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.

Read more:

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

Read More: 

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.”

Read More:

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.”

Read more:

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.”

Goldsborough Hall appoints new head chef

Josh Barnes has been appointed executive head chef at Goldsborough Hall, the 17th century stately home near Knaresborough.

Mr Barnes will also oversee food and catering at the hall’s sister property, The Bay Horse Inn in Goldsborough.

He was previously head chef at the Galvin La Chapelle restaurant in London, where he retained its Michelin Star and 3AA rosette status. The restaurant also won recognition for its vegetarian and vegan tasting menus.

Mr Barnes, who grew up in Lincolnshire, said he was delighted with his new role, adding:

“It is exactly the type of property I wished to be part of, a beautiful historic stately home surrounded by countryside, with an ethos of sustainably sourced fresh local produce, where the food miles can be counted in feet and inches.

“My style is seasonally driven, using modern techniques and styles with a classic French undertone all served in the majesty of the hall’s historic dining room, where former kings and queens have dined.”

Read more:

Goldsborough Hall owner Mark Oglesby said Mr Barnes would be a “perfect fit for the hall and our dining experience”. He added:

“Josh will oversee all culinary activities including lunch and dinner service, in-room dining plus extensive banquet and catering offerings for weddings, private functions and corporate events.”

Harrogate district covid rate at highest ever

Harrogate’s coronavirus infection rate is rising sharply and has equalled record levels – but hospitalisations and deaths remain low.

The borough’s weekly rate per 100,000 people is currently at 534 – higher than any other area in North Yorkshire and equal to its previous record in July.

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

The hospital is also reporting fewer deaths, although there has been a slight increase in recent weeks with the latest death coming on Wednesday last week when the hospital’s toll since the pandemic began reached 188.

Elsewhere in North Yorkshire, Selby has the second highest infection rate at 470, followed by Scarborough at 440, Hambleton at 421, Craven at 373, Ryedale at 327 and Richmondshire at 289.

Read more:

The North Yorkshire average is 437 and the average figure for England is 327.

166 infections reported today

A further 166 covid cases have been reported in the Harrogate district today, according to latest Public Health England figures.

The rise in cases comes as health officials last week announced Ripon racecourse will reopen as a covid vaccination centre.

Knaresborough and Pateley Bridge also have pharmacy-run sites offering booster jabs and vaccines but the full list of sites where the jabs will be delivered in the Harrogate district has yet to be revealed.

The rollout of third doses to around 30 million people across the UK is now underway.

Those eligible for the booster jabs include over-50s, younger adults with health conditions and frontline health and care workers.

Patients will be invited on a priority basis and they have been urged not to contact the NHS, but to wait to hear from the health service.

According to latest NHS figures, a total of 128,131 people in the Harrogate district have now received their first vaccine dose and 120,309 people their second.

Figures for third doses are not yet available.

Tewit brass band wins national award

Tewit Silver Band has won national recognition for a second consecutive year.

The band, which was only formed three years ago to give ex and current Tewit Youth Band members the opportunity to play in at a higher level, won the third section of the National Brass Band Championships in Cheltenham.

The result promotes the band to the second section next year and means it has now gone from fourth section to second section in consecutive years.

Band member Owen James also won the soloist award for his rendition of the test piece called Kaleidoscope.

A total of 61 bands and 2,000 performers took part in the event.

Tewit Silver Band has now won all but one of the competitions it has entered. The most recent competition pitted it against 15 other bands.

The band has a concert booked at Starbeck Methodist Church on Saturday, November 13 and will also perform its annual carol concert at Stockeld Park.

Colin Gibbs, chairman of Tewit Silver Band, said that the adjudicators gave extremely positive feedback about the band, such as ‘an almost flawless performance’.

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Jayne Fearnley, Tewit Silver Band secretary, said:

“Like all bands we were unable to play for many months due to covid but we remained a strong unit. Players practiced at home, we met once a week on zoom to address the social needs of our members and we returned to the band room as a full, committed band making this win a very proud moment.

“Tewit Youth Band has long been a successful formula, but once players reach the age of 18, they have to leave. Whilst many of our young members move onto university, plenty stay local. Tewit Silver Band offers the perfect solution: they can continue playing in a safe a secure and familiar setting alongside experienced players who mentor them.”

Tewit Youth Band is holding an open day tomorrow from at The Methodist Chapel in Huby from 2pm to 5pm.

For more information on Tewit Silver Band, click here.

Highest daily covid cases in Harrogate district since January

The Harrogate district has recorded its highest daily covid cases for eight months.

A total of 156 cases were reported in today’s Public Health England figures — the most since January when a third national lockdown was put in place.

It’s the highest daily infections since January 4, when 172 cases were recorded.

Meanwhile, Harrogate District Hospital has confirmed another covid death according to latest NHS England statistics.

The death was reported on Tuesday.

Read More: 

It takes the number of deaths at the hospital from patients who tested positive for covid since March last year to 187.

The district’s seven-day covid rate has increased to 372 cases per 100,000 people.

The North Yorkshire rate is 322 and the England average stands at 287.

Elsewhere, 127,832 people have received a first covid vaccine in the Harrogate district and 119,662 have had a second dose.