Ferret Unlocked: what you missed in news last week

Last week was an important one when it came to developements in the much-debated Harrogate Station Gateway project. 

Since the beginning, the Stray Ferret has been committed to covering every update, understanding the significance it has on businesses and residents of the local area. 

On Tuesday, September 3 we ran a live blog from the business-only meeting, hosted by Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce and Harrogate Business Improvement District. 

We then followed this up with two further articles, breaking down the information we'd learned; one asking the question of whether the council will ditch the contractors and pay itself to deliver the scheme, and the second highlighting 10 key points highlighted in the meeting.

In other news, Lottie McGuinness, our district’s only Paralympic contender, was edged out of the medals in the powerlifting event at the last moment, although she achieved an impressive personal best of 105kg. 

The Stray Ferret had exclusively spoken to her ahead of the games, and we'd been cheering her on from the newsroom ever since. 

Sticking to the sports theme, the Long Course Weekend finally took place over the weekend, an event we've covered extensively in the past.

Our news reporter Flora travelled over to Grimwith and Masham on Friday to catch the start of the three-day event.

In the past month, we've published a series of investigative features on the SEND crisis in the district, speaking to the parents of children affected by the shortage of places. 

We always intended to publish further updates when we could - and following new information gathered from a Freedom of Information (FOI) request we submitted, we've once again turned our attention to the ongoing issue. 

Casting our spotlight back to the start of the year, we ran a Trading Hell series, which was the result of months of research, interviews and data combing. It highlighted how an increase in anti-social behaviour such as shoplifting was affecting local businesses. 

Now, several months on we've revisited the topic, to see if anything has changed - and what, if anything, can be done to minimise the problem. 

Finally, subscribers to the Stray Ferret can take advantage of a range of fantastic exclusive offers, discounts and giveaways from local businesses, which we regularly update.

This week we’re highlighting our partnership with Knaresborough's Castle Creamery, which is offering subscribers the chance to enjoy a hot drink and a piece of cake for just £5.

Don’t miss out on quality local news in the district - by subscribing for just £4.99 a month or £49.99 annually, you will be able to access all daily news, in-depth features and lifestyle content as well as a whole range of fantastic exclusive discounts and offers.