Strayside Sunday is our weekly political opinion column. It is written by Paul Baverstock, former Director of Communications for the Conservative Party. 

“Thousands have lived without love.  None without water.”

So said the great poet and York’s own W.H. Auden in his poem ‘First Things First.’

Water is elemental, an essential building block for life on earth.  The human body comprises up to 60% water and global water security is, in my view, one of the most under-reported threats faced by contemporary civilisation.  The World Health Organisation reports that 1 in 3 humans in the world today have no access to an improved water supply, which is to say they have no access to clean and drinkable water.  And at current rates of global climate change the United Nations predicts that 6 billion of us will face water scarcity by 2050.

All of this to inject some context and perspective into the debate raging in this parish between Harrogate Spring Water, the council and a coalition of locals and environmental campaigners over the future of Rotary Wood, a publicly accessible green oasis planted in 2005 by Harrogate residents.  French consumer goods and yogurt giant Danone (revenues €25 billion or thereabouts) has asked Harrogate Borough Council (revenues a great deal less) to consider an application to expand its Pinewoods spring water bottling plant, create a few new jobs and level some much cherished woodland.

On January 18^th Harrogate Borough Council published a report recommending conditional approval for Danone’s expansion plans; on the grounds that  Harrogate Spring Water is a ‘global brand’ and a ‘strategic employer.’  This in the face of 328 planning objections (only 28 in support) and a weekly Friday protest at the town hall by local primary school teacher Sarah Gibbs, dressed like a tree for the occasion.  It should be noted that not only do the council already benefit from an annual ground rent of £13,000 – they also own the land on which the bottling plant sits – and therefore benefit from what is known as a ‘turnover rent’ (a share of turnover), cannily negotiated when the plant first opened.

I have some sympathy with the council’s dilemma.  Harrogate Spring Water is globally known; the company promote our town’s name from Tokyo to Toronto.  Indeed, to his astonishment, a good friend of mine was once served Harrogate Spring Water at a restaurant in Moscow.  Spasiba!  The council is in a tough spot; the global (let alone local) economy is on its knees and their books are short close to £5m as a result of Covid-19.  Apparently the council won’t (or can’t) reveal the full extent of what we stand to gain from our share of any increased turnover resulting from the expansion.

As regular readers of this column will know, I don’t believe, as a matter of principle, that commercial dealings between government and business should be kept private in any circumstances.  Transparency means accountability.  In this case if we knew how much the council stood to gain financially from Harrogate Spring Water’s expansion then we could take a more informed and nuanced view of whether or not to lend our support.  As it stands all we know is that we must lose a significant slice of nature and public access to it for a meagre 12 new jobs.  I’m not convinced it’s worth the sacrifice, even with Danone’s Section 106 agreement requiring them to plant replacement trees and promote biodiversity on another site.

I am convinced however that, in a world where so many don’t have access to clean drinking water, it is the height of wasteful and selfish consumerism to drink bottled spring water when we in the developed world have a perfectly good alternative from the tap.  I’m convinced too that the production of even one more single-use plastic bottle, recyclable or not, is one too many.  Is my own conscience clean in this matter?  Of course not: Holy Mary Mother of God, pray for us sinners now etc.  Indeed, only if all those who oppose the expansion at Pinewoods so vehemently, can look one another in the eye and say in truth that they don’t drink bottled water from plastic bottles, are they entitled to vent anger. As Auden says in ‘First Things First’:

“Misinformed and thoroughly fleeced by their guides,

And gentle hearts are extinct like Hegelian Bishops.”

I can’t let the week pass without mentioning the inauguration of President Joseph Robinette Biden Jr, which I watched with a mixture of relief and wonder on Wednesday.  I found the ceremony deeply moving; for me it represented a return to the United States in which I spent 11 of my most formative years – idealistic, international, aspirational.  Neither Lincoln nor JFK in his rhetorical skills, Biden’s speech was nonetheless gripping.  I thought its best passage was “Through civil war, the Great Depression, world war, 9/11, through struggle, sacrifices and setbacks, our better angels have always prevailed. In each of these moments, enough of us — ENOUGH OF US — have come together to carry all of us forward, and we can do that now,”

