What has Harrogate council spent its High Street grants on?

Harrogate Borough Council has so far spent £90,000 of government grants which aimed to support businesses on the high street to reopen.

Last June, the authority was given £144,714 as part of the Reopening High Streets Safely Fund to help support businesses to open up after the first lockdown.

Ministers have also allocated further funding, which will also be £144,714, as part of the Welcome Back Fund to help the council support the town centre after the third shutdown.

Both grants have been funded from the European Regional Development Fund.

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The Stray Ferret asked the borough council how much of the first grant has been spent and what it had been used to fund.

A spokesperson for the council said £90,000 of the funding has been spent so far on:

They added that plans for the new funding, which was announced last month, have yet to be confirmed.

Government guidance published as part of the grant scheme says councils should “engage with stakeholders including local businesses, Business Improvement Districts (BIDs), Destination Management Organisations (DMO), town and parish councils”.

When asked who it consulted with on the measures, the authority said its business development team had a “distribution list for businesses” which it said it would use for plans for the next grant.

Sara Ferguson, chair of Harrogate BID, said she hoped the authority would listen to ideas from the businesses:

Ms Ferguson said:

“It is great news that Harrogate Borough Council has been awarded this money on top of the funds it received last year.

“In terms of the £144,000 Welcome Back Fund, we look forward to working with HBC and other business organisations, such as the Chamber and Independent Harrogate, to make Harrogate more welcoming to visitors and residents alike.

“Whilst we recognise the pot of money it has been awarded is to help the District’s ‘high streets’, we have a number of proposals which we believe will help our town centre retail and hospitality businesses get back on their feet and bring in customers.

“These include discounted parking and public transport to encourage residents to shop, eat and drink local.”

Harrogate MP backs outdoor dining on the Stray campaign

Harrogate and Knaresborough’s MP has thrown his weight behind a campaign for outdoor dining to return to the Stray.

Andrew Jones MP met Sharon and Simon Colgan, owners of the Blues Bar and The Empress, as well Trish Campbell, bar manager at The Empress, today.

While Mr Jones refused to speak to the Stray Ferret during or after the meeting, the bar owners said that he supported their campaign.

Harrogate Borough Council recently told the Blues Bar, The Empress and Fashion House Bistro that they cannot use tables and chairs on the Stray this year.

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The council did approve the measure last year but said after consulting with land owners the Duchy of Lancaster that it “would not be appropriate at this stage.”

Part of the reason the council gave was that it could “potentially inhibit the open access and enjoyment for all.”

Simon Colgan, co owner of The Empress and Blues Bar, told the Stray Ferret after his meeting with Mr Jones:

“Mr Jones seemed dumbfounded that it wasn’t rolling out again.

“He told us he would look into the council’s response, consult the Duchy of Lancaster and its chancellor Michael Gove.

“That is very positive isn’t it? It is great he did not dismiss us. We just want exactly the same as we had last year, there’s no reason not to do it again.

“We did press him and said time was of the essence, we do not want to miss out on this sun. When you go into town you can see there’s an appetite for it.”

Council set to retain single-sex sessions at Turkish Baths

Harrogate Borough Council is set to retain single-sex sessions at the town’s Turkish Baths, but make swimwear compulsory.

Last year, the council considered scrapping single-sex sessions in order to reflect “equality and balance”.

The authority launched a consultation into the matter, which ran while the baths were closed.

In a report due before the Cabinet Member for Culture, Tourism and Sport next week, council officers have recommended two weekly single-sex sessions for males and females under a new timetable.

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Currently, it offers three single-sex sessions for women and one for men.

The council has also recommended making it a requirement to wear suitable swimwear for these sessions.

The authority said the changes would promote inclusivity, enable male and female attendants to work at both sessions and help it comply with the Equality Act 2010.

In the report, it said:

“The proposed timetable changes will promote further inclusivity.

“Making the wearing of swimwear compulsory at all single-sex sessions will also promote inclusivity, allow the Council to meet its equality obligations under the Equality Act and alleviate staffing issues during single-sex sessions.”

The consultation received 325 responses – 89% of which said they booked single-sex sessions at the baths, while 90% believed a move to a fully mixed timetable would not allow for equal access to all customers.

The council said the new timetable for sessions would come into force when the Turkish Baths fully reopened.

It added that the timetable would be reviewed every six months to ensure it had “no negative commercial impact”.

Lib Dems walk out of ‘waste of time’ Harrogate council meeting

The Liberal Democrat group on Harrogate Borough Council last night walked out of a special meeting on local government reorganisation, branding it a “waste of time and money”.

Councillor Pat Marsh, leader of the Lib Dems, said she “could not genuinely understand” why the virtual meeting called to submit a consultation response on how the future of North Yorkshire councils should take shape was needed as the authority had already made an official bid five months ago.

All seven Lib Dem councillors left the meeting halfway through in what the Conservatives described as a “stunt” – with council leader Richard Cooper accusing them of a “total abdication” of their responsibilities as councillors.

He said:

“I do not think when you are elected, walking out is a very constructive move – that is not what the public elected you for

“Stepping away from the debate, stepping away from the consultation and stepping away from the discussion when you are elected to have that discussion on behalf of your constituents is a total abdication of the responsibilities placed on councillors.

“I find it astonishing that this debate about the future of services for people has been reduced to a stunt – and not a very effective stunt at that.”

The government-run consultation follows an announcement last summer that North Yorkshire’s two-tier councils will be replaced by a unitary structure in order for the county to unlock a devolution deal.

Harrogate Borough Council – along with six other districts – has submitted a bid for two unitary councils split on an east/west basis, while North Yorkshire County Council is behind proposals for a single authority for the entire county.

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Speaking last night, councillor Pat Marsh said the meeting was not only a “waste of time” but also a “waste of public money” as the districts have already spent more than £200,000 on consultancy company KPMG to produce a report making their case to the government.

She said:

“Back on 4 November 2020, this council made a decision to submit to the government an east/west model. So why are we here tonight being consulted on something we have already made a decision about?

“This meeting is not only a waste of time but a waste of public money. The KPMG report that this council paid for made the points the council wanted to make and no matter what is said tonight the responses will not change.”

It was agreed last night that the council would submit two responses to the consultation – one in support of the east/west model and one opposing the single council bid.

A final decision on which path to take will be made by Local Government Secretary Robert Jenrick this summer and subject to Parliamentary approval.

It is expected that any new unitary council would be fully operational from April 2023 with transitional arrangements and elections expected to be in place in 2022.

The consultation is open to anyone and will run until 19 April.

To have your say visit here.

Calls to refuse plans to build 95 homes at Granby Farm in Harrogate

A residents’ group has called on councillors to refuse plans to build 95 homes at Granby Farm in Harrogate and create a ‘green legacy’ instead.

Redrow Homes and Richborough Estates have submitted proposals for the development, which would be built on land designated for development in Harrogate Borough Council’s Local Plan.

A council officer has recommended the plans be approved, subject to conditions, but the planning committee will make the final decision on Tuesday.

In a site assessment produced when creating the Local Plan, the council described the site as ‘an important part of the green infrastructure network’ of Harrogate and said any development should maintain 50% open fields — yet the plans propose only 25% be kept green.

The application has attracted over 150 objections from local residents, as well as from Harrogate Civic Society.

One objection, by Granby Residents Group, said developers should go back to the drawing board and retain a ‘green corridor’ so people can walk from the Stray to Nidd Gorge and to Longlands Common.

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Harrogate Civic Society said in its objection letter:

“An open corridor into the countryside is lost, giving pedestrians and cyclists only a narrow passageway through a housing estate to reach open country and the green belt.”

Gary Walker, whose house borders the field, said:

“The council has a unique opportunity to create a green corridor from the centre of Harrogate to Nidd Gorge. In order to ensure this is delivered the planning application must be rejected and modified.”

A design and access statement prepared on behalf of the developers said the site would include ‘significant green infrastructure’.

Redrow Yorkshire managing director John Handley said:

“Redrow is committed to strong placemaking and the creation of thriving communities. A key element of this involves designing in green spaces, enhancing or replacing existing wildlife habitats and better connecting people to them through thoughtful design of the public areas.

“In his report to councillors for the Harrogate site, the planning officer has confirmed that the amount of green space meets the requirements of the Local Plan.  We have also made revisions to landscaping, tree retention and supplementary planting which ensure that the finished site will offer a biodiversity net gain.

“Our plans include a large area of green space of just under a hectare which, in turn, connects to the existing open space created as part of our neighbouring Devonshire Gardens development. This creates a conjoined area of larger open space.  We are also incorporating a new footpath and cycle greenway, which will connect our development and other housing allocations in the area with both Harrogate town centre and The Stray.”

New 19-bed homeless centre opens in Starbeck

Harrogate Borough Council has opened a new 19-bed homeless centre in Starbeck, called Fern House.

Fern House’s bedrooms are all self-contained with en-suite bathrooms and kitchen facilities. Two of the rooms are fully accessible.

The site, on Spa Lane, cost £2.3 million to be built. It was funded from general funding into the house revenue account and a grant from Homes England.

The accommodation will also provide a support package for those finding themselves homeless. It will run alongside other hostels across the district in Harrogate, Ripon and Knaresborough.

Fern House also provides laundry and kitchen facilities, a 24-hour reception desk, a large conference room and a meeting area.

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Emergency temporary shelters set up on Tower Street this winter

The council said that, in line with its Severe Weather Emergency Protocol (SWEP) requirements, part of the building will be used to provide temporary emergency accommodation for homeless people in extreme weather conditions.

Previously, the council also had shelters installed on the Tower Street car park, in Harrogate. But after nearly four months these were removed.

At the time, the council said the completion of Fern House was a reason the shelters were no longer necessary.

Masham parents frustrated as play area remains closed

Masham residents have expressed frustration that one of the town’s play areas has remained closed for five months.

Tittlibottle Park, near the cricket ground, initially closed in November 2019 due to drainage issues.

By the time it had dried out, all playgrounds had closed due to covid.

It reopened in July last year, with a small section fenced off, but closed again in November and has stayed shut since due to the condition of the ground.

Flooding has caused the park to close intermittently a number of times in few years.

Local parents have accused Harrogate Borough Council of not doing enough to make it usable once again.

The play area sits on a flood plain for the River Ure and often collects water flowing from higher ground. It is also close to a handful of other drainage issues all of these are factors in the flooding.

flooded Tittlibottle park masham

This is not the first time the park has been unusable to locals.

The loss of this play area has been particularly keenly felt by the local community during lockdown.

Bronwen Thomas, a local parent, visited the park at least once a week with her three boys before it closed. She said they had played at the playground near The Oaks instead but added:.

“There are fewer facilities there though, and it is smaller and more exposed to the elements. More recently there has also been the issue of social distancing, which is much harder in the smaller space.

“I’d like to see the council engage more with the community to come up with a joint solution. Local people have invaluable knowledge of the site and its issues and may be able to provide insight that the council currently lacks.”

Another parent, Iain Burgess, has contacted Richard Cooper, the leader of Harrogate Borough Council, in the hope of finding a solution. He said:

“I have emailed Mr Cooper but his response didn’t tell me anything I didn’t already know. Unless something is done it will only keep happening. There needs to be action to keep it open.

“It’s such a shame, my son used to meet his friends there after school and now they have to go elsewhere. It’s incredibly frustrating that nothing is being done.”

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Masham Parish Council said it is in talks with Harrogate Borough Council to find a solution. But no confirmed reopening date has been given.

A spokesperson for Harrogate Borough Council, said:

“We are working with the land owner (Swinton Estate) and the leaseholder (Masham Town Council) to find a more permanent solution.

“The park is monitored regularly and will either open partially or fully depending on the current level of flooding, subject to any covid restrictions.”

£34,000: the cost of heating closed Ripon pool

Harrogate Borough Council has spent £34,000 heating Ripon Spa Baths since it closed in March last year, the Stray Ferret has discovered.

The pool is one of three in the Harrogate district, along with Knaresborough and Starbeck, to remain closed after leisure facilities were allowed to reopen on Monday.

The council has now disclosed the cost of keeping the water warm and the plant in operational condition during the last year of closure to Andrew Williams, the leader of Ripon City Council.

Councillor Williams said it would be “council taxpayer money down the drain if the baths are not reopened” immediately.

Photo of new Ripon Swimming Pool under construction

Ripon’s new pool was due to open this summer but construction will not be complete until November.

He said:

“Construction of Ripon’s new pool will not be complete until November.

“The swimming pools at Knaresborough and Starbeck are closed and travel to Harrogate Hydro and the Nidderdale pool in Pateley Bridge is not advisable, as the government still urges us to stay as local as possible.

“Taking all of these factors into consideration, I find it hard to believe that Harrogate Borough Council cannot find the personnel needed for Spa Baths to reopen straight away.

“They must tell the citizens of Ripon – particularly young people who have had months of no leisure activity during lockdown – exactly when they can go swimming again.”

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The Grade II Listed Spa Baths was deemed ‘surplus to requirements’ in February and put on the market.

Cllr Williams, the Mayor of Ripon Councillor Eamon Parkin and representatives of Ripon Civic Society, found the pool in operational condition last month when they were shown around the building by selling agents Sanderson Weatherall.

This prompted the senior councillors, along with other city councillors, to call for reopening from 12 April, when lockdown restrictions were lifted.

But that date has passed and the pool remains closed.

A spokeswoman for Harrogate Borough Council said reopening Spa Baths when lockdown restrictions changed on Monday was not possible because sport and leisure staff have been redeployed to other services.

The spokeswoman added:

“We have kept the pool at Ripon Spa Baths heated because we have been using it for staff training while the building was closed to the public.

“All systems which keep the pool functioning have been set to the lowest level.

“It is far more cost-effective to maintain a minimum heat in the water than allow it to cool completely and then have to reheat it to the required temperature.

“Pool water which retains some heat and continues to circulate through the filtration system, albeit slowly, will also prevent damage to the infrastructure and algae build-up.

“Heating also protects the fabric of the building from condensation and decay.

“We look forward to welcoming back swimmers as soon as we can.”

 

Harrogate council defends plans for staff to use public toilets

Harrogate Borough Council has defended its plans to ask staff to use public toilets in Knaresborough.

Staff at the council-run Knaresborough tourist information centre are due to move from their current location in the town library to the Courthouse Museum in the grounds of Knaresborough Castle in June.

Museum workers already use nearby public toilets on Cheapside because the ancient castle doesn’t have a drainage system.

Tourist information staff now face the same situation.

A council spokesperson said:

“Knaresborough Castle and the Courthouse Museum are ancient monuments, which do not have any drainage facilities. To install them would come at a significant cost along with a number of archaeological challenges.

“Therefore, employees are expected to use public toilets, which are located close by in Castle Yard.”

David Houlgate, branch secretary at Unison Harrogate has raised concerns, saying office workers having to use outdoor toilets should “definitely remain a thing of the past”.

He added:

“Whilst public toilets are OK if people are caught short when out and about in the town, they are not suitable to be the designated toilets for staff working in an indoor environment promoting the town and wider district.

“There is also no guarantee that they will be open when needed.”

Mr Houlgate said council bosses were pushing ahead with the planned move without addressing the “reasonable and legitimate” concerns of staff.

Unison has also raised concerns about disabled access at the museum.

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The council spokesperson replied:

“The museum has level access to the rear of the building so that it can be accessed by everyone. Unfortunately, as a historic listed building with a number of internal and external steps, it is not possible to provide full access to the building.

“The welfare of our staff is paramount and we will continue to update them as plans progress and address any concerns they may have.”

The spokesperson added that moving the tourist centre into the heart of Knaresborough would provide a “better service” for visitors and residents.

Police and council to check Harrogate venues comply with outdoor rule

Police and council officers are to conduct checks on outdoor hospitality shelters in the Harrogate district to ensure they comply with government regulations.

Harrogate Borough Council warned of the checks amid concern about whether all of the shelters in the district comply with what is classed as outdoor.

Many hospitality venues have created shelters to take advantage of today’s latest easing of lockdown rules, which allow licensed premises to serve customers outdoors.

Government guidelines say that to be considered outdoors, ‘shelters, marquees and other structures can have a roof but need to have at least 50% of the area of their walls open at all times whilst in use’.

A source close to one small business owner told the Stray Ferret they were ‘surprised’ the council, which is enforcing the national government guidelines, had agreed to some of the structures.

The issue has also raised numerous comments on social media.

A council spokesman said its officers would be carrying out visits across the Harrogate district in partnership with North Yorkshire Police, “to offer support, advice and guidance to businesses and check on compliance with the latest regulations”.

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He added:

“Temporary outdoor shelters are determined by national government advice.

“Any Harrogate district businesses wishing to find out more, or whether planning permission is required, should get in touch and we will be happy to advise.”

Asked to comment on claims some venues breached the guidelines, he said:

“Without knowing the details of the premises who have raised concerns we cannot comment further.”

The council spokesman was unable to say how many venues had applied to erect outdoor structures.

But many large Harrogate hospitality venues, including the West Park Hotel, the Fat Badger , La Feria and Gianni’s Brio Restaurant and Pizzeria, as well as the Fox and Hounds and the Grantham Arms in Boroughbridge have done so.

Perhaps the most spectacular is the Cedar Court Hotel‘s £50,000 tipi, which can accommodate 36 people.

Wayne Topley, managing director of the hotel, said it was built in full compliance with the regulations. He added it could be adapted for weddings and conferences.

“It’s a temporary structure but we hope to use it for a couple for years to come.”