new park Archives - Page 2 of 3

Harrogate bridge may not be demolished after all

Oak Beck Bridge in Harrogate may not be demolished and replaced after all.

North Yorkshire County Council received planning permission to destroy the existing structure on Skipton Road and build a new one in November 2021.

It said the £1 million project was necessary because the current bridge was in poor condition.

Howard Civil Engineering was due to start the 24-week scheme in January last year.

But in June last year, council bridges manager Philip Richardson said the scheme had been delayed due to “unforeseen circumstances” and the council was still in talks with Yorkshire Water.

Mr Richardson gave an almost identical response when the Stray Ferret asked for an update in April this year, adding “please be assured that we will begin work as soon as we are able”.

With no sign of progress five months later, the Stray Ferret asked North Yorkshire Council, which succeeded North Yorkshire County Council this year, for another update.

Mr Richardson said

“Over the summer we carried out short-term works including resurfacing the road and repairing stonework to ensure the bridge remains safe for all road users.

“We will be looking at longer-term options including widening the bridge or strengthening the existing structure.”

Although this does not rule out replacing the bridge, it indicates this is no longer the only option.

The Stray Ferret asked why it no longer appeared necessary to replace the bridge as it had been deemed unsafe.

A council spokesperson said:

“As the statement says, the bridge remains safe. We were in discussions around costs and will now be looking at possible long-term works.”

The bridge is located near the junction with Ripon Road at New Park — close to where the new Tesco supermarket is due to be built.

Still no start date for work on new Harrogate Tesco

Tesco has still yet to reveal when work will start on its new supermarket in Harrogate.

The now-defunct Harrogate Borough Council approved plans for a store on the former gasworks site on Skipton Road in February.

The scheme, which will create 100 jobs, also includes a petrol station and 209 car parking spaces.

It was approved despite concerns about the impact on the nearby Jennyfields local centre, which includes a Co-op, medical centre and Post Office.

But seven months on, work has yet to begin on the site near New Park roundabout.

The former gasworks site pictured from Ripon Road this week..

The application was approved subject to conditions, such as a £50,000 contribution to a new bus service from Penny Pot Lane in Killinghall.

The Stray Ferret understands Tesco is still working through the details of the conditions and hopes to start on site in the near future.

But the supermarket still hasn’t given a date.

The council received 82 representations about Tesco’s planning application. A total of 24 were supportive and 57 objected, mainly on the grounds of amenity, traffic, environmental and drainage impacts.

But the council’s planning committee went along with case officer Kate Broadbank’s recommendation for approval.

She said the development would “create jobs and provide social, environmental and economic benefits to the local area” and was “in accordance with the development plan policies”.

Tesco first secured planning permission on the site in 2012 but revived its plans in December 2021.

Cyclist injured in crash with Mercedes at New Park roundabout

Police have appealed for witnesses to a collision involving a cyclist and a Mercedes at a busy roundabout in Harrogate this week.

The cyclist came off their bike at New Park roundabout just after 2pm on Monday.

According to North Yorkshire Police, the cyclist “took action to avoid the black Mercedes SUV, came off his cycle, and sustained minor injuries”.

The victim was travelling east on Skipton Road and the Mercedes entered the roundabout from Ripon Road in the Ripon direction.

A police statement said:

“We are appealing for witnesses to the incident or anyone who recalls seeing the pedal cyclist or Mercedes prior to the collision, to get in touch as soon as possible to assist the investigation.

“If you can help, please contact North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 2, and quote the North Yorkshire Police reference number NYP-12062023-0659.”

Tesco supermarket in Harrogate set to be approved next week

Harrogate looks set to get a Tesco supermarket after a long-running saga dating back more than a decade.

The store will be built on the site of the former gasworks, off Skipton Road, and include a petrol station and 209 car parking spaces. It is expected to create about 100 jobs.

Harrogate Borough Council ‘s planning committee has been recommended to approve the plans next week, despite “significant concerns” about the impact on the nearby Co-op in Jennyfields and neighbouring shops.

In her report recommending approval, case officer Kate Broadbank says there is “real potential for the proposed Tesco store to have a significant adverse impact upon the Co-op store and the wider performance of the Jennyfield local centre”.

The report adds the cumulative impact of a new Tesco on the Co-op could be as high as -22.4% and the Co-op “acts as a key anchor to the local centre, including its wider post office offer”.

The local centre in Jennyfields

Tesco will therefore be asked to sign an agreement to use “reasonable endeavours” to open a Tesco Express at Jennyfields local centre if the Co-op closes within five years of Tesco opening and will operate this for at least five years.

Ms Broadbank’s report adds:

“A post office and pharmacy would also be required. An additional clause has also been added that requires an independent expert to determine matters should dispute arise between Tesco and the council, as to whether the replacement store can be provided.”

New footpath and cycle lane

The report says no environmental impact assessment will be necessary for the brownfield site project even though trees will be felled on the north side of Skipton Road to accommodate the creation of a new roundabout at the site entrance, where the A61 Ripon Road and A59 Skipton Road meet at New Park.

The site of the former gasworks

North Yorkshire County Council plans to widen Oak Beck Bridge in a scheme that could see six months of roadworks in the area.

The report adds:

“A continuous footpath will be provided along the northern edge of the roundabout with additional uncontrolled pedestrian refuge island crossings on the site access and the eastern arm of Skipton Road.

“A new segregated cycle lane will be provided along the south of Skipton Road from the access to the bridleway further along Skipton Road. These works will be secured by condition and a Section 106 agreement.”

The 209 parking spaces will include four click and collect spaces, six electric vehicle charging spaces, 12 blue badge spaces and nine parent and child spaces. Two motorcycle spaces and 24 cycle spaces are also provided.

£50,000 for bus services

North Yorkshire County Council has requested a contribution from Tesco for improvements to bus stops on Skipton Road and Ripon Road. Ms Broadbank’s report adds:

“North Yorkshire County Council wish to provide a new bus service in the Killinghall area as part of the bus service contribution from the housing development on Penny Pot Lane and these additional improvements would add value to the new service and help encourage sustainable travel by bus to reach the new store.

“A contribution of £50,000 (£10,000 per bus stop) is requested to help fund this service and will help provide new extended shelters with information boards, seating and where necessary raised kerbs to each carriageway.”

The report also says discussions have taken place between the applicant and Northern Gas Networks about “potential interaction” between the proposed petrol station and an existing Northern Gas Networks high pressure gas transmission pipeline located beneath the site.

It says the risk of interaction is “acceptably low”.

The site is highlighted on a planning document.

Majority opposed to scheme

The council received 82 representations about the scheme. Just 24 were supportive and 57 objected, mainly on the grounds of amenity, traffic, environmental and drainage impacts.

Ms Broadbank has recommended the project be approved subject to conditions being met. The Conservative-controlled planning committee will decide whether to accept her recommendation when it meets on Tuesday next week. The meeting will be broadcast live on the council’s YouTube page.

It will be the penultimate meeting of the planning committee before Harrogate Borough Council is abolished at the end of next month.

Ms Broadbank’s report concludes:

“In summary, the development is acceptable in principle and meets the requirements of the sequential and retail impact tests with appropriate mitigation.

“The scheme uses previously developed land and is in a sustainable location within the development limits of Harrogate.

“The design and landscaping of the buildings are appropriate for this site and impacts with regards to the residential amenity, environmental impact and highways are acceptable.

“The development will create jobs and provide social, environmental and economic benefits to the local area.

“The scheme is in accordance with the development plan policies as a whole and represents sustainable development as required by the National Planning Policy Framework.”

Tesco first secured planning permission on the site in 2012 but revived its plans in December 2021.

Stray Ferret Christmas Appeal: Making Christmas special for struggling families

This year’s Stray Ferret Christmas Appeal is for Resurrected Bites in Harrogate and Knaresborough. Today, Vicky finds out what its team and supporters have been doing to ensure its customers can have a happy Christmas, even in difficult circumstances.

Our appeal runs for two more days. Please give generously to support local people who are struggling this Christmas. They need your help.

The festive season may be upon us, but demand for help from Resurrected Bites has never been higher.

Sophia Clark, who runs the organisation’s community grocery in New Park, said:

“We’ve had a really busy two weeks. It’s going to be busy up to Christmas.

“We’re getting a lot of new people in – two just this morning.

“On Tuesday, I had a woman in pieces. She had three children on her own and had gone to do her food shopping. Her direct debit had changed for her gas and electric and they’d left her overdrawn.”

Along with the volunteers at New Park, Sophia was able to fill the woman’s freezer to see her through the festive period and ensure her children wouldn’t go hungry.

She later received a message thanking her for what she had done, concluding: “God bless you, you are a diamond and a special one at that.”

Sadly, the woman was just one of many who have been forced to call on Resurrected Bites for the first time this month alone.

Sophia said:

“We’re seeing lots of things like that at the moment – people in absolute dire straits.

“We’ve had a lot of pensioners in. One lady had gone to deliver a Christmas card to a friend and found her shaking and freezing. She couldn’t afford the heating.”

Sophia said some of the stories she hears are heart-breaking. Along with volunteer Karen Martin, who also speaks to people arriving at the community grocery to ensure it can meet their needs, Sophia said she often cries in the office behind closed doors once the visitor has left, before getting back to work.

But the very tough side of the job is balanced by the heart-warming elements.

Sophia knows she is making a difference at a time of crisis for many people – messages like the one from the mum whose bill had left her overdrawn provide some comfort amid all the challenges.

There is also fantastic generosity towards Resurrected Bites and its customers, especially at this time of year.

When I visited the New Park community grocery last week, there was a small Santa’s grotto in the corner, with a volunteer ensuring children could meet Father Christmas even if their parents couldn’t afford to buy tickets for a commercial event.

The shelves had been stacked that morning with toys and chocolates for those who wouldn’t be able to afford treats. Although they had been snapped up quickly, more were still coming in and being laid out for other customers.

Resurrected Bites founder Michelle Hayes said:

“A few people have expressed concern about not being able to buy presents for their families this year.

“The last thing we want is people taking out loans. So we’ve been able to give out presents to make sure they have something to unwrap on Christmas Day.”

Businesses and individuals have been generous with selection boxes, tubs of sweets and other small luxuries for Resurrected Bites to distribute to its customers.

There have also been deliveries of blankets, warm jumpers and festive decorations.

The Christmas tree in Santa’s grotto at New Park came from the festival at St Thomas the Apostle Church in Killinghall, donated by Mole Country Stores near Ripley. After being on display at the community grocery, the firm asked that it be given to a family who wouldn’t otherwise have a Christmas tree.

The amount of food and other treats available is a dramatic improvement from earlier this year, when demand was outstripping the volume of waste food arriving from supermarkets.

Sophia said the kind of generosity in evidence in the run-up to Christmas – and knowing how much difference she and the volunteers could make to people – is what has kept her going in challenging times.

“I look at those people and the feedback I get. That’s what I do this for: I get to help people and make a change.

“I had message after message last night from people asking if they could come down [to shop]. I’m just so grateful we’ve got the food to give them.

“A couple of months ago, it was so low, but now at least I know nobody has to go without for Christmas.”

Nobody in the Harrogate district should go hungry this Christmas.

It costs £300 to run the community grocery for one day. Please help to keep it open for everyone who relies on it.

Click here to contribute now.

Stray Ferret Christmas Appeal: ‘We had good jobs but we were still struggling’

This year’s Stray Ferret Christmas Appeal is for Resurrected Bites in Harrogate and Knaresborough. Today, Vicky speaks to a local family who suddenly found themselves without enough money to buy basic supplies.

Please give generously to support local people who are struggling this Christmas. They need your help.

“People were really shocked to find out we were struggling. We had struggled very quietly.”

Ickle Mills and her partner Paul Hobrough were managing well until 2021.

He worked as a refrigeration engineer, while she had two jobs: one at Hotel Chocolat and the other at the Odeon.

Suddenly, a change in circumstances meant they were struggling to afford even the basics.

“It surprised a lot of people we went to Resurrected Bites. On the outside, to look at, Paul has got a fairly good job.

“I had gone on maternity leave at work and I hadn’t realised having two jobs can be problematic.

“All of a sudden, we were hundreds of pounds down a month on what I would have earned.

“We were at the point of incurring a lot of debt. Thanks to Resurrected Bites, we didn’t. It was the only thing that kept us from having to fall into quite bad debt.”

With a young son to look after, the couple were struggling to afford to feed themselves.

Paul and Ickle became customers of the community interest company’s New Park Community Grocery in Harrogate. They paid £3 a week for a shop of around 20 items, including fresh fruit and vegetables, tinned food, and toiletries including nappies.

The counters at the community groceries show how many of each kind of item can be bought in each shop

Ickle said:

“We could do our food shop there and get stuff for the baby.

“I had real problems breastfeeding and had to buy powdered milk. One of my items [from the grocery] was a £12 tub of baby milk.

“If we hadn’t been able to use them, we would have gone really short. We went short as it was, but it meant we could get stuff for ourselves.”

Not only did it help the family out financially, it also became a community for Ickle while she was on maternity leave.

The warm welcome from grocery manager Sophia and volunteers helped her out on days when she was struggling.

She has also got to know many of her neighbours better through going to the grocery, and has been able to bring food she may not have got while shopping on a budget elsewhere.

As a result, son Kenobi has been able to try all kinds of new tastes, and Ickle knows she is also helping to reduce the “ridiculous” amount of perfectly good food going into landfill.

Now, Ickle is giving up her own time to help run the grocery, covering shifts when others are unavailable.

She is back at work and the family still receives Universal Credit, which also allows them to get help with the costs of childcare, enabling her to continue in the jobs she loves.

Her experiences have made her a passionate advocate of spreading the word about organisations like Resurrected Bites and being honest about how many people are relying on them.

She said:

“It’s the state of things now, and how much all the bills are going up is a massive worry to everybody.

“A lot of people are far too proud to say, especially in this town.

“I know my situation isn’t nearly as desperate as some others. I think the more people that talk about using places like these, the less people will be reluctant to use them.”

Nobody in the Harrogate district should go hungry this Christmas.

It costs £300 to run the community grocery for one day. Please help to keep it open for everyone who relies on it.

Click here to contribute now. Thank you.

Four-mile queues as traffic chaos descends on Harrogate

Motorists are enduring misery on the roads in Harrogate today, with long delays on three of the main routes around town.

Wetherby Road, Skipton Road and Ripon Road have all been affected by incidents, bringing traffic to a standstill on the northern side of Harrogate.

Resurfacing outside the yet-to-open Leon drive-through close to the Woodlands junction is causing long delays in both directions on Wetherby Road and Hookstone Drive.

Resurfacing outside Leon

Traffic heading towards the Kestrel roundabout is backing up all the way from Leon to the Empress roundabout and all along Skipton Road to New Park roundabout – a distance of almost four miles.

The four-way traffic lights at the Woodlands junction, near the Leon site, brought tailbacks to Hornbeam Park.

Many vehicles were turning around in attempts to avoid the queues.

The fallen traffic lights.

The central reservation damaged by the traffic lights.

The situation was made worse this morning when a traffic light at the junction of Skipton Road and King’s Road, near Bilton Working Men’s Club, came crashing down.

That has now been removed but traffic was still queueing for miles in all directions when the Stray Ferret cycled around town at about midday today.

Queueing on Skipton Road

Motorists trying to avoid the delays on Skipton Road by heading into town on Ripon Road were hit by further roadworks outside Cygnet Hospital.

Roadworks on Ripon Road is adding to delays.

Bid to demolish gas holder on Harrogate’s Skipton Road

Northern Gas Networks has revealed plans to demolish the gas holder and three other buildings on Skipton Road, Harrogate.

Notices have gone up near the former gasworks saying the company has contacted Harrogate Borough Council to find out whether it needs permission to carry out the demolition work.

Tesco, which bought the site from Northern Gas Networks for £2.8 million in 2003, has submitted plans to build a new supermarket on the land. A decision has yet to be made.

Mark Johnson, senior projects manager for Northern Gas Networks, which is responsible for distributing gas, said:

“The notice relates to work we are proposing to carry out on our own site, to safely dismantle and remove the existing gas holder located there.

“Because of advances in technology and the enhanced capability of the modern-day gas network, the holder is no longer used so the decision was taken to remove it using specialist teams.

“The application is part of a standard process we undertake with every local authority where we are removing a gas holder.”

Planning documents submitted to the council say “the gas holder is below ground and comprises of an outer tank wall with two inner lifts” and that “the general condition of the tank is believed to be in good order”.

They add:

“The works will consist of the removal of wastewater, sludge, and any other debris from inside the gas holder, establish site welfare arrangements including environmental monitoring stations, time lapse cameras, erection of temporary traffic management arrangements, erect and maintain temporary Heras’s fencing, erect a scaffolding crash deck to protect the MP/LP regulators on site and agreed ground protection measures to underground pipework.”

The documents say the site “is situated near to a highly populated residential and commercial area” and “it is vitally important that the demolition method statement deploys approved monitor systems for measuring nuisance noise, dust and vibration and will have a provision in place should these levels reach unacceptable levels in accordance with current legislation”.

They add:

“Access to all neighbouring properties, footpaths and roads will be maintained at all times during the works,
unless the works activity presents significant risk that will require a closure.”

It is not known how long the work would take.

Waitrose objects to plans for new Tesco in Harrogate

Waitrose has submitted an objection to Tesco‘s bid to build a new supermarket on Skipton Road in Harrogate.

The objection, which was submitted last week by planning consultants First Plan on behalf of the retailer, says the new store would have a “significant adverse impact” on both Waitrose on Station Parade and Asda on Bower Road.

It also claims other retailers could be affected and questions shopping data provided by Tesco to support its application.

Tesco submitted plans to Harrogate Borough Council to build the new store in December.

It would be 38,795 square feet and include a petrol filling station, 200 car parking spaces, electric vehicle charging points and 24 cycle spaces. A new mini-roundabout would also be built on Skipton Road.

Tesco says 100 jobs would be created.

Assessment ‘lacks detail’

Waitrose’s objection says a retail assessment by Tesco in December to support its application “lacks detail”.

It says the assessment does not provide enough evidence to support the claim that a new Tesco supermarket would not harm retailers in the town centre.

Tesco has argued that the Bilton, Jennyfields and New Park areas of Harrogate are poorly served by major supermarkets.

Its assessment, written by town planning consultants Martin Robeson Planning Practice, said Tesco will “add to local consumer choice” but will not cause “any significant adverse impact on existing shopping centres”.

The document adds:

“The northern part of Harrogate, particularly the extensive Bilton community, has very limited provision for food shopping.”

Change in shopping habits

However, Waitrose says the data around shopping habits in Harrogate used to underpin Tesco’s conclusions does not give an up-to-date picture.

Tesco’s retail assessment makes several references to the 2014 Harrogate Retail Study, which was undertaken by Harrogate Borough Council to identify trends in shopping habits.

It also says an increase in online shopping, which has been accelerated by the pandemic, has reduced the amount of spending in ‘bricks and mortar’ stores.

The six-page objection letter concludes:

“The cumulative impact of the proposed Tesco store and other recent permissions on town centre foodstores unquestionably represents a ‘significant adverse’ level of impact on the anchor Waitrose and Asda foodstores, with associated implications for the wider vitality and viability of Harrogate town centre, which has already been impacted by a number of high-profile closures in recent years and this should, in our view, constitute a reason for refusal of the application.”

A Tesco spokesperson said:

“We will consider all feedback received on our application and will have further discussions with Harrogate Council about the issues raised.”

Harrogate Borough Council will make a decision on the plans at a later date.

Vulnerable people in Harrogate district having sleepless nights over rising bills

Fears are growing amongst some of the Harrogate district’s most vulnerable people ahead of a record increase in gas and electricity bills in April.

Customers at community grocery shop Resurrected Bites and people who use the Harrogate District Foodbank, say they have been “having sleepless nights” over the price hike.

One man, whose food budget for the entire month is £30, said he had just received his renewal quote for energy and it was up to triple the original amount.

Another woman, who uses a pre-pay metre, said she was preparing to cut back and put on some extra clothing to keep warm if necessary.

Resurrected Bites is a Harrogate and Knaresborough-based community organisation aiming to reduce food waste and food poverty.

One of the customers at the organisation’s grocery shop at New Park Primary Academy, told the Stray Ferret about the impact it would have.

The man, from Harrogate, who works full time and has a six-year-old daughter, said:

“I have had to take advantage of the Citizen’s Advice Warm and Well scheme, which has tided me over, hopefully until the minimum pay rise in April.

But I’ve just had my renewable quote for energy and the variable rate is double what I’m paying now and for fixed, it’s triple. So the extra money I will receive will just be swallowed up.

“I don’t know what is going to go on. I think I’m just going to have to wait until April when it actually happens and just take a view on it or hope that the politicians do something more, because at the moment it’s just not a viable option for many people.

“My food budget for the month is £30, including coming here, and that’s for me and my daughter. That will just be gone with any kind of increase. What do you do? Luckily it’s coming into summer.”

Resurrected Bites provides a ‘lifeline’

The customer, who did not wish to be named, said organisations like Resurrected Bites, which also runs ‘pay-as-you-feel’ cafes in Harrogate and Knaresborough, were a lifeline to those in need.

The community grocery store sells good quality donated food to people on a low income for a small cost, that would otherwise end up in landfill. It often sees between 30 and 40 customers coming through its doors in one day.

The man began using the service after separating from his daughter’s mother, who receives all the available benefits due to being listed as the main residence.

Resurrected Bites’ community grocery store at New Park is a lifeline to those in need.

He said:

“It’s brilliant. I can work out what my meals are going to be. So for example, last week I got some sausages and a turnip and then I’ve cooked them all yesterday and that’s my next three or four meals. I usually make my meals in advance. That way if there are a couple of days where you run short, there’s always something in the back like the odd Pot Noodle.

“You come here on a weekly basis to stock up. The fruit and veg is brilliant, as not a lot of people eat as much as they should do and it fills a gap.”

The price hike comes after the energy regulator, Ofgem, lifted the maximum rate that suppliers can charge for an average duel-fuel energy tariff by £693 — an increase of 54 per cent.

This is to reflect the fourfold increase in energy market prices over the last year.

Volunteers at Resurrected Bites’ New Park Community Grocery Store.

New Park community grocery manager Sophia Clarke said customers, who come from a variety of different backgrounds, were worried about the impact it would have.

She said:

“There are a lot of people who are coming in to sign-up in preparation for the fact that once the energy bills rise they are not going to be able to feed themselves.

“One lady I spoke to said she was going to lose her house because she couldn’t keep up with mortgage payments and the bills rising.

“I don’t think anyone knows the full extent yet, but we are here to help people and offer advice and support.

“People are just getting back on track after covid and are now being faced with this. When you’re struggling to feed yourself and your children, this is not good news for the many.”

Foodbank fears

Over at a very busy Harrogate District Foodbank, at Mowbray Community Church, on Westmoreland Street, one woman said she used a pre-pay meter to avoid getting into trouble with her bills.

She said:

“If I can’t afford heating, I don’t have it on. If the bills get too much in April, I’ll just have to put a woolly jumper on or wrap a duvet around me.

“I’m topping the meter up as much as possible in preparation. I’m okay at the moment but when it goes up, I don’t know what will happen. Luckily warmer weather is coming. I don’t know what I would have done if it had happened in the middle of winter.”

Harrogate District Foodbank at Mowbray Community Church, Westmoreland Street.

Another man, who suffered with mental health problems, said he was worried that his landlord would put his rent up as a result of the price hike.

He said:

“I’m worried about it. If it goes up, I’m going to struggle financially again. That makes me anxious. I suffer with my mental health and I’m on benefits and this just plays on my mind. You’re always thinking about it.”

Dawn Pearson, project manager at Harrogate District Foodbank.

Dawn Pearson, project manager at the foodbank, which also provides help and support for people in Knaresborough and Starbeck, said more support from the government was needed.

She said:

“We find with clients coming in that they tend to get some help, for example Universal Credit, but it’s not enough to cover their bills. Or if it is just enough and something unforeseen goes wrong, then they are in debt again. It’s a vicious circle, they never seem to get above where they should be and it’s sad.

“A lot of people are saying they can’t have the heating on or they are only having it on a couple of times a week, or a couple of hours a day. That’s why people are here because they don’t have enough money for food.”

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New footpath and cycle lane

£50,000 for bus services

Majority opposed to scheme

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Assessment ‘lacks detail’

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Change in shopping habits

Resurrected Bites provides a ‘lifeline’

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Foodbank fears