Harrogate ice cream seller John Taylor is in line for another industry award.

Mr Taylor, whose van is parked outside Victoria Shopping Centre most days from March to September, is one of the most familiar faces in Harrogate.

Besides selling in Harrogate town centre, he takes his van to events across the district and to the streets of Harrogate, Ripon and Boroughbridge during summer.

He has now been named in the final three in the mobiler of the year category at the  Ice Cream Alliance‘s Ice Cream and Artisan Food Show, which will be held at the Great Yorkshire Showground in Harrogate in February.

The mobiler category recognises all aspects of running an ice cream van. Last year Mr Taylor scooped the gold award at the same event for the taste of his Mr Whippy ice cream but he thinks winning the mobiler category would top that.

Although the number of vans has decreased significantly in recent decades, Mr Taylor, who runs C and M Ices, said there were still about 3,000 to 4,000 operating and he was thrilled to be recognised in the top three by his trade association:

“This is our equivalent of the Oscars or the Premier League. It is the highest accolade you can win.”

Read more:

• Harrogate’s award-winning ice-cream man keeps up the family tradition
• Harrogate M&S manager calls for longer Christmas fayre to bolster town centre

The three finalists will go in front of a five-person judging panel.

Harrogate born and bred Mr Taylor, whose family has been selling ice cream since 1889, said 2022 had been a better year due to the warm summer and he hoped to be back outside the Victoria Shopping Centre in spring. He added:

“The weather is our kingmaker. Whatever happens to the economy, and things like covid, if the weather is not good you can’t make a living.”

When you are looking to get recognition for your business, it is key that those on the judging panel are the best of the best.

That’s why we have enlisted the help of leaders from the top business and organisations for the inaugural Stray Ferret Business Awards sponsored by Prosperis, culminating with an awards dinner on March 9, 2023.

There is representation from across the Harrogate district and beyond with Black Sheep Brewery from Masham, Reed Boardall from Boroughbridge, Cloud Nine from Harrogate and the York and North Yorkshire LEP from Northallerton.

We have chosen these judges for their expertise, experience and positions in a wide variety of sectors.

Each judge kindly gives their free time to participate in the process. Any judge with a conflict of interest in a particular category will step away for the duration of those discussions.

We really do have representation from top businesses on board. So it’s time to meet the judges:

Charlene Lyons, CEO of Black Sheep Brewery

Charlene Lyons, an experienced management consultant, became CEO of Black Sheep Brewery in early 2020 after a period as a consultant, helping the business evolve and grow its position as a famous Yorkshire brand.

Marcus Boardall, CEO of Reed Boardall

Marcus Boardall, a qualified Chartered Accountant, joined the family business, Reed Boardall in 2003 where he continues his father’s legacy of supporting and encouraging his colleagues in the pursuit of excellence.

Martin Rae, CEO of Cloud Nine

Martin Rae is the CEO and Founder of Cloud Nine – a Harrogate-based international haircare brand founded by Martin, his brother and stepdad. Cloud Nine was founded in 2008 with a small team but it is now a global brand.

James Farrar, COO of York and North Yorkshire LEP

James works with the York and North Yorksire Local Enterprise Partnership partners and Board to mobilise the team into action. His experience includes leading responses to recession, grown his own professional services business allowing him to have an understanding of business needs and how to encourage economic growth.

Once the deadline for entries has passed, the judges will assess each entry in the same format and without any material that goes against the terms and conditions.

The judges score the entry according to the criteria of each category. The judges will then meet to discuss their scores and make a final decision during a single day of judging. The judging process is final and all decisions are final.

It’s free and easy to enter. We will profile the great work of all the finalists, so we would encourage you to put forward your business today.

You can see a full list of award categories on our Awards page. Entries close January 16.

This year’s Stray Ferret Christmas Appeal is for Resurrected Bites in Harrogate and Knaresborough. Today, Vicky speaks to a local family who suddenly found themselves without enough money to buy basic supplies. 

Please give generously to support local people who are struggling this Christmas. They need your help. 

“People were really shocked to find out we were struggling. We had struggled very quietly.”  

Ickle Mills and her partner Paul Hobrough were managing well until 2021. 

He worked as a refrigeration engineer, while she had two jobs: one at Hotel Chocolat and the other at the Odeon. 

Suddenly, a change in circumstances meant they were struggling to afford even the basics. 

“It surprised a lot of people we went to Resurrected Bites. On the outside, to look at, Paul has got a fairly good job. 

“I had gone on maternity leave at work and I hadn’t realised having two jobs can be problematic. 

“All of a sudden, we were hundreds of pounds down a month on what I would have earned.  

