Mobile testing site opens in Harrogate car park for first time

A mobile testing site has opened in Harrogate today for the first time and is set to be there three days a week “until further notice”.

NHS test and trace staff set up the site this morning at West Park car park on Tower Street.

The car park will close on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday each week for testing.

It comes as workers continue to dismantle the permanent testing centre in the Dragon Road car park near Asda, which closed on Sunday (May 23).

Health officials announced in March that the Dragon Road site would close as the Harrogate Convention Centre. The centre said it needs the space for parking.

Read more:

The move from a permanent centre to a mobile unit is a further sign that the emergency response to the pandemic is scaling back.

Matthew Robinson, head of resilience and emergencies at North Yorkshire County Council, said:

“The advantages of mobile testing sites is that we can flex and strengthen as we go.

“If cases are increasing in a particular area we will continue to provide more frequent testing in that location.”

The site at the Dragon Road car park is now closed.

This follows news that the vaccination centres in Harrogate and Ripon will also close in August.

Local pharmacy sites in Knaresborough and Pateley Bridge will play a larger part in the vaccine roll out.

For more information on testing go to www.northyorks.gov.uk/book-coronavirus-covid-19-test-if-youve-got-symptoms

Harrogate taxi firm refusing to pay £25,000 for unfair dismissal

In June 2020, Tracey Lee won an employment tribunal against Airline Taxis after they sacked her in January of last year.

But she has given up hope of ever receiving the £25,501 a judge ordered the company to pay her.

Almost a year on from the tribunal she is yet to receive a penny from the taxi firm and described the “horrible” process of trying to get her money back through the courts.

She said the system is stacked against individuals who have been unfairly dismissed.

The tribunal

Ms Lee worked on the phones for the taxi company, which is based on East Parade on Harrogate, on and off for around three years.

She said the work environment soured due to a change in management and, following a disagreement, she was sacked.

She challenged the decision in an employment tribunal in June 2020, where she was successful.

Airline Taxis failed to turn up to the hearing, but the judge ordered the company to pay Ms Lee £25,501, which included loss of earnings.

She said:

“The way they treated me was diabolical. It’s not fair what they did.”

Money struggles

In July 2020, Ms Lee went to Huddersfield County Court to try and obtain a court order to get her money back.

The court ordered bailiffs to try and recover the money from Airline Taxis. However, they have tried and failed to reclaim money or assets from the company on two separate occasions, the latest being in March 2021.

In an email sent to Ms Lee, the bailiffs said: “As suspected, there has not been a good outcome to your file” as “there was nothing to levy upon or apply pressure”.

This is because the company has no assets, including its taxis. They are instead in the name of its sole director Mohammed Suleman.

Ms Lee said she was even advised by a solicitor to “not waste any more money” on the case. She is now resigned to not seeing any of the money she is owed.

She said in the months following her dismissal, she struggled to find a new job and went into rent arrears.

“I had to sign on, it was horrible”.

Ms Lee has since found another job in Harrogate but is angry that the company has been able to avoid paying her the money, despite the employment tribunal, county court ruling and visits from bailiffs.

She added:

“The sting in the tail is that they are still trading. It’s disgusting. They are driving around like they don’t have a care in the world.”

The Stray Ferret asked Airline Taxis to respond but we did not receive a reply.

Live: Harrogate traffic and travel

Good morning and happy Monday. It’s Leah here this morning with 15-minute updates on the road and rail links near you.

There are a number of continuing temporary traffic lights this morning worth keeping an eye on.

These blogs, brought to you by The HACS Group, are to keep you updated as the district’s roads get busier.

If you see anything please get in touch, if it is safe to do so, on 01423 276197 or via social media.

9am – Full Update 

That is it from me this morning! Connor will be back with you tomorrow from 6:30am with updates every 15 minutes. Have a lovely day!

Roads

Traffic is starting to build in the Harrogate and Knaresborough town centres. Keep checking in for today’s traffic hotspots.

Traffic Hotspots:

Traffic is building in these areas:

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

Trains

Buses

8.45am – Full Update 

Roads

Traffic is starting to build in the Harrogate and Knaresborough town centres. Keep checking in for today’s traffic hotspots.

Traffic Hotspots:

Traffic is building in these areas:

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

Trains

Buses

 

8.30am – Full Update 

Roads

Traffic is starting to build in the Harrogate and Knaresborough town centres. Keep checking in for today’s traffic hotspots.

