In last weekend's Stray Views Starbeck was described by one of its residents as "worse than Birmingham". It prompted another resident, Chris Watt, to contact us and write a passionate defence of his community.

I love Starbeck! I’m not from the area. I’m a southerner and only moved here about a decade ago.

But ever since coming here, I’ve been welcomed by the wonderful community and been struck by the great spirit we have. So I was disappointed to see the letter comparing Starbeck unfavourably to other towns and cities.

Now let’s be honest. Starbeck has its challenges. Indeed, Harrogate more widely is a wonderful place to live, but despite its image as an idyllic spa town, it is not immune to the problems faced equally by others.

Across the town, there are areas of high deprivation, substance abuse, anti-social behaviour, crime and a lack of amenities.

These can all be addressed if we all work together as part of a wider community and promote all that is best about Starbeck.

And we have great resources to build on.

Our local schools are well regarded and involved in the community, inspiring pride in the area among our young people.

Starbeck in Bloom has won national awards and brightens our area.

Our church communities provide visible support to our area and work with residents to improve our area.

Harrogate Railway provide football teams and coaching for a range of age groups, provide facilities for community events and are partnering with our outstanding local hospital charity to raise funds for vital health services in our area. Similarly, Harrogate Pythons Rugby Club, also based at Station View, support a range of community initiatives.

Our sports and leisure facilities have also recently been boosted by the re-opening of our local swimming pool after its covid enforced closure.

The Starbeck Residents’ Association is now complemented by social media groups focused on improving our neighbourhood.

Our annual Christmas lights display is always a highlight of any seasonal visit to Harrogate.

We have a vibrant high street. In common with others around the country, this has been badly impacted by the covid lockdown and the rise of online shopping. Our high street clearly needs more care and attention. However, the fact that new and diverse enterprises continue to spring up shows its potential as a shopping hub for our town.

There are, of course, issues to address in Starbeck. But if our local community pulls together, then I strongly believe that the community spirit that I have experienced since moving to the area, can continue to make a real difference.

Read More: 

• Harrogate planters find a happy home in Starbeck


• "I've missed this so much" - delight as Starbeck baths finally re-open