Trees in new Bilton woodland to be dedicated to covid victims

A new woodland in Bilton will be planted next month with trees dedicated to lives lost during the covid pandemic.

Around 500 trees will be planted by Bilton Conservation Group volunteers in Bilton Fields close to the viaduct.

It will be called Victory Wood, as it was originally intended to mark VE Day, with the trees planted in the shape of a V.

However, covid has delayed the planting by several years. Keith Wilkinson, chair of the group, said planters can dedicate a tree to a friend or family member that has died from the virus.

The dedication will be private as trees will not be identified with a plaque.

Read more:

Planting will take place on Saturday May 21 from 10.00am.

Twelve species will be planted, including oak, cherry and hazel trees.

If you’d like to plant a tree and make a dedication, contact Mr Wilkinson: niddgorge2016@icloud.com

The woodland has been sponsored by the Harrogate Lions.

Election 2022: Bilton Grange and New Park candidate preview

Ahead of polling day on May 5, the Stray Ferret is previewing each of the divisions in the Harrogate district up for election to North Yorkshire Council.

A total of 21 seats will be up for grabs in the district with most of the major parties contesting each one.

Today, we look at the Bilton Grange and New Park division which will see four candidates standing for election.

Matt Scott, Conservative

Matt Scott will stand as the Conservative candidate for Bilton and New Park on May 5.

Mr Scott is a councillor on both Harrogate Borough Council and North Yorkshire County Council, the latter of which he was elected to last year.

On his priorities and why he is standing, Mr Scott said:

“I am a lifelong Bilton resident and, along with the Green candidate, the only candidate who lives in the ward.

“I have been a district councillor since 2018 and represented all of Bilton Grange and part of New Park as county councillor since I won the Bilton and Nidd Gorge by-election last year.

“My priorities continue to be protecting our green spaces such as the Nidd Gorge and the Oak Beck. I am working with my colleague Paul Haslam to oppose development off Knox Lane while challenging Yorkshire Water on outflows into the Oak Beck near the Hydro.

“I also worked with Paul and Andrew Jones MP to oppose the Nidd Gorge relief road proposal.”

He added:

“I have a track record of getting things done such as securing CCTV for the Iron Bridge, getting durable bus shelter panels for Jennyfield to deter vandalism and getting the Cinder Path resurfaced in Bilton.”

Tamsin Jade Worrell, Green Party

The Green Party candidate for Bilton and New Park will be Tamsin Jade Worrall.

Ms Worrall, who is a trans-woman and lives in Bilton, works as a a railway signaller following 36 years as operations management within food manufacturing.

She joined the Green Party in 2018 and has had a lifelong interest in politics.

Ms Worrall said:

“I believe we are on the verge of a climate catastrophe exacerbated by the awful policies of all recent national governments.

“I believe in local business for local people, free education for all, social justice and personal accountability. The time has come to do politics differently and put people first.”

Read more:

Andrew Zigmond, Labour

Andrew Zigmond will be the Labour candidate for the division on May 5.

Mr Zigmond said among his priorities should he be elected would be to tackle anti-social behaviour in Bilton.

He said:

“I am standing as a Labour party candidate for Bilton Grange and New Park because I believe we need councillors in place who will bring about fundamental change, rather than more of the same. 

“If I am elected I will work with the local police to ensure that antisocial behaviour is tackled robustly and that the safety of all residents is my priority. 

“At the same time Bilton used to have a thriving youth club and I pledge to get this reopened.”

Monika Slater, Liberal Democrat

Monika Slater will be standing for the Liberal Democrats at the election May 5.

Ms Slater has worked in customer services for 17 years and is a volunteer at her local scouts.

She said among her priorities for standing will be to campaign for a town council for Harrogate.

Ms Slater said:

“I’m delighted to have been selected as the Lib Dem Campaigner for our area. If elected I’m determined to stand up for local people. 

“With the Conservative Government in free-fall and an ineffective Conservative-run council, our area needs a fresh start and I’m determined to provide this.”

She added:

“We ned to do more to support the most disadvantaged in our community addressing issues such as loneliness and social isolation, improved access to public transport and schools need additional covid catch up funding for children and young adults who have missed so much education. I will be campaigning for a new Harrogate Town Council.”

The £2.25m eco-house for sale that ‘blends in’ to the Nidderdale countryside

Nidderdale’s countryside conjures up images of farmhouses and stone cottages peppered across the sweeping rural landscape.

So Fringill Dike House in Darley certainly catches your eye.

However, the £2.25 million property isn’t invasive, as it has been intentionally designed to “blend in” to its natural surroundings.

The five-bedroom eco-house has been designed by Skipton-based Rural Solutions and took more than two-and-a-half years to build.

Underground

The property, which spans more than 6,000 ft, has been constructed using a mix of traditional dry stone walls and sedum living roofs. It is fitted with ground source heating, as well as an underwater storage tank, which collects rainwater.

A third of the house is also built underground.

Owner Paul Chapman lives on a nearby farm. He explained that the home had originally been built for him and his wife, Caron, on land owned by the couple.

Mr Chapman, who has eight children, said:

“We built four houses for our sons in one field and built this house in another. The intention was my wife and I were going to move into it.

“However, we decided we didn’t want to swap 13 acres for one. So we made the decision to sell it rather than move in.”

The property is back on the market with joint agents Knight Frank and Carter Jonas after an original sale fell through.

An aerial view of the house.

Despite it’s £2.25 million price tag, Mr Chapman said there had been a lot of interest in the property, which he put down to it being located in an affluent area.

However, he admitted he had spent too much on the build, which was hit by delays due to the pandemic.

He said:

“The difference between the build cost and the sale price is the price of the land, that’s all. It might not even be that much.”

But there is no denying the house is impressive, with no expense spared.

Private driveway

The property is approached via a lengthy private driveway over a bridge, which gently winds past a grassed field.

Upon entering the house, oak steps lead down from the hallway into a huge kitchen space. A wall of floor-to-ceiling glazing frames uninterrupted views of Nidderdale.

The huge kitchen that boasts incredible views across Nidderdale.

The lower ground floor features two large spaces, which have yet to be transformed.

Cinema room

Mr Chapman said:

“We were going to put a bar in one of the rooms, but when we decided we weren’t going to move in, we left them empty. So whoever moves in can build a bar, cinema room or a gym.”

Despite being underground, the lower floor features high ceilings with glazed panels in the terracing above, flooding the space with natural light. In addition to the two rooms, there is a shower room with a sauna, separate cloakroom and plant room.

One of the underground rooms.

Upstairs, a landing provides access to five bedrooms, all with their own ensuite facilities.

One of the bathrooms.

The gardens and grounds surrounding the property extend to just under 1.5 acres. A large paved sun terrace spans the entire width of the rear of the property.

Locally-sourced

Mr Chapman said:

“We had discussions with the architect and when the plans were designed, we were able to do a virtual tour of the house.

“We made sure everything was where we wanted it to be. We put in the best appliances and units and everything was sourced locally. For example Woodhouse, in Harrogate, designed and fitted the kitchen.

“It is named after the beck – or dike – that runs through the property.”

Mr Chapman, who has owned race horses for 15 years, has also named one of his horses Fringill Dike, a champion at that.

He said:

“He’s running again at Hexham this weekend and we are hoping he will win again.”

The sauna in the underground space.

Asked if he would build any more houses in the future, Mr Chapman, who moved to Darley from Howarth 12 years ago, didn’t seem overly keen.

He said:

“It went on too long. We did it for ourselves, but I wouldn’t want to build any to sell. If you employ a middle man, it’s hard to make a profit. Especially if you have to buy the land.”

‘Anchored in nature’

A statement on the Rural Solutions website, which features some impressive architectural drawings of the property, said:

“Working with the client, we produced a design for a new house on an open, sloping site in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

“Incorporating a dynamic, landscape-based concept we used indigenous dry-stone walls as a device to structure a single ‘ribbon’ design. In this way the project was designed deliberately to blend into the landscape, using local, natural materials; a beautiful home anchored in nature.”

You can watch a video of the property here.

Read more:

 

Pannal car boot sale returns today

Pannal car boot sale returns today for the first time in eight months.

Since opening in 1996, the car boot sale has been held early on Sunday mornings but this year it takes place at 11am on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

Held at the junction of the A658 and A61, the event runs until 3pm and stalls cost £6 for the day.

Speaking about the return, organiser Dylan Leech said:

“It’s great to be back. We changed the time this year mainly because there are so many others held early on a Saturday and Sunday so starting at 11am means people can come to more than one.

“We’ve had to rethink it with so many people selling online during lockdown but I’m sure we’ll hit the ground running.”

Mr Leech said the car boot attracted more than 100 stalls each time previously and he was hoping this year will be no different.

Read more:

 

Judge brands ex-Harrogate council officer ‘thoroughly dishonest’

A judge branded a former Harrogate Borough Council officer a “thoroughly dishonest woman” as he sentenced her for stealing from two elderly residents at sheltered accommodation in Ripon.

Yvonne Jones, 60, conned the victims into paying rent in cash up front, some of which she pocketed herself, leaving them in rental arrears.

She appeared for sentence today when judge Sean Morris, the Recorder of York, said she had been convicted “on the clearest of evidence”.

She was given a 12-month community order and made to carry out 180 hours’ unpaid work.

Jones, of High Street, Starbeck, had denied the offences, which occurred when she was a housing and estate officer with the council. She lost her job after her crimes came to light.

A jury convicted her of two counts of theft following a trial four weeks ago. She was acquitted of three further allegations of stealing from vulnerable tenants at council-run sheltered housing in Blossomgate Court and Bondgate Court in Ripon.

Asked for cash

Prosecutor Philip Standfast said Jones had asked the victims to pay rent a week in advance but kept some of the cash for herself.

One of the named victims, a woman “of some years”, was conned out of £147 after moving into a new council-owned flat in January 2018.

When the victim signed for the new flat, Jones asked her for £405 rent after completing the paperwork.

The woman paid cash and Jones gave her a receipt on a business card, but it showed two figures of £180 and £225 rather than the whole £405. Mr Standfast said:

“(The victim) didn’t question why that receipt was written in that particular way.

“Later, her account was checked by a neighbourhood team leader with the council and there was no record of that cash being paid into that lady’s account.”

Read more:

Mr Standfast said there were three payments of £85.67 into the council’s account in January and February 2018, but that still left a deficit of £147.72 which had not been credited to the victim’s account.

Blossomgate Court

The second victim, a man who took up a tenancy at Blossomgate Court in Ripon, was fleeced out of £449 by Jones, whom he first met in February 2018.

She asked him for £200 for rent which he didn’t have on him, but he withdrew it from his bank the following day. Mr Standfast said:

“Despite having asked for £200, (Jones) gave him £20 back, saying he had given her too much.”

“It’s not clear why she did that.”

On February 8, Jones met the named victim again and asked for another £200 rent. Mr Standfast said:

“He offered her a cheque, but the defendant said she needed cash and he withdrew it and paid it to her.”

In early March 2018, there was a direct debit from the victim’s account to the council for £600, but Jones told him he owed £669. Mr Standfast said:

“She claimed the council could only take an amount of £600 from his account, so he withdrew (the extra) £69 from his bank and paid that to her.”

The victim’s rental account was checked and the £469 he had given her, minus the £20 she had given him back, had not been credited to his account. He notified the council of this.

Housing officer for four years

Jones had worked as a housing officer at the council from 2014 to 2018, when she was finally rumbled and ultimately resigned from her post.

The prosecution had alleged that Jones had also taken cash from three other vulnerable tenants and either didn’t issue receipts for these payments or did hand them receipts but didn’t forward some of that cash into the council’s account.

These tenants included a named man with learning difficulties who needed care and a 77-year-old pensioner with terminal cancer who was receiving housing benefit. However, Jones was acquitted of these three allegations.

Mr Standfast alleged that all the complainants’ accounts were checked by a team leader at the council, who “found discrepancies between what had been paid by the tenants and what was found in their accounts”.

Enquiries were carried out and Jones was suspended in March 2018. She resigned four days later.

Before handing down the community punishment, judge Mr Morris told Jones:

“You are a thoroughly dishonest woman.”

She was also ordered to pay a statutory surcharge.

Harrogate businessman set to enter Ukraine in £2m aid convoy

A leading Harrogate businessman is expected to cross the border into Ukraine this weekend as part of a major aid mission.

James Rycroft, managing director of Vida Healthcare, is a member of a team taking eight wagons containing aid worth about £2 million for Ukrainian soldiers and citizens who intend to stay in the country.

The journey has been organised by Yorkshire Aid Convoy, a charity which has been running overseas aid expeditions for more than 30 years.

Mr Rycroft said he was travelling in a personal capacity because he felt the need to help. He said:

“It’s a really awful situation for everyone involved. I wanted to do something meaningful to help rather than just make a monetary donation.”

The convoy is carrying a variety of items, including medical equipment, beds and hygiene products. It is also taking a mobile classroom, which will be left in Ukraine.

Read more:

Those involved will meet Ukrainian military administrators at the border, where they will be escorted to a secure hub about 20km inside the border to deposit the goods. They will then immediately turn round and head home.

Mr Rycroft, whose company owns several specialist dementia care homes around Harrogate, said:

“I’m apprehensive but positive as I know we have the right people on board.

“There’s an element of risk but it’s a short sprint into Ukraine then back out again.”

Back in UK on Wednesday

Two people in each of the eight wagons are taking it in turns to drive up to 10 hours a day across Europe.

The convoy, which set off yesterday, expects to reach Germany tonight and Slovakia tomorrow before arriving at the Ukraine border on Sunday. The team expects to dock in Hull on Wednesday morning.

Mark and Felix Murphy Yorkshire Aid Convoy

Mark and Felix Murphy of Yorkshire Aid Convoy.

Mark Murphy, who founded Yorkshire Aid Convoy, said the mission involved travelling about 2,500 kilometres each way.

He initially ran convoys to Romania but the war in Ukraine has changed the current focus. He said:

“We will meet military administrators and get a police escort to a secure hub.”

 

 

 

 

 

Harrogate Pride in Diversity cancelled as volunteers sought for 2023

Harrogate’s Pride in Diversity will not take place this year because of a lack of volunteers to make it possible.

Last held in 2019, the event has traditionally begun with a parade through the town centre led by an open-top bus.

It then featured a festival of live music, entertainment and stalls in the Valley Gardens, drawing crowds of up to 26,000 people.

Secretary Poppy Winks said they had considered holding a smaller event, but decided it would be better to focus on delivering a full-scale occasion in 2023.

She said:

“The plan is it will be the same as pre-pandemic. It’s a joyful day: people being together and celebrating who they are, whoever that is.

“To have that space in our town is really important. It’s a really unapologetic event; everybody is there for a reason and it doesn’t matter what that reason is.”

Harrogate pride parade 2019

People of all genders, sexualities, ages and races came together for the celebration in 2019.

The cancellation this year means the event will have had a four-year break by the time it returns, having missed two years because of the covid pandemic.

Ms Winks said while there used to be a strong group of volunteers, many had moved on or started volunteering elsewhere.

The remaining team decided to announce their reasons for calling off this year’s event, and it has paid off with a number of individuals and organisations come forward with offers of support. Ms Winks added:

“It was not an easy decision, but being honest about our reasons for cancelling has made people think, ‘this is an event we like and we want to come forward and help make it happen’.

“The beauty is that now we have grown enough that we’re well-known and organisations like the theatre and the Victoria Shopping Centre have said they want to support us.”

Anyone interested in helping to organise next year’s event can contact Harrogate Pride in Diversity via its website.

Read more:

 

Teen girl referred to youth panel after Harrogate McDonald’s police attack

A teenager has been referred to a youth outcomes panel after two police officers suffered serious injuries at McDonald’s in Harrogate.

The police community support officers from Harrogate’s neighbourhood policing team were called to McDonald’s on Cambridge Road on April 1.

They were responding to reports that three girls, aged 13,14 and 15, had entered despite being banned due to anti-social behaviour earlier in the evening.

According to police, the group refused to leave when asked by officers and trouble flared at around 7pm.

One of the PCSOs suffered a suspected broken nose and the other sustained tissue damage to the cheek. Both received hospital treatment.

The three girls were arrested and bailed pending further investigation.

Read more:

North Yorkshire Police today revealed one of the girls has been referred to a youth outcomes panel.

The panel, which is a partnership between police, North Yorkshire Youth Justice Service and York Youth Offending Team, decides what action, if any, is most appropriate to pursue.

The panel encourages a restorative approach with victims and looks to address the causes of the young person’s offending.

The two other girls remain on conditional bail while enquiries continue.

Fresh Mediterranean dishes a delight at Harrogate’s Oliveta

This post is sponsored by the food app Deliveree

Bukurie Lleshi makes the food, her husband Kol serves and takes orders, and their daughters, Diana and Elona help at the weekend. It’s a simple recipe, but perfect for the wholesome home cooking found in Oliveta.

Recently opened on Station Parade in Harrogate, Oliveta is the quintessential family-owned restaurant. The care and passion behind the menu are clear as soon as you walk through the door.

Family home cooking

Bukurie dreamed of opening the restaurant in Harrogate ever since she moved from Albania. She creates traditional Albanian cuisine as well as other Mediterranean favourites and is always experimenting with new menu ideas.

Her daughters help out on a Friday and Saturday nights when things get busy – something mum and dad greatly appreciate.

Bukurie creates dishes and tests them out on the rest of the family, most recently the creamy mushroom chicken has been a hit and will be making its way onto menus soon.

Bukurie said:

“We always work as a family, and it makes me very proud that we all work here. It means I can get some good feedback when I want to try a new dish, as I just serve it at home, and I can tell how much they like it by how clean the plates are!”

The inspiration for the food comes not only from their native Albania but all around the Mediterranean, with dishes from Spain, Italy and Greece. Customer favourites like the Oliveta Chicken, Stuffed Bell Peppers and Burek are always popular.

The restaurant has gained quite the following with customers returning time and time again to enjoy new dishes or their regular favourites.

Order Bukurie’s Oliveta delights right to your door with the foodie app Deliveree.

Harrogate man found guilty of sexual abuse of young girl

Warning: this article contains details some readers may find disturbing

A Harrogate paedophile is facing a long prison sentence for the systematic sexual abuse of a young girl.

Neil Michael Stubbs, 26, was convicted of 13 separate offences this week following a four-day trial at York Crown Court.

The jury heard that Stubbs, of Kingsley Park Road, Starbeck, groomed and sexually abused the youngster over a prolonged period.

They found him guilty of all 13 charges, including one count of attempted rape of a child under 13 years of age, two counts of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child, sexual assault, possessing indecent images and several counts of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

Prosecutor Paul Newcombe said that some of the offences — including engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child, sexual assault and causing a child to engage in sexual activity — were “specimen counts”, meaning they happened on multiple occasions.

Read more:

He said that Stubbs would perform lewd acts on himself in front of the girl and got her to perform sexual acts on him on at least six occasions.

Stubbs also “pestered” her to send him naked photos of herself, added Mr Newcombe.

Following his arrest, police seized Stubbs’s phone on which they found indecent images of children, including some naked photos of the victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons.

Some of the other images were rated Category A – the worst kind of such material.

Mr Newcombe said it showed that Stubbs had an “unhealthy obsession” with children.

The jury returned their verdicts yesterday (Thursday, April 28). Judge Sean Morris, the Recorder of York, adjourned sentence to August 15.