A by-election is set to be held in Knaresborough’s Scriven Park ward after the resignation of Conservative councillor, Samantha Mearns.
Cllr Mearns won the seat on Harrogate Borough Council in May 2018 with a majority of just 16 votes.
Liberal Democrat candidate, Matthew Walker, came second with 441 votes and the Labour Party’s Andrew John Wright picked up 291 votes.
A total of 36% of the 3,266 electorate voted.
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The by-election, which has yet to be announced by the borough council, will be the first to take place in the Harrogate district since the Bilton and Nidd Gorge election for North Yorkshire County Council last month.
In that election, the Conservative candidate Matt Scott gained the seat from the Liberal Democrats with a majority of 352 votes. The turnout was 37%.
The borough council by-election comes as Cllr Mearns has stepped down from the borough council over family reasons.
She made the announcement to residents over the weekend.
The Stray Ferret understands that Knaresborough resident Jacqui Renton will stand in her place for the next election.
Tories and Lib Dems in leaflet row as Bilton by-election hots upA political row has broken out after a Liberal Democrat campaign leaflet accused the Conservatives of “hypocrisy” and “tricking” voters ahead of the Bilton by-election.
Voters will go the polls tomorrow to elect a new county councillor in the marginal Bilton and Nidd Gorge division.
Andrew Kempston-Parkes, the Liberal Democrat candidate, has distributed two leaflets to residents that make several claims about the proposed Knox Lane housing development.
Housing developer Jomast is behind the proposals, which would see 73 homes built on a green field in Bilton.
The development is still to go before Harrogate Borough Council‘s planning committee, when 12 councillors will vote on the plans.
However, the site is allocated for 52 potential homes in Harrogate district Local Plan, which sets out where development will occur in the district until 2035.
Cllr Matt Scott, who is standing for the Conservatives in Bilton and is a current HBC councillor, voted for the Local Plan before it was adopted in March 2020.
In the leaflet, Mr Kempston-Parkes claims the “Conservatives pretend to oppose the Knox Lane development while secretly voting for it”.
In another leaflet, he alleges the Conservative-run council proposed the development.
The Liberal Democrat leaflet
The second Liberal Democrat leaflet
Read more:
- What the Bilton by-election candidates say on the big issues
- Bilton by-election: What issues matter most to voters?
In response, Harrogate & Knaresborough Conservative MP Andrew Jones MP intervened with a leaflet of his own.
It called the Liberal Democrat literature “grossly misleading” and said he was “disturbed” by some of the claims made.
He said:
“I like to see positive and constructive campaigns based on a record of local action. I don’t approve of US-style attack-ad politics.”
Andrew Jones’ leaflet
Cllr Matt Scott told the Stray Ferret he was a long-term critic of the Knox Lane development.
He said:
“To imply that I support the planning application for this site is wrong. My objection is on Harrogate council’s website. I am the only candidate in this election to have submitted an objection.
“I work with Cllr Paul Haslam who, as the borough councillor for Old Bilton, has with residents raised over £3,000 to commission reports opposing this application as well as submitting his own 10,000 word objection which I support. This has been our long-term position. The application has not come to committee yet so it is incorrect to claim that anyone has voted for or against it”.
In response, Andrew Kempston-Parkes said: “We stand by the leaflet”.
He added:
“Matt Scott had the opportunity to vote against the Local Plan but decided to vote for it anyway.”
The Bilton and Nidd Gorge election follows the death of Liberal Democrat Geoff Webber.
It is the only local council election taking place in the Harrogate district tomorrow.
What the Bilton by-election candidates say on the big issuesAnti-social behaviour, dog fouling and traffic congestion were the main issues Bilton residents said they wanted their new councillor to tackle after tomorrow’s by-election.
Voters will choose a new North Yorkshire county councillor for the Bilton and Nidd Gorge division following the death of Liberal Democrat Geoff Webber.
It is the only local council election taking place in the Harrogate district.
We asked each candidate how they would respond to the issues raised by residents. For more information about each candidate visit here.
