Harrogate Borough Council has apologised this afternoon for not doing a better job explaining its decision to put fake grass  in the town centre.

The statement, which can be read in full below, outlines the council’s reasons for choosing to install plastic grass.

It also reveals the council will place planters with flowers on top of the plastic grass — something it has already begun to do.

Early today campaigners from Extinction Rebellion Harrogate removed fake grass from one of the raised beds in Harrogate’s Cambridge Street, and replaced it with plants in protest at the council’s use of plastic.

The council statement says that although it recognises Extinction Rebellion’s reasons for its action, it would have preferred the group to speak to the council first.

It goes on to explain that the current installation is a trial, and will be removed if it turns out not to “make the town look better and bring more plants into the town centre”.

The statement adds the council has plans to plant trees on three sites totalling 17 hectares.

It says:

“We haven’t explained this well and we are sorry about that. We concentrated too much on getting the trial in place and not enough time explaining the totality of what we were doing.”

Read more:

• Extinction Rebellion replaces fake grass with flowers in Harrogate
• Huge backlash against ‘cheap and tacky’ fake grass

A spokesperson for Extinction Rebellion Harrogate explained why it engaged in direct action this morning:

“We felt really shocked and disappointed and just a bit baffled by the fact that plastic grass had been put down in the first place, we’ve all spoken to lots of people, locals and visitors, and they all say it looks hideous.”

She denied the group had committed any legal offences, saying it had not damaged the plastic grass and will return it to the council in due course.

Asked about the council’s statement, she said it was more interested in aesthetic issues than environmental ones:

“What about the micro-plastics that are going to be layered on the soil? All you have to do is to plant plants that are shade loving, they’re ones that members grow themselves. Why bring plastic into the equation?”

“We don’t want Harrogate to be this plastic town and the council seems to be sending out such a strong message that neat and tidy is much better than biodiversity.”

Extinction Rebellion Harrogate removed the fake grass and planted flowers this morning.

Here is the council’s statement in full:

“While we recognise Extinction Rebellion Harrogate’s reasons for removing the artificial grass and installing plants, we would have preferred them speaking to us first so that we could have explained the full scheme and how it enables even more plants right into our town centre.

“Traditionally, we’ve put plants in the beds beneath the trees, but these rarely last very long because the trees soak up all the moisture and nutrients in the soil, leading to the plants looking rather sorry for themselves.

“Inevitably, this means the beds end up being visually dull and nothing more than a magnet for cigarette butts, empty coffee cups and fast-food takeaway packaging. They look a mess and prompt almost as many complaints as we’ve had about the artificial grass.

“The artificial grass is a base for planters that will sit on top of the beds.

“These planters – that have already started to be installed – will have their own water source, separate from the tree roots, so that the bedding plants can thrive on their own. This will result in a vibrant display of colour all year round. Using the artificial grass as a base means we can have more and more plants in our town centre and make the area more attractive.

“We’ve been asked why we didn’t put down stone or bark. We ruled this out because, regrettably, it will be most likely end up being used as an ashtray or messed-up because it is loose. Surfacing with stone, or something more substantial, would also compromise the tree root system.

“This is just a trial though. If, when the beds are fully installed, they don’t make the town look better and bring more plants into the town centre then we will remove them and try something else.

“We share the passion people have for Harrogate’s award winning floral displays and is something we will continue to support.

“We are also have further plans to reduce carbon emissions having recently identified three new council-owned sites, covering some 17 hectares, for new tree planting schemes.

“We haven’t explained this well and we are sorry about that. We concentrated too much on getting the trial in place and not enough time explaining the totality of what we were doing.”

Slug and Lettuce has closed its Harrogate branch permanently.

The chain pub, famous for its cocktails and food menu, has occupied the Montpellier Building on Montpellier Parade for nearly 30 years.

However, it will not reopen with other pubs and restaurants next week on May 17 under the latest easing of lockdown restrictions.

Read more:

• Extinction Rebellion replaces fake grass with flowers in Harrogate
• Accessibility for all becomes top priority for Harrogate shops

Today there is no movement at the Harrogate pub and all traces of it have been wiped off the internet.

Slug and Lettuce no longer includes the branch on its list and the pub has deleted its Harrogate Facebook page.

The Stonegate Group, which also owns Yates and Walkabout, revealed the closure. A spokesperson said:

“We can confirm the closure of Slug and Lettuce in Harrogate and the building has been returned to the landlord.”

Councils across the country can restrict reports on committee agendas, if they feel it would adversely affect the financial affairs of a business or person.

Report writers have discussions with the legal service at a council to decide which information should be kept out of the public eye.

The authors of the report may be challenged on why information should be exempt before it goes to committee.

A decision as to whether to restrict information is down to council officers and their interpretation of the reports.

The authority must make clear on the public agenda why a report is restricted by quoting the relevant paragraph of the Local Government Act.

Read more:

• Harrogate council U-turn reveals Flaxby legal costs
• Harrogate Borough Council accused of ‘behaving like a secret state’

For example, paragraph three relates to commercial grounds and paragraph one is information relating to a specific person.

However, exactly how they arrive at that decision is not revealed to taxpayers and can lead to the press or members of the public using the Freedom of Information Act to try to force councils to release the information.

Freedom of Information Act

The Freedom of Information Act was introduced in 2005 to make government more open with the public.

Its sole purpose was based around peoples’ right to know what public bodies were doing with their money and to make institutions like councils more accountable.

How does the act work?

Anyone can submit a request for information to a public body, such as Harrogate Borough Council, under the freedom of information act.

The council must then respond to that request within 20 working days.

When someone requests information, there is a presumption in favour of the council disclosing information under the act.

This is because the principle behind the legislation is that people have a right to know about the activities of public authorities, unless there is good reason for them not to.

The council must justify under what exemption it refuses information and why.

For example, it can refuse a request on the grounds of commercial confidentiality under section 43 of the act.

But it must show that it factored in the presumption of disclosure into its reasons for refusal.

Guidance from the Information Commissioner’s Office says:

“The main principle behind freedom of information legislation is that people have a right to know about the activities of public authorities, unless there is a good reason for them not to.

“This is sometimes described as a presumption or assumption in favour of disclosure.”

If the council does refuse a request and the person submitting the request is not satisfied, they can ask for an internal review.

The review is carried out by a senior officer who was not involved in the initial freedom of information request.

The council reviews its original decision and decides whether it feels the information should be disclosed.

If it decided not to hand over the information after the review, the person can take the matter further to the Information Commissioner.

Environmental campaigners have removed fake grass from one of the raised beds in Harrogate’s Cambridge Street, and replaced it with plants.

Extinction Rebellion Harrogate claimed responsibility for the action in a sign posted on the bed reading, ‘Grow plants not plastic’.

The group also posted a poem on the bed titled ‘We Did This’. It reads:

“Just ordinary people

Made this ordinary stand”

The poem goes on to explain what they have done with the plastic grass:

“We haven’t stolen it

You get your plastic back

We have rolled it up and tied it

And put it in a sack”

Read more:

• Huge backlash against ‘cheap and tacky’ fake grass
• Turf wars: Harrogate council spent £800 on fake grass

It is not known precisely when the group performed the stunt, although it is thought to have taken place last night or early this morning.

The controversial plastic grass first appeared last weekend, and has been widely condemned. Criticisms included the lack of aesthetic appeal and the anti-ecological nature of using plastic grass instead of real plants.

The Stray Ferret has approached Extinction Rebellion and Harrogate Borough Council, which installed the fake grass, for comment.

A number of Harrogate shop keepers have called in a local charity to help them become more accessible for disabled customers.

Disability Action Yorkshire is working with some retailers on Commercial Street in a move that it is hoped will also make them more profitable.

The spending power of disabled people and their families, known as the purple pound, is estimated to be worth £249 billion and increasing each year.

Josh McCormack, Disability Action Yorkshire’s think access co-ordinator, has been advising businesses.

Mr McCormack recommended the owner of The Cheeseboard, which is a small store and has a step in the entrance, put a sign in the window saying, “If you can’t come into to us, we will come out to you”.

This informs customers with wheelchairs or prams that they are welcome and can get help.

Mr McCormack said:

“More and more businesses are now looking at making their premises accessible to all, particularly as online shopping became a way of life during the three national covid lockdowns.

“In many cases, becoming accessible need not cost a penny. Businesses are starting to realise the value of the purple pound and to become accessible they need someone who can advise them.

“My role at Disability Action Yorkshire is to go into a business, conduct an audit, and them produce a report. Disabled people want to enjoy the same experiences as everybody else, and a business becoming accessible makes complete sense.”

The charity has said it is keen to work with shops across the Harrogate district that want to become more accessible.

Read more:

• Harrogate care home resident says he still thinks more should be done for residents as lockdown eases
• Outdoor dining causes safety concerns for Harrogate disability charity

Gemma Aykroyd, the owner of The Cheeseboard, said:

“I’d like to thank Josh for visiting our shop and speaking to me about what we could do to become more accessible.

“Whilst the limited space and step are a barrier, Josh offered us some very practical and simple advice. This simple measure says we will go that extra mile, ensuring we cater for everyone.”

The Lingerie Room in Harrogate is to be converted into a home.

The shop is due to permanently close on July 31, with owner Nicola Silcock retiring after five years in the town.

Ms Silcock moved the business from Settle to its current location on Tower Street. The site was previously occupied by a business that sold lighting.

Now Harrogate Borough Council has approved a planning application from landlord James Hopkins to form one larger home that includes both the shop and the upstairs property.

The first-floor kitchen will become a bedroom and the ground floor will be altered to create an open plan kitchen with a lounge to the front.

Read more:

• ‘Hidden gem’ Knaresborough knitting shop stocks more than wool
• Harrogate care supplies shop closes to move online

Ms Silcock told the Stray Ferret in February that although she had a loyal customer base, a reduction in footfall in Harrogate had made the shop less financially viable.

She said:

“People are too busy and ordering shopping online is so easy.”

Conservative councillor Matt Scott has said he feels “privileged” to represent Harrogate at county level after his by-election win tightened the Tories’ grip on the town.

He was elected onto one of two Bilton and Nidd Gorge seats on North Yorkshire County Council on Friday.

His victory was a major blow for the Liberal Democrats, which had previously won six out of eight county elections in the area in the last 16 years.

It means the Conservatives have strengthened their power on the county council by lifting their total seats to 57 out of 72.

Speaking on Monday to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Cllr Scott said he was pleased with the result as he also set out his top priorities for his new term:

“My message to those who voted for me is the same as my message to those who did not vote for me – I am privileged to be able to represent the Bilton and Nidd Gorge division on the county council and will be pleased to help anyone who gets in touch with me.

“I am interested in positive outcomes, not the political allegiance of someone who has come to me for help.

“As a sitting district councillor I will continue to work hard on tackling litter and protecting our green spaces.

“In terms of county council issues I will be doing all I can to support Woodfield Community Primary School. I will also be taking a keen interest in sustainable transport issues as a means of tackling congestion.”

Cllr Scott, who already represents the Bilton Woodfield ward on Harrogate Borough Council and is employed as a caseworker for Andrew Jones, the Conservative MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, joins Paul Haslam as one of two Conservative county councillors serving the area.

The by-election was held following the death of Liberal Democrat councillor Geoff Webber, whose party previously had a strong foothold during the last four elections.

Read more:

• Conservatives win Bilton and Nidd Gorge by-election
• Bilton Liberal Democrat candidate ‘very sorry’ after by-election defeat

Standing to replace him was Liberal Democrat candidate Andrew Kempston-Parkes, who was second by a margin of 352 votes.

Mr Kempston-Parkes, a local businessman and former borough councillor, said he was “heartbroken and devastated” by the result but promised the party will come back “stronger than ever”. He said:

“I know we will continue the fight against this stranglehold on local politics – we are certainly not finished.”

Mr Kempston-Parkes also criticised the first-past-the-post voting system, which meant the Conservatives won with 43% of votes. He expressed hopes that other opposition parties could form an alliance to contest elections as one group in the future.

He said:

“Perhaps the Lib Dems, Greens and Labour need to come together and form a progressive way of working in order to give the electorate one clear choice.

“If that had been the case in Bilton and Nidd Gorge, the Conservatives would have come second, which is the really sad thing about this election – the majority of people didn’t vote for the person who won.

“As long as the parties in the centre and to the left continue to stand against each other then the Conservatives will continue to rub their hands in glee and rule in the majority when in fact they are the minority.”

The by-election held last week was the only local council election held in the Harrogate district.

A full election for all seats on North Yorkshire County Council was scheduled to take place but was cancelled because of the ongoing local government reorganisation.

Under the plans, elections to a new unitary council structure – which will replace the current two-tier system in North Yorkshire – could happen in 2022 depending on government approval.

The Bilton and Nidd Gorge by-election results in full are:

It has emerged that a woman died at Harrogate District Hospital after receiving the Oxford-AstraZeneca covid vaccine.

Deaths from the vaccine are exceptionally rare but the Financial Times revealed a 59-year-old woman called Julia began having headaches in mid-March, nine days after receiving her first jab.

She initially thought she was suffering migraines but on March 29 her husband, a retired doctor called Peter, came home to find her in a coma.

According to the FT, doctors at the Harrogate hospital said she had a “catastrophic brain injury” resulting from cerebral venous sinus thrombosis and a very low platelet count — the rare blood condition linked to the AstraZeneca jab. Two days later she died.

According to the government, just over 10 people develop adverse drug reactions for every million doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine given.

Read more:

• Harrogate district first covid vaccine doses near 100,000
• GP praises vaccine progress but warns against relaxing too soon

A UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency spokesperson said:

“We are saddened to hear about this death and our thoughts are with the family.

“As with any serious suspected adverse drug reaction, reports with a fatal outcome are fully evaluated by the MHRA, including an assessment of post-mortem details if available.

“Vaccines are the best way to protect people from covid and have already saved thousands of lives. Everyone should continue to get their vaccination when asked to do so unless specifically advised otherwise.

“Our detailed and rigorous review into reports of blood clots occurring together with thrombocytopenia is ongoing.”

A Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust spokesman declined to comment.

Three covid vaccines have been authorised for supply in the UK by the MHRA.

Besides Oxford-AstraZeneca, the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna vaccines have been approved for use following reviews of safety, quality and efficacy information from clinical trials.

Further information on vaccines is available here.

The Manchester Furniture Show is set to be held in Harrogate this year as more events are lined up for after lockdown.

The annual show is normally hosted at Manchester Central, but a post on the events website says the show will now be held at the Harrogate Convention Centre.

It is unclear why the event has been moved, but it is due to be held alongside the Home and Gift Buyers Festival.

The show will take place from July 18-21.

It becomes the latest event to be held at the town’s convention centre and the Royal Hall after lockdown.

Read more:

• Jimmy Carr first confirmed show at Royal Hall
• ‘10-day Gilbert & Sullivan Festival returns to Harrogate

Comedians Jimmy Carr, Jon Richardson and Katherine Ryan are lined up for September and October.

The Harrogate Bridal Show is also due to be held in September after being postponed last year.

Meanwhile, the 10-day International Gilbert & Sullivan Festival is returning to Harrogate this year, in a major boost for the town’s economy.

Harrogate hosted the event annually from 2014 until last year, when it was cancelled due to covid.

The festival, which will take place from August 8 to August 18 at the Royal Hall, attracts thousands of visitors from around the world.

Following the announcement, Janet Smith, festival director, said:

“After the horrible year we have all endured, we cannot wait to get back into the theatre.

“Our seating plan in the theatre is socially distanced, and only 40% of the usual Royal Hall seats are available, so we expect tickets to sell out quickly.

“We will have to wait to hear the government announcements about easing restrictions on June 21, when hopefully we will be allowed to open up more seats.”

Informal discussions could take place between the local Liberal Democrat, Labour and Green parties about working together.

The move follows Conservative Matt Scott’s victory in last week’s Bilton and Nidd Gorge by-election.

Arnold Warneken, who represented Harrogate and District Green Party, told the Stray Ferret he had approached the Liberal Democrats and Labour about setting up a meeting.

Mr Warneken said co-operation “made sense” and he hoped some form of progressive alliance would emerge.

Pat Marsh, leader of the Liberal Democrats on Harrogate Borough Council, said collaboration with other parties was “a discussion that needs to be had” and she was open-minded on the subject.

Cllr Marsh described the loss of the seat on North Yorkshire County Council formally held by the Liberal Democrat Geoff Webber as “a huge shock and disappointment”.

Asked why she felt voters had turned against the Liberal Democrats, she said:

“I have no idea. With all the sleaze and cronyism taking place and I am at a total loss to understand why anyone still votes for the Conservatives.”

Asked if she would consider her position as leader following the by-election defeat, she said she had been re-elected two weeks ago and intended to carry on.

Read more:

• Bilton Liberal Democrat candidate ‘very sorry’ after by-election defeat
• Conservatives win Bilton and Nidd Gorge by-election

Margaret Smith, chair of Harrogate and Knaresborough Labour Party, said it was not averse to discussions but its ability to enter into any formal arrangement with other parties would be determined by the national Labour Party. She said:

“It’s about building a progressive alternative and when we agree on issues we would like to work with anyone, irrespective of party membership or support.

“It is a matter of building coalitions, issue by issue, where we agree.”

The Stray Ferret asked Cllr Scott, who won 43 per cent of the vote in Bilton and Nidd Gorge, why he felt voters had switched to the Conservatives and what was top of his agenda but he declined to answer.