An £89,537 contract to draw up a strategy to grow the economy in North Yorkshire has been handed to a London company.
North Yorkshire County Council has commissioned Steer-ED to carry out the work on behalf of the upcoming North Yorkshire Council.
The new authority will come into force on April 1, 2023.
The Stray Ferret asked the county council whether it had considered local companies for the work and if the strategy could have been drawn up by its own staff.
Cllr Carl Les, leader of North Yorkshire County Council, said:
“The advent of the new North Yorkshire Council provides us with an opportunity to create a county-wide strategy to drive forward economic growth and support existing businesses while attracting new enterprise.
“Working with council officers, Steer-ED will produce a new county-wide economic growth strategy which will be guided by extensive consultations and engagement with a number of key organisations. This will help us maximise North Yorkshire’s economic potential and drive inward investment across the county.
“Steer-ED was appointed following a competitive procurement process, and the contract was awarded in accordance with the procurement framework requirements. The framework consists of 41 consultants from across the country, and all were invited to tender for the contract.
“Our economic development teams will work very closely with Steer-ED. The decision was taken to recruit consultants to provide an important external perspective as well as ensuring there is additional capacity so the work is completed soon after the launch of the new North Yorkshire Council on April 1 next year.”
The move is the latest contract to be awarded to a national firm as the county council transitions towards the new North Yorkshire Council.
In July, the Stray Ferret revealed that four consultancy companies were awarded £5 million for “reorganisation support for North Yorkshire Council”.
The contract was awarded to KPMG, Price Waterhouse Cooper, PA Consulting Ltd and Capita Business Service Ltd.
However, councillors on the authority criticised the move as a “waste of money” and questioned whether it could have been better spent elsewhere.
Guide to bonfire and fireworks displays in the Harrogate district
This story is sponsored by Belmont Grosvenor School which will be holding a Bonfire Night Party on Friday, November 4. There will be s’mores round the campfire, music, hot food, a licensed bar, stalls and more. Gates open at 6pm, the bonfire will be lit at 6.30pm and the firework display starts at 7.20pm.
Tickets can be purchased at the gate and cost £10 for adults (children under the age of 18 are free). Get them in advance by emailing kaye.walker@bewonder.co.uk.
Bonfire night is fast approaching so we have put together a list of events coming up in the Harrogate district.
They all take place over the weekend of November 4, 5 and 6.
Let us know if we have missed your event and we will add it to the list. Email contact@thestrayferret.co.uk or call us on 01423 276197.
Belmont Grosvenor School Bonfire Party
Where: Belmont Grosvenor School, Swarcliffe Hall, Birstwith, Harrogate, North Yorkshire, HG3 2JG
When: 6pm start, 6.30pm fire lit, 7.20pm firework display
Tickets: £10 with children under the age of 18 entering for free
Ripon Rowels Rotary Charity Bonfire and Firework Display
Where: Ripon Racecourse, Boroughbridge Road, Ripon, HG4 1UG
When: 5.30pm start, 7pm fire lit, 7.30pm firework display
Tickets: adults £6, children £3, family (2 adult, 2 child) £12, under 3s free
Spofforth Village Firework Display
Where: Spofforth Cricket Ground, School Lane, Spofforth, HG3 1BA
When: Gates open 5pm, 7pm-7.15pm firework display.
Tickets: Family pre-paid £12:50 and on the gate £15. Adult pre-paid £4 and on the gate £5. Child pre-paid £2:50 and on the gate £3.
Swinton Bivouac Silent Bonfire Night
Where: Swinton Bivouac, Masham, Ilton, Ripon, HG4 4JZ
When: 6.30pm bonfire lit. There will be no fireworks or loud bangs.
Tickets: free entry, food and drinks available from the Bivouac Café
Aspin Park Academy Fireworks Night, Knaresborough
Where: School grounds
When: 5.15pm start, 6.30pm firework display
Tickets: Advance online booking – adults £4, children £3, family ticket £12, preschoolers free. On the gate – adults £5, children £4
Harrogate Stray Bonfire and Fireworks, Harrogate Round Table
Where: Oatlands Stray, Harrogate, HG1 1BJ
When: 5pm start (there will be entertainment), bonfire lit 5.30pm, 7.15pm firework display
Tickets: free entry, donations welcome
Upper Nidderdale Scouts Group Pateley Bonfire
Where: Pateley Bridge Showground
When: 6pm start, 6.30pm torchlit procession and bonfire lit, 7pm fireworks
Tickets: free entry, donations welcome
Kirkby Malzeard community village bonfire
Where: North Close Farm, Ripon Road, Kirkby Malzeard
When: 6pm start, 6.30pm bonfire lit, 7pm fireworks
Tickets: Free entry but donations welcome to fund next year’s event. Parking is available at North Close Farm. No sparklers allowed. Bring a torch.
