Watering of public flower displays in the Harrogate district could be reduced over the coming weeks after the announcement of a hosepipe ban later this month.

Harrogate Borough Council said it will be working to reduce its water use in line with Yorkshire Water’s decision, which comes into force on Friday, August 26.

However, the authority said its three public paddling pools will remain open in Harrogate’s Valley Gardens, Knaresborough’s Bebra Gardens, and Borrage Green in Ripon.

A spokesperson said:

“Following the Yorkshire Water announcement about the hosepipe ban, we are looking at what measures we can and should implement to conserve water supplies.

“Unfortunately, this may result in our baskets and floral displays looking a bit the worse for wear but we hope people will understand the reasons why.

“Our paddling pools are currently filled until after the August bank holiday, and we welcome residents and visitors using ours across the Harrogate district rather than their own.”

Harrogate’s famous floral displays could go un-watered.

Meanwhile, North Yorkshire County Council said it would be following the rules when the hosepipe ban comes into force.

Council leader Carl Les, whose portfolio includes emergency planning, said:

“We are looking at our services and where exemptions may apply, and we will be conforming with the rules. We would urge all residents to follow the advice already given out nationally and regionally on how they can conserve water usage, as we will be.

“Let’s also take care in these tinder dry conditions to avoid starting fires, which not only use large amounts of water to extinguish, but can also threaten property and in some cases lives.”

Read more:

• Hosepipe ban introduced for Harrogate district
• Temperatures to soar to 30 degrees – but no weather warning for Harrogate district

The hosepipe ban is the first to be introduced in Yorkshire since 1995.

People are asked not to use hosepipes for domestic activities including watering plants or grass, washing cars, filling paddling pools or swimming pools, or cleaning outdoor surfaces.

The activities are still permitted if they are carried out without a hosepipe, such as with a bucket or watering can, or if a water butt is used, for example.

Blue Badge holders, people on Yorkshire Water priority services register and those on the WaterSure tariff for medical reasons are exempt from the ban.

The restrictions do not apply to commercial premises using a hosepipe for essential activities.

Stray Views is a weekly column giving you the chance to have your say on issues affecting the Harrogate district. It is an opinion column and does not reflect the views of the Stray Ferret. Send your views to letters@thestrayferret.co.uk.

Anti-cycling attitudes have turned Harrogate into a car park

As a Byron Walk Mews resident, I had no problem at all with the small numbers of school pupils and town centre workers and visitors who used this path, which is wide enough to safely accommodate both pedestrians and cyclists.

Councillor Sam Gibbs presumably prefers them to take their chances in the traffic on the A61 or Victoria Road.

A similar anti-cycling attitude, plus complete ignorance of our taxation system, is shown by county councillor Stuart Parsons in the separate report about cyclists annoying motorists by using our roads. Apparently he believes they are “not road taxpayers while using it for their cycles”.

Councillor:
1. There is no such thing as road tax. It was abolished in 1937.
2. Cyclists pay general taxation, which funds the roads, just like everyone else.
3. Motorists (who include most cyclists) pay vehicle excise duty, based on the level of pollution they generate, hence a zero rate for electric cars. It has nothing to do with road maintenance.

No doubt these councillors believe there are votes to be had in attacking cycling. Sadly, such attitudes have helped Harrogate town centre become a giant car park choked with traffic. They show no understanding of the town’s potential for a healthier, safer and quieter future.

Marwood Smith, Harrogate

We need more straight-talking MPs like Nigel Adams

Paddling pool closed too soon

It is a shame that the paddling pool in the children’s play area at Borrage Green in Ripon has been emptied of water.

Surely, the council could have maintained its use for a little longer, especially while the early evenings are still light and children can enjoy the outdoors.

Liz Jarvis, Low Grantley

Cycle count is a pointless publicity stunt

Mr Margolis is fooling no one with his publicity stunt on Beech Grove. He says his survey of a couple of hours of observation, picked by himself, ‘proves’ that Beech Grove low traffic neighbourhood is working well. The other day I observed Beech Grove low traffic neighbourhood and didn’t see a single cyclist.

By his logic that “proves” nobody is using it and therefore a complete failure! Did he, by any chance, find out how many of those he did observe would have been going along Beech Grove anyway?

I walk along Beech Grove and don’t see a ‘transformation’, other than many more U-turns.

There’s no change for pedestrians as we walked on the pavement before and still do. Like North Yorkshire County Council, which uses the results of un-scientific, self-appointed surveys filled in by a minority of enthusiasts to ‘prove’ what people want, once again we have misleading information trying to prove a point. Is that the best they can do?

Chris Dicken, Harrogate

Read more:

• Harrogate councillor calls for new ‘no cycling’ signs on Stray
• Tesco launches plans for major Skipton Road supermarket