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Five key issues in Harrogate district at the upcoming election

Over the next six weeks, politicians will be vying for votes and clashing over what they see as the key issues in the Harrogate district.

From the state of the NHS to the quality of water in our rivers, candidates of all party colours will be having their say on topics as they head into a six-week election campaign.

With this in mind, the Stray Ferret has looked at what could be the key election issues in the Harrogate district.

Water quality

Perhaps the most pertinent issue over the last six months is the quality of water in the district’s rivers.

Andrew Jones, Conservative MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, led the campaign for bathing water status at Knaresborough Lido.

Mr Jones is likely to use the success of the Nidd being granted bathing water status as part of his election pitch to emphasise his record as the town’s MP.

Robbie Moore, Defra Minister, and Andrew Jones at the Nidd.

But, Tom Gordon, the Liberal Democrat candidate, will likely point to the amount of sewage dumped into the district’s rivers as a counter narrative.

As recently as Thursday, Mr Gordon highlighted river pollution as one of the key issues in the area. Labour candidate Conrad Whitcroft also cites the state of the Nidd as one of his key issues.

Health service

Much like the rest of the nation, the Harrogate district is not immune to pressures on the NHS.

The area particularly struggles with GP appointments and dentists, with Harrogate in particular acutely lacking NHS provision for dentistry.

It’s a topic that has not escaped the attention of some of the candidates on July 4.

Tom Gordon pictured with Daisy Cooper, Lib Dem health spokesperson.

Both Mr Jones and Mr Gordon have raised the issue in their own way.

The Conservative MP brought up the topic of dentistry in the House of Commons in September while Mr Gordon met with the Liberal Democrat health spokesperson to raise the issue in March last year.

Expect the lack of dentistry in Harrogate to raise its head again at some point in the next six weeks.

Housing

Whether it be new estate off Kingsley Drive or 3,000 homes in the west of Harrogate, or the Manse Farm development in Knaresbrough, housing is a major issue.

The Stray Ferret has covered the extensive housebuilding in the area and its knock on effect onto local residents extensively.

Given its prominency in Harrogate and Knaresborough, the topic is expected to be debated extensively by candidates.

Mr Jones raised the issue over new build estates in the House of Commons as recently as April, where he pointed out he had run a ‘fair deal for new estates’ campaign for over a year.

Meanwhile, Mr Gordon is no stranger to criticising the government’s record on housing.

In April, he told the Stray Ferret that new homeowners should be protected from “dodgy developers” by strengthening the law on leaseholds and freeholds.

Education

The provision of education is always a hot topic at elections.

Both Mr Gordon and Mr Jones have clashed before over the issue of funding for schools.

But, in the Harrogate district, perhaps a more pressing issue is the provision for those with special educational needs and disabilities.

The Stray Ferret reported recently on a significant increase in demand for SEND places.

A report before councillors on Harrogate and Knaresborough area constituency committee on March 14 showed a significant increase in the number of education health and care plans submitted to the council.

The plans detail a child’s needs and are given to schools to consider ahead of a potential admission.

The matter has even seen parents from Harrogate go to Leeds to demonstrate over provision for SEND pupils.

Transport

The need for people to get around is another issue frequently raised in Harrogate.

Mr Jones, who is a former rail minister, has campaigned for better rail services and championed the town’s electric bus fleet.

Some of this has led to noticeable improvements in the town, such as more direct services to London. But other areas remain questionable.

Take for instance the pledge by government to divert millions of pounds of HS2 money towards potholes and road repairs.

While some roads in the Harrogate district have benefited from resurfacing, others still await repair.

Readers of the Stray Ferret this week shared with us pictures of some roads in the district which they feel are in need of some attention.

It’s a topic which election candidates in Harrogate may face at some point this campaign.

Harrogate district set to become election battleground

As the door to 10 Downing Street slammed on Wednesday evening, it effectively signalled the starting bell for a six-week election campaign.

The Prime Minister’s announcement that an election will be held on July 4 created political battlegrounds across the country’s 650 constituencies.

In Harrogate and Knaresborough, the outlook is no different.

The constituency has been held by the Conservatives for 14 years. In that time, Andrew Jones, the incumbent MP, has won four elections.

He has seen off three different Liberal Democrat candidates vying for the seat, as well as numerous other opposition parties.

(Left, clockwise) Andew Jones, Tom Gordon, Shan Oakes, John Swales and Conrad Whitcroft.

But the Lib Dems see the 2024 election as a different proposition. Tom Gordon, who will be contesting Mr Jones, has described it as a “once in a generation” election and a chance to kick out the Tories.

Mr Gordon’s challenge will be to overhaul the Conservative’s 9,675 majority – a required swing in the region of 8%.

The 29-year-old has framed the election in Harrogate as a choice between the Liberal Democrats and the Tories, a sign that the party is eyeing the seat as a major scalp.

Meanwhile, there are three other candidates so far in Conrad Whitcroft (Labour), Shan Oakes (Green Party) and John Swales (Reform UK) who are preparing to put a dent in the Tory dominance in the constituency.

But, despite the reported discontent within the Conservative backbenchers at the prospect of a summer election, Mr Jones has been defiant.

The day after Mr Sunak’s announcement, the Harrogate and Knaresborough MP issued a combative statement which he pledged to win voters trust.

He said:

“On 5 July we will wake up with Rishi Sunak as Prime Minister or Keir Starmer. No other outcome is possible. And there has only ever been a Labour Prime Minister when this constituency has elected anyone other than a Conservative.

“Choosing that local champion combined with choosing our next Prime Minister is the responsibility that lies with us all on 4 July. I hope that Harrogate and Knaresborough residents will choose me again and I will be working hard win that trust once more.”

Skipton and Ripon

In six weeks’ time, Julian Smith, the Conservative MP for Skipton and Ripon, will be tasked with defending his 23,694 majority.

The former Northern Ireland secretary will be hoping to make 2024 his fifth election win in the constituency.

He will also be looking to continue a legacy for the Conservative Party in holding the seat at every election since it was created in 1983.

Standing in his way will be Green Party candidate Andy Brown, who will contest the constituency for a fourth time. Simon Garvey will be standing for Reform UK.

Wetherby and Easingwold

This election will see some voters in the Harrogate district fall under a new constituency.

Wetherby and Easingwold, which replaced the old Selby and Ainsty seat, will cover areas such as Spofforth, Follifoot and Boroughbridge.

The new seat offers all parties a chance to stake their claim to become the first to hold the constituency.

So far, the Tories have announced that current Elmet and Rothwell MP Alec Shelbrook will stand for the party. Meanwhile, Reform UK will field Mike Jordan on polling day.

The Liberal Democrats have chosen James Monaghan as its candidate for the new constituency.

Knaresborough man to stand for Lib Dems in Wetherby and Easingwold

The Liberal Democrats have today revealed their parliamentary candidate for Wetherby and Easingwold.

James Monaghan, who lives in Knaresborough, will run as the party’s first candidate for the newly formed constituency.

Mr Monaghan has been involved in the party as a campaigner for more than 20 years.

He was formerly a Knaresborough town councillor and Leeds city councillor, and currently works as a director for a local financial services company.

Mr Monaghan said:

“It is a privilege to stand as the Liberal Democrat candidate in Wetherby and Easingwold.

“As a brand-new constituency, the Liberal Democrats have a real opportunity to challenge the Conservatives for change here.”

He also previously chaired the Leeds Climate Change Partnership and Knaresborough Civic Society.

Mr Monaghan added:

“The Liberal Democrats and I are fighting to get a better deal for Wetherby and Easingwold. We’re demanding better access to GP and dental services, fighting for a fair deal for our NHS and calling for real action to tackle the cost-of-living crisis.”

The new Wetherby and Easingwold constituency was formed after the Boundary Commission for England review concluded in June last year.

Locally, it means Boroughbridge, Minskip, Marton-cum-Grafton, the Dunsforths, Ripley and Nidd have all been removed from the Harrogate and Knaresborough constituency – currently held by Conservative Andrew Jones.

Goldsborough, Flaxby, Allerton Park, Hopperton and Burton Leonard have also been added to the new seat.

The election is being held on July 4 this year.

Are these the worst pothole roads in the Harrogate district?

They are the bane of drivers’ lives and the Harrogate district is not immune to them.

Potholes can damage cars, buckle wheels on bikes and make some roads intolerable to drive down.

This past week, we asked readers to share what they feel are some of the worst roads for potholes in the Harrogate district.

In response, we received pictures from streets across Harrogate, Knaresborough and Ripon.

Among them were Pannal Ash Road, Coppice Drive, York Place, Victoria Avenue and St Andrew’s Avenue in Harrogate.

Pictures of Kirkby Road and Firby Lane in Ripon, as well as Stockwell Road in Knaresborough were also sent to us.

Sharow Lane also made an appearance, which one resident described as in need of “long overdue maintenance” despite the council earmarking it for repairs.

You can take a look at the roads in our video below.

The Stray Ferret sent the list of roads to North Yorkshire Council and asked for a response to the concerns that they are in need of repair.

A spokesperson sent us the authority’s highways capital programme, which includes some of the roads, such as Sharow Lane.

They added that residents should report any potholes or road repairs directly to the council.

The council had also previously earmarked Pannal Ash Road for a £300,000 resurfacing scheme in September 2023, which is due to be carried out in the summer this year.

In April, the authority announced that its annual roads repair programme would total £25.3 million and include 142 miles of roads across North Yorkshire.

At the time, Karl Battersby, corporate director of environment at the authority, said:

“Keeping our roads in the best condition for the money we have available is one of our key priorities.

“The annual surface dressing programme is a proactive measure that is vital to maintaining a safe network and preventing potholes arising.

“We carefully choose the routes and work closely with our contractors to ensure we deliver a cost-effective scheme despite ongoing inflationary pressures. The schedule will benefit residents in all areas of the county.”

Do you have a road which is riddled with potholes? Share your pictures with us via contact@thestrayferret.co.uk or message us on Facebook.

Who will be standing in the Harrogate district at the general election?

Five candidates have so far been announced to stand in Harrogate and Knaresborough at this year’s general election.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak confirmed today that the country will go to the polls on July 4.

The announcement came amid heightened speculation in Westminster after Mr Sunak called ministers to a cabinet meeting this afternoon.

It means Andrew Jones, Conservative MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, will be defending his 9,675 majority in six weeks’ time.

Mr Jones will be hoping to win the seat he won in 2010 for the fifth consecutive election.

He will be up against at least four other candidates from the Liberal Democrats, Labour, Green Party and Reform UK.

The confirmed candidates so far are:

Andrew Jones, Conservative Party
Tom Gordon, Liberal Democrats
Conrad Whitcroft, Labour Party
John Swales, Reform UK
Shan Oakes, Green Party

Skipton and Ripon

Meanwhie, Julian Smith, Conservative MP for Skipton and Ripon, will also be defending the seat he won in 2010.

Mr Smith currently holds a 23,694 majority in the constituency, which he has held since 2010.

So far, Andy Brown has been confirmed as the Green Party candidate for the seat and Simon Garvey will stand for the Reform UK.

The upcoming election will also see the newly created Wetherby and Easingwold be contested for the first time.

The new seat was created as part of parliamentary boundary changes announced by government and will include locations including Boroughbridge, Spofforth and Bishop Monkton in the Harrogate district.

So far, Elmet and Rothwell MP Alec Shelbrooke has been announced as the Conservative candidate for the seat and Mike Jordan will stand for Reform UK.

The Nidderdale mole catcher: “People can be funny about what I do”Halogen heater causes house fire near Boroughbridge

A halogen heater left too close to curtains caused a house fire near Boroughbridge last night.

A person at the house required oxygen and was taken to hospital.

Firefighters from Knaresborough and Harrogate were called to the property in Aldborough at 10.40pm last night.

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service’s incident report said:

“The fire was caused by a halogen heater that had accidentally been turned on whilst being too close to the curtains.

“On the arrival of fire crews, the occupant had extinguished the fire using a fire extinguisher and water from a kettle.”

The report said firefighters removed the curtains, dampened down and cleared the smoke.

It added:

“Crews administered oxygen therapy to one occupant suffering from smoke inhalation. The occupant was transported to hospital via road ambulance for a precautionary check up.”

What did police and fire commissioner Zoe Metcalfe achieve?

After two-and-a-half years in office, police commissioner Zoe Metcalfe bowed out from public life this past week.

On Monday, the position of North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner was abolished as powers were transferred to the newly created Mayor of York and North Yorkshire.

The decision spelt the end for Ms Metcalfe’s £76,300 a year role, which she was elected to in November 2021 after succeeding fellow Conservative Philip Allott.

Her tenure saw a strategy for violence against women and girls introduced, plus a drive to improve call handling times.

But it also saw Ms Metcalfe oversee a controversial plan to cut the number of overnight fire engines in Harrogate from two to one.

The Stray Ferret requested an interview with the former commissioner to discuss her tenure, but a spokesperson for her office said she was unavailable due to “the volume of her commitments in her final few days”.

In this article, we look at Ms Metcalfe’s time as commissioner and analyse her performance.

999 calls

During her campaign to become commissioner, Ms Metcalfe pledged to improve the performance of North Yorkshire Police – in particular call handling.

The issue was encapsulated by the public routinely complaining about long waits for emergency calls to be answered.

Police reported in January 2023 that fewer than half of 999 calls were being answered on time.

North Yorkshire Police force control room

Between November 2021 and November 2022, only 44% were answered within 10 seconds. The national target for forces is 90%.

Ms Metcalfe made improving response times one of her priorities and announced a £2.5m investment into the control room, which included hiring 50 more staff to ease pressure.

By January this year, the force met the national target for call handling times.

Cllr Chris Aldred, a Liberal Democrat who sits on the North Yorkshire police, fire and crime panel that scrutinised Ms Metcalfe’s performance, pointed to the area as a sign of improvement.

He told the Stray Ferret:

“I would say that commissioner Metcalfe has definitely outperformed the two previous occupants of the role. Although, to be absolutely honest, this is rather a low bar to set.

“I do appreciate the transparency and commitment Zoe brought to the post. Under her watch performance has improved, notably in the outcome of recent inspection reports for both services, the performance of the police control room, where thanks to additional funding she has invested, call time answering has improved significantly.”

However, despite strides in improving the police force, the fire service proved a more contentious service to handle.

Fire cuts opposition

In May 2022, Ms Metcalfe unveiled her risk and resource model, which set out how the fire service will deploy its resources over the next three years. It puts the emphasis on fire prevention, especially during the day when most fires occur.

The plan, which covered the three years from 2022 to 2025, included a proposal to reduce the number of fire engines operating overnight at Harrogate and Scarborough fire stations from two to one.

The move was met with criticism from the North Yorkshire Fire Brigades Union, which warned that such a decision would lead to a “second-rate emergency response service that will put lives at risk”.

However, in an interview with the Stray Ferret in June 2022, Ms Metcalfe disagreed with the union’s criticism.

She said:

“From everything I’ve seen I’m confident that won’t happen.”

Ms Metcalfe also argued that the proposals meant more resources for fire prevention.

The move came at a time of a bleak financial picture for the service.

Harrogate fire station on Skipton Road.

In January 2022, the Stray Ferret revealed that North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service faced having to borrow up to £31 million to fund new equipment after the government abolished its capital grant.

At the time, Steve Howley, secretary of the North Yorkshire Fire Brigade’s Union, said the service was “struggling to buy the basics”.

He said:

“The government needs to start taking fire and rescue seriously and fund it appropriately. The firefighters of North Yorkshire are staring down the barrel of a gun, either cut firefighter jobs to pay for basic provisions or fail to have adequate facilities or equipment.

“Neither option provides the public of North Yorkshire with the protection they deserve or require.”

The Stray Ferret approached North Yorkshire Fire Brigade’s Union for comment, but had not received a response by the time of publication.

Meanwhile, Ms Metcalfe told councillors during public meetings that she would lobby government for fairer funding, but this appears to have not had the desired effect.

In February, the commissioner recommended to increase the council tax precept for the fire service by 2.99% because it was the maximum increase permitted by government without a referendum.

Cllr Aldred said he felt that the commissioner could have done more to pressure ministers to come up with a better model for financing rural fire services.

He said:

“I do think the outgoing commissioner could have put more pressure on central government for more funding for the North Yorkshire fire service.

“The national funding model always works against a large rural fire service, who rely extensively on volunteer fire fighters and often have to travel large distances to reach fires in England’s largest geographical county.”

The trials and tribulations which come with scrutinising and commissioning police and fire services now lie with David Skaith, the Labour mayor of York and North Yorkshire.

Controversy over taxi fare rise in North Yorkshire

Taxi passengers in North Yorkshire are facing having to pay five per cent more per mile in the face of appeals to increase and lower maximum permitted fares across the county.

North Yorkshire Council’s executive agreed to the daytime rates rise, extending night-time rates time to eight hours from 10pm and increasing the maximum call-out charge from £1 to £1.50 after hearing taxi drivers were divided over the rates which should be charged.

If the move is not contested, day-time taxis will be able to charge £4 for the first quarter mile and 20p for every extra quarter mile or 35 seconds of waiting time.

Ripon cabbie Richard Fieldman told the leading councillors the 70 drivers from Whitby to Harrogate he represented were opposed to the proposals.

He said:

“What you see before you today is totally unacceptable for those that work nights and the unsocial Christmas period. The proposal gives no increase to those working these hours which less and less drivers are prepared to work these days.”

The meeting was told one of the proposed changes, to start higher rates from 10pm rather than 11pm, would have a minimal impact on night-time drivers.

He added:

“It is ironic that officers recognise that drivers need rewarding for late-night unsocial hours with abusive, alcohol and drug-fuelled customers, yet are failing to provide them with the same increase as the day-time drivers.”

Mr Fieldman said the £1 per mile call-out charge had remained the same for many years and when combined with higher fuel costs had become “unviable in a vast rural county” to travel significant distances to pick up passengers who only wanted to go a few miles.

The meeting heard drivers were refusing to do these types of journey, leaving some passengers unable to get home. In addition, areas such as Northallerton, Thirsk, Ripon and Skipton had serious shortages of drivers working unsocial hours and the proposals would ensure even less cover.

Ripon councillor Barbara Brodigan told the meeting recent changes in Barnsley similar to the North Yorkshire proposals had led to too few or no taxis being available during holiday periods and at night-time.

However, Cllr Kevin Foster, who represents Colburn, an area with amongst the highest levels of deprivation in the county, said he received a lot of complaints over the cost of taxi fares.

He said the public needed to be made aware taxis did not have to charge the maximum permitted fares.

Several executive members said they felt the proposals represented a reasonable compromise.

While the fare increase will be subject to consultation if anyone objects, managing our environment executive member Councilor Greg White said some people had called for the maximum charges to be lowered to make North Yorkshire more competitive with nearby areas.

He said a three-mile trip in Barnsley would cost £8.90, but in North Yorkshire it would be £14.98.

A report to the meeting showed while a 20-mile night-time journey in North Yorkshire would cost £68.67, in Bradford passengers would be charged £42.40, in Leeds and £49.45 in East Riding.

Cllr White said:

“We are already more expensive than Bradford, Durham, East Riding, Lancaster, Leeds, Redcar and Cleveland and York. So I’m really keen that we don’t get to the situation where we do an injustice to the people who use the taxi service by making those taxis become unaffordable.”

Stunning Northern Lights display lights up Harrogate skies

The Harrogate district was treated to a stunning display of the Northern Lights last night.

The aurora borealis was visible across the country last night.

Readers from across the district shared their pictures with the Stray Ferret of the natural light display which left sky watchers in awe.

You can enjoy some of the spectacular photographs below. Share your pictures with us via contact@thestrayferret.co.uk.

Justina Halfpenny at Knox Mill Lane.

Syd Bell at West Park.

Emma Pittard at Almscliffe Crag.

Molly Fetherston at Grantley Hall.

Julie Valentine in Harrogate.

Helen Baxter in Knaresborough.

Water quality

Health service

Housing

Education

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Transport

Skipton and Ripon

Wetherby and Easingwold

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Skipton and Ripon

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999 calls

Fire cuts opposition

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