Traffic and Travel Alert: Harrogate district traffic update

Some roadworks remain in place across Harrogate this morning.

However, traffic appears to be moving as normal heading into the rush hour period.

Here is your Stray Ferret traffic update.

Roads

Northern Gas Networks is undertaking work at Oakdale in Harrogate to replace a gas main, which has seen a road closure put in place. The closure will remain until September 23.

Meanwhile, temporary traffic lights are in place on Ripon Road near to the Shell garage as Yorkshire Water carries out work in the area.

The lights will remain in place until this Friday.

Trains and buses

Northern services between Harrogate and Knaresborough going to York and Leeds are scheduled to run as normal this morning.

LNER has urged passengers travelling direct to London to plan ahead and ensure they have seat reservations as services are due to be busy during the mourning period for Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II.

Meanwhile, the Harrogate Bus Company is reporting no cancellations on its services this morning.

You can find out more on the disruption to services here.

Harrogate Bus Company has also announced that it will be running a Sunday service on Monday (September 19) during the state funeral for Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II.

Traffic and Travel Alert: Harrogate district traffic update

Traffic is moving as normal in the Harrogate district this morning, but some road closures remain in place.

Here is your Stray Ferret traffic update.

Roads

Northern Gas Networks is undertaking maintenance work on Kent Road off Ripon Road, which is closed until tomorrow (September 14).

The company is also taking on work at Oakdale in Harrogate to replace a gas main, which has seen a road closure put in place.. The closure will remain until September 23.

Meanwhile, temporary traffic lights are in place on Ripon Road near to the Shell garage as Yorkshire Water carries out work in the area.

The lights will remain in place until this Friday.

Trains and buses

Northern services between Harrogate and Knaresborough going to York and Leeds are scheduled to run as normal this morning.

LNER has urged passengers travelling direct to London to plan ahead and ensure they have seat reservations as services are due to be busy during the mourning period for Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II.

Meanwhile, the Harrogate Bus Company is reporting cancellations on its 1A, 1B, 7 and 36 services this morning.

You can find out more on the disruption to services here.

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Rural Harrogate has worst internet connections in county

Rural areas in Harrogate have been revealed as the worst in North Yorkshire for internet connections.

Ofcom figures show parts of the district are lagging behind Ryedale, Craven, Hambleton, Richmondshire, Scarborough, Selby and York for superfast broadband, with 69% connectivity in rural Harrogate compared with 96% in urban areas.

Slow internet speeds can hinder economic growth and leave thousands of businesses and households plunged into “technology blackspots”.

That is according to North Yorkshire County Council, which launched its broadband company NYnet in 2007 and said the rollout of superfast internet in rural communities has involved one of the most challenging projects of its kind nationally.

It said it has invested £85 million in broadband services, although it admitted improving connectivity remains a “significant challenge”.

Alastair Taylor, chief executive of NYnet, said:

“We remain committed to providing broadband coverage across all parts of North Yorkshire, from the county’s major urban areas to the remotest communities.

“NYnet has been working for more than a decade on a programme to bring superfast broadband throughout North Yorkshire.

“More than 190,000 premises have been upgraded on Openreach’s digital network to provide faster and more reliable broadband connections.

“More than 80% of premises have now taken advantage of the dramatically improved broadband speeds which have been made available to them.”

Mr Taylor also argued that the Ofcom figures date from 2019 and since then there has been “a great deal of work conducted in both the Harrogate district as well as the whole county”.

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Across the whole of the Harrogate district, overall connectivity is now 93% – just above the county’s average of 92%, Mr Taylor said.

The latest figures come after research by the independent North Yorkshire Rural Commission – which was established by the county council and launched in 2019 – revealed that a fifth of all rural areas in the county had no broadband connection.

The council said engineering challenges have “intensified” in the past four years as its Superfast North Yorkshire project has extended into some of the most remote rural communities.

It added more than 190,000 premises have been upgraded over the past decade and that the digital network is now available to the majority of people in the county’s two national parks covering the Yorkshire Dales and the North York Moors.

Council leader Carl Les said:

“The issue of poor broadband connectivity has been a long-standing problem for many parts of North Yorkshire, especially in communities in deeply rural areas.

“The chance to introduce these improved broadband connections is vital for businesses in the 21st century, whether they are based in the biggest town or city or in the smallest village or hamlet.

“But they are also a necessity to ensure our rural communities have a future, helping to attract families and younger people to live in the countryside to ensure services and facilities such as schools, village stores and pubs can continue to operate.

“We have made huge improvements for tens of thousands of businesses and households, but the work does not stop here and we will continue to look at how we can introduce better connections for the remaining parts of the county.”

