Residents in the Pannal Ash area are calling for a 20mph zone to be introduced around four Harrogate schools.

The petition calls for the speed limit, plus safe crossing points and signage, around Rossett Acre Primary School, Rossett School, Harrogate Grammar School and Ashville College.

Ruth Lily and Jenny Marks set up the petition amid concern that more houses in the Pannal Ash area would lead to increased traffic and safety issues for children attending the schools.

The area is earmarked for up to 4,000 new homes as part of housebuilding in the west of Harrogate.

The residents said in a statement:

“We have worked with schools and local people to develop a plan for our area designed to make our streets safe and useable for everyone. 

“Enabling more journeys without cars would also increase people’s health, improve air quality, reduce noise pollution and decrease carbon emissions.”

The petition also calls for North Yorkshire County Council to introduce speed bumps in the area, plus improved cycling provision.

The move comes as residents have called for 20mph zones elsewhere in Harrogate.

Read more:

• Crime commissioner pledges to tackle ‘woefully low’ rape prosecution rates
• Majority of residents want 20mph speed limit, councillor says

Cllr Paul Haslam, who represents Old Bilton on Harrogate Borough Council, raised the issue with Zoe Metcalfe, the North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner earlier this month.

Speaking at a meeting of Harrogate Borough Council’s overview and scrutiny committee, Cllr Haslam asked Ms Metcalfe:

“In my area, Bilton and Woodfield, I would say the majority of residents want the whole area to be 20mph. At what stage will police enforce this?”

Campaigners across the country are calling for a speed limit of 20mph to be normal on residential streets and in town and village centres as part of the 20’s Plenty initiative.

You can read more on the petition for a 20mph zone in the Pannal Ash area here.

This article is sponsored by Myrings.

How do you choose the right estate agent for your property?

Selling your home is one of the biggest decisions you will make – and whatever your reasons for doing so, you want to be sure it’s in the best possible hands.

Equally, if you have a property to rent out, you need to be confident your agent will work with you to find the right tenant and get the best price for your investment.

When you start looking for an agent, chances are you’ll be seeking a firm that’s established and reliable. Its fees will be a consideration and the way it responds to your initial enquiry will also play a part in your choice.

But even then, can you be confident the estate agent will deliver the best service and get the results you need?

Best Estate Agent Guide

Luckily, there are ways to make your choice based on independent research. One of these is the Best Estate Agent Guide – which now features Harrogate estate agency Myrings.

The guide lists the top agents across the country and is designed to be an independent resource for sellers and landlords to find the best sales and lettings agencies in their area.

Director Gemma Myring said:

“We are delighted to have been included in the Best Estate Agent Guide 2023. Agents cannot enter or pay for this award – the assessment is industry-wide and only those that meet the very highest standards are included. We are thrilled to have been recognised as among the best in the country.”

Myrings is a family-led firm with a wealth of experience in the property market.

From all its team members living in the Harrogate district to supporting local sports teams, including Harrogate Town, Myrings is invested in the community, and has also recently launched a new relationship supporting Martin House Children’s Hospice.

Its directors and staff are on hand to guide you through the process of selling or letting your home and ensure you achieve your goals, whether that’s achieving the best price, delivering in a quick time frame, or finding the perfect new home for your family.

To find out more, visit the Myrings website. You can call the sales department on 01423 566400, or contact the lettings team on 01423  569007.

A Harrogate training centre for people in the hair and beauty industry has received praise from Ofsted in its latest inspection.

Rating Intuitions Ltd ‘good’, inspectors said the “high-quality training” was delivered by staff who have “care and passion”.

The business has recently moved to a new model of delivering training, with most of its lessons delivered one-to-one or in small groups in the salons where apprentices are training.

Ofsted inspectors said:

“Apprentices studying the level two hair professional standard, who are new to the profession, quickly develop their understanding of the high standards of professional behaviours expected in the salons in which they work.

“They behave professionally, and are mature, polite, courteous and respectful to other staff, educators and clients.

“Educators encourage learners and apprentices to take pride in their work, and this is evident in learners’ well-presented portfolios. They are effective role models and have a wide range of industry experience, which inspires learners and apprentices.

“Educators ensure that their appearance reflects professional industry standards, and this reinforces the expectation of apprentices to adhere to the expected standards of dress code in their salons.”

Inspectors said trainees were quick to improve their skills and were pleased with what they achieved even at an early stage of their training.

Read more:

• Ofsted finds ‘good’ village school near Knaresborough is ‘like a second home’
• ‘Welcoming’ Spofforth school rated ‘good’ by Ofsted

However, they recommended staff could do more to develop their other skills, such as by correcting spelling in all written work and giving more comprehensive careers guidance.

The report added:

“Targets set by educators following frequent and comprehensive reviews of work are focused, and apprentices are clear about the progress that they are making.

“Educators clearly identify strengths and areas for improvement, and apprentices know what they need to do next. They share the information with employers in comprehensive reports.

“Apprentices are supported well by their employers, which contributes to the good progress that they make.”

Now based in Wizu Workspace at Royal House on Station Parade, Intuitions was founded almost 30 years ago. It has been run by Michelle Oliver since 2000 and has grown significantly during that time.

Intuitions Ltd has a new home on Station Parade, but delivers most of its training in salons.

Following the challenges of covid, Ms Oliver told the Stray Ferret the new model of delivering training has been well-received.

“We’re enjoying delivering the new model. It’s nice to be able to go into a business and see the learners using their skills in a real setting.

“That’s what we’re here for – to create the hairdresser for the salons. That’s the beauty of apprenticeships: they’re in the workplace, earning money – not much, but it could be £200 a week, which is a lot when you’ve just left school.

“They’re seeing professional people working alongside them and learning from them all the time.”

Ms Oliver said her own experience of working in a salon while training showed her the value of learning how to behave in a workplace and how to engage with clients.

She said she hoped the supportive comments from Ofsted and the professional standards on show from the learners might encourage more people, as well as local high schools, to do more to promote apprenticeships as a potential career path for their students.

A gym company from Leeds is set to expand to a second site on Harrogate’s Cold Bath Road this year.

North Studio is planning to open in Wellington House, the building that is already home to cycling brand Prologue.

Posting an image of the new premises on Instagram, the company said:

“We are super excited to finally announce our expansion into Harrogate at the end of this year.

“Keep your eyes out for more details over the coming weeks!”

North Studio’s existing Leeds venue in Roundhay offers a strength room with weights and cardiovascular equipment, and a cycling room where spin classes take place.

It also has a more relaxed studio for yoga, pilates and barre classes, and the gym sells shakes, smoothies, teas and coffees on site as well.

Classes are £15 each with discounts available for block bookings, and membership starts from £70 per month.

It is the third business this week to confirm plans to open on Cold Bath Road. A new pet shop will open in the former home of the Refilling Station, while plans have been submitted to create a cafe-bar and record store further up the hill opposite Valley Drive.

Read more:

• Cafe-bar and record store plans submitted for Cold Bath Road shop
• New independent pet store to open on Cold Bath Road

Police have confirmed a body has been found in the River Nidd near the viaduct in Bilton.

The area had been closed off since this morning, with numerous police vans and fire engines in attendance.

North Yorkshire Police has now issued a statement confirming that the body of a man had been seen and reported to police around 8am today.

Officers said the body was that of a white man, believed to be in his 40s, who is yet to be identified. A spokesperson said:

“Please avoid the area at this time.

“Enquiries are ongoing and further updates will be provided when available.”

Anyone with information can call North Yorkshire Police on 101 and quote reference NYP-15102022-0081.

Read more:

• Police close Nidd Gorge viaduct in Bilton
• Arrests in Harrogate and Ripon as police target drug dealing

Legendary chef Marco Pierre White started his culinary career in Harrogate four decades ago.

Since then, Marco has gone on to lead the country’s restaurant scene and helped kick-start the careers of chefs including Gordon Ramsay and Heston Blumenthal.

Later this month he is returning to the town he calls one of his “spiritual homes” to host a three-day food festival.

He spoke to the Stray Ferret about learning the trade in Harrogate, favourite Yorkshire restaurants and… tripe.

‘First break in life’

Forty five years ago a young Marco Pierre White was instructed by his dad to go and search for work in Harrogate. This was because it was less than 10 miles away from his Leeds home and crammed with hotels.

So one morning in March 1978, sandwiches in hand, he caught the bus to the town, went to the St George Hotel, on Ripon Road, and knocked on the kitchen door.

He said:

“I was there for about a year. I didn’t learn much about cooking. That’s the truth. But what I did learn was how to use a knife well. I learned how to absorb pressure, I learned to be organised. I learned to work hard. Very hard.

“I also used to stand and watch the chef, Stefan Wilkinson, do the pass. He was the greatest at doing the pass that I ever saw. He gave me my first break in life for which I’m very grateful for.

“I learned a lot there, but not about food.”

Marco said his time at the Harrogate hotel was very important as it prepared him for his role at The Box Tree in Ilkley.

The famous Yorkshire restaurant opened in 1963 and was one of the first four restaurants in the UK to hold two Michelin stars.

Marco began working in the kitchen at the age of 17 in 1979, where he remained for two years.

He said:

“In those days it was one of only four restaurants in Britain to have two Michelin stars. A lot of people regarded it as the best restaurant in Britain at the time.”

‘Spiritual home’

While he hasn’t visited Yorkshire since 2019 as a result of the pandemic, he is looking forward to returning to Harrogate on October 28 for his three-day food festival.

He said:

“I always say Harrogate is one of my spiritual homes.”

And while he hasn’t dined out in the region for almost four years, he credits his favourite Yorkshire restaurant as the Cleveland Tontine, Northallerton.

He said:

“I’ve been there many, many times. My friend Eugene has left there and now he has got the Crathorne Arms, just outside Northallerton. He’s a very good chef and cooks food you want to eat.

“But when I was a boy, Harrogate had restaurants like the Drum and Monkey (which is still open today) and we had Oliver’s and Number Six. The first ever posh restaurant I took a girl to was Oliver’s in Harrogate. We both had beef wellington and a langoustine cocktail.”

Marco also recommends Simon Shaw’s tapas restaurant, El Gato Negro, in Leeds, where he plans to dine ahead of the food festival.

The Great White Food Festival

The Great White Food Festival will be held at the Harrogate Convention Centre and Royal Hall from October 28-30 and is expected to attract around 15,000 visitors.

Marco said:

“It’s basically a celebration of food and there will be lots of artisan producers who make things like salami, pork pies and black pudding.

“There will be produce like smoked salmon and haddock. In my opinion Alfred Enderby, from Grimsby, smokes the best smoked haddock in the world and they are coming.

“Redefine Meat are coming who make vegetarian steaks.

“Pierre Koffmann, Simon Shaw, Jean-Christophe Novelli and I will be doing masterclasses. There are a lot of chefs doing them.

“But it’s a celebration of Yorkshire really and all those individuals who contribute to it being wonderful.”

And his favourite Yorkshire dish?

“Tripe. Tripe is one of the most delicious things on earth. There used to be a tripe shop in Leeds Market. They used to hang it in all the butchers’ shops. People used to eat it cold with malt vinegar, black pepper and salt.”

• For more information about the Great White Food Festival and to book tickets, click here.

Transport officials have been urged not to leave Harrogate’s Wetherby Road and Skipton Road out of long-awaited plans to tackle the town’s “chronic” congestion problems.

North Yorkshire County Council recently revealed it is exploring new proposals to ease traffic and improve safety on the A61/Leeds Road as part of its Harrogate Transport Improvement Programme.

This comes after calls to revert the Parliament Street section of the road to two-way traffic were last year rejected by the authority which said the costs would exceed £30 million.

The latest plans could now include bus lanes, junction upgrades and cycling and walking improvements.

Also proposed is a Harrogate park and ride service, as well as a bypass around Killinghall where residents say the existing roads can no longer cope with the area’s population explosion.

Louise Neal, transport planning team leader at the county council, told a meeting on Wednesday that the A61/Leeds Road presented the “greatest opportunity” to tackle the town’s traffic jams through the measures that are being explored.

But councillors frustrated with slow progress have questioned why there is such a great focus on the road when others are suffering from similar congestion woes.

Traffic queueing on Skipton Road.

Councillor Pat Marsh, leader of the local Liberal Democrats, said Wetherby Road and Skipton Road needed to be given greater consideration as they are the “busiest” in the town. She said:

“You have only got to go to the Empress Roundabout to see that.

“On Wetherby Road the traffic tails back so far it is unbelievable. Why that road is not being looked at I do not know.”

Councillor Marsh also said the “biggest issue” in her Stray, Woodlands and Hookstone division was the decline of bus services as she also argued that there is potential for a park and ride scheme to serve passengers from the Great Yorkshire Showground.

Read more:

• Nidderdale road to be repaired — nearly three years after storm damage
• Could Harrogate’s ‘little temple’ be moved to ‘neglected’ Starbeck?

After looking at more than 100 possible park and ride sites, the county council is focusing on the A61 as it wants the scheme to link with the 36 bus service.

‘It just goes on forever’

Although more detailed plans could finally be revealed next year, there is still frustration that all the proposed measures to cut congestion could still be several years away despite the alarm bells ringing over climate change.

Fairfax and Starbeck Liberal Democrat councillor Philip Broadbank said:

“The number of reports, consultants and investigations we have – it just goes on forever.

“Skipton Road 30 years ago was the most congested road in North Yorkshire and there were all sorts of promises then.

“We now need to focus, get on and deliver.”

After launching in 2019, the Harrogate Transport Improvement Programme has been hit by recent delays because the work is “extremely time consuming and complex,” the county council said.

It added the latest data gathering stage will take several more months to complete, with a report on the next steps to be revealed “in the first half of 2023”.

County council officials have set aside contingency funding for a major realignment of the A59 at Kex Gill amid soaring inflation.

The project is set to cost £68.8 million and construction is due to start in December this year.

North Yorkshire County Council awarded a £50.7 million to John Sisk & Son (Holdings) Ltd, an Irish civil engineering and construction firm, to build the scheme.

County council officials said £18.1 million would be spent on areas such as project management, design and land acquisition.

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

Gary Fielding, the council’s director for strategic resources, warned previously that the “burden of risk” for major projects, such as the realignment of the A59 at Kex Gill, will fall on the authority amid soaring inflation.

The Stray Ferret asked the authority if it had set aside any funding to cover the project going over-budget.

Richard Binks, head of major projects and infrastructure at the council, said it had included within its funding allocation “a sum for contingencies to cover any additional eventualities during the project”.

He added:

“The total of £68.8m has been allocated to the project to realign the A59 at Kex Gill.

“The Department for Transport is providing grant funding of £56.1m. The remaining £12.7m has been allocated from North Yorkshire County Council’s capital reserves. 

“Costs beyond the main contract include project development, design, works supervision, land acquisition, statutory procedures and utility diversions.”

Contractors will move on site in December to clear the moorland by late February next year to avoid the bird nesting season. An estimated completion date is May 2025.

Read more:

• Council warns of ‘high risks’ as Kex Gill cost soars to £69m
• £69m Kex Gill road scheme set for December start after contractor named

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 project has faced numerous delays and following tender returns, the estimated cost of the scheme increased by £7.2m to £68.8m, which the council attributes to due to inflation affecting constructions costs.

It therefore approved an increase in its allocated funding from £5.5m to £12.7m, given the DfT grant is fixed.

A Starbeck community group has offered to find a new home for the ‘little temple’ that looks set to be moved from Harrogate.

North Yorkshire County Council said yesterday it had submitted a planning application to remove the tempietto in Station Square.

It plans to sell or recycle the construction so it can open up the area and use the space to host events, as part of the £11.9 million Harrogate Station Gateway scheme.

Postmaster Andrew Hart has written to the council offering to donate £1,000 towards bringing the little temple to Starbeck.

Mr Hart, who founded Starbeck Community Group, which has 1,800 members, wrote in his letter:

“Starbeck is very much the poor relative of Harrogate and Knaresborough and has suffered badly due to a depleted High Street, covid and the economy.

“We noticed with interest that you are planning to recycle or sell the tempietto from Harrogate. Could we please have first claim on it as either a gift or as a purchase?

“The community would be so proud to have this in Starbeck, it would not only enhance our community but it would lift spirits. I would happily start a community fund with a donation of £1000 towards the purchase if necessary.”

Read more:

• Harrogate’s ‘little temple’ could be sold to make way for Station Gateway
• Firefighters and councillors make calls to improve Starbeck crossing

Mr Hart was behind a successful bid last year to relocate eight planters from Harrogate to Starbeck when Harrogate Borough Council decided to get rid of them.

He said “these things help poor neglected Starbeck” and told the Stray Ferret the idea of Belmont Park hosting the little temple had been well received by locals:

“Everyone is working hard in Starbeck to make it look more colourful and this would give us a sense of pride.

“I saw the story and thought ‘this is a great opportunity for us’.”

A high court judge has blocked a Harrogate widow’s attempt to receive a regular income from the estate of her late husband, a well-known businessman.

Christopher Ramus was found by a coroner to have taken his own life aged 72 following the breakdown of his 48-year marriage to Elizabeth Ramus, and difficulties in other relationships.

The couple were the founders of Ramus Seafood, which operated for many years from Kings Road until the couple sold it and retired. Despite their separation, Mr Ramus’s will still made provision for his wife, entitling her to an income from his estate for the rest of her life.

However, the income was at the discretion of the three trustees, including the couple’s daughter, Claire Holt, and two family friends. Mr Ramus wrote a letter of wishes in September 2019, stating:

Read more:

• 45 former CNG staff in £210,000 tribunal win against Harrogate firm
• Knaresborough woman who refused to wear face mask unfairly dismissed, tribunal rules

Regular monthly income

Mrs Ramus, 77, had said in order to maintain her lifestyle, she would need a regular monthly income from Mr Ramus’s estate, otherwise she would use up her own assets and risk running out of money.

She submitted to the court a list of monthly outgoings which totalled more than £5,000, against income from pensions of £1,800 and other assets including bonds and ISAs.

However, sitting in Leeds, Judge Mark West found Mrs Ramus’s own assets of more than £1.6m were significantly more than the value of Mr Ramus’s estate, at just under £1.1m. He said:

“Standing back and looking at the matter in the round, this is a case of an applicant who in all likelihood would not have received anything on divorce, and who, even after the purchase of a three-bedroomed house for £750,000, would have financial autonomy and still have net assets not far short of £900,000.

“In addition, her case was that she requires a monthly income to enable her to pay her outgoings without using the capital which would be left after her purchase of a new home.

“For these reasons, and taking into account all of the relevant factors… I am satisfied that the disposition of Mr Ramus’s estate under the terms of his will is such as to make financial provision for Mrs Ramus in the circumstance of the case and that the claim fails.”