German supermarket chain Lidl has submitted plans to open its first store in Harrogate.

If approved, the supermarket would create about 40 full and part-time jobs on the site of the former Lookers car dealership on Knaresborough Road.

The multi-million pound proposal includes a 1,263 square metre sales area, an in-store bakery, customer toilets and 94 parking spaces.

It would open from 8am to 10pm Monday to Saturday and 10am to 4pm on Sunday.

Lidl GB said in a statement a public consultation in November revealed 87 per cent of more than 1,000 responses supported the scheme.

Harrogate Borough Council must now adjudicate on whether to accept plans to redevelop the site, which is surrounded by hoardings.

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Robert Beaumont, Lidl property director for the north of England, said:

“Following this extremely positive feedback, we have now submitted a planning application for the site to Harrogate Borough Council.

“We have been looking forward to bringing a new store to Harrogate for a while and we hope that the council agrees that this is a great location for a new supermarket to serve the local community.”

Lidl entered the UK market in 1994 and now has more than 800 stores across the country, including one in Knaresborough.

Harrogate businesses could be in line for further financial support as more grants have been announced by the government.

Rishi Sunak, Chancellor of the Exchequer, unveiled a one-off top up grant of up to £9,000 for retail, hospitality and leisure businesses amid the national lockdown.

The funding comes as part of a £4.6 billion package and the grants will be based on the rateable value of each business.

The government expects the grants will help to support more than 600,000 businesses.

Read more:

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• Harrogate district daily coronavirus cases hit another record high
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Mr Sunak also announced a further £594 million worth of discretionary funding for local authorities to target those who will not be eligible for the grant but might be affected by the lockdown.

He said:

“The new strain of the virus presents us all with a huge challenge – and whilst the vaccine is being rolled out, we have needed to tighten restrictions further.

“Throughout the pandemic we’ve taken swift action to protect lives and livelihoods and today we’re announcing a further cash injection to support businesses and jobs until the Spring.

“This will help businesses to get through the months ahead – and crucially it will help sustain jobs, so workers can be ready to return when they are able to reopen.”

It comes as businesses in the district reacted to the announcement of a further national lockdown.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced on Monday evening that a new lockdown would come into force, with a stay at home order.

Sandra Doherty, chief executive of Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce, said the measures would be difficult but were necessary to reduce transmission until the vaccination took effect. She said:

“It’s going to be incredibly tough for all businesses over the coming months, and sadly not all will survive into the spring.

“Until we can resume life as we knew it in pre-covid days, the Government is going to have to continue its support to businesses, and extend it to those self-employed people who have so far not received any financial help at all.”

Harrogate Borough Council has confirmed it spent £57,360 on legal fees for the Flaxby judicial review, after initially refusing to reveal the figure.

The Stray Ferret sent the council a request under the Freedom of Information Act asking how much it had spent on the case, which was heard at the High Court in London in October.

But the council said the information was exempt from disclosure because its lawyers’ legal fees should remain private.

We requested an internal review of this decision. Joanne Barclay, acting chief solicitor for corporate services, has now overturned the council’s decision not to disclose and revealed the fee it paid.

I have reviewed this matter and I consider that the legal fees relating to the Flaxby Park Limited case should be disclosed.

“Harrogate Borough Council has spent £57,360 on legal fees regarding Flaxby Park Limited’s judicial review. At the time, the Council responded to your EIR request, it was considered to be reasonable not to release information relating to third parties.

“However, upon further consideration the Council has decided that this information should be disclosed.”

During October’s judicial review, the judge, Mr Justice Holgate, rejected a request by the council to be spared costs. He also ruled the council should pay 15% of Flaxby’s costs.

A spokesperson for Flaxby previously told the Stray Ferret 15% would amount to a “significant five-figure sum”.

The Harrogate district appeared to be much quieter today as people seemed to embrace the national lockdown rules.

With schools, shops and hospitality businesses closed, residents have been instructed only to leave home for a few essential reasons, including shopping for food and medicine, and to exercise outside.

The measures are designed to reduce the coronavirus case rates, which have spiked in North Yorkshire as well as elsewhere in the country, by significantly reducing contact between people.

It is unclear when the lockdown will end, but it will be reviewed again in mid-February.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the new restrictions yesterday evening in response to an “alarming” rise in coronavirus cases.

The Oxford-AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine will arrive in North Yorkshire by the end of the week – but Harrogate’s vaccine centre remains closed today.

Health leaders in the county hailed the arrival of the new vaccine today in an emergency coronavirus press briefing to reflect the latest national lockdown.

More care home residents will be able to access the vaccine as it is easier to transport, they promised in the meeting.

With coronavirus cases rising rapidly and the test positivity rate more than three times what it was before Christmas, they think the new vaccine is a “light at the end of the tunnel.”

Harrogate District Hospital also started vaccinating yesterday, with 700 staff understood to have booked for vaccine this week.

Good news about the new vaccine seems to be contrasted by an empty Yorkshire Event Centre, which has reportedly been closed for multiple days over Christmas and the new year.

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Amanda Bloor, accountable officer for the Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG)in North Yorkshire, did not say why Harrogate’s vaccine centre remains closed today. However, she said:

“I know quite rightly that there is an enormous amount of hope from the vaccine and the opportunity to roll that out as soon as possible.

“Deployment of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine started yesterday and we anticipate delivery of that vaccine in North Yorkshire towards the end of the week.”

The Stray Ferret has pressed North Yorkshire CCG for further answers about the Harrogate vaccine centre, after being contacted by numerous concerned residents. We asked which days it had been open, how many vaccines had been delivered there and when it was likely to reopen.

In response, a spokesperson for the CCGs said today:

“Health professionals have been working tirelessly over the festive period to offer the coronavirus vaccine to priority groups where supplies have allowed.

“The showground has been taking deliveries of the vaccine and staff have vaccinated many vulnerable patients, including care home residents and staff over the festive period.

“Our message to everyone is to ask them to please be patient. You will be contacted when the time is right.

“Please do not ring your surgery to ask about the vaccine – there is lots of information on the NHS website.

“Our surgeries need to keep their phone lines free for patients requiring urgent care.”

A Harrogate woman whose sense of taste and smell has not recovered since she caught covid in March has said the creation of a long covid clinic in Harrogate offers “light at the end of the tunnel”.

Daniela Stockmann believes she caught covid the week before lockdown in March. Ms Stockmann is a young and active woman but says covid left her breathless.

At first, it felt like flu but then she lost her sense of taste and smell and began to struggle breathing.

In March she experienced severe pain, which she says “felt like my senses burnt away”.

Almost nine months on, Miss Stockmann still hasn’t fully regained her senses or energy. She can’t smell candles and a variety of foods are either tasteless or have a “rotten and chemical” taste. She added:

“It can be really frustrating. I start to smell and taste some things again then I discover I can’t with some things anymore.

“This week, for example, I had a hot chocolate with a piece of dark chocolate on top and it tasted vile. Anything burnt, even slightly, as well is really difficult for me to eat.”

Simple ingredients, such as garlic, onions and peppers have been removed from Ms Stockmann’s diet as she tries to learn more about her long-lasting symptoms.

Miss Stockmann also suffers from irritable bowel syndrome and says coronavirus has added to the list of foods she cannot eat, which has caused her to lose weight.

She said:

“I have tried to speak to my doctor but they couldn’t do anything. They didn’t know how to help because no one has been through it properly. It left me quite isolated.”

Read more:

• Today, the Harrogate district has recorded its highest number of covid cases since the start of the pandemic.
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Ms Stockmann says she can still be left out of breath after a dog walk and can’t do as much at the gym anymore.

The news of a long covid clinic coming to Harrogate came as a relief to Ms Stockmann, who is hopeful it will help her understand why she has yet to fully regain her senses.

“I’m hesitant to keep ringing my doctors because I feel like I am wasting their time. I just suffer in silence.”

She is a member of several online forums and has discovered other long covid sufferers with similar symptoms. She hopes her story will encourage others to speak out and understand how serious coronavirus can be for all ages.

Ms Stockmann doesn’t know how long her symptoms will last but hopes if she is referred to the clinic by her GP she will find answers.

Arthurs Avenue has more potholes reported than any other road in Harrogate, according to statistics from North Yorkshire County Council.

The avenue, which Harrogate Grammar School is situated on, had 17 potholes reported In the year April 1 2019 to March 31 2020.

Roads in the west of Harrogate appear to attract the most complaints.

Arthurs Avenue displays some of the scars from work on its surface.

The second most reported road for potholes was nearby Rossett Drive, with 12.

Another street in the vicinity, Pannal Ash Road, was joint third, along with Oakdale and Wayside Avenue, with 11.

The council, which is the highways authority for the county, supplied the figures after the Stray Ferret submitted a request under the Freedom of Information Act.

Walks around Pateley Bridge, Ripon, Boroughbridge and Harrogate are among those included in a new campaign to promote Yorkshire as the walking capital of the world.

The year-long initiative, known as Walkshire, began yesterday. It includes 365 walks in God’s own county — one for every day of the year.

Tourism agency Welcome to Yorkshire, which is behind the campaign, hopes it will encourage more people to discover Yorkshire’s spectacular scenery and history on foot.

Routes in the Harrogate district include:

53 miles of the Nidderdale Way

14 miles Bramhope to Harrogate via Arthington viaduct

9 miles Ripon to Fountains Abbey

8 miles Hackfall woods near Masham

5 miles Thruscross reservoir

6.5 miles Burton Leonard, Copgrove and South Stainley

2 miles Ripon canal

The routes can be viewed here:

Arthington viaduct. Credit: Welcome to Yorkshire

James Mason, chief executive of Welcome to Yorkshire, said:

“2020 has been a tricky year for all and certainly a time to reflect on the importance of health and well-being so what better way to start the new year and continue through 2021 than promoting walking in Yorkshire to the world and welcoming visitors to the most diverse of counties.”

The campaign features a daily walk and businesses can sponsor and nominate routes.

There are four big seasonal walks and special plans for Yorkshire Day on August 1, as well as a Tour de Walkshire to replace the postponed Tour de Yorkshire cycle race.

People are invited to participate in Walkshire by sharing their own favourite walks using the hashtag #Walkshire.

Harrogate-based Yorkshire Cancer Research is the official charity partner of Walkshire.

A North Yorkshire MP has called on police to fine people who flout covid travel rules.

Kevin Hollinrake said many people in tier three areas had travelled to lower tiers because of the “greater freedoms”.

North Yorkshire moved from tier two to tier three today amid rising infection rates.

It is believed people in higher tier areas, such as Leeds, frequently travelled to the Harrogate district’s pubs and restaurants, which were still open until today.

Mr Hollinrake, the Conservative MP for Thirsk and Malton, said this movement of people had increased the spread of the virus.

He told the House of Commons yesterday:

“We would definitely want to move travel restrictions from guidance to being an offence.

“That would prevent a lot of the travel we are seeing, with many people moving from different parts of the country into our area, which is increasing infection rates.

“When the police have used their powers in terms of mixing within hospitality venues or households, that has been very effective, and the word has gone round quickly.

“It would have a similar effect if we started to fine people for travelling without good cause.”

Mr Hollinrake reiterated his call for the government to consider applying different tier restrictions to different districts in North Yorkshire. He said:

“North Yorkshire is a huge place: our districts are the size of counties in other parts of the country.

“Putting a huge county such as North Yorkshire into one tier masks huge differences in the infection rate among districts.

“Some districts have an infection rate that is two or three times that in other districts, so it is possible that some of our districts should be in a higher tier and some in a lower tier. We should consider that.”

Mr Hollinrake also called for grants to businesses forced to close to be increased.

Pubs and restaurants in the Harrogate district have spoken of their frustration at the abrupt move into tier three just hours before their “biggest day of the year”.

Hospitality venues across the district would usually be buzzing with excitement on New Year’s Eve.

But instead most venues are closed, with only takeaways possible.

All the restaurant and cafe owners the Stray Ferret spoke to today agreed with the need for stricter restrictions but insisted more notice should have been given, as they have been left with unused stock.

Simon Cotton, managing director of the HRH Group whose properties include the Fat Badger, White Hart Hotel and the Yorkshire Hotel, said:

“I agree stricter restrictions are needed to get a grip on the virus but giving us such little notice is unacceptable. It’s a kick in the teeth for the biggest day of the year taken away with just a few hours notice.

“Frustration — that would be the word I use to sum up the year.”

Mr Cotton said food would be wasted this weekend as charities are unable to make use of perishable items at such short notice.

Many businesses have been trying to use up stock.

The Smiths Arms in Beckwithshaw posted on Facebook it would donate to the Harrogate Hospital and Community Charity.

The Little Ale House micropub in Harrogate said it would be selling cask and keg beers at reduced prices.

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The Dining Room restaurant in Boroughbridge changed its business model this year by moving to daytime-only trade during the week and saving its fine dining for Friday and Saturday evenings.

The owners will continue with their plans to serve takeaways this evening but said yesterday’s announcement would have a major impact on trade. Co-owner Chris Astley said:

“Luckily we won’t waste stock because we can still go ahead with our takeaways but it doesn’t make the past year easier.

“I am relieved because when you have people turning up, clearly from different households, it is very difficult to manage. We just have to keep going.”

The Dining Room in Boroughbridge will go ahead with its plans to offer takeaway food tonight.

Sarah Williams, runs Scarlett’s Vintage Tea Rooms in Knaresborough, said she was expecting the announcement:

“It’s not unexpected especially when you look at the data. Of course it’s not what you want to do but it is the right thing to do.

“We had a successful summer and have received grants, which mean we are surviving and aren’t in any danger of closing but not everyone has been so lucky.”