The mother of a 15-year-old boy seriously injured in a collision on the way to school in Harrogate has issued an emotional plea for road safety improvements.

Stephanie Talbot’s son Reuben was one of two Rossett School students hit by a pick-up truck on Yew Tree Lane on February 2.

Four months on from the collision, she has given her backing to a campaign to impose a 20mph limit on streets across a swathe of south and west Harrogate.

In a statement read by road safety campaigner and fellow parent Jenny Marks at today’s meeting of North Yorkshire Council‘s Harrogate and Knaresborough area constituency committee, she said:

“They were on the pavement [when they were hit]. My daughter was also involved in the collision as her car was hit by the same truck. My youngest son was right behind his brother on the pavement and so witnessed the whole incident.

“My husband and I were right there within a few minutes of the accident happening. Reuben’s body had landed in positions it should never be in.

“Pieces of wall had to be removed from his body and he had eight broken bones: arms, leg and back… I was later told that when the paramedics arrived his stats showed that he could easily have died while on the ground there.

“I will never get over what I saw and heard that day.”

Some members of the committee were moved to tears as Dr Marks continued to read Ms Talbot’s statement.

It said her daughter had never felt safe walking to school in the area and had even been hit by a car near Rossett Sports Centre last September – which also happened while she was on the path.

Ms Talbot said she felt a 20mph network around schools in Harrogate would make children and parents feel safer to walk and cycle around the area, adding:

“Putting action in place should not be done as a consequence to a child’s injury or even death, but this accident should be a wake-up call to all parents, grandparents and the community to know that we need to make a change in our beautiful but busy town to enable our children to feel safe.

“Seventeen weeks on and many aspects of our lives are still on hold because of these injuries. I cannot even explain the pain and trauma that we have all gone through and will live with for the rest of our lives.

“Please be the people that make a difference.”

Petition

Campaigners Hazel Peacock and Vicki Evans presented a petition at the meeting with 924 signatures from people in support of reducing the speed limit to 20mph across the Oatlands, Hookstone, Pannal Ash and St George’s areas, where around 9,000 children attend local schools.

Ms Peacock told the meeting that evidence from other projects around the UK showed the reduction could have a significant impact on the severity of collisions.

She added:

“You have just heard of the devastating effects of the collision on Yew Tree Lane in February, and you are also aware of the collision outside Oatlands Junior School, also on the pavement, in January.

“These awful events coupled with overwhelming evidence of the benefits of 20mph limits demonstrate why change is urgently needed.”

Hazel Peacock handed the petition to North Yorkshire Council last month, with support from councillors and campaigners

While councillors on all sides of the chamber gave their support to the calls for a reduced speed limit, the Conservatives highlighted the fact that a pilot project had already been requested.

North Yorkshire Council is developing a policy on 20mph limits around schools and other urban areas, and Cllr John Mann (Conservative, Oatlands and Pannal) said he was keen to see the results of that work guide how a lower speed limit could be used in the area.

Conservative Cllr Sam Gibbs of the Valley Gardens and Central Harrogate division said:

“I do have one very slight reservation: 99% of the roads that are in this scheme I don’t have an issue with. However, the main roads of Leeds Road and Otley Road would be a slight concern to me if they were brought in to 20mph.”

Read more:

• Blanket 20mph limit across south Harrogate ‘urgently needed’
• Harrogate school road safety petition handed in to council

Cllr Paul Haslam, the Conservative councillor for Bilton and Nidd Gorge, said there needed to be a shift in attitudes and behaviours to make the school run safer, adding:

“We can put in a 20mph speed limit, but at the end of the day it’s all about behavioural and attitude changes to this. When we did the stats on Harrogate in 2018, I think more than 60% of the journeys in this town are less than 1.8km – not even miles, 1.8km.

“Surely we should be able to walk those distances, and a lot of that is to do with school commuting.”

The Liberal Democrats put forward a motion in support of the petition, calling on North Yorkshire Council to deliver a 20mph limit on streets across the area.

The proposal was voted through and will be passed to NYC’s executive.

