Editor’s Pick of the Week: Sunak in Ripon, village idiot in Harrogate and a vanishing cockerel

You know how it is — one minute you’re enjoying a street party in Ripon, the next minute you turn around and the Prime Minister is there too.

It actually happened on Easter Monday when Rishi Sunak joined fellow Tory, North Yorkshire mayor hopeful Keane Duncan, in the city.

It was Mr Sunak’s second local visit in as many months, following his trip to Starbeck to support Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones in February. Anyone might think an election is looming…

Who is the man in the background and what was he saying?

Mr Sunak, however, had to play second fiddle to a village idiot in the Stray Ferret reader popularity stakes this week. Our article about the arrival in Harrogate of Andy Smith, a YouTuber who calls himself The Village Idiot, was the second best read this week.

The most popular was a feature about Thompson’s Auctioneers in Killinghall, whose director Kate Higgins talked about the joys of rummaging through possessions and selling them under the hammer.

But perhaps the most bizarre was the disappearance of a 30-foot cockerel in Bishop Monkton. It seems the bird had grown so big it was no longer manageable.

Pic: Bishop Monkton Today

Harrogate’s Tourist Information Office has also vanished from its former premises in the Royal Baths complex. It now exists as what appears to be little more than a desk at the Royal Pump Room Museum. Its apparent downgrading has prompted concerns about whether it will be able to promote local businesses.

By contrast, Harrogate Town has well and truly arrived in recent years. The club is enjoying a golden age under father-and-son owner and manager combination Irving Weaver and Simon Weaver. It’s hard to believe the Sulphurites are in a league above York City, have just thumped Bradford City and are on the fringes of the League Two play-off race.

But newly published accounts this week revealed how much the club depends on Irving. Good luck to Town against Notts County this weekend. Let’s hope the good times keep rolling for a while yet.

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Harrogate village shocked after 30ft topiary cockerel cut down

A village between Harrogate and Ripon has been left in a state of shock after its most famous sight — a 30ft topiary cockerel — was cut down.

Bishop Monkton has crowed about its magnificent bird for more than 100 years.

Standing proudly in front of a 300-year-old home known as Cockerel Cottage, it attracted visitors and even national media coverage.

Photos on local history website Bishop Monkton yesterday show the bird outside the cottage, whose proper name is Burngarth, in the 1920s.

Pic: Bishop Monkton Yesterday

But it disappeared this week, leaving some villagers horrified, and wondering what had led to its demise.

The Stray Ferret spoke to Gary Cross, landlord of the Masons Arms in Bishop Monkton, to find out more.

Mr Cross said the cockerel had been one of the main talking points in the pub in the days since it was cut down on Tuesday.

But he said that, contrary to appearances, it was not an act of wanton vandalism and could even return, Phoenix-like, after its shearing.

Mr Cross said he knows the owners, who we have not named, and understood the cockerel’s size and proximity to the house caused problems including blocking light  and was difficult to maintain. He added:

“It was a pretty big object and attraction. Some residents are very upset about it. But they don’t have to live next to it.

“With the beck flooding, a lot of their garden was subject to flooding and it held pools of water, which was difficult to deal with. The owners have been there two or three years and tried to work with the cockerel but it had just become so big.”

Mr Cross said a leading topiarist was hired to prune the bird down to its roots so it could regrow, although this would take years. He said:

“Some people are being rude and vicious but it has not been butchered, it was carefully cut.

“Most people think it’s a shame but when you pose the question ,’would you want to have to maintain it?’, the answer is usually ‘no’.”

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Bishop Monkton 23 homes refusal ‘illogical’, says developer

A developer has described a decision to refuse plans to build 23 homes in Bishop Monkton as “illogical”.

Kebbell Development Ltd tabled a plan to build the houses on Knaresborough Road in the village.

At a meeting of North Yorkshire Council’s Skipon and Ripon area constituency planning committee in August, councillors rejected the plan amid concern it would increase the amount of raw sewage released on streets.

The decision went against North Yorkshire Council officers’ recommendations to approve the scheme.

As a result, the developer has appealed the decision to the government’s Planning Inspectorate, which deals with planning disputes.

In a statement of case, the developer described the council’s position on refusing the plans as “illogical”.

It added that Yorkshire Water had not objected to the scheme despite concern over sewage.

It said:

“The council have provided absolutely no evidence to justify taking a position contrary to Yorkshire Water who maintain and operate the sewages system in Bishop Monkton. 

“The council’s position is illogical. There has not been any material change in circumstances, Yorkshire Water did not object to the allocation of the site in the Local Plan and have not objected to the planning application on four occasions.

“It could not be clearer that Yorkshire Water have no issues with the development proposals.”

However, Bishop Monkton Action Group has urged the government to reject the appeal.

In a 26-page letter of objection submitted to the Planning Inspectorate, the campaign group said the scheme would “threaten the sustainability of our village”.

The group said it had concerns over the impact on drainage and sewage, as well as a “historic lack of investment” in the area’s sewer system.

It said:

“We have highlighted the key issues within the scheme as submitted by the applicant that threaten the sustainability of our village.

“However, the historic lack of investment in our sewer infrastructure is already threatening the sustainability of our village.

“This is evidenced in raw sewage discharge on our streets, in people’s drives and gardens plus sewage discharges onto our Beck and the Ure in a drinking water safeguard zone. Please do not make this any worse for us.”

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The move comes as councillors rejected the proposals at a council meeting three months ago.

One councillor said having more properties in the village could exacerbate the “abomination” of raw sewage being released into the streets during heavy rainfall.

The committee had also called for Yorkshire Water to provide more detail on how the scheme would impact on foul water drainage in the village.

No representative from the company appeared at the meeting.

But the company said “most, if not all” of the “sewage escapes” in the village were caused by residents putting excessive toilet paper, fat, oil and grease down toilets and sinks which caused pipes to block.

A government planning inspector will make a decision on the appeal at a later date.

Village floods as Harrogate district warnings remain

Eight flood alerts and warnings remain in place across the Harrogate district this morning after hours of persistent rain.

Many roads and large swathes of land were flooded last night, leading to treacherous conditions.

Last night also saw firefighters deployed sandbags at Killinghall Primary School after some of the building was flooded.

Driving on the A61 between Harrogate and Ripon was particularly dicey, with the bridge dividing Ripley and Killinghall deep in water.

Bishop Monkton, which is between the two locations, was among the worst hit areas as the beck flooded.

Bishop Monkton. Pic: Helen Bagnall 

Bishop Monkton is subject to a flood warning, which was updated by the Environment Agency at 1.30am this morning to say further rainfall is forecast this afternoon and over the weekend.

It added:

“We are monitoring rainfall and river levels and are checking rivers for blockages in the area. Plan driving routes to avoid low lying roads near rivers which may be flooded.”

Flood warnings, which are more severe than flood alerts because they indicate flooding is expected and people should act, are also in place on the River Ure at Boroughbridge camping and caravanning site and on the River Nidd at Hunsingore, which is between Cattal and Kirk Deighton.

The Hunsingore warning, updated at 2.20am this morning, says:

“Areas most at risk include The Old Cornmill at Hunsingore. Further rainfall is forecast over the weekend. We will continue to monitor levels closely. Residents are strongly urged to take action now. Remain safe and be aware of your surroundings.”

The Boroughbridge warning says:

“River levels are expected to remain high into the weekend, where further heavy showers are possible. We are closing locks and flood gates in the area.”

Less severe flood alerts are active on the Lower River Ure, the Upper River Nidd catchment area, the Middle River Nidd catchment area, the Lower River Nidd catchment area River Crimple.

Rain died out overnight but the wet weather is forecast to return this afternoon and tomorrow.

Let us know of flooding in your area, Please send updates and photos to contact@thestrayferret.co.uk

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Residents urge government to reject Bishop Monkton 23-home appeal

Residents have urged the government to reject an appeal to build 23 homes in Bishop Monkton.

Kebbell Development Ltd tabled a plan to build the houses on Knaresborough Road in the village.

At a meeting of the Skipon and Ripon area constituency planning committee in August, 

councillors rejected the plan amid concern it would increase the amount of raw sewage released on streets.

The decision went against North Yorkshire Council officers’ recommendations to approve the scheme.

As a result, the developer has appealed the decision to the government’s Planning Inspectorate, which deals with planning disputes.

In a statement of case submitted to the inspector, Kebbell Development Ltd argued that there was no planning reason for the scheme to be refused.

However, Bishop Monkton Action Group has urged the government to throw out the appeal.

In a 26-page letter of objection submitted to the Planning Inspectorate, the campaign group said the scheme would “threaten the sustainability of our village”.

The group said it had concerns over the impact on drainage and sewage, as well as a “historic lack of investment” in the area’s sewer system.

It said:

“We have highlighted the key issues within the scheme as submitted by the applicant that threaten the sustainability of our village.

“However, the historic lack of investment in our sewer infrastructure is already threatening the sustainability of our village.

“This is evidenced in raw sewage discharge on our streets, in people’s drives and gardens plus sewage discharges onto our Beck and the Ure in a Drinking water safeguard zone. Please do not make this any worse for us.”

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The move comes as councillors rejected the proposals at a council meeting three months ago.

One councillor said having more properties in the village could exacerbate the “abomination” of raw sewage being released into the streets during heavy rainfall.

The committee had also called for Yorkshire Water to provide more detail on how the scheme would impact on foul water drainage in the village.

No representative from the company appeared at the meeting.

But the company said “most, if not all” of the “sewage escapes” in the village were caused by residents putting excessive toilet paper, fat, oil and grease down toilets and sinks which caused pipes to block.

A government planning inspector will make a decision on the appeal at a later date.

Developer appeals decision to refuse 23 homes in Bishop Monkton

A developer has appealed a council decision to refuse plans for 23 homes in Bishop Monkton.

Kebbell Development Ltd tabled a plan to build the houses on Knaresborough Road in the village.

At a meeting of the Skipon and Ripon area constituency planning committee in August, councillors rejected the plan amid concern it would increase the amount of raw sewage released on streets.

The decision went against North Yorkshire Council officers’ recommendations to approve the scheme.

One councillor said having more properties in the village could exacerbate the “abomination” of raw sewage being released into the streets during heavy rainfall.

The committee had also called for Yorkshire Water to provide more detail on how the scheme would impact on foul water drainage in the village.

No representative from the company appeared at the meeting.

But the company said “most, if not all” of the “sewage escapes” in the village were caused by residents putting excessive toilet paper, fat, oil and grease down toilets and sinks which caused pipes to block.

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The developer has now taken the decision to the government’s Planning Inspectorate, which deals with planning disputes.

In a statement of case submitted to the inspector, Kebbell Development Ltd argued that there was no planning reason for the scheme to be refused.

It said:

“It is clear that the appeal proposals fully comply with the requirements of relevant policies contained within the development plan and there are no material considerations that indicate planning permission should not be granted.”

The developer added:

“The council have acted unreasonably in refusing planning permission.”

A government planning inspector will make a decision on the plan at a later date.

Bishop Monkton school retains ‘good’ Ofsted rating

Bishop Monkton Church of England Primary School, near Ripon, has retained its ‘good’ rating by Ofsted.

Government inspectors visited the school for two days in July and published their findings in a report yesterday.

It was the school’s first full inspection since 2018, but it has achieved consistent ‘good’ ratings since 2006.

The report found the school to be ‘good’ in all five categories – including quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management and early years provision.

It said leaders make their vision for pupils to be “healthy, happy, and vibrant individuals” a reality, adding:

“Leaders celebrate pupils’ talents through musical soirees, talent competitions and collective worship.

“Pupils are confident and thoughtful in expressing their views. This is because leaders actively seek their opinions to make further improvements in school.”

Inspectors praised the 140-pupil school for its “impressive” list of clubs and events on offer to pupils outside the daily curriculum.

They said pupils relished a residential visit to Le Touquet, where they were encouraged to speak French, and choir members have performed at Harrogate’s Royal Hall.

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Inspectors said pupils feel “safe in school” and, despite some concerns about the behaviour of a few pupils, bullying is “rare.”

Pupils said they enjoyed coming to school, which is reflected in the high levels of attendance, inspectors added.

They said:

“Children in the early years foundation stage are nurtured in a welcoming environment.

“Staff teach the children how to access a wide variety of learning activities independently.

“Children happily talk to one another and share resources.”

The curriculum was described as broad and balanced and the report praised staff for their approach to special educational needs.

‘Inconsistencies between staff members’

Some pupils, however, are less expressive when writing, and their understanding and application of grammar and punctuation are not well developed, the report found.

It said some pupils “have difficulty spelling common words” but added this may be attributable to the disruption in teaching during the pandemic.

Despite pupils understanding the new behaviour policy and many collecting rewards for positive behaviour, inspectors added there were some “inconsistencies between staff members” in the application of the behaviour policy.

To improve, Ofsted suggested leaders should ensure that the writing curriculum is on a par with the national curriculum, and provide teachers with training on the structuring and teaching of writing.

It added:

“Leaders should ensure that all staff are consistent in terms of expectations of behaviour for learning and consistently apply the behaviour policy.

“Leaders should also analyse patterns of behaviour and report these to the governing body.”

Headteacher ‘thrilled’ with report

In response to the report, headteacher Sally Cowling said:

“We are thrilled that Ofsted has recognised the many strengths of the school, including ensuring that the school’s vision of healthy, happy and vibrant individuals, is lived out in every aspect of school life.

“All staff work tirelessly to ensure that every child feels safe, secure, and included, with the confidence to express themselves. Ofsted took note of our broad curriculum which covers increasingly complex issues as children move through the school, preparing them for the next stage of their education.

“School leaders welcomed the areas for improvement as they align very much with what has previously been identified as a legacy from covid; the understanding and application of grammar and punctuation in children’s writing and embedding the new behaviour policy to ensure that all children are fully engaged in their learning.

“Leaders have already begun addressing these key priorities in this new academic year.”

Village housing scheme rejected amid fears of sewage in streets

North Yorkshire Council has refused plans for 23 homes in Bishop Monkton amid concerns it would increase the amount of raw sewage released on streets.

The Kebbell Homes development was considered yesterday afternoon at the Skipton and Ripon planning committee at Ripon Town Hall.

About 25 villagers, who appeared to be firmly on the side of refusal, also attended,

A council officer recommended councillors approve the scheme but the committee decided otherwise.

One councillor said having more properties in the village could exacerbate the “abomination” of raw sewage being released into the streets during heavy rainfall.

A decision on the application was deferred at the previous planning committee in June when councillors requested further details from Yorkshire Water on how the scheme would impact on foul water drainage in the village.

Yorkshire Water told the council that “most, if not all” of the “sewage escapes” in the village were caused by residents putting excessive toilet paper, fat, oil and grease down toilets and sinks which caused pipes to block.

However, the water company acknowledged that the sewage system in Bishop Monkton, which is between Boroughbridge and Ripon, was close to capacity.

Nick Brown, the Conservative councillor for Wathvale and Bishop Monkton, who was on the committee as a substitute, said the village had been blighted by sewage discharges in recent years with its Victorian sewage system unable to cope with more rain brought on by climate change. 

He called on Yorkshire Water to improve its infrastructure before any new homes are built.

Cllr Brown said:

“There’s no question that Bishop Monkton has had sewage on the streets and that’s totally abhorrent.

“I really think this is something that should not be happening in 2023. There are proper grounds for refusal in villages where sewage systems are at capacity.”

Yorkshire Water accused of ‘arrogance’

Yorkshire Water did not send a representative to attend the meeting, which angered Conservative and Independent Group councillor for Skipton East and South, Robert Heseltine. 

He said:

“I am exceptionally disappointed with the response from Yorkshire Water. They are a massive company and it’s not acceptable to democracy. It demonstrates a disturbing amount of arrogance on their part.”

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The two-storey homes would have had either 2,3,4 or 5-bedrooms. Planning documents attached to the application said the developer hoped the scheme would “integrate with the locality and positively contribute to the community”.

Steve Longstaff, a planning agent on behalf of the developer, said the application met all of the requirements set out in Harrogate Borough Council’s Local Plan, which is still being used to guide planning applications on the new unitary authority.

He said:

“There are no objections from Yorkshire Water or the lead flood authority. The scheme is designed with current best practice and as such any reasons for refusal on drainage are unsubstantiated and unreasonable.”

Hedgerow retained

Nathan Hull, the Conservative councillor for Washburn and Birstwith and chair of the committee, praised the scheme for including 40% affordable homes which he said could help keep the village alive.

However, he said he would abstain from voting due to the conflicting views and opinions on what the impact the homes might have.

Councillors also objected to the removal of a hedgerow, which some villagers claim dates back to 1816.

After a long discussion with officers over how to word the refusal in the event of the developer appealing, councillors voted to refuse the application by four votes to one with one abstention.

They cited policies in the Local Plan relating to developments not having an adverse impact on the sewage capacity and the removal of the hedge harming the Bishop Monkton Conservation Area.

Kebbell Homes can appeal and the Local Democracy Reporting Service has asked the company for a response to the decision.

Council recommends Bishop Monkton homes approval despite water system concern

Council officers have recommended that 23 new homes in Bishop Monkton are approved despite concerns over the village’s water system.

Councillors voted to defer the application, which is proposed by Kebbell Development Ltd and would see the homes built on Knaresborough Road, after requesting further information from Yorkshire Water over when it would modernise the system.

At a meeting in June, councillors expressed concern that the water firm had given the green light, despite its engineers having condemned the village’s sewage system as inadequate.

Yorkshire Water said many of the issues were linked to blockages and infiltration of surface water into the network during heavy rainfall.

Now, council officers at North Yorkshire Council have recommended that the plan be approved at a Skpton and Ripon Constituency Planning meeting next week.

In a report due before the committee, council officials said Yorkshire Water had provided explanations for its lack of objection to the scheme.

It said:

“Yorkshire Water advised that there were two reasons they did not object. 

“The first related to the fact that this site is an allocated site for housing and it was not felt that, as a water company, they should be stopping development. Yorkshire Water prefer to work with developers to create sustainable drainage solutions for development.”

It added:

“The second and perhaps more pertinent reason, is that data held by Yorkshire Water suggests that most, if not all, of the sewage escapes are caused by blockages.

“These blockages are predominantly caused by individuals misusing the sewer network.”

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However, the report said the company acknowledged that the network was getting “close to capacity” and that it was “taking steps to improve the resilience of the network”.

The proposal has been met by 127 letters of objection from local residents. It received one letter of support.

Bishop Monkton Action Group raised concern that the scheme would affect surface water drainage, increase flood risk and impact upon the sewerage system.

Councillors will discuss the proposal at a meeting on August 1.

Bishop Monkton cyclists ride 275km across Italy in a day to thank air ambulance

A village cycling group near Ripon has taken part in a gruelling ride across Italy to fundraise for Yorkshire Air Ambulance.

The Bishop Monkton Next Challenge Cycling Club (BMNCCC) cycled 275 kilometres across the width of Italy as part of the Chase the Sun challenge.

The challenge is held every year, departing at sunrise in the town of Cesenatico on the eastern coast and finishing in Tirrenia on the west coast at sunset.

Besides cycling in the Italian summer heat, one of the most demanding aspects of the journey was climbing to an elevation of 3,300 metres.

The cyclists initially aimed to raise £2,000 but generated well over £6,000 for the air ambulance charity once they completed the difficult ride.

The cycling group’s motive for the fundraiser was deeply personal.  Two members, Ollie Coughlan and Ben Cairns, have received critical medical assistance from Yorkshire Air Ambulance services in the past.

In 2018 Ollie suffered a cardiac arrest aged just 39. After he received immediate aid from his friends, air ambulance crew swiftly arrived at the scene to help, playing a vital role in his survival.

More recently, in January 2022, fellow cyclist Ben Cairns was airlifted to hospital for emergency surgery after he broke his hip, femur and ribs in a major cycling accident.

Cycling accident

Ben’s cycling accident in 2022.

Ollie said:

“I will be forever grateful for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance crew’s fast response on the day of my accident.

“Now, I am determined to give back by actively fundraising for the charity, ensuring they can continue their life-saving work for others in need too

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Yorkshire Air Ambulance relies on volunteers and fundraising to continue running services.

Linda Stead, regional fundraising manager at the charity, commented:

 “We extend our heartfelt thanks to the cyclists for their incredible support and dedication.

“This epic ride is not only a test of their endurance and determination but also a heartfelt initiative. Their fundraising efforts will make help us to continue flying across Yorkshire and saving lives.”

To learn more about the challenge visit the BMNCCC’s Just Giving page here.