Stray Views: Unelected council officers should not be making planning decisions

Stray Views is a weekly column giving you the chance to have your say on issues affecting the Harrogate district. It is an opinion column and does not reflect the views of the Stray Ferret. Send your views to letters@thestrayferret.co.uk.

Your piece today (councillors raise concerns about the role of planning committees) highlighted that fact that planning officers are now making most of the decisions on applications.

This is just one example of many of the way in which our elected councillors are being side-lined and it is so wrong. As officers are unelected they are barely accountable for the decisions they make and in fact they are unreachable and almost immune from the views of us, the residents and tax payers.

We vote for our representatives, we hold them to account at the ballot box, and it is they who should be making these decisions.

Tom Paul, Pannal 

A more flexible approach to 20mph limit

I agree all schools should have a 20mph speed limit but only in the hours where danger may be present. In Scotland there are flashing road signs for the relevant periods during the day and school term times. For the rest of the day and school holidays it reverts to 30mph.

In addition children should be taught more road sense. In Ripon we have a situation where at the end of the school day staff have to stand outside the school gates and supervise 11+ pupils leaving school!

Sandra Theobald, Ripon

EV car spaces should be for EV cars only

I agree that 10 chargers is a bit much for Chapel Street at the moment but it’s wrong to suggest its OK for non-evs to park there if they are empty.

You could say the same for disabled parking bays but that’s obviously wrong. It would be better to have chargers at the long stay carpark off York Road.

Ralph Armsby, Knaresborough

Big thank you for 10k Race for Life

Please thank everyone on duty at the Harrogate Stray 9/7/2023.
Unfortunately I signed up for the 10k walking but my asthma got the better of me and wasn’t able to finish. The medics were called to me at the 7k mark to whom I thank.
To hold an event like this successfully and safe depends on volunteers
Many thanks to the Marshal who walked with me as I was the last of 10k walkers.

Margaret Beckingham, Harrogate

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North Yorkshire Council awarded £830,000 to support Ukrainian refugee housing

North Yorkshire Council has been awarded £830,715 by the government to support Ukrainian refugees living in the county move into their own homes.

Ukrainian families fleeing war have found places to live through the government’s Homes for Ukraine scheme with UK sponsors agreeing to house refugees for a minimum of six months.

However, there have been concerns that if it doesn’t work out between refugees and host families some may fall into homelessness, so the government is offering all local authorities money through its Homelessness Prevention Grant (HPG).

The council’s Conservative executive member for culture, arts and housing, Cllr Simon Myers, welcomed the grant in a statement to councillors ahead of a meeting next week.

Cllr Myers said:

“We welcome the additional funding which recognises the commitment of sponsors and the work we have already been doing during difficult economic times and will provide additional support and reassurance to Ukrainian families as they rebuild their lives and seek to overcome the trauma of war.”

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According to NYC, there have been 1,336 arrivals to North Yorkshire since the start of the Homes for Ukraine scheme.

This includes 49 refugees who arrived between April and the end June this year.

The number of people still living with a sponsor is 616 and there has been 720 who initially arrived in North Yorkshire but have moved on from their sponsors’ accommodation.

A total of 371 of these have moved onto private rented accommodation and 172 have moved back to Ukraine.

The council said 47 have moved on to another sponsor family outside of North Yorkshire.

Over the winter, the council increased the ‘thank you’ payments for sponsors from £350 to £500 a month and this will be extended until October 2023 when it will again be reviewed.

To help new arrivals settle in, the council also has two dedicated employment advisors who work with Ukrainian residents to help them find training and apply for jobs.

Nationally, more than 117,000 Ukrainians have moved to the UK through the resettlement scheme.

32,000 chickens killed in fire in Harrogate district

More than 32,000 chickens have been killed in a fire on the edge of the Harrogate district.

Firefighters from Harrogate, Knaresborough and Ripon were called to commercial premises near Upper Dunsforth yesterday afternoon.

The water bowser from Boroughbridge was also summoned.

Station manager Tony Walker tweeted:

“No injuries reported but sadly over 32,000 chickens have perished in the blaze.

“Significant damage to the building. Fire Investigation underway.”

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service’s incident report said the fire occurred to a shed measuring about 250ft x 50m and help was requested at 3.37pm.

Station manager Tony Walker tweeted several photos of the incident, including these below.

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Selby and Ainsty by-election candidates have their say – Part 4

This article is the fourth of a series of six.

Voters across parts of the district will be heading to the polls on Thursday (July 20), when Selby and Ainsty holds a by-election triggered by the resignation last month of MP Nigel Adams. 

Most of the Selby and Ainsty constituency lies beyond our district’s borders – it stretches almost as far as Goole and Doncaster – but its northern end does encompass Huby, Follifoot, Spofforth and some of the villages in the Vale of York, such as Tockwith, Green Hammerton and Long Marston. 

There’s a broad field to choose from – there are 13 candidates – but who are they, and what do they believe? 

In the lead-up to the by-election, we’re spotlighting two or three each day, giving constituents the opportunity to read about the people who wish to represent them at Westminster – in their own words. 

So far, we’ve featured Andrew Gray (independent), Claire Holmes (Conservative), Mike Jordan (Yorkshire Party), Dave Kent (Reform UK), Keir Mather (Labour), Nick Palmer (independent), and Guy Phoenix (Heritage Party).

Continuing to take their surnames in alphabetical order, today’s candidates are Sir Archibald Stanton of the Monster Raving Loony Party, and Matt Walker of the Liberal Democrats.

Tomorrow: Arnold Warneken (Green Party), and John Waterston (Social Democratic Party).

Sir Archibald Stanton, The Official Monster Raving Loony Party 

Urging the electorate to “vote for insanity”, the party’s policy proposals include preventing identity theft by calling everyone Chris, and introducing a Board of Bribery which would set standardised rates on the principle of “sleaze for the many, not just the few”. 

“Good people of Selby and Ainsty, Sir Archibald Stanton is the Official Monster Raving Loony Party candidate for your constituency on July 20, 2023. 

“We are a party that’s on everyone’s side, no matter what your political persuasion may be. Yes, just like you, we have seen it all before, heard it all before and still don’t believe it. 

“Let’s shake them up, between us we can show them that we do care about our country. 

“Here’s a brief selection from our Manicfesto:- 

“Together we can make your constituency very proud, the wonderful district that changed the face of modern-day politics. 

“The Monster Raving Loony Party are the only OFFICIAL Party – all the rest are unofficial. 

“Don’t let apathy win this election. 

“Please remember the only wasted vote is one that’s not used, so if you don’t usually vote then vote unusually. 

“Look out for the top hat symbol on your polling card and put a large X in the box for Loony, in the certain knowledge that you have carried out your democratic duty. You’ve got nothing to lose. 

“Look out for Archie and his right-hand man Gilly on the campaign trail. 

“And don’t forget – a vote for Sir Archibald is a vote for the future. 

“Vote Sir Archibald Stanton on July 20, 2023 – you know it makes sense.”

Matt Walker, Liberal Democrats 

Matt Walker currently represents Knaresborough West on North Yorkshire County Council. The Liberal Democrats have usually come third in Selby and Ainsty, so will need to benefit from a considerable shift in the electoral landscape if they are to win this time. 

“I’m delighted to have been selected as the local Liberal Democrat candidate for Selby and Ainsty. As a candidate I will be a passionate campaigner for the area, listening to residents’ views and championing their issues. 

“Residents across Selby and Ainsty have been let down, our NHS is on its knees. In my professional life I am a manager in the NHS, and in one of my previous roles I spent time managing the GP out-of-hours and minor injuries unit at Selby Memorial Hospital. I’ve seen first hand just how amazing our NHS is and just how much damage the Conservatives have done to it. 

“The Liberal Democrats will be fighting for every vote at this election. Whether it’s the crisis in our NHS or the cost of living, the government has taken North Yorkshire for granted for too long and it’s time for a change.”

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Sell-out Great Yorkshire Show proves resilient in cost of living crisis

Harrogate BID logo

This story is sponsored by Harrogate BID

Despite the cost of living crisis, the 2023 Great Yorkshire Show was a sell-out with the rain appearing to have a bigger effect on sales than the economic climate.

The UK’s largest agricultural show saw 140,000 people pass through its gates over four days this week.

