Another 157 covid infections in Harrogate district

The Harrogate district’s seven-day covid rate continues to rise as another 157 daily infections have been reported.

According to latest Public Health England figures, the district average has increased to 574 cases per 100,000 people.

The North Yorkshire rate stands at 473 and the England average is 340.

However, hospitalisations remain much lower than previous waves with 10 covid-positive patients receiving treatment in Harrogate District Hospital as of last Wednesday.

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No further deaths from patients who tested positive for coronavirus have been recorded at Harrogate District Hospital.

Elsewhere, 128,230 people have received a first covid vaccine in the Harrogate district and 120,433 have had a second dose.

Live: Harrogate district traffic and travel

Good morning to you on this rainy Thursday and welcome back once again to the traffic and travel blog. It’s Connor with you once again today.

Give me a call on 01423 276197 or get in touch on social media if you spot anything on the roads or are waiting for a delayed bus or train.

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

9am – Full Update 

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

We are already seeing congestion on the A59 York Road between Harrogate and York this morning. Our system shows that workers are carrying out repairs in the area, which should be complete by late Friday/early Saturday.

Road closures:

Temporary lights:

Trains

Buses

7am – Full Update 

Roads

No issues on the roads in the Harrogate district just yet. However drivers heading to York from Harrogate should watch out for temporary lights at Kirk Hammerton.

Road closures:

Temporary lights:

Trains

Buses

6:30am – Full Update 

Roads

No issues on the roads in the Harrogate district just yet. However drivers heading to York from Harrogate should watch out for temporary lights at Kirk Hammerton.

Road closures:

Temporary lights:

Trains

Buses

Fuel Watch: Harrogate district fuel problems persist

Fuel stations are trying to get back to normality across the Harrogate district amid reports that the crisis is slowing down.

Some forecourts remain closed but many are back up and running across the area. So we have created this live blog to help those in need find fuel.

Have you just been to fill up? Help other drivers in need by letting us know what the situation is like at your local petrol station.

Send an email to contact@thestrayferret.co.uk with your reports and we will add them to this rolling coverage throughout the day.

645pm – Reports of two stations open

Esso on Wetherby Road in Harrogate is open and we also hear the Texaco in Kirk Hammerton is operating but some pumps are not available.

3.50pm – Esso on Harrogate’s Skipton Road closed

Thanks to Ian for telling us the Esso garage on Skipton Road has closed.

Is the fuel supply issue easing today? The Petrol Retailers Association, which represents filling stations, says there are “early signs” of pressure at the pumps easing.

But Steve McNamara of the Licensed Taxi Drivers’ Association says “the situation is not getting better”

Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng says soldiers could be driving fuel tankers “in the next couple of days”.

2.15pm – No queues at Morrisons in Boroughbridge

A reader tells us that Morrisons in Boroughbridge has plenty of all fuel and there are no queues. This is a key site for many motorists in the Harrogate district and has been the scene of lengthy queues in recent days. A sign of things getting back to normal?

Send us your updates from forecourts in Harrogate, Ripon, Pateley Bridge, Knaresborough, Boroughbridge, Masham and anywhere in between.

1.20pm – Harrogate fuel stations working well

Our reporter has been out and about once again to get a view from the fuel stations across the town. There have been deliveries but some places have since run out of fuel.

12pm – BP in Harrogate set to reopen after delivery

A tanker has arrived at the BP fuel station on Leeds Road, Harrogate to replenish the supplies of petrol and diesel.

The station had been closed for the past couple of days but should be ready for drivers to fill up at around 1pm.

A tanker has arrived.

10.30am – Boroughbridge Morrisons fuel station refills

Boroughbridge’s Morrisons fuel station is now back open after running out of petrol and diesel yesterday afternoon at around 3pm.

A reader contacted us to say that it was not busy and all of the petrol and diesel pumps were in operation.

10am – Just one fuel station out in Ripon

The Spar BP petrol station on North Street is awaiting a delivery later today, but is currently without diesel or unleaded petrol.

Both of the Morrisons petrol stations, on Harrogate Road and on the supermarket site, have all pumps in operation serving diesel and unleaded fuels.

Photo of BP pumps at Spar

Pumps at the BP Spar station.

 

New book reveals storied history of Pannal and Burn Bridge

A new book has been written about the history of Pannal and Burn Bridge.

Its author is former Harrogate Advertiser journalist and Pannal historian Anne Smith, who has lived in Pannal for many years and raised her family there.

The book is called Pannal and Burn Bridge, Their Stories and includes history of the two villages dating back to the Domesday times. 

Ms Smith has written three books on Pannal previously and said her new effort “is my best book yet”. She added:

“The reason I did it is I want people who live Pannal to like Pannal and know about where they live.”

The name Pannal was first recorded in 1170 and the village has been a settlement for centuries. It developed in the middle of the former Knaresborough Forest and is believed to date back to the Bronze Age

By the early fourteenth century, Pannal had become a thriving village with weekly markets and an annual four-day fair.

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Personal accounts

The book includes personal accounts from current Pannal residents, histories of important buildings such as Pannal Village Hall and the Black Swan pub in Burn Bridge, maps and walks of the area, and other interesting tidbits.

Ms Smith said:

“It includes contributions from a lot of the characters and friends that live in the village.

“They put their memories of how wonderful it was growing up in Pannal.

Despite Pannal changing over recent decades, Ms Smith insisted “It’s still a good place to be.”

She added:

“I’m really pleased with the book and hope everyone buys it to see the area they live in because I love Pannal.”

The book costs £10 and is available from annesmith.pannal@yahoo.co.uk

Anne Smith launched the book at an event in Pannal earlier this month.

Malcolm Neesam, Anne Smith, Howard West

Live: Harrogate district traffic and travel

A very good morning to you and welcome back once again to the traffic and travel blog. It’s Connor with you once again today, hoping to help you avoid any problems by road or rail.

Give me a call on 01423 276197 or get in touch on social media if you spot anything on the roads or are waiting for a delayed bus or train. Also let me know if you have any updates for our petrol stations.

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

9am – Full Update 

That is all from me this morning. I do hope you have found the updates helpful today. I am heading over to the news desk now but will be back from 6.30am tomorrow.

Petrol stations

Roads

The A59 York Road near Kirk Hammerton looks to be particularly busy this morning already with what seems to be road works in the area.

Skipton Road, Knaresborough Road and Wetherby Road also look to be busy this morning on our traffic system in Harrogate.

Road closures:

Temporary lights:

Trains

Buses

8.30am – Full Update 

Petrol stations

Roads

The A59 York Road near Kirk Hammerton looks to be particularly busy this morning already with what seems to be road works in the area.

Skipton Road, Knaresborough Road and Wetherby Road also look to be busy this morning on our traffic system in Harrogate.

Road closures:

Temporary lights:

Trains

Buses

8am – Full Update 

Petrol stations

Roads

The A59 York Road near Kirk Hammerton looks to be particularly busy this morning already with what seems to be road works in the area.

Skipton Road, Knaresborough Road and Ripon Road also look to be busy this morning on our traffic system in Harrogate.

Road closures:

Temporary lights:

Trains

Buses

7.30am – Full Update 

Petrol stations

Roads

The A59 York Road near Kirk Hammerton looks to be particularly busy this morning already with what seems to be road works in the area

Road closures:

Temporary lights:

Trains

Buses

7am – Full Update 

Petrol stations

Roads

Otley Road is likely to be particularly busy as work has started on a new cycle route near Harlow Moor Road. Ripon Road near McCarthy’s Storage World is also likely to be busy with temporary lights in place.

Road closures:

Temporary lights:

Trains

Buses

6:30am – Full Update 

Petrol stations

Roads

Otley Road is likely to be particularly busy as work has started on a new cycle route near Harlow Moor Road. Ripon Road near McCarthy’s Storage World is also likely to be busy with temporary lights in place.

Road closures:

Temporary lights:

Trains

Buses

Minimum gritting will not affect service, say council bosses

A reduction in minimum salt spreading will not affect the gritting of North Yorkshire’s roads, county council bosses have said.

A report before the North Yorkshire County Council proposes lowering the minimum salting spread rate to 8g per square metre, which the authority says will save a further £75,000 during a “normal season”.

The council recently purchased 18 new gritters for £2.2 million to help spread salt more accurately and reduce the average age of its fleet.

The Stray Ferret asked the county council if lowering the minimum salt spread would mean that some of the new gritters would not be used this winter.

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Barrie Mason, assistant director of highways and transportation at the authority, said the proposal would not affect the “number of gritter runs”.

He said:

“The continual investment in our winter fleet ensures that we have vehicles that are able to spread salt at the appropriate spread rate in line with our winter service policy and industry best practice.

“The number of gritter runs is unaffected by the change in salt spread rate which aims to achieve more efficient use of salt, and routes will continue to be treated in line with our policy and prevailing weather conditions.”

The proposal to reduce the minimum salt spread proved controversial on social media, with some raising concern over the value to taxpayers.

Meanwhile, Cllr Stuart Parsons, leader of the authority’s Independent group, said residents “paid through the nose for the county council’s services”, so they should be able to expect some returns.

True grit – facts about North Yorkshire gritters

Harrogate district covid rate hits new record high

The Harrogate district’s seven-day covid rate has reached its highest level since the start of the covid pandemic.

Latest figures show the rate has increased to 545 cases per 100,000 people, surpassing the previous high of 534, which occurred in July.

The national average is 332.

Another 118 infections were reported in the district today by Public Health England.

However, hospitalisations remain much lower than previous waves with 10 covid-positive patients receiving treatment in Harrogate District Hospital as of last Wednesday

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No further deaths from patients who tested positive for coronavirus have been recorded at Harrogate District Hospital.

Elsewhere, 128,131 people have received a first covid vaccine in the Harrogate district and 120,309 have had a second dose.

Fuel Watch: Harrogate district forecourts continue to battle demand

Fuel stations across the Harrogate district are trying to refill as the government urges drivers to reduce demand for petrol and diesel.

Some forecourts remain closed but many are back up and running across the area. So we have created this live blog to help those in need find fuel.

Have you just been to fill up? Help other drivers in need by letting us know what the situation is like at your local petrol station.

Send an email to contact@thestrayferret.co.uk with your reports and we will add them to this rolling coverage throughout the day.

5.30pm – Fuel crisis ‘stabilising’, says transport secretary 

The transport secretary has said there is “very tentative signs of stabilisation” at petrol forecourts in the country.

Mr Shapps has also said that “normal service” will resume as people begin to revert back to old buying habits.

Meanwhile, the Petrol Retailers’ Association has reported a number of its members are now “reporting taking further deliveries of fuel”.

Is the situation getting better in the Harrogate district? Let us know at contact@thestrayferret.co.uk.

3.15pm Yorkshire Ambulance Service has “sufficient fuel”

Trust bosses at Yorkshire Ambulance Service have told the Stray Ferret that their ambulances have enough fuel despite the ongoing problems with supply.

Read more here.

3.05pm – Fuel at Boroughbridge Morrisons

A read has been in touch to report that Boroughbridge Morrisons is out of fuel. If you have any updates from petrol stations across the district, get in touch.

2.30pm – Queues at Ripon Road

Drivers are queueing at The Shell fuel station on Ripon Road this afternoon. An eye witness said seven cars were queuing at the pumps.

The forecourt had a delivery earlier today.

1pm – Tanker delivery at Harrogate fuel station

The Shell fuel station on Ripon Road has reopened after it took in a delivery of both petrol and diesel late this morning.

Since the delivery the petrol station has been busy but it does not seem to be causing queues on the main road.

The fuel station had been closed for the past couple of days after its supply struggled to keep up with a surge in demand.

12.20pm – A picture from across Harrogate fuel stations

Our reporter has been out and about once again to get a view from the fuel stations across the town. There have been deliveries but some places have since run out of fuel.

12pm – Update from Harrogate

Thanks to Stray Ferret reader Martin for this update. We will have a more comprehensive round-up of the situation at pumps in Harrogate shortly.

We continue to urge motorists to buy fuel responsibly and inform us of any updates. Thanks to the key worker who got in touch saying this live blog helped keep him operating yesterday.

https://twitter.com/FIRSTmarty/status/1442801585449574402

11.30 – Morrisons in Starbeck 

A reader has contacted us to says Morrisons in Starbeck was out of diesel an hour ago but still has unleaded petrol. Let us know if you have any updates.

10am – Most fuel stations in Harrogate have stock

The majority of fuel stations in Harrogate now have stock of petrol and diesel. However, a couple are still struggling to keep up with demand.

8am – Ripon has petrol but out of diesel

As of 8am today all of the diesel pumps at Ripon’s three principal petrol stations, had run dry.

At Spar on North Street, which is serviced by BP, only super unleaded fuel was available.

A delivery to top up the diesel and ordinary unleaded tanks is anticipated in the next couple of days.

Photo of BP pumps at Spar

Pumps at the BP Spar station.

Across the city at the Morrisons Harrogate Road station, stocks of diesel ran out this morning, but unleaded fuel is still available.

The same applies at the nearby Morrisons’ supermarket station.

Both expect deliveries from Esso later today.

Tim Flanagan

 

Yorkshire Ambulance Service has ‘sufficient fuel’

Yorkshire Ambulance Service has assured patients it has enough fuel for ambulances despite the ongoing supply problems.

Petrol stations across the Harrogate district have seen high demand since the end of last week.

Although some drivers have struggled to get fuel, officials at the ambulance service have assured it has “sufficient stocks” for its vehicles.

John McSorley, strategic commander for Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust, said:

“Currently we have sufficient fuel stocks for our ambulance vehicles.  We have robust business continuity plans in place to ensure we are able to respond to patients needing our assistance and can invoke additional measures should they be required.

“We know that, like many others, some colleagues have found it difficult to obtain fuel for their own vehicles and we have a staff transport plan that can be activated should the situation escalate further.”

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Ministers have said there is no shortage of fuel across the country and urged motorists not to panic buy.

Army tanker drivers are on standby to be deployed to help with supply if necessary.

Grant Shapps, transport secretary, said in a tweet last night that “if everyone buys fuel as normal petrol stations will revert to normal service”.

To ease fuel flow we’ve:
✅ brought in army to help HGV testing
✅ added HGV drivers to Shortage Occupation
✅ created new apprenticeship scheme
✅ launched Skills Bootcamp
✅ expanded DVSA testing +50%
✅ changed law for faster HGV testing
➕ 12 other measures [1/2]

— Rt Hon Grant Shapps (@grantshapps) September 27, 2021

The Stray Ferret has set up a live blog to keep you up to date with the situation at fuel stations across the district. You can read live coverage here.

Overnight road closures on A1(M) near Harrogate

Overnight road closures are set to take place at junction 46 of the A1(M), which connects traffic to Kirk Deighton in the Harrogate district.

North Yorkshire County Council will resurface the roundabout above the A1(M) at junction 46. The junction gives access to Wetherby and surrounding villages.

Don Mackenzie, executive member for access at the council, said:

“This is a major access point for many people, from residents to visitors arriving in the area to HGV drivers, who use the lorry park within the service facilities.

“This volume of traffic has taken its toll on the carriageway and we appreciate that the quality of the surface at this key location has been a cause of concern locally.

“Our highways officers have always worked to maintain the safety of the carriageway, but I am pleased that funding now enables us to fully resurface the roundabout.”

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Work will be carried out in two phases, from October 4 to 8 for surveys and drainage investigations, then from October 16 to 24 for resurfacing.

Overnight closures of the junction, including the slip roads from the A1(M), will occur between 8pm and 6am during those dates. A diversion will be in place.

Andy Paraskos, member for Ainsty division at the council, said:

“This is a major junction, it’s particularly important to any villagers wanting to travel towards York. The surface is poor, so I am delighted that it is now going to be resurfaced.”