Anti-social behaviour
Andrew Kempston-Parkes, Liberal Democrat:
“I have always found Bilton to be a safe place to be, somewhere I would be happy to walk home to on a night time.
“It is a place lived in by honest, good people. They need the support of our council, our police and other residents when things go wrong.
“Personally, I would like to see increased numbers of police community support officers and police in our area.”
Matt Scott, Conservatives:
“I am aware of recent reports of anti-social behaviour and am working with fellow councillor Paul Haslam and Harrogate Borough Council’s safer communities team to ensure information is shared.
“I have noticed more police on the streets of Bilton recently, which I believe is down to increased reporting because police resources are concentrated when and where more incidents are reported.”
Tyler Reeton, Labour:
“I believe we need to create a ‘warning system’ so anti-social behaviour doesn’t spiral out of control and therefore, I would create a forum between the police, council and the public.
“This will offer the opportunity for residents to express concerns which can be addressed by our amazing local police team.”
Arnold Warneken, Greens:
“One thing Bilton has in its favour is a strong community spirit and that will be an asset in overcoming the problems of anti-social behaviour.
“I don’t think the answer is just more police, it’s about policing differently, with everyday police presence on the streets and active engagement of these officers with schools and community groups, including a reinvigorated Neighbourhood Watch.”
John Hall, Yorkshire Party:
“Are we doing enough to provide out of school activities such as sports clubs? This would be my priority. We need to work with schools and the local police and target with mobile CCTV in trouble areas”.
Harvey Alexander, Independent:
“There is an old saying: ‘The devil makes work for idle hands’. Anti-social behaviour is mostly caused by people who are unemployed, who feel that they do not have a stake in society. The best way to deal with the anti-social behaviour is for the council to bring manufacturing jobs to the Harrogate area.”
Traffic congestion
Andrew Kempston-Parkes, Liberal Democrat:
“Firstly I would not have allowed thousands of houses to be built on the Skipton Road and in Killinghall and Hampsthwaite.
“For this senseless over-development, we have to thank this Conservative concrete council who failed to put in place the right type of local development framework. This allowed the developers free reign.”
Matt Scott, Conservatives:
“With the relief road rightly defeated, options to accommodate more cars are limited though in the greenway we already have a direct cycle and walking route into town from Bilton, which is accessible from several points.
“Free bus passes are provided for senior citizens by the county council to give another alternative to car travel.
“We also need to work with schools to encourage participation in ‘walking buses’ where children walk to school in a parent-led group. We all need to think about the journeys we make and whether we could make them in a more environmentally-friendly way.”
Tyler Reeton, Labour:
“I will support implementing a park-and-ride scheme to connect Bilton to the rest of Harrogate through Skipton Road. This park-and-ride scheme has to be a genuine green alternative, which is affordable and accessible for residents to consider for travel to work and leisure.”
Arnold Warneken, Greens:
“The Yorkshire rail improvement survey found that over 700 people would use the train every day if Bilton station were re-opened, but that the location made the necessary engineering works too difficult. That’s the kind of initiative I want North Yorkshire County Council to be looking at. Yes there will be tough decisions and money will need to be spent but doing nothing is not an option”
John Hall, Yorkshire Party:
“I would like to see a full review of public transport in and around Harrogate. This would include more buses with affordable fares in all parts of Harrogate including Bilton. I would also support the proposed new railway station in Bilton.”
Harvey Alexander, Independent:
“The easiest way to reduce congestion on Skipton Road would be to syncronise the traffic lights and to adjust their timing according to the flow of traffic at different times of day.”
Dog fouling
Andrew Kempston-Parkes, Liberal Democrat:
“I would propose the reintroduction of the dog license.
“The proceeds would be ring-fenced to hire more dog wardens, increase surveillance in known fouling areas and prosecution of those dog owners who do not clean up after their pets.
“Firstly a warning, secondly a hefty fine (with naming and shaming) and finally the confiscation of the dog and its re-homing.”
