Village housing scheme rejected amid fears of sewage in streets

North Yorkshire Council has refused plans for 23 homes in Bishop Monkton amid concerns it would increase the amount of raw sewage released on streets.

The Kebbell Homes development was considered yesterday afternoon at the Skipton and Ripon planning committee at Ripon Town Hall.

About 25 villagers, who appeared to be firmly on the side of refusal, also attended,

A council officer recommended councillors approve the scheme but the committee decided otherwise.

One councillor said having more properties in the village could exacerbate the “abomination” of raw sewage being released into the streets during heavy rainfall.

A decision on the application was deferred at the previous planning committee in June when councillors requested further details from Yorkshire Water on how the scheme would impact on foul water drainage in the village.

Yorkshire Water told the council that “most, if not all” of the “sewage escapes” in the village were caused by residents putting excessive toilet paper, fat, oil and grease down toilets and sinks which caused pipes to block.

However, the water company acknowledged that the sewage system in Bishop Monkton, which is between Boroughbridge and Ripon, was close to capacity.

Nick Brown, the Conservative councillor for Wathvale and Bishop Monkton, who was on the committee as a substitute, said the village had been blighted by sewage discharges in recent years with its Victorian sewage system unable to cope with more rain brought on by climate change. 

He called on Yorkshire Water to improve its infrastructure before any new homes are built.

Cllr Brown said:

“There’s no question that Bishop Monkton has had sewage on the streets and that’s totally abhorrent.

“I really think this is something that should not be happening in 2023. There are proper grounds for refusal in villages where sewage systems are at capacity.”

Yorkshire Water accused of ‘arrogance’

Yorkshire Water did not send a representative to attend the meeting, which angered Conservative and Independent Group councillor for Skipton East and South, Robert Heseltine. 

He said:

“I am exceptionally disappointed with the response from Yorkshire Water. They are a massive company and it’s not acceptable to democracy. It demonstrates a disturbing amount of arrogance on their part.”

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The two-storey homes would have had either 2,3,4 or 5-bedrooms. Planning documents attached to the application said the developer hoped the scheme would “integrate with the locality and positively contribute to the community”.

Steve Longstaff, a planning agent on behalf of the developer, said the application met all of the requirements set out in Harrogate Borough Council’s Local Plan, which is still being used to guide planning applications on the new unitary authority.

He said:

“There are no objections from Yorkshire Water or the lead flood authority. The scheme is designed with current best practice and as such any reasons for refusal on drainage are unsubstantiated and unreasonable.”

Hedgerow retained

Nathan Hull, the Conservative councillor for Washburn and Birstwith and chair of the committee, praised the scheme for including 40% affordable homes which he said could help keep the village alive.

However, he said he would abstain from voting due to the conflicting views and opinions on what the impact the homes might have.

Councillors also objected to the removal of a hedgerow, which some villagers claim dates back to 1816.

After a long discussion with officers over how to word the refusal in the event of the developer appealing, councillors voted to refuse the application by four votes to one with one abstention.

They cited policies in the Local Plan relating to developments not having an adverse impact on the sewage capacity and the removal of the hedge harming the Bishop Monkton Conservation Area.

Kebbell Homes can appeal and the Local Democracy Reporting Service has asked the company for a response to the decision.

North Yorkshire Police confirms it will no longer manage Remembrance Day traffic

North Yorkshire Police has confirmed it will no longer close roads or manage traffic for Remembrance Day parades in North Yorkshire.

Knaresborough Royal British Legion revealed yesterday its annual parade was in jeopardy after police said they would no longer support it.

Vice-chair David Houlgate said the decision “almost certainly means there will be no Remembrance Day parade in Knaresborough as things currently stand” because the legion, as a charity, could not justify the cost incurred by managing traffic itself.

The force said today the ruling applied throughout the county and would enable it to focus on fighting crime.

In a joint letter from North Yorkshire Police and highways authority North Yorkshire Council, assistant chief constable Elliot Foskett said the new arrangements would “be in place for 2023 and beyond”.

The letter, sent to branches of the Royal British Legion, added:

“For many years, North Yorkshire Police has continued to provide a traffic management function to smaller Remembrance Day events like the one held in your community.

“In line with the legislation, the National Police Chiefs’ Council and the College of Policing have stressed that policing should not take responsibility for closing roads or managing traffic, other than in an emergency.

“This is to make sure police resources remain focused on tackling crime and anti-social behaviour.

“With immediate effect, North Yorkshire Police has repositioned to fully comply and will not be undertaking routine traffic management for any Remembrance Day events in 2023 and in subsequent years.”

Extra costs

The letter said organisations will now need a temporary traffic regulation order from North Yorkshire Council and will have to appoint “suitably qualified persons to implement associated traffic management i.e. signs and barriers etc”.

Those British legion branches affected now have to decide whether to go down this route or re-route or cancel parades.

Mike Comerford, chairman of the Harrogate Victory branch of the Royal British Legion said the police had not provided traffic management for its parade for many years.

Mr Comerford said the service had been provided recently by Harrogate Borough Council, which was abolished at the end of March, and he would contact the successor authority, North Yorkshire Council, to see if this arrangement remained in place.

Ripon’s Remembrance Sunday parade is managed by members of the armed forces.

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Petition protesting Ripon Cathedral’s plans to fell trees for £6m expansion delivered to council

A petition signed by more than 800 people against the felling of trees in Ripon Cathedral’s £6 million expansion plans has been delivered to North Yorkshire Council.

The cathedral submitted plans in December for a two-storey structure on part of the public open space known as Minster Gardens.

It says the building is much-needed and will provide a new song school for its choir, a cafe, toilet facilities and disabled access.

But the plans also include the loss of a veteran beech tree as well as 10 other trees on the gardens which has proved controversial.

The cathedral has argued that 14 trees would be planted round the development as well as a further 300 at Studley Royal.

However to Jenni Holman, who set up the petition, this fails to compensate for the loss of the mature trees as well as part of the green space that would be built on.

The petition is still available to be signed in Karma on Kirkgate in Ripon and Ms Holman hopes more than 1,000 people will have put their names to it soon.

She told the Local Democracy Reporting Service:

“I organised it, with the help of many others, because I fundamentally disagree with the plans to build an annexe for the Cathedral’s use on Minster Gardens. Firstly and most importantly because it would mean felling eleven mature trees, one of which is a beech tree which has been awarded ‘veteran’ status. I shouldn’t need to explain the importance of trees now!

“Secondly, the area in question, Minster Gardens is a beautiful green space in a built up area, again climatically it is not good to create more hard surface areas. This park is used by people to sit and quietly enjoy, it contains a beautiful memorial garden too.

“It has been used for entertainment, for example when the theatre festival was on and many enjoyed the recent musical entertainment which rounded off St Wilfrid’s day.”

Ripon Cathedral’s plans have been backed by the public body Historic England as well as the Cathedrals Fabric Commission for England.

The catherdral currently welcomes 100,000 visitors a year, which it argues could increase by 33% if the expansion went ahead.

The Dean of Ripon the Very Rev John Dobson said the tree campaigners were risking undermining a development which he believes will “hugely enhance” both the city and its cathedral.

He said:

“We are really disappointed with how this petition has been positioned as we feel that it is not representative of the plans submitted.

“It’s disingenuous to suggest that this development would take away green space from the city, in fact it is adding to the usable green space in the area and landscaping will flow into the memorial garden. No one takes a decision to cut down a tree lightly but we believe this new development will bring a wide range of benefits to the city.

“We are planting 14 trees around the development and a further 300 on land which has been made available to us at Studley, as well as increasing the biodiversity of the green space created.”

Councillors on North Yorkshire Council’s Skipton and Ripon planning committee are expected to consider the application later this year.

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More live music events to be held at Ripon’s Minster Gardens

The success of Ripon’s Rock for St Wilfrid Concert in Minster Gardens has prompted organisers to call for an encore.

An estimated 500 people turned up on Saturday evening to hear four acts, including rock band Time Machine in which Kevin Hill is a vocalist and plays bass guitar.

Mr Hill, who owns the Karma clothing and gift boutique in Kirkgate with his wife Liz, told the Stray Ferret:

“It was the ideal location for a summer concert and we’re now considering a follow-up for the August Bank Holiday and have ideas for further musical and cultural events to be staged here next spring.”

Concert-goers gather at Minster Gardens

The event arranged at short notice in liaison with the St Wilfrid’s Procession Committee and Ripon Business Improvement District, was supported with a grant of £829 from North Yorkshire Council which also gave permission for use of the public open space.

Harpist Lucinda Taylor

Mr Hill said:

“Thanks to cooperation from all parties, we were able to hold a family-focused evening of entertainment in this lovely setting.

“It attracted a large crowd and those who attended showed great respect by leaving the gardens litter free.”

In addition to Time Machine (pictured above) the evening also featured local singer-songwriter Alannah Creed, harp player Lucinda Taylor and Knaresborough Vista Social Club.

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Harrogate Lib Dem claims Tories using delaying tactics to avoid town council

A row over the creation of Harrogate Town Council has continued with a Liberal Democrat councillor claiming the Conservatives are attempting to delay the process because they fear they’d lose the election.

This month North Yorkshire Council agreed to hold a third public consultation on the creation of a Harrogate Town Council, which is now likely to form in 2025, a year later originally than planned.

Despite residents backing plans for two councillors to represent single wards in the previous consultation, Conservative councillors want single councillor wards based around the 19 former Harrogate Borough Council boundaries.

A consultation on the new proposals is expected to begin this year.

The move has frustrated opposition parties including the Liberal Democrats, which would like to see the currently unparished area of Harrogate represented by a town council as soon as possible.

Liberal Democrat councillor for High Harrogate and Kingsley, Chris Aldred, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that he believes the Conservatives “do not like town councils” and also want to delay the process in order to avoid the electorate at the ballot box. 

He said:

“The truth is that they feel the further away they can push any possible election, the better for them. They know what the public think of them, nationally and locally, and they are running very, very scared.”

One of the most vocal opponents of the two councillors per ward proposals has been Conservative councillor for Killinghall, Hampsthwaite and Saltergate, Michael Harrison, who also sits on the council’s decision-making executive.

This year, Cllr Harrison was unanimously chosen by Harrogate councillors as its first charter mayor. However, Cllr Aldred suggested the Lib Dems, which is the largest party in Harrogate, now regret backing him due to his stance on the town council. 

He added: 

“We installed Cllr Harrison as our charter mayor for this year, partly in the hope it would educate him in the important role played by the mayoralty in our town, which can’t legally be continued or expanded upon, without a fully functional town council.

“We had the numbers to put in one of our own, but we felt this issue was actually so important, we were prepared to forgo this civic honour and elect a Tory. So we are doubly disappointed that he still continues in his attempts to usurp the creation of a democratically elected town council.”

Michael Harrison

Cllr Michael Harrison

In response, Cllr Harrison told the LDRS that local politics and the mayoralty are “strictly separate.” He said:

“I am honoured to be the mayor of Harrogate and was very grateful that my fellow councillors elected me to represent them. It has been a pleasure to carry out various civic duties over the last five months, and I will continue to do so for the rest of the civic year.

“It is no secret that I remain to be convinced of the need for a town council but recognise that colleagues continue to make the case, and I will be happy to support a decision at the right time.

“I make no apology for trying to ensure that if we are to create a new town council, that it is structured in the best way possible, we understand what it might achieve and what strategic objectives it will deliver in return for the precept that the residents of the town will have no choice to pay.”

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The Conservative leader of North Yorkshire Council Cllr Carl Les described  Cllr Aldred’s claim that the Tories are against town councils as “nonsense”.

Cllr Les told the LDRS: 

“Most of my colleagues in the Conservative group have served on parish councils themselves and we all attend parish councils in our divisions. If we didn’t value their role, we wouldn’t have proposed offering the two communities in North Yorkshire which aren’t parished the opportunity to create two new parish councils.

“However it is important to get this right, as these bodies will be existence for many years to come, so it’s right to take time at the start. Cllr Aldred raised some points about warding which we are now addressing, so I don’t know why he is now criticising us. We have to do this with communities, not to them, so we need some further consultation.”

Council to offer new Harrogate district foster carers £500 ‘golden hello’

New foster carers in the Harrogate district will be offered a £500 “golden hello” payment if they are approved to look after young people.

North Yorkshire Council’s fostering service, Fostering North Yorkshire, is offering the payment to newly approved carers until December 31.

The move comes as the council is launching a recruitment drive for more foster carers over the summer.

Cllr Janet Sanderson, executive councillor for children and families at the council, said:

“We are delighted to announce the ‘golden hello’ for all newly approved foster carers between now and the end of December.

“Our foster carers are there day in, day out giving our local children a loving home and offering them support and guidance.

“Our foster carers are very much appreciated, and we are fully committed to ensuring our foster carers are properly supported and rewarded. We would encourage anyone who has been thinking of fostering to enquire now.”

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The service currently has 181 carers looking after children in care.

However, the council said more children are coming into care and there is a national shortage of foster carers.

Those who join will receive training and support from the authority. Anyone aged over 21 can foster.

There are also payments and allowances for every night a carer fosters, most of these are tax-free.

For more information on fostering, visit the North Yorkshire Council website here.

From Zulu dancing to inflatable lobsters: Everything you need to know about Harrogate Carnival

Harrogate town centre will become a cultural hub tomorrow when it welcomes the return of Harrogate Carnival.

Launched in 2019, the carnival is commissioned by Visit Harrogate – a tourism organisation run by North Yorkshire Council and produced by Harrogate International Festivals.

The free one-day event will showcase an array of world music and entertainment, as well as street theatre, a dance stage, and a food quarter.

Live dance and music performances will fill the streets of the town, including Leeds West Indian Carnival, Zulu performers, Ubunye, and St Aelred’s Irish Dance Group.

There will be an interactive display from Close-Act, an inflatable lobster from Lobster A la Cart, as well as moving sculptures from Hebden Bridge’s Handmade Parade.

A Chinese dragon will take centre stage.

Foodies will find cuisines from around the world, from Greek gyros to Japanese rice dishes to Turkish kebabs and churros.

People can also take part is various workshops to learn about international cultures, including a dhol drumming workshop with Punjabi Roots.

The parade will begin at 11am from the war memorial and will finish in the Valley Gardens.

Several roads will be closed between 10am to 1pm during the carnival, including Cambridge Road, Royal Parade and West Park.

More details on road closures can be found on North Yorkshire Council’s website.

A full programme of acts can be found here.

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Government says council’s £20m bid for Harrogate Convention Centre lacked ‘evidence and rationale’

Harrogate Borough Council’s bid for £20 million of government money to upgrade the town’s convention centre lacked evidence and rationale and may have over-stated the economic benefits.

Government feedback on the bid, released following a freedom of information request by the Stray Ferret, revealed several areas of concerns with the bid.

This is despite the fact the council, which was abolished at the end of March, paid consultants £45,000 as part of its submission to ministers.

More than 100 projects were awarded a share of £2.1 billion from round two of the Levelling Up Fund in January.

But the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, led by Michael Gove, rejected Harrogate’s application.

The decision was a significant blow to the council’s plans for a £49 million upgrade of the ageing centre and cast further doubt on the facility’s future.

The feedback described the bid as “relatively strong” and listed stakeholder engagement and deliverability as strengths. But the economic case was widely criticised.

The feedback said:

“There were some key areas that could have been enhanced, particularly in the economic case relating to the analysis of monetised costs and benefits, and the appropriateness of data sources and evidence.”

Harrogate Convention Centre, which is earmarked for a £47 million renovation.

The rejection was a blow to plans for a £49m upgrade to Harrogate Convention Centre.

It went on to say although the bid “evidenced the need to revitalise the visitor economy”, it “could have been strengthened by drawing on a broader range of socioeconomic indicators to demonstrate the multifaceted nature of the problems that the intervention had been designed to address”.

It added:.

“There was a lack of supporting evidence and rationale. The bid could have been strengthened by incorporating more evidence to support the assumptions linking outputs to outcomes and impacts, e.g., it would have been good to understand whether there was unmet demand for this type of space, and how the increased capacity of the centre would address the problems identified.”

Benefits ‘may have been overstated’

The feedback also said the council’s economic case was not based on government guidance. Citing one example of this, it said:

“There was no justification for the 40-year appraisal period (typically it would be 30 years) and so benefits may have been overstated. More detail and discussion in relation to the counterfactual could be provided too – for example, the application mentions that they could borrow money and it also states that £115m of investment would be required in the ‘Do Nothing’ scenario, without any further explanation.

