Council reveals Christmas and New Year bin collection times

Christmas and New Year bin collection dates have been announced by Harrogate Borough Council.

The new arrangements cover the period between December 20 and January 14 when residents’ rubbish and recycling will be collected on earlier or later dates depending on their usual slots.

There will be no collections on December 27 and 28, or January 3.

The festive period is a busy time for collection crews with more waste being produced than any other time of year.

A lot of this waste can be recycled or reused, so residents are being urged by the council to make an extra effort and recycle all that they can this Christmas and New Year.

Cllr Andy Paraskos, cabinet member for environment, waste reduction and recycling at the council, said:

“It may not be the number one priority for some residents during the festive period. But this year there will be changes to waste and recycling collections.

“Some collections will be earlier so I’d urge residents to check their waste and ensure it is presented before 7am on collection day.

“I’d also like to encourage residents to recycle as much as possible by checking what can and can’t be recycled.”

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Collections will be made on the following dates:

What can be recycled?

Collection crews don’t usually accept materials that won’t fit in a black box or blue bag, but they will take this extra recycling over the festive period.

Residents will need to sort these extra items in clear plastic bags so crews can see what is inside.

Items that can’t be recycled at the kerbside – including electrical items and toys – can be taken to one of the three household waste recycling centres in the Harrogate district.

The sites on Harrogate’s Wetherby Road and Penny Pot Lane, and Ripon’s Dallamires Crescent, will be open between 8.30am and 4pm everyday except Wednesdays, Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.

Anyone who is unsure about their usual collection dates should go to www.harrogate.gov.uk/inmyarea

£1.5m spent on unapproved plans for Harrogate Convention Centre redevelopment

More than £1.5m of taxpayers’ money has already been spent on plans for a major redevelopment of Harrogate Convention Centre before the project has been approved.

In what is set to be one of its biggest decisions in recent history, Harrogate Borough Council will next summer vote on the proposed project, which is currently at the design stage and could cost £47m over three phases.

Figures obtained by the Local Democracy Reporting Service show £1.1m has so far been spent on contracts for design and feasibility works, while £275,000 has been spent on a first phase business case and £179,050 on an outline business case.

Councillor Graham Swift, deputy leader and cabinet member for economic growth at the council, said these works have been a key part of the planning process and that they will help the authority weigh up the benefits and risks before making a final decision. He said:

“By appointing specialists – such as Cushman and Wakefield, Arcadis and KPMG – we will have a comprehensive understanding of the feasibility of the project.

“It is crucial that we redevelop the ageing site as well as introduce much more flexible spaces that will allow us to attract a broader customer base and substantially strengthen this economic impact.

“These changes are essential to stay relevant for the changing conference trade and optimise space for the future.

“The delivery of this project will also be key to the district’s covid economic recovery plan.

“Therefore, it is essential we get it right.”

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Now over 40 years old, the council says the centre is in “critical need” of an upgrade and that there is “very real risk” it will not survive without investment.

It was estimated before the pandemic that the venue attracted more than 150,000 visitors a year with an annual economic impact of £35m. However, there are now questions over how quickly the events industry can bounce back.

Even before covid, Harrogate’s position in the industry was under threat as major conferences began taking their business to bigger and newer arenas.

This growing competition has led to warnings from centre director Paula Lorimer who last week said the venue will miss out on “large and lucrative” events unless the redevelopment plans are accelerated.

‘Major failing’

The project was first revealed in 2020 when the council’s opposition Liberal Democrat group signalled its support for the plans, although it criticised the Conservative-run authority for what it described as a lack of investment in the past.

The Liberal Democrats have also accused the council over failures in planning for the initial convention centre build over 40 years ago, adding that these “mistakes” must now be avoided by ensuring the redevelopment plans are well prepared and fully costed.

The party said in a statement:

“Any potential project of this magnitude needs to be fully costed and investigated before any decision is made to go ahead.

“This was a major failing the council made when it proceeded with the conference centre development in the 1970s.

“The project increased in price from just over £8m to over £34m by the time it was ready to open in 1982 and took twice as long as originally planned.

“The future of the conference and exhibition business is probably going to be one of the most important economic decisions to be made for our area for years to come.

“We must get it right and learn from past mistakes.”

Developer reduces Knox Lane scheme from 73 to 53 homes

A developer has reduced the size a proposed housing development on Knox Lane in Bilton from 73 to 53 homes.

Jomast‘s initial plans to build the homes in April last year generated objections from over 200 people.

Those opposing the scheme criticised the number of homes on the site and questioned how the narrow Knox Lane would cope with the increased volume of traffic.

Harrogate Borough Council‘s Harrogate district Local Plan 2014-35, which outlines where development can take place in the district, says 52 homes should be built on the site, which sits on arable land adjacent to Oak Beck.

Knox Lane in Harrogate.

Knox Lane

Critics of the initial scheme included Cllr Paul Haslam, who represents Bilton on Harrogate Borough Council and North Yorkshire County Council, who said part of the land Jomast wanted to build on was prone to flooding.

Yorkshire Water also submitted an objection to the plans, which it said did not properly accommodate a sewerage system running across the site.

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Jomast said in planning documents that its resubmitted smaller plans included 34 semi-detached and three detached homes, 12 apartments and four terraced homes. A total of 30 homes would be classed as “affordable”.

To alleviate flooding concerns, Jomast would install hydro-brakes, which are machines that control water flow near rivers. It would also install underground storage tanks to hold water in the event of a major storm.

Harrogate Borough Council’s planning committee will decide on the proposal at a later date.

Call for greater transparency in Harrogate hospital elections

Candidates standing for election as governors of the organisation that runs Harrogate District Hospital should be required to declare past political affiliations, according to a voter.

Governors represent the interests of the membership of Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust, which includes staff and members of the public. Members have the opportunity to contribute to how the hospital is run.

There are 24 governors in total and voting closes tomorrow for three vacant positions. Two are for Harrogate and surrounding villages and one is for Knaresborough and east district. Candidates must live in the area they represent.

Colin Harrison, who is a member of the trust and a Knaresborough resident, said he was surprised that John Batt — who is standing for the Knaresborough vacancy — had not declared his past involvement with the Conservative Party.

Mr Batt’s candidate’s statement describes him as a retired IT consultant who has been elected to Knaresborough Town Council, North Yorkshire County Council and Harrogate Borough Council. But it does not mention he was a member of the Conservative Party.

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Trust rules oblige candidates only to declare current political affiliations so there is no suggestion of wrongdoing.

Rule change

Mr Harrison said he accepted there was no wrongdoing but called for the rules to be changed to require candidates to declare past as well as current political affiliations. He added:

“I live in the Knaresborough and east district, and I am therefore entitled to vote in the election, and I am in receipt of the election documents.

“I have never, to my certain knowledge, met Mr Batt, or either of the two other candidates, but it clearly states on the Candidates’ Election Statements three caveats as follows: ‘Declaration of Interests’, ‘Political Party’ and ‘Financial or other interest in the Trust:’. All three candidates have answered ‘None’ to all three of the caveats.

“I find this to be somewhat difficult to reconcile with Mr Batt’s high-profile political background and involvement with the Conservative Party, although by the same token, I have no knowledge of the background of the other candidates other than what appears on the statement.

“It raises the much wider issue of transparency in situations like this. Maybe, in the spirit of openness, there should be a rule change.”

A trust spokesman said it had been informed by Mr Batt that he left the Conservative Party in 2019 and has had no contact with the party, nor paid any subscriptions or donations to it, since.  The spokesman added:

“Our election procedure for trust governors follows the model election rules set out in our constitution and candidates must state on the nominee form if they are a member of a political party, and if so, which party.

“We are unaware of any NHS trust which asks candidates who wish to become a trust governor to declare their past political affiliations.”

The Stray Ferret asked the trust to contact Mr Batt to see if he wished to comment but we did not receive a response from him.

Councillors weren’t ‘bullied’ into approving plans for 200 Harrogate homes, says council

Harrogate Borough Council has “entirely refuted” claims from its own councillors that they were “bullied” into approving plans for up to 200 homes at a former police training base.

The proposals for the Yew Tree Lane site in Pannal Ash were approved during a three-hour meeting last Tuesday when the applicant Homes England was accused of making legal “threats” over any further delays on the application first submitted in June 2020.

Councillors had initially rejected a recommendation of approval during the meeting before claiming they had been “bullied” into the final decision.

This claim was supported by residents who said councillors “were unduly influenced” by the “threat” of a costly appeal from Homes England – the government’s housing agency.

The council has now issued a statement saying planning committee members must base their decisions on local and national planning policy. It added:

“Although the committee initially voted not to accept the officer’s recommendation, it is incumbent of them to provide acceptable planning reasons to support their decision.

“The decision was discussed at length and committee members were unable to identify sound reasons to justify such a vote, explaining their return to the original vote on the recommendation before them.

“Views that members were bullied, misled or voted due to fatigue are entirely refuted.”

Formal complaint

The council’s handling of the application has led to it receiving a formal complaint from Harlow and Pannal Ash Residents’ Association, and Pannal and Burn Bridge Parish Council.

David Oswin, deputy chair of the parish council, this week described the decision from councillors as “shambolic” and “embarrassing”.

He said:

“Coupled with threats of a legal challenge by the developer and misinformation from the officers, councillors were frankly bullied and bamboozled into reversing a decision that potentially sets a dangerous precedent for those with the deepest pockets to exploit.”

During last Tuesday’s meeting, it was also revealed that Homes England had written to the council claiming it acted “unlawfully” when councillors delayed a decision on the plans in summer.

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Homes England was asked to comment on this and the claims of “bullying,” but only provided a short statement explaining the council’s decision:

“Members of the Harrogate Borough Council planning committee approved our planning application at the former police training centre last week.

“The scheme will deliver 200 new homes – including 30% affordable homes.”

A decision on the plans was previously delayed to allow time for work on the West Harrogate Parameters Plan – a long-delayed document which sets out the infrastructure needs for the up to 4,000 new homes set to be built in the west of the district.

It was due to be completed last year, but will now not be published in draft form until at least February net year.

The plans from Homes England include the conversion of several former police buildings into 16 homes and the construction of 184 new properties at the former training centre which closed in 2011.

A reserved matters application is expected in spring 2022 and if approved, construction could start in autumn.

Ripon leisure centre named after local Olympic hero Jack Laugher

Ripon Leisure Centre is set to become the Jack Laugher Leisure and Wellness Centre in honour of the local Olympic hero.

Jack Laugher’s family home is in Littlethorpe, near Ripon. He attended Ripon Grammar School and learned to dive with the Harrogate and District Diving Club.

He became Great Britain’s first Olympic champion in diving alongside his partner Chris Mears at the 2016 Rio Olympics. He followed it up with an individual silver to become the most successful British diver ever.

In the years that followed he achieved three gold medals at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, a bronze and silver medal in the 3m individual and synchro springboard events respectively at the 2019 World Championships in Gwangju and a bronze medal in the 3m springboard at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

The council has said the new six-lane 25 metre pool at the Jack Laugher Leisure and Wellness Centre is now set to open “early in the new year” after a number of delays due to problems in construction.

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Jack Laugher said:

“I’m truly honoured that Harrogate Borough Council have named the new facility in Ripon the Jack Laugher Leisure and Wellness Centre.

“As a city I grew-up in and a district where I learned to swim and dive, I never in my wildest dreams imagined that I would have a facility named after me.

“I hope this new pool and the diving facilities in Harrogate encourage others to follow their dreams like I have.”

Councillor Stanley Lumley, Harrogate Borough Council’s cabinet member for culture, tourism and sport, and chair of the board of directors at Brimhams Active, said:

“The addition of the new swimming pool is a major development for Ripon and shows our commitment to providing modern and fit-for-purpose leisure facilities.

“Jack may not have had this opportunity if it wasn’t for his perseverance and determination, and the leisure facilities available across the Harrogate district. I am therefore delighted that we have named the new facility after him.

“The pool will open early in the new year and I hope everyone, irrespective of disability, gender, age, race, sexual orientation or religion use this fantastic new facility.”

Final full Harrogate council meeting of 2021 cancelled over covid concerns

Harrogate Borough Council has cancelled its final full meeting of the year due to covid concerns.

All 40 councillors plus staff were due to attend the meeting at the council’s Civic Centre in Harrogate tomorrow, but a spokesperson has now announced it has been cancelled as there would have been “difficulties to social distance”.

Although social distancing rules were lifted earlier this year, current government guidance says people should still “consider the risks of close contact”.

The council has only held two full council meetings in-person in 2021 – one in July at Harrogate Convention Centre and one in October at the Civic Centre.

All others have either been held online or cancelled.

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Early in the pandemic, the government changed legislation on council meetings so that they could be held online.

However, these rules were changed in summer when all council meetings legally had to be held in person again.

Among the items that were due to be discussed at tomorrow’s meeting was an update on the performance of Harrogate Convention Centre, as well as a call for some public buildings to be handed over to parish councils under local government reorganisation.

The council spokesperson said: 

“Given the difficulties to social distance in the chamber, and the short notice to try and arrange another venue, the meeting of the council has been cancelled.”

Harrogate’s Valley Gardens to get monthly artisan markets

An artisan market is set to be held monthly in Harrogate’s Valley Gardens after the success of a festive event there this month.

Little Bird Artisan Markets will relocate to the sun colonnade in the gardens from February.

Little Bird Made, the company that runs the events, has held monthly markets at St Wilfrid’s Church on Duchy Road in Harrogate since the summer.

It plans to continue staging occasional pop-up markets at the church but its regular monthly events in Harrogate will move to the more central Valley Gardens.

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Harrogate Borough Council invited Little Bird Made to Valley Gardens to attract more visitors to the town at the start of the first Harrogate Christmas Fayre, which was held from December 3 to 12 in the streets of Harrogate town centre.

At the time, Cllr Andy Paraskos, cabinet member for environment, waste reduction and recycling, said the council hoped that first event would lead to a longer-term relationship.

The two-day event in the first weekend of December hosted about 60 stalls and a steady stream of visitors.

Jackie Crozier, managing director of Little Bird Made, said it was one of the company’s busiest events so far. She said:

“We are really excited to be moving our monthly Little Bird Artisan Market to the bigger venue of Valley Gardens in the heart of the town from February 2022.

“Valley Gardens is the natural progression for Little Bird to expand and offer more opportunities for small local business and to promote our ethos of shopping local.

“It will be great to work with Harrogate Borough Council throughout 2022 and we are looking forward to delivering our events with them.”

When can you next visit Little Bird artisan markets in the Harrogate district?

34 Claro Road to be demolished under plans to build more homes for disabled

Disability Action Yorkshire has submitted plans to demolish its 20-bed care home in Harrogate and build a 36-home facility instead.

The charity wants to construct three new apartment blocks on the site of its current home at 34 Claro Road and an adjacent parcel of disused land.

The development aims to partly the shortage of accessible supported housing for local disabled people.

Disability Action Yorkshire plans to complete the scheme in partnership with Highstone Housing Association, which is in the process of buying 34 Claro Road from the charity and the disused land from Harrogate Borough Council.

If the land sales go ahead, and the council grants planning permission for the scheme, work will begin in March to build two apartment blocks consisting of 24 one and two-bedroom flats.

Claro residents will then move in to these and their current care home will be demolished and the final block built.

All current residents will be guaranteed a flat to live in.

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It is hoped the project is completed by the end of 2023.

Jackie Snape, Disability Action Yorkshire’s chief executive, said:

“Our vision is to empower disabled people to live the lifestyle of their choosing, and independent living is at the heart of this.

“This is an incredibly exciting move for us, and something we have been planning for a number of years. Our partners, Highstone Housing Association, are experts in building supported housing.

“Whilst they will develop the site, it will be our staff supporting the residents, all of whom will have tailor-made care packages put in place before moving in.

“Our customers at 34 Claro Road have been fully consulted, and they looking forward to having their own front doors!”

Independent living

Founded 84 years ago, Disability Action has its headquarters and training centre on the town’s Hornbeam Park, a residential care home on Claro Road, and a holiday lodge in Lincolnshire.

It aims to empower disabled people to live the lifestyle of their choosing, through its training, preparation and other living skills.

Gareth Lloyd, Highstone Housing Association’s development and partnerships director, said:

“Highstone have over 30 years of development experience specialising in the delivery of bespoke quality accommodation for people with learning and physical disabilities, alongside complex needs.

“Our developments enable our tenants to have their own front door, living independently, with support.”

 

 

Residents submit formal complaint over 200 Pannal Ash homes

Residents in Pannal Ash have lodged a formal complaint to Harrogate Borough Council following its decision to approve a controversial plan for 200 homes on a former police training centre site.

The authority’s planning committee granted permission for the development last Tuesday after debating the application for almost three hours.

Homes England, which is the government housing agency, had permission to build 161 homes on the Yew Tree Lane site but wanted to increase this by 23% to 200 homes by building on a sports pitch.

Following the decision, Harlow and Pannal Ash Residents Association described the meeting as “shambolic” and “embarrassing”.

Now the group has lodged a formal complaint to the council over the conduct of the meeting.

In a statement, HAPARA said:

“The complaint refers to a chaotic and confusing session in which the committee first rejected the officer’s recommendation and, some three hours later, reversed their decision to approve the application.

“This followed a claim by the applicant that the committee had previously acted unlawfully, perceived threats from the applicant of costly appeals, constant reference to costs by officers, interruption by officers of members’ debates and inaccurate and misleading advice from the chair.

“Although much of the debate centred on the role of the emerging West of Harrogate Parameters Plan, no officer from that team was present to clarify the purpose and timetable for the plan and some misleading statements made at the meeting went uncorrected.”

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HAPARA added that it believed the committee was “unduly influenced by the threat of the costs” and had called on the council chief executive, Wallace Sampson, to comment on the “validity of the decision reached”.

Harrogate Borough Council has been approached for comment.

Last week, David Stephenson, senior planning manager at Homes England, warned councillors that while launching a costly appeal against the council was an “absolute last resort” for the body it was a route it was willing to take.

During the meeting, Liberal Democrat councillor Pat Marsh accused Homes England of “bullying” councillors into approving the plans.