Two primary schools planned for new 3,000-home Harrogate district settlement

Two primary schools and land for a secondary school form part of proposals for a new 3,000-home village between Harrogate and York.

The settlement, to be named Maltkiln, will be built in the Hammerton and Cattal area. New details of the major scheme have been revealed this week.

A development plan document from Harrogate Borough Council shows there are proposals for two 420-place primary schools – one of which would be able to expand with room for 630 pupils.

The plan also said because the village is not large enough to “generate sufficient pupils” for a secondary school, around £10.5 million would be provided to fund an expansion of 11 new classrooms at Boroughbridge High School.

However, it added that land within Maltkiln has been designated for “future secondary provision should this be required in the future”.

The plan said: 

“The council has been working with the education authority, North Yorkshire County Council, in order to identify the educational infrastructure required to support the level of growth proposed in Maltkiln.

“NYCC have indicated that the development is not projected to generate sufficient numbers of pupils to warrant the need for a secondary school on-site.

“Nevertheless, for the proper and long-term planning of the area, the council consider a cautious approach should be taken and have safeguarded land for a secondary school if it is needed.”

Read more:

It is estimated that more than 8,000 residents will occupy the village, which may not be completed until at least 2038.

A six-week consultation on the development plan document is planned for October, when residents will be asked to share their views on areas including roads and public transport.

After this, the document will then be submitted to the government for public examination.

Maltkiln is centred around Cattal train station which links York, Harrogate and Leeds – and Harrogate Borough Council hopes this location will “steer development away” from residents living in surrounding villages who have objected to the proposals.

The council also said facilities including shops, employment space and a GP surgery should be built around this central location.

It said: 

“A new community of over 8,000 residents will generate a need for significant new local facilities and these should be located at the heart of the settlement directly adjacent to Cattal railway station.

“The mixed-use local centre will provide a diverse and vibrant space at the heart of Maltkiln.”

A meeting of the council’s cabinet will be held next Wednesday when senior councillors will be asked to agree to the launch of the consultation on the development plan document.

A report to the meeting said the publication of the plan is a “key milestone” and that once approved it will provide “a 30 year vision for Maltkiln”.

The report added: 

“The development plan document provides the starting point to guide the development and delivery of Maltkiln.

“Proposals will need to go through the planning application process and there will be further opportunities for communities and stakeholders to be involved in more detailed master-planning.

“The council is also exploring a range of governance and stewardship options to ensure that residents will have a say in how community facilities are run.”

Yorkshire Ambulance Service declares ‘critical incident’ status

Yorkshire Ambulance Service has urged people to only call 999 for serious or life threatening injuries because it is under “extreme pressure”.

YAS, which covers the Harrogate district, said in a statement it was operating on Resource Escalation Plan 4.

This is the equivalent to Black Alert for hospitals and is only declared when an ambulance service can no longer effectively deliver a service due, typically due to a major incident

All 10 ambulance trusts in the country have now declared a similar status.

Staff shortages and hot weather are among the reasons.

Read more:

YAS has asked people to consider contacting their GP, pharmacy or practise self-care as alternative options to the ambulance service.

A spokesperson for YAS said:

“An extremely high volume of calls is currently having a significant impact on both our 999 and NHS 111 operations.

“We have taken the decision to move to REAP Level 4, our highest level of escalation, and while the situation is being managed in line with the plans that we have in place to protect our core services, unfortunately there are patients who are facing delays and we are very sorry that we are unable to respond to them as quickly as we would like.

“All emergency calls are categorised according to the nature of a patient’s illness or injury and those in a life-threatening condition are always prioritised. It’s important that members of the public only call 999 for an ambulance when it is a serious or life-threatening emergency. This will help us to focus our efforts on our most poorly patients.

“You can also help us by not calling back to check where the ambulance is as we need those phone lines to be free for those in a life-threatening condition. However, if the condition of the patient changes or if you feel you no longer need an ambulance, it’s important that you let us know.

“For anyone with less serious illnesses and injuries, they should consider self-care, their local pharmacy, GP surgery, urgent care centre or making their own way to the emergency department. Our NHS 111 service is also available online at 111.nhs.uk or by calling 111.

“We will continue to monitor the situation closely and thank all our hard-working staff and volunteers for their efforts at this challenging time.”

Firefighter photos reveal extent of Harrogate district field fire

Photos released by Harrogate firefighters have revealed the extent of yesterday’s field fire near Ripon.

The blaze, which occurred just after 4pm at Hutton Bank, Sharow, was one of two crop fires in the district as the heatwave hits.

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

“Ripon and Harrogate crews attended reports of a field of standing crops on fire.

“They requested a further four appliances due to the 300m fire front. Crews worked with the farmer to extinguish the fire. Incident has been scaled down now.”

Sharow field fire

Sharow field fire

Minutes later crews from York, Northallerton and Colburn attended a large field fire measuring approx 100 metres at Dishforth.

They used pitchforks and beaters and a hose reel to extinguish the flames.

Read more:

 

New 3,000 home settlement in Harrogate district to be called Maltkiln

Formal consultation is set to begin on a proposed new 3,000-house settlement in the Harrogate district.

The settlement, which will be larger than the town of Boroughbridge, will be built in the Hammerton and Cattal area of the district, close to York.

Harrogate Borough Council said in a news release today it was “finalising its policies and proposals for the new settlement” following earlier stages of consultation.

Its executive will consider a development plan document, which will set out the boundary for the settlement and other details, on Wednesday next week before it goes out for formal consultation.

It added:

“The development of a new settlement is a key part of the district’s growth strategy providing much needed homes and jobs in a sustainable location along the York-Harrogate-Leeds railway line.”

Wetherby real estate developer Oakgate Group earmarked the area to be known as Maltkiln for 3,000 homes in 2017.

It submitted a screening application to assess whether it needed to conduct an environmental impact assessment before submitting a formal planning application.

Cllr Tim Myatt, Harrogate Borough Council’s cabinet member for planning, said today: 

“The development plan document sets a clear and ambitious 30-year vision for Maltkiln and provides a policy framework that will enable the planning authority to lead, guide and manage how it is developed.”

Read more:

As part of the plan, the council also commissioned consultants at a cost of £20,000 to produce a “comprehensive climate strategy” for the settlement.

The council said that Maltkiln would be planned in a way which would help to to meet net-zero carbon emissions by 2038.

It said this would mean reducing the need to travel, providing walking and cycling infrastructure and improvements to public transport as well as supporting the transition to low emission private cars.

Cllr Myatt added:

“Climate change is one of the biggest challenges facing us today and one that the council takes seriously which is why we have commissioned a climate change strategy to ensure Maltkiln will be a climate resilient place, fit for the 21st Century.”

If councillors agree the plan next week, a consultation on the development plan will be held in the autumn. It would then be submitted to the secretary of state for examination.

The move to create a settlement in the Hammerton/Cattal area comes after a long running saga between Flaxby Park Ltd and the borough council.

The battle led to a High Court hearing over whether the homes should be built in Flaxby or Green Hammerton before it was finally settled in late 2020.

Harrogate jewellery expert sells rare brooch for £80,000

Harrogate jewellery expert, Susan Rumfitt, has sold a rare brooch at auction for around three times its guide price.

Ms Rumfitt, who has written a column for the Stray Ferret and is an expert for the BBC’s Antiques Roadshow, sold an intricate micro-mosaic theatrical mask brooch by Castellani of Rome for £80,600.

The piece had been listed under a guide price of £20,000 to £30,000.

Ms Rumfitt said:

“Items crafted by Castellani are a few and far between at auction, so our sale presented a very rare opportunity for collectors to acquire this delightful brooch.

“The house of Castellani is famed for its archaeological-revival designs in gold, gemstone and mosaic, and it was a privilege to share this brooch. The auction saw passionate bidding, with clients from across the globe taking part.”

Made in around 1850 and depicting Bacchus, the brooch reproduces part of a 3rd Century AD mosaic now in the Capitoline Museums portraying theatrical masks which decorated the Thermae Decianae.

Read More:

Susan Rumfitt

For the past decade Ms Rumfitt has focussed on her showroom in Harrogate. Her return to the auction house is in collaboration with Dore & Rees auctioneers in Frome, Somerset.

Ms Rumfitt said:

“The first sale this week was vibrant and exciting, and I’m absolutely thrilled with the results, especially the fabulous price we achieved for the Castellani brooch.

“The sale as a whole was strong with great interest in Victorian jewellery and also the emerald pieces proved very popular. We are now gathering for our next sale in December with some beautiful pieces already consigned.”

 

Stray Views: Time to get tough on noisy cars in Harrogate district

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.

Noisy motorists should get hefty fines 

I was interested to read that Harrogate police are allegedly clamping down on noisy vehicles and anti-social behaviour of drivers in Harrogate town centre.

I’d like to know where the police are, particularly in the evening after Halfords has closed, on Knaresborough Road?

The reckless and inconsiderate driving of high powered vehicles in the area is truly awful.

Noise from so called ‘sporty’ exhausts, speeding, doughnutting on Halfords car park, intimidating other road users etc. Police presence is noticeable by its absence.

Whilst I’m dead set against what sometimes appears to be victimisation of the motorist, something should be done to get these idiots either off the road or given hefty penalties for the problems they’re inflicting on motorists and residents in this area.

Lesley Tudor, Harrogate

Read more:

Malcolm Neesam’s support for Valley Gardens

Malcolm Neesam, whom I came to know over the last few decades, willingly shared his vast historical knowledge, research, photographs of yesteryear and documents with us all.

His enthusiasm and interest for Harrogate’s history was immeasurable.
However, we have many books and publications to remember him by, including his last publication Wells and Swells, published in April.

During my time as Chairman of Valley Gardens and afterwards Malcolm’s support was incalculable. In 2016 Malcolm opened the restored Old Magnesia Well Pump Room in the Valley Gardens.

He also attended our other restorations, the Japanese Garden, King Edward VII Memorial Gate and events in the Valley Gardens.

For A Souvenir Guide to Valley Gardens, Malcolm wrote the introduction and again proof read the contents and found some photographs for the publication, for Anne Smith and I.

Thank you Malcolm.

Jane Blayney, 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.

 

Boroughbridge Junior FC seeks new players

Boroughbridge Junior Football Club is holding its annual taster day later this month to encourage more youngster to join the team. 

The “try before you join” session will be held  at Boroughbridge High School on Saturday July 23, starting at 10am and running to 12pm.

Players will be able to take part in supervised games with FA-qualified coaches able to answer any questions and take subscriptions.

Nigel Charlesworth, Boroughbridge Junior FC club secretary, said:

“The club motto is football for all, so we encourage players of all abilities to come along.  

“If your son or daughter already plays for the club then come down and register for the new season and let them play supervised games. New players are also welcome. So, come down, try us out, meet the coaches and make new friends through football. Use this as a taster session. If you like what you see, then join us for the new season.”

Read More:

The taster session will run teams for the following age groups (child’s age on 1 September). Boys: Under 8s, U10s, U12s, U14s and U15s, girls: Under 6-11 (development squad) U12, U13 and U15 years and Pan Disability Football for boys and girls aged seven to 18.

There will also be a training session for budding goalkeepers on the day. 

The club also said volunteers and helpers were always welcome.

For more information, visit the Boroughbridge Juniors FC website, email nigelcharlesworth@btinternet.com or contact the club on Facebook and Twitter.  

