Your chance to learn barbershop singing in Harrogate

Harrogate Harmony Barbershop Chorus is inviting complete novices to learn to sing.

The group is holding five weekly lessons for £10 aimed at newcomers and people who have not sung for a long time. Men of all ages are welcome.

The lessons start on October 20 and will be held at the choir’s new venue, St. Peter’s Church in Harrogate.

Greg Tunesi, a member of Harrogate Harmony, said:

“Being part of an ensemble, creating a harmony in music and in friendship is good fun, relaxed and informal. When you sing well amongst 16 to 18 other men, it’s an amazing feeling and produces a beautiful sound.”

“Those attending will have singing in four-part harmony explained and demonstrated to them. They will then be guided as to which voice part, tenor, lead, baritone or bass best suits their voice”

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Mr Tunesi emphasised that no experience is needed, nor is it necessary to read music.

Harrogate Harmony has performed regularly at the Valley Gardens since the 1940s to the present day.

Harrogate Harmony members are accompanied by a ukulele when it performs at clubs, societies, and care homes.

The group is open to men of all ages, with yearly membership costing £100.

For more information contact Harold Blackburn on 07949267344 or at haroldblackburn2@outlook.com

Live: Harrogate district traffic and travel

Good morning to you and happy Friday and welcome back once again to the traffic and travel blog. It’s Leah with you once again today.

Give me a call on 01423 276197 or get in touch on social media if you spot anything on the roads or are waiting for a delayed bus or train.

The morning blogs are brought to you by The HACS Group.

9am – Full Update 

That is it from me this morning. I will be back with updates on Monday. Have a lovely weekend.

Roads

Traffic is starting to build in the Harrogate district. Drivers heading to York from Harrogate should watch out for temporary lights at Kirk Hammerton.

Traffic Hotspots:

Traffic is building here:

Road closures:

Temporary lights:

Trains

Buses

8.30am – Full Update 

Roads

Traffic is starting to build in the Harrogate district. However drivers heading to York from Harrogate should watch out for temporary lights at Kirk Hammerton.

Traffic Hotspots:

Traffic is building here:

Road closures:

Temporary lights:

Trains

Buses

8am – Full Update 

Roads

Traffic is starting to build in the Harrogate district. However drivers heading to York from Harrogate should watch out for temporary lights at Kirk Hammerton.

Traffic Hotspots:

Traffic is building here:

Road closures:

Temporary lights:

Trains

Buses

7.30am – Full Update 

Roads

Traffic is starting to build in the Harrogate district. However drivers heading to York from Harrogate should watch out for temporary lights at Kirk Hammerton.

Traffic is building here:

Road closures:

Temporary lights:

Trains

Buses

7am – Full Update 

Roads

No issues on the roads in the Harrogate district just yet. However drivers heading to York from Harrogate should watch out for temporary lights at Kirk Hammerton.

Road closures:

Temporary lights:

Trains

Buses

6:30am – Full Update 

Roads

No issues on the roads in the Harrogate district just yet. However drivers heading to York from Harrogate should watch out for temporary lights at Kirk Hammerton.

Road closures:

  • Kingsley Drive, Starbeck – road closure
  • Albany Avenue, Bilton – road closure
  • Savage Yard, Knaresborough, across from The Crown Inn – road closure
  • Copgrove Road, Burton Leonard – road closure
  • Market Place West, Ripon – road closure
  • B6265 Bishopton to Eavestone – road closure. Diversions through Ripon, Glasshouses and Ripley
  • Westerns Lane, Markington – road closure
  • Clockhill Field Lane, Whixley- road closure

Temporary lights:

  • Leadhall Lane in Rossett Green
  • Ripon Road in Harrogate, near McCarthy’s Storage World
  • Green Lane at the junction with Rossett Avenue
  • Otley Road around the junctions for Cold Bath Road and Harlow Moor Road
  • Ripon Road near Co-op petrol station
  • Hollins Lane, Hampsthwaite
  • Thistle Hill, Knaresborough
  • Boroughbridge Road, near Kia Garage
  • Bondgate Green, Ripon

Trains

  • All trains on Harrogate, Knaresborough, Leeds and York lines running on 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.
Granby Farm 95 homes move closer as developer buys land

The construction of 95 homes on Granby Farm has moved a step closer after a housing developer bought the land.

