Police forensics officers entered a home in Harrogate this afternoon where a man is suspected to have been murdered.

A 23-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of murder in the street in Mayfield Grove just after 10pm last night.

A 48-year-old man was found with serious injuries inside a nearby flat and was certified dead at the scene by ambulance staff.

In an update at 1.14pm this afternoon, North Yorkshire Police said the suspect remained in custody and was being questioned by detectives.

There has been a heavy police presence on Mayfield Grove today. An officer has been posted at the door of the suspected crime scene and a procession of police vans have been coming and going. Shortly after midday a forensics team entered the flat.

The police update urged people not to be worried about the “noticeable police presence in and around the area”.

Read more:

• Arrest after suspected murder in central Harrogate
• Man charged with murder of 22-year-old Harrogate woman

Detective Superintendent Fran Naughton, who is leading the investigation, said:

“Our investigation is well under way and we can confirm this was a contained incident.

“A man is now in police custody and we do not believe there is any wider risk to the public.

“However, many residents will be understandably anxious about what has happened. There will be a greater police presence in the area, which we hope residents will find reassuring, and officers will be working closely with the community.

“Our specially-trained officers are supporting the deceased man’s family at this difficult time.”

The police appealed to anyone who was in the Mayfield Grove area of Harrogate on Friday night who saw any suspicious activity to contact North Yorkshire Police by calling 101 and selecting option 1.

If you prefer to remain anonymous, you can pass information to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Please quote incident number 12210072144 when sharing information.

The leader of Harrogate Borough Council has said he has received just one complaint from residents in the Beech Grove area who oppose the road closure.

Cllr Richard Cooper, who is also the Harrogate central district councillor for North Yorkshire County Council,  was replying to that complaint.

The concerned resident, who requested anonymity, wrote to Cllr Cooper and Cllr Don Mackenzie to say that the road closure was a “fine mess” after drivers churned up grass verges.

Read more:

• Cars drive over Stray to avoid Harrogate road closure
• New Beech Grove sign to stop cars driving on Stray

The closure is a six month trial and designed to encourage cycling by stopping through traffic and creating a Low Traffic Neighbourhood.

The road was closed with only a few days notice under an “experimental order” and initially led to cars driving over part of the Stray to avoid the closure.

However, since North Yorkshire County Council installed a sign on the Stray the problems have been reduced to those who struggle with three-point turns.

Cllr Richard Cooper.

Cllr Richard Cooper wrote in response today:

“I strongly support the low traffic neighbourhood scheme. I hope very much it becomes a permanent and growing feature of our roads in Harrogate.

“You are the only correspondent I have had from the area opposing the scheme.

“It seems very odd to me that on the one hand I get many, many complaints about drivers putting their foot down on Beech Grove when there are so many older people living there.

“Yet when we do something about it then there is a complaint.

“The problem with the chewed up verges isn’t created by the Low Traffic Neighbourhood scheme.

“It is caused by the lazy and inconsiderate motorist who ignores the many road signs and is too poorly skilled at driving, or more likely couldn’t care less, to execute a fairly simple three point turn.”

Cllr Don Mackenzie, executive county councillor for access at North Yorkshire County Council.

Cllr Don Mackenzie also replied to say that the county council could protect the grass verges from further damage:

“Thank you for bringing this matter to our attention. It sounds like you are not a supporter of our Low Traffic Neighbourhood scheme on Beech Grove.

“As you know, NYCC will be collecting views on this experimental order for the next six months.

“I have picked up a great deal of support for the scheme on social media in these early days.

“We have had to take steps to prevent inconsiderate drivers from attempting to bypass the closure.

“We can perhaps also consider means of preventing the sort of verge damage which your photo shows, if that occurs more often.”

The best way forward for any society that has come through a dark time is to offer a vision of hope and recovery – and more importantly, a straight line to it.

After the terrible years of the Great War of 1914-1918, the authorities in Harrogate asked the best people qualified to come up with answers on how the town should recover – the people themselves.

Of the several local organisations to respond, none had better knowledge than the Harrogate Medical Society, which after discussions with other groups, such as hoteliers, traders, residents and local societies, published a list of suggestions to aid recovery and promote the attractiveness of the town.

At the same time, the council asked mineral well expert Professor Smithells to select essential aspects of his wartime study of the town’s mineral waters, to assist the initial recovery process of the town’s main business – the spa.

Within weeks of the November 1918 armistice, the recommendations were ready, and their essential points were that Harrogate must be made more attractive to visitors to ensure the economy not only survived, but prospered.

Post-1918 blueprint

Chief among these recommendations were:

[1] Shopping should be made more agreeable by protecting shoppers from sometimes severe climatic conditions, such as excess rain or sunshine, and that the ‘colonnading’ or erection of glazed pavement canopies along Royal Parade, Montpellier Parade, both sides of Parliament Street, both sides of James Street and Crescent Road would not only achieve this, but would add greatly to the town’s beauty as well as the comfort and convenience of visitors, and benefit of shopkeepers.

[2] Landscape improvements to Crescent Gardens; Station Square, where recent building development had been of a tawdry nature; the circular garden in front of the Prospect Hotel which could receive a permanent war memorial; the gardens in Victoria Avenue. Every one of these improvements had been implemented within 10 years.

[3] Better use to be made of the The Royal Hall’s gardens. Here, several hard court tennis courts were constructed, that allowed the Davis Cup matches to be held there.

[4] More regular music recitals in the gardens of the Royal Hall and Crescent Gardens. Again, this was implemented, especially after the 1933 completion of the Sun Pavilion.

[5] Improved lavatory accommodation, particularly on Harlow Moor, in Low Harrogate and Station Square. Again implemented, with about six new sets of conveniences being provided across the town.

Other recommendations included: tighter regulation of cab and taxi fares, better control of the dust nuisance, a continuance of the excellent standard of advertising the town, improving regularity of Pullman service, and the erection of a new Pump Room to the right of the entrance to Valley Gardens – this last, perhaps fortunately, was eventually abandoned.

Bottling mineral water

In 1920, a school for training staff at the Spa was opened, which brought considerable positive publicity to the town, and which succeeded so well that other spas were soon sending their staff to Harrogate for training.

In the past, the bottling of Harrogate’s mineral waters had been an often contentious matter, with opponents arguing that if people could buy Harrogate Water in Aberdeen, Bristol or Manchester, they would not need to visit the town and would thus deprive the economy of significant income.

But supporters argued that bottling would open up a large market by making the waters available to those who would never be able to travel to Harrogate, and that in addition, bottling was a wonderful opportunity to publicise the town’s name. But in 1919, the corporation changed tack, and resolved on 21st January 1919 to establish a table water industry.

Although some of these recommendations were never achieved, many were, and this gave people a sense of vision and hope for the future, much positive publicity being provided by the national press, for which Harrogate had become ‘the Nation’s Spa’.

Post-1945 blueprint

At the end of the Second World War, Harrogate faced completely new problems, most of which arose from the acute shortages of materials necessary to aid reconstruction, and the decline of the British spa industry that came after the introduction on July 5 1948 of the new National Health Service.

Despite these barriers, Harrogate’s council investigated several proposals to secure the spa economy, and encourage the growth of new industry, including office and retail development, and above all to create an atmosphere of hope.

As all of the town’s hotels had been requisitioned during the war, the council decided on August 13 1945 to petition the Minister of Works to start the de-requisitioning process, so that the town’s accommodation business could be revived. On June 3 1946, the council decided to spend £100 on erecting a fountain, to emphasise the importance of water to Harrogate.

October 1946 saw the council encouraging the formation of a ‘Friends of Harrogate’, which would strive to enhance and promote the town. In July 1947, Harrogate’s brilliant publicity and entertainments manager advised the council that during the previous six months, 33 conferences had brought between eight to 10,000 visitors to the town, and that this was the way forward.

Then, in 1949, the public learned that Harrogate was set to become the national centre for the study of arthritis and rheumatism, with visits from the Minister of Health planned. At the same time, the fringes of the Stray were planted with bulbs and fairy lights hung in its trees, to add to the beauty of the area.

More attractions were planned, and on June 27 1949 the council resolved to start a scheme to convert the Royal Pump Room into a museum to attract visitors. These were but a few of the steps taken by the council to revive the town’s economy and give people a sense of optimism.

Tinkering with one-way systems

Now, we have talk about tinkering with further one-way systems for traffic, which is inherited from the council’s foolish 1970 one-way experiment that interrupted the two-way flow between Spacey Houses and New Park with one-way flow between West Park and Parliament Street, an action which forced through traffic into King’s Road, Cheltenham Parade, Station Parade, and York Place. This is why they are still trying to make something of Station Parade. This was why all the trees have vanished from King’s Road to Cheltenham Crescent to Station Parade (see photo).

Cheltenham Parade copyright Walker-Neesam Archive

The plan for this new Harrogate ‘Gateway’ talks about the Station Square area being a gateway, something it always was, until the council allowed the railway station to be destroyed in 1964, as my accompanying photo shows.

Station Square copyright Walker-Neesam Archive

Afterwards, when architect David Cullearn designed a public event arena outside the Victoria Centre with a fountain (see photo) it was the council that weakly allowed a new owner to infill the arena, destroy the fountains, and use the new arid forecourt to display cars or host fast food stalls with their backs to the main exit of Harrogate Railway Station.

Victoria Centre copyright Walker-Neesam Archive

The latest drawings of the proposed gateway also show the Victoria Centre with a canopy around it, a beautiful original feature (see photo) which was destroyed with the council’s authorisation when they allowed the then-owner to extend the ground floor retail space, which wrecked architect Cullearn’s useful covered walkway.

Victoria Centre copyright Walker-Neesam Archive

Where’s the vision now?

Today, as we see signs that the terrible pandemic is diminishing, Harrogate is crying out for a vision, for a sense that the town’s leadership has a solid and achievable vision for our future, and a vision based on the interest of the whole community, rather than narrow party political lines. Does this vision exist, and if it does, is it being communicated to the entire population?

In my capacity as a historian, I hear from many Harrogate people, and know after long experience that there are many in our town who neither know nor care about the difference between the district and the county council, and are unfamiliar with the work of local government, other perhaps than that they have to support it financially. These – I suggest – are the people the vision needs to reach. And the vision should give inspiration and hope for the future of our much-loved locality.

Malcolm Neesam,
[Illustrations copyright Walker-Neesam Archive].

Police have issued a warning after an increase in burglaries in the Harrogate district.

Officers said there had been an rise in burglaries in the Pannal, Rossett and the Stray areas.

The force said people should ensure their windows, doors and cars were locked and to report any suspicious activity to police.

A warning has also been issued to residents in the Duchy Road area after thieves stole property from cars. Police said vehicles had been left “insecure” and urged people not to leave items on display.

Read more: 

• Thieves rip Knaresborough ATM from wall

• Harrogate man speeding at 126mph was also breaking lockdown rules

A post on North Yorkshire Police’s Facebook said:

“Last night a number of insecure vehicles were entered in the Duchy Road area of Harrogate and property was stolen. 

“This is reminder to motorists to ensure that your cars/vans are locked, even if parked on your driveway and ensure that no items of value are left on display.”

Police added:

“There has been an increase of burglaries in Pannal, Rossett and the Stray areas of Harrogate.

“Please ensure that you lock your doors, windows and cars. If you witness any suspicious activity, please contact the police immediately.”

Harrogate will have its name linked to the 150th anniversary of the Royal Albert Hall in London – and aspiring artists are also being invited to get involved.

To mark the venue’s milestone, Harrogate Spring Water is planning to create limited-edition anniversary labels for its bottles, to be sold at the Royal Albert Hall and selected other outlets.

To come up with the perfect design to showcase the diverse culture of the venue, Harrogate Spring Water (HSW) is calling for creatives to help. An expert panel, including representatives from HSW and the Royal Albert Hall, will nominate a shortlist and choose the winning design, with a prize of a £4,000 creative bursary. Two finalists will receive a £1,000 bursary.

James Cain OBE, CEO of Harrogate Spring Water, said:

“We are so pleased to be able to offer talented creatives across the UK the opportunity to feature on our bottle; we understand just how important it is to support the Arts and Creative industry during this time.”

“The 150^th anniversary of the Royal Albert Hall is such a special milestone and its fantastic to be able to celebrate our valued partnership with such an iconic and historic institution. We cannot wait to see the designs!”

During 2021 and 2022, the Royal Albert Hall celebrates its 150th birthday, with a special programme of events including major commissions from British artists, headline performances from musical legends, and a series of showcases promoting the next generation of talent.

In its long history, the Royal Albert Hall has hosted great works of art and design including an 800-feet-long mosaic frieze encircling the building, a Picasso-designed programme cover in 1937 and a 2014 mural by Sir Peter Blake celebrating the venue’s diverse history.

In 2021 and 2022, as it marks its 150th birthday, its programme of events will include major commissions from British artists, headline performances from musical legends and a series of showcases promoting the next generation of talent.

Read more:

• Designs for new Knaresborough museum revealed
• StrayArt with Johnny Messum: Photography

Harrogate Spring Water is an official partner of the celebrations and its 500ml still and sparkling bottles will feature the commemorative labels this year and next. Artists are encouraged to use colour to reflect the diversity of culture at the Royal Albert Hall.

Craig Hassall, chief executive of the Royal Albert Hall, said:

“We’re delighted to launch this one-of-a-kind design competition as part of our 150th anniversary celebrations.

“The Hall has been a meeting place – and an inspiration – for artists of all kinds since we opened in 1871, and we can’t wait to see how contemporary creatives interpret our diverse history. We’d like to thank our friends at Harrogate Spring Water for helping us mark this milestone in such an inventive and unusual way.”

For more information about the competition, click here.

Good morning everyone and welcome to our traffic and travel live blog, the last one before the weekend.

Whether you travel by car, bus or train we will keep an eye out for any possible disruption to your journey. All brought to you by The HACS Group.

It’s Connor again back on the travel desk from 6.30am. Spotted an accident or a road closure? Send your updates to contact@thestrayferret.co.uk.

If traffic is moving well or it’s at a standstill then we will let you know with our updates every 15 minutes.

Full update – 9am

Thanks for reading our traffic and travel blog. There have been a few police incidents this morning as well as increasing numbers of construction sites around the Harrogate district. That’s all from me for this week. I am heading over to the newsdesk now. My colleague Suzannah will be back on Monday morning.

Roads

• The Boroughbridge Road diversion in Ripon is open and will remain open until the Dishforth Road reopens to through traffic later this month.
• Reports of a crash on the A168 near Boroughbridge which has partially closed the road. This should now have cleared.
• Reports of severe delays of 24 minutes on B6165 Scotton Moor Eastbound between Milner Lane and Scotton Drive. This should now have cleared.
• The roads are becoming increasingly busy today. There are some construction sites also likely to cause delays:
• Skipton Road, Harrogate.
• Knaresborough Road, near to the Empress Roundabout.
• High Street in Knaresborough.
• Old Barber area of Bilton. Major road repair scheme started this week.
• Otley Road in Harrogate.
• Leeds Road in Harrogate.

Trains

• Services on the Harrogate to York, Knaresborough and Leeds routes look to be on time this morning.

Buses

• Buses appear to be running well in the Harrogate district with no delays or cancellations.

https://www.hacs.co.uk/

Full update – 8.45am

Roads

• The Boroughbridge Road diversion in Ripon is open and will remain open until the Dishforth Road reopens to through traffic later this month.
• Reports of a crash on the A168 near Boroughbridge which has partially closed the road. This should now have cleared.
• Reports of severe delays of 24 minutes on B6165 Scotton Moor Eastbound between Milner Lane and Scotton Drive. This should now have cleared.
• The roads are becoming increasingly busy today. There are some construction sites also likely to cause delays:
• Skipton Road, Harrogate.
• Knaresborough Road, near to the Empress Roundabout.
• High Street in Knaresborough.
• Old Barber area of Bilton. Major road repair scheme started this week.
• Otley Road in Harrogate.
• Leeds Road in Harrogate.

Trains

• Services on the Harrogate to York, Knaresborough and Leeds routes look to be on time this morning.
• The 8.05am Harrogate to Leeds is now due at 8.41am.

Buses

• Buses appear to be running well in the Harrogate district with no delays or cancellations.

Full update – 8.30am

Roads

• The Boroughbridge Road diversion in Ripon is open and will remain open until the Dishforth Road reopens to through traffic later this month.
• Reports of a crash on the A168 near Boroughbridge which has partially closed the road. This should now have cleared.
• Reports of severe delays of 24 minutes on B6165 Scotton Moor Eastbound between Milner Lane and Scotton Drive. This should now have cleared.
• The roads are becoming increasingly busy today. There are some construction sites also likely to cause delays:
• Skipton Road, Harrogate.
• Knaresborough Road, near to the Empress Roundabout.
• High Street in Knaresborough.
• Old Barber area of Bilton. Major road repair scheme started this week.
• Otley Road in Harrogate.
• Leeds Road in Harrogate.

Trains

• Services on the Harrogate to York, Knaresborough and Leeds routes look to be on time this morning.
• The 8.05am Harrogate to Leeds is now due at 8.41am.

Buses

• Buses appear to be running well in the Harrogate district with no delays or cancellations.

Full update – 8.15am

Roads

• The Boroughbridge Road diversion in Ripon is open and will remain open until the Dishforth Road reopens to through traffic later this month.
• Reports of a crash on the A168 near Boroughbridge which has partially closed the road.
• Reports of severe delays of 24 minutes on B6165 Scotton Moor Eastbound between Milner Lane and Scotton Drive. This should now have cleared.
• The roads are becoming increasingly busy today. There are some construction sites also likely to cause delays:
• Skipton Road, Harrogate.
• Knaresborough Road, near to the Empress Roundabout.
• High Street in Knaresborough.
• Old Barber area of Bilton. Major road repair scheme started this week.
• Otley Road in Harrogate.
• Leeds Road in Harrogate.

Trains

• Services on the Harrogate to York, Knaresborough and Leeds routes look to be on time this morning.
• The 8.05am Harrogate to Leeds is now due at 8.41am.

Buses

• Buses appear to be running well in the Harrogate district with no delays or cancellations.

Full update – 8am

Roads

• The Boroughbridge Road diversion in Ripon is open and will remain open until the Dishforth Road reopens to through traffic later this month.
• The M1 in Leeds is closed in both directions between junction 44 and 43 due to a police incident. New: This has now reopened but it is likely to remain congested around the area.
• Reports of a crash on the A168 near Boroughbridge which is causing heavy traffic.
• New: Reports of severe delays of 24 minutes on B6165 Scotton Moor Eastbound between Milner Lane and Scotton Drive.
• The roads are becoming increasingly busy today. There are some construction sites also likely to cause delays:
• Skipton Road, Harrogate.
• Knaresborough Road, near to the Empress Roundabout.
• High Street in Knaresborough.
• Old Barber area of Bilton. Major road repair scheme started this week.
• Otley Road in Harrogate.
• Leeds Road in Harrogate.

Trains

• Services on the Harrogate to York, Knaresborough and Leeds routes look to be on time this morning.
• The 6.49am York to Leeds service is now due at 8.02am.

Buses

• Buses appear to be running well in the Harrogate district with no delays or cancellations.

Full update – 7.45am

Roads

• The Boroughbridge Road diversion in Ripon is open and will remain open until the Dishforth Road reopens to through traffic later this month.
• The M1 in Leeds is closed in both directions between junction 44 and 43 due to a police incident. New: This has now reopened but it is likely to remain congested around the area.
• Reports of a crash on the A168 near Boroughbridge which is causing heavy traffic.
• The roads are becoming increasingly busy today. There are some construction sites also likely to cause delays:
• Skipton Road, Harrogate.
• Knaresborough Road, near to the Empress Roundabout.
• High Street in Knaresborough.
• Old Barber area of Bilton. Major road repair scheme started this week.
• Otley Road in Harrogate.
• Leeds Road in Harrogate.

Trains

• Services on the Harrogate to York, Knaresborough and Leeds routes look to be on time this morning.
• The 6.49am York to Leeds service is now due at 8.02am.

Buses

• Buses appear to be running well in the Harrogate district with no delays or cancellations.

Full update – 7.30am

Roads

• The Boroughbridge Road diversion in Ripon is open and will remain open until the Dishforth Road reopens to through traffic later this month.
• The M1 in Leeds is closed in both directions between junction 44 and 43 due to a police incident. New: This has now reopened but it is likely to remain congested around the area.
• Reports of a crash on the A168 near Boroughbridge which is causing heavy traffic.
• The roads are becoming increasingly busy today. There are some construction sites also likely to cause delays:
• Skipton Road, Harrogate.
• Knaresborough Road, near to the Empress Roundabout.
• High Street in Knaresborough.
• Old Barber area of Bilton. Major road repair scheme started this week.
• Otley Road in Harrogate.
• Leeds Road in Harrogate.

Trains

• Services on the Harrogate to York, Knaresborough and Leeds routes look to be on time this morning.

Buses

• Buses appear to be running well in the Harrogate district with no delays or cancellations.

Full update – 7.15am

Roads

• The Boroughbridge Road diversion in Ripon is open and will remain open until the Dishforth Road reopens to through traffic later this month.
• The M1 in Leeds is closed in both directions between junction 44 and 43 due to a police incident. It is likely to cause major issues for those travelling into the city this morning.
• Reports of a crash on the A168 near Boroughbridge which is causing heavy traffic.
• The roads are looking clear so far today around the Harrogate district except for on the above routes near Boroughbridge and Leeds. There are some construction sites also likely to cause delays:
• Skipton Road, Harrogate.
• Knaresborough Road, near to the Empress Roundabout.
• High Street in Knaresborough.
• Old Barber area of Bilton. Major road repair scheme started this week.
• Otley Road in Harrogate.
• Leeds Road in Harrogate.

Trains

• Services on the Harrogate to York, Knaresborough and Leeds routes look to be on time this morning.

Buses

• Buses appear to be running well in the Harrogate district with no delays or cancellations.

Full update – 7am

Roads

• The Boroughbridge Road diversion in Ripon is open and will remain open until the Dishforth Road reopens to through traffic later this month.
• The M1 in Leeds is closed in both directions between junction 44 and 43 due to a police incident. It is likely to cause major issues for those travelling into the city this morning.
• Reports of a crash on the A168 near Boroughbridge which is causing heavy traffic.
• The roads are looking clear so far today around the Harrogate district except for on the above routes near Boroughbridge and Leeds. There are some construction sites also likely to cause delays:
• Skipton Road, Harrogate.
• Knaresborough Road, near to the Empress Roundabout.
• High Street in Knaresborough.
• Old Barber area of Bilton. Major road repair scheme started this week.
• Otley Road in Harrogate.
• Leeds Road in Harrogate.

Trains

• Services on the Harrogate to York, Knaresborough and Leeds routes look to be on time this morning.

Buses

• Buses appear to be running well in the Harrogate district with no delays or cancellations.

Full update – 6.45am

Roads

• The Boroughbridge Road diversion in Ripon is open and will remain open until the Dishforth Road reopens to through traffic later this month.
• The M1 in Leeds is closed in both directions between junction 44 and 43 due to a police incident. It is likely to cause major issues for those travelling into the city this morning.
• New: Reports of a crash on the A168 near Boroughbridge which is causing heavy traffic.
• The roads are looking clear so far today around the Harrogate district except for on the above routes near Boroughbridge and Leeds. There are some construction sites also likely to cause delays:
• Skipton Road, Harrogate.
• Knaresborough Road, near to the Empress Roundabout.
• High Street in Knaresborough.
• Old Barber area of Bilton. Major road repair scheme started this week.
• Otley Road in Harrogate.
• Leeds Road in Harrogate.

Trains

• Services on the Harrogate to York, Knaresborough and Leeds routes look to be on time this morning.

Buses

• Buses appear to be running well in the Harrogate district with no delays or cancellations.

Full update – 6.30am

Roads

• The Boroughbridge Road diversion in Ripon is open and will remain open until the Dishforth Road reopens to through traffic later this month. The proposed one-day closure of the bridge over the River Ure near Ripon Racecourse is being rescheduled.
• The roads are looking clear so far today around the Harrogate district. There are some construction sites likely to cause delays:
• Skipton Road, Harrogate.
• Knaresborough Road, near to the Empress Roundabout.
• High Street in Knaresborough.
• Old Barber area of Bilton. Major road repair scheme started this week.
• Ripon Road in Killinghall.
• Otley Road in Harrogate.
• Leeds Road in Harrogate.
• The M1 in Leeds is closed in both directions between junction 44 and 43 due to a police incident. It is likely to cause major issues for those travelling into the city this morning.

Trains

• Services on the Harrogate to York, Knaresborough and Leeds routes look to be on time this morning.

Buses

• Buses appear to be running well in the Harrogate district with no delays or cancellations.

More than a thousand people have signed a petition in just four days calling for the cycling scheme for Oatlands Drive to be scrapped.

North Yorkshire County Council has proposed to make the road one-way southbound and 20mph to widen the footpath and create a segregated cycleway.

The public consultation for that £215,000 scheme closed at the end of February. But the petition organiser hopes that it will be considered if it gains more traction.

Anna McIntee started the petition.

Anna McIntee, who lives in the Saints area of Harrogate, started the online petition which has at the time of writing attracted 1,041 signatures.

She told the Stray Ferret:

“I started the petition on Monday and more than a thousand people have already signed it. That is amazing, I am so pleased with it.

“So many people have already signed it but I hope that we can reach 10,000 signatures by the end of the month, when I will send it to the county council.

“I do like cycling and I have my own bike which I use, I think we should encourage cycling but in a diffent way which does not have an adverse effect on the town.”

Read more:

• Cars could make way for cyclists on another Harrogate road
• Campaign against Oatlands one-way scheme ramps up

The Harrogate and District Cycle Action (HDCA) which consults with local councils believes that it is time for cars to start sharing the road with cyclists more.

Chair of the group, Kevin Douglas, when asked about demand for all these new cycling routes, pointed to North Yorkshire County Council’s congestion survey in 2019.

That survey, answered by 14,000 people, found that 77% would use improved cycling and walking infrastructure if it was built.

Harrogate Grammar School‘s deputy headteacher has said he hopes his new masters degree in mental health and wellbeing can be used to support pupils when they return to school next week.

Recent data from NHS England shows one in six children aged 5 to 16 has a mental health disorder.

The school said data like this and the impact of the pandemic explained why it had made mental health and wellbeing a key focus.

The Leadership of School Mental Health and Wellbeing course at Leeds Beckett University, which deputy headteacher Tim Milburn has just completed, is the first of its kind in the country.

Mr Milburn hopes the skills he has acquired will help students after the latest lockdown ends. He said;

“This has been a great experience and it has given me the understanding and confidence to effectively lead whole mental health within school using the latest research.

“The content of the course has also enabled me to adopt best practice so that the mental health and wellbeing of both staff and students is supported and strengthened.”

Read more:

• Nine out of ten get first choice secondary schools in North Yorkshire.
• Parents have come forward to help Ripon Grammar School with covid testing. 

Mr Milburn was writing his dissertation last year when schools were closed when he changed his focus to look at how technology can be utilised to support young people with their mental health.

The school is part of the Red Kite Learning Trust, which serves over 8,000 students in Harrogate and Leeds, and Mr Milburn plans to share his knowledge with other schools in the trust to help support thousands of young people locally. He said:

“I have been very fortunate that Harrogate Grammar School and Red Kite Learning Trust have supported me to complete this course and I am really looking forward to paying back that investment by working with colleagues across the trust to continue the important work on mental health and wellbeing.”

One of Harrogate’s most famous brands, Graveley’s, is to be renamed Catch Harrogate.

The fish and chips restaurant on Cheltenham Parade is currently being refurbished. It is still open for takeaways.

The restaurant is expected to reopen in May under its new name.

Graveley’s was sold to Catch, which is based in Harrogate and has four other seafood restaurants in Yorkshire, in 2019.

A spokeswoman for Catch confirmed it would reopen as Catch Harrogate, bringing it into line with the ‘Catch’ name used at the company’s other seafood restaurants in Leeds, Holmfirth and Halifax. She added:

“Graveley’s is an institution in Harrogate so we appreciate it is going to be a big thing to change the name.”

She added the new building will have more fresh seafood on the menu, an oyster bar, a licensed bar and more modern decor.

For decades, people have made the pilgrimage to Graveley’s to enjoy fish and chips.

Chat show host Michael Parkinson once said his favourite restaurant was a toss-up between Bettys and Graveley’s in Harrogate.

He described his perfect day as watching Joe Root score a century in an Ashes Test at Headingley followed by a big plate of fish and chips at Graveley’s.

Read more:

• End of an era for Knaresborough fish and chips shop
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