CCTV to tackle anti-social behaviour on Bilton’s mural bridge

CCTV will be installed on Bilton’s Iron Bridge to tackle anti-social behaviour and vandalism on a recently painted mural.

Conservative HBC and NYCC councillors for Bilton, Matt Scott and Paul Haslam, are behind the initiative which will be trialled for a month beginning in early September.

In March, a colourful mural featuring flowers and foxes was painted by artist Emma Garness to become a beacon of positivity in the area.

The mural has been well received by local residents but has been the subject of vandalism, despite being daubed with anti-graffiti paint.

The CCTV camera was recently used in Ripon to tackle anti-social behaviour. It has a wide-angle lens so can also capture nearby areas such as the garage block on Woodfield Close.

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Cllr Scott said:

“I am grateful to Paul, Cllr Tim Myatt on the other side of the bridge, Julia and Helen in Community Safety and our fantastic local PCSOs for their support with this.

“Paul and I take antisocial behaviour seriously and we will not let a minority of individuals spoil our wonderful community and make people feel unsafe.

“We have seen recently how residents’ own CCTV can help tackle this issue. I hope this camera will provide reassurance and also act as a deterrent.”

Muddy footpath in Nidd Gorge transformed

A muddy footpath in Nidd Gorge has been transformed thanks to Bilton Conservation Group.

12 volunteers from the group spent 77 hours this week laying the 45-metre footpath, which is close to Tennyson Avenue, using 13 tonnes of limestone ballast. 

It was funded through a £1,000 grant from Bilton Conservative county councillor Paul Haslam’s Locality Budget. 

The main ‘Millennium Path’ was laid by the group in 2015 and was extended towards Tennyson Avenue in 2016.

The group had attempted a lightweight boardwalk solution three times, only to find it damaged by vandals.

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Keith Wilkinson MBE from Bilton Conservation Group praised Warren Considine for masterminding the project.

He said:

 “The 45-metre extension created on Monday made good a very muddy natural surface which had become dangerous to walk in.”

Cllr Paul Haslam added:

“I use my Locality Budget to focus on things that improve the environment for as many people as possible.”

Covid ‘pings’ forces Bilton Cricket Club to cancel charity fundraiser

Bilton Cricket Club’s charity fundraiser on Sunday has been cancelled after members of staff were forced to self-isolate after being ‘pinged’ by the NHS track and trace app.

The club had planned a family fun day with hot food, an ice cream van, children’s games, a bouncy castle and local businesses with stalls to raise money for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance.

Organiser Matt Thomas said the news was “devastating” but he will attempt to arrange a new date either later this year or in 2022.

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He said:

“We can not operate the club properly and safely over the weekend and the fundraiser event for Sunday has had to be cancelled, which is devastating.

“We have sought advice from the Harrogate Borough Council and NYCC and our proposed actions are confirmed.

“I’m really sorry to everybody that the charity event can not go ahead. I will work with the club and everyone who was coming to have stalls and support the running of the day, to get an alternative date proposed, be that this year if possible, or next.

“Thanks to everyone for the support shown for this event, and as above, we will put this on, on a future date.”

Bilton man cleans Nazi graffiti off mural bridge

A Bilton man spent two-and-a-half hours cleaning a bridge mural yesterday after vandals covered it in racist graffiti.

Chris Knight decided to act after noticing the Iron Bridge, which is on the edge of Bilton and crosses over towards Claro Road, had been defaced.

It’s not the first time that vandals have targeted the mural since it was painted. But this time around they had painted a swastika and anti-Pakistani messages.

Rather than waiting for others to sort out the problem, Mr Knight took on the challenge with a brush and cleaning solution.

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

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Mr Knight told the Stray Ferret:

“When something like this happens, people always ask for others to sort out the problem. I just think why can’t we step up?

“During the two-and-a-half hours it took to clean, around 50 people stopped to chat with me and were thankful of the job I was doing.

“This is the second time the bridge has been covered in graffiti since the mural was painted. It was much worse this time.

“If it happens again then I will be back to clean it up. Maybe next time we will be able to get a group together.”

Bilton garages could be demolished for social housing

Harrogate Borough Council is proposing to demolish seven garages in Bilton to make way for social housing.

The garages are on Woodfield Close, close to the iron bridge in the Harrogate suburb.

A report presented this week to the council’s cabinet member for housing, the Conservative councillor Mike Chambers says two one-bedroom homes could be built on the site, and more homes might be possible subject to planning permission.

The report says there are 24 garages but only 12 are occupied. Of these, four are used by local residents. It proposes demolishing seven to allow for the development.

The council also plans to build a two-bed property for social rented housing on grassland it maintains on the corner of Poplar Crescent and Poplar Grove.

According to the report, the grassland “is not used for any particular purpose and has no amenity value”.

If the council goes ahead with the plan, it would apply for funding from the government’s £433 million Rough Sleeping Accommodation Programme, which aims to get up to 6,000 rough sleepers into longer term accommodation.

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The council owns and rents out garages across the district and has increasingly looked at the pockets of land as a way to build social housing.

There are currently over 1,700 people on the council’s social housing waiting list.

Last month, the council approved a plan from its own housing team to build three council houses at the sites of two disused garage blocks in Ripon.

Police arrest two men after damage to properties in Bilton

North Yorkshire Police arrested two men in Bilton last night following reports of damage to properties.

Officers were responding to reports from the Woodfield Road area of the Harrogate suburb last night.

