Just 23 covid infections today as R number falls to 0.8

Just 23 coronavirus infections for the Harrogate district have been announced today by Public Health England.

The figure is well below the record 95 that occurred on November 9 and continues the recent sharp downward trend.

In more good news, the district’s R number, which refers to the rate of spread of the virus, has once again fallen, from 0.9 to 0.8.

It means every 10 people with covid will infect eight, so the virus is declining in the district as a whole.

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The seven-day average rate of infection has fallen to 128 per 100,000 people. It was over 300 three weeks ago.

The England average is 188 and the North Yorkshire average is 164.

Harrogate was placed in tier two restrictions today but this will be reviewed in two weeks time.

Harrogate district pubs were ‘praying for tier one’

Pubs in the Harrogate district have voiced their disappointment at being placed in tier two at the end of lockdown.

Rick Jones, who owns the Water Rat and Valentino’s, said: “We were all praying for tier one. But with a very limited number of areas going into tier one it is not a surprise.”

He expects the impact of tier two to mean that business at the Water Rat pub will be down by around 30% compared to the same time last year.

Mr Jones added: “Celebratory casual drinks in December won’t be happening. There’s only so many times you can go out with your own household. There’s a vaccine in sight. We just have to face this and ride it out.”

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While trade will be down for his pubs, wet-led pubs that cannot serve substantial meals with drinks have to close.

Richard Park, of the Little Ale House, also said: “It is something we were expecting but we are of course disappointed. It just makes no sense to close small, safe pubs like ours.

“Just because we don’t have the capacity to cook substantial meals, whatever that means, we are forced to keep our doors shut.”

Megan Fairweather, the social media secretary at Harrogate and Ripon CAMRA, added:

“After an agonising wait, licensees across the country have had their worst fears confirmed – in all but three council areas in the country, pubs will either be closed or only able to open if they are serving substantial meals.”

Harrogate district to enter tier two restrictions

The Harrogate district will enter tier two restrictions at the end of the national lockdown.

Matt Hancock, the health secretary, will set out the rules each area will be under in the House of Commons today.

However, a government website that has since crashed pre-empted the announcement. Here’s the full list.

When you put in a local postcode it says that the Harrogate district and North Yorkshire is under tier two.

The district is in tier two.

The new rules will come into force next Wednesday, December 2. It is unclear when the restrictions will come to an end.

North Yorkshire had been in tier one restrictions before the second national lockdown.

Local public health officials said in a press briefing yesterday that the coronavirus rates are an indicator of the different tiers.

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Most of North Yorkshire is below the England average seven-day rate of 201 cases per 100,000.

Scarborough and Selby are the only local areas above the national average. They have rates of 280 and 232 respectively.

While Harrogate and Ryedale have the lowest case rates in the area with 147 and 132.

The local officials also said that they would favour a system where North Yorkshire is split into different districts.

What are the rules in tier two?

Tier two:

What about Christmas?

Coronavirus restrictions will be eased across the UK between December 23 and December 27 to allow for a Christmas closer to normal.

It will mean that three households will be able to form a temporary bubble. It must be fixed but there will be no limit on numbers joining bubble.

Those who are self-isolating should not join one of these so-called Christmas bubbles.

If someone is in an at-risk group the government has said they must their their own judgement and consider the risks of mixing over Christmas.

Conservative council leader reports Lib Dems to Information Commissioner

Harrogate Borough Council leader, Richard Cooper, has sent a letter to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) asking for the local Lib Dems’ petitions to be investigated for “data harvesting”.

Cllr Cooper says none of the four petitions were submitted to relevant bodies and were instead an exercise to build a database of contact information. The Liberal Democrats say the accusations are false and a cynical ploy to put people off signing petitions.

In the letter Mr Cooper says he believes the party “may have breached at least three tenets of data protection”.

The ICO was set up to uphold an individual’s data privacy. The ICO told the Stray Ferret it is yet to receive the letter but a spokesperson added:

“When we receive the letter we will assess the information provided and decide whether we need to make further enquiries.”

Cllr Cooper criticised the Lib Dems in the letter saying the purposes of the petitions put forward were not fulfilled:

“My contention is that these petitions breach data protections rules because there is a pattern of behaviour which demonstrates that people’s details were collected for a purpose and then not used for that purpose.”

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The Liberal Democrats have called his accusations “ridiculous and laughable”.

The party says three of the petitions were not submitted but insists the Stray FM petition was sent to Bauer Media.

The campaign manager for the Harrogate and Knaresborough Liberal Democrats, Conor McKenzie, said:

“Let’s set the record straight though. The Stray FM petition was submitted, while other petitions achieved a u-turn before we even had chance to submit them.

“No data has been collected improperly as only those who explicitly told us they would like to will hear from us in future. To falsely suggest otherwise is a blatant attempt to put people off signing any group’s petitions in future. Doing so would be hugely damaging to community engagement and council scrutiny.”

R number falls below 1 in the Harrogate district

The R number has fallen below one in the Harrogate district for the first time since the second wave of the pandemic took off.

The number has fallen to 0.9 — anything below one means the spread of the virus is declining.

Infection rates have fallen dramatically in the second half of November and are now lower than they were at the start of lockdown.

Public Health England confirmed another 36 infections in the district today.

However, leading public health figures suggested at a media briefing today of North Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum, a partnership of agencies that tackles emergencies, the county could be put in tier two or even tier three tomorrow.

However, the national government will decide.

Such a move would devastate many pubs that do not serve substantial meals, as they would be unable to open.

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Today’s briefing also revealed Harrogate District Hospital currently has 31 covid patients, which is four more than last week.

North Yorkshire as a whole has 272 covid patients. There were 302 at the peak of the first wave of the pandemic in spring.

No deaths were reported at Harrogate District Hospital today. However, there were four in the previous three days, bringing the total to 98.

A total of 54 care homes in the county currently have covid outbreaks.

Pupil attendance in schools is 87 per cent.

Central Harrogate has had the most positive cases in the Harrogate district in the last seven days, with 23.

At the opposite end of the spectrum, Pateley Bridge and Nidd Valley has had none.

Harrogate district pubs fear closure as tier announcement looms

Pubs in the Harrogate district have said they are being “demonised” and fear some will not survive if tier two restrictions are announced tomorrow.

Tier two and tier three restrictions stipulate pubs that do not serve “substantial” meals will be unable to reopen when lockdown ends next week.

North Yorkshire public health officials suggested today the county could be placed in tier two, although the national government will decide.

But unless the county is in tier one, there will be no end in sight for the enforced closures of many bars and pubs.

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Harrogate and Ripon CAMRA fears more than 70% of pubs will close in the district under tier two or tier three.

Rural pubs and those in smaller towns will be the ones to suffer most, it added.

Megan Fairweather, social media secretary of Harrogate and Ripon CAMRA, said:

“After the hardest year that pubs have ever faced, the uncertainty of the new tier system does not bring much hope.

“One Harrogate pub informed us just last week that in the first lockdown, they threw away £7,000 worth of alcohol.

“If we are lucky enough to be in tier one, pubs then face the uncertainty of changing tiers. Beer cannot just be served as soon as it arrives in a pub.”

The group has written to Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones asking him to support its campaign against further restrictions on pubs.

‘Safer than shops’

Richard Park, owner of The Little Ale House in Harrogate, said:

“Pubs should not be demonised like this. We are not aware of any infections in our pub, we think it’s much safe here than the shops.

“We are not going to go under but I fear what will happen to other pubs in the area. Pubs try hard to be safe and then we are closed down.”

Alan Huddart, club treasurer of Bilton Working Men’s Club, said:

“We are ready to open but it all hinges on us being in tier one. We don’t serve substantial meals so would be unable to open if we were in tier two.”

Jack Woodruff, co-owner of Harrogate’s Disappearing Chin, echoed his sentiments:

“If we are in tier one it would be tough but it would be okay. But if we are in tier two then we would have to close.

“This has been quite frustrating. We have worked hard and invested a lot in keeping the pub safe.”

£20,000 costs a month

Paul Kinsey, who owns the Viper Rooms, said:

“We can get £3,000 a month from November. My rent, insurance, maintenance and finances cost £20,000 a month.

“So I am not sure what bill that is meant to pay. We still don’t know what a ‘substantial meal’ means and night clubs are still ignored.”

 

Tier one hopes for Harrogate district fade away

The Harrogate district’s hopes of remaining in tier one at the end of the national lockdown seem to be fading away.

Local public health officials, who manage the coronavirus response in North Yorkshire, have been speculating ahead of an announcement tomorrow.

In a weekly coronavirus press briefing this morning, those officials said coronavirus rates can give you a feel for what tiers different areas will be in.

The average case rates in North Yorkshire is 195 per 100,000. England’s average case rates are currently 207 per 100,000.

Areas like Scarborough and Selby are the only areas above the national average at 296 and 240 per 100,000 respectively.

The Harrogate district has seen a drop in case rates in recent weeks. It now has the second lowest rates in North Yorkshire at 157 just above Ryedale at 131.

What tier restrictions will we be under?

The national lockdown ends next week on Wednesday, December 2. When the lockdown ends we will return to restrictions based on three tiers.

North Yorkshire was in tier one before the national lockdown. The government will confirm tomorrow which tiers each area will be under.

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However, local public health officials also said today that they would favour a system where North Yorkshire is split into different districts.

Richard Webb, the corporate director of health and adult services at North Yorkshire County Council, said:

“We don’t have those details on tier restrictions yet. All we have at the moment are the speculation and the drafts we had before lockdown.

“If we look to the criteria that will potentially be in place we hope that most of the county would be in tier two. But we know that some areas could be in tier three.”

What are the three different tiers?

The government has strengthened the tiers. They still range from tier one at medium through tier two at high and tier three at very high.

Tier one:
Tier two:
Tier three:

What about Christmas?

Coronavirus restrictions will be eased across the UK between December 23 and December 27 to allow for a Christmas closer to normal.

It will mean that three households will be able to form a temporary bubble. It must be fixed but there will be no limit on numbers joining bubble.

Those who are self-isolating should not join one of these so-called Christmas bubbles.

If someone is in an at-risk group the government has said they must their their own judgement and consider the risks of mixing over Christmas.

Help give homeless and elderly people free Christmas hampers

The Wesley Chapel in Harrogate is fundraising to buy hampers for people who are alone this Christmas after covid prevented its usual lunch from taking place.

For the past 35 years the Methodist chapel has provided Christmas day lunches for up to 100 people.

All guests are offered a full Christmas dinner, entertainment, carol singing, and a snack before being transported home.

It has given mainly elderly, lonely and homeless people not only a hot meal but also company.

Now it has set up a crowdfunding campaign to buy a minimum of 120 hampers.

Esther Hitchen, a volunteer helper for the Wesley Chapel, said:

“Sadly, this year we are unable to provide a Christmas Day lunch due to the covid restrictions.

“Instead, we are organising hampers, which will be delivered to the door of our guests on the 25th of December.

“We hope it will brighten up their day and help them feel less alone this Christmas.”

Any funds that don’t get used will go towards next year’s Christmas dinner.

You can support the appeal here.

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Sell your bohemian wares at 53 Bo Grove

This article is sponsored by 53 Bo Grove.

When Kyrensa Bentley launched 53 Bo Grove in September last year, she wanted to create an independent bohemian destination for lovers of unique and quirky antiques in and around Harrogate.

Since then, the Aladdin’s cave of vintage, retro and antique delights has developed into a much-loved community space, complete with farm shop and cafe.

And now, collectors and creators in the Harrogate area have the opportunity to launch their own pop-up-shop within 53 Bo Grove.

The team is looking for artists, sewers, knitters, crafters and collectors of vintage clothes and toys to add to the bo-ho market, and is particularly keen to feature eco-friendly products and pre-loved items.

Kyrensa said:

“We feel that by having a collective of sellers, we can offer not just a wide range of products, but a community space for people to visit. Because visitors can get so many different things in one place, you never know exactly what you’re going to find or see.

Although crafters and collectors often sell their products online, I think people are missing visiting physical shops, and with our farm shop, café and collection of different sellers, 53 Bo Grove is a social and tactile experience – it’s underrated how much having a physical space is part of being a retailer.”

Kyrensa and the team look after all of the pop-up-shops, so collectors and makers can continue to collect and make without needing to attend to their shop in person – and the affordable rent and community spirit make 53 Bo Grove the perfect place to transition from online-seller to physical retailer.

To find out more or to book your own pop-up shop, email 53bogrove@gmail.com or call 07957 364962 Monday to Friday.

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New report reveals additional £1.6m civic centre cost

A new council report has revealed it cost £1.6m to fit out the interior of its civic centre at Knapping Mount.

The report, set to go before cabinet next week, sets out the final construction cost at £11.5m and the new figure of £1.6m. The council says that the overall project came under its £13m budget.

It comes after the contractor, Harry Fairclough Ltd, went into administration – delaying the final construction bill.  The report also reveals that the delay was partially caused by negotiations over defects.

The Stray Ferret investigated the overall cost of the move from Crescent Gardens to Knapping Mount in July and put the figure closer to £17m.

We revealed that the council’s calculations for the costs of the civic centre did not take into account the value of the land at Knapping Mount. The land had originally been earmarked for housing.

Read our investigation for a breakdown of how we reached that figure.

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We also reported on how the decision to build a circular building could have added up to 20% onto the build cost – making the design and construction expensive.

In our calculations in July we had a figure of £400,000 for the fit out costs and £865,000 for design expertise. The newly confirmed figure of £1.6m for fitting out the building makes the true overall cost to the tax payer at more than £17m.

The council disputed our figures. It argued that the overall cost was lower because of money received in the sale of its other premises.

From the sale of its other council buildings, this new report identifies an extra £2.47m saving which the council has described as a “massive saving”.

The Stray Ferret’s investigation has not disputed the council’s figures.   We argued that the council could have also benefited from the sale of the land at Knapping Mount which we estimated at £4.5m with outline planning permission and built a cheaper building in a cheaper location.

Cllr Graham Swift, the deputy leader at Harrogate Borough Council, said ahead of the cabinet meeting:

“Cabinet made a strong commitment to publishing the overall costs of the civic centre project, but this has not been possible before now.

“We have an amazing new civic centre which we can all be proud of, and we have achieved significant savings against the original overall budget in the process.”