Killinghall Cricket Club has submitted plans to demolish its pavilion and construct a two-storey replacement on the same site.
Planning documents sent to Harrogate Borough Council describe the current 1970s structure as “deteriorating and neglected” and would cost more to refurbish than it is worth.
It is poorly insulated with ageing communal showers and the changing rooms lack privacy, the documents say. They add:
“Umpires and female cricketers currently have nowhere designated to get changed, so have to use communal areas, the toilets or come already changed. The facilities for the scorers on matchdays are currently a wooden hut situated next to the clubhouse, which is neither attractive nor very comfortable to sit in.”
Killinghall CC has been on the rise in recent years, Last year the team were crowned first division champions in the Nidderdale and District Cricket League.
The club has opened up its facilities to the public during summer.
Since the demolition of the Three Horseshoes pub and long-term closure of The Greyhounds Inn, the club has also used its pavilion and bar to provide a social centre for the village at weekends.
It hopes a new pavilion would help it fulfil this and encourage the creation of a junior team. The documents say:
“The proposal will provide exceptional changing and hosting facilities for visiting teams, which would be of the best in the current Killinghall teams’ leagues.
“There is a hope to introduce junior cricket back to the cricket club, that used to be a vibrant and engaging part of the local community. The introduction of these new facilities will help facilitate the introduction of this and hopefully attract them to the club.”
“This development is very much needed to the club and the village community. We feel that the scale of the pavilion is appropriate for the size of the site and has been carefully considered. The chosen materials and design compliment and contribute positively to the overall character of the pavilion, cricket ground and the surrounding village.”
Read more:
- Honour for Killinghall resident after five decades of volunteering
- Rapidly growing Killinghall school praised by Ofsted
Firefighters rescue horse after collision in Killinghall
Firefighters came to the rescue when a horsebox left the road in Killinghall today.
Crews from Harrogate and Ripon were summoned to the village at 12.07pm after a 7.5 tonne horse box left the road following a single vehicle collision.
North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service’s incident log said:
“Crews stabilised the vehicle to allow the owner to remove the horse from the rear of the vehicle. Incident then left with police.
“Crews used a tirfor winch and stabfast stabilisation equipment.”
Five minutes after the Killinghall call, Harrogate firefighters attended flooding in the basement of a house in Beckwithshaw.
The incident log said:
“Crews pumped water from basement and gave advice to owner. A light portable pump and hard suction were used at this incident.”
The incidents were part of a busy day shift for the Harrogate crew, which at 8am dealt with a reports of a diesel leak on a road in North Rigton.
Firefighters carried out an investigation and requested a highways gully-sucker to unblock a surface water drain.
Read more:
- Car destroyed by fire on A1(M) in Harrogate district
- Revealed: locations of 100 new electric charging bays in Harrogate district
Petition launched to honour all England Lionesses — including Harrogate’s Rachel Daly
A petition has been launched to award honours to all members of the England Lionesses team that won Euro 2022 — including Harrogate’s Rachel Daly.
Captain Leah Williamson was appointed OBE while Beth Mead, Lucy Bronze and Ellen White became MBEs in today’s King’s New Year Honours.
But the decision to recognise four players and not others in a team game has caused controversy.
A petition calling for all of the Lionesses’ playing squad to receive honours has already attracted 2,000 signatures.
Michael McCann, who started the petition, said:
“It simply does not feel fair at all, that after such a monumental collective effort, and given the historical precedents set with previous sporting successes in England, to chose to honour just four of the Lionesses players.”
Mr McCann calls on the Cabinet Office to “honour the entire 23-player squad with at least an MBE”.
Politicians, including Andy Burnham, the Labour mayor of Greater Manchester, have questioned why only four of the team were recognised.
Why only four? They were a TEAM. It should be all or none and I say ALL. https://t.co/lc6ysVKZWL
— Andy Burnham (@AndyBurnhamGM) December 31, 2022
The Daily Mail’s northern football correspondent, Dominic King, also expressed forthright views on Twitter.
If Gareth Southgate’s squad had won the World Cup, every member would have got recognition in the honours list. It’s puzzling, them, why every member of Sarina Weigman’s squad hasn’t been honoured. Sir Hugh Robertson’s explanation for the exclusivity is nonsense, too.
— Dominic King (@DominicKing_DM) December 31, 2022
Daly, whose career started at Killinghall Nomads, has had an amazing year. Besides winning Euro 2022 she has twice been named Women’s Super League Player of the Month for her scoring exploits at Aston Villa.
