What’s happening at Harrogate’s former council headquarters?Ground stabilisation works continue at Ripon’s beleaguered £20 million leisure schemeDeveloper gives update on Darley Mill housing schemePlans submitted to extend Pateley Bridge cemetery

A planning application has been submitted to extend Pateley Bridge Cemetery.

The application, which was tabled to North Yorkshire Council, outlines plans to build new traditional and natural burial sites, ash internments and parking spaces on land adjacent to the existing cemetery.

It comes after land next to the site was last year sold to the former Harrogate Borough Council by Pateley Town Council, after a report revealed it required more burial spaces for the next 300 years.

Following the abolition of the district council, the site is now owned by North Yorkshire Council, but the authority is still required to submit planning applications for its own assets.

According to a design and access statement, which was curated by CDS Cemeteries & Crematoria on behalf of the council, 314 new traditional burials and 48 natural burials would be built at the site.

The plans also show there would be 364 new ash internments, as well as five parking bays – including one for a hearse – and “cycle hoops” if plans are approved.

A visual of the proposed site. Pic: The CDS Group.

The plans also include a proposed two-way access road via the existing cemetery, which is by St Mary’s Church.

It adds the existing cemetery’s footpath would be extended for pedestrian access, and says native hedges, heathers and other bulbs would be planted for “the enjoyment of mourners”.

A new hedgerow with a timber post-and-rail fencing would also be erected to the west of the site boundary.

The grassland on which the extension would be built is currently used for livestock grazing, the application says.

The design and access statement concludes:

“This proposal would deliver a project that would provide essential additional burial provision to North Yorkshire Council.

“The design development has been informed by the sites semi rural and tranquil location and its immediate proximity to the existing cemetery.

“Its landscaping has been designed to provide a subtle yet valuable addition to the locality in terms of increasing the traditional hedgerow features, scattered trees, surrounding heathers and a species rich grassland of particular environmental value is the avoidance of damage to existing trees or vegetation.

“These design considerations thus ensure no adverse visual impact on the surrounding landscape.”

Planning officers will make a decision on the application at a later date.

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Friends of Pat Marsh recall ‘hard-working and warm’ Harrogate councillor

Friends of former Harrogate councillor Pat Marsh have paid tribute to a “hard-working, warm and conscientious” councillor and said her decades of public service should not be forgotten.

Ms Marsh resigned under a cloud in February following alleged antisemitic comments made on social media platform X related to the war in Gaza.

She was under suspension from the Liberal Democrats when she quit.
In a by-election on Thursday, April 11.

Lib Dem Andrew Timothy won her former North Yorkshire Council seat in the Stray, Hookstone and Woodlands division.

It marked the final chapter of Ms Marsh’s political career, which dates back to 1990 when she was first elected to Harrogate Borough Council as an independent for the Starbeck ward.

She became politicised during a battle to build a new Tesco supermarket near Stonefall cemetery in the late 1980s. It was one she was particularly proud of winning.

Long-time friend Cllr Philip Broadbank (Liberal Democrat, Fairfax and Starbeck) was three years below Ms Marsh at Woodlands Primary School and said she was always on the side of her residents.

Cllr Broadbank with Pat Marsh

He remembers evenings spent around the dinner table at the Marsh household plotting the campaign against the supermarket alongside her husband Reg Marsh, the Lib Dem councillor for Wedderburn who died in 2014.

Before they were both councillors, Reg was in the army and the family lived in Malaysia before returning to Harrogate.

Cllr Broadbank said:

“She was a fighter and was absolutely determined. She had strong opinions, was a very hard worker and was always prepared to advise.

“She wasn’t always successful but she never did anything for personal gain. There was nothing like that with Pat, she was straightforward and honest but was always pleasant to people.”

In the early 1990s, Ms Marsh allied with Cllr Arnold Warneken (Green, Ouseburn) in a coalition along with another Cllr David Rimmington.

Cllr Warneken said he looked up to her as a role model. He said:

“Pat Marsh showed us what a good councillor was. I got the benefit of that from following her for 30 years.

“She’s been a hard-working, warm and contentious councillor. People always spoke highly of her and she did a lot for the Harrogate district.”

Since 1990, Ms Marsh sat on the council’s planning committee and played a key role in how the Harrogate district has changed over the years.

She was sometimes on the end of criticism about the scale of housebuilding but as a non-car driver, she often tried to ensure that developments were served with proper bus routes.

The coalition helped the Lib Dems take control of the council in 1994 and ultimately led to council leader Phil Willis becoming the party’s first Harrogate and Knaresborough MP in 1997.

Ms Marsh joined her husband in the Lib Dems in 1996 and took charge of the leisure committee. She was instrumental in the move from Coppice Pool to the Hydro, which opened in 1999.

She was also involved in the battle to save the Sun Pavilion in Valley Gardens, worked to refurbish the Turkish baths, helped get Starbeck In Bloom off the ground and fought to improve safety outside schools in her ward.

Cllr Broadbank said Reg’s unexpected death in 2014 was a huge blow to the community as the couple were a popular double act on the doorstep.

He said:

“The pair of them were very hard-working. That’s partly why they kept getting re-elected. They were prepared to get stuck in.”

Ms Marsh became the leader of Harrogate Borough Council’s Lib Dem group in 2015 and regularly butted heads with Conservative council leader Richard Cooper.

With the demise of Harrogate Borough Council in 2022, Ms Marsh became an honorary alderwoman for the borough, a title bestowed on councillors with more than 20 years of service.

But she was almost blocked from receiving it due to disparaging comments she made about Andrew Jones MP and Mr Cooper while being secretly recorded. She eventually apologised.

Following Ms Marsh’s resignation, Cllr Warneken said she has been “hung out to dry” by her former colleagues in the Liberal Democrats.

She received no mention from her successor Andrew Timothy in his speech after winning the by-election.

However, both Ms Marsh’s friends hope she’s remembered more for her long tenure in Harrogate public life than how her political career ended.

Cllr Broadbank said:

“This isn’t how her life in local government was supposed to have finished.”

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Readers’ Letters: Bins weren’t overflowing when Harrogate Borough Council existed

Readers’ Letters is a weekly column giving you the chance to have your say on issues affecting the Harrogate district. It is an opinion column and does not reflect the views of the Stray Ferret. Send your views to letters@thestrayferret.co.uk. 

This letter follows an article about overflowing bins in Harrogate’s Valley Gardens. Many readers were upset about the state of the bins over the Easter bank holiday weekend.

The problem of overflowing waste bins in Harrogate is a recent problem.

We often commented on overflowing bins when visiting other towns, as it was so rare here. How lucky we were to have Harrogate Borough Council in charge, which took pride in this town.

But it all changed a year ago after our local council disappeared and we had North Yorkshire Council inflicted on us – a change that none of us voted for.

Anne Boodt, Harrogate

More grammatical errors on road signs in Harrogate

This letter is in response to a story about North Yorkshire Council eliminating apostrophes from road signs. The new format will be adopted when signs are replaced.

Regarding the missing apostrophe on St Mary’s Walk, there also should not be a full stop after St (as per one of the signs).

So, vigilantes looking to insert an apostrophe with their marker pens should also paint out the full stop.

Michael Clarke, Harrogate

Are we really planting trees as a tick box exercise?

This letter follows a story about 29,000 trees being planted in Masham to create new woodlands.

I am the last person on earth to criticise a tree planting initiative, as exemplified at Swinton Estate in Masham.

But what drives me to utter distraction is the wholly unnatural and mechanical way in which trees are planted in perfectly straight lines.

Are we seriously doing this as a box ticking exercise or trying to create new natural habitats?

Think about when these trees have matured. It will look ludicrously unnatural and probably end up serving as a sustainable source of wood or paper – NOT a habitat for wildlife or a place for people to enjoy the benefits of nature.

Trees do not grow in straight lines.

You might as well be part of a planting scheme along a motorway verge if that’s the approach you condone. Totally ignorant of natural habitats, but nonetheless giving oneself a pat on the back.

I am so frustrated by these examples of mass tree planting…

Mark Fuller, Harrogate

Do you have an opinion on the Harrogate district? Email us at letters@thestrayferret.co.uk. Please include your name and approximate location details. Limit your letters to 350 words. We reserve the right to edit letters.

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Exclusive: Council spent £1.9m on consultants for scrapped Harrogate Convention Centre plans

Almost £2 million of taxpayers’ money has been spent on consultants to come up with plans to upgrade Harrogate Convention Centre that have now been scrapped.

North Yorkshire Council and its predecessor Harrogate Borough Council have hired various consultants since 2016 as part of the long running saga to redevelop the convention centre.

So far none of the work has been carried out and last month North Yorkshire Council revealed it had abandoned previous plans drawn up by Harrogate Borough Council and recruited another firm of consultants called 31ten to carry out ‘soft market testing’ on the future use of the events and exhibition complex.

North Yorkshire Council refused to reveal at the time how much it had paid the 31ten — prompting the Stray Ferret to submit a freedom of information request.

We asked not only how much had been awarded to the London firm but also how much had been spent on consultants for all work involving the possible upgrade of the convention centre.

The response said 31Ten had been paid £23,000 plus VAT for work that is expected to be concluded by ‘late spring’. This figure pales in comparison to the overall sum awarded to consultants since 2016.

The freedom of information response said besides funding awarded to 31Ten “the remaining £1,948,590 relates to historic spend committed by Harrogate Borough Council”.

Harrogate Borough Council was abolished a year ago and succeeded by North Yorkshire Council.

The response added:

“It is North Yorkshire Council’s intention to use internal resource to support future proposals for Harrogate Convention Centre, and minimise spend with external consultants, wherever possible.”

‘More affordable’ way forward

North Yorkshire Council’s Conservative-controlled executive agreed last month to scrap a two-phase development plan for the building drawn up eight years ago after being told the cost of the first phase had soared to £57.2 million.

Instead it agreed to come up with a “more affordable” way forward. Centre director Paula Lorimer, who last year called for the refurbishment, said she had now changed her mind and agreed with the new approach.

The way forward will be guided by 31ten’s findings. The freedom of information response said:

“The aim of the soft market testing is to assist North Yorkshire Council in assessing the options for the future development and operation of Harrogate Convention Centre. Options may include, but are not limited to, alternative delivery and funding models, partnership working, alternative uses for parts of the site, and asset ownership.”

North Yorkshire Council currently subsidises the convention centre to the tune of £2.7 million a year.

The centre opened in 1982 and has a 2,000-seat auditorium and 13,000 square metres of exhibition space.

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12 local council staff named in Town Hall Rich List

A dozen council staff whose jobs covered the Harrogate district are named in today’s annual Town Hall Rich List.

The list, compiled each year by the TaxPayers’ Alliance, reveals which council staff were paid more than £100,000 in 2022/23.

The period covers the final year of Harrogate Borough Council and North Yorkshire County Council, which were abolished on April 1 last year to make way for the new North Yorkshire Council. Almost all staff transferred to the new local authority.

Four staff from the borough council are included on the list, including chief executive Wallace Sampson, who was one of the few not to transfer to North Yorkshire Council.

Mr Sampson received a total remuneration package of £237,534, which included a salary of £136,226 and £101,275 compensation for loss of office.

Paula Lorimer, director of Harrogate Convention Centre, is listed as the second highest paid member of staff at the borough council, on total remuneration of £121,818.

The borough council’s director of corporate affairs and director of economy and culture are the other two members of staff listed as earning in excess of £100,000.

£223,934 package

Chief executive Richard Flinton was North Yorkshire County Council’s highest earning member of staff, commanding a salary of £194,176 in a total package worth £223,984.

Mr Flinton, who was appointed chief executive of North Yorkshire Council, saw his salary increased to £205,897 this year.

Eleven other county council staff were paid in excess of £100,000, according to the list.

The list reveals 188 council employees nationally had a higher salary than Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who had a salary entitlement of £164,951 in 2022-23.

The highest remunerated was the now former director of culture, community and business services at Hampshire council, Felicity Roe, who received £651,158 in total remuneration

John O’Connell, chief executive of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said:

“The new financial year has seen council tax soar across the country, and taxpayers will notice that top brass pay has simultaneously surged.

“Local authorities provide crucial services and residents will want to make sure they are getting bang for their buck with their ever-increasing bills.

“Residents can use these figures to ask whether precious funds are really going towards frontline services, or whether town hall bosses can get better value for money.”

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Ex-Tory council leader named Harrogate Homeless Project chief executive

Former Harrogate Borough Council leader Richard Cooper has been named as the new chief executive of Harrogate Homeless Project.

Richard Cooper, who led the council from 2014 until last year, will relinquish his role as office manager for Harrogate and Knaresborough Conservative MP Andrew Jones to take up the role on July 1.

He will succeed Francis McAllister, who is retiring after two years in charge of the charity. Its hostel on Bower Street is close to Mr Jones’ East Parade constituency office and Harrogate Conservative Club

In a press release announcing the move, the charity said Mr Cooper began voluntary work at the hostel in 1996 after becoming “drawn by its vision of ending rough sleeping in the Harrogate district”.

It added Mr Cooper continued to support Harrogate Homeless Project during his time as a councillor, and “regularly gives talks on homelessness, rough sleeping and street begging to community groups”.

Mr Cooper said:

“After so many years being closely connected to the homeless project as a volunteer and supporter it feels like a bit of a dream to become the organisation’s chief executive.

“Preventing homelessness and supporting people sleeping rough is a difficult task and I know we have a small and dedicated team of staff, volunteers and donors who have an amazing impact.

“And I have big shoes to fill. Francis McAllister has led Harrogate Homeless Project through a significant period of change and growth. Our Springboard day centre is a hive of activity providing a wide range of support from an array of partners. The team is better-placed than ever before to support clients. Francis has made a real difference to homelessness in our area.”

Mr Cooper’s last working day with Mr Jones, which will be on June 28, will mark the end of one of the most influential careers in local politics this century.

David Thomas, chairman at the project, added:

“I know Richard understands the challenges facing Harrogate Homeless Project. The economic climate remains difficult, there is a shortage of affordable property for rent and support services are stretched.  Our charity has a big job to do to meet these challenges and with his background in the community and decades-long support for Harrogate Homeless Project I know he will be an energetic leader for the Harrogate Homeless Project team.

“We will miss Francis but respect his decision to retire after a lifetime working for local and national charities. He will forever be a friend to HHP and to the many people whom he helped during his tenure.”

Asked how much Mr Cooper will be paid by the charity, Mr McAllister replied:

“I cannot discuss individual salaries but it is at a similar level to our existing CEO and commensurate with CEO roles at charities of a similar size and complexity.”

According to its latest accounts filed with the Charity Commission for the year ending August 31, 2022, no employees received annual remuneration of £60,000 or more.

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No date for completion of £18 million Ripon leisure scheme

It is now nine months since ground stabilisation work costing £3.5 million began at Ripon Leisure Centre, but North Yorkshire Council (NYC) remains unable to give an opening date for the refurbished building.

The original £10.2 million contract awarded in November 2019 by the now-defunct Harrogate Borough Council to construction company Willmott Dixon, was designed to give Ripon a new six-lane swimming pool attached to a fully revamped and equipped leisure centre building which opened in 1995.

Work began at the Camp Close site off Dallamires Lane in November 2019 and was scheduled to last 17 months.

Equipment used in ground stabilisation pictured at the site yesterday morning (Wednesday)

The total project also includes the provision of a new children’s playground and landscaping and restoration of playing fields that were donated in 1948 by Alderman Cyril Tetley Wade ‘for the benefit of the young people of the city.’

Rising costs

The running total for completion of the project has risen to £18 million and to date the pool at the Jack Laugher Leisure & Wellness Centre, which opened behind schedule in March 2022 and the playground that opened in February 2022, have been delivered.

A temporary gym has been in place on the car park in front of the Jack Laugher Leisure & Wellness Centre since last April. The children’s playground opened in February 2022

A year ago, a temporary gym costing £300,000 was installed on the centre car park and during the period that ground stabilisation works have remained ongoing, gym members have been attending spin classes at Hugh Ripley Hall.

During the four years since it was launched, the Stray Ferret has kept a close watch on the leisure scheme and has sought regular updates, initially from Harrogate Borough Council and from North Yorkshire Council since April 2023, when the unitary authority took over responsibility for the problematic project.

The questions we asked

On March 11 we asked the council the following six questions:

A reply received from a council spokesperson three days later said:

“We have nothing further to add to the last statement.”

In that statement, issued by the council on January 16, it said:

“The nature of the work is complex and is under constant review, dates will be announced to key partners when they are confirmed.

“Refurbishment work to the leisure centre began at the same time as the construction of the new swimming pool building, however it was paused when the extent of ground remediation work was identified. Refurbishment work will therefore be finished after completion of the ground stabilisation works.”

In October, the Stray Ferret reported that the leisure centre work had been temporarily paused after ground movement was detected in the 1995 building,

The North Yorkshire spokesperson said in the January statement that since October “no further issues have come to light”.

Working ‘within the confines of the existing budget’

On the question about potential additional costs for the delayed project, the NYC spokesperson stated:

“We continue to work within the confines of the existing budget.”

The Stray Ferret also asked about restoration of the children’s playing fields and football pitch, which have been no go areas for more than four years.

We were told:

“Seeding work will be carried out in advance of the opening date, but this will need to be given time to fully germinate and establish.”

Main image: As work continues on ground stabilisation, no opening date for the refurbished facility is available for North Yorkshire Council

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