Public support vital for Harrogate’s first community woodland

Plans for a 30-acre community-owned woodland are dependent on public support to meet an ambitious financial deadline.

Harrogate community project, Long Lands Common, has to raise £300,000 by mid-November if it is to succeed. Currently the amount raised stands at just over £60,000, less than a third of what is required. It would mean 4,765 individual purchases of a £50.00 share are needed.

The greenbelt plot of land stands between Bilton Triangle and The Avenue in Starbeck. An official shareholding scheme was launched last week to allow people to buy into the community project.

Jo Smalley, Membership Secretary of Long Lands Common, said:

“Our fundraising target to purchase the land is currently November 20 as agreed by the landowner. Despite the encouraging response so far, we know we cannot be complacent and must continue to push on with determination. There is a lot of hard work going on behind the scenes by our experienced team of volunteers to put us in the best position to make the project a success. It is humbling to be working alongside such a committed team of local people.”

Long Lands Common Limited (LLCL) is made up of volunteers from the Nidd Gorge Community Action Group, the team responsible for blocking North Yorkshire County Council’s plans to build a relief road through Nidd Gorge.

The committee’s vision is for the Harrogate community to come together to create an accessible space for families, future generations and wildlife habitats.

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LLCL have said the space will be hugely beneficial for the Harrogate district’s mental health. The project will also support the Northern Forest’s goal which is to plant 50 million trees across Northern England.

A duck pond, wildflower meadow, sensory garden and woodlands craft area has been included in visionary plans. Sights are also set on a children’s woodland and educational area to support learning. Over 1500 people have pledged their interest to date.

Ms Smalley said:

“A £300,000 target is of course an ambitious one but we are feeling confident given the support we have received so far from the communities of Harrogate and Knaresborough in the pledging stage, and those people who have already gone on to buy their shares since they went on sale just two weeks ago. We appreciate the support very much and look forward to seeing the rest of our pledges turned into pounds!”

Volunteers are asking for all who have shown an interest to further their support by buying shares. Shares have to be bought in £50 lots, with the minimum amount set at £50 up to £37,500.

Shares can be bought on behalf of an organisation, business, as a gift or donated as inheritance wishes. Anyone buying shares has to be at least 16 years of age.

To learn more and buy shares, go to the Long Lands Common website. 

New Harrogate rescue centre rehomes 19 cats

While most independent businesses were forced to close down during lockdown, one local cat rescue has thrived since it first opened in April.

Celia Dakin, owner of Harrogate Cat Rescue, had always planned to open a centre for rehoming stray cats.

Due to the covid-19 pandemic, many national animal charities had to stop neutering feral animals, including cats, and this has increased the number of kittens being born without a loving home. Celia felt this was the perfect opportunity to set up a rescue business.

In just over three months, the rescue centre has rehomed 19 cats and kittens and is currently in the process of homing a further 10 kittens and three adult cats. Celia has always been ‘cat mad’ and has two 11-year-old cats of her own, Geoff and Lady.

Celia told the Stray Ferret:

“Initially, I was approached by a lady who told me that there was a fairly large colony of cats where she worked, and that she had seen kittens. So, I started my rescue.”

Celia runs her business from her home in Harrogate, which has a no-kill policy. This means that no healthy or treatable cats are euthanised or killed even if the shelter is at full capacity.

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She currently houses a poorly five-year-old shorthair cat, Mack, who tested positive for feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), an incurable viral infection.

He has a large wound on the side of his neck caused by a cat bite, which has now become ulcerated. He also needs dental surgery to remove his rotten teeth. Despite his tough life, Mack has a friendly nature and is in need of a loving home.

The cat lover currently has 22 cats in foster care, including Emily, a six-year-old Ragdoll and Bengal crossbreed, who was sent to Celia when her owners chose to travel abroad.

The rescue encourages new owners to get their cats neutered at four months old, if they haven’t been already.

Celia said:

“I believe that every cat deserves a chance, as most stray and outdoor cats have been failed by humans. I am active in encouraging co-operation between me and other rescues in Yorkshire, with the aim of working together for the benefit of all cats.”

“Neutering cats is an extremely high priority; unneutered males age quicker and are more prone to disease, as they have to fight for food, females and survival. Unneutered females leave home as their hormones dictate and are repeatedly raped by the unneutered males, leading to multiple pregnancies, causing stillbirth, deformity and disease.”

All cats and kittens that are cared for by the Harrogate Cat Rescue receive a veterinary health check, flea and worm treatment, microchip and at the least their first vaccination. The adoption fee for an adult cat or kitten is £90 each.

To find out more about the adoption process, visit the Harrogate Cat Rescue website.

No coronavirus deaths at Harrogate hospital for a month

Today is the first time that Harrogate District Hospital has gone a full month without reporting a single coronavirus death.

It has been a long road to this point. The hospital reported its first covid-19 death on March 20 and the most recent – the 82nd – on July 19. That patient died four days earlier on July 15.

The district hospital said at the end of July that it had no coronavirus positive patients for the first time since the start of the pandemic. It has not revealed since whether it has taken on any new patients.

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This is the longest time that the hospital has gone without reporting a coronavirus death. The second longest time was for 16 days at the start of July.

Now Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust faces a different challenge. The trust is trying to get as many people as possible to sign up to the local coronavirus vaccine trial.

Despite there being no coronavirus deaths for a month the NHS has extended its contract to keep NHS Nightingale Yorkshire and the Humber as a hospital until March 2021.

That move may not have gone down well with those in the events and hospitality sector locally but the NHS wants to stay prepared in case a second wave hits in winter.

Harrogate College to offer extra support to new students

Harrogate College has put several measures in place for new students who will have had six months off from learning and for those who may not get the GCSE grades they need.

The further education college teaches vocational courses and BTEC qualifications. It’s concerned that many of its students arriving next month will have been away from a teaching environment for six months and may find returning to learning difficult.

The college is also providing additional teaching for students who need to pass their GCSE in maths and english for a particular course and hired more pastoral and counselling support staff.

Principal of the college, Danny Wild, said:

“We are expecting this cohort to do the same as what we’ve seen in the previous three or four years because the grades are assessed in the centres. There is a place for them here to get to where ever they want to be. We will help and support them in every way. If they haven’t received the grade they want we can put plans in place for them to start on a level two course.

“We always knew we’d have to put additional support in place after most students have had six months off. Regardless of their grades we are confident we have the right plans in place. This is just a small bump in the road for students they can get to where they want to be regardless of their grades.”

Harrogate college student

New and returning students can expect there to be new safety measures in place.

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The college is putting further measures in place to facilitate students hoping to begin an apprenticeship. The college has said some of its partner businesses are struggling to accept students within the current climate but hopes the government’s monetary incentives will encourage them to hire again.

When the college reopens a ‘bubble’ system will be in place to control the chances of coronavirus. Its measures should ensure that if there is a positive case the disruption will be limited to a small group of students and staff.

 

Turkish Baths Harrogate to reopen after five months

Turkish Baths Harrogate will reopen this week five months after the coronavirus pandemic forced its closure.

For now the baths will only be able to open for treatments on Friday. It is unclear when the sessions will get the green light.

A spokesperson for Turkish Baths Harrogate said that the sessions will remain closed for a “little while longer”.

The baths used the time to renovate its 123-year-old flooring. The council said it could have become dangerous.

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A report seeking retrospective approval for the work detailed how Harrogate Borough Council needed to spend close to £30,000.

In the report, the council said that the floor is showing signs of water egress, wear in grouted joints, and cracks in the terrazzo.

Harrogate Borough Council also launched a consultation into dropping single-sex sessions. Moving to mixed-sessions only would reflect “equality and balance,” according to the council.

Meanwhile, the historic venue is set to become part of a new local authority controlled company (LACC), along with the district’s pools and gyms, as part of an overhaul of leisure services.

Drop in number of deliberate fires across Harrogate district

The number of deliberate fires started across the Harrogate district has halved this summer compared to the same time last year.

Data from North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service has revealed there were 17 deliberate fires during June, July and August this year, down 50% from last year’s 35 recorded incidents.

However, the fire service has urged people to think about their actions, emphasising that the time spent dealing with a deliberate fire is taken from someone who may be in danger.

A spokesman for North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service said:

“Over the last few months North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service has attended a number of fires in the Harrogate district that are believed to have been started deliberately. While we are responding to these fires we are not available to respond to other emergencies.

“Starting fires is usually a criminal offence and can endanger lives. We’ve also been to a few campfires that have been left unattended or have spread. Please only light campfires in safe, designated areas and make sure they’re fully extinguished.”

Small woodland fire

Fires in woodlands and outdoor spaces are particularly dangerous. If left unattended or not extinguished properly, they can spread quickly.

The fire service believes some of the fires could have been started by young people. It has offered advice to parents to ensure that, as the summer holidays continue, children stay safe. It said:

Parents can get confidential advice by calling 0800 074 0064 or emailing safeguarding@northyorksfire.gov.uk.

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Harrogate students ‘panicking about the future’ despite grades U-turn

The government U-turn on A level results has left local students with concerns about what the future holds.

The government has promised to reverse the standardisation process which saw an average of 37% of grades changed in the Harrogate district, and award the teachers’ assessed grades.

However, for students who lost their university place last week and will now have their grades increased, it could still be too late for them to access their chosen courses in September.

India Taylor, a former student of Harrogate Ladies’ College, said she received BCE on Thursday after Ofqual has changed her Spanish grade from a B to an E. She said:

“I felt completely broken when I received the email on Thursday morning. I had an unconditional offer to study psychology at Leeds Beckett but I was hoping to be able to ‘trade up’ and get into the University of Leeds. But none of the ones I wanted to go to said they would accept me with an E.

“I was planning on deferring a year in order to sort out the appeals process and potentially sit the exams but I am now waiting to hear back from universities following the announcement. I’m glad the government has decided they need a better method – it was unfair to judge people’s efforts based on those at the school before them.

“I think they still could have done more as many people were rejected by their firm choice university and have spent the days since Thursday panicking about the future.”

Harrogate Ladies' College

Student India Taylor is hopeful her teacher-assessed grades from Harroagte Ladies’ College will be good enough to get into her chosen university.

Mark Sellers, a retired teacher from Harrogate and a parent of an A-level student, has raised concerns for those students who had high predicted grades but the grades calculated by their teachers were much lower.

He said:

“My son’s school predicted him AAB but the centre assessed grade they sent to Ofqual was DCB. He can’t go to his favoured university in Newcastle but now he has to go back to study for exams in October.

“His school has now offered him support but others may not. Many modules weren’t finished and I am concerned that all those kids without the grades they wanted will struggle. They may fail again because they haven’t been given the help, they’re throwing them on the scrap heap.

“I sent a letter to my MP to let him know something has to be done, I want him to agree to raise it in the House of Commons for schools to provide the support to these kids. I believe schools have a moral obligation to help them; in a few years it’ll impact them and there will be mental health issues following this too.”

The Stray Ferret asked all local MPs for a comment, including Mr Sellers’ local MP Andrew Jones, but none had replied at the time of publication.

Harrogate’s hospitality sector says Nightingale extension has ‘huge impact’

The seven month extension to the NHS contract at Harrogate Convention Centre has forced local business to call for clarity saying it will have a “huge impact”.

After weeks of uncertainty regarding the Nightingale hospital it was announced last night that the contract has been extended until the end of March 2021.  A review will go ahead in October to review the need for the 500-bed hospital.

Local businesses which relying on the events trade said they want information.

Andrew Manby, director of events firm Joe Manby Ltd, said:

“This will have a major impact, particularly on the town’s services. At the moment the autumn is under question, we don’t know what will be available. The bigger impact will be for the beginning of next year. We are looking at January currently and it’ll be interesting how they will make it work. There is an absolute lack of clarity about the situation, on our end we were hoping for some clarity as the position going forward is uncertain.

“It may be available from December if they pull out during the October review. Anyone who works with the events centre will be affected, we haven’t had that clear decision today or at all.”

Inside of Harrogate's Nightingale Hospital

The continuing use by the NHS means the convention centre is unable to plan ahead for future events.

Kim Wilson, chairman of Accommodation Harrogate and a B&B owner, said:

“We were pretty sure something was going to happen. January/February are our quietest months anyway asides from the big show which were already cancelled. We’d want the events back to normal but if they are cancelled already we’d want the event centre open as soon as possible. This will have a big impact on the bed and breakfasts, hotels, pubs and restaurants locally it could put them in a significant situation.”

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Last month £3 billon of funding was announced for the Nightingale hospitals across the UK to be maintained until the end of March if needed.

The temporary hospital hasn’t treated a single coronavirus patient but will remain in place for a further seven months amid fears of a winter spike of coronavirus.

The facility has been used for outpatient CT scans since early June.  Details of the financial contract between the NHS and HBC for this extension have not yet been made public.

Trespass store in Harrogate holds ‘closing down sale’

Harrogate’s Trespass store has put up signs to warn customers that it is closing down.

The outdoor clothing shop on James Street plans to close its doors for good on October 21 – one of many to close following the coronavirus lockdown.

That date is subject to negotiations with the store’s landlord.

It had only reopened on June 15. Now the shop is holding a closing down sale in an attempt to clear its stock.

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The Stray Ferret has approached Trespass for a comment on the closure but received no response by the time of publication.

Several jobs at the store will go with the closure. The Trespass store in Leeds also plans to close on the same date in October.

The closure of Trespass follows a difficult pattern for James Street in recent months with the closure of Jack Wills and also Laura Ashley.

 

More than a third of all Harrogate A-level grades to be changed

More than a third of all A levels taken in Harrogate will now be changed back to the grades given to them by their teachers after the government’s U turn this afternoon.

The move comes after an outcry from students who received much lower grades than they expected, impacting their future plans.

The grades had been calculated within colleges and then sent to Ofqual for standardisation.

Colleges and sixth forms in Harrogate have supplied the Stray Ferret with the percentages of grades changed – the total average figure amounts to 37% – more than a third of all exam results.

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King James’ Sixth Form in Knaresborough reported 80% of student’s grades were changed. The school couldn’t be specific about the percentage of grades so weren’t included in the average.

Both post-16 centres in Ripon, Ripon Grammar School and Outwood Academy, were yet to respond when the Stray Ferret went to publication. Boroughbridge High School sixth form did not want to be included.

Earlier in the day the local Liberal Democrat leader, Geoff Webber, said the government had “failed abysmally” and would welcome the use of teacher’s predicted grades:

“What is absolutely clear is that the system the government introduced for this year has failed abysmally and the lack of any clear direction has led to total confusion and anguish for students and parents. I think that the safest way to proceed is to use teacher’s assessments and if that leads to grade inflation in the current academic year then so be it.”