Rachel Daly receiving her player of the month award November.
Read more:
- Harrogate’s Rachel Daly named WSL Player of the Month — again!
- Harrogate’s Rachel Daly among winners at Pride of Britain awards
Honour for Killinghall resident after five decades of volunteering
A long-serving community volunteer has been awarded the British Empire Medal in the King’s New Year Honours.
Anne Holdsworth has served on Killinghall Parish Council since 1973, including as its current chair.
It is just one of the roles she has held over many decades, giving her time and energy for the benefit of the village community and others.
After receiving a letter about the honour a few weeks ago, she told the Stray Ferret yesterday:
“It was a huge surprise and a great honour – totally unexpected. I’ve no idea who put me forward, but I’m very grateful for it.”
Her first public role came after she had her two daughters and attended a mobile clinic. A health visitor spotted a born organiser and signed Cllr Holdsworth up to help once a month.
She went on to help with a meals on wheels service and joined the village hall committee.
Among Cllr Holdsworth’s achievements was helping to set up a youth club in the village, as well as pushing through a project to raise money and extend the village hall.
She sat on the health authority and was a governor of Killinghall Primary School, also serving on the committee of the group of Harrogate primary schools.
She also represented the parish council at borough and county council level.
Read more:
- Five Harrogate district recipients on King’s first honours list
- Rapidly growing Killinghall school praised by Ofsted
When the first community radio station launched in Harrogate, Cllr Holdsworth got involved, borrowing equipment from the BBC in Leeds to go out and interview people around the area.
At the same time, she was working full-time for the Forensic Science Society in Harrogate, from which she retired after a 25-year career.
Cllr Holdsworth said a willingness to get involved and help get things done came naturally to her generation. Although she has missed out on receiving her honour from the late Queen, she said she still feels a connection to her through it.
“I’ve grown up with her, as it were. I remember her father, and her wedding. I was a child when they got married. My mother was very keen on following it.
“We try to emulate her standard, the majority of people of my age. My mother used to be involved in her community and I went everywhere with her, so life has evolved in the same way.”
Now a grandmother of two and great-grandmother of one, Cllr Holdsworth only told her family about her honour yesterday.
She has seen a great deal of change in Killinghall over the years – “some good, some bad” – but continues to serve her community through both the parish council and the village hall committee.
As the village continues to evolve, she hopes more locals, including many of the residents moving into new housing in the parish, will consider giving up some of their time in future too.
Reflecting on why she has given so much time to so many roles over the years, Cllr Holdsworth said:
Harrogate doctors’ practice to rebrand“I’m a meddler, as people might say!
“I enjoyed it. I’ve never been bored, even after I retired. I just wish I had more years to add.”
A doctors’ practice that has been looking after patients in Harrogate for three-quarters of a century will be changing its name in the new year.
Dr Moss & Partners was founded in 1947 – before the advent of the NHS – and has clinics opposite the convention centre on King’s Road, in the Jennyfields area of Harrogate, and in Killinghall.
From February 1 it will be known as Moss Healthcare Harrogate and have a new logo.
Dr Moss & Partners on King’s Road in Harrogate.
In a letter sent today to to the firm’s 19,600 patients, senior partner Dr Nick Taylor said:
“Our decision to change our identity reflects the role of modern general practice and the different healthcare specialists patients can now access.
“Our practice now incorporates a much wider range of healthcare professionals and non-clinical staff.
“If you’re unwell, or living with a long-term condition, the best people to help aren’t necessarily doctors.”
In addition to its doctors, the practice now also provides services from nurses, healthcare assistants, advanced clinical practitioners, first-contact physiotherapists, pharmacists and social prescribers.
Harrogate’s Rachel Daly named WSL Player of the Month — again!Harrogate-born footballer Rachel Daly’s amazing year continued today when she was named Barclays Women’s Super League Player of the Month for November.
Daly, who was part of England’s thrilling European Championships success in the summer, has been in red-hot form in front of goal since signing for Aston Villa from Houston Dash this season.
She won the player of the month award in September and has now landed it a second time for playing a key role in Villa victories over Liverpool and Reading in November.
Rachel Daly displays her award.
The former Killinghall Nomads player scored a penalty to seal a 1-0 win over Liverpool before recording a hat-trick against Reading at Villa Park to give her four league goals last month.
Daly is the league’s joint top scorer and has helped catapult Villa to fifth in the table.
Read more:
- Harrogate’s Rachel Daly among winners at Pride of Britain awards
- Harrogate’s Rachel Daly scores twice on dream return to England
More misery for motorists on Ripon Road in Killinghall today
Motorists are set for another day of delays on the A61 Ripon Road in Killinghall today, with long queues already forming.
Traffic in both directions was horrendous yesterday due to traffic lights caused by workers digging up the grass verge near Ripley.
After some respite later in the day, another set of roadworks appeared in the middle of Killinghall at 8.30pm as workers began digging up the road despite the late hour.
Late night roadworks in the middle of the village.
Four-way lights were installed at the junction of Ripon Road and Otley Road.
This morning, queues are again in place, with Yorkshire Water due to carry out work on Ripon Road all week traffic lights back.
Read more:
Rapidly growing Killinghall school praised by Ofsted
Killinghall Church of England Primary School has been rated ‘good’ in its first full Ofsted inspection for 10 years.
The village school has doubled in size from 95 to 183 pupils since its last full inspection in 2012.
Inspectors praised the way it had coped with the challenges presented by rapid growth and said leaders had created “a highly inclusive school community where pupils are valued” and pupils “are happy and feel safe”.
The school was rated ‘good’ in five of the six areas assessed and ‘outstanding’ for early years provision.
The report, published on Tuesday, said:
“Children get off to an excellent start in the early years. Most pupils behave well. They show kindness and consideration for others.
“Bullying is not a problem in the school. Pupils know that they can talk to any of the adults in school if they are worried about something. They are confident that adults will act quickly.”
Leaders, they added, had created “an ambitious curriculum”, staff were described as “skilled” and safeguarding arrangements were found to be “effective”.
Read more:
- Pateley school rated ‘good’ by Ofsted after major changes
- Frances Atkins’ new Killinghall restaurant secures place in Michelin Guide
Sarah Bassitt, who has been headteacher for 12 years, said:
“We are really pleased, especially after the challenges presented by covid and flooding to the key stage two classrooms from February to May this year.
“I’m particularly pleased with the early years assessment and the comments saying we are caring and the pupils are happy.”
Areas for improvement
Ofsted identified two areas for improvement: ensuring expectations for pupils’ behaviour “are consistently high across the school” and ensuring “processes for identifying and monitoring pupils with special education needs are consistently strong and that targets are precise”.
Ms Bassitt said the school had already adopted a new plan for pupils with special education needs.
Marion McCormick, co-chair of governors at the school, said:
Sneak Peek: The Nelson Inn reopens this week“We have a great deal of pride in the hard work and commitment that has led to this very good result.
“The report reflects the enthusiasm and high standards that embody all that the school stands for.
“The strength and resilience shown by the headteacher and her team to achieve this following a major flood throughout key stage two deserves huge praise.”
The Nelson Inn has, for years, been a haven for people travelling between Harrogate and Skipton on the A59.
The pub has undergone several changes of ownership in recent years. But now, after a £1m spruce up in the wake of its summer acquisition by Brunning & Price, it is set to reopen.
Two hundred people have been invited to drinks and nibbles tonight. After another invitation-only event to trial the food tomorrow, the pub on the edge of Killinghall will open to the public at 5pm on Wednesday.
It will serve drinks from 11.30am daily and begin offering freshly-cooked food at noon, right through until 9pm Monday to Thursday, 9.30pm on Friday and Saturday and 8pm on Sundays.
With 156 seats inside and 60 outside, it is another chapter in the long history of this deceptively spacious pub.
Landlady Sam Aston
Landlady Sam Aston, who was previously employed by Greene King in the Isle of Man, has taken charge and head chef Stuart Russell is running the kitchen.
The bar serves a wide range of drinks brewed locally, by companies including Roosters, Turning Point and the Harrogate Brewing Company.
Ms Aston says the building was originally built as a house in 1776 and is believed to be one of many that adopted the Nelson name after the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.
The cosy interior
It is the 82nd pub in the upmarket range belonging to Brunning & Price. Although the layout hasn’t changed a great deal, the refurbishment has given it a cosy and welcoming feel.
The ground floor is dog-friendly and there are two private dining areas. Roaring fires, events such as gin-tasting and afternoon teas are also part of the mix, although the teas aren’t available yet.
The business has created about 30 jobs but the company still hopes to recruit about 10 more staff.
