Boroughbridge news from the Boroughbridge district - Page 100 of 178

More than half of violent crime in North Yorkshire is against females

More than half of recorded violent crimes in North Yorkshire and York are against women and girls, it was revealed today.

North Yorkshire Police chief constable Lisa Winward told a meeting the under-reporting of such offences meant the known incidents were “just the tip of the iceberg”.

Ms Winward told the area’s police, fire and crime panel watchdog the force was aiming to expose what has been a hidden crime by talking with victims even if they do not wish to report an offence.

Chief constable Winward, who has led the force since 2018, was speaking following a report by police, fire and crime commissioner Zoe Metcalfe about the force’s progress against its strategy for addressing violence against women and girls, particularly in the wake of the murder of York woman Sarah Everard.

Last October, a year on from her predecessor Philip Allott being forced to resign after saying women needed to be more streetwise, the commissioner outlined various initiatives launched to improve women’s safety and ensure that they are listened to.

Ms Metcalfe told the panel a new victims’ centre was being developed on the outskirts of York to house North Yorkshire’s sexual assault referral centre and child sexual assault assessment services alongside a video-recorded interview suite for victims.

However, members of the panel said without details about the scale of the violence against females it was impossible to assess the actions of the commissioner in holding the force to account.

Speaking on behalf of the commissioner, her office’s chief executive Simon Dennis said in York 2021/22 there had been 5,615 violent crimes, of which 52 per cent were linked to a female victim and 34 per cent were marked as domestic abuse.

He said the statistics for North Yorkshire were almost exactly the same.

Mr Dennis said a full picture of the scale of violence against women and girls was difficult to outline due to under-reporting, which was a known issue being addressed by public sector organisations across North Yorkshire and York.

Chief constable Lisa Winward

Chief constable Winward added:

“This is a hidden crime across society, nationally and in North Yorkshire, predominantly in domestic settings we find a significant amount of under-reporting because of the fear of police involvement, the fear of reprisals on the victims and this is why we are very closely linked to the national agenda violence against women and girls agenda.

“I think it is the tip of the iceberg, the figures that we have talked about. I think it is about engaging with the victims, sometimes privately, even though they might not want to publicly report or speak about it, so we can get to the root cause of the problem.”

After the meeting, the panel’s chairman, Cllr Carl Les, said despite evidence of improvements in the police response to violence against women and girls the panel would continue monitoring the force’s progress in “ensuring that they are doing what is right for the female members of our community in particular”. He added:

“Clearly this is still a matter of interest and of great concern.

“I think Commissioner Metcalfe has made some good advances on this, but as the chief constable said it’s almost like the tip of an iceberg. Police are now starting to understand more about the problem and therefore they’re putting some mitigating actions into place.”

Is Harrogate district set for snow next week?

The Harrogate district could be set for its first significant snowfall of the winter.

According to the BBC’s weather forecast, which is provided by MeteoGroup, light snow will fall on Monday followed by heavy snow showers on Tuesday. Further snow is possible later in the week.

But the Met Office forecast for next week does not include any snow for the district.

Both sites, however, agree there will be a return to icy conditions with some areas struggling to get above sub-zero temperatures until Thursday.

Despite today’s drier weather, some roads remain flooded.

Group manager Bob Hoskins, who works for North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service, tweeted about three cars getting stuck at Cattal.

Further flood related incidents today.
3 cars stuck in flood water at Cattal, who had followed each other into the water.

Can I remind people the Fire Service DO NOT recover people’s cars

Whilst at the scene 3 further cars drove past appliance and into the water??????? pic.twitter.com/vXoFfX43ku

— Group Manager Bob Hoskins (@Golf_One4) January 12, 2023

Environment Agency flood alerts remain in place for the Lower River Nidd catchment area and the Lower River Ure, which burst its banks yesterday.

However, the flood warning for the caravan park at Roecliffe, near Boroughbridge, has been removed.

North Yorkshire Police faces £8m in inflation costs

North Yorkshire Police faces additional costs of £8 million due to inflation this year.

At a meeting of North Yorkshire’s Police Fire and Crime Panel today, the commissioner’s office outlined how the force faced pressures due to rising utility bills, salaries and rising costs of supplies.

Michael Porter, the commissioner’s finance director, warned that even the maximum permitted council tax precept increase of £15 would not be enough to cover the figure.

He said:

“All of the options in front of us at this point in time leave us with a deficit or required savings target.

“Whether or not we go for a 1.99% increase, a £10 increase or a £15 increase.”

Mr Porter told the meeting that once investment in the force’s control room and extra recruitment was factored in on top of inflation, the police faced costs of £13.6 million.

The government has given police commissioners the power to increase the force’s share of council tax by £15 before a referendum has to be held.

A £15 hike in the police precept would be the equivalent of a 5.34% increase and see the force’s share of council tax rise to £296 for a band D property.

But the commissioner’s office has estimated that the maximum precept increase would still leave around £4.7 million in savings required.

However, Mr Porter said that he was confident that the commissioner’s office had enough reserves to cover inflationary pressures next year.

He said:

“We do have an element of a reserve which is going to be specifically set aside next year for pay and inflationary pressures.

“I think it’s very important for us to have that so we don’t have to make any knee-jerk, in-year decisions and reductions.”

Conservative crime commissioner, Zoe Metcalfe, is expected to outline her budget plans for fire and police services in February.

The consultation into police and fire precepts closes on January 16, 2023. You can take part in the survey here.

Ouseburn Green councillor calls for greater climate focus on agriculture

An Ouseburn councillor has said a new North Yorkshire County Council strategy to tackle carbon emissions and climate change should focus more on agriculture.

Senior councillors are expected next week to approve opening a public consultation on a draft climate change strategy.

The strategy aims to make North Yorkshire the first carbon negative region in the country, meaning more carbon dioxide emissions would be removed from the atmosphere than emitted.

The document sets out how the new North Yorkshire Council, which will launch on April 1, will develop work already underway to reduce carbon emissions.

Initiatives include producing more renewable energy, reducing the use of fossil fuels, improving insulation in homes, encouraging the use of low-emission vehicles and promoting more active travel such as cycling and walking.

However, Cllr Arnold Warneken, a Green Party member who represents Ouseburn on the council, said the strategy proposed little on how to tackle emissions from the agriculture sector.

Figures show North Yorkshire produced 5,829 kilotonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents (kt co2e) in 2020, with agriculture equating to a third of the total, transport responsible for 28% and 19% coming from homes.

Cllr Warneken said:

“While the plan is claimed to be ambitious we seem unwilling to address the issue of agriculture and cite what other organisations are doing as opposed to what we propose to do, as at the moment that is nothing.

“We could at least start by looking at the farms we own and then move on to working with likes of the National Farmers Union who have their own targets and strategy which we could work with. For example being more supportive of applications for renewables on farms that wish to produce energy for their own use and that of the local communities.”

Work already undertaken in the county to tackle carbon emissions includes the installation of energy-saving LED street lighting, energy efficient improvements to buildings and trialling the use of electric vehicles.

The route map for the region to become carbon negative by 2040 has been spearheaded by the York and North Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership and has seen a plan drawn up to involve the public sector, businesses and communities.

Conservative Cllr Greg White, executive councillor for climate change on the council, said:

“Climate change is without question the greatest threat that the world faces, and is already impacting on communities across the globe.

“We have seen an increasing frequency of extreme weather conditions here in North Yorkshire and across the UK as a whole, which scientists tell us is clear evidence of significant changes in our climate.

“Without clear and decisive action, the situation will only get worse. However, we are committed to ensuring that we have a comprehensive strategy in North Yorkshire, especially as we look towards the launch of the new authority this spring.”

Stray Ferret Business Awards: Does your business have the Best Employee Development?

The Stray Ferret Business Awards 2023 are for businesses across all sectors in the Harrogate district.

In this final week before entries close, we are revealing the last of what our judging panel is looking for when it comes to each of the 10 categories.

Next up is the Best Employee Development Award, which is sponsored by Jones Myers, Family Law Solicitors.

This award is designed to highlight businesses that develop their employees, giving them the best start for a new career.

Those looking to enter this award need to give details of the business values and culture that lead to the creation of the training programme and highlight employee successes that came as a result.

Do you know a person that deserves to win the Best Employee Development Award at the Stray Ferret Business Awards? Entries close on January 16. It’s simple and quick, so enter today!

Click here or the banner below to enter for the Stray Ferret Business Awards, sponsored by Prosperis.

Fire service deals with stranded cars as Lower Nidd flood alert issued

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service has this afternoon urged motorists to heed road closure signs after receiving reports of stranded vehicles.

The amount of water on roads is causing problems throughout the county. But some drivers are ignoring signs telling them to turn back due to flooding.

It has prompted the fire service to tweet:

“We have received reports of stranded cars due to standing water following heavy rain – even when signs are in place.

“Please remember the signs are there for a reason. Information about driving in these conditions can be found on our website.”

Three Environment Agency flood alerts are currently in place in the Harrogate district.

The government department says flooding is ‘possible’ in the Lower River Nidd catchment area and around the Lower River Ure and is ‘expected’ at the caravan park alongside the Ure at Roecliffe, near Boroughbridge.

Details of the alerts can be found here.

The River Ure has burst its banks around Ripon, which prompted one concerned passer-by to dial 999 when he mistakenly thought a statue of a horse was an animal in distress.

A flood alert for the Upper River Nidd catchment area, issued yesterday, has been removed.

Ambulance workers form picket line in Harrogate today

Striking ambulance workers are operating a picket line in Harrogate today.

Members of the GMB union began their 24-hour action at Harrogate Ambulance Station, which is on Lancaster Park Road close to the hospital, at midnight.

They were joined by members of Unison at noon.

It is the second time staff at Yorkshire Ambulance Service have gone on strike in the last month, although they continue to respond to the most serious category one calls.

GMB rep and paramedic Neil Summers told the Stray Ferret the state of the NHS was the main reason for the industrial action. He said:

“We are literally sitting outside hospitals with patients in our ambulances for hours and hours because they have nowhere to go.

“The hospitals are full and it means we are not able to do our jobs. We hear calls for cardiac arrests and can’t do anything.”

Todays picket line

Mr Summers said York Hospital was particularly bad but paramedics could still be waiting at Harrogate District Hospital for “up to three or four hours”.

He said there needed to be greater investment in the NHS as well as social care to ease problems caused by bed-blocking.

He said pay was also a concern, as many staff had not had an increase in wages for years.

“My pay isn’t terrible but some people’s is appalling.”

Picket line Jan 2023

The pickets have been joined today by local campaigner Lindis Percy, a former nurse, midwife and health visitor. She said:

“What’s going on in the the health service is shocking and this government has caused it.”

Health Secretary Steve Barclay said this morning the NHS is under “very severe pressure”.

He added the government has announced further investment for emergency departments, as well as looking into ways of targeting how to get patients who are fit to leave into social care.

Flooding ‘expected’ at caravan park in Harrogate district

The Environment Agency has warned that flooding is ‘expected’ at a caravan park in the Harrogate district.

The caravan park at Roecliffe, near Boroughbridge, is situated alongside the River Ure.

At 12.29am this morning the Environment Agency urged people in the area to ‘act now’. It said:

“Flooding is expected in this area. This means properties are at risk of flooding. Please take action to protect yourself and your property and monitor local weather and river conditions.

“Avoid contact with, walking or driving through flood water. Consider activating any property flood protection products you may have.”

The government department also activated a less severe flood alert for the River Ure at 3.19am this morning.

It applies to low-lying land including agricultural land and local roads in the areas around Masham, Boroughbridge, Aldborough and Bishop Monkton. The alert said:

“Flooding is possible in this area. Monitor local water levels and weather conditions. Avoid using low lying footpaths or entering areas prone to flooding.”

Last night the Environment Agency issued a flood alert for the Upper River Nidd catchment area, which remains active.

A map showing where flood alerts and warnings are active.

Police commissioner given power to hike council tax by £15

North Yorkshire’s Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner has been given the power to increase the police’s share of council tax by £15 this year.

Zoe Metcalfe, the Conservative commissioner, is currently consulting on her budget plans for police and fire services for 2023.

The government has given commissioners the power to increase the force’s share of council tax by £15 before a referendum has to be held.

It has also set a £5 limit on the fire service precept.

A £15 hike in the police precept would be the equivalent of a 5.34% increase and see the force’s share of council tax rise to £296 for a band D property.

Ms Metcalfe has previously warned North Yorkshire Police needs £12 million in extra funding to tackle rising costs, including salary increases and rising cost of fuel and utilities.

She said previously:

“One of my roles is to set the precepts for North Yorkshire Police and North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service, something every commissioner has to do every year.

“It is never easy asking for more money, and I know that many individuals and families are facing financial pressures, but our emergency services are also dealing with rising costs as they continue their vital work to keep us all safe.

“This year is particularly challenging as I have to balance the burden on taxpayers and the growing demands for services from our police and fire and rescue services, so it’s vital that I hear your views.”

A £15 increase would see an additional £4.7 million in funding compared with last year’s precept level.

The commissioner’s office says the force has a budget of £191 million — 45% of which comes from council tax payers.

Meanwhile, a £5 increase for North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue would equate to a 6.6% increase in its precept.

It would raise £1.5 million and “would lead to no reductions in planned levels of service delivery”, according to a report by the commissioner’s office.

Ms Metcalfe is expected to outline her budget plans for fire and police services in February 2023.

The consultation into police and fire precepts closes on January 16, 2023. You can take part in the survey here.

Ripon Salvation Army appeal helped hundreds across the Harrogate district

More than 500 bags of food and gifts were distributed to families across the Harrogate district after an annual Christmas appeal run by the Salvation Army in Ripon.

Each year the church and charity takes part in the nationwide Salvation Army appeal, which provides food and festive gifts anonymously to people recommended by agencies in the community.

Church leader Pat Clark said:

“This year, with the cost of living crisis, we faced a tsunami of need and we would like to say a big thank you on behalf of all the families supported by the appeal.”

Approximately 250 bags of gifts and 300 bags of food were provided, with each family member receiving a main present, chocolates and several small gifts. The food bags contained basic non-perishable foodstuffs and festive goods – mince pies, cake and puddings.

Ms Clark said:

“The huge effort was only made possible through the work of volunteer packers and sorters, donations from the public and other churches , schools and businesses.

“Planning for next Christmas is already underway, as arrangements have to be made to store cans and packets of food ready for the huge demand in December.”

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