Now is your time to shine with the Stray Ferret Business Awards. We are encouraging businesses of all sizes from right across the Harrogate district to enter for our awards and get recognition from our top panel of judges. Entries close on January 16.

A Harrogate law firm partner has reached the final of the Northern Powerhouse awards.

Kate Banerjee, who heads the children’s department at Jones Myers solicitors, has been shortlisted in the private client category.

Organised by the Legal 500 guide, the prestigious accolades recognise outstanding firms, lawyers, rising stars and in-house teams across 23 categories and celebrates their achievements over the last 18 months.

Ms Banerjee said:

“This recognition is a true team effort and attributable to the relentless dedication of our specialists who consistently provide the best solutions for our clients regionally, nationally, and internationally. Well done to every team member and we wish all the finalists the best of luck.”

Richard Peaker, managing partner at Jones Myers, said: 

“Kate’s shortlisting among the best lawyers in their field is well deserved and reflects the esteem in which Kate and the Children’s Department are held.

“The recognition also reinforces Jones Myers standing as a leading family law practice which has maintained its number 1 position in the legal guides for over two decades.”

The awards will take place on March 23, 2023, at the Kimpton Clocktower Hotel in Manchester.

New manager hired at property firm to oversee Harrogate portfolio

Darran Ezard, new property manager at Scanlans.

A property management firm has appointed a new manager to oversee its portfolio in Harrogate, Ripon and Boroughbridge.

Scanlans, which is based in Leeds, has hired Darran Ezard to oversee its properties in the district.

Recent additions to Scanlans’ Harrogate management portfolio include Queens Close, Grayson House, Oak Lodge, Cavendish Place, Beech Grove, Trafalgar Court and Byron Court.

Michael Willans, the head of property management for Scanlans in Yorkshire, said: 

“Darran is an excellent addition to our growing team and we are really pleased to welcome him to the firm.

“He has a track record of successfully managing a wide variety of large and small developments in the Yorkshire area, and is adept at working with contractors, tenants and owners as well as management bodies and their directors.

“Having him on board extends our capabilities at a time when we are seeing good growth in contracts as we continue to strengthen our presence in the Yorkshire regional market.

“Harrogate in particular is proving to be an area of rapid expansion for us, with around a dozen new, sought-after sites coming under our management in the first quarter of this year alone.”

Mr Ezard added:

“It’s an exciting time to join Scanlans as we build our presence in the North Yorkshire market and across the region.

“I look forward to utilising my property management and accounting experience to help us further develop our market share, working with a strong team of colleagues and with tenants, leaseholders, freeholders and management companies to look after their interests.”

A man has admitted assaulting two police officers outside Tesco Express in Harrogate town centre.

Jonathon Bogg, 31, pleaded guilty to two charges of assault by beating of an emergency worker on December 11, 2022.

The court heard how Bogg had been spotted by the officers on Cambridge Road and tried to run.

The 31-year-old was being pursued by police for another offence. Once caught, he punched both officers in the face and head.

Bogg, of Windsor Lane, Knaresborough, appeared before Harrogate Magistrates Court this morning where he spoke only to confirm his name and enter his plea.

He also admitted a further charge of being in possession of 10mg of diazepam, which is a class C controlled drug.

Bogg was bailed and ordered to appear before the court on January 27 to be sentenced.

Read more:

• Man jailed for two-month fraud spree at Harrogate and York hotels
• Ripon man appears in court charged with attempted murder

The Stray Ferret Business Awards 2023 sponsored by Prosperis is set to celebrate the best of businesses from across the Harrogate district.

With the deadline for entries fast approaching on Monday, January 16 we are revealing the top reasons why businesses simply cannot miss the opportunity to get involved.

The entry process is simple, fast and free, so what are you waiting for? Enter or nominate today!

Shout about your achievements

We know the Harrogate district is home to thousands of incredible small, medium and large businesses.

In the face of the coronavirus pandemic and now a cost of living crisis, local businesses are doing amazing things for their staff and customers.

So why not get recognition for those achievements? Whether your business has seen significant growth, made positive changes for sustainability or inclusivity, we can help you celebrate.

Attract top talent and keep employees motivated

Now more than ever we know just how important it is to attract new employees and keep your existing employees motivated.

Winning or being shortlisted for an award is a great way to set your business apart from the rest. Who doesn’t want to make for an award-winning business?

Not only do we have awards celebrating overall business achievements, we also have awards geared specifically towards celebrating the work of your best staff.

So if you have a Rising Star Under 30 or an Unsung Hero at your business then show them your appreciation and nominate them today.

Exposure with the Stray Ferret’s audience

The Stray Ferret has a huge, local audience. We get more than 200,000 readers every month from across the Harrogate district and beyond.

With ten categories come ten winners and we will profile the great work of all of our winners. So this is a great chance to get your business in front of our readers.

Incredible judging panel

When you are looking to get recognition for your business, it is key that those on the judging panel are the best of the best.

That is why we have handpicked the leaders of top businesses from across the Harrogate district with expertise and experience in a wider variety of sectors.

We have Charlene Lyons, CEO of Black Sheep Brewery in Masham, Marcus Boardall, CEO of Reed Boardall in Boroughbridge, Martin Rae, CEO of Cloud Nine in Harrogate and James Farrar, COO of the York and North Yorkshire LEP in Northallerton.

Network with the best local businesses

The Stray Ferret Business Awards will be a great way to network with the event culminating in a glittering awards dinner on March 9.

With our stellar judging panel, sponsors and shortlisted businesses for each of our ten categories, this is not an event to be missed.

You can see a full list of award categories on the Stray Ferret Business Awards page. Entries close on Monday, January 16.

Residents in the Kinglsey area of Harrogate have called for a halt to new housing decisions until North Yorkshire Council comes into force.

The Kingsley ward area will eventually see more than 600 homes built, including developments at Granby Farm and 149 homes on Kingsley Road.

The scale of housebuilding has led residents and councillors call for a stop to further decisions amid concern over noise, transport and open space.

In an email seen by the Stray Ferret circulated to both Harrogate borough and North Yorkshire councillors, Kingsley Ward Action Group pleaded for no further housing decisions to be made until April, when the North Yorkshire Council will take over from existing local authorities.

The group said the new council should be able to “assess the damage already caused and re-evaluate the need for any further development in this area”.

It said:

“You have an opportunity to right the wrongs inflicted on the Kingsley ward area by deferring all new applications until after the change of council boundaries and a new better thought out plan investigated. 

“It has been pointed out multiple times that this area of the plan was ill thought out and now you have the chance to put it right before it is too late. 

“For the sake of the residents and this area of Harrogate please take action because if you don’t it will be a stain on Harrogate and the reputation of the council.”

The plea comes as Persimmon Homes resubmitted a revised plan for 162 homes on Kingsley Drive.

It is the third time the developer has submitted a proposal at the location, which used to form part of Kingsley Farm.

Read more:

• Developer reduces planned Kinglsey Drive scheme to 162 homes
• Starbeck residents pledge to fight 181-home Kingsley Drive plans ‘tooth and nail’

Persimmon Homes had initially lodged plans to Harrogate Borough Council for 181 homes in March last year.

However, the proposal was met with concern from council officials and 222 letters of objection from residents.

The developer said it had reduced the size of the scheme in response to comments from the authority and “other third parties”.

It said:

“The development proposals have again been amended to respond directly to the comments and matters raised following the submission of amended documentation in August 2022.

“The proposed amendments to the scheme will deliver a green space and landscape driven development, which will enhance pedestrian and cycling connectivity within the local area, and which will overall provide a very high standard of residential amenity for prospective residents.”

A health and beauty business in Harrogate is counting the cost of the damage after its premises were attacked by a vandal.

The Wellness Clinic on Raglan Street sustained hundreds of pounds’ worth of damage, with windows smashed, a sign broken, furniture damaged and five large outdoor terracotta plant-pots ruined, destroying the plants. 

The Wellness Clinic provides a range of services at its Raglan Street premises.

In a post on social media, the clinic said:

“Luckily no one was physically hurt, but we are devastated. 

“We are, of course, insured but when the excess is £750-plus, it doesn’t make sense to make a claim. 

“We have worked incredibly hard to create a beautiful and safe clinic that our professionals work from. To see that your business has been targeted by a reckless individual for a couple minutes of adrenaline is incredibly upsetting.”

Police are using CCTV footage to try to identify the suspect, who caused hundreds of pounds’ worth of damage.

The Wellness Clinic provides a range of services, including physiotherapy, beauty therapies, electrolysis, mindfulness and even private midwifery. 

The business is still open and operating, and is now working with North Yorkshire Police to create still images from CCTV footage of the suspect, who struck on New Year’s Day.

According to the clinic, the suspect was described as female, wearing grey jogging bottoms, a dark-coloured top and no shoes. 

READ MORE:

• Christmas lights vandalised on Harrogate salon
• Criminals damage third business on Harrogate’s Cold Bath Road

Harrogate Borough Council agreed exit packages worth £222,000 last year with the bulk of the payouts given to former marketing staff in its culture and tourism departments.

In the summer of 2021, the council agreed to create a new destination management organisation for the district called Destination Harrogate after a review found the authority had a “fragmented” approach to tourism and marketing.

Destination Harrogate was set up to raise the profile of the Harrogate district and help attract tourists and investment but the restructure meant its marketing teams from Visit Harrogate and Harrogate Convention Centre were merged into the one organisation, resulting in job losses.

The council’s draft statement of accounts, which lists income and expenditure during 2021/22, includes details of 14 exit packages with the majority of payments linked to the restructure.

It says 12 payments worth up to £20,000 were agreed as well as one payment worth between £20,001 and £40,000 and another worth between £80,001 and £100,000.

The number of exit packages last year was unusually high for the authority. In 2020/21 it only agreed one worth £15,000.

Read more:

• Harrogate College backs PM’s call for compulsory maths until 18
• Man jailed for two-month fraud spree at Harrogate and York hotels

In 2022, Destination Harrogate unveiled a three-year plan to position the Harrogate district as a “first choice destination for tourism, large-scale events and investment”.

Alongside its partner Market Place Europe Ltd, it recently organised Christmas festivities in Harrogate, which included a Ferris wheel, ice rink and Christmas market.

A council spokesperson said:

“In summer 2021, Harrogate Borough Council agreed a restructure of the culture, tourism (including Visit Harrogate) and Harrogate Convention Centre marketing teams in order to establish a new destination management organisation for the Harrogate district.

“The destination management organisation’s purpose was to raise the profile of the Harrogate district as an exceptional place to visit, meet and invest.

“The destination management organisation required a staffing structure that was fit for purpose and suitably flexible to respond to changing customer expectations/market developments and seasonal demand. The restructure supported this and enabled the right mix of skills and experience to be in place to deliver the DMO’s vision and strategy.”

A councillor has expressed dismay as it emerged North Yorkshire stands to receive about a third of a penny per resident to boost active travel schemes this year, as part of Boris Johnson’s £2bn “walking and cycling revolution”.

An officers’ report to a meeting of senior North Yorkshire councillors and officers states the county has been offered £220,780 of the £30m on offer to develop active travel across England this year despite having received below average funding last year.

While neighbouring authorities in West Yorkshire and Teesside each received £1.3m in 2022, North Yorkshire was given just £207,683, which the council announced would be used to plug a shortfall in government funding for school Bikeability courses and to review several Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plans.

The announcement follows the government rejecting the authority’s bid for a £116m share of its Bus Back Better initiative in its entirety, saying the North Yorkshire council had failed to show ambition.

Ahead of this year’s funding allocations being decided Active Travel England issued a social media post stating it wanted “to work with the willing and that means sharing our faith and the majority of our funding with councils that have the highest levels of leadership, ambition and ability to deliver”.

It said councils’ capability and ambition to deliver successfully, alongside their recent track record would inform the funding allocations for active travel schemes.

Read More:

• New crossing on Harrogate’s Wetherby Road to be installed next year
• Harrogate district single bus fares to be capped at £2

Of the £220,780 funding this year, the officers’ report states £143,000 could be spent on developing a route connecting Brayton to nearby Selby town centre and the rail station.

The remainder of the funding will be used to buy intelligent traffic sensors to gather data about walking and cycling and for behaviour change initiatives, such as travel planning at schools and marketing schemes.

The report states: 

“It is believed that all three elements will complement each other well. To meet the fund objective of sustained increases in walking, wheeling and cycling for everyday journeys including to school and work we must focus on having shovel ready schemes ready for future capital funding.

“We must also focus behaviour change initiatives where infrastructure is being developed such as Harrogate, Skipton, Selby and Scarborough.”

North Yorkshire County Council’s Independent group leader, Cllr Stuart Parsons welcomed that the funding was due to be spent somewhere other than Harrogate, following numerous transport schemes being focused on the county’s biggest population centre in recent years.

He said: 

“It would be nice if they could try to remember Scarborough, Ryedale, Hambleton, Richmondshire and Craven next time they are given money. In fairness, to have spread that amount of money across the whole of North Yorkshire would have been laughable.

“A third of a penny a person is not going to make a huge difference in most locations. We can celebrate that we are getting a footpath, but for active travel and connectivity in North Yorkshire it is a very disappointing total.”

A man has been jailed for embarking on a two-month fraud spree at hotels in Harrogate and York at the end of last year.

Parmpareet Singh-Pooni, of no fixed address, admitted two offences at the Crowne Plaza on King’s Road in Harrogate when he appeared before magistrates in York on Monday.

He pleaded guilty to dishonestly obtaining accommodation, food and drinks by claiming he was called Nikko Singh and not paying for them between November 3 and 6.

Singh-Pooni also admitted trying the same ruse at the Crowne Plaza on either November 23 and 24.

He pleaded guilty to stealing £140 cash from behind the reception at the Dean Court hotel in York on December 17 and defrauding Malmaison in York by giving another false name and not paying for food and drink between December 27 and 31.

He was jailed for 10 weeks, with court documents saying he was jailed because of the number of offences, his record and due to the fact he was on recall.

Singh-Pooni was also ordered to pay compensation totalling £1,083 to the Crowne Plaza, £140 to the Dean Court Hotel and £452 to Malmaison.

Read more:

• Harrogate solicitor jailed after breaching restraining order
• Amazon driver on Snapchat jailed for causing death of Ripon biker

Firefighters were called out to a blaze in a Harrogate garden in the early hours of this morning.

The fire was spotted behind a property on Albany Road in Bilton and North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service was called. 

A crew from Harrogate responded at 2.58am, and located the 2m x 2m fire, which was fuelled by household waste and a wheelie bin full of rubbish.

The crew extinguished the fire and dampened down the area. No injuries were reported.

Read more:

• Firefighters rescue horse after collision in Killinghall
• ‘Kind and caring’ staff draw Ofsted praise for Harrogate nursery

Harrogate Bus Company is set to merge two routes in Bilton as part of changes to its services.

Under a shake-up of its routes which will be introduced from February 19, the current 2A and 2B services will be merged to create a circular around Bilton.

The service will run every 20 minutes from Monday to Saturday and every hour on evenings and Sundays. The 2A and 2B each currently run every 30 minutes.

The bus company said the change will see the “busiest stops and main locations” covered.

The new 2 service to Bilton, as proposed by Harrogate Bus Company.

Meanwhile, the route of the 6 will also change in an effort to “speed up journey times”.

The route will stop at Pannal Ash Drive and The Lawns and “no longer service lightly used stops”, the bus company said. The loop up Harlow Avenue past the Green Hut will no longer be served.

The X6 route will not change and will continue to run along Otley Road serving all stops in both directions.

Harrogate Bus Company added:

“If you currently catch the 6 into Harrogate along Otley Road, you’ll need to catch the bus on the opposite side of the road before it goes around Pannal Ash.”

Changes to the 6 to Pannal Ash.

People who catch the 36 between Harrogate and Leeds will see the service run every 10 minutes, under the changes. The bus company added it would continue to run to “similar timetables and frequencies” between Harrogate and Ripon.

Meanwhile, those who use the 3 service to Jennyfields will see buses every 20 minutes from Monday to Saturday, slightly reduced from the current 15-minute frequency on weekdays, but up on the half-hourly Saturday service.

For more information on the changes to Harrogate bus services, visit the Harrogate Bus Company website here.

Read More:

• ‘Use it or lose it’ warning as bus passenger numbers fall across Harrogate district
• YorBus: On-demand service’s running costs are twice as much as regular buses
• Harrogate district single bus fares to be capped at £2