Heavy rain causes Starbeck church ceiling to collapse

The ceiling of a Starbeck church has collapsed after a severe rainstorm this week.

David Leonard, a treasurer at St Andrew’s Church, contacted the Stray Ferret on Wednesday after part of the ceiling of its Welcome Centre caved in on Monday evening (May 6).

Mr Leonard said the volume of rain was “too much” for the rooftop drains, which led to the damage.

The church also took to social media to say the Welcome Centre is “out of action” following a “severe ingress of water”.

Mr Leonard said the church has insurance, but would also apply to various charities for financial help to fix the ceiling.

He said:

“I don’t know exactly but I expect it’ll cost at least £5,000 to repair – if not more.

“I imagine the welcome centre will be out of action for around three months, but the repairs will take as long as they take.”

Mr Leonard did confirm, however, the church is still operating as usual and can be accessed via different doors.

It comes after an extreme rainstorm hit parts of Starbeck and Knaresborough on Monday.

Several Knaresborough roads were underwater, while homes were flooded and residents were forced to evacuate.

The damage raised questions about the ability of local drainage systems to cope, but North Yorkshire Council denied this was a factor.

Mr Leonard attributed the damage at St Andrew’s to “just a case of there being exceptional weather that day”.

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Knaresborough businessman denies £200,000 business scam

A man has appeared in court charged with an alleged £200,000 business scam involving covid loans and accounting records.

David Allon, 44, from Knaresborough, appeared at York Magistrates Court yesterday when he pleaded not guilty to nine separate allegations regarding two businesses he was allegedly running between June 2020 and August 2023.

They include two allegations of fraud by false representation in June 2020 in relation to applications for a ‘bounce-back’ covid business loan involving the two named companies he was said to be running, and one count of removing property as a company winds up, between June and December 2020.

He is also charged with failing to comply with the provisions of a piece of legislation regarding the keeping of accounting records between October 2020 and August 2023 and failing to deliver up company books to a liquidator between 2020 and 2023.

Deputy district judge Natalie Wortley told Mr Allon that the allegations were too serious to be dealt with at the magistrates’ court and that the case would be sent to the Crown Court.

Mr Allon, of Arkendale Road, Staveley, will next appear for a plea-and-trial preparation hearing at York Crown Court on June 10. He was granted bail until then.

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Knaresborough play area reopens

A new play area in Knaresborough has reopened after prolonged wet weather.

The playground at Knaresborough Leisure and Wellness Centre opened in February but closed just days later due to flooding. It had remained closed since under puddles of water.

Three months later, the first dry spell of the year has led to its opening.

Cllr Hannah Gostlow, a Liberal Democrat who represents Knaresborough East, informed the Stray Ferret of the news after visiting the site today.

A cone is in place over a remaining wet section.

Cllr Gostlow and fellow Lib Dem Cllr Matt Walker, who represents Knaresborough West, have been seeking updates from North Yorkshire Council, which owns the site.

Cllr Walker gave an update last month in which he said there were still lots of snagging issues and concerns about inadequate drainage.

Cllr Walker at the site last month.

But the play area is finally open — at least while the dry spell persists.

The leisure centre, which is run by council-owned Brimhams Active, includes a six-lane 25-metre swimming pool and slide, a 60-station fitness suite, a sauna and steam room, and group fitness class studios.

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Halfpenny Lane closure extended in Knaresborough

Roadworks on a busy Knaresborough road have again been extended.

Northern Gas Networks is carrying out exploratory work to divert underground infrastructure at the railway bridge on Halfpenny Lane.

Work started on March 25 and was due to end in April but was extended until next week, May 17.

Northern Gas Networks, which is responsible for gas supply, said today work has been further delayed for six weeks, which means it is likely to continue for most of June.

The closure extending from the bridge to the roundabout next to Old Penny Gate will remain in place until additional works are complete and a signed diversion is in place.

Dominic Nevison, site manager at Northern Gas Networks, said:

“We have been working with other utilities to carefully plan this work to minimise the impact on road users and members of the public.

“Upon completion of our exploratory work we had originally planned to divert the sewer in the affected area of where our pipe is located. Unfortunately, this cannot be done due to the complexity of the work involved.

“We will therefore we need to divert the medium pressure gas main; this means that the work will need to continue and we are expecting this to take approximately six weeks to compete.

“We apologise for inconvenience caused and would like to reassure everyone that we will be working hard to complete the work so that we can reopen the road as soon as possible.”

The company said there would be no impact on the gas supplies to homes and businesses in the area.

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‘Our home is ruined’: residents face up to aftermath of Knaresborough floods

Residents in Knaresborough are facing up today to the aftermath of last night’s floods, which affected about 30 homes.

Firefighters battled for two hours to pump water from homes and some residents even used buckets to remove water from their houses.

We ran a live blog last night and have followed up concerns — denied by the council — that the state of the drains played a part.

Today, we visited Knaresborough to speak to some of those whose homes were flooded.

Outwardly, the town appeared to be back to normal, with little sign of the impact of the storm. But the homes of those affected tell a very different story.

‘It feels pretty desperate’

Ann and Richard Briscoe, who live in St Margaret’s Gardens, said the house they have lived in since 2007 had been ruined.

A holiday let attached to their home, which was being rented out, was also affected.

Ms Briscoe said the rain began around 5.30pm. She contacted her daughter about the “size of the rain drops” just before their garden and downstairs flooded.

She said:

“By around 6pm, the manhole cover in our garden started to lift and just three minutes later water was coming over the front door. By 6.30pm, our entire lounge was flooded.”

The tenants in the holiday cottage, who had to relocate to Scarborough, began piling chairs and sofas on top of tables to limit the damage as much as possible, the couple added.

The flooding at the door and outside their home.

Besides the inconvenience, the storm will have a considerable financial impact on the couple. Ms Briscoe said:

“The carpet is absolutely soddened, and I suspect it’s sewage water because a lot of the water came from the burst manhole.

“We’ve contacted our insurance company, but we’ll have to cancel a lot of our holiday let bookings. I don’t know how much it’ll be, but that will be a real loss of income for us.”

The couple said neighbours and family members rushed to their house to help, with some lifting furniture onto bricks to prevent it being soaked.

Firefighters arrived to assist the Briscoes, but the couple said “most of the water had dispersed at that point”.

They, along with many others, feel the state of Knaresborough’s drains was a key factor.

Ms Briscoe said:

“I feel as though our home is ruined – I mean it feels pretty desperate.

“The drains are definitely an issue and whoever is going to fix them will get my vote.

“We just need help getting these drains sorted out. At our age, we can’t have this hanging over our head.”

Cllr Matt Walker, a Liberal Democrat who represents a part of Knaresborough, said he agreed the drains were a contributory factor — although the council has denied this.

Cllr Walker has also been part of a joint emergency response involving the emergency services, North Yorkshire Council and Knaresborough Town Council, which led to four people being found alternative accommodation. Welfare checks are being carried out today.

However, the couple said they did not receive any offers of alternative accommodation last night.

Ms Briscoe added:

“They can notify us that our bins will be emptied a day late, but where is the message offering us help in this situation?”

One of the flooded rooms.

‘Stuff was floating through our house’

Firefighters pump water from the home.

The Robinson family, who live on Dentdale Drive in the Eastfield area of the town, were forced to evacuate their home last night.

Nichola and Mark Robinson told the Stray Ferret they had gone to watch their son play cricket at Knaresborough Cricket Club yesterday afternoon.

The couple said there were “bright skies” until lightning halted play.

Ms Robinson said:

“We just sat in the car while there was lightning waiting for the coaches to say whether the match would go ahead. Then the rain came in at around 5.30pm and the match was called off, so we set off home.

“The rain was absolutely torrential – it was horrendous driving home.”

By the time they arrived home, the water was already above their ankles.

Ms Robinson said the rain was so heavy she could “barely see” it had run into their house. She added:

“Mark called to me, ‘the water is in the house’ and that’s when I realised it was already about a foot-high against the wall and garage door.

“The first thing we thought was the electricity, but luckily it been taken out by the storm.

“Mark went into the house and our lounge was just completely flooded. Stuff was floating through the house.”

The height at which the water reached is evident on the wall.

The couple said the fire brigade arrived at around 7pm to pump out water.

Ms Robinson also feels the state of Knaresborough’s drainage system and new housing developments could be to blame:

“Our home is destroyed. The smell is unbearable, and our furniture is ruined.

“There is an overarching problem with drainage infrastructure in Knaresborough. Everyone is saying the drains need sorting out.

“So many new homes have been built, I don’t think the drains can cope with the sheer amount of housing and no improved drainage systems. It worries me that it could be a potential cause of the problem.

“We have a new-build estate behind us and if there has been no improvement on drains, where is the water supposed to go? Water was bubbling up through the grass.

“The road was like a river. If a car came down, waves were forming.”

The couple also said they too were not offered alternative accommodation by the authorities and instead stayed with family nearby.

Mark and Nichola Robinson’s home after the flood.

Chain Lane drop-in session

North Yorkshire Council said in a statement this afternoon:

“The agencies involved in supporting the communities impacted by flash flooding in Knaresborough last night (Sunday) are out on the ground again today, including Knaresborough Town Council and North Yorkshire Council.

A range of help, advice and support is available via a community drop-in centre supported by Chain Lane Community Hub, Chain Lane, Knaresborough, HG5 08S.

“There are also highways crews out inspecting local drains to see what debris has been swept into them by the intense rainwater.

“Ready for Anything volunteers are also coming to help on site.”

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Grants totalling £1 million available for small businesses in North Yorkshire

Businesses in North Yorkshire have the chance to apply for £1 million in funding through a new package of capital grants.

Small and micro businesses can apply for the small business grant scheme, administered by North Yorkshire Council through thennational government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

The scheme is focussed on increasing business growth, productivity and resilience. Grants of between £1,000 and £10,000 are available.

This is the second round of funding, following the first round in the last financial year which saw £750,000 awarded to businesses across the county.

Micro businesses, with less than 10 employees, and small firms with less than 50, can access free support through the business advisory teams at the council and the York and North Yorkshire Growth Hub, which provides business support.

There are more than 32,700 micro, small and medium-sized enterprises alongside 90 large businesses in the county.

Cllr Carl Les, the Conservative council leader and the chair of the shared prosperity fund board in North Yorkshire, said sole traders, start-ups, home businesses and social enterprises, as well as landlords and people looking to diversify their farm businesses and limited companies, were among those welcome to apply.

He added:

“This time we have allocated an even larger funding pot to the scheme to enable it to be bigger and better and have used learning from last year to improve the application process.

“Our ambition is to see a broad range of applications which seek to make long-lasting improvements to our small and medium businesses across the county.”

To aid businesses with their applications, the growth hub with partners at the social enterprise Enterprise Cube has organised two webinars on writing a business plan and a cash flow forecast which will take place on May 16 and 17.

Carolyn Frank, development manager at the York and North Yorkshire Federation of Small Businesses, said:

“This scheme has provided a practical way that the local authorities have been able to work together with us and other partners to unlock government funding and get it directly to businesses in our area, to help them to innovate and grow.”

The closing date for applications is Friday July 12. To find out more click here.

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Knaresborough floods ‘not related to condition of drains’, says council

Last night’s flooding in Knaresborough was due to the sheer deluge of rain rather than the state of drains, North Yorkshire Council said today.

About 30 homes were affected by flooding last night and some people had to be found emergency accommodation. This prompted questions about whether better maintained drains would have helped.

A statement this morning issued by the council on behalf of agencies involved in last night’s emergency response said 32 millimetres of rain fell in an hour, which is the equivalent of about an inch-and-a-quarter.

It said:

“The flooding related to the volume and speed or heavy rainfall and is not related to the condition of the drains.

“Yorkshire Water is investigating concerns regarding sewage around St Margaret’s Gardens.”

Speaking on behalf of the agencies involved, North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service station manager Dave Dixon said as part of the statement:

“In the space of two hours from around 6pm last night an extreme localised weather event saw the equivalent of 32 millimetres of rain per hour fall in Knaresborough. The speed and volume of heavy rain led to flooding in some properties and overwhelmed local drainage systems for a period of time.

“Knaresborough Town Council and North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service led the response on the ground ensuring people were safe. The town council has a robust emergency response plan and this was put in place ensuring people were safe and where appropriate electricity supplies were turned off.”

It added:

“Two vulnerable households were evacuated to temporary accommodation, some other people chose to leave themselves but most chose to stay because the water had not entered their property or they preferred to go upstairs to safe space.

“Four fire appliances attended the scene, along with North Yorkshire Police and North Yorkshire Council staff.

“I would like to thank all those involved in last night’s response  and to reassure local residents that the agencies involved will also be on the scene this morning to follow up on damage and any assistance anyone may need.”

High Bridge drains concern

Cllr Matt Walker, a Liberal Democrat who represents Knaresborough West on North Yorkshire Council and is also a town councillor, has been part of the emergency response.

Cllr Walker told the Stray Ferret 25 homes on Orchard Close and six properties in the St Margaret’s area were flooded.

He said most residents chose to stay at home or stay with relatives or friends but a family of three were found accommodation at the Knaresborough Inn and one older male was found council accommodation.

Cllr Walker said the town council was undertaking welfare checks on Orchard Close today and was finding out what other support was available.

He added he thought the state of drains was a contributory factor, particularly at High Bridge, which was among the worst affected areas by flooding.

He said:

“We have raised concerns about blocked drains on the A59 going from High Bridge to Henshaws on a number of occasions and and nothing is done about it.

“It’s a district-wide frustration. The council needs to review why this has happened and it’s my view that the drains were a contributory factor.”

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Questions raised after Knaresborough floods

Some people were forced to evacuate their homes last night after flash floods hit Knaresborough.

An intense storm hit the town and some nearby villages at about 6pm last night, with reports that two inches of rain fell in two hours. Remarkably, many nearby places stayed virtually dry.

The Stray Ferret published a live blog last night giving updates on the situation.

One person commented on our Facebook post relating to the article that they were forced to book their parents into a hotel because of the state of their home.

Two other people posted their homes were also uninhabitable. One said:

“Our downstairs is destroyed, at least a foot of water has run through the whole of the downstairs and ruined everything, the drains just couldn’t cope with the sheer volume of the water and how quickly it came down.”

Another said:

“My parents’ bungalow was completely flooded under a foot of water, have had to move them out, its completely uninhabitable for them, everything completely ruined.”

Cllr Mat Walker, who represents Knaresborough West on North Yorkshire Council, said on the thread:

“I’m aware that a number of homes in Knaresborough have been flooded. I’ve activated North Yorkshire Council’s major incident response team who are working with Knaresborough Town Council to ensure those affected have accommodation to stay in tonight.”

Cllr Walker told the Stray Ferret he was aware “a number of people have been evacuated” and he would seek an update from the council ‘s major incident response team this morning.

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service’s incident report this morning said it received calls for almost two hours from 6pm last night of flooding in the Knaresborough area.

“Fire appliances from Knaresborough, Harrogate, Tadcaster and Acomb responded and assisted various premises affected by flooding, by pumping water away when they could, cleaning up work and transporting vulnerable people to places of safety.

“North Yorkshire Council and local council resources also assisting with the aftermath, together with police.”

However, the sheer volume of rain caused chaos, with one person saying they had to rely on neighbours with buckets to help them remove water from their homes.

Many comments today are questioning the state of the town’s drains.

We will continue to cover this issue today by putting questions to North Yorkshire Council. If you were forced to evacuate your homes last night please get in touch by emailing us at contact@thestrayferret.co.uk or send us a direct message on Facebook.

Pic: The view over High Bridge outside Mother Shipton’s last night.

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Business Breakfast: Ripon company raise £20k in memory of former director

A memorial fund in honour of former businessman Andrew Lupton is set to beat its fundraising target of £20,000.

Ripon-based Econ Engineering set up the Just Giving campaign to raise funds for the British Heart Foundation following the death of their sales director in 2022.

Mr Lupton, ran the family business alongside his brother Jonathan and was 56 years old when he died of a heart attack. Founded by their father Bill 55 years ago, Econ is a manufacturer and supplier of winter maintenance vehicles.

Econ’s managing director, Jonathan Lupton said:

“We have been proud to partner with the British Heart Foundation and absolutely delighted that we have been able to support them with our fundraising. This is particularly poignant given the sad death of Andrew and we want to do as much as we can to increase awareness of heart disease and raise vital money for the charity, in his memory.

“We may have reached the £20,000 mark, but we are not finished yet. A team of Econ employees will be tackling the Three Peaks in May and we hope people will continue to support the memory of Andrew by donating to their efforts.”

To support the Econ Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge click here.

Investment management and stockbroking firm win management award

(L-R): Charlotte M, Sharon G, James I, Evelyn J, Richard R, Katie J, James W, Mary C, James S. A and Grace P-B.

Redmayne Bentley received the London Stock Exchange Award for Best Execution-Only Stockbroking at the City of London Wealth Management Awards 2024.

This year’s awards were highly contested. The awards were decided by public vote, with over 50,000 cast, the greatest number of votes the process has ever received.

Lawrence Fisher, head of investment said:

“As we approach our 150-year anniversary, this outcome reinforces the success we’ve enjoyed over many years in our industry, rewarding the personal service the firm provides to clients.

Traditional stockbroking is where Redmayne Bentley first began in 1875. Our services have expanded over time however our values remain at the centre of everything we do. This award reflects the excellence and teamwork delivered by Redmayne Bentley colleagues across the firm every day.”

Knaresborough clinic celebrates 20 year anniversary

Staff at Castle Clinic, left to right: Chris Horsman, Anna Mackay, Hilary Clissitt, Brit Watson, Seb Contreras, Sarah Chisem, Jon Rebanks

Castle Clinic has celebrated its 20th anniversary.

The clinic first opened in April 2004 as the vision of acupuncturist, Janice Miller, to bring together a range of therapists and disciplines all under one roof.

Tony Cowley bought the Knaresborough clinic in 2009 and retired at the end of 2022, selling the clinic to osteopath, Seb Contreras, who has worked at the clinic since July 2004.

Mr Contreras embarked on a clinic wide renovation plan refurbishing and adding to the site. The business now offers more than 1200 appointments every month in acupuncture, audiology, chiropractic, physiotherapy, podiatry and osteopathy.

Harrogate bus company announce charity partnership

Transdev bus company collaborates with Yorkshire Cancer Research

Yorkshire Cancer Research has been named as the charity partner of Transdev bus company.

Dr Kathryn Scott, chief executive at Yorkshire Cancer Research, said:

“We’re so grateful to have been chosen by Transdev as their charity partner for the coming year. The partnership kicked off with a visit from a Transdev bus and we’re looking forward to many more opportunities to bring the two organisations together to raise awareness of cancer research in Yorkshire.

Transdev will show support for cancer research with activities including training for employees on the signs of the most common cancers, collections at local bus stations and getting involved in Yorkshire Day celebrations. The company will also be adding the charity’s branding to a new bus to help raise awareness of the charity.

Harrogate company wins Broker of the Year

Synergy Car Leasing was named Broker of the Year award as well as the Best Customer Service Award at the Broker News Awards 2024

Ralph Morton, editor of Broker News said:

“Synergy Car Leasing has absolutely nailed customer service. In their category, they were winners by a significant margin with enough points to ensure they also carried off the Broker of the Year title.

“For a leasing business that has also been awarded a Feefo 10 Years of Excellence Award for 10 successive years of attaining the Trusted Service Award earlier this year, it is fitting that they should be recognised with the Broker of the Year title.”

Have some news to share about your business? Send it to us at contact@thestrayferret.co.uk

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Knaresborough pet show to return today

A Knaresborough pet show is set to return this May bank holiday.

Knaresborough Pet Day, which takes place in the grounds of Knaresborough House, is a chance for local owners to show off their four-legged friends for the day.

The event, which was set up more than 30 years ago, will include dog shows, an obedience demonstration and a ‘sausage retrieval’ session.

Organiser Val Rodgers told the Stray Ferret the pet day has since become popular with animal charities.

She said the dog shows will be judged by representatives of Dogs Trust, while the Blue Cross, Tia Greyhound Rescue, Hearing Dogs for Deaf People and Harrogate Cat Rescue will all have stalls to raise money for their organisations.

Ms Rodgers added there will be refreshments on offer in Knaresborough House, which will be provided by Miss Mollies Dog Rescue. She said:

“I am hoping that the weather is kind, everything goes smoothly, and the charities make money for their individual organisations.”

The pet show will be broken down into different categories, including best rescue, prettiest bitch, most handsome dog and dog fancy dress.

There will also be food stalls and a tombola.

The event is free to attend and will open at 10.30am. Dog show entries cost £1 per class.

Knaresborough Pet Day will take place today (May 6).

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