New headteacher appointed at Harrogate primary school

Western Primary School in Harrogate has appointed a new headteacher to take over at the end of the academic year.

Johanna Slack will take over from current headteacher Tim Broad, who is to retire.

Ms Slack is currently headteacher at Tang Hall Primary School in York and has over 20 years teaching experience.

She will take charge of Western Primary, which more than 500 children aged from two to 11 attend on Cold Bath Road.

Ms Slack said:

“My leadership style is one that is open and nurturing. It is built from developing strong relationships with everyone in the school community which has mutual respect at its core.

Joining Western Primary School will see me starting my third headship and I am looking forward to bringing to my new role a wide range of experiences, skills and knowledge which will support me and the team to continue the improvement journey to ensure all our children are getting the very best we have to offer.”

Ms Slack and Western Primary School

Mr Broad became acting headteacher of Western Primary in January 2020 before his full-time appointment in 2021.

Prior to this, he had worked as a teacher, phase leader and deputy head at the school since September 1999.

Mr Broad said:

“I feel very proud and privileged to have had the opportunity to lead this fantastic school. I have very mixed emotions around the prospect of retirement but feel it is the right time for me, my family and the school.

“I have been lucky enough to work with some incredibly talented colleagues over many years, both at Western and within our Trust, and am grateful for their support and for their sustained contribution to our pursuit of excellence for our pupils and families.”

Western Primary is a member of Red Kite Learning Trust, a multi-academy trust of 14 schools across North and West Yorkshire.

Trust chief executive Richard Sheriff said:

“We are indebted to Tim Broad for leading Western through some of the most challenging years any of us have faced. His constant, reassuring presence at the school during the pandemic was a huge comfort to children and parents.

“He has led his wonderful team with skill and moral purpose, ensuring Western has become even stronger under his tenure.”

Read more:

Campaigner launches crowdfunder to battle Harrogate Spring Water

The woman behind a campaign to stop Harrogate Spring Water’s expansion into Rotary Wood has launched a crowdfunder to raise money for site surveys, monitoring equipment and printing flyers.

The Danone-owned water company has lodged plans with North Yorkshire Council to expand its bottling plant on Harlow Moor Road.

The planning application is expected to be considered by Harrogate and Knaresborough councillors this year.

The firm says a bigger factory will mean it can create 50 new jobs and boost economic output by around £2.3m a year to £6.2m a year.

But Sarah Gibbs, who regularly wears a tree costume to highlight her opposition to the plans, argues the company will destroy a “well-used and well-loved” woodland that is enjoyed by the local community.

Rotary Wood is part of the Pinewoods and was planted by schoolchildren in the 2000s. Ms Gibbs’ GoFundMe crowdfunder has a goal of £3,000 and is currently at £200. You can read more about it  here.

Ms Gibbs said:

“Rotary Wood supports a variety of flora and fauna, including protected species and local priority species. Our woodland is now at the stage for optimal carbon sequestration, supporting a sustainable future.

“Our woodland is still under threat from Harrogate Spring Water’s development plans. Harrogate Spring Water intends to expand its existing single-use plastic water bottling plant into our community woodland.”

Harrogate Spring Water secured outline planning permission for the scheme in 2017, which remains valid, but the reserved matters stage deals with its appearance, size and crucially — trees.

Around 450 trees planted by local schoolchildren in an area of the Pinewoods called Rotary Wood would be chopped down to make way for the expansion.

This led to a previous reserved matters application being refused by the council in 2021 amid widespread public opposition and negative attention in the national press.

This time, the company hopes to win over critics in a new reserved matters application by planting an additional 1,200 trees on two acres of land next to Rotary Wood and to the rear of the existing Harrogate Spring Water HQ.

Richard Hall, managing director at Harrogate Spring Water, said he hopes the new woodland will become a “valued resource” for the local community for years to come.

Read more:

The National Shooting Show is back for 2024 – here’s what you need to know

This story is sponsored by The National Shooting Show.

Fieldsports fans are in for a treat if they go along to the Yorkshire Event Centre in Harrogate from May 11-12, 2024 where The National Shooting Show (NSS)  is being held.

Clay shooting, airgunning, HFT shooting, practical shooting and fullbore target shooting are all on offer. For non-shooters there are working dog displays, ferreting, falconry, archery and axe throwing too – the event promises to be an event the whole family can enjoy.

You may have known of the National Shooting Show under its previous guise as The Northern Shooting Show, so why the name change?

James Gower, CEO of organisers Stable Events explained:

“We looked where visitors to the show were coming from and rather than being focused on the north, people were coming from all over the UK – from London to Cornwall, Wales and the Midlands.

“So it was obviously a show of national interest and we changed the name to illustrate this. There are no plans to take it down south – we’ve also signed up for Harrogate in 2025 too.”

Try before you buy

Perhaps one of the biggest attractions of the NSS is that it enables visitors to try guns and optics outside on a range and see how kit they’re interested in buying handles.

(Image: The National Shooting Show)

Key figures from the worlds of stalking, keeping, clay shooting, wild food, gun dog training and pigeon shooting are acting as ‘ambassadors’ for the NSS. All will be present at the NSS, giving talks and on hand to answer questions and give useful tips.

Experiences

Ever fancied trying a .50 calibre rifle? Well, that’s just one of the experiences on offer, thanks to the Fifty Calibre Shooters Association (UK), which is offering visitors a rare chance to learn how to handle, load and aim a .50 calibre rifle under careful instruction.

Airsoft devotees will be pleased to hear that this fast-paced combat game is on offer at the Airsoft experience.

Not forgetting dogs

Watching a well-trained gun dog at work is a joy and Kirkbourne Spaniels will be running the BASC-sponsored scurry, as well as holding a working test competition. There is also a dog creche run by a qualified vet.

(Image: The National Shooting Show)

Talks

In the symposium area, figures from the world of fieldsports will be discussing the hot topics of the day. It is the perfect place to sit back, watch and listen when a rest is in order.

Food, glorious food

The Shooting  Lodge is a great place to catch up with friends over a pint and a new cafe area will be offering wild game and venison.

Those searching for culinary inspiration will find it in BASC Hunter’s Kitchen, where game chefs will create new dishes for all levels of cookery skills, using nature’s larder.

Find out more:

Tickets for The National Shooting Show are available here.

Harrogate pub set to rebrand

The Swan on Devonshire Place in Harrogate is to be rebranded by new owners.

The Harrogate pub will reopen as The Mucky Duck, under the ownership of Appetite for Life Ltd.

The company also run SO! bars in Harrogate, Knaresborough and Ripon, the Devonshire Tap House in Harrogate and Tap On Tower Street in Harrogate.

The High Harrogate venue was previously owned by Market Town Taverns, a Harrogate company which operates a chain of pubs in Yorkshire and north-west England.

An application for a pavement licence has been submitted to North Yorkshire Council by Robert Thompson, who is named as the licensee of Appetite for Life Ltd on Companies House. He and Alison Thompson are the new owners of the venue.

The application, which was submitted at the start of the month, is for ‘the ability to place several tables and chairs outside the front of the premises for the sale of food, drinks and alcohol’.

The new signage is set to go up this week with the pub expected to open in May, although there is no confirmed date at this time.

Mr Thompson said:

“We knew the area lacked a good quality pub, serving great freshly prepared British & pub classics with a modern flare, great familiar beers, and a proper friendly welcome, so that’s what we plan to do”.

 

“We have made Harrogate our home since the mid-nineties and knew the pub was known as The Black Swan before it was the Swan on the Stray but was affectionately known as the Mucky Duck by locals. We wanted to modernise the pub a bit, but with a nod to its past, hence adopting the locals nickname for the pub”.

Read more:

Developer appeals decision to refuse 53 homes in Harrogate

A property developer has launched an appeal after its bid to build 53 homes in Harrogate was refused.

Councillors on North Yorkshire Council’s Harrogate and Knaresborough planning committee rejected plans for the homes off Knox Lane in the Bilton area in September last year.

Now Teesside developer Jomast has appealed to the government’s Planning Inspectorate, which means the council faces a potentially costly legal battle.

Jomast’s appeal form indicates it has opted for an inquiry rather than a hearing or written representations.

It expects the inquiry to last four days and to call witnesses in the fields of planning, highways, design, landscape and ecology

The document says the 3.2-hectare site is owned by the Greenbank family near Boroughbridge.

The council must now decide whether to contest the appeal.

It is the latest round in the long running campaign to build homes off Knox Lane, which has been fiercely resisted by local people.

The site earmarked for houses.

A 45-page report  by council case officer Andy Hough before last September’s planning 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:

“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.”

Read more:

Mayoral candidate makes compensation pledge regarding A59 Kex Gill closure

Independent candidate Keith Tordoff has said he will aim to pay compensation to businesses affected by the A59 closure if he becomes mayor of York and North Yorkshire.

The main route between Skipton and Harrogate has been shut since February due to a landslip. It’s led to a lengthy diversion through Ilkley and Otley with the road not likely to reopen until June.

Last month the Local Democracy Reporting Service visited Dalesway Cafe near Skipton. Owner Kate Bailey described the current period as “heartbreaking” for her business. The closure has led to a £2,000 decrease in earnings, forced her to cut the opening hours and led to four members of staff being let go.

Other businesses that have been affected include Mackenzie’s Farm Shop in Blubberhouses, The Outside Inn near Harrogate, Billy Bob’s Parlour near Halton East and The Devonshire Arms in Bolton Abbey.

However, this month North Yorkshire Council poured cold water on any hopes of businesses receiving compensation and instead said it would offer “general business advice” to those affected.

Mr Tordoff, who is a former police detective and previously owned The Oldest Sweet Shop In The World in Pateley Bridge, told the LDRS that he plans to create a mayoral fund which businesses could apply for compensation from.

He said wealthy people, businesses and charities would pay into this pot of money that would be used to invest in the region.

It would be separate from the £18 million a year the mayor will get from the government and he hoped to raise £5m for the fund in his first year.

Mr Tordoff said he has already emailed Ms Bailey about her plight. He said compensation would likely be a “nominal” one-off amount but would show “that somebody actually does care”.

He said:

“My heart goes out to the business affected. It’s been an absolute disgrace. There are huge detours and the signage is terrible. There are so many issues. If I am elected, I’ll be fighting on their behalf.

“I will access funding and try and support them. There’s no guarantee, but as a small business owner myself it’s appalling what they’ve put up with.”

Alternatively, Mr Tordoff said he could also launch a crowdfunding campaign where individuals could pledge money that would be redistributed to affected businesses.

He accused North Yorkshire Council of “incompetence” regarding the closure.

Regarding compensation, the council’s corporate director of environment, Karl Battersby said earlier this month:

“We appreciate that the closure of the A59 is having a significant impact on businesses, commuters and residents, and we sincerely apologise for this disruption.

“There is no legal requirement under the Highways Act to pay compensation as a result of disruption caused by highways works, but we are doing all we can to complete the repair as quickly and safely as possible.

“In the meantime, we are speaking to individual local businesses to see if they would like general business advice. We will keep the public updated as work progresses.”

The York and North Yorkshire mayoral election will take place on May 2. The candidates are as follows:

Read more:

Amber’s restaurant at Cedar Court Hotel in Harrogate is now open

Amber’s at Cedar Court Hotel in Harrogate is now open.

The hotel, which has been undergoing an extensive refurbishment over the last 12 months, has invested £500,000 into the venture.

Yorkshire-based interior design practice, Studio Two, orchestrated its redesign and renovation, which has been designed to elevate the usual hotel restaurant experience. Inspired by the building’s rich history, think ornate detailing, earthy warm tones, and intricate details.

Offering a Yorkshire take on contemporary British cuisine in a sophisticated setting, the chefs have been working closely with local suppliers to design a carefully curated menu.

Beef brisket at Amber’s

Dishes include 28-day dry aged steaks Hereford breed beef, sourced locally from Sykes House Farm, Wetherby, roasted Gressingham duck breast and Sunday lunches with all the trimmings.

Meanwhile, its bar offers a mixture of traditional and modern drinks and includes the signature Amber’s margarita cocktail, which is made with pineapple tequila, agave syrup and lime juice. This is inspired by Lady Amber Fitzwilliam and her travels to South America, a fictional character, which has been invented to add depth and intrigue to the backstory of the new restaurant.

The private dining room at Amber’s

Alongside its main restaurant and bar which seats 75 people, there is a newly created private dining and entertaining venue, The Imaginarium, which offers capacity for up to 28 people, and the refreshed banqueting venue, known as The Queen Suite, has a capacity of up to 250 people.

The main dining room at Amber’s

Wayne Topley, Managing Director, Cedar Court said:

“It is fantastic to finally be able to share our brand-new restaurant, Amber’s, with guests, visitors and members of the local community after months of hard work.

“We can’t wait to welcome everyone to our event on Tuesday 16 April to showcase what we have been working on, celebrate and make connections!”

Amber’s Restaurant, Cedar Court Harrogate, Park Parade, Harrogate, HG1 5AH.

READ MORE:

Man, 33, charged with robbery at Harrogate jeweller

A 33-year-old man has been charged with robbery at a Harrogate jewellers last week.

North Yorkshire Police today said the man will appear at York Magistrates Court this morning (April 16) after being arrested yesterday afternoon.

The constabulary said the man was from Leeds but did not name him.

Police issued a CCTV appeal about the suspected theft of two “high value watches” from Ogden’s on James Street last Wednesday (April 10).

Read more:

Has Harrogate iStore closed for good?

The Stray Ferret understands the iStore on Harrogate‘s James Street may have closed for good.

The town centre shop has been a long-term destination for many people looking to buy or repair Apple products.

It is one of 10 stores run by London-based Albion Computers PLC, and the only one in the north of England.

At the start of the month, the Harrogate iStore closed its doors and put up a notice in the window saying it was ‘working on a new look’.

But multiple well placed sources have since told the Stray Ferret they do not expect it to re-open.

The signs advertising the new look have been removed and the view inside has been covered up. Albion has not provided an update.

The istore refurbishment notice in the shop on April 2.

The Stray Ferret has contacted Albion but has not yet had a response.

The company describes itself on its website as ‘an Apple premium reseller and Apple premium service provider’ with ‘over 35 years experience in supplying and supporting Apple technology’.

Read more:

Couple hand themselves in following Harrogate shop theft

A couple have handed themselves into the police following a CCTV appeal issued on Monday (April 15).

North Yorkshire Police released a set of CCTV images at the time to appeal for information following a theft at TK Maxx, in Harrogate‘s Victoria Shopping Centre, on February 25.

Police said on Monday “a woman and a man bagged various of items including sandals, trainers and T-shirts, leaving the store without making payment.

However, the force today (April 17) issued an updated statement, which said a local couple in their 50s “saw the appeal and came forward to the police to admit the theft”.

It added:

“With agreement from the store manager, a Community Resolution Disposal was applied which involved the couple paying for the goods valued over £100 within 24 hours.”

We have updated our coverage to anonymise the details of those involved.

Read more:

CCTV appeal after Harrogate M&S theft

North Yorkshire Police has issued a CCTV image of a woman it wants to speak to following a theft in Harrogate.

The incident happened at M&S Simply Food at Beech Avenue, at about 2pm on Friday, February 23.

According to a police statement today (Monday, April 15), a woman stole large amounts of alcohol in her bag.

The statement said:

“Please contact us if you recognise the women pictured on CCTV, as she may have information that will assist our investigation.”

Police would like to speak to the woman in the picture.

Anyone with information can email katie.hicks@northyorkshire.police.uk or call 101, quoting reference 12240033400.

To remain anonymous call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.