Yorkshire councils battle for support over devolution visions

Battle lines have been drawn between political leaders in North Yorkshire over which route to take on local council reorganisation with both sides lobbying in opposite directions for support.

County council bosses want a single council to serve the county and its 610,000 residents and sit alongside City of York Council as part of a devolution bid.

But, in the other camp, the districts, led by Harrogate Borough Council leader Richard Cooper, are seeking support for an alternative proposal to put to government.

Simon Clarke, local government minister, made local government reorganisation a requirement ahead of a York and North Yorkshire devolution bid.

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In a reflection of the political divide over the future of the county, both sides have started to pump out public statements in an effort to drum up support for their visions.

County council sets out its stall

Recently, the county council has put out statements showing support for its plan from other local authorities and one from the local government minister which said a unitary authority would be “within scope”.

On Tuesday, county council bosses released their latest effort to drum up support for their proposal with an endorsement from Durham County Council chief executive, Terry Collins.

North Yorkshire County Council leader, Carl Les.

North Yorkshire County Council leader, Carl Les.

Durham became a single council after scrapping its districts 12 years ago. Mr Collins said such a move for North Yorkshire would work as there is “no other way of operating”.

He added that the council has been able to have “strong and effective localism” through its parish and town councils, who have their own plans and deal with their own priorities.

Cllr Carl Les, leader of North Yorkshire County Council, said the endorsement shows that the county council plan would be local and not a remote authority from parts of the county.

He said:

“It will be a far cry from the remote ‘mega council’ portrayed by detractors.

“We welcome Durham’s endorsement of our plan at this time. We know our people and our places, we deliver some of the best services in the country right into people’s homes and on the roads outside their front door and you don’t get more local than that.”

The district’s alternative proposal

But, on the other side of the fence sits the districts who have described the proposal for one council as “unworkable”.

The seven district council leaders launched their own campaign on Yorkshire Day for an alternative plan to the county council and are currently seeking comments from the public.

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In a letter to businesses in the Harrogate district seen by the Stray Ferret, Cllr Cooper said the proposal for one council would be “bad for business and bad for the economy”.

He added that the move to scrap the borough council would lose the connections with the authority and local business.

The leader of Harrogate Borough Council Richard Cooper.

Cllr Cooper said to business leaders:

“The council has been at the heart of the coronavirus response, working to support business recovery and releasing c£50 million in business grant aid. 

“We were only able to do this quickly and at scale because of our knowledge of our local economy, our close links with local businesses, and our long experience of delivering grass-roots services.

“It is essential that we do not lose these valuable qualities in the coming local government reorganisation, as I hope you agree.”

The battle being fought in public by the two camps will heat up as authority leaders edge closer to the deadline for proposals to be submitted to government in September.

As the devolution “asks, which propose a £2 billion deal for York and North Yorkshire, are also submitted, attention will turn to government which is expected to outline its devolution white paper next month.

Harrogate councillors back £4.5m social housing investment

Councillors have backed a major investment into social housing in Harrogate.

Meeting last night on Zoom, Harrogate Borough Council’s cabinet gave the green light for the authority to spend £4.5m on 52 properties that are currently being built on Whinney Lane in Pannal Ash.

16 of the homes would be transferred to HBC’s housing company, Bracewell Homes, to be sold under shared ownership, and the rest would be made available for social rent.

Developer Stonebridge Homes has planning permission to build 130 homes at the site with work currently underway. The homes earmarked by HBC for purchase are scheduled for completion in November.

Councillors were told that around 1,500 council homes have been lost in Harrogate town centre since Right to Buy was introduced in 1980 which the Whinney Lane purchase will help mitigate.

Cllr Mike Chambers, cabinet member for housing, called the purchase “good news” for HBC.

Cllr Graham Swift, cabinet member for economic development emphasised that HBC’s housing stock has been “significantly” reduced due to Right to Buy sales and the investment would “alleviate some of the demand from social housing that is there.”

HBC says it could recoup between £1.18m and £2.37m from the 16 shared ownership properties, with the council turning a profit on the purchase after at least 13 years thanks to the rental income.

Cllr Chambers said the purchase will help get families off the council home waiting list, which currently stands at 1,249 households.

However, the council’s report into the purchase warned there is “uncertainty” over the medium to long-term future of the housing market as estate agents in the district report a “pent up” demand for housing following the easing of lockdown restrictions.

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In related news, almost 50 Pannal Ash residents met on Sunday at the Squinting Cat pub to “mobilise” against hundreds of new houses proposed for Whinney Lane.

It was organised by Whinney Lane resident Mike Newall who wanted the event to be a “wake-up call” for locals who he said will face years of disruption.

Harrogate shops launch team hampers for Horticap

A group of Harrogate shops on Otley Road has launched a hamper raffle to try and raise £1,000 for Horticap.

Nicola Jones, the owner of Harlow House and Beauty, has organised the raffle along with other shops on the street.

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All money raised will go towards fitting out Horticap’s new cafe. The charity, which helps adults with learning disabilities, hopes to open it in the next few months.

There are six prizes in total which include vouchers, fruits, beauty treatments, hair treatments and cakes in hampers.

Nicola Jones is the owner at Harlow House of Beauty.

People can buy tickets at £2 a strip from the Wharfedale Fruiterers, Harlow House and Beauty, The Kitchen, The Sandwich Deli and Le Salon.

It has been a difficult few months for Nicola Jones from Harlow House and Beauty after she had to cancel treatments. She told the Stray Ferret:

“The first couple of weeks was great because everyone was desperate to get back and we were approaching August 1 when we were expecting to start with face treatments. But we had a day’s notice to tell us that we actually couldn’t start with those treatments again and we still don’t know what’s happening.”

Harrogate council: Dangerous West Park Stray claims ‘simply ridiculous’

Harrogate Borough Council has defended the restoration of West Park Stray after the Stray Defence Association (SDA) labelled the grounds as dangerous.

The council said it has already removed “tonnes of stones” from the area before yesterday’s opening but there are some that still remain.

It comes after the SDA wrote to the leader of the council to say that the opening was premature and urged them to carry out an immediate inspection.

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Those calls for an inspection do not seem to have not been answered but the council has now responded to the SDA.

Councillor Andrew Paraskos, cabinet member for environment, waste reduction and recycling said today:

“The suggestion that opening the West Park area of the Stray is dangerous is simply ridiculous. You’ve only got to look at the results this week to see the area is better than before and with the addition of the drainage system it can now be used throughout the year. The large stones have always been on this area of the Stray, we haven’t put them there.”

The councillor also said that the project “has not been taken lightly” and that it has been “months of hard work” with the appointment of a “multi-award winning specialist”.

He added: “Again, I’d like to thank everyone’s patience while we have carried out this work and thank them for the hundreds of positive comments we’ve received in just the last two days.”

Extra £1m bid for Harrogate cycle and walking routes

With this second bid for more than £1m from North Yorkshire County Council, comes accusations that it was not ambitious enough when it bid for the first phase of funding.

3 routes in Harrogate have been put forward for significant improvement: Oatlands Drive, Victoria Avenue and the A59 road connecting Starbeck to Knaresborough by Maple Close.

The money is part of the The Department for Transport’s  Emergency Active Travel Fund (EATF) and will be allocated to the county if it can meet strict criteria.

North Yorkshire County Council representatives said:

“This bid had to meet strict DfT criteria, including a maximum allocation of £1.065 million, being deliverable in this financial year, supporting both cycling and walking and replacing a well-used bus route or enabling roads to be closed to traffic. We believe the five schemes we have put forward, three of which are in the Harrogate area, present a strong submission.”

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The 2 other listed locations are in Helmsley and Whitby.

The EATF is phase one of a five-year £2 billion sustainable travel scheme announced by the government. Its aim is to create more green and alternative ways of traveling across the UK.

In July, North Yorkshire County Council was disappointed to receive only £133,000 from government, half the potential amount available in the first wave of emergency funding.

Harrogate District Cycling Action said that NYCC lacked ambition:

“It’s disappointing that NYCC has only received 50% of the Tranche 1 amount provisionally allocated to it (which was £266,000). It must be because the plans presented weren’t ambitious enough.

North Yorkshire’s Cabinet member Councillor Don Mackenzie, Executive Member for Access, this time round said :

“The bid had to be prepared quickly, with only about four weeks between receiving the DfT guidance and the deadline.”

There’s no doubt the cycling community in the Harrogate district will be waiting for the outcome of this bid. A date has not been announced for when local authorities will hear if they have been successful with funding. The Department for Transport said they will turn decisions round quickly.

Harrogate district event venues light up in ‘red alert’

The Harrogate Convention Centre, Harrogate International Festival’s HQ and Ripon Catherdral lit up in red last night as part of a national campaign to highlight the plight of the stricken live entertainment industry.

The “Red Alert” campaign aims to put pressure on the government to give financial support to the industry which has been shut down by the coronavirus lockdown with no clear end in sight.

HIF cancelled its summer season events which has left freelancers working in the sector including artists, events teams, crew and technicians with no work until at least next year.

Harrogate International Festivals chief executive Sharon Canavar warned that without government support the sector could collapse.

She said:

“The impact of COVID-19 has taken our industry to near breaking point, and to support this national campaign, we bathed our Cheltenham Parade base in bright red light – sending an urgent ‘red alert’ to the Government.

“Red is the universal symbol of danger and, as an industry, we are in danger of ceasing to exist!

“It’s an urgent SOS that without support, the arts will not survive.”

Harrogate Convention Centre tweeted its support for the campaign.

Tonight we are showing our support for all the UK’s live event venues #LightItInRed and the amazing staff, suppliers and freelancers in our sector who deliver the live events we love #WeMakeEvents pic.twitter.com/dMXhvuT4rJ

— Harrogate Convention Centre (@HgtConventions) August 11, 2020

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Ripon Cathedral

Harrogate Theatre said they would not be lighting up in red “at a later date” due to concerns over health and safety.

Chief executive David Bown said:

“Of course we want to support the campaign it’s keeping the plight of theatres in people’s consciousness -our technicians are looking into it. The movement is to remind people of what is happening and the impact on the industry.

“It’s the health and safety that we have to be careful with, leaving lights on when no-one is in the building.”

The government said it has launched a £1.57 billion support package for the arts with applications for funding still open.

A government spokesperson said:

“Our £1.57 billion support package is the biggest ever one-off cash injection in UK culture to secure the future of the performing arts and live events, protect jobs in the industry and ensure work continues to flow to freelancers. Throughout this crisis, we have worked with urgency to support the arts and we are committed to delivering this funding quickly and fairly to organisations across the country.”

Harrogate and Ripon cafes win Tripadvisor awards

Two cafes in Harrogate and Ripon have earned a coronavirus lockdown boost with new accolades and a Tripadvisor Award.

Caffe Tempo was started by Tina Whincup and her husband Mike, 21 years ago with a mobile unit on Ripon Market  – just a matter of yards away from its current home, The Arcade, where the Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice award will be on display.

Tina, told the Stray Ferret:

“It has been a difficult year and I was determined that I wasn’t going to let the business we have built up over more than 20 years disappear because of coronavirus.”

The long lockdown days, when customers were not allowed to take their usual seats inside or out, saw early morning starts and late finishes, as Tina turned Caffe Tempo into an order and collect service.

She made brownies, scones, cakes, pastries and other bakery goods, which could be pre-ordered and then left outside her shop door for collection.

This was supplemented by a local home delivery service for customers in self-isolation.

Thug Sandwich in Harrogate also won the Tripadvisor Award.

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Thug Sandwich Co on Albert Street in Harrogate also celebrating after winning the Tripadvisor Award which means they are also in the top 10% in the world.

After the challenging days caused by covid-19, the Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice Award is a cherry on the cake. It is based on customer comments and the number of top ratings that businesses receive.

Harrogate personal trainer ends classes after more than 30 years

A personal trainer from Harrogate has decided to end his classes after more than 30 years due to coronavirus restrictions.

Ray Thomson started Pulse Beats circuit training in 1989. He has taught thousands over the years and has done most of his classes in recent years at Harrogate Grammar School.

But with tough requirements on indoor exercise Mr Thomson does not believe that his classes are viable anymore. He will still continue with his sports and posture massages.

When Ray Thomson made the announcement he was inundated with messages of support and memories from his former students.

A fancy dress picture from the archives in the 1990s.

Mr Thomson said:

“I wanted to leave a legacy where people fondly remember the classes as a place where they had fun.

“Exercise should never be a chore, it should be something you enjoy.

“One of my favourite memories was when we had a noise complaint from one of our neighbours. We were whooping and hollering when he was watching Coronation Street.”

When the Stray Ferret asked Mr Thomson if he would ever start the classes again, he said “never say never” but added that now was not the time.

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Mr Thomson also raised fears about Harrogate’s exercise industry after the news that one of his former colleagues was forced to put Gambaru fitness into liquidation.

He added that the exercise industry has been hit by coronavirus and there will be more closures to come but he believes that a resurgance will follow.

West Park Stray opening is ‘frankly dangerous,’ says SDA

The Stray Defence Association (SDA) has written to the council to call West Park Stray “frankly dangerous” – after it opened to the public for the first time in 11 months.

Harrogate Borough Council took the orange fencing down today to allow people back onto the grass. It has spent £130,000 on its restoration.

The council said that the West Park Stray would be “returned to its former glory” following the UCI World Championships when the work started earlier this year.

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However, the SDA has said that the opening yesterday was premature and called for the council to carry out an immediate inspection of the grounds.

Judy D’Arcy Thompson, chair of the SDA, has written a strongly worded letter to the leader of Harrogate Borough Council:

“Whilst, from a distance the area looks beautifully green and as though it could be back to its former glory, it is far from it. Whilst the Stray Defence Association is most anxious to have the Stray reopened to the public as soon as possible it must only be at a time when it is safe to allow full access for any habitual activity.”

Mrs Thompson fears that people playing sports on West Park Stray could “severely injure themselves” by falling on one of a “large number of stones” and that “the stones themselves were never present on the surface prior to the reparations”.

She also raised concerns about “tyre tracks” and “dips in the grounds” as well as “old divots or sods of the previous grass which was not cleared before reseeding”.

When restrictions were lifted for the UCI Championships to be held, the council was given a legal duty to return the Stray to how it was before the event.

The Stray Ferret has contacted Harrogate Borough Council for a response to the SDA’s letter.

Harrogate bed and breakfast diversifies to survive coronavirus

A Harrogate bed and breakfast has altered the way they work to maintain high booking numbers through coronavirus.

As of today, Acorn Lodge owners Ali and Phil Standen will be starting a new initiative. Future guests will now be able to book out the whole property for a family stay rather than just bed and breakfast. The couple are calling it “Acorn Lodge – Your Way”.

Ali, deputy chair of the Harrogate District Hotel & Guest House Association, said:

“All members are struggling. This week we should have been at 90% capacity and welcoming guests with the International Gilbert & Sullivan Festival, but we’re only at 40% and we’ve lost £1000 from September cancellations. We’ve never seen anything like this.”

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The change in their business has already brought bookings in for the 16-year-old guesthouse. But Ali is worried tourists know very little about what the Harrogate district has to offer.

Ali said:

“If you look at places like Keswick, it’s bustling. We’re on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales, we should still be welcoming heaps of tourists. Harrogate needs to get on the map!”

This week The Doubletree by Hilton Harrogate Majestic Hotel & Spa announced that they were experiencing “sky high” occupancy and an August on track to be better than 2019. A large part of this they thanked to the government’s Eat Out to Help Out scheme.

Ali said:

“We thought bed and breakfasts would be okay because we’re smaller, so people would feel safer, but some hotels in Harrogate are continuing to do so well and the smaller guesthouses are struggling.”

With events cancelled, including the Autumn 2020 Flower Show and Harrogate’s Knitting & Stitching Show, the future for many independent guesthouses in the Harrogate district remains unclear. Ali and Phil will be waiting to see what their next move is after the NHS Nightingale Hospital closes.