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Free buses and parking for Harrogate Christmas shoppers

Free Sunday buses and free weekday parking after 3pm are being introduced this month to encourage shoppers to spend money in Harrogate’s shops this Christmas.

Harrogate Business Improvement District, which aims to boost the town centre, is behind both projects.

The ‘free after three’ parking initiative allows motorists to park in the Victoria car park on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays free of charge after 3pm.

It begins on Monday and will run until Christmas Eve.

The ‘Sunday Freeway’ initiative, which returns this year, gives people the chance to catch a free ride on one of Harrogate Bus Company’s electric buses on a Sunday.

It includes the 2A, 2B, 3 and 6 services, which link Bilton, Dene Park, The Knox, Jennyfield and Pannal Ash with the town centre. The initiative will run through December and into the New Year.

The projects are part of the BID’s Harrogate at Christmas campaign, which encourages shoppers to support local businesses after a difficult year that has seen many closures.

Harrogate BID acting chairman Sara Ferguson said:

“Because of the lockdown, traders in the town have already lost a month’s worth of business and are playing catchup.

“Now we are coming out of the second lockdown, we are launching these two initiatives to bring people into town, via two different modes of transport.”

The Harrogate Bus Company chief executive Alex Hornby said:

“It’s amazing news for our town – reducing emissions and congestion, while making it easier for everyone to support our local economy and get our town’s traders back on their feet.

“Harrogate’s businesses have had an incredibly tough year, with two lockdowns and continued restrictions impacting everyone. It’s now up to us all to support them as they re-open for the crucial run-up to Christmas by taking advantage of free travel.”

Harrogate retailers wait for shopper numbers before opening late

Harrogate’s independent shops say they are hesitant to stay open late in case there isn’t the footfall to make it profitable.

The government is to relax rules on late night opening to help stores recover sales after lockdown.

Store owners are gearing up to reopen on Wednesday but some want to see how many people return to the high street before spending money on additional staff.

In previous years, Harrogate’s shops have opened late one night during the week but this year shops are being precautious.

What do the shop owners say?

Louise Chesters, owner of Dizzy Duck in Harrogate, said:

“We’ll have to see how we go, if we get busy I will extend them to accordingly. It’s hard to tell if we will be inundated so it’s just a case of embracing it all. It would also take extra organising to extend the hours so we will have to see how it goes on Wednesday but I’m excited.”

Georgie Roberts, owner of Georgie’s, said:

“If someone asked I would stay open of course or if someone asks for a private appointment later in the day to feel safe then of course I would accommodate it. I’ll be flexible and see what happens but because I am out of the centre late nights tend not to work for me.”

Bob Kennedy, owner of G23 and Porters, said:

“Late nights don’t always work for us. It could be different this year with people supporting the high street, but I don’t know if it would be worth it. We will have to see how shoppers react when we reopen. It has been a difficult year and we need people to support local retail.”

After another month of closure the shops were eager to reopen. They are hoping a festive boost in sales can begin to make up for lost time.

Sandra Doherty, Chief Executive of Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce, was sceptical of the impact of the new guidelines. She said:

“Permitting shops to open for extra hours will, in a few instances, allow the retailers to benefit from a potential increase in trade, however, in most cases the extra costs in staffing will actually cut into profits.

“The temptation to stay open when others are closed will be tremendous, but there is only so much money to go around, and opening more hours will just spread the ‘spend’ over a longer time frame.”

Harrogate catering companies fight to survive without Xmas parties

Harrogate’s catering companies are set to miss out on huge amounts of income this festive season with the loss of company Christmas parties.

Businesses across the Harrogate district are preparing to reopen next week under tier two restrictions. This mean only people in the same household can mix together indoors.

Catering companies like, Kings Catering and Harrogate Food and Drink (HGFD), rely on Christmas party bookings. But this year they have had to adapt in order to stay afloat.

Each has forecast huge losses as they prepare to miss out on another busy season for events.

Both companies are hopeful next year will allow them to cater events more frequently. Photograph: www.hgfd.co.uk

Ian King, owner of Kings Catering, says his company could lose out on up to £70,000 in turnover during December:

“Last Christmas we did around 8,000 Christmas dinners for parties and this year we can’t do anything like that. We’ve had to diversify and start delivering meals to houses for people to enjoy and then they’ve been getting on zoom to eat them with their friends and colleagues.

“Covid has had a huge impact we’re set to lose £70,000 in December in turnover. We’re working so hard to keep going, it’s our 24th anniversary soon and I want to be here to see our 25th year.”

HGFD caters for events and weddings but after losing out on a lot of trade this year was hoping to cater for Christmas parties too. Co-owner, Andi Aikman, is determined to be positive after putting his company into “hibernation”. He said:

“We have lost out on quite a lot this year. We are going to fight for this, we’ve had to hibernate the company and I think it could be a while before we’re back to where we were.

“We’ve had to diversify to do other things to survive, so we’re doing some little things. We have to try and keep busy to keep our staff employed, we can’t just give up.”

Sneak peek: new organic food shop in Harrogate

Fruit and vegetables fresh from the ground are front and centre at Joy, a new organic food shop that opened on Cold Bath Road in Harrogate today.

Nicola Mawdsley, who is behind the venture, wants to expand the range to compete with smaller supermarkets.

Nicola got the keys to the building five weeks ago and has managed to pull her vision together despite the coronavirus lockdown:

“It has had its challenges. The local traders and suppliers have really stepped up to help make this what it is.

“I am excited to open the doors. I cannot wait to start welcoming people through the doors.”

The idea behind Joy is to be a one-stop shop. The stock will change with the seasons but it will always be as environmentally-friendly as possible.

Currently it has plenty of fruits and vegetables, pastas, pickles, chocolates, herbs, teas and coffees. All sourced as locally as possible.

Now the doors are open Nicola will expand the range, with organic wines and gluten-free beers high on her agenda.

It is not just about the produce: the shop also has baskets to rent and plenty of eco-friendly and reusable bags.

Would you like to spread the word about your shop opening? No matter how small the shop get in touch with the Stray Ferret.

£7 million for Harrogate district businesses affected by covid

Government grants worth more than £7 million will be awarded to Harrogate district businesses affected by lockdown.

The government announced the funding after non-essential shops, pubs and restaurants were forced to close throughout November.

Businesses in the district have faced a tough time during the lockdown, with some saying it came at the “worst possible time”.

Now the borough council has been given £7,127,446 in total to support businesses affected by the lockdown.

The funding is available in two separate grant streams.

The UK government’s Additional Restrictions Grant scheme is for businesses forced to close that do not directly pay business rates, as well as those that do not have to close but have been impacted by the lockdown.

This could include businesses that supply retail, hospitality and leisure services. However, the borough council has yet to open applications for the grants.

Open ‘as soon as possible’

Nadhim Zahawi MP, minister for business and industry, confirmed in a written statement to Parliament that local authorities have been allocated funding for the scheme. Harrogate Borough Council has been given £3,216,620.

A spokesperson for the authority said the scheme would be open “as soon as possible”.

The other tranche of funding is from the government’s Local Restrictions Support Grant, which the council will also administer.

The government has allocated the council £3,910,086 for the scheme, which would see businesses offered grants up to £3,000 depending on their rateable value.

It is aimed at businesses that were open as usual, but were then required to close by law due to the national lockdown for 28 days.

It will support “in-person services”, such as non-essential retail, leisure and hospitality.

To be eligible, businesses must have been forced to close for at least 14 days because of the restrictions, be unable to provide their usual in-person service and be paying business rates to qualify.

The borough council has opened applications for the local restrictions grant.

‘Upset and cynicism’ over October redundancies says Harrogate lawyer

A Harrogate employment lawyer says people who lost their jobs on the last day of October are upset and cynical.

