Live: Harrogate district traffic and travel

A very good morning to you and welcome back once again to the traffic and travel blog. It’s Connor with you once again today, hoping to help you avoid any problems by road or rail.

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. Also let me know if you have any updates for our petrol stations.

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

9am – Full Update 

That is all from me this morning. I do hope you have found the updates helpful today. I am heading over to the news desk now but will be back from 6.30am tomorrow.

Petrol stations

Roads

The A59 York Road near Kirk Hammerton looks to be particularly busy this morning already with what seems to be road works in the area.

Skipton Road, Knaresborough Road and Wetherby Road also look to be busy this morning on our traffic system in Harrogate.

Road closures:

Temporary lights:

Trains

Buses

8.30am – Full Update 

Petrol stations

Roads

The A59 York Road near Kirk Hammerton looks to be particularly busy this morning already with what seems to be road works in the area.

Skipton Road, Knaresborough Road and Wetherby Road also look to be busy this morning on our traffic system in Harrogate.

Road closures:

Temporary lights:

Trains

Buses

8am – Full Update 

Petrol stations

Roads

The A59 York Road near Kirk Hammerton looks to be particularly busy this morning already with what seems to be road works in the area.

Skipton Road, Knaresborough Road and Ripon Road also look to be busy this morning on our traffic system in Harrogate.

Road closures:

Temporary lights:

Trains

Buses

7.30am – Full Update 

Petrol stations

Roads

The A59 York Road near Kirk Hammerton looks to be particularly busy this morning already with what seems to be road works in the area

Road closures:

Temporary lights:

Trains

Buses

7am – Full Update 

Petrol stations

Roads

Otley Road is likely to be particularly busy as work has started on a new cycle route near Harlow Moor Road. Ripon Road near McCarthy’s Storage World is also likely to be busy with temporary lights in place.

Road closures:

Temporary lights:

Trains

Buses

6:30am – Full Update 

Petrol stations

Roads

Otley Road is likely to be particularly busy as work has started on a new cycle route near Harlow Moor Road. Ripon Road near McCarthy’s Storage World is also likely to be busy with temporary lights in place.

Road closures:

Temporary lights:

Trains

Buses

Harrogate woman: ‘A hand grenade was found in my garden’

A woman from Harrogate has spoken of her shock at discovering there was a hand grenade in her garden today.

Sandra Warburton’s family home on Gordon Avenue, in Bilton, became the centre of a police operation today when the explosive device was found.

The house has been in Ms Warburton’s family for 60 years but it was only today, the day after she sold it to her daughter, that the grenade was discovered.

Ms Warburton, who received a call from her son-in-law this morning saying he’d found the device, said she was shocked and bewildered. She added:

“It could have been there when we were little”.

Her son-in-law contacted North Yorkshire Police, which quickly responded by placing a cordon on the street and giving nearby residents the option to evacuate.

Two bomb disposal experts arrived just after 1.15pm and were able to safely remove the device and leave, along with other police officers, about 30 minutes later.

Ms Warburton said:

“These things just don’t happen. My son-in-law that found it this morning, he just rang and said someone was on their way to deal with it. He was moving all sorts of things around and he found it in the garden.

“But they’ve found it and said it was fine now. I just can’t believe it.”

Read more:

Police cordoned off three streets in Bilton after the discovery on Gordon Avenue, just off Bilton Lane, late this morning.

A police statement said:

“Police evacuated a small number of houses whilst the Ministry of Defence made an assessment on the device.

“The MoD recovered the device and the cordon is now lifted.”

Police cordon lifted after hand grenade discovered in Harrogate

A Harrogate street has returned to normality after bomb squad officers dealt with a hand grenade in a garden.

Police cordoned off three streets in Bilton after the discovery on Gordon Avenue, just off Bilton Lane, late this morning.

A bomb disposal unit from the Ministry of Defence rushed to the street, which is between Richard Taylor Church of England Primary School and Bilton Cricket Club.

The team departed at about 1.40pm and the police cordon was lifted and people allowed to return to their homes.

A spokesperson for North Yorkshire Police said:

“An explosive device was found by a member of the public in their garden at a property on Gordon Avenue today.

“Police evacuated a small number of houses whilst the MOD made an assessment on the device.

“The MOD recovered the device and the cordon is now lifted.”

Read more:

A resident on Gordon Avenue told the Stray Ferret about the “mad moment” police knocked on their door.

The resident, who requested anonymity, was evacuated at around 12.30pm, said:

“This is obviously not something that happens everyday, it is quite mad really. Definitely rare for Harrogate.

“We saw that the police were on the street. The next minute the officers were knocking on my door.

“They said that they had called in the bomb squad because the neighbour had found a bomb.

“Not everyone was evacuated, just the residents who live quite close by. Police were quick to get people away.”

Police cordon off Harrogate streets after ‘bomb discovery’

Police have cordoned off three streets in Harrogate after a resident found what they believed to be an unexploded shell in their garden.

Bomb disposal unit from the Ministry of Defence (MoD) are currently on the scene.

A small number of houses have been evacuated in the area. There is currently a police cordon and scene guard on Gordon Avenue, Hall Lane and Bilton Lane.

Residents have been told to stay indoors and avoid the area if possible.

North Yorkshire Police have cordoned off Gordon Avenue.

North Yorkshire Police have cordoned off Gordon Avenue.

A spokesperson for North Yorkshire Police said:

“It was found by a member of the public in their garden at a property on Gordon Avenue today.

“Police have evacuated a small number of houses whilst we await the arrival of the MOD to make an assessment on the device.

“A scene guard and cordon is currently in place on Gordon Avenue, Hall Lane and Bilton Lane.”

This is a breaking news story, which we will update as we gather more information. We have sent a reporter to the scene.

Harrogate Pine Marten pub closes for month-long refurbishment

A well known Harrogate pub and restaurant has closed for a month-long refurbishment.

The Pine Marten, on Otley Road near RHS Harlow Carr, closed today and is planning to open again on Saturday, October 30.

When it reopens in October the pub has promised that it will have a “glamorous” new look and feel with its own personality and style.

It will also bring a new feature bar, which will be at the centre of the social space.

Read more:

As well as a new feel for the pub, the owners have also developed a new menu inspired by food trends from across the world, including a new range of small plates.

The pub dates back to the 1820s when it was the original home of Robert Wigglesworth, who created the world’s largest telescope at the time.

The Stray Ferret approached owners Mitchells & Butlers for comment. The company declined to comment but said it would share more information closer to the reopening date.

Live: Harrogate district traffic and travel

A very good morning to you and welcome back once again to the traffic and travel blog. It’s Connor with you bright and early today, hoping to help you avoid any problems by road or rail.

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. Also let me know if you have any updates for our petrol stations.

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

9am – Full Update 

Thanks for checking out the traffic and travel blog this morning. I will be back from 6.30am tomorrow, heading over to the news desk now.

Petrol stations:

Roads

Road closures:

Temporary lights:

Trains

Buses

8.30am – Full Update 

Petrol stations:

Roads

Road closures:

Temporary lights:

Trains

Buses

8am – Full Update 

Petrol stations:

Roads

Road closures:

Temporary lights:

Trains

Buses

7.30am – Full Update 

Petrol stations:

Roads

Road closures:

Temporary lights:

Trains

Buses

7am – Full Update 

Petrol stations:

Roads

Otley Road is likely to be particularly busy as work has started on a new cycle route near Harlow Moor Road. Ripon Road near McCarthy’s Storage World is also likely to be busy with temporary lights in place.

Road closures:

Temporary lights:

Trains

Buses

6:30am – Full Update 

Petrol stations:

Roads

Otley Road is likely to be particularly busy as work has started on a new cycle route near Harlow Moor Road. Ripon Road near McCarthy’s Storage World is also likely to be busy with temporary lights in place.

Road closures:

Temporary lights:

Trains

Buses

Harrogate to get second Christmas market

A second Christmas market is to be staged in Harrogate on the first weekend of December.

Harrogate Borough Council said in a statement today it had agreed a partnership with Little Bird Made to hold a festive artisan market in Valley Gardens on December 4 and 5.

The statement added that subject to an acceptable event management plan, the artisan market will feature around 60 local traders and producers.

The stalls will sell a variety of festive arts and crafts, clothing, homeware, jewellery, as well as locally produced food and drink.

Read more:

It will accompany the new Harrogate Christmas Fayre, organised across town by Market Place Europe, which will run from December 3 until December 12.

The fayre will see 50 stalls erected in Cambridge Street, Market Place, Station Square and Cambridge Crescent.

Harrogate Borough Council is also working with Harrogate BID and North Yorkshire County Council on the fayre, which will take the place of the one traditionally held on Montpellier Hill.

‘Festive cheer’

Little Bird Made’s website says its markets offer a “diverse, quality, shopping experience that celebrates independent producers”.

Ripon resident Jackie Crozier, who set up Little Bird Made in 2018, said:

“I am delighted to be working with Harrogate Borough Council to bring an additional Christmas market to Harrogate this year.

“Our markets showcase some of Yorkshire’s finest small businesses and are a great opportunity to bring some festive cheer and buy that special gift for the holidays.

“We are always looking for new traders to join our growing portfolio of markets, so anyone looking for a stall should get in touch.”

Cllr Andy Paraskos, cabinet member for environment, waste reduction and recycling, said:

“We’ve said for some time that we want to ensure festive cheer returns to Harrogate town centre this year and I’m delighted that Little Bird Made will complement Market Place Europe’s offering.

“They provide fantastic artisan markets that showcase the best home-grown traders and producers and I’m confident there will be something for everyone. I’m eager to see what will be on offer.

“Hopefully this leads to a longer-term relationship with Little Bird to deliver a monthly artisan market in the Valley Gardens in the future.”

Fuel Watch: Which pumps are working across Harrogate district

Despite warnings from the government that there is no fuel shortage, drivers have been struggling to fill up cars across the Harrogate district.

As tankers arrive to refill stock at forecourts, the Stray Ferret has created this live blog to help people find petrol and diesel.

Have you just been to fill up? Help other drivers in need by letting us know what the situation is like at your local petrol station.

Send an email to contact@thestrayferret.co.uk with your reports and we will add them to this rolling coverage throughout the day.

6.40pm – Queues look to be calming down at petrol stations in Harrogate

Queues are short at the Esso garage on Skipton Road.

6.10pm – Update on Harrogate’s petrol stations

The BP filling station on Leeds Road in Pannal has shut all its pumps.

6pm – Queues building at Morrisons in Boroughbridge 

After a delivery of fuel earlier today, the queues have been continuous at Morrisons in Boroughbridge.

One of our Stray Ferret readers James has gone in touch to say queues are now five cars deep for the pumps.

5.20pm – Esso garage on Knaresborough Road receiving a fuel delivery tonight

A local taxi driver has got in touch with the Stray Ferret to say the Esso garage on Knaresborough Road, heading out of Starbeck, is without fuel.

The station, which also has a Tesco Express store, is expecting a fuel delivery this evening at 7pm.

Please keep getting in touch with your updates.

3.30pm – The fuel station picture across the district

Harrogate

Knaresborough

Boroughbridge

Pateley Bridge

Ripon

2.52pm – Tanker arrives in Boroughbridge

A tanker is replenishing fuel supplies at Morrisons in Boroughbridge. Traffic is already queueing to get in.

2.15pm – Fuel station situation across Harrogate

Our reporter has been out and about in Harrogate check on fuel stations across Harrogate.

2.05pm – Esso on Harrogate’s Wetherby Road serving fuel

The Esso station on Wetherby Road has fuel and our latest update says there is no queueing.

1.50pm – One pump only at Knaresborough forecourt

The Co-Op petrol station on Wetherby Road in Knaresborough currently has just one pump serving fuel at the moment.

1.30pm – Morrisons at Boroughbridge out of fuel

Morrisons at Boroughbridge is out of fuel. Let us know if it reopens and what the situation is like on forecourts elsewhere in the district.

12.15am – Fuel storage warning

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue has warned drivers of the hazards of storing fuel in cars and at home.

The fire service released the advice after people were pictured over the weekend filling up containers across the UK.

“We would like to remind people to take extreme care when handling and storing fuels and to be aware of the risks associated with the incorrect use and storage.

“In homes fuel containers must not be stored in living accommodation such as kitchens, living rooms and bedrooms or under staircases.

“Any storage place should be well away from living areas and be secured to protect against the possibility of vandalism or arson.”

11.30am – Pateley Bridge low on fuel but set for delivery

The Dales Market Corner in Pateley Bridge has reported that it no longer selling diesel and only has a small amount of petrol left.

It has created a £30 petrol limit which the staff have said they will try to keep for local people after some “came from miles around in a panic over the weekend”.

Stacey Brookes, manager at the Dales Market Corner, posted on Facebook about the situation this morning.

After a “very difficult weekend” the petrol station is expecting delivery of diesel and petrol at 6am tomorrow. It should be ready for customers 30 minutes later.

10.30am – Ripon petrol stations open and ready for busy week

As dawn broke in Ripon this morning, the city’s three main petrol stations were open in readiness for the working week ahead.

There was a steady flow of motorists filling up their vehicles at the two Morrisons Esso stations on Harrogate Road and within the supermarket’s site.

Across Ripon, on North Street, the BP station at the Spar store was also busy from early on.

As motorists rushed to the pumps over the weekend, the Morrisons Supermarket station was temporarily closed on Sunday.

Tim Flanagan

 

Full Fibre broadband is coming to Harrogate, what does this mean?

This article is sponsored by CityFibre

Kim Johnston, Regional Partnership Manager for CityFibre in Harrogate, Knaresborough and Ripon, answers some of the frequently asked questions regarding the full fibre roll out across the region.

What is CityFibre and what is it doing in Harrogate, Knaresborough and Ripon?

CityFibre is on a mission to future-proof the UK’s connectivity from the ground up – literally! We’re building brand new digital communications infrastructure across the region, bringing the best available technology (full fibre) within reach of nearly every home and business.

This is a game-changer for the region as it will last for generations and help to drive the region’s growth now, enabling residents and businesses to benefit from ultra-fast internet speeds, while also unlocking a world of opportunities in the future.

This is all part of our up to £4 billion Gigabit City Investment Programme, which will see us bring full fibre within reach of up to 8 million homes and businesses across the UK by 2025.

What’s your role at CityFibre?

As a commercial lead in the region, I’m the main point of contact for local stakeholders and a key advocate of the many benefits that a full fibre network will bring to Harrogate, Knaresborough and Ripon.

Right at the heart of what we are trying to achieve are the local communities we will serve. It’s also very important in my role to ensure the build progresses smoothly and that residents and businesses are kept updated every step of the way.

Why is full fibre different to what I’ve got already? 

The difference between full fibre and ‘regular’ fibre is significant, and even if you think you have ‘fibre broadband’ today, the chances are there’s copper in there somewhere holding you back. In fact, if your router connects to a normal telephone socket, then that’s what you’ve got.

Around 80% of UK homes still connect to the internet via networks built for telephones – copper networks designed to carry sound, not data. Our networks are designed specifically for the digital age and take 100% fibre optic technology all the way from the home to the point of connection.

Full fibre enables Gigabit speeds, reliable services and bandwidth that can grow as we need it. No more buffering when you’re trying to watch the latest Netflix series, a stable, reliable connection on Zoom calls and the family able to play on their consoles and computers simultaneously without any groans of ‘the broadband is down’.

What does Gigabit mean?

A standard broadband connection has an average download speed of around 6Mbps and ‘superfast broadband’ averages speeds of around 30Mbps.

Internet service providers (ISPs) that are offering broadband connections on our full fibre network can deliver colossal ‘Gigabit speeds’ of up to 1,000Mbps for both download and upload.

That’s over 30 times faster than a superfast connection!

Where are you working at the moment?

We are currently working in Knaresborough and Harrogate, with our build starting in Ripon in 2022.

You’ll be able to spot our teams in action in Knaresborough and Pannal in Harrogate and, before too long, we’ll have reached nearly every home and business locally.

How will I know when it’s coming to my area?

We use digital advertising and door knocking, where applicable, to inform residents of our plans, and we will post a letter through your door before construction is due to start in your street to let you know we are coming.

Read More: 

What do the works entail?

Most of the new full fibre network will be laid underground. This requires construction crews to dig trenches which can cause some disruption. However, the teams work quickly and should only be working outside each individual property for a couple of days, during which you may be asked to move your car or manoeuvre around barriers.

In some locations, existing telephone poles will be used to feed the cable to properties overhead, resulting in minimised disruption.

If you have any issues regarding access to your property or any questions regarding the build, please do speak to the build teams on-site who will be able to answer any questions.

How do I get it?

CityFibre doesn’t provide the end service to the customer, we only lay the fibre cable. Our networks are open access; currently in the area residents can purchase full fibre connections on our network via TalkTalk. A number of other Internet Service Providers (ISPs) will be coming on board in the next month or two.

The easiest way to check if you can connect is to use the postcode checker on the CityFibre website. If it’s not available yet, you can register your interest and once works are complete, CityFibre will email you a list of available full fibre providers.

 

To be one of the first to get access to one of the fastest and most reliable broadband
services in the region, register your interest here!  

Harrogate dementia group reopens doors to new members

A wellbeing group offering support for people with dementia and their families is looking for new members as it reopens post-covid.

The group, based at St Luke’s Church in Harrogate, has been open for nearly five years and offers a space for anyone in the local community to come and meet friends and take part in activities.

Initially set up for families affected by dementia, the weekly group now hosts sessions for anyone wanting to make new friends.

The group had to stop during the pandemic for 17 months but reopened three weeks ago.

Before the pandemic around 35 people came each Thursday between 1-3pm but now it is only 15.

Group leaders Lizzy Turner and Victoria Amella are determined to get more people involved. They say the benefits to someone who may feel isolated can be huge.

Ms Turner said:

“The group look forward to coming each week, especially after the pandemic. A lot of our members are older so had to isolate so the group has been great to come back to.

“We want to grow it so more people can benefit from what we offer. We’re a great little group and have built some great friendships over the years.”

Read more:

The sessions are £2 and visitors will get soup and a cup of tea as well as the chance to take part in different activities.

As well as the usual domino games and arts and crafts, Ms Turner said visiting teachers also come to teach members music and chair yoga.