Leeds Archives - Page 11 of 14

Northern’s new timetable includes early Harrogate to Leeds trains

Rail operator Northern has published a new timetable that confirms the 6.07am and 6.33am services from Harrogate to Leeds will return from December.

Northern controversially axed the services earlier this year, blaming a lack of resources and the need to recruit and train more drivers.

It provoked a backlash from business travellers who relied on the services to get to London before 9am.

The operator had always promised that the services would return in December, which has now been confirmed with publication of the timetable.

Brian Dunsby, of the Harrogate Line Supporters Group, welcomed the announcement. He said:

He said:

“It is very encouraging that Northern has kept their promise to reinstate all the lost services that were cut out in May 2022, although they have not been able to bring any forward to September 2022 due to the ongoing industrial action.”

No trains will run through Harrogate and Knaresborough tomorrow or Saturday due to a day of national strike action.

The Rail, Maritime and Transport workers’ union and Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association are striking over pay and conditions.

Last month, members of the RMT union organised a picket line outside Harrogate train station as part of the ongoing dispute.

How Harrogate objections have halted Leeds conference venue – for now

When Leeds City Council met to approve plans for a new conference venue last week, the authority would have hoped for a straightforward decision.

But that was not the case after a flurry of objections came in at the eleventh hour from Harrogate groups who fear the proposals could drive business away from the town and its convention centre.

Those objections were spearheaded by Paula Lorimer, director of Harrogate Convention Centre, who slammed a study which suggested the impact of the Leeds venue would be minimal as “flawed, inaccurate, out of date and in some areas, totally wrong”.

The proposals for the former Yorkshire Bank HQ were submitted in March and Ms Lorimer claimed there had been an “absence of dialogue” from Leeds City Council.

She said she only found out about the plans last week – just days after they had been recommended for approval.

Yet the city council hit back by saying Ms Lorimer and Harrogate Borough Council’s chief executive Wallace Sampson had been alerted to the proposals months before they were submitted.

A city council officer said:

“This was August last year… we haven’t heard anything since.”

Ms Lorimer responded to say the proposed venue was now a third bigger than originally planned and that the study which suggested up to 6% of trade could be diverted away from Harrogate Convention Centre had been underestimated by 50%.

She told last Thursday’s meeting:

“We would have expected to be consulted in advance of this application.

“If this had taken place we may have avoided having to take the route we have done today by objecting.

“Unfortunately we were left with no choice.”

Harrogate Borough Council’s tourism body Destination Harrogate and the town’s Crown Hotel have all come out against the plans.

Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce and Harrogate Business Improvement District are also objecting.

In a letter to the city council, Destination Harrogate said the Leeds venue could have a “hugely detrimental impact” on Harrogate’s tourism offer which it described as the “very lifeblood of this town”.

Harrogate Convention Centre.

The letter also said it is “essential” that a proposed £49 million development of Harrogate Convention Centre is supported, while the Leeds plans should be “re-evaluated”.

It said:

“Failure to do so exposes the Harrogate district and its hospitality sector to significant employment threats and economic damage.”

‘Just taking 1% will have an impact’

David Simister, chief executive of Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce, also said in another letter:

“Harrogate Convention Centre plays a significant role in the Harrogate district’s economy – it attracts visitors from all over the world to events, exhibitions and shows.

“It helps support a wealth of businesses – hotels, guest houses, restaurants and in turn their suppliers and it brings jobs.

“Having worked in the hospitality sector, I know how vital Harrogate Convention Centre is to Harrogate town centre, and even taking 1% of trade will have an impact on the town and businesses.”

Bringing a conference venue to Leeds has been a long term ambition of the city council which will no doubt be determined to push ahead with the plans.

The question is how much weight it will give to the objections from Harrogate Convention Centre, business groups and the borough council which have always been considered friendly neighbours to Leeds.

The proposals will now be brought back to another meeting of the city council in September.

Harrogate Convention Centre ‘could lose £250 million without investment’

A council report has warned Harrogate Convention Centre will suffer huge losses of £250 million unless a major redevelopment is carried out.

The ageing centre is facing a pivotal moment in its 40-year history as it presses ahead with renovation plans while competition from new conference venues – including one planned for Leeds – ramps up.

Harrogate Borough Council owns the venue and has proposed an investment project which could cost £49 million in what would mark the single biggest spend by the authority in its lifetime.

Without this, the council has warned the centre will “fall behind in the market” and “may fail to survive”.

£250 million losses

A report to a meeting of the council’s cabinet next week said the venue could be hit by £250 million losses over the next 40 years which would have to be subsidised by taxpayers.

The warning comes as the clock is ticking until the centre is handed over to the new North Yorkshire Council next April and as questions mount over how the redevelopment could be funded after cash was not included in a devolution deal for the county.

Harrogate Borough Council has also bid for convention centre cash from the government’s Levelling Up Fund.

However, the maximum amount available per project is £20 million and Harrogate is ranked as a low priority area.

The report to next Wednesday’s meeting said:

“The redevelopment of the Harrogate Convention Centre (HCC) site offers the only opportunity to modernise facilities, improve connectivity within and replace failing mechanical and electrical systems – and to turn around the financial performance.

“HCC plays an important role in the district’s and region’s economy, attracting visitors and significant spend each year.

“It is the only event venue in the Yorkshire and Humber region that is able to compete with major facilities in cities elsewhere, such as Liverpool, Manchester, Gateshead and Glasgow.”

The new events venue planned for the former Yorkshire Bank HQ in Leeds highlights a growing conference industry which is seeing more venues compete for big events that local economies benefit hugely from.

Council officials have estimated that Harrogate Convention Centre attracts over 150,000 visitors a year, with an economic impact of more than £35 million.

But the venue’s own financial performance has been poor over the last decade when its annual revenue has decreased by an average of 3% per year.

That is according to the new report which described the centre as “underutilised” and said increasing competition and operating costs have resulted in a need to “rethink” its offer.

Redevelopment plan

The redevelopment plans include a major refurbishment of event areas and upgrades to the venue’s heating and ventilation systems.

There are also plans to create a flexible events space for up to 1,200 people. These works were due to start in October after a warning that the centre could miss out on several big events next year, however, the plans have now been delayed.

The next stages of the redevelopment will see a £3.3 million contract awarded for further design, price and programming works.

More than £1.5 million has already been spent on the project before a final decision has been made. This is scheduled for July or August next year – meaning it will be the new North Yorkshire Council which will decide whether to proceed.

If approved, construction on a first phase of works would start in September 2023 for just over a year.

Harrogate Borough Council estimates the upgrades would increase the centre’s visitor numbers from 147,000 in 2020 to 192,000 in 2040, with profits of £29 million over a 40-year period.

The report added:

“Investment in HCC will attract business visitors, support significant employment, encourage conversion of business to repeat leisure visitors and support inward investment.

“The redevelopment has the potential to provide a significant place-shaping, cultural and economic boost to the region.”

Riverdale actress filming in Harrogate today

Riverdale actress Camila Mendes is filming in Harrogate today.

Film production vehicles have been parked on Beech Grove alongside the Stray today.

The vehicles included an actor’s trailer and double decker bus.

Crew members told the Stray Ferret the production company was called Upgraded, which may also be the title of the film.

Camila filming on The Stray in Harrogate today.

They said Ms Mendes was one of the stars of the movie, which is being produced for Amazon Prime and is set in the modern day.

They added that it would be shot on the Stray at the top of Montpellier hill, as well as in the town centre.

They also said they would be filming at a hotel in the town tomorrow and the film was also being shot around Leeds and Bradford.

Filming on The Stray.

Camila Mendes is an American-Brazilian actress and singer. She made her debut portraying Veronica Lodge on the teen drama series Riverdale.

Her Instagram story shows the actress recently visiting Fountains Abbey, near Ripon.

Harrogate Convention Centre to face competition from Leeds events venue

Harrogate Convention Centre is set to face competition from a proposed events venue in Leeds, which has been backed by the city’s planners.

The plans for the former Yorkshire Bank HQ have been recommended for approval by Leeds City Council, which said it had a “long-term aspiration” to bring a conference centre to the city.

A council report said the venue would be a quarter of the size of Harrogate Convention Centre and “focus on significantly smaller events”.

