Businesses in the centre of Harrogate have been affected once again by power cuts this week.

James Street, Princess Street, Prospect Crescent and parts of Cambridge Street have all suffered outages.

Some shops have had to temporarily close while others told the Stray Ferret they have had issues with their tills, shutters, phone lines, lighting and internet.

This is not the first time the Streets have been left without power. In March, James Street was left without power for a week when Northern Powergrid found “a fault on the underground low voltage cable, resulting in a blown fuse”.

Princess Street and one side of James Street were affected on Tuesday (May 21) with Halifax, FatFace, White Stuff, Hobbs and others all forced to close.

Northern Powergrid said in response to Tuesday’s outage:

“At 08:47 am on Tuesday, May 21 we were alerted to a power cut affecting the James Street and Princess Street areas of Harrogate. Our engineers attended the area at 9am and located an underground low voltage fault.

“This was resolved and power was restored at 2:45 am on Wednesday 22 May. We continue to closely monitor any previous interruptions in our areas and work quickly to resolve any faults on our network.

“We’d like to thank our customers for their patience while our engineers worked safely to repair the fault and re-connect power.”

Yesterday, (May 23) the opposite side to those shops affected earlier in the week on James Street and Prospect Crescent were affected from the early hours of the morning until 4.30pm.

Emergency dentist left unable to treat patients

Dr Shoreh Ghasmi owner of The Harrogate Clinic

Dr Shoreh Ghasmi, owner of The Harrogate Dentist, was once again badly affected by the loss of power. The clinic, which provides 24-hour emergency care, was without light, access to medical records and dental machinery all day, meaning it was unable to treat patients.

She began a root canal surgery at 6.30am and numbed the patient’s mouth. At 7.28am, mid-way through the procedure the power shut off, leaving Dr Ghasmi and her patient panicked in the dark when her tools stopped working.

In March, Dr Ghasmi experienced the same problem when she was left unable to treat an emergency patient with a fractured tooth. After the initial power cuts she was told a generator had been installed and she was highly unlikely to have another power cut.

Yet four months later the clinic was thrown into the same position and Northern Powergrid had acted “nonchalantly” about the issue, she claimed.

Dr Ghasmi said:

“I cannot emphasise how much pressure the power cuts put on the clinic. They (Northern Powergrid) don’t realise how serious this is. It can’t go on, not when it is seriously affecting people’s health.

“I understand mistakes are made but when healthcare is on the line something needs to be done. They just told me ‘no one else has reported an issue’, but we are open 24 hours and need to help our patients. When it happens, I just go numb, and I feel helpless because I can’t help my patients. We are an emergency dentist, so people come to us because they are in such pain.”

James Street

Yvonne Nightingale, general manager of jewellers Ogden of Harrogate, said the power cuts have had “a horrendous knock-on effect” on the business. The power outage meant that the shop was unable to open and the intruder alarm was activated as a result of intermittent power.

Ms Nightingale added that the alarm activated smoke detectors, which someone witnessed and called the emergency services.

The fire services outside Ogden on James Street on Thursday.

Their neighbours Cornish Bakery Harrogate were also badly affected, losing a day of trade and forced to waste pre-prepared food. Hotel Chocolat and Sainsbury’s Local were also affected, with no power to their fridges.

Emel Rasit, manager of Crew Clothing, said:

“This is now the fifth or sixth time it has happened, it is very frustrating at this point and it has now meant the figures for this week will be a struggle.”

Manager of Crew Clothing Harrogate, Emel Rasit (left) with colleague Jack.

Northern Powergrid told The Stray Ferret today:

“On Thursday 23 May, we were alerted to a power cut affecting the James Street area of Harrogate. I can confirm that we have had an ongoing intermittent low voltage fault in this area, which has now been located and repaired.

“This type of fault can cause long duration issues, however we had six members of staff on site within three hours to ensure work was completed and power was restored as quickly as possible. All local properties and businesses were visited by our onsite engineer at the time and provided updates.”

