22 affordable homes proposed for Staveley

A total of 22 affordable homes have been proposed to be built in Staveley by developer Jack Lunn Properties.

The company hopes to build three one-bedroom, 13 two-bedroom and six three-bedroom homes in the village, which has a population of 430 and is between Boroughbridge and Knaresborough,

The rural site is not allocated for development in the Harrogate district Local Plan 2014-35, which outlines where planning will take place.

But the application has been brought forward through a rural exception scheme, which allows councils to grant planning permission for affordable housing in the open countryside if a developer can prove there is a need for it.

A planning document lodged with Harrogate Borough Council cites affordable housing figures that show a shortfall in the number of new affordable houses built over the last five years.

It says:

“The only sustainable way of making housing more affordable in the long term is to build more homes in the right places. High house prices can prevent people from living near the best job opportunities for them, limiting the productivity of companies that might have employed them.”

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Major Harrogate district employer bids to build energy plant

A Boroughbridge company plans to build a heat and power plant to produce “greener” and “cost-effective” energy at its headquarters.

Reed Boardall, which stores and delivers frozen food to UK supermarkets, employs 800 staff at its site off Bar Lane and operates a fleet of 196 vehicles 24 hours a day.

The company has submitted plans for a combined heat and power plant, which would be built on its site and generate electricity.

According to documents lodged with Harrogate Borough Council, the plant would work by “igniting air and natural gas to produce hot, high-pressure gases”.

The gas would then be fed through a turbine to drive an electrical generator and produce electricity.

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The company added that the energy would be used to power its headquarters in Boroughbridge. Any excess energy would be exported back to the local electricity network.

Greener alternative

Andrew Baldwin, managing director of Reed Boardall’s cold storage division, told the Stray Ferret: 

“We’re investing in a new combined heat and power system as a way of protecting the energy needs of our business for the future. 

“It is more cost-effective than buying power from the National Grid and is generally considered to be a greener alternative. We expect it to be fully operational by the end of the year.”

If approved, construction of the plant is expected to take place over three months.

Once up and running, the plant would run for 24 hours a day, seven days a week. However, it would be unmanned and operated remotely.

Harrogate Borough Council will make a decision on the proposal at a later date.

The plan follows a multi-million expansion of Reed Boardall’s Boroughbridge site.

In May, the company announced it had finished a 110,000 square foot expansion to one of its cold storage units at its 55-acre site in Boroughbridge, which will help it meet increased customer demand.

Guilty plea after £140,000 of cannabis seized in Boroughbridge

Two men who were stopped on the A1(M) at Boroughbridge have admitted their part in a major cannabis-supply operation.

Police seized 14 kilos of cannabis worth £140,000 when they pulled over Silvio Kondi, 30, and Flamur Saliasi, 45, on September 30.

They were arrested and charged with possessing a Class B drug with intent to supply.

Today, Kondi, of Tong Road, Farnley, near Leeds, and Saliasi, of no fixed address, appeared at York Crown Court where they pleaded guilty to the offence.

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Prosecutor Rachel Landing said the drugs had an estimated street value of £140,000.

She said that because of the sheer amount of the drugs seized, it had to be assumed that the two men had close ties to the “original source” of the supply chain.

Robert Mochrie, for Kondi, contested this allegation on behalf of his client, whom he said was merely a courier for the drug enterprise.

Judge Sean Morris, the Recorder of York, adjourned sentence for the defendants’ bases of plea to be reviewed in terms of their respective roles within the drug operation. They will be sentenced on November 16. 

Boroughbridge Hightimers return with Cinderella pantomime

The Boroughbridge Hightimers are returning to the stage next month to put on its long-awaited pantomime, Cinderella.

The amateur dramatic society has been waiting to put on the show since before the pandemic and is now ready for the curtain to rise.

The group, set up 30 years ago, are busy rehearsing for their return at the end of November.

The group currently has 40 members aged 8-80 years old but chairman, Marlo Lomas, said more members were always welcome to help out behind stage, front of house or even take to the stage.

The show will be performed at Coronation Hall, Boroughbridge November 25-27 and again December 2-4.

Mr Lomas said:

“It has been very hard for us all in the society. We were always watching the news waiting to hear the good news that we could go back on the stage. We had lots of performances planned for last year but as time went on they were delayed several times.

“Cinderella, is the first performance back after lockdown it’s an extra special one. The whole cast and backstage crew have worked so hard to ensure that the production is great for all the audience.”

The junior cast in Bugsy Malone.

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Just before lockdown the group had its junior production of Bugsy Malone. Mr Lomas said it was a great success and the junior cast will return with Grease next June.

In March, the Hightimers will be performing a comedy thriller called Play Prepare to Meet Thy Tomb.

To book tickets for the pantomime, click here.

To check out other performances such as these, take a look at our What’s On page.

Christmas late-night shopping returns to Boroughbridge

Christmas is coming to Boroughbridge with an evening of late-night shopping, Christmas tree lights and Santa on a sleigh.

On December 1st shops will stay open until 8pm as people visit the town to watch the lights switch on.

The lights on the Christmas tree on Hall Square – at the bottom of the high street – will be switched on by Radio York’s Georgey Spanswick and the Mayor, Pat Taylor.

Organisers Boroughbridge Chamber of Trade said businesses were eager for it to return after last year’s covid cancellation. For many, it’s the best night for trade across the year.

It’s not just shops getting involved, the Boroughbridge Lions have organised for Santa and his sleigh to be there as well as street stalls and choir performances.

Chamber president, Derek Hufton, said the town is usually “crawling” with visitors and is hoping for similar levels this year:

“Following last year’s cancellation there’s a great enthusiasm building for this year’s event.

“The community spirit in Boroughbridge is very strong and the late-night Christmas shopping event is not just about local businesses but also very much about the community gathering and enjoying a great festive evening.”

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The official switch on begins at 5.30pm.

The shops will also be taking part in a window display competition, to be judged on the night.

Licence granted for new micropub in Boroughbridge

A new micropub selling craft beer is coming to Boroughbridge after a premises licence was granted for the venue.

Borough Tap will open at the former Horticouture florist on Horsefair but with reduced alcohol serving hours after some residents raised concerns over “rowdy” late-night behaviour from customers.

The application from landlord Paul McCusker was for the micropub to serve alcohol between 9am and 1am Monday to Sunday, however, this was reduced to 11am until 10pm on the same days by Harrogate Borough Council’s sub-licensing committee.

Mr McCusker told the committee he did not intend to open the micropub during all permissible hours and that it would be a “quiet and friendly” venue.

He added:

“Borougbridge’s population has expanded and there is a lack of amenities in the area. There is a gap in the market for a micropub specialising in craft and cask ales.
“I’m not going for the rowdy crowd. It’s going to be catering for middle-aged people having a relaxed conversion over a pint.
“Not loud music or raucous events.”

Paul McCusker, soon to be landlord of the Borough Tap

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The licence was granted with conditions which mean no open alcoholic drinks can be taken out of the venue. All windows and doors will also have to be kept closed during opening hours to reduce the noise impact on neighbours.

A total of six residents raised objections to the application.

An objection was also received from North Yorkshire Police but this was withdrawn after the alcohol serving hours were reduced.

Boroughbridge pub fears energy bills could increase seven-fold

A pub landlord in Boroughbridge has said he fears his energy costs could increase seven-fold overnight amid concerns over the future of Harrogate-based energy firm CNG Group.

The Stray Ferret reported this morning that CNG is to stop supplying gas to energy customers, amid record wholesale gas prices.

It has also been reported that there is a deadline of tomorrow for organisations to submit bids to buy CNG’s small and medium-sized enterprises arm, which directly supplies gas and electricity to more than 40,000 SMEs.

One of those is the Grantham Arms in Boroughbridge. Owner Simon Wade told the Stray Ferret the move would have a major impact on his business.

Mr Wade is three years into a five-year contract with CNG, which provides gas to heat the pub at a rate of 5p a unit.

However, if the company collapses, he has been told by his energy broker that he will be placed on an emergency tariff that could be as much as seven times higher than what he currently pays.

He said:

“I’m facing a massive hike and it’s nothing to do with us. It’s a major concern”

“We’re completely shackled and it’s put us in a bad position”.

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Mr Wade said the pub had a good reputation and has been busy since reopening after lockdown but he was concerned that sky-high energy bills would eat into his takings.

He urged businesses to check their contracts or get in touch with their energy brokers to see if they are with CNG and, if so, make contingency plans, such as moving towards renewable energy.

He added:

“If you have an old building that relies on gas it eats into your budget.

“We’re backed into a corner, but we’re small fry.

“A lot of people will suffer and it’s not any of our doing.”

The Stray Ferret asked CNG for details of its current situation but did not receive a response by the time of publication.

Drunk teen rescued from river in Boroughbridge

The emergency services were summoned to help two teenagers who it is believed had been in the River Ure in Boroughbridge yesterday evening.

A passerby called Yorkshire Ambulance Service at around 6.20pm. The caller said they had seen a teenage boy drinking before going into the water.

When the ambulance crews arrived they realised that he had been with a teenage girl as well but she was no longer in the area.

So the paramedics requested help from North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue and four water rescue teams to look for the missing girl.

The crews soon found the girl and took her back to her parents. The paramedics then took the boy to hospital for treatment.

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A spokesperson for the fire and rescue service said:

“Ambulance responded to a believed intoxicated male youth by the river.

“Fire were then requested as there was some suspicion that a female youth who had been present due to items found there, may have gone into the river.

“Two level two water rescue and two level three water rescue teams mobilised from Boroughbridge, Ripon, and Richmond.

“Shortly after Boroughbridge attended, contact was made with the missing female – safely back with her parents.”

A spokesperson for the ambulance service added:

“We received an emergency call at 6.19pm on Wednesday to reports of a teenager by the River Ure in Boroughbridge who had been into the water.

“Two ambulances and a clinical supervisor were dispatched to the scene and one patient was conveyed to hospital.

“There were no additional patients requiring ambulance assistance at the scene.”

New lights set to illuminate Boroughbridge

Planning permission has been granted for 14 new street lights to illuminate the River Ure bridge in time for the 700th anniversary of the Battle of Boroughbridge next year.

Boroughbridge Town Council is behind plans to light up the historic bridge at night to improve visibility for pedestrians and motorists. There has been a bridge on the site since at least the 12th century.

The scheme was awarded £13,000 from North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner following the sale of the force’s historic AJ1 number plate.

A planning statement submitted with the application said the visual impact of the street lights on the Grade II listed bridge will be “limited”.

“The only visual change will be the addition of the light units, which have been selected to complement the parapet walls with an honest approach and without imposing significant new elements on the structure.

“The low key design and hidden cabling aim to ensure that the installation will go largely unnoticed during daylight hours.”

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Battle of Boroughbridge

The Battle of Boroughbridge took place on March 16 1322. There was an encounter on the River Ure bridge between Edward II and his cousin, the Earl of Lancaster.

A small army of rebels under the Earl of Lancaster was held at the bridge itself by a larger group of men loyal to the king.

Attempts to negotiate a truce failed and the short, one-sided battle resulted in the surrender and subsequent execution of Lancaster.

The bridge has remained a key part of the transport network ever since.

‘Lancashire sink estate’ plans resubmitted in Boroughbridge

A proposal for hundreds of new homes in Boroughbridge that a councillor likened to ‘a sink development from Lancashire’ has been resubmitted.

Cllr Nigel Simms, a Conservative who represents Masham and Kirkby Malzeard on Harrogate Borough Council, apologised for any offence caused after he described the plans for 260 homes as “like a sink development from Lancashire, not something that we should be having in North Yorkshire”.

The council’s planning committee rejected the plans in June over concerns that too many terraced properties had been concentrated in a small area, and that residents would also not get enough garden or storage space.

Cllr Andrew Paraskos, a Conservative who represents Spofforth with Lower Wharfedale who also sits on the planning committee, said at the time “it looks like they have crammed as many houses in as possible”.

Barratt and David Wilson Homes have now lodged new plans for 256 homes — four fewer than its previous application — at Stump Cross, as part of a wider 450-home development.

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This proposal forms part of the first phase of housing at the Boroughbridge site.

Barratt and David Wilson Homes already have outline approval to build on the site and are seeking final permission.

The site layout for the planned 256 homes in Boroughbridge.

The site layout for the planned 256 homes in Boroughbridge.

In documents submitted to Harrogate Borough Council, the developers said:

“The development will respect Boroughbridge’s local character but also move the area towards a more sustainable future, through a significant increase in housing choice and mixed-use approach.”

The council will make a decision on the proposal at a later date.