Harrogate Borough Council has been given £141,177 from the government to help reopen high streets in town centres in the district safely.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced yesterday that non-essential shops, such as clothes stores and electronic outlets, will reopen from June 15 and urged people to spend money to help the economy “bounce back”.

Now, councils across the country have been handed money from a £50 million pot to help with measures to make shopping areas safe and will be able to spend the funding from June 1.

The money is designed to fund measures such as new signs, temporary barriers, street markings and marketing campaigns to reassure people that High Streets are safe.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson urged people to spend money to help the economy when non-essential stores reopen from June 15.

It comes as North Yorkshire County Council has already put out temporary bollards in town centres across the district to widen pavements to help social distancing. The authority’s highways chief was forced to defend the measures after criticism from some traders and on social media.

The funding is expected be among the last from the European Union Regional Development Fund which is allocated to the UK Government and handed to councils. The EU fund will finish at the end of this year.

High Streets Minister Simon Clarke MP said:

“As we begin to slowly return to normality, the re-opening our high streets will be key to kick-starting our economic recovery.

“Levelling up the regions and supporting our high streets has always been central to the mission of this government.

“Many businesses have already introduced creative ways of trading such as contactless collection or taking orders by instant messaging and shows that they are ready for the challenges ahead.

“That’s why we are providing an extra £50 million for councils to support a range of safety measures that will help get these businesses back on track and ensure that people can enjoy their time visiting their local high street safely again.”

Harrogate Borough Council has been approached for comment on what it intends to spend the funding on.

Over the last four days we have looked at issues surrounding cycling in Harrogate. We put the questions raised from those reports to North Yorkshire’s highways chief, Don Mackenzie. 

As North Yorkshire County Council struggles to make a dent in its Otley Road project, campaigners have accused the council of having a lack of ambition on cycling. 

When asked whether the authority had a lack of ambition, Councillor Mackenzie said:

“We do have aspirations, but we need funding and we also need to take everyone with us.” 

He added that he was hopeful of starting the first phase of Otley Road next month and that funding was still in place for the project.

Councillor Mackenzie said the council had to speak to a range of people about its highways schemes and could not focus solely on one group. 

“People need to remember that North Yorkshire is a very big county and there are many demands on it. 

“Harrogate cyclists want to get things done, but we have to take everyone with us. We have to work with many other groups, not just cyclists.” 

His answer will be seen as less than emphatic for people who will feel there is no better time to get started while the roads are clear.

Will recent events make a difference?

Earlier this month the Department of Transport announced millions of pounds of extra cash to develop the region’s permanent cycling infrastructure. On Saturday it announced the Yorkshire and Humber region would be allocated a £24.5m emergency active travel grant for new cycling and walking lanes.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said laws had been amended to “reduce red tape and halve the time” it takes for councils to get schemes up and running  – “helping local authorities accommodate for the step-change in behaviour as more people turn to cycling and walking”

Cycling Minister Chris Heaton-Harris said:

“We’re living in a time where many people are cycling and walking more than they did before, and we must build on this opportunity to bring about longer-term change – where active travel is viewed as the default for shorter journeys, long after this crisis has finished.

“This funding for Yorkshire and the Humber will help councils provide more space for walking and cycling and make it easier for people to get out and about and reduce the pressure on public transport.”

Where the extra money will be spent will now be decided. Will the amended laws make a difference? Councillor Mackenzie, who faces the challenge of delivering such projects, will no doubt be hoping so.  

“I’ve had enough” Ali Farr told the Stray Ferret after her wedding plans have been left in ruins.

Ali, a community nurse in Knaresborough and Boroughbridge, and her partner, Ben Cross, a paramedic, had planned to hold their wedding reception at the St George Hotel on May 1st.  More than a hundred guests were due to arrive from as far away as Singapore and Australia. Then lockdown struck and the date was cancelled.