“We were at the point of incurring a lot of debt. Thanks to Resurrected Bites, we didn’t. It was the only thing that kept us from having to fall into quite bad debt.” 

With a young son to look after, the couple were struggling to afford to feed themselves. 

Paul and Ickle became customers of the community interest company’s New Park Community Grocery in Harrogate. They paid £3 a week for a shop of around 20 items, including fresh fruit and vegetables, tinned food, and toiletries including nappies. 

The counters at the community groceries show how many of each kind of item can be bought in each shop

Ickle said: 

“We could do our food shop there and get stuff for the baby.  

“I had real problems breastfeeding and had to buy powdered milk. One of my items [from the grocery] was a £12 tub of baby milk.  

“If we hadn’t been able to use them, we would have gone really short. We went short as it was, but it meant we could get stuff for ourselves.” 

Not only did it help the family out financially, it also became a community for Ickle while she was on maternity leave. 

The warm welcome from grocery manager Sophia and volunteers helped her out on days when she was struggling. 

She has also got to know many of her neighbours better through going to the grocery, and has been able to bring food she may not have got while shopping on a budget elsewhere. 

As a result, son Kenobi has been able to try all kinds of new tastes, and Ickle knows she is also helping to reduce the “ridiculous” amount of perfectly good food going into landfill. 

Read more:

• Stray Ferret Christmas Appeal: ‘My life collapsed like a wicket’
• Stray Ferret Christmas Appeal: Making hearty meals from food waste

Now, Ickle is giving up her own time to help run the grocery, covering shifts when others are unavailable.  

She is back at work and the family still receives Universal Credit, which also allows them to get help with the costs of childcare, enabling her to continue in the jobs she loves. 

Her experiences have made her a passionate advocate of spreading the word about organisations like Resurrected Bites and being honest about how many people are relying on them. 

She said: 

“It’s the state of things now, and how much all the bills are going up is a massive worry to everybody.

“A lot of people are far too proud to say, especially in this town.

“I know my situation isn’t nearly as desperate as some others. I think the more people that talk about using places like these, the less people will be reluctant to use them.”

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. 

This article is sponsored by Harrogate Family Law.

Coercive control is a form of domestic abuse in which a person attempts to exert an unreasonable, oppressive amount of control over their partner’s life.

Harrogate Family Law are specialists in this area and they are helping a growing number to resolve the difficult situation.

Abuse does not have to be physical or sexual to be an offence. Coercive control can include emotional and psychological abuse and can be very subtle, so is harder to identify.

By its very nature, coercive control can instil confusion and self-doubt in the victim, but Harrogate Family Law can help you be clear about what is taking place and prepare a safe route out of the situation for you and your family.

Andrew Meehan, director of Harrogate Family Law, said:

“We are getting clients from all over the country who are married to a controlling, narcissistic spouse. They have often been controlled financially and emotionally and have been kept in the dark about money. They often don’t have a clear picture of how much things cost and how they can afford to pay for things.

“We can offer advice and help them to move forward with a secure financial future.”

What are the signs of coercive control?

There are clear indications that the relationship you are in has spiralled towards coercive control, even if you have received no physical harm and the relationship is not necessarily “toxic”.

Coercive control happens when:

• You are isolated from your support system, i.e. family and friends
• Your activity is being monitored all day everyday – known as invasive surveillance
• Your freedom and autonomy is being denied – such as access to money or health and body freedom
• You are subjected to name-calling, shaming or criticism
• Your children are being turned against you, known as parental alienation
• You are subjected to jealous accusations

Mr Meehan has offered his three top tips on what to do if you think you are a victim of coercive control.

You are not alone

“There are a lot of people in the same situation. They are often conditioned to think there is no way out for them and they are effectively trapped.

“But their situation is something we see a lot of and something we can sort out for them. The situation is not hopeless.”

Get legal advice early 

“We have a niche in dealing with people who have been controlled by spouses or those who are married to a narcissist. We have got clients from all over the country and overseas looking for our expertise.

“Speak to a solicitor who understands how to deal with these kinds of people.”

Everyone’s situation is different

“Try to come to your first meeting as prepared as possible so that the advice we give can be as tailored to your circumstances as much as possible.

“This is difficult if your finances are being controlled. However, have a think about what you do know and we can take things from there. We can then be prepared to deal with what is most important to you.”

For a confidential chat with one of Harrogate Family Law’s expert solicitors regarding coercive control, call 01423 594 680 or email enquiries@harrogatefamilylaw.co.uk

North Yorkshire County Council has agreed to create a county-wide local plan that will plot where housing and development can take place over the next 30 years.

Conservative councillors on the authority’s executive met today to approve the creation of the document, which must be finalised within five years of the new North Yorkshire Council forming on April 1.

It will replace the seven local plans that are currently used by the soon-to-be abolished district councils.

This also means the reviews that are under way on the plans for Harrogate Borough Council and Craven District Council will be halted. However, both documents will still guide planning decisions until the new local plan is created.

Harrogate Borough Council’s local plan says around 13,000 homes can be built across the district between 2014 and 2034.

Conservative Mid-Craven councillor Simon Myers, executive member for planning for growth, told the meeting that the local plan will be “hugely important to the economic vitality of the county”.

He said:

“It’s hugely important for the provision of housing and for many strategic matters. It is imperative we have an ambitious local plan for North Yorkshire and that planning committees abide by it.”

Cllr Myers confirmed that the new council will create six new planning committees to oversee decisions across parliamentary constituency areas, such as Harrogate and Knaresborough, and Skipton and Ripon.

Linda Marfitt, acting head of place-shaping and economic growth at the council, said the creation of a new local plan is a “great opportunity to deliver some of the ambitions the new council will have”.

She said:

“A plan-led approach will ensure the new council is in the best possible place to guide quality development and infrastructure.”

Maltkiln

While a review into Harrogate council’s local plan will now not take place, work on the Maltkiln development plan document will continue.

Maltkiln is the name of a new settlement proposed by the Oakgate Group around Cattal railway station.

It is set to have between 3,000 and 4,000 homes, as well as two primary schools, shops and a GP surgery.

Read more:

• New housing plan to be created for Harrogate district
• New Harrogate district housing plan should not be ‘tickbox exercise’, says councillor
• ‘Real solutions’ needed to west of Harrogate congestion, say residents

The development plan is in the latter stages of development, after being worked on for the last two years. It sets out a 30-year vision and policy framework on how Maltkiln is designed and developed.

However, Arnold Warneken, Green Party councillor for Ouseburn division, described the process of forming it as “rushed” and said residents have unanswered questions over the boundary of the settlement as well as the position of a new relief road.

He said:

“The whole process, from my perspective and the eight parish councils it will affect, has been rushed. I’m really, really keen that if this settlement goes ahead it becomes the exemplar it’s meant to be. 

“I don’t want it to be rushed, I want it to be right. I want to exercise caution before the inspector gets his hands on it”.

In response, Cllr Michael Harrison, Conservative councillor for Killinghall, Hampsthwaite & Saltergate as well as executive member for health and adult said: 

“We want the Maltkiln DPD to be right and planning in Harrogate could never be described as rushed.”

He added: 

“If we pause progression of DPD it ceases to be a plan-led approach in the local area. 

“The worst thing we could do is to stop the Maltkiln DPD because we’d still have to determine those planning applications.”

The Met Office has issued a weather warning for North Yorkshire amid freezing temperatures this week.

Lasting until Thursday lunchtime, the warning is for snow and ice which could lead to travel disruption.

In its warning, the Met Office said:

“Snow showers and icy surfaces will bring some travel disruption, [including] some roads and railways likely to be affected with longer journey times by road, bus and train services, some injuries from slips and falls on icy surfaces, [and] probably some icy patches on some untreated roads, pavements and cycle paths.”

The forecast for this week suggests temperatures are unlikely to rise more than one or two degrees above freezing during the day, with night-time temperatures dropping as much as five degrees below zero on Thursday night.

After the home match against Northampton Town last weekend was called off thanks to a frozen pitch, Harrogate Town is warning that its away game at Doncaster Rovers on Saturday could also fall foul of the weather. Supporters are asked to check for updates before travelling – and are being warned not to travel by train because of planned industrial action.

Read more:

• Christmas market cruise heading to Ripon
• Ferris wheel goes up as Harrogate Christmas countdown begins

In the second half of the weekend, the forecast begins to change.

There is the possibility of some snow early on Sunday morning, before temperatures are expected to rise throughout the day and reach 10C overnight on Sunday.

At present, the forecast in the week up to Christmas suggests the weather will be warmer and wetter. Temperatures could rise to around 6C during the day and drop to 3C at night.

The likelihood of a white Christmas in the Harrogate district remains uncertain at this stage, though in the wake of the recent cold weather, bookies have slashed the odds of a white Christmas being reported somewhere in the UK.

Students in the Harrogate district are being invited to apply for grants to fund study equipment and travel.

The grants have been made available by Haywra Crescent Educational Trust, which has around £1,000 to share, and are available to those taking post-16 education courses.

The money is available through the proceeds of the sale of a former education property in Haywra Crescent, Harrogate.

