Plans to revive Harrogate district economy after April 12 revealed

A ‘Buy Local By Bike’ campaign, more pavement licences for hospitality businesses and cleaner public toilets have been revealed as part of Harrogate Borough Council’s plans to reopen the economy in a fortnight.

After more than three months of coronavirus closures, non-essential retailers are due to reopen their doors on April 12 under the next stage of the planned easing of lockdown restrictions.

As part of this, pubs, restaurants and cafes will return for outdoor service on that date.

Shoppers, diners and drinkers will be encouraged to get spending to help save Harrogate’s high streets.

But Richard Cooper, leader of Harrogate Borough Council, warned it will be “critical” to proceed cautiously to ensure infection rates remain low as the vaccine rollout continues.

The council’s plans include the launch of a ‘Buy Local By Bike’ initiative, with shoppers urged to get cycling and support local businesses using a digital London Underground-style map of routes around Harrogate and Knaresborough.

Pavement licences

Pubs, restaurants and cafes with little or no room for outdoor service are also being urged to apply to the council for pavement licences where they can be given permission to set up tables and chairs outside of their premises.

These licences were introduced by the government last summer and recently extended to make it easier and cheaper for hospitality businesses to serve people outside until the planned return of indoor service on May 17.

The council is also drafting in contract cleaners to step-up hygiene measures at public toilets, with a focus on the district’s towns and main visitor locations during bank holidays when an influx of visitors is expected.

Read more:

Furthermore, the council has received an extra £141,714 under the government’s Reopening High Streets Safely Fund, which it said could be used for publicity campaigns for street food markets and improvements to green spaces and seating areas to encourage people back to town centres.

Councillor Cooper said he was optimistic about the lifting of lockdown restrictions but added it must be done “in a safe way so that we can ensure we remain open”. He added:

“All the statistics we see show infections and hospitalisations heading in the right direction because of the effect the vaccine is having coupled with the lockdown.

“I know it has been the toughest year for business. We all know that. That is why we should all make that extra effort to shop locally where possible and to choose a local retailer where we can if we are shopping online.”

Shops open until 10pm

The government has already announced shops will be allowed to stay open until 10pm when the economy reopens on April 12, as well as a Restart Grants scheme with non-essential businesses able to apply for up to £6,000 and hospitality and leisure firms up to £18,000.

Last summer, some Harrogate bars were given permission to set up tables and chairs on the Stray under the temporary pavement licences and the council is now in talks with the landowners over opening this up to more businesses.

It has yet to reach an agreement with the Duchy of Lancaster but it is hoped this could happen before summer when all restrictions on social contacts are due to end on 21 June before council-backed events return.

Harrogate Carnival 2021 – organised by Harrogate International Festivals – has been scheduled for either the 4th or 5th of September and will involve street theatre, music, arts and food, although the event is not anticipated to include a parade in the same way it did in 2019.

The carnival will be backed by a £50,000 council grant with a further £25,000 going to a Fire Garden event which will include fire shows and sculptures, and is due to be held in either October or November this year, or February 2022.

Tree felling at Hornbeam Park ‘traumatic’ for residents

Residents have been shocked by the number of trees chopped down beside the tracks near Hornbeam Park railway station, according to a local councillor.

Network Rail recently carried out the works, which it said was essential for trains to run safely and reliably. 

Trees up to 6.5 metres tall were removed and larger trees that could have fallen onto the tracks have been cut back or removed.

John Ennis, the Conservative councillor for Harrogate Stray, said local people had been “taken aback” by the scale of pruning and has complained to Network Rail.

He wrote on Community News website, a website run by Harrogate and Knaresborough Conservative MP Andrew Jones:

“As well as vegetation clearance, we have seen the removal of some mature trees in apparent good health. This has been quite a traumatic experience for those living nearby.

“I would for instance have preferred to see fencing used, which was more appropriate to a mature residential area. I will continue to raise these issues with Network Rail as necessary.”

Read more:

In January, Network Rail submitted a planning application to Harrogate Borough Council about the works, which included photos of which trees it planned to remove or prune within the Harrogate Conservation Area.

The company said an independent ecologist had provided a risk assessment of the area to look for protected species.

It said some mature trees had to be removed to protect the tracks.

Richard Owens, infrastructure director for Network Rail’s north and east route, told the Stray Ferret:

“We know how important the trees near Hornbeam Park station are for people in the community. Network Rail has completed essential work to remove and cut back some of the vegetation with measures in place to protect the environment.

“Work also took place to allow natural saplings and flowers to flourish. Network Rail sent information to people who live near the railway and to local stakeholders with more details about the work.

“Some of the mature trees had to be removed to allow train services to continue running safely and reliably, and so our teams can safely carry out railway maintenance work.

“Trees can obstruct signals or get blown onto the tracks and leaves can also affect acceleration and braking when they fall onto the railway in the Autumn. This work will help to prevent future disruption to services.”

Harrogate could get county’s first CYCLOPS junction

Harrogate could get the county’s first CYCLOPS junction as part of a scheme to improve pedestrian and cycling safety.

Cycle Optimised Protected Signals are Dutch-style junctions, which separate cyclists from traffic to improve safety for all road users.

The UK’s first CYCLOPS was built in Manchester last year and now Harrogate could get one as part of North Yorkshire County Council’s active travel schemes, which are currently out for consultation.

Melissa Burnham, highways area manager, told a public event yesterday the idea had been put forward for the Station Parade junction of Victoria Avenue, which already has plans for new cycle lanes, a zebra crossing and ‘floating’ bus stop. She said:

“It is not something we have ever installed in North Yorkshire before but it is just an idea of what could be achieved.

“Essentially, the idea would be that any upgrade at this junction would have to incorporate all road users effectively and efficiently but it would be subject to necessary traffic modelling to understand the impact from Station Parade”.

Under the active travel schemes, there are also proposals for a 40mph limit, cycle lanes and junction upgrades on the A59 between Harrogate and Knaresborough.

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There were also plans to make Oatlands Drive in Harrogate one-way to free up road space for more cycling and walking improvements but this met strong objections from residents concerned about the impact on traffic.

North Yorkshire County Council has now put forward new proposals for a 20mph limit, junction improvements and restrictions on cars using St Hilda’s Road and St Winifred’s Drive, but there were still similar concerns raised at today’s consultation event.

Saints area ‘more dangerous’

One resident, Nick Manning, said the restrictions would turn nearby streets into rat runs and make the Saints area “more dangerous for walkers and cyclists, especially children walking to school”.

Another resident, Roger Tock, questioned:

“How do North Yorkshire County Council think that the additional cars being forced to access St Winifred’s Road are going to be beneficial to the currently unacceptable pollution and parking problems which have been allowed to be a problem in excess of 10 years?”

In response, Ms Burnham said comments and suggestions from all residents would be taken into account during the consultation process, which recently moved to a second phase with the publication of designs and will run until 12 April.

Councillor Don Mackenzie, the council’s executive member for access, also said while he recognised the concerns around the initial impact on roads, the active travel schemes – along with other projects including the £7.9m Harrogate Gateway and Beech Grove Low Traffic Neighbourhood – would have a “cumulative” effect on cutting congestion and carbon emissions.

“All of these schemes are cumulative and eventually will have the effect of making it more attractive for our residents to walk and cycle rather than get in cars. In that way, we can reduce congestion.

“For example, we originally planned a one-way option for Oatlands Drive but several residents said ‘that would make my journey into town by car longer’. All we were doing there was trying to make it more attractive to use a bike or feet to get into town.

“My point is that many of these interventions here will be cumulative and eventually build up an extremely good walking and cycling network.”

Live: Harrogate district traffic and travel

Good morning and welcome back to our traffic and travel service. It’s Connor here giving you updates every 15 minutes.

Brought to you by The HACS Group, this blog will let you know how the road and rail links are near you.

Make sure to keep in touch via social media or email us on contact@thestrayferret.co.uk.

9am – Full update

Roads

Thanks again for getting involved with our traffic and travel service. I will be back tomorrow from 6.30am with more updates. Do get in touch if you think we have missed something. It really does help to keep the Harrogate district moving.

Congestion is starting to build up in the Harrogate district this morning.

Evening road closure on Leeds Road for repairs from 6.30pm until 11.30pm for the next month.

The road from Beech Avenue, Harrogate, through to Princess Royal Way in Pannal will be closed in the evenings.

The Franklin Road area of Harrogate is also closed for road repairs.

Traffic is building up here:

Temporary lights in place:

Trains

Buses

8.45am – Full update

Roads

Congestion is starting to build up in the Harrogate district this morning.

Evening road closure on Leeds Road for repairs from 6.30pm until 11.30pm for the next month.

The road from Beech Avenue, Harrogate, through to Princess Royal Way in Pannal will be closed in the evenings.

The Franklin Road area of Harrogate is also closed for road repairs.

Traffic is building up here:

Temporary lights in place:

Trains

Buses

8.30am – Full update

Roads

Congestion is starting to build up in the Harrogate district this morning.

Evening road closure on Leeds Road for repairs from 6.30pm until 11.30pm for the next month.

The road from Beech Avenue, Harrogate, through to Princess Royal Way in Pannal will be closed in the evenings.

The Franklin Road area of Harrogate is also closed for road repairs.

Traffic is building up here:

Temporary lights in place:

Trains

Buses

8.15am – Full update

Roads

Congestion is starting to build up in the Harrogate district this morning.

Evening road closure on Leeds Road for repairs from 6.30pm until 11.30pm for the next month.

The road from Beech Avenue, Harrogate, through to Princess Royal Way in Pannal will be closed in the evenings.

The Franklin Road area of Harrogate is also closed for road repairs.

Traffic is building up here:

Temporary lights in place:

Trains

Buses

8am – Full update

Roads

Congestion is starting to build up in the Harrogate district this morning.

Evening road closure on Leeds Road for repairs from 6.30pm until 11.30pm for the next month.

The road from Beech Avenue, Harrogate, through to Princess Royal Way in Pannal will be closed in the evenings.

The Franklin Road area of Harrogate is also closed for road repairs.

Traffic is building up here:

Temporary lights in place:

Trains

Buses

7.45am – Full update

Roads

Congestion is starting to build up in the Harrogate district this morning.

Evening road closure on Leeds Road for repairs from 6.30pm until 11.30pm for the next month.

The road from Beech Avenue, Harrogate, through to Princess Royal Way in Pannal will be closed in the evenings.

The Franklin Road area of Harrogate is also closed for road repairs.

Traffic is building up here:

Temporary lights in place:

Trains

Buses

7.30am – Full update

Roads

Congestion is starting to build up in the Harrogate district this morning.

Evening road closure on Leeds Road for repairs from 6.30pm until 11.30pm for the next month.

The road from Beech Avenue, Harrogate, through to Princess Royal Way in Pannal will be closed in the evenings.

The Franklin Road area of Harrogate is also closed for road repairs.

Temporary lights in place:

Trains

Buses

7.15am – Full update

Roads

The roads are looking clear so far this morning, no traffic hotspots yet.

Evening road closure on Leeds Road for repairs from 6.30pm until 11.30pm for the next month.

The road from Beech Avenue, Harrogate, through to Princess Royal Way in Pannal will be closed in the evenings.

The Franklin Road area of Harrogate is also closed for road repairs.

Temporary lights in place:

Trains

Buses

7am – Full update

Roads

The roads are looking clear so far this morning, no traffic hotspots yet.

Remember road repairs will mean that Leeds Road in Harrogate will be closed from 6.30pm.

That means the roads from Beech Avenue, Harrogate, through to Princess Royal Way in Pannal will be closed in the evenings.

The Franklin Road area of Harrogate is also closed for road repairs.

Temporary lights in place:

Trains

Buses

6.45am – Full update

Roads

The roads are looking clear so far this morning, no traffic hotspots yet.

Remember road repairs will mean that Leeds Road in Harrogate will be closed from 6.30pm.

That means the roads from Beech Avenue, Harrogate, through to Princess Royal Way in Pannal will be closed in the evenings.

The Franklin Road area of Harrogate is also closed for road repairs.

Temporary lights in place:

Trains

Buses

6.30am – Full update

Roads

The roads are looking clear so far this morning, no traffic hotspots yet.

Remember road repairs will mean that Leeds Road in Harrogate will be closed from 6.30pm.

That means the roads from Beech Avenue, Harrogate, through to Princess Royal Way in Pannal will be closed in the evenings.

The Franklin Road area of Harrogate is also closed for road repairs.

Temporary lights in place:

Trains

Buses

Harrogate district gets NHS scheme to help children sleep

A project to help young people overcome sleeping difficulties has been extended to cover the Harrogate district.

NHS North Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group initially commissioned The Sleep Charity to run pilot projects in Whitby, Scarborough and Ryedale.

The scheme has now been extended to families across North Yorkshire for 12 months, starting on April 1.

The free scheme uses behavioural therapy, sleep clinics and workshops rather than medication to aid sleep.

It also provides professional training to GP practice staff, health visitors and school nurses.

Read more: 

Research by The Sleep Charity, The Sleep Council and Sleepstation found that since the pandemic began, 70% of children are going to bed significantly later than usual.

Vicki Dawson, chief executive of The Sleep Charity, which is based in Doncaster, said:

“Quality sleep is absolutely essential for a child’s growth and development.

“It helps children to concentrate on learning, allows them to react more quickly to situations, have a more developed memory and solve problems.

“Plus, it makes them less susceptible to colds and other minor ailments, less irritable and better behaved.”

Dr Charles Parker, NHS North Yorkshire CCG clinical chair, said:

“We know how debilitating, disruptive and distressing it can be for families when a child is struggling to sleep, and we see first-hand how it can lead to a number of physical and mental health issues which require treatment.

“It’s heartening to hear that The Sleep Charity’s work has already made a huge difference to many families in Whitby, Scarborough and Ryedale and I’m delighted these services are now available across North Yorkshire.”

Families participating in the project gain access to the Teen Sleep Hub, which contains links to twice-weekly live chats with professional sleep practitioners.

The service is available for people aged 12 months to 18 years.

For children and young people with a special education need or disability and/or education health care plan, the service is available from ages 12 months to 25 years.

Access to the scheme is available by self referral. Email support@thesleepcharity.org.uk for details.

 

Conservatives choose candidate for Bilton by-election

Harrogate borough councillor Matt Scott has been chosen as the Conservative candidate for the vacant Harrogate Bilton and Nidd Gorge seat on North Yorkshire County Council.

A by-election is taking place following the death of Liberal Democrat councillor Geoff Webber.

Cllr Scott has represented the Bilton Woodfield ward on  Harrogate Borough Council since 2018 and works in Harrogate and Knaresborough Conservative MP Andrew Jones’ office. He has lived in Bilton all his life.

He said:

“I am proud to call Bilton my home and there are many aspects of the area that make it a great place to live.

 “We are served by many small independent businesses; we have great schools and of course we have the Nidd Gorge, a vast green space on our doorstep.

 “I was part of the campaign to save it when proposals came forward for a relief road and my view has not changed.”

He said he wanted to be a “strong, local voice” on the county council, alongside fellow Conservative Paul Haslam, who also lives in Bilton and sits on both the borough and county councils.

He added:

“I will work hard to ensure we continue to have great schools, safe neighbourhoods and that our valuable green spaces remain untouched.”

Read more:

The by-election is scheduled on May 6. Nominations must be submitted by April 8.

It will be the only time residents can vote to elect county councillors this year after the government delayed elections due to local government reorganisation.

The Conservative-controlled county council currently has 53 Conservative councillors, four Labour councillors and four representing the Liberal Democrats. There are also eight North Yorkshire Independent and three independent councillors.

When the by-election was last run in 2017, Conservative Paul Haslam and Liberal Democrat Geoff Webber won the ward’s two seats with 1,618 and 1,414 votes respectively.

Liberal Democrat Mark McDermid came third with 1,285 votes and Conservative Graham Swift was fourth with 1,207 votes.

A spokesperson for the Liberal Democrats said it would choose its candidate after Mr Webber’s funeral today.

 

Beech Grove traffic closure trial could be extended to 18 months

The six-month experimental closure of Beech Grove in Harrogate to through traffic could be extended to 18 months.

North Yorkshire County Council said when the experimental order came into force last month it would be a trial for six months.

But the council’s highways boss confirmed today it has the power to extend the trial from six months to 18 months, meaning it would end in August 2022 rather than August 2021.

Read more:

Cllr Don Mackenzie, executive member for access at the county council, told the Stray Ferret:

“The experimental traffic regulation order enables us to keep the closure in place for 18 months.

“We are assessing the impact all of the time. If it proves to be highly unpopular then it could still end after six months.

“However, just based on the communication I have received, there has been a big response but I would say that it is mainly positive.

“Those who have complained often say that it is just moving traffic elsewhere in the town.

“But those who are positive say they enjoying how it helps them to walk and cycle more.”

When the order began, some motorists avoided the newly-installed planters by driving on the Stray.

The tyre tracks on the Stray prompted the council to erect a road sign to act as a road block and warning to drivers.

Leeds Road closes in evenings from tonight for repairs

Leeds Road will be closed in the evenings for a month to allow for carriageway repairs.

The road will be closed from Princess Royal Way in Pannal to Beech Avenue in Harrogate from tonight until April 30 excluding bank holidays.

To minimise disruption the resurfacing work will be carried out between 6.30pm and 11.30pm.

An eight mile diversion will be in place for the duration of the repairs. Drivers will be sent on the A658 John Metcalf Way on then onto Wetherby Road and York Place.

North Yorkshire County Council is behind the plans and has warned that it may restrict vehicle access to people who live on the stretch of road.

Read more:

Pedestrians will be able to still use the pavements while works are ongoing.

It is possible that some adjustment to this start date or the duration of the works may be necessary.

This is part of a wider programme of carriageway repairs which started with the first phase in the Old Barber area of Bilton at the start of March. Leadhall Lane is also due for resurfacing work this year.

The Franklin Road area repairs also started just over a week ago and that it is due to finish in early April.

Bettys and Taylors to keep using tea supplier accused of sexual abuse

Harrogate company Bettys and Taylors has said it will continue trading with a supplier in Malawi that is being sued over the alleged sexual abuse of workers.

A Sunday Times article today revealed a group of tea pickers, many of them single mothers earning about £1 a day, have filed a claim in the High Court against Lujeri Tea Estates and its British owners. PGI Group.

The lawsuit alleges there is a ‘systematic problem of male workers at plantations abusing their positions of power’ to rape, sexually assault, harass and coerce women they supervise into sex.

It names 36 alleged male perpetrators of sexual abuse.

Bettys and Taylors of Harrogate, which produces Yorkshire Tea, is one of several British companies named in the article for being supplied by Lujeri.

Unilever, whose tea brands include PG Tips and Lipton, and Tetley, are also named.

Bettys and Taylors published an 850-word statement on its website today saying ‘human rights abuses have no place in our supply chain’.

But it added at this stage it did not plan to cut ties with its suppliers in Malawi:

“We can’t improve things unless we’re involved, and that’s why news of something going wrong in our supply chain doesn’t immediately result in us walking away from a producer, which can be harmful for the people reliant on our trade for their livelihoods.

“A key foundation of sustainable trade is long-term relationships – and our contracts guarantee that we’ll buy for several years in advance, at a level above the Fairtrade minimum price, plus an additional premium for quality.

“In situations like this, companies will often immediately stop trading with a supplier to try and limit reputational damage to their brands.

“We understand why but it’s hard to overstate the impact of suddenly cutting off some of the world’s poorest workers and smallholders from their source of income.

“So our first position is to work with a supplier, understand what’s gone wrong and support them to develop plans to put things right. If that’s not something they can do, we’d stop buying from them.”

The statement added Bettys and Taylors’ suppliers were “engaging fully and openly with this process”.

Grant Bramsen, managing director of Lujeri Tea Estates, told the Sunday Times it was “deeply troubled by these allegations” and processes it had introduced to prevent abuse “did not go far enough”.

Read more:

 

St George Hotel in Harrogate set to re-open

One of Harrogate’s oldest and most famous hotels is set to re-open.

St George Hotel, opposite Harrogate Convention Centre in the town centre, has been closed for more than a year since the first lockdown began.

Previous owner Specialist Leisure Group went into administration in May with the loss of 2,500 jobs throughout the company.

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It is now owned by Bespoke Hotels, which was founded in 2000 by Haydn Fentum and Robin Sheppard and describes itself as ‘the UK’s largest independent hotel group’, with 120 properties.

Paul Donkin, general manager of York Pavilion Hotel, revealed on social media he was leaving his position to take on the challenge of re-opening the hotel and building a new team to bring the hotel back to its glory.

Mr Donkin, who lives in Harrogate and has extensive experience of the town’s hospitality sector having worked previously at the Cedar Court Hotel, the Old Swan Hotel and the Crown Hotel, told the Stray Ferret he would be happy to discuss the matter in more detail when he took up the role on April 7.

The hotel grew out of the Chequers Inn and was renamed after George III’s gift of the Stray to the people of Harrogate in 1778.

It was enlarged several times during the nineteenth century and renamed the St George shortly before the First World War.

It was badly damaged by fire in 1927 and requisitioned by the Post Office and Air Ministry during the Second World War before re-opening as a hotel in 1952. It acquired a spa facility in 1985.

It has 90 bedrooms, a restaurant, bar, library and terrace and its close proximity to the town centre makes it a popular spot for visitors.