The force’s Dutch Herder police dog, PD Bobby, was brought in to find the suspects.

The two men are currently in custody.

If you were involved in any of these incidents and have not yet reported this to the police, please call 101.

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Councillor fails in bid to rehome Peter the Peacock on his farm

A Harrogate councillor has seen his offer to rehome the exiled Peter the Peacock back in Bilton rejected by the RSPCA.

Conservative councillor for Old Bilton, Paul Haslam, owns a farm in the area that includes chickens, sheep and horses.

He stepped in following reports in the Stray Ferret this week that the animal charity took Peter in after an injury to his foot. It was believed he was sent to Lancashire.

Cllr Haslam told the Stray Ferret he felt he’d be able to give Peter a good home and he had even offered to buy some peahens to keep him company.

However, the RSPCA told him that his offer was too late.

It said that Peter was rehomed yesterday at an undisclosed location, which has other peacocks.

Although if the bird doesn’t settle at his new home, the RSPCA has promised to give Cllr Haslam a ring.

Cllr Haslam added:

“They tell me he’s in a very good home and that’s good news. He may just have gone to peacock paradise!”

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Can you help locate dead Harrogate man’s next of kin?

Coroner’s officers in North Yorkshire are searching for the next of kin of a man who died recently in Harrogate.

Malcolm Miles, 70, was found dead at his home in Dene Park. It’s believed he lived in the Harrogate area for at least a few years.

North Yorkshire Police said there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding his death.

Anyone who believes they are Mr Miles’ next of kin or has information that could assist the coroner, can email coroner@northyorkshire.police.uk

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RSPCA dashes hopes of Peter the Peacock returning to Bilton

The rumours are true — Peter the Peacock will spend the rest of his days away from Harrogate and will not be returning to Bilton.

The beloved bird had not been spotted at his usual haunts around Tennyson Avenue over the past week.

Bilton resident Claire Hamer said on Monday an RSPCA inspector told her Peter had injured his foot and the charity had taken him to an animal sanctuary to recuperate.

Responding to questions by the Stray Ferret, An RSPCA spokesperson confirmed Peter was taken in after members of the public alerted it to the bird’s injury.

After taking Peter to a vet for immediate care, the charity then took him to a “specialist boarding establishment”, believed to be across the Pennines in Lancashire.

The spokesperson added that Peter will soon be placed in a new permanent location where there are other birds, including peacocks, to keep him company.

 An RSPCA spokesperson said:

“We were called to reports from concerned members of the public about a peacock in Tennyson Avenue, Harrogate, earlier this month.

“It was reported to us that he was injured and unable to bear weight on his right foot and because of this he was also unable to roost in his usual tree.

“The RSPCA sent an animal rescuer to the area and the peacock was taken for immediate veterinary care.

“Peter lived for many years on his own but he has now been taken on by a specialist boarding establishment and he will be found a new home on an estate with many other birds, including peacocks, for company where he will be able to spend the rest of his days.”

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However, Peter may not be flying off into the sunset just yet.

Bilton residents who have cherished Peter’s presence over the past 12 years are mobilising and could launch a campaign to persuade the RSPCA to bring Peter back to where they consider to be his rightful home.

Andrew Hart, who owns the local post office, said the plight of Peter has been the talk of Bilton over the past week and he might start a petition for his return.

He said:

“He’s an attraction. He belongs to Bilton and we want him back”

Speaking to the Stray Ferret, the RSPCA spokesperson said it would be illegal under the Wildlife and Countryside Act to release back into Bilton because peacocks are classed as a non-native species.

The spokesperson did give residents’ some hope, though, by suggesting that Peter may be able to return if someone with the correct accommodation to house a peacock offered to adopt him.

‘We want him home’: Bilton bids to bring back Peter the Peacock

Residents in Bilton are considering launching a campaign to bring Peter the Peacock back from exile in Lancashire.

Peter has wandered around the Harrogate suburb for years and is part of the community. Facebook and Twitter accounts have been set up about him.

But Bilton resident Claire Hamer said yesterday an RSPCA inspector had told her the enigmatic bird had injured his foot and the charity had taken him to an animal sanctuary in Lancashire to recuperate.

According to Ms Hamer, when Peter is back on his feet he will be re-homed and will not be returning to Bilton.

The Stray Ferret has asked the RSPCA whether it is treating Peter but has not yet had a response.

Ben Rothery, who set up the Bilton Community Group Facebook page, told the Stray Ferret he was considering rallying residents behind a campaign to return Peter to the streets around Tennyson Avenue.

It could involve the community adopting Peter if it can persuade the RSPCA he’s well looked after.

He said:

“I don’t see why he can’t be returned. He’s lived here for 12 years, which is more than half my life.

“He’s like a pet for a lot of residents.

“He’s a well known figure in Bilton. It’s a shame to have him taken away and I’m going to try to bring him back.”

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Andrew Hart, who owns Bilton’s Red Box card shop and post office, said “everybody is talking about Peter” this week.

Mr Hart said the RSCPA had taken Peter away previously a few weeks ago and returned him, so he saw no reason why he couldn’t come back again.

He suspects there may have been a complaint to the charity from someone in Bilton who does not like Peter.

Mr Hart is considering setting up a petition to put pressure on the RSPCA and may even ask Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones to back a campaign.

He said:

“He’s an attraction. He belongs to Bilton and we want him back”