harrogate borough council Archives - Page 23 of 159

Unison raises dispute with Harrogate council after five staff told they won’t transfer to new council

A trade union has opened a dispute with Harrogate Borough Council after five staff at the local authority were told they will not transfer to the new North Yorkshire Council after all.

Harrogate Borough Council will be abolished on April 1 and it was thought all staff except chief executive Wallace Sampson would transfer to the successor authority under TUPE terms.

But Unison said it was “dismayed” to discover five audit services staff had recently discovered they would transfer to Veritau, a shared service group owned by local authorities in Yorkshire and north-east England.

Unison Harrogate branch secretary Dave Houlgate said the staff would switch to Veritau on “detrimental” terms to those who will transfer to North Yorkshire Council.

Mr Houlgate said:

“Staff and Unison have engaged with the TUPE process for well over a year now and our expectation and the expectation of all staff is that they will transfer to the new North Yorkshire Council on April 1 on their existing terms and conditions but with the opportunity to move on to new terms and conditions at the new council, which Unison has negotiated.

“It would seem, however, that the current county council has decided at this very late stage it does not want Harrogate Borough Council staff who work in the area associated with audit services to transfer to the new council but instead has decided that they should transfer to a separate company, Veritau. Unison opposes this move.”

Our #Harrogate branch has lodged a formal dispute with Harrogate Borough Council after it emerges not all staff will be offered the opportunity to transfer to the new #NorthYorkshire council when the councils come together on 1 April#LocalGov @unisonyh https://t.co/gQt7z5SHxJ

— North Yorkshire UNISON (@NYUnison) January 16, 2023

Mr Houlgate said the option of staff not being offered the chance to TUPE to North Yorkshire Council “has never been on the agenda, even though we had raised it as a concern early in the process” and the union was “dismayed by this development”.

He said although North Yorkshire County Council and Veritau wanted staff to transfer directly to Veritau, it was ultimately Harrogate Borough Council’s decision.

“We object in the strongest terms to this late change of plan which shows total disregard for the staff involved, denies them the opportunity to move on to new terms and conditions negotiated and agreed by Unison and ignores established procedures and protocols that are in place.

“Staff in audit services at Harrogate should, as they expect to do, transfer to the new authority and then if there is a need to review how audit services are delivered for the new council then the proper processes should be followed after the transfer.

“Our expectation was that Harrogate Borough Council would stand by its staff and should resist this late change rather than give it the ‘green light’. Our dispute is intended to ensure this happens.”

The Stray Ferret has approached Harrogate Borough Council for comment.

New veterinary practice planned for Pannal

A new vets could open on a Pannal business park.

Claro Hill Vets Ltd has lodged a proposal to convert two industrial units at Thirkill Park into a veterinary practice.

The plan would see the practice create 25 full time jobs, according to documents submitted to Harrogate Borough Council.

The vets would be open Monday to Friday from 7.30am until 6pm and 8am until 1pm on a Saturday.

Carter Jonas, which submitted the application on behalf of the developer, said in documents to the council:

“The business is a new advanced small animal veterinary practice with start of the art facilities, offering high end veterinary services to the local community as well as excellent employment opportunities for local people.”

Harrogate Borough Council will make a decision on the plan at a later date.

Harrogate Borough Council prevented from any major new spending schemes

North Yorkshire’s seven district and borough councils have been told any new major spending schemes they approve will not be ratified before they are abolished.

North Yorkshire County Council has written to the second tier councils, including Harrogate Borough Council, stating there is insufficient time before the new unitary North Yorkshire Council is launched on April 1 for it to consider the raft of large-scale schemes being submitted.

The decision is likely to come as a blow to many of the district authorities, which had been told they would continue to have a significant jurisdiction until Vesting Day, operating and making significant decisions for their residents, businesses and visitors.

Under the structural change order for local government reorganisation in North Yorkshire, which was laid down by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities last May, the district and borough councils were given a legal requirement to request approval for some financial decisions.

It was underlined the district councils would be given “general consent” to approve smaller scale schemes, but the sanctions for not complying with the consent regime would be “severe”.

District and borough council schemes in recent months have seen elected members discussing a range of proposals to boost housing, leisure facilities, infrastructure and financial support for communities, many of which involve using their reserves ahead of the councils being scrapped.

For example, last week Richmondshire District Council approved a move to spend up to £240,000 on further repairs to Richmond swimming pool, a scheme which will need the county council’s consent.

Numerous district councillors have spoken openly in meetings about their determination to spend their council’s coffers in the area in which they were raised, rather than allowing North Yorkshire Council to inherit and distribute them across the expansive county as it sees fit.

However, the county council’s leadership says the district council’s reserves could be needed to cover the costs of providing essential services for vulnerable people, such as social care.

The letter to the districts states the county council had expected giving general consent for smaller schemes would reduce the bureaucratic burden on it, but instead the district authorities had continued to submit a large and unmanageable number of spending requests for approval on a weekly basis.

It states:

“We are now less than three months from Vesting Day for the new council, so the majority of schemes that were requested, and were not foreseen as part of the general consent, are likely to be capable of being delayed until post Vesting Day, when the new North Yorkshire Council can consider the matter.

“In addition, there is a duty on all councils to prepare for the new council and additional schemes at this stage are likely to seriously erode the capacity of councils and their staff to be able to provide the level of support desirable.”

The letter highlights how North Yorkshire Council is facing a large revenue deficit again next year and beyond, as well as unquantifiable risks on hundreds of millions of pounds of infrastructure plans.

It adds:

“It is therefore important that resources are able to be directed to those principal area of responsibility including those commitments, deficits and projetcs bequeathed by all eight councils across North Yorkshire.”

‘Petty and wrong’

The letter says it has “been determined that no new section 24 requests will be considered, unless it is exceptionally urgent spend which endangers normal service delivery…”.

Nevertheless it adds:

“This does not mean that those schemes are rejected, merely that they are subjected to full consideration by the new North Yorkshire Council from April 1 onwards. Those that have already been submitted will be considered in due course.”

Leader of the opposition on the county council, Cllr Bryn Griffiths, said the county council’s move was short-sighted.

He said:

“Blocking the districts and boroughs using their own monies to fund schemes, which will support their own residents, is I feel just petty and wrong.

“It smacks of the Tories at County Hall not being democratic and trying to cream off the districts’ and boroughs’ money to shore up their own pet projects. They are using a sledgehammer to crack a nut.”

Plan to convert part of Harrogate’s Old Swan hotel into 17 flats

A plan has been tabled to convert part of the Old Swan hotel in Harrogate into 17 flats.

Northern Trust Company Ltd, part of Classic Lodges which owns the hotel, has submitted the proposal to Harrogate Borough Council.

The company has tabled the plan to convert the ancillary wing of the Grade-II listed building, which dates back to the late 19th century.

In documents submitted to the council, the owners said the part of the hotel had “gradually become redundant” and was “almost entirely vacant”.

The company said in its planning application:

“The existing ancillary wing is not viable as hotel accommodation as there are sufficient rooms in the main buildings and serving the rear wing would be problematic with numerous level changes.”

As part of the plan, the ancillary wing would be converted into 17 one and two-bedroom flats.

The existing staff car park would be extended to the back of the building to provide residential parking.

Harrogate Borough Council will make a decision on the plan at a later date.

Killinghall Cricket Club applies to build new two-storey pavilion

Killinghall Cricket Club has submitted plans to demolish its pavilion and construct a two-storey replacement on the same site.

Planning documents sent to Harrogate Borough Council describe the current 1970s structure as “deteriorating and neglected” and would cost more to refurbish than it is worth.

It is poorly insulated with ageing communal showers and the changing rooms lack privacy, the documents say. They add:

“Umpires and female cricketers currently have nowhere designated to get changed, so have to use communal areas, the toilets or come already changed. The facilities for the scorers on matchdays are currently a wooden hut situated next to the clubhouse, which is neither attractive nor very comfortable to sit in.”

Killinghall CC has been on the rise in recent years, Last year the team were crowned first division champions in the Nidderdale and District Cricket League.

The club has opened up its facilities to the public during summer.

Since the demolition of the Three Horseshoes pub and long-term closure of The Greyhounds Inn, the club has also used its pavilion and bar to provide a social centre for the village at weekends.

It hopes a new pavilion would help it fulfil this and encourage the creation of a junior team. The documents say:

“The proposal will provide exceptional changing and hosting facilities for visiting teams, which would be of the best in the current Killinghall teams’ leagues.

“There is a hope to introduce junior cricket back to the cricket club, that used to be a vibrant and engaging part of the local community. The introduction of these new facilities will help facilitate the introduction of this and hopefully attract them to the club.”

“This development is very much needed to the club and the village community. We feel that the scale of the pavilion is appropriate for the size of the site and has been carefully considered. The chosen materials and design compliment and contribute positively to the overall character of the pavilion, cricket ground and the surrounding village.”

Harrogate councillors to take some housing decisions under new council

Decisions over some housing developments are set to be handed to Harrogate councillors ahead of North Yorkshire Council coming into force.

The new authority will replace Harrogate Borough Council in April, which left questions over how decisions over planning would be made.

Now, the county council has outlined plans for six area committees which will consider planning applications at a local level.

Under proposals for its new constitution, the Harrogate and Knaresborough committee would oversee housing decisions in the constituency area.

Meanwhile, Ripon and Skipton committee would oversee planning in the Ripon area.

However, councillors in those area will only consider applications under 500 homes. Anything above that threshold will be considered by the strategic planning committee in Northallerton.

Cllr Carl Les, Conservative leader of North Yorkshire County Council, said it was important that local councillors make decisions in their local areas.

He said:

“Local voices and local accountability are central to the vision of the new North Yorkshire Council.

“Area committees are a key element in this, providing local community leadership in conjunction with the community networks we propose to create, helping to shape economic development in their locality and holding the executive to account, complementing the work of the scrutiny committees.”

The move comes as Cllr Pat Marsh, the Liberal Democrat chair of the Harrogate and Knaresborough area committee, said previously that not handing powers to such committees would “erode accountability”.

In Harrogate, decisions are still expected on a bottling plant at Harrogate Spring Water and a 3,000 home town between Knaresborough and Cattall called Maltkiln.

Senior county councillors will consider the powers as part of a draft constitution for North Yorkshire Council at a meeting on January 17.

Harrogate’s Dragon Road car park set for £140,000 resurfacing

Dragon Road car park in Harrogate looks set to undergo a £140,000 resurfacing.

Harrogate Borough Council has advertised for a contractor for the scheme on the government’s procurement portal.

The authority is looking to resurface the car park because it has become worn.

According to the advertisement, the contract is due to start on January 30.

The car park had been earmarked as a potential site to create affordable flats or extra care housing.

However, senior borough councillors decided to pause the plans in November in order for the site to continue to support parking at Harrogate Convention Centre.

Cllr Tim Myatt, cabinet member for planning at the council, proposed the authority should ensure that “adequate parking for Harrogate Convention Centre associated vehicles take primacy over site redevelopment”.

He added that the council should “pause consideration of this site until it is clear that the Harrogate Convention Centre redevelopment will be able to accommodate exhibition traffic on site”.

Business breakfast: Solar plans for business park near Harrogate

Now is your time to shine with the Stray Ferret Business Awards. Businesses of all sizes from right across the Harrogate district can enter our awards free of charge and get recognition from our panel of top judges. Entries close at 5pm on January 16. Get your entry in now!

A business park between Harrogate and Ripon hopes to install solar panels in a bid to reduce its energy bills and carbon footprint.

Oakwood Park Business Centre has applied for planning permission to create the ground level panels on grass at the north-eastern end of its site.

Acting for owner Alan Cryer, in planning documents submitted to Harrogate Borough Council, Arrowsmith Associates said:

“The applicants intend to begin generating electricity to supply the business park and (when possible) feed into the national grid.

“Recent increases in fuel and power costs have intensified their desire in this regard and this application therefore seeks permission for a proposal to install photovoltaic cells (and associated infrastructure) to facilitate such electricity generation.”

The plans are for three rows of photovoltaic panels set away from the business park’s office buildings.

As an all-inclusive serviced office provider, Oakwood Park covers the cost of energy supplies to its buildings for occupants.

Its Fountains Road site, near Bishop Thornton, began as a family home and furniture business, and has been expanded over the years to offer more space for tenants.

The application documents added:

“The granting of permission for this small renewable electricity generation scheme will ensure the continued support of this business site in a rural area, encouraging the retention of office space on site and the potential growth of businesses on site in key sectors.

“This in turn ensures that the site continues to provide an alternative to town centre business sites, supporting the aim of providing a diverse range of sites.”

To view the application, visit the planning pages of Harrogate Borough Council’s website and use reference 22/04725/FUL.

Free advice for new businesses

Free support is on offer to new and growing businesses to start the new year.

Harrogate Borough Council’s economic development unit is working with the York and North Yorkshire Growth Hub and Ad:venture to deliver three drop-in sessions.

Taking place at HBC’s Co-Lab workspace in Springfield House, above Harrogate Convention Centre, they will offer support to anyone with an idea for a new business or questions about running and growing an existing business.

Anyone seeking help to set up, buy or access finance for a business can call in between 9am and 5pm next Wednesday, January 18, or on February 15 or March 15.

Alternatively, for advice outside these times, email the business team.

Meanwhile, a series of free marketing masterclasses is on offer through York and North Yorkshire Growth Hub.

Delivered by Intandem Communications, they will help business owners plan their marketing for 2023 to enable them to reach their target audience.

The webinars begin in late January and places can be booked via the York and North Yorkshire Growth Hub website.

Just 1% of Harrogate council’s art collection on public display

Just over 1% of 2,658 artworks owned by Harrogate Borough Council are currently on display to the public, figures reveal.

A freedom of information request to the authority by the Local Democracy Reporting Service found that 37 artworks are on display at its galleries or museums.

The council refused to publish the total value of the collection, saying that doing so could attract thieves.

However in 2019 it valued its 2,642 artworks at a combined £6.7m.

Harrogate Borough Council owns the Mercer Art Gallery on Swan Road in Harrogate. It also owns the Royal Pump Room Museum in the town as well as Knaresborough Castle and Museum.

A HBC spokesperson said there was “finite capacity” to exhibit more of its pieces but added it regularly rotates artworks across its locations and also lends pieces to exhibitions across the country. A further 70 artworks will be put on public display later this month, they said.

The collection will become owned by the new unitary authority North Yorkshire Council on April 1.

A HBC spokesperson said:

“Harrogate Borough Council’s collection of artworks includes thousands of different items including reproductions, uneditioned prints and a number of pieces of fine art.

“We are very fortunate to have inherited items from people or organisations who have kindly donated to us, so that residents and visitors have the opportunity to see a vast array of art from different periods and movements.

“Due to the nature of our museum venues in Harrogate, and understandably, there is finite capacity to exhibit these valuable pieces and we also want to ensure that when someone visits an exhibition they are encapsulated by the theme or narrative.

“What we put on display therefore varies from year to year and will depend on what exhibition is on show at that time. This is common practice by all museums and galleries across the world – helping to ensure displays stay fresh and dynamic and encourage repeat visits as well as new visitors.”

The spokesperson added:

“Last year we held an exhibition from some of the biggest names in Modern British Abstract art, including John Hoyland, Patrick Heron, Gillian Ayres and Albert Irvin.

“And in the coming weeks we launch our new exhibition, ‘Now You See Me’. It showcases 100 portraits from the Harrogate Art Collection, ranging from one of the earliest works in the collection – a portrait of Sir Francis Slingsby from the 1590s – to our most recent acquisition, a photowork by Irish artist Dorothy Cross, purchased by the Contemporary Art Society and the Friends of the Mercer Gallery.

“We look forward to welcoming new and returning visitors to enjoy this exciting exhibition, which opens on January 21.″

GPs ‘extremely concerned’ about new housing in Harrogate

NHS managers have objected to plans for 49 homes at Kingsley Farm in Harrogate and warned that the town’s health infrastructure has “very limited capacity”.

The homes, which have been proposed by Quarterly Kingsley Ltd, are earmarked for the north and north east of the site off Kingsley Road.

The developer said in a planning statement submitted to Harrogate Borough Council the scheme would help to offer a “sense of place”.

However, Nick Brown, of the NHS Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board, has objected to the plan.

In a letter to the council, he warned GPs were “extremely concerned” about further development within Harrogate.

He said:

“As primary care providers, the GPs and primary care networks are extremely concerned regarding any proposals for further residential development within Harrogate.

“The existing health infrastructure in Harrogate already operates above optimum capacity and has very limited capacity to absorb additional pressures.

“Primary care and community services within the area are already running at, or far beyond their existing capacity.”

The Kingsley area has seen multiple planning applications lodged to build houses on Kingsley Farm, including a revised proposal for 162 homes by Persimmon Homes.

Residents in the area have long held concerns about the amount of housebuilding in the area and its affect on traffic, noise and loss of green space.

Harrogate Borough Council will make a decision on the Kingsley Farm proposal at a later date.

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‘Petty and wrong’

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Free advice for new businesses

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