Rodent droppings found in kitchen of Harrogate care home

A Harrogate care home has been put in special measures after inspectors found rodent droppings in the kitchen and some medicine practices were found to be “unsafe”.

The Care Quality Commission inspected Mary Fisher House care home on Cold Bath Road in February.

In a report published yesterday, the care regulator rated the home as “inadequate” and placed it into special measures.

The inspection found that parts of the home, which provides personal and nursing care for up to 24 people, had “not been well maintained and were unsafe”.

Bedrooms “smelt strongly of urine” and there was evidence of rodent droppings in the kitchen.

On occasions, residents had either been given medication late or had not been given any.

It said:

“Medicines practices were unsafe.

“There were occasions whereby people who used the service had received their medicines late or had not been given them, as there were none left. Sufficient and timely actions were not taken to address this.

“A medicines policy was in place, but staff practice was not always in line with this. Staff who administered medicines had not always been trained.”

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Inspectors also found that staffing levels at the home were unsafe, with some reporting that there “wasn’t always enough staff to meet their needs in a timely manner”.

However, the report did find that staff were polite with people at the home and “worked hard to try and meet there needs”.

‘Fallen below standards’

In a statement, the home said it regretted that it had “fallen below the standards expected of us”.

The home, which is run by Svivekcaregroup Limited, said:

“Areas for improvement were identified in the recent inspection and we are committed to working closely with the CQC and North Yorkshire County Council to ensure changes are made quickly to redress this situation.”

Rachel Bowes, North Yorkshire’s assistant director of adult social care, said: 

“The CQC inspection identified some serious failings but we are confident management at Mary Fisher House want to take swift and meaningful action to improve the service they offer.

“We fully intend to support them in that and look forward to seeing progress. We were also pleased to see the CQC report highlighted the fact that staff at Mary Fisher House worked hard to meet the needs of people in their care and people were able to speak freely when the inspection took place.”

Free Easter chicks delight Bilton kids during Holy Week

Churchgoers in Bilton have delighted children each day during Holy Week by giving away free Easter chicks.

Members of Bilton Grange United Reformed Church have knitted 165 chicks and leave about 20 on the hedge outside the church each morning.

Each one contains a message saying, ‘Please take this free gift’.

Bilton Grange United Reformed Church free chicks

The volunteers have run similar community-minded initiatives during other Christian festivals. For instance, they have put out angels at Christmas and doves at Whitsun to spread joy.

The gifts are knitted at their social gatherings.

Norma Trotter, who is one of the volunteers, said:

“There’s so many sad things going on in the world so we just hope it will raise a smile and make some children happy.

“It gives us pleasure to make them happy and it spreads the Easter message. If you do good you feel good.”

The chicks will appear on the hedge at the junction of Skipton Road and Woodfield Road every morning until Easter Sunday.

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North Yorkshire fire service adds motorbike to vehicle fleet

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service has acquired a new motorbike to reduce the number of accidents and injuries on the county’s roads.

Volunteers from the service will ride the vehicle, known as FireBike, to biker hotspots where they will speak to motorcyclists about road safety.

Statistics show motorbikes make up less than 7% of all traffic in the county but 26% of incidents where somebody is killed or seriously injured.

The new initiative will operate alongside the Biker Down courses run by the fire and rescue service. This free course delivers first aid advice, road, and rider safety for motorcyclists at numerous locations across North Yorkshire.

Andy Creasey, the Firebike project manager at North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service, said:

“Sadly we deal with a number of road traffic collisions involving motorbikes each year. Many of these collisions involve serious injury or in the worst cases fatalities.

“My colleagues and I want to do everything we can to improve the safety on the the roads for everyone. Motorcyclists enjoy chatting with likeminded enthusiasts and FireBike will help us deliver positive messaging directly within community.”

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Harrogate district taxi drivers hit out at ‘unfair’ penalty points proposal

Taxi drivers in the Harrogate district have hit out at “unfair” plans that could see them lose their licences if they get seven or more penalty points.

Harrogate Borough Council has put forward the proposal for approval at a full council meeting tomorrow in a move which it says is “reasonable” and will improve safety for passengers.

But cabbies argue the policy is too severe and will result in a further loss of drivers in the district.

Kevin O’Boyle, owner of Central Taxis, described the proposals as “draconian” and said it will become “far too easy” for drivers to lose their licences.

He also argued cabbies are more likely to pick up points than regular road users because they spend more time on the roads. Mr O’Boyle said:

“There’s a serious shortage of taxi drivers and this just isn’t going to help.

“I’ve done between 2.5 million and 3 million miles, and the chances of me getting points are much greater than the average driver.

“If you’re driving in a strange place that you don’t know too well, it’s easy to drift over the speed limit by a couple of miles per hour.”

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Under the proposals, drivers would still be given the chance to argue their case and give reasons why their licence should not be revoked.

Currently, the council said licences are reviewed on “an individual basis when points accumulate”.

It also said there is no minimum or maximum time that licences can be revoked for and that drivers can re-apply at any time.

Passenger safety

Speaking at a recent meeting, Gareth Bentley, licensing manager at the council, said while he recognised the concerns over a reduction in drivers, this had to be balanced against the safety of passengers.

He also said taxi drivers had to be treated differently to regular road users as “they are in an elevated position in terms of looking after people’s safety.” Mr Bentley added:

“There is a higher responsibility and a higher need for us to ensure safety.”

The proposals have been put forward as part of new statutory standards from the Department for Transport which all councils are expected to adopt unless there are “compelling reasons” not to.

However, the standards are silent on how many penalty points a taxi driver can get before their licence is revoked, and it’s up to individual councils to decide this.

Nearby in Leeds, hundreds of drivers have gone on strikes over similar proposals that could see them suspended if they get more than six points.

‘People will leave the trade’

Harrogate Borough Council held a consultation on its seven points policy during February and March when it received comments from several drivers, one of which described the plans as “unfair”.

The driver said:

“It’s just another example of one rule for everyone else and one for us as we are at the bottom of the food chain.”

Another added:

“The taxi trade is getting harder year on year with longer hours for less reward and councils are doing nothing to help.

“The long term result will be people leaving the trade.”

The policy has been recommended for approval by the council’s licensing committee at tomorrow’s full council meeting.

All Creatures Great and Small donates food to Knaresborough charity

The producers of All Creatures Great and Small have donated fresh fruit and vegetables to a Knaresborough community grocery.

Playground, which produces the hit Channel 5 television series, got in touch with Resurrected Bites to offer the food from its set at Grassington.

The production company sought out the community grocery to offer the fruit and vegetables instead of letting them go to waste.

Resurrected Bites, which is a charity, collects surplus food and distributes it to people in need.

Michelle Hayes, chief executive of the organisation, said:

“We have had donations from food photographers before, but this is our first donation from a film set.

“We love that Playground sought us out to donate the fruit and veg used in the filming of All Creatures Great and Small rather than just binning it at the end of the day.

“We hope that other businesses with food surplus will be inspired to offer us their food rather than binning it as we are struggling to meet the demand for food via our community groceries and ‘give as you can’ cafes and shops.”

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Resurrected Bites currently runs community groceries at Gracious Street Methodist Church in Knaresborough and New Park Community Hub on Skipton Road in Harrogate.

All Creatures Great and Small was commissioned for a fourth and fifth series back in January. Filming began on the new series last month.

Based on James Herriot’s books about life as a vet in the Yorkshire Dales in the 1930s, the programme has proved a success and attracted millions of viewers.

Baldersby school commemorative event to be held ahead of closure

An event is set to be held to commemorate Baldersby primary school, north of Ripon, after the government confirmed it will close.

Baldersby St James Church of England Primary School will close in August 2022.

Hope Sentamu Learning Trust, the Church of England trust that runs the school, announced the closure, saying low pupil numbers “show no prospect of improving for many years ahead”.

Parents and staff had objected to the decision, but Nadhim Zahawi, secretary of state for education, confirmed in January that the school will close.

Now, a celebratory event for staff and pupils will be held at the school on July 2, 2022, and will be attended by the Rt Revd Paul Ferguson, Bishop of Whitby.

The school says it is keen to hear from past pupils or staff who have stories, anecdotes or photos to share or anyone who has a keen knowledge of the history of the school.

Steff Brown, headteacher at Baldersby St James CE Primary School said 

“Whilst we are sad that the school has to close, we are very keen to celebrate the history of the school and all of the wonderful teaching, learning, events and activities that have taken place over the years.

“We’re delighted that we will be joined by the Bishop of Whitby who will lead the church service.”

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The trust has said the reason for its decision was that the school currently had 22 pupils in two classes, one for key stage one and the other for key stage two. Some year groups have just one student.

The school, which is a grade II listed building, has a maximum capacity of 60 students.

Cllr Patrick Mulligan, the county council’s education executive member, said previously that the authority was powerless to stop the closure as the decision would ultimately be made by the Schools Commissioner and Mr Zahawi.

He said there were sufficient school places in the area for Baldersby St James pupils to go elsewhere should the school close.

The catchment area for Baldersby St James is expected to be extended to Dishforth Church of England Primary School.

Baldersby St James school was built by Lord Downe following the establishment of the village in 1850. The school has served generations of pupils in Baldersby St James, Rainton and the surrounding areas.

Flaxby Park ponders next move after eco-resort plans refused

The owners of the former Flaxby Golf Course say they are considering their next move after plans for an eco-resort at the site were rejected by Harrogate Borough Council.

The council refused the plans – which included 350 holiday lodges and a hotel – because of an “unacceptable” impact on the environment.

Knaresborough Town Council also complained there was “no proven business case” for the abandoned golf course site, where proposals for 2,750 homes were previously rejected in a decision that wound up in a legal battle over the Harrogate district Local Plan 2015-35.

A 300-bedroom hotel was also previously planned for the site, but these separate proposals never materialised.

Flaxby Park Ltd now has an option to appeal the latest decision against the eco-resort. It said it “remains confident that the proposal is appropriate for the site” and that it is now “considering the appropriate course of action”.

A company spokesperson said:

“Flaxby Park Ltd is extremely disappointed by the council’s decision to refuse the outline planning permission, on a site which was previously an established permitted leisure destination.

“The proposal is to provide a development which sits comfortably within the natural environment, providing a ‘getaway destination’ that is rural in feel but with easy access from main urban areas.

“The driving principle of the resort is to allow visitors to reconnect with nature within an ecologically rich environment involving the creation of new water bodies and woodlands.”

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The eco-resort proposals also included an outdoor swimming pool, spa and sports area, pub/restaurant and shops for the former golf course which closed in 2014.

Noise concerns

The site sits alongside the A1(M) and another concern raised by the council was what it described as “constant traffic noise” from the motorway.

In response, Flaxby Park Ltd said while traffic noise may be audible in some areas of the site, the presence of a “significant tree belt would minimise the impact.”

It added:

“This was accepted by Harrogate Borough Council environmental protection who raised no objection subject to the imposition of suitably worded planning conditions.

“The proposed development would minimise the resort’s carbon footprint and provide a unique lodge development within the Yorkshire area.

“The proposal would also generate significant public benefit locally in the form of economic benefits with respect to increased visitor expenditure and the creation of employment opportunities.”

In a decision notice, the council said the scale and layout of the eco-resort were “considered to have an unacceptable adverse impact upon the district’s natural and historic environment”.

It also said the proposals would cause harm to the Grade II listed Temple of Victory momentum which sits in the grounds of the nearby Allerton Park.

These are the reasons for refusal, which could be examined by a government planning inspector if Flaxby Park Ltd decides to once again launch a legal challenge against the council.

Proposal to close footpath in Burton Leonard

A public footpath in Burton Leonard is set to be closed after an application by North Yorkshire County Council.

The authority argues the path — which is adjacent to Burton Leonard Church of England Primary School — is not needed for public use.

The village is situated between Ripon and Harrogate.

The 118m stretch of path runs north-east from public footpath 15.18/12 at Dolly Walk to emerge next to the primary school’s western end, joining footpath 15.18/22.

If approved, the proposal would see public footpath 15.18/10 extinguished and the definitive map modified.

Comments about or objections to the proposed extinguishment order should be made by April 28 to Steve Metcalfe, North Yorkshire County Council, County Hall, Northallerton, North Yorkshire, DL7 8AD, stating the grounds for objection or support.

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Stray Views: is this rewilding eyesore acceptable for Harrogate?

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. Send your views to letters@thestrayferret.co.uk.

Is this rewilding eyesore acceptable for our town?

I was interested to read in the Stray Ferret that Harrogate Borough Council has decided to repeat last years exercise of ‘wilding’ the Stray.

The article was accompanied by an attractive picture of wild flowers and grass gently bending in the breeze. It looks idyllic, and just the image that we want to project to encourage people to visit our town.

The grass verge directly in front of 8 West Park (Specialized & OKA) was ‘wilded’ last year and for weeks we had a miserable view of two-metre high weeds, and the odd dandelion amongst the sparse grass.

grass verge

This year, as my images illustrate, it’s going to be another eyesore. The kind of abandoned verge you wouldn’t be surprised to see on a motorway central reservation but not Harrogate, home of the RHS Harlow Carr and Valley Gardens.

This is on the main walking route into our town, passed by thousands of visitors each year and yet the council seem oblivious to this embarrassment of a ‘maintained’ verge. There were no spring crocuses bursting through. It’s pointless the council cutting the grass because there is as much bare earth as grass. Why has it been forgotten?

I broadly support the concept of ‘wilding’. if the preparation has been done it can look really attractive as it does in neighbouring towns.

I anticipate the council’s response i.e. ‘lack of resources due to covid’ and’ budget restraints’ etc but would it cost so much for a rotavator, some weed killer and grass seed? I would gladly pay for the wild flowers seeds!

Please take a stroll past this verge and ask yourself is this acceptable for our town.

Ian Latham, Harrogate

Sort out this traffic light mess!

I agree with Liz Carnell and the appalling situation with traffic congestion on Skipton Road.

The phasing on all the traffic lights from Bilton Lane right through to Claro Road is completely rubbish.

They all need to be adjusted to time and flow with emphasis on ensuring traffic turning into Skipton Road is not then impeded by red lights, which in turn cause log jams such as King’s Road and Woodfield Road into Skipton Road, both of which allow three cars to turn and immediately into red lights.

As always, local authority make changes at will without understanding the situation in the first place and almost always make the problems worse.

Tony Petrie, Woodfield Road, 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.

Residents on Harrogate’s Duchy Road lose water after pipe bursts

People living on Harrogate’s Duchy Road were without water today after a pipe burst.

Yorkshire Water was carrying out planned work to repair a section of pipe.

But a Yorkshire Water spokeswoman explained things didn’t go entirely to plan. She said:

“During that repair, an unexpected burst happened nearby. This was then repaired live by the guys on site already there.

“It’s unclear how many houses were affected but I can tell you we had five calls from customers.

“This issue should now be resolved, customers may experience low pressure as their water comes back on.”

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#HG1 Apologies if you have no water due to work on #DuchyRoad. We will get supplies back on ASAP and will tweet when resolved. pic.twitter.com/WD9otVNaPE

— Yorkshire Water Help (@YWHelp) April 10, 2022