Just 3.5% of homes sent information packs as part of a consultation on creating a Harrogate town council bothered to respond.

Letters were posted to each of the 35,431 households on the electoral register in the unparished area of Harrogate inviting them to have their say on the subjects. Only 1,250 did so.

A total of 75% favoured setting up a town council but the low response rate triggered concerns about the validity of the response.

Establishing a town council, wit yet to be determined powers, would create an additional annual council tax charge for the 35,431 homes affected.

A report to North Yorkshire County Council‘s Conservative-controlled executive on January 11 recommends it proceeds with moves to create a 19-person town council in April 2024. But it says:

“There was some concern raised about the apparent low response rate and whether this gave a sufficient democratic mandate to create new town councils.

“It is further noted that whilst the rates are low, it is not unusual with the background of similar reviews and the Association of Electoral Administrators consultant has advised that it is sufficient to proceed with the response rate at this level based on previous reviews.

“The decision being requested is whether to proceed with a further set of consultations on a preferred proposal and the response rate and details of that consultation can be considered before a final decision is made.”

No referendum

The county council is also likely to ignore a plea by Harrogate Borough Council to hold a referendum.

On September 21, the borough council unanimously passed a resolution:

“This council calls upon North Yorkshire County Council to hold a binding referendum of Harrogate town residents who could become constituents of a new Harrogate Town Council to determine whether such a council should be formed.”

The resolution also said information should be made available prior to the referendum as to which services a new town council could provide, together with an indicative level of investment required to give “democratic legitimacy” to the process.

But the report to the county council quotes leader Carl Les saying:

“it should be noted that it is not legally possible to hold a binding referendum to create a town council as the legislation does not provide for this and the council cannot fetter its discretion in this way.”

Read more:

• Harrogate set to get town council after 75% back the idea
• Revealed: the Harrogate areas set for new council tax charge

Cllr Les adds the consultation, which will now proceed to a second stage, should merely “take into account” the views of the borough council. The report added:

“It is not clear that a referendum would elicit a different response. There is no requirement under the law for a referendum to form part of a community governance review to provide democratic legitimacy to the outcome.

“The additional cost of a referendum may not be justified if the outcome is likely to be the same as writing to all households.”

In this article, which is part of a series on the 12 stories in the Harrogate district that shaped 2022, we look back at plans for active travel in the Harrogate district.

Few topics have generated more heat over the last 12 months than schemes to promote walking and cycling in Harrogate. But for all the sound and fury, little has changed.

A decision on whether to proceed with the £11.2 million Station Gateway still has not been made. Beech Grove reopened to through traffic after an 18-month experimental closure. New cycle routes on Victoria Road and Harrogate Road in Knaresborough remain a distant dream, even though funding is in place. Oatlands Drive is once again the subject of a consultation.

The only significant development was the opening of the first phase of the Otley Road cycle path — to almost universal condemnation.

Critics wonder why cycling gets so much attention; cyclists and environmentalists wonder when anything will ever actually happen. Here’s what happened to the key schemes.

Station Gateway stalemate

In January, North Yorkshire County Council indicated it would proceed with the scheme despite concerns from businesses and residents about the impact on trade and delays on the roads — but warned it would take a year longer than expected. The proposed starting date was put back to this winter.

Don Mackenzie, the council’s Harrogate-based executive councillor for access who hailed the gateway as the “greatest investment in decades” in Harrogate town centre, did not seek re-election in May’s local elections. His successor, Cllr Keane Duncan, said he remained committed to the scheme and planned to “crack on”.

Out: Don Mackenzie (left). In: Keane Duncan

In June, the council opened a second consultation on the scheme. A third would follow in autumn.

Summer also saw the commercial property firm Hornbeam Park Developments Ltd threaten a judicial review against the council’s handling of the gateway.

Soaring inflation sparked concerns in autumn the quality of the scheme could be compromised due to rising construction costs — a claim Cllr Duncan denied.

Months of silence suggested enthusiasm was waning until Cllr Duncan said this month the council remained committed to the project. But he added it was still evaluating the results of the third round of consultation and would ask Harrogate and Knaresborough councillors for their views before deciding whether to proceed.

The anticipated start date was put back another year to late 2023.

Despite the delay, in December the council submitted a planning application to destroy the tempietto outside Victoria Shopping Centre to make way for changes to the public realm that would be part of the scheme, along with making some of Station Parade single lane to traffic and partly pedestrianising James Street.

The application was submitted even though a final decision on whether to proceed with the gateway project has not been taken. A council spokesman said the little temple would only be removed as part of the gateway works.

Beech Grove plans are beached

If ever a picture symbolised the state of active travel in Harrogate, it was the DPD van that got beached on a snowy Stray in February.

The van driver had attempted to evade the planters preventing traffic through traffic on Beech Grove.

The DPD van stuck on the Stray

Beech Grove is seen as a key route in wider plans to create an off-road cycling route from Cardale Park to Harrogate train station and the planters had been in place for a year to prevent vehicles using the street as a cut through between West Park, Otley Road and Cold Bath Road.

But the 18-month experimental order closing the road to through traffic expired in August and, with no new plans in place, traffic returned to how it was before.

The planters, however, have not been taken away. They remain by the side of the road pending another consultation.

This consultation did not start too well when one of three proposals put forward was described by Harrogate District Cycle Action as so dangerous it shouldn’t even be offered.

The proposal suggests making traffic heading out of town on Beech Grove one-way and creating an unprotected cycle lane on the opposite side.

Harrogate District Cycle Action said there wasn’t enough width for parking, a traffic lane, and a contraflow cycle lane. It added the contraflow cycle lane “would be a narrow ‘murder-strip’ putting cyclists’ lives in jeopardy from oncoming traffic.

A decision on what to do with Beech Grove and neighbouring streets is expected next year.

Otley Road’s ‘crazy golf’ design 

The first of three phases of the route finally opened in January. There were immediate concerns about the safety of a junction, which led to an agreement between North Yorkshire County Council and Yorkshire Water to widen the affected area.

As time went on there was further criticism of the design, ranging from the width of the cycle path not conforming to latest government guidance to the route zig-zagging between the highway and shared pedestrian routes.

Rene Dziabas, chairman of Harlow and Pannal Ash Residents’ Association, described it as like “crazy golf construction”.

He said a survey of residents and businesses along Otley Road revealed “very heavily negative” attitudes, with only two positive comments received.

The council staged an at-times heated meeting to discuss the latest proposals for Otley Road and Beech Grove in October but some residents did not receive letters from the council about the event before it took place.

There is little prospect of work starting on phases two and three anytime soon. A contractor has yet to be appointed for the second phase and funding has not been secured for phase three.

Read more:

• Otley Road cycle path could be re-routed with new traffic restrictions
• Transport chief still ‘committed’ to Harrogate Station Gateway, despite inflation fears
• Are the Beech Grove planters set for a comeback?

New trustees have joined the board of a Harrogate charity, including a Paralympic gold medalist.

Laurence Whiteley MBE, who won gold at the 2016 Rio Paralympics in the mixed double scull, is one of two new members with disabilities to take on the role at Disability Action Yorkshire.

He is joined by Carl Howard, Colin McCorkindale, Kathryn Leigh, Peter McBay, Susanne Driffield, and Andrew Simister, who suffered life-changing injuries in an accident earlier this year.

Jackie Snape, chief executive of Disability Action Yorkshire, said: 

“We are delighted to welcome these ‘Magnificent Seven’ new trustees, among whom there is a huge amount of skill and experience.

“We are particularly pleased to have been able to recruit more trustees with lived experience of disability, meaning that more than 50 per cent of our trustees have either personal or family experience, something which we considered to be hugely important.

“Our new recruits will help ensure excellent governance as the charity moves forward, as we continue to empower and support the local disabled community.”

Laurence Whiteley MBE. Picture: Paralympics GB.

Owing to the retirement of several long-standing trustees, the charity conducted a full skills and experience audit, and as a result was able to recruit trustees with the necessary attributes.

The new trustees, together with existing ones led by Chair Neil Revely, will oversee exciting new projects, including the £7.5 million assisted living development currently under construction in its Claro Road residential care home site.

Pictured above backrow from left are Disability Action Yorkshire Chief Executive Jackie Snape, new Trustee Carl Howard, Chair Neil Revely, new Trustee Peter McBay and Trustee Guy Tweedy. Pictured front row from left are new trustee Andrew Simister, new Trustee Susanne Driffield, new Trustee Kathryn Leigh and Trustee Andrew Newton.

Read more:

• Cyclists light up Harrogate streets to raise funds in memory of founder
• Harrogate man donates money raised from garden display to the Philippines

The Harrogate International Sunday Series has announced its line up for next year.

Hosted by Harrogate International Festivals and staged in the Old Swan Hotel, the Sunday Series “coffee concerts” were an annual fixture on Harrogate’s classical music calendar before covid.

Now it is back with a programme that includes the return of a festival young musician alumnus.

The 2023 series opens on Sunday, January 29, 2023, with the current director of music at the Yehudi Menuhin School, Ashley Wass.

The internationally-renowned pianist won the London International Piano Competition in 1997, and was a prize winner at the Leeds International Piano Competition in 2000.

Ashley-Wass. Image credit: Patrick Allen, Operaomnia

February features Trio Balthazar, a new chamber group, committed to imaginative, diverse programming.

Since their launch this year at Wigmore Hall, the group has appeared at the City Music Foundation’s Wigmore Hall Gala, the Rye Festival and Petworth Festival.

At the Sunday Series, the Trio present a programme where central masterpieces sit alongside diverse repertoire.

Also in February pianist Jeneba Kanneh-Mason will be making her Harrogate debut.

Jeneba will perform a work for solo piano by Price, Beethoven’s Piano Sonata in D major, and an exclusive performance for the Sunday Series.

Read More:

• Harrogate district women undress for Calendar Girls revival
• Masterchef semi-finalist at the helm of Harrogate’s Coach and Horses

In March there is a performance by Japanese violinist, Coco Tomita, who first gained recognition after winning the BBC Young Musician 2020 strings category.

She will be accompanied by pianist Simon Callaghan, who performs internationally as a soloist and chamber musician.

Their programme will include music from Coco’s debut album, Origins, plus works by Ravel and Beethoven.

Sharon Canavar, Harrogate International Festivals chief executive, said:

“At the heart of the 2023 programme is the idea that innovation goes hand-in-hand with tradition.

“For our latest programme we are joined by a previous Young Musicians, have two of the fastest rising stars in the business making their Harrogate debut – plus it features a brand new ensemble project.

“A key aim of ours is to introduce classical music to new audiences, and I believe the line-up we are bringing to the 2023 Harrogate International Sunday Series will help achieve that.”

For further information about the Harrogate International Sunday Series 2023, and to book tickets, visit the Harrogate International Festivals website. 

In this article, which is part of a series on the 12 stories in the Harrogate district that shaped 2022, we look at the controversial closure of Woodfield Community Primary School in Harrogate.

On the last day of this year, Woodfield Community Primary School will officially cease to exist. But in truth, the life has been slowly sucked from the school over the last 18 months.

The school’s prospects had been bleak since an Ofsted report rated it inadequate in 2020.

Under government rules, schools rated inadequate need to join an academy or face closure.

The future of the site remains uncertain.

Hopes were raised when a monitoring report by Ofsted said the school was taking “effective action” to improve. But North Yorkshire County Council, the local education authority, said it was unable to give the school more time because the decision was “out of our hands, because of the system”.

The council eventually revealed plans to amalgamate Woodfield with nearby Grove Road Community Primary School. But the Grove Road governors torpedoed this in April, citing concerns about risk. From this moment on Woodfield’s days were effectively numbered.

The county council opened a consultation on closure and although the idea was met with fury by the trade union Unison, which said closure would be “an absolute disgrace” driven by ideology rather than common sense, and politicians on all sides lined up to say how much the school was needed, the outcome was never in doubt.

June’s poorly attended public meeting.

On a blisteringly hot day in June, council officials held a meeting as part of the consultation. Speaker by speaker methodically spelled out the case for closure — falling pupil numbers, a cumulative deficit of £229,000 in 2023/34 and the Ofsted rating.

Nobody in the room seemed to agree but only about 20 people were there. Parents said it was a done deal and had moved their children elsewhere.

In July the council said it had “no option” but to press ahead with closure.

There were more legal hoops to jump through as formal closure notices were published from September onwards.

The school officially remained open during the autumn term but the only remaining decisions were what to do with the few remaining pupils and staff — as well as the spacious school site.

In October, the council said it would consider “alternative educational uses” for the extensive school site, which many locals suspect will end up as housing. It said:

“The county council will be exploring whether there are alternative educational uses for the school buildings. There are controls around the reuse or redevelopment of school sites, and any alternative uses that are proposed will be the subject of consultation.”

This month, the Stray Ferret asked the council what progress had been made in discussions about the use of the site. A council spokeswoman replied:

“There is no update from our last statements. We are still in discussions about the future use of the site.”

The school does not formally close until the clock strikes midnight on January 1. But the school, synonymous with children’s laughter for 56 years, is empty and its future use uncertain.

Read more:

• ‘Badly let down’ Woodfield school closure confirmed
• Woodfield school site ‘should remain for education’ says MP
• ‘No option’ but to close Woodfield school, says council

Free Sunday bus journeys are to return to Harrogate in January and February.

The Sunday Freeway, which is a partnership between Harrogate Business Improvement District and the Harrogate Bus Company.will enable passengers to travel for free into the town centre on the company’s electric buses.

The Sunday Freeway buses are routes 2A, 2B, 3 and 6, which link Bilton, Dene Park, The Knox, Jennyfield and Pannal Ash with the town centre.

Sara Ferguson, Harrogate BID chair, said:

“Harrogate is a brilliant town, with an impressive array of bars, restaurants and shops – and we hope many people will take advantage the Sunday Freeway initiative to make the most of what the town has to offer.

“This scheme also benefits the environment, encouraging those travelling to Harrogate to leave their cars at home in favour of hopping on an electric bus.”

Read more:

• Hot Seat: Why 2023 will be economically ‘huge’ in the Harrogate district
• YorBus: On-demand service’s running costs are twice as much as regular buses

Harrogate Bus Company chief executive Alex Hornby said:

“As well as reducing emissions and congestion, free Sunday travel on our Harrogate Electrics buses will make it easier to support our local economy and help keep our town thriving into 2023.

“Along with our maximum £2 single fare which will be in place for the first three months of the New Year, the return of Sunday Freeway free buses in January and February will also help to keep travel costs down during the cost of living crisis.”

Timetables for the free Sunday buses and all of the Harrogate Bus Company’s services are available online here or from the travel kiosk at Harrogate Bus Station or via the Transdev Go mobile app.

Harrogate firefighters were called out this morning to a chimney fire cause by wrapping paper.

The crew was called to Kingsley Road where paper burnt on a log burner had caused excess draw up the chimney.

The firefighters used tools to remove the hearth and checked the chimney breasts belonging to the property and the house next door as they shared a flue.

After the cause was discovered and the fire extinguished the firefighters installed a smoke alarm.

Read more:

• Harrogate set to get town council after 75% back the idea
• Firefighters rescue family trapped on black ice in Nidderdale

This week we have a selection of photographs celebrating Christmas day across the Harrogate district.

Photographs by Kate Filippi and Brittany Thompson

Photographs by Helen Sunderland and Jenni Foley

Photo of the Week celebrates the Harrogate district. It could be anything from family life to capturing the district’s beauty. We are interested in amateur and professional photographs, in a landscape format.

Send your photographs to letters@thestrayferret.co.uk for a chance to be featured next week, we reserve the right to adjust and crop images to fit into our format.

In this article, which is part of a series on the 12 stories in the Harrogate district that shaped 2022, we look at the the questions surrounding Harrogate Convention Centre’s future.

Harrogate Convention Centre is at a pivotal moment in its 40 year history.

That much was clear this past 12 months when political leaders, business owners and HCC officials debated its very future.

Amid the shake-up of local government, council bosses have juggled a strategy to make the centre viable with how best to run the facility in the coming years.

For the past two years, Harrogate Borough Council, which owns the HCC, has been working up a £49 million plan to renovate the convention centre in an attempt to make it attractive to future users.

The money would have been the single biggest investment the council has ever made in modern times – but that will no longer be the case.

In four months’ time, the authority will no longest exist and the keys to the HCC will be handed to North Yorkshire Council.

The new authority will not only be burdened with a figuring out how best to manage one of the town’s biggest assets, but also how to pay for a project that would keep it viable.

Questions over money

Questions have mounted over recent months over exactly how the scheme would be paid for.

Since January, borough council bosses have made multiple attempts to figure out how to fund their ambitious project.

Officials pinned their hopes on the devolution negotiations with government. Within the document submitted to ministers was a bid for funding specifically for the convention centre refurbishment.

However, much to the dismay of council leader, Cllr Richard Cooper, ministers refused to commit any funding to the project.

Another blow came in the shape of Chancellor Jeremy Hunt dropping plans for investment zones, which Harrogate Convention Centre was earmarked for – though council leaders said this was expected.

Council bosses went back to the drawing board and drew up a bid to the government’s Levelling Up fund.

Read more:

• Council explores move to protect Harrogate Convention Centre with limited company status
• Working group set up to steer future of Harrogate Convention Centre
• What now for Harrogate Convention Centre after investment zones dropped?

The £20 million bid is another roll of the dice in terms of finances.

In the end, any decision on the project will be entirely out of the borough council’s hands.

Councillors on the new North Yorkshire Council will decide the fate of the project.

Not only that, but the new council will also decide how the facility is run – a topic which is already being considered by a strategic board set up by the authority.

The Stray Ferret Business Awards 2023 are for businesses across all sectors in the Harrogate district.

Over the next few weeks we will reveal what our judging panel is looking for when it comes to each of the 10 categories.

Next up is the Sustainable Business Award, which is sponsored by the York & North Yorkshire Growth Hub.

This award recognises those businesses that have put sustainability at the top of their agenda.

These businesses are helping drive change and leading the way by reducing their impact on the environment.

Companies looking to enter for the Sustainable Business Award need to provide details of the changes the business has made, the impact the changes have had on the business and wide community with any details of any planned changes.

By giving vital recognition to those who have sustainability at the heart of their business, we hope others will follow their example.

Does your business deserve to win the Sustainable Business Award at the Stray Ferret Business Awards? Entries close on January 16. It’s simple and quick, so enter today!

Click here or the banner below to enter for the Stray Ferret Business Awards, sponsored by Prosperis.