North Yorkshire County Council is proceeding with a move to forbid the release of sky lanterns and helium balloons on its land, despite admitting it has little power of enforcement.

Councillors proposed banning the items from being released on council-owned land amid fears they posed a “significant risk of harm to animals and the environment”.

However, council legal officers told a meeting of the corporate and partnerships overview and scrutiny committee last week the authority had limited enforcement powers.

Officers said such a ban could be written into lease renewals on land and property it owns but it was “highly unlikely” there would be anything to prohibit the activity in existing contracts.

They added that it would be better to use the motion as an engagement opportunity with the public.

Read more:

• Schools to be banned from releasing helium balloons and sky lanterns
• County council proposes 3.49% council tax hike

Councillors agreed to “proactively engage” with schools and businesses over the release of balloons and sky lanterns.

The motion will now go before a full council meeting to be voted on at a later date.

Hundreds of other local authorities have already introduced bans.

In January last year, South Kesteven District Council prohibited the release of lanterns and balloons in council-owned parks and open spaces.

Nottinghamshire County Council, East Riding of Yorkshire Council and Lancashire County Council are among others that have adopted bans.

Although the move has not given authorities the power to enforce the ban, some use it to “educate the public” on alternative ways to mark special occasions.

North Yorkshire County Council looks set to increase council tax by 3.49%, which would increase its share of the bill to £1,411 for an average band D property in 2021/22.

The proposal, which has been recommended by council officers, includes a 1.99% increase in general council tax and a 1.5% increase in the adult social care precept.

County council bosses have also proposed to use £8.2 million from its own funds to offset a shortfall next year.

It comes as the council faces financial pressures due to coronavirus and loss of government funding.

The authority has estimated a shortfall of £59 million by 2023/24 and has already spent £82 million in responding to the pandemic.

Read more:

• Harrogate council proposes council tax hike
• £4.1 million spent on PPE in North Yorkshire

A report due before senior councillors next week written by Richard Flinton, chief executive, and Gary Fielding, corporate director for strategic resources, said the county council faces uncertainty in the coming year.

It said the council faces various risks, including a lack of funding beyond March 2021, a likely increase in demand for services, potential rising costs, a need for further savings and the potential reorganisation of local government in the county.

The report added that while continued use of reserves was not sustainable, it will be a “crucial component” for the upcoming budget in light of the coronavirus crisis and other uncertainties. It added:

“The council has performed well in responding to austerity and has taken earlier decisions in order to ensure that it is ahead of the curve and not pushed into short term decisions.

“A good level of reserves has been maintained and this will now be a crucial component of the budget strategy.

“Given the essential emphasis on responding to covid, recovering from covid, preparing for local government reorganisation and diminishing returns on savings programmes after a decade of austerity, there is much less scope for new and significant savings proposals.

“Reserves are therefore key to ensuring that a medium term approach to planning can take place.”

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

“We hope to be clearer later in the year about the legacy of covid, the government’s decision on local government reorganisation in North Yorkshire and the future of council funding beyond 2022.

“The times have never been so uncertain, and given these uncertainties it is critical that the council maintains as much flexibility as possible in order to protect vital services whilst being able to respond to further potential shocks.

“We understand that residents are facing many difficulties in the light of covid. We also understand just how vital some of the council’s services are to the most vulnerable in society.”

Senior councillors on the authority’s executive will decide whether to refer the budget plan to full council on January 26.

The final council tax bill will be based on sums demanded by Harrogate Borough Council and the North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner as well as the county council.

The news comes as Harrogate Borough Council has proposed to increase its share of council tax by £5.

Julia Mulligan, North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, is expected to reveal the precepts for both the fire and police service at a later date.

Western Primary School in Harrogate has secured a second speed sign as part of its ongoing campaign to improve road safety.

Headteacher Tim Broad has spoken of his fears a child could be killed crossing the busy Cold Bath Road outside the 500-pupil school.

A long-running campaign with parents bore fruit last month when funding was secured for a vehicle-activated sign that notifies drivers of their speed in the 20 miles per hour zone.

Now a second sign means traffic in both directions will be monitored — although as the signs are classed as temporary, they need to be rotated occasionally to meet this bureaucratic requirement.

John Mann, who represents Harrogate central on North Yorkshire County Council, has funded both signs from his locality budget, which councillors are allocated to spend on local issues. Each sign costs £3,200 plus VAT.

Read more:

• Speed sign to be installed outside Western Primary School
• Masham primary school with just six pupils set to close

Mr Broad said he was “delighted” the school would receive two signs but added the campaign would go on. He said:

“This will make a huge difference to the safety of our pupils and I am grateful to Councillor Mann for the additional funding which has made this possible.

“Whilst this is a very positive step, I still have significant concerns about the sheer volume of traffic, of all shapes and sizes, which uses Cold Bath Road each day, producing significant pollution which makes its way into our classrooms.

“My long term aim is to work with residents, businesses and the local council to see what steps might be taken to address this additional concern.”

Councillor Mann did not respond to inquiries from the Stray Ferret.

A primary school near Masham looks set to close due to falling pupil numbers.

Kell Bank Church of England Primary School would permanently shut its doors this summer, under proposals by North Yorkshire County Council.

The authority carried out a consultation last year on closure and is set to make a final decision in March.

Despite being designed to accommodate 50 children, the amount of pupils at the school has fallen from a high of 39 in 2014/15 to just six this year. The number is not expected to increase significantly in future.

Council bosses believe the low number affects the “quality and breadth” of the school curriculum.

Read more:

• 300 more Harrogate children receiving free school meals since pandemic
• Schools to be banned from releasing helium balloons and sky lanterns
• Teachers call for tighter key worker rules as schools under pressure

They also fear the school’s Ofsted rating, which is currently ‘outstanding’, would be difficult to maintain due to the low number of pupils.

If closure goes ahead, the intake catchment of Masham Church of England Primary School would be extended to include the area.

A report due before the county council’s executive next week said closure would be in the best interests of pupils. It said:

“The responses to the consultation process have failed to identify a viable alternative option that would secure the school’s future. 

“Local authority officers have concluded that closure of the school would be in the best interests of the children at the school and the future education of pupils in the area. 

“There are places available at other local schools within a reasonable travel distance. It is therefore the view that there is a strong case for closure, which outweighs other considerations.”

Senior councillors will vote next week to publish statutory notices on the proposal for four weeks and invite representations from the public.

A final decision on closure is expected on March 23.

Communities across the Harrogate district are on stand-by for flooding as Storm Christoph continues to bring persistent rain to the region.

With water levels set to peak in the early hours of Wednesday, home owners and organisations are watching to see whether rivers will rise enough to burst their banks and inflict damage on property.

In Boroughbridge, the Emergency Response Team (BERT) is ready to take action if the River Ouse rises above the predicted peak. Group leader Pauline Phillips told the Stray Ferret:

“At the moment, it’s just a watching brief. We can look at the telemetry online, which is very helpful, and I go down to the river and check the level as well.

“It’s looking like it will peak tomorrow morning at about 14.5m. We know if it gets to 15m it starts to come onto the road.”

The volunteers at BERT are standing ready to act if needed, and awaiting any warnings from Harrogate Borough Council’s emergency planners. Anyone in need of help can visit the Boroughbridge Town Council website.

Sandbags deployed

North Yorkshire County Council has deployed more than 15,000 sandbags – double the usual amount – and its highways team has been clearing drains and gullies.

Cones, barriers and signage for road closures have been distributed across the region and are ready to be used when necessary.

Highways staff are monitoring key routes, including Kex Gill and Blubberhouses.

A North Yorkshire Police spokesperson urged motorists not to take chances driving through flood water, adding:

“Just 60cm of standing water and 30cm of flowing water can be enough to float/move your vehicle. So please don’t take the risk!”

A yellow weather warning is in place across the Harrogate district, lasting until Thursday lunchtime. An amber warning for heavy rain which could result in damage to property or even danger to life applies to the southern and western edges of the district, including parts of Nidderdale.

On stand-by

The community in Pateley Bridge, which was hit by flooding last February, will also be watching levels on the River Nidd over the coming hours. The Environment Agency issued a flood warning and a flood alert for the river this afternoon.

Town councillor Ian Skaife, who leads the Community Resilience Committee, said this afternoon he did not expect there to be any major problems — but he will be watching the weather and river levels overnight.

“There’s plenty of capacity in the river at the moment. The unknown factor is what rain is coming down further up the dale. With the snow melt from the weekend, all three reservoirs will be full to capacity.”

Cllr Skaife said the amount of rainfall today should not be enough to overwhelm the rivers, but he and fellow members of the resilience committee will remain on stand-by in case they are needed as the storm continues.

Meanwhile, residents in Knaresborough will also be waiting anxiously to see whether the heavy rain causes the lower River Nidd to rise. Those living on the caravan park at Archers Meadows, just off York Road, are watching again as waters rise, after repeated flooding on the site over recent years – including water getting into several homes on Boxing Day in 2015.

Flood prevention measures have been introduced in the area, but residents have questioned their effectiveness as the water continues to rise rapidly in heavy rainfall.

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• Flood alerts issued as heavy rain forecast for Harrogate district
• ‘Clean your chimneys’, urges fire service after two fires near Ripon yesterday

A series of overnight closures, beginning this month, will affect motorists using junction 47 of the A1 (M).

A £7.7m North Yorkshire County Council project to upgrade the junction, near Flaxby, began in September and is due to continue until autumn.

Slip roads from the A1 (M) will be closed for four weeks from 8pm to 6am Mondays to Fridays, beginning on January 25.

The council, which gave the update today, said not all slip roads will be affected at the same time.

The upgrade will ease congestion, improve road safety and support the development of local towns, such as Harrogate and Knaresborough.

The council said the number of housing developments in the area also increased the need for these works to improve connections across the county.

Three of the roundabout’s four slip roads will be widened to increase capacity and traffic lights will be installed.

Following completion of this work, the upgrading of the A59/A168 slip road will necessitate a full closure of the slip road.

This could be in place for up to 16 weeks, but the council said “every effort will be made to minimise the duration of the work”.

Read more:

• Report finds a rise in the number of deaths on North Yorkshire’s roads.
• Harrogate district roadworks will continue despite lockdown.

County Councillor Don Mackenzie, executive member for access and member for Harrogate Saltergate, said:

“At busy times, congestion is an issue at this junction, particularly for traffic coming off the southbound carriageway of the A1.

“We understand that the closures will cause inconvenience and necessitate significant diversions for some drivers. Our contractor will do everything they can to ensure closures are as short as possible.

“We apologise for the disruption and thank drivers in advance for their patience during what will be short-term inconvenience for long-term improvement to traffic flow.”

The £7.7 million project has received £2.47 million of funding from the governments’s Local Growth Fund, plus contributions from the county council, Highways England and Harrogate-based developer Forward Investment LLP.

The number of people killed in road collisions in North Yorkshire increased last year from 32 to 37, according to the county’s latest annual report on road safety.

The report, released yesterday by North Yorkshire County Council, compares statistics from 2018 and 2019.

Although fatalities increased, the number of people seriously injured saw a nine per cent reduction from 329 to 298.

The total number of people injured in road collisions also decreased from 1,750 to 1,445 — a fall of 17 per cent.

Road collisions have been on a downward trend since 2002.

The report also reveals there was a 27 per cent decrease in the number of children injured in collisions. The number fell from 111 in 2018 to 81 in 2019. No children were killed in road accidents in 2019.

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

“Each death on the county’s roads is one too many, so it is sad to see an increase in the number of people killed in collisions and highlights the importance of all of us taking responsibility for travelling safely.

“We have been consulting on plans for a series of works to be financed by the Government’s safer roads fund, which seeks to address issues on the 50 A-roads identified as being the most dangerous in the country.”

Read more:

• Roadworks are set to continue throughout the third lockdown.
• North Yorkshire Police has said it will continue to challenge people breaking travel restrictions during the lockdown.

“Our officers have already delivered a range of improvement projects on those roads in the county which qualified for investment and have been reviewing your feedback on other proposals which we are hopeful can come to fruition soon. We are confident these improvements would have a positive effect on future road collision statistics.”

Cllr Mackenzie acknowledged the 2020 statistics may have been affected by reduced traffic levels due to covid restrictions but he added the council was confident of continuing the downward trend in accident numbers.

Schools were encouraged in 2020 to take up national and local campaigns, such as “be safe, be seen” and mobile phone pedestrian safety.

Road users in the Ripon and Boroughbridge areas have been spared potential travel mayhem today thanks to a sharp-eyed motorist.

Paul Stockburn, who lives with his wife Sandra in Copt Hewick, noticed both North Yorkshire County Council and Yorkshire Water were due to have diversions in place on the same day.

Copt Hewick is located on the outskirts of Ripon between the Dishforth and Boroughbridge roads.

Mr Stockburn told the Stray Ferret:

“Every household in the village received a letter from Yorkshire Water giving advance notice of an eight-week programme of pipe replacement work that would close a section of Dishforth Road between New Road and Strait Lane. That work started last week.

“Enclosed with the letter, was a diversion map showing Boroughbridge Road as the crucial alternative route for Copt Hewick road users to follow.

“Then I saw yellow signs put in place at both ends of the bridge on Boroughbridge Road that crosses the River Ure near Ripon Racecourse, saying that the bridge would be closed for a day on 19 January, so that inspection works could be carried out.

“I thought, does this mean that an extra one day diversion for diverted traffic would need to be put in place – and where would it be diverted to?”

The Yorkshire Water road closure sign on Dishforth Road (above) and the North Yorkshire County Council sign, which has now been removed

“What made this confusing situation even more ridiculous was a paragraph in the Yorkshire Water letter about the Dishforth Road closure, which read: ‘We understand that these works will be inconvenient, which is why we’ve liaised closely with North Yorkshire County Council highways department regarding every aspect of this essential scheme.'”

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The Stray Ferret raised Mr Stockburn’s concerns about the confusing and apparently contradictory advice on the Yorkshire Water and NYCC’s respective road closure signs.

Yorkshire Water said it would look into the matter — then diverted the Stray Ferret to NYCC.

Melisa Burnham, highways area manager, for North Yorkshire County Council, said:

“As Yorkshire Water is undertaking an eight week programme of works on Dishforth Road our contractors have agreed to reschedule the one-day bridge inspection. We will remove the advance warning sign as soon as possible. We apologise for the concerns this caused.”

When told the potential double diversion road closure chaos had been averted, Mr Stockburn, said:

“I have let as many people as possible in the village know the good news – including one gentleman in his 80s, who was wondering how he was going to get to Harrogate for his covid vaccination.”

Pressure is mounting for NHS staff to be offered free parking after North Yorkshire County Council wrote to the chief executive of Harrogate District Hospital.

NYCC chairman Jim Clark wrote to Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust (HDFT) to ask it to “actively consider” reinstating free parking for staff.

The hospital had previously allowed staff to park for free between late March and September, in recognition of the challenges they faced in the early months of the pandemic. The lost income was supplemented by the government as part of a national scheme.

Speaking to the Stray Ferret about the letter, which he had also sent to other trusts across the county, Cllr Clark said:

“It’s a cross-party issue with unanimous support and it was right, as chairman of the council, that I sent the letter.

“It shows how much the people of not only Harrogate but of North Yorkshire are very grateful for all the NHS does. To charge them to park is a bit of an anomaly.”

The letter also asked the trust to look at options for sustainable travel to help reduce its carbon footprint. Cllr Clark offered NYCC’s help in introducing schemes which would support staff to use environmentally friendly methods of travel.

It took almost five months for the wording of the letter to be agreed, after first being proposed in July by Cllr Geoff Webber, the leader of the Liberal Democrats on NYCC.

He called for councillors to ask all hospital trusts in North Yorkshire to offer free parking, but an amendment was proposed by Cllr Richard Cooper, who represents Harrogate Central for the Conservatives, to remove references to free parking and instead support and encourage “measures which enable staff to travel to and from work sustainably”.

The final version of the letter, which was drafted through the county council’s scrutiny process, includes both the call for free parking and support for sustainable travel. It received the backing of all councillors in November before it was signed and sent by Cllr Clark this month.

Cllr Webber said:

“Many hospital staff put their lives at risk for the community every working day and to charge them over £50 per month to park on site at the hospital, particularly when we are all discouraged from using public transport, is disgraceful.

“The cancellation of parking charges for staff would be a small gesture to show the gratitude of the management and the community.”

Read more:

• Frontline Harrogate hospital staff ask for car parking refunds
• Coronavirus surge forces Harrogate hospital to postpone surgeries

After reinstating parking charges in September, HDFT told staff in December it would donate the £50.50 per month from each staff member to Harrogate Hospital & Community Charity, to be used for a staff health and wellbeing fund.

However, some staff were unhappy about the charges and asked to opt out of the scheme. One frontline worker, who asked to remain anonymous, told the Stray Ferret:

“It feels like a kick in the teeth after all we’ve been through in 2020. We were busy before Christmas but right now it’s manic and we feel we deserve this money back.”

In response, a spokesperson for the hospital trust said:

“Parking charges were suspended in the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic when regular services were completely cancelled. The Trust made the difficult decision to reintroduce charges when normal services resumed in order to protect the very limited space available, and ensure parking was as stress free as possible for patients using our services.

“We do understand the challenges for staff but we believe it would be unfair for the benefit of free car parking to be limited to those with a car parking pass. This is why we have made the commitment that monies raised from staff car parking will be reinvested into the staff welfare fund. This will be specifically used to benefit colleague health and wellbeing all across the Trust. Where it is invested is being decided by a staff group.”

The Stray Ferret contacted HDFT this week about the letter from NYCC. The trust said it had nothing to add to its previous statement.

Road works in the Harrogate district will continue during the third lockdown, according to North Yorkshire County Council.

Several long-term projects were scheduled to take place on some main routes at the start of the year, including Otley Road and Skipton Road in Harrogate.

The lockdown has brought many businesses to a halt, with staff encouraged to stay at home.

But county councillor Don Mackenzie, executive member for access, said construction projects, including street and road works, were permitted to continue in accordance with Public Health England and industry guidance.

He added:

“All of this work contributes to the safe, efficient operation of the highways network so other key workers can do what they need to do.”

“As traffic levels are reduced to a minimum, our repair work can be carried out quickly, efficiently and with little or no disruption.”

Mr Mackenzie added contractors were nearing completion of the £15.1m Local Full Fibre Networks scheme, which has seen 170km of gigabit fibre installed in 20 towns in North Yorkshire. He added:

“At the same time, the Superfast North Yorkshire project has continued throughout the covid pandemic in order to ensure that increasing numbers of businesses and households in rural areas have access to high quality broadband, which is even more vital in times of lockdown.”