Matt Scott, Conservatives:
“Following a resident on Tennyson Avenue getting in touch with me, I met with Harrogate Borough Council’s dog warden to discuss the issue of dog fouling.
“We put penalty notice stickers on lamp posts and visited a few hotspots residents had let me know about. I have informed the street cleansing team about the hotspots and will include them on future litter picks I hope to organise as restrictions on gatherings ease.”
Tyler Reeton, Labour:
“I believe signs are a great way to create awareness of not picking up dog mess but rather than create generic signs, I would like to work with local primary schools and social enterprises to put this measure in place. Each primary school can have their own project – recycling point, bin or rubbish point.”
Arnold Warneken, Greens:
“In certain locations it is acceptable to ‘stick and flick’ as dog mess is a food source for so much of our wildlife. I’d like to see more hedgerows along our grass verges, lining every street. They’d discourage people from parking on the verges and dog owners could simply scoop their pet’s mess under the hedge, providing an increased source of food that is almost guaranteed to bring a hedgehog to every street.”
John Hall, Yorkshire Party:
“Mobile CCTV can also be used to identify dog owners who allow their dogs to foul pavements and walkways. In addition, anyone walking a dog off the lead or who fails to show that they are unequipped to pick up dog mess would face a £100 fine.”
Harvey Alexander, Independent:
Bilton by-election: every candidate announced“The council should use CCTV to discover the culprits and prosecute them.”
All the candidates have been named for the Bilton & Nidd Gorge county council by-election on May 6.
The election is taking place following the death of Liberal Democrat Geoff Webber.
The six candidates are all hoping to join Conservative Paul Haslam as the second North Yorkshire County Council councillor for the ward.
The Conservatives, Liberal Democrats, Labour and the Yorkshire Party all said on Friday that they would pause campaigning as a mark of respect for Prince Phillip.
The candidates are below:
Liberal Democrats
Andrew Kempston-Parkes has previously served as a councillor for Bilton on Harrogate Borough Council. He is a local businessman and is the managing director of a chartered surveying firm.
He said:
“The Bilton & Nidd Gorge division is a very special community to me. As Bilton’s councillor, I worked hard to not only protect green space, but also to invest in it.”
Conservatives
Cllr Matt Scott has represented the Bilton Woodfield ward on Harrogate Borough Council since 2018 and works in Harrogate and Knaresborough Conservative MP Andrew Jones’ office. He has lived in Bilton all his life.
He said:
“I will work hard to ensure we continue to have great schools, safe neighbourhoods and that our valuable green spaces remain untouched.”
Harrogate & District Green Party
Arnold Warneken was a Green HBC councillor in the 1990s and went to school in Bilton. He is a partner in an organic horticulture & food distribution business.
He said:
“Local councils must have our climate in mind as we build the economy back after Covid.”
Labour
Tyler Reeton is the youngest candidate at 19 years old and lives in Bilton. He works in retail and recently set up a community Facebook page for the Bilton area.
He said:
“I’m young but it doesn’t mean I have any less passion for the area.”
Yorkshire Party
John Hall has lived in Yorkshire all his life and moved to the Harrogate area over 6 years ago.
He said:
“Unfortunately, the party does not yet have a Biltonian which I appreciate would have been an advantage. So I have a lot of catching up to do. However, if elected this will be easily overcome by working closely with the community.”
Independent
Harvey Alexander is standing as an independent. He contested the Bilton Woodfield HBC seat for UKIP in 2018.
Read more:
- Bilton residents frightened to leave homes due to anti-social behaviour
- Bilton by-election on May 6 after death of councillor
The Conservative-controlled county council currently has 53 Conservative councillors, four Labour councillors and four representing the Liberal Democrats. There are also eight North Yorkshire Independent and three independent councillors.
When the Bilton & Nidd Gorge seat was last run in 2017, Conservative Paul Haslam and Liberal Democrat Geoff Webber won the ward’s two seats with 1,618 and 1,414 votes respectively.
Liberal Democrat Mark McDermid came third with 1,285 votes and Conservative Graham Swift was fourth with 1,207 votes.