Free haircuts and manicures to Harrogate district jobseekers

Harrogate College is offering free haircuts and manicures to jobseekers.

The college, at Hornbeam Park, is providing the treatments to anyone who has secured a job interview.

Haircuts can be booked now between 3pm and 7pm on Wednesdays. Manicures will be available on Thursdays, starting on January 27, from 10am.

Students will provide the services at the college’s professional standard training salons.

Danny Wild, principal of Harrogate College, said he hoped the initiative would boost the participants’ job prospects. He added:

“We are proud to show that we are living our values by being nurturing towards our community, and giving people the best chance to progress into a positive 2022 with a new job.”

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Steph Keedy, programme manager for hairdressing and beauty therapy, said:

“We really enjoy working with the local community and initiatives like this are very rewarding for our students – while also helping them complete their qualifications.

“We hope that by offering someone a new haircut and manicure it will give them a confidence boost that may help them on their way to finding a new job.

Places must be booked in advance, and applicants should be able to show proof of their upcoming interview.

To book a place in the salons, which close during half-term and national holidays, email katie.sharman@harrogate.ac.uk or call the college’s reception on 01423 879466.

Plan to build 23 affordable homes in Scotton rejected

A plan to build 23 affordable homes in Scotton has been rejected.

Harrogate Borough Council turned down the proposal from Jack Lunn (Properties) Ltd, which was earmarked for a site on Ripley Road in the village.

The plan would have seen a mix of one, two and three-bedroom affordable homes built on the site.

Affordable housing is defined as housing for people who cannot afford to buy or rent homes on the open market. The price varies locally.

The council estimates the district needs 6,600 affordable homes built between 2014 and 2035, which is the equivalent of 313 per year.

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However, the council turned down the application on the grounds that the site was outside the development boundary for the village.

In its decision, the council said:

“The proposal would result in an incongruous projection out of the existing settlement into open countryside. 

“The proposed development is not small in scale and is not an infill development that relates well to the existing built form of the settlement.”

The proposal also received 20 letters of objection from residents calling for the application to be turned down.

Scotton and Lingerfield Parish Council said in its objection that the scale of the development was not justified for the village.

It said:

“The National Planning Policy Framework is quite clear how exceptions sites should only be released for local affordable housing needs and not to meet general affordable housing needs. 

“The level of local affordable housing need has not been identified within Scotton and Lingerfield parish area to justify the scale of development being proposed.”

In documents submitted to the council, the developer said that the homes would make a “positive contribution” to the area.

It said:

“The design proposal intends to provide a sympathetic response to the surrounding context.

“The homes use materials indicative of the local area whilst the layout seeks to provide a range of homes as part of the development to allow for a positive contribution to the local community.”

Convention centre forecasts £510,000 profit ahead of decision on major redevelopment

Harrogate Convention Centre is forecasting a £510,000 profit this year ahead of a decision on whether a major redevelopment should go ahead.

In what is set to be one of its biggest decisions in recent history, Harrogate Borough Council will this summer vote on a potential £47m redevelopment of the venue, which is fighting to keep its national appeal.

The latest forecast comes after the convention centre struggled financially during the pandemic when it was used as an NHS Nightingale hospital and also had its bookings severely impacted by lockdown restrictions.

Yet the success of the venue is not always measured on whether it makes a profit, but also its economic impact on the district.

Councillor Richard Cooper, leader of Harrogate Borough Council, said the convention centre makes a “significant contribution” to the district’s economy and should be supported. He said:

“In a typical year – when the calendar is full of events and conferences – it attracts more than 150,000 visitors a year, has an economic impact of £35m and supports thousands of jobs across the Harrogate district.

“Many local businesses also rely on the convention centre for their income. And for every £1 most attendees spend on their event, another £5 is spent locally, benefitting the wider hospitality trade; from the hotels and B&Bs to the many cafés, restaurants and high street businesses.

“By redeveloping the ageing facility, as well as introducing much more flexible spaces, we will be able to attract a broader customer base and substantially strengthen this economic impact, which will be needed even more so in the future as our economy recovers from covid.”

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When the redevelopment plans were revealed in 2020, the council said the 40-year-old convention centre was in “critical need” of investment and that there is “very real risk” it will not survive without.

£1.5m spent on plans

More than £1.5m has already been spent on the plans which if approved will see the project delivered in stages with a major refurbishment of the centre’s studio two coming first.

After this, three exhibition halls could be demolished to make way for a new 5,000 sq m hall and a refurbished auditorium.

Councillor Pat Marsh, leader of the opposition Liberal Democrat group on Harrogate Borough Council, said while the party had criticised a “lack of investment” in the convention centre in the past, it was supportive of the latest plans. She said:

“Without investment the convention centre will really fail and the impact on the local economy will be huge. There has been under investment in the last 20 years, so this is long overdue.

“The aim and ambition is for the convention centre to make a profit, as it did when the Lib Dems ran the council.

“If this does not happen then of course a serious review would have to be undertaken.”

Bilton caravan park bids for 250 solar panels to produce green energy

Bilton Park Village Farm hopes to install 264 solar panels to produce green electricity for its park homes and caravans.

The site, on Bilton Lane, is a popular holiday location for people wishing to explore Harrogate and Knaresborough.

The owner of the site has now submitted a planning application to Harrogate Borough Council for the solar panels, which would cover 454 square metres of a field next to the site.

They would be capable of producing 90,471 kWh of electricity a year.

Planning documents say the park wants to improve the environmental impact of the business and the solar panels would reduce its carbon footprint by around 31 tonnes of carbon dioxide each year.

It also says that around 30% of the electricity generated will be exported back to the National Grid so it can be utilised by the public.

It adds:

“This means that the public can also utilise electricity which has been generated by renewable energy, further reducing the reliance on fossil fuels and power stations.

“The installation of the solar PV system would not solely serve the applicant but would also benefit other households.”

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

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‘So beautiful I can’t believe it’s real’: TikTok video of Knaresborough goes viral

A Russian TikToker has racked up a million views with a video of Knaresborough that she described as “a place in England so beautiful I can’t believe it’s real”.

The clip by alievskaya.uk was taken at Knaresborough Castle overlooking the River Nidd as a train crosses the viaduct.

The TikTok user, who is based in London, travels around the UK each weekend filming with her husband to post short videos on the social media platform.

She writes on her website:

“Despite the coronavirus, we managed to visit dozens of British villages and many cities. I adore exploring the British countryside and taking pictures of it!”

Watch the video below:

@the.wanderlust.blonde

#northyorkshire #visitengland #visituk #traveluk #traveltiktok #best_places_uk #northyork #uktravel #exploreengland #knaresborough #ukgetaway #england

♬ Chiquitita x Twilight – twibytez

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TikTok is a social media app used primarily by young people, and the video is priceless publicity for Visit Harrogate, the council’s tourism body for the district.

One person commenting on the video said:

“Oh my god I’ve been there! I always remember it as one of the most beautiful places I’ve been”

Another said:

“Knaresborough is fantastic, it’s absolutely stunning.”

Harrogate district covid rate continues to climb

The Harrogate district’s covid rate continues to climb after another 342 infections were reported today.

Latest figures show that the district’s seven-day covid average stands at 1,472 per 100,000 people — another record high.

But it remains below both the county average, which stands at 1,566, and the England rate of 1,769.

No further deaths from patients who tested positive for covid have been reported at Harrogate District Hospital, according to NHS England.

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However, latest available figures show the number of covid patients being treated at Harrogate District Hospital has increased.

A total of 23 patients who tested positive for covid are currently in hospital.

The figure is almost three times as high it was mid-December when the Omicron variant was first detected in the district.

Meanwhile, the Stray Ferret reported yesterday that nearly 200 staff at Harrogate District Hospital are either absent with covid or self-isolating.

Buzzard trapped in Harrogate car bumper has miraculous escape

A buzzard had a miraculous escape after it was hit by a car in Harrogate and got trapped in the front radiator grille.

The driver of the Jaguar felt a bump whilst driving and later was surprised to see her car had hit the bird, which had become stuck.

She frantically called different mechanics in Harrogate to see if they could remove the bumper and free the buzzard. After struggling to get help she called the RSPCA.

RSPCA animal rescuer, inspector Claire Little, was sent to an address in Fulwith Road to free the bird of prey.

Ms Little said:

“She thought the car had hit something and she then found the bird stuck in the car grille – who was miraculously still alive.

“I went along and was able to carefully remove the bird from the front grill of the car by removing some parts.

“I then checked her over and amazingly she didn’t seem injured – she just had a few ruffled feathers but no cuts on her body.”

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The plucky bird of prey has made a full recovery and was released back into the wild on New Year’s Day.

Ms Little added:

“She was a little shocked at first but wasn’t displaying any signs of injury. I think she just had some concussion but she seemed to recover well.

“It was a great moment to watch her happily fly off as I released her – and I caught the heart-warming moment on video.”

Watch a video of the bird being released below:

Yorkshire Water issues frozen pipes warning as temperature plummets

Yorkshire Water has warned people to take precautions to prevent their pipes bursting during the cold weather.

A severe cold weather warning is currently in place for the Harrogate district and temperatures fell as low as minus five degrees centigrade last night.

A yellow weather warning for snow is currently effective in the district from 10am to 4pm tomorrow.

Yorkshire Water said in a statement today pipes were likely to freeze and urged people to wrap them in foam insulation, called lagging, to prevent them bursting when the frozen water expands. The company added:

“If pipes do freeze, turn the water off at the stop tap and defrost the pipe with a hairdryer.

“Never use a naked flame to defrost a pipe.”

The water company said it was responsible for underground pipes but pipes in gardens, homes, or business premises were often the owner’s responsibility.

Martyn Hattersley, head of demand management at Yorkshire Water, said:

“We’re watching temperatures closely and keeping an eye on our assets, as we do tend to see more bursts during a steep drop in temperature.

We’ll have leakage inspectors out and about every day, as well as using some of the latest technologies to detect and fix leaks as quickly as possible.”

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He encouraged customers to do their bit too to reduce the likelihood of a burst. He added:

“The less leaks, the less water wasted and the more that’s left in our pipes to feed the region. It’ll also save you the inconvenience and cost of a frozen or damaged pipe.”

For more information on how to prepare your home for cold weather, click here.

Welcome to Yorkshire asks for 45% more funding from councils

Councils are to consider whether to help keep Welcome to Yorkshire afloat after the troubled tourism body upped its subscription fee for local authorities by some 45 per cent.

Harrogate Borough Council and North Yorkshire County Council are among the councils paying annual subscription fees to WtY. Harrogate Borough Council paid £12,100 in July last year.

Leading councillors have responded to the increase by calling for the stream of public money that has been handed to WtY to be permanently plugged or for a decision to be postponed until options for the future direction of tourism marketing in the region are presented to the Yorkshire Leaders Board next month.

Welcome to Yorkshire at 2021 Great Yorks Show

Welcome to Yorkshire at the 2021 Great Yorkshire Show.

The tourism body has admitted making “big mistakes” in the way it spent taxpayers’ money, including spending more than £430,000 removing and investigating its former chief executive, Sir Gary Verity, following concerns over his expenses claims.

In recent years numerous local authorities have threatened to withhold funding from WtY, at a time that its finances have been hit hard by the pandemic.

Self-funded model

Lord Scriven, the former leader of Sheffield City Council, has said WtY needs to adopt a self-funded model.

Nevertheless, in October, WtY said it had sufficient funds to operate until March 31, assuming all committed subscriptions for 2021/22 are paid.

An officers’ report to a meeting of Richmondshire District Council’s corporate board on Tuesday next week states the subscription fee for local authorities was initially “modest” at £1,300 a year until 2012, when the rate was raised to £10,000.

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The cost of the subscription for next year has risen to £14,515, which WtY has justified on the basis that there had been no increase in the six previous years.

‘Nothing but scandal’

Stuart Parsons, leader of the Independents group on North Yorkshire County Council, said WtY’s page views for Richmondshire were far inferior to the privately-run Richmond Online tourism website, which was receiving one million hits a month.

He said:

“What have we been getting out of Welcome to Yorkshire? Nothing but scandal. Originally it was supposed to be immediately self-funding, but it has always relied on massive public contributions.

“Councils should not be giving any more money to an organisation that has not demonstrated it is making an effective difference to our lives and our economy.”

The county council’s finance boss, Councillor Gareth Dadd, said the authority would examine any request for funding from WtY “in the light of its performance and our ability to pay”.

He added:

“There is most definitely an advantage of having a tourism marketing body.”

Business owners to quiz Harrogate council leaders over devolution

Business owners are set to quiz Harrogate Borough Council leaders over the future of local government in the district.

The borough council will be scrapped in April next year, along with the six other district councils and North Yorkshire County Council, to make way for a North Yorkshire super council.

The changes, which are part of the government’s devolution agenda, have raised questions over who will control the future of key local assets, such as the Stray, Harrogate Convention Centre and Ripon Town Hall.

Cllr Richard Cooper, leader of Harrogate Borough Council, and Wallace Sampson, the chief executive, will give a presentation on what to expect over the next 15 months at a Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce meeting on Monday next week.

Cllr Cooper and Mr Sampson will take questions from business owners about the new authority and the prospect of a Harrogate town council being created.

David Simister, chief executive of the chamber, said:

“In the biggest shake up of local democracy in almost 50 years, a new unitary authority will replace both North Yorkshire County Council and Harrogate Borough Council next year.

“This will have an impact on all those who live and work in the Harrogate District, and in order to explain what will happen between now and May 2023, the leader and chief executive of Harrogate Borough Council will talk us through the next 15 months.”

The meeting will take place at Rudding House at Rudding Park in Harrogate, although the event could be moved online depending on the covid situation.

Those wishing to attend should register their interest on the Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce website.

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