A recruitment crisis at Betty’s forced the famous cafe to close its doors early last week — and other Harrogate hotels, pubs, and restaurants have spoken of difficulties in employing people.
But could Harrogate’s notoriously high rental and property costs be to blame?
The average rental property in Harrogate for a one-bedroom flat is £656 a month. For an adult earning full-time minimum wage at a local bar, this would make up more than half their monthly pay packet — and that’s before council tax, bills and other expenses.
The Stray Ferret spoke to two people who work in housing in Harrogate to ask if the two are linked.
Sarah Hart helped create Harrogate Community Land Trust four years ago after becoming demoralised with the cost of housing in the town.
She thinks high living costs have made Harrogate an unviable option for people earning hospitality wages. She predicts more venues will be forced to reduce their opening hours due to staff shortages.
“House prices and rents have been pushed up even further whilst wages haven’t. It’s a crucial link and we’re at a critical point. It’s not a housing crisis, it’s becoming an armageddon situation.”
Ms Hart says that with both petrol prices and housing costs increasing, hospitality workers who could commute to Harrogate from Bradford and Leeds will decide to find jobs closer to home.
She believes an intervention in the housing market such as rent caps is needed so hospitality workers can afford to rent in the town.
Rent caps have been used in Germany and the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan also believes it could help solve the housing inequalities in the capital.
Ms Hart added:
“Housing in Harrogate benefits the few and not the many.
“If people had lower rent they’d have a higher disposable income.
“I met someone from Harrogate paying 60% in housing costs. There’s nothing left at the end of the day. No money for summer holidays or for her kids to do to stuff. If she had a lower rent she’d have money to spend in the local economy. It’s as basic as it gets.”
Harrogate-based property consultant Alex Goldstein believes that job shortages in hospitality are primarily due to covid and not high property or rental prices.
Mr Goldstein said property prices and rents have increased in Harrogate whilst wages have stagnated but he believes it’s wrong to suggest that Harrogate’s economy is overly dependent on low-paid hospitality workers. He thinks that increasing housing costs are good for the town as it brings in investment.
He said:
“Some people feel they’ve been left out in the cold. You’ve got to earn your keep. If you can’t afford to live in Harrogate you should move elsewhere.
“You work up the ladder and Harrogate opens up for you. You’ve got to bide your time. If you can’t afford something, you can’t afford it. A lot of society wants it here and the world doesn’t work like that.”
On the subject of rent caps, Mr Goldstein said the “draconian” measure would unfairly hurt investors who purchase buy-to-let properties in Harrogate which he believes gives the local economy a boost. He said: “We can’t make sweeping changes to the market”.
He added:
“Harrogate has always been an expensive part of the world and it’s increased hugely.
“But there will always be winners and losers.
“I would like to live in Mayfair with a Lamborghini, but I can’t afford it.”
Owners of Harrogate hospitality venues have complained for years that it’s not easy to fill roles pulling pints or waiting tables in the town.
Whether this is because of low wages, Brexit, undesirable working conditions, too many bars and restaurants, or high living costs, it is difficult to pinpoint the exact reason.
But in Harrogate, there is a feeling the issue of attracting and keeping good hospitality staff won’t be solved anytime soon.
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Tomorrow we’ll be looking at the acute shortage of chefs and the impact of Brexit on the recruitment crisis.
Harrogate Borough Council is set to offer £811,000 for three empty homes in the district.
The homes, which are on Greenfields Drive and Electic Avenue in Harrogate, and Beech Lane in Spofforth, would not be used for social housing but instead would be sold on by HBC on the open market should the offers be accepted by the owners.
Any profits made would go back into buying more empty homes so they can be brought back into use.
There are currently 811 properties across the district that have been empty for six months or longer. Of these, 215 have been empty and unfurnished for over two years. 31 have been empty for over ten years.
The report says:
“Empty homes represent a wasted housing resource; they also pose other problems for local authorities, owners, neighbours, emergency services and the environment. They are often a blemish on an area and can be subject to vandalism and anti-social behaviour.”
A report will go before HBC’s cabinet member for housing and safer communities, Conservative Cllr Mike Chambers, next week that asks him to rubber stamp the move.
If the council’s offers on the three homes are not accepted the report says HBC will consider enforcement action, such as compulsory purchase.
Woman says it’s ‘impossible’ to move to Harrogate whilst on Universal CreditA woman wanting to rent a property in Harrogate says “it seems impossible” to find an estate agent that will accept her because she receives Universal Credit.
Karen Andrew was born and brought up in Harrogate but has lived in Essex for the last 20 years.
After splitting up with her partner she wants to return to be closer to her family but said she feels discriminated against by estate agents and landlords because of her situation.
She also owns a three-year-old Staffy-cross dog which has posed another obstacle in her search for somewhere to live.
She told the Stray Ferret:
“The second you mention Universal Credit or a dog they don’t want to know.
“I want to move back to my hometown and I didn’t think it would be this difficult.”
Ms Andrew, who works part-time at a school and hopes to find a new job in Harrogate, said estate agents need to “look at the bigger picture”.
“Just because you have a dog and are on Universal Credit you’re not a scumbag.”
Universal Credit is a monthly payment for people on low incomes or out of work. It can include a housing element at a rate that is set by the local authority. Ms Andrew is looking for a one-bedroom property in Harrogate at the Local Housing Allowance rate of £523.55.
Ms Andrew said one estate agent, Linley & Simpson, would only recommend her as a tenant to their landlords if she provided six months’ rent upfront which she said she does not have.
She is currently in limbo in Essex whilst she searches for a property in Harrogate that accepts her.
She added:
“We are meant to be a nation of dog and pet lovers but I haven’t found this to be the case while looking for a property to rent.
“Claiming Universal Credit does not mean that you can’t be bothered or don’t want to work. Lots of people on Universal Credit are working but are on a low income.”
A spokesperson for Linley & Simpson told the Stray Ferret that all tenants have to pass a credit check from Goodlord that assesses their financial situation.
They said any decision to allow pets is up to the landlord but that they would be happy to speak to Ms Andrew again to discuss her situation.
They added:
“Our job as the agent is to find a suitable tenant who is capable of covering the cost of the rent for the duration of the tenancy. The same criteria is applied to all applicants.”
Earlier this year, the National Residential Landlords Association called on the government to improve the Universal Credit administration system so the benefit can better support tenants.
Plans to convert Harrogate church hall into townhousesPlans have been submitted to convert a hall that is part of a Grade II listed church in Harrogate into townhouses.
Inglehurst Property has applied to Harrogate Borough Council to create two three-bedroom properties for older people in the hall of Trinity Methodist Church, on Trinity Road, near the Stray.
Under the proposals, a new slate roof would be added to the building as well as an extra floor to accommodate the bedrooms and bathrooms.
Planning documents say the methodist church closed the hall several years ago to raise funds to repair the adjoining church, which opened in 1879.
The hall was sold to the First Church of Christ Scientist, which used it for services until membership dwindled.
Last year, Harrogate’s Muslim community identified the hall as a site for the district’s first mosque but this does not appear to have progressed.
Bilton garages could be demolished for social housingHarrogate Borough Council is proposing to demolish seven garages in Bilton to make way for social housing.
The garages are on Woodfield Close, close to the iron bridge in the Harrogate suburb.
A report presented this week to the council’s cabinet member for housing, the Conservative councillor Mike Chambers says two one-bedroom homes could be built on the site, and more homes might be possible subject to planning permission.
The report says there are 24 garages but only 12 are occupied. Of these, four are used by local residents. It proposes demolishing seven to allow for the development.
The council also plans to build a two-bed property for social rented housing on grassland it maintains on the corner of Poplar Crescent and Poplar Grove.
According to the report, the grassland “is not used for any particular purpose and has no amenity value”.
If the council goes ahead with the plan, it would apply for funding from the government’s £433 million Rough Sleeping Accommodation Programme, which aims to get up to 6,000 rough sleepers into longer term accommodation.
Plans for 36 homes in Goldsborough sent back to drawing board
The council owns and rents out garages across the district and has increasingly looked at the pockets of land as a way to build social housing.
There are currently over 1,700 people on the council’s social housing waiting list.
Last month, the council approved a plan from its own housing team to build three council houses at the sites of two disused garage blocks in Ripon.
