The owner of a Harrogate landscaping company was lucky to avoid being crushed by a tree that blew over in Bilton today.

Jason Kirk, owner of Jennyfields firm Patios and Groundworkz, had parked his van outside a customer’s drive on Woodfield Road.

He and employee Steven Beecroft were digging holes for fencing in the driveway until Mr Kirk had to drive off for some timber shortly before 11am.

In the 20 or so minutes he was away, a large tree came crashing down exactly where his van was parked.

Mr Kirk said:

“It was sheer luck.I was parked outside the driveway, exactly where the tree came down.

“There would not have been a van left if it had happened when it was parked there and I was lucky to avoid it too.”

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Mr Beecroft, who was still working in the driveway when the tree fell, said:

“I heard this almighty crackling sound  I stood up thinking ‘what was that?’ and saw the tree coming down.

“It was lucky there were no cars coming and nobody walking by on the path. It’s a busy road.

“A guy in a house opposite came running out because the tree had come down half a foot from his car but luckily it was OK.”

Jason Kirk next to his van and the fallen tree on Woodfield Drive, Bilton.

The tree is one of several trees to have fallen today in the Harrogate district due to Storm Malik.

A Met Office yellow weather warning of strong wind has been in place across the district.

You can read more about today’s storm here.

Harrogate Borough Council has revealed it hasn’t issued any fines in the last 12 months for failing to clean up dog mess.

The council’s dog warden service urged people to report dog mess last week. In a post on Facebook, it said there had been “an increase in dog fouling across the whole district”, especially in Harlow Hill.

It added the Otley Road area around Beckwith Road, Nursery Lane and the ginnel from the Shepherd’s Dog Pub to the allotments was “particularly bad”.

The council can issue fixed penalty notices of up to £80 for dog fouling. However, it struggles to catch anyone in the act.

This week it told the Stray Ferret it had not issued any fines for dog fouling in the last year or the previous year either.

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A council spokesperson said:

“Dealing with the issue of dog fouling is very resource intensive and requires us having people in the right place at the right time to catch someone committing an offence within the 505 square miles of the Harrogate district.

“We are very fortunate that the vast majority of people who live here or come to visit take considerable pride in the appearance of the area. Because of this they do the right thing and pick up after their dog and dispose of it responsibly.

“Unfortunately, we have seen an increase in in particular areas and would encourage residents witnessing someone not picking up after their dog to report it to us so we can focus our patrols to try and prevent it from happening.”

A community-spirited Bilton man is determined to keep a mural looking its best after another attack by vandals.

Chris Knight was spurred into action today after the iron bridge, which connects Woodfield Drive and Claro Road, was defaced.

It is not the first time Mr Knight has cleaned the mural: he also cleaned the bridge when vandals painted a swastika and anti-Pakistani messages on it last year.

He told the Stray Ferret:

“Plenty of people were quite happy to see me cleaning the bridge today. It gives me quite the sense of achievement to do these things for the area.

“It did not take quite as long as last time, they must have used quite cheap paint. I am not one to wait around for other people to take action.

“The words of my old boss really stuck with me. There are three types of people — those who do things, those who watch people do things and those who wonder what happened.

“I have always wanted to be the type of person who can step-up.”

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Emma Garness, the artist who created the mural, used special paint to protect it from graffiti, which enables Mr Knight to clean it without damaging the artwork.

The mural, which was designed to become a beacon of positivity in the area, was well received by local residents.

North Yorkshire Police is appealing for witnesses after two bus stops were deliberately damaged along a street in Bilton.

The bus stops on Dene Park were damaged overnight on Sunday, January 9.

In summer, the same street was hit with similar incidents of criminal damage in which nine cars were vandalised in minutes. One resident said previously that incidents such as these had been going on for some time.

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The police are asking for anyone with information that could help them with the investigation to come forward.

Anyone with information can call North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 2, and ask to speak to PC Brendon Frith or email Brendon.Frith@northyorkshire.police.uk.

To remain anonymous call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

The reference number is 12220004871.

Bilton Park Village Farm hopes to install 264 solar panels to produce green electricity for its park homes and caravans.

The site, on Bilton Lane, is a popular holiday location for people wishing to explore Harrogate and Knaresborough.

The owner of the site has now submitted a planning application to Harrogate Borough Council for the solar panels, which would cover 454 square metres of a field next to the site.

They would be capable of producing 90,471 kWh of electricity a year.

Planning documents say the park wants to improve the environmental impact of the business and the solar panels would reduce its carbon footprint by around 31 tonnes of carbon dioxide each year.

It also says that around 30% of the electricity generated will be exported back to the National Grid so it can be utilised by the public.

It adds:

“This means that the public can also utilise electricity which has been generated by renewable energy, further reducing the reliance on fossil fuels and power stations.

“The installation of the solar PV system would not solely serve the applicant but would also benefit other households.”

Harrogate Borough Council will decide on the plans at a later date.

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Family and friends of Harrogate singer-songwriter Aaron Bertenshaw celebrated his life at a funeral in Bilton this morning.

A procession led by motorbikes, including some Harley-Davidsons, set off from the family home on Woodfield Road and arrived at St John’s and St Luke’s Church for the 11am service.

The service was broadcast live on the church’s Facebook page and can still be viewed there.

A wake was held afterwards at The Empress on the Stray.

Aaron Bertenshaw died suddenly last month.

Aaron, a former pupil at St Aidan’s Church of England High School, died suddenly aged 26 last month. He had struggled with diabetes and mental health issues.

