Boroughbridge news from the Boroughbridge district - Page 110 of 178

North Yorkshire Police needs £12m to meet rising costs, says commissioner

North Yorkshire Police needs £12 million extra funding to tackle rising costs, says the county’s crime commissioner.

Zoe Metcalfe, the Conservative North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, is currently consulting on her budget plans for police and fire services for 2023.

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

However, amid soaring inflation, the force requires an additional £12 million to meet salary increases and the rising cost of fuel and utilities.

Ms Metcalfe said she expects the government to allow her to increase the police’s share of council tax by £10 a year — a 3.6% rise for a band D property.

But she warned that this would only raise £3.1 million and “would likely lead to reductions in current levels of service delivery unless savings could be delivered”.

Ms Metcalfe said:

“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.

“Please go online, take just a few minutes to have your say and I will ensure your views are reflected when decisions are made.”

Meanwhile, North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue would require an additional £2 million for next year, the commissioner’s office estimates.

Ms Metcalfe said she expects the government will allow her to raise the fire precept by 3% – which would raise £700,000.

However, the commissioner’s office said this would be “significantly below inflation and would likely lead to reductions in current levels of service delivery”.

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.

Stray Ferret Christmas Appeal: ‘It’s our privilege to care for each other’

This year’s Stray Ferret Christmas Appeal is for Resurrected Bites in Harrogate and Knaresborough. Today, community grocery manager Carolyn Aitken tells us why working with people who rely on the groceries has been such an uplifting experience. Please give generously to support local people who are struggling this Christmas. They need your help.

When I took on the role of community grocery manager a year ago, I had never imagined what a privilege it would be.

That I would meet some of the most amazing people I’ve ever known, that this would be a role in which I would see such a broad spectrum of life and experience such a wide range of emotions, often all in one day.

From the heart-breaking revelation of a recently widowed wife or a bereaved parent, to the overwhelming kindness and generosity of a young couple who have given up their weekly takeaway to buy food to help others.

From the dad with a family to support, who lost everything including his home and business during the pandemic, or the beautiful young mother fighting long covid whilst caring for a newborn, to a group of elderly residents in shared accommodation giving a jar or packet or tin each week to help us to fill our shelves.

Volunteers who daily go above and beyond, collecting food from supermarkets late at night in all weathers or early mornings before most of us are awake, or who give up mornings or afternoons week after week to restock shelves and ensure everything’s displayed beautifully or to run the stores or cafes, always with a caring smile and a kind word for each customer.

We all wish we weren’t needed – everyone who plays a part in the life of Resurrected Bites agrees that there shouldn’t be the food waste that we collect each week – that we are a society that wilfully throws away perfectly good produce, because it’s not quite the right shape or size or has just passed its best, or there’s just been too much produced, and that such waste is wrong.

We agree that community groceries and foodbanks shouldn’t be needed in the UK in 2022, but we are moved by the needs of so many and so we try to make life just a little better for those in our community who are struggling.

Every day we wish we could do more – we can signpost our customers to other agencies and organisations who may also be able to help, with needs such as debt management, fuel vouchers, benefits advice or simply where to access clothes or furniture, but our hope is that one day, it won’t be like this.

That is the hope of our founder and director Michelle, who tirelessly works long hours, securing grants, arranging fundraisers, co-ordinating a plethora of supporters and volunteers, juggling a small team running the cafes, the community groceries, the pay-as-you-can tables and the warehouse. Resurrected Bites was her vision, one that was so inspirational that it has been caught by the communities of Harrogate and Knaresborough and grown into the amazing work it is today.

And it’s that word ‘community’ that shines out of all that we do and all that we’re a part of. Our tiny, beautiful corner of Yorkshire is incredibly community focused, people have told me that’s why they moved here to live.

As a community they care for one another, and as a community, it will be our privilege to continue to care for them, while we can.

Nobody in the Harrogate district should go hungry this Christmas.

It costs £300 to run the community grocery for one day. Please help to keep it open for everyone who relies on it.

Click here to contribute now. Thank you.

Weather warning for Harrogate district as icy snap looms

A weather warning for ice has been issued for the Harrogate district as sub-zero temperatures loom.

The warning is in force from 6pm tomorrow until noon on Thursday.

The Met Office has warned “some disruption is likely due to icy surfaces” on untreated roads, pavements and cycle paths.

The district has had remarkably little ice so far this winter.

Temperatures are expected to fall slightly below freezing tonight and then plunge to minus three degrees centigrade on the next few nights. They will struggle to rise much above freezing even during the day and light snow could fall on Friday and Saturday.

Temperatures could fall even lower in more rural areas, such as Greenhow Hill, which is the highest place in the Harrogate district.

Gritters, which operated last night, will be back out on key routes again tonight.

Another Harrogate district school looks set to close

North Yorkshire County Council looks set to open a consultation on whether to close a school between Ripon and Boroughbridge.

Under the plan, Skelton Newby Hall Church of England Primary School would shut in August 2023. The council will recommend carrying out a consultation into the plans at a meeting on December 13.

A council report said numbers at the school has been “falling over the past few years” and there were concerns about the impact on pupils’ education.

As of this year, nine children and one nursery pupil were on roll at the school. It has capacity for 52.

The low number has meant key stage two teaching has been taking place at Sharow Church of England Primary School, which is federated with the school.

The report added:

“The governing body have been active in their collective efforts to raise numbers at the school through many initiatives over recent years including the introduction of nursery provision in September 2019, which has attracted some children to the school, although numbers have been small.

“Marketing of the school has been a collective effort by governors, staff and parents though this has not had a long-term result.”

The county council estimates pupil numbers “will not recover significantly in the longer term and may reduce still further”.

In autumn this year, the governing body of the school approached the county council to request a consultation on a closure.

The report added:

“This decision was not taken lightly by the governing body.

“The main issue was being able to provide such a small number of pupils with the rounded education that they deserve together with little prospect of future improvement in pupil numbers.”

The council has proposed that, should the school close, then the catchment area will be taken in by Kirby Hill Church of England Primary School.

A consultation into the closure will be held from January 2023, if approved. Senior county councillors will make a final decision whether to close the school next year.

Fourth school to close?

Skelton Newby Hall Church of England Primary School could become the fourth Harrogate district school to close in quick succession.

Kell Bank Church of England Primary School in Masham closed after 200 years in summer last year.

Baldersby St James Church of England Primary School, near Thirsk, closed in summer this year and Woodfield Community Primary School will shut this month.

However, governors at Fountains Earth Primary School in Upper Nidderdale withdrew their request for a consultation on closure this year and the school remain open.

New housing plan to be created for Harrogate district

A new Local Plan guiding where land can be used for housing and employment for decades to come is to be drawn up for North Yorkshire.

Harrogate Borough Council currently has its own Local Plan which outlines where development can take place across the district until 2035.

It is due to be reviewed by 2025 but this looks set to be scrapped because of the creation of a new unitary authority North Yorkshire Council and the abolition of Harrogate Borough Council on April 1.

North Yorkshire County Council will be recommended to approve creating a new county-wide strategy at a meeting of its executive next week.

However, a report to councillors who will decide whether to accept the recommendation says a review of the proposed Maltkiln development, which could see up to 4,000 homes built near Cattal, will continue as planned.

The new Local Plan would look ahead for a minimum of 15 years, and at least 30 years in relation to any larger scale developments, such as new settlements or significant urban extensions. It would encompass all areas of the county outside the national parks.

Cllr Carl Les, the Conservative leader of the authority, said:

“A robust Local Plan that sets out an ambitious vision and a clear framework for growth will ensure that we keep control of how and where development takes place.

“By ensuring a local focus, we can protect and enhance the quality of the places in which we live, creating sustainable economic growth and prosperous communities while safeguarding the natural and heritage assets that are such an important aspect of our county.”

Cllr Simon Myers, executive councillor for growth and housing, said

“The plan will be vital to the new North Yorkshire Council’s ambitions to deliver sustainable economic growth, through good homes and jobs, as well as the best facilities and infrastructure for everyone who lives or works in the county.

“Planning guidance will also play a key role in meeting our ambitious targets to tackle climate change. In addition, it can support other services in meeting the needs of our many communities at a local level, taking into account everything from transport and education to housing, health and social care.”

Hosepipe ban lifted after wet autumn across Harrogate district

The hosepipe ban covering the Harrogate district has been lifted with immediate effect.

Yorkshire Water said the public’s efforts to save water, combined with more wet weather than average during the autumn, meant the restrictions imposed on August 26 were no longer needed.

The company said an average of 28 million litres of water had been saved each day under the restrictions, taking pressure off its reservoirs. However, Yorkshire is still classified by the Environment Agency as being in drought conditions.

Neil Dewis, director of water at Yorkshire Water, said:

“We’re really grateful to our customers for their efforts to save water whilst the weather was drier than usual.

“Thanks to a number of emergency drought schemes, drought permits, increased leakage activity, rainfall, and everyone’s efforts to save water, reservoirs are now looking much healthier – with the average level across the region now at 75%.”

Yorkshire Water said it had hired more technicians to deal with leaks and working seven days a week to carry out repairs. It said leakage had reduced by more than 9% this year, as it works towards a goal of a 15% reduction by 2025.

Mr Dewis added:

“As we’ve seen this year, climate change is making weather patterns more extreme.

