The leader of Ripon City Council has said it’s “appalling and disgusting” that a volunteer-run children’s swimming club won’t be able to use the city’s new £15m pool after Harrogate Borough Council tripled its fee.

The Stray Ferret reported yesterday that Ripon City Swimming Club has been offered space at the Jack Laugher Leisure Centre, but only if it stumped up £12,500 a year — almost three times what it was previously paying. This has effectively out-priced them.

The pool will be run by Brimhams Active, the arms-length leisure company set up by Harrogate Borough Council last year.

The club said it was ‘absolutely gutted” it won’t be able to afford to use the pool, which is due to open this month although no date has yet been set.

Ripon council leader, Cllr Andrew Williams, told the Stray Ferret that the move by Brimhams Active sent a negative message to young families in Ripon. He said;

“I couldn’t believe what I was reading in the Stray Ferret article.

“The idea they want to charge a commercial rate to local volunteers who are trying to provide something to local children. They should be given the pool free of charge. It’s disgusting and appalling.”

Read more:

• Swimming club ‘mortified’ after Harrogate council hikes fee for new pool
• Ripon pool delay not linked to sinkhole issues, says council

Brimhams Active had wanted to amalgamate the club, which taught children to swim at the now-closed Spa Baths as far back as the 1930s, with its own swimming lessons. However, the club declined because it wanted to remain separate from the council.

Cllr Williams accused Brimhams of “exerting its commercial position unfairly”. He said he plans to raise the issue at the next Ripon City Council meeting in February.

“They didn’t come under the council’s umbrella with Spa Baths, so why now? It doesn’t wash at all. Brimhams wants to monopolise swimming lessons in the district.

“The situation has been badly handled by Brimhams and Harrogate Borough Council.”

The council’s response

A spokesperson for Brimhams Active said:

“Our Learn to Swim programme that is accredited by Swim England – the governing body for swimming – teaches swimmers how to be competent and confident in the water, and follows a recognised framework that provides a love for swimming and the skills and motivation required to lead a healthy and active lifestyle. It also provides reassurance to our customers that they will receive the highest level of coaching and safety standards.

“We have offered to work with Ripon City Swimming Club, enable them to fit into this district-wide development pathway and become a Swim England accredited recreational swimming club for children who have completed the fundamentals of our Learn to Swim programme.

“The club have also been offered the use of the pool at the same rate they were previously paying, should they wish to work with us and accept this offer.

“Should the club not wish to accept this offer, they are welcome to explore the hire of the pool at the commercial rate.”

A North Yorkshire County Council pension fund invests £15m in arms companies that have built weapons for the deadly Saudi Arabia-led bombing campaign in Yemen.

The revelations come as part of a series of investigations by the Stray Ferret into controversial investments made by the North Yorkshire Pension Fund, which is controlled by the council.

The Stray Ferret obtained a full list of the companies the pension fund invests in through a freedom of information request.

The council’s pension fund is now facing renewed calls to divest from arms firms. However, its own responsible investment policy, last updated in July 2021, clearly states that it will not implement an “exclusionary policy” against companies that are deemed by some to be questionable.

It says:

“Whilst the Fund recognises that there is the potential for investment in certain sectors to cause harm, it will not implement an exclusionary policy against investment in any particular sector or company purely based on social, ethical or environmental reasons”.

Ethical questions for council

The fund has an investment worth £11m in the UK’s largest arms manufacturer BAE Systems.

Company reports analysed by the Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT) found BAE Systems, via the UK government, has sold at least £15bn worth of arms and services to the Saudi military since the Yemen conflict began in 2015.

According to UNICEF, over 10,000 children in Yemen have been killed in the conflict, which is between a Saudi-backed Sunni group and Shia Muslims.

Professor Anna Stavrianakis is an expert on the global arms trade and is a Professor of International Relations at the University of Sussex. She told the Stray Ferret the pension fund’s investment in BAE Systems raises ethical questions for NYCC.

