Harrogate Borough Council has installed two new beehives to help pollinate flowers and support biodiversity.

Once established, the bee colonies will produce honey that could be sold to the public.

A council spokesman said the beehives had been put on council-owned land off Wetherby Road, although the precise location wasn’t revealed.

They will be looked after by Terrence Ogilvie, a keen beekeeper who works in the council’s parks and street cleaning team.

If the experiment proves successful, the council could introduce more beehives across the district.

Conservative councillor Andrew Paraskos, cabinet member for environment, waste reduction and recycling, said:

“Bees are a vital part of the ecosystem to help pollinate many of the trees and flowers that provide habitats for wildlife.

“By introducing beehives we are further playing our part to help stop and reverse the decline of wildlife in the district.”

Read more:

• Nidderdale police issue ‘bee vigilant’ warning after attempted hive heist
• Harrogate’s ‘rewilding’: untidy or biodiversity boon?

Earlier this year, the council’s new rewilding strategy saw swathes of green spaces, including on the Stray, left untouched by mowers and strimmers to allow nature to grow free and attract bees.

The idea was welcomed by many, who saw it as a sign that the council was serious about improving biodiversity. But others, who cherish Harrogate’s reputation for organised and elegant planting, believed it made the town look untidy.

A new scheme to help young people become better citizens is to be introduced in the Harrogate district.

Philip Allott, the North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, is currently finalising details for the Good Ctizenship programme, which will be launched across the county this autumn.

Mr Allott, who succeeded fellow Conservative Julia Mulligan as commissioner this year, said the scheme would spread the message that it is an honour and privilege to live in this country but also comes with responsibilities.

It will recruit the likes of former police officers and teachers and operate in partnership with schools. A provider for the scheme has yet to be announced.

Mr Allott added the programme would not lecture young people but rather “get them to identify what they want to do to help their communities and then give them the tools to do that”.

He said:

“It could be giving them bags to collect rubbish or it could be about helping them engage with their neighbours.”

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The budget for the scheme has yet to be finalised but Mr Allott said:

“It won’t require a ton of money but it will require a ton of passion.

“Society has become less tolerant and young people will become a greater force for good if they buy into it. We will work with youth partnerships to roll this out.”

The Harrogate district has reported 69 covid infections, according to today’s Pubic Health England figures.

The district’s weekly infection rate now stands at 425 per 100,000 people, while the North Yorkshire rate is 362 and the England average stands at 331.

NHS England statistics no longer report deaths from patients who tested positive for covid on a weekend.

Earlier this week, Harrogate District Hospital recorded its sixth covid death in three weeks. It means the death toll at the hospital since March 2020 currently stands at 185.

Read more:

• North Yorkshire health officials urge 16 and 17-year-olds to get jab
• Harrogate mum refused entry to uniform shop for not wearing face mask
• Harrogate hospital reports sixth covid death in three weeks

Meanwhile, the hospital is currently treating 11 patients for covid according to the latest government figures,.

Elsewhere, 127,267 people have received a first covid vaccine in the Harrogate district and 117,707 have had a second dose.

The Harrogate district has reported another 84 covid infections, according to today’s Pubic Health England figures.

The district’s weekly infection rate now stands at 448 per 100,000 people, which is above the North Yorkshire rate of 377 and the England average of 342.

According to the latest figures, Harrogate District Hospital is treating 11 patients for covid.

The hospital has not recorded any covid deaths in the last 24 hours, according to NHS England statistics.

Read more:

• North Yorkshire health officials urge 16 and 17-year-olds to get jab
• Harrogate mum refused entry to uniform shop for not wearing face mask

It means the number of people at the hospital who have died from covid since March 2020 stands at 185.

Elsewhere, 127,253 people have received a first covid vaccine in the Harrogate district and 117,655 have had a second dose.

The average salary of jobs advertised in the Harrogate district from January to March 2021 rose by 28% compared with the same three-month period last year, according to a report by Harrogate borough council.

The quarterly economic overview of the Harrogate district says that the average salary for jobs advertised in the first quarter of this year was £32,000 – up from £25,000 in 2020.

The five sectors providing the largest number of employment opportunities were human health and social work; education; professional, scientific and technical; wholesale and retail trade; and accommodation and food services.

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• Boroughbridge streets flooded as storms hit Harrogate district

However, the number of vacancies in the care and hospitality industries in particular are causing headaches.

