The Harrogate Bus Company has reported a 25% increase in customers on the first day of the rail strike.

However, Harrogate taxi drivers have said today “feels like a Sunday” with little trade.

Today’s rail strike left many commuters having to make alternative arrangements.

A spokesman for Harrogate Bus Company said it had anticipated a surge in demand. He added:

“So far, we have carried 25% more customers on the 36 compared to a normal Tuesday.

“All of our buses have ran, including a number of extra 36 buses around rush hour from Harrogate and Leeds to ensure our customers can travel comfortably and rely on us during this time.”

The 36 bus to Leeds.

By contrast, business has been slow at the taxi rank opposite Harrogate train station.

Paul McMahon, who runs PM Taxis, said:

“It’s been exceptionally quiet. Whether people have made alternative plans or booked the day off, i don’t know.”

Mr McMahon said he had been on the rank opposite the station since 6am in case people whose trains weren’t running needed a ride. But little trade had transpired, he added.

“Today feels like a Sunday. I expected to be busier.”

Richard Fieldman, who owns A1 Cars, said he too had been quiet.

But he added he had two jobs booked tomorrow at Thirsk station, which he suspected were for commuters who were affected by the strike.

Read more:

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The Harrogate and Knaresborough line is due to operate a limited service tomorrow before the strike resumes on Thursday.

But with six days of disruption expected, rail operator Northern is advising customers to seek alternative travel arrangements.

Harrogate train station this morning.

Plans for 61 retirement flats in Knaresborough have been approved at the fourth time of asking by developers which refused to further reduce the size of the building.

Adlington Retirement Living was today granted approval for the scheme which it said would become “unviable” if reduced in size.

It follows complaints from residents and councillors over the size of the building, parking, traffic and the risk of flooding at the Wetherby Road site.

However, no objections were raised by statutory consultees.

At a meeting of Harrogate Borough Council’s planning committee today, Conservative Robert Windass was one of eight councillors who voted in favour of the plans, while three voted against.

Cllr Windass said: 

“The applicant has made significant moves to improve this scheme.

“There are no objections from the clinical commissioning group, Environment Agency or highways authority – it is about time we passed this.”

Adlington Retirement Living – which is part of the Gladman group – first submitted its plans in March 2020. Since then, it has had one application refused and been told to rethink another twice.

The developers had agreed to remove a fourth storey of the building and also pay for a new footpath on Grimbald Bridge.

Read more:

• Reduction in Knaresborough retirement flats ‘unviable’, says developer
• Warning retirement flats plan could ‘overload’ health services in Knaresborough

It will also pay £40,000 to the NHS North Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCC) which previously raised concerns that another care facility in the area could “overload” local health services. The CCG later withdrew its objection once the payment had been agreed.

Despite these changes and agreements, residents had continued to push for the plans to be turned down.

Speaking at today’s meeting, resident Steve Benn said:

“This development is twice the height of any current building on Wetherby Road. The developer claims it has been to a minimum of 60 apartments to be viable, yet its flagship scheme in Otley is only 48.

“Knaresborough town centre and local facilities are a mile uphill from the site, and residents will be unable, without personal transport, to make it to churches and community events.”

The risk of flooding was another concern raised by Mr Benn, as well as Cllr Pat Marsh, leader of the opposition Liberal Democrat group, who previously asked for the building to be moved further away from the River Nidd.

Adlington Retirement Living refused to do this after including a flood storage basement in its plans. The company also previously said there is “no record” of the site flooding.

However, residents claim the River Nidd has overflowed at the site as recently as February.

Cllr Marsh also told today’s meeting:

“I sent every member of this planning committee a photograph of a building literally just down the river from this site which has been badly flooded for the last five years. We know this area floods.”

She added:

“This scheme is an overdevelopment and I still have very serious concerns about it.

“The developer hasn’t done anything to allay those concerns.”

No trains will run through Harrogate and Knaresborough today as a national strike gets underway.

Harrogate station was deserted this morning with no picketers outside. However, the ticket office was still manned.

The RMT union has called the strike, which is also scheduled for Thursday and Saturday, over pay and conditions.

Thousands of drivers, signal operators and guards will walk out, crippling services.

Timetables published by Northern don’t show any trains on the Harrogate line on Tuesday or Thursday this week and there will be no replacement buses.

The train operator is currently expecting to run limited services on Saturday, although the company has warned of disruption and urged people to seek alternative travel.

