District to take part in Yorkshire’s first Rewilding Festival

The Harrogate district is to take part in Yorkshire’s first Rewilding Festival to encourage debate about the value of allowing green spaces to grow naturally.

The festival has been organised by the Yorkshire Rewilding Network, a charity that aims to ‘connect, inspire and enable rewilding across Yorkshire’.

Beginning on June 13 there will be a variety of events across the summer which include a day of learning and connection for rewilders, well-being walks and workshops in some of Yorkshire’s most inspiring rewilding sites.  

In the Harrogate district there are activities in High Birstwith, Kirk Hammerton and Summerbridge.

The charity said the idea of a festival was born out of a belief that more is achieved with a message of hope and that bringing people together creates a ‘buzz’ that builds positive momentum.

Samantha Mennell, Yorkshire Rewilding Festival director, said:

“We’re so excited to be launching our first festival, and for us, it’s all about connection.

“Rewilding is always at it strongest when links are being made, whether that’s within landscapes or between people.

“This festival is only possible because of the  new partnerships we’ve made around the region and we’re excited about the amazing chance it gives us to reach out to more diverse audiences and get more people rewilding.”

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‘Rewilding’ The Stray 

In 2021, Harrogate Borough Council sparked a local debate about rewilding when it allowed parts of the Stray to grow naturally.

The council’s parks team left grass verges close to the roadside uncut until late autumn. Some residents welcomed the move, others thought it made the Stray look untidy.

The council then worked with local conservation groups to plant thousands of wildflower plugs between the Empress Roundabout and the Prince of Wales roundabout and down by the railway line.

We are currently in #NoMowMay – a movement started by the charity Plantlife  which calls on all garden owners and green space managers not to mow during May – ‘liberating your lawns and providing a space for nature’.

North Yorkshire Council, which now has responsibility for the Stray’s maintenance, has not gone as far as to stop mowing all public green spaces for a month.

Samatha Mennell said NYC could do more:

“We whole-heartedly agree that the North Yorkshire council should allow public areas to grow wilder as it has a myriad of benefits for biodiversity, carbon draw down and creates cleaner air and water
systems.
“In a setting like Harrogate it can be done in a way that is sensitive to the formal nature of the city centre by mowing borders and paths that complement the aesthetic of the town whilst still increasing the flowers, pollinators and birds that bring so much pleasure to its residents.”
For full information on the Rewilding Festival click here. 

Have you tried to rewild your garden? Or taken part in #NoMowMay? Send us your images and tell us how you’ve found the experience. contact@thestrayferret.co.uk

New tourism body ‘not in the interests’ of North Yorkshire, says Masham councillor

A councillor who owns Swinton Park Hotel near Masham has said a new tourism body for North Yorkshire is “not in the interests” of the hospitality sector.

Felicity Cunliffe-Lister, the Liberal Democrat councillor for Masham and Fountains, said an organisation should be created for the whole of Yorkshire instead.

Cllr Cunliffe-Lister was speaking at a full meeting of North Yorkshire Council on Wednesday.

The council is coordinating a new tourism strategy to boost the county’s £1.5 billion tourism industry, which is home to popular destinations like Castle Howard, Fountains Abbey and Bettys tea rooms.

A draft destination management plan is due to be finalised by the end of June before a bid is submitted to government to become a Local Visitor Economy Partnership, which would open the door for funding.

LVEPs are replacing destination management organisations, such as the former Harrogate Borough Council’s Destination Harrogate, following an independent review.

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Visit Hull and East Yorkshire was awarded LVEP status last month and Cllr Cunliffe-Lister said having more than one LVEP in Yorkshire risked wasting taxpayers’ money as LVEPs would compete against each other to attract tourists.

The councillor also referred to Welcome To Yorkshire, the tourism body for Yorkshire that entered administration in 2022 following a high-profile expenses scandal. It still exists but is no longer funded by public money and is now owned by private business Silicon Dales.

Cllr Cunliffe-Lister said:

“The Yorkshire brand is well-established and well-regarded nationally and internationally. It’s not in interests of the hospitality sector that this is fragmented.

