A decade-long bid to join two bridleways on the rural edges of Harrogate could finally come to fruition this year. 

North Yorkshire County Council is consulting on a creation order, which would enable it to join up bridleways 61 and 129 in the Crimple Valley. 

The link between the two would be created via a stretch of former railway line on the Rudding Park estate, which its owners agreed could be designated a bridleway in 2014. 

Sue Rigby, who represents the Byways and Bridleways Trust and has been involved in the Opening Up Crimple Valley campaign from the outset, told the Stray Ferret: 

“The whole point of the Rights of Way Network is that it is a network and it makes sense. It’s a much-needed and historic route and it was there long before any of us. 

“Particularly for riders, they are extremely brave to use the roads around there. The riding school takes disabled children out too. To have somewhere for them to go rather than into the road is so important.” 

The current proposal, which would create a circular route, has been widely supported by walkers, horse riders and countryside organisations. However, it has been held up because of a piece of land, measuring just a couple of metres wide, which would be needed to create the final link. 

The owner has so far refused to give permission for the bridleway to cross the 2m stretch of land. People using bridleway 61 alongside the Crimple Viaduct continue to find the path comes to an abrupt halt before it joins the former railway. 

Bridleway 61 (blue) and bridleway 129 (orange) could be joined by a stretch of former railway line on the Rudding Park estate (green) despite objections over a short stretch of land (red).

Mark Mackaness, owner of the Rudding Park estate, who has worked with the council and local supporters to plan the bridleway link, expressed his frustration that the process had taken so long and was still not complete. 

“This is a tragic example of maladministration and waste of public funds over the eight years since the creation order was first made.” 

Ms Rigby said everyone involved was very grateful for Mr Mackaness and the Rudding Park estate’s generosity. Now, she hoped the struggles of the last decade could be set aside and the aim could finally be achieved.

“People lose faith in the system when things don’t work, especially with something as obvious as this. But we are now all positive and hopeful for the future.”

‘Long-standing issue’

Michael Leah, NYCC’s assistant director for travel, environmental and countryside, said: 

“We are currently carrying out a consultation to inform a decision on whether to make a creation order under s26 of the Highways Act 1980. 

“If made, the order would record a short length of bridleway to connect bridleway no 61, which runs under and alongside the Crimple Viaduct, with bridleway no 129, which runs along a section of old railway line and was dedicated as a public right of way by the Rudding Park Estate. 

“This has been a long-standing issue, and a decision will be made once all views have been considered as part of the consultation.” 

The consultation currently being held over the creation order closes on Tuesday, March 22. Anyone who wants to take part can email their views to NYCC’s definitive map officer Ron Allan at ron.allan@northyorks.gov.uk. 

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Concerns over additional traffic, the environment and construction have been raised over a planned £1 billion upgrade of one of England’s busiest roads.

National Highways, formerly Highways England, today published a summary report of its consultation into the project to dual the remaining parts of the A66 between the M6 at Penrith and A1 at Scotch Corner.

The road is used by thousands of drivers in the north of England each day to travel between the north east and Cumbria and on to Scotland. Many experience delays due to the regular changes from single to dual carriageways.

A total of 645 said they were in favour of dualling the remaining single carriageway, whereas 68 opposed the move and 87 said they were neutral.

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In its summary report, National Highways said the most common concerns raised were over construction, traffic and the environment.

It said:

“Some people raised issues about an insufficient reduction in traffic when the project was finished, with a concern that dualling could attract additional traffic from other routes.”

Others had concerns that the project could disrupt wildlife and increase congestion during construction.

Appleby Fair could move

The report also reveals National Highways is considering an alternative to the proposed replacement of the travelling community’s Brough Hill Fair site on the section between Appleby and Brough. It says:

“In the autumn ​2021 statutory consultation, a site to the east of Warcop was earmarked on land belonging to the Ministry of Defence — ​known as the “bivvy” site.

“An alternative location, approximately 1.6 miles east from the current site, is now also being considered ​​in response to feedback from the statutory consultation.”

The responses are helping to shape the final design and inform National Highways’ application for a Development Consent Order in May 2022 which, if successful, will pave the way for the project to dual the entire road to go ahead.

Lee Hillyard, National Highways’ A66 Northern Trans-Pennine project director, said:

“We’re delighted so many people have taken such a keen interest in our proposals.

“Today we’ve published our statutory consultation summary report and spring 2022 project update, which is the perfect opportunity to provide the latest information and show how we are acting on the feedback we’ve received.”

A Harrogate grandma was left in tears after a Sainsbury’s shop worker accused her of stealing an item she had already paid for.

Pam Forster has shopped at Sainsbury’s on Wetherby Road in Harrogate for more than 20 years but said she won’t be going back after her experience on February 27.

Ms Forster was leaving the store when the security barriers started beeping and a shop worker asked to see her receipt. But because she had used the self-checkout machines and chosen not to get a receipt, she didn’t have one — she had bought a pair of wellies and some food and didn’t expect to have to return any items.

Because Ms Forster didn’t have a receipt, the member of staff asked her to accompany her to the till so they could print a receipt. The shop worker then looked through Ms Forster’s bags, matching items with items listed on the receipt.

During this, she said a packet of salmon had not been paid for but Ms Forster insisted it had. The shop worker left Ms Forster to speak to a colleague and later returned to say “you really should get a receipt next time, sweetheart” and walked away.

Ms Forster’s receipt

The Harrogate office manager was left “mortified and very upset”, adding she didn’t know if she was free to leave at this stage because she was left standing near a till.

‘Humiliating experience’

Ms Forster eventually left and “cried the whole way home”. She knew she hadn’t stolen anything and, after checking, found the salmon was indeed listed on the receipt.

Ms Forster said:

“She just walked away and left me, I was mortified. All she needed to say was ‘sorry love, you were right I just missed it on the receipt’ but instead she just left me standing there. It really wasn’t a good experience.

“I imagine she was embarrassed that she’d missed it on the receipt but if she’d just apologised I’d have drawn a line under it. Instead I was left feeling humiliated.”

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Ms Forster said she previously visited the shop every week and that “98% of her wardrobe is from Sainsbury’s” because it’s so easy to get it all from one place.

She called the customer care line the same day and managed to speak to a phone operator, who said someone would be in touch. Her daughter also tried to contact the retailer but no one responded.

Since the Stray Ferret contacted Sainsbury’s about the incident, the supermarket has been in touch with Ms Forster to offer a £15 gift card as a gesture of goodwill. Ms Forster said she rejected it because she won’t be going back.

A Sainsbury’s spokesperson said:

“We are in touch with Ms Forster to apologise and reassure her that we’re investigating this experience.”

Police found 16 wraps of what is believed to be class A drugs when they stopped a vehicle heading to Harrogate from West Yorkshire.

Officers also found three mobile phones and £350 of cash.

The driver, a 30-year-old man from West Yorkshire, was arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply a class A-drug but later released while enquiries continue.

North Yorkshire Police revealed the details today in an update on a ‘week of intensification’ into tackling county lines drugs, which refers to organised criminal groups moving and supplying drugs, usually from cities into smaller towns and rural areas.

An operation support unit officer ready to conduct a warrant.

Harrogate’s affluent population is often targeted by dealers in Bradford and Leeds.

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The force said it has arrested 17 people and safeguarded vulnerable people during the week of targeted action, which was part of a national campaign from March 7 to 13.

Police also executed warrants at addresses linked to drugs and carried out several safeguarding visits to help prevent ‘cuckooing’ taking place.

This is when county lines dealers take over the home of a vulnerable person for a short time while they carry out their activities before returning to their town or city.

Police sniffer dogs search for drugs.

Detective Chief Inspector Lorraine Crossman-Smith, who coordinated the week of activity in North Yorkshire, said:

“Whilst we work all year to take drugs off the streets of North Yorkshire this week of intensification has brought some substantial results. By disrupting supply lines and taking those involved out of circulation we can make North Yorkshire’s communities safer.

“We can only do this with the support and information that we get from residents so I would urge anyone with information about drug dealing in their community to call us on 101, we treat every piece of information as important.”

An alleyway off Knaresborough’s Market Place has been cleaned after the town council received numerous complaints about its condition.

The passage, next to William Hill bookmakers, is often used by drinkers on their way home and is scattered with litter.

Knaresborough Town Council paid for a team from Harrogate Pressure Washing to clean the passage yesterday.

Local residents have told the Stray Ferret that, amongst the litter, there is always often a foul smell and broken glass.

Knaresborough town councillor Andy Bell was amongst those calling for the alleyway to be cleaned. He said:

“Over the last months myself and other Knaresborough Town Council councillors have received complaints about the state of the passageway next to William Hill bookmakers.

“We were pleased to allocate some funds to get it deep cleaned and are very happy with the work done by Harrogate Pressure Washing. Let’s hope it stays that way for a while.”

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At the beginning of the year, the local business group Knaresborough Business Collective purchased a street sweeper for businesses to take out and keep areas of the town clean.

A review into car parking at train stations across the Harrogate district has been criticised as a “lost opportunity”.

Transport officials at North Yorkshire County Council launched the review to look into where parking could be expanded in order to encourage the use of public transport and stop parked vehicles spilling over onto residential streets.

The findings were discussed at a meeting today when councillor Paul Haslam, who represents Bilton and Nidd Gorge, said he was “disappointed” that residents were not asked where they believe investment is needed the most. He said:

“There doesn’t seem to have been any discussion with any user groups.

“I would have thought they might have been able to share some very important information – we need to know what our customers want.”

Cllr Haslam said while the review was “very measured,” it was a “lost opportunity” to also look into how access to train stations can be made easier for those travelling on foot or by bike.

He told today’s meeting of the Harrogate and Knaresborough Area Constituency Committee:

“I would have hoped this review could have looked at safe and secure storage for bikes, bus stop provision and other access in terms of cycle routes.

“Train stations are going to be what we will call transport transition hubs in the future and we have to facilitate these changes so people can get off their bike and onto a train, or out of their car and onto a bus.”

His comments were backed by councillor Don Mackenzie, executive member for access at the county council, who added:

“We must look at other means of connecting people to railway stations and not simply in their cars.”

More parking at Pannal

The review highlights how new car parking will be built at Pannal train station as part of the ongoing housing development at the former Dunlopillo site.

Construction work has yet to start on the car park and it is unclear when this could begin.

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Cattal train station has also been identified for improved parking as part of a 3,000-home settlement which is planned for the area because of its railway links.

There are no plans to upgrade parking at train stations in Starbeck, Knaresborough or Weeton, as well Harrogate which a report said already has extra capacity at the Victoria multi-storey car park.

Another area which has been identified for potential improvements is Hornbeam Park train station where previous proposals to expand the car park were met with concerns that it could encourage more car journeys on the already congested Hookstone Road.

Traffic impact

Graham North, strategic support officer at the county council, told today’s meeting that extra car parking had been considered again, although it could have had a “significant” impact on traffic.

Mr North also set out some of the reasons why parking upgrades are needed at other train stations, but can not be achieved.

He said:

“The Harrogate line has had significant improvements in frequency including the recent improvements between York and Harrogate.

“We have also had modern rolling stock, station improvements and the introduction of the LNER services to and from London which are all potentially increasing demand for rail travel.

“The rail industry has looked at each station to identify any land available for car parking close to stations and whilst some land has been identified the cost to purchase, access to and from the sites and the poor business cases have meant that these were not developed further.”

A Beckwithshaw church is appealing for help after a thief stole money and a CD player.

St Michael and All Angels’ Church, on Otley Road in the village, said the church had been targeted twice in about three weeks.

In a Facebook post, the church said someone had tried and failed to prise the cash box from the wall on the last weekend in February.

However, they returned between 11.30am and 6pm yesterday to cut the padlock locking the box and steal what was inside — which the church believes was around £6.

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The church said in its post that the thief had “come prepared” the second time round.

It said:

“The thief has also taken the CD player with two small speakers from the area near to the choir stalls which we used for Sunday music when we don’t have an organist.”

The church added that it believed the CD player was stolen by someone with a large Sainsbury’s carrier bag.

The church was built in the late nineteenth century in the Gothic revival style. According to its website, the building is open from 10am to 4pm daily for private prayer.

A Harrogate traffic constable has revealed photos of “a horrendous shed of a car” that was stopped by police near Ripon.

Traffic Constable David Minto said a colleague pulled over the Audi at Baldersby, near Ripon.

He then requested support from TC Minto, who said on his Twitter account:

“It wasn’t a difficult decision for me. All four tyres had defects. The rear offside in particular was in a dreadful state

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TC Minto added two different size tyres were fitted to the front axle and all the tyres were below the legal tread depth.

He added:

“It was a horrendous shed of a car. The driver has been reported and a court date looms.”

One person responded on Twitter to say Baldersby was an apt place for such an incident to occur, judging by the state of the tyres.

1 of 2 My colleague stopped this today on #A1M near #Baldersby #Ripon He requested support in relation to examination for a possible #PG9 #Prohibition It wasn’t a difficult decision for me… All four tyres had defects. The rear offside in particular was in a dreadful state … pic.twitter.com/s9zHTGDWxJ

— David Minto (@TC174_NYP) March 16, 2022

2 of 2 …Two different size tyres were fitted to the front axle and all were below the legal tread depth. It was a horrendous shed of a car. The driver has been reported and a court date looms #DangerousCondition #SaferRoads #RoadSafety #RoadsPolicing #ProtectingOtherRoadUsers pic.twitter.com/uwkjtSzL87

— David Minto (@TC174_NYP) March 16, 2022

The historic Ripon Canal will be featured on BBC Four this evening when Robbie Cumming completes the last leg of a 170-mile journey aboard his boat, Naughty Lass.

On Monday, viewers of Canal Boat Diaries saw the YouTube vlogger and TV presenter set off from Wigan in the first episode of the new series.

In tonight’s final episode, which starts at 730pm, he takes in the sights along the route from Knottingley to the Ripon Canal basin at the outer reaches of the English inland waterways network.

The water-borne journey, via a navigable section of the River Ouse, also features Boroughbridge Canal

Almost 250 years of history

At the time of its opening in 1773, Ripon boasted the most northerly canal basin in England at the city end of its 2.5 mile stretch.

But that claim to fame came to an end in 2002, with the opening of the Ribble Link section of the Lancaster Canal.

Just 71 years after its opening, Ripon Canal became virtually redundant overnight with the arrival of the Great Northern Railway in 1841.

Ripon provides the final entry in Robbie Cumming’s Canal Boat Diaries. Picture BBC

Barges could not compete with the new rapid delivery service for coal and other goods and with the loss of trade, the canal’s fate as a commercial enterprise was sealed.

The railways that caused the canal’s demise soon became its owner, as the waterway was purchased by the Leeds and Thirsk Railway in 1844, which subsequently become part of the North Eastern Railway in 1855.

Decades of dereliction followed and at one stage Ripon City Council mooted the idea of filling in the canal to create an extension for the Dallamires Lane Industrial estate.

Prior to this suggestion, the British Transport Commission had obtained Royal Assent for the abandonment of the Ripon Canal in 1956.

Calls for the canal’s regeneration

However, growing calls to regenerate the canal to realise its potential as a  leisure and tourist asset for local residents and visitors proved successful, gaining momentum through the formation of the Ripon Canal Society.

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It reopened for navigation as far as Littlethorpe Road Bridge in 1986 and was officially reopened right into the centre of Ripon in September 1996, with the assistance of the society and local authorities and with funding from English Partnerships.

Further improvements have been brought about through a programme of work carried out by Ripon Motor Boat Club, which has its marina and clubhouse on a section of the canal near Littlethorpe.

The waterway is now managed by the Canal and River Trust, which is the charity that succeeded British Waterways. It was awarded a Green Flag for its water quality in July 2018 and the improvements have brought more wildlife to its banks. Otters are regularly spotted hunting for fish.

Previous episodes of Canal Boat Diaries can be seen on BBC iPlayer.

Ripon Arcade signs contract on final two units

Ripon Arcade is now fully occupied after Yorkshire Physio and Gladrags Ripon signed contracts on the final two units.

The arcade, in the heart of the city, recently underwent a £100,000 refurbishment. The 16,484 sq ft arcade was bought by Bradford-based property development and investment company Frank Marshall Estates off a guide price of £2.2m from the Westcourt Group in 2019.