She said:

“The basic ethical premise of investment is that you invest now to secure a better future for yourself. If you do that by investing funds in a company that in an extremely direct way has contributed to the deaths of other people, it is not that much of a stretch to say there’s an ethical issue there.

“If I was a council employee I would be asking where is my money being invested, and at whose expense is my future being secured? They can be painful questions to answer.”

‘Death and destruction’

North Yorkshire Pension Fund also holds £3.7m in Raytheon Technologies, an American defence company that manufacturers the controversial Paveway bomb.

Fragments of the bomb were found following a 2019 Saudi-led air strike in Yemen that killed six civilians, including three children.

A Paveway bomb being dropped. Credit – Raytheon

In 2019, the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights (ECCHR) submitted a 300-page document accusing European arms executives at firms, including BAE and Raytheon, of “aiding and abetting” alleged war crimes in Yemen by the Saudi-led coalition.

Kirsten Bayes from the Campaign Against Arms Trade, called on North Yorkshire County Council to reconsider its pension fund’s investments into arms companies.

As well as BAE Systems and Raytheon, the pension fund also invests £7.3m in Safran and £6.9m in Rolls Royce, which are both major manufacturers of military equipment.

Ms Bayes said:

“Arms companies make their money from death and destruction. Council tax payers and pensioners in North Yorkshire will be shocked to learn that their funds are invested so heavily in such a violent industry.

“We would call on the trustees of the pension fund to reconsider their investments in weapons makers. Their money could instead be helping to create new, green jobs in the high growth industries of the future. That would be a better deal for everyone.”

Councillor defends the investment

Harrogate Borough Council Conservative councillor Jim Clark has sat on the Pension Fund’s committee of councillors since 2001 after a career in finance. He represents all the district councils in North Yorkshire.

He defended the investment in BAE Systems when asked by the Stray Ferret. He said the £11m holding represents a “very, very small” part of the fund’s total investments and that the fund’s main responsibility is to maximise its value, although he said “various people have different views on that”.

Cllr Jim Clark

Cllr Clark believes by remaining as an investor in companies that are deemed by some to be controversial, it can use its power to influence decision-making.

He said:

“Theres no point saying ‘just sell the shares’. If you have no shares you have no way of influencing decisions made, people tend to forget that when they make comments that haven’t been properly thought through.

“Successful companies will always listen to their shareholders. It’s very important that they do.”

Cllr Clark was unable to provide evidence of how the North Yorkshire Pension Fund has influenced decision-making at BAE Systems.

BAE Systems and council respond

The Stray Ferret approached both BAE Systems and Raytheon for comment.

A BAE Systems spokesperson said:

“We provide defence equipment, training and support under government to government agreements between the UK and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.‎ We comply with all relevant export control laws and regulations in the countries in which we operate and our activities are subject to UK government approval and oversight.”

Gary Fielding, treasurer of North Yorkshire Pension Fund for North Yorkshire County Council, said: 

“The pension fund needs to get the balance right on responsible investment and ensuring funds are available to pay pensions without further call on local taxpayers.

“Rather than divesting from companies, the fund believes active engagement gives it, in collaboration with other pension funds, greater influence in effecting change within companies”.

In the final part of our investigation into the council’s pension fund, we reveal it holds over £20m in cancer-causing tobacco companies despite the council being in charge of public health.

Harrogate Borough Council officers will meet residents groups and parish councils today to discuss the long awaited West of Harrogate Parameters Plan.

The plan describes the infrastructure requirements associated with up to 4,000 new homes due to be built in the western arc of Harrogate.

A draft version of the delayed plan has now been published and circulated by the council to groups including Harlow & Pannal Ash Residents Association, North Rigton Parish Council, Pannal and Burn Bridge Parish Council and Zero Carbon Harrogate. The Stray Ferret has also been sent the document.

At over 100 pages long, the document paints a broad brush vision of how the area will be transformed by new housing.

It includes proposals for two new primary schools and a possible new GP surgery — which have been previously announced.

Howard West, chair of Pannal and Burn Bridge Parish Council, told the Stray Ferret the plan lacked detail on addressing traffic and congestion.

He added:

“The parameters plan draft is in nice developer-speak but there’s no answer to the problems arising from building 4,000 homes around Harrogate’s western arc.”

Hapara and Zero Carbon Harrogate both said they would comment on the plan after today’s meeting.

Hapara previously said it was unhappy about the level of consultation offered to residents by the council during the process.

Read more:

• In Depth: Where is the infrastructure plan for 4,000 homes in west Harrogate?
• Harrogate planning committee ‘shambles and embarrassing’, says residents group

Beset by delays

The council initially said the parameters plan would be published in October 2020. But it was delayed until March 2021, then September 2021.

The draft plan is still to be ratified by the council.

A council spokesperson said:

“The development of west Harrogate provides an exciting opportunity to deliver quality place-making, a wide-range of private and affordable homes to meet the current housing demand, while also ensuring we have the necessary infrastructure to support these future communities.

“Once approved, the West of Harrogate Parameters Plan will create clear goals and objectives by identifying what infrastructure is required. For example, first-class community facilities, school provision, green infrastructure and sustainable travel opportunities.

“A number of suggestions have already helped shaped the WHPP and I’d like to thank those local residents groups and parish councils for their valuable feedback.”

Harrogate Borough Council has held onto almost £4 million of unspent money given to it from housing developers for social and community projects.

The Section 106 cash is agreed during planning talks to offset the impact of new housing and is intended to be used for improvements such as village hall refurbishments and new sports facilities.

More than £613,000 was spent on projects during 2020/21 – and the council has been praised by some communities.

But with around £3,730,000 unspent at the end of that period, there are concerns that many residents are not feeling the benefits at a time when the construction of hundreds of new homes is piling pressure on the need for community facilities.

Residents left with no community improvements

John Hansard, a member of Kingsley Ward Action Group, said the area faced the construction of around 700 new homes but residents have had “nothing at all” in terms of community improvements.

He said:

“Some of this money needs to come our way.

“Harrogate can’t cope with much more new housing and to think they want to build an extra 700 homes in our area is absolutely crazy.”

Tim Ellis, who also lives in the Kingsley ward, added: 

“There is no community hall, no church halls and not even a pub any more, therefore nowhere local groups can have meetings.

“With all the new housing destroying the last of the fields, and new houses having tiny gardens, we will need a public park.

“The triangle of meadow and trees to the east of Kingsley Farmhouse bordering Kingsley Road would be ideal… but greedy developers are threatening to put houses even on this.”

Most of the money spent by Harrogate Borough Council during 2020/21 was on the purchase of affordable housing.

Cllr Tim Myatt, cabinet member for planning at the council, described the funding as a tool to “support future communities across the Harrogate district” and said other projects included new play areas and open space.

He also said the authority helped North Yorkshire County Council secure around £1.2 million in the last year for improvements to roads, sustainable travel and schools.

Read More:

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But when questioned by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, the county council did not say how much unspent money it has held onto.

A county council spokesperson said Section 106 money has a “significant lifespan” and that the funds will be used for their intended purpose “at the appropriate time”.

Call for review of section 106 contributions

Harrogate Borough Council said it was “not unusual” for the authority to have large sums of unspent money and there were several reasons why this is the case.

It said the money is sometimes paid in instalments and cannot be spent until it has all been received. It also said parish councils often ask for the money to be saved up for larger projects.

Despite this, Cllr Pat Marsh, leader of the opposition Liberal Democrat party, said the almost £4 million unspent by Harrogate Borough Council “does seem a lot” and has called for more regular reviews of how the money is spent.

The council also collects cash through Community Infrastructure Levy contributions, which are another type of charge on new housing.

These work on a pounds-per-square-metre basis and because of recent changes to Harrogate Borough Council’s charging schedules no contributions were collected during the last financial year.

It is now intended that a review will be carried out to develop a list of spending priorities and projects.

Cllr Myatt added: 

“Payment of CIL is due upon commencement of development, therefore there will be a time lag of up to two years before the first CIL contributions are received.

“In the future, the CIL will provide us with a pot of money so that we can work with local communities and partners to provide the right infrastructure in the right places to support development and the continued growth of the Harrogate district.”

The new business owners of The Old Deanery in Ripon have been granted a licence to reopen the 16th century building as a hotel, restaurant and wedding venue this month.

Hoteliers Rebecca Hill and Chris Layton took over the historic building last year after it was forced to close following months of coronavirus lockdowns.

The pair – who also run York’s Galtres Lodge Hotel – plan to renovate the building and have now been granted a premises licence after a meeting of Harrogate Borough Council’s sub-licensing committee today.

Ms Hill told the committee that Ripon residents wanted to see The Old Deanery “thrive” as a new business and that support from locals had been “huge”.

She said: 

“The Old Deanery is one of the most significant businesses in Ripon.

“It is a key part of the city, both for the business community and tourism economy, as well as the wider residential community.”

Read more:

• Swimming club ‘mortified’ after Harrogate council hikes fee for new pool
• Ripon’s Old Deanery hotel to reopen under new occupiers

Despite the support of residents, Ms Hill said the licence application had been hit by “unnecessary” conditions put forward by environmental protection officers at Harrogate Borough Council.

These included a ban on speakers and music being played outdoors.

Ms Hill said the rules were suggested with “little knowledge” of the area and would have been a “detriment” to the new business, which wants to ensure The Old Deanery’s gardens remain open to the public and music is permitted outdoors.

Council officers argued the rules were “fair and lenient” – but they were later dropped by members of the sub-licensing committee.

Ms Hill said: 

“The representations from Harrogate Borough Council’s environmental protection team centre around noise disturbance – something that we hold in the highest importance.

“We do not believe our application will cause any issues in this respect.”

The Old Deanery neighbours and is owned by Ripon Cathedral.

It dates from 1625 and has 11 bedrooms, gardens, and several public areas which are being restored back to a country house that will be available for weddings and other events.

Harrogate Islamic Association has said it is confident of seeing off an anti-mosque campaign fronted by a Bristol-based planning expert who calls himself the “Mosquebuster”.

Gavin Boby takes credit for the rejection of 47 out of 73 planning applications for UK mosques he has contested in the last 10 years.

In his latest video, Mr Boby said plans to convert the former Home Guard club on Harrogate’s Tower Street into a mosque “get under his skin”. He then goes on to make comments about the plan many would deem to be Islamophobic.

Mr Boby, who according to the Daily Mail has the support of the far-right English Defence League, suggests that people emphasise concerns about parking, traffic and pollution when objecting to plans for the mosque.

Since the start of the anti-mosque campaign, households across Harrogate have reported receiving leaflets through their doors encouraging them to oppose the plans with a guide on how to word the objection.

Read more:

• Harrogate’s first Mosque could open at former Home Guard club
• Harrogate’s Muslim community raises £85,000 for first Mosque

Harrogate Islamic Association, which is behind the plans for the new mosque, which would be the first in the Harrogate district, has received one of the leaflets and addressed the concerns raised on its social media channels.

Zahed Amanullah, from HIA, told the Stray Ferret:

“Harrogate is a tolerant and welcoming place. That is why we live here and why I do not think a campaign like this will work here.

“For the most part when we have seen comments from Harrogate residents they are supportive. It’s people from outside the area who seem to object the most.

“I think this campaign and these leaflets will backfire on those who oppose the mosque. Residents who have received a leaflet have been in touch to tell us that they will now officially support our plans.”

The consultation period for the mosque plans on Harrogate Borough Council’s planning portal ends on Sunday, February 6.

The staffing of council services in Harrogate has been raised as a key concern as budget proposals including a 1.99% tax increase move a step forward.

Members of Harrogate Borough Council’s overview and scrutiny commission yesterday quizzed senior officials over their spending plans for 2022/23, which will be the council’s final full year before it is replaced with a new unitary authority covering the whole of North Yorkshire.

Liberal Democrat councillor Chris Aldred, chair of the overview and scrutiny commission, said staffing would be a “big challenge” during the year as some workers worried about job security look to leave local government.

“It is really important that we hang onto the good staff we have.

“As we move closer to 1 April 2023 when our beloved Harrogate Borough Council will cease to exist, staff are going to be looking elsewhere for a guaranteed job.

“I know the new North Yorkshire Council isn’t going to get rid of people just like that, but everybody is looking for job security.”

Yesterday’s meeting heard complaints over areas including street cleaning and planning as committee members questioned how staff would keep services running until the council is abolished.

This follows the end of a recruitment freeze last August when the council restarted hiring after more than a year of trying to keep costs down during the pandemic.

Read more:

• Downing Street parties: Harrogate MP says ‘lawmakers can’t be lawbreakers’
• Harrogate can be economic driver for North Yorkshire after devolution, says council chief

Covid has been named as a reason for the proposed 1.99% tax rise, as well as years of government cuts which have seen the council’s grant allocations reduced by £8.2m since 2010.

If approved next month, the tax rise will equate to an extra £5 for the average Band D property which will pay £255.92 a year to the council.

Harrogate Borough Council makes up just under 13% of council tax bills, while North Yorkshire County Council makes up 70% and police and fire services the remainder.

Parish councils also make up a small proportion of bills.

The county council has yet to reveal its budget proposals, while the new North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Zoe Metcalfe has outlined a budget based on a £10 increase for average households.

After rises were agreed last year, average bills in the Harrogate district rose above £2,000 for the first time.

Frontline services remain ‘a priority’

Despite the funding challenges and covid impacts, Conservative councillor Richard Cooper, leader of Harrogate Borough Council, said major projects and frontline services would remain a priority ahead of the authority being abolished. He said:

“This budget is not part of a lull, hiatus or winding down.

“The strategy is to ‘bake in’ projects and initiatives that we want to see carried forward for the good of residents.”

Councillor Cooper, who will stand down after 24 years of service in 2023, added:

“We have young and senior talent all around this council and we will want to see those people represented at a very high level on the new authority.

“The proposal for a 1.99% council tax increase is way below the rate of inflation and is possible because of work over many years to reduce our cost base and make the best use of our assets.

“This is a budget that is a record of success that we are able to take forward into what is the final full year of Harrogate Borough Council.”

A former club in Ripon could be converted into a house, under plans submitted to Harrogate Borough Council.

The club was initially built as the Jepson’s Hospital, a ‘Blue Coat’ school for poor boys in the city, before it closed in 1927.

It was then taken over by Ripon City Club, which occupied the building on Water Skellgate before it closed due to a dwindling membership in December 2019.

According to documents submitted to the council, the number of members at the club 20 years ago stood at 300. However, the figure dropped to just 11 by the start of 2019.

As a result, the viability of the club was cited as a reason for its closure.

Read more:

• Plan to convert former Harrogate working men’s club into apartments
• End of an era: Harrogate working men’s club folds after 108 years

The proposal by Joplings Property Consultants, lodged on behalf of applicant Mr Jeet Sahi, would see the building converted into a house.

In 1998, the rear half of the club was sold to a developer with planning permission to build seven apartments.

The developer said in its documents:

“The proposed change of use to a single residential dwelling is required by the applicant for him and his family to occupy. 

“The previous use of the building is redundant, the proposed change of use to residential is in line with planning policies to meet the demand for new residential housing.”

The club will become the latest in the Harrogate district to be converted into housing following the demise of its membership.

Last month, plans were submitted to convert the former National Reserve Club on East Parade in Harrogate into apartments.

Harrogate Borough Council has this week submitted a plan to build a pet crematorium at Stonefall Cemetery.

It follows the lead of councils in North East Lincolnshire and Barnsley, which have already opened or started work on pet crematoriums.

Harrogate council currently charges £36 to collect dead pets from people’s homes.

Currently, the closest pet crematoriums are in either Thirsk or Skipton.

The crematorium at Harrogate would be built inside a converted shipping container.

The plans also include converting a storage building at Stonefall into a “goodbye room”, where owners can say their final farewells to their pets before they are cremated.

A decision on the proposal will be made at a later date.

Read more:

• Public health boss ‘cautiously optimistic’ worst of Omicron wave is over
• Stray Views: Harrogate Tesco would be ‘horrendous’ for nearby residents\

The chief executive of Harrogate Borough Council has told business leaders he believes the district can be the main economic driver for the whole of North Yorkshire under major changes coming to local government.

Speaking at a Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce meeting, Wallace Sampson said the district had to be a top priority for a new council which will take over control of North Yorkshire from April 2023 when the current two-tier system is abolished.

He said “the clock is now ticking” ahead of this date and that Harrogate council officers were involved in all parts of the planning process for areas including tourism, business support and a new economic strategy.

Mr Sampson said: 

“We don’t want to be passing bystanders in this process and are ensuring that the Harrogate district remains an investment priority.

“We are very strongly of the view that there are huge opportunities for the district to be the economic driver for the whole of North Yorkshire and this needs to be recognised by the new authority.”

The forthcoming changes will mark the biggest shake-up to local government in almost 50 years and see the seven district and borough councils – including Harrogate – replaced with a new unitary authority to be named North Yorkshire Council.

Read more:

• Ripon councillors call for Harrogate to return assets
• Harrogate council bosses warn tax rise needed to balance books
• Ballot could decide whether to set up Harrogate town council

It is all linked to a devolution deal with government which could lead to decision-making powers and billions of pounds in funding coming under the control of a new North Yorkshire and York mayor, similar to those in power in Manchester and Liverpool.

Mr Sampson said while Harrogate Borough Council was disappointed that its bid for two new North Yorkshire councils split on an east/west basis was rejected last June, devolution was now the “prize” Harrogate is fighting for.

He said: 

“We put a lot of effort into the proposal of an east/west bid, but there is no point in crying over spilt milk and we just need to get on with it.

“One of the precursors for being able to secure a devolution deal in the same way that many areas across the country have was to go through local government reorganisation.

“We thought the prize of devolution was worth that – and we are talking about significant sums of money.

“Over a 30-year period across North Yorkshire and York this has a value of around £2.5 billion, and there will be a further £25 million a year that could be invested according to what we choose.

“If it means going through reorganisation to achieve this, then it has to be in the best economic interest of the Harrogate district and wider North Yorkshire and York areas.”

Harrogate Borough Council offices at Knapping Mount.

At Monday’s meeting, Mr Sampson and Harrogate Borough Council leader Richard Cooper were quizzed by businesses over the next steps of reorganisation, including what happens to key services such as planning, and public buildings including the council’s new Civic Centre.

Cllr Cooper, who will stand down after 24 years of service in 2023, said he believed Harrogate should be the headquarters of the new North Yorkshire Council given its large population and central location.

He also said a Harrogate Town Council should be created, although this would be decided by the new council or a public vote.

Cllr Cooper added his main hope of reorganisation was that investments in areas such as Harrogate Convention Centre, Harrogate Homeless Project, Visit Harrogate and Harrogate Theatre would remain a priority in the future.

He said: 

“These are the organisations that make Harrogate the special place it is and they are also a lever in the tourism that supports our independent shops and hospitality trade.

“We need not to lose that and I’m quite certain the new authority will take this on board.”