order if they have concerns about antisocial behaviour and criminal behaviour on premises.

‘Abused by beggars’

Mr Ivison told the commissioner many town centre street beggars stayed in bedsits in the area and said the police should issue more Public Spaces Protection Orders to prevent begging in town, as many of those doing it weren’t genuine rough sleepers, were taking advantage of people and making a mess.

Mr Allott agreed the “town centre was being abused by beggars” who took advantage of “kindly, well disposed people who think they are helping”, adding:

“It’s patently clear a lot of these characters in the town centre are not what they present themselves to be.

“But I do recognise that there are a minority of people who through no fault of their own find themselves in a destitute position.”

Mr Allott said he supported the use of Public Spaces Protection Orders “where it is proportionate and necessary but not as a blanket measure”.

Owner of Harrogate Hand Carwash jailed for modern slavery offences

The owner of a Harrogate car wash has been jailed for the mistreatment and exploitation of workers who travelled to the UK from their native Romania in search of better lives.

Defrim Paci is sole director of Harrogate Hand Carwash on Sykes Grove, but his crimes were committed against workers at a Carlisle car wash.

Paci and Sitar Ali were jailed for modern slavery crimes by a judge who heard of the harrowing impact their offending had on four men who helped bring the pair to justice after a painstaking multi-agency investigation.

Paci the ringleader

Carlisle Crown Court was told Paci, who has four children, led a criminal plot to exploit employees who were left exhausted having been forced to work long hours in poor conditions for less than the minimum wage at Shiny on Warwick Road in Carlisle. They were also housed in filthy city accommodation.

Some victims were left with only £20 left in weekly pay packet despite working 11 hours a day, six days a week as their freedom, according to the prosecution, was “effectively over-ridden”. Wage slips overstated pay and understated the working hours of workers left with sore feet, cracked hands and exhausted.

Documents found in Paci’s possession and phone evidence revealed Paci’s ongoing interest in the car wash despite his denials.

Meanwhile Ali ‪managed the Shiny site, denying the men proper breaks and days off. Some spoke of the skin on their being “burned” by “toxic” cleaning chemicals, and of receiving no protective clothing. One worker recalled buying cheap gloves from Tesco to protect his hands.

Despite their firm denials, Paci, of Windmill Close, Sutton-in-Ashfield, and Ali, of Adelaide Street, Carlisle, were each convicted of two modern slavery crimes committed over a 15-month period during 2016 and 2017. Ali was also found guilty of possessing criminal property after £16,000 was found in his car after police began making arrests during their criminal investigation.

The four Romanian victims, who can’t be identified for legal reasons, were aged 49, 34, 32 and 21. 

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Victims humiliated and exploited

One victim said in an impact statement as he described being “humiliated”:

“The experience I went through while working at the car wash in Carlisle caused me to lose all trust in humans.

“I was treated like a piece of garbage by those running the place and this caused me extreme stress there and long-term anxiety afterwards.”

Another said the ordeal was “the most horrible experience I have been through in my entire life”.

He said:

“It is a terrible injustice for a human being to take advantage of another human by exploiting them.

“It fills me with anger when I think back to what I went through.”

A third added:

“The inhumane manner in which Sitar and Defrim treated those that worked for them will forever stay with me and has caused me to lose trust in people.”

The court heard Paci was a committed family man but Judge Nicholas Barker told him of the crimes: “I am satisfied you did benefit significantly from this operation.”

Paci was jailed for 45 months and Ali for 39 months by Judge Barker, who stressed it was necessary for “deterrent ambits” within the sentence to show such offending “will not be tolerated by the courts”.

Judge Barker told Ali:

“I am satisfied upon the evidence you worked in partnership with Defrim Paci. Although you each performed different roles, you did so at equal levels within her organisation.

“You realised that by reducing the cost of labour it would significantly increase your profits.”

He told both men:

“It was the circumstances in which workers found themselves, designed by you, which rendered them vulnerable and helpless.”

Harrogate social distancing planters find a happy home in Starbeck

Six of Harrogate’s social distancing planters now have pride of place on Starbeck High Street.

Andrew Hart, who owns the local post office and recently set up Starbeck Community Group, made a bid to Harrogate Borough Council to take them to Starbeck which was accepted.

After receiving a pavement licence from North Yorkshire County Council, the wooden boxes were delivered to Starbeck yesterday.

They now sit in front of the abandoned former McColl’s building, which was burnt out in a fire three years ago. Planters have also been placed in front of St Andrew’s Church.

Mr Hart paid £40 per planter for HBC to put fresh plants in them.

The planters were removed from James Street and Albert Street last week. They were both loved and loathed and came to symbolise the debate that surrounded not just covid but the high street economy, parking and pedestrianisation.

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The council bought them after receiving £144,411 from the European Regional Development Fund to boost high streets during the covid pandemic.

A condition of taking the planters is they have to retain ERDF branding, and Mr Hart said the council will be sending over the logos soon. They must be returned to HBC in March 2022.

Mr Hart said:

“I would like to thank North Yorkshire County Council and Harrogate Borough Council for their magnificent support in this project.”