Government urged to help rural areas near Masham get broadband

Masham and Fountains councillor Felicity Cunliffe-Lister has written to the government urging it to help rural areas without broadband get connected.

About 300 homes in Masham and Fountains — about nine per cent of the total — are without fibre optic broadband to their premises.

A meeting organised by Cllr Lister last month heard this number might not reduce for several years.

This has prompted her to write to science, innovation and technology secretary Michelle Donelan asking her to bring back a voucher scheme that enabled people to install their own gigabit-capable connections at reduced cost.

Cllr Cunliffe-Lister, a Liberal Democrat who was elected to North Yorkshire Council this year, said in her letter:

“A voucher payment could, for example, help subsidise the cost of a Starlink satellite connection (£500), or for a community to pay to install a mobile mast or wireless broadband transmitter.

“This would otherwise be out of reach for most of my rural residents who are largely hill farmers, agricultural workers or otherwise on a relatively low income.”

Cllr Cunliffe-Lister said the roll out of broadband had been effective in urban locations in North Yorkshire but “rural residents will be feeling more remote and isolated than ever before”.

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She added:

“There are many issues that are a daily challenge to living in remote locations, but a good broadband connection would be transformational and would help breathe life back into communities that are struggling to survive.

“In terms of the levelling up agenda, these are the residents who should have been first in the queue.”

Masham councillor to hold public meeting on poor rural broadband

A Masham councillor is to host a public meeting to address broadband problems in rural areas of the district.

Liberal Democrat councillor for Masham and Fountains, Felicity Cunliffe-Lister, said she has worked closely with North Yorkshire Council to improve broadband around Ripon and Masham but many households and businesses still have slow connectivity.

CityFibre spent £46m in Harrogate, Knaresborough and Ripon last year but, despite this investment, many people in rural areas cannot get a superfast broadband connection.

The final phase of delivery from North Yorkshire Council-owned NYnet is due to end imminently. This means many rural residents and businesses who are still waiting for superfast broadband connection will be left without any solutions.

The persistent issues have lead Cllr Cunliffe-Lister to arrange the public meeting.

The council’s director of transformation, Robert Ling, will discuss how the final NYnet phase will be delivered, budget constraints, and whether any other funding options may be available to those who are not going to be connected.

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Project Gigabit, a £5 billion Government scheme aiming to implement superfast broadband into “hard-to-reach” communities, will also be discussed.

The scheme is yet to come to North Yorkshire but the councillor hopes “it might provide connection to those otherwise left behind at some point.”

Cllr Cunliffe-Lister said:

“The meeting is mainly for clarification of who will be covered by phase 4 more than anything else.”

All members of the Masham and Fountains ward are welcome to attend. The meeting will take place in Masham Town Hall at 6.30pm, on Wednesday, July 19.

Tories woo independents to maintain grip on North Yorkshire Council

The ruling Conservatives on North Yorkshire Council are attempting to woo independent councillors in a bid to maintain control.

The Stray Ferret understands meetings have taken place with a view to securing the support of three independents.

The Conservatives currently hold 45 of 90 council seats following this month’s defection of Cllr Mike Jordan — precisely half.

They still retain control by virtue of having the chair’s casting vote. But with the power balance on a knife-edge, and the next North Yorkshire elections not scheduled until 2028, the Tories are worried about losing control if further defections or by-election losses occur.

They held 47 of the 90 seats after last year’s election in May but the death of Margaret Atkinson, whose Masham and Fountains division was won by the Liberal Democrats in a by-election, eroded their majority and Cllr Jordan’s defection wiped it away.

Multiple sources from different parties have told the Stray Ferret discussions have taken place between the Conservatives and independents who are believed to be open to their advances.

It is not clear what form any alliance would take but the Liberal Democrats are believed to be concerned about any deals that may be struck as part of whatever arrangement is agreed.

Nine councillors currently belong to an Independent group on North Yorkshire Council. Another six are unaffiliated.

