The value of Harrogate Royal Baths has fallen by £2.5m since it was acquired as a commercial investment by North Yorkshire County Council in 2018.

A council report reveals the Grade II listed building, built in the 1890s, was valued at £7m in March this year, compared with £9.5m when the local authority bought it. The council paid £9m but was prepared to pay £10m.

The report also reveals the Baths had only generated a 1.82% return on investment by September 30, which marked the end of the second quarter of the financial year.

The depreciation of the asset, along with the low rate of return on investment, has sparked fresh questions about the council’s decision to buy the Baths and its ability to manage commercial assets.

Last year Conservative county councillor Richard Musgrave said he was “absolutely speechless” to learn the council had paid £9m, adding “the performance looks very, very poor” and describing it as a “trophy investment”.

Speaking about the latest figures, Cllr Stuart Parsons, leader of the council’s Independent group, said local authorities should aim for investment returns of between five and 10 per cent and although times were hard the 1.82% figure was not acceptable. He added:

“The main problem is local authorities should not really own these properties because they don’t know what they are doing.

“I just don’t think there’s enough commercial nouse in the local authority to be running these sites.”

Figures contained on p134 of the council report.

Cllr Parsons said the new North Yorkshire Council, which comes into existence in April, should “hire proper commercial people” to run key assets like the Baths and the loss-making Harrogate Convention Centre, which he said had been “a millstone around Harrogate Borough Council‘s neck for a long time” and in danger of becoming a “white elephant”.

He added:

“This should be the last chance. Give commercial people a couple of years to turn them around and if they can’t, the council should think about disposal. There has to be a proper policy.”

‘Severely impacted by covid’

Asked about the latest figures, North Yorkshire County Council’s corporate director for strategic resources, Gary Fielding, said:

“This particular investment was an opportunity to invest not only for a direct financial return but also in our locality. To the end of the last financial year, returns have been in excess of our standard treasury investments. The issues experienced have been the result of a global pandemic and more recently other issues beyond UK borders.

“Investments are made for the longer term — balancing risks that can reasonably be foreseen and having sufficient cash flow and reserves to deal with shorter term shocks.

“As we move towards a new unitary council from April 1, 2023, we will see the freehold of Harrogate baths pass to the new council. Whilst the investment from North Yorkshire County Council will cease at this point, the ongoing relationships with tenants will continue.”

Read more:

• Harrogate’s Royal Baths: the council’s under-performing ‘trophy investment’
• Council accused of ‘trophy investment’ for £9m purchase of Harrogate’s Royal Baths

Mr Fielding indicated the council would take a tougher line on commercial tenants to maximise income.

“The hospitality sector has been severely impacted by the covid pandemic and the council has done all it reasonably can to support its tenants through these difficult times for the benefit of the local economy and taxpayers generally.

“We work with our tenants to understand their circumstances in order to maximise the income into the council. However, it is not the council’s responsibility to support tenants indefinitely, and if businesses are not sustainable then we work with tenants to bring tenancies to a close.

“We have seen improvement over the last six months which is encouraging. However, with the ongoing cost of living crisis, the hospitality sector may unfortunately experience further pressures.”

A car was turned into a fireball on the A59 near Flaxby today.

Knaresborough firefighters were summoned at 8.55am to the main road, which is close to the A1.

Knaresborough Fire Station said in a Facebook post:

“The police were already on scene providing scene safety. The fire was extinguished by two breathing apparatus wearers using two hose reel Jets.”

No further details are available.

Firefighters tackle the blaze. Pic: Knaresborough Fire Station

The car afterwards, Pic Knaresborough Fire Station

It was the first of two serious incidents in the Harrogate district today.

At 3.58pm, firefighters from Harrogate and Knaresborough responded to reports of a kitchen fire at a home on Rowan Close, Harrogate.

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service’s incident log says:

“The female occupant was out of the property on arrival of crews.

“Two hose reel jets and four breathing apparatus were used to extinguish the fire and a positive pressure ventilation fan was used to ventilate the property.”

