Harrogate BID ‘waste of money’, says pub landlord

A Harrogate pub landlord has described the town’s Business Improvement District as a “waste of money” — and is refusing to pay the £370-a-year levy.

Marik Scatchard has been the landlord of Christies Bar on King’s Road for 14 years. He told the Stray Ferret that his pub has seen little benefit from the BID, which was set up in 2019 to improve Harrogate town centre

Businesses within Harrogate’s town centre pay the BID 1.5% of their rateable value a year on top of their usual business rates. Harrogate BID brings in around £500,000 from local firms.

Because a majority of companies voted to set up the BID, Christies is legally obliged to pay the levy. However, Mr Scatchard said he would not pay because the BID does not offer good value for money to levy payers and is run by a “private mates’ club”.

He said:

“We’re having to pay these levies but all they seem to do is put stickers in shop windows. I’m not paying. They can lock me up.”

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Whilst the landlord said the BID provided the pub with some furniture after lockdown and sponsored the Pubwatch scheme, he dismissed recent BID initiatives such as a ping pong table in the Victoria Shopping Centre.

He said the BID should focus its efforts on cleaning up King’s Road and Parliament Street, which he said were regularly strewn with litter.

BIDs have been criticised for doing jobs that have traditionally been under the remit of local councils, effectively taxing businesses twice.

Mr Scatchard said:

“Hardly anyone is in the ping pong room when I’ve been past. It’s a joke. It won’t bring anything to town.

“You don’t see them doing anything around the King’s Road area. It just winds me up, it doesn’t benefit me at all.”

BID’s response

Matthew Chapman, Harrogate BID Manager, said:

“We are well aware of Mr Scatchard’s views on the BID and the levy. Whilst he hasn’t paid his levy for the last two years, he has been happy to accept support from us, in particular outdoor furniture to help him out of the first lockdown in July 2020. He also had BID-funded flower boxes surrounding his venue.

“Christies also benefits from our sponsorship of Harrogate Pubwatch, and if he so chose to, he could take advantage of the LoyalFree app to help promote his business, and also become a member of the Harrogate Gift Card Scheme.

“He could also apply for a £750 match-funded grant, which would more than pay for one year’s levy! And whilst happy to criticise us on social media, he isn’t keen to speak with us in person, which we have tried to do on several occasions.

“Even though he personally doesn’t like the ping pong parlour, which I’m delighted to say is reopening at the end of the month, there are many who do, and these people make special trips into town to make use of this BID-funded activity.

“Finally, perhaps he’d like to pass comment on our recent festive partnership with Harrogate Borough Council and Destination Harrogate? Without BID and the levy, much of this would simply have not been possible.”

Administrators reveal state of Harrogate firm CNG Energy’s finances

The state of CNG Energy’s finances has been revealed after its administrators published its first report into the company.

The Harrogate-based company, which had offices on Victoria Avenue, fell victim to spiralling wholesale gas and electricity prices and went out of business last year.

A report published by Interpath Advisory, the administrators appointed to take charge of the company, has revealed CNG owes £3.6 million to HMRC and other “secondary preferential creditors”.

Although the administration process is still in the early stages, the report says it expects to pay “a dividend” to those creditors.

The report says:

“Based on current estimates, we anticipate that secondary preferential creditors should receive a dividend.

“We have yet to determine the timing and quantum, but we will do so when we have completed the realisation of assets and the payment of associated costs.”

The company also owes more than £4 million to trade creditors and £6 million to consumer creditors.

London-based IT consultancy firm Gentrack UK Ltd is owed £450,759 and is among the highest creditors in the report.

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Meanwhile, the company has also made all but 21 employees redundant. CNG employed around 145 staff in Harrogate.

Staff still working are currently assisting with the transition of customers over to new suppliers.

Company was operating on ‘thin margins’

Administrators also found that the company had been experiencing financial difficulty for some time due to “significant cash flow pressures primarily caused by sharp price increases in wholesale gas prices and the general volatility in the energy market”.

The company was already operating on “thin margins” prior to the covid pandemic and had taken out a secured loan of £35 million from Glencore, a multi-national oil and gas firm.

However, the failure of a number of key customers and spiralling wholesale costs left the company unable to finance itself. The report says:

“In the absence of the financial and operational support of CNG Wholesale and other group entities, the company did not have the financial resources required to operate as a standalone business or bear the £35 million loan that was due to Glencore.

“As a result, the directors and Glencore began to explore ways to facilitate an orderly exit from the market.”

Local woman sets up charity for Malawi schoolchildren

Jasmine Lehnis-Leitao worked in Malawi for 15 years before moving to Harrogate. Now she has set up the not-for-profit organisation Care In Action for Malawi to fund young people’s secondary and further education.

Ms Lehnis-Leitao went to Malawi in 2001 and has since worked on various projects there, including with local charity Open Arms Malawi, which cares for orphaned babies, and is closely linked with Harrogate communities.

Her new organisation will raise money through sponsorships and other fundraising to fund young peoples’ education, paying school fees and supplying them with books, supplies, and necessary technology. She is currently applying for charitable status.

Promise’s Story

Ms Lehnis-Leitao hopes her organisation will make a direct impact. She tells the story of Promise, a girl she worked with:

“Promise did well at primary school, but for secondary school she couldn’t afford the fees. Her parents had died, she was living with her aunt who sold tomatoes for a living. Her cousins and her aunt would all tell her ‘Why are you interested in books? You should be finding a man who can support you.’”

Care in Action for Malawi’s partner charity in Germany was able to step in to fund Promise’s education and Promise is now at a college for nursing. Ms Lehnis-Leitao adds:

“Once Promise becomes a nurse, that’s a career for life, it’s no longer about finding a man to rely on its about relying on yourself. It’s about having your career, having skills that you can give to your community.”

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Local involvement

Ms Lehnis-Leitao aims to reach more people with her new organisation by working in collaboration with partners. She remarks that cooperation is key to “build strong partnerships locally and put more kids more through school”.

Ms Lehnis-Leitao hopes the Harrogate district will get involved with fundraising and she emphasises how a little can go a long way, saying:

“Get involved with events, which can be as simple as a pub quiz. Come along and support. We want to get to know people’s interests and what they can contribute.

“For £300 a year you can put someone through secondary school. For £500 a year you can put them through teacher training college which is only two years.”

To get involved or offer sponsorship, you can get in contact at info@care-in-action.org.

For more information, click here.

Harrogate headteacher ‘concerned’ by Cold Bath Road pollution data

Western Primary School installed a pollution sensor in June last year, amid concerns about heavy traffic on Harrogate’s Cold Bath Road.

Headteacher Tim Broad was worried about the sheer volume of traffic plus the fact he could tase diesel in his mouth when larger vehicles passed.

Six months on, The Stray Ferret has reviewed the data, which suggests levels of pollutants meet national objectives but exceed guidelines set by the World Health Organisation.

The sensor, which was installed within the school grounds, revealed concentrations of PM2.5, PM10 and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) all fell within the national objectives’ limits for short and long-term exposure.

However, a local pollution campaigner expressed concern that PM2.5 and NO2 levels exceeded WHO guidelines both short- and long-term.

PM2.5 particles are man-made particles suspended in the air, produced by woodburning stoves and transport, as well as industrial processes. When breathed in, these particles can get into the blood and lodge themselves in organs.

NO2 is a gas produced by combustion of fossil fuels. Eighty percent of roadside NO2 pollution is caused by road vehicles. Exposure to the gas can cause inflammation to the airways and exacerbate pre-existing heart and lung conditions.

‘No safe threshold for air pollution’

We showed our findings to Western headteacher Tim Broad, who said he was “concerned” by the exceedance of WHO guidelines, Mr Broad added:

“I intend to follow up with an investigation in school, with a view to passing on the findings to the appropriate people at Harrogate Borough Council and North Yorkshire County Council.”

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Local campaigner Brian McHugh claimed the national objectives were too weak, and children were at risk. He added:

“The concern with using numbers and limits sometimes can be that there is a belief formed that anything up to that level is ‘safe’. There is no safe threshold for air pollution.

“The harm of air pollution on humans is well documented. The increased harm to children, with developing lungs, cannot be overstated.”

Better monitoring needed

Western Primary School is believed to be the only school in the district with an air pollution sensor, and live measurements from the sensor are available to the public online here.

Mr McHugh called for better monitoring of pollution in and around schools. He said:

“It is incredibly useful that we are even able to have this data and analyse it. Huge thanks must go to Western Primary for having the foresight to install an air quality sensor and it is hoped that other schools in the Harrogate district follow their example, so we have accurate information on which to base policies and initiatives.”

In its 2021 Air Quality Annual Status Report, Harrogate Borough Council used 63 monitors throughout the district to measure NO2 levels but had no monitors for PM2.5 particles.

The council itself stated PM2.5 can have a significant impact on health, including “premature mortality, allergic reactions, and cardiovascular diseases”, but it relied on council data from Leeds and York to estimate levels of the pollutant in the district.

Harrogate College to host week of networking events for businesses

Harrogate College is to host a week of sector-specific networking events for businesses next month.

The events will be held between Monday 14 and Friday 18 February. They are free and open to anyone who books a place via the college’s Employers’ Network page. 

The sessions will cover energy and construction, health and social care, hospitality and retail, digital, education and training and business and finance. 

They have been set up to facilitate talks between employers working in similar fields.

The college will use feedback from participating businesses to tailor its curriculum — and, if required, start new courses — to ensure it is delivering the skills that are most in demand by local firma.

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Harrogate College’s partnerships and development manager, Holly Hansen-Maughan, urged businesses to sign up.

Holly Hansen-Maughan

Ms Hansen-Maughan said:

“Launching the employers’ network sparked such a positive discussion between all kinds of businesses, and this is a great chance to build on that.

“These sessions will allow people to mingle with others in their own industries, find out more about each other and potentially mutually beneficial opportunities, and explore those kinds of discussions further.

“You do not have to be a current network member to take part – you just have to book a place through our website.

“The network is growing and thriving and we look forward to welcoming new businesses along in February to find out more about it, and the benefits it brings.”

For full details, and links to book a place, visit the Harrogate College website.

                                        

Hampsthwaite doctors’ surgery conversion finally approved

A plan to convert Hampsthwaite’s former doctors’ surgery into a house has been approved at the second attempt.

Dr Bannatyne and Partners, which was based at Winksey Cottage, High Street, in the village, closed in March last year.

The surgery was part of Church Avenue Medical Group and shut down after practitioners felt the cottage was no longer a viable place for a medical practice.

Mozaffar Nami, a developer, lodged plans to convert the building into a house. 

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Harrogate Borough Council initially rejected the proposal in November on the grounds that the applicant had not demonstrated that the site had been empty for more than three months.

Now the developer has had plans approved after resubmitting proposals for the former surgery.

Mr Mari said in documents submitted to the council that the building had been previously used as a house before becoming a surgery and could be “readily converted back” into a home.

 

Green Shoots: Harrogate Town’s vegan footballer who is passionate about environment

Harrogate Town midfielder George Thomson is part of a growing cohort of professional footballers who are vegan and passionate about the environment.

Fan favourite Thomson joined Town in 2017. He’s played more than 160 matches and been a key cog in Simon Weaver’s history-making side that was promoted to the English Football League for the first time in the club’s 100-year existence. Town are at home to Oldham this afternoon.

Players including Manchester City legend Sergio Aguero and England player Jesse Lingard have gone vegan for health reasons but Thomson told the Stray Ferret his conscience couldn’t allow him to continue eating meat. He made the switch five years ago.

He said:

“Agriculture is one of the main contributors to global warming, it gives off a high percentage of greenhouse gases. It’s known to contribute more than even cars.” 

Thompson was shocked after watching the Netflix documentary Cowspiracy, which exposed the impact of meat on climate change, water use, deforestation and ocean dead zones.

He also said that ethically he could no longer eat meat due to the suffering caused to animals.

He added:

“I saw what happens and I didn’t want to be a part of it. I didn’t want that on my conscience.

“There’s so much information now so I did lots of research.” 

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Thomson, who is known as one of the fittest players in Town’s squad, said it’s a misconception that becoming vegan will result in a lack of protein.

“I wasn’t going to be deficient in something that would affect my job. What stuck with me, no vegan player has been to a doctor with a protein deficiency. There’s protein in every single food. We eat a lot of beans and lentils that are high in protein. It’s like anything, you get used to it and it becomes easy.”

He’s not the only vegan at the club: midfielder Alex Pattison also recently made the switch, although Thomson said they face some friendly banter from the meat-eaters in the dressing room.

‘Something I believe in’

Forest Green Rovers, who play in League Two alongside Harrogate, have been described by FIFA as the “greenest club in the world” and they’ve even been recognised by the UN for their eco-credentials.

Only vegan meals are served at their ground, which is powered by 100% renewable energy and includes electric vehicle charging points.

Thomson, who cycles to training, said he supported the club’s model:

“It’s a great concept what they’ve done at Forest Green, even the kit is made of recycled plastic.

“The environment is a massive topic at the minute, everyone is beginning to be more conscious about their carbon footprint. For me, being vegan helps massively and you have the health benefits on top. I’d support what they’ve done there massively, it’s something I believe in”.

And with vegans options now much more mainstream, he said he doesn’t have to miss out on a celebratory pizza with teammates after a match thanks to Dominos’ vegan option.

Harrogate charities host care recruitment event today

Two Harrogate charities have joined forces to host a care recruitment event in Harrogate town centre today.

Staff from Disability Action Yorkshire and The Avalon Group will be answering questions at the Everyman Cinema from 11am until 1:30pm, discussing the work they do and the roles currently available.

The recruitment drive comes as North Yorkshire suffers from a shortage of care workers, with over 1,000 estimated vacancies in the sector across the county on any given day.

Disability Action North Yorkshire operates a care home on Claro Road in Harrogate and has a training centre in Hornbeam Park, providing services for disabled people to live their lives fully.

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Jackie Snape, Disability Action Yorkshire’s chief executive said:

“As two Harrogate-based charities operating in similar fields, we’ve decided to partner for this social care recruitment event.

“For those considering a career in social care, this will be an ideal opportunity to find out about the importance of this sector, what we as individual charities do, and the jobs that are currently available.”

The Avalon Group works across the north of England to support anyone who needs additional care and support, including those with dementia, learning or physical disabilities, mental health difficulties and more.

 

In depth: What is the economic case for Harrogate’s Station Gateway?

The saga over Harrogate’s Station Gateway took another turn this week when council officers revealed they were set to press ahead with the £10.9 million project.

North Yorkshire County Council, which is expected to vote to continue with the scheme on Tuesday, included an economic case for the scheme in documents sent to councillors ahead of Tuesday’s crunch vote.

The report says the initiative represents the “biggest investment in decades” in the town, will save shops from decline and make the town centre more attractive.

It was published without fanfare after the second round of consultation had finished, prompting business groups in Harrogate to criticise the county council for a lack of consultation. Business groups have long called for an economic impact assessment to be published.

The Stray Ferret has looked at the council’s economic case in detail to see why it is pressing ahead with the project.

Harrogate faces ‘economic challenges’

According to the county council’s economic case, the authority believes the gateway scheme will tackle “some of the economic challenges facing the Harrogate economy”.

The report cites a number of areas that need addressing, including job creation and access to education and skills.

Much of the 18-page paper centres around growing the Harrogate economy so it is “fit for the future”.

It argues that better access to the town centre will help to create jobs and increase the creation of businesses in Harrogate town centre.

The report cites an Office for National Statistics study which shows the number of new businesses set up in the town increased by 4% between 2014 and 2021 – below the Yorkshire and national average.

Graph of median annual earnings in Harrogate district compared with the national and regional average, as included in the report.

Graph of median annual earnings in Harrogate district compared with the national and regional average, as included in the report.

It goes on to say that residents in the district have higher than the average annual earnings, meaning there is a chance to “diversify” the town centre by encouraging more people into town.

Both of these areas could be tackled by improving access to the town centre and making it more attractive, council bosses say.

The report adds:

“Harrogate’s higher paid resident base suggests that there is potential to diversify the local economy, attracting high value, innovative businesses to invest in the town centre, opening up further employment opportunities in the town.”

The number of retail units in Harrogate town centre, as cited in the Gateway report.

The number of retail units in Harrogate town centre, as cited in the gateway report.

The report also warns that the town’s retail sector is at risk of decline.

It points to Harrogate Borough Council figures showing a reduction of 12% in retail units in the town centre in the last seven years.

It adds that the town needs to “diversify” in order to adapt to consumer behaviour – something which council bosses believe the gateway can address.

The report says:

“Evidence suggests that the town centre retail sector is at risk of decline in the medium term.

“Consumer behaviours and expectations are evolving and towns must diversify and advance to maintain health and vibrant visitor economies. the scheme is seeking to do just this.”

But, while the report addresses some of the town centre challenges, its critics say it offers nothing on how proposals in the gateway scheme will effect trade.

Businesses ‘not listened to’

While the county council has made efforts to push its economic case through an 18-page report and press releases to the media, it has not convinced local business groups.

In a joint letter to the county council leader, Cllr Carl Les, co-signed by Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce, Harrogate BID and Independent Harrogate, the groups argue that the report fails to address any of the concerns of businesses.

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The letter says the study is not dated and fails to take into account the impacts of covid on businesses. It goes onto say that next week’s vote on the scheme should be delayed until traders have had chance to scrutinise and comment on the report.

It says:

“Because of this lack of opportunity to comment on the economic impact study, we are now asking that the vote on the Project is postponed until your next executive meeting, allowing us, and others, time to digest its contents.

“However, having had a cursory glance through it, it appears the authors have looked to cities for case studies and not towns comparable to Harrogate. Also, they give examples from as along ago as 2007. The world has moved on a lot since then.

“It fails to take into account the impact of covid, out-of-town shopping centres with acres of free parking, and online shopping. And again, we say what of those residents living in our surrounding villages whose only way of getting around is via their car, or the tens-of-thousands of visitors who live outside the district?”

Station Gateway designs

How James Street will look.

It also questions whether any impact of delivering the scheme on local businesses has been taken into account.

“It also appears the work to deliver this project could now creep into 2024. We were told it would take a year.

“Judging by the delays to ‘phase one of the Otley Road cycling path’, we have no confidence in your timescale. Does the economic impact study take into account the disruption delivering this Project will have on businesses already on their knees through to the ongoing impact of covid?”

What happens now?

Senior councillors have been recommended to approve the gateway project to be taken to the detailed design stage.

Councillors will make a decision at a meeting on Tuesday. The move would mean that work on the project could start in spring or summer.

First glance at Harrogate’s new £1.5m padel and gym centre

A new £1.5 million fitness hub opened in Harrogate today featuring the largest indoor padel tennis centre in the UK and an “affordable but boutique” gym.

Coach gym and Surge Padel are located in the same unit, called the Matrix Building, on Hornbeam Park.

It is a major investment in the town after a difficult couple of years for business. The new venture has also created 40 jobs.

Padel tennis is one of the fastest growing sports in the country. This development seeks to put Harrogate at the epicentre of that surge in interest. It’s the largest of its kind in the country with six courts.

Surge Padel has only opened on the first floor of the building but International Padel Federation is already considering it as the potential host of its European Championships.

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Coach which can be found on the ground floor and comes with more than 200 pieces of equipment and guided classes.

Stuart Perrin, who owns both Coach and Surge Padel, told the Stray Ferret:

“People of Harrogate are already voting with their feet and moving here. I think they appreciate this premium product at an affordable price, particularly in this economic climate.

“It just so happens that I used to live in Harrogate and it’s close to where I live now so it was an easy decision for me when this property came up.

“We were planning to open the first Coach in Leeds when the first lockdown came. It was a difficult time but that business was very successful.

“During the lockdowns we were on the search for more properties as a result. So we have more places in the pipeline and think now is the time to invest.”

So it seems more jobs could be on the way too as the business expands across the UK, with head office based in the same Hornbeam Park building.

More pictures from Coach and Surge Padel:

Padel is a different type of tennis.

It is the largest indoor padel tennis court in the UK.

Coach has more than 200 pieces of equipment.

Staff can help with training.

Both Coach and Surge Padel are based at Hornbeam Park.