Senior North Yorkshire councillors have admitted many of the authority’s climate change goals will only be achieved if the government funds them.

Approving a public consultation over its long-awaited carbon-cutting masterplan, several executive members of North Yorkshire County Council emphasised the authority would steer clear of over-promising what it could achieve given funding and powers at its disposal.

Cllr Greg White, the authority’s climate change executive member, said six months after declaring a climate emergency the authority had formed a plan about how it would get its own emissions to net zero.

He said in addition, the North Yorkshire and York Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) had developed its own plan or roadmap for the area, featuring what he described as the “extremely ambitious” target of net zero carbon emissions by 2034 and becoming carbon negative by 2040.

He told executive members they were being asked to endorse, rather than adopt the LEP’s plan, whilst “recognising many of the actions and ambitions are actually the responsibilities of others and not in control of this council” and approve a draft carbon cutting plan for the new unitary authority.

When questioned by Liberal Democrat Cllr Steve Mason over whether the authority would pursue area-wide ambitions, Cllr White replied the authority would be reliant on residents, traders and the government for the latter.

He said the authority was set to endorse the LEP’s roadmap, but would stop short of adopting it as it could not fulfil many of the targets.

Cllr White said: 

“What we are today doing is widening what we do as a council beyond a focus on what we actually do ourselves, in terms of our vans and our buildings, to how we can help across the whole of the council and help with things like homelessness.

“However, we have to be constantly aware we can only do what we can do within the funding that we have available and the powers we have available to us. We want to take a leadership role and that is the most you can hope for.”

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Cllr Mason said the carbon-cutting plans had already taken several years to be drawn up. He added: 

“We are now three years down the line and are still talking about endorsing the plan. To be honest, we need to be taking action.”

Executive member for transport, Cllr Keane Duncan, appeared to question whether some ambitions in the LEP’s plan, such as reducing private car use by 48% and a 900% increase in cycling miles by 2030, were realistic.

He said: 

“It’s very easy for us to agree to a pledge that sounds nice on paper, but when you look at the deliverability of what’s going to be involved in making that happen in reality it becomes much more difficult.”

Cllr Duncan added the public would thank the authority for setting realistic goals.

In order to get the reductions in levels of car use, said Cllr White, there would need to be a huge injection of funds from central government.

He concluded: 

“All we can do is help people move in the right direction.”

Cllr Gareth Dadd revealed following the launch of the unitary authority “an accelerated programme of property rationalisation” would be brought forward to tackle climate change.

He said: 

“Everybody agrees with climate change until it affects them. It’s like housebuilding. Everybody agrees we need more homes until they’re next door to them.”

North Yorkshire Council looks set to propose a council tax hike as part of its first budget.

The authority, which will take over Harrogate Borough Council and North Yorkshire County Council, is set to recommend a bill of £1,759.96.

However, the total bill will also include precepts for fire and police services which will be decided next month.

Here is all you need to know about your council tax this coming year.

What will my council tax be?

For 2023/24, taxpayers will no longer pay council tax to Harrogate Borough Council and North Yorkshire County Council.

Instead, tax will be paid solely to the new North Yorkshire Council.

As part of its first budget, authority officials are proposing a band D rate of £1,759.96 for the year – an increase on last year by 4.99%.

That does not include the precepts for fire, police and parish councils which will be decided separately by those organisations.

Why has the council chosen to increase council tax?

The council is proposing the sum in order to meet costs for providing public services across the county.

It has also decided that council tax rates will be harmonised for the next two years – meaning taxpayers will pay the same sum across the county.

Read more:

• Council freezes Ripon parish precept for third year running
• Levelling up council tax charges over two years is ‘best compromise’

The council has calculated that council tax for the average band D property in Harrogate would normally be valued at £1,783.35.

But, the harmonised average for the county – which includes a 4.99% hike – will be set at £1,759.96.

The council also says it has to make income in order to tackle a £30 million blackhole caused by inflation and spiralling costs.

What has the council said about the proposal?

Despite an increase in funding from the government, the new authority is set to start the next financial year from April with a predicted shortfall of more than £30 million in its budget.

The council is set to receive an additional £22 million from government as part of the announcement.

