Food bank to open in Starbeck as poverty increases

Harrogate District Foodbank is opening a new centre in Starbeck on April 8 as more local people suffer with hunger during lockdown.

The food bank is part of a nationwide network of food banks, supported by the anti-hunger charity the Trussell Trust.

The Harrogate organisation currently operates food banks in Harrogate and Knaresborough so the one in Starbeck will be its third centre.

Since the pandemic began, it has fed 2,700 people in the Harrogate district, which is a 20% increase in usage.

Dawn Pearson, project manager for Harrogate District Foodbank, said:

“We noticed a lot of people from Starbeck were travelling to the Harrogate centres so it was important for us to be inclusive with our locations.

“We will be easier to access for those without cars in Starbeck and hopefully it will encourage people who didn’t want to travel to Harrogate or Knaresborough to use us.”

Read more: 

The organisation is also making changes to its Knaresborough location, moving the weekly opening day from Monday to Friday.

The food banks normally run on a voucher system, but due to increased need, a voucher is not currently necessary.

Harrogate District Foodbank policy is to support people on a short-term basis to bridge the gap while they find some longer-term help.

Ms Pearson said:

“Our wonderful charity wouldn’t be possible without the support and extreme generosity of the local public, sometimes it overwhelms you how many kind people live in our community.”

The organisation is open between 10:30am-12:30pm on Tuesdays and Fridays at Mowbray Community Church in Harrogate. This includes Good Friday.

The Knaresborough centre, located at Holy Trinity Church, will open between 10:30am-12:30pm on Fridays, starting from April 9.

The Starbeck centre will be open on Thursdays between 10:30am-12:30pm at Life Destiny Church.

Plans to revive Harrogate district economy after April 12 revealed

A ‘Buy Local By Bike’ campaign, more pavement licences for hospitality businesses and cleaner public toilets have been revealed as part of Harrogate Borough Council’s plans to reopen the economy in a fortnight.

After more than three months of coronavirus closures, non-essential retailers are due to reopen their doors on April 12 under the next stage of the planned easing of lockdown restrictions.

As part of this, pubs, restaurants and cafes will return for outdoor service on that date.

Shoppers, diners and drinkers will be encouraged to get spending to help save Harrogate’s high streets.

But Richard Cooper, leader of Harrogate Borough Council, warned it will be “critical” to proceed cautiously to ensure infection rates remain low as the vaccine rollout continues.

The council’s plans include the launch of a ‘Buy Local By Bike’ initiative, with shoppers urged to get cycling and support local businesses using a digital London Underground-style map of routes around Harrogate and Knaresborough.

Pavement licences

Pubs, restaurants and cafes with little or no room for outdoor service are also being urged to apply to the council for pavement licences where they can be given permission to set up tables and chairs outside of their premises.

These licences were introduced by the government last summer and recently extended to make it easier and cheaper for hospitality businesses to serve people outside until the planned return of indoor service on May 17.

The council is also drafting in contract cleaners to step-up hygiene measures at public toilets, with a focus on the district’s towns and main visitor locations during bank holidays when an influx of visitors is expected.

Read more:

Furthermore, the council has received an extra £141,714 under the government’s Reopening High Streets Safely Fund, which it said could be used for publicity campaigns for street food markets and improvements to green spaces and seating areas to encourage people back to town centres.

Councillor Cooper said he was optimistic about the lifting of lockdown restrictions but added it must be done “in a safe way so that we can ensure we remain open”. He added:

“All the statistics we see show infections and hospitalisations heading in the right direction because of the effect the vaccine is having coupled with the lockdown.

“I know it has been the toughest year for business. We all know that. That is why we should all make that extra effort to shop locally where possible and to choose a local retailer where we can if we are shopping online.”

Shops open until 10pm

The government has already announced shops will be allowed to stay open until 10pm when the economy reopens on April 12, as well as a Restart Grants scheme with non-essential businesses able to apply for up to £6,000 and hospitality and leisure firms up to £18,000.

Last summer, some Harrogate bars were given permission to set up tables and chairs on the Stray under the temporary pavement licences and the council is now in talks with the landowners over opening this up to more businesses.

It has yet to reach an agreement with the Duchy of Lancaster but it is hoped this could happen before summer when all restrictions on social contacts are due to end on 21 June before council-backed events return.

Harrogate Carnival 2021 – organised by Harrogate International Festivals – has been scheduled for either the 4th or 5th of September and will involve street theatre, music, arts and food, although the event is not anticipated to include a parade in the same way it did in 2019.

The carnival will be backed by a £50,000 council grant with a further £25,000 going to a Fire Garden event which will include fire shows and sculptures, and is due to be held in either October or November this year, or February 2022.

Tree felling at Hornbeam Park ‘traumatic’ for residents

Residents have been shocked by the number of trees chopped down beside the tracks near Hornbeam Park railway station, according to a local councillor.

Network Rail recently carried out the works, which it said was essential for trains to run safely and reliably. 

Trees up to 6.5 metres tall were removed and larger trees that could have fallen onto the tracks have been cut back or removed.

John Ennis, the Conservative councillor for Harrogate Stray, said local people had been “taken aback” by the scale of pruning and has complained to Network Rail.

He wrote on Community News website, a website run by Harrogate and Knaresborough Conservative MP Andrew Jones:

“As well as vegetation clearance, we have seen the removal of some mature trees in apparent good health. This has been quite a traumatic experience for those living nearby.

“I would for instance have preferred to see fencing used, which was more appropriate to a mature residential area. I will continue to raise these issues with Network Rail as necessary.”

Read more:

In January, Network Rail submitted a planning application to Harrogate Borough Council about the works, which included photos of which trees it planned to remove or prune within the Harrogate Conservation Area.

The company said an independent ecologist had provided a risk assessment of the area to look for protected species.

It said some mature trees had to be removed to protect the tracks.

Richard Owens, infrastructure director for Network Rail’s north and east route, told the Stray Ferret:

“We know how important the trees near Hornbeam Park station are for people in the community. Network Rail has completed essential work to remove and cut back some of the vegetation with measures in place to protect the environment.

“Work also took place to allow natural saplings and flowers to flourish. Network Rail sent information to people who live near the railway and to local stakeholders with more details about the work.

“Some of the mature trees had to be removed to allow train services to continue running safely and reliably, and so our teams can safely carry out railway maintenance work.

“Trees can obstruct signals or get blown onto the tracks and leaves can also affect acceleration and braking when they fall onto the railway in the Autumn. This work will help to prevent future disruption to services.”

Harrogate could get county’s first CYCLOPS junction

Harrogate could get the county’s first CYCLOPS junction as part of a scheme to improve pedestrian and cycling safety.

Cycle Optimised Protected Signals are Dutch-style junctions, which separate cyclists from traffic to improve safety for all road users.

The UK’s first CYCLOPS was built in Manchester last year and now Harrogate could get one as part of North Yorkshire County Council’s active travel schemes, which are currently out for consultation.

Melissa Burnham, highways area manager, told a public event yesterday the idea had been put forward for the Station Parade junction of Victoria Avenue, which already has plans for new cycle lanes, a zebra crossing and ‘floating’ bus stop. She said:

“It is not something we have ever installed in North Yorkshire before but it is just an idea of what could be achieved.

“Essentially, the idea would be that any upgrade at this junction would have to incorporate all road users effectively and efficiently but it would be subject to necessary traffic modelling to understand the impact from Station Parade”.

Under the active travel schemes, there are also proposals for a 40mph limit, cycle lanes and junction upgrades on the A59 between Harrogate and Knaresborough.

Read more:

There were also plans to make Oatlands Drive in Harrogate one-way to free up road space for more cycling and walking improvements but this met strong objections from residents concerned about the impact on traffic.

North Yorkshire County Council has now put forward new proposals for a 20mph limit, junction improvements and restrictions on cars using St Hilda’s Road and St Winifred’s Drive, but there were still similar concerns raised at today’s consultation event.

Saints area ‘more dangerous’

One resident, Nick Manning, said the restrictions would turn nearby streets into rat runs and make the Saints area “more dangerous for walkers and cyclists, especially children walking to school”.

Another resident, Roger Tock, questioned:

“How do North Yorkshire County Council think that the additional cars being forced to access St Winifred’s Road are going to be beneficial to the currently unacceptable pollution and parking problems which have been allowed to be a problem in excess of 10 years?”

In response, Ms Burnham said comments and suggestions from all residents would be taken into account during the consultation process, which recently moved to a second phase with the publication of designs and will run until 12 April.

Councillor Don Mackenzie, the council’s executive member for access, also said while he recognised the concerns around the initial impact on roads, the active travel schemes – along with other projects including the £7.9m Harrogate Gateway and Beech Grove Low Traffic Neighbourhood – would have a “cumulative” effect on cutting congestion and carbon emissions.

“All of these schemes are cumulative and eventually will have the effect of making it more attractive for our residents to walk and cycle rather than get in cars. In that way, we can reduce congestion.

“For example, we originally planned a one-way option for Oatlands Drive but several residents said ‘that would make my journey into town by car longer’. All we were doing there was trying to make it more attractive to use a bike or feet to get into town.

“My point is that many of these interventions here will be cumulative and eventually build up an extremely good walking and cycling network.”

Live: Harrogate district traffic and travel

Good morning and welcome back to our traffic and travel service. It’s Connor here giving you updates every 15 minutes.

Brought to you by The HACS Group, this blog will let you know how the road and rail links are near you.

Make sure to keep in touch via social media or email us on contact@thestrayferret.co.uk.

9am – Full update

Roads

Thanks again for getting involved with our traffic and travel service. I will be back tomorrow from 6.30am with more updates. Do get in touch if you think we have missed something. It really does help to keep the Harrogate district moving.

Congestion is starting to build up in the Harrogate district this morning.

Evening road closure on Leeds Road for repairs from 6.30pm until 11.30pm for the next month.

The road from Beech Avenue, Harrogate, through to Princess Royal Way in Pannal will be closed in the evenings.

The Franklin Road area of Harrogate is also closed for road repairs.

Traffic is building up here:

Temporary lights in place:

Trains

Buses

8.45am – Full update

Roads

Congestion is starting to build up in the Harrogate district this morning.

Evening road closure on Leeds Road for repairs from 6.30pm until 11.30pm for the next month.

The road from Beech Avenue, Harrogate, through to Princess Royal Way in Pannal will be closed in the evenings.

The Franklin Road area of Harrogate is also closed for road repairs.

Traffic is building up here:

Temporary lights in place:

Trains

Buses

8.30am – Full update

Roads

Congestion is starting to build up in the Harrogate district this morning.

Evening road closure on Leeds Road for repairs from 6.30pm until 11.30pm for the next month.

The road from Beech Avenue, Harrogate, through to Princess Royal Way in Pannal will be closed in the evenings.

The Franklin Road area of Harrogate is also closed for road repairs.

Traffic is building up here:

Temporary lights in place:

Trains

Buses

8.15am – Full update

Roads

Congestion is starting to build up in the Harrogate district this morning.

Evening road closure on Leeds Road for repairs from 6.30pm until 11.30pm for the next month.

The road from Beech Avenue, Harrogate, through to Princess Royal Way in Pannal will be closed in the evenings.

The Franklin Road area of Harrogate is also closed for road repairs.

Traffic is building up here:

Temporary lights in place:

Trains

Buses

8am – Full update

Roads

Congestion is starting to build up in the Harrogate district this morning.

Evening road closure on Leeds Road for repairs from 6.30pm until 11.30pm for the next month.

The road from Beech Avenue, Harrogate, through to Princess Royal Way in Pannal will be closed in the evenings.

The Franklin Road area of Harrogate is also closed for road repairs.

Traffic is building up here:

Temporary lights in place:

Trains

Buses

7.45am – Full update

Roads

Congestion is starting to build up in the Harrogate district this morning.

Evening road closure on Leeds Road for repairs from 6.30pm until 11.30pm for the next month.

The road from Beech Avenue, Harrogate, through to Princess Royal Way in Pannal will be closed in the evenings.

The Franklin Road area of Harrogate is also closed for road repairs.

Traffic is building up here:

Temporary lights in place:

Trains

Buses

7.30am – Full update

Roads

Congestion is starting to build up in the Harrogate district this morning.

Evening road closure on Leeds Road for repairs from 6.30pm until 11.30pm for the next month.

The road from Beech Avenue, Harrogate, through to Princess Royal Way in Pannal will be closed in the evenings.

The Franklin Road area of Harrogate is also closed for road repairs.

Temporary lights in place:

Trains

Buses

7.15am – Full update

Roads

The roads are looking clear so far this morning, no traffic hotspots yet.

Evening road closure on Leeds Road for repairs from 6.30pm until 11.30pm for the next month.

The road from Beech Avenue, Harrogate, through to Princess Royal Way in Pannal will be closed in the evenings.

The Franklin Road area of Harrogate is also closed for road repairs.

Temporary lights in place:

Trains

Buses

7am – Full update

Roads

The roads are looking clear so far this morning, no traffic hotspots yet.

Remember road repairs will mean that Leeds Road in Harrogate will be closed from 6.30pm.

That means the roads from Beech Avenue, Harrogate, through to Princess Royal Way in Pannal will be closed in the evenings.

The Franklin Road area of Harrogate is also closed for road repairs.

Temporary lights in place:

Trains

Buses

6.45am – Full update

Roads

The roads are looking clear so far this morning, no traffic hotspots yet.

Remember road repairs will mean that Leeds Road in Harrogate will be closed from 6.30pm.

That means the roads from Beech Avenue, Harrogate, through to Princess Royal Way in Pannal will be closed in the evenings.

The Franklin Road area of Harrogate is also closed for road repairs.

Temporary lights in place:

Trains

Buses

6.30am – Full update

Roads

The roads are looking clear so far this morning, no traffic hotspots yet.

Remember road repairs will mean that Leeds Road in Harrogate will be closed from 6.30pm.

That means the roads from Beech Avenue, Harrogate, through to Princess Royal Way in Pannal will be closed in the evenings.

The Franklin Road area of Harrogate is also closed for road repairs.

Temporary lights in place:

Trains

Buses

Harrogate police officers face social media restrictions

North Yorkshire Police is imposing restrictions on officers’ social media accounts that will prevent them posting directly to the public.

The move will have implications for the popular Twitter accounts of Harrogate traffic sergeant Paul Cording and Harrogate traffic constable David Minto, who between them have more than 20,000 followers.

Their tales of life on the road include live traffic updates from accident scenes and details of motoring offences.

But soon they will be unable to post directly to Twitter under their police names.

North Yorkshire Police is centralising its approach to social media by encouraging people to follow its official accounts, rather than those of individual officers.

Officers can still post under their names provided their messages go through official channels first.

Another spot by @NypAnpr and @TC174_NYP & my @NYorksRPG team stop this vehicle near #AllertonPark Driver tests positive for #Cocaine & is arrested. I assisted with bloods in custody & they will be sent to @RSSS_DianeFair for analysis #Fatal4 pic.twitter.com/4NxBO3hYGO

— Sgt Paul Cording BEM (@OscarRomeo1268) March 21, 2021

https://twitter.com/TC174_NYP/status/1372328691338985474

A North Yorkshire Police spokesperson told the Stray Ferret:

“We are reducing our accounts to make it easier for our communities to find the latest updates from North Yorkshire Police and what is happening in their area, as well as enabling us to respond to the issues that matter to those communities more quickly and effectively.

“The changes are not banning anyone from social media. The many officers and staff who already post and share fantastic social media content will move to posting that content across our force wide and district accounts. Some have already started doing this.

“If they wish to they will be able to give their name so the public still know who is the voice behind the post as we know how much their personalities are valued by our communities.”

Sgt Cording told the Stray Ferret he was aware changes are coming but at this stage it was inappropriate for him to comment.

In an interview with the Stray Ferret last year, he said there were “some issues” within the force when he started tweeting in 2011 but increasingly the police had recognised the value of officers engaging directly with the public and showing a bit of personality.

Read more:

 

Police appeal for help after Harrogate Co-op theft

North Yorkshire Police is appealing for help after a man stole alcohol and some Ariel detergent from a Harrogate Co-op.

The theft occurred on Friday at the Co-op service station on Ripon Road.

According to police, a number of bottles of alcohol and the detergent were taken.

Officers are appealing for information to identify the man in the CCTV images who they believe holds information that could help with their enquiries.

The police are asking anyone who recognises the man or has information on his whereabouts to get in touch.

You can call North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option two and ask for PC Ben Clarke.

Alternatively, email 000721@northyorkshire.pnn.police.uk. The crime reference number is 12210085638.

Read more:

 

Conservatives choose candidate for Bilton by-election

Harrogate borough councillor Matt Scott has been chosen as the Conservative candidate for the vacant Harrogate Bilton and Nidd Gorge seat on North Yorkshire County Council.

A by-election is taking place following the death of Liberal Democrat councillor Geoff Webber.

Cllr Scott has represented the Bilton Woodfield ward on  Harrogate Borough Council since 2018 and works in Harrogate and Knaresborough Conservative MP Andrew Jones’ office. He has lived in Bilton all his life.

He said:

“I am proud to call Bilton my home and there are many aspects of the area that make it a great place to live.

 “We are served by many small independent businesses; we have great schools and of course we have the Nidd Gorge, a vast green space on our doorstep.

 “I was part of the campaign to save it when proposals came forward for a relief road and my view has not changed.”

He said he wanted to be a “strong, local voice” on the county council, alongside fellow Conservative Paul Haslam, who also lives in Bilton and sits on both the borough and county councils.

He added:

“I will work hard to ensure we continue to have great schools, safe neighbourhoods and that our valuable green spaces remain untouched.”

Read more:

The by-election is scheduled on May 6. Nominations must be submitted by April 8.

It will be the only time residents can vote to elect county councillors this year after the government delayed elections due to local government reorganisation.

The Conservative-controlled county council currently has 53 Conservative councillors, four Labour councillors and four representing the Liberal Democrats. There are also eight North Yorkshire Independent and three independent councillors.

When the by-election was last run in 2017, Conservative Paul Haslam and Liberal Democrat Geoff Webber won the ward’s two seats with 1,618 and 1,414 votes respectively.

Liberal Democrat Mark McDermid came third with 1,285 votes and Conservative Graham Swift was fourth with 1,207 votes.

A spokesperson for the Liberal Democrats said it would choose its candidate after Mr Webber’s funeral today.

 

Beech Grove traffic closure trial could be extended to 18 months

The six-month experimental closure of Beech Grove in Harrogate to through traffic could be extended to 18 months.

North Yorkshire County Council said when the experimental order came into force last month it would be a trial for six months.

But the council’s highways boss confirmed today it has the power to extend the trial from six months to 18 months, meaning it would end in August 2022 rather than August 2021.

Read more:

Cllr Don Mackenzie, executive member for access at the county council, told the Stray Ferret:

“The experimental traffic regulation order enables us to keep the closure in place for 18 months.

“We are assessing the impact all of the time. If it proves to be highly unpopular then it could still end after six months.

“However, just based on the communication I have received, there has been a big response but I would say that it is mainly positive.

“Those who have complained often say that it is just moving traffic elsewhere in the town.

“But those who are positive say they enjoying how it helps them to walk and cycle more.”

When the order began, some motorists avoided the newly-installed planters by driving on the Stray.

The tyre tracks on the Stray prompted the council to erect a road sign to act as a road block and warning to drivers.

Leeds Road closes in evenings from tonight for repairs

Leeds Road will be closed in the evenings for a month to allow for carriageway repairs.

The road will be closed from Princess Royal Way in Pannal to Beech Avenue in Harrogate from tonight until April 30 excluding bank holidays.

To minimise disruption the resurfacing work will be carried out between 6.30pm and 11.30pm.

An eight mile diversion will be in place for the duration of the repairs. Drivers will be sent on the A658 John Metcalf Way on then onto Wetherby Road and York Place.

North Yorkshire County Council is behind the plans and has warned that it may restrict vehicle access to people who live on the stretch of road.

Read more:

Pedestrians will be able to still use the pavements while works are ongoing.

It is possible that some adjustment to this start date or the duration of the works may be necessary.

This is part of a wider programme of carriageway repairs which started with the first phase in the Old Barber area of Bilton at the start of March. Leadhall Lane is also due for resurfacing work this year.

The Franklin Road area repairs also started just over a week ago and that it is due to finish in early April.