Kell Bank primary school near Masham set to close

A primary school near Masham looks set to close due to falling pupil numbers.

Kell Bank Church of England Primary School would permanently shut its doors this summer, under proposals by North Yorkshire County Council.

The authority carried out a consultation last year on closure and is set to make a final decision in March.

Despite being designed to accommodate 50 children, the amount of pupils at the school has fallen from a high of 39 in 2014/15 to just six this year. The number is not expected to increase significantly in future.

Council bosses believe the low number affects the “quality and breadth” of the school curriculum.

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They also fear the school’s Ofsted rating, which is currently ‘outstanding’, would be difficult to maintain due to the low number of pupils.

If closure goes ahead, the intake catchment of Masham Church of England Primary School would be extended to include the area.

A report due before the county council’s executive next week said closure would be in the best interests of pupils. It said:

“The responses to the consultation process have failed to identify a viable alternative option that would secure the school’s future. 

“Local authority officers have concluded that closure of the school would be in the best interests of the children at the school and the future education of pupils in the area. 

“There are places available at other local schools within a reasonable travel distance. It is therefore the view that there is a strong case for closure, which outweighs other considerations.”

Senior councillors will vote next week to publish statutory notices on the proposal for four weeks and invite representations from the public.

A final decision on closure is expected on March 23.

Plan to deal with flooding hotspot in Masham

Masham Parish Council is discussing a number of ways to prevent further flooding.

Masham was hit by floods in February 2020 but since then has had several warnings as water levels rose in Swinney Beck. The continuing problem has forced the council to review the issue at each of its monthly meetings.

The council’s emergency committee aims to ensure a plan is in place if water levels rise and to work with the Environment Agency and local county and borough councils to put in preventative measures.

One of the affected areas from last year’s floods was Red Lane. It has a number of bridges and wall crossings over the beck which can slow down the clearance of water.

The council is currently talking to local landowners to see what can be done to improve this.

Valerie Broadley, the lead councillor for the council’s emergency planning committee said:

“We are exploring this with the owners to see if there is anything to do to raise the water clearance. This would be a short term solution but it is still being discussed.

“We are hopeful something could be done fairly quickly.”

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The environment agency has also suggested using heather baskets further up-stream to prevent the beck over-flowing into the town. The basket weaving technique has been used across the country to help control the flow of water.

Cllr Broadley has been researching the original course of the beck which is thought to have been diverted in the 1800s. Further exploration would need to be carried out to see if there is a way to re-route the beck to its original course in an attempt to prevent further flooding in Masham.

The council said this is a long term prevention method that could cost thousands and take years to complete.

The Harrogate district’s top five covid hotspots

There have been 633 covid infections recorded in the Harrogate district in the last seven days, according to government statistics.

The infection rate has rocketed over the last month and the current seven-day average rate is now 494 people per 100,000.

But there are considerable variations within the district.

The government breaks each district into smaller areas known as middle super output areas, each with a population of about 7,200 people.

According to the latest figures, the middle super output areas with the most current infections are central Harrogate and central Knaresborough.

The more rural Pateley Bridge and Nidd Valley, which has been consistently less affected throughout the pandemic, has the fewest current infections.

Most infections

1 Central Harrogate 76

2 Knaresborough Central 61

3 Harrogate West and Pannal 59

4 Killinghall and Hampsthwaite 53

5 Starbeck 47

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Fewest Infections

1 Pateley Bridge and Nidd Valley 13

2 Hookstone 17

3= Dishthorpe, Baldersby and Markington

3= Spofforth, Burn Bridge and Huby 19

5 Masham, Kirkby Malzeard and North Stainley 21

 

Homes in Masham and Pannal in peril as flooding strikes

Emergency teams have been summoned to a home that flooded in Pannal as the Harrogate district wakes up to the effects of Storm Bella.

Property, roads and farmland around the Harrogate district have felt the brunt of a night of strong winds and heavy rain and alerts remain in place.

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue said in a statement a crew responded to reports of flooding in a basement property in Pannal at 00.26am this morning.

The statement added water was pumped away from an electric switchboard and sandbags were requested from Harrogate Borough Council.

The emergency planning team at Harrogate Borough Council, which responds to serious incidents, tweeted at about 4am:

“Following a call from North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue our team have deployed to Pannal to protect a property at imminent risk of flooding.”

No further details are available.

Flood warnings are in place on the rivers Nidd and Ure as well as at Swinney Beck in Masham.

Swinney Beck is a particular area of concern: the government’s flood informations service tweeted just before midnight that properties along Westholme Road in Masham were most at risk. It added:

“Please activate any property flood protection products you may have, such as flood barriers and air brick covers and stay away from fast moving water.”

