Firefighters from Ripon, Masham and Knaresborough used breathing apparatus to tackle a major car fire on the A1(M) today.

Fire engines were called to the southbound carriageway at the junction 49 slip road at 7.24am this morning.

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service‘s incident report said:

“Crews located the Audi that was well alight and extinguished it using one hose reel jet and two breathing apparatus.

“Crews dampened down and made the vehicle safe before leaving the incident in the hands of the highways agency.”

North Yorkshire Police later posted on social media that “the fire is now out and occupants uninjured”.

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A toaster fire at Harrogate District Hospital proved to be just the start of an incident-packed day for local firefighters yesterday.

Crews from Harrogate and Knaresborough were called to the hospital on Lancaster Park Road at 8am.

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service‘s incident report said:

“The fire originated in an industrial rotating toaster, and caused 25% fire damage to the kitchen, and light smoke logging to a communal area.”

It proved to be the first of several call-outs yesterday.

Teen rescued from car

At 11.07am, firefighters from Boroughbridge and Ripon rushed to a single vehicle car crash at Skelton Road in Boroughbridge where a Peugout 206 had careered off the road.

Crews used an electric saw to get into the vehicle through the windscreen and free a female driver. who was described as “approximately 17” in the incident report. It added:

“The female was uninjured and left in the care of the air ambulance service.”

Two-car crash on A1

The A1 at Boroughbridge

At 12.14pm, crews from Ripon, Boroughbridge and Northallerton responded to reports of a Hyundai and an Audi colliding between junctions 48 and 49 on the northbound A1(M).

The incident report said:

“All occupants of the vehicles were out on arrival. The female driver of the Hyundai, aged approximately 40s, suffered superficial injuries only.

“The male driver, and female passenger of the Audi, both aged approximately 50s, were uninjured. Crews used a turfer winch to remove the vehicles to a safe location.”

Barn fire in Spofforth

At 1.59pm, Harrogate firefighters were back out again. This time they were joined by a crew from Wetherby to a barn fire at Park Lane in Spofforth.

Water bowsers from Tadcaster and Boroughbridge also responded.

The incident report said the barn, which measured about 40 metres by 20 metres, contained straw and the incident was still ongoing by late afternoon.

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Councillors have approved the latest plans for a motorway service station near to Kirby Hill.

Applegreen Ltd submitted amended plans for the scheme between junctions 48 and 49 of the A1(M) northbound, between Boroughbridge and Ripon.

It would see a Welcome Break built at the site, as well a filling station and 364 car parking spaces created.

The proposal already has outline permission after the government’s Planning Inspectorate approved the plan on appeal in April 2021.

At a meeting last week, councillors on North Yorkshire Council’s strategic planning committee approved the amended proposal.

Applegreen, which is based in Dublin, applied for amendments to its plan, including an extension to the length of the slip roads and increasing the permissible height of the eastern dumbbell roundabout by up to 1.25 metres.

In documents submitted to the council, the company said the changes were “limited design amendments”.

But, Gareth Owens, of Kirby Hill Residents Against Motorway Services, told the committee that the plan did not amount to minor amendments.

He said:

“Minor amendments would not warrant an officer’s report that runs to 110 pages.”

Mr Owens added:

“What we have here is an applicant who misrepresented to an inspector at a public inquiry what it is possible to achieve on this site.

“They are now having to row back from that position and ask your permission for a much more harmful scheme.

“Let’s not be taken in by the claim that these are minor amendments.”

Cllr Nick Brown, who represents the area on North Yorkshire Council, said he knew of no other local issue which residents felt more strongly about.

He added the scheme was “materially different” to what was approved by the government’s Planning Inspectorate.

Nick Roberts, who represented Applegreen at the meeting, said the need for a motorway service station at the site was established by a planning inspector after a three-week public inquiry.

Read more:

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The move comes after the government approved plans for the service station following a series of public inquiries and planning battles.

In a saga which has spanned a quarter of a century, Applegreen’s application has been before multiple council planning committees, faced four public inquiries and been turned down twice by the Secretary of State and the High Court.

The inquiry, which was held by planning inspector David Rose and streamed onto YouTube, lasted two weeks and included multiple testimonies from residents, campaigners and developer Applegreen.

In a decision notice, Mr Rose said after considering the evidence that the benefits of a service station would outweigh the harm.

A van driver was taken to hospital after a serious collision with a lorry on the A1(M) at Allerton Park last night.

The crash happened at junction 47 just before 6pm and led to three-mile tailbacks and lengthy delays.

Firefighters from Knaresborough, Harrogate, Ripon and Tadcaster were summoned to help.

According to North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service’s incident log, “a van had impacted the trailer of a HGV and the driver was trapped by the dashboard”.

It added:

“On arrival, crews used cutting equipment, spreaders, rams and a turfer to free the male driver of the van.

“The driver was transported to hospital by road ambulance with a suspected broken femur.”

North Yorkshire Police has not released any information about the incident.

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Motorists are set to face five more weeks worth of delays on the A59 at Flaxby as ongoing roadworks are set to continue until June.

Work is being carried out by Power On, which is installing a high voltage circuit to provide power supply to a new business park in the area.

The cable is being installed along the verge of the A59 heading east towards A59/A1M junction.

Temporary traffic lights are in place at the site, which are in manual operations between 7.30am and 5pm, as well as one lane closure.

A spokesperson for Power On said:

“We do apologise for any inconvenience this may cause the public.

“We will complete the works as soon as possible whilst keeping the traffic flowing as much as possible, maintaining the safety of our operatives and the public as our number one priority.”

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The spokesperson added that the work is due to run up to June 1, but are expected to be completed a week ahead of schedule due to “good progress made thus far”.

It comes as a section of the project saw roadworks in Shortsill Lane in Coneythorpe.

The work forced the Tiger Inn pub in the village to close for five weeks at the start of the year.

At the time, Barbara Gill, who owns the Tiger Inn, said the pub was already dealing with the cost of living crisis – which has seen its energy bills increase to more than £4,000.

She said:

“These road works are the final kick we didn’t need.”

Power On said the work in Coneythorpe was completed ahead of schedule in March.

A 30-year-old man has been arrested and £100,000 of cash seized after a police chase on the A1 near Boroughbridge.

North Yorkshire Police were alerted to erratic driving southbound near to Scotch Corner yesterday at 1.50pm.

Officers located the vehicle which near Dishforth and followed it towards Boroughbridge.

As they approached Wetherby Services, police got in front of the vehicle and directed the driver to leave the carriageway into the service station.

As they got nearer to the services, the driver made off and drove at speed through the service station car park towards the hotel at the back of the site, colliding with a member of the public’s vehicle on its way through.

A police statement said:

“Officers pursued on foot and within four minutes of running from the car, the suspect had been located by officers with the support of a police dog. He was arrested for failing to stop when instructed and handcuffed.

“A search of his vehicle uncovered a substantial amount of cash estimated to be around £100,000 and two large tubs of plant food. The driver also failed a roadside drug test, testing positive for cocaine.”

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The 30-year-old, of no fixed abode, was arrested on suspicion of failing to stop for police.

He was also arrested on suspicion of drug driving and on suspicion of being in possession of criminal property, dangerous driving, driving otherwise than accordance with a licence, failing to stop after a road traffic accident, money laundering, theft of a motor vehicle and for driving without insurance.

The man remains in custody while police enquiries continue.

Traffic was halted on the southbound A1(M) between junctions 46 and 47 last night when a Vauxhall Corsa caught fire.

The vehicle was completely destroyed by the blaze, which occurred at about 8.45pm between Flaxby and Wetherby Services.

The wreckage of the Corsa. Pic: Knaresborough Fire Station

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service’s incident log said:

“Knaresborough and Harrogate crews attended a Vauxhall Corsa well alight on the hard shoulder.

“The fire is believed to have been caused by a mechanical fault. Crews extinguished the fire using two hose reels. The car was destroyed by fire.”

Firefighters at the scene. Pic Knaresborough Fire Station

Last night National Highways alerted motorists to the incident and warned them to expect delays. Knaresborough Fire Station posted on social media this morning the road re-opened shortly afterwards.

Traffic is being held temporarily on the #A1M southbound between J47 and J46 near #Wetherby due to a vehicle fire. pic.twitter.com/Gpa4PvdDpZ

— National Highways: Yorkshire (@HighwaysYORKS) December 30, 2022

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This article is sponsored by Linley & Simpson.

An exclusive new development of luxury four-bedroom bungalows has gone on the market in the picturesque village of Rainton.

Boasting a cricket club, green and pub, the idyllic rural setting provides the perfect location for Grange Farm.

As village locations remain in huge demand, one property has already been sold.

However, there are two spacious detached homes with double garages remaining, with prices starting from £630,000.

They have been built by Harrogate-based independent developers JWK Developments Ltd.

Plot 1 at Grange Farm Barns, Rainton.

Lucy Collinge, new homes marketing executive at Linley & Simpson, the agent selling the properties, said:

“It is unusual for a development of bungalows to come to the market – particularly as new builds.

“These properties are around 1,800 sq ft. However, they are really energy efficient as they are fitted with air source heat pumps and underfloor heating.

“The specification is high quality with stunning contemporary open-plan fitted kitchens, french doors opening to a private garden and patio and tiled bathrooms and ensuites. There is also a feature oak handrail in the hallway.”

The homes boast a carefully considered layout, with living and sleeping accommodation shared on the ground floor, as well as featuring a principal bedroom to the first floor in a dormer bungalow style.

A bathroom at a similar development in Alne, near Easingwold, by JWK Developments.

A separate sitting room and optional study or snug allows for a second reception room, ensuring that these homes provide for versatile living accommodation.

The ground floor also provides a utility room, cloakroom WC, house bathroom, two further double bedrooms and a single fourth bedroom/study.

Ms Collinge said:

“They also feature large landscaped gardens, which have been planted with crabapple trees and are really pretty. They are very much in-keeping with the village landscape.”

Rainton is a quintessentially English village, nestled between Ripon and Thirsk.

It is close to the junction of the A1 and A168, providing the commuter with options when travelling by car. Central Harrogate and York are 16 and 25 miles to the south respectively and Leeds is 38 miles away.

A kitchen at a similar development in Alne, near Easingwold, by JWK Developments.

For longer journeys, the nearest train station is Thirsk which is just seven miles away. From here, it is possible to catch direct trains to Leeds, London, Manchester Airport, Sunderland and York.

Ms Collinge added:

“Rainton has got a lovely village green and a maypole and it certainly looks the part.

“You’ve also got great transport links on the doorstop giving seclusion without remoteness.

“Rainton really is a stunning village in a fabulous location – the perfect place to buy a new home.”

James Knight, director of JWK Developments, said:

“Grange Farm is a truly unique development and the importance of an energy efficient and sustainable home has been recognised.

“From Mitsubishi air source heat pumps, underfloor heating to the ground floor and electric vehicle charging points, this offers buyers luxury eco-friendly living.”

To enquire about plots 1 and 2 at Grange Farm Barns, call Linley & Simpson on 01423 540054

Lane closures and a 50mph speed limit are being introduced to a stretch of the A1 that passes through the Harrogate district.

National Highways is to carry out patching repairs on the southbound carriageway between junction 49 (Dishforth) and junction 51 (Leeming Bar) from Tuesday next week until mid-December.

According to a press release today by National Highways, during full closures a local signed diversion will be in place using the A6055 which runs parallel to the A1.

Access to properties and businesses will be maintained at all times. Those affected will be contacted directly.

National Highways project manager Ted Chamberlain said:

“This work will ensure that we continue to provide our customers with a safe, smooth carriageway. We’ll be working overnight using a combination of full closures and lane closures. This will minimise disruption to the peak traffic flows during the day.

“When lane closures are in place there will be a 50mph speed restriction to protect road users and our workers. We advise drivers to anticipate delays and allow extra time for their journeys.”

National Highways is the government-owned company responsible for maintaining England’s motorways and major A roads.

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The full extent of the multi-million pound overspend on the junction 47 upgrade on the A1(M) remains unknown — six months after the project ended.

The scheme near Flaxby, which was originally budgeted to cost £7.7m, finished in April, seven months later than planned.

North Yorkshire County Council revealed more than a year ago that costs had increased to £10m and has not given an updated figure since.

The Stray Ferret asked the council this week when a figure would be published.

Richard Binks, head of major projects and infrastructure at the council, said:

 “We are continuing discussions with our contractor over the final account agreement.

“The project was completed in summer, since then remedial and road safety audit work has been undertaken, so we are only a few months beyond substantial completion of the project.

“It is usual for final accounts to take several months to be brought to a conclusion. We are confident of reaching a conclusion shortly.”

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Scheme ‘unlocks growth around Harrogate’

The scheme involved widening three of the four slip roads onto and off the roundabout to increase capacity, as well as a number of junction improvements.

Traffic signals were installed on the roundabout to improve traffic flow and added to the T-junction between the A168 and the A59, a short distance from junction 47 on the York side to benefit drivers turning onto the A59 and to improve safety.

To the west of junction 47, between the A1 and the Flaxby roundabout, a lane was added for traffic travelling east, so there are now two lanes in each direction between those two roundabouts.

Officials celebrate the completion of works.

Cllr Keane Duncan, the council’s executive member for highways, previously said the project had reduced congestion and improved road safety, adding:

“The scheme unlocks future growth in and around Harrogate, with the changes helping to manage significant residential and commercial development anticipated along the A59 corridor.”