Harrogate gay men welcome chance to donate blood

Two gay men from Harrogate have welcomed the opportunity to donate blood from next week, as rules relax across the UK.

Under the previous rules, men who have sex with men had to abstain from sex for three months in order to donate.

But from June 14, gay men will be able to donate if they have had the same sexual partner for the last three months or if they have not had sex with a new partner.

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CJ Allison, who is in his early 50s and from Harrogate, was a regular donor before he accepted that he was a gay man. He told the Stray Ferret:

“I have donated more than 30 pints of blood in my lifetime but had to stop when I came out in my late 40s.

“There were so many changes at that time so I just accepted it. But on reflection it is a very clear form of discrimination, it does not seem right.

“This is a welcome change but it needs to go further. I can donate now but my partner who has two other partners cannot.”

Jamie Carter, who is in his 20s and works as a hairdresser in Harrogate, also told the Stray Ferret:

“I have always thought that the rule is disgusting, it is so backwards. I just want to help people, it’s always baffled me.

“When my best friend had leukemia I had the right blood type and was in the position to donate blood but could not because I am gay.

“It’s a step in the right direction but we do not have complete equality just yet.”

Harrogate park and ride scheme still being considered

Feasibility work will be conducted this summer on plans to build a park and ride bus service for Harrogate.

A park and ride scheme was proposed in January as part of a series of transport initiatives to reduce traffic and ease congestion.

Two locations in Pannal on the 36 bus route were identified as possible sites.

Don Mackenzie, executive member for access at North Yorkshire County Council, said at the time the scheme “could happen fairly quickly” depending on developments.

But there has been no news since as other proposed transport initiatives, such as the £7.9m Station Gateway project, have dominated the headlines.

This prompted a reader who supports the creation of a park and ride service to contact the Stray Ferret asking what had happened to the idea.

In response to requests for an update, Cllr Mackenzie told the Stray Ferret:

“All of the proposals in the Harrogate Transport Improvement Programme are in the feasibility stage and further work will be commissioned this summer.

“Nevertheless, a park and ride remains one of the measures we are considering to reduce traffic and ease congestion in and around Harrogate.

“The development of park and ride proposals would require more detailed modelling, testing of options and public consultation.

“We need to develop these plans along with other Harrogate Transport Improvement Programme priorities such as cycling and walking, bus priority and junction improvements.”

Cllr Mackenzie added council officers “are continuing to consider both the A61 and A59 to assess ways of improving provision for pedestrians and cyclists, provide bus priority and also seek to tackle some of the most problematic junctions”.

He said:

“By turning our attention to active travel models we hope to reduce congestion and improve the network without the need for additional, costly construction.”

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Police pledge to crack down on fast and noisy cars in Harrogate

Police have pledged to take a zero tolerance approach to fast and noisy drivers in Harrogate town centre this summer.

Harrogate often attracts drivers, sometimes in modified vehicles, racing around the main roads, particularly during summer.

North Yorkshire Police said today it has already handed out three traffic offence reports and one more serious section 59 warning for antisocial driving behaviour, which could lead to the car being seized.

It pledged in a statement to keep up the pressure during the summer months on “the irresponsible behaviour of some drivers which is not only unsafe but also highly disruptive”.

Operation Chrome, which began last summer last year, has restarted and will see increased police patrols in hot spots, more speed cameras across town, vehicle stops and detailed CCTV reviews.

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Superintendent Steve Thomas said:

“As the weather improves we see a surge in the number of vehicles driving antisocially around the town centre.

“Residents and visitors should not have to fear for their safety or have their days blighted by this excessive noise.

“We are taking a zero tolerance approach to this dangerous behaviour.

“Rest assured if you receive a warning and continue driving irresponsibly, we will be watching and your vehicle will be seized.”

Have you noticed more fast and noisy cars on your street? Tell us your experience contact@thestrayferret.co.uk.

No deaths but Harrogate district covid rate continue to rise

The Harrogate district’s coronavirus rate of infection has continued to increase — but there have been no covid-related deaths for almost two months now.

The district recorded a further seven coronavirus cases, according to today’s figures by NHS England

The seven-day average rate of infection is now to 29 per 100,000 in population. The North Yorkshire average is 23 and the England average is 44.

Harrogate’s rate is the second highest of the seven North Yorkshire districts behind Selby.

The last covid-related death at Harrogate District Hospital was on April 11.

There have been 109,175 first vaccine doses and 83,547 second doses in the Harrogate district.

From tomorrow, all those who are 25-years-old and over will be invited to book a vaccine.

It comes as the UK health regulator has also given the go-ahead for the Pfizer/BioNtech jab to be used on 12 to 15 years old.

