A “historic” deal is set to unshackle Ripon from years of neglect by councillors in Harrogate, it was claimed today.
North Yorkshire Council‘s ruling executive agreed to set up a project team to oversee Ripon people taking control of Ripon Town Hall, the market place and car park, public toilets and the Wakeman’s House.
The assets were controlled by Harrogate Borough Council until it was abolished in April.
North Yorkshire Council agreed to trial local management as part of its commitment to what its Conservative leadership calls “double devolution”.
Councillor Andrew Williams, a member of the Conservative and Independents group who represents Ripon Minster and Moorside, praised the move at today’s meeting and launched an eviscerating attack on Harrogate Borough Council.
He said:
“This is for Ripon potentially a historic day in the building of a more constructive relationship with the unitary authority than it had previously with a rather fractured relationship that existed with Harrogate Borough Council.”
‘More grass on market than centre court at Wimbledon’
Cllr Williams said Ripon’s poor relationship with Harrogate led the city council to formulate “ambitious and complex” plans to take control of assets. He added:
“They all interlink to develop the central area of Ripon, which has sadly been neglected for some time.
“If you look at the Wakeman’s House that we are hoping to take ownership of, no work has been undertaken on that for over 10 years. The lease income from the business in there has been spent elsewhere.
“Ripon Town Hall last had maintenance carried out on it in 2004 when the queen visited.”
The Wakeman’s House
Laughter was heard when Cllr Williams added:
“The market place will soon have more grass growing on it than the centre court at Wimbledon.”
He then criticised the decision to close public toilets at 9pm when the city encouraged visitors to watch the nightly hornblower ceremony. He added:
“We firmly believe Ripon people know Ripon better than anybody else and know best how to make it a success rather than it currently is, which is underachieving its potential.
“The people of Ripon and the council are firmly behind the principle of double devolution.”
Cllr Barbara Brodigan, a Liberal Democrat who represents Ripon Ure Bank and Spa, told the meeting she endorsed Cllr Williams’ comments.
The executive agreed unanimously to proceed with the proposals.
Knaresborough also set for more local control
North Yorkshire Council invited town and parish councils to submit expressions of interest to run local assets in November last year.
Harrogate was excluded from the process because it doesn’t have a town council and moves to set one up have been delayed by local Conservatives.
Twelve parish councils submitted expressions of interest.
Knaresborough Town Council and Ripon City Council were among those selected to advance their proposals, with a view to formally taking over on April 1 next year.
Knaresborough bid to manage the markets and assets associated with managing the market, such as road closure signs and tables.
But Little Ouseburn’s proposal to take charge of grass cutting of the green area outside Broomfield Cottages.was rejected because it “did not evidence legal competence”.
Read more:
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- 14 Harrogate town centre flats to go on market
Free walking tours of Knaresborough get underway
Free weekly walking tours of Knaresborough have been introduced.
Professionally trained tourist guide Margy Longhurst is leading 60-minute tours every Wednesday — market day.
Those taking part will learn about the historic market and castle and much more.
Ms Longhurst said:
“The aim is to welcome visitors and newcomers to Knaresborough and give them an insight into the town’s history and places of interest.”
The not-for-profit tours get underway at 11am and 1pm at the Market Cross.
Margy Longhurst
Walkers will learn about the nearby statues and painted windows depicting colourful local characters, notably the Tudor prophetess Old Mother Shipton and Blind Jack, musician and engineer extraordinaire.
Moving along to Green Dragon Yard, medieval and Georgian buildings will be pointed out, including the Old Flax Mill, which played a key role during the heyday of the town’s linen industry.
Arriving at Knaresborough Castle, visitors will be guided round the ruins and hear stories of its association with royal monarchs such as King John and Edward II.
They will then experience the beauty of the view over the River Nidd and hear more about the surrounding places of interest, before being escorted back to where the tour commenced.
People can just turn up at the meeting point on Wednesdays at the Market Cross but the number of participants is limited to 16 on a first-come, first-served basis for health and safety reasons.
Free group tours for local charities and educational institutions can also be arranged by emailing Margy at margylonghurst@hotmail.com
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Knaresborough town crier Roger Hewitt prepares for final cry
On Wednesday, Roger Hewitt will don his town crier regalia and read one of his hand-written short scripts opening Knaresborough market.
It’s something Roger has done every Wednesday for more than eight years, making him one of the most familiar faces — and voices — in Knaresborough.
But this will be the last time he performs the civic duty, which stretches back to the 1600s, before retiring.
He remains an incredibly popular figure, so why is he stepping down?
“I’m not getting any younger. I think things are going quite well at the moment but I don’t want to carry on until people say ‘it’s time form the poor bugger to go’.”
Roger has a fine line in self-deprecation. He describes himself as a Knaresborough incomer, having only lived in the town for 44 years. He taught chemistry at Harrogate Grammar School for 23 years before becoming town crier. He says:
“I’ve bumped into many people I used to know from my teaching days and from what I can see, I don’t think I have done any serious psychological harm to any of them.”
The pirate of the Nidd. Picture by Charlotte Gale
The town crier role, which is managed by Knaresborough & District Chamber, appealed because he was “coming up to retirement age and the wife was keen for me to have something to do”.
Roger’s background in amateur dramatics, alongside his humour, people skills and commitment to the role — he often agrees to appear at coffee mornings and charity events above and beyond the call of duty — have made him the perfect town crier. It’s worked for him, too.
“I’ve loved it. It’s been absolutely brilliant. The best part is meeting kids. They all think I’m a pirate. All I need to do is let them ring the bell and it’s like someone has given them the best Christmas present ever.”
Although Roger is leaving the role, he’s most certainly not leaving Knaresborough. He says he and his wife would like to do something together now. What makes the town so special?
“I think it’s the combination of history and scenery. People walk around for the most part with a smile, partly because there are so many pubs but also because it’s such a nice place.”
Tradition dictates he opens the Wednesday market at 11am even though, as he puts it, “the fish man is nearly sold out by then”.
He writes 150 to 200 words for each cry, which lasts about 90 seconds and always includes three ‘Oyez’ and ‘God save the King’. He admits to one time mistakenly shouting ‘God save the Queen’ after she had died.
Roger helped to select his successor Mark Hunter (third from left).
Does he have any advice for his successor, Mark Hunter, who in a break from tradition will also have two deputies?
“The only advice I would give is to do your own thing and enjoy it. I’ve said I’ll give him two things — my best wishes and my phone number. I won’t be there telling him what to do but if he has any questions I will happily answer them.”
How will he feel after making his final cry?
“I know how I will feel an hour afterwards because one of the pubs has invited me round!
“I shall be nostalgic for what has been a very, very happy eight years but also happy to hand over to someone else.”
Read more:
- Knaresborough town crier Roger Hewitt to retire
- Mark Hunter wins contest to be Knaresborough’s next town crier
Knaresborough businesses criticise ‘ludicrous’ empty electric vehicle charging bays
Midday on market day in Knaresborough last Wednesday brought a familiar sight — cars struggling to park.
Town centre parking is rarely easy in Knaresborough but the decision to allocate 10 of the 56 parking spaces in Chapel Street car park to electric vehicle charging bays has incensed some businesses.
While vehicles hovered around the car park for a space to emerge, nine of the 10 EV charging bays were empty. Business owners say it’s costing them trade and are calling for a rethink.
We spoke to several who were all at pains to point out they support better infrastructure for electric vehicles, but claim Harrogate Borough Council went too far, too soon by removing so many bays at once and a rethink is required.
The sole vehicle charging in Chapel Street when the Stray Ferret visited last week was being used by Bev Nelson, who is originally from Harrogate but now lives in Sheffield.
Ms Nelson visits Knaresborough every few weeks for a hairdressing appointment at Kelly Teggin Hair and Beauty on Castlegate and said the chargers were great for her but questioned whether so many bays were required:
Bev Nelson (seated) and Kelly Teggin
Ms Nelson’s car was the only one being charged.
She said:
“We have a public car park near where I live in Sheffield which has two electric chargers. Ten does seem excessive.”
Ms Nelson pays via an app and hooks up a connection cable she keeps in her car. But although the charging process is simple, it isn’t quick: she needs to plug in for four hours just for 25% charge, which raises questions about the suitability of locating the charging bays in short stay town centre car parks.
Ms Nelson says she sympathised with Ms Teggin and other business owners who are feeling the impact.
Ms Teggin says:
“It’s hitting our shops really hard. I’ve got older lady customers who just don’t come to Knaresborough anymore.”
All the businesses we spoke to said some of the 10 EV bays should be made available to all vehicles until demand caught up with supply. Over time. more bays could be allocated EV-only, they said.
Garry Gilmour
Garry Gilmour, director of estate agents Newby James, said:
“There’s never more than three out of 10 spaces taken. I worked in the motor trade for years and electric vehicles are good but I don’t think they have thought this through.”
No multi-storey car parks
Emma Brierley, owner of butchers Huttons, agreed, saying the current allocation had been done to meet targets for 2038. She said:
“They have taken too many spaces too quickly. There’s not the need at the moment for that many.
“We already lose parking spaces on market day because of the market so with this on top we are 30 or 40 spaces down. We don’t have any multi-storey car parks like Harrogate or a big supermarket car park like Ripon.”
Emma Brierley
Gill Mitchell
Gill Mitchell, owner of shoe shop Stomp, agreed.
“There’s a massive problem with parking in the town centre.
“Kelly has lost appointments which could be costing her £100 each. You can understand her frustration. It’s not as bad here because customers can come whenever they like.
“I can see both sides of the argument but it is a problem because some customers are saying ‘we can’t be bothered to come in because there’s nowhere to park’.”
Some traders said they weren’t sure whether non-EV vehicles parked in EV bays were actually getting parking tickets.
Harrogate Borough Council did not respond to this point when the Stray Ferret asked.
‘It’s been a big issue for some time’
Councillor Phil Ireland, the Conservative Cabinet member for carbon reduction and sustainability at Harrogate Borough Council lives in Knaresborough.
Last week he attended an event in Harrogate alongside rugby league legend Martin Offiah to mark the roll-out of 100 electric vehicle charging points in the Harrogate district.
Cllr Ireland said he understood and sympathised with the concerns:
“There’s always been this question of parking availability in the town centre. I know it’s been a big issue for some time”
But he added there were plenty of spaces just outside the town centre, such as York Place long-stay, which has 240 bays and is “grossly underused” although he acknowledged it was too far for some people. Knaresborough, he added, had good buses.
“Market day is always a pinch point. It’s popular and we do our best to keep it that way.
“But we’ve got to persuade people to invest in EV.”
Cllr Ireland said “range anxiety” deterred many people from going electric and the availability of chargers would address this.
He suggested groups like Knaresborough & District Chamber and Knaresborough Town Council could work with North Yorkshire Council, which will succeed Harrogate Borough Council at the end of the month, on issues such as running the market, which could lead to improvements.
Knaresborough market is held every Wednesday.
Net-zero by 2038
We put the traders’ concerns to Harrogate Borough Council.
In a statement, a council spokesperson said:
“To help achieve our net zero-carbon economy by 2038, and to support the demand and rapid uptake of electric vehicles following the end of the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030, we are installing almost 100 charging bays across the Harrogate district.
“In response to our ultra-low emission vehicle strategy consultation, we received significant support for the creation of a public charging network. And thanks to a grant from the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles we have been able to help meet this demand.
“More than 20 chargers will be installed in Knaresborough, including Chapel Street car park which is already being used by both residents and visitors alike.
“These bays, which are for EV charging only, account for less than three per cent of the more than 800 spaces available in Knaresborough, so we are confident that non-EV drivers will still be able to find a space in one of the six car parks in the market town, including York Place which is a five-minute walk from the town square. There is also plenty of on-street disc parking across the town.
“Any EVs who use a charging bay at Chapel Street car park, or any of the charging bays across the district, will still need to adhere to the maximum stay period (four hours) and pay for the amount of time they park for (pay and display), as well as the cost of charging their vehicle. There are no parking fees for charging bays between the hours of 6pm and 8am to help residents charge their vehicles overnight.”
Knaresborough Town Council to consider bid to run market
Knaresborough Town Council could bid to run the town’s weekly market.
Town councillor David Goode will ask members at a meeting this evening to back his plan that would see the council take control of Knaresborough Market as part of a devolution pilot scheme.
The market is currently run by Harrogate Borough Council but this will all change from April 1 when the new unitary authority North Yorkshire Council is created.
A central pledge in the case for local government reorganisation was that town and parish councils would be handed more powers if they could make successful business cases — a policy known as ‘double devolution’,
Some councillors in Knaresborough, like in Ripon, are hoping to grasp a rare opportunity to take back assets that were handed over to Harrogate the last time reorganisation took place in 1974.
Weekly market since 1310
Knaresborough has held a weekly market since 1310, which it claims makes it the longest continually-run market in the country.
Each Wednesday, traders sell fruit and veg, cheese, cakes and clothes and more—plus there’s a boisterous weekly address from town cryer Roger Hewitt.
There have been previous attempts by groups in Knaresborough to take control of the market but Cllr Goode told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that “the time is right” thanks to local government reorganisation.
He said:
“The market is the beating heart of the town and it’s a jewel we should be protecting. Running it at a local level has a better chance of it being successful than in Northallerton.”
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If he’s backed by his fellow councillors tonight, an expression of interest will be submitted to North Yorkshire County Council next month.
Knaresborough Town Council charges a precept on residents’ council tax.
If it took control of the market, Cllr Goode said it could mean an increase in this precept. However, he added that “shoving money on the precept is totally the wrong mindset” when it comes to double devolution.
Traders and Harrogate Borough Council have had a difficult relationship in recent years but Cllr Goode said the town council would be able to give the market a clearer focus and help to reinvigorate it.
He added:
Strong winds lead to Knaresborough Market cancellation“I’ve been down the last two Wednesdays and the market place is half-full, but it’s part of the rich story Knaresborough has to tell.
“There’s a lot more that we could do. For example, we should be doing more for the elderly and people on low incomes to show them what advantages they can receive by shopping at the market.”
High winds led to Knaresborough Market being cancelled today.
The historic market, which takes place on Market Place in the town, is usually held on a Wednesday from 7.30am until 3pm throughout the year.
However, Harrogate Borough Council cancelled the market today due to strong winds.
Unfortunately, due to high winds, Knaresborough Market has been cancelled today.
— Harrogate Borough Council (@Harrogatebc) January 4, 2023
The move comes as strong winds and showers have been forecast across the Harrogate district throughout the day.
The Met Office recorded gusts of up to 40mph during this afternoon.
Read more:
Recycle your unwanted electrical items at Knaresborough Market this week
North Yorkshire County Council will be collecting small electrical items such as plugs, kettles and hairdryers at Knaresborough Market this week.
It’s part of a campaign to reduce the number of small electrical items being thrown in the bin or hidden away at home.
Members of volunteer group North Yorkshire Rotters will be on hand to collect anything with a plug, battery or cable free of charge.
They will also be giving away free tubs to store used batteries, which will be available while stocks last.
Knaresborough Market is one of 20 locations in North Yorkshire where people can recycle electrical goods over the next month.
They can also be recycled at the household waste recycling centres, which are operated by Yorwaste on behalf of the county council.
Read more:
- Knaresborough tea dance gets all red, white and blue
- Knaresborough couple’s Dower House wedding cancelled due to refurb
Scarborough Conservative councillor Derek Bastiman, executive member for waste management, said:
Knaresborough unveils blue plaque to celebrate its ancient market“The library drop-off service and market day events throughout June will make it easier for many people to drop off items that don’t work anymore and can’t be repaired.
“But, if you struggle to get to a household waste recycling centre please ask a friend or neighbour to take your broken appliance the next time they go and I would encourage residents who do visit our household waste recycling centres to ask anyone they know who doesn’t drive if they need any help.”
Knaresborough Civic Society and town representatives unveiled their 23rd blue plaque yesterday to celebrate the town’s ancient market.
The market has been a rich part of the town’s history since it was first mentioned in 1206. Edward II confirmed Wednesday as market day in 1310.
The market has changed significantly in the 800 years since it started but to this day it is still held on a Wednesday and the bells of St John’s Church continue ring on Tuesday night to remind people the following day is market day.
The unveiling ceremony was attended by deputy mayor Cllr Hannah Gostlow, Peter Lacey and Charlotte Gale from Knaresborough Chamber of Trade and staff from the Tourist Information Centre.
The blue plaques are organised by Knaresborough Civic Society, which said this one — the town’s 23rd — had been in the pipeline for over a year. Andy Grinter, secretary of the society, said:
“We have a celebrated market and as a town it’s something we’re very proud of. It’s about time the market was recognised with a plaque.”
The plaque is located on Butter Lane, to the left of Caffe Nero, close to Market Place.
Other notable places and people that are recognised by plaques include Knaresborough Zoo, which is remembered at the site now occupied by Henshaw’s Arts and Crafts Centre, Dower House and celebrated local man Blind Jack of Knaresborough.
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Mr Grinter added the society was looking for new members. He said projects like this could happen more frequently if more members signed-up.
He also said a higher membership number would strengthen the society’s support or objection to local planning applications.
For an interactive map of all of the town’s blue plaques, click here.
ATM outage frustrates Knaresborough stallholdersStallholders have vented their frustration over an ATM outage in Knaresborough’s town centre where there is no longer a bank.
Both the cash machines at the Tesco Express and the Sainsbury’s Local on the High Street are out of service today. They have reportedly been out for the past five days.
Anyone in need of cash either have to queue up at the busy Post Office in the town or head out for a 40 minute round walk to the ATM at the Co-op petrol station on Manse Lane.
Halifax closed its Knaresborough branch in March 2021. Halifax blamed changing customer habits for the closure, which left the town’s 15,000 residents without a bank.
The lack of cash availability has been felt particularly keenly today at the Knaresborough market. The market is held every Wednesday from 7.30am to 3pm in the market square.
Read more:
Ted Wray, who has sold jewellery and old cash at his stall for the last three years, told the Stray Ferret:
“I think it has put people off buying things at the market today. Some of my potential customers ask if I take cards but it’s not possible when I am selling items for a couple of pounds.
“It has been very difficult. All of us in the market who do not use card machines have felt this as an issue.”
Paul Greene, who runs a fruit and vegetable stall under the name Paul Veg Man, also added:
“The ATMs have been out since Saturday. Customers have also been complaining about it, the machines don’t have any cash in them.
“It has been putting a lot of people off. We have no banks and only one post office where everyone has been sent.”
Jared Clark, who runs a bakery stall on the market with a card machine, said:
“We have had a few customers who have said they can’t get any cash, so it is not ideal. The only place is the Post Office where people often have to queue.
“Footfall is down at the moment so it is not great. Knaresborough deserves better, we need more cash points or a bank.”
The Stray Ferret asked both Tesco and Sainsbury’s why their ATMs are currently out of use. We had no response by the time of publication.
Update: A Tesco Bank spokesperson said:
“We are aware of an issue affecting the ATM at Tesco Knaresborough High Street that has caused the machine to be temporarily out of service. We are working hard to fix this and expect to have the ATM available for use again later this week. We are sorry for any inconvenience this has caused our customers.”