“There were only environmental benefits monetised; with no attempt to monetise other categories of benefits that would be typical for this type of proposal, e.g., wider land value uplift, potential wellbeing benefits from arts/culture, etc.”

In a section on deliverability, the council was praised for its “strong, coherent bid with a high level of detail and explanation throughout”.

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The feedback also recognised the bid’s “strong levels of engagement with most of the relevant stakeholders”.

North Yorkshire Council, which succeeded Harrogate Borough Council on April 1, provided the feedback following our freedom of information request.

Richard Cooper, the Conservative leader of Harrogate Borough Council at the time of the bid, has said he will not comment on any council issues relating to his time in charge of the local authority.

Ripon to rock until 10pm tomorrow after St Wilfrid’s Day celebrations extended

Ripon businesses have worked together to ensure tomorrow’s St Wilfrid’s Day celebrations continue until 10pm.

Budget cuts and the cost of living crisis looked set to restrict the day’s activities, which include the procession and a free climbing wall and bungee jumping on Market Square, to a 5.30pm finish.

But businesses, helped by a £829 grant from North Yorkshire Council, didn’t want one of the city’s biggest days of the year to be cut short.

So they arranged for the Kirkgate road closure to be extended into the evening and organised a night of eclectic live music, which includes two rock bands, a harpist and a singer.

It is hoped restaurants will put tables in the street and stay open later to encourage café culture that adds to the festive vibe.

Antony Prince, chairman of the St Wilfrid’s Procession committee, said:

“We are constrained with a reduced budget this year but, thanks to local volunteers, the council and local business sponsors, we are putting on a fantastic day of celebration for St Wilfrid.”

Ripon businesses worked with the St Wilfrid’s Procession committee and Ripon Business Improvement District to organise the evening of free entertainment at short notice.

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Local musician Alannah Creed will sing from her latest album and Lucinda Taylor will give a harp recital. Later in the evening, Knaresborough Vista Social Club and Time Machine will play live.

Kevin Hill, who runs Karma shop on Kirkgate and was one of the traders determined to extend the day’s festivities, said:

“These days, if money is tight, we are finding that events can still happen as long as we work together. We are all dedicated to supporting local business and also supporting local artists in the entertainment we provide.

“All the bands are from the Ripon area and they are of really high calibre.”

Richard Hughes, owner of Manchega Tapas restaurant, said,

“We are dedicated to supporting the economy of Ripon and the rural hinterland.  St Wilfrid’s Day is a great opportunity to party whilst bolstering local business.”

How the day shapes up

Tomorrow’s celebrations get underway with the 7.5-mile procession starting on Studley Road at 1.30pm.

The St Wilfrid’s Procession route

An actor on horseback, playing the role of St Wilfrid, will parade through the streets in honour of Ripon’s patron saint. The procession, accompanied by Ripon City Band, will include 20 decorated floats.

Free entertainment will take place on the market square throughout the afternoon. It includes a climbing wall, bungee jumping, stilt walkers and face painters.

Kirkgate will then take centre stage for the evening of live music.

 

Developer appeals Harrogate office block conversion refusal

A developer has appealed a council decision to refuse a plan to convert Simpson House in Harrogate into flats.

Bramhope Property and Investments Limited tabled the proposal to North Yorkshire Council to convert the the former office block off Clarence Drive into 12 two-bedroom flats.

It would have seen the ground, first and second floors converted.

However, the authority rejected the plan in May this year on the grounds that the flats would not have enough natural light.

In a decision notice, the council said that existing trees and hedges at the site which would lead to “large amounts of shade” to the flats during the day.

Now the developer has taken the decision to the government’s Planning Inspectorate, which deals with planning disputes.

In documents submitted to the inspector, the developer argued that the council’s reason for refusal was “not based on any detailed technical evidence”.

It said:

“The local planning authority considers that the proposal would fail to provide adequate daylight within all apartments.

“However, the appellant has provided a detailed assessment following national guidance.

“This demonstrates that appropriate levels of daylight can be provided and as such the proposal is acceptable.”

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A government planning inspector will make a decision on the appeal at a later date.

The move comes after two previous proposals to change the use of the office block to residential were refused in 2022.

Meanwhile, another application by Artium Group was withdrawn in July 2022 amid concern from the former Harrogate Borough Council officers over the impact on neighbouring trees.