The Liberal Democrats could take Harrogate and Knaresborough off the Conservatives at the next general election if people vote tactically, a poll suggests.

The New Statesman published an article today about the impact of tactical voting at the next election.

The findings are based on questions put to 2,500 voters a week ago by polling company Redfield & Wilton Strategies.

It forecasts tactical voting would lead to a Labour landslide and reduce the Conservatives to just eight seats in northern England — with Mr Jones among the victims.

Data by New Statesman and Redfield & Wilton Strategies

The article says Conservative Andrew Jones is currently set to win in Harrogate and Knaresborough for the fifth consecutive time, taking 35% of the vote compared with 32% for the Liberal Democrats and 25% for Labour.

But with tactical voting, the Liberal Democrats would win with 42% compared with 37% for Mr Jones. Labour’s vote would slump to 13%.

The figures are extrapolated from YouGov polling in May, which revealed 50% of Labour voters would consider voting for the Liberal Democrats — but just 13% would consider voting for the Conservatives. The article says:

“Tactical voting would see some voters switch to the Conservatives, without doubt, but the overwhelming majority who would change their vote would change it against them.”

Applied nationally, both for Con-Lib marginal seats and Con-Lab marginal seats, three to four dozen seats would change hands.

The Conservatives would win just 117 seats overall, the Liberal Democrats would win 41 and Labour would end up with 408 seats.

Read more:

• Sir Ed Davey: Lib Dems will target Harrogate and Knaresborough as key seat
• Andrew Jones MP launches ‘non-political’ fact-checking service

The article warns:

“These types of polling questions come with a health warning about hypothetical data, but they can aid us in modelling the next election.

“They let us look at seats where the Lib Dems are in second and gauge how many Labour voters might switch to help them over the line.”

The Liberal Democrats upgraded Harrogate and Knaresborough to a target seat this year, which prompted the selection process for its next prospective parliamentary candidate to be restarted.

North Yorkshire Police has urged people not to support online child abuse activists and said it will not work with them.

The constabulary issued a statement today saying the number of online vigilante groups had increased in the county but they risked hampering prosecutions and often targeted innocent people.

Such groups often use a decoy victim – an adult pretending to be a child – to snare suspected child abusers.

They then live-stream or post videos on social media of them confronting suspects, often calling the police at this stage.

The statement said:

“We have specialist teams working hard around the clock to identify and bring offenders to justice and all too often these groups put the lives of innocent people in danger, interfere with our ongoing investigations and risk the course of fair justice.”

Read more:

• Scrutiny of North Yorkshire Police use of force ‘not good enough’, say inspectors
• Crime commissioner pledges to tackle ‘woefully low’ rape prosecution rates

Detective Inspector Paula Eccles, from North Yorkshire Police’s safeguarding team, said:

“The police service does not endorse online child abuse activist groups and we will not work with them.

“Unlike our highly-trained officers in the online abuse and exploitation team and the digital forensics unit, they operate without any procedures to keep people safe.

“Accused people can become vulnerable to self-harm and there are cases around the country of people dying by suicide because of the action of such groups.”

‘Cause cases to collapse’

Det Insp Eccles added some groups operated as a cover for crimes like blackmail and extortion and there was “no way of making sure that these groups act on reliable evidence”.

She added:

“The standard of evidence that is gathered is also often poor, there are issues with legal disclosure, and the way the groups share their evidence publicly online before it has been tested at court.

“Some evidential issues can even cause cases to collapse. This is completely unacceptable.”

Police nationally arrest more than 400 people for child sexual abuse and protect more than 500 children from harm each week.

North Yorkshire Police said its specialist teams “have the expertise and experience to carry out thorough, complex and intelligence-led investigations, as well as preparing evidence that can stand up to scrutiny by the Crown Prosecution Service”.

It urged anyone concerned about indecent images of children and sexual abuse to report it online via its website or by calling 101, or 999 if it’s an emergency.

A three-year project to create a planetarium in the Harrogate district could come to fruition next month.

The planetarium is based at the Lime Tree Observatory at Grewelthorpe, near Ripon.

The observatory, which opened to the public in 2016, has a 24-inch telescope, screen and sound system and hosts presentations for up to 25 people

Self-confessed planetarium geek Martin Whipp and several other enthusiasts are now close to finalising their latest ambitious venture. It will be one of only about 20 fixed planetariums in the country, and the closest for miles around.

A barn has been converted but the electricity supply needs upgrading before the project can start, and Mr Whipp said he hoped this might happen by mid-November.

Mr Whipp has been to about 100 planetariums around the world and even booked a cruise on Cunard’s Queen Mary 2 because it has a planetarium.

Martin Whipp

He said the one at Grewelthorpe would be an interactive facility rather than “one where someone just presses play and you watch”.

But because all those involved are volunteers, it will be open mostly for private bookings at set times.

The observatory is holding three Halloween-themed events during half-term at the end of the month as part of the Dark Skies Festival.

All three have sold out, but the observatory plans to stage three more Christmas-themed events on December 19, 20 and 21.

Read more:

• Observatory near Ripon offers chance to see Milky Way
• Double transplant Ripon woman urges people to donate organs

Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones has started posting fact-check videos on his new Instagram account.

The Conservative MP published his first video, which was about the government’s proposed new investment zones, on Friday.

North Yorkshire County Council is one of 38 local authorities in talks with the government about introducing the zones, in which businesses could benefit from lower taxes and liberalised planning rules.

The RSPB charity has labelled the zones an “unprecedented attack on nature” because of the impact they could have on wildlife.

Introducing the series, Mr Jones says fact-check Friday will be “an occasional series where we just present facts — no politics”.

He then highlights how some people are worried the zones  “will mean concreting over green belt and downgraded environmental standards” but he then adds the the government “has made it clear this isn’t the case”.

The video cuts to footage of new Environment Secretary Ranil Jayawardena saying he is committed to helping farmers curate the countryside. Mr Jones then says:

“Investment zones can take derelict but previously developed sites and transfer them into thriving net zero communities.

“A good example might be the Ripon barracks site. That’s the kind of thing that we should be looking for investment zones to do.”

Mr Jones has 75 followers on Instagram and his video has so far attracted five likes.

Read more:

• Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones joins Instagram
• Green Party chooses man to fight Andrew Jones in Harrogate and Knaresborough

Liberal Democrats and Greens respond

David Goode, chair of Harrogate and Knaresborough Liberal Democrats, said:

“Mr Jones says in his fact-check piece to camera that he will hold the government to account. Let us not forget, he is a Conservative MP, part of the Conservative Party who run the government.

“A government that have just pushed the pound to a record low and caused mortgage chaos for thousands of families. A government that has removed the bankers’ bonus cap at a time when some people can not even afford to put the heating on. Those facts we are dealing with.

“What has Mr Jones done to hold the government to account for this botched mini-budget and its disastrous outcomes?”

Paul Ko Ferrigno, who was named as the Green Party’s prospective parliamentary candidate for Harrogate and Knaresborough last month, said:

“Mr Jones says that he intends to ensure that the government’s proposed investment zones will not lead to a deterioration in environmental protections, so I’d like to work with Mr Jones to ensure that current designated protected sites such as national parks, areas of outstanding national beauty, sites of special scientific interest, designated green belt land and buffer zones that surround world heritage sites in Yorkshire will be protected, and not sacrificed to short term economic pressures.

“The fact that these zones are not explicitly protected under the government proposals is worrying.”

A councillor has claimed the majority of people in his ward now support a 20mph speed limit — but enforcement issues mean any change is unlikely.

Paul Haslam, who represents Old Bilton on Harrogate Borough Council, raised the issue with Zoe Metcalfe, the North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner.

Speaking at a meeting of Harrogate Borough Council’s overview and scrutiny committee last week, Cllr Haslam asked Ms Metcalfe:

“In my area, Bilton and Woodfield, I would say the majority of residents want the whole area to be 20mph. At what stage will police enforce this?”

Campaigners across the country are calling for a speed limit of 20mph to be normal on residential streets and in town and village centres as part of the 20’s Plenty initiative.

Ms Metcalfe said the police and the council “don’t have the resources to be constantly enforcing a 20mph zone”, adding:

“I don’t necessarily agree with 20’s Plenty because for every one person that says they want 20mph there is one who says they don’t.”

She added she could see 20mph limits working “in certain circumstances, like outside a school,” but not as a general measure.

Read more:

• Crime commissioner pledges to tackle ‘woefully low’ rape prosecution rates
• Confirmed: Harrogate to have just one night time fire engine

Tom Thorp, assistant chief executive at the commissioner’s office, said “police enforcement of 20mph limits is difficult”. He said:

“The types of road that want to go 20mph are very residential urban roads and it’s simply not possible necessarily to do the enforcement on those roads easily.”

Mr Thorp and Ms Metcalfe agreed that although police enforcement was problematic, local authorities could introduce more targeted speed restriction measures, for instance speed humps and chicanes, in specific areas, such as near schools. Mr Thorp said:

“There’s an awful lot that we should be doing around prevention before we get to actual enforcement.”

He added North Yorkshire County Council already did this through the  York and North Yorkshire Road Safety Partnership, which is a partnership of agencies working tp reduce road deaths.

More speed cameras?

Cllr Haslam questioned why Bilton and Jennyfields appeared to have different approaches.

“If you go to Jennyfields you will see the whole Jennyfields estate is 20mph and I don’t see any reason why the residents of Bilton and Woodfield can’t have the same scenario.”

Cllr Haslam said “camera enforcement works” in 20mph zones in London, adding “I don’t see why we can’t look at that”.

But Mr Thorp said:

“There’s a significant cost to camera enforcement and if we were looking to do that across the piece I wouldn’t like to hazard a guess as to what that would cost.

“In terms of managing expectations, sometimes putting in 20mph makes it worse.”

The owners of the Wild Swan, the 19th century inn at Minskip, near Boroughbridge, have hired Paul Murphy as chef.

Alex Bond and Stephen Lennox, who bought the Wild Swan last year, heralded Mr Murphy’s arrival as the start of a new era for the inn.

Mr Murphy previously built up the Timble Inn near Otley into a five-star hotel and worked with chef Frances Atkins at the Michelin-starred Yorke Arms near Pateley Bridge.

Chef Paul Murphy (left) and co-owner Stephen Lennox. Photo: Laura Hargreaves.

Mr Bond said:

“Paul’s appointment is crucially important for the future of the Wild Swan.

“He has a superb reputation and we are in no doubt that he will take the Wild Swan to a completely new level in terms of the quality and the presentation of our food.

“We are looking to establish the Wild Swan’s reputation for excellent food and drink in relaxed and informal surroundings, making it a destination location for food lovers across the county.”

Read more:

• New owners unveil Minskip pub’s fresh look
• New heritage map reveals Boroughbridge’s rich history

Mr Murphy said he was “determined to give Minskip and the surrounding district an inn to be proud of”, adding:

“I have completely revamped the menu and am determined to create enjoyable and imaginative food at competitive prices. I haven’t been here long, but the reaction so far has been brilliant.

“I am aiming to replicate the success I had at the Timble Inn, which my wife and I ran from 2009 to 2014. Like the Timble, the Wild Swan has immense potential.

“This is a fabulous opportunity. Alex and Stephen have given us a blank canvas. They simply wants the Wild Swan to be at the heart of the Minskip community and to be loved and treasured by villagers.”

The owners said this year they intended to create a microbrewery at the inn but a spokesman for the venue said those plans were currently on hold.

‘Harrogate firefighters being used as guinea pigs’, says union

A union official has said Harrogate firefighters are being used as guinea pigs in a shake-up of fire services in North Yorkshire.

North Yorkshire Police Fire and Crime Commissioner Zoe Metcalfe confirmed her three-year blueprint for countywide fire services last week following a three-month consultation.

The changes include reducing Harrogate fire station to one appliance between 10pm and 9am, which would increase the town’s nighttime dependency on on-call firefighters in Knaresborough. However, the station will have enhanced cover during the day, when most fires occur.

The same changes will be implemented in Scarborough in three years time if the Harrogate pilot scheme proves successful.

Steve Howley, secretary of North Yorkshire Fire Brigades Union said the changes lacked support by firefighters and councillors and would endanger lives.

Speaking on BBC Radio York, Mr Howley said:

“The Fire Brigades Union represent about 96% of firefighters in North Yorkshire and I can tell you now that none of our members are in support of these proposals

“We all think they are dangerous. We all think they will put firefighter and public safety at risk. Lives will be put at risk.

“They are using Harrogate as guinea pigs to trial these cuts because they are not confident that these are safe and these will deliver what they say they will deliver. It will lead to a real detrimental impact on public safety.”

Read more:

• Confirmed: Harrogate to have just one night time fire engine
• Majority support Harrogate fire station changes, consultation reveals

Mr Howley said the data behind the decision was “fundamentally flawed” because it was based on there being 100% availability of on-call firefighters. He added:

“For the last 15 to 20 years there hasn’t been 100% on-call availability. That number has dwindled and got worse in recent times.”

He said the union did not oppose better fire prevention initiatives but was “vehemently opposed to the removal of frontline public services to reinvest in some of these areas when it should be centrally funded by government”.

Ms Metcalfe said last week the changes were about a better way of operating rather than cuts, and savings will be reinvested in fire prevention work and boosting on-call fire stations. Boroughbridge, Knaresborough, Masham, and Summerbridge have on-call stations in the Harrogate district and there is a volunteer-run station at Lofthouse.

Her changes, which will be phased in, will see Harrogate have two fully operational appliances during the day but only one at night.

The station currently has one fully operational appliance and a smaller tactical response vehicle staffed, which are both staffed 24 hours.

Announcing her decision, Ms Metcalfe — a Conservative who was elected commissioner last year — said:

“Some areas of the service will change, and I know change can be unsettling, but I remain confident that the right people, with be in the right place, with the right equipment at the right time, to support everyone in North Yorkshire and York.”

“I have made these decisions to support the transformation of our fire and rescue service based on extensive evidence and from listening to what is important to you, which you said was increasing and enhancing prevention and protection work to stop incidents from happening in the first place”

Jonathan Dyson, chief fire officer for North Yorkshire, said Ms Metcalfe’s proposals provided the correct strategic approach to resourcing fire risk.

He said:

“Our strong focus on prevention and protection activities are the primary way for us to reduce risk in our communities.”

A health watchdog has highlighted how residents’ health and wellbeing is being “severely affected” by the lack of access to NHS dentistry across North Yorkshire.

Healthwatch North Yorkshire said a study had revealed only two dental practices in the county with a 605,000 population offer NHS treatment to new adult patients, and those surgeries had “significant restrictions on who is allowed to register”.

The concerns have been raised just two months after the government announced the first reforms to the NHS dental contract in 16 years, so that NHS dentists will be paid more for treating more complex cases, such as people who need three fillings or more.

Under the changes dental therapists will also be able to accept patients for NHS treatments, providing fillings, sealants, preventative care for adults and children, which will free up dentists’ time for urgent and complex cases.

However, Healthwatch North Yorkshire said it remains very concerned over the lack of access to and availability of NHS dentists, which it says “has severely affected the health and wellbeing of people across North Yorkshire, from Scarborough to Selby, to Craven and Harrogate”.

In a report presented to North Yorkshire County Council’s Thirsk and Malton constituency committee on Friday, the watchdog said access to information regarding where you can register with an NHS dentist continues to be poor.

There are also concerns that “urgent problems are often not considered urgent enough, meaning people are living in pain”.

The report found the cost of private treatment is prohibitively expensive for those unable to access NHS dentistry, resulting in a large proportion of people not seeking treatment.

Meanwhile, waiting lists for NHS dentistry in the county can be as long as three years and have more than 1,000 people on them.

Read more:

• Investigation: ‘Shocking’ waits for NHS dentists in Harrogate district
• Watchdog report: Just one NHS dentist per 10,000 people in Harrogate district

The watchdog has found being unable to access an NHS dentist is having a detrimental impact on many people’s mental and physical health.

Healthwatch North Yorkshire has called for greater involvement of the public in NHS dentistry to ensure it meets the needs of the population.

Ashley Green, chief executive of the watchdog, said: 

“We feel it is now time to act – and to use the upcoming changes to NHS and social care reforms, specifically the emergence of integrated care systems to fuel this change.

“We hear on a weekly basis the struggles of people and families unable to be seen by an NHS dentist, but also the desire by NHS dentists to see and treat their patients more effectively.”

Zafran Majid, who runs Red Lea Dental Practice in Easingwold, said the NHS dentistry funding system needed to be overhauled.

Mr Majid said: 

“The majority of NHS dentists are doing an excellent job and trying to see as many patients as they possibly can. However, the najority of NHS dentists are overworked, and suffering a lot of stress and anxiety, tiredness and fatigue from their work.”

Cllr Michael Harrison, the county council’s executive member for health, said as long as the NHS dentistry system made it more worthwhile for dentists to work privately then they were likely to take that option.

He said: 

“Healthwatch North Yorkshire is shining a light on an area which is of great concern to both the council and residents as access to dentistry promotes good health and access to NHS dentistry ensures those unable to afford private care get the support they need.

“Not being able to access an NHS dentist can be a real hardship for people. We are reliant on NHS England and NHS Improvement to support the provision of dentistry across the region, and while it’s a national issue it shows itself to be a bigger issue in certain parts of North Yorkshire.”

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.

‘Inconceivable’ Knox Lane housing scheme can go ahead

Regarding the proposed full planning application for 53 residential dwellings at Knox Lane, it is inconceivable that Harrogate Borough Council are prepared to push forward with this without addressing any of the 313 objections that have been submitted.

I would further add that there are no supporting comments added. Fulcrum to this is the historical use of the proposed site.

Damian Bowen, Harrogate

Knox Lane housing scheme ‘lacks detail’

In reference to the proposed 52 homes on Knox Lane in Harrogate.

I am writing to express my dismay at the decision by the Harrogate Borough Council’s planning officer to recommend the application be deferred for approval at the next planning committee meeting on Tuesday.

How can the Harrogate Borough Council planning committee have any confidence in the quality of this application given the current documentation submitted contradicts itself and contains a total lack of required detailed information regarding retaining walls, limited traffic, ecology and contaminated ground surveys and no electric charging point locations?

Given this lack of assessment of public and professional comments, surely the planning department could be leaving themselves open to a judicial review?

Stephen Readman, Harrogate

Read more:

• Stray Views: Noisy cars in Harrogate should be monitored at weekends
• Stray Views: Concerns over Scotton Weir removal on River Nidd

Voters ‘have to be realistic’

We have to be realistic. Anyone who is appalled at Liz Truss’s approach to sorting out the economy. i.e giving vast amounts to the rich in the hope that it will trickle down to the poor, has to realise that the only way to get the Tories out and restore fairness and our public services is to vote for candidates most likely to defeat them. 

In Harrogate, the only way is to vote for the Lib Dems. If the other parties don’t realise it’s in their interests to stand down, then we the electorate have to take the only way open to us to get rid of the Tories, which in Harrogate means voting for the Lib Dems.

Barbara Penny, 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.