Knaresborough Town FC sets up women’s team

Knaresborough Town Football Club has announced that is has set up a women’s team.

The team will play home games at the club’s Manse Lane ground and train once a week at local facilities.

The club said the aim of the team is to become “one of the best run and most successful women’s football sections in the area”.

Players aged 16 and over are invited to come along to open training sessions, the first of which will be held at Knaresborough Celtic at Thistle Hill on Tuesday, July 19, starting at 6.45pm.

The club said in a statement on its website:

“Our aim is to become one of the best run and most successful women’s football sections in the area and as part of our ongoing development strategy with our partner club Knaresborough Celtic, we will provide a pathway for the girl’s teams at all ages to move seamlessly and easily from Knaresborough Celtic through to the senior team at Knaresborough Town.

“This is a fantastic opportunity for potential players at all levels who want to come and be part of Knaresborough Town Football Club, to develop their skills, to be part of a successful team and to enjoy their football.”

Those players interested in joining the club should email knaresboroughtownwomen@gmail.com.

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Surge in demand for e-bikes as petrol prices continue to rise across the district

More people are ditching their cars in favour of electric bikes as petrol prices continue to soar, according to Harrogate district retailers.

As the average cost of diesel has almost hit the £2 per litre mark, people are increasingly looking at more wallet-friendly ways to get around.

Local e-bike suppliers say there has been a notable shift in the number of customers now moving to pedal and e-power, opting to save their fuel for longer journeys.

Kurt Davison, manager of the Electric Bike Shop, on Leeds Road, Harrogate, said:

“We have definitely noticed a rise in sales. This isn’t surprising given that you are looking at £2 a litre for fuel and you also have to factor in road tax and insurance.”

Mr Davison said 65 per cent of journeys made in the UK were less than five miles, so more people were choosing e-bikes for shorter commutes.

He said:

“We hear it a lot from people. The cost of fuel is too high. So they want to use an e-bike to get to work rather than running a car.

“We also recently sold a cargo bike to a family who are using it for the school run.”

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Andy Crawley, who has owned Harrogate Electric Bikes – CorCoach, on St John’s Terrace, Harrogate, for 10 years, said he had noticed a rise in the number of returning customers wanting to get back on their bikes.

Andy Crawley, owner of  Harrogate Electric Bikes – CorCoach.

He said:

“They are using their bikes more and I have seen an upturn in servicing existing bikes. They are coming back and saying they haven’t used it for a while and they want to use it more due to the cost of petrol. It hurts when you fill your tank up now!

“I do a lot of conversions where I convert bikes to electric bikes. I have definitely seen a surge in this, as then customers are not having to pay thousands of pounds for a brand new model. The cost of living crisis means many people can’t afford a brand new e-bike.”

He added that many people were still too nervous to cycle on the district’s roads and while improvements have been made, there needed to be a better infrastructure in place.

Tony Robertshaw has owned North Yorkshire Electric Bikes, in Bond End, Knaresborough, for a decade.

He said while his customer-base had always traditionally fallen into an older age bracket due to having more disposable income, he had noticed an increase in younger customers buying e-bikes.

He said:

“People are wanting bikes to commute on, rather than using their cars. Customers do say that petrol prices are too much.

“There are also a lot of benefits to investing in an e-bike. There are the health benefits and the cost benefits.

“Most of my bikes last a good 10 years, so if you work the cost out per year, it is relatively cheap. You would get through £300 of petrol in no time.

“You also don’t have to pay insurance or road tax. So it’s definitely cheaper than running a car.”

 

Council reveals social housing plans for Harrogate, Knaresborough and Boroughbridge

Harrogate Borough Council has revealed plans for social housing at seven sites which it said would make a “small but important contribution” to the serious shortage of affordable homes.

With around 1,800 households on its housing waiting list, the council has made a push to bring forward new homes on small sites.

However, it has been criticised for not going further or faster enough to provide more homes for Harrogate’s low-income earners who are being driven out of the area by high rent and house prices.

The council’s latest plans include social housing at sites in Harrogate, Knaresborough, Boroughbridge and Huby.

The Knaresborough site off Halfpenny Close is the largest and could accommodate around 14 homes for market, social rent and shared ownership if approved. All of the properties would be classed as “affordable”.

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A total of £170,000 in government cash has been secured by the council to progress these plans, and some of the money has already been spent on site surveys.

There are also proposals for five shared ownership apartments at the former Cavendish House hostel on Robert Street, Harrogate.

The council said these apartments would be for “first time buyers unable to afford to access the property market”.

Also in Harrogate, two properties are planned for St Andrew’s Place where the council has admitted vehicular access would be “tight” on the single lane street.

Another home has been proposed for Gascoigne Crescent in the town.

On Knaresborough’s Charlton Drive, a garage site which has been described as in “very poor condition” could also become a new build.

There are also proposals for single properties on both Springfield Drive, Boroughbridge, and Kingsway in Huby.

A decision to submit planning applications for all six sites is set to be signed off by Cllr Mike Chambers, cabinet member for housing and safer communities, at a meeting next Tuesday.

A report to the meeting said the development of similar sites has been “long established” and “makes good use of the council’s landholdings”.

The report also said the council would bid for extra government funding to develop the proposals if planning permission is granted.

It added:

 “There are circa 1,800 households on the waiting list for social/affordable rented housing and circa 650 first time buyers registered for shared ownership.

“These underutilised sites will make a small but important contribution to helping meet that need.”

‘Eyesore’ Knaresborough green reignites concerns about state of district

Overgrown grass on a community green in Knaresborough was cut this week following complaints from residents.

Homeowners on Appleby Green had described the site as an “eyesore”.

After they raised their concerns with Harrogate Borough Council and contacted the Stray Ferret, the green was finally mown on Monday following a period of more than four weeks.

However, they remain sceptical that the maintenance, which they were promised would be fortnightly, will regularly continue.

The impact of staff shortages on the council’s ability to maintain green spaces, plus its policy to re-wild parts of the district, has divided opinion. Some welcome the return to nature; others feel it looks untidy.

There are 200 houses on the Appleby Green estate, near the Nidd Gorge, with 14 situated around the green, overlooking the area.

Speaking on behalf of a number of homeowners, Stafford Dent said there had been numerous complaints raised over the last three years.

He said:

“It was only last summer when the head of parks and the parks manager visited the site with around 20 residents present.

“A plan of action was agreed with the management team to maintain key areas of the Appleby Estate, including, most importantly, the green.

“It was agreed the green and surrounding areas would be cut every two weeks.

“Unfortunately, Harrogate Borough Council have not kept their promise.

“Our lovely green is becoming an absolute eyesore.”

Appleby Green, before it was cut.

Mr Dent said residents were told by the parks manager that there weren’t enough staff to maintain areas across the district and the teams were working “flat out”.

However, Mr Dent said it had been an ongoing problem over recent years and the council therefore had “more than adequate time to manage staff attrition”.

He added:

“After numerous complaints the residents feel that we are constantly being fobbed off with lame excuses as to why key activities are not carried out on a regular basis.”

‘Striking a balance’

A council spokesman said a programme of work was in place to cut the grass in parks and open spaces, verges and other areas managed by the authority.

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He said this was in addition to maintaining the numerous award-winning floral displays, for which the Harrogate district is well known for and attracts thousands of visitors every year.

He said:

“Like many services across the country, we have vacant positions that is having an impact on our ability to deliver the service as desired.

“Some areas are also being left to grow and not mown as regularly as we want to attract pollinators, encourage biodiversity and create habitats.

“As we’ve said before, this approach is favoured by some and an eyesore to others. So we have to strike a balance to ensure all residents can enjoy the district with the resource we have available.”

Mr Dent said he believed the council had only cut the grass on Monday on the back of “all the noise that has been raised”.

He said:

“I know in a few weeks time we will have the same old problem though, as this is an ongoing issue.

“In addition to sending an email direct to the parks manager, to which I received a response stating that her teams were currently so stretched, I have also logged a formal complaint on the council site. This has been acknowledged by the customer service team and I still await a response.

“It’s the same old issue, not enough staff to cope, but due to this being an issue for a few years, I feel that the management team have had more than adequate time to solve their headcount problem.”

Harrogate’s Finlay Bean makes cricket history by scoring 441

A Harrogate cricketer has smashed the record books by scoring an astonishing 441 for Yorkshire second XI.

Finlay Bean, 20, yesterday became the first triple centurion in Yorkshire’s second-team history in a match against Nottinghamshire.

By the time he was out today, he had compiled the highest score in Second X1 Championship history. He hit 52 fours and three sixes on the way to helping Yorkshire reach 814-7.

Wicketkeeper-batsman Bean, who plays for York Cricket Club, doesn’t currently have a contract with Yorkshire.

Second-team coach Tom Smith said:

“Finlay’s batted brilliantly.

“He’s been on the field for every single ball of the match, and it’s not just his skill that’s been impressive, it’s been his concentration levels as well.

“Personally, I’ve never seen 365 runs scored in a game before! It’s been outstanding.”

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Bean, like Knaresborough’s Jonny Tattersall, has been given a second chance at Yorkshire.

Born in Harrogate, he came through the Yorkshire age-groups and played academy and second-team cricket through to the end of 2020, also representing England under 19s.

Despite being offered an Academy contract, Bean left Headingley at the end of that season.

But, following some impressive league performances for York over the last two seasons, he has earned another shot with the county through second-team cricket in 2022.

 

 

Harrogate rallies in search of missing dog Molly

A dog who who ran away in the Nidd Gorge has now been missing a week despite a major search operation.

Emily Watson’s white bichon frise, Molly, was spooked by another dog at 9am last Thursday.

Her last sighting was near the viaduct on the Bilton/Ripley cycle path.

Pippa Kemp, who has been helping Ms Watson with the search, told the Stray Ferret:

“We are desperate now. It’s not just the length of time, it’s how hot it has been and that no one has seen her.”

Ms Watson has put out regular appeals on Facebook to help find the missing dog and a group called Missing Molly has also been set up.

Posters and flyers have also been displayed and given out in the area.

Molly, the bichon frise.

In an outpouring of support, the community has been out in force searching for Molly, who was wearing a purple harness when she went missing.

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Volunteers have also come forward with thermal drones, a dog tracking team and thermal cameras.

Many have continued the search into nightfall.

Residents have also checked their smart doorbells and CCTV cameras for sightings.

And yesterday a search party was given permission to access the sewerage works, near to where she went missing.

Ms Kemp said:

“The experts who have been looking for her said it was unbelievable that she hasn’t been seen, but it does happen.

“We are holding out hope that she is out there somewhere.”

Ms Kemp praised the Harrogate community for their ongoing support.

She said:

“They have been amazing. We have had so many messages from people offering to help.

“Harrogate is unbelievable for pulling together when something like this happens. We are such a dog-loving community.”

The search is continuing today, with another tracker dog going out this afternoon.

Ms Kemp said:

“We just want to get some kind of evidence that she is still in the area. If she has moved about, or if she has been down to the river for a drink. If a scent is picked up today, it will be a recent one.”

Anyone who has seen Molly or who has any information is asked to call her owner Emily Watson on 07852 636641.

People are being asked not to approach her, while avoiding eye contact and sudden movements.

Aldi looking to open second Harrogate supermarket

German supermarket chain Aldi has added Harrogate to a list of locations where it would like to open a new store.

Budget supermarkets have been making inroads into the Harrogate district in recent years. Aldi opened its first supermarket in Harrogate on Oak Beck Road in 2016 and another store in Knaresborough in 2021.

Aldi’s rival, Lidl, has had a supermarket in Knaresborough for several years and is currently building a new Harrogate store on Knaresborough Road. Lidl also has plans to open a supermarket at St Michael’s Retail Park in Ripon.

The cost of living crisis could see cheaper supermarkets continue in popularity and now Aldi has released a list of over 50 towns and cities, including Harrogate, that it is targeting in the coming years.

The company is offering a finder’s fee for anyone who recommends a suitable site, which it says should measure 20,000 sq foot, be able to accommodate 100 parking spaces and ideally be near a main road.

George Brown, national property director at Aldi UK, said:

“Despite our growth in recent years, some people still don’t have access to a local store, which is why it is our mission to continue on with our ambitious growth plans and change that.”

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Leisure facilities closed at Knaresborough’s Conyngham Hall

Leisure facilities at Conyngham Hall in Knaresborough have closed due to staff shortages.

The hall grounds are popular with families, offering a refreshment hut, two tennis courts, pitch and putt, a putting green and crazy golf.

But Harrogate Borough Council, which maintains the eighteenth century hall and grounds, is currently unable to staff the facilities.

A council spokesperson said:

“Unfortunately, due to staff shortages the refreshment hut at Conyngham Hall is currently closed.

“Due to this closure we are unable to provide refreshments, tennis and golf facilities.

“We are advertising for a games attendant and hope to resolve the situation as soon as we can.

“In the interim, the tennis courts will be open should anyone wish to play.

“We’d like to apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.”

James Monaghan at conyngham hall

James Monaghan at Conyngham Hall

Knaresborough resident James Monaghan, who often visits the grounds with his family, said many of the facilities had been kept open during covid and it was disappointing they weren’t available now. He added:

“But it is a good result if they are prepared to unlock the tennis courts in the meantime and it would be even better if they put the flags back on the golf course too.”

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golf course at conyngham hall

Golf at Conyngham Hall

Sir Ed Davey: Lib Dems will target Harrogate and Knaresborough as key seat

The Liberal Democrats are set to make Harrogate and Knaresborough a target seat at the next General Election.

On a visit to Harrogate today, party leader Sir Ed Davey MP told the Stray Ferret the Conservatives had taken local people for granted.

Sir Ed, who was also speaking at the Local Government Association conference at Harrogate Convention Centre, said he would be returning to Harrogate and Knaresborough personally in the run up to the next election.

He said:

“We are going to be working as hard as possible to win this seat. I’m really looking forward to the new candidate being selected very soon.

“I’ll be up here working with them so that we do win this seat.”

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Sir Ed said the Lib Dems’ agenda included tax cuts to tackle the cost of living, better healthcare and “getting tough” on water companies that pump sewage into rivers.

Andrew Jones, the Conservative MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, holds a majority of 9,675 in the constituency.

He has been re-elected three times since winning the seat in 2010.

When pressed on how he could be so confident of winning the seat when voters in Harrogate and Knaresborough have returned a Conservative to Westminster for the last 12 years, he said:

“The Conservatives have taken the people of Harrogate for granted.

“We’re going to work hard to earn their votes. One of my criticisms of Conservative MPs is that they have taken their local areas for granted. It has got to stop.

“We will work tirelessly to listen to the communities, to take up their concerns and be their local champion.”

Last week the Lib Dems overturned a 24,239 majority to gain a seat from the Conservatives in the Tiverton and Honiton.

Besides Harrogate and Knaresborough, the party is also expected to focus on Tory marginals such as Cheltenham and Wimbledon, according to iNews.

The Stray Ferret has approached Mr Jones for comment.

Harrogate district MPs divided over Northern Ireland Protocol

Two of the three Harrogate district Conservative MPs have backed plans for the government to override parts of the Northern Ireland Protocol.

A controversial bill passed its first hurdle in Parliament last night by 295 votes to 221.

The plans, which would allow ministers to scrap parts of the protocol, has proved controversial with some MPs, including former Prime Minister Theresa May, who said it was not legal and would “diminish the standing of the United Kingdom in the eyes of the world”.

Andrew Jones, MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, and Nigel Adams, MP for Selby and Ainsty, which includes some rural parts of Harrogate, voted in favour of the bill.

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But former Northern Ireland secretary and Skipton and Ripon MP, Julian Smith, abstained.

Speaking during last night’s debate, Mr Smith said the protocol enjoyed “significant support” among businesses in Northern Ireland, adding:

“We risk toxifying further the discussions we are having with the EU and member states, and we risk prolonging instability for Northern Ireland business, not to mention putting the whole of the UK at risk of trade and tariff reprisals.”

The bill will allow ministers to change parts of the protocol which were agreed as part of post-Brexit arrangements in Northern Ireland in 2019.

Liz Truss, foreign secretary, said the government had no other option but to “fix” problems in the deal.

The government wants to fast-track the bill through the House of Commons before July’s summer recess but it is likely to face opposition in the House of Lords.