Business Breakfast: Harrogate advertising firm wins ferry contract

Business Breakfast is sponsored by Harrogate law firm Truth Legal. 

A Harrogate advertising firm has won a media contract from a ferry company.

CP Media, which specialises in outdoor advertising and has an office in Harrogate, will upgrade media sites across all 33 CalMac ferries, ranging from traditional print to the latest digital screens.

CalMac is the UK’s largest ferry operator, transporting more than five million passengers a year to the Clyde, West Coast and Hebridean Islands.

Mike Brennan, chief executive at CP Media, said:

“This contract represents a key win, further extending our media coverage across Scotland, which includes outdoor sites in Edinburgh, Dundee and all the Scottish Highlands and Islands airports.

“This important contract also enhances our national media coverage of 10,000 outdoor advertising sites across the UK on roadsides, stadiums, retail environments and at 23 regional UK airports.”

Robbie Drummond, managing director of CalMac, added: 

“This strategic partnership will support our revenues and enable continued investment in these hugely important services for the area’s community and economy.”

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Harrogate Bus Company renames 36 bus after Rachel Daly

Harrogate Bus Company has renamed one of its 36 buses after local football hero Rachel Daly.

Daly was part of the England Lionesses side which won Euro 2022 last month after a 2-1 win over Germany at Wembley.

The 36 bus which has been renamed Rachel Daly.

The 36 bus which has been renamed Rachel Daly.

The company said the renaming was its way of saluting Daly, who grew up in the town.

Frank Stanisauskis , Harrogate Bus Company general manager, said: 

“Rachel and the England team’s stunning performance throughout the Euro 2022 tournament has captivated the whole nation, and nowhere more so than right here in Harrogate.

“Naming one of our buses after Rachel is our way of saying thank you for her amazing success which has brought football home. Rachel is a fantastic role model for young sportswomen in Harrogate and around the world and naming a bus in her honour is all about celebrating her amazing achievements.”

Northern’s new timetable includes early Harrogate to Leeds trains

Rail operator Northern has published a new timetable that confirms the 6.07am and 6.33am services from Harrogate to Leeds will return from December.

Northern controversially axed the services earlier this year, blaming a lack of resources and the need to recruit and train more drivers.

It provoked a backlash from business travellers who relied on the services to get to London before 9am.

The operator had always promised that the services would return in December, which has now been confirmed with publication of the timetable.

Brian Dunsby, of the Harrogate Line Supporters Group, welcomed the announcement. He said:

He said:

“It is very encouraging that Northern has kept their promise to reinstate all the lost services that were cut out in May 2022, although they have not been able to bring any forward to September 2022 due to the ongoing industrial action.”

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No trains will run through Harrogate and Knaresborough tomorrow or Saturday due to a day of national strike action.

The Rail, Maritime and Transport workers’ union and Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association are striking over pay and conditions.

Last month, members of the RMT union organised a picket line outside Harrogate train station as part of the ongoing dispute.

Asda Harrogate introduces new parking system

Asda is to introduce a new parking system at its supermarket in the centre of Harrogate.

Cameras are being introduced to check number plates when vehicles arrive and leave the large car park.

Visitors will receive two hours for free but face a fine if they overstay.

Under the old system, motorists bought a ticket from a machine entitling them to park for up to two hours for £1.

The £1 was refundable at the checkout providing at least £2 was spent in-store.

Parking was monitored by enforcement officers rather than by cameras and people could return throughout the day.

There have been concerns raised on social media that anyone wanting to return to the store later in the day under the new system could be fined £70 because the maximum stay is two hours in 24 hours.

Asda Harrogate

The old machines are being replaced by camera technology.

The new system has not yet been activated.

The Stray Ferret asked Asda when the new system would go live and to respond to concerns that motorists could be fined for parking on site twice in one day.

However, the company declined to comment.

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Jurassic crazy golf coming to Harrogate this weekend

A nine-hole jurassic crazy golf course is set to come to Harrogate town centre this weekend.

The course, which combines crazy golf with dinosaurs, will be held outside the Victoria Shopping Centre piazza on Saturday and Sunday.

An educational Dino Trail around the town centre will accompany the game.

Matthew Chapman, manager at Harrogate BID which has commissioned the course and trail, said:

““With the school summer holidays nearing an end, parents maybe scratching their heads thinking what to do to entertain their children.

“Well, we have the answer – jurassic golf! And what could be me more fun than a combination of dinosaurs and crazy golf?

“In addition to coming into town to shop, eat and drink, visitors can now add mini-crazy golf to the list. The crazy golf in the Valley Gardens is incredibly popular, and we are confident our Jurassic Golf will be a roaring success.”

The Dino Trail is a fun, educational trail where people can find answers to jurassic-themed questions by scanning a QR code on a poster, displayed in shop windows.

The answer will then appear on their phones. 

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As people complete the trail, they will also be collecting letters that form a simple, themed anagram. Users can then submit the anagram/answer via the LoyalFree app for an additional chance to win a prize draw.

Those wishing to play a round of golf can turn up on the day or book at the jurassic golf website here.

The cost is adults £3, children £2.50, family of four (two adults and two children) £10 and one adult and one child £5.

Concerns over ‘perfect storm’ of homelessness in Harrogate

Concerns have been raised over a “perfect storm” of homelessness in Harrogate due to the cost of living crisis and a lack of accommodation.

Harrogate Borough Council recently revealed a “huge” 60% increase in requests for housing help, which has led to more homeless people staying in bed and breakfasts for longer.

The council also said it has had difficulties in moving hostel tenants into permanent housing as cases have been “more complex than normal”.

Speaking at a meeting on Monday, Trevor Watson, director of economy and culture at the council, said these issues combined with a lack of private rental properties in the district were creating a “perfect storm”.

A total of 370 people accessed housing help in the first quarter 2022 – up from 334 the same time in the previous year.

The increase comes amid big rises in the cost of living with soaring prices putting a squeeze on people’s finances.

Harrogate Fairfax Liberal Democrat councillor Chris Aldred urged the council to not “lose sight” of the worsening situation as he also raised concerns over long delays in the licensing of multiple occupancy houses.

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The council is currently taking an average of 323 days to licence these properties against a target of 60.

Mr Watson blamed the backlog on the covid pandemic which he said has had a “huge impact” on staff being able to process applications.

A report to Monday’s overview and scrutiny meeting said councils across the country are facing similar issues and that finding accommodation for homeless people “isn’t always easy due to complicating factors like mental health or debts”.

It said: 

“Following a huge increase in the number of families approaching the service, the homelessness indicators performance have worsened.

“Our homelessness performance indicators, though off target, unfortunately reflect broader national trends around homelessness.

“Housing teams across the country have been dealing with higher case loads.

“In Harrogate, cases are about 60% higher than previous years.”

Calls to tackle construction vehicles who cause ‘misery’ in Harrogate

A councillor says more should be done to tackle construction vehicles that are making people’s lives a ‘misery’ in residential areas.

There has been an unprecedented levels of housebuilding in the Harrogate district in recent years, which has resulted in an increasing number of trucks, lorries and other construction traffic going to-and-from sites.

At a Harrogate Borough Council meeting last night, Conservative councillor for Old Bilton, Paul Haslam, queried what more the council could do to support residents dealing with disruption.

When a development receives planning permission, conditions are attached that stipulate how housebuilders will minimise the impact of issues such as noise and dust.

But Cllr Haslam said he and other councillors had received complaints from residents that the council’s planning enforcement team was not ensuring that conditions were being upheld.

Cllr Haslam said:

“I’m very concerned at the moment about some building work that’s going on in Harrogate, where it’s close to existing properties. [The housebuilders] have been given permission to build, not to make their lives a misery.

“How can we help officers enforce conditions to ensure that development is conducted in a safe and healthy way?”

He added:

“I have potential building on the edge of my area at the moment. The people who live next to it will have 10 years of disruption.”

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In response, Conservative councillor for Killinghall and Hampsthwaite, Michael Harrison, suggested council officers should meet with the directors of housing companies so they can better understand “how much work they need to do” to support people who live next to building sites.

Conservative councillor for the Washburn ward, Victoria Oldham asked Cllr Haslam if he thought HBC’s planning enforcement team was acting on complaints from residents “in a timeous manner”.

Cllr Haslam said he was concerned that enforcement officers “don’t have enough support”. He said:

“Quite clearly, guidelines are being flaunted by the developers. We need to make sure we are seen to protect our residents.”

22 junior soldiers in Harrogate complained of sexual assault last year

Twenty-two junior soldiers at the Army Foundation College in Harrogate said they were raped or sexually assaulted last year.

Figures released by ministers reveal 47 British army recruits under the age of 18 claimed to have been raped or sexually assaulted last year.

Dave Doogan, the Scottish National Party MP for Angus, asked armed forces minister Leo Docherty how many of those were from the Harrogate college.

Mr Docherty replied:

“Of the 47 victims in those statistics, 37 were female and of those cases one has been proven, four are ongoing, and 11 have been transferred to the civilian police.

“Twenty-two were based at the Army Foundation College at the time of the offence.”

The Harrogate college, which recruits about 1,500 recruits each year, is the only British army establishment that delivers military training to junior soldiers aged 16 and 17. Recruits undertake 23-week or 49-week basic training at the college on Penny Pot Lane.

army foundation college

The college on Penny Pot Lane.

Colonel Philip Ingram a former army commanding officer and NATO planner was quoted in The Sun saying:

“These statistics are shocking whatever way you look at them.

“They highlight the most basic of failures in command at a number of different levels and yet it takes a parliamentary question to get the information into the public domain, delivered by the very minister who continuously says the MoD is making huge progress in addressing inappropriate behaviours.

“It is clear that either he is lying or is being lied to in his briefings and the result is the lifetime of trauma imposed on the victims, some of whom are still children. Until defence gets some form of independent oversight then it will continue to cover up what can only be described as atrocious acts.”

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The Stray Ferret asked the Ministry of Defence to respond to the allegations and asked why so many abuse claims were made by recruits at Harrogate.

An MoD spokesperson said:

“There is absolutely no place for unacceptable behaviour in the army. We recognise the great courage it takes to come forward and report a sexual offence and commanding officers will always refer any allegation of rape and sexual assault, or any other offence which may have a sexual element, to the service police. All allegations are thoroughly investigated, and support provided to alleged victims.

 “At the Army Foundation College emotional, psychological and the physical safety of our young junior soldiers is taken extremely seriously and is central to the ethos at the college. Junior soldiers are empowered to call out unacceptable behaviour and should have confidence that their complaint will be investigated.”

Series of claims

This is not the first time concerns have been expressed about behaviour towards junior soldiers at the Army Foundation College.

Claims of bullying and abuse were raised in the House of Lords in November last year.

Last year also saw a female instructor at the college demoted after being convicted of punching teenage soldiers and three parents call for the college to be closed after claiming their children were abused.

But the college was rated ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted last year. Government inspectors gave positive feedback on safeguarding at the college, saying it investigated incidents thoroughly and made necessary improvements.

Last year Carol Monaghan, the Scottish National Party’s spokesperson for the armed forces, attempted to introduce a clause in the Armed Forces Bill preventing 16 and 17-year-olds enlisting in the army. Anyone under the age of 18 in the UK is legally classified as a child.

But Kevan Jones, Labour MP for North Durham, defended the college. He said:

“I suggest that anyone who wants to see the positive way individuals can and do improve their lives visits the Army Foundation College in Harrogate.”

Business Breakfast: Knaresborough businesses to be recognised at awards event

Business Breakfast is sponsored by Harrogate law firm Truth Legal. 

A new awards ceremony is set to take place in Knaresborough this weekend to recognise the town’s businesses.

About 130 guests will attend Knaresborough Business Awards at Hopewell Farm on Saturday.

Set up by the Knaresborough Business Collective, the ceremony is designed to celebrate the different businesses in the town.

Award categories include favourite place to eat and drink, favourite retailer, favourite female and male led businesses and favourite long standing business.

Natalie Horner, of the Knaresborough Business Collective, said:

“We are so excited about the event. It will be a welcome event to Knaresborough and a great way for business owners to socialise and get to know one another too.

“Hopefully we can run it every year.”

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Harrogate rental company concludes sale process

A Harrogate-based equipment rental company has concluded a formal sale process after finding no satisfactory buyers.

Vp, which has its headquarters at Central House on Beckwith Knowle, launched a formal sale of the company earlier this year.

The decision followed the company’s controlling shareholder, Akers P Investment Company, a company which is connected to Vp chairman Jeremy Pilkington, indicating its desire to explore opportunities and dispose of its 50.26% shareholding.

However, in an announcement yesterday, Vp said its board had voted to conclude the sales process after finding that none of the proposals “would satisfactorily meet the interests of all stakeholders”.

Ackers P Investment Company added that it no longer had any intention of selling its shares and “remain committed to Vp”.

Mr Pilkington said:

“In the original FSP announcement I commented that Vp’s controlling shareholder, a company connected to me, had decided that it wished to diversify its investments.

“Following a review conducted with our advisers, we, as a board unanimously concluded that it would be in the best interests of all the company’s stakeholders to launch the FSP. The process was focused on identifying the right owner for the business and whilst we were pleased with the level of interest shown, the FSP did not lead to the identification of a suitable new owner.

“I am pleased that Vp’s controlling shareholder Ackers P Investment Company Limited, a company connected to me, has confirmed its ongoing commitment to Vp following the conclusion of this process.”

‘Serious concerns’ over Swinsty Reservoir parking charges plan

Residents have raised serious concerns over plans to introduce parking charges at Swinsty Reservoir.

Yorkshire Water has tabled proposals to Harrogate Borough Council to introduce parking machines and automatic number plate recognition cameras at the car park.

The company also plans to trial charges at Fewston and Thruscross reservoirs in the Harrogate district.

The reservoirs are popular beauty spots that attract numerous visitors and dog walkers.

There are fears the charges would encourage them to park on the roadside to avoid payment and block the route for emergency vehicles.

Similar concerns were expressed during covid lockdowns when the car parks were closed.

Cllr Graham Hebblethwaite, who sits on Washburn Parish Council, said:

“We have very serious concerns because everything is working well at the moment with the car parks.

“If they start to charge, then people may start to park on the road.”

He added:

“The area is open to all walks of life. Peacefulness plays a major part in a lot of people’s lives who are in desperate need of this within the present climate.

“The proposed car parking charges may create more stress. It would be nice if Yorkshire Water, who have made very large profits in recent years recent years, seriously considered the need to charge.”

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Some local residents have written to the council expressing similar fears.

Richard Pullen, who lives in West End, told the authority that the proposal would create “a further divide” between those who live in the area and those who visit.

He said:

“Putting parking meters in will push traffic onto roads causing blockages and damage to the already narrow roads, inconveniencing emergency services, farmers and others who need access.

“It is going to cause a further divide between people that live in the countryside and those visiting.”

Cars parked outside Swinsty reservoir in the first week of lockdown restrictions being eased.

Cars parked outside Swinsty reservoir when lockdown restrictions were eased but the car parks remained closed.

A spokesperson for Yorkshire Water said:

“As we said when we announced our plans to trial the parking charges at Swinsty and other reservoirs, the revenue generated from the parking charges will contribute towards the provision of Yorkshire Water’s first in-house Ranger team. Three rangers will be based in the north area, which includes Swinsty, and so this will be one of the sites they focus on. 

“They will be engaging with visitors helping to reduce the things such as fires and BBQs, swimming, littering, fly-tipping and genera anti-social behaviour. They will also support the maintenance and conservation of the site making repairs, improving wildlife habitats and litter picking. Money from the parking charges will also be reinvested across Yorkshire Water’s sites to deliver nature conservation, countryside management and improvement of facilities at reservoir sites.

“The project is a trial and impacts, if any, of dispersed parking will be monitored and we will keep in regular contact with the Parish Council throughout the trial period.

“As we aren’t responsible for the roads in the area, we are continuing to work with the local council, the Police and Highways England to look at solutions to deter/prevent unsafe and inappropriate parking.

“We are committed to working with key stakeholders to monitor the impact of the parking charges during the trial period including both negatives and positives.”

Those who use the car park will be able to pay via car payment on site, by using the RingGo app or telephone.

Emergency services and blue badge holders will be exempt from the charges.

The proposed tariffs will be one hour at £1, two hours at £2, six hours at £3, an all day pass for £5 and an annual pass for £30.

Bransby Wilson Parking Solutions, based in York, have been appointed to operate the parking meters. 

Starbeck groups call truce and promise to work ‘positively together’

Two rival community groups in Starbeck have called a truce and are promising to work together.

Starbeck Residents Association, chaired by Chris Watt, was formed in the 1990s and awards grants and campaigns to safeguard local facilities in Starbeck.

Starbeck Community Group was launched by Starbeck Post Office owner Andrew Hart in 2020 and has been involved in several local campaigns including painting a giant Ukraine flag on the former McColl’s supermarket building.

But the group’s two leaders have history — there was public acrimony when Mr Watt was appointed chair last year at the residents association’s annual general meeting.

In May this year, Mr Hart then said it was “an insult to the community” that Labour Party member Mr Watt was standing for a political party in local elections and called on him to step down from his role as chair.

There have also been unpleasant comments on social media.

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Mr Watt, alongside SRA secretary Geoff Foxhall, met Mr Hart and SCG member Lucky Hubbard over the weekend and they agreed to put their differences aside and work together.

Mr Watt and Mr Hart issued a joint statement that said “public attacks and criticism of other local groups only create division and foster a negative impression of Starbeck”.

The statement said:

“Starbeck is a wonderful area, where we are proud to live and work. The Starbeck Residents’ Association and Starbeck Community Group have been working hard, in our respective ways, to support the area. We complement the many other groups and organisations who put so much into Starbeck and we are proud to support them as well.

“For the good of our area, it is important that we work together. Public attacks and criticism of other local groups only create division and foster a negative impression of Starbeck among people who live here and are considering moving to or investing in our area. It also discourages people from contributing their time and energy into local groups and organisations.

“For the good of Starbeck, we are promising to work constructively and positively together.”