Elderly woman waits two hours for ambulance after James Street fall

An elderly woman had to wait two hours with a broken shoulder for an ambulance after tripping over the kerb on James Street, Harrogate.

The woman, in her 70s, told nearby shop staff that she fell after not seeing the kerb because of the planters.

The incident happened at about 11am on Tuesday, June 8.

Local shop assistant, Clare Nelson, who came to help the woman, said Yorkshire Ambulance Service said because she wasn’t in a critical condition there would be a two-hour wait.

Ms Nelson told the Stray Ferret the woman’s shoulder was broken and she was very shaken:

“She was very distressed and shaken, she’d only come for the day and wasn’t aware of the layout. Luckily there were people around to help her but it was still uncomfortable for her.”

She said she watched three other people tripped over the kerb during the two-hour wait. Working in Porters Ms Nelson says she sees several people a day trip over the kerb due to confusion.

The street has planters in the car parking bays to allow for social distancing but, she says,  this makes it seem as it is all one level.

She said things need to change:

“I’ve seen plenty of people do it, it’s confusing. Either they move the planters or they do it properly – it’s not practical as it is.”

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The planters have not been popular with many traders on James Street who argue that the loss of car parking bays has affected trade.

‘Reviewing social distance measures’

Melisa Burnham, highways area manager, said:

“The safety of all road users is our main consideration when implementing new measures. If anybody experiences a problem we encourage them to contact us via the website here.

“Our highways teams have not received any reports of the public tripping on the kerb in James Street since the measures were introduced last summer. Emergency vehicles still have access to the area and planters can be moved should vehicles need to park against the kerb.

“We will be reviewing all social distancing measures in conjunction with Harrogate Borough Council after July 19 in line with lockdown easing. I would like to reassure the public that all social distancing measures on James Street and Albert Street will be removed if government restrictions are lifted.”

A spokesperson for Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust, said:

“During the last few weeks the urgent and emergency care system has come under increasing pressure.  We can confirm that this emergency call was received during a particularly busy period on Tuesday 8 June.

“All calls are categorised according to the nature of the patient’s illness or injury and those in a life-threatening condition are always prioritised.”

Harrogate Fake Festival cancelled

Harrogate Fake Festival, which was set to be held on the Stray on July 17, has been cancelled.

Organisers said on its Facebook page that the easing of lockdown restrictions “was paramount” for the event to go ahead.

It has been held inside a marquee on the Stray every summer since 2015, except for 2019 when it was moved to Killinghall Moor Country Park, and last year, when it was cancelled.

This year’s edition was due to feature tribute acts for artists including Green Day, the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Queen.

The company Fake Festivals runs similar events across the country during the summer.

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A post on its Facebook page said:

“To all our loyal fans that have supported us, bought tickets and then had your festivals cancelled… Thank you for trying, we will be back next year and we can’t wait to see you then.”

The company added that ticket bookings will be automatically refunded within the next 14 days and tickets will not be carried over to 2022.

Firefighters battle outbuildings blaze near Follifoot

Firefighters battled a blaze at a group of outbuildings near Follifoot this afternoon.

Six crews were called out for the fire on Haggs Road at 2.15pm and had managed to put it out by around 6pm today.

The firefighters were from stations in Harrogate, Knaresborough, Wetherby, Ripon, Tadcaster and Acomb.

Fire investigators are still on scene trying to put the picture together of how the blaze took hold.

The crews found that a skip filled with cylinders had caught fire, which then spread to nearby buildings.

The Stray Ferret has asked North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue for more information, but we have received no reply by the time of writing.

It’s currently unclear what caused the fire or if anybody was injured.

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Great Yorkshire Show still waiting to hear if it can go ahead

The organisers of the Great Yorkshire Show have issued a statement saying it is still awaiting confirmation that the event can go ahead.

The event is scheduled to take place in Harrogate from July 13 to 16.

All social distancing measures were due to be lifted next week but Prime Minister Boris Johnson said last night current restrictions would remain until July 19.

Twenty-four hours after Mr Johnson’s announcement, the impact of this on the show remains unclear.

The Yorkshire Agricultural Society, the agricultural charity that organises the event, has already included various social distancing measures into this year’s planning.

They include holding the show over four days, rather than three, capping daily visitor numbers to 25,000, reducing the grandstand capacity to 30% and adapting the show to use as much outdoor space as possible.

In a statement today, the society said:

“Further to the Prime Minister’s announcement on Monday night, we continue to await confirmation from North Yorkshire County Council public health that we can deliver this year’s Great Yorkshire Show as planned.

“What we can say is that the Great Yorkshire Show has been fully adapted to be covid-safe and we have been working with the relevant agencies every step of the way.

“The show has also been endorsed by Visit England as part of its Good to Go campaign.

“Measures include adapting the show so most of it is held outdoors this year and extending it to run over four days for the first time in its history.

“A full list of measures are here and these were always going to be in place whether lockdown was extended or not.

“Please bear with us while we await news, and a statement will go out as soon as we have a definitive answer.”

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Police search for missing woman who may be in Harrogate

Police have appealed for information about a missing woman from Wetherby who they believe may be in Harrogate.

Judith Holliday, 72, was reported missing this morning.

West Yorkshire Police described her as 5ft 2ins tall and slim. She is believed to be wearing floral trousers, a blue-t-shirt and black shoes.

Anyone with information is asked to call 101 and quote log 309.

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Harrogate congestion at ‘breaking point’ even without Starbucks, say residents

Congestion in Harrogate is already at “breaking point” even without a drive-thru Starbucks, a planning appeal hearing was told today.

Residents fighting a proposed Starbucks drive-thru on Wetherby Road told a government planning inspector that the road already had traffic problems without the development.

The hearing, which was held online, was opened by planning inspector Helen Hockenhull this morning.

Representatives from Euro Garages, which has proposed the development on the former 1st Dental surgery site, also appeared at the hearing

Harrogate Borough Council withdrew its objection to the proposal after council officers said the authority’s previous recommendation would “undermine” their case.

It means that residents on Wetherby Road have been left to defend the council’s refusal of the development at the hearing.

Congestion is at ‘breaking point’

Mark Hinchliffe, who has lived in Harrogate for 20 years, told the appeal hearing that the road was already dangerous without the development.

He added that the junction was the busiest in the town.

Mr Hinchliffe said:

“That junction is the busiest road into town, it is also the the busiest road out.

“You have the traffic from the conference centre, the showground and the petrol station.”

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Mr Hinchliffe described the traffic on the road as a “major issue” and at “breaking point” even without a new drive-thru coffee shop.

“Regardless of Starbucks arriving, it is already a major issue. It has got worse over the last 10 years. It’s at breaking point.”

Meanwhile, Joe Shields, who also lives on Wetherby Road, pointed out that the road has a number of different vehicles using it every day, including commercial lorries.

He added that cars also “hurtle” along the road when merging into one lane after the Woodlands junction.

The proposed layout of the Starbucks site on Wetherby Road as submitted to Harrogate Borough Council. Picture: Euro Garages.

The proposed layout of the Starbucks site on Wetherby Road as submitted to Harrogate Borough Council. Picture: Euro Garages.

Residents also raised concern over the proposed right turn into the site, which they said would also be a safety issue.

Meanwhile, Gavin Snowball, speaking on transport issues on behalf of Euro Garages, said any queuing caused by the development would be “negligible”.

When asked about the number of cars trying to merge after the Woodlands junction, Mr Snowball said the merge complied with highways standards.

He said:

“There is nothing in the data that would show that there is a pre-existing issue [with the merge].”

Mr Snowball added that the developer would improve access to the site as much as possible and make sure that the entrance to the site was away from the traffic lights.

He said:

“Throughout this process it remains consistent, we would seek to improve access to the site as much as possible by relocating the access away from the traffic control system.”

Ms Hockenhull said she intends to visit the site before making a decision, which will be made at a later date.

Roadmap delay pushes back return of Harrogate district Parkruns

The delayed ending of coronavirus restrictions has forced organisers of Parkrun in the Harrogate district to push back its return by a month.

It has been a difficult few months for the organisers, who have tentatively scheduled the return of the free, weekly 5 km runs time and time again, only to then have to disappoint runners.

Outdoor events are permitted under the current government rules. However, many of the landowners that host the runs have granted permission for them to take place on the condition that all lockdown restrictions are lifted.

Now the government has delayed the roadmap easing until July 19, Parkrun is looking to return on July 24.

There are three Parkruns in the Harrogate district: on the Stray in Harrogate, Conyngham Hall in Knaresborough and Fountains Abbey, near Ripon.

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A spokesperson for Parkrun said today:

“A huge amount of work has been done in recent weeks to ensure we have permission to return from the large majority of landowners.

“While this delay is disappointing, we respect the fact that a significant number of these permissions were contingent on the country moving into Step 4.

“We will therefore target a new reopening date of July 24.”

Harrogate’s top crime-writing prize down to shortlist

Readers have whittled the potential winners of the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year award down to six authors.

Organised by Harrogate International Festivals, the award is widely regarded as the most prestigious in crime fiction.

The shortlist is designed to celebrate the best of crime writing and transports readers around the world from Calcutta to California.

Author Chris Whitaker hopes to claim the trophy on his first ever nomination with We Begin at The End, which is a story of crime, punishment, love and redemption in California.

Sunday Times bestselling author Rosamund Lupton’s Three Hours tells the story of gunmen opening fire on a school in Somerset and explores white supremacy and radicalisation.

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Elly Griffiths is hoping that her seventh prize nomination, The Lantern Men, lead to the title. The story sees Ruth Galloway return to the fens to hunt down a serial killer.

Trevor Wood’s meteoric rise continues with his novel The Man on the Street, which provides insight into the story of a homeless Falklands veteran with severe PTSD turned criminal investigator.

Scottish-Bengali author Abir Mukherjee’s Death in the East is a mesmerising portrait of India, Assam and East End London, which could be a case of third nomination lucky.

The final title on this year’s shortlist is Northern Irish author Brian McGilloway’s The Last Crossing, which looks at The Troubles from the perspective of a view of former operatives.

People can vote for the winner here.

Simon Theakston, executive director of T&R Theakston, said:

“This is it: the crème de la crème of crime. This shortlist really does showcase the breadth and depth of the genre.

“It’s going to be a fiercely fought prize this year so make sure you vote for your favourite.”

The winner receives £3,000 and a handmade, engraved beer barrel from Theakston Old Peculier.

The full shortlist for the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year 2021 is:

Residents prepare for Wetherby Road Starbucks battle today

After three rejections in four years, residents on Wetherby Road are set to face another appeal over a controversial proposed Starbucks drive-thru.

The plan for the coffee shop by Euro Garages on the former 1st Dental surgery site is set to go before another appeal this morning.

The online hearing before a government planning inspector will be the latest battle for residents against the plans.

It comes as Harrogate Borough Council withdrew its objection to the proposal. Council officers said the authority’s previous recommendation would “undermine” their case.

Four year battle over drive-thru

After the plans were first refused by the council in 2017, a key moment came a year later when a first appeal was dismissed by an inspector on the grounds that the site would cause “unacceptable” harm to nearby residents.

Euro Garages then submitted a revised scheme after what they said was “very careful consideration” of the inspector’s ruling, with a reduction in the size of the proposed building and relocated parking.

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The latest rejection came in 2019 when councillors refused the proposal again. Councillors rejected the proposal on grounds of air quality and traffic flow concerns along Wetherby Road.

However, Euro Garages decided to take the decision to appeal for a second time.

Despite the council dropping its objection, the appeal will still go ahead and allow residents to voice their concerns over the development.

‘We’ll fight our corner’

Ahead of this morning’s hearing, residents have said they are prepared to “fight their corner” over the proposal.

Joanne Richardson, who lives on Coachman’s Court next to the site, said there were good reasons to turn down the application.

She said:

“We’re prepared to fight our corner. It is just so wrong that this could be allowed to go ahead. 

“[There are] So many very good reasons why it shouldn’t.”

Liberal Democrat Cllr Pat Marsh, who represents the area on the borough council, is to lead the residents into the planning appeal hearing.

She told the Stray Ferret previously that she was confident that the group had enough reasons to turn down the plan.

Cllr Marsh said:

“I think there are very sound planning reasons to turn it down and I’m confident we have come up with enough of them.

“Residents are not against the development of the site. But this is too much.”

Euro Garages, which also operates drive-thru facilities for KFC and Greggs, did not wish to comment ahead of the hearing.

However, in its statement of case submitted to the inspector, it said there were “no justifiable planning basis for refusal”.

Conservatives enlist Andrew Jones MP to help fight Batley by-election

Harrogate & Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones has been spotted in Batley campaigning for the Conservatives in the upcoming by-election.

The Batley & Spen by-election is being held after Labour’s Tracey Brabin stepped down to become the first Mayor of West Yorkshire.

A photo emerged on social media of Mr Jones eating fish and chips in the town alongside the Tory candidate Ryan Stevenson.

Current betting odds make Mr Stevenson favourite, ahead of the Labour candidate Kim Leadbetter who is the sister of the constituency’s former MP Jo Cox. She was murdered by a white supremacist in 2016.

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It appears Mr Jones was back in West Yorkshire over the weekend as the MP stopped for a selfie with a young Conservative activist.

A spokesperson for Harrogate & Knaresborough Liberal Democrats said:

“It is disappointing that he prioritises Batley and Spen over dealing with important local issues.

“But he’s free to do this as long as he’s not doing it at the expense of the public purse.”

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It’s not the first time in recent months that Mr Jones has been enlisted by his party to bolster support. He revealed in the House of Commons last month that he spent time knocking on doors in Hartlepool for the recent by-election there.

Political parties of all stripes often send in big hitters and high profile politicians during by-elections. The Guardian reported the Labour Party sent “dozens” of MPs to campaign in Hartlepool, which was won by the Conservatives.

The Stray Ferret contacted Mr Jones for comment but he did not respond.