“We do have some follow up work to complete following the repair, however all properties potentially affected will receive prior notice of excavation and we do not expect that supply will be interrupted.

Cornish Bakery Harrogate and Ogden of Harrogate closed due to power cuts

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Barely a month passes without a new planning application to create flats in Harrogate town centre.

This week we reported on plans to turn the offices on the first, second and third floors of 5 Cambridge Road into three flats.

Planning permission has been previously granted to create flats in buildings that used to host the Kings Club strip club and the main post office, among others. And, in a few weeks, the former River Island unit on Cambridge Street, will open as Trinity House, a 14-flat development incorporating retail units. It’s hard to think of a more central location.

Town centres are changing from places to shop to places to live — and Harrogate appears to be at the forefront of the trend. Is this good or bad, and what challenges does it present?

The former Kings Club

The Stray Ferret sat down this week with Tariq Shah, chief executive of Vigo Group, the property developer behind Trinity House, and Matthew Chapman, chief executive of Harrogate Business Improvement District, to discuss the trend and whether it posed a threat to retail.

Mr Shah, whose company is based in Doncaster, said Harrogate was particularly attractive to developers because it was seen as a desirable place to live and has good transport connections, which lessened the need for cars in town centres.

He said Harrogate had reasonable short-term accommodation for tourists and conference centre delegates but a shortage of town centre flats for living, adding:

“Harrogate is a town centre in transition. We are seeing more people from outside Harrogate wanting to come here.

“Trinity House has attracted more interest than any other scheme we have done. We would like to do more here.”

Cambridge Street

Trinity House flats will be marketed from £300,000 and although a nice town centre pad might suit some people, what impact will it have on retailers and on people who live here who regard the town centre predominantly as somewhere to shop?

The BID is funded by town centre businesses but Mr Chapman is not opposed to the change.

He said:

“A collaborative approach with landlords and developers is key. If people are willing to put something back into the community then we welcome it. Where I struggle is if buildings are owned by offshore investors, like Debenhams.

“Every town has probably had too much retail space for a long time. It’s an emerging trend but there needs to be a long-term vision for the town centre.”

Besides the 14 upper floor flats, Trinity House includes the existing Body Care shop and has additional room for a storage facility or small dance or yoga studio, as well as a kiosk space for a start-up business wanting a town centre presence.

Mr Shah said his company had agreed to improve lighting at the rear of the building, put up security cameras and create an internal bin storage area to improve safety and appearance and reduce the risk of vermin and fire. He said these were examples of the firm’s commitment to town centre improvement as well as profit.

He added having more people milling around at night added to the vibrancy and created “natural surveillance” at night in empty town centre streets where some people feel unsafe.

Mr Chapman said many of the units being converted to flats were first and second floor offices that had been unused for years, adding:

“If you have spaces that people live in and take pride in, it has to be better than having them crumble away.”

Despite his overall positivity, Mr Chapman said there was probably a ceiling on the trend and there were dangers. For example, he said converting ground floor retail units on the fully occupied James Street to flats “would be seen as a threat”.

Mr Chapman said the system of determining business rates needed reviewing to adapt to the trend, which he said would see an increasing shift towards “experiential activities” in town centres. He added:

“Whether it’s a cool independent retailer or axe throwing, people will want to experience something in town centres.

“Harrogate needs to be forward thinking and unique.”

Health services are being made available in Barnsley town centre.

So what will Harrogate town centre look like in 10 or 20 years?

Mr Shah said besides a more diverse mixture of retail and living, there would be more short-term leases, more leisure opportunities due to the higher population, more food halls and even community healthcare facilities. He cited Barnsley Council’s decision to work with partners to create a health and wellbeing hub in the Alhambra Shopping Centre as an example of how health managers will increasingly take services into towns.

He said:

“When it comes to long-term planning and thinking about these issues on a local level it’s important that a variety of partners are involved in these discussions and that is also a real strength of Harrogate, as a number of organisations are already open to having these conversations about how we can reimagine town centre usage.

“It’s not about drastically changing what is here but everyone working together with what we already have to bring clear economic and social benefits and secure our town centre for the next 30 years and beyond.”

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This is the latest in a regular series of Business Q&A features published weekly.    

This week, we spoke to Mona Norman, managing director of Fogal & Barnes Fine Jewellers on Cambridge Street in Harrogate. 

Tell us in fewer than 30 words what your firm does. 

Our boutique on Harrogate‘s main shopping street specialises in engagement, wedding and eternity rings, although we’re also increasingly seen as experts in coloured gems, such as sapphires, rubies and emeralds.

What does it require to be successful in business? 

Fantastic customer service. With the internet now you can buy whatever you want online, so why would people come to me? It’s because we come across a bit more approachable and we offer a personal consultation – 90% of the jewellery we sell is bespoke.

That’s partly why we’ve been shortlisted for Bridal Jewellery Retailer of the Year at the UK Jewellery Awards in London in June.

What drives you to do what you do every day? 

I absolutely love what I do – I eat, breathe and sleep it. I’m so passionate about what we do: making dreams come true. When you see a young girl put on an engagement ring that’s all she’s ever wanted, it’s wonderful – and very emotional. I love our little shop.

What has been the toughest issue your company has had to deal with over the last 12 months? 

The cost-of-living crisis. People are taking longer to take decisions to treat themselves. But we stay positive, and we’re confident that things will change. They always do.

Which other local firms do you most admire and why? 

I love the camaraderie between all the jewellers in Harrogate, like Ogdens and I’Ansons. We all do something a little different from each other, and we all try to help each other.

Who are the most inspiring local leaders? 

My lovely husband, Richard Norman. He does so much for the community and inspires me every day. Giving back to the community is really important to us.

What could be done locally to boost business? 

Harrogate used to be well known for its independent shops, but the other day a visitor to the town said to me, ‘Do you know, yours is the only independent business on the high street?’. The sad thing is that she was right.

We need to chop up some of these big units in the centre of town so that smaller businesses can afford to rent them. After all, why would someone visit Harrogate if there are only big chains here?

There are a few pockets of independent businesses around Harrogate, which is great, but if we don’t use them, we’ll lose them.

Best and worst things about running a business from Harrogate? 

The best thing is all the greenery. We have a beautiful town, and I love living and working here.

The worst thing is that it’s not busy enough. York gets a lot more footfall, and I know it’s a bigger place, but Harrogate’s got a lot to offer too, and we need to emulate York’s success and encourage more out-of-towners to visit.

What are your business plans for the future? 

I work on a five- to 10-year plan. I was going to open more branches, but I changed my mind, so we’re going to keep on doing what we’re doing, in Harrogate. I’m never going to stop working – I just want us to be better and stronger.

What do you like to do on your time off? 

That’s funny – do I get time off?! When I get home, I love to put on Netflix and cook. My favourite meals to make are Middle Eastern, Italian… anything really. I love trying out anything new.

That said, my work is my hobby!

Best place to eat and drink locally?

I love Starling because it’s so laid back and relaxed – and Richard loves the selection of beers. The Little Ale House has a lovely vibe too.

To eat, I love Papa’s on Prince’s Square. It’s a hidden gem with fabulous food and really nice red wine, and it’s not expensive.

• If you know someone in business in the Harrogate district and you’d like to suggest them for this feature, drop us a line at contact@thestrayferret.co.uk. 

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A new travel agents looks set to open in Harrogate town centre.

Althams Travel plans to open a new branch on Cambridge Street next to Claire’s and WHSmith.

The unit used to be occupied by camera shop, Jessops.

The travel agent, which currently has 32 branches across Yorkshire, Lancashire and Lincolnshire, was established in 1874.

Its nearest branches to Harrogate are currently Otley and Horsforth in West Yorkshire.

The company is advertising for a branch manager, assistant manager and two travel consultants for its Cambridge Street outlet.

The Stray Ferret contacted Althams Travel to ask when it expects to open its Harrogate branch, but had not received a response by the time of publication.

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