Weekly Menwith Hill protests to resume tonight

Campaigners for the closure of RAF Menwith Hill will resume their weekly protests this evening.

The protest first took place in 2000 but was halted in March last year due to the covid pandemic.

Supporters of the Menwith Hill Accountability Campaign will stand outside the main gates of the base from 6.00pm to 7.30pm.

Campaigner Sarah Swift said:

“This regular peaceful protest was started by the Campaign for the Accountability of American Bases in 2000.  As has been said before, ‘It’s time they went!'”.

Built in the 1950s on the edge of Nidderdale, Menwith Hill is the United States’ largest overseas surveillance base. Giant radomes, or ‘golf balls’, are a distinctive feature of the site.

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Meanwhile, Harrogate Borough Council is expected to make a decision on the latest expansion at the base soon.

The Ministry of Defence, which owns the site, has submitted plans to add a new visitor centre, vehicle canopy and changes to the road junction on Menwith Hill Road.

However, the application has proved controversial because it would involve felling a memorial tree planted in memory of the late Bob Cryer MP in 1994.

Mr Cryer campaigned for transparency at Menwith Hill and secured a debate in parliament a few months before he died in 1994. He claimed the aim of the base was to “assert and retain United States supremacy”.

Mr Cryer’s widow, the former Keighley MP Ann Cryer, told the Stray Ferret she was “very upset” at the proposals.

Another £3m allocated to controversial Harrogate Station Gateway scheme

Funding for Harrogate’s controversial Station Gateway scheme has been increased from £7.9m to over £10.9m.

The gateway project aims to create a more attractive entrance to the town around Station Parade and James Street and give greater priority for pedestrians and cyclists.

The West Yorkshire Combined Authority, which bid for the initial funding from the UK government, has now allocated an additional £2.6m to the scheme. It will come from the Department for Transport’s Transforming Cities Fund.

A West Yorkshire Combined Authority report said the overall delivery costs of the project have not increased but the extra money was needed for “risk and contingency”.

An additional £300,000 will be match-funded by local councils, taking the total cost of the project to £10.9m.

West Yorkshire Combined Authority has now agreed to proceed with the scheme towards drawing up a full business case.

The UK government has set a deadline of March 2023 for all schemes that received funds from the Transforming Cities Fund to be built.

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The Harrogate gateway scheme is being done in partnership with Harrogate Borough Council and North Yorkshire County Council.

Similar projects are planned in Selby and Skipton but the Harrogate scheme has proved the most contentious.

Some businesses are worried about the impact on trade but many Harrogate residents and environmental groups have welcomed it.

Councillor Phil Ireland, Harrogate Borough Council’s cabinet member for carbon reduction and sustainability, has said the initiative “has the potential to create many more walking and cycling opportunities while transforming the look and feel of the station gateway area in Harrogate”.

 

Mayfield Grove: house at centre of crime concerns allowed to re-open

A house at the centre of crime concerns on Harrogate’s Mayfield Grove is to be allowed to reopen.

North Yorkshire Police and Harrogate Borough Council issued a three-month closure order on 38 Mayfield Grove in March.

The two organisations can apply to a court for a closure order if they have concerns about antisocial behaviour and criminal behaviour on premises.

At a community engagement session on Mayfield Grove last week, police and council officers revealed they do not intend to bid to extend the closure order, which expired yesterday.

Constable Kelvin Troughton, of North Yorkshire Police, told the Stray Ferret:

“Since the order has been in place there has been a reduction of incidents.

“There’s a dialogue now and we are working with the landlord to hold him to account and ask him what his intentions are for this property when the closure order ends.”

John Willis, the landlord, has divided 38 Mayfield Grove into bedsits. Constable Troughton said Mr Willis served eviction notices on all of the tenants after the closure order was issued.

He added:

“We hope we have illustrated we are not afraid to take action.”

Helen Richardson, community safety officer at Harrogate Borough Council, said:

“We are working closely with John Willis to look at the tenancies being put in place.”

Ms Richardson added prohibition orders had been served on two of the bedsits and the council was working with Harrogate Homeless Project to address concerns.

Julia Stack, community safety and CCTV manager at the council, said its private sector housing team had inspected 38 Mayfield Grove:

“There have been challenges regarding that property and the management of the property by that landlord. The closure order was a proportionate response.

“We have robustly challenged the landlord about his property and who he chooses as his tenants.

“It is a challenging property. He is responsible for his choice of tenants.”

A closure order was served on the same property in 2005, when it was dubbed the House from Hell by neighbours.

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Residents on Mayfield Grove and nearby streets, including Mayfield Terrace, Strawberry Dale, Nydd Vale Road and Nydd Vale Terrace attended last week’s outdoor drop-in session.

Many had concerns not only about individual properties but also about crime in general in the area, with some saying they knew exactly who was responsible and where criminal activity took place yet nothing was done.

One woman told the Stray Ferret she was unable to sell her home because of the area’s reputation.

Mr Stack said the council was considering temporarily attaching a CCTV camera to a street light in the area as part of measures to tackle crime.

The Stray Ferret has attempted to contact Mr Willis for comment but has not received a response.

A man who lived in 38 Mayfield Grove died in March and another man has been charged with murder.

Do you live in the Mayfield Grove area and have concerns about crime? Email us at contact@thestrayferret.co.uk

 

 

‘Care home of the future’ set to open in Harrogate in November

Vida Healthcare is preparing to open its third care home in Harrogate this autumn after construction delays partly caused by coronavirus.

The company has described Vida Court, which will cater for 100 residents living with dementia and employ 200 staff, as ‘the care home of the future’.

The home, near RHS Harlow Carr, will include a cinema, convenience store, hair salon, florist and coffee shop to provide residents with a little normality.

It was originally due to be completed in spring but the date has been pushed back to November 1.

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Interior design company Nanu Soda was hired to design the building, which includes sensory TV windows, walls and artwork that provide residents with opportunities to interact with different environments.

A computer generated image of one of the dining areas at Vida Court.

Learning from coronavirus, Vida has designed each bedroom with a large glass window.

Each bedroom has a large glass window and every house within the home has a garden room to help ventilation

James Rycroft, managing director at Vida Healthcare, said:

“We hope that Vida Court, which integrates the most cutting edge facilities and technology, will end the perception of care homes as a last resort.”

Image Gallery: Replacing Harrogate Theatre’s 120-year-old roof

The £1million replacement of Harrogate Theatre’s ageing roof is well underway in preparation for the hopeful return of live shows this year.

A temporary roof structure has been erected over the building to keep out water and protect against wind during re-roofing and external works.

The project is due to be completed by the end of September with performances returning soon after, subject to covid restrictions.

Harrogate Borough Council has released some images of the works, which you can see below:

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Conservative councillor Graham Swift, deputy leader of the council and cabinet member for resources, enterprise and economic development, said:

“Our investment in this local asset will allow the fantastic performances to continue, promote cultural activity in the town, attract visitors and support the local economy at a time when it is needed the most.”

David Bown, chief executive of Harrogate Theatre (White Rose) Theatre Trust, added:

“Harrogate Theatre is a much loved local venue and we’d like to thank Harrogate Borough Council for investing in the building. This will allow us to put on performances, and connect with our audiences for many years to come.”

Harrogate Theatre is operating a summer season programme in various venues around the town while the theatre is out of use. Further details are available here.

‘So happy’: Nidd Gorge memorial bench restored after vandalism

A Harrogate woman is keen to put on her walking boots and head to the Nidd Gorge after the council restored a memorial bench dedicated to her late husband.

Colin James died aged 55 from cancer in 2015. He was born in Manchester but moved to Harrogate to be with Sylvia and loved to go on dog walks in Nidd Gorge.

For that reason Sylvia bought the bench and was devastated earlier this year when she saw its slats had been broken.

Her family set up a fundraiser to replace the bench but Harrogate Borough Council offered to replace it for free.

Nidd Gorge Community Action, which protects the area, has now reported on its Facebook page that the bench has been restored.

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The broken bench, pictured in May.

The £540 raised for repairs will now go to St Michael’s Hospice, the charity that cared for Colin before he died.

Sylvia James told the Stray Ferret today she was “so happy” and added:

“I found out on Father’s Day so it could not have been better timing really.

“Ever since it was vandalised I have avoided going to visit the bench, I did not want to see it like that. It would have torn me apart.

“Now that it has been restored I cannot wait to visit.”

Harrogate cyclist rides 288 miles in under 24 hours

A Harrogate cyclist has completed a 288-mile charity bike ride in under 24 hours in memory of his aunt.

Simon Gregory embarked on his journey on Friday and raised over £11,000 for Macmillan Cancer Support.

His journey took him from Harrogate to Southampton. He smashed his 24-hour target, arriving at his destination with over 2 hours to spare.

https://twitter.com/MacmillanYorks/status/1406171644691992579

Simon completed his fundraiser in memory of his aunt, Reverend Ruth Scott, who died from cancer in February 2019.

She was a presenter on BBC Radio 2 show Pause for Thought for 25 years and one of the first female vicars in the country.

She embarked on similar challenges, including cycling from Rome to Jerusalem without any training.

Simon chose the charity Macmillan Cancer Support as it supported his aunt during her illness.

You can still donate here.

 

‘Drab’ Harrogate town centre street to get colourful makeover

Harrogate residents and businesses are being asked to submit ideas to help give Cambridge Place a colourful makeover.

Harrogate Business Improvement District is working in partnership with Oxford Street-based charity, Artizan International, to install mosaics in the nine, blocked-out windows, on the side of the Boots building.

Each window space will spell out Harrogate — and the two organisations are looking for inspiration on what might go on the individual backgrounds.

Harrogate BID manager Matthew Chapman said:

“Cambridge Place is an extremely popular pedestrian cut-through between Cambridge Street and Oxford Street, yet one of the drabbest in the town.

“Now, in partnership with Artizan International, we want to give this street a real lift by installing nine colourful and eye-catching mosaics in these nine blocked out windows.

“Whilst each one will feature an individual letter to spell out Harrogate, we are asking for suggestions to create the individual backgrounds. The only proviso being it must be representative of the town itself.

“This could be its spa heritage, iconic buildings, or famous names and businesses associated with the town. We will leave it up to individuals, then choose nine different ideas.

“These will then be turned into mosaics by the Artizan International team, giving this much used thoroughfare a real splash of colour.”

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Ideas can either be emailed to Harrogate BID at info@harrogatebid.co.uk, or left with Artizan International, at their shop located at 39 Oxford Street, Harrogate.

The closing date is Friday, July 2.

Harrogate Food Festival coming to the Stray this weekend

Harrogate Food and Drink Festival is set to arrive on the Stray this weekend for two days of food, drink, live music and cooking shows.

The outdoor event will be held on the Oatlands Drive area from 10am on Saturday June 26 to 7pm on Sunday June 27.

Visitors can expect about 100 stalls selling all types of produce, from jams and cheeses to Lebanese food, as well as artisan crafts.

Despite a four-week delay to the end of restrictions the event can still go ahead with its current measures. It will be encouraging social distancing, have hand sanitising stations around the site and provide extra toilets, tables and chairs.

Social distancing means the event does have a limited capacity, but organisers said tickets were still available. Each ticket is given an entry time to stagger arrivals through the day.

A festival spokesperson said:

“We are lucky to be a naturally socially distanced event with limited indoor areas. However, this year we have brought the entire festival outdoors, apart from the cookery theatre, which is in a marquee with the walls removed.”

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It will be in the same area in which the town’s bonfire and fun fair is usually set up.

In 2019, the event was based in Ripley Castle for three days. It will return there for a second event on this year’s August bank holiday weekend.

Green field on Bogs Lane could be sold for housing

An unnamed housing company is in negotiations to buy a field in Bogs Lane in Harrogate with the intention of building new homes, the Stray Ferret understands.

The Kingsley area is already one of Harrogate’s main pressure points for housing – and could see more than 650 new homes eventually built. A local residents’ group said the area has reached a “saturation point” for new homes.

The field is between Henshaws College and Long Lands Common, where thousands of local people raised £375,000 to purchase 30 acres of land to plant trees and protect it from development.

Local estate agent Lister Haigh is marketing the land as a “rare opportunity” to buy a greenfield site that could be used for a potential residential or commercial development.

The Stray Ferret has seen an email sent by the estate agent to a person who enquired about the land. The person asked not to be named, but the email confirms that negotiations are already under way with a housing developer.

The email says:

“Currently negotiations are ongoing with a commercial housing development company who want to build houses on the site.”

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The site, which is 1.4 hectares, is not allocated for development in Harrogate Borough Council’s Local Plan. This is a guide for where commercial or residential development can take place in the district until 2035.

Similar sites in the Local Plan have been allocated for between 30 and 40 homes.

John Hansard from the Kingsley Ward Action Group was alarmed at the news that the Bogs Lane field could be sold for housing.

He told the Stray Ferret that residents will fight any potential planning application for the land.

He said:

“In any new development area, there has to come a time when you reach saturation point, beyond which the area cannot continue to function as neighbourhood community and simply becomes a soulless conurbation, an out-of-town sprawl of housing, lifeless, with no community spirit or indeed willingness to create such a spirit.

“I feel so sad and afraid that in this area we are already at that tipping point, if not beyond it and that unless this mindless devastation of our green spaces stops, we will be at the point of no return for our community.”