Plan to install solar panels on historic Harrogate almshouses

Plans have been submitted to install 56 solar panels on historic almshouses in Harrogate town centre.

The Rogers Almshouses Trustees have tabled the proposal for the gothic-style grade two listed site, which was built in about 1868, on Belford Road.

In its plan to North Yorkshire Council, the trustees said the move would help to provide a “sustainable solution” for energy at the 14 houses.

The almshouses were a gift from George Rogers, Bradford textile manufacturer and Harrogate philanthropist.

Originally, 12 almshouses were constructed. Planning permission was granted for a further two one-bedroom houses in 2020.

The proposal would see solar panels installed at the site to help produce renewable energy for the homes, which are classed as affordable housing.

Planning documents submitted to the council said:

“The application proposes the introduction of 56 PV modules distributed across the eastern facing roof of the main almshouses building and the southern facing side of the bungalow to help meet the energy needs of the dwellings by providing a more sustainable solution through renewable energy sources.”

It added that the proposal would have “minimal visual impact” and would “protect the visual integrity” of the site, which is in the Harrogate Conservation Area.

A heritage statement submitted by architects Richard Eves in support of the application said:

“The proposal makes a significant contribution to the quality of the build environment in the locality and it will provide the charity with the valuable opportunity of further future proofing this historic building.”

North Yorkshire Council will make a decision on the plan at a later date.

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Councillors defer decision on Hampsthwaite garage expansion

Councillors have deferred making a decision on whether to allow a new MOT and servicing building at a garage near Hampsthwaite.

North Yorkshire Council’s Skipton and Ripon planning committee met yesterday afternoon to consider the application by Simon Graeme Auto Services Centre, which has operated at Graystone Plain Lane off the A59 for 30 years.

But despite the scheme being recommended for refusal by a planning officer because of its impact on the open countryside, councillors agreed the expansion would help support a long-running local business and boost the rural economy.

Ripon independent councillor Andrew Williams said the Nidderdale AONB should be a place for people to live and work and “not a museum for townies to visit on a weekend”.

However, before a final decision is made councillors asked for more details to be submitted around planting, drainage and renewable energy.

The current garage is located within the Nidderdale AONB, which has strict planning laws. The proposed new building, which would house two MOT bays and five servicing bays, sits on land just outside of the AONB.

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A previous plan for a larger building was refused by officers in January but Nathan Hull, committee chair and Conservative councillor for Washburn and Birstwith, said there was a local need for the garage in the area.

The plans have received 55 messages of support and just one objection.

A visual of the planned new garage for Simon Graeme Auto Services Centre in Harrogate.

A visual of the planned new garage.

Cllr Hull said:

“My understanding is there’s a need for this garage and they’ve outgrown the site. 

“Some proposals are great, such as having a study area for apprenticeships. There’s not a moratorium on any development within the AONB. People who live in the AONB have a need for employment and access to services”.

Mr Graeme told councillors the new building would future-proof his family business and allow it to service and repair electric vehicles. He said he has an ambition to create the first “green garage” in North Yorkshire.

Mr Graeme said:

“Location is the most important part. We’ve been there 30 years and proved that the service is very-much needed in the rural area. We provide jobs for local people which helps to support the rural economy. Opportunities will increase with our expansion”.

Councillors unanimously voted to defer the application pending more details on drainage, planting, solar panels and type of materials used.

Housing companies start work on 33-home Kirkby Malzeard scheme

Two North Yorkshire housing companies have announced a partnership which will see them build 33 homes at Kirby Malzeard, near Ripon.

It will see Brierley Homes, which is owned by North Yorkshire Council, and Broadacres Housing Association create a new development called Laverton Oaks.

Thirteen of the 33 houses will be classed as affordable.

Brierley Homes is delivering the scheme following an agreement to buy the land from Broadacres.

Work on the site is expected to be completed within two years.

Stuart Ede, managing director at Brierley Homes, said:

“This announcement is the result of 12 months of hard work and negotiations between ourselves and Broadacres on this and other schemes.

