North Yorkshire is week behind London’s covid surge, health official warns

North Yorkshire is a “week or so” behind London’s surge in covid infections and hospitalisations, a health official has warned.

Dr Victoria Turner, public health consultant at North Yorkshire County Council, told a meeting of the county’s Outbreak Management Advisory Board that the capital remained at the epicentre of the Omicron wave and there were still a “relatively small number” of cases in North Yorkshire.

But she added infections were likely to rise and that hospitalisations would follow as the true impact of the new variant is felt over the New Year.

She said:

“The level of hospitalisations we are seeing at the moment are predominantly reflecting where we were with the Delta variant a couple of weeks ago.

“But it is safe to say Omicron is going to be the dominant variant in North Yorkshire.”

The warning comes as early studies by researchers at the Imperial College London have found the Omicron variant may cause milder illness than Delta.

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Dr Turner said while the findings were encouraging, it was still early data and that the larger number of infections from Omicron meant a rise in hospitalisations – similar to what is being seen in London – should be expected.

She said:

“It is still not 100% certain how severe Omicron is compared to Delta and other previous variants.

“And there still remains the same lag time between becoming infected and hospitalised, so over the next week or two we are likely to see hospitalisations increase as the Omicron wave is reflected in the figures.

“There is then usually a week to two weeks lag between hospitalisations and deaths.”

13 covid patients in Harrogate hospital

Hospitalisations are the key figures which government ministers are now monitoring as they consider further restrictions to slow the spread of the virus and prevent the NHS from being overwhelmed.

Health Secretary Sajid Javid has said no further measures are needed at present as he also urged people to be cautious over Christmas.

The meeting of the North Yorkshire Outbreak Management Advisory Board heard there are currently 94 covid patients in the county’s hospitals, including 39 in South Tees, 26 in York, 16 in Scarborough and 13 in Harrogate.

Sue Peckitt, chief nurse at the NHS North Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group, described the situation as “fairly stable” but added health services were still feeling the strain from winter pressures.

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She also said a large number of the covid patients currently receiving treatment were over 65s and that most of those in intensive care were unvaccinated or had underlying health conditions.

She said:

“There are currently 94 inpatients across the North Yorkshire bed base, 10 of which are in intensive care.

“This is a fairly stable picture and we are preparing for any influx should we need to step up additional beds over Christmas and New Year.

“Omicron is coming into North Yorkshire and we anticipate that we may see more hospitalisations, but we are waiting to see what the trend is showing in other parts of the country.”

Fewer people at vaccine sites

Mrs Peckitt also said while the vaccination rollout was going “exceptionally well”, officials had noted a drop in attendance at vaccine sites in recent days.

She said this is thought to be due to patients concerned about feeling unwell with vaccine side effects over the festive period.

According to UK Health Security Agency figures, more than 370,060 people across North Yorkshire have now had their booster vaccine.

This represents around 64% of the county’s population.

Meanwhile, Selby has the highest weekly infection rate in the county with 716 cases per 100,000 people. This is followed by Harrogate at 643, Craven 617, Ryedale 594, Hambleton 545, Richmondshire 417 and Scarborough 352.

Harrogate council proposes 1.99% council tax rise in final ever budget

Taxpayers are set to be hit with another rise in council tax after Harrogate Borough Council revealed plans for a 1.99% rate increase in its final budget before the authority is abolished.

Officials say the rise – which equates to an extra £5 per Band D household per year – is needed in order to balance the books as the council continues to face financial challenges due to pandemic pressures and more than a decade of government cuts.

Paul Foster, head of finance at the council, said in a report that while the authority’s grant allocations had been reduced by £8.2 million since 2010, it had continued to prioritise key services including bin collections and planning.

He said:

“During a period of significant funding reductions, as the government continued to rein in the national deficit, and as other councils across the country faced uncertain futures, Harrogate has continued to maintain its valued frontline services.

“This is a testament to the council’s strong record of financial management before and during the age of austerity.

“In addition to this, the council has been faced with an unprecedented financial detriment as a result of the covid-19 pandemic.

“The resultant economic downturn continues to impact on the council’s finances, with commercial property income, planning fee income and the convention centre lettings income, now not forecast to reach pre-pandemic levels until 2023/24.”

Under government rules, 1.99% is the maximum amount the authority can raise council tax by from April without a local referendum.

The proposed increase will be debated at several meetings before a vote from councillors in February. If approved, contributions for the average Band D property will rise to £255.92.

Harrogate Borough Council makes up just under 13% of council tax bills, while North Yorkshire County Council makes up 70% and police and fire services the remainder.

After rises were agreed last year, average bills in the Harrogate district rose above £2,000 for the first time.

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North Yorkshire County Council is currently consulting with the public about its council tax and social care precept levels for next year.

Cllr Carl Les, leader of the county council, said:

“Putting up council tax is never an easy option for this authority. We have always striven to be moderate in our increases.

“In considering the level of council tax, we must understand and balance the hardship families are currently facing and the added pressure a council tax increase may bring with the need to fund essential services to support the most vulnerable in our communities through this critical period.

“We continue to feel that residents in North Yorkshire pay too much council tax, particularly in comparison to London, and urge the government to press on with funding reform to create a fairer solution for rural counties.”

The coming year will be the county council and Harrogate Borough Council’s last before the merger of all North Yorkshire councils into one new authority which will take over control of all services from April 2023.

It will mark the biggest changes to local government in the area for almost 50 years, with elections to the new council set to take place in May 2022.

Cllr Les added:

“We are currently developing our council plan and budget and encourage residents to have their say on our budget, ambitions and priorities.”

To have your say go to the North Yorkshire County Council website here.

Free Wi-Fi goes live in Knaresborough

Free public access WiFi has been installed in Knaresborough in an effort to increase footfall as more people return to working from home.

Knaresborough is the latest market town to have the WiFi installed as part of a project between North Yorkshrie County Council, Harrogate Borough Council and NYnet.

The scheme is delivering free internet access to 16 market towns across the county. It has already been rolled-out in Ripon with Harrogate soon to follow.

Harrogate Borough Council has put £300,000 to improving internet coverage in the hope of supporting recovery adn growth within district towns.

With more people encouraged to work from home, the organisations involved have said it is important for towns to find new ways to encourage visitors.

Cllr Graham Swift, deputy leader and cabinet member for resources, enterprise and economic development at the borough council, said:

“Providing free Wi-Fi in public spaces supports our economic growth strategy which aims to make the Harrogate district the best place to live, work and visit.

The scheme also aims to offer people with limited or no broadband the opportunity to access vital online services and take part in the growing digital economy.

It has been funded by a £3.6m investment from the York & North Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership as part of its allocation from the government’s Getting Building Fund.

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Cllr Don Mackenzie, executive member for access at the county council, said:

“As the government has imposed new working from home guidance it’s more important than ever to encourage people to continue visiting town centres and supporting local businesses.

“We have already seen many towns benefit from the scheme in 2021 which represents the latest investment to improve North Yorkshire’s digital infrastructure.”

Station Gateway hit with second petition calling for project to be halted

A second petition demanding the Harrogate Gateway project is halted has been delivered to council bosses behind the £10.9 million scheme.

In what marks another sign of growing opposition against the major plans to reshape key parts of the town centre, the petition from Harrogate Residents Association has been backed by 714 signatures and will be debated at a council meeting on January 6.

This comes just days after the results of a latest council-run survey revealed 55% of 1,320 respondents feel ‘negative’ about the project, while 39% feel ‘positive’.

The remaining 6% were either ‘neutral’ or said they didn’t know.

North Yorkshire County Council – which is leading on the project – declined to comment on the latest petition.

It also did not say whether the opposition to the project could mean key parts of it – including the part-time pedestrianisation of James Street and reducing Station Parade to one-lane traffic – are scrapped or changed.

In its petition, Harrogate Residents Association said its main concerns are that the proposed road changes would be bad for business and only divert traffic elsewhere – something council bosses have argued against.

The residents association said:

“All we need to do is look at Oxford Street, Cambridge Street and Beulah Street to see the detrimental effects pedestrianisation has on shops, businesses and the appearance of our town.

“We need a flow of people through the town to support business, not to cut it off.

“These visitors bring a substantial amount of income to hospitality and retail without which we fear it would be terribly damaging to the town’s economy.”

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The residents association – which previously petitioned against Harrogate’s first Low Traffic Neighbourhood on Beech Grove – also claimed cycle lanes are not the answer to improving sustainable transport. It said:

“We welcome improved cycling provisions across the district to encourage people to walk and cycle, however, what we are opposed to is anything that could have a detrimental impact on our livelihoods, environment, businesses, conference trade and town as a whole

“Wholesale introduction of cycle lanes through the town is not necessarily the answer. Harrogate has steep roads and the climate is not always warm and sunny – too often it is cold, windy and wet.”

The petition will be debated at a virtual meeting of North Yorkshire County Council’s Harrogate and Knaresborough Area Constituency Committee on January 6 when members of the residents association and council officials are expected to speak.

This comes after the Granville Road Area Residents Association previously delivered a petition against the Gateway project to Harrogate Borough Council which is supporting the scheme.

As well as changes to James Street and Station Parade, the plans also include improvements to Station Square and the One Arch underpass with the aim of providing better links to the train and bus station.

Cllr Don Mackenzie, executive member for access at North Yorkshire County Council, recently said the responses to the latest survey were now being considered before designs are finalised and recommendations are presented to the council’s executive in the New Year.

He also argued sustainable transport measures were well supported during the Harrogate Congestion Study – a major survey held in 2019 when thousands of residents said a greener town centre was needed. He said:

“The clear message sent to us by members of the public then was that they wanted more walking and cycling infrastructure, greater support and use of public transport, and encouragement to leave cars at home when making short journeys.

“It was made clear that the best way to combat congestion was to change travel behaviour, to walk, cycle and use public transport more often.

“At a time when climate change is a global priority, these proposals will play a part in improving the environment in the town centre by encouraging less use of motor vehicles.”

The Gateway project is being funded by the government’s Transforming Cities Fund, with a deadline for the money to be spent by early 2023.

If approved, construction could start in spring 2022.

Royal Baths Chinese Restaurant reveals plans to re-open

A Chinese restaurant set in the main hall of the Royal Baths in Harrogate plans to reopen next year after months of repairs.

Royal Baths Chinese Restaurant has been closed for most of the last two years due to coronavirus lockdowns and an extensive refurbishment that began in May this year.

Because the restaurant is based in a Grade II listed building, the work has been more complicated than expected.

The building, which is owned by North Yorkshire County Council, underwent a series of roof repairs before work started on the internal central hall in September.

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Now the Royal Baths Chinese Restaurant has revealed that the works are almost complete. It said on its Facebook page:

“We are almost finished with the renovations. However we will not be open until after the New Year.

“Royal Baths Chinese Restaurant wish you all a very merry Christmas and happy New Year. We look forward to seeing everyone in 2022.”

Although the Royal Baths Chinese Restaurant has been closed, the owners have continued operating at their other site, Haks Little Royal Baths Chinese Restaurant, on Station Parade.

Disabled Harrogate woman threatened with Christmas eviction from care home

The mother of a disabled woman who faces eviction from her Harrogate care home and being moved into a Premier Inn has accused the local authority of treating her daughter like a “slab of meat”.

Catherine Bradwell, 49, who was left partially paralysed and mildly brain damaged from a fall down stairs five years ago, has been staying at Southlands Care Home on Ripon Road since June last year.

North Yorkshire County Council, which provides social care, has been trying to find more suitable long-term accommodation and considered moving Catherine into a homeless unit in Starbeck before deciding she should go to a disabled access room at the Premier Inn hotel on Springfield Avenue in Harrogate.

Catherine’s mother, Gaye Bradwell, 81, was told the move would take place over Christmas but since contacting the Stray Ferret has discovered it has been put back to an unconfirmed date.

Nevertheless, her daughter’s long-term accommodation remains uncertain and Gaye believes the case highlights how “shoddily” disabled people with specialist housing needs are treated.

Gaye, whose late husband was an eminent surgeon at Harrogate District Hospital, wonders how many other families are in a similar situation. She said:

“My daughter is being treated like a slab of meat that’s being pushed around. They have no idea what stress it’s causing. It’s simply unbelievable.”

Gaye Bradwell

Gaye Bradwell

Catherine needs help showering, getting dressed and preparing food. She can walk unassisted indoors but due to balance problems and the risk of falling on uneven surfaces, uses a wheelchair outside. Gaye said:

“The ideal solution would be that she is found sheltered accommodation with access to help and a warden that can check if she’s OK.

“But social services will not agree that she needs to be in sheltered accommodation, which she jolly well does.”

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Southlands, which offers long-term residential and nursing care, was never considered to be a permanent option for Catherine, who is much younger than other residents and does not require round-the-clock care.

Gaye said Southlands staff had been wonderful but agreed a more suitable long-term option had to be found for her daughter, who wants to live as independently as possible.

She said social services had suggested three retirement homes, as well as Fern House, Harrogate Borough Council‘s 19-bed homeless unit on Spa Lane in Starbeck, and now the hotel.

No continuity of care

She said Catherine’s age made retirement homes, which cater for over-55s, unsuitable and the other options highlighted how woeful provision was for disabled people who want to live independently.

When threatened with the move to the homeless unit, Gaye paid for an independent occupational therapy assessment, which concluded “that retirement housing or a hostel for homelessness people would be suitable for her vulnerable physical, cognitive and psychological difficulties”.

The assessment added:

“She needs to live somewhere with adequate support where she can remain as independent as possible within safe limits but where she can be assisted promptly in the event of a fall, a seizure or being unable to complete essential activities of daily living.”

The council assessor eventually agreed the homeless unit would be unsuitable but then said Catherine would be moved to the Premier Inn, where she would be supported by a care package, on December 27.

Gaye said five different social workers had been allocated to help her daughter over the last one, which made continuity of care difficult.

Richard Webb, director of health and adult social services at the county council, said:

“Whilst we cannot comment on individual cases, in situations like this one, the county council will undertake assessments and look at all options.

“Sometimes we provide people with accommodation for a limited period  to help their discharge from hospital while reviewing their ability to live independently.

“However, we will only fund and provide permanent 24-hour care where that is required: wherever possible, we will provide home care and try and help individuals to stay in their own home and/or work with them and housing services, to find alternative accommodation.”

Jackie Snape, chief executive of Disability Action Yorkshire, which runs a residential care home for adults with physical disabilities on Claro Road, Harrogate, declined to comment.

More roadside weather stations in Harrogate district to help drivers

North Yorkshire County Council has installed an extra 13 roadside weather stations on remote roads to alert drivers to treacherous road conditions during bad weather.

It means there is now a total of 23 weather stations across the county, powered by solar and wind technology, that display up-to-date images of road conditions on the council’s website.

The Harrogate district is covered by one new station on the A658 Harrogate bypass as well two others in Low Burton, near Masham, and Greenhow Hill near Pateley Bridge.

The images can be monitored by commuters but will also be used by highways teams to track conditions.

County Councillor Don Mackenzie, executive member for access, said the cameras were a great tool for highways staff:

“The introduction of more weather stations over recent months marks a huge step forward in our winter service delivery.

“Many of North Yorkshire’s roads pass over the high ground of the Yorkshire Dales and North York Moors, resulting in dangerous driving conditions at times during the winter months.

“The stations broadcast up-to-date images to anybody who views our website. They allow you to see what road conditions are like before you even leave the house.”

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The county council is encouraging all road users to check the cameras prior to heading out if extreme weather is forecast.

For a list of the weather stations and to view live images click here

Omicron: Harrogate district covid rate up by a quarter in three days

Harrogate’s Covid infection rate has jumped by more than 25% in just three days amid the rapid spread of the Omicron variant.

The weekly rate per 100,000 people currently stands at 476 – up sharply from 376.

This equates to around 110 new cases per day and comes as people are being urged to think carefully about social events this Christmas as a further rise in infections is expected.

Richard Webb, director of health and adult services at North Yorkshire County Council, said the area was now facing a “race against time” to prepare for a similar surge in cases seen in other areas of the country.

“If we follow previous patterns, and what’s happening in London, it won’t be long before we are seeing high numbers of Omicron cases here in North Yorkshire.

“Even the most optimistic Government modelling is now projecting many more cases in January and February and we face the possibility of many more hospital admissions and sadly many more deaths.

“Living with Covid means responding quickly to deal with a new variant. We need to act now to buy time”.

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Mr Webb also said people should take a lateral flow test before mixing socially and that getting a booster vaccine remained the best line of defence.

The vaccination programme has been rapidly accelerated in recent weeks with firefighters now being drafted in to deliver doses at sites across North Yorkshire.

James Manning, North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue group manager, said:

“This is an urgent situation and the time involved is substantial in getting these vaccines where they need to be.

“For this reason the key agencies have come together to provide the best possible service to people”.

In Harrogate, vaccines are being made available by appointments and walk-ins at several pharmacy sites as well as Harrogate’s Great Yorkshire Showground and Ripon Racecourse.

Council warns of ‘enormous financial pressures’ despite government funding

North Yorkshire County Council officials have warned that it faces “enormous financial pressures” despite receiving £10 million in additional funding from government.

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, announced that the authority will be granted £26 million in grants for the coming year.

Council officials said the funding was more than forecast due to an increase in funding from the government.

The fund includes core spending grants and funding for adult social care.

However, county council bosses have warned that the authority will still have to find £19 million in savings.

The funding includes:

Ministers said the settlement reflected the extra pressures on local councils, particularly in social care and the covid pandemic.

But Cllr Gareth Dadd, executive county councillor for finance, said the money would already be “accounted for” at this “turbulent time”.

He said:

“The additional money is very welcome. However, this continues to be a turbulent time. We remain in the midst of the pandemic and are responding to the increased pressures this puts on the county’s communities and economy, as well as our own resources.

“At the same time, long-term challenges continue to grow, as we deal with massive pressures in the social care markets and unprecedented levels of inflation and national insurance contributions. This means that as welcome as the extra money is, it is already more than accounted for.”

The move comes as the county council is consulting residents in North Yorkshire on its upcoming budget.

The authority will have the means to be able to hike council tax by up to 4.5% this year, under government rules.

Those in a band D property in North Yorkshire currently pay £1,411.05 in the county council’s share of council tax.

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Cllr Carl Les, leader of the council, said reform was needed on funding for rural authorities as residents “already pay too much council tax”.

He said:

“Putting up council tax is never an easy option for this authority. We have always striven to be moderate in our increases.

“In considering the level of council tax, we must understand and balance the hardship families are currently facing and the added pressure a council tax increase may bring with the need to fund essential services to support the most vulnerable in our communities through this critical period.

“We continue to feel that residents in North Yorkshire pay too much council tax, particularly in comparison to London, and urge the Government to press on with funding reform to create a fairer solution for rural counties.”

The county council is expected to outline its budget plan, including council tax, in the new year.

Harrogate train line boost with extra service every hour

Northern has introduced an additional service on the Leeds, Harrogate and York line, meaning there will now be two trains every hour.

The train provider held a launch event yesterday at Knaresborough station, which is one of the stations to benefit from the extra capacity.

Representatives from North Yorkshire County Council and Harrogate Borough Council, York & North Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership and Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones attended.

Network Rail carried out a £9.8 million upgrade of the signalling system and track layout to facilitate extra trains this time last year.

York & North Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership secured £9.6m for the work from the government’s Local Growth Fund.

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Mr Jones said:

“This investment in local rail is much-needed and welcomed.

“The signalling upgrade and the improvement project will see more and faster services operating between Leeds, Harrogate and York.

“This is one more in a long list of improvements in our rail services which have seen more direct services to and from London and improved rolling stock on the local line.

“It is fantastic news that we have been able to double the capacity on this section of the line.”

North Yorkshire County Councillor Don Mackenzie, executive member for access, said:

“This timetable improvement, which owes much to the county council’s £10m track and signals upgrade scheme of last year, complements our transport priority of improving east-west connectivity across the county and region.

“The enhanced timetable is another step towards encouraging people to use public transport rather than their cars. It also supports the visitor economy and anticipates growth in residential and commercial development along the A59 corridor.”

Pictured are: (left to right) Andrew Jones MP, David Dickson (chair of York and North Yorkshire LEP), Cllr Don Mackenzie (North Yorkshire County Council), Tony Baxter (Northern regional director) and Wallace Sampson (Chief Exec at Harrogate Borough Council).