Felling Bishop Monkton topiary cockerel did not breach planning, council says

The felling of a giant topiary cockerel in a village between Harrogate and Ripon did not breach planning rules, North Yorkshire Council has said.

The 30ft hedge, which had been a feature of the village for generations, was felled in Bishop Monkton last month.

The 100-year-old hedge stood proudly in front of Cockerel Cottage and garnered local and national attention during its lifetime.

Its disappearance led to furore among villagers.

In a letter from the council, seen by the Stray Ferret, residents were last week told an investigation was launched into the felling following complaints of a potential breach of planning control.

But planning enforcement officer, Christopher Keddle, who wrote the letter, concluded “no breaches have taken place”.

Mr Keddle said after reviewing all the evidence, he found the cockerel was a hedge, rather than a tree, which “does not require consent from the council” to cut down.

He adds:

“Furthermore the council couldn’t prevent the owner from growing the cockerel shape out, even if the hedge was retained, we had no control whatsoever regarding the shape of the hedge.”

Mr Keddle also said one complainant had commented on the listed status of the property, adding:

“Finally, there has been comment regarding the listing of the property. Hedges, trees, flowers etc. are never included within the listing and therefore the hedge would not be protected.”

Mr Keddle said as there is “no breach” the case will be closed.

Bishop Monkton Today reported one villager who had complained was “unhappy” about the council’s findings, but added they had “no plans” to appeal.

The Stray Ferret reported on the felling at the time, as villagers were left horrified by the move.

Gary Cross, landlord of the Masons Arms in the village, said he knows the owners, who were not named, and understood the cockerel blocked light and became difficult to maintain.

He added:

“It was a pretty big object and attraction. Some residents are very upset about it. But they don’t have to live next to it.

“With the beck flooding, a lot of their garden was subject to flooding and it held pools of water, which was difficult to deal with. The owners have been there two or three years and tried to work with the cockerel but it had just become so big.”

Read more:

Readers’ Letters: Does North Yorkshire Council not know how a drain works?

Readers’ Letters is a weekly column giving you the chance to have your say on issues affecting the Harrogate district. It is an opinion column and does not reflect the views of the Stray Ferret. Send your views to letters@thestrayferret.co.uk.  

The following three letters are in response to the extreme flooding in Knaresborough earlier this week. Roads were under water, homes were flooded and residents evacuated. The council denied the conditions of the drains played a part, but some residents feel otherwise.  

Does North Yorkshire Council not know what a drain is and how they work?

I think the Stray Ferret should take a stand on behalf of all Knaresborough folk and demand that they do something about it.

I live up Ripley Road and can tell you that the drains on High and Low Bond End and Ripley Road haven’t been cleaned out properly for at least 30 years.

Steve Newbould, Knaresborough

Here on Hambleton Close we had a near miss – although both our neighbours took on water.

I have consistently notified North Yorkshire County Council (that was) about the state of drainage in Knaresborough. Each time I receive hollow words of acknowledgement, but nothing is done.

The autumn leaf-fall and the failure to sweep the roads only added to this catastrophe.

What do we pay our council tax for?

Ralph Thrower, Knaresborough

We have reported the blocked drains for years and no works seems to have been done.

Last week we were down to one working drain on our street and we directly reported it to the council.

We have issues with Waterside becoming a river even with normal levels of rainfall.

We warned the council numerous times it would flood, as the water has nowhere else to go other than through the houses.

Mark Johnson, Knaresborough

Maybe Keane Duncan’s defeat means he will ‘finally fix our roads’

This story follows the York and North Yorkshire mayoral election last week. Labour’s David Skaith took home the crown, leaving Tory councillor Keane Duncan defeated.

Thank goodness for the mayoral result, which hopefully now means we are also done with Mr Keane’s tedious photo opportunities (hopefully!).

For months he’s courted the camera and delivered on little else. Even the well-hyped ‘100 days in Peggy’ went suspiciously quiet.

Maybe now he can finally concentrate on the job he has, including fixing our roads for starters.

He might want to take Peggy for a drive down Pannal Ash Road and sample the disgraceful state of a public highway.

Simon Ewing, Harrogate

Do you have an opinion on the Harrogate district? Email us at letters@thestrayferret.co.uk. Please include your name and approximate location details. Limit your letters to 350 words. We reserve the right to edit letters.

Read more:

Controversy over taxi fare rise in North Yorkshire

Taxi passengers in North Yorkshire are facing having to pay five per cent more per mile in the face of appeals to increase and lower maximum permitted fares across the county.

North Yorkshire Council’s executive agreed to the daytime rates rise, extending night-time rates time to eight hours from 10pm and increasing the maximum call-out charge from £1 to £1.50 after hearing taxi drivers were divided over the rates which should be charged.

If the move is not contested, day-time taxis will be able to charge £4 for the first quarter mile and 20p for every extra quarter mile or 35 seconds of waiting time.

Ripon cabbie Richard Fieldman told the leading councillors the 70 drivers from Whitby to Harrogate he represented were opposed to the proposals.

He said:

“What you see before you today is totally unacceptable for those that work nights and the unsocial Christmas period. The proposal gives no increase to those working these hours which less and less drivers are prepared to work these days.”

The meeting was told one of the proposed changes, to start higher rates from 10pm rather than 11pm, would have a minimal impact on night-time drivers.

He added:

“It is ironic that officers recognise that drivers need rewarding for late-night unsocial hours with abusive, alcohol and drug-fuelled customers, yet are failing to provide them with the same increase as the day-time drivers.”

Mr Fieldman said the £1 per mile call-out charge had remained the same for many years and when combined with higher fuel costs had become “unviable in a vast rural county” to travel significant distances to pick up passengers who only wanted to go a few miles.

The meeting heard drivers were refusing to do these types of journey, leaving some passengers unable to get home. In addition, areas such as Northallerton, Thirsk, Ripon and Skipton had serious shortages of drivers working unsocial hours and the proposals would ensure even less cover.

Ripon councillor Barbara Brodigan told the meeting recent changes in Barnsley similar to the North Yorkshire proposals had led to too few or no taxis being available during holiday periods and at night-time.

However, Cllr Kevin Foster, who represents Colburn, an area with amongst the highest levels of deprivation in the county, said he received a lot of complaints over the cost of taxi fares.

He said the public needed to be made aware taxis did not have to charge the maximum permitted fares.

Several executive members said they felt the proposals represented a reasonable compromise.

While the fare increase will be subject to consultation if anyone objects, managing our environment executive member Councilor Greg White said some people had called for the maximum charges to be lowered to make North Yorkshire more competitive with nearby areas.

He said a three-mile trip in Barnsley would cost £8.90, but in North Yorkshire it would be £14.98.

A report to the meeting showed while a 20-mile night-time journey in North Yorkshire would cost £68.67, in Bradford passengers would be charged £42.40, in Leeds and £49.45 in East Riding.

Cllr White said:

“We are already more expensive than Bradford, Durham, East Riding, Lancaster, Leeds, Redcar and Cleveland and York. So I’m really keen that we don’t get to the situation where we do an injustice to the people who use the taxi service by making those taxis become unaffordable.”

Read more:

Harrogate residents react to road reopening

A week ago, traffic started flowing again on a road in Harrogate that had been blocked for 18 months.

Bogs Lane and Kingsley Road together form a horseshoe shape off the A59 Knaresborough Road. The bridge where they meet was closed to facilitate one of the many new housing developments in the area.

The route serves thousands of residents and is also used as a rat run or cut through to avoid the A59. Emergency vehicles travel along it when the barrier at Starbeck level crossing is down.

So are residents pleased to see the road fully back in use or did they prefer living in a quieter neighbourhood?

The Stray Ferret talked to residents this week and visited the site to speak to councillor Chris Aldred, a Liberal Democrat who represents High Harrogate and Kingsley on North Yorkshire Council.

The road closure has ended.

Cllr Aldred said most residents he’d spoken to — particularly those in the new developments — appeared happy to have the full use of the road back.

When we met, a woman who lives in Barratt Homes’ Kingsley Meadows passed by and said she often drove to Knaresborough and unblocking the road had saved a lengthy detour.

Claire Mortimer, whose salon The Nail Garden is attached to her home in Kingsley, supported the re-opening. She said:

“The closure has been hard for my business as I have clients that travel far so it’s been annoying they’ve had to go the long way for so long.”

Kevin Francis agreed, saying he moved to the area in 2019 because of its “great links to other areas”, adding:

“Bogs Lane being closed has had a real impact on our day-to-day lives.

“Working to the east of Starbeck we had been shunted onto the High Street and spent many an hour clogging up the A59.”

Daniel Jefferson said the road “provides an important additional link around Starbeck”.

He added:

“Since the temporary closure of Bogs Lane I’ve felt like we’ve seen a significant increase in traffic congestion both exiting Kingsley Road and through Starbeck which I also believe has contributed in additional road traffic accidents occurring along these routes, significant increase emissions and congestion.”

‘More speeding cars’

But Nicola Woods is among those who have the opposite view. She said the reopening encouraged speeding motorists with little respect for the many cyclists and horse riders that used the road, adding:

“At times it is tricky getting in and out of my driveway which is again caused by the speed of some vehicles coming round the bend near Hillbank Road, I have had some near misses.

“The past few months whilst the road has been shut I have seen an increase in people walking and cycling down Bogs Lane. It will be interesting to see what affect the re-opening of the road has on this.”

Tim Redshaw said Bogs Lane was an unclassified road that could not sustain the increased volume of traffic. He said:

“Having lived in Starbeck most of my life l’ve seen how the traffic flows have changed, and the negative effects it’s creating. To keep building on the green belt land we till recently held so dear is a very big mistake.”

New footpath

The new footpath

The road re-opening is not the only change. New traffic lights have been installed near the entrance to Redrow’s Kingsley Manor development and a footpath has been created alongside it towards Bogs Lane to make walking safer.

Darren Long, whose family lives on Kingsley Road, said he didn’t understand why traffic from the Redrow site is now forced to turn right onto Kingsley Road.

“It’s a very odd decision. On a daily basis, we see residents turning around in the Barratts junction to go back over Bogs Lane way. It totally baffles me.”

Mr Long also called for traffic calming measures on Kingsley Road “as the speed of the traffic on here from some rat runners and residents is absolutely frightening”. He added:

“We’re regularly overlooked in this area and it’ll unfortunately take a fatality for the council to act on this I suspect.”

The road closed to allow Redrow to work on its Kingsley Manor development.

Cllr Aldred said the new footpath and road surface looked good but the old crumbling footpath across the bridge needed upgrading. He added:

“I’m going to ask for that to be done, as the new footpath makes it look terrible.  Highways also need to do something about the potholes on the approach from Kingsley Drive — they are awful.”

He added he suspected not everyone had realised yet the road had reopened, and the volume of traffic could increase in the weeks ahead.

Read more:

 

Government approves 23-home plan in Bishop Monkton

The government has given the go-ahead for 23 new homes in Bishop Monkton despite concerns over drainage and sewage from residents.

Kebbell Development Ltd tabled a plan to build the houses on Knaresborough Road in the village, but it was refused by councillors on North Yorkshire Council’s planning committee in August last year.

The developer took the decision to the government’s Planning Inspectorate, the body which deals with planning disputes, and argued there were “no material considerations that indicate planning permission should not be granted”.

However, in December, Bishop Monkton Action Group urged the government to throw out the appeal.

In a 26-page letter of objection submitted to the Planning Inspectorate, the campaign group said the scheme would “threaten the sustainability of our village”.

The group said it had concerns over the impact on drainage and sewage, as well as a “historic lack of investment” in the area’s sewer system.

Now, planning inspector T Burnham has approved the scheme on appeal.

In a decision notice published yesterday, the inspector said the proposal would have “no unacceptable impact on the local sewerage system”.

However, they noted that a loss of hedgerow on Knaresborough Road would have an impact on the Church of St John the Baptist, but it would be “less than substantial”.

The inspector said:

“I have afforded the less than substantial harm to the setting of the designated heritage assets considerable importance and weight.

“Nonetheless, that harm is outweighed by the substantial economic and social benefits of delivering 23 dwellings, which would be enjoyed by many people over the years, a proportion of which would be affordable dwellings on a site which is allocated for residential development.”

The inspector also awarded partial costs against North Yorkshire Council for “unreasonable behaviour that has resulted in unnecessary and wasted expense in the appeals process”.

Read more:

Knaresborough pulls together to help flood victims

Dozens of homes in Knaresborough were flooded in the space of minutes on Monday night when there was an unexpected downpour.

