Ripon’s parish precept, which is charged to council tax payers in the city, is being frozen at its current level for the third year in succession.

It means Ripon residents living in a Band D property will pay a parish precept of £70.77 for the financial year 2023/24. People in Bands A to C properties will pay less and those in Bands E to H will pay more.

Final council tax bills for the year ahead are calculated by adding the parish precept to the amounts also charged by the new North Yorkshire Council and the North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner. The latter two have yet to finalise their amounts.

Ripon City Council unanimously approved its draft budget for 2023-2024 at its January full meeting after independent council leader Andrew Williams told members:

“Because of the increased number of new houses built in Ripon, there are more properties over which the precept will be charged and we are able to raise a levy of £420,000 at no extra cost to the charge payer.

“This is an increase from the £411,000 raised in the last financial year and will enable us to fund, among other things, the programme of public and civic events throughout the year, further improvements  to the city’s Christmas lights infrastructure and refurbishment of Hugh Ripley Hall to increase its earnings potential.”

In the new financial year that comes into effect from April, monies will also be earmarked from reserves to pay for any professional advice required arising from double devolution and negotiations on matters including the transfer of assets such as Ripon Town Hall, Hugh Ripley Hall and Market Square, to the city council

Cllr Williams said:

“These are very difficult times with the cost of living crisis putting families under greater financial pressure through increased food, fuel, mortgage, rent and other costs.

“Faced with these circumstances we thought it only right and proper to freeze the precept charge for the coming financial year.”

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The leader of Ripon City Council has said he hopes devolution in April will end “almost half a century of under investment” in Ripon by leaders in Harrogate.

The new North Yorkshire Council unitary authority will come into effect on April 1, when Harrogate Borough Council will be abolished.

At the city council’s full meeting this month, members resolved unanimously to submit an expression of interest in taking over the running of key assets that have been under the control of Harrogate Borough Council since 1974.

The assets range from the town hall to public toilets and the list also includes Market Square (pictured below) the Wakeman’s House and Hugh Ripley Hall.

Independent City Council leader Andrew Williams, who was elected to North Yorkshire County Council in May, said:

“As part of the Harrogate district we have suffered from almost half a century of under investment that has held Ripon back, but I am convinced that we can emerge from the doldrums by having greater involvement in running assets and ensuring that their potential is fully realised.”

He added:

“You only need to look at Ripon Town Hall, which has been left largely empty under Harrogate’s control, when it could have been providing valuable space for businesses and earning money for the city.

“By contrast, the city council has successfully managed Hugh Ripley Hall under a long lease from Harrogate and following our investment in upgrading the building it has become a very well used and profitable facility.”

Hugh Ripley Hall has been operating profitably under the management of Ripon City Council.

The route to greater involvement in running Ripon’s assets lies in the the double devolution proposals announced earlier this year by North Yorkshire County Council (NYCC).

NYCC has said:

“The new council will work with any town and parish council that wants to do more, for example, to deliver or commission services; providing they are able to demonstrate value for money and the ability to deliver.

“If these conditions are met then the new council will be open to funding the arrangements. The council would work with a first wave of forerunner town and parish councils to develop the concept.

“Other town and parish councils could then follow. Representatives from parish and town councils have worked with us to identify the types of service that could potentially be devolved from the new council if your local parish or town council would like to take them on.”

Ripon is aiming to be one of the forerunner councils to be selected to pilot the double devolution scheme.

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City councillors have given their support in principle to Ripon Cathedral’s proposed £6 million standalone development on land to the north of the ancient building.

Members at Monday’s full meeting voted unanimously to support a proposal from leader Cllr Andrew Williams saying the council is in favour of the general principle of the development but is opposed to the closure of Minster Road.

The vote was taken following a presentation of the plans by the Dean of Ripon, the Very Revd. John Dobson and Colin Little, chair of the Ripon Cathedral Renewed Steering Group.

Ripon City Council is opposed to the closure of Minster Road as part of the development proposals.

In addition to their presentation, a model showing the planned development was available for councillors to see.

Dean John told the meeting:

“We have had a tremendous year with in excess of 100,000 people visiting the cathedral.”

He said attracting large numbers of visitors was beneficial to the wider Ripon economy, but also highlighted the need for the provision of modern facilities.

Dean John said:

“We have been looking for a solution to give the cathedral what it needs and this includes new toilets, new facilities for the choir, a gift shop larger than the one we currently have, a refectory and more storage space.”

Mr Little said the proposed cloistered two-storey stone building on Minster Gardens would be in keeping with neighbouring buildings in the conservation area and the development would include extensive landscaping that would increase the amount of public open space.

Cllr Williams said:

“We will be looking at the finer detail when the planning application is submitted, but the city council supports the general principle of this development, with the exception of the proposed closure of Minster Road, which we cannot agree with because diverting traffic elsewhere would cause many problems.”

He added:

“The cathedral draws in tens of thousands of visitors a year to Ripon and it should have decent toilets and other facilities to serve their needs.”

Should planning permission be granted, the building would include the city centre’s first Changing Places toilet facility for use by disabled people.

Cllr Pauline McHardy said:

“I am very excited about these plans. Our ancient city with its beautiful cathedral must move forward and the addition of facilities that make it more accessible to disabled people are most welcome.”

Hundreds gathered on Ripon Market Square yesterday evening as the city council signalled the beginning of the festive season with its Christmas lights switch-on.

With heavy rain relenting by early afternoon, the crowd, largely made up of family groups, grew throughout the day, visiting the square to see Santa and his reindeer and enjoy the free fairground rides and musical entertainment.

Families met with Santa and his reindeer Alfie, Dancer and Izzy

Among the early visitors to see Santa were two-year-old Taylor, her 12-year-old brother Toby and their mother Catherine (pictured above).

The three free fairground rides proved popular throughout the afternoon and into the evening

Live musical entertainment was provided from 2pm by local singer-songwriter Freddie Cleary, and tribute acts Tamsin and Kaylie and Jersey Beyond (pictured below)

By 5pm when the Mayor of Ripon Cllr Sid Hawke performed the switch-on, the large crowd was in festive mood, joining with him in singing We Wish You a Merry Christmas.

The Christmas lights on Kirkgate

Among those hoping that Ripon’s traders have a happy and successful festive season is city council leader Cllr Andrew Williams.

He told the Stray Ferret:

“This is going to be a very challenging end of year for the vast majority of people with the cost of living crisis meaning they have less disposable income to spend.”

He added:

“We hope, however, that the lights will help to attract increased footfall and provide a festive boost to the city’s economy with local residents, as well as visitors, supporting Ripon’s independent shops, cafes, restaurants and pubs by spending their money here.”

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Ripon councillors are bidding to save the number 70 bus service that links the city with Thirsk and Northallerton.

They have agreed to contact North Yorkshire County Council and call for a re-think following an email to the city council that said funding for the service will come to an end from April.

The news from the passenger transport authority was met with disappointment at Monday’s full city council meeting, at which leader Andrew Williams, said:

“The loss of this service will mean that people from Ripon will not be able to use public transport to travel to Northallerton and go to North Yorkshire’s new seat of local government.

“This seems a ridiculous situation at a time when the COP 27 conference is being held in Egypt and world leaders are talking about the need to reduce carbon emissions by using more environmentally-friendly means of transport.”

Ripon residents can currently travel on the 36 bus to attend Harrogate Borough Council meetings or deal with matters such as planning applications.

Cllr Williams said:

“With devolution, this will all change from April when the new North Yorkshire authority comes into being and Harrogate Borough Council ceases to exist.

“That’s why we need to both protect and promote the valuable number 70 service and encourage more people to use it and make it viable.”

Cllr Julie Martin-Long said:

“The service is also a means of accessing mainline trains for travel to the north of England and onward links to airports in the north east.

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A bequest of £20,000 for the benefit of Quarry Moor, could lead to new recreational facilities for young people living in Ripon.