So Ali and Ben re-arranged the whole thing -on the anniversary of day they got together 12 years ago, New Years Eve.  It meant moving everything, it was more expensive and they had to sacrifice the wedding ceremony at St John’s Church. Then a few days ago, Ali  heard the St George had gone into administration:

“I’ve had no correspondence from anybody. We’ve already paid £5,000 – most on credit cards but I think the £800 deposit will be lost because we booked it on a debit card two years ago.

“My dress is at the seamstress, I’ve got the bridesmaid’s dresses, the boy’s suits, I’ve paid a lot of money for the entertainment, the photographer, the videographer and a car.

“I’ve had enough. You don’t know what’s going to happen do you? It’s just tough.”

Throughout the crisis Ali and Ben have been working on the front line of healthcare.

“I am a nurse, Ben’s a paramedic, we’ve got a little girl. We’ve worked throughout the crisis as key workers.

My would-be guests have been lovely – on May 1st they made a video for us. On the day we had a cake to cut, we gave each other a present on the morning and my little girl threw some petals around – she was supposed to be our flower girl. “

Ali and Ben’s guests held a zoom celebration for them to cheer them up

”

Today we report on the growing frustration and noise among the cycle lobby which has campaigned in Harrogate for better cycling routes.

The pandemic has led to fewer cars on the road, cleaner air and a boom in bike sales. These factors have strengthened campaigner’s resolve who see now as the time to push for transformational change.

Around half a dozen cycling and environmental groups exist in the district. All pushing for improvements for cyclists  and pressurising council leaders to deliver.

A lack of ambition, a need for more infrastructure and a sense of frustration were among the complaints from the groups the Stray Ferret spoke to, as promised schemes have yet to come to fruition.

Kevin Douglas, who chairs the Harrogate District Cycle Action group, said a lack of movement on any infrastructure has left cyclists disappointed.

He said: “It is frustrating. They did an excellent job in getting the funding but the delivery is the key.

“During the past five weeks, families and young people have been riding because the roads are quiet and they are doing it because it is safe.”

For others, lockdown has offered an extra boost to the message that more people want to cycle- a view which is backed up by research undertaken before the crisis.

In a survey by Andrew Jones MP last year, nearly half of residents who responded said the town’s cycling facilities were poor and needed to be improved.

Caroline Linford, founder of Sustainably Harrogate, said the town could improve its infrastructure after lockdown and called for more ambition from the county council.

She said that the lack of progress on Otley Road was indicative of the will of those in charge to deliver for the town.

She said: “I think for me what I would like to have seen is using it to make the town move again.”

“There is a lack of action and what I would like to see is some ambition from the county council.”

Tomorrow in our Focus on Cycling series we put the concerns of cycling campaigners to Don Mackenzie, the senior county councillor in charge of highways.

Over the past few years, Harrogate has positioned itself as a cycling destination. It hosted the Tour De France, Tour De Yorkshire and UCI Cycling championships – yet the reality is, it hasn’t completed one of its major cycling routes into town. 

At a time when the voices of cycling groups and environmental campaigners are growing louder, less than a mile of cycle route down the Otley Road has yet to be built and the larger Station Parade “Gateway” project also looks set to be problematic.  

Otley Road: Stage One

£3.2 million was secured in 2018 for a scheme as part of a wider project called the West Harrogate Sustainable Improvement Package.  The money was for a cycle lane from Cardale Park to the Prince of Wales roundabout. 

The first stage from Harlow Moor Road to Harrogate Grammar School had begun but the project was then halted due to coronavirus.

Council bosses have said that the project could re-start next month, the money will be held over.  All this, after two years of waiting. 

This part of the Otley Road cycle lane is Stage Two

Otley Road Stage Two

But Stage Two has run into more serious problems.

It required removing verges from The Stray. The Stray Defence Association urged any removal must be consulted on and, as a result, council bosses have been in lengthy negotiations with the Duchy of Lancaster. 

It means the second phase of the scheme is unlikely to go ahead anytime soon much to campaigners’ frustration. 

But the route is not the only proposal to have been tabled to help boost cycling rates and cut traffic. 

Impression of how Station Parade would look under pedestrianisation plans.

Station Parade

In March, the council secured £7.8 million for a “gateway” project on Station Parade which has to be spent within three years. This scheme aims to create a transport hub – connecting the bus and rail stations to the town centre.  The plan means fewer cars and more space for cyclists and walkers.

After the difficulty of negotiating with different parties to deliver Otley Road though, the gateway scheme faces possibly tougher negotiations. 

Much furore was caused after the gateway plans were unveiled a few years ago and recent bollards put up for social distancing have reignited this fierce debate among traders over the best way to survive the serious economic crisis Harrogate faces.  Any reduction of on-street parking to create space for cycle lanes will face opposition from many retailers. 

So council bosses will have to negotiate through this and, although a large amount of money has been secured, it’s not enough and extra funding is needed from both the district and borough councils. This might prove very hard to find in an age post coronavirus. 

What do those in the cycle lobby think about the progress made on infrastructure projects? Tomorrow we will hear from those pushing for more cycle routes in Harrogate.

Retailers in the district are reporting an increase in the number of bikes sold since the coronavirus crisis began.

Some bike store owners in the district said they’ve seen more people opt for two wheels, with one reporting as selling as many as seven bikes a day.

It comes as the government urged more people to cycle to work as the lockdown eases.

In Harrogate, Prologue Cycling, which deals with performance model bikes, said it had seen good sales during the lockdown period from people who felt they had more time to upgrade their bikes.

Meanwhile, Damian Brooks, manager at Motor World in Ripon, said he had also seen an increase in sales at his store during lockdown.

He said: “I have never known it so busy. Since the coronavirus, people have become very fitness conscious and we are selling six to seven bikes a day. That’s as many as we were selling in a month before the crisis.”

National outlet, Halfords, reported a “better than expected” month in April where shares in the company jumped by 11%.

Grant Shapps, Transport Secretary, said people should consider taking up two wheels as the commute to work changes  and announced a £2 billion funding package to increase cycling and walking capacity across the UK.

Stray Ferret Focuses on Cycling

Over the next three days, The Stray Ferret will explore the debate surrounding the future of cycling in Harrogate in a Focus On Cycling series.

Each morning we will publish a story which will cover how the debate is shaping and what is being done as the call for more cycling lanes grows louder.

Tomorrow we will look at the projects planned in Harrogate and what progress has been made on them.

Make sure you sign up to notifications from The Stray Ferret so you don’t miss a story.

Harrogate Business Improvement District has backed calls for council bosses to listen to businesses over pedestrianisation plans in the town centre.

The organisation joins Independent Harrogate which has argued for local businesses to be listened to over the town centre which it says faces a serious economic crisis.

It comes as temporary pavement widening measures were put in place by North Yorkshire County Council on James Street, Commercial Street and parts of Albert Street last week to help with social distancing.

But the bollards served to reignite opposition to permanently widen some footpaths and lose car parking as a result of a “gateway” plan for the town.

Sara Ferguson, acting chair of the Harrogate BID, said it backed the call for businesses to be listened to and will also ask the county council to urgently review car parking signs in order to make it easier for people driving into the town.

She said: “The temporary measures to assist with social distancing are both necessary and welcomed. They will help make customers and workers more comfortable about returning to Harrogate town centre.

“However, at the same time, it’s imperative that those driving into town by car know where they can park – both on-street and in car parks – and at the same time are not penalised for doing so.

“Harrogate BID is here to represent every town centre business who, between them employ thousands of people. Any plans for further pedestrianisation need to be carefully considered, and must take into account the views of all town centre businesses.

“Another important factor within this needs to be improving traffic flow, which will enhance everyone’s experience driving in and around the town.”

“Our aim is to make Harrogate a must-visit destination; one that is accessible for people arriving by all means of transport, including on foot, public transport, cars, bicycles and scooters.

“In the meantime, we will be asking our partners North Yorkshire County Council for an urgent review into town centre parking signage.”

The temporary bollards put up to widen James Street in Harrogate to help give space for social distancing have served to reignite fierce opposition to a plan to permanently widen the pavements by losing the on street car parking.

A £7.8m pot from the Transforming Cities Fund was secured in March to create a “gateway”  to connect the bus and railway stations with the town centre making it easier for walkers and cyclists.

The plan fits into a wider strategy for Harrogate drawn up by the borough council in its 2016 Town Centre Strategy and Masterplan. It states:

The council’s preferred option is for the full pedestrianisation of James Street. This option will serve to link the public realm schemes at Prospect Square and Station Square.

The gateway scheme though is still subject to extra funding by the county and district councils and further consultation.

Artists impression of the station square and the top of James St from the town centre masterplan 2016

The loss of on street parking or any pedestrianisation of James St is fiercely opposed by retail group, Independent Harrogate. Yesterday in its mission statement, it argued the plan is out of date and that, post coronavirus lockdown, the town is facing such a serious economic crisis, reducing any on-street parking would be a disaster. It urged the councils to:

listen to their business rate payers and to address the damaged fundamentals of Harrogate before proceeding with their long-term vision; and then do so in consultation with Independent Harrogate’s members and all businesses who trade there.

Cllr Don Mackenzie, the county council’s Executive Member for Access told The Stray Ferret that their aim was to keep everyone onboard and to make it easier for shoppers:

“North Yorkshire County Council and Harrogate Borough Council both know that when you talk about pedestrianisation some people get anxious. Some are in favour, others see it as terrible. At this stage re-allocation of the road means taking away car parking spaces and widening the pavements.”

When the consultation starts it’s hard to see how either council will be able to win Independent Harrogate over without significant changes to the proposals.

The money awarded to the project in March has to be spent within 3 years.

Individual schools in the Harrogate district will be left to decide whether it is safe for them to reopen next month.

North Yorkshire County Council said it will give schools their full support and bespoke advice. Each school will need to take a risk assessment.

It comes after the Government set out its road map which involved schools welcoming back some classes from June 1.

Some schools in the Harrogate district may be ready to reopen by then but the council thinks that many will stagger their openings.

There will not be any punishments for parents who decide against sending their children to schools.

More than 200 schools across North Yorkshire have stayed open to vulnerable children and the children of key workers during the coronavirus lockdown.

Stuart Carlton is the Corporate Director of Children and Young People’s Service at North Yorkshire County Council.

He said: “We are advising schools to prepare to be open from June 1 at the earliest, awaiting Government confirmation that they will.

“We are here supporting schools and headteachers as best we can to make the correct and safest decisions in line with Government advice.”

Some councils have taken a different view. Calderdale, Bury, Liverpool, and Hartlepool have all advised against a wider school reopening.

If you are a parent, teacher, or headteacher and have concerns about the schools reopening then please get in touch with the Stray Ferret by  sending us an email.

The number of jobless claims in the Harrogate district soared by around 150% at the start of the coronavirus lockdown.

ONS data shows that on March 12 there were 1,010 claims in Harrogate and Knaresborough and that increased to 2,570 by April 9. Ripon and Skipton saw a similar rise from 745 claims to 1,935.

In the UK, the claims rose at a record month-on-month rate by 69.1% to 2.1 million from March 12 to April 9, 2020.

That’s according to new data from the Office for National Statistics, which can be found here.

Both the Harrogate and Knaresborough as well as the Skipton and Ripon constituencies saw a much higher rise of 150% in claims than the UK average.

Harrogate and Knaresborough MP, Andrew Jones, warned on his website that the unemployment figures could rise as more data becomes available.

“It would be wrong to view these figures as a one-month phenomenon. As the effect of lockdown continues to run through our local economy, as furloughing ends and as lockdown eases we are likely to see more shocks in the unemployment figures.”

It comes as the number of people using Harrogate’s food bank more than doubled when the coronavirus lockdown was introduced.