Viper Rooms bids to extend weekend opening hours until 6.30am

The Viper Rooms nightclub on Parliament Street has applied to Harrogate Borough Council to extend its opening hours on Friday and Saturday nights until 6.30am.

Harrogate’s only nightclub reopened in July after being closed due to covid restrictions since March last year, except for one night on Halloween last year.

It currently serves alcohol until 4am and closes at 4.30am. The application seeks to extend both by two hours.

Owner Paul Kinsey told the Stray Ferret the nightclub is still busy at 4am, so closing later would stop revellers leaving the club all at once. He added there was also a demand from customers to stay out later.

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Mr Kinsey said:

“Since reopening we have monitored customer trends closely and we have seen that we are still very busy at 4am.

“Therefore to have a more orderly dispersal of customers and not move several hundred people onto the streets at one time. It’s more sensible to trade later and allow a staggered dispersal of customers as well as catering for customer demand for a later finish to their night.

“We have trialled the later closing hours in recent weeks and it has gone without any issues at all.

“It’s not our intention to trade every night until 6am. it’s just having the permission to do so if needed.”

Harrogate train station lift fixed after not working for two days

The lift on platform three at Harrogate train station was fixed today after being out of order for 48 hours.

Passengers were alerted to the fault on Tuesday morning, when the cause was said to be a power cut.

It meant that if they wanted to use the opposite platform, they either had to use the stairs — which is difficult for older people, people with buggies and wheelchair users — or leave the station and travel along the path to the other side of the station.

Rail operator Northern yesterday told the Stray Ferret the lift was due to be repaired later that day. It apologised for any inconvenience. But the lift only began functioning again this morning.

The engineer at the station told us he hoped the repairs would keep the lift running but added he would stay at the station for a few hours to ensure it didn’t break down again.

He also said cold weather and heavy usage of the lift can impact how well it works.

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Former Victorian hotel in Harrogate to become modern co-working space

Royal House in Harrogate is to be refurbished and turned into a co-working space.

The property on Station Parade was built in 1847 and known as the Royal Hotel in the Victorian era.

It has been used as offices since the 1960s.

The building has been leased by Wizu Workspace, a Leeds-based company that operates six co-working spaces in Leeds, Sheffield and Bradford. It said it plans to spend “a six-figure sum” refurbishing the building.

Wizu has a membership model where customers pay a monthly fee to use their offices on demand.

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Tom Almas, chief executive of Wizu, said it had expanded into Harrogate as the company believes there is an undersupply of modern office space in the town.

He said:

“We’re excited to bring something truly unique to Harrogate, creating a blend of sleek modern interiors mixed with historic period features to provide an impressive place to work.

“We chose Harrogate due to the undersupply of modern, flexible office space in the town and saw an opportunity to bring our popular, all-inclusive model to businesses.”

“The building itself is incredible. It’s in a prominent central location with stunning views of The Stray and just a few minutes from the train station and major road links – making it an attractive, accessible space to run a successful business from.”

Follifoot business park appeals expansion plan refusal

The owners of a business park in Follifoot have appealed a decision to refuse permission to expand onto green belt land.

Harrogate Borough Council rejected a plan to build two new buildings on Follifoot Ridge Business Park, which would have created space for five commercial units.

The development would have sat next to existing units (pictured above) previously allowed because they were classed as farm conversions.

The owners of the park said the new units would help to meet demand from businesses for more space.

Kim Eastwood, a planning agent for the business park, told the council in June that the development would have little impact on the area because the green belt land is already surrounded by existing units.

However, the council’s planning committee rejected the proposal. In its reason for refusal, the authority said:

“The application site is not considered previously developed land. The proposal is therefore inappropriate development which, by definition, is harmful to the green belt and it would also result in some limited harm to the openness of the green belt.

“Although the proposal would bring economic benefits it is not considered that ‘very special circumstances’ exist that clearly outweigh the potential harm to the green belt by reason of inappropriateness and the impacts on openness.”

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In its statement of case, the business park’s planning agent, ID Planning, said the development was not “inappropriate” and that it disagreed with the council’s conclusion.

It said:

“The appellant disagrees with the reason for refusal based on the development being inappropriate as the site is not brownfield land.

“The appellant considers that the site is brownfield land but notwithstanding this considers the development comprises limited infilling.”

How the business park would look with the commercial units built on the green belt land.

How the business park would look with the commercial units built on the green belt land.

It added that the scheme had economic benefits and would not have an “impact on the openness of the green belt”.

“The development provides clear economic benefits set out in full in the planning statement and supported and acknowledged by the local planning authority which further support the appellants case for planning permission to be granted.”

A government planning inspector will make a decision on the plan at a later date.

Collinsons brothers win ‘Golden Teddies’ for toy industry work

Two Harrogate brothers who have carried on the work of their grandfather and father have won a top award for their lifetime of work in the toy industry.

Many people in the Harrogate district will have fond memories of Collinsons toy shops in Ripon and Harrogate. Although those shops are long gone, two brothers are still self-confessed ‘toy boys’.

Mark and Paul Collinson got involved in the industry early on at seven-year-olds when their father Ian Collinson showed them the ropes.

After working in the retail side of the business for several years, the brothers moved into the sales side, where they have worked for decades with national and international brands.

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Now with around 43 years in the toy industry under their belts, Mark and Paul have won the British Toy & Hobby Association’s coveted Golden Teddy Award.

Inaugurated in 2001, the Golden Teddy awards are for people who have served the industry for more than 15 years and go over and above expectations.

The pair, who have launched major brands like Funko and VTech, were presented with the award at Orchid Restaurant in Harrogate last week. Mark told the Stray Ferret:

“We were both humbled to receive the award. It’s not like us to shout about our work but we are at the end of our careers now and are proud to look back.

“There are lots of people in Harrogate and Ripon over a certain age who still have fond memories of our father’s and grandfather’s shop.

“Back then going to the toy shop was a rare treat for children. The industry has changed massively over the years but young children still have that love for play.”

Toys galore!

Collinsons in the Harrogate district

Fred Collinson opened the first shop in Ripon selling sportswear, toys and leather goods in 1952.

His son, and Mark and Paul’s father, Ian Collinson furthered the family name when he opened a toy shop called Collinsons on James Street, Harrogate in 1972.

An advert, which can be seen in Harrogate Library, said “two whole floors of toys, boxed games and books make Collinsons a veritable children’s (and parents) paradise.”

Ian Collinson died of cancer at 66-years-old in 2001. His sons Mark and Paul eventually went into the sales side of the toy industry and now, after 43 years, they have won a Golden Teddy Award.

Both Mark and Paul are nearing the end of their careers but Paul’s son William Collinson is keeping the tradition alive. He is now the general manager in the UK for the Zuru Toy Company.

Harrogate doctor’s surgery defends parking fines

The practice manager of Kingswood Surgery on Wetherby Road has said it’s necessary to issue parking fines for its car park to deter non-patients from using it.

Kingswood Surgery and Well Pharmacy are separate entities that happen to share the same building called Kingswood Medical Centre.

On Tuesday, the Stray Ferret reported how a woman collecting a prescription at Well Pharmacy was fined £100 for parking longer than the allowed 15 minutes of free parking for non-patients of the surgery.

Shirley Hopkinson said the short time period was unfair on people collecting prescriptions when the pharmacy was busy.

However, Liz Walker, practice manager at Kingswood Surgery, said patients of the surgery, rather than visitors to the pharmacy, had priority for the car park.

Difficult to park

Ms Walker told the Stray Ferret the car park has been managed by a private company for four-and-a-half years.

The company, called Civil Enforcement, was brought in because visitors and staff at nearby Harrogate Hospital would use the car park for extended periods of time, making it difficult for patients at the surgery to find a place to park.

Ms Barker said:

“We were therefore left with no option but to introduce the current system.”

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Ms Barker said that signs explaining the rules were well advertised and understood, and patients of the surgery were “very supportive” of the arrangements.

“Any patient or visitor to our site can benefit from unlimited free parking through a simple car registration process on entering our reception area. We would not wish to make any changes that would have a detrimental impact on our patients’ ability to access appointments at the surgery.”

She added that the current system of fining non-patients who use the car park for longer than 15 minutes would not be changing.

“Following the publication of your article, we consulted our Patient Group who agreed that they would not like to see any changes to the current arrangements.”

Harrogate council billed NHS £3 million for Nightingale costs

Harrogate Borough Council billed the NHS more than £3 million in costs associated with Harrogate’s Nightingale Hospital.

Set up at the council-owned Harrogate Convention Centre in April last year at a cost of £27 million, the hospital did not treat a single covid patient during the pandemic. But it was used to provide CT scans to non-coronavirus patients.

Following the rollout of the vaccination programme, the 500-bed hospital was decommissioned in March this year.

Although the local authority did not charge the health service rent, it did invoice them for other related costs.

Figures from Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust show a total of £3,004,634 was billed to the trust during the time the Nightingale was in place.

Invoices between £124,000 and £375,000 a month were made by the council.

A spokesperson for Harrogate Borough Council confirmed the payments were for utility bills, business rates and building insurance.

Nightingale payments to council since April 2020:

April, May, June: £378,220

July: £353,279

August: £144,583

September: £161,518

October: £124,449

November: £359,968

December: £361,657

2021

January: £372,152

February: £373,479

March: £375,329

As previously reported, the health service also paid consultancy firm KPMG £922,899 to help set up the Harrogate Nightingale.

NHS documents revealed Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust paid the company the sum during the first three months of the hospital being in place.

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During the pandemic, the government earmarked £3 billion of funding to support the seven Nightingale hospitals across the country.

‘A costly PR stunt’

While it was heralded as a “tremendous success” by local councillors, the lack of use of the Nightingale proved to be contentious and prompted calls for an inquiry.

Harrogate councillor Jim Clark, who sits on the West Yorkshire Joint Health Scrutiny Committee, proposed an investigation into the hospital in order to “learn lessons” from the matter.

Cllr Clark also suggested using the hospital for other medical reasons, such as routine operations, flu jabs and patient recuperation.

Meanwhile, Lord Newby, the Liberal Democrat leader in the House of Lords, who lives in Ripon, has described the Nightingale as a “costly PR stunt” and said it should have been closed months before it was decommissioned.

Call to make Valley Gardens colonnade safer after horror fall

A grandmother has called on Harrogate Borough Council to fix uneven paving slabs in Valley Gardens after she fell and suffered a broken arm, busted lip and bruising to her face.

Jane Blayney, who is a former chair of Friends of Valley Gardens and a former district and county councillor, tripped two weeks ago at the entrance of the Sun Colonnade by Cornwall Road.

Ms Blaney lives nearby and was in shock after the incident but a neighbour, who is a doctor at Leeds General Infirmary, took her to Harrogate District Hospital’s emergency department.

She is concerned that many of the elderly residents who live around Valley Gardens may trip and suffer even more serious injuries than she did.

She said:

“I looked like I’d been in a boxing match with Muhammad Ali.

“A lot of older people like me walk in Valley Gardens. For some of them it could have been much worse.”

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Ms Blayney reported the fall to the council, which has put cones and tape around some of the slabs but Ms Blayney thinks they are insufficient. She had hoped it would have done more to make the entrance safe.

With an artisan Christmas market taking place in Valley Gardens this weekend, Ms Blaney wants to see the council fix the slabs to make sure nobody else trips.

The Stray Ferret saw several uneven paving stones up and down the Sun Colonnade when we visited the site today.

Uneven paving slabs at the Sun Colonnade

Ms Blayney added:

“I want safety and I don’t want it to happen to anyone else.”

A council spokesman said:

“We’re sorry to hear Mrs Blayney had a fall in Valley Gardens and we wish her a speedy recovery.

“We plan on repairing the path in the new year when suitable replacement materials become available. Until this time, we have placed cones to warn people to avoid this section.

“We have a programme of works to improve the Sun Colonnades in Valley Gardens, which includes new lighting and steam cleaning the paving. We have also surveyed the whole area and, if required, will be undertaking further works to repair the path.

“Anyone who spots any uneven paving in our parks should get in touch with us so we can carry out any repair work.”

Revealed: route for Harrogate’s free Christmas road train

A free road train will take visitors around Harrogate from Friday, just in time for the two town centre Christmas markets.

The Candy Cane Express will stop at James Street, St Mary’s Walk and Crescent Road. It will also pass Montpellier Hill, Cheltenham Parade, Station Parade and Victoria Avenue.

Face masks are advised on the road train, which will operate from December 3 to 12. Face masks are also advised around both markets.

The train route will take in the sights of the Christmas lights, Christmas shop window displays, Christmas rides and Santa’s postbox.

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It’s all part of the council’s drive to get people into the town centre to support the new fayre and the artisan market in Valley Gardens, which will also stimulate high street businesses.

Excitement has been building since the Christmas rides started in the town centre last month. This week stalls for the Christmas fayre appeared in the town centre.

A map of the Christmas road train.

When are the town centre Christmas markets?

Harrogate Christmas Fayre, which the council is running in partnership with Market Place Europe, will be open between 10am and 7pm Monday to Wednesday, 10am and 9pm Thursday to Saturday, and 10am and 4.30pm on Sunday.

The market will take place on Cambridge Street, Market Place, Station Square and Cambridge Crescent and will provide gifts and mouth-watering treats for people to enjoy as they wander around, taking in the sights and sounds.

Around 50 traders will take part in the fayre.

In addition, Little Bird Made is set to hold a festive artisan market in Harrogate’s Valley Gardens this Saturday and Sunday, with times to be confirmed.

The artisan market will feature approximately 60 local and regional traders and producers who will sell a variety of festive arts and crafts, clothing, homeware, jewellery, as well as food and drink.

Great Yorkshire Showground aiming to give 20,000 booster vaccines

The Great Yorkshire Showground vaccine site in Harrogate is aiming to give 20,000 covid booster jabs in two weeks.

It was revealed yesterday the site would re-open on Monday and that people eligible for booster jabs could now book appointments using the NHS booking service.

The showground clinics are being run by Yorkshire Health Network, an organisation which represents GP practices in the Harrogate district.

The site was scheduled to be open until December 22 but the Stray Ferret understands it could now continue to operate until March as the government bids to speed up the vaccine programme. However, this has yet to be confirmed.

In addition to the showground site, eligible patients can continue to get booster jabs from other locations in the Harrogate district, including Ripon racecourse, Homecare Pharmacy site in Chain Lane, Knaresborough and the Memorial Hall in Pateley Bridge.

Dr Cath Dixon, executive chair and clinical lead of Yorkshire Health Network, said: 

“Firstly, I want to say thank you to the teams at the Yorkshire Event Centre for their stellar support, along with the ranks of vaccinators, clinic staff and volunteers who are incredibly dedicated and help make this all possible.

“I’m delighted we’ve been able to secure this additional capacity to deliver the vaccination programme in the Harrogate district, with a range of options now available for patients.”

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Heather Parry, managing director of Yorkshire Event Centre, added: 

“We are proud to play a part in the drive to ensure the nation stays safe against covid, by supporting the NHS as we have done throughout the pandemic.”

The government announced yesterday that vaccinations will be offered to all adults over-18 and the gap between a second dose and booster would be cut to three months.

However, the NHS is currently still only offering appointments to over-40s. The NHS has advised people to wait to be contacted for booster appointments.

The move comes as 17.8 million booster vaccines have been given nationally, according to government data.

No figures are currently available for the number given in the Harrogate district.