Time running out for Stray dining as debate rumbles on

Time is running out for Harrogate bars hoping to use the Stray for outdoor dining as the debate rumbles for another week.

Andrew Jones MP reignited hopes two weeks ago by sending a letter to the Duchy of Lancaster, the land owners, but the outcome has left the bar owners disappointed.

The Blues Bar, The Empress and Fashion House Bistro were all hoping to capitalise on the Stray space outside their businesses from April 12.

However, indoor dining is returning on May 17 so Trish Campbell, manager at the Empress, feels that they will likely miss out on the outdoor dining window.

She told the Stray Ferret today:

“This has completely missed the point. We have still got another three weeks but we are really missing out on a good opportunity.

“For some reason we have not had any help. So we are extremely disappointed and upset.”

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In a letter to Andrew Jones MP, the chief executive at the Duchy of Lancaster Nathan Thompson said:

“If the proposals are not permitted by the Stray Act, Harrogate Borough Council would be in breach of its management obligations in implementing them.

“We therefore suggested to the council that they might seek advice regarding compliance before finalising its proposals.

“Given the aftermath of the UCI World Cycling Championships in 2019, the Duchy also requested further clarification of the proposed scale and duration of the proposed temporary licences.”

Andrew Jones MP forwarded the response to the owners of The Empress and Blues Bar and told them:

“The council rejected taking legal advice and doing the required engagement because by the time this costly work had been undertaken it would be well past the return of indoor hospitality.

“The council have assured me that they were ready to licence limited use of the Stray. I wanted to see an equally flexible response from the Duchy of Lancaster.

“Instead they have quoted the Stray Act and declined to give a view on whether they support use of the Stray in this manner.”

New Starbeck bar and cafe granted planning permission

The Waiting Room, a new craft beer bar and cafe/restaurant run by the owners of So Bar and Eats will open this summer on Starbeck High Street.

Harrogate Borough Council granted local pub company Appetite for Life planning permission earlier this week.

The building at 34 High Street was previously occupied by Greenalls and Your Factory Bed Shop, but has been empty for some time. The name of the bar ties into its location near Starbeck railway station.

The company already runs a number of bars in the Harrogate district including the So Bars in Harrogate, Knaresborough and Ripon, The Hart pub in Knaresborough, and the Tap on Tower Street in Harrogate.

Appetite for Life owner Rob Thompson told the Stray Ferret he hopes to get the venue up and running in about three months.

He added:

“As a local family-run Harrogate company, we are excited to bring Starbeck our new bar, The Waiting Room, in the next few months. Our plan is for a cafe bar, selling local craft beers, amazing wines and the best in premium spirits and gins in a comfy environment.

“We will be serving a variety of food all day, including artisan coffee, pastries, homemade world food bowls, pizza and grazing boards to nibble on while you are enjoying a drink. We plan to trade all day with food and drink available for take-out for those on the go. When we have more details to share we will let everyone know more”.

A logo of the new venue

The Waiting Room will open from 7am Monday to Saturday and from 9am on Sunday, It will close at 11.30pm Monday to Wednesday and 00.30am during the rest of the week.

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Starbeck is currently served by one pub, the Prince of Wales, plus two clubs.

There were plans to open a micropub called the Office Ale House on 67d High Street, but proposals fell through.

Leeds Road reopens fully after four weeks of resurfacing

Leeds Road in Harrogate has reopened fully after four weeks of evening closures for resurfacing.

North Yorkshire County Council‘s highways team worked on the stretch of road between Beech Avenue in Harrogate and Princess Royal Way in Pannal.

It will come as a relief to drivers who have been forced to use an eight-mile diversion between 6.30pm and 11.30pm since March 29.

This is the third of three phases of resurfacing in Harrogate. Works in The Old Barber area in Bilton and Franklin Road are already complete.

The highways team used 2,500 tonnes of material and cleaned out 105 gullies. As they finished the work today, it was completed on time.

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Cllr Don Mackenzie, executive member for access at North Yorkshire County Council, said:

“The extensive resurfacing scheme on one of Harrogate’s busiest roads is a real success story for our dedicated highways teams.

“In spite of the constraints on working times, it has been completed on schedule with relatively minimal inconvenience.

“It is a great demonstration of working well in collaboration to achieve the same goal. The standard of the road is much improved and is now fit for future traffic demands.

Brian L Dunsby OBE, a local resident and former chief executive of the town’s Chamber of Trade and Commerce, said:

“The highways teams have done a brilliant job in resurfacing to such a high standard and were well-coordinated to get it finished on time.

“The project was very well executed as by carrying out the work overnight it caused little disruption.

“This is a major route in Harrogate so it’s great to see such improvements are a priority for the county council.”

Harrogate company wins Queen’s Award for second time

A Harrogate company that operates around the world has today won a Queen’s Award for Enterprise for the second time.

Primeast, which is based at Cardale Park, was founded in 1987 by John Campbell. It provides training and development in more than 40 countries.

The company, which was named in a list of 205 award winners, employs 30 people in Harrogate and now has a team of four based in its US office.

The business also won a Queen’s Award in 2015, as seen in the above picture.

Founded 55 years ago, the Queen’s Award is widely recognised as the top business accolade in the country.

The focus of this year’s awards was ‘promoting opportunity through social mobility’.

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Coronavirus restrictions make it unlikely for winning businesses to get the customary invite to Buckingham Palace to accept the award.

A representative of the Queen will present the award at Primeast’s Harrogate office, later in the year.

Russell Evans, chief executive of Primeast, said:

“This is such fantastic recognition for the entire team who’ve worked with such commitment and passion and the clients who continue to support and partner with us.”

Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said:

“In the last 12 months, British businesses showed the entrepreneurial spirit that this country is renowned for.

“They are continuing to drive social mobility, find new markets to export to and produce innovative products and services.”

No covid marshals in Harrogate district

Harrogate Borough Council has not employed any covid marshals and does not intend to do so — unlike many other local authorities.

Local authorities were awarded £30m by the national government in October for covid compliance and enforcement.

Harrogate Borough Council’s share was £58,000.

The government said one of the purposes of the funding was to recruit covid marshals, who do not have any enforcement powers but are there to “engage, explain and encourage best practice and national covid secure guidance”.

However the funding could also be spent on other covid measures.

Nearby local authorities in Leeds, York, Scarborough, Ryedale, Richmondshire and Selby have all employed marshals, who take to the streets wearing brightly coloured high-vis vests or jackets.

But none have appeared on Harrogate district streets.

A Harrogate Borough Council spokesperson said:

“We believe the most effective use of resource was to fund our specialist covid enforcement work, which included weekend joint patrols with North Yorkshire Police to provide advice and guidance.”

The spokesperson added it had no plans to recruit marshals in the future.

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The Daily Mail reported yesterday several councils in England are in the process of recruiting more covid marshals who are expected to take to the streets after lockdown measures end on June 21.

Hertfordshire County Council plans to recruit 60 marshals to ‘provide practical support to aid and encourage compliance’.

 

Harrogate brewery’s SOS after new machine gets stuck on Ever Given

Rooster’s Brewing Company took to social media to appeal for help after new equipment got stuck on the Ever Given cargo ship in the Suez Canal.

The Harrogate-based brewery ordered an automatic labelling machine after previously adding labels by hand.

The new machine was due to arrive a few weeks ago but instead remains over 3,500 miles away.

It was travelling on the Ever Green, which blocked the Suez canal for six days in March and caused chaos for businesses across the world. The ship has now been impounded in Egypt.

Head brewer Oliver Fozard took to Twitter to ask if anyone could help the team “get through a backlog of labelling cans”.

Since putting out the tweet yesterday the company has received numerous offers of help from other local brewers and residents.

Rooster’s director, Ian Fozard, said the company was still in the dark about when its delivery would arrive:

“We’ve still heard nothing, the machine is still stuck. We’ve had offers from various local breweries to help out. It’s more of an irritation than a catastrophe, no one knows when it will be here.”

Mr Fozard said he was grateful so many people had come forward to help.

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Trevor Chapman elected as Harrogate district mayor

Liberal Democrat councillor Trevor Chapman has tonight been virtually voted in as the new Harrogate district mayor.

He takes over from Conservative councillor Stuart Martin, who held the role since 2019 and served an extended term due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Speaking at a virtual annual meeting tonight, cllr Chapman said:

“Let’s hope we can return to some form of normality following events over the last year so that I can fulfil the role fully.

“I would like to express my sincere thanks to the outgoing mayor Stuart for not only carrying out his year of office but also standing in as caretaker during this unprecedented year.

“Stuart, you and April have carried out your duties in an exemplary manner for which I thank you very much.”

Cllr Chapman, who represents the Bilton Grange ward, was chosen to take on the role in March last year before the handover was cancelled because of the pandemic.

It has meant cllr Martin has stayed in the post for an extra 12 months during the same year that his wife, mayoress April Martin, became critically ill with covid.

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After tonight’s meeting, councillor Martin said in a statement:

“As my time as Harrogate district mayor comes to an end this evening, I’d like to say thank you to everyone for their help and support over the past two years.

“Both April and I have thoroughly enjoyed being mayor and mayoress, and we have met some truly incredible organisations and charities during that time.

“I am delighted to be able to pass on the chain of office to councillor Trevor Chapman, who I know will make an excellent mayor. It has been a great pleasure and I will leave with many happy memories of my two years in office.”

The role of the mayor is to chair full council meetings and represent the borough at ceremonies and events.

The mayor also raises money for charities and is required to put his or her political affiliations aside to be impartial.

Councillor Chapman has selected Supporting Older People, Citizens Advice and Friends of Harrogate Hospital as his chosen charities.

Christine Willoughby elected deputy mayor

Meanwhile, Liberal Democrat councillor Christine Willoughby, who represents Knaresborough Eastfield and served as mayor for the town, was also elected as deputy mayor for the Harrogate district at tonight’s meeting.

She takes over from Conservative councillor Zoe Metcalfe, who represents the Claro ward.

Conservative council leader Richard Cooper also announced at tonight’s meeting that no changes have been made to the cabinet, while a raft of committee chairs, vice-chairs and members were also voted in.

Just two covid patients at Harrogate hospital

The number of covid patients being treated at Harrogate District Hospital has fallen to two — the lowest since the second wave started last year.

The number is way down on the 68 at the peak of the second wave in mid February. Last week it was four.

Amanda Bloor, accountable officer at North Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group, revealed the figure at a North Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum press briefing today.

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No further covid deaths have been reported at the hospital, according to NHS England figures.

It means the death toll remains at 179 since the start of the pandemic.

The last covid death reported at the hospital was on April 11.

Meanwhile, a further five covid cases have been reported in the Harrogate district according to today’s Public Health England statistics.

It takes the total number of cases since March to 7,655.

The district’s seven-day covid rate has fallen to 12 infections per 100,000 people.

The North Yorkshire average is 32 and the England rate currently stands at 24.

North Yorkshire Police said today it had issued four fines for covid breaches in the Harrogate district in the last week.

Officers handed out 34 fixed penalty notices across the county – the majority of which were for indoor gatherings.

Harrogate vaccine centre gives 100,000th jab today

The vaccination centre at Harrogate’s Great Yorkshire Showground marked a major milestone today when it gave its 100,000th jab.

James Eaton, pictured above, had the honour of receiving the 100,000th inoculation.

Yorkshire Health Network, a federation of 17 GP surgeries in the Harrogate district, is delivering the vaccine programme.

The tally includes all first and second jabs at the Harrogate and Ripon sites, as well as vulnerable people who are housebound or homeless.

It does not include the pharmacy-led sites in Knaresborough and Pateley Bridge, which today told the Stray Ferret they have separately administered 15,000 and 400 vaccines respectively.

Today’s milestone is a major leap from when an 83-year-old woman called Anne was among the first to be vaccinated in Harrogate in late December.

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Dr Ian Dilley, a member of the Harrogate and rural coronavirus vaccination steering group, said:

“As we take a moment to celebrate this monumental achievement we would like to thank all those who have been involved, without whom this endeavour would not have been possible.

“That includes our resilient workforce of practice staff, our tireless volunteer marshals, the local organisations who have donated goodies, Transdev bus company and our kind hosts.

“A huge thank you to all involved”.

However, the progress of the vaccination programme in the Harrogate district may slow in the weeks ahead.

A letter seen by the Stray Ferret from the Humber, Coast and Vale Integrated Care System, which oversees the vaccine programme in the Harrogate district, revealed how those hoping for a first dose may have to wait until June.

The letter, which you can read more about here, was sent to senior health officials in the region as well as large scale vaccination sites and community pharmacies.

Harrogate council refuses to reveal how much income it receives from Harrogate Spring Water

Harrogate Borough Council has again refused to disclose details of its financial relationship with Harrogate Spring Water.

The council owns the land where the company is based on Harlow Moor Road and receives £13,000 a year in ground rent.

Harrogate Spring Water also has to pay a percentage of annual turnover to the council. This is known as turnover rent.

The turnover rent agreement was drawn up in the early 2000s when the council granted planning permission on the land leased to the company.

In 2019 Harrogate Spring Water, which is now owned by French multinational Danone, posted annual sales of £21.6 million.

However, the council has never revealed publicly what it receives in turnover rent.

This week it refused to disclose the figures to the Stray Ferret for the second time.

‘Commercially disadvantageous’

We submitted a freedom of information request to the council in January asking how much it received in turnover rent from Harrogate Spring Water in the last five years.

The council replied in February saying the figures were exempt from disclosure because:

“This information is deemed to be of commercial value and, if disclosed, may impact on the council’s ability to negotiate and harm its legitimate interests, putting it in a commercially disadvantageous situation.”

We then requested an internal review of the decision. Yesterday’s response upheld the original exemption.

Joanne Barclay, acting chief solicitor at the council, repeated the claim that the council could be weakened commercially if the sum was disclosed.

Ms Barclay said:

“Whilst I agree there is public interest in openness and transparency when the council is utilising public money, there is also a public interest in allowing the council to withhold information which would reduce its ability to negotiate in a commercial environment if disclosed.

“I also consider an impact on other negotiations. It is important that leaseholders feel confident in the council as a provider of accommodation to the area. Confidence may be eroded if commercial rents were to be disclosed.

Furthermore, it is in the public interest that the council is able to compete in a competitive marketplace and in respecting the commercial interests of both the council and leaseholders as this assists it in the provision of public services. The work it does for the local community is inherently in the public interest and it is essential that it is able to carry on that work in the most effective and efficient way possible.”

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What happens next?

The council’s financial relationship with Harrogate Spring Water came under scrutiny last year when the company submitted plans to expand its bottling plant in the Pinewoods from 0.77 hectares to 0.94 hectares.

Council officers recommended the application be approved but the planning committee went against this and refused in what was was one of the most high-profile planning decisions of recent years.

But the matter is far from over.

Harrogate Spring Water already has outline planning permission, granted in 2017, to expand into Rotary Wood in the Pinewoods.

The company now needs to go through a second stage of the application process, known as reserved matters, to ratify details such as the appearance of the bottling plant and the felling of trees in Rotary Wood.

The council’s planning committee is expected to consider this application this year.

Pinewoods Conservation Group has repeatedly called on the council to publish how much money it receives each year from Harrogate Spring Water.

A spokesperson said:

“It is clear that if Rotary Wood is leased or sold to Danone then this will be an additional income stream for Harrogate council.

“This income will need to be balanced by councillors against the loss of green space, impact on carbon reduction plans and the obvious ecological loss to the district.

“Without the public knowing the figures involved this is likely to be a very difficult debate to have in a transparent way.”

The Stray Ferret has appealed the decision not to disclose the figures to the Information Commissioner’s Office, which is a non-departmental public body.