We recently submitted our latest draft water resource management plan to the Department of Environment Food and Rural Affairs. The document predicts future water use, weather patterns, and sets out our action plan to reduce the likelihood of future restrictions and ensure we can continue to meet demand over the next 60 years.

“We’d welcome feedback from customers and other stakeholders on our draft plan, which can be viewed on our website.

“Whilst the hosepipe ban is no longer in place, it’s really important that we all continue to save water where we can. Adopting small habits like reusing grey water or installing a water butt will save water and energy, helping to reduce bills and protect the environment.”

To view the draft water resource management plan, click here.

Plan for community networks in North Yorkshire labelled ‘crackers’

Plans to create about 30 unelected community networks in North Yorkshire following the abolition of district councils have been criticised as “crackers” and “an academic exercise”.

Councillors from across the political spectrum have voiced a plethora of concerns about North Yorkshire County Council’s proposals to form forums based around market town areas.

The authority has pledged its successor unitary council would be committed to keeping services local and give communities a bigger say in services from April 1, 2023.

Under the proposals, local priorities will be decided by around 30 community networks, based around market town areas.

Made up of community and business groups, town and parish councils and representatives from other local groups and public services, including local councillors, the council claims community networks will act as local agents for economic and social change.

A meeting of the Tory-run council’s corporate scrutiny committee heard councillors brand the proposed forums as unnecessary, while others have said they would be toothless or poorly attended as they could not make financial decisions.

Conservative Cllr Nick Brown, who represents Wathvale and Bishop Monkton, said while elected members would be obliged to attend networks in the division to which they were elected, as the proposed 30 networks did not follow division boundaries, they would need to attend networks outside their division too.

He said elected community representatives needed more consideration in the proposals, which he described as “unpractical” and an “academic exercise”.

Cllr Brown said:

“We have a job to do and we’re not really mentioned. If I’m having to go to meetings in somebody else’s division it seems a nonsense to me.

“It’s bad enough with 16 parish councils in my division, but if you are having to go to further meetings in someone else’s area because it’s a community hub covering the whole of several divisions, it’s crackers.”

Hunmanby Cllr Michelle Donohue-Moncrieff, an independent member, told the meeting there was a consensus among parish councils in her area that community networks would undermine their role in the community.

She added:

“They feel they allow individuals who don’t have or are not honestly representative of the wider community to pursue their own projects.

“One thing that really has annoyed people, and it annoys me as a parish councillor, is that we are expected to do all the work and take responsibility, yet someone can now waltz onto the community network and have more influence than the average parish councillor.”

After the meeting, the authority’s leader, Councillor Carl Les, said he recognised there were a range of concerns being raised about the community network proposals, but they remained “very much a work in progress” and were being shaped by a range of views.

He said the idea was to bring people together to discuss services and priorities in their areas and would not downgrade parish councils’ influence.

Cllr Les said:

“In that respect I think it’s a worthy ambition to talk to people. In no way are they meant to negate the work or replace parish or town councils, or of the elected member. I appreciate the value of parish councils. I was a parish councillor for well over a decade.

“This is about working in clusters and the network might cover areas that are not covered by a parish council, but by a parish meeting, which only meet as and when they need to.”

He said such community networks had been in place across North Yorkshire for some time, with Community Engagement Forums in Selby district and Area Partnerships in Richmondshire.

Cllr Les added:

“I have got great hope for these networks.”

Stray Ferret Christmas Appeal hits £5,000 target in less than a week

There’s been an overwhelming response to the Stray Ferret’s Christmas Appeal for local food charity, Resurrected Bites.

Our target of £5,000 was reached over the weekend – less than a week after we launched the appeal. Public donations now stand at £7,638.

With Harrogate firm Techbuyer generously match funding the first £5,000 of public donations – it means our overall total is now £12,638.

Many of the donations have been given anonymously so whoever you are, we would like to thank you and everyone else who has generously given money in these difficult economic times.

THANK YOU!

But we keep going. As we have a few weeks to go before the appeal ends at midnight on Christmas Eve, we have now raised the overall target to £20,000.

This would give Resurrected Bites almost three months of operating costs, as each month costs the charity a minimum of £7,500 to run the cafes and grocery stores. If you want to know more about the charity please read the stories below.

Michelle Hayes of Resurrected Bites says to hit the target so quickly is amazing:

“I am blown away by the generosity of so many people who have got the total to £7,558 in under a week. This equates to a month’s basic operating costs and with Techbuyer’s amazing donation of 5k match funding on top, we are heading towards covering our costs for two months. We have a lot of anonymous donors and so I have not been able to thank them directly but please know that every penny means so much.

I know there was a significant amount of anxiety amongst some of our service users when they saw the headline that Res Bites might close and I said at the time, I was determined to ensure we wouldn’t close as we know so many rely on our services.

In the same way that we need to talk about mental health more, we also need to talk about food poverty more..I hope these articles [on the Stray Ferret] help to end the stigma and encourage more people to come forward for help as we don’t want anyone to go hungry.”

Please don’t let anyone go hungry this Christmas — Resurrected Bites needs your support.

The more money raised, the more people it can feed at a time of rising demand for its services.

Thank you again. To donate click here.

Business Breakfast: Harrogate marketing agency get sore feet for mental health charity

Business Breakfast is sponsored by Harrogate law firm Truth Legal

A team from Harrogate marketing agency, Big Bamboo, has raised more than £2,500 for the mental health charity, Mind.

Staff completed the 23-mile-long Harrogate Ringway trek and also walked barefoot across red-hot embers on the Leeds Mind firewalk.

Some of the bolder members of the group spent a hour training and then walked across the red-hot embers. The company said the challenge was more mental than a physical, and felt it was an appropriate way to raise money for a mental health charity.

Jen Winterschladen, Operations Director at The Big Bamboo Agency, said:

“We are thrilled to have exceeded our fundraising target for this year, raising £2,572 for Mind…

“..The fundraising challenges we undertook emphasised the importance of mental health: walking in the countryside around Harrogate took us away from our screens and gave us a chance to have a proper talk, while the firewalk was a lesson in the power of the mind and believing you can do anything you put your mind to.

“We felt Mind was a truly fitting charity to support, and we look forward to supporting another amazing charity in 2023.”

ASE Computer Services Ltd is to sponsor the Digital Innovation category at the Stray Ferret Awards 2023.

The award ceremony on March 9 at the Pavilions of Harrogate will recognise excellence in a wide range of business practices with 10 coveted awards. The judging panel comprises some of the most influential business leaders in the district.

Chris Dickinson Managing District ASE said:

“As an IT consultancy with support services, ASE works in a wholly the digital space. We’re delighted to sponsor the Digital Innovation category in the Stray Ferret Business Awards 2023.

“Technology moves so fast that keeping up and making it bring benefits to a business can seem daunting. We’re here to help with that.

“So celebrating and sharing digital best practice, new ideas and creativity is something we are very interested in promoting, both for our clients and the wider Harrogate business community “

Entries are open now until mid January. Put your business or team forward for an award that recognises their achievements.

North Yorkshire leaders set up devolution decision making body

An ambition to create a devolved mayoral combined authority for North Yorkshire and York has reached a milestone as the local authorities pursuing it launched their first joint decision-making body.

In a turn of events that highlighted geographic and transport issues a combined authority for the vast area will face, the inaugural meeting of North Yorkshire and City of York Council’s joint devolution committee started more than half an hour late due to committee members travelling to central York being delayed on public transport.

With two of the leading executive members from each councils and being co-chaired by the councils’ leaders, the committee bears a close resemblance to the proposed mayoral combined authority executive.

However, it also includes non-voting members, such as the North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner and the chair of the local enterprise partnership.

The meeting heard the committee was being launched despite the public having yet to decide having a mayoral combined authority as part of the proposed devolution deal is acceptable, with a consultation under way.

North Yorkshire’s monitoring officer Barry Khan told members:

“This is in no way trying to pre-determine or pre-judge that process.

“If the councils agree to submit a proposal for a mayoral combined authority then this committee can transform into a shadow combined authority to set up that arrangement.”

Nevertheless, James Farrar, the enterprise partnership’s chief officer, told he meeting the councils needed to start taking joint decisions or face losing nearly £20 million of funding the government had agreed to give under the proposed devolution deal.

Mr Farrar said:

“The rules are very stringent and inflexible.”

He said the government had set a deadline of March 2025 to complete two major projects it was funding.

The schemes include £7 million to enable the area to drive green economic growth, creating the country’s first carbon negative region, and £12.7 million to support the building of new homes on brownfield land.

He said with a potential date of creating the combined authority in December next year it left a very tight timescale to complete the projects, leading councillors to approve a move to invite firms to submit interest in potential schemes this month.

Mr Farrar said even if devolution was not progressed the authorities would have created a pipeline to challenge for “increasingly competitive” funding from government.

City of York Council leader Cllr Keith Aspden issued an appeal for as many residents and businesses as possible to respond to the consultation ahead of its December 16 deadline.

The meeting was told the committee would “exercise executive functions”, but its remit could be widened to “a joint committee that exercises both council and executive functions”.

The county council’s leader, Cllr Carl Les, said he was hopeful the consultation would come back in favour of creating a mayoral combined authority.

He added:

“It’s a first step and of course we have been very keen to say to people that devolution is an iterative process.

“I really welcome the fact that the brownfield fund also covers the rural areas, not just urban areas, and also that we are getting some help with net zero activities because that is highly topical at the moment.”

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Fourth school to close?

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