The four-day event sold out two weeks in advance even though ticket prices increased, setting you back £32 for an adult or £80 for a family. By comparison, they cost £29 and £75 last year.

Alistair Nixon, chief executive of Yorkshire Agricultural Society, the farming charity that organises the show, said:

“It is a difficult time – cost of living means prices are going up all the time and we do have to reflect that in our prices.

“However, we support our farmers as much as we can through the show, and I’ve seen the same level of loyalty this year as with any other year.”

Mr Nixon explained the charity “has hit its target and done what we needed to do” when asked if the economic state had caused a dip in sales.

Show director Charles Mills added:

“Everywhere I’ve been it’s been very busy.

“I’ve seen a lot of people with food and drinks, or walking out with bags, so that must be a good sign.”

Clothing trader Joules noted sales to be “around the same as last year”, but said its demographic “tend to come to the show and only shop here during the show”.

The Pavilions of Harrogate‘s outdoor bar saw record sales on the Thursday, but Friday’s rain slowed down final sales.

Fraser Holmes, event manager of Pavilions, told the Stray Ferret:

“In terms of what we’ve taken this year, I believe it to be around the same as last year.

“Thursday was our record day ever for sales – the sunshine really helped with that – and Friday’s rain then brought things back down a bit.

“People are still spending money I think.”

The show also saw a record number of sheep class entries that surpassed 3,000, as well as over 1,000 cattle and equine entries too.

Find more information on Yorkshire Agricultural Society here.

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Conservation trust seeks public’s views on district’s rivers

A river conservation trust has launched a survey asking for the public’s views on problems facing their local rivers.

The Dales to Vale River Network (DVRN) survey is made up of seven different questionnaires, each on a different river in North Yorkshire.

The aim is to discover what the public thinks are the main challenges facing rivers across the county.

The DVRN is a partnership of interest groups, farmers, and charities that all want to improve the biodiversity and water quality of local rivers, including those running through the Harrogate District such as the Nidd and the Ure.

Charlotte Simons, senior catchment partnerships manager for the DVRN explained why the survey was created:

“We’re keen to hear how people see the rivers, what issues they are concerned about and what improvements they would like to see within the seven catchment areas.”

“We want to have a strategic approach to projects that deliver benefits to the public, the rivers, and the ecosystems that depend on these watercourses.”

The trust created a similar survey for the same purpose in 2017. This is the first time that it will be held online where it hopes to reach more people and collect at least 100 responses per river catchment.

Ms Simons told the Stray Ferret that communities in catchments along the River Nidd and Ure have voiced numerous concerns about the health of the river.

Communities near the middle and lower Nidd are particularly worried about water quality and release of raw sewage. Many have also supported the removal of man-made barriers blocking the movement of fish along the river.

Along the River Ure, environmental organisations and locals want the trust to prioritise the issue of habitat removal and rising water temperatures.

Ms Simons is hopeful that this year’s survey results will help the DVRN decide its next steps to protect local rivers

She added:

“By working together with local communities and organisations rather than independently we can achieve so much more.”

The survey is open and will close on September 8. To find out more or take part in the survey click here.

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Yemi’s Food Stories: Sustainable takeaways from the Great Yorkshire Show

Yemi Adelekan is a food writer and blogger who was a semi-finalist in last year’s BBC TV’s Masterchef  competition. Every Saturday Yemi will be writing on the Stray Ferret about her love of the district’s food  and sharing cooking tips– please get in touch with her if you want her to review a restaurant, visit your farm, taste the produce you sell or even share a recipe.  

 

The Great Yorkshire, in its 164th year, is the crème-de la crème of agricultural shows in the UK. Living in Harrogate means this show is close to my heart and for the past twelve years, I have looked out my window silently welcoming the vehicles travelling to the event.

You know my passion is food, so I wasn’t far from the food hall and cookery stages – the Great Yorkshire theatre and the Game theatre. I wished I could be in two places at the same time.

Tuesday kicked off with the cheese competition and there were many varieties of cheeses from hard to soft, savoury to sweet, butters and creams with award winners in all categories. The hives and honey pavilion was another fascinating place to be with hundreds of varieties of local honeys, shaped beeswax, bee products, honey displays, honey cakes and biscuits and alcoholic honey drinks made from fermenting honey and water with some flavours and spices resulting in really unique drinks.

