Crowdfunder launched to keep Knaresborough partying

A crowdfunding campaign has been launched to enable Knaresborough to stage free annual parties in the grounds of the town’s castle.

Party in the Castle will feature a live big screen broadcast of the Glastonbury festival on June 24. People are invited to turn up with a picnic and enjoy the sounds of the likes of Guns N’ Roses, Lizzo and Lewis Capaldi.

Organisers Knaresborough and District Chamber hopes the event will have a similar vibe — and good weather — to the free coronation party at the castle last month.

Chamber member Kelly Young said it will hopefully become an annual event. But she added although entry is free, funds need to be raised for the big screen and to cover other costs such as first aid and insurance.

The crowdfunder therefore aims to raise £2,000 and has already achieved about £1,400. Any surplus will be used on future events.

Cllr Hannah Gostlow, who represents Knaresborough East on North Yorkshire Council, has also applied to the council to allocate £2,500 of her Locality budget on the event. Each councillor receives an annual Locality budget of £10,000 to spend locally.

Party in the Castle will take place from 5pm to 11pm. Anyone wishing to support the crowdfunder can do so here.

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Call for speed bumps on Pateley Bridge High Street

Pateley Bridge Town Council is to investigate the possibility of installing speed bumps on High Street following a complaint by a resident.

The unnamed resident, who lives on Kings Court, wrote to the council calling for speed bumps at the top and bottom of the narrow street.

They said it would deter “speeding cyclists, motorbikes and boy racers”.

At their monthly meeting last night, town councillors agreed to look into the idea, although any final decision would be taken by North Yorkshire Council, which is the highways authority.

Andrew Murday, who is a town councillor and also the Liberal Democrat councillor for Pateley Bridge and Nidderdale on North Yorkshire Council, said he would look into the criteria for allowing speed bumps.

Cllr Mike Holt said the issue of speeding on High Street, which cyclists approach downhill in all directions, had been debated many times and speed bumps were the only realistic option, although he added the faded double yellow lines could be re-painted.

Cllr Neil Thompson said illegal parking on the street was the main problem, although it was mentioned that disabled people with Blue Badges were entitled to park on double yellow lines for up to three hours and this had to be taken into account.

Councillors agreed to consult on the idea before contacting North Yorkshire Council if the idea was viable.

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Plan for new cafe on Harrogate’s Cambridge Street

A plan has been submitted to open a new cafe on Harrogate’s Cambridge Street.

The proposal, which has been submitted by Doncaster-based Imyco Construction Ltd, would see the cafe created next to beauty and toiletries shop Bodycare in the town centre.

The allocated space is currently a staircase, which has been “mothballed”, according to planning documents.

The cafe would be situated on the ground floor and be accessed from Cambridge Street.

Further details on the cafe, including name and opening hours, have yet to be revealed.

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

The site is currently subject to plans for 14 new apartments above the planned cafe and Bodycare.

The proposal, which was approved in June 2020, will see the first floor of the building converted into accommodation.

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Call for North Yorkshire police commissioner to resign rejected

A move to press North Yorkshire’s police commissioner to resign, amid claims she has failed in her duty to hold the force’s leadership to account, appears to have been swept aside.

The opposition leader on North Yorkshire Council, Cllr Bryn Griffiths, told a meeting of the authority’s corporate and partnerships scrutiny committee he had issued the notice of motion after hearing Conservative commissioner Zoe Metcalfe’s response to a highly critical inspection of the force.

The Liberal Democrat leader said his Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services re-inspection of how the force keeps children safe took place about a year after Mrs Metcalfe was elected as commissioner and that she had ample time to recognise and start tackling some of the issues.

After the report found 14 of the force’s child protection cases were inadequate and eight required improvement, Mrs Metcalfe said the force had “let the public and the most vulnerable in our society down”.

In a 1,650-word letter to the committee, Mrs Metcalfe said her “activity is aimed at robustly scrutinising and driving assurance on behalf of the public, to see to it that North Yorkshire Police continues its journey to being exemplary”.

