Drink-drive arrests up 75% since beer gardens reopened

Thirty-five suspected drink drivers have been arrested by North Yorkshire Police within a fortnight of beer gardens reopening.

The number represents a 75% increase compared to this time last year.

Those arrested include eight people in the Harrogate district. The only district with more arrests was York, with 11.

North Yorkshire Police launched a “Be a hero, Stay at zero” drink-drive campaign to coincide with pubs reopening on April 12.

It urged people thinking of going for a drink to use public transport or select a designated driver.

Roads policing sergeant, Andrew Morton, said:

“We’ve already encountered too many people who have ignored our warnings. Our message is simple – if you drink or drug drive, we will catch you.

“We have only just been allowed to start going to beer gardens again – don’t ruin this for yourself by losing your licence, getting a criminal record and driving ban, paying a heavy fine or going to prison.”

Read more:

 

Harrogate company wins Queen’s Award for second time

A Harrogate company that operates around the world has today won a Queen’s Award for Enterprise for the second time.

Primeast, which is based at Cardale Park, was founded in 1987 by John Campbell. It provides training and development in more than 40 countries.

The company, which was named in a list of 205 award winners, employs 30 people in Harrogate and now has a team of four based in its US office.

The business also won a Queen’s Award in 2015, as seen in the above picture.

Founded 55 years ago, the Queen’s Award is widely recognised as the top business accolade in the country.

The focus of this year’s awards was ‘promoting opportunity through social mobility’.

Read more:

Coronavirus restrictions make it unlikely for winning businesses to get the customary invite to Buckingham Palace to accept the award.

A representative of the Queen will present the award at Primeast’s Harrogate office, later in the year.

Russell Evans, chief executive of Primeast, said:

“This is such fantastic recognition for the entire team who’ve worked with such commitment and passion and the clients who continue to support and partner with us.”

Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said:

“In the last 12 months, British businesses showed the entrepreneurial spirit that this country is renowned for.

“They are continuing to drive social mobility, find new markets to export to and produce innovative products and services.”

Pateley Bridge census support could save you £1,000

People who have had difficulty filling in the census form need not panic. Help is at hand to save those struggling a potential £1,000 fine.

The census support centre run by Nidderdale Plus in Pateley Bridge can provide assistance to anybody living in the Harrogate district.

It is based in the Nidderdale Plus community hub in Station Square, King Street and will be open daily between 10am and 4pm for the rest of this week and on Saturday and bank holiday Monday from 10am until 1pm.

Photo of a Census form

The Census 2021 forms were posted to millions of households in England, Northern Ireland and Wales.

Helen Flynn, executive director of Nidderdale Plus, told the Stray Ferret:

“The census support centre, with its specially-trained advisors Sandra Walker and Heather Blundell, has been very busy since census day on March 21.

“We are proud to be the fourth highest performing census support centre in the north-east, North Yorkshire and Cumbria region so we have been punching above our weight, as we have been helping people.

“Completing and submitting the census form is a legal requirement and failure to do it could result in a fine of £1,000.”

People can walk in to the hub to get help with filling in their form.

Alternatively, they can call 01423 714953 for help and advice over the phone.

Filling in the form, which takes about 10 minutes, can be done on paper, smartphone, tablet or computer.

For those unfamiliar with technology, assistance can be provided with filling out the form online and submitting it.

The census helps local and national government to obtain a snapshot of the entire population at one point in time.

This helps in future planning for services such as healthcare, education and transport.

 

 

Read more:

Census facts and figures

This year marks the 22nd census.

The first census was held in Great Britain in March 1801.

It recorded the combined population of England, Wales and Scotland at 10.9 million,  living in 1.8 million houses.

It has been held every 10 years, except for 1941, when it did not take place because of World War II.

By the 2011 Census, the UK population – which also includes Northern Ireland – had grown to 63 million, of which 32 million were female and 31 million were male.

Live: Harrogate district traffic and travel

Good morning everyone and welcome back. Traffic is getting busier on the district’s roads now so make sure to keep and eye on our morning blogs.

It’s Connor here with you bright and early this morning, please get in touch with me via social media or email me at contact@thestrayferret.co.uk.

This blog, brought to you by The HACS Group, brings you updates every 15 minutes on the road and rail links near you.

9am – Full Update

Roads

That’s all from me this morning. I will be back bright and early from 6.30am tomorrow to keep you moving. The roads are now becoming more busy in the Harrogate district this morning. There are some traffic hot spots to look out for:

Temporary traffic lights are in place:

Road closures in place here:

Trains

Buses

8.45am – Full Update

Roads

The roads are now becoming more busy in the Harrogate district this morning. There are some traffic hot spots to look out for:

Temporary traffic lights are in place:

Road closures in place here:

Trains

Buses

8.30am – Full Update

Roads

The roads are now becoming more busy in the Harrogate district this morning. There are some traffic hot spots to look out for:

Temporary traffic lights are in place:

Road closures in place here:

Trains

Buses

8.15am – Full Update

Roads

The roads are now becoming more busy in the Harrogate district this morning. There are some traffic hot spots to look out for:

Temporary traffic lights are in place:

Road closures in place here:

Trains

Buses

8am – Full Update

Roads

The roads are now becoming more busy in the Harrogate district this morning. There are some traffic hot spots to look out for:

Temporary traffic lights are in place:

Road closures in place here:

Trains

Buses

7.45am – Full Update

Roads

The roads are now becoming more busy in the Harrogate district this morning but there are no traffic hotspots to report just yet.

Temporary traffic lights are in place:

Road closures in place here:

Trains

Buses

7.30am – Full Update

Roads

The roads are now becoming more busy in the Harrogate district this morning but there are no traffic hotspots to report just yet.

Temporary traffic lights are in place:

Road closures in place here:

Trains

Buses

7.15am – Full Update

Roads

The roads look to be clear so far this morning. No traffic hotspots to report just yet.

Temporary traffic lights are in place:

Road closures in place here:

Trains

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7am – Full Update

Roads

The roads look to be clear so far this morning. No traffic hotspots to report just yet.

Temporary traffic lights are in place:

Road closures in place here:

Trains

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6.45am – Full Update

Roads

The roads look to be clear so far this morning. No traffic hotspots to report just yet.

Temporary traffic lights are in place:

Road closures in place here:

Trains

Buses

6.30am – Full Update

Roads

The roads look to be clear so far this morning. No traffic hotspots to report just yet.

Temporary traffic lights are in place:

Road closures in place here:

Trains

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Harrogate brewery’s SOS after new machine gets stuck on Ever Given

Rooster’s Brewing Company took to social media to appeal for help after new equipment got stuck on the Ever Given cargo ship in the Suez Canal.

The Harrogate-based brewery ordered an automatic labelling machine after previously adding labels by hand.

The new machine was due to arrive a few weeks ago but instead remains over 3,500 miles away.

It was travelling on the Ever Green, which blocked the Suez canal for six days in March and caused chaos for businesses across the world. The ship has now been impounded in Egypt.

Head brewer Oliver Fozard took to Twitter to ask if anyone could help the team “get through a backlog of labelling cans”.

Since putting out the tweet yesterday the company has received numerous offers of help from other local brewers and residents.

Rooster’s director, Ian Fozard, said the company was still in the dark about when its delivery would arrive:

“We’ve still heard nothing, the machine is still stuck. We’ve had offers from various local breweries to help out. It’s more of an irritation than a catastrophe, no one knows when it will be here.”

Mr Fozard said he was grateful so many people had come forward to help.

Read more:

 

‘Unbelievable’ demand for Harrogate baby classes after lockdown

Harrogate baby and toddler groups have been inundated with parents eager to book classes. Some have had to employ more staff and start new classes to meet demand.

A number of local companies have said since April 12th when lockdown partially eased, demand has been “unbelievable”.

For many new parents these classes give them the opportunity to socialise with other new parents as well as getting their babies interacting with others.

For some the wait for a space may be a little longer with one Harrogate company saying their waiting list has over 100 names on it.

Emily Savage runs Hartbeeps in the Harrogate district, she said:

“The demand is huge right now. With social distancing I’m running at 65% capacity levels against pre-covid so that is limiting spaces too. Parents not being able to go out as much means they all want to come to classes for social interaction.”

Emily holds classes at Calcutt Village Hall, Harrogate Gymnastics on Hornbeam park and Pannal Village Hall. She has introduced new weekend classes for parents that are now back at work.

Emma Savage, Hartbeeps

Emma Savage who runs Hartebeeps around Harrogate is dealing with huge demand.

Natalie Ramsey who owns Baby Sensory Harrogate has seen a similar level of demand. She has has to employ a class assistant to help with the covid cleaning in between classes.

She said:

“The demand has been massive. Parents are just desperate for a bit of social interaction. I’m looking at opening more classes in Harrogate, I asked on facebook last night and the response was massive. I’m just looking ahead to 21st June for a bit of normality but I’m not holding my breath.”

Read more:

The Little Gym in Harrogate holds about 44 classes each week but still has people asking for more. Owner, Kate Henebury, said:

“It’s been unbelievable. We are adding more classes left, right and centre to meet demand particularly the new parent classes. We’re also busy recruiting for more staff to meet the demand because it is so huge. It’s just nice to be open again.”

Harrogate vaccine centre gives 100,000th jab today

The vaccination centre at Harrogate’s Great Yorkshire Showground marked a major milestone today when it gave its 100,000th jab.

James Eaton, pictured above, had the honour of receiving the 100,000th inoculation.

Yorkshire Health Network, a federation of 17 GP surgeries in the Harrogate district, is delivering the vaccine programme.

The tally includes all first and second jabs at the Harrogate and Ripon sites, as well as vulnerable people who are housebound or homeless.

It does not include the pharmacy-led sites in Knaresborough and Pateley Bridge, which today told the Stray Ferret they have separately administered 15,000 and 400 vaccines respectively.

Today’s milestone is a major leap from when an 83-year-old woman called Anne was among the first to be vaccinated in Harrogate in late December.

Read more:

Dr Ian Dilley, a member of the Harrogate and rural coronavirus vaccination steering group, said:

“As we take a moment to celebrate this monumental achievement we would like to thank all those who have been involved, without whom this endeavour would not have been possible.

“That includes our resilient workforce of practice staff, our tireless volunteer marshals, the local organisations who have donated goodies, Transdev bus company and our kind hosts.

“A huge thank you to all involved”.

However, the progress of the vaccination programme in the Harrogate district may slow in the weeks ahead.

A letter seen by the Stray Ferret from the Humber, Coast and Vale Integrated Care System, which oversees the vaccine programme in the Harrogate district, revealed how those hoping for a first dose may have to wait until June.

The letter, which you can read more about here, was sent to senior health officials in the region as well as large scale vaccination sites and community pharmacies.

Inquiry launched after council officer ‘massaged’ A1 service station report

An inquiry has been launched after emails revealed a Harrogate council officer “massaged” a key report on now-approved plans for a controversial motorway service station on the A1(M) near Kirby Hill.

Emails seen by the Local Democracy Reporting Service show that Barrie Gannon, former principal landscape architect at Harrogate Borough Council, made changes to a landscape report in 2019 when the council’s planning department went against three previous refusals to recommend approval.

Mr Gannon said he hoped the changes would make the report “read better” – although it is not yet known what was amended.

What is clear though are the report’s conclusions. It said the landscape impact of the service station was “not substantive” in what campaigners have described as a “complete U-turn” from a previous council assessment, which warned it would cause “significant harm”.

The revelations have sparked questions over why a change of stance was taken, as well as concerns over impartiality within the planning department.

Gareth Owens, chair of Kirby Hill Residents Against Motorway Services, said:

“It is a mystery to us how officers made a complete U-turn on the landscape assessment. Landscape harm has been the main reason for refusal of a motorway service area at this site for 25 years.

“We do not understand how or why this position changed.”

The proposals put forward by Applegreen were most recently rejected by councillors in 2019.

However, that decision was overturned at an appeal this month as the developers won approval at the fourth time of asking.

Read more:

Mr Owens, who gave evidence during the appeal, said the landscape report played a key part in the planning inspector’s decision to grant approval, which made it even more important to understand why the council had changed its conclusions.

He said:

“The officer’s report was not only presented to the planning committee. It was relied on by Applegreen at the public inquiry, who told the inspector that he should accept the view of the council’s professional planning officers, which he duly did.

“The planning inspector went along with the planning officer’s conclusions on landscape, so we think it is important to understand how they were arrived at.”

In the email dated November 2019, Mr Gannon said to a colleague: “I’ve massaged the landscape section 9.56 – 9.69 which hopefully reads better.”

Robert Windass, the Conservative councillor for Boroughbridge and one of the planning committee members who previously rejected the service station, said he had “serious concerns” about the email after he made calls for the inquiry last week.

Speaking at a full council meeting, he asked the council’s cabinet member for planning councillor Tim Myatt:

“Will you undertake a full inquiry into this matter to ensure that all reports presented to the planning committee in future are factual, truthful and unbiased?”

In a statement, councillor Myatt later said he was “confident” that officers always made “fair and impartial” assessments of planning applications.

He said:

“Officer recommendations are formed based on their assessment of information available about the application, including information submitted by the applicant, internal and statutory consultees, and the public.

