Residents have spoken of their frustration over a lack of action against a group of rough sleepers camping in one of Harrogate’s most popular areas.
A group of homeless people have inhabited the pavilion alongside the toilets in Crescent Gardens over the last week.
A Harrogate woman concerned about antisocial behaviour said she had been told by both North Yorkshire Police and North Yorkshire Council that neither had any power to resolve the situation and she kept getting passed between the two.
Eileen Dockray said the group had expanded as fellow rough sleepers and friends joined with their personal belongings.
She said people were coming and going throughout the day and night, adding:
“The council passed me to the police, the police back to the council, and then back the police.
“The police also said they have no power to move people who are just people gathering to have a chat and to drink, no matter how it bothers residents. What are we meant to do?”
The pavilion has become home to the rough sleepers.
Another Harrogate resident, who asked not to be named, said:
“Many local residents are not able to access the area anymore and a few weekly exercise groups have moved to Valley Gardens.
“The walking tour has also diverted its route.”
“I am surprised how the council does not act when a homeless encampment has popped up in the centre of our floral town where many visitors and locals frequently pass through.”
One rough sleeper, called Sally, told the Stray Ferret on Wednesday a council member of staff had visited Crescent Gardens that morning.
Sally said she was advised to wait for a call to hear a range of options going forward but she had heard nothing since.
We asked North Yorkshire Council what measures it was taking but had not received a response by the time of publication.
A North Yorkshire Police spokesperson said:
“Homelessness is something the council look after so it would be for the council to answer your questions regarding the visit and/or the options available to those who may be sleeping rough.”
Cllr Sam Gibbs, a Conservative who represents Valley Gardens and Central Harrogate on North Yorkshire Council, told the Stray Ferret:
“From what you have told me my instinct tells me it is a police matter as far as the anti-social behaviour is concerned as it is probably private land.
“The council offers a range of support for rough sleepers and work closely with other organisations such as the Harrogate Homeless Project.”
Maggie Gibson, who was housing needs manager at the former Harrogate Borough Council, reported homelessness had “significantly increased” in the district amid the pandemic and cost of living crisis in February this year.
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Harrogate’s Crescent Gardens to get £21,000 makeover and new name
Harrogate’s Crescent Gardens is set to be re-landscaped and re-named The Queen Elizabeth Memorial Garden.
Harrogate Borough Council wants to spend £21,000 redesigning the space so it can hold more events.
Three yew trees and rose and shrub beds would be relocated as part of the scheme. Commemorative plaques within the rose beds would also be moved to new beds on the site.
A report by Kirsty Stewart, the council’s parks and grounds maintenance manager, said work “will need to be undertaken to return the grounds to their current state” after Crescent Gardens hosted an ice rink and funfair in December and January.
The report adds:
“We would like to take the opportunity to upgrade the area to enable better accommodation of future events with less disruption to the planting in this area.”
It added a three-year licence for the Christmas ice rink and funfair on the site “will generate a minimum income of £37,500 per year… with some of this being available to be reinvested in the space to make necessary changes and improvements”.
The area will be re-landscaped so it can host more events.
The council, which will be abolished at the end of next month, announced yesterday it had renamed its leisure centres in Pateley Bridge, Harrogate and Knaresborough. Now it intends to rename the land outside its former municipal offices.
It plans to create a new central rose bed across the whole of the sloped area and install a metal arch/tunnel adorned with climbing roses across the main footpath leading to the central structure.
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The report, which will be discussed by councillors on Tuesday next week, puts the cost of the work at £21,000 but added “pricing is subject to change depending on the increase in steel/materials costs over the next few months”.
Engagement with plaque owners will be undertaken “where possible before works commence”, it adds.
Crescent Gardens was last redesigned following the 1990 Gateshead Garden Festival, when the central glass structure erected.
Over the last 10 to 15 years, it has hosted the Spiegeltent, organised by Harrogate International Festivals, the mayor’s carol concert, church events, and more recently artisan markets and the ice rink and fun fair.
Councillors will also discuss plans to refurbish Bebra Gardens in Knaresborough and the paddling pools in Ripon at the same meeting next week.
However, a report outlining the details of these schemes has been classified as exempt from the public.
Still no timeframe on refurbishment of Harrogate’s Crescent GardensThe company behind plans to transform Harrogate’s Crescent Gardens with a two-storey extension has said it still plans to go ahead with the scheme.
Harrogate-based property developers Impala Estates plans to turn the building into offices, a rooftop restaurant and a gym. But there is still no timeframe on when it will happen.
Impala bought the former Harrogate Borough Council headquarters for £4 million in 2020.
The council, which vacated the building in 2016, approved Impala’s plans in May last year. But since then work has not started and there has been no further update.
The Stray Ferret asked Impala why the redevelopment had been delayed and what the latest timeframe was, and also whether its plans had been revised.
James Hartley, a director of Impala, said:
“Planning was granted with conditions attached in which myself and my design team are working through with the council.
“The plans for the development have not been revised since planning.”
David Hartley, a director of Impala, told a council meeting last year the plans would bring “significant public benefits” to the town, “which include bringing an empty building back into use and creating quality office space”.
Crescent Gardens was vacated by the council when it moved into its Knapping Mount headquarters in 2017.
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Harrogate ice rink to return again this Christmas
The company behind Harrogate’s Christmas ice rink has said it was “very happy” with how it went and plans to return for at least the next two years.
Events by Cynosure transformed Crescent Gardens into a festive treat, installing the ice rink and a host of fairground attractions, including a carousel.
The ice rink, which operated for a month, was one of the highlights of Harrogate’s Christmas offering, which also included a ferris wheel, a market and the Candy Cane Express free road train.
Harrogate Borough Council tourism organisation Destination Harrogate organised the activities in partnership with Events by Cynosure, Harrogate Business Improvement District and events company Market Place Europe as part of a bid to attract more Christmas visitors.
John Lowery, director of Events by Cynosure, told the Stray Ferret it had a three-year deal to operate the ice rink in Harrogate.
Mr Lowery said the ice rink attracted about 15,000 bookings and although he was pleased overall there was room for improvement.
He said the main improvement would be to extend the length of the 10-day market, which ended before mid-December:
“When the market ended it did go quieter. A lot of traders said the same thing. I’d like to see the market there right up until Christmas.
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Mr Lowery also said he wanted the Crescent Gardens site to include a Santa’s grotto and better bar facilities.
He said:
Here we go! Harrogate’s Christmas activities begin tomorrow — here’s your guide“Our intention is to make Harrogate a destination for people to go at Christmas so they spend money in town and restaurants.
“We’ve learned more about the site and the flow of people and how Harrogate works. Between Christmas and the new year was a lot quieter than I expected.”
The festive season officially gets underway in Harrogate tomorrow with the return of ‘Destination Christmas’.
The town will be buzzing with the opening of the ice rink, 32-metre Ferris wheel, the carousel and 50 market stalls, plus more.
With so much going on we’ve put together a brief guide to the attractions, showing where you can see them and how much they cost.
Christmas Fayre
When: December 2 -11, Monday – Saturday: 10am – 7pm, Sunday: 10.30am – 4.30pm
Where: The pedestrianised areas of Cambridge Street and Market Place in Harrogate town centre
Destination Harrogate is bringing back Harrogate Christmas Fayre, which launched in 2021. It will be bigger this year with about 50 stalls to browse for Christmas gifts, decorations and seasonal foodie treats.
The traditional Christmas market, delivered by Market Place Europe, will offer an ‘eclectic mix of enticing stalls’ to complement Harrogate’s independent retailers, restaurants, bars and boutique stores.
Market Place Europe and Harrogate Borough Council, which jointly operate the Christmas Fayre, will also once again provide a stall for charities.
Little Bird artisan market
When: December 3 and 4 and December 10 and 11, Saturday 10am – 5pm, Sunday 10am – 4pm
Where: Valley Gardens, Harrogate
The festive artisan market will feature 70 local and regional traders and producers, who will sell a variety of arts and crafts, clothing, homeware, jewellery, as well as food and drink.
Candy Cane Express road train
When: December 2-11
Where: This year’s route has yet to be confirmed, but last year it stopped at James Street, St Mary’s Walk and Crescent Road. It also passed Montpellier Hill, Cheltenham Parade, Station Parade and Victoria Avenue.
Cost: Free
The Christmas road train experience is also back for 2022, to transport festive revellers around Harrogate town centre while the market is on, with the Candy Cane Express co-funded by Harrogate BID.
Giant Ferris Wheel
When: December 2 – January 3
Where: Harrogate town centre, next to the war memorial
Cost: £7 for adults, £5 for children
The 32-metre illuminated observation wheel will offer views spectacular views of the surrounding area.
Harrogate outdoor ice skating rink
When: December 2 – January 3, various times throughout the day
Where: Crescent Gardens, Harrogate
Cost: Tickets cost £14 for adults and £13 for children aged five to 16. Family tickets costing £37.50, £50 and £62.50 are available. Sessions are 60 minutes. There are also ‘relaxed sessions’ and parent and toddler sessions.
All new for 2022, the outdoor ice skating rink features an après ski bar offering seasonal treats and refreshments.
The bookings website says:
“Harrogate ice rink is magical for all ages, great for families, date nights, catch ups with pals, Christmas parties with a twist, skaters, non-skaters, those who want to learn to skate at our skate school or just enjoy one of the most fascinating spectator sports with a drink and bite to eat.”
Traditional carousel and children’s fairground rides
When: December 2 – January 3, various times throughout the day
Where: Crescent Gardens, Harrogate
Cost: £3 per person. Bungee trampolines are £5 per go.
Crescent Gardens in Harrogate will take on a fairground feel again this year, featuring a traditional carousel and a collection of small rides for tiny tots.
The rides are provided by Events By Cynosure and supported by Harrogate Borough Council’s Parks and Environmental Services team.
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What the organisers say:
John McGivern, destination events manager for Destination Harrogate, which is part of Harrogate Borough Council, said:
“We’re thrilled to be bringing back Destination Christmas and to be offering an even bigger and better experience for 2022. We’re building on the success of last year and through working in collaboration with our partners, including Harrogate Borough Council and Harrogate BID, we can look forward to delivering something really special this Christmas.
“Destination Christmas not only offers our residents the opportunity to enjoy an amazing Christmas experience, particularly following the challenges of the past two years, it also encourages visitors to the Harrogate district from further afield, bolstering local trade and boosting our tourism industry at a crucial time in the business calendar.”
Councillor Richard Cooper, leader of Harrogate Borough Council, said:
“Once again, Christmas will be coming to Harrogate town centre and I for one can’t wait. Last year’s offer was a great success but I know this year’s will be even bigger and better.
“Town centres are recovering well from the covid pandemic and by working with our partners and stakeholders we can once again deliver a safe, vibrant and attractive offer that drives visitors to our district’s shops, restaurants, visitor attractions, hotels and B&Bs this festive season, and showcase the Harrogate district as the perfect Christmas destination.
“The Christmas attractions also offer a fantastic way for families and friends to spend quality time together at this special time of year and to enjoy being active outdoors. And the all-new ice skating rink not only offers an exciting opportunity for people of all ages to socialise but also encourages physical activity, in a magical environment.”
Nick Rhodes, chief executive of Market Place Europe, said:
Oz Clarke and the Armonico Consort toast music with ‘Gin & Phonic’“Harrogate is a beautiful and unique destination and the perfect place to enjoy our fantastic Christmas market. We’re really excited to be returning this year with an even bigger Harrogate Christmas Fayre, and to be bringing an exciting variety of traders into the town centre to offer a wonderful experience that all the family can enjoy.”
A top wine critic and broadcaster is set to team up with a choir and instrumental ensemble to explore the relationship between music and gin.
Held in association with Harrogate’s Slingsby Gin, the event will see Oz Clarke and the Armonico Consort investigate the highs and lows of the connection between gin, music, and humans over the centuries.
Gin and Phonic will take place in The Spiegeltent, in Crescent Gardens, Harrogate, on the evening of Monday, July 4, as part of the Harrogate Music Festival.
Slingsby Gin will be providing two free gin tastings for each audience member, which can be sipped whilst listening to the music of Purcell, Handel and Dowland.
Whilst William Slingsby discovered the unique properties of the natural spring water from Harrogate’s Tewit Well in 1571, more than 40 years later Slingsby Gin captured the ‘Spirit of Harrogate’, synonymous with its beautiful and restorative nature, in a variety of different gins.
Tickets cost £28 and are available here or by calling the Harrogate International Festivals box office on 01423 562303.
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Harrogate property developer gets 16-month drink-driving ban
Harrogate property developer Adam Thorpe has been banned from driving for 16 months after being caught almost twice over the legal limit.
Thorpe, 41, of Ingerthorpe Hall, Markington, was stopped by police in November last year on the B6265 near Risplith Hill.
He was found to have 66 micrograms of alcohol per 100 ml of breath. The legal limit is 35 micrograms.
Thorpe pleaded not guilty in April but changed his plea at Harrogate Magistrates Court on Friday.
Magistrates said his 16-month disqualification from driving would be reduced by 16 weeks if he completed a course.
Thorpe was fined £984. He was also ordered to pay £98 to victim services and costs of £85 to the Crown Prosecution Service.
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Thorpe announced plans for a £75 million redevelopment of the former Harrogate Borough Council building at Crescent Gardens in 2017.
The plans included luxury apartments, an art gallery, underground car park, swimming pool and restaurant.
But his company ATP Ltd went into administration with debts of almost £11 million.
Redevelopment of former Harrogate council headquarters approvedPlans to transform Harrogate Borough Council’s former headquarters with a two-storey extension and rooftop restaurant have been approved five years after the authority vacated the building.
The proposals for Crescent Gardens – which has sat empty since 2017 – also include a gym and new office space.
Harrogate-based property developers Impala Estates bought the building for £4 million in 2020 and are behind the plans after previous proposals for luxury apartments and an art gallery fell through.
Speaking at a council meeting today, David Hartley, director at Impala Estates, said the latest plans would bring “significant public benefits” to the town.
He said:
“Unusually for an application of this size, there have only been five letters of complaint from members of the public.
“The small number of complaints is perhaps testament to the level of pre-application public consultation we undertook and that the final design has, where possible, taken this into account.
“This scheme brings significant public benefits which include bringing an empty building back into use and creating quality office space.”
Knapping Mount
Crescent Gardens was vacated by the council when it moved into its new Knapping Mount headquarters in 2017.
At the time, the council announced it would sell the building to property developer Adam Thorpe who had plans for a £75 million redevelopment including luxury apartments, an art gallery, underground car park, swimming pool and restaurant.
However, Mr Thorpe’s company ATP Ltd then fell into administration with debts of almost £11 million, including £24,394 owed to the council.
The latest proposals from Impala Estates had attracted objections from Historic England which questioned the public benefits and said the roof extension should not exceed one storey.
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Some residents living on Swan Road raised further concerns over their privacy and how else the rooftop terrace could be used if the restaurant failed.
Speaking at today’s meeting, resident Jackie Davis said:
“Mr primary concern is the roof terrace – this must have adequate screening, preferably trees behind the roof glass balustrade to try to protect our privacy.
“As we already know, many restaurant spaces are empty in Harrogate. The Royal Baths directly opposite the building has recently failed.
“I worry that this venue will follow the same fate over the years, leading to the possibility of a bar or perhaps a nightclub ending up there.”
In response, council officers said licensing restrictions would be put on the building’s use.
It was also agreed that extra screening would be installed on the rooftop terrace.
Furthermore, Mr Hartley said double-yellow lines would be introduced on the nearby Swan Lane to reduce disruption from parking and deliveries which he added would be “significantly less” than when the council occupied the building.
Long-running saga
Today’s decision to grant approval will have felt like a big weight off the shoulders of the council which is keen to see the long-running saga of Crescent Gardens come to an end.
But attention will soon turn to the future of its new Knapping Mount headquarters which has been brought into question ever since last year’s announcement that the council will be abolished in April 2023.
The council said the building cost £13 million. However, the Stray Ferret investigated the overall cost of the move from Crescent Gardens and put the figure closer to £17 million.
A decision on how the site is used in the future could well fall into the hands of the newly-elected members of the forthcoming North Yorkshire Council.
All Creatures Great and Small filmed in Harrogate over bank holidayFilm crews were in Harrogate again over the bank holiday to film the latest series of All Creatures Great and Small.
The road outside the former Harrogate Borough Council offices at Crescent Gardens was closed to enable filming to take place for the third series of Channel 5‘s adaptation of the books by James Herriot.
Filming began in March and has taken the cast and crew around the Dales to areas such as Grassington, Summerbridge and Pateley Bridge for the programme about the life of a vet in the Yorkshire Dales.
Reader Holly Chaplin sent us some images over the weekend after spotting a classic car and multiple men in tweed being filmed outside Crescent Gardens.
This is the second time in a few weeks the former council buildings have been used as a backdrop for a TV series. At the beginning of last month it was used as a location for Netflix’s new show Bank of Dave.
Plans to redevelop Crescent Gardens, which include a two-storey extension, rooftop restaurant, gym and new office space, are recommended for approval next week.
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Harrogate has been visited by numerous film crews and stars in recent weeks.
Ms Chaplin also sent us a photo of wildlife presenter Steve Backshall, taken when he appeared at a show at Harrogate’s Royal Hall yesterday.
Steve Backshall in Harrogate yesterday. Pic by Holly Chaplin
Plans to redevelop Harrogate council’s former headquarters set to be approved
Plans to redevelop Harrogate Borough Council’s former headquarters have been recommended for approval next week.
The proposals for Crescent Gardens, which has sat empty for five years, include a two-storey extension, rooftop restaurant, gym and new office space.
The plans have been recommended for approval at a meeting on May 10 after the council’s planning department released a report saying the redevelopment would “increase the vitality of this town centre site and prove beneficial in boosting Harrogate’s economy”.
Harrogate-based property developers Impala Estates are behind the proposals after purchasing the building for £4 million in 2020.
This came after the council moved to its new Knapping Mount headquarters in 2017.
At the time, the council announced it would sell Crescent Gardens to property developer Adam Thorpe who had plans for a £75 million redevelopment including luxury apartments, an art gallery, underground car park, swimming pool and restaurant.
But two years later, Mr Thorpe’s company ATP Ltd fell into administration with debts of almost £11 million, including £24,394 owed to the council.
Crescent Gardens
Crescent Gardens then went back up for sale and was eventually bought by Impala Estates.
Historic England objection
In the report to next Tuesday’s meeting, the council’s planning department said the latest plans from Impala Estates would “alter the locality but on balance are considered acceptable.”
An objection by Historic England questioned the public benefits and said the roof extension should not exceed one storey. The body also said the plans relate “very poorly” to the existing building.
However, the council has argued this view contradicts a previous assessment from Historic England’s predecessor body, English Heritage, which described the building as “poorly proportioned in classical terms” because it was originally restricted to two storeys.
These comments came when English Heritage refused listed status for the building in 2002.
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Meanwhile, the latest proposals have already won the support of Harrogate Civic Society which described the scheme as “excellent”.
The civic society previously said:
“The existing roof lends itself to a two-storey extension, something that was advocated many times to Harrogate Borough Council, making use of the original design that envisaged future extensions at roof level.
“We are pleased to see that the building will be retained and refurbished as offices, with a restaurant on the roof and meeting rooms within the historic core, as this will retain a degree of public access and use of the building.”