“Should North Yorkshire achieve LVEP status it will not deliver value for money if it is then used to be pitched as a competitor destination against East Yorkshire or other regions in Yorkshire.

“What is being done to establish a generic county-wide brand that all regions will subscribe to and support and what steps are being taken to co-ordinate with other councils to achieve this?”

In response, Conservative executive member for open to business, Derek Bastiman, said “work is being carried out on that” but added it will take time as the council is still only in its second month of existence.

Cllr Bastiman added that workshops were taking place across North Yorkshire for people and councillors to add their input into the new tourism strategy. 

He added:

“It’s vitally important as much work is done on the coast as is done in the Craven area to Richmondshire or Selby.“

Speaking this month, Conservative council leader Carl Les called the development of the new tourism strategy a “major milestone“ for the authority. 

He said:

“We have such a breadth of tourism businesses and attractions which we can be rightly proud of, but we want to ensure that the sector can grow and flourish in the future and help support the region’s wider economy.“

North Yorkshire buses ‘would have failed’ without government support, says transport chief

North Yorkshire’s transport chief has claimed bus services in the county “would have failed” without support from the council and government.

Cllr Keane Duncan, the Conservative executive councillor for highways at North Yorkshire Council, welcomed yesterday’s latest support from the Department for Transport.

It extended a £2 cap on single bus fares to October. The cap will then rise to £2.50 until November 2024.

Cllr Duncan told councillors yesterday the council had encouraged smaller operators to sign up to the scheme.

It has also stepped in to provide funding to allow the 24 bus between Harrogate and Pateley Bridge to continue.

He added:

“To be clear, without the action of this council over recent months and years against the odds and the action of government with a package totalling £3.5 billion since the pandemic, a great number of North Yorkshire routes would have failed already.

“Our network would have been vastly reduced and in a much worse position than it is right now.”

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He added that the council did not intend to duplicate any marketing on the government’s £2 cap scheme in light of the recent extension.

The scheme is set to go-ahead in the Harrogate district with Harrogate Bus Company, DalesBus and Connexions confirming their intentions to extend to the cap.

It comes as Cllr Duncan said the council intends to carry out a review of how the council supports bus services in the future amid concerns over passenger numbers.

In a statement to a full council meeting, he said the number of people using bus services “remain key” to the networks’ viability.

Cllr Duncan previously warned that government cash “cannot continue in perpetuity” to fund services.

Police warning amid increase in reports of empty laughing gas canisters

Police have issued a warning after an increase in reports of empty canisters of nitrous oxide being found.

North Yorkshire Police said empty canisters had been found in areas where young people congregate.

Nitrous oxide, commonly known as laughing gas, is the second most-used drug among UK 16- to 24-year-olds. It can induce euphoria and relaxation, as well as hallucinations.

Amid the increase in reports, the force has urged parents to “be viligant” for signs that their children are purchasing it.

In a statement, police said:

“People may believe that because the gas is widely available and easily purchased, that it’s harmless. However, inhaling it can lead to unconsciousness and ultimately suffocation, as the body is essentially starved of oxygen.

“There is also evidence to show that people with heart conditions can be at higher risk of harm and that inhalation can lead to anaemia or long-term nerve damage.”

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The warning comes after residents in Huby raised concern over canisters of laughing gas being dumped by the side of the road.

In March, John Chadwick, a resident in the village, found 10 canisters left at the side of rural Gravelly Hill Lane.

Mr Chadwick said this was the first time he’d seen the canisters and it “highlights what I believe is becoming an increasing health and behavioural issue predominately amongst younger people”.

Harrogate hospital appointments rearranged after CT scanner breakdown

Harrogate hospital has been forced to rearrange 76 scan appointments after one of its CT scanners broke down.

Patients due appointments this past week were either told their scans were rearranged or referred to Leeds.

Officials at Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust said the scanner had “a number of breakdowns”  over the last four weeks, each of which left it non-operational for up to two days.

CT scans create detailed images of inside the body which can identify issues such as tumours.

In total, 76 patients had their non-urgent appointments rearranged and 41 who required urgent scans were sent to Leeds.

Hospital managers say the scanner has since been repaired and will be replaced in June.

A spokesperson for the hospital trust said:

“Over the last four weeks, one of the machines has experienced a number of breakdowns, each lasting one or two days. This has unfortunately meant that some non-urgent scans have needed to be re-arranged, which we have done so as a priority.

“The health and safety of our patients is our primary concern and those people needing urgent scans during the periods in which our CT scanner was not working, were transferred to hospitals in Leeds to ensure their scan could take place.

“The scanner has now been repaired. By early June, a new CT scanner will be installed at Harrogate District Hospital, which will work alongside our other CT scanners, ensuring we have additional resilience in the future.

“We are committed to providing the best possible healthcare service for our community and over the next few years, we are investing around £3 million in our imaging department to provide new digital x-ray and CT scanners. This will further improve on the service we provide and significantly reduce waiting times for patients.”

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Yorkshire Water chief executive apologises for sewage failures

The chief executive of Yorkshire Water has apologised today for its record on sewage and said she will refuse any bonus this year.

Nicola Shaw admitted the company has not done enough to tackle storm overflows, which release raw sewage into rivers at times of high rainfall.

Yorkshire Water has been widely criticised for its record on storm overflows and was fined £233,000 in January for discharging 20 million litres of raw sewage into Tong Beck at Bradford.

Ms Shaw joined the company in May last year and has yet to receive an annual bonus. Her predecessor Liz Barber’s last bonus was £679,000 in the 2021/22 financial year.

In a letter to customers, Ms Shaw said:

“There has been a huge amount of criticism of, and anger at, the water industry over recent months.

“I get why people are angry – seeing sewage in our rivers and seas isn’t right. We should have a system that befits the 21st century. So, on behalf of Yorkshire Water, I am sorry.

“We should have acted more quickly to change the situation. That’s why I have decided to refuse any bonus this year as I want us to make progress.”

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Ms Shaw pledged the company would “up its game” by improving the 190 storm overflows “that we know are operating much more than they should” and by “delivering our largest environmental investment ever”.

Yorkshire Water will spend £180m on storm overflow improvements in the next two years, which it said would help to reduce discharges by at least 20%.

The £180m investment will be spent on:

Harrogate Borough Council spent £15,000 on staff leaving party

Harrogate Borough Council spent £14,910 on a final day leaving party for staff, a freedom of information request has revealed.

The bill, footed by council taxpayers, included £3,031 on drink and £4,750 on food. The other £7,000 is unaccounted for.

The Stray Ferret has submitted a freedom of information request seeking a fuller breakdown of the costs.

Seven district councils and North Yorkshire County Council were abolished on March 31 to make way for the new North Yorkshire Council.

Harrogate Borough Council’s final day staff party cost the most.

Scarborough was the next highest, spending £9,004, followed by Hambleton at £3,783. Ryedale awarded staff a £148 bonus and spent £3,001 on a party. North Yorkshire County Council did not spend anything.

When the Stray Ferret contacted Conservative-run Harrogate Borough Council in March about a leaving party, a spokesperson replied:

“I’m not aware of any events today to mark the end of Harrogate Borough Council.”

Now it has emerged a party did take place, a public sector worker in Harrogate described it as a “spit in the face of every taxpayer in these difficult financial times”.

The person, who asked not to be named, said:

“The money could have been put towards a million and one other uses.

“I am appalled, disgusted and downright annoyed that this amount was spent without the prior knowledge and consent of the people paying for it.”

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Conor Holohan, media campaign manager of the pressure group the TaxPayers’ Alliance, echoed the concerns. He said:

“Taxpayers will be shocked to find they were funding parties for council staff.

“While residents were struggling with the cost of living crisis, town hall officials were charging them for dinner and drinks.

“Bosses in the new North Yorkshire Council should be more considerate when spending taxpayers’ cash than some of their predecessors were.”

