Live: Harrogate district traffic and travel

Good morning it’s Connor here this morning to keep you updated with the latest traffic and travel news from across the Harrogate district.

If there’s anything I’ve missed, and only if it is safe to do so, give me a call on 01423 276197.

These blogs are brought to you by The HACS Group.

9am – Full Update 

That is all from me this morning. Al will be with you tomorrow morning from 6.30am. I am heading over to the news desk now.

Roads

The roads are busy this morning, see below for hotspots. People in the Harrogate have been warned not to travel during the expected high winds and icy conditions during Storm Barra today.

Road closures:

Temporary lights:

Trains

Buses

8.30am – Full Update 

Roads

The roads are starting to become busy this morning, see below for hotspots. People in the Harrogate have been warned not to travel during the expected high winds and icy conditions during Storm Barra today.

Road closures:

Temporary lights:

Trains

Buses

8am – Full Update 

Roads

The roads are starting to become busy this morning, particularly around Wetherby Road. People in the Harrogate have been warned not to travel during the expected high winds and icy conditions during Storm Barra today.

Road closures:

Temporary lights:

Trains

Buses

7.30am – Full Update 

Roads

The roads are looking quiet so far this morning, with no build ups of traffic yet.

Road closures:

Temporary lights:

Trains

Buses

7am – Full Update 

Roads

The roads are looking quiet so far this morning, with no build ups of traffic yet.

Road closures:

Temporary lights:

Trains

Buses

6.30am – Full Update 

Roads

The roads are looking quiet so far this morning, with no build ups of traffic yet.

Road closures:

Temporary lights:

Trains

Buses

Fund set up in memory of Harrogate musician Aaron Bertenshaw

The mother of Harrogate singer-songwriter Aaron Bertenshaw, who died suddenly aged 26 last week, has set up a fundraising page to help people with diabetes overcome mental health problems.

Aaron, a former pupil at St Aidan’s Church of England High School, was a popular and well known figure on the Harrogate district music scene. He was a regular at the Blues Bar, where he first performed and at many other venues, such as Hales Bar.

Sammy Oates, his mother, told the Stray Ferret she was in “complete shock” at the loss of her son “who had the most infectious smile”.

Sammy said she believed Aaron went into a diabetic coma but a post mortem would be held to ascertain Thursday’s cause of death.

She added he had struggled massively to cope with being diagnosed as a Type 1 diabetic at the age of 18 and had recently been treated for ketoacidosis, which affects people whose bodies don’t produce enough insulin.

“Aaron touched a lot of lives. He was only 26 but packed a lot in. He also worked as a barber and played rugby for Otley when he was young.

“He was such a bright shining star and an absolute social butterfly. Everyone knew him and he never had a bad word to say about anybody.

“What I remember most is his smile. He had the most infectious smile. There was always a twinkle in the eyes.

“He had a heart of gold. We lost the family dog as well last week and we were all devastated about that.”

A gofundme page set up by Sammy has already raised over £3,000. Donations can be made here.

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She said the money would be used to provide mental health support to people with diabetes. Mental health and diabetes are usually treated separately and there was a need to provide a service that addressed the two issues together, said Sammy.

“Aaron hated being diabetic. He couldn’t handle it and he didn’t take his insulin.

“Because he was a musician he was in the party scene a lot. So at 18 when all his friends were out partying he was at home injecting himself.

“It’s a bit of a vicious circle. Diabetes is massively life changing so he’d get down about it and then not want to deal with it.”

Memorial show

Sammy said a memorial service would be held at St John’s Church in Bilton where he and his family were christened. She also plans to stage a memorial show next year.

Aaron, who was due to perform in Wakefield this weekend, started gigging at 15 and shortly afterwards released an EP record. His mum was a singer and he regularly watched bands with his dad, Sam Bertenshaw.

He played the guitar and his vast musical influences included Ed Sheeran and Leonard Cohen. Besides playing in venues, he busked for cancer charities when the disease claimed the life of his uncle at the age of 42. Sammy said:

“If we can just help one person it will all be worthwhile. Perhaps we could find a counsellor who could advise on living with diabetes rather than just the medical side of things. Maybe set up a charity. I just know I need to do something and I need to do it in his name and now while everyone is aware.”

Aaron leaves Sammy and her partner, Jonathan, dad Sam and his partner Fiona and a sister, Ruth.

Sammy described the Blues Bar as “a huge part of Aaron’s life “.

Simon and Sharon Colgan, the owners of the Blues Bar, paid a joint tribute to Aaron. They said:

“Aaron sang in the Blues Bar from the beginning of his career. He inspired other young musicians and was never demanding of attention

“He was a warm, intelligent and gifted young man who was giving and thoughtful towards others

“He is a part of our blues family, known and loved by everyone We will always have fond memories of Aaron. It is such a tragic loss to us all.”

