North Yorkshire Council has confirmed that the planned opening date for a new school in Harrogate for children with autism has been pushed back until 2025.
The council’s Conservative-run executive approved the creation of the school last year which will be at the former Woodfield Community Primary School in Bilton.
It had pledged the new school would be open in time for the September 2024 term however in an update this morning, a council spokesperson said this will no longer be possible.
They did not give a reason for the delay but said the authority is committed to securing more special educational needs (SEN) provision in Harrogate.
Since 2016, the number of children in North Yorkshire with identified special educational needs and disability and a legally-binding education, health and care plan has increased by more than 110%, leading to a shortage of special school places and numerous children being taught by independent providers.
Independent day sector placements typically cost the public purse up to £70,000 annually and the average cost of a special school placement is about £23,000.
The results of a consultation revealed considerable support for the creation of the school in Harrogate with 86% of 105 responses in favour.
The council has pledged a £3.5 million investment into creating the school.
Amanda Newbold, the council’s assistant director for education and skills, said:
“We are committed to securing more special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) provision in North Yorkshire. The target opening date has been revised to next year.”
Cllr Paul Haslam (Independent, Bilton and Nidd Gorge) told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that he was monitoring developments at the new school.
Woodfield school, which closed in 2022, had large playing fields and Cllr Haslam is urging the council to make it available to the public once the new school is created.
He added:
“I’ve put in a proposal for dual access to sports grounds so it can be used by the local community. That would be a good use of space.”
Read more:
- Harrogate disability charity launches accessible walking route packs
- Green light set to be given tomorrow to 1,300 homes in Ripon
Police seek man after woman assaulted in Harrogate
North Yorkshire Police has launched an appeal to find a man after a woman was assaulted in Harrogate.
Michael Craggs, 27, is wanted in connection with burglary and criminal damage as well as assault.
He has been recalled to prison and a warrant has been issued for his immediate arrest.
Police said the assault and criminal damage happened in Harrogate.
Officers said in a statement:
“He has links with a number of areas of West Yorkshire too, including Ilkley, Bradford and Otley, where he is wanted in connection with a burglary.”
Anyone with information about his current location is urged to call 101. If the sighting is immediate, call 999. Quote reference number 12240052245.
Read more:
Harrogate man jailed for Ripon burglary and ABH
A man who burgled a flat at the YMCA in Ripon and then launched a vicious attack on a woman while on bail has been jailed for 19 months.
Ryan Hopper, 21, broke into the man’s ground floor flat in Water Skellgate after smashing a window and then ransacked the property, York Crown Court heard.
He was arrested and released on bail, but within months attacked a named young woman with whom he had a beef, repeatedly punching and kicking her in the head in a park in Harrogate town centre.
He was arrested again and charged with burglary and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
Hopper, from Harrogate but currently of no fixed address, ultimately pleaded guilty to both offences and appeared for sentence today via video link after being remanded in custody.
Prosecutor Brooke Morrison said that Hopper broke into the flat with a named teenager, knowing that the victim would be out as he was working a night shift.
They broke in just after midnight on February 16 last year by smashing the ground-floor window of the property and climbing through the void. After ransacking the flat and causing £221 damage, they left empty-handed and ran off.
Hopper was identified by the victim and staff from CCTV footage at the YMCA. He was brought into custody but exercised his right to silence and was bailed.
Kicked repeatedly in head
On May 14 of that year, a named woman and her male friend were drinking in a park in Harrogate town centre when they were approached by Hopper who “did not get along” with the woman.
Hopper, who had also been drinking, left to get some more alcohol from a local shop but returned 10 minutes later.
Ms Morrison said the woman “doesn’t recall fully” what happened next, “but she does recall that at some point after (Hopper) returned, she was on the floor while being repeatedly attacked by the defendant who was kicking her in the head repeatedly and punching her in the face multiple times”.
As he was attacking the woman, Hopper told her it was because he had been attacked by a “third party” a few weeks beforehand and he blamed her for getting him beat up.
A female witness saw Hopper’s vicious attack on the woman from her back garden and ran up to him telling to stop. She called police and an ambulance and Hopper was duly arrested in the park.
The victim, who suffered bruising to her jaw, eye and forehead, said she didn’t think Hopper would stop.
Following his arrest, Hopper was further charged with assaulting an emergency worker and making threats to kill for which he received an 18-week suspended prison sentence with an alcohol-treatment programme last summer.
14 previous offences
His criminal record comprised 14 previous offences including public disorder, affray, damaging property and carrying an offensive weapon.
Defence barrister Erin Kitson-Parker said the catalyst for Hopper’s offending was drugs and alcohol.
Judge Simon Hickey said it was clear that Hopper had attacked the woman in Harrogate over a “grudge”.
He criticised the defendant for ransacking the man’s flat, leaving it a mess. He added:
“You rifled through his belongings, his drawers were pulled out, his TV was knocked over and glass strewn everywhere from the shattered window.”
Hopper was given a 19-month jail sentence, of which he will serve half behind bars before being released on prison licence.
His co-accused, a youth at the time, received an eight-month suspended prison sentence and was ordered to pay £250 compensation to the burglary victim at a previous hearing.