Bid to build 170 homes in Knaresborough refused againPlans for a major housing development behind a Knaresborough school have been refused for the second time in two years because of concerns about the “poor” layout and design.
Proposals for 218 homes near Meadowside Academy were first rejected by Harrogate Borough Council’s planning committee in October 2019.
Applicant Geoffrey Holland then scaled back house numbers for the scheme to 170 in his second push for approval. However, these latest plans were thrown out again by councillors at a meeting on Tuesday.
Recommending refusal, council planning officer Kate Broadbank said the Water Lane scheme had a number of “fundamental” issues.
She said:
“One of the site allocation requirements is the provision of a circular recreation route – and this has been provided around the edge of the site.
“However, it is considered to be unsatisfactory, as it is a narrow path between the site boundary and side elevations of dwellings, meaning it is not very well overlooked and would not provide a safe, attractive route.
“The same situation occurred around the open space and children’s play area where houses backed onto this.
“The applicant has tried to overcome this by turning some houses around to face onto the path and play area, however, this has led to an issue with rear gardens now backing onto the streets.
“On the whole, the scheme is considered to lack character or a sense of place.”
At Tuesday’s meeting, an agent for Mr Holland urged the committee to not vote for refusal but instead defer a decision on the plans.
This, again, was rejected by councillors.
The agent said:
“If the layout was fundamentally flawed, we should have been told that six months ago, not last week.
“I urge the committee, bearing in mind that most of the issues have been resolved, that the item be deferred for the final layout negotiations to take place.”
Ms Broadbank responded to say she did not believe a deferral would bring about major improvements to the key parts of the scheme, particularly the layout.
She said:
“My view is that there would not be any fundamental change to the layout if it was to be deferred. We have been in negotiations for quite a long time now and my main concerns were expressed to the applicant last year.
“The revisions I have received to date have not overcome the fundamental issues with the layout which I have to say is probably driven by the number of units.”
The site is allocated for more than 148 homes in the Harrogate district Local Plan 2014-2035, which outlines development in the district until 2035. This means development will happen once councillors are satisfied with detailed plans.
The latest proposals included a mix of one and two-bedroom apartments, as well as two, three and four-bedroom houses.
A total of 81 of these properties would have been classed as affordable.
More than 80 residents had lodged objections against the plans, which did not receive a single letter of support.
Property Gold: The empty homes scandal – who’s the fool?
Property Gold is a monthly column written by independent bespoke property consultant, Alex Goldstein. With more than 17 years’ experience, Alex helps his clients to buy and sell residential property in some of the most desirable locations in Yorkshire and beyond. In this month’s column, Alex takes a look at where things have gone wrong to leave the UK with so many empty homes.
There are 648,114 empty homes – let that sink in for a moment.
That is the number the government published in its report from October last year, on the number of uninhabited homes in the UK. Of this, 225,845 were classed as long-term vacant (empty for longer than six months).
The numbers speak for themselves. However, despite this, why are we continuing to build these mass-volume new-build developments? Why do governments and the media continually report that we aren’t building enough houses to meet demand and there is a housing crisis? Why are youngsters struggling to get on the housing ladder?
If you want my opinion, it all boils down to money, plus governments and councils meddling in a world they just don’t understand, nor are qualified to deal with. Their actions over the past 20+ years have had far-reaching implications for us all and we are now on the brink of yet another scandal to hit the new-build property sector and national economy. Like the tragic events at Grenfell Tower just over four years ago and the subsequent cladding scandal, there doesn’t seem to be any end in sight for ridding ourselves of this greenfield-sucking parasite.
As an example, Harrogate Borough Council didn’t have a Local Plan in place for several years. This resulted in the big PLC developers having an absolute field day, with limited barriers to their proposals. However, these key players can walk away at any point, with limited accountability for the hand they have had in altering the face of the district and UK forever.
Overloaded schools, GP surgeries, roads and infrastructure are problems we all now have to endure, through no fault of our own. In Harrogate district in the same 2020 count, there were 2,208 empty properties. Yet sizeable new-build schemes dotted throughout the area are still going ahead, with more still to come.
Every new-build home sold adds more financial fuel to the fire, and we will simply continue going around in circles until all our green space is gone – and then what?
We are already seeing that empty homes bring about ghost blocks and areas, attracting crime, hitting local house prices and the economy. My concern is that a housing bubble is being created once more. The powers running the country have opened a Pandora’s Box and I don’t believe they know how to close the lid.
So who are the fools in all of this? The government, councils, PLC developers, the new home buyers, or us for not taking a stand when it was needed?
If you have any comments or questions for Alex, please feel free to contact him on alex@alexgoldstein.co.uk
Plans for 77 homes on former Trelleborg factory site in KnaresboroughPlans have been lodged for 77 new homes in Knaresborough on a former factory site.
Developer Countryside Properties has earmarked the former Trelleborg factory on Halfpenny Lane in the town for the houses.
The site is not allocated for housing in Harrogate Borough Council’s Local Plan, but it is included on the council’s Brownfield Land Register, which identifies locations that are considered to be appropriate for redevelopment for residential use.
As part of the proposal, the development would include a mixture of one, two and three-bedroom homes.
Planning documents submitted to Harrogate Borough Council show that 30 per cent of the 77 homes would be allocated as affordable housing.
The developer said in its planning statement:
“The development at Halfpenny Lane will provide an attractive, high quality designed environment to live. The scale and character of the proposals will ensure that the scheme will contribute to and enhance the immediate and surrounding area.”
Harrogate Borough Council will make a decision on the plan at a later date.
Pannal man accuses council of acting ‘unreasonably’ over leaning willowsA Pannal resident is in a battle with Harrogate Borough Council over two willow trees that he believes hang precariously over his house.
Professor Alejandro Frangi, who is an internationally renowned expert on computational medicine, lives by Crimple Beck in the Harrogate suburb with his wife and eight children.
On the other side of the water are several trees, including the two willows that he believes could fall in strong winds and threaten the safety of his young family.
In 2020 he applied to the council to prune and manage the trees. The council agreed to manage some of them, but it refused to touch the willows, saying that work would damage their health.
Instead it placed a Tree Preservation Order (TPO) on them, making it a criminal offence to make any changes.
Prof Frangi has accused the council of “acting unreasonably” over the trees and submitted a formal complaint to the council about the way the saga has been handled.
The council rejected his complaint and said it was satisfied with how it made the decision.
Prof Frangi told the Stray Ferret:
“These trees risk falling on to my side of the river, straight on my property, posing a risk to my family and property. The council has been acting unreasonably, dismissing the risks and putting TPOs on the trees instead of protecting us.”
To help his case, Prof Frangi commissioned arboricultural consultant James Royston to inspect the hazards posed by the trees, and he agreed that one of them could be dangerous.
The report said:
“It is overhanging a house and garden, and it thereby presents a reasonably foreseeable risk of danger to the occupants and visitors of that house and garden.”
However, it doesn’t appear that Harrogate Borough Council will change its position.
Prof Frangi has now lodged an appeal with the government’s Planning Inspectorate about the council’s refusal and hopes it will force them to change their stance.
A HBC council spokesperson said:
“Proposals that result in the thinning, loss of or damage to mature trees that are subject to a Tree Preservation Order (TPO) are not permitted unless there is an overriding need that outweighs loss or harm.
“The trees are mature specimens with no visible health defects, and thinning would have a detrimental impact on their health and the visual amenity of the surrounding area, contrary to the guidance in the National Planning Policy Framework and Policy NE7 of the Harrogate Local Plan.”
“Professor Frangi has submitted appeals against the council’s decisions to refuse consent and the matter is now with the Planning Inspectorate whose decisions are currently awaited.”
145 homes in Ripon given final approval
Harrogate Borough Council officers have given final approval for 145 homes in Ripon.
Harron Homes will build the homes at Bishop’s Glade, off Bellman Walk.
The developer already had outline permission for 131 homes, which was granted by the council in 2017. But the company sought approval for a further 14 last year.
The council’s planning committee deferred the application to the council’s chief planner to approve in June last year.
Now, the development has been given final permission to go-ahead.
The proposal will include a mixture of three, four and five-bed homes. The developer has also agreed to allocate 58 homes as affordable housing.
Harron Homes describes the development as “a hidden gem which borders picturesque woodlands and open fields easily accessible for a morning walk to set you up for the rest of your day”.