Road closure warning as delayed A1 (M) junction 47 works come to end

A multi-million pound project to upgrade junction 47 on the A1(M) at Flaxby will be completed by the end of this month.

Work began at the start of September 2020 to widen slip roads and install traffic lights to prevent vehicles queueing.

The project, carried out by contractors Farrans Construction on behalf of North Yorkshire County Council, also involves upgrading the road network just off the junction.

Work was originally due to be completed in September 2021 but has encountered several delays. The council blamed ‘unforeseen ground conditions’ and the discovery of great crested newts for setting the project back.

Final repair works on the A168 bridge and verges along with resurfacing of the A59 will run from March 14 to 26 under overnight weekday closures.

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Once the traffic signals are installed there will be a period where the signal timings are adjusted by engineers to the optimum settings for traffic flow conditions. This may result in some extra delays during March and April.

Conservative councillor Andy Paraskos, member for the Ainsty division, added:

“The upcoming works will involve repairs, resurfacing as well as the installation of road markings and traffic loops. For the safety of our workforce this must be carried out under a full road closure and we apologise in advance for any inconvenience this essential work may cause.

Conservative county councillor Don Mackenzie, executive member for access, said:

“The finish line is in sight for this important scheme which will support the future growth of the Harrogate and Knaresborough areas.

“The scheme promises to reduce congestion and improve road safety at this major junction. It is a great example of how we are delivering on our aim to improve east-west connections across North Yorkshire.”

Rising costs

The council initially earmarked £7.7m for the project, but it said last year it now expected it to cost over £10m.

The project is being funded by the council, with £2.47m from the government’s Local Growth Fund along with contributions from Highways England and developer Forward Investment LLP.

The Stray Ferret has asked the council for the current cost of the project but did not receive a response by the time of publication.

Stray Views: More houses in Harrogate district should mean lower council tax

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.

New houses should mean lower council tax

Not only do we have thousands of new houses in the district but 1,700 extra have been built! I cannot, therefore, understand why our council tax is going up rather than coming down!

I would assume a surfeit, especially with so many being in the higher bands.

Janet Palmer, Knaresborough

Why are roads constantly being dug up?

Leadhall Lane in Harrogate has been a shambles of a road for many years, with deep potholes causing hazards for motorists and cyclists.

At the same time, numerous gas leaks have been excavated and repaired, to the cost of Northern Gas Networks and the exceptional inconvenience of local road users.

The potholes caused considerable crashes and bangs into the road from school buses and lorries. Hurrah! It was relaid in 2021.

Yesterday there was a gas stink in Leadhall Lane. Today there is a big hole in Leadhall Lane. Northern Gas Networks is digging it up again.

Why do we have to suffer this continual under-performance from the council in relation to controlling the actions of privatised utility companies? Are they incompetent or not?

David Graham, Harrogate

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Stray Ferret penalised for reporting facts

It comes as no surprise that your reporter was refused access to Ripon’s new pool when other media was allowed.

You are being penalised for reporting the real facts about the farcical events surrounding the pool and its build not forgetting the extra money we gave the construction firm.

Myself and thousands of others applaud you The Stray Ferret for all your news articles released to us.

Maranda Harling, Ripon

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.

 

Stray Foodie: Taste of India in central Harrogate

This article is sponsored by Deliveree

 

Stray Foodie reviews are brought to you by Deliveree, and written by Michelin-starred chef Frances Atkins. Frances independently chooses which restaurants she will visit. This month, Frances visits Cardamom Black in central Harrogate.

 

 

 

Having spent four consecutive years in India cooking with some of the world’s greatest chefs at sophisticated dinners for charity, I came to marvel at the joy of their cuisine.

The combination of texture, colour and warmth is unique. Personally, I tend to err away from very hot and spicy foods, having considered them in the past to kill flavour. I have been wrong. It is all about technique and I would go so far as to say there isn’t another country that produces such flavour in their food made from very little.

So it was with great pleasure that I dined at Cardamom Black in Harrogate with friends. I was at first in awe of the size of the menu! Suitable for everyman’s palate but hard to execute, but they did it.

Whether you want a quick curry after a good night out, British style or you are wanting a more academic supper, it is there for the asking. Being into the creation of Vegan and Vegetarian food at the moment I decided to go with their sensational platter of vegetables. Stuffed, fried and unique – all my party had a great time sampling these delicacies.

My friends had two chicken dishes, one mild and one hot, they were very different and once again all down to the seasoning. The preparation of the rice to accompany them was sensational. One with Lime and Coriander and one with Tamarind. Beautiful flavour. The only slight difficulty I might have had was getting all these flavours together to compliment the chosen dish. It took some degree of concentration.  Having said that, the true Indian style of service was friendly and informative and made you feel at ease.

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I listened to another guest on the night we were there who boasted he had tried every dish on the menu!  He must have been going there for a very long time and he was a very happy man! 

Like all my Indian experiences, Cardamom Black reflects colour, warmth and happiness.

Well worth a visit. All taking place in a converted Methodist Church and theatre. It certainly takes central stage in Harrogate.

Star Rating: 4. This is a place to watch!

Stray Foodie reviews are written by Michelin-starred chef, Frances Atkins. In 1997, Frances opened the Yorke Arms near Pateley Bridge, where she was the owner for 20 years. During her ownership, she held her Michelin-star status for 16 of those years. Frances now runs Paradise  at Daleside Nurseries.

 

 

Want the best of what the Harrogate area has to offer in your pocket? Download our app so you never miss a thing.

 

Stray Ferret celebrates second birthday with record readership

The Stray Ferret celebrates its second birthday today.

The website launched on March 4, 2020 — less than three weeks before the first national covid lockdown.

Much has changed since then, and the Stray Ferret has been first with the news that matters to people in the Harrogate district.

In December last year we launched our App which can be downloaded here. The Stray Ferret website and app now attract more than a million page views a month and an average of  210,000 users. We have a very engaged social media following of more than 24,000 who comment on stories, debate the issues we report on and tell us what they think of our journalism.

Readership has grown consistently and we look forward to continuing to serve the people of Harrogate, Ripon, Knaresborough, Boroughbridge, Pateley Bridge and Masham, as well as all points in between.

Thank you for your support. Keep sending us your news to contact@thestrayferret.co.uk.

We thought you might be interested to see which stories got the most attention in the past year.

Top 10 most-read Stray Ferret stories

1. Live blog on Jennyfields gas leak
2. Live blog on last month’s floods
3. St Aidan’s school in Harrogate rated ‘inadequate’ by Ofsted
4. Harrogate Food Hall to close after just six months
5. Guide to fireworks display in the Harrogate district
6. Live blog: Fuel Watch
7. Taylor Wimpey responds to TV report of ‘nightmare’ Harrogate new build
8. Delivery van gets stuck on Harrogate’s Stray after attempting shortcut
9. Harrogate Christmas market cancelled
10. Arrest warrant for former Coach and Horses landlord

 

Mountain rescuers help man stuck at Brimham Rocks

A man had to be rescued when he was unable to get down from the top of one of the rocks at Brimham Rocks.

Visitors to the National Trust-owned site near Pateley Bridge are free to roam the Millstone Grit rocks, which are 325 million years old.

But a male had to be helped to safely after making it to the top of one of the rocks.

North Yorkshire Police called Upper Wharfe Fell Rescue Association to help.

A spokesperson for the association, which is based in Grassington, said:

“The team arrived promptly and quickly assessed the scene. Members climbed the rock, quickly set up ropes, the young man was made safe and lowered off.”

The incident, which required 12 attendees and took almost two hours to resolve, happened on Saturday afternoon

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Drone pic shows Ripley Castle after major scaffolding project

An aerial photograph shows historic Ripley Castle after a four-week scaffolding project.

The 14th Century, Grade I Listed building, home to the sixth Baronet Ingilby and his family, is about to undergo major renovations to its roof.

Elite Scaffolding, which has completed similar projects at Knaresborough Castle and Allerton Castle, overcame three storms to erect the poles around the castle.

Spencer Cassidy, managing director of Thorpe Arch-based Elite Scaffolding, said:

“This is the third Yorkshire castle that we have scaffolded, and in terms of scale it is certainly the most significant.

“Before starting, we worked closely with Ripley Castle owner, Sir Thomas Ingilby, and main contractor, HACS, to ensure our work would not visually impact on two weddings it was hosting.

“We have been keeping a very close eye on the weather, and despite enduring three significant storms which have brought gale force winds, torrential rain and snow, I’m pleased to say haven’t given us any problems.”

Ripley Castle is a private house but its grounds are open to the public.

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More donation spots in Harrogate to help Ukrainians

An overwhelming number of people from the Harrogate district have offered donations to help Ukrainians following the Russian invasion.

We will update this blog with new donation spots as we hear about them. If you know about any more drop-off points or other Ukrainian initiatives please let us know via contact@thestrayferret.co.uk.

6.15pm: Hampsthwaite’s donations heading to Ukraine

Villagers in Hampsthwaite have been donating goods over the past few days at the village church.

A post on the Hampsthwaite Village Facebook page thanked the “incredible” effort of everyone involved. The donations have been dropped off at Hales Bar in Harrogate and will be on their way to Ukraine next week.

“The response for donations for Ukraine has been incredible to the extent that over the last three and a half days the baptistry of Hampsthwaite Church was completely crammed. One carload was taken on Monday to the collection centre on Claro Road, which has since become overwhelmed and they could not take any more goods.

“This afternoon, with the help of Debbie Bruce and Nick Beaton we transported all of the remaining donations to Hales Bar in town. We could not have managed this so efficiently had it not been for Acklams Motorcycles and the lovely Joel who volunteered the use of one of their vans to transport all of the donations. Your donations will be on their way early next week to the Polish/Ukraine border where they are much needed.”

Hampsthwaite has thanked Acklam’s Motorcycles for helping transport goods.

5.30pm: Charity dog walk organised

A group of professional dog walkers in Harrogate have organised a charity dog walk for Ukraine. It will start at Hookstone Car Park, HG2 8PN on Sunday March 27.

It costs £5 per dog and starts at 1pm.

For more information visit this Facebook page.

2.50pm: Ripon Cathedral sounds bells for peace

Ripon Cathedral took part in an initiative today to show solidarity with the people of Ukraine.

Canon Michael talks to @joncowap on @BBCYork at 11.35am as we prepare to ring our bells at midday in solidarity with the people of #Ukraine. The bells ring for 7 minutes, 1 min for each day of the war. As they ring – we pray for peace @nickbaines @JulianSmithUK @churchofengland pic.twitter.com/wXg59taZbr

— Ripon Cathedral (@riponcathedral) March 3, 2022

1.58pm: New drop-off point in Harrogate

American-born Whitney Vauvelle, who now lives in Harrogate, has told us she is working with the Global Empowerment Mission to collect items for the Ukraine relief effort.

Items can be dropped off at 52 Cornwall Road, postcode HG1 2PP. Ms Vauvelle says:

“We have specific requests for warm clothes for women and children of all ages: thermals, jumpers, sweats, trousers, socks, nappies, baby wipes, feminine hygiene products, hand sanitisers, backpacks and small suitcases.”

Ms Vauvelle is personal friends with Michael Capponi, the founder of Global Empowerment Mission. She said:

“Michael and his team have been in Poland on the border for the last week. The situation is becoming very challenging.

“We are also fundraising to cover further trucking and transportation costs for trucks from the UK to Poland.

“These people desperately need our help.

Ms Vauvelle adds that her great grandparents were Ukrainian and supposedly raised horses for Czar Nicholas II.

12.58pm: Business gives day’s takings to those in need

Bob Partridge, who owns VetDentist, which has a practice in Harrogate, has got in touch to say he was so moved by the plight of Ukrainians that his company donated a day’s takings to the British Red Cross Ukraine appeal.

He said many of his team also made personal donations.

British Red Cross donations are now being overseen by the Disasters Emergency Committee, which co-ordinates the aid agency response to crisis. You can give here.

10.30am – Hales Bar opens as donation drop-off point

Hales Bar in Harrogate has opened as a donation drop-off point for goods to be sent to Ukraine.

Owner Amanda Wilkinson said people can donate any time between 10am-10pm. Anyone arriving before 3pm is asked to go round the back and ring the bell as the bar itself isn’t open.

The most needed items:

Ms Wilkinson has a system in place to store the items in offices at the back of the bar before filling up a truck, which will be taken to a dry store unit.

She has requested people to only stick to items in the list to make the process as easy as possible.

10am – WATCH as Harrogate group prepare boxes of donations to send to Ukrainian refugees

A group of Harrogate residents began collecting donations last weekend in their front rooms, the incredible response from locals meant they had to take up a unit at Claro Business Centre to store teh “tonnes and tonnes of wonderful donations”.

This drop-off point has now stopped taking donations but will be shipping them to those in need tonight.

Joanna Papros, Kinga Goldsmith and Adam Goldsmith have made contact with a haulage company in Halifax which is owned by a Ukrainian man. He is sending over a shipment of clothes, toiletries and other essentials this tonight.

Mother Shipton’s delays reopening again due to landslide

Mother Shipton’s Cave in Knaresborough has been forced to delay its reopening again after heavy flooding caused a landslide onto a path.

The famous tourist attraction was due to reopen this weekend after clearing up the debris from recent floods but has now had to delay its reopening for a second time until March 19.

The “slight landslide” has fallen onto Beech Avenue, which is the site of some of the oldest and tallest beech trees in the country, from a bank above.

The landslide has left the well-trodden footpath, which runs from the steps used to access the petrifying well to the entrance of the museum, impassable. Therefore the decision has been taken to delay reopening for another week until the footpath can be made safe.

Jay Stelling, marketing coordinator, said supporting structures were installed last year to prevent damage like this but the strength of the recent storms meant the landslide couldn’t be avoided, adding:

“Our maintenance team had been attempting to clear the pathway and put plans in place to prevent further problems with landslides while we were closed during the winter.

“To rectify this issue permanently we are waiting on permission from the council to gain access above Beech Avenue to assess and establish the remedial work required in order to prevent this problem in the future.”

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Ms Stelling said the slope had experienced a “noticeable shift” in recent years due to climate change. She added:

“We are devastated that this is the case and we are doing everything we can to get the site safe and on top form to welcome back visitors.”

The attraction will open on weekends from March 19 and on weekends and weekdays from April.

Co-op claims new Tesco would cut takings at Jennyfields store by 15%

The Co-op has submitted an objection to Tesco’s plans to build a new supermarket on Skipton Road, saying it would reduce takings at its Jennyfields store by 15%.

The Co-op on Jennyfield Drive is less than a mile from the old gasworks site where Tesco hopes to build its new supermarket.

It also operates smaller shops tied to petrol stations on Skipton Road and Ripon Road.

Planning consultant Barton Willmore submitted the objection last week on behalf of the retailer.

It was submitted two days before Waitrose submitted an objection of its own that claimed a new Tesco would have a “significant adverse impact” on its large supermarket on Station Parade as well as the large Asda on Bower Road.

Questions over retail assessment

The Co-op has criticised a retail assessment written on behalf of Tesco that was produced to support the retailer’s claim that a new supermarket is needed in that area of Harrogate.

The assessment suggested a Tesco would only divert 4% of trade from the Co-op in Jennyfields, which the Co-op called “absurd” in its objection.

It said the true number would be closer to 15%.

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Tesco’s retail assessment also said the Co-op was “locally-focused” and is “essentially a facility for the Jennyfield community”.

It said any adverse impact from Tesco would be compensated for because residents at new housing developments around Skipton Road and Killinghall would use it.

The Co-op has disputed this suggestion and called on Tesco to produce new data that gives a “more accurate reflection” of the number of new homes that will be built in the area.

‘Consider all feedback’

Tesco submitted plans to Harrogate Borough Council to build the new store in December.

It would be 38,795 square feet and include a petrol filling station, 200 car parking spaces, electric vehicle charging points and 24 cycle spaces. A new mini-roundabout would also be built on Skipton Road.

Tesco says 100 jobs would be created.

A Tesco spokesperson said it will consider all feedback from other supermarkets about the application.

They said:

“We will consider all feedback received on our application and will have further discussions with Harrogate council about the issues raised.”

Harrogate Borough Council will make a decision on the plans at a later date.

Knitting show gives Harrogate economy £2m boost

The Knitting & Stitching Show has agreed a deal to stay at Harrogate Convention Centre for the next three years.

The show, which is open to the public, features hundreds of stands from retailers, more than 200 workshops, a theatre with live demos, gallery exhibitions and expert advice.

The economic impact of the show on the town is estimated to be £2 million over the three years of the deal.

Organisers predict 12,000 to 14,000 visitors will attend the four-day show from November 17 to 20, which will mark the 30th year the show has exhibited in Harrogate.

Paula Lorimer, director at the centre, said:

“This news follows on from a raft of other flagship events that have signed contracts to return to our venue for the next three or four years, including the Flooring Show, Home and Gift, the Bridal Show and Fashion Week.

“These are crucial as they mark the confident return of big exhibitions, which are such big drivers of the wider local economy.”

Harrogate firm completing £2m refurbishment of Leeds building

A Harrogate-company has almost completed a £2m refurbishment of a historic Grade II listed building in Leeds city centre.

Westcourt Group‘s upgrade of 56 Wellington Street, with the building dating back to 1873, will provide 10,254 sq ft of prime grade A office space over six floors in the city’s professional district.

56 Wellington Street

Tim Hodgson, managing director of Westcourt Group, said:

“This is a truly unique building that we have sensitively reinvented to provide grade A workspace with an attention to detail that that really accentuates the building’s heritage, whilst importantly bringing into the 21st century.”

Johnsons of Whixley fundraiser

Some of the staff taking part.

Johnsons staff pledge to walk 280,000 steps for Cancer Research UK

Staff at Harrogate district nursery Johnsons of Whixley have pledged to walk 10,000 steps each during March as they take part in Cancer Research UK’s Walk All Over Cancer challenge.

Throughout March, 28 staff members at Johnsons will walk a total of 280,000 steps combined, which equates to approximately 140 miles per day, 980 miles per week and an overall estimate of 5,000 miles for the month.

Marketing manager Eleanor Richardson has organised the challenge.

“The steps challenge is a great way to fundraise for the charity and a great activity for team building and general fitness. There are many benefits to walking 10,000 steps per day.”

You can support Johnsons walking challenge here.

Send us your business news to contact@thestrayferret.co.uk