This story is sponsored by Linley & Simpson.
A Harrogate estate agency has seen renewed interest in the number of people looking to follow the European trend and build their own home.
The new homes department at Linley & Simpson believes there is a growing appetite in the community to take advantage of this approach amid the cost of living crisis.
As a result, it has launched a new research project to pinpoint how big the interest is.
On the continent, around one-in-three homes are self or custom build – yet in England, the figure is less than 10%.
In Harrogate district, even fewer are following this trend with government statistics showing that just 95 planning permissions for serviced plots have been granted since ministers launched the Right to Build initiative in 2016.
The legislation was designed to address concerns about affordability, and make it easier for people who wanted to build or commission their own home.
David Waddington, director of new homes at Linley & Simpson, said the cost benefits of self-build, coupled with a greater choice of prime plots coming to the market across Harrogate district, has recently increased the appeal of buying and building a personalised home in this way.
He said:
“According to the National Custom and Self Build Association, England has the lowest proportion of self-build homes in the developed world.
“There are big differences in the popularity of self-build across the UK but we believe there is a growing appetite for the concept across the Harrogate district.
“Our aim is to try to identify the size of this hidden demand.
“Much of the interest is location driven – demand for property in Harrogate is high enough for people to choose this route in order to get their dream home in the right place.
“It’s also being spurred on by cost of living pressures and rising inflation as there are significant stamp duty savings with self-build, as you are only buying the value of the land and not a complete house.
“Plots are usually available in rural, semi-rural and suburban areas so there’s no shortage of choice. And roads, sewers and services will already be connected so it’s a real turnkey solution, ready for immediate use.”
Many neighbouring areas have seen far greater numbers of self-build projects – Hambleton, for example, has had 124 in the same timescale while further afield, Cherwell in Oxfordshire reports almost 6,000.
In 2021, more than 12,000 people joined the Right to Build registers, which helps aspiring custom and self-builders find plots – a year-on-year increase of 31%.
If you’re interested in self-build homes and want to find out more, contact Lucy Collinge at Linley and Simpson on lucy.collinge@linleyandsimpson.co.uk or call 01423 540054.
Business breakfast: Ripon firm invests £250,000 in robot laser welderBusiness Breakfast is sponsored by Harrogate law firm Truth Legal.
Econ Engineering has invested £250,000 in a new robot laser MIG welder for its Ripon manufacturing base.
The company, which makes more than eight out of 10 winter maintenance vehicles on UK roads, is using the innovative machine to turn out cut and welded ‘din plates’ — the mounting used to attach plough blades to the front of gritters.
Creating din plates is a labour-intensive process and by automating this method, Econ says its team of welders can now concentrate on more intricate but less time-consuming jobs.
Econ Engineering managing director Jonathan Lupton said:
“Our new robot, which has already become a valued addition to the welding section, is now undertaking the more mundane but time-consuming jobs, which is allowing the welders to perform more interesting tasks.
“It is a superb piece of kit, and watching it work is just incredible. Several of our staff are currently being trained in how to programme and operate it, and in time it will be able to perform different welding tasks.”
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Estate agent Tim Waring joins GSC Grays
GSC Grays in Boroughbridge has welcomed housing expert Tim Waring to its team.
Mr Waring is a chartered surveyor and RICS registered valuer who has 30 years of experience working in the Yorkshire property market.
He will be based at the recently opened GSC Grays office in Boroughbridge and said he is relishing the challenge of a new role.
“I am delighted to be joining GSC Grays at an exciting time for the company as they continue to expand and grow and I am looking forward to being part of their journey.
“There is always going be, in a tough economic climate, a flight to quality and the prime residential property market in Yorkshire will continue to thrive. It remains a fact that quality always sells.”
Guy Coggrave, managing director at GSC Grays, added:
“We are thrilled to be adding Tim’s extensive skills and unrivalled experience to our new office at Boroughbridge. At GSC Grays, our mission is to bring extraordinary people together to deliver an outstanding service and the quality of our staff is the key to our success.”
Business Breakfast: Harrogate branding agency builds website for London flats
Business Breakfast is sponsored by Harrogate law firm Truth Legal.
A Harrogate-based branding agency has created a website and provided digital services for a flagship London apartment scheme.
Impression Studio created the brand for property firm Greystar’s Bloom development at Nine Elms in the city.
As part of the project, Impression created a visual design and focused on devising bold typography, bespoke illustrations and 3D imagery.
The design team was given 10 weeks to deliver the project.
Jordan Donnelly, head of design at Impression Studio, said:
“The visual design was key to the project, focussing on large typography, unconventional grid systems and utilising bespoke illustrations to communicate the energy of the brand with a contemporary aesthetic.
“The creative was brought to life with on page interactions and elegant animations to elevate the brand experience, whilst not neglecting the site performance and taking away from the user experience.”
Running retailer announces heart charity partnership
A Harrogate-based specialist running retailer has announced a three-year partnership with the charity Heart Research UK.
Up & Running, which has a store on Station Parade, is set to launch a fundraising challenge in aid of the charity, which will include a 1,992 mile relay involving staff across its 29 stores.
The retailer will also host 5k training sessions aimed at getting people active.
Gillian Macfarlane, founder of Up & Running, said:
“We’re excited to embark on the partnership with Heart Research UK. We have a lot of shared values with the charity when it comes to encouraging people of all fitness levels to exercise regularly and enjoy the benefits of an active lifestyle.”
Helen Wilson, head of research at Heart Research UK, said:
“Sadly, 7.6 million people in the UK are living with cardiovascular disease and coronary heart disease is one of the UK’s biggest killers.
“More research is needed to prevent people developing and dying from heart disease, and the partnership with Up & Running will raise vital funds to help us fund more medical research into the prevention, treatment and cure of heart disease.”
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Harrogate district business groups cautiously welcome mini-budget
Business groups in the Harroagate district have broadly welcomed today’s financial measures introduced by Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng.
Mr Kwarteng announced a mini-budget in the House of Commons this morning.
It included cutting income tax, stamp duty and reversing the rise in National Insurance contributions and corporation tax.
Mr Kwarteng also lifted the cap on bankers’ bonuses and heralded the measures as a “new era” for the UK economy.
David Simister, chief executive of Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce, said he welcomed some of the measures.
He said:
“The UK’s economic situation is very fragile, we are technically in recession, inflation is putting pressure on household budgets and an increase in interest rates will put a strain on many homeowners’ budgets.
“The aim of this emergency budget is to stimulate the economy by cutting taxes and giving people more money in their pockets.
“The scrapping of the national insurance rise and reversing the increase in corporation tax is certainly good news for businesses large and small.
“Employees across the board will benefit from the NI reduction, as well as the cut in the basic rate of income tax, but the latter won’t be felt until after next April. Cutting the cap on bankers’ bonuses is a contentious issue for some, but it is designed to attract the brightest and the best in the industry to the UK.”
Read more:
Ripon BID welcomes corporation tax move
Lilla Bathurst, manager at Ripon Business Improvement District, said it remained to be seen if the planned tax cuts will work.
She said:
“Ripon BID welcomes the scrapping of the planned increase in corporation tax and the reduction of national insurance contributions and the relief this will bring to businesses and employees. It remains to be seen if these tax cuts will generate sufficient growth to off-set the tax the Chancellor has given up.
“Ripon BID is disappointed that the government did not follow the recommendations set out in the BusinessSOS campaign, supported by over 150 Business Improvement Districts including Ripon BID. We asked for a package of measures including business rates relief and a reduction in headline VAT rates for retail, leisure and hospitality.
“The previous announcement of support for businesses energy bills was welcomed but as stated previously we feel did not go far enough and uncertainty remains.”