Richborough Estates had worked with developer Redrow Homes to apply for planning permission from Harrogate Borough Council.

The council approved the plans in April 2021 despite complaints from residents that it would result in the loss of the last remaining link between the Stray and countryside.

It also faced complaints from residents of Redrow’s Devonshire Gardens who did not appreciate how the plans would see a street built over park Pickering Gardens.

Now it has permission, Redrow Homes has officially bought the 10.1 acre land from Richborough Estates.

The Stray Ferret asked both Redrow Homes and Richborough Estates how much the land was bought for but we received no reply by the time of writing.

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The plans for 95 homes will include a mixture of one, two, three and four-bedroom properties.

Workers have already started preparing the land for the development, which is to be known as Granby Meadows.

Jonathan Bloor, managing director of Richborough Estates’ Western Division, said:

“We’re delighted to have completed this sale to Redrow just months after they purchased our 18-acre residential site at nearby Kingsley Road.

“I’d like to congratulate our team for their huge commitment in bringing forward this former grazing paddock as a prime site for much-needed new homes.

“The project began in 2015 and has involved input from our planning, design and technical divisions as well as extensive stakeholder discussion and consultation.

“We’re now really looking forward to see construction getting underway and the new homes coming to life.”

John Handley, managing director of Redrow Yorkshire, said

“Redrow is delighted to have completed the purchase of this fantastic site in the heart of Harrogate, continuing our commitment to delivering high quality new homes in the town.

“We hope to have the first homes on sale off-plan early next year, closely followed by the first of the 146 homes planned for Kingsley Road.

Car reverses into stationary vehicle then drives off in Harrogate

Police are appealing for information after a car reversed into a stationary vehicle then drove off without stopping.

The incident happened at the temporary traffic lights on Harrogate’s Ripon Road at about 5pm on September 18.

North Yorkshire Police said in a statement today:

“Police are keen to trace the owner of a dark coloured vehicle that reversed into a stationary car before driving away.”

Anyone with information can call the force control room on 101, select option 2, and ask for PC 1211. Or email robert.howe@northyorkshire.pnn.police.uk.

To report information anonymously, call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

The North Yorkshire Police reference number is 12210207408.

Read more:

 

Active travel plans ‘should consider horse riders’ as well as cyclists and walkers

Equestrians have urged North Yorkshire County Council to consider horse riders as well as cyclists and pedestrians in active travel schemes.

The council, which is the highways authority, has secured funding for active travel schemes on the A59 between Harrogate and Knaresborough and on Victoria Avenue in Harrogate town centre.

The introduction of a low traffic neighbourhood on Beech Grove and Victoria Road in Harrogate also aims to promote active travel and reduce car usage.

A meeting of the council’s North Yorkshire Local Access Forum yesterday heard members raise concerns that such schemes focused specifically on walking and cycling rather than active travel generally.

Officers said it was recognised that horse riding had the same health and wellbeing benefits as cycling and walking.

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Forum member, horse rider and carriage driver Will Scarlett questioned how the authority had decided many urban routes would be unsuitable for horse riders, saying they were often left with no option but to ride on roads.

Discriminating against older people

Another forum member, Janet Cochrane, said she was concerned equestrians were being ignored by the council. 

She said many equestrians were older people and not providing for them highlighted “an element of discrimination” in the authority’s strategy.

She said: 

“I understand that you have to abide by national guidelines, but North Yorkshire is a predominantly rural county and there is a very high number of horses owned and used for leisure purposes. There has to be a way of incorporating them into the rights of way network.

“Although it is assumed that horses are mainly used for leisure purposes, in fact people do use them to go and visit their friends, they even use them for shopping, they use them to vote at polling stations.”

The council’s policy to focus active travel improvements on urban areas where schemes impact on the most people has been criticised by some rural residents, who say it leaves them with no option but to travel by motorised transport.

Caroline Bradley, of the British Horse Society, told the meeting the creation of new paths to increase active travel was to be welcomed provided that equestrians were included, as a minimum, to routes outside large town centres.

Ms Bradley said: 

“Many of the proposed routes will be in urban areas. However, many horses are kept on the urban fringe, so it is important that equestrians are not excluded from routes that exit the urban areas into the surrounding environment.

“Active travel and local walking and cycling initiatives should not in any way compromise the use of public rights of way by making them less amenable to existing lawful users.”

New Harrogate Town CEO: ‘Ticketing system not fit for purpose’

The new chief executive of Harrogate Town has said the club’s online ticketing system, which led to some fans being unable to attend last weekend’s match, is “not fit for purpose” and is giving the club a bad reputation.

At about midday on Saturday, the club posted on social media that its online ticket booking system was down.

The club had already closed its box office at 11am to avoid long queues forming on Wetherby Road so disappointed fans yet to buy tickets were unable to attend.

One fan, who had hoped to attend but was unable to buy a ticket, told the Stray Ferret the situation was “a farce”.

‘We’ve got a problem’

Sarah Barry, who was appointed chief executive last month, was on a panel at a Harrogate Town fans forum at the Cedar Court Hotel last night.

The panel, which also included first-team manager Simon Weaver and managing director Garry Plant, answered questions submitted by fans.

Ms Barry said:

“The ticketing system is not fit for purpose. It’s one of the priorities I have to fix.

“It wasn’t tested during the pandemic. We’ve got a problem.”

Ms Barry defended some of the criticism levelled at the club and said many of the ticketing problems were outside its control. She said the club was working on a Plan B that could see it move to a new online ticket booking provider.

She said several other clubs in the English Football League had encountered similar problems with Town’s current provider. She did not say which ones.

Ms Barry added:

“It’s not an overnight fix. There have been different problems all outside of Harrogate Town.

“It’s a rotten experience and gives us a bad reputation. Give me a chance to find a solution.”

Read more:

‘Perfect storm’

Ms Barry said the ongoing closure of the 1919 bar at the ground meant some fans had been drinking in pubs away from Wetherby Road and coming to games nearer to kick off, causing long queues.

This contributed to the club’s decision to stop selling tickets in-person from 11am to encourage fans to buy online.

However, Ms Barry conceded that the 11am announcement “was not communicated enough” and led to a “perfect storm” due to the online system being down.

Ms Barry said from the next home game against Scunthorpe on October 9, the club will sell tickets from its shop on Commercial Street until 3pm to allow fans to purchase tickets in-person closer to kick off.

Harrogate Hydro set for major refurbishment

Harrogate Borough Council wants to build a new two-storey extension to The Hydro swimming pool as part of a major refurbishment of the ageing facility.

The council has submitted a planning application this week to upgrade the building, which opened in 1999 and replaced Coppice Valley pool.

The council is proposing to demolish the current ‘drum’ entrance and replace it with a larger structure that includes a bigger café and reception area on the ground floor and a new 400 square metres fitness suite on the first floor.

Plans also include a refurbishment of the changing rooms and pool hall. Five electric vehicle charging points would also be added.

The Stray Ferret asked the council how much the works will cost, and whether it will affect opening hours at the pool, but we did not receive a response at the time of publication.

The Hydro’s ‘drum’ entrance would be demolished and replaced.

Read more:

The application has received the backing of Sport England, which said:

“An improved and modern leisure facility in this sustainable location delivers a series of benefits, including increasing the opportunity for physical activity, increasing membership and usage and encouraging better interaction with the facilities and services on offer”.

Other Hydro projects

There are now several building projects underway at The Hydro.

In July, the council confirmed it is to buy a new diving platform to replace the damaged one that has kept divers out of the pool for eight months.

This month, the council was also given approval for 420 solar panels to be installed on the roof of the pool.

The Hydro is now run by Brimhams Active, a new arm’s length leisure company set up by the council this year. It has taken over the running of 12 leisure facilities in Harrogate, Knaresborough, Ripon and Pateley Bridge.

Driver shortage causes bus cancellations in Harrogate district

A Harrogate district bus company has said a shortage of drivers has forced it to cancel “a small number” of services.

Transdev, which operates the Harrogate Bus Company, said in a statement today is has 95 trainee drivers waiting to get out on the roads.

It said the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, which conducts tests, was taking three times longer than usual to confirm test dates and provide licences.

Read more:

Transdev has said it has been forced to cancel 0.8% of services for the Harrogate Bus Company as a result.

Delays to drive training is a national problem. The Confederation of Passenger Transport has warned that the delays have caused a shortage of 4,000 drivers.

Alex Hornby, chief executive of Transdev, said:

“We understand entirely how frustrating it is when journeys are cancelled, and it’s the last thing we want to do.

“Right now, we have 95 new colleagues at The Academy, our in-house driver training facility in Yorkshire and Lancashire.

“They just want to be out on the road serving our customers – but instead, they’re waiting over three times longer than usual to get licences

“Most of our buses are running as normal and we are attracting new drivers, so the current delays to licensing and testing are very frustrating.”

Transdev has asked the government to speed up the licence application process and free up the availability of theory and practical tests.

Live: Harrogate district traffic and travel

Good morning to you on this rainy Thursday and welcome back once again to the traffic and travel blog. It’s Connor with you once again today.

Give me a call on 01423 276197 or get in touch on social media if you spot anything on the roads or are waiting for a delayed bus or train.

The morning blogs are brought to you by The HACS Group.

9am – Full Update 

Roads

Road closures:

Temporary lights:

Trains

Buses

8.30am – Full Update 

Roads

Road closures:

Temporary lights:

Trains

Buses

8am – Full Update 

Roads

Road closures:

Temporary lights:

Trains

Buses

7.30am – Full Update 

Roads

We are already seeing congestion on the A59 York Road between Harrogate and York this morning. Our system shows that workers are carrying out repairs in the area, which should be complete by late Friday/early Saturday.

Road closures:

Temporary lights:

Trains

Buses

7am – Full Update 

Roads

No issues on the roads in the Harrogate district just yet. However drivers heading to York from Harrogate should watch out for temporary lights at Kirk Hammerton.

Road closures:

Temporary lights:

Trains

Buses

6:30am – Full Update 

Roads

No issues on the roads in the Harrogate district just yet. However drivers heading to York from Harrogate should watch out for temporary lights at Kirk Hammerton.

Road closures:

Temporary lights:

Trains

Buses

Harrogate trucker: ‘HGV licence costs deterring new drivers’

A Harrogate lorry driver has said the costs of obtaining a HGV licence need to be reviewed if more people are to take up the career.

The government said this week it was introducing temporary visas for 5,000 lorry drivers after a Road Haulage Association survey revealed a shortage of more than 100,000 qualified drivers in the UK.

This shortage has contributed to ongoing fuel supply problems.

Mark Garrod, from Harrogate, holds a category 1 HGV licence, which entitles him to drive lorries weighing more than 7.5 tonnes. He said the cost of obtaining a licence could deter some of those wanting to train as drivers to fill the vacancies.

The cost of the test alone is about £225 and learners must also pay to complete 35 hours of training. Mr Garrod believes the combined cost is too much for many people, particularly the unemployed.

He urged the Department for Transport to review the costs, or find ways to encourage employers to help staff who wish to learn.

Mr Garrod, who is not currently working but is due to join a Harrogate lorry company in the coming weeks, said he’d spoken to numerous people looking for haulage work who had turned down roles because they couldn’t afford the fees. He added:

“People see this shortage as an opportunity to find work but then they see the cost of getting the licence and they can’t afford it.

“It may be that something as simple as reviewing the costs could help the shortage of drivers.”

Surge in inquiries at Harrogate law firm 

Harrogate law firm Truth Legal said today it had received a surge in enquiries from international drivers hoping to apply for short-term visas.

But it added there was still a lack of clarity over how the initiative will work.

Louis MacWilliam, head of immigration at Truth Legal, said:

“If an employer doesn’t have a sponsor licence already, the process of getting one can take weeks or even months.

“It’s not yet clear how this will mesh with the government’s plans to open the scheme in October, and close it on Christmas Eve”.

The Department for Transport announced various measures this week to increase the number of lorry drivers.

They include using Ministry of Defence examiners to increase immediate HGV testing capacity and introducing free, short courses to help drivers gain a category C or category C&E licence.

Read more:

A government spokesperson said:

“We’ve taken immediate action to increase the supply of HGV drivers, streamlining the testing process, enabling fuel companies to work together and introducing short term visas.

“This is a global problem and we have been working closely with industry for months to understand how we can boost recruitment.

“However we also want to see long-term solutions delivered by employers through improved testing and hiring, with better pay and working.”