“I am confident that officer recommendations are based on a fair and impartial assessment of that information.

“Together with officers, I have met with councillor Windass to discuss his concerns regarding the landscape assessment included in the officer’s report to committee.

“I agree with councillor Windass that there is a need to provide residents with reassurance that our planning processes were followed correctly, and I have agreed with councillor Windass that we will look into the specific concerns he has raised before providing a report to councillors.”

BT Sport to show Harrogate Town’s Wembley final for free

Harrogate Town’s FA Trophy final against Concord Rangers is to be broadcast live for free by BT Sport.

The match will be played behind closed doors at Wembley on Monday.

BT Sport usually charges to watch matches but has decided to show Harrogate’s game for free across all its platforms.

It will be available via BTSport.com, the BT Sport App, BT TV, the Sky Digital Satellite Platform and Virgin Media channel 100.

After the game, the channel will also show Proud To Be Town, its documentary on the rise of Harrogate Town that gives a unique insight into a football club during the first coronavirus lockdown.

The schedule for the day is as follows:

12.45pm – Live – FA Vase Final – Consett v Hebburn Town
3.30pm – The Grassroots Football Show
4.30pm – Live – FA Trophy Final – Harrogate Town v Concord Rangers
7.30pm – BT Sport Films – Proud To Be Town

Simon Green, head of BT Sport, said:

“Following a period when many lower league football fans have been unable to watch their sides, we hope our coverage will provide them with an opportunity to watch an exciting non-league finals day live from Wembley Stadium.”

Read more:

A fan campaign supported by Harrogate & Knaresborough Conservative MP Andrew Jones attempted to persuade the Football Association to let fans watch the match live.

But the FA confirmed this month it wouldn’t allow this, which means Town fans will be cruelly denied a trip to the home of English football for the second time in 12 months.

The Stray Ferret will be at the Cedar Court Hotel on Monday to watch the game with the fans and will be reporting throughout the day.

The club and the hotel have got together to show the game on a big screen to 42 supporters and are offering food and drink as part of the package. Click here to purchase a ticket.

Live: Harrogate district traffic and travel

Good morning everyone and welcome back. Traffic is getting busier on the district’s roads now so make sure to keep and eye on our morning blogs.

It’s Leah here with you bright and early this morning, please get in touch with me via social media or email me at contact@thestrayferret.co.uk.

This blog, brought to you by The HACS Group, brings you updates every 15 minutes on the road and rail links near you.

9am – Full Update

That’s it from me this morning, Connor will be back with you tomorrow with updates every 15 minutes from 6:30. Have a great day!

Roads

The roads look to be clear so far this morning.

Traffic hot spots:

Traffic is building:

Temporary traffic lights are in place:

Road closures in place here:

Trains

Buses

8.45am – Full Update

Roads

The roads look to be clear so far this morning.

Traffic hot spots:

Traffic is building:

Temporary traffic lights are in place:

Road closures in place here:

Trains

Buses

 

8.30am – Full Update

Roads

The roads look to be clear so far this morning.

Traffic hot spots:

Traffic is building:

Temporary traffic lights are in place:

Road closures in place here:

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8.15am – Full Update

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The roads look to be clear so far this morning.

Traffic hot spots:

Traffic is building:

Temporary traffic lights are in place:

Road closures in place here:

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8am – Full Update

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The roads look to be clear so far this morning. No traffic hotspots to report just yet.

Traffic is building:

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7.45am – Full Update

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The roads look to be clear so far this morning. No traffic hotspots to report just yet.

Traffic is building:

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Road closures in place here:

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7.30am – Full Update

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The roads look to be clear so far this morning. No traffic hotspots to report just yet.

Traffic is building:

Temporary traffic lights are in place:

Road closures in place here:

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Buses

 

7.15am – Full Update

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The roads look to be clear so far this morning. No traffic hotspots to report just yet.

Traffic is building:

Temporary traffic lights are in place:

Road closures in place here:

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7am – Full Update

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The roads look to be clear so far this morning. No traffic hotspots to report just yet.

Traffic is building:

Temporary traffic lights are in place:

Road closures in place here:

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6.45am – Full Update

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The roads look to be clear so far this morning. No traffic hotspots to report just yet.

Temporary traffic lights are in place:

Road closures in place here:

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6.30am – Full Update

Roads

The roads look to be clear so far this morning. No traffic hotspots to report just yet.

Temporary traffic lights are in place:

Road closures in place here:

Trains

Buses