Roadworks are set to bring three months of disruption to motorists travelling between Ripon and Harrogate.

The A61 will be dug up as part of fibre optics company City Fibre‘s £46 million digital infrastructure upgrade in Harrogate, Knaresborough and Ripon.

Work has been completed in most areas. However, signs have gone up on the A61 Ripon Road warning that nighttime work will take place between April 17 and July 13.

Kim Johnston, regional partnership director at City Fibre said:

“From April 17, we will be starting work on the A61 between Harrogate and Ripon.

“This work will last for approximately three months and will require traffic management on one side of the road.

“Works will take place 7pm to 6.30am, Monday to Friday, with the road returned to two-way traffic every morning.”

Traffic lights will be in place during these hours, and no detours are planned.

A City Fibre spokesperson added “there may be a small amount of weekend work, subject to confirmation with highways”, adding:

“If this is the case, City Fibre will actively avoid any weekend with a major local event like Harrogate Flower Show.”

The entire length of the A61 between Ripon and Harrogate will be affected.

Ms Johnston said:

“CityFibre is investing £46m in transforming Harrogate and Ripon’s digital infrastructure and bringing next generation full fibre connectivity to almost every home and business in the area.

“This is a major undertaking, which is why we work closely with our build partner, local authorities and the council’s highways team to manage disruption as best we can and ensure works are delivered quickly, and always to our high standards.”

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All Creatures Great and Small star Samuel West has poked fun at the number of brightly coloured warnings that greet commuters at Harrogate train station.

People using the stairs to cross platforms are greeted by a raft of brightly coloured messages imploring them to do everything from use the handrails to keep to the left.

West, who plays Siegfried Farnon in the Channel 5 remake of the drama series about vets, expressed his sensory overload on social media after a recent visit to the station.

The actor and narrator tweeted to his 104,000 followers:

https://twitter.com/exitthelemming/status/1642619635194372100

The post has attracted 4,500 likes and 249 retweets.

One person replied that it looked like a “seriously bossy set of steps” while another described it as “a sensory nightmare”.

Somebody else said:

“A frustrated copywriter finally given a platform… so to speak!”

Several commented they would be too worried about tripping to read all the messages.

A spokesperson for rail operator Northern said:

“We carry out regular inspections of the stations across our network and we’ll certainly take this into consideration.”

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The closure of a busy road in Harrogate is to continue until November.

A section of road where Kingsley Road meets Bogs Lane has already been closed for five months to enable Redrow to carry out work at its 133-home Kingsley Manor development.

The closure, which prevents traffic using Kingsley Road and Bogs Lane as thoroughfares, has divided opinion.

It has also heightened fears about emergency vehicle response times as the route can be used as an alternative when Starbeck level crossing barriers are down.

North Yorkshire County Council issued a temporary prohibition of traffic order that came into effect on November 7 last year.

The order was for 12 months but at the time David Faraday, technical director for Redrow (Yorkshire), said “we don’t anticipate the works will take the full six months to complete”.

But signs have now appeared saying the closure will be active until November.

Kingsley Road, shortly before the road closure.

Mr Faraday said today:

“Unfortunately due to reasons beyond our control, essential works at the entrance to our Kingsley Manor development have been delayed.  We informed the local authority of this and in January they granted permission for road closures to be extended until November 2023 in the interest of safety.

“We are pushing to complete the works, which include bringing new high voltage electricity cables to the site as quickly as possible so that the roads can be reopened. We would like to thank residents for their patience and understanding while the works are being undertaken.”

Knaresborough Road ‘saturated’

Local resident Clare Ayres said she was disappointed and wanted the road to re-open as soon as possible because it would ease “the saturation of traffic on Knaresborough Road” and surrounding routes.

Ms Ayres added:

“It won’t be long before they start building on the land on Kingsley Drive, which will mean more lorries and congestion. I’m also concerned about access for emergency vehicles.”

Cllr Chris Aldred, a Liberal Democrat who represents High Harrogate and Kingsley on North Yorkshire Council, said there was no obligation on Redrow to consult on the matter as the traffic order applied for 12 months.

He also said the developer had been obliging by maintaining a footway for pedestrians and cyclists, who would have otherwise faced a 1.4-mile diversion.

Cllr Aldred also said he supported moves to permanently close the road at the bridge where Kingsley Road and Bogs Lane meet. He said:

“It would stop the notorious Kingsley rat run, once and for all, so a further six months actually allows time to continue this experiment whilst the works continue.”

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Harrogate Christmas Fayre will be extended to 18 days this year.

The market will take place in the town centre from December 1 to 17, over three weekends rather than two as previously.

The move comes after calls from hoteliers and businesses to extend the fayre beyond its original 10 days.

Destination Harrogate, which organised the event with Market Place Europe and the now-defunct Harrogate Borough Council, confirmed the news today.

It also said the event will see the return of fairground rides and attractions but did not give specific details.

John McGivern, destination events manager for Destination Harrogate, said: 

“We’re delighted to support our local businesses by giving them just what they’ve asked for – an extended Christmas offer that provides an excellent opportunity to boost our visitor economy even further at a crucial time of year.”

Dan Siddle, chair of Harrogate Hospitality and Tourism Association and general manager of the Crown Hotel, said occupancy levels increased in December 2022 “and a lot of our business was based on the new Harrogate Christmas Fayre”. He added:

“We were in favour of the market being extended and it’s fantastic to hear that visitors will have even longer to enjoy the Christmas fayre during a festive break in Harrogate in 2023.”

James White, manager at Victoria Shopping Centre, also welcomed the news, saying the “increased footfall is very much welcomed by local business”.

Nick Rhodes, chief executive of Market Place Europe, said it was looking forward to “bringing an exciting variety of traders into Harrogate town centre” and

Those wishing to be stallholders and traders at this year’s Harrogate Christmas Fayre can register via email at info@mpel.co.uk.

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Officers from West Yorkshire Police have said they have “exhausted every possible line of enquiry” into missing man Jesus Moreno.

Mr Moreno, 41, who worked at a Leeds brewery, was last seen eight months ago in August 2022.

The brewer was spotted on CCTV catching a Harrogate-bound 36 bus from Leeds bus station at 6.10am on Monday, August 1.

He got off the bus at Swindon Lane near Dunkeswick, just north of Harewood bridge on the A61, at 6.39am. He was then seen on CCTV near the bridge at 8.14am.

In a fresh appeal, Detective Inspector Ryan Malyk, who has overseen the missing person investigation, said the force had explored all possible lines of enquiry into Mr Moreno’s disappearance.

He said:

“We recently met with Jesus’ family to give them a detailed overview of the work that we have been carrying out to find him since he was reported missing.

“We are acutely aware that they are continuing to go through a really difficult time while his disappearance remains unresolved.

“It is completely out of character for him to go missing like this and to remain out of contact with his family and friends for such a long period of time.

“As it stands, we have explored and exhausted every possible line of enquiry to find him, and unfortunately that has not brought us any progress beyond the last confirmed sighting of him at Harewood Bridge.

“We remain committed to finding him and would welcome any new information that could assist us.”

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Mr Moreno was last seen wearing a black t-shirt, with the logo of his Piglove Brewing Co business on it, black jeans and carrying a black Vans rucksack with a chequered pattern on it.

Police said he was known to have previously visited nearby beauty spots on the River Wharfe at Netherby.

A new image of Jesus Moreno released by West Yorkshire Police.

Police search advisers oversaw a number of searches of the countryside surrounding where Mr Moreno was last seen.

Specialist marine and underwater search officers checked the surface of the River Wharfe down to Ulleskelf, North Yorkshire, and carried out underwater searches of specific locations along the waterway.

The force said detectives from Leeds District CID have conducted extensive enquiries over the time since he was reported missing, but had not yielded any new information on his whereabouts.

Anyone with information can call West Yorkshire Police on 101 quoting reference 13220422334.

A plan has been submitted to install 32 solar panels on Coppice Valley Primary School in Harrogate.

Red Kite Learning Trust, which runs the school, has lodged the plan with North Yorkshire Council.

It would see the panels installed on the school’s roof to generate 13.6 kwp of renewable energy. 

In documents submitted to the council, the trust said it felt the panels would help to enhance the character of the building.

It said:

“It is considered that the proposed solar panels would be complementary to the character of the building. 

“The visual appearance of the solar panels on the roofed area is considered appropriate for the school building, thereby enhancing the visionary appearance of the site as an up-to-date centre for learning, creating responsible citizens for tomorrow’s world with an appreciation for their surroundings and a duty of care for the environment. 

“It is considered that the panels could have a positive impact on the character of the building and no overall detrimental impact on the surrounding area.”

North Yorkshire Council will make a decision on the proposal at a later date.

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It’s time to join the Stray Ferret Business Club. The fourth in our series of networking events, with Banyan Bar & Kitchen, is a breakfast event on April 27 from 8am.

Don’t miss out on this chance to network with businesses from across the Harrogate district. Get your tickets by clicking or tapping here.

Masham-based Black Sheep Brewery has partnered with a baby charity to help support the donation of milk to sick and premature babies.

The brewery is supporting the Human Milk Foundation with a fundraising campaign for the second year running.

The charity provides donor human milk to over 40 NHS hospitals and thousands of families across England and Wales.

Black Sheep will help to raise awareness of the issue by placing a ‘peel and read’ label on its Milk Stout drink in supermarkets, which will direct people to the HMF site with instructions on how to donate.

Charlene Lyons, chief executive of Black Sheep Brewery, said: 

“We’re delighted to once again partner with the incredible people at Human Milk Foundation to launch this fundraising campaign.

“We consider the blood bikers to be real heroes; when they receive the call, they do whatever it takes, day or night, to pick up the donation from the nearest milk bank and quickly but safely transport the milk to the necessary hospital or family in need.”

Natalie Shenker, co-founder and director of the HMF, added: 

“We are delighted to again partner with Black Sheep brewery as we aim to raise further funds to save the lives of sick and premature babies, as well as supporting the ‘blood bikers’ in their incredible efforts.

“The support of Black Sheep has allowed for the expansion of our milk bank operations so we can make safe, screened donor milk available via the blood bikers for hospitals and families across England and Wales.”

Harrogate MP visits local health business

Andrew Jones MP visited a Harrogate business supporting NHS hospitals with patient discharges.

Vivid.Care, which is based at Forest Lane Head, sells rehabilitation and recovery equipment across the UK.

Andrew Jones MP visits Vivid.Care.

The Harrogate and Knaresborough MP visited the firm this past Friday and was shown products which were being given to the NHS.

Tristan Hulbert, managing director of the company, said:

“We wanted to demonstrate just how Vivid.Care products and healthcare solutions help to enable timely patient discharge from hospitals and reduce system costs where possible.” 

Mr Hulbert added:

“We showcased some of our innovative healthcare solutions such as the Raizer lifting chair and our Lento specialist seating range which are being used by healthcare providers across the UK to reduce delays to patient discharge and existing backlogs.”

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A Brighton firm has hired 23 former staff members of failed Harrogate telemarketing firm Amvoc after setting up a new office.

The company, which was based at Cardale Park, entered administration on Friday after abruptly closing its offices last month citing “covid debts” as the cause.

Up to 450 people lost their jobs as a result of the move.

However, One Family, a financial firm based in Brighton, said today 23 former Amvoc staff had started work at its new call centre in Leeds on Monday.

One Family was a customer of Amvoc before it entered administration.

Matthew Ellis, sales and marketing director, said:

“We were saddened to hear of the closure of Amvoc, which is a company that we have worked with for three years.

“We were worried about the talented team who had been working so hard for us during that time. We wanted to help them and swiftly put plans in place – sending colleagues to Leeds to find new office space, meet the team, unpack kit and make the seemingly impossible possible. We set up a fully operational call centre in just eight days.

“It was a very quick turnaround, but I’m absolutely delighted to welcome our new Leeds team members to One Family.”

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The move comes as Leeds-based Lewis Business Recovery and Insolvency has taken over as administrators of Amvoc.

Director of the firm, Gareth Lewis, and Matthew Russell have been appointed joint administrators.

Law firm Atticus said in the days after Amvoc’s collapse it has been contacted by 145 former employees.

The law firm says it is investigating the circumstances of the company’s collapse and concerns around how the redundancy process was managed, as well as whether ex-staff are eligible to claim for compensation. 

Thousands of teachers are in Harrogate this week for the National Education Union‘s annual conference.

Delegates poured into Harrogate Convention Centre this morning for the four-day event, which began with news that teachers had rejected the latest government pay offer and were preparing for more strikes on April 27 and May 2.

Visitors were greeted by dozens of activists outside the convention centre handing out leaflets and distributing copies of left-wing publications such as Morning Star and Socialist Worker.

The week will see numerous fringe events take place in Harrogate as well as at the conference centre and nearby hotels.

Delegates arrive this morning

The NEU is the largest teachers’ union with 32,000 members from 1,700 schools.

Its latest pay ballot was rejected by 98% of teacher members in England on a turnout of 66%.

Dr Mary Bousted and Kevin Courtney, joint general secretaries of the NEU, issued a joint statement to delegates in Harrogate:

“This resounding rejection of the government’s offer should leave Education Secretary Gillian Keegan in no doubt that she will need to come back to the negotiating table with a much better proposal.

“These strikes are more than three weeks away; Gillian Keegan can avoid them.

“No teacher wants to be on strike. Nor can they accept this offer that does nothing to address the decades of below inflation pay increases making them the worst paid teachers in the UK.”

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It’s time to join the Stray Ferret Business Club. The fourth in our series of networking events, with Banyan Bar & Kitchen, is a breakfast event on April 27 from 8am.

Don’t miss out on this chance to network with businesses from across the Harrogate district. Get your tickets by clicking or tapping here.

A new specialist health and nutritional supplement shop has opened in Harrogate.

Go Herbs, which is based on Station Parade, offers customers a a wide range of vitamins, natural health products and sports supplements.

The store is overseen by Emilija Krukoniene and Abbie Green, who wanted to create a welcoming, positive and educational experience for customers to learn how they can improve their health, wellbeing and sports performance.

Ms Krukoniene said:

“We are really excited to see our vision coming to fruition as we open our first store in Harrogate and welcome customers. 

“Whilst most of us can get all the vitamins and minerals we need by eating a healthy, balanced diet, sometimes we need a little extra help and so we are looking forward to getting to know the  local community. 

“Health and nutrition is my passion and it has always been a dream for me to  be able to help people look and feel their best by helping them find the best products to support them whatever their goals, with a welcoming in-store experience.”

The store is planning a series of events throughout the year such as Q&A sessions, collaborating  with local groups and organisations, providing expert advice and support alongside high-quality products.

Women’s networking event to be held in Harrogate

A networking event for women in business is set to be held in Harrogate.

The event is organised by She Business UK, which aims to support women within the workplace.

The networking lunch will be held at Co-Lab on Kings Road and will take place from midday until 2pm on Tuesday, April 18.

It will include a discussion led by Fiona Kearns, women’s ambassador at She Business UK.

For more information, visit the networking EventBrite page here.

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