Council explores move to protect Harrogate Convention Centre with limited company status

Harrogate Convention Centre could come under the control of a limited company as part of a potential bid by the borough council to protect its most prized asset.

With the abolition of Harrogate Borough Council fast approaching, the convention centre is set to be handed over to the new North Yorkshire Council next April as the venue also pushes ahead with plans for a £49 million redevelopment in the face of growing competition.

But borough council bosses have this week revealed they are working with consultants on new models for how the venue could be run.

This includes the possibility of creating a limited company which would be run by a board of directors, including senior staff and councillors, although it would still be owned and funded by the new North Yorkshire Council.

Paula Lorimer, director of Harrogate Convention Centre, told a meeting on Monday that events venues in Manchester, Liverpool and Glasgow operate in this way and that this “would be my recommendation”.

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Wallace Sampson, chief executive of the borough council, also said the convention centre could follow the “success” of the district’s leisure centres which were brought under the control of the council’s new leisure company Brimhams Active last year. He said:

“Clearly our view is that Brimhams has been a success in terms of creating a local authority controlled company – it has got a very clear focus and strategic vision.

“There is now a model in place which gives it a degree of freedom to operate, notwithstanding the fact that there is a board with representation from the borough council.”

Mr Sampson also stressed that the council was looking into a variety of different business models for the convention centre and that this work with consultants KPMG “hasn’t concluded yet”.

As well as Brimhams Active, the council’s tourism company Destination Harrogate is also set to be handed over to the new North Yorkshire Council.

But what will happen to the companies after this major change for local government in seven months’ time remains unclear as council staff continue to plan how all services across North Yorkshire should be run in the future.

Councillor Pat Marsh, leader of the opposition Liberal Democrat group, said she was worried that decisions about the convention centre “won’t be in our hands” without a limited company and that she had seen the benefits that such a move could bring as a board member on Brimhams Active. She said:

“We need to have that business as most councillors think the convention centre underpins the economy of this town.

“Without it, I wouldn’t like to think how Harrogate would be.”

The proposed £49 million redevelopment of the convention centre recently moved to the next design stage – although a final decision on the major plans is still just under a year away.

It will be in July or August next year when that decision is made and because of local government reorganisation, it will be taken by the new North Yorkshire Council.

The proposals come after warnings that the venue “may fail to survive” and suffer losses of up to £250 million over the next 40 years unless the redevelopment is carried out.

New Harrogate district town could have up to 4,000 homes

The planned new town for the Harrogate district could have up to 4,000 homes — 1,000 more than previously indicated.

The town, called Maltkiln, will be based around Cattal train station and is likely to have a higher population than that of Boroughbridge and Pateley Bridge combined. But its precise size has yet to be determined.

The Harrogate district Local Plan 2014-35, which outlines where development can take place, said the new settlement would provide ‘at least 3,000 homes’.

Most coverage since has referred to the 3,000 figure but a new press release by property developer Caddick Group, announcing plans to consult with residents, says the site could have ‘up to 4,000 homes’.

Cattal station

Asked to clarify the number, Caddick said in a statement to the Stray Ferret that its outline application in 2019 also referred to ‘up to 4,000 homes’, adding:

“There are advantages of a larger settlement in terms of its ability to deliver and sustain a range of new infrastructure such as schools, shops and healthcare facilities.

“Our proposals would deliver new homes at a similar rate to that envisaged in the Local Plan but over a longer period of around 25 years.”

Caddick is consulting with residents and stakeholders before submitting updated proposals for Maltkiln to Harrogate Borough Council, which will determine the number of homes permitted.

The developer is holding a public exhibition at Green Hammerton village hall on Monday next week. It is also mailing leaflets to more than 1,000 properties in the area and has created an online portal for consultation responses.

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Besides the new homes, Caddick’s plans include a local centre with retail, community and health facilities, two primary schools and employment space, centred on Cattal station.

It said:

“Maltkiln will offer a wide range of housing types for sale and rent, including family homes, starter homes, affordable homes, and homes for older people.

“This wide mix of residents means that the new homes would have differing occupancy levels, but based on a completed settlement of up to 4,000 homes we estimate there could be between 8,000 and 10,000 residents.

“This would help to address the acute shortage of housing of all types within the area and it is important to note that if outline approval is given, it will still be several years before development can begin and the population will then grow gradually in phases.”

Land in Cattal earmarked for development

It said its plans would provide “safe and convenient walking and cycling routes”, which will reduce the reliance on cars and “financial support for new and extended bus routes”.

Caddick added:

“The proposals include new bridges over the railway line and the removal of level-crossings, which will also allow for operational improvements on the Leeds-Harrogate-York railway line.

“Improvements are also earmarked for the A59, replacing dangerous junctions.”

Chris Procter, from Caddick, said:

“We’ve carefully considered the feedback provided to date and arrived at proposals we believe will address an acute need for housing in this part of North Yorkshire, whilst incorporating a raft of community, transportation, and environmental innovations which we believe will make Maltkiln a great place to live and work.

“We have worked with residents and stakeholders from across the region for a number of years and are very encouraged by the way the Maltkiln development has taken shape to date.

“Being a company with its roots in the immediate area, we are truly committed to bringing an exceptional scheme to life and this latest round of community consultation holds the key for helping us do just that.”

Preparation for Maltkiln began in 2018, when Gillespies, supported by Cushman & Wakefield and Vectos, was commissioned by Harrogate Borough Council to develop a concept framework for the delivery of a new settlement within the broad location.

Nigel Adams MP resigns from cabinet

Harrogate district MP Nigel Adams has resigned from the cabinet ahead of new Conservative Party leader Liz Truss becoming Prime Minister today.

Mr Adams was minister without portfolio in Boris Johnson’s cabinet. In a letter to the outgoing PM he congratulated Ms Truss but wrote “it is important that a new PM is able to appoint a team based on who they want, rather than who they inherit”.

During Mr Johnson’s premiership, he was previously the minister for Asia.

The letter also praised Mr Johnson for breaking the “Brexit deadlock”, delivering the covid vaccine rollout and supporting Ukraine following the Russian invasion.

The letter ended by saying “there has never been a dull moment and I am honoured to call you a friend.”

Mr Adams was one of Mr Johnson’s most trusted allies and there have been rumours that he will be rewarded for his loyalty with a peerage. It would trigger a by-election as MPs can not also sit in the House of Lords.

Other cabinet ministers Nadine Dorries and Priti Patel have also resigned from cabinet.

Mr Adams has been the Selby & Ainsty MP since 2010 and the constituency includes several villages in our district including Weeton, Huby, Spofforth and Kirkby Overblow.

The MP has already announced he plans to step down at the next general election.

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Search for missing Harrogate woman focuses on North Rigton

The search for missing Harrogate woman Judith Holliday is once again focusing on North Rigton after a possible sighting on a bus to Ripon was ruled out.

Judith, 73, was last seen on Saturday, August 27, when she left her care home in Harrogate and walked to the bus station and Library Gardens.

A further sighting the same day in North Rigton has been confirmed by North Yorkshire Police.

Another sighting was reported on September 1 by a passenger on a bus to Ripon but this was ruled out today.

Judith Holliday

Judith Holliday

Judith’s family had been anxiously awaiting CCTV footage from the Harrogate Bus Company to confirm whether or not it was her.

Lucinda Edwards, Judith’s niece, appealed to the company on social media over the weekend to speed up the process of checking the CCTV images.

Lucinda told the Stray Ferret it was frustrating to have to wait until after the weekend for the footage to be assessed.

Ms Edwards, a charity fundraiser from Harrogate, said:

“There’s a vulnerable woman out there. I just feel let down that it’s taken days and days to check the footage.

“We are not looking for a stuffed bunny that’s been lost on a bus, we are looking for a 73-year-old lady and it’s not good enough.”

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A spokesman for the Harrogate Bus Company said:

“We are co-operating fully with the police investigation, as we have done throughout, including provision of CCTV footage.”

Pub sighting

Lucinda, who has been back in North Rigton today searching, said Judith was spotted at the Square and Compass pub in the village early in the afternoon on the day of her disappearance.

She appealed to anyone who may have seen her, or who may have offered her a lift, to come forward.

Relatives spent the weekend giving out flyers in Otley, Ilkley, North Rigton and Wetherby.

In addition, hundreds of posters have gone up across the Harrogate district appealing for information.

Judith Holliday

Posters have gone up across the district.

Judith is described as being of thin build, approximately 5ft in height with medium length grey hair.

She has a condition which presents like vascular dementia, meaning she can get a bit confused, but often comes across as being as sharp as a tack.

Lucinda said:

“The kindness of people helping us to find her has been astonishing.”

North Yorkshire Police said anyone with any information that could assist with the search should call 101 and quote reference number 12220153505.

Any immediate sightings should be reported via 999.

 

 

 

YorBus: On-demand service’s running costs are twice as much as regular buses

More questions have been raised over whether North Yorkshire’s on-demand bus scheme is value for taxpayers’ money after it was revealed it costs twice as much to run than regular services.

A North Yorkshire County Council meeting heard YorBus costs the authority around £18 per passenger journey, while normal timetabled services cost £9 on average.

The pilot scheme was recently extended for another year in the Ripon, Masham and Bedale areas, and allows passengers to book services via an app.

In total, YorBus cost the council £229,000 last year, and another £230,000 has been set aside for the remainder of the trial until June 2023.

At Thursday’s meeting of the Skipton and Ripon Area Constituency Committee, Settle councillor David Staveley said he was concerned about the costs and that taxpayers outside the trial area were not seeing any benefits.

He said:

“There are 850 active riders for YorBus in a population of several hundred thousand and I’m sure the rest of us who aren’t benefiting from this service might not think it is the best use of taxpayers’ money.

“I’m just a bit worried that it sounds like a blank cheque.”

The council launched YorBus to provide public transport in poorly-served areas and has repeatedly stated its ambition to roll-out the scheme across the county.

YorBus

A total of 13,426 passenger journeys were completed in the first year which transport officer Andy Clarke said went “beyond our hopes”.

However, campaigners have previously argued that the council should be setting much higher ambitions.

Mr Clarke told Thursday’s meeting that passenger numbers were increasing and that the costs of running the service were “coming down all the time”.

He added:

“YorBus is attracting a different customer base. This is not just people transferring off existing local bus services – it seems to be new customers coming along as it definitely offers something different.

“What we will be looking to do is reduce the cost figure for YorBus and then make some more detailed comparisons with other lower density rural services.

“We very much need to understand what we can get out of YorBus and how well it can perform.”

YorBus uses two 14-seater buses which are wheelchair accessible.

Its fares were recently increased in August with a single journey costing £2 for adults and £1 for a child, while under-fives travel free and concessionary bus passes can also be used.

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Fountains Abbey tops survey of UK’s best historic attractions

Fountains Abbey near Ripon and the Royal Yacht Britannia in Edinburgh have tied in first place in a survey of the best historic attractions in the UK.

The two sites were the joint favourite attractions of 63 that were ranked in a survey of almost 3,000 members of consumer organisation Which?.

The survey looked at nine criteria including overall value for money, helpfulness of staff and lack of crowds.

Both achieved an overall score of 88 per cent, beating well-known attractions including York Minster, Stonehenge, Westminster Abbey and the Tower of London to the top spot.

Fountains Abbey, which is a World Heritage Site managed by the National Trust, is one of the largest Cistercian abbey ruins in Europe. It was a thriving monastic community for 400 years until the dissolution of the monasteries in 1539.

Fountains Abbey

Light shines through the cellarium at Fountains Abbey.

Those who rated the attraction highly praised the ‘calm atmosphere’ and ‘leisurely walks’ on offer in over 800 acres of grounds, with the attraction scoring a full five stars for lack of crowds, as well as how accurately the description matched reality.

The Royal Yacht Britannia, which served the Royal Family for more than 44 years, is now docked permanently on the Firth of Forth in Leith.

Durham Cathedral was the highest scoring free attraction, with a customer score of 86 per cent. It ranked joint fifth in the table overall, tying with Stirling Castle.

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At the other end of the table was Shakespeare’s birthplace, the playwright’s childhood home in Stratford-Upon-Avon, with a score of 63 per cent. While respondents praised the building’s cultural significance, it scored just two out of five stars for value for money and facilities, and rated no more than three stars in any category.

Guy Hobbs, acting editor of Which? Travel, said:

“This year two very different but equally impressive historic attractions topped our survey, and it’s easy to see why. Both Fountains Abbey and the Royal Yacht Britannia offer a unique day out with visitors telling us they enjoyed the opportunity to immerse themselves in a slice of history for the day.

Which? surveyed 2,944 members between April and May 2022.

 

Traffic and Travel Alert: Harrogate district traffic roundup

Drivers in Harrogate should be aware of an upcoming road closure next week.

It forms part of ongoing works in the town, which are set to last for 10 weeks.

Here is your Stray Ferret traffic update.

Roads

As previously reported, Northern Gas Networks is carrying out work in the Harrogate area which is expected to last for 10 weeks.

As part of the work, a lane closure will be introduced on Crescent Road between Montpellier Road and Parliament Street along with four-way lights on Crescent Road, Parliament Street, Ripon Road and Kings Road from Monday September 5 for two weeks

Further gas works will see road closures and temporary traffic lights on many of the main routes into town, including Ripon Road and Kings Road just as children return to school.

Temporary lights remain on Ripon’s Clotherholme Road as the company carries out replacement work to gas pipes.

The lights will remain in place until Monday.

This Sunday, temporary lights are expected to be in place on Ripon Road, Harrogate, near to the Oak Beck roundabout as Virgin Media carries out maintenance work.

Trains and buses

Northern services between Harrogate and Knaresborough going to York and Leeds are scheduled to run as normal this morning.

Meanwhile, the Harrogate Bus Company is reporting cancellations on its 1, 1D, 7 and 36 services this morning.

You can find out more on the disruption to services here.

Read more