North Yorkshire Council civic centre Knapping Mount

The new signs at Harrogate’s Civic Centre

Staff from the district councils, except the chief executives, transferred to North Yorkshire Council on April 1. It said in a statement:

“The new council for North Yorkshire did not play any part in sanctioning or organising any parties.

“For any further comment you will need to ask the district and borough council decision-makers who were in place at those councils at the time.”

When he stepped down as leader of Harrogate Borough Council, Richard Cooper said he would not give any further public comments and he declined to comment when asked about this matter.

 

MP calls for clarity over Scotton solar farm plan

Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones has called for clarity over a planned 88-hectare solar farm on farmland north of Scotton.

Sustainable energy company Gridserve is proposing to build the power plant and substation at Lawrence Moor Farm.

Its plans envisage thousands of solar panels generating up to 49.9 megawatts of green energy that could power up to 14,000 homes.

However, Mr Jones has called for clarity over the plans after the proposals have yet to be finalised.

The Conservative MP was prompted to write to the company in March after residents in Scotton, Farnham and Brearton contacted him concerned about the lack of information about the proposals.

Mr Jones wrote to Gridserve, which is headquartered in Buckinghamshire, to ask for an update, but was told there had not been “any material update to the status of our potential development in Scotton”.

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At the end of July 2021, Harrogate Borough Council confirmed that a detailed EIA would be required, but Gridserve has taken no action since.

Now, Mr Jones has called on the company to decide whether it wishes to continue with the proposal.

Andrew Jones

He said:

“People in the area need certainty on what is happening with this proposal. I want Gridserve to bring them that certainty sooner rather than later. 

“All that we really know about the proposal is that it covers a massive area and will dominate the landscape. 

“Surely after all this time Gridserve can decide whether it wishes to proceed and, if it does, get a formal planning application in so that its merits and otherwise can be properly debated.”

£2 bus fare cap to be extended in Harrogate district until October

The £2 cap on single bus fares is set to be extended in the Harrogate district until October 31.

The government announced an extra £300 million funding for the scheme today.

From November, the cap will rise to £2.50 for another 12 months.

A list of bus companies and routes in Yorkshire and the Humber taking part in the initiative is available here.

The scheme, which was introduced in January, was due to end in June.

Ministers at the Department for Transport said the extension will help people with the cost of living.

It means bus companies in Harrogate look set to continue the £2 cap on single fares.

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A spokesman for Transdev, which runs Harrogate Bus Company, said: 

“We wish to participate in the extended arrangements announced today, and will confirm further details with our customers and colleagues shortly.”

DalesBus also confirmed it would participate in the scheme.

Meanwhile, Mark Harper, transport secretary, said:

“Taking the bus is the most popular form of public transport and millions of people rely on these vital services every day.

“That’s why we’re investing half a billion pounds to help people save money amid cost of living pressures and continue to level up transport in all parts of the country, doing our bit to help halve inflation and grow the economy.”

Plan for 50 new homes near Cattal station

A plan has been submitted to build 50 homes near to Cattal station.

London-based Ptarmigan Land North has submitted the proposal to North Yorkshire Council for land south of the station.

It would see 50 homes built, including public open space and potential connections to the railway.

The land near to the station is not included in wider proposals for at least 3,000 homes in the area, known as Maltkiln.

However, the developers said the site could be influenced by the project in terms of appearance.

In documents submitted to the council, the developer said:

“The focus of the proposal is to create a sustainable development within the heart of the new settlement. 

“People and vehicles can easily access all areas of the proposal and make good connections to nearby roads and services. Importantly the proposal includes a potential pedestrian link to the station to the north and potential pedestrian link to the south of the site.

“It has attractive features including a series of arrival spaces and a large area of open space. 

“The proposal has opportunity to create areas for the benefit of biodiversity and generate new habitats. 

“The proposal does not prejudice future development of surrounding spaces. Potential connections to future development could be provided.”

North Yorkshire Council will make a decision on the proposal at a later date.

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