Liberal Democrat Cllr Matt Walker, representing the Knaresborough West division, added:

“This is an opportunity that we should not miss and we need to show the executive our views on this.

“This tragedy should not have happened and it’s within our gift to send that message on our views to the executive so that this does not happen to anybody else.”

A plan to convert a 150-year-old church in Harrogate into a house has been approved.

All Saints Church on Otley Road was formerly opened in 1871 as a cemetery chapel.

It was designated as a grade-II listed building in 1975, but was forced to shut in November 2006 due to wet and dry rot.

Three-years later the church closed for good as it was considered unsafe.

Now, North Yorkshire Council has given the go-ahead for the church to be converted into a three-bedroom house.

Read more:

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The application, submitted by ELG Planning on behalf of Mr and Mrs Hunter, said the church could be salvaged and brought back into use.

In a planning statement, the developers said:

“The former Church of All Saints is a building in much need of attention. 

“The applicant has belief that the existing building can be resurrected with restoration and modification to form a long term home for themselves and enjoyed by family members. 

“Without foresight the building can, with the right approach be salvaged, and put to continued use as a sanctuary and place of continued life.”

Harrogate’s skies were transformed into a dazzling display of colour last night due to the Northern Lights.

The Met Office said yesterday the arrival of fast solar winds could mean the aurora borealis would be visible in Scotland and possibly northern England.

Sally Margerison, a keen observer of the astral phenomenon, was once again on hand to capture it beautifully from her house in Harlow Hill.

Ms Margerison follows the Aurora Alerts twitter site, which predicts the lights could be seen again tonight over the Harrogate district. She said:

“If the aurora ovation is KP 5 or above it’s likely to be visible in northern England.

“The KP was 6 last night so I am lucky to have a good view of the northern horizon from my loft window and can easily see it if there’s clear skies.

“It’s predicted to be a high KP tonight as well.”

Read more:

• Northern Lights captured over Harrogate  
• New plans submitted to create 12 flats in former Harrogate care home

The Northern Lights were visible over the Harrogate district last night.

The Met Office said the aurora borealis would be visible further south than usual last night and tonight.

Sally Margerison, who lives on Harlow Hill, captured this fantastic photo of the astral phenomenon.

The light show occurs when electrically charged particles from space enter the Earth’s upper atmosphere at high speed. It may be visible again tonight over the district.

Send us your images to contact@thestrayferret.co.uk.

The Aurora Borealis may be visible as far south as central England tonight where skies remain clear

The Northern Lights are also likely to be seen again on Monday night pic.twitter.com/EBedkN8ytd

— Met Office (@metoffice) February 26, 2023

Read more:

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• Meet the man aiming to restore pride and ambition at Rossett School

A familiar fruit and vegetable brand in Harrogate for more than 50 years is set to move to a new home next month.

Regal Fruiterers will leave its King’s Road home to take over a vacant shop at 137 Otley Road.

Peter and Dawn Weatherhead, who have run the business for the last 21 years, said they would take their two part-time staff with them when they move.

Mr Weatherhead told the Stray Ferret:

“We’re closing the shop on King’s Road on Saturday, March 18, the day before Mother’s Day.

“We’re then reopening on Harlow Hill on Friday, March 24.

“Regal has been in Harrogate for over 50 years and we’re excited to be writing a new chapter.”

The unit has been a fruit and veg shop for the last few years, first set up by Shepherd’s Dog landlords Mike and Donna Schofield.

They took on the shop after running a stall outside the pub during covid and realising the level of demand in the area. They decided to end the project in autumn 2021 and focus on the pub.

Read more:

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• Harrogate’s Otley Road to be dug up again

In early 2022, the shop was reopened by Ilkley-based Wharfedale Fruit and Veg, which ran the shop until last October, when it was taken on by The Village Greengrocer.

However, residents took to social media to express frustration that the shop was not always open as expected, and it has since closed for good.

Mr Weatherhead said he hoped there would be a warm welcome from the community when Regal opens its doors in four weeks’ time.

“A lot of our customers live up in the Harlow Hill area anyway, and a lot of the customers we have spoken to on King’s Road have said they’ll follow us up there.

“I’ve introduced myself to the shop owners and had a very warm welcome. It’s all good news.”

The shop will be open Monday to Saturday, 9am to 5pm, offering Regal’s range of fresh local produce and cooking ingredients.

Pressure is mounting for action to be taken to improve road safety around schools in Harrogate.

Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones has added his voice to calls for reduced speed limits and other measures.

It follows a collision on Thursday, February 2 outside Ashville College which saw two 15-year-old boys from Rossett School left with serious injuries.

Writing on his website, Community News, Mr Jones said he had written to the chief constable of North Yorkshire Police, Lisa Winward, to request immediate action.

He said he had called for mobile speed cameras to be deployed on Yew Tree Lane and Green Lane “as precautionary measures while the police investigate the cause of the accident”.

He has also asked Ms Winward to support traffic-calming measures around the area, including the introduction of 20mph zones outside the entrances to Rossett School and Ashville College.

He added:

“I have been supporting residents in the area for some time in their requests for the county council to work with the police to reduce speeds.

“While we do not yet know if speed was the cause of this incident, we do know that it is a real problem on the long straight roads near Rosset School (sic) and Ashville College.

“There is already a 20mph limit outside the Pannal Ash Road entrance to Rosset School (sic) but no obvious speed signage on Green Lane nor outside the entrance to Ashville on Yew Tree Lane. This seems odd and is something I would like the county council – who are the highways authority – to look at immediately.

“As a precaution too I have asked if police speed checks can be increased in the area while we await the outcome of the investigation. As soon as the investigation is completed any lessons must be identified and actions taken. Road safety around schools, all schools, is a priority.”

Meanwhile, a meeting last week saw 10 headteachers express their concerns to representatives of North Yorkshire County Council and North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service.

The meeting was chaired by Red Kite Learning Trust CEO Richard Sheriff and attended by the heads of Harrogate Grammar, Rossett, Rossett Acre, Ashville, Western, St Aidan’s, St John Fisher, Oatlands Infant and Oatlands Junior schools.

NYCC’s corporate director of business and environmental services, Karl Battersby, and highways area manager Melissa Burnham were also taken on a walking tour of the Oatlands area to see the problems and solutions proposed by local campaigners.

They also offered to do the same on Harlow Hill, and said they would report back with some proposals before Easter.

Dr Jenny Marks, who has spearheaded the campaign for changes for more than two years, told the Stray Ferret:

“It was very powerful that all the headteachers were there, and our councillors.

“The council representatives told us it was a difficult town to get changes in, but they definitely want to work with us on it.”

Read more:

• Accident reignites calls for safe routes to Harrogate schools
• Fundraiser for injured Rossett students passes £5,000 target

Councillors around the area have also been supporting the campaign, with two present at Wednesday’s meeting to back the schools’ concerns.

Cllr Mike Schofield, the Liberal Democrat representative for the Harlow and St George’s division of North Yorkshire County Council, said he has been backing the parents’ plans since the day he was elected.

He told the Stray Ferret:

“The tragic events of last week surely go to highlight the issues with the amount of traffic on our roads that are in very close proximity to four schools, one nursery and nursing homes. I know one of the two young men who were involved and get daily updates on their progress, which unfortunately could well be long and slow.

“If we really wish to promote active travel we need to ensure safer roads, safer crossings and safer footpaths. Council need to listen to local residents and have more meaningful and in-depth consultations and use local businesses when it comes to drawing up plans as they have greater knowledge and understanding of local issues.”

In the Oatlands area, parents have also been looking at measures including park-and-stride schemes using local car parks.

Parent Hazel Peacock, whose children attend Oatlands Infant and Junior schools, said they had had support from Cllr John Mann, the Conservative representative of the Oatlands division, who also attended the meeting.

Both he and Cllr Pat Marsh, the Lib Dem for Stray, Woodlands and Hookstone, had used some of their locality budgets to support the planned improvements.

