Residents say a one-way traffic system in an area in Harrogate where 650 new homes are proposed will lead to “horrendous” congestion on nearby streets.

Persimmon Homes and North Yorkshire County Council have sent consultation documents to local residents about the proposed scheme, which would stop traffic entering Kingsley Drive or Wreaks Road from Kingsley Road, near to Harrogate High School.

Persimmon said this will stop the two roads being used as rat runs.

However, residents say the one-way system will add to congestion on Kingsley Road and nearby Knaresborough Road and also suggest it is being proposed to move traffic away from a separate application from Persimmon on Kingsley Drive for 244 homes, which is yet to be granted planning permission.

A document that has been sent to residents from Persimmon Homes

John Hansard from the Kingsley Residents Action Group told The Stray Ferret that local residents “vehemently” opposed the proposal.

He said:

“It will create huge traffic jams on Kingsley Drive. It will be awful, it will be horrendous and it’s angered people in the area.”

Read more:

• Road through Granby park a ‘hammerblow’ for nearby residents

• 149 homes near Harrogate High School refused

A spokesperson for Persimmon Homes said:

“As part of our Section 106 planning obligation we are currently undertaking a consultation at our Kingsley Park development, on Kingsley Drive, to gauge local opinion on potential highway improvement schemes. Any decision on the one-way system will be made by North Yorkshire Highways.

“The outcome of the consultation, will determine if North Yorkshire Highways will progress the proposals further, should this be the case then a second, and more formal public consultation, will be completed.”

Last month, councillors refused 149 new homes on Kingsley Road because they said it would make already clogged roads in the area even worse.

Housing developer Richborough Estates faced a grilling from councillors who were not happy that the development was a 1km walk to the nearest bus stop. Cllr Pat Marsh called the traffic implications for the development “wrong, very wrong”.

The transport company Transdev has begun its new bus service from Harrogate to Leeds Bradford Airport.

The A2 Flyer bus, which replaced the 747 Flying Tiger service on Sunday, stops at local villages including Pannal, Huby and Poole-in-Wharfedale on the way to the airport. It also goes to Yeadon, Rawdon and Bradford.

An airport return ticket, valid for 28 days, costs £8.90 for a single adult and £15 for a group.

A seven-day ticket for one person costs £24 and a 28-day ticket costs £77.

The buses offer free WiFi and every seat has a USB charging point.

Transdev said in a statement the new route provided “a post-lockdown boost” to the regional economy.

Chief executive Alex Hornby said:

“We’re delighted to have secured a multi-year contract to introduce these amazing Flyer buses to Yorkshire. This new service is a very important element of our growth strategy and will attract new customers by creating buses that people are proud to be seen on.”

Read more:

• New bus service from Harrogate to Leeds Bradford Airport

• Thousands line streets for Harrogate Town’s open-top bus parade

The coronavirus pandemic has seen passenger numbers at Leeds Bradford Airport fall well below normal levels. Last week, Jet2 cancelled all flights to Ibiza, Menorca and Majorca for the rest of the summer season.

A former Ashville College pupil will attempt to swim across the English Channel later this month to raise money for Parkinson’s UK and the Alzheimer’s Society.  

The tough physical challenge will involve Richard Boyle swimming 35km in approximately 12 hours on 23rd September. 

The former rugby player will cross from Samphire Hoe, in Dover, to Cap Gris–Nez, near Calais. 

Richard has a fundraising target of £12,000. He has currently raised 89% of this amount.  

Due to the closure of swimming baths during lockdown, Richard has been training in suitable outdoor stretches of water. Recently his hard work paid off when he completed an 18km swim in 6 hours.  

Richard practicing for his big swim

Read More:

• Stray ferret in Harrogate kitchen goes viral
• Russell Crowe donates to fundraiser of Harrogate teen

A few years ago, Richard had to give up rugby following a back injury. Focusing on a new sport has helped him to process this change. 

The former Ashville pupil said: 

“Taking up swimming has helped plug that gap, so I have signed up to swim the English Channel in September, which is one of the toughest open water swims going.”

This was as an opportunity for Richard to raise money for causes close to his heart. With his grandfather suffering from Alzheimer’s, and his godfather from Parkinson’s, he decided to fundraise to support them.

He told the Stray Ferret: 

“Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s are two diseases which have touched my family. Both conditions are cruel and unrelenting. They strip those closest to you of characteristics which make them the person you know. I feel passionate about raising money to support them, and in doing so we will raise money to find a cure, help the people living with the illnesses, and also support their family and friends.” 

Parkinson’s UK drives for better care, treatments and quality of life for those living with the disease. Alzheimer’s Society is the UK’s leading dementia charity. They both campaign for change, fund research and support people living with dementia today. 

Richard’s fundraising page can be found at: https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/RBchannelswim 

A video of a stray ferret in a kitchen in Harrogate has gone viral, having attracted 210,000 views on TikTok in two days.

Ashleigh Wilson feared there was a rat in the kitchen when her family returned home from walking the dog on Sunday to hear scratching behind a kick plate.

With the dog going berserk, she armed herself with a broom and set about recording the incident as she slowly removed the plate.

Here’s what happened:

@kidsvsmum

#wtff #help

♬ original sound – user8175306408969

Ms Wilson said:

“I thought it was going to be a rat so I was shocked when it turned out to be a ferret. To have a ferret in my kitchen is about the most Yorkshire thing that could have happened.”

Read more:

• Harrogate rescue centre
• ‘I found more than 30 pellet wounds in my cat’.

Ms Wilson contacted a ferret welfare organisation, which advised her to temporarily home the rodent in a high sided box containing meat and a blanket.

She did this and posted appeals on social media to find the owner. The posts were shared and shortly afterwards a neighbour a few doors down in the Jennyfields area of Harrogate got in touch to claim the creature.

It is believed the ferret escaped its enclosure, scurried down the road and entered the Wilsons’ home through a back door left open for the dog.

It isn’t the first time Ms Wilson, a cleaner, has discovered a strange creature in a house.

“I once found a frog in a house that I was cleaning,” she said.

Independent Ripon Councillor Andrew Williams has called on the actress Dawn French to distance herself from Bauer Media following the demise of Stray FM.

Bauer rebranded Stray FM as Greatest Hits Radio today in a move that has upset many local people.

Ms French has been the voice of Greatest Hits Radio since signing a deal with Bauer in December 2018.

Cllr Williams, who serves on Ripon City Council, wrote to her agent Kate Davie of United Agents saying he thought Ms French “would not wish to be associated with the closures of Stray FM and Minster FM”.

He added:

“Perhaps your client might wish to distance herself from such a travesty. She risks her own reputation being tarnished and damaged.”

Read more:

• Stray FM’s final broadcast
• Ripon schoolgirl’s generous gesture

Cllr Williams claimed the switch from Stray FM to Greatest Hits Radio was a “complete decimation of the local radio stations that have played an integral part within our local communities for decades”.

He said he had emailed Ms French’s agent both as a private resident and as a member of Ripon City Council, which falls within Stray FM broadcast area.

At the time of publication, neither Cllr Williams nor the Stray Ferret had received a response from Ms French or her agent.

In a press release in December 2018, when Ms French was announced as the ‘voice of the station’ Greatest Hits Radio, said:

“Nothing short of a comedy legend, Dawn embodies the station’s brand values and is well known to the UK public for decades of award-winning comedy and acting roles including playing the irrepressible Geraldine Granger in The Vicar of Dibley.”

Schools across the district are preparing to reopen next week, with new measures including face masks and separating year groups in place as covid restrictions continue.

Among those to have announced the adaptations it will make is Harrogate Grammar School, which will reopen on Monday, September 7 with a number of “significant changes” in place to ensure safety and limit coronavirus outbreaks.

The school has re-organised 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.

The grammar school will open to staff on September 7 and spread the full reopening for students over the next three days. All year groups will return by September 10.

Neil Renton, headteacher of Harrogate Grammar School, said:

“Work has taken place over the summer period to ensure that school is ready to safely welcome our students back in September. One of the most significant changes that students will experience when they return are the year group groupings. In addition, we have developed a contingency plan for remote education where a class, group or small number of pupils need to self-isolate. This plan draws on all our learning and development during lockdown.

“We very much recognise that children will experience a variety of emotions in response to the coronavirus outbreak such as anxiety, stress or low mood. We will continue to support students through a variety of well-being initiatives, pastoral support and our emphasis on positive relationships.”

Students will be spaced out to allow for appropriate distancing between staff and pupils.

Read more:

• Parents say they are “delighted” children can return to school, after worrying about the impact of further delays on learning.
• Harrogate students said they are “panicking about the future” despite A-level grades U-turn. 

Parents in the district had previously called for further information regarding safety measures within schools ready for the new term to begin.

New government advice says children within “hot spot” areas are to wear face masks in congested areas such as corridors. The current number of cases in Harrogate means this is not expected be put into action in local schools next week.

Every month the Stray Ferret tries to find out what our local MPs have been up to in their constituencies and in the House of Commons.

MPs were not in Parliament in August due to the summer recess. They return on September 2.

We asked Harrogate & Knaresborough MP, Andrew Jones, Ripon MP Julian Smith, and Selby and Ainsty MP Nigel Adams if they would like to highlight anything in particular, but we did not receive a response from any of them at the time of publication.

So here is what we know after analysing their online presence.

Andrew Jones, MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough.

In Harrogate and Knaresborough here is what we found on Mr Jones:

• On August 2, Mr Jones hailed Harrogate Town’s win at Wembley as “the best news in ages”. He also tweeted about Notts County’s non-existent equaliser, which was quickly deleted. This led to the Stray Ferret’s Paul Baverstock suggesting that Mr Jones might not have been actually watching the game.
• According to a tweet from a constituent, Mr Jones wrote a letter about refugees crossing the channel on boats from France. In the letter, Mr Jones said the refugees “shouldn’t be crossing several safe countries” to get to the UK and he’s “working hard to find a solution to stop them”. However, the United Nations says refugees can legitimately make a claim for asylum in the UK after passing through other “safe” countries.
• On August 10, Mr Jones published figures on his website that revealed more than 15,000 people in his constituency have been furloughed from their jobs since March.
• He also welcomed news that Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust is set to receive an additional £527,000 to support Accident & Emergency (A&E) capacity ahead of the winter months.
• Mr Jones tweeted three times in August.
• On August 4, the MP welcomed £1.5m of government funding for a business park in Harrogate.
• Mr Jones released a statement welcoming the government’s u-turn over A-Level results. He said: “I am sorry for the distress and uncertainty this has caused pupils. In all about 20 students contacted me personally and I am writing to each of them”.
• Mr Jones refused to comment on a Stray Ferret story involving missing Porsche sports cars and Cllr Samantha Mearns, who works as a caseworker in his office.

Read more:

• MPs watch: NHS ‘on the table’ in US trade talks?

• MPs watch: litter picking and lost car keys

Julian Smith, MP for Ripon and Skipton.

In Ripon here is what we found on Mr Smith:

• The Stray Ferret revealed that Mr Smith has been appointed as an external advisor to a hydrogen company at a rate of £3,000 per hour.
• On Twitter, the MP for Ripon paid tribute to veteran Northern Irish politician John Hume who died on August 3.
• Fourteen of Mr Smith’s 19 tweets this month were related to Northern Ireland. He tweeted once about Ripon.
• Mr Smith praised Netflix drama The Fall which he said he was “totally glued to” during lockdown.
• On Facebook, Mr Smith complimented Ripon Catherdral’s 11,000 origami angels, which is a project organised by churchgoers to send messages to family members and key workers.
• Mr Smith advertised for a new parliamentary assistant to respond to constituency enquiries, help run his social media accounts and assist with casework. The salary has not been disclosed publicly.

Nigel Adams, MP For Selby and Ainsty

In rural south Harrogate here is what we found on Mr Adams.

• Mr Adams spoke out on Twitter on a range of subjects including Jeremy Corbyn, the debate over singing Rule Brittania at the Proms, and the sentencing of the Manchester bomber.
• Mr Adams is the minister for Asia and earlier in the month welcomed ambassadors from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries for ASEAN day. He said UK-ASEAN trade reached a 10-year high of £41.9bn in January.
• He tweeted 14 times in August including several times about Drax Power Station in Selby, which is part of his constituency.
• He visited several restaurants in his constituency that are participating in the government’s Eat Out to Help Out scheme.

As the Eat Out To Help Out scheme comes to an end today, its success has led some local restaurants to extend it at their own expense.

The scheme has allowed restaurants and cafes to boost their profits after being forced to close during lockdown.

Restaurants in the district extending the scheme include:

• Bambudda Oriental Cuisine, Kirkgate, Ripon – £5 off ‘All you can eat’ buffet Monday and Wednesday.
• Blue Bell Inn at Kirby Hill, Boroughbridge – Two-course meal £10 and three-course meal for £15 on Wednesday and Thursday.
• The Pine Marten, Otley Road, Harrogate – 50% off mains, Monday-Wednesday until mid-September, when subscribed to mailing list
• Graveley’s of Harrogate – 50% off up to £10 on mains and soft drinks until Wednesday, September 2
• Gino d’Acampo My Restaurant, Harrogate – 50% off up to £10 on mains and soft drinks until Wednesday, September 2
• La Feria, Cold Bath Road, Harrogate – 50% off up to £10 on mains and soft drinks until Wednesday, September 2
• Lucia Wine Bar and Grill, Ripon Road, Harrogate – 50% off up to £10 on mains and soft drinks, Monday-Wednesday, until the end of September
• Starbeck Tandoori, Starbeck – 50% off food up to £10 Monday – Thursday, until the end of September.
• The Empress on the Stray, Church Square, Harrogate –  25% off food Monday – Wednesday until the end of September.
• The Grantham Arms, Boroughbridge – 50% off up to £5 per person, Monday – Wednesday, until the end of September.
• West Park Hotel, Harrogate – 50% off food up to £10 until Wednesday, September 2.

Customers should contact the restaurant regarding the offer prior to booking.

Simon Wade, owner of The Grantham Arms in Boroughbridge, said:

“It’s been phenomenal – it’s been like having a six-day weekend. We’ve had to bring in new suppliers as many just didn’t realise it would be this busy.

“In terms of money, we lost £250,000 of turnover during lockdown. The scheme has drastically increased our turnover but we have had to employ more staff.

“We are introducing our own scheme – I just think we can’t not piggy back on the back of something so successful. We know everyone loves a bargain and I am pleased to offer it.”

Both restaurants are extending the scheme in order to capitalise the surge in bookings it has encouraged.

The owner of The Empress on the Stray, Sharon Colgan, said:

“Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday throughout August have been a real success changing people’s perspective on early-week dining. We are hopeful it will continue through September and we will look at possibly extending until the end of the year if it continues to be a success.”

Read more:

• WATCH as restaurants in the district are busy following government discount scheme. 
• Harrogate’s restaurants say they are fully booked for the final week of Eat Out To Help Out.

The West Park Hotel is extending the scheme in celebration of its owner Provenance’s 10th anniversary.

Anthony Blundell, assistant general manager, said:

“It has gone incredibly well – it’s been like having Saturdays at the beginning of the week. Lunch and dinners have been much busier, we’ve had to take on more staff to cover demand.

“We’ve had a lot of people who may not have come before the scheme. We saw a high increase in sales, 120 at night and 60 to 80 diners for lunch, whereas before it was around 20. We lost three months of sales and had renovations so it’s good to start paying that back.

“Extending the discount is a great thing and it gives people who missed out the chance to give it a go.”

Harrogate Brigantes Rotary club is climbing to the peak of Everest, virtually, to raise money for its Covid Relief Fund.

To succeed members have to walk over 1,500 miles and climb 1,000,000 feet.

Over the past few weeks, members have been banking their miles by trekking across Yorkshire Dales, climbing up the steps to Knaresborough Castle or even in a high-rise apartment.

Twenty members have accumulated enough miles to reach Everest base camp. Now, all are working hard towards the President’s final assault to the peak.

The target is £5000 and most of the money raised will go to support two organisations. Carers’ Resource and Wellspring offer a variety of services to help people and communities suffering from the fall-out from Covid.

President of the club, David Hayes, said:

“The Covid pandemic has greatly increased the needs of many in our community. At the start of lockdown Harrogate Brigantes established a Covid Relief Fund to direct money to the most needy people and causes. To raise money for this we have had to think of innovative initiatives. The biggest so far is our virtual expedition to conquer Everest and get me to the top.

This is a great challenge as we’re all past our prime and are having to do a great deal of hill walking and stair climbing to get near the miles along and feet up we need. But I’m looking forward to the final assault.”

The rotary President stands on the peak of “Everest” – ahead of the final assault.

The President is expected to reach the peak over the next couple of weeks.

The Covid Relief Fund has been used to support a wide variety of local charities, projects and causes. Including supply of PPE to local health workers and care homes, afternoon teas for isolated older people, baking packs for young carers.

As lockdown has eased, the focus has changed to helping local charities dealing with the longer term issues such as mental health.

Read more:

• Knaresborough’s rotary club gets a new President – she’s a skydiving enthusiast. 
• A local emotional wellbeing charity has received further funding to continue to run workshops for children during the school holidays. 

The club has already raised £2500 in sponsorships. To donate to the cause, you can click here.

After setting up in the face of a crisis 20 years ago, Ripley Scarecrow Pigfest has been cancelled this year – because of the pandemic.

The event was due to celebrate its 20th anniversary with plans to stage the biggest and best festival to date.

It was launched in 2001 to attract people back to the village and wider countryside in the wake of the foot and mouth crisis. Now, in an ironic twist, another crisis means it will not go ahead this year.

Organiser Karen Evans, who lives near Ripon, came up with the idea for a scarecrow hunt, featuring pig-headed characters with imaginative names given by their creators.

For consistency of look she has, in the previous 19 years, made the papier mache heads for each Pigfest character – providing a subtle nod to Ripley’s boar’s head emblem.

Karen told the Stray Ferret:

“Unfortunately, we have become victims of our own success and couldn’t risk public safety, with hundreds of people in the confined space of the village.”

Boarglar Bill, one of the imaginatively-named characters who has featured at Ripley Scarecrow Pigfest

It has also brought another financial setback for the All Saints’ Church fabric fund which, over the years, has benefitted from donations of thousands of pounds raised through the entry fee for participants.

Karen, who is a warden at the Ripley church, pointed out:

“Combined with the fact that we have not been able to have the Wednesday cafe at All Saints’ open this summer, we have seen a loss of revenue totalling around £11,000.”

Read more:

• Plans for new home development near Ripon Cathedral
• Search for hero who saved child from Ripon river

Rather than bemoan the losses, she decided to literally get on her bike to provide another means of raising money, both for the church and the Sir Robert Ogden Macmillan Centre at Harrogate Hospital, which is dear to her heart, having been treated there herself.

Between September 21 and 24, Karen and friend Judith Nickols will do a 137-mile sponsored cycle ride starting from Whitehaven on the west coast and finishing in Tynemouth on the east coast.

Both are keen cyclists and are training hard in readiness for the challenging and hilly coast to coast course.

Anybody wanting to sponsor Karen can find further details about her fundraising for All Saints’ Church Ripley and The Sir Robert Ogden Macmillan Centre on her justgiving page.