A proposal to create a quarry the size of 50 football pitches across arable fields near Masham could lead to a range of long-term ecological benefits, a study has concluded.

Lightwater Quarries, which is based in North Stainley, plans to extract up to 500,000 tonnes of limestone annually between next year and 2037 from its Gebdykes Quarry site near Masham.

Stone from the quarry has been used to restore numerous historic buildings and villages in the Lower Wensleydale and Ripon area, including Markington, Masham and the Howe Hill Tower.

The firm’s limestone is also used for path chippings, roads and for concrete mix.

North Yorkshire County Council will now decide whether the 33.7-hectare quarry, which has been worked since 1949 and is nearing exhaustion of the currently permitted reserves, can be extended by 27 hectares.

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An environmental impact assessment report by consultancy Wardell Armstrong says despite the size of the quarry, the impact of extending it in the Lower Wensleydale landscape would be minimal as it would be “very well screened”.

The extension area would be included in a new restoration masterplan for the entire quarry.

The report states while there are a number of other active quarries in the area, including Bell Flask Quarry, Ripon sand and gravel quarry, Nosterfield sand and gravel quarry and Potgate limestone quarry, restoration proposals will result in “a likely enhancement of ecological resources”.

It said the northern extension at Gebdykes Quarry would result in disturbance or displacement of ecological receptors but mitigation procedures and habitat enhancement measures would provide an increase in habitats, foraging and commuting resources.

Cllr Neil Pickard, chairman of Masham Parish Council, said the quarry extension would have little impact on residents, but would help continue the benefits the local economy felt from nearby quarrying, including jobs for HGV drivers.

However, Cllr Pickard said the parish council awaited plans to see how the developers proposed to link the quarry to the north and south of Limekiln Lane.

He added the industry could bring further benefits to the area in the coming years with plans expected to be tabled from another nearby quarry, which would see the issue of flooding in shops and properties in Silver Street dealt with.

A new grocery store and post office is set to open in Masham next year as part of an ambitious £1.5 million heritage project.

The former grocery store Reah’s at 15 Silver Street will be completely renovated by Masham-based non-profit company Peacock and Verity Community Spaces Ltd.

As well as a grocery store and Post Office counter, the building will include an Edwardian-style tearoom, heritage and learning centre celebrating Masham and four affordable flats.

The project, which has received planning permission from Harrogate Borough Council, has been in the pipeline since autumn 2019 .

The building has been at the heart of the town for over 200 years and this renovation aims to return it to its former glory.

The £1.5m cost of buying and renovating the property is being funded by numerous grants.

Harrogate Borough Council, Broadacres Housing Association and Homes England have all been involved in progressing the scheme.

Traditional ethos

The new grocery store will use traditional methods, such as selling items by weight and using limited packaging. The Edwardian-style tea room will reflect the one that existed before the outbreak of the First World War.

The heritage and learning centre will host workshops and activities as operate as a training space for local businesses.

Four affordable flats will also be developed on the first and second floors. They will be managed by a housing association and allocated to those in need of housing in Mashamshire.

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The project is due to be completed next year.

Alan Hodges, chair of the Peacock and Verity Community Spaces board, said:

“Peacock and Verity Community Spaces is delighted that the vision and hard work of our directors, staff, and partners has been recognised by Harrogate’s planners.

“Our architect, surveyors, heritage and business advisors, and housing association partners have been working on this project for several years, and we are now much closer to bringing the whole building back to life.

Councillor Mike Chambers, cabinet member for housing and safer communities at Harrogate Borough Council, said:

“It is the first community-led scheme in the district to have reached this stage.

“We look forward to continuing to work with all partners as the building is restored to its former glory – a fitting testimony to Masham’s rich heritage.”

There are few better known names in the Harrogate district than Theakston.

Robert Theakston started brewing beer in Masham in 1827 and his great-great grandson Simon continues the tradition today.

Simon is joint managing director of T & R Theakston, one of two major breweries in the picturesque market town. His cousin, Paul, is in charge of the other one — Black Sheep Brewery.

Despite his strong Masham connections, Mr Theakston is well placed to appraise recent developments in the wider Harrogate district: he lives near Boroughbridge, went to school in Harrogate and represented the Conservatives on Harrogate Borough Council for four terms. He was also chairman of Yorkshire Agricultural Society, the agricultural charity that organises the Great Yorkshire Show, from 2008 to 2016.

But nothing in his long career prepared him for the potentially ruinous overnight impact of covid when the first lockdown began in March. He says;

“We had cellars full of beer that people couldn’t buy and ended up pouring it away.

“Overnight we lost 80% of business. That required us to rethink our business model, baton down the hatches and put ourselves in a position where we could survive as long as possible.”

The furlough scheme saved jobs and the company rapidly converted its visitor centre at the brewery into a fulfilment centre for online orders — something a company that prides itself on tradition had not overly pursued until then. He says:

“Online orders have gone up by a factor of 100, albeit from a modest base.”

Family tradition

The visitor centre is due to reopen on June 21 if the lingering restrictions on pubs are lifted. Monday’s decision will be critical for the industry. Mr Theakston, who is married with two grown-up children, says:

“It’s nice having people going into gardens and seated at tables but it’s much better when people can move freely in pubs.”

Nevertheless, so far the company has survived covid with its 35 staff still intact. It seems a surprisingly low number of employees for an organisation that sells into 20 countries but the business model involves collaborating with other firms, such as Heineken, which handles distribution.

Mr Theakston describes the company as “a medium-sized traditional family brewing company.” And, for all the difficulties of the past year, he remains optimistic.

“Our industry has been through difficulties in the past. We’ve come through two world wars, revolution in Europe, the great crash of the 1930s and all sorts of issues since the Second World War and it just goes to show the robustness of what we do.

“As long as individuals want to meet other people, the role of the pub will continue to be the centre of society.”

Local politics

The future for Harrogate Borough Council, however, is less secure. The local authority, on which he represented Harlow Moor until 2018, is set to be abolished as part of the national government’s devolution agenda. Mr Theakston supports the single council model for North Yorkshire championed by North Yorkshire County Council rather than the east-west split favoured by his former council colleagues in Harrogate. He explains:

“North Yorkshire County Council currently provides about 80% of our services so it wouldn’t be a massive change for it to pick up the pieces. I’m not a fan of lots of layers of bureaucracy.”

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Harrogate Borough Council is pursuing numerous active travel plans, such as the £7.9m Station Gateway project and the pedestrianisation of James Street, to reduce traffic and encourage people to walk and cycle. The plans have proved controversial — does he support them?

“I don’t want to see Harrogate being completely pedestrianised because it will end up like any other town in the country. The idea of being able to pop into town is appealing to people like the elderly. Let’s have a bit of pedestrianisation but not lose the ability to drive into town.

“Harrogate’s such a special town and everything we did during my time on the council was to maintain it as special.”

It has been a difficult year for another organisation close to Mr Theakston’s heart — Yorkshire Agricultural Society — which decided to proceed with the Great Yorkshire Show next month when many other events have been cancelled. Was he surprised?

“The Yorkshire Agricultural Society is nothing if not pragmatic. They will be responding to the demands of exhibitions and members of the public who want to go. It’s more than an agricultural show — it’s our county show.”

Crime and cricket

The Theakston name has also become synonymous with the annual crime writing festival organised by the arts charity Harrogate International Festivals. Under its sponsorship, the festival brings many of the leading names of the genre to the town each year.

Arts and brewing may seem an unlikely match but Mr Theakston talks of beer “providing the social lubricant that lets people enjoy being with other people” and the ventures the company supports also encourage people to mingle convivially.

Recently it has also sponsored poet Ben Taylor, also known as Yorkshire Prose, to wax lyrical about the a pint being a metaphor for social interaction.

