Harrogate Town footballer to climb Machu Picchu for charity

Harrogate Town’s club secretary and female team player Abbey Smith is raising money for MIND by climbing Machu Picchu in Peru.

Ms Smith will trek 2,430 metres up to the ancient Inca citadel in May in the hope of raising £4,000 for the mental health charity.

Her fundraising efforts are part of RED January, a nationwide movement encouraging people to move every day and beat the winter blues. She will be hosting various raffles, events and will also run 100km in January to help reach her goal.

Abbey Smith

Abbey Smith

Ms Smith said:

“MIND is a charity that is close to my heart as it has helped friends and family in the past, and with the current covid situation across the globe I feel that now more than ever the charity needs as much support as possible, to be able to help with people’s mental health.”

You can donate by visiting her Just Giving page here – https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/abbey-smith97

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Harrogate man forced to miss funerals hits out at Downing Street parties

A Harrogate man who could only watch the funerals of his friends online has hit out at Prime Minister Boris Johnson over reports he attended a party around the same time.

Patrick Milne could not attend the funeral of a friend’s child who died with cancer at a young age or a colleague who died from an accident at home during the initial lockdown in 2020.

The UK was under strict rules at the time. People could only meet in pairs outdoors and had to stay two metres apart.

Around that time, according to a report from ITV News, the PM’s Principal Private Secretary Martin Reynolds sent out an invitation for drinks in the Number 10 garden to more than a hundred employees.

The PM Boris Johnson allegedly attended that party along with his wife Carrie Johnson.

There has been considerable coverage of the issue since the Daily Mirror claimed on November 30 that the PM and his staff broke coronavirus rules by attending parties at Number 10 in the run-up to Christmas in 2020.

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Mr Milne told the Stray Ferret:

“The numbers of people who could attend funerals were severely limited so only close family could attend. They also had to be completed in around 15 minutes.

“So it was just too much to see more evidence of these parties at Downing Street. It is even more difficult to listen to the tsunami of lies from Boris Johnson and the cabinet.

“People are angry because it is clear there was one rule for them and no rules for those in power. It’s painful to see.”

He also sent his concerns to Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones and urged him to speak out on the matter. Mr Jones has not yet responded to Mr Milne or a request for comment by the Stray Ferret.

Mr Jones said in early December that clarity was needed and called for the official report to be published as soon as possible.

Update: During an emergency debate in Parliament today, Mr Jones asked paymaster general Michael Ellis for a specific date as to when the report will be published. He was only told that it would be a “swift” investigation.

Ripon Farm Services to stage New Year Show next week

Ripon Farm Services is set to celebrate its 40th anniversary with the return of its annual show next week.

The New Year Show will be held over two days at the Great Yorkshire Showground in Harrogate on January 19 and 20.

The show, which is one of the key events on the northern agricultural calendar, will feature the largest combine harvester in Europe and the new John Deere 6R tractor.

More than 5,000 people are expected to attend.

The event was cancelled last year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

There will be some measures in place to prevent the spread of the virus, including a requirement for proof of full vaccination together with negative lateral flow tests.

Richard Simpson, commercial director of Ripon Farm Services, said the team had thought long and hard about whether to go ahead with the show. He said:

“In the end we believe the farming community needs and deserves our support.

“Farmers can’t cancel lambing time, they can’t cancel milking or cancel harvest, they have to carry on, no matter what.

“The nation relies on them. So it would be unfair of us to let farmers down.

“After last year’s cancellation, which was unavoidable, we are delighted to be back with one of the very finest shows we have ever held.”

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Dan Robinson, who is heading up the preparations for the show, added:

“Apart from those two headline machines, we will be showcasing everything we do, including a huge range of used equipment which will be available to buy.

“This is the very best opportunity to see all the very latest and best farming machinery in one single location.

“The show is housed in the warm and dry Yorkshire Events Centre at the Great Yorkshire Showground and there is no better place to see all that we offer.

“Our specialists across all sectors will be available to answer any questions during the two days, and there will be seminars and presentations

“So the event is ultimately a one-stop shop for farmers across the north of England.”

Firefighters called to kitchen fire at Harrogate house

Firefighters attended reports of a kitchen fire at a house in Harrogate last night.

Crews from Harrogate and Knaresborough rushed to St Mary’s Walk in town at around 10pm.

On arrival, the firefighters discovered a small fire in a microwave, which was already out. There was heavy smoke in the kitchen as a result.

St Mary's Walk

St Mary’s Walk

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North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue said crews removed the microwave from the building and cleared the smoke with a ventilation fan.

A spokesperson for the service said:

“Appliances from Harrogate and Knaresborough attended reports of a kitchen fire in a residential property.

“Crews removed the microwave from the building and cleared the smoke using a positive pressure ventilation fan. Advice was given to residents and on site staff.”

New 5G masts proposed for Harlow Hill water tower

Mobile phone signal in Harrogate will get an upgrade if an application to install 5G masts on Harlow Hill’s Edwardian water tower is successful.

Plans have been submitted by telecommunications firm Cornerstone to add new 5G antennas to the water tower. They would be operated by Telefonica and Vodafone.

5G is the next generation of mobile internet connection and offers up to 20 times faster speeds than 4G.

But Harrogate is currently poorly served by the technology, as shown by the map below.

Mobile phone coverage in Harrogate. Credit – NPERF

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Four existing antennas would be removed and replaced with three antennas that would reach a slightly taller top height of 21.65 metres. They would also improve 4G coverage in the area.

There have been concerns that 5G poses health risks but the government has said exposure to the radio waves has no consequences for public health.

Cornerstone said:

“The case for 5G is compelling as it will bring faster, more responsive, and reliable connections than ever before. More than any previous generation of mobile networks, it has the potential to improve the way people live, work and travel.”

Harrogate Borough Council will decide whether to permit the planning application.

Ballot could decide whether to set up Harrogate town council

The leader of Harrogate Borough Council has suggested a ballot could decide whether to create a Harrogate town council.after next year’s shake-up of local government.

Harrogate Borough Council will be abolished on April 1 next year after 49 years of existence.

Its demise is part of the biggest change in local government since 1974, which will see the abolition of all seven district councils in the county, along with North Yorkshire County Council, and the creation of a single new super council.

The move could lead to the creation of a Harrogate town council to manage local assets such as the Stray and Harrogate Convention Centre.

Alternatively, the new super council — which will almost certainly be called North Yorkshire Council — could decide to handle everything itself.

Rudding Park

Rudding Park

Richard Cooper told Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce‘s monthly meeting at Rudding Park last night:

“Some people think there should be a ballot on whether to have a town council. That’s something that happens quite a lot.”

But he said the final decision on whether to hold a ballot would be up to the new North Yorkshire Council.

Could Harrogate be home to the new super council?

Cllr Cooper, a Conservative who besides leading the borough council is also a county councillor, also floated the possibility of Harrogate being chosen as the location for North Yorkshire Council. He said:

“It’s still not decided where the new council will be and it could be Harrogate. It would certainly have the best office facilities in North Yorkshire.”

Northallerton, where North Yorkshire County Council is based, is the firm favourite to be chosen as the new location. But Cllr Cooper said whatever the outcome, Harrogate was likely to remain a “significant hub” in the new set-up because there would still be a need for council staff, offices and depots in the town.

Harrogate Borough Council offices at Knapping Mount.

Harrogate Borough Council offices at Knapping Mount.

With vesting day — the day when North Yorkshire Council comes into existence — just 444 days away, Cllr Cooper used his speech at last night’s meeting to urge Harrogate district voluntary organisations, some of which rely heavily on Harrogate Borough Council funding, to start networking with North Yorkshire County Council. He said:

“One of the key things voluntary organisations must do over the next year is build relationships.”

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He said Harrogate Borough Council had generously funded many local not-for-profit organisations, such as Harrogate Homeless Project, and he hoped the new council would continue this.

Asked whether he would be a contender for mayor of the combined authority for North Yorkshire Council and City of York Council under the new structure, Cllr Cooper reiterated that he planned to leave politics next year.

He said his political career was “in decline down to zero” rather than “on the launchpad”, adding:

“After getting into it 22 years ago, snd rather by accident, I think it’s time for other people to have a go.”

Staff ‘worried’

Wallace Sampson, chief executive of Harrogate Borough Council, told the meeting staff were ‘concerned and worried about what will happen” after they transfer to North Yorkshire Council.

He said all staff, except himself, whose role will no longer exist, would transfer to the new authority under the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment). But there were no guarantees beyond then. Mr Sampson said:

“I can give assurances that on day one they will have a role. I can’t say beyond that.”

Nevertheless he said council leaders had set the tone by adopting a “pragmatic” approach to the changes and a “non-adversarial” approach to the new regime.

He added “staff had responded well to that” and were engaged in 16 workstreams related to the handover of power as well as their day-to-day duties.

Proud of Tour de France

Mr Sampson said despite all the changes, devolution was a “prize worth achieving” because the new mayor would have beefed-up powers and there would be economies of scale savings for taxpayers by the reduction in the number of senior managers and back office staff.

Asked what had been his greatest achievement, Mr Sampson said one of the things he was most proud of was leading the council through a decade of severe funding cuts from national government “without a significant impact on services”.

He also cited the council’s part in bringing the Tour de France to Harrogate in 2014. Mr Sampson said:

“I’m proud of the joy it brought to the district. It’s lasting legacy was that it put Harrogate on the map and created pride in what Harrogate could do on the national stage.”

 

 

 

Harrogate Station Gateway set to be given go-ahead this month

Councillors look set to give the green light to the £10.9 million Harrogate Station Gateway in just over a fortnight’s time.

Work on the scheme, which aims to make the town centre more attractive to cyclists and pedestrians, is then likely to begin in spring or summer.

The designs are not expected to be amended significantly despite considerable opposition from residents and businesses.

North Yorkshire County Council, which is the lead partner, is set to make a decision on the gateway at its executive meeting on January 25.

Don Mackenzie

Don Mackenzie, executive member for access at the county council, told the Stray Ferret it was “likely” the initiative will be recommended for approval. He said:

“I am indeed expecting that the executive will be asked to make a decision on the Harrogate Gateway scheme at its next-but-one meeting on January 25.

“It is likely that a report will be presented with recommendations to proceed with the project.

“I do not expect the design to differ to any great extent from that which has been consulted upon last year, although we may give authority for minor changes as progress is made, should they be required. That is not unusual in such cases.

“All of this is dependent upon a positive decision to proceed.”

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Petition rejected

Last week the county council rejected a 714-signature petition by Harrogate Residents Association calling for the project to be halted.

The petition followed the publication of consultation responses, which revealed that of 1,320 people who replied to an online survey, 55% feel negatively, 39% positively and five per cent neutral towards the scheme. One per cent said they didn’t know.

Anna McIntee, co-founder of the group, accused the authority of “ploughing ahead” with the project without listening to concerns.

Station Gateway designs

How James Street would look.

But Harrogate District Cycle Action said in a statement at the same meeting that the gateway would be a “big step forward” towards a greener future.

Key proposals include reducing traffic to one lane on some of Station Parade and part-pedestrianising James Street to encourage cycling and walking.

Legal threat

Last month Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce, Harrogate Business Improvement District and Independent Harrogate, accused those behind the project of ignoring criticism and urged them to “put the brakes on”.

Businesses in Harrogate, concerned about the scheme’s impact on trade, are considering a legal challenge.

They had hoped a challenge could either stop the scheme or delay it long enough to jeopardise funding.

Station Gateway design

New cycle lanes would be built on Station Parade.

North Yorkshire County Council and partners Harrogate Borough Council, and the West Yorkshire Combined Authority have previously said that the Department for Transport, which is funding the Harrogate scheme and similar ones in Selby and Skipton through its Transforming Cities Fund, requires the projects be completed by March 2023.

But Cllr Mackenzie suggested this was not necessarily the case. He said:

“A contractor would need to be chosen before the start of construction. I am guessing that work would get underway in late spring or summer.

“Furthermore, I am confident that the initial deadline for completion of all the gateway schemes in North and West Yorkshire of March 2023 would be able to be extended.”

 

Cause of fatal house fire in Harrogate still under investigation

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service has said the cause of a Harrogate house fire which killed a woman last week is still under investigation.

Firefighters from Harrogate and Knaresborough were called to Craven Street, just off King’s Road, at 6.20am on Friday.

When they entered the house they found a woman in her 50s and although paramedics performed CPR she was certified dead at the scene.

The woman has not been named.

The fire service said today investigations into the cause of the blaze were ongoing.

Neighbours told the Stray Ferret they thought the fire began at the back of the house.

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No agreement over Harrogate Starbucks appeal costs six months on

Harrogate council bosses have yet to reach an agreement with developers over appeal costs for a new Starbucks on Wetherby Road, despite the proposal being approved six months ago.

Euro Garages, the developer behind the coffee shop, took Harrogate Borough Council to appeal over its decision to refuse the proposal.

In July 2021, a government planning inspector granted permission for the new drive-thru to go ahead.

Euro Garages said the authority “demonstrated unreasonable behaviour” when refusing the application. It was granted costs for the appeal.

However, a spokesperson for the council said an agreement had yet to be reached over appeal costs.

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In May last year, council bosses decided not to challenge the appeal over concerns that losing risked legal costs of over £50,000.

The site of the former dental surgery site, which was earmarked for the coffee shop, has since been demolished.

Residents criticised the proposal for the Starbucks ahead of its approval.

Mark Hinchliffe, who has lived in Harrogate for 20 years, told the appeal hearing in June 2021 that the road was already dangerous without the development.

Harrogate Library to close for two weeks

Harrogate Library on Victoria Avenue will close for two weeks due to building works.

The facility will be shut from 4pm on Saturday, January 22, until February 7 as maintenance is carried out at the library and customer services centre.

North Yorkshire County Council said due dates for books will be altered to take the closure into account.

Nearest alternative libraries are Bilton and Woodfield Community Library, Starbeck Community Library, Knaresborough Library and Customer Services Centre and Nidderdale Plus Community Library

 North Yorkshire County Council said:

 “We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause and look forward to welcoming you back to the library.”

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