Harrogate district police inspector reveals local crime hotspots

A Harrogate district police inspector has revealed the district’s crime hotspots — and what police are doing to tackle them.

Inspector Ed Rogerson addressed members of Harrogate Borough Council’s overview and scrutiny committee last night.

Insp. Rogerson, who works for North Yorkshire Police’s Harrogate outer area, identified five areas as causes for concern.

1 Around McDonald’s in Harrogate

Insp. Rogerson said the area around McDonald’s and Oxford Street in Harrogate had “always been an issue” and attracted “lots of anti-social behaviour reports”. He attributed this to it being a meeting point for young people plus the fact the restaurant is open 24 hours and includes free WiFi. He said police were working with businesses to take a ‘more active role’ to address problems.

2 Strawberry Dale, Mayfield Grove and Nydd Vale Terrace in Harrogate

Insp. Rogerson said “some particular residential streets” had issues, and named Strawberry Dale, Mayfield Grove and Nydd Vale Terrace. But he said these streets had “seen a considerable reduction” after the main problematic property in that area was subject to a closure order obtained by the multi-agency community safety hub, which works collectively to address crime. He said police continued to liaise with the landlord and would continue to hold ‘community surgeries’ at which local people could talk to officers and “pass on concerns”. Insp. Rogerson also said there had been an increase in tackling traffic offences on Strawberry Dale and the nearby Asda as part of the police’s Operation Chrome operation.

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3 Bower Street in Harrogate

Insp. Rogerson said Bower Street was the only location reported more than once as making people feel unsafe. Police experts on long-term crime solving were considering what to do. He added:

“It’s still an open case with the community safety hub who are seeking funding for environmental improvements in the area to reduce reports of anti-social behaviour.”

4 Boroughbridge

Insp. Rogerson said “a small group of young people in Boroughbridge are causing anti-social behaviour and crime problems at the moment”. He said police were working with social care and schools and there were likely to be “some charges coming in the future” which would enable the perpetrators to get support from youth offending teams. He added:

“We don’t want it to escalate. We want to help the children so it protects them and the community as well.”

Councillor Robert Windass, a Conservative who represents Boroughbridge, told the meeting he had received “numerous reports” of drug taking in the Back Lane car park and urged police to “up patrols and get rid of drug dealers”. Insp. Rogerson said two new police community support officers were joining his team and he would ensure everyone was aware of the problem.

5 Knaresborough housing sites

Insp. Rogerson said there had been a spate of burglaries from new build housing developments in Knaresborough and surrounding areas. Boilers and new white goods were particularly targeted, he said.

“There’s a lot of new build sites in and around Knaresborough and these locations are vulnerable. It’s hard to keep an eye on everything even with 24-hour security.”

He said the force was “updating its problem solving plan and will be working with housing developers to reduce” such incidents.

Insp Ed Rogerson and Lisa Winward

Inspector Ed Rogerson and chief constable Lisa Winward at last night’s meeting.

‘Still one of the safest places’

North Yorkshire chief constable Lisa Winward, who also attended the meeting, said overall crime levels were “fairly consistent” in the Harrogate district but reports of anti-social behaviour were down by 43% and the number of fatal road traffic collisions had fallen by 50%.

The chief constable said North Yorkshire remained “one of the safest places in the country” and some 200 extra officers were being recruited as part of the UK government’s bid to get 20,000 more police.

She added 101 and 999 response rates were “still not where we want to be” but added she had recently signed an agreement with the North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for an additional budget of £1.9m to increase staffing in the force control room.

North Yorkshire Council plans council tax hike

North Yorkshire residents look set to have to find more than £100 extra from April to pay an average council tax bill, despite their newly-launched local authority embarking on a rigorous cost-cutting programme.

North Yorkshire County Council’s executive will next Tuesday consider charging average band D households £83.64 more just for services that have traditionally been provided by the district, borough and county councils.

Residents are also facing having to pay significantly higher council tax bills due to expected rises in precepts from North Yorkshire Police, North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service and parish councils, some of which are considering levying large-scale increases to cover their costs.

As the proposed police and fire precepts will not be announced until later this month it remains unclear what total council tax rise residents will face, but under the proposal for the unitary North Yorkshire Council element of council tax bills, band D residents would have to pay £1,759.96.

Residents of areas such as Hambleton will face yet steeper increases, paying about £45 extra on what they paid last year to bring their bills into line with those charged elsewhere in the county.

A report to the executive states even with a 4.99% increase in its charge, the new council will need to use £30m of reserves to balance its budget in 2023/24 alone alongside a cost-cutting programme to save up to £68m annually.

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Cllr Gareth Dadd, the authority’s finance executive member, said he was acutely aware of financial pressures households are facing and that those in the greatest financial need would be given up to 100 per cent reductions on council tax bills.

The authority’s leader, Cllr Carl Les, 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.”

‘Forced on local councils’

Opposition groups on the authority said although the 4.99% increase would be very difficult for many households to cover, with inflation at 11% it meant a six per cent real terms reduction to pay for council services.

Cllr Andy Brown, Green Party leader, said: 

“This is being forced on local councils by national government decisions and it leaves North Yorkshire Council massively short of what it needs to provide a reasonable level of service.”

Cllr Stuart Parsons, leader of the Independents group, said as the government had failed to carry out its promised reforms of social care charging councils were being forced to put the charge onto council tax bills.

He said:

“It shows yet again the Conservatives are a high tax party. 

“Since 2010 onwards with austerity the government has savaged local authorities and then expected them to massively increase local taxation to cover their inadequacies.”

New taxi fares for North Yorkshire revealed

All hackney carriage vehicles in North Yorkshire look set to be allowed to charge a maximum of £7.40 for a standard two-mile journey.

Currently Harrogate Borough Council and the other six district councils in the county set their own fares for hackney carriages.

But the new North Yorkshire Council, which will become the sole licensing authority on April 1, will align the maximum fares when senior councillors meet next week. A report to the councillors is here.

The proposed new county-wide fare structure is based on what customers currently pay in both Harrogate and Selby districts.

Out of 350 local authorities Harrogate and Selby currently stand at number 76 in the national hackney carriage fare table — meaning the taxis will be more expensive than in almost 80% of other places.

Under the proposed tariff, a two-mile journey within North Yorkshire would cost a maximum of £7.40 between 6am and midnight. The price will go up after midnight and at Christmas and new year.

A maximum soiling charge of £100 – should a vehicle need to be cleaned – has also been set to align with the current charges in Richmondshire, Craven and Ryedale. The rate in the Harrogate district is currently £80.

Cllr Derek Bastiman

Cllr Derek Bastiman

North Yorkshire County Council’s executive member for open to business, Cllr Derek Bastiman, said:

“We need to ensure all businesses, residents and visitors across North Yorkshire are subject to the same maximum fare, regardless of where they live, work or visit.

“The setting of taxi fares is a statutory duty for the licensing authority and our aim is to strike a balance between setting a fare that is acceptable to the customer and to the taxi driver, and not create confusion by varied fares in the licensed area.

“The proposed fares are the maximum hackney carriage drivers can charge. They can, of course, charge a lower fare, should they wish to do so.”

If approved by North Yorkshire County Council’s executive on Tuesday next week, the proposed fares will be subject to a statutory 14-day consultation period.

Once a tariff of fares has been set, a driver cannot charge more to passengers than the charge shown on the meter apart from in certain exceptional circumstance, such as where a journey ends outside of the council area and a fee has been agreed in advance.

Private hire vehicles set their own fares and cannot be regulated by the licensing authority, so customers should agree the fare before the journey commences.

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Met Police serial rapist case ‘abhorrent’, says North Yorkshire chief constable

North Yorkshire Police’s chief constable has described the case of a Metropolitan Police officer who raped 12 woman across two decades as “absolutely abhorrent”.

David Carrick, 48, admitted dozens of rape and sexual offences against his victims while serving in the force.

He was sacked today following a misconduct hearing.

Speaking at a Harrogate Borough Council overview and scrutiny meeting last night, Lisa Winward, chief constable of North Yorkshire Police, said Carrick was not “one of us”.

She said:

“The story that has been in the media today in relation to the Metropolitan Police officer is absolutely abhorrent. 

“It is not something that we would associated with someone who is employed to keep people safe and enforce the law.”

Ms Winward added:

“These sort of cases are a shock to people who work in policing and care about policing and we don’t deem those individuals who involve themselves in that sort of behaviour to be one of us.”

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This morning, Met commissioner Sir Mark Rowley apologised and told the BBC that opportunities were missed to remove Carrick from his position.

The news comes as it was revealed at a police, fire and crime panel last week that more than half of recorded violent crimes in North Yorkshire and York are against women and girls.

Simon Dennis, chief executive of the North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner’s office, said in York in 2021/22 there had been 5,615 violent crimes, of which 52% were linked to a female victim and 34% were marked as domestic abuse.

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

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

Ms Winward told a meeting the under-reporting of such offences meant the known incidents were “just the tip of the iceberg”.

