Royal Hall roof set for repairs following ‘ongoing’ leaks

The Royal Hall in Harrogate is set to undergo roof repairs and refurbishment after an “ongoing issue” with leaks.

Cllr Graham Swift, cabinet member for resources, enterprise and economic development at Harrogate Borough Council, approved awarding a contract for the repairs earlier this week.

It will see the roof repaired and refurbishment carried out to ensure the “premises are wind and watertight and legislative compliant”.

The move follows a condition survey carried out by the council in February last year.

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It also investigated an ongoing issue of “water ingress emanating from the main central copper dome on the roof”.

A report before Cllr Swift said:

“In line with good asset management, a detailed condition survey of the Royal Hall was completed between January and February 2020 to provide an updated building condition report, with costings, over a 10-year cycle.

“It was also to investigate an ongoing issue of water ingress emanating from the main central copper dome on the roof, into the lower lantern and then finding its way down to the auditorium floor below.”

The report said the works will see “undertaking timber repairs and forming ‘out shoots’ for rainwater drainage” and maintenance work for areas of slipped and damaged slates.

It added that six contractors expressed interest in the contract, which closed for tendering on March 26.

However, just two contractors bid for the contract by the time the process closed.

While the council approved the awarding of the contract, the report did not include who the bidders were, how much it would cost or whether or not the Royal Hall would be closed during the works.

The Stray Ferret approached the council for a response to those questions, but had not received a response by the time of publication.

The grade-II listed building underwent a major £8 million restoration project back in 2005.

Following the restoration, the Royal Hall was reopened by the Prince of Wales in January 2008 when it was completed.

Two more Harrogate schools report strangers harassing children

Parents are being urged to be vigilant after two more schools in the Harrogate district reported recent incidents of children being harassed on the way home.

Police revealed yesterday that an 11-year-old girl was sexually assaulted while walking home from school at the junction of King’s Road and Chatsworth Grove in Harrogate on Tuesday.

The girl, whose school has not been revealed, was upset and shaken by the incident.

It has since emerged that a man in his early 20s chased year seven pupils on their way home from Harrogate High School last night.

The pupils, who were walking on Skipton Road, hid and the man ran past.

Lucy Greenwood, head of school at Harrogate High School, wrote to parents last night alerting them to the news. Her message said:

“It is worth reminding your children to be extra vigilant and to make their way directly home.

“We have reported the incident to the police and we will be making all students in school aware and to remind them to be extra vigilant on their way home.”

A school spokeswoman told the Stray Ferret the incident happened shortly after 2.25pm.

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Willow Tree Community Primary School has also reported two incidents to police that occurred late last week.

One involved a man dressed in black following people home and another involved a black Jeep driving backwards and forwards past a small group of pupils travelling to and from school.

Helen Davey, headteacher of Willow Tree Community Primary School, wrote to parents:

“I have been in touch with the police today to get further information about their response to this.

“They  have asked that anyone who is concerned that they have seen something suspicious should ring 101.

“Although they are able to have officers in the area, anything of concern should be reported so they can build a picture of what is happening.”

Ms Davey told the Stray Ferret the incidents took place in a ginnel near Saint Andrew’s Road at the back of the school.

“It’s a shock and a bit of a wake-up call.”

She added she did not know if there was any link between all the reported incidents.

Police advice

North Yorkshire Police has not issued any further updates and did not say whether it believed the incidents were linked.

Sergeant Alex Sellars from the Harrogate Neighbourhood Policing Team said yesterday that “incidents of this nature are rare in North Yorkshire”.

Sergeant Sellars added:

“There are some very simple steps that we can all take to help us feel safer when we’re walking home, such as walking in a group or with a friend, letting someone know what route you’ll be taking, when you are leaving somewhere and when you expect to be home and walk along main routes and well-lit areas.

“Please be assured that we take reports of this nature very seriously and our officers are committed to ensuring public safety.”

Job fears as Harrogate council reviews staff at new tourism organisation

A trade union has expressed concern that jobs could be lost as part of a staff review at Harrogate Borough Council’s new tourism organisation.

The authority set up a destination management organisation in September to ‘further grow economic impact and support the district’s recovery plans following the covid pandemic’.

Gemma Rio was recruited as head of destination management to lead the new organisation, which combines Visit Harrogate, Harrogate Convention Centre’s marketing team and the district’s tourist information centres.

The council is now consulting on the new structure.

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The Stray Ferret was contacted by a source worried the process would lead to staff being made redundant if they didn’t accept new roles.

We understand 25 to 30 staff in areas such as tourism information and museums fall under the review.

A consultation on the review is expected to end tomorrow.

The Stray Ferret approached Unison Harrogate local government branch and asked whether it had responded to the review.

A spokesman for Unison said it had concerns that staff were “at risk of being made redundant” and that it had “identified a number of concerns regarding the proposals but that there are also some things we believe we can support”.

He added:

“The key thing for us is our members jobs and pay but also that the council has a service that is fit for purpose once the review is completed.”

A council spokesperson said the destination management organisation “will ensure the best possible visitor experience and make the district of Harrogate a must visit destination for leisure and business tourists alike”.

The spokesperson added:

“As part of the DMO being established, we will be ensuring we have the right roles across the organisation to help deliver these aims and provide best value for the taxpayer.

“These proposals are still being developed and will involve a consultation with staff.”

Five arrests in Harrogate during county lines action week

Police made five arrests in Harrogate as part of last week’s national operation on county lines drug dealing.

The arrests began on May 17 when plain clothes officers on patrol around Avenue Grove in Starbeck found class A drugs on a man behaving suspiciously.

That arrest led them to a nearby property, where they found and searched three other men. The officers found drugs stashed in a mattress, £200, drug paraphernalia and three phone.

On May 22, a man in his 40s who had breached his prison licence was arrested and returned to jail.

Later the same day, police arrested a man in his 30s on Otley Road, who officers thought was driving erratically.

The suspect failed a roadside drug wipe and was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs and possession of class A drugs. He was released under investigation.

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County lines is where drug dealers from urban areas exploit vulnerable people, including children, and force them to deal drugs is smaller towns and cities.

It takes its name from the mobile phone lines used by dealers to communicate between towns and advertise their drugs for sale.

North Yorkshire Police also made arrests in York, Whitby, Thirsk, Scarborough, and on the A1 motorway.

Police also made 87 welfare visits to 95 vulnerable people.

Officers seized a total of £10,000 plus heroin, cannabis, pregabalin and a large quantity of suspected cocaine believed to be worth several thousands of pounds.

North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Philip Allott said he welcomed the action taken, adding:

“But we should be under no illusions about the scale of the challenge we face from these organised criminals who bring tragedy to communities and scar our society.

“Ensuring we take prompt action to educate and enforce is one of my priorities as commissioner.”

Chief Inspector Lorraine Crossman-Smith coordinated North Yorkshire Police’s involvement in the action week. She said:

“I hope the people of North Yorkshire are reassured that we mean it when we say drug dealing is a priority and that we will take action when they report information to us.”

Local firm restores Stonefall plaque for free after vandals strike

A local firm has stepped in to restore the information plaque in Harrogate’s Stonefall Park after it was damaged by vandals.

The plaque, which gives visitors information on the history of the park, including Queen Victoria passing on the former train line that ran alongside it, is thought to have been smashed with a rock on March 20 or 21 this year.

Police said it was hit with “considerable force”. At the time, it was estimated it would cost £300 to repair.

However, a local firm Platinum Print, came forward and offered to repair the damage for free.

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Liberal Democrat councillor Pat Marsh, whose Hookstone ward includes the park, said the move had restored her faith in the local community.

She said:

“Hookstone and Stonefall Action Group were totally taken aback by such a generous offer and now the results of that work are clear for everyone to see and enjoy again. It has restored our faith in our community.

“When we saw the devastation created by these mindless people, we thought it would take a lot of time to fundraise to repair but Platinum Print came to our rescue and we and the wider community, cannot thank them enough.”

Three friends to run three marathons in three days in memory of James Hindmarsh

Three men from Harrogate are running three marathons in three days this weekend to raise money in memory of their friend James Hindmarsh.

James died aged 24 in April after being diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer called Alveolar Rhabdomyosarcoma.

Henry Bartle, Ollie Ward and Jeremy Butterfield will run 26.2 miles on Friday, Saturday and Sunday to raise funds for Sarcoma UK, which helps people with all forms of sarcoma cancers.

The three friends pledged to complete fundraising events for James’ medical treatment when he was alive and now that he has died they have vowed to continue.

James Hindmarsh

James Hindmarsh

On Friday and Saturday, the trio will run along the Leeds and Liverpool Canal from Bradley in Craven to the centre of Leeds. On Sunday, they will complete four laps of Harrogate, finishing on West Park.

Henry said:

“We’re nervous and apprehensive but excited to get going now. It’s all for James, it’s all in his memory. He would have wanted us to go ahead with it. Sarcoma UK is such an underfunded charity and the condition is so rare, there’s been little development in treatment since the 1980s.

“All the money is going towards research and development or new drugs. We want to raise awareness.”

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James’ cancer was so rare his family and friends had to look abroad for treatment. They now want to ensure Sarcoma UK has funds to continue researching treatment to help other families.

So far £30,000 has been pledged via the JustGiving page.

Three other friends have taken on other fundraising challenges in memory of James. Joe Braham skied through the night from Verbier in Switzerland to the summit of Mont Fort.

Luca Peterson and Harry Halsall completed the Yorkshire Three Peaks and the Lake District Three Peaks in two consecutive days.

Girl, 11, sexually assaulted walking home from school on busy Harrogate street

Police are appealing for witnesses after an 11-year-old girl was sexually assaulted on Harrogate’s King’s Road on Tuesday.

The victim, an 11-year-old girl, was making her way home from school at about 3.15pm.

As she approached the junction with Chatsworth Grove, a man approached from behind and placed one hand on her hip and another hand on her waist and made a sexually inappropriate comment to her.

The girl ran away and arrived home upset and shaken.

It occurred just a day after a woman died suddenly in a similar location on King’s Road.

North Yorkshire Police described the girl’s attacker as white, in his 40s, around 5ft 8 with dark, greying hair that was short on one side but longer on the other.

He also has a distinctive mole above his right eyebrow.

He was wearing a red jumper, khaki coloured trousers and black Nike trainers with white laces. The girl said he had a rough Yorkshire accent.

‘Disturbing but rare incident’

Speaking about the incident, Sergeant Alex Sellars, from the Harrogate Neighbourhood Policing Team said;

“This is a disturbing incident which has understandably left the victim very shaken and upset.

“She has been incredibly brave when speaking to police and has been able to give us a detailed description of the man who approached her. Officers will be conducting further enquiries in the area, but we would appreciate the public’s assistance in helping us to identifying this man.

“With the incident taking place at the end of the school day, the area would have been busy with parents and children making their way home. If you were passing on the school run, please can you take a moment to recall your journey, or check your car dash-cams – did you see a man in the area who fits the description? If so, please do get in touch with us.”

Sergeant Sellars added incidents like this were “rare in North Yorkshire”, adding:

“Please be assured that we take reports of this nature very seriously and our officers are committed to ensuring public safety.”

Police said in a statement they were keen to speak to anyone who was in the area of Kings Road and Chatsworth Grove at 3.15pm who may have witnessed the incident, or anyone who recognises the description of the man.

Anyone with information can dial 101, select option 2 and speak to the force control room quoting reference 12210125274.

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Found: Police appeal for help to find missing Starbeck man

Update: This missing man from Starbeck has been found safe and well. The police have thanked residents and said their calls were “crucial”.

North Yorkshire Police has appealed for help locating a missing man from Starbeck.

Andrew Macleod, 54, is described as white, 6ft tall, slim build, having short grey hair and tattoos on top of his arms.

He was last seen wearing pale blue jeans, a blue puffa jacket and possibly brown suede leather boots.

Police issued the appeal this afternoon. No photo of Mr Macleod has been released and it is not known how long he has been missing.

Anyone with information is asked to call 101 and quote reference number 264.

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Pop-up cake shop to open on Harrogate’s James Street

Bakers Warburtons is to open a pop-up cake shop in Harrogate next week.

The former Swarovski store at 36 James Street, which once sold diamonds, will now sell cakes throughout the summer.

The shop will sell the newly-launched Ellie Warburtons cakes, which come in eight flavours, including cookie dough and raspberry with passion fruit compote. It will not sell bread.

The cakes are being launched on a trial basis in temporary stores in Harrogate and Skipton, which will be open all summer.

People will be able to buy the cakes online after their national launch on June 21.

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Jonathan Warburton, chairman of Warburtons, said:

“This is an exciting new venture for our family business and we are taking very much an entrepreneurial approach to how we build the brand while bringing with us the core of Warburtons ethos – quality and taste.”

The Skipton pop-up shop at 18 Otley Street will open on May 28.

Decision to proceed with £7.9 million Station Gateway sparks anger

The group behind a petition against the Station Gateway proposals has criticised the councils responsible for “ploughing ahead” with the scheme despite what it called “inconclusive” consultation results.

Yesterday it was agreed that designs will be drawn up for the controversial £7.9m project, which could see the pedestrianisation of James Street and Station Parade reduced to one lane of traffic.

A public consultation on the plans this year found 45% of 1,101 respondents in favour of the full pedestrianisation of James Street; 32% said no changes should be made and 17% backed a partial pedestrianisation.

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

North Yorkshire County Council and Harrogate Borough Council both support the project, which is being funded by the government’s Transforming Cities Fund.

It aims to make the area around the station more accessible and attractive, especially to pedestrians and cyclists.

But Anna McIntee, co-founder of the Harrogate Residents Association, which has amassed 800 Facebook members since it was formed three months ago, fiercely opposes the scheme.

Her group is behind a petition against the Station Gateway that has so far achieved over 500 signatures and one against the planters on James Street that has received over 800.

Ms McIntee said the results from the council’s consultation were ‘inconclusive’ because of the modest response and the fact that there was not overwhelming support for any proposal.

Just over 1,000 people, in a district with over 157,000 people, responded to the survey.

She told the Stray Ferret:

“Why aren’t they listening? There’s a lot of anger in the town and they are just ploughing ahead.

“This town has incredible people with incredible ideas. Is this the best we can come up with?”

“It will create a complete funnel neck of traffic.”

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Speaking at a North Yorkshire County meeting yesterday, Cllr Don Mackenzie, executive member for access, said the council had listened to businesses.

He said:

“We have been lobbied quite strongly by the business community in Harrogate, of whom one or two members seem to think the gateway scheme is intended to make life more difficult for them. Those comments could not be further from the truth.

“The whole purpose behind the gateway scheme is to make all three of these town centres more attractive to visitors, especially those who want to come and spend money in our shops, restaurants and pubs.”

Traffic evaporation

Last week a report commissioned by the county council said in a “reasonable worst-case scenario” the Station Gateway plans could increase greenhouse gas emissions.

It said this was because reduced traffic flow in the area would force some drivers to take longer alternative routes.

However, it also said the council would refine the scheme to ensure it is environmentally friendly.

Rod Beardshall, transport lead at Zero Carbon Harrogate told the Stray Ferret he disputed this suggestion that traffic would increase elsewhere due to a phenomenon known as “traffic evaporation”.

He said:

“Essentially traffic is not a zero-sum game. It isn’t an inevitability that the same amount of traffic will exist independently of the road availability. The phenomenon of ‘induced traffic’ refers to the increase in traffic over and above what would otherwise have been predicted when new roads are built.

“Conversely ‘traffic evaporation’ is widely seen when road space is reduced. It is this latter phenomenon which will mitigate against increases in congestion elsewhere, and crucially, reduce overall traffic and therefore its environmental impact as people are incentivised to consider other travel options.

“It is always worth repeating that this doesn’t imply that all travellers will seek alternative means of transport and nor do they need to, but enough are likely to for the proposed changes to bring positive results. Those journeys where a car or a van is the only practical option will still be possible and won’t take significantly longer according to the report.”

With the designs due to go to consultation, the Station Parade battle looks set to continue for some time.