Visitors leaving RHS Harlow Carr in Harrogate on Saturday were shocked to see a car burst into flames in the car-park.
The car, believed to be an 11-year-old, yellow, three-door Vauxhall Corsa, was seen with smoke coming out from under its bonnet, before the fire took hold.
One visitor, Kim Jones, told the Stray Ferret:
“We were just coming to the exit at Harlow Carr and suddenly a huge plume of smoke appeared in the car-park. Then one of the cars just went ‘whoosh’ and burst into flames.
“There was at least one explosion – something in the car exploded – but fortunately it didn’t get to the petrol tank.”
Firefighters were called to the scene at 4.43pm and kept bystanders at a distance while they put out the blaze.
Ms Jones said:
“I thought it was my car at first, but it turned out to be a car a couple of spaces away from mine. It was quite late in the afternoon, so fortunately there weren’t many other cars there at the time.”
The cause of the fire is not yet known, but the Stray Ferret has contacted North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service and RHS Harlow Carr for more information.
Photo: Kim Jones.
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Visitors barred from Harrogate hospital after ‘security incident’
Harrogate District Hospital suspended visiting yesterday due to a “security incident” in the car park.
Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust urged people not to visit the emergency department unless it was a severe illness or injury or a life threatening condition in a social media post yesterday evening. It said:
“We are aware of a security incident in the car park at Harrogate District Hospital and are working with the police who are in attendance.
“Please avoid our Emergency Department unless it’s a life-threatening or severe illness or injury.”
Officers from North Yorkshire Police attended the scene and resolved the situation. A police spokesperson said:
“We were called to Harrogate District Hospital at 3.40pm on Thursday following concerns raised about a patient’s car in the main hospital car park.
“Following enquiries, it was confirmed there was no risk to the hospital or the wider public and the matter was resolved without the need for evacuations of patients and staff.”
The hospital trust did not reveal further details of the incident and a spokesperson said they could not add any more detail to the police statement.
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Councillor calls for clampdown on overnight parking at Knaresborough’s Conyngham Hall
A Knaresborough councillor has called for a clampdown on overnight parking at Conyngham Hall.
About a dozen vehicles pitched up at the back of the car park and stayed for three nights a week ago.
Signs say overnight parking is prohibited but the rule is often flouted.
Conyngham Hall car park last weekend.
Cllr Matt Walker, a Liberal Democrat who represents Knaresborough West, said the latest encampment, which he reported to a council officer, was the largest he was aware of.
He said:
“I have on several occasions asked for the gate at the end to have a padlock due to overnight stays of motorhomes.
“There are always excuses and reasons why not.”
Cllr Walker says the gate should be locked at night.
Cllr Walker said the cost of moving on vehicles and cleaning up afterwards could cost taxpayers thousands of pounds.
He added:
“Residents let me know every few weeks over the summer that people are camping in their vans and often leave it a mess, The council haven’t listened so far.”
The Stray Ferret asked the council what action it took against last week’s encampment and why it didn’t lock the gates as suggested by Cllr Walker.
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Steve Brown, the council’s head of parking services, said:
‘Beeping’ barriers to be removed by September at Harrogate hospital“We started the protocols needed to remove the encampment as soon as we were made aware of their arrival in Conyngham Hall car park.
“However, the process takes time and the travellers moved on by Monday. Our environment team cleaned-up any rubbish left behind.”
“This car park is open 24 hours a day.”
A new “beeping” sound coming from a car park barrier will be removed in the next few weeks, Harrogate Hospital has said.
A resident contacted the Stray Ferret to say the noise, which activates every time the barrier at the entrance is used, was causing a nuisance.
David Spain, who lives around 100m from the hospital, said the beeping sound had originally been present when the barrier was first installed many years ago.
After residents complained about the noise, it was switched off. However, the barrier was recently repaired and, when switched back on, the beeping had returned.
He said:
“With my doors and windows closed, I can hear it clearly from about 6am when people start coming to work.
“Being retired and not having to get up at that time, I don’t really want to be woken by it. It’s not going to shatter any windows, but it is irritating.
“It’s when it goes up that it beeps. When it comes down, it doesn’t beep, which seems strange.”
Mr Spain said he had contacted the hospital to raise the issue when it started around 10 days ago, but had no response.
However, he said he was still pleased to live close to the hospital, which had treated him in an emergency, adding:
“They saved my life – I’ve got no beef with the hospital. I would be dead if it weren’t for them.”
A spokesperson for Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust (HDFT), which runs the hospital, said:
“The Trust holds a duty of care for the safety of our patients, visitors and colleagues. Our barriers at the main visitor car park at Harrogate District Hospital are fitted with an alert noise with a set volume as a safety measure to ensure we warn and protect anyone in the vicinity of them.
“This is to ensure that we adhere to our health and safety commitments of keeping our patients, visitors and colleagues from harm and injury.”
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Parking at the hospital has been under review for some time, in a bid to reduce the amount of queuing onto the road at peak times.
HDFT announced earlier this year that a new system would be introduced later this year.
The spokesperson today confirmed this, adding:
Nidderdale Showground: new cash-only parking system announced“We have recognised that improvements are required to our car parking provision and we are implementing a new car parking management solution across the hospital site that will be in place by September 2023.
“This new car parking system will have number plate recognition which will replace the current barrier system, ensuring no further warning noises are necessary.”
New parking arrangements have been announced for Nidderdale Showground in Pateley Bridge.
NIdderdale Agricultural Society, which owns the showground, said in a statement today it had severed ties with a private company and brought the car park management in-house.
It hopes this will end a turbulent period since it ended a 21-year lease agreement with Harrogate Borough Council to operate the car park last year.
However, neither a date for the new system nor the amount that will be charged, is yet known. Parking is currently free following the breakdown of the arrangement with the private firm.
For many years, the car park was one of three covered by the annual £12 Pateley Bridge parking permit.
The decision to switch to a private company led to some people unaware of the change being fined £60 by automatic number plate recognition cameras.
The society said in a statement today:
“Following a series of challenging months, during which both our society and car park patrons endured a nightmare experience under the management of an external company, we are pleased to announce that we have severed ties with them and terminated their contract.
“Moving forward, we have decided to bring the car park management entirely in-house, ensuring greater control and accountability.
“In the near future, we will be installing a new pay station, featuring a simple cash-only system. With this new setup, tickets will no longer be issued, streamlining the process for visitors.”
The statement said all proceeds generated will continue to be allocated towards the maintenance of the car park and the show field. It added:
“Additionally, we are committed to implementing a comprehensive camera system to monitor the car park and pay station.
“This measure aims to address issues such as vandalism and persistent abuses of the facilities. By adopting this down-to-earth and hassle-free approach, we aim to create a safer and more secure environment for everyone.”
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New parking arrangements at Nidderdale Showground due “shortly”
New parking arrangements at Nidderdale Showground in Pateley Bridge are due to be revealed “shortly”.
NIdderdale Agricultural Society, which owns the showground, ended a 21-year lease agreement with Harrogate Borough Council to operate the car park and appointed a private company last year.
The move was controversial because the car park was previously one of three covered by the annual £12 Pateley Bridge parking permit and some people unaware of the change were fined £60 by automatic number plate recognition cameras.
But the cameras are currently not working, and Pateley Bridge Town Council‘s monthly meeting last week heard the agricultural society was “desperately trying to get out of the contract” with the private company.
The parking meters at the showground are not currently working.
The council said it had received an email from the agricultural society saying “it had realised what they have done is wrong and has damaged their reputation” and they wanted “a more supportive approach” from the town council. The council sympathised with their situation and agreed.
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Speaking after the meeting Cllr Andrew Murday, a town councillor who also represents Pateley Bridge and Nidderdale on North Yorkshire Council, said it was “an unsatisfactory situation that I hope can be resolved” between the agricultural society and the private company.
A spokesperson for the agricultural society said:
“The current car park system has closed down and we will release a statement shortly with the new plans.”
The car park at the showground.
Dragon Road car park in Harrogate is set to be closed for two weeks as part of resurfacing work.
The car park will shut from Monday, March 13, until Monday, March 27.
Harrogate Borough Council has earmarked the site for resurfacing work at a cost of £140,000.
The authority said the car park needed to be resurfaced as it had become worn.
The site is currently open to drivers on a pay and display basis from Monday to Sunday between 8am and midnight.
However, it is closed on exhibition days at Harrogate Convention Centre.
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The car park had been earmarked as a potential site to create affordable flats or extra care housing.
However, senior borough councillors decided to pause the plans in November in order for the site to continue to support parking at Harrogate Convention Centre.
Cllr Tim Myatt, cabinet member for planning at the council, proposed the authority should ensure that “adequate parking for Harrogate Convention Centre associated vehicles take primacy over site redevelopment”.
He added that the council should “pause consideration of this site until it is clear that the Harrogate Convention Centre redevelopment will be able to accommodate exhibition traffic on site”.