Granby residents demand action on ‘banging and crashing’ from noisy pile driver

Residents near a housebuilding site in Harrogate have complained that a loud pile driver is ruining their day.

Developer Redrow Homes was given the green light to build 95 homes on Granby Farm by Harrogate Borough Council in April. The homes are currently being built in a field near Harrogate High School.

Pile drivers are machines that drive steel into the earth during the early stages of construction to create foundations.

One resident, Gary Walker, said the machine began on Monday and has been “constant” throughout this week. The field is surrounded by houses and he called on the council to take action.

Mr Walker said:

“I’ve never heard anything like it.

“I’ve closed all the windows as I couldn’t concentrate. It’s like living next to Big Ben. It’s constant and you can feel the vibrations shaking.

“This is a serious issue and the lack of consideration is very concerning.”

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Bill Shaw, who also lives nearby, worries that the noise and vibrations could scare dogs and cats and potentially affect people’s health.

He said:

“The noise is ridiculous. It’s a constant banging and crashing.”

The residents questioned whey there did not appear to be any measures in place to reduce the noise, such as sound barriers. They would like to see the pile driver stopped until the noise is addressed.

Tom Roberts, Redrow Homes said:

“Initial piling for our 95 new homes is due to be completed in the next few days, although there will be further piling required in the future which is an essential part of building our homes.  We appreciate that this type of work can be disruptive for neighbours and thank them for their patience. We can assure them that we will always do our best to complete it as quickly as possible.

“The development will be known as Granby Meadows and we are looking forward to bringing the first properties to market in February next year. The development will include 40% affordable housing, high quality green space, a new footpath and cycle greenway connecting to Harrogate town centre and The Stray, plus local education contributions in excess of £500,000.”

The Stray Ferret contacted Harrogate Borough Council for a response but we did not receive one by the time of publication.

Climate change march in Harrogate this weekend

A group of Harrogate residents will march through the town on Saturday to demand action on climate change.

The group, which includes members from Extinction Rebellion Harrogate, Harrogate & District Green Party and Harrogate District Cycle Action, will be meeting at 11am at Library Gardens on Victoria Avenue with the march finishing at the war memorial. Anyone is welcome to join them.

James Smith from XR Harrogate attended the COP26 conference in Glasgow along with 12 other people from Harrogate.

They joined over 100,000 people through the streets of the city, which he said was a “fantastic party atmosphere”. They thought they’d like to bring the same spirit to Harrogate.

Mr Smith said:

“There are young and old in Harrogate who are passionate and prepared to do stuff.

“It may be hard, but people have to realise that change is coming.”

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The climate crisis has seeped into the public’s consciousness over the last few years. Mr Smith said he wants the march to help keep pressure on politicians and show that the public demands action.

He said:

“If they want to get elected, they need to do something.

“People feel powerless, but even waving a flag you can make a difference.”

Harrogate resident Ian Hallett will also be attending the march after cycling to COP26 and back. He added:

“This is an opportunity for many of the residents of Harrogate to come along and show their support for measures to limit climate change and to mark the end of COP26.”

Two Harrogate charities move in together on Hornbeam Park

Two local voluntary organisations have moved into Disability Action Yorkshire’s Hornbeam Park headquarters and learning centre

Resurrected Bites and Canaan Warehouse, which also includes Harrogate Clothes Bank, will occupy the space previously used as a second-hand furniture shop by Disability Action Yorkshire.

Resurrected Bites was established in 2018 to reduce food waste and food poverty. Canaan Warehouse redistributes donated household items and clothing for free to those in need in the Harrogate area and in eastern Europe.

The unit at Hornbeam Park gives the charities have more space and will reduce their overheads as well as provide employment opportunities for Disability Action Yorkshire’s disabled adults.

Disability Action Yorkshire’s chief executive Jackie Snape said:

“We are delighted that Resurrected Bites and Canaan Warehouse are now utilising our warehouse space, in a partnership that benefits them, us and our learners.

“One of our aims is to assist disabled people in leading independent lives wherever possible, and a key part of this is gaining employment.

