A Christmas shopping event will be held in Hampsthwaite for another year to raise money for The Roddy Scott Foundation.
Lovingly Made in the Dales will make its return to the Harrogate village to showcase the work of local artisans and artists.
Guests can expect locally-made candles, jewellery, art and glass decorations, as well as a raffle and festive food and drinks.
The foundation is an educational charity that is dedicated to teaching English and providing career opportunities to the children of the Pankisi Gorge in Georgia.
Roddy Scott was a BBC journalist who was killed there while reporting on the second Chechen war – his family live near Pateley Bridge.
Founder Katie Andrew held the first event last Christmas raising £900 for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution.
She said:
“It will be a fun evening to enjoy with friends, whilst doing your Christmas shopping, supporting local artists & makers, and the amazing charity, The Roddy Scott Foundation.”
Those that would like to be involved in showcasing their work can contact Katie on 0777 5630 260.
The event will take place in Hampsthwaite Memorial Hall on Thursday, December 7, from 6pm – 9pm.
Tickets, which can be bought by contacting Katie, cost £10 per adult and includes a glass of wine, nibbles and a raffle ticket.
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Councillors have deferred making a decision on whether to allow a new MOT and servicing building at a garage near Hampsthwaite.
North Yorkshire Council’s Skipton and Ripon planning committee met yesterday afternoon to consider the application by Simon Graeme Auto Services Centre, which has operated at Graystone Plain Lane off the A59 for 30 years.
But despite the scheme being recommended for refusal by a planning officer because of its impact on the open countryside, councillors agreed the expansion would help support a long-running local business and boost the rural economy.
Ripon independent councillor Andrew Williams said the Nidderdale AONB should be a place for people to live and work and “not a museum for townies to visit on a weekend”.
However, before a final decision is made councillors asked for more details to be submitted around planting, drainage and renewable energy.
The current garage is located within the Nidderdale AONB, which has strict planning laws. The proposed new building, which would house two MOT bays and five servicing bays, sits on land just outside of the AONB.
Read more:
- Council rejects Hampsthwaite garage plan to relocate
- Hampsthwaite garage resubmits plan for new MOT building
A previous plan for a larger building was refused by officers in January but Nathan Hull, committee chair and Conservative councillor for Washburn and Birstwith, said there was a local need for the garage in the area.
The plans have received 55 messages of support and just one objection.
A visual of the planned new garage.
Cllr Hull said:
“My understanding is there’s a need for this garage and they’ve outgrown the site.
“Some proposals are great, such as having a study area for apprenticeships. There’s not a moratorium on any development within the AONB. People who live in the AONB have a need for employment and access to services”.
Mr Graeme told councillors the new building would future-proof his family business and allow it to service and repair electric vehicles. He said he has an ambition to create the first “green garage” in North Yorkshire.
Mr Graeme said:
“Location is the most important part. We’ve been there 30 years and proved that the service is very-much needed in the rural area. We provide jobs for local people which helps to support the rural economy. Opportunities will increase with our expansion”.
Councillors unanimously voted to defer the application pending more details on drainage, planting, solar panels and type of materials used.
Hampsthwaite garage’s expansion bid set to be rejected againCouncil officials have recommended refusing a plan for a Hampsthwaite garage to build a new MOT building.
Simon Graeme Auto Services Centre, which is based on Grayston Plain Lane, applied to build the facility on the opposite side of the road in June this year.
The garage, situated just off the A59 near Hampsthwaite, has been established for over 25 years.
The company said the new building would be used in association with the current base on the other side of the road, which would be retained.
Documents submitted to the council said:
“The proposed building will be used in association with the existing business which will be retained – as such main reception area will be as existing with service / MOT bay and the new building will enable the business to meet its growing demand and also provide safe space to service electric vehicles and larger leisure / agricultural vehicles.”
Read more:
- Council rejects Hampsthwaite garage plan to relocate
- Hampsthwaite garage resubmits plan for new MOT building
It added the new building was required in order for the business to adapt to changes in the industry.
However, North Yorkshire Council officers have recommended councillors refuse the plan at a meeting of the Skipton and Ripon area constituency planning committee next Tuesday (October 3).
In a report due before councillors, officers said:
“The site is located outside defined development limits in ‘open countryside’, where the principle of new build development is not supported.
“It is considered that the proposal would have an economic benefit to the area however by virtue of the scale and level of landscape harm created to the open countryside and views in and out of the Nidderdale AONB, the proposal would be contrary to national government policy.”
Councillors will make a decision on the plan at a meeting next week.
if they accept the officer’s recommendation to reject the scheme, it will be second time this year the council has refused the garage’s plans to create new facilities.
‘Proud Yorkshire lass’ wins £2m Harrogate farmhouse in Omaze drawA ‘proud Yorkshire lass’ has won a £2m farmhouse near Birstwith in the latest Omaze Million Pound House Draw.
Eliza Yahioglu, 56, was celebrating her birthday in Luxembourg when she received the news.
She and husband Gokhan, who will celebrate their 30th anniversary in November, now own the 17th century property between Hampsthwaite and Birstwith.
The house comes mortgage free, with stamp duty and legal fees covered. Eliza is free to either live in the house, rent it out or sell it.
Eliza Yahioglu discovered she’d won this on her birthday.
If Ms Yahioglu decides to let it out, the property could yield almost £50,000 a year in rent.
The couple, who have two children, have lived in London for nearly 40 years.
When told on holiday she’d won, Ms Yahioglu joked her husband was “going to struggle to top this for my birthday next year”.
She said:
“It was actually my birthday the day we found out I’d won – so we’d gone abroad to celebrate.
“We were in a bar at the time, which was the perfect place to start celebrating, we got a bottle of fizz in straight away. When we went to bed we still weren’t convinced it was real, we expected to wake up realising it had all been a dream.
“I’ve lived in London for almost 40 years but I’m a proud Yorkshire lass at heart. My parents and sister still live there, so we come up as often as we can.
The house comes with five acres of manicured grounds.
The house comes with a guest cottage and five acres of manicured grounds and gardens.
The property is two and a half miles from Hampsthwaite and one and a half miles from Birstwith.
The draw raised £1,950,000 for the charity Blood Cancer UK.
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- Million pound house draw comes to Harrogate
- Historic Harrogate family business to open for Heritage Open Days
Red Arrows due to fly over Harrogate this afternoon
The Red Arrows are due to fly over the Harrogate area this afternoon.
According to the schedule, the jets will pass over Hampsthwaite at 4.14pm.
The RAF aerobatics display team is making a 26-minute flight from RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire to Blackpool, where an air show is being held tomorrow.
The Red Arrows was formed in 1964. It consists of nine red jets that are often accompanied with red, white and blue smoke.
If you catch the Red Arrows on camera, send us a photo at contact@thestrayferret.co.uk
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- Major Harrogate road set to close each evening for three weeks
Harrogate village bridge to close to pedestrians and cyclists tomorrow
A Harrogate village bridge is to fully close tomorrow for five weeks of repair work costing £60,000.
North Yorkshire Council closed the grade two listed Hampsthwaite Bridge suddenly on June 2.
It quickly re-opened to pedestrians and cyclists but has remained closed to vehicles.
Now it is expected to be fully inaccessible until September.
The bridge, on Church Lane, has three arches spanning the River Nidd.
Councillor Keane Duncan, the Conservative executive member for highways and transport, said:
“On inspection of Hampsthwaite Bridge, our engineers found that the parapet has been pushed out over the edge of the bridge deck and this has damaged several of the corbels that support from beneath.
“These need to be repaired and 15 metres of the parapet taken down and rebuilt using hot mixed lime mortar.”
The bridge, which links Hampsthwaite with Clint, is popular with pedestrians, dog walkers, cyclists and runners.
Cllr Michael Harrison, a Conservative who represents Hampsthwaite on the council, said:
“We appreciate the disruption the closure is having on road users so please be assured that our engineers have been getting plans in motion to carry out the repairs as quickly as possible.
“We will keep the public updated on the works as they progress.”
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- Hampsthwaite garage resubmits plan for new MOT building
Harrogate village bridge repairs set to last five weeks
Repairs to a Harrogate village bridge which has been closed since June are set to last five weeks.
North Yorkshire Council closed the bridge on Church Lane in Hampsthwaite suddenly and without warning on June 2.
The closure came after a two-inch wide gap appeared at the side of the bridge following a vehicle collision, prompting safety concerns.
Council officials have confirmed that repairs will start on the bridge on July 24 and last for five weeks. It will be closed to traffic, pedestrians and cyclists during the work.
Cllr Keane Duncan, executive councillor for highways at the council, said:
“The maintenance of our often historic bridges across the county is a huge task for our officers and unfortunately there are times when we encounter unforeseen repair work.
“On inspection of Hampsthwaite Bridge, our engineers found that the parapet has been pushed out over the edge of the bridge deck and this has damaged several of the corbels that support from beneath.
“These need to be repaired and 15 metres of the parapet taken down and rebuilt using hot mixed lime mortar.”
PBS Construction (North East) Ltd has been awarded a £50,567 contract to carry out repairs on the bridge.
The company was also hired to construct the first phase Otley Road cycle path in September 2021.
Read more:
- Harrogate village bridge set for lengthy closure
- Harewood Bridge to be closed for repairs for four weeks
Cllr Michael Harrison, who represents Hampsthwaite on North Yorkshire Council, said:
The Harrogate district business making a ‘once in a generation’ move“We appreciate the disruption the closure is having on road users so please be assured that our engineers have been getting plans in motion to carry out the repairs as quickly as possible.
“We will keep the public updated on the works as they progress.”
Relocating businesses is a common sight with some upscaling and others downsizing.
But, for one Harrogate district firm, moving the company which has been based in the same place for half a century to the other side of the A1(M) is a once in a generation decision.
Northern Energy has operated from its headquarters in Hampsthwaite for 70 years.
It was founded by Ralph Robinson in 1932 when it supplied milk and coal before moving to its current base in the 1950s where the company stared to distribute agricultural and commercial oil.
These days, the firm has ambitions to shift into the renewable gas trade.
However, to do that it needed a bigger base.
‘Once in a generational spend’
James Illingworth, Ralph’s great-grandson and director of sales at Northern Energy, said they identified Marton-cum-Grafton as its new home some three years ago.
For him, he describes the project to relocate as a decision made only once in a generation.
He said:
“This is a once in a generational spend, if you want to put it that way.
“We have been at our current site for 70 years. This is gearing up for the next 50 years really. I’m fourth generation.
“We want to keep it as a family business and it’s one of those big spends that we’ve got to make for the future.”
Work being carried out on the new Northern Energy site.
The new headquarters will be based off Limebar Lane on the A168 and is 15 miles from the current home.
The company bought the land from WA Pick and Sons farm and started work on phase one at the start of June.
As part of the plans, 10,000 square feet of office space, a vehicle depot, LPG and oil storage tanks and a new car park will be built.
Mr Illingworth said much of the driving force behind moving the family-firm was the need for space in order to grow the company in the coming years.
“The site that we are currently at [in Hampsthwaite], we have been there since the 50s. We have basically run out of space and it is not fit for purpose anymore.
“The gas storage is what we really need to take our business to the next level and we can’t put it there. That was the main driver for moving sites.”
Read more:
- Northern Energy begins work on new Harrogate district headquarters
- Council approves Northern Energy plan to move from Hampsthwaite
The new site will be accessed via the A168, which runs parallel to the A1(M) near Boroughbridge.
Part of the reason for choosing the Limebar Lane site was to take advantage of the motorway system, says Mr Illingworth.
“The great thing about this new location is the access to the motorway, which will give us connectivity down to the refinery a lot better.
“It will reduce our journey times, which will mean we will get an extra shift in and extra load in from the refinery per day.
“It might not seem a lot, but we lose a lot of time going through Harrogate every day on Wetherby Road and Skipton Road. That time that we save will be really important from a logistics point of view.”
Completion of the first phase, which includes the 400,000 litres of gas storage and loading bays, is earmarked for completion in March 2024.
From there, the company hopes to construct the staff offices and begin trading more in renewable gas.
For Mr Illingworth, the site is the next step for Northern Energy in its evolution as a company.
Hampsthwaite garage resubmits plan for new MOT building“The site generally is more suited to the size of our business and for future growth.”
A longstanding garage in Hampsthwaite has resubmitted plans for a new MOT building.
Simon Graeme Auto Services Centre, which is based on Grayston Plain Lane, applied to relocate to the opposite side of the road last year.
The garage, situated just off the A59 near Hampsthwaite, has been established for over 25 years.
The move would have seen a new purpose-built facility created and the current MOT centre and car park demolished.
The new garage would also have included units for MOT servicing, training space and a reception and office. Fifteen car parking spaces would be provided, including six electric vehicle charging points.
However, Harrogate Borough Council rejected the proposal on the grounds that the development site was in open countryside and considered to be “unsustainably located”.
Read more:
- Council rejects Hampsthwaite garage plan to relocate
- County council agrees creation of 30-year housing plan
Now, the garage has resubmitted the plans to North Yorkshire Council which include a reduced MOT building size with the removal of the office and reception.
It adds the new building would be used in association with the current base on the other side of the road, which would be retained.
Documents submitted to the council said:
“The proposed building will be used in association with the existing business which will be retained – as such main reception area will be as existing with service / MOT bay and the new building will enable the business to meet its growing demand and also provide safe space to service electric vehicles and larger leisure / agricultural vehicles.”
The company added the new building was required in order for the business to adapt to changes in the industry.
It said:
“The proposed development seeks to create and deliver a simple, functional building to enable the business to grow and adapt to the changing needs of the business arising from growth of EV / hybrid vehicles and demand for servicing of larger leisure and agricultural vehicles.”
North Yorkshire Council will make a decision on the plan at a later date.
Northern Energy begins work on new Harrogate district headquartersNorthern Energy has started construction on new headquarters in the Harrogate district.
The company is currently based in Hampsthwaite, where it has operated for more than half a century.
The firm distributes domestic, commercial and agricultural oil and liquified petroleum gas across the north of England.
However, Northern Energy is set to relocate operations to Limebar Lane, one kilometre from the village of Marton-cum-Grafton and next to the A168.
The plans include 10,000 square feet of office space, a vehicle depot, liquified petroleum gas and oil storage tanks and a new car park.
James Illingworth, director of sales at Northern Energy, told the Stray Ferret:
“The site that we are currently at [in Hampsthwaite], we have been there since the 1950s. We have basically run out of space and it is not fit for purpose anymore.
“The gas storage is what we really need to take our business to the next level and we can’t put it there. That was the main driver for moving sites.”
The move to build the new base comes after Harrogate Borough Council gave planning permission for the site in February 2021.
The company said the new headquarters will provide better access to the motorway and reduce journey times for distribution.
Work being carried out on the new Northern Energy site.
Construction at the site is being carried out by Harrogate company HACS and is being built in two phases.
The first phase, which includes the gas storage site, is expected to be complete by March 2024.
Look for a more in-depth article on Northern Energy’s move to Marton-cum-Grafton on the Stray Ferret this weekend.
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