In the days since then, the town has been rallying round to help those affected.

The Stray Ferret covered the immediate aftermath of the storm. But in the days since, charities, volunteers and councils have been working together to help people find accommodation and provide other practical support.

A community hub has been established at Chain Lane Community Centre where all those involved in the effort, including Knaresborough Town Council and North Yorkshire Council, are helping.

We visited this morning to find out more.

Sue Vasey, chief executive of the community centre, said people can receive financial and emotional support, insurance advice and guidance on the damage to their homes, as well as the opportunity to speak about alternative accommodation.

Ms Vasey said:

“We’re encouraging people to come forward.

“Our support is tailored to the needs of the individual. We can help with accommodation if people don’t have somewhere fit to live, and if an issue arises that we can’t directly help with we have people and the resources that can.

“Don’t suffer in silence. This was a freak event and our kettle is always on.”

Ms Vasey said 48 households have so far come forward seeking support after their homes were damaged by the flood, but she feels there are people still struggling alone.

The flooding on Monday.

She also praised the town and those involved in the recovery process for “stepping up”:

“I feel really proud of how Knaresborough has stepped up – everyone is really rallying together.

“We have 20 volunteers, local groups like the Lions and the Rotary Club are helping and local funders have also come forward to support people.”

Ms Vasey said the hub has also been assisted by North Yorkshire Council’s major incident response unit, adding it had been “absolutely amazing”.

After the flooding, questions were raised about the condition of the drainage systems in Knaresborough, with some people pointing the finger at the council.

When asked if she shared these concerns, Ms Vasey said:

“The council responded really positively to the incident. It was extreme weather and I don’t think the drains could’ve coped with that amount of water regardless.

“This is the first time we’ve done an emergency service response since the unitary authority formed and it’s a test bed. I think it’ll be good to come together with other services when things have started to calm down and we can learn from it going forward.”

Chain Lane Community Centre is open for free help until 6pm today (Friday, May 10).

It will resume normal working hours (9am to 1pm) next week, but Ms Vasey said people can still come forward to access support.

If you have been impacted by the flooding, you can visit the community centre on Chain Lane, call 01423 861066 or email info@chainlane.org to begin the support process.

Read more:

Heavy rain causes Starbeck church ceiling to collapse

The ceiling of a Starbeck church has collapsed after a severe rainstorm this week.

David Leonard, a treasurer at St Andrew’s Church, contacted the Stray Ferret on Wednesday after part of the ceiling of its Welcome Centre caved in on Monday evening (May 6).

Mr Leonard said the volume of rain was “too much” for the rooftop drains, which led to the damage.

The church also took to social media to say the Welcome Centre is “out of action” following a “severe ingress of water”.

Mr Leonard said the church has insurance, but would also apply to various charities for financial help to fix the ceiling.

He said:

“I don’t know exactly but I expect it’ll cost at least £5,000 to repair – if not more.

“I imagine the welcome centre will be out of action for around three months, but the repairs will take as long as they take.”

Mr Leonard did confirm, however, the church is still operating as usual and can be accessed via different doors.

It comes after an extreme rainstorm hit parts of Starbeck and Knaresborough on Monday.

Several Knaresborough roads were underwater, while homes were flooded and residents were forced to evacuate.

The damage raised questions about the ability of local drainage systems to cope, but North Yorkshire Council denied this was a factor.

Mr Leonard attributed the damage at St Andrew’s to “just a case of there being exceptional weather that day”.

Read more:

Residents react to revised Maltkiln plans

Residents have been urged to give their views on revised plans for a new town the size of Thirsk seven miles from Knaresborough.

Yorkshire developers Caddick Group, which applied for outline planning permission in 2019, plans to build up to 4,000 homes near Kirk Hammerton, Cattal and Green Hammerton.

Caddick held a public consultation at Kirk Hammerton Village Hall on Tuesday (May 7) to share its updated plans for the settlement known as Maltkiln.

The town will include affordable and eco-friendly houses, as well as two primary schools, a mixed-use local centre, a sports hub and green spaces.

The changes announced included moving the site boundary to the north east and east to provide access into the first phase of development from the A59.

The two roundabouts proposed to access the site have also been moved, with one on the east and one on the west of the site along the A59.

The amended locations of the two roundabouts. Pic: Maltkiln Consultation

There is also set to be an additional new road bridge over the railway line on the eastern edge of the site.

The firm added plans for the mixed-use local centre had extended east of Station Road and north of the railway station. In addition, the proposed location of the northern primary school has been amended.

Caddick also said delivery of the development will now start with a first phase in the north east and continue in a clockwise direction.

The revised plans and key. Pic: Stantec / Maltkiln Consultation

The scheme has faced backlash from some nearby residents since its inception and progress remains uncertain since the council threatened to compulsory purchase land for the new town.

Rural feel

The Stray Ferret attended the consultation event to speak to residents and Caddick representatives.

Kirk Hammerton resident James Browne (pictured above) told us people needed to have a “balanced approached” to the proposal.

He said:

“I share others’ concerns. I hope the amount of tension around the development means that things will be done in the right manner and not disrupt the rural feel around here.”

Mr Brown told the Stray Ferret he hopes, if the development goes ahead, there would be “benefits to amenities, cyclists, roads, shops and education” in what is a relatively “isolated area”.

He added:

“I’m hoping if it does go ahead, it would be delivered sympathetically, but once plans are approved, would it just become a case of delivering sheer volume?”

People at the consultation event.

Sue Husband, another nearby resident, questioned whether the potential number of houses was “really necessary”.

She told the Stray Ferret:

“We do need some housing – I get that. My preference is that it’s ecological housing that supports climate change, rather than just luxury homes. We also need a wider community. But do we actually need this number of houses?

“If the plans were to create a small village and there was the potential to expand it gradually, I think people would be able to accept it more. But because it’s this big, sudden expansion people can’t necessarily adjust to it.”

Ms Husband also said she would “consider moving house” if the plans were approved. She added:

“I moved here because it’s so peaceful and quiet.”

Read more:

Infrastructure fears

The Stray Ferret also contacted Green Party councillor for Ouseburn, Arnold Warneken, about the new plans.

He said the “biggest concerns from residents in his inbox” included the infrastructure of the existing roads and drainage systems.

Cllr Warneken said:

“People feel there could, in reality, be thousands of additional cars around the settlement and they are concerned about the existing road networks.

“They’re also worried about existing sewage systems. Residents have contacted me to say they don’t feel the sewage system can cope as it is, let alone with new houses being built.”

Cllr Warneken said residents also expressed concerns about a GP practice not being included in phase one of the development process, particularly as Springbank Surgery in Green Hammerton is “already oversubscribed”.

Developer wants community to ‘shape masterplan’

The consultation comes after North Yorkshire Council submitted the Maltkiln development plan document to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities for independent examination.

People now have the opportunity to give feedback on Caddick’s revised plans.

Chris Procter, director at Caddick Group, said in a statement:

“We’re particularly keen for communities in the area to shape key areas of the masterplan, including the design of the local centre, as well as the upcoming residential design code.

“All the information for the consultation is available on the Maltkiln website and we would really like people to get involved and give us their views. All feedback will be analysed and considered as part of our application for the first stage of the project, which we are anticipating submitting later this year.”

You can give your view on the refreshed plans and leave feedback here until Friday, May 27.

Proposed Harrogate children’s home faces public backlash

Plans to convert a Harrogate house into a children’s home have faced backlash from the public.

The application, which was tabled to North Yorkshire Council in March, outlines plans to turn Oak Back on Ashgarth Court – near Ashville College – into C2 classified housing, which refers to residential accommodation for people in need of care.

The Stray Ferret reported on the plans at the time of submission, which generated concern among social media followers.

Now nearly two months later, all 27 public comments made on the planning portal are objections.

Eddie Dale, who has submitted an objection comment to the council, said the house would be a “thoughtless site for a children’s residential home”.

He adds:

“There are no nearby facilities. The lack of youth clubs, cafés, play areas, surgeries and shops mean that it is an unsuitable location for this type of home.”

Mr Dale said he regarded Ashgarth Court as a “friendly, cohesive and safe environment”, but added the possibility of losing this made him “very uncomfortable and worried”.

Another objector, Richard Dennis, felt the application would be “detrimental” not only to the local community, but also for “any persons placed in care at the property” if approved.

