Councillors sought to reassure the public over the future of Bewerley Park outdoor learning centre as they voted to support a review of its services today.

North Yorkshire County Council’s executive this afternoon amended a proposal to mothball the site near Pateley Bridge with immediate effect, saying it sent a negative message.

Instead, the executive agreed to “protect” the site by installing CCTV and other measures to keep it safe while out of use, following a break-in while it was closed.

However, with no sign of school visits resuming and likely limits to reduce the covid risk in future, the council said it still had to review the service and staffing levels, and bring back a business case for approval later in the year.

Cllr Patrick Mulligan, NYCC’s executive member for education and skills, said:

“We recognise the risk in the short term but, through the review, we are hoping to achieve a service that is sustainable for a long time into the future. This will require a review of all aspects of the service, including but not limited to staffing.

“The review, which will bring all stakeholders together, will evaluate the benefits of the service, taking into account making comparisons with the wider outdoor education market. The resulting business case aims to provide a sustainable operating model, balancing staffing, property and infrastructure costs.”

NYCC says Bewerley Park requires significant investment to meet modern educational needs. Photo: North Yorkshire Outdoor Learning Service.

Before voting, the executive heard from several speakers concerned about a recommendation to review the service and consult on its jobs. Among them were teachers and former pupils who had been to Bewerley Park and East Barnby, who emphasised the value offered by outdoor education and the growing need for it after a year of lockdowns impacting on children’s mental health.

Teacher Ian Bloor, from Eskdale School in Whitby, described the outdoor learning centres as the “jewel in the crown” of North Yorkshire education and said:

“I would like to make a heartfelt plea that any decisions made about the future of the service are made in the full knowledge of just how valuable and valued this service is.”

The meeting also heard from Cllr Stan Lumley, who represents the Pateley Bridge division on NYCC. He urged committee members not to rush into a decision while government support was still available, and with looming local government reorganisation which meant it was not yet clear who would be managing education services from next year.

Finally, Erica Carswell, the manager of Bewerley Park for more than 30 years until 2018, said closing the sites would mean losing the valuable skills and experience of the 42 staff.

It would also remove the option to use them for day visits or respite care for families with special needs in the summer and would discourage schools from booking residential visits for the coming months when covid restrictions would allow. She added:

“It would make better financial sense not to mothball the outdoor centres, but to keep them running at, say, a 50% staffing/capacity. The cost of mothballing is significant and doing so sends out a negative message to the general public and potential clients.”

Read more:

• Thousands sign petition against Bewerley Park closure
• Future of Bewerley Park outdoor centre under threat

Cllr Mulligan told the committee the centres were not set up for day visits and any income would not be sufficient to cover costs, nor to invest in the buildings and facilities which had been needed for many years. He added:

“There’s a misperception that we are looking to close these outdoor education centres. What we are attempting to do is to have a review of them to make them more sustainable.”

The committee heard that, with a projected loss of nearly £1 million in the current financial year, the council had been able to recoup money from government schemes to protect jobs and services, reducing the loss to just over £200,000. However, there was no guarantee the schemes would continue to run beyond their current end dates of March and June.

The outdoor education service had run at a loss of around £50,000 per year for the last five years before the coronavirus crisis, the committee was told.

Cllr Michael Harrison, who represents the Lower Nidderdale and Bishop Monkton division, said the value of the service had to be taken into account as part of the review of its finances:

“Many of the services councils provide, technically, will run at a loss and I prefer to look at it more as an investment…

“Most council leisure centres technically will run at a loss, most libraries will run at a loss, but I view it not so much as a loss but an investment in that service.”

Councillors voted unanimously to support the proposal to introduce short-term protective measures for both Bewerley Park and East Barnby, to review the services and report back later in the year, and to begin consulting with staff over the potential loss of jobs.

Pressure is mounting as North Yorkshire County Council prepares to decide on the future of Bewerley Park Outdoor Education Centre today.

More than 16,000 people have signed a petition opposing the closure of Bewerley Park and East Barnby, near Whitby, after it was revealed that the council is considering whether the two facilities are viable.

The impact of the coronavirus crisis could see both of them mothballed in the short term. A full review of the sites is also being planned to decide whether to keep them open.

Bewerley Park has been welcoming generations of local schoolchildren for many decades, giving them the opportunity to try outdoor activities and learn new skills. Its potential closure has caused significant concern among parents and former pupils who have benefited from the NYCC-owned residential site.

Among the comments from signatories were:

“Both centres are incredibly important for the service they provide to young people for experience of adventurous activity and insight into the environment that sustains us all. They are part of their local and much, much wider community, their impacts resonate for generations and their loss can be ill-afforded.”

One former teacher wrote:

“I have lived in Bewerley for 40 years and I have taught at Harrogate Grammar School. I know what a fantastic resource Bewerley Park represents for both teachers and students. Where else on the curriculum can children undertake these safe activities with experiences and development of skills that can last a lifetime?”

NYCC’s executive is due to meet today to decide whether to proceed with mothballing Bewerley Park and East Barnby, as well as undertaking a review of the long-term future of the service.

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A report from Amanda Newbold, assistant director of children and young people’s services, recommends going ahead with both, and assessing the impact on the 42 staff affected. Some could be redeployed to other services, depending on need, but it is likely some posts would be lost.

Her report said the facilities at Bewerley Park are in need of significant investment to bring them up to modern standards.

The council has vowed to carry out a consultation with schools and local communities about how outdoor learning should be delivered in the future. Ms Newbold said:

“We know that many generations in North Yorkshire have fond memories of visiting Bewerley Park and East Barnby during their schools years. Many thousands of students has passed through the doors of these centres over the last few decades to take part in outdoor adventures and it has a special place in many people’s hearts.

“Unfortunately the estate, including dormitory huts, dining hall and other buildings are in urgent need of updating and modernising and we need to create a more suitable model of outdoor education provision for future generations of children.

“If the buildings at Bewerley Park were old stone structures there wouldn’t be a problem, but the material estate has worn out and we’re spending a significant sum of money trying to patch it up. Unfortunately the buildings aren’t fit for purpose or for the future.

“We need to launch a full review of outdoor learning services and potentially come up with a more sustainable model of delivering the service.

“At this stage nothing is off the table and we would like to work with our existing outdoor learning staff and other stakeholders to see if we to make sure we fully meet the future needs of schools and young people for outdoor education and have a sustainable, long-lasting model for the service in place.”

Cars could soon make way for cyclists on another major route in Harrogate under proposals to make Oatlands Drive one-way.

Road closures have become a hot topic in Harrogate lately.

Beech Grove was due to close to through traffic today as part of plans to encourage more cyclists and pedestrians by creating a low traffic neighbourhood.

North Yorkshire County Council wants to create another low traffic neighbourhood in a yet-to-be specified part of Bilton, which could see further restrictions on vehicles.

Now the council is consulting on plans to make Oatlands Drive one-way southbound.

It also wants to limit the speed to 20mph, widen the existing footpath and create a new segregated cycleway.

Four parallel crossings, which combine pedestrian and cycle crossings,  are planned, along with one-way filters that would affect the junctions with St Winifred’s Drive and St Hilda’s Road.

The £215,000 Oatlands project is one of three cycling schemes the council opened consultation on last week.

The two other schemes would see cycle tracks created on Knaresborough Road between High Bridge in Knaresborough and Harrogate Golf Club, as well as on Victoria Avenue between Princes Square and Station Parade.

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The Department for Transport awarded £1,011,750 for the schemes after a successful funding bid by the council.

Of the three schemes, vehicle movements would only be restricted on Oatlands Drive.

‘Ridiculous idea’

One local resident, Mr Brown, told the Stray Ferret some local people were “fuming”.

He said he cycled as well as drove and questioned how forcing vehicles to make longer journeys into town along Wetherby Road would ease congestion and improve the environment.

Mr Brown said many of the roads named after saints were already clogged up by cars parked by Harrogate District Hospital staff. He added:

“To me this seems ridiculous. There are not that many cyclists and the ones I have seen are the Saturday morning groups who respect other road users and are competent cyclists.

“This is just going to cause havoc for the saints area. The real problem is lack of parking at the hospital and parents dropping their children off.

“I personally agree there should be a crossing by the Stray on Oatlands Drive so walkers can continue along the path but to make it one way for a few cyclists seems ridiculous and a waste of taxpayers money!”

Beech Grove is due to close for six months and, depending on the results of a public consultation, could become permanent.

Work to install the signage, bollards and planters will take three days from today, weather permitting.

You can take part in the Oatlands Drive consultation by clicking or tapping here.

Bewerley Park Outdoor Learning Centre faces an uncertain future because of the impact of covid and the need for significant investment in its facilities.

North Yorkshire County Council’s executive is due to meet next week to decide whether to mothball the site in the short-term, as it is not currently in use.

The long-term future of the site is also under consideration, with staff posts likely to be lost and no certainty of reopening after the coronavirus crisis.

Amanda Newbould, assistant director of education and skills at NYCC, has written a report recommending a review of the site’s viability. The report said:

“The Bewerley Park site requires significant investment to maintain and improve the facilities; there is a capital maintenance backlog and the design and layout of the current buildings do not meet the demands and function required by a modern outdoor education centre.

“A strategic review of the service was planned in early 2020 but was put on hold due to the pandemic.”

As a result, the Nidderdale site – which last year celebrated its 80th anniversary – has seen its income fall dramatically from around £2.25 million, with a deficit of just under £80,000 in 2019-20.

This year, its forecast deficit is almost £1m.

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NYCC’s other residential site, East Barnby near Whitby, is also set to be mothballed and have its future reviewed.

Most of the 42 outdoor learning service staff across the two sites have been furloughed, with five redeployed to local covid response services until the end of March. A number of short-term contracts and traineeships have not been renewed.

Even when residential visits are allowed, the report says it is likely to take some time before schools are on site again to generate income:

“The effect of the current public health and economic situation and their impact on schools and parents’ willingness to commit to residential learning experiences is not yet understood.

“The prospect of sufficient confirmed bookings of residential visits with numbers to produce a viable income for the service to balance its budget is unlikely to improve in the next financial year.

“When residential visits are permitted it is likely that risk mitigation measures will lead to much smaller sized cohorts accessing the residential centres at any time and this will significantly affect levels of income.”

Bewerley Park requires significant sums spending on it to meet modern educational needs. Photo: North Yorkshire Outdoor Learning Service.

The planned long-term review will look at the overall need for outdoor education across the county and how this can best be provided. Among the options being considered are partnerships with voluntary and community organisations.

The report proposes mothballing Bewerley Park at the end of the financial year, at a cost of £36,000. This would include ‘winterising’ and draining down services and installing CCTV, with a £20,000 budget to the council’s property services department to keep the site secure.

Consultation on job losses

Some of the staff could be redeployed to other departments depending on need, and the report recommends doing this as soon as possible.

Once the long-term review is complete, a consultation would have to be held about the number of staff retained to work at the two sites in future. The estimated cost of making staff redundant would be just over £200,000.

The report said the earliest the posts could be lost was the end of August this year, following the required consultation and notice period. A “small number” of staff also have tenancies at Bewerley Park linked to their employment, requiring notice to be given for them to move out.

Impact on education

The report also recognises the implications for children’s education. In 2019, 133 schools from across North Yorkshire visited one of the two venues, along with some from outside the county.

Last autumn, a survey indicated 97 North Yorkshire schools were planning to visit again, but covid restrictions have prevented any from doing so. However, the report also says that all the schools planning a visit “said they would consider an alternative delivery model if the residential element were not possible”.

Cllr Graham Spooner, chairman of Bewerley Parish Council, said he was unaware of the proposals until contacted by the Stray Ferret, but was concerned about the impact on the community and the region’s school children.

“If it was going to close, it would be a loss for employment within the area. And a lot of kids from all over Yorkshire come here and would miss it.”

Uncertainty surrounds elections for North Yorkshire County Council ahead of polling day in May.

Ministers gave the go ahead for local elections after polls were postponed last year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

But the county council has asked the government to delay elections until next year because of the impending wholesale restructuring of local government in North Yorkshire.

Voters are set to go to the polls on May 6 to cast their ballots for local councillors and police and crime commissioners.

Read more:

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Under government guidance, people who vote in person will have to wear a face covering at polling booths and bring their own pen to mark their ballot paper.

However, ministers have encouraged those who are shielding, or prefer not to attend a polling station, to apply for a postal or proxy vote.

In a written statement, Chloe Smith, minister for the constitution and devolution, said the government has set out a plan for elections to go ahead in a covid-secure way.

Ms Smith added that £92 million of grant funding will be given to local authorities to help run the elections.

She said:

“Safe and secure elections are the cornerstone of our democracy. 

“The government has long been clear that there should be a very high bar for delay, but it was responsible to keep the situation under review in order to take into account the views of the electoral community and of public health experts.”

Elections for North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner will go ahead as normal, with the candidates set to be confirmed on April 9.

But whether or not the county council will hold its elections remains uncertain.

Officials at the authority requested that its election be postponed when they submitted proposals for a single unitary authority in December.

County council bosses said in the proposal:

“In submitting this proposal, we include a request to postpone the county council elections from May 2021 to May 2022 regardless of whether the new unitary authority commences April 2022 or 2023.

“Ideally, the government will have announced the new governance structures prior to the publication of the notice of election, so that the electorate can be clear what organisation they are electing members to serve.

“This may not be possible if the election takes place in May 2021.”

It comes as the government is expected to go to consultation on council reorganisation this month.

The Stray Ferret asked the county council whether its elections will be be going ahead this year, but had not received a response by time of publication.

The deadline to register to vote in the May elections is April 19. You can register to vote here.

Gritting and plouging services across the Harrogate district will be taken over by a new organisation from next winter.

NY Highways Ltd, a company set up and run by North Yorkshire County Council, is set to begin operations this summer and will be running gritting services from then on.

In recent years, highways services including gritting have been sub-contracted to Ringway, with a contract value of £40 million. Instead, by next winter NYCC will directly control the work through its new local authority trading company or ‘Teckal’, with a revenue budget of £20m, a capital budget of £35m, and an expected turnover of £60m.

Cllr Don Mackenzie, NYCC executive member for access, said:

“Having our own company gives us greater control and flexibility over our highways service delivery, while removing the contractual constraints that exist with the current arrangements.

“Through more direct accountability for the works on the ground we aim to deliver a ‘right first time’ service with the customer continuing to be at the heart of everything that we do.

“A very large proportion of the highways team live in North Yorkshire, they are passionate about their communities and take pride in delivering services which are used by their own friends and families. We believe the new company will ensure that we get the maximum benefit from that local pride and passion.”

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The news has been welcomed by Pateley Bridge Town Council, which has issued a letter about the arrangements for winter gritting and ploughing after residents raised concerns.

The Mayor of Pateley Bridge, Cllr Mike Holt, explained NYCC’s role and priorities in bad weather, and said he hoped the changes over the summer would bring improvements by next winter.

“At the moment NYCC subcontract all this work and much more to outside contractors but later this year, after many years they are bringing these services back in house.

“This should mean a more efficient cost-effective service and also through local knowledge, potentially a different set of priorities, concentrating on the worse affected areas instead of just following a scheduled programme.

“Certainly when the changes occur, you can be assured that Pateley Bridge Town Council will be monitoring the situation.”

An unlit corner of Pateley Bridge has become an ongoing cause of concern in the Nidderdale town.

The King Street junction at the bottom of the town’s high street has been under a cloak of darkness throughout the winter months due to a faulty street light.

Now, after a spate of falls by residents, the town’s mayor is calling for the light to be fixed.

The light shines in a popular area of town for residents. The area is also prone to flooding when the River Nidd bursts its banks.

The Stray Ferret first reported concerns about the faulty light in November when local man Roger Jefferson spoke out after hearing someone had slipped over. He said the light had been out “since summer”.

Since then it is believed two more older people have fallen and another person has been struck by a car wing mirror.

The Mayor, councillor Mike Holt, talked to a North Yorkshire County Council engineer in December about the problem.

The engineer told him the light needed to be re-wired with help from Northern Powergrid, which made the timeframe difficult to predict. But the matter remains unresolved.

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North Yorkshire County Council told the Strat Ferret the repair had been raised and would be carried out soon.

Melisa Burnham, highways area manager, said it acted on complaints “as swiftly as possible”. She added:

“An order has been raised to replace the control box on the light before the electric company can carry out repairs.

“Our officers have been incredibly busy with their winter duties but please be assured the work will be carried out as soon as possible. We will update the public when we have a scheduled date for repair.”

Mr Jefferson and Mr Holt said they were pleased to hear repair work was in the pipeline and hoped for a speedy resolution.

Beech Grove in Harrogate is set to close to through traffic in less than two weeks’ time.

Highways authority North Yorkshire County Council has written to residents in the area saying it wants to create a low traffic neighbourhood in the area.

Planters will be put in place at the junction with Lancaster Road, blocking the street.

The council intends to trial the scheme for six months from February 15 with a view to making it permanent, pending public consultation.

Residents, refuse collections and emergency services will still have access to the area. But motorists will no longer be able to get directly from Otley Road to West Park via Beech Grove.

It is hoped the move will improve safety for pedestrians and cyclists. It will also link to the new Otley Road cycle path, work on which is due to begin in spring.

Low traffic neighbourhoods have been put in place across the country, including in London and Manchester, to prevent drivers from using roads as shortcuts and rat-runs.

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The county council has proposed a series of measures to ease traffic congestion, including a park and ride bus service, Killinghall bypass and traffic calming measures in Bilton. The authority was also handed £1 million for three cycling schemes in Harrogate.

The proposed low traffic neighbourhood.

When the cycle route is completed, cyclists will be able to turn from Otley Road onto Beech Grove, which would be free from traffic and connect with another earmarked cycle route on Victoria Avenue.

The authority’s letter seeks comments from residents ahead of the measure being put in place. It said:

“The county council is seeking feedback on proposals to introduce a low traffic neighbourhood along Beech Grove, with the aim of encouraging more residents to choose active, healthy and sustainable forms of travel, particularly during the current covid pandemic between the western area of Harrogate and the town centre retail and commercial facilities.”

Beech Grove, which has been proposed to be closed off to traffic.

Kevin Douglas, chairman of Harrogate District Cycle Action, described the measure as “a start” in improving safety for cyclists and pedestrians. He said:

“I think it is a positive step forward.

“We were consulted on a number of options and this is the one that requires the least disruption and makes sense without having to cost a huge amount of money.

“It will certainly help pedestrians and cyclists on that road. At the moment, the parking has been difficult and it has been quite risky to go down.”

The scheme would be implemented through an experimental traffic regulation order and would be reviewed by the council after six months.

Council officers will monitor the effect of the scheme on neighbouring roads, including Victoria Road, Lancaster Road and Queen’s Road.

The authority said it has no plans to alter or remove the current disc parking arrangements in the area.

Harrogate district taxpayers could face paying a council tax bill of more than £2,000 this coming year.

Officials at Harrogate Borough Council, North Yorkshire County Council and North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner are set to decide on their proposals in February.

In total, if approved, the final bill for the 2021/22 financial year would come tot £2,007.17 – a 3% increase on last year.

Cllr Carl Les, leader of North Yorkshire County Council, said there had “never been a more difficult time” to ask the public to pay more for council services.

Each authority has tabled an increase in its share and will vote individually on its proposal.

A breakdown of the potential council tax bill for Harrogate district in 2021/22.

Local town and parish councils will also levy a parish precept on the bill..

In Ripon, local councillors decided to freeze the precept for 2021/22 meaning residents will pay £71.89 to the city council.

Meanwhile, Knaresborough Town Council has agreed a 1.99% increase in its precept to around £25 for a band D property.

Uncertainty over council funding

The hike in council tax comes as local authorities face a strain on resources amid the coronavirus pandemic and uncertainty over future funding.

Gary Fielding, corporate director of resources at the county council, told councillors recently that there “had never been more uncertainty than there is at the moment” for councils.

Read more:

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Meanwhile, Cllr Les told an executive meeting of the county council that there had never been a tougher time for the council to make a decision on increasing council tax.

He said:

“I don’t think there has ever been a more difficult time for us to do this exercise.

“Never have our services been more needed, but equally never has the economy and society been under such pressure.

“So we really need to get the balance right between what we need to deliver in services and what the community of North Yorkshire can afford to pay for those services.”

He added that the council will continue to lobby government for fairer funding following a decade of cuts to local authority grants.

The pandemic has forced councils to think more carefully about finances.

So far, the county council has spent £80 million responding to covid. Meanwhile the borough council faces a £5.9 million cost due to losses in car parking and leisure centre revenue.

This has left officials proposing to hike council tax and dip into reserves to balance the books.

The county council plans to use £8.2 million of its own funds to offset a shortfall next year, but officials have warned it cannot continue to use its reserves in the long run.

North Yorkshire County Council, Harrogate Borough Council and North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner will make decisions on their budgets next month.

Two locations in Pannal have been identified as sites for a new Harrogate park and ride bus service.

A park and ride is among measures proposed by North Yorkshire County Council to reduce traffic and ease congestion around Harrogate.

Other schemes include a Killinghall bypass, new cycle paths and traffic calming in Bilton.

Land near Pannal Golf Club and land near Buttersyke Bar roundabout south of Pannal have been chosen as park and ride sites.

County councillor Don Mackenzie, executive member for access, said a key factor was the sites’ location on the 36 bus route that runs regularly between Leeds, Harrogate and Ripon. He said:

“One of the great costs of a park and ride is the shuttle bus, which would have to be contracted out.

“If you can tie it in with a scheduled service it would mean you could avoid this cost.”

Pannal is about three miles from Harrogate. Cllr Mackenzie said a more central location might not work as well because if motorists had to battle through town centre traffic to get to the park and ride they might not think the service was worth bothering with and park in town instead.

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Cllr Mackenzie said the park and ride idea “could happen fairly quickly” depending on developments.

It is one of the main projects in the council’s Harrogate transport improvement programme.

Perhaps the programme’s most ambitious and controversial proposal is for a Killinghall bypass.

Cllr Mackenzie said the likely route would be from the Old Spring Well pub on the A59 and then south and east of Killinghall to join the A61 at the roundabout in Ripley that goes to Pateley Bridge and Ripon.

It would not touch the western side, where the Nidderdale Greenway is located, he added.