LNER will also be running no services to London King’s Cross from Harrogate on all three strike days.

Read more:

• Harrogate commuters braced for ‘inconvenient’ train strikes
• Council shelves Knaresborough and Ripon travel plans

Some trains are expected to run on non-strike days, however Northern has warned that services could still be affected.

The company is advising passengers not to travel on trains on any day between Tuesday and Sunday.

As train services prepare to wind down today ahead of the looming rail strike, the Stray Ferret went to Harrogate station this morning to speak to commuters.

No trains will run between York and Leeds on Tuesday and Thursday this week, which will affect rail passengers in Harrogate and Knaresborough.

Further strike action is planned on Saturday and rail operator Northern is urging people not to travel on trains between tomorrow and Sunday.

No replacement buses are being put on.

The RMT union has called the strike over pay and conditions. It will see thousands of drivers, signal operators and guards walk out.

Commuters in Harrogate said they had been forced to change their working days this week or work from home. Some have had to rearrange or cancel meetings.

Kevin Dalton told us:

“I’m not a regular train user as I work from home most of the time.

“But I had a meeting this week and I’ve had to rearrange to today just so I can make it. The idea of driving into Leeds or York for 9am just isn’t worth thinking about.”

For others still having to travel into the office, the additional petrol and taxi fees were a concern.

Read more:

• No trains for two days in Harrogate this week as strike action hits
• Council shelves Knaresborough and Ripon travel plans

Kayleigh, who works at Hornbeam Park and asked not to publish her surname, said:

“I’ve had to arrange for someone to come and pick me up and bring me home each day.

“It is an inconvenience, I work with people from York and Leeds so they’ve either got to work from home or spend two and a half hours on the bus.”

Another commuter, Diane Hitchen, sympathised with the strikers and said the difficulties it is causing highlighted how much rail workers do. She added:

“I have a lot of teacher friends who have taken strike action before so I understand why.

“Clearly rail workers feel they have to make an impact for their requests to be met.”

Northern has said it will publish its Sunday timetable shortly.

Further details on how the strike will affects services are available here.

Business Breakfast is sponsored by Harrogate law firm Truth Legal. 

Knaresborough barbers celebrates 20 years in business

Knaresborough barber shop, The Barber Asylum, celebrated 20 years in Knaresborough last week with a day of festivity.

The Barber Asylum, on the High Street, was first opened in Knaresborough on Cheapside by Alex Tabor.

After 20 years Mr Tabor has said barbering has definitely changed, with new styles and trends keeping him and his five staff on their toes.

He said:

“It feels good it seems to have gone really quick. We’ve had customers that have supported us from day one, we’ve got to know them really well. We’ve also watched some of our youngest customers grow up and go off to university.”

The shop is looking to hire one or two new barbers currently:

“Covid was a bit of a nightmare, we lost three members of staff. We’ve just recruited EJ but it’s been really bad getting staff. People have moved out of the industry over covid and there’s probably been a bit of a lag with the colleges getting people trained.”

Mr Tabor also owns Bluebeards Barber Shop on Commercial Street which opened 18 years ago.

Read more:

• Harrogate Spring Water unveils mindful drinking bar at Royal Ascot
• Harrogate cabbies deliver letter to council protesting at changes

Former Harrogate Convention Centre operations head promoted

A former head of operations at Harrogate Convention Centre has taken up a senior post at Leeds First Direct Arena.

Martin McInulty, who has 20 years experience in the industry, will become general manager at the arena.

He said:

“I have lived and worked in Leeds for over 20 years and I have a real passion for the city.

“I started my events career at Leeds Town Hall in 2000. In this time, I have worked at some of the region’s most iconic venues.”

There have been calls for Travellers to have more temporary sites in the Harrogate district.

Cllr David Goode, who is a resident in Knaresborough and a Liberal Democrat town councillor, said recent groups of Travellers setting up camp had been met with “negative feelings” from locals.

Travellers parked on the old rugby field on Hay-a-Park Lane last week and were served legal notice to leave by Harrogate Borough Council.

Several caravans and cars also parked on the Stray near to Oatlands Drive.

All the Travellers have now moved on.

Cllr Goode said while the council has already set up a permanent designated Travellers site off the Knaresborough bypass, there needed to be more transit sites where groups can stay temporarily.

He added that council officials should start to engage with local Gypsy and Travellers trusts to find out what more can be done.

Cllr Goode said:

“My thinking coming out of this is to start engaging with the local Gypsy trust.

“They will know the issues.”

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• Travellers leave Harrogate’s Stray
• Final call to sign up for Harrogate’s Race for Life

Sharon Calvert, who also lives in Knaresborough and has worked with Travellers in her role in education, shared the view that more temporary sites should be set up.

She said:

“What they need is to have a transit site. There are always going to be Travellers coming through [the district].

“We need some joined up thinking on this. There needs to be some temporary sites on the A1 with running water and facilities to get rid of rubbish. There must be some sites.”

‘Engagement is number one’

Leeds Gypsy and Traveller Exchange, a charity which aims to improve the quality of life for the communities, said engagement with Gypsy and Travellers in the first instance was important.

In September 2020 the organisation worked with Leeds City Council to create a good practice guide to design Traveller sites as part of its work.

A spokesperson for Leeds GATE told the Stray Ferret that it was important for authorities to make those community links to better understand Gypsy and Traveller people.

They said:

“The engagement with the community is number one. Whether it is a council or a planning department, they really need to make those community links.

“There are organisations that people can speak to. We at Leeds GATE are here and we do make ourselves known.”

In the Harrogate district, North Yorkshire County Council owns and maintains two designated sites for Travellers.

One is at Bickerton and another is off Thistle Hill in Knaresborough.

Plans have been approved to convert a former girls school in Knaresborough into a museum.

Based at the old National Girls School in Castle Yard, the town museum looks set to open next year.

Harrogate Borough Council backed proposals by Knaresborough Museum Association to convert the former school into the facility.

It will see the dance hall changed to a museum as well as alterations to the interior, a new entrance, disabled toilets and a new ramp.

In a post on its Facebook page, the museum said:

“We have been awarded planning permission and listed building consent for change of use from dance hall to a new museum and to create a new entrance, steps and handrails, disabled access toilets, new ramp and internal modifications.

“Now we really can start planning ahead.”

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Plans for the museum have been in the works since 2020 and it is earmarked to officially open in February 2023.

Funded by public donations and grants, it will include eight exhibition zones covering periods of history from the Jurassic age to the world wars.

No trains will run through Harrogate and Knaresborough for two days next week as thousands of workers go on strike.

Northern, which operates services through the two towns, has published its timetable for the industrial action on June 21, 23 and 25.

The RMT union has called the strike action over pay and conditions. It will see thousands of drivers, signal operators and guards walk out next week.

In Harrogate and Knaresborough, no trains will run between York and Leeds on Tuesday, June 21, and Thursday, June 23.

However, Northern services are currently expected to run on Saturday, June 25 although the company has warned of disruption and urged people to seek alternative travel.

LNER will also be running no services to London Kings Cross from Harrogate on all three strike days.

Read more:

• Harrogate rail campaigner ‘optimistic’ early morning train could be reinstated
• No replacement buses for Harrogate district commuters during strike

The industrial action on the railways is expected to hit commuters, schools and major events.

The disruption will affect cricket fans travelling to Headingley as England take on New Zealand in the third Test of a three-game series on Thursday.

Trains are expected to run on non-strike days, however Northern warned that services could still be affected.

The company warned passengers earlier this week not to travel on any day between Tuesday and Sunday.

It said in a statement:

“There will be no replacement buses or alternative travel provided.

“On strike days there will be extremely limited availability of both train crew and signalling staff and as such we will not be able to operate services on most routes.

“Unfortunately, as we will not be able to position our fleet how we normally would, the significant impact of the strike will also be felt on non-strike days.

“Therefore, we regrettably advise customers not to travel on any day from Tuesday 21st through to Sunday 26th June.

“Where we are able to operate trains, services will be very limited, and trains will not start as early as normal and will finish much earlier than normal.”

Buses expect surge in demand

Meanwhile, Harrogate Bus Company has said it is expecting additional passengers next week due to the strike action.

Steve Ottley, general manager at the bus company, said:

“We are expecting additional customers to travel with us next week due to the rail disruption.

“Our advice is to plan ahead of travel, using our Transdev Go app to track your bus before making a journey. Our website and Twitter feed @harrogatebus will be updated across the day with any planned alterations to services.

“We will closely monitor demand and will provide additional capacity where possible with the resources we have available.”

Members of Knaresborough’s Dower House gym and spa have been told that the facilities will close next month, seven weeks earlier than originally planned.

The Stray Ferret reported last month the gym and spa were closing after the hotel was acquired by the Inn Collection Group (ICG) in December last year.

At the time the group said the gym and spa, which includes a swimming pool and sauna and provides beauty treatments, would close on August 31 as part of a “multi-million pound expansion” plan.

However, letters sent to members this week said the facilities will now close on July 11. Kate Bentley, rooms director for ICG, said the closure was brought forward due to a decline in users and rising operating costs.

She said:

“Since buying The Dower House in December 2022 we have spent a lot of time familiarising ourselves with the hotel and surrounding area while meeting and listening to customer feedback.

“Dower House — including the spa — is in desperate need of investment which is long-overdue. We have made the decision to accelerate the closure of this part of the hotel.

“We appreciate this may be disappointing for spa users, however we look forward to carrying out a significant investment in the building that a wide range of people can enjoy.”

The ICG has said that all Dower House members who chose to move to the Crown Hotel in Boroughbridge could have their joining fee waived. The Boroughbridge hotel is part of the Coaching Inn Group and also has gym, pool and spa facilities.

Read more:

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• Harrogate’s Ernest Jones jewellery store closes

Michael Ward, a member, said:

“I am disappointed at the closure, and the way it has been handled. The first I knew about it was when the story appeared on the Stray Ferret. I am not impressed with the Inn Collection Group.

“I will therefore not be taking up their offer of joining the Crown Hotel at Boroughbridge, despite the joining fee being waived. It’s disappointing because the Dower House is the only facility of its kind in Knaresborough.”

Plans for a 7km cycleway in Knaresborough and other active travel improvements in Ripon have been shelved after a bid for government funding failed.

North Yorkshire County Council applied for £1.5 million – but did not receive any money from round three of the government’s active travel fund.

The council said in a statement that “there will be no progress with either project at present” following an announcement of funding allocations to councils across England last month.

If successful, £50,000 would have funded feasibility work for a segregated cycleway and footpath between Knaresborough and Flaxby Green Park.

In Ripon, around £550,000 would have been spent on the development of “sustainable travel corridors” in the west of the city. This could have included widened footpaths, better pedestrian crossings and traffic calming measures.

Also included in the £1.5 million bid was proposals for other schemes in Selby, Ryedale and Craven, which have not received any funding.

Read more:

• No replacement buses for Harrogate district commuters during strike
• New pothole machine could be coming to Harrogate district roads

Separately, the council has announced final designs for cycling and walking improvements on Harrogate’s Victoria Avenue and the A59 near Knaresborough are “likely” to be revealed this summer as part of a consultation.

This comes after more than £1 million was awarded to the council, which had hoped to start construction works by now.

The proposals include cycle lanes, improved crossings and reducing the A59 speed limit from 50mph to 40mph.

The council said in a statement: 

“Designs are currently being finalised and costed. A public consultation will need to take place before any contract is awarded.

“This is likely to happen over the summer but dates have not yet been confirmed.”

Kevin Douglas, chair of Harrogate District Cycle Action, said he was disappointed that the Ripon and Knaresborough schemes failed to secure funding and that he believed the government’s decision partly came down to the council’s record on getting projects done.

Mr Douglas said:

“Their track record on delivering schemes that have got funding isn’t good,

“It is unusual not to get any funding, but you can see why when the council has schemes that are outstanding.

“The Knaresborough scheme hasn’t been delivered, Victoria Avenue hasn’t been delivered, the Otley Road cycle path hasn’t been delivered, as well as the plans for Oatlands Drive – they are all a way off.”

The Oatlands Drive plans originally included a one-way traffic system, but this was scrapped last year after a backlash from residents who warned the changes would be “disastrous”.

Plans for Oatlands Drive were dropped following public opposition

It was then agreed that government funding would be used for a feasibility study looking into improvements for the wider area.

However, the council has yet to go out to consultation and the new proposals won’t be ready until at least autumn – more than a year-and-a-half after the original plans were abandoned.

A council statement last month said the consultation is “still being finalised” and was “likely to start soon after” the Queen’s platinum jubilee bank holiday weekend.

The statement also said the new proposals will be made public at the end of the study, “which will be in the autumn”.

Meanwhile, it was also revealed this week that a third round of consultations will be held on the £10.9 million Harrogate Gateway project after further traffic concerns were raised.

It means a final business case for the scheme has yet to be submitted and construction works could now be delayed until at least winter.