‘Heartbreaking’ figures reveal 5,700 children in Harrogate district live in poverty

A report has revealed the extent families across the Harrogate district are facing hardship, where 5,725 children are living in poverty.

The national campaign group End Child Poverty and researchers from Loughborough University have produced the report which is based on figures from 2019/20 before the pandemic hit.

It uses government statistics to calculate the number of children who live in a household where income is 60% below the median household income of £29,900.

For a family of one adult and two children, this would leave them with £280 a week after housing costs.

According to the report, of all the children in the Harrogate district, 20.1% are considered to live in poverty – below the UK average of 31%.

The group is calling on the government to create a “credible plan” to end child poverty which it said must include a commitment to increase child benefits.

Scarily high

While Harrogate has the lowest child poverty percentage in Yorkshire, the figure still represents over one-fifth of all children living here.

Ruth Jackman is a volunteer for The Village in Harrogate which works to alleviate material poverty among families with small children

She said 5,725 children is a “heartbreaking” and “scarily high” figure.

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Ms Jackman said child poverty is often a hidden problem in the area with some women scared or embarrassed to come forward to ask for help.

She said:

“Harrogate comes across as very middle class and wealthy, but there are extremes on both sides.

“In some ways Harrogate is tougher place not to have money. Some people have a sense of shame or embarrasment. It must be incredibly hard.”

Ms Jackman added many young mums who have contacted The Village have particularly struggled during the covid pandemic. She said it’s been harder to find jobs which in turn has made it harder to pay housing costs or bills.

Families in need

The government measures child poverty differently and said over the last 10 years, child poverty fell from 28% (3.7 million) to 25% (3.5 million).

A spokesperson said:

“Latest figures show that the number of children in absolute poverty has fallen by 300,000 since 2010.

“We are committed to supporting families most in need, spending billions more on welfare and planning a long-term route out of poverty by protecting jobs through furlough and helping people find new work through our Plan for Jobs.

“We also introduced our £269 million Covid Local Support Grant to help children and families stay warm and well-fed throughout the pandemic.”

Safety fears over Nab Bridge near Harrogate

Temporary two-way traffic lights on Nab Bridge on the A658 Harrogate Road could be in place for some time yet due to safety fears.

North Yorkshire County Council and Network Rail are currently working out how best to protect the bridge barrier that has been hit nine times in the last 18 months.

They both have concerns about debris falling onto the railway tracks below.

40mph speed signs were placed on moveable frames by the side of the road but they were stolen so NYCC said it is now waiting to erect the speed signs on steel posts concreted into the ground.

It has also commissioned consultants to look at the best long-term solution for the bridge.

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Melisa Burnham, North Yorkshire County Council area highways manager said:

“Temporary two way traffic lights are currently in place until a temporary 40mph can be introduced.

“The speed signs, and then the traffic lights, were introduced as a necessary safety measure to slow vehicles down in order to repair the vehicle restraint barrier (VRS) protecting Nab Bridge.

“Although the barrier and a blocked gully from recent flooding have both been repaired, there has been no further damage to the barrier since the lights have been in place.

“Clearly we have to make sure safety is a priority as we cannot allow the risk of vehicles breaching the VRS and falling onto the main railway line below. Network Rail has placed additional concrete blocks on their land to supplement the VRS barrier. We are now working with Network Rail to find a better long term solution at this location.

“We have commissioned our consultants to look at preliminary designs and costings for safety improvements. We are also in consultation with local residents, including the Nab Bridge riding school about any potential improvements.”

Take two: Harrogate venue set to restart concerts

A Harrogate venue is set to restart live music performances once again after the last planned restart was curtailed by the second national coronavirus lockdown.

The Wesley Centre, on Oxford Street, is due to host its first concert in more than a year when pianist Clare Hammond plays on June 7 at 1pm.

As the church has opened up the ground floor for the Harrogate Homeless Project’s Springboard service, the concert will be held on the upper floor.

It means that the capacity of the concert is much lower, especially with social distancing. There are only around 70 tickets on sale for this event rather than the usual 240.

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Organisers have said that, due to social distancing, tickets will cost £10. Reserve a ticket by calling Andrew Hitchen on 01423 883618 or send an email here.

Mark Bebbington is also due to hold a lunctime recital on July 5 at 1pm. There are also plans for two further concerts on June 21 and July 19, details of which will be released soon.

Peter Hirschmann told the Stray Ferret:

“We had a concert planned last November but then there was another lockdown so we had to cancel. So we are very keen to get this organised.

“There is an audience there who are desperate to go to concerts again.

“The sooner we get back to no restrictions the better. Financially it’s a considerable contraint on our activities.

“However, our patrons The Liz and Terry Bramall Foundation have been very supportive.”

Harrogate hospital will not reopen walk-in service for hearing aid clinic

Harrogate District Hospital will not reopen its hearing aid repair clinic as a walk-in service despite the easing of coronavirus restrictions.

The clinic closed its doors to become a postal-only service early on in the pandemic, a move which has now become permanent.

Hospital bosses said the change had been well received by patients.

If the audiology team is unable to resolve a problem remotely then they will offer a short repair appointment. The team will not be able to help anyone without an appointment.

Anyone who needs a repair or new equipment should call 01423 553320 or send the team an email.

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This postal-only service has been in place for many years in Ripon, York and Scarborough. It brings Harrogate into line with the wider service.

Christine Brindle, the lead audiologist at the hospital, said:

“We’ve chosen to move in line with our wider service across the county and switch to a postal service first and foremost.

“This helps reduce the number of people coming into the hospital who don’t have to. It also means patients don’t have to make the journey to come in.

“Before the pandemic we’d often see queues of 30 to 40 people, which isn’t now appropriate. This change has actually been well-received by the majority of patients.”

Mobile testing site opens in Harrogate car park for first time

A mobile testing site has opened in Harrogate today for the first time and is set to be there three days a week “until further notice”.

NHS test and trace staff set up the site this morning at West Park car park on Tower Street.

The car park will close on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday each week for testing.

It comes as workers continue to dismantle the permanent testing centre in the Dragon Road car park near Asda, which closed on Sunday (May 23).

Health officials announced in March that the Dragon Road site would close as the Harrogate Convention Centre. The centre said it needs the space for parking.

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The move from a permanent centre to a mobile unit is a further sign that the emergency response to the pandemic is scaling back.

Matthew Robinson, head of resilience and emergencies at North Yorkshire County Council, said:

“The advantages of mobile testing sites is that we can flex and strengthen as we go.

“If cases are increasing in a particular area we will continue to provide more frequent testing in that location.”

The site at the Dragon Road car park is now closed.

This follows news that the vaccination centres in Harrogate and Ripon will also close in August.

Local pharmacy sites in Knaresborough and Pateley Bridge will play a larger part in the vaccine roll out.

For more information on testing go to www.northyorks.gov.uk/book-coronavirus-covid-19-test-if-youve-got-symptoms

Harrogate taxi firm refusing to pay £25,000 for unfair dismissal

In June 2020, Tracey Lee won an employment tribunal against Airline Taxis after they sacked her in January of last year.

But she has given up hope of ever receiving the £25,501 a judge ordered the company to pay her.

Almost a year on from the tribunal she is yet to receive a penny from the taxi firm and described the “horrible” process of trying to get her money back through the courts.

She said the system is stacked against individuals who have been unfairly dismissed.

The tribunal

Ms Lee worked on the phones for the taxi company, which is based on East Parade on Harrogate, on and off for around three years.

She said the work environment soured due to a change in management and, following a disagreement, she was sacked.

She challenged the decision in an employment tribunal in June 2020, where she was successful.

Airline Taxis failed to turn up to the hearing, but the judge ordered the company to pay Ms Lee £25,501, which included loss of earnings.

She said:

“The way they treated me was diabolical. It’s not fair what they did.”

Money struggles

In July 2020, Ms Lee went to Huddersfield County Court to try and obtain a court order to get her money back.

The court ordered bailiffs to try and recover the money from Airline Taxis. However, they have tried and failed to reclaim money or assets from the company on two separate occasions, the latest being in March 2021.

In an email sent to Ms Lee, the bailiffs said: “As suspected, there has not been a good outcome to your file” as “there was nothing to levy upon or apply pressure”.

This is because the company has no assets, including its taxis. They are instead in the name of its sole director Mohammed Suleman.

Ms Lee said she was even advised by a solicitor to “not waste any more money” on the case. She is now resigned to not seeing any of the money she is owed.

She said in the months following her dismissal, she struggled to find a new job and went into rent arrears.

“I had to sign on, it was horrible”.

Ms Lee has since found another job in Harrogate but is angry that the company has been able to avoid paying her the money, despite the employment tribunal, county court ruling and visits from bailiffs.

She added:

“The sting in the tail is that they are still trading. It’s disgusting. They are driving around like they don’t have a care in the world.”

The Stray Ferret asked Airline Taxis to respond but we did not receive a reply.

Live: Harrogate traffic and travel

Good morning and happy Monday. It’s Leah here this morning with 15-minute updates on the road and rail links near you.

There are a number of continuing temporary traffic lights this morning worth keeping an eye on.

These blogs, brought to you by The HACS Group, are to keep you updated as the district’s roads get busier.

If you see anything please get in touch, if it is safe to do so, on 01423 276197 or via social media.

9am – Full Update 

That is it from me this morning! Connor will be back with you tomorrow from 6:30am with updates every 15 minutes. Have a lovely day!

Roads

Traffic is starting to build in the Harrogate and Knaresborough town centres. Keep checking in for today’s traffic hotspots.

Traffic Hotspots:

Traffic is building in these areas:

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

Trains

Buses

8.45am – Full Update 

Roads

Traffic is starting to build in the Harrogate and Knaresborough town centres. Keep checking in for today’s traffic hotspots.

Traffic Hotspots:

Traffic is building in these areas:

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

Trains

Buses

 

8.30am – Full Update 

Roads

Traffic is starting to build in the Harrogate and Knaresborough town centres. Keep checking in for today’s traffic hotspots.

Traffic Hotspots:

Traffic is building in these areas:

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

Trains

Buses

 

8.15am – Full Update 

Roads

Traffic is starting to build in the Harrogate and Knaresborough town centres. Keep checking in for today’s traffic hotspots.

Traffic Hotspots:

Traffic is building in these areas:

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

Trains

Buses

 

8am – Full Update 

Roads

Traffic is starting to build in the Harrogate and Knaresborough town centres. Keep checking in for today’s traffic hotspots.

Traffic Hotspots:

Traffic is building in these areas:

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

Trains

Buses

 

7.45am – Full Update 

Roads

Traffic is starting to build in the Harrogate and Knaresborough town centres. Keep checking in for today’s traffic hotspots.

Traffic is building in these areas:

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

Trains

Buses

 

7.30am – Full Update 

Roads

Traffic is starting to build in the Harrogate and Knaresborough town centres. Keep checking in for today’s traffic hotspots.

Traffic is building in these areas:

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

Trains

Buses

 

7.15am – Full Update 

Roads

The roads are looking ok so far this morning, keep checking in for today’s traffic hotspots.

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

Trains

Buses

 

7am – Full Update 

Roads

The roads are looking ok so far this morning, keep checking in for today’s traffic hotspots.

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

Trains

Buses

 

6.45am – Full Update 

Roads

The roads are looking ok so far this morning, keep checking in for today’s traffic hotspots.

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

Trains

Buses

 

6.30am – Full Update 

Roads

The roads are looking ok so far this morning, keep checking in for today’s traffic hotspots.

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

Trains

Buses

 

Harrogate Clothes Bank needs help to save it from homelessness

A Harrogate charity is in need of new premises to continue supporting struggling families across the town.

The Harrogate Clothes Bank offers free clothing to those in need and is currently based at McCarthy’s Storage World on Ripon Road.

The charity’s home is being let out from August so it is on the hunt for a unit of between 1,000 to 1,500 square feet it can use for free, or somewhere it can rent for well below market price.

The clothes bank is run entirely by volunteers and was set up in 2016. Families in Harrogate who find themselves in financial difficulty can get in touch with the charity on Facebook and let it know what they need.

Before the pandemic the charity was supporting 60 to 70 families each month but it says since April this has dropped to 30 to 35 families. It said this is because organisations that handle referrals could be unaware it is running fully again.

The charity expects numbers to rise again in coming months.

Co-ordinator Mike Procter said:

“There are many reasons why people may need our help, it could be due to long-term financial issues or a crisis situation causing critical need such as escaping an abusive relationship.

“We will continue to help as many people as we can.”

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The charity has said location is important. Ideally it would be based on Knaresborough Road around Starbeck or Ripon Road near Jennyfield.

Mr Procter added that if no location was found the clothes bank would have to work out of several smaller spaces and offer a delivery service.

This would mean people’s options would be vastly reduced as they would be unable to come in and choose their clothes.

It is currently in need of summer clothing donations for children and adults.

The centre is open on Saturdays between 10.30am to 12.30pm for donation drop-offs and pick-ups. It is holding a pop-up clothing sale at St Mark’s Church, Harrogate, on Sunday to raise funds.

Harrogate Clothes Bank works closely with other charities including The Village, which offers free baby clothing in Harrogate. The charity shares its space with the Canaan Trust that provides free white goods and furniture.

Another partner is Resurrected Bites in Knaresborough, which makes meals out of food headed for landfill.

Stray Views: Noisy cars are a blight on Harrogate life

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.

Time for a Harrogate museum?

Having read some articles by Harrogate historian Malcolm Neeson, recently published by the Stray Ferret, I was reflecting on how many historical exhibits there must be in and around Harrogate, which are in storage possibly.

As the town centre is now changing following the pandemic, there are lots of empty properties available.

Could now be the time for Harrogate to celebrate its history by creating a museum? This might complement the excellent Royal Pump Room Museum and enhance the historic walks in Harrogate in the future.

Jane Malster, Harrogate

Vaccinated people should not have to pay for covid tests when we go abroad

I can not get my head around the fact we have had second covid injections but when we go on holiday we have to pay for a test.

We have to pay nearly £100 to test before we go into a country and the same amount again when we come back. Now we have had second injections we still have to wear masks and test. It’s puzzling a lot of people. I thought the vaccine would be the end of it.

If it isn’t, why put everyone through the injection? Fully vaccinated people should not have to pay to do a test. It’s wrong and costs a lot of money, especially if there are a few adults in the family.

Diana Pollitt, Harrogate

Noisy car exhausts blight Harrogate life

We have recently moved to Harrogate from the south to live and really like it here.
We live in the Granby area near the Skipton Road and there is one aspect of the traffic that troubles us and that is cars that have very noisy exhausts, which I assume have been modified.
They accelerate up to or after the traffic lights and presumably carry on like this wherever there is a stretch of open road around Harrogate.
They are a blight on this beautiful town; both the loud noise and associated extra pollution they cause when they accelerate.
Is it legal for these vehicles to have this capacity to make this extra loud noise? I know some cities in Europe are addressing this problem with noise detectors that work similar to speed cameras.
Linda Loy, Harrogate

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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.

 

Explainer: How the Harrogate Station Gateway survey paves the way for major change

The long-awaited results of a public survey have paved the way for the next stages of the £7.9m Gateway project – but how exactly did Harrogate vote?

North Yorkshire County Council has this week revealed the consultation results which will form the basis of the next stages of the project including the drawing up of detailed designs and a business plan.

But with controversial changes on the table including pedestrianisation and the removal of traffic lanes and car parking spaces – what proportion of residents are actually backing the plans?

Here are the numbers:

Out of 1,101 respondents to the survey held in February and March, 45% voted in favour of fully pedestrianising James Street, while 32% said no changes should be made and 17% backed a partial pedestrianisation.

The remaining 6% of respondents gave no preference for the street.

These results suggest a majority of residents (62%) support pedestrianisation of some sort – whether full or partial – in what marks a major step forward for the idea which has been mooted for years.

For Station Parade, 49% favoured an option to reduce traffic to one lane, while 27% said it should stay as two lanes and 24% said neither option was workable.