My time at the Game Theatre introduced me to different game animals and birds as well as fly fishing and cooking trout in multiple ways. There was trout cured with Japanese flavours and finished with finger lime by chef Ben Wright (@that_chef_Ben), pan-cooked trout by Stephanie Moon and roasted loin of venison, served with a fondant potato, sublime parsnip purée, pickled blackberries, heritage carrots and venison jus by chef Mike Baldwin from Provenance Inns. There was also a wonderful venison summer tart by chef Mehdi Boukemach from Fodder. 

The highlights from the cookery theatres included seeing the passion Yorkshire chefs have for their produces, their food, sustainable cooking and zero waste with many sharing tips on how they would use what most of us throw in the bin.

Sustainable takeaways I hope you try at home:

Onion skins – I use a lot of onions in my cooking caramelising them, flash frying them, making pepper blend with tomatoes, peppers, ginger and garlic. I always add onion skins to my stock or to my meat when braising them because I realised the skin has a lot of the flavour. Recently I made some onion skin powder by baking the skin in an oven until dried before blending to a fine powder. I use this as additional flavour for my onion-based dishes.

Herb oils – parsley, basil and chilli oils are well known, but you can do more with other herbs like dill tops, chives and spring onions. Most of us will throw away fennel fronds but they can be used to make herb oil.

Beetroot leaves – Fresh beetroots can often come with the green leafy parts but sometimes we only care about the beetroots themselves, so we chuck the leaves in the bin. The leaves are delicious sautéed with peppers and onions with spices.

I tried the smoothest vibrant green purée made from sautéed courgettes cooked in stock and blended with spinach. This was a revelation as many people only steam, pan fry or roast courgettes. It was nice to see courgettes used in a different way.

‘Salt baked turbot, caviar, cabbage, dill and lemon verbena’  by Shaun Rankin  

It’s time to grow some our our own food. Farm to table, plot to table and nose to tail approaches to cooking shone through every demo with most restaurants having their own kitchen garden which is an encouragement for us to try and grow some of our own food.

Sustainable approaches to sourcing ingredients came through every chef demo session with most produces coming from local suppliers and only very rarely from outside of Yorkshire.

The variety of Yorkshire produces from cream, milk, cheeses, butter to Game, sea food from the coastlines to locally bred cows, lamb, Pork and chicken show us there are few to no reasons to not eat local. Entire meals can be created using only ingredients from Yorkshire so why not challenge yourself to do just that.

Future Stars 

A final highlight for me is seeing young chefs who will be the future of Yorkshire food scene being mentored by chefs including chef Ahmed Abdalla from the Grand Hotel York whose chef, Harry Blades (@harry_blades_) won the Delifresh young chef of the year 2022 and chef Shaun Rankin mentoring young Sarah Szmit who in my opinion has a really promising future in food.

RHS Harlow Carr was well represented by their head gardener, Joe Lofthouse who provided Gilly Robinson (The Cook’s Place, Malton) with produce from the RHS garden and St Aidan’s school was well represented by a group of young ladies who made sweet and savoury dishes.

There is so much to write about so follow my food feature as I have lined up appointments with many chefs, restaurants and food companies and I will be bringing their stories to you. Watch this space.

I am doing chef demos at the Yorkshire Dale Food festivals next Saturday and will share some of my highlights from the event.

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Selby and Ainsty by-election candidates have their say – Part 3

This article is the third of a series of six.

Voters across parts of the district will be heading to the polls next Thursday (July 20), when Selby and Ainsty holds a by-election triggered by the dramatic resignation last month of MP Nigel Adams. 

Most of the Selby and Ainsty constituency lies beyond our district’s borders – it stretches almost as far as Goole and Doncaster – but its northern end does encompass Huby, Follifoot, Spofforth and some of the villages in the Vale of York, such as Tockwith, Green Hammerton and Long Marston. 

There’s a broad field to choose from – there are 13 candidates – but who are they, and what do they believe? 