Mr Theakston is a huge cricket lover so it’s perhaps no coincidence his company sponsors the Nidderdale Amateur Cricket League and the annual National Village Cup in which some 340 villages compete for the chance to play in the final at Lord’s.

It’s little wonder the name Theakston perhaps vies with Bettys as the most well known in the district — and at least we know for certain the Theakstons exist.

There was a time when its familiarity may have faded. The family relinquished control of the business in the 1990s before buying it back in 2003, and Mr Theakston pledges it will remain in the family, in the heart of Masham.

Can he foresee the day when the business no longer consumes his professional life?

“I haven’t thought too much about when I retire. It’s still a huge passion.”

A Masham teenager who was diagnosed with a rare bone cancer earlier this year is raising money for the charities who have been supporting her through her illness.

Lucy Verity, 19, was diagnosed with Ewing’s sarcoma in February and has been undergoing gruelling treatments ever since.

Over the next few months she will go through 14 chemotherapy sessions, radiotherapy and proton therapy at different hospitals across the north of England.

Rather than raise money towards her own treatment expenses, she decided to fundraise for the Teenage Cancer Trust and the Bone Cancer Research Trust, who have been supporting her over the past four months.

She set up her fundraiser on JustGiving last Saturday and has already reached £3,900, more than three quarters of her £5,000 goal.

Before becoming ill, Lucy was an avid sports player and loved to look after her animals in her home in Masham. She hopes to get back to this as soon as possible, and run her own fundraising events.

She said:

“We’re in a lucky position where we’re able to support ourselves to travel for my treatments; that’s why I chose to raise money towards these charities instead of for myself, as they have a great team of dedicated nurses and youth workers who helped me to not feel alone when I wasn’t allowed visitors in the hospital.”

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Her family and friends have been rallying around to raise money towards her goal. Her brother will be running 24 miles in 24 hours on June 19, and her friends and cousin will take part in the Leeds 12km Total Warrior in July.

Lucy and her family have given suggestions for people who want to set up their own fundraisers for the cause, such as coffee and cake mornings, clearouts or tombola raffles.

Ewing’s sarcoma is a rare form of bone cancer that can cause bone pain, tiredness and constant fever. For many the illness can go undiagnosed for a long time due to its rarity.

The Bone Cancer Research Trust aims to find a cure for this and other types of bone cancer through scientific research. You can find out more about Lucy’s fundraiser or donate here.

Ripon and Masham are to get a new on-demand bus service as part of a pilot scheme to improve links to rural areas.

YorBus, which is run by North Yorkshire County Council, launches on July 1 and is due to be trialled for 12 months.

The service allows passengers to book a ride when and where they need one.

Once a passenger has chosen a pickup and drop-off location, they will need to head to a bus stop for a pooled ride.

Residents can book the bus through an app or by phone. The app will be available from June 28.

YorBus covers the area shaded in blue.

The app allows passengers to plan and track their bus journey, including how long the bus will take to arrive.

It will operate from 6.55am to 6pm on weekdays and 9am to 6pm on Saturdays.

There will be a flat fare of £1.20 for adults and 65p for children between the ages of 5 and 17. Children under 5 can travel for free. Concessions can also be used.

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YorBus is also fully accessible, with low floor access and a ramp for those with wheelchairs and pushchairs.

Cllr Don MacKenzie, the executive member for access, stated:

“The YorBus project is intended to provide transport to help people to travel to work, to go shopping, to attend medical appointments and to access other services, which they need. We hope it will offer a viable and affordable alternative to the private motor car.

“The flexibility of the scheme also means that a high proportion of seats on buses will be occupied on every journey, which will lead to better value for money and greater environmental benefits too.”

To promote the launch of YorBus, the council is running roadshows to speak to residents about the service, stopping off at the following locations:

• June 22 9:30-11:30: Bedale
• June 23 9:30-11:30: Masham
• June 24 9:30-11:30: Ripon
• June 24 13:00-14:00: Grewelthorpe
• June 24 14:30-15:30: Kirkby Malzeard
• June 25 9:30-11:30: Lightwater Valley
• June 25 13:30-15:30: Fountains Abbey

A celebration tinged with sadness is to be held to mark the closure of a 200-year-old primary school near Masham this summer.

Kell Bank Church of England Primary School can accommodate up to 50 pupils but currently has just six.

Because of dwindling numbers, North Yorkshire County Council has issued a closure notice, which means the school will close permanently on August 31.

Staff want to celebrate the school’s history and, as part of this, are asking people to come forward with their memories and old photos for a commemorative newspaper.

The school has also put out a call to find the oldest former pupil. It is hoped whoever it is will join the youngest pupil at a ceremony in July.

All submissions for the celebration need to be in by June 11.

Laurie Hoyes, a school governor, said:

“Kell Bank School was founded in 1820 to provide an education for the local children of Fearby, Healey and the surrounding villages.

“This wonderful local school, ideally placed to learn from nature, has excelled and achieved so many accolades during its long, educational journey and has provided a safe environment and vast source of knowledge to generations of local people.

“The celebrations in July will be tinged with great sadness, as Kell Bank is to close at the end of the summer term.”

Ms Hoyes, alongside other members of the school community, hopes the exhibition will highlight the key role the school has played in local people’s lives.

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North Yorkshire Police is appealing for witnesses after two men died in a collision near Masham yesterday.

The two men, a 57-year-old and a 59-year-old, were travelling in opposite directions on the A6108 when their motorbikes collided.

Both men were certified dead at the scene.

Police were called to the incident at about 11.50am yesterday.

One of the men was driving a blue BMW R1200RT motorbike from the direction of Leyburn.

The other man was on a red Moto Guzzi motorbike travelling towards Leyburn when the two vehicles collided.

Police are appealing for any witnesses or drivers with dashcam footage of the collision of either of the bikes on the A6108 prior to the accident.

If you have information that could help with the police’s investigation, call 101 or email Matthew Tanfield on Matthew.Tanfield@northyorkshire.pnn.police.uk with reference number 12210105606.

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Masham residents have expressed frustration that one of the town’s play areas has remained closed for five months.

Tittlibottle Park, near the cricket ground, initially closed in November 2019 due to drainage issues.

By the time it had dried out, all playgrounds had closed due to covid.

It reopened in July last year, with a small section fenced off, but closed again in November and has stayed shut since due to the condition of the ground.

Flooding has caused the park to close intermittently a number of times in few years.

Local parents have accused Harrogate Borough Council of not doing enough to make it usable once again.

The play area sits on a flood plain for the River Ure and often collects water flowing from higher ground. It is also close to a handful of other drainage issues all of these are factors in the flooding.

This is not the first time the park has been unusable to locals.

The loss of this play area has been particularly keenly felt by the local community during lockdown.

Bronwen Thomas, a local parent, visited the park at least once a week with her three boys before it closed. She said they had played at the playground near The Oaks instead but added:.

“There are fewer facilities there though, and it is smaller and more exposed to the elements. More recently there has also been the issue of social distancing, which is much harder in the smaller space.

“I’d like to see the council engage more with the community to come up with a joint solution. Local people have invaluable knowledge of the site and its issues and may be able to provide insight that the council currently lacks.”

Another parent, Iain Burgess, has contacted Richard Cooper, the leader of Harrogate Borough Council, in the hope of finding a solution. He said:

“I have emailed Mr Cooper but his response didn’t tell me anything I didn’t already know. Unless something is done it will only keep happening. There needs to be action to keep it open.

“It’s such a shame, my son used to meet his friends there after school and now they have to go elsewhere. It’s incredibly frustrating that nothing is being done.”

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Masham Parish Council said it is in talks with Harrogate Borough Council to find a solution. But no confirmed reopening date has been given.

A spokesperson for Harrogate Borough Council, said:

“We are working with the land owner (Swinton Estate) and the leaseholder (Masham Town Council) to find a more permanent solution.

“The park is monitored regularly and will either open partially or fully depending on the current level of flooding, subject to any covid restrictions.”

The locations of up to 34 new electric vehicle charge points in the Harrogate district have been revealed.

The district has seen the largest increase in North Yorkshire of motorists switching to electric vehicles and Harrogate Borough Council aims to get 10,000 on the roads by 2023.

To help hit this target, the authority plans to install charge points at several council-owned locations to encourage motorists to make the switch ahead of the government’s ban on the sale of petrol, diesel and hybrid cars in 2030.

Tom O’Donovan, economy and transport officer at the council, told a meeting on Wednesday the 34 charge points were being rolled out as part of a phased scheme, with more to come later.

The locations include up to four charge points at the council’s Claro Road office, as well as up to five at its civic centre headquarters at Knapping Mount.

There will also be up to four at Harrogate’s multi-storey Victoria Shopping Centre car park and the same amount at Ripon Cathedral car park, plus a hub of charge points at Knaresborough Chapel Street car park.

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There are three options for Pateley Bridge, including the Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty office, Nidderdale Leisure Centre and south car park.

The car park at Hornbeam Park railway station could also get up to 10 charge points, while no proposals have yet been put forward for Boroughbridge because infrastructure works would be “too costly”.

Up to 160 charge sites planned

Harrogate Borough Council approved its Ultra-Low Emission Vehicle Strategy two years ago with an aim to provide 61 public charge points by 2024, although this could be increased up to 160 if required.

North Yorkshire County Council is also developing a county-wide strategy but has said it currently has no plans to roll out on-street charging infrastructure on a large scale or in response to individual requests for charge points.

It said this is because of “difficulties” with electricity tariffs and setting out the terms on the maximum time a vehicle can charge in shared on-street spaces.

The council said:

“We will continue to review the overall situation, taking into account demand from residents and funding availability, including external grant funding.”

With its Georgian market place, two breweries and idyllic setting beside the River Ure, locals have known for years that Masham is a wonderful place to live.

But now the secret is out. The Sunday Times has included the market town in its annual Best Places to Live guide.

Masham is one of nine runners-up behind Ilkley in the north-east of England category. No other town or city in the Harrogate district was selected.

The Sunday Times judges based their decision on factors such as schools, air quality, transport and health of the high street.

They described Masham as:

“A picturesque market town in its own right that offers the best of both worlds.

“The extraordinary landscape of the Yorkshire Dales is on the doorstep and Ripon, with its top selective school and Curzon cinema, is just a short drive away.”

The judges listed their favourite things as the market, the Black Sheep Brewery and Johnny Baghdad’s ‘funky bright-yellow café on the square’.  

Colin Blair, aka Johnny Baghdad

Independent businesses

Colin Blair, who owns Johnny Baghdad’s, said Masham had got busier in the 20 years since he arrived and now had a good blend of independent businesses. He said:

“It’s a great place and a great place to run a business from.”

Mr Blair, who runs Johnny Baghdad’s with his partner Saeeda Zaman, was delighted to be recognised.

He said the cafe’s eclectic food, which includes everything from falafel and chicken shawarma to bacon rolls, went down well with locals, as well as the numerous cyclists and day trippers that flock to the town at weekends. He added:

“It’s the kind of thing you don’t see often when travelling around the Yorkshire Dales.”

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The cafe is currently open only for takeaways but is due to open with tables and seating on April 12.

The other regional runners up are:

·       Alnmouth, Northumberland 

·       Barnard Castle, Co Durham 

·       Easingwold, North Yorkshire 

·       Leeds 

·       Masham, North Yorkshire 

·       Slaithwaite, West Yorkshire 

·       Todmorden, West Yorkshire 

·       Tynemouth, Tyne & Wear 

·       York