It was reported this week that around 500 care workers in North Yorkshire could be forced out of their jobs when compulsory vaccines come into force in November.

Mike Padgham, chair of the non-profit organisation Independent Care Group, which provides care services in North Yorkshire and York, told the local democracy reporting service about the scale of the crisis. He said: 

“The staffing crisis is now so bad that providers are battling day-to-day to cover shifts both in homes and in looking after people in their own home.

“Many say it is the worst they have known in more than 30 years and so we need urgent action now before the added pressures of winter turn this into a total meltdown.”

EU nationals in the Harrogate district

Meanwhile, the number of national insurance number (NINO) registrations by EU nationals has decreased year-on-year by 64%.

Between January and March 2020, there were 67 NINO EU registrations.

In the same period this year, there were only 24 NINO EU registrations in total.

There are some signs that this may change though. Last month, the branch manager of Travail Employment Group, which recruits front-of-house and catering positions across the district, spoke to the Stray Ferret about the impact of Brexit on hospitality recruitment.

Lisa Headford believed it’s overly simplistic to blame Brexit on the recruitment crisis in hospitality. She said:

“It’s not definitive. We’ve had a number of people come back to Harrogate from Poland as during the lockdown they didn’t have a permanent job, and they wouldn’t have got furlough. They are now gravitating back.”

Good news for the high street

The council report also shows an improving picture for the town centre, with the retail vacancy rate decreasing from 8.6% in January-March 2020 to 6.8% in 2021.

Councillor Graham Swift, Harrogate Borough Council’s deputy leader and cabinet member for economic development, said:

“It is really encouraging to see that the economy is recovering well across the Harrogate district. Especially with shop vacancy rates reducing.

“As the district starts to exit coronavirus lockdowns and returns to a more normalised ways of living, we are keen to ensure that key investment projects are pushed ahead to ensure the local economy recovers and thrives.

“We will also not want to do this alone, and have already been working proactively with a wide range of people and organisations and will continue to work in collaboration with our partners to share ideas and maximise resources we have available to us.”

Streets in Boroughbridge have been left under water this evening as flash floods hit the Harrogate district.

After a balmy day, the forecast storms arrived by late afternoon.

Loud thunderclaps were heard in Harrogate but it was Boroughbridge that felt the full brunt of the weather.

Springfield Drive (pictured) and Springfield Grove were both left treacherous.

Springfield Drive

Local resident Mandy Lambert, who took the photo above, said the state of the drains was a long running source of concern among residents.

“It’s ridiculous how flooded we get.

“The council won’t do anything unless it goes into the residents’ houses.”

A yellow weather warning remains in place in the district for thunderstorms tonight until 11pm.

Read more:

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Local Conservative MP and government minister Nigel Adams has been criticised for telling a campaigner to “f*** off” outside the House of Commons yesterday evening.

Mr Adams, whose Selby and Ainsty constituency includes rural parts of the Harrogate district such as Spofforth, Huby, Weeton and Follifoot, was approached by anti-Brexit campaigner Steve Bray at about 8pm.

Mr Bray, who is well-known for wearing an EU top hat and taking part in daily protests outside Parliament, asked the MP a question about last night’s vote on the health and social care bill — which provoked an angry response.

Mr Adams said:

“Why don’t you talk to your MP and f*** off, you’re getting on my nerves.”

“I’m not interested in speaking to an odd bloke with a top hat on chasing me down the street.”

The incident was filmed and posted on Mr Bray’s Twitter page. It has so far received 2,700 likes.

Watch the video in full below:

Nigel Adams Tory MP not happy to answer some questions… tells me to fuck off & calls Sylvia a numpty. He also calls me Dave… a far right myth. #BrexitTax pic.twitter.com/OsZyufyuqj

— 4th July – There's gonna be a Tory wipeout! (@snb19692) September 8, 2021

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Arnold Warneken, who stood as a Green Party candidate against Mr Adams at the 2019 General Election, told the Stray Ferret the MP’s comments were “disgraceful”.

He added:

“When you get elected to parliament, members of public asking you questions is part of the job. You don’t tell them to f*** off.

“He didn’t have to say anything. He should hang his head in shame.

“The people of Selby and Ainsty trusted him to argue his case rather than offer two-word expletives. We need to improve standards of ministers.”

The Stray Ferret has approached Mr Adams, who is also the Minister for Asia, for comment.

Another 119 covid infections have been reported in the Harrogate district, according to today’s Public Health England figures.

The district’s weekly infection rate now stands at 412 per 100,000 people, which is above the North Yorkshire rate of 362 and the England average of 337.

According to latest weekly figures released today at a North Yorkshire Resilience Forum covid media briefing, Harrogate District Hospital is treating 11 patients for covid — the same number as a week ago.

Read more:

• Harrogate mum refused entry to uniform shop for not wearing face mask
• North Yorkshire health officials urge 16 and 17-year-olds to get jab
• 500 staff at North Yorkshire care homes could leave due to compulsory vaccinations

The hospital has not recorded any covid deaths in the last 24 hours, according to NHS England statistics.

Elsewhere, 127,183 people have received a first covid vaccine in the Harrogate district and 116,728 have had a second dose.

The Harrogate district has reported its highest daily number of covid infections for two months.

According to today’s Pubic Health England figures, 132 cases have been confirmed in the district.

It’s the highest number of daily infections since July 16 when 138 were recorded.

The district’s weekly infection rate now stands at 386 per 100,000 people, which is above the North Yorkshire rate of 341 and the England average of 321.

Read more:

• Harrogate mum refused entry to uniform shop for not wearing face mask
• North Yorkshire health officials urge 16 and 17-year-olds to get jab
• 500 staff at North Yorkshire care homes could leave due to compulsory vaccinations

According to the latest figures, Harrogate District Hospital is treating 11 patients for covid.

The hospital has not recorded any covid deaths in the last 24 hours, according to NHS England statistics.

Elsewhere, 127,193 people have received a first covid vaccine in the Harrogate district and 116,681 have had a second dose.

Several clinics due to vaccinate people against flu in the Harrogate district have been cancelled or postponed.

One of the biggest providers of flu vaccines to the UK, Seqirus, confirmed delays in supplying the vaccines of up to two weeks due to “road freight delays” and “unexpected logistical challenges including transportation difficulties”.

This has disrupted some Harrogate GP surgeries scheduled flu vaccine clinics.

Patients have been advised they do not need to contact their surgeries, as their GP practice will be in touch with those affected.

The Stray Ferret has learned of the following changes. Other local surgeries may be affected.

• All appointments at a Ripon racecourse flu clinic on September 10 to 12 have been postponed by three weeks. Patients from a number of practices including Ripon Spa Surgery, North House Surgery, and Dr Ingram & Partners are affected.
• Church Avenue Medical Centre in Harrogate has contacted some patients to reschedule their appointments, but is awaiting new delivery dates from Seqirus before confirming new appointments.
• The Spa Surgery at Mowbray Square Medical Centre in Harrogate has also cancelled all appointments at its September 19 clinic. An update on the surgery’s Facebook page says the team will be in touch with patients when they can reschedule.
• Harrogate’s East Parade Surgery updated its website to say it will contact patients if their appointment has been affected, and to reschedule once stock is delivered.

The Spa Surgery took to Facebook to explain why vaccinations were delayed.

Read More: 

• Harrogate district covid rate increases as pupils head back to school

• 500 staff at North Yorkshire care homes could leave due to compulsory vaccinations

The delay comes just days after routine blood tests were rearranged due to supply issues with blood test tubes.

Dr Gary Howsam, vice chair of the Royal College of GPs, which is the professional membership body for GPs in the UK, said:

“This is news we really didn’t want to hear. With over 36 million people eligible for the flu vaccine on the NHS this year, GPs need the supply chain to run like clockwork.

“Practices plan meticulously each year to deliver the flu vaccination programme on a mass scale and it is essential that as many people as possible in at-risk groups get their vaccination as early into the flu season as possible.

“A delay of even a couple of weeks is going to have a big impact on practices and their patients, especially when GPs are already dealing with the fallout caused by the shortage of blood test bottles and the anxiety this is causing.”

A Seqirus spokeswoman said:

“Vaccine supplies are now beginning to flow out across England and Wales this week and some practices and pharmacies will be able to begin their vaccination campaigns. We are working through various logistical issues and do not expect delays to extend beyond one to two weeks.”

Has your flu vaccination been postponed? Email us at contact@thestrayferret.co.uk.