The transport boss of North Yorkshire has moved to defend the county’s on-demand bus service after concerns were raised that it could become a “blank cheque” of public funding.

YorBus was launched as a trial to provide services in poorly-served areas in Ripon, Masham and Bedale, and allows passengers to book via an app.

It has been hailed by North Yorkshire County Council as an “innovative” approach to public transport and the authority has repeatedly stated its ambition to roll-out the scheme across the county.

However, there have been concerns over the running costs which are higher than normal bus services subsidised by the council.

Cllr Keane Duncan, executive member for highways and transportation at the county council, has now said “incorrect” figures were discussed at a recent meeting and that the costs are reducing as more passengers use the service.

Read more:

• On demand Yorbus sees over 13,000 trips in first year
• YorBus: On-demand service’s running costs are twice as much as regular buses

He also said it is “unfair” to compare YorBus with normal services because of its flexible offer.

Cllr Duncan said: 

“The average cost per passenger journey as of August 2022 is £11.68 – that’s £3 more than the average subsidy per journey on for the fixed services.

“This figure has reduced from £35.00 per passenger journey in the month it launched (July 2021), and this continues to reduce as passenger numbers increase.

“Comparing YorBus with fixed timetable routes is in many ways unfair. While YorBus has a higher subsidy per journey at present, it is available to around 14,000 people within its zone of operation.

“Conventional services may have a lower subsidy level but operate on a fixed timetable.

“This can only benefit those lucky enough to live along the bus route.”

In total, YorBus cost the council £229,000 last year, and another £230,000 has been set aside for the remainder of the trial period which will run until June 2023.

Passenger fees were also recently increased in August with a single journey costing £2 for adults and £1 for a child, while under-fives travel free and concessionary bus passes can also be used.

Keane Duncan 

At a council meeting earlier this month, concerns were raised over the running costs and that taxpayers outside the trial area are not seeing any benefits.

Settle Cllr David Staveley said that with 850 active YorBus users out of 611,000 population in North Yorkshire, there will be many residents who “might not think it is the best use of taxpayers’ money”.

He said:

“I’m just a bit worried that it sounds like a blank cheque.”

In response, Cllr Duncan said in a statement this week:

 “YorBus is very positive in the sense that it maximises the number of people we can offer transport to and is much more flexible.

“People can be picked up and dropped off at any bus stop in the zone.

“It’s also worth remembering that YorBus is a pilot.

“We’re continually reviewing the service and making improvements so we’re in the best position to decide whether we can expand it to new zones in the county.”

The annual Masham Sheep Fair will return to the town on Saturday and Sunday.

The fair commemorates Masham’s rich history of sheep farming and is one of the biggest events in the Harrogate district.

Susan Cunliffe-Lister and other volunteers started the sheep fair 30 years ago, initially as a one-off event to raise money for farmers in Africa.

It raised £7,950 and became an annual event, now raising £159,000 for Yorkshire charities.

She wanted to bring back an old tradition. Until the First World War, sheep farmers from across the Dales used to come to Masham each year to buy and sell as many as 80,000 sheep over the course of a few days.

Nowadays sheep farmers from across the UK come to Masham to compete. There are other events like sheepdog trials, tours of Theakstons and Black Sheep breweries, morris dancing, fleece stalls and even sheep racing to keep the crowds entertained.

Read more:

• County’s first recycled plastic bridge installed at Masham

• Business Breakfast: Masham brewery to mark 30th anniversary

The schedule for the fair is below:

Saturday:

Sunday:

10.00 – Town Hall & School exhibitions open
10.30 – Morning Service in Methodist Chapel
10.45 – Harvest Festival Thanksgiving Service at St. Mary’s Church
10.45 – Judging of Sheep Show commences
11.30 – Sheep Show on trailer in front of Town Hall
12.00 – Flower Festival opens in St. Mary’s Church
12.00 – Trips around Theakston’s & Black Sheep Breweries start
12.00 – Sheep racing in field beyond churchyard
12.00 – Refreshments start at Methodist Church
12.30 – Sheepdog demonstrations in field beyond churchyard
13.00 – Judging of Supreme Champion in Sheep Show
13.45 – Bishop Blaize procession from Maple Creek to the Square
14.00 – Sheep Show on trailer in front of Town Hall
14.30 – Sheep racing over the sticks
15.00 – Sheepdog demonstration in field beyond churchyard
15.00 – Handbell ringing in Church
15.30 – Sheep Show on trailer in front of Town Hall
18.30 – Songs of Praise service in Methodist Chapel

A 50-year-old woman has been given a suspended sentence for harassing her neighbours in Masham over a period of almost a year.

Summer Sugar was sentenced at York Magistrates’ Court yesterday after being found guilty in July of harassment by anti-social behaviour between September 15, 2019, and August 25, 2020.

Magistrates heard her neighbours were left unable to go about their lives because of the constant fear of what she would do.

She was found to have caused consistent noise nuisance, with intense loud banging on walls for prolonged periods and playing loud music. She had taken photographs of her neighbours in their garden, including their young children, and had made a malicious complaint to Yorkshire Water about them blocking her drain, which turned out to be false.

Read more:

• Harrogate district woman found guilty of harassing neighbours
• Review into stalking and harassment response in North Yorkshire

Asking magistrates not to impose a custodial sentence, defence solicitor Callum Terry said Sugar had three children, one of whom had “significant learning and behavioural difficulties” and another who was only 11 and was home schooled.

He said her anti-social behaviour towards her neighbours had stopped two years previously and asked magistrates to take this into account when sentencing.

Sugar was currently facing her own health problems, he said, with investigations ongoing into pain and discomfort she was experiencing. He added:

“She moved to the North Yorkshire area having fled domestic violence. She was in a very abusive relationship and she fled that with support from various agencies.”

However, the prosecution said the impact of Sugar’s actions should not be underestimated. A victim impact statement written by the mother was read to the court.

In it, she said:

“[This situation] has eaten into my confidence, wellbeing and health. It has taken precious time away from the important, good things in my life, to try and get her to stop and now to get justice for my family.

“I have wasted so much of my time having to liaise with various people and organisations about her. All this unnecessary, negative work has taken me away from my husband and my children.”

Magistrates imposed a 12-week custodial sentence suspended for 18 months and ordered Sugar to pay a £128 surcharge and £300 costs.

They also imposed a two-year restraining order preventing Sugar from contacting the victims directly or indirectly.

More questions have been raised over whether North Yorkshire’s on-demand bus scheme is value for taxpayers’ money after it was revealed it costs twice as much to run than regular services.

A North Yorkshire County Council meeting heard YorBus costs the authority around £18 per passenger journey, while normal timetabled services cost £9 on average.

The pilot scheme was recently extended for another year in the Ripon, Masham and Bedale areas, and allows passengers to book services via an app.

In total, YorBus cost the council £229,000 last year, and another £230,000 has been set aside for the remainder of the trial until June 2023.

At Thursday’s meeting of the Skipton and Ripon Area Constituency Committee, Settle councillor David Staveley said he was concerned about the costs and that taxpayers outside the trial area were not seeing any benefits.

He said:

“There are 850 active riders for YorBus in a population of several hundred thousand and I’m sure the rest of us who aren’t benefiting from this service might not think it is the best use of taxpayers’ money.

“I’m just a bit worried that it sounds like a blank cheque.”

The council launched YorBus to provide public transport in poorly-served areas and has repeatedly stated its ambition to roll-out the scheme across the county.

A total of 13,426 passenger journeys were completed in the first year which transport officer Andy Clarke said went “beyond our hopes”.

However, campaigners have previously argued that the council should be setting much higher ambitions.

Mr Clarke told Thursday’s meeting that passenger numbers were increasing and that the costs of running the service were “coming down all the time”.

He added:

“YorBus is attracting a different customer base. This is not just people transferring off existing local bus services – it seems to be new customers coming along as it definitely offers something different.

“What we will be looking to do is reduce the cost figure for YorBus and then make some more detailed comparisons with other lower density rural services.

“We very much need to understand what we can get out of YorBus and how well it can perform.”

YorBus uses two 14-seater buses which are wheelchair accessible.

Its fares were recently increased in August with a single journey costing £2 for adults and £1 for a child, while under-fives travel free and concessionary bus passes can also be used.

Read more:

• On demand Yorbus sees over 13,000 trips in first year
• County’s first recycled plastic bridge installed at Masham

Business Breakfast is sponsored by Harrogate law firm Truth Legal. 

Black Sheep Brewery to celebrate 30th anniversary

A Masham brewery is set to celebrate its 30th anniversary next month

Founded in 1992, Black Sheep Brewery was set up by Paul Theakston in his hometown.

Mr Theakston said he was “dissatisfied” with the “blandness of the beer market” and opted to set up his own brewery.

To celebrate the birthday, the brewery will also relaunch its Pathmaker IPA.

Mr Theakston said:

“I can’t believe it’s been 30 years since that first brew of Best Bitter back in 1992. I’m incredibly proud of the journey that Black Sheep has taken and thankful to our wonderful new and loyal drinkers who have joined us along the way. 

“I’m excited to enjoy a few pints of Pathmaker this September as we celebrate our big birthday.”

More than 13,000 journeys were taken using the on demand YorBus service in its first year of operation.

Data from North Yorkshire County Council showed that 13,426 journeys had been taken by the end of July, requested by 850 riders.

In July 2022, there was an average of 51 trips per day.

The bus service serves an area to the north and west of Ripon including Masham, West Tanfield and Bedale.

The pilot scheme, started in July 2021, has now been extended for another year.

The statistics are included in a report on the service’s first year which will be discussed by the council’s Skipton and Ripon area committee next week.

Increasing journey numbers

Journey numbers have gradually increased since the start of the year.

Despite this, the council almost doubled fares for the service at the start of August to £2 for an adult and £1 for a child.

The number of journeys is also roughly seven times the council’s target for the scheme.

It initially hoped that 885 journeys would have been taken after six months.

However, the Transport Action Network has accused the council of setting the target deliberately low.

YorBus covers 217 square kilometres to the north and west of Ripon

Councillor Keane Duncan, the county council’s executive member for transport, celebrated YorBus’s first year in July. He said:

“YorBus has proved incredibly popular since its launch in July 2021, with extremely positive feedback from users.

“We will continue to review this demand-responsive service to help us explore rolling out YorBus to other parts of the county.”

The report also stated that almost half of users would drive if the service was not available. It argued:

“This shows that YorBus is helping to encourage North Yorkshire residents away from the private motor vehicle and onto public transport.”

£229,000 has been allocated to the service for 2022/23.

Next steps

The council will now look at its future plans for on demand YorBus service.

This could include group discount tickets, a joint promotion campaign with the National Trust and investigating the viability of rolling out of YorBus to other parts of the county.

North Yorkshire’s first recycled plastic bridge has been installed at Masham.

The new bridge was fitted at Swinney Beck near to the town and was put in place to provide an alternative to traditional crossings.

The area is prone to flooding and was hit by floods in February 2020. Residents raised concern over the condition of the bridge following the storms.

North Yorkshire County Council officials took the decision to replace the bridge with a recycled plastic structure. They said the material will last longer, will not corrode or rust and will not require painting or maintenance.

Cllr Keane Duncan, executive county councillor for highways and transportation, said that the new bridge fits well with its surroundings.

He said:

“Long-term maintenance costs are a huge consideration when installing new bridges on our public rights of way network. This is why we have taken the opportunity to introduce a recycled plastic alternative which is becoming popular in other parts of the country.

“It’s very exciting to see that plastic waste can be used in construction. 

“The appearance of Swinney Beck bridge is in-keeping with the area and the previous structure – the only difference is the increased lifespan and environmental credentials.”

Richard King, who lives in Ellingstring village near to the beck, first raised the concerns over the condition of the bridge with the county council.

He said:

“Villagers and our many holidaying visitors love to walk on the local footpaths as a perfect escape from the stresses of normal life, enjoying the wildlife and the fabulous views we get being high up on the side of Wensleydale.

“In November 2020 I was crossing the old Swinney Beck Bridge on one of my daily outings and I saw that the bridge had collapsed and was partially submerged, and therefore dangerous to use.

“I reported it to the county council and they have replaced it with a handsome, practical and safe new crossing, which should last for many years, and has the added benefit of being made from recycled materials.

“This will allow walkers to enjoy many more years of access to a quiet and tranquil corner of our beautiful landscape.”

Read more:

• Plan to deal with flooding hotspot in Masham
• Plans submitted for three yurts in Kirkby Malzeard field

Cllr Margaret Atkinson, who represents the Masham and Fountains division on North Yorkshire County Council, added: 

“This route is well-used by local residents and walking groups who raised its poor condition and have welcomed the replacement.

“The recycled plastic bridge is a pioneering addition to North Yorkshire’s public rights of way network. I hope it proves a success and more are considered elsewhere in the county.”

A missing teenager from Masham has been found, police said today.

North Yorkshire Police issued an appeal yesterday morning to locate the girl, after she failed to return home the previous day.

It urged anyone with information to come forward.

This morning the force said the girl has been found.

We have consequently amended our website and social media posts to conceal her identity.

The 15-year old girl who went missing from Masham on Wednesday 3 August has been found.

Thanks to all who shared the appeal.

12220136810.

— North Yorkshire Police (@NYorksPolice) August 5, 2022

UPDATE: This article has been amended after the girl was found.

Police have found a missing teenager from Masham.

The girl failed to return home on Tuesday night, prompting officers to issue and appeal the following morning.

They said they were concerned for her welfare and urged the public to share any information on her whereabouts.

Police said on August 5 the girl has been found so we have removed her name from the article.

Read more:

• Business group calls for more Harrogate town centre police
• Police release CCTV image after Ripon nightclub assault

The Stray Ferret has set new monthly records as it continues to reshape the face of local news in the Harrogate district.

Articles on our website attracted just over one million page views from 218,000 site users in July.

A further 574,000 page views were made by almost 4,500 people on the Stray Ferret app, which was launched at the end of last year.

The combined total of 1.6 million monthly page views is a new record, as is the number of people visiting the site.

Page views have more than doubled in the last year as increasing numbers of people tune in to our lively combination of rolling news, human interest stories and political analysis. Our social media engagement is also leading the way in the district.

Read more:

• Stray Ferret’s election coverage attracts record audience
• Five reasons why you should download the Stray Ferret app

Last month we ran live blogs at the Great Yorkshire Show and during the heatwave. We led on coverage of plans to reduce the number of fire engines in Harrogate at night time to one, reported on Harrogate-born England footballer Rachel Daly’s ascent to international superstar, showcased businesses such as the re-opened Coach and Horses pub in Harrogate, covered visits to the district by celebrities including Alan Carr and Helen Skelton, and provided live footage on our Facebook page of St Wilfrid’s Procession in Ripon.

We also published daily business news a well as traffic and travel bulletins, and provided unparalleled scrutiny of our local MPs, councils and courts.

Tamsin O’Brien, managing director of the Stray Ferret, said:

“The Stray Ferret has become an unmissable read for anyone interested in the Harrogate district.

“Thank you to all our readers in Harrogate, Ripon, Knaresborough, Boroughbridge, Pateley Bridge, Masham and all points in between.

“We will continue to strive to bring the best daily news and hold those in power to account.”

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