However, soaring inflation and the impact of the covid pandemic is still set to leave a blackhole in the authority’s finances.

A council press release said the shortfall would be met “by the one-off use of reserves as well as some savings”.

Senior councillors will meet to discuss the council’s first budget, including council tax, on January 24.

Conservative Cllr Carl Les, who will assume the leadership of North Yorkshire Council from April, said: 

“We are facing the greatest ever financial challenges in North Yorkshire, which means we have a huge task in ensuring that services can be delivered effectively and efficiently for the public.

“However, without the opportunities presented with the launch of the new council, the situation would be a great deal worse, and it is vital that we take full advantage of these opportunities.

“We have the chance to make millions of pounds in savings by reorganising the way services are delivered, meaning that we get the most out of every pound of taxpayers’ money in North Yorkshire.”

Debate has continued this week over the future of Harrogate Convention Centre.

After Harrogate Borough Council‘s (HBC) bid for £20 million from the levelling up fund was unsuccessful, council leader Richard Cooper expressed his disappointment.

He said the council will look to bid again in the next round of funding, as part of plans to carry out a £49m improvement to the convention centre (HCC).

It has long been argued that the centre is vital to the economy of the Harrogate district. HBC says it brings around £30m each year to local businesses – though that has fallen from a claim of £60m before the covid pandemic.

The benefit to the hospitality businesses closest to HCC is easy enough to see: guesthouses booked up during major events, and bars buzzing at the end of each day of a conference.

Harrogate BID agrees the centre is essential to the town. Manager Matthew Chapman said:

“Harrogate Convention Centre is a vital component of the local economy, and I’m confident in saying that the vast majority of businesses recognise its importance, not just to Harrogate but the whole district.

“Its exhibitions benefit our shops, bars, restaurants, hotels, guest houses, and many local suppliers.

“Annually, it brings more 150,000 visitors to the district, boosts the economy to the tune of £30m and it supports hundreds, possibly thousands, of jobs.

“Last year, Harrogate BID was happy to back Harrogate Convention Centre in its fight against the development of a rival venue in Leeds.

“Investment is needed to ensure its continued viability which will enable it to compete against venues around the country, securing Harrogate’s position as the conference and exhibition capital of the UK.”

Guesthouses and B&Bs near Harrogate Convention Centre

HCC’s impact further out into the district is less easy to measure.

The Stray Ferret spoke to Jonathan Rose, who owns Kell House B&B in Pateley Bridge with his wife, Heather.

He said:

“Nobody has used us who is visiting the convention centre in Harrogate, as far as I know. A lot of people have gone to Harrogate for different things but not specifically for that.

“I think we’re a little bit too far out if someone is visiting for for business reasons or for exhibitions and so on. There’s so much choice in Harrogate.”

The couple renovated the building in 2021, only opening for a couple of months. Last year was their first full season welcoming guests, so Mr Rose acknowledged it was too early to fully assess the impact of HCC on their trade.

However, Sarah Cannon, who owns The Old Smithy B&B on the outskirts of Knaresborough, said she does welcome some guests who have been to HCC.

Public events like the Knitting and Stitching show in November seemed to bring her more custom, she said, though she has welcomed delegates from trade fairs for groundskeepers, golfers and jewellery specialists.

She said there was also a benefit to other businesses in the area:

“I’ve got a document with all the restaurants in Knaresborough, but also the Guy Fawkes at Scotton because it’s my favourite. I’ll email that out when people book with me in case they want to book a table.

“Generally, my guests either go to the Guy Fawkes or somewhere in Knaresborough. Very occasionally, they say they have gone into Harrogate of an evening, regardless of whether they’re in Harrogate during the day.”

Every news story about HCC brings a range of responses. There are those who would see the site flattened and given over to housing, and others who say there is no option but to keep pushing through the planned redevelopment for the sake of the local economy.

The centre has run at a loss over many years. In the decade to April 2019, it only made a profit in three years: £269,215 in 2009-10, £741,000 in 2016-17, and £3,000 in 2017-18.

Its losses in the other years ranged from £212,631 to £1.2 million. Total losses for the 10 years were just over £4 million.

The question is do the benefits of the HCC outweigh the amount of tax payers’ money that props it up and would investment change that?

Read more:

• New council chief questions future of Harrogate Convention Centre
• Government rejects £20m levelling up bid for Harrogate Convention Centre

Even in a difficult week for HCC, it has had good news: Harrogate Christmas and Gift Fair has confirmed it has agreed a five-year deal to remain at the venue each January. Other multi-year deals have also been done in the last 12 months.

Harrogate Borough Council continues to underpin the centre on the basis of its contribution to the district’s economy.

However, under devolution, its running will transfer to North Yorkshire Council on April 1.

Its chief executive Richard Flinton suggested last week that the new authority will not continue to support a drain on public finances and that it will “consider it again with a fresh pair of eyes”.

His comments came in response to a question from Cllr Michael Schofield, a Liberal Democrat who represents the Harlow and St George’s division on North Yorkshire County Council.

Cllr Schofield said he was frustrated that there was no open discussion about the future of the centre at Harrogate Borough Council, as councillors and directors “do not wish to engage”. He told the Stray Ferret:

“I firmly believe that there is an opportunity to repurpose parts of the Convention Centre that will bring them an income stream all year round and also attract visitors to Harrogate.

“HCC is a vital part of Harrogate town centre, however I fear current HBC councillors and directors are not looking at the bigger picture.

“Let Leeds push for conferences. Let’s look at re-marketing and look at the markets we can bring to Harrogate. Our offer is so strong as a town that can give the personal touch to emerging markets. The scope is huge if only HBC councillors and directors opened their eyes.

“I see it very much being in partnership with external bodies. I am having quite a heated debate with my party as I believe it can work but my HBC friends are not prepared to open their eyes.”

Nurses and ambulance workers in the Harrogate district are set to strike on the same day in just over two weeks’ time.

Picket lines could be organised within yards of each other on Lancaster Park Road in Harrogate, where the hospital and the ambulance station are both located.

Unless strikes are averted, the Royal College of Nursing plans to carry out two days of industrial action on February 6 and 7.

Unite has scheduled another ambulance strike in Harrogate on February 6.

Ambulance workers striking in Harrogate this year.

There is also the prospect of schools being affected on February 1, when members of the National Education Union plan to strike before staging further walk-outs in February and March. A union official has predicted some schools will have to close.

Sandy Lay, a nurse at Harrogate District Hospital and a Liberal Democrat councillor representing Otley and Yeadon on Leeds City Council, told a full council meeting on Wednesday the government rather than striking nurses were harming patients.

But he added arrangement for patient care were often better on strike days than non-strike days because minimum service levels were in place,

He said:

“We want minimum service levels and minimum staff levels, but it has to be every day, not just on strike days.”

Hospital: ‘regrettable some services have been affected’

Asked what impact this week’s strikes had had on the hospital, and whether it would amend its plans for future strikes, a spokesman for Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust said:

“Comprehensive plans are in place to maintain the safety of patients requiring our services during the Royal College of Nursing’s industrial action.

“We are committed to providing the best possible levels of healthcare in any eventuality, and as ever, during the industrial action our focus has been on maintaining the safety of our patients.

“Whilst it is regrettable that some of our services have been affected by industrial action, we have ensured that essential services have remained available. Whilst we have been operating at reduced staffing levels in a number of areas such as inpatient wards, we worked with the RCN to ensure that we had sufficient nursing staff working to maintain patient safety.

“During the industrial action we have rescheduled appointments where it has been necessary. We have worked with the RCN to ensure that our services have remained safe.

“While pay is a matter for government and the trade unions, we greatly value our staff and respect those who have chosen to take part in industrial action. We want to see a resolution as soon as possible to ensure we can continue to focus on delivering high quality patient care to all those who need it.”

Read more:

• Union predicts some Harrogate district schools will close due to strike
• First ever nurses’ strike begins at Harrogate hospital

Harrogate district voluntary organisations that come up with a striking photograph encapsulating what they do could receive a funding boost this year.

Two Ridings Community Foundation holds an annual High Sheriff’s Dragons’ Den event in which community groups pitch for funding in front of a panel and audience.

It usually awards individual grants of between £3,000 and £7,000 from a total funding pot of £30,000.

Birstwith artist Clare Granger has been nominated High Sheriff of North Yorkshire this year and she plans to take a creative approach to the event.

This week’s event at Allerton Castle

Speaking at an event at Allerton Castle this week to thank groups that took part in last year’s Dragons’ Den, Ms Granger said the idea of a more visual approach and an exhibition of entries appealed to her.

She said organisations would be assessed on the strength of their images and an explanation of how each one represented their work, rather than by making a standard spoken pitch.

Two Ridings Community Foundation has yet to reveal final details of this year’s event.

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As high sheriff Ms Granger, who has a studio at home, will represent law and order in the county on behalf of the king, assuming her nomination is ratified at York Crown Court in April.

About 100 representatives from voluntary organisations took part in this week’s event at Allerton Castle, which will host this year’s Dragons’ Den event and exhibit the photos.

It was organised by Jonathan Wright, a trustee of the charity that maintains Allerton Castle. Harrogate district Mayor Victoria Oldham and deputy mayor Robert Windass were among those attending.

(from left) Robert Windass, Jonathan Wright and Victoria Oldham

North Yorkshire County Council has been warned it will become more unrepresentative of its population unless it pays more to councillors.

Opposition parties have claimed elected members of the incoming North Yorkshire Council face being paid less than the minimum wage after a proposal to limit their basic annual allowances to £15,500 was revealed.

They argue it will mean only those with significant income streams will be able to be councillors.

The allowance level put forward by an independent panel would mean nationally, among comparative councils, only councillors serving Leeds would be paid more than those in North Yorkshire.

A meeting of North Yorkshire County Council’s executive on Tuesday will hear the proposed allowance for the 90 members of its successor, North Yorkshire Council, from April represents a £5,184 increase on allowances paid last year to county councillors.

The creation of the unitary council will mean the end of allowances being paid to hundreds of district and borough councillors, so while some district councillors elected to the new authority may see a slight overall rise in pay, others will see their council work income drop.

However, the independent panel making the recommendation said with the abolition of district and borough councils and the number of county councillors reducing from 319 to 90 for the new unitary authority would mean a significant increase in workload.

Read more:

• Council freezes Ripon parish precept for third year running
• Levelling up council tax charges over two years is ‘best compromise’
• North Yorkshire councillors set for 50% pay rise from April

If the proposals are accepted it will mean a net saving to the public purse in North Yorkshire of £707,633.

Under the proposals, special responsibility allowances would be at least four per cent higher than the current county council allowances, depending on the role.

The chair of the panel, John Thompson, said: 

“Councillors volunteer for their roles. They are not employees and are not paid at a commercial rate for their time. However, the allowances should not be set at a level which acts as a disincentive to conscientious performance of duties, or which does not reflect the considerable time commitment required for the role.

“When considering the appropriate level for the allowances, it is also important to take into account the need to continue to attract the required calibre of candidate from a diverse range of backgrounds, to stand and serve as a councillor.”

The authority’s Conservative leader, Cllr Carl Les, said it was important allowances were set at a level which would not prevent anyone from standing to represent their community, regardless of their age, personal circumstances and whether they are in work.

He said: 

“It will be a matter for each councillor to decide, at the full council meeting in February, whether to take all, some or none of the proposed allowances.”

Cllr Stuart Parsons, leader of the Independents group on the authority, said many elected members were already coming to the conclusion it was not worth taking a day off work to attend council meetings, which are all held during the day.

He said: 

“The job is becoming even more full-time than it was and that £15,500 is supposed to compensate you for the time and energy you are putting in.

“They are certainly not going out of their way to encourage people from diverse backgrounds to participate. What they are hoping for is more grey-haired, retired Tories who use this as a plus on their pensions.”

Leader of the Green Party group, Cllr Andy Brown, said attending council meetings in Northallerton from his Airedale division typically took about six hours each, and that was before reading reports, going on site visits and helping his residents.

He said:

“We have been campaigning for proper pay for councillors since the days of the Chartists. It’s far better to have honest councillors who are focused on doing the job than echo what happens in parliament where people take second jobs to improve their standard of living.

“It should be something that it is possible to do mid-career and have an average standard of living.”

The Met Office has issued a weather warning for freezing fog across the district tonight as temperatures plummet.

The yellow warning is from 2am -11am Saturday morning with overnight temperatures of -2 degrees celsius.

