Developers silent over planned Harrogate Starbucks

Developers behind a former Leon restaurant in Harrogate which was due to become a Starbucks have remained silent on the scheme.

North Yorkshire Council approved plans to change the signage around the Wetherby Road site to Starbucks branding in August but the building remains closed.

Permission was given for a total of 20 signs, just over half of which would be illuminated, including totem signs, menus and directional signs around the drive-through.

Leon, which opened last June, closed its doors on April 2 with the loss of around 20 jobs.

It was operated by Blackburn-based EG Group, which also runs Starbucks franchises as well as brands including KFC and Greggs.

The Stray Ferret asked EG Group for an update on the project and whether it had confirmed an opening date, but received no response by the time of publication.

We also asked Starbucks whether it had a potential launch date for the new store.

In response, a spokesperson for the company said:

“I’m afraid we don’t comment on pieces of planning application.”

Currently, the building has been empty for seven months and has been stripped of its Leon branding and signage.

The coffee brand has only one existing presence in the Harrogate district, on Cambridge Street in the town centre.

Read more:

 

Firefighters called to two-vehicle collision near Harrogate

Harrogate firefighters and colleagues from Moortown in Leeds were called a two-vehicle collision in North Rigton last night.

The incident, which happened at 7pm, took place on Harrogate Road.

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service’s incident log said:

“Two males were able to self-extricate from their vehicles prior to fire brigade arrival.

“Both men were left in the hands of the ambulance.”

It added the men had sustained “unknown” injuries.

No further details have been revealed.

Read more:

The Harrogate crew was also called to the St Patrick’s Way area of the town following reports of young people starting a fire in a recreational ground.

The log said staff at the nearby ambulance station reported the incident, which happened at 1.11am this morning.

It added:

“[The] crew extinguishes a fire measuring one square metre using a hose reel.”

 

20mph speed limit proposed for Harrogate’s Woodfield Road

North Yorkshire Council has proposed new road safety measures for Woodfield Road in the Bilton area of Harrogate.

The project, funded through the North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner’s AJ1 project road safety fund, will see the introduction of traffic calming measures, including speed cushions and a 20mph speed limit.

Cllr Paul Haslam, a Conservative who represents Bilton and Nidd Gorge, told the Stray Ferret the measures were being taken “for the safety of children” ahead of the former Woodfield Road Community Primary School re-opening.

There school, which closed at the end of last year, is due to reopen as a secondary school for 80 autistic children in September 2024.

The former Woodfield Road Community Primary.

Cllr Haslam secured a £20,000 budget for the road safety project and a spokesperson for the council said “the cost will be within the £20,000 fund”, with exact costs “still to come from contractors”.

The council hopes the project will be completed before April 2024.

The scheme follows another major road safety package unveiled by the council in September to create an extensive 20mph zone in the Pannal Ash and Oatlands area of the town.

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.

Read more:

 

Harrogate bar staff to be trained to prevent attacks on women

Harrogate hospitality workers are to receive training on how to make women feel safer in the town centre at night.

Zoë Metcalfe, the North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, announced today her office had been awarded up to £309,911 from the Home Office’s safer streets fund to improve safety for women and girls.

It will fund various initiatives, including vulnerability and spiking awareness training for staff employed in the nighttime economy in Harrogate.

The training aims to make women feel safer at night and tackle violence against women and girls.

The funding will also provide free video doorbells for repeat victims of domestic abuse and stalking.

The commissioner’s office has also secured up to £689,607 from the Home Office to prevent neighbourhood crime, most of which will be spent on security upgrades at homes and farms in and around Scarborough and York.

Ms Metcalfe said:

“Preventing burglary, tackling rural crime and improving safety for women and girls are priority areas within my police and crime plan and violence against women and girls strategy and these initiatives will have a real, tangible impact on how safe people feel both in and outside their homes.”

Read more:

 

Scope closes Knaresborough charity shop after 35 years

Scope has closed its Knaresborough charity shop after 35 years on the High Street.

The store, which opened in 1988, served its last customer on Saturday.

It stocked second-hand clothing and accessories and was one of 190 Scope retail stores in the UK. Profits fund the charity’s work to campaign for disability equality.

Debbie Boylen head of retail at Scope, said the store was “no longer viable to trade”, adding:

“We were very sad to close our charity shop in Knaresborough, we have had such incredible support from this wonderful and generous community.

“The cost-of-living crisis, coupled with the pandemic, has placed an enormous pressure on stores trading on high streets across the UK, with significant and lengthy closure periods.”

Despite the closure, Knaresborough still has another seven charity shops, including Oxfam and Cancer Research UK, to shop at.

Scope also has a store on Beulah Street in Harrogate.

