Ripon to stage public meeting on new tourism strategy

A public meeting is being held in Ripon next week to hear views on how to shape a new tourism strategy for North Yorkshire.

North Yorkshire Council, which came into existence last month, is devising a strategy to boost the county’s multi-million pound tourism industry.

As part of this, the council is staging three free workshops, including one at the Old Deanery in Ripon from 11am to 1pm on Wednesday.

A council press release this week said the events would “gather information and views from key organisations and enterprises involved in the tourism sector to develop the first countywide destination management plan”.

Attendees will be asked about their priorities and aspirations for the tourism industry as well as the strengths, opportunities and challenges being faced by North Yorkshire’s visitor economy.

Newby Hall 1 by Mervin Straughan

Newby Hall. Pic: Mervin Straughan

The council’s Conservative leader, Cllr Carl Les, said:

“The opportunity to develop the first county-wide plan to promote tourism is a major milestone for North Yorkshire.

“The views of businesses and organisations involved in tourism will be key to developing the strategy and the future of the industry as a whole.”

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In-person events will also be held in Ripon, Skipton and Scarborough followed by two online sessions from 5.30pm to 7pm on Tuesday, May 23, and then from noon until 1.30pm on Thursday, May 25.

The draft destination management plan is due to be finalised by the end of June, before being presented to councillors the following month.

A bid is then due to be submitted to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport in September for North Yorkshire to be home to a Local Visitor Economy Partnership, which would involve both the private and public sectors and would need to follow a new national process to be eligible for support and potential funding from the government.

Tourism in North Yorkshire accounts for 11 per cent of the county’s overall economy and employs 41,200 workers.

The county is home to two National Parks for the Yorkshire Dales and the North York Moors, as well as Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal, which is one of only two World Heritage Sites in Yorkshire.

North Yorkshire also has stately homes, including Castle Howard, Kiplin Hall and Newby Hall, as well as 23 English Heritage sites, including Whitby Abbey, Richmond Castle and Rievaulx Abbey, along with the recently acquired Thornborough Henges.

The county also has a wealth of famous food and drink producers responsible for brands including Bettys Café Tea Rooms, Wensleydale Cheese, Harrogate Spring Water and Yorkshire Tea.

Further details of the workshops are available here.

You can complete a 10-minute questionnaire on North Yorkshire’s visitor economy here.

Starbeck Baths to reopen today

Starbeck Baths is to reopen today — five weeks after it closed due to an “unforeseen mechanical failure”.

In a Facebook post yesterday, the swimming pool said it would welcome customers from 7.30am.

It added:

“The work to complete the replacement of the filter and the subsequent safety checks have been completed and earlier today, we received the results from the tests, giving us the green light to open.”

The pool is run by the North Yorkshire Council-controlled Brimhams Active, which manages leisure facilities in the Harrogate district.

It had previously indicated it would be closed until late May.

Besides swimming sessions, it provides swimming lessons and caters for children’s parties.

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Delay in police plan to move into Ripon Town Hall

North Yorkshire Police’s planned move into Ripon Town Hall has been delayed with no date in place for when it might happen.

In February, the office for Zoe Metcalfe, North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner (PFCC), said refurbishment of space in the town hall was already under way to give officers more of a presence in the city centre.

However, this was questioned by Ripon City Council leader Andrew Williams who told the Local Democracy Reporting Service in April that work was yet to begin.

The works will cost North Yorkshire Police £91,000 and will see a public consultation room, an office and a break out room added for officers to use.

A spokesman for the PFCC confirmed that work at the town hall had not started and blamed the changes in local government for the delay.

Harrogate Borough Council owned the building until April 1 when it was handed to the new unitary authority North Yorkshire Council. The spokesman said:

“I can confirm that there has been a slight delay in the schedule for the local policing team moving into Ripon Town Hall.

“This has been due to the change in local government structure where the local agreement to occupy space in Ripon Town Hall made with Harrogate Borough Council, now needs to be signed off by the new North Yorkshire Council.”

North Yorkshire Council was also unable to say when works will begin. The council’s corporate director of resources, Gary Fielding, said:

“We are continuing to work with North Yorkshire Police and Ripon City Council regarding the future of Ripon Town Hall over how to best serve the needs of local residents.”

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£30,000 cycle priority crossing planned in Harrogate

North Yorkshire Council has proposed constructing a cycle priority crossing in Harrogate.

The £30,000 scheme where Bilton Lane dissects Nidderdale Greenway would give cyclists and pedestrians crossing the road priority over vehicles.

The road would be raised to make the crossing more visible to motorists.

The council has sent letters to Bilton residents to get their views. The letter says there has been an increase in the number of cyclists and pedestrians using the Nidderdale Greenway cycle network. It adds:

“As part of the council’s efforts to improve accessibility and promoting active travel, we are proposing to construct a cycle priority crossing on Bilton Lane at the crossing of Nidderdale Greenway.

“The crossing is designed with a raised table making it more visible to drivers and helping to slow them down. Priority will be given to cyclists and pedestrians to cross safely without having to compete with drivers on the road.

“People with mobility issues such as those using wheelchairs or mobility scooters can cross more easily with the crossing being at the same level as the footway. Apart from improved safety, other benefits include increased accessibility, better health outcomes and environmental benefits.”

The crossing would be 7 metres long, 6.6 metres wide and 75 millimetres high.

Paul Haslam, a Conservative who represents Bilton and Nidd Gorge on the council, said he supported the idea in principle.

But he added the Bilton Lane speed limit needed to be reduced from 30mph to 20mph and parking arrangements improved so the crossing was more visible to motorists.

Cllr Haslam also called on farmers, who often drive vehicles on Bilton Lane, to be consulted and for the car park next to the greenway and Bilton Lane to be resurfaced.

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Victorian church clock restored in Harrogate district

Villagers are celebrating the restoration of their Victorian church clock following a £7,000 restoration project.

Residents came together last year to launch the platinum jubilee clock restoration project for St Bartholomew’s Church in Arkendale, which is between Knaresborough and Boroughbridge.

A community event has been held to unveil the clock, which features gold leaf gilded dials that match the original, and the clock mechanism has been deep-cleaned.

Cllr Robert Windass, a Conservative who represents Boroughbridge and Claro on North Yorkshire Council, was the largest funder with £2,500 from his locality budget.

The locality budget provides £10,000 for each councillor to spend on specific local activities each year.

Cllr Windass said:

“I’m delighted to join the community in celebrating the long-awaited unveiling of the church clock. The large-scale project involved making new clock faces to match the original, and the mechanism was overhauled to make sure it will run for many years to come.

“It has been a joint effort to pull this off and I’m proud to have contributed some of my locality budget to such a worthwhile cause.”

(from left), Colin Fletcher, account director at Allerton Waste Recovery Park, Cllr Robert Windass and church warden Robyn Cox

Funding also came from local sponsors and donations through a Sponsor a Numeral Campaign, as well as Thalia Waste Management at Allerton Waste Recovery Park, the Church of England’s ChurchCare scheme, the Moto Foundation and Hanson Cement at Allerton Park.

Harrogate adult mental health charity Claro Enterprises carved the plaque.

It was made using offcuts donated by furniture makers Robert Thompson’s Craftsmen, which is responsible for creating famous Mouseman furniture in Kilburn.

Robyn Cox, the warden of St Bartholomew’s Church, added:

“It’s a new moment in time at St Bartholomew’s where the community came together with support from grant-funding bodies and local businesses to restore the clock dials and mechanism. It was a project we started to celebrate the platinum jubilee of our beloved late Queen Elizabeth II.”

A place of worship has stood in the village since the 14th century, although the present building dates from 1836. It was the first church to be consecrated in the then new Diocese of Ripon in January 1837.

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Ripon temporary gym to remain in place until 2024

The temporary gym at the Jack Laugher Leisure and Wellness Centre in Ripon looks set to remain in place until March next year.

The £300,000 facility, which is operated by Brimhams Active on behalf of North Yorkshire Council, was installed last month.

The installation enabled the closure of the existing gym on the upper floor of the 28-year-old leisure centre next to the new swimming pool, paving the way for ground stabilisation works costing £3.5 million to be carried out under the building.

In a statement due before next week’s full council, Cllr Simon Myers, executive councillor for culture, arts and housing, confirmed that the facility is expected to be in place until next year.

He said:

“The temporary gym will include the high-quality, state-of-the-art Technogym equipment currently available in the existing leisure and wellness centre.

“As well as expert advice and guidance from the Brimhams Active team, customers will still be able to use the changing and shower facilities in the new pool area, as well as the sauna and steam suite as they will remain open as normal.

“Group exercise classes will also continue to be provided at Hugh Ripley Hall. The new swimming pool will remain open as usual.

“The temporary gym will be used until the refurbishment project is completed by March 2024.”

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The installation of the gym comes after an investigation into ground conditions beneath the older half of the leisure centre after an underground void was discovered in 2020.

At the time, Harrogate Borough Council said the void is understood to have been “present for a number of years and was only discovered when the reinforced concrete slab, which provides the foundation for the new swimming pool, was cast”.

Harrogate Station Gateway: What happens now?

Harrogate’s £11.2 million Station Gateway project has moved forward after councillors gave their backing to the scheme.

As the meeting on Friday went on, there was a feeling that Harrogate and Knaresborough councillors would not countenance handing back more than £10 million to the government at a time when public money is hard to come by.

When they voted, the lively public gallery had dissipated as residents already sensed the mood of councillors.

It wasn’t a ringing endorsement, however, but they voted by 10 to 3 to back the scheme with some caveats.

After the meeting there were relieved smiles in the chamber from Conservative council leader Carl Les and highways boss Keane Duncan who understood the value of councillor support after three public consultations were pretty much split down the middle.

Executive decision

The next meeting concerning the Station Gateway will take place on May 30 at County Hall in Northallerton.

The council’s Conservative executive is expected to approve sending a full business case to the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, which originally won the funding from government.

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Ahead of the meeting later this month, councillors will receive a detailed report from officers about the scheme, what it seeks to achieve and how it would be delivered.

Cllr Duncan told councillors on Friday that the concerns raised by residents, councillors and businesses will inform the report. However, it will be published online a week before the meeting takes place so it doesn’t leave much time to make changes.

Autumn

The West Yorkshire Combined Authority is expected to make a decision on the council’s full business case in the autumn.

The council will then award a contract to a building firm to carry out the works.

Galliford Try has already been working with the council to draw up designs and has helped plan the construction phase.

Harrogate meeting

Harrogate and Knaresborough councillors made it clear they want to have more of a say in how the project develops — both before and during construction.

The committee has no formal powers but a meeting of the area committee is scheduled for September 14 when councillors have asked to receive a report on the project’s progress up to that point.

December

If the business case is approved in the summer, the council is keen to get shovels in the ground as soon as possible.

Cllr Duncan has said construction work could start by the end of this year.

But there’s a tight timescale to complete the project as the Department for Transport expects money earmarked for the Station Gateway to be spent before the end of the current financial year, although some can also be spent in 2024/25.

On Friday, Councillors also asked for a ‘rigorous monitoring system’ to be put in place before construction work starts that examines its impact on traffic, the environment and businesses.

But as the Station Gateway project moves forward, it’s unlikely to be any less controversial despite winning the approval of local councillors.

Developers lodge fresh plan to convert Harrogate office block into flats

A developer has lodged fresh plans to convert Simpson House in Harrogate into flats.

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

Documents submitted to the council detail plans to create 12 two-bedroom apartments.

It would see the ground, first and second floors converted.

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 Harrogate Borough Council officers over the impact on neighbouring trees.

However, in the latest proposal, developers have said the building is already surrounded by residential properties.

It said:

“The ground and first floors of the building have been vacant for several years and the second floor of the building has recently become vacant. 

“The building is surrounded by existing residential properties which are previously converted office buildings surrounded by mature trees.”

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

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Key council meetings could take place in Harrogate

North Yorkshire Council’s decision-making executive could hold some meetings at Harrogate’s Civic Centre instead of Northallerton, according to the council leader.

The new council formed on April 1 and replaced the seven abolished district councils as well as North Yorkshire County Council.

Geographically, it’s England’s largest council area and spans over 3,000 square miles.

But its size has led to criticism that decisions will be made far away from Harrogate residents as the vast majority of meetings take place at County Hall in Northallerton.

Like Harrogate Borough Council and North Yorkshire County Council before it, North Yorkshire Council has an executive or cabinet system of local government.

In this system, the council leader appoints and chairs the executive, which in North Yorkshire includes 10 councillors that meet a couple of times a month.

Each executive member has a specific area of responsibility – for example children and young people, highways or finance –  and they collectively make the most important decisions affecting residents.

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For example, the executive will meet on May 30 in Northallerton to decide whether to put forward a full business case for the £11.2m Station Gateway scheme.

Ahead of a full meeting of the council next week, Conservative council leader Carl Les has published a statement that says he wants to hold some executive meetings at locations across North Yorkshire.

He said dates are being sought and venues must have public and disabled access as well as have live-streaming facilities, which would open up the option of using Harrogate’s £12m Civic Centre that only opened in 2017.

The new council could also choose to hold executive meetings at other former council offices it now owns in places like Scarborough or Skipton.

No changes in the executive

Cllr Les’s statement said that his executive will remain the same.

Below is a list of the ten Conservative councillors on the executive and what they are responsible for:

Council in discussions with Harrogate Station Gateway contractor

North Yorkshire Council has been in early discussions with a contractor over the £11.2 million Harrogate Station Gateway scheme.

Richard Binks, head of major projects at the authority, revealed the council had held initial talks, known as “early contractor involvement”, with national highways firm Galliford Try.

Mr Binks said the company, which employs 3,700 staff, had been consulted on potential construction costs ahead of work starting on the scheme.

The project was backed by the Harrogate and Knaresborough area constituency committee, which advises North Yorkshire Council, by 10 votes to three at a meeting on Friday.

It paves the way for the council’s ruling Conservative executive to give the project the go-ahead on May 30.

Mr Binks told the area constituency committee:

“We are working with a tier one contractor called Galliford Try.

“We are getting monthly market valuations on potential construction cost coming forward before the final tendered price.”

The Stray Ferret has approached North Yorkshire Council to ask about the nature of the discussions with the company and whether Galliford Try is the preferred contractor for the scheme.

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The move comes as the company has also been appointed to similar projects, funded by the government’s Transforming Cities Fund, in Stoke-on-Trent and Sheffield.

Galliford Try also took over the construction of the Lincoln Eastern Bypass scheme in 2018 from Carillion, which collapsed.

The appointment led to the project running over Lincolnshire County Council’s budget by £24 million.

‘Piecemeal vanity project’

The scheme will see Station Parade reduced to one lane of traffic so a bus lane and cycle route can be built and James Street partly pedestrianised.

Cllr Pat Marsh, who was one of the three councillors to oppose the project last week, described it as a “piecemeal vanity project”.

Cllr Marsh — who is leader of the Harrogate and Knaresborough Lib Dems — said the scheme had been characterised by poor consultation and lack of any business impact assessment.

But Mr Binks and fellow council officers said it would rejuvenate the area around Harrogate’s train and bus stations and boost the local economy.

Senior North Yorkshire councillors are expected to ratify the gateway plan on May 30.