Traffic Hotspots:

Traffic is building in these areas:

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

Trains

Buses

 

8.15am – Full Update 

Roads

Traffic is starting to build in the Harrogate and Knaresborough town centres. Keep checking in for today’s traffic hotspots.

Traffic Hotspots:

Traffic is building in these areas:

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

Trains

Buses

 

8am – Full Update 

Roads

Traffic is starting to build in the Harrogate and Knaresborough town centres. Keep checking in for today’s traffic hotspots.

Traffic Hotspots:

Traffic is building in these areas:

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

Trains

Buses

 

7.45am – Full Update 

Roads

Traffic is starting to build in the Harrogate and Knaresborough town centres. Keep checking in for today’s traffic hotspots.

Traffic is building in these areas:

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

Trains

Buses

 

7.30am – Full Update 

Roads

Traffic is starting to build in the Harrogate and Knaresborough town centres. Keep checking in for today’s traffic hotspots.

Traffic is building in these areas:

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

Trains

Buses

 

7.15am – Full Update 

Roads

The roads are looking ok so far this morning, keep checking in for today’s traffic hotspots.

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

Trains

Buses

 

7am – Full Update 

Roads

The roads are looking ok so far this morning, keep checking in for today’s traffic hotspots.

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

Trains

Buses

 

6.45am – Full Update 

Roads

The roads are looking ok so far this morning, keep checking in for today’s traffic hotspots.

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

Trains

Buses

 

6.30am – Full Update 

Roads

The roads are looking ok so far this morning, keep checking in for today’s traffic hotspots.

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

Trains

Buses

 

Harrogate Clothes Bank needs help to save it from homelessness

A Harrogate charity is in need of new premises to continue supporting struggling families across the town.

The Harrogate Clothes Bank offers free clothing to those in need and is currently based at McCarthy’s Storage World on Ripon Road.

The charity’s home is being let out from August so it is on the hunt for a unit of between 1,000 to 1,500 square feet it can use for free, or somewhere it can rent for well below market price.

The clothes bank is run entirely by volunteers and was set up in 2016. Families in Harrogate who find themselves in financial difficulty can get in touch with the charity on Facebook and let it know what they need.

Before the pandemic the charity was supporting 60 to 70 families each month but it says since April this has dropped to 30 to 35 families. It said this is because organisations that handle referrals could be unaware it is running fully again.

The charity expects numbers to rise again in coming months.

Co-ordinator Mike Procter said:

“There are many reasons why people may need our help, it could be due to long-term financial issues or a crisis situation causing critical need such as escaping an abusive relationship.

“We will continue to help as many people as we can.”

Read more:

The charity has said location is important. Ideally it would be based on Knaresborough Road around Starbeck or Ripon Road near Jennyfield.

Mr Procter added that if no location was found the clothes bank would have to work out of several smaller spaces and offer a delivery service.

This would mean people’s options would be vastly reduced as they would be unable to come in and choose their clothes.

It is currently in need of summer clothing donations for children and adults.

The centre is open on Saturdays between 10.30am to 12.30pm for donation drop-offs and pick-ups. It is holding a pop-up clothing sale at St Mark’s Church, Harrogate, on Sunday to raise funds.

Harrogate Clothes Bank works closely with other charities including The Village, which offers free baby clothing in Harrogate. The charity shares its space with the Canaan Trust that provides free white goods and furniture.

Another partner is Resurrected Bites in Knaresborough, which makes meals out of food headed for landfill.

Stray Views: Noisy cars are a blight on Harrogate life

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.

Time for a Harrogate museum?

Having read some articles by Harrogate historian Malcolm Neeson, recently published by the Stray Ferret, I was reflecting on how many historical exhibits there must be in and around Harrogate, which are in storage possibly.

As the town centre is now changing following the pandemic, there are lots of empty properties available.

Could now be the time for Harrogate to celebrate its history by creating a museum? This might complement the excellent Royal Pump Room Museum and enhance the historic walks in Harrogate in the future.

Jane Malster, Harrogate

Vaccinated people should not have to pay for covid tests when we go abroad

I can not get my head around the fact we have had second covid injections but when we go on holiday we have to pay for a test.

We have to pay nearly £100 to test before we go into a country and the same amount again when we come back. Now we have had second injections we still have to wear masks and test. It’s puzzling a lot of people. I thought the vaccine would be the end of it.

If it isn’t, why put everyone through the injection? Fully vaccinated people should not have to pay to do a test. It’s wrong and costs a lot of money, especially if there are a few adults in the family.

Diana Pollitt, Harrogate

Noisy car exhausts blight Harrogate life

We have recently moved to Harrogate from the south to live and really like it here.
We live in the Granby area near the Skipton Road and there is one aspect of the traffic that troubles us and that is cars that have very noisy exhausts, which I assume have been modified.
They accelerate up to or after the traffic lights and presumably carry on like this wherever there is a stretch of open road around Harrogate.
They are a blight on this beautiful town; both the loud noise and associated extra pollution they cause when they accelerate.
Is it legal for these vehicles to have this capacity to make this extra loud noise? I know some cities in Europe are addressing this problem with noise detectors that work similar to speed cameras.
Linda Loy, Harrogate

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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.

 

Explainer: How the Harrogate Station Gateway survey paves the way for major change

The long-awaited results of a public survey have paved the way for the next stages of the £7.9m Gateway project – but how exactly did Harrogate vote?

North Yorkshire County Council has this week revealed the consultation results which will form the basis of the next stages of the project including the drawing up of detailed designs and a business plan.

But with controversial changes on the table including pedestrianisation and the removal of traffic lanes and car parking spaces – what proportion of residents are actually backing the plans?

Here are the numbers:

Out of 1,101 respondents to the survey held in February and March, 45% voted in favour of fully pedestrianising James Street, while 32% said no changes should be made and 17% backed a partial pedestrianisation.

The remaining 6% of respondents gave no preference for the street.

These results suggest a majority of residents (62%) support pedestrianisation of some sort – whether full or partial – in what marks a major step forward for the idea which has been mooted for years.

For Station Parade, 49% favoured an option to reduce traffic to one lane, while 27% said it should stay as two lanes and 24% said neither option was workable.

Residents were also asked if they felt positive, negative, neutral or didn’t have an opinion on other parts of the project. Here is how they voted:

– Cycle lanes for East Parade (58% positive, 29.3% negative, 12.2% neutral and 0.5% didn’t know)
– Improvements to public spaces at One Arch (70.9% positive, 13% negative, 14.3% neutral and 1.8% didn’t know)
– Improvements to public spaces at Station Square (59.5% positive, 31.2% negative, 8.9% neutral and 0.4% didn’t know)

What is the aim of the Gateway project?

The project is being backed by the Department for Transport’s Transforming Cities Fund which aims to make it easier, safer and quicker for people to travel on foot, by bike or on public transport by improving connections in town and city centres.

In Harrogate, the aim is to give greater priority to these modes of transport with better connections to the train station, bus station and other key parts of the town.

It is also hoped these changes will result in a reduction in carbon emissions from fewer cars on the road, as well as boost to the economy with shoppers spending more time in the town centre.

There are, however, questions over what impact the removal of traffic lanes and car parking spaces will have on business and the roads.

Read More: 

What are the concerns?

The worry from some residents and businesses is that the removal of parking spaces and traffic lanes will mean busier roads and fewer shoppers.

In a joint statement released this week, Harrogate BID, Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce and Independent Harrogate said they were “disappointed that our collective voices have not been listened to” and that they felt what was being proposed would have a “hugely damaging effect” on trade.

They said: “Despite many feeling the outcome is already a done deal, we will continue our dialogue with local councillors and officers, as the final outcome will change the face of Harrogate town centre forever.”

On the flip side, transport officials at North Yorkshire County Council say case study evidence suggests that improvements to public spaces can boost footfall and trading by up to 40%.

They said in a report: “It is often assumed that more parking is the answer to struggling high streets.

“However across Europe, studies have linked the quality of public spaces to people’s perceptions of attractiveness of an area, contributing towards their quality of life and influencing where they shop.”

“Evaluations of pedestrian improvements in Coventry and Bristol show a 25% increase in footfall on Saturdays and predict £1.4million benefits respectively.”

What will the impact be?

The report published earlier this week also concluded that in a “worst case scenario” reducing Station Parade to one lane would increase average journey times by 53 seconds or 1 minute 14 seconds with James Street fully pedestrianised also.

It added the partial or full pedestrianisation of James Street would result in the loss of 45 out of 915 on-street pay and display spaces currently in operation across the town centre.

Currently, at peak occupancy, it is estimated there are 120 on-street spaces unused.

A separate report published by consultants WSP concluded in another “worst case scenario” estimate that the project could result in increased carbon emissions from diverted vehicles having to make longer journeys.

It added, however, that the “transformational change” from the scheme has the potential to “unlock further behavioural change” with more motorists choosing to travel by foot or bike instead of car.

The magnitude of the possible increase in emissions – around 1,400 tons of CO2 over 60 years – was also said to be “unlikely to be considered significant in the context of regional and national emissions targets”.

What do the politicians say?

Harrogate Borough Council has worked closely with the county council on the Gateway project. The authority’s cabinet member for carbon reduction and sustainability, councillor Phil Ireland, said earlier this week that the survey results were a positive step forward and set Harrogate on path for a “21st century travel network”.

He said: “It’s positive to see that the proposals for sustainable alternatives to the car, and an improved and exciting public realm, have significant support from residents, businesses and visitors alike.

“The benefit of carrying out a consultation early on in the process is that we have everybody’s feedback and ideas to feed into the next phase of detailed design work.

Meanwhile, councillor Don Mackenzie, the county council’s executive member for access and transport, said the next steps of the project would take into account the feedback which had been received.

He said: “We are grateful to everyone across each of the towns who took the time to share their views in the consultation. We have listened.

“The next steps we are considering take into account the feedback we have received. They take account of concerns raised while providing significant benefits to facilitate and encourage people to cycle and walk.

“There will, of course, be further consultation on detailed proposals before final decisions are taken.”

What’s next?

Under the next stages of the project, county councillors will be asked to progress the plans at an executive meeting on Tuesday (25 May). Further public consultation will then take place in autumn following the development of detailed designs and a business case.

Subject to a final approval, the aim is for construction to begin by summer 2022 with completion in 2023.

All Harrogate district social distancing planters and cones up for review

All street planters and cones used to promote social distancing in the Harrogate district are set to be reviewed next month.

North Yorkshire County Council (NYCC) has confirmed that the measures will remain in place until the review, which is due to be held at the end of June.

It comes amid growing calls for their removal in the form of a petition and a group of businesses in Knaresborough.

Read more:

Those people believe that Harrogate and Knaresborough need parking spaces more than the social distancing enforcements as the lockdown eases.

The county council closed off parking bays in the towns at the start of the pandemic to give pedestrians more room to spread out.

Under the Government’s roadmap, all social distancing measures are set to be dropped on June 21. That is around the time NYCC will hold its review.

A council spokesperson said:

“We can confirm all social distancing measures will be in place until the review at the end of June.

“We have met regularly with local councillors and representatives from the town council and chamber of trade over the past 12 months to ensure that the social distancing measures in place are appropriate.

“No businesses have sent us a request to remove them.”

Harrogate Pubwatch relaunches to keep out town’s troublemakers

Harrogate Pubwatch has relaunched with a new app to help keep out the town’s troublemakers as coronavirus restrictions ease.

It means that if anyone causes problems in one of Harrogate’s venues, they will be banned from all venues taking part in the scheme.

Currently there are 32 people who are banned under Harrogate Pubwatch and 10 of those are banned for life.

The bans range from three months to life bans, depending on the severity of the issue.

Most exclusions were enforced after drug use, drug dealing, assault, nuisance and abuse, but they could be for carrying weapons or for more serious assaults.

Read more:

Harrogate BID has supported the local Pubwatch group in the relaunch by helping to fund the creation of the app.

Harrogate Pubwatch secretary Alan Huddart said:

“I’d like to thank both Harrogate BID and North Yorkshire Police for their support in helping Harrogate Pubwatch relaunch after the third national covid lockdown.

“With the hospitality industry once again being able to serve customers inside, we will see more businesses reopening, which is to be welcomed.

“By working together to exclude troublemakers, Harrogate venues can offer a safe and secure experience to those who simply want to enjoy the huge range of hospitality on offer in our town.”

Matthew Chapman, manager of Harrogate BID, said:

“Aims of the BIDs are to make Harrogate safe and welcoming, and to support the town’s night-time economy. Harrogate Pubwatch does both, and that’s why we are happy to support them in funding the app.

“Harrogate’s hospitality offering is incredibly diverse, and while serving customers indoors is back on the menu, al fresco dining and drinking is here to stay, and our café culture will go from strength to strength.