Yet it also said the venue could divert up to 6% of trade away from the convention centre, with further impacts on Harrogate town centre businesses that rely on events.

The proposals come at a crucial time for the 40-year-old Harrogate Convention Centre, which has planned a £47 million redevelopment after warning it is in “critical need” of an upgrade in order to keep its national appeal.

The venue would not comment on whether it supports or opposes the Leeds plans.

But centre director Paula Lorimer did say:

“We would need to give careful consideration to any proposed development within the region to understand its likely impact on Harrogate Convention Centre and ultimately the town.

“Our convention centre attracts more than 150,000 visitors a year, has an economic impact of more than £35 million and supports thousands of jobs and local businesses.

“In the meantime, we will continue to press ahead with our own exciting redevelopment proposals and an update report will be presented to the cabinet on 17 August for consideration.”

Questions over how the £47 million redevelopment could be funded are lingering after cash for the convention centre was not included in a devolution deal for York and North Yorkshire.

The landmark deal was agreed last week, but Harrogate Borough Council leader Richard Cooper refused to sign a letter of support as he said it “falls short of what many of us expected in that it does not deliver guaranteed funding for the convention centre”.

Harrogate Convention Centre.

Separately, the borough council has also bid for convention centre cash from the government’s Levelling Up Fund.

But the maximum amount available per project is £20 million and Harrogate is ranked as a low priority area.

A decision on the bid is expected in autumn.

Meanwhile, the Leeds plans would see the former Yorkshire Bank HQ demolished and the conference venue, as well as two blocks of student accommodation, built in its place if the proposals are approved at a meeting next Thursday.

A report said Harrogate Convention Centre’s performance has been “poor” in recent years and that the proposed venue would “look to capitalise on the high demand Leeds events market” as opposed to diverting trade from Harrogate.

It also said the proposed venue would complement the First Direct Arena, which stands next door to the Leeds site on Clay Pit Lane.

The report said:

“Leeds currently has no standalone dedicated exhibition space both for business-to business and business-to-client conferences and exhibitions.

“The provision of a multi-purpose events building, able to accommodate conferencing facilities, has been a long-term aspiration of the council.”

No trains from Harrogate tomorrow due to industrial action

No trains will run from Harrogate to Leeds and York as rail staff stage a mass walk out on Wednesday.

More than 40,000 Network Rail staff are set to strike on July 27 over jobs, pay and conditions, the RMT Union has confirmed.

The move comes as the UK saw one of its biggest industrial actions by rail workers in June, which saw no trains run through Harrogate and Knaresborough for two days.

On Wednesday, no trains will run between Harrogate and Knaresborough to York and Leeds.

Meanwhile, Network Rail has confirmed that a reduced timetable will be in force elsewhere.

Leeds station will close at 7pm due to the industrial action. Only 14 train services will run in and out of the station each hour on Wednesday compared with the usual 50.

Matt Rice, North & East route director for Network Rail said:

“Unfortunately, ongoing industrial action will once again cripple train services for passengers in Yorkshire and the North East on Wednesday.

“I can only apologise for the impact this will have on people’s plans and on their daily commute. I’d urge those who absolutely need to travel by train to plan ahead, check their journey and expect significant disruption.”

Last week, Northern urged passengers not to travel due to the industrial action.

LNER has also confirmed its direct service to London King’s Cross will not be running. A limited service to London will be in place from Leeds.

M&S employee in Harrogate unfairly dismissed after face mask confrontation

A Marks and Spencer employee in Harrogate was unfairly dismissed following an altercation with a customer over a face mask, a tribunal has found.

Deborah Daisy, who worked part-time at M&S Food on Leeds Road in Harrogate, went off work with anxiety in late January 2021.

She told her employer it was down to the covid pandemic in general, but was also caused by an incident in which she asked a customer to put on a face mask in the shop. The customer was then aggressive towards her, she said.

The report from an employment tribunal in Leeds said:

“Adjustments were discussed to facilitate a return to work. Specifically, they discuss the claimant not working on the door of the store as a store host which involved controlling the numbers of people entering the store and reminding them to wear a mask.

“[Marks and Spencer] was asked whether or not she could think of any other adjustments and replied that she could not.”

However, Ms Daisy then told her employer she would feel comfortable to return to work once she was fully vaccinated.

She was referred to occupational health and, during meetings with them, referred to a previous armed robbery and an incident when she confronted a shoplifter as making her feel unprotected in her workplace.

Following a meeting in early March, an occupational health officer said:

“This employee is not fit for work in any capacity at present and timescales for recovery are unclear, therefore it is unlikely that a return will be feasible in the reasonably foreseeable future.

“Should the business have exhausted all reasonable support and all reasonable adjustments have proven unsuccessful, I would recommend formal consideration for ill health retirement with submission of the relevant pension scheme documentation.”

Mrs Daisy had several further phone appointments with her employer over the following months, at each reiterating that she did not feel safe to return to work. Company representatives asked if any adjustments could be made to help her, but she said no.

In a meeting in June 2021, Ms Daisy was told that she could not be given an update about what action had been taken against the abusive customer “due to GDPR”. She asked about the previous incidents which had made her feel unsafe and was told they had been discussed at previous meetings.

Off work for 24 weeks

At the end of the meeting, Ms Daisy was dismissed on the grounds that she had been off work for 24 weeks and was not able to return.

She submitted an appeal the following month, but another M&S employee concluded her dismissal had not been unfair. However, the tribunal held in Leeds in May found it had been.

The report published at the end of June said:

“Although the respondent [M&S] has produced a standard operating procedure for dealing with external crime, there was no evidence of specific training in this, or in handling abusive customers, in the claimant’s case. There is no evidence before of recording threats to staff or any specific processes for reporting abuse to staff.”

In the report, Employment Judge Knowles said M&S had said Ms Daisy had not submitted an official complaint about any of the incidents. However, the report said Ms Daisy had not been trained in making these and it was unclear why, when she reported them to her manager, they were not treated as official complaints.

The report added:

“Although the number of meetings is indicative of [Mrs Daisy] being adequately consulted from the interview notes it can be seen that they did not discuss the investigations due to vague reasoning concerning GDPR.

“Throughout the process, the claimant [Mrs Daisy] raises incidents, workplace violence, and the respondent [M&S] clearly failed to establish the facts and investigate those incidents which led to the absence and perpetuate the absence.

“This was not even close to a reasonable investigation. The respondent failed to consider reasonable adjustments, stopping shoplifters, locking the doors after hours, investigating her complaints, and there could have been a return to work.”

Judge Knowles found M&S could have engaged more with its employee over its investigation into the incidents and ways of overcoming her safety fears, saying the company could have been expected to wait longer before dismissing her if that process failed to enable her to return to work.

He said:

“It is not for me to comment upon how the respondent might have taken steps to address [Mrs Daisy]’s safety concerns.

“I am surprised that those matters were not explored with [Mrs Daisy] given that [M&S] is a well-resourced retailer in the UK and given that the plight of shopworkers and the abuse they suffer at work is generally well known.”

The compensation to be given to Ms Daisy will be decided at a future date, but will be reduced by 25% on the grounds that she could have been dismissed in future anyway.

Ripon Royal Engineers embark on subterranean warfare training

Ripon Royal Engineers have embarked on a subterranean warfare training exercise in Leeds.

Around 20 personnel from the 21 Engineer Regiment embraced the hot weather earlier this week and slipped into an array of tunnels as part of the training known as Hypogeal Bear.

The Ripon-based unit made their way through 2km of knee-high water for what is seen as one of the Army’s most innovative exercises of the training year.

Starting off from near the Royal Armouries Museum, and supported all the way by the West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service, the troops made their way through the winding underground route until they reached Harewood Barracks.

Sergeant Mottley, one of the masterminds behind the exercise, said:

“We are trialling subterranean tactics, techniques, and procedures in a real-world environment, with the aim to build a specialist engineering capability that can augment the infantry and civilian services.

“This is not a sterile training area! It is not easy-going underfoot, it is not easy to manoeuvre down. We are in the middle of Leeds and it is something completely different. The links that this has built with Leeds City Council and the Fire and Rescue Service have also been a big plus.”

Harrogate and Knaresborough trains to Leeds to be reinstated in December

Early morning trains from Harrogate and Knaresborough to Leeds are to be reinstated in December.

Rail operator Northern has confirmed to the Harrogate Line Supporters Group that the company will revert to its December 2021 timetable.

It means the 6.07am and 6.33am services will return, and hourly rather than two-hourly trains will operate in the evening.

Northern reduced services in May, blaming lack of resources and the need to recruit and train more drivers.

Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones was among those criticising the move.

Pete Myers, stakeholder manager at Northern, has written to the Harrogate Line Supporters Group saying Network Rail has approved its plans to revert to the December 2021 timetable.

Brian Dunsby, of the Harrogate Line Supporters Group, welcomed the news, saying:

“This is what we have wanted all along. They cancelled services without consulting with us or anybody and got quite a backlash for it.”

Which services are affected?

Mr Dunsby detailed what the changes will mean to commuters.

“This means that the 6.07 and 6.33 services to Leeds will be reinstated calling at all stations and due into Leeds at 06:44 and 07:10 respectively.

“These are very important for business and leisure travellers to London and other destinations from Leeds.

“They also hope to reinstate the 08:05 service from Harrogate to Leeds due into Leeds at 08.41.

“They also hope to reinstate the 16:29 service from Leeds via Harrogate to York, departing Harrogate at 17:05 and due into York at 17:42.

“Also reinstated should be the 18:13 service from York to Leeds via Harrogate departing Harrogate at 18:47 and due into Leeds at 19:23.

“Also reinstated should be the 19:29 service from Leeds to York, departing Harrogate at 20:05 and due into York at 20:44.

“Also reinstated should be the 21:10 service from York to Leeds, departing Harrogate at 21:44 and due into Leeds at 22:21.

“Also reinstated should be the 22:39 service from Leeds to Harrogate and due into Harrogate at 23:16.

“These services should all certainly be reinstated from December 11, 2022 and possibly from September 2022 if their driver training schedule continues as planned.

“This is very good news for Harrogate Line passengers. Many thanks to the Northern rail management team for responding to our pleas.”

No trains for two days in Harrogate next week as strike action hits

No trains will run through Harrogate and Knaresborough for two days next week as thousands of workers go on strike.

Northern, which operates services through the two towns, has published its timetable for the industrial action on June 21, 23 and 25.

The RMT union has called the strike action over pay and conditions. It will see thousands of drivers, signal operators and guards walk out next week.

In Harrogate and Knaresborough, no trains will run between York and Leeds on Tuesday, June 21, and Thursday, June 23.

However, Northern services are currently expected to run on Saturday, June 25 although the company has warned of disruption and urged people to seek alternative travel.

LNER will also be running no services to London Kings Cross from Harrogate on all three strike days.

The industrial action on the railways is expected to hit commuters, schools and major events.

The disruption will affect cricket fans travelling to Headingley as England take on New Zealand in the third Test of a three-game series on Thursday.

Trains are expected to run on non-strike days, however Northern warned that services could still be affected.

The company warned passengers earlier this week not to travel on any day between Tuesday and Sunday.

It said in a statement:

“There will be no replacement buses or alternative travel provided.

“On strike days there will be extremely limited availability of both train crew and signalling staff and as such we will not be able to operate services on most routes.

“Unfortunately, as we will not be able to position our fleet how we normally would, the significant impact of the strike will also be felt on non-strike days.

“Therefore, we regrettably advise customers not to travel on any day from Tuesday 21st through to Sunday 26th June.

“Where we are able to operate trains, services will be very limited, and trains will not start as early as normal and will finish much earlier than normal.”

Buses expect surge in demand

Meanwhile, Harrogate Bus Company has said it is expecting additional passengers next week due to the strike action.

Steve Ottley, general manager at the bus company, said:

“We are expecting additional customers to travel with us next week due to the rail disruption.

“Our advice is to plan ahead of travel, using our Transdev Go app to track your bus before making a journey. Our website and Twitter feed @harrogatebus will be updated across the day with any planned alterations to services.

“We will closely monitor demand and will provide additional capacity where possible with the resources we have available.”

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‘Just taking 1% will have an impact’

£250 million losses

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Redevelopment plan

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Off work for 24 weeks

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Which services are affected?

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Buses expect surge in demand