Wind warning for Harrogate district tomorrow

The Met Office has issued a weather warning covering the Harrogate district tomorrow.

The yellow alert for wind is active from 9am to 11.45pm.

Gusts over 40 mph are expected, along with persistent morning rain. Further rain is expected over the next few days.

The Met Office map for tomorrow.

Two flood alerts and a more severe flood warning remain in place locally after yesterday’s heavy rain.

The warning is active on the River Nidd at Hunsingore. The latest Environment Agency update at 11.13am today said the old corn mill area is most at risk, adding:

“Residents are strongly urged to take action now. Remain safe and be aware of your surroundings. Monitor local water levels and weather conditions. Consider putting your flood plan into action.”

A flood alert for the Lower River Ure, updated at 9.31am today, said:

“Areas most at risk include low-lying land including agricultural land and local roads in the areas around Masham, Boroughbridge, Aldborough and Bishop Monkton.”

A flood alert covering land around the Lower River Nidd and its tributaries, including Sand Beck, Sike Beck, Pool Beck and Great Gutter was last updated at 9.03am today.

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Village floods as Harrogate district warnings remain

Eight flood alerts and warnings remain in place across the Harrogate district this morning after hours of persistent rain.

Many roads and large swathes of land were flooded last night, leading to treacherous conditions.

Last night also saw firefighters deployed sandbags at Killinghall Primary School after some of the building was flooded.

Driving on the A61 between Harrogate and Ripon was particularly dicey, with the bridge dividing Ripley and Killinghall deep in water.

Bishop Monkton, which is between the two locations, was among the worst hit areas as the beck flooded.

Bishop Monkton. Pic: Helen Bagnall 

Bishop Monkton is subject to a flood warning, which was updated by the Environment Agency at 1.30am this morning to say further rainfall is forecast this afternoon and over the weekend.

It added:

“We are monitoring rainfall and river levels and are checking rivers for blockages in the area. Plan driving routes to avoid low lying roads near rivers which may be flooded.”

Flood warnings, which are more severe than flood alerts because they indicate flooding is expected and people should act, are also in place on the River Ure at Boroughbridge camping and caravanning site and on the River Nidd at Hunsingore, which is between Cattal and Kirk Deighton.

The Hunsingore warning, updated at 2.20am this morning, says:

“Areas most at risk include The Old Cornmill at Hunsingore. Further rainfall is forecast over the weekend. We will continue to monitor levels closely. Residents are strongly urged to take action now. Remain safe and be aware of your surroundings.”

The Boroughbridge warning says:

“River levels are expected to remain high into the weekend, where further heavy showers are possible. We are closing locks and flood gates in the area.”

Less severe flood alerts are active on the Lower River Ure, the Upper River Nidd catchment area, the Middle River Nidd catchment area, the Lower River Nidd catchment area River Crimple.

Rain died out overnight but the wet weather is forecast to return this afternoon and tomorrow.

Let us know of flooding in your area, Please send updates and photos to contact@thestrayferret.co.uk

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GALLERY: Late night festive fun in Boroughbridge

Hundreds of people turned out last night for the annual Christmas late night shopping in Boroughbridge.

The event is organised by Boroughbridge and District Chamber of Trade to give businesses a pre-Christmas boost and to foster community spirit.

About 45 shops in a town with a high percentage of independent traders stayed open late.

A visit by Santa Claus, courtesy of Boroughbridge Lions, plus Christmas carols, mulled wine and roasted chestnuts created a festive feel.

The Christmas tree lights were also officially switched on.

Besides shops in the town centre, the nearby Tap on the Tutt pub on Horsefair took part by hosting about a dozen market stalls outside their premises.

Hairdressers Watkins Wright beat 20 other entrants in the shop window display competition, which adopted the theme ‘Christmas chart hits – with a Christmas theme’.

Here are some photos from last night’s event.

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The hog roast sold out.

 

Carol singers

The Crown Hotel looking festive.

Hundreds of people turned out last night.

The Christmas tree lights were officially switched on.

The Tap on the Tutt hosted about a dozen stalls.

Late night Christmas shopping in Boroughbridge tonight

Boroughbridge will hold its annual late night Christmas shopping event tonight (December 6).

About 45 shops and businesses will be open late and judging will take place for the shop window display competition, which was won last year by estate agency GSC Grays.  Twenty-one organisations have entered this year under the theme ‘Christmas chart hits – with a Christmas theme’.

The event will begin with the official switch-on of the Christmas tree lights in Hall Square at 5.30pm by radio presenter Georgey Spanswick and Boroughbridge mayor Sean Hynes.

Organised by Boroughbridge and District Chamber of Trade, there will be children’s rides, a hog roast, mulled wine and roast chestnuts.

Boroughbridge Lions will host Santa and his sleigh and there will be performances by three school choirs from Boroughbridge Primary, Roecliffe Primary and Boroughbridge High School.

Independent of the chamber’s event, The Tap on the Tutt pub on Horsefair is organising some temporary market stalls outside their premises tonight too.

The chamber said in a statement:

“Last year’s event was truly marvellous, with an amazing number of people turning out in support of the event – it will certainly be a challenge to top that.”

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Council threatens compulsory purchase to rescue 4,000-home Maltkiln scheme

North Yorkshire Council is prepared to compulsory purchase land as a “last resort” so the 4,000-home Maltkiln settlement can be built, according to a report published today.

The potential town and two primary schools would be constructed off the A59 towards York near the villages of Cattal, Whixley, Green Hammerton and Kirk Hammerton.

But the future of Maltkiln was thrown into disarray in January when a key landowner, which owns fields around Cattal train station making up around half of the proposed site, pulled out.

The land in question also forms the “village centre” at the heart of Yorkshire-based developer Caddick Group’s vision for the new town.

The scheme does not yet have planning permission but is the largest allocation for housing in the Harrogate district’s local plan, which sets out where housebuilding can take place until 2035.

This gives the council a say in how the scheme is developed and officers have been working on a development plan document for several years ahead of a submission to government.

Building homes near the railway station has been the unique selling point of Maltkiln due to its links into York, Harrogate and Leeds.

It was one of the reasons the defunct Harrogate Borough Council picked the Maltkiln area ahead of Flaxby near Knaresborough following a bitter row that lasted years and ended up in the High Court.

But a report that has gone before the council’s Conservative-led executive ahead of a meeting next Tuesday warns that Maltkiln would no longer be deliverable without the land around the station.

It says work on the development plan document might then have to stop, essentially ending the scheme in its current form as the report says the landowner has “made it clear” they don’t want to sell.

To break the impasse, the report says the council would therefore be willing to use a compulsory purchase order as a “last resort” to ensure that Maltkiln is built.

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Although it adds there is still a possibility the landowner may yet change its mind and sell up without it getting to that stage.

Officers have explored expanding the boundary of the settlement but concluded this would mean Maltkiln can no longer deliver its “key principle” regarding sustainable travel opportunities for residents at the train station.

It also says changing the boundary of the scheme would be problematic as roads may need to be rerouted.

The report says if the executive resolves to potentially use the council’s compulsory purchase order powers, it would “provide evidence” to government that Maltkiln is still deliverable and work on the development plan document can continue, despite the key landowner refusing to sell.

This would then allow the council to submit the development plan document for inspection by the government’s Planning Inspectorate in 2024.

According to the report, Caddick Group have agreed to discuss underwriting the costs of the CPO.

If the council were to purchase the land through a compulsory purchase order, it could also enter agreements with other developers such as the government’s housing agency Homes England.

The report said: 

“The new settlement at Maltkiln presents an opportunity to deliver a significant number of homes in a sustainable location on an existing railway line, and in a manner that ensures that infrastructure and facilities can be provided on site.

“National planning policy makes clear that development should be genuinely plan-led and so halting the development plan document, or ‘going back to the drawing board’ would miss an opportunity to capitalise on the work (including community consultation) undertaken so far and deliver much-needed homes in the area.”

Arnold Warneken, Green Party councillor for Ouseburn, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that the compulsory purchase order proposal “cannot be justified” and that the council should drop the scheme from its county-wide Local Plan.

Cllr Warneken said:

“It’s coming across as desperation to justify all the work and cost so far. If this was so robust why was the landowner allowed to bow out? I feel that was totally their decision and we don’t need to question that.

“So much emphasis has been put on the rail link which is in theory a great idea but this has always been the wrong setting for this to enable the stated benefits for climate and biodiversity.”

Police appeal after nine goats found near Boroughbridge

North Yorkshire Police are appealing to find the owner of nine goats which were found near Boroughbridge.

The force said the herd was found in Thorpe Underwood and is “currently safe and being well cared for”.

In a statement, police said:

“This certainly isn’t a sentence you say every day, but if you’re missing nine goats or know anyone who is, we’d love to hear from you.

“Please email david.mackay@northyorkshire.police.uk

“You can also call North Yorkshire Police on 101 and ask for PC1452 David Mackay.”

Quote reference number 12230218867 when passing on information.

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Business Breakfast: Reed Boardall awarded Silver by MOD

Excellence deserves to be recognised and celebrated. The 2024 Stray Ferret Business Awards is the event to put your business, people or great initiative in the spotlight!

Make the most of your efforts by reading our top 10 tips for writing your submission for success.

Entries close on January 19, 2024.

Reed Boardall, the cold storage food distributor based at Boroughbridge, has been given a Silver award by the Ministry of Defence (MOD) for being an armed forces-friendly organisation.

The company currently has more than 20 veterans and regular and reservist serving personnel among its 800 employees, and a further eight are soon to join.

The Silver award, which must be nominated by a third party, was given to the company in recognition of its pledge to advocate support to defence and the armed forces community, and for aligning its values with the Armed Forces Covenant. The company signed up to the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme last year, and achieved a Bronze Award in November 2022.

Reed Boardall operates an in-house driver academy, which is popular among defence personnel seeking a new career as an HGV driver. It has also adapted its employment policies to accommodate the training and deployment needs of those still serving, where possible.

The company has also built links with the prison services to increase the employment of ex-offenders, and is partnering with organisations such as Career Transition Partnership (CTP), Army Families Federation, the Department for Work and Pensions, HM Prison Service and People Plus, as well as charities Veterans into Logistics and Clean Slate Solutions.

Reed Boardall was presented with the Silver award at a special event hosted by Jo Ropner, the Lord-Lieutenant of North Yorkshire, and attended by senior military representatives.

Marcus Boardall, chief executive of Reed Boardall, said:

“This Silver award is another fantastic achievement for the team. It is a real accolade to be nominated for such a prestigious award from the MOD by CTP and some of the charities with which we work, and is a further demonstration of how much we value services personnel and our commitment to supporting military families.

“We hope that more businesses put initiatives in place to welcome those embarking on a new career, whether they are veterans, services personnel or ex-offenders, and we are already working towards the ERS Gold award.”

Workers unaware of zero-hours rights, poll finds

More than three in every five workers in Yorkshire and the Humber (61%) are unaware of the rights of people on zero-hours contracts, a new survey from Acas has found.

A zero-hours contract is usually where an employer does not have to give any minimum working hours and a worker does not have to take any work offered.

The employment status of a zero-hours worker can vary depending on the exact nature of the working arrangement.

Acas chief executive Susan Clews said:

“Acas has advice in this area and a new law next year aims to give zero-hours contracts workers the right to request more predictability around their working pattern.

“We are currently consulting on a new Code of Practice to help businesses and workers in Yorkshire and the Humber understand the new law and provide good practice around requests for a predictable working pattern.”

Acas advice is that someone on a zero-hours contract could be legally classed as an employee or a worker; their employment status will determine their legal rights.

People on zero-hours contracts are always entitled to the National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage, paid holiday, rest breaks, pay slips, and protection from discrimination.

Employers must grant all relevant statutory employment rights to people who work under these arrangements.

Acas – the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service – is a publicly-funded body that works for better employment relations.

It is currently consulting on its new draft statutory Code of Practice on handling requests for a predictable working pattern. The consultation closes on January 17, 2024.

The Workers (Predictable Terms and Conditions) Act is expected to come into force in autumn 2024.

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The Stray Ferret Christmas Appeal 2023: ‘This group has changed my life’

This year’s Stray Ferret Christmas Appeal is to raise money for a minibus for Dementia Forward in the Harrogate district. 

The appeal is kindly sponsored by Vida Healthcare.

Please give generously to support local people and their families living with dementia. Let’s not forget who needs our help this Christmas.

Today, we talked to member of the young onset dementia group.

Before being diagnosed with young onset dementia, members of Dementia Forward‘s Time Out Together group were just like anyone else. One was the captain of Leeds Rhinos rugby, another a high-flying musician, and one a secretary for the Bank of England.

But everything changed before they reached the age of 65.

“We feel like a family – we are a family.”

This is how one member, Ally, described Time Out Together.

The group supports people living with young onset dementia – a form of the disease which affects people under the age of 65.

They meet every Wednesday and begin their day with coffee, cakes, and a catch-up. They laugh and chat and escape the evil disease they’re living with – even just temporarily.

Ally, who joined the group around nine months ago, said:

“I absolutely love it – it has changed my life.

“Everything we do is different – once we walked with llamas, and mine was named Gary!”

Time Out Together members visit the beach, nature reserves, play golf, visit art galleries, go on walking trips, go to the theatre and much more.

The purpose of the group is to socialise with people who understand them. The disease is robs these people of their former selves every day, but Dementia Forward works tirelessly to combat this.

Kev, the group’s volunteer bus-driver, said:

“It’s about laughing and joking together – we don’t judge here.”

Time Out Together is helping those living with young onset dementia and their carers every week, but the reality is that these people are fighting a downhill battle.

That’s why we need your help to ensure that the vital minibus service continues, and that people carry on receiving the care they need.

Dementia Forward’s current bus is old and urgently needs to be replaced. The charity would seriously struggle to afford a new one, which is why they need your help to keep this vital service going. Without it, many people living with dementia wouldn’t be able to access the help and support they need.

Every donation to our campaign will go directly to Dementia Forward, helping us hit our £30,000 target to buy the charity a new minibus and improving the lives of those living with dementia and the people around them.

Please give generously to those who need our help this Christmas. Click here to donate whatever you can – you never know when you, your family or a friend may be in need of Dementia Forward’s help too.

Thank you.

For those that need urgent help or have a dementia-related enquiry, call 03300578592 to speak to a helpline adviser.

Campaigners shocked as Harrogate district has highest number of fatal accidents in county

Road safety campaigners say they are shocked after data revealed the Harrogate district has the highest number of fatal accidents in the county.

Data released by North Yorkshire Council, showed 16 of 89 fatal collisions in North Yorkshire happened in the Harrogate district. Only Selby had the same number.

The data is taken from January 1, 2019, to December 31, 2022.

Hazel Peacock, Dr Jenny Marks, Dr Vicki Evans and Ruth Lily of the Oatlands and Pannal Ash Road Safety & Active Travel Campaign, told the Stray Ferret:

“It is shocking and sad to hear Harrogate has one of the highest fatal collision rates in North Yorkshire.

“Given the overwhelming evidence between speed limits and road safety we urge North Yorkshire Council (NYC) to take a proactive approach to delivering improvements across the Harrogate town and the wider area.”

The group said the statistics show the need to reduce speed limits from 30mph to 20mph is “really clear”.

Annual fatal accident statistics 

2019: Six fatal collisions happened in the Harrogate and Scarborough districts which is the highest number within the period – equating to around one every two months.

During the same period, Richmondshire did not report any fatal collisions, while Selby reported just one.

A breakdown of collisions (and the severity) in the Harrogate district. Credit: North Yorkshire Council.

However, the statistics show numbers more than halved in the Harrogate district during the pandemic.

2020: Three fatal incidents happened but in Craven and Selby numbers shot up with six fatal crashes in the same year.

2021 and 2022: After lockdown restrictions lifted, the Harrogate district saw a further seven fatal collisions.

Selby reported another nine during the same period, while Craven and Richmondshire saw just two.

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The number of fatal collisions in the Harrogate district is inconsistent over the four-year period.

Although the Harrogate district has the largest population many people will question why the figure is so much higher than the rest of the county.

Cllr Keane Duncan, North Yorkshire Council’s executive member for highways and transportation, said:

“We take our road safety responsibilities very seriously. Every fatal collision that occurs on our roads network is inspected by an investigation team and, where appropriate, we put in place measures to reduce the risk of further incidents.

“Harrogate is the county’s largest, most heavily populated town, with significant local and through traffic.

“This number of collisions is the result of a variety of factors, including population density and distances travelled.”

The Harrogate district also saw 730 road collisions in total during the period — the highest in North Yorkshire – which accounted for almost a quarter of all collisions across the county.

Mr Duncan added:

“We invest heavily in road safety engineering across North Yorkshire and long-term collision numbers in the county are down.

“We have also recently committed to an ambitious new approach to setting speed limits that will see these reviewed on every inch of the county’s 5,750-mile network. We will soon consult on our most extensive 20mph zone in Pannal Ash and Oatlands.

“We will continue to work with our partners, including the emergency services, in an effort to ensure this downward trend in collisions continues.”

2023 – a bad year 

Throughout 2023, the Stray Ferret has already reported on six fatal collisions in the Harrogate district, meaning this year’s figures have increased again.

Five people died in car crashes on the A61, which runs between Ripon and Harrogate, this year.

A 59-year-old motorcyclist was killed on the A61 on August 29. Officers believe that the motorcyclist was travelling with a group of unknown motorcycles immediately before the collision and he was at the rear of the group.

Just a few days later, three members of a Ukrainian family were killed in a three-vehicle crash that involved a double decker bus on Sunday, September 3. One child was left orphaned.

Most recently, a man in his 90s was hit by a car on the road, near Killinghall, after getting off the 36 bus.

Fatal collisions also happened on Brimham Rocks Road, near Pateley Bridge, North Park Road in Harrogate and the B6265 near Boroughbridge.

EXCLUSIVE: Stray Ferret reveals not a single litter fine in Harrogate district for past three years

There has not been a single fine for littering in the Harrogate district over the past three financial years.

The figure was revealed by North Yorkshire Council following a Freedom of Information request by the Stray Ferret after repeated coverage of residents’ concerns about litter.

The council said it is “very fortunate” that most local people choose to do “the right thing” and dispose of their litter responsibly.

It also said dedicating officers to catching and fining people is “very resource intensive” and requires them to “be in the right place at the right time”.

A spokesperson for the council said:

“We have a team who are out every day, in all weathers, keeping the district clean and tidy.

“Dedicating officers to deal with catching and fining people is very resource intensive, and requires us having people in the right place at the right time to catch someone committing an offence within the 505 square miles of what was the Harrogate district.”

The Stray Ferret also asked the council to breakdown any littering fines into specific locations where they were issues – including Harrogate, Knaresborough, Boroughbridge, Ripon and Nidderdale. The number remained at zero.

Neil Hind, chairperson of Pinewoods Conservation Group, said litter remains a “constant problem” in the Pinewoods area, and feels there is a lack of enforcement locally:

“It seems clear there is no real enforcement undertaken.

“As such we have taken our own direct action with regards to litter within the Pinewoods that has made a noticeable difference.

“We have a committed group of volunteers who regularly collect litter across the woods to keep the area tidy.”

An ongoing problem

The results of our FOI is likely to upset many people in the district.

Throughout 2021, Pinewoods volunteers urged people to “just use a bin” after a rise in littering, while post-covid parties on the Stray left the land carpeted with rubbish.

More recently the council’s decision to reduce the number public waste bins but make them larger, has also caused concern.

In August this year, the Stray Ferret reported on a call for an urgent review of litter bins in the Jennyfields area after reports of dog poo bags piling up.

In July, we reported on a Starbeck community group which gathered to litter-pick after seeing an increase in rubbish around the area.

The issue of litter is a subject that always raises the public’s blood pressure. It’s likely many residents will struggle to accept the council’s approach and be appalled at a total absence of litter fines.

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