Stray Views: For goodness sake, save Harrogate Christmas market!

Stray Views is a weekly column giving you the chance to have your say on issues affecting the Harrogate district. It is an opinion column and does not reflect the views of the Stray Ferret. See below for details on how to contribute.

Council negativity towards Christmas market is affecting traders

The benefits to the town of the Christmas market are enormous and the increased footfall and spend attests to this. The market is close enough to the town centre for everyone to benefit.

Unfortunately, Harrogate Borough Council this year has decided otherwise. It is saying that “the event plan did not take into account the risk of overcrowding and necessary evacuation procedures, counter terrorism measures and the ongoing risk of covid”.

However this is not the case — the site is open with easy access to the outside, the council closes the roads and there are big concrete blocks at the top of the hill. It doesn’t get overcrowded — it’s less busy than indoor shopping centres, football stadia, nightclubs etc where people are in close contact for more than the guidelines of 15 minutes.

That the council was not in touch with the organisers prior to making this decision reflects very badly on them.

Organising an event of this nature takes a great deal of time and planning and attractions have already been booked, such as the reindeers and Father Christmas! It is very late in the year for stall holders to make alternative arrangements.

I am a local craftsman and rely on events like this to stay in business, and I am only one of many in a similar situation. The government policy at the moment is to get the economy moving again as soon as possible.

Harrogate Borough Council’s negative attitude is hindering this process.

Lyn Grant, Harrogate

Labour’s politics of envy over Julian Smith’s advisory roles

Thank you for giving us details of Julian Smith’s lists of advisory roles. He is obviously highly regarded by these organisations who value his skills and expertise, why otherwise would they recruit him?

The comments of ex-Labour candidate Brian McDaid are wholly inappropriate. MPs on all sides of the House of Commons have similar advisory rolls and provided they are recorded on their register of interests they are quite normal.

Might I add that I have had occasion to seek Mr Smith’s assistance on three occasions since he was elected as the MP for Skipton and Ripon and he has on all occasions responded promptly and met me locally at his regular surgeries.

His re-election suggests he is doing the job by the electors. The politics of envy will never be a worthy news item.

Brian Hicks, Pateley Bridge

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Poor shopping, beggars… is it any wonder people are avoiding Harrogate?

Today I met with a friend from outside the area who was saying how much she used to enjoy coming in to Harrogate to shop but doesn’t come in any more.

The reasons given were so many empty shops, cheap discount stores on what was the upmarket street and beggars sitting and almost partying around the town.

I later walked up Parliament Street and in a doorway just before the old Debenhams store there were five people with drinks, sleeping bags etc and a mess on the pavement that appeared to be vomit.

Is it any surprise that people are becoming reluctant to come in to Harrogate? Do enough people care and if so what can be done about it?

Sandra Fielding, Harrogate

Do you have an opinion on the Harrogate district? Email us at letters@thestrayferret.co.uk. Please include your name and approximate location details. Limit your letters to 350 words. We reserve the right to edit letters.

 

Leading the Harrogate cancer charity fighting to save 2,000 lives a year

It’s a little known fact that 2,000 more people die of cancer each year in Yorkshire than the national average.

More smoking, less exercise, pockets of deprivation and variable screening rates are among the causes.

Dr Kathyrn Scott, chief executive of Harrogate-based Yorkshire Cancer Research, is leading the fightback:

“We currently have 14,000 deaths a year. It could be 12,000 if we just had better funding and infrastructure.

“”We’ve got this hidden tragedy happening in Yorkshire and we are determined to change it.”

Dr Scott, a scientist, joined Yorkshire Cancer Research in 2008 as an office junior and worked her way up to chief executive four years ago. She’s far from the archetypal scientist, laughing a lot and joking that “I actually like people”.

Yorkshire Cancer Research, which is the largest voluntary organisation in the Harrogate district, has had remarkable financial success in recent years: income has soared from £6.2 million in 2016 to £18.7 million in 2020 and is expected to increase again this year.

By contrast, covid has decimated many charities’ finances — cutting donations, cancelling fundraising events and closing charity shops.

New Harrogate headquarters with wellbeing centre

Yorkshire Cancer Research’s coffers are bearing the fruits of royalties from a drug called Lynparza that it funded Sheffield University to develop.

Royalty income alone increased from £6.7 million in 2019 to £12 million in 2020, which is enabling the charity to press ahead with plans to expand and tackle cancer.

It has opened more shops, employed more staff and is set to announce a move to new Harrogate headquarters, which will include a wellbeing centre where people with cancer can exercise as part of their recovery.

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Wellbeing has become a major focus of the charity’s work and it hopes to open similar exercise facilities across Yorkshire. Dr Scott says:

“For years people with cancer were told to rest, sit down and have a cup of tea and although there’s still a place for that you need to exercise. It can halve the chances of some some cancers coming back.”

The charity, which is currently based at Grove Park Court, expects to reveal its new headquarters in autumn. Dr Scott says:

“We’ve found the perfect site but it’s definitely a secret for now.”

Recruiting more staff and opening more shops

The number of staff has grown from about 40 when Dr Scott took charge to 53 now and is expected to rise to 65. From September, it will trial a hybrid system whereby employees work two-thirds of the week in the office and one-third from home.

The charity, which is the largest regional cancer research charity in England, opened its fourth charity shop in Ripon this year and hopes to have 20 shops within five years.

The charity’s strong financial position has also ensured it hasn’t had to cut funding to research programmes — unlike some other cancer charities during covid. It funds £10 million of cancer research each year.

But for all its success, Dr Scott admits Yorkshire Cancer Research’s overarching ambition to save 2,000 Yorkshire lives by 2025 might not happen on schedule because of the wider impact of covid on cancer services.

Hospital services have been scaled back and people who have discovered symptoms, such as blood in their poo, have felt less inclined to bother their GPs.

But she says people in the Harrogate district have been luckier than most in Yorkshire:

“Harrogate District Hospital has been one of the more resilient hospitals in the sense that it has got a lot of services up and running again quickly. It feels like it’s been an agile organisation.”

Dr Scott, who was born and bred in Bradford but has lived in Harrogate for about 20 years, is a keen cyclist who nominates Norwood Edge and Greenhow Hill as among her favourite rides.

They’re two of the most notorious climbs in the area — Dr Scott will be hoping the charity can continue to avoid such uphill struggles in the years ahead.

Harrogate district reports 78 covid cases

Public Health England figures show that the Harrogate district has recorded another 78 coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours.

Meanwhile, the district’s seven-day rate is now at 270 per 100,000 people.

The North Yorkshire rate stands at 257 and the England average is 286.

However, Harrogate District Hospital has not reported a covid-related death in nearly four months. The last time a death was recorded was on April 11.

It means the covid death toll at the hospital since March 2020 remains at 179.

Elsewhere, 123,253 people have received a first covid vaccine in the Harrogate district and 106,664 have had a second dose.

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Five of the 10 care homes with most covid deaths in Harrogate district

A breakdown of covid deaths for each care home in North Yorkshire has revealed five of the 10 worst affected are in the Harrogate district.

The new figures released by the Care Quality Commission, which regulates care homes, revealed 18 care homes in the county reported a total of 515 resident deaths during the course of the pandemic.

Health officials said the results “bring into stark relief the ravages” of the virus.

Five of the 10 care homes worst affected during the pandemic were in the Harrogate district. These included three in Harrogate, one in Knaresborough and another in Scotton.

Top 10 worst affected care homes in North Yorkshire:

Richard Webb, director of health and adult services at North Yorkshire County Council, said:

“Every death from covid during the course of this terrible pandemic has been one death too many.”

“The death toll in care homes over the last 20 months, published by the Care Quality Commission, brings into stark relief the ravages of covid and the price we have paid as a society and that we continue to pay.

“All the families and friends who have lost loved ones to the virus are very much in our hearts and in our thoughts.”

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Care home managers must inform the CQC when one of their residents dies. From April last year they also had to say whether covid was believed to be a factor in the person’s death.

The newly published data is based on these notifications.

No link between care standards and deaths

The CQC said in its report that it has not found a link between standards of care and the number of deaths – something local health officials have also stressed.

The social care watchdog said contributing factors included the levels of covid in the local community and the age and health of the residents.

The struggle for PPE and hospital patients being discharged into homes without getting tested were also thought to contributors to the virus spreading quickly.

And although it is now widely available, testing was said to be a “critical” issue at the start of the outbreak with some test kits taking up to 20 days to be delivered to North Yorkshire care homes.

Mr Webb praised social care staff for their “heroic efforts” during the pandemic:

“Staff have worked heroically to contain the virus as best they could. We are grateful to staff in care homes as well as our own authorities who showed courage and bravery in doing all they could to protect our residents, working tirelessly during such a difficult period.

“We will never know, if we had not taken swift action supported by colleagues in the care sector in those early days, how many more would have died.”

Another 73 covid cases reported in Harrogate district

The Harrogate district has recorded another 73 new covid cases in the last 24 hours, according to today’s Public Health England figures.

Meanwhile, the district’s seven-day covid rate has fallen to 260 cases per 100,000 people.

Elsewhere, the North Yorkshire rate stands at 254 and the England average is 262.

Harrogate District Hospital has not reported a covid-related death in nearly four months.

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It means the covid death toll at the hospital since March 2020 remains at 179.

However, latest figures show that the hospital is treating eight covid patients.

Elsewhere, 123,191 people have received a first covid vaccine in the Harrogate district and 106,353 have had a second dose.

Live: Harrogate district traffic and travel

Good morning and welcome back. It’s Connor with you this morning bringing you all your latest traffic and travel news.

The aim of these blogs, brought to you by The HACS Group, is to make sure your journey is as smooth as possible.

I’ll include all the latest roadworks, traffic hotspots and any delays to public transport.

If you spot anything or get stuck in a jam, give me a call on 01423 276197.

9am – Full Update 

That is all from me on the traffic and travel desk this week. Don’t worry though. Leah will be back tomorrow morning from 6.30am.

Roads 

The roads are starting to become busy this morning with a few areas to watch out for:

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

Trains

Buses

8.45am – Full Update 

Roads 

The roads are starting to become busy this morning with a few areas to watch out for:

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

Trains

Buses

8.30am – Full Update 

Roads 

The roads are starting to become busy this morning with a few areas to watch out for:

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

Trains

Buses

8.15am – Full Update 

Roads 

The roads are starting to become busy this morning with a few areas to watch out for:

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

Trains

Buses

8am – Full Update 

Roads 

The roads are starting to become busy this morning with a few areas to watch out for:

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

Trains

Buses

7.45am – Full Update 

Roads 

The roads are looking clear so far this morning, today’s traffic hotspots are likely to show up a little later. Keep checking in.

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

Trains

Buses

7.30am – Full Update 

Roads 

The roads are looking clear so far this morning, today’s traffic hotspots are likely to show up a little later. Keep checking in.

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

Trains

Buses

7.15am – Full Update 

Roads 

The roads are looking clear so far this morning, today’s traffic hotspots are likely to show up a little later. Keep checking in.

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

Trains

Buses

7am – Full Update 

Roads 

The roads are looking clear so far this morning, today’s traffic hotspots are likely to show up a little later. Keep checking in.

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

Trains

Buses

6.45am – Full Update 

Roads 

The roads are looking clear so far this morning, today’s traffic hotspots are likely to show up a little later. Keep checking in.

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

Trains

Buses

6.30am – Full Update 

Roads 

The roads are looking clear so far this morning, today’s traffic hotspots are likely to show up a little later. Keep checking in.

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

Trains

Buses

Harrogate district covid infection rate begins to rise again

The Harrogate district’s covid rate has begun to increase again after another 74 infections were confirmed today.

The weekly rate had fallen rapidly from 534 cases per 100,000 people on July 18 to 247 cases yesterday.

But after a spate of infections in recent days the district’s rate now stands at 267, which is above the North Yorkshire rate of 257 but below the England rate of 282.

Data from Public Health England also showed that a total of 229,143 people in the district have had covid vaccines and 123,145 have received one dose.

Currently, eight people are in Harrogate District Hospital for coronavirus treatment and no deaths from covid have been recorded at the hospital for almost four months.

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Harrogate district reports 38 daily covid cases

The Harrogate district has recorded another 38 new covid cases in the last 24 hours, according to today’s Public Health England figures.

Meanwhile, the district’s seven-day covid rate has fallen to 263 cases per 100,000 people.

Elsewhere, the North Yorkshire rate stands at 251 and the England average is 287.

Harrogate District Hospital has not reported a covid-related death in three-and-a-half months.

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It means the covid death toll at the hospital since March 2020 remains at 179.

However, latest figures show that the hospital is treating nine covid patients.

Elsewhere, 123,101 people have received a first covid vaccine in the Harrogate district and 105,585 have had a second dose.

Local motorcyclist killed in Nidd crash

A motorcyclist has died following a collision in Nidd on Saturday afternoon.

The man, aged in his 30s, was travelling from Ripley on the B6165 Ripley Road when his blue motorcycle collided with a silver Toyota Hilux driving in the opposite direction at about 3.25pm.

He died at the scene.

North Yorkshire Police has not revealed the man’s name but said in a statement he was local.

It are appealing for anyone who saw what happened, or saw either vehicle in the moments leading up to the crash, to get in touch.

You can call 101, select option 1 and quote reference 12210171943 or email PC Nicola Gill at Nicola.gill@northyorkshire.pnn.police.ukMotorcyclist.

It was one of two fatal crashes in North Yorkshire over the weekend.

A woman in her 60s died following a two-car collision on the A6055 between Catterick and Leeming Bar at about 2.20am this morning.

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Daily Harrogate district covid infections lowest since June

Just 45 covid infections have been recorded in the Harrogate district — the lowest 24-hour figure since June 26.

Today’s data, from Public Health England, reduces the district’s seven-day average rate of infection to 260 per 100,000 people.

The rate peaked at 534 on July 18 and has more than halved in the fortnight since.

The current rates for England and North Yorkshire are 291 and 260 respectively.

Harrogate West and Pannal has had the most infections in the district in the last seven days, with 42, followed by Ripon South and East with 35.

At the other end of the scale Pateley Bridge and Nidd Valley has had just 12 cases.

There has not been a covid-related death at Harrogate District Hospital for almost four months now.

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