Nine years ago there was the Tour de France; then there was the UCI Road World Championships in 2019.

Now the Harrogate district has another major sports tourism event heading its way — the Long Course Weekend.

The three-day event is less well known, which is little surprise given that it’s never been held in England before.

But the annual Long Course Weekend in Wales has grown to attract 11,000 athletes and 35,000 supporters from 56 nations to Pembrokeshire.

North Yorkshire Council, which has agreed to host the event annually for the next three years in Pateley Bridge, has estimated it will bring £2 million to the local economy.

The council has paid a £25,000 hosting fee to the event organisers.

Matthew Evans, the founder and chief executive of Long Course Weekend, was at Nidderdale Showground yesterday for a media event to announce the venue will be the centrepiece of next year’s inaugural event from September 6 to 8.

Mr Evans pledged to bring to Nidderdale “a different sports event to anything you have had here before”. He joked:

“Pateley Bridge will be turned into a bit of a Lycra-clad community for a few days.”

But what is Long Course Weekend and what will it mean to local people and businesses?

(from left) Mike Holt, Cllr Derek Bastiman, Emma Robinson and Matthew Evans at yesterday’s launch.

What is Long Course Weekend?

The Long Course Weekend caters for swimmers, cyclists, runners and triathletes of all abilities over one weekend.

But unlike triathlon, in which competitors perform all three disciplines in succession, a day is dedicated to each activity.

Friday will feature swimming in a Nidderdale reservoir; Saturday will feature a cycle ride around North Yorkshire and Sunday will see a run ending on a red carpet in Nidderdale Showground.

Competitors can participate in one discipline or all three.

The swim distances range from 1.2 miles to 2.4 miles, cycling routes will be from 56 miles to 112 miles and the run will start at five kilometres to a full marathon. There will also be a children’s running event.

The number of swimmers and cyclists is expected to be capped at 1,000 each for the first year at Pateley Bridge, although no figure has yet been given for the maximum number of runners.

Where is it being held?

Nidderdale Showground

Nidderdale Showground will become ‘event village’ — the centrepiece of the three days. A red carpet will be laid out in the showground.

The full 112-mile cycle ride is expected to take in most of North Yorkshire and finish at the showground. The swim will be in a yet-to-be-finalised Nidderdale reservoir — not the River Nidd.

The exact details have yet to be finalised and applications for competitors are due to be opened later this year.

Why is it being held in Pateley Bridge?

Gemma Rio

Yesterday’s announcement was the culmination of years of discussions between Gemma Rio, head of council-owned tourist body Destination Harrogate and Mr Evans.

Ms Rio said she hopes it will “become a significant annual event like the Great Yorkshire Show” that will boost the wider local economy. She added:

“There will be a festival feel at the showground and the benefits of the event will extend to multiple Nidderdale villages and dales.”

Will Pateley Bridge cope with the crowds?

Between 18,000 to 25,000 people are expected to visit for the event, according to the council.

Cllr Derek Bastiman. the Conservative-run council’s executive member for open to business, said it was an ideal opportunity to improve the post-covid Nidderdale economy.

He said accommodation providers and hospitality businesses for miles around would benefit and although there were likely to be road closures and some disruption the benefits would outweigh any problems.

Pateley Bridge-based voluntary organisation Nidderdale Plus will help to mobilise volunteers for the event.

Asked whether Pateley’s infrastructure could cope, Mr Evans acknowledged each Long Course Weekend “comes with challenges” but pledged to work with organisations to ensure the area could cope.

According to the council, North Yorkshire’s visitor economy brings in more than £1.5 billion a year from domestic visits alone. Tourism accounts for 10 per cent of the county’s overall economy, and 41,200 workers are employed in the sector.

What they say about it

Emma Robinson

Yesterday’s announcement at the showground included representatives from the council, tourism and sport.

Emma Robinson, 43, a mum-of-three and member of Harrogate Triathlon Club who has competed for Great Britain in the 35 to 39 age group, said:

“The beauty of the Long Course Weekend is the chance to take part in the individual disciplines. As a triathlete I will probably take part in all three, but it’s great that others can choose to just take part in the swim, the cycle or the run.”

Former Pateley Bridge mayor Mike Holt, a volunteer with the Nidderdale Plus community support organisation, said:

“Pateley Bridge and Nidderdale are such wonderful places, and we do attract a lot of visitors from around the country and from abroad already.

“But to have such a successful internationally-recognised event coming here will broaden our appeal to an even wider audience.”

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Matthew Evans, the Long Course Weekend’s founder and chief executive,  said:

“We have wanted to bring the Long Course Weekend to England for a long time now, and North Yorkshire is the perfect location as the county has a proven track record of staging major sporting events, such as the Tour de France’s Grand Départ.

“It is one of only a few sporting events that encompasses swimmers, cyclists, runners and triathletes of all abilities over one weekend.”

Cllr Bastiman said: “To host such a well-respected and internationally-renowned sporting event is a real coup for us.

“The Long Course Weekend has become a very popular date in the sporting calendar in countries across the world, and it will be a privilege for North Yorkshire to host an event next year. It will give us the chance to showcase to a global audience what we can offer here in what is one of the most beautiful and diverse parts of the country.”

A plan to convert a redundant homeless hostel in Harrogate into housing looks set to be approved.

The former Harrogate Borough Council submitted the proposal to convert Cavendish House on Robert Street into six flats.

The house was formerly a hostel, which was operated by the borough council between 1983 and November 2021.

It closed after the council opened its new homeless centre, Fern House in Starbeck.

In planning documents published before it was abolished at the end of March, the borough council said converting Cavendish House would make a small dent in its social housing waiting list, which now features over 2,100 households.

It said:

“The building was utilised previously as temporary accommodation for single homeless households, however it is no longer fit for purpose and does not meet the needs of this client group (Fern House, a new facility for the same client group, has recently been completed at Spa Lane).

“The building has been empty since November 2021. As such, it has a negative impact on residential amenity and increasingly risks attracting anti-social behaviour.

“The development proposals will deliver much needed affordable accommodation in a redundant building and a highly sustainable location, complying full with national and local planning policy guidance.”

The proposal will go before North Yorkshire Council’s Harrogate and Knaresborough area constituency planning committee on September 26.

North Yorkshire Council officers have recommended the plan be approved.

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The government has approved a plan to convert the upper floors of a Harrogate town centre building into an aparthotel.

Leeds-based Countrylarge tabled the proposal to create the 17-bedroom scheme on the floors above the Oliver Bonas store on James Street.

Aparthotels are serviced apartments with a hotel-style booking system. London-based operator, Beyond, was brought in to run the aparthotel.

However, in November 2022, Harrogate Borough Council rejected the plan on the grounds that the scheme would “not enhance or preserve the character and appearance of the conservation area”.

The developer took the decision to the government’s Planning Inspectorate, which deals with planning disputes.

Now, Graham Wraight, planning inspector, has given the proposal the go-ahead.

In a decision notice, Mr Wraight said the development would provide “acceptable living conditions” should restrictions be made on length of stay — contrary to the council’s reasons for refusal.

He said:

“There would be some benefit in this flexibility in terms of providing a supply of such accommodation. As a whole and in the specific circumstances of this appeal case that I have outlined, a restriction of 90 days strikes an appropriate balance.

“I therefore conclude that, subject to a restriction on the length of stays to a maximum of 90 days, the proposed development would provide acceptable living conditions for the future occupants of the aparthotel.”

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A Harrogate law firm has appointed its first apprentice solicitor.

McCormicks, which is based on East Parade, has hired Sophie Hussain to the position.

Ms Hussain graduated from the University of Liverpool in 2020 with a first-class dual honours degree in law and criminology.

She will be based in the firm’s commercial property team and work on all aspects of transactional property work.

Claire Baker-Kemp, head of commercial property at McCormicks, said: 

“Sophie has come to us with more than two years’ solid commercial property experience, which makes her appointment a real benefit to our clients.

“I am also very impressed by Sophie in the short time she has been here.”

Hull company acquires Harrogate care home

A Hull-based care company has acquired a Harrogate care home for an undisclosed sum.

HICA Group has taken on Hampden House on Duchy Road from Elizabeth Finn Homes.

The 66-bed purpose-built nursing home is located within the Duchy Estate and provides nursing care, short-stays and end-of-life care.

The employment of all 70 plus staff has been secured in the handover to new ownership and general manager Jane Hooren continues to lead the team.

Terry Peel, chief executive at HICA Group, said: 

“This new venture marks a significant milestone for us, as we expand our commitment to delivering exceptional care and support services to our community.

“As we extend our care footprint with the introduction of Hampden House into the HICA portfolio, we are excited about the opportunities it brings to enrich the lives of our residents and their families.”

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Council officials have recommended a controversial plan to build 53 homes on Knox Lane in Harrogate be approved.

The proposal, by north-east property developer Jomast, was deferred by councillors at the end of May for a third time.

It comes after concerns have been raised over land contamination at the site.

The meeting in May also proved controversial after proceedings were not broadcast live on North Yorkshire Council’s YouTube channel due to a “problem with the connection”.

Now, the proposal will return to the Harrogate and Knaresborough area constituency planning committee on September 26.

A 45-page report published before the meeting by case officer Andy Hough said the plan is “considered to now be in compliance with development plan policy” and should be approved.

It adds that the reasons for deferral at the last meeting would “not form reasonable reasons for refusal”.

The report also said approval would be subject to conditions and the developer paying a section 106 agreement to compensate for the impact of the scheme on local infrastructure.

The application has proved controversial with residents in the Bilton area.

Campaign group Keep Knox Natural has previously called on the council to remove the parcel of land from the Harrogate District Local Plan 2014-35, which outlines where development can take place.

Cllr Robert Windass, a member of the council’s planning committee, previously vowed not to vote for the scheme until he felt the “land is safe”.

The proximity of the land to power lines has also been raised as a concern.

But the report said:

“The Planning Inspectorate has made clear that there is no justification within policy for withholding planning permission based on unsubstantiated evidence and claims of a link between ill health and the proximity of power lines.

“The onus is not on the applicant to demonstrate there would be no risk to human health in these circumstances but is on the council to show that demonstrable harm would be caused to interests of acknowledged importance if the scheme were to go ahead. The council do not have such evidence.”

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• Contamination concerns delay decision on 53-home Knox Lane site
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Police have released a CCTV image of a man they would like to speak to after an assault in Harrogate.

The incident happened at Montey’s Bar, The Ginnel, at 1am on Sunday, September 3.

Officers said it involved a man being assaulted with glass, causing injury to his face.

The victim was taken to hospital to receive treatment for his injuries.

A statement from North Yorkshire Police said:

“Officers are asking members of the public to get in touch if they recognise the man in the image as they believe they could have information that will help the investigation.

“Anyone with any information is asked to email Sam.Clarke2@northyorkshire.police.uk or call us on 101, select option 2 and ask for Sam Clarke.

“If you wish to remain anonymous, you can pass information to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

“Please quote our reference number 12230166084 when passing on information.”

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Former Harrogate pupil George Mills has run the third fastest time ever by a British athlete in the United States.

Competing in the final of the prestigious Diamond League in Oregon on Saturday, he finished in 3 minutes 47.65 seconds.

Not only was it a personal best, it was the fastest run by a British miler since 1985. Only Steve Cram and Sebastian Coe have ever beaten it.

Mills’ performance was hailed as “absolutely astonishing” by track and field website Athletics Weekly but remarkably he only finished third behind Norwegian superstar Jakob Ingebrigtsen.

Mills told his Instagram followers:

“3.47 for the mile and third in the Diamond League final to close out the season

“it’s been a busy last three weeks but I’m pretty happy with the series of races I’ve managed to put together.”

Dad Danny, the former England footballer who lives in Harrogate, replied:

“Huge progress! So proud of how hard you work, how dedicated you are! Enjoy It – you’ll be back to work soon.”

It was Mills’ third sub 3 minute 50 second mile in succession as he ended the season in superb form.

British middle distance running is exceptionally strong at the moment and Mills will hope to join the likes of countrymen and world champions Jake Wightman and Josh Kerr at next year’s Olympics in Paris.

Mills attended Ashville College, Brackenfield School and St Aidan’s Church of England High School in Harrogate but spends most of the year abroad now, training and competing.

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• Still no start date for work on new Harrogate Tesco

Tesco has still yet to reveal when work will start on its new supermarket in Harrogate.

The now-defunct Harrogate Borough Council approved plans for a store on the former gasworks site on Skipton Road in February.

The scheme, which will create 100 jobs, also includes a petrol station and 209 car parking spaces.

It was approved despite concerns about the impact on the nearby Jennyfields local centre, which includes a Co-op, medical centre and Post Office.

But seven months on, work has yet to begin on the site near New Park roundabout.

The former gasworks site pictured from Ripon Road this week..

The application was approved subject to conditions, such as a £50,000 contribution to a new bus service from Penny Pot Lane in Killinghall.

The Stray Ferret understands Tesco is still working through the details of the conditions and hopes to start on site in the near future.

But the supermarket still hasn’t given a date.

The council received 82 representations about Tesco’s planning application. A total of 24 were supportive and 57 objected, mainly on the grounds of amenity, traffic, environmental and drainage impacts.

But the council’s planning committee went along with case officer Kate Broadbank’s recommendation for approval.

She said the development would “create jobs and provide social, environmental and economic benefits to the local area” and was “in accordance with the development plan policies”.

Tesco first secured planning permission on the site in 2012 but revived its plans in December 2021.

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A new Women’s Institute group has been formed in Kirkby Overblow.

The group held its inaugural meeting in August and has already amassed over 30 members.

The group, known as the KO-Girls, will hold monthly meetings on the last Thursday of every month and endeavours to include speakers at some events, as well as establish a partnership with the All Saints’ Church and The Shoulder of Mutton pub.

Chairman Victoria Black decided to set up the group with two of her neighbours shortly after moving to the area as she “hardly knew anyone” in the village.

Ms Black, who moved from Baildon, had never been part of a WI before, but hopes it will “help people to get to know each other better”.

She added:

“I suggested it to two of my neighbours and they agreed it was a good idea.

“We welcome anyone aged 18 and upwards.

“We’re all about inclusion – women and anyone that identifies as a woman is welcome.”

The village has not had a Women’s Institute since the 1950s – which one current member in her 80s was a part of.

The KO-Girls will hold its next meeting on Thursday, September 28 at 7pm.

It will take place at All Saints’ Church and will include a salsa dancing demonstration for guests to try their hands at.

The meeting is free to attend, but annual membership is £47 per year.

Attendance can be registered through the KO Girls Facebook page.

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Police closed several Harrogate town centre streets last night for several hours when a distressed man climbed on to a roof.

The man was on top of the Linley and Simpson building at the junction of Princes Square and Albert Street fro about 6.30pm until midnight.

Both streets were cordoned off, as were some other nearby routes, including James Street.

Police in Princes Square.

Crowds gathered in Princes Square and elsewhere last night.

North Yorkshire Police eventually published a social media post saying “our officers are currently speaking to a person in distress in Harrogate town centre” and urged people to avoid the area.

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service’s incident report said it responded at 6.32pm. It added:

“Harrogate crew assisted police with a male who had climbed on the roof of a property and refused to come down.”

Albert Street was among the streets blocked off.

The police cordons prevented people from visiting numerous hospitality businesses on a busy Friday night.

Some people were allowed to cross the cordons at certain point to enter restaurants but others closer to the incident were not.

In a social media post this morning, North Yorkshire Police said:

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