She added she would submit a report to highlight her actions to North Yorkshire and York’s police, fire and crime panel, for its consideration on June 21.

However, Cllr Griffiths said the motion was not political, but rather “a failing by the admiral of the fleet, for not keeping control of the captain running the ship”.

He said while the commissioner had spoken of her “surprise” about the report’s findings, it appeared Mrs Metcalfe did not know “what was going on in her own patch”.

Cllr Griffiths said: 

“She was monitoring, she wasn’t managing, she was not in charge of direction for her captain, the chief constable. If oversight had been under control she would have known what was going on and she would have been asking the right questions to the right people.

“This police, fire and crime commissioner has not been doing their job.”

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Other councillors questioned the commissioner’s performance and whether she had held the force’s senior officers to account sufficiently.

Independent councillor for Hunmanby and Sherburn, Michelle Donohue Moncrieff, said the motion represented “a very tempting but simplistic answer”, but it was the police’s leadership, rather than solely the commissioner, who needed to be held to account.

She added: 

“Bearing in mind even if the commissioner did resign, we are running down the clock towards a mayoral combined authority, what net benefit would there be in having a by-election?

“I sometimes feel that she is representing the force to us, rather than us to the force. Some of the things in that report are not acceptable at any level. They need resolving now.”

Conservative colleagues of Mrs Metcalfe highlighted the commissioner was “not the manager of North Yorkshire Police”, but rather was “the public voice” who had “elected oversight” of the force.

Former police officer Cllr Malcolm Taylor called for the committee to take no further action, saying the right body to deal with the matter was the police, fire and crime panel, and instead the commissioner  be invited to address the serious issues highlighted in the report with the committee.

Describing the motion as “wrong-headed” and misguided, another former police officer, Cllr Tim Grogan, said the proposal had wasted the time of the committee.

Ahead of a vote to call the force’s chief constable, Lisa Winward, to answer councillors’ questions, Cllr Grogan said the commissioner had turned around the persistent issue of long waiting times for the non-emergency police phone line and if she dealt with the child protection issues as robustly he had every confidence in her.

Developer resubmits plan to build 13 homes on former Ripon timber yard

A developer has resubmitted plans to build new homes on a former Ripon timber yard.

Red Tree Developments wants to demolish the buildings on the former NY Timber site off Trinity Lane and replace them with houses.

The site was home to a timber yard from 1860 to 2018.

The fresh plans would see 13 two-storey, two- and three-bedroom homes built.

A government planning inspector rejected a similar plan by Red Tree last month over concerns that the scheme did not have sufficient ground investigations and about the impact on nearby heritage assets.

However, in documents submitted to North Yorkshire Council, the developer says the new application addresses the reasons given for refusing the previous plan.

The developer said:

“The 13 proposed dwellings are all designed as two-storey dwellings, mostly with rooms in the roof and will have no adverse visual impact upon views from any angle in the area. The scale of the proposed dwellings is entirely appropriate within the context.”

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Red Tree bought the 0.64-acre plot, which is adjacent to the listed buildings, Holy Trinity Church of England Junior School and St Wilfrid’s Catholic Church, from Cairngorm Capital for an undisclosed sum in 2020.

In a previous planning application, the developer said the timber yard, which is not listed, must be replaced due to its “poor state of repair”.

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

Harrogate village bridge set for lengthy closure

A Harrogate village bridge looks set to be closed to traffic for a long time after a large crack appeared.

North Yorkshire Council closed the bridge on Church Lane in Hampsthwaite suddenly and without warning on Friday.

It acted after a two-inch wide gap appeared at the side of the bridge, prompting safety concerns. It was possible to look through the gap and see the River Nidd.

In an update today the council said 15 metres of the parapet, which is the safety barrier, on the damaged side of the wall needed to be rebuilt.

No timescale or cost was given but the scale of the work indicates long-term closure is likely.

The update did, however, say plans were being drawn up for pedestrians to use the undamaged side of the bridge, which joins Hampsthwaite and Clint.

Hampsthwaite bridge

The crack in the bridge

It is not yet known if cyclists will be permitted to cross.

The cause of the problem remains unknown.

The statement said:

“Following an onsite assessment by engineers we are able to confirm that the parapet has been pushed out over the edge of the bridge deck and this has damaged several of the corbels that support from beneath.

“These need to be repaired and 15 metres of the parapet taken down and rebuilt using hot lime mortar.

“The bridge will remain closed to traffic – due to ongoing safety concerns and the fact the bridge is narrow – until the repairs can be completed. Engineers are working on a scheme and aiming to get contractors on site to start them in July.

“Plans are currently being drawn up to open a section across the bridge, on the opposite side to the damaged parapet, to allow safe crossing for pedestrians.”

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See where your councillor spent their locality budget

North Yorkshire Council has revealed the spend for councillor’s locality budgets for the last financial year.

Each councillor on the authority is given a budget of £10,000 to spend in the area they represent.

The money is spent on small schemes which “promote the social, economic or environmental wellbeing of the communities they represent”.

This can include items for local charities, maintaining public footpaths and cleaning memorials or attractions.

Projects and activities can include services provided by the council provided that these are additional to normal service levels and do not create an ongoing expenditure commitment for the council

Here is a breakdown on what councillors in the Harrogate district spent in the last financial year.

Cllr Chris Aldred – High Harrogate and Kingsley

£2,000 Provision of essential items for the Winter Warmth Project / Harrogate District Foodbank

£1,000 Fund the purchase and planting of new trees on the Stray in Harrogate / Harrogate Borough Council Parks and Environmental Services

£750 Fund the children’s visit and travel costs to the Elf Village in Harrogate / Grove Road Community Primary School

£2,000 Purchase and installation of LED lighting at Harrogate Community House / Harrogate & District Community Action

£3,000 Provide a contribution towards the creation of the sensory garden / Harrogate Neighbours

£1,250 Fund the Willow workshop, Willow planting and pond development at the school / Northern Star Academies Trust at Harrogate High School

Cllr Margaret Atkinson – Masham and Fountains

£1,090 Fund the rent increase and purchase of projector and trolley / Harrogate and District Community Action (HADCA).

Cllr Atkinson died last year while serving as a councillor

Cllr Philip Broadbank – Fairfax and Starbeck

£5,000 Fund phase two of new playground equipment at the school / Willow Tree School Parent Teachers Association.

£5,000 Fund the replacing of the door to the ground floor side entrance at Harrogate Community House / Harrogate and District Community Action (HADCA).

Cllr Barbara Brodigan – Ripon Ure Bank and Spa

£1,195 Purchase of tools, equipment and a customised picnic bench / Ripon Community Link.

£500 Fund the cutting of the grass verges and planting flowering bulbs along Ripon by-pass / Ripon Rotary Club.

£500 Fund the venue hire and equipment for the 5th Poetry Festival in Ripon / Ripon Poetry Festival £1,000 Fund the provision of financial literacy advice and guidance for the community hub / Ripon Community House.

£2,500 Fund the services of a youth leader at the drop-in sessions / Ripon YMCA.

£1,000 Fund the materials for children’s workshops and activities in Ripon Library / Ripon Theatre Festival.

£1,000 Fund the wool and fixings for the knitted displays around Ripon / Ripon Community Poppy Project.

£1,009 Purchase of a digital printer for the students / Evolve.

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Cllr Nick Brown – Wathvale and Bishop Monkton

£2,000 Provision of a traffic management scheme with a 40mph speed limit in Cundall Village / Cundall and Norton le Clay Parish Council.

£2,000 Purchase and installation of a VAS for Sharow Village / Sharow Parish Council.

£1,500 Fund the purchase of materials and equipment for the creation of a Garden of Sanctuary/Bishop Monkton CE Primary School.

£312.50 Purchase of food, refreshments, prizes and decorations for the village community Coronation event / Marton Le Moor Parish Council.

£312.50 Purchase of food, refreshments, prizes and decorations for the village community Coronation event / Hewick and Hutton Parish Council.

£312.50 Purchase of food, refreshments, prizes and decorations for the village community Coronation event / Roecliffe and Westwick Parish Council.

£312.50 Purchase of food, refreshments, prizes and decorations for the village community Coronation event / Wath and Norton Conyers Parish Council.

£312.50 Purchase of food, refreshments, prizes and decorations for the village community Coronation event / North Stainley with Sleningford Parish Council.

£312.50 Purchase of food, refreshments, prizes and decorations for the village community Coronation event / Cundall and Norton Le Clay Parish Council.

£312.50 Purchase of food, refreshments, prizes and decorations for the village community Coronation event / Langthorpe Parish Council.

£312.50 Purchase of food, refreshments, prizes and decorations for the village community Coronation event / Rainton with Newby Parish Council.

Sam Gibbs

Councillor Sam Gibbs (centre) at the installation of tree lights in Harrogate

Cllr Sam Gibbs – Valley Gardens and Central Harrogate

£1,500 Fund the coach hire for the ladies’ team away games / Harrogate Rugby Club.

£3,000 Fund the materials to carry out building and plumbing repairs and install LED lights / Harrogate and District Community Action (HADCA).

£4,000 Purchase and installation of ‘ball catch’ netting and a rope barrier / Harrogate Pythons RUFC £1,500 Fund the Pikorua sculpture in the New Zealand Garden in the Valley Gardens in Harrogate /Harrogate International Partnerships.

Cllr Hannah Gostlow – Knaresborough East

£1,000 Provision of weekly food supplies from Fareshare / Resurrected Bites.

£1,000 Fund the staffing costs for the kiosk at Conyngham Hall / Chain Lane Community Hub. £1,250 Fund the purchase of a replacement cooker for the Wellbeing Hub’s kitchen /Knaresborough Wellbeing Hub.

£750 Provision of funding for the festive tea party, catering and Christmas project / Knaresborough Lions Club.

£1,000 Fund the purchase of replacement benches for Jacob Smith Park, Knaresborough / Friends of Jacob Smith Park.

£1,500 Fund the support for the running costs of the Junior Youth Club / Inspire Youth Yorkshire. £1,000 Installation of a defibrillator and cabinet in Old Scriven Village, Knaresborough / Scriven Parish Council.

£2,500 Provision of 4 Vehicle Activated Speed signs for Knaresborough / Knaresborough Town Council.

Cllr Michael Harrison – Killinghall, Hampsthwaite and Saltergate

£500 Purchase of reusable plastic glasses for the event in July / Hampsthwaite Feast.

£1,000 Fund the restoration of the flagpole at the village church / Hampsthwaite PCC.

£1,160 Fund the improvements to PROW 15.65/18/1 at Crag Lane Killinghall to improve safety and accessibility / NYCC PRoW.

£1,340 Provide a contribution to the operational costs of the No 24 Winter Bus Service / Dales & Bowland Community Interest Co.

£750 Fund the preparation of drawings for the expansion project / Hampsthwaite Memorial Hall.

£300 Fund a contribution to the running costs and white goods replacement / Hampsthwaite Village Room.

£3,950 Fund the resurfacing of the public footpath in the churchyard forming the Medieval Way/Hampsthwaite – Thomas a Becket Church.

£500 Fund a contribution to the cost of various potential initiatives in the parish / Killinghall Parish Council.

£500 Fund a contribution to the cost of the digital champion / Nidderdale Plus Community Hub.

Bilton and Woodfield Community Library

Bilton and Woodfield Community Library

Cllr Paul Haslam – Bilton and Nidd Gorge

£2,558 Fund the room hire and volunteer costs for the weekly support group / New Beginnings.£3,438 Provide a contribution to the running costs of New Park Grocery / New Park Resurrected Bites.

£749 Fund the purchase of essential cleaning products and accessories for the River Nidd water improvement project / Bilton Conservation Group.

£750 Fund 6 months of rent for Dean Park Community Group / St Johns Church Bilton.

£345 Purchase a replacement folding table and banner for the library / Bilton and Woodfield Library.

£2,160 Purchase fleeces for the volunteers and 2 months fresh fruit & veg / Harrogate Foodbank.

Cllr Peter Lacy – Coppice Valley and Duchy

£1,500 Purchase soft furnishings and equipment for the ‘Warm & Well’ space / Coppice Valley Primary School.

£1,500 Fund the Pikorua sculpture in the New Zealand Garden in the Valley Gardens in Harrogate /Harrogate International Partnerships.

£1,500 Fund the trip to Harrogate Theatre for pupils to see the pantomime / Coppice Valley Primary School.

£1,000 Purchase a vehicle activated sign for the village / Duchy Residents Association.

£2,960 Purchase of furniture and fittings for Birk Crag Girl Guiding Centre / Birk Crag Girl Guiding Centre.

£982 Fund the plants, materials and labour for the Bog Garden at Coppice Valley Primary School / Horticap Nursery.

£558 Fund the cost of converting Harrogate Community House to high quality LED lighting with individual controls / Harrogate & District Community Action.

Cllr John Mann – Oatlands and Pannal

£1,000 Fund the WOW walk to school scheme / Oatlands Infant and Junior Schools.

£4,000 Funding of the general running costs for Oatlands Community Centre / The Trustees of Oatlands Community Centre CIO.

£1,500 Purchase and installation of a commemorative bench for Queen Elizabeth II / Pannal and Burn Bridge Parish Council.

£3,500 Fund the re-furbishment, replacing and provision of additional lights within the 7-8 trees on the Green / Pannal and Burn Bridge Parish Council.

Cllr Pat Marsh – Stray, Woodlands and Hookstone

£300 Purchase of training balls and match balls, with any remainder put towards coach transport to away matches / Harrogate Rugby Club.

£500 Fund the minibus hire and activities to support people with Dementia / Dementia Forward.

£300 Purchase of gardening equipment for junior school children / Hookstone Chase Primary School £380 Purchase a speed radar gun / The Langcliffe Community Group.

£1,000 Fund the WOW walk to school scheme / Oatlands Infant and Junior Schools.

£2,000 Fund the purchase and installation of LED lighting at Harrogate Community House / Harrogate & Area Council for Voluntary Service Ltd.

£500 Fund the heating costs for the Warm Wednesday community club / Oatlands Community Group.

Cllr Andrew Murday – Pateley Bridge and Nidderdale

£1,500 Fund the co-ordination of the community transport service/Nidd Plus Partnership.

£750 Fund the accommodation, transport, catering, tutors’ fees, venue hire, music purchase and hire for the winter residential course / Vacation Chamber Orchestras (VaCO).

£1,500 Fund the winter Sunday service on bus route 24 between Harrogate and Pateley Bridge/Dales & Bowland Community Interest Co.

£1,000 Purchase and installation of a servery with disabled access in the foyer of the Playhouse/Pateley Bridge Dramatic Society.

£725 Purchase of materials to enclose the kitchen in the workshop / Nidderdale and Pateley Bridge Men’s Shed CIO.

£1,000 Fund the purchase of materials for the redecoration of the Pateley Playhouse / Pateley Bridge Dramatic Society.

£1,000 Fund the maintenance of the Christmas lights / Pateley Bridge Town Council.

£1,000 Fund the resurfacing of the courts at Dacre Tennis Club / Dacre Tennis Club.

£1,000 Purchase a replacement oven for the village hall kitchen / Dacre and Hartwith Village Hall.£525 Fund a contribution towards the Digital Champion Coordinator’s salary / Nidderdale Plus Community Hub.

Cllr Andrew Paraskos – Spofforth with Lower Wharfedale & Tockwith

£300 To purchase a replacement battery for the defibrillator / Wighill Parish Council

£1,000 Fund the materials and hire of the petting farm for the show / Tockwith and District Agricultural Society.

£500 Fund the printing of the parish and village Christmas edition of the magazine / The Church of the Epiphany.

£300 Provision of an ice cream van for the pupils on the last day of term / Tockwith CE Primary School.

£1,000 Fund the replacement and installation of new equipment for the play area / Kirkby Overblow Summer Arts Festival.

£300 Fund the coach hire for the ladies’ team away games / Harrogate Rugby Club.

£400 Fund the purchase of a Christmas tree and refreshments for the carol service / Kirk Deighton Parish Council.

£1,000 Purchase and install a second defibrillator at the other end of the village / Kirk Deighton Parish Council.

£300 Fund the room hire for the weekly sewing and chatting club / The Crafty Hens.

£800 Purchase and install a new notice board for the village / North Deighton Parish Council.

£300 Fund the production and printing of the by-monthly parish magazine / Wighill Parish Council. £300 Purchase of food for the Christmas Party / Tockwith Community Hub.

£1,000 Purchase and installation of a white gate on the verge next to the highway / Sicklinghall Parish Council.

£1,000 Purchase and install a new defibrillator / Little Ribston Village Hall Committee.

£500 Fund the purchase of a new bench for Follifield Play Area / Follifoot Parish Council.

£1,000 Fund the installation of a new bench / Tockwith with Wilstrop Parish Council.

Rossett Acre Primary School

Rossett Acre Primary School

Cllr Michael Schofield – Harlow & St Georges

£450.99 Purchase a hammer drill, dummy CCTV camera, promotion table, cloth and printing / Harrogate and District Community Action (HADCA).

£875 Purchase 6 copies of each of the Phase 2 Phonics Books so to provide “Guided Reading” in Reception / Rossett Acre Primary School.

£1,500 Fund the swimming for the pupils at the school / Rossett Acre Primary School.

£5,000 Fund the installation of strengthened glass on the balcony at Harrogate Cricket Club / Little Crickets Nursery.

£400 Purchase sensory equipment to aid in the development of children at the nursery / Little Crickets Nursery.

£750 Funding the Green Elf production for the children to educate them on and around ecological issues / Rossett Acre Primary School.

£1,024.01 Fund the Year 6 pupils’ residential trip to East Barnby / Rossett Acre Primary School.

Cllr Monika Slater – Bilton Grange & New Park

£1,872.84 Purchase equipment for the polycom system to evolve the digital activities / Open Country .

£476 Fund the van hire and fuel for the Jamboree trip / 16th Harrogate Club Scout Group.

£5,000 To extend the footpath from Redhill Road up to the corner of Knox Avenue / NYCC Highways. 

£302 Fund the purchase of a wheelchair ramp and kitchen equipment for the Big Breakfasts / Bilton Community Centre.

£1,500 Purchase of 13 new mattresses / Harrogate Homeless Project.

£849.16 Fund the purchase of 3 x eDNA bacteria testing kits from Nature Metric / Bilton Conservation Group.

Cllr Matt Walker – Knaresborough West

£2,000 Fund the printing costs of the Harrogate District Breakfree Pack / Open Country.

£500 Fund the purchase of a lawn mower cartridge to rake the grass / Crown Green Bowling Club.

£1,000 Fund the purchase of flags and bunting for the Arts Trail and Entertainment / FEVA.

£500 Purchase of garden supplies for the creation of the community garden at Conyngham Hall/Knaresborough Connectors.

£1,000 Provision of weekly food supplies from Fareshare / Resurrected Bites

£1,000 Fund the purchase of replacement benches for Jacob Smith Park, Knaresborough / Friends of Jacob Smith Park.

£1,000 Purchase a new cooker, hood and extractor fan for the Scout Hut / 1st Knaresborough Scout Group.

£2,500 Provision of 4 Vehicle Activated Speed signs for Knaresborough / Knaresborough Town Council.

£500 Fund the coach hire and entrance fees for the day trips / Harrogate & District Over 50s Forum.

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Cllr Arnold Warneken – Ouseburn

£400 Fund the materials for the Jurassic beach at the show / Tockwith Show.

£684 Fund the cleaning of the village war memorial and plaque / Kirk Hammerton Parish Council.

£715.20 Provision of a solar pavilion clock / Whixley Cricket Club.

£992.75 Fund a contribution towards the production of Treasure Island the panto / Badapple Youth Theatre Group.

£1,000 Purchase and install a parish council noticeboard / Nun Monkton Parish Council.

£672 Fund the groundworks and labour for the Parish Woodland Restoration project / Marton cum Grafton Parish Council.

£2,141.90 Fund the purchase of materials and tools for the wildlife haven at Goosemoor Nature Reserve/Cowthorpe Community Forum.

£2,250 Fund the supply and installation of a defibrillator at Prince Rupert Drive Tockwith / Tockwith with Wilstrop Parish Council.

£500 Fund the purchase of food and drink for the Green Hammerton Warm Hub and Support Hub /Green Hammerton Parish Council.

£644.15 Purchase a memorial bench for former councillors / Tockwith with Wilstrop Parish Council.

St Wilfrid's Procession

St Wilfrid’s Procession

Cllr Andrew Williams – Ripon Minster and Moorside

£2,500 Fund the services of a youth leader at the drop-in sessions / Ripon YMCA.

£1,000 Fund the support for the scouts to attend the 25th World Scout Jamboree / 6th Ripon Scout Group.

£500 Fund the travel and venue hire costs for the concerts / Vacation Chamber Orchestras (VaCO).

£2,000 Fund the children’s activities on Ripon Market Place / St Wilfrid’s Procession Committee.

£1,000 Funding towards events and staging of the Poetry Festival / Ripon Poetry Festival.

£1,000 Funding towards the events and activities at the library / Ripon Library Volunteer Management Group.

£2,000 Fund the fireworks finale at the coronation event / Ripon City Council.

Cllr Robert Windass – Boroughbridge and Claro

£2,500 Fund the repair and refurbishment of the clock in the Church Tower / St Bartholomew’s Church Arkendale.

£1,953 To purchase and install a defibrillator for Flaxby / Goldsborough & Flaxby Parish Council.

£3,000 To purchase and install VAS units and laptop computer within the village / Staveley & Copgrove Parish Council.

£2,000 Purchase and installation of an outdoor canopy for the outdoor learning area / Scotton & Lingerfield Primary School PTA.

Fears for rural transport as Masham and Ripon minibus service is scrapped

Councillors have expressed disappointment after a flagship on-demand bus service in Masham and Ripon is set to be scrapped.

Last week, North Yorkshire Council took the decision to end its YorBus pilot on June 30 over cost concerns.

It was revealed that the service carried just 14,208 passengers over 12 months, at an average cost per passenger of £15.57 across the year.

Cllr Keane Duncan, executive councillor for transport, said in a statement that the cost of the service was “significantly higher” than traditional routes.

However, some councillors have expressed disappointment that the on-demand service will no longer continue.

Felicity Cunliffe-Lister

Cllr Felicity Cunliffe-Lister.

Cllr Felicity Cunliffe-Lister, who represents Masham and Fountains division, said the bus was used by younger people in her area.

She said:

“I’m very disappointed. There were a lot of the younger generation using it.

“At the same time, it was expensive to run. It was using a lot of money. But it was not a great surprise and I don’t think it was ever to going to get to a break even point.

“However, I think it does demonstrate that there is a need for bus services in rural areas.”

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She added that she would like to see a community service introduced in the place of YorBus.

Meanwhile, Cllr Barbara Brodigan, who represents Ripon Ure Bank and Spa, described the decision as “regrettable but understandable”.

She added that the service was never going to survive in light of the council’s failed £116 million bid to government’s ‘Bus Back Better’ fund.

She said:

“Without government help this has had to be funded by the council. Usage peaked over last summer and then levelled off to about 2.4 passengers per hour, more passengers could possibly have made the pilot more cost effective.”

Cllr Andrew Williams, who also represents Ripon Minster and Moorside, added:

“It’s sad that the innovative idea has failed to take off but NYC can’t justify the continuation of a service which is costing a subsidy of £14 for each journey made, 

“I suspect that most council tax payers would think that was pouring money down the drain. We have tried to provide a service but residents have voted with their feet and simply not used it in sufficient numbers to justify continuing further.”

The Stray Ferret approached North Yorkshire Council to ask why the scheme was not scrapped within the first year given the running costs.

A spokesperson for the council said the pilot was extended to “explore options for wider rollout could be explored in more detail, including assessing potential zones and a review of the overall delivery model”.

Meanwhile, Cllr Duncan said that the authority would be reviewing initiatives to help rural transport.

He said:

“While continuing to work closely with operators to support at-risk services, we are also currently reviewing a number of initiatives to improve rural transport and asking the public for their views to help shape our future strategy.”

Bridge near Harrogate closes suddenly after crack appears

A bridge in a village near Harrogate closed suddenly yesterday after a crack appeared.

A two-inch wide gap appeared at the side of the bridge on the edge of Hampsthwaite. It is possible to look through the gap and see the River Nidd.

The issue was reported yesterday on the Hampsthwaite Village Facebook group and later that day the bridge was closed to traffic.

The closure was unannounced by North Yorkshire Council, which is the highways authority.

Hampsthwaite bridge

The bridge between Hampsthwaite and Clint

Hampsthwaite bridge

A long crack has appeared

The bridge, on Church Lane, carries traffic between Hampsthwaite and Clint.

A North Yorkshire Council spokesperson said:

“The bridge has been closed due to structural concerns. We will be assessing it today and will provide an update.”

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23-homes plan in Bishop Monkton recommended for approval

Council officials have recommended that a plan to build 23 homes in Bishop Monkton is approved next week, despite 127 letters of objection.

The proposal, which has been tabled by Kebbell Development Ltd, would see the houses built on land off Knaresborough Road in the village.

The site is opposite the grade-II listed Church of Saint John the Baptist.

Councillors on Skipton and Ripon constituency planning committee will consider the application at a meeting on Tuesday.

Officers at North Yorkshire Council have recommended councillors approve the plan, which would see a mixture of two, three, four and five-bedroom homes built at the site.

In documents submitted to the council, the developer said the scheme would create a “sustainable development with a unique character that responds to the surrounding context”.

However, the proposal has been met by 127 letters of objection from local residents. It received one letter of support.

Bishop Monkton Action Group raised concern that the scheme would affect surface water drainage, increase flood risk and impact upon the sewerage system.

Meanwhile, in a letter to the council, Bishop Monkton Parish Council said:

“The existing drainage network in St. John’s Road is at full capacity and cannot take further input.

“The sewage works down Boroughbridge Road appears also to be overloaded as records show it discharges raw sewage into the River Ure on a regular basis presumably because of the extent of the combined sewers in the village.”

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But case officer Kate Broadbank’s report concludes:

“Whilst there will be some level of harm to the conservation area and setting of the listed church, this has been assessed as being less than substantial harm with this being outweighed by the public benefits of the provision of housing, including affordable housing, and the provision of a level path, which connects the village to the playground.”

She recommended approval subject to 29 conditions being met and a section 106 agreement, which developers pay to compensate for infrastructure associated with their schemes.

The agreement says the developer would have to pay £40,000 towards the village hall, the cemetery, the boules club and the playground.

It would also have to pay £12,635 either to the council or a management company as financial security for ongoing maintenance of on-site public open space and £35,000 to the village hall.