“Our learners used to get valuable retail, warehouse and customer service training from our furniture enterprise, and this hands-on experience will continue under this new arrangement.”

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Dr Michelle Hayes, Resurrected Bites and Harrogate Clothes Bank founder, said moving to a unit together will mean the charities can work alongside each other to stop good quality items going to landfill and help those in need:

“When we realised that Resurrected Bites was intercepting so much food that we needed to find a warehouse, we wanted to think outside the box rather than just renting a commercial space.

“Resurrected Bites are always in need of volunteers for our cafes, groceries and warehouse and likewise the Harrogate Clothes Bank and Canaan Warehouse are both keen to invite the learners to volunteer with the sorting and distribution of clothes and furniture.”

Between March 2020 and July 2021, Resurrected Bites has helped feed more than 15,800 people with around a week’s worth of food. Each week, it diverts around three tonnes of food waste from landfill sites.

Image caption: Dr Michelle Hayes, second left, and Jackie Snape, second right, are pictured with a Resurrected Bites volunteer and two disabled learners

Harrogate van driver caught nearly four times over drink-driving limit

A man driving a works van in Harrogate was almost four times the drink-driving limit when he was stopped by police during the afternoon.

North Yorkshire Police said in a statement it received a tip-off shortly after 1.30pm yesterday about a man driving a van with a works logo on it who was potentially under the influence of alcohol.

The 60-year-old man was pulled over on Skipton Road and asked to provide a roadside breath test. The statement added:

“He initially refused, so was arrested on suspicion of failing to provide. On returning to the station, the man blew 135 – the legal limit is 35. He was charged with drink driving.”

Sergeant Paul Cording, from North Yorkshire Police roads policing group, said:

“The fact that this man had been driving as part of his job yesterday and provided such a high reading is astonishing. The actions from the member of the public who called us with this information yesterday has probably saved a life.”

“I would encourage anyone who suspects a person to have drink or drugs in their system and is driving or about to drive to call us immediately on 999.”

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Sicklinghall cricket club plans new clubhouse after arson attack

Sicklinghall Cricket Club has submitted plans to build a new clubhouse and scoreboard after an arson attack destroyed their previous building.

The club has been using temporary shipping containers since the fire in 2016 while fundraising for a replacement clubhouse. A JustGiving campaign raised over £6,500.

The club, which is between Wetherby and Kirkby Overblow, has played in the village since 1925 and is currently in the top tier of the Leeds and Wetherby Cricket League.

It has submitted plans to Harrogate Borough Council for a clubhouse with home and away changing rooms, kitchen, storage facility, toilet and scorer’s box. The club says it could be used for other community or sports events.

The club is within walking distance of Sicklinghall and the application could provide sports facilities for local children.

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An image of the fire in 2016

 

Fears Nidderdale could become ‘barren’ unless more affordable homes are built

A lack of affordable homes in the Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is forcing young and low-paid families to move away, a meeting has heard.

Members of Harrogate Borough Council’s overview and scrutiny commission last night called for greater action to bring forward more affordable homes in the area, which has seen average property prices climb to around £320,000, according to Zoopla.

The AONB covers around two-thirds of the Harrogate district but only has 9% of its population and councillor Tom Watson, who represents the Nidd Valley ward, expressed fears that it could become “barren”.

He said:

“If we don’t have small developments in the area, village schools are going to close, pubs are already on the way out and village shops are also going to go.

“The AONB is there to protect the countryside, but we have got to make sure the area is a living one and not barren.”

227 households on waiting list

Created in 1994, the AONB was introduced to conserve the countryside with levels of protection from developments.

A total of 253 homes were recently proposed at sites in Darley, Dacre, Summerbridge and Pateley Bridge under the council’s Harrogate district Local Plan 2014-35. But government planning inspector ruled that they would have had too great an impact.

Since then, a growing number of residents have struggled to get a footing on the property ladder with 227 households currently on the council’s waiting list for social housing in Upper Nidderdale.

And with an average of just 20 vacancies becoming available each year, the waiting list would take around 10 years to clear if no more households came forward.

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Councillor Pat Marsh, leader of the council’s Liberal Democrats, described the situation as “really sad” and said efforts to build affordable homes on small plots of council-owned land were only a “tiny drop in the ocean”.

Council planners said they were also demanding affordable homes be built at developments of more than 10 properties to try tackle the problem.

Smaller profits

However, Jenny Kerfoot, executive officer for housing growth at the council, said landowners were often reluctant to bring forward plans for affordable housing because of the smaller profits involved.

She added the council was hopeful these landowners have “given up hope that their land is worth a lot of money” now that the Local Plan has been adopted and any large developments have been ruled out.

She said:

“There won’t be any of these big sites in the AONB or predominantly for market housing so it’s our intention now to approach those landowners.”

Councillor Victoria Oldham, a Conservative who represents the Washburn ward, said another possible solution would be the conversion of disused farm buildings, but she added any new developments were often met with opposition from locals.

She said:

“We all know little pockets of land in the area where a pair of semis could easily go, but half of the problem would be the negativity from parish councils or people in the immediate vicinity.

“I’m pretty much against large developments in the AONB because we haven’t got the transport facilities. A lot of places don’t even have shops or post offices – and you can forget banking.

“But one or two houses in areas would be of benefit as something needs to be done.”

 

22 affordable homes proposed for Staveley

A total of 22 affordable homes have been proposed to be built in Staveley by developer Jack Lunn Properties.

The company hopes to build three one-bedroom, 13 two-bedroom and six three-bedroom homes in the village, which has a population of 430 and is between Boroughbridge and Knaresborough,

The rural site is not allocated for development in the Harrogate district Local Plan 2014-35, which outlines where planning will take place.

But the application has 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.

A planning document lodged with Harrogate Borough Council cites affordable housing figures that show a shortfall in the number of new affordable houses built over the last five years.

It says:

“The only sustainable way of making housing more affordable in the long term is to build more homes in the right places. High house prices can prevent people from living near the best job opportunities for them, limiting the productivity of companies that might have employed them.”

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Live: Harrogate district traffic and travel

Good morning, it’s Connor back on the traffic and travel desk early this morning hoping to help you avoid disruption on the roads and rail lines.

These blogs, brought to you by The HACS Group, aim to keep the district running smoothly.

If you get stuck in traffic or spot something, and it is safe, then give me a call on 01423 276197.

9am – Full Update 

That is all from the traffic and travel blog this morning. The stop/go boards on the A61 Leeds Road near the junction with Leadhall Lane should be gone by tomorrow.

Roads

Road closures:

Temporary lights:

Trains

Buses

8.30am – Full Update 

Roads

Road closures:

Temporary lights:

Trains

Buses

8am – Full Update 

Roads

Road closures:

Temporary lights:

Trains

Buses

7.30am – Full Update 

Roads

The A59 near Flaxby is busy this morning with reports of temporary lights in the area, close to where work continues on the A1(M) junction.

The A61 had heavy congestion last night due to construction works at Harewood but this seems to be clear early this morning.

Road closures:

Temporary lights:

Trains

Buses

7am – Full Update 

Roads

The roads are looking quiet so far this morning, with no hotspots just yet. The A61 had heavy congestion last night due to construction works at Harewood but this seems to be clear early this morning.

Road closures:

Temporary lights:

Trains

Buses

6.30am – Full Update 

Roads

The roads are looking quiet so far this morning, with no hotspots just yet. The A61 had heavy congestion last night due to construction works at Harewood but this seems to have cleared early this morning.

Road closures:

Temporary lights:

Trains

Buses

Covid deaths at Harrogate hospital approaching 200 mark

The number of covid deaths at Harrogate District Hospital is approaching the 200 mark as health chiefs look to speed up vaccinations ahead of winter.

The hospital’s toll since the pandemic began currently stands at 195, with the latest death of a patient who died within 28 days of testing positive being reported on Wednesday last week.

