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Knaresborough head responds to Ofsted report

The headteacher of King James’s School in Knaresborough has responded to the publication of the school’s latest Ofsted report this week.

Government inspectors visited King James’s School for the first time in six years in January and, in a report published on Monday, rated it once again as ‘good’ – a status it has maintained for over 20 years.

Ofsted described the 1,575-pupil school as a “caring environment where pupils learn well” with “a strong focus on ensuring that everyone feels welcome”.

It said the “vast majority of pupils are keen and engage confidently in their learning” and bullying is rare.

Headteacher Carl Sugden said:

“The strong curriculum, the expertise of the teachers and the caring environment are highlighted in the report.”

Mr Sugden also noted that King James’s, in common with other schools, was still dealing with the educational and social impact of the covid pandemic, adding:

“I believe the report reflects the hard work and commitment of the staff at King James’s. It also reflects well on our wonderful pupils, the vast majority of whom work hard, show great resilience and humour and reflect our community values.”

He added the school acknowledged the areas of improvement identified by Ofsted and was already addressing them.

Ofsted said more should be done to provide support for the weakest readers, and more opportunities should be provided for pupils to experience the world of work.

Mr Sugden said:

“We agree with these priorities and had already started working on these before the inspectors arrived.”

King James’s was founded in 1616 by a charter from King James I, and is the Harrogate district’s second-oldest secondary school, after Ripon Grammar School, which was founded in 1555.

Start your engines: it’s time for Knaresborough tractor run

About 400 vehicles are expected to take part in tomorrow’s 25-mile Knaresborough Tractor Run.

The tractors are due to set off from the Great Yorkshire Showground in Harrogate at 9am before snaking around the district.

The spectacular convoy will head to Ripley and Knaresborough before travelling to Staveley, Burton Leonard and Markington, Bishop Thornton and Glasshouses.

tractor run 2023

It is expected to arrive in Pateley Bridge at midday for a hog roast and then continue to Bewerley, Dacre, Darley, Birstwith and Hampsthwaite before finishing in Knaresborough at 4pm.

The number taken part won’t be known until tomorrow as drivers can turn up on the day.

Participation costs £20 and an extra £10 for each passenger. You can enter here or turn up at the showground.

All proceeds are donated to Yorkshire Air Ambulance — a cause close to the hearts of many farmers taking part because of the way it helps people in remote and rural areas.

Last year, a total if 383 tractors took part and the event raised £21,000.for Yorkshire Air Ambulance.

Although the route uses some minor roads, the convoy takes about an hour to file by and traffic delays are possible for vehicles caught up in the event.

The route snakes around Nidderdale

Tractor Run committee chairman and Ramsgill farmer Steven Brown urged anyone with a tractor, farmer or otherwise, to take part, and anyone without one to turn out to support the event. He said:

“Come along and join in the fun. We reckon it’s the biggest tractor run in the UK, so the chances of seeing anything similar elsewhere are slim.”

Prizes will be awarded for tractors in three categories: vintage, classics, and modern.

Knaresborough businesses criticise ‘ludicrous’ empty electric vehicle charging bays

Midday on market day in Knaresborough last Wednesday brought a familiar sight — cars struggling to park.

Town centre parking is rarely easy in Knaresborough but the decision to allocate 10 of the 56 parking spaces in Chapel Street car park to electric vehicle charging bays has incensed some businesses.

While vehicles hovered around the car park for a space to emerge, nine of the 10 EV charging bays were empty. Business owners say it’s costing them trade and are calling for a rethink.

We spoke to several who were all at pains to point out they support better infrastructure for electric vehicles, but claim Harrogate Borough Council went too far, too soon by removing so many bays at once and a rethink is required.

The sole vehicle charging in Chapel Street when the Stray Ferret visited last week was being used by Bev Nelson, who is originally from Harrogate but now lives in Sheffield.

Ms Nelson visits Knaresborough every few weeks for a hairdressing appointment at Kelly Teggin Hair and Beauty on Castlegate and said the chargers were great for her but questioned whether so many bays were required:

Bev Nelson (seated) and Kelly Teggin

Chapel Street car park EV electric vehicles

Ms Nelson’s car was the only one being charged.

She said:

“We have a public car park near where I live in Sheffield which has two electric chargers. Ten does seem excessive.”

Ms Nelson pays via an app and hooks up a connection cable she keeps in her car. But although the charging process is simple, it isn’t quick: she needs to plug in for four hours just for 25% charge, which raises questions about the suitability of locating the charging bays in short stay town centre car parks.

Ms Nelson says she sympathised with Ms Teggin and other business owners who are feeling the impact.

Ms Teggin says:

“It’s hitting our shops really hard. I’ve got older lady customers who just don’t come to Knaresborough anymore.”

All the businesses we spoke to said some of the 10 EV bays should be made available to all vehicles until demand caught up with supply. Over time. more bays could be allocated EV-only, they said.

Garry Gilmour

Garry Gilmour, director of estate agents Newby James, said:

“There’s never more than three out of 10 spaces taken. I worked in the motor trade for years and electric vehicles are good but I don’t think they have thought this through.”

No multi-storey car parks

Emma Brierley, owner of butchers Huttons, agreed, saying the current allocation had been done to meet targets for 2038. She said:

“They have taken too many spaces too quickly. There’s not the need at the moment for that many.

“We already lose parking spaces on market day because of the market so with this on top we are 30 or 40 spaces down. We don’t have any multi-storey car parks like Harrogate or a big supermarket car park like Ripon.”

Emma Brierley Huttons butchers Emma Brierley

Gill Mitchell

Gill Mitchell, owner of shoe shop Stomp, agreed.

“There’s a massive problem with parking in the town centre.

“Kelly has lost appointments which could be costing her £100 each. You can understand her frustration. It’s not as bad here because customers can come whenever they like.

“I can see both sides of the argument but it is a problem because some customers are saying ‘we can’t be bothered to come in because there’s nowhere to park’.”

Some traders said they weren’t sure whether non-EV vehicles parked in EV bays were actually getting parking tickets.

Harrogate Borough Council did not respond to this point when the Stray Ferret asked.

‘It’s been a big issue for some time’

Councillor Phil Ireland, the Conservative Cabinet member for carbon reduction and sustainability at Harrogate Borough Council lives in Knaresborough.

Last week he attended an event in Harrogate alongside rugby league legend Martin Offiah to mark the roll-out of 100 electric vehicle charging points in the Harrogate district.

Cllr Ireland said he understood and sympathised with the concerns:

“There’s always been this question of parking availability in the town centre. I know it’s been a big issue for some time”

But he added there were plenty of spaces just outside the town centre, such as York Place long-stay, which has 240 bays and is “grossly underused” although he acknowledged it was too far for some people. Knaresborough, he added, had good buses.

“Market day is always a pinch point. It’s popular and we do our best to keep it that way.

“But we’ve got to persuade people to invest in EV.”

Cllr Ireland said “range anxiety” deterred many people from going electric and the availability of chargers would address this.

He suggested groups like Knaresborough & District Chamber and Knaresborough Town Council could work with North Yorkshire Council, which will succeed Harrogate Borough Council at the end of the month, on issues such as running the market, which could lead to improvements.

Knaresborough market is held every Wednesday.

Net-zero by 2038

We put the traders’ concerns to Harrogate Borough Council.

In a statement, a council spokesperson said:

“To help achieve our net zero-carbon economy by 2038, and to support the demand and rapid uptake of electric vehicles following the end of the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030, we are installing almost 100 charging bays across the Harrogate district.

“In response to our ultra-low emission vehicle strategy consultation, we received significant support for the creation of a public charging network. And thanks to a grant from the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles we have been able to help meet this demand.

“More than 20 chargers will be installed in Knaresborough, including Chapel Street car park which is already being used by both residents and visitors alike.

“These bays, which are for EV charging only, account for less than three per cent of the more than 800 spaces available in Knaresborough, so we are confident that non-EV drivers will still be able to find a space in one of the six car parks in the market town, including York Place which is a five-minute walk from the town square. There is also plenty of on-street disc parking across the town.

“Any EVs who use a charging bay at Chapel Street car park, or any of the charging bays across the district, will still need to adhere to the maximum stay period (four hours) and pay for the amount of time they park for (pay and display), as well as the cost of charging their vehicle. There are no parking fees for charging bays between the hours of 6pm and 8am to help residents charge their vehicles overnight.”

Liberal Democrat announced as chair of Harrogate and Knaresborough planning committee

Harrogate councillor Pat Marsh will chair the new Harrogate & Knaresborough planning committee on North Yorkshire Council, it has been confirmed.

The Liberal Democrat member for the Stray, Woodlands & Hookstone division on the new council has been a councillor in Harrogate for over 30 years and sits on the current Harrogate Borough Council planning committee.

Because the Liberal Democrats is now the largest party within the Harrogate & Knaresborough constituency area it gets to pick the chair of the new planning committee.

The vice-chair will be Conservative councillor for Bilton & Nidd Gorge, Paul Haslam.

The committee’s other members will be Chris Aldred (Liberal Democrat), Philip Broadbank (Liberal Democrat), Hannah Gostlow (Liberal Democrat), John Mann (Conservative) and Robert Windass (Conservative).

The committee will meet every month and will have the final say over large or significant planning applications in Harrogate & Knaresborough. It’s first meeting is on April 25.

Upcoming schemes include the 770-home Windmill Farm development on Otley Road and the controversial expansion of Harrogate Spring Water’s bottling plant on Harlow Moor Road.

Cllr Marsh told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that she feels “very honoured” to have been asked to take on the role.

She said:

“I am keen to make sure Harrogate and Knaresborough get the right planning decisions.

“It is about having local knowledge that can make all the difference. I have done 33 years of planning none stop and been involved in formulating four Local Plans.

“I have never chaired a planning committee but I think I have a few years’ experience to bring to the role and I am looking forward to that new role.”

A separate planning committee will be formed for Skipton and Ripon which will be chaired by Conservative councillor for Washburn & Birstwith, Nathan Hull.

Harrogate Borough Council’s planning committee is chaired by Conservative member for Harlow & St Georges, Rebecca Burnett. It has one more meeting on Marsh 28 before the authority is abolished on March 31.

Jonathan Ross petrifies his pants at Knaresborough’s Mother Shipton’s Cave

A TV programme next week will show Jonathan Ross petrifying his pants on a visit to Mother Shipton’s Cave in Knaresborough.

Jonathan Ross’ Myths and Legends will feature the presenter travelling the UK on the hunt for incredible tales as old as time.

He visited England’s oldest tourist attraction, Mother Shipton’s Cave, while filming the four-part series last summer.

The episode, due to broadcast on Monday, shows Ross learning about the legend of the Yorkshire Prophetess, who is said to have been born more than 500 years ago and foretold the Great Fire of London and the defeat of the Spanish Armada.

During his visit Ross visited the cave’s petrifying well, which can turn everyday items to stone. For centuries it was believed to be magic, but we now know it is due to the unusually high mineral content in the water.

The team at Mother Shipton’s asked Ross if he would like to donate anything to be petrified by the well to mark his visit, and he donated a pair of orange boxer shorts, which he affectionately called his lucky pants.

Visitors can now see Jonathan’s pants hanging from the petrifying well.

Once they’ve fully turned to stone, they’ll be on display in the museum alongside other donated items including Queen Mary’s petrified shoe, John Wayne’s petrified hat, and Bobby Davro’s petrified sock.

A Mother Shipton’s spokesperson said:

“We loved having Jonathan Ross visit us last summer, he was such a down to earth and funny chap – exactly as you see him on television.

“He was genuinely interested and fascinated by the story of Mother Shipton and awestruck by the geological phenomenon that is the petrifying well.

“He also spoke very highly of our beautiful town of Knaresborough and very much enjoyed chatting with the locals in the pub in between filming.

“We are providing him and his team with regular updates on the petrification progress of the bright orange pants he left with us!”

Jonathan Ross’ Myths and Legends airs on Monday at 9pm on More 4.

Password protected gates installed at Knaresborough level crossing

Network Rail has installed a passcode protected gate to keep people off the railtracks in Knaresborough.

The new gate has been put in place at Green Lane level crossing, near the Trinity Fields housing development in the town, to prevent trespassing.

Officials at the organisation worked with Harrogate Borough Council to install the facility.

Network Rail said an average of 20 to 25 people such as dog walkers or joggers illegally used the level crossing each day.

It added that in 2022 the gates were recklessly left open 20 times, posing a real risk for children, vulnerable people and animals.

The access to private land from Green Lane level crossing.

Darren Lord, north and east route level crossing manager for Network Rail, said:

“We’re really proud to have worked with Harrogate Borough Council and the housing developers to champion this simple, quick-thinking solution which will vastly reduce risk and improve safety for the community.

“The railway isn’t the place to take a shortcut and we have to put safety first. With the new gate in place, the level crossing will be able to do what it was designed for – to help people safely cross over the railway on to their private land and remove the risk for the public.

“You can never predict when the next train is coming, so entering the railway where you’re not supposed to can be incredibly dangerous and lead to fatal or life-changing injuries.”

The new gate will be used by authorised people to access the level crossing to reach private land.

Those people have been given the keycode and briefed on how to use the new system safely.

Cllr Tim Myatt, Harrogate Borough Council’s cabinet member for planning, added:

“We want to ensure all residents are kept as safe as possible.

“By working with Network Rail and the housing developer to introduce this anti-trespass measure we can help prevent people illegally trespassing on to the railway.

“This measure will also help ensure the gate is not recklessly left open, reducing the risk for children, vulnerable people and animals.”

County council to bid for funding to launch carbon neutral waste trucks

North Yorkshire County Council is set to bid for £300,000 to help improve the environmental credentials of waste collections and a controversial waste incinerator plant.

The authority has applied to the United Kingdom’s innovation agency for funding to investigate addressing barriers for generating low carbon fuel sources on the Allerton Park Waste Recovery site near Knaresborough, either as biomethane or green hydrogen.

The council is hoping to be among 20 nationally to be handed a Fast Followers award by Innovate UK, which aims to equip local authorities with the experience and skills to accelerate progress towards net zero.

The move comes as the authority is consulting with the public on its climate change strategy, which includes increasing access to alternative fuels for vehicles and investigating the feasibility of green hydrogen and other low carbon fuels as technology develops.

The strategy also includes a proposal to investigate how the council’s assets, such as land and buildings, can best be used to generate low carbon energy to offset council carbon emissions.

Significantly, the strategy includes looking for such opportunities at the energy from waste plant and closed landfill sites, and for vegetation management and food waste for anaerobic digestion.

An officer’s report to a meeting of senior officers and councillors states the potential gases generated at the site would be predominantly to use as a transport fuel for general and recycling waste vehicles as an alternative to fossil fuels, but options for income generation would also be explored.

The report adds other potential benefits would include improved energy security and releasing grid capacity for other renewable energy sources at the sub-station.

The report states after recyclates and organic materials have been extracted from the waste delivered by 70 waste trucks from across the county to Allerton Park, the remaining residual waste is incinerated in the energy from waste incinerator, which generates heat and power.

It states:

“Currently the electricity is sold to the National Grid and the heat is underutilised.

“Decarbonising both the waste plant and the vehicles that transport waste to the site is technically possible, but extremely challenging due to the technological change required, systems change and the costs to deploy.”

Cllr Arnold Warneken, whose division includes Allerton Park, said there was significant debate whether the energy from waste incinerator could be regarded as producing renewable energy as it relied on the production of waste to be sustainable.

‘Britain’s biggest tractor run’ set to return to Harrogate district on Sunday

“Britain’s biggest tractor run” will snake along roads in the Harrogate district on Sunday, with up to 400 vehicles coming together in a festival of agricultural horsepower.

Knaresborough Tractor Run lasts for 25 miles from the Great Yorkshire Showground in Harrogate to Knaresborough, with a hog-roast lunch for drivers and sandwich van for spectators in Pateley Bridge.

Participation costs £20 per driver and an extra £10 for each passenger, and all proceeds are donated to Yorkshire Air Ambulance. Last year, the event raised £20,893.

Tractor Run committee chairman and Ramsgill farmer Steven Brown urged anyone with a tractor, farmer or otherwise, to take part, and anyone without one to turn out to support the event. He said:

“Come along and join in the fun. We reckon it’s the biggest tractor run in the UK, so the chances of seeing anything similar elsewhere are slim.

“The thing I always love is all the spectators lining the streets – the support from the public is tremendous. That’s what puts a smile on our faces.”

Tractor Run committee chairman Steven Brown says he doesn’t expect the event to clog the roads.

Knaresborough Tractor Run was first held in 2012 and has grown rapidly ever since.

This year’s event is due to begin at the showground at 9am.

Mr Brown said the route from Harrogate would take in Knaresborough, Staveley, Copgrove, Burton Leonard, Markington and Smelthouses, before arriving at Pateley Bridge showground, where prizes will be awarded for tractors in three categories: vintage, classics, and modern.

After lunch, the parade of vehicles will head to Dacre Banks, Darley and Hampsthwaite, before returning to Knaresborough around 4pm.

The line of tractors is expected to take about an hour to file past, but Mr Brown said motorists needn’t worry about blocked roads. He said:

“We don’t tend to have tailbacks, because we’re never on one road for long enough. We try to head off across country a bit to avoid the main roads.”

Tractor owners wishing to take part in Knaresborough Tractor Run can sign up online, or pay cash on the day.

Campaign to create Knaresborough Forest Park issues urgent plea for support

Campaigners bidding to buy land in the former Forest of Knaresborough and protect it from development have issued an urgent plea for support.

The community group Renaissance Knaresborough is leading the campaign, which aims to replicate the successful Long Lands Common initiative that raised £375,000 to buy 30 acres of land near Nidderdale Greenway.

It wants to acquire privately-owned land not currently accessible to the public between Beryl Burton Cycle Way and Harrogate Road and turn it into Knaresborough Forest Park.

The land would be owned by individual shareholders and open to the public for recreation and conservation.

A map showing the site

A fundraising campaign launched three months ago has so far generated about £510,000. The sum has been boosted by a large donation from the George A Moore Foundation in Leeds. George Moore, a successful businessman who died in 2016, was born and raised in Knaresborough.

Eight plots of land with a total guide price of £910,000 and covering 85 acres are being advertised and a sale of the land is believed to be imminent.

This has prompted the plea to raise more funds in order to bid to buy as many of the plots as possible.

An email sent to supporters by Renaissance Knaresborough says:

“The project will not only safeguard vital greenbelt land from further urban encroachment but will reinstate the initial part of the ancient Knaresborough Forest, with a long-term vision for it to expand.

“Unfortunately time is of the essence, as we have recently been informed that the closing date for the sale could be in a matter of weeks.

An illustrative sketch of the ‘ancient vista’ from the site, by George Eglese

Campaigner Shan Oakes said:

“Renaissance Knaresborough is aiming to buy as much of the land as possible for community forest to connect with Long Lands Common and to deter inappropriate development in this area of natural beauty so close to Knaresborough, Starbeck , Bilton, and Harrogate, but it all depends on what funds we can raise in the time we have available .

“Some of the land is in Starbeck so we are confident that Starbeck residents and businesses will be very keen to support this effort.

“Pledges are coming in thick and fast, so our hopes are high, but the time available to raise the money is possibly very short…we don’t actually know although we are told it could be only a week or so before the sale is concluded.”

Anyone wishing to support the campaign can do so here.

Knaresborough’s King James’ School rated ‘good’ by Ofsted

King James’ School in Knaresborough has been rated ‘good’ by Ofsted in a report published today.

Government inspectors visited the 1,575-pupil school for the first time in six years on January 10 this year.

They described it as a “caring environment where pupils learn well” with “a strong focus on ensuring that everyone feels welcome”.

The report says the “vast majority of pupils are keen and engage confidently in their learning” and bullying is rare.

It adds the school, which dates back to 1616, supports children with special educational needs “extremely well”, enables sixth form students to “flourish” and organises “a rich range of extra-curricular visits”.

Staff are praised for their “excellent subject knowledge” and safeguarding is described as “effective”.

Reading concerns

However, the report says the school provides “insufficient opportunities for pupils to engage meaningfully with the world of work” and “pupils who struggle with reading do not receive effective interventions routinely” and is urged to improve in these areas.

This was King James’ School’s second ungraded inspection since Ofsted judged the school to be good in its last full inspection in December 2011.

Schools graded ‘good’ are usually visited once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called an ungraded inspection.

King James’ School, which has 242 sixth form students, is federated with Boroughbridge High School.

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No multi-storey car parks

‘It’s been a big issue for some time’

Net-zero by 2038

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Reading concerns

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