A high speed police chase in Harrogate last night ended in a crash and the arrest of a 19-year-old suspected burglar.

Earlier in the night, at around 2.45am, burglars entered a house on St Helen’s Road before fleeing in a Mercedes parked on the driveway.

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Just 15 minutes later North Yorkshire Police took a second report of a ‘two in one’ burglary on St Clement’s Road where another Mercedes was reported stolen.

The police started to chase the car which drove off at speed along Hookstone Chase and Forest Moor Road, causing damage to parked cars. It crashed on Thistle Hill in Knaresborough.

@NYPDogSection and @HarrogatePolice assist in area search. We continue patrol and find Male suspected to be involved. #arrested sus burglary and other offences. #OperationalSupport @teamnyp 2/2 pic.twitter.com/65QqOl486Y

— NYP Operational Support Unit (@NYPRoadCrime) August 10, 2020

Shortly after, the police arrested a 19-year-old man from the Harrogate area and took him into custody where he remains for questioning.

North Yorkshire Police has asked anyone with information or footage from last night to call them on 101 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. Use North Yorkshire Police reference numbers 12200137651 for the St Helen’s Road burglary and 12200137663 for the St Clement’s Road burglary,

A new micropub could soon open at Knaresborough’s train station to serve up real ale and gin.

The Track and Sleeper would take over a couple of vacant units at the station if the plans submitted to Harrogate Borough Council are approved.

Housed in a Grade II listed building dating back to 1865, there will be much interest in any redevelopment plans. The council document describes the alterations for the micropub as “sympathetic to both the external and internal aspects of the building”.

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This is what it could look like, according to plans submitted with the application

Knaresborough Civic Society wrote in support of the plans but raised concerns about drinking and smoking on the platform. It also requested that the pub restores the existing fireplace and uses it as an open fire, something the society said was more in keeping with the building.

The deadline for comments on the application is August 12. Find the plans on the Harrogate Borough Council website.

The feva festival in Knaresborough is going ahead online this weekend, with 10 days of performances posted online for audiences to enjoy.

Coronavirus restrictions have forced the festival to become virtual this year, beginning on Friday, August 14.

The itinerary includes a brand-new play, ‘Shake The City’, about the lives of female clothworkers in 1970, as well as music and poetry.

The festival has proved popular with people in Knaresborough and this year the committee is hoping for an even wider audience to view the acts online via the website.

Lucy Barrow, chair of the feva organising committee, said:

“Obviously, we haven’t been able to pay the acts as there is no prospect of money coming in. Despite this, many have been still willing to record something which they have sent in for the online version of feva.

“It means that our loyal audiences in and around Knaresborough who usually come to the festival will still get to enjoy a little of what the live 10-day event would have had to offer, with top-of-the bill attractions like Simon Armitage and Snake Davis. As word has started to spread, there has been a wonderful reaction from the public for the effort that we are making.”

Previous years have seen theatre companies perform at the festival. This year it has relied on acts filming themselves.

Local businesses will also continue to be involved with art shows available to visit in a number of locations. The venues include McQueen’s Café and The Atkinson Pet Store on the high street, Floral Decor and Tanacetum on Kirkgate, Cave and Castle on Castlegate, Ruebury Flowers in the Market Place and Briggate Art.

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The event is also hosting a Knaresborough’s Got Talent competition. Residents are being encouraged to send in videos of their act for shortlisting by the committee.

They will then be posted on the Facebook page and a public vote at the end of the 10 days will choose the winner.

For more information visit the feva festival Facebook page or visit feva.info. 

Police are warning Knaresborough residents to stay vigilant after a series of suspicious incidents, including three men approaching houses in the Aspin Avenue area last night.

The men were reported to be trying car doors and approaching houses around 12.30am. There have been no reports of thefts or burglaries.

Earlier in the evening, police received reports of a residential home on Manor Road being entered between 8.30pm and 9pm. It is unclear if anything was taken.

The combination of incidents has led police to warn residents in surrounding areas to take further precautions to ensure the safety of their valuables.

The police are warning residents to ensure their houses and valuables are secure.

North Yorkshire Police has offered advice to improve home safety:

• Keep all valuables, including car keys, out of sight and away from windows or letterboxes.
• Look at windows and their access points. Be aware of nearby bins and furniture that could be used to reach windows.
• Make sure there is a clear view at the front of your property. Burglars don’t want to be seen or heard and if they’re likely to be spotted they may move on.

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Local police have also ask residents to check any CCTV that they have of these areas overnight. Anything suspicious should be reported to police on 101, quoting the reference number 12200134639.

Knaresborough Civic Society has labelled the potential redevelopment of Conyngham Hall as “cultural vandalism”.

Harrogate Borough Council has identified the hall as one of four proposed options in the town for a new leisure centre.

Other options include the current leisure centre site, Hay-a-Park and Knaresborough House.

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The hall itself is an office space but its grounds are popular for leisure activities. Its potential redevelopment has been met with fierce opposition.

James Monaghan, chair of Knaresborough Civic Society, said:

“This is a proposed act of cultural vandalism by Harrogate Borough Council. Conyngham Hall is a grade two star listed building. Any development in the grounds will have a negative impact on the hall itself. Let alone the damage to the beautiful grounds and green space.”

The society is contacting regional and national heritage bodies urging them to oppose the proposal.

In a letter to the council’s chief executive, Wallace Sampson, the society calls on the local authority to remove Conyngham Hall from the list of sites under consideration.

It comes as Harrogate & Knaresborough Liberal Democrats’ Hands Off Conyngham Hall Grounds petition passes 1000 signatures.

Matt Walker, the campaign’s spokesperson, said:

“We should be investing in our cherished green space, not needlessly building on it. There are far better alternatives which ought to be explored, with Conyngham Hall grounds taken off the table entirely.”

The council this month approved plans to overhaul its leisure centres by handing control to a new council-owned company.

A council spokesman said:

“We are just at the start of the process to build a new combined leisure centre for Knaresborough. It follows the decision to invest more than £26 million improving leisure facilities in Harrogate and Knaresborough. No decision has been taken.”

It is the end of an era for a Knaresborough fish and chips shop, as the family owners prepare to move on after 14 years.

John and Ellie Anderson plan to put in their last shift at Chain Lane Fisheries on August 22.

They have found a buyer to take on the shop, which has had just four owners since it opened in 1938.

Mrs Anderson explained to the Stray Ferret why they have decided to sell the business:

“The time is right for us to move on. We have thought about it a lot and we came to the decision during the coronavirus lockdown. We have loved it here. The customers are amazing.”

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Mr Anderson added it will be emotional to say goodbye to the shop after so many years:

“It is a lot of our life. It’s funny because our children are in their 20s now and they were nine and 11 when we started. We have been very busy during coronavirus. There were no pubs to compete with and the weather was lovely.”

The couple said they have been inundated with nice comments from customers since they announced they were moving on.

Appleton’s Butchers is opening a new shop in Knaresborough on August 18.

The shop will be the fifth Appleton’s in Yorkshire – with others in Ripon, Boroughbridge, Wetherby and York. The shop will create new employment opportunities and encourage people to shop locally.

The butchers chain was established in Ripon in 1867 and is famous for its handmade pork pies.

The Knaresborough premises just off Market Place have taken over four years to renovate. Unforeseen circumstances caused the opening to be delayed.

Owners Anthony and Isabel Sterne have continued to operate throughout lockdown to support the local communities. Mr Sterne said:

“We are so excited to be joining the Knaresborough community and look forward to welcoming local residents, who have been hugely patient whilst we have redeveloped the shop.

“Although currently we’re not allowed to have a big opening event, we will be inviting suppliers and friends on an appointment basis, so we are able to comply with social distancing measures.”

The flagship shop in Ripon is popular with local residents and the company hopes the new shop in Knaresborough will be the same.

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Martin Sterne, manager of the renovation project, said:

“The medieval back wall was bowing out and the whole building was in danger of collapse.

“The ancient timber frame was in a serious state of disrepair. We were committed to sourcing materials that were in keeping with the original ones. Part of the building dates back to the 17th century, so it was hugely important to us that it retained its character and integrity.”

Air pollution at Bond End in Knaresborough remains at illegal levels, despite a mini-roundabout being put in to cut toxic vehicle fumes.

These were the findings of Harrogate Borough Council’s latest air quality report that has been submitted to the government. It tracked levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) at various monitoring sites across the district throughout 2019.

NO2 is an air pollutant produced mainly by exhaust fumes and has been linked to myriad health conditions including heart disease, lung cancer and Alzheimer’s.

The UK still adheres to EU legal limits for air pollution stating no monitoring site should exceed 40 micrograms per cubic metre (µg/m3) over the course of a year — which was breached at Bond End in 2019.

Bond End has been a hotspot for congestion for many years, with regular tailbacks towards the River Nidd.

HBC declared an Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) for the road in 2010, which the government requires councils to do to try and improve areas with particularly bad air pollution. In September 2018, North Yorkshire County Council replaced traffic lights at Bond End with a mini-roundabout to reduce congestion and improve the flow of traffic.

There are four sites monitoring air pollution at Bond End which all reported decreases in 2019. However, one remained above the legal limit at 40.47 µg/m3. The other three monitors at Bond End measured 38.6 µg/m3, 31.2 µg/m3 and 24.27 µg/m3 in 2019.

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Across the Harrogate district, the report revealed that air pollution is falling. Concentrations within the Harrogate AQMA at Wetherby Road fell, as did Ripon’s AQMA along Low Skellgate, High Skellgate and the junction with Westgate.

During the height of lockdown in March and April, government air pollution monitors reported 50% drops in major towns and cities. However, numbers have almost returned to normal levels since restrictions have eased.

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Almost two-thirds of businesses surveyed by Knaresborough Chamber of Trade have reported reduced takings during the coronavirus lockdown.

The survey of chamber members, published this week, also revealed 50% of traders believe their footfall has decreased.

Lockdown encouraged several businesses to diversify, for instance by offering online sales or delivery or take-away options. Of the businesses that changed strategy, 75% said they were going to continue offering their new services.

More than 80% took advantage of the government rates relief grant and about two-thirds used the furlough scheme. Just under half have reopened with restricted trading hours.

The chamber wants to encourage people to support small, local businesses and hopes the survey will inform ways to do this.

Bill Taylor, Knaresborough Chamber of Trade secretary, said:

“As the country came slowly out of lockdown in July the chamber wanted to assess what businesses in Knaresborough had been up to during the lockdown.

“We also wanted to establish what support those businesses had obtained and see what measures were being taken to keep everyone safe.

“It was reassuring to see so many businesses using the time to understand the needs of customers through the provision of additional services, training and understanding what the post-lockdown landscape would look like.”

Knaresborough: the chamber wants to encourage people to return to local stores rather than use online retailers.

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Additional comments on the survey suggested business owners wanted further promotion of the town and what it had to offer. Currently the Chamber promotes the #shoplocalstaysafe message to encourage the town’s residents to support local businesses.

Turning Point Brew Co in Knaresborough has seen home deliveries soar during lockdown.

The brewery had always accepted online orders but received as few as “three over a few weeks” prior to lockdown, according to co-owner Aron McMahon.

But with more and more people craving their favourite beers when pubs were closed, home delivery orders rocketed to 200 each week.

Now the company has resumed supplying local bars and pubs, it is looking at its business model to see how it can sustain the increased number of home deliveries.

Mr McMahon said:

“Towards the end of lockdown the home delivery trade and our normal trade sales were neck and neck, whereas normally our home deliveries are much less.

“It definitely helped us big time. The first few weeks we really didn’t know what was going to happen without pubs. Before lockdown we had a few orders here and there – nothing really. Then over lockdown we were reached 200 orders a week!

“We also got a lot closer to our drinkers, which was great. Previously we only really knew our business contacts. Now it’s all about balancing out each side of the business.”

The brewery has quickly filled the space in its Knaresborough unit since moving less than a year ago.

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The brewery moved to Knaresborough in the past year after out-growing its previous site in Kirkbymoorside, Ryedale.

Covid delayed the opening of its taproom for customers.

Mr McMahon said:

“We opened the taproom for the first time about a week ago. It’s been a bit of a challenge but it’s gone smooth so far. All orders are done on an app and the tables are nicely spaced out outside so we’ve had no issues.”

The brewery is also raising funds for local charity Henshaws by donating 10p from the sale of cans of the pale ale Perpetual Dawn.