Harrogate College to offer extra support to new students

Harrogate College has put several measures in place for new students who will have had six months off from learning and for those who may not get the GCSE grades they need.

The further education college teaches vocational courses and BTEC qualifications. It’s concerned that many of its students arriving next month will have been away from a teaching environment for six months and may find returning to learning difficult.

The college is also providing additional teaching for students who need to pass their GCSE in maths and english for a particular course and hired more pastoral and counselling support staff.

Principal of the college, Danny Wild, said:

“We are expecting this cohort to do the same as what we’ve seen in the previous three or four years because the grades are assessed in the centres. There is a place for them here to get to where ever they want to be. We will help and support them in every way. If they haven’t received the grade they want we can put plans in place for them to start on a level two course.

“We always knew we’d have to put additional support in place after most students have had six months off. Regardless of their grades we are confident we have the right plans in place. This is just a small bump in the road for students they can get to where they want to be regardless of their grades.”

Harrogate college student

New and returning students can expect there to be new safety measures in place.

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The college is putting further measures in place to facilitate students hoping to begin an apprenticeship. The college has said some of its partner businesses are struggling to accept students within the current climate but hopes the government’s monetary incentives will encourage them to hire again.

When the college reopens a ‘bubble’ system will be in place to control the chances of coronavirus. Its measures should ensure that if there is a positive case the disruption will be limited to a small group of students and staff.

 

Turkish Baths Harrogate to reopen after five months

Turkish Baths Harrogate will reopen this week five months after the coronavirus pandemic forced its closure.

For now the baths will only be able to open for treatments on Friday. It is unclear when the sessions will get the green light.

A spokesperson for Turkish Baths Harrogate said that the sessions will remain closed for a “little while longer”.

The baths used the time to renovate its 123-year-old flooring. The council said it could have become dangerous.

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A report seeking retrospective approval for the work detailed how Harrogate Borough Council needed to spend close to £30,000.

In the report, the council said that the floor is showing signs of water egress, wear in grouted joints, and cracks in the terrazzo.

Harrogate Borough Council also launched a consultation into dropping single-sex sessions. Moving to mixed-sessions only would reflect “equality and balance,” according to the council.

Meanwhile, the historic venue is set to become part of a new local authority controlled company (LACC), along with the district’s pools and gyms, as part of an overhaul of leisure services.

Harrogate sports centre deep clean after coronavirus case

Harrogate Sport and Fitness Centre has reopened today after one of its members tested positive for coronavirus.

The centre on Hookstone Wood Road was forced to close this morning for a deep clean. The council and department of health gave it the green light to open at 12pm.

James Gaston, general manager at the centre, said:

“Thank you for your understanding and apologies for any inconvenience. We want to keep your club as safe as we possibly can.”

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He urged people who went to the gym on Friday to get a test and inform them of the results.

The fitness centre has a gym, four squash courts, a dance and fitness studio, two boules courts and a bar with balcony available for hire.

It follows the news that The Navigation Inn in Ripon closed after one of its customers reported a positive coronavirus test.

Communities must step in to save red phone boxes in Harrogate district

More than 30 phone boxes will be removed by BT unless communities come together to save them.

BT said it is considering the removal of 32 inactive booths across the Harrogate district, 22 of which are the traditional red style.

Three are under scrutiny in Harrogate, including one outside Harrogate District Hospital on Lancaster Park Road. Seven across Nidderdale are under consideration, including one on Pateley Bridge high street and one in Birstwith, along with a further 11 in Ripon.

A spokesperson for BT told the Stray Ferret:

“Most people now have a mobile phone and calls made from our public telephones have fallen by around 90 per cent in the past decade. The need for payphones in emergencies is also reducing as 98 per cent of the UK has either 3G or 4G coverage.

“As long as there’s network coverage from at least one network, it’s possible to call 999, even when there’s no credit or coverage from your own mobile provider.”

In some locations, including Greenhow Hill, BT said average monthly use of the bright red kiosks has fallen to zero. But many are worried the removal of the red kiosks will leave some vulnerable and a huge part of British heritage will be lost.

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Ripon city councillor Pauline McHardy said:

“All the councillors in Ripon agreed they could remove the modern plastic phone boxes but not the old-fashioned red ones. Ripon is a historic city and and they are a historic landmark.

“People presume everyone has a mobile phone but they don’t and there could be a situation where someone has to use the red telephone box. I would not like them removed and I’m sure that all the other councillors on Ripon city council would agree.”

BT is encouraging communities to keep the red telephone kiosks under its “adopt-a-kiosk” scheme, which costs £1 and lets community organisations, including councils and charities, transform the kiosks into defibrillator sites, mini libraries and more.

The firm said it is giving communities the chance to comment on their proposal. If councils or other groups apply to keep the kiosks, they will remain. The consultation will end on October 7.

Harrogate students ‘panicking about the future’ despite grades U-turn

The government U-turn on A level results has left local students with concerns about what the future holds.

The government has promised to reverse the standardisation process which saw an average of 37% of grades changed in the Harrogate district, and award the teachers’ assessed grades.

However, for students who lost their university place last week and will now have their grades increased, it could still be too late for them to access their chosen courses in September.

India Taylor, a former student of Harrogate Ladies’ College, said she received BCE on Thursday after Ofqual has changed her Spanish grade from a B to an E. She said:

“I felt completely broken when I received the email on Thursday morning. I had an unconditional offer to study psychology at Leeds Beckett but I was hoping to be able to ‘trade up’ and get into the University of Leeds. But none of the ones I wanted to go to said they would accept me with an E.

“I was planning on deferring a year in order to sort out the appeals process and potentially sit the exams but I am now waiting to hear back from universities following the announcement. I’m glad the government has decided they need a better method – it was unfair to judge people’s efforts based on those at the school before them.

“I think they still could have done more as many people were rejected by their firm choice university and have spent the days since Thursday panicking about the future.”

Harrogate Ladies' College

Student India Taylor is hopeful her teacher-assessed grades from Harroagte Ladies’ College will be good enough to get into her chosen university.

Mark Sellers, a retired teacher from Harrogate and a parent of an A-level student, has raised concerns for those students who had high predicted grades but the grades calculated by their teachers were much lower.

He said:

“My son’s school predicted him AAB but the centre assessed grade they sent to Ofqual was DCB. He can’t go to his favoured university in Newcastle but now he has to go back to study for exams in October.

“His school has now offered him support but others may not. Many modules weren’t finished and I am concerned that all those kids without the grades they wanted will struggle. They may fail again because they haven’t been given the help, they’re throwing them on the scrap heap.

“I sent a letter to my MP to let him know something has to be done, I want him to agree to raise it in the House of Commons for schools to provide the support to these kids. I believe schools have a moral obligation to help them; in a few years it’ll impact them and there will be mental health issues following this too.”

The Stray Ferret asked all local MPs for a comment, including Mr Sellers’ local MP Andrew Jones, but none had replied at the time of publication.

Stolen car crashed into wall in Jennyfields

A silver Vauxhall Astra crashed into a wall on Bramham Drive in Harrogate this morning after being stolen from a nearby home.

Burglars took the keys from a house on Columbine Grove and, after crashing, made off on foot.

North Yorkshire Police is investigating and asked anyone with doorbell or dashcam footage to email CIDHarrogate@northyorkshire.pnn.police.uk.

Officers have also issued advice to residents to double check their doors and windows are locked at night, keep car keys out of sight and reach, and to look out for neighbours and call 101 if anyone is acting suspiciously in the area. Burglaries in progress can be reported by calling 999. For more information about two-in-one burglaries, visit www.northyorkshirepolice.uk/2in1burglary.

A North Yorkshire Police spokesman said:

“Whilst burglaries of this nature are uncommon in North Yorkshire, taking just a few steps can make a big difference between your home being targeted or not.”

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Harrogate’s hospitality sector says Nightingale extension has ‘huge impact’

The seven month extension to the NHS contract at Harrogate Convention Centre has forced local business to call for clarity saying it will have a “huge impact”.

After weeks of uncertainty regarding the Nightingale hospital it was announced last night that the contract has been extended until the end of March 2021.  A review will go ahead in October to review the need for the 500-bed hospital.

Local businesses which relying on the events trade said they want information.

Andrew Manby, director of events firm Joe Manby Ltd, said:

“This will have a major impact, particularly on the town’s services. At the moment the autumn is under question, we don’t know what will be available. The bigger impact will be for the beginning of next year. We are looking at January currently and it’ll be interesting how they will make it work. There is an absolute lack of clarity about the situation, on our end we were hoping for some clarity as the position going forward is uncertain.

“It may be available from December if they pull out during the October review. Anyone who works with the events centre will be affected, we haven’t had that clear decision today or at all.”

Inside of Harrogate's Nightingale Hospital

The continuing use by the NHS means the convention centre is unable to plan ahead for future events.

Kim Wilson, chairman of Accommodation Harrogate and a B&B owner, said:

“We were pretty sure something was going to happen. January/February are our quietest months anyway asides from the big show which were already cancelled. We’d want the events back to normal but if they are cancelled already we’d want the event centre open as soon as possible. This will have a big impact on the bed and breakfasts, hotels, pubs and restaurants locally it could put them in a significant situation.”

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Last month £3 billon of funding was announced for the Nightingale hospitals across the UK to be maintained until the end of March if needed.

The temporary hospital hasn’t treated a single coronavirus patient but will remain in place for a further seven months amid fears of a winter spike of coronavirus.

The facility has been used for outpatient CT scans since early June.  Details of the financial contract between the NHS and HBC for this extension have not yet been made public.

Coach and Horses appeals council decision to revoke licence

The Coach and Horses in Harrogate has lodged an appeal against the council’s decision to revoke its licence.

Solicitors acting on behalf of the landlord John Nelson sent the appeal to magistrates last week. There is no set date or location for the hearing so far.

It comes after 429 people signed a petition that called for the council to give his daughter, Samantha Nelson, a licence to run the pub.

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Jonny Hick, who calls himself the pub’s “number one customer”, urged people to support her “responsible and professional stewardship”.

Harrogate Borough Council removed the pub’s licence in July after it showed a “blantant disregard” for social distancing rules.

John Nelson was allegedly “aggressive and abusive” towards council officials and the police when they served him a prohibition notice on May 31.

At the licensing sub-committee where the council revoked the licence, Mr Nelson’s lawyer Paddy Whur said his client “accepted he made a chronic error of judgement”.

Mr Whur suggested that the pub’s licence be suspended until Mr Nelson steps down – a suggestion that councillors rejected.

Trespass store in Harrogate holds ‘closing down sale’

Harrogate’s Trespass store has put up signs to warn customers that it is closing down.

The outdoor clothing shop on James Street plans to close its doors for good on October 21 – one of many to close following the coronavirus lockdown.

That date is subject to negotiations with the store’s landlord.

It had only reopened on June 15. Now the shop is holding a closing down sale in an attempt to clear its stock.

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The Stray Ferret has approached Trespass for a comment on the closure but received no response by the time of publication.

Several jobs at the store will go with the closure. The Trespass store in Leeds also plans to close on the same date in October.

The closure of Trespass follows a difficult pattern for James Street in recent months with the closure of Jack Wills and also Laura Ashley.

 

Harrogate Nightingale contract extended until March 2021

Harrogate’s Nightingale Hospital will remain in place until March 2021 after its contract has been extended

It comes after weeks of uncertainty after NHS bosses and Harrogate Borough Council negotiated for the hospital to remain in place until next year, but will review its need in October.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson last month announced £3 billion of funding for the Nightingale hospitals across the UK to be maintained until the end of March if needed.

The temporary hospital, which cost £15 million to build, has to yet to treat a single coronavirus patient but has been used as a facility for outpatient CT scans since early June. The NHS is not paying any rent to the council for use of the convention centre.

Now, the Nightingale will could remain in place for a further seven months amid fears of a second spike in coronavirus cases.

Paula Lorimer, director of Harrogate Convention Centre, said:

“We have agreed to the NHS’s request to extend the contract due to the ongoing coronavirus crisis, the challenge of the current level of infections and potential for a second peak.

“The convention centre will continue in its role as a Nightingale hospital until March 31 but this will be reviewed on October 1 to assess if there is an ongoing need for the hospital.

“The events industry remains in lockdown until at least October 1 and, if there is a further rise in infections, it is unlikely we will be able to reopen anyway.

“I look forward to welcoming back our customers from the April 1, 2021, at the latest when Harrogate Convention Centre and the Royal Hall will reopen.

“We are very proud to support the NHS and the response to Covid-19 but we continue to lobby government at every level for a post-Nightingale recovery plan for the venue, and the Harrogate district.”

Meanwhile, earlier today, Cllr Jim Clark, North Yorkshire County Council chairman, and Cllr Helen Hayden, chair of West Yorkshire Joint Health Scrutiny Committee, wrote to NHS England to request that Harrogate’s Nightingale is kept until next year.

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In a letter to Richard Barker, regional director at NHS England, the councillors call for the contract to be extended until April 2021 as it is needed to serve the Yorkshire area.

Inside of Harrogate's Nightingale Hospital

The convention centre is unable to plan ahead for future events whilst the future of the Nightingale is uncertain.

Cllr Clark and Cllr Hayden said they disagreed with “dismantling” the Nightingale amid the threat of a second wave of coronavirus.

They said:

“We know there is a view in some quarters that the Nightingale Hospital should be dismantled and that the building should revert to being a convention centre. 

“We disagree. The next seven or eight months, when we are likely to see a “second wave” of the virus, on top of a “normal” increase in demand from flu patients are likely to be very difficult. 

“We think it is very likely that the Nightingale Hospital at Harrogate will be needed either for covid-19 patients or for other patients who are unable to access beds in the other West Yorkshire hospitals (and beyond) because they are filled with covid-19 patients.

“We ask that the Nightingale Hospital remain as a resource for the health system until at least April 2021 as an important part of the strategy to see us through winter. 

“We also plan to include the Nightingale Hospital as an item on the agenda for our meeting on September 30 and we would welcome your attendance at the meeting to discuss the Nightingale Hospital with us.”