Pedestrian seriously injured in collision at Knaresborough retail park

A woman pedestrian suffered serious injuries when she was involved in a collision with a Land Rover at St James Retail Park in Knaresborough today.

The woman, in her early 60s, was injured at about 12.15pm near the McDonald’s roundabout.

She was treated at the scene by paramedics before being taken to hospital by ambulance with a serious leg injury.

There has been extensive traffic disruption while the emergency services worked at the scene.

North Yorkshire Police is asking witnesses to make a report via its website or by calling 101. Quote reference NYP-07102022-0176 when providing details.

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Mother Shipton’s in Knaresborough closes due to high winds

One of the Harrogate district’s leading attractions has closed for the day because of strong winds.

Winds have been stronger than expected today, which along with heavy rain has made conditions across the district hazardous.

Mother Shipton‘s tweeted at about 11.30am that the site, which is surrounded by trees near the River Nidd, had decided to shut.

https://twitter.com/Mothershiptons/status/1578330752697004032

The Stray Ferret is unaware of any other organisations affected by today’s weather, but if you know of any email us at contact@thestrayferret.co.uk.

Rain is forecast to move away this afternoon, giving way to a pleasant weekend, with temperatures around 15 degrees centigrade.

https://twitter.com/metoffice/status/1578331885922557953

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Traffic and Travel: Harrogate district updates

Roads

Temporary traffic lights are due to arrive today on Harrogate’s busy Cold Bath Road for five weeks as Northern Gas Networks carries out maintenance work, according to North Yorkshire County Council’s live roadworks map. This is likely to cause considerable delays.

Roadworks are also taking place on nearby Victoria Road, where a diversion is in place.

Elsewhere in Harrogate, long-term work on Crescent Road means motorists are unable to turn left at the Parliament Street junction. Traffic coming the opposite way on Ripon Road is unable to turn right.

Montpellier Road remains closed until October 12 as Northern Gas Networks carries out maintenance work.

Roadworks are also due from 9am to 7pm today on Leadhill Crescent.

Drivers should expect the usual Friday morning rush hour delays on key routes, such as Wetherby Road, Knaresborough Road and Skipton Road but it is the first Walk to School day this term, which may reduce congestion slightly.

At Blossomgate in Ripon, work is due to take place to replace and reset the kerb and improve the road.

Further afield, anyone travelling eastbound on the M62 this morning should be aware of early morning problems.

2 lanes (of 3) remain closed on the #M62 eastbound in #WestYorkshire between J29 (for the #M1) and J30 (#Rothwell) whilst recovery is ongoing for a lorry involved in a collision.

There's just over 2 miles of congestion on approach so allow extra journey time this morning. pic.twitter.com/RKU3rvh5XP

— National Highways: Yorkshire (@HighwaysYORKS) October 7, 2022

 

Trains and buses

No rail strikes today, but another day of strikes is expected tomorrow.

Northern, which operates services through Harrogate and Knaresborough, has urged passengers not to travel on strike days.

As for today, Northern services between Harrogate and Knaresborough going to York and Leeds are scheduled to run as normal this morning.

But rail passengers on Harrogate’s LNER services have been warned to expect disruption until the end of the weekend..

Major engineering works in the Newcastle area by Network Rail will affect many services on the LNER route during this period.

Meanwhile, the Harrogate Bus Company is not reporting any problems this morning.

You can check service updates here.

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Knaresborough gets into the spirit of Halloween with spooky window displays and scarecrow trail

Knaresborough businesses are gearing up for Halloween with a spooky-themed scarecrow trail and window decoration competition.

Scary displays are already starting to appear in shop windows in the historic market town, including Sid Horner and Son and Claro Hairstyles.

The competition, organised by the Knaresborough Business Collective, is being run alongside the Halloween scarecrow trail, which starts on October 21.

Natalie Horner, from Sid Horner and Son, who launched the not-for-profit business group with Annie Wilkinson-Gill, from The Crystal Buddha, said:

“We are running the competition following the huge success of our spring and jubilee window competitions.

“It is aimed at making the town look amazing for our exciting scarecrow trail. The trail will feature 28 scarecrows around Knaresborough, which people can find on a map.

“They are all sponsored and made by businesses and they will all be themed based on what would suit their business. For example, we have a hairdresser doing an Edward Scissorhands scarecrow.”

The entrance to Sid Horner and Son, which has an impressive spooky Halloween window display.

Ms Horner and her team have been working on a Halloween window at Sid Horner and Son for the last few weeks and is inviting people to have a look.

She said:

“We are a bit tucked away on Finkle Keep. It is made from old printer parts and has lots of little surprises.”

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Tactical voting could swing Harrogate and Knaresborough to Lib Dems, poll says

The Liberal Democrats could take Harrogate and Knaresborough off the Conservatives at the next general election if people vote tactically, a poll suggests.

The New Statesman published an article today about the impact of tactical voting at the next election.

The findings are based on questions put to 2,500 voters a week ago by polling company Redfield & Wilton Strategies.

It forecasts tactical voting would lead to a Labour landslide and reduce the Conservatives to just eight seats in northern England — with Mr Jones among the victims.

tactical voting poll

Data by New Statesman and Redfield & Wilton Strategies

The article says Conservative Andrew Jones is currently set to win in Harrogate and Knaresborough for the fifth consecutive time, taking 35% of the vote compared with 32% for the Liberal Democrats and 25% for Labour.

But with tactical voting, the Liberal Democrats would win with 42% compared with 37% for Mr Jones. Labour’s vote would slump to 13%.

The figures are extrapolated from YouGov polling in May, which revealed 50% of Labour voters would consider voting for the Liberal Democrats — but just 13% would consider voting for the Conservatives. The article says:

“Tactical voting would see some voters switch to the Conservatives, without doubt, but the overwhelming majority who would change their vote would change it against them.”

Applied nationally, both for Con-Lib marginal seats and Con-Lab marginal seats, three to four dozen seats would change hands.

The Conservatives would win just 117 seats overall, the Liberal Democrats would win 41 and Labour would end up with 408 seats.

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The article warns:

“These types of polling questions come with a health warning about hypothetical data, but they can aid us in modelling the next election.

“They let us look at seats where the Lib Dems are in second and gauge how many Labour voters might switch to help them over the line.”

The Liberal Democrats upgraded Harrogate and Knaresborough to a target seat this year, which prompted the selection process for its next prospective parliamentary candidate to be restarted.

 

Traffic and Travel Alert: Harrogate district update

Another day of strikes on the rail network means no trains on the Harrogate and Knaresborough line.

Roadworks are affecting several key routes in Harrogate, Ripon and Knaresborough. The wet condition are also likely to cause problems.

Roads

Delays are likely due to roadworks at York Place in Harrogate. according to North Yorkshire County Council’s live roadworks map.

Roadworks are also scheduled for Duchy Road and the lane closure remains in place at Crescent Road.

The roadworks on Dragon Road are due to be in place until Friday.

Delays are also expected due to work outside the Curious Cow pub, where Otley Road meets Skipton Road.

The A59 York Road, between Station Road and the A658 at Goldsborough, remains closed overnight until October 6. A diversion will be in place.

The closure will be in place while North Yorkshire County Council carries out resurfacing work. The council website says the work will be  carried out between 8pm and 5am but one reader told us yesterday it was until 6am.

At Blossomgate in Ripon, work is due to take place to replace and reset the kerb and improve the road.

Trains and buses

There are no Northern trains today due to a rail strike.

The company is not operating trains today and says there will be “a very limited service on Saturday and customers are advised not to travel” when another strike is planned.

Services are also expected to be affected on Sunday, especially in the morning.

The Harrogate Bus Company has produced a guide to alternative travel on strike days. You can read it here.

 

 

Traffic and Travel Alert: Harrogate district update

National Highways is warning of three-mile delays on the M62.

Roadworks remain in place outside the tourist information centre in Harrogate town centre.

Rail strikes return tomorrow.

Here is your Stray Ferret traffic update.

Roads

National Highways issued a news release at 6.05am warning motorists the M62 in West Yorkshire is closed between junctions 25 (Brighouse) and 26 (Bradford). The incident has cleared but at 6.40am there were still long tailbacks.

All lanes have now reopened on the #M62 in both directions between J26 (#Bradford) and J25 (#Brighouse) following the earlier @WestYorksPolice incident. There is still approx. 3 miles of congestion on approach both ways, please allow extra time for your journey this morning. pic.twitter.com/AiEUPKD54E

— National Highways: Yorkshire (@HighwaysYORKS) October 4, 2022

In Harrogate town centre, roadworks remain in place outside Harrogate tourist information on Crescent Road. There is no left-turn for traffic turning left at the end of Parliament Street and no right-turn for traffic travelling right in the opposite direction on Ripon Road.

Temporary traffic lights are due to be installed on Cold Bath Road for five weeks later this week.

The A59 York Road, between Station Road and the A658 at Goldsborough, remains closed overnight until October 6. A diversion will be in place.

The closure will be in place while North Yorkshire County Council carries out resurfacing work. The council website says the work will be  carried out between 8pm and 5am but one reader told us yesterday it was until 6am.

Delays are also expected today at Castlegate in Knaresborough where junction markings are being refreshed,

As previously reported, a main road out of Pateley Bridge will be closed for six weeks as repairs are carried out at Fellbeck bridge on the B6265.

Signs for a diversion and a temporary crossing over the river for pedestrians and cyclists are in place.

Trains and buses

Northern is not reporting any problems for commuters on the Harrogate and Knaresborough line this morning. The only incident is that no services are stopping at Rotherham Central due to the attempted theft of signalling cables.

But remember, another train strike is due tomorrow, crippling local services.

Disruption is expected on Harrogate’s LNER services until October 9 due to major engineering works in the Newcastle area by Network Rail.

The Harrogate Bus Company has not posted details of any service issues this morning.

 

Knaresborough concert raises £800 for Resurrected Bites

A concert last weekend at Gracious Street Methodist Church in Knaresborough raised over £800 for local food poverty organisation Resurrected Bites.

The concert featured musicians and singers including the Silver Keys Clarinet Quartet, Thula Mamas and Knaresborough Silver Band.

Music included Graham Kendrick’s ‘Teach me to Dance’, Gershwin’s ‘Summertime’, Lennon and McCartney’s ‘When I’m 64’ and Brian Hoare’s ‘Born in Song’.

The event was organised by Sarah Darvill and Nick Garrett.

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Resurrected Bites was established by Michelle Hayes in 2018 and began life as a ‘pay-as-you-feel’ community café working with local businesses and suppliers to divert good quality food from landfill.

It turns the food into meals in its cafes and provides it to families through its community groceries scheme.

The organisation runs cafes at Gracious Street Methodist Church in Knaresborough and West Park United Reformed Church in Harrogate. It has also launched a community groceries scheme with bases in Harrogate and Knaresborough.

Stray Views: Knox Lane housing scheme ‘lacks detail’

Stray Views is a weekly column giving you the chance to have your say on issues affecting the Harrogate district. It is an opinion column and does not reflect the views of the Stray Ferret. Send your views to letters@thestrayferret.co.uk.

‘Inconceivable’ Knox Lane housing scheme can go ahead

Regarding the proposed full planning application for 53 residential dwellings at Knox Lane, it is inconceivable that Harrogate Borough Council are prepared to push forward with this without addressing any of the 313 objections that have been submitted.

I would further add that there are no supporting comments added. Fulcrum to this is the historical use of the proposed site.

Damian Bowen, Harrogate

Knox Lane housing scheme ‘lacks detail’

In reference to the proposed 52 homes on Knox Lane in Harrogate.

I am writing to express my dismay at the decision by the Harrogate Borough Council’s planning officer to recommend the application be deferred for approval at the next planning committee meeting on Tuesday.

How can the Harrogate Borough Council planning committee have any confidence in the quality of this application given the current documentation submitted contradicts itself and contains a total lack of required detailed information regarding retaining walls, limited traffic, ecology and contaminated ground surveys and no electric charging point locations?

Given this lack of assessment of public and professional comments, surely the planning department could be leaving themselves open to a judicial review?

Stephen Readman, Harrogate

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Voters ‘have to be realistic’

We have to be realistic. Anyone who is appalled at Liz Truss’s approach to sorting out the economy. i.e giving vast amounts to the rich in the hope that it will trickle down to the poor, has to realise that the only way to get the Tories out and restore fairness and our public services is to vote for candidates most likely to defeat them. 

In Harrogate, the only way is to vote for the Lib Dems. If the other parties don’t realise it’s in their interests to stand down, then we the electorate have to take the only way open to us to get rid of the Tories, which in Harrogate means voting for the Lib Dems.

Barbara Penny, Harrogate

Do you have an opinion on the Harrogate district? Email us at letters@thestrayferret.co.uk. Please include your name and approximate location details. Limit your letters to 350 words. We reserve the right to edit letters.

Junior football club created to meet growing demand in Knaresborough area

A new junior football club has been set up to meet a growing demand for the sport in the Knaresborough area.

The club at Staveley, known as the Staveley Scorchers, is aimed at children aged six to nine and is based at the village’s former cricket ground.

It has been set up by Scotton Scorchers, which has been working with Staveley Sports Association to bring the cricket club facilities back to life.

Staveley Cricket Club’s ground will host Staveley Scorchers junior football club.

Mike Collier, from Scotton Scorchers, said:

“It came to our attention that the former cricket club was no longer used as the cricket team now plays at Boroughbridge.

“With waiting lists at our club, it seems such a shame we couldn’t find space for local children. So we put the two together to create a new junior football club so local children get the chance to play. The demand is definitely there.”

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The club will initially be run and subsidised by Scotton and the first season will consist of friendly matches. It will then aim to join the Nidderdale Junior Football League next year.

The teams are U8s (school years 2 and 3) and an U10s (school years 4 and 5).

The club meets on Saturdays from 9am until 10am.

To find out more contact Mike Collier at mikeandjanec@googlemail.com, text 07979 682670 or simply register at the Scotton Scorchers website.