Council seeks contractors to begin work on Hammerton Greenway

A contractor is being sought to to create a 1.7km traffic-free cycleway  from Green Hammerton to Thorpe Underwood.

The Hammerton Greenway, which will cost an estimated £84,600, will encourage cycling in villages close to main roads.

Green Hammerton Parish Council began work on the scheme after the 2014 Tour de France passed through the area and a planning application to change the use of land to facilitate a cycleway was submitted last year to North Yorkshire Council.

The village lies between York and Harrogate. The A59 and Boroughbridge Road limit access to the network of country roads into the vale of York.

The greenway will link with Great Ouseburn, which is part of the Way of the Roses cycle route from Morecambe to Bridlington.

North Yorkshire Council is funding the majority of the scheme from developer contributions paid by housebuilders and now the parish council is seeking bids from contractors to carry out the work. The deadline for submissions is April 30.

Work is expected to begin in autumn, after the nesting season and harvesting so overhanging branches and overgrown hedges can be cut back.

Planning documents submitted to the council in support of the application said:

“This will be a greenway for all users and will be designed to give a smooth dry surface for year-round use on foot, by cycle, and with children’s buggies or by those in wheelchairs.”

Creating the cycleway will mainly involve upgrading existing public footpaths and farm tracks to create a more even and levelled surface. The surface will be ‘durable all-weather crushed stone, with mown verges either side, giving a total width of 5m’.

Moss Hill Lane will be included in the cycleway.

The planning documents add:

“The work will require the replacement of an existing bridge with a new, cycleway bridge, the installation of potential street furniture (benches, bollards, and gates) and new/enhanced boundary treatments in the form of hedge planting and where necessary fencing.”

Jon Purday, a campaigner for the greenway who put the idea to the parish council in 2014, said:

“The Hammerton Greenway will be a safe route for families to take children on bikes, buggies and scooters, for walkers, wheelchairs and mobility vehicles, and for young people to cycle on a traffic-free track. Green Hammerton is hemmed in by busy main roads which are dangerous for young and inexperienced cyclists.

“In the past decade Green Hammerton has doubled in size and many young families have moved into the new houses. The Hammerton Greenway offers safe, accessible space for all those growing up in the village to learn to cycle and to get the benefit of living in the country.

“Queen Ethelburga’s school is just a mile away over the fields, and all the Green Hammerton children who go there, as well as teachers and others in the village who work there, will be able to cycle safely into school. That’s a much more exciting way to start the day than adding to the school car run.”

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Yorkshire Dales Monopoly edition revealed

There’s nothing quite like a game of Monopoly between friends and family, especially during the holidays. Launched just in time for Easter, the official Monopoly: Yorkshire Dales has been released and highlights iconic places, landmarks and game pieces from God’s own country.

The new Yorkshire Dales game follows on from previous local editions including Monopoly York that was released in 2010, Monopoly Harrogate which was launched in 2019, Monopoly Leeds released in 2008, and Monopoly Sheffield launched in 2007.

Monopoly Harrogate

Bolton Abbey features as the new ‘Mayfair’ as it is the game’s top-ranking space, while other famous Yorkshire Dales sites that the board features include Malham Cove, Fountains Abbey, Masham Market and Settle Railway Station.

Players will ‘pass GO’ on more than 30 local landmarks that are on the board such as The Forbidden Corner, with well-known Yorkshire hotels including the Stone House Hotel and Devonshire Arms Hotel & Spa also on the board.

John Keen-Tomlinson, custom games executive at Winning Moves UK said:

“We have been absolutely spoilt with choices when putting this Monopoly game together, including the customised wording on Community Chest and Chance playing cards.

“For example, some players could be penalised for ‘wild camping’, whilst others could be rewarded for ‘quality sheepdog trials.’ Very Yorkshire!”

The board also features miniature game pieces of a dry stone wall, a slab of Wensleydale cheese, a pair of walking boots, a Craven Ram, a cricket bat, and a bicycle, instead of traditional tokens like the Scottie dog and boot.

Jason Bunn, proud Yorkshire resident and Britain’s only Monopoly world champ said:

“It’s a real slice of Yorkshire.

“I have a one of the world’s largest collections of Monopoly editions – more than 300 different themes, from Elvis to the Wizard of Oz, but Monopoly: Yorkshire Dales edition could very well be my favourite now.”

Did you know?

The first game of Monopoly was launched in 1935, and today the game is enjoyed by more than one billion players in 114 countries across the globe. In total it is licensed in 103 countries and printed in 37 languages.

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CCTV appeal following supermarket theft in Boroughbridge

North Yorkshire Police has issued a CCTV image of a man it would like to speak to following a theft in Boroughbridge .

More than £170 worth of alcohol was stolen from the Morrisons supermarket on Wetherby Road at 4.45pm on March 12.

A police statement today said:

“Please contact us if you recognise the man pictured on CCTV, as he may have information that will assist our investigation.”

Anyone with information can email hazel.simms-williamson@northyorkshire.police.uk or call 101 and ask for PC1338 Simms-Williamson.

You can also contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 quoting reference 12240044229 when passing on information.

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Summer Sunday buses across Nidderdale and Ripon to begin this weekend

Summer Sunday buses around Nidderdale will resume this weekend on Easter Sunday.

The Dales and Bowland Community Interest Company, which operates the DalesBus, has regular all-year bus services which are supplemented by additional weekend routes into and around Nidderdale National Landscape and the Yorkshire Dales in the summer months.

The services take people to popular locations for days out, including Fountains Abbey, Pateley Bridge and Fewston.

The extra services usually run between May and October but this year they will start early on March 31 and operate until October 20.

All single fares for bus journeys are £2 and £1 for under-19s as part of a national initiative, as reported by the Stray Ferret last week.

The Sunday and Bank Holiday DalesBus services restarting on Easter Sunday, March 31 are:

From Easter weekend there will also be revised summer timetables introduced on the following services:

Other Sunday services are set to begin in May with the 831 and 832 on Sunday, May 5. Details of other services restarting in May are not yet available.

Much of the Sunday DalesBus network is dependent on voluntary ​fundraising by the Dales and Bowland Community Interest Company.

Details of the Summer Sunday services are available here.

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Council confirms increase in car parking charges

North Yorkshire Council confirmed today it will increase all car park charges from April 19.

The Stray Ferret reported last week charges across the Harrogate district were in line to rise.

The council said in a statement today it would increase tariffs by 20% as “part of North Yorkshire’s commitment to maintain and improve its facilities”. It added the decision “was made after careful consideration of several factors impacting the service”.

Karl Battersby, the council’s corporate director of environment, said:

“We continuously strive to improve our parking services to provide a better customer experience. This includes investments in technology upgrades, such as automated payment systems and the installation of electric vehicle chargers to accommodate the growing market.

“We have refrained from increasing our car parking tariff for several years. However, to ensure we can continue to maintain the current provision and not divert funds away from vital frontline council services, we plan on introducing an increase across the car parking tariff that is in line with inflation.”

The statement said the cost of parking facilities, including infrastructure, repairs, lighting, and security had risen “and ensuring a safe and well-maintained environment is essential for the convenience and satisfaction of customers”.

The move affects all parking at council-owned car parks.

The hike in prices comes despite the council increasing council tax bills by 4.99% in 2024/25. It means the amount paid by an average Band D property for council services will increase by £87.80 to £1,847.62. The council faces a shortfall of more than £30 million for the next financial year.

Mr Battersby added:

“We also remain committed to improving public transport provision across North Yorkshire to ensure there are alternatives to car usage, as well as supporting efforts to become carbon neutral by 2030.”

The council plans to draft a strategy this year that will look at parking provision across North Yorkshire to see where future changes and improvements can be made.

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Strong support for new Boroughbridge sports village

A consultation has revealed strong support for plans to create a sports village on the edge of Boroughbridge.

The Stray Ferret revealed last month local gym owner Darren Sadler and Boroughbridge Town Council were behind the scheme.

The 10-acre site at Aldborough Gate would include free to use community facilities, including a games field, a one kilometre running track, a sprint track and a multi-use games areas for team sports such as five-a-side football and netball, as well as a meeting room and a nature reserve.

There would also be a gym and functional strength training centre and a health food café run on a commercial basis by Mr Sadler, a former World’s Strongest Man competitor.

Of the 1,193 consultation responses so far, 93% either agree or strongly agree the facility would improve the health and wellbeing of the residents of Boroughbridge and neighbouring communities.

A total of 84% said physical activities were important to them with a fully equipped gym, exercise classes and outdoor games field generating the most support.

‘One of the biggest things we’ve ever done’

The proposal has been brought forward by Mr Sadler, the town council and Boroughbridge Sports Village, which is a newly formed charity.

The Stray Ferret met Cllr Sean Hynes, the mayor of Boroughbridge and Mr Sadler at his Absolute Fitness gym this week to find out more about the venture.

Mr Sadler is buying land off the town council to fund the commercial side of the operation.

Cllr Hynes said “all money we get from the sale of land will be put back into the project” to create free community facilities. He added:

“It’s one of the biggest things the town council has ever been involved in and we are pleased to have Darren and his team as a partner.

“We are all aware Boroughbridge is doubling in size but there are few places for young people to go.”

The sports village proposal revives previously failed town council plans to build sports facilities on the land, said Cllr Hynes. He added:

“The council is very excited about this. For a small town council it is a massive project and without Darren’s involvement, it would not get off the ground.”

‘We want to create a supergym’

Boroughbridge-born Mr Sadler no longer competes in strongman but over the last 10 years has had phenomenal success in the sport as a promoter.

He started off staging events in car parks and now organises World’s Strongest Man qualifying events under the Giants Live banner that regularly sell out huge arenas worldwide. Many of the biggest names in strongman regularly visit his gym.

His current schedule includes events at the Royal Albert Hall in London and in Las Vegas.

He said Absolute Fitness had outgrown its current site in Roecliffe and a new facility with a full equipped gym, including strength and functional training areas would enable the gym to help more people get fit, especially youngsters.

A map showing the location.

The proposed site

He added:

“We want to create a supergym and make it famous across the country. Every month I’d like to have special guests. I can get all the top strongmen to come, like Hafthor Bjornsson and Eddie Hall, but I want to bring in people from other sports as well.”

Mr Sadler said the extra space would also enable the gym to cater for martial arts, dance and a broader range of fitness classes.

A public consultation event at Boroughbridge Community Library this month.

A public consultation took place at Boroughbridge Community Library this month and people can still take part in the phase one consultation here. A planning application is expected to be submitted to North Yorkshire Council within the next month.

Cllr Hynes said there had already been “positive discussions” with the council about it but with a lengthy planning process ahead, neither party is willing to commit to a timeframe.

Mr Sadler said:

“We don’t want to rush. We want to get it right.”

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Explained: How will North Yorkshire’s mayor work?

The first mayor of York and North Yorkshire will be in charge of multi-million pounds of devolved money, have powers over transport and skills and be tasked with banging the drum for the county.

Six candidates from around North Yorkshire have put their names forward to campaign for the position.

But, despite an election being just six weeks away, enthusiasm for the mayor among the public appears low.

Part of this may be down to a lack of understanding over what a mayor does, how they make decisions and who will scrutinise them.

This week, the Stray Ferret spoke to James Farrar, director of economy and interim head of paid service at York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority, to clear up some of those questions.

How will decisions be made?

Perhaps one of the confusing aspects of devolution is the difference between the combined authority and the mayor.

Mr Farrar explained that the authority is the legal entity which holds the money given by government.

The mayor will chair the authority, meaning he or she will be responsible for ensuring that decisions on public money are made properly through the combined authority board.

Mr Farrar explained:

“In simple terms, the mayor becomes the chair of the combined authority.

“The combined authority is the legal entity, which is able to hold and manage the money and make the investments.”

James Farrar.

James Farrar

The mayor will have their own priorities, which they will be responsible for. But any decision will be put before the combined authority board.

For example, should the mayor want to set up a mayoral development corporation — which is an organisation set up to regenerate a defined area — it would need to be put before the board for approval.

The board itself will be made up of leaders and deputy leaders from both Conservative-controlled North Yorkshire Council and Labour-controlled City of York Council.

Any decision would need to be made by simple majority, but the mayor has to be on the “winning side”.

This, Mr Farrar says, will prevent any one side from “ganging up” on each other.

He said:

“The two local authorities cannot gang up on the mayor and do something that the mayor does not want to do. The mayor has always got to be on the supportive side of the vote.

“But, if an investment is in North Yorkshire then they also need North Yorkshire to support it. If it is based in York, then they would need York to support it.

“That’s the backstop that we have got to make sure we have that collaborative approach.”

How will the mayor be scrutinised?

Aside from the combined authority board, there are other committees which scrutinise the mayor’s decision making.

As a legal requirement, the body has an overview and scrutiny committee made up of other councillors from York and North Yorkshire from all political parties.

The committee will act as checks and balances on the mayor and combined authority’s activities.

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The mayor, who will be paid an £81,300 a year allowance, could also have their own staff.

They may also appoint a political advisor and communications officer.

Staff from the Office of the North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner will also be transferred to support the mayor once they take on police and crime powers.

However, the mayor may wish to delegate those responsibilities to a deputy mayor.

Voters across North Yorkshire will go to the polls on May 2 to elect the first ever mayor of York and North Yorkshire.

A combined authority report published in January revealed that the election is set to cost taxpayers £2.2 million.

Voters have until midnight on April 16 to register to vote for the mayor.

Who is standing for mayor?

Pateley Bridge man and former police officer Keith Tordoff will stand as an independent.

The Green Party has chosen councillor and former soldier Kevin Foster as its candidate.

The Conservative Party has picked Malton councillor and ex-journalist Keane Duncan, who is currently in charge of transport at North Yorkshire Council.

Labour has chosen local business owner and chair of the York High Street Forum David Skaith.

Swinton Park owner Felicity Cunliffe-Lister will stand for the Liberal Democrats.

Harrogate resident and North Yorkshire councillor, Paul Haslam, will stand as an independent candidate after resigning from the Conservative Party.

Many North Yorkshire residents ‘unaware about incoming mayoral combined authority’

With just five weeks to go until York and North Yorkshire’s first elected mayor is installed, the top officer of the region’s incoming combined authority says he believes most residents remain unaware of the election or the role of the mayor.

In a wide-ranging interview, York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority’s interim head of paid services James Farrar has revealed:

Mr Farrar said while some people perceived a mayor to be “robes and regalia”, in the first four-year term, the combined authority’s elected mayor’s main responsibilities would be growing the economy and taking on the governance of the police and fire services.

He was quick to dismiss criticisms from opposition politicians the combined authority would lack accountability as four of the five members of its decision-making executive were appointed by York and North Yorkshire councils.

Pointing toward the combined authority’s directly elected leader in the mayor, he said residents and business owners needed to get their voice heard at the ballot box as the mayor would be responsible for the combined authority, which would oversee investment of more than £600 million into the region.

Mr Farrar said: 

“There is a fundamental issue we have got to address in raising awareness of what the mayor will be responsible for.

“People aren’t engaged in local politics, so the vast majority won’t be aware this is coming and there’s also a pretty negative view of national politics at the moment.

“The combined authority has been legally created now, but what’s really important is on May 2 people are motivated to vote for whichever mayor they want.”

When asked how the combined authority would balance its responsibilities between the contrasting areas of York and North Yorkshire, Mr Farrar said the two areas were already interdependent.

He pointed towards how money was being pumped into a new railway station at Haxby, north of York, it had helped strengthen the case for half-hourly trains to Scarborough.

He added: 

“The combined authority should be making investment decisions based on what’s best for the whole region.

“All areas will benefit, but it won’t just be a carve up of the money between the two councils, looking at connections such as how Craven and Harrogate connect into West Yorkshire and Hambleton and Richmondshire link to Teesside.

“The purpose of the mayor is to be able to take that strategic overview across these geographies and make decisions on how people, product and business work, rather than be constrained by local authority boundaries.”

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Mr Farrar said he believes the councils, which currently have Conservative and Labour leaderships, would be able to work together for the common good, and had already agreed a shared set of economic priorities for the combined authority.

He said set the mayoral combined authority would set the strategic vision and ambitions for York and North Yorkshire, secure investment to deliver the vision and to make investments to improve people’s lives, enable business growth and create jobs.

Mr Farrar added the councils would have an important role in delivering the objectives of the combined authority, which would go out and secure the investment.

Responding to concerns that pressing social issues such as housing and access to public transport, Mr Farrar said such issues would be picked up as part of the authority’s focus on improving places to attract investment.

He said affordable housing was “writ large in our economic framework”, adding: 

“You can’t deliver a successful York and North Yorkshire if people can’t afford to live there.

“We know public transport is a challenge, we don’t quite know what the answer is to that problem. The mayor will bring the ability to invest, to find out the solution and put it in place.

“We are not thinking the mayor will swan in and answer difficult issues immediately. I think there needs to be a strategic review across the piece.”

Boroughbridge takeaway opens Harrogate branch

A Boroughbridge takeaway has opened a second branch in Harrogate.

Bozza Fodder, which was first established in the kitchen of the Fox and Hounds pub in 2019, began serving food at The Manhattan on Beech Avenue last Thursday.

Owner Mark Davies, who moved from Teeside to Boroughbridge, said he hopes to bring a taste of the northeast to north Yorkshire and introduce Harrogate residents to a “proper Teeside parmo”.

Mr Davies said he launched Bozza Fodder, which currently offers takeaway, eat-in and delivery services, after realising Boroughbridge “did not have a food delivery service of its own”.

He said after struggling to find IT work locally, he turned to the kitchen to develop his skills.

Mr Davies and his partner Rachael have since offered the town traditional takeaway-style food, including pizzas, burgers and wraps, which he said is “nearly all made in-house”.

Now embarking on a new venture in Harrogate, Mr Davies said:

“I play a lot of pool and started playing at the Manhattan club in Harrogate.

“When I told the owner about my venture in Boroughbridge, he too had an unused kitchen which we thought could be used to benefit us both.”

Bozza Fodder’s chicken parmo.

Bozza Fodder Harrogate also offers both eat-in and takeaway food, as well as delivery services around the centre of the town and as far as Jennyfields and Starbeck.

Chicken parmos, pizzas, gyros, toasted sandwiches and desserts are all available at the new Harrogate site.

Mr Davies said people can expect “the same great service we provide in Boroughbridge but with a few twists to the menu”, adding:

“It’s very exciting times and I’m looking forward to seeing new faces and getting good feedback. Harrogate is a big place, but we have equally big ambitions!

“My mum passed away not long after I started the business, and she always wanted me to do well.

“I’ve put my heart into it for her and I hope she’d be proud how far we have come.”

Both Bozza Fodder branches are open Monday to Friday, from 4pm to 10pm, and 1pm to 10pm on Saturdays.

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Reform UK announces Wetherby and Easingwold parliamentary candidate

Reform UK has announced Mike Jordan will stand as its candidate in Wetherby and Easingwold at the next general election.

The new constituency 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.

The next general election, which has to be held no later than January 28, 2025, will be the first time the seat will be contested.

Mr Jordan, who has been a North Yorkshire councillor for 15 years, resigned from both the Conservative Party and Yorkshire Party before joining Reform UK.

He said:

“I am delighted to be chosen to contest Wetherby and Easingwold in the forthcoming general election.”

The Wetherby and Easingwold seat.

The Wetherby and Easingwold seat.

Meanwhile, the Conservative Party has chosen current Elmet and Rothwell MP, Alec Shelbrooke, to stand for the constituency.

Mr Jordan becomes the latest Reform UK candidate to stand for election in the Harrogate district.

The party announced Richard Brown as its candidate in Harrogate and Knaresborough and Simon Garvey will stand in Skipton and Ripon.

The right-wing party was founded as the Brexit Party with support from Nigel Farage in 2018.

It was renamed in 2021 and is now led by Richard Tice.

The party announced last year that it would field candidates in every UK parliament constituency at a general election.

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