32,000 chickens killed in fire in Harrogate district

More than 32,000 chickens have been killed in a fire on the edge of the Harrogate district.

Firefighters from Harrogate, Knaresborough and Ripon were called to commercial premises near Upper Dunsforth yesterday afternoon.

The water bowser from Boroughbridge was also summoned.

Station manager Tony Walker tweeted:

“No injuries reported but sadly over 32,000 chickens have perished in the blaze.

“Significant damage to the building. Fire Investigation underway.”

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service’s incident report said the fire occurred to a shed measuring about 250ft x 50m and help was requested at 3.37pm.

Station manager Tony Walker tweeted several photos of the incident, including these below.

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Holiday clubs ‘lifesaver’ amid cost of living crisis, says Harrogate mum

A Harrogate mum has said a summer holiday programme will be a “lifesaver” amid the cost of living crisis.

The FEAST programme, which takes place from Monday, July 24, until Friday, September 1, gives children and young people across the county with a chance to socialise, learn new skills and stay active.

Open to all children and young people in North Yorkshire, those who receive benefits-related free school meals can attend for free and also receive a hot meal or packed lunch.

Single mother-of-two Jade Wrightson, from Harrogate, is among those who will benefit the scheme during the summer.

Ms Wrightson, whose children Freddie, aged nine, and eight-year-old Emmie, have taken part in the programme before, said it is a lifesaver at a time when money remains tight.

She said:

“Without FEAST I wouldn’t be able to work.

“I’m a teaching assistant and I clean too. I would have to save up to afford these activities or search for free things to do. Thanks to FEAST, the children enjoy a full day out playing and trying activities they wouldn’t otherwise have the opportunity to do.”

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North Yorkshire Council has been allocated funding by the Department of Education for this year’s provision of summer activities. 

The programme received bids from 120 activity providers this year of which 101 were successful – an increase compared to the 69 that offered the sessions last year.

Cllr Annabel Wilkinson, executive councillor for education, learning and skills, said:

“It’s heartening that we have the opportunity to build on the momentum of our previous success with the FEAST programme, which enables us to reach even more families this year.

“The FEAST programme offers a vitally important service to families, helping to ease the pressures that many households usually face during the school holiday period, such as added childcare and food costs.”

Eligible families across North Yorkshire will receive information about FEAST and a voucher to book their free place via their school.

For more information on the scheme, visit the North Yorkshire Together website here.

Ex-Harrogate teen sentenced to 18 months for indecent images of children

An 18-year-old former Harrogate man has been sentenced to 18 months in a young offenders institute for making and distributing indecent images of children.

Dylan Paul Ansell also admitted possessing extreme pornography and a prohibited image.

Besides his 18-month sentence, Ansell was handed a 10-year sexual harm order, ordered to sign the sex offenders register for 10 years and given a five-year restraining order when he appeared at York Crown Court yesterday.

Ansell, now of Camping Close, Haddenham, Ely, but formerly of Harrogate, answered “no comment” when first quizzed about content found on devices seized from his address on August 20, 2021.

However, during a trial at York Crown Court he later pleaded guilty to six counts of making indecent photographs of children, three counts of distributing indecent photographs of children, one count of possessing extreme pornography and one count of possession of a prohibited image.

Ansell also pleaded guilty to stalking — he used false social media accounts to repeatedly target a victim, which has had a lasting impact on their day-to-day activities.

Speaking today after sentencing, investigating officer Detective Constable Sullivan of North Yorkshire Police‘s online child abuse team said,

“The devices seized from Ansell’s home were found to contain hundreds of illegal images and videos – including category A indecent images of children, prohibited images of children between the ages of three and 17 years, as well as extreme pornography.

“Ansell also manipulated photos of children that he knew and shared them with others online, without their knowledge, for sexualised purposes. He was also actively involved in an online network that created and shared indecent images of children.”

He added:

“His actions have caused significant distress to his victims, including one of whom he repeatedly stalked using false social media accounts. In addition to this he has shown blatant disregard to the bail conditions that were put in place, by repeatedly attempting to contact the victim, causing additional stress and anxiety. He has shown absolutely no remorse for this.

“I’d like to commend the bravery of that victim and their family, who due to Ansell’s repeat offending had to endure a prolonged investigation. They have all shown strength and determination throughout our enquiries and the resulting court process.”

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St Aidan’s students bring a taste of Italy to Great Yorkshire Show

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This story is sponsored by Harrogate BID

Pupils of St Aidan’s School wowed the show crowds with a live cooking demonstration.

The Harrogate school was invited by Yorkshire Agricultural Society to demonstrate two “complex and highly skilled dishes” on the Great Yorkshire Food Theatre stage.

The year 10 GCSE food and nutrition students competed for a place in the spotlight and were tasked to make a challenging dish by teachers.

Teacher, Jenny Bettridge, said the judging was based on “the skill of the dish, as well as how well they presented it to the class – including discussing the dish they made.”

The four winners – Harriet, Grace, Izzy and Charlotte – cooked up a sweet and savoury open tart for the audience.

The pupils’ tarts.

Harriet and Grace produced an Italy-based pastry, baking the puff pastry from scratch, and topping it with tomatoes, pesto, ricotta, and serrano ham. Sue Nelson, host of the show’s food theatre, described it as “better than my own”.

Meanwhile, Izzy and Charlotte baked a fresh tart topped with custard, kiwi, summer berries, and topped with a strawberry coulis.

The students had pre-baked their pastry base but made fresh custard from scratch.

The girls demonstrated culinary skills and scientific knowledge of cooking, as Izzy made sure her custard “didn’t coagulate and become scrambled egg!”

Ms Betteridge told the Stray Ferret:

“I feel immensely proud that the pupils get to do this.

“It’s an amazing opportunity for young students and it’s a big thing to get on that stage.”

The girls attracted a crowd of hungry people who couldn’t wait to try their delicious dishes once finished.

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Harrogate village bridge repairs set to last five weeks

Repairs to a Harrogate village bridge which has been closed since June are set to last five weeks.

North Yorkshire Council closed the bridge on Church Lane in Hampsthwaite suddenly and without warning on June 2.

The closure came after a two-inch wide gap appeared at the side of the bridge following a vehicle collision, prompting safety concerns.

Council officials have confirmed that repairs will start on the bridge on July 24 and last for five weeks. It will be closed to traffic, pedestrians and cyclists during the work.

Cllr Keane Duncan, executive councillor for highways at the council, said:

“The maintenance of our often historic bridges across the county is a huge task for our officers and unfortunately there are times when we encounter unforeseen repair work. 

“On inspection of Hampsthwaite Bridge, our engineers found that the parapet has been pushed out over the edge of the bridge deck and this has damaged several of the corbels that support from beneath. 

“These need to be repaired and 15 metres of the parapet taken down and rebuilt using hot mixed lime mortar.” 

PBS Construction (North East) Ltd has been awarded a £50,567 contract to carry out repairs on the bridge.

The company was also hired to construct the first phase Otley Road cycle path in September 2021.

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Cllr Michael Harrison, who represents Hampsthwaite on North Yorkshire Council, said: 

“We appreciate the disruption the closure is having on road users so please be assured that our engineers have been getting plans in motion to carry out the repairs as quickly as possible. 

“We will keep the public updated on the works as they progress.” 

Three schools near Harrogate to share executive head under new agreement

Three village schools near Harrogate and Knaresborough have agreed to work in partnership in a move leaders say will benefit pupils and staff.

Goldsborough Church of England Primary School and Sicklinghall Community Primary School formed the Goldsborough Sicklinghall Federation in 2015.

Now the federation has entered into a less formal “collaborative agreement” with Admiral Long Church of England Primary School at Burnt Yates.

The move will see federation executive headteacher Zoe Ellis also become executive headteacher at Admiral Long in September and work across all three sites.

Admiral Long Primary School in Burnt Yates

Admiral Long Primary School in Burnt Yates.

A letter from to parents from Cerys Townend, chair of the federation’s governing board, said it was “approached by the local authority to enter into a collaborative agreement with another small school”.

It added the move “provides an exciting new opportunity to learn and develop as well as building the financial resilience of all three schools”.

The letter said the schools “share core values rooted in Christian beliefs and practice” and “high quality learning opportunities”. It added:

“By sharing knowledge, expertise, and resources, the schools can enhance their educational offerings and provide a more enriching experience for their pupils.

“Collaboration enables the schools to pool their strengths, resulting in a wider range of learning opportunities, improved teaching practices, and a more comprehensive curriculum.”

Admiral Long is 11 miles from Goldsborough and 10 miles from Sicklinghall.

‘Exciting opportunity’

The Stray Ferret asked the council why the collaboration was happening and what impact it will have on staffing and finances.

Amanda Newbold, assistant director for education and skills at the council, replied in a statement:

“This is an exciting opportunity for Admiral Long CE Primary School to work in collaboration with the Goldsborough Sicklinghall Federation, led by executive headteacher Zoe Ellis and her team from the start of September.

“The collaboration will help the schools to work together, share expertise and resources for the benefit of pupils, staff and the wider school communities.”

Business Breakfast: Harrogate care company appoints new chief executive

The Stray Ferret Business Club’s next meeting is a breakfast event on Thursday, 27 July at Banyan in Harrogate between 8-10am. 

The Business Club provides monthly opportunities to network, make new connections and hear local success stories. Get your tickets by clicking or tapping here.

A Harrogate district care company has appointed a new chief executive.

Homes Together, which is based on Victoria Avenue, provides accommodation for disabled people across Harrogate, Ripon and Knaresborough.

The company has appointed David Ashton-Jones as its new chief executive, as well as restructuring its senior management team.

Mr Ashton-Jones said:

“I am incredibly proud to take on the role of chief executive at Homes Together. 

“This is an organisation that means a lot to me and I look forward to helping drive exceptional residential care for disabled young adults across our 13 different services in both Harrogate District and Gateshead.”

Meanwhile, the firm has also unveiled plans to invest in its training, infrastructure and technology in an effort to improve its services.

Harrogate company reaches sustainability targets

A Harrogate company has celebrated achieving three of its sustainability targets.

Techbuyer, which is based on Hornbeam Park, set nine targets including responsible consumption and production, quality education and good health and wellbeing.

The targets were set in line with the United Nations 17 sustainable development goals, which were drawn up in 2015.

Steve Sexton, group managing director of Techbuyer.

Steve Sexton, group managing director of Techbuyer.

Techbuyer has now reached three of the goals ahead of its 2025 deadline.

Of those it has achieved include logging 15,000 hours of staff physical activity, £3 million in savings for educational institutions and promoting sustainable technology to 5,000 organisations.

Steve Sexton, group managing director at Techbuyer, said:

“As a global organisation we are proud to be able to align our own ESG efforts with a number of the UN Sustainability Development Goals focused specifically on where we feel we can take meaningful action and make a real difference.”

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No trains on Harrogate line for two days next week amid strikes

No trains will run through Harrogate and Knaresborough next week as staff stage further walkouts.

Members of the RMT Union are set to strike on Thursday, July 20, and Saturday, July 22, over a pay dispute.

A further walkout will take place on Saturday, July 29.

Northern, which operates trains between York and Leeds through Harrogate, has announced that the industrial action will affect services.

The company has said no trains will run on strike days and early morning services on Friday (July 21) and Sunday (July 23) are also expected to be disrupted.

Northern has urged people to check train times ahead of planning a journey.

Tricia Williams, chief operating officer at Northern, said: 

“Yet again, thousands of our customers will be inconvenienced as a result of this action by the RMT union.

“We all want to see an end to this dispute and the uncertainty that on-going strike action causes to people’s confidence in the railway.”

Mick Lynch, general secretary of the RMT, said the strike was a result of ministers failing to put forward a “package that can settle this dispute”.

He said:

“This latest phase of action will show the country just how important railway staff are to the running of the rail industry.

“My team of negotiators and I are available 24/7 for talks with the train operating companies and government ministers.

“Yet quite incredibly neither party has made any attempt whatsoever to arrange any meetings or put forward a decent offer that can help us reach a negotiated solution.”

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Councillors raise concerns about role of planning committees on North Yorkshire Council

Councillors have raised concerns about how planning committees have been operating on the new North Yorkshire Council, with some meetings being cancelled due to a lack of suitable applications.

North Yorkshire Council created six planning committees organised by parliamentary constituency areas where a group of cross-party councillors meet around once every six weeks to approve, refuse or defer large or controversial planning applications.

Previous planning committees held on the old district councils would regularly have an agenda of three or more applications for councillors to debate.

But the Skipton & Ripon planning committee last week had just one application for a garage conversion and other committees including Harrogate & Knaresborough and Selby & Ainsty have had meetings cancelled altogether as nothing was brought forward by officers.

Conservative councillor for Bentham & Ingleton, David Ireton, said he believes the current situation is unsustainable. 

He said:

“If we’re getting so few applications we will in my view see amalgamation of planning committees.

“By the time you’ve travelled, you’ve spent an afternoon to discuss one application. We’re in danger of losing our identity as a constituency planning committee.”

Councillors who sit on planning committees are able to ‘call in’ particularly contentious applications in their areas, but only if there are sound planning reasons.

North Yorkshire Council planning officer Neville Watson said more applications are now being decided by officers but promised that councillors will still be able to bring forward applications to committee if they meet the threshold. 

He said:

“You will end up with a reduced number of applications but they will be the more contentious or difficult applications and the planning committee is the proper forum for that.

“That’s the way things are moving.”

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This appeared to frustrate Green Party councillor for Aire Valley, Andy Brown, who said: 

“I do want my say. I think I’m entitled to that because I’ve been elected.”

Conservative councillor for Wathvale & Bishop Monkton, Nick Brown, suggested that planning officers had been too powerful on Harrogate Borough Council and said he hoped councillors would be trusted to make key planning decisions on the new authority. 

He said:

“I do think from past experience in Harrogate that councillors were not thought of in a helpful light. If a member knows there’s an application that should be contentious then their view should be held.”

The next Harrogate & Knaresborough planning committee is on July 25 and Skipton & Ripon will be on August 1.

Business Breakfast: Knaresborough financial advisors appoint new board members

The Stray Ferret Business Club’s next meeting is a breakfast event on Thursday, 27 July at Banyan in Harrogate between 8-10am. 

The Business Club provides monthly opportunities to network, make new connections and hear local success stories. Get your tickets by clicking or tapping here.

A Knaresborough financial firm has announced a number of changes to its board.

Prosperis Ltd, which is based at St James’ Business Park, said it wanted to appoint experienced professionals to the company as part of its growth strategy.

Among the changes include Dave McLaughlin, who has been appointed as managing director of Prosperis Wealth and David Carrington joins as managing director of Prosperis Corporate Services.

David Carrington and Dawn Cockson.

David Carrington and Dawn Cockson.

Dawn Cockson also joins the board as operations director.

Niall Gunn, chief executive of Prosperis Ltd, said:

“These are exciting times for Prosperis. We are concluding our seventh acquisition with the next one due to complete in the autumn and our management team is stepping up to drive our service proposition to our clients. 

“Both Davids and Dawn will be a great addition to our board, bringing a wide range and skills and talents.”

Yorkshire Ambulance Service among top 100 apprentice employers

Yorkshire Ambulance Service has been named in the Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers for 2023.

The service, which operates ambulances in the Harrogate district and wider Yorkshire region, was ranked 36 in the list and was the highest ranked NHS organisation.

More than 500 of the service’s 7,200 staff are apprentices, including ambulance support workers, associate ambulance practitioners and paramedic degree apprentices.

It also employs apprentices in corporate services like finance, operational support, learning and development.

Kim Walsh, apprenticeships manager for Yorkshire Ambulance Service, said: 

“We are delighted to have ranked so highly; this establishes Yorkshire Ambulance Service as one of the leading apprenticeship employers in the country.”

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