Northern Antiques Fair leaves Harrogate in latest economic blow

The Northern Antiques Fair is to leave Harrogate Convention Centre next year, in another blow to the town’s economy.

The organisers announced yesterday the event would be held at Tennants Auctioneers’ salesroom in Leyburn, North Yorkshire from September 30 to October 3.

The event, which has been staged since the 1980s, was previously known as Harrogate Art and Antique Fair.

Ingrid Nilson, the fair director for organisers Northern Antique Dealers Fair Limited, said: “For reasons of clarity we felt it was sensible to relocate as the NHS Nightingale Hospital Yorkshire and the Humber has a contract with Harrogate Convention Centre until the end of March, which is too far into 2021 to plan securely for an event there in the autumn.”

The fair has been a major four-day event in Harrogate, with exhibitors and specialist dealers selling a wide range of items including paintings, furniture and jewellery.

The 2020 event was due to take place in Harrogate from October 1-4 but was cancelled due to covid.

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The NHS is set to continue using the Convention Centre as a Nightingale Hospital until March.

According to the convention centre’s website, the first event due to take place there in 2021 is the Assemblies of God Conference from May 6-8.

Hospitality businesses that rely on trade from the Convention Centre have suffered this year from its closure.

The Stray Ferret reported yesterday that the Kimberley Hotel on King’s Road has permanently closed due to the impact of covid.

Harrogate Bridal Show postponed until 2021

Harrogate Bridal Show has been postponed until next year because of coronavirus.

The event was initially scheduled to take place this month at Harrogate Convention Centre.

But with the centre being used as a Nightingale hospital, the show was moved to the Yorkshire Event Centre from October 4-6.

But it was announced this week the event had been postponed until September 2021.

The event’s website says:

“It is with great regret to inform you all that the 2020 edition of the Harrogate Bridal Show, due to take place on 4-6 October, has been postponed to 2021. We were excited to re-unite the bridal community in the home of bridal this year, however in light of recent developments, we no longer feel comfortable running the event this year.”

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The 2021 event is due to take place at the convention centre.
This year there will instead be a bridal buyer’s virtual showroom. The website says:
“Retailers will be able to browse collections in full from the biggest names in bridal. Like a trade show, you will be able to move between showrooms to compare gowns, see the dresses move on models (through pre-recorded videos) and connect suppliers.”
Harrogate’s Nightingale hospital cost £27m to set up

The government has revealed it cost £27.3 million to set up Harrogate’s Nightingale Hospital.

The sum is the third highest of the seven Nightingale hospitals in England and almost twice as high as previous data had suggested.

Health minister Edward Argar gave the total set up costs of each hospital on Friday in response to a written question by Layla Moran, the Liberal Democrats spokesperson for education.

The figures were:

Mr Argar said:

“The total set up costs for all seven Nightingale sites equates to approximately £220m.”

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The NHS took over Harrogate’s Convention Centre in April for the hospital but so far it has not been used to treat coronavirus patients.

It has capacity for 500 patients across the eight halls in use for the hospital. Birmingham’s Nightingale had 500 beds on set-up, with capacity to double that immediately if required, and increase to 8,000 should the number of cases rise significantly.

Similarly, London’s ExCel centre was set up for 500 patients, with the ability to expand to take 5,000 if required. Manchester has 1,000 beds, Sunderland 460, Exeter 116 and Bristol 60, with expansion potential for 300 beds if needed.

Government figures in July showed the Department of Health and Social Care spent £14.89m constructing the Harrogate hospital. Dutch construction firm BAM was awarded the contract.

The Stray Ferret asked NHS England why the new figure was so much higher but had not received a response by the time of publication.

Harrogate Christmas Market set to be called off

Harrogate Christmas Market is set to be called off this year, the Stray Ferret can reveal.

The four-day event, which has been running annually since 2012, is set to be cancelled for the first time in its history next week because of continuing covid restrictions.

Public health officials for North Yorkshire are expected to meet on Monday to discuss restrictions which would need to be in place for outdoor events to go ahead. However, with crowds of up to 60,000 coming from across the country – including coaches filled with day-trippers – it is expected that Harrogate Christmas Market will not be able to meet the requirements.

The news comes as a further blow to local businesses, including retailers, restaurants and bars, which have reported increased footfall during the market in previous years. Organisers say the event is designed to bring visitors into the town centre at a vital time for the local economy – and this year could have been more important than ever.

Harrogate BID acting chair Sara Ferguson said:

“The Christmas Market brings thousands of shoppers into Harrogate over its four days, and if it were to be cancelled this year, it would be another blow to the town’s retailers.

“I know the organisers, who have worked incredibly hard to make it the success it is, will be trying their hardest to comply with all the health and safety requirements brought about by coronavirus.”

With events at Harrogate Convention Centre not possible because of its continued use as a Nightingale hospital, it is the latest in a string of major events in the Harrogate calendar to be forced to cancel.

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Andrew Armstrong, who runs Harrogate Lifestyle Apartments on Kings Road, told the Stray Ferret he would have liked the opportunity for local businesses to come together and see what could be done to save the event. He said it could have been moved into the town centre and set up in smaller clusters, with masks mandatory, in order to limit crowds.

“We would normally be full with tourists and visitors coming for the weekend. At the moment, we’ve only got a couple of bookings in for that weekend – we’re finding that the booking window is getting shorter and shorter, because nobody dares commit to booking in case something happens.

“It’s quite frightening. It’s the same for all accommodation businesses – nobody knows that’s going to happen. We rely on the business element during the darker winter seasons, because you just don’t get people wanting to come when it’s cold, windy or snowing. 50% of our business in winter is from Harrogate Convention Centre and events like this.”

Mr Armstrong said he has had one booking for this year’s dates called off already, with the visitor asking to move to next year’s provisional dates. However, he said putting bookings back by a year would be no help to those hospitality businesses struggling to make ends meet in the coming weeks and months.

NHS Nightingale Hospital Yorkshire and the Humber, Harrogate

Unlike others around the country, Harrogate’s Christmas market focuses on Yorkshire products. As well as individual stalls around the aisles, it features a craft and gifts marquee and a food and drink marquee – though the latter was not expected to feature in this year’s event because of covid restrictions.

In July, organisers confirmed they were awaiting a licence being awarded by Harrogate Borough Council for this year’s event, which takes place on Stray land, for which the council has responsibility.

Guidance on the government website says:

“Where the council is the landowner, they could refuse permission to allow the use of the land for an event without the need to issue a direction.

“Beyond this, however, it seems broadly that the intention is that outdoor events should take place where it is safe to do so with the focus on these being supported to operate safely, rather than blocked.”

However, the guidance also states that events can be called off by authorities if there is a rise in cases in the locality. This happened last week in Leeds, when a funfair was banned less than 24 hours before it was due to open because of a cluster of new cases in the surrounding area.

The Stray Ferret understands organisers are keen for Harrogate Christmas Market to return as usual next year.

Council billing NHS £126,000 a month for Nightingale gas and electric

Harrogate Borough Council is billing the NHS around £126,000 a month for gas, electric and water at Harrogate’s Nightingale Hospital.

Figures published yesterday revealed the NHS paid Harrogate Borough Council £378,220 in “miscellaneous costs” related to the NHS Nightingale.

The NHS confirmed to the Stray Ferret that the £378,220 payment covers the utilities for the building during the Nightingale’s first three months – April, May and June.

Harrogate Borough Council said it is not charging the NHS rent for using the facility.

The NHS took over Harrogate’s Convention Centre in April but so far the hospital has not been used to treat coronavirus patients.

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After weeks of uncertainty, it was confirmed this week that the Nightingale will remain in place until March 2021 after its contract was extended. However, a review will take place in October to assess its need.

Local businesses which rely on the events trade said the extension will have a “huge impact.”

The government has earmarked £3 billion of extra funding to support the seven NHS Nightingale hospitals.

Harrogate’s hospitality sector says Nightingale extension has ‘huge impact’

The seven month extension to the NHS contract at Harrogate Convention Centre has forced local business to call for clarity saying it will have a “huge impact”.

After weeks of uncertainty regarding the Nightingale hospital it was announced last night that the contract has been extended until the end of March 2021.  A review will go ahead in October to review the need for the 500-bed hospital.

Local businesses which relying on the events trade said they want information.

Andrew Manby, director of events firm Joe Manby Ltd, said:

“This will have a major impact, particularly on the town’s services. At the moment the autumn is under question, we don’t know what will be available. The bigger impact will be for the beginning of next year. We are looking at January currently and it’ll be interesting how they will make it work. There is an absolute lack of clarity about the situation, on our end we were hoping for some clarity as the position going forward is uncertain.

“It may be available from December if they pull out during the October review. Anyone who works with the events centre will be affected, we haven’t had that clear decision today or at all.”

Inside of Harrogate's Nightingale Hospital

The continuing use by the NHS means the convention centre is unable to plan ahead for future events.

Kim Wilson, chairman of Accommodation Harrogate and a B&B owner, said:

“We were pretty sure something was going to happen. January/February are our quietest months anyway asides from the big show which were already cancelled. We’d want the events back to normal but if they are cancelled already we’d want the event centre open as soon as possible. This will have a big impact on the bed and breakfasts, hotels, pubs and restaurants locally it could put them in a significant situation.”

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Last month £3 billon of funding was announced for the Nightingale hospitals across the UK to be maintained until the end of March if needed.

The temporary hospital hasn’t treated a single coronavirus patient but will remain in place for a further seven months amid fears of a winter spike of coronavirus.

The facility has been used for outpatient CT scans since early June.  Details of the financial contract between the NHS and HBC for this extension have not yet been made public.

Blow for Harrogate hospitality as major exhibition called off

A major event in the Harrogate Convention Centre calendar has been called off for January 2021.

BIGGA Turf Management Exhibition (BTME) has been taking place at the venue for more than 30 years.

However, with HCC’s future still unknown until the NHS confirms whether the Nightingale hospital is needed over winter, and with social distancing measures making the busy international event difficult, the organisers have cancelled it for the first time since 1989.

Instead, they will hold a “festival of turf” in the summer, which they hope will be outside. A spokesman for BIGGA (the British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association) said:

“The Harrogate Convention Centre, home to BTME since its inauguration as the European Turf Management Exhibition (ETME) in 1989, has been utilised as an NHS Nightingale Hospital since the peak of the outbreak in April and BIGGA is incredibly proud to be associated with a venue that has been transformed to enable the treatment of covid 19 patients, should the need arise.

“However, the alteration of dates will require a new venue to be found and discussions are underway with potential event hosts. Details will be released in due course.

“It is anticipated that BTME will return to the Harrogate Convention Centre in January 2022.”

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The news will come as a blow to the hospitality industry, which benefits from delegates staying in local hotels and guesthouses, eating out at restaurants and visiting other venues in the town. Kimberly Wilson, chair of guesthouse association Accommodation Harrogate, told the Stray Ferret:

“This is an important event for Harrogate. After December 15, Harrogate is very quiet until the Christmas and Gift Fair, which is mostly day trippers, and BIGGA is the first big show of the year.

“It’s a big deal for the town. They take a lot of beds – there are three main days and they do a lot of life-long learning around it, so some people stay for five days. It’s a longer event and they spend a lot of money in restaurants and bars.”

The organisers said they would move their education programme, Continue to Learn, online in January next year. Organisers said they expected the event to return to Harrogate Convention Centre in 2022.

However, with other events also taking place online, fears have been raised about the future of the conference industry, especially if social distancing measures remain in place for many months or even years. Ms Wilson said she was concerned about the potential long-term impact if event organisers decided not to resume in person in future.

Harrogate Convention Centre is currently in use by the NHS as a Nightingale hospital

The announcement about BIGGA follows the news that the Flooring Show is moving from its usual home at Harrogate Convention Centre in September to the Yorkshire Event Centre at the Great Yorkshire Showground in late February. Its organisers are putting on shuttle buses to help attendees get to and from the town centre.

Meanwhile, the Bridal Show has also moved from HCC to the Yorkshire Event Centre and is set for early October this year.

No announcement has been made about whether the Nightingale hospital will remain in Harrogate. The NHS’s contract to use the site expired last Friday, but a two-week extension was announced to enable negotiations to continue.

The Prime Minister has announced £3 billion of funding to enable the Nightingale hospitals around the UK to be maintained if needed. However, the one housed at Birmingham NEC has since been scaled back and the venue is preparing to host events from October 1, when covid guidelines change.

Council leader threatens to expel person who leaked report to The Stray Ferret

Harrogate Borough Council’s leader has threatened to expel the leaker of confidential cabinet report which detailed the financial state of the town’s convention centre.

Cllr Richard Cooper told a meeting of the full council last night that if the leaker was found to be from the ruling Conservative group, he would expel them and call on them to stand down from the council.

It comes after a report leaked to the Stray Ferret warned HCC, which is subsidised by taxpayers, “will not survive” unless councillors approved an investment project and detailed the dire financial state of the venue. The leak is now being investigated by the council’s chief executive, Wallace Sampson.

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Cllr Cooper called for a commitment from Liberal Democrat leader, Cllr Pat Marsh, to also expel any member of her group if they were found to have leaked the document.

He said:

“I think it is important that as leaders of groups we demonstrate that we do not support leaking of confidential information, particularly when the information damages the economy of the district.

“I have already told members of my own group that if the chief executive’s investigation reveals that one of them leaked these reports I will be expelling them from the Conservative group and calling upon them to resign from the council completely.”

Cllr Marsh agreed to the council leader’s commitment to expel the leaker if it is found to be a Liberal Democrat.

Tamsin O’Brien, the editor of the Stray Ferret, said:

“The report leaked to us contained information about the financial situation of Harrogate Convention Centre – it was not a matter of national security, but of taxpayers’ money.

“With a decision of this magnitude, which could lead to almost £50m of public money being spent, it is important that the public are given full access to the information behind the decision. The fact that the report was leaked demonstrates the level of concern around such a decision and how important it is for the public to be kept fully informed.

“It is vital that media organisations can scrutinise the actions of authorities and hold them to account, on behalf of taxpayers. The leaked report enabled us to give the public the full picture of the situation facing Harrogate Convention Centre, shining a light on the parts the council did not want people to know.”

Last night, councillors voted to spend £1 million on feasibility studies and design fees ahead of a potential £47 million investment in the HCC. The money will be spent ahead of a two phased redevelopment of the venue and a report on the business case for potential investment will return to the council at a later date.

Most of the £1 million cost would be borrowed, though council officers said that no sources of funding have yet been identified.

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Council approves Harrogate Convention Centre £1m spend

Harrogate borough councillors have voted to spend £1 million on design costs ahead of a potential £47 million investment in the town’s convention centre.

A meeting of the full council approved the spend as part of a planned phased renovation of the nearly 40-year-old centre.

The money will be spent on feasibility studies and professional fees for design ahead of a two phased redevelopment of the venue. A report on the business case for potential investment will return to the council at a later date.

Most of the £1 million cost would be borrowed, though council officers said that no sources of funding have yet to be identified.

Meanwhile, a confidential cabinet report leaked to the Stray Ferret last week warned the centre “will not survive” unless councillors approved the project.

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But some councillors from the surrounding district said the investment would not benefit their towns.

Paula Lorimer, director of the convention centre, said that it was important that the council “looked forward” and invested in the HCC.

She said:

“The district has had a taste of what it would be like without a convention centre

“Many businesses rely on us and many jobs will be created as part of the convention centre.”

Graham Swift, cabinet member for resources, said he understood that some people were concerned about coronavirus but added that the plan would consider the future.

He said:

“I know that some councillors have expressed some concern around that.

“But this business plan has made it clear that the future plans will be in consideration of that fact that the world will be in a different spot.”

But Cllr Pauline McHardy, independent Ripon councillor, told the full council meeting that areas outside of Harrogate will be “short changed” by the move.

She said:

“I think you can flower this up as much as you want, this is the first step to spending £47 million.

“There is going to be a large amount of money that the council tax payers are going to have to find.”

Vote tonight on £47m Harrogate Convention Centre redesign

Councillors will tonight vote on an in issue which has divided opinion across the district – an investment in Harrogate’s Convention Centre.

At a meeting of the borough council’s full council, a report will recommend that councillors back a £1 million spend on design costs and feasibility studies ahead of a phased £47 million renovation.

The authority said the investment, which would be one of the council’s biggest ever financial decisions, is “much needed” to keep the town’s economy thriving.

Meanwhile, a confidential cabinet report leaked to the Stray Ferret warned the centre “will not survive” unless councillors approved the project.

The gravity and nature of the decision saw senior councillors on the authority’s cabinet decide to refer the matter to full council in its entirety instead of voting to agree the £1 million spend.

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But not all are convinced, the investment plan has divided opinion across the district as those in Ripon, Knaresborough and elsewhere have doubted what benefit it will have to them.

Today, Cllr Pauline McHardy, three-time Mayor of Ripon, urged fellow councillors to throw the plans out.

She described it as a millstone which would be tied around the district’s neck for years to come.

She said:

“I think it’s totally wrong for Harrogate Borough Council to even be considering spending money of this magnitude, while there are so many other things that need support in places such as Boroughbridge, Knaresborough, Pateley Bridge, Spofforth and here in this city.”

Paula Lorimer, director of Harrogate Convention Centre.

But, while there are echoes of doubt coming from the surrounding towns and villages, those in charge of the convention centre have stuck to their guns.

When senior councillors referred the matter to the full council, Pauline Lorimer,, director of the HCC, said the investment was necessary for the success of the district.

She said:

“We need this redevelopment not only to drive more conferences, but for the district and the community.

“We run school events, remembrance events, entertainment, orchestras and community groups.

“We do a great deal to support the community and the revenue we provide goes back into the council.

“What comes into us ripples out into the district. We need a successful HCC.”

Councillors on the borough council will vote on the plans at a virtual meeting streamed live on YouTube tonight.