A 38-acre employment site near Knaresborough that could support 2,000 jobs has been sold for an undisclosed fee.
Ilkey property developer Opus North and London-based fund manager Bridges Fund Management have bought the site from a private individual.
They say the development could make a “significant contribution” to the local economy.
The site, located south-west of junction 47 of the A1(M) near to Flaxby Park is allocated as an employment site in Harrogate Borough Council’s Local Plan, which sets out the area’s policy and planning framework until 2035.
The site benefits from existing planning permission for over half a million square feet of development for employment uses.
The two companies will now develop a masterplan for the site, alongside stakeholders including Harrogate Borough Council, which “maximises its job-creating potential”.
An Opus North spokesperson told the Stray Ferret a decision on what type of employment the site could support will be made at a future date.
An outline planning application will be submitted to HBC later this year.
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Ryan Unsworth, development director of Opus North, said:
Local property business expands“This is a site with clear potential to make a significant contribution to the local economy through job creation and also through the delivery of high-quality office and logistics accommodation to meet existing and future market demand.
“With our joint venture partner, we are in a position to bring this development to life and are looking forward to continuing our discussions with both the council and local stakeholders to create an exemplar development to address the local and regional shortages of employment space.”
The 101-year old property business Lister Haigh has expanded its workforce with five new recruits.
The company, which was started by Oswald Lister at Clint and Hampsthwaite in 1919, has offices in Knaresborough, Harrogate and Boroughbridge.
The company’s expansion comes a week after the Stray Ferret reported a ‘manic’ July and August for the local housing market.
Tim Waring, head of residential at Lister Haigh, said:
“The majority of our appointments are due to expansion of the business post-lockdown. Our agricultural consultancy is as busy as ever. Our residential agency business is getting busier and busier, which we expect to continue into the new year.”
In July, the Chancellor Rishi Sunak increased the threshold for stamp duty from £125,000 to £500,000, which has boosted the house market. This will continue until April 2021.
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Surveyor Richard Duffus has joined the firm from London and will be based in Boroughbridge where he will work alongside Paul Johnston on residential and commercial lettings.
William Pheasey has been appointed assistant rural surveyor at the Knaresborough office.
Samantha Paterson has joined the Harrogate residential property team as a sales negotiator.
Two administrative appointments – Gill Harris at Knaresborough and Annie Thompson at Boroughbridge – complete the list of new starters at Lister Haigh.
Knaresborough enjoys business boostBusiness representatives in Knaresborough have said there is a buzz about the town as more companies seek to relocate there.
Despite the financial impact of the coronavirus pandemic, the Stray Ferret has recently reported a flurry of new shops opening on the high street.
The latest addition – The Knaresborough Lock Centre – opened on Monday.
Owner John Long said:
“The town was lacking a DIY, hardware, lock shop and I felt it was a good time to open up. We have had a warm welcome in the town and are positive about the future.”
Knaresborough Chamber of Trade has said the number of empty shops is decreasing, offering further cause for optimism.
Bill Taylor, treasurer of the chamber, said:
“Many people seem to have used the lockdown to develop business ideas and see Knaresborough as a great place to start their new business.“The chamber had a record month in August for new members and September has started in the same vein. It is a great time to be a business owner in the town, there is a real buzz around now with several new shops about to open and a very low number of empty shops currently being available.“
The number of empty shop fronts has decreased in the town, improving its aesthetic and encouraging more visitors to the town.
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- Plans have been approved for a micropub to open in Knaresborough railway station.
- New music shop set to open on Knaresborough high street next month.
The business and community website, Knaresborough Online, painted a similar picture of an increase in business interest in the area.
Harrogate district gets £2m discount with Eat Out to Help Out“Since the easing of lockdown we have noticed an increase in general enquiries about relocating to Knaresborough. This flurry of interest is supported by the recent opening of a number of new businesses in town, including a new pet shop, Persian rug store, restaurant, butchers and a DIY shop. These are really encouraging signs as we move forward after a difficult few months.”
Diners in the Harrogate district who took part in the Eat Out to Help Out scheme got a discount of more than £1.9 million in August.
New figures out today from HM Treasury also revealed that people in the Harrogate and Knaresborough and Skipton and Ripon constituencies ate 314,000 meals in the scheme.
The scheme was designed to help the struggling hospitality sector get back on its feet. The Stray Ferret reported that many cafes and restaurants saw a big spike in interest last month.
Some restaurants were fully booked and were forced to turn some diners away who were trying to take advantage of the Eat Out to Help Out discount.
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In Harrogate and Knaresborough 153 restaurants signed up compared with 205 restaurants in Skipton and Ripon.
Some restaurants across the Harrogate district have seen such a boost that they have extended the discount without any government backing to fund it.
Lydia Hewitt-Craft, supervisor at So! Bar and eats Harrogate, said:
“It’s been massively helpful and it’s a relief because it was hard at the start when everyone was worried about coming out but this has been great for us.”
Nertil Xhallo, manager at Sarando on Station Bridge, said:
“It has been really busy, we’ve had a lot of bookings. Most people have returned which is good. The offer has been helpful for the business.”
Sara Ferguson, acting chair of Harrogate BID and owner of two Harrogate restaurants, said:
District’s house building sites hotspots for burglaries“I think it’s been a massive help, everyone I have spoken to says it’s been worth doing. I think with the uncertainty going forward its given all those places a boost.”
North Yorkshire Police is urging for vigilance following an increase in burglaries on new home development sites across the district.
During the past 24 hours, two incidents have been reported. One at a new site one in Langthorpe, near Boroughbridge, and the second in Penny Pot Gardens in Harrogate.
Boilers are the main item to be stolen. The perpetrators are cutting the gas and water pipes before removing the boilers, meaning some of the homes are left flooded.
Other targeted locations in the district include Knaresborough and Ripon. Furnishings valued at £70,000 were stolen from two show houses at a site in Knaresborough. In Ripon, a dumper truck was stolen from a site in the nearby village of Markington.
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- A police operation to combat drink driving in the district encouraged over 20 arrests on local roads in one weekend.
- A routine traffic stop in Pannal resulted in three arrests connected to modern slavery.
The police are asking local residents to keep an eye out and report any suspicious activity.
It has also asked if any CCTV overlooking any of the targeted sites is checked for activity such as large vans driving around the sites.
Information can be reported using the 101 number, dial 1 and pass the information onto the Force Control Room.
Uncertain future for General TarletonThe fate of the General Tarleton is unclear as it shows no sign of reopening after being closed for five months.
Award-winning chef John Topham and his wife Claire have shared full ownership of the hotel and eatery in Ferrensby since 2005, according to information on the Companies House website.
Over the past 15 years the couple have built a reputation for serving quality food.
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In 2016, the couple also gained a stake in the Alice Hawthorn, a country inn in Nun Monkton.
The Alice Hawthorn is managed by the Tophams and in 2017 it was named the Yorkshire Life Dining Pub of the Year.
The Alice Hawthorn has reopened since the coronavirus lockdown but the General Tarleton remains closed.
The Stray Ferret contacted the Alice Hawthorn yesterday to inquire about the future of the business but it declined to comment.
New music shop set to open in KnaresboroughA new music shop is set to open in one of the large empty properties in Knaresborough in a move that will help to reinvigorate the town after lockdown.
The Music Bank, which is due to open on October 3, will be based in the old Barclays bank on the high street. It will sell instruments and offer music tuition.
Its owner, David Lombardi, wanted a place for customers to see and touch the instruments as well as a base to run an online store.
Mr Lombardi said:
“After carrying out extensive market research in the area we found that there are very few music stores available in the Knaresborough, Harrogate area and saw this as an opportunity to fill that void.“Whilst the world is certainly a changed place given current and recent events, our business was one of a few that prospered throughout the lockdown with more people taking to instruments than ever before.“Musical instruments will always have a place on our high streets. People like to make sure it feels right, looks right and sounds right before they make a purchase.”
Well-known brands will be sold at the shop, encouraging customers to come in and browse.
The Music Bank already has a tuition centre in Rotherham, South Yorkshire teaching over 70 students each week.
The shop is currently advertising for seven jobs, including full-time and part-time staff for the shop and music tutors.
The new store comes as high streets try to regain customers after months of lockdown.
Knaresborough Chamber of Trade welcomed the new addition to the high street.
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“It’s wonderful that such a specialist shop can consider Knaresborough. It’s a prime position and we welcome them with open arms.
“We know of five shops, including this one, coming to the town at a similar time. I think the people of Knaresborough will benefit during these strange times. A couple of years ago we had 22 empty shops, which is greatly reducing. We only have a few empty shops left now.”
The shop will further widen Knaresborough’s appeal to shoppers. A pet shop opened last month despite the pandemic.
Roadworks are due to begin today at junction 47 of the A1(M) near Knaresborough, with the £7.7m project set to continue until autumn 2021.
Three of the four slip roads onto and off the roundabout will be widened to increase capacity and traffic lights will be installed to improve the traffic flow. North Yorkshire County Council hopes this will reduce the number of vehicles queuing on the A1 slip road.
Traffic lights will also be added to the T-junction between the A168 and the A59, a short distance from Junction 47 on the York side.
To the west of Junction 47, between the A1 and the Flaxby roundabout, a lane will be added for traffic travelling east, so there will be two lanes in each direction between those two roundabouts.
County Cllr Don Mackenzie, executive member for roads at NYCC said the council will work with the contractor to minimise disruption for motorists.
He said:
“At busy times, congestion is an issue at this junction, particularly for traffic coming off the southbound carriageway of the A1. The upgrades we will put in place will address this congestion, improve road safety and support development in the towns.”
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There are several major housing developments planned for Knaresborough, including 600 homes at Manse Farm, which Cllr Mackenzie said the roadworks will support.
He added:
“We are looking ahead and helping to support sustainable growth by considering future housing developments, particularly along the A59 corridor between Knaresborough and York.
“Inevitably there will be inconvenience for drivers at certain times during the project, but we will give as much notice as possible and ask people to be patient.”
The project is being funded with £2.47m from the government’s Local Growth Fund along with contributions from NYCC, Highways England and developer Forward Investment LLP.
Camping pod manufacturer moves into KnaresboroughA Yorkshire glamping pod manufacturer has expanded into Knaresborough with a new warehouse space of 4,000 square foot.
Anthropods & Co Ltd’s new premises – its largest yet – is on Hambleton Grove industrial estate in Knaresborough. The company’s previous warehouse was in Killinghall, but it needed more space to keep up with its orders.
Over lockdown, the company had to suspend production for four months. Its return to production comes as people are favouring staycations and working from home and the company hopes its range of products will suit the surge in demand.
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- Plans to convert the former Natwest bank in Knaresborough into a residential property has been submitted.
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Doug Adamson, executive chairman of Anthropods & Co Ltd, said:
“We are manufacturing from the plot now – we moved in a couple of weeks ago and we are now set up. We have expanded the workforce too. The reason to move was because we required more space to up production capacity and grow our workforce. We managed to just get the site – we wanted to stay in the Harrogate district.
“We had to shutdown for four months but luckily we didn’t lose any orders. Now the staycation market is growing so rapidly, it may be beneficial for us, but there is normally quite a long period of time between enquiries and final production as people are making a big investment with us.”
The company hopes to increase production within the new estate, where it took the last remaining unit of a total of seven units.
Models like these pods are installed in Europe.
Knaresborough town centre will continue to provide free parking until the end of the year, with the time limit doubled to one hour.
North Yorkshire County Councill will bring in the new rules on September 1 for Knaresborough Market Place, as well as Northallerton High Street.
The county council made the decision after it saw a petition from Northallerton BID which called for a review into the parking policies.
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County Councillor David Blades, member for Romanby and Broomfield, said:
“This decision goes a long way to show our support for retailers on the High Street and residents who requested an extension to free parking to allow for more time to do their shopping.”
County Councillor Don Mackenzie, Executive Member for Highways, added:
“The parking regime in Northallerton High Street has been a great success in encouraging a turnover of spaces and making it easier for drivers to find a parking space, resulting in less congestion. We must remember that parking charges in these towns are extremely low compared to other places.”