Police anti-social driving clampdown makes 10 arrests in Harrogate district

A police operation to clampdown on anti-social driving made 10 arrests and seized 12 vehicles in the Harrogate district in two years, new figures show.

North Yorkshire Police launched Operation Chrome back in June 2020 in an effort to tackle noisy cars and anti-social driving of “high-powered vehicles”.

Figures obtained by the Stray Ferret via a Freedom of Information request show that in the Harrogate district the force made 10 arrests and seized 12 vehicles as part of the operation up to June 7, 2022.

Officers also made eight charges as a result of the clampdown on drivers.

Superintendent Steve Thomas, the county commander at North Yorkshire Police, said Operation Chrome was an ongoing operation.

He said:

“Operation Chrome is a rolling programme of operations using a range of tactics to disrupt anti-social behaviour in and around the Harrogate area, with a particular focus during the summer months.

“This initial period of activity has been successful and we will continue to do all we can to deal with these issues.”

Tackling ‘irresponsible’ drivers

The force launched the operation in the summer of 2020 and pledged to focus on “the irresponsible behaviour of some drivers which is not only unsafe but also highly disruptive”.

Harrogate often attracts drivers, sometimes in modified vehicles, racing around the main roads, particularly during summer.

As part of the operation, police increase patrols in hotpots and roll out more speed cameras across town, vehicle stops and detailed CCTV reviews.

The clampdown has seen cars seized by officers, including a Ferrari sports car which was towed away outside Harrogate Convention Centre in August 2021.

Read more:

 

Harrogate county councillor calls for ‘major change’ in politics as Prime Minister resigns

A Green Party councillor in the Harrogate district has spoken out about the state of politics following the Prime Minister’s resignation today.

Arnold Warneken, who was elected to the Ouseburn division of North Yorkshire County Council in May, said it was time for an overhaul of the political system in order to restore faith.

Speaking to the Stray Ferret, he said:

“We need to have a major change in politics and statesmen who are honest and hard-working.

“They always say, ‘the right honourable member for such-and-such’ – I’d put that under the Trade Descriptions Act. They lie, they break the law – what makes them honourable?”

Cllr Warneken pointed to the recent results in the local elections in North Yorkshire as a sign of the public’s appetite for change. The Conservatives went from a significant majority in the county to winning 47 of the 90 seats to secure a slender majority.

He said he wanted to see proportional representation introduced, ensuring the political make-up of Parliament was more representative. He added:

“I can guarantee if that was in place, we would get a better turn-out. People are hungry for change and we have to provide an alternative.”

Cllr Arnold Warneken

Cllr Warneken was critical of Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones, saying he only spoke out against the Prime Minister after it became clear his position was untenable.

The Stray Ferret has contacted Mr Jones for a response to the accusation, but has not received a response.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service reported that Mr Jones has written to constituents to say he had hoped the prime minister might have “changed his behaviours” following last month’s vote of confidence.

However, Mr Jones added it is “clear” that “the same old process of the truth being reached through the most tortuous of processes” has followed. He said:

“I have over a long period disagreed with some of the Prime Minister’s decisions. You may remember that I called for Dominic Cummings to resign over the infamous ‘Barnard Castle eye test’ incident.

“I refused to vote with the government when the Prime Minister wanted us to change the standards rules to save Owen Paterson who had clearly broken them.

“I was quite clear in my comments about Partygate when I said that ‘law-makers cannot be law-breakers’.

“I backed that up when it came to the recent no confidence vote where I did not support the Prime Minister.”

Mr Jones added he now looks forward to a “calmer, honest and transparent approach to our national politics” after the prime minister announced his resignation outside No 10 this afternoon.

There has been no word from Nigel Adams, MP for Selby and Ainsty, on the situation.

Julian Smith, MP for Skipton and Ripon, has not responded to requests for comment from the Stray Ferret, but earlier today he took to Twitter to praise civil servants.

Over the past years @UKCivilService has been attacked and maligned by certain government ministers. Over the past 24 hours they have literally held the administration of our country together & are currently sorting out this mess. Thank you.

— Julian Smith MP (@JulianSmithUK) July 7, 2022

Read more:

The local Labour party has called for the Prime Minister to step down immediately, rather than waiting for a leadership contest in the autumn, as has been announced.

In a statement, the party said:

“The Prime Minister is unfit to govern and needs to go now.

“Boris Johnson has presided over a government defined by lies, sleaze, an utter lack of integrity and incompetence.

“We need a new Government now. The choice is clear: a Tory government with more of the same, or a Labour government offering a fresh start for Harrogate and Knaresborough.”

Cllr Warneken agreed, saying by continuing, Boris Johnson was “causing more chaos and more damage to society through ill thought-out policies and laws”.

He said the impact was being felt in North Yorkshire, where plans to set up the new unitary council had been affected by the lead-up to Mr Johnson’s resignation.

Council officers had worked “really, really hard” but were unable to make as much progress as they had hoped while Whitehall civil servants were tied up dealing with the crisis, he said.

With the summer recess looming, a caretaker Prime Minister was not sufficient to ensure the country could function effectively, said Cllr Warneken, adding:

“He can cause a hell of a lot of damage between now and when they find some other idiot to replace him.

“The only saving glory is he has done more damage to his party the longer he has been there.”

North Yorkshire County Council finally declares climate emergency

A council which has repeatedly been challenged over the speed and scale of its carbon-cutting actions has made a U-turn to declare a climate change emergency.

North Yorkshire County Council’s executive agreed the authority would immediately adopt a climate emergency, following in the footsteps of several hundred British councils.

Senior councillors said the significant change in position by the Conservative administration had followed it listening to the requests of elected members from a number of political groups.

They added that not declaring a climate emergency could prove a distraction from its significant green efforts.

Commitments made by the council include support for the York and North Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership’s ambition to be the UK’s first carbon negative region – carbon neutral by 2034 and carbon negative by 2040.

These ambitions have been endorsed by the leaders of the Councils of York and North Yorkshire in the devolution deal requests submitted to government in December 2020.

An independent commission set up to examine levelling up for rural communities in the county last year found tackling climate change should be a priority, backing other ambitions for North Yorkshire to become a ‘green lung’ and to lead on employment in the green economy and a revolutionary energy transition.

In addition, the authority, which is the region’s largest employer, has sought to change staff work bases to cut commuting emissions and has made a £1m pump-priming fund available to support new carbon cutting projects, with just under half of the fund already allocated.

Harrogate acted in 2019

Nevertheless, neighbouring councils in Leeds, Darlington and York, as well as district and borough councils in North Yorkshire declared a climate emergency in 2019.

At the time North Yorkshire County Council stopped short of doing so, instead committing to producing a carbon reduction plan.

Read more:

Since then, and particularly following May’s elections, North Yorkshire council’s leadership has faced increasing numbers of requests from campaigners and councillors to formally declare a climate emergency.

A meeting of the council’s executive heard the authority’s leadership was “absolutely committed” to getting its own carbon emissions in order.

Councillor Greg White, climate change executive member, told the meeting the authority was “keen to affirm how serious we are about tackling climate change” by declaring a climate emergency and pledging to play its full part in cutting carbon emissions.

He said the authority was doing everything possible to reduce its emissions and meet a challenging net zero emissions target it had set for 2030 while protecting key services.

‘Proud that we acted’

The council’s deputy leader, Councillor Gareth Dadd, told the meeting significant carbon cutting progress had been made across the council’s many properties and workforce.

He said:

“It’s often said that actions speak louder than words. Well I think as an authority we can be very proud that we have acted in a very positive way after recognising the climate emergency two or three years ago.”

Following the meeting, Cllr White said the authority had previously been reluctant to declare a climate emergency as it could be viewed as putting words above actions.

He said the council was already undertaking most measures people associated with tackling the climate change emergency.