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Harrogate resident scoops £30,000 on lottery

A lucky Harrogate resident is celebrating winning a £30,000 cash prize on the People’s Postcode Lottery at the weekend.

Every Saturday and Sunday throughout the June draws, one postcode will be announced as a £30,000 prize winner.

All the players in the postcode will win that sum for every ticket they hold.

The winning postcode of HG2 8QA was announced on Saturday.

A media release by People’s Postcode Lottery revealed one person in the Harrogate postcode area won last weekend.

People’s Postcode Lottery ambassador, the TV presenter Judie McCourt, sent her well-wishes to the winner, who asked to remain anonymous.

She said:

“What a fantastic surprise for our winner in Harrogate! I hope they enjoy celebrating this weekend and enjoy spending the cash. Congratulations!”

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The draw costs £10 a month to enter. People play with their chosen postcode and are automatically entered into all draws.

A minimum of 33% of ticket sales goes directly to charities.

Players have helped raise over £700 million to date for thousands of good causes across Britain and internationally.

Teens arrested in Harrogate after Kinder eggs stuffed with heroin found

Police in Harrogate have arrested two boys aged 15 and 16 after finding Kinder eggs stuffed with suspected heroin and crack cocaine.

Plain clothed officers from North Yorkshire Police‘s county lines drug dealing unit Operation Expedite noticed the boys acting suspiciously on Thursday.

The suspects ran away but were caught after a chase on foot.

A police statement today said when officers caught the boys they found two Kinder eggs stuffed with suspected heroin and crack cocaine wraps, as well as knuckle dusters.

Police believe the unnamed boys, who are both from West Yorkshire, are involved in bringing drugs from another county into Harrogate.

Police arrested the 16-year-old on suspicion of possessing class A drugs with intent to supply, possessing cannabis and possessing an offensive weapon.

The officers also arrested the 15-year-old on suspicion of supplying class A drugs.

They were released on conditional bail pending further enquiries.

County lines is where drug dealers from urban areas exploit vulnerable people, including children, and force them to deal drugs in smaller towns.

It takes its name from the mobile phone lines used by dealers to communicate between towns and advertise their drugs for sale.

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Smouldering barbecue sets garage alight in Pannal

Fire crews were called to Pannal yesterday when smouldering ashes from a barbecue set a garage alight.

Firefighters from Harrogate, Wetherby and Knaresborough used breathing apparatus to extinguish the fire and ensure the fire had not spread to the attached bungalow.

The incident happened at Crimple Meadows shortly after 2pm.

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service‘s incident log said:

“The cause of the fire is believed to be hot barbecue ashes stored in the garage overnight.”

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Harrogate house prices soar in just one year

The average price of a house in the Borough of Harrogate has increased by more than £28,000 in the course of the past year, according to the Land Registry.

This is a 5% rise, which is lower than the national average. The Office of National Statistics reported that house prices in the UK had risen by an average of 10.2% over the year to March 2021.

Demand has also shifted more towards spacious properties, with estate agents reporting an unprecedented shortage of detached family homes.

The trend can be attributed towards housebuyers’ changing priorities over lockdown and more people starting families.

However, certain factors affect the statistics and mean that they may not paint an accurate picture of the whole year.

The stamp duty land tax holiday on properties worth up to £500,000 is set to end on June 30, which will most likely reduce housing demand in later in the year.

Estate agents said that, anecdotally, there has been a post-vaccination rush for some people who now feel more comfortable attending house viewings and going through the moving process.

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Charles Myring of Myrings Estate Agents summed up how the pandemic has changed the housing market in the borough:

“Stock levels in Harrogate were so depressed during the lockdowns, especially on certain properties (bigger family houses with good outdoor space/south-facing gardens/garages etc), which meant there wasn’t always enough quality stock available to buy and to encourage more people into the market.

“As a consequence prices started to edge up every month.”

The Harrogate borough encompasses the city of Ripon and a number of small towns including Boroughbridge and Knaresborough.

David Waddington of Linley and Simpson projected the average price rise to be even higher, at somewhere between 1% and 2% each month.

He agreed that the rise in demand for housing in the borough was also mostly related to covid:

“Harrogate became particularly desirable over lockdown as people realised they no longer had to go into the office and live in suburban areas.

“More people are looking to live in semi-rural areas, because of a subliminal need for space as a result of isolation.”

However he urged first-time buyers and those with mortgages not to give up hope, as the latest iteration of the Help to Buy scheme is still helping people with smaller deposits to take the first step on to the housing ladder.

 

 

Live: Harrogate traffic and travel

Good morning, it’s Leah with you this morning giving you updates every 15 minutes on the road and rail links near you.

Our live blog, brought to you by The HACS Group, will give you up-to-date information on traffic hotspots or where it may be building and the temporary lights in place. We also keep an eye on any bus or train delays.

If it is safe, please get in touch on 01423 276197 if you experience any delays.

9am – Full Update 

That is it from me this morning, Connor will be back with you from 6.30 tomorrow with updates every 15 minutes. Have a lovely Monday.

Roads

The traffic is starting to build in the Harrogate and Knaresborough town centres this morning, keep checking for today’s traffic hotspots.

Traffic Hotspots:

Traffic is building here:

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

Trains

 

8:45am – Full Update 

Roads

The traffic is starting to build in the Harrogate and Knaresborough town centres this morning, keep checking for today’s traffic hotspots.

Traffic Hotspots:

Traffic is building here:

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

Trains

Buses

 

8:30am – Full Update 

Roads

The traffic is starting to build in the Harrogate and Knaresborough town centres this morning, keep checking for today’s traffic hotspots.

Traffic Hotspots:

Traffic is building here:

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

Trains

Buses

 

8:15am – Full Update 

Roads

The traffic is starting to build in the Harrogate and Knaresborough town centres this morning, keep checking for today’s traffic hotspots.

Traffic is building here:

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

Trains

Buses

 

8am – Full Update 

Roads

The traffic is starting to build in the Harrogate and Knaresborough town centres this morning, keep checking for today’s traffic hotspots.

Traffic is building here:

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

Trains

Buses

 

7.45am – Full Update 

Roads

The traffic is starting to build in the Harrogate and Knaresborough town centres this morning, keep checking for today’s traffic hotspots.

Traffic is building here:

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

Trains

Buses

 

7.30am – Full Update 

Roads

The traffic is starting to build in the Harrogate and Knaresborough town centres this morning, keep checking for today’s traffic hotspots.

Traffic is building here:

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

Trains

Buses

 

7.15am – Full Update 

Roads

The district’s roads are looking clear so far this morning, keep checking for today’s traffic hotspots.

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

Trains

Buses

 

7am – Full Update 

Roads

The district’s roads are looking clear so far this morning, keep checking for today’s traffic hotspots.

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

Trains

Buses

 

6.45am – Full Update 

Roads

The district’s roads are looking clear so far this morning, keep checking for today’s traffic hotspots.

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

Trains

Buses

 

6.30am – Full Update 

Roads

The district’s roads are looking clear so far this morning, keep checking for today’s traffic hotspots.

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

Trains

Buses

 

Stray Views: Harrogate park and ride was a great idea – what happened?

Stray Views is a weekly column giving you the chance to have your say on issues affecting the Harrogate district. It is an opinion column and does not reflect the views of the Stray Ferret. See below for details on how to contribute.

What’s happened to the park and ride?

Have I missed something or has the sensible idea of a park and ride for Harrogate been shelved?

While the council continues to charge blindly forward with idiotic cycling/single file traffic schemes thinking that the traffic will disappear, a park and ride really would help reduce cars in the town centre.

So where is it?

Judy Rowson, Harrogate

Encouraging cyclists will make motoring better

Bob Hankinson makes several strawmen in his letter, making the argument that if “everyone shifts to bikes” when clearly not everyone will.

But hopefully enough will that the various roads in Harrogate are relieved of traffic at least to enough of a degree that it isn’t an utterly ridiculous proposal to actually drive into and through Harrogate as it currently is.

Bob is clearly not a cyclist given his complaint about hills and rain, which to most cyclists is neither a problem nor an obstruction. As, I assume, a car driver (his letter has all the hallmarks of someone who spends all morning sat immobile in their car trying to get to work).

Surely Bob would welcome less cars on the road — it would make Skipton Road, Leeds Road and Wetherby Road more of a road and less of a car park from 8am to 10am, wouldn’t you agree Bob?

Alastair Moore, Bilton

What about dog muck, Philip?

It’s great that Philip Allott, the new crime commissioner, is concerned about dog theft. Will he also be stamping out dog muck?

Nigel Heptinstall, Darley

The Stray Ferret is underselling itself

Meeting people on my daily walk, I ask if they receive the Stray Ferret. To those that don’t, I explain how simple it is to sign up and that it’s free.

Invariably this is a surprise to them so the purpose of this letter is to suggest your advertising on shop windows, roundabouts etc should contain the word ‘free’.

My grandfather started the first advertising agency in the north and he instilled into me how strong the word ‘free’ is in marketing. Many years later as a retailer in Harrogate I used this magic word in my advertising with great success.

Keep up your very good work!

David Hill, Harrogate

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Do you have an opinion on the Harrogate district? Email us at letters@thestrayferret.co.uk. Please include your name and approximate location details. Limit your letters to 350 words. We reserve the right to edit letters.