knaresborough Archives - Page 109 of 185

Four men arrested after BT cable theft in Harrogate district

Four men have been arrested after a BT cable was stolen last week near Green Hammerton.

North Yorkshire Police said the men, aged 21, 38, 43 and 52 were arrested in connection with the theft at 11.11pm on August 8.

The cable was stolen from a BT cable junction box on the B6265 between Little Ouseburn and Green Hammerton.

Phone cable theft, which disrupts services for customers, has increased because of the value of copper wires.

The four men were arrested when officers pulled over their white van, which was displaying the false registration plates YT16 YTS and had been stolen.

The 21-year-old man has been charged with driving while disqualified and driving without insurance. He remains on bail.

The three other men have been released under investigation while police enquiries continue.

A police statement added:

“Officers are urging anyone who saw the van, or saw anything suspicious, in the area at the time of the incident to get in touch. Dial 101, press 2 and ask to speak to PC 1362 David Kaye, or email David.Kaye@northyorkshire.police.uk

“Please quote the reference number 12220140263 when passing on any information.”

Business Breakfast: Knaresborough businesses to be recognised at awards event

Business Breakfast is sponsored by Harrogate law firm Truth Legal.

A new awards ceremony is set to take place in Knaresborough this weekend to recognise the town’s businesses.

About 130 guests will attend Knaresborough Business Awards at Hopewell Farm on Saturday.

Set up by the Knaresborough Business Collective, the ceremony is designed to celebrate the different businesses in the town.

Award categories include favourite place to eat and drink, favourite retailer, favourite female and male led businesses and favourite long standing business.

Natalie Horner, of the Knaresborough Business Collective, said:

“We are so excited about the event. It will be a welcome event to Knaresborough and a great way for business owners to socialise and get to know one another too.

“Hopefully we can run it every year.”

Harrogate rental company concludes sale process

A Harrogate-based equipment rental company has concluded a formal sale process after finding no satisfactory buyers.

Vp, which has its headquarters at Central House on Beckwith Knowle, launched a formal sale of the company earlier this year.

The decision followed the company’s controlling shareholder, Akers P Investment Company, a company which is connected to Vp chairman Jeremy Pilkington, indicating its desire to explore opportunities and dispose of its 50.26% shareholding.

However, in an announcement yesterday, Vp said its board had voted to conclude the sales process after finding that none of the proposals “would satisfactorily meet the interests of all stakeholders”.

Ackers P Investment Company added that it no longer had any intention of selling its shares and “remain committed to Vp”.

Mr Pilkington said:

“In the original FSP announcement I commented that Vp’s controlling shareholder, a company connected to me, had decided that it wished to diversify its investments.

“Following a review conducted with our advisers, we, as a board unanimously concluded that it would be in the best interests of all the company’s stakeholders to launch the FSP. The process was focused on identifying the right owner for the business and whilst we were pleased with the level of interest shown, the FSP did not lead to the identification of a suitable new owner.

“I am pleased that Vp’s controlling shareholder Ackers P Investment Company Limited, a company connected to me, has confirmed its ongoing commitment to Vp following the conclusion of this process.”

Man guilty of indecent exposure at Harrogate library

A Knaresborough man has admitted committing indecent exposure at Harrogate library.

Billy Wood, 30, of Windsor Lane, pleaded guilty to the offence when he appeared before magistrates in York on Saturday.

The incident took place on July 15 this year.

Wood also admitted indecent exposure on Kingsley Drive in Harrogate on Thursday last week.

He pleaded guilty to a third charge of possessing cannabis at Harrogate police station, also on Thursday last week.

Wood was bailed until September 9, when he is due to appear before Harrogate magistrates after a pre-sentence report is prepared.

His bail conditions stipulated that he is electronically tagged and subject to a curfew at home between 9pm and 6am daily.

Historic footage of Harrogate and Knaresborough to be shown at Odeon

Films showing archived footage of Harrogate and Knaresborough are set to be screened for the public next month.

Yorkshire Film Archive will show the specially curated films at the Odeon cinema in Harrogate on September 19.

It will feature clips showing Harrogate in the 1930s, the Knaresborough bed race in the 1970s and rare footage of the Odeon being opened.

The collection of amateur, professional and television clips will also show the area’s film heritage, including news footage of the filming of Agatha starring Dustin Hoffman in the late 1970s.

Graham Relton, Yorkshire Film Archive manager, said:

“YFA hold such an amazing collection of Harrogate and Knaresborough films, meaning that – as always – my biggest curation challenge has been what to leave out! I’m looking forward to sharing old favourites and previously unseen footage from our vaults.

“I believe the screening will really connect with audiences and the icing on the cake would be for someone to recognise themselves on screen as we reveal old footage and new perspectives on these beautiful spa towns.”

A still of Knaresborough Bed Race in the 1970s. Picture: Yorkshire Film Archive.

The screenings have been commissioned by Harrogate Civic Society and Harrogate Film Society.

Screenings of the 90-minute films will take place at the cinema on East Parade in Harrogate at 2.30pm and 7.30pm.

Paula Stott, from Harrogate Film Society, said:

“During lockdown, the film society hugely enjoyed a series of online film screenings presented by YFA and, together with Harrogate Civic Society, we are delighted to finally welcome them back in person with a new selection of footage that will appeal to anyone interested in the history and changing face of our town.”

Stuart Holland, chair of Harrogate Civic Society, added:

“It fits in so well with the civic society strap line of ‘celebrating the past, enhancing the present and shaping the future’.

“We can learn so much from the past and that helps us shape the future. There is so much passion shown by residents of both Harrogate and Knaresborough to learn more about our history, and I know this screening will not disappoint.”

You can purchase tickets for the screenings at the Harrogate Film Society website.

170-home plan ‘not right’ for Knaresborough, says town councillor

A 170-home development in Knaresborough which was rejected by the government “was not right” for the town, says a local councillor.

Planning inspector Chris Baxter refused the proposal, which was earmarked for Water Lane in the town.

The decision is the latest refusal for landowner Geoffrey Holland, who has twice sought permission from Harrogate Borough Council to build on the site.

Cllr Andy Bell, a Liberal Democrat who sits on Knaresborough Town Council, said the town had already “done its bit” to increase housing stock.

He said:

“I was pleased to speak against this development both at Harrogate Borough Council planning and at the appeal in front of the Planning Inspector.

“This development is not right for the town, and wider than that Knaresborough has done its bit to increase the area’s housing stock without a comparable improvement in infrastructure.

“It’s impossible to get a NHS dentist in Knaresborough already.”

Following its latest rejection in August 2021, Cunnane Town Planning took the council’s decision to appeal on behalf of Mr Holland.

It said that there were “no significant or demonstrable adverse impacts that would arise as a consequence of the development”.

However, the borough council said the scheme had a number of “fundamental” issues.

In his decision notice, Mr Baxter dismissed the developer’s appeal on the grounds that the plan was outside the development boundary and would still have “significant harm” on surrounding areas.

Mr Baxter acknowledged that the scheme had “adequate affordable housing” and would not have an impact on highways safety, but added that it still had issues.

He said in a decision notice published last week:

“The proposal would not have a detrimental effect on highway safety and adequate affordable housing would be provided within the scheme.

“However, these matters and the benefits described above would not outweigh the significant harm I have identified with regards to the effect on the surrounding area and future users.”

Harrogate district’s economic growth slow after £438 million hit from covid

Economic growth in the Harrogate district has been slower than regional and national averages since the district took a £438 million hit during covid.

Gross Value Added (GVA) data published by Harrogate Borough Council shows the local economy contracted by 10% – or £438 million – during 2020 and that growth has lagged behind Yorkshire and the Humber and the UK.

GVA measures the value of goods and services produced in an area, and Harrogate’s figure was set to reach £4.3 billion before the pandemic struck.

It now stands at £3.87 billion – down from £4.26 billion in 2017/18.

A council report said economic performance has been “positive” given the impacts of covid and Brexit, but added there are “continuing challenges that need to be addressed” as experts forecast a gloomy outlook with a UK recession on the horizon.

The report said:

“Overall the performance has been positive but key factors that must be taken into account are that of the UK’s exit from the European Union and the covid-19 pandemic.

“Covid-19 in particular has had a significant impact on GVA with the district seeing a 10% reduction in the economy.

“Looking forward post pandemic, forecasts show that job numbers will not return to pre-covid levels and therefore increasing productivity becomes more of a priority than ever.”

Other figures show the total number of businesses registered in Harrogate increased by 4% between 2016 and 2021 – below both the regional and national averages of 8% and 13%.

In more positive figures, unemployment is low at 3.1% and the council has been keen to highlight its support for businesses during covid when it handed out more than £96 million to firms which were severely impacted by lockdown restrictions.

The report to a cabinet meeting on Wednesday has recommended “closing down” the council’s covid recovery plan, whilst also providing a review of its economic growth strategy which was adopted in 2017.

At the time it was adopted, the strategy identified a low wage economy and high house prices leading to a “brain drain” of people moving out of Harrogate as key problems facing the district.

These issues are still very much prevalent with average salaries of £25,000 below the UK figure of £30,000 and Harrogate house prices averaging £338,786 this year.

The report added:

“Whilst positive progress has been made since the adoption of the economic growth strategy in 2017, there are continuing challenges that need to be addressed.

“In line with national and local strategies, the council will therefore continue to prioritise and support ‘good growth’ in the district, with an aim of embedding a more sustainable and resilient economy.”

Knaresborough shop owner’s appeal brings support after tough summer weeks

A Knaresborough business owner said she has been overwhelmed by the response to a video she posted about how quiet her shop has been this summer.

Laura Dudley, who runs Painting Pots, put up the video of her miming to Celine Dion’s All By Myself on social media last week.

While it showed her singing the lyrics in a light-hearted way, there was a serious message behind it: the shop was extremely quiet.

Laura told the Stray Ferret:

“What has hit us and probably a lot of businesses is that last summer we were spoilt. No-one could go away outside the UK, and Knaresborough is a tourist hot-spot, so we were busy.

“After last summer, we thought we would be busy this year, but everyone has gone on holiday and the sun has been out so families are finding lovely things to do outside.

“It’s such a stark contrast to last summer.”

Laura said her business is always seasonal, with peaks around events including Christmas, Easter, and Mother’s Day. Yet even taking this into account, it has been so quiet recently that there have been weeks when she has been unable to pay herself a wage.

The response to the video, however, has seen trade pick up significantly in just a few days.

As well as people coming into the shop last week, Laura said many others were booking for further ahead, even up to October and November.

It gave her some reassurance after several weeks of only having last-minute bookings. She said:

“I think it was just a case of reminding people. They sometimes think we’re always up to something and we will be busy, but it’s not the case at the moment.

“It was nice to tell people I’m here and we’re headed towards an unknown time.

“I’ve had so many lovely messages, some of them from people that don’t even live nearby. It’s a nice reminder as to why I do what I do.”

As well as support from customers, Laura said she has been given some tips on how to increase footfall over the coming weeks and months.

From speaking to local B&B owners about inviting their visitors to the shop, to increasing her social media posting, Laura said she is now making plans for the rest of the summer and autumn to try to keep the business busy.

Laura’s elf outfit attracted some attention during the heatwave

Along with employee Sian and two part-time shop assistants, Laura said she is not afraid to do something “silly” to get attention – such as dressing in Christmas outfits during a heatwave in order to promote the shop’s festive offers.

She said customers are still able to take advantage of early bird discounts and spread the cost of Christmas presents by shopping early.

With the cost of living crisis set to worsen over the coming months, she has vowed to keep her prices low for as long as possible – and said Knaresborough is a great place to be during difficult times.

She added:

“We’re pulling together as a community and supporting our independent businesses.”

Government rejects plans to build 170 homes in Knaresborough

The government has rejected plans to build 170 homes in Knaresborough.

Landowner Geoffrey Holland’s application would have seen homes built on Water Lane in the town.

The decision is the latest refusal for the developer, who has twice sought permission to build on the site.

Harrogate Borough Council rejected the latest proposal in August 2021 after planning officers said the scheme had a number of “fundamental” issues.

However, the developer took the council to appeal over its decision and said there were no “significant impacts” that would be caused by the development.

‘Unsatisfactory scheme’

Kate Broadbank, the council’s planning officer, told a planning committee meeting in August 2021 that the scheme had a number of issues to resolve.

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.”

Cunnane Town Planning, which lodged the appeal on behalf of Mr Holland, said there were “no significant or demonstrable adverse impacts that would arise as a consequence of the development”.

However, Chris Baxter, planning inspector, dismissed the developer’s appeal on the grounds that the plan was outside the development boundary and would still have “significant harm” on surrounding areas.

Mr Baxter acknowledged that the scheme had “adequate affordable housing” and would not have an impact on highways safety, but added that it still had issues.

He said in a decision notice published this week:

“The proposal would not have a detrimental effect on highway safety and adequate affordable housing would be provided within the scheme.

“However, these matters and the benefits described above would not outweigh the significant harm I have identified with regards to the effect on the surrounding area and future users.”

Harrogate district paddling pools to stay open but flower watering to reduce under hosepipe ban

Watering of public flower displays in the Harrogate district could be reduced over the coming weeks after the announcement of a hosepipe ban later this month.

Harrogate Borough Council said it will be working to reduce its water use in line with Yorkshire Water’s decision, which comes into force on Friday, August 26.

However, the authority said its three public paddling pools will remain open in Harrogate’s Valley Gardens, Knaresborough’s Bebra Gardens, and Borrage Green in Ripon.

A spokesperson said:

“Following the Yorkshire Water announcement about the hosepipe ban, we are looking at what measures we can and should implement to conserve water supplies.

“Unfortunately, this may result in our baskets and floral displays looking a bit the worse for wear but we hope people will understand the reasons why.

“Our paddling pools are currently filled until after the August bank holiday, and we welcome residents and visitors using ours across the Harrogate district rather than their own.”

Harrogate’s famous floral displays could go un-watered.

Meanwhile, North Yorkshire County Council said it would be following the rules when the hosepipe ban comes into force.

Council leader Carl Les, whose portfolio includes emergency planning, said:

“We are looking at our services and where exemptions may apply, and we will be conforming with the rules. We would urge all residents to follow the advice already given out nationally and regionally on how they can conserve water usage, as we will be.

“Let’s also take care in these tinder dry conditions to avoid starting fires, which not only use large amounts of water to extinguish, but can also threaten property and in some cases lives.”

The hosepipe ban is the first to be introduced in Yorkshire since 1995.

People are asked not to use hosepipes for domestic activities including watering plants or grass, washing cars, filling paddling pools or swimming pools, or cleaning outdoor surfaces.

The activities are still permitted if they are carried out without a hosepipe, such as with a bucket or watering can, or if a water butt is used, for example.

Blue Badge holders, people on Yorkshire Water priority services register and those on the WaterSure tariff for medical reasons are exempt from the ban.

The restrictions do not apply to commercial premises using a hosepipe for essential activities.

Knaresborough pub co-founder leaves after two years

The co-founder and chef of popular Knaresborough pub The Bear at Carriages has left the business after two years.

Sam Pullan acquired the pub, then called the Carriages, on the town’s High Street in 2020 with business partner Josh Dixon.

Following a £100,000 investment in renovating the pub, it reopened amid multiple covid lockdowns during the summer of the same year.

After helping to open the pub back up and develop a seasonal menu with his team, Mr Pullan has now confirmed he will be leaving the business.

He said:

“After two years of success in Knaresborough, it’s time for me to seek out new and exciting opportunities elsewhere in the region whether that’s working with some of the finest chef’s that Yorkshire has to offer or staging my own public chef demos at food festivals to inspire others.

“Being creative is the foundation of what drives me to be a better restaurateur and chef and having created something really special with the Bear at Carriages,

“I now want to move in a totally new direction and start afresh with something equally unique and different that further enhances Yorkshire’s hospitality reputation and provides a new challenge for me personally. The hunt for what the future holds is already on so watch this space.

“I wish John and the remaining team all the best for the future.”

Read more:

Read more:

Harrogate rental company concludes sale process

Read more:

Read more:

Read more:

Read more:

Read more:

‘Unsatisfactory scheme’

Read more:

Read more:

Read more: