Traffic and Travel Alert: Harrogate district traffic update

Some roadworks in the Harrogate area may cause delays for motorists this morning.

Here is your Stray Ferret traffic update.

Roads

Drivers should be aware of the usual rush hour traffic on Harrogate’s Wetherby Road, Knaresborough Road and Skipton Road this morning.

A road closure remains in place on Station Avenue in Harrogate as North Yorkshire County Council carries out resurfacing work.

According to the county council’s roadworks map, the closure will remain until Friday, August 26.

Motorists in Harrogate should also be aware of temporary traffic lights on Wetherby Road, which may cause delays during rush hour.

Yorkshire Water is carrying out work near to the Pavilions, which is due to finish on Friday.

The company is also carrying out repairs to a water pipe on North Street in Ripon which means the road is closed.

The closure is due to be in place until Friday.

Meanwhile, a road closure is in place on Oakdale in Harrogate until September 5 as Northern Gasworks carries out work in the area.

Meanwhile, lights remain on Ripon’s Clotherholme Road as Northern Gas Networks carries out replacement work to gas pipes in the area.

The lights will remain in place until September 5.

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 no cancellations on its services this morning.

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

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Traffic and Travel Alert: Harrogate district traffic update

Traffic is moving as normal in the Harrogate district this morning.

However, temporary lights and road closures in some parts of the district may cause delays this morning.

Here is your Stray Ferret traffic roundup.

Roads

A road closure remains in place on Station Avenue in Harrogate as North Yorkshire County Council carries out resurfacing work.

According to the county council’s roadworks map, the closure will remain until Friday, August 26.

Motorists in Harrogate should also be aware of temporary traffic lights on Wetherby Road, which may cause delays during rush hour.

Yorkshire Water is carrying out work near to the Pavilions, which is due to finish on Friday.

Temporary lights have also been put in place by the company on Hookstone Drive until August 30.

Yorkshire Water is also carrying out repairs to a water pipe on North Street in Ripon which means the road is closed.

The closure is due to be in place until Friday.

Meanwhile, lights remain on Ripon’s Clotherholme Road as Northern Gas Networks carries out replacement work to gas pipes in the area.

The lights will remain in place until September 5.

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 the 1, 1A, 1B, 1C, 7 and the 36 services this morning.

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

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Rise in empty homes adds pressure on Harrogate district housing market

The number of empty homes in the Harrogate district has increased post-covid despite the district’s severe shortage of affordable housing.

Harrogate Borough Council figures show there are currently 801 properties that have stood empty for more than six months – up from 758 in February.

There are also 204 properties that have been empty for over two years, while 30 have been vacant for over a decade.

This comes at a time when housing is in desperate need, with high property prices and a national decline in real wages forcing residents out of Harrogate, which remains as one of the most unaffordable places to live in the UK.

There are also around 1,800 households on the council’s housing register.

The council said it has continued efforts since introducing an empty homes strategy in 2019, although it added much of the responsibility to ensure these properties don’t put pressure on the housing market was on homeowners themselves.

It said in a report: 

“The council has agreed to pursue enforcement action where necessary as part of the empty homes strategy.

“Empty homes represent a wasted housing resource; they also pose other problems for local authorities, owners, neighbours, emergency services and the environment.

“They are often a blemish on an area and can be subject to vandalism and anti-social behaviour.”

The council has carried out enforcement action on several empty properties through compulsory purchase orders which allow it to take ownership without the consent of the owner.

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However, the council’s first step is to always make an offer to buy these buildings.

It has set aside £2.5 million for this and has recently proposed to buy three buildings on Almsford Road, Rawson Street and Hartwith Drive in Harrogate, and one on Kings Road in Knaresborough.

The council said there is “no guarantee” that an empty homeowner will agree to sell and that in order to take enforcement action the authority must demonstrate it has “exhausted all efforts” to return the property to use.

It said:

“This includes enabling the empty homeowner to sell their home voluntarily.

“In cases where an offer is refused this forms the basis of reviewing further enforcement action such as compulsory purchase, enforced sale or an empty dwelling management order.”

Why are homes left empty?

There are numerous reasons properties can lie empty. In some instances, landlords cannot afford to renovate their property to sell or rent out.

Properties may also have been inherited and the new owners don’t know what to do with them. Rentals can also fall below safety standards which means they sit vacant until the problems are fixed.

What else can be done? 

As well as carrying out compulsory purchase orders, the government has also given councils powers to charge an additional 100% council tax on properties that have been empty for two years.

Empty dwelling management orders can also be issued for long term empty properties that are attracting vandalism and causing a nuisance to the community.

Traffic and Travel Alert: Harrogate district traffic update

Drivers should be aware of temporary traffic lights on Harrogate’s Wetherby Road which may cause delays during rush hour this morning.

Here is your Stray Ferret traffic update.

Roads

In Harrogate, a road closure is expected to be put in place on Station Avenue as North Yorkshire County Council carries out resurfacing work.

According to the county council’s roadworks map, the closure will be in place until Friday, August 26.

Motorists in Harrogate should also be aware of temporary traffic lights on Wetherby Road, which may cause delays during rush hour.

Yorkshire Water is carry out work near to the Pavilions, which is due to finish on Friday.

The company is also carrying out repairs to a burst water pipe on North Street in Ripon which means the road is closed.

The closure is due to be in place until Friday.

Meanwhile, lights remain on Ripon’s Clotherholme Road as Northern Gas Networks carries out replacement work to gas pipes in the area.

The lights will remain in place until September 5.

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 no cancellations on its services this morning.

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

Read more:

 

Staff turnover ‘uncomfortably high’ at Harrogate council

The turnover of Harrogate Borough Council staff has been described as “uncomfortably high” as the authority enters its final months.

A combination of uncertainty over jobs and rising living costs resulting in staff leaving for higher salaries has led to a turnover rate of 16% at the council, which will be abolished in April.

The rate is calculated from the number of leavers as a percentage of total staff – and is up from 10% in 2020/21.

It comes as the council is preparing to hand over all of its responsibilities to a new unitary authority covering the whole of North Yorkshire in what will mark the biggest change to local government in the county in almost 50 years.

Cllr Graham Swift, deputy leader of Harrogate Borough Council, told a meeting on Wednesday that it was “no surprise” staff were looking for new opportunities – despite them being given reassurances about their roles.

He said:

“Sixteen percent is starting to get uncomfortably high.

“Although all eight councils involved in the local government reforms have made it very clear about the plans and TUPE needs for staff in the future, uncertainty is one of the few things humans manage poorly.

“It is not a surprise therefore that you see some people are not necessarily comfortable in an uncertain world.”

The council has over 1,000 staff – and a total of 146 have left over the past 12 months.

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The departments which have seen the highest percentage of leavers include organisational development and improvement, Harrogate Convention Centre, and place-shaping and economic growth.

ICT, legal and finance perform the best at staff retention.

As well as the high turnover, the council has struggled to recruit staff because of competition from the private sector.

This has been the case since the start of the covid outbreak in 2020 when the council introduced a recruitment freeze to keep costs down during the pandemic.

Pay concerns

Union officials have also complained that council jobs are unattractive because of pay.

David Houlgate, secretary at the Harrogate branch of Unison, previously said: 

“Local government pay must be increased to match the cost of living squeeze our members are now experiencing on the back of year-on-year below inflation pay increases.

“Without a decent above inflation pay rise to help workers meet soaring costs, vital council services will struggle to hang on to skilled staff which could put some services at risk.

“Indeed this is already happening.”

Almost all council workers except some senior staff have been told they will transfer across to the new North Yorkshire Council under Transfer of Undertakings Protection of Employment (TUPE) regulations.

Those which won’t include the current eight chief executives whose roles will be subsumed into one. That top job is to be taken on by Richard Flinton who was appointed into the role this week.

Mr Flinton, who is the current chief executive of North Yorkshire County Council, will receive a salary of between £180,000 to £197,000 and have responsibility for an annual budget of £1.4 billion and a workforce of 10,500 staff.

Traffic and Travel Alert: Harrogate district traffic update

Traffic is moving normally in the Harrogate district this morning, but drivers should still take care due to the usual rush hour delays.

Meanwhile, passengers using the trains this morning are urged to check their journeys before they travel due to strike action.

Here is your Stray Ferret traffic update.

Roads

In Harrogate, temporary lights are in place at Harewood Road in Harrogate as CityFibre carries out maintenance work.

Meanwhile, lights remain on Ripon’s Clotherholme Road as Northern Gas Networks carries out replacement work to gas pipes in the area.

The lights will remain in place until September 5.

Trains and buses

While train services through Harrogate and Knaresborough are due to run as normal today, passengers are warned that they still could face disruption.

Northern has urged commuters to check before they travel as services may still be affected by this week’s strike action.

As previously reported, no trains will be running between Harrogate and Knaresborough on Saturday due to unions staging a national walkout.

Other stations will see a reduced timetable.

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

The 3 service will take a diversion at Harewood Road due to temporary roadworks. Instead, passengers should use alternative stops at Grantley Drive and Jennyfield Co-op.

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

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Harrogate firefighters called to midnight hay fire

Firefighters from Harrogate dealt with a hay stack fire shortly after midnight today.

The crew were summoned to Little Ribston, near Knaresborough, at six minutes past midnight and requested assistance from a second fire engine.

According to North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service‘s incident log, firefighters used one hose reel jet to dampen down the fire and set up a water relay.

About half an hour earlier, Knaresborough firefighters were called to reports of a fire on Harrogate Road, near Mother Shipton’s cave.

The incident log said:

“Crew located an unattended bonfire. They used knapsack sprayers to dampen down the surrounding area.”

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Traffic and Travel Alert: Harrogate district trains hit by strike action

Harrogate district commuters face the first of a two-day train strike this morning.

Meanwhile, roadworks continue to cause delays on roads across the district.

Here is your Stray Ferret traffic update.

Roads

Drivers may face delays on Ripon Road during rush hour as temporary lights are in place at the junction with Kent Road.

CityFibre is carrying out repair and maintenance work in the area until Friday, August 19.

In Harrogate, Albert Street remains closed as North Yorkshire County Council carries out resurfacing of the carriageway. Work is carried out on an evening.

The closure is in place until Friday, August 19.

Temporary lights remain on Ripon’s Clotherholme Road as Northern Gas Networks carries out replacement work to gas pipes in the area.

The lights will remain in place until September 5.

Trains and buses

As previously reported, no trains will be running between Harrogate and Knaresborough on Thursday due to national strike action.

The two-day industrial action will also see no services through Harrogate and Knaresborough on Saturday.

Other stations will see a reduced timetable.

Northern has urged passengers not to travel on Thursday and Saturday due to train staff staging a walk out.

It has also urged commuters to check before they travel on non-strike days as services may still be disrupted.

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

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

Read more:

 

£70,000 energy bill increase forces Harrogate district farm shop to close

Ainsty Farm Shop is to close next month after its owners were told their annual energy bill was set to jump from £20,000 to £90,000 a year.

Farmers Lily and Stuart Beaton have run the popular store for 22 years and have been in their current premises off the A59 near Kirk Hammerton since 2005. The shop sells meat from their farm as well as other produce grown locally.

The couple’s annual energy bill is due to renew next month and they received a new quote last week that was so shocking they didn’t think it was real.

Ms Beaton said:

“I said they’ve sent the wrong quote, this can’t be right. Are you sure they sent the right quote?”

Massive price hike

They contacted an energy broker, who managed to get the quote down to £76,000, but it was still far more than they are able to afford.

It led to the heartbreaking decision to close the farm shop, which has turned their lives “upside down”.

Ms Beaton added:

“We just don’t have that extra £50,000, it’s not the type of money that sits spare.

“If we were to try and put an increase on prices and charge customers more, that wouldn’t be fair, it would exclude a lot of customers. We’d just price ourselves out of the market.”

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The cost of living crisis is now being felt by just about everyone, with wholesale energy prices soaring due to the war in Ukraine as well as high demand post-covid.

But for owners of small businesses like Ainsty Farm Shop, it can sting seeing oil companies like Shell and BP post record profits whilst they are forced to close their doors.

Ms Beaton said:

“It’s just phenomenal the record profits they are announcing for these businesses, yet everybody else underneath them is going out of business because they can’t sustain the rises. That’s where the problem lies, that’s what needs sorting out.”

‘Tip of the iceberg’

She believes the closure of their business is the “tip of the iceberg” and fears for how the food and retail landscape could eventually look.

The couple hope their plight acts as a warning to show that small businesses need more help if they are going to weather the current crisis and come out the other side. Ms Beaton said:

“It will be a very sad day when there are only supermarkets and no independents. It’s what will happen unless something is done now, but it’s been too late for our shop”.

Since announcing their closure over the weekend they have been heartened by the messages of support and goodwill from customers.

After September, they will continue to sell meat and produce from their farm via their online shop.

“Some of the customers came through the doors when we opened our first shop. They are very loyal, lovely customers. It’s heartbreaking to think these people you see weekly you won’t see them again.

“Its been a long time, our kids have been born since we’ve had the shop, they’ve worked here too during school holidays. It’s just all going to end which feels very strange.”

To sign up to the Ainsty Farm Shop mailing list for updates on how to still buy meat from them after they close, email sales@ainstyfarmshop.co.uk or call 01423 331897

Concerns over ‘perfect storm’ of homelessness in Harrogate

Concerns have been raised over a “perfect storm” of homelessness in Harrogate due to the cost of living crisis and a lack of accommodation.

Harrogate Borough Council recently revealed a “huge” 60% increase in requests for housing help, which has led to more homeless people staying in bed and breakfasts for longer.

The council also said it has had difficulties in moving hostel tenants into permanent housing as cases have been “more complex than normal”.

Speaking at a meeting on Monday, Trevor Watson, director of economy and culture at the council, said these issues combined with a lack of private rental properties in the district were creating a “perfect storm”.

A total of 370 people accessed housing help in the first quarter 2022 – up from 334 the same time in the previous year.

The increase comes amid big rises in the cost of living with soaring prices putting a squeeze on people’s finances.

Harrogate Fairfax Liberal Democrat councillor Chris Aldred urged the council to not “lose sight” of the worsening situation as he also raised concerns over long delays in the licensing of multiple occupancy houses.

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The council is currently taking an average of 323 days to licence these properties against a target of 60.

Mr Watson blamed the backlog on the covid pandemic which he said has had a “huge impact” on staff being able to process applications.

A report to Monday’s overview and scrutiny meeting said councils across the country are facing similar issues and that finding accommodation for homeless people “isn’t always easy due to complicating factors like mental health or debts”.

It said: 

“Following a huge increase in the number of families approaching the service, the homelessness indicators performance have worsened.

“Our homelessness performance indicators, though off target, unfortunately reflect broader national trends around homelessness.

“Housing teams across the country have been dealing with higher case loads.

“In Harrogate, cases are about 60% higher than previous years.”