Estate agents in Harrogate experienced a “crazy rush” to complete home purchases this week before the end of the stamp duty holiday.

One estate agent told the Stray Ferret yesterday was their busiest day in the last two years while a property expert said the government should have never imposed the holiday.

Completion day is always fraught for prospective home buyers and sellers. However, many will have been particularly nervous this week with £15,000 in stamp duty savings on the line.

From today, the tax free threshold falls from £500,000 to £250,000 and will drop again to the usual rate of £125,000 on October 1.

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Richard Smailes, a partner at Feather Smailes Scales, told the Stray Ferret:

“There was a mad rush to get everything completed by the end of play yesterday. We are still seeing plenty of interest and demand.

“Just because the deadline has gone it does not mean that the reasons for moving have gone away. People want more from their homes because they are spending more time there.

“FSS was very busy yesterday, we had an awful lot of completions on the books. We were geared up for it but it was our busiest day in the last couple of years.”

Harrogate Borough Council has also experienced a surge in search requests in recent months.

The local authority has struggled to cope with the demand at times but the situation has improved and the average wait is currently three weeks.

Alex Goldstein, an independent property expert in Harrogate, told the Stray Ferret:

“I said from the outset that we did not need the stamp duty holiday. We already had a very strong market before the tax break came into play.

“So what we have seen over the last year is prices go up significantly in the area. It seems the stamp duty was just added as part of the price of the property.

“This is what happens when the government tries to intervene in the market, it just creates a bigger problem for people.”

What has been your experience? Reach out to tell us your story by sending an email to contact@thestrayferret.co.uk.

Another 75 covid infections have been recorded in the Harrogate district in the past 24 hours, according to Public Health England.

It is almost double yesterday’s figure of 42 and is the highest daily figure since January 13, when there were 86 infections.

However, separate figures released today by NHS England show the spike in infections is not leading to an increase in hospitalisations. There are currently two covid patients at Harrogate District Hospital – down from three last week, which suggests the vaccination programme is working.

The Harrogate district data reflects the national picture where cases have risen by almost 70% in a week but deaths have increased by just 11% and hospitalisations by 6%.

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The current seven-day rate of infection in the district is 173, slightly above the England rate of 172.

There have been no further covid-related deaths at Harrogate District Hospital. It means the death toll remains at 179.

A Harrogate choir has been staying covid-safe by holding singing sessions in a multi-storey car park.

The All Together Now Community Choir had to halt its usual gatherings when the UK went into lockdown in March last year.

Since September the choir has been using the unconventional rehearsal space, on the 10th floor of the multi-storey car park on Tower Street.

Passers-by may have heard the group performing every Monday from 7pm.

The group has been able to pull off its rehearsals by keeping the group to a maximum of 30 and social distancing.

The rehearsals were put on hold in November and the start of this year due to the full national lockdowns, but the group is now back on track and hoping to do its first live performance back in September this year.

The group said the space is a success so far so has no intention of moving back indoors until September at the earliest.

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Choir leader Chris Kemp said;

“The past year has been tough on people’s mental health, so the choir is something we can do to help people’s spirits. Singing releases endorphins that really do make people happy.”

Mr Kemp leads three other choirs in Yorkshire in Skipton, Baildon and Bingley.

Each one performs choir versions of popular music, such as The Killers, Queen and Rag and Bone Man.

Have you heard the voices coming from the car park?

Coronavirus cases continue to climb in the Harrogate district with another day where nearly 50 cases have been reported.

The seven day average for the district has risen suddenly from 103 two days ago to 133 today.

Elsewhere, the North Yorkshire rate is 111 and the England average is 128.

According to Public Health England figures, it takes the total number of infections since last March to 8,253.

However, no covid-related deaths have been confirmed at Harrogate District Hospital since April 11.

Harrogate District Hospital also has a low number of coronavirus patients. The total number, as of June 24 is three.

The death toll at the hospital since the pandemic started remains at 179.

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The annual Yorkshire Warrior obstacle course will go ahead next month despite a delay in lockdown restrictions easing.

The event is due to take place on Sunday July 4 at Ripley Castle, just outside of Harrogate.

It comes for the first time in two years after last year’s event was cancelled due to the covid pandemic.

Anyone is welcome to sign up for the challenge, which involves a 10km race with 30 obstacles and two lake crossings. There is also a 3km junior warrior race for under-15s on the same day.

New for 2021 is a log-carry race in which teams are challenged to carry a 3m timber log around a 5km track.

Participants can buy a ticket on the day for £50, or sign up online for an early-bird discount, and people are encouraged to form teams. The log-carry race fee is £99 per team.

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A senior consultant at Harrogate District Hospital has urged people not to visit the emergency department unless necessary due to an ‘unprecedented’ number of patients.

Dr Helen Law, a consultant in emergency medicine, spoke after figures revealed the number of people seeking treatment had risen by 23 per cent compared with two years ago.

Over seven days from June 1 this year, 1,115 patients attended the emergency department compared with 939 patients during the same period in 2019, pre-covid.

The figures were released by West Yorkshire Association of Acute Trusts, which represents six NHS trusts in Yorkshire. The six trusts together have seen an average rise in the number of emergency patients over the same period of 17%.

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Dr Law said:

“We are seeing unprecedented numbers of people seeking treatment at our hospital and I know the situation is the same across West Yorkshire.

“We are highlighting this because at the current rate it is simply not sustainable to treat this many people on any long-term basis.

“Emergency departments are seeing significant numbers of patients seeking treatment for issues that are non-emergencies.

“Everyone in the NHS is here because we want to make people better and no one would ever say, ‘Don’t come to hospital’.

“But I would urge anyone planning on coming to the emergency department to ask themselves: ‘Is this an emergency?'”

The increase in patients is not believed to be linked to coronavirus.

The number of covid patients has remained low at Harrogate District Hospital over summer and currently number just three.

The Harrogate district’s seven-day covid rate of infection is at its highest level since February.

The rate now stands at 91 cases per 100,000 people, according to latest North Yorkshire County Council figures.

The last time the rate was as high was on February 22, when it reached 92.

North Yorkshire’s average is 81 and the England rate is 100.

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The Harrogate district recorded a further 28 infections today, according to Public Health England.

It takes the total number of infections in the district since the start of the pandemic to 8,093.

No further deaths from patients who tested positive for covid have been reported at Harrogate District Hospital.

NHS England figures show the last death was reported in April and the total number of covid-related deaths since the start of the pandemic remains at 179.

The Harrogate district seven-day covid rate of infection has increased to 58 cases per 100,000 — up from 52 yesterday.

The latest figure is above the North Yorkshire rate of 45 but below the figure for England of 74.

Ten more infections in the district were confirmed today by Public Health England.

The district’s worst affected area is Ousebourn, Hammerton and Tockwith, which has recorded 11 infections in the last seven days. Bilton is next, with nine.

Tadcaster, which has recorded 12, has had the most cases in the whole of North Yorkshire.

However, another day has passed without any deaths at Harrogate District Hospital.

Seventy-eight per cent of adults in the district have received first vaccines; 65 per cent have had second jabs.

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The Harrogate district’s covid infection rate has returned to levels not seen since March.

The news comes ahead of tonight’s expected government announcement that the planned June 21 unlocking will be delayed by four weeks.

The Delta variant first identified in India was confirmed to have arrived in North Yorkshire last month and Harrogate’s weekly infection rate has since more than tripled.

However, there were no covid patients in Harrogate District Hospital as of last Wednesday and it has been two months since it recorded a death.

Public Health England figures show the latest infection rate for the Harrogate district is 52 cases per 100,000 people – up from 16 this time last month.

The latest figure is also above the North Yorkshire average of 41, but below the England average of 70.

Meanwhile, more than 111,000 people in the district have now received their first covid jab and over 92,000 their second.

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Under the roadmap out of lockdown, England was due to move to stage four on June 21 when events and venues, including nightclubs, would be allowed to operate without capacity limits, and the cap on guests at weddings would also be lifted.

But many scientists have called for a delay to enable more people to be vaccinated and allow more time for work on whether vaccines are breaking or weakening the link between infections and hospitalisations.

Speaking at a meeting on Thursday, councillor Carl Les, leader of North Yorkshire County Council, said with hopes of lockdown restrictions lifting now fading, “the race is on” to vaccinate as many people as possible as the spread of infections gathers pace.

“The light is still there but the increase in Delta variant transmissions is worrying. The trend is going upwards, hospitalisations are increasing and it also seems to be spreading into younger people who until recently seemed to be relatively immune.

“The race is on to vaccinate all of us as soon as possible. This is not over yet and we just have to be careful still.”

More than 200,000 people have had a covid vaccine in the Harrogate district, according to latest figures.

Data from Public Health England shows a total of 203,228 vaccinations have been given in the district so far.

It includes 111,078 first doses and 92,150 second doses.

The figures represent an uptake of 78% for a first vaccine and 65% for a second dose for people aged 18 and over in the district.

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Those aged 25 and over are currently being invited to come forward for a vaccine.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to today announce a delay to the easing of restrictions on June 21.

The move would see a delay of four weeks in order to allow for more time for people to get a second jab.