It’s almost two years since a section of church wall collapsed in Kirkby Malzeard, raising safety concerns and causing the closure of one of the principal routes through the village.

The retaining wall at St Andrew’s Church collapsed after heavy rain in February 2020.

Harrogate Borough Council’s plans for reconstruction of the collapsed 10-metre section and refurbishment of a further 30 metres of wall have been revised following drawn-out consultation with villagers and statutory bodies including Historic England.

It means the road to Masham remains shut, with no date for its reopening currently known as Harrogate Borough Council is unable to say when the wall will be rebuilt. However, things could move forward next week.

A council spokesman said:

“An application relating to St Andrew’s Church Wall, Kirkby Malzeard will be considered by the council’s planning committee on Tuesday (15 February), the outcome of which will inform next steps, costs and timescales”.

Lynda English, whose children are pupils at Kirkby Malzeard Primary School, which is across the road from the damaged stone structure, told the Stray Ferret:

“Each time it rains, more debris falls from the graveyard onto Church Street and there are an increasing number of gaps between the stones on the section of wall that is due to be rebuilt.”

Church Street, where Kirkby Malzeard Primary School is located, has been closed to through traffic for almost two years

“Fencing has been put in place to block off the collapsed section but it still doesn’t feel safe to me and other families living in the Church Bank area, who have to pass each day, when taking children to school.

“The whole village is fed-up with the delay in fixing the wall but, at the same time, we want to ensure that a proper and lasting repair job is done.”

Creets Bridge traffic lights

In a further blow for motorists travelling to, from and through Kirkby Malzeard, traffic is being held up at the grade II listed Creets Bridge, which crosses Kex Beck, on the main road between the village and Ripon.

The centuries-old bridge was reconstructed by North Yorkshire County Council after suffering severe damage in the floods of November 2000.

Now traffic lights, cones and a concrete barrier have been put in place and only single file traffic can cross, as the route awaits new repair work,

At the time of publication the Stray Ferret was unable to establish from NYCC how long it will take to carry out the works.

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Ripon City Council has called for a new consultation on plans to build 1,300 homes at Ripon Barracks after a transport assessment was belatedly published.

Harrogate Borough Council’s 30-day consultation on the Homes England scheme is due to close on February 17.

But Ripon City Council agreed this week to urgently contact Harrogate Borough Council, asking it to ‘reset the clock’ to give local residents more time to make their views known.

City council leader Andrew Williams, received unanimous support from fellow councillors after he said:

“Important information, most notably the transport assessment executive summary, was added to the Harrogate Borough Council planning portal after the consultation period began — and anybody who commented on the outline planning application prior to February 3 would not have seen the crucial transport document.”

In April, the city council called for the Clotherholme development to be scaled back to 800 homes because of concerns about the impact of more traffic on Ripon’s road network.

At Monday’s full city council meeting, Cllr Williams said:

“This is the biggest single development in Ripon’s history and while we welcome, in principle, new homes for the city, it is clear that we don’t have the roads infrastructure to support this many, which will come on top of the 390 homes at West Lane and other schemes.

“The addition of a further 1,300 homes will have a negative impact across Ripon.

“We’re asking to reset the clock, so that people have the opportunity to read the documents on the planning portal.”

David Walpole, a consultant commissioned by the city council to report on the traffic implications of Clotherholme scheme, has been asked by councillors to ‘object in the strongest possible terms’.

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The transport assessment in support of the Homes England development says:

“The proposed mitigation measures for the Ripon Barracks site include a wide range of improvements not just in the vicinity of the development itself, but also throughout the western side of the city and into the city centre itself.

“These measures include; the implementation of pedestrian and cyclist improvements by implementing mitigation measures such as traffic calming on Clotherholme Road and Kirkby Road; the introduction of a one way system involving Kirkby Road, College Road and Trinity Lane to accommodate on road cycling while maintaining car parking along College Road; the provision of a gateway junction including segregated cycling facilities at the primary Kirkby Road access to the site; junction mitigation measures to alleviate traffic congestion at key city centre junctions and provide enhanced pedestrian crossing facilities; measures to prevent rat running; and proposed contributions to public transport bus services.