In the lead-up to the by-election, we’re spotlighting two or three each day, giving constituents the opportunity to read about the people who wish to represent them at Westminster – in their own words. 

So far, we’ve featured independent Andrew Gray, Claire Holmes of the Conservative Party, Mike Jordan of the Yorkshire Party and Dave Kent of Reform UK.

Continuing to take their surnames in alphabetical order, today’s candidates are Keir Mather of the Labour Party, independent Nick Palmer, and Guy Phoenix of the Heritage Party. 

Tomorrow: Sir Archibald Stanton (Official Monster Raving Loony Party), and Matt Walker (Liberal Democrats).

Keir Mather, Labour Party

Keir Mather was born in Hull and grew up near Selby before going to Oxford University. Keir has most recently worked at the CBI (Confederation of British Industry). His candidacy was supported by the GMB and Unison. 

“I’m standing to be Selby and Ainsty’s MP because this brilliant place has been let down for too long. We are facing the biggest hit to living standards in a generation. Mortgages, food and fuel prices are all soaring. Our public services are broken. Meanwhile the Conservative Government is too distracted by its own infighting and chaos to deliver, and the MP for Selby and Ainsty abandoned the people he was elected to serve, all because he didn’t get a peerage. 

“I have been having thousands of conversations on the doorstep, hearing directly about what matters most to our local communities. These conversations shaped my plan for Selby and Ainsty, which starts with supporting residents through the cost-of-living crisis, with our Warm Homes Plan to bring down energy bills by £1,400 and financial support surgeries across the constituency to provide vital support immediately in the crisis. 

“Everyone deserves to feel safe in their home and in their communities, but in North Yorkshire theft is up 14% in the last year, and knife crime is now nearly twice as high as it was in 2010. Where the Conservatives have cut police on the streets, Labour will restore neighbourhood policing with 13,000 new neighbourhood police officers and PCSOs. 

“My plan will also see us restore frequent and reliable public transport, protection from flooding and sewage dumping, and ensure our NHS services are built for the future. It’s time for a fresh start in Selby and Ainsty. If you’ve felt taken for granted or let down, I urge you to put your faith in me on July 20.” 

Nick Palmer, Independent 

One of the few candidates to live in the constituency, Nick Palmer has an MBA from Vlerick Business School in Belgium and is managing director of Bizenko, a social enterprise that aims to bridge the gap between the worlds of education and employment. 

“How many voters feel politically ‘homeless’ in the United Kingdom? I doubt anybody knows the true scale of this problem. But we should. I pledge to find out. 

“Voters hate broken promises and tribal squabbling from the different political parties. It makes them feel angry and frustrated. When voters are angry and frustrated, it becomes a problem for society. I’m standing as a candidate to give frustrated voters a meaningful option on Thursday, July 20. 

“Despite being a Westminster election, the Selby and Ainsty by-election will have zero impact at Westminster. Frustrating, isn’t it?! 

“The day after this by-election, Rishi will still be the Conservative Prime Minister, with a healthy majority in Parliament. Sir Keir will still be the Labour leader of the Opposition. 

“Many voters tell me that they can’t stand one party, and can’t trust the other. They feel they have to vote for a ‘big’ party in order to deny their enemy ‘sneaking in’. But that won’t mean anything here. The Westminster situation is already determined. There will be no change. 

“Tactical voting to block either main party, even in desperation, is a missed opportunity. We can make our vote more meaningful!  

“Typically, challenger parties cannot ‘win’ their argument and implement their by-election plans unless they win a general election. Until then, we have the Conservatives. 

“Traditionally, only two parties can win a general election. Which fuels the toxic culture that depresses so many voters. Therefore, this by-election is a ‘free hit’ to send a protest vote. As long as the protest vote doesn’t need a general election victory to come true, then we can make our vote meaningful. 

“Let that message be ‘#DoBetter, Westminster! We want better politics, and until you improve your culture, we choose an independent MP!’

“For floating voters, the most meaningful vote here is for an independent candidate who is not trying to win a general election. A candidate with a skillset for identifying failed systems, processes and cultures. Someone who can highlight the change needed to restore trust in politics.  

“In this by-election, that means a vote for Nick Palmer.”

