Six cases of coronavirus confirmed in Harrogate district

Six cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in the Harrogate District this past week, according to Public Health England figures.

The data has been released by government on a localised map which shows the number of cases at a neighbourhood level across the country.

Between July 27 and August 4, six cases tested positive in the Spofforth, Burn Bridge and Huby area.

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However, data for areas where fewer than two positive cases have been reported is not included.

So far, 733 cases have tested positive in the Harrogate district from the start of the pandemic with 2,591 in the wider county.

It comes as Prime Minister Boris Johnson said last week that the prevalence of the virus is “likely to be rising” in England and delayed some lockdown easing measures.

Meanwhile, fears of a second spike in areas such as Greater Manchester, Kirklees, Calderdale and Bradford led to Secretary of State, Matt Hancock, imposing a local lockdowns.

Harrogate Town open top bus tour route this weekend

Harrogate Town has released the timings for its open top bus tour route this weekend to celebrate the club’s promotion to the football league.

The 35-minute tour around Harrogate will start at the CNG Stadium on Wetherby Road at 12.05pm, with the trophy on display.

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Here are the full timings for Saturday’s celebration:

🚍 | We can confirm an open top bus will be travelling through Town this Saturday thanks to @harrogatebus!

We'll be starting around midday, but will confirm final timings and route shortly…#ProudToBeTown pic.twitter.com/LEL13ehuA9

— Harrogate Town AFC (@HarrogateTown) August 6, 2020

Irving Weaver, Harrogate Town’s chairman, mentioned the tour at last night’s Harrogate Borough Council meeting, before the official announcement. He told the councillors that he hoped promotion would bring a boost to Harrogate’s economy – something badly needed after the coronavirus lockdown.

“Let’s hope together that Harrogate Town can be promoted ever further. It is in the best interests of Harrogate. I hope that bigger away crowds will start to spend money in the town and let’s all hope that we can keep putting Harrogate on the map. We have got a parade organised for this Saturday and we will have the trophy on display then.”

A 3-1 win over Notts County at Wembley last weekend saw the club win their second promotion in three seasons.

Fans flocked to pubs across Harrogate to watch their side make history but the open top bus tour will be the first big opportunity to celebrate.

The Harrogate Bus Company CEO Alex Hornby added:

“We at The Harrogate Bus Company are delighted to be able to offer a bus to Harrogate Town Football Club so the players can have a fitting celebration for their tremendous achievement. It’s going to be a three mile moving tour running right around Harrogate, with the bus decorated in celebration of the team, and will give everyone the chance to enjoy seeing the players lift their trophy in and around the town.”

Coronavirus vaccine trial rolled out for hundreds in Harrogate

The NHS is starting to roll out a coronavirus vaccine trial with hundreds of places available for people in Harrogate.

Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust has launched an appeal for the trial in partnership with Harrogate NHS Foundation Trust.

The trusts are considering different locations throughout Leeds, Harrogate, and York for the trial. They are keen to use spaces like sports halls, away from hospitals.

Around 70 staff will spend three days in each location, aiming to give 250 vaccines with each person having a 90-minute consultation. The trial will start at the end of September.

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Currently, they have space for 2,250 people to trial the Imperial College London vaccine. With extra demand, the NHS could increase that to 6,000.

If the trials are successful then the vaccine could be offered to everyone in the country as early as next year.

To register interest in the vaccine trial visit the NHS vaccine research website by clicking or tapping here.

Julian Hartley, Chief Executive of Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust said:

“An effective vaccine against the coronavirus is a key strategy to end the devastating impact of the virus. We are working extremely hard to put together plans. Not only to trial vaccines in Leeds but to work alongside our partners in Harrogate and York.”

How close are we to a working vaccine?

The National Institute for Health Research has backed two coronavirus vaccines. Imperial College London is running one and the University of Oxford is running the other.

Imperial College London’s vaccine’s preclinical studies have shown that it helps to produce specific antibodies which fight coronavirus. Mice in the trial were able to neutralise the virus with the help of the vaccine – a positive sign for the battle against covid-19.

The government has pumped more than £40 million into the college’s vaccine development and that fund has been supplemented by £5 million in donations.

How does a vaccine study work?

The NHS may give those who have signed up for the trial a vaccine or a placebo. Either way, participants will need to visit the research site a few times over the next six to 12 months.

At each of those visits, the staff will talk about the research study, take blood tests and answer any questions.

Between visits, participants will need to tell staff about any symptoms and may need to take a throat or nose swab every week while keeping a diary.

Award-winning Harrogate farm shop to reopen café

An award-winning Harrogate farm shop is set to reopen its popular café on Monday.

Fodder, at the Great Yorkshire Showground, says it is ready to “bounce back” from disruption caused by coronavirus. The café will be open seven days a week, 9am to 4.30pm, with safety measures in place.

A new covered walkway has been created to allow for a one-way system from the shop to the café. Customers will be asked to give track and trace details on arrival and, as before, bookings will not be taken.

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Fodder’s manager Vanessa Pitt said:

“We are so excited to reopen Fodder café and welcome our customers back after such a long pause. Rest assured, we are taking every possible precaution to offer the very best experience in a relaxing environment.

“Our best-loved dishes will be available on a reduced menu to start with, including all our delicious cakes and treats, Sunday roasts and Yorkshire’s finest produce.”

inside the shop

An award-winning Harrogate farm shop is set to reopen its popular café on Monday.

Fodder farm shop is open Monday to Sunday 9am to 5pm and has remained open throughout lockdown. Fodder is not taking part in the government’s “Eat out to Help Out” scheme.

Decision to refuse 46 homes in Killinghall overturned on appeal

Almost 50 new homes will be built on the edge of Killinghall after the government’s Planning Inspectorate overturned a decision by Harrogate Borough Council to refuse the plans.

In October 2018, HBC’s planning committee rejected the application from Linden Homes because it said the development would harm the appearance of the area and that residents will be forced to use their cars because of a lack of more sustainable options.

The council had also warned that trees covered by tree preservation orders (TPO) may have to be removed due to their proximity to some of the proposed 46 homes.

The homes will be built opposite Pharmall animal food store on Otley Road, close to the junction of the A59 and B6161. The site is not designated for development within HBC’s Local Plan.

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Killinghall is one of Harrogate’s main pressure points for new housing and land to the north and east of the site has planning permission for around 345 homes.

However, inspector John Dowsett disagreed with the conclusions of HBC’s planners and said the Linden Homes development “should be perceived as an extension” to an already built-up area on the edge of town.

He added that the homes would not harm the appearance of the area because the existing field is the result of a nineteenth-century division of a larger field and “does not reflect the original, historic, field layout”.

Mr Dowsett also dismissed concerns that any trees with TPOs would have to be removed.

Council leader threatens to expel person who leaked report to The Stray Ferret

Harrogate Borough Council’s leader has threatened to expel the leaker of confidential cabinet report which detailed the financial state of the town’s convention centre.

Cllr Richard Cooper told a meeting of the full council last night that if the leaker was found to be from the ruling Conservative group, he would expel them and call on them to stand down from the council.

It comes after a report leaked to the Stray Ferret warned HCC, which is subsidised by taxpayers, “will not survive” unless councillors approved an investment project and detailed the dire financial state of the venue. The leak is now being investigated by the council’s chief executive, Wallace Sampson.

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Cllr Cooper called for a commitment from Liberal Democrat leader, Cllr Pat Marsh, to also expel any member of her group if they were found to have leaked the document.

He said:

“I think it is important that as leaders of groups we demonstrate that we do not support leaking of confidential information, particularly when the information damages the economy of the district.

“I have already told members of my own group that if the chief executive’s investigation reveals that one of them leaked these reports I will be expelling them from the Conservative group and calling upon them to resign from the council completely.”

Cllr Marsh agreed to the council leader’s commitment to expel the leaker if it is found to be a Liberal Democrat.

Tamsin O’Brien, the editor of the Stray Ferret, said:

“The report leaked to us contained information about the financial situation of Harrogate Convention Centre – it was not a matter of national security, but of taxpayers’ money.

“With a decision of this magnitude, which could lead to almost £50m of public money being spent, it is important that the public are given full access to the information behind the decision. The fact that the report was leaked demonstrates the level of concern around such a decision and how important it is for the public to be kept fully informed.

“It is vital that media organisations can scrutinise the actions of authorities and hold them to account, on behalf of taxpayers. The leaked report enabled us to give the public the full picture of the situation facing Harrogate Convention Centre, shining a light on the parts the council did not want people to know.”

Last night, councillors voted to spend £1 million on feasibility studies and design fees ahead of a potential £47 million investment in the HCC. The money will be spent ahead of a two phased redevelopment of the venue and a report on the business case for potential investment will return to the council at a later date.

Most of the £1 million cost would be borrowed, though council officers said that no sources of funding have yet been identified.

The Stray Ferret has a portal for contacting us anonymously and sending us confidential documents. We are grateful to anyone who gives us information of public importance. To find out more, click here.

 

Two teens arrested after burglaries in Harrogate and Knaresborough

Two teenagers have been arrested in connection with burglaries in Harrogate and Knaresborough.

The offences took place in Westbourne Avenue, Harrogate, on Tuesday, July 28, and in Park Avenue, Knaresborough, on August 3, both in the early hours of the morning.

In both cases, keys were taken from inside the homes and cars stolen from the driveway. A black Toyota Hilux taken from the Harrogate burglary has not yet been recovered.

A 17-year-old boy has been arrested in connection with both burglaries, along with a third which took place on Danum Road, York, overnight on August 3. The victims discovered the following morning that a handbag, wallet, two purses and bank cards had been stolen.

The boy has been remanded in custody and is due to appear in court in relation to a separate matter.

A 19-year-old man was also arrested in connection with the Knaresborough burglary and has been released on conditional bail.

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Police are still appealing for information, including CCTV, dash-cam or doorbell camera footage, to help with the investigation. Email dominic.holroyd@northyorkshire.pnn.police.uk or call North Yorkshire Police on 101.

Alternatively, to report information anonymously, call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Quote North Yorkshire Police reference numbers 12200128831 for the  Westbourne Avenue, Harrogate burglary, 12200132924 for the Park Avenue, Knaresborough burglary, and 12200133548 for the Danum Road, York burglary.

600 rail replacement bus journeys between Harrogate and Leeds last year

Train operator Northern ordered over 600 rail replacement bus journeys on the troubled Harrogate to Leeds and Leeds to Harrogate services in 2019.

Figures obtained by the Stray Ferret through a Freedom of Information request reveals the scale of disruption to commuters throughout last year, which Northern blamed on “significant” engineering work, poor weather and the UCI cycling event.

Engineering work is carried out by Network Rail who own and maintain the tracks.

In January 2020, the government stripped the Northern of its franchise due to years of poor performance. The government has operated the franchise since March 1.

According to research published earlier this year by the Sunday Times and ontimetrains.co.uk, the 7.13 am Harrogate to Leeds service was the most cancelled in the UK during the first three months of 2020.

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We also asked Northern for the number of rail replacement bus journeys between York and Harrogate — which was a fraction of the Harrogate to Leeds figure.

So far in 2020, there have been over 80 replacement bus journeys between Harrogate and Leeds, but train schedules have been reduced due to the coronavirus lockdown.

The full figures provided to us by Northern are below.

The number of rail replacement buses on each line. Figures provided by Northern.

A spokesperson for Northern told the Stray Ferret:

“During 2019 there was significant engineering work, carried out by Network Rail, on the Harrogate Line which meant it was necessary to provide much higher levels of rail replacement transport than usual.

“Northern also provided additional standby rail replacement road transport throughout the World Road Cycling Championships and during the prolonged periods of adverse weather which resulted in flooding on the railway and made certain parts of the route impassable.”

10,000 tune into to Harrogate International Festivals’ virtual weekender

Harrogate International Festivals says its first ever virtual event was a success, with over 10,000 people tuning in from more than 60 different countries worldwide.

The HIF weekender had to adapt to an online format for the first time in its history. The festival saw people enjoying the event from countries such as Brazil, Japan, Australia and Canada.

The weekend began with the announcement of the winner of the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award. This year the award was given to Uber driver and barman Adrian McKinty for his book The Chain. 

Cover of the crime novel 'The Chain'

McKinty’s book has since been published in 36 countries with its movie rights sold in a seven figure deal.

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This was followed by a line-up featuring internationally acclaimed musicians and best selling authors. The weekend also saw the world premiere of Eclipse, an exclusive new piece of music written by internationally renowned composer Dr David Lancaster.

In an interview with the Chief Executive of Harrogate International Festivals, Sharon Canavar told the Stray Ferret that the online event was a different experience. She said:

“We are an arts charity which delivers live events, so not having that in our arsenal was really strange for the organisation. What makes great events is the fact that people come together to share a live experience, not having that was very odd.”

The Theakston Old Peculiar Crime Writing Festival usually welcomes nearly 15,000 people to its three day event. Sharon said that it was important that the festival still took place. She said:

“The crime festival runs across three days so it is very different when you put an event like that online, but the reach and opportunity is much more. We wanted to make sure artists and our team were kept in work. We felt there was an element there that we wanted to keep people in work but also still offer the viewers a taste of Harrogate.”

Council approves Harrogate Convention Centre £1m spend

Harrogate borough councillors have voted to spend £1 million on design costs ahead of a potential £47 million investment in the town’s convention centre.

A meeting of the full council approved the spend as part of a planned phased renovation of the nearly 40-year-old centre.

The money will be spent on feasibility studies and professional fees for design ahead of a two phased redevelopment of the venue. A report on the business case for potential investment will return to the council at a later date.

Most of the £1 million cost would be borrowed, though council officers said that no sources of funding have yet to be identified.

Meanwhile, a confidential cabinet report leaked to the Stray Ferret last week warned the centre “will not survive” unless councillors approved the project.

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But some councillors from the surrounding district said the investment would not benefit their towns.

Paula Lorimer, director of the convention centre, said that it was important that the council “looked forward” and invested in the HCC.

She said:

“The district has had a taste of what it would be like without a convention centre

“Many businesses rely on us and many jobs will be created as part of the convention centre.”

Graham Swift, cabinet member for resources, said he understood that some people were concerned about coronavirus but added that the plan would consider the future.

He said:

“I know that some councillors have expressed some concern around that.

“But this business plan has made it clear that the future plans will be in consideration of that fact that the world will be in a different spot.”

But Cllr Pauline McHardy, independent Ripon councillor, told the full council meeting that areas outside of Harrogate will be “short changed” by the move.

She said:

“I think you can flower this up as much as you want, this is the first step to spending £47 million.

“There is going to be a large amount of money that the council tax payers are going to have to find.”