CCTV appeal for four men following attempted theft at Harrogate iStore

Police have released CCTV images of four men they want to identify following an attempted theft at the Harrogate iStore.

According to a statement by North Yorkshire Police today, the four men tried to steal items from the Apple retailer on James Street but failed.

It added they ran along James Street towards Princess Street.

The incident took place in December. No precise date has been given.

If you recognise any of them men or have information to assist the investigation you can contact the police on 101, select option 2 and ask for Brendon Frith or contact the officer direct at Brendon.Frith@northyorkshire.police.uk.

To remain anonymous, call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

The reference number is 12210255167.

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Stray Ferret to launch local daily business news round-up

The Stray Ferret is to launch a daily business news feature for the Harrogate district.

Business Breakfast will start tomorrow and be published every weekday at 5am. It will bring together all business information for the district including appointments, contracts, awards and financial performance news.

Later this week, The Stray Ferret will celebrate its second birthday – it launched just before the first lockdown in March 2020 at a time when local businesses were in turmoil as shops and venues closed and everyone left the office to work from home.

The Stray Ferret director Tamsin O’Brien says, as the district slowly returns to normality, now is the time to produce a comprehensive roundup of daily business news.

She said:

“During the first two years of our existence we were preoccupied with covering the covid pandemic in the best way we could for the district. We reported continually on how the crisis impacted on businesses and the local economy.

“Now that we’re coming out of covid, we wanted to create a daily round-up of all local business news that we hope will become a must-read before work.”

Since its launch the Stray Ferret has seen rapid growth. In January this year the website had 210,000 readers and more than a million pages were viewed. It has a highly engaged social media following of more than 23,000 people and in December The Stray Ferret app was launched which already has 3,000 regular users.

If you would like your businesses’ news to be included — send us the information to contact@thestrayferret.co.uk

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Stray Views: Dog mess in Harrogate cemeteries ‘a wider problem’

Stray Views is a weekly column giving you the chance to have your say on issues affecting the Harrogate district. It is an opinion column and does not reflect the views of the Stray Ferret. Send your views to letters@thestrayferret.co.uk.

Response to Knox Lane housing

Regarding the joint response by Spawforths and Jomast to your article on a proposed housing development on Knox Lane in Bilton.

The consultation by Harrogate Borough Council was held in 2017 for all additional sites proposed for inclusion in the Local Plan. The site in question (H2) was subsequently reduced in size prior to inclusion.

Steve Hesmondalgh & Associates held two consultations in 2018. The first was held on February 15 during half term with little notice given to residents. The second held March 22 was a result of complaints by residents who were unaware or unable to attend due to the short notice given for the first. The consultations were held on behalf of Wakefield and District Housing Association who wished to build 73 (100%) affordable homes on the whole site, including that which had been removed. A planning application was not submitted at that time.

A pre-application meeting was held between Jomast and HBC on the September 30, 2019. Apparently due to covid and the uncertainty to the length of any lockdown, the scheme having already been consulted on and the site now an allocation in the Local Plan, it was considered appropriate to submit the application rather than delay until meaningful consultation could be carried out at an underdetermined time in the future.

In April 2020 an application for 73 homes was submitted. The country was at that time in lockdown. It included some private homes due to HBC not wanting 100% affordable but still left 86% affordable. 23 (100%) of affordable homes were on the unallocated land. Hardly a mixed community with only 10 of the properties of the homes on the allocated land being open market. A revised application has now been proposed for 53 homes on the land with the number of affordable reduced to 56%.

HBC should keep to their agreed policy of 40% affordable homes, which is not only significantly higher than the NPPF 10% guideline but is applied consistently across all sites. It was what our elected representative voted for when they approved the Local Plan.

Local residents rightly still have some concerns. The transport assessment for the site was carried out by interrogation of the TRICS database using the assumption 75% of the homes would be affordable/local authority tenure. The number of residents vehicles was assessed at 30 which would disperse between Ripley Drive and Crab Lane and therefore the impact on the wider network would be negligible in practice.

I doubt in reality the number would be so low nor does it take into consideration the adjacent H69 site which the developer of H2 has to provide access to. The images below highlight congestion problems on Crab Lane.

There is an impact on local wildlife including protected species, nett loss of biodiversity since gardens do not count and could in the future be paved, also mature woodland trees.

According to the Landscape and Visual Impact Statement submitted by the developer with the original application, some homes in close proximity to the site will experience major negative visual intrusion during the construction phase, year 1 of the development and in the long term after 10 years. The numbers of homes affected may reduce slightly due to the revised application but are still disproportionate to the number of homes to be built.

HBC currently does not have a problem meeting the Government’s Housing Delivery Test.
2016 – 2019 1,641 homes, 155% of 1058 required Published 13 February 2020
2018 – 2020 2,355 homes, 229% of 1026 required Published 19 January 2021
2018 – 2021 2,628 homes 266% of 987 required Published 14 January 2022

Harrogate Borough Council has according to their latest report published in April 2021 a land supply of 7.42 years.

Catherine Alderson, Knox Lane

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‘The Prime Minister should have resigned weeks ago’

I couldn’t agree more with Paul Baverstock’s recent article on the disgraceful behaviour of the Prime Minister and his Conservative Party. Boris should have resigned weeks ago and to add insult to injury I understand he will not be completing truthfully the Metropolitan Police survey into parties etc at No 10. This should come as no surprise but just adds to the appalling situation.

I have voted Tory all my life but won’t be at the next general election.

Andrew Jones should show some commitment to his constituants by calling for a vote of no confidence in the PM.
It is an absolute shambles.

Judy Rowson, Harrogate

Dog mess in cemeteries a wider problem

I was shocked to see your piece about the amount of dog fouling at Grove Road cemetery. Today I visited my parents cremation plaques at Stonefall and found the wreath had dog dirt over part of it and around it. This is both upsetting and shocking that people do not respect the cemeteries. This is obviously a wider problem than just one cemetery.

Patricia Chapman, Harrogate

Bogs Lane to be resurfaced next month

North Yorkshire County Council will resurface Bogs Lane next month.

The road, just off the main A59, is a busy residential area that has been affected by numerous new housing schemes.

Henshaws Specialist College, which has about 80 students with special educational needs and disabilities, is also based on Bogs Lane.

A North Yorkshire County Council spokesperson said resurfacing works will start on March 7 with phases road closures in place from 9.30am to 3.30pm.

It will cover the stretch of Bogs Lane from the A59 Knaresborough Road junction and Henshaws College.

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The section of road that Henshaws is on will be completed in the evening between 7pm and midnight. The works are scheduled to be completed on March 18.

An 18-month closure order came into place on Bogs Lane in September 2021. The order is designed to give the council flexibility to close the road for periods of time.

Harrogate College to host month of green events and activities

Harrogate College will turn green in March for a series of environmentally-focused events and activities.

For its first Green Month, the college on Hornbeam Park will offer wildflower planting, an art exhibition, a climate café and educational webinars.

The activities will kick off with a business presentation on sustainable technology, plus a litter pick, on March 8.

Last year the college hosted the launch event for the Harrogate district’s’s first climate action festival.

Holly Hansen-Maughan, partnerships and development manager at the college, said:

“The festival proved to be a real catalyst for environmental action both for ourselves and the wider community, and our Green Month is the latest example of that.

“We have worked hard to put together a schedule that includes something for everyone and a number of events that are open to residents as well as our students and staff.

“We hope to see lot of people taking part, both to make a difference and to find out more about how we can all work together to secure a more sustainable future.”

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The college has also teamed up with several local businesses and organisations for Green Month.

They include Techbuyer and Ortial, who will be holding a discussion on sustainable technology.

Social impact company Too Good To Go, will explain how they connect businesses with people in need so they can put their surplus food to good use, instead of going to waste.

Harrogate District schools, colleges and sixth forms will also be involved as pupils and students are being invited to design a poster, or piece of art, that will inspire positive environmental action.

For dates, times and more details on all of Harrogate College’s Green Month activities visit harrogate-college.ac.uk/partners/green-agenda/.

Harrogate rugby club dedicates memorial bench to fan who died

Harrogate Rugby Union Club has dedicated a memorial bench to a fan who died last year.

Sean Kelly, who was also a long term sponsor of the club, died at the age of 75 in May 2021.

He supported the club for 20 years after moving to Hampsthwaite.

Now the club has installed a memorial bench at its ground in his memory.

Harrogate RUFC said on its website:

“Sean was involved with Harrogate Rugby Club for over twenty years beginning when he moved to live in Hampsthwaite, and became a neighbour of other Harrogate supporters known as “The Hampsthwaite Mafia”.

“When the planning application to move the rugby ground from Claro Road to Killinghall was rejected Sean joined the club committee to pressure Harrogate council to support the club in its ambition to relocate before Crest Homes served notice for the club to vacate Claro Road.

“Every year since 2003, Sean’s company has generously sponsored and supported the club and this support has continued to the present. Sean attended every annual dinner since 1998 and always booked a couple of tables.”

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Welcome to Yorkshire defends 2014 Tour De France following criticism

Tourism body Welcome to Yorkshire has defended the impact of the 2014 Tour De France Grand Depart, which ended in Harrogate, after MPs were told this week that the event had no lasting impact on Yorkshire tourism.

At an MPs select committee on Tuesday, Caroline Cooper Charles, chief executive of Screen Yorkshire, which champions the film and TV industry in Yorkshire, gave evidence about promoting the UK as a tourist destination.

Asked by Labour MP Clive Efford if the Grand Depart had a lasting impact on tourism in the county, she replied:

“In all honesty, I don’t think it did.

“It certainly put the spotlight on Yorkshire and people came to see the race. Probably for a short amount of time hotels were booked up and restaurants were full. In terms of long term impact no, I wouldn’t say so.”

‘Immense international hit’

Welcome to Yorkshire played a major role in bringing the event to Yorkshire.

An estimated 300,000 people lined the streets in places including Ripon, Masham and Harrogate to watch the race.

A WTY spokesperson told the Stray Ferret the Grand Depart was an “immense international hit” that helped to put Yorkshire on a global stage and “showcase its beauty to the world”.

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Legacy

The spokesperson claimed the Grand Depart attracted 4 million roadside spectators and the race was watched in 188 countries with £330m worth of media coverage.

They said tweets about the race reached 230 million people and the Tour de France Grand Départ in Yorkshire trended worldwide.

The spokesperson said key to the legacy of the Grand Depart was the annual Tour de Yorkshire races from 2015 to 2019.

They added:

“The Tour de Yorkshire has also been of huge economic benefit to the county and the tourism industry, further boosting the county’s economy and promoting spectacular Yorkshire across the globe.

“Benefits for the county during the Tour de Yorkshires have included record-breaking figures of 107.5m Twitter reach (2016), 2.6 million spectators along the route and a £98m economic impact (2018), plus a TV audience of 28 million in 190 countries (2019).

“This world-class cycling event is also so much more than a bike race – it’s about the crowds, the community engagement and that amazing Yorkshire welcome, plus it’s proved to be the perfect opportunity, year upon year, to let the world see Yorkshire’s spectacular countryside, stunning coastline, vibrant cities, pretty towns and villages, as well as its world-renowned history and heritage locations.”

Residents urged to report empty homes to help solve Harrogate’s housing crisis

Harrogate district residents are being urged to report empty homes as new figures show some progress has been made on the problem which is contributing to the housing crisis.

Harrogate Borough Council has faced calls to take greater action to bring empty homes back into use at a time when around 1,800 households remain stuck on the social housing waiting list due to a “desperate” lack of affordable properties.

Figures now show some progress has been made, with the number of homes empty for more than two years falling from 228 in 2019 to 205 this week.

There is still much ground to be made, but the council said the figures show it is taking positive action.

Cllr Mike Chambers, cabinet member for housing and safer communities, is now asking more property owners to bring their empty homes back into use as he also urged residents to report any cases to the council as part of a national week of action.

He said:

“We want to work with property owners who, for whatever reason, have an empty property that could be better used to provide a home for local people.

“There are options available, including the empty homes loan or rent bond scheme to carry out repairs or improvement works and bring them back into use.

“I’d urge anyone who is interested to get in touch.”

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Other figures show the number of Harrogate district homes empty for more than six months has also fallen from 838 in 2019 to 758 this week.

‘We can’t afford to waste properties’

This comes at a time when campaign group Action on Empty Homes says the nation has seen a “massive rise” in cases as it also calls for councils to be given greater powers “to act where owners and landlords won’t or can’t”.

The campaign group said:

“We believe that we cannot afford to waste such properties.

“In England 100,000 families are trapped in often poor quality, insecure temporary accommodation, which does not meet the standards that are required of the permanent, secure, social housing these families are entitled to.”

There are numerous reasons why properties can lie empty. In some instances, landlords cannot afford to renovate their property to sell or rent out.

Properties may also have been inherited and the new owners don’t know what to do with them.

Loan scheme

Harrogate Borough Council last year launched a loan scheme to help property owners carry out repairs. The loan is for anyone who does not have the money to carry out repairs to a property which has been empty for more than six months.

In what is described as a “last resort”, the council also has powers to carry compulsory purchase orders (CPOs) where efforts to bring empty homes back into use have failed and legal action is taken against landlords.

Just two CPOs were carried out in 2020/21 and the local Liberal Democrats previously said a stricter approach should be taken.

But councillor Chambers said the Conservative-run council would rather work with property owners rather than take legal action against them.

He said:

“When we have exhausted all options, we will look to make a compulsory purchase order to bring empty homes back into use.

“But we would much prefer working with property owners and highlight the options available to them.”

Councillor Chambers also said there are often empty properties which the council is unaware of, and he urged residents to report cases to the council’s empty homes officer.

Man arrested after police seize sword, knives and drugs in Harrogate

A man has been arrested after police found bags of drugs, 10 knives and a sword at a house in Harrogate yesterday evening.

Police were called to reports of a man threatening a woman in the Skipton Road area and officers detained a man in his 40s at the scene.

He was arrested and searched, and officers found bags of white powder, which is believed to be cocaine, two knives and a quantity of cash in the suspect’s possession.

This led to a further search of his house in the Skipton Road area of Harrogate, where further items were discovered including:

The items were seized and the suspected drugs have been sent for analysis.

The man was arrested on suspicion of drug, weapon and public order offences and remains in custody today while enquiries continue.

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Boarded-up building in Harrogate town centre could become pharmacy

Plans have been lodged to convert the former William Hill bookmakers in Harrogate town centre into a pharmacy and retail unit.

The Pharmacy Group has submitted a planning application to Harrogate Borough Council to convert the boarded-up unit on the town’s Beulah Street.

It would see the bookies, which has been closed for some time, converted into a shop and the unit facing Station Parade into a pharmacy.

Office space will also be created in the space above the pharmacy.

Former William Hill on Beulah Street

The view from Station Parade.

The Pharmacy Group is a third generation family-owned business with 30 NHS community pharmacies across Yorkshire. They include Harrogate Pharmacy on Haywra Crescent.

The developer said in documents submitted to the council that the proposal would bring “positive benefits” to the area.

It said:

“The change of use from turf accountants to retail and offices and the proposed redevelopment of the site will bring positive benefits to the area by maintaining, enhancing and giving new life to a key property on both Beulah Street and Station Parade.”

Harrogate Borough Council will make a decision on the plan at a later date.

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