Wheelie bin trial to start in Harrogate district this month

Harrogate Borough Council is to trial a scheme to replace black recycling boxes with wheelie bins this month.

The Appleby estate in Knaresborough has been chosen as the first area to trial the wheelie bins due to the amount and quality of the recycling presented by residents.

Recent articles by the Stray Ferret have highlighted concerns by residents about the amount of recycling left out for collection blown across streets.

They prompted many people to call on the council to introduce wheelie bins with lids.

The new blue-lidded wheelie bin will replace the black box and will be used for glass bottles and jars, tin cans and foil, food and drink cartons, plastic bottles and tubs.

Blue bags for recycling all paper, card and cardboard will continue to be used. However, these will be replaced with heavy-duty bags for properties that don’t have them.

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Residents in this area will receive a letter this week explaining what they need to do. Collection days will remain the same.

The council will collect black boxes when they deliver the wheelie bins. These will either be reused for other residents or recycled, depending on their condition.

Concerns over contamination rates

Councillor Andy Paraskos, the council’s cabinet member for environment, waste reduction and recycling, said:

“For some time we’ve been looking at how we could improve our kerbside scheme as we know residents are increasingly conscious of the environment and have been recycling more, which is fantastic.

“But before we roll out wheelie bins across the Harrogate district, we have decided to first carry out a trial with a number of properties to ensure that what we achieve with the current system is replicated.”

In some instances, using wheelie bins for recycling can lead to higher contamination rates, so the council will use data from the trial to decide what to do across the Harrogate district.

Cllr Paraskos added:

“Our recycling is clean, high-quality and easily accepted at the processing sites so we’d like to say a massive thank you to the residents for always going above and beyond to help us and our crews.

“We need to ensure switching to wheelie bins doesn’t change this, as the better our recycling the easier it is sort and process.

“In some collection areas, not all residents are as conscientious about what they put in the wheelie bin. Resulting in higher contamination rates and much of the recycling having to be disposed of either through incineration or landfill.”

Other areas will join the trial in the coming month.

Plans approved for 64 homes on former Trelleborg factory

Plans for 64 homes at the site of a former rubber factory in Knaresborough have been given the go-ahead.

Harrogate Borough Council granted permission to developers Countryside Properties to build the homes at the former Trelleborg site on Halfpenny Lane, which closed in 2016.

The site, which is not allocated for housing in the council’s Harrogate district Local Plan 2014-35, which outlines where development can take place, had drawn concerns over the impact on traffic and health services.

Knaresborough Liberal Democrat councillor Hannah Gostlow told Tuesday’s planning meeting that increased traffic levels in the area had become “really dangerous” and led to rat-running.

She said: 

“There is another big development across the road and already the impact on the Boroughbridge Road junction at Hyde Park Road is causing residents a lot of concern and in my mind is really dangerous.

“We are seeing Halfpenny Lane at the back of Hyde Park Road being used as a rat-run.

“This is also a loss of industrial land which is not good for a town’s sustainability.”

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In response, Robert Harding, town planner at Countryside Properties, said the site had been advertised for employment use for “a number of years” but failed to attract a buyer.

He also said the developers were in negotiations with highways officials at North Yorkshire County Council over contributing cash towards junction upgrades.

He added: 

“The proposals are in-keeping with the predominantly residential character of the area and will bring a derelict and underutilised site back into use.

“The site is located within the development limits of Knaresborough and will provide new homes at a location close to the town centre and railway station.”

Town council says homes ‘not needed’

Objections against the plans were made by Knaresborough Town Council, which said the homes were “not needed”.

The NHS North Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group also submitted a late objection which said a wave of new housing across Knaresborough threatened to overload the town’s “already massively stretched” health services.

The CCG has asked for £75,937 from the developers to fund improvements to services in the area.

The plans include a mix of one to four-bedroom homes, as well 20 properties classed as affordable.

Originally, the developers had requested permission for 77 homes, however, this was reduced to 64 after a protection order was placed on a group of trees which have been saved from felling.

The plans were approved with seven votes for and one against at Tuesday’s meeting.

Praise for Harrogate district nurses on International Nurses Day

The manager for community nurses in the Harrogate district has praised their hard work and resilience during the pandemic.

Holly Southcott said she wanted to thank her team on International Nurses Day, a global celebration of the nursing profession.

She said:

“It’s been a really tough couple of years and it would be nice to see what they do recognised.

“I want to say a big thank you to all of the nurses – both locally and internationally – for their care and compassion every day over the last two years.”

Ms Southcott, who is the clinical locality manager for Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust (HDFT), also wants to promote nursing as a potential career choice.

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She said:

“It’s a really important role. It’s a professional role and it can be inspiring.

“The nurses in our trust are really skilled for providing holistic care in the community.

“We want to support future nurses to come forward and train. We will be offering alternative routes where people can progress without going to university.

“It’s such a varied and interesting role and you can get a lot of job satisfaction out of it.”

Ms Southcott said the nursing team pulled together during the pandemic.

She said:

“I went back to visiting people in their homes in the Knaresborough area. It has been a really tough and worrying time for our community.

“The nursing team has worked so hard. The courage they have shown has been amazing and I want this to be recognised.

“They played a crucial part in going into the homes of patients who wouldn’t have been able to access services otherwise.

“Everyone has really worked as one big team.”

International Nurses Day acknowledges and celebrates the commitment and bravery of nurses around the world.

This event, coordinated by the International Council of Nurses (ICN), is celebrated on May 12 every year on the anniversary of the birth of nursing pioneer Florence Nightingale.

Knaresborough woman given freedom of the town

Knaresborough woman Hazel Haas has been awarded the title of Honorory Freedom of the Town for her “extraordinary contribution” to the community.

Ms Haas became the first woman to join Knaresborough Rotary Club and in 1996 became its first female president.

For many years she has chaired the Knaresborough Christmas Markets Committee and has also been involved in the BEBRA town twinning association.

With the advent of covid, she has helped to run local vaccination centres as principal co-ordinator.

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The freedom of the town title has been awarded by Knaresborough Town Council.

Cllr Christine Willoughby, Knaresborough’s Mayor, paid tribute to Ms Haas who she called one of the town’s doers.

She added:

“She works incredibly hard for our community and we are very grateful to her. This award is very well deserved.”

Peter Lacey, chair of Knaresborough Connectors, said:

“Knaresborough Connectors recognise the invaluable work that Hazel undertook from the start of the pandemic to co-ordinate volunteers and keep a cheery face during difficult and stressful times.

“Her organisational skills and energy when applied to supporting the vaccination centre with local volunteers was equally heroic and we’re delighted that she continues to steer the work of Connectors through her role as a Director.  Long may her wisdom and example inspire others!

Harrogate business man praises ‘amazing’ charity following £2m aid convoy into Ukraine

A top Harrogate businessman has praised the “amazing efforts” of a Yorkshire charity after returning from an aid mission to Ukraine.

James Rycroft, managing director of Vida Healthcare, was part of a team that drove eight wagons containing aid worth about £2 million for Ukrainian soldiers and citizens who intend to stay in the country.

The five-day mission, which featured a number of volunteers from Harrogate, was organised by Yorkshire Aid Convoy, a charity which has been running overseas aid expeditions for more than 30 years.

‘Really proud’

Mr Rycroft, whose company owns several specialist dementia care homes around Harrogate, said:

“We did it, it was successful and I am really proud of what we have done.

“Yorkshire Aid convoy is an incredible charity and Mark Murphy, who heads it up, lives in Harrogate. He has done it for years and is one of these silent heroes that does amazing things.

“The charity has already delivered 16 wagons. They ran a mission about four weeks before we went.

“It’s really hard work as you drive for 12 to 14 hours a day. It’s a proper mission.”

James Rycroft. MD Vida Healthcare

James Rycroft.

The convoy carried around 100 tonnes of items, including medical equipment, beds and hygiene products.

It is also took a mobile classroom, which was donated by the Knaresborough-based business, Training and Testing Services.

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Mr Rycroft said:

“A man called Dave Wood came with us. He and his company donated a mobile classroom.

“We filled it with aid and they drove it over and then it got put on a train and taken straight to the front line.

“It is now being used as a wounded soldier hospital. It was named after Dave’s late mother Trish.”

‘Trish’, the mobile classroom, is being used a wounded soldier hospital in Ukraine.

The volunteers met Ukrainian military administrators at the border, where they were escorted to a secure hub inside the border to deposit the goods. They then immediately turned round and headed home.

Their 3,000-mile journey saw them travel by ferry from Hull to Holland, then to Germany, Austria, Hungary, Slovakia and into Ukraine and back.

‘So welcoming’

Mr Rycroft said:

“It was just organised so well. It’s so amazing what the charity does.

“I just went along and did my bit because I wanted to feel like I was contributing something tangible.

“The Ukrainian people were so welcoming and grateful for what we did. It was ace. It is a a really great thing we feel we have achieved.

“But I’m a tiny part of it, really it’s the Yorkshire Aid Convoy that has been leading this.”

Mark and Felix Murphy Yorkshire Aid Convoy

Mark and Felix Murphy of Yorkshire Aid Convoy.

Mr Rycroft said the experience made the war in Ukraine feel “very real”.

He added:

“People are defiant and life is going on as normal and it almost becomes very normal very quickly when you are amongst it. It’s very strange.

“We felt safe and we were looked after really well.

“It went as smoothly as it possibly could. There are lots of people to be praised for it.

“We feel we’ve made a valid achievement to the effort.”

Flood fears halt 61-bed Knaresborough retirement home

Developers behind plans for a Knaresborough retirement home have been told to make the building smaller and move it further away from the River Nidd.

Harrogate Borough Council’s planning committee today deferred a decision on the proposals for 61 extra care apartments near Grimbald Bridge after continued concerns were raised over flooding and the impact on local health services.

This was despite the Environment Agency and flooding specialists at North Yorkshire County Council raising no objections.

The developers, Adlington Retirement Living, also said there is “no record” of the site flooding and have agreed to pay £40,000 to help fund expansions at GP surgeries in the area.

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

Resident Steve Benn told a meeting today:

“Although pictures on the planning portal show the land dry, the debris on the bank indicates that the site has recently flooded.”

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Mr Benn also claimed there are photos of the site flooded, but council officers said they have not seen any evidence.

Kate Broadbank, case officer at the council, said:

“We haven’t received any verified information that contradicts the applicant’s information which states the river did not overtop its banks on the site in either historic events or more recently in February.

“Irrespective of what has happened in the past, both the Environment Agency and the Lead Local Flood Authority are satisfied that the application provides acceptable mitigation.”

‘Overload’ health services

The Wetherby Road development was refused last year before councillors voted for a deferral in March when the NHS North Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) lodged an objection.

The CCG previously said it was “extremely concerned” that another care facility in the area could “overload” local health services.

However, this objection has now been withdrawn after the £40,000 payment from the developers was agreed.

As well as this, Adlington Retirement Living have offered to pay for a new footpath connecting Grimbald Bridge as well as upgraded crossings after road safety concerns were raised by residents.

These proposals have been agreed in principle by highways officials at the county council.

‘It is too large’

Speaking at today’s meeting, Liberal Democrat councillor Pat Marsh said the retirement home amounted to “overdevelopment” of the site and that it should be reduced in size “considerably”. She said:

“It is the numbers that are being asked for on this site which are problematic.

“It is too large. If they want to do it, I would like to see them cut the numbers down considerably and move that building further away from the river.”

A revised application is now expected at a later date.

Surface dressing on local roads begins under new contractor

A new surface dressing programme has begun on roads in North Yorkshire this month.

North Yorkshire County Council has hired a new contractor to carry out this year’s work, which the local authority said can extend the life of a road surface by up to 10 years.

The 2022 programme, which will cover about 200 miles, will be the first delivered by NY Highways, the roads maintenance company created by the county council last year.

NY Highways has recruited Birmingham road construction firm Kiely Bros as its contractor.

Ross Bullerwell, managing director of NY Highways, said:

“Over the past four months we have worked with Kiely Bros to prepare them for the contract, to make sure they understand what we demand in terms of finish and quality.

“The company has already been providing white lining services for us and we have received good local feedback about their work.”

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A press release issued by the council today described surface dressing as “a quick, efficient and cost-effective way of maintaining skid-resistant and waterproof road surfaces”.

The process involves spraying the surface with bitumen, then spreading stone chippings on top and rolling these into the bitumen. Once the bitumen has set, the road is swept to remove any loose chippings.

Weather warning

Barrie Mason, assistant director highways and transportation at the county council, said:

“We know the value of surface dressing from experience. It is vital in maintaining the condition of our roads network. That’s why it is a key component of our annual roads maintenance programme.

“Year after year, through the programme we enhance the quality of sections of our road network. This is crucial in ensuring that businesses, residents and visitors can travel with confidence.”

Signs should go up at each location before work starts to alert residents and drivers.

Mr Mason warned the programme can be affected by weather, adding:

“This can makes communicating exact dates challenging, so we urge residents to check the advance site signage regularly. The contractor will amend this to highlight any change in the schedule.

“After a stretch of road has been treated, it is important for drivers to heed the temporary speed limit put in place while the new surface stabilises to prevent damage to their own vehicle and those of other road users.”

For more information about surface dressing, click here.

It’s live! Boundless Networks is ready to install full fibre broadband in your home

This advertorial is sponsored by Boundless Networks

Boundless Networks is now connecting customers to its Ultrafast Full Fibre broadband, with speeds of up to 900Mbps, in Harrogate and Knaresborough.

Now, you may be thinking “I already have fibre broadband, what is the difference?” but it is likely you just have Partial-Fibre broadband rather than Full Fibre.

Partial-Fibre broadband takes a fibre cable to a local cabinet but only uses a copper cable to your home, copper is not able to deliver the fast speeds reached on full fibre networks.

Using CityFibre’s FTTP network, Full Fibre from Boundless is future-proof and its technology is capable of much faster speeds so your broadband connection is ready for the future and not just today.

Why choose Boundless?

Boundless Networks is different to the big guys with real people delivering excellent customer service. There are no hidden fees either, Boundless will always be upfront about how much you’re going to be paying.

Unlike larger companies, they don’t sentence you to a contract for years. Instead, they believe in just providing a good service. Offering a rolling monthly contract and saying that people stay because they want to; not because they have to.

The product speaks for itself, with a top package of 900Mbps you can rely on Boundless to give you fast and reliable broadband. If something does go wrong, simply give customer service a call and, with their customers being 358% more likely to recommend them to friends and family than the industry average, they will be sure to work all avenues until your broadband works again.

The Boundless customer service team are always on hand to help

Stress-free installation 

Once ordered, installations dates are typically available within six days, but if you aren’t quite ready you can book your installation over a month in advance.

You can choose the date and time of the installation and will get a text from the engineer with an estimated arrival time. The actual installation is stress-free for the customer and once completed you will be fully functional and able to connect.

Customer testimonial 

Don’t just take it from Boundless themselves, Graham Allwood was the first person to get connected with Boundless on CityFibre’s FTTP network. Here are some questions Boundless put to Graham:

“They were a local business offering something others do not, namely a one month contract with the aim of good service in order to keep customers.”

“Yes. The speeds are fantastic. I cannot fault it one little bit.”

“Installation went smoothly. They turned up when they said they would, very polite and kept me informed every step of the way. As it was a new install, they were often asking me my preference for where I would like the new cable to be placed.”

“Not had to use it much, but on the few times I have, they were responsive and quick to resolve my questions.”

“Go for it! It’s nice to see a local business trying hard to improve customers experience with such a unique package. I would definitely recommend Boundless Networks should anyone ask me.”

As the network is still being built, more and more homes are connected on a weekly basis. Click here to check your availability now.

Knaresborough to host Jubilee flag-making workshop for kids

As part of Knaresborough’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations, there will be a free Union Jack flag-making workshop for kids who can take their flag on a procession through the town.

It’s been organised by the people who usually run the lantern-making workshops at Christmas. It will take place on Saturday June 4 at Gracious Street Methodist Church from 10am to 11am.

The event is free and there will be refreshments at the workshop although there will be a donations box. All materials will be provided and children must be accompanied by an adult.

The procession will led by the Town Crier from the Market Place at 11.30am to the grounds of Knaresborough House for the Jubilee Garden Party.

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Knaresborough’s Jubilee plans

Starting on Thursday June 2, Knaresborough will light a beacon on the top of the castle, along with 1,500 locations across the UK.

On Saturday June 4 at Knaresborough House, there will be an artisan market in the morning followed in the afternoon by a community garden party and performances event. There will also be a tea dance at St Mary’s Church Hall.

On Sunday June 5 organisers hope to hold a thanksgiving service. Sunday is also set aside for street parties.

Throughout the weekend the new Knaresborough Museum will open in the former Castle Girls’ School with a special community history event to mark the jubilee.

For information about what’s on across the district over the big weekend. Click the box below.

 

Knaresborough man to open cafe and physio rooms in old Natwest building

A Knaresborough man is set to turn the former Natwest building on the high street into a cafe and physio rooms.

Mark Holmes is a sports therapist, working out of clinics in Knaresborough and Harrogate but with planning permission approved he can now move his business into the previously unused building.

The size of the building allows for three treatment rooms, a takeaway hatch and a cafe fit for 50 covers.

Mr Holmes said the main driving force behind the cafe was to give people in Knaresborough a bigger space to go for food, he said in Harrogate there are so many places for people to choose from and he felt this was missing in Knaresborough.

As a well-known town landmark, Mr Holmes has chosen to reflect the building’s history and the year it was built and call the cafe 1858.

Hoping to open in July, Mr Holmes said:

“Knaresborough has lots of beautiful tea rooms but I just felt we needed a bigger cafe in town, rather than people feeling like they had to go to Harrogate for that. The ethos is to introduce something new to Knaresborough offering a fusion between healthy and traditional food.

“Also, as a parent, I wanted a place big enough for pushchairs. I love where I live but I felt Knaresborough was missing somewhere like this.”

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The physio rooms are separate to the cafe area and the plans also include a bike storage area in a former safe and outdoor seating at the back of the building.

Mr Holmes said the coffee he will serve will be the one he developed alongside Sheffield Hallam University.

After years working with athletes he decided to make his own performance coffee, Amunra Coffee, which he said has up to 200mg of caffeine per cup compared to 90mg in normal coffee.