Local Harrogate News & Views around the district - Page 885 of 1149

Roadworks begin tomorrow on one of Harrogate’s main roads

Roadworks are set to begin tomorrow morning on North Park Road, which is one of the main routes serving Harrogate town centre.

The works, which involve replacing street lights, are set to continue until Friday next week.

Stop and go boards will be used to control traffic along the street.

The works, carried out on behalf of North Yorkshire County Council, are likely to cause delays.

Further works are set to arrive further up the road on September 9.

A county council spokeswoman said:

“The work is part of a street lighting column replacement programme. It will be closed from Marlborough Road to Knaresborough Road.”

Keep an eye on the morning’s delays via our live traffic blog updated every 30 minutes.

Harrogate beauty queen sets sights on UK crown

A 23-year-old supermarket worker has been crowned Miss Harrogate Galaxy and is now ready to take on other beauty queens in the final of Miss Galaxy UK.

Victoria Hind, from Sharow, near Ripon, was crowned Miss Harrogate in her first pageant last month and will now compete in November’s final.

Ms Hind said she always wanted to compete in pageants but prior to lockdown didn’t think she had the confidence.

After suffering with anxiety for some years, she is hoping this competition will boost her confidence and teach her to “grab every opportunity that comes my way”.

Pageant life is a little different to Ms Hind’s day job at Sainsbury’s in Ripon.

The Miss Galaxy UK final at the Park Hall Hotel in Lancashire consists of four rounds; an interview round, an evening wear round, a fashion wear round and a swimwear round.

If she wins she will have the chance to travel to America to compete in the Miss Galaxy International final next summer.

Ms Hind said:

“I’m really excited, its something I’ve wanted to do for a while but I was too nervous.

“It’s not just a beauty pageant; it’s about girls supporting girls. This gives me a reason to step out my comfort zone.”

Ms Hind has already made an appearance as Miss Harrogate Galaxy at Ripon Races and is looking forward to attending more events during her reign.

She also plans to use her platform to raise money for the charity Dogsforgood, which trains dogs to live as assistance dogs in people’s homes.

The charity helped find her step-dad, who suffers from multiple sclerosis, an assistance dog so she is determined to raise as much as she can.

Night buses between Harrogate and Leeds set to return

Night buses linking Harrogate with Leeds and Knaresborough are to return in just over a week’s time.

Harrogate Bus Company, which is part of French company Transdev, will reintroduce late night services on Saturday nights on the 36 route linking Harrogate and Leeds on September 11. Covid has affected the service since last year.

Hourly services from Leeds to Harrogate will run on Saturday nights until 3.15am. The last bus from Harrogate to Leeds will run at 2.20am.

Night buses between Harrogate and Knaresborough will also return on Saturday nights, connecting with incoming 36 buses from Leeds at Harrogate bus station.

Rossett School bus services boosted

In another change, students using the bus to get to Harrogate’s Rossett School can get cheaper fares from Monday.

Until now, pupils have paid £14.50 a week to use designated North Yorkshire County Council school buses.

But the council services are now being integrated with the Harrogate Bus Company’s regular service network, meaning the company’s under-19 weekly ticket, which costs £9.60, will now be valid for all journeys on dedicated school buses between stops within Harrogate and Rossett School.

Pupils can also use this weekly ticket for regular buses as far afield as Wetherby, Knaresborough and Harewood.

Steve Ottley, general manager of the Harrogate Bus Company, said:

“Our late night services will make it much easier – and cheaper – for our customers to enjoy all the nightlife of Leeds and Harrogate and then travel safely home by bus with us.

“Our changes to services to and from Rossett School are also great news for parents and students as they will save a third on the cost of travelling to and from school every week compared with the old school-only passes, with free travel seven days a week across Harrogate, Knaresborough and Wetherby thrown in.”

Also from Monday next week, an extra school day-only bus on Harrogate Electrics route 2A will run at 8am from Bilton Community Centre to Harrogate – where the same bus becomes a number 6 bus, so students going to Rossett School can stay on board and get off at Wellfield Court for their school.

