Councillors approve gambling arcade in Knaresborough despite addiction concerns

Councillors today approved a new gambling arcade opening on Knaresborough High Street despite hearing how the venue could exacerbate addiction during the cost-of-living crisis.

North Yorkshire Council’s Harrogate & Knaresborough planning committee met this afternoon to discuss an application by Carl Bearman of Spectacular Bid Ltd to create an adult gaming centre inside the former Yorkshire Building Society building.

Adult gaming centres or arcades typically involve gambling for cash on machines that can include roulette, bingo or slots. Operators of arcades must have a licence from regulator the Gambling Commission.

Mr Bearman proposed the venue, which could have up to 35 machines, opens between 9am and 10pm for over-18s only.

With residential properties upstairs, he agreed a condition with the council whereby the machines would only operate at 25% their normal volume.

But Conservative councillor for Bilton and Nidd Gorge, Paul Haslam, queried what would happen if residents made a noise complaint to the council about the machines.

He said he knew of residents making complaints about barking dogs that had not been resolved by the council in over 18 months. Cllr Haslam said:

“What teeth will [the council] have if these machines are making people’s lives upstairs a misery? How will that be resolved? I’m really concerned about this.”

Harrogate-based Spectacular Bid Ltd was not represented at the meeting but council planning officer Stuart Mills responded to questions from councillors. Mr Mills said the council would be able to enforce against noise if the machines went higher than the agreed volume.

Liberal Democrat councillor for Knaresborough East, Hannah Gostlow, said she would be voting to refuse the application due to noise and its visual impact on the high street. Cllr Gostlow said:

“What if 25% is not quite enough for them? It would have to go through enforcement and we’ve heard worrying statements about enforcement.”

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Liberal Democrat councillor for Knaresborough West, Matt Walker, was unable to attend the meeting so Cllr Gostlow read out a statement on his behalf.

Cllr Walker, who works in the NHS, referred to statistics by gambling charity GamCare about rising gambling addiction during the cost-of-living crisis.

His statement said:

“Gambling has been part of our culture for centuries and many people are able to gamble without experiencing issues, however this is not the case for all and the harm from gambling has become a serious and worsening public health problem in the UK.

“GamCare said January 2023 was the month with the highest-ever call volume with it regularly hearing how the rising cost-of-living is affecting callers. People are gambling to win extra cash to pay the bills. Vulnerable people have been drawn in to places such as what is proposed here just to keep warm.”

However, despite saying he was “not a great fan” of gaming arcades, Conservative councillor for Boroughbridge and Claro, Robert Windass, said he felt there were no sound planning reasons to refuse the application, which was recommended for approval in an officer report.

This was echoed by Conservative councillor for Oatlands and Pannal, John Mann, who said:

“I think Matt’s comments are very eloquent. I also am concerned about potential for noise however I also hear what report says. 

“I realise noise will be restricted to 25% and that it will be controlled. Having read the report I’m not sure we’ve got sound planning grounds to refuse this, as much as we’d like to. I’ve racked my brains and can’t think of a ground to reject this on.”

Liberal Democrat councillor for Fairfax and Starbeck, Philip Broadbank, then suggested a condition is attached to reduce the hours the arcade closes from 10pm to 9pm, which was voted on and approved by four votes to two.

Councillors Mann, Windass, Haslam and Broadbank voted to approve with councillors Marsh and Gostlow voting against.

Knaresborough councillor accuses MP of using Nidd sewage campaign as ‘political tool’

Harrogate and Knaresborough’s Conservative MP Andrew Jones has been criticised by a Liberal Democrat councillor who claimed he is using a campaign to clean up the River Nidd as a “political tool” to help him get re-elected.

But Mr Jones has fought back and said his involvement in the campaign is about him doing his job as an MP.

The issue of river pollution caused by private water companies such as Yorkshire Water — and what is being done to stop it — is expected to be one of the battlegrounds at the next general election, which must be held in the next 18 months.

Mr Jones has won four elections in a row since 2010, but the Liberal Democrats are hopeful of taking Harrogate and Knaresborough back for the first time since the days of Phil Willis, who was MP between 1997 and 2010.

Mr Jones has confirmed he will stand for a fifth time and the Lib Dems have chosen former Wakefield councillor Tom Gordon as their candidate.

Nidd campaign

There are hopes that a section of the Nidd by Knaresborough Lido will be designated bathing water status by the government so people can swim in it without falling ill.

It currently has high levels of the bacteria e-coli, a strong indicator of sewage or animal waste.

The campaign is gathering momentum and is being led by Mr Jones who secured a debate on the topic in Parliament in November.

Last week, North Yorkshire councillors of all political stripes agreed to back a motion to support the campaign, brought by Conservative councillor for Bilton and Nidd Gorge Paul Haslam, when Cllr Matt Walker raised the topic of the MP’s involvement.

Cllr Walker said:

“People listening online and in the chamber might wonder why this motion has been brought before council.

“Perhaps it’s to do with a local MP using it as a political tool to try and get elected in the next general election?”

River Nidd at Knaresborough

River Nidd at Knaresborough.

In 2021, Mr Jones was one of 265 Conservative MPs who voted down a Lords amendment to the Environment Bill which would have forced water companies to reduce the amount of sewage they discharged.

Instead, MPs including Mr Jones backed a government amendment to make water companies produce plans for reducing river pollution.

This has led to criticism from opposition parties, with Cllr Walker adding:

“Waters are allowed to have sewage in them because our MPs voted for it.”

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In a statement sent to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Mr Jones disputed that his involvement was political and listed the things he has done to raise awareness about the campaign, including securing the debate in Parliament, meeting with ministers about the topic and winning the support of the chief executive of Yorkshire Water.

Referring to the contentious votes in Parliament, Mr Jones said he voted for a “costed plan to reduce the operation of the Victorian storm overflows”.

The MP also took aim at Cllr Walker’s own political career after he stood unsuccessfully for the Lib Dems in the Selby and Ainsty by-election last week, when he came sixth.

Mr Jones said he welcomed the support from North Yorkshire Council and added that his team and a group of volunteers had been working on collecting information for the bid.

He said:

“I have discussed the successful Ilkley bathing water application with the MP for that area and led a special debate in the House of Commons on water quality. I have voted in Parliament for a costed plan to reduce the operation of the Victorian storm overflows.

“I have delivered thousands of leaflets and letters encouraging people to get involved and written numerous articles for the local media highlighting the issue. My team and I alongside an enormous number of local volunteers are taking positive action.

“This is what Members of Parliament should be doing and most of them, from all parties, are. It is not ‘using an issue as a political tool’; it is doing my job.

“Cllr Walker has stood twice to be an MP most recently in the Selby and Ainsty by election where the Liberal Democrat vote sank by 5% and they came sixth behind the Yorkshire Party, the Greens and Reform UK.  Cllr Walker lost his deposit.

“I am sure he will do better when he addresses that lack of understanding about the role of an MP in supporting and leading local campaigns.”

Company involved in £46 million Harrogate district broadband installation ceases trading

A civil engineering company involved in the installation of a £46 million all-fibre broadband network in the Harrogate district has ceased trading with the loss of 165 jobs.

Leeds-based Makehappen Group Limited, which was working for CityFibre, the UK’s largest independent fibre infrastructure provider, appointed administrators Interpath Advisory last week.

The huge installation programme covering Harrogate, Knaresborough and latterly Ripon, was announced in 2020 and has been carried out on a street by street basis.

In response to the news, a spokesperson for CityFibre, said:

“We have been made aware that Makehappen Group has entered into administration.

“We would like to assure residents that work sites have been made safe, and we will remain in close conversation with our local authority stakeholders while we review our plans.”

Neil Morley and Howard Smith from Interpath Advisory were appointed joint administrators of Makehappen Group Limited on July 18.

A statement from Interpath Advisory said:

“In recent months, Makehappen experienced significant pressure on cashflow after a number of contracts were withdrawn by their customers. 

“As a result, the company was unable to continue trading and service its liabilities as they fell due, so after considering their options, the directors sought the appointment of the administrators.

“The company ceased to trade shortly prior to the appointment of the administrators. With no prospect of trade resuming, it is with regret that the joint administrators have made all of the company’s 165 members of staff redundant.”

Meanwhile, Mr Morley, said:

“There continues to be a number of opportunities, but also challenges for businesses involved in the building of fibreoptic broadband infrastructure across the UK and unfortunately, Makehappen was the latest casualty of these challenges.

“As we commence an orderly wind-down of the business, our priority will be to provide support to all of Makehappen’s employees, including providing them with all of the information they require to make claims from the Redundancy Payments Office.”

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Photo of the Week: Nidd Gorge

This week’s photograph was taken by Andy Furniss, using a long exposure to create an ethereal look to the water at Nidd Gorge.

Andy Furniss

Photo of the Week celebrates the Harrogate district. It could be anything from family life to capturing the district’s beauty. We are interested in amateur and professional photographs, in a landscape format.

Send your photographs to letters@thestrayferret.co.uk for a chance to be featured next week, we reserve the right to adjust and crop images to fit into our format.

Council agrees to meet Knaresborough traders for electric vehicle parking talks

Traders in Knaresborough are to hold talks with North Yorkshire Council in an attempt to resolve the dispute over electric vehicle charging stations.

Ten charging stations were installed late last year in bays previously available to all vehicles in Chapel Street Car Park.

Most are frequently empty, while customers in petrol or diesel cars struggle to find spaces, particularly on Wednesday market days and Saturdays.

The issue has incensed some business owners who say they are losing customers and the town is losing parking revenue.

A petition calling for some of the 10 EV charging stations in Chapel Street Car Park to be made available to all cars is available in five shops.

The petition has attracted more than 500 signatures, which is the threshold for ensuring the council’s Harrogate and Knaresborough area constituency committee debates the subject.

To keep up the pressure, hairdresser Kelly Teggin asked the council to attend a meeting with town centre businesses.

Kelly Teggin

Kelly Teggin

Ms Teggin said:

“Businesses are absolutely fuming but they also want an amicable resolution to this.

“I’ve had another two customers this week say they won’t come back because of this.”

She emphasised traders supported EV parking, but supply currently out-stripped demand.

Barrie Mason, assistant director for highways and transport at the council, said its electric vehicle infrastructure strategy demonstrated its commitment to tackling climate change.

Mr Mason added:

“We are in correspondence with local councillors and campaigners around electric vehicle infrastructure in Knaresborough and would welcome a meeting.”

He added there was a need for a publicly accessible charging network for people who didn’t have access to charging at home.

Asked why the council chose to install the charging stations in the most central car park, where many older shoppers park, he said:

“Chargers were never intended to be installed in York Place car park as there is a covenant on the land and the town centre is an air quality management area, so we want to encourage people to use their electric vehicles there.

“Also, the grant is primarily aimed at residential charging, and in the area surrounding Chapel Street Car Park there is no access to off-street parking.”

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Knaresborough pub to reopen today 111 days after fire

A Knaresborough pub that has been closed for one hundred and eleven days following a chimney fire is due to reopen this evening.

The Castle Inn, on Castlegate, has been closed since the incident on April 1 this year, but “has had a full revamp” ahead of its reopening, according to the new owner.

Landlady, Chloe-Mae Anderson-Maguire, her wife and brother-in -law, made the move from Whitby to Knaresborough to take over the pub after hearing about the fire.

She said her parents have run pubs all her life so this new venture “seemed like a great opportunity.”

The interior of the pub has been modernised.  The premises – which will be showcased at the launch party –  now offers 10 lagers, as opposed to the previous 7.

The pub is not yet serving food but hopes to have dishes out of the kitchen “within the next two weeks.”

The launch event will include discounted drinks, as well as a karaoke machine and live DJ to entertain the guests.

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Ms Anderson-Maguire said:

“We’d only visited the area a few times before moving, so we’re really looking forward to meeting old and new customers.”

The opening event will began at 6pm this evening. The pub will be open daily from 10am-12.30am thereafter.

A social media post for the Castle Inn wrote:

“The anticipation is building, and we can hardly contain our excitement!

“Our team has poured their hearts and souls into creating a unique and unforgettable experience for our valued customers.

“From the inviting atmosphere to the top-notch products/services we’ll be offering, every detail has been carefully crafted with you in mind.”

 

N-Trance to headline new 90s music festival in Knaresborough

A new summer music festival is to be held at Conyngham Hall in Knaresborough in September.

Summer Fest is billed as a “fun-filled day of 90s vibes” with electronic band N-Trance, who had a hit with Set You Free in 1995, headlining.

It is one of a series of outdoor commercial events being held at Conyngham Hall this year.

Harrogate events company Enchantica’s is organising Summer Fest, which takes place on Saturday, September 2.

It has said a proportion of every ticket sold will go to 30 local schools.

Suzanne Vaughan, director at Enchantica, said it would be a “joyous time at the end of the summer holidays before the kids go back to school”.

She added:

“After the success of our Oatlands fundraising ball where we raised over £6,000 for Oatland Infants new playground, we were inundated with requests from parents and teachers asking us to help raise much needed funds for their schools.”

Besides N-Trance, there will also be 90s Britpop and dance sets from tribute group Rock The 90s and local DJs Rory Hoy and DJ Dent, plus family games.

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Knaresborough’s ex-crime commissioner launches victims’ charity

Knaresborough’s former crime commissioner Philip Allott is leading a new national charity that will support victims of crimes committed by emergency service staff.

Blue Light Whistle Blowers is in the process of being registered as a charitable incorporated organisation by the Charity Commission.

It will support victims of crimes committed by staff in policing, ambulance trusts and fire and rescue services and advise them on pursuing whistleblowing allegations but will not investigate claims itself.

The organisation, which is seeking a chief executive, aims to generate £100,000 a year to fund its work.

Mr Allott, who resigned as the Conservative North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner in 2021 following comments about the murder of Sarah Everard, said he decided to get involved because emergency services crimes were under-reported.

A telephone hotline and online portal will be set up this year to enable victims to confidentially report wrongdoing.

The organisation said in a statement:

“The charity aims to be the voice of victims and their families and won’t hesitate where necessary to challenge the status quo.

“The charity aim is to hold chief constables, chief fire officers and ambulance trusts to account for these crimes and will produce league tables highlighting the best and worst affected services within the country.”

The service is due to go live in the autumn, initially based on a number of areas including London before it is rolled out nationally.

Bob Blackman (left) and Philip Allott

Mr Allott, chair of the organisation, said:

“Blue Light Whistle Blowers has been set up to be the voice of the voiceless and the silenced. Whistleblowers will support the victims and give them a voice, as for too long they have received little if any support.”

Those involved met MPs and peers, including Harrogate and Knaresborough Conservative MP Andrew Jones and Lord Harrogate Timothy Kirkhope at the House of Commons last month, at an event sponsored by Bob Blackman MP, the Conservative MP for Harrow East.

The main picture shows the trustees with Andrew Jones MP. They are (left to right) Tim Cook, Kathy Cox, Guy Phoenix, Philip Allott, Andrew Jones and Adele Winkley.

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Knaresborough amusement arcade set to be approved

An amusement arcade looks set to open on the site of a former building society in Knaresborough.

The High Street gaming centre will be open to over-18s between 9am and 10pm.

North Yorkshire Council planning officer Sam Witham has recommended councillors approve the scheme when they meet next week — despite objections from Knaresborough Town Council and three residents.

They were concerned about noise, the impact on the High Street appearance and anti-social behaviour.

Carl Bearman, director of a company formed in January called Spectacular Bid, applied to change the use of vacant premises at 30 High Street.

The site, which is on the corner of Knaresborough High Street and Park Place in Knaresborough Conservation Area, was home to Yorkshire Building Society until March 2018.

Mr Whitham’s report to councillors says the location is within the primary shopping area of Knaresborough, complies with the Harrogate district Local Plan 2014-35, which outlines where development can take place, and would not harm the character and appearance of the conservation area. It says:

“Subject to conditions, the proposal is acceptable with regards to its impact on neighbouring amenity, and in particular the impact of noise on the residential flats above the ground floor unit subject to this proposal.”

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The report adds:

“The proposed use would bring about the re-use of the property and it is not considered that the use would be incompatible with the town centre location.”

One of the conditions attached to approving the scheme is that machines must not to operate at more than 25% volume.

Councillors on the Liberal Democrat-controlled 13-person Harrogate and Knaresborough area constituency committee will decide whether to accept the recommendation to approve the scheme when they meet on Tuesday next week.

Three schools near Harrogate to share executive head under new agreement

Three village schools near Harrogate and Knaresborough have agreed to work in partnership in a move leaders say will benefit pupils and staff.

Goldsborough Church of England Primary School and Sicklinghall Community Primary School formed the Goldsborough Sicklinghall Federation in 2015.

Now the federation has entered into a less formal “collaborative agreement” with Admiral Long Church of England Primary School at Burnt Yates.

The move will see federation executive headteacher Zoe Ellis also become executive headteacher at Admiral Long in September and work across all three sites.

Admiral Long Primary School in Burnt Yates

Admiral Long Primary School in Burnt Yates.

A letter from to parents from Cerys Townend, chair of the federation’s governing board, said it was “approached by the local authority to enter into a collaborative agreement with another small school”.

It added the move “provides an exciting new opportunity to learn and develop as well as building the financial resilience of all three schools”.

The letter said the schools “share core values rooted in Christian beliefs and practice” and “high quality learning opportunities”. It added:

“By sharing knowledge, expertise, and resources, the schools can enhance their educational offerings and provide a more enriching experience for their pupils.

“Collaboration enables the schools to pool their strengths, resulting in a wider range of learning opportunities, improved teaching practices, and a more comprehensive curriculum.”

Admiral Long is 11 miles from Goldsborough and 10 miles from Sicklinghall.

‘Exciting opportunity’

The Stray Ferret asked the council why the collaboration was happening and what impact it will have on staffing and finances.

Amanda Newbold, assistant director for education and skills at the council, replied in a statement:

“This is an exciting opportunity for Admiral Long CE Primary School to work in collaboration with the Goldsborough Sicklinghall Federation, led by executive headteacher Zoe Ellis and her team from the start of September.

“The collaboration will help the schools to work together, share expertise and resources for the benefit of pupils, staff and the wider school communities.”