Harrogate hospital covid deaths reach 199

The Harrogate district has reported a further 161 covid cases, according to today’s government figures.

The district’s covid rate now stands at 438 infections per 100,000 people.

Across the county, the average stands at 404 and the England rate is 478.

Harrogate District Hospital currently has 12 covid-positive patients – a figure which has fallen from 25 over the last month.

The hospital last reported a death of a patient who died within 28 days of testing positive on Friday. Since the pandemic began 199 people have died with covid at the hospital.

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Harrogate’s Great Yorkshire Showground reopened today as a vaccination site.

Although Harrogate is the largest place in the Harrogate district, the town has not had a vaccination site since August, when the showground stopped administering jabs.

Since then residents have been travelling to Knaresborough, Ripon and Pateley Bridge, or further afield to Leeds and York, for appointments.

The showground was due to close on December 22 but it now looks set to continue until March, although this has yet to be confirmed, as the government aims to speed up the vaccination programme.

Those eligible can book appointments on the NHS booking site here.

Great Yorkshire Showground in Harrogate reopens for vaccines today

Harrogate’s Great Yorkshire Showground reopens today as a vaccination site.

Although Harrogate is the largest place in the Harrogate district, the town has not had a vaccination site since August, when the showground stopped administering jabs.

Since then residents have been travelling to Knaresborough, Ripon and Pateley Bridge, or further afield to Leeds and York, for appointments.

The showground was due to close on December 22 but it now looks set to continue until March, although this has yet to be confirmed, as the government aims to speed up the vaccination programme.

Those eligible can book appointments on the NHS booking site here.

Read more:

 

 

Still no omicron infections in Harrogate district as rate drops

There have still been no confirmed cases of the omicron covid variant, as the figure nationally reached 246 today.

There is widespread concern about the potential impact of omicron but so far most cases have been in the south of England and Scotland.

Another 96 covid infections were confirmed today in the Harrogate district.

The district’s seven-day rate has fallen slightly in recent days and now stands at 438 cases per 100,00 people. The England average is 478 and the North Yorkshire average is 404.

The district’s current covid hotspot is Starbeck, which has recorded 64 infections in the last seven days.

Read more:

 

Academy status could lead to investment in Harrogate school, says head

In The headteacher of St John Fisher Catholic High School has said becoming an academy could help the school invest in more modern facilities.

The school, which has about 1,450 pupils aged 11 to 18, joined the Bishop Wheeler Catholic Academy Trust this week.

Steve Mort said pupils and parents would notice little immediate change but there were long-term benefits of being part of a multi-academy trust with 11 other schools that are directly funded by government rather than through North Yorkshire County Council.

He said it would make it easier to get capital investment for new buildings or refurbishments and the school would also benefit from economies of scale by sharing some back office functions with other schools in the academy.

Mr Mort said:

“The normal everyday running of the school school and children’s experiences of it should not feel that different. However, over time there are plans to develop our infrastructure.”

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The school, on Hookstone Drive, was built to accommodate 800 pupils on the site of a former convent and now has almost double that number.

Besides St John Fisher, The Bishop Wheeler Catholic Academy Trust has 11 other schools, including St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School and St Robert’s Catholic Primary School in Harrogate and St Mary’s Catholic Primary School in Knaresborough. It plans to increase this number to 18.

‘The time is right’

Mr Mort, who joined the school last year, said St John Fisher was always destined to become an academy to fulfil the vision of Marcus Stock, the Catholic bishop of Leeds, who wants all 85 Catholic schools in the Diocese of Leeds divided into five multi-academy trusts.

The school therefore wasn’t being “forced” into the move, said Mr Mort, unlike some that become academies. He added:

“The governors feel that the school is financially stable and a new leadership team has established itself so the time is right.”

He added the associated sixth form with St Aidan’s Church of England High School would not be affected by the move.

Although St John Fisher is no longer financed or managed by the county council, it still has to report to it in certain areas, such as safeguarding and provision of funding for special needs pupils.

The trust, which is based in Menston, West Yorkshire, is named after Bishop William Gordon Wheeler, who was Bishop of Leeds from 1966 to 1985.

 

 

Another 113 covid infections reported in Harrogate district

The Harrogate district has reported a further 113 covid cases, according to today’s government figures.

The district’s covid rate now stands at 483 infections per 100,000 people.

Across the county, the average stands at 439 and the England rate is 440.

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

Read more:

Today public health officials in North Yorkshire said the army could be drafted in to help with the Harrogate district’s booster vaccine rollout amid concern about the new coronavirus variant Omicron.

The council is looking at ways to increase capacity for vaccines after the minimum gap for boosters was halved to three months.

The Great Yorkshire Showground in Harrogate will re-open as a vaccine site for coronavirus booster jabs on Monday.

Jennyfields residents urged to be patient over gas leak payments

Jennyfields residents still waiting for £60 gas compensation payments have been told they will be issued automatically.

About 3,500 homes in Jennyfields were without gas for 48 hours after a major gas leak on Ripon Road in October.

Northern Gas Networks, which distributes gas to homes and businesses in Yorkshire, the North East and northern Cumbria, automatically issues £60 compensation payments through customers’ gas suppliers for loss of supply for more than 24 hours.

But six weeks after the leak, which the company said affected more people than any other incident it had dealt with in the last 18 months, some people have yet to be paid.

Eileen Brown, customer experience director for Northern Gas Networks, told the Stray Ferret some payments had been delayed because gas suppliers had gone out of business.

Ms Brown said Northern Gas Networks would process the payments when it was notified of the new suppliers. She added if it made the payments before then they could be delayed even longer because they would get tied up in lengthy administration processes.

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She pledged all 3,500 homes would be fully compensated automatically and asked residents not to call Northern Gas Networks requesting payments.

“Payments will be coming to them. They don’t have to do anything for it.”

Asked how long people could expect to wait, Ms Brown said it was likely to be weeks rather than months but added the timings were “beyond our control” because of the need to wait until customers were transferred to new suppliers.

Some customers on the priority services register are also entitled to £48 compensation payments for the provision of alternative heating. Again, Ms Brown pledged they would be made.

‘1 in 43 years occurrence’

The leak occurred when sub-contractors damaged a pipe during deep excavation work about three metres below the surface of Ripon Road, near the Hydro.

Northern Gas Networks converted the Styan Community Centre in Jennyfields into an emergency hub to respond to the incident.

A total of 355 Northern Gas Networks engineers and volunteers helped that weekend, aided by 30 voluntary organisations. The company gave away 800 electric heaters, “slightly fewer” electric hobs, 50 oil filled radiators and 1,500 food vouchers worth £10 each.

The company’s response was widely praised by people in the area.

Ms Brown said the loss of gas supply happened on average once every 43 years and most customers would not experience this again in their lifetimes.

Asked how much the incident had cost Northern Gas Networks, she said she was unable to say but added:

“We do the right thing for customers. The cost is the cost. It’s about being there for customers.”

 

Former Victorian hotel in Harrogate to become modern co-working space

Royal House in Harrogate is to be refurbished and turned into a co-working space.

The property on Station Parade was built in 1847 and known as the Royal Hotel in the Victorian era.

It has been used as offices since the 1960s.

The building has been leased by Wizu Workspace, a Leeds-based company that operates six co-working spaces in Leeds, Sheffield and Bradford. It said it plans to spend “a six-figure sum” refurbishing the building.

Wizu has a membership model where customers pay a monthly fee to use their offices on demand.

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Tom Almas, chief executive of Wizu, said it had expanded into Harrogate as the company believes there is an undersupply of modern office space in the town.

He said:

“We’re excited to bring something truly unique to Harrogate, creating a blend of sleek modern interiors mixed with historic period features to provide an impressive place to work.

“We chose Harrogate due to the undersupply of modern, flexible office space in the town and saw an opportunity to bring our popular, all-inclusive model to businesses.”

“The building itself is incredible. It’s in a prominent central location with stunning views of The Stray and just a few minutes from the train station and major road links – making it an attractive, accessible space to run a successful business from.”

Children’s author visits Birstwith school

Pupils at Birstwith independent prep school Belmont Grosvenor were taken on an educational journey Down Under when children’s author Eleanor McKone visited.

The Leeds-based writer of the children’s series of Piper’s Passport books read her stories and encouraged pupils across all age groups to write.

Her visit was one of only a small number of in-person workshops she has run since the start of the pandemic.

Sophie Johnson Bannister, head of English at Belmont Grosvenor, said:

“Author days are an excellent way of giving children purposeful reasons to write. Listening to Eleanor explain the process of writing, how she corrects mistakes, proof reads and works on her books for long periods helps our older BGS pupils understand the processes they go through when writing.

“Having an author into school gives the children the opportunity to ask questions about story construction, about what it takes to be an author and ideas behind the books,” she added.

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Ms McKone said:

“It’s so lovely to be working with pupils in person, rather than over zoom, and I hope I have inspired them to travel, when Covid fully allows, as well as encouraged their love of reading and writing.”

Belmont Grosvenor, along with its Magic Tree Nursery, caters for children aged three months to 11 years and is based at Swarcliffe Hall, Birstwith.