Guy Phoenix, Heritage Party 

Guy Phoenix is owner and managing director of Ripon-based IT support firm Fresh Mango Technologies, which has two other offices in Yorkshire and provides an out-of-hours service from a team based in the British Virgin Islands. The Heritage Party is a Eurosceptic, right-wing populist and socially conservative party founded in 2020. 

“I am a local businessman with offices in Ripon, Leeds and Skipton, employing 23 people. I have been canvassing door-to-door across the constituency and I’m hearing the same comments from people – we want change. 

“So, I ask them if they want real change, and when they say yes then my response is simple. The only way to get that change is to discard the old parties and vote for a new, socially conservative and principled party. That’s the Heritage Party.”

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Conservatives select highways councillor Keane Duncan to stand for North Yorkshire mayor

The Conservative party has selected North Yorkshire councillor Keane Duncan as its candidate for Mayor of York and North Yorkshire.

Cllr Duncan, who is executive councillor for highways at North Yorkshire Council and represents the Norton division, announced the news on social media late last night.

He is also deputy news editor of the Daily Star newspaper.

The mayor will oversee a significant budget for York and North Yorkshire covering areas such as transport, education and housing.

The role will also take on the powers of police and crime commissioner.

The 28-year-old will stand for election when voters go to the polls to elect the first mayor for the county in May 2024.

Following confirmation of his candidacy, he said:

“I could not be prouder.

“This is my home and I’ll be fighting every day to deliver results.”

https://twitter.com/keane_duncan/status/1679966223184871429?t=JOn3QRpzw9N18i77S9AnsQ&s=19

Former Harrogate councillor and current North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, Zoe Metcalfe, had bid to become the Conservative candidate.

Pateley Bridge businessman, Keith Tordoff, has also announced that he will stand as an independent candidate for mayor.

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Call to ban trail hunting on North Yorkshire Council land ‘waste of time’, says former animal welfare campaigner

A former animal welfare campaigner has described a call to ban trail hunting on North Yorkshire Council land as a “colossal waste of time”.

Jim Barrington, who is a former director at the League Against Cruel Sports but now advises the Countryside Alliance, said the motion which will be put before the authority next week “would do nothing to help animal welfare”.

At a meeting next week, Labour councillor Rich Maw, who represents Weaponness and Ramshill, and Green councillor Arnold Warneken, who represents Ouseburn, will table a motion calling for the practice to be prohibited.

Trail hunting involves laying an animal scent, usually urine, for hounds to track and is followed by a group on foot or horseback.

The practice is legal, but organisations such as animal welfare charity the RSPCA and the League Against Cruel Sports have called for it to be banned.

At a meeting in May, Cllr Gareth Dadd, deputy leader of North Yorkshire Council, said the council “can’t confirm” whether or not trail hunts take place on its land.

In their motion, Cllr Maw and Warneken said the hunts had been used as a “loophole to carry on hunting foxes and other animals”.

However, Mr Barrington said the move would only “fuel prejudice” against rural communities.

He said:

“This motion does nothing to help animal welfare, but everything to fuel prejudice against rural people. Submitting this motion is a colossal waste of time, when there are so many genuine issues facing people living across North Yorkshire, not least the cost-of-living crisis.

“We sincerely hope councillors from across North Yorkshire reject this anti-rural motion in the first instance. There can simply be no justification whatsoever to ban a lawful activity on council owned land.”

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Meanwhile, the Countryside Alliance has said it will be contacting North Yorkshire councillors calling on them to reject the motion at the meeting on July 19.

The move comes as other organisations have called on the government to change the law on trail hunting.

A pressure group called Time For Change, which is led by the League Against Cruel Sports, was set up last month to lobby ministers to strengthen the Hunting Act.

It includes 32 animal welfare charity groups such as the RSPCA, Human Society International UK, Cats Protection and PETA.

Andy Knott, chief executive of the League Against Cruel Sports, said:

“We’ve known since very soon after the Hunting Act 2004 was introduced that hunts were using its many exemptions – and something they call trail hunting – to carry on chasing and killing wildlife with hounds. 

“We and other like-minded organisations have been calling out for the law to be strengthened, for its many exemptions to be removed, and for trail hunting to be outlawed.”