He echoed concerns about a lack of facilities for young people in the area, adding it was “totally unsuitable” for potential residents:

“A Google search of a C2 property says that potentially alcohol/recovering drug addicts could be housed here. A quiet family cul-de-sac where children regularly play outside on the green is a totally unsuitable location for people who have these issues.”

Louise Dennis was one of many to highlight parking issues.

The application claims the house has a “large off-street driveway” meaning “no cars will take up additional road space”. However, Ms Dennis “strongly disputes” this.

She said:

“In reality the driveway would house two cars comfortably. The application suggests that there would be nine full-time staff, so likely at least a minimum of three vehicles there at any one time, excluding healthcare workers, social workers, visitors, cars of residents if over 17 etc.

“Therefore, the driveway would not accommodate all these vehicles on a day-to-day basis and there will be an increase in cars parked on the road, which is against what the applicant has claimed.”

Ms Dennis also expressed concern about the increase in traffic and congestion that could arise should the plans be approved.

Ms Dennis also suggested the local community would “undoubtedly be impacted” if the plans went ahead, adding more cars in the area would release more emissions and the potential risks of noise and anti-social behaviour would increase.

‘Widespread misconception of care homes’

In an email uploaded to the planning portal, applicant Jolyon McKay addressed some of the objections made.

He said it was “understandable” that some people “harbour reservations about residential placement homes”. He added, however, “sensationalised portrayals” had led to a “widespread misconception of care homes”.

He said:

“The objection raises doubts about the accommodation’s suitability for nine staff members and potential visitors, suggesting that the proposal deviates from a family home environment.

“Contrary to this assertion, while the residential placement home will have the capacity to employ up to nine staff members, it is important to clarify that it is highly unlikely that more than three staff members will be present on-site at any given time.

“It’s important to clarify that our property does indeed feature ample parking space, including a garage, to accommodate multiple vehicles. We have taken proactive measures to ensure that parking arrangements are sufficient to meet the needs of both staff and visitors without causing disruption to the neighbourhood.”

He added “thorough assessments” had been undertaken to “ensure the site will not adversely affect local amenities or community cohesion”, and said his team “remain dedicated to fostering a positive relationship with the local community and addressing any concerns in a proactive and transparent manner”.

The application states several healthcare workers would be hired at the children’s home and would be an Ofsted registered site.

It also said the home would have four bedrooms, with “never more than a maximum of three children living at the home”.

North Yorkshire Council will adjudicate on the application at a later date.

Read more:

Exclusive: Hackers demand ransom after breaching North Yorkshire Council computer system

International hackers have breached the trading standards computer system at North Yorkshire Council and demanded a ransom.

The Stray Ferret was tipped off by an anonymous source at the council who said the hackers had encrypted large amounts of data and were “demanding a ransom to decrypt it”.

The source added:

“Backups have also been encrypted so this is a big problem. This systems holds a lot of data and this breach could impact on a large number of crime investigations within the area.”

The Stray Ferret asked the council for further details about the breach, which is believed to have happened in March.

We asked how much data had been compromised and how it was able to happen, as well as what action the council was taking to resolve the situation, and the likely cost and timeframe.

The council issued a statement that included quotes from Mike Andrews, the National Trading Standards eCrime team’s national co-ordinator, and Madeline Hoskin, the council’s assistant director for technology.

The National Trading Standards eCrime team investigates fraud on behalf of local authorities.

The statement confirmed there had been “an incident”, which it said had been “contained” but did not clarify the extent of the breach.

Mr Andrews said in the statement:

“We are working with national agencies and other partners to investigate this incident.

“Fortunately, we became aware of the incident at a very early stage and swift action was taken.

“Protecting personal data remains our top priority and steps were taken to contain the potential impact.

“As the investigation is ongoing, it would not be appropriate for us to comment any further at this stage to avoid jeopardising any future legal proceedings.”

Ms Hoskin said in the statement:

“We take considerable precautions to prevent and detect cybercrime and take our responsibilities extremely seriously.

“We worked with an independent team of digital forensic specialists which helped ensure a swift recovery from the incident.

“No information related to the council’s customers outside of the data held by the National Trading Standards E-Crime Team has been affected.”

The council declined to comment further.

Read more: