Live: Harrogate district traffic and travel

Happy Thursday and good morning. It’s Connor with you for the final time this week on the traffic and travel desk to help with your commute.

There are a few road closures and temporary lights in place across the district, make sure you check our lists in case you need to leave a few minutes earlier.

Give me a call on 01423 276197 or get in touch on social media if you spot anything on the roads or are waiting for a delayed bus or train.

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

9am – Full Update 

That is all from me this week on the traffic and travel desk. I am heading over to the news desk now. Leah will be back with you tomorrow from 6.30am.

Roads

The roads are starting to become quite busy this morning as people drive through Harrogate and Knaresborough to get to work and school. Look out for these areas:

Road closures:

Temporary lights:

Trains

Buses

8.30am – Full Update 

Roads

The roads are starting to become quite busy this morning as people drive through Harrogate and Knaresborough to get to work and school. Look out for these areas:

Road closures:

Temporary lights:

Trains

Buses

8am – Full Update 

Roads

The roads are starting to become quite busy this morning as people drive through Harrogate and Knaresborough to get to work and school. Look out for these areas:

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. Spotted something? Give me a call.

Road closures:

Temporary lights:

Trains

Buses

7am – Full Update 

Roads

The roads are looking quiet so far this morning, with no hotspots just yet. Spotted something? Give me a call.

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. Spotted something? Give me a call.

Road closures:

Temporary lights:

Trains

Buses

Coach and Horses set to reopen under new ownership

The Coach and Horses in Harrogate is set to reopen under new owners Provenance Inns and Hotels.

Provenance Inns, which also owns the West Park Hotel on the same street, plans to refurbish the historic pub before it reopens.

It is unclear when the Coach and Horses will open but the new owners said in a statement today it will create more than 50 jobs.

Karen French, operations director for Provenance Inns and Hotels said:

“We are delighted that we could take on such a fantastic building and have the opportunity to bring the Coach and Horses back to life. It’s a very exciting time for us all.

“Not only will this opportunity create more than 50 new jobs, but we plan to work with local groups and the community, to be able to offer something that’s accessible to everyone.

“We are pleased that we will be the new custodians of the Coach and Horses, and that we are able to retain the family values of the pub.”

Read more:

The news comes almost a year since Harrogate Borough Council granted Samantha Nelson a new alcohol licence.

Previous landlord John Nelson, Ms Nelson’s father, lost the licence when police found customers drinking outside and not observing social distancing rules during the weekend of May 30, 2020.

Nelson is well-known in the Harrogate area — he was landlord for 33 years and raised hundreds of thousands of pounds for local charities.

New ‘immersive soundscape’ art celebrates Harrogate’s spa history

A new art installation will celebrate the 450th anniversary of William Slingsby’s discovery of spring waters at Tewit Well in Harrogate.

Sound and light artists Dan Fox and James Bawn will bring the history to life on Crown Place, which is the cobbled street between the Crown Hotel and the Royal Pump Room Museum.

Called ‘1571 The Waters That Made Us’, the artwork will consist of recordings of water sounds, from deep underground noises to the well and the tap water sounds at the pump room museum.

Mr Fox said:

“This is an immersive soundscape played through speakers along the length of Crown Place.”

The temporary exhibit will be in place from October 17 until October 23. You can visit for free between 2pm and 9pm daily.

It will form part of the build up to the four-day Raworths Harrogate Literature Festival, which takes place from October 21 to 24.

Read more:

Speakers at the festival, which takes place at The Crown Hotel, include Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, and historian Melanie King, who will talk about the history of Harrogate’s mineral springs.

Pictured from left are Deborah Boylan, from Raworths, and Marcus Black and Clare Gibson from Slingsby Gin.

Harrogate International Festivals chief executive Sharon Canavar said:

“2021 has been momentous for a lot of things, few of them being celebratory.

“So it felt only right we lead on a new, temporary attraction for Harrogate to celebrate the 450th anniversary of the discovery of our spa waters.

“The event industry was particularly hard hit by covid, and commissioning new artistic work, and a new tourism attraction, in the midst of the pandemic was a risk.

“However, as an arts organisation, it was one we were determined to take as we firmly believe that keeping artists in work is key.

“It’s also a superb opportunity to celebrate the rich history of Harrogate.”

Information about this year’s Raworths Harrogate Literature Festival, and the visiting guest writers, can be found on Harrogate International Festivals’ website.

Interested in Harrogate’s history? Join celebrated local historian Malcolm Neesam on two guided audio walks by clicking or tapping here.

Two arrested after police seize drugs and zombie knife in Harrogate

Police arrested two men in Harrogate after stopping their car and finding a large quantity of drugs and a zombie knife.

Officers from North Yorkshire Police‘s county lines drugs team pulled over a Volkswagen Passat on Victoria Road last week.

They searched the men and found two bags containing around 100 wraps of suspected class A drugs and the knife.

The men, aged 18 and 31 and from the Bradford area, were arrested on suspicion of possession of drugs with intent to supply and possession of an offensive weapon.

Both suspects have been released by the police on conditional bail for further investigation.

Read more:

The officers were from North Yorkshire Police’s proactive county lines drugs team Operation Expedite team,

County lines refers to when dealers travel to smaller towns to sell drugs that they have advertised online.

Police revealed details of the incident today. A spokesperson said:

“We urge anyone with information about drug dealing or if they believe a vulnerable neighbour is being targeted by drug dealers to contact us or Crimestoppers.”

Anyone with concerns about county lines can speak to the police on 101 or call 999 in an emergency.

If you’d rather stay anonymous you can call the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Harrogate businesses call for meeting to discuss £10.9m Station Gateway

Business representatives in Harrogate have called for face-to-face meetings to be held to discuss the latest plans for the £10.9 million Station Gateway project.

North Yorkshire County Council announced yesterday that people will be able to hear more about the plans and ask questions at two hour-long online events on October 21 and 28.

People will also have the chance to fill in a consultation survey.

But businesses say such a key decision, which could have a major long-term impact on the town by pedestrianising James Street and reducing traffic on Station Parade to single lane, requires a large scale physical meeting everyone can attend.

Richard Norman, owner of town centre jewellers Fogal and Barnes, said:

“It’s vitally important for the whole town that people can get together and have a proper adult conversation and decide what’s best.

“This scheme is not just about environmental issues — there are challenges around jobs too.”

Richard and Mona Norman

Mr Norman is also managing director of marketing organisation Brand Yorkshire, which held a conference last week in Harrogate. He said:

“Everyone said it was far better meeting face-to-face. All the online meetings I’ve seen have been too clinical. You can’t read body language.”

“Having an actual meeting is the correct thing to do for such a big issue.

“I can’t tell what impact this will have on my business until I see the full proposal. My concern is they will try to railroad it through, which is why we should have an actual meeting.”

Read more:

David Simister, chief executive of Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce, agreed and said it would invite Don Mackenzie, executive member for access at North Yorkshire County Council, to its November meeting to discuss the proposals with businesses.

Mr Simister said:

“It’s important that our elected members hear what businesses have to say about it.”

Project team to meet in Harrogate

Asked to respond to the lack of notice of physical meetings, a North Yorkshire County Council spokesman said there would be opportunities to discuss concerns directly with the project team in a unit in the Victoria Shopping Centre.

“Online events enable as many people as possible to attend and ensure covid safety.

“However, during the consultation there will be opportunities for members of the public and businesses to speak to the project team face-to-face at a dedicated unit within the Victoria Shopping Centre.

“These will take place on Wednesday 27 October, the morning of Friday 29 October, Monday 1 November (for businesses only) and Friday 5 November.

“Businesses in the area will be contacted with details of how to book a slot for 1 November. In addition, the project team will be speaking to businesses at an open chamber of trade event on 8 November.”

New plans yet to be revealed

Cllr Mackenzie said yesterday the council had listened to feedback from previous consultations on the initial plans and “taken that response into account in the further development of the designs”.

But details of the changes are not yet available.

Cllr Mackenzie told the Stray Ferret:

“The exact details of the proposals and designs for all three gateway schemes, which are going forward for public consultation from next Monday, will be published online in the next few days.

The Harrogate scheme is one of three projects worth a combined £42m in Harrogate, Skipton and Selby paid for 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.

Details of the online consultation, which runs until November 12, will be available from Monday at www.yourvoice.westyorks-ca.gov.uk/northyorkshire

Following this consultation, a final business case will be prepared before approval is sought to deliver the schemes.

It is anticipated that work in Harrogate will begin by mid-2022 and be completed by March 2023.

Live: Harrogate district traffic and travel

Good morning and a happy Wednesday to you. It’s Connor returning to the traffic and travel desk once again to help with your commute.

There are a few road closures and temporary lights in place across the district, make sure you check our lists in case you need to leave a few minutes earlier.

Give me a call on 01423 276197 or get in touch on social media if you spot anything on the roads or are waiting for a delayed bus or train.

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

9am – Full Update 

That is all from me this morning. I will be back tomorrow bright and early from 6.30am with all your traffic and travel news. Have a good day.

Roads

The roads in the Harrogate district are starting to look busy this morning, particularly around those areas where there are construction works in place.

Road closures:

Temporary lights:

Trains

Buses

8.30am – Full Update 

Roads

The roads in the Harrogate district are starting to look busy this morning, particularly around those areas where there are construction works in place.

Road closures:

Temporary lights:

Trains

Buses

8am – Full Update 

Roads

The roads in the Harrogate district are starting to look busy this morning, particularly around those areas where there are construction works in place.

Road closures:

Temporary lights:

Trains

Buses

7.30am – Full Update 

Roads

The roads in the Harrogate district are starting to look busy this morning, particularly around those areas where there are construction works in place.

Road closures:

Temporary lights:

Trains

Buses

7am – Full Update 

Roads

The roads are looking quiet so far this morning, with no hotspots just yet. Spotted something? Give me a call.

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. Spotted something? Give me a call.

Road closures:

Temporary lights:

Trains

Buses

First glimpse of how Harrogate will look after £10.9m transformation

Here’s how Harrogate’s Station Parade and James Street will look under the proposed £10.9m Station Gateway project.

North Yorkshire County Council today published an artist’s impression of the area that will be most affected by the ambitious scheme.

It shows a new cycle lane alongside a filter lane to Station Bridge on a section of a single lane Station Parade and a traffic-free, pedestrianised James Street.

The image was published in the run-up to further consultation on the scheme starting next week.

Plans to reduce Station Parade to single lane traffic and pedestrianise James Street have divided opinion.

Many people welcome the move to encourage cycling and walking but some businesses are concerned about the loss of parking spaces and the impact on trade.

Encourage sustainable travel

The Harrogate scheme is one of three projects worth a combined £42m in Harrogate, Skipton and Selby.

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 statement by North Yorkshire County Council said today the projects would “transform each travel gateway by boosting public transport, encouraging sustainable travel and upgrading the public realm for residents and visitors alike”.

It added feedback from the earlier consultation into the Harrogate scheme “had been taken into account when looking at the options for one lane in Station Parade and pedestrianisation of James Street, as well as the detailed layout of Station Square and the balance of parking, loading and taxi space provision within the gateway area”.

North Yorkshire County Councillor Don Mackenzie, the executive member for access, said:

“We listened to the feedback from the consultations earlier this year and have taken that response into account in the further development of the designs.

“Now, we are keen for residents to tell us how well these revised designs meet the objectives of opening up the towns’ gateways to facilitate and encourage cycling and walking and improve the quality and sense of identity in these locations.

“People can also help to define the final look of the schemes by giving their views on such details as benches and planting.”

Read more:

Councillor Phil Ireland, Harrogate Borough Council’s cabinet member for carbon reduction and sustainability, said:

“We want to ensure this multi-million pound Transforming Cities Fund project provides an exciting and attractive gateway to Harrogate town centre that encourages people to use sustainable travel options and helps us achieve our carbon reduction goals.”

Work due to begin in summer

The schemes are being delivered with money from the Leeds City Region Transforming Cities Fund, which aims to “transform gateways to towns and cities across the region by making it easier to walk, cycle and use public transport”.

Online events will take place from 6pm until 7pm on October 21 and October 28 for the Harrogate scheme.

Details of the online consultation, which runs until November 12, will be available from Monday at www.yourvoice.westyorks-ca.gov.uk/northyorkshire

Following this consultation, a final business case will be prepared before approval is sought to deliver the schemes.

It is anticipated that work will begin by mid-2022 and be completed by March 2023.

Community grocery for people in need opens in Harrogate

Food waste organisation Resurrected Bites has opened a community grocery shop in Harrogate to help people who struggle to afford food.

The voluntary group, which turns food destined for bins into meals, launched the concept store at New Park Primary Academy today.

People pay £5 a year to sign up as members and are then entitled to pay £3, £5 or £9 depending on the size of their family, for items that would typically cost £30.

The shop, which can be found in one of the school’s separate buildings on West Street, just off Skipton Road, will be open daily every Tuesday and Thursday between 9.30am and 3.30pm.

Look for the blue gates to find the community grocery.

The new shop has a wide range of tinned, fresh food and frozen food. It also stocks toiletries, sanitary products and nappies in various sizes.

Read more:

Community groceries have been popping up all over the UK. They provide a similar service to food banks but because of the small charge they don’t have the same stigma attached to them.

Supporters donated nearly £1,800 to help get the new project off the ground.

If the new shop goes well, Resurrected Bites plans to open another in central Knaresborough in a location to be confirmed.

Grocery manager Sophia Clark told the Stray Ferret:

“We are aiming to support anybody who is in financial difficulty. There’s no stigma, anybody can end up in food poverty. That is myself included, I needed help during the first lockdown.

“The shop is here so people can save money on food and continue to pay their utility bills over winter. With the £20 universal credit uplift people are really going to struggle.

“It is just to help people get back on their feet. We are going to be running courses in the community hub in the same building on subjects such as debt management and budgeting as well.”

More pictures from inside the shop:

The shelves are stacked.

There are plenty of fresh vegetables.

A fundraiser paid for the new fridge and freezer.

Harrogate district has highest covid rate in Yorkshire

The Harrogate district now has the highest covid infection rate in Yorkshire after another rise in cases beyond record levels.

The district’s weekly rate per 100,000 people currently stands at 630, according to the latest Public Health England figures.

The rate is the 19th highest in England and well above the country’s average of 366.

It equates to almost 150 new infections each day. However, hospitalisations and deaths remain stable when compared with previous waves.

As of last Tuesday, there were 13 covid patients at Harrogate District Hospital.

Patient numbers there previously peaked at 67 in January.

Read more:

The last time the hospital reported a covid-related death was on September 30 when its toll since the pandemic began reached 189, according to NHS figures.

The Harrogate district’s latest weekly infection rate of 630 cases per 100,000 people is another record for the district, which has seen cases climb steadily since mid-September.

Prior to this period, the previous record was 534 on 18 July.

Speaking recently, Louise Wallace, director of public health for North Yorkshire, said the rise in infections in Harrogate and across the county was being “driven by school-age children”.

The latest figures for Harrogate show infections are highest among five to 19-year-olds, although cases among 40 to 49-year-olds are also high.

Live: Harrogate district traffic and travel

A very good morning to you today on this autumnal Tuesday. It’s Connor returning to the traffic and travel desk hoping to help with your commute.

There are a few road closures and temporary lights in place across the district, make sure you check our lists in case you need to leave a few minutes earlier.

Give me a call on 01423 276197 or get in touch on social media if you spot anything on the roads or are waiting for a delayed bus or train.

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

9am – Full Update 

That is all from me this morning. I will be back tomorrow bright and early from 6.30am with all your traffic and travel news. Have a good day.

Roads

Road closures:

Temporary lights:

Trains

Buses

8.30am – Full Update 

Roads

Road closures:

Temporary lights:

Trains

Buses

8am – Full Update 

Roads

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. Spotted something? Give me a call.

Road closures:

Temporary lights:

Trains

Buses

7am – Full Update 

Roads

The roads are looking quiet so far this morning, with no hotspots just yet. Spotted something? Give me a call.

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. Spotted something? Give me a call.

Road closures:

Temporary lights:

Trains

Buses