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Mayoral candidates to take part in climate hustings in Harrogate

Some of the York and North Yorkshire mayoral candidates will take part in a climate change-focussed hustings next week.

The event, which is being held by climate action charity Zero Carbon Harrogate, will invite the candidates to put forward their environmental policies and discuss the actions they propose to take.

Felicity Cunliffe-Lister (Liberal Democrat), Keith Tordoff (Independent) and Paul Haslam (Independent) have agreed to speak at the event, and later take questions from the audience.

Zero Carbon Harrogate told the Stray Ferret Green Party candidate Kevin Foster was unable to attend due to a “personal commitment”, but Arnold Warneken , the Green councillor for Ouseburn, would represent him.

Tory candidate Keane Duncan and Labour candidate David Skaith both have “other campaigning commitments”, the charity said, but added they have been invited to send a representative in their place.

Zero Carbon Harrogate today said in a press release:

“The hope is that the hustings will provide mayoral candidates with a constructive opportunity to engage with local residents and business people around the climate agenda.

“This is a new departure in electoral terms, placing new powers in the hands of single successful candidate. It’s a great opportunity to hear the views of those who wish to serve the public good in this way.”

The organisation, which is part of the North Yorkshire Climate Coalition, hopes to work with elected representatives and campaign for effective climate change policies.

It works towards transitioning to a net zero economy, cleaner travel and warmer homes.

The hustings will take place on Wednesday, April 17, at 7.30pm.

It will be held at the Wesley Chapel in Harrogate and the charity said anyone is welcome.

People must register to attend and can submit any questions to candidates here.

The mayoral election will take place on Thursday May 2.

Stray, Woodlands & Hookstone by-election preview: John Ennis, Conservative

The Conservative John Ennis is hoping his previous 12-year stint as a Harrogate councillor will stand him in good stead for the upcoming by-election.

Voters will go to the polls on April 11 following the resignation of Pat Marsh.

Mr Ennis believes his experience means he can better navigate the large Conservative-controlled North Yorkshire Council on behalf of his residents.

He said being a councillor is not for the faint-hearted and requires someone who already understands the intricacies of local government in Northallerton. He added:

“There is a mystery about the new council with some people perceiving it as being a bit remote.”

Mr Ennis was born in Northern Ireland and had a career in the NHS where he worked in Leeds.

He’s the only candidate standing in the by-election who lives in the division, which he says gives him a better insight into the issues.

Potholes are one of the area’s biggest problems and he said he has experience in battling for repairs.

He also said that residents in Hookstone are poorly served by the number 8 bus route and hopes to lobby the bus operator to make changes if elected.

The Saints area has long faced traffic problems linked to local schools. Mr Ennis said he would be in favour of neighbourhood parking schemes to cut down on parking congestion.

He said:

“There are issues in particular around St Aidan’s. Residents around there say it’s a very dangerous situation with people parking right up to the junctions.”

Nationally at least, there is a sense that the winds of change are blowing, with some people wanting a fresh start and a change from the Tories.

The Conservatives will also face a challenge from Reform UK candidate John Swales who is targeting disgruntled Tory voters.

However, Mr Ennis said he is “not trembling in my boots” about Reform and suggests the party could take votes from all parties.

Despite the Conservatives polling poorly nationally, Mr Ennis hopes his experience as a councillor and promises to tackle nuts and bolts local issues like potholes and parking that will count the most.

He added:

“The division has had a Lib Dem for the last two years so if people want a change, I am a change.”

The by-election will take place on Thursday April 11. For more information visit the council’s website.

A full list of candidates is below:

Conservative – John Ennis.
Green – Gilly Charters.
Labour – Geoff Foxhall.
Liberal Democrat – Andrew Timothy.
Reform – John Swales.

MPs Watch: Spring Budget, Kex Gill and Rwanda Bill updates

Every month the Stray Ferret tries to find out what our local MPs have been up to in their constituencies and in the House of Commons.

In March, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt announced the Spring Budget, which included plans to cut national insurance contributions by a further 2p, and North Yorkshire Council reported a rise in local hate crimes following the Israel-Hamas conflict.

Here’s what we know about analysing their online presence.

Andrew Jones, Harrogate and Knaresborough MP.

In Harrogate and Knaresborough, here is what found on Conservative Andrew Jones:

On March 11, Mr Jones attended Parliament’s Commonwealth 70th Anniversary Ceremony.
He also spoke in the House of Commons about the Spring Budget, which he said he “supported”, on March 12.
The Harrogate and Knaresborough Conservative Association received a £3,000 to donation from an individual on March 13.
On March 18, Mr Jones voted in favour of all ten amendments to the Safety of Rwanda Bill.
He also met members of the Community Security Trust, Antisemitism Policy Trust and Jewish Leadership Council to discuss the antisemitic incidents report.
On March 21, Mr Jones asked the Leader of the House for a debate to discuss the Prime Minister’s announcement about apprenticeships.

When we contacted Mr Jones for comment, his office sent details of March engagements.

These included meeting with business leaders in Harrogate town centre, as well as asking the Health Ministers about boosting dental capacity and the role of dental centres of excellence.

Mr Jones also held an AGM for the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Transport.

In addition, he asked transport ministers about ensuring train driver vacancies are filled and “appropriate training prioritised”.

Julian Smith, MP for Ripon and Skipton.

In Ripon, here is what we found on Conservative Julian Smith:

Mr Smith made no spoken contributions in the Houses of Parliament in March.
He voted in favour of amendments one to eight of the Safety of Rwanda Bill.
On March 14, Mr Smith met with the chief executive of North Yorkshire Council about the latest closure of the A59 at Kex Gill.
He welcomed news of government funding into grassroots sports in Skipton and Ripon reaching nearly £300,000.

We contacted Julian Smith for comment, but his office directed us towards the press releases on his website.

They included visiting Ripon’s Prison and Police Museum to mark English Tourism Week.

Mr Smith welcomed a £60 million government package to help businesses create more apprenticeships, which would be delivered across his constituency.

He also supported news of more than £530,000 of funding to the Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Service, which will go towards adult social care.

Mr Smith also visited Whittaker’s Gin, in Dacre, and signed a whisky cask.

Keir Mather, Selby and Ainsty MP.

In Selby and Ainsty, which includes parts of south Harrogate, here is what we found on Labour MP Keir Mather:

Mr Mather updated his Facebook page nearly 30 times this month. None of the updates related to areas of his constituency which fall in Harrogate.
On March 12, he spoke at his first Budget Resolutions debate in the House of Commons. He felt the Budget failed to grasp the “economic opportunities of our time”.
Mr Mather voted against all ten amendments to the Safety of Rwanda Bill.
On March 4, he also made a spoken contribution to a debate on farming.

When we contacted Mr Mather for comment, his office sent a list of some of his March highlights.

These included visiting Kirk Hammerton Primary School to speak to students about Parliament.

He also welcomed the Shadow Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper MP, to speak to constituents about rural crime.

Sewage in Nidd and Ure: local politicians react to increase

Leading Harrogate and Knaresborough politicians have reacted to the news that sewage spills in the River Nidd and River Ure more than doubled last year.

The Environment Agency published sewage discharge figures for all the water and sewage companies yesterday. The Stray Ferret analysed the data to discover the amount of recorded incidents had more than doubled for the Nidd and Ure.

Water quality is likely to be a key issue at the next general election.

Andrew Jones, the Conservative MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, has led a campaign to achieve bathing water status at Knaresborough Lido on the Nidd.

Tom Gordon, the Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate for Harrogate and Knaresborough, has attacked the government for its record on pollution and called for a ban on water company directors’ bonuses.

The rivals gave different reactions to yesterday’s figures.

‘A complex picture’

Mr Jones told the Stray Ferret sewage “isn’t the only cause of pollution in rivers – particularly the Nidd”, adding run-off from farmlands also contributed to the issue.

Mr Jones said:

“The combined storm overflows are designed to discharge the contents of sewers into waterways when the sewers are blocked or overloaded. In 2023 there was exceptionally heavy rainfall which meant the overflows operated more often, stopping sewage backing up into our properties. We need solutions that mean the storm overflows operate less and I am pleased that significant investment is happening and I am pushing for more.

“This shows the importance of a joint effort between water companies, the Environment Agency, house builders and many others to ensure that rainwater run-off into our sewer system is lessened through tree planting, on-site water storage on new estates and separation of clean water and wastewater sewage streams.

“Water quality is a complex picture and to tackle it we need to tackle all the underlying causes. This underlines the importance of gaining bathing water status for the Nidd. This will mean a five-year plan is developed encompassing all the causes of pollution and engaging all partners in finding a solution. That is what I have been championing with the local community and I hope to learn the outcome of our bid soon.”

‘A complete scandal’

Mr Gordon went on the front foot by attacking the Conservative’s record on pollution.

The party yesterday claimed the Conservative MPs have “consistently voted against measures which would have helped to tackle the crisis – including Andrew Jones”.

Mr Gordon told the Stray Ferret:

“It is a complete scandal that filthy sewage is being pumped into our River Nidd. Despite our Conservative MP claiming to be campaigning on sewage we have seen the total number of hours of sewage dumped into the Nidd skyrocket, more than doubling.

“It’s beggars belief that Conservative MPs have allowed water firms to get away with this environmental vandalism. Local people are furious that Conservative politicians blocked tougher action on these disgraced firms.

“Here in Harrogate and Knaresborough we have a Conservative MP who has consistently voted against measures to stop the sewage scandal, local residents deserve better. Local residents and our precious environment need actions not words.

“The Liberal Democrats are calling for tougher action to stop sewage being dumped in local rivers/beaches including replacing Ofwat with a regulator that has real teeth to clamp down on these polluting firms. We have also called for a ban on bonuses for water company fat cats whose firms have pumped filth into our waterways.”

Harrogate and Knaresborough MP won’t say if he will support Rwanda bill

Harrogate and Knaresborough‘s Conservative MP Andrew Jones has declined to say whether he will support the government’s Rwanda bill tomorrow.

The Safety of Rwanda Bill aims to block legal challenges that prevent deportation flights of asylum seekers from taking off. The government is bringing forward the bill after the Supreme Court ruled its previous attempt to send asylum seekers to Rwanda was unlawful.

The verdict triggered the resignation of Home Secretary Suella Braverman and has led to threats of a rebellion from the right of the Conservative Party, which fears the new bill does not go far enough.

At the same time, some more centrist Conservatives are concerned the bill ignores international law.

If the Conservatives lose the vote, it would be a serious blow to the authority of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

The Stray Ferret asked Mr Jones if he would vote in favour of the bill.

He replied:

“We should not think of the Rwanda bill in isolation. It is part of a number of measures designed to deter people from making the dangerous journey across the English Channel.

“Among these measures are new returns agreements with Albania, enhanced deals with the French authorities, greater support for asylum application processing and more besides. These measures have led to crossings coming down by a third this year already.”

Mr Jones went on to say he “will be looking closely at the bill and any amendments which might be selected for debate by the Speaker”, adding:

“When considering those amendments my thoughts will be about how we break the people smuggling gangs and, most importantly, how we stop the grim certainty of more fatalities in our coastal waters.

“This issue is not confined to the UK; we see it again and again in the Mediterranean too. Breaking these gangs requires an international effort and I know we are working closely with partners on how this is done to the best effect.”

Tory mayoral candidate pledges North Yorkshire bus franchising assessment

The Conservative Party candidate to be the first Mayor of York and North Yorkshire is prepared to use franchising to improve local bus services.

Bus franchising, which is used in London, Manchester and in numerous cities across Europe, means that bus operators are only able to provide services under contract to the local transport authority.

According to the Urban Transport Group, the current free market method means bus operators are free to run whatever services they like and decide on their own fares and vehicles, resulting in “an uncoordinated network with a confusing array of ticketing options”.

Keane Duncan, the 28-year-old Conservative candidate for the York and North Yorkshire combined authority mayoral election in May 2024, has pledged to assess whether bus franchising is an affordable method to improve transport.

He said:

“Our buses should work better. They need to be available, reliable and affordable. I really want to revolutionise bus services in our region.

“I’m prepared to use franchising, which is a new power the government is handing to the new mayor.

“It’s right that the new power is looked at seriously, it’s right to pursue it and do that with a totally open mind.

“My pledge on day one as mayor is to launch a full assessment of bus franchising.

“That is a pledge not based on ideology but based on what is best for buses and bus passengers across our region.”

If Mr Duncan wins the election, he could be the first Tory metro mayor to introduce bus franchising.

Estimated costs for the scheme in Greater Manchester were £135m, and while Mr Duncan said there are no estimations of cost for franchising buses in York and North Yorkshire, the assessment would determine this.

Mr Duncan said:

“It must be cost-effective and it must make sound financial sense.

“I’m not prepared to write a blank cheque and we’ve seen the extreme costs that can come with bus franchising.

“Whatever we do has to command public confidence.”

Once the York and North Yorkshire combined authority is set up, it will have control of a long-term investment fund, with £18m per year of funding promised by the government over 30 years.

Mr Duncan said:

“That’s immensely powerful, but it’s just the start.

“I need to be very clear that what we’ve got now is great, but I want more over future years.

“That requires demonstration of our credibility, showing that we can get results to government.

“This is the start and I’m very excited by what we’re going to achieve looking ahead into the future.”

Henri Murison, chief executive of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, said:

“I welcome the fact that politicians of all stripes are open to the idea of bus franchising.

“This is not about ideology but delivering a sustainable, affordable network for passengers.

“Private companies will still have a role to play in running day-to-day services under a franchise model, while routes and fares will come under public control.”

Local politicians give views on Harrogate Spring Water expansion plans

The Liberal Democrat candidate aiming to be Harrogate and Knaresborough’s next MP has said he opposes the latest expansion plans by Harrogate Spring Water.

However, the current Conservative MP Andrew Jones has not given an explicit indication of whether he supports or opposes the plans.

Harrogate Spring Water revealed proposals this month to fell 450 trees near its Harlow Moor Drive headquarters so it can expand its bottling plant and produce more plastic bottles.

It says the scheme will create 50 jobs and lead to a net biodiversity gain because it will create a 1,200-tree publicly accessible woodland nearby.

But the campaign group Save Rotary Wood is leading opposition to the loss of trees, which were planted by schoolchildren concerned about climate change.

Harrogate Spring Water, which is owned by French multinational Danone, is holding a public consultation event at the Crown Hotel in Harrogate from 4pm to 7pm tomorrow (Thursday, November 30).

Ahead of the meeting, we asked Mr Jones and Mr Gordon for their views on the subject.

Mr Gordon said:

“Whilst I absolutely want to see more jobs in Harrogate, and the benefit that would bring for our local economy, I do not support the plans in their current form.

“We should be protecting woodland and preserving biodiversity; to suggest there will be a net gain is not guaranteed, as it would take years for new trees to mature.”

Mr Jones gave a lengthier response but did not state explicitly whether he supported the proposal.

He said:

“The level of community engagement by Harrogate Spring Water on their latest application is a significant and welcome improvement on their previous attempt to achieve approval for their extension. That public consultation is critical as the outcome will rightly be a significant part of the considerations of the Harrogate and Knaresborough planning committee when they look at the application.

“The environmental offer is a big improvement on what we saw previously. And that is important, as constituents to whom I have spoken want significant additional tree planting and public access to that new woodland if the council are minded to approve the proposals.

“On the face of it, replacing trees that are lost on a 3-to-1 or a 6-to-1 ratio is a large increase in cover. The concern is that saplings will be replacing trees with 25 years’ growth. I have spoken to people who helped plant saplings in Rotary Wood all those years ago and I can understand why that is a very emotive part of these plans.”

Mr Jones added:

“Having said that, it is also important to acknowledge that Harrogate Water is a successful local business that carries the name of our town across the world. I want that success to continue and to grow.

“So a welcome for the vastly improved public engagement, a welcome for the increased environmental offer alongside public access and a recognition that we want successful businesses locally. But I understand the caution about habitat loss and the loss of an area enjoyed by many for recreation.

“There is a public consultation event this week which can help further shape the proposals. I encourage everyone with an interest to attend that meeting and help ensure that the planners get the best possible application to consider.”

Lib Dem candidate accuses Tories of overseeing Harrogate Station Gateway ‘fiasco’

Tom Gordon, the Liberal Democrat’s parliamentary candidate for Harrogate and Knaresborough, has attacked the ruling local Conservatives for the £11.2 million Station Gateway “fiasco”.

The scheme looks dead in the water after a legal challenge this week prompted North Yorkshire Council to say it had revoked its decision to approve the scheme and seek legal advice.

Harrogate and Knaresborough Conservative MP Andrew Jones said it meant the deadline to spend the cash “is certain to expire” and the gateway was now a “dead scheme”.

Mr Jones accused the Lib Dems, who control the Harrogate and Knaresborough area constituency committee that advises North Yorkshire Council, of “weak local leadership”.

But Mr Gordon laid the blame squarely at the door of the Conservatives.

He said:

“The Conservative-run North Yorkshire Council dreamt up the scheme, the Conservative-run council spend £2 million on consultants for this scheme, the Conservative-run council ignored residents, businesses, and the Lib Dem councillors concerns and as a result they have jeopardised this investment in our area. We deserve so much better.

“The facts are that three times the residents of Harrogate have rejected the current gateway scheme, we know that 74% of local businesses were opposed to it, and that countless community groups including the civic society were opposed too.

“We need a bold and innovative comprehensive integrated transport plan for Harrogate, not the scraps of piece-meal funding pots that don’t join up. We deserve proper investment and an MP who will be vocal in fighting for it.”

Both the Lib Dems and the Tories are now calling for the gateway funding, which was awarded through the government’s Transforming Cities Fund, to be spent on other projects in Harrogate.

However, the council has previously indicated the funding must be spent on this scheme or risk being lost.

By-election could give Harrogate district its first ever Labour MP

The Harrogate district could be set to get its first ever Labour MP when voters turn out for the Selby and Ainsty by-election next week, according to an opinion poll.

The survey by JL Partners reveals Labour could win a landslide victory on July 20 in the traditionally Tory constituency, with 41% of the vote – up 16 points on the last election.

No Labour MP has ever represented any of the Harrogate district constituencies: Harrogate and Knaresborough, Skipton and Ripon, and Selby and Ainsty.

The poll has the Conservatives on 29% (down 31 percentage points on last general election), Reform UK on 8% (+8), the Lib Dems on 6% (-3), the Greens on 6% (+3), the Yorkshire Party on 4% (+1), and the others on 6% (+6).

A Labour victory – which political analysts Electoral Calculus sees as a 66% probability – would be a remarkable upset in a constituency it has never before won.

Selby and Ainsty has been held by the Conservatives since its creation in 2010, with MP Nigel Adams increasing his share of the vote at successive elections from 49% in 2010 to 60% at 2019.

Labour candidate Keir Mather, 25, would become the youngest current MP if he wins.

A Labour spokesperson told the Stray Ferret:

“It will be a mammoth task to overturn a 20,000 Conservative majority, and the biggest Labour has achieved since the end of the Second World War.

“Labour’s Keir Mather is speaking to hundreds of voters on the doorstep who want change, and for him to be their MP and a strong voice fighting on their behalf in Westminster.”

A Conservative Party spokesperson told the Stray Ferret the party never comments on opinion polls.

Cabinet minister Nigel Adams was a Boris Johnson loyalist and stepped down last month after his name did not appear on Mr Johnson’s retirement honours list. The constituency has been unrepresented at Westminster since then.

The Harrogate district is mainly represented by the MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, but large areas fall within other constituencies.

The vast Selby and Ainsty constituency includes Huby, Follifoot and Spofforth, as well as several villages in the Vale of York, including Great Ouseburn, Green Hammerton, Kirk Hammerton and Tockwith. Its main towns are Selby, Tadcaster and Sherburn-in-Elmet, and at its southern end it includes Drax power station and reaches nearly as far as Goole and Doncaster.

The Harrogate and Knaresborough constituency has only ever been held by the Tories and Liberal Democrats, and Skipton and Ripon has only ever been held by the Conservatives. The Selby and Ainsty constituency was formed from the Vale of York constituency – which was perennially Conservative – and the Selby constituency, which swung from Conservative to Labour.

North Yorkshire councillors back £11.2m Harrogate Station Gateway project

Senior North Yorkshire councillors have backed plans to submit a full business case for the £11.2 million Harrogate Station Gateway scheme.

North Yorkshire Council’s executive met this morning and voted unanimously to approve the plan, which moves the project a step closer.

Harrogate and Knaresborough councillors voted to support it at a meeting on May 5.

Today’s decision means a 300-metre stretch of Station Parade will be reduced to single lane traffic and James Street partly pedestrianised to encourage cycling and walking.

Station Square will undergo a major overhaul, with the ‘little temple’ outside Victoria Shopping Centre destroyed.

Cllr Keane Duncan, Conservative executive councillor for highways, said today that work on the project is expected to start in winter this year.

However, Cllr Pat Marsh, Liberal Democrat chair of the Harrogate and Knaresborough Area Constituency Committee, urged the councillors not to go-ahead with the project.

She said:

“Do not go forward with this scheme. This scheme starts nowhere and goes nowhere.”

Meanwhile, Cllr Duncan confirmed that the council had received a 2,000-signature petition objecting to the plan.

Liberal Democrat Cllr Chris Aldred, who represents High Harrogate and Kingsley, said there had been “a lot of hyperbole” about the scheme. He called for councillors to “focus on the actuality”.

He said:

“The scheme as described does have some benefits.

“I think I am right in saying that there is a small carbon gain.”

Cllr Aldred called for the council to “talk with residents and businesses” when implementing the project.

Meanwhile, Conservative Cllr Sam Gibbs, who represents Valley Gardens and Central Harrogate, said while the scheme did divide opinion, he felt it should be progressed.

He said:

“I am here to get on with this scheme. We cannot kick this down the road any longer.”

The move comes as Karl Battersby, the council’s corporate director of environment, said in a report that the project would arrest town centre decline by increasing footfall, even though many businesses remain opposed.

There are also concerns about other aspects of the scheme, including congestion and parking, and the impact on the town centre during construction.

But Mr Battersby suggested the gateway could be the start of a wider town centre redevelopment. His report said the project will “provide a central active travel ‘hub’ from which ‘spokes’ of further improvements can radiate”.

However, Mr Battersby also warned that if the final cost exceeds budget, savings would be made by either reviewing the materials or “descoping” the project.

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‘A complex picture’

‘A complete scandal’

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