However, the number of covid patients receiving treatment at the hospital has fallen slightly from 25 to 24 in the last seven days.

The Harrogate district’s seven-day infection rate has also fallen, from 591 per 100,000 people to 548 today. It remains the highest in North Yorkshire.

It is also above both the county and England averages of 470 and 372 respectively.

Long trips for booster jabs

Booster vaccines are being made available for over 50s and any over 16s with a health condition that puts them at high risk of covid.

The NHS has shortened the length of time between second and third doses – and those eligible can now get vaccinated simply by turning up at a walk-in site.

However, these sites are currently limited in Harrogate with patients being asked to travel to Pateley Bridge or outside of the district as far as Bradford or Batley.

The NHS North Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group last week said it was unable to open any more walk-in sites in the area as “all clinics are running at capacity” and that it would do so “as soon as possible”.

A CCG spokesperson said:

“If we open walk-ins now it is likely we would exceed our vaccine allocation and there would be some disappointed people and negative feedback which we are trying to avoid.”

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Appointment-based vaccines are still available to book at local clinics via the national booking system, which also has dedicated slots for 12 to 15-year-olds available at the Homecare Pharmacy site in Knaresborough.

There was an aim to complete the rollout of vaccines to this age group by the start of half-term, however, progress has been slow with less than 20% in the Harrogate district receiving their single dose.

These jabs are being made available at schools but also at other sites including Askham Bar in York, Leeds United’s Elland Road stadium, the Northern Echo Arena in Darlington and Middlesbrough’s Riverside Stadium.

It was recently announced that Harrogate’s Great Yorkshire Showground will reopen as a vaccine centre for an expected busy period of booster jabs in December.
The venue closed for vaccinations in August but will reopen for two weeks at the start of next month.

 

Ripon Spa Baths closes after 116 years

It was opened by royalty in 1905 and has seen generations of spa-goers and swimmers spend countless happy hours there. But Ripon Spa Bath’s long history as a leisure venue has come to an end.

The Grade II listed building – which was the last of its kind to open in England – closed on Sunday.

Staff are being transferred to a new swimming pool set to open at Ripon Leisure Centre on 8 December.

If and for what use the baths will reopen to the public will depend on the outcome of a sale by Harrogate Borough Council, which recently announced it had found an unnamed bidder for the building.

However, the sale has not been a straightforward one so far with concerns being raised that the venue could lose its community use before Ripon City Council successfully applied for it to be nominated as an asset of community value.

This protected status means any sale has been put on hold for six months to allow time for community bids to come forward.

Councillor Andrew Williams, leader of Ripon City Council, said the authority was exploring a “number of options” for the baths which he shared his favourite memories of.

He said:

“My mum used to swim in the spa baths as a child in the 1940s and has happy memories of being able to swim all afternoon on a Saturday for 4 pence.

“She has less happy memories of jumping off the top diving board onto the head of one of her friends.

“I remember learning to swim at the spa baths in the 1970s and many local residents will I am sure have memories of the spa baths.

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“We must now ensure that happy memories can be created in a new era of swimming in Ripon at our new pool.

“Ripon City Council are continuing to explore and evaluate a number of options regarding the future use of the spa baths site and we remain committed to working to ensure that the site continues to provide facilities for local residents.

“We want to ensure that the listed front of the spa baths is returned to its former glory as part of any new use for the site.”

Listed status

Councillor Williams previously said he held positive talks with the unnamed bidder but added the city council wanted to “keep all of our options open” and had asked to be considered as a potential bidder itself.

Harrogate Borough Council has always insisted it has been open to any offers for the venue which was opened as a spa by Princess Henry of Battenberg in 1905.

It was more than 30 years later when the swimming pool was built to the rear of the building, which is known for its terracotta-clad frontage and gained listed status in 1980.

The new swimming pool and upgrades at Ripon Leisure Centre were due to be completed earlier this year but are now facing further delays after the discovery of an underground void revealed the need for further groundworks.

These works are likely to lead to a six-month closure of part of the venue, although the opening of the new swimming pool will not be affected.