Knaresborough chamber warms of business failures
Knaresborough Chamber of Trade and Commerce said it welcomed the cut in corporation tax, but added that this winter will still be difficult for many businesses.
Chamber executive member Peter Lacey said:
“I like to be positive, but can’t say I’m confident that we’ll not see business failures in the coming months.
“We’re committed to supporting the businesses of the town and its surrounding area but recognise that we’ll need to redouble our efforts in the current economic climate.”
Nidderdale chamber: measures ‘give confidence’
Meanwhile, Tim Ledbetter, chair of Nidderdale Chamber of Trade, said:
Pop-up shop marks launch of new venture for popular Harrogate baker“We welcome measures announced by the government today, whilst reserving judgement on many of them until the finer detail has been analysed.
“The measures will hopefully give confidence to the public and businesses who understandably have had their confidence rocked by events, not just in this country but from around the world.
“I suppose with the cancellation of the planned rise in duty on beer, wine and spirits people can at least either celebrate or if disappointed with the measures drown their sorrow.”
A baker from Harrogate is turning her life-long passion into a career after years of preparation and planning.
Lizzie Warburton began baking at home as a child, but never considered it as a potential job despite her obvious talent.
She said:
“I’ve baked all my life. My grandma is a baker, and my mum – it’s what we have always done as a family.
“I did a foundation course in art and design, and went to uni to do graphics, but I decided it wasn’t the field I wanted to be in.
“I used to bake caked for friends at school, but I never thought of it as a job. Working at Harlow Carr, we used to do Friday bake-offs. Everyone said, ‘you need to go on the Great British Bake-off’ and I never thought about it seriously.
“But eventually I thought, ‘why am I not doing this? I love it’. “
Taking the plunge, Lizzie enrolled on a course at Leeds City College to give her the professional understanding she needed to back up her experience. Once finished, she and mum Sue opened The Kitchen, a coffee shop on Otley Road, in autumn 2016.
Starting with a small menu of light lunches and cakes, they soon became popular with locals and Lizzie’s cakes had a particularly strong reputation.
When events took place, such as the UCI Road World Championships which passed in front of the door in 2019, The Kitchen was packed with cycling enthusiasts and the cake bench laden with special creations which all disappeared by the end of the day.
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However, it was not Lizzie’s most ambitious bakes which proved the biggest hit during the five years the coffee shop was operating. She said:
“We made Mars bar crispies when we were kids and we thought they’d work well – I just updated it and added a layer of chocolate. They became our best seller, along with scones. Everybody still asks for them if I bump into any of our customers!
“Our Mars bar crispies would sell out every day. It’s the easiest thing – it takes 20 minutes to make. I’ve done all this training, learning how to make a cake properly, and it’s that simple childhood recipe that people love the most.”
When her parents decided not to renew the lease on The Kitchen last autumn and to move away, Lizzie knew her future was in baking.
She wanted to focus on her true passion and, before the coffee shop closed its doors for the final time, she began building up cake orders for birthdays and other celebrations. In many ways, the covid pandemic had actually helped her.
“When we were opening up, we started doing afternoon teas to deliver to people’s homes and that went really well. I knew people wanted a treat then, but I thought people would still want that even after covid.”
Though she knew what she wanted to do, Lizzie realised it would be some time before she would earn enough from her own baking to make a living. Over the last year, she has indulged her other passion: she has been working for a dog charity and a kennels, caring for animals and enjoying time outside.
An array of Lizzie’s Baked creations
Meanwhile, she has tested the water by offering pre-ordered boxes of cakes on selected weekends, which have always proved a big hit with customers old and new. She has also been building up contacts for wholesale business, baking treats for other cafes and shops to sell to customers.
Now ready to launch her new venture, Baked, Lizzie is holding a pop-up shop this weekend at Oatlands Community Centre – just around the corner from her home.
She’ll spend this week creating a huge stash of goodies to sell on Saturday between 9am and noon, as well as taking pre-orders to be collected on the day.
A selection of favourites from The Kitchen will be on offer alongside new recipes she has been perfecting. However, Lizzie knows she’ll need to stock up on the famous Mars bar crispies:
Business Breakfast: Free course to boost start-up businesses in Harrogate district“It’s crazy that that one thing went so mad, but it’s so nice because it’s such a nostalgic thing we had as children. I’m just going to have to do trays and trays of it!”
Business Breakfast is sponsored by Harrogate law firm Truth Legal.
A free seven-week course will help entrepreneurs in Harrogate get their start-up businesses off the ground.
Up to 30 places are available on the Strive course, run by York & North Yorkshire Growth Hub, City of York Council, Harrogate Borough Council, & Enterprise CUBE.
Beginning on Tuesday, October 4, it will offer a series of workshops and individual advice sessions and challenges, before giving out £2,500 of prizes at the end of the programme.
Topics will include creating a brand, taking payments, building an online presence, and dealing with the legal and tax requirements of setting up a business.
Laura Mumford, an award-winning entrepreneur from Enterprise CUBE, said:
“We’re finding more and more people are looking at other ways to make their own income through starting their own business.
“We’re seeing lots of people join our courses who want to start building a business now, to have some extra security, and extra income coming in.”
A free taster session takes place in the Minster Room at Harrogate Civic Centre on Tuesday, September 27 from 7-9pm. The course will run via Zoom.
To find out more or book a place, visit the course page on the York and North Yorkshire Growth Hub website.
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Director appointed to Harrogate district law firm
An experienced solicitor has joined a practice in the Harrogate district as a director.
Mark Jones, who was previously partner at Harrowells in York as well as at LCF Law and Raworths in the past, joins Newtons to work on wills, probate, trusts and estates, including inheritance tax planning, from its Ripon and Harrogate offices.
As well as being a long-serving member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners, he is a committee member of Harrogate and District Law Society.
Mr Jones said:
Greggs to open shop in Knaresborough“Having known [Newtons managing director] Chris Newton for well over 20 years, I’ve watched with great admiration what he has achieved in building Newtons into the firm it is today from scratch. I’m delighted to have the opportunity to be part of that journey.”
A new Greggs shop is set to open in Knaresborough this year, the high street bakery giant has confirmed.
Its location has yet to be officially announced, but it is believed to be at the former Fultons Foods unit on the High Street.
The building has remained empty since the frozen food store closed in March 2021.
The former Fultons Foods store, 32 High Street, Knaresborough.
A Greggs spokesperson told the Stray Ferret:
“Greggs is due to open a new shop in Knaresborough later this year. While we are unable to share any details at the moment, we will be sure to share further information in the coming months.”
Read more:
A staff recruitment advert seeking ‘retail team members’ for the new branch has been posted online.
It lists the location as 32-32B High Street, the unit formerly occupied by Fultons.
The advert says:
Ainsty Farm Shop says if new PM was chosen sooner it could have saved their business“Our shop will trade from 6:30am through to 6pm, Monday through Saturday, and 8am until 6pm on a Sunday.
“We are looking to build a team to support this new shop for us.”
The owners of Ainsty Farm Shop have said if a new Prime Minister had been appointed sooner it could have saved their business.
This morning, the government announced a huge package of support for businesses that will see energy bills cut in half for the next six months.
Despite the energy crisis growing all summer, the measures were only announced after the two-month Conservative Party leadership battle between Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak.
For the farm shop off the A59, which closed last week, it’s come too late.
The Stray Ferret reported in August how farmers Lily and Stuart Beaton had run the popular store for 22 years but planned to close due to spiralling bills.
They had been given an energy quote of £90,000 — a massive increase from the £20,000 a year they had previously been paying.
Ms Beaton said:
“In all honesty, if they’d got on with choosing the Prime Minister quicker, and made the announcement [on energy bills] sooner, we might have sat down and worked out the figures and looked if we’d be able to go on. gone on.
“I think we would have had a go at putting our prices up and seeing what the reaction was from people.”
