Harrogate councillor calls for campaign to make class A drugs ‘shameful’

A fresh education campaign, with a similar message to the anti drink-driving stance embedded in the 1970s, is needed to teach children that taking class A drugs is “shameful”, a meeting has heard.

North Yorkshire has seen a significant rise in complex child death cases, such as drug-related ones over 2020/21 and analysis is being undertaken to examine why.

In a report to a meeting of North Yorkshire County Council’s young people scrutiny committee, the Child Death Overview Panel chair Anita Dobson said over the last year the panel was “mindful of an increase in drug-related deaths”.

She said it was thought the rise “may well be an indication of reduced mental wellbeing amongst young people, for which coronavirus could be a contributing factor” and that the panel would monitor the situation closely.

The concerns follow pledges by North Yorkshire and York’s past and present police, fire and crime commissioners to prioritise tackling county lines drug dealing gangs, which often target children, particularly in Harrogate and Scarborough.

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Councillors were told there had already been “a lot of work in educating children and young people directly” as well as parents and carers, to ensure people were aware of the risks of taking class A drugs.

Harrogate Central councillor John Mann told the meeting as well as tackling the supply of class A drugs, efforts to reduce demand for them were needed as “without the demand there would be no supply”.

He suggested an education drive, using a similar antisocial message to the 1970s drink-driving campaign, was required.

Cllr Mann said:

“As a local authority and as a country we need to try to reduce the demand and make it shameful to take class A drugs because we all have wider responsibilities as citizens.”

‘Complex situation’

After the meeting, the authority’s children’s services executive member, Cllr Janet Sanderson, said she agreed with making taking class A drugs socially unacceptable.

She said:

“We have to get the view of the young people out on the streets who are being tempted by these things and probably deal with an innovative approach to tackle it.

“In the 1970s it was normal to drink-drive. And then all of a sudden if you drove at 32mph in a 30mph area they stopped you and breathalysed you and it stopped it overnight.

“However, I can’t see that is going to be a straight lift and shift scenario with drugs because you can see people driving on the road, but drugs are more covert.

“With county lines we are looking at the people who are often selling the drugs also being the victims. It’s a hugely complex situation. We have got some good people working on this and some innovative ideas, but it is not going to be one single solution like naming and shaming.”

Five independent Harrogate cafés to visit for a coffee and festive treat

When the weather outside is frightful, nothing beats a decent coffee and a festive treat to get you in the mood for Christmas.

There are some amazing independent coffee shops in Harrogate, which blow the chains out of the water.

And after trudging round the shops, there is nothing better than seeking sanctuary in one of them – and indulging on a bit of cake while you’re at it. It would be rude not to at this time of year.

I spoke to some of the teams behind some of the town’s indie coffee shops about getting festive and asked them to pick their favourite Christmas bake.

No. 35, Cheltenham Crescent

Established in 2017, No.35 is a popular choice for coffee aficionados in the town. It’s small, cozy vibes are perfect for that festive feel. The baristas are some of the friendliest in town and their latte art is always impressive.

Coffee: North Star No.35 Honduras blend, with notes of honeydew melon, rum and almond

Barista Chris Pang’s favourite festive bake: Gingerbread cookie

He said:

“They are really Christmassy and there aren’t any other places that do them. They have an amazing gingerbread filling and you can stick them in the microwave as well.

“I love working here at Christmas as everyone is in good spirits and the atmosphere is always really festive.”

Barista Claudia Norris’ favourite festive bake: Christmas fruit loaf

She said:

“A customer actually said it’s better than Grandma’s Christmas cake and you can’t really go wrong with it at this time of year.”

Barista Elliot Lee’s favourite festive bake: Christmas Bakewell slice

He said:

“It’s our bestseller and it’s basically a mince pie in a Bakewell sponge. It’s small and sweet and just enough.”

Baltzersen’s, Oxford Street

The Scandinavian’s do Christmas with style and so does the Scandi-inspired Baltzersen’s, which has been a staple of Harrogate’s independent scene for almost a decade. Check out the quirky Christmas tree decorations that have been painstakingly individually hung across the whole café.

Coffee: North Star Baltzersen’s blend, with notes of milk chocolate, plum and hazelnut

Barista Brontë Madeley’s favourite festive bake: Christmas gingerbread cookie

She said:

“Our in-house baker makes all of our biscuits downstairs. I love how much time she spends on the little decorations.”

Chef Lukaz Maszczyk added:

“I love working here at Christmas. It’s very homely and inviting and we have lots of regular people coming in every day.”

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Bean & Bud, Commercial Street

This one is a bit of a different escape from the festive shopping, as the owners, Phil and Helen Dolby, refuse to play Christmas music. So if you’re sick of Shakey, Bean & Bud is ideal. However, they couple aren’t anti-Christmas by any means and you’ll still be able to choose from a selection of single origin coffees – they have several – and a festive treat.

Coffee: Campbell & Syme’s Brazil Mauricio Barbosa, with notes of milk chocolate, caramel and melon

Helen and Phil’s favourite festive bake: Christmas pudding flapjack

Helen said:

“I like to have the lights up and it’s always a nice festive atmosphere at this time of year.

“We like the Christmas pudding flapjacks as they are locally-made and are a bit different.”

Paul added:

“We are a sanctuary from the same repetitive Christmas songs you hear every year. You can come to Bean & Bud and you will never hear a Christmas song.”

Hustle & Co, Station Parade

The healthy eaterie Hustle & Co celebrated its first birthday this week and has managed to keep going strong, despite launching during a worldwide pandemic. Lots of the cakes here are vegan and gluten free, so everyone has a chance to get their festive bake fix. It always has a warm, friendly vibe in here and the twinkly decorations are lovely.

Coffee: York Emporium Peru Cecanor Cafe Femenino, with notes of milk chocolate, almond, honey and apricot

Co-owner Jo Bradshaw’s favourite festive bake: Peppermint slice 

Jo said:

“Our peppermint slice is vegan and gluten free. It’s reminiscent of a candy cane and treats during the Christmas holidays. It’s a little bit indulgent at this time of year. It has a chocolate oaty baste, peppermint fondant and dark chocolate topping.”

Front of house team leader Victoria Coltman said:

“I love the positivity and happy vibes that come from every customer who enters the doors at this time of year.”

No. 43 Brew Bar, St Winifred’s Avenue

Located in the heart of the community on St Winifred’s Avenue, a stone’s throw from The Stray, Brew Bar is another friendly independent on the scene. The selection of cakes is always impressive and the festive treats don’t disappoint. It’s hard not to feel Chrismassy with their twinkly decorations, and they also do little gifts so you can shop while you drink coffee.

Coffee: Lonton Coffee Company’s No. 43 Brew Bar Blend

Barista Elliot Dodson’s favourite festive bake: Reindeer tiffin

He said:

“We are a community coffee shop and we want to have fun and give something back. We have a lot of families come in and the reindeer tiffin is the kind of cake that shows our values.

“I feel great working here over Christmas. It’s always nice to see the core values of Christmas and the spirit of people, the togetherness, the community and the love. Customers are very festive and we have people come in and dress up. We also have a visit from Olaf and Buddy the Elf every Saturday at 1pm until 1.30pm.”

Green Shoots: What it’s like to own an electric car in Harrogate

Harrogate residents Ralph Armsby and his partner Judy Carrivick ditched their petrol car for an electric Kia e-Niro earlier this year.

They got the car on a four-year lease and pay around £450 a month plus £460 a year in insurance.

Because it’s a low emission vehicle they pay zero car tax, and when they charge it at home it ends up costing just over 1p a mile to drive.

Mr Armsby said switching to an EV was “a no-brainer” due to the environmental cost of driving a petrol car.

“We’re very aware of air pollution, not just from the car but it starts when they take the oil out of ground, to tankers driving around the UK.

“You should get something that is powered down a wire rather than being pumped out at stations all over the place.”

Mr Amsby said it’s important to check with Northern Powergrid that your home is able to install a charging point because there was a lack of fast public charging points in Harrogate.

It cost the couple around £600 to install one, which they plug into the car overnight whilst they sleep so they can wake up with a full charge.

If they decide to charge the car throughout the day, it works out at around 3p a mile.

Range anxiety

Mr Armsby said he sometimes suffers from “range anxiety”, the phenomenon where EV drivers are worried their car will run out of charge before they find somewhere to power it up. But on a full charge, their car can manage over 280 miles, depending on driving style.

They use an app called ZapMap to find public charging points. During a recent trip to Wales, they found towns much smaller than Harrogate were better equipped for EV drivers with more places to charge.

Harrogate has several public charging points, with 7kw, 24kw and 50kw connections.

The only fast 50kw charging points are at Harrogate Borough Council’s civic centre at Knapping Mount, where it costs more to charge than at home. There are also three fast charging points outside Lidl in Knaresborough.

If you charge your car at the civic centre it takes around half an hour to get a full charge.

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Mr Armsby said the council charging points were welcome, but Harrogate needed more and was poorly equipped for business travellers who might be using the convention centre.

He said:

“If you come here on a conference, you’ll be fighting for a space there.

“We desperately need more fast charging points.”

There are other slower charging 7kw charging points around the district, which are able to give an EV a short boost.

There are even now charging points at the almost 1,000-year-old Fountains Abbey. Mr Armsby said he has visited twice because he could charge his car outside the ruin.

In total, the Harrogate district has 53 EV charging points in 30 different locations, but some can only be used by Teslas.

Mr Armsby plugging in

Mr Armbsy said many more on-street charging facilities were needed in Harrogate so people can plug in whilst they shop.

He added:

“Other countries have had on-street charging and had it for years, we’re not world beating in the UK, we’re miles behind European countries.”

Joy to drive

The couple are retired and use their car mainly for leisure and shopping. 

Mr Armsby said:

“It’s a joy to drive, we’re fighting each other on who’s going to drive!”

Whilst electric vehicles still produce emissions through their tyres — and there are concerns over the mining of minerals to make the batteries — Mr Armbsy said he would never go back to driving a petrol car.

He said:

“Harrogate is quite polluted. Cold Bath Road, for example, is a rat run in the mornings with kids being dropped off in Range Rovers. It would be so much nicer on these roads if everyone was driving electric.”

Do you have an interesting project or passion that improves the environment and could feature in Green Shoots? Contact thomas@thestrayferret.co.uk

Harrogate vaccine walk-ins: go in afternoon tomorrow to avoid queues

Staff giving vaccines at the Great Yorkshire Showground in Harrogate have advised anyone planning a walk-in booster jab tomorrow to go in the afternoon.

The decision to allow over-18s to just turn up and get boosters prompted a wave of visitors to the showground today. Some people queued for an hour to get jabbed.

Tim Yarrow, operations manager for Yorkshire Health Network, which is a federation of the 17 GP practices in the Harrogate district, said the site had a lot of booked appointments tomorrow morning but the afternoon was quieter.

Anyone arriving for morning walk-ins would receive a booster, said Mr Yarrow, but they might have to wait for up to an hour.

He said it was likely to be quieter after 12.30pm.

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Another 102 covid infections were reported today in the Harrogate district.

The district’s seven-day infection rate has fallen slightly to 422 cases per 100,000. The North Yorkshire average is 380 and the England average is 505.

No further covid-related deaths have been reported at Harrogate District Hospital, meaning the overall total remains at 200.

Andrew Jones MP tells constituent that clarity is needed on No 10 party

Conservative MP for Harrogate & Knaresborough Andrew Jones says the findings of an investigation into an alleged Christmas party at 10 Downing Street last year should be published as soon as possible.

Harrogate resident Patrick Milne sent Mr Jones an email this week asking him to “speak out” against the party or “gathering” as the government phrases it, which has dominated headlines and TV news reports all week.

Mr Milne shared the response he received from the MP with the Stray Ferret.

Mr Jones wrote:

“Some gatherings were permissible of course but if the reports of cheese and wine, crowding, secret santas and so on are true it is very difficult to see how on earth such a gathering can have been within the rules.”

“There are two sides though to every story and I am willing to hear both. At the moment though, and the story evolves hour-by-hour, we are only hearing one side. That is why I think a clear statement of what happened needs to be released by Number 10 detailing what the gathering was, who was there, what refreshments were served, how this complied with the rules at the time and so on.”

The government has since ordered an investigation into three alleged parties at 10 Downing Street and the Department for Education. The Labour Party has called for prime minister Boris Johnson to resign if he is found to have misled MPs.

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Mr Jones said he hopes the findings of the investigation will be published “in days”.

“I hope therefore to see the full report in days and, by that, I mean before Christmas.”

The MP said he cancelled plans to comply with rules last Christmas and that he expects leaders to set an example to others.

He added:

“Like many others I spent the Christmas period following the rules, cancelling plans to comply with rule changes, sitting outside talking to elderly relatives, dropping off shopping on the doorstep and video calling.

“I know too that some people broke the rules, inadvertently or otherwise, and so I have taken the view that I will be accountable for my own actions and others need to be accountable for theirs.
I recognise that there is a huge chasm between minor and inadvertent infringements at Christmas and a party among those whom we want and expect to take a lead, where an example must be shown.

“That is why the investigation and a final statement from Number 10 are needed. As with the Cummings affair and the standards issue, I will not offer my support if that statement points to wrongdoing.”

Mr Jones has not made any public comments about the recent scandal facing his government. Instead today he used his party’s Harrogate Community News website to publish an article about the winner of a competition for his electronic Christmas card.

 

 

Harrogate High closes year group due to illness and teacher shortage

Harrogate High School told all Year 10 students not to attend school yesterday because it was unable to find enough teachers to cover classes.

The school tweeted to say a combination of staff illness and difficulty recruiting supply had prompted it to make the decision to close to Year 10 students.

The Stray Ferret contacted the school today it said it didn’t want to comment further but agreed recruiting supply staff was a problem.

Year group closure Thursday 9th Dec
Unfortunately, due to high levels of staff absence as a result of illness and a widespread issue with recruiting supply teachers, we have taken the decision to close to Year 10 students (Thursday 9th).
Please check your email for full details.

— HarrogateHighSchool (@HarrogateHigh) December 9, 2021

It also said no more days such as these were planned for any year group.

The independent academy school caters for about 600 students aged 11-19 and is based on Ainsty Road.

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Arrests made after 2am crash near Harrogate Asda

North Yorkshire Police has arrested two teenagers after a stolen car crashed into several parked vehicles on Dragon Parade in Harrogate.

The Stray Ferret reported on the crash on November 17 after a bystander sent us photos of the aftermath.

Police said today the occupants abandoned the vehicle, which was later found to be stolen.

They added a 17-year-old male had been arrested on suspicion of aggravated vehicle taking and property damage. He was interviewed and released on bail.

A 16-year-old male voluntarily handed himself into the police and was also interviewed on suspicion of aggravated vehicle taking and property damage. He has been released under investigation.

Enquiries are ongoing.

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Queues in Harrogate as demand for booster jabs soars

Queues formed at the Great Yorkshire Showground in Harrogate this morning as people took up the offer of walk-in booster jabs for over-18s.

The vaccination centre at the Yorkshire Event Centre is currently offering walk-ins for anyone over 18 until Sunday. Walk-ins will then be reviewed.

People were so keen to get the jab that they were willing to queue outdoors in the cold for about an hour.

While staff at the centre were too busy to talk, those outside were upbeat about the prospect of receiving boosters.

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Donna Jones told the Stray Ferret:

“I do have an appointment booked for Knaresborough but I would rather get it done sooner rather than later.

“The walk-ins are brilliant. It’s much easier because I live in Harrogate. Everyone should have their booster, it’s great to see so many people here so we can move forward.”

Alex Lewis Jones, 21, said:

“I was at work yesterday when my mum told me about the opportunity for a walk-in appointment. We are planning to go away at Christmas so it’s best to get it done before that.

“It’s good that people have shown up and it’s good that the centre has put walk-ins on. Yes you might have to queue a bit but it’s much better in the long run.”

Chloe Scott added:

“I brought my mother who is clinically extremely vulnerable. I am delighted that there is the opportunity for me to get the booster too.

“It’s great that so many people are keen to get their boosters, especially with omicron on the rise and before Christmas when people want to mix.”

Harrogate’s Rossett School celebrates GCSE students’ success

Harrogate’s Rossett School has held its annual presentation evening in-person after covid forced it to take place online last year.

The event celebrates the achievements of last summer’s GCSE students in a range of academic subjects and other disciplines.

The guest speaker was Joe Joyce, a former chief executive in the manufacturing and construction sector, a director of finance in education and now the owner of his own local family brewing company,

Mr Joyce shared his personal philosophy on the importance of aiming high in life, before presenting GCSE and BTEC certificates, along with the awards and trophies.

Headteacher Helen Woodcock said it was wonderful to be able to hold the event in-person again.

“We are very proud of this year group. They were an excellent year in many different respects, not least in their management of the strangest of times — learning remotely and at school over the last two years — in order to be awarded their TAGs (teacher-assessed grades).

“Their achievements have allowed them to progress on to their chosen pathways, and we were thrilled to celebrate their many successes at the presentation evening.”

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Consultation launched for 480 homes on Harrogate’s Otley Road

Homes England has begun a public consultation on plans to build 480 homes at Bluecoat Wood, opposite Cardale Park and Harrogate police station.

The government housing agency bought the site this year after previous plans to develop it stalled. It plans to call the development Bluecoat Park.

The site covers 28 hectares of largely green fields and homes would wrap around Horticap.

The scheme would include a new pitch for Pannal Ash Cricket Club, a sports hub and a children’s play area. Homes England said 40% of the homes would be “affordable”.

A new community woodland would also be planted.

The consultation, which will end on January 10, will inform the submission of a full planning application to Harrogate Borough Council. A website has been created for people to submit their thoughts on the scheme.

Harrogate Borough Council‘s Harrogate district Local Plan 2014-35, the council’s plan for development in the district until 2035, says 450 homes can be built on the site.

Traffic concerns

Separate plans for 780 homes and a new primary school have been proposed by Taylor Wimpey and Redrow at nearby Bluecoat Wood on Otley Road.

Local residents group Harlow and Pannal Ash Residents Association has raised concerns about congestion on Otley Road as well as extra traffic through nearby villages such as Beckwithshaw, North Rigton and Burn Bridge.

Homes England said its Bluecoat Park development would help inform the West Harrogate Parameters Plan, a document that will assess transport and infrastructure needs associated with wider plans to build up to 4,000 homes on the western side of Harrogate.

The plan was expected last year but has been delayed until February 2022.

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The site’s history

Housing has been mooted at Bluecoat Wood for many years.

In February 2016, HBC granted planning permission to a partnership of developers called HTH Harrogate LLP to build 450 homes.

It followed an earlier refusal of permission on the grounds of road safety and traffic flow problems.

However, Homes England bought the site in February after the developer pulled out.

In the summer, Homes England submitted an environmental impact assessment for 530 homes on the site. The number has now been reduced.