“As a consequence of the mitigation measures identified to support the proposed development (it) will meet the requirements of the NPPF (National Planning Policy Framework) ensuring there will be no unacceptable impact on highway safety or severe cumulative impacts and that sustainable modes of transport will be pro-actively prioritised both to and from the development and across the west of Ripon city centre.”

The Harrogate Station Gateway project may have been approved, but the next stages of the £10.9m scheme will be far from straightforward.

It took almost two years of design work and heated debate to get to this stage – now questions are turning to when the vision of Harrogate town centre less dominated by cars could become a reality.

North Yorkshire County Council’s executive approved the project last month in the face of a deep divide amongst residents and businesses over what the major changes to several streets will mean for the local economy and traffic congestion.

The council originally said it anticipated construction would start this spring or summer, but it is now being much more ambiguous, saying works “could” begin “later this year”.

It also said construction could stretch into 2024 after initially aiming for completion by the end of 2023.

This uncertainty over when the project could start and finish has drawn further concern from some business leaders who had previously called for the gateway to be halted.

David Simister, chief executive of Harrogate Chamber of Commerce, said now the project is going ahead, it is key that disruption to businesses is kept to “an absolute minimum” when the construction phase eventually gets underway.

He said:

“We were initially told that if approved, work would commence in late spring/early summer, and what I wouldn’t want to see is it commencing in the run up to Christmas.

“When it does start, the message that needs to be communicated loud and clear is that the town remains open for business.

“The project team also needs to consult with the business community long before work starts, and it also needs to be prepared to listen to any concerns that might arise.”

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Works on the detailed designs of the project – which includes reducing a stretch of Station Parade to one-lane traffic and a part-time pedestrianisation of James Street – are now continuing ahead of a final business case being submitted around August.

Objections could lead to public inquiry

The business case will be submitted to the West Yorkshire Combined Authority which is overseeing the project funding from the government’s Transforming Cities Fund.

Subject to its approval, a contractor will then be appointed to carry out the works, as well as similar projects in Selby and Skipton.

Traffic Regulation Orders – which are legal documents needed to introduce road changes – will be necessary for all three schemes and could spark public inquiries if objections are received.

These orders are lengthy processes and can often take several months to complete due to the need for public consultations.

The idea of a judicial review – which would be a court hearing into whether the council’s decision to approve the Gateway was lawful or not – has also been previously discussed by some Harrogate businesses.

This would have the potential to either derail the project or delay it long enough to jeopardise funding.

Reduce congestion

Despite the objections and threats of legal action, the gateway has been well supported by many residents and campaign groups who have hailed it as a positive step to tackle climate change and cut car congestion.

The project also includes improvements for pedestrians and cyclists, with upgrades planned for Station Square and the One Arch underpass, as well the Odeon cinema roundabout and several other streets in the area.

North Yorkshire County Council, the lead partner on the scheme, has continually insisted that businesses, cyclists, pedestrians and public transport users alike will see the benefits once the project is completed.

It also said while the construction phase will be a challenge, the authority will try to minimise the impact on traffic and trade.

A county council spokesperson said:

“Although the Department for Transport set an initial completion date of March 2023, the department has advised that completion could extend into 2024.

“The programme is tight, so the flexibility is welcome.

“The county council takes the delivery risk, but will have robust programme management in place and there is a sum for contingency within each scheme’s budget.”

A Knaresborough not-for-profit organisation has said plans for a cliff lift in the town remain active — but devolution is delaying the process.

Renaissance Knaresborough is behind moves to create a lift linking Waterside and the town centre.

In a press release issued this week, it said plans have been in existence since 2005 but multiple obstacles have meant it is yet to come to fruition.

The organisation, which aims to support schemes that make the town better, said Knaresborough Castle and its grounds are owned by the Duchy of Lancaster but managed by Harrogate Borough Council under long-term lease.

It said the council supports the project but because the lease only has 11 years remaining the Duchy is reluctant to move forward until North Yorkshire devolution, which will see the council abolished, is finalised.

The press release said:

“The challenge is in renegotiating a long-term lease in the backdrop of the regional move to a unitary authority.

“Whilst there remains support from the council, we understand that there is an understandable hesitancy from the Duchy to renegotiate lease terms when a unitary authority transition has yet to be finalised.”

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Last week the Stray Ferret published an article about proposals for a Knaresborough land train to help tourists travel up the hill from Waterside. This would serve a similar purpose to the cliff lift but could probably be delivered sooner.

According to Renaissance Knaresborough, an independent tourism consultant found the scheme to be a viable prospect in 2019 and that “it is no longer a question of if, but when”.

The project has since received interest from private sector investors but no ownership structure has been identified, according to Renaissance Knaresborough.

Renaissance Knaresborough member Shan Oakes said:

“We feel that the cliff lift is a no-brainer, it’s desperately needed as part of a revival of the whole area.

“Knaresborough has been neglected for far too long. You watch people really struggle getting up that hill and those steps and its an access issue too.”

A planned 1.99% council tax rise is set to be decided by Harrogate Borough Council tomorrow as part of its final budget before the authority is abolished.

The proposed increase – which equates to an extra £5 per year for average Band D households – will go to the vote at a full council meeting.

North Yorkshire County Council and police and fire services have also proposed tax rises which if approved could see council tax bills for average households rise by £255.92 to a total of £2,079 from April.

This comes at a time when families are facing a cost of living crisis, with every home set for a £1,200 increase in bills this year as energy prices rise.

Conservative-run Harrogate Borough Council said its proposed tax rise was needed to balance the books as it continues to feel the effects of government funding cuts and “unprecedented” pandemic pressures.

Liberal Democrat Cllr Chris Aldred, chair of the council’s overview and scrutiny commission, gave feedback on the budget at a meeting last Wednesday when he said staffing would be a “real issue” for the authority before it is replaced by the new North Yorkshire Council in April 2023.

He also said he was disappointed with a budget consultation which just 0.06% of the Harrogate district population took part in.

Council leader Richard Cooper said he shared these concerns before questioning Cllr Aldred why he and other Liberal Democrat councillors abstained from voting on the budget earlier in the process.

Cllr Cooper said: 

“I’m really pleased the commission approved, but there is something that puzzles me year-on-year. Three of them abstained this year, the same three abstained last year and they also abstained probably the year before.

“No alternative budget was offered and if the commission supports this budget, on what grounds is anybody abstaining?”

Cllr Aldred responded to say the move would give the Liberal Democrats “more room for manoeuvre” at tomorrow’s full council meeting.

Under council rules, any political party, councillor or group of councillors can propose an alternative budget. The last time this was done was in 2015 when the Liberal Democrats tabled their own proposals.

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The council makes up just under 13% of council tax bills in the district, while North Yorkshire County Council makes up 70% and police and fire services the remainder. Parish and town councils also charge a small levy.

Paul Foster, head of finance at Harrogate Borough Council, said in a report that while the authority’s government grant allocations had been reduced by £8.2 million since 2010, it had continued to prioritise its services including bin collections and planning.

He also said the council’s key income streams would not reach pre-pandemic levels for at least another year – and that this was another reason for the proposed tax increase.

Mr Foster said:

 “During a period of significant funding reductions, as the government continued to rein in the national deficit, and as other councils across the country faced uncertain futures, Harrogate has continued to maintain its valued frontline services.

“This is a testament to the council’s strong record of financial management before and during the age of austerity.

“In addition to this, the council has been faced with an unprecedented financial detriment as a result of the covid-19 pandemic.

“The resultant economic downturn continues to impact on the council’s finances, with commercial property income, planning fee income and the convention centre lettings income, now not forecast to reach pre-pandemic levels until 2023/24.”

Plans to demolish Knaresborough Swimming Pool and replace it with a £13million leisure centre have been recommended for approval by council officers.

Harrogate Borough Council wants to build the new facility over a play area to the rear of the existing pool at Fysche Field.

It would mark Knaresborough’s biggest building project in decades and has been hailed by the council as an opportunity to provide “modern and fit-for-purpose leisure facilities” for the town.

But the proposals have been met with opposition from residents and groups who have criticised the designs and questioned the need for a new facility.

Knaresborough Civic Society described the proposed building as looking like an “industrial warehouse”, while a ‘Not On Fysche Field’ campaign has claimed to have gathered the support of around 940 residents in a petition.

Sport England has also objected over the loss of outdoor playing space, although the council said it had amended its plans and was awaiting feedback.

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There have been further criticisms over a council-run survey, which asked residents where the new facility should be built out of five locations.

Play area fears

The survey referred to locating the new leisure centre “on the site of the existing swimming pool”, but it was only several months after this that the council revealed it wants to build over the play area.

Despite the opposition, the council claims its plans have been well supported by many residents and it has now made a recommendation of approval to councillors.

A report to a meeting of the council’s planning committee next Tuesday said: 

“The enlarged facilities are required to meet the growing population need of Knaresborough and its surrounding area.

“This would help meet an existing undersupply of fitness stations in the locality and meet increased demand as the population increases.

“The public benefits of the scheme weigh heavily in favour of the proposal and are considered to outweigh the harm arising from the development.”

Six-lane pool

The plans include a new six-lane pool, learner pool, fitness suite, spin studio, sauna and steam room, and dry and wet changing facilities.

A total of 28 residents have lodged objections on the council’s website, while two letters of support have been received.

The other locations previously considered by the council included Knaresborough House, Hay-a-Park, Conyngham Hall and a plot of land at Halfpenny Lane.

If approved, the project could be completed by the end of 2023.

Plans to expand a controversial animal testing company in Harrogate have been given the go-ahead.

Labcorp Drug Development, which was previously called Covance and is based on Otley Road, conducts tests on various animals, including dogs and mice.

It lodged plans to refurbish and expand its site after purchasing six vacant buildings.

The company bought the former Nidec SR Drives offices, known as East Park House, in December 2020 for £2.45 million, according to HM Land Registry documents.

Now, Harrogate Borough Council has approved the proposal for the expansion.

Under plans submitted to the council, the firm will refurbish and extend the former Nidec offices.

A new entrance will be created, and the ground and first floors will be reconfigured. A one-way system to access the car park will also be built to reduce “traffic complications” on nearby Otley Road.

The proposed visual of East Park House, as submitted by Labcorp.

Labcorp also intends to refurbish five other buildings on the site to create office space, extensions for “new plant requirements” and further car parking and cycle space.

Rebecca Micallef, the authority’s economic and transport officer, said in response to a consultation on the plans that the economic development team were supportive of the expansion.

She said:

“This proposal will enable expansion of the business within its current location and promote the adaptation, refurbishment and reuse of a currently vacant commercial property. The proposed capital investment from a foreign company is particularly welcomed during this time of economic uncertainty caused by covid and Brexit.

“The proposed expansion and development will support Labcorp’s future within the Harrogate district and secure additional high level, high paid skilled jobs, directly supporting the aims of our economic growth strategy.”

Labcorp said in documents submitted to the council that the plans will help to “ensure the continued life” of property on the site.

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Animal testing in Harrogate has proved controversial and protests frequently take place outside Labcrop.

In October, Cllr Victoria Oldham, Conservative councillor for Washburn on the borough council, called for a moratorium on animal testing in the district.

However, this was turned down. Cllr Graham Swift, cabinet member for economic development, said in response:

“I don’t like and I don’t want medicines tested on animals. But the law insists medicines are tested on animals prior to being tested on humans and prior to being used as medicines.”

Cllr Swift added that about a third of Labcorp’s 4,000 UK staff were based in Harrogate, which was “great for the economy”.

Meanwhile, Andrew Jones, the Conservative MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, has lobbied government to help the company expand.

Is fast-food chain Leon planning to open one of its restaurants in Harrogate?

The company, which describes itself as a place for healthy fast food, has about 70 outlets in the UK.

It was recently bought by Euro Garages group, which was awarded planning permission last year to open a drive-thru Starbucks on Wetherby Road.

Rumours have been circulating online that the group could prefer to open a Leon at the site.

The rumours were fuelled when a job advert for a general manager for a Leon restaurant in Harrogate was posted in November.

The Stray Ferret asked Euro Garages, which bought the chain last year for a reported £100 million, if it could confirm whether a Leon would be opening at the Wetherby Road site instead of a Starbucks.

However, a spokesperson would not be drawn on the issue.

Leon set for drive-thru expansion

Euro Garages has permission to open a Starbucks drive-thru on the former dental surgery site.

Work is already underway on Wetherby Road and the surgery has since been demolished.

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Although the company had earmarked the land for a Starbucks, it also has plans to expand Leon.

In December, Leon announced that following the takeover from Euro Garages it intended to open 50 more restaurants across the UK.

The fast food chain recently opened its first drive-thru in Leeds and opened new sites in Milton Keynes and Holtspur in Beaconsfield.

Speaking in December, Glenn Edwards, managing director of Leon restaurants, said:

“We are very excited to announce a significant acceleration of Leon’s expansion. For the first time we will be taking Leon across the country, driving regional growth at speed. The new formats in this rollout will build on our traditional restaurants and form a base for further growth.

“Making Leon even more accessible is at the heart of this strategic expansion. We are absolutely focused on delivering for our clients and living up to Leon mission – making it easier for everybody to eat well, live well and be kind to the planet.”

There is still no opening date for Ripon’s new swimming pool as the multi-million pound project continues to run over budget and into more construction problems.

Harrogate Borough Council had originally aimed to open the pool in May 2021, but the project is now nine months overdue and £4 million over budget.

This is after several construction problems, most recently including a fault in the lining of the pool. An underground void has also been discovered at the adjoining leisure centre site which has prompted an £110,000 investigation.

Cllr Stanley Lumley, cabinet member for culture, tourism and sport at the council, previously said he anticipated the pool would open in January.

But the council has now confirmed that a revised opening date has still not been set.

Speaking in December, Cllr Lumley said: 

“New swimming pools go through a significant amount of testing to ensure they are safe to use for years to come and provide the best experience for the customer.

“During the testing period of the new six-lane 25-metre swimming pool at the leisure centre on Dallamires Road in Ripon, an issue was identified with the lining of the pool.

“In order to resolve this issue, Myrtha – the pool manufacturer – will be carrying out additional work, at no expense to the borough council, to prepare the pool for opening.”

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The council awarded a £10 million contract for the pool build to construction firm Willmott Dixon in January 2020. As of last month, £13,422,309 had been spent on the project with a further £584,690 allocated.

The leisure centre

This includes money spent on investigation works after the underground void was discovered at the site. It was found in 2020, but only became public knowledge last May when the investigation launched.

These works are currently underway and are likely to continue into spring.

Gypsum deposits

Initial studies suggest there has been a “significant deterioration” of the ground beneath the older half of the centre which was built in 1995 and like much of Ripon sits on gypsum deposits.

It is likely that ground strengthening works will be needed, although the council has insisted the leisure centre is still “safe to use”.

The new pool is being built as a replacement for Ripon Spa Baths which closed in November, leaving the city without a pool for the last three months.

The 116-year-old baths was put up for sale by the council in a move which sparked concerns that the venue could lose its community use and also prompted Ripon City Council to successfully apply for the building to be nominated as an asset of community value.

This protected status means any sale has now been put on hold for several months to allow time for community bids to come forward.

Harrogate Borough Council is still encouraging staff to work from home despite covid guidance and restrictions being dropped.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced an immediate end to work from home guidance on January 19.

The following week, the government dropped Plan B restrictions, including mandatory face masks and vaccine passports.

Despite the end to the guidance, council officials said the authority was still encouraging staff to work from home where possible due to high covid rates in the district.

Currently, the seven-day rate for the Harrogate district stands at 1,301 per 100,000 people.

A spokesperson for the council said:

“Covid infection rates continue to remain high across the Harrogate district. Therefore, staff are continuing to be encouraged to work from home where possible, however they are able to come into work if required.

“Our covid workplace safety plan is regularly updated to reflect the latest government guidance and local infection rates to ensure we can continue to keep our colleagues safe. We continue to review this on a regular basis.”

The council has staff working across the district, predominantly at its multi-million pound Knapping Mount headquarters which has space for 500 staff.

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The Stray Ferret asked the council how many staff it had working from its offices and how many were working from home.

It said the number of staff “differs day-by-day” and not all roles required offices as a work space.

A spokesperson added that the council’s headquarters at Knapping Mount was also designed to allow for staff to hot desk if they wished.

They said:

“As the number of colleagues using one of our offices differs day-by-day, and not all roles require an office setting it would be difficult to provide a comprehensive figure. Staff also come and go from the office depending on their job role, planning officers for example.

“And while covid has seen a significant increase in staff working from home – and rightly so – many staff were already able to work from home if they so wished.

“Agile working was something adopted by many local authorities and companies long before covid. In fact, the civic centre was designed in such a way that staff could hot desk if they so wish.”