A free community class will be on offer at a Harrogate fitness studio every weekend this month.

CrossFit Harrogate is inviting anyone who can’t afford gym memberships or who doesn’t know where to begin with a more healthy lifestyle to try its weekly group session.

It will take place every Sunday at 12.15pm, lasting 45 minutes, at the gym’s base at The Zone on Hornbeam Park.

Head coach Anneka Thompson said:

“We want to invite people that are going through financial hardship, parents, grandparents, anyone that wants to exercise but doesn’t know where or how to begin to come into our gym for a free community class every Sunday for the month.

“This is our way of offering help to those that could use some friendly faces and some movement in their lives. If we get a good turn out, we would look to continue it.”

The sessions will run on Sundays, January 8, 15, 22 and 29. To book a place, call Anneka on 07471 697824 or email her by clicking here.

Read more:

• Delayed opening for temporary gym at Ripon leisure centre
• New gym set to open on Harrogate’s Cold Bath Road

A picket line operated at Harrogate Rail Station this morning as the latest wave of strikes by the RMT union draws to a close.

Union members are expected to picket the station again tomorrow before trains begin to run a limited service on Sunday.

No further strikes are currently planned and normal service is due to resume on the Harrogate and Knaresborough line on Monday for the first time in more than three weeks due to strikes, an overtime ban and bank holidays.

Pickets told the Stray Ferret the main reasons they were striking were concerns over passenger safety and working conditions, rather than pay.

An RMT member at Harrogate station today.

They said ticket offices faced closure and safety would be compromised by cuts to staff unless they took action.

Transport Secretary Mark Harper has said “it’s time for the unions to get off the picket line and back round the table” and claimed he has “delivered new, improved pay and reform offers”.

Read more:

• Ambulance workers in Harrogate district begin strike
• Vandals leave Harrogate hospital facing large flood repair bill

Thirty years of fundraising for Cancer Research UK will be celebrated on the Stray in Harrogate this summer.

The Race for Life will offer participants routes of 3km, 5km and 10km as the national event marks its 30th anniversary.

It has already raised more than £920 million for research into ways to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer.

Cancer Research UK’s spokesperson in Yorkshire, Michaela Robinson-Tate, said: 

“We’d love for as many people as possible across Harrogate to join us during our 30th year of Race for Life.

“Race for Life is a powerful way to celebrate and remember loved ones affected by cancer and to raise money for pioneering research.   

“Whether people are living with cancer, taking part in honour of or in memory of a loved one with cancer or signing up to protect their own children’s future, everyone has a reason to Race for Life.    

“Sadly 1 in 2 of us will get cancer in our lifetime, but support through events like Race for Life funds groundbreaking work to see more people surviving cancer.  

“For some, the Race for Life is literally a walk in the park. Slow and steady still wins. For others, it’s a jog. Others may opt to push themselves harder and take part in the 10K distance. But what is for certain is we’re looking forward to welcoming people of all ages and abilities.”  

Taking place on Sunday, July 9, the event is open now for bookings. Anyone who signs up in January can get 50% off the entry fee by using code RFL23NY.

To find out more, visit the Race for Life website.

Read more:

• 1,400 runners set to take part in Harrogate Race for Life
• Charity pays for two cancer nurses at Harrogate hospital

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.”