Council orders deep clean for Ripon War MemorialNorth Yorkshire Council is arranging for Ripon’s War Memorial to have a deep clean to rid it of dirt and algae.
Since it was unveiled in October 1921, the memorial in Spa Gardens has been the focal point of the city’s Services of Remembrance, commemorating those who served and died for their country in the conflicts of 1914-1918 and 1939-1945.
Each year hundreds of people, ranging from scouts and guides to former servicemen and women and civic dignitaries, gather in the gardens to pay respect to the fallen.
In recent years, some of the 339 names of Ripon men who died in the two world wars have become obscured by green algae.
This led Ripon City Council to call on the former Harrogate Borough Council to carry out a thorough clean.
City council leader Andrew Williams told the Stray Ferret:
“We raised the issue of the condition of the memorial on at least two separate occasions with officers at Harrogate council and were told 18 months ago that the memorial was on annual spring cleaning programme, but nothing happened.
“I’m pleased to say that we have had an immediate and positive response from the North Yorkshire parks and environmental services team.
“We have been advised that they have inspected the memorial and have instructed a specialist contractor to undertake cleaning in the coming weeks to bring it back up to the standard required.”
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Knaresborough alleyway cleaned after council receives complaintsAn alleyway off Knaresborough’s Market Place has been cleaned after the town council received numerous complaints about its condition.
The passage, next to William Hill bookmakers, is often used by drinkers on their way home and is scattered with litter.
Knaresborough Town Council paid for a team from Harrogate Pressure Washing to clean the passage yesterday.
Local residents have told the Stray Ferret that, amongst the litter, there is always often a foul smell and broken glass.
Knaresborough town councillor Andy Bell was amongst those calling for the alleyway to be cleaned. He said:
“Over the last months myself and other Knaresborough Town Council councillors have received complaints about the state of the passageway next to William Hill bookmakers.
“We were pleased to allocate some funds to get it deep cleaned and are very happy with the work done by Harrogate Pressure Washing. Let’s hope it stays that way for a while.”
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At the beginning of the year, the local business group Knaresborough Business Collective purchased a street sweeper for businesses to take out and keep areas of the town clean.
Ripon’s deep clean continues
Kirkgate, one of Ripon’s prime retail and hospitality streets and gateway to the city’s iconic cathedral (pictured below) has received a deep clean.
The operation was organised by Ripon Business Improvement District in phase two of an initiative designed to attract more visitors to the city and help businesses to benefit from increased footfall.
BID assistant manager Lilla Bathurst, said:
“We cleaned the Kirkgate pavements from the Cathedral to Duck Hill. After steam cleaning, all windows were washed and sills and boards wiped down.”
The work took place on Sunday night. Kirkgate to the Market Square was due to be cleaned last night in the next part of the work.
Last month, the BID’s clean up began with work which has rejuvenated four of Ripon’s busiest alleyways, used by thousands of people each week.
The BID, which levies businesses to fund city centre improvements, came into being after 70 of the 87 traders who voted this summer, supported setting up the body.
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Following the vote, more than 280 firms within the Ripon BID area are now contributing to an annual budget of £160,000 for projects to create a safer, cleaner and better promoted city centre.
The first networking events for businesses will be held on January 17 and 24.
A Harrogate BID was created in 2019 but plans for a BID in Knaresborough were rejected in October.
Harrogate’s deep clean is underwayA deep clean of Harrogate town centre began last night as retailers prepare to re-open next Monday.
The four-year contract for the clean was given to a team from the Yorkshire-based company UK Nationwide Cleaning services. The team began on Market Street and Cross James Street.
The clean is expected to take three weeks with a team working through the night, five days a week. The pavements and street furniture will be power washed throughout Harrogate’s retail space.
The cleaning team began in the heart of the retail town today.
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Once the town centre clean is complete, it will then continue into the wider BID area.
Harrogate BID Interim Manager Simon Kent said:
“The deep clean of Harrogate town centre has been a long time coming, and I’m delighted that it has now got under way. In a recent survey by Harrogate BID, the majority of businesses who responded said they saw this as the number one priority. UK Nationwide Cleaning Services, whom we awarded the contract to, are experts in this line of cleaning, having worked successfully with BIDs across the UK, including a number in Yorkshire.”