Harrogate’s quirky 53 Bo Grove closes

A bohemian Harrogate cafe, antiques and garden centre has closed after more than two years of business.

53 Bo Grove, on Grove Road, just off Kings Road, caught the eye of passers-by with its front yard filled with antiques and salvaged items.

The business became a vital hub for residents during the early coronavirus lockdowns by remaining open to sell food at a time when many supermarkets were struggling for stock.

Over the last year, the Stray Ferret has reported owner Kyrensa Bentley’s attempts to improve business by opening a pancake shack and a farm shop on site.

Bo Grove at Oxford Street.

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Ms Bentley, who opened the business in September 2019, told the Stray Ferret she made the decision to close after struggling on a number of fronts:

“I am sad to have to close but it was a difficult location.

“I struggled with Harrogate Borough Council, coronavirus has also had an impact and we were short on staff in the kitchen.

“However, I now have a business on Oxford Street, which I can completely focus on. I have also had the chance to go back to my roots more and get some great antique finds for that shop.”

Ms Bentley opened Bo Grove at Oxford Street in November 2020. It currently sells an eclectic mix of interiors, antiques and furniture and she plans to open a cafe on the site soon.

97 more covid infections in Harrogate district as rate falls to 430

The Harrogate district has reported a further 97 covid cases, according to today’s government figures.

The district’s covid rate now stands at 430 infections per 100,000 people. It was 450 yesterday.

Across the county, the average stands at 390 and the England rate is 503.

No further deaths from patients who tested positive for covid have been reported at Harrogate District Hospital, according to NHS England.

A total of 200 patients have died with covid at the hospital since the start of the pandemic.

Read more:

Harrogate’s Great Yorkshire Showground reopened this week as a vaccination site.

Those eligible can book appointments on the NHS booking site here.

Anyone over 18 who had their second covid jab over three months ago can also walk-in for a jab. The walk-ins are available until Sunday when they will be reviewed again.

The showground site has also said it is closed for walk-ins between 1215pm and 115pm each day when staff change shifts.

 

Harrogate district MPs silent on Downing Steet Xmas party allegations

All three MPs representing the Harrogate district have declined to answer questions from the Stray Ferret about the alleged parties held at 10 Downing Street and in Whitehall last year.

We asked Andrew Jones, who represents Harrogate and Knaresborough, Julian Smith, who represents Skipton and Ripon, and Nigel Adams, who represents Selby and Ainsty, what they knew about the parties and what reaction they had received on the matter from constituents.

As usual, the three Conservative MPs did not respond.

However, Lord Newby, the Liberal Democrat leader in the House of Lords, who lives in Ripon, did speak out today.

He tweeted:

“Ministers now looking foolish defending PM.

“Why did Allegra Stratton feel she had to go if nothing happened at No 10?

“Setting up narrow enquiry into Downing Street party purely designed to buy time, fools no-one.”

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It was revealed today that civil servants will launch an official investigation into the alleged parties.

There has been considerable coverage of the issue since the Daily Mirror claimed on November 30 that the Prime Minister and his staff broke coronavirus rules by attending parties at Number 10 in the run-up to last Christmas.

That report said 40 to 50 people attended a party on December 18, when London was in tier three lockdown restrictions.

Under those restrictions indoor mixing was banned and thousands has to spend Christmas away from their families.

Investigation into ‘sea of bubbles’ in Harrogate’s Hookstone Beck

Yorkshire Water says it is investigating an unusual incident where bubbles filled a section of Hookstone Beck today.

Two Stray Ferret readers contacted us with photos of the beck this morning when what appeared to be a sea of washing-up liquid bubbles appeared on the surface.

Andrew Mann said he was out for a walk near the Yorkshire Event Centre when he noticed “something clearly had gone wrong”.

He said bubbles had risen 10-feet-high and raised concerns about any fish that might be swimming in the beck, which feeds into Crimple Beck.

A spokesman for Yorkshire Water said the incident was not related to sewage pollution. He suspected somebody had poured detergent down a drain that is intended for rainwater and runs off into the beck.

An investigation is underway to find the source of the problem and whether the substance is harmful to wildlife. Yorkshire Water will then share its findings with the Environment Agency.

Read more:

 

Birstwith school appoints new headmaster

Nathan Sadler has been appointed the next headmaster of independent prep school Belmont Grosvenor.

Father-of-three Mr Sadler will take up the role in September next year. He is moving from GEMS Wellington Academy Silicon Oasis in Dubai, which he helped open more than a decade ago.

Set in 20-acres of grounds in Birstwith, the school and nursery welcomes boys and girls from three months to 11 years old.

Mr Sadler said he was looking forward to taking the Harrogate prep school forward “to its next chapter”.

He said:

“It is my absolute privilege to be joining Belmont Grosvenor School as headmaster starting next academic year and I am excited by the opportunity to collectively work with staff, pupils, parents and the governors to celebrate and build on the school’s successes and identity and continue to provide the children with strong foundations to thrive in their ever-changing world.

“I’m very impressed with the school grounds and emphasis placed on outdoor learning opportunities and look forward to embracing the whole school community and collectively creating life-long memories for the children.”

Gordon Milne, chair of the governors, said Mr Sadler brought a wealth of experience, including seven years in a senior leadership role in Dubai. He added:

“Nathan displayed a real passion for learning and primary education.”

Mr Sadler will visit the school in March to meet pupils, parents and staff, before taking up his position at the start of the next academic year.

Read more:

 

Harrogate police officer denies sexual assault while on duty

A Harrogate police officer appeared in court today charged with sexually assaulting a woman.

Christopher Ryan Hudson, 30, who was suspended by North Yorkshire Police after the allegation was made, appeared at York Magistrates’ Court on Thursday when he denied one count of sexual assault.

The alleged offence is said to have occurred at Stonefall Cemetery on Wetherby Road, Harrogate, on February 8.

Hudson, who was based in the Harrogate police division at the time of the alleged offence, was dressed in a smart black suit, white shirt and tie when he appeared before district judge Adrian Lower.

He is accused of sexually touching the woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, during working hours and in a “relatively remote location”.

Prosecutor Charles Macrae said it was alleged that Mr Hudson sexually touched the woman while she “repeatedly told him she didn’t want him to”. Mr Macrae added:

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“There was a suggestion that there was a degree of planning (to the alleged offence).”

Matthew Savage, for Hudson, said he had no submissions to make at this stage.

Judge Mr Lower sent the case to Leeds Crown Court where Mr Hudson, of Hollin Terrace, Huddersfield, will appear on January 6 for a preliminary hearing. He was released on unconditional bail.

North Yorkshire Police said in a statement that Hudson was based in Harrogate at the time of the allegation and was currently suspended.

Harrogate Convention Centre boss warns big events ‘at risk’ unless £47m refurbishment is accelerated

The director of Harrogate Convention Centre has warned the venue and local economy will miss out on big events unless plans for a major refurbishment are accelerated.

Paula Lorimer said upgrading the centre’s studio two needed to be made a priority as it would be a “game changer”.

Speaking at a meeting of Harrogate Borough Council’s cabinet on Wednesday, she said this part of the centre currently has limited “breakout” space and that this has meant it has been unable to attract “larger and more lucrative” events.

Ms Lorimer said:

“We are lucky to have one of the largest and most gorgeous auditoriums in the country with just over 1,900 seats, but we only have breakout space for 570 people.

“These larger conference rooms that we are hoping to have in studio two will mean we will attract much larger conferences.

“We therefore believe there is a very strong case to accelerate this part of the project.”

The project has yet to receive a final go-ahead from councillors and could cost up to £47m over three phases if approved.

Read more:

It was revealed at this week’s meeting that the plans have already been delayed due to the covid pandemic, with a report warning that this could have an impact on contracted and potential events booked from April 2023 onwards.

‘Important event’ coming to Harrogate

It also said there is an “important event” planned for early 2023 which will require the works on studio two to be completed, however, the council said it was unable to confirm the details as it is not a public event.

The report added:

“If the studio two package is not ready by April 2023, the potential negative impact on the Harrogate Convention Centre order book would be significant.

“It is highly likely that the newly contracted events for the period 2023/24 would be lost.

“It also runs the risk of not being able to bid for these conferences again until post 2025.”

The plans were first revealed in July last year when the council said the 40-year-old centre was in “critical need” of an upgrade to keep its national appeal and that without investment its maintenance costs could reach £19m over the next two decades.

150,000 visitors a year

It was estimated before the pandemic that the centre attracted more than 150,000 visitors a year with an annual economic impact of £35m.

However, covid has now raised questions over how quickly the industry can bounce back to pre-pandemic levels and what risks this could mean for the potential £47m redevelopment.

A final decision on the project will be made by councillors next year and the council has yet to put forward any funding proposals, although it said a business case would play a key part in supporting bids for government cash.

It was agreed at yesterday’s meeting that a further report would be brought back to cabinet to decide whether the works on studio two should be accelerated.

It was also agreed that further design and feasibility works are continued.

Other plans as part of the project could involve three exhibition halls being demolished to make way for a new 5,000 sq m hall and a refurbished auditorium.
Around £20m would be needed to complete a first phase of redevelopment, with another phase later.

Live: Harrogate district traffic and travel

Good morning it’s Al with you today, keeping you updated with the latest traffic and travel news from across the Harrogate district.

If there’s anything I’ve missed, and only if it is safe to do so, give me a call on 01423 276197.

These blogs are brought to you by The HACS Group.

9am – Full Update 

This is the final update from me today. Connor will be back with you from 06:30 tomorrow morning to keep you moving around the Harrogate district.

Roads

Traffic is moving slowly in these areas:

  • Leeds Road, Harrogate past Oatlands M&S Food
  • Otley Road in Harrogate, near Manor Drive
  • Wetherby Road in Harrogate, outside the event centre
  • Ripon Road, Harrogate, from Killinghall to the Coppice Drive junction
  • Skipton Road, Harrogate past King’s Road
  • The A168 near Boroughbridge alongside the A1(M)
  • North Street, Ripon

Road closures:

  • Cambridge Street in Harrogate Town centre – closed for the Christmas market
  • Pannal Avenue – road closure
  • Weeton Lane, Weeton – road closure and diversion
  • Newby Crescent, near Saltergate Junior School – road closure
  • Bogs Lane and Kingsley Drive, Starbeck – rolling road closures
  • Woodfield Road, Harrogate – emergency footpath closure which may impact traffic
  • A1(M) junction at Flaxby – road closures on all slip road roads. Work is now set to overrun by at least six months due to the discovery of great crested newts.
  • Savage Yard, Knaresborough – road closure 
  • Copgrove to Fish Pond Bridge – road closure and diversion 
  • Knaresborough Road, Bishop Monkton – road closure 
  • Westerns Lane, Markington – road closure
  • Reservoir Road, Thrucross – road closure 
  • Hall Square, Boroughbridge – road closure 

Temporary lights:

  • Otley Road, Harrogate – near Harlow Moor Road
  • Westminster Drive, Burn Bridge
  • Station Road, Pannal
  • Whinney Lane near Ashville College
  • Rudding Lane, Harrogate
  • Wedderburn Road, Woodlands, Harrogate
  • Stanhope Drive, Harrogate (behind Halfords)
  • Grainbeck Lane, near Killinghall
  • Hollins Lane, Hampsthwaite
  • Forest Moor Road, Calcutt
  • York Road, Goldsborough, at the junction with the A59
  • Boroughbridge Road, near the junction for Farnham Lane
  • Main Street, Staveley
  • High Moor Lane to Minskip
  • Kirkby Hill Moor to Roecliffe Lane, Boroughbridge
  • Bar Lane, Boroughbridge
  • Well House Farm to Kalashandy Warehouse, near Smelthouses
  • Lupton Bank, Glasshouses
  • Law Lane to Scarah Bank, Bedlam
  • Markington to Quarry Track (near Markington Post Office)
  • Harrogate Road, Ripon – near Quarry Moor Park
  • Harrogate Road, Ripon – at the junction for South Crescent and Shirley Avenue

Trains

  • 09:05 Harrogate to York – 2 minute delay 
  • All other trains from Harrogate and Knaresborough look to be running to time
  • The lift on platform 3 at Harrogate station is out of order, the ticket office is closed and the ticket vending machines are out of order

Buses

  • Harrogate Bus Company is running a reduced timetable due to driver availability. The 36 bus will run every 30 mins between Harrogate & Ripon, and every 15 mins between Harrogate & Leeds

8:30am – Full Update 

Roads

Traffic is moving slowly in these areas:

  • Otley Road in Harrogate, near Manor Drive
  • Wetherby Road in Harrogate, outside the event centre
  • Ripon Road, Harrogate, from the Skipton Road roundabout to the Coppice Drive junction
  • Skipton Road, Harrogate past King’s Road
  • Harrogate Road into Pannal
  • Otley Road in Killinghall
  • Boroughbridge Road, north of Knaresborough
  • The Flaxby junction of the A1(M)
  • The A168 near Boroughbridge alongside the A1(M)
  • Harrogate Road, Ripon, around the temporary lights near Quarry Moor Park

Road closures:

  • Cambridge Street in Harrogate Town centre – closed for the Christmas market
  • Pannal Avenue – road closure
  • Weeton Lane, Weeton – road closure and diversion
  • Newby Crescent, near Saltergate Junior School – road closure
  • Bogs Lane and Kingsley Drive, Starbeck – rolling road closures
  • Woodfield Road, Harrogate – emergency footpath closure which may impact traffic
  • A1(M) junction at Flaxby – road closures on all slip road roads. Work is now set to overrun by at least six months due to the discovery of great crested newts.
  • Savage Yard, Knaresborough – road closure 
  • Copgrove to Fish Pond Bridge – road closure and diversion 
  • Knaresborough Road, Bishop Monkton – road closure 
  • Westerns Lane, Markington – road closure
  • Reservoir Road, Thrucross – road closure 
  • Hall Square, Boroughbridge – road closure 

Temporary lights:

  • Otley Road, Harrogate – near Harlow Moor Road
  • Westminster Drive, Burn Bridge
  • Station Road, Pannal
  • Whinney Lane near Ashville College
  • Rudding Lane, Harrogate
  • Wedderburn Road, Woodlands, Harrogate
  • Stanhope Drive, Harrogate (behind Halfords)
  • Grainbeck Lane, near Killinghall
  • Hollins Lane, Hampsthwaite
  • Forest Moor Road, Calcutt
  • York Road, Goldsborough, at the junction with the A59
  • Boroughbridge Road, near the junction for Farnham Lane
  • Main Street, Staveley
  • High Moor Lane to Minskip
  • Kirkby Hill Moor to Roecliffe Lane, Boroughbridge
  • Bar Lane, Boroughbridge
  • Well House Farm to Kalashandy Warehouse, near Smelthouses
  • Lupton Bank, Glasshouses
  • Law Lane to Scarah Bank, Bedlam
  • Markington to Quarry Track (near Markington Post Office)
  • Harrogate Road, Ripon – near Quarry Moor Park
  • Harrogate Road, Ripon – at the junction for South Crescent and Shirley Avenue

Trains

  • 08:30 Harrogate to Leeds – 4 minute delay 
  • 08:45 Harrogate to Knaresborough – 2 minute delay 
  • All other trains from Harrogate and Knaresborough look to be running to time
  • The lift on platform 3 at Harrogate station is out of order, the ticket office is closed and the ticket vending machines are out of order

Buses

  • Harrogate Bus Company is running a reduced timetable due to driver availability. The 36 bus will run every 30 mins between Harrogate & Ripon, and every 15 mins between Harrogate & Leeds

8am – Full Update 

Roads

There are early signs of traffic building in these areas:

  • Otley Road in Harrogate, near Manor Drive
  • Wetherby Road in Harrogate, outside the event centre
  • Ripon Road, Harrogate, from the Coppice Drive junction to the Skipton Road roundabout
  • Skipton Road, Harrogate past King’s Road
  • Knaresborough Road, Harrogate between Starbeck and the Wetherby Road roundabout
  • Harrogate Road into Pannal
  • The A658 in Follifoot
  • Otley Road in Killinghall
  • Boroughbridge Road, north of Knaresborough
  • The A59 York Road past Green Hammerton
  • The Flaxby junction of the A1(M)
  • The A168 near Boroughbridge alongside the A1(M)
  • Harrogate Road, Ripon, around the temporary lights near Quarry Moor Park

Road closures:

  • Cambridge Street in Harrogate Town centre – closed for the Christmas market
  • Pannal Avenue – road closure
  • Weeton Lane, Weeton – road closure and diversion
  • Newby Crescent, near Saltergate Junior School – road closure
  • Bogs Lane and Kingsley Drive, Starbeck – rolling road closures
  • Woodfield Road, Harrogate – emergency footpath closure which may impact traffic
  • A1(M) junction at Flaxby – road closures on all slip road roads. Work is now set to overrun by at least six months due to the discovery of great crested newts.
  • Savage Yard, Knaresborough – road closure 
  • Copgrove to Fish Pond Bridge – road closure and diversion 
  • Knaresborough Road, Bishop Monkton – road closure 
  • Westerns Lane, Markington – road closure
  • Reservoir Road, Thrucross – road closure 
  • Hall Square, Boroughbridge – road closure 

Temporary lights:

  • Otley Road, Harrogate – near Harlow Moor Road
  • Westminster Drive, Burn Bridge
  • Station Road, Pannal
  • Whinney Lane near Ashville College
  • Rudding Lane, Harrogate
  • Wedderburn Road, Woodlands, Harrogate
  • Stanhope Drive, Harrogate (behind Halfords)
  • Grainbeck Lane, near Killinghall
  • Hollins Lane, Hampsthwaite
  • Forest Moor Road, Calcutt
  • York Road, Goldsborough, at the junction with the A59
  • Boroughbridge Road, near the junction for Farnham Lane
  • Main Street, Staveley
  • High Moor Lane to Minskip
  • Kirkby Hill Moor to Roecliffe Lane, Boroughbridge
  • Bar Lane, Boroughbridge
  • Well House Farm to Kalashandy Warehouse, near Smelthouses
  • Lupton Bank, Glasshouses
  • Law Lane to Scarah Bank, Bedlam
  • Markington to Quarry Track (near Markington Post Office)
  • Harrogate Road, Ripon – near Quarry Moor Park
  • Harrogate Road, Ripon – at the junction for South Crescent and Shirley Avenue

Trains

  • 08:01 Knaresborough to York – 7 minute delay 
  • 08:21 Knaresborough to Leeds (which was due to stop in Harrogate at 08:30) – 5 minute delay 
  • All other trains from Harrogate and Knaresborough look to be running to time
  • The lift on platform 3 at Harrogate station is out of order, the ticket office is closed and the ticket vending machines are out of order

Buses

  • Harrogate Bus Company is running a reduced timetable due to driver availability. The 36 bus will run every 30 mins between Harrogate & Ripon, and every 15 mins between Harrogate & Leeds

 

7:30am – Full Update 

Roads

There are early signs of traffic building in these areas:

  • Wetherby Road in Harrogate, outside the event centre
  • The A658 in Follifoot
  • The Flaxby junction of the A1(M)
  • The A168 near Boroughbridge alongside the A1(M)
  • Otley Road in Killinghall

Road closures:

  • Cambridge Street in Harrogate Town centre – closed for the Christmas market
  • Pannal Avenue – road closure
  • Weeton Lane, Weeton – road closure and diversion
  • Newby Crescent, near Saltergate Junior School – road closure
  • Bogs Lane and Kingsley Drive, Starbeck – rolling road closures
  • Woodfield Road, Harrogate – emergency footpath closure which may impact traffic
  • A1(M) junction at Flaxby – road closures on all slip road roads. Work is now set to overrun by at least six months due to the discovery of great crested newts.
  • Savage Yard, Knaresborough – road closure 
  • Copgrove to Fish Pond Bridge – road closure and diversion 
  • Knaresborough Road, Bishop Monkton – road closure 
  • Westerns Lane, Markington – road closure
  • Reservoir Road, Thrucross – road closure 
  • Hall Square, Boroughbridge – road closure 

Temporary lights:

  • Otley Road, Harrogate – near Harlow Moor Road
  • Westminster Drive, Burn Bridge
  • Station Road, Pannal
  • Whinney Lane near Ashville College
  • Rudding Lane, Harrogate
  • Wedderburn Road, Woodlands, Harrogate
  • Stanhope Drive, Harrogate (behind Halfords)
  • Grainbeck Lane, near Killinghall
  • Hollins Lane, Hampsthwaite
  • Forest Moor Road, Calcutt
  • York Road, Goldsborough, at the junction with the A59
  • Boroughbridge Road, near the junction for Farnham Lane
  • Main Street, Staveley
  • High Moor Lane to Minskip
  • Kirkby Hill Moor to Roecliffe Lane, Boroughbridge
  • Bar Lane, Boroughbridge
  • Well House Farm to Kalashandy Warehouse, near Smelthouses
  • Lupton Bank, Glasshouses
  • Law Lane to Scarah Bank, Bedlam
  • Markington to Quarry Track (near Markington Post Office)
  • Harrogate Road, Ripon – near Quarry Moor Park
  • Harrogate Road, Ripon – at the junction for South Crescent and Shirley Avenue

Trains

  • 07:35 Harrogate to London Kings Cross – 3 minute delay
  • 07:42 Harrogate to Knaresborough – 2 minute delay 
  • All other trains from Harrogate and Knaresborough look to be running to time
  • The lift on platform 3 at Harrogate station is out of order, the ticket office is closed and the ticket vending machines are out of order

Buses

  • Harrogate Bus Company is running a reduced timetable due to driver availability. The 36 bus will run every 30 mins between Harrogate & Ripon, and every 15 mins between Harrogate & Leeds

7am – Full Update 

Roads

The roads are still quiet this early in the morning, but there are a number of large diversions around Bishop Thornton, Burton Leonard and Boroughbridge, along with new temporary lights in Harrogate to be aware of.

Road closures:

  • Cambridge Street in Harrogate Town centre – closed for the Christmas market
  • Pannal Avenue – road closure
  • Weeton Lane, Weeton – road closure and diversion
  • Newby Crescent, near Saltergate Junior School – road closure
  • Bogs Lane and Kingsley Drive, Starbeck – rolling road closures
  • Woodfield Road, Harrogate – emergency footpath closure which may impact traffic
  • A1(M) junction at Flaxby – road closures on all slip road roads. Work is now set to overrun by at least six months due to the discovery of great crested newts.
  • Savage Yard, Knaresborough – road closure 
  • Copgrove to Fish Pond Bridge – road closure and diversion 
  • Knaresborough Road, Bishop Monkton – road closure 
  • Westerns Lane, Markington – road closure
  • Reservoir Road, Thrucross – road closure 
  • Hall Square, Boroughbridge – road closure 

Temporary lights:

  • Otley Road, Harrogate – near Harlow Moor Road
  • Westminster Drive, Burn Bridge
  • Station Road, Pannal
  • Whinney Lane near Ashville College
  • Rudding Lane, Harrogate
  • Wedderburn Road, Woodlands, Harrogate
  • Stanhope Drive, Harrogate (behind Halfords)
  • Grainbeck Lane, near Killinghall
  • Hollins Lane, Hampsthwaite
  • Forest Moor Road, Calcutt
  • York Road, Goldsborough, at the junction with the A59
  • Boroughbridge Road, near the junction for Farnham Lane
  • Main Street, Staveley
  • High Moor Lane to Minskip
  • Kirkby Hill Moor to Roecliffe Lane, Boroughbridge
  • Bar Lane, Boroughbridge
  • Well House Farm to Kalashandy Warehouse, near Smelthouses
  • Lupton Bank, Glasshouses
  • Law Lane to Scarah Bank, Bedlam
  • Markington to Quarry Track (near Markington Post Office)
  • Harrogate Road, Ripon – near Quarry Moor Park
  • Harrogate Road, Ripon – at the junction for South Crescent and Shirley Avenue

Trains

  • The 07:09 Harrogate to York train is delayed by around 2 minutes. It should be back on track by it reaches Knaresborough
  • All other trains from Harrogate and Knaresborough look to be running to time

Buses

  • Harrogate Bus Company is running a reduced timetable due to driver availability. The 36 bus will run every 30 mins between Harrogate & Ripon, and every 15 mins between Harrogate & Leeds

 

6:30am – Full Update 

Roads

The roads are running smoothly so far this morning, but keep checking back as things will likely get busier as the morning goes on.

Road closures:

  • Cambridge Street in Harrogate Town centre – closed for the Christmas market
  • Pannal Avenue – road closure
  • Weeton Lane, Weeton – road closure and diversion
  • Newby Crescent, near Saltergate Junior School – road closure
  • Bogs Lane and Kingsley Drive, Starbeck – rolling road closures
  • Woodfield Road, Harrogate – emergency footpath closure which may impact traffic
  • A1(M) junction at Flaxby – road closures on all slip road roads. Work is now set to overrun by at least six months due to the discovery of great crested newts.
  • Savage Yard, Knaresborough – road closure 
  • Copgrove to Fish Pond Bridge – road closure and diversion 
  • Knaresborough Road, Bishop Monkton – road closure 
  • Westerns Lane, Markington – road closure
  • Reservoir Road, Thrucross – road closure 
  • Hall Square, Boroughbridge – road closure 

Temporary lights:

  • Otley Road, Harrogate – near Harlow Moor Road
  • Westminster Drive, Burn Bridge
  • Station Road, Pannal
  • Whinney Lane near Ashville College
  • Rudding Lane, Harrogate
  • Wedderburn Road, Woodlands, Harrogate
  • Stanhope Drive, Harrogate (behind Halfords)
  • Grainbeck Lane, near Killinghall
  • Hollins Lane, Hampsthwaite
  • Forest Moor Road, Calcutt
  • York Road, Goldsborough, at the junction with the A59
  • Boroughbridge Road, near the junction for Farnham Lane
  • Main Street, Staveley
  • High Moor Lane to Minskip
  • Kirkby Hill Moor to Roecliffe Lane, Boroughbridge
  • Bar Lane, Boroughbridge
  • Well House Farm to Kalashandy Warehouse, near Smelthouses
  • Lupton Bank, Glasshouses
  • Law Lane to Scarah Bank, Bedlam
  • Markington to Quarry Track (near Markington Post Office)
  • Harrogate Road, Ripon – near Quarry Moor Park
  • Harrogate Road, Ripon – at the junction for South Crescent and Shirley Avenue

Trains

  • All trains from Harrogate and Knaresborough look to be running to time

Buses

  • Harrogate Bus Company is running a reduced timetable due to driver availability. The 36 bus will run every 30 mins between Harrogate & Ripon, and every 15 mins between Harrogate & Leeds

 

Otley Road cycle route works set to finish next week

Building work for the first phase of the Otley Road cycle route is set to finish on Thursday December 16.

North Yorkshire County Council said works would have been completed earlier but contractors have been delayed due to the recent spells of stormy weather.

Works have continued throughout November and December to build the new cycle route, which is part of a package of sustainable transport measures in the west of Harrogate.

For its first phase, a section is being created between Harlow Moor Road and Cold Bath Road.

NYCC’s highways area manager Melisa Burnham said:

“Adverse weather caused by storms Arwen and Barra has extended the completion date for the first phase of the Otley Road cycleway. We are aiming to complete the bulk of the work by 16 December.

“However, some remedial work will remain to be completed in the New Year.”

The second phase from Arthur’s Avenue to Beech Grove will be built at a later date.

Read more:

Whilst many people are looking forward to new cycling infrastructure on Otley Road, others have complained about the disruption it’s caused so far with work continuing late into the night.

Rene Dziabas, chair of the Harlow and Pannal Ash Residents Association, said the group has gained several new members from local residents who have been annoyed by the building works.

In late November, a resident told the Stray Ferret that he was “upset and angry” a mature tree was felled to make way for the route.

Harrogate planning committee ‘shambles and embarrassing’, says residents group

The chair of Harlow and Pannal Ash Residents Association has described yesterday’s planning committee meeting, at which councillors approved controversial plans to build 200 homes at the former police training centre, as a “shambles” and “embarrassing”.

Councillors debated the application from Homes England, the government’s housing agency, for three hours. Concerns were raised about traffic congestion and the loss of a football pitch on the site.

The planning committee had previously voted in June against a recommendation to approve the application.

Councillors said back then that the scheme should not be passed until publication of 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.

Councillors were told this week a draft version of the parameters plan would not be published until February 2022 but, this time, they decided to approve the plans by seven votes to three.

Rene Dziabas, chair of HAPARA, criticised the decision of councillors on the committee, who he said were “badly briefed” by officers.

He told the Stray Ferret:

“The meeting was a shambles. What communication was there between councillors and the planning department? Given this was a controversial deferral in June, you’d have thought there would have been a great deal of detail buttoned down, and a clear understanding from councillors about what the parameters plan is.

“I felt very let down [by the councillors]”.

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David Stephenson, senior planning manager at Homes England, warned councillors that while launching a costly appeal against the council was an “absolute last resort” for the body it was a route it was willing to take.

During the meeting, Liberal Democrat councillor Pat Marsh accused Homes England of “bullying” councillors into approving the plans.

Mr Dziabas said the decision to grant planning permission in the face of impending legal action from Homes England had damaged local democracy.

He added:

“There’s a great deal of talk about local democracy — this was not a good example of it.”