Two boys from Boroughbridge have found a way to stay active during lockdown while helping their community by litter-picking.

Gregory Bishop, 11 and brother Christopher, nine, were undeterred after a village litter-pick was cancelled due to covid.

Fed up seeing rubbish in their neighbourhood, they kept asking to go out and clean up.

This week they went to a stretch of Bar Lane and collected eight bin bags worth of litter.

Their efforts have been praised by the parish council.

Dad Laurence Bishop said:

“We are proud of them. They take a lot of pride in the area and environment and are disgusted by the litter that some local businesses take no responsibility for.

“We are planning another litter-pick this weekend.”

Read more:

• 11 sheep stolen from field near Boroughbridge
• Harrogate face mask litter a ‘sign of the times‘

North Yorkshire Police is appealing to the public for information after 11 sheep were stolen from a field near Boroughbridge.

According to the police, the Beltex breed of sheep were taken between November 10 and January 17.

Police are particularly interested in any suspicious sightings of vehicles on Holbeck Lane or the B6265 between these dates.

Anyone with information can call North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option two and ask for Ruby Rutter. Or email the officer on ruby.rutter@northyorkshire.pnn.police.uk.

To remain anonymous call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 and quote reference number 12210032203.

Read more:

• 16 sheep died after walking on frozen pond.
• Motorbike stolen from Boroughbridge, police warn residents to be vigilant after a spate of thefts.

A few days of heavy rain and snowmelt has exposed a flooding issue at a new housing estate in Boroughbridge.

Residents on Hockley Croft noticed flood water creeping onto the north side of the estate earlier this week, which soon turned into a small river.

Yesterday morning some woke up to a wider problem. What had been driveways and a park for children to play had become a lake of water.

Read more:

• Boroughbridge care home, garage and homeowners fight floods
• Football club’s fury at plans to axe Harrogate sports pitch for housing

Residents claim the developers, Harron Homes, had not mentioned the possibility of flooding and also claim council surveys failed to raise the issue.

This week saw some very heavy rain but some Boroughbridge residents fear their homes could be flooded if the weather is more severe in future.

We spoke to some of the residents on the estate who wanted to raise the issue anonymously.

Some had spent around £300,000 to more than £600,000 for a brand new house. They told the Stray Ferret:

“When the searches were done this wasn’t listed as a floodplain, there were no flooding issues raised. I guess that water is from the excess rain and maybe a lack of drainage.

“The flood water is quite close to the house. We don’t want these problems every time it rains.

“The weather has not really been much worse than normal so the drainage needs to be sorted out.”

A second person, who has lived on the estate for 18 months, also told the Stray Ferret:

“The flood water is running like the river near our house. Last night we were really scared, we thought the water was going to come up to our house.

“We weren’t warned about the flooding issues so it was a bit of a shock really.

“Funnily enough we have had to gravel our garden because it is so wet. It was like a flood in our garden last winter, so we had to dig it all up and re-do it all again.”

A spokespers​on for Harron Homes Yorkshire said:

“There has been unprecedented rainfall from Storm Christoph that has impacted many previously unaffected parts of the country.

“The adjacent open land at our Hockley Croft development in Boroughbridge has passed water on to the site which we are investigating with the land owner.

“We have helped our customers affected by the water from the fields by deploying a pump that has reduced the water levels and the situation is now under control with very little consequence and inconvenience to our customers.”

In the planning application from a couple of years ago Harrogate Borough Council said it had concerns about the surface water discharge rates.

“The applicant has stated that surface water from the proposed development is to be discharged directly to the River Ure via an attenuation pond.

“However they have not indicated how this will be achieved.

“Nevertheless the Environment Agency is responsible for administering surface water discharge from the new development to Milby Cut.”

A spokesperson for the council also told the Stray Ferret:

“Proposed development sites may need to carry out a flood risk assessment.

“A risk assessment, carried out by specialists, was considered as part of the planning process for this site.

“Relevant consultees raised no objections to its conclusions or proposed mitigation measures it contained.”

A Boroughbridge care home, garage and homeowners have been fighting against the floods with pumps and mops today.

Persistent rain from Storm Christoph caused water levels to rise, which caused particular problems for people living near the River Ure and Milby Cut Canal.

The level of the Ure peaked last night at about 15 metres as concerned residents watched on powerlessly.

Stephen Jenkins (pictured above), who owns the Riverside Court care home, has had water pumped out of the basement today. He told the Stray Ferret:

“I’ve been here since 1989. When Boroughbridge flooded in 1991 the care home was protected. But in 2000 the Environment Agency opened up this third arch of the bridge.

“Ever since then the water starts seeping out underneath the patio. If they don’t put that pump in it starts to flood. Unfortunately I can’t do anything about it now.

“My main concern is the boilers. Obviously being a care home we need to keep the central heating running at all times. We also have all of our fridges and freezers on pallets permanently.”

Malcolm Angus, who owns Canal Garage in Boroughbridge.

Flooding is also a long-running source of frustration for Malcolm Angus, owner of Canal Garage in Boroughbridge.

Read more:

• Eight flood alerts and warnings remain active
• Tense night ahead as worst of storm approaches

Mr Angus and staff have been mopping the floor today. He told the Stray Ferret:

“We have been lucky this time, the water has come up further before. There’s a burst water main up the road, which is bringing the water down.

“It pools at that junction and then comes across to the garage, that’s causing the problem at the moment, not the canal.

“Cars go through the water on the road and it flows down to us. We get no help. In terms of the canal I have lived here since 1995 and it has not been dredged once.”

Pumps have been out in force today.

On the nearby Milby Cut Canal, Nigel Crowther owns a home looking over the water. He remains calm about the situation:

“I have been keeping track on the Environment Agency website. It doesn’t matter what is happening in Boroughbridge, it’s about what is happening further up the catchment.

“So when you know it is going to be heavy rain for a sustained period you have to get ready so we have put up gates and we have a flood wall around our house.

“The levels peaked at about 10pm last night and it sustained that level for four hours before it started to drop off slowly.”

Residents in the Harrogate district woke today to more flood warnings after days of heavy rain.

Keep refreshing this page to get the latest updates on weather and travel.

Help to keep our live blog up to date by sending pictures and information about flooding to contact@thestrayferret.co.uk.

4.30pm – Boroughbridge residents fight the flood

People in Boroughbridge have been fighting hard to keep their homes and businesses dry as the river and canal spill over.

We sent a reporter to the town to see how people were coping with the floods.

Read our report here: https://thestrayferret.co.uk/boroughbridge-care-home-garage-and-homeowners-fight-floods/

3.07pm – Met Office yellow warning for ice tonight

Storm Christoph may be abating but weather problems are likely to persist, according to the latest Met Office update. It says river levels could continue to rise “for a little longer” and colder weather is on its way.

A yellow warning for ice is in place for the Harrogate district tonight. Temperatures are forecast to fall as low as minus one degree centigrade tonight and sub-zero nighttime temperatures are forecast until Monday.

https://twitter.com/metoffice/status/1352269742548115456

2.35pm – York-Leeds trains cancelled for today

The train operator has said the weather is causing some issues on its lines meaning services between York and Leeds will be withdrawn for the rest of the day.

Northern added it was working with Network Rail to recover the tracks following the bad weather.

https://twitter.com/northernassist/status/1352247289629257728

1.35pm – Number of flood alerts and warnings reduces

Is the situation improving? There are now eight flood warning and alerts in place in the Harrogate district, compared with 11 last night. Areas near Boroughbridge seem to be experiencing the main threat now.

Flood warnings, which are more severe, remain active for:

Swinney Beck in Masham

River Ure at Roecliffe caravan park

River Ure at Milby Island

River Nidd at Hunsingore

Flood alerts are in place for:

Upper River Nidd catchment

Lower River Nidd catchment

Lower River Ure

Lower Dunsforth Access

12.39pm – Fountains Abbey affected by storm damage

Fountains Abbey has withstood some tumultuous times but Storm Christoph has left a scar.

1/2 The arrival of storm Christoph has caused some dramatic affects here this morning.
More frequently occurring extreme weather events are a direct result of climate change and are the single biggest threat to the precious landscapes cared for by the National Trust. pic.twitter.com/bHUGTeTBVj

— Fountains Abbey & Studley Royal, National Trust (@fountainsabbey) January 21, 2021

11.36am – Warnings over travel on A59 at Whixley

North Yorkshire County Council has issued a warning to drivers travelling between Harrogate and York.

It says the A59 at Whixley is only ‘passable with care’ thanks to water on the carriageway.

Other roads affected are Tockwith Road in Long Marston and Spofforth Lane in North Deighton.

A full list of road closures and affected routes can be found on NYCC’s website.

10.53am – List of roads affected by weather

North Yorkshire County Council has just published seven tweets listing which roads in the county have been affected by weather.

Many are not in the Harrogate district but the east of the district, around Cattal and Bishop Monkton, features prominently.

New Row, between Darley and Birstwith, is also on the list.

(1/7)A number of roads in #NorthYorkshire are effected by #flooding or #snow.

Closed
•C32 Fleet Moss
•Unclassified Askrigg East and West Moor
•Unclassified Redmire Moor
•Kirby Wiske, Maunby
•Dalton lane at Cod beck Blenders
•Cowlands Lane, Holme-on-Swale pic.twitter.com/vHPQjNmeYc

— North Yorkshire Council (@northyorksc) January 21, 2021

10.20am – Homes may flood in Masham

The government’s flood information service has updated at 10am to say homes may flood in Masham today.

“River levels have risen as a result of heavy rainfall associated with Storm Christoph.

“Consequently, flooding of property is possible. Areas most at risk are properties along Westholme Road.

“No further significant rainfall is expected today. We are closely monitoring the situation.

“Our incident response staff are closely monitoring the forecast.

“Please put your flood plan into action and activate any property flood protection products you may have.”

10.15am – Firefighters pump water from flooded Harrogate home

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue pumped flood water from a basement in Harrogate this morning.

The incident summary for the night details how the crew used a light portable pump at the property on Lancaster Road at 8.30am.

A crew also attended a property in Nun Monkton surrounded by floodwater and gave advice to the homeowner.

10am – More than 100 flood warnings and alerts

There are currently 65 flood warnings and 52 flooding alerts across North Yorkshire and the surrounding area.

North Yorkshire County Council has warned people to only travel if the journey is essential and to not drive through flooded roads.

The government’s flood alert system is currently a sea of orange and red warnings across the UK and North Yorkshire.

https://twitter.com/KnaresPolice/status/1352194198800371712

9am – Close call for Knaresborough caravan park

Residents living at the Nidderdale Lodge Park in Knaresborough had a close call with the river Nidd’s water levels last night.

This picture below shows just how high the water is this morning. The resident said the blue bench (pictured) was submerged last night but it has not reached the same levels as in 2015.

Photograph: Margaret Pearson

8am – River Nidd flowing fast in aftermath of Storm Christoph

Our reporter captured this video of a fast-flowing river Nidd near Killinghall this morning.

Storm Christoph now appears to have passed but many residents in the district will have to keep a close eye on the rivers near them.

How the river Nidd is looking today in the aftermath of Storm Christoph. Follow our live blog here: https://t.co/Fc0lNqw4cb pic.twitter.com/I5H7GCgXd6

— The Stray Ferret (@thestrayferret) January 21, 2021

7.30am – Boroughbridge river levels peak at 15 metres

The river Ure in Boroughbridge reached 15 metres over night and appears to be on the way down.

According to the Gauge Map, the river levels topped off at around 2am last night.

While still high, the river lowered to 14.8 metres at around 7am this morning.

On 21/01/21 at 01:15 the river level was 14.93mAOD and above its typical range. pic.twitter.com/KlSi0455I8

— Boroughbridge (@riverlevel_1874) January 21, 2021

7am – Harrogate district through worst of heavy rain

The Met Office no longer has any weather warnings in place for the Harrogate district after days of heavy rain.

Forecasters are predicting some showers to hit around midday but only for around a couple of hours.

Friday and the weekend is set to be largely dry, providing relief for rivers running at high levels.

6.40am – Several flood warnings in place

The government’s flood information service added more flood warnings to the Harrogate district last night.

Swinney Beck in Masham and the Bishop Monkton Beck are the latest to be added to the list of places expected to flood.

Warnings also remain in place for Knaresborough, Boroughbridge and Low Laithe.

Flood warnings are more sever than alerts and mean that “flooding is expected,” with “immediate action required.”

Nine flood alerts and warnings are in force this morning across the Harrogate district as persistent rain causes river levels to rise to dangerous levels.

Notorious flooding location Knaresborough caravan park and Goldsborough mill farm were put on the more severe ‘warning’ level during the night.

The warning says “flooding of property, roads and land in Knaresborough is possible today” as Nidd river levels are expected to continue to rise. It adds:

“Areas most at risk are riverside land at Knaresborough caravan park. Please activate any property flood protection products you may have, such as flood barriers and air brick covers, and stay away from fast moving water.”

Roecliffe caravan park, near Boroughbridge, is identified as the most vulnerable location in an overnight warning for the River Ure, which says:

“Flooding of property/roads and farmland is expected imminently. Please put your flood plan into action, and plan driving routes to avoid low lying roads near rivers, which may be flooded and stay away from fast moving water.”

Ure near Ripon

An alert was put in place for the lower Ure, just east of Ripon city centre, overnight. An update just before 4am this morning says:

“Flooding of low-lying land and roads is possible today,”

An alert was also activated overnight for the River Crimple, near Follifoot, and its tributaries including Horn Beck, Clark Beck, Hookstone Beck, Rud Beck, Toad Hole Beck and Park Beck.

It warns flooding of low-lying land and roads is possible.

Nidd risk

There is widespread risk along the River Nidd.

Alerts were issued yesterday afternoon for the river just above and below Pateley Bridge. Last night a warning was put in place for around Hunsingsore and Cattal.

Alerts for the lower and middle catchment areas of the Nidd also remain in force.

More heavy rain is expected today and tomorrow morning.

If you are affected by flooding, contact us at contact@thestrayferret.co.uk

15,000 sandbags deployed in North Yorkshire as storm arrives

Communities across the Harrogate district are on stand-by for flooding as Storm Christoph continues to bring persistent rain to the region.

With water levels set to peak in the early hours of Wednesday, home owners and organisations are watching to see whether rivers will rise enough to burst their banks and inflict damage on property.

In Boroughbridge, the Emergency Response Team (BERT) is ready to take action if the River Ouse rises above the predicted peak. Group leader Pauline Phillips told the Stray Ferret:

“At the moment, it’s just a watching brief. We can look at the telemetry online, which is very helpful, and I go down to the river and check the level as well.

“It’s looking like it will peak tomorrow morning at about 14.5m. We know if it gets to 15m it starts to come onto the road.”

The volunteers at BERT are standing ready to act if needed, and awaiting any warnings from Harrogate Borough Council’s emergency planners. Anyone in need of help can visit the Boroughbridge Town Council website.

Sandbags deployed

North Yorkshire County Council has deployed more than 15,000 sandbags – double the usual amount – and its highways team has been clearing drains and gullies.

Cones, barriers and signage for road closures have been distributed across the region and are ready to be used when necessary.

Highways staff are monitoring key routes, including Kex Gill and Blubberhouses.

A North Yorkshire Police spokesperson urged motorists not to take chances driving through flood water, adding:

“Just 60cm of standing water and 30cm of flowing water can be enough to float/move your vehicle. So please don’t take the risk!”

A yellow weather warning is in place across the Harrogate district, lasting until Thursday lunchtime. An amber warning for heavy rain which could result in damage to property or even danger to life applies to the southern and western edges of the district, including parts of Nidderdale.

On stand-by

The community in Pateley Bridge, which was hit by flooding last February, will also be watching levels on the River Nidd over the coming hours. The Environment Agency issued a flood warning and a flood alert for the river this afternoon.

Town councillor Ian Skaife, who leads the Community Resilience Committee, said this afternoon he did not expect there to be any major problems — but he will be watching the weather and river levels overnight.

“There’s plenty of capacity in the river at the moment. The unknown factor is what rain is coming down further up the dale. With the snow melt from the weekend, all three reservoirs will be full to capacity.”

Cllr Skaife said the amount of rainfall today should not be enough to overwhelm the rivers, but he and fellow members of the resilience committee will remain on stand-by in case they are needed as the storm continues.

Meanwhile, residents in Knaresborough will also be waiting anxiously to see whether the heavy rain causes the lower River Nidd to rise. Those living on the caravan park at Archers Meadows, just off York Road, are watching again as waters rise, after repeated flooding on the site over recent years – including water getting into several homes on Boxing Day in 2015.

Flood prevention measures have been introduced in the area, but residents have questioned their effectiveness as the water continues to rise rapidly in heavy rainfall.

Read more:

• Flood alerts issued as heavy rain forecast for Harrogate district
• ‘Clean your chimneys’, urges fire service after two fires near Ripon yesterday

Pubs and restaurants in the Harrogate district have spoken of their frustration at the abrupt move into tier three just hours before their “biggest day of the year”.

Hospitality venues across the district would usually be buzzing with excitement on New Year’s Eve.

But instead most venues are closed, with only takeaways possible.

All the restaurant and cafe owners the Stray Ferret spoke to today agreed with the need for stricter restrictions but insisted more notice should have been given, as they have been left with unused stock.

Simon Cotton, managing director of the HRH Group whose properties include the Fat Badger, White Hart Hotel and the Yorkshire Hotel, said:

“I agree stricter restrictions are needed to get a grip on the virus but giving us such little notice is unacceptable. It’s a kick in the teeth for the biggest day of the year taken away with just a few hours notice.

“Frustration — that would be the word I use to sum up the year.”

Mr Cotton said food would be wasted this weekend as charities are unable to make use of perishable items at such short notice.

Many businesses have been trying to use up stock.

The Smiths Arms in Beckwithshaw posted on Facebook it would donate to the Harrogate Hospital and Community Charity.

The Little Ale House micropub in Harrogate said it would be selling cask and keg beers at reduced prices.

Read more:

• Much-loved Harrogate pub, The Woodlands, is getting a face lift and a new name.
• Christies Bar landlord describes his “horrible” year of covid restrictions.

The Dining Room restaurant in Boroughbridge changed its business model this year by moving to daytime-only trade during the week and saving its fine dining for Friday and Saturday evenings.

The owners will continue with their plans to serve takeaways this evening but said yesterday’s announcement would have a major impact on trade. Co-owner Chris Astley said:

“Luckily we won’t waste stock because we can still go ahead with our takeaways but it doesn’t make the past year easier.

“I am relieved because when you have people turning up, clearly from different households, it is very difficult to manage. We just have to keep going.”

The Dining Room in Boroughbridge will go ahead with its plans to offer takeaway food tonight.

Sarah Williams, runs Scarlett’s Vintage Tea Rooms in Knaresborough, said she was expecting the announcement:

“It’s not unexpected especially when you look at the data. Of course it’s not what you want to do but it is the right thing to do.

“We had a successful summer and have received grants, which mean we are surviving and aren’t in any danger of closing but not everyone has been so lucky.”

For businesses, it has been a challenging and worrying year, in many different ways. Tim Waring, leading estate agent and chartered surveyor at Lister Haigh, reflects on what started as a normal year but soon began to change.

Looking back over the past year, one of my happier times was a fabulous day during a group ski trip to France. We’d just had a day with blue sky and sunshine in Val D’Isere, and then the Saturday night dinner is our dining highlight of the trip.

But this tranquil setting came to an abrupt end. After the first course, we were told everything was closing that night.

It was a real wake up call given I guess we had been in our world for three or four days beforehand. My other half had ironically told me I was in a bubble and didn’t appreciate how difficult things were becoming.

It proved to be a prophetic turn of phrase. It all seems such a long time ago given everything that has happened since.

I was lucky my estate agency was only closed for two months. Since reopening, the property market has been a hive of activity, helped, in no small part, by the stamp duty incentive offered by the Chancellor.

Meanwhile, I have friends in the retail and hospitality sectors who have seen their businesses decimated after two national lockdowns and ongoing tier restrictions. Some may well not re-open in 2021.

Read more:

• Harrogate estate agents relieved at stamp duty holiday
• District estate agent reports a surge in home-buyer interest

So I cannot consider myself hard done to, when one of the things I missed out on this year was celebrating a big birthday with friends in April.

Lockdown has fast tracked my relationship with the aforementioned girlfriend to the point that I now consider we are partners, and happily in a support bubble.

But yet, one friend has died from this awful virus, and at least two others have had hard times in hospital because of it.

I might have not seen my son who lives in London for many months, but fortunately technology has allowed us to keep in contact in a way that wouldn’t have been possible just a few years ago.

My grandson, Arthur, was only five months old when this wretched thing started. Now he is walking and already proving to be a typical toddler. He lives in Harrogate, so I have been able to see him regularly.

I love re-watching a video of him trying to walk and instead falling over in the leaves. Yet another reason to feel I have been luckier than most in 2020.

So that’s why, all things considered, I think I’ve been luckier than most of late. What happens next year – who knows?

When the Bank of England says things are “unusually uncertain”, maybe that says it all.

The Latin phrase carpe diem, “seize the day”, comes to mind when one reflects on the last 12 months.

The Great Yorkshire Showground in Harrogate is to be used for the vaccine rollout from next week.

The first vaccination is due to be given on Tuesday and the programme is expected to last for several months.

The government has asked the 17 GP practices in Harrogate and the surrounding district, including Ripon, Knaresborough, Boroughbridge, Pateley Bridge and Masham to oversee the rollout.

The practices are appealing for volunteers to marshal the car park and signpost patients through the vaccination site at the showground, which is owned by the Yorkshire Agricultural Society.

No details have been given to the media about the rollout but a post on the Harrogate covid co-operation Facebook group yesterday on behalf of the GP practices revealed the news. It said:

“Harrogate and rural district are working together in order to plan for delivering a mass vaccination programme and we need to ask primary care staff and volunteers to help.

“We will need staff and volunteers to undertake a variety of roles and we need to plan for vaccinations to be carried out seven days a week, 8am-8pm, including bank holidays.

“This is a huge ask, but we would like volunteers to indicate if they would be willing to help in some capacity.”

The 250-acre showground has ample car parking and is used to staging large events, most notably the three-day Great Yorkshire Show, which was cancelled this year.

But nothing in the Yorkshire Agricultural Society’s 183-year history compares with the task in hand.

Read more:

• Harrogate researcher finds two-thirds will take vaccine
• Two further covid deaths confirmed at Harrogate Hospital

The GPs’ post today said it required 18 volunteers a day. Morning sessions will start with an 8am briefing and the first jabs will be given at 8.30am.

Morning sessions will end at 1.15pm and afternoon vaccinations will take place from 2.30pm to 6.15pm.

The GPs’ post said:

“Unfortunately we aren’t able to offer vaccinations to volunteers at this stage as we have to prioritise certain patient groups.

“Next week is the first stage of the vaccination programme and we are going to need volunteers from the New Year onwards to fulfil the same types of roles for probably a number of months.”

Anyone interested in volunteering is invited to register their interest and complete the questionnaire here.