On his first day in office Biden signed Executive Orders that returned the US to the Paris Climate Change Agreement (in time for the COP21 conference in Glasgow at the end of November) and to the World Health Organisation.  Thank goodness.  Globally, in the United States and here at home in Harrogate, if we are to slow and reverse global warming and its awful effects – melting ice caps, famine and, yes, drought – it will take enough of us to come together and act for the common good.  The number of people on the planet without access to safe drinking water or indeed any water at all grows every day.  For the people of Harrogate, water, tap or bottled spring, is not a matter of life and death.  For 2.2 billion people around the world it is.  We should remember that when we make decisions in the narrow and parochial economic interest, rather than in the global interests of the environment.

That’s my Strayside Sunday.

Read More:

• Harrogate Spring Water welcomes recommendation to approve expansion plan,
• How Harrogate council benefits from Harrogate Spring Water plant

Do you have a view on this column or is there a political issue you’d like Paul to write about? Get in touch on paul@thestrayferret.co.uk

“Leaving a legacy” and ensuring “safe areas for wildlife” were some of the driving forces that have encouraged people to buy shares in the district’s first community woodland.

Today, the Long Lands Common Ltd announced thousands of local people’s dreams had become a reality as it raised the funds to buy 30 acres of land in Harrogate and Knaresborough.

The project’s aim was provide an area for the whole community to enjoy and create a wildlife haven.

But for many shareholders it gave them the opportunity to pass something on to future generations and ensure there was always some green space for them to enjoy.

“The shares are for them”

Dave Hamilton, Harrogate, said:

“I have four grandchildren and I wanted them to grow up with the hope of green space. I wanted to improve their awareness of the natural world around them. The shares are for them.”

Tracey Davison-Franks, Harrogate, said:

“I wanted to know what legacy I could give to my grandson and this felt just right. The value of the great outdoors is something we have lost a little with technology but we can make memories with him here. We wanted something we could pass down. This was our opportunity to do something meaningful and benefit those future generations.”

James McKay, an artist from Knaresborough drew what proposed plans for the 30 acres could look like.

For others it was their determination to protect natural habitats that encouraged them to buy shares.

“I think it’s worth saving”

Ben Thompson, Harrogate, said:

“For me it was my love of nature and natural history and the need to preserve the natural world. Things like this will help make the proposed road difficult, we are preserving what we’ve got for future generations. I think it’s worth saving.”

Gillie McAvoy, Harrogate, said:

“We are huge wildlife lovers in our house, we have lived along the Nidd Gorge for 30 years. It was really important for us to provide those safe areas wildlife especially with all the development going on.”

Read more:

• Planning decision for a proposed development in the Pinewoods has been delayed. 
• Green groups in Harrogate have united to increase the pressure on the borough council to tackle climate change.

After four months of community share sales the target has been reached. Thanks to a huge response from people in the district and beyond the local community has a space to call their own.

“Given the community a reason to smile”

Faye Harris-Frost, Harrogate, said:

“Having so much natural beauty on our doorstep is something that we are extremely thankful for. The idea that some of these areas may not still be around when our children are fully grown is incredibly sad and so we were keen to sign up.

At a time when many people feel disillusioned and let down by the powers that be, the scheme has not only given the community a reason to smile and hope for the future but has shown what we can all achieve when we work together to drive change.”

There are now two major coalitions in Harrogate of groups tackling climate change, but there is tension between the two. So is Harrogate big enough for the both of them to co-exist? Will either or both be able to deliver change?

Harrogate District Climate Change Coalition (HDCCC) was set up by Harrogate Borough Council a year ago with the aim of bringing together local government, green groups and business.

HBC called it a “great leap forward” for the environment but members have criticised it for being little more than a “talking shop”.

In response, the similarly named Harrogate District Climate Action Network (HD-CAN) was launched last week, with a stinging criticism of how the HDCCC has been run.

HD-CAN founder Nic Haughton told the Stray Ferret that HDCCC was too top-down, which led to inaction and little being done. He said he wants to build a new type of relationship with the council.

He said:

“A key factor for the network is wanting a different kind of relationship with the council, which moves beyond the polarised positions which tend to dominate between council and concerned groups.

“We need to move onto a different kind of conversation of equals, involving council, businesses and local communities.”

What are the differences between the two groups?

HDCCC has four subgroups, which meet several times a year to discuss issues such as sustainable transport, tree planting, renewable energy, recycling and communications.

The main group last met in August and included representatives from Harrogate College, Transdev, Harrogate District Hospital, Highways England, as well as HBC councillors.

HDCCC launched a new website earlier this week, which includes tips on reducing emissions and details of how to get involved.

HD-CAN has a larger membership, representing 4,000 residents from 13 groups, including Extinction Rebellion Harrogate, Long Lands Common and the Pinewoods Conservation Group.

When they launched, they said they want to develop a “true collaboration” between communities and council to address what they call the most pressing issue of our time.

What needs to be done?

HD-CAN and HDCCC member, Zero Carbon Harrogate, published a detailed report last week setting out what needs to be done to avert climate catastrophe.

The messages it lays out are stark and warns that action in Harrogate has not been quick enough.

Whilst energy use has got cleaner as the UK weans itself off its dependence on coal, emissions from transport in the district have reduced by just 0.6% over the last 10 years and CO2 emissions from farming continues to be high.

The report sets out a roadmap for how the district can become ‘net zero’ by 2030 with suggestions including ramping up the number of wind farms in the district, retrofitting poorly insulated old buildings and introducing a brand new network of pedestrian and cycle routes to encourage people out of their cars.

A thawing of the relationship?

Members from HD-CAN met with HBC council leader Richard Cooper and cabinet member for sustainability Phil Ireland this week. Mr Oughton described the meeting as “positive on the whole but was just a start.”

He said:

“We have a long way to go to establish a shared understanding of what a different kind of partnership could look like and achieve. We hope to meet again in the near future.”

A Harrogate Borough Council spokesman said HD-CAN will be attending the next HDCCC meeting.

They added:

“Responding to the climate crisis facing us all is not just an issue for the council.

“It’s an issue for every resident and business across the district. That’s why we created a climate coalition, so we have the right organisations around the same table to jointly tackle climate change together.

“We welcome any residents, or action groups, who believe we can work together to create a better place for all of us.”

Harrogate Bus Company is to plant more trees in Harrogate as part of its commitment to cutting carbon emissions.

The company introduced fume-free buses in 2018 after it won £2.25 million of government funding.

Last year it pledged to plant one tree for every 10,000 miles covered by its fleet of eight electric buses.

To celebrate Clean Air Day tomorrow, the company has announced its buses have together covered over 400,000 miles.

It has already planted an oak tree on West Park and has now revealed another 39 trees will be planted in three areas served by the buses – Nidd Gorge, close to Bilton, Jennyfield and in the pine woods near Pannal Ash.

Alex Hornby, chief executive of Harrogate Bus Company, said:

“Every year, air pollution causes up to 36,000 deaths in the UK so our Harrogate Electrics buses play a vitally important role in clearing the air and protecting our local environment.

“Alongside our electric buses, trees help by absorbing even more carbon dioxide emissions.”

Clean Air Day is normally held in June but was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Read more:

• Local lib dems have proposed a citizen’s assembly to tackle climate change. 
• More buses are in place as pupils return to school in an attempt to limit contact between pupils and the public.

The local campaign group, Zero Carbon Harrogate, welcomed the news. Chair Jemima Parker said:

“We are dedicated to making Harrogate a zero-carbon community by 2030 to secure a sustainable future, and The Harrogate Bus Company’s electric buses are making a vitally important contribution towards realising that ambition.

“As we begin rebuilding our local economy beyond the pandemic, we can’t just go back to congested streets and traffic jams.”

Another member of Harrogate’s Climate Coalition has spoken out against the group, saying it needs to be “more than a talking shop”.

Arnold Warneken from the Harrogate Green Party said he has written to Cllr Phil Ireland, who chairs the coalition, calling on Harrogate Borough Council to take “decisive action” in response to the climate emergency.

The Harrogate Climate Coalition was formed at the beginning of this year after HBC rejected calls to declare a climate emergency in 2019. It brings together councillors as well as green groups and local businesses — with the aim of working together in the name of sustainability and helping the environment.

However, since it was formed it has faced criticism, with members frustrated over progress in tackling climate change. In June, campaigner Malcolm Margolis resigned from the coalition’s sustainable transport subgroup because of a “lack of action”.

Mr Warneken said the coalition needs to “transform the way it operates and act with a real sense of urgency”.

He said:

“The coalition needs to be able to make policy recommendations to the council.

“Now is the time for Harrogate to be brave and forward thinking – for example, where are the sites for Park & Ride, where is the commitment for all council houses to be Passivhaus standard – it’s not enough just to say that these policies will be ‘considered’ or ‘encouraged’.

“The Climate Coalition has an important role to play in firstly guiding the council to declare a climate emergency, and then to strengthen the council’s commitment to achieve district-wide carbon-neutral status.

“I want the coalition to become a change-maker, not just a talking-shop!”.

Read more:

• Why Harrogate Borough Council won’t declare a ‘Climate Emergency’

• Environmental campaigner quits Harrogate Climate Coalition

Cllr Phil Ireland, cabinet member for carbon reduction and sustainability, told the Stray Ferret that the council has implemented a range of measures to improve the environment which he said is saving “hundreds of tonnes” of CO2 every year.

These include a carbon reduction strategy, a low emission car club and improvements to Harrogate rail and bus stations.

He also said Harrogate Borough Council’s move to the civic centre at Knapping Mount, which includes solar panels, green roofs and passive heating, is improving the authority’s carbon footprint.

He added:

“The Harrogate District Climate Change Coalition, a partnership of businesses, public sector organisations and voluntary groups, not only supports these measures but has a joint aim of reducing carbon reduction activities throughout the Harrogate district.

“The most effective projects for achieving our ambitious targets are not going to happen overnight and the vast majority of members of the climate coalition understand this and are committed to working hard to we implement the right measures in the best way possible.

“This requires collective action and we will happily work with anyone and any group that is working to reduce carbon emissions to achieve net zero.”

Environmental campaigner Malcolm Margolis has resigned from the Harrogate Climate Coalition because of a “lack of action”  around climate change.

The group was formed at the beginning of this year after Harrogate Borough Council rejected calls to declare a climate emergency in 2019.

It brings together councillors as well as green groups and local businesses — with the aim of working together in the name of sustainability and helping the environment.

Mr Margolis was a member of the Coalition’s sustainable transport subgroup that was set up to look at cycling lanes and how to get people out of cars.

Mr Margolis said he wanted to group to be “not just another talking shop”.

He said:

“The Climate Coalition was set up in recognition of environmental emergency – but it doesn’t feel there’s a sense of urgency if you don’t have meetings for months.

“The environental emergency is an infinitly more serious problem than Covid-19. It’s absolutely central that we act with urgency. The scientists are telling us we need to act now.

“Cllr Haslam said he wants the group to bring about small quick wins that can make a difference at a local level – but if nothing happens for two months then you’re not going to have any quick wins.”

Speaking to the Stray Ferret, the chair of the subgroup Cllr Paul Haslam said the Climate Coalition was a “great leap forward” for the environment in the district but conceded that action hasn’t been as fast as he would have liked.

He said:

“I agree fully with Malcolm that people haven’t seen anything yet.

Cllr Haslam said after the second meeting of the group, it became clear the members wanted to be “more than just a talking shop — they wanted it to be effective”.

Read more:

• Bilton homes would be ‘catastrophic’ for environment, residents say

• ‘Harrogate villages could come off-grid’ in green vision

Cllr Haslam said he has had meetings with senior figures in North Yorkshire County Council and has presented them with “every single idea” that the Climate Coalition has come up with.

The group will meet again next week.

He added:

“I want to get us into positions so we are effective, so we don’t just generate the ideas but they get through so we can make changes quicker.”

Zero Carbon Harrogate is screening an award-winning climate documentary online tomorrow.

2040, which is directed by and stars Australian Damon Gameau, explores what the world might look like if measures are taken to protect the environment by reducing carbon emissions.

The screening will take place at 7pm and will be followed by a short Q&A session via zoom.

The panel will include the chair of the Harrogate Climate Coalition, Cllr Phil Ireland, the chair of Zero Carbon Harrogate, Jemima Parker, and the chair of Zero Carbon Harrogate Natural Climate Solutions, Ian Fraser.

Read more: 

• Harrogate to become a haven for renewable energy 
• Yorkshire Water introduces new technology to cut greenhouse gases 

The film explores a number of themes, including female empowerment, regenerative agriculture and renewable energy.

2040 aims to encourage people to take responsibility for the world to “secure it for generations.”

The event is free but donations are welcome. To book tickets visit their website.

Liberal Democrat councillors have renewed their calls for Harrogate Borough Council to declare a climate emergency and demanded that the process be more transparent.

Pat Marsh said she had written to the Conservative cabinet member for sustainable transport with her calls but has not received any kind of response.

She has now written to Councillor Phil Ireland for the third time:

“I’m becoming more and more concerned about the lack of transparency in this process. I fear that your lack of response is just yet another example of the local Conservatives’ and councils’ unwillingness to engage with those with differing views.”

The local Liberal Democrats have said that the council’s Climate Change Coalition should be replaced with a Citizen’s Assembly on the Climate Emergency.

Read more on this story:

• Why the council cut trees down on the Stray
• When 60 cyclists join Extinction Rebellion rally in Harrogate

Council across the country have declared climate emergencies as an acknowledgment that they need to act on the causes and impacts of climate change.

They say this is the best way to attract the “fresh ideas and bold action” necessary to take on the challenge faced.

“To effectively play our part in addressing this environmental crisis, it is imperative that we declare a Climate Emergency and commit to becoming net zero carbon by 2030 at the very latest,” Pat Marsh added.

What has Harrogate Borough Council done?

Harrogate Borough Council has said that it will aim to have a net zero-carbon economy by 2038.

The council said it will make sure that its own operations will be clean and efficient while helping others in the district to achieve the same.

In its carbon footprint report, the council had seen a steady fall in recent years from 9,300 tonnes in 2016/2017 to 7,900 tonnes in 2018/2019.

This column is written for The Stray Ferret by Jemima Parker, Chair of Zero Carbon Harrogate*

When we started to go into lock-down I knew that Covid-19 would bring significant carbon emissions reductions for the District. Cutting our greenhouse gases and playing our part in the global response to climate breakdown is something I have been advocating for years. But not like this. Not with the shutdown of our amazing local businesses and heartache of lives lost to the virus.

Sure I, like many, have been enjoying waking up to a quieter world each morning without the roar of traffic out of the window; being able to hear the birds in the Valley Gardens; breathe clean air on Skipton Road and soak up those clear blue skies across the Stray without contaminating contrails.

It feels like a little window into a low carbon world, but it’s missing the vibrant economy that can go with it.

Strangely, I have found the pandemic crisis a levelling experience, with my own world of living in a continual state of climate emergency (10 years left to radically reduce our carbon emissions or millions more die), now shared in some ways with my friends and family.

Working from home has been normalised. Having food deliveries – as my family have done for years (from the lovely local Organic Pantry) – is all the rage and even creatively eating up all the bits and bobs at the back of the fridge is now obligatory.

In these difficult days, pockets of hope have surprised me. I was cheered by how quickly we got it, we acted, the science of the virus was understood, the risks evaluated and the radical changes required in our behaviour adopted. Next stop climate science, risk assessment and adaptation?

It has been a joy to see a resurgence of localism, neighbours walking to the local shops and others out exploring previously neglected footpaths – why wouldn’t you, we live in God’s own county?

I have been overwhelmed by the plethora of community groups that sprung up from nowhere to provide support, from Pannal to Pateley, Bilton to Boroughbridge. This community resilience, this coming together to support each other, will help as we adapt to the changes required to prevent the worst extremes of climate change.

How many of these positives can we capture and take forward as we begin the long and difficult task of rebuilding the local economy? We can’t go back. Can we go forward investing in more resilient local, low carbon businesses, creating green jobs, valuing all our key workers and giving a true value to the natural world that sustains our very existence?

*Zero Carbon Harrogate is an organisation dedicated to making Harrogate District a net zero carbon community by 2030 in order to secure a sustainable future- for more information click here.