Yolk Farm Bonfire and Burger Night – dog-friendly
Where: Yolk Farm, Minskip Road, Minskip, York, YO51 9HY
When: 5.30pm start, 6.30pm bonfire lit, no fireworks
Tickets: free entry for the event, advanced bookings only for Burger Night in the restaurant – 5:30pm and 8pm sittings
Staveley Arms Bonfire
Where: The Staveley Arms, Greenfields, North Stainley, Ripon, HG4 3HT
When: 6pm
Tickets: £5 per person to include a choice of hot dog or cup of soup
A parent from Harrogate has raised concerns that the growing cost of living, including childcare fees, could see children put at risk.
The mum, who asked us not to use her name, said rising fees were putting pressure on household budgets as they also faced increased costs for mortgages, fuel and more.
As an NHS nurse, whose partner is in the police, she said she had little money left each month after bills were paid – and now she faces a further rise in nursery fees from January.
She said:
“Even we are struggling on fairly decent wages. I have considered taking my son out of nursery, but we don’t have much alternative – my mum has got health needs and I want to know his needs are being met.
“If I’m considering that on the wage that I’m on, what are other people considering?
“We aren’t paid any more – how are we supposed to afford all of these rises without going bankrupt?”
With a take-home monthly pay packet of £1,700 from her full-time role, the mum said she already pays more than £550 a month on childcare, and her mortgage has recently risen by £200 a month. She also pays for business insurance on her car to be able to do her job, and often buys equipment out of her own pocket because NHS budgets are so stretched.
She also said she worried that families facing growing costs might decide to remove their children from childcare, even after accessing funded hours on government schemes.
Not only could they potentially be left somewhere unsafe or unregistered, such as with an older sibling or family friend, but their contact with professionals would also be delayed and any early warning signs not spotted.
She added:
“From a safeguarding perspective, the reason those [funded] hours have been brought in is because the ages of nought to five are the most vulnerable time in a child’s life, where they are more likely to experience significant harm or death.
“If children are in nursery, parents get that break. If they don’t get that break, we’re putting pressure on people. But if they’re not in childcare, nothing is going to get pocked up until those children start school or end up needing medical care.”
Her son is at Nature’s Little Learners nursery in Starbeck, where he is entitled to 30 hours’ free childcare funded by the government. That provision is given to working parents of children aged three and over and only applies during term-time, so is used by many pro-rata across the full year.
However, the owner of the nursery said the money paid through North Yorkshire County Council for those funded places was significantly below the cost of offering them.
Sam Williams said parents would pay £62.50 for a full day’s nursery, from 8am to 6pm, from January. By contrast, the money paid to the nursery through the funded hours scheme was just £43.10 per day.
As a result, most nurseries charge a fee to cover extras, such as food and equipment. Nature’s Little Learners had been charging £8 per day for this, but from January will charge £19.40 to cover the difference in costs.
If it did not do so, she said, it would not be able to continue offering childcare.
Other nurseries around the UK have been forced to close their doors as a result of rising costs. Ofsted data for April 2021 to March 2022 showed there was a net decrease of 4,000 childcare providers.
Ms Williams said:
“All businesses have their own operating cost. This will be different for each unique setting. When deciding on the daily rate at Nature’s Little Learners for 2023, we have taken into consideration staffing cost, training, rent, rates, utilities, food costs, resource cost, travel, recruitment cost etc.
“We understand that families need to be able to afford childcare in order for them to go to work, and without working families we wouldn’t have a nursery.”
Ms Williams said the nursery had introduced flexible timings for families who did not need childcare from 8am or until 6pm, allowing them to pay less and use only the hours they needed.
As a result, the nursery’s staffing costs would be lower during those times. She said while staffing was the highest cost for any nursery, there were also growing pressures with rising costs which childcare providers were facing.
She added:
Business Breakfast: Kirkby Malzeard business group hosts free advice session“We have considered that this coming year is set to be challenging for families as well as businesses. We appreciate the financial pressures that families are currently facing, and to minimise the impact of another increase to families’ expenses, we have attempted to amend our sessions, and offer a more flexible approach instead of an increased fixed daily rate.
“We are thankful for all our families who have support the introduction of the new session times and prices and really appreciate everyone’s words of kindness.”
Business Breakfast is sponsored by Harrogate law firm Truth Legal.
A business group in Kirkby Malzeard will host a free pop-up advice session with some of North Yorkshire’s top business advisers on Monday.
David Kerfoot and David Poole feature in the line-up of consultants at the event, organised by Kirkby Malzeard, Laverton and Dallowgill Business/Community Group.
The advisers will be giving free advice on funding, networking, training and bespoke business strategy planning.
Mr Kerfoot, who comes from Northallerton and is a deputy lieutenant for North Yorkshire, is a successful businessman who founded a company in 1980 and built it into a £75m business, supplying oils to the food, cosmetics and aromatherapy industries.
Mr Poole, from Bishopdale, is a retired businessman who was formerly managing director and deputy chairman of Thalis plc, and is now a driving force in the Lower Wensleydale Business Network.
The KMLD Business/Community Group, which is part of the local parish council, aims to support rural businesses during challenging economic times and also a special interest in arts and crafts businesses due to the large number of artisans living and working in the area.
The pop-up session will be held from 10am to 11am on Monday, November 7 at St Andrew’s Church, Kirkby Malzeard.
Businesses from across the Harrogate district took part in a recruitment fair at Harrogate College this week.
Representatives from 10 businesses visited the college on Wednesday to meet with and interview local students.
Businesses from across the district met with and interviewed Harrogate College students.
Firms including Springfield Healthcare, West Park Care, Cairn Group, Disability Action Yorkshire, Vida Healthcare and Harrogate Healthcare Facilities Management Ltd (Harrogate Hospital) attended the event.
ATM Ltd, Arc Inspirations, Anchor Care Homes and Morrisons also took part.
Danny Wild, Harrogate College principal, said:
Harrogate swimming club seeks sponsor to keep head above water“We were delighted to have so many of our key local employers coming along to support this event, which attracted a lot of interest from our students.
“To have a couple of job offers being made on the day was fantastic, and I know that most of the participating businesses also took away contact details for a number of other students that they may well be back in touch with.
“This recruitment fair emerged following Harrogate College Employers’ Network feedback, and is part of our continuing push to ensure our training helps local businesses thrive.
“It was very encouraging to see the first one go so well and we look forward to holding more fairs, supported by our local business partners, as a regular part of the college’s calendar going forward.”
Harrogate District Swimming Club is appealing for help from businesses to help it sustain its recent stellar run of successes in the pool.
Swimmers at the club have won armfuls of medals, and even broken a world record at competitions over the last couple of weeks. But club officials are keen to find a corporate sponsor to help it recoup the loss of thousands of pounds over the last three years.
Normally, the club would hold three weekend-long swimming galas a year at Harrogate Hydro and bank the profits, but the covid pandemic and the closure of the Hydro for its £11.8m refurbishment has seen that source of income all but dry up.
Team manager and communications officer Brian Charlton said:
“We’ve only been able to hold one gala in the last three years. So we’ve lost eight out of the nine galas we would have held, and about £2,000 each time. That’s a huge amount to make up.
“We’ve approached several of Harrogate’s larger companies, but with no luck so far. Hopefully we’ll be able to hold a gala in 2023, but until then we’d really like to find a sponsor to help us out.”
The world record-breaking female 4x200m front crawl 200-239 yrs team: Julie Hoyle, Jo Beardsworth, Karen Graham and Fiona Cryan.
Swimmers from HDSC recently competed with 1,000 others from across the country at the annual Swim England Senior/Masters National Championships in Sheffield, coming away with 14 gold medals, five silvers and three bronze, as well as four European/British records and even a world record for the ladies 4x200m front crawl 200-239 years team.
Younger swimmers were also in action at the second short course County Championships, also known as the ‘Yorkshires’. Overall, they achieved 34 top-ten finishes, including eight gold medals, four silvers and one bronze.
Men arrested after suspected knifepoint robbery near Knaresborough
Two men have been arrested following a suspected knifepoint robbery near Knaresborough.
North Yorkshire Police were called at 1.40pm yesterday to reports that a couple had been robbed when they turned up at a house in Farnham to buy a vehicle that had been advertised for sale.
According to police, the pair were threatened by a group of suspects who stole their car and a large amount of cash inside it.
The suspects then fled in the vehicle and a van.
Police tracked down the stolen car to the A61 near Harewood after using automatic number plate recognition.
The suspects ran from the vehicle and a police firearms support unit, dog and police drone tracked them down to a wooded area.
A 22-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of robbery and possession of a Class B drug and an 18-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of robbery, possession of a Class B drug, driving with no insurance, driving whilst disqualified and possession of an offensive weapon.
The suspects currently remain in police custody and both vehicles were recovered.
Council forecasts North Yorkshire needs 3,161 EV charge points by 2030A public consultation into plans for electric vehicle charging points across North Yorkshire looks set to be launched.
Senior councillors on North Yorkshire County Council’s executive are expected to agree next week to start the consultation this month.
It will lead to the creation of an electric vehicle charging infrastructure strategy to expand the infrastructure.
Latest figures show there are almost 4,000 electric vehicles registered in North Yorkshire, and 225 publicly available charge points, and take-up of electric vehicles is rising rapidly each year.
County council officers forecast that 3,161 charge points will be needed by 2030, of which half will need to be funded by the public sector at an estimated cost of £10.3 million.
Cllr Greg White, the council’s executive member for climate change, said:
“The ownership of electric vehicles in North Yorkshire is increasing quickly. This is encouraging – to achieve the county’s ambitious carbon zero target, for smaller vehicles, we need to make the switch to electric as close as possible to 2030.
“But North Yorkshire faces particular challenges, partly due to its rural nature and partly the lack of off-street parking in some villages and urban residential areas.
“We need to understand these needs and the challenges they present and be ready to meet them. That’s why we want to seek the input and feedback of the public to help to shape our strategy for the coming years.”
The council has already secured more than £2 million from the government to finance the expansion of the county’s network of electric vehicle charging points.
In August, the authority revealed that the Harrogate district would get 10 chargers.
The chargers are part of the new Local EV Infrastructure (LEVI) pilot scheme where the council and industry work in partnership.
It was previously suggested that Markington, Pateley Bridge and Conyngham Hall in Knaresborough could receive new chargepoints. However, this has yet to be confirmed.
Santa’s Chief Elf Tinsel invites good boys and girls to be fellow elves in Harrogate Christmas show
Santa’s Chief Elf Tinsel is inviting good boys and girls from across the Harrogate district to become a fellow elf in this year’s Christmas show.
Tinsel, from Enchantica’s, is set to delight children and grown-ups alongside the big man himself at a very magical Elf Village at Harrogate’s Cedar Court Hotel.
And this year Tinsel, aka Suzanne Kaye-Vaughan, is inviting people to nominate local children to make guest elf appearances.
Ms Kaye-Vaughan was inspired to offer the VIP roles after her son Dante asked if he could wear an elf uniform and help her with last year’s show at The Crown Hotel.
She said:
“It was the highlight of my year having him enjoy sharing the magic too and seeing him shine bright performing alongside us.
“This year I would like to give that opportunity to some other local children too and we are accepting nominations to fill a handful of these guest elf appearance roles.
“The children will get to come and wear an elf costume and help with the elf songs.”
Ms Kaye-Vaughan, who is well-known in Harrogate for spreading the magic with her business Enchantica’s, said after chatting with some families, she realised there were concerns that children might recognise her as ‘Suzie’, rather than Tinsel.
She said:
“I know that a few do have a little fear that because they know me locally as ‘Suzie’ that their children will not believe that I actually work for Father Christmas.
“I just reassure them that it’s my real job and that I work regionally in the Harrogate area.
“When I explain that it’s on my CV and how lucky I feel to have the role as chief elf in Harrogate helping Father Christmas get ready for the big day and working on a big elf training project, they too realise that my elf role is the real deal.
“Not all elves live at the North Pole. Some, like me, are lucky to live in other beautiful places in the world like Harrogate – and we work remotely.
“We actually love it when we see families that we know visiting us year-after-year. That’s one of the main reasons we keep adding to the magic each year so that every visit is super special and filled with even more enchantment than the last.”
And it is “keeping the magic alive”, that Ms Kaye-Vaughan stresses is so important at Christmas time.
Explaining how she does this with her five-year-old son, she said:
“Dante has asked ‘mummy when you work are you going to the North Pole?’, and I tell him I just work remotely with the elves in the Harrogate area.
“I think we have a great responsibility as adults to keep activating the magic. By being a dreamweaver at home and adding to the magic, there is nothing greater than seeing the joy on a little one’s face. That is what we want to bottle.
“By having traditions it activates magic and reminds us of that joyful feeling. It doesn’t matter what age we are, we know Christmas is coming, we are going to have the quality time together and it sparks that joy we remember from our childhood and that magic then lasts for generations to come.”
Tinsel and Father Christmas.
Ms Kaye-Vaughan said research has proven that families who have traditions that are filled with joy, the next generation carry them on and build on them.
She said:
“When I think about what our tradition is, it really is that we make Christmas magic.
“When we’ve been doing the elf jobs this week, I save certain ones for when Dante is not in school because he absolutely loves them.
“We look at what is on the list and what Father Christmas has asked for and we are genuinely helping Father Christmas to make more magic to share with families.
“By doing this, it certainly does make a lot of magic for ourselves. It’s the gift of Christmas sharing magic with others and we talk about how special and important that is.”
If you would like to nominate a child to be an elf in this year’s Christmas show, send an email with your child’s name, age and reason why they should be Tinsel’s helper to events@enchanticas.co.uk before November 11.
To book tickets for the Harrogate Father Christmas Experience at the Cedar Court Hotel, click here
The experience is supported by Harrogate BID.
Boroughbridge estate agency Craven-Holmes shortlisted for top national award
This article is sponsored by Craven-Holmes.
Boroughbridge estate agents Craven-Holmes has been named a finalist in one of the most prestigious awards in the UK property industry.
The independent family-run business is one of 38 agencies shortlisted in the Small Estate Agency of the Year category at The Negotiator Awards 2022.
The winner will be announced at a black-tie ceremony at London’s Grosvenor Hotel on Friday, November 25.
Owner Tracey Wrigglesworth, who bought the agency in 2018, said it was a huge honour to be nominated.
She said:
“The Negotiator Awards are like the Oscars of the industry. Just to be shortlisted is massive.
“The criteria is incredibly tough. You have got to prove your worth.
“When I got the email to say I’d been shortlisted, I’m surprised you couldn’t hear me screaming in Harrogate!”
Tracey, who has more than 20 years experience in the local property market, runs the business with her daughter Mahalah Mulholland. Her friend Pauline Wardman also works at the agency and her son also gets involved when needed.
The sales, lettings and property agency works across the region in the Boroughbridge, Ripon, Thirsk, Harrogate, Knaresborough, Bedale and Wetherby areas.
Tracey and her team have all lived and worked in the area for many years and therefore have an in-depth knowledge of the local market.
Tracey said:
“We pride ourselves on our relationships and our customer service, as well as trust and integrity. We are really proud of what we do.
“We are an independent on Boroughbridge High Street and we are very much a supporter of the local community.
“I’m so proud of what we have achieved. The support that I’ve had has just been lovely with continued repeat business and recommendations.”
Community groups in the Harrogate district are being invited to apply for grants of up to £3,000.
The Local Fund for the Harrogate District opened today for applications to its latest round of awards.
The fund is a three-way partnership between Harrogate Borough Council, Harrogate & District Community Action and Two Ridings Community Foundation.
it focuses on small organisations with charitable aims where a small amount of money can make a significant difference.
The guidance notes say:
“Local groups can apply for activities and services that support people, keeping them connected to their community and with each other.
“This may be particularly important during the cost-of-living crisis, you may want to run more activities throughout the winter months, so people have a warm space to access.
“We cannot support overheads alone but encourage you to include them as part of your application and our commitment to full cost recovery.”
A total of 14 groups received a total of £40,688 in the last funding round, which was celebrated at an event at West Park Hotel in Harrogate last night.
Successful applicants included Boroughbridge and District Community Care, Nidderdale and Pateley Bridge Men’s Shed, St. Andrew’s Church in Burnt Yates, Pannal Ash Junior Football Club and Harrogate District of Sanctuary.
A total of £84,681 was given to 29 groups in the previous year.
The deadline for the new funding round is January 9. Decisions will be made by mid-February.
Grants from £200 to £3,000 are available.
Applicants must be based in and/or working in the area served by Harrogate Borough Council.
Further details are available here.
Jan Garrill, chief executive of Two Ridings Community Foundation, said:
“It is five years since The Local Fund was launched and since 2018, 88 projects have been supported and £237,266 paid out in grants.
“These grants have supported activities around mental health, inequality, hidden poverty and loneliness. More recently they have assisted in the response to and recovery from covid and now the impact of increases in the cost of living.
“Despite the local government changes in 2023 the fund will remain for the long term, supporting local grass roots community action across the whole of the district and with local people involved in decisions about the awards.”
Pic shows: Harrogate borough mayor, Councillor Victoria Oldham (centre), with voluntary sector representatives at last night’s event.