Another Harrogate district primary school faces closure

Another primary school in the Harrogate district with dwindling attendance could close.

Governors at Fountains Earth CE Primary School, in Lofthouse said today they have made the decision with a “heavy heart” to begin the process of applying to North Yorkshire County Council for a consultation for closure.

The news comes the day after a consultation closed on the proposed closure of Woodfield Community Primary School in Bilton.

Last year Kell Bank Church of England Primary School in Masham said goodbye after 200 years.

Baldersby St James Church of England Primary School is due to close next month.

A final decision on Fountains Earth is due next spring.

The school has 11 pupils on its register, with the same figure due to attend in September 2023.

It belongs to the Federation of Fountains Earth and St Cuthbert’s CE Primary Schools.

The closure proposal does not apply to St Cuthbert’s, which is in Pateley Bridge.

11 pupils on register

A press release by North Yorkshire County Council today said the lack of pupils meant sustaining a varied, thorough curriculum was impossible, due to the lack of age-appropriate peers and the wide age range across the class.

Abi Broadley, chair of governors, said:

“Despite the best efforts of our headteacher, staff and governors, we cannot overcome the challenges of having such low pupil numbers.

“Our pupil numbers have been declining over the last few years and we now have just 11 children. We understand there is no sign of the school population growing significantly in the future.

“With such low pupil numbers and no hope of them dramatically increasing them soon, we will continue to have limited children in each year group. Indeed, some year groups are void of children altogether.”

Ms Broadley added the governors had “exhausted all options”, adding:

“A lot of work has been undertaken by our headteacher and team which has improved the situation, but it just isn’t enough due to a lack of pupils.

“These interventions include introducing a more structured curriculum, structured sessions and interventions from subject lead teachers from across the federation, all in an effort to try to meet educational needs; and Federation Fridays to help to address the social and emotional needs of the children.

“Although Federation Fridays are successful in enriching the lives of our children, they can only cover certain subjects such as personal, social, health and economic PSHE education, music and PE.

“This cannot be a long-term solution and further highlights the fact that our Fountains Earth provision alone does not adequately meet our children’s needs.”

The county council will consider the request for consultation. Its executive member for education and skills, Annabel Wilkinson, the Conservative councillor for Morton-on-Swale and Appleton Wiske division, will decide whether to approve the proposal.

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If the consultation to close the school is agreed, it is likely to start early in the new academic year. It will consist of a six-week period of consultation through the autumn term, which will include a public meeting.

A final decision on closure would be made once the consultation responses had been reviewed. That decision is likely to be made in the spring of next year.

Fountains Earth CE Primary School will remain open throughout the process.

Fire crews called to garage blaze in Lofthouse

Fire crews were called to a fire at a garage in Lofthouse late last night.

Fire fighters from Masham, Summerbridge and Lofthouse were summoned to the village at 11.51pm.

The fire was estimated to have damaged 50% of the garage and its contents.

The owner of the property extinguished the blaze before North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue arrived.

The service added in an incident log:

“Crews carried out an inspection using a thermal imaging camera and gave advice to the owner.

“The cause of the fire is believed to be accidental.”

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Traffic and Travel Alert: Congestion in Harrogate district due to A1(M) southbound closure

There is queueing traffic due to a closure of the A1(M) southbound between Dishforth and Boroughbridge this morning.

There are also roadworks in Harrogate and cancellations on buses.

Roads

Traffic is backing up in Boroughbridge, Topcliffe and Ripon this morning after part of the A1(M) southbound was closed.

The road was closed between junction 49 at Dishforth and junction 48 at Boroughbridge earlier this morning due to planned roadworks going over there pre-agreed time, according to National Highways Yorkshire.

All lanes have now reopened, but there is some congestion on the A1(M) and in Boroughbridge and Topcliffe due to the closure.

Drivers are advised to allow for extra time for there journeys.

All lanes have now reopened on the #A1M southbound between J49 (#Dishforth) and J48 (#Boroughbridge) following completion of the overnight roadworks. There is approx. 3 miles of congestion on approach, please allow extra time for these delays to clear. Thank you for your patience pic.twitter.com/uZeamTTOmc

— National Highways: Yorkshire (@HighwaysYORKS) July 5, 2022

As usual, drivers should be aware of the normal rush hour traffic on Harrogate’s Wetherby Road, Skipton Road and Knaresborough Road.

According to North Yorkshire County Council’s roadworks map, Yorkshire Water is due to start planned work Leeds Road this morning.

These works will be finished today.

Trains and buses

Train 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 36 bus from Leeds to Harrogate at 8.55am this morning.

There are also cancellations on the 1A, 1B and 1C services.

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

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Praise for A1 junction 47 upgrade – but overspend remains unknown

The full extent of the multi-million pound overspend on the upgrade to junction 47 on the A1(M) has still not been revealed, months after the delayed scheme was finally completed.

The project, which had an original budget cost of £7.7m, finished in April — seven months later than planned.

North Yorkshire County Council revealed 10 months ago the costs had spiralled to £10m and has not given an updated figure since.

The council issued a press release today in which business leaders praised the initiative, at Flaxby, for improving traffic flow and attracting enterprise.

It said the junction was “already having huge benefits for commuters, residents and holiday-makers amid the summer tourism season”.

Cllr Keane Duncan, the council’s executive member for highways, said:

“The upgrades to junction 47 have made a significant difference, reducing congestion and improving road safety.

“The scheme unlocks future growth in and around Harrogate, with the changes helping to manage significant residential and commercial development anticipated along the A59 corridor.”

David Simister, chief executive of Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce said:

“Having used it on a number of occasions since its completion, it is not only benefitting commuters exiting the A1(M), but also those accessing it as well as those travelling along the A59.

“Improving transport links to and from the Harrogate district will benefit business too.”

(from left) Y&NY LEP board member Jan Garill, NYCC project manager Richard Binks, Farrans operations director Jonny Kerr, National Highways head of service delivery Kate Wood, Farrans project manager Shane Daly, AECOM site supervisor Kevin Atkinson and Cllr Keane Duncan.

The scheme involved widening three of the four slip roads onto and off the roundabout to increase capacity, as well as a number of junction improvements.

Traffic signals have been installed on the roundabout to improve traffic flow and added to the T-junction between the A168 and the A59 a short distance from Junction 47 on the York side to benefit drivers turning onto the A59 and to improve safety.

To the west of Junction 47, between the A1 and the Flaxby roundabout, a lane has been added for traffic travelling east, so there is two lanes in each direction between those two roundabouts.

‘Bring more events to Harrogate’

Paula Lorimer, director at Harrogate Convention Centre, said:

“We welcome the upgrade as it has significantly reduced congestion and improved road safety for our visitors.

“The shortened travel time strengthens our competitive advantage and will help us bring more large-scale events to Harrogate.”

Delays were blamed on the discovery of a protected species, great crested newts, which legally had to be relocated, as well as poor ground conditions on the southbound slip road.

Asked why it was taking so long for the final costs of the project to be revealed, a council spokeswoman said:

“The latest estimated costs are the subject of detailed discussions with the county council’s contractor and will be publicly available once they have been agreed.”

 

Fresh concerns over Knaresborough’s ‘most dangerous junction’

Concerns have again been raised about the safety of pedestrian crossings at what has been described as Knaresborough’s “most dangerous junction”.

Former town councillor James Monaghan first raised the issue of drivers ignoring red lights at the four-way junction where York Place, High Street, Gracious Street and Park Row meet in 2017 – and he now says the problem is “as bad as ever”.

He said:

“On a daily basis cars and vans drive through the green man when pedestrians should be able to cross safely.

“This is dangerous enough, but on a crossing used by hundreds of school children daily it is an accident waiting to happen.

“With all the new houses that have been built across the district and the associated cars, congestion has only got worse and it needs to be addressed for everyone’s safety and convenience.”

Mr Monaghan said the problem has not been tackled by North Yorkshire County Council, which changed the traffic lights four years ago to allow more time for the junction to clear before pedestrians are invited to cross.

The county council said the detection system failed “a few months ago,” but has now been fixed with works being completed last week.

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Melisa Burnham, highways area manager at the county council, said:

“We know of the concerns around the pedestrian stage of the signal cycle at the junction of High Street and Gracious Street.

“The signals team will continue to monitor the effective operation of the signal equipment and timing.”

Ms Burnham also said it was the responsibility of motorists to ensure they follow the rules of the road. She said:

“We do all we can to ensure this junction operates as effectively as possible, but we also ask drivers who use this junction to respect all road users and the traffic light systems in place, ensuring they are driving safely in accordance with the local conditions.”

Man released after conspiracy to commit murder arrest in Bilton

A man who was arrested in connection with an incident in Bilton has been released with no further action taken.

Police were called to a property on Byland Road on Thursday, June 23, where a woman was found with serious injuries.

A man in his 40s was arrested following the incident. Clare Bailey, 44, was also arrested.

The man was initially arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder and bailed pending investigation.

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However, North Yorkshire Police has confirmed over the weekend he has been released from bail and no further action is being taken against him.

Ms Bailey, 44, was charged with attempted murder.

She appeared before York Magistrates Court on June 27, but entered no plea.

Ms Bailey, who is from Dudley, will now appear before Leeds Crown Court on July 25.

Traffic and Travel Alert: Harrogate district traffic update

Traffic is moving normally this morning throughout the Harrogate district.

However there are some roadworks and bus cancellations being reported.

Here is your Stray Ferret traffic update.

Roads

As usual, drivers should be aware of the normal rush hour traffic on Harrogate’s Wetherby Road, Skipton Road and Knaresborough Road.

According to North Yorkshire County Council’s roadworks map, Yorkshire Water is due to start planned work on Skipton Road and Leeds Road this morning.

These works will be finished today.

Trains and buses

Train 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 36 bus from Leeds to Harrogate at 8.55am this morning.

There are also cancellations on the 1, 1A, 1B, 1C and 7 services.

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

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Knaresborough Town FC sets up women’s team

Knaresborough Town Football Club has announced that is has set up a women’s team.

The team will play home games at the club’s Manse Lane ground and train once a week at local facilities.

The club said the aim of the team is to become “one of the best run and most successful women’s football sections in the area”.

Players aged 16 and over are invited to come along to open training sessions, the first of which will be held at Knaresborough Celtic at Thistle Hill on Tuesday, July 19, starting at 6.45pm.

The club said in a statement on its website:

“Our aim is to become one of the best run and most successful women’s football sections in the area and as part of our ongoing development strategy with our partner club Knaresborough Celtic, we will provide a pathway for the girl’s teams at all ages to move seamlessly and easily from Knaresborough Celtic through to the senior team at Knaresborough Town.

“This is a fantastic opportunity for potential players at all levels who want to come and be part of Knaresborough Town Football Club, to develop their skills, to be part of a successful team and to enjoy their football.”

Those players interested in joining the club should email knaresboroughtownwomen@gmail.com.

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Running wild in Nidderdale

There are two indisputable facts about Pateley Bridge: 1 It’s beautiful. 2 It’s hilly. Which makes it the perfect challenge for running.

Trouble is, if you want to avoid the roads and get the authentic Nidderdale cross-country experience you risk getting lost or being garrotted by a low hanging branch.

So the formation of a new trail running group called Pateley Runners presents the perfect opportunity to give it a go.

Trail running, as opposed to road running, is about being close to nature rather than pounding tarmac.

The group, set up by keen runner Si Lawson, is an informal community of runners like the Early Bird Run Crew, which organises regular free jogs around Harrogate and Knaresborough.

Si promised the group would be inclusive and friendly and, better still, free.

Pateley Runners

Passing former lead mines.

About 25 of us turned up at the bandstand in Pateley at 7pm for the inaugural Tuesday night run. A good proportion were what is generously described in running circles as ‘veterans’.

There is no way out of Pateley that doesn’t involve hills but few are as tough as the climb to Greenhow Hill, the highest place in the Harrogate district, with reputedly the highest parish church in England.

So the first stretch, which began along dungy sheep fields and quiet lanes, opened the lungs but the pace was gentle. It was certainly easier than cycling to Greenhow and there was not an engine to be heard.

Si and two friends took it in turns to lead and bring up the rear and every so often they stopped to regroup. Nobody was left to run alone and we chatted as we jogged.

Pateley Runners

The notorious Nidderdale microclimate led to a brief downpour but nobody minded. By then we had hit our stride and the whole point of the exercise is to feel alive in nature.

The route we followed.

We passed lead mines, cattle grids and caravan parks before finally heading back down to the river in the muggy damp twilight, brushing off flies, which sparked talk about the best way to repel them. Marmite, garlic and Avon cream were all mentioned.

Pateley Runners

Stopping to regroup.

We saw Scouts throwing axes in a field before being summoned by the sound of church bells back to the bandstand in the recreation ground at Pateley.

We had covered about six miles in a glorious hour of friendly and relaxed running. It’s hard not to feel happy when you’re in the heart of such countryside but being part of the group enhanced the experience. Si is knowledgeable and welcoming — little wonder the group already has 100 followers on Facebook.

Pateley Runners meets on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday but anyone is welcome to arrange their own runs and invite others.

More details are available here.

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Ripley parking fine reignites free parking debate

A Harrogate woman has said she won’t return to Ripley for walks after receiving a £100 fine for parking.

Ripley car park, which is part of the estate owned by castle owner Sir Thomas Ingilby and his wife Lady Emma, began charging for parking on June 20.

Janet Adamowicz received a penalty charge for returning to her car two minutes late, after paying £1 for an hour’s parking.

She said the expiry time was displayed on the machine but no ticket was issued.

Ms Adamowicz, who has been a frequent visitor to Ripley, said

“I will not be attending Ripley again for walks, cafes or shops and it would appear I’m not the only one to feel like this.

“People don’t go on walks if they have to stress about getting back to their car in a limited time before being fined £100, people like leisurely strolls with no time limits.”

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Parking charges were introduced in Ripley after dialogue with businesses, the school, the church, the Friends of Ripley and Harrogate Borough Council.

It costs £1 an hour, which is redeemable in local outlets, £1.20 for two hours, £3.50 for six hours and £4 for eight hours.

Other organisations have recently announced parking charges, including the Inn at South Stainley and Yorkshire Water, which plans to introduce fees at its reservoirs, including Fewston and Swinsty.

The Ripley car park and the Inn at South Stainley, which redeems charges for customers, were often used as a free park and ride.

Mike Gosling, the Ripley estate’s business manager, said the system was working well and the estate had taken an extremely understanding view of appeals against fines, with several already overturned.

Ripley businesses, he said, liked the fact that the £1 charge for the first hour can be redeemed in local shops.

Automatic number plate recognition identifies how long vehicles stay in the car park.

Mr Gosling acknowledged there had been a problem with the software issuing tickets, which do not have to be displayed.

He said if anyone had received a fine for being just a few minutes late he would personally contact the company providing the system to have the fine cancelled.

Update: Ms Adamowicz has notified us her fine has been cancelled