Waitrose has submitted an objection to Tesco‘s bid to build a new supermarket on Skipton Road in Harrogate.

The objection, which was submitted last week by planning consultants First Plan on behalf of the retailer, says the new store would have a “significant adverse impact” on both Waitrose on Station Parade and Asda on Bower Road.

It also claims other retailers could be affected and questions shopping data provided by Tesco to support its application.

Tesco submitted plans to Harrogate Borough Council to build the new store in December.

It would be 38,795 square feet and include a petrol filling station, 200 car parking spaces, electric vehicle charging points and 24 cycle spaces. A new mini-roundabout would also be built on Skipton Road.

Tesco says 100 jobs would be created.

Assessment ‘lacks detail’

Waitrose’s objection says a retail assessment by Tesco in December to support its application “lacks detail”.

It says the assessment does not provide enough evidence to support the claim that a new Tesco supermarket would not harm retailers in the town centre.

Tesco has argued that the Bilton, Jennyfields and New Park areas of Harrogate are poorly served by major supermarkets.

Read more:

• Nearly 200 sign petition supporting new Harrogate Tesco

• Tesco consultation results reveal support for new Harrogate store

Its assessment, written by town planning consultants Martin Robeson Planning Practice, said Tesco will “add to local consumer choice” but will not cause “any significant adverse impact on existing shopping centres”.

The document adds:

“The northern part of Harrogate, particularly the extensive Bilton community, has very limited provision for food shopping.”

Change in shopping habits

However, Waitrose says the data around shopping habits in Harrogate used to underpin Tesco’s conclusions does not give an up-to-date picture.

Tesco’s retail assessment makes several references to the 2014 Harrogate Retail Study, which was undertaken by Harrogate Borough Council to identify trends in shopping habits.

It also says an increase in online shopping, which has been accelerated by the pandemic, has reduced the amount of spending in ‘bricks and mortar’ stores.

The six-page objection letter concludes:

“The cumulative impact of the proposed Tesco store and other recent permissions on town centre foodstores unquestionably represents a ‘significant adverse’ level of impact on the anchor Waitrose and Asda foodstores, with associated implications for the wider vitality and viability of Harrogate town centre, which has already been impacted by a number of high-profile closures in recent years and this should, in our view, constitute a reason for refusal of the application.”

A Tesco spokesperson said:

“We will consider all feedback received on our application and will have further discussions with Harrogate Council about the issues raised.”

Harrogate Borough Council will make a decision on the plans at a later date.

The Stray Ferret is to launch a daily business news feature for the Harrogate district.

Business Breakfast will start tomorrow and be published every weekday at 5am. It will bring together all business information for the district including appointments, contracts, awards and financial performance news.

Later this week, The Stray Ferret will celebrate its second birthday – it launched just before the first lockdown in March 2020 at a time when local businesses were in turmoil as shops and venues closed and everyone left the office to work from home.

The Stray Ferret director Tamsin O’Brien says, as the district slowly returns to normality, now is the time to produce a comprehensive roundup of daily business news.

She said:

“During the first two years of our existence we were preoccupied with covering the covid pandemic in the best way we could for the district. We reported continually on how the crisis impacted on businesses and the local economy.

“Now that we’re coming out of covid, we wanted to create a daily round-up of all local business news that we hope will become a must-read before work.”

Since its launch the Stray Ferret has seen rapid growth. In January this year the website had 210,000 readers and more than a million pages were viewed. It has a highly engaged social media following of more than 23,000 people and in December The Stray Ferret app was launched which already has 3,000 regular users.

If you would like your businesses’ news to be included — send us the information to contact@thestrayferret.co.uk

Read more:

• Sneak Peek: Boroughbridge pub reopens after six-figure refurb
• Harrogate distillery wins RHS branded drinks licence

Plans have been submitted to open a cafe and sports therapy centre in the former NatWest bank building on Knaresborough High Street.

The NatWest bank closed in May 2017 and many businesses have been rumoured to be moving in over the years. However, plans submitted to Harrogate Borough Council this week indicate it could finally open its doors once again.

The plans are for a change of use from a bank to a ground floor cafe and sports therapy rooms.

According to documents submitted to the council, the proposed cafe would be big enough for 50 customers. The application also includes an ice cream parlour, a hot and cold takeaway and three treatment rooms.

Space for 20 bike storage boxes to the back of the unit are also detailed. The applicant is named as Ms S Holmes.

This building was earmarked to open as a bar under a joint enterprise between Turning Point Brewery in Knaresborough and Major Tom’s Social in Harrogate.

The businesses applied for an alcohol license last October but when asked about plans for the bar Aron McMahon from Turning Point Brewery said there was “no update just yet”.

A Harrogate distillery has partnered with the Royal Horticultural Society to create branded spirits including whiskey, gin and rum.

The RHS has handed the licence to Harrogate Tipple to prepare the products for the Chelsea Flower Show in May.

The bottle and labels are still at the design stage but will use imagery that, like the spirits, captures and combines Harrogate Tipple’s artisan ideals with the inspirational aims of the gardening charity.

Steven Green, founder of Harrogate Tipple, said:

“We were thrilled to be asked to develop a series of spirits that reflected the excellence and love of British gardens that is the hallmark of the RHS.

“It has been a delight to work with the UK’s favourite gardening charity and a strong supporter of British craft company produced food and drink.”

Read more:

• New Knaresborough business group to hold spring fayre
• Harrogate hospitality businesses call on council to release £6,000 covid grants

The range will then be available at retail from the beginning of June, selling at several physical and online outlets that include spirit retailers, garden centres and independent wine stores.

It will also be sold via the Harrogate Tipple and RHS websites and at RHS Gardens.

Cathy Snow, licensing manager at RHS, said:

“Our intention was partnering with a distillery that combined a true artisan approach with the creativity and excellence that would make RHS gin, whisky and rum stand out.

“Not an easy task, but in Harrogate Tipple we have found the ideal partner for a range of spirits that are both memorable and delicious.”

The two women behind the new Knaresborough Business Collective have revealed plans to hold a spring fayre and put on other projects to boost the town.

Annie Wilkinson-Gill, from The Crystal Buddha, and Natalie Horner, from Sid Horner and Son, launched the new not-for-profit venture in January to stage events and be a voice for businesses. About 30 other businesses have signed up so far as subscribers.

The two founders were previously members of Knaresborough Chamber of Trade and Commerce but decided to set up a separate group following the fallout from the doomed attempt to set up a Business Improvement District in the town.

The main premise for the collective is to encourage more people into town to spend money in local shops. It plans to hold multiple events each year to make the town more appealing and also organise projects such as a street sweeper and hanging baskets.

Ms Horner said:

“We wanted everyone to come together and get involved. We’re just very proactive people, we don’t just want to talk about doing things we want to do it.

“There’s no point complaining then not doing anything, so we thought if no one else is why don’t we.”

The pair said they have spoken to Knaresborough Chamber of Trade to make sure no events will collide and say they want to work with it and other groups to improve the town.

Ms Horner added:

“I think there’s room for us all in Knaresborough, we all want the best for the town.”

The group will also raise business concerns with bodies such as the town council and Harrogate Borough Council.

The pair are adamant they don’t want the organisation to run as a board with a small group of people taking different titles, instead they say all members can have a say and get involved in different projects.

Ms Wilkinson-Gill said:

“One thing we’ve spotted is how many people want to get involved. As much as we set it up and have to look over the finances we are happy for any businesses to jump in if we start organising an event they’re interested in.

“It’s all very exciting for Knaresborough.”

Read more:

• Decision delayed on £13m Knaresborough Leisure Centre after residents not invited to speak at meeting
• Plans for Knaresborough cliff lift ‘far from forgotten’

Knaresborough Spring Fayre has been held in past years and the collective is hoping to bring it back on Saturday, April 9.

Aimed at young families, it will include over 20 stalls from local businesses, live entertainment and a petting zoo.

The pair said April can be a quiet time for the town and they hope this will generate a “great buzz”.

Further ahead, the pair will get involved in the banking hub project and jubilee celebrations. It is also hoping to bring back Children’s Day and Pet Day, formally held in Knaresborough House.

Hospitality business owners have called on Harrogate Borough Council to release government grants of up to £6,000 that were created to help them through the Omicron wave.

The Omicron Hospitality and Leisure Grant scheme was announced in December to help businesses that faced cancelled bookings and staff isolating over winter.

But almost two months later, some businesses in Harrogate are still waiting to be paid.

Two hospitality business owners, who asked not to be named, told the Stray Ferret they were unhappy that the council had not released the funds yet.

The Times published an article this week that said UK councils were sitting on over £850m of funds intended for businesses.

The Stray Ferret has seen an email from the council to one of the business owners dated a month ago. It said a decision on its application for the grant would be assessed within 10 days. The business owner called the delay “a joke”.

Read more:

• 788 Harrogate hospital patients were sent back to care homes without covid test
• Harrogate district covid rate continues rapid fall

David Simister, chair of Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce said “it’s simply not good enough” that the council has not distributed the grant yet to all eligible businesses.

However, he said some members of the chamber had received their grant.

Mr Simister said:

“From speaking to chamber members in the hospitality sector, some have received grants whilst others are still waiting.

“The announcement of Plan B dealt the leisure and hospitality sector a huge blow, just as businesses were gearing up for an extremely busy Christmas and New Year, and were relying on these takings to help them through the lean months of January and February.

“This grant was to go some way to recompense for the loss of trade and earnings, and if businesses are still awaiting payment it’s simply not good enough.”

A council spokesperson said:

“On December 30 initial guidance and eligibility criteria for the Omicron Hospitality and Leisure Grant scheme was provided to local authorities.

“Following this date, we have been carrying out the necessary work to make applications available, which went live on our website on January 17.

“We are now processing applications in the order in which they were received, ensuring applicants meet the necessary verification and audit requirements, in accordance with government guidelines.

“We are currently allocating grants to eligible businesses – who have provided a full and accurate application – within 20 working days.”

The Harrogate Station Gateway project may have been approved, but the next stages of the £10.9m scheme will be far from straightforward.

It took almost two years of design work and heated debate to get to this stage – now questions are turning to when the vision of Harrogate town centre less dominated by cars could become a reality.

North Yorkshire County Council’s executive approved the project last month in the face of a deep divide amongst residents and businesses over what the major changes to several streets will mean for the local economy and traffic congestion.

The council originally said it anticipated construction would start this spring or summer, but it is now being much more ambiguous, saying works “could” begin “later this year”.

It also said construction could stretch into 2024 after initially aiming for completion by the end of 2023.

This uncertainty over when the project could start and finish has drawn further concern from some business leaders who had previously called for the gateway to be halted.

David Simister, chief executive of Harrogate Chamber of Commerce, said now the project is going ahead, it is key that disruption to businesses is kept to “an absolute minimum” when the construction phase eventually gets underway.

He said:

“We were initially told that if approved, work would commence in late spring/early summer, and what I wouldn’t want to see is it commencing in the run up to Christmas.

“When it does start, the message that needs to be communicated loud and clear is that the town remains open for business.

“The project team also needs to consult with the business community long before work starts, and it also needs to be prepared to listen to any concerns that might arise.”

Read more:

• Starbeck schoolchildren highlight air pollution dangers of idle engines
• Harrogate council to vote on 1.99% council tax hike

Works on the detailed designs of the project – which includes reducing a stretch of Station Parade to one-lane traffic and a part-time pedestrianisation of James Street – are now continuing ahead of a final business case being submitted around August.

Objections could lead to public inquiry

The business case will be submitted to the West Yorkshire Combined Authority which is overseeing the project funding from the government’s Transforming Cities Fund.

Subject to its approval, a contractor will then be appointed to carry out the works, as well as similar projects in Selby and Skipton.

Traffic Regulation Orders – which are legal documents needed to introduce road changes – will be necessary for all three schemes and could spark public inquiries if objections are received.

These orders are lengthy processes and can often take several months to complete due to the need for public consultations.

The idea of a judicial review – which would be a court hearing into whether the council’s decision to approve the Gateway was lawful or not – has also been previously discussed by some Harrogate businesses.

This would have the potential to either derail the project or delay it long enough to jeopardise funding.

Reduce congestion

Despite the objections and threats of legal action, the gateway has been well supported by many residents and campaign groups who have hailed it as a positive step to tackle climate change and cut car congestion.

The project also includes improvements for pedestrians and cyclists, with upgrades planned for Station Square and the One Arch underpass, as well the Odeon cinema roundabout and several other streets in the area.

North Yorkshire County Council, the lead partner on the scheme, has continually insisted that businesses, cyclists, pedestrians and public transport users alike will see the benefits once the project is completed.

It also said while the construction phase will be a challenge, the authority will try to minimise the impact on traffic and trade.

A county council spokesperson said:

“Although the Department for Transport set an initial completion date of March 2023, the department has advised that completion could extend into 2024.

“The programme is tight, so the flexibility is welcome.

“The county council takes the delivery risk, but will have robust programme management in place and there is a sum for contingency within each scheme’s budget.”

A major redevelopment of Harrogate Convention Centre could get underway in October after councillors backed spending £2.8 million of cash reserves to speed up the first phase of works.

Members of Harrogate Borough Council’s cabinet last night agreed to the spend after warnings that the local economy could miss out on up to £14.9 million through cancelled events unless the centre’s studio two gets an upgrade sooner than originally planned.

The works would see the creation of flexible events space for up to 1,200 people, which centre director Paula Lorimer said was the most crucial part of all the plans.

She told last night’s meeting: 

“The convention centre has an auditorium with a capacity of just under 2,000, but it only has breakout space for 560 delegates.

“This in my opinion is one of the biggest reasons why we have not been able to attract some of the larger conferences.

“The studio two package is a game changer for the convention centre – and it is also a crucial part of the redevelopment to rebuild confidence in our venue.”

Read more:

• No final decision on HCC investment until 2022, says council
• Harrogate Convention Centre boss warns big events ‘at risk’ unless £47m refurbishment is accelerated
• Harrogate Convention Centre re-development to be speeded up over £475,000 loss fears

If approved by all councillors, a competitive tender process would be launched under the next stage of the studio two works, which could be completed by February 2023.

Overall, the full redevelopment plans could cost up to £47 million and involve three exhibition halls being demolished to make way for a new 5,000 square metre hall and a refurbished auditorium.

The proposals were first revealed last year when the council said the 40-year-old centre was in “critical need” of an upgrade to keep its national appeal and that without investment its maintenance costs could reach £19 million over the next two decades.

A decision on the whole project is expected from councillors in summer.

Centre unable to attract ‘large and lucrative’ events

The studio two works are being accelerated after Ms Lorimer said the centre had been unable to attract “large and lucrative” events due to competition from more modern conference venues elsewhere in the country.

She said events are planned at least 18 months in advance and that without an upgraded studio two, the centre could lose £1.1 million in lettings revenue in the coming years with businesses also missing out on an economic impact of £14.9 million from the venue.

Cllr Richard Cooper, leader of Harrogate Borough Council, said he supported the plans because of the wider economic impact.

He told last night’s meeting: 

“Nearly everybody in the Harrogate district knows somebody or have themselves worked in the hospitality and tourism industry.

“That to me always underlines the critical importance of the convention centre to our local economy.”

A women’s clothes shop has moved to bigger premises in Boroughbridge after customers flocked to support independents in the town during coronavirus.

Espada Boutique, which opened its flagship store on St James Square around nine years ago, has now relocated to a new unit on Fishergate next to G Craggs Ltd.

The independent clothes shop, which is owned by Wendy Hepworth, also has a branch in Wetherby.

Alison Auckland, manager at Espada Boutique, told the Stray Ferret the move had been planned for a while but the extra customer support during coronavirus helped move it along.

Read more:

• New owners unveil Minskip pub’s fresh look
• Former governors call for Boroughbridge sixth form to remain open

She added:

“We have just outgrown the old shop. Everyone has supported us and Boroughbridge on a whole during the coronavirus lockdowns.

“At the old shop we had lots of new brands coming in but they were going straight off the shelves. We could not stock enough.

“Already we have a lot more stock coming in. It is heaven here. We have plenty of room but I am sure we will soon fill it.”

Espada Boutique Boroughbridge reopened yesterday but it will hold a big launch on Saturday with prizes and prosecco up for grabs.

More pictures from inside the shop:

The shop has moved to a bigger unit.

A customer browsing the new shelves.

Plans have been approved to expand a Harrogate district business park to create five new buildings in an effort to boost the local economy.

Springfield Farm, on Cold Cotes Road at Kettlesing Head, just off the A59, will expand to include a new warehouse and office space.

The site’s car park will also be extended and will include electric vehicle charging points.

Harrogate Borough Council approved the proposal last week.

Quarters Commercial Ltd, the developers behind the application, said the scheme will help to “enhance an already important commercial site”.

Read more:

• 26 jobs saved with acquisition of Ripon firm Ebor Concretes
• Gino D’Acampo claims Harrogate restaurant rebrand was done ‘without my consent’

As part of the plan, a 9,000 square foot warehouse will be built to provide additional storage space for Kirsty’s, a gluten-free food supplier, which is based at the site.

Masterplan for the Springfield Farm business park expansion.

Meanwhile, three buildings will be built to provide nine separate units for smaller businesses. A further building will also be provided to offer office space for companies.

The developers said in its planning statement:

“Springfield Farm presents a fantastic opportunity to sensitively expand the already established commercial centre and ensure its future success and ongoing contribution to Harrogate.

“This is an exciting chance to enhance an already important commercial site, preserving the character of the area, with a quality masterplan, and well designed buildings where businesses’ can thrive, within a sustainable environment.”