New times are also being introduced on dedicated school buses S2, S3 and 620H. Further details are available here.

Approval for 420 solar panels to be installed at Harrogate Hydro

Harrogate Borough Council has given approval for 420 solar panels to be installed on the town’s Hydro leisure centre.

The move is part of a wider decarbonisation initiative, which could also see 1,000 solar panels installed at Harrogate Convention Centre.

Council officials said in planning documents that the panels will help to improve energy efficiency and cut emissions at the ageing facility, which replaced the old Coppice Valley pool when it opened in 1999.

It added that the scheme could reduced the council’s annual Co2 emissions by 577 tonnes.

The council successfully bid this year for funding from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy‘s public sector decarbonisation scheme, which will help fund the panels.

The bid saw the council granted £2.4 million for projects at the Hydro and convention centre.

A total of £1.8 million will be spent at The Hydro to install the solar panels as well as replace gas boilers with air source heat pumps and put in place new energy monitoring and control systems.

Kathryn Daly, head of place-shaping and economic growth at the council, previously said:

“We have ambitious plans to ensure our own operations and buildings will be clean, efficient and have a net zero carbon economy by 2038.

“This government funding provides a significant step to allow us to achieve this.”

‘You’re banned’: Harrogate pubs introduce new sanctions against troublemakers

People caught drug dealing in Harrogate venues face 18 month bans in a new list of sanctions that comes into force today.

Harrogate Pubwatch, which represents 38 licensed venues in town, has updated its list of ban tariffs.

The tariffs state how long people caught offending in one venue face being banned from all venues that take part in the scheme.

Members of Harrogate Pubwatch, which includes pubs such as Wetherspoon and Christies Bar as well as hotel bars such as The Crown and the Cedar Court Hotel, share information and photos of troublemakers on an app.

They then have a week to vote on what action to take, with the ban tariffs acting as a guide.

Acts of violence carry a 24-month ban, sexual harassment has a nine-month ban and possession of weapons carries a life ban. Eleven people currently have life bans.

Harrogate Pubwatch ban tariffs

Acts of violence against venue staff, which carries a 30-month ban, has been introduced as a new category following a recent increase in incidents.

Alan Huddart, vice-chair of Harrogate Pubwatch and treasurer of Bilton Working Men’s Club, said there had been four attacks on venue staff in town since pubs reopened after lockdown.

Mr Huddart said he wasn’t sure why staff were being attacked more but the app had proved effective in taking collaborative action to keep venues safe. He said:

“At the moment we have a total of 46 people banned. There have been as many as over 100 previously.

“You could argue that lockdown has been responsible for the number declining but increasing the profile of Harrogate Pubwatch has been effective.”

Harrogate Pubwatch holds quarterly meetings with police representatives.

Harrogate Business Improvement District contributed £2,000 towards the Harrogate Pubwatch app.

MPs watch: Afghanistan, football freebies and food banks

Every month the Stray Ferret tries to find out what our local MPs have been up to in their constituencies and in the House of Commons.

In August, parliament was in recess for the summer. However, MPs were recalled to the House of Commons due to the escalating situation in Afghanistan.

However, none of our district MPs contributed to the debate on August 18.

We asked our three Conservative MPs, Harrogate & Knaresborough’s Andrew Jones, Skipton and Ripon’s Julian Smith, and Selby and Ainsty’s Nigel Adams if they would like to highlight anything in particular that they have been doing this month, but we did not receive a response from any of them.

Here is what we know after analysing their online presence.

Andrew Jones, Harrogate and Knaresborough MP.

In Harrogate and Knaresborough, here is what we found on Mr Jones:

Mr Jones posted twice on his MP’s website in August. One post saw Mr Jones call for people to help to reduce their carbon footprint after the publication of the Independent Panel on Climate Change report.
On August 14, Mr Jones updated his website to back a local bus service bid by North Yorkshire County Council of up to £20 million.
Mr Jones was branded a “hypocrite” over a post he made on his Community News website about food banks. He did not respond to requests for comment by the Stray Ferret.
Mr Jones’ Twitter account is for ‘retweets only’.

Julian Smith, MP for Ripon and Skipton.

In Skipton and Ripon, here is what we found on Mr Smith:

Mr Smith updated his website once in August. The post reflected on what he did in his constituency in July.
He tweeted six times in August. Among his social media posts were to congratulate Damian Hinds MP for being appointed security minister.
Mr Smith posted six times on his Facebook page. He encouraged 16 and 17 year olds to get their covid vaccine after becoming eligible.

Nigel Adams, MP for Selby and Ainsty which includes rural Harrogate.

Nigel Adams, MP for Selby and Ainsty which includes rural parts of Harrogate.

In rural south Harrogate, here is what we found on Mr Adams:

A regular Twitter user, Mr Adams tweeted 12 times in August.
Among his tweets were support for the Paralympic Games and congratulating Indonesia on its independence day.
On August 23, Mr Adams visited an Afghanistan Crisis Centre set up by the Foreign Office. He said it was a “great to see all the fantastic work” the centre had done.
He tweeted on August 25 that he and the Foreign Office would continue to resolve the crisis in Myanmar and paid tribute to the Rohingya muslims who have lost their lives.
Mr Adams updated his website once in August. This was to publicise the North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner’s consultation on priorities for fire and policing over the next four years.
According to MPs register of interests as of August 23, Mr Adams had received £6,000 worth of free hospitality tickets to England’s Euro 2020 games.

Harrogate army sergeant’s desperate bid to help Afghan family leave Kabul

A former British army sergeant major from Harrogate has spoken of his fears for the future of an Afghan family he has been trying to help leave Kabul.

Rob Smith taught locals boxing during a six-month tour of duty at Camp Souter military base in Kabul in 2010. Mr Smith is now head coach at H Hour Amateur Boxing Gym on Harrogate’s Skipton Road.

One Afghan man he coached called Omar died in a car accident last year, leaving a young wife and daughter, two sisters and parents.

Mr Smith says the family are at risk from the Taliban and he has been trying to get then out of Kabul. He said:

“I am very worried for them. I don’t know what to do now or tell the family, as there are no flights out of Kabul.”

Mr Smith has written letters of recommendation to Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Home Secretary Priti Patel, former veterans minister Johnny Mercer and his successor Leo Docherty, and Andrew Jones, the Conservative MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough.

He said only Mr Mercer and Mr Jones had replied expressing interest to help.

But with the paperwork incomplete before the British and American departure from Kabul, the situation is now desperate.

Mr Smith coaching in Afghanistan.

Mr Smith said:

“I realise the top tier are under immense pressure to deliver many things. Johnny Mercer and Andrew Jones MPs responded, but my request for help went in too late for assistance.

“No one thought the Taliban would be able to seize control of Afghanistan in such a short period of time, I’m sure evacuation plans for at risk people were in place but in slow time to ensure vetting and other checks took place.

“What many people forget is the percentage of Afghans that can’t read or write Dari/Pashtun, let alone read English and be expected to fill out forms.

“I am just gutted that my friends are not safe, I hope measures are being planned to assist the people at risk left in the country.”

Hull company awarded £827,000 Otley Road cycle route contract

A Hull-based engineering company has been awarded an £827,000 contract to construct the first phase of the Otley Road cycleway in Harrogate.

North Yorkshire County Council appointed PBS Construction for the project, which is known as the West Harrogate Scheme, with a start date earmarked for September 20.

The company has largely carried out projects in East Yorkshire and northern Lincolnshire, but has previously repaired the Kirkby-Masham bridge in North Yorkshire at a cost of £229,500.

The firm is also a sponsor of Hull FC rugby league club.

According to government procurement documents, the contract is valued at £827,100 and is set to end in November this year.

Melisa Burnham, highways area manager at the county council, said:

“The bid process allows any interested companies to bid. All tenders are evaluated and in this case PBS Construction Ltd were the stand-out applicants.

“Work is scheduled to begin in September and we will be issuing an update shortly.”

Work will include widening Otley Road on the approach to Harlow Moor Road as well as the creation of a designated left turn lane on the western approach to Harlow Moor Road and designated right turn lane on the eastern approach.

An off-road cycle route will also be created between Harlow Moor Road and Cold Bath Road as part of the contract.

Traffic light junctions will also be upgraded.

The county council previously confirmed to the Stray Ferret that the final two phases of the scheme would also be awarded via open tender.

Negotiations with the Duchy of Lancaster over the exchange of Stray land have caused delays.

Harrogate Borough Council agreed in March to designate a plot of land on Wetherby Road as Stray land in exchange for the loss of grass verges on Otley Road for the new cycle path.

Traffic fears over plans for 560 homes on Harrogate’s Otley Road

A proposed 560-home development on Harrogate’s Otley Road has sparked fears over traffic.

Homes England, which is the government’s housing agency, wants to build the homes at Bluecoat Wood Nurseries, which is where the charity Horticap is based.

Homes England has submitted an Environmental Impact Assessment Scoping Report to Harrogate Borough Council for the 26-hectare site, which is required ahead of a formal planning application.

The report proposes building 560 homes on the site — 25 per cent more than is allocated in Harrogate District Local Plan 2014-35, which outlines development in the district until 2035.

Council officials consulted a range of bodies on the environmental impact of the development and what would be needed to be addressed, such as traffic and infrastructure.

Henry Pankhurst, of Harrogate Civic Society, which was among those consulted, said it objected to the plan on the grounds of traffic, encroachment onto greenfield land and adverse affect on the landscape.

Mr Pankhurst told the council in a letter:

“It seems logical that a much more intensive use of the land must have adverse consequences. The increase in dwellings, 110 units, from 450 to 560, is very significant – almost a quarter more.

“Traffic will increase, any buffer zones at the boundaries may well be reduced and amenity space both private and public may be compromised. Intensification in these and other ways will harm the special landscape area and harm the setting of the green belt.”

Meanwhile, the Harrogate Group of the Ramblers Association said the site had no recorded public right of ways or bridleways.

It said:

“With a site of this considerable size we would like to see a number of footpaths created through the site, and incorporated within natural green spaces.

“These should be of generous width, with a suitable surface, and routed logically. The routes should fulfil anticipated need.”

Homes England projects in Harrogate district

The proposed development is one of three sites in the district that Homes England has purchased for housing.

One of the other sites is the former Police Training Centre on Yew Tree Lane, which is earmarked for 200 homes. That site is in the Local Plan for 161 homes and faced similar criticism for “unjustifiable planning creep”.

The government agency has also submitted final plans for 390 homes at a site in Littlethorpe.

Homes England said previously that the environmental impact assessment for the Bluecoat site was an “early stage of the planning process” and that further consultation will be required for a formal planning application.

Wembley hero Jack Diamond rejoins Harrogate Town

Wembley hero Jack Diamond has returned to Harrogate Town on loan until the end of the 2021/22 season in a transfer deadline day deal.

Diamond, 21, scored at Wembley in the 3-1 National League play-off final defeat of Notts County last year — a result that secured Town’s promotion to the English Football League for the first time in its history.

The winger first joined the club in September 2019 on a loan deal that was eventually extended until the end of the 2019/20 season due to his impressive performances.

The Sunderland loanee accumulated 35 appearances in a season cut short by covid, scoring five goals and providing eight assists in Town’s promotion campaign.

He said:

“The move presented a good challenge for me, I’ve already done a lot here and finished off on a high when I left so the challenge now is to replicate what I have done.”

“I grew a lot as a player in my last spell and was able to find consistency, all the lads helped me so much with advice.

“There’s no time in football to stay still, you have got to keep improving yourself so coming here on loan was a great option for me.”

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Homes England projects in Harrogate district

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