Stray Views is a weekly column giving you the chance to have your say on issues affecting the Harrogate district. It is an opinion column and does not reflect the views of the Stray Ferret. Send your views to letters@thestrayferret.co.uk.

I recently walked through the above with my friend (a local resident) and her two small dogs to discover this delightful nature reserve had been cut back in a most unsympathetic manner, in fact for the most part it had been “slashed/hacked”.

I understand that the fellow residents are disgusted with the way in which the reserve has been treated. We realise the newts need to be protected but certainly not by using a bulldozer and other mechanical methods to cut back the foliage.

Patricia Perry, Harrogate

Read more:

• Harrogate cycling group: ‘We need delivery, not just bids’
• Council bids for £3m for cycling projects in Harrogate and Knaresborough

Victoria Avenue plan ‘solves problem that doesn’t exist’

I have read your article about Victoria Avenue. This is a solution to a problem that doesn’t exist from a cyclist perspective.  

There isn’t much traffic down this road, it’s slow moving and there is enough space for cars to pass. Why are they spending all this money to solve a problem that doesn’t exist?  

Let me tell you. Victoria Avenue’s road surface is shocking. It has pot holes galore and probably needs ripping up and relaying. So, the council have decided we can access money for cycling improvements and use it to relay the road surface and put in a couple of lanes on each side to justify the spend.  

Again, people will be left wondering where £1.5m has been spent. Some of us will know – on road improvements that will benefit cars (and cyclists).

Please don’t make the same mistake and report this as an improvement for cyclists, like you have with the Otley Road cycleway.  

We all know it’s the council using cycling money to improvement road infrastructure. Not to improve the safety of cyclists.

Scott Mordue, Harrogate

Do you have an opinion on the Harrogate district? Email us at letters@thestrayferret.co.uk. Please include your name and approximate location details. Limit your letters to 350 words. We reserve the right to edit letters.

This week’s photograph was taken by Rich Wilkinson, capturing a blue sky over Thruscross Reservoir and the sun reflecting across the water.

Rich Wilkinson

Photo of the Week celebrates the Harrogate district. It could be anything from family life to capturing the district’s beauty. We are interested in amateur and professional photographs, in a landscape format.

Send your photographs to letters@thestrayferret.co.uk for a chance to be featured next week, we reserve the right to adjust and crop images to fit into our format.

A Harrogate man is taking on an epic cycling challenge in memory of his late aunt.

Simon Gregory is set to cycle from North-West Scotland to Winchester Cathedral to raise funds for Macmillan Cancer Support, which cared for his aunt, Rev Ruth Scott.

He aims to complete the 1,000km route in less than 48hours, in the hope of raising £25,000.

At the time of aunt’s death in 2019, Simon was just taking up cycling and he said the sport helped him deal with his grief.

In 2021, Simon completed a 280-mile cycle from his hometown in Yorkshire to University Hospital in Southampton, raising £14,000 for Macmillan, before planning his next challenge.

The upcoming 1,000km ride, which Simon will complete in June, begins and ends at the locations where his aunt’s ashes are scattered and interred respectively.

Rev Scott was part of the BBC Radio 2 feature Pause for Thought, alongside Sir Terry Wogan and then Chris Evans.

Preparing for his challenge, Simon said:

“It’s to remember my aunty Ruth who battled T-cell lymphoma. She was an incredible lady who led the most remarkable of lives; as a circus clown, a midwife and then a priest.

“She touched thousands, maybe millions of lives in conflict resolution and as a broadcaster for 25 years on BBC Radio Two. She was an incredibly selfless lady who was my second mum. She was always there to support and guide me when I needed it.”

Simon hugs Ruth’s nurse, Mairead, after completing his previous fundraising challenge

As well as remembering his aunt, he also paid tributed to her nurse, Mairead:

“To think that somebody faced cancer without what Ruth had in her nurse, Mairead, just kept nagging at me. Mairead offered a huge amount of knowledge, support and understanding so we could deal with the situation much better.”

 Simon’s £25,000 target would cover 101 days of Macmillan nursing.

You can donate £5 by texting ‘RUTH48’ to 70550 or visit Simon’s Just Giving page. People can also donate £33 – which funds one Macmillan nursing hour – and have a loved one’s name included on the bike to join Simon on his journey.

Read More: 

• Harrogate cycling group: ‘We need delivery, not just bids’
• Government gives final go-ahead for £69m Kex Gill reroute to start

The Sawley Arms near Ripon has been granted planning permission for a café and shop to be added onto the site.

The plans, submitted by Leeds-based NJ-Architects, were approved by Harrogate Borough Council last week.

The building will be extended to create a village shop and coffee shop, and the current conservatory will be replaced with a new seating area.

The shop will include household essentials, as well as fresh morning goods and takeaway sandwiches.

The deli-style shop will feature ready-to-go food which can be reheated at home, and a coffee shop will also be added.

Read more:

• Sawley Arms granted midnight extension
• Storm Otto leaves Ripon building owners counting the cost

The plans will create new jobs roles for the local community.

Steve Harryman, project manager of The Sawley Arms, said:

“We wanted to expand the number of covers and create more space for our guests.

“The plans will increase the viability of the pub.”

The proposals have been under discussion for eight years and are finally coming to fruition. The pub said Sawley is “a delicate area for development, as it is part of an AONB”.

The completion date is not yet certain and “depends on builder availability”, Mr Harryman said.

The sketch outlines the hopes for the pub’s transformation

He added:

“This is a great opportunity to expand the pub’s offerings to the local community. Those in nearby accommodation will be able to pick something up from us for convenience.

“It is great the locals are supportive of the pub, so we would like to give something back.”

The Sawley Arms currently offers all-day dining, as well as on-site accommodation for guests.

After being beset by delays and hiking in cost due to soaring inflation, the realignment of the A59 at Kex Gill is finally set to be built.

The project, which is North Yorkshire County Council’s most expensive and ambitious, will reroute a landslip-blighted road between Harrogate and Skipton.

For councillors and government officials, the route is a key east to west link.

As such, the money set aside – some £69 million – is justified and for ministers the deal they struck with the county council is seen as sensible financially.

Richard Holden, the roads minister in Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s government, echoed the sentiment on a visit to Kex Gill this week.

The site on Thursday morning had yet to have a spade hit the ground, but Mr Holden was confident that in two years’ time it would be a justified expense.

He said:

“It’s an important route here between Skipton and Harrogate on a local level. But, actually, it’s more significant for the north of England really.

“I grew up in east Lancashire, the A59 goes all the way through to York. It is a really important road. It’s one which we want to see thrive and it is an important tourist route as well during the summer.

“It’s also important for heavy goods vehicles.”

(Left to right) Cllr Carl Les, leader of county council, Richard Holden, minister for roads, and Cllr Keane Duncan, executive councillor for highways.

Part of the reasoning behind the reroute is the number of landslips on the road.

According to council documents published in 2021, the cost to taxpayers for maintaining the road has been “increasing over the last ten-year period”.

Between October 2000 and May 2019, five landslides were recorded at the site and the retaining wall failed four times.

In January 2016, the road was closed for eight weeks and traffic diverted through Ilkley and Otley after heavy rain caused a landslide.

Meanwhile, an instability issue in May 2018 caused road closures for several months, which council officials said led to a “complex repair scheme” being carried out at a cost of £1.42 million.

Following numerous landslips and millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money spent on the A59, the county council decided in 2016 to do something about the problem.

How the new road will look

The reroute itself will see the existing road, which has blighted motorists for decades, returned back to moorland.

Richard Binks, head of major projects at the county council, explained that the scheme will be built in two phases.

The road to the west of Blubberhouses will be built first and include a climbing road at the junction near to Fewston reservoir car park.

The reroute of the A59 at Kex Gill which has been proposed by North Yorkshire County Council.

The second junction will be built at the bottom of what is now a single track road and will exit near to Kex Gill.

Mr Binks said the idea is to get the new road ready for traffic before moving cars from the existing A59 onto it.

He said:

“We want to build the new road first and then move traffic onto the new highway. Then we will focus on the old road to downgrade it and plant it up.”

Read more:

• Council warns of ‘high risks’ as Kex Gill cost soars to £69m
• Minister ‘open’ to inflation funding discussions for A59 Kex Gill
• Government gives final go-ahead for £69m Kex Gill reroute to start

Once the junctions are ready to be connected to the old road, temporary traffic lights will be put in place.

Meanwhile, as part of the realignment, new wetlands will be created near to one of the junctions and biodiversity will be returned to the moorland.

While it is unclear when the lights will be in place to connect the junctions, Mr Binks said it is expected the project will be nearing completion in summer 2025.

The council intends to enter into its contract with John Sisk & Son (Holdings) Ltd, which is an Irish civil engineering and construction company, in April to start the scheme.

Tackling inflation

One concern over the future of the scheme is the rate of inflation in the construction industry.

Mr Holden acknowledged that soaring costs were an issue, but remained confident that funding offered by the government was “sensible”.

The scheme has faced numerous delays and, following tender returns, the estimated cost of the scheme increased by £7.2 million to £68.8 million, which the council attributed to inflation affecting constructions costs.

The project will be funded by a £56.1 million grant from the Department for Transport, with the council covering the rest from its reserves.

Cllr Keane Duncan, executive councillor for highways at the county council, told the Stray Ferret that the authority had put “built in” funding into the contract to cover inflation.

The council has set aside £11 million to be factored into the budget to cover any issues with ground conditions or bad weather.

Cllr Duncan said:

“We have built in inflation, we know that that is a risk and that is something that is built into the contract.

“It is something that we are now hoping will not be an issue for us looking ahead.”

All major projects come with risks and barriers which need to be overcome.

But county council officials will take brief comfort that they can now finally put spades in the ground on the multi-million pound scheme before before tackling those hurdles over the next two years.

This story is sponsored by Myrings Estate Agents 

This year marks a special anniversary for Myrings: 25 years in the property business!

Where have all those years gone? It’s hard to say, but as a company our plans, hopes and ambitions remain focused on the immediate future and the year ahead.

We are delighted to report (especially at the start of a new year) that Myrings has never been stronger. We are recognised as a leading player in several important and growing areas, including both the rental and the ‘Land & New Homes’ sectors.

Throughout 2023, we are expecting the Harrogate market to make a significant return in both residential sales and lettings after an inevitable blow during covid. Nevertheless, we will continue to invest heavily in our clients, infrastructure and working practices – ultimately offering all associates of Myrings an even better service.

Recently, we have integrated our sales and rental departments in order to optimise efficiency and create a seamless synergy between services. In addition, we understand the importance of an aesthetic and technical workspace, and, thus, redecorated and re-equipped our Harrogate offices – including updated state-of-the-art IT systems.

The universal birth of social media has coincided with our years in business and has inhabited itself as a fundamental part of our marketing strategies. Rising to the ever-changing developments of the online world, we adapted our marketing to the necessary and hugely advantageous nature of social media – and it’s only going from strength-to-strength. Interacting with the local community has become a vital cog in our marketing functions, and we have been lucky enough to sponsor the likes of Harrogate Town FC, Ripon Tennis Club, St Michael’s Hospice, Martin House, Henshaws and more.

Employee development remains one of our core values. Over the years, we have continually trained our staff and two new apprentices, supported them in their studies for professional qualifications and recruited several property professionals to strengthen our teams further.

Harrogate’s Victoria Avenue could lose a number of parking spaces and its central refuges as part of plans to create a cycleway.

North Yorkshire County Council this week identified Victoria Avenue as its priority cycling scheme of three in the pipeline. The others are on the A59 Harrogate Road at Knaresborough, and in Richmond.

Victoria Avenue would see segregated cycle lanes 1.5 metres wide and buffer zones created on both sides of the avenue.

The West Park junction and kerb line would be remodelled to improve the crossing and new traffic lights installed. The pedestrian crossing would also be upgraded and pay and display meters would be removed or relocated.

A report to councillors says “some existing parking and central refuges” would be removed but doesn’t specify how many. When the Stray Ferret has asked the council for the number, a spokesperson said:

“The designs of the Victoria Avenue scheme are still to be finalised, so the reduction in parking spaces is yet to be confirmed.”

The Victoria Avenue scheme, which is part of the council’s plans to encourage active travel, is budgeted to cost £1.57m and is likely to go ahead because funding is already secured.

The council has £492,000 from tranche two of the Department for Transport’s active travel fund remaining. This, along with £1.08 million the DfT has awarded in tranche four, will cover the cost.

The council has also been invited to bid for an additional £2.16 million and whether the schemes in Knaresborough and Richmond proceed will largely depend on this.

Read more:

• Harrogate cycling group: ‘We need delivery, not just bids’
• Council bids for £3m for cycling projects in Harrogate and Knaresborough

Rail operator Northern has issued 10% fewer penalty fares in the first month since the government increased the fine to £100.

The government raised the penalty fare from £20 to £100 on January 23 amid concerns the figure was too low and was no longer an effective deterrent to fare evaders.

In the month since then Northern, which runs services passing through Harrogate and Knaresborough, has issued penalty fares to 3,831 people caught travelling without a valid ticket or ‘promise to pay’ notice, compared to 4,261 in the same period last year.

Northern, which provides 2,500 services a day to more than 500 stations in northern England, revealed adult passengers accounted for 81% of the penalty fares issued, with under 18s making up the remaining 19%.

Mark Powles, commercial and customer director at Northern, said:

“A sudden 10% reduction in the number of penalty fares being issued would suggest the increase to £100 has been effective in terms of a deterrent. Of course, this is only the first month – but it is definitely a step in the right direction.

“Upwards of 95% of our customers do the right thing and buy a ticket before they travel – and having invested in the largest network of digital ticket infrastructure of any train operator in the country, Northern has made it easier than ever to buy a ticket via our app, website or one of more than 600 ticket machines across the network. There really is no excuse.”

Industry body, the Rail Delivery Group estimates that every year around £240 million is lost through fare evasion on British railways.

The £100 penalty fare forms part of The Railways (Penalty Fares) (Amendment) Regulations 2022. Penalty fares are reduced to £50 if paid within 21 days.

Read more:

• Man accused of sex offences at Harrogate train station
• Council bids for £3m for cycling projects in Harrogate and Knaresborough

Ministers are open to discussions over funding should a major realignment for the A59 at Kex Gill hit further inflationary pressures.

Richard Holden, the minister for roads, told the Stray Ferret that he believed the government had struck a “sensible deal” with North Yorkshire County Council for the £69 million scheme.

Mr Holden visited the Kex Gill site along with officials from the county council this morning.

It comes as the Department for Transport gave the final go-ahead for the project today, which will see the road rerouted.

The move comes as the project has been beset by delays and mounting costs due to inflation.

However, work now look sets to start in April on the scheme — three months after the council’s most recent anticipated start date.

When asked if the government would step in should the project face rising costs, Mr Holden said:

“We have done a sensible deal with them [the council], we did not want to sign anything before it was all ready.

“Obviously, there have been inflationary pressures across construction particularly the last few years.

“I hope we don’t need to get to that point, but I think we have got a good project team here who are going to keep costs under control working with National Highways.

“I think we are in a good place, but obviously discussions are always open when it comes to money.”

Read more:

• Council warns of ‘high risks’ as Kex Gill cost soars to £69m
• Council sets aside £11m for A59 Kex Gill contingency funding
• Government gives final go-ahead for £69m Kex Gill reroute to start

The scheme has faced numerous delays and, following tender returns, the estimated cost of the scheme increased by £7.2 million to £68.8 million, which the council attributed to inflation affecting constructions costs.

The project will be funded by a £56.1 million grant from the Department for Transport, with the council covering the rest from its reserves.

A further £11 million has been factored into the budget to cover any issues with ground conditions or bad weather.

The Kex Gill realignment site, which is set for construction.

Irish civil engineering and construction firm John Sisk & Son (Holdings) Ltd has been appointed to build the road.

Speaking following the announcement, Cllr Keane Duncan, executive councillor for highways, said:

“This is really the culmination of seven years worth of work to get to this stage.

“It’s very welcome that we are now able to proceed.”

The A59 at Kex Gill, near Blubberhouses, is the main route between Harrogate and Skipton. Since 2000, the route has been closed 12 times following landslips.

The estimated completion date for the scheme is May 2025.

Pictured above (left to right) council leader Cllr Carl Les, minister for roads Richard Holden, and Cllr Keane Duncan, executive councillor for highways.

A familiar fruit and vegetable brand in Harrogate for more than 50 years is set to move to a new home next month.

Regal Fruiterers will leave its King’s Road home to take over a vacant shop at 137 Otley Road.

Peter and Dawn Weatherhead, who have run the business for the last 21 years, said they would take their two part-time staff with them when they move.

Mr Weatherhead told the Stray Ferret:

“We’re closing the shop on King’s Road on Saturday, March 18, the day before Mother’s Day.

“We’re then reopening on Harlow Hill on Friday, March 24.

“Regal has been in Harrogate for over 50 years and we’re excited to be writing a new chapter.”

The unit has been a fruit and veg shop for the last few years, first set up by Shepherd’s Dog landlords Mike and Donna Schofield.

They took on the shop after running a stall outside the pub during covid and realising the level of demand in the area. They decided to end the project in autumn 2021 and focus on the pub.

Read more:

• Bus route changes ‘necessary’ in face of growing Harrogate congestion
• Harrogate’s Otley Road to be dug up again

In early 2022, the shop was reopened by Ilkley-based Wharfedale Fruit and Veg, which ran the shop until last October, when it was taken on by The Village Greengrocer.

However, residents took to social media to express frustration that the shop was not always open as expected, and it has since closed for good.

Mr Weatherhead said he hoped there would be a warm welcome from the community when Regal opens its doors in four weeks’ time.

“A lot of our customers live up in the Harlow Hill area anyway, and a lot of the customers we have spoken to on King’s Road have said they’ll follow us up there.

“I’ve introduced myself to the shop owners and had a very warm welcome. It’s all good news.”

The shop will be open Monday to Saturday, 9am to 5pm, offering Regal’s range of fresh local produce and cooking ingredients.