Harrogate Borough Council’s tourism organisation has identified health and wellbeing, events and responsible tourism as its priorities over the next three years.

The council set up Destination Harrogate last year as its new ‘destination management organisation’ to showcase the Harrogate district and to grow the visitor economy and attract inward investment.

Destination Harrogate has now unveiled its three-year plan to “position the Harrogate district as a first choice destination for tourism, large-scale events and investment”.

The plan was approved by senior councillors at a cabinet meeting yesterday.

According to a council press release, the visitor economy makes up 14.3 per cent of the economy in Harrogate district.

The plan cites health and wellbeing as its top priority. It says it wants to “position the Harrogate district as a first choice health and wellbeing destination”.

Read more:

• Waitrose objects to plans for new Tesco in Harrogate

• Victoria Shopping Centre value falls by more than 80% in 10 years

Its second priority is to “position Harrogate district as a first-choice events destination by attracting, hosting and delivering exceptional events”.

The council press release said:

“A year-round festival, conference and events programme will ensure a lift in the visitor economy and enable sustainable growth.”

Responsible tourism is the third priority. The press release says:

“As we become more conscious of and conscientious about green travel and sustainable tourism, the DMO will work with partners to develop a responsible tourism strategy in order to be recognised as a destination for responsible tourism by 2030.

“In doing so, the DMO intends to minimise the negative environmental and social impacts of tourism, and enhance the economic and cultural benefits for visitors, businesses, and residents.”

Worth £600m to economy

Cllr Richard Cooper, leader of the council, said:

“The visitor economy plays a huge role locally, underpinning 8,000 jobs and bringing £600 million in to our economy. Without it our district would be a very different place with fewer shops, businesses and job opportunities. That is why it is important that we seek to grow the visitor economy.

“This plan is the culmination of a number of interviews and surveys provided by people and businesses that have a direct input into the success of our visitor economy and who have shared their ideas and suggestions to take us forward.”

Gemma Rio, head of Destination Harrogate, said: 

“To attract business and investment, a destination must be distinctive, attractive and well managed and we have developed this destination management plan to set out the vision, priorities and actions, we – as a destination – need to put in place to meet that vision.

“Key stakeholders from visitor attractions and restaurants, independent hotels, conference venues and event organisers from across the district have contributed towards the shared goals of our ambitious plan to achieve the long-term vision of a visitor economy worth around £835 million per annum by 2030.”

Around 15,000 Harrogate district households could miss out on a £150 council tax rebate because they do not have a direct debit set up with the borough council.

The government announced the support last month to help ease the impact of huge rises in gas and electricity costs.

The payment will be made in April directly into the bank accounts of households with council tax bandings of A – D, but only if they have a direct debit set up with the council.

Anyone paying by any other means will need to make a claim or risk missing out on the £150.

Harrogate Borough Council has this week confirmed it is reaching out to around 15,000 households in this situation to urge them to sign up.

A council spokesperson said: 

“We’re still going through the government guidance for the scheme but we can ensure we’ll do everything we can and make every effort to ensure all eligible residents receive the rebate.

“The easiest way to ensure residents will receive this rebate is by signing up to pay their council tax by direct debit as it will be paid automatically.

“If you do not pay your council tax by direct debit you will be contacted by email or letter in due course so that this information can be provided.

“Please note, we will not contact you by telephone for this information.”

Read more:

• Harrogate council leader cancels Russian State Ballet and Opera performance
• North Yorkshire councillors clash over £56 council tax hike

Some concerns have been raised about the way the payments will be distributed, with Harrogate’s Liberal Democrats describing the approach as “complicated” and “divisive”.

Cllr Pat Marsh, leader of the opposition party on Harrogate Borough Council, said:

“Surely the best way to do it is just to reduce everyone’s council tax bill by £150 at source.

“The bills have not gone out yet, so there is time to do it.”

Cllr Marsh also echoed calls for a one-off windfall tax on big profit oil and gas companies to “raise money to support millions of families facing soaring energy costs”.

This comes after figures from the Liberal Democrats showed Harrogate residents will be among the hardest hit by the energy crisis, with households in the district paying around £796 more this year.

Cllr Marsh said: 

“For years the Conservatives have ignored this problem and failed to take the bold action we need to reduce fuel poverty.

“Boris Johnson cannot look the other way any longer while families face an impossible choice between heating and eating.”

The government has argued that a one-off tax like this would put jobs and investments at risk – something Harrogate MP Andrew Jones previously said would be “very dangerous” and a “potentially hugely damaging blow to British industry.”

As well as the £150 council tax rebate, the government has also announced a £200 discount on energy bills for all domestic electricity customers from October, with the government meeting the costs.

However, unlike the council tax rebate, this discount will be automatically recovered from people’s bills in equal £40 instalments over a five year period from 2023, when it is hoped global wholesale gas prices will have come down.

For more information on the council tax rebate go to www.harrogate.gov.uk/council-tax.

Waitrose has submitted an objection to Tesco‘s bid to build a new supermarket on Skipton Road in Harrogate.

The objection, which was submitted last week by planning consultants First Plan on behalf of the retailer, says the new store would have a “significant adverse impact” on both Waitrose on Station Parade and Asda on Bower Road.

It also claims other retailers could be affected and questions shopping data provided by Tesco to support its application.

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.

Assessment ‘lacks detail’

Waitrose’s objection says a retail assessment by Tesco in December to support its application “lacks detail”.

It says the assessment does not provide enough evidence to support the claim that a new Tesco supermarket would not harm retailers in the town centre.

Tesco has argued that the Bilton, Jennyfields and New Park areas of Harrogate are poorly served by major supermarkets.

Read more:

• Nearly 200 sign petition supporting new Harrogate Tesco

• Tesco consultation results reveal support for new Harrogate store

Its assessment, written by town planning consultants Martin Robeson Planning Practice, said Tesco will “add to local consumer choice” but will not cause “any significant adverse impact on existing shopping centres”.

The document adds:

“The northern part of Harrogate, particularly the extensive Bilton community, has very limited provision for food shopping.”

Change in shopping habits

However, Waitrose says the data around shopping habits in Harrogate used to underpin Tesco’s conclusions does not give an up-to-date picture.

Tesco’s retail assessment makes several references to the 2014 Harrogate Retail Study, which was undertaken by Harrogate Borough Council to identify trends in shopping habits.

It also says an increase in online shopping, which has been accelerated by the pandemic, has reduced the amount of spending in ‘bricks and mortar’ stores.

The six-page objection letter concludes:

“The cumulative impact of the proposed Tesco store and other recent permissions on town centre foodstores unquestionably represents a ‘significant adverse’ level of impact on the anchor Waitrose and Asda foodstores, with associated implications for the wider vitality and viability of Harrogate town centre, which has already been impacted by a number of high-profile closures in recent years and this should, in our view, constitute a reason for refusal of the application.”

A Tesco spokesperson 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.

(from left) Cardale Asset Management’s Peter Heckingbottom, Andrew Tod and Mark Puleikis

Cardale Asset Management has agreed a deal to be acquired by London firm Titan Wealth Holdings.

The company, which is based at Cardale Park, provides portfolio management, stockbroking and financial planning services.

Cardale was launched in 2003 and now has £1.5bn in assets under management, which it manages for approximately 3,500 clients. The company employs about 70 people.

The firm reported a turnover of £16m for the 2021 financial year.

James Kaberry and Andrew Fearon, joint chief executives of Titan Wealth, said in a statement:

“We are delighted to welcome the team at Cardale to Titan Wealth. Cardale is a highly profitable and well-respected business with a focused and proven investment process that consistently delivers outperformance to its client portfolios.”

LHL Group promotes Daniel Bower to director

Daniel Bower

Yorkshire property consultants LHL Group, which has an office in Harrogate, has appointed building surveyor Daniel Bower as a director.

Mr Bower joined LHL Group in 2014 and became an associate director in 2019. His work includes project management, employer’s agent and contract administration for new build and refurbishment schemes as well as traditional commercial and residential property building surveys and dilapidations work.

He said:

“After almost eight years with LHL Group, I’m delighted to be joining managing director, Richard Hampshire and director, Shaun Bennett, on the board and supporting the wider management and development of the business in a highly competitive climate.”

Dealer award for Ripon Farm Services

(Left to right) Mike Pickering, area sales manager at Ripon Farm Services with the dealer’s commercial director, Richard Simpson, Mazzotti’s export manager Vincenzo Gasperi, Ripon’s technology specialist, Jack Forman and Mark James, John Deere crop care specialist.

Ripon Farm Services has been awarded the UK Dealer of the Year Award for 2021 by Italian sprayer manufacturer Mazzotti. The award recognises overall performance and dedication to the brand.

Vincenzo Gasperi, export manager for Mazzotti, gave the award during a recent visit to the farm machinery company, which is based in Ripon and has 12 branches in Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire and Teesside.

Richard Simpson, commercial director of Ripon Farm Services, said: “We’ve put a lot of effort into launching the sprayers, not only to demonstrate the benefits of these machines, but also to support the customers with what is, after all, a new brand in the UK market.”

Do you have any business news for the Harrogate district? We want to hear about your senior appointments, awards and acquisitions, and anything else business-related. Email us at contact@thestrayferret.co.uk.

Re-enactments and guided tours will take place in a fortnight to mark the 700th anniversary of the Battle of Boroughbridge.

The battle in 1322 was fought between a rebellious group of barons and supporters of Edward II. The rebels, led by Thomas, Ear of Lancaster, were defeated at Boroughbridge by the king’s army.

The battle itself took place over a timber bridge, thought to have been close to the site of the current bridge over the River Ure in Boroughbridge, and a ford thought to be in the Milby area.

An event to commemorate the battle will be held in the town on March 12 between 10 and 4pm. Members of the public can attend the living history event on the field next to Back Lane carpark throughout the day.

The display will include a combat and weapon demonstration by 3 Swords medieval history group at 10.30am and 2pm on the field as well as numerous other activities throughout the day.

Read more:

• Sneak Peek: Boroughbridge pub reopens after six-figure refurb
• Boroughbridge Walking Festival to return in April

Guided tours around the town will take place at 11.30am and 3pm. Louise Whittaker, from the Battlefields Trust, will lead the hour-long tours, which will take in the sites connected to the battle, including the bridge.

There will also be an art display curated by students at Boroughbridge Primary School held in the library.

The event is being put together by Boroughbridge Historical Society and the Battlefields Trust.

The Harrogate district is responding to war in Ukraine by setting up various schemes to help those affected.

If you know of an initiative to provide help or support run by a person, charity, church, community group or business, let us know by calling the newsroom on 01423276197 or by emailing us at contact@thestrayferret.co.uk.

6.36pm: Ex-Ripon student’s video shows huge queues leaving Ukraine

Former Ripon Grammar School student Lewis Edwards has sent this video showing the huge queue of traffic at the Ukraine border waiting to get into Slovakia.

He and his partner Tanya Bogdanovska have managed to escape Ukraine and plan to set up a refugee shelter in Slovakia.

You can read more about their situation here and contribute to their gofundme page, which has now raised more than £4,000, here.

6pm: Ripon MP Julian Smith praises Shell decision

Skipton and Ripon Conservative MP has tweeted his support of a decision by Shell to abandon its joint ventures with Russian energy giant Gazprom.

Good decision by @Shell – hopefully they will be able to get further UKG support for their various projects focused on UK energy security and net zero https://t.co/E7k90qagyP

— Julian Smith MP (@JulianSmithUK) February 28, 2022

5.39pm: Hampsthwaite Church taking donations

St Thomas a Becket Church in Hampsthwaite is open for donations from 10am until 4pm until noon on Thursday when anything collected will be shipped to Poland.

Church member Jud Charlesworth offered to take in donations for those who can’t get to Harrogate’s Sowa Polish Shop after seeing their campaign on Facebook.

Since posting just yesterday the church has been inundated with donations; but the drive now has access to a storage unit so can continue to take items.

The church has asked that items be left in the baptistry area just by the main entrance.

4.58pm: Andrew Jones MP signs letter calling for ‘fullest possible support’ for refugees

Harrogate and Knaresborough Conservative MP Andrew Jones has issued a statement calling for as much support as possible for Ukrainian refugees.

Mr Jones said in a statement, which can be read in full here:

“The international community has come together to support Ukraine. Significant and growing sanctions have been imposed. I strongly agree with this. Sanctions are not consequence-free for the nations imposing them. Prices will rise here; our markets will suffer; there will be other consequences. But it is the right thing to do and we must hold fast to our resolve.

“And now, most importantly, we have to protect and support those fleeing this violence. Help has been provided to Ukraine directly, and to neighbouring countries to help with the influx of refugees they are facing and more Ukrainians with family members now able to bring them here. But we can and should go further.

“Today I have co-signed a letter to the Prime Minister calling for the fullest possible support for Ukrainian refugees. The letter says:

‘We urge the UK government to provide as much support as possible to our European partners who are currently the first safe havens for Ukrainian refugees, namely Poland, Moldova, Romania, Hungary and Slovakia. We also hope our Ministers will seek a flexible and pragmatic approach to those Ukrainians wishing to seek temporary refuge in the UK until it is safe to return to their lives in their home country.‘

‘The United Kingdom cannot flag or fail, our message must be clear: Ukrainian victims of war seeking refuge are welcome.‘”

2.46pm: Harrogate to host 24-hour vigil tomorrow

A 24-hour vigil will begin at the war memorial in Harrogate tomorrow to show support with Ukraine in its war with Russia.

The vigil, which has been organised by Christopher and Lindis Percy, will start at 10am.

Further details are available here.

12.49pm: Ex-Ripon student’s gofundme page raises £3,400 so far

Former Ripon Grammar School student Lewis Edwards, 33, and Tanya Bogdanovska, 30, (pictured) hope to cross the border from Ukraine to Slovakia today and set up a shelter to help fellow refugees.

A gofundme page set up by Mr Edwards’ family has generated £3,400 so far.

You can read more here.

12.00pm: Two houses full of donations in Boroughbridge 

Some of the donated items.

A Boroughbridge activist has teamed up with a local homeless shelter to collect donations for victims of the Ukraine invasion.

Laura Hutton, who runs the Facebook page Boroughbridge Chatter, has encouraged people to contact her on the page to arrange to send items. She said the emphasis was on essential items, such as baby items and pet food.

She said the response so far had been overwhelming, with two houses full of donations.

Ms Hutton said:

“Social media can bring a lot of hatred at times but people really rally around when help is needed. I want to thank everyone as I’m amazed by their generosity.”

Ms Hutton usually works alongside Sally Umpleby and Nik Noble in Boroughbridge’s shelter for vulnerable citizens. They collect food bank donations and make gift packages for those in need at Christmas.

11.36am: Sowa Polish shop overwhelmed by donations

Some of the donations.

A Polish shop in Harrogate has been overwhelmed with donations after encouraging people to give items for Ukrainian refugees.

Joanna Papros, from Sowa Polish shop, posted online on Saturday asking for people to drop off donations and has since received a huge response.

She has asked people to temporarily halt donations until it finds somewhere to store items, which will be sent to Poland for refugees arriving in the country.

Ms Papros told the Stray Ferret;

“I only expected a small response but people have been dropping off items from all over the county.”

While they have no storage to collect further items right now, the shop owners hope to get storage in the wider area and open donations back up.

New signs in the windows of the Coach & Horses pub in Harrogate have indicated it will be reopening in the near future.

On Friday, Harrogate Borough Council approved the new owner’s plans to refurbish the premises.

Provenance Inns, which owns West Park Hotel on the same street, took over the pub in October last year.

It has been closed since May 2020 after the previous landlord John Nelson had his licence revoked for breaching covid rules.

Provenance will revamp the bar and kitchen area and reinstate the corner entrance.

New branding for the Coach & Horses

It will also convert the first floor into a restaurant area along with staff accommodation and office space.

Anthony Blundell, commercial manager at Provenance Inns, told the Stray Ferret that the company wanted to maintain the Coach and Horses as a “traditional pub”.

He said:

“The idea is to refurbish what is already there.

“We see it as the last traditional pub in Harrogate. We know from our guests how well it was respected.”

Read more:

• Plan submitted to refurbish Harrogate’s Coach and Horses pub
• Coach and Horses set to reopen under new ownership

The Stray Ferret was refused entry to Ripon’s new leisure centre today by staff from Harrogate Borough Council.

Our Ripon reporter Tim Flanagan, who lives in the city, was turned away by a council press officer when he arrived shortly before 2pm.

Tim was told today’s event at the Jack Laugher Leisure and Wellness Centre was for councillors only and separate arrangements would be made for the press at a later date.

It later transpired that several other media outlets were allowed to look around the new complex today to provide coverage ahead of Wednesday’s opening date.

Ripon City Council leader Andrew Williams, who witnessed the incident, said it appeared Harrogate Borough Council was censoring media organisations that asked “legitimate questions” about the way public money is spent and this was “totally unacceptable”.

The Stray Ferret has led on coverage of delays to the construction of the pool and mounting costs, as well as concerns about sinkholes. The pool was due to be ready nine months ago and the leisure centre project is £4m over budget.

Part of the site remains closed for further work after a void — a gap below the surface — was discovered last year.

‘Totally unacceptable’

Cllr Williams, said:

“I can confirm that Harrogate Borough Council’s PR officer told the Stray Ferret journalist that he was not able to look around the new swimming pool and that today’s event was for councillors only and a separate event for the press is yet to be organised and the Stray Ferret will be invited to this.

“I now understand that other media was invited around today and if it’s a case that Harrogate Borough Council has adopted a censorship policy that bars media who ask legitimate questions on the way that public money is spent, this is totally unacceptable in a democracy and is more like the way that Vladimir Putin handles affairs in Russia.”

Read more:

• Ripon pool opening delayed again
• Ripon pool and leisure centre to open next week
• Sinkhole experts urge councillors to consider new site for Ripon pool

The Stray Ferret has reported concerns by Ripon-based chartered engineer Stanley Mackintosh about the wisdom of the council building a swimming pool on land with a history of ground instability issues.

Dr Alan Thompson, a geologist and director of director of Cuesta Consulting in Somerset, has also raised safety concerns — as covered by the Stray Ferret.

We have also reported concerns about the proposed price hike for Ripon City Swimming Club to use the pool to teach swimming.

‘No lifeguards on duty’

A council spokesman said:

“Tim wasn’t banned from entering the Jack Laugher Leisure and Wellness Centre today.

“Today’s invite was for Ripon city councillors to have a first-look at the facility before it opens on Wednesday. As we explained to the councillors, there are still some finishing touches to complete and them to be mindful while walking around the new pool.

“There were also no lifeguards on duty so we needed to be cautious about the number of people poolside.”

The Stray Ferret replied by asking if it was a councillors-only event why other media outlets were allowed to attend.

Thank you to both @BBCLookNorth and @itvcalendar for coming down to the @JackLaugher Leisure and Wellness Centre in #Ripon this morning.

You can find out more about the new facility this evening or by visiting https://t.co/xAAVxhHReg pic.twitter.com/Os3ZLoJAlC

— Harrogate Borough Council (@Harrogatebc) February 28, 2022

The spokesman said:

“Tim wasn’t refused entry and others allowed in; BBC Look North and ITV Calendar had a first-look this morning and we were limited on time.”

The statement did not mention that local media were also invited — but not the Stray Ferret.

We were subsequently invited to an invitation to view the centre tomorrow.

A 24-hour vigil will begin at the war memorial in Harrogate tomorrow to show support with Ukraine in its war with Russia.

The vigil, which has been organised by Christopher and Lindis Percy, will start at 10am and finish at 10am the following day.

Anyone is welcome to stay for as long as they want. Warm clothing is advised.

Ms Percy, who has been a well-known peace campaigner in the district for many years, said:

“The news is very dire and we thought we must do something. It is a very dangerous situation in Ukraine. We hope people will join us”.

Read more:

• LIVE: Harrogate Polish shop ‘overwhelmed’ by response to appeal for donations
• Former Ripon student fleeing Ukraine today to set up refugee shelter
• Ripon man with family in Ukraine speaks of ‘deeply troubling’ times

The Stray Ferret is running a live blog about people in the district who are helping people affected by the war in Ukraine.

If you know of an initiative to provide help or support run by a person, charity, church, community group or business, let us know by calling the newsroom on 01423276197 or by emailing us at contact@thestrayferret.co.uk.

Every month the Stray Ferret tries to find out what our local MPs have been up to in their constituencies and in the House of Commons.

In February, war broke out in Ukraine and all legal restrictions for covid were lifted after almost two years.

We asked our three Conservative MPs, Harrogate & Knaresborough’s Andrew Jones, Skipton and Ripon’s Julian Smith, and Selby and Ainsty’s Nigel Adams if they would like to highlight anything in particular that they have been doing this month, but, as usual, we did not receive a response from any of them.

Here is what we know after analysing their online presence.

Andrew Jones, Harrogate and Knaresborough MP.

In Harrogate and Knaresborough, Mr Jones:

• Writing on his local “news” website, Community News, on February 1, Mr Jones commented on the release of the Sue Gray Downing Street parties report. He said he was “disappointed” the full report would not be published until after the police investigation but called the alleged events at Downing Street a “sorry state of affairs.”
• On February 15, the MP posed for a photo with Copgrove-based Abacus Manufacturing owner Ian Pattison. The pair discussed how the business had coped during covid and its expansion plans.
• The MP is the chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Infrastructure. On February 23 he posed for a photo with chancellor Rishi Sunak and leading figures from the civil engineering industry.
• At PMQs on the same day, Mr Jones asked the prime minister if the NHS would review the system for identifying people most vulnerable to covid, as he said some are at risk of being missed.
• The MP defended Harrogate District Hospital after the Local Democracy Service revealed 800 patients were allowed to return to their care homes without being tested for covid. Mr Jones said :“This must have been extremely difficult for them particularly in the early days of the pandemic when the world was fighting against something new.”

Read more:

• New gritter tracker shows which roads in Harrogate district are being treated

• Harrogate council ranks in lowest 15% of local authorities for tackling climate change

Julian Smith, MP for Skipton and Ripon.

In Skipton and Ripon, here is what we found on Mr Smith:

• The MP was uncharacteristically outspoken on Twitter during February. On February 1 he criticised prime minister Boris Johnson for suggesting labour leader Keir Starmer failed to prosecute Jimmy Savile while he was Director of Public Prosecutions. He wrote: “The smear made against Keir Starmer relating to Jimmy Saville yesterday is wrong & cannot be defended. It should be withdrawn. False and baseless personal slurs are dangerous, corrode trust & can’t just be accepted as part of the cut & thrust of parliamentary debate.”
• After Keir Starmer was harassed outside Parliament a week later, Mr Smith again called for the PM to withdraw the “false slur” about Jimmy Savile.
• In a tweet on February 26, he urged the UK government to “make an immediate open, welcoming and warm hearted commitment of sanctuary to those who wish to leave Ukraine. Rip up the usual bureaucracy and let’s just say they are welcome and we will make it as easy as possible to be here.”
• On February 9, Children from Masham C of E Primary School visited Mr Smith in Parliament. He tweeted that he was envious of their Happy Meal at the end of the day.
• The MP criticised fellow Tory MP Jacob Rees-Mogg who suggested civil servants do not make British life better. Mr Smith replied “Have to disagree. Massive thanks to all local, devolved & central gov civil servants.”

Nigel Adams, MP for Selby and Ainsty which includes rural Harrogate.

In rural south Harrogate, here is what we found on Mr Adams:

• The MP said on February 1 he was “delighted’ that North Yorkshire would become an Education Investment Area. Ministers plan to offer retention payments in those areas to keep the best teachers and prioritise them for new specialist sixth form free schools.
• On Twitter, the MP praised his boss Boris Johnson for hiring the “fabulous” ex-BBC and GB News journalist Guto Harri as his new director of communications.
• On February 16, the MP visited Qatar for a trip to help drum up trade to the UK.
• Mr Adams’ constituency includes Tadcaster, just outside the Harrogate district, which was hit by floods in February. He told ITV the Environment Agency needs to ‘get their fingers out’ and invest in flood defences for the town.