The local political landscape is being utterly transformed.
A new unitary authority is coming; eight existing councils, including Harrogate Borough Council and North Yorkshire County Council, are going.
A devolution deal this week paved the way for a countywide mayor and the creation of a combined authority overseeing £540 million.
It’s not just the institutions changing. So too are the politicians.
Richard Cooper and Graham Swift, the long-serving Conservative leader and deputy leader of Harrogate Borough Council, will step down when it is abolished next year.
Don Mackenzie, the Conservative councillor previously in charge of transport at North Yorkshire County Council, did not seek re-election in the local elections on May 5.
Since then a new man has emerged as the most senior local politician and although he too is a Conservative he is a somewhat different beast.
As executive member for health and adult services at North Yorkshire County Council, Michael Harrison is the only person from the Harrogate district sitting on what is effectively the 10-person cabinet making key decisions on spending in the county.
Cllr Harrison (far right), sitting on the county council’s cabinet.
Cllr Harrison’s portfolio is responsible for more than half of the county council’s £380 million annual budget. But most people aren’t interested in social care until they need it, so his role attracts far less attention than the transport brief Keane Duncan inherited from Don Mackenzie, even though the sums are higher.
Cllr Harrison, who lives at Killinghall Moor, is far from unhappy about his low profile. He says:
“I enjoy contributing in an executive capacity. Adult social care is a complex area — you are dealing with some of the most vulnerable people in society.
“I feel I have a lot to offer there. It’s completely different to being the local face of the council.”
From Killinghall to Northallerton
Born in Sunderland, and with the accent to prove it, Cllr Harrison, 52, moved to the Harrogate district in the mid-1990s with his job at Lloyds Banking Group. He still works for the bank in risk management.
He joined Killinghall Parish Council in 2002, was elected to Harrogate Borough Council in 2004 and nine years later was also voted on to North Yorkshire County Council.
While some of his Conservative colleagues fell by the wayside at May’s local election, he received a commanding 54% share of the vote to ensure he will represent Killinghall, Hampsthwaite and Saltergate on the county council and its successor, the new North Yorkshire Council, until at least 2027.
Many people think councillors are full time professionals, but most combine politics with full-time jobs. Each county councillor receives a basic allowance of £10,316. Executive members, like Cllr Harrison, also receive special responsibility allowances of £15,939.
County Hall in Northallerton, home of North Yorkshire County Council.
Cllr Harrison often takes his laptop to County Hall in Northallerton to work on his day job between meetings. Juggling the two isn’t easy, but he says:
“I think it’s important that councillors are drawn from society itself. It wouldn’t be healthy if only retired people could do it. But it is difficult to do it alongside a full-time job. You need the support of your family and employer.”
Pragmatism over politics
Although he’s a lifelong Conservative, Cllr Harrison does not come across as overtly political. He doesn’t name any political heroes and claims not to be ambitious.
“I’ve never had any particular political ambitions. I get a lot out of delivering quietly behind the scenes. I adopt a pragmatic approach to problems.”
He is backing Rishi Sunak in the leadership contest, saying he wants someone who can “reintroduce honesty and integrity into central government”.
Read more:
- Reassurances issued over ‘onerous’ social care revamp across Harrogate district
- Social care pilot scheme in Harrogate district ‘could bankrupt council’ without more funding
County Hall in Northallerton operates like Whitehall in London. The politically elected executive members set the direction of travel and professional civil servants carry out the day-to-day work.
Cllr Harrison seems more comfortable talking about the nuts and bolts of North Yorkshire politics rather than banging the drum for the Tories.
He says the new unitary authority will deliver services more efficiently than the current two-tier system by removing bureaucracy and will also end confusion over which council does what. But he admits there are challenges:
“Can the new council demonstrate it understands local needs? Tensions will be there within the district. The key is to understand priorities in each area.”
He says some services, such as gritting and waste disposal, are best handled centrally in Northallerton, but other services, such as leisure and tourism, require a more local focus.
Unusually for a leading Conservative, he’s a member of the banking union Accord and talks warmly about it. He says:
“Unions have a key role to play in representing employees.”
He also has rheumatoid arthritis, which he says is under control. Typically, he doesn’t make a fuss about it and is soon talking about social care again. He seems happy with it this way:
“Prior to getting into local government I said to people ‘I’m not into politics’. I’m more interested in delivering services for residents and hopefully being a common sense voice around the table.”