All Harrogate trains delayed due to fallen tree

Update: National Rail staff have now cleared the tree but there are still some delays on all Harrogate lines this afternoon.

All trains in the Harrogate area are facing delays and cancellations this afternoon after a tree fell in the Starbeck area.

National Rail said it first received reports of an incident at around 2.15pm and expects the disruption to continue until at least 4pm.

Staff from National Rail are on their way to remove the tree but it is unclear how easy the process will be at this time.

Those travelling between Leeds and York will be able to find another route through Micklefield but others may need to wait for road replacement services.

Rail replacement buses are in operation between Harrogate and York:

This is a breaking news story. We will update this page when we get more information. Have you been affected? Send an email to contact@thestrayferret.co.uk.

Harrogate businesses set for crunch talks on £10.9m Station Gateway

Transport chief Don Mackenzie has agreed to meet sceptical Harrogate businesses for crunch talks about the £10.9 million Station Gateway project.

Many firms in Harrogate have deep reservations about the scheme, which aims to make the town centre more attractive and encourage cycling and walking.

Some fear a reduction in parking spaces, the part-pedestrianisation of James Street and potentially a year of major road works would damage businesses already struggling to recover from covid.

One recent survey of businesses, which received 180 responses, revealed 72% were against reducing the A61 from Cheltenham Mount to Station Bridge to a single lane, which is one of the most controversial aspects of the scheme,

Cllr Mackenzie, the executive member for access at North Yorkshire County Council, which is leading on the scheme, has agreed to take part in a question-and-answer session at Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce’s next monthly meeting at the Cedar Court Hotel on November 8,

Phil Ireland, cabinet member for carbon reduction and sustainability at Harrogate Borough Council, which also supports the gateway initiative, will also participate.

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Members of the project team will give a presentation before chamber members get the chance to quiz them on issues such as what assessments have been made of the likely impact on the town’s economy.

David Simister, chief executive of the chamber, said:

“Our meeting will hopefully put businesses fully in the picture about the Harrogate Station Gateway Project, and the implications for them and their customers.

“I must stress this is a business meeting and open to our members, those in the Harrogate BID area, as well as members of Independent Harrogate.

Those planning to attend the meeting must register their interest in advance on the chamber website.

What is the Harrogate Station Gateway?

The Harrogate scheme is one of three projects worth a combined £42m in Harrogate, Skipton and Selby funded by the Leeds City Region Transforming Cities Fund, which encourages cycling and walking.

They are being delivered in partnership by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, North Yorkshire County Council, Harrogate Borough Council, Craven District Council and Selby District Council.

A consultation is currently taking place on the revised designs. It is anticipated that work in Harrogate will begin by the middle of next year.

Cycling campaigners stop in Harrogate on 500-mile tour to Glasgow

Nine cyclists arrived in Harrogate last night on the fifth day of their tour from Brighton to Glasgow for the UN climate change conference Cop26.

The cyclists are travelling across the UK ahead of Cop26 to talk to people about what they can do to go green.

The group set off from Loughborough yesterday morning and made it to Harrogate by 5.30pm.

One of the cyclists, Sophie Gordon, said the aim was to make people aware of the small changes they can make that have a big impact.

Travelling with banners and flags, the cyclists have been stopped by people wanting to discuss projects, such as planting trees or driving electric vehicles.

Ms Gordon, from Guildford, said:

“We all felt a bit helpless about the environmental crisis and everything we could see going on around us and we knew we couldn’t miss COP26 since it was so close in Glasgow.

“We just want to inspire people to get involved and make it happen.”

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Last night the group went the The Old Bell, in Harrogate, to host a quiz and talk to people to find out their concerns and see what can be done to tackle them.

Ms Gordon is as an avid cyclist who works for a cycling charity and said she hoped the government would invest more in cycling infrastructure across the UK to combat vehicle emissions.

Harrogate Christmas shop window contest is back

Shops across Harrogate’s town centre are once again set to dazzle shoppers as they take part in this year’s Christmas Shop Window competition.

Harrogate Business Improvement District has partnered with the Rotary Club of Harrogate to organise and judge the annual festive contest.

It aims to promote town centre shops and push the ‘shop local’ message in the run-up to Christmas.

Businesses have until 8am on November 30 to dress up the windows. Shorlisting will take place on December 1 and the winner will be found on December 2.

The judges will be looking for three elements: illumination, innovation and the sprit of Christmas.

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The contest will be restricted to 50 businesses within the BID’s quarters of Kings, Montpellier, Victoria and West Park.

As in previous years there are three separate categories for large, medium and small retailers.

The overall winner will take home a special certificate and a bouquet of flowers.

Harrogate BID chair Sara Ferguson said:

“Last year, despite the restrictions that covid placed on retailers, Harrogate town centre looked fantastic thanks to our Christmas lights and the efforts of not just shops, but hotels, bars, cafes, restaurants and businesses across the whole town. I suspect that this year, town will look even more festive.”

Competition organiser and Rotary Club of Harrogate member, Graham Saunders, added:

“We are pleased that the competition is back to normal. We look forward to judging the shops and sharing in the awards ceremony.”

Which shops last year?

Mama Doreen’s Emporium was the winner in the large shops category, Helen James Flowers won the medium shops category, and Boho Chic, on West Parade, was the winner in the small shops category.

Helen James Flowers took the overall top spot.

‘It could happen to anyone’, says Harrogate woman who had stroke at 37

At just 37-years-old, a Harrogate woman suffered a stroke that left her needing emergency surgery and permanently altered her outlook on life.

Caroline Brady is sharing her story today, on World Stroke Day, in hope of raising awareness that a stroke can happen to anyone, no matter their age.

On January 17, 2020 she was working as a fitness instructor at Harrogate’s David Lloyd gym when she began slurring her speech.

Ms Brady finished teaching her abs class but over the next two hours continued to slur and felt dizzy.

Her colleagues grew concerned and called for an ambulance. The paramedics performed a stroke assessment, which she passed, so she was taken to Harrogate District Hospital for further investigation.

Four hours after the initial signs, Ms Brady lost control of her left side and had a stroke in hospital at 1.30pm.

By 4pm she was in theatre to remove a clot on her brain. She said she remembers “a feeling of urgency” around her but it wasn’t until she came round that she understood what had just happened.

Fresh outlook on life

Since then, Ms Brady has been focused on recovery. She said she was “extremely lucky” to have recovered to the extent that she’s back at work, walking and even running.

She has returned to David Lloyd working part-time as a receptionist, but said her outlook on life has changed.

“It’s been a hard journey back to work. I was very work conscious, always picking up extra hours and covering for people but going back after the stroke I knew I couldn’t do the same.

“So I had a word with myself and said ‘you aren’t weak to slow down’. When you have such a shock at a young age, with no underlying health issues, you can’t help but think differently.”

She no longer teaches gym classes and has been advised to stop weight training but says she is happy just to be walking and occasionally running again.

Ms Brady is enjoying the outdoors again.

Following her experiences, she is determined to raise awareness of strokes and who they can affect.

She added:

“For anyone that knows me it was a huge shock, you never expect to hear ‘I’ve had a stroke’ from a young person. But it can happen to anyone.

“There’s also a misconception that if you have one at a young age you will recover well, but that’s not always the case.”

Ms Brady said she was extremely lucky to be treated so quickly. Other young stroke survivors she’s met were left for hours waiting for a diagnosis by doctors who didn’t diagnose a stroke.

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She is holding a 12-hour charity event at the gym today from 8am to 8pm. Members and staff are walking or running on a treadmill for 30 minutes at a time to raise funds for A Stroke of Luck, a charity that gives stroke survivors access to fitness professionals to help with recovery.

To donate click here.

Live: Harrogate district traffic and travel

Good morning and Happy Friday, welcome back to the traffic and travel blog, it’s Leah with you today to help make your journey as smooth as possible.

Keep checking our blog every 30 minutes for full updates on the roads and public transport. I’ll let you know about any delays, traffic hotspots or roadworks.

You can get in touch if you spot anything, and it’s safe, on 01423 276197.

The morning blogs are brought to you by The HACS Group.

9am – Full Update 

That is it from me this morning, I will be back with you on Monday with regular updates to help keep the district moving.

Roads

Sutton Bank is closed due to an accident. Watch out for Standing water at Plumpton Rocks on the A661.

Traffic is building here:

Road closures:

Temporary lights:

Trains

Buses

8.30am – Full Update 

Roads

The roads are looking quiet so far this morning, with no hotspots just yet. Watch out for Standing water at Plumpton Rocks on the A661.

Traffic is building here:

Road closures:

Temporary lights:

Trains

Buses

 

8am – Full Update 

Roads

The roads are looking quiet so far this morning, with no hotspots just yet. Watch out for Standing water at Plumpton Rocks on the A661.

Traffic is building here:

Road closures:

Temporary lights:

Trains

Buses

 

7.30am – Full Update 

Roads

The roads are looking quiet so far this morning, with no hotspots just yet. Watch out for Standing water at Plumpton Rocks on the A661.

Traffic is building here:

Road closures:

Temporary lights:

Trains

Buses

 

7am – Full Update 

Roads

The roads are looking quiet so far this morning, with no hotspots just yet. Watch out for Standing water at Plumpton Rocks on the A661.

Road closures:

Temporary lights:

Trains

Buses

 

6.30am – Full Update 

Roads

The roads are looking quiet so far this morning, with no hotspots just yet. Watch out for Standing water at Plumpton Rocks on the A661.

Road closures:

Temporary lights:

Trains

Buses

 

Public inquiry threat revealed for James Street pedestrianisation plans

The threat of a public inquiry has been revealed as a reason why plans for a full-time pedestrianisation of one of Harrogate’s busiest shopping streets have been dropped from the £10.9 million Station Gateway project.

North Yorkshire County Council received strong support when it consulted on the idea of removing traffic from James Street.

But it now wants to see only Princes Square to Station Parade pedestrianised, with loading vehicles still allowed to use the street at limited times. This partial pedestrianisation was the least supported option.

Karl Battersby, corporate director of business and environmental services at the council, said this option was being pursued because the authority believes it could face objections which would trigger a public inquiry if a full-time pedestrianisation is progressed.

He said: 

“A traffic regulation order is required to pedestrianise a street.

“In certain circumstances, including where vehicles are excluded at all times, if an order is made and objections are raised that cannot be resolved, a public inquiry could result.

“If that were to happen, it could delay the scheme.”

Read more:

Mr Battersby also said a full-time pedestrianisation “remains possible” in the future after the completion of the gateway project, which requires government cash to be spent by March 2023.

He added the council’s preferred option of part-time restrictions would still retain many of the changes to the look of James Street that would be included under a full-time pedestrianisation.

He said: 

“The selected option provides the opportunity to pedestrianise the street at most times of the day, except for a period to allow deliveries, with access controlled through rising bollards.

“This creates the ability to pedestrianise the street at any time of day in future subject to the outcome of a legal order.

“We believe this strikes an appropriate balance between the wishes of respondents and risks to delivery of the scheme.”

Contentious plans

The detailed plans were first revealed in February when residents and businesses were also consulted with.

It is only now – eight months on – that the council has spoken of the potential threat of a public inquiry.

This could be in part due to negative feedback from some business owners and residents, however, the council’s own consultation results show a full-time pedestrianisation would be well supported.

Of the 1,101 respondents to the consultation, 45% were in favour of this option, while 32% said no changes should be made to the layout of James Street.

Meanwhile, just 17% supported a part-time pedestrianisation – the option that the council is now pushing ahead with.

Although James Street has proved to be one of the most contentious parts of the gateway project, it is only a small part of the overall plans.

There are also proposals to reduce Station Parade to a single lane of traffic to create room for a cycle lane, as well improvements to Station Square and the One Arch underpass.

The latest consultation on the entire project is currently underway and residents and businesses have until November 12 to have their say before more detailed proposals are drawn up and a final decision is made.

If approved, it is anticipated that construction will start in spring 2022 for approximately 12 months.

For more information and to have your say, visit the West Yorkshire Combined Authority website.

Harrogate council leader confirms he will stand down

The leader of Harrogate Borough Council has announced he will stand down after more than 20 years of service as a councillor.

Cllr Richard Cooper, who was first elected as a Conservative councillor in 1999, said he will not seek election to the North Yorkshire unitary council but will continue in his role until the new authority is created in 2023.

Multiple senior political figures in the Harrogate district told the Stray Ferret earlier this month that the Conservative council leader would not be standing when voters head to the polls in May 2022.

Cllr Cooper has now confirmed the news. He said: 

“I have been a councillor now for 22 years and leader of the council for eight. That’s a long time and it is time for me to do other things and for others to have the opportunity to serve our communities at a senior level.

“Although I am not standing for the new council in May 2022, Harrogate Borough Council continues until April 2023.

“So although I am not standing for that new council it isn’t quite goodbye yet.”

Read more:

Cllr Cooper was first elected when he took the Liberal Democrat seat of West Central in 1999 and has since held several cabinet positions, as well as being deputy leader and serving on North Yorkshire County Council.

Council leader since 2014

He was elected as leader of Harrogate Borough Council in 2014 and will be the longest-serving holder of the position if he is re-elected next May.

Among his achievements, Cllr Cooper said he will remember increasing funding for homelessness, defeating the Nidd Gorge relief road proposal, raising the profile of sustainable transport and leading on the construction of the new Harrogate Civic Centre.

Cllr Cooper added: 

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank the voters who have elected me to represent them over the past 22 years, my fellow councillors for having trusted me with leadership roles throughout that time and the amazing people in our community groups who I have been privileged to meet and support.

“We are fortunate to have many young and talented councillors in our district alongside those with many years of service. It is a great combination which will serve our district well on the new council.

“I wish them all, of every political persuasion, luck and success as they continue to champion sustainable transport, carbon reduction, support for the homeless and funding for our local voluntary groups among the many other brilliant things Harrogate Borough Council does.”

Racist graffiti sprayed in Harrogate playground

Racist graffiti has been sprayed onto playground equipment in Harrogate.

Two instances of the graffiti were found in a play area in Panhandle Park, just behind Sherwood Drive in Hookstone Chase.

It was reported to North Yorkshire Police between Saturday, October 23, and Tuesday, October 26.

The graffiti has since been removed but required specialist attention to do so by Harrogate Borough Council.

Sergeant Alex Sellars, of Harrogate neighbourhood policing team, said:

“We take hate crime very seriously and it has no place in society. We would urge anyone who knows anything about these incidents to get in touch with us to assist with our investigation.”

Read more:

North Yorkshire Police added in a statement:

“Anyone with information is asked to report it on our website or call 101.

“You can also provide information anonymously via independent charity Crimestoppers by calling 0800 555 111 or through their website.

“Please quote 12210229225 when providing information.”

Parents vow to fight closure of ‘fantastic’ Woodfield primary school

A group of parents has vowed to fight plans to close Woodfield Community Primary School in Bilton.

North Yorkshire County Council said this week the school would ‘technically close’ in September under plans to merge it with Grove Road Community Primary School.

Woodfield has been unable to find an academy willing to take it on since it was rated inadequate by Ofsted in January last year.

A joint statement signed by the headteachers and chairs of governors at both schools hailed the move as “an exciting opportunity to enhance our educational offer”.

But several parents were shocked and angered by the news when they met the Stray Ferret yesterday.

They said Woodfield had made tremendous progress since it was rated inadequate — a view supported by an Ofsted monitoring visit in June, which said ‘leaders and managers are taking effective action towards the removal of special measures’.

Kerry Bartle and son Tyler Woodfield School

Kerry Bartle and her son, Tyler

Kerry Bartle, who has had six children at the school over 23 years, said the proposed merger was a “devastating blow” to families that had stuck with the school and worked hard to improve it when others had left.

The number of pupils has roughly halved to 56 in recent years due to the poor Ofsted and a rapid turnover of headteachers. But Ms Bartle said it had improved significantly in the last 18 months, despite covid, and closure was being rushed into disturbingly quickly. She added:

“No child should be worried like ours are now as to what is going to happen to them next.

“My son is in year 4 and has mobility issues. He would struggle at the Grove site

“Woodfield is such an amazing community. We can’t fault the school as it is today.”

‘They will build on it’

Mike Fryer, a grandparent, thinks the council is using merger as a stepping stone towards closing the large Woodfield site and using it for housing.

“Within two years they will close it down and build on it. This has been on the cards since the start. They have made the school unviable, and since when should schools be all about money?”

There are also fears the Woodfield site will provide early years education and a nursery for Grove Road, forcing some families with more than one child to have to drop off and collect from both schools.

Louise Newport said she would look for another school altogether if this happened. She said:

“My son is autistic and his summer holiday will be horrendous if he has to move. Woodfield school has done so much for the children.

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Naomi Tomlinson, who has two children at Woodfield, also said she would look for another school, adding:

“Ask any kids and they will say it is a fantastic school. As far as we were aware it was doing well so this is a real shock.”

The parents also questioned whether such swift action would be taken to close a school in a better-off part of Harrogate.

The council’s response

The Stray Ferret put a series of questions to North Yorkshire County Council, including whether it could reassure parents that no children would have to move from either site.

We received the following response from Amanda Newbold, assistant director for education and skills, said:

“Woodfield Primary School became eligible for intervention by the Regional Schools Commissioner (RSC) having been judged inadequate by Ofsted at inspection in January 2020. Subsequently the school was issued with a Directive Academy Order but the RSC was unable to secure an academy trust to sponsor the school due to viability concerns.

“We have supported the school through the provision of successful temporary leadership since the inspection. The latest Ofsted monitoring report of Woodfield in July states that “leaders and managers are taking effective action towards the removal of special measures” and it is important to recognise the efforts of all those who have been involved in this improvement journey.

“However, the current arrangements can only be temporary and the absence of an academy sponsor means the school faces an uncertain future. Therefore, work began earlier this year to assess how education provision within the Woodfield community could be preserved.

“The current proposals have been developed by members of the school governing bodies and our officers. The two governing bodies carefully considered the proposals before half term, and both agreed to ask us to start a consultation.

“Families, staff, and other members of the local community will have opportunities to consider the detail of the proposals during the consultation period.

“The proposed amalgamation would be achieved through the technical closure of Woodfield School, and the enlargement of Grove Road CP School through future use of the Woodfield site.

“This would provide an exciting opportunity to enhance the facilities of Grove Road School, organising sustainable education across both sites aiming for the best possible provision for all pupils, and importantly ensuring that the Woodfield site continues to be used for education of the wider community.

“The governing bodies and our officers believe that these proposals would be the best way of achieving their joint aims of improving local education provision at this time.”