Harrogate Archives - Page 281 of 783

Tory accuses Lib Dems of being ‘anti-cycling’ in Harrogate Station Gateway row

The Conservative councillor in charge of delivering Harrogate’s £11.2m Station Gateway scheme has criticised the Liberal Democrats following the party’s decision to oppose the scheme — just two months after giving it their backing.

In May, the controversial active travel scheme received cross-party support among local Tories and Lib Dems.

A majority of Lib Dems said it should go ahead, providing the council engages with residents, businesses and local councillors “in a meaningful way”.

But the party withdrew its support this month, claiming the council had reneged on its promise to work with locals.

At a full meeting of the council in Northallerton yesterday, Conservative executive councillor for transport and highways, Keane Duncan, delivered a scathing assessment of the Lib Dems’ changing stance on the gateway and also disputed that any promises agreed at the May meeting had been broken.

He said:

‘The position now from Lib Dems in Harrogate is one of being anti-investment, anti-walking, anti-cycling, anti-environment and most gravely and damaging of all, anti-goodwill — a factor and quality that I think is essential now more than ever in this council.

“This executive will continue our support for the gateway. There will be no faltering and no political games.”

Liberal Democrat councillor for High Harrogate and Kingsley, Chris Aldred, then accused Cllr Duncan of making the statement in order to further his own political ambitions.

On Friday, Cllr Duncan was selected by the Conservatives to be its candidate for the first mayor of York and North Yorkshire with elections next year.

Cllr Aldred later demanded the council investigates the “factual accuracy” of Cllr Duncan’s statement.

He said:

“I was accused of grandstanding and plating party politics. It wasn’t us who brought this up this afternoon.

“He could have written to me couldn’t he? He chose to mention this today. I’d like to congratulate him on the start of his campaign and I hope it goes a lot better than he’s started it today.”

Cllr Duncan’s comments also provoked veteran Harrogate councillor Pat Marsh, who was one of three Lib Dems to oppose the scheme in May.

Cllr Marsh said:

“To say the Lib Dems are anti-cycling, walking, whatever… that is totally, totally wrong. We were against a scheme that will not really deliver for any of that. We want the right scheme and not the wrong scheme.”

The West Yorkshire Combined Authority is current reviewing the business case for the project with a final decision on whether it goes ahead expected later this summer.

New muffin cafe opens in Harrogate

A new muffin bakery and cafe has opened in Harrogate.

Muffin Break, which is based in the former Hotter shoe shop, opened its doors on Cambridge Street this morning.

The outlet, which has 60 cafes across the UK, offers a range of freshly baked goods including muffins and cakes, as well drinks such as milkshakes and coffee.

There will also be gluten free and vegan options available.

Customers can even order cakes online to be baked in store and collected.

John Viola, area manager at Muffin Break

John Viola, area manager for Muffin Break, told the Stray Ferret he felt the new outlet would fit into the Cambridge Street scene.

He said:

“Every store has its own feel. The nearest here is in Bradford.

“But I feel like this one has got that Harrogate feel.”

Mr Viola added that the store will pride itself on giving people a relaxed experience in the cafe.

The cafe will be open from 8am until 5.30pm Monday to Saturday and 10am until 4pm on Sundays.

Muffin Break is a franchise business of FoodCo UK Franchising that first originated in Canada before expanding its cafes in Australia in the late 1980s.

Thousands descend on Harrogate for crime writing festival

Thousands of people have begun to arrive in Harrogate for the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival, which begins today.

The annual four-day festival sees Harrogate become the centre of the UK literary scene, with numerous best-selling authors and celebrities in town. More than 17,000 tickets have been sold.

This year’s line-up includes TV historian and author Lucy Worsley, who will be interviewed by broadcaster Natasha Knight on Sunday’s final day.

Jeffrey Deaver, who has sold 150 million books worldwide, will be interviewed by broadcaster and author Mark Lawson on Saturday.

Tomorrow’s big names include Val McDermid while tonight sees an appearance by Ann Cleeves as well as the announcement of the winner of the crime novel of the year award.

As usual, the event will be held at the Old Swan, which is where crime writer Agatha Christie was found after she went missing in 1926.

Organised by Harrogate International Festivals, 2023 festival chair and award-winning crime and thriller author Vaseem Khan has curated this year’s programme.

Third consultation to be held on creation of Harrogate town council

People will be asked for their views for a third time about the creation of a Harrogate town council, councillors agreed yesterday.

It means the new council is now likely to form in 2025, a year later than originally planned.

Councillors debated proposals yesterday at a full meeting of North Yorkshire Council in Northallerton.

Officers had recommended that each of the proposed 10 wards in Harrogate, which are based on current North Yorkshire Council divisions, be represented by two councillors per ward on the town council with the exception of Saltergate, which would have one councillor.

This followed a public consultation that overwhelmingly backed this arrangement.

However, Conservative councillors have raised concerns about two councillors representing one ward and instead backed a proposal to use single councillor wards based around the 19 former Harrogate Borough Council boundaries.

Conservative councillor for Oatlands and Pannal, John Mann said accountability to residents would be better served by single councillor wards.

He said:

“These arrangements will be with us for many decades to come and we need to get it right.”

Conservative councillor for Killinghall, Hampsthwaite and Saltergate, Michael Harrison, said he had not detected any appetite in Harrogate for the creation of a town council, particularly as it was still not clear how much the council would cost or what it would do.

It has previously been suggested by the council that residents would pay between £40 and £60 on top of their council tax each year to cover as yet undetermined services.

Cllr Harrison said:

“I don’t understand what the rush is. It’s got to be absolutely right. Let’s pause and think about this a bit longer, although I am mindful of continual consultation and cost.”

At the meeting, several Liberal Democrat councillors said they wanted to stick with the original proposals and suggested ignoring the wishes of the previous public consultation would risk undermining democracy.

The areas in Harrogate which would fall under the new town council.

Cllr Monika Slate, Liberal Democrat councillor for Bilton Grange and New Park, said:

“We’ve spent time and money consulting the public and they have spoken overwhelmingly to support the proposals put forward.

“We can’t keep asking the public questions and ignoring them when they give us an answer.”

Liberal Democrat councillor for Stray, Woodlands and Hookstone, Pat Marsh said:

“We asked, they’ve spoken, we now need to get on and deliver on what they responded to. We need to get on with making sure we get a Harrogate council in place ASAP, otherwise we’re letting people down.”

Councillors voted by 49 to 32 with three abstentions to consult the public on the town council being formed with single councillor wards based around the old borough council ward boundaries.

North Yorkshire Council will publish details of the next consultation at a later date.

Business Breakfast: Ripon motor group announces refurbishment and recruitment drive

There’s not long to go until the Stray Ferret Business Club’s 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 now by clicking or tapping here.

A Ripon motor group has announced plans to refurbish its site and recruit 10 new staff.

Lloyd Land Rover, which is based at Hutton Bank in the city, is set to redevelop its branch with a new building and modernised facilities.

As part of the move, the group is set to hire new staff and hold a recruitment evening on Thursday, July 27.

Positions will include sales executives, service advisors, a parts manager and parts advisor and various technician roles including master technician, prep technician and apprentice parts and technician roles.

Mark Redding, head of business of Lloyd Land Rover Ripon, said:

“This is going to be an exciting two years for Lloyd Ripon, as we will see a complete redevelopment of the whole site, with a new building and modernisation of all facilities.

“With the expansion of the site, there will be new opportunities that will take the staff numbers from just over 60 to eventually over 70.”

For more information on the recruitment event, contact the Lloyd Motor Group by visiting its website here.

Harrogate BID plans town floral celebration

A Harrogate business group is set to host a floral celebration in the town this summer.

Called the Floral Summer of Celebration, the event will be hosted by Harrogate BID and include flowers from local florist Helen James Flowers.

It will be held between July 21 and August 4 this year.

Helen James Florist on Station Parade.

The event is set to include prop displays from EPH Creative, an interactive floral trail and shop window competition. Harry Satloka, who hosts regular free walking tours in the town centre, will take guests around the floral installations during the week.

Matthew Chapman, Harrogate BID Manager, said:

“We are proud to be recognised as a finalist for the Britain in Bloom UK finals, especially as we are the only town in Yorkshire that made it through to this stage in the competition.”

The installations will be designed to celebrate multi-national cooperation, in particular the twinning of Harrogate with other towns such as Luchon in France, Montecatini in Italy, Barrie in Canada and Wellington in New Zealand.

In addition, the special links that Harrogate fosters with Switzerland and Japan will also be feature.

Taxi drivers fear criminal prosecutions amid North Yorkshire Council ‘error’

Taxi drivers say they are living in fear of facing criminal prosecutions after North Yorkshire Council’s move to unify the trade left them “plying for hire illegally”.

The council has been warned by a consultant working for taxi drivers that it has been reported to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman after failing to acknowledge it had made an error when attempting to change where taxi drivers can work earlier this year or to take any remedial action.

It follows a taxi industry expert claiming in its rush to introduce a single area for taxis across the county, the council had not followed the legal procedure to create a single hackney carriage licensing.

Earlier this year opponents of the council’s proposed taxi policy had told a meeting of the authority’s executive it would lead to the clogging up of taxis in town centres while leaving sparse cover in rural areas, particularly for wheelchair users.

A meeting of the authority’s executive heard that while a working group of elected members with significant experience of licensing had made a series of recommendations which the council’s officers had “tossed aside like a pair of old slippers” and come up with a series of different proposals.

Before the launch of North Yorkshire Council in April, taxis were licensed by the seven district and borough councils, including Harrogate Borough Council, which meant hackney carriage taxis could only ply for hire on the ranks and in the streets in the area of the district council by which they were licensed.

In the weeks after vesting day, the new licensing authority oversaw all hackney carriage taxis being able to ply for hire on all the ranks and streets of any town in North Yorkshire.

It is illegal for anyone to ply for hire in an area for which they are not licensed. On conviction, a fine of up to £2,500 may be imposed.

Although hackney carriage taxi drivers do not expect the council would prosecute them for plying illegally, as the council has already decided it wants Hackney carriage taxis to be able to ply for hire throughout the area, drivers are concerned they might still face prosecution by the police, and fines from the courts on conviction.

Ripon cabbie Richard Fieldman, formerly a Harrogate Borough Council hackney carriage taxi driver, said drivers had only discovered the council had not followed the legal procedure after seeking a consultant’s advice.

He said the council was applying different rules to hackney carriage taxis licensed in different parts of the county, “even though we were now supposed to be one area, subject to one set of rules”.

Photo of Ripon taxi driver Richard Fieldman

Richard Fieldman, who runs his taxi in Ripon.

In a response to consultant David Wilson, of A2Z Licensing, the council said he had raised “important issues”, but added it did not agree it was facilitating the illegal operation of hackney carriages within its area.

A council spokesman said:

“The council has been clear through its communication, consultation and within the executive report that the council intended to create a single hackney carriage zone.”

Mr Wilson said as the council has failed to acknowledge its error and to take remedial action to comply with the current legal position, in the three weeks since the situation was brought to its attention in June, trade representatives were set to report the council to the ombudsman.

Mr Wilson said:

“Although admitting an error was made may be embarrassing for the new council and those licensing officers and lawyers involved, we are all human and make mistakes from time to time.

“What is important is that the council acknowledges its mistake and takes urgent action to comply with the law, restricting hackney carriage taxis to ply for hire in one of the former seven district council areas until such time as the council legally merges then into a single area.

“Members of the public can, however, be reassured that a hackney carriage taxi is insured, even if plying for hire illegally in an area in which it is not licensed.”

Ripon hackney carriage driver Katie Johnstone said:

“The time has come for the council to admit it has driven a coach and horses through taxi law and to get around the table with trade representatives to work out how this situation can best be resolved.”

In response, North Yorkshire Council’s corporate director of environment, Karl Battersby, said:

“We have received the letter and are taking legal advice on the points raised. We will be responding as soon as we can.”

Historic 17th century Harrogate farmhouse put up for sale

A Grade-II listed former Harrogate farmhouse which dates back to the 17th century has been put up for sale.

Dacre, Son and Hartley is marketing Bilton Grove Farm, on Hill Foot Lane near Burn Bridge, for offers over £850,000.