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The flood information service also issued a flood warning for the River Nidd at Low Laithe overnight

“The level of the River Nidd at Pateley Bridge is rising due to persistent rain through the night. Levels are forecast to reach 1.5 metres around 03:00 and will continue to rise until around 06:00 on Sunday morning when the peak at Pateley Bridge is expected to be below 2 metres.

“The B6165 is expected to flood at this level. We are monitoring the situation closely and will update this message on Sunday morning or as the situation changes.”

A flood warning is also in place for the upper River Nidd around Pateley Bridge, with the flood information service advising motorists to plan driving routes to avoid low lying roads near rivers.

Roecliffe caravan park, near the River Ure, is also subject to a flood warning, River levels are expected to rise until mid-afternoon and people are being warned to stay away from fast flowing water.

Nationally, 181 flood alerts and 105 flood warnings are in place.

Vaccine to be given at Great Yorkshire Showground next week

The Great Yorkshire Showground in Harrogate is to be used for the vaccine rollout from next week.

The first vaccination is due to be given on Tuesday and the programme is expected to last for several months.

The government has asked the 17 GP practices in Harrogate and the surrounding district, including Ripon, Knaresborough, Boroughbridge, Pateley Bridge and Masham to oversee the rollout.

The practices are appealing for volunteers to marshal the car park and signpost patients through the vaccination site at the showground, which is owned by the Yorkshire Agricultural Society.

No details have been given to the media about the rollout but a post on the Harrogate covid co-operation Facebook group yesterday on behalf of the GP practices revealed the news. It said:

“Harrogate and rural district are working together in order to plan for delivering a mass vaccination programme and we need to ask primary care staff and volunteers to help.

“We will need staff and volunteers to undertake a variety of roles and we need to plan for vaccinations to be carried out seven days a week, 8am-8pm, including bank holidays.

“This is a huge ask, but we would like volunteers to indicate if they would be willing to help in some capacity.”

The 250-acre showground has ample car parking and is used to staging large events, most notably the three-day Great Yorkshire Show, which was cancelled this year.

But nothing in the Yorkshire Agricultural Society’s 183-year history compares with the task in hand.

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The GPs’ post today said it required 18 volunteers a day. Morning sessions will start with an 8am briefing and the first jabs will be given at 8.30am.

Morning sessions will end at 1.15pm and afternoon vaccinations will take place from 2.30pm to 6.15pm.

The GPs’ post said:

“Unfortunately we aren’t able to offer vaccinations to volunteers at this stage as we have to prioritise certain patient groups.

“Next week is the first stage of the vaccination programme and we are going to need volunteers from the New Year onwards to fulfil the same types of roles for probably a number of months.”

Anyone interested in volunteering is invited to register their interest and complete the questionnaire here.

Ripon nature reserve gets £132,000 government boost

The Lower Ure Conservation Trust has received a £132,800 government grant to enhance the wildlife of the Nosterfield Nature Reserve.

The 250-acre nature reserve at Nosterfield is in the Swale/Ure Washlands near to Ripon and Masham.

In a survey conducted two years ago more than 1,100 species of animals, birds, insects and plants were recorded on the former quarry in a single 24-hour period. The trust says this makes it one of the most wildlife-rich areas of the country.

Sand and gravel were produced from a former quarry until the late 1980s. It was designated a reserve in 2001.

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The money comes from the government’s £40m Green Recovery Challenge Fund, announced yesterday.

The LUCT’s director Simon Warwick said it will “significantly increase” the scale of the trust’s work and help protect the nature reserve’s wildlife.

Mr Warwick said:

“We know that many of the wetland habitats that existed in North Yorkshire two and three hundred years ago are now very rare. Many of the meadows and mires that existed in abundance have been obliterated.

“Land has been drained and dug up.  We are recreating some of those habits here at Nosterfield and this grant will help to significantly increase the scale of our work.”

Harrogate district covid rates fall by two-thirds during lockdown

The Harrogate district is set to end the second lockdown with a far lower rate of covid than when it started.

Government figures today reveal the district has an average seven-day rate of infection of 92 people per 100,000, compared with 277 people per 100,000 on November 5.

This means the rate has fallen by about two-thirds since lockdown began.

The England average is currently 154 and the North Yorkshire average is 107.

The R number has fallen from a peak of 1.6 last month to 0.6 today. This means every 10 people with covid will infect another six.

Public Health England recorded another 18 positive test results today, which is well below the 95 on November 9.

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There were no further deaths reported today at either Harrogate District Hospital or in the district’s care homes.

Killinghall and Hampsthwaite remains the district’s covid hotspot, with 26 infections in the last seven days.

The next highest is Ouseburn, Hammerton and Tockwith with 18.

Pateley Bridge and Nidd Valley, Masham, Kirkby Malzeard and North Stainley and Ripon North and West have not recorded a single new infection for at least seven days.

 

Fatberg of wet wipes blocks sewer in Grewelthorpe

Yorkshire Water spent an hour jet washing more than 1,000 litres of water through a sewer in Grewelthorpe to remove a fatberg of wet wipes.

The underground blockage between Ripon and Masham prompted the water company to issue a plea today to only flush the three Ps — pee, poo and (toilet) paper — down the loo.

Wet wipes are the most common cause of blockages and can lead to flooding.

Mark Hammond, head of customer field services at Yorkshire Water, said:

“We are regularly called out to remove blockages caused by wet wipes in our region. That’s despite our warnings and information on packets not to flush them.

“We spend millions of pounds every year on clearing these blockages. It’s money which could be spent on improving our network and investing in technologies.”

Yorkshire Water also revealed its blockages team removed four large buckets of wet wipes from its sewer network in York this month.

A recent survey by the company found 21% of people flushed wet wipes down the toilet.

The Oxford English Dictionary added the word ‘fatberg’ in 2015. It is defined as a large mass of solid waste in a sewage system made up of fat and personal hygiene products.

Dog rescue charity launches £250,000 appeal for new home

A dog rescue charity has launched a £250,000 fundraising appeal to buy a dedicated home.

Saving Yorkshire’s Dogs, which is based near Masham, wants to buy the former Jerry Green Dog Rescue centre near Thirsk.

The charity already has £170,000 in pledges but needs another £250,000 to make the dream come true.

Over the last six years the charity has rescued about 200 dogs, many of which would otherwise have been put to sleep.

The Jerry Green site closed in the summer and will be sold by informal tender in mid-November.

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SYD, which currently rents premises, believes this is the right time to buy dedicated kennels and “secure its future”.

Julie Hart, who is organising the fundraiser, told the Stray Ferret:

“This would make a big difference. We would have much more space so we would have room to grow. This would be the dream place to move into, it is fully furnished in a great location.

“It has been incredible to watch all of the donations coming through already. People have been very generous. We have had pledges from some people of £10,000.”

So far the gofundme page has reached £2,600 in donations out of the £250,000 target. Click or tap here to donate.

The asking price for the former Jerry Green site starts at £300,000. SYD hopes the fundraiser will help with bidding and set-up costs.

Gracie finds a new home

The English Bulldog Gracie, star of the first Stray Pets Club and SYD rescue, has been given a new home.

Gracie was used for breeding to make money and was abandoned after reaching the maximum age for reproducing.

She has given birth to around 30 puppies in her lifetime and has been left with the scars to show it.

Harrogate district recovers from floods — but alerts remain

Knaresborough, Pateley Bridge and Masham have all been hit by flooding today — and alerts remain in place.

Parts of Knaresborough close to the River Nidd appear to have been the worst affected.

An Environment Agency spokesman said there were no confirmed cases of people having to leave their homes.

However, Andrew Weatherhead, owner of Weatherhead Butchers in Pateley Bridge worked through the night unblocking drains and mopping two inches of water from his High Street shop.

Mr Weatherhead, whose shop opened as usual this morning, told the Stray Ferret he planned to buy some flood gates to prevent further problems.

 

Mr Weatherhead, who finally got home at 3am only to be woken by his house alarm going off at 5.30am, said the town’s river flood defences worked well but added:

“I think there is something wrong with the state of the drains. So many are blocked. We had to unblock them with shovels and sticks and when we did the water went down quickly.”

No other shops in Pateley are believed to have been affected.

Cars moved

Vast swathes of Knaresborough were under water this morning. The area near the Vantage Toyota dealership, close to the River Nidd, was particularly bad.

Kyley Price, a medical administrator who lives in the area, said:

“We are surrounded by water but I’m hoping it wont be too bad. Just the usual clean up to come.

“We got a warning at 5.30 this morning so moved cars etc. We are now just sitting watching TV and waiting.”

Ms Price questioned the effectiveness of the flood prevention measures in the area:

“The water rises and fills the surrounding flood plane and fields faster than ever.”

Ure rising in Ripon

A flood warning remains in place in Ripon for Ure bank and the racecourse.

The government’s flood information service posted at 11.28am today:

“The level of the River Ure at Ripon Ure bank is 3.44m and rising. We expect river levels to continue rising with peak levels expected around 3.61m this afternoon.

“Please avoid using low lying footpaths near local watercourses and plan driving routes to avoid low lying roads near rivers, which may be flooded.”

The water is rising in Ripon.

Many rural roads, including the bridge at Masham, were treacherous this morning.

The forecast is improving but a flood alert is in place for the upper Nidd. The flood information service said at 11.28am:

“Further rainfall is expected on Monday, and river levels will fluctuate through the day. Flooding of low-lying land, roads and footpaths remains possible.”