Ms Peacock said she was hopeful NYCC would carry out improvements the footpath between Hookstone Road and Fulwith Mill Lane, to make it more usable even during winter months.

The Stray Ferret contacted Cllr Mann for his views, but had not received a response by the time of publication.

The company behind planned changes to bus routes around Harrogate has said they are vital to protect services in the face of worsening congestion.

The Harrogate Bus Company – part of Transdev – said its concessionary passenger numbers had fallen, while roads have become more congested, meaning it has to use extra resources to maintain current service levels.

It follows complaints from customers that changes to the number 6 route in Harlow Hill, and combining the 2A and 2B in Bilton, could leave vulnerable people more isolated.

The Harrogate Bus Company’s General Manager Steve Otley said:

“We are currently carrying only 70% of concessionary customers compared with 2019, prior to the pandemic. Meanwhile, worsening road congestion in Harrogate, which has no bus priority measures, means extra resources are needed to maintain service levels.

“We published our intentions in December to give our customers chance to understand the changes well in advance.”

Residents and social groups had contacted the Stray Ferret with concerns that the streamlined route of the number 6, skipping out Harlow Avenue and the stop outside the Green Hut community centre, could mean elderly and disabled people were unable to access the service.

While the nearest stops on the new route are just a few hundred metres away, they said this distance could be prohibitive for people with mobility problems.

In Bilton, combining the two routes will mean residents on Woodfield Road and Dene Park will be unable to access shops and services around King Edward’s Drive without going into town and catching the next bus back out again.

Read more:

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The concerns have been backed by local representatives, including Paul Haslam, Conservative councillor for Bilton and Nidd Gorge, who said he was hoping to negotiate with North Yorkshire County Council and the bus company to find a solution.

Cllr Mike Schofield, who represents the Harlow and St George’s division for the Liberal Democrats, said:

“Whilst I accept how finances work within business, I feel that there is surely an option for an hourly bus to ensure the elderly and those with physical restrictions still have a means to get out and have their independence.

“Are we not supposed to be supporting active travel for all?”

However, Mr Otley said the proposed changes, coming into effect from Sunday, February 19, were the best compromise between route and frequency of service.

He said the decisions had been made based on current use of stops along the route, adding:

“We have managed to protect the frequency of route 6 at every 30 minutes with a slightly quicker route, so the Green Hut stop is no longer used. On average, eight customers per day catch a bus from there, six of whom use concessionary passes – and the majority travel between 9am and 11am, suggesting they’re not Green Hut users.

“On the 2, we’ll be delivering more frequent services for the majority of our Bilton customers with a new timetable for route 2. As with the Green Hut stop on the 6, the stops we will no longer serve carry a small number of customers each day.

“On the current 2A and 2B, 98% of customers travel to/from the town centre, the small number of local trips are to/from King Edward Drive Top which will still be possible on the new route. Customers can also change buses at King Edward Drive Top.

“While we appreciate that a small number of residents will be inconvenienced, this change protects the timetable and speeds up journeys for the vast majority, protecting the busier stops along the route.”

A campaign to make travel to school safer in Harrogate has been reignited by a collision that left two teenagers in hospital.

The boys, both aged 15 and students at Rossett School, suffered serious injuries requiring multiple operations since the collision last Thursday morning.

A group of parents had already been asking for 20mph zones and safe crossing points around routes to school on Harlow Hill and now say the work is urgently needed before anyone else is hurt.

Dr Jenny Marks has spearheaded the campaign with fellow Harlow Hill resident Ruth Lily. They have spent more than two years putting together evidence and consulting with local people about potential changes to the roads around the area.

Their petition to create a ‘safe streets zone’ has more than 750 signatures.

Dr Marks said:

“We didn’t want to put an application in in isolation and it be unpleasant to the residents.

“So we went to the schools and sports centres and each of them had views on what should be outside their school.

“We created a map and presented that to the local residents’ association and made that the basis for the petition that’s running now. That’s what we have put into the application too.

“We’re doing as much as we can to get everybody’s ideas into one place.”

The pair have also joined forces with Oatlands residents Hazel Peacock and Vicki Evans, who have been working to get measures introduced around schools in their area too.

There are plans to set up schemes to reduce the volume of traffic around the infant and junior schools, including ‘park and stride’ using existing car parks in the area.

Oatlands Infant School. Photograph: Geograph, Derek Harper

All of the parents pointed out that, while primary school pupils often walk a short distance to school, they can be travelling much further when it comes to secondary education.

It is more common for secondary age children to walk to school alone, they said, so it was important for them to have acquired road safety skills from a younger age.

For that reason, they are pushing for a strategic approach across the whole area with coordinated measures in place – which, they also argued, would be more likely to be adhered to by motorists than a short stretch of 20mph zone that was never enforced, such as that on Pannal Ash Road.

Read more:

• Fundraising appeals set up for Rossett students injured in Harrogate crash
• Plan submitted for 20mph zones around five schools in Harrogate

The campaigners said they were frustrated by the lack of action on the issue since they began calling for change more than two years ago.

In November 2021, North Yorkshire County Council project engineer Paul Ryan wrote to Dr Marks to say the highways department was “considering a number of options and designs to implement traffic calming measures”, subject to funding.

However, he added:

Some of the most vulnerable members of the community could be left isolated if planned changes to bus routes come into effect later this month, according to opponents.

The number 6 on Harlow Hill and the 2a and 2b in Bilton are both being changed by operator The Harrogate Bus Company, part of Transdev, from Sunday, February 19.

Residents on Harlow Hill said they have been told their nearest bus stop will be just a three-minute walk away – but they say that is not true for the many elderly and disabled people who rely on the service.

At the weekly Music and Movement group, which meets at the Green Hut on Harlow Avenue, there is serious concern about the impact of changes.

As the 20 members enjoyed tea and biscuits at the end of the session, volunteer Margaret Willis told the Stray Ferret:

“The ladies who come here are very able and capable, but they are also vulnerable. Many of them live on their own.

“They need to come out and socialise and exercise otherwise they are at risk of becoming isolated.”

The route changes will see the number 6 no longer serving Harlow Avenue or stops down Otley Road between its junctions with Beckwith Road and Pannal Ash Road.

Instead, it will travel up Otley Road, along Beckwith Road and straight back down Pannal Ash Road to join Otley Road.

The existing route of the 6, left, and the planned new route.

Crucially, the stop immediately outside the Green Hut will no longer be in use. Many of the Music and Movement group’s members arrive and depart by bus, and some are unable to reach the bus stops that will be on the new route.

The closest stops are 280m away on Beckwith Road up a slight incline, 500m away on Otley Road, and 450m away on Pannal Ash Road along a route that is partially uphill, which many group members said they could not manage.

Members of the Music and Movement group

One 92-year-old with mobility problems said she timed the supposed three-minute walk to the bus stop and it took her 20 minutes, even without carrying any bags.

Not only could the changes stop people getting to the Green Hut – putting some of its events at risk – but they could also affect people living on Harlow Hill travelling to medical and other appointments.

Volunteer Charlotte South added:

“I can’t tell you the upset this has caused.

“We want someone from Transdev to come and walk the route with our group and see what the changes really mean for people.”

The members of Music and Movement said they would be happy for an hourly bus, instead of half-hourly, if it meant the route was kept as it is now. They also said they would be happy to pay towards their journeys in order to make the service viable.

Bilton buses

In Bilton, the 2A and 2B buses will be combined to make a single service, which some people have said will prevent them from accessing local shops and services on King Edward’s Drive.

The current 2A loop allows people living on Dene Park and Woodfield Road to use the bus to visit the chemist, Post Office or doctor’s surgery, and catch it back from the opposite side of the road.

When the changes come into effect, they will have to take the bus into town, and catch the next bus back out towards Bilton in order to get to King Edward’s Drive.

The current 2A and 2B routes, left, and the proposed single route of the 2 around Bilton and Woodfield.

Cllr Paul Haslam, who represents the Bilton and Nidd Gorge division on North Yorkshire County Council, said he has been contacted by a number of residents very concerned about the impact of the changes.

He told the Stray Ferret:

“My view is that it’s not ideal. I’m trying to change it back to keep it as it is – even if the service isn’t as frequent, at least it would still exist.

“One of the challenges is that Transdev are saying the numbers aren’t there. I understand their challenge which is why I’ve gone to North Yorkshire as well.”

He said he had been given hope by the news that the 24 bus through Nidderdale had been saved by funding from the county council when Transdev said it would have to drastically reduce the service.

“I would ideally like to see that route maintained. I think it’s important and I’m doing everything I can to try and keep it.”

The shops on King Edward’s Drive

However, for one business owner, the changes are welcome.

Andrew Hart, who runs the Red Box gift shop and Post Office on King Edward’s Drive, said:

“My view is controversial because that bus stop outside is a hub for anti-social behaviour, which we catch on CCTV.

“I’m quite happy that the bus stop and the bus route will be going. The buses that go around those two routes are far too big anyway and very rarely more than a quarter or a third full.

“I think the reduction of the route is a very sensible move. People will soon get used to the idea. Quite often, the buses don’t turn up, so most of [the customers] will walk through.”

The Stray Ferret approached Transdev about the concerns over the proposed changes, but had not received a response by the time of publication.

Information published when the route changes were announced last month said the company was prioritising “the busiest stops” and leaving out those used less frequently in order to “speed up journey times”.

Read more:

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Harrogate Borough Council is set to spend £55,000 on consultants and other professionals to help develop a new horticultural nursery to the north-west of the town.

In December, the council revealed it had identified an unspecified site in the Hampsthwaite and Killinghall ward to build a new nursery, which will pave the way for its current site in Harlow Hill to be sold for housing.

A report that will go before Conservative councillor Graham Swift, the council’s cabinet member for resources enterprise and economic development, next week, says the council now needs professional consultation and site investigations to complete the next phase of the project.

It asks Cllr Swift to approve £20,000 being spent on a consultant partner and £35,000 to undertake initial site surveys, investigations, planning fees and other works.

The council, which will be abolished at the end of next month, has said the construction of a new nursery will be financed through capital investment funding, money raised from the sale Harlow Hill nursery and income generated from the nursery.

The project will transfer to the new North Yorkshire Council after April 1.

Why does the council want to move from Harlow Hill?

Harlow Hill nursery is where Harrogate Borough Council grows flowers for its award-winning displays across the district. It also sells plants to members of the public to bring in revenue.

The nursery is a significant earner for the council with its 2020/21 annual report saying it brought in income of £153,477.

However, the council says it the facility is “no longer fit for purpose” and is unsuitable for redevelopment.

Read more:

• Harlow Hill and Pannal Ash residents bracing themselves for ’15 years of disruption’
• Losing horticultural nursery will be ‘big, sad loss’ for Harlow Hill, says councillor
• 62 homes set to be built at council’s Harlow Nursery

The land is accessed off either Otley Road or Harlow Moor Road. The council’s Harrogate district Local Plan 2014-35, which sets out where development can take place, says 40 homes can be built there.

A council report published last year recommended 62 “high-quality, carbon efficient” homes are built.

The authority is currently inviting expressions of interest in the land prior to a sale.

An emotional move for residents

Liberal Democrat member for Harlow & St Georges Division on North Yorkshire County Council, Michael Schofield, previously told the Local Democracy Reporting Service the move away from Harlow Hill will be keenly felt by residents as many have walked there to buy plants for decades.

He said people enjoyed visiting and walking through the Pinewoods and Valley Gardens afterwards.

He added the nursery also served as part of a horticultural trail as it connects with RHS Garden Harlow Carr and the charity nursery Horticap.

Cllr Schofield said:

“I understand what people may call progress but we have three fantastic horticultural sites all within walking distance of each other. That inspires people. Residents living here will be very sad to see it go.”