The property, which is thought to originate from the mid-17th century, offers two reception rooms and three bedrooms, and adjoins an extensive range of outbuildings.

They include stone stables, a barn, garages and storerooms that extend to approximately 10,500 sq ft.

Offers on the property are being accepted until midday on Friday, July 28.

Sophie Tillisch, branch manager at Dacre, Son & Hartley’s Harrogate office, said:

“Opportunities like this in Harrogate’s exclusive south side neighbourhoods, close to the villages of Pannal and Burn Bridge, the local railway station and the A61, are very rare.

“Subject to the relevant planning consents, Bilton Grove Farm, with its extensive range of outbuildings and delightful south facing paddocks, could be transformed into an exceptional home, or a range of bespoke dwellings.

“As a result, this opportunity is already attracting plenty of interest from local developers and individuals.”

Harrogate businessman given suspended sentence for stalking ex-partner

A millionaire Harrogate businessman has been given a suspended jail sentence for stalking and assaulting his ex-partner.

Jason Ronald Shaw, 54, told the named victim he hired a private detective to keep track of her movements and even installed a hidden camera on her phone charger.

Shaw – the owner of Pineheath, the historic Harrogate mansion which has been the subject of much intrigue in the town recently after it was put up for auction at a reduced asking price of £3 million – was charged with stalking, common assault and damaging the victim’s property but initially denied the offences.

He ultimately admitted all three matters a week after being remanded in custody.

He appeared for sentence via video link at York Magistrates’ Court today knowing his liberty was in the balance.

‘Looking dangerous’

Prosecutor Kathryn Walters said Shaw and the named victim had been in a “toxic, on-off” relationship between November 2020 and May this year after meeting at the David Lloyd gym in Harrogate where they were both members.

Matters came to a head late at night on May 20 when her niece called police to her home in Harrogate after spotting Shaw “snooping around in the garden” and “looking dangerous”.

She told the call operator that Shaw had “turned up looking for (the named victim)” and that he had attacked her following a “tussle over a mobile phone” which caused bruising to her arm.

Shaw had then headed to her home nearby and removed the ring doorbell from the front of the house, before returning to her niece’s property where he rang the doorbell and started shouting.

The two women, who were at the niece’s home, then spotted Shaw in the back of the garden where the named victim’s car was parked.

They believed he had been “fiddling” with the car’s wheels. They later discovered that valve caps had been removed and the tyres were deflated.

Police arrived and found Shaw hiding in the property wearing only shorts and flip flops. He was duly arrested.

The named victim told police that she had been stalked by Shaw for over a year during which time he had followed her around in public places, monitored her movements and loitered around her house.

She said that Shaw had isolated her from friends and family and would take her phone from her “to check what she had been doing”.

Photo taken from the rear of Pineheath, the derelict mansion on Cornwall Road in Harrogate that is currently up for sale. The Rutland Drive building plot is shown in the foreground.

Pineheath in Harrogate

She said he tried to control her and make her financially dependent on him. He would turn up at her workplace and follow her around when she was out shopping.

She said he would constantly make video calls to check “where she was and who she was with”.

Hidden camera

In the moments before the attack on May 20, Shaw had been looking through her phone and asked her who one of her male contacts was. When she told him it was a friend, he grabbed her arm, causing injury.

She said Shaw would “buy her things and then take them from her”. He once gave her a phone charger on which he had installed a hidden camera.

He would turn up unexpectedly when she was out with friends, at the gym or the cinema, and once told her he had hired a private investigator to carry out surveillance on her.

Shaw’s behaviour had had a “huge” impact on her mental wellbeing and self-worth. She had since hired a life coach to help with problems such as sleeplessness.

The stress she had suffered had affected her work as a beautician and the relationship with her family had deteriorated.

She said she had “absolutely no escape” from Shaw and had lost her bubbly personality. She was left feeling “constantly down, tired and miserable”.

In 2020, Shaw was given a jail sentence at the crown court for stalking and assaulting another partner. He had also uploaded sexual photos of her onto the internet.

His solicitor advocate Peter Minnikin said that Shaw realised his behaviour was “disgusting”.

