Editor’s Pick of the Week: Housing investigations, lingerie models in Knaresborough and Carry On Ripon

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Most people understand the need for more housing, but get angry when schools, GP surgeries, roads, buses and cycle lanes pledged to compensate for them don’t materialise.

We hear it from readers all the time, so we took a deep dive into the murky world of Section 106 legal agreements that are signed by councils and developers when housing schemes are approved.

After months of probing, this week we ran a series of free-to-read investigations on the thousands of new homes in Harrogate, the Manse Farm and Highfield Farm estates in Knaresborough, the Doublegates estate in Ripon and the Glasshouses Mill conversion.

With housebuilding being ramped up, and claims Harrogate is ripe for speculative developers, a better, more transparent system is vital. Read our final article tomorrow.

One development that will be welcomed by many is the proposed conversion of the former Harpers building on Starbeck High Street, which has been a burnt-out shell since a fire in 2018.

New plans were revealed this week which, if approved, could rid Starbeck of a long-standing eyesore and boost the entire area.

Another well-known building on the verge of being brought back to life is the former Graveleys fish and chip shop on Cheltenham Parade in Harrogate. A new fryer was installed this week, and signs have gone up announcing the takeaway’s reopening.

We’ve published no fewer than eight articles this week about the political shenanigans at Ripon City Council.

Councillor Sid Hawke, a supporter of new mayor Cllr Barbara Brodigan, said he was going to resign, then didn’t, then announced he had done a U-turn and rejoined the rival faction led by Cllr Andrew Williams. With a Sid and a Barbara among the main characters of this farce, surely a film called Carry On Ripon is in the offing.

Curious goings on in Knaresborough, too, where a lingerie shop announced it would have models in the window today (October 25). Sheer Bliss Lingerie is on the main A59 going through the heart of the town. “Don’t crash your car,” was the message from shop owner Jayne Winn.

Knaresborough also discovered this week when Tinsel Town, the romantic comedy shot in the town last winter, will be released. Rebel Wilson, Kiefer Sutherland and Danny Dyer star in the Christmas feel-good film.

Someone should make a film about the life of Sheila Pantin, who became the first person to be awarded the Freedom of Harrogate this week. Sheila joined the army at 17 and in 1944 was among the first service women to enter Bergen-Belsen concentration camp after its liberation from the Nazis.

Sheila’s recognition provided a rare moment of political consensus and joy in Harrogate, which is preparing for demonstrations and disharmony at next week’s planning committee meeting which will determine the fate of Harrogate Spring Water’s application to fell 500 trees to expand its bottling factory. Stay tuned…