‘Devastated’ organisers confirm Harrogate Christmas Market cancellation

Harrogate Christmas Market 2020 will not go ahead after officials raised concerns about the potential spread of coronavirus.

The Stray Ferret reported last week that the market would likely be cancelled, dealing a blow to local businesses which benefit from the influx of up to 60,000 visitors.

The event’s vice-chairman, Steve Scarre, said:

“Harrogate Christmas Market would not have been possible without the Herculean efforts of organisers Brian and Beryl Dunsby and all the other volunteers. I know that Brian and Beryl are devastated to have had to cancel this year’s event, but to compromise the safety of visitors, stallholders, local businesses, contractors, volunteers, and residents would be unthinkable.

“I know that the local retail and hospitality businesses really look forward to the market, as it’s held during an otherwise quiet month. Our hearts go out to them, as the cancellation comes on top of a difficult and in some cases disastrous trading period over the last twelve months.”

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This week, Harrogate Borough Council officers met with the director of public health for North Yorkshire to set out precautions and questions for the event organisers.

Key elements included social distancing at two metres, controlling the number of people at the event, and contact tracing for all visitors. There were also concerns about visitors arriving from areas with higher infection rates.

With such an open event on the Stray near the Montpellier Quarter, where people are usually free to wander in and out through multiple entrances and aisles, the organisers said they cannot meet the requirements and have now cancelled.

It is the first time that the four-day event, which has been running annually since 2012, has been called off.

To try and mitigate for the loss of trade that the 180 local and regional businesses which had already signed up to the event, the organiser are preparing to set up a virtual market on a new website. It will also feature local businesses which have supported the market.

Knaresborough Christmas Market will still go ahead this December after organisers found ways to ensure visitor safety.

Harrogate hospital removes coronavirus pods after half a year

Harrogate District Hospital has removed its coronavirus pods from the front of the building after half a year.

The hospital removed the assesment pods today and said they have not been necessary for several months.

A spokesperson said that they have been prominent but added that the hospital has been able to care for patients inside for a while now.

“Thank you to all colleagues involved in setting them up, and ensuring they’ve been safely removed.”

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It also comes a month and a week after a coronavirus patient last died at the hospital. The fact that the hospital has now removed the pods is a visual sign that the hospital is moving in the right direction.

The hospital reported its first covid-19 death on March 20 and the most recent – the 82nd – on July 19. That patient died four days earlier on July 15.

Council bosses urge ‘sensible decisions’ amid covid costs

County council bosses have called for sensible financial decisions as the authority faces losing more than £11 million in council tax and business rates due to the coronavirus pandemic.

While the authority has taken measures to cover its losses on council tax, early indications show the council faces an overall £3.9 million overspend by the end of the year.

Gary Fielding, director for strategic resources, said the figure was offset by funding from government and underspends in other departments.

But, he told a meeting of senior councillors that he remained concerned by the effect of coronavirus on finances going forward.

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Indications from the first three months of the year show that council faces £11.9 million in losses on business rates and council tax due to the pandemic. The authority has made provision for the cost, but said it was an early estimate which would effect next year’s finances.

Other areas of overspend include health and adult social care at £11.2 million, £1.4 in business and environment, £1.7 million on children and young people services, £7.9 million in central services and £11.3 million on corporate miscellaneous.

Health and adult services saw the most financial pressure, said Mr Fielding. This is because the council is expecting to cover the costs of care packages for those discharged from hospital at a cost of £4.8 million and is also forecasting an increase in demand for mental health care.

However, the authority has been supported with underspends in other council departments and offset its losses with £29.5 million worth of government funding.

Mr Fielding reiterated to councillors on the authority’s executive that he was not considering a section 114 notice – a measure taken in dire financial circumstances – but said he remained concerned about covid going forward.

He said:

“To be absolutely clear, we are not in a position where I need to be consider issuing a section 114 notice.

“We are not in that territory. I remain concerned about the impact that covid will have on the recurring position going forward and that’s why we are refreshing our medium term financial strategy and we need to make sure we are are sensible with our spending decisions in the current year.

“We will not need an emergency budget as such as some other councils have carried out. What we need to do is have sensible financial management within the council led by the executive and management board.”

It comes as other councils and public services have seen finances stretched due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Harrogate Borough Council faces an overall shortfall of around £9 million due to coronavirus. It has also seen a significant increase in caseloads for people requiring support for council tax and housing benefit.

Meanwhile, North Yorkshire’s Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner has said the county’s police force faces a loss in income of around £1.6 million.

The commissioner’s office said the estimated figure was an “early indication” and included areas such as a loss in speed camera income and no sports events to police.

Hoopers store warns: ‘Harrogate is not bulletproof anymore’

Hoopers has warned that the store is not sustainable in its current form and that Harrogate’s retail sector is “not bulletproof anymore”.

The department store’s general manager, Nick Hubbert, has spoken openly about its financial difficulties as a result of the coronavirus pandemic for the first time.

He said that the way they have to operate under social distancing rules means that it is not able to make enough sales.

Hoopers’ struggle in numbers

Mr Hubbert told the Stray Ferret that he has concerns about the furlough scheme coming to an end:

“We are preparing for the worst. How long can businesses survive when they are losing money. Hoopers has been in Harrogate for a long time but this has been by far the most difficult time. Some people think that Harrogate is bulletproof but it isn’t anymore. It’s not sustainable, we cannot afford to fully open and we cannot afford to trade the full week. That is not ideal.”

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Mr Hubbert has also weighed into the pedestrianisation debate on James Street with the general manager writing a strongly worded letter to Harrogate Borough Council.

James Street could be temporarily closed to traffic as early as next month after Harrogate Borough Council requested the measures.

Hoopers is based on James Steet which has been full with traffic cones for months.

Mr Hubbert does not believe that the temporary pedestrianisation of James Street will help businesses and said he is basing that on years of experience:

He added that he is not against pedestrianisation long term but he does not think that the middle of a pandemic is the right time to change things:

“Customers want to park up and jump into the shops. It’s easy for young families and it’s easier for older people. That’s what increases footfall. We just need to leave things as is and concentrate on the basics. When someone pulled the cones away it was half full in half an hour and people were getting straight into the shops.”

North Yorkshire crime commissioner estimates £1.6m coronavirus shortfall

North Yorkshire’s Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner has estimated a loss of around £1.6 million in income this year for the county’s police force due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The commissioner’s office said the estimated figure was an “early indication” and included areas such as a loss in speed camera income and no sports events to police.

In a report to the North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Panel, the commissioner’s office said it feared a lower collection rates for council tax could also leave a gap in finances in future.

It comes as both Harrogate Borough Council and North Yorkshire County Council have also estimated their own financial gaps as a result of the coronavirus outbreak.

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The report said the PFCC was preparing for financial uncertainty amid the pandemic and that it would keep the plans under review in the coming months.

Michael Porter, chief finance officer at the commissioner’s office, told a meeting of the police, fire and crime panel: 

“I think it would would be no surprise if I were to say that it is challenging times for all public sector organisations and organisations wider than that and some of that will start to play through into some of the financial reports.

“I think in terms of those challenges, you can see in relation to some of income forecasts at this point in time that there are a significant number of areas of concern for us in relation to some of the receipts we were expecting to receive in the current financial year.

“Forecasting for this year, we might be around £1.6 million short from an income perspective. That is a very early indication of those forecasts. There is an awful lot of information that we do not have in those areas. We are trying to be as robust as we can.”

Julia Mulligan, Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for North Yorkshire

Julia Mulligan, North Yorkshire PFCC, said the force needed more certainty from central government over funding.

She said:

“We are in a very uncertain environment at the moment and the biggest risk that we have got which will be shared with local authority colleagues is council tax receipts and the impact that may have on our finances.

“That is applicable to both fire and policing. Although, I have to say, from a covid point of view the fire service is probably in a more robust position.

“We have lost quite a lot of revenue from various different parts from policing in particular and we would hope that some of that lost revenue will be compensated for.”

New Harrogate rescue centre rehomes 19 cats

While most independent businesses were forced to close down during lockdown, one local cat rescue has thrived since it first opened in April.

Celia Dakin, owner of Harrogate Cat Rescue, had always planned to open a centre for rehoming stray cats.

Due to the covid-19 pandemic, many national animal charities had to stop neutering feral animals, including cats, and this has increased the number of kittens being born without a loving home. Celia felt this was the perfect opportunity to set up a rescue business.

In just over three months, the rescue centre has rehomed 19 cats and kittens and is currently in the process of homing a further 10 kittens and three adult cats. Celia has always been ‘cat mad’ and has two 11-year-old cats of her own, Geoff and Lady.

Celia told the Stray Ferret:

“Initially, I was approached by a lady who told me that there was a fairly large colony of cats where she worked, and that she had seen kittens. So, I started my rescue.”

Celia runs her business from her home in Harrogate, which has a no-kill policy. This means that no healthy or treatable cats are euthanised or killed even if the shelter is at full capacity.

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She currently houses a poorly five-year-old shorthair cat, Mack, who tested positive for feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), an incurable viral infection.

He has a large wound on the side of his neck caused by a cat bite, which has now become ulcerated. He also needs dental surgery to remove his rotten teeth. Despite his tough life, Mack has a friendly nature and is in need of a loving home.

The cat lover currently has 22 cats in foster care, including Emily, a six-year-old Ragdoll and Bengal crossbreed, who was sent to Celia when her owners chose to travel abroad.

The rescue encourages new owners to get their cats neutered at four months old, if they haven’t been already.

Celia said:

“I believe that every cat deserves a chance, as most stray and outdoor cats have been failed by humans. I am active in encouraging co-operation between me and other rescues in Yorkshire, with the aim of working together for the benefit of all cats.”

“Neutering cats is an extremely high priority; unneutered males age quicker and are more prone to disease, as they have to fight for food, females and survival. Unneutered females leave home as their hormones dictate and are repeatedly raped by the unneutered males, leading to multiple pregnancies, causing stillbirth, deformity and disease.”

All cats and kittens that are cared for by the Harrogate Cat Rescue receive a veterinary health check, flea and worm treatment, microchip and at the least their first vaccination. The adoption fee for an adult cat or kitten is £90 each.

To find out more about the adoption process, visit the Harrogate Cat Rescue website.

No coronavirus deaths at Harrogate hospital for a month

Today is the first time that Harrogate District Hospital has gone a full month without reporting a single coronavirus death.

It has been a long road to this point. The hospital reported its first covid-19 death on March 20 and the most recent – the 82nd – on July 19. That patient died four days earlier on July 15.

The district hospital said at the end of July that it had no coronavirus positive patients for the first time since the start of the pandemic. It has not revealed since whether it has taken on any new patients.

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This is the longest time that the hospital has gone without reporting a coronavirus death. The second longest time was for 16 days at the start of July.

Now Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust faces a different challenge. The trust is trying to get as many people as possible to sign up to the local coronavirus vaccine trial.

Despite there being no coronavirus deaths for a month the NHS has extended its contract to keep NHS Nightingale Yorkshire and the Humber as a hospital until March 2021.

That move may not have gone down well with those in the events and hospitality sector locally but the NHS wants to stay prepared in case a second wave hits in winter.

Big take-up for coronavirus vaccine trial in Harrogate district

Nearly 1,400 people have signed up to the coronavirus vaccine trial – forcing local NHS trusts to increase capacity.

Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust originally said that there was room for 2,250 people and said that it could increase capacity to 6,000.

So far, more than 6,600 people have signed up to the trial across Leeds, Harrogate and York.

The biggest uptake has been in Leeds where close to 4,000 people have signed up. It is the highest uptake for local authorities in the UK.

Dr Jacqueline Andrews, the executive medical director at Harrogate NHS FT, said:

“I would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has signed up to the campaign so far. So many people from the Harrogate district have signed up already. We really appreciate your support.”

Dr Phil Wood, Chief Medical Officer at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust added:

“An effective vaccine against the coronavirus is key. It’s important for large-scale vaccine studies that we get as many people as possible from our community to sign up to take part.”

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The trusts are considering different locations throughout Leeds, Harrogate, and York for the trial. They are keen to use spaces like sports halls, away from hospitals.

Around 70 staff will spend three days in each location, aiming to give 250 vaccines with each person having a 90-minute consultation. The trial will start at the end of September.

To register interest in the vaccine trial visit the NHS vaccine research website by clicking or tapping here.

How does a vaccine study work?

The NHS may give those who have signed up for the trial a vaccine or a placebo. Either way, participants will need to visit the research site a few times over the next six to 12 months.

At each of those visits, the staff will talk about the research study, take blood tests and answer any questions.

Between visits, participants will need to tell staff about any symptoms and may need to take a throat or nose swab every week while keeping a diary.

Turkish Baths Harrogate to reopen after five months

Turkish Baths Harrogate will reopen this week five months after the coronavirus pandemic forced its closure.

For now the baths will only be able to open for treatments on Friday. It is unclear when the sessions will get the green light.

A spokesperson for Turkish Baths Harrogate said that the sessions will remain closed for a “little while longer”.

The baths used the time to renovate its 123-year-old flooring. The council said it could have become dangerous.

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A report seeking retrospective approval for the work detailed how Harrogate Borough Council needed to spend close to £30,000.

In the report, the council said that the floor is showing signs of water egress, wear in grouted joints, and cracks in the terrazzo.

Harrogate Borough Council also launched a consultation into dropping single-sex sessions. Moving to mixed-sessions only would reflect “equality and balance,” according to the council.

Meanwhile, the historic venue is set to become part of a new local authority controlled company (LACC), along with the district’s pools and gyms, as part of an overhaul of leisure services.

Harrogate sports centre deep clean after coronavirus case

Harrogate Sport and Fitness Centre has reopened today after one of its members tested positive for coronavirus.

The centre on Hookstone Wood Road was forced to close this morning for a deep clean. The council and department of health gave it the green light to open at 12pm.

James Gaston, general manager at the centre, said:

“Thank you for your understanding and apologies for any inconvenience. We want to keep your club as safe as we possibly can.”

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He urged people who went to the gym on Friday to get a test and inform them of the results.

The fitness centre has a gym, four squash courts, a dance and fitness studio, two boules courts and a bar with balcony available for hire.

It follows the news that The Navigation Inn in Ripon closed after one of its customers reported a positive coronavirus test.