He added:

“He accepts that it is now over and accepts that he needs to improve himself.”

A probation report concluded that Shaw presented a “high risk” to future partners.

‘Cause for concern’

Magistrates’ chairman Mr R Childerhouse said there were “quite a few high risks here that give us cause for concern”.

He said the offences were so serious that they warranted a jail sentence, but that this could be suspended because Shaw had ultimately admitted the offences and there was a “realistic prospect of rehabilitation”.

Shaw was given a 20-week suspended prison sentence with 150 hours of unpaid work and a 30-day rehabilitation programme. He was ordered to pay £125 costs and £500 compensation to the named victim.

He was also slapped with a five-year restraining order banning him from contacting the victim and entering her street in Killinghall.

Pineheath, the former home of Indian shipping magnate Sir Dhunjibhoy Bomanji, was put up for auction last month at a much reduced asking price after failing to find a buyer.

The derelict, 40-room mansion on Cornwall Road, near Shaw’s home in Rutland Drive, is part of the Duchy estate and in its heyday as a family home it was fully staffed and had gold-plated taps and a centrally heated garage of Rolls-Royces.

Following the death of Sir Dhunjibhoy’s daughter in 2012, Pineheath was sold for £2 million to Mr Shaw in 2013.

Killinghall headteacher retires after 13 years

A headteacher at a village primary school near Harrogate is retiring this week after 13 years in the position.

Sarah Bassitt, who began teaching 36 years ago, became headteacher of Killinghall Church of England Primary School in 2011.

At the time, the school was struggling financially and accommodated 83 students.

The number has more than doubled to 180 in the decade since, during which Ms Bassitt has overseen major developments at the school, including three new classrooms, a library and a larger playground.

The school was rated ‘good’ by Ofsted at its most recent inspection last year.

However, Ms Bassitt said:

“My vision for the school has never been about grades and judgements, it’s been driven by creating positive opportunities that mean that children can thrive and be happy.”

During her time as head, she also helped the school through many challenges, such as an asbestos roof fall in 2013, covid and a flood last year which left some classrooms out of use for months.

A leaving day was held last week to celebrate Ms Bassitt’s time as headteacher, at which parents and pupils at said their goodbyes and wished her luck.

Ms Bassitt said:

“I feel privileged to have worked with the staff, governors, parents and pupils of Killinghall CE Primary School – they have been my life for over 13 years and I will miss them all”

“I will still be involved in education, as I intend to maintain my position on an education board for a local federation of schools. Playing golf and walking will fill my time, as well as holidays in term time!”

She also expressed her gratitude to business manager Helen Potter and Elouise Foster, the first staff member she appointed in 2011, who were also leaving and said:

“The vision for the school has been theirs, not just mine, and they have supported me every step of the way.”

Is a long-serving teacher retiring at your local school this week? Let us know at contact@thestrayferret.co.uk.

Yorkshire vs Lancashire cricket match at Harrogate next week

Yorkshire will play Lancashire in a 50-over men’s cricket match at Harrogate on Wednesday next week.

The match, which will be staged at Harrogate Cricket Club‘s St George’s Road ground, is a warm-up for the forthcoming Metro Bank One-Day Cup 50-over competition.

Although it is a friendly fixture, Roses cricket matches are always fiercely contested and the fast-paced action will feature some outstanding cricketers.

Spectators are welcome to watch what will be the local highlight of the cricketing summer. Play is due to start at 11am.

Steve Clark, co-chair of the club, said:

“Whilst this won’t be the full Yorkshire first team — they have a county championship game at Scarborough on the same day — we have been told that a number of the Yorkshire’s white ball specialists will be playing.

“It should be a fantastic day and some quality cricket will be on display. The bar will be open throughout the day and will be serving a range of refreshments and hot and cold food.”

Harrogate Cricket Club

Mr Clark added:

“Admission to the ground will be free of charge but any donations to the club will be gratefully received. The club will also be running a raffle, tuck shop and an ice cream van throughout the day.

“We also planning that some local junior cricket will be played on the main outfield during the interval.”

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Harrogate BID plans town floral celebration

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‘Looking dangerous’

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Hidden camera

‘Cause for concern’

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