Richard Port, principal solicitor at Boardside Ltd in Harrogate, said he was aware of cases where firms had put restructure plans in place for October 31, so will have lost staff on the same day the Prime Minister announced another lockdown and an extension to furlough.

The furlough scheme will see the government pay for 80% of employee salaries up to £2,500 a month. However, employers will have to cover pension and national insurance contributions.

The scheme was supposed to end on October 31, but now is going to end in early December.

Richard Port, Boardside Legal

Mr Port said some businesses will have met the announcement with surprise.

He said employees could return to their employer to ask for their jobs back, but most businesses have already made restructures due to the end of furlough.

Mr Port said:

“I think people are just disappointed. What they can do is go back to their employer and ask if they can take them back on.

“But I do not think many employers will want to do it.”

He added that the virus was taking its toll on all business.

“It is perfectly viable businesses that are shutting because of this. People are struggling to get their heads around it.

“The classic example is the pub. That is a part of our culture. It is a part of the British way of life and it is going.”

Pre-lockdown rush for haircuts in Harrogate

People in Harrogate are rushing to get hairdressing appointments before lockdown begins on Thursday.

Some salons are extending their hours to fit in as many clients as possible before non-essential businesses are forced to close on Thursday.

Joseph Ferraro, owner of Joseph Ferraro hair salon in Harrogate, said:

“The phone just hasn’t stoped since the weekend. I’ve had to bring staff in for extra hours to fit all of our clients in.

“I’m feeling more angry than nervous. It is dangerous for businesses to have another lockdown. My business will be able to get through this but some will be struggling.

“The furlough system is great for paying my staff but it won’t cover the other bills.”

Hairdressers were among the last to reopen after the first lockdown. Salons had to introduce safety measures, such as mask wearing for clients and staff, sanitising stations and perspex screens.

Olivia Mitchell, the owner of BeBaBo on Cold Bath Road, is usually closed on Monday but opened today to meet demand.

“I think the lockdown may be longer than December 2. But I feel calmer this time: we have a blueprint to follow from the first lockdown, which will help us.

“All we can do is look to the government for additional help. I just hope that if it is a longer lockdown that they can keep that support going.”

Terry Sowerby, who co-owns the Baroque salons in Harrogate and Ripon, said:

“It’s been challenging trying to fit everyone in over the coming days. I am not happy at all, I understand we are within a pandemic but we’ve spent thousands making our salons safe so it is frustrating. But we have to do it to reduce the virus.”

Second lockdown could mean some Harrogate businesses ‘won’t reopen’

The impact of the second lockdown on local businesses could mean some “won’t reopen” warns Harrogate’s Business Investment District (BID) .

The lockdown will come into place on Thursday and forces all non-essential shops and hospitality to close.

Many of Harrogate’s businesses have been using recent months to recover from the previous lockdown and have now been left uncertain of their futures.

Harrogate BID has said the main aim of its members is to protect their businesses and the local economy but has made it clear the long-term impact of this could mean some businesses can’t reopen.

Harrogate BID Acting Chair Sara Ferguson said:

“Every business that I know of has been dreading the prospect of another lockdown, as there’s a real chance many won’t reopen if they are forced into a long period of enforced closure.

“Over the last few weeks there has been a rising level of optimism, half term has brought plenty of people into town. If this ‘circuit-breaker’ doesn’t bring the R rate down then what? Is it extended for another month?”

The lockdown is expected to end on December 2 in the hope many can still enjoy Christmas with friends and family.

The festive season brings an annual boost to trade for the hospitality sector.

Anthony Blundell, assistant general manager at the West Park Hotel in Harrogate, is hopeful this year will bring the same.

He said:

“Hospitality needs to be up and running for December. It is the biggest month of the year for the whole sector. We can flex and adapt to whatever is thrown at us but not all businesses are as resilient and it could be really devastating.”

Harrogate retailer says second lockdown would be ‘devastating’

A Harrogate retailer has raised their concerns saying “there will be casualties for sure” if another national lockdown is introduced for England.

The Prime Minister is reported to be considering a month-long lockdown for England in an attempt to curb the rising number of coronavirus cases.

The lockdown is expected to keep schools, colleges and universities open but the retail industry could be hit once again.

Bob Kennedy, owner of G23 and Porters has said another national lockdown would be “devastating” for the sector. Without customers being allowed into shops he is worried about the long-term impact on his own business and others.

He said:

“We are in for a long, hard winter. It will have a devastating impact on businesses. There will be some casualties for sure.”

“But we’ve got to do whatever it takes to combat this virus. We didn’t qualify for grants due to our rateable value. My business rates are high because of my location but I am still a small independent so I think that is something that needs looking into.”

The chief executive of Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce, Sandra Doherty, has also raised her concerns for the impact on local businesses.

Sandra said:

“The economic crisis which is looming, not just on the high street, but more worryingly the self-employed who have not been identified in any of the government’s grants, will be further exacerbated.

“Balancing the nation’s physical health with its economic health is a difficult choice to make with nothing to measure against. I’m sure the trial and error approach which we seem to be using at the moment will see us steering a very wobbly path forward.”

In Knaresborough there has been a number of new shops opening in the town in recent months. Steve Teggin, president of the Knaresborough Chamber of Trade, has said the timing of this lockdown could be “disastrous”.

He said:

“Knaresborough’s businesses were down in takings but we were doing ok but this is going to be a bit of a blow for new businesses.

“Businesses will have to adapt and keep that momentum going to survive. It is important for the public to support the local businesses as much as they can to make sure they are here next year.”

The district’s seven-day case rate up to October 27 has dropped to 239 per 100,000 people. However this remains above the national average of 225.

The Prime Minister is due to make an announcement at 4pm this afternoon.

University first year students return home to study in Harrogate

Two students from Harrogate have left their hall of residence in Sheffield and returned home to protect their mental health from the impact of isolation.

Alex Hamshaw and his girlfriend, both 18, are first year students at Sheffield Hallam University.

Alex’s girlfriend had to isolate for two weeks at the start of term when a flatmate not following covid guidelines came into contact with someone that had tested positive.

Both have struggled with the impact that following covid guidelines has had on their ability to make new friends, and decided to leave after three weeks, before Sheffield moved into tier three restrictions.

Speaking about why they left Sheffield, Alex said:

“We decided to come home after my girlfriend finished isolating, as if that had happened again for her or for me, it would have really negatively impacted our mental wellbeing. Coming home means that we were in a different tier to Sheffield, we could go out and see friends and see each other, and that was better for our general wellbeing than being in Sheffield.”

They’re not planning to move back to university until case numbers decrease, with the expectation that this won’t happen until after Christmas.

Despite moving home, they are still paying rent for their Sheffield accommodation and Alex estimates that he will have lost about £1500 by the time that he returns.

While at home, the pair have decided to set up their own online business, Personal Paws Co, selling customisable dog collars and leads out of Paracord, a lightweight nylon rope originally used in the suspension lines of parachutes.

Alex’s dog Molly, modelling a collar.

With hopes to sell 500 collars or leads by Christmas, the teenagers are also hoping to do some good with their profits. Up until the 25th December, Personal Paws Co will donate 5% of its revenue to the Harrogate District foodbank.

Alex said:

“As we approach winter and it gets colder, it is even more challenging for children at this time of year, and so we have decided to donate 5% of all sales to Harrogate foodbank so that more children can enjoy a free meal as days get shorter and nights get longer. In our opinion, it’s the little things that help.

“We choose to start the business because we both have an interest in dogs and we wanted to create a product which was durable, comfortable and customisable in size and length which all dogs and dog owners could use. The profits not given to the food bank are going to be saved as a way to financially support us after graduating from uni.”

Do you have a similar story to tell us or are worried for your son and daughter isolated at University? Get in touch on contact@thestrayferret.co.uk

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