Woodlands pub to keep its name after £200,000 refurb

Heineken hopes to complete a £200,000 refurbishment of the Woodlands pub by Christmas — and the name will stay the same.

Star Pubs and Bars, who’s parent company is the Dutch brewing giant, first unveiled plans to give the pub a facelift in December 2020 that included a new outdoor seating area.

But it planned to give the pub a controversial new name, West Riding Harrogate, which didn’t go down well with some local residents.

Pat Marsh, the Liberal Democrat borough councillor for Harrogate Hookstone, said local people were attached to the Woodlands name and she hoped the owners would rethink plans to change it.

Cllr Marsh believed there had been a pub called the Woodlands on the site since at least the 1940s.

The name will stay

Last week Heineken announced it has earmarked £2.3m for investment into some of its venues in Yorkshire and Humber.

Jez Scott, North East investment manager at Star Bar and Inns, told the Stray Ferret he expects £200,000 of this will be spent on the Woodlands.

But he said the refurb will only begin once they have found a new landlord for the pub. It has been advertising the role for the last 18 months.

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Mr Scott said:

“We are in talks with a couple of interested parties, it does take time to find the right operator and to align our shared ambition for investment of our tenanted public houses and agree terms.

“We are hoping to be able to agree terms, get board approval and re-launch the site in time for Christmas.

He confirmed that the company no longer plans to call the pub West Riding Harrogate.

Mr Scott added:

“We are looking at incorporating the Woodlands name into the final scheme, the feedback from the local community was appreciated and we listened.”

Plan to convert former Harrogate taxi office into flat

Plans have been lodged to convert the former Airline Taxis office in Harrogate into a one bedroom flat.

The ground floor offices on East Parade are currently vacant after a liquidator was appointed to wind up the company in June last year.

A directors report to creditors, signed by Airline’s sole director Mohammad Suleman, said the company experienced a “significant decline” in turnover due to lack of travel during the first covid lockdown.

Now, plans have been submitted by developer Mr T Halliday to Harrogate Borough Council to convert the offices into a one-bedroom flat.

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Documents lodged to the authority say that the building would retain its existing features and the same floor area as the taxi company office.

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

Harrogate man charged with supplying cocaine and assaulting police

Harrogate man Ermal Biba has been charged with supplying cocaine and cannabis and assaulting two police officers.

Mr Biba, 37, of Trafalgar Court, is accused of supplying cocaine and cannabis in Harrogate and supplying cannabis in Rochdale, Greater Manchester on or before May 5.

He is also accused of assaulting a female police officer at Ashfield Road, Harrogate on Thursday last week and of assaulting a male police officer at Nydd Vale Road on the same date.

On Saturday, North Yorkshire magistrates sent Mr Biba for trial at York Crown Court on June 6. He was remanded in custody.

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Traffic and Travel alert: Temporary York Place lights causing delays

Drivers are warned to expect long queues on York Place in Harrogate due to three-way temporary traffic lights.

The lights are in place at the junction with Queen Parade and are causing tailbacks at busy times.

CityFibre has put the temporary lights in place as part of maintenance work. The lights are expected to be in place until Thursday, May 12.

Three-way traffic lights on York Place are causing long queues at busy times.

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Redevelopment of former Harrogate council headquarters approved

Plans to transform Harrogate Borough Council’s former headquarters with a two-storey extension and rooftop restaurant have been approved five years after the authority vacated the building.

The proposals for Crescent Gardens – which has sat empty since 2017 – also include a gym and new office space.

Harrogate-based property developers Impala Estates bought the building for £4 million in 2020 and are behind the plans after previous proposals for luxury apartments and an art gallery fell through.

Speaking at a council meeting today, David Hartley, director at Impala Estates, said the latest plans would bring “significant public benefits” to the town.

He said:

“Unusually for an application of this size, there have only been five letters of complaint from members of the public.

“The small number of complaints is perhaps testament to the level of pre-application public consultation we undertook and that the final design has, where possible, taken this into account.

“This scheme brings significant public benefits which include bringing an empty building back into use and creating quality office space.”

Knapping Mount

Crescent Gardens was vacated by the council when it moved into its new Knapping Mount headquarters in 2017.

At the time, the council announced it would sell the building to property developer Adam Thorpe who had plans for a £75 million redevelopment including luxury apartments, an art gallery, underground car park, swimming pool and restaurant.

However, Mr Thorpe’s company ATP Ltd then fell into administration with debts of almost £11 million, including £24,394 owed to the council.

The latest proposals from Impala Estates had attracted objections from Historic England which questioned the public benefits and said the roof extension should not exceed one storey.

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Some residents living on Swan Road raised further concerns over their privacy and how else the rooftop terrace could be used if the restaurant failed.

Speaking at today’s meeting, resident Jackie Davis said:

“Mr primary concern is the roof terrace – this must have adequate screening, preferably trees behind the roof glass balustrade to try to protect our privacy.

“As we already know, many restaurant spaces are empty in Harrogate. The Royal Baths directly opposite the building has recently failed.

“I worry that this venue will follow the same fate over the years, leading to the possibility of a bar or perhaps a nightclub ending up there.”

In response, council officers said licensing restrictions would be put on the building’s use.

It was also agreed that extra screening would be installed on the rooftop terrace.

Furthermore, Mr Hartley said double-yellow lines would be introduced on the nearby Swan Lane to reduce disruption from parking and deliveries which he added would be “significantly less” than when the council occupied the building.

Long-running saga

Today’s decision to grant approval will have felt like a big weight off the shoulders of the council which is keen to see the long-running saga of Crescent Gardens come to an end.

But attention will soon turn to the future of its new Knapping Mount headquarters which has been brought into question ever since last year’s announcement that the council will be abolished in April 2023.

The council said the building cost £13 million. However, the Stray Ferret investigated the overall cost of the move from Crescent Gardens and put the figure closer to £17 million.

A decision on how the site is used in the future could well fall into the hands of the newly-elected members of the forthcoming North Yorkshire Council.

Harrogate business man praises ‘amazing’ charity following £2m aid convoy into Ukraine

A top Harrogate businessman has praised the “amazing efforts” of a Yorkshire charity after returning from an aid mission to Ukraine.

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

The five-day mission, which featured a number of volunteers from Harrogate, was organised by Yorkshire Aid Convoy, a charity which has been running overseas aid expeditions for more than 30 years.

‘Really proud’

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

“We did it, it was successful and I am really proud of what we have done.

“Yorkshire Aid convoy is an incredible charity and Mark Murphy, who heads it up, lives in Harrogate. He has done it for years and is one of these silent heroes that does amazing things.

“The charity has already delivered 16 wagons. They ran a mission about four weeks before we went.

“It’s really hard work as you drive for 12 to 14 hours a day. It’s a proper mission.”

James Rycroft. MD Vida Healthcare

James Rycroft.

The convoy carried around 100 tonnes of items, including medical equipment, beds and hygiene products.

It is also took a mobile classroom, which was donated by the Knaresborough-based business, Training and Testing Services.

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Mr Rycroft said:

“A man called Dave Wood came with us. He and his company donated a mobile classroom.

“We filled it with aid and they drove it over and then it got put on a train and taken straight to the front line.

“It is now being used as a wounded soldier hospital. It was named after Dave’s late mother Trish.”

‘Trish’, the mobile classroom, is being used a wounded soldier hospital in Ukraine.

The volunteers met Ukrainian military administrators at the border, where they were escorted to a secure hub inside the border to deposit the goods. They then immediately turned round and headed home.

Their 3,000-mile journey saw them travel by ferry from Hull to Holland, then to Germany, Austria, Hungary, Slovakia and into Ukraine and back.

‘So welcoming’

Mr Rycroft said:

“It was just organised so well. It’s so amazing what the charity does.

“I just went along and did my bit because I wanted to feel like I was contributing something tangible.

“The Ukrainian people were so welcoming and grateful for what we did. It was ace. It is a a really great thing we feel we have achieved.

“But I’m a tiny part of it, really it’s the Yorkshire Aid Convoy that has been leading this.”

Mark and Felix Murphy Yorkshire Aid Convoy

Mark and Felix Murphy of Yorkshire Aid Convoy.

Mr Rycroft said the experience made the war in Ukraine feel “very real”.

He added:

“People are defiant and life is going on as normal and it almost becomes very normal very quickly when you are amongst it. It’s very strange.

“We felt safe and we were looked after really well.

“It went as smoothly as it possibly could. There are lots of people to be praised for it.

“We feel we’ve made a valid achievement to the effort.”

Surface dressing on local roads begins under new contractor

A new surface dressing programme has begun on roads in North Yorkshire this month.

North Yorkshire County Council has hired a new contractor to carry out this year’s work, which the local authority said can extend the life of a road surface by up to 10 years.

The 2022 programme, which will cover about 200 miles, will be the first delivered by NY Highways, the roads maintenance company created by the county council last year.

NY Highways has recruited Birmingham road construction firm Kiely Bros as its contractor.

Ross Bullerwell, managing director of NY Highways, said:

“Over the past four months we have worked with Kiely Bros to prepare them for the contract, to make sure they understand what we demand in terms of finish and quality.

“The company has already been providing white lining services for us and we have received good local feedback about their work.”

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A press release issued by the council today described surface dressing as “a quick, efficient and cost-effective way of maintaining skid-resistant and waterproof road surfaces”.

The process involves spraying the surface with bitumen, then spreading stone chippings on top and rolling these into the bitumen. Once the bitumen has set, the road is swept to remove any loose chippings.

Weather warning

Barrie Mason, assistant director highways and transportation at the county council, said:

“We know the value of surface dressing from experience. It is vital in maintaining the condition of our roads network. That’s why it is a key component of our annual roads maintenance programme.

“Year after year, through the programme we enhance the quality of sections of our road network. This is crucial in ensuring that businesses, residents and visitors can travel with confidence.”

Signs should go up at each location before work starts to alert residents and drivers.

Mr Mason warned the programme can be affected by weather, adding:

“This can makes communicating exact dates challenging, so we urge residents to check the advance site signage regularly. The contractor will amend this to highlight any change in the schedule.

“After a stretch of road has been treated, it is important for drivers to heed the temporary speed limit put in place while the new surface stabilises to prevent damage to their own vehicle and those of other road users.”

For more information about surface dressing, click here.

It’s live! Boundless Networks is ready to install full fibre broadband in your home

This advertorial is sponsored by Boundless Networks

Boundless Networks is now connecting customers to its Ultrafast Full Fibre broadband, with speeds of up to 900Mbps, in Harrogate and Knaresborough.

Now, you may be thinking “I already have fibre broadband, what is the difference?” but it is likely you just have Partial-Fibre broadband rather than Full Fibre.

Partial-Fibre broadband takes a fibre cable to a local cabinet but only uses a copper cable to your home, copper is not able to deliver the fast speeds reached on full fibre networks.

Using CityFibre’s FTTP network, Full Fibre from Boundless is future-proof and its technology is capable of much faster speeds so your broadband connection is ready for the future and not just today.

Why choose Boundless?

Boundless Networks is different to the big guys with real people delivering excellent customer service. There are no hidden fees either, Boundless will always be upfront about how much you’re going to be paying.

Unlike larger companies, they don’t sentence you to a contract for years. Instead, they believe in just providing a good service. Offering a rolling monthly contract and saying that people stay because they want to; not because they have to.

The product speaks for itself, with a top package of 900Mbps you can rely on Boundless to give you fast and reliable broadband. If something does go wrong, simply give customer service a call and, with their customers being 358% more likely to recommend them to friends and family than the industry average, they will be sure to work all avenues until your broadband works again.

The Boundless customer service team are always on hand to help

Stress-free installation 

Once ordered, installations dates are typically available within six days, but if you aren’t quite ready you can book your installation over a month in advance.

You can choose the date and time of the installation and will get a text from the engineer with an estimated arrival time. The actual installation is stress-free for the customer and once completed you will be fully functional and able to connect.

Customer testimonial 

Don’t just take it from Boundless themselves, Graham Allwood was the first person to get connected with Boundless on CityFibre’s FTTP network. Here are some questions Boundless put to Graham:

“They were a local business offering something others do not, namely a one month contract with the aim of good service in order to keep customers.”

“Yes. The speeds are fantastic. I cannot fault it one little bit.”

“Installation went smoothly. They turned up when they said they would, very polite and kept me informed every step of the way. As it was a new install, they were often asking me my preference for where I would like the new cable to be placed.”

“Not had to use it much, but on the few times I have, they were responsive and quick to resolve my questions.”

“Go for it! It’s nice to see a local business trying hard to improve customers experience with such a unique package. I would definitely recommend Boundless Networks should anyone ask me.”

As the network is still being built, more and more homes are connected on a weekly basis. Click here to check your availability now.

New councillors urged to back creation of North Yorkshire Mayor

There have been fresh calls to create a mayor for North Yorkshire following the election of new councillors last week.

Henri Murison, director of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, has written to each of the county’s 91 newly elected councillors urging them to back a devolution deal that includes the creation of a metro mayor.

Mr Murison, who went to school in Boroughbridge and Harrogate, said the move could unlock “a huge amount” of funding for the county, with the mayor responsible for allocating much of it.

He or she would assume control over areas such as transport and economic development for the whole of North Yorkshire. The mayoral office could also swallow up the role of the North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner.

Mr Murison’s letter, which has been shared with the Stray Ferret, said:

“The maximum powers and funding are only available for a devolution deal with a directly elected mayor. As the Tees Valley has proven, a large urban metropolitan area is not a prerequisite and the mayoral model can prove hugely successful in areas where the economic geography is dominated by towns.

“Locally-led economic growth strategies to raise productivity in areas such as these are vital. The North of Tyne Combined Authority shares much of its geography with the Borderlands Growth Deal, which included Carlisle, parts of Scotland and rural Northumberland – and these places are already reaping the benefits.”

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The government’s Levelling Up White Paper was published in February and cited the creation of strong, local mayors as a key part of its levelling up agenda.

It said the government would open up negotiations over a devolution deal, including a mayor, with leaders at North Yorkshire County Council and City of York Council. However, a deal is yet to be signed off.

York council is run by the Liberal Democrats whereas NYCC is controlled by the Conservatives.

“Metro mayors are needed”

Labour’s Andy Burnham in Greater Manchester is often cited as an example of a mayor who has used his platform to win more funding from government and put a spotlight on the region.

Conservatives mayor for Tees Valley, Ben Houchen, has also built a strong reputation for making the most of his region’s devolution deal.

But others, like Bristol’s Labour mayor Marvin Rees, have been divisive. Bristol residents voted last week in a referendum to scrap the position from 2024.

Mr Murison added:

“Devolution is flourishing in some places (South Yorkshire has just elected its second Metro Mayor) while stalling in others. It is not right that Cumbria or North Yorkshire should miss out on empowered local leadership – nor the government funding which goes hand in hand with it.

“Metro mayors are needed for cities, towns, and rural areas alike if we are serious about building a truly productive, prosperous Northern Powerhouse.”

Simon Pegg shoots new film in Harrogate

Actor Simon Pegg was in Harrogate last night shooting a new film.

The Cornetto trilogy star was on Crown Place, the cobbled street between the Crown Hotel and the Royal Pump Room Museum.

He was working an upcoming movie called Nandor Fodor And The Talking Mongoose, which also stars Minnie Driver, Tim Downie and Paul Kaye.

The film, described as a dark comedy, is based on a 1935 investigation by para-psychologist Nandor Fodor into claims of a talking mongoose.

Fake rain and smoke gave Crown Place an atmospheric air as the crew took several takes of Mr Pegg walking beneath an umbrella (pictured below) and entering a side entrance to the Crown Hotel.

Simon Pegg pictured filming in Crown Plaza in Harrogate.

Simon Pegg pictured filming in Crown Place in Harrogate.

Filming finished at about 10.30pm, when the crew retired to the Crown Hotel.

Shooting is expected to continue today in Leeds before returning to Harrogate.

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Film crews have been almost a permanent fixture in Harrogate in recent weeks, prompting jokes that it’s the new Hollywood.

Doctor Who actor Matt Smith has been shooting a horror film in Nidderdale; Sir Patrick Stewart filmed a Yorkshire Tea advert at Cardale Park and Netflix film ‘Bank of Dave’, featuring Bridgerton star Phoebe Dynevor, was shot at the former Harrogate Borough Council offices in Crescent Gardens.

Shooting for All Creatures Great and Small also took place at Crescent Gardens over the last bank holiday weekend.