This story is sponsored by Emma Mellor Handmade Rugs. 

Home improvers looking for the perfect rug need no longer struggle to visualise it in their own home, following the launch of a unique new service by a shop in Harrogate. 

Emma Mellor Handmade Rugs only sells beautiful hand-knotted, naturally dyed rugs, woven from wool or silk. Each is a one-off, so choosing one can be enjoyable but also a challenge – which is where the company’s new home viewing service comes in.

Owner Emma Mellor will bring any rugs a customer has selected online or in the Harrogate showroom to their home, so they can see them in situ before making a final choice. And if they decide to buy one, delivery has already been made. Emma, who lives locally, said: 

“I started the home viewing service because I know from my own experience that you might find a rug you love in the showroom, but it can be really difficult to visualise it in your own home. 

“Rugs are quite ‘alive’ textiles, and their colours can appear to change in different settings, depending on the light, the dimensions of the space, and what other fabrics or textiles you have in the room.

“You need to find something that will complement what you already have, rather than clashing with it. It’s a very personal service.” 

Emma Mellor Handmade Rugs, on Albert Street in Harrogate.

Emma Mellor Handmade Rugs, which also has a shop in York and an office in London, sources most of its pieces from Nepal, Afghanistan and Morocco, but it also has some antique Persian rugs. Sizes vary from small mat-sized pieces to oversized rugs right up to 7m by 4m, or bigger. 

Emma said: 

“My target customer is anyone with really good taste. They believe in good quality, they don’t believe in the throwaway culture, and they’re interested in colour. 

“These are all individual pieces – each one is unique – so when you buy one, you know that no-one else will have one like it.” 

All the rugs Emma sells are certified by GoodWeave International. The certification means they’re guaranteed to have been made ethically, with no child labour involved. 

Emma Mellor also pays her weavers a premium above market price, to ensure they can support their families. This also ensures their age-old skills don’t die out. 

The company is just about to bring out a new range of rugs designed by Emma herself and fresh off the loom in Nepal.  

Emma said: 

“The weavers really are the most incredible artists. Out of a ball of wool, they can create wonderful works of art. 

“I feel really privileged to sell these pieces, which are made by people far more skilled than I’ll ever be.” 

Find out more: 

To see – and feel – our latest range of handmade rugs, come to our showroom at 13/15 Albert Street in Harrogate, which is open Tuesday to Saturday, from 10.30am to 4.30pm. 

Alternatively, you can find all our ranges on our website, www.emmamellorhandmaderugs.com.

To book a home viewing appointment, call us on 01904 622822.

North Yorkshire Council has rejected requests to reduce the speed limit on some main roads outside schools in Harrogate to 20mph.

A report due before Cllr Keane Duncan, executive councillor for highways, will recommend creating a 20mph zone outside schools in the Pannal Ash and Oatlands area of the town.

The council announced plans for the “landmark” zone in September following a safety campaign by residents, councillors and schools.

The proposed area for the new zones included seven Harrogate schools. These are Harrogate Grammar School, Rossett Acre Primary School, Rossett School, Ashville College, St Aidan’s Church of England High School, Oatlands Junior School and Oatlands Infants School.

It included roads such as Arthurs Avenue, Oatlands Drive, Yew Tree Lane and Cromwell Road.

But it now appears main routes Leeds Road, Wetherby Road, Otley Road, Hookstone Road, Hookstone Drive, York Place and Leadhall Lane will not be included in the plan.

A map of the 20mph areas in Pannal and Oatlands. Picture: NYC.

Neil Renton, headteacher at Harrogate Grammar School, told the council’s Harrogate and Knaresborough area constituency committee in September he hoped Otley Road — where students enter the school — could be reduced to 20mph.

Read more:

• Harrogate Grammar School head says 20mph zone should include Otley Road
• Headteachers unite to support 20mph speed limit near Harrogate schools

But the report due before Cllr Duncan on December 18 says the main roads were identified as either “strategic distributor” or “main distributor” roads.

It added:

“Practically given the recognised role in the strategic network and their function to carry high volumes of traffic between primary destinations it is not considered appropriate to implement physical traffic calming features and an associated speed reduction to 20mph.”

Meanwhile, the council said Leadhall Lane “does not have identified destination points such as schools, shops or sports centre” and a 20mph limit would be “difficult to achieve”.

‘Incredibly disappointed’

Christopher Harrison, headteacher at Oatlands Infant School, said he was “incredibly disappointed” by the plans.

The school caters for pupils between the ages of four and seven.

Mr Harrison said he hoped the council would reconsider its proposals and reduce the speed limit on Hookstone Road from 30mph to 20mph.

He said:

“As headteacher of Oatlands Infant School, I am incredibly disappointed by the decision to keep Hookstone Road at 30mph. 

“We have a healthy, active school community who love to walk, cycle and scooter to school alongside Hookstone Road on a daily basis. 

“We worry that the current speed limit of 30mph is not safe enough for our children, and that a reduction to 20mph would enable more families to travel to school in safety. We hope that North Yorkshire Council reconsider this decision with our youngest, most vulnerable members of our community in mind.”

Otley Road

Hazel Peacock, of the Oatlands Road Safety and Active Travel Campaign, said the plans did not go far enough and urged the council to include the roads in the proposals.

She said:

“For the safety and well-being of the 9,000 school children and the wider community in Oatlands and Pannal Ash we urge North Yorkshire Council to reconsider the inclusion of Hookstone Road, Hookstone Drive, Leadhall Lane, part of Leeds Rd (A61), Otley Rd (B6162), Wetherby Road (A661) and York Place (A6040) as 20mph in the Harrogate (south and west) 20mph Speed Limit review to be considered by Cllr Keane Duncan, North Yorkshire Council’s executive member for highways and transportation and mayoral candidate, on Monday 18th December.

“Without the inclusion of Hookstone Road, Hookstone Drive, Otley Road and part of Wetherby Road specifically only five of the nine schools in the zone will be fully covered with 20mph roads immediately surrounding them; leaving St John Fishers Catholic High School and Willow Tree Primary School on 30mph roads and a combination of 30mph and 20mph in the case of Harrogate Grammar School and Oatlands Infant School.

“Considering people hit by a vehicle at 20mph are around five times less likely to be killed than at 30mph (Transport for London data) and that 16 children are killed or seriously injured in road crashes every week on their way to or from school (Public Health England), it is clear why the inclusion of these roads as 20mph matters.

“We hope Cllr Duncan will include them to prioritise the safety and well-being of the school children and members of the community as has been done on ‘main roads’ by other local authorities, in many including nearby Otley, Leeds, Nottingham, Manchester, Glasgow, London, rural villages in Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire.”

The scheme is estimated to cost the council £200,000.

The authority has recommended proceeding to consultation on traffic regulation orders for the areas proposed to be reduced to 20mph.

A decision will be made on the recommendation at next week’s meeting.

North Yorkshire Council has cancelled another Harrogate and Knaresborough planning committee due to a lack of planning applications to consider.

The meeting was set to take place next Tuesday at the Civic Centre in Harrogate.

It means since the new council was formed in April, just four out of nine planned meetings have taken place with none happening since the last meeting on September 26.

The ability to approve or reject planning applications is a key responsibility of elected councillors, with cross-party planning committees based around parliamentary constituencies scheduled to meet each month.

But there have been concerns across the county that power has been concentrated centrally with unelected officers making the decisions instead.

Last month, the Harrogate & Knaresborough committee chair Pat Marsh told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that the council was making a “nonsense” out of the current planning system.

In a statement published this week, the council’s assistant director of planning services, Trevor Watson, said one reason for the paucity of meetings was that planning applications in the former Harrogate district area are now been heard by councillors in the Skipton & Ripon and Selby & Ainsty constituency areas instead.

This includes plans for an eco home development in Flaxby tomorrow, which is a resubmitted version of a scheme previously refused by Harrogate Borough Council.

Mr Watson said: 

“We are committed to open and transparent governance and always endeavour to hold planning meetings where possible.

“Unfortunately, due to a lack of agenda items, the Harrogate and Knaresborough area constituency planning committee meeting scheduled for December 19 had to be cancelled.

“However, as the former administrative boundary of Harrogate Borough Council is split over three area constituency planning committees, a number of applications were considered at the Skipton and Ripon planning committee last week.

“A further two items are scheduled to be considered by the Selby and Ainsty committee on Wednesday.”

The next Harrogate & Knaresborough planning committee is set to take place on January 30.

Read more:

• Tory mayoral candidate pledges North Yorkshire bus franchising assessment
• Harrogate’s rare historic items set to remain with local organisations

Harrogate and Knaresborough‘s Conservative MP Andrew Jones has declined to say whether he will support the government’s Rwanda bill tomorrow.

The Safety of Rwanda Bill aims to block legal challenges that prevent deportation flights of asylum seekers from taking off. The government is bringing forward the bill after the Supreme Court ruled its previous attempt to send asylum seekers to Rwanda was unlawful.

The verdict triggered the resignation of Home Secretary Suella Braverman and has led to threats of a rebellion from the right of the Conservative Party, which fears the new bill does not go far enough.

At the same time, some more centrist Conservatives are concerned the bill ignores international law.

If the Conservatives lose the vote, it would be a serious blow to the authority of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

The Stray Ferret asked Mr Jones if he would vote in favour of the bill.

He replied:

“We should not think of the Rwanda bill in isolation.  It is part of a number of measures designed to deter people from making the dangerous journey across the English Channel.

“Among these measures are new returns agreements with Albania, enhanced deals with the French authorities, greater support for asylum application processing and more besides.  These measures have led to crossings coming down by a third this year already.”

Mr Jones went on to say he “will be looking closely at the bill and any amendments which might be selected for debate by the Speaker”, adding:

“When considering those amendments my thoughts will be about how we break the people smuggling gangs and, most importantly, how we stop the grim certainty of more fatalities in our coastal waters.

“This issue is not confined to the UK; we see it again and again in the Mediterranean too.  Breaking these gangs requires an international effort and I know we are working closely with partners on how this is done to the best effect.”

Read more:

• Liberal Democrat councillor chosen as next Harrogate charter mayor
• ‘Two in one’burglars strike in Harrogate

Thieves broke into a house in Harrogate and stole car keys before making off with a Kia Picanto.

North Yorkshire Police said today it was investigating the ‘two-in-one’ burglary on Lindrick Way, in the Jennyfields area,

It happened last weekend between 11.15pm on Saturday and 3am on Sunday (December 9 and 10).

A silver Kia Picanto, registration RE17 KNG, was taken.

“Police are urging the public to get in touch if they saw anything that could help the investigation or have any CCTV doorbell footage.

“If you can help please contact North Yorkshire Police on 101 and ask for PC822 Cleary.

“You can also contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.”

Quote reference number 12230233921.

Read more:

• Council scraps ‘waste of money’ £100,000 Harrogate cycle plan
• Top US colonel due in court today over Harrogate schoolboy crash

Councillor Chris Aldred, who represents High Harrogate and Kingsley for the Liberal Democrats, has been confirmed as the Harrogate charter mayor from next year.

Cllr Aldred will be the town’s second charter mayor, which is a role created by North Yorkshire Council following the abolition of Harrogate Borough Council in April.

The non-political, unelected role involves promoting the historic and ceremonial traditions of the Harrogate area during events such as last month’s Remembrance Sunday.

Cllr Aldred was chosen this morning by the Harrogate charter trustees, which are 10 councillors who represent divisions covering the unparished parts of Harrogate town.

He will be supported by deputy charter mayor Michael Schofield, who represents Harlow and St Georges as an independent.

The mayoral tradition will pass to a future Harrogate Town Council but this is not expected to happen until at least 2025.

The current charter mayor is Cllr Michael Harrison, who represents Killinghall, Hampsthwaite and Saltergate for the Conservatives.

Cllr Harrison said:

“As charter trustees we’ll still be in play for at least one more year.

“We asked for nominations and I’m delighted to report that there was one nomination for charter mayor to be Chris Aldred as charter mayor and Mike Schofield for deputy mayor. I’d like to congratulate both of those people.”

Read more:

• Tory mayoral candidate pledges North Yorkshire bus franchising assessment
• Harrogate’s rare historic items set to remain with local organisations

Cllr Aldred and Cllr Schofield will become charter mayor and deputy at a meeting in May.

The charter mayor role differs from the former Harrogate Borough Council mayoralty, which covered the whole of the former borough with the mayor undertaking a wider range of engagements.

The charter mayor is not entitled to expenses such as a chauffeur driven car that the former Harrogate Borough Council mayor could benefit from.

Although the charter mayor is still entitled to wear chains and civic regalia as worn by previous mayors.

At the meeting this morning, councillors approved increasing the annual budget for charter trustee business from £12,100 a year to £12,800, with most of the money set to be spent on North Yorkshire Council staff costs.

It means a Harrogate resident living in a band D property will spend 46p on the charter trustees and charter mayor next year through council tax.

This story is sponsored by Harrogate College.

What does the term ‘T Levels’ mean to you? Work experience? A government initiative? Gobbledygook? If it’s the latter, you’re not alone. Even though most parents and carers of teenagers will have heard about T Levels, many will struggle to tell you what this technical qualification is about. 

In this article, we get down to basics by answering the most common questions people ask about T Levels.

What is a T Level?

A T Level is a technical qualification that is the equivalent level as an A level. One T Level is the same size as three A levels due to the breadth and depth of learning it offers students in a specific area. A single T Level also provides the same amount of UCAS points as three A levels, providing students with another post-16 pathway to university.

T Levels vs A levels, which is better?

Neither. T Levels and A levels are both valid choices for post-GCSE study, they both require the same level of academic acumen. The crucial difference is that T Levels have a technical focus and include a work placement, whilst A levels are theoretical. 

Whether studying a T Level is right for your child will depend on whether they want to focus on a specific subject in depth, or study a broader range of subject areas.

Can you progress to university with a T Level?

Yes, just like A levels, T Levels were designed as a route to higher education. The key thing to remember is that a single T Level provides the same amount of UCAS points as three A levels. This means that anyone who prefers to study a more hands-on course will still walk away with the right amount of points needed for entry to university. 

Okay, so which universities accept T Levels?

You can find out which universities accept T Levels by checking the entry requirements on their website. Many universities now offer T Level applicants equal consideration on degree applications, including Russell Group institutions like  the University of York, University of Warwick and King’s College London. 

However, due to its technical nature, you may find that a university might accept a T Level as an entry qualification for one degree, but not another. For example, a student could apply for an undergraduate degree in environmental science, but not mathematics. Fortunately, colleges can advise your child further based on their chosen progression route.

How many subjects do you study on a T Level?

Students study one subject on a T Level. Although studying multiple subjects is helpful for those who are still making up their minds about the future, if your child already knows what they’d like to pursue, a T Level will allow them to specialise sooner.

This was the case for Claire, a student in one of Harrogate College’s 2022 cohorts. “When my tutor told me about the T Level in Digital and IT, I knew it would be perfect as tech has always been my passion. The T Level helped to expand my horizons as there were many aspects of IT I wasn’t aware of.”

Like Claire, being able to focus on and explore different aspects of a subject in detail can help 16 to 18 year olds to feel one step closer to their end goal, providing them with a headstart when it comes to building employability skills for their desired career or job role.

What subjects can you study on a T Level?

There are now 20 T Level subjects in total, but the subjects colleges choose to deliver depends on a couple of factors. The first is the local and regional industry demand for that subject, as well as the amount of tutors and employers available for the necessary teaching and work experience elements. 

What are the T Levels at Harrogate College?

We offer students a choice of T Levels in Business, Engineering, Education and Childcare, Health, or Digital and IT. Students who successfully complete a T Level at Harrogate College will receive a nationally recognised qualification that readies them for higher education or employment. 

Why does a T Level have a work experience element?

To provide students with real-world skills. Take a T Level in Childcare, for example. A T Level Education and Childcare student will spend the academic year familiarising themselves with the fundamentals of the sector – child development, safeguarding, behavioural management and so on. They will also spend one day a week, for 45 weeks, putting what they’ve learnt into practice on a compulsory work experience placement, usually in a nursery or early years setting. This combination of practical and theoretical teaching equips learners with hands-on skills and knowledge they can build upon, which is the hallmark of technical education. 

Will T Levels eventually be scrapped because of the new Advanced British Standard?

No, the government’s recent announcement about a major reform of post-16 qualifications in England will see both T Levels and A levels merge into a single, new qualification. The hope is it will enable students to study a mix of technical and academic qualifications, providing better flexibility for future choices.

Are T Levels the same as BTECs?

T Levels and BTECs are two different qualifications. In fact, some might argue that the BTEC qualification is the predecessor of a T Level. 2024 will see thirty-eight BTECs discontinued where these subjects are now taught as T Levels.

The plus side is that T Levels feature a longer work experience period than BTECs (just over six weeks compared to the usual two to three weeks), allowing students more time to gain an insight into the working world.

What happens during a T Level work placement?

During their work experience, a student will be given tasks relating to technical areas in which they need to build experience. T Level work placements are hosted by employers, who will be made aware of each student’s objectives. This is so that they can ensure the student has access to the right type of work needed for each technical area.

I’m an employer, how can I host a T Level placement?

