Plan to convert Harrogate guest house to flats

The owner of Alexa House guest house in Harrogate has submitted plans to convert the building to seven apartments.

Sandra Doherty, who is also chief executive of Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce, told the Stray Ferret she planned to retire.

Ms Doherty will, however, continue her role with the chamber. She said:

“It was falling last year and breaking both arms that finally made my mind up. That and requests for seeing my grandchildren more.

“Covid hasn’t helped as I hoped to enjoy one last year, especially with my regular guests who I have become such good friends with over the past 14 years.”

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Plans sent to Harrogate Borough Council request change of use from hotel to seven residential apartments at the site on Ripon Road.

The application also proposes to demolish existing extensions and outbuildings, create a rear extension and remodel the car park.

Fears Harrogate food bank will see spike in demand when furlough ends

Organisers of the Harrogate food bank are concerned there maybe an increase in demand for food when the furlough scheme ends. 

The Stray Ferret reported in May that the amount of people who used Harrogate’s food bank more than doubled when lockdown was introduced. The facility, located at the Mowbray Community Church has continued to see a high level of demand.  

Linda Macrow, the temporary project manager, thinks that the end of the furlough scheme could cause a further increase in demand. She said: 

“I suspect numbers might increase but we will have to wait and see what happens”.

Among those needing its services are single people, who could be facing job difficulties, and people who are homeless. 

Linda feels confident that the organisation will adapt to any situation, as the food bank is well supported by volunteers and donations. She told the Stray Ferret: 

“The people of Harrogate have always been very generous”. 

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North Yorkshire County Council recently allocated £18,055 of funding to other Harrogate organisations that help people get enough food. It is part of a national grant to local authorities from the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs.  

The money will be divided between two community groups: Resurrected Bites and Supporting Older People. 

New Harrogate fishmonger opens today

A new independent fishmonger will open on Commercial Street today.  

Tarbett’s describes itself as the largest independent fish retailer in Yorkshire and will open its fourth branch in Harrogate this morning.  

It takes over a unit formerly occupied by Save the Children, which has been empty for four years. 

Amy Shaw, the business manager, said: 

“Commercial Street is the perfect place for us because it is very similar to our location in Chapel Allerton, which also has an independent butchers. It makes sense for us to be in Harrogate because we already have a lot of customers here. Our home deliveries are popular and we regularly supply Harrogate businesses.” 

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Tarbett’s will start trading at a time when Harrogate town centre lacks a traditional fishmongers, following the relocation of Ramus from Kings Road earlier in the year. Ramus is now based at Fodder farm shop and café. 

Amy added: 

“Perhaps other fishmongers were too far out. We hope to encourage the public to shop with us through our convenient location.” 

The business was founded by Liam Tarbett upon leaving university. Starting his enterprise at a farmer’s market in Leeds, he now has shops in Chapel Allerton, Leeds Kirkgate Market and Wetherby. 

The fish retailer offers a wide range of products at its other locations including Shetland scallops, extra-large king prawns, Scottish salmon fillet and sashimi grade tuna. Its arrival on Commercial Street has been celebrated by neighbouring retailers.

Play reveals Harrogate’s secret royal role in WWII

A new play has revealed the Harrogate district’s little-known role in a secret plan to protect the royal family and Prime Minister Winston Churchill during the Second World War.

The Stray is a two-act drama by playwright Keith Burton with the assistance of Harrogate historian Malcolm Neesam.

It tells the story of Harrogate’s role in the Coats Mission, which was a secret plan to evacuate the royal family from London.

Newby Hall, near Ripon, was identified as a possible home for the royal family and a wing of Grove House on Skipton Road in Harrogate, opposite an RAF bunker, was designated as a possible home for Prime Minister Winston Churchill.

On September 8 1940 Buckingham Palace was bombed and the Coats Mission plans were expedited.

However, the RAF and the Secret Intelligence Service did not want the Harrogate district plans to go ahead as they were building Washington bombers at nearby Yeadon and had a station at Forest Moor in Nidderdale feeding code-breaking intelligence to Bletchley Park.

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Then on September 12 a Junker 88 attacked the Majestic Hotel in Harrogate. These were the only bombs to fall on the town in the war.

Newspapers at the time reported “a stray” bombing by a plane and said it was part of a bigger raid on “northern industrial targets” without naming where the other bombs had fallen.

But the intelligence agencies did not regard it as a stray bomb and two days after the attack on Harrogate the Coats Mission was dropped.

The Stray is based on what might have happened in Harrogate during the week commencing September 8 1940.

Newby Hall.

Cllr Jim Clark, who is the chairman of North Yorkshire County Council and commissioned the play, has a long history of involvement in theatre. He said:

“There have always been stories about Harrogate’s part in the war so I thought this was a unique way of capturing the drama of it. I wanted to be able to make a contribution to help drama groups at schools and amateur dramatic groups. I will have the rights to the play for five years so anybody can perform it within reason.

Mr Clark has approached Harrogate Dramatic Society and Harrogate Theatre with the play. He hopes that it will start in Yorkshire and spread further afield.

New Tesco could open in Killinghall next year

The new Tesco Express in Killinghall is unlikely to open until late next year at the earliest.

The store is due to be built on the site of The Three Horseshoes pub on the main Ripon Road in the middle of Killinghall.

The pub posted a message on its Facebook page on Saturday saying it will close on September 27. But it could be some time before the Tesco Express opens.

In July, Harrogate Borough Council approved plans by Ilkley developers Dynamic Capital Killinghall to convert the site to a convenience store.

The plans also involve constructing four flats and installing six electric vehicle charging points.

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At a meeting of Killinghall Parish Council last week, Cllr John Moretta said the developers had suggested once work gets underway it is likely to take a year to complete.

Last month Tesco applied for an alcohol licence from 6am to 11pm seven days of the week at the site, which has hosted a pub for 150 years.

Tesco subsequently submitted three more planning applications for signage, lighting and an ATM machine. Work is unlikely to begin until these matters are resolved.

Fellow parish councillor George Novelli told last week’s meeting the store would be “absolutely vital for the village”, which has grown considerably in recent years. A Tesco spokesman said:

“We believe the new store will be a positive addition to the local community and we aim to be serving customers there in 2021.”

The Greyhounds Inn opposite The Three Horseshoes remains closed.

Man avoids jail for threatening ex-girlfriend and breaking policeman’s nose

A man who broke a policeman’s nose and cheekbone in a “disgraceful” attack at his home in Harrogate has narrowly avoided jail.

Joel Adam Rushton, 37, was resisting arrest when he struck one of the officers repeatedly, York Crown Court heard.

The officer received specialist hospital treatment for facial fractures and made a full physical recovery, but still suffered from the physical and mental effects of the incident on January 3, said prosecutor James Howard.

The policeman, who was named in court, had gone to Rushton’s address to arrest him for his behaviour towards his ex-partner, added Mr Howard. Six months after they broke up, she received a barrage of threatening phone calls from Rushton, who told her:

“I’m going to smash your head in; I’m going to kill you. I’m going to find you. I’m going to your mum’s to put my foot through the door. I want you dead.”

She hung up but he called back repeatedly, whereupon she called the police. Mr Howard added:

“She received a call from her mother who said that (Rushton) had been to (her) property and had been kicking the door and asking where (the victim) was.”

Turned violent

The victim – whose fraught relationship with Rushton ended in June last year – was so frightened of what he might do to her that she sought refuge at Harrogate Police Station.

When police turned up at Rushton’s home, he refused to be put in handcuffs and turned so violent that officers had to use pepper spray in an attempt to subdue him, amid screams from Rushton’s “highly agitated” new girlfriend, who was also sprayed accidentally.

Rushton “made a beeline” for one of the officers, whom he punched repeatedly in the face. The scuffle spilled out onto the street where Rushton grabbed one of the officer’s batons.

The injured officer had an X-ray six days later which showed he had fractures to his nose and cheekbone. He also suffered nasal bleeding.

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Rushton, of Grove Park Lane, Harrogate, appeared for sentence on Friday after pleading guilty to assaulting the officer occasioning actual bodily harm and making threatening phone calls to his ex-partner – an offence under the Malicious Communications Act.

In a victim impact statement, Rushton’s ex-girlfriend said she had been left feeling “anxious and distressed” which had resulted in her leaving the job she loved.

The officer who was seriously injured at Rushton’s home said he had suffered from depression, sleep problems and physical pain since the attack in January. He was put on restricted duties for weeks following the attack and was afraid to leave his house. Mr Howard said:

“He says the entire ordeal has left him (and his family) distressed and upset.”

Previous convictions

The court heard that Rushton, a father of four, had two previous convictions for three offences including public disorder.

Defence barrister Keith Allen said that Rushton, who worked as a fireplace installer, “lost emotional control” on the day in question while in a “primal state” born of “extreme anger”. He had behaved “completely out of character” when the officers came to arrest him and had since received cognitive therapy from a mental health nurse.

Recorder Margia Mostafa branded Rushton’s behaviour towards his ex-partner “disgraceful”, particularly his threats to kill her. She added:

“She must have believed what you were saying because she had to go to Harrogate Police Station as a place of safety.”

She noted, however, the “glowing” character references including one from Rushton’s employer, which “could not be further from the man that assaulted police and behaved in a dreadful fashion towards his former partner”, and others which described him as a “completely different man: a dedicated, loving father”.

Rushton’s 22-month jail sentence was suspended for two years but Ms Mostafa said he had “come close” to going straight to prison “because assaults against police officers are not acceptable”.

Rushton was also given a 12-month restraining order banning him from contacting or approaching his ex-partner. He was also placed on a nine-month, nightly curfew and ordered to carry out 150 hours’ unpaid work.

In addition, Rushton was ordered to complete a 25-day rehabilitation programme and pay £1,500 compensation to the injured police officer.

Council to appoint external consultant for Harlow Nurseries housing

Harrogate Borough Council wants to dip into its reserves to pay for an external consultant who would help develop three council-owned sites, including at Harlow Nurseries next to the Pinewoods where 40 homes are mooted.

A report is due to go before HBC’s cabinet on Wednesday that says the consultant would explore “quality place-making” on the sites and would assess options for how they could deliver the housing and employment needs of the district. The report does not say how much the external consultant would cost.

The three sites are at Harlow Nurseries, Dragon Road car park and land south of Almsford Bridge in Pannal. They have all been designated within the council’s Local Plan, which says where development will happen in the district over the next 14 years.

Harlow Nurseries sells council plants, pots and compost to the public, but would be relocated to another location if the housing went ahead.

Earlier this year, Harrogate Borough Council asked residents their views about Harlow Nurseries, with one respondent saying “it would be a very, very sad day if the site was sold off for housing.”

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At Harlow Nurseries, a condition of development is that it must provide “appropriate mitigation and compensation” to reduce any adverse environmental impacts on the Pinewoods, which is 96 acres of council-owned woodland adjacent to the site.

A spokesperson for the Pinewoods Conservation Group told the Stray Ferret:

“The development of the Nursery site adjacent to The Pinewoods was inevitable after its inclusion in the recently approved local plan. This will see further enclosure of The Pinewoods and the likely loss of many trees within the nursery site if the 40 houses are built. It is also a key access point for many residents and visitors that could be at risk as part of any major development.

“This is one the group will monitor over the next year and we can only hope that the council, and its appointed consultant, will look to engage with us on the site’s future.”

Union concerns over disabled teachers returning to district’s schools

Teachers’ unions have said they are concerned about the safety of teachers with disabilities returning to school in the Harrogate district. Most schools re-open tomorrow morning.

Sharon Calvert, local representative for the NASUWT Teachers’ Union, said the union had received particular concern from those who work in secondary schools.

It comes as pupils are set to return to school this week with a number of “significant changes” in place at schools across the district in an effort to abide by social distancing guidelines.

But Ms Calvert said unions are still concerned over the safety of vulnerable teachers who may be at risk from the virus and what procedures are in place to protect staff.

She said:

“The top and bottom of it is that teachers had concerns about returning to school and we have got issues with teachers who have disabilities.

“There is a lot of concern because it is the most vulnerable who are at risk. It seems to be that people who are disabled are ignored.”

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Union bosses said they have offered their members advice and guidance on returning to school, including a feedback form on the safety of their workplace.

It comes as schools across the district have put in place measures ahead of the return of pupils for the new term.

Measures include wearing face masks and separating year groups.

Among those to have announced the adaptations is Harrogate Grammar School with a number of “significant changes” in place to ensure safety and limit coronavirus outbreaks.

The school has reorganised classrooms and the cafeteria, staggered lunch and finish times and put in place a contingency plan for those needing to self-isolate. Additional cleaning staff have also been hired.

Meanwhile, North Yorkshire County Council has put on extra buses in the district in order to reduce the risk of coronavirus among pupils going back to school.

The Department for Education has said it is committed to ensuring that pupils and staff return safely to school.

Over 160 drug arrests in Harrogate district so far this year

A total of 166 drug arrests were made in the Harrogate district between January and July this year.  North Yorkshire police said it is committed to continue its drive to tackle the issues caused by county lines drugs.

The arrests include all drug offences, other than drug driving. Across the whole of North Yorkshire there were 808 arrests and the Harrogate district ranked the third highest area for arrests.

County lines is a serious issue for the police in Harrogate – which now has one of three dedicated teams in the county.

This form of organised crime sees drug dealers from more urban areas exploit vulnerable people, including children, and force them to deal drugs in smaller towns and cities.

Acting Superintendent Andrew Colbourne of Harrogate, said:

“The exploitation of young people and vulnerable adults, and the levels of violence associated with county lines makes it a foremost priority for North Yorkshire Police and its partners.

“Proactive policing also plays a big part in the number of drug arrests. We have dedicated teams across North Yorkshire Police – including Harrogate –  that target the supply of drugs and work alongside partners to protect vulnerable people on a daily basis. Information from members of the public is also vital.

North Yorkshire Police headquarters entrance

The Stray Ferret has previously reported on police raids in an attempt to combat drug crime. In March we reported on parent’s concerns about how easy it was for their children to get access to drugs.  

Superintendent Colbourne, added:

“Enforcement activity has not stopped as a result of the coronavirus pandemic – indeed, over the last few months, we have executed a number of warrants to tackle suspected drugs offences.”

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The police said the public can offer vital information that results in arrests. Any suspicions involving exploitation or drug dealing should be reported to the police or Crimestoppers.

Harrogate Citizen’s Advice ‘bracing themselves’ for unemployment rise

Harrogate’s Citizens Advice Bureau says they are “bracing themselves” for a sharp rise in unemployment in the town when the furlough scheme winds down.

Ed Pickering, who runs the Harrogate branch of the charity, told the Stray Ferret that whilst the scheme has protected employees from losing their jobs, he expects the economic impact of coronavirus to eventually hit workers in the district.

Over 15,000 people in Harrogate and Knaresborough have had their jobs protected through the furlough scheme.  New claims for out-of-work benefits such as Universal Credit and Jobseeker’s allowance stabilised over the past few months.

Local MP Andrew Jones previously said concerns over a surge in unemployment at the end of the scheme were “alarmist”.

Mr Pickering called the last few months “the calm before the storm” but said the charity is already starting seeing to see people who are furloughed in Harrogate and concerned about losing their job.

He said:

“A lot of people are now coming to us with employment problems. The furlough scheme has protected them but now they may be discovering that they won’t have a job.

“We’re starting to see it already and we’re bracing ourselves for the impact. There are people who’ve never dealt with the benefits system and we’re pretty well geared up for that, but it’s a little bit like ‘calm before the storm’.”

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In 2019 the government announced that the Harrogate Job Centre would be the first place in the country to pilot the Universal Credit managed migration programme, which transfers people claiming other benefits such as income support and job seeker’s allowance onto Universal Credit — but the process was beset with delays.

The Harrogate pilot was announced with great fanfare, including a visit from then-Work and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd. Ms Rudd said 10,000 benefit claimants would eventually move over to Universal Credit at Harrogate, but figures released to the Stray Ferret by Harrogate Borough Council revealed that only 64 people had by the end of last year.

The pilot was suspended in March this year, Mr Pickering says news on the scheme has gone “very, very quiet”, with the charity in the dark on whether it will even continue.

But despite a challenging 2020 with charity staff now working from home and speaking to clients over the phone, Mr Pickering praised the dedication of its volunteers:

“We’ve been incredibly busy but our staff of volunteers have been amazing.”