Ripon received a surprise visitor when Prime Minister Rishi Sunak arrived for an unannounced hour-long walkabout and meetings with local businesses and politicians.
Yesterday’s Totally Locally street party organised by the city’s independent traders and supported by Ripon Business Improvement District, provided a platform for Mr Sunak, along with Keane Duncan, the Conservative Party candidate for next month’s York and North Yorkshire mayoral election, to mingle with crowds on Market Square.
The Bank Holiday Monday event, which was launched last year, is designed to raise awareness of what the ancient city has to offer in a modern-day economy.
BID manager Lilla Bathurst, said:
“The Prime Minister was able to see for himself what the collaborative efforts of Ripon’s strong mix of independent retail and hospitality businesses can achieve.
“There are clear indicators, both in terms of the investment in new openings and refurbishments in the city centre and footfall analysis, that a post-pandemic revival is underway.”
City councillor and deputy mayor elect Jackie Crozier (pictured below) whose award-winning Little Bird Made artisan markets are held on Market Square and locations across Yorkshire, introduced Mr Sunak to coffee maker Tom Bolland of the Happy Barista — a regular attendee at the Little Bird events.
For 11-year-old Lilly, daughter of Ripon City Council leader Andrew Williams, there was an opportunity for a photograph with Mr Sunak outside Ripon’s historic town hall.
Rishi Sunak, pictured with Cllr Andrew Williams and his daughter Lilly.
Cllr Williams said:
“There’s an interesting fact that links our current Prime Minster with one dating back to 1827, because the Marquess of Ripon, who donated the town hall building to the then borough council in 1897 after two terms as mayor of the city, was born at 10 Downing Street while his father Viscount Goderich was in office.”
Mayoral candidates
The election for the first mayor of the York and North Yorkshire combined authority will take place on Thursday May 2 and, in addition to the Conservative Keane Duncan, the other candidates are:
- Felicity Cunliffe-Lister (Lib Dem)
- Kevin Foster (Green Party)
- Paul Haslam (Independent)
- David Skaith (Labour),
- Keith Tordoff (Independent)
Councillor Sid Hawke is set to go into Ripon’s records book after being nominated to be city mayor for a fourth time,
A member of the council for 22 years, he will make history in May by becoming the first four-times mayor of the city since Ripon became a parish council under local government reorganisation in 1974.
Cllr Hawke, who represents the Ure Bank ward, is coming to the end of his second successive term of office and will begin his third after the mayor-making ceremony at Ripon Town Hall on May 15.
He previously served as Ripon’s first citizen in the 2008-2009 mayoral year.
Cllr Hawke said:
“I am delighted to be nominated by my colleagues at Ripon City Council in the selection for the position of mayor for another consecutive year. I am very proud to carry on in the role of mayor.”
He added:
“I enjoy seeing all the facets of our rich community in my role and meeting the wonderful people involved in voluntary work and the many local organisations that make our small city such a vibrant place to live and work.”
Cllr Hawke was been born and bred in Ripon and is semi-retired. He was formerly a firefighter in the North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service.
The Mayor, who will be installed in a service at Ripon Cathedral on June 9, has selected Cllr Jackie Crozier (pictured above) to serve as his deputy
Cllr Eamon Parkin served three consecutive years in office from 2019 to 2022 while Councillor Pauline McHardy and former councillor Mick Stanley, also have the honour of being a three-times mayor of the ancient city.
Main image: The Mayor and Mayoress of Ripon, Councillor Sid Hawke and his wife Linda will be continuing their civic duties in the next mayoral year.
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Could a park and ride scheme be the answer to Ripon’s parking problems as it bids to attract more visitors?
That was one of the suggestions made at Monday’s full city council meeting, where Councillor Jackie Crozier called for a feasibility study focused on Ripon’s parking issues to be carried out.
She said:
“With more new housing coming on stream and an increase in visitors, we need to start to move forward by looking at all options that are open to us.”
“On a recent market day, some people who came to the city found it impossible to find a parking space and Ripon lost out because of this as they headed elsewhere.”
Councillor Andrew Williams, said:
“One of the things that we need to look at is how we could link Ripon’s new bus service into a park and ride scheme so that tourists and other visitors can park on the outskirts of the city and be brought in by bus.
“At the same time, to ease the pressure on parking spaces, we should encourage more residents to leave their cars at home and come into the city by public transport.”
As a first step in looking to find a solution to the city’s parking problems, it was agreed that North Yorkshire Council officers be invited to meet with Ripon City Council’s transport group and for preliminary discussions to be held.
Read more: