Ferret Unlocked: what you missed in news last week

This past week, the Stray Ferret delved into a topic of debate — does Harrogate have a Cenotaph or a War Memorial?

Amid the Remembrance commemorations, we took a look at the topic which appears trivial on the face of it, but some take seriously.

We spoke with historians and local experts about the debate and what people should call the location. You can read our article in full here.

Meanwhile, the process to set up a Harrogate Town Council took another step last week after councillors backed its first budget.

The move means ratepayers in the town will be faced with a £12.73 levy on their council tax come 2025. But the decision was not without debate, as we report in full here.

We also had the latest on the River Nidd sampling results this past weekend.

Testing has now ended, and the Environment Agency will grade lido water quality as either excellent, good, sufficient or poor before deciding what, if any, further action is necessary. You can read the latest here.

Our reporter Flora Grafton took a trip to Harrogate Magistrates Court on Thursday as part of our regular roundup of cases heard in court.

Last week included drink driving cases and a Hampsthwaite man admitting to assaulting a police officer. Catch up on the latest cases here.

Finally, a campaign has been launched to save a Harrogate community centre from closure.

St. George’s Community Centre is used weekly by numerous local groups, including Harrogate Skills 4 Living, Slimming Word, Interact Performance Group, Lifeline and Parish Art Room.

However, it faces closure in December due to increased running costs, refurbishment needs and recruitment issues.

Our reporter Lauren Ryan took a trip down to Mornington Terrace, where the centre is based, to meet with those campaigning to save it from closure.

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