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Harrogate district Greens call for opposition parties to co-operate more

The Harrogate and District Green Party has said last week’s Masham and Fountains by-election result highlighted the need for opposition parties to co-operate if they are to overcome the Conservatives.

Liberal Democrat Felicity Cunliffe-Lister defeated Conservative candidate Brooke Hull in a two-horse race after the Greens decided not to stand.

The result reduced the Conservative majority on North Yorkshire County Council to two.

Shan Oakes, a member of the executive of Harrogate and District Green Party, said some Conservatives “knew that if a Green had stood, the opposition vote would have been split, potentially leading to a Tory win”.

Ms Oakes said the result confirmed the suspicion and vindicated the party’s decision, adding:

“The current national Conservative policy is extremely damaging, and the first-past-the-post voting system is stacked against more progressive parties in favour of the status quo.

“It is therefore imperative, despite naysayers, for progressive parties to work smarter to ensure their candidates can win so that we can break out of the terrifying downward spiral we are in.

“The Greens look carefully at each seat to decide how to get to the best outcome, for people and the environment , and we invite other parties to cooperate.”

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The Stray Ferret asked the Liberal Democrats if it agreed the Greens’ decision not to contest Masham was a factor in its success and whether it would reciprocate by standing down in some seats to allow the Greens to go head-to-head against the Conservatives.

Liberal Democrat Matt Walker replied by saying the result showed people were angry and “now is the time for change”, adding:

“It is ultimately voters who decide who they put their faith in to deliver much needed change and the Liberal Democrats in North Yorkshire will not take that for granted.”

Key Masham by-election to be held tomorrow: Meet the candidates

Voters in the Masham and Fountains division will go to the polls tomorrow to choose their next councillor.

The North Yorkshire County Council by-election follows the death of Conservative councillor Margaret Atkinson in November.

Liberal Democrat Felicity Cunliffe-Lister, who is the Countess of Swinton, is taking on the Conservative Brooke Hull.

The seat will become part of the new unitary authority, North Yorkshire Council, from April 1. It is a large, rural division that includes Kirkby Malzeard, Galphay, Grantley, Sawley, Cundall, Dishforth, Melmerby and North Stainley as well as Masham.

Following last May’s local elections, the Conservatives’ control of the 90-member authority was significantly dented.

They now hold 47 seats, with 43 belonging to opposition parties so they currently have a slender majority of just four in Northallerton, adding extra importance to tomorrow’s by-election. A Liberal Democrat victory would reduce the Tories’ majority to just two.

Last May’s election in the division saw Ms Atkinson win 1,076 votes, followed by Ms Cunliffe-Lister, who stood as an independent, with 738 votes. Liberal Democrat candidate Judith Hooper received 620 votes.

To find out locations of polling booths visit here.

Brooke Hull — Conservative Party

Brooke Hull lives in Burnt Yates and is employed by the Skipton and Ripon Conservative Party Association.

Her husband is Nathan Hull, the Conservative county councillor for the Washburn and Birstwith division, and they have five children together.

Ms Hull said family was at the heart of her decision to stand.

She said:

“I have a large family, we live in the area and we want it to continue to be a great place to live. That’s a priority. Its all local, local, local really.”

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The 89 politicans that currently make up the council in Northallerton are overwhelmingly older males. Ms Hull hopes that by standing she can inspire younger women into politics.

She said:

“That’s why I stood, to be that example and role model. To say, you know what, it’s ok, get involved.”

Nationally, the Conservative Party is having a difficult time but Ms Hull said she believes voters will put those issues to one side and focus on things that matter to them. She said:

“At the end of the day you’ve got to let your voters know who they’re voting for, not just a party or a person, they’ve got to know what you stand for.”

For her, the key issues in the division include making sure young people can afford to live in the villages in which they grew up, tackling rural crime, supporting farmers and protecting the environment.

She added:

“They all matter to me and are on my doorstep.”

Felicity Cunliffe-Lister — Liberal Democrats

Ms Cunliffe-Lister has lived in Masham for 23 years and owns and runs the 20,000-acre Swinton Estate with her husband, which includes a luxury hotel and spa.

Ms Cunliffe-Lister believes she made a big impression during last year’s election but in order to win she needed to represent a party. She said the Liberal Democrats shared her “ethos and priorities.”

She hopes to give the rural division a strong voice on the new council. She believes the area has been neglected on Harrogate Borough Council, which will be abolished in less than two months’ time. 

Ms Cunliffe-Lister added:

“Masham is a long way from Harrogate and we’re sometimes left to our own devices. People feel like their votes are taken for granted up here.”

She said the key issues for people in the division are feelings of isolation due to unreliable public transport, the state of the roads and motorists speeding through villages. She backs the 20’s Plenty campaign in areas where the community wants it.

Ms Cunliffe-Lister also believes the new council needs to ensure the environment is at the top of its agenda.

“I really feel the environment needs to be given more of a priority at county council. There’s a lot of lip service. We need to stop talking about it and act.”

Additional reporting by Stuart Minting, Local Democracy Reporter

Crucial Masham by-election result ‘too close to call’

The Conservative Party’s decades-long grip on power in North Yorkshire could be weakened to just two seats as activists canvassing ahead of a by-election next week say the result is “too close to call”.

Liberal Democrats and Conservatives who have been braving wintry weather to door-knock residents across the Masham and Fountains division said they believe Westminster politics and ongoing unrest in the Tory party could impact on the February 9 poll.

The by-election follows the death of Conservative councillor Margaret Atkinson in November and will see Liberal Democrat Felicity Cunliffe-Lister, who is the Countess of Swinton, take on Conservative candidate mother-of-five Brooke Hull.

Following last May’s elections, the Conservatives’ control of the 90-member authority was significantly dented, with 47 seats. The party has held sway over the North Yorkshire authority for more than two decades.

The election has been limited to two candidates after the Green Party made an informal agreement with the Liberal Democrats to step aside to give Ms Cunliffe-Lister improved odds.

Last May’s election in the division saw Ms Atkinson win 1,076 votes, followed by Ms Cunliffe-Lister, who stood as an independent, with 738 vote and. Liberal Democrat candidate Judith Hooper who received 620 votes.

With just over a week until the residents of the rural Masham and Fountains division go to the polls, the leaders of both parties on the council described their candidates as “excellent”.

The Tories have claimed the countess is less representative of the population than their candidate, while Liberal Democrats have countered mother-of-five Ms Hull has made no reference to her party in her election leaflet, despite being the constituency party’s campaign manager.

Ms Cunliffe-Lister said it appeared that her rival was trying to “create a little bit of distance between her and the party she represents”, before rejecting Conservative activists’ claims that as the owner of the 20,000-acre Swinton Park Estate she was less representative of residents than Ms Hull.

The former solicitor said:

“I wouldn’t say I came from a privileged background, my parents were schoolteachers.

“We borrowed a huge amount of money from the bank to buy back the old family home and spent 23 years building it into a really successful business, going from zero to a £6m turnover. We’ve created 150 jobs. To me none of that smacks of privilege.”

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She forecast a close result in the election, adding:

“There are a lot of people on the doorstep who are very fed up with the way things are and might have voted Conservative in the past, but now either won’t vote at all or will vote for a fresh start.

“I’m also picking up on people who aren’t particularly persuaded by any party but know me because I’ve been in the area a long time, have raised a family here and have a reputation for getting things done.”

Ms Hull dismissed claims that she was trying to dissociate herself from the Conservative Party. She said the omission of the party’s name on one of her leaflets had been an oversight. She said:

“I think people know I am a Conservative candidate, I say that at the door. It’s also about trying to get younger, normal women into politics, that’s all I am.  For me it’s all about local, local, local. I have a large family and we want this area to continue to be a great place to live.

“At the end of the day you’ve got to let your voters know who they’re voting for, not just a party or a person, they’ve got to know what you stand for. Margaret had done so much work around the area and you have got to hope that counts for something.”

Green Party steps aside for upcoming Masham by-election

The Green Party will not stand in the crucial Masham and Fountains by-election to give the Liberal Democrats a better chance of beating the Conservatives.

The North Yorkshire County Council by-election will take place on February 9 and is being held following the death of long-serving Conservative councillor Margaret Atkinson.

The Harrogate and District Green Party said it had selected a “superb local candidate” to fight the seat, but following discussions with the Lib Dems it will instead step aside and “allow the progressive vote to go forward under one ticket”.

The winning councillor will sit on the new North Yorkshire Council from April 1 and the result will be significant for the balance of power in Northallerton.

With the seat currently vacant, the Conservatives have control of the council with 46 councillors but they have a slender majority over opposition party councillors and independents.

A Liberal Democrat victory would reduce the Tories’ majority to just two.

A Green Party spokesperson said due to the first-past-the-post voting system, putting forward a candidate would give the Conservatives a greater chance of winning.

The spokesperson said:

“It is our view that the Conservative Party is causing irreparable damage both locally and nationally, and the current imperative is to weaken their position as much as possible.

“Consequently, we have decided to engage in grown up politics and to stand to one side to allow the Liberal Democrats a clear run to topple the Conservatives. This on the grounds that in this division, we believe the Liberal Democrats are in the best position to achieve this goal.

“The Harrogate and District Green Party reaffirms its commitment to serving our local communities as best we can and furthering the cause of the environment at all times. As ever, we call upon all progressives parties to do likewise, and return this nation to the people.”

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Brooke Hull will be the candidate for the Conservative Party and Felicity Cunliffe-Lister will stand for the Liberal Democrats.

Ms Hull is campaign manager for the Skipton and Ripon Conservative Party and is the wife of Conservative councillor for Washburn and Birstwith division, Nathan Hull.

Felicity Cunliffe-Lister is a former lawyer and is the owner of the Swinton Estate.

When the seat was last contested in May 2022, the Cllr Atkinson was elected with 1,076 votes.

Ms Cunliffe-Lister stood as an independent and came second with 738 votes. Liberal Democrat candidate Judith Hooper came third with 620 votes.

Swinton estate owner to stand against Tories in key Masham by-election

Felicity Cunliffe-Lister, the Countess of Swinton, is to stand for the Liberal Democrats in the forthcoming by-election for Masham and Fountains on North Yorkshire County Council.

The by-election will be held following last month’s death of the Conservative Margaret Atkinson, who had held the seat since 2013. Ms Atkinson was also chair of the county council and a councillor on Harrogate Borough Council.

The division is expected to be keenly contested. The Conservatives currently hold 47 of the 90 seats on the county council, giving them a slender majority of four. If they were to lose their majority would be reduced to two, meaning the loss of one more seat would see them relinquish overall control of the council.

New North Yorkshire County Council chairwoman, Margaret Atkinson.

Margaret Atkinson

When the Masham and Fountains seat was contested in May’s local elections, Ms Atkinson was elected with 1,076 votes. Ms Cunliffe-Lister, who stood as an Independent, was second with 738 votes. relegating the Liberal Democrat Judith Hooper to third with 620 votes.

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Ms Cunliffe-Lister told the Stray Ferret she had decided to stand at late notice last time, adding:

“I’ve had more time to consider it properly this time. My views align with the Liberal Democrats and they are the official opposition on the county council.”

She cited the cost of living crisis, the NHS, care homes and rural connectivity as key issues in the division.

The county council published a notice of vacancy for the division today. It said:

“A by-election to fill the vacancy will be held within 35 working days of a request for an election signed by two electors for the North Yorkshire County Council area being received.”