Ripon City Council, which holds the site in trust, agreed to use the donation received from the estate of a local parishioner, as the seed funding to get a major project under way.

At Monday’s full council meeting, council leader Andrew Williams, said:

“We already have £70,000 set aside to upgrade play equipment at the site and I recommend that we use the bequest to employ consultants who can develop a plan and help us to apply for Lottery funding and other grants.”

He added:

“We need to think outside the box and look for something that is big, bold and imaginative for the young people of Ripon, such as a climbing centre or trampoline park.”

Councillor Julie Martin-Long, who chairs the Quarry Moor Committee, said:

“This is a great location, with a lot of potential and it will be extremely helpful to have professional consultants advising us.”

The Quarry Moor Activities Centre

The site, which includes a nature reserve, children’s playground, and a run-down activities centre in a poor condition, is located next to McDonald’s on the Harrogate Road,

Quarry Moor was donated to Ripon by Alderman Thomas F Spence in 1945 and has been held in trust by the city council for the use of local people ever since.

The nature reserve was designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in 1986 in recognition of its unique geology and rare, species-rich magnesian limestone grassland.

Through careful management over the years, it has become a place of nature conservation and quiet recreation, while providing a habitat for a variety of wildlife species.

A six-acre portion of the site where the activities centre, playground, picnic area and parking facilities are located, does not come within the SSSI designation.

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Ripon councillors are calling on North Yorkshire County Council not to sanction spending £3.5 million on remediation works at the city’s leisure centre.

The city council believes that other options should be fully investigated, including building a new centre at a different location where there are stable ground conditions.

The ground floor of the leisure centre has stayed closed due to safety concerns and Harrogate Borough Council (HBC) is to install a temporary gym on the site.

The call from city councillors comes after a report by engineering firm Stantec into the ground stability issues affecting the existing centre’s foundations.

The report, supplied following a Freedom of Information Request made to HBC, ruled out a new location for the centre, but Independent city council leader Andrew Williams, who was elected to NYCC in May, said:

“They (HBC) are blindly and belligerently pouring money into propping up a centre that is nearly 30 years old and there is no guarantee that more funding won’t be needed after remediation works begin.”

He added:

“These works would take the total spending on this project to £18 million – some £8 million above the original budget – and they can’t continue ploughing money into this site, with its known history of ground stability issues, including a sinkhole that opened up on the leisure centre car park in 2018.

“Instead of throwing good money after bad, we need to call on North Yorkshire Council, who will take over responsibility from April, to put an end to this additional spending and look for a suitable location for a new leisure centre to be built on sound land.”

As part of the devolution process, any major financial decisions by HBC will need to be approved by NYCC’s executive. Permission needs to be given for capital projects costing £1 million and above.

A report to a meeting of HBC’s cabinet in August said the authority had made “every effort to provide an accurate estimate” of the costs of the remediation works but added these could rise further once the ground stability works begin.

Response from Harrogate Borough Council

A spokesperson for Harrogate Borough Council, said:

“Building a new leisure centre at another site in Ripon would cost a significant amount of money and would result in two separate facilities to maintain, two sets of running and staffing costs, for example.

“It would also involve purchasing land in a suitable location that we don’t currently have, going through the planning application process and disposing of the existing building safely, all of which would take time and a considerable amount of money. And there is no guarantee that a different site wouldn’t have similar ground conditions.

“Co-location of both wet and dry leisure facilities is also important for increasing and sustaining participation in exercise, as well as optimising revenue and cost recovery.

“The new gym combined with the pool on one site is proving to be extremely popular, and will be further complimented by two new activity studios, sports hall, a spin studio as well as meeting facilities.”

The spokesperson, added:

“Our consulting engineer has advised that a do-nothing approach is not advised. And although there is no immediate change in the geological risk profile to the building – that was originally built in 1995 and has provided sport and leisure services for more than 25 years – it is recommended that ground stabilisation works are undertaken to ensure people in Ripon can keep fit and active for years to come.”

Diseased and damaged trees at Quarry Moor Nature Reserve in Ripon that pose a potential risk to public safety will be felled.

A total of 17 trees, some of which are affected by ash dieback disease, were identified as requiring removal in a report prepared for Ripon City Council by arboriculturists.

The felling will be carried out by specialist contractors in liaison with the council and Natural England.

City Council leader Andrew Williams told the Stray Ferret:

“The trees that need to be felled to ensure the safety of the public, are in a number of different parts of the nature reserve.

“Some have been affected by ash dieback and others have become weakened through storms earlier in the year.”

Quarry Moor was donated to Ripon by Alderman Thomas F Spence in 1945 and has been held in trust for the benefit of local people ever since.

The nature reserve was designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest in 1986 in recognition of its unique geology and rare, species-rich magnesian limestone grassland.

Through careful management over the years, it has become a place of nature conservation and quiet recreation, while providing a habitat for a variety of wildlife species.

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Ripon councillors are determined to ensure festive cheer for retailers, residents and visitors to the city centre this Christmas.

While some towns and cities in the UK are putting plans for seasonal lighting on hold because of concerns over rising energy costs, Ripon will be going ahead with its civic display and switch on event.

However, concerns have been expressed. At Monday night’s full meeting of the council, Liberal Democrat councillor Barbara Brodigan asked:

“With the increasing cost of electricity, could we be seen as being profligate or frivolous at a time when people are having to cut back on their use of power?”

Last year’s Christmas lights switch on in Ripon.

Independent council leader Andrew Williams, said:

“These are indeed difficult times and there there will be more ahead, but we want to ensure that the civic lights are in place to bring some degree of Christmas spirit to the city to benefit our independent retailers and give a lift to residents and visitors.”

This year, the festive programme in Ripon is being supported by Ripon Business Improvement District, which is paying for the production and distribution of a Christmas brochure, setting out the events that will be happening in the city.

Cllr Williams said:

“The council has been paying for the brochure for a number of years and we welcome this support from the BID.”

The Christmas lights are paid for from the parish precept and in 2020, the display  was extended following a £65,000 injection of funding from the city council’s events budget, made possible because of the money that became available after a number of planned public events had to be cancelled because of the covid pandemic.

In 2021 there was further investment in the display, designed to boost the Ripon economy by attracting more visitors.

Last year’s switch-on event on November 19 saw a large crowd gather on Market Square.

There was a full complement of Ripon city councillors and a unanimous vote of thanks to Charlie Powell, when the council held a special meeting to recognise his long service.

Over 19 years the former councillor, who retired from local politics at the May elections, served both the Moorside and Minster wards.

In addition to being a parish councillor, he also represented Ripon for 10 years as an independent on Harrogate Borough Council.

The long service award was presented by the Mayor and Mayoress of Ripon, Cllr Sid and Mrs Linda Hawke.

Speaking at Thursday’s meeting, council leader Andrew Williams, said:

“Charlie served diligently and played a key role in a number of developments, not least his work in encouraging Curzon to open a cinema in the city, more than 30 years after the Palladium Picture House closed its doors.”

He added:

“With Curzon’s opening in 2013, local residents no longer had to make the journey to Harrogate or Thirsk to see the latest film releases.”

Curzon’s cinema on North Street Ripon

Cllr Pauline McHardy, said:

“Charlie has provided wonderful service to help improve the lives of people in Ripon and we all wish him a long and happy retirement from local politics.”

Before seeking election, Mr Powell served for 15 years in the Royal Engineers, then became a firefighter in Ripon for two years before starting out on a business career that took him all around the world.

He spent 18 years in Saudi Arabia, where he worked for the military aircraft division of the British Aircraft Corporation (BAC), then moved on to become a senior administrator with Waste Management International Ltd in Jeddah.

The business acumen that he gained over many years was put to good use in negotiations with Curzon  and in guiding the development of Quarry Moor Park and Nature Reserve as a place for public enjoyment.

A former deputy mayor, he has also been a stalwart supporter of Ripon in Bloom.