Council ‘confident’ of resolving Kex Gill reroute objections

Two objections have been lodged against land orders for a £60 million reroute of the A59 at Kex Gill.

North Yorkshire County Council published plans in August to purchase 90 acres of land to build the new route.

A diversion is planned west of Blubberhouses on the A59 at Kex Gill, which has been blighted by a history of landslides and a recent “instability issue” which cost the council £1.4 million.

The council needs to acquire the land before it can begin construction.

County council officials have confirmed to the Stray Ferret that two objections have been submitted against its side road orders. which are designed to buy private land in order to carry out the project.

However, authority bosses say they believe they can resolve the disputes.

Karl Battersby, corporate director, business and environmental services at the county council, said:

“We are in the procurement process and are working through the statutory processes.

“We have received two objections to the side road orders that we are confident we can resolve.

“All statutory processes need to be concluded before we can secure the funding from the Department for Transport and award the contract.”

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Cllr Don Mackenzie, executive member for access at the county council, told the Stray Ferret this month that a “substantial objection” could trigger a public inquiry.

However, he added that he did not “see it as a severe risk” and was confident that the council could avoid an inquiry.

In a statement given to a full council meeting in July, Cllr Mackenzie warned that if a public inquiry was required then work could be delayed by up to 15 months.

Council officials said they wanted to come to an agreement with landowners over the price of land, rather than acquire it by a compulsory purchase order.

Construction of the scheme is expected to take 18 months.

Live: Harrogate district traffic and travel

Good morning and welcome back to the traffic and travel blog, it’s Connor with you today to help make your journey as smooth as possible.

Keep checking our blog every 30 minutes for full updates on the roads and public transport. I’ll let you know about any delays, traffic hotspots or roadworks.

You can get in touch if you spot anything, and it’s safe, on 01423 276197.

The morning blogs are brought to you by The HACS Group.

9am – Full Update 

That is all from me this week but my colleague Leah will be back with you for the final day of the working week from 6.30am.

Roads

Heavy congestion on Ripon Road at the gas line repairs close to the Co-op petrol station. Usual levels of traffic elsewhere in the district according to our system

Road closures:

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Trains

Buses

8.30am – Full Update 

Roads

Heavy congestion on Wetherby Road between Forest Lane and Hookstone Chase. Also heavy congestion on Skipton Road between Dragon Road and the Empress roundabout.

Road closures:

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Trains

Buses

8am – Full Update 

Roads

The roads are looking quiet so far this morning, with schools away for half term but there has been some disruption on the railway.

Road closures:

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Trains

Buses

7.30am – Full Update 

Roads

The roads are looking quiet so far this morning, with schools away for half term but there has been some disruption on the railway.

Road closures:

Temporary lights:

Trains

Buses

7am – Full Update 

Roads

The roads are looking quiet so far this morning, with no hotspots just yet. Are you stuck in traffic or spotted something? Give me a call.

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. Are you stuck in traffic or spotted something? Give me a call.

Road closures:

Temporary lights:

Trains

Buses

Harrogate district covid rate falling rapidly

The Harrogate district reported another 119 cases of covid today, as the seven-day rate continues to fall.

The rate has dropped to 573 per 100,000 people — well below the 740 mark it achieved on October 16.

Ryedale and Craven both now have higher rates in North Yorkshire.

The county average is 543 and the England rate stands at 479.

No further covid deaths have been reported at Harrogate District Hospital, according to latest NHS England figures.

The hospital was treating 19 covid patients as of Monday.

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Meanwhile, 12 to 15-year-olds can now book their covid vaccine appointments on the NHS website.

The large vaccination site at Askham Bar on the outskirts of York and the Homecare Pharmacy site in Knaresborough are among the venues offering vaccine appointments.

Elland Road stadium in Leeds is also available to book.

Harrogate cancer survivor urges women to check their breasts

A Harrogate breast cancer survivor is urging people to check their breasts and contact their GP with any concerns.

Annette Ward was diagnosed with breast cancer in June last year after noticing a lump and a change in the shape of her breast.

Ms Ward, 61, spoke to her GP and was referred to hospital for further tests. She was then told that she had cancer.

It was diagnosed as primary breast cancer, which meant it had not spread to other areas of her body and could be treated more easily. She had surgery to remove the lump, followed by radiotherapy.

She said:

“I feel blessed that my cancer was found early. From diagnosis to treatment, the NHS have been marvellous.

“I’m so grateful to the doctors and nurses at Harrogate District Hospital and St James’s Hospital in Leeds. They did everything they can to make sure I was treated quickly and effectively.”

Ms Ward now urges others to make sure they take part in breast screening when invited and also check for changes.

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She said:

“It’s so important to check your breasts regularly. I had my routine mammogram just over a year before I was diagnosed, and that had been clear. These things can happen very quickly, and the sooner it’s found the sooner it can be treated.

“Self-check as much as you can. If there’s anything out of the ordinary or that you’re concerned about, contact your GP and have it looked at as soon as possible.”

After treatment, Ms Ward started volunteering as a way to regain confidence and took up a role at Yorkshire Cancer Research’s Knaresborough shop.

She added:

“I thought that Yorkshire Cancer Research would be ideal. It’s my way of giving back and of saying thank you for the research they fund.”

£1.2bn Knaresborough incinerator has never met recycling targets

Environmental concerns have been raised over the performance of a controversial £1.2 billion waste recovery plant near Knaresborough after it emerged it has never met recycling targets.

A meeting of North Yorkshire County Council’s transport, environment and economy scrutiny committee heard councillors question whether the Allerton Park Waste Recovery venture had turned out to be fundamentally flawed.

The council awarded a contract to private company AmeyCespa to create the facility in 2014. It can process up to 320,000 tonnes of waste per year from York and North Yorkshire councils.

Peter Jeffreys, head of waste for both York and North Yorkshire councils told the meeting that since the site was launched in March 2018 “it’s been a slightly rocky start”, but there were a lot of positive signs that the plant was moving in the right direction.

He said councils were paying £3 less per tonne of waste than was forecast before the plant, which takes 220,000 tonnes of public waste and 50,000 tonnes of business waste annually, became operational.

A report to the meeting detailed how the councils had set a target of recycling or composting five per cent of the household waste it received, but the amount actually recycled or composted was between one and two per cent.

As a result of missing the targets, the councils levied AmeyCespa with a total of £653,000 in performance deductions for the first three years of the operation alone.

Mr Jeffreys said: 

“Whilst we are levying those reductions it doesn’t give us any satisfaction. We would far rather they hit the targets.”

Mr Jeffreys said the environmental targets had been missed partly because the mechanical treatment part of the plant had not been reliable. He said Amey had reconfigured the plant to push more materials through the mechanical treatment process.

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He said covid had led to staff shortages, which had seen the mechanical treatment area bypassed on some occasions.

25-year contract

In response, some councillors questioned whether the system was proving as much as a success as had been forecast when the scheme was approved amid a public outcry.

Cllr David Goode, a Liberal Democrat who represents Knaresborough, said the situation did not appear as positive as the council was making out, having missed key targets since the operation launched.

He said he was “struggling” with the initiative, bearing in mind the authority’s carbon reduction strategy, the government’s revised policies over waste management and the drive towards reducing reliance on single use items.

Cllr Goode said: 

“And then I look at a 25-year contract that seems to encourage us to maximise that amount of waste we are putting through to get the financial returns that we’re looking for and a government strategy that seems to indicate we would have to fundamentally change the nature of the contract that we have currently got.”

Mr Jeffreys said the authority was not “incentivising maximising waste”, but rather was finding a good end destination for business waste that could otherwise end up in landfill.”

‘Fantastic asset’

The committee’s chairman, Cllr Stanley Lumley, a Conservative who represents Pateley Bridge, said:

“Allerton waste plant was very controversial when it was going through the process of council and planning. I think it’s proved to be a fantastic asset for North Yorkshire.”

The council’s waste executive director Cllr Derek Bastiman said after visiting the site he was encouraged to see the amount of cardboard and plastic that was recovered from general waste.

He said: 

“It’s still the families that need educating on keeping their waste clean, whether that’s plastic bottle or cardboard.

“If they did that then we could recycle more than we do. If families could just be a bit more considerate when disposing of their waste that would certainly help with our figures.”

Controversial plans for Goldsborough homes approved

Plans for 36 homes in Goldsborough have been approved despite fears the development will “tear up” the historic village’s conservation area.

Stonebridge Homes was granted final approval by Harrogate Borough Council yesterday at the third time of asking.

The housing company was previously told to rethink its Station Road scheme and hold a meeting with councillors and residents.

This meeting was held in August but it was followed only by complaints that the developers “weren’t willing to shift” on issues including the density and design of the homes.

Speaking at a meeting of the council’s planning committee, councillor Andrew Paraskos, a Conservative who represents Spofforth with Lower Wharfedale, said:

“A meeting did take place but there was no movement from the developers at all.

“Residents understand that there will be something on this plot, but they would just like something that is more in keeping with the village.

“We have deferred this plan twice and I think it is now time to refuse it.”

‘Conservation area is a sham’

Resident Noel Evans also said the plans appeared to be “set in stone with no bridge for improvements” and that the development would amount to a “public tearing up of the Goldsborough conservation area”.

The conservation area sits adjacent to the site and was introduced in 2008 as an area of architectural and historical interest, including much of the village.

Mr Evans said:

“The tallest buildings proposed on this site will be amongst the highest buildings in Goldsborough – higher than the church and Goldsborough Hall.

“This will irretrievably destroy the historic skyline. This site needs an entirely fresh and appropriate set of plans.

“The conservation area is a sham and has no reason to exist with this council.”

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In its latest proposals, Stonebridge Homes included additional tree planting and information relating to materials.

The developers also argued the plans met national requirements and had received the backing of council officers three times with recommendations of approval.

Becky Lomas, an agent for Stonebridge Homes, told the meeting:

“The proposal before you today creates a well designed scheme, which is able to meet national requirements.

“This is a position which has been supported by council officers three times now at planning committee and the proposal of 36 dwellings is not considered to be in conflict with the development plan.”

The plans – which include a mix of one to five-bedroom properties – received 39 objections from residents and no letters of support.

The application was approved by councillors on the planning committee with six votes for, three against and one abstention.

Two Harrogate primary schools plan to merge

Two Harrogate primary schools could merge, under new proposals revealed today.

The governors of Woodfield Community Primary School and Grove Road Community Primary School have requested North Yorkshire County Council begin a consultation on amalgamation

According to a council press release, Woodfield would become part of Grove Road from September 1, 2022 but both sites would stay open.

The release added:

“As part of the amalgamation there would be a “technical closure” of Woodfield.

“Governors appreciate this may cause some initial uncertainty but see it as a very positive step for both schools.”

Woodfield, which has 56 pupils, was rated ‘inadequate’ by Ofsted in an inspection report last year and placed into special measures. However, a monitoring visit in June this year concluded “leaders and managers are taking effective action towards the removal of special measures”.

In its latest Ofsted inspection in 2018, Grove Road was rated ‘good’.

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‘Exciting opportunity’

In a joint message to parents, the chairs of governors and headteachers at both schools said: 

“We see this as an exciting opportunity and look forward to being able to share our plans in greater detail with you, and in the meantime, we appreciate your patience and understanding. 

“We would also hope to reassure you that we will not be asking any existing pupils who are already attending school at Grove Road to relocate to the Woodfield site.”

The county council will consider the request on November 23 and, if agreed, a consultation would run through December and January.

The consultation process would include public meetings where parents and the local community will have the opportunity to hear more about the proposals and share their views.

Are you a parent of a child at either school? If so, what do you think of the proposed merger? Let us know at contact@thestrayferret.co.uk.

Harrogate district reports 121 covid cases as rate falls to 612

A further 121 cases of covid have been reported in the Harrogate district.

The district’s seven-day covid rate has dropped to 612 per 100,000 people. The North Yorkshire average is 548 and the England rate stands at 484.

No further covid deaths have been reported at Harrogate District Hospital, according to latest NHS England figures.

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The hospital was treating 19 covid patients as of yesterday.

A total of 130,232 people have received a first covid vaccine in the Harrogate district and 121,915 have had a second dose.

Today, it was announced that the Great Yorkshire Showground vaccination site will reopen for two weeks in December as health bosses anticipate demand for booster covid vaccines.

Major Harrogate district employer bids to build energy plant

A Boroughbridge company plans to build a heat and power plant to produce “greener” and “cost-effective” energy at its headquarters.

Reed Boardall, which stores and delivers frozen food to UK supermarkets, employs 800 staff at its site off Bar Lane and operates a fleet of 196 vehicles 24 hours a day.

The company has submitted plans for a combined heat and power plant, which would be built on its site and generate electricity.

According to documents lodged with Harrogate Borough Council, the plant would work by “igniting air and natural gas to produce hot, high-pressure gases”.

The gas would then be fed through a turbine to drive an electrical generator and produce electricity.

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The company added that the energy would be used to power its headquarters in Boroughbridge. Any excess energy would be exported back to the local electricity network.

Greener alternative

Andrew Baldwin, managing director of Reed Boardall’s cold storage division, told the Stray Ferret: 

“We’re investing in a new combined heat and power system as a way of protecting the energy needs of our business for the future. 

“It is more cost-effective than buying power from the National Grid and is generally considered to be a greener alternative. We expect it to be fully operational by the end of the year.”

If approved, construction of the plant is expected to take place over three months.

Once up and running, the plant would run for 24 hours a day, seven days a week. However, it would be unmanned and operated remotely.

Harrogate Borough Council will make a decision on the proposal at a later date.

The plan follows a multi-million expansion of Reed Boardall’s Boroughbridge site.

In May, the company announced it had finished a 110,000 square foot expansion to one of its cold storage units at its 55-acre site in Boroughbridge, which will help it meet increased customer demand.

Coneythorpe pub reopens by thanking firefighters who saved it

The owners of a family-run pub in Coneythorpe, which reopened yesterday after 11 months, have thanked firefighters who saved the building.

Fire crews from Harrogate, Knaresborough and Acomb spent six hours battling a blaze at the Tiger Inn, near Knaresborough, in November.

To mark the reopening 11 months on, Ian and Barbara Gill, who have owned the Tiger Inn for 15 years, presented a cheque for £5,000 to the men and women who saved the pub from total destruction.

The money will now go to the Fire Fighters Charity, which helps firefighters and their families cope with injury, illness and rehabilitation.

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Paul Metheringham, who was the incident commander on the night of the fire, said:

“This is a tremendously generous gesture by the Gills and we are very appreciative. The fire was massive and we were thankful that we were able to save the Tiger from being completely destroyed.

“We know what an important part of the local community the pub is and we are delighted it has now reopened. This cheque presentation makes the re-opening even more special.”

The Knaresborough crew released this picture today.

Mr Gill said:

“This was the least we could do. The local fire brigades from Harrogate, Knaresborough and Acomb were absolutely brilliant, showing incredible courage and expertise. We have so much to thank them for.

“We are delighted to have reopened – and to welcome back our regulars after being closed for so long. During our closure, we have been so heartened and encouraged the support we have received from the local community, who have given us the strength to carry on and to ensure that The Tiger has re-opened in style.

“We were left devastated by the fire. It was accidental and we were grateful that no-one was hurt. As you can imagine, the last 18 months have been extremely challenging. We were already struggling with the serious effects of covid last year, when the huge fire struck.”

Ms Gill added:

“Had it not been for covid, someone would have been on the premises when the fire started. But, on the plus side, as the pub was empty, it meant there was no danger to life. Even so, the part the brave firefighters played in saving our pub was absolutely crucial. We will be forever grateful to them.”