Nidderdale’s countryside conjures up images of farmhouses and stone cottages peppered across the sweeping rural landscape.

So Fringill Dike House in Darley certainly catches your eye.

However, the £2.25 million property isn’t invasive, as it has been intentionally designed to “blend in” to its natural surroundings.

The five-bedroom eco-house has been designed by Skipton-based Rural Solutions and took more than two-and-a-half years to build.

Underground

The property, which spans more than 6,000 ft, has been constructed using a mix of traditional dry stone walls and sedum living roofs. It is fitted with ground source heating, as well as an underwater storage tank, which collects rainwater.

A third of the house is also built underground.

Owner Paul Chapman lives on a nearby farm. He explained that the home had originally been built for him and his wife, Caron, on land owned by the couple.

Mr Chapman, who has eight children, said:

“We built four houses for our sons in one field and built this house in another. The intention was my wife and I were going to move into it.

“However, we decided we didn’t want to swap 13 acres for one. So we made the decision to sell it rather than move in.”

The property is back on the market with joint agents Knight Frank and Carter Jonas after an original sale fell through.

An aerial view of the house.

Despite it’s £2.25 million price tag, Mr Chapman said there had been a lot of interest in the property, which he put down to it being located in an affluent area.

However, he admitted he had spent too much on the build, which was hit by delays due to the pandemic.

He said:

“The difference between the build cost and the sale price is the price of the land, that’s all. It might not even be that much.”

But there is no denying the house is impressive, with no expense spared.

Private driveway

The property is approached via a lengthy private driveway over a bridge, which gently winds past a grassed field.

Upon entering the house, oak steps lead down from the hallway into a huge kitchen space. A wall of floor-to-ceiling glazing frames uninterrupted views of Nidderdale.

The huge kitchen that boasts incredible views across Nidderdale.

The lower ground floor features two large spaces, which have yet to be transformed.

Cinema room

Mr Chapman said:

“We were going to put a bar in one of the rooms, but when we decided we weren’t going to move in, we left them empty. So whoever moves in can build a bar, cinema room or a gym.”

Despite being underground, the lower floor features high ceilings with glazed panels in the terracing above, flooding the space with natural light. In addition to the two rooms, there is a shower room with a sauna, separate cloakroom and plant room.

One of the underground rooms.

Upstairs, a landing provides access to five bedrooms, all with their own ensuite facilities.

One of the bathrooms.

The gardens and grounds surrounding the property extend to just under 1.5 acres. A large paved sun terrace spans the entire width of the rear of the property.

Locally-sourced

Mr Chapman said:

“We had discussions with the architect and when the plans were designed, we were able to do a virtual tour of the house.

“We made sure everything was where we wanted it to be. We put in the best appliances and units and everything was sourced locally. For example Woodhouse, in Harrogate, designed and fitted the kitchen.

“It is named after the beck – or dike – that runs through the property.”

Mr Chapman, who has owned race horses for 15 years, has also named one of his horses Fringill Dike, a champion at that.

He said:

“He’s running again at Hexham this weekend and we are hoping he will win again.”

The sauna in the underground space.

Asked if he would build any more houses in the future, Mr Chapman, who moved to Darley from Howarth 12 years ago, didn’t seem overly keen.

He said:

“It went on too long. We did it for ourselves, but I wouldn’t want to build any to sell. If you employ a middle man, it’s hard to make a profit. Especially if you have to buy the land.”

‘Anchored in nature’

A statement on the Rural Solutions website, which features some impressive architectural drawings of the property, said:

“Working with the client, we produced a design for a new house on an open, sloping site in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

“Incorporating a dynamic, landscape-based concept we used indigenous dry-stone walls as a device to structure a single ‘ribbon’ design. In this way the project was designed deliberately to blend into the landscape, using local, natural materials; a beautiful home anchored in nature.”

You can watch a video of the property here.

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North Yorkshire’s chief constable has warned that the recruitment of new police officers won’t be felt in communities for years to come.

Lisa Winward told a Harrogate Borough Council meeting last night that she wanted to “manage expectations” about the recruitment drive.

She also described figures which suggest an additional 30,000 new officers will be needed in England and Wales on top of the government’s target of 20,000 as “frightening”.

In North Yorkshire, 113 officers have been recruited since 2020 and government funding has been allocated for a further 74.

But because each officer is trained to a degree-level of qualification, Ms Winward said the benefits of the bolstered workforce won’t be felt for “potentially another four years.”

She said: 

“When these officers join us it takes three years for them to become fully qualified. They’re out on the streets for part of that time, but they spend a predominant amount of time in training.

“In reality, we won’t see the benefits of these individuals coming into the organisation – certainly the final 74 – potentially for another four years.

“We are very much looking forward to and grateful for these officers joining us, but it will take time.”

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Reversing cuts to police officer numbers was one of Boris Johnson’s first policy pledges when he became prime minister in 2019.

But those in charge of recruitment have warned that the total number of new recruits needed is much bigger because of existing officers who will be resigning or retiring from the service.

Current police levels

North Yorkshire Police currently has around 1,560 officers and 3,380 total staff.

And Ms Winward said it is expected that around 25% of the workforce will have less than three years of service as outgoing officers are replaced with new recruits over the next few years.

She said this will be “very demanding” on the new officers in terms of them having the “skills, experience and ability to deliver the service to the community”.

Ms Winward explained 55 officers were recruited for training in 2020, followed by 58 in 2021.

She added a further 78 will be recruited this year, with all officers gaining experience in areas including roads and neighbourhood policing, and crime investigation.

Four of the 78 officers joining this year will work in an organised crime unit covering the Yorkshire and Humber region.

Where the rest will be deployed will depend on the outcome of a force management statement which is due to be published by North Yorkshire Police in May.

This document will look at current and predicted levels of crime in different areas across the county, as well as the current capacity of the force.

Ms Winward added: 

“This gap analysis will determine where those officers will need to be placed in order to ensure people are safe.

“But that is reliant upon a prevention and early intervention direction of travel.

“We cannot continuously service increasing demand so it’s really important that we prevent harm from happening in the first place.”

Harrogate Railway Athletic are set to play North Ferriby in the tenth tier play-off final tomorrow.

After A 2-1 win against Brigg Town, Railway will play at the Dransfield stadium tomorrow.

Mick O’Connell, Railway’s manager, spoke about the win:

“We managed to get  a 2-0 lead going into half-time. We were very disciplined and were able to hold out. The lads were very bright in the first half and looked dangerous on the break.”

Railway travelled to Brigg Town for the semi-final and will play away again for the final. Mick said the away support was ‘great,’ with around 150  fans making the trip down to Lincolnshire.

Mick said:

“It was great, we had a full coach and more people travelled down to the game. We ended having around 150 supporters. I think they were able to get us through the last 20 minutes of the game.”

Mick O’Connell celebrating the win (Photo credit – Craig Dinsdale)

Joe Crosby, Railway’s midfielder, scored two goals in the first half to win the game. In the 90th minute, Railway were able to survive a ‘goalmouth scramble’ to prevent extra-time.

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North Ferriby FC, who finished second in the division, ended the year with the least amount of goals conceded.

Mick added:

“It’s a one off game so it will be a similar game plan. It’s a final so anything could happen but we have players up top who can cause trouble. We need to be ourselves and play the way we’ve done all year.”

The game will kick off at 3pm tomorrow and will be played at the Dransfield Stadium in North Ferriby. Tickets will be available on the gate.

The vast majority of parents have got their child in to their first choice primary school in the Harrogate district, new figures reveal.

Primary school admissions statistics for entry in September show that 96.6 per cent of children have been given their first preference.

The figures published by North Yorkshire County Council also show that 99.5 per cent of pupils got one of their five preferences.

However, some parents have been left disappointed.

Nicola Njie’s daughter missed out on a place at her first choice school of Killinghall and her second of Hampsthwaite. She was offered her third choice of Bilton Grange, which she says is closer to where she lives, but she works full-time at a nursery in Killinghall.

She plans to appeal against the decision, but said she had to explain to her daughter that she “probably wouldn’t be going to school with most of her friends”.

She said:

“I will appeal and see what happens.”

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Stuart Carlton, the county council’s corporate director of children and young people’s services, said every effort was made to accommodate the families’ preference of school for their child.

He said:

“The handful of children not offered one of their families’ school preferences were offered a place at their local school.

“Families can preference any school, and are encouraged to preference up to five schools.

“Where a school is oversubscribed, the admissions criteria for the school determines the priority for places. In most cases, the deciding factor is the distance from home to school.

“We closely monitor developing areas to ensure that there is sufficient capacity to accommodate the children living in the local area.”

Mr Carlton said parents could appeal here.

Across North Yorkshire, there has been a slight increase of more than one per cent from last year to 96 per cent on the number securing their first choice.

Mr Carlton added:

“We wish all children who start primary school in September all the best and hope they enjoy a happy and exciting start in their new schools.”

Harrogate rugby club’s under 15s have won the International Rugby Festival Tournament in Lisbon.

The ‘Harrogate Raptors’ won the event in Portugal, beating Welsh side, Cwmbram, 12-7 in the final.

Matthew Grant, Harrogate rugby’s under 15s group manager said:

“It was a life changing experience for the kids. They won gracefully and represented the club really well. There was no fighting or trouble and everyone was well behaved.

“It was great that we brought 25 players and everyone got some minutes.”

Harrogate under 15s after winning the tournament

The tournament saw Harrogate play five teams from Portugal and Wales, winning all of them.

Oliver Spence, Harrogate’s captain, was named player of the tournament.

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The final between Harrogate and Cwmbram was 7-7 after twenty minutes, which took the game into extra-time. Harrogate then scored the ‘golden try’ to win the tournament.

The festival was held over two days and featured teams from across the world. The games were livestreamed across Portuguese TV and featured 118 teams throughout all age groups.

Waste and recycling managers have been asked to consider introducing ‘European-style’ waste collection systems in North Yorkshire.

Under the proposed radical overhaul, residents in the Harrogate district could get central points to deposit their waste.

A meeting of North Yorkshire County Council’s transport, economy and environment scrutiny committee was told that the new unitary authority, which will begin in 2023, represents an opportunity to “work better in terms of waste minimisation”.

In some European countries, waste is deposited into a central skip buried underground with a post box-style top.

Councillors were told the scheme could benefit urban areas and where people live closely together, such as North Yorkshire’s coastal villages, but in rural areas there would be issues over where the skip was sited.

Officers commented while such a scheme would put an increased onus on residents to consider the waste they were producing, it would also be a “cultural shock”.

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Conservative councillor for Ribbelsdale, David Staveley, replied that 10 years ago, it would have been “unheard of” to have electric vehicle charging points, solar panels or ground source heat pumps in new-build homes.

He said with central waste skips residents would not have to find space for the growing list of separate bins.

Cllr Staveley said:

“It’s not good enough just to say people might get a bit shocked. People get shocked about a lot of things in life, but I think the world has moved on in the last couple of years and we are open to all sorts of new ideas.”

Conservative councillor for Harrogate Bilton and Nidd Gorge, Paul Haslam, said he supported a more “radical” approach to waste due to the amount of new homes being built in the county.

He said:

“I fully support a more radical approach, particularly as between now and 2025 there are probably going to be about 20% more houses built.”

Dr Hugh Larkin, a retired cardiologist and consultant in acute medicine at Harrogate District Hospital for 39 years, has died.

Dr Larkin, who was 78, died on April 1 following a battle with cancer. He leaves behind wife Lynn, children Hugh, Philip, Samantha, Nicola and Tristan and grandson, Hugh.

He joined the cardiology department at the hospital in 1983 and worked through the pandemic until his retirement in January 2021.

Dr Jacqueline Andrews, executive medical director at Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust (HDFT), said:

“Dr Larkin was one of our longest serving consultants, joining HDFT in 1983 and working with us during the covid pandemic where he returned to support his colleagues and patients at a time of great need.

“He was a kind, caring and talented doctor who was highly respected by colleagues and patients and he will be greatly missed. Our sincere condolences to his family and friends at this very sad time.”

Born in 1943, Dr Larkin grew up in Glasgow, joining the navy at 16 years old and before studying Medicine at the University of Glasgow.

On graduation in 1974, Dr Larkin became a resident at the Glasgow Royal Infirmary before working at the Western Infirmary and Sydney’s North Shore Hospital.

Dr David Earl, deputy medical director at HDFT said:

“Hugh was a gentle and kind man. He was a wonderful teacher, who was respected as a colleague and friend, and most importantly by the population of Harrogate itself.”

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Sammy Lambert, business development, charity and volunteer manager at HDFT said:

“Hugh was an amazing person and highly thought of by so many people.  He saved so many lives – including my own father. His passing is such a sad loss, but his legacy will live on not only with the funds raised in his memory, but also through the difference he made to so many people’s lives.”

The Larkin family said in a statement:

“Hugh was a cherished husband and loving father; he was a family man in the truest sense of the word and was happiest when surrounded by his wife and children.

“As a family, we knew how much his work meant to him and we were incredibly proud of everything he did as a doctor. We hope his legacy in cardiology, as well as the positive impact he had on the lives of the people of Harrogate, lives on.”

Dr Larkin’s funeral will take place on Tuesday 19 April at 12pm at Our Lady Immaculate and St Robert’s Catholic Church in Harrogate.

Dr Larkin’s family have asked for donations in his memory to go to the cardiology department at Harrogate District Hospital via a dedicated donation page at https://hhcc.co.uk/hhcc-post/in-memory-of-dr-hugh-larkin/

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service has acquired a new motorbike to reduce the number of accidents and injuries on the county’s roads.

Volunteers from the service will ride the vehicle, known as FireBike, to biker hotspots where they will speak to motorcyclists about road safety.

Statistics show motorbikes make up less than 7% of all traffic in the county but 26% of incidents where somebody is killed or seriously injured.

The new initiative will operate alongside the Biker Down courses run by the fire and rescue service. This free course delivers first aid advice, road, and rider safety for motorcyclists at numerous locations across North Yorkshire.

Andy Creasey, the Firebike project manager at North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service, said:

“Sadly we deal with a number of road traffic collisions involving motorbikes each year. Many of these collisions involve serious injury or in the worst cases fatalities.

“My colleagues and I want to do everything we can to improve the safety on the the roads for everyone. Motorcyclists enjoy chatting with likeminded enthusiasts and FireBike will help us deliver positive messaging directly within community.”

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Harrogate Grammar’s under 18s rugby squad are celebrating having been crowned champions of the Yorkshire Cup after beating Crossley Heath 19-12.

It is the first time the school has won the cup since 2007.

Tom Ryder, the director of sport at Harrogate Grammar, said:

“Winning the Yorkshire Cup was the icing on the cake of a fantastic year for the Sports Academy. They are a dedicated and motivated group who train hard and commit.

“The Yorkshire Cup final was an extra special occasion, as so many teachers, students, HGS Alumni, friends and family came out to support.

Student Freddie Yates scored two tries, whilst team-mate, Matthew Leatham, won the man of the match award.

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After two years of disruption, students have enjoyed a full season of fixtures across all years. The girls’ under 14 netball reached regional finals recently, as did the boys’ hockey team.

Neil Renton, the school’s headteacher spoke on the win. He said:

“They are talented squad and their dedication not only reflects our values of commitment and excellence, but also inspires our younger students. The Academy is a unique asset to our school, championing success in netball and rugby and we want to attract students from all over the county.

“Our PE faculty works hard to organise so many fixtures, driving forward such successful teams and offering a tremendous range of sports to all our students.”

Ukrainians who have fled war in their homeland have started to arrive in North Yorkshire, where around 180 households will welcome the refugees into their homes.

Council officials said the first refugees will be housed “very shortly” under the Homes for Ukraine scheme, which allows residents to sponsor a Ukrainian.

Those who have signed up as hosts will have their homes checked by local councils to ensure they are suitable.

A spokesperson for Harrogate Borough Council said the process also includes background checks on sponsors and arranging education for refugee children.

The spokesperson said: 

“In partnership with our colleagues at North Yorkshire Council County, North Yorkshire Police and the other district councils across North Yorkshire, we are working together to do whatever is necessary to help Ukrainians fleeing the ongoing devastation.

“Early data indicates around 180 households across the county have signed-up and are likely to receive guests, some very shortly.”

The government-led scheme has been criticised for not working quickly enough to grant visas to Ukrainians fleeing the Russian invasion.

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There are also concerns that councils have not been provided all the information they need to run the programme.

Craven District Council has signed up to the scheme and said it was awaiting guidance on when the home checks should take place and how they will work.

It also said it was awaiting more information on how payments will be made to hosts.

Paul Ellis, director of services at Craven District Council, said: 

“Our officers are taking the necessary steps to support our Ukrainian friends escaping the violence in their homeland.

“The government is providing funding of £10,500 per person to councils to enable them to provide support to families.

“This will be reimbursed for paying sponsors £350 per month, tax-free, for up to 12 months. Again, we are awaiting further government guidance on this.”

Unlike other refugee schemes, the government is assuming that all local authorities will participate, rather than inviting them to take part.

As well as individual households – charities, community groups and businesses can also apply to bring Ukrainians to safety, including those with no family ties to the UK.

In the first phase of the scheme, people will need the name of a specific Ukrainian individual or family they wish to sponsor.

The government advises them to “get in contact with them directly, and prepare to fill in a visa application with all their details and yours”.

Those who don’t personally know anyone fleeing Ukraine can still register their interest on the government’s website.