‘You’re banned’: Harrogate pubs introduce new sanctions against troublemakers

People caught drug dealing in Harrogate venues face 18 month bans in a new list of sanctions that comes into force today.

Harrogate Pubwatch, which represents 38 licensed venues in town, has updated its list of ban tariffs.

The tariffs state how long people caught offending in one venue face being banned from all venues that take part in the scheme.

Members of Harrogate Pubwatch, which includes pubs such as Wetherspoon and Christies Bar as well as hotel bars such as The Crown and the Cedar Court Hotel, share information and photos of troublemakers on an app.

They then have a week to vote on what action to take, with the ban tariffs acting as a guide.

Acts of violence carry a 24-month ban, sexual harassment has a nine-month ban and possession of weapons carries a life ban. Eleven people currently have life bans.

Harrogate Pubwatch ban tariffs

Acts of violence against venue staff, which carries a 30-month ban, has been introduced as a new category following a recent increase in incidents.

Alan Huddart, vice-chair of Harrogate Pubwatch and treasurer of Bilton Working Men’s Club, said there had been four attacks on venue staff in town since pubs reopened after lockdown.

Mr Huddart said he wasn’t sure why staff were being attacked more but the app had proved effective in taking collaborative action to keep venues safe. He said:

“At the moment we have a total of 46 people banned. There have been as many as over 100 previously.

“You could argue that lockdown has been responsible for the number declining but increasing the profile of Harrogate Pubwatch has been effective.”

Harrogate Pubwatch holds quarterly meetings with police representatives.

Harrogate Business Improvement District contributed £2,000 towards the Harrogate Pubwatch app.

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Weeds blitz in Harrogate town centre

A cleaning crew has been tacking weeds on some of Harrogate busiest shopping streets to improve the town’s appearance.

Contractors have been pulling up weeds and using herbicides for three consecutive nights on streets including Victoria Avenue, Cambridge Street, Albert Street, Crescent Road and Oxford Street.

They are acting on behalf of Harrogate Business Improvement District, which has a remit to enhance the town centre appearance.

Over the last 18 months it has also power washed pavements and street furniture, increased floral displays and brightened empty shop windows.

Matthew Chapman, manager of Harrogate BID, said town centre weeds had been a “major talking point”, adding:

“The team worked for a number of nights pulling weeds by hand, using garden tools as well as spraying them with an environmentally-safe herbicide.

“With autumn and winter just around the corner, we hope this work will mean they are kept at bay until the spring.

“For our levy payers, it’s imperative that Harrogate looks at its best at all times, and that’s what we are working hard to achieve.”

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Gallery: Eye-catching mural brings joy to Harrogate street

An artist has brought joy and a splash of colour to a town centre street with a huge mural dedicated to Harrogate as a gateway to the Yorkshire Dales.

Harrogate Business Improvement District (BID) is behind the eye-catching project on Cross James Street, between James Street and Market Place.

The painting is the work of Harrogate artist Sam Porter from Mural Minded. This latest piece features blue tits, fields and Crimple Valley Viaduct.

Last month, Sam created a ‘joyous’ wall mural on the side of a house in Cheapside, Knaresborough – featuring swallows and butterflies.

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Harrogate BID chair Sara Ferguson said:

“We are absolutely delighted with the results of Sam’s eye-catching and ambitious mural.

“Cross James Street between James Street and Market Place is a very busy snicket, but for many years has been one of the drabbest streets in the town centre.

“This mural has added a real splash of colour. We have received plenty of comments about Sam’s work and it’s certainly been getting a lot of mentions on social media.

“For an organisation that’s here to improve the town centre environment, this mural certainly ticks that box.”

It’s not the only giant artwork set to give a Harrogate street a makeover. Last month Harrogate residents and businesses were asked to submit ideas to help give Cambridge Place a colourful makeover.

More pictures from Cross James Street:

Harrogate business organisations launch Station Gateway survey

Three Harrogate business organisations have set up a survey on the upcoming £10.9 million Station Gateway project in an effort to gather more views on the scheme.

Harrogate BID, Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce and Independent Harrogate sent the survey out to around 800 of their members.

The aim is to gather opinions ahead of the second consultation of the gateway project, which is currently at design stage, in order to inform a response.

The scheme, which is being led by North Yorkshire County Council, Harrogate Borough Council and West Yorkshire Combined Authority, is designed to cut congestion in the town.

It could also see part of James Street pedestrianised in an effort to encourage more walking and cycling.

But, David Simister, chief executive of the chamber of commerce, told the Stray Ferret that more people needed to be consulted on the project.

He said:

“We are coming into the second round of consultation and we are trying to gauge the reaction of businesses.

“That is why we are doing it.”

Mr Simister pointed out that 1,100 people took part in the first round of consultation, but added that more needed to “feel a part” of the process.

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He said that the chamber was also looking at holding an in-person Q&A session between businesses and the county council at a later date.

Following the outcome of the next round of consultation, further detailed design plans are expected in September ahead of a final business case being complete.

A final proposal for the project is anticipated to go before the county council’s executive in December.

As the Stray Ferret previously reported, the county council has anticipated that work could start on the £10.9 million project in February next year.

It follows the recent publication of a 160-page document analysing responses to the first round of consultation to the scheme, which is a joint initiative between Harrogate Borough Council, North Yorkshire County Council and the West Yorkshire Combined Authority.

Of 935 people who replied to a consultation question about traffic on Station Parade in an online survey, 49 per cent preferred the one-lane option, 27 per cent preferred the two-lane option and 24 per cent preferred neither.

Of the 934 who replied to a question about pedestrianising the northern section of James Street, between Princes Street and Station Parade, 54 per cent said they were either positive or very positive about it while 38 per cent were negative or very negative towards it.

Harrogate landmarks built in Lego for summer family trail

Harrogate landmarks including Bettys, the Turkish Baths and the Great Yorkshire Showground’s main ring have been built in Lego bricks for a new town centre trail this summer.

The trail, created by Harrogate Business Improvement District, will run from Saturday July 31 until Sunday, August 22.

It includes ten mini-models at the following locations:

The models are being made by Fairy Bricks, a charity that donates Lego sets to children’s hospices and hospitals, and will be completed next week in time for the launch.

Other models include Harrogate Town’s mascot Harry Gator and Hogwart’s School from the Harry Potter books.

At 10am on July 31 and August 1, people can watch a white rose being built of Lego at the Victoria Shopping Centre.

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There is also a competition with 500 Lego prizes to be won. To enter, participants need to download the LoyalFree app and ‘check in’ at each venue using the QR code displayed.

The prizes will be collected from Toyland in the Victoria Shopping Centre.

Harrogate BID Manager Chapman Matthew Chapman said:

“With the school summer holidays already here we wanted to create a trail that would really appeal to families.

“With restrictions now lifted, this is one that can be enjoyed by people of all ages, and will be a fun way to spend a few hours visiting different parts of the town.

“As a child I loved Lego, and so do my two sons. And as you will see from these creations Lego can be anything but child’s play. I’m really excited to say that we have commissioned a number of models that will be unique to our trail.

“One of our key remits is to drive footfall into the town centre, and we hope our Lego trail will help us to achieve this.”

Harrogate town centre mural starts to take shape

Work has begun on a new mural in the centre of Harrogate. The huge artwork on the alley between James Street and Market Place has been funded by Harrogate Business Improvement District (BID).

The length of the alley will replicate the gateway to the Dales. In preparation for being painted, the wall has been completely repointed. It’s expected the mural will be completed by early August. So far it’s still in the early stages, with just the base coat on the wall – but soon lots more will be added to it.

The painting is the work of Harrogate artist Sam Porter from Mural Minded. Last month, Sam created a ‘joyous’ wall mural on the side of a house in Cheapside, Knaresborough – featuring swallows and butterflies.

BID Manager Matthew Chapman said:

“The artwork is going to improve an area of Harrogate that’s been needing a bit of attention. We’ve been working with a local artist to improve the area through a vision of the gateway to the Dales.”

It’s not the only giant artwork set to give a Harrogate street a makeover. Last month Harrogate residents and businesses were asked to submit ideas to help give Cambridge Place a colourful makeover. 

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People urged to respect businesses’ wishes as face mask order dropped

A Harrogate business organisation has urged people to respect the choices of traders as the legal requirement to wear a face mask is dropped.

Businesses across the district have been left to advise customers on whether or not to wear a face covering.

It comes as today has been dubbed “Freedom Day” because the remaining restrictions, including one metre plus rule and reopening of all venues without restrictions on numbers, are lifted.

However, while the legal requirement to wear a face mask has been removed, businesses are still encouraging people to wear one.

Matthew Chapman, manager of Harrogate BID, said some firms were keen to minimise risk of staff having to self-isolate.

He said:

“This is very much a matter of choice for both businesses and customers. Whilst some will immediately discard social distancing and enforced mask wearing, others will take a more cautious approach.

“I know of a number of retail and hospitality businesses will retain the existing measures, as they are concerned about staff having to self-isolate and are keen to minimise this risk.

“We also politely ask that customers respect the wishes of individual businesses, and not to take any frustrations they may have out on staff members.”

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North Bar, on Cheltenham Parade, is among the businesses encouraging customers to wear a face mask. It posted on its Facebook page that staff would be wearing face coverings and asked guests to do the same.

Elsewhere, Neil Mendoza, general manager at The Studley Hotel and Orchid Restaurant, told the Stray Ferret that staff would continue to wear face masks and social distance in the hotel and restaurant.

He added that he took the decision as he was worried about staff having to self isolate:

“I am particularly worried that it [covid] may hit one of my employees, which could affect business.

“For the safety of my team, we have made a decision to continue with wearing face masks from July 19 onwards for our staff and social distancing in our hotel and restaurant until we feel that it’s safe, as we are also concerned and aware that some of our guests would still want to feel safe when they come to visit.”

Meanwhile, Harrogate Bus Company has recommended that passengers continue to wear face masks on its services.

Alex Hornby, chief executive of the company, said:

“We want everyone to feel comfortable and confident every time they travel with us, and throughout the pandemic we have encouraged everyone to support us in helping to keep each other safe.

“With this in mind, we recommend that our customers continue to wear a face covering when travelling with us, especially at busy times, and just as they may choose to do in other busy places.

“A limited number of people have been legally exempt from wearing a face covering under the existing restrictions, and we ask everyone to remember that this may be why some customers will choose not to do so from Monday.”

Earlier this week, the Rail Delivery Group, the industry body that represents Northern and Transpennine services, said passengers should follow government guidance and wear a face covering if a carriage is busy.

LNER has said it will continue to ask customers to wear face coverings and to reserve a seat on its trains in order to avoid overcrowding.

Will you still be wearing a face mask even though restrictions have been lifted? Let us know at contact@thestrayferret.co.uk.

New bid to welcome disabled shoppers to Harrogate

A total of 250 stickers are set to be offered to Harrogate businesses to show they welcome disabled customers.

Funded by Harrogate Business Improvement District, the stickers will be handed out by the charity Disability Action Yorkshire to shops, bars and restaurants in the town centre.

It is part of the charity’s ongoing accessibility campaign, which has recently seen it work with independent retailers on Commercial Street.

Jackie Snape, chief executive of Disability Action Yorkshire, said: 

“I’d like thank Harrogate BID for funding these widow stickers, which will alert disabled people to the fact these businesses have a different approach to accessibility.

“What they say is if people can’t physically enter the premises, then staff will be more than happy to come out to them, which more and more shops are now happy to do.

“We have recently been working with Commercial Street businesses, and they have been incredibly receptive to our accessibility campaign, and this is where our BID-sponsored stickers are first appearing.”

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Matthew Chapman, Harrogate BID manager, said: 

“One of our key aims is to increase footfall into Harrogate town centre by making safe, welcoming and accessible for all, and Disability Action Yorkshire’s accessibility campaign falls into all three of these categories.”

‘Drab’ Harrogate town centre street to get colourful makeover

Harrogate residents and businesses are being asked to submit ideas to help give Cambridge Place a colourful makeover.

Harrogate Business Improvement District is working in partnership with Oxford Street-based charity, Artizan International, to install mosaics in the nine, blocked-out windows, on the side of the Boots building.

Each window space will spell out Harrogate — and the two organisations are looking for inspiration on what might go on the individual backgrounds.

Harrogate BID manager Matthew Chapman said:

“Cambridge Place is an extremely popular pedestrian cut-through between Cambridge Street and Oxford Street, yet one of the drabbest in the town.

“Now, in partnership with Artizan International, we want to give this street a real lift by installing nine colourful and eye-catching mosaics in these nine blocked out windows.

“Whilst each one will feature an individual letter to spell out Harrogate, we are asking for suggestions to create the individual backgrounds. The only proviso being it must be representative of the town itself.

“This could be its spa heritage, iconic buildings, or famous names and businesses associated with the town. We will leave it up to individuals, then choose nine different ideas.

“These will then be turned into mosaics by the Artizan International team, giving this much used thoroughfare a real splash of colour.”

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Ideas can either be emailed to Harrogate BID at info@harrogatebid.co.uk, or left with Artizan International, at their shop located at 39 Oxford Street, Harrogate.

The closing date is Friday, July 2.

Harrogate BID launches new town centre app to help businesses

Harrogate BID has launched a new app in an effort to help town centre businesses increase footfall and sales.

The app comes in partnership with LoyalFree, which has partnered up with the BID from today.

Harrogate is the thirty-first town in the UK to adopt the digital platform, which provides information for locals and visitors alike such as a local guide, exclusive deals and loyalty schemes, fun local events and interesting trails.

Matthew Chapman, Harrogate BID manager, told the Stray Ferret previously that the idea behind the app was to “showcase the best in town”.

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BID levy payers will benefit from advertising opportunities, customer insights and social media support from the app. Businesses already signed up include Cafe M, The Crown Hotel and Nutrition Joe’s Urban Cafe

Mr Chapman said he knows “first-hand” the benefits of using an app for businesses.

He said: 

“From my previous role with Huddersfield BID, which introduced LoyalFree more than a year ago, I know first-hand the benefits it can help deliver.

“The LoyalFree app now provides Harrogate town centre with a great digital platform to showcase all the amazing businesses here. There is so much on offer in the town, and we hope it will encourage more people to support our local high street.

“Even before our launch, a number of businesses have already signed up to the LoyalFree, which is really encouraging news.”

Sophie Hainsworth, co-founder of LoyalFree, said: 

‘‘We are delighted to be working with Harrogate BID. 

“It’s more vital than ever for digital solutions to support the high street experience, and we hope businesses take advantage of everything the app has to offer.”

The LoyalFree app can be downloaded for free here or by searching ‘LoyalFree’ on the iOS and Google play store.