Harrogate jewellers Fattorini sets closing date after 190 years

A well-known Harrogate jewellers which designed the FA Cup and has been in the same family for 190 years has set a date for its closure.

The Stray Ferret revealed in November that A.Fattorini The Jewellers was due to close when the current manager Anthony Tindall retires.

In the months following Fattorini held a closing down sale to clear the remaining stock before Christmas.

There are still some pieces left which Mr Tindall hopes to sell before he closes the shop for good on January 8.

If the jewellers have not sold everything by that date he plans to take whatever remains to an auction house.

Read more:

It is unclear what will happen to the iconic building where Fattorini has been based since 1884 when it closes.

A. Fattorini through the decades.

Mr Tindall, whose great, great grandfather Antonio Fattorini founded the business in 1831, hopes to find a buyer or tenant. He told the Stray Ferret:

“Ever since we said we were closing the response has been fantastic but I am certainly looking forward to that closing date now. I suppose you could say I am getting demob-happy.

“Ideally a buyer could take on the shop and continue the Fattorini name, but that would take a lot of trust. I have lots of special memories here.”

While there have been a couple of interested buyers, Mr Tindall believes the latest wave of coronavirus driven by Omicron has forced them to be a little more cautious.

Car ploughs into Masham Bridge and almost ends up in river

A Masham man was lucky to escape unscathed after he crashed his car into Masham Bridge and almost ended up in the River Ure.

North Yorkshire Police said it happened at around 7.30am on Wednesday morning and the driver was a local man in his early 30s.

A police spokesman said the man “was very lucky to escape without any injuries”.

The car was recovered at around 9.00am and damage to the bridge was reported to the county council highways department.

Photos of the aftermath were shared with the Stray Ferret by Masham resident Jason Drew.

It appears a tree was the only thing stopping the car from entering the river.

Read more:

 

Plan to convert former Harrogate working men’s club into apartments

Plans have been submitted to convert a former Harrogate working men’s club into apartments.

The National Reserve Club, East Parade, formally closed in July following an unanimous resolution from its members last year.

The organisation had been registered as a working men’s club since July 11, 1913, when it was known as the Harrogate Battalion National Reserve of the West Riding of York Club.

Now, documents submitted by ID Planning to Harrogate Borough Council propose converting the building into two apartments.

According to the proposals, a three bedroom and two bedroom apartment would be built.

Read more:

ID Planning, which has submitted the plan on behalf of Ashleigh and Caroline Wells, said in its plans that the scheme would help a viable use for the building.

It said:

“The proposed development offers an opportunity to secure a long-term, viable use for the building while delivering two dwellings in a highly sustainable, brownfield location.”

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

Although the closure of the National Reserve Club represented the end of an era, the district is still served by working men’s clubs.

Clubs are registered with the Club and Institute Union, which represents more than 1,600 societies across the country.

According to the CIU website, nine clubs are affiliated with the union in the Harrogate district.

You can read an in-depth history on working men’s clubs in Harrogate written by historian Malcolm Ness for the Stray Ferret here.

Thieves steal wrapped Christmas presents from Harrogate home

Thieves have stolen wrapped presents from a Harrogate home just days before Christmas.

Police are appealing for witnesses following the burglary on East Parade, which took place yesterday between 2pm and 5.30pm when the residents were at work.

As well as the presents, several other high-value items were stolen and police believe they may have been carried away in a duvet cover, which was also missing.

A police statement added:

“We are appealing for information about any sightings of someone in the immediate vicinity carrying these items, items possibly concealed within a bedsheet or any relevant CCTV.”

Anyone with information on the incident should contact North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 2, and ask for Katie Jacobs. You can also email katie.jacobs@northyorkshire.police.uk

Read more:

London estate agent returns home to Harrogate to open new firm

A new estate agents is opening in Harrogate after its owner, Libby Watt, decided to leave London to return home.

After more than 20 years in the capital working for firms such as Featherstone Leigh and Manors, Ms Watt said she chose to move back home to be closer to her parents and set up a new firm, Barclay Watt Estates.

The new agency will cover all of Harrogate and surrounding towns.

Ms Watt said she is hoping her London contacts and love for property will help her stand out among the numerous well-established Harrogate agencies.

She said:

“I’m obsessed with property and never ever tire of visiting clients and seeing other peoples houses.

“I am always friendly, always fair, but will fight to the death to get my clients the best deal, and ensure their transaction is pushed along to a swift and satisfactory conclusion.”

Initially, Ms Watt was planning to buy a second home to be closer to her parents and commute regularly but said it was her experience with local agents planted the seed to set up her own firm.

“After registering with pretty much all the agents, only three made contact with me. I also made an offer on two properties – one I never heard back from, and the second emailed about five days later.

“I was genuinely shocked, after all, clients give you their properties to sell/let in good faith and to me it is just not acceptable to not get back to people, or not to act in your clients best interest. I discussed setting up on my own with friends here, who had been left frustrated when buying or selling properties here, and they thought it was a great idea – so here I am.”

Read more:

Ms Watt has said she will be focussing on sales, lettings, management and property acquisitions. In London, she said it is common for agents to close deals on homes before they hit the market she is hoping to offer the same in Harrogate.

She is currently working alone but said she hopes to hire more staff in the future.

Ms Watt said she is also in the process of securing an interior designer to work alongside her and will also offer a national, and international Global Relocation service.

Two men charged with murder at Mayfield Grove flat

Two men have been charged with murder after a man was found dead at a flat in Mayfield Grove, Harrogate.

Police arrested the men, 36 and 38, on Monday night after receiving a report at around 11.30pm that a man had died there.

The two men are due to appear at York Magistrates Court.

A third man arrested in connection with the incident has been released with no further action.

DCI Jonathan Sygrove, of North Yorkshire Police’s major investigation team, said:

“I’d like to thank local residents for their patience and support while we carry out enquiries. I can reassure people that this was an isolated incident, and officers will remain in the area to provide ongoing reassurance and support to the community.”

Read more:

 

Station Gateway hit with second petition calling for project to be halted

A second petition demanding the Harrogate Gateway project is halted has been delivered to council bosses behind the £10.9 million scheme.

In what marks another sign of growing opposition against the major plans to reshape key parts of the town centre, the petition from Harrogate Residents Association has been backed by 714 signatures and will be debated at a council meeting on January 6.

This comes just days after the results of a latest council-run survey revealed 55% of 1,320 respondents feel ‘negative’ about the project, while 39% feel ‘positive’.

The remaining 6% were either ‘neutral’ or said they didn’t know.

North Yorkshire County Council – which is leading on the project – declined to comment on the latest petition.

It also did not say whether the opposition to the project could mean key parts of it – including the part-time pedestrianisation of James Street and reducing Station Parade to one-lane traffic – are scrapped or changed.

In its petition, Harrogate Residents Association said its main concerns are that the proposed road changes would be bad for business and only divert traffic elsewhere – something council bosses have argued against.

The residents association said:

“All we need to do is look at Oxford Street, Cambridge Street and Beulah Street to see the detrimental effects pedestrianisation has on shops, businesses and the appearance of our town.

“We need a flow of people through the town to support business, not to cut it off.

“These visitors bring a substantial amount of income to hospitality and retail without which we fear it would be terribly damaging to the town’s economy.”

Read more:

The residents association – which previously petitioned against Harrogate’s first Low Traffic Neighbourhood on Beech Grove – also claimed cycle lanes are not the answer to improving sustainable transport. It said:

“We welcome improved cycling provisions across the district to encourage people to walk and cycle, however, what we are opposed to is anything that could have a detrimental impact on our livelihoods, environment, businesses, conference trade and town as a whole

“Wholesale introduction of cycle lanes through the town is not necessarily the answer. Harrogate has steep roads and the climate is not always warm and sunny – too often it is cold, windy and wet.”

The petition will be debated at a virtual meeting of North Yorkshire County Council’s Harrogate and Knaresborough Area Constituency Committee on January 6 when members of the residents association and council officials are expected to speak.

This comes after the Granville Road Area Residents Association previously delivered a petition against the Gateway project to Harrogate Borough Council which is supporting the scheme.

As well as changes to James Street and Station Parade, the plans also include improvements to Station Square and the One Arch underpass with the aim of providing better links to the train and bus station.

Cllr Don Mackenzie, executive member for access at North Yorkshire County Council, recently said the responses to the latest survey were now being considered before designs are finalised and recommendations are presented to the council’s executive in the New Year.

He also argued sustainable transport measures were well supported during the Harrogate Congestion Study – a major survey held in 2019 when thousands of residents said a greener town centre was needed. He said:

“The clear message sent to us by members of the public then was that they wanted more walking and cycling infrastructure, greater support and use of public transport, and encouragement to leave cars at home when making short journeys.

“It was made clear that the best way to combat congestion was to change travel behaviour, to walk, cycle and use public transport more often.

“At a time when climate change is a global priority, these proposals will play a part in improving the environment in the town centre by encouraging less use of motor vehicles.”

The Gateway project is being funded by the government’s Transforming Cities Fund, with a deadline for the money to be spent by early 2023.

If approved, construction could start in spring 2022.

Free Harrogate buses every Sunday in January and February

Shoppers will be able to take advantage of free buses every Sunday in January and February to give businesses in Harrogate town centre a much-needed boost.

Free buses will be available on the electric services only – on the 2, 3 and 6.

The Harrogate Business Improvement District (BID) has once again sponsored scheme, called the Sunday Freeway, after partnering with the Harrogate Bus Company in 2020 and 2019.

Tomorrow also marks the final day of Harrogate BID’s free parking initiative on Mondays to Thursdays after 3pm at the Victoria multi-storey car park.

With coronavirus cases on the rise and further restrictions on the agenda, this free service is expected to entice more visitors into Harrogate.

Back in 2019 the free Sunday buses generated a 90% rise in the number of customers travelling compared with the same period the year before.

Sara Ferguson, Harrogate BID chair and business owner, said:

“This is the third time we have partnered with our local bus operator, and on both previous occasions it helped to increase the number of passengers.

“This year, we have chosen January and February, which can be quiet months for the retail and hospitality sectors.

“Harrogate town centre is well worth a visit at any time of the year, and we hope the added incentive of free bus travel will make it even more appealing.”

Read more:

The Harrogate Bus Company CEO Alex Hornby said:

“We’re delighted that Harrogate BID are able to again work in partnership with us to support our ‘Sunday Freeway’ on our Harrogate electrics buses.

“Free Sunday travel on our pioneering Harrogate electrics buses will make it easier to support our local economy and help keep our town’s traders in business into 2022.

“It’s been an incredibly challenging time for Harrogate’s businesses, with previous lockdowns and now the prospect of further restrictions.

“More than ever, it’s now up to us all to support them in the vital first few months of the New Year by taking advantage of free travel on Harrogate electrics buses.”

‘Disappointing and vague’: Harrogate council’s plan to tackle climate change criticised

Three Harrogate district green groups have criticised Harrogate Borough Council‘s revised plan to cut carbon emissions in the district, calling it “disappointing” and “vague”.

The council has launched a public consultation on its draft Carbon Reduction Strategy, which will replace the original document that was first published in 2019.

HBC has a goal of 2038 when the Harrogate district will have a net zero-carbon economy. This means the district would put no more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere than what it takes out.

As a major landowner and employer in the district, the council says it will be a leader in reducing emissions.

The draft document focuses on eight ‘strategic themes’ including retrofitting council housing in the district, encouraging the take up of electric vehicles and planting trees.

However, according to Zero Carbon Harrogate, Harrogate District Cycle Action and Harrogate & District Green Party, the plan does not go far enough, is light on details and has no clear targets.

ZCH said it had “major concerns” about the document.

It said:

‘We do not consider the current draft statregy to be stringent enough to deliver HBC’s target of making their own operations net zero carbon by 2038, and we have some major concerns about key elements and details that are missing from the strategy. We are concerned that there is a lack of recognition of the scale of change required to reach net zero and consequently a lack of ambition. The strategy is based on the premiss that HBC can achieve the objectives by undertaking actions using a business-as-usual model rather than by setting out Page | 2 the actions needed to reach net zero carbon and showing how these could be achieved over the remaining 17-year timescale.

“We are concerned that there are neither quantifiable actions, nor measurable success criteria included. No targets are set for either HBC or the public to gauge whether the objectives laid out in this strategy are being met.”

Read more:

Harrogate and District Green Party chair Andy Rickard accused the council of not taking the climate emergency seriously.

He said:

“The council’s draft Carbon Reduction Strategy is its third attempt at responding to the climate emergency and only emphasises that the council does not understand the meaning of the word ‘emergency’ because it has taken four years to come only this far after the first draft was prepared.”

“Planning permission for housing is still being given which approve gas heating. This only adds ‘petrol to the fire’, and a new grand leisure centre project for Knaresborough, which may not be completed for several years, still envisages gas as a main source of heat. These two examples from many recent HBC decisions, exemplify our concern that the word ’emergency’ is not being taken seriously.”

Harrogate District Cycle Action also criticised the document, saying it has “no ambition or rigour”.

“Unfortunately, the strategy gives no evidence that the potential carbon savings of any of the projects mentioned, gives no timescales and no recognition of what projects would have maximum impact and should therefore be prioritised. In addition, there are no specific actions in the document, just vague non-specific actions. Thus, the strategy appears to have no ambition or rigour.”

Have your say

Conservative councillor Phil Ireland, Harrogate Borough Council’s cabinet member for carbon reduction and sustainability, said:

“Climate change and the impact we’re all having on the planet, is at the forefront of people minds and rightly so.

“Our draft carbon reduction strategy has a number of aims and objectives but this can only be achieved by working together.

“I’d urge everyone to share their views on our draft carbon reduction strategy so that we can help deliver net-zero carbon emission by 2038.”

You can share your views on the strategy on the council’s website. The consultation closes on January 2.

Ashville College pupils plant hundreds of trees to improve campus biodiversity

Pupils at Harrogate’s Ashville College have planted hundreds of trees in an effort to boost biodiversity on campus.

In partnership with the Woodlands Trust, pupils under the supervision of the independent school’s grounds team added 420 native British trees to the site.

The trees included a mixture of hazel, blackthorn, crab apple, dog rose and rowan and created a hedge running adjacent to one of its sports pitches and a public footpath.

Annual tree-plantings are among many initiatives led by the College’s dedicated Green Committee, which works hard to encourage pupils to think about how their actions can either harm or benefit the environment.

In the last two weeks of term, the Green Committee also ran a Fairtrade stall in the College’s Pre-Prep, Prep, and Senior Schools, where pupils were the vendors.

Cathy Price, Ashville College Green Committee lead, said: 

“The latest round of tree planting and the Fairtrade stall have come at the end of an extremely busy term for Green Committee members.

“Climate change and the environment have been on everyone’s radar, and this is going to continue. By making even small changes to our daily routines, collectively we make a big difference to the environment in which we live, work and go to school.”

Read more:

The trees planted are in addition to 500 native trees that were planted last November to enhance existing hedges or establish new ones to the southwest edge of the 64-acre campus.

The Woodland Trust has provided all the trees as part of its Big Climate Fightback campaign, which has so far seen more than 1.8 million trees planted by schools, community groups and businesses around the UK.

As the saplings grow, they will provide a habitat and movement corridors for wildlife and produce pollen, nectar, nuts, fruit and berries for insects, birds and small mammals.