People who have lost babies are being invited to light a candle or leave a message at St Peter’s Church, Harrogate next week.

Baby Loss Awareness Week, which runs from October 9 to 15, is an awareness and support campaign around pregnancy and baby loss.

One in four pregnancies ends in miscarriage and 250 babies are stillborn every day in the UK.

Reflect, a pregnancy loss support charity, will be holding a Light a Candle remembrance event from 12.45pm to 2pm on Tuesday at St Peter’s Church. People will be able to light a candle or leave a message in remembrance of their loss.

Baby Loss Awareness Week, now in its 20th year, enables those affected to come together to remember and commemorate lost children.

The week also provides an opportunity to raise awareness of the impact of pregnancy and baby loss and the importance of bereavement support.

Tanya Allen from Reflect charity said:

“We hope that our Light a Candle event will provide an opportunity for local bereaved parents and families to remember their precious babies. We also would like anyone dealing with the pain of pregnancy and baby loss to know that there is support available; at Reflect we provide free one-to-one support for individuals and couples.”

Baby Loss Awareness Week is observed internationally and culminates with the Wave of Light on October 15, when people across the world light a candle at 7pm local time and leave it burning to remember all babies that have died too soon.

Read more:

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• Planetarium could open in Harrogate district next month

A decision on plans for 53 homes in Harrogate has been delayed after concerns were raised that the site is likely to be contaminated by coal and tar spillages from a former railway track.

More than 300 residents objected to the Knox Lane plans and also paid for their own experts to assess the site, which was once part of a railway that transported carriages between gasworks and Bilton Junction.

An agent for the developers Jomast told a Harrogate Borough Council meeting today that the firm had carried out initial ground investigations and was committed to providing more information to council officers who had recommended approval.

However, councillors said they could not support the plans until they had seen the full investigation outcomes for themselves.

The proposed development

There were also further concerns over flooding, the discovery of badger setts, a lack of public transport connections and that the development of the site near Oak Beck could cause “ecological damage”.

Councillor Robert Windass, a Conservative who represents Boroughbridge, said much more work was needed on the proposals which he described as “wrong, wrong, wrong”. He said:

“I’ve heard nothing from the developers or our officers that would make me wish to support this application.

“Unless I feel the applicant has done a proper contamination assessment and got a full report when it comes back to this committee, I’m afraid I won’t be supportive.”

The plans first submitted in April 2020 initially included 73 homes, but this was reduced to 53 after local complaints.

Despite further changes, residents have continued to strongly oppose the development with a total of 313 objections and no letters of support being submitted to the council.

Residents’ concerns are so strong that they commissioned a toxicology specialist to examine the proposals.

Read more:

• Controversial Knox Lane housing plans recommended for approval
• Bilton garages set to be demolished for housing

Dr Damien Bowen told today’s meeting that he believed “extensive investigations” were needed due to the health and environmental risks of the likely presence of contamination. He said:

“While the potential land contamination is considered, concerns over polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), other toxic metals and their known adverse health effects cannot be dismissed.

“Humans may be exposed to PAHs in the air, water and food, and when such a site is distributed these compounds are distributed into the environment.”

The field earmarked for development.

Ward councillor Paul Haslam also argued that these concerns have not been taken seriously enough by the council, which he claimed had taken no notice of “compelling” evidence that the plans should not be approved. He said:

“The developer’s hands seemed to have been held throughout this process, whereas residents have been ignored.”

The proposals – which include 30 homes classed as affordable – will be brought back to another meeting of the council’s planning committee in the coming months.

Another day of strikes on the rail network means no trains on the Harrogate and Knaresborough line.

Roadworks are affecting several key routes in Harrogate, Ripon and Knaresborough. The wet condition are also likely to cause problems.

Roads

Delays are likely due to roadworks at York Place in Harrogate. according to North Yorkshire County Council’s live roadworks map.

Roadworks are also scheduled for Duchy Road and the lane closure remains in place at Crescent Road.

The roadworks on Dragon Road are due to be in place until Friday.

Delays are also expected due to work outside the Curious Cow pub, where Otley Road meets Skipton Road.

The A59 York Road, between Station Road and the A658 at Goldsborough, remains closed overnight until October 6. A diversion will be in place.

The closure will be in place while North Yorkshire County Council carries out resurfacing work. The council website says the work will be  carried out between 8pm and 5am but one reader told us yesterday it was until 6am.

At Blossomgate in Ripon, work is due to take place to replace and reset the kerb and improve the road.

Trains and buses

There are no Northern trains today due to a rail strike.

The company is not operating trains today and says there will be “a very limited service on Saturday and customers are advised not to travel” when another strike is planned.

Services are also expected to be affected on Sunday, especially in the morning.

The Harrogate Bus Company has produced a guide to alternative travel on strike days. You can read it here.

St Peter’s Church of England Primary School in the centre of Harrogate has completed one of the most substantial refurbishments in its history.

The school, which has 267 pupils, has spent £280,000 removing external fire escapes, creating additional classrooms and a new outside play area which includes parkour equipment.

Built in 1883, St Peter’s was Harrogate’s first purpose-built hospital. The hospital was closed in 1932 and then bought a few years later and turned into a school.

Today it is part of the multi-academy Yorkshire Causeway Schools Trust which includes St Aidan’s Church of England High School and a number of other Church of England and community schools in the district.

The refurbishment work meant multiple projects at the same time — all crammed into the summer holidays to avoid disrupting the children’s education during term time.

Headteacher Mr Paul Griffiths said:

“We are delighted to have completed this ambitious schedule over the summer holiday to enhance our facilities for the benefit of children, families and our dedicated and talented staff team.

“With fantastic support from Yorkshire Causeway Schools Trust we been able to achieve such a huge amount in a short space of time.

“We love the deep history and period features of our Victorian building with its lovely high ceilings and great picture windows and are delighted to be modernising this historic building for the benefit of children and families.”

Read More: 

• ‘Welcoming’ Spofforth school rated ‘good’ by Ofsted
• Harrogate to host £3,000 pro padel tennis tournament

The school’s business manager Amanda Foster told the Stray Ferret that there was still more to be done at St Peter’s but for this round of work they’d thought hard about their priorities:

“We had to balance what needed to be done in terms of structural work versus what would directly benefit the children – such as the improved play area.

“With a building this old there are still major restoration needs so we are applying for more grants to get that work done.

“The work we’ve achieved this summer will make a massive difference to our pupils”

Part of the new playground area at St Peter’s

Photographers Stacey Evans and Sarah Warne, who raised £7,500 taking portraits of people on their doorsteps during covid, are to set up a studio in the centre of Harrogate.

The pair, who raised the money for Harrogate District Hospital, became firm friends in the process.  Both have three young children — Stacey has three girls, Sarah has three boys.

Their new company is called The Studio with Stacey and Sarah and will be based on Station Parade:

Stacey told the Stray Ferret:

“We saw a property become available on Station Parade, the one that had the fire opposite the bus station.

We went to see it and it is perfect. It is very accessible and a great space. It’s been refurbished and feels like new so it’s great. We are getting ready for launch in the next three weeks.”

Stacey has been working out of a studio in the garage at her home and said demand has been so high for her photography she had been turning down work.

She told the Stray Ferret that they had thought hard about whether this was the right time to start a business with the economic climate looking bleak and because they are young mums, but the landlord made it possible.

“The offer from the landlord was fantastic.  He completely understood where we were coming from and we got a great agreement from him.

“The fact is I’ve been turning away so much work. It feels like people are cherishing the moment now more than ever after covid.

“We want to focus on mums — so often it is the mums who are left out of the photos as they’re taking them.. We try to keep it so that mums feel comfortable and encourage them to have photos with their children. I would have loved to have more photos of my mum. I think giving mums the opportunity to have a lovely photo and talk to us as mums is important.

“We want to give bonding moments and special memories.”

An example of Sarah and Stacey’s work. 

This story is sponsored by Truth Legal.

A Harrogate law firm is celebrating supporting those most in need of legal advice for 10 years.

Truth Legal, which is based on Victoria Avenue, was founded by Andrew Gray back in 2012.

It was set up to help provide access to justice for those who may find the law difficult to navigate and has prided itself on having a “honest and ethical” ethos.

Since then, Truth Legal has gone onto support people for personal injury, clinical negligence, employment, small businesses and immigration cases and even expanded its client base into Leeds with a new office.

Georgina Parkin, the Managing Director at the firm, said the purpose of the company continues to be helping those people who find the law hard to access. She said:

She said:

“Truth Legal was set up in 2012 with the ethos of providing ethical and affordable access to justice. Access to justice has been reduced over the last 12 years with reductions in legal aid and increased court fees.”

“There has been a lot of changes to various areas of the law over the years, such as legal aid and employment tribunals.”

Georgina, who started out as a trainee back in 2013 before rapidly rising to director, is set to oversee the next milestone in the company’s history.

Truth Legal at their 10 year anniversary celebration.

Along with Louis MacWilliam and Navya Shekhar, Georgina will take on majority control of the firm. Catherine Reynolds will continue in her role as a Director of the firm. Andrew will continue to provide support as a consultant.

Going forward, Truth Legal wants to undertake another ambitious recruitment drive and look at setting up another office.

It also intends to take on more social justice cases and expanding its immigration, employment and clinical negligence teams.

For Georgina, the mission of the firm will remain the same – providing access to justice for those who need it most.

For more information on Truth Legal and how to get in touch for legal advice, visit their website here or call 01423 788358.

Spofforth Church of England Primary School has been rated ‘good’ in its first full Ofsted inspection for a decade.

Inspectors visited the school on July 20, at the end of the summer term, and said pupils were “confident and articulate” and “proud to attend this happy and welcoming school”. They said:

“Pupils are proud to attend this happy and welcoming school, where everyone knows each other by name. Christian values are at the heart of school life and reflected in the stated ambition to ‘love, learn, thrive’.

“Pupils are confident and articulate. They enjoy leading collective worship and performing in school productions.”

Senior leaders, they added, had “high expectations of what pupils can achieve”.

Children flourish in early years and have strong personal development, read a range of interesting books and follow a clear mathematics curriculum.

But the inspectors said “the curriculum is not as well developed” in some subject areas other than reading and mathematics and also noted:

“Some pupils behave inappropriately and are sometimes disrespectful to other pupils and members of staff. However, pupils have a good understanding of what bullying is and are adamant this does not happen.”

The 101-pupil school, which is part of the Follifoot and Spofforth Church of England Federation of Primary Schools, received a ‘good’ rating at its last full inspection in 2012. A short inspection in 2017 came to the same conclusion.

Read more:

• Starbeck special needs school rated ‘good’ by Ofsted
• Praise for Harrogate school as Ofsted rating improves

David Harrington, chair of governors, said:

“Everyone at Spofforth CE Primary and across our federation is very pleased with the outcome of our most recent inspection.

“We are delighted that the inspector recognised the strong sense of community where everyone knows each other by name.

“We are particularly proud of the strength in our federation EYFS class where children from both schools access such high quality education.

“I would like to thank the children, parents, governors and staff for their hard work and support which is reflected in this report.

“As a school and federation we are ready to focus on the agreed areas for development in the report in order to ensure that all our children have the best possible education and love, learn and thrive across the federation.”

National Highways is warning of three-mile delays on the M62.

Roadworks remain in place outside the tourist information centre in Harrogate town centre.

Rail strikes return tomorrow.

Here is your Stray Ferret traffic update.

Roads

National Highways issued a news release at 6.05am warning motorists the M62 in West Yorkshire is closed between junctions 25 (Brighouse) and 26 (Bradford). The incident has cleared but at 6.40am there were still long tailbacks.

All lanes have now reopened on the #M62 in both directions between J26 (#Bradford) and J25 (#Brighouse) following the earlier @WestYorksPolice incident. There is still approx. 3 miles of congestion on approach both ways, please allow extra time for your journey this morning. pic.twitter.com/AiEUPKD54E

— National Highways: Yorkshire (@HighwaysYORKS) October 4, 2022

In Harrogate town centre, roadworks remain in place outside Harrogate tourist information on Crescent Road. There is no left-turn for traffic turning left at the end of Parliament Street and no right-turn for traffic travelling right in the opposite direction on Ripon Road.

Temporary traffic lights are due to be installed on Cold Bath Road for five weeks later this week.

The A59 York Road, between Station Road and the A658 at Goldsborough, remains closed overnight until October 6. A diversion will be in place.

The closure will be in place while North Yorkshire County Council carries out resurfacing work. The council website says the work will be  carried out between 8pm and 5am but one reader told us yesterday it was until 6am.

Delays are also expected today at Castlegate in Knaresborough where junction markings are being refreshed,

As previously reported, a main road out of Pateley Bridge will be closed for six weeks as repairs are carried out at Fellbeck bridge on the B6265.

Signs for a diversion and a temporary crossing over the river for pedestrians and cyclists are in place.

Trains and buses

Northern is not reporting any problems for commuters on the Harrogate and Knaresborough line this morning. The only incident is that no services are stopping at Rotherham Central due to the attempted theft of signalling cables.

But remember, another train strike is due tomorrow, crippling local services.

Disruption is expected on Harrogate’s LNER services until October 9 due to major engineering works in the Newcastle area by Network Rail.

The Harrogate Bus Company has not posted details of any service issues this morning.

Councillors have been recommended to approve a planning application to build 53 homes off Knox Lane in Bilton tomorrow.

Harrogate Borough Council‘s planning committee is due to meet tomorrow to vote on the scheme. The Queen’s death caused the meeting to be postponed last month.

A 30-page report to councillors by case officer Andy Hough recommends they approve the application by developer Jomast, subject to certain conditions, such as no objection from the local lead flood authority.

However, the councillors could decide to vote against the officer’s recommendation and reject the scheme. The meeting will be broadcast live at 2pm on the council’s YouTube page.

Mr Hough’s report says:

“Amendments to the plans reducing house numbers from 73 to 53 is welcome and the scheme is considered to now be in compliance with development plan policy.

“The site at present represents a transition from the suburban development that is characteristic of the Old Trough area, to the more vernacular loose form of frontage development situated at the hamlet of Knox.

“The frontage to the site has a very rural feel. To aid transition, the houses situated on the Knox Lane frontage have been set back into the site and are to be constructed at low density, behind new additional planting.”

The site is allocated for development in the Harrogate district Local Plan 2014-35, which outlines where planning can take place in the district.

Residents have said the scheme will decimate an idyllic and historic part of Bilton.

Knox Lane, leading to Spruisty Bridge

Harrogate is set to host some of the country’s best padel tennis players for a major tournament.

Surge Padel launched in the space above Coach gym at Hornbeam Park in January as the UK’s largest premium indoor padel tennis centre — it has six indoor courts.

Padel tennis is one of the fastest growing sports in the country. Surge Padel has sought to put Harrogate at the centre of that growing interest with its modern facilities.

Home Of Padel, the UK’s top padel event organiser, selected Surge Padel for its next competition on October 8 and 9.

The winner will take home a £3,000 prize.

Read more:

• Ripon Tennis Centre opens new £180,000 padel tennis courts
• First glance at Harrogate’s new £1.5m padel and gym centre

HOP has worked with Surge Padel before for its new-to-advanced players and women-only tournaments. But this is the first time the professional tournament has come to Harrogate.

John Leach, Team GB’s padel coach, and Javi Serrats, who has had success in the professional padel game, are behind HOP.

Mr Serrats said:

“Padel is played on a court the third of the size of a standard tennis court. The mass appeal of it is that any age and ability can play.

“The tournament in October is an official event counting towards UK rankings and includes £3,000 of prize money. The tournament will showcase the best padel players in the country.”