A Ripon car dealership is set to close its doors at the end of the month after the manufacturer decided to pull out of the city.
Piccadilly Motors will close its branch in Dallamires Lane on Friday, April 28 after receiving notice that Fiat was ending its franchise agreement.
Customers have been invited to use the company’s sister site on Boroughbridge Road, Knaresborough, which will continue to trade as a Kia dealership as well as offering serving for Fiat, Abarth and Alfa cars.
The Knaresborough branch is less than 10 miles away from Ripon, and the Piccadilly team said it has introduced extra support for customers travelling from the Ripon area, including more courtesy cars.
Managing director Simon Watts told the Stray Ferret:
“We have managed this carefully and because of the growth of the business we have in Knaresborough, most customers have already migrated to the Kia product and we’re also doing Fiat for servicing at Knaresborough, as well as MOTs.
“It’s the same with staff. We’ve really handled that in the most sympathetic manner we could. Fortunately, only one person will lose their job, who doesn’t want to travel, but they’ve managed to get another job elsewhere.
“It has been an absolute priority for us to handle it in the most customer- and colleague-friendly manner.”
Mr Watts said the company had looked to find another manufacturer to bring to its Ripon branch, but in a challenging market it had not been possible.
Demand for used cars is high in the UK, leading to low supply for dealerships. The looming prospect of changing legislation over sales of petrol and diesel cars is also having an impact, as manufacturers work to deliver more electric vehicles in time for the 2030 cut-off.
Fiat has only been selling the 500 model, Mr Watts said, and the low volume of sales had led it to restructure its network. He added:
“It’s disappointing, but thankfully we’ve got a business in close proximity that can carry on providing a service.”
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‘Grim’ future predicted for Harrogate cycling after funding snub
Cyclists have expressed concern about the future of active travel in the Harrogate district after funding for two schemes was rejected.
The Department for Transport’s active travel fund last month turned down North Yorkshire County Council’s bid for £3.19 million.
It would have paid for segregated cycle routes on Victoria Avenue in Harrogate and on the A59 in Knaresborough between Mother Shipton’s Cave and Harrogate Golf Club.
Coming on the back of the county council’s decision to scrap phase two of the Otley Road cycle route, it has left plans for a connected, segregated cycle route between Harrogate train station and Cardale Park in tatters.
It has also raised questions about whether the council can deliver on active travel schemes despite the rhetoric.
Harrogate cycling campaigner Malcolm Margolis said
“The future for investment in cycling in Harrogate is clearly grim if the council is unable to attract government funding.
“It will only do that if it shows that it can deliver, which it has repeatedly failed to do for many years.
“That’s one of the reasons why the Station Gateway project must go ahead, not only that it would greatly improve the town centre, but that it shows the council has the capacity to turn successful bids to improve the public realm into successful changes on the ground.”
Cycleways on Station Parade are a key feature of the Station Gateway.
Read more:
- Cycling signs on Otley Road are ‘temporary measure’
- Government rejects cycling schemes in Harrogate and Knaresborough
Kevin Douglas, chairman of Harrogate District Cycle Action, agreed next month’s expected gateway decision was now of even greater significance given the legacy of failed cycling schemes. He said:
“If the council can’t attract government funding then it isn’t looking good for cycling.
“The government is reducing funding for active travel so it will be more difficult to succeed with bids and without a track record it will be doubly difficult.”
The Conservative-run North Yorkshire Council, which has replaced the county council, has said it will abide by its Liberal Democrat-controlled Harrogate and Knaresborough area constituency committee’s gateway decision on May 30.
‘Immense challenges’
Cllr Keane Duncan, the Conservative executive member for highways and transportation on North Yorkshire Council, said the local authority remained determined to “rebalance transport” in the town and would “not be dispirited” by Active Travel England’s rejection.
He said:
“We know the immense challenges the town is facing in terms of congestion, air quality and road safety. Unless the new North Yorkshire Council takes action to address these problems, they will only get worse.
“Rebalancing transport and promoting more sustainable travel is essential, but with limited financial resources and often vocal opposition, this is not always easy to deliver in practical terms.”
The Otley Road cycleway
Cllr Duncan added:
“The Otley Road corridor remains a challenge, but I stand by the decision to step back from phase two of the cycleway to allow local councillors to consider alternative options.
“And of course, it will be local councillors who will determine the hot topic of gateway once and for all. They will give their verdict and I will respect this. I feel this is the fairest possible approach.
The Stray Ferret asked Active Travel England why it rejected North Yorkshire County Council’s bid.
A spokesman said it couldn’t go into detail until the successful applicants were notified after next month’s local elections. They added:
“Each bid we have received has undergone a robust assessment process that considered a range of criteria. Feedback is being provided to authorities with unsuccessful bids over the next few weeks.
“Active Travel England will support local authorities in designing and delivering schemes that meet national standards for safety and accessibility.”
Knaresborough to host free big screen broadcast of coronation
The coronation will be broadcast live on a big screen in the grounds of Knaresborough House on Saturday, May 6.
Knaresborough Town Council announced today it had secured access to a locally sourced LED screen for what it hopes will be a joyful day of picnics and celebration.
Besides showing the ceremony at Westminster Abbey, the free event will also include the broadcast of two family films.
Town councillor James Pickard, chair of the council’s king’s coronation working group, said:
“We are looking forward to welcoming the Knaresborough community and visitors alike to share this once in a lifetime event. It’s not often we get to see a king crowned.
“We hope the day will be a relaxed event where people can simply come and soak up the atmosphere whilst watching the ceremony.
“We plan to extend the day by showing two family films throughout the afternoon. This will be a free local event for the entire community to enjoy.”
Cllr Pickard added the grounds were a natural theatre with scope for catering for large crowds throughout the day, from 10am to 5pm.
He added people were welcome to bring picnics but food and refreshment stalls would also be available.
Read more:
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Town councillor Hannah Gostlow, who is also a member of the working group, added:
Plans for adult gaming centre on Knaresborough High Street“It’s great that both residents and visitors to Knaresborough will have a fantastic opportunity to come together to view the king’s coronation live on a big screen at the iconic location of Knaresborough House.
“The event will give everyone the opportunity to have a memorable experience to mark this exciting and historic event.”
A former building society in Knaresborough could become a gaming centre if plans are approved.
Carl Bearman of Spectacular Bid Ltd – a company founded in January – has applied to change the use of the premises at 30 High Street, home to Yorkshire Building Society until March 2018.
Mr Bearman is a director of several other companies, including UK Gaming Solutions, Gaming Solutions Group, and Dubai Dynamo.
If given permission to become an adult gaming centre, the unit, which is 60m sq, could have arcade machines and would only be open to people aged 18 or over.
The application was submitted in late March and North Yorkshire Council is accepting comments until Sunday, April 23.
The environmental health department has already raised concerns about the impact on neighbours, saying:
“There are flats above the existing commercial unit but whereas the office use and the opening hours of the building society would not interfere with the flats above there may be noise including music associated with the use of the gaming centre and the opening hours, which are not stated, could interfere with the residents above.
“It would be useful to get some indication of the proposed hours of operation.”
Environmental health officer Mary Jones recommended the applicant should invest in sound proofing and provide an acoustic report to the council about the impact of the proposed change.
To view or comment on the application, visit the planning pages of North Yorkshire Council’s website and use reference 23/01169/FUL.
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Business Breakfast: New investor joins Harrogate IT company
It’s time to join the Stray Ferret Business Club. The fourth in our series of networking events, with Banyan Bar & Kitchen, is a breakfast event on April 27 from 8am.
Don’t miss out on this chance to network with businesses from across the Harrogate district. Get your tickets by clicking or tapping here.
A new investor has joined an IT hardware company in Harrogate.
Ryan McCarry has made the investment in Intelligent Servers and acquired a minority shareholding in the business amounting to a 14% shareholding with follow-on funding.
Mr McCarry, who founded Sleek Networks and was chairman of Concepta Capital, will also join the firm as a director and chairman of the board.
Andy Hughes, founder and chief executive of Intelligent Servers, said:
“Ryan brings a wealth of knowledge to our business and board. His appointment comes at a time when we plan to expand our services and reach to achieve our revenue target of £22 million in the next three years.
“We are delighted to welcome him to our team and look forward to working closer together.”
Mr McCarry said:
“I am thrilled to be joining Intelligent Servers as a shareholder and chairman. Having worked with Andy over the last year or two I know the company has a great culture, solid foundations, fast growth and huge potential.
“Intelligent Servers is very much a sustainable technology business with strong ESG credentials and significant growth potential in the UK, Europe and globally. The team have a fantastic reputation for delivering high quality services to their clients and we plan to achieve our targets through organic growth and selective acquisitions.”
Knaresborough company sets up employee ownership trust
A Knaresborough company has set up an employee ownership trust.
Consultancy service The Whole Systems Partnership, which is based on York Place, announced the move last week.
Peter Lacey, owner of The Whole System Partnership, and James Wright sign the trust papers.
An employee ownership trust sees staff at a company take shares in the business.
The move will see James Wright, Mark Gregson and Dr Pauline Milne MBE become initial directors of the trust at WSP.
Mr Wright said:
“I have always enjoyed being part of the WSP team and to be part of the management team only makes me more excited for the future.”
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Beer festival season starts with three-day Henshaws event
The festival season kicks off this month with a family favourite in aid of one of the Harrogate district’s best-known charities.
Henshaws Beer Festival will return with three days of fun for all ages from Friday, April 28 to Sunday, April 30.
There will be two adult evening sessions and two family-friendly daytime events.
The beer festival will raise funds for Henshaws, which supports people living with sight loss and disabilities across the north of England.
Festival-goers will be able to choose from a range of beers, gins, wines and ciders, all produced in Yorkshire.
Local breweries Cold Bath Brewing, Daleside, Harrogate Brewery – all in Harrogate – and Roosters and Turning Point, both in Knaresborough, will again be joining forces to support and supply the annual event.
An eclectic mix of live music across two stages will feature sets from local performers including Rory Hoy, reggae band Drop Leg Steppers, Hot Sauce and rapper Lence.
Pop-up vendors will be serving a selection of freshly-cooked food, including pizza, Mexican and BBQ. There will also be fun activities and games for the children running throughout the day.
Henshaws’ fundraising development manager Gemma Young said:
“The Arts and Crafts Centre offers a unique outdoor setting for the festival with a large stage area, undercover spaces and outdoor and indoor seating. For last year’s event, we welcomed over 850 guests and served over 4,000 drinks, and this year given the addition of the Friday night we look forward to welcoming even more visitors!”
Henshaws art-maker Ebonie raises a glass at the Henshaws Beer Festival in 2022.
For 2023, Henshaws Beer Festival’s title sponsor is Harrogate-based 4Life Wealth Management. The company’s operations director, Gary Nash, said:
“We are delighted to support this popular Henshaws event and help the charity raise much needed funds for the brilliant work they do. This festival represents a fantastic opportunity to come together as a community.”
Founded in 1837, Henshaws is one of the oldest charities in the UK. It employs around 360 members of staff and 232 volunteers, who support individuals, families and their carers who are living with sight loss, as well as a range of other disabilities.
The charity’s specialist college in Starbeck offers day and residential places for young people aged 18 to 25 with special educational needs and disabilities, and its Arts and Crafts Centre in Knaresborough helps people living with disabilities realise their artistic and personal potential.
Tickets for the Henshaws Beer Festival are available online for £15, or £18 on the door (£5 for children over the age of three), and each visitor will receive a limited-edition souvenir pint glass and two half-pint drink tokens.
Pic shows (left to right), Matthew Joyce, sales manager at Harrogate Brewing Co, Joe Joyce, owner at Harrogate Brewing Co, and Gary Nash, operations director at 4Life Wealth Management
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- Henshaws Beer Festival back this weekend after two year break
- Cheers! Knaresborough and Harrogate to host beer festivals
- ‘Intimate gem’ Knaresborough pub wins rare award for beer quality
Artist ‘delighted’ to open second gallery in Knaresborough
An artist with a gallery in Pateley Bridge is set to open a second premises in her home town.
Claire Baxter opened in the Nidderdale town 2019 and is set to open on Castlegate, in Knaresborough, this month.
Claire Baxter, who grew up in Knaresborough, said she is “absolutely delighted” that her business is expanding to her hometown.
As with Pateley Bridge, the Knaresborough gallery will feature a wide selection of Ms Baxter’s work, which depicts North Yorkshire towns and landscapes.
The new site will stock Ms Baxter’s originals, including prints and paintings, as well as work from her quirky series, “The Wonderful World of George and Daphne”.
The Pateley Bridge gallery stocks a range of the owner’s work
Ms Baxter said:
“Ever since I began my career as a professional artist, it was always my ambition to establish a gallery in Knaresborough, so when this opportunity arose I simply jumped at it.
“I am so looking forward to being a part of the local scene”.
Claire hopes to open the gallery on Saturday, April 29.
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‘Just one more trip’ for Knaresborough’s Ukraine aid hero
A Knaresborough man who has just returned from his seventh aid trip to Ukraine has said the next visit will be his last.
Retired lorry driver Bob Frendt has been taking a lorry loaded with medical equipment and other supplies to the west of the country since Russia’s invasion last February.
His latest trip saw him deliver a letter from Knaresborough Town Council to the mayor of Volodymyr proposing a twinning agreement, after Mr Frendt’s trips established a connection between the towns.
He also took with him mobility scooters, walking frames, crutches and other vital equipment for the hospital – as well as 200 Easter eggs. They had been collected by Knaresborough women Stacey Worrall and Joanne Notman with support from family and friends, to ensure young hospital patients will not go without a chocolate treat.
On arrival at the hospital in Volodymyr, Mr Frendt was asked to deliver the eggs to the children himself. He said:
“They were overwhelmed. Because they weren’t expecting it, the kids couldn’t believe it. I bet they haven’t had chocolate since the war started – they were just over the moon, they were blown away by it.
“There was one little girl who was about three. She was really ill. I gave her the Easter egg and you would have thought I was giving her life itself.”
Mr Frendt had planned to make this his last aid trip to Ukraine, saying he was “shattered” after more than a week of travelling and deliveries.
The lorry’s MOT in February cost £4,000 in repairs. Mr Frendt was only able to get it back on the road by using his overdraft, and his wife Maureen’s. He planned to sell the truck after his next trip in order to clear their debt.
School appeal
However, during the meeting at the mayor’s office, something happened to change his mind. He said:
“I got introduced to the principal of the school which had been shut for a year because at the start, all the men teachers had to go into the army and all the women packed up their kids and legged it.
“They heard what I had done for the hospital and wanted me to do the same for the school.
“When it was shut down, the military took all the technology, so they’re absolutely beside themselves and desperate for laptops, computers, monitors, routers – anything to do with IT. They want a 3D printer and everything to go with that, and they want language course stuff to teach English.
“The school was damaged by artillery. They were given funding by the government to rebuild the school, but no funds for equipment or refurbishment. They want about 500 litres of paint and varnish for the floors.”
Unable to say no, Mr Frendt has agreed to do what he can to get what the school needs and plans to set off for his final trip on May 25.
Bob Frendt, in blue, with teachers from the school in Volodymyr
The school also asked for 10 footballs and 10 basketballs for sports lessons. Since returning less than a week ago, Mr Frendt has already sourced 40 of each, but is still seeking sports kits so the teams can play in suitable clothing.
He also still needs as much IT equipment as he can get, and paint and other supplies to make the school a better environment for learning.
And, as he left the mayor’s office, Mr Frendt was given an unusual request. He said:
“The parting shot was, ‘if you’ve got any fire engines lying about, we’ll take them – the army have nicked ours’.
“The military had commandeered the town fire engine, leaving them unable to fight any fires, so they have to let any that happen just burn out, leaving residents and businesses homeless.”
Mr Frendt said he is hoping to arrange an appointment with Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Zoe Metcalfe to see whether an unneeded fire appliance could be given to Volodymyr.
If so, he said he will drive it there himself and fly home, as well as completing his final aid trip in May.
Anyone who can help Mr Frendt with equipment for the school, or funding to cover the £2,500 costs of each trip to Ukraine, can call him on 07836 514952.
Read more:
- Support for plans to twin Knaresborough with town in Ukraine
- Toys donated in Knaresborough reach Ukraine in time for Christmas
Firefighters rescue man retrieving his shoe in Knaresborough
Knaresborough firefighters dealt with an unusual call-out last night when a man ran into problems retrieving his shoe.
The man climbed on to the roof of Knaresborough Community Centre on Stockwell Avenue in pursuit of his footwear.
It is not known how the shoe got there but the person then required help getting down.
North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service’s incident log said firefighters were summoned at 8.15pm last night. It added:
“Crews from Knaresborough assisted a young male down from the roof of the community centre after trying to retrieve his shoe.
“A triple extension ladder was used.”
Further details about the man, and what happened to his shoe, have not been revealed.
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Three months of roadworks on A61 from Harrogate to Ripon set to begin
Roadworks are set to bring three months of disruption to motorists travelling between Ripon and Harrogate.
The A61 will be dug up as part of fibre optics company City Fibre‘s £46 million digital infrastructure upgrade in Harrogate, Knaresborough and Ripon.
Work has been completed in most areas. However, signs have gone up on the A61 Ripon Road warning that nighttime work will take place between April 17 and July 13.
Kim Johnston, regional partnership director at City Fibre said:
“From April 17, we will be starting work on the A61 between Harrogate and Ripon.
“This work will last for approximately three months and will require traffic management on one side of the road.
“Works will take place 7pm to 6.30am, Monday to Friday, with the road returned to two-way traffic every morning.”
Traffic lights will be in place during these hours, and no detours are planned.
A City Fibre spokesperson added “there may be a small amount of weekend work, subject to confirmation with highways”, adding:
“If this is the case, City Fibre will actively avoid any weekend with a major local event like Harrogate Flower Show.”
The entire length of the A61 between Ripon and Harrogate will be affected.
Ms Johnston said:
“CityFibre is investing £46m in transforming Harrogate and Ripon’s digital infrastructure and bringing next generation full fibre connectivity to almost every home and business in the area.
“This is a major undertaking, which is why we work closely with our build partner, local authorities and the council’s highways team to manage disruption as best we can and ensure works are delivered quickly, and always to our high standards.”
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