As part of the scheme, eligible students can apply for a small sum to go towards books, equipment or fund travel that relates to study.

Read more:

• Hot Seat: ‘We are a proud school, independent-minded’
• Ripon Grammar named top northern secondary school again

The fund, which is administered by North Yorkshire County Council, is available to those who are who are studying at schools, colleges and universities outside the Harrogate borough.

Further information and application forms are available by emailing post16@northyorks.gov.uk

The closing date for applications is January 31, 2023.

A proposed devolution deal, which would include creating an elected mayor and a mayoral combined authority for North Yorkshire and York, looks set to receive sufficient public support to proceed.

James Farrar, chief officer of the North Yorkshire and York Local Enterprise Partnership, told a meeting of council leaders that the majority of respondents had backed the proposed deal. He was speaking with just seven days remaining of an eight-week consultation.

Mr Farrar’s comments to a meeting of North Yorkshire and York’s council leaders followed some anxiety and uncertainty being expressed privately by those behind the proposed deal, particularly after apparent strong public opposition to creating a mayoral combined authority in Cornwall threw the devolution process there into uncertainty.

In recent months, North Yorkshire and York councils have put effort into promoting the benefits of the deal.

Although some high-profile opposition councillors have branded the proposals undemocratic and unrepresentative, there has not been a concerted campaign opposing the deal.

Mr Farrar said the support rate for the devolution deal, which was unveiled on Yorkshire Day in August and includes a £540 million investment fund to be spent over 30 years, had varied little throughout the exercise.

He added: 

“It gives us a good indication of where we will be with a week to go.”

Read more:

• Harrogate council chief executive set for £101,000 redundancy pay-out
• Questions raised as Harrogate Royal Baths loses £2.5m in value
• North Yorkshire leaders set up devolution decision making body

Although North Yorkshire and York’s combined population totals significantly above 800,000 residents, Mr Farrar described the 1,750 replies to the consultation so far as “a really good response rate” compared to similar devolution surveys in other areas.

He said the responses had come from all parts of the county and York.

Mr Farrar told the meeting the strongest support for the devolution deal was for the mayoral combined authority to directly engage with government over creating the country’s first net-zero region, initiatives to tackle climate change and the promotion of landscape restoration schemes.

Bus franchising powers

He said there was also strong support for devolving transport powers, such as giving an elected mayor functions such as powers to introduce bus franchising and the combined authority powers to set up and coordinate a key route network.

Mr Farrar said: 

“Not surprisingly, the area which is of most concern is financial powers.”

The consultation highlights that the mayor would have the power to set a precept on council tax to fund mayoral functions as well as the power to introduce a supplement on business rates for expenditure on projects that will promote economic development.

Mr Farrar said the National Institute for Consultation would independently analyse responses to the consultation, which would be presented to both councils in February for them to decided whether to proceed with the devolution deal.

You can have your say on the proposed devolution deal for North Yorkshire and York here.

Pictured: Cllr Carl Les, leader of North Yorkshire County Council, Greg Clark MP and Cllr Keith Aspden, leader of City of York Council sign the devolution document in August.

A debate is brewing over who should decide on plans for new housing in the Harrogate district.

Currently, Harrogate Borough Council makes decisions on proposals for new homes and major developments.

But this will be taken out of the council’s hands in April 2023 when North Yorkshire Council takes over.

Some politicians argue that planning powers should be given to local areas.

But, for council bosses, it appears the matter is not so straight forward.

Local areas should make planning decisions

Ahead of the new council being formed, North Yorkshire County Council set up a working group to look at how planning matters should be decided.

The authority is set to approve measures to create its own Local Plan – but has yet to decide how planning decisions should be made.

For most councillors, they believe the area constituency committees should be in charge of such decisions affecting their own areas.

The committees are made up of county councillors from a local area, such as Harrogate and Knaresborough, and discuss matters relevant to that place.

New housing under construction at King Edwin Park in Harrogate.

Cllr Pat Marsh, the Liberal Democrat chair of Harrogate and Knaresborough area committee, pointed out that not handing powers to such committees would “erode accountability”.

She said:

“The devolution of decision making powers on planning is the right thing to do. How is a Councillor in Scarborough supposed to understand the impacts or issues of a particular development in Harrogate?

“In the new North Yorkshire Council structure Area Committees will be key, they should be given powers to direct local services and they should have budgets to make that happen. 

“Having one huge planning authority for the entire of North Yorkshire would be impractical, costly and would erode local accountability.”

The issue is particularly pertinent when it comes to major developments.

In Harrogate, decisions are still expected on a bottling plant at Harrogate Spring Water and a 3,000 home town between Knaresborough and Cattall called Maltkiln.

Major developments

Councillors believe that such decisions should be made at a local level.

However, in a county council report, officials suggested that a threshold should be set for applications to be made a county-wide committee.

Read more:

• New housing plan to be created for Harrogate district
• 793 Harrogate district second-home owners face double council tax charge
• New Harrogate district housing plan should not be ‘tickbox exercise’, says councillor

One of the suggestions was that decisions on applications for 500 houses or more would be taken by North Yorkshire Council.

Cllr Arnold Warneken, a Green Party county councillor who represents Ouseburn, said he had concerns over such a threshold.

He said that area committees should have input on major applications, whether they are made at a county level or not.

Cllr Warneken said:

“We got to have a situation where they [local committees] get some input.

“If they are always a consultee then they will have their say.

“I do not want to leave this down to chance, I want it written into the council’s strategy.”

‘Two models being considered’

Conservative Cllr Simon Myers,, North Yorkshire County Council’s executive member for growth and housing, said two models are being considered for planning across the county.

He said the aim for the new authority was a “co-ordinated planning policy overseen by one over-arching authority”.

He said:

“This will help attract new enterprise and also bring in much-needed new homes to address the affordable housing issues which are seen across North Yorkshire, but especially in our rural and coastal communities. 

“We envisage several committees will make key planning decisions when the new council launches from April 1 next year. 

“There are currently two models which are being considered for the new North Yorkshire Council to ensure that planning policies are co-ordinated in the best possible manner and are addressing the needs of local communities. 

“The first option would see six planning committees introduced based on constituency areas, while the other proposal would see the six committees condensed into three. Both options with see a strategic committee dealing with major planning applications as well as decisions concerning waste and minerals. 

“A great deal of work has gone into making sure that planning decisions are made effectively with the advent of the new council, and I have chaired a group of members who have been looking at the issue. I would like to put on record that I am extremely grateful for all the work that has been undertaken by both members and officers.”

The county council’s executive will consider the options and make a decision when members meet on Tuesday next week (December 13). 

That decision will then go to a full council meeting in February when it will be discussed and ratified ahead of the launch of the new council.

Police in North Yorkshire have arrested 18 people in the first eight days of this year’s annual Christmas drink and drug-drive campaign.  

Ten of the 18 arrests made were for drink-driving and eight were for drug-driving. Fifteen of the arrests were of men and the other three were of women.  

Five arrests each were made the Harrogate district and York, three each in Richmond and Hambleton, and one each in Scarborough borough and Ryedale.  

The message from the York and North Yorkshire Road Safety partnership this year is “save a life and call it in.” Members of the public are being urged to call out anyone who is behind the wheel when under the influence of drink or drugs, by dialling 999.  

The force launched its annual Christmas drink-drug drive campaign on December 1 with the help of Mark Charnock, who plays Marlon Dingle in ITV’s Emmerdale. The actor participated in a mock road traffic collision to highlight the dangers of drink and drug driving to members of the public.  

The highest reading recorded over the eight days by North Yorkshire Police was over four times the legal limit. The driver, a 43-year-old woman from Richmondshire was arrested and taken into custody where she was breathalysed again and recorded a reading of 141 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35 micrograms. The woman is due to appear in court on December 19..  

Superintendent Emma Aldred, head of specialist 0perations at North Yorkshire Police, said:

“These figures send out a clear message that we’re out across North Yorkshire trying to intercept people who choose to drive when under the influence of drink or drugs.  

“As we head into what is anticipated to be a busy weekend with the World Cup and many Christmas parties taking place, I would urge people to plan their night and think about how they are getting home.  

“If you’re out and become aware of someone who is about to drive and is under the influence of drink or drugs then call it in on 999. One call could be all it takes to save a life.“  

Read more:

• ‘We will prosecute if we have to’;: On the road with Harrogate’s traffic police
• North Yorkshire Police needs £12m to meet rising costs, says commissioner

Police are actively patrolling in marked and unmarked vehicles across the county, as well as conducting static checks on the side of the road. Officers are keen to remind the public that the hazards are not limited to driving straight after drinking alcohol or taking drugs, as substances can remain at dangerous levels in the bloodstream well into the morning after.

Prevention is also a key part of the campaign. Road safety officers are working with colleagues at North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service to deliver ‘Survive the drive’ events. These hard-hitting talks aim to educate people about the risks and dangers that that are associated with drink and drug driving.  

North Yorkshire Police urge people with information about drink drivers to share it by dialling 101 and selecting option 1, or by dialling 999 if the crime is in the process of being committed.