Local Harrogate News & Views around the district - Page 931 of 1114

Harrogate businesses to grill council leader over town’s future

Businesses owners are set to grill Harrogate council’s leader over concern about the future of the town centre.

Cllr Richard Cooper will join an online meeting of the Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce tonight, which is expected to see questions on reopening plans, sustainable transport and the town’s future.

Business owners have been left concerned over the direction of the town amid various proposals for sustainable transport and council measures to support traders reopening, which includes a buy a bike scheme.

It comes as Harrogate Borough Council revealed a plan to help retail and hospitality reopen from today as part of the Government’s “roadmap” out of lockdown.

The blueprint includes a “Buy Local By Bike” scheme and a “London Tube style” app that aims to urge shoppers to get cycling and support businesses around Harrogate and Knaresborough.

But Sandra Doherty, chair of the chamber of commerce, said the plans have left businesses “bemused” about the focus on cyclists.

She said:

“It seems unrealistic to focus just on cyclists. It should have been a much broader offering.”

Further measures include shops being allowed to stay open until 10pm and pavement licences, which form part of national measures.

Cllr Richard Cooper, leader of Harrogate Borough Council.

Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service previously, Cllr Cooper said he was optimistic ahead of lockdown being relaxed but added it must be in a safe way.

He said:

“All the statistics we see show infections and hospitalisations heading in the right direction because of the effect the vaccine is having coupled with the lockdown.

“I know it has been the toughest year for business. We all know that. That is why we should all make that extra effort to shop locally where possible and to choose a local retailer where we can, if we are shopping online.”

But Ms Doherty said business owners will want to ask the council leader what the town as a whole will look like in future.

Local business organisations, such as Harrogate BID and Independent Harrogate, have already expressed concern over the £7.9million Station Gateway plan, which could see more cycle routes and pedestrianisation of James Street.

The project is being led by North Yorkshire County Council, the borough council and West Yorkshire Combined Authority.

Ms Doherty said of the chamber’s members:

“They will be asking what benefits this will bring the to the town.

“Most businesses will be looking to the future. It would be nice to see where Harrogate council are hoping to go.”

The Stray Ferret asked Andrew Jones, MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, how he would be supporting the town ahead of reopening but did not receive a response.

Bilton by-election: every candidate announced

All the candidates have been named for the Bilton & Nidd Gorge county council by-election on May 6.

The election is taking place following the death of Liberal Democrat Geoff Webber.

The six candidates are all hoping to join Conservative Paul Haslam as the second North Yorkshire County Council councillor for the ward.

The Conservatives, Liberal Democrats, Labour and the Yorkshire Party all said on Friday that they would pause campaigning as a mark of respect for Prince Phillip.

The candidates are below:

Liberal Democrats

Andrew Kempston-Parkes has previously served as a councillor for Bilton on Harrogate Borough Council. He is a local businessman and is the managing director of a chartered surveying firm.

He said:

“The Bilton & Nidd Gorge division is a very special community to me. As Bilton’s councillor, I worked hard to not only protect green space, but also to invest in it.”

Conservatives

Cllr Matt Scott has represented the Bilton Woodfield ward on Harrogate Borough Council since 2018 and works in Harrogate and Knaresborough Conservative MP Andrew Jones’ office. He has lived in Bilton all his life.

He said:

“I will work hard to ensure we continue to have great schools, safe neighbourhoods and that our valuable green spaces remain untouched.”

Harrogate & District Green Party

Arnold Warneken was a Green HBC councillor in the 1990s and went to school in Bilton. He is a partner in an organic horticulture & food distribution business.

He said:

“Local councils must have our climate in mind as we build the economy back after Covid.”

Labour

Tyler Reeton is the youngest candidate at 19 years old and lives in Bilton. He works in retail and recently set up a community Facebook page for the Bilton area.

He said:

“I’m young but it doesn’t mean I have any less passion for the area.”

Yorkshire Party

John Hall has lived in Yorkshire all his life and moved to the Harrogate area over 6 years ago.

He said:

“Unfortunately, the party does not yet have a Biltonian which I appreciate would have been an advantage. So I have a lot of catching up to do. However, if elected this will be easily overcome by working closely with the community.”

Independent

Harvey Alexander is standing as an independent. He contested the Bilton Woodfield HBC seat for UKIP in 2018.

The Conservative-controlled county council currently has 53 Conservative councillors, four Labour councillors and four representing the Liberal Democrats. There are also eight North Yorkshire Independent and three independent councillors.