The weather conditions could lead to travel delays and cancellations and slower journey times.

The met’s advice for people who need to travel by road in the fog is:

• Avoid travel if possible
• Drive very slowly with dipped headlights, full-beam lights reflect off the fog causing a ‘white wall’ effect
• Keep an eye on your speed, fog can give the illusion of moving in slow motion
• Use fog lights, but remember to turn them off when the visibility improves
• Don’t hang on the tail lights of the car in front, rear lights can give a false sense of security
• Watch out for freezing fog which is made of water droplets that freeze on contact with objects such as the pavement, road, car, etc. It can quickly form a layer of ice.

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More than 700 complaints were made against North Yorkshire Police officers in a year, the force has revealed.

The 740 complaints from members of the public were made against 352 individual officers between April 2021 and April 2022.

The statistic has been released by North Yorkshire Police as part of its response to national news stories about David Carrick. The Met Police officer had several allegations made against him over a period of 20 years, but did not face any charges or misconduct proceedings at work.

This week, he admitted 49 charges of sexual abuse, including rape, beginning as early as 2003. He was only arrested in October 2021.

The Met has since said more than 1,600 allegations against more than 1,000 officers and staff were being reviewed as a result of Carrick’s case.

A spokesperson for North Yorkshire Police said:

“North Yorkshire Police takes all misconduct allegations extremely seriously and are very aware of the serious damage caused to trust in the police service by recent events in the Metropolitan Police.

“The force has taken a number of measures to improve its already robust vetting process to root out those people who are not fit to serve.

“North Yorkshire Police is one of the few forces that handle complaints independently through the Police Fire and Crime Commissioner’s office to provide an additional level of scrutiny.”

Of the 740 complaints made against North Yorkshire Police officers, the force said there could be several relating to a single incident.

Those complaints did not amount to the same thing as misconduct, it said: some could be about an officer failing to keep a victim of crime updated on progress in their case, for example.

The Stray Ferret asked North Yorkshire Police how many of the complaints were matters of misconduct, or how many related to allegations of sexual offences, abuse, coercive control or other related offences.

We also asked how many complaints were investigated and how many resulted in disciplinary action being taken against the officer, but we had not received a response by the time of publication.

Read more:

• ‘Serious concerns’ over North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue finances, say inspectors
• Met Police serial rapist case ‘abhorrent’, says North Yorkshire chief constable

The force publishes details of gross misconduct hearings on its website. Those cases reveal that, during the same period (April 2021 to April 2022), five police constables, one sergeant and two detective constables were found to have behaved in ways amounting to gross misconduct.

Three of those cases involved inappropriate relationships with victims of crime or other people known to the police. One followed a conviction for possession of indecent images of children.

North Yorkshire Police has been part of a pilot scheme checking all vetted staff against the police national database (PND) every month, aiming to ensure any complaints and contact made with other forces would be noticed by North Yorkshire’s professional standards department.

A recent report by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary Fire and Rescue Service highlighted North Yorkshire Police’s efforts in vetting, misconduct and misogyny. It recommended all forces should make use of the PND to check their own officers and staff – and this week, it was announced all forces in England and Wales will begin doing so.

The spokesperson added:

“The vast majority of our officers and staff are honest, hardworking and act with integrity. But we are not complacent and know that there will be a number within our force who are not.

“When misconduct is found, we will take action. We encourage anyone who has any concerns about an officer or staff member they have come into contact with, to please report it to us.”

Inspectors have raised “serious concerns” over North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service’s finances and its ability to respond to fires and other risks.

Inspectors from His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services undertook an inspection of the service in spring 2022 for its effectiveness and efficiency.

The report, released today, rates the service as requiring improvement for its effectiveness at keeping people safe.

Meanwhile, the service was rated as inadequate for its efficiency in keeping people safe and secure from fire and other risks.

It was also graded as inadequate for how it looked after its staff.

‘Serious concerns’

In his report, Roy Wilsher, His Majesty’s Inspector of Fire Services, said he had concerns over the sustainability of the service’s financial plans and its ability to respond to fire and other risks.

Mr Wilsher said the service’s use of resources was inadequate due to the “fragility of its budget”.

He added that he had concern over whether the organisation had the ability to get the right staff with the right skills due to a “lack of robust workforce planning”.

However, Mr Wilsher said the service was good at preventing fires and other risks and had piloted public safety officers at the time of inspection.

He said:

“Since its last inspection, North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service’s performance has deteriorated in most areas.

“Although the service is good at preventing fires and other risks, I have concerns about its ability to respond to them. We have also highlighted serious concerns about how sustainable its financial plans are for managing these risks in an affordable way.

“It needs to make sure collaboration activities, such as those with police are effective and provide value for money. It currently shares some business services with North Yorkshire Police and the office of the police, fire and crime commissioner, but there is little evidence to show its benefits to the service.

“Our inspection also found the service to be inadequate in how it looks after its people. The service needs to improve how it promotes the right values and culture, as well as how it maintains and develops staff performance.

“In view of these findings, we have been in regular contact with the newly appointed chief fire officer and will be revisiting the service to monitor its progress.”

Fire service ‘very disappointed’

In response, Jonathan Dyson, chief fire officer at North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue, said he was disappointed with the outcome of the report.

He said:

“While this is a very disappointing outcome, it is not a reflection of the hard work and dedication that our staff show, every day, to keeping our communities safe, and feeling safe. The inspectors have said that we are good at preventing fires and other risks and responding to major and multi-agency incidents.

“Much of what the Inspectors have focused on relates to service-level policies and practices.

“We do need to acknowledge that the Inspection came at a time of significant change for our service. We were just coming out of covid and transitioning to a new chief fire officer.”

Read more

• Fire service availability ‘incredibly concerning’ says North Yorkshire commissioner
• North Yorkshire fire service has adequate funding, says minister

Mr Dyson added that the service was “absolutely committed” to improving over the next two years as part of an improvement plan and service transformation.

Meanwhile, Zoe Metcalfe, Conservative North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, said:

“I welcome regular inspections from His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS), because the reports are an independent and rigorous assessment which I can use to ensure our Fire and Rescue Service becomes an Outstanding Service. I am confident that NYFRS will become an exemplary Service and we are already on our journey to achieve that, I am committed to our success.

“It is extremely important for the public to understand that North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service keeps people safe as noted in the report where the Service is recognised as being good at preventing fires and other emergencies and good in its response to major and multi-agency incidents.

“Although major areas for improvement have been identified, the report recognises the great work being done by firefighters and staff to keep our communities safe. And I want to pay tribute to our courageous and dedicated fire personnel, who have my full support as they go about their vital work – as well as playing their part in improving our Service.”

A union official has predicted some Harrogate district schools will close because of the impending teachers’ strike

Members of the National Education Union plan to strike on February 1 and stage further walk-outs in February and March.

Gary McVeigh-Kaye, branch secretary of NEU North Yorkshire, said all primary and secondary schools across Harrogate would be impacted by strike action. He said:

“It is likely that there will be a mixture of full and partial school closures. Furthermore, plans are being made to hold picket lines at schools across the area, though these have not been confirmed yet.”

Mr McVeigh-Kaye said teachers in North Yorkshire were “in the grip of a cost-of-living crisis” caused by a below inflation pay offer, school funding and a shortage of teachers. He added:

“Hardworking teachers have had enough and are now taking the only course of action open to them and withdraw their labour.”

Read more:

• First ever nurses’ strike begins at Harrogate hospital
• Picket line at Harrogate station as latest RMT strikes near end

The Stray Ferret asked North Yorkshire County Council, the local education authority, what impact it expected the strike to have on schools, who is responsible for making decisions on school closures and what measures it was putting in place to cope.

It replied in a statement:

“Information about school staff’s union membership is not retained by North Yorkshire County Council, or schools, in line with national rules on data governance, although we expect to be provided with headline data from the union on overall numbers. It is a personal decision for those members whether they participate in the strike action.

“Individual schools will co-ordinate the impact of any strike action, but we will support them with general guidance on mitigating the impact on pupils where possible, alongside the Department for Education’s own guidance.

“Headteachers will also be provided with advice from their professional associations in managing strike action within the protocols for employers when responding to strikes.”

Education Secretary Gillian Keegan has said she plans to meet union leaders this week to try to avert the strike.