Boroughbridge Archives - Page 20 of 48

Almost half of 4,000-home Maltkiln scheme removed

Almost half of the land allocated for the 4,000-home Matkiln scheme has been removed after a landowner pulled out, the Local Democracy Reporting Service can reveal.

Two sources familiar with the matter told the LDRS that fields that would have formed the development’s ‘village centre’ around Cattal train station have been removed.

They also estimate that up to 2,000 homes would have been built on the removed land.

Harrogate Borough Council said in January that one of the landowners had pulled out, without saying which parcels of land were affected. Wetherby-based developer Caddick Group called the decision by the landowner “regrettable” but said it was confident the scheme would continue.

Plans for Maltkiln have been in the works for several years and also include two primary schools. The homes would be built off the A59 towards York near the villages of Cattal, Green Hammerton, Kirk Hammerton and Whixley.

Cattal station is on the York to Harrogate railway line.

Map of Maltkiln, including the removed land.

Last month a meeting was held involving all of the affected parish councils to discuss the proposals. It was also attended by a representative of Caddick Group plus officers from Harrogate Borough Council.

At the meeting, officers confirmed the location of the large section of land that has now been removed from the scheme.

This means the developer will likely have to rethink its village centre because it was due to be located on the land. The Maltkiln website states:

“A new village centre is proposed for Maltkiln, located next to Cattal station with a range of spaces suitable for retail, leisure, health and hospitality uses.

“These will evolve as the community grows and we will encourage local businesses to take up space in the village centre, as well as participating in farmers’ and seasonal markets held in the central village square.”

Since the landowner pulled out, Harrogate Borough Council paused work on a development document that was due to be submitted to the government for approval.

The LDRS understands council officers are now looking at whether a scheme can be delivered in the same broad location while still meeting the aims and objectives of the new settlement, which forms part of the council’s Harrogate district Local Plan 2014-35, which outlines where development can take place.

Kirk Hammerton parish councillor Alex Smith said the situation at Maltkiln was a “consequence of choosing the wrong location for a new town.”

Cllr Smith said:

“They’ve had to spend a long time chopping and changing preferred options, trying to fit a distinct new settlement into a very constrained area. It was time they didn’t have, given that a key land agreement – almost half the proposed area has expired.

“Local residents have endured years of uncertainty over this project even when Harrogate Borough Council claimed to be following due process. The last thing we need now is for them to start improvising at the eleventh hour.”

A Caddick Group spokesperson said:

“As promoters of the Maltkiln settlement, Caddick Group continues to have positive and constructive discussions with all parties. We are confident that we can deliver proposals, which not only meet the housing needs of the area, but also deliver the requirements set out in the adopted local plan and meet the policy objectives of the draft Development Plan Document.

“We are currently working closely with our consultant team to update our proposals, taking into account the revised boundaries. We remain committed to developing Maltkiln and look forward to being able to share our revised proposals in more detail.

“We continue to talk constructively with the current and successor local authority planning teams regarding how best to progress and deliver Maltkiln. Throughout this process, we have engaged with stakeholders and local communities, and as soon as we are in a position to publicise revised proposals, we will do so.”

Boroughbridge walking festival to be held this Easter

A walking festival is set to be held in Boroughbridge over the Easter weekend.

The Boroughbridge Easter Walking Festival will see a range of walks take place from Friday, April 7, to Monday, April 10.

They will include three, four, five, 11 and 16 mile walks around the town and surrounding area.

The festival, which has been held annually for 10 years and is free of charge, has seen 200 walkers turn up for the four-day event in the past.

The guided walks start from a range of places, including the Crown Hotel, Rabbit Hill and Langthorpe Picnic Area.

The hikes are suitable for all abilities and all are welcome. Dogs are welcome on short leads.

For more information, visit the Boroughbridge Walks website here.

Minister: no plans to house migrants at ex-airfield near Harrogate district — for now

The government has no current plans to house migrants at a former RAF base on the edge of the Harrogate district, Immigration minister Robert Jenrick has said.

The government scrapped plans last year to house 1,500 asylum seekers at Linton-on-Ouse after a fierce backlash from local people and politicians.

The former airfield is nine miles from Boroughbridge, 13 miles from Knaresborough, and even closer to Harrogate district villages such as Great Ouseburn, Little Ouseburn and Nun Monkton.

Immigration minister Robert Jenrick told the Commons yesterday the government was now considering housing migrants at at Catterick Garrison in Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s constituency.

Ex-military bases in Essex, Lincolnshire and East Sussex are also being assessed for suitability as part of plans to cut down on hotel use.

Former Home Secretary Priti Patel, who was behind the Linton proposal, said the proposed Essex site “is no different in rurality and village size from a former site, Linton-on-Ouse”, adding:

“Why is it deemed appropriate for asylum seeker accommodation for single men to be placed in a rural village in Essex, where there is no infrastructure and no amenities, when it was not appropriate for somewhere like Linton-on-Ouse?”

In response, Mr Jenrick said:

“We do not have a current plan to proceed with the Linton-on-Ouse proposition, but the sites I have announced today are just the first set that we would like to take forward, because we want to remove people from hotels as quickly as possible and move to this more rudimentary form of accommodation, which will reduce pull factors to the UK and defend the interests of the taxpayer.

Labour shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper described the announcement as “an admission of failure” on asylum policy.

Harrogate Neighbours opens care home in Boroughbridge

Not-for-profit care provider Harrogate Neighbours has opened a care home in Boroughbridge.

Heath Lodge Community Haven is a 31-bed home providing residential and dementia care.

The site was previously a North Yorkshire County Council-run care home called Springfield Garth.

Harrogate Neighbours acquired it as part of a swap agreement that saw the council take over the voluntary organisation’s former 28-bed Heath Lodge care home on Pannal Ash Road in Harrogate.

Harrogate Neighbours hopes its Boroughbridge home will eventually offer the same services as those provided at The Cuttings, its 55-flat development in Starbeck that includes domiciliary care as well as meals on wheels to older and vulnerable people living nearby.

It spent £500,000 refurbishing the York Road site with the help of Yorkshire interior design firm Design Tonic, which donated furniture and staff time to help create a warm and welcoming environment for residents, relatives and staff.

Design Tonic advised on colour palettes to create a calming and comfortable atmosphere and refurnished the ground floor bedrooms with fresh paint and new curtains and carpet. It also re-designed the entrance area using splashes of gold and built a feature reception desk.

Sue Cawthray, chief executive of Harrogate Neighbours said:

“We can’t thank the wonderful team at Design Tonic enough. As a not-for-profit organisation, we rely on the generosity of local businesses.

“The staff, residents and relatives have all commented on how fantastic the entrance area looks – we’re so grateful for all their hard work.”

Design Tonic founder Amanda Cook, said:

“Working with Harrogate Neighbours and seeing first-hand the impact the transformation has had on residents and staff is why we do what we do.

“We work with a number of local charities that we align ourselves with and it’s great to share our expertise and give something back – particularly when we know what a huge difference it makes.”

Heath Lodge Community Haven received a ‘Good’ rating in all areas following a recent Care Quality Commission visit.

‘Good’ Ofsted rating for Boroughbridge nursery and out-of-school club

A Boroughbridge nursery helps children to feel “safe and secure” and “eager and ready to learn”, according to its latest Ofsted report.

Stepping Stones Day Nursery and Out of School Club on York Road has maintained its ‘good’ rating in the latest report, with inspector Janet Fairhurst praising the way children are helped to develop skills and independence.

She said:

“The manager has developed a curriculum that focuses on promoting children’s communication and language, and independence. Staff gain good information from parents about children’s starting points and create activities to build on these skills.

“Staff know the children well. They speak confidently about what children already know. Staff take account of this information to plan activities and provide targeted support that helps children make progress in their learning.”

Ms Fairhurst said energetic play outdoors, nutritious meals and good hygiene routines all helped to teach children the importance of a healthy lifestyle.

She praised the way staff used songs, rhymes and questions to promote children’s language development. The report said children were encouraged to stop their activities and listen at appropriate points in the daily routine, and that they were able to maintain their concentration for sustained periods.

Looking at areas for improvement, Ms Fairhurst said the nursery could do more to help children learn about other cultures and ways of life. She added:

“The provider, manager and staff build strong relationships with families. They establish effective communication with parents to inform them of their children’s learning and the next steps in their learning.

“Parents appreciate the online system for sharing information, and say they are ‘impressed’ with how much progress their children make.

“However, staff have not yet established effective working relationships with other settings that some children also attend. This means that relevant information to support continuity of children’s learning and development is not shared.”

Stepping Stones has welcomed the latest report and rating. Owner Nadine Blakey said:

“We are really delighted with the outcome of our recent Ofsted inspection, the inspector was particularly impressed with our children’s behaviour, manners and independence.

“I am really proud of all our staff team who work really hard to give all our children the best start in life.”

Call to turn Boroughbridge school facing closure into forest school

Calls have been made to retain a village school near Boroughbridge that faces closure as a forest school.

Under plans put forward by North Yorkshire County Council, Skelton Newby Hall Church of England Primary School will shut in August 2023.

But, Cllr Guy Critchlow, chair of Skelton cum Newby Parish Council, told county councillors today the site was a “ready-made forest school” with a large amenity space and playground.

Forest schools teach pupils in an outdoor learning environment and focus on play and exploration for education.

A council report said numbers at the school had been “falling over the past few years” and there were concerns about the impact on pupils’ education.

As of this year, nine children and one nursery pupil were on the school roll. It has capacity for 52.

Senior county councillors voted today to publish notices of the school’s closure with a final decision to be taken on May 30.

At the meeting, Cllr Critchlow argued that the school could be viable as a forest school. He said:

“We deserve the opportunity to rebuild our school and demonstrate its viability.

“We cannot do this alone. We want to work with and not against the council.”

Meanwhile, Cllr Nick Brown, a Conservative who represents the Skelton-on-Ure village on the county council, told councillors he was disappointed discussions had not taken place with the community and the parish council prior to the proposal being published in December 2022.

He added the process should be delayed in order to consider whether to use the site for a forest school.

He said:

“In light of the recent budget and the proposed increase in childcare provision, to enable much more employment opportunities surely a one-and-a-half acre school site would lend itself perfectly to nursery provision in a rural, safe environment.”

However, Cllr Annabelle Wilkinson, the executive councillor for education, said the site and its outdoor learning area alone had not been “sufficient enough” to attract parents.

She added:

“The school building and site is not owned by the county council.

“The owners will take decisions about the future use of the school site and building after the closure proposal has been determined.”

The council has proposed that, should the school close, then the catchment area will be taken in by Kirby Hill Church of England Primary School.

Representations on the closure can still be made to the council by April 27.

Business Breakfast: Harrogate office space provider hires new commercial director

It’s time to join the Stray Ferret Business Club. The third in our series of networking events in association with The Coach and Horses in Harrogate is a lunch event on March 30 from 12.30pm.

Don’t miss out on this chance to network with businesses from across the Harrogate district. Get your tickets by clicking or tapping here.

A workplace company with offices in Harrogate has hired a new director as part of plans to grow the company.

Wizu Workspace, which has offices on Station Parade, has appointed Chris Mapp as its commercial director.

The company, which hires out co-working and office space, made the appointment as part of plans to expand in the north of England.

Tom Almas, chief executive of Wizu, said:

“Chris’ hire represents a significant step forward for the next chapter of Wizu. As we continue with our growth plans, bringing on board the right senior leadership is crucial to the future success of the business.

“Chris’ wealth of experience and commercial expertise in flex space sector will be invaluable to us as we look to expand our footprint and offer even more innovative solutions to our members.”

Mr Mapp will be tasked with leading the company commercial strategy and building relationships with key partners.

He said:

“As a seasoned ‘flex-pert’ with experience in commercial, operational, HR, and marketing functions, I’m excited to join Wizu at such a pivotal time in their growth journey.”

Myers Group opens new Boroughbridge branch

Boroughbridge site

Myers Group has opened a new supply branch in Boroughbridge.

The builders merchants has opened the new store on Old Goods Yard off Milby Road.

The three-acre site comes as part of a £4 million investment by Myers Group.

The company said:

“As well as our comprehensive core stock range we will be making the most of the additional space with a broader timber, roofing and brick offer supported by three delivery vehicles to ensure our new customers have access to the legendary Myers delivery service.

“The site also boasts a large kitchen and bathroom showroom with in-house designers making it a true one-stop shop for both trade and DIY customers.”

Boroughbridge coach company fined £30,000 for harassing employee with disability

A coach company based in Boroughbridge will have to pay more than £30,000 after a tribunal found it had harassed an employee who had Asperger’s syndrome.

A hearing at Leeds Employment Tribunal heard Thomas Holland was also subjected to direct discrimination, victimisation and unauthorised deductions from his pay while he worked for A&A Coach Travel, which provides private hire and school transport services.

The tribunal heard Mr Holland had been called “special needs”, an “illiterate cretin”, and an “imbecile”, as well as other offensive terms for people with disabilities, by A&A employee James Fairchild in group chats between all staff.

There were further messages from other employees, shown to the tribunal by Mr Holland, and he said he was also subjected to face-to-face abuse while at work.

A report from the tribunal said:

“The claimant said that he would cry to himself when alone and dreaded going into work each day. He carried on without complaint hoping the behaviour would cease, but it never did.

“He did not tell his father because he felt embarrassed to do so and did not want to cause him any upset. He just kept telling his father that everything was fine.”

However, the problems came to a head in November 2020, when his car was damaged while in the company’s car park. He was told another employee had reversed into it but, when he reported it to transport manager Antoni La Pilusa, Mr Holland found he was “not interested”.

Mr Holland said he was then put under pressure not to pursue an insurance claim for the damage, and that Mr La Pilusa threatened to dismiss him if he did.

The tribunal report said:

“Mr La Pilusa, however, said that the claimant could stop all that by cancelling his insurance claim. In fear, the claimant rang his insurers and attempted to do so. However, his insurers would not let him.

“When he reported this back to Mr La Pilusa, the claimant was given a pen and paper and transcribed, as dictated to him by Mr La Pilusa, an account (accepting blame) which would invalidate any insurance complaint.”

When Mr Holland’s father, Robert, heard what had happened, he helped his son to write a resignation email. He asked for outstanding wages of £576 to be paid.

The company claimed it was deducting the money from his pay to cover damage done to its vehicles while he was driving them. However, the tribunal found there was no evidence that Mr Holland caused any of the damage to the vehicles.

After leaving A&A Travel, Mr Holland began working for another bus operator in December 2020. After just a few hours, he was called into the office and told the company had been informed he had caused several accidents in his previous workplace.

Mr Holland said the claim was untrue, but was dismissed from his new job.

He then received a letter from the DVLA saying he had to take a full medical test, putting his right to drive at risk, because it had received information calling into question his mental state and standard of driving.

In March 2021, when Mr Holland was working for another bus company, he was told his employer had received an email from someone at A&A Coach Travel alleging that he was “a danger to women”.

Damage to health

Although Mr Holland did not lose his job, he left because of the impact the situation had on his health. His father told the tribunal Mr Holland was “very depressed and completely withdrawn” at the time, and had not fully recovered since.

The tribunal report, published last week, said:

“The claimant told the tribunal that the whole situation had damaged his health considerably. He was crying all the time, his stammer had returned and he was unable to sleep.

“Whilst he was feeling slightly better now, he still worried about letters coming through the post and didn’t answer his phone unless he knew who the caller was. He described himself as still depressed and not trusting anyone. He said that the last two years had been ‘horrible’.”

Defending A&A Coach Travel at the tribunal, James Fairchild asked Mr Holland why he had not reported the abusive messages to his managers.

Mr Holland said all the company directors and managers had seen the group chat, and he did not want to risk his job by creating problems.

Mr Fairchild told the tribunal Mr Holland had himself been “involved in banter disparaging of others (particularly women)” but he did not provide any evidence of this.

The tribunal heard further claims that Mr Holland had damaged other vehicles, but was again not given any evidence.

Blackmail

The tribunal also heard that Mr Fairchild had emailed Mr Holland’s solicitors in March 2022 saying that some of the evidence presented to show his disabilities seemed “incompatible” with him having a driving licence. He said he would be obliged to report this to the DVLA and Mr Holland’s new employer, unless the tribunal claim was discontinued within a week.

The tribunal said this amounted to blackmail.

The tribunal concluded that the comments made at work to Mr Holland “created a hostile, humiliating and offensive environment”. It also found, on the issue of the damage to his car, Mr La Pilusa “sought to intimidate and threaten” Mr Holland because of his disability.

A&A Coach Travel was ordered to pay compensation of £25,000 to Mr Holland for how he was treated during his employment, and its conduct during the tribunal.

The tribunal also instructed the company of pay £4,069.23 in interest for the 111 weeks since Mr Holland left the company, and £2,000 towards his legal costs.

A further £1,500 was imposed for the company’s unreasonable behaviour during the tribunal process, including sending an abusive email to Mr Holland’s solicitor and failing to meet deadlines set by the panel.

Zoë Metcalfe confirms bid to become North Yorkshire’s first mayor

Zoë Metcalfe has confirmed she wants to stand as the Conservative candidate in next year’s York and North Yorkshire mayoral election.

Ms Metcalfe, who lives near Boroughbridge, is the current North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner.

The Stray Ferret reported on Saturday that she was believed to be planning a bid for election.

Ms Metcalfe is the first person to formally declare an intention to stand for the role of mayor, which is being created as part of the North Yorkshire devolution process. The election will be held in 14 months’ time.

The mayor will oversee a significant budget for York and North Yorkshire covering areas such as transport, education and housing.

He or she will also swallow up the commissioner’s role currently occupied by Ms Metcalfe, who was born in Ripon, educated in Harrogate and lives in Aldborough.

Speaking to the media

In a statement issued last night, she said she was “uniquely qualified” for the role and had the “necessary business experience and close links to Westminster to promote economic growth”,

Ms Metcalfe is a former Harrogate borough councillor who was elected to the commissioner’s role in 2021 following the resignation of fellow Conservative Philip Allott.

Since taking up the role on a salary of £74,000, she has overseen the introduction of a Risk and Resource Model for North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service, which sets out how resources will be deployed from 2022 to 2025.

The changes included reducing Harrogate Fire Station’s nighttime cover from two fire engines to one.

‘Close links to Westminster’

Ms Metcalfe’s statement in full said:

“This is a really exciting role that I am uniquely qualified to do.

“The mayor will have responsibility for economic growth, transport, housing and regeneration, but will also see the integration of the responsibilities and decision making of my current role as Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner within it too.

“There is a rich synergy between creating safer streets and economic growth, two areas that I am passionate about.

“I have the necessary business experience and close links to Westminster to promote economic growth. I will also continue the great work I have started in turning around community safety in York and North Yorkshire and I will see through the transformation of both the police force and fire and rescue service.

“I have always been a supporter of devolution as it will bring many exciting opportunities for York and North Yorkshire, it will be a great platform to enable and enrich the lives of our residents and businesses bringing hundreds of millions of pounds worth of investment into our region”.

Is crime commissioner Zoe Metcalfe aiming to be North Yorkshire’s first mayor?

Zoe Metcalfe, the North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, is hoping to stand for election to become the county’s first mayor, the Stray Ferret understands.

A Conservative Party source has told the Stray Ferret that Ms Metcalfe had indicated she planned to launch a bid for the party’s nomination for next year’s mayoral election.

The mayor will oversee a significant budget for York and North Yorkshire and have the power to allocate funds to areas such as transport, education and housing.

He or she will also swallow up the commissioner’s role currently occupied by Ms Metcalfe.

Ms Metcalfe has strong local connections: she was born in Ripon, educated in Harrogate and lives near Boroughbridge.

A former Harrogate borough councillor, she was elected to her commissioner’s role in 2021 with 39.5% of the vote in a by-election caused by the resignation of fellow Conservative Philip Allott following comments he made about the murder of Sarah Everard.

The changes included reducing Harrogate Fire Station’s nighttime cover from two fire engines to one.

The commissioner’s role gives Ms Metcalfe a countywide profile that could enhance her prospects of winning the Conservative nomination for mayor — a new role being created as part of North Yorkshire devolution.

The Stray Ferret contacted the crime commissioner’s office asking whether Ms Metcalfe planned to stand but did not receive a response.

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Myers Group opens new Boroughbridge branch

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Damage to health

Blackmail

‘Close links to Westminster’

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