Residents were also asked if they felt positive, negative, neutral or didn’t have an opinion on other parts of the project. Here is how they voted:

– Cycle lanes for East Parade (58% positive, 29.3% negative, 12.2% neutral and 0.5% didn’t know)
– Improvements to public spaces at One Arch (70.9% positive, 13% negative, 14.3% neutral and 1.8% didn’t know)
– Improvements to public spaces at Station Square (59.5% positive, 31.2% negative, 8.9% neutral and 0.4% didn’t know)

What is the aim of the Gateway project?

The project is being backed by the Department for Transport’s Transforming Cities Fund which aims to make it easier, safer and quicker for people to travel on foot, by bike or on public transport by improving connections in town and city centres.

In Harrogate, the aim is to give greater priority to these modes of transport with better connections to the train station, bus station and other key parts of the town.

It is also hoped these changes will result in a reduction in carbon emissions from fewer cars on the road, as well as boost to the economy with shoppers spending more time in the town centre.

There are, however, questions over what impact the removal of traffic lanes and car parking spaces will have on business and the roads.

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What are the concerns?

The worry from some residents and businesses is that the removal of parking spaces and traffic lanes will mean busier roads and fewer shoppers.

In a joint statement released this week, Harrogate BID, Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce and Independent Harrogate said they were “disappointed that our collective voices have not been listened to” and that they felt what was being proposed would have a “hugely damaging effect” on trade.

They said: “Despite many feeling the outcome is already a done deal, we will continue our dialogue with local councillors and officers, as the final outcome will change the face of Harrogate town centre forever.”

On the flip side, transport officials at North Yorkshire County Council say case study evidence suggests that improvements to public spaces can boost footfall and trading by up to 40%.

They said in a report: “It is often assumed that more parking is the answer to struggling high streets.

“However across Europe, studies have linked the quality of public spaces to people’s perceptions of attractiveness of an area, contributing towards their quality of life and influencing where they shop.”

“Evaluations of pedestrian improvements in Coventry and Bristol show a 25% increase in footfall on Saturdays and predict £1.4million benefits respectively.”

What will the impact be?

The report published earlier this week also concluded that in a “worst case scenario” reducing Station Parade to one lane would increase average journey times by 53 seconds or 1 minute 14 seconds with James Street fully pedestrianised also.

It added the partial or full pedestrianisation of James Street would result in the loss of 45 out of 915 on-street pay and display spaces currently in operation across the town centre.

Currently, at peak occupancy, it is estimated there are 120 on-street spaces unused.

A separate report published by consultants WSP concluded in another “worst case scenario” estimate that the project could result in increased carbon emissions from diverted vehicles having to make longer journeys.

It added, however, that the “transformational change” from the scheme has the potential to “unlock further behavioural change” with more motorists choosing to travel by foot or bike instead of car.

The magnitude of the possible increase in emissions – around 1,400 tons of CO2 over 60 years – was also said to be “unlikely to be considered significant in the context of regional and national emissions targets”.

What do the politicians say?

Harrogate Borough Council has worked closely with the county council on the Gateway project. The authority’s cabinet member for carbon reduction and sustainability, councillor Phil Ireland, said earlier this week that the survey results were a positive step forward and set Harrogate on path for a “21st century travel network”.

He said: “It’s positive to see that the proposals for sustainable alternatives to the car, and an improved and exciting public realm, have significant support from residents, businesses and visitors alike.

“The benefit of carrying out a consultation early on in the process is that we have everybody’s feedback and ideas to feed into the next phase of detailed design work.

Meanwhile, councillor Don Mackenzie, the county council’s executive member for access and transport, said the next steps of the project would take into account the feedback which had been received.

He said: “We are grateful to everyone across each of the towns who took the time to share their views in the consultation. We have listened.

“The next steps we are considering take into account the feedback we have received. They take account of concerns raised while providing significant benefits to facilitate and encourage people to cycle and walk.

“There will, of course, be further consultation on detailed proposals before final decisions are taken.”

What’s next?

Under the next stages of the project, county councillors will be asked to progress the plans at an executive meeting on Tuesday (25 May). Further public consultation will then take place in autumn following the development of detailed designs and a business case.

Subject to a final approval, the aim is for construction to begin by summer 2022 with completion in 2023.