knaresborough Archives - Page 54 of 178

Briggate roadworks likely to last ‘several months’ in Knaresborough

Business owners in Knaresborough have reacted with dismay to the news that roadworks on a main route into town are likely to remain for several months.

Temporary lights were installed on Briggate after a wall collapsed in September.

Two months later, the lights remain. But no repair work has taken place and residents and traders don’t know why it is taking so long or why the rubble cant be removed until work commences so traffic can flow freely again.

Parking in Knaresborough is notoriously tricky, and exasperated traders say this and a spate of recent temporary lights in town, including Briggate, is deterring people from visiting.

North Yorkshire Council has now said lights are likely to remain on Briggate for several months.

The roadworks on Briggate.

Danielle Bartley, who opened The Hungry Caterpillar kids cafe on High Street in September, said just getting in to work from her Calcutt home “takes ages” because of the lights. She said:

“Parking is a massive issue in Knaresborough. A lot of customers pull up outside and say ‘where can I park?’

“I’ve been surprised since we opened how busy Knaresborough is. There’s a lot going on. If you get that much footfall there needs to be something better put in place for parking. It’s also dangerous.”

Rebecca Lombardi, from The Clothing Store of Knaresborough on High Street, has started offering free deliveries to help people who struggle to get into town.

Ms Lombardi said long-term lights near the leisure centre had caused problems during summer and the recent spate of roadworks, especially Briggate, added to the woes. She said:

“We have a really big problem with parking and it puts people off coming into town. People are so busy these days and if they want to nip somewhere they want somewhere to park.

“It’s a challenging time for retailers with the cost of living and every customer counts. It feels like everything is against you as a business.”

Two months after the wall collapsed, the rubble remains.

Hairdresser Kelly Teggin, who has campaigned for better parking Knaresborough, said she didn’t understand why the rubble from the wall couldn’t be removed until work began. She added:

“Most businesses and residents want the road cleared as soon as possible.”

North Yorkshire Council highways area manager Melisa Burnham said:

“We have temporary lights on Briggate as a result of the wall collapse. Work to repair the wall and ensure the safety of the structure will start in the next few weeks. This work is likely to take until Christmas, after which we will carry out maintenance on further parts of the wall, so signals will be in place for several months.”

Ms Burnham said emergency gas works at Abbey Road and Blands Hill had also caused disruption recently, but this was “unavoidable”.

Ms Burnham added the council had “asked Northern Gas Network to man the lights at peak time to minimise the disruption”.

Andrew Jones ‘embarrassed’ after car spotted without valid MOT

Andrew Jones, the Conservative MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, has admitted failing to renew his car’s MOT on time.

The Stray Ferret received an email saying the former transport minister had been spotted outside Starbeck Library driving a diesel Jaguar XE which the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency website said had an expired MOT.

The sender — who called themself Mrs T Neale, Lady Blueberry Blower of Ripon Town — sent photos of the vehicle in Starbeck and the results of an online search revealing the MOT had expired on October 3.

The person said they had contacted North Yorkshire Police, adding:

“Should this DVLA information be accurate, I would presume Mr Jones is therefore driving without valid insurance.

“The police have got back to me, telling me they are forwarding my information to the relevant department.”

Mr Jones admitted he was “embarrassed” by the oversight.

He added it wasn’t the first time he had been “covertly photographed” and that he found the behaviour “odd and slightly disconcerting”.

He said:

“I am grateful to the anonymous individual who reminded me via the media that my car’s MOT has expired. It is currently in my garage as this week I took the train to London as I like to do when diary commitments allow.

“I’m quite embarrassed by my oversight. The car is booked in for its MOT and all the relevant authorities informed and reassured accordingly.”

Mr Jones’ Jaguar pictured in Starbeck.

He added:

“It is odd and slightly disconcerting to know that I am being covertly photographed by an anonymous individual who sends these photos to the media under a pseudonym.

“This is not the first correspondence I and others have received from a person using this pseudonym. Previously they have sent me information about a political opponent, whom I informed of the communication, and also sent my office insinuations about a councillor even going as far as including a photograph of their home.

“Despite this strange behaviour, I remain grateful that I have been reminded about my MOT.”

The Stray Ferret asked North Yorkshire Police if it was taking any action against Mr Jones.

A spokesperson replied:

“In line with the College of Policing national, authorised professional practice, we would not confirm the names of anyone who is or isn’t suspected of an offence, nor would we name anyone who may or may not have been issued with an out of court disposal such as a fixed penalty or caution.”

Council admits mistake in publicising Knaresborough asylum seeker accommodation address

North Yorkshire Council has admitted making a mistake in publicising the address of authority-owned properties in Knaresborough which would house asylum seekers.

The council published an online decision notice last week to take four homes off the market to be used either for unaccompanied asylum seeking children or as move-on accommodation for homeless people transitioning to independent living.

However, at the time, the notice included addresses of the properties.

At a full council meeting in Northallerton today, Cllr Hannah Gostlow, who represents Knaresborough East division, asked Cllr Simon Myers, executive councillor for housing, whether he felt it was appropriate to include the address on its website.

Cllr Gostlow said:

“Given the public decision notice regarding accommodation for unoccupied child refugees in Knaresborough, does the executive member for housing feel it is appropriate to publicise the location of accommodation for vulnerable young people?”

In response, Cllr Myers said:

“The full answer will be published on the council’s website. But, the short answer is yes it was a mistake.

“It has now been rectified on the record. In an attempt to be open, fair and democratic and to meet the needs of the situation that we find ourselves in with regards to housing these vulnerable young people, a decision was taken quickly and perhaps not thought out as well as it might have been.”

When asked how the location was made public, Cllr Myers said the exact location was revealed as the houses were being retained after being put on the market.

He added:

“The exact location was published in the decision notice. In fact, it would not have taken a lot of working out that they were those properties.

“Both children’s social care and housing are aware of the mistake they have made and they will make sure that such a mistake is not made again.”

Harrogate Borough Council bought the properties in 2019 after they had been unoccupied for several years.

The council, which was abolished in April this year, restored them and said last year it intended to sell the leaseholds for an estimated £879,900 and retain the freehold.

Graham Swift, Harrogate Borough Council’s deputy leader at the time, said the properties “had been a blight on the high street in Knaresborough for several years” and the local authority had recognised their potential to provide homes.

Northern pledges to target persistent fare dodgers on its services

Northern has pledged to crackdown on persistent fare dodgers on its services.

The rail company, which operates services through Harrogate and Knaresborough to Leeds and York, issued the warning and promised to prosecute those who dodge fares for historic cases.

The move comes as the firm set up its digital fraud investigations team in 2021 amid a surge in digital tickets after the covid pandemic.

Around 70% of tickets on Northerns services are bought online.

Mark Powles, commercial and customer director at Northern, said:

“Fare evasion hasn’t been as simple as people just not buying a ticket for quite some time.

“There are people who try to outsmart the system through a complex process of fraudulent refund requests, delay repay claims and a process known as ‘short faring’.

“What those people might not realise is that, as with any electronic transaction, our systems are able to identify suspicious activity and bring it to the attention of our specialist investigators.”

The company said it investigated 108,681 reports of attempted fare evasion in the 2022-23 financial year.

It attended 301 court sittings during the same period, helping to secure 14,072 convictions.

Northern said the prosecutions help to recoup £2.9 million in lost revenue for the taxpayer.

Remembrance Day: A guide to services in the Harrogate district

Remembrance services will take place across the Harrogate district to honour the fallen.

We’ve collated a list of the services across the district that are being held.

You can email contact@thestrayferret.co.uk if you know of others to add.

Ripon

Thursday, November 9.

Ripon Community Poppy Project will hold a concert of remembrance at Ripon Cathedral.

Ripon City Band, The Dishforth Military Wives Choir and Brackenfield School will all perform.

The event will begin at 7pm and tickets cost £13.50.

Sunday, November 12.

A service will be held in Ripon Spa Gardens from 10.45am. It will include two minutes’ silence and the laying of wreaths, followed by the usual parade.

A civic service of remembrance will then be held in Ripon Cathedral from 11.40am – 1pm.

The Right Reverend Anna Eltringham, Bishop of Ripon, will lead the service.

Harrogate

St Peter’s Church — Friday, November 10

The Festival of Remembrance will be held at St Peter’s Church, on Cambridge Road, as part of the Cenotaph Centenary.

The Harrogate Band and The Fishers Singers will perform at the event, which will be led by Harry Satloka of Harrogate’s Free Walking Tours.

There will also be presentations and poetry, as well as a remembrance service.

Tickets cost £10 and all proceeds will go to the Royal British Legion.

It begins at 8pm.

St Wilfrid’s Church — Saturday, November 11

A two-minute silence will held be at 11am at St Wilfrid’s Church on Duchy Road.

This will be followed by a talk on the men named on the church’s WWI memorials, as well as an exhibition in their honour which is on display.

Email bookings@stwilfrid.org to reserve a place.

Town centre – Sunday, November 12

The annual Harrogate Remembrance Day parade and service will be held at the cenotaph war memorial.

People can arrive from 10am. The service will begin at around 10.50am, followed by the two-minute silence at 11am.

After that, the Reveille and wreath laying will commence.

The Kohima Epitaph will be read before the march-past begins.

St Peter’s Church — Sunday, November 12

A Remembrance service with a choir will be held at St Peter’s Church, on Cambridge Road, just after the cenotaph service.

It will begin at approximately 11.15am.

Starbeck – Sunday, November 12

A two-minute silence will be observed at 11am at the war memorial on Starbeck High Street. Wreaths will be laid.

Later, at 3pm, the Starbeck Remembrance Ceremony will take place at the cenotaph on Starbeck High Street.

It will be led by the Harrogate branch of the Royal British Legion, with a parade by local uniformed organisations.

Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones will attend the service, and readings will be led by the church and pupils of Starbeck Primary Academy.

Stonefall Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery – Sunday, November 12

A service starting at 1pm will include prayers, music from the Harrogate Band, a short talk by Reverend David Hoskins and a two-minute silence. Also, wreaths will be laid by community leaders and representatives of British and allied forces, and students from Ashville College and Harrogate’s Army Foundation College will lay flowers on each grave.

West Park Church — Sunday, November 12

A service will be held at the church, including an act of remembrance, from 10.30am.

It will be led by Reverend David Hughes.

Another service will be held at 3.30pm to mark the end of the More Than a Name on a Memorial exhibition.

Knaresborough

Sunday, November 12

The commemorations will begin with a service at St John’s Church from 9.30am.

A parade from the church to the war memorial in the castle grounds will follow.

There will be a two-minute silence at 11am, followed by a service of remembrance at the memorial.

Nidderdale and Pateley Bridge

Saturday, November 11.

The annual Armistice Day service and parade takes place at the war memorial from 10am. Those attending will include a representative of the lord-lieutenant’s office, a platoon of troops from the Army Foundation College in Harrogate, local dignitaries and community organisations and schools etc.

It is organised by the Nidderdale branch of the Royal British Legion and The Church in The Dale.

Sunday, November 12
10am Joint Service of Remembrance at Holy Trinity, Dacre Banks with a collection for the Royal British Legion.

11am Act of Remembrance at Summerbridge War Memorial, followed by refreshments at Summerbridge Methodist Church.

2pm Remembrance Concert and Service at Darley Memorial Hall

6pm The Royal British Legion Service of Remembrance at St Mary the Virgin, Greenhow Hill. Led by the Reverend Darryl Hall, there will be a two-minute silence, a sermon by Jane Spooner and music from Nidd Chorale.

Boroughbridge

Sunday, November 12.

A remembrance service and parade will be held at St James’s Church in Boroughbridge.

It will begin at 10am.

Masham

Friday, November 10.

A remembrance service will be held for locals and pupils of Masham School at St Mary’s Church from 10.45am.

Knaresborough Christmas Market Weekend — details revealed

Knaresborough’s Christmas Market Weekend will be held on December 2 and 3 in the town’s historic Market Place.

Almost 60 stalls will be selling seasonal goods and there will be hot roasted chestnuts and mulled wine as well as performances by local dancers, brass bands and choirs.

The town centre will be largely pedestrianised for the event, but a free park and ride is available all weekend from the GSPK car park (postcode HG5 8LF) on Manse Lane to Chapel Street, close to the market square. Buses will run from 8am to 5.30pm throughout the weekend.

As always, the market weekend will close at 4.30pm on the Sunday with a firework finale set against the backdrop of Knaresborough viaduct and Nidd Gorge.

The firework finale. Pic: Charlotte-Gale Photography

The Christmas Tree Festival. Pic: Peter Wilkinson

The Christmas Tree Festival at St John’s Parish Church will also take place that weekend.

Market chair Hazel Haas said this year’s market would be “even bigger” than last year’s event. She added:

“We are also keen that the market benefits the town as a whole. Members of our volunteer committee have been liaising with other local organisations and businesses to ensure that we are promoting the full range of festive events taking place in Knaresborough over the market weekend.

“We are also supporting Rotary, Lions, Hearing Dogs for Deaf People, Knaresborough ATC and Knaresborough Cricket Club, who are our charitable partners for this year.”

The Christmas market will feature almost 60 stalls. Pic: Charlotte Gale Photography

Committee member Charlotte Gale added:

“We have a fantastic range of local independent shops, galleries, cafes and restaurants in town, not just in the market square, but on the surrounding streets and High Street. We hope that visitors to the market will also take the time to explore everything which Knaresborough has to offer.”

The new Knaresborough banking hub, at the top of Kirkgate, has agreed to open its Post Office counter services during the Christmas Market. This will allow people to access cash over the counter from 9am to 5pm on both days.

Event co-sponsor 1858 Bar & Restaurant will hold an after-party following the firework finale.

Scope closes Knaresborough charity shop after 35 years

Scope has closed its Knaresborough charity shop after 35 years on the High Street.

The store, which opened in 1988, served its last customer on Saturday.

It stocked second-hand clothing and accessories and was one of 190 Scope retail stores in the UK. Profits fund the charity’s work to campaign for disability equality.

Debbie Boylen head of retail at Scope, said the store was “no longer viable to trade”, adding:

“We were very sad to close our charity shop in Knaresborough, we have had such incredible support from this wonderful and generous community.

“The cost-of-living crisis, coupled with the pandemic, has placed an enormous pressure on stores trading on high streets across the UK, with significant and lengthy closure periods.”

Despite the closure, Knaresborough still has another seven charity shops, including Oxfam and Cancer Research UK, to shop at.

Scope also has a store on Beulah Street in Harrogate.

Residents back move for concerted battle against Knaresborough asphalt plant

Residents have backed a move to launch a crowdfunding campaign and seek expert advice on how to battle against a planned asphalt plant near Knaresborough.

A public meeting called by the Communities Against Toxins group heard residents of numerous villages surrounding the Allerton Park incinerator, beside the A1(M) between Boroughbridge and Knaresborough, voice both bewilderment and anger over Tynedale Roadstone Limited’s ambition.

In its planning application to North Yorkshire Council the firm has stated there would be “demand” for its materials in the area to help build and maintain road surfaces and represent a “sustainable development”.

The documents state Tynedale has various long-term supply agreements with surfacing and maintenance companies in Yorkshire, while its two asphalt plants are in Newcastle and County Durham.

The firm has claimed there would be “no significant effects” on air quality as a result of the scheme and that traffic generated by the plant was unlikely to cause any safety concerns.

Campaigner Michael Emsley told the meeting at Great Ouseburn Village Hall he had run an asphalt plan and, if approved, the plant would spark a threat of an explosion beside the landmark energy from waste recovery park used by North Yorkshire and York councils.

Ahead of North Yorkshire County Council approving the incinerator in 2014 there was a concerted campaign to get it rejected, backed by two MPs with protestors handing in a petition with 10,000 signatures at Downing Street.

The meeting was told the application documents ignored key issues, such as the predominant wind direction, and that many residents would be downwind of dust particles and “toxic threats” from the plant.

Mr Emsley said:

“I am concerned about the human health impacts of some of the nasty materials. Benzine is a particularly horrible chemical and some of its derivatives are even nastier.

“Benzine has been long recognised as a carcinogen and recent studies have recognised the effects of continuous exposure to low concentrations of benzine both occupationally and environmentally.”

Residents heard claims the plant was likely to create contaminated water which would seep into watercourses as there was no way of processing it and lorries visiting the asphalt plant would exacerbate the existing queues of waste trucks on the A-road outside the incinerator.

The meeting heard nearly 800 objections had been lodged over the proposal, and residents of numerous villages in a five-mile radius of the site state they had been completely unaware of the proposal until recently.

Residents overwhelmingly supported a move to launch a concerted campaign, backed by crowdfunding, work to attract opposition from residents of Knaresborough and Boroughbridge and urgently seek expert advice ahead of a likely decision by the council’s strategic planning committee early next year.

The meeting heard concerns over the committee’s likely decision, given that there would be a statutory presumption on North Yorkshire Council to pass the scheme, that it would generate a large amount of business rates from the plant and some of the deciding councillors would represent divisions from many miles away.

One resident told the meeting how she and her husband had recently moved to the area to be nearer to their grandchildren in Marton cum Grafton.

She added:

“We came for dark sky, the clean fresh air and now this is happening. We’re appalled, and particularly appalled that the playground for Marton cum Grafton school is so close.

“We are going to contaminate the water and the air and I can’t think of anything worse.”

The meeting heard residents of the surrounding villages had been promised the Allerton Park incinerator would not lead to further industrialisation of the rural area and claims that it would be more appropriate to site the asphalt plant in an industrial zone.

Knaresborough flats to house asylum seekers and homeless

Four council-owned properties in Knaresborough are to be used to house asylum seekers and homeless people.

The flats were due to be sold for a combined estimated fee of £879,000.

But North Yorkshire Council announced today they would be taken off the market and used either for unaccompanied asylum seeking children or as move-on accommodation for homeless people transitioning to independent living.

Conservative Gareth Dadd, who represents Thirsk on the council and is also its deputy leader and in charge of finance, made the decision, according to the online notice.

Explaining the reason, the notice adds:

“North Yorkshire Council is under a legal obligation to house unaccompanied asylum seeking children.

“There are eight children on the national transfer list and 12 in hotels. An urgent decision is necessary for North Yorkshire Council to fulfil its obligation.”

The notice added:

“Whilst there are other properties that have been identified as suitable for unaccompanied asylum seeking children accommodation, these require more significant works and are therefore not available for immediate occupation.”

Harrogate Borough Council bought the properties in 2019 after they had been unoccupied for several years.

The council, which was abolished in April this year, restored them and said last year it intended to sell the leaseholds for an estimated £879,900 and retain the freehold.

Harrogate district adorned in poppies as Remembrance Sunday approaches

The Harrogate district has been adorned in poppies in the lead up to this weekend’s Remembrance Day.

Scores of poppies have been put up in Ripon, Harrogate, Knaresborough, Pateley Bridge, Boroughbridge and Masham and in villages in between in honour of the fallen.

Bilton Community Centre is among the organisations to mark remembrance with a wall display.

Neil and Sonya Milsted Funeral Directors, which is based on Hookstone Chase, has created a display in the shape of a poppy featuring old photographs of servicemen.

Meanwhile, Ripon Spa Gardens and Knaresborough Station are also adorned in poppies ahead of Sunday.

Remembrance services will be held across the district this coming weekend. You can read a list of the commemorations here.