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- Cost of living crisis fund launched for North Yorkshire
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The package of support will last for six months, which Ms Beaton described as a “stay of execution”.
She is worried that next winter, businesses could again be placed in a perilous position with no guarantee of another government bailout.
She added:
“I think there are a lot of businesses that will benefit but I feel it’s moving the problem on. In six months time we won’t have all the renewable power in place, that’s the way we need to go.”
The couple are now busy removing the fridges, tills and shelving from the store as they prepare to simplify their business.
They will continue to sell meat and produce from their farm via an online mailing list and through their online shop.
New Harrogate craft beer bar set to open next monthA new town centre craft beer run by the owners of Husk Beer Emporium could be open by the end of October.
Friends Danny Duckworth and Tom Gill have had a shop on King’s Road for the last couple of years.
It’s become a haven for craft beer lovers, selling a wide range of beers with idiosyncratic branding and flavours.
They will soon be creating their first bar in a former restaurant on Station Square and will keep the Husk name.
The friends received the keys from the landlord this week and are now busy refurbishing the premises ahead of opening, which Mr Gill said is likely to be late October or early November.
The bar will be in a unit previously home to Souvlaki restaurant on Station Square
The ground floor bar will have 10 craft beer lines as well as a selection of bottles and cans. It will also serve tea and coffee as well as cakes and cheeseboards.
The shop will move from King’s Road to downstairs below the bar.
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Mr Gill said it was “exciting but also nerve-wracking” to be opening.
Rising energy bills are on the mind of every business owner at the moment and he hopes the new Chancellor will cap bills for businesses in next week’s emergency budget.
He said:
“Some bars in Leeds have seen 200% to 400% increases on their energy bills. That’s pretty scary.”
Over the last decade, Harrogate has welcomed many new craft beer bars including North Bar, the Disappearing Chin and the Harrogate Tap.
Handily, the bars all follow a trail for drinkers, which Husk will be part of.
They also hope to apply for a pavement licence so drinkers can sit outside. Mr Gill said he believed his business will benefit from the proposed Station Gateway scheme that is set to transform the area and pedestrianise James Street.
He added:
“I can quite easily see the negatives [of the Station Gateway] but for us it will help increase footfall and help to create a ‘cafe culture’ around Station Square.”
To find out more about Husk Beer Emporium visit its website.
Business Breakfast: Harrogate private hospital joins forces with MumsnetBusiness Breakfast is sponsored by Harrogate law firm Truth Legal.
The Duchy Hospital in Harrogate has joined forces with parenting website Mumsnet to help women get answers to a range of gynaecology-related problems.
The partnership gives Mumsnet users the chance to ask women’s health-related questions directly to one of the UK’s leading gynaecologists.
Dr Sujata Gupta is a consultant gynaecologist at Circle Health Group, the healthcare provider that runs the hospital.
Historically the diagnosis and treatment of gynaecological conditions have been challenging, with women often left waiting years for a diagnosis, or in some cases never receiving a clear answer.
Dr Gupta hopes the campaign will empower women to better understand their health.
She said:
“Thousands of women in Yorkshire struggle with the effects of a gynaecological condition and yet often go undiagnosed for years.
“The greatest challenge is often finding the right information, or the feeling of embarrassment that comes suffering with this type of condition.
“This has a dramatic impact on how women engage with healthcare professionals and ultimately prevents them from asking the appropriate questions and getting the diagnosis they need.”
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Event to help businesses become menopause-friendly
Community organisation Mylifepool Harrogate will host an event for businesses to learn more about how to become more menopause-friendly.
It will coincide with World Menopause Day on October 18, which raises awareness of the menopause and the support options available.
The event will take place at Crowne Plaza in Harrogate and promises an evening of “no-nonsense advice” about menopause in the workplace.
Tickets cost £4 and there is a 20% discount on food and drink at the hotel.
For more information on topics covered, and to book, visit here.