Green Party stands down in Knaresborough by-election to support Lib Dems

Harrogate & District Green Party is to ask supporters in Knaresborough Scriven Park to vote for the Liberal Democrats in the upcoming by-election.

The by-election was called following the resignation of Conservative councillor Samantha Mearns, who said she was moving to Wales for family reasons.

She will resign from Harrogate Borough Council and Knaresborough Town Council.

The full list of candidates for the by-election, which will take place on July 29, was revealed last week and did not include a Green.

At the last election in 2018, Mearns defeated Liberal Democrat candidate Matt Walker by just 16 votes in the borough council vote.

A spokesperson for the Harrogate & District Green Party said it had met with Lib Dem candidates Hannah Gostlow and Andy Bell and it “supports their attitudes on crucial issues” and would therefore not put forward a candidate “for the greater good”.

The spokesperson said:

“The Green Party welcomes the opportunity to support the excellent Liberal Democrat candidates Hannah Gostlow and Andy Bell in the elections for Knaresborough Town Council. The Green Party has met with and support the candidates’ attitudes on crucial issues.

“The Green Party looks forward to reciprocal support from the Liberal Democrats in future elections as both parties recognise the fundamental problem of a first-past-the-post electoral system which negates the vote of the majority of people in this country. The Green Party will always seek out opportunities to work collaboratively for the greater good.”

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The move by the Greens could be a sign that local parties are more willing than in previous years to work together to defeat the Conservatives, whose councillors currently dominate Harrogate Borough Council and North Yorkshire County Council.

In the recent county council by-election in Bilton, parties to the left of the Conservatives won more collective votes but Cllr Matt Scott took the seat.

Harrogate Liberal Democrats county councillor David Goode told the Stray Ferret that he welcomed the Greens stepping aside.

He said:

“We appreciate what the Greens have done. There’s an understanding that opposition to the Tories splits the vote. We’ve agreed to work together on a local level but it will still be a close call.”

Sharon-Theresa Calvert will stand for the Labour Party in the by-election.

Chris Watt, a spokesman for the local Labour Party, described on Twitter the Greens and Liberal Democrat electoral pact as a “dodgy backroom deal”.

However, in a statement, Labour said it would be “happy to work with people of all parties”.

“Labour has a strong and positive vision for our area, exemplified by our candidate, Sharon Calvert, who is a well known community champion in Knaresborough.

“If that’s something that supporters and members of other parties want to get behind, we would welcome their backing.

“We are happy to work with people of all parties and none on issues of common concern for the good our local area and do so on many subjects, from our local environment to leisure facilities to education, among numerous others.”

The Conservatives have announced Jacqui Renton, a former landlady of The Union pub in Knaresborough, as its candidate. Harvey Alexander will stand for UKIP.

Knaresborough and Starbeck pools to reopen this month

Harrogate Borough Council said today it will reopen Knaresborough Pool on Monday next week and Starbeck Baths on July 19.

However, Starbeck’s reopening depends on government social distancing measures being lifted that day as anticipated.

The council tweeted the news this afternoon to end months of uncertainty, questions and suspicion over the venues’ futures.

Lockdown restrictions eased on April 12 to permit swimming pools to re-open.

However, a problem with the pool filters at Knaresborough forced it to remain closed and the council blamed social distancing restrictions for the delay in reopening Starbeck.

Frustration has grown in recent weeks, particularly over the future of Starbeck Baths, with residents questioning whether it would ever re-open.

The news that Starbeck Baths would finally reopen was welcomed by local resident Chris Watt, who has been at the forefront of the campaign to reopen the pool.

He was due to ask a question about it at tonight’s full council meeting.

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He told the Stray Ferret:

“It’s good to know my little campaign has had a result. It’s a bit of a shame it’s due to local residents putting pressure on the council.

“Let’s just hope they stick to it, they have promised to reopen it before so we will have to wait and see.

“My son will be so happy: he’s been asking constantly, ‘When can I swim again?’ so he’ll be delighted.”

‘It’s about time’

Philip Broadbank, the Liberal Democrat councillor for Starbeck, told the Stray Ferret “it’s about time” the pool reopened.

“I’ve been asking consistently since last summer when the baths will reopen so it’s good news that they are doing.

“It’s about time. I’ll be holding them to it. A lot of local residents have been campaigning with me for the baths to open so they’ll be very pleased too”.

Sessions at Knaresborough can only be booked through the council’s website from 10am on Friday. Details on how to book for Starbeck will be announced at a later date.

Trevor Watson, director for economy and culture at the council, said:

“It is fantastic news that the swimming pool in Knaresborough is set to open ahead of the school summer holidays, as I know local parents and children are keen to jump back in the pool.”

He added that being required to self isolate had presented staffing problems at the pools.

“For many of us, this doesn’t present a problem as we can work at home. But for our leisure centre staff this isn’t possible and sadly has an unavoidable impact on the services we provide.

“We are doing what we can to recruit staff, fill these gaps and return to normal as soon as it is safe to do so. I’d like to thank residents for bearing with us.”

The view from Knaresborough Castle

One of the great views of the Harrogate district is from Knaresborough Castle down to the viaduct over the River Nidd.

Amateur photographer David Thompson sent us this stunning photo of it that he took early one morning recently.

You can see more photography by Mr Thompson, who lives in Starbeck, on Instagram @kampalakid.

We love receiving readers’ photos of the Harrogate district. Send them to contact@thestrayferret.co.uk.

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‘Predatory paedophile’ Knaresborough owner of Queen Ethelburga’s School jailed

A Knaresborough man and the owner of Queen Ethelburga’s School near York will go to prison for more than three years for two incidents of non-recent child sexual abuse.

Brian Richard Martin, 71, from Ferrensby near Knaresborough, was sentenced at Leeds Crown Court today following a retrial.

He was originally on trial in 2018 for sexually assaulting of a boy in the late 2000s. This trial also acquitted him of six other child sexual abuse offences.

At another retrial in 2019, he was found guilty of indecent assault on a girl in the early-to-mid-1990s.

Martin has been jailed for three years and three months and placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register.

Detective Sergeant Graeme Bevington, who led the North Yorkshire Police investigation, said:

“Despite significant investment being made in the school, all this served to do was to create an environment that Martin could exploit for his own sinister gains.

“He preyed on the vulnerability of the students and was able to manipulate circumstances which allowed him to sexually abuse two children who were boarding students.”

The police said his success in business meant he could buy the school and move it from Harrogate to the Thorpe Underwood Estate, where he living with his family.

DS Bevington added the school was supposed to be safe for young students but instead they were “harmed so significantly by someone in a position of trust”.

He praised the bravery of the victims who spoke out:

“They have had to give evidence in open court about the most vulnerable and traumatic experiences of their lives and re-live the dreadful abuse that was forced upon them many years ago when they were just children.

“The courage and conviction behind their evidence has led to Brian Martin being publicly exposed as the predatory paedophile that he really is.

“They have finally had justice for what they have had to endure for so long.”

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To seek advice and further support, or report child abuse, you can contact one of these organisations:

Central Harrogate has lowest first covid vaccine uptake in district

Central Harrogate has the lowest uptake of a first covid vaccine in the district, according to government figures.

Public Health England has created an interactive map showing the percentage of adults who have had a vaccine by area.

According to the map, Central Harrogate had a first dose uptake of 68% by the end of yesterday.

Dishforth, Baldersby and Markington had the next lowest figure, at 76%.

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Knaresborough South and Follifoot had the highest uptake with 88% of adults receiving a first dose.

Spofforth, Burn Bridge and Huby also had a high percentage with 87%.

Overall, the Harrogate district has a first vaccination uptake of 81%.

Latest figures show 115,907 people have had a first jab and 95,768 have had a second.

Five highest first dose uptake areas:

Five lowest first dose areas:

Live: Harrogate traffic and travel

Good morning. It’s Leah with you this morning updating you every 15 minutes on how the transport links are near you.

These blogs, brought to you by The HACS Group, will show you where the traffic hotspots and temporary traffic lights are and tell you of any train and bus delays.

Let us know if you experience any delays on 01423 276197.

9am – Full Update 

That is all from me this morning, I will be back with you tomorrow from 6.30 with updates every 15 minutes. Have a lovely day.

Roads

Traffic in the Harrogate, Ripon and Knaresborough centres is starting to build this morning but keep checking in.

Traffic Hotspots:

Traffic is building here:

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

Trains

Buses

8.45am – Full Update 

Roads

Traffic in the Harrogate, Ripon and Knaresborough centres is starting to build this morning but keep checking in.

Traffic Hotspots:

Traffic is building here:

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

Trains

Buses

 

8.30am – Full Update 

Roads

Traffic in the Harrogate, Ripon and Knaresborough centres is starting to build this morning but keep checking in.

Traffic Hotspots:

Traffic is building here:

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

Trains

Buses

 

8.15am – Full Update 

Roads

Traffic in the Harrogate, Ripon and Knaresborough centres is starting to build this morning but keep checking in.

Traffic Hotspots:

Traffic is building here:

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

Trains

Buses

8am – Full Update 

Roads

Traffic in the Harrogate, Ripon and Knaresborough centres is starting to build this morning but keep checking in.

Traffic is building here:

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

Trains

Buses

 

7.45am – Full Update 

Roads

Traffic in the Harrogate, Ripon and Knaresborough centres is starting to build this morning but keep checking in.

Traffic is building here:

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

Trains

Buses

 

7.30am – Full Update 

Roads

Traffic in the Harrogate, Ripon and Knaresborough centres is starting to build this morning but keep checking in.

Traffic is building here:

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

Trains

Buses

 

7.15am – Full Update 

Roads

The roads are looking clear so far this morning but keep checking in.

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

Trains

Buses

 

7am – Full Update 

Roads

The roads are looking clear so far this morning but keep checking in.

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

Trains

Buses

 

6.45am – Full Update 

Roads

The roads are looking clear so far this morning but keep checking in.

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

Trains

Buses

 

6.30am – Full Update 

Roads

The roads are looking clear so far this morning but keep checking in.

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

Trains

Buses

 

 

Number of covid patients at Harrogate hospital falls to two

The number of covid patients at Harrogate District Hospital has fallen to two, despite a sharp rise in infections in the district.

In a sign that the vaccination programme is working, Amanda Bloor, accountable officer for NHS North Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group told North Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum today there are now fewer covid patients at the hospital than last week, when there were three.

The number of cases of the Delta variant in the Harrogate district has nearly quadrupled in the last two weeks. The district’s seven-day rate of infection is now 155 per 100,000, just below the England average of 159.

Despite the steep rise, the hospital has not faced the same pressures as in previous waves. At the peak in February, there were 68 covid patients at Harrogate hospital.

According to the latest NHS England figures, the hospital’s last covid-related death was reported on April 11.

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Ms Bloor also said today that Ripon racecourse vaccination site, which opened in February, is due to close in August.

The closure of the Great Yorkshire Showground vaccination centre in Harrogate this month has seen many people travel to Leeds, York or Bradford for jabs, although there are pharmacy sites in Knaresborough and Pateley Bridge.

Ms Bloor said pop-up vaccination sites could open in the district this year.

She said:

“We want to be able to flex the programme as sites and vaccines allow.”

Knaresborough and Starbeck pools: still no reopening dates

There are still no firm dates for the re-opening of Knaresborough Pool and Starbeck Baths.

Lockdown restrictions eased to permit swimming pools to re-open on April 12. However, 11 weeks on neither council-run pool has reopened since.

A problem with the pool filters at Knaresborough forced it to remain closed.

The manufacturer, based in Spain, was unable to send engineers to fix the equipment due to covid travel bans.

Harrogate Borough Council eventually decided to replace the filters, rather than delay the opening further, at a cost of £27,000.

In its latest monthly newsletter to residents, the council said Knaresborough Pool was “set to open in July ahead of the school summer holidays” although no precise date was given.

The council recently advertised for a new duty manager at the pool as well as new lifeguards.

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Meanwhile, there has been no update on when Starbeck Baths will reopen.

The council previously said the baths would open “shortly” after Ripon Spa Baths. The Ripon pool reopened in May and there has been no update on Starbeck since.

The Stray Ferret understands staffing may be an issue at Starbeck as a number of employees have either left or been seconded to new roles.

‘Shocking’ anti-trans graffiti daubed in Knaresborough toilet

Anti-trans graffiti has been written on a public toilet near Knaresborough Castle.

The message was spotted yesterday afternoon in the Castle Yard car park toilets by a woman who was visiting the town with friends.

The use of single-sex toilets has become a battleground for trans rights issues in recent years.

Trans rights campaigners believe that trans people should be able to use the toilet in whichever gender they identify as, however there has been pushback against this by some women who say it makes them feel uncomfortable.

The message read:

“Single-sex spaces matter. Trans women are men. Male pattern violence doesn’t decrease if a man ‘feels’ like a woman.”

Jess, who asked us not to use her surname, tweeted her disappointment at the message:

“What kind of hatred do you have to feel in your soul to write this…in the car park toilet of Knaresborough Castle?”

“Trans women are women and if your issue with trans women is male pattern violence then your issue is not with trans women your issue is with predatory men who would do anything to take advantage of or harm women.”

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Jess told the Stray Ferret that she found graffiti at about 2pm and it looked like someone had tried unsuccessfully to wipe the word ‘men’ from the message.

She described the sentiment of the message as “very vitriolic”, adding:

“And in such a strange place, it was really shocking to sit down and see it.”

Leanora Wassel, chair of local LGBT charity Pride In Diversity Harrogate said there was some anti-trans feeling in the area but graffiti was rare.

She said:

“We as a community find anti-trans abuse abhorrent. It’s important we stand together.”

Harrogate Borough Council, which owns the car park, said today the graffiti had been removed.

Knaresborough seven-year-old’s art to be shown in London

A seven-year-old boy from Knaresborough will be having his artwork shown at an exhibition at the Royal Academy in London this summer.

Conor Steward, who attends Aspin Park Academy in the town, won a competition entered by his school to have his drawing shown as part of the Young Artists’ Summer Show.

A panel of artists and arts professionals choose his drawing of a heron from thousands of submissions to join a selection of artworks displayed online and on-site at the Royal Academy of Arts.

His drawing of a heron was inspired by his love of wildlife, which has grown over the course of lockdown.

He previously had a drawing of an otter published after winning a competition in a children’s nature magazine.

Conor with his heron drawing, which will be shown at the Royal Academy in London in the summer

Conor said:

“I am so excited and happy about going to London to see my picture on display.”

Conor is allowed to sell his picture for £20 and wants to donate any money raised to Macmillan Cancer Support.

His piece was framed by Andy Grinter, who owns Green Dragon Framing in Knaresborough.

The Young Artists’ Summer Show is open to the public from from July 13 to August 8.