Boroughbridge news from the Boroughbridge district - Page 94 of 178

MPs Watch: Strikes and free FIFA World Cup tickets

Every month the Stray Ferret tries to find out what our local Conservative MPs have been up to in their constituencies and in the House of Commons.

In January, the Harrogate district was hit by strikes by ambulance workers, nurses and rail staff. Meanwhile, one Harrogate district MP was revealed to have received free tickets to the FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

We asked Harrogate & Knaresborough MP, Andrew Jones, Skipton and Ripon MP Julian Smith, and Selby and Ainsty MP Nigel Adams if they would like to highlight anything in particular, but we did not receive a response from any of them.

Here is what we know after analysing their online presence.

Andrew Jones, Harrogate and Knaresborough MP

In Harrogate and Knaresborough, here is what we found on Mr Jones:

At the start of the month, Mr Jones welcomed a £2 cap on bus fares across the Harrogate district.
On January 11, Mr Jones wrote on his Community News website that he held a meeting with Nicola Shaw, chief executive of Yorkshire Water, over his campaign for bathing quality status at the River Nidd in Knaresborough.
On January 17, Mr Jones wrote on his website that he visited Daikin Sustainable Home Centre in Harrogate, which has been set up by Daikin UK and Duftons Plumbing and Heating Supplies.
Mr Jones spoke in Parliament on January 26 regarding a meeting with the English Football League over the government’s fan-led review into the governance of football. He called for a debate over the government’s next steps following the publication of the review.
Mr Jones also posted on his Instagram a video with Harrogate Town chief executive Sarah Barry talking about the review.
He also posted on his Instagram about a visit to Pannal Ash Juniors FC.
On January 27, Mr Jones signed the Holocaust Educational Trust’s Book of Commitment.
On January 30, Mr Jones voted in line with the government on its strike bill. Under the bill, some employees, including in the rail industry and emergency services, would be required to work during industrial action – and could be sacked if they refuse.

Julian Smith, MP for Ripon and Skipton.

In Ripon, here is what we found on Mr Smith:

Mr Smith posted no updates on his website in January.
He also made no spoken contributions in the House of Commons last month.
On January 26, Mr Smith posted on Twitter that he met with former Irish politician Bertie Ahern to discuss Northern Ireland.
Mr Smith voted in line with the government over its strike bill on January 30.
He paid tribute to Harrogate borough councillor Bernard Bateman MBE, who died last month. Mr Smith said Mr Bateman was a “hugely committed councillor and community campaigner”.

Nigel Adams, MP for Selby and Ainsty which includes rural Harrogate.

In rural south Harrogate, he is what we found on Mr Adams:

Mr Adams posted four times on his website in January on matters relating to solar farms in Camblesforth, energy support payments and Selby volunteers heading to Ukraine.
On January 7, Mr Adams posted on Twitter to thank NHS and Yorkshire ambulance staff for helping his 88-year-old dad following a fall.
The Stray Ferret revealed on January 16 that Mr Adams had received free tickets and hospitality valued at £2,880 to the FIFA World Cup from the Qatar government.
On January 23, he posted an article by former Prime Minster Boris Johnson calling for support for Ukraine. Mr Adams said Mr Johnson “was not wrong”.
Mr Adams made no spoken contributions in the House of Commons in January.
Mr Adams voted in line with the government on its strike bill on January 30.

‘Significant’ fall in Harrogate district planning applications leads to £320,000 shortfall

Harrogate Borough Council has seen a ‘significant’ fall in the number of planning applications submitted this year — resulting in a shortfall of £320,000 for the authority.

Councillors met this week to discuss a quarter three financial report that provides a summary of how different departments are performing in line with the overall budget for 2022/23.

The council is the district’s planning authority and therefore has the final say over developments ranging from a kitchen extension to major housing schemes with hundreds of homes.

When a planning application is submitted the council asks for a fee. For an outline planning application where the site is bigger than 2.5 hectares, the fee is £11,432 plus an additional £138 for every 0.1 hectare.

For a single house extension, the fee is £206.

The council, which will be abolished at the end of next month, also offers a pre-application service where anyone can get advice on the likelihood of a proposal receiving planning permission.

Fees range from £90 for advice on an extension to £3,000 for developments with more than 50 homes.

But after a spike in applications during the covid pandemic, the council says there has been a slowdown in the number of both large-scale and smaller applications.

It is anticipating a shortfall of £270,000 in planning application income and £50,000 in pre-planning application income.

The cost of building materials has also sky-rocketed in the last two years and the report says the council expects the number of smaller applications submitted to remain lower than expected as the national cost-of living crisis impacts on household spending.

The trend in the Harrogate district is in line with the national picture, where planning application submissions have dropped by an average of 15% over the last year.

Harrogate district teachers go on strike — and firefighters could be next

Teachers in the Harrogate district will go on strike today — and firefighters could be next.

The district has seen a wave of industrial action in recent weeks involving rail, postal, nursing and ambulance workers.

Members of the National Education Union, Britain’s largest teaching union, are on strike today in a move that will affect many local schools. Today will also see no Northern train services operate on the Harrogate and Knaresborough line.

Gary McVeigh-Kaye, branch secretary of the NEU North Yorkshire, said picket lines were being organised at Grove Road Community Primary School in Harrogate and King James’s School in Knaresborough.

There is also the prospect of Harrogate district firefighters walking out after the results of a strike ballot this week revealed 88% of Fire Brigades Union members voted yes on a 73% turnout.

The FBU has given the government and employers until February 9 to come forward with an improved pay offer to avert what would be the first nationwide fire strike since 2003.

Harrogate is the only fire station crewed 24 hours in the Harrogate district and is likely to be affected by any action.

Harrogate Fire Station on Skipton Road

It is not known to what extent other local fire stations would be involved. Ripon is crewed from 8am to 6pm each day and on call outside these hours. There are 24-hour on call stations at Boroughbridge, Knaresborough, Masham and Summerbridge plus a volunteer station at Lofthouse.

Matt Wrack, general secretary of the Fire Brigades Union, said:

“This is an absolute last resort for our members. The responsibility for any disruption to services lies squarely with fire service employers and government ministers.

The government has urged the FBU to “reconsider and keep negotiating” and said it is working to mitigate any risks posed by a strike.

Business Breakfast: road train on Knaresborough Chamber meeting agenda

The Stray Ferret Business Awards, sponsored by Prosperis, will be held on March 9 at the Pavilions of Harrogate. Early bird tickets are available until February 9. The event will celebrate success and business excellence across the Harrogate district. It’s a night not to be missed! There’ll be a fabulous prize draw for all attending and Richard Flinton, the incoming Chief Executive of North Yorkshire Council, is guest speaker.

Members of Knaresborough’s Chamber of Commerce will discuss plans for a road train in the town at tonight’s monthly meeting.

On the agenda this evening is a discussion about vacant shops in the town, the changes to local government with the incoming unitary authority and the land train.

The train is likely to run from Conyngham Hall car park to York Place car park, which would also ease pressure on town centre parking.

In recent weeks the Knaresborough Chamber of Trade and Commerce and Knaresborough Town Council have agreed to work together to build a business case for a road train.

The meeting at the Mitre starts at 7pm.

Review website award

Dacre, Son & Hartley estate agent has won Feefo’s prestigious Platinum Trusted Service Award for the second year running.

The award recognises exceptional customer service ratings and reviews posted on the Feefo review website. Feefo is the world’s largest provider of verified reviews.

Dacres, which has 20 offices across West and North Yorkshire including Harrogate, Wetherby, Knaresborough, and Pateley Bridge, secured Feefo’s highest platinum award for the first time last year, which followed the company winning gold awards for the three previous consecutive years.

Last year clients reviewed Dacres more than 250 times on Feefo, with an average rating of 4.9 out of 5, which was up from 4.8 in 2021.

Patrick McCutcheon, head of residential at Dacres said:

“Receiving this award, which crucially is based on genuine client reviews, and pushing our average rating up to 4.9 is a major achievement and speaks volumes about our exceptional standards of customer service and care.