Read more:
- Two arrested after man stabbed in Harrogate
- Knaresborough businessman denies £200,000 business scam
- Prolific Harrogate drug dealer jailed
Developer to seek costs over Knox Lane housing appeal
A developer behind an appeal to build 53 homes on Knox Lane in Harrogate will seek costs from North Yorkshire Council.
Councillors on the authority’s Harrogate and Knaresborough planning committee rejected plans for the homes off the street in the Bilton area in September last year.
Teesside developer Jomast has appealed to the government’s Planning Inspectorate after it said the plans were recommended for approval by council officers on four separate occasions.
A public inquiry into the matter is due to be held on July 23 and is expected to last for five days. A venue is yet to be confirmed.
The Planning Inspectorate will then make a decision at a later date.
Knox Lane
Meanwhile, the developer has applied to be awarded costs as part of its appeal.
In documents submitted to the government, Patrick Stone, of planning agent Spawforths which is representing Jomast, said the authority “demonstrated unreasonable behaviour” during the planning process.
He said:
“The council acted unreasonably in overturning the professional judgement of the case officer that the application was assessed to be in line with local and national policies and recommended for approval.”
The move means the council could face high costs if it loses on appeal.
Read more:
- Ex-James Bond star Pierce Brosnan spotted in Harrogate bar
- Councillors back plea to remove Knox Lane site from local plan
The council’s Harrogate and Knaresborough area planning committee rejected the application in September 2023.
A 45-page report by council case officer Andy Hough before the meeting said the application was “considered to now be in compliance with development plan policy” and should be approved.
But councillors cited concerns about land contamination and the lack of a travel plan to go against Mr Hough’s recommendation. The site is alongside a narrow cul-de-sac and not close to a bus route.
Cllr Paul Haslam, who represents Bilton and Nidd Gorge, spoke on behalf of residents at the meeting. He said:
Two arrested after man stabbed in Harrogate“There have been over 500 objections to this application from residents. Not because they are ‘nimbys’, but because they believe the council is making a mistake.”
A man was stabbed in the Mayfield Grove area of Harrogate last night (May 12).
North Yorkshire Police said in a statement today it received reports that a man had suffered stab wounds just before 7.30pm last night.
The statement added:
“Officers attended and found a man had suffered an injury to his hand.
“A short time later two men were arrested in connection with the incident. A 27-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of robbery and a 32-year-old man was arrested for wounding with intent. Both currently remain in police custody.
“Following the incident, the victim received treatment in hospital for minor injuries.
Police reassured residents today by describing it as an “isolated incident”.
Superintendent Teresa Lam, senior commander for the Harrogate district, said:
“Thankfully incidents of this nature are extremely rare in Harrogate, and they will not be tolerated. An investigation is now underway to establish the full circumstances.
“I would like to stress that we are treating this as an isolated incident and do not believe that there is any ongoing wider threat to the general public.”
Mayfield Grove
However, it is not the first serious incident in the Mayfield Grove area in recent years.
Vitalijus Koreiva, 37, was jailed at Leeds Crown Court in 2022 for murdering Gracijus Balciauskas in a flat on the road.
In the previous year Daniel Ainsley was sentenced to 22 years in prison for murdering 48-year-old Mark Wolsey at a bedsit on the road.
Police urged anyone with information about the latest incident or doorbell footage to call them on 101 and quote incident number 12240083406 or to contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Read more:
Harrogate business park could get 10 more units
Plans have been submitted for phase two of the Harrogate West Business Park which could see 10 industrial units constructed for businesses to rent.
The Burley Bank Road site is alongside Penny Pot Lane and is close to the Army Foundation College.
Teakwood Investments Ltd has already built several industrial buildings at the business park including the headquarters for Harrogate firm Envirovent which opened in 2022.
Designs by Harrogate-based SPX Architects show the 10 units would vary in size with the smallest being 307 square metres and the largest 2,908 square metres. They would all be between seven and nine metres tall.
In total, the units would create 12,535 square metres of commercial floor space.
The site would be accessed and exited through the existing industrial park estate road, Bardner Bank.
According to the plans, service yards have been designed with sufficient space for HGVs to turn.
A design and access statement attached to the application said the business park has a “very minor impact” on nearby roads.
However, so far one resident has objected to the proposals fearing congestion from vehicles and HGVs.
They said:
“Local residents rightly are unhappy as property/amenity values will reduce and Burley Bank Road will become a car and HGV rat run to the A59.”
North Yorkshire Council has also received several letters of support from businesses interested in taking up units at the site.
Yorkshire Flapjack said they currently operate from a unit at the business park and would be interested in expanding to a larger one.
They said:
“The speed at which the phase 1 development was taken up by 13 different businesses has been testament to the pent-up demand for this type of commercial propertiy in the town.”
North Yorkshire Council will decide on the plans at a later date.
Read more:
- Starbucks reveals opening date for new Harrogate drive-through
- Controversial traffic proposal for Harrogate road scrapped
- Pierce Brosnan ‘borrows screwdriver’ from Knaresborough optician