Students are assigned a designated employer by our Employee Engagement Officer. We contact all employers we work with during the spring term of each academic year. If being a T Level work experience host is something you would like to be considered for, please contact Susan.Roberts@harrogate.ac.uk to express your interest. 

A £100,000 project to make a minor Harrogate road better for cycling has been scrapped after being criticised as a “waste of money”.

North Yorkshire Council revealed in September it planned to upgrade Nursery Lane, which is a minor road off Otley Road, into an off-road leisure route.

The scheme came as part of 10 proposals put forward to reduce congestion in west Harrogate.

However, a council report due before Cllr Keane Duncan, executive councillor for highways, next week shows the plan has now been dropped.

The project was criticised by cyclists at a meeting of Harrogate and Knaresborough area constituency committee in September.

David Mitchell, of Harrogate District Cycle Action, told councillors that spending £100,000 on Nursery Lane was “not sensible because it would not make a meaningful difference to the cycle network”.

Meanwhile, Cllr Paul Haslam, a Conservative who represents Bilton and Nidd Gorge, told the meeting the cycling community had told him the proposal was “a complete waste of money because that lane is already safe”.

Read more:

• 10 schemes proposed to reduce congestion in Harrogate
• Latest £100,000 Harrogate cycle plan branded ‘a waste of money’ — by cyclists
• Council has failed cyclists in Harrogate, says campaigner

The report, which will go before Cllr Duncan on December 18, says the scheme has been scrapped as feedback showed it “was not supported and the funding could be better utilised on other projects”.

It has been replaced with a £60,000 plan to resurface the footpath and cycleway between Green Lane and Blenheim Way, which is known as Rossett Cycle Path.

The report said the move would “enhance the off-road route and encourage its use as an alternative route to the Otley Road corridor for walkers and cyclists”.

The Stray Ferret reported the proposed congestion-reducing initiatives when they were published in September. You can read them here.

Funding for the overall project has increased to £854,000 after the authority received further section 106 contributions.

The cost for the improvements is now estimated at £715,000 – an increase from £585,000.

The council said any remaining money would be kept as a contingency to cover design work, which is expected to start in January 2024.

A further report on the proposals will be brought before Harrogate and Knaresborough area constituency committee in the spring.

North Yorkshire Council has increased the cost of some of its pest control services.

The cost of paying the council to treat ants has gone up from £56.40 to £87 and the cost of treating wasps has risen from £66 to £73.

However, council fees for tackling rats, mice and grey squirrels have been pegged at £108, £98.40 and £175.20 respectively locally.

It is part of a move by the new council to harmonise pest control fees in the county.

North Yorkshire Council replaced seven district and borough councils, including Harrogate, in April.

Four of the previous councils — Harrogate, Hambleton, Richmondshire and Ryedale. — treated pests, which is a discretionary service local authorities are not obliged to provide.

According to a council report, Harrogate Borough Council was the only one to make a profit from pest control. The other three councils subsidised the service.

Harrogate Borough Council spent £102,100 on the service in 2022/23 and generated £153,600 — a profit of £51,500.

Now the council has set a new set of fees, which it estimates will generate a £13,000 profit this year.

The report says:

“The benefit is not significant in terms of income, but it would achieve greater consistency in charges across localities.”

Read more:

• Harrogate man jailed for role in ‘flooding’ town with heroin
• Farmsion relaunches Ripon butchers shop

The two-day trial of a highly decorated American colonel accused of seriously injuring two schoolboys in a collision in Harrogate is due to begin today.

Benjamin Oakes, 46, of Tewit Well Avenue, Harrogate, is charged with causing injury by careless or inconsiderate driving on Yew Tree Lane on February 2 this year.

Two 15-year-old boys, who cannot be named for legal reasons, suffered serious injuries in the collision near Ashville College.

Mr Oakes’ LinkedIn profile, which was taken down before the case first came to court in August, stated he was chief of the space policy division for the US joint chiefs of staff at the Pentagon.

The joint chiefs of staff consists of the most senior leaders in the United States Department of Defense, which advises the president.

Today’s hearing is due to take place at York Magistrates Court.

Mr Oakes pleaded not guilty when the case opened in Harrogate in August. Both he and the magistrates opted not to send the case to crown court, where he would have faced a jury trial.

The schoolboys are expected to give evidence via a video link during the trial.

Read more:

• Man pleads not guilty to seriously injuring teens in collision outside Harrogate school
• Accused in Harrogate schoolboy crash is US chief of space policy