“It also demonstrates the ability of our whole team to always respond to current market conditions and combine unrivalled marketing advice with a completely personal service, in order to deliver the best possible results for buyers and sellers alike.

his is one of the key reasons why we’ve been so successful in Yorkshire’s property market for more than 200 years and continually work with generations of the same families time and time again.”

New Harrogate district taxi rules will be a ‘disaster’, warns cabbie

A Ripon cabbie has said new rules governing local taxi drivers will be a “disaster” for drivers and people relying on the service in rural areas.

North Yorkshire County Council is next week expected to introduce a single hackney carriage and private hire licensing policy from the spring.

The existing seven district councils, including Harrogate, currently have their own hackney carriage and private hire licensing policies.

But their looming abolition on April 1 prompted councillors to run a consultation between October 25 and January 16 on a new policy that would harmonise the rules across North Yorkshire.

Fifty-two per cent of respondents disagreed with the key proposal of introducing a single zone for North Yorkshire, which would allow cabbies to operate across the county rather than only in their districts. However, the idea still looks set to go ahead.

Richard Fieldman, who owns Ripon firm A1 Cars and runs a Facebook group that includes 52 taxi drivers in Ripon and Harrogate, said:

“Making it one zone will mean that at peak times drivers will target hotspots, such as Harrogate on a Saturday night, and leave rural areas with no taxis. It’s common sense that people will drive to maximise their earning potential.

“It will be a disaster for us and a disaster for people who live in quieter areas because they won’t be able to get a taxi at busy times.

“The same policy has been tried in other areas and it just leads to some streets being swamped with taxis so it’s bad for other road users as well.”

taxi

Mr Fieldman also criticised the council’s proposal to end the current restrictions on the number of hackney carriages — even though 45% of consultees opposed this. The Harrogate district limit is currently 148.

He said this would encourage private hire taxi drivers to switch to hackney carriages to avoid their £132 a year operator’s licence, which would “flood the limited space there is already”.

Mr Fieldman also hit out at draft new rules that would mean hackney carriage licence holders have to get three MOTs a year on cars that are more than seven years old. Currently vehicles up between five and nine-years-old have to have two MOTs a year.

A council spokesman said the new policy incorporated Department for Transport’s taxi and private hire vehicle best practice guidance and allowed the market to determine the level of supply.

He added:

“Despite a fear from the trade of ‘hotspot’ areas, evidence from other authorities that have followed a similar approach has indicated that any negative impacts tend to level out over time.”

Cllr Carl Les

The Conservative leader of North Yorkshire County Council, Cllr Carl Les, said:

“The hackney carriage and private hire licensing policy for North Yorkshire plays an integral part in demonstrating the new council’s commitment to ensuring that the public is provided with safe and accessible hackney carriages and private hire vehicles.

“As a single local authority for North Yorkshire, it also ensures hackney carriage and private hire licence holders and taxi operators across the county are treated equally.

If approved by the county council’s executive next week, the new policy will be adopted from April 1, along with a single set of licensing fees for both hackney carriage and private hire vehicles and a maximum set of fares for hackney carriages.

Teachers’ strike: Closures across the Harrogate district

Teachers at schools across the Harrogate district will not be in the classrooms tomorrow in the first of a series of days of industrial action.

The strike has been called by the National Education Union (NEU) in a dispute over pay and conditions.

The union argues a 5% pay rise in 2022 was insufficient to combat the impact of inflation at 10%, leaving many teachers effectively facing a pay cut.

It argues low pay has been a significant factor in many teachers choosing to leave the profession, and has deterred others from joining it. The result, the NEU says, is more pressure on those who remain, particularly since the pandemic.

The union’s points were supported yesterday by Harrogate Grammar School headteacer Neil Renton, who appeared on BBC News to discuss the situation.

He said he was “torn between [his] head and heart”, seeing the difficulties faced by teachers while also wanting to keep the school gates open for pupils.

The issues the NEU raised, he said, affected schools directly too: a recent advert for an English teacher at HGS attracted just one applicant. He added:

“If this continues and we are not able to work with government and ministers to create an education for the future I would, as an educator, want to take steps to make sure we make a much brighter education for our children.”

The following schools across the Harrogate district have confirmed some of their teachers will be on strike and released details of how they will operate tomorrow.

Harrogate Grammar School

The school said it is prioritising students taking exams this summer, and those identified as vulnerable.

Years 11 and 13 will be in school, along with children from other year groups who have been contacted individually.

Remote learning from home will be offered to years 7, 8, 9, 10 and 12. Some live lessons will be led by teachers who are not on strike.

King James’s High School, Knaresborough

The school will be open to pupils in years 11, 12 and 13. Other year groups will be provided with online learning.

The school said it would liaise directly with parents of students with an EHCP about the possibility of provision in school.

Outwood Academy Ripon

The school will be open to year 11 and vulnerable students, while all other year groups learn from home.

Ripon Grammar School

Years 7 and 11 will be in school, but students are advised to bring additional work and reading material in case lessons cannot be taught by the subject teacher.

Students in years 8,9, 10 and 12 will learn from home, including some online lessons with teachers who are not on strike.

Year 13 students will be able to work in school if they wish, or revise and join live online lessons from home.

Any students with an EHCP, as well as boarders who can’t go home, can go into school as usual. There is also provision for students whose parents are critical workers.

Rossett School, Harrogate

The school is open to students in years 7, 11, 12 and 13.

Where usual subject teachers are on strike, younger students will have lessons covered by members of the school’s senior leadership team. Older students will carry out independent revision or private study in the sixth form centre.

Students in years 8,9 and 10 will have online lessons available to access from home.

St Aidan’s Church of England High School, Harrogate

Years 7 and 11 will be in school, with years 8, 9 and 10 asked to learn at home.

Sixth form students can work at home or use a supervised study area, if they tell the school they plan to do so.

Students in any year group with an EHCP can attend.

St John Fisher Catholic High School, Harrogate

Years 7 and 11 will be in school, with years 8, 9 and 10 asked to learn at home.

Sixth form students can work at home or use a supervised study area, if they tell the school they plan to do so.

Students in any year group with an EHCP can attend and will spend the day doing activities to develop their social skills, life skills and wellbeing. The school said there may not be sufficient staff available to have one-to-one provision for all students.

Details of how other secondary schools are affected will be posted as we get them.

The next strike date to affect the Harrogate district will be at the end of February.

Why are Harrogate district teachers going on strike?

Teachers in state schools in the Harrogate district will strike tomorrow.

It means that schools will either close for the day or see classrooms disrupted if they decide to remain open.

The National Education Union, which is the largest teaching union in the country, is behind the industrial action that will affect schools in England and Wales.

Ninety percent of its 120,000 members voted to strike in a ballot.

It’s the latest strike to hit the UK this winter that has also seen nurses, rail workers, postal staff and paramedics join picket lines.

Why are teachers striking?

Most state school teachers in England and Wales had a 5% pay rise rise in 2022. But with inflation at over 10%, the NEU says this has resulted in a real-term pay cut for teachers.

The union also says teachers have lost 23% in real-terms pay since 2010, which it described as an “unsustainable situation”.

It believes low pay has led to thousands of teachers leaving the profession, including a third of those who have recently qualified.

Dr Mary Bousted and Kevin Courtney, joint general secretaries of the NEU, said:

“The government must know there is going to have to be a correction on teacher pay. They must realise that school support staff need a pay rise.

“If they do not, then the consequences are clear for parents and children. The lack of dedicated maths teachers, for example, means that 1 in 8 pupils are having work set and assessed by people who are not qualified in the teaching of maths. Anyone who values education should support us in this dispute because that is what we are standing up for.”

How will classrooms be affected?

A final decision on whether a school stays open is up the headteacher, although government guidance says they should take “all reasonable steps” to ensure they do not close.

Teachers are not required to tell the school if they intend to strike but headteachers can ask them in advance to help preparations.

For schools that remain open, other teachers may be asked to cover the classes of those taking industrial action. Classes may also be combined.

The government says if a school possible it should, where possible, provide online learning for children.

What does the government say and will the dispute be resolved?

If the union doesn’t reach an agreement over pay with the government, there are three more days of industrial action planned at schools in Yorkshire on the following dates:

Tuesday February 28
Wednesday March 15
Thursday March 16

But like similar disputes with health and rail unions, the government is so far holding firm against calls to increase teachers’ pay.

The secretary of state for education, Gillian Keegan, wrote in the Sunday Telegraph over the weekend she was “disappointed” that this week’s strike was going ahead but she wanted to continue “constructive discussions” on pay.

Ms Keegan says the government has provided an extra £2bn in school funding, which she believes meets union demands.

There are reports in the media that Ms Keegan will meet with union bosses today in an attempt to avert Wednesday’s strikes.

If the talks are unsuccessful, we will be seeing the highly unusual sight of picket lines outside schools in North Yorkshire this week.

Business Breakfast: Ministry of Defence recognises Reed Boardall’s support

Boroughbridge based Reed Boardall has been accredited with a Bronze award by the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme.

The award recognises an employer that has supported defence personnel and inspired others to do the same. Reed Boardall has 23 veterans, serving personnel employed part-time and reservists in its team.

Over the last year, the company has formalised its support of former and serving defence personnel and built links with the prison services to increase the employment of ex-offenders.

It has partnered with organisations such as Career Transition Partnership (CTP), Army Families Federation, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), HM Prison Service and People Plus, as well as charities Veteran into Logistics and Clean Slate Solutions.

Daniel Delacoe-Eyre, a veteran who served for over 17 years in a number of regiments before joining Reed Boardall said:

“As a former soldier and officer myself, I understand only too well the concerns and even fear felt by service personnel as they contemplate leaving the armed forces. It’s vital that businesses do what they can to ensure there is a job for them when they return to civilian life and we have, therefore, embarked on a pro-active campaign to help them transition into a new career in the logistics sector.”

Marcus Boardall, chief executive of Reed Boardall, add:

“We are extremely proud not only to number so many defence personnel among our staff, but also for our efforts to have been recognised with a Bronze Award from the MOD. We will be working hard towards gaining our Silver award next year and even have our sights set on Gold.

“We believe it’s very important that people are given a second chance, whether that’s veterans embarking on a new career, or ex-offenders trying to secure employment and, as a responsible, people-focussed business, we are committed to doing all we can to support this. It’s extremely rewarding to see such talented people redeploying their skills and seizing the opportunity to become part of the Reed Boardall family.”

Ruth Hansom takes up residency at Swinton Estate

Swinton Park in Masham has announced that Ruth Hansom will be taking up a six-month residency at Samuel’s Restaurant and launching her first signature menu in April.

Ruth originally from Darlington, trained at Westminster College, followed by a three year apprenticeship at the Ritz under John Williams.

Both a finalist in the Roux Scholarship and winner of a Caterer Acorn Award in 2022, Ruth has become a familiar face on the TV as a finalist on the Great British Menu and regular appearances on James Martin’s Saturday and Saturday Kitchen.

Ruth said

“Swinton is a fabulous environment, aligned very closely to my love of cooking with seasonal, local and regional produce. I’m particularly looking forward to developing a signature menu, encapsulating the flavours of produce from across the Swinton Estate”.

Iain Shelton, chief executive of Swinton Estate said :

“Ruth is an incredibly talented chef and we are looking forward to her developing a menu that demonstrates the amazing produce we have here and reflects the elegance and heritage of the Estate”

Chef Ruth Hansom

Angry Minskip villagers fight developer over possible Roman site

Angry villagers in Minskip, near Boroughbridge, are joining forces to fight against an industrial development which they say could endanger a Roman mosaic.

They also say the development at Hazeldene Fold, an otherwise residential cul-de-sac, is out of character with the village and does not comply with the Harrogate district Local Plan 2014-35, which outlines where development can take place.

Local resident Lynne Scott said:

“The mood here is very angry, because the developer hasn’t made any effort to interact with us or tell us what’s going on. They’ve already done massive groundworks without even having planning permission yet, and we just don’t know if there’s been any damage to the archaeology there.”

The developer, Harrogate-based Forward Investment Properties, has applied to Harrogate Borough Council for retrospective planning permission to demolish some Nissen huts on the site, and build four light industrial units, a car-park and a turning circle for goods vehicles.

But campaigners believe the existing buildings may well conceal Roman remains. According to local resident Tony Hunt, a Roman mosaic floor is reported to have been discovered when the huts were built in 1970 but covered over with a layer of sand and plastic to preserve it. The location cross-references on Ordnance Survey maps with a square-shaped earthwork, and a Roman coin hoard was found nearby in the 19th century.

Mr Hunt said:

“My conclusion is that the data confirms that the ‘Ancient Enclosure’ at the top of Hazeldene Fold is the site of the Roman encampment which served the Roman fort at Aldborough”.

Forward Investment Properties has agreed to an “appropriate scheme of archaeological investigation and recording” as part of a planning condition to be applied if planning permission is granted, but residents say the groundworks could have done damage already, even before any such investigation has taken place.

2017 application rejected

Campaigners point to a 2017 application to build five houses on the site, which was rejected. Planning officers said then that the development would tower over neighbouring properties, create noise and disturbance, lack an adoptable highway, and be “out of keeping with the acknowledged linear form of the village”. They say the current proposals should be rejected for the same reasons.

Forward Investment Properties says its application should be approved because there is a shortage in the Harrogate district of employment sites of the type being proposed, and points out that the site has long been used for commercial purposes.

Access to the site is via Hazeldene Fold, a private residential road managed by Hazeldene Fold Management Company Ltd. On formation, the company was made up of one representative from each of the eight homes on the road, plus one from the original developer of the houses. Each of these nine members has a single vote on communal matters, including those involving planning permission.

Residents believe the developer’s vote should pass automatically to the new owner of the site, but the new owner, Forward Investment Properties, has not so far contacted the company or its individual members.

Ms Scott said:

“It makes you feel suspicious. If someone is upfront with you and you can ask them questions, you can have a conversation and iron things out. But if you have a body you can’t get hold of, you feel you have no control.”

Forward Investment Properties is registered with Companies House as a limited liability partnership and its three members are believed to be brothers. One of them, Daniel Ward, was approached by the Stray Ferret, but declined to comment.

North Yorkshire fire chief admits ‘work to do’ following damning report

The chief fire officer at North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service has admitted there’s “work to do” following the publication of a highly critical report that questioned the service’s ability to respond to fires.

The report was published last week by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services and it graded North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service following an inspection last year.

It found the service had deteriorated in most areas since its last full inspection in 2018/19.

The report said the organisation’s overall effectiveness “requires improvement” and more needs to be done to keep people safe and secure.

The inspection found that the number of available fire engines sometimes falls to below minimum levels.

It also said the way the service manages its finances is “inadequate” due to the “fragility” of the budget. It described the overall financial situation as “precarious”.

While the report was largely critical of the service provided to the public, it did praise the organisation for its fire prevention work and how it responds to major incidents.

Chief fire officer, Jonathan Dyson, responded to the report at a public accountability meeting last week for the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner.

He said progress has been made since the inspection took place and tried to reassure the public that it is able to respond to incidents.

Mr Dyson said:

“We’ve work to do. There’s a reflection that it’s a bad report but the service has made improvements.

“We have a back to basics approach to ensure we are building an organisation from the foundations up. We provide competent fire fighters and a competent response and we’ll always deliver at incidents whenever the public needs us.”

Mr Dyson was appointed by Conservative Police, Fire & Crime Commissioner Zoe Metcalfe in May 2022, which was after the inspection took place.

Commissioner Metcalfe told the meeting:

“I’ve appointed a new senior leadership team and I’ve worked with the chief fire officer to implement a rigorous and ongoing programme of improvement to support this process and I will continue to hold the service to account. I am confident that marked improvements have already been made.

“I would like to thank staff and firefighters who continue to make communities safe and they have my full support to improve the service going forward.”

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Review website award

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Why are teachers striking?

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How will classrooms be affected?

What does the government say and will the dispute be resolved?

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Ruth Hansom takes up residency at Swinton Estate

2017 application rejected

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