Harrogate and District Green Party has attacked “unforgivable” plans to build Knaresborough’s new leisure centre on a playing field popular with children and dog walkers.

Harrogate Borough Council, which is behind the plans for the new facility to replace the town’s existing swimming pool at Fysche Field, has begun drawing up designs after a survey showed just over 80% of respondents were in support of the site.

But some residents have criticised the consultation process and are mounting a campaign to protect the playing field next to the leisure centre from development.

They said the survey was poorly publicised and failed to attract enough responses – and now the Green Party has also accused the council of being “completely misleading” as it did not disclose the loss of green space during the consultation.

Shan Oakes, the party’s coordinator and former parliamentary candidate, said:

“This was either total incompetence from the council or them being disingenuous.

“The consultation should be null and void because the wording of the questions was completely misleading and only 471 people responded.”

Harrogate Borough Council previously defended the survey saying it was “well publicised” and that the comments submitted “will help shape the future of the facility”.

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A spokesperson also said the amount of green space that could be lost has not yet been determined and would be subject to approval of a planning application.

As part of the consultation held over December and January, the council-owned Knaresborough House, Hay-a-Park and Conyngham Hall were also considered as potential sites for the new leisure centre.

‘Precious green space’

There was also a privately-owned site at Halfpenny Lane, which Shan Oakes said had won the support of the Green Party before it was discounted by the council. She said:

“We were in favour of this site because it is brownfield and in the right location. Fysche Field, however, should not be touched as it is a precious green space used by so many.

“The pandemic has shown that green spaces are so vital for our mental health and keeping people connected – and it is unforgivable that the council would even think about taking this away.

“Their so-called green credentials are actually a greenwash and we will fight these plans every step of the way.”

A council spokesman said:

“Although the existing site in Knaresborough has been recommended, we are still in the early stages and no formal plans have been submitted. Once submitted they will be subject to the normal planning application process.

“The current venue is nearing 30 years old, is operating at capacity, only provides a swimming pool and has a number of on-going maintenance issues which are not resolvable without significant investment.

“Once completed, the new leisure centre will provide energy efficient, state-of-the art facilities that will encourage a healthier and more active lifestyle for our residents and something they can be proud of.”

If the plans are approved, the new leisure centre will include a new 25-metre pool, a 66-station gym and two studio spaces, and could be built by the end of 2023.

People are being invited to comment on designs for three schemes to enhance walking and cycling in Harrogate and Knaresborough.

North Yorkshire County Council has received £1,011,750 from the Department for Transport’s Active Travel Fund for four schemes in the country, three of which are in the Harrogate district.

The Harrogate schemes are:

• A59 (Harrogate Road, Knaresborough) between Badger Mount and Maple Close;
• Oatlands Drive between Hookstone Road and Knaresborough Road;
• Victoria Avenue near the County Court, between the A61 (West Park) and Station Parade.

Following the first phase of consultation, North Yorkshire County Council removed a controversial one-way system for the Oatlands Drive scheme. It has been replaced with a 20 mph zone and traffic calming measures in the nearby Saints area.

NYCC says the results of the consultation will be used to develop the draft designs further before a decision is made on which schemes to progress.

Here is a look at the proposals:

Oatlands Drive

• A 20mph zone would be created from Hookstone Drive to York Place.
• Only bicycles would be allowed to enter St Hilda’s Road from Oatlands Drive.
• Motorists would be able to enter St Winifred’s Drive from Oatlands Drive but not exit. Anyone leaving would need to travel via St Hilda’s Road.
• New junction improvements would be created on Hookstone Drive and York Place.

A59 (Harrogate Road, Knaresborough)

• Two 1.5m cycle lanes would be created, which would be separated from the rest of the road by a double white line.
• The speed limit between Badger Mount and Maple Close would be reduced from 50mph to 40mph.
• Centre traffic islands would be removed.
• A crossing near Harrogate Golf Club would be improved for pedestrians and cyclists.

Read more:

• Half of responses ‘strongly oppose’ Oatlands Drive plan
• 1,000 sign petition calling for Oatlands cycling plans to be scrapped

Victoria Avenue, Harrogate

• 1.5m cycle lanes would be created on both sides of the road.
• New pedestrian and cycle crossings would be created.
• Modifications would be made on the West Park and Station Parade junctions.
• A possible staggered zebra crossing and floating bus stop would be created.

County Councillor Don Mackenzie, executive member for access, said:

“We thank all those residents who took part in the first round of consultation on the outline proposals for these four schemes.

“We have listened to that and are trying to reach a broad consensus about the measures we put in place, given that these directly affect people’s movements and their property.

“We think we can come up with something that addresses most of the concerns raised, but that still provides significant benefits for people who are cycling and walking.

“We encourage residents to take part in this latest consultation. Your views are important to us and they will help shape the final designs of these four schemes.”

You can take part in the consultation, which ends on April 12, here. 

The developers behind a new business park near Knaresborough that could create up to 2,000 jobs have formally submitted proposals.

Opus North and Bridges Fund Management have sent plans to Harrogate Borough Council to transform a 45-acre site into a mixed-use development designed to support offices, logistics operators and tech firms.

The site – to be called Harrogate 47 – is located at Flaxby near junction 47 of the A1(M) and was acquired by the developers in October last year.

It is allocated as the main strategic employment site in the council’s Local Plan and already has existing planning permission for more than half a million square feet of employment space.

The new plans include up to 130,000 sq ft of office accommodation, about 75,000 sq ft of tech starter units and approximately 430,000 sq ft for logistics and warehouses.

A spokesperson for the developers said the existing planning permission allows for the commencement of the site’s enabling works so it can be made “oven-ready” for the main construction to start as soon as the new consent is granted.

Guy Bowden, a partner at Bridges Fund Management, added:

“As Harrogate 47 is such an important site with immense potential to make a significant economic contribution to the local area, we are keen to maintain momentum and as such are commencing preparatory works.

“The work being undertaken will ensure that the plots are ready for construction to begin, which could be as early as summer 2021, and our appointed agents are already in detailed discussions with potential occupiers who have expressed an interest in the scheme.”

The appointed industrial agents for Harrogate 47 are CBRE and Gent Visick, with the office enquiries directed to the office agency teams at CBRE.

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Oliver Freer, from CBRE’s northern planning team, which prepared the planning application, said:

“The new masterplan for Junction 47 responds to the market demand for employment accommodation for office, hi-tech/hybrid and logistics uses in this location, and is in accordance with the land allocation of the site.

“A successful consent would allow much-needed commercial space to be delivered, enabling local companies to stay and attracting new inward investment into the district, whilst unlocking the potential for some 2,000 new local jobs.”

Ryan Unsworth, development director of Opus North, added:

“We have been working hard with our appointed consultancy team and key stakeholders since we acquired the site to progress a masterplan that would maximise the job-creating potential of the site whilst addressing current and anticipated regional demand for sustainable office and industrial accommodation.

“We are confident that our application captures these aspects and look forward to seeing the initial works start on site to facilitate development.”

Knaresborough farmers’ market is making a comeback on Saturday.

The monthly market will return with 12 food stalls selling everything from Indian treats to cakes and vegetables.

Stalls will be trading on the town’s Market Square at the usual time of 10am to 3pm.

The market will be the first in the Harrogate district run by Yorkshire Farmers’ Markets to reopen.

It has taken place several years, attracting many locals and visitors but the organisers expect the first one back this weekend may be quieter than usual.

Jane Chidley, market officer at Yorkshire Farmers’ Markets, said:

“We are thrilled to get back to it. All the stallholders were eager to get back as soon as they could.

“We are encouraging people to follow social distancing rules and won’t be offering tasters.”

Due to lockdown the market could only be held for a few months in 2020 and stopped again in January this year.

Ms Chidley said she was hopeful that this time the market, which will take place in Knaresborough on the third Saturday each month, will be “back for good”.

Read more:

• Betty’s is set to start reopening by the end of the month. 
• Knaresborough’s Fultons Foods store has now closed. 

The Harrogate farmers’ market will return on April 15. It is usually held on the second Thursday of each month on Cambridge Street but has been pushed back a week in April to coincide with shops reopening on April 12.

Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones has defended a crime bill that gives police new powers to deal with protests after it was criticised as a “fundamental attack” on freedom of speech.

The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill covers major government proposals on crime and justice, including changes to protests.

The bill passed its first hurdle this week after an overwhelming vote in favour by Conservative MPs.

All three Conservative MPs whose constituencies include the Harrogate district — Jones, Skipton and Ripon MP Julian Smith and Selby and Ainsty MP Nigel Adams — supported it.

The protest measures drawn up by ministers and police chiefs will mean more conditions are imposed on static demonstrations, including start and finish times, noise limits and penalties for activists causing “serious annoyance”.

At a meeting of North Yorkshire County Council’s Harrogate and Knaresborough Area Committee today, Liberal Democrat councillor David Goode described the bill as a “a fundamental attack on our democratic rights”.

He said it would “significantly restrict” people’s rights to hold peaceful protests and asked Mr Jones why he voted for it.

Mr Jones responded:

“The underlying principle of freedom of speech and freedom to protest is absolutely unchanged.

“This is about making sure we can protest in a way which doesn’t stop people getting to work or a hospital appointment.

“It is possible to protest without impacting others so what we need to strike therefore is that balance and that is what the bill does.”

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The bill’s second reading was passed by 359 votes to 263 on Tuesday. It also contains dozens of new measures to increase sentences for child killers and other violent criminals, as well as tougher penalties for attacks on police officers and changes to sexual offences legislation.

The most controversial part, however, are the reforms on protests, which garnered extra interest after scenes of police officers restraining women attending a vigil in memory of Sarah Everard in London on Saturday.

At present, police need to prove protesters knew they had been told to move on before they can be said to have broken the law.

The bill proposes an offence of “intentionally or recklessly causing public nuisance”, which is designed to stop people occupying public spaces to make themselves both seen and heard.

The new laws would also give Home Secretary Priti Patel the authority to define “serious disruption to the life of the community” and “serious disruption to the activities of an organisation” — a concept opponents argue is not clear enough.

Speaking at a debate in the House of Commons this week, the Home Secretary defended the proposed changes to peaceful protests which she said are a “cornerstone of democracy”.

She said:

“This bill will give police the powers to take a more proactive approach in tackling dangerous and disruptive protests. The threshold at which the police can impose conditions on the use of noise at a protest is rightfully high.

“The majority of protesters will be able to continue to act, make noise as they do so now without police intervention.

“But we are changing it to allow the police to put conditions on noisy protests that cause significant disruption to those in the vicinity. As with all our proposals, the police response will still need to be proportionate.”

Knaresborough residents have begun campaigning to save Fsyche Field when the town’s swimming pool and leisure centre is rebuilt.

The park, next to the leisure centre, is used by local families and sports clubs.

But campaigners fear it will be concreted over under plans by Harrogate Borough Council to rebuild the leisure centre.

Local resident David Hull has set up a website and Facebook page to encourage more people to join his campaign to save Knaresborough’s only recreational green space.

The Facebook group has 36 members, which Mr Hull hopes will increase as more people hear of the plans.

Mr Hull has concerns about the loss of green space and increase in traffic pollution.

He also believes the council hasn’t clearly explained to people the threat to Fsyche Field. Several people he knows were unaware it could be lost.

Mr Hull said he has no issue with the current site being used for further development but is determined to stop any building on the recreational field.

He said:

“Its outrageous what the council are doing to get away with it. Our aim is to protect the green space because once it’s gone it’ll be gone forever.

“We want to get the message out there. It’ll have a catastrophic effect, it’s a great amenity to the town.”

The proposed site plans for the new leisure centre.

Mr Hull questioned the need for a new leisure centre and suggested the money could be better spent on refurbishing the existing pool rather than demolishing it.

He has suggested the council looks at nearby brownfield sites for the development.

He has also been in touch with local councillors of all political parties to put forward his concerns.

Read more:

• HBC has said it is now looking for UK engineers to fix the problems at Knaresborough pools.
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A total of £23 million is set to be spent on leisure facilities in the district, including the Knaresborough rebuild.

Although only at design stage, the council has confirmed Alliance Leisure Services has been appointed to work on the project.

A council spokesman said:

“We have carried out an options appraisal to evaluate potential sites in Knaresborough.

“Each site was judged against set criteria including; location, physical appearance, access as well as any planning or legal factors that may influence the decision. Based on the work carried out, the existing site has been recommended for the location of the new leisure centre.

“Although the existing site in Knaresborough has been recommended, we are still in the early stages and no formal plans have been submitted.

“The current venue is nearing 30 years old, is operating at capacity, only provides a swimming pool and has a number of ongoing maintenance issues which are not resolvable without significant investment.”

The current site was one of four options put forward by the council. The others included Hay-a-Park and Conyngham Hall.

A “joyous” mural inspired by nature is being painted on the side of a house in Cheapside, Knaresborough.

When complete, the artwork will include swallows, butterflies, bumblebees and flowers.

Lindsay Bradley, whose family has owned the property since the 1960s, hopes the mural will cheer people up as they enter the town.

She said:

“It’s all the things I love in nature.”

After seeing Harrogate artist Sam Porter’s work on Facebook, she commissioned him to paint the mural, which will take over a week to finish.

Sam is using spray paint and says he wants it to have a positive impact:

“It’s such a public spot so I want it to be really joyous.”

Read more:

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• Land owner has ‘ambitious plans’ to reinstate Knaresborough fountain

Sam is a full-time artist and has worked in sculpture, fine art and print making. He said murals have become more popular over the past few years and hopes to paint more of them in Harrogate and Knaresborough.

He added:

“Everyone is crying out for something that will jolly up their day.”

Whilst the mural is a paean to the natural world, it almost took a left-field turn after sci-fi fan Lindsay suggested to Sam that he adds the famous movie alien ET to the mural.

But Sam talked her out of it for artistic reasons.

Police have fined two men from Hull for breaching covid restrictions after they travelled to Knaresborough for a McDonald’s.

Officers from North Yorkshire Police said they spotted the men’s car at St James Retail Park at 12.45am on Monday.

The men told police they were out for a drive to get a meal from McDonald’s.

The restaurant is 66 miles from Hessle in Hull where they drove from.

Both were issued with fixed penalty notices for being outside place of living.

Police handed out 102 fines in North Yorkshire for breaching lockdown restrictions in the past week — 12 of them were in Harrogate.

Read more:

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It takes the total number of fixed penalty notices issued during the third lockdown in North Yorkshire to 1,662.

Superintendent Mike Walker, who leads the county’s covid response, said it was important there was “no let up” in complying with restrictions over the forthcoming four-day Easter weekend.

He said:

“Together with our partner agencies and the people of York and North Yorkshire, it is imperative that we maintain the collective effort to reduce the infection rate as low as possible while the vaccination programme is rolled-out across the population.

“We can all see that better times are on the horizon, that’s why we must keep going and not allow all the hard work and sacrifice to be undone through complacency.”

An investigation by the Stray Ferret has found that just two NHS dentists in the Harrogate district are accepting new patients — and both have a waiting time of at least two-and-a-half years.

Our investigation reveals how acute the problem of dental care is for people on low incomes in the district.

John Ennis, who chairs North Yorkshire County Council‘s scrutiny of health committee, described our findings as “shocking”.

We looked into the availability of free NHS services at the 18 Harrogate district dental practices listed on the NHS website.

Many have not updated their information for years. But they all fall into one or three categories: they have a long waiting list; they have such a long waiting list that they are not taking on new patients; or they no longer hold an NHS contract.

We found of the 18 only MyDentist in Knaresborough and AW Jones Dental Practice in Boroughbridge are taking patients — with wait times of two and a half years and three years respectively.

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The situation looks like it will get worse: Chatsworth House Dental Centre, one of the few dentists in the area providing NHS services, is proposing to close and move its NHS patients to a dental practice in Starbeck. Chatsworth House has not yet made a formal approach to the NHS but it has revealed its plans in letters to patients.

John Ennis, a Conservative councillor who represents Harrogate Stray on North Yorkshire County Council, and chair’s the council’s scrutiny of health committee, told the Stray Ferret that Harrogate and Knaresborough are some of the worst affected areas in the county. He added:

“I have been on the scrutiny of health committee for the last seven years and it has been an issue bubbling along for all of that time.

“Coronavirus has made the issue worse. Between June and December last year the NHS only expected dentists to carry out 20% of their usual appointments.

“That should increase to 45% soon but that is still too low. Dentists do have to clean between patients, given the nature of their work, so that has created delays.

“Harrogate and Knaresborough has a particular problem. While I am not entirely surprised by your findings, I do think that those delays are shocking.

“We have just started to investigate the provision of NHS dentists in North Yorkshire. I am currently trying to gather as much information as I can.

“I will then prepare a report and share my findings at the next committee meeting in June.”

Cllr Ennis added the county council only has power to scrutinise when a practice proposes a closure. He suggested the committee would have greater powers if the proposed reorganisation of the NHS devolved decisions on NHS dentistry to a more local level.

National bodies raise concerns about NHS dentists

The provision of NHS dentists has been a contentious local and national issue for some time.

Healthwatch England, the national watchdog, has said the coronavirus pandemic has stretched services to crisis point and even forced some patients to attempt their own treatments.

Healthwatch England and the British Dental Association (BDA) have both recently published damning reports into NHS dentistry.

The BDA found in October that NHS dentist treatments were at a quarter of the level prior to the coronavirus pandemic. It also found that dentists face an uphill struggle to catch up because they missed more than 14 million appointments in 2020 than the previous year.

A Healthwatch England survey of 1,300 people found that 73% said it was difficult to access help and support when they needed it. Many were only offered private treatment.

The accompanying report also suggested that the scarcity of information about whether dentists were taking NHS patients was ‘a real problem and is masking a potentially bigger issue’.

Harrogate and Knaresborough Liberal Democrats have called for “greater transparency” over the reopening of Knaresborough Pool.

Matt Walker, a local campaigner for the party, has written to Cllr Stan Lumley, cabinet member for leisure at Harrogate Borough Council, after the pool was not included on a list of openings on April 12.

A council newsletter has said Knaresborough pool will continue to remain closed until further notice.

It added engineers from the Spanish-based equipment manufacturer were unable to undertake urgent repair work because lockdown rules prevented them travelling.

Mr Walker said the council’s announcement “raised more questions than it answered” and that Knaresborough Pool needed to reopen as soon as possible.

He added that the facility had been closed “multiple times” for maintenance and had now been shut for more than a year.

Read more:

• Knaresborough pool stays closed with engineers stuck in Spain
• Two-thirds support Knaresborough leisure centre site

Mr Walker said:

“The council appears to have taken its eye off the ball, yet again. Residents deserve answers.

“Many other organisations have continued to carry out essential maintenance work during the lockdowns. It would appear that this is nothing more than poor planning from Harrogate Borough Council, but questions certainly need to be answered.

“Knaresborough pool is a real community asset. It is important for the health and wellbeing of thousands of local residents, so residents shouldn’t have to wait many additional months to see it return.”

The council’s other leisure centres — The Hydro in Harrogate, Nidderdale Pool and Leisure Centre and Ripon Leisure Centre — will open on April 12.

Knaresborough Pool is due to be demolished and replaced by a new leisure facility on the same location.

The council has been approached for comment.