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Sammy Oates, Aaron’s mother, set up a fundraising page to help people with diabetes overcome mental health problems. That fundraiser is currently on £6,910.

The family said donations at the service would go to Diabetes UK and CALM, the campaign against living miserably.

Ms Oates is now campaigning for extra support for those who struggle with diabetes and mental health. She told the Stray Ferret previously:

“Aaron touched a lot of lives. He was only 26 but packed a lot in. He also worked as a barber and played rugby for Otley when he was young.

“He was such a bright shining star and an absolute social butterfly. Everyone knew him and he never had a bad word to say about anybody.

“What I remember most is his smile. He had the most infectious smile. There was always a twinkle in the eyes.”

The funeral of Harrogate singer-songwriter Aaron Bertenshaw will take place at St John’s Church in Bilton tomorrow.

Aaron, a former pupil at St Aidan’s Church of England High School, died suddenly aged 26 last month. He had struggled with diabetes and mental health issues.

Everyone is welcome to attend the service, which begins at 11am. A wake will be held afterwards at The Empress on the Stray.

For those unable to attend, the service will be broadcast live on the church’s Facebook page.

Sammy Oates, Aaron’s mother, has said the service will be an upbeat celebration of Aaron’s life and asked people not to wear black suits.

Donations will go to Diabetes UK and CALM, the campaign against living miserably.

A fundraising page set up by Sammy to help people with diabetes overcome mental health problems has so far raised almost £6,000. You can donate here.

Sammy is campaigning to make it easier for people who suffer from mental health issues and diabetes to receive treatment that addresses the two issues together.

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Traffic lights will be in place at busy junctions on Skipton Road in Harrogate at the start of the New Year.

Northern Gas Networks will install temporary lights at the junctions with Knox Avenue, Bilton Grange Close and Skipton Crescent while it replaces metal pipes with plastic ones.

The company will begin the upgrade at January 4 at the junction with Knox Avenue. This will see three-way temporary traffic lights in place for two weeks.

From January 17, the lights will be moved to Bilton Grange Close where two-way lights will be placed at the junction of Skipton Road for a further week.

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For the final two weeks of the project, the two-way temporary traffic lights will be moved along Skipton Road, to the junction with Skipton Crescent.

Northern Gas Networks said in a statement that although most work will be carried out on the road, engineers will need access to customer properties to complete the project and ensure the continued safe and reliable supply of gas.

Scott Kitchingman, business operations lead for Northern Gas Networks, said:

 “We would like to apologise in advance for any inconvenience caused during these essential works.

“We greatly appreciated the patience that Harrogate customers showed us when we carried out work at Skipton Road earlier this year, and we’ll be doing our very best to minimise any disruption during this project at Knox Avenue and Bilton Grange Close.

“However, it is vital we complete the work in order to continue to maintain a safe and reliable gas supply to the residents of Harrogate.

“Northern Gas Networks is continuing to carry out its essential activities while following strict guidelines for safe distance working, where possible, and following good hygiene practices as we continue to live with coronavirus.

“We want to assure residents and road users that we will be working hard to complete this essential scheme as safely and as quickly as possible.”

Police are appealing for information after a 17-year-old boy had his trainers stolen in a “violent robbery” in Harrogate.

The incident happened at Bilton Grange Close, near to the junction with Skipton Road, at about 11pm on Saturday, December 11.

According to North Yorkshire Police, two males thought to be aged between 16 and 18 years of age chased the victim from the Majestic Wine shop on Skipton Road to Bilton Grange Close.

They then assaulted and threatened him and stole his footwear – a distinctive pair of black and orange Nike Air Max 90, which are sold for about £125.

Police want help identifying the two suspects, who are described as slim, wearing face coverings and dressed all in black.

A police statement said:

“They were seen in the vicinity of the Texaco Petrol station on Skipton Road shortly before the robbery took place.

“One of them was riding a black mountain bike and the other on foot.

“Officers are particularly keen to identify a man who was in the area at the time of the assault, who was wearing a distinctive black EA7 baseball cap as they believe he may be able to assist their enquiries.

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Anyone with information can contact North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 2, and ask for PC 1484 Dave Foyston . You can also email david.foyston@northyorkshire.police.uk

If you wish to remain anonymous, you can pass information to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Please quote the North Yorkshire Police reference number 12210260693.

Two boys in their late teens have been arrested in connection with the incident. Both have been released on conditional bail.

A developer has reduced the size a proposed housing development on Knox Lane in Bilton from 73 to 53 homes.

Jomast‘s initial plans to build the homes in April last year generated objections from over 200 people.

Those opposing the scheme criticised the number of homes on the site and questioned how the narrow Knox Lane would cope with the increased volume of traffic.

Harrogate Borough Council‘s Harrogate district Local Plan 2014-35, which outlines where development can take place in the district, says 52 homes should be built on the site, which sits on arable land adjacent to Oak Beck.

Knox Lane

Critics of the initial scheme included Cllr Paul Haslam, who represents Bilton on Harrogate Borough Council and North Yorkshire County Council, who said part of the land Jomast wanted to build on was prone to flooding.

Yorkshire Water also submitted an objection to the plans, which it said did not properly accommodate a sewerage system running across the site.

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Jomast said in planning documents that its resubmitted smaller plans included 34 semi-detached and three detached homes, 12 apartments and four terraced homes. A total of 30 homes would be classed as “affordable”.

To alleviate flooding concerns, Jomast would install hydro-brakes, which are machines that control water flow near rivers. It would also install underground storage tanks to hold water in the event of a major storm.

Harrogate Borough Council’s planning committee will decide on the proposal at a later date.