North Yorkshire councillors set for 50% pay rise from April

Councillors on the new North Yorkshire Council will have a 50% pay rise in April if proposals are approved next week.

The suggested increase has been put forward to “reflect their significantly increased workload” as the new unitary authority takes over from North Yorkshire County Council.

Councillors sitting on NYCC currently receive £10,316 per year as a basic allowance. If proposals are approved, this would increase to £15,500 for the next financial year.

Allowances for special responsibilities – those with portfolios for transport, health and other areas – would also increase by at least 4% under the plans.

The chair of the Independent Remuneration Panel (IRP), 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.”

The proposed new allowances will be considered by NYCC’s executive next Tuesday, before being put to the full council for a final decision in February.

While Mr Thompson said he accepted that “in absolute terms this may be seen as a large increase”, the number of councillors was reducing from 319 to 90, so there would be savings to the taxpayer.

The cost of basic and special responsibility allowances at present is £2,553,319. Under the proposals it would fall to £1,845,686 – a saving of just over £700,000.

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Some NYCC councillors also sit on Harrogate Borough Council, meaning they can claim allowances from both authorities. From April, when the new unitary authority takes over, they will only sit on one council and be able to claim once.

Mr Thompson said the IRP had faced a difficult task in coming to its recommendation.

He added:

“Setting a fair and proportionate basic allowance and special responsibility allowance that reflects the workload of councillors in the new authority has been a complex task.

“The allowances paid in similar local authorities have been reviewed, inflation and cost of living pressures taken into account, information from councillors about their current and future workload considered, along with details of how the new council will work and the services that it will commission and provide.

“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 leader of North Yorkshire County Council, Cllr Carl Les, said:

“I thank the panel for its work and for looking at this issue with independent eyes. It is important that the level at which allowances are set is not a barrier that would prevent anyone from standing for a council position, regardless of such things as age, personal circumstances and whether they are in work.

“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.”

Unison raises dispute with Harrogate council after five staff told they won’t transfer to new council

A trade union has opened a dispute with Harrogate Borough Council after five staff at the local authority were told they will not transfer to the new North Yorkshire Council after all.

Harrogate Borough Council will be abolished on April 1 and it was thought all staff except chief executive Wallace Sampson would transfer to the successor authority under TUPE terms.

But Unison said it was “dismayed” to discover five audit services staff had recently discovered they would transfer to Veritau, a shared service group owned by local authorities in Yorkshire and north-east England.

Unison Harrogate branch secretary Dave Houlgate said the staff would switch to Veritau on “detrimental” terms to those who will transfer to North Yorkshire Council.

Mr Houlgate said:

“Staff and Unison have engaged with the TUPE process for well over a year now and our expectation and the expectation of all staff is that they will transfer to the new North Yorkshire Council on April 1 on their existing terms and conditions but with the opportunity to move on to new terms and conditions at the new council, which Unison has negotiated.

“It would seem, however, that the current county council has decided at this very late stage it does not want Harrogate Borough Council staff who work in the area associated with audit services to transfer to the new council but instead has decided that they should transfer to a separate company, Veritau.  Unison opposes this move.”

Our #Harrogate branch has lodged a formal dispute with Harrogate Borough Council after it emerges not all staff will be offered the opportunity to transfer to the new #NorthYorkshire council when the councils come together on 1 April#LocalGov @unisonyh https://t.co/gQt7z5SHxJ

— North Yorkshire UNISON (@NYUnison) January 16, 2023

 

Mr Houlgate said the option of staff not being offered the chance to TUPE to North Yorkshire Council “has never been on the agenda, even though we had raised it as a concern early in the process” and the union was “dismayed by this development”.

He said although North Yorkshire County Council and Veritau wanted staff to transfer directly to Veritau, it was ultimately Harrogate Borough Council’s decision.

“We object in the strongest terms to this late change of plan which shows total disregard for the staff involved, denies them the opportunity to move on to new terms and conditions negotiated and agreed by Unison and ignores established procedures and protocols that are in place.

“Staff in audit services at Harrogate should, as they expect to do, transfer to the new authority and then if there is a need to review how audit services are delivered for the new council then the proper processes should be followed after the transfer.

“Our expectation was that Harrogate Borough Council would stand by its staff and should resist this late change rather than give it the ‘green light’. Our dispute is intended to ensure this happens.”

The Stray Ferret has approached Harrogate Borough Council for comment.

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Harrogate Borough Council prevented from any major new spending schemes

North Yorkshire’s seven district and borough councils have been told any new major spending schemes they approve will not be ratified before they are abolished.

North Yorkshire County Council has written to the second tier councils, including Harrogate Borough Council, stating there is insufficient time before the new unitary North Yorkshire Council is launched on April 1 for it to consider the raft of large-scale schemes being submitted.

The decision is likely to come as a blow to many of the district authorities, which had been told they would continue to have a significant jurisdiction until Vesting Day, operating and making significant decisions for their residents, businesses and visitors.

Under the structural change order for local government reorganisation in North Yorkshire, which was laid down by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities last May, the district and borough councils were given a legal requirement to request approval for some financial decisions.

It was underlined the district councils would be given “general consent” to approve smaller scale schemes, but the sanctions for not complying with the consent regime would be “severe”.

District and borough council schemes in recent months have seen elected members discussing a range of proposals to boost housing, leisure facilities, infrastructure and financial support for communities, many of which involve using their reserves ahead of the councils being scrapped.

For example, last week Richmondshire District Council approved a move to spend up to £240,000 on further repairs to Richmond swimming pool, a scheme which will need the county council’s consent.

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Numerous district councillors have spoken openly in meetings about their determination to spend their council’s coffers in the area in which they were raised, rather than allowing North Yorkshire Council to inherit and distribute them across the expansive county as it sees fit.

However, the county council’s leadership says the district council’s reserves could be needed to cover the costs of providing essential services for vulnerable people, such as social care.

The letter to the districts states the county council had expected giving general consent for smaller schemes would reduce the bureaucratic burden on it, but instead the district authorities had continued to submit a large and unmanageable number of spending requests for approval on a weekly basis.

It states: 

“We are now less than three months from Vesting Day for the new council, so the majority of schemes that were requested, and were not foreseen as part of the general consent, are likely to be capable of being delayed until post Vesting Day, when the new North Yorkshire Council can consider the matter.

“In addition, there is a duty on all councils to prepare for the new council and additional schemes at this stage are likely to seriously erode the capacity of councils and their staff to be able to provide the level of support desirable.”

The letter highlights how North Yorkshire Council is facing a large revenue deficit again next year and beyond, as well as unquantifiable risks on hundreds of millions of pounds of infrastructure plans.

It adds: 

“It is therefore important that resources are able to be directed to those principal area of responsibility including those commitments, deficits and projetcs bequeathed by all eight councils across North Yorkshire.”

‘Petty and wrong’

The letter says it has “been determined that no new section 24 requests will be considered, unless it is exceptionally urgent spend which endangers normal service delivery…”.

Nevertheless it adds: 

“This does not mean that those schemes are rejected, merely that they are subjected to full consideration by the new North Yorkshire Council from April 1 onwards. Those that have already been submitted will be considered in due course.”

Leader of the opposition on the county council, Cllr Bryn Griffiths, said the county council’s move was short-sighted.

He said: 

“Blocking the districts and boroughs using their own monies to fund schemes, which will support their own residents, is I feel just petty and wrong.

“It smacks of the Tories at County Hall not being democratic and trying to cream off the districts’ and boroughs’ money to shore up their own pet projects. They are using a sledgehammer to crack a nut.”

Cut-price deals for diners during Harrogate district’s first Restaurant Week

Several restaurants and bars will be offering cut-price deals next month as part of the Harrogate district’s first Restaurant Week.

The offers include three courses for £20 at Harrogate’s West Park Hotel and lunch and a drink for £10 at The Inn at Cheltenham Parade in Harrogate. Other venues taking part include Manahatta and Cosy Club in Harrogate and The Inn South Stainley, which is offering two cocktails for £10.

Restaurant Week, organised by tourism organisation Destination Harrogate, will take place from February 6 to 10.

Manahatta

Manahatta is among those taking part. Photo credit: Think Harrogate

Businesses that sign up will offer set-price menus to customers who quote the offer. It is hoped the initiative will enable them to attract new customers and get a publicity boost.

John McGivern, destination events manager for Destination Harrogate, which is part of Harrogate Borough Council, urged people to “book in and tuck in”, adding:

“Excellent food and drink is a firm offer within the Harrogate district’s visitor experience, and through focusing on our tourism strengths, we’re showcasing our best stories to attract more visitors and to set us apart from our competitors.

“The initiative also supports our commitment to sustainable tourism, encouraging visits during times of the year when, traditionally, visitor numbers have been lower. Spreading visitor footfall across the year lowers impact to the environment, and offers new opportunities to our local businesses, along with great deals for our visitors and residents alike.”

A list of restaurants taking part is available here.

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Business Breakfast: Final hours to submit entries for the Stray Ferret Business Awards

Today is the final day to submit entries for the prestigious Stray Ferret Business Awards, sponsored by Prosperis.

The award night on March 9 at the Pavilions of Harrogate promises to be a glittering event which will celebrate success and best practice across the business community in the Harrogate district. The guest speaker will be the Chief Executive of the new North Yorkshire Council, Richard Flinton.

A distinguished, independent, judging panel made up of key business leaders in the district will meet on Wednesday to make decisions on ten categories – ranging from Unsung Hero and Business Growth to Sustainability.  Competition in each category will be tough with entries submitted from large organisations to very small operations.

With the deadline for entries closing at midday it is not too late to submit for an award. All entries are free.

Now is your time to shine with the Stray Ferret Business Awards. Get your entry in now!

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Women’s Business Club is launching a ‘Coffee & Co-Working’ initiative in Harrogate to bring more working women together.

The three hour event at Manhatta will be monthly and free to attend.  Women can come along, work and chat – there are also more structured sessions based on the needs of those who attend.

Founder of the Women’s Business Club, Angela De Souza said:

“The pandemic and various lockdowns has had a greater negative effect on women in business.

“Many women run businesses from home and had to shift their focus on to home-schooling and caring for children. Many women also did not qualify for any kind of government funding or support and therefore their business plans were put on ice or were stopped in their tracks from March 2020.

“It will take years for some women to get back to where they were while some women have realised throughout the pandemic that they want a different career path.

We believe collaboration is the key to this and we want to bring these women together.”

Pre-booking is required.

 

Stray Views: Concern over Harrogate’s expansion and healthcare

Stray Views is a weekly column giving you the chance to have your say on issues affecting the Harrogate district. It is an opinion column and does not reflect the views of the Stray Ferret. Send your views to letters@thestrayferret.co.uk.

I refer to your recent article entitled ‘GPs ‘extremely concerned’ about new housing in Harrogate’. I have accessed the planning application mentioned and have read the letter from the NHS in detail.

The more I read the more concerned I have become over the existing and future healthcare provision in Harrogate.

If the NHS is advising that the primary care and community services are already in crisis when considering an application for just 49 dwellings then what of the future and the many large housing developments currently under construction in Harrogate and those remaining within the Local Plan.

Clearly, this is a major admission by the NHS that it cannot cope with the rate of expansion of new housing developments yet the planning authority is continuing to grant planning permission for more and more housing in Harrogate.

The NHS letter specifically states:

“Primary Care and Community Services within the area are already running at, or far beyond their existing capacity.”

Furthermore, it goes on to state:

“In conclusion it is difficult to envisage any rationale for Harrogate Borough Council to consider recommending this application without taking into consideration the impact of further residential development in Harrogate on the delivery of local Primary Care Services.”

The letter also refers to capital funding from developer contributions but these are normally made when planning permission is granted. It is highly unlikely that the building of new facilities will commence when the funding is available and it may be years before these facilities come into operation due to land acquisition and the planning process.

At the time of the public consultation for the Local Plan, numerous comments were made regarding the lack of health infrastructure to support this large increase in population not only for doctors but for the availability of NHS dentists and the lack of capacity at the general hospital.

The NHS has highlighted a very serious ongoing problem and the HBC must act now to put healthcare provision as a major priority ahead of any further large scale planning applications. It must ensure that adequate healthcare infrastructure is in step with the number of new dwellings being permitted. 

Roger Jestice, Harrogate

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Daughter’s concert one to remember

I am writing to thank you for reporting my daughter Jo’s concert at the Wesley Centre in the Stray Ferret.

Jo was delighted to see so many there. We still haven’t quite come down to earth. We were all totally overwhelmed by the support on a Monday lunchtime in January.

To have Jo’s 93 year old primary school teacher who taught her recorder, as well as Stephen Price, her first horn teacher, and Brian Hunt, the ex-head of music at Harrogate Grammar School there to hear her was quite emotional for us all.

Brian Hunt, the one who got her started on the French horn (she was originally a violinist) was someone we had lost touch with.

He retired 17 years ago and when I phoned the school they were unable to give me contact details. However another teacher saw the article in the Stray Ferret and told Brian about it.

I think both Jo and our elder daughter Sarah have only recently come to realise how loved they were by those they were fortunate to come into contact with while growing up, and who influenced their lives so much.

A day to remember forever.

Maureen Greenberg, Harrogate

Do you have an opinion on the Harrogate district? Email us at letters@thestrayferret.co.uk. Please include your name and approximate location details. Limit your letters to 350 words. We reserve the right to edit letters.