Ferret Unlocked: what you missed in news last week

It’s the first week of the new school year for children across the Harrogate district, which means that the summer tourism season is officially wrapping up.

With three months of mixed – and mainly poor – weather, the news team decided to speak to businesses across the region, to get their verdict on how trade has been.

This was just one of a number of in-depth features we published last week, delving deeper into the issues that matter most to the region.

Another was the recent announcement from North Yorkshire Council that it plans to make every new hackney carriage licence application from April 2025 wheelchair-accessible vehicle compliant.

The Stray Ferret has reported extensively on the problem over the years, and we took the opportunity to look back on some of our coverage, speak to councillors and taxi drivers, and question how successful the newest plan could be?

We also published our two-part series from our meeting with North Yorkshire Council’s CEO Richard Flinton, discussing a broad range of subjects.

From a lack of SEND provisions in the district to the financial future of Harrogate, we tackled many pressing and important issues in the interview.

As the Stray Ferret’s news editor John Plummer has aptly pointed out, the £12.1 million Station Gateway project is rarely far from the news, and further headlines are expected this week.

The next meeting - taking place tomorrow, Tuesday, September 3 – will not be open to the public to attend, which has sparked a backlash amongst Harrogate residents.

We spoke to residents and campaigners to understand their viewpoint and concerns about the project and the news team will be attending the meeting to bring the latest updates and to pose those concerns to the Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce and Harrogate Business Improvement District (BID).

The future of Knaresborough and Ripon markets have been called into question in the past few weeks; the Stray Ferret was first to break the news, and we’ve followed it closely ever since, providing regular updates.

It's not just daily news and investigations that we pursue either - following an enquiry from a reader, we spread our wings and did some digging to find out why so many Harrogate residents have seen low-flying military planes recently, with some surprising answers revealed. 

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 Regal Flowers, on Harrogate’s Kings Road. Subscribers can save £5 off when they spend £30 in store or online.

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.