When the Bilton & Nidd Gorge seat was last run in 2017, Conservative Paul Haslam and Liberal Democrat Geoff Webber won the ward’s two seats with 1,618 and 1,414 votes respectively.

Liberal Democrat Mark McDermid came third with 1,285 votes and Conservative Graham Swift was fourth with 1,207 votes.

Saint Michael’s and Cancer Research UK shops reopen locally

Saint Michael’s Hospice and Cancer Research UK‘s charity shops in the Harrogate district will be opening their doors next week as they try to recover from financial losses during the pandemic.

The two charities rely heavily on money raised from the shops and are eager to reopen once more.

For local charity Saint Michael’s, most of its shops will reopen on Monday, while those in Boroughbridge, Knaresborough, Jennyfield Drive and 149 King’s Road in Harrogate are reopening on Tuesday.

Donations can be dropped off on Tuesdays and Fridays each week but customers are advised to call the shop beforehand.

The donation drop-off point on Hookstone Wood Road is no longer in operation.

Saint Michael’s chief executive Tony Collins said:

“We’re pleased that our shops will now begin to reopen their doors from next Monday, giving those across the Harrogate district the opportunity to purchase a range of preloved items.

“Stringent health and safety measures will be in place in each of our shops, with the safety of our community, staff and volunteers at the forefront of our reopening plans.”

The Harrogate, Knaresborough and Ripon Cancer Research UK stores also hope to welcome back plenty of customers to boost their finances.

The charity has predicted its fundraising income will decline by £300million over the next three years, due to the pandemic.

Ripon’s Cancer Research UK shop is looking forward to welcoming back shoppers

Anticipating a staycation boom, Cancer Research UK is asking for donations of men, women and children’s summer clothing. Any items can be dropped off in store.

Lisa Millett, Cancer Research UK spokesperson, said:

“Covid has hit us hard. That’s why we’re calling on everyone to please bag up and bring in any unwanted items.

“Right now, we need quality clothing, shoes, homewares, accessories and books to help keep our tills – and bargain hunters – busy. Most important of all, the sale of these items helps to ensure we can keep making progress for people with cancer.”

Stray Views: Don’t turn the Stray into a beer garden

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. See below for details on how to contribute.

Don’t let the Stray become an uncontrolled beer garden

I am aware Harrogate Borough Council has said (subject to feedback from the Duchy of Lancaster) consideration is being given as to whether hospitality businesses can use limited parts of the Stray.

Whatever the proposal is, I object most strongly. When this was allowed last summer it was a most unpleasant experience having to battle your way through groups of people obviously influenced by alcohol.

The area of the Stray in question on Montpellier Parade looked a disgrace and gave the wrong impression of Harrogate. We do not want a proliferation of tables and chairs all over Montpelier Stray or indeed any part of West Park Stray.

Will the free and unhindered use and access to those parts of the Stray still be allowed for all and not just restricted to customers frequenting those particular outlets? And what about those that cannot expand onto the Stray?

The council should honour and uphold the purpose of the Stray Act. If it is ignored this time then it will inevitably happen again, which will open up a can of worms. Why should some hospitality outlets be treated differently to others who do not have such opportunities?

The Stray Act is in place for a good reason to safeguard the Stray against encroachment from all quarters. It protects and limits the use of the Stray so that it remains an intrinsic and a unique asset of community value for the benefit of the town and its visitors as a whole.

It is not for commercial exploitation and benefit by a limited few, especially as some uncontrolled beer garden.

What is the point of a law if it is broken when it becomes inconvenient to an individual or certain parties, including local authorities?

Why is the council therefore seeking a consultation on the interpretation of a law which is already in place? Is the council, as custodian of the Stray, incapable of making such a management decision?

Barry Adams, Harrogate

Consider making Parliament Street in Harrogate two-way

As a transport and distribution professional of over 50 years experience, it is obvious that one traffic lane on Station Road is going to massively slow traffic on this major Harrogate throughway. Two lanes are vital and an ageing population is hardly likely to be encouraged to bike to and through the town.

The problems will not be solvable until another way through the centre is opened up and perhaps looking at making Parliament Street two-way should at least be considered. With Debenhams going it is no longer the main street in Harrogate and two-way traffic would be the cheapest of all solutions.

Brian Hicks, Pateley Bridge

Councillor’s ‘wild’ covid death claims are inaccurate

Regarding the wild claims by this councillor, based on his experience as a funeral director:

1 Does he not know that the excess death figure is a verifiable guide as to how many deaths were from covid, not only for the UK but for every country in the world that records those statistics [most of them]?

2 There may be more — because influenza hospitalisations have dropped dramatically — as well as other illnesses. Hence associated deaths will have dropped.

3 Car accident deaths are very likely to have dropped because of months of lockdown.

Therefore the figure is likely to be actually more than the excess death rate.

Teresa Liddell Shepherd, Harrogate

Got 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.

Venues call for recruits as outdoor dining hots up

Hotels and restaurants in the Harrogate district are hiring new staff as bookings roll in ahead of the reopening tomorrow.

As of April 12, hospitality venues are allowed to open their outdoor seating areas, with many already fully booked.

During the pandemic the hospitality industry took a large hit, with forced closures spanning many months.

As well as the extra hands needed to meet demand, new staff have been brought in to replace those who left to find work elsewhere.

Wayne Topley, managing director of Cedar Court Hotels, said the company has been recruiting for months. The Harrogate hotel’s outdoor Tipi already has 150 bookings for the first few days of trade:

“We have a loyal team of great people who we are proud to say have ‘weathered the storm’ with us, but now as our hotel looks to reopen we are truly excited to be going out to market to find even more great people.

“We have been recruiting and we still are for the months ahead. It’s a great time to join our team to be part of something pretty special.”

Gill Richardson, landlady of The Bull Inn in West Tanfield, also said she was hoping to recruit more team members to manage the extra covid safety requirements facing pubs and restaurants over the coming months.

“We do need extra staff, we lost a few team members over the pandemic and policing the new guidelines will be difficult without more help.

“We’re nervous to open because it’s been so long but once we’ve got into the swing of things it’ll be really exciting.”

Martin Greenhow, managing director of MOJO group, said the company has lost some employees and would be hiring for the busy period.

“We are expecting this to be a very busy time and are really optimistic about the summer. But we will need to hire a number of new employees to cope with not only the loss of previous employees, but also to cope with table service requiring more staff and managing guidelines in a safe way.”

Image gallery: Harrogate pays its respects to Prince Phillip

Union Jack flags across the Harrogate district have been flown at half-mast today as a mark of respect for Prince Philip.

These include at the Army Foundation College on Pennypot Lane and Harrogate Borough Council’s offices on Knapping Mount.

Harrogate Town players also observed a minute’s silence before their game away at Bolton Wanderers this afternoon.

Harrogate Borough Council flies flag at half-mast.

Harrogate Borough Council’s Civic Centre.

The Army Foundation College

Burnt Yates

Ripley

North Yorkshire County Council

Harrogate Town players observed a minutes silence in Bolton this afternoon. Credit – Matt Kirkham

Image gallery: Prince Philip in the Harrogate district through the years

The Duke of Edinburgh had a long association with the Harrogate district and made several visits over many decades.

These included a visit to the Majestic Hotel in 1949 with the future Queen, and a trip to the newly constructed Conference Centre in 1982.

Thanks to local historian Malcolm Neesam for providing us with some of these images.

Did you ever meet Prince Philip during one of his visits or through the Duke of Edinburgh awards? Get in touch at contact@thestrayferret.co.uk

Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip at the Majestic Hotel in 1949. Credit: Walker-Neesam archive

Visiting Harrogate Railway Station on July 10 1957 with the Queen. Credit: Walker-Neesam archive.

The Duke of Edinburgh at the Conference Centre on March 26, 1982. Credit: Walker-Neesam archive.

Visiting Knaresborough’s Working Men’s Club in 1998. Credit – the BBC.

The Queen and Prince Philip pictured in Ripon.

The Queen and Prince Philip in Ripon in 2004 commemorating the 400th anniversary of the city’s royal charter.

Prince Philip and the Queen at the Great Yorkshire Show in 2008.

Hot tub industry bubbles up as lockdown eases

The hot tub industry expects to see another boom as the national stay-at-home order is lifted, and firms in Harrogate are already getting booked up.

As of March 29, the rule of six was reintroduced, allowing two households or six people from different households to meet outdoors.

Since people have been allowed to share their gardens with friends and family once more, hot tubs have been in huge demand.

Hot tub hiring businesses have become a big part of garden entertainment.

Bubble & Chic Hot Tub Hire in Harrogate was only established last month after owner Janie Carr decided to change career due to the pandemic.

Since its first booking on March 25, inquiries have not stopped. Ms Carr said:

“I posted an advertisement on a Facebook group on Thursday and by Friday I was inundated with bookings for the next four months. I even have full bookings for August bank holiday already.”

However, starting a new business during the grip of a pandemic is not without its challenges. She added:

“Lockdown has massively impacted the garden entertainment industry as I have been unable to get stock to hire out. A particular gazebo I use to put over the hot tub has been out of stock for months and others seem to be out of stock or have long delivery times.”

Harrogate Hot Tubs has encountered the same issue, with products to clean the hot tubs increasing in price. But this hasn’t stopped the Jacuzzi boom.

Paul Underwood, owner of the business, said:

“We had around four bookings in January 2020, this January we had over 100. Lockdown has definitely increased business for us, almost six-fold.

“We’ve had to turn down over 100 bookings since January as we’re fully booked, but we are expecting to see a further increase of bookings in summer with people maybe not wanting to go on holiday.”

Stained glass artist a Harrogate ‘hidden gem’

While it is nice to look at the world through rose coloured glasses it is even better to look through a unique piece of stained glass. It is painstaking work in more than one sense of the word but this Harrogate artist loves what she does.

Caryl Hallett Stained Glass, which is tucked away just off Starbeck’s high street in Spa Studios, has always used traditional methods but she uses them to create bright, colourful and contemporary pieces.

It takes many hours, lots of artistic flare and even more plasters to cover up cuts to get the finished result. Her work normally goes into homes but her ode to the Tour de France is an eyecatching feature on Montpellier Hill for all to see.

She loves to create stained glass but as a former teacher Caryl wants to spend more time helping others to learn this lost art. Coronavirus has of course curtailed her classes but she is keen to bring them back at the end of June.

But coronavirus has also meant that as people spend more time at home they want to make some improvements and many have turned to Caryl. She currently has a backlog as a result of closing in the first lockdown and increased demand.

Caryl was one of the first artists in the Spa Studios hub on Spa Lane, Starbeck. The hub aims to offer an affordable space for small businesses to help give them a boost and a space to collaborate. She told the Stray Ferret:

“Often in partnerships or couples there will be one who is really keen to have it because they have seen my work but they mention it to their partner who immediately thinks ‘boring, dull, dark’.

“So we have a a chat and I send them over some examples then they come over to the studio and they realise it is an added jewel to the house.

“I tend to do bespoke work for people who want something beautiful in their home.

“It is the kind of craft that just engages you and never leaves you alone. People find it tricky but they love what they produce.

“So many people come and it feels like therapy because they are so involved in the process. It can be exhausting but they enjoy working with their hands. It is sad that I have not been able to do that so I am looking forward to that.”

This is part of the Stray Ferret’s ‘hidden gem’ series, highlighting small, independent businesses. They need to be tucked away but growing in popularity with an eye-catching and unique product or approach. Send us an email with your nominations.

District breweries ready to deliver as bars reopen

Breweries across the Harrogate district are revving up their supply chains for bars and restaurants ahead of the reopening on Monday.

The closure of hospitality meant many local brewers moved their focus towards online sales and targeted people enjoying a drink or two in their gardens during lockdown.

But from Monday, large orders are set to ramp up once again as restaurant bookings soar to satisfy eager customers.

Aron McMahon, co-owner of Turning Point Brewery in Knaresborough, was “amazed” after orders returned to pre-covid numbers. He said:

“We’ve definitely had an upturn in orders for kegs and casks, which is great. It’s just great to be brewing casks again after not doing it for so long.

“Over lockdown we were delivering kegs and casks every couple of weeks but now with the reopening it’s much more frequent. It’s amazing – orders for next week look like they did pre-covid.”

The rise in orders also means the business can look ahead to bringing staff back to full-time hours.

Currently most of them are on flexi-furlough, but Mr McMahon is hopeful that if the roadmap stays on track, all employees will be back to full-time hours by the end of the year.

Similarly, in Harrogate, Roosters Brewery has also seen a rise in orders due to the reopening.

Ian Fozard, director at the brewery, said:

“We’ve had nothing substantial, but orders are coming in and we are very encouraged by what we have seen so far. It’s definitely a step forward.

“We are expecting more orders in the coming weeks, but we won’t know the extent of the damage to some businesses just yet.”

Read more:

Read more:

Read more:

Don’t let the Stray become an uncontrolled beer garden

Consider making Parliament Street in Harrogate two-way

Councillor’s ‘wild’ covid death claims are inaccurate

Read more:

Read more:

Read more:

Read more:

Read more: