The number of patients who tested positive for covid at Harrogate District Hospital has fallen.
Latest figures from Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust show 30 patients are currently being treated at the hospital – down on 34 last week.
Meanwhile, the district’s seven-day covid rate has also fallen to 1,175 cases per 100,000 people.
But this remains above the county-wide average which is 856 and the England rate of 873.
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UK Health Security Agency data shows the daily number positive covid cases yesterday was 158.
No further deaths from patients who tested positive for coronavirus have been reported at Harrogate hospital, according to NHS England figures.
The death toll at the hospital since March 2020 remains at 220.
Historic 37-room Boroughbridge pub and hotel soldThe Crown Hotel in Boroughbridge has been sold to a national chain.
RedCat Pub Company has bought the 37-room hotel and former coaching inn from Best Western for an undisclosed fee.
It will be run by RedCat’s subsidiary, The Coaching Inn Group, which operates 24 coaching inns in market towns across the UK.
Kevin Charity, chief executive of the group, said:
“We’re pleased to have added The Crown Hotel to our high quality and fast-growing estate. I’m delighted with how The Coaching Inn Group is accelerating its growth with RedCat’s support.”
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The building has been in the town for centuries.
In 1569, it was known as the Manor House and was the meeting place for the Council of the North where local notables, led by the Earls of Northumberland and Westmoreland, planned to free Mary, Queen of Scots.
In the 1570s, it was turned into a Mass centre for seminary priests and local families.
Firefighters rescue passengers from car stuck in Dallowgill fordFire crews from Ripon and Lofthouse rescued two passengers from a car trapped in water in a ford at Dallowgill yesterday.
Emergency services were called when the vehicle got submerged in water half a metre deep at around 11am.
Dallowgill is situated between Ripon, Pateley Bridge and Masham.
According to North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service‘s incident log, one passenger had managed to get out of the vehicle by the time firefighters arrived but two others required assistance.
Firefighters then used a winch to lift the car to safety.
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Comments on a Facebook group for the area said the car was stuck on Belford Lane in Kirkby Malzeard.
The occupants are believed to be from Leeds and there was some debate over whether the road was either open to traffic or suitable, given the amount of rain.
Residents also said they saw an air ambulance attend.
The fire and rescue service incident log said:
22-home ‘affordable’ development in Staveley refused“Crews rescued two passengers from the vehicle by assisting them to walk to the bank side from their car, which was stuck in water half a metre deep. Crews used a winch to remove the vehicle from the ford.”
Harrogate Borough Council has refused plans to build 22 “affordable” homes in Staveley.
Jack Lunn Properties hoped to build three one-bedroom, 13 two-bedroom and six three-bedroom homes on Main Street in the village, which is four miles north of Knaresborough.
The site isn’t in the council’s Local Plan outlining where development can take place in the district, which in normal circumstances would mean it’s highly unlikely the development would be granted planning permission.
However, the application had been brought forward through a rural exception scheme, which allows councils to grant planning permission for affordable housing in the open countryside if a developer can prove there is a need for it.
The government defines affordable as homes sold at 80% of the market rate, homes for social rent or sold through shared ownership schemes.
In the council’s refusal, chief planner John Worthington said there were “no exceptional circumstances” for granting the application and that it did not satisfy the requirements of the affordable housing exception scheme.
A similar plan by the same developer to build 23 affordable homes in Scotton was refused last month.
Carl Wright, director of Jack Lunn, said the company was considering an appeal.
He said:
“We’ve only received a copy of the decision today and have yet to fully digest the same. Suffice to say we are somewhat disappointed that the council have included reasons for refusal that we have not been allowed to comment on or respond to prior to issue.
“Naturally this is disappointing to say the least and we will now take further advice from our consultants prior to deciding whether we ought to appeal or take matters further.”
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Villagers formed a group called SV2 to fight against the plans.
Julie Bowland from SV2 said she was relieved that the council refused the proposal.
Ms Bowland said:
Will Harrogate district charities lose funding in council shake-up?“I can only applaud, with a certain level of relief, that planning law has been upheld robustly and with great regard to the potentially catastrophic damage to the Staveley conservation area and the wildlife that proliferates this beautiful village.”
Many charities in the Harrogate district rely significantly on Harrogate Borough Council for funding.
So the council’s abolition next year could pose a threat to the financial stability of some of the best-known voluntary organisations in the district.
Richard Cooper, the Conservative leader of the council, said last month it had been a generous funder of charities and urged organisations to prepare for the change in the local government, which will see a single new unitary authority called North Yorkshire Council come into existence next year.
He said:
“One of the key things voluntary organisations must do over the next year is build relationships.”
Local Fund
One of the district’s main funding sources for charities is the Local Fund for the Harrogate District, which was set up in 2018 as a three-way partnership between Harrogate Borough Council, Harrogate & District Community Action and Two Ridings Community Foundation.
Last year the fund awarded £85,000 to 29 community groups. Applications for its next funding round open on Monday.
An event last year celebrating the Local Fund.
Last year Harrogate Borough Council gave £200,000 to Two Ridings Community Foundation, which administers the fund, to go towards an endowment so that the fund continues in perpetuity.
It also receives a steady stream of income from the Local Lotto — and the future of this is less certain because it is run by Harrogate Borough Council.
At least 60% from each £1 ticket sold on the lottery, which has a weekly £25,000 jackpot, goes towards the fund.
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Jan Garrill, chief executive of Two Ridings Community Foundation, said
“The Local Fund will continue and thrive as it is a fund with Two Ridings and out of any local government process.”
But Ms Garrill added she “could not comment” on the future of the Local Lotto because it is run by the council.
Who else could be affected?
Some charities also rely on council grants for funding.
When the Stray Ferret asked for a list of recipients, the council directed us to a report from October last year that listed five beneficiaries of its voluntary and community sector strategic funding programme, which awards grants to charities to ‘deliver key services across the Harrogate district’. But it does provide other grants.
The recipients and sums received are:
Harrogate and District Community Action – £40,000
Harrogate and Craven Districts Citizens Advice – £60,000
Harrogate Homeless Project – £22,500
Nidderdale Plus Community Partnership – £8,000
Community First Yorkshire – £5,000
Frances Elliot, chief executive of Hadca, which supports other charities in the district, said that besides its £40,000 grant, it received a separate £32,000 grant from the council.
Frances Elliot
Ms Elliot said:
“It’s a difficult time for lots of organisations but it’s relatively early in the transition. I genuinely don’t know what will happen. We are optimistic for our funding over the next financial year and we will have to wait and see after that, People at the top don’t know what’s happening yet.
“We have a good relationship with both Harrogate Borough Council and North Yorkshire County Council and we hope that continues.”
All the North Yorkshire councils facing abolition have various workstreams underway, considering what will happen after the shake-up. The voluntary sector is among the issues being discussed.
‘Don’t destroy a model that works well’
Pateley Bridge charity Nidderdale Plus works in partnership with Harrogate Borough Council and North Yorkshire County Council to provide services, such as a community library, a front desk for local council and police matters and a tourist information point.
It receives three council grants worth a total of £21,000, which helps it employ 2.5 staff and manage 150 volunteers to provide the services.
Chief executive Helen Flynn said:
Harlow Hill men’s shed aims to boost mental health“We hope we don’t have to destroy this community support model that has been working so well.
“We are starting to build relationships with North Yorkshire County Council. I do feel they want to work with us. They have been good at talking to us so far.
“I wouldn’t say I was relaxed but I am engaged with developments.”
A men’s shed is being set up for Harlow Hill to boost mental health and tackle loneliness in the area.
Men’s sheds are part of a wider organisation of ‘sheds’ that began in Australia. Their goal is to create a space for older men to come together to create and build while making friends. Women are welcome, too.
Sheds have been created over the past couple of years in Harrogate, Ripon and Pateley Bridge.
Harlow Hill’s men’s shed is being set up by local resident John Hart. He told the Stray Ferret he hopes the space will help men become more active whilst sharing how they feel.
He said:
“What has become apparent since covid is with men in particular and mental health issues, we don’t talk much about until we commit suicide.
“We need to do something to try and prevent it.”
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Men’s sheds have traditionally focused on developing practical skills, such as woodwork or toolmaking.
Mr Hart said the Harlow Hill men’s shed could also offer a variety of activities, from art or rambling to computer literacy.
He is the chairman of the Harlow Hill Community Centre, also known as the Green Hut, which will be utilised as the ‘shed’.
However, Mr Hart is also on the lookout for potential workshops, barns or buildings that could be used too.
He encouraged anyone living locally to give the men’s shed a try:
“Tell your dad, uncle or the bloke down the pub, let’s have a go.”
Mr Hart expects the Harlow Hill men’s shed to begin on Tuesday afternoons from later this month. Anyone with questions or who is interested in joining can contact him: johnrhart@live.co.uk
Harrogate district libraries offer self-care toolkit for young peopleA toolkit which encourages self-care and aims to enhance the mental health and wellbeing of young people is now available to borrow from libraries across the Harrogate district.
The kit, which contains a variety of self-help activities, includes a portable collection of items and books for individuals or groups to share at home, in the library, or out in the community.
They also provide contact details for organisations, including Childline Mind and Health for Teens, that offer help and advice for young people.
Kits can borrowed for up to three weeks by library members, who can also borrow books, e-books, audiobooks and DVDs free of charge and use computers to access free online resources.
Cllr Greg White, executive North Yorkshire county councillor for libraries, said:
“We are delighted to be launching the self-care toolkits. The last two years have presented a number of challenges for us all – especially young people – with the impact highlighting more than ever the need and importance for all of us to look after our mental health.
“The self-care toolkits are a valuable addition to the wider health and wellbeing offer at your local library, including wellbeing bags for adults, Reading Well books on prescription and events and activities to support social connections.”
More details are available by clicking on this link.
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In 1982, Geoff Brown and four colleagues started a modest agricultural machinery business called Ripon Farm Services.
The firm, which took on John Deere and Land Rover franchises, began with 19 members of staff and budgeted to generate £1.1 million in its first year.
Now, as the company celebrates its 40th anniversary, it has 270 staff, 12 depots and recorded turnover of £117.2 million for the financial year ending January 31, 2021 — significantly up on the £106.4 million figure for the previous year.
Ripon Farm Services, which is based on Dallamires Lane in Ripon, has become one of the Harrogate district’s biggest and best known employers. It supplies a wide range of new and used equipment from franchises including John Deere, Kuhn, Bailey, Kramer and Stihl.
Mr Brown (left) and a colleague alongside a John Deere tractor.
Mr Brown, who was brought up on a farm and has lived in Burnt Yates all his life, has been at the helm throughout the company’s existence.
Now 76, he remains a director and is keen to drive the business forward for “a while yet”. He adds:
“While I’m OK I will carry on.”
Brexit and Prince Charles
The last 12 months have been hectic, dealing not only with covid but also the impact of Brexit, which has had major repercussions for agriculture.
He also met Prince Charles — not for the first time — at Harrogate’s Great Yorkshire Show, where Ripon Farm Services always has a big presence.
The two men chatted amiably for some time. Mr Brown says:
“Somebody asked how did I make him laugh. I said I just talked to him. He knows a lot about farming and machinery. I met him previously at the Pateley show. He’s a very down to earth fella.”
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Mr Brown admits the company benefited from the backwind that British agriculture enjoyed in the 1980s and 1990s but thriving over four decades is testimony to far more than luck. He says:
“It’s just been steady growth since we started.”
Ripon Farm Services at the Great Yorkshire Show
61-year career
Mr Brown’s working life spans a remarkable 61 years. He started in 1961 at Glovers of Ripon, a car and agricultural machinery dealer.
Glovers was taken over by Appleyards in 1965, which lost the Massey Ferguson franchise the following year and consequently took on one of the first John Deere dealerships in the UK.
In 1966 Mr Brown was promoted to John Deere demonstrator at Appleyards.
Geoff Brown at Ripon Farm Services’ New Year Show last month.
When Appleyards sold its agricultural business in 1982 — something Mr Brown heard about when he was setting up the stand at the Great Yorkshire Show — it paved the way for something new.
So by October than year Mr Brown, along with Maurice Hymas, Bill Houseman and two other directors, had set-up Ripon Farm Services.
Selling Land Rover
Regrets? Just a few. The company sold its Land Rover franchise in 2016. Mr Brown says:
“They wanted us to move to Harrogate or Knaresborough and sell Jaguars but I didn’t want to do either of those things and now, ironically, they have relented and dealers don’t have to sell Jaguars.”
Ripon Farm Services continues to be synonymous with the distinctive John Deere green. It’s a truly international set-up: a British firm, selling American machinery all around the world. Mr Brown says:
“We export a lot of tractors and combine harvesters. Our biggest overseas markets are Poland and Spain.”
He acknowledges Brexit has caused some bumps but “it hasn’t stopped us”.
British farmers still face uncertainty about what payments will replace the loss of EU subsidies but Mr Brown remains optimistic about the future for farmers:
“As long as the government looks after them and gets something in place of the grants I can’t see it being a problem. The good ones will still be around.”
Harrogate Business Improvement District is offering grants to entertainers that can liven up Harrogate town centre’s streets.
The BID issued a plea today for events and installations that will drive footfall into the town centre.
It is offering the grants in order to cover any costs incurred as long as the idea satisfies funding criteria.
Matthew Chapman, Harrogate BID manager, said:
“We are really keen to bring something new and exciting to Harrogate town centre each weekend, and we are calling on individuals and groups to help us achieve this.
“We are particularly looking for something that is unique, exciting and has the wow factor. Harrogate is a standout town, and we want anything that we help deliver to also stand out.”
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Mr Chapman added that grants weren’t just available for performers, but for individuals, groups and organisations who want to play a part in benefitting the BID levy area.
Last year’s art on the Stray.
He said:
“Last year, we commissioned the incredible mural that adorns the side of Monsoon, on Cross James Street. We also commissioned Artizan UK to create nine mosaic letters spelling Harrogate to cover the bricked up windows on the side of Boots building, along Cambridge Place.
“I’m really pleased to say these will be in situ next month, adding a much-needed splash of colour to this drab street linking Oxford Street and Cambridge Street. We also provided a colourful banner for Commercial Street to help promote the independent businesses it’s home to.
“We have five key project areas; marketing, promotions and events, access and car parking, safe, clean and welcoming, business plus, and evening and night time economy, and if an idea fits in with one of these, then we are interested and a grant may well be available.”
More information on the grant can be found on the Harrogate BID website.
North Stainley school’s fundraising 10K race to return next monthAfter two year’s off because of covid restrictions, a major fundraising race day is back on track.
The Lightwater Valley 10K and 3K Challenges, organised by Friends of North Stainley School (FONSS), will take place on Saturday March 12.
With the number of runners limited to 500, would-be entrants are being asked to book their place as soon as possible.
Places can be purchased in advance from Race Best on https://racebest.com/races/g4zhe The fee is £15 for affiliated and £17 for unaffiliated runners.
The event, covering an undulating multi-terrain route that passes through the Lightwater estate and into the surrounding countryside, will raise much-needed funds for the village school.
North Stainley Primary School opened in 1871 and is still based in its original building, close to the village church of St Mary’s.
The FONSS are the fundraising arm and use funds to contribute towards school trips, technology for pupils, music lessons and sporting activities.
Headteacher Louise Wallen, said:
“We are delighted to have the race up and running after what has been a challenging couple of years when we have been largely unable to fundraise.”
“It’s a fabulous community project, and a great day out for all the family.”
Organisers would like to hear from anyone willing to help on the day by offering their services as marshals. Contact can be made via admin@northstainley.n-yorks.sch.uk
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