“Ensuring visitors feel safe visiting town centre venues and walking around at night is of paramount importance to us.”

Parkrun delays restarting 5k runs by three weeks

Runners in the Harrogate district will have to wait a little longer to get back to parkrun after the charity announced it is delaying its resumption of the weekly free 5k runs by another three weeks.

Although Harrogate Borough Council has given permission for the Saturday morning events to start on June 5 on the Stray, in Conyngham Hall in Knaresborough and the National Trust greenlit its return to Fountains Abbey, not all landowners across the country have agreed.

Parkrun organisers confirmed that more than 250 permissions have been granted but this was below the “critical mass” it wanted to reach to avoid overwhelming the smaller number of events that could go ahead.

Pre-covid there were 589 locations hosting parkruns in England. All events are run by volunteers.

The charity has set June 26 as the new date to resume all its 5k events across the country collectively and hopes many more landowners will grant permission by that time.

It will make another decision regarding the go-ahead for this new date on Friday June 11.

Nick Pearson, parkrun’s global CEO, said:

“We will continue to work hard with landowners over the coming weeks to secure the permissions needed to return at the end of June.

“We are incredibly grateful to all of the landowners who have granted events permission to return so far, and for the groundswell of support for parkrun over recent days.

“Although it is disappointing not to be able to return on 5 June, we are still optimistic that we can return parkrun events to nearly 600 communities across England very soon. We will do everything we can to ensure events restart on 26 June.”

Read more:

Harrogate junior parkrun, a 2k run for children aged four to 14, resumed on the Stray on April 12.

https://twitter.com/Harrogatejnrpr/status/1381317401057370112

A parkrun spokesperson said:

“Operating under a government approved COVID-19 Framework, and with significant success restarting the junior 2k event series, as well as the vital need for people to be active and social outdoors, the time is now right for the return of Saturday morning 5k events.”

Live: Harrogate district traffic and travel

Good morning and happy Friday. It’s Leah here this morning with 15-minute updates on the road and rail links near you.

There are a number of continuing temporary traffic lights this morning worth keeping an eye on.

These blogs, brought to you by The HACS Group, are to keep you updated as the district’s roads get busier.

If you see anything please get in touch, if it is safe to do so, on 01423 276197 or via social media.

9am – Full Update 

That is it from me today, II will be back with you on Monday from 6:300am with updates every 15 minutes. Have a lovely weekend!

Roads

The traffic is starting to build in the district this morning, keep checking in for today’s traffic hotspots.

Traffic hotspots:

Traffic is building in these area:

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

Trains

Buses

8:45am – Full Update 

Roads

The traffic is starting to build in the district this morning, keep checking in for today’s traffic hotspots.

Traffic hotspots:

Traffic is building in these area:

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

Trains

Buses

8:30am – Full Update 

Roads

The traffic is starting to build in the district this morning, keep checking in for today’s traffic hotspots.

Traffic hotspots:

Traffic is building in these area:

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

Trains

Buses

8:15am – Full Update 

Roads

The traffic is starting to build in the district this morning, keep checking in for today’s traffic hotspots.

Traffic hotspots:

Traffic is building in these area:

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

Trains

Buses

8am – Full Update 

Roads

The traffic is starting to build in the district this morning, keep checking in for today’s traffic hotspots.

Traffic is building in these area:

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

Trains

Buses

7:45am – Full Update 

Roads

The traffic is starting to build in the district this morning, keep checking in for today’s traffic hotspots.

Traffic is building in these area:

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

Trains

Buses

7:30am – Full Update 

Roads

The traffic is starting to build in the district this morning, keep checking in for today’s traffic hotspots.

Traffic is building in these area:

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

Trains

Buses

7:15am – Full Update 

Roads

The roads are looking ok so far this morning, keep checking in for today’s traffic hotspots.

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

Trains

Buses

 

7am – Full Update 

Roads

The roads are looking ok so far this morning, keep checking in for today’s traffic hotspots.

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

Trains

Buses

 

6.45am – Full Update 

Roads

The roads are looking ok so far this morning, keep checking in for today’s traffic hotspots.

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

Trains

Buses

 

6.30am – Full Update 

Roads

The roads are looking ok so far this morning, keep checking in for today’s traffic hotspots.

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

Trains

Buses