Stray Views: Road safety concerns about new Tesco

Stray Views is a weekly column giving you the chance to have your say on issues affecting the Harrogate district. It is an opinion column and does not reflect the views of the Stray Ferret. Send your views to letters@thestrayferret.co.uk.

New Tesco would require safer roundabout

With reference to your article on the Stray Ferret relating to the proposed new Tesco on Skipton Road.

I am in full agreement with the construction of a new roundabout in order to enter and exit the new Tesco superstore.

However, the existing roundabout on the Skipton Road/Ripon Road must be made safe. The introduction of traffic lights is an immediate priority and a must when traffic to the new Tesco store increases significantly.

There is a serious accident(s) waiting to happen at this roundabout due to the excessive speed motorists negotiate it.

David James, Harrogate

Where is the overall plan for all these new homes?

Your article calling for improved safety for children walking to school in Starbeck will come as no surprise to residents of Kingsley Road, Bogs Lane and connected streets.

Local action groups have been trying to get improvements to this dangerous narrow road for many years. At the root of the problem are Harrogate Borough Council’s planning and North Yorkshire Council’s highways departments, which between them have shown gross incompetence in not resolving the issue before any developments were allowed.

Four different developers are building on up to six different adjacent sites off Kingsley Road and Kingsley Drive. At present 268 houses are being built, with applications for a further 363 in the pipeline, a potential total of 631 new builds.

As long ago as April 2017, when the Kingsley Meadows development by Barratt Homes was allowed, mention was made in the report of the issue and the need to establish a footpath, indeed on the approved plans a footpath construction was included as part of the permission.

I am astonished that such a major development has not been subject to an overall plan, providing benefits for existing residents, whose concerns have been totally ignored.

Rather than dealing with each adjacent application individually, an overall plan needed to be put into place to improve existing inadequate roads, minimise disruption to existing residents by providing services to developments in one go, rather than several road digging up exercises. Elected councillors have a lot to answer for in not dealing with the issues.

Mr Daren Leeming is right to be concerned for his children’s safety. I sincerely hope that no-one will be injured on this road.

Brian Souter, Kingsley Road resident

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Ripon seats need improving

As a new resident in lovely Ripon, please could Harrogate Borough Council arrange for the seats on the Market Square to be treated before the winter?

Some of them are looking really bad and will continue to deteriorate if not looked at soon.

Thanks for the Stray Ferret. Excellent organisation etc.

John A. Roberts, Ripon

Do you have an opinion on the Harrogate district? Email us at letters@thestrayferret.co.uk. Please include your name and approximate location details. Limit your letters to 350 words. We reserve the right to edit letters.

 

How meeting air quality targets could get tougher for Harrogate

The challenge of meeting safe air quality standards in Harrogate is set to get tougher after the World Health Organisation slashed its limits and warned key pollutants are even more dangerous than previously thought.

In its first revision to the standards in 15 years, the WHO on Wednesday released new guidelines which mean the UK’s legal limits for the most harmful pollutants are now four times higher than the maximum levels recommended.

This is after new research found air pollution from areas including vehicle exhausts and gas central heating is having a big impact on health, even at lower concentrations.

While not legally binding, the WHO guidelines are used as reference tools by policymakers around the world and will have an impact on how legal limits are set in the future.

In June, Harrogate Borough Council released its annual air quality report for 2020, which showed all 63 monitoring locations across the district fell below the previous limit of 40 micrograms of annual nitrogen dioxide per cubic metre of air.

But now that the WHO has slashed the limit to 10, just two locations would meet the new guidelines.

Air pollution experts have said reaching these reduced limits would be extremely difficult and not achievable for decades, if at all.

Council ‘optimistic’ it can still meet targets

Cllr Phil Ireland, cabinet member for carbon reduction and sustainability at Harrogate Borough Council, said there are still reasons for optimism that progress can be made in the fight against global warming.

He said: 

“Following the latest guidelines from the WHO, we await further guidance from government on how these will inform the development of air quality targets.

“Improving air quality across the district is a key objective for Harrogate Borough Council and we have a number of actions as part of our air quality action plan.

“We are optimistic that the improvements in air quality will continue post-covid as many people have embraced a hybrid model of working at home and in the office.”

The UK government has yet to approve new legal limits on air pollution, with a bill currently being debated in the House of Lords.

Some reductions in the maximum safe levels are expected, but campaigners are urging ministers to act on the WHO advice and take stronger action.

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With pressure to tackle climate change only growing greater, the drive to cut carbon emissions from cars in Harrogate has gathered momentum recently with council officials pushing ahead with sustainable transport measures.

North Yorkshire County Council is behind schemes such as the low traffic neighbourhood on Harrogate’s Beech Grove and has more major projects planned, including the £10.9 million Station Gateway project and long-awaited Otley Road cycle path.

There is also talk of introducing a park and ride scheme, which would involve a shuttle bus service from Pannal, but detailed plans have yet to come forward.

Harrogate Borough Council has collaborated on some of these projects and also said it is tackling air quality through its ultra-low emission vehicle strategy and by working with HGV, bus and taxi providers to improve the quality of their fleet.

What do the new WHO guidelines say?

The WHO guidelines have been updated for the first time since 2006 and are in response to evidence of the damage air pollution inflicts on human health.

The guidelines recommend:

However, the WHO has stressed the new limits should not be considered to be safe, and that there is no level at which pollutants stop causing damage.

The WHO puts air pollution on a par with smoking and unhealthy eating, and has estimated it causes around 7 million deaths each year.

Harrogate protesters tell Philip Allott to go over Sarah Everard comments

Protesters braved the rain and wind in Harrogate today to call on North Yorkshire’s Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner (PFCC) to resign over his Sarah Everard comments.

The group gathered near the war memorial at 11.30am to coincide with a public engagement meeting organised by the PFCC’s office, which Mr Allott did not attend.

It comes after Mr Allott said in an interview with BBC Radio York that women “need to be street wise” and that Ms Everard “never should have submitted” to arrest.

Those comments sparked widespread anger. Mr Allott’s name trended on Twitter with calls for his resignation yesterday.

Less than 24 hours later a group of Harrogate residents waved placards and organised a petition to call on the PFCC to step down. They gathered more than 160 signatures in under an hour.

“The Police Fire and Crime Commissioner tells us not to trust the police.”

‘Police need to get to the root of the problem’

Margaret Smith, one of the protesters, told the Stray Ferret:

“I think his comments were totally unacceptable. It was an insult to all women to say that we should be more streetwise to stop this violence.

“It shows what he really thinks. His position is completely untenable, he should resign immediately. This protest should not be necessary.”

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Freya Kesteven also said:

“In my opinion a lot of violence against women and victim blaming starts in schools, I don’t think girls are safe at school.

“The behaviour is not challenged and I think it can lead to extreme incidents like the Sarah Everard case. So I felt awful reading Mr Allott’s comments.”

They urged people passing by to sign a petition.

Hannah Ruddy added:

“I was very, very shocked. I studied criminal law, I would say that I am intelligent and clued up, I keep myself safe. But I would have got in that car.

“What needs to happen is the police need to start getting to the root of all of this, they need to take complaints more seriously.”

A man at the protest who wanted to show support for Mr Allott, but did not wish to be named, said:

“I think the comments were made with good intent. I don’t think he was trying to demonise or victimise women.

“We all have to take more personal responsibility for our own safety. Like Mr Allott I am only saying that in the wider context, not for Sarah Everard’s case.”

More than 160 people signed the petition.

The Stray Ferret approached the PFCC’s office but it did not wish to comment on the protest today but pointed us back to Mr Allott’s apology on Twitter:

“I would like to wholeheartedly apologise for my comments on BBC radio York earlier today, which I realise have been insensitive and wish to retract them in full.”

Harrogate district continues to set new coronavirus rate record

The Harrogate district’s coronavirus seven day rate continues to climb after it hit a record high earlier this week.

According to latest Public Health England figures, the district average has increased to 580 cases per 100,000 people.

The North Yorkshire rate stands at 470 and the England average is 339.

However, just nine patients are being treated for coronavirus at Harrogate District Hospital. That number has remained much lower during previous waves before the vaccination programme.

No further deaths from patients who tested positive for coronavirus have been recorded at Harrogate District Hospital.

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Elsewhere, 128,232 people have received a first covid vaccine in the Harrogate district and 120,511 have had a second dose.

North Yorkshire’s director of public health, Louise Wallace, said this week that the spike in covid cases is down to “school-age children”.

She also said it was “quite unusual” that the county’s infection rate had climbed above the England average.

Organiser hails success of first event for Harrogate district climate festival

With therapy sheep, a passive house and plenty of environmental experts on hand – the organiser of the first event as part of the Harrogate district Climate Action Festival has hailed its success.

The three-week festival, which encourages local people to reduce climate damage, kicked off with an exhibition at Harrogate College on Hornbeam Park today.

More than 30 exhibitors were at the free event between 10am and 4pm with demonstrations, live music as well as vegetarian and vegan food.

Holly Hansen-Maughan, partnerships and development lead at the college, told the Stray Ferret:

“We have been extremely busy, people have been coming through the doors since the moment we opened despite the weather.

“The people attending have given us some fantastic feedback and our speakers were great, we hope it enourages people to take action.”

Step inside Pure Haus.

One of the big attractions at the event was a passive house, which Pure Haus built on site for the event. Kevin Pratt, a co-director at Pure Haus, also said:

“Our goal is to revolutionise the way houses are built in the region. There’s a lot of versatility with what we produce, I am really glad that we’re here today.

“There are a lot of misconceptions. There is a slight premium to the material but you get that back.”

On your bike!

Heather and John Rowe, who set up Resurrection Bikes, were on hand to fix up bikes and show off a specially-made cargo bike.

Mrs Rowe told the Stray Ferret:

“We have got this bike because lots of people go to the supermarket and make fairly short trips for a small amount of shopping and that is really bad for the environment.

“It’s bad for people’s health and for people’s wallets, especially with the petrol crisis. So if you have a cargo bike you can use pedal power to get to the shop.”

Tickets please!

Dale French, who was showing off an electric bus on behalf of Transdev and the Harrogate Bus Company. He said:

“I am here to show off our existing electric buses and also to say that we are investing in more electric buses, we want to electrify our Harrogate fleet.

“So this is step one in Harrogate. Then we need to start electrifying Leeds, Knaresborough and more.”

Meet Tiny and Dave.

Cath Wilson, who runs Corn Close Care Farm near Pateley Bridge, brought two sheep called Dave and Tiny to the event. She added:

“We have brought the sheep here today because they are part of our management of wildflower meadows, they graze the land and a byproduct is wool.

“Farming has earned a bit of a bad reputation with the environment. I think because we are small it’s easy for us to be sustainable.”

Is Harrogate’s Cold Bath Road getting busier?

The debate over whether walking and cycling schemes push traffic elsewhere in Harrogate has intensified over the last 12 months.

North Yorkshire County Council has implemented road closures, introduced a low traffic neighbourhood on Beech Grove and started work on a multi-million pound cycle route on Otley Road.

All of this is part of a push to get people out of their cars and on foot or to pick up a bike, the council says.

But some of the measures, such as Beech Grove, have proved contentious and led to petitions calling for them to be removed.

One of the most frequent criticisms of the county council is that these measures push traffic elsewhere.

This week, the Stray Ferret was told that the council’s cycling agenda has led to traffic building up on Cold Bath Road and made it unsafe for schoolchildren.

‘It’s no busier’

The closure of through traffic on Beech Grove is designed to link with the upcoming Otley Road cycle route, which started construction on its first phase this month.

According to the county council’s own figures, around three cyclists an hour use the LTN. However, campaigners argue that it is much more than that.

Some have gone as far as to sit on Beech Grove counting cyclists passing through themselves and reported 17 within an hour.

Valley Drive, which is closed to traffic from Cold Bath Road.

Valley Drive, which is closed to traffic from Cold Bath Road.

But critics say the by-product of the measure is the shifting of traffic elsewhere, namely onto Cold Bath Road.

The Stray Ferret went out to the road to check if it was busier.

Traffic built up at drop off and pick up times outside Western Primary School, nearby independent businesses and residential areas.

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Cars pulled into nearby streets as children waited patiently on the corner and other drivers tried to the negotiate the newly closed Valley Drive, which no longer allows entry from Cold Bath Road.

However, one business owner told the Stray Ferret that it was “not busier than usual” and it would have been noticeable had it been.

The sentiment, though, is not echoed by Western Primary School headteacher, Tim Broad.

Tim Broad is the headteacher of Western Primary School.

Mr Broad told the Stray Ferret that the road was busier due to Beech Grove and the Otley Road construction.

He said:

“I don’t feel that our children are as vulnerable now since the covid guidance has changed and we are no longer using our playground gate as an exit. 

“Drop off and collection are safer in that respect but obviously the busier the road, the bigger the threat to children.”

‘No increase’ in traffic, says highways boss

Much of the criticism for the introduction of these schemes comes back to the inbox of Cllr Don Mackenzie, executive county councillor for highways.

As is the case with politics, someone has to be accountable for proposals which affect peoples’ lives.

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Cllr Mackenzie has faced down emails and petitions from residents who no longer want the LTN because they say it makes Harrogate busier for traffic.

We put the concerns to Cllr Mackenzie over the increase in traffic on Cold Bath Road.

But, he said the authority had not seen any issues with traffic as a result of the measures brought in. Cllr Mackenzie said the highways department monitored traffic regularly.

Cllr Mackenzie said:

“Cold Bath Road is a very busy road and there is a lot going on there. We are mounting the traffic levels and we are seeing no increase.”

He added that a report on consultation responses into Beech Grove over the last six months is due to be published “in the coming weeks”.

Harrogate council criticised for approving Pannal “skyscraper”

Harrogate’s MP and residents have criticised the borough council for its “mistake” in approving plans for a controversial apartment block without a vote from councillors.

The plans to demolish the derelict Dunlopillo office building in Pannal to make way for a six-storey apartment block were this week approved at officer level and under rules called permitted development rights despite calls for an emergency meeting.

The decision not to call members of Harrogate Borough Council’s planning committee together for a vote has been criticised as “very wrong”.

However, the council has hit back saying it must follow rules under permitted development rights and that the calls for an emergency meeting were made too late.

A council spokesperson said:

“Proposals received under permitted development are different to applications made to us under the Planning Act.

“We receive notification from the developer and then have 56 days to check the submission and assess it. If we do not determine the application within 56 days, the proposal is deemed to have been given consent.

“In this instance, the request to consider the application was made too close to the target date to enable an emergency planning committee meeting to be arranged.”

Permitted development rights were introduced by the government to fast-track the conversion of empty buildings into homes. However, there have been criticisms over how much of a say residents and councillors have in the process.

Harrogate MP Andrew Jones previously said the Dunlopillo plans should not have been lodged under these rules and has now criticised the council for its “mistake” in approving the development in this way.

He said:

“Over the past eleven years as our area’s MP I have been extremely supportive of our local councils. I do think though in this instance the council has made a mistake in not putting this application before planning committee.

“The outcome may well have been the same; it may not.  That is not a matter for me but for elected members.

“It would though have given council officers the opportunity to demonstrate to councillors and the public the reasoning behind the decision they made.

“Whatever the outcome, surely this would have been a better way to deal with this particular application?”

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The plans from Otley-based Quattro Property Group include 48 flats for the Station Road site which has sat empty since Dunlopillo – which made pillows and mattresses – moved out in 2008.

The apartments will be split into two blocks – one with four storeys and another with six – and residents are fearful that the development will have a major visual impact on the area which has no other buildings of this type.

Resident Anne Smith said:

“We are going to be stuck with this skyscraper-type building. I honestly don’t know what Harrogate Borough Council are doing because there has been a lot of opposition to this.

“It would have been far fairer for the plans to have gone before councillors.

“We are extremely disappointed that this didn’t happen – this is all very wrong.”

Speculation Harrogate council leader will not seek re-election in 2022

Sources have told the Stray Ferret that Harrogate Borough Council leader Richard Cooper will stand down as a councillor next year and leave local government.

Multiple senior political figures have reported to us that the Conservative, who has been council leader since 2014, will not seek re-election when the Harrogate district next goes to the polls in May 2022.

He is expected to continue in his role as office manager for the Conservative MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, Andrew Jones.

With Harrogate Borough Council and North Yorkshire County Council set to be abolished and replaced by a new single authority for North Yorkshire, the number of councillors in the Harrogate district is likely to be halved from 40 to 20.

Cllr Cooper, who represents Harrogate Central, has been on Harrogate Borough Council since 1999.

In 2013, he was also elected to represent Harrogate Central on North Yorkshire County Council.

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Cllr Cooper has been at the helm during the borough council’s move from Crescent Gardens to the Civic Centre, the development of the Harrogate district Local Plan, which outlines where development can take place in the district, the staging of the 2019 UCI Road World Championships in Harrogate and proposals for a £47m redevelopment of Harrogate Convention Centre.

The Stray Ferret asked Cllr Cooper if he would like to comment on the speculation but he asked us to direct the inquiry to the Harrogate Borough Council press office.

However, the press office said it would not comment because it was a political matter for the Harrogate and Knaresborough Conservative Party.

Two men in Harrogate court after huge cannabis seizure

Two men appeared at Harrogate Magistrates Court today on drugs charges after police stopped a car filled with cannabis on the A1.

North Yorkshire Police said in a statement today that officers stopped a vehicle on the southbound carriageway of the A1(M) just before Wetherby at about 2pm yesterday. They were acting on information received.

Traffic officers and other specialist departments found large quantities of what is believed to be cannabis, class B drug, inside the vehicle.

The police statement said:

“Whilst searching the vehicle on the roadside, a very large quantity of what is suspected to be a class B drug, believed to be cannabis, was found inside the vehicle.

“Two men were arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply.

“Further detailed searches were carried out at an address in West Yorkshire.

“A man in his 30s from Leeds and a man in his 40s of no fixed address were remanded in custody and today appeared before magistrates in Harrogate.”

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Free event kicks off three-week Harrogate district climate festival

A free six-hour event on Hornbeam Park tomorrow will kick-off the first ever Harrogate district Climate Action Festival.

The three-week festival, which encourages local people to reduce climate damage, is being held in the run-up to the COP26 global climate change conference in Glasgow .

Thirty-two exhibitors will be at Harrogate College from 10am to 4pm for a day of demonstrations, discussions and activities. There will be live music on two stages, as well as vegetarian and vegan food.

Visitors can drop in whenever they like and see a model, energy efficient passive house that has been built on site and learn about how their homes and businesses can become more environmentally friendly.

Holly Hansen-Maughan, partnerships and development lead at the college, said the event would be a family-friendly way of engaging people in climate action.

She added there were plans for the festival to become an annual event.

The festival will be launched by the Mayor of Harrogate and there will also be speeches by Andy Shepherd, professor of earth observation at the University of Leeds and Andrew Jones, the Conservative MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough.

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