Read more:

 

Man in 90s dies after Harrogate collision

A man who was seriously injured after a collision between Harrogate and Killinghall has died.

The man, who was in his 90s, had just got off the bus when he was struck by a Ford Fiesta travelling northbound on Monday night (November 6).

He was left in a serious condition in hospital.

The incident took place on the A61, on the bridge close to the junction with Knox Mill Lane, at 5.50pm. A 36 bus stop is situated on the bridge.

This evening, North Yorkshire Police confirmed that the man has died.

A force statement said:

“His family have been informed and are being supported by specially trained officers.”

Officers have also appealed for witnesses and dash cam footage to help with the investigation into the collision.

Police added:

“Officers are continuing their enquiries and are renewing the appeal for information or dash cam footage.

“Anyone who could help the investigation is asked to email MCIT@northyorkshire.police.uk or phone 101, quoting reference number 12230211344.”

Read more:

 

Harrogate charity in turmoil after Barclays suddenly closes account

A charity near Harrogate that provides riding therapy to vulnerable children has been plunged into turmoil by the sudden closure of its bank account.

Sarah Kekoa, founder of Autism Angels, said Barclays told her last week it had inadvertently closed the account and would reactivate it within 48 hours.

But nine days later the issue remains unresolved, leaving the charity unable to pay staff or cash-in cheques worth tens of thousands of pounds.

Ms Kekoa told the Stray Ferret she was desperate for the situation to be resolved quickly because it threatened the organisation’s reputation and ongoing viability. She said:

“We can’t pay anyone — it is absolutely diabolical. Our money is somewhere in the ether.

“We deal with some extremely vulnerable children. We have to be here for them and their families and this is putting us in a very difficult situation.”

Sarah Kekoa (centre) with colleagues at Autism Angels.

Ms Kekoa said the charity’s five staff, who are paid weekly, had continued to work despite missing out on their latest wages.

She said three families of her family had banked with Barclays and Autism Angels had been a Barclays customer for 11 years but she was “beyond frustrated” at the length of time the matter was taking to resolve.

She added staff at her local branch had been helpful but it appeared to be a classic case of “computer says no” with messages not being acted upon.

The Stray Ferret has seen an email from Barclays to Autism Angels, dated Friday last week, in which it said it was “trying to get your bank account opened as soon as possible” and apologising for any inconvenience.

Autism Angels, which is based in Summerbridge, near Pateley Bridge, helps people with autism, mental health issues and in crisis ride horses and ponies for therapy.

A Barclays Spokesperson said:

“As part of our ongoing responsibility to help prevent financial crime, and to meet our regulatory obligations, we are required to keep up to date information regarding our customers’ accounts.

“We share a series of communications with our customers including writing to them by post, through alert banners on our digitally active customers’ online and mobile banking as well as reminder SMS text messages and emails asking customers to supply us with some important information relating to their Barclays business account.

“In cases where we do not receive a response with up-to-date account information, we will proceed with the application of card blocks and account restrictions, ahead of issuing final closure arrangements. Therefore, it is very important that account holders respond to these requests.”

Read more:

 

‘Teething issues’ to blame for more missed Harrogate bin collections, says council

North Yorkshire Council has blamed “teething issues” for an increase in missed bin collections in the Harrogate district.

Latest figures from the council show there were 1,579 missed collections in the first quarter of the year. The number is an increase on 1,535 in the same period last year.

Council officials said part of the reason for the missed collections, most of which were for garden waste, was due to a “route optimisation process” carried out by Harrogate Borough Council, which was abolished on April 1.

This included changing routes and removing one lorry from the rounds.

However, Michael Leah, North Yorkshire Council’s assistant director of environmental services, described the process as an “overall positive”.

He said:

“I am pleased of the level of waste collection services provided across the county. For the Harrogate area, the optimisation of the garden waste collection service has been positive overall for the council, both in terms of efficiency and reduction in its carbon footprint.

“We noted some ‘teething issues’ from this work with a slightly higher rate of missed garden waste bins during the first quarter of the year. We are already well ahead with resolving any issues arising from that work.”

Read more:

It comes as Harrogate and Knaresborough councillors raised concern over missed collections after it was claimed just 129 bins were missed across the county in the first 100 days of the new council.

Cllr Hannah Gostlow, a Liberal Democrat who represents Knaresborough East, raised the issue at a full council meeting in July when she challenged council leader, Carl Les, over the accuracy of the authority’s figures.

She said:

“Talking with my colleagues across the former Harrogate borough and hearing from my own residents, I understand that there has been a much higher than normal missed general, garden and recycling waste bins.

“Unfortunately it also includes assisted bin collections.”

Cllr Les apologised for the inaccuracy and later sent the correct figures to Cllr Gostlow.

Stray Ferret Christmas Appeal 2023: Dementia Forward is a ‘godsend’ for husband, says wife

This year’s Stray Ferret Christmas Appeal is to raise £30,000 for a much-needed minibus for Dementia Forward in the Harrogate district. 

The appeal is kindly sponsored by Vida Healthcare.

Please give generously to support local people and their families living with dementia. Let’s not forget who needs our help this Christmas.

Today, Flora spoke to a local couple about how Dementia Forward has helped them.

This Christmas, many people in the Harrogate district – families, friends, colleagues – won’t remember the festivities like others will, and their families can only sit by and watch as they lose their memories.

One local couple, Val and David Smith, have used the services on offer at Dementia Forward – including its Hub Club – during their nine-year battle with dementia.

The Smiths, who have been happily married for 56 years, received David’s diagnosis in 2014. Dementia has continued to rob David of his former life, and rob Val of the husband she knew.

Val, who was previously a legal secretary, took on the role as her husband’s carer, but soon realised this was not something she could face alone.

She said:

“There was a seven-year gap in between. David’s symptoms became more obvious and it was clear I needed much more help.

“I rang up and told the staff about David’s diagnosis. They came and did a home visit before he joined the Hub Club.

“He was reluctant at first but once I’d convinced him, he started coming once a week. He loved it so much, he now comes three times per week.”

Before his diagnosis, 79-year-old David lived a normal life – he worked for Leeds City Council and was a proud Leeds Rhinos fan. But dementia can affect anyone and quickly changes the lives of those around them. Val added:

“This is a disease that touches so many people’s lives and, without Dementia Forward, both our lives would be very different.

David attends the Hub Club – which takes places every Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday – where he is surrounded by dementia support advisers and other people living with the disease who understand each other.

He does crosswords, plays dominos, snooker and, apparently, wins the morning quiz every time.

The Dementia Forward team strive to make the Hub Club a place where those living with dementia feel cared for and seen. They even curate playlists for each member made up of their favourite music to sing along to.

David said:

“I find it somewhere comfortable with nice people – it’s just something to do and gives me an interest.”

Dementia Forward not only provides support for those living with such a progressive condition, but also vital respite and advice for their carers.

Val described the charity as a “lifeline” and said the help they have provided both her and her husband has drastically improved her mental health. She added:

“It’s amazing – it’s just a break for me. I can go swimming, meet a friend, or just go home and potter around.”

Val also noted the positive impact it has had on her husband:

“It’s given him independence from me because we were spending 24/7 together. He’s made friends and he’s chatting to people.

“It gives me comfort to know he is comfortable, safe and secure.

“It’s a godsend.”

Even Val and Dave’s little grandson loves to drop grandpa off at Hub Club.

However, Val is losing her husband before her eyes – a heartbreaking experience shared by thousands of families and carers of those with dementia across the district. Dementia Forward eases the pain as much as it can – but it can only do so with the help of charitable donations.

Every donation to our campaign will go directly to Dementia Forward, helping us hit our £30,000 target to buy the charity a much-needed new minibus and bettering the lives of those living with dementia and the people around them.

Dementia Forward’s current bus urgently needs to be replaced. The charity would seriously struggle to afford a new one, which is why they need your help to keep this vital service going. Without it, many people living with dementia wouldn’t be able to access the help and support they need. 

Please, click here to donate whatever you can – you never know when you, your family or a friend may be in need of Dementia Forward’s help too.

Thank you.

The NHS found that one in 11 people over the age of 65 in the UK are living with dementia. For those who need urgent help or have a dementia-related enquiry, call 0330 057 8592 to speak to a helpline adviser.

 

Metal fences to remain in Harrogate’s Crescent Gardens until next year

The metal fencing around the pavilion in Harrogate‘s Crescent Gardens will remain in place until the new year, North Yorkshire Council has confirmed.

The fencing was erected last month as a “temporary measure” to prevent a group of rough sleepers from occupying the building.

The group, which inhabited the pavilion for two weeks in September, returned twice after being dispersed by officials.

A spokesperson for the council told the Stray Ferret this morning:

“The fencing is a temporary measure, but will remain in place until the new year as a result of the Christmas ice rink going into the gardens this month.”

The ice rink, which was put up on Crescent Gardens for the first time last year, is part of a three-year Christmas activity licence introduced by the former Harrogate Borough Council.

In a report at the time, Kirsty Stewart, the council’s grounds and maintenance manager, said the festive licence “will generate a minimum income of £37,500 per year”.

A rose arch has been erected as part of the Crescent Gardens revamp.

This has helped to fund a £21,000 revamp of Crescent Gardens.

Last year, the pavilion was used as a makeshift boot room for ice skaters, however its use this year is uncertain following the recent update.

Read more: