Speeding, mental health and activities for young people are among the main issues concerning Knaresborough residents, according to a new survey platform.

Multiple town groups set up Knaresborough Voice this year to give local people the opportunity to discuss what matters to them. With devolution looming, the groups wanted a platform for people to discuss where investment in the town should go.

Knaresborough Chamber of Trade, Knaresborough Connectors and North Yorkshire County Council are among those supporting the venture.

The platform uses technology called Polis – an artificial intelligence-driven software designed to find communities’ complex views.

People offer anonymous responses or agree and disagree with other people’s statements on certain topics.

Three conversations so far

So far, the platform has been used to start three conversations:

• What’s most important in making Knaresborough an even better place to live and work?
• Should there be a default speed limit of 20mph – rather than 30mph – in the town and in residential areas?
• The state of mental health in the area after the two years of covid.

The conversation about what’s most important in Knaresborough is the first to be completed.

It generated 116 responses, which received almost 5,700 votes.

Read more:

• The new anonymous voting tool to find Harrogate’s consensus on key issues
• Harrogate council to sell restored Knaresborough flats for £879,000

Over 80% of respondents agreed there needed to be more opportunities for young people; that the town should welcome diversity; that there is a need to fill the gaps in the town centre offer; that pavements needed to be kept tidy and safe and that more needed to be made of York Road car park.

The groups behind Knaresborough Voice hope it will become a well-used platform for debate that can impact decisions made by local councillors.

Peter Lacey, a chamber committee member, said:

“The platform was set up in the light of devolution to collect views and connect community groups. A conversation starts by a someone suggesting a topic and we work to shape the statements and post the survey.”

The findings will be taken to Knaresborough Town Council next month in the hope they will be used to shape its decisions.

Temporary traffic lights will operate in Knaresborough during two weeks of roadworks next month.

Multi-way traffic lights will be in place on York Road, at the junction of Wetherby Road, for a fortnight from April 11.

Northern Gas Networks, the gas distributor for the north of England, is replacing metal pipes with plastic pipes.

It said in a press release today the work would “ensure a safe and reliable supply of gas to customers now while getting the network ready to transport alternative greener fuels such as hydrogen in the future”.

The work has been planned in collaboration with North Yorkshire County Council, the highways authority.

Read more:

• Knaresborough man denies sexual assault and child exploitation charges
• Traffic and Travel Alert: Three days of roadworks to start at Prince of Wales roundabout

Scott Kitchingman, business operations lead for Northern Gas Networks, said:

“We would like to apologise in advance for any inconvenience caused during these essential works. However, it is vital we complete them in order to continue to maintain a safe and reliable gas supply to our customers in Knaresborough.

“We want to assure residents and road users that we will be working hard to complete this essential scheme as safely and as quickly as possible.”

A Knaresborough man has denied a string of sexual assault charges and inciting the exploitation of children.

Anthony Medri, 63, of Forest Moor Road, is charged with intentionally causing a child to look at an image of a person engaging in sexual activity for the purpose of obtaining sexual gratification.

He is also charged with three counts of sexual assault on a female and three counts of causing or inciting the sexual exploitation of a child he did not reasonably believe was aged 18 or over to become a prostitute to be involved in pornography.

Read more:

• Harrogate care worker steals £30,000 from victim to fund gambling addiction
• Three teens on Harrogate Theatre roof plead guilty to causing £800 damage
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Mr Medri, who stood unsuccessfully for the Liberal Democrats in the 2015 local elections when he contested the Stray ward. appeared at Harrogate Magistrates Court this morning to confirm his name and age.

He entered a plea of not guilty to all seven charges.

He was granted bail and will appear at York Crown Court for trial on April 19, 2022.

Firefighters were called to reports of a fire at a pub in Knaresborough last night.

According to North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service, the incident took place at 9.47pm at a pub on Thistle Hill in the town.

The only pub with an address on that street is The Cricketers, which is in the Calcutt area of Knaresborough.

The incident log says:

“Crews from Knaresborough, Boroughbridge and an aerial ladder platform from Harrogate responded to reports of a fire to a public house.

“On arrival this was a fire confined to the chimney hearth. Crews extinguished the fire in the hearth and inspected the rest of the building for hotspots.”

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• Mountain rescuers summoned after hiker injured in Nidderdale
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Harrogate Borough Council is set to sell four flats on Knaresborough High Street that were restored and brought back into use.

The council bought the Grade II listed properties in 2019 after they had been unoccupied for several years.

Renovation began with planning permission and listed building consent in 2020, and has just been completed.

Now, senior councillors look set to sign off on selling the leasehold of the town centre properties for an estimated £879,900.

However, the authority will retain control over the freehold of the flats. It also intends to keep the freehold of two retail units that were part of the refurbishment.

Read more

• Derelict Knaresborough High Street properties restored
• Plan to convert disused Harrogate church into seven homes

A report due before councillors at next Wednesday’s Cabinet meeting says retaining the freehold would help “retain control over the quality and frequency of future external repair and maintenance” of the properties.

The properties are valued at:

• Flat 80A £295,000
• Flat 82A £195,000
• Flat 82B £199,950
• Flat 82C £189,950

Cllr Graham Swift, deputy leader and cabinet member for resources, enterprise and economic development at the council, said previously:

“These properties had been a blight on the high street in Knaresborough for several years.

“But after they were brought to our attention by Cllr Darling, we recognised the potential they could have to provide both homes and business spaces, we took the necessary steps to purchase them.”

Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones has written to the chairman of rail operator Northern urging him to “rethink” reductions to the service between Harrogate and Leeds.

The Stray Ferret reported last week that the 6.07am from Harrogate to Leeds — the first of the day — will be axed from May 15. Some evening services will also be cut.

Brian Dunsby, of Harrogate Line Supporters Group, branded the move ‘disgraceful’ and called for a rethink.

Now Mr Jones has also said the decision should be reconsidered. The Conservative MP said:

“Over the last 12 years we have seen steady improvements to our local rail services. The hated pacer trains have gone, we have more direct services to London with the Azumas and we had seen welcome increases in services to Leeds and York.

“Many groups and individuals lobbied hard to get those changes and we worked with regional and national rail companies in a positive and constructive way. None of us want to see these hard-won improvements lost.”

Read more:

• Red Arrows set to fly over Harrogate district this week
• Early morning train from Harrogate to Leeds cancelled
• Andrew Jones MP welcomes pause in smart motorway rollout

Mr Jones added that some long-term changes were understandable because of the trend towards working from home. He said>

“However these changes won’t be forever and there are other pressures in the local and national economy – such as the increase in fuel prices, the strength of the jobs market, the re-opening of the conference and exhibition business and the emphasis on greener methods of travel – which seem likely to lead to an increase in public transport use.

“It is simply therefore too early to judge whether it is right to consolidate the cuts made during the covid lockdowns into the timetable and add new reductions on top of that.”

Mr Jones said he had written to Robin Gisby, chairman of Northern, “asking him to pause any proposed service reductions between Harrogate and Leeds and consider reversing the earlier reductions in stages so that we get back to the level of service we had pre-pandemic”.

Vaccination sites in the Harrogate district are preparing to get busy again following the announcement of spring booster jabs.

Covid clinics in Harrogate, Ripon, Knaresborough and Pateley Bridge have wound down or paused since December.

But that is about to change after the government said people aged 75 and over, care home residents and people with weakened immune systems can now book fourth jabs.

Yorkshire Health Network, which is a federation of 17 GP practices in the Harrogate district, operates sites at the Great Yorkshire Showground in Harrogate and Ripon Races.

The showground will have its next clinic from 8.30am to 5pm on April 1.

The Ripon Races site.

Dates at Ripon Races are being finalised so they don’t clash with horse race meetings.

Tim Yarrow, operations manager at Yorkshire Health Network, said:

“We anticipate uptake to be high in the 75 and overs as Harrogate has a large population in that cohort.”

Read more:

• Pateley Bridge vaccine heroes treated to thank-you meal
• Harrogate district covid rate more than doubles in 12 days

Knaresborough and Pateley Bridge

Homecare Pharmacy Services’ site in Knaresborough.

Homecare Pharmacy’ Service‘s vaccination site at Chain Lane in Knaresborough is to add Monday covid clinics to its existing Friday and Saturday clinics. Bookings are encouraged to avoid having to wait.

Pateley Bridge Pharmacy, which paused its vaccination programme in December, plans to start again soon.

Samina Khan, who owns the pharmacy, said:

“I think we will restart in April, with bookings from March 25, but we are still finalising details.”

Infections rocketing

It comes as infection rates continue to soar in the Harrogate district.

The seven-day infection rate is now 885 per 100,000 people. It was 343 at the start of the month.

It is the highest rate in North Yorkshire and above the England rate of 833.

Harrogate West and Pannal Ash is the worst affected area in the county. It has recorded 135 positive cases in the last seven days.

Allertons hair salon will open its fourth location, Allertons Harrogate, tomorrow.

The salon is located on Montpellier Street and will offer haircuts, colouring, treatments and styling.

Beauty treatments including massage and manicures will be available from the summer.

The company has two other locations in Leeds and one in Nottingham.

Founder Nicholas Nicola said:

“We think it will be well received. We aren’t led by fashion but what the clients want from root tints to bright blue. Harrogate already has so many lovely salons and hopefully we can bring something different.”

You can book online now by visiting this website or by calling us on 01423 608868.

Knaresborough-based maternity brand to launch next month

The Mum Collective is a Knaresborough-based maternity and nursing clothing brand that promises to offer “something different”.

Based in Knaresborough and set up by Sophie Baldwin, the online brand is launching with an essentials collection comprising of a t-shirt, sweater and hoodie. Each item has hidden zips for feeding.

Ms Baldwin said:

“When I fell pregnant one thing I found is that there wasn’t a great deal of clothes I actually wanted to wear that I would feel good in, that would also see me through my entire pregnancy as I was growing, and then through to my breastfeeding journey as well.”

“It was created with a mum and mum-to-be’s entire journey in mind.”

The new essentials range

Public leisure centres in the Harrogate district are experiencing their greatest investment ever.

Harrogate Borough Council is spending more than £40m on new pools in Ripon and Knaresborough and on a major refurbishment of The Hydro in Harrogate.

Mark Tweedie, managing director of Brimhams Active, oversees 250 staff responsible for delivering services at these sites as well as several others.

Brimhams is the council-owned company set up last year to promote health and wellbeing in the district.

It operates swimming pools in Harrogate, Ripon, Knaresborough, Pateley Bridge and Starbeck. All of these sites, except the magnificent old Starbeck Baths and the soon-to-be-rebuilt Knaresborough Pool, also have leisure or fitness centres.

Mark Tweedie with Jack Laugher at the opening of Ripon’s new facility.

Brimhams also oversees Fairfax Wellbeing and Community Hub in Harrogate, Jennyfield Styan Community Centre, a children’s nursery and the Harrogate Turkish Baths.

Mr Tweedie, 54, a former PE teacher with considerable experience of the leisure sector, was hired by the council in November 2020 to support the creation of Brimhams before transferring to his current role in July last year.

He says he was attracted by the council’s vision of using leisure to improve the health and wellbeing of people in the district, backed by its willingness to invest serious money to make it happen.

Difficult start

It hasn’t been an easy ride. There have been costly delays at the new Jack Laugher Leisure and Wellness Centre in Ripon due to sinkhole issues that long pre-date Mr Tweedie. A report due imminently will determine how much more work needs to be done before the site can fully open. He says:

“I’m absolutely confident it will be resolved. Yes, it’s been frustrating. I know customers have been desperate to come back since Spa Baths closed.”

There has been some discontent about the consultation and need for a new leisure centre in Knaresborough, where work is due to begin next month on a 65-week building programme due to finish in July next year.

How Knaresborough’s new pool will look.

Mr Tweedie says the transition from old to new site will be “seamless”, with the current facility operating until the new one opens — something that didn’t happen in Ripon, where the Spa Baths closed four months before the new pool opened due to delays.

Now there is the looming nine-month closure of The Hydro, which will leave Harrogate without a council-run pool.

Staffing has also been difficult — Brimhams has been consistently operating with 20 to 30 vacancies. Opening hours have been affected. Mr Tweedie says:

“It’s been a significant challenge, and it’s shared across the sector nationally.”

Read more:

• Ripon leisure centre named after local Olympic hero Jack Laugher
• £28m contracts for new Knaresborough pool and Harrogate Hydro upgrades approved
• Harrogate Hydro set to close for nine months

But there is little doubt that when all the projects are completed, the district’s facilities will be significantly better than they were pre-Brimhams. He says:

“We are through the worst and back on track and people in the Harrogate district and our staff have got a lot to look forward to.”

Aim to nearly double membership 

The aim is to increase total membership at the sites in Harrogate, Ripon and Knaresborough to 5,000 within six months of the new facilities opening. Membership totalled about 3,000 at its pre-covid peak so it would be a considerable achievement but Mr Tweedie is “very confident” of achieving it. He says 400 people joined the Ripon centre in the fortnight after it opened.

How the refurbished Hydro will look.

Brimhams’s current monthly rate is £38.95. Customers at The Hydro are being offered a reduced rate of £32 to use the other sites while it is being refurbished. They will also be able to take part in group exercise sessions at the nearby Jennyfield Styan Community Centre.

Large private gym chains such as Pure Gym and Coach Gyms, which offer membership at about £20 a month, have extended their tentacles into the district, which can’t make life easy for council-run alternatives, but Mr Tweedie insists they are serving different markets.

“The private sector is dealing with the 15% that want to join a gym. The question is, what happens to the other 85%? How do we use public facilities to reach out to them?”

He talks about Brimhams taking “a more holistic approach” that leads to a “deeper and more purposeful relationship” with customers. People won’t come just to use the pool or gym, he says, but also to access a wider range of service that are being developed, such as mental health support, nutritional advice and mindfulness. It’s no coincidence that two Brimhams Active sites now include ‘wellbeing’ in their names — it’s clearly the way ahead.

A new software system, due to go live at the end of the month, will enable online booking and a “better digital relationship with customers”, as well as capturing footfall data that Brimhams can use to improve services.

Will it consider 24-hour opening, as many private gyms are? Mr Tweedie says:

“We have no plans for 24/7. We feel we can deal with our customer base between the hours of 6.30am and 10pm.”

Starbeck Baths

The scale of the council’s investment in leisure leads Mr Tweedie to say confidently there are no plans to reduce services or close Starbeck Baths, which is a constant threat to such an ageing facility. He adds:

“What the commercial approach is not about is reducing wages and staff and providing the bare bones of a service.”

All change next year

But his reassurances are tempered by the fact that Harrogate Borough Council will be abolished next year and control of Brimhams will transfer to the new North Yorkshire Council.

Brimhams staff will have a new employer from April 1 and, in time, a new strategy run by different managers.

Mr Tweedie, who lives in Morpeth and divides his time working from home and in the Harrogate district, says it could take at least a couple of years to implement whatever model the new council introduces so his role could exist for some time yet. He says:

“I want to deliver our three-year strategic plan and I am already working with other district leisure service leaders and North Yorkshire colleagues to manage the transition to the unitary authority.”

The important thing, he adds, is that customers don’t notice any sudden changes next year and that frontline staff, such as lifeguards and receptionists, are looked after. He says:

“It’s business as usual for us. We have a vision. We have a strategy. We have a plan we will deliver on that with a high level of tenacity.

Nidderdale Pool and Leisure Centre in Pateley Bridge.

Knaresborough man and former police commissioner Philip Allott has written a book on marketing.

Integrated Business to Business Marketing provides “a complete blueprint for success in communicating promotional messages in the digital age”.

Mr Allott, who founded PR company Allott and Associates in 1994, said the book builds on his “40 years of practical experience” of marketing.

It is written for business owners, directors and marketing managers in the UK and abroad and covers topics such as how material written for press releases can be used for social media platforms and e-newsletters.

Mr Allott is a former leader of the Conservatives on Harrogate Borough Council and a former Mayor of Knaresborough who stood unsuccessfully in several general elections for the Conservative Party.

He was elected North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner in May last year but resigned in October in the wake of comments about the murder of Sarah Everard.

Read more:

• Police commissioner Philip Allott resigns
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Mr Allott is also the author of The Donkeyman, which was published in 2007. It talks about the life and times of his donkey-breeding father, who was known as Donkey Dave.

His new book, which is distributed by John Hunt Publishing, will be available from next month on Amazon and at Waterstones.