Read more:

• Harrogate firefighters tackle car fire and three-vehicle collision
• Flaxby Park appeals decision to refuse 350 ‘eco lodges’ near A1

Residents in Skelton-on-Ure are aiming to raise £250,000 to buy their village pub, which has been shut for three years.

The Black Lion, on Skelton Lane close to Newby Hall, between Boroughbridge and Ripon, was bought in December 2019 by Admiral Taverns.

However since then it has stood derelict, leaving locals questioning its future.

The pub was put up for sale in June after its owners said it did not have a “long-term sustainable future”.

Admiral Taverns, which owns 1,600 pubs across the UK, said selling was the only option.

However, a group of residents are now calling on people to pledge to buy a share in the pub in order to raise funds to buy and revitalise it.

Sandy Delf, one of the residents involved in the Black Lion Community Hub and Pub, said:

“The ultimate aim is to open up a welcoming community pub and hub for the village and wider community.”

Read more:

• Much-loved Skelton on Ure pub up for sale
• Skelton on Ure residents plead with owners to save ‘eyesore’ pub

The group, which has received support from rural community charity the Plunkett Foundation, aims to raise £250,000 in order to access government match funding as part of the community ownership fund.

Shares in the pub cost £250 each and are open to people and businesses to submit an expression of interest.

The Black Lion pictured prior to its closure.

Mrs Delf said the venture was “especially vital in the current and recent past economic climate”, adding:

“Rural communities have particularly suffered from isolation and mental health issues as services such as public transport have become ever more diminished.”

The pub was recently listed as an asset of community value by Harrogate Borough Council.

The listing means residents have more time to raise funds to buy the property.

For more information on how to pledge a share in the pub, visit the Black Lion Community Hub and Pub website here.

People are waiting for up to an hour for a 101 call to be answered, a senior North Yorkshire Police officer has said.

Mike Walker, assistant chief constable at the force, told a North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner public accountability meeting that the figure was “not acceptable”.

He said that the force had an average answer time of eight minutes and 47 seconds for October 2022 – four times the national standard.

The target for police force’s across the country is to answer 80% of non-emergency calls within two minutes.

ACC Walker said the long waiting times for 101 was the reason why the force’s abandonment rate was so high. This refers to the number of people giving up.

He said:

“On a daily basis we look at that from a chief officer team and I know there have been people waiting between half an hour and an hour on 101 on some days.

“It’s just not acceptable and this is why we have an abandonment rate of 20%. We should not be having more than 5% on 101.”

Read more:

• Police commissioner: 101 line deluged by ‘neighbours complaining about each other’
• Harrogate district people asked for views on police 101 and 999 calls

ACC Walker told the meeting that Humberside Police had agreed to carry out a peer review of the force’s call handling and help them improve.

He added that the police were keen to improve the call times and return the control room to an “outstanding” rating.

Zoe Metcalfe, Mike Walker and Mabs Hussain, deputy chief constable, at the public accountability meeting.

He said:

“We know how we need to achieve that.

“It’s a question of putting the right plans in place and having the relevant discussions and then, over the next 12 months, it’s a question of getting back to where we need to be by serving the public of North Yorkshire with an outstanding control room.

“That needs to be the aim.”

Zoe Metcalfe, the North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, said the aim needed to be “a lot quicker than 12 months”, but added she accepted that “these things take time”.

The move comes as concerns over the length of time it takes to answer 101 calls has been a long-running concern across the county.

Ms Metcalfe’s predecessor, Philip Allott, was told by North Yorkshire county councillors last year that the non-emergency line was “not fit for purpose and it hasn’t been fit for purpose for the last eight years” and that “the phone just doesn’t get answered”.

The owners of Flaxby Park Golf Club have withdrawn an appeal over a decision to refuse plans for 350 eco lodges and a hotel on the site.

In March, Harrogate Borough Council rejected the proposal on the grounds that it would cause an “unacceptable” impact on the environment. The site is close to junction 47 on the A1(M).

Last month, Flaxby Park Ltd took the decision to the government’s Planning Inspectorate – which deals with planning disputes.

In documents submitted to the inspectorate, planning consultants Lichfields, which lodged the appeal on behalf of the developer, said the reasons for refusal were “unfounded”.

It said:

“The appellant will show that the council’s reasons for refusal are unfounded and that there are no technical issues arising from the proposed development, which cannot be addressed by appropriately worded conditions or Section 106 planning obligations.

“The appellant will therefore submit that planning permission should be granted for the development proposed by the appeal without delay.”

However, Flaxby Park Ltd has now withdrawn the appeal. A public inquiry into the case scheduled for January 31, 2023, has been cancelled.

An aerial computer generated image of the proposal. The A1(M) is to the east and the A59 is to the south.

The Stray Ferret approached both Flaxby Park Ltd and its agent Lichfields to ask why the company made the decision and if it still intends to propose a new scheme for the site.

But we did not receive a response by the time of publication.

The move raises questions over the future of the former Flaxby Golf Course site, which has been closed since 2014.

History of the site

In 2008 The Skelwith Group bought the site from farming family the Armstrongs for £7m. It published plans for a 300-bedroom five-star hotel on the site that it touted as the future “jewel in Yorkshire’s tourism crown”.

But the plans never materialised and in 2016 the company went out of business.

Flaxby Park Ltd, a company made up of businesswoman Ann Gloag and regeneration specialists Chris Musgrave and Trevor Cartner, bought the 260-acre golf course site from administrators in 2016.

Read more:

• Flaxby parish council calls for government to reject eco-homes
• Business park near Flaxby that could support 2,000 jobs approved

Its original proposal for the site was to build 2,750 homes and a rail link at Goldsborough. But these plans ended after the council chose the Cattal and Green Hammerton area as the site for a new settlement in the district instead.

In October 2020, the developer challenged the council’s decision in the High Court but was unable to overturn it.

Business Breakfast is sponsored by Harrogate law firm Truth Legal.

A free Harrogate business networking event is to be held at Cold Bath Brewery this Sunday, December 4.

Normally the Harrogate Social meets on the first friday of every month. It’s a space where around 50 local business owners get together  for a drink at a local independent bar and share news.

The Christmas event though is on a Sunday afternoon and this year the venue is Cold Bath Brewing on Kings Road.

The organisers, Liz Wild or Wild and Co Chartered Accountants and Martin Mann of Martin Mann- I.T. are asking participants to support the Harrogate Homeless Project.

For more information click here.

Read More:

• Business Breakfast: Prosperis to be main sponsor of Stray Ferret Business Awards 2023
• Guide to Christmas markets in the Harrogate district

Kempston-Parkes Chartered Surveyors in Harrogate are to sponsor the Inclusivity Award at the Stray Ferret Business Awards 2023.

The Inclusivity Award recognises a company that has demonstrated working practices with a proactive approach to inclusivity.

In total there are 10 Award categories for the Stray Ferret Business Awards 2023 which will be held on March 9 at the Pavilions of Harrogate.  The main event sponsor is Knaresborough based financial advisers and consultants, Prosperis. 

Andrew from Kempston-Parkes Chartered Surveyors said:

“Harrogate has many legends…..  Betty’s, Valley Gardens, The Blue’s Bar…. But, there is a new kid on the block, The Stray Ferret and we are proud to be working as a partner with them.

“The Stray Ferret has quickly become known as the place to find impartial, honest, local news, at Kempston-Parkes Chartered Surveyors we are pleased to be partnering with the Stray Ferret, after all our clients want impartial honest advice on their property purchase”

The event promises to be great occasion which recognises best practice and business excellence.

If your business has a good story to tell enter now . Entries close on January 13.

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 was in town this afternoon and witnessed 3 different takeaway drivers, easily identified by the large insulated food bags they carry, completely disregarding all traffic signs.

They regularly drive down pedestrian areas, park in disabled spaces and in double yellow lines.

I heard another couple remark about it. Where are the police or traffic wardens? The town was very busy this afternoon and these drivers are a danger waiting to happen.

John Franklin, Harrogate

Read More:

• Stray Views: Harrogate’s most deprived area needs a school
• Harrogate hospital pledges ‘minimal disruption’ as nurses strike looms

Ferreters may be interested to know that local Tory  MPs Andrew Jones (Harrogate and Knaresborough) and Julian Smith (Skipton and Ripon) voted recently in the Commons to jail for up to two years volunteers offering alternative help to women approaching abortion clinics. It is believed the pro-lifers have saved  hundreds of unborn children’s lives at the very doors of the clinics.

The MPs’ vote was widely criticised across the House of Lords.

Lib Dem peer Lord Beith said: “[I]  cannot support a clause which criminalises a person who ‘seeks to influence, provides information or expresses opinion’m.”

He added: “This is the most profound restriction on free speech I have ever seen in any UK legislation.”

Similar sentiments came from Lord Frost (Con), a former government minister and Brexit negotiator.

The peers were debating  the Second Reading of the Public Order Act, controversially amended by a Labour MP to impose throughout England exclusion zones banning  pro-life actions of any kind  within 150 yards of an abortion clinic.

Lord McAvoy (Lab), quoting the grateful personal testimony of a woman helped by volunteers outside a clinic, said: “If we make it illegal to hand out a leaflet with offers of housing or support, we embark on a slippery slope to bans on other leaflets with which we disagree.”

Baroness O’Loan (crossbencher), a former Police Ombudsman, warned the proposed blanket ban was unnecessary and could even be harmful.

Home Office Minister Lord Sharpe, closing the debate, described the clause as a disproportionate response to pro-life vigils outside abortion clinics and not human rights compliant.

Jones and Smith were supporters earlier this year of making pills by post abortions permanent. This was despite repeated assurances to constituents that the practice was a temporary expedient because of the Covid pandemic–and despite many doctors’ fears of the dangers of coercion of girls and women by boyfriends, partners and relatives.

Both also voted in the past against an explicit ban on sex-selective abortion and against independent abortion counselling. In their 12 years in Parliament, abortions have soared in England and Wales  from 196,109 in 2010  to last year’s record of 214,256.

Tony Flanagan, Kirkby Malzeard

An intrepid Victorian explorer from Boroughbridge is to be the subject of a new BBC2 series starring Ruby Wax, Mel B and Emily Atack.

Isabella Bird, who was born at Boroughbridge Hall in 1831, travelled alone across the lawless American Wild West, riding 800 miles on horseback through the Rocky Mountains of Colorado.

She befriended outlaws, climbed mountains, and faced grizzly bears in what was a restrictive era for women in Britain.

Using her original 1873 book A Lady’s Life in the Rocky Mountains as inspiration for their own adventure, Ruby, Mel and Emily pay homage to this forgotten pioneer in the series Trailblazers: A Rocky Mountain Road Trip.

They explore the people, places and curious customs of an ever-changing America, while reflecting on the changes in western society over the last 150 years and their own experiences of womanhood.

The new series starts on BBC2 on Monday at 9pm.

Linda Dooks, secretary of the Boroughbridge and District Historical Society, said:

“Isabella Bird was born at Boroughbridge Hall to the Rev Edward Bird and his second wife Dora Lawson in 1831. The Lawsons have been owners of the hall for several generations.

“The Birds actually only stayed about six months before moving to Edinburgh, where she is buried.

“An ill child in 1850, she had a tumour removed from her spine.

“Doctors advised a sea voyage to aid her recovery her father gave her £100  ‘to leave and stay as long as the money lasted’. Her bright descriptive letters home formed the basis of An English Women in America.”

Read more:

• Boroughbridge resident receives 557 cards for her 103rd birthday
• New cake shop set to sprinkle some joy in Boroughbridge

Ms Dooks said Isabella went on to marry John Bishop in 1881, inheriting a large income after his death, which she used to extend her travels.

She added:

“First she travelled to India where she help found The John Bishop Memorial Hospital. Then on to Tibet, what was then Persia and Turkey.

“The following year she travelled to Baghdad and Tehran with a group of British soldiers.

“By now her writings were figuring in books, journals and magazines and she became a household name.

“She was the first woman to be allowed to join The Royal Geographical Society

“Her final journeys  took her up the Yangtze River, in China, where there is now a memorial garden because of the missionary work she did there.

“She then went on to Morocco, where she was given a beautiful black stallion as a gift from the sultan.

“She died at her home in Edinburgh in 1901.”

Ms Dooks said Boroughbridge only became aware of Isabelle and her exploits in the 1980s when a group of Chinese tourists asked where Isabella Bird was born.

She said:

“A plaque has since been erected on the wall in Hall Square at Boroughbridge and her exploits recorded in the book A history of Boroughbridge, published by the Boroughbridge Historical Society.”

A lack of Harrogate Borough Council business has led to nearly half of meetings being cancelled this past month.

The authority will be abolished in four months time and replaced by North Yorkshire Council.

The cancellation of so many meetings raises questions over how effective the council will be in its final days.

It had been due to hold 13 meetings in November — not including informal meetings — which included senior cabinet member meetings and a planning committee.

However, five of those meetings were cancelled. Last week the council did not hold a single meeting.

Just three public meetings were streamed live onto the council’s YouTube in November.

This included a cabinet meeting, where senior councillors made a key decision over the progress of three strategic housing sites.

Read more:

• What now for Harrogate Convention Centre after investment zones dropped?
• Calls for council to go ‘further and faster’ on climate change in North Yorkshire
• Former Harrogate councillor made Honorary Alderman for North Yorkshire

The Stray Ferret asked the borough council why so many meetings had been cancelled and why so few meetings had been streamed for the public to watch.

A council spokesperson said:

“Provisional dates for meetings are added to the calendar at the start of the municipal year. 

“Should these not be required, as there are no items to bring to said meeting, then they are cancelled.”

The authority is due to hold 12 meetings in December—- one of which has already been cancelled.

Harrogate Borough Council has apologised after leaking the personal details of people who commented on a consultation on its website.

The consultation over the proposed new settlement at Cattal, known as Maltkiln, has been open since October 3 and closes tonight.

However, one participant discovered this week that details which were redacted, including home addresses, phone numbers and email addresses, could still be accessed by members of the public.

Roger Owen, chairman of community group Better Wetherby, said the group became aware on Wednesday that his personal details were accessible on the site and immediately contacted Harrogate Borough Council.

He said:

“This is a very serious breach. GDPR [General Data Protection Regulations] is there to safeguard individuals’ identities among other things. I know Harrogate council has only a few months left before a unitary authority is created in North Yorkshire, but that’s no reason to become sloppy.

“Social media engenders sometimes extreme views and it makes it easy for people to get on the backs of those they don’t agree with. People can have extreme views on contentious matters such as Maltkiln and GDPR is there to prevent people whose views are violently opposed to those of Better Wetherby coming to my house and smashing the car up.

“This is a massive planning application which is going to have a major effect on Wetherby, amongst other things.”

Residents are required to give their contact details in consultations in order to ensure all responses submitted are genuine.

Roger Owen’s letter was redacted, but his personal details were still accessible.

However, the council has a duty to protect their personal details and not to publish them.

The council blamed a “processing error” for the situation, which meant although black marks were placed over personal details on PDFs submitted by respondents, people viewing them could still copy the text underneath and paste it, completely visible, into another document.

Read more:

• Consultation extended into new Harrogate district town after legal threat
• Call to restart consultation on new Harrogate district town

Arnold Warneken, a Green Party councillor representing Ouseburn on North Yorkshire County Council, said those who had taken the time to provide their views to the consultation had been badly let down.

He said:

“This type of breach clearly puts people who live in the same communities off from making comments on matters that are very emotive and confrontational. My concern is that people will have pulled back from submitting comments.

“Like everything in this process, it is either being rushed or they haven’t got enough people to do it properly.”