“It is an exciting partnership between two North Yorkshire companies that will deliver high-quality housing in areas of greatest need.”

Helen Fielding, director of development and investment at Broadacres, said:

“Working in partnership with Brierley Homes, we are pleased to be able to provide 13 much-needed affordable homes in this part of rural North Yorkshire.

“It’s important that we continue investing in even more affordable housing across the county, ensuring our rural communities remain sustainable for local people now and in the future.”

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Metal fencing to remain indefinitely in Harrogate’s Crescent Gardens

Metal fencing looks set to remain outside a Harrogate town centre attraction indefinitely.

The fencing was erected across the entrance of the pavilion in Crescent Gardens on Friday last week to block a group of rough sleepers.

The group had occupied the pavilion for two weeks and returned twice after being dispersed.

The fencing has now been in place for five days and nearby residents, who complained of anti-social behaviour during the encampment, are keen to know what long-term measures are being taken to deal with the situation.

There are also concerns about how long the pavilion will be out of bounds from the public as well as the fencing creating an eyesore in the middle of Harrogate.

The Stray Ferret asked North Yorkshire Council, which worked with North Yorkshire Police to disperse the encampment, how long the fencing was expected to remain in place.

A council spokesperson did not give a date but said:

“The fencing was put in place as a temporary measure in response to the issues.  Any decision to remove the fencing will be made in partnership with all agencies working on this matter.”

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The spokesperson said no legal powers were used to move on the rough sleepers, who had turned down offers of accommodation.

They added:

“We followed our unauthorised camper procedure, and following discussions with those in situ they voluntarily cleared the site and moved location.”

Asked what other measures it was taking, besides the fencing, to deal with the situation, the spokesperson said:

“There is a multi-agency approach to this with regular meetings – the situation is being monitored.”

 

Any vehicle can park in Knaresborough electric vehicle bays, says council

Petrol and diesel cars can currently park in electric vehicle charging bays in Knaresborough’s Chapel Street car park, North Yorkshire Council has confirmed.

The Stray Ferret submitted a freedom of information request to the council amid confusion about the status of the 10 bays, which appeared in the town centre car park shortly before Christmas last year.

The bays are frequently empty while non-electric vehicle drivers struggle to park in Chapel Street car park, particularly on Wednesday market days and at weekends.

This has infuriated some traders, who claim it is costing them money, and they have been unable to determine the precise rules surrounding the bays.

A petition this year called for some of the bays to be made available to all vehicles until more electric cars used them.

Traders Steve and Kelly Teggin launching the petition.

We asked the council what consultation it held on having the bays in Chapel Street car park, whether it was legal for non-electric vehicles to park in the bays and how many vehicles had received parking tickets for using the bays.

The council replied it hadn’t carried out any consultation and added:

“At present it is not illegal for a non-electric vehicle to park in an electric vehicle bay in Chapel Street car park (this is not the case for all electric vehicle car park bays in the Harrogate borough).

“There is currently no Traffic Regulation Order for electric vehicle charging in Chapel Street.

“Any vehicle can park in the electric vehicle bays at Chapel Street and will not receive a penalty charge notice as long as the user has paid the fee to park in the car park; in Chapel Street you must pay to park between 8am and 6pm.”

The response also said electric vehicles would not be fined just for parking in the bays “as long as the user has paid the fee to park in the car park”.

The council agreed to pay £280,000 to the company Connected Kerb in March 2022 to install electric vehicle charging bays across the county.

It is currently conducting an internal review into off street car parking orders across North Yorkshire, which it said will “enable us to align definitions for electric vehicle charging across the county”.

This would enable it to fine petrol and diesel vehicle owners parked in an electric vehicle bays, as well as electric vehicles drivers that use the bays for parking rather than charging.

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Cllr Matt Walker, a Liberal Democrat who represents Knaresborough West on North Yorkshire Council, said he supported electric vehicle charging to reduce pollution but “charging point installation has been poorly implemented in Knaresborough due to inadequate engagement and communication with local residents, business, visitors and the town council”.

The decision to install slow charging bays in a busy town centre car park has proved particularly contentious.

Cllr Walker was part of the council’s Harrogate and Knaresborough area constituency committee that recommended the Conservative-controlled executive conduct a full review of all parking in Knaresborough within the next six months to ensure spaces, pricing and locations are in line with the needs of the town for both residents and visitors.

The committee also recommended the council develop a strategy for EV charging that is supported by residents and  introducing a park and ride scheme that links the York Place long stay car park and the town centre.

Former homeless hostel in Harrogate to be converted to flats

Councillors have approved a plan to convert former homeless hostel Cavendish House in Harrogate into six apartments.

The hostel on Robert Street was operated by Harrogate Borough Council from 1983 until its closure in November 2021.

In 2021, the council opened a new homeless centre called Fern House in Starbeck.

Cavendish House had nine bedsits which will be converted into six self-contained flats and sold by the council through shared ownership schemes.

A-two storey flat roof extension to the rear of the building will be demolished under the plans.

The application from North Yorkshire Council was considered by councillors on the council’s Harrogate and Knaresborough planning committee last week.

Air source heat pumps will be fitted to the building but Paul Haslam, the Conservative councillor for Nidd Gorge and Bilton, said the council could do more to make it energy efficient for residents.

He said:

“We need to add a condition so that this is retrofitted to the highest standard, particularly as we own it”.

However, Cllr Haslam was told by council planning officer John Worthington that internal alternations were not planning matters.

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The decision to fit UPVC windows was criticised by Hannah Gostlow, the Liberal Democrat councillor for Knaresborough East, who said she would prefer them to choose wood.

But John Mann, the Conservative councillor for Pannal and Oatlands, said UPVC windows were cheaper and more effective than traditional windows.

He said:

“We do need to save the planet and try and reduce emissions. In my experience, what people are looking for is warm homes that save electricity and don’t cost a fortune to heat.

“One of the advantages of UPVC windows is they are really warm if they’re double-glazed and save on electricity bills. Wooden windows cost a fortune and they’re not very warm.”

The plans were approved by six votes to none with Cllr Gostlow abstaining.

‘No timeline’ for £1.8m care facility at Cardale Park

Council officials have said no timeline has been set on proposals for land at Cardale Park in Harrogate which was purchased to provide care services.

The three-acre site on Beckwith Head Road in Harrogate was previously owned by Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust, which runs mental health services in the district.

North Yorkshire County Council, which has now been replaced by North Yorkshire Council, completed a £1.8 million purchase of the land last year.

At the time, the authority said it had bought the site in order to progress a “scheme to assist with social care market development in the Harrogate area”.

In February, the council said it was “examining the best options” for the site.

The Stray Ferret asked North Yorkshire Council whether it had any timescales for bringing forward a proposal for the site.

Richard Webb, the council’s director of health and adult services, said:

“We cannot at this stage provide you with a timeline as we are still in the process of examining the best options for meeting the community’s needs and will bring forward a scheme in due course.”

The land was previously given approval for a 36-bed mental health facility on the site, following the closure of Harrogate District Hospital’s Briary Unit, which helped adults with mental illness.

However, those plans were dropped in 2019 and inpatients on the unit were sent to Foss Park Hospital in York instead.

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Man fined for fly-tipping in Harrogate district

A man has been fined after hiring people to remove waste which was later found fly-tipped in the Harrogate district.

Jimmy Nicholson, 32, of Lyneburn Cottage caravan site in Northumberland, was prosecuted for failing in his duty of care for waste under the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

He appeared before York Magistrates Court on September 29, where he pleaded guilty to the charges.

Nicholson was convicted after failing to check if the people he transferred the waste to had an upper tier waste carrier’s licence, or a scrap metal collectors’ licence, and he did not obtain a waste transfer document to show what waste had been taken and by whom.

North Yorkshire Council’s environmental protection team launched an investigation into Nicholson in January this year after they were notified by a traffic sergeant from North Yorkshire Police of a large amount of waste fly-tipped on Ox Moor Lane in Cattal.

The tip comprised of broken and dismantled furniture, black leather sofas, plasterboard, dining chairs and other household waste. Within the waste was documentation in the name of Nicholson and a name and address of where the waste had come from.

On the same day, the council’s street cleansing team attended a fly-tip on Springs Lane, Hutton Wandesley, which included plasterboard, broken wood, and within that tip was documentation with the same address as that found within the Ox Moor Lane tip.

It was discovered Nicholson had been employed to clear the property of waste and carry out renovation work. He had used skips for some of the waste but had stored a large amount on the driveway of the property.

In court, he was fined £461, a victim surcharge of £184 and ordered to pay a contribution to North Yorkshire Council’s costs of £850.

Cllr Greg White, executive councillor for managing our environment, said: 

“This prosecution is another example of how our environmental protection and street cleansing teams are taking a strong stance against fly-tipping.

“They work tirelessly to prosecute those who dump waste illegally, which is not only a blight on our beautiful countryside but poses a potential health risk to the public.

“This case should be a lesson to all businesses that they must ensure whoever they give their waste to is authorised to accept it, be that an authorised site or a waste carrier who should have an upper tier waste carriers licence issued by the Environment Agency.”

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Council to hire contractor for Harrogate school expansion

North Yorkshire Council is set to hire a contractor to expand Springwater School and refurbish Oak Beck House in Harrogate.

The authority will take on the procurement exercise over the next six months.

It comes as senior councillors backed plans to increase the capacity at Springwater School in Starbeck by 45 pupils in February this year.

According to a council report, the work is earmarked to start in August 2024 and is due to be complete by May 2025.

It says:

“The scheme will create additional teaching space at Springwater School, Harrogate and adaptations and refurbishment at Oak Beck House, Harrogate.”

No cost for the work is included in the report.

Springwater School, which is based off High Street, teaches children aged two to 19 with “profound and multiple, severe or physical difficulties”.

At a meeting in February, the council said the move would help to provide “more local, quality in-house special school places” within the county.

As part of the plan, the council intends to spend £3.1 million from its High Needs Provision Capital Allocation, which is granted by government.

Meanwhile, the council also intends to carry out refurbishment work to Oak Beck House on Electric Avenue.

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Councillors support joining two public paths near Crimple Viaduct

Councillors have recommended that two public bridleways near Crimple Viaduct are connected following a dispute.

In 2013, the owner of Rudding Park proposed a new path along a section of a disused railway on the estate in Crimple Valley, near Follifoot.

The intention was to connect the new bridleway to the existing public bridleway 61.

However, it was later found there was a gap of five metres between the two bridleways, which is on land not owned by Rudding Park.

North Yorkshire Council has proposed a Public Path Creation Order to join the two paths but the farmer who owns the small parcel of land, Craig Eastwood, opposes it and said the former county council did not follow the proper procedure.

This week, Mr Eastwood told the council’s Harrogate and Knaresborough planning committee he had concerns about access to the bridleway on Fulwith Mill Lane, including an increase in footfall damaging his land as well as dogs off leads scaring livestock.

The proposal has received support from over 100 members of the public as well as groups including the British Horse Society, Cycling UK and The Ramblers.

Mr Eastwood said:

“Walkers tend to stray off the prescribed PROW (public right of way), especially with dogs and almost treat the land as a park. This costs us time and money to make good and also negatively affects our livestock with sheep in particular being worried by dogs roaming around.”

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However, Cllr John Mann, a Conservative who represents Pannal and Oatlands told Mr Eastwood rambling is a “very civilised activity” with dog walkers “almost always” on a lead.

He said:

“I ramble on a regular basis and the people I come across generally do stick to the paths that are designated. I don’t think people take liberties with landowners.”

Cllr Chris Aldred, a Liberal Democrat who represents High Harrogate and Kingsley, asked if there could be improved signage to satisfy both the landowner and the council, calling it a “win-win” for both parties.

He added:

“The more people we get out into the countryside the better”.

Councillors voted unanimously to recommend that the new path is created.

The recommendation will now go to the Secretary of State to make a final decision.