Government rejects cycling schemes in Harrogate and Knaresborough

Cycle schemes in Harrogate and Knaresborough will not go ahead after the government rejected the bids for funding.

North Yorkshire County Council applied for £3.19 million from the fourth round of the Department for Transport’s active travel fund.

It would have paid for segregated cycle routes on Victoria Avenue in Harrogate, a section of the A59 between Mother Shipton’s Cave and Harrogate Golf Club and a project in Richmond.

But the DfT allocated the £200 million to bids from other local authorities instead.

The council indicated in a news release last month it had been allocated £1.08m from the fourth funding round and been invited to bid for an additional £2.16m. But it said today it had actually not been awarded a penny.

The news is another blow for attempts to encourage cycling in the Harrogate district after phase two of the Otley Road cycle route was abandoned and traffic calming measures on nearby Beech Grove were reversed.

There is still no final decision on the £11.2 million Station Gateway, which would improve cycling around the train station.

It also appears to leave wider plans to create a connected, segregated cycle route from Cardale Park to Harrogate town centre in tatters.

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North Yorkshire County Council’s Conservative executive member for highways and transportation, Cllr Keane Duncan, said:

“We are inevitably disappointed that our ambitious £3.19 million bid to enhance facilities for cyclists and pedestrians through the fourth round of the government’s active travel fund has not been successful.

“We believe we put forward strong proposals for the three schemes.

“We are seeking detailed feedback from Active Travel England so we can understand the reasons behind their decision. We hope to work with them to progress schemes in these areas and elsewhere in the county successfully in future.”

Harrogate’s Valley Gardens to host three-day coronation celebration

Valley Gardens in Harrogate is set to host a three-day celebration event for the coronation of King Charles III.

The free event will take place from Saturday, May 6, until Monday, May 8.

It will include live stream of the coronation ceremony on a big screen from Westminster Abbey.

Besides the big screen, a stage will feature a line-up of family-friendly entertainment.

There will also be fairground rides, food and drink stalls, pop-up character appearances, circus workshops and an artisan market in the gardens Sun Colonnade.

Cllr Sam Gibbs, Harrogate Borough Council’s cabinet member for environment, waste reduction and recycling, said:

“Valley Gardens provides the perfect backdrop for our three-day event to celebrate the coronation of King Charles III.

“There will be rides, family entertainment throughout the weekend, pop-up character appearances and circus workshops. There truly is something for everyone and even better, it’s all free.

“So pack a picnic and come on down to Valley Gardens to mark the coronation.”

For more information on the event, visit the Visit Harrogate website.

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Paperchase in Harrogate to close tomorrow

Paperchase in Harrogate will close tomorrow after the company went into administration last month.

The cards, gifts and stationery company has been holding a closing down sale since administrators Begbies Traynor took control of the business.

The James Street shop has already sealed off half of the unit as stocks run low. It is running a 70% off sale and selling some cards for as little as 10p.

Tesco bought the rights to the cards, gifts and stationery brand, entitling it to sell Paperchase items in its supermarkets, but did not buy the stores.

The move affected 106 Paperchase shops and more than 800 staff nationally.  All stores are due to cease trading by Monday.

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Record readership for Stray Ferret with 2 million page views this month

The Stray Ferret has had a record breaking March, with more than two million page views and almost 300,000 unique users.

The Harrogate district news service, which is now three years old,  has seen consistent growth in readership.

The figures quoted have all been verified by Google Analytics.

More than 30,000 people follow Stray Ferret posts on the various social media channels.

The most read stories in March included hundreds of job losses due to the sudden close of telemarketing firm Amvoc in Harrogate, disruption across the district due to snow fall, Knaresborough tractor run and the closure of the fast food restaurant Leon. 

Tamsin O’Brien, director of the Stray Ferret said:

“We set out to provide a service that we thought the residents of the Harrogate district wanted — well written news and information in an easy-to-read digital format. We constantly  aim to be first with the news and be as local as possible.  To have two million page views shows just how much people value this information and are engaged in where they live.

“Our readers tell us how much they like the fact our news content is free of annoying pop-ups or Google ads and we only allow local advertisers who also want to engage local residents — so the whole site is solely for the people and businesses of the district.”

This month also saw the Stray Ferret launch its annual Business Awards and establish a networking Business Club.

Thanks to all our readers and advertisers. Please keep us up to date with your news and views.

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Inquest opens into death of 29-year-old man in Harrogate

An inquest has opened into the death of a 29-year-old man in Harrogate.

Joseph Paul Aaron Morrison, of no fixed abode, died at Harrogate District Hospital on October 30, 2022.

Opening the inquest at Northallerton, Catherine Cundy, coroner for North Yorkshire, said Mr Morrison was “found unresponsive” at an address in Harrogate on the same date.

She said the provisional cause of death was drug related.

Mr Morrison was found with morphine and tramadol in his system.

Ms Cundy adjourned the inquest for a later date.

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Knaresborough to get new fish and chip shop

A new fish and chip shop is set to open in Knaresborough.

Fish-a-rama is expected to begin serving customers at around Easter on the site of a former Chinese takeaway on York Place.

Owner Aytach Sadik ran a fish and chip shop in London before moving to Harrogate 22 years ago.

Since then he was been involved with Chico’s and Bambino’s takeaways in Harrogate.

Mr Sadik said he had spent about £200,000 on the new family-run business, which he said will be a family business selling the best fish and chips around:

“We will only use fresh fish. The quality isn’t there with frozen fish. We will also serve grilled sea bass and bream on a barbecue.”

“Everything is brand new – from the electricity and gas to the fittings. We knocked it back to the bare walls.”

Fish-a-rama Fisharama Knaresborough chips

The family-run business is preparing to open.

Mr Sadik said the business intended to apply for planning permission to open an outdoor seating area with a retractable roof on the large forecourt outside.

In the meantime, customers will be able to take their orders and eat them at tables on the patio at the front.

Mr Sadik, who is 67, is coming out of retirement for the venture. He said:

“I did retire two years ago but it’s just not for me. How many days can you play golf?”

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Two men arrested in Harrogate after car break-ins

Two men have been arrested after reports of cars being broken into in Harrogate.

The men, both from Bradford and aged in their 50s, were arrested in the early hours of this morning.

North Yorkshire Police acted after a resident in Bilton saw a man trying car door handles on their doorbell camera.

As a result, officers arrested two men on suspicion of vehicle interference and going equipped for theft.

Both are currently being questioned in custody.

Meanwhile, in a separate incident, a 34-year-old man was arrested and charged with theft from a vehicle following an incident on Yew Tree Lane on March 26.

He was due to appear before York Magistrates Court today.

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Harrogate chamber chief executive David Simister seriously ill in hospital

David Simister, chief executive of Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce, is seriously ill in hospital.

The business organisation said on its website yesterday Mr Simister had suffered a “serious medical episode”.

It added:

“I am sure all our members, and friends in the wider business community of Harrogate will join us in wishing him and his family our thoughts and prayers for a positive outcome and want him to know that we will all be with him on his road to recovery.

“We are deeply saddened by the news and greatly miss David’s infectious enthusiasm and dedication.”

The message added the chamber’s management team led by president Sue Kramer and vice-presidents, Martin Mann, Sam Oakes and Jackie Snape would continue to support and represent chamber members.

Former journalist Mr Simister is well known in Harrogate. He co-founded the Harrogate communications firm Different PR and is a former councillor.

The Stray Ferret sends our best wishes to Mr Simister and hope for his speedy recovery.

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Harrogate’s planning committee approves sole council house in final act

Harrogate Borough Council’s planning committee last act yesterday was to approve a new council house in Huby.

The committee of councillors has met about once a month to decide on some of the largest and most controversial developments in the district.

But in its final meeting it was asked to approve a two-bedroom council home on the Kingsway estate in Huby.

When the council was formed in 1974 it owned 7,000 council houses across the Harrogate district but this has fallen to 3,800 since the Conservative government introduced the Right to Buy scheme in the 1980s.

There are currently 2,199 households registered on the waiting list for council homes.

The two-storey home in Huby will include solar panels and an air source heat pump to provide future residents with renewable energy.

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Harrogate Borough Council housing officer Emily Shephard told councillors the authority still owns 80% of council homes on the Huby estate, which is next to Weeton train station.

Objector Susan Durrant told councillors the site would increase traffic in Huby and the empty grassland should be used by the community instead. 

She said:

“The highway is very difficult in that area for parking. You can only park on one side of the road. It’s hazardous. All the vehicles coming and going would create mayhem.

“The land could be used as common land for a play area for children. Why at this point in the day has it been decided to build upon there?”

The plans were approved by eight votes to four.

North Yorkshire Council will create new planning committees based on parliamentary constituency areas.

This means that from April 1, the Harrogate Borough Council area will be split into new committees for Harrogate and Knaresborough, Selby and Ainsty and Ripon and Skipton.

Plan approved to convert former Harrogate RAF club into flats

A plan to convert a former Royal Air Force club in Harrogate into flats has been approved.

The club on East Parade occupied the building between 1966 and 2022 and served to support ex-RAF servicemen and servicewomen throughout the Harrogate district.

Its members were part of the RAF Association, a registered charity that provides welfare support to the family of RAF members nationally.

Now, Harrogate Borough Council has approved a proposal by Mr Aaron Dean to convert the club into four flats following its closure last year.

The club closed after over 50 years in June 2022 due to a dwindling membership locally.

A statement from the club chairman last summer said the club was no longer viable and when sold, the proceeds would be given to the RAF Association.

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A closing party was held at the club where people made donations to obtain some of its remaining military memorabilia.

Despite closing the club, the Harrogate district branch of RAFA is continuing with its charitable endeavours and remaining members will still attend annual events such as the Battle of Britain commemorative parade at Stonefall Cemetery and Remembrance Sunday parades.