Waste and recycling centres in the Harrogate district will be open every day over the festive period except Christmas Day, Boxing Day, December 30 and New Year’s Day.

The North Yorkshire County Council household waste recycling centres on Wetherby Road and Pennypot Lane in Harrogate, and Dallamires Crescent in Ripon will be open from 8.30am to 4pm.

The centres accept discarded electrical goods, Christmas packaging, broken Christmas lights, household batteries and Christmas trees.

Good reusable toys can be donated to the Reuse Santa appeal within the reuse containers at the recycling centres. Toys will go to the No Wrong Door campaign and other charities.

Wrapping paper that passes the scrunch test (if you scrunch the paper in your hand and it stays in a ball) can be put in blue recycling bags for kerbside collection. Check collection dates over the holiday period.

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North Yorkshire County Council’s household waste recycling centres in the district are managed on the council’s behalf by private firm Yorwaste.

County Councillor Andrew Lee, executive member for business and environmental services, said:

“Working together, the county council and Yorwaste are continuing to give residents the opportunity to recycle as much as they can over this Christmas period.”

Hundreds of thousands of people from Britain and beyond stood on their doorsteps at 6pm tonight and rang bells as part of an idea that started in Harrogate

Bilton woman Mary Beggs-Reid came up with the idea of a doorstep jingle to “spread festive spirit and help Santa’s sleigh fly”.

More than 500,000 people pledged to take part and this week Prime Minister Boris Johnson called Ms Beggs-Reid pledging his support.

The Stray Ferret went to St John’s Grove, Bilton, where Ms Beggs-Reid lives, to witness the phenomenon.

Mary Beggs-Reid

TV crews from the BBC and Sky were due to be present but the signing of the Brexit trade deal prompted them to change plans.

But the Stray Ferret was there to capture the moment when Mary led the countdown. After two minutes of jingling, carols were sung.

Mary’s inspiration for the event came from the film Elf, where New York folk sing together to power Santa’s sleigh with their Christmas spirit.

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Harrogate Town are offering half season tickets to supporters for the remainder of the club’s fixtures.

Supporters can purchase a limited number of tickets for the remaining 14 home games, starting with the fixture against Carlisle United on December 29.

As the district is currently in tier two, fans can attend games at stadiums with reduced capacity. Town fans made the long awaited return to the Envirovent Stadium against Forest Green Rovers on December 5.

However, the club has said that if the tiers change, anyone who has bought a half season ticket will be entitled to a streaming pass for each home fixture.

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Adult half season tickets cost £175. Concessions cost £125 and under 18s are charged £30.

This option is for anyone who has not already purchased a 2020/21 season ticket deposit.

Standing tickets are available in both the EnviroVent and Car Park Terrace, though availability is extremely limited.

Supporters who have purchased a season ticket deposit and have been attending games will continue to receive an e-ticket for the upcoming fixtures.

Harrogate Borough Council has defended its temporary homeless shelters after some people raised concerns about their use.

The four yellow container units will be in Tower Street car park in Harrogate for the next three months.

Every local authority is expected to adopt a severe weather emergency protocol, which describes measures to provide emergency accommodation for rough sleepers during severe weather.

Cllr Mike Chambers, the cabinet member for housing and safer communities, told the Stray Ferret:

“I have not been inside but they are comfortable and appropriate for someone who needs some shelter for a couple of nights.

“Each of the shelters has windows, heaters and toilets. We have several hostels and we are an exemplar council for looking after homeless people.”

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New government guidance this year warned of the dangers of coronavirus in night shelters. It also asked local authorities to consider “self-contained accommodation options”.

According to council figures, 29 rough sleepers in the district were taken off the streets during the “Everyone’s In” measures in the first lockdown, of which 10 are still being supported by the authority.

When the Stray Ferret reported that the council had installed these shelters it prompted a diverse range of views from our readers.

Some said they were “excellent” and a “good stop gap”; others argued they “looked horrendous” and suggested using other solutions, such as hotels.

Harrogate Borough Council said at the start of December the containers will be in place for three months.

The Den bar on Cambridge Street will host a night of live music and food in Harrogate on Sunday December 27.

The bar, which recently reopened after refurbishment, has teamed up with Fashion House Bistro on Swan Road for the ticket-only venture.

Chefs from the bistro will cook food for the event, which will start at 6pm. Tickets are £60 per couple.

Singer and pianist Dan Burnett will perform a selection of blues and soul classics from 7pm. He will be followed at 8.30pm by Biz Denton on vocals and guitar and Jason Odle of “Ont’ Sofa” ont’ drums, who will play two sets.

The fixed menu consists of six tapas dishes.

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Rob Taylor, from The Den, said:

“The event is strictly limited to socially distanced tables of two, and will provide a relaxed and enjoyable evening of post-Christmas entertainment.

“2020 has been a very difficult year for everybody, and in particular for those in the hospitality trade. David and I are really looking forward to jointly hosting this event.”

Delays are expected on Otley Road in Harrogate next month, with two sets of roadworks set to take place at the same time.

The news comes shortly after it was revealed Skipton Road, which has been plagued by roadworks in 2020, will see more work carried out for two months from January 4.

The first set of newly announced roadworks, due to start on January 5 for five weeks, will allow Yorkshire Water to lay new pipes between Wharfedale Avenue and College Road.

Yorkshire Water said in a statement the works would accommodate new housing developments in Harrogate and address low pressure issues.

Northern Powergrid is then expected to begin 11 weeks of work on January 11. This scheme is part of a programme to relocate utilities so its highways team can carry out improvements at the Otley Road/Harlow Moor Road junction .

Once this work is completed, the highways team will commence phase one of the junction upgrade and cycleway from Harlow Moor Road to Arthurs Avenue.

North Yorkshire County Council, which is responsible for highways and approved the works, said those involved would try to keep disruption to a minimum.

Melisa Burnham, the council’s highways area manager, said:

“It is hoped that work can take place at the same time with co-ordinated traffic management, which will reduce the overall impact. If this does not prove feasible then the works will take place consecutively.

“The traffic management will be continuously monitored and manually controlled during peak times each day. We are committed to keeping disruption to a minimum.”

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More roadworks are planned the other end of the town, on Knaresborough Road. They are due to begin on January 4 from the junction with Granby Road to Rydal Road, and continue until the end of February.

They are taking place to allow a new water pipe to be installed. Junctions along Knaresborough Road will be closed separately for short periods, with diversions put in place.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson today called a Harrogate mum backing her campaign to get the world to ring a bell on Christmas Eve.

Mary Beggs-Reid came up with the idea last month and nearly 500,000 people have already signed up to take part.

Today she received a phone call from Mr Johnson, who told her that he will be taking part at 10 Downing Street with his fiancé Carrie Symonds and their young son Wilfred.

Mary planned to travel to London to meet the Prime Minister but the new tier four restrictions in the capital meant a phone call was more suitable.

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The Christmas Eve doorstep jingle asks people to ring a bell or bang a pan at 6pm for two minutes to “spread festive spirit and help Santa’s sleigh fly”.

With her now famous bell in hand, which will soon become a family heirloom, Mary told the Stray Ferret:

“It’s wonderful, I can’t believe we’ve got the Prime Minister involved. Lots of people from Lapland joined last week, it’s going to reach everywhere.

“There will be a wave of bells on Christmas Eve. We will see it coming from New Zealand and that will build up the excitement even more.

“We will just have two minutes for the children when something amazing and magical will happen, I can’t wait.”

Mary’s inspiration for the event came from the film Elf, where residents of New York sing together to power Santa’s sleigh with their Christmas spirit.

With news that the Christmas relaxation of rules has been reduced to just one day, she thinks that there will be a lot of interest on Thursday.

The coronavirus vaccine centre has opened in Harrogate for the first time.

Harrogate’s Great Yorkshire Showground is housing the local coronavirus vaccination site, which was a hive of activity this morning.

Those over 80, care home residents and care home staff are first in line for the vaccine.

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GP practices in Harrogate and the surrounding area will oversee the rollout and appealed for volunteers to help marshal the car park and signpost patients.

The vaccination programme is expected to last several months. Vaccines will be carried out seven days a week from 8am to 8pm.

It has been a long road to this point and news of the vaccine centre opening locally has been welcomed by those in line to receive it.

Plans have been submitted to change the use of Windsor House in Harrogate from offices to flats.

Under the plans, the seven-storey building would accommodate 94 flats consisting of 14 one-bedroom and 80 two-bedroom properties.

Windsor House, which is located in the Duchy estate area, is one of the most distinctive landmarks in Harrogate.

Built in 1900 overlooking Valley Gardens, it was originally the Grand Hotel until it became offices in the 1980s.

Now agents Savills, acting on behalf of Boultbee Brooks (Harrogate), the limited liability partnership that owns the 3.5 acre site, has applied to Harrogate Borough Council to change its use again.

The site, off Cornwall Road, falls within Harrogate Conservation Area and many of the trees in its boundary are protected by this or by tree preservation orders.

The site contains car park spaces for 288 vehicles.

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Most of nearby Windsor Court has been converted from offices to flats in recent years.

A letter by Savills accompanying the planning application says:

“The location of the site is extremely sustainable, being within walking distance of all public transport options
and all of Harrogate’s main services and amenities.”