Rural crime in North Yorkshire costs millions

The cost of rural crime in North Yorkshire is the third highest among counties in the UK.

A report released by NFU Mutual found that in 2019, rural crime cost the county over £2 million. A rise of 22.6% on the previous year.

The report names theft of high value farm machinery as a factor for the cost increase. It also found that over lockdown, rural crime had continued – with some criminals travelling into the county to target farms.

Inspector Matt Hagen, head of North Yorkshire Police’s Rural Taskforce, said:

“Our county is a largely rural area, and the borough of Harrogate is no exception – so tackling rural crime is extremely important to us. We know that offenders from areas outside North Yorkshire travel into our communities, intent on stealing quad bikes, farm machinery and other valuable property – and those crimes are reflected in the latest figures from NFU Mutual. The report also shows that criminals continued to target the countryside, despite the Covid-19 lockdown.

“Rural crime did not stop – and neither did rural policing. Our officers, some of whom have farming backgrounds, know just how devastating rural crime can be for its victims.”

Rural image within North Yorkshire

Rural areas in the county have continued to be targeted over lockdown.

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Rural crimes including livestock attacks and machinery theft have been seen within the Harrogate district. North Yorkshire Police has urged farmers to remain vigilant and increase safety measures within their farms.

In an attempt to combat rural crime the police works alongside 142 rural watch volunteers. They act as the eyes and ears within the rural communities.

5 lessons to learn from devolution in Tees Valley

Amid the debate around devolution for North Yorkshire and whether the county should have an elected mayor, one area that is frequently brought up is the Tees Valley.

The region is the closest example of a devolved authority to North Yorkshire and serves a population of 701,818.

Since 2017, the area has operated with elected Conservative Mayor of the Tees Valley, Ben Houchen, and combined authority to make big decisions on areas such as transport, employment and housing.

So what lessons can North Yorkshire political leaders learn from neighbouring Tees Valley over devolution?

Turnout for Mayoral election was poor

Just 21.3% of voters turned out for the election – a mere 1% more than had turned up to vote for the Cleveland Police and Crime Commissioner the year prior.

The result suggests a lack of engagement and understanding of the newly created mayor position, despite the governments insistence that devolved powers require one.

Mayor Houchen was elected to serve a three year term, but coronavirus has pushed back elections until 2021.

From there, mayoral elections will take place every four years.

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Houchen declines mayoral tax

The introduction of directly elected mayors to local government comes with a need to fund them.

As a result, mayors can introduce a precept to council taxpayers known as a “mayoral tax” which funds the office and what it does.

However, the move has proved to be controversial and a number of new mayors, including Andy Street in Birmingham and Dan Jarvis in Sheffield, have ruled out introducing the precept in their areas.

Ben Houchen has done the same in the Tees Valley and pledged not to charge ratepayers any extra for his work.

Mayoral development corporations

Most of the powers given to devolved authorities are around areas which create jobs and boost the economy.

Among the biggest powers that a mayor has is to create a mayoral development corporation which can buy, sell and hold land in a defined area.

Mayor Houchen made creating the South Tees Development Corporation one of his decisions while in office.

It became the first of its kind outside of London and has already purchased land at the former Redcar steelworks, which was closed by former owner Thai-based SSI in 2015.

While there are only four corporations currently operating in England, more can be expected and may prove to be vital for areas in need of economic growth and regeneration.

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Buying back an airport

Devolved authorities have a single pot used to invest in skills, transport and other investments.

Whatever a Mayor wants to invest in has to have the agreement of his cabinet and this was best demonstrated when Mayor Houchen made bringing back Durham Tees Valley Airport back into public ownership his key manifesto pledge.

The airport was losing £2 million a year and Mayor Houchen bid £40 million for the airport in what proved to be a tricky decision for his cabinet.

The cabinet, five of which were Labour council leaders, found the investment difficult to back in what they described as a “vanity project”.

However, the deal was eventually agreed last year and the Tees Valley Combined Authority purchased a 75% stake in the airport and rebranded it Teesside International Airport.

More powers

Securing a devolution deal for the Tees Valley was the first step in reclaiming budgets and key decisions from Westminster.

Now that it has powers over transport and regeneration, Mayor Houchen wants more and has set his sights on health and social care budgets as his next target.

Mayor Houchen told Teesside Live in January that he wanted powers similar to Greater Manchester where the combined authority has control over its £6 billion health and social care budget.

5 reasons why we should care about devolution in North Yorkshire

Whichever way you look at it, a devolution deal for North Yorkshire will include a mayor.

Below the mayor, there is an ongoing debate over whether the county should have one single unitary council or a few large authorities.

But what does devolution actually mean and why should we care? Here are the reasons why.

What is a mayor?

The devolved authority would have a mayor which is directly elected by the public.

They would be elected in 2022 and would normally serve for four years as part of an election cycle.

The mayor would hold significant power and influence over areas such as bus services, transport and setting up development corporations to buy and sell land.

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A new mayoral tax

When the government introduced more directly-elected mayors in 2016, it also gave them powers to introduce precepts to pay for the functions of the office.

Different mayors have different powers, but all of them can charge extra on top of council tax bills to fund what they do.

What about council tax?

Council tax would still be paid to the local authority, which would continue to run daily services such as bins and filling potholes.

However, some powers would be taken on by the elected mayor, such as public transport and buying land for employment developments.

The powers of the devolved mayor are focused on employment and boosting the economy.

Why should I care?

A mayor of North Yorkshire would be accountable to residents across the entire county.

Any changes of services in their remit or use of public money would be answerable to those who elected them.

For example, the mayor would have new powers over bus routes, timetables and fares in Harrogate and elsewhere.

Mayors also have the power to set up development corporations to buy and sell land, as demonstrated in the Tees Valley where the former Redcar steelworks has been bought by the authority’s corporation.

How close are we to a deal?

It is early days, but government has already set its sights on resolving the issue of devolution by 2022 to coincide with mayoral elections.

At the moment, the county council and its seven districts are voting on a list of “asks” which outline their proposal for devolved powers. Government will take those requests and propose a devolution deal to the county which will then be voted and consulted on.

Charities invited to apply for covid recovery grants

Charities and community groups in North Yorkshire fighting the impact of coronavirus are being invited to apply for grants of up to £10,000 and £50,000.

Two separate funders are offering the grants for organisations helping people overcome the effects of the pandemic.

Two Ridings Community Foundation will begin accepting applications for its coronavirus community fund on Monday. Applicants must demonstrate how they would use the grants, worth up to £10,000, to help beneficiaries become more self-sufficient and resilient in the wake of coronavirus.

Not-for-profit organisations in North Yorkshire, York, East Riding of Yorkshire or Hull can submit bids providing they meet the eligibility criteria, which include having a management committee with at least three unrelated members and a bank account in the group’s name.

Organisations can also apply in partnership with other not-for-profit groups for grants of up to £30,000. Applicants with annual income of less than £500,000 will be prioritised.

Two Ridings Community Foundation, which is based in York, is the local distribution partner in North and East Yorkshire for funds raised by the National Emergencies Trust. The trust was set up to provide a more co-ordinated national response to emergencies.

Its coronavirus appeal has distributed £56m nationally so far through local distributors, such as Two Ridings Community Foundation. Full application details are available here.

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Small charities can also apply for grants of £50,000 from Lloyds Community Foundation’s covid recovery fund.

The fund, which opens on Monday, will offer the grants to 140 charities for initiatives that help people overcome complex social issues.

Carlos Chavez, the foundation’s manager for Yorkshire and the Humber, said many charities in the area “faced significant income losses and other challenges over the last six months” and it “wanted to support these charities to recover in the months and years to come so they can continue to be a lifeline to the people in their communities”.

More details are available here

 

12 cases of coronavirus in Harrogate district as rates remain low

Public Health England figures show 12 cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in the Harrogate District in the past week, but infection rates across the county remain low.

The data shows a small day-by-day increase in the number of cases between July 20 and 26, with just one positive case since then.

It comes as Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the prevalence of the virus is “likely to be rising” in England with some lockdown easing due for August 1 being delayed.

Further data has been released by government, known as the “middle super output area”, which shows the number of cases at a neighbourhood level across the country.

The move follows complaints from local authorities that a lack of data at a local level prevented them from managing outbreaks effectively.

According to the data, four cases of coronavirus were confirmed in the Boroughbridge and Marton-cum-Grafton area last week. However, data for areas where fewer than two positive cases have been reported is not included.

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So far, a total 724 cases of the virus have been confirmed in the district compared with 2,566 in the wider county.

Meanwhile, Harrogate District Hospital announced yesterday that it currently has no positive coronavirus patients for the first time since the pandemic began.

The hospital has also gone 16 days without reporting a coronavirus death and no further deaths were recorded in care homes in Harrogate last week.

A spokesperson for Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust said that people “must remain vigilant” in order to keep cases low.

Well done to each and every one of #teamHDFT. pic.twitter.com/zimIENBlfF

— Harrogate NHS FT (@HarrogateNHSFT) July 30, 2020

It comes as last night Matt Hancock, secretary of state for health and social care, announced a local lockdown in Greater Manchester, Bradford, Kirklees and Calderdale. Residents in those areas will no longer be allowed to mix with other households indoors, including in pubs and restaurants.

Mr Hancock said the government was placing areas into local lockdowns in order to prevent a second wave of the virus.

The government also announced a delay on reopening of “higher risk” areas, such as bowling alleys and weddings of up to 30 people

However, earlier this month, Dr Lincoln Sargeant, director of public health at North Yorkshire County Council, told senior councillors that the county was not in the same position as those areas with high infections.

Dr Sargeant said figures in the county “remained low” and that rates in Scarborough, which were the highest, were at half the levels of Leicester – which was also put into a local lockdown in June.

He said:

“We are in a situation where the numbers are low and that gives us a good opportunity to consolidate that situation to work effectively with test and trace to keep those numbers low.”

Base Camp set to replace Deer Shed Festival

Live music fans will flock to a field near Topcliffe this weekend – but the Deer Shed Festival will have a very different feel compared to previous years.

Organisers have set up a socially-distanced weekend called Base Camp, with an on-site radio station delivering live music, comedy and more direct to people’s tents.

The 320 family pitches will be a far cry from the 11,000 attendees at last year’s event – and even the 2,000 who came to the first festival 11 years ago. Director Kate Webster told The Stray Ferret:

“It’s nice that we have been able to do something. All the people here have been to Deer Shed before and a lot of them are just happy to be out of their houses.

“It has been harder organising it because we’re having to do it on fewer staff, but there’s a lot less to do then usually when we have five stages.”

A field has been marked out with camping spaces for Deer Shed Festival's Base Camp

Socially distanced camping spaces, each with a portable toilet

Each pitch is 15m x 15m and has its own portable toilet, with water for washing. The Baldersby Park site near Topcliffe will also offer acres of outside space for families to enjoy.

Food and drink will be on sale from stands, but ticket holders are being asked to bring their own food and drink, including alcohol which will not be sold on site. Tickets were only offered to previous festival attendees, and the event is sold out.

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The event was originally planned to take place as usual this weekend, but plans were put on hold after the coronavirus lockdown came into force. Organisers have now created a programme for radio, including everything from live music to Q&A sessions.

They are also encouraging people to explore the surrounding area and local visitor attractions during the weekend.

As the first campers arrived on site today, Kate added:

“People are arriving a lot slower than they normally do for a festival weekend. Normally, they arrive an hour earlier than they’re meant to because they’re so keen to get in.

“This has been a lot more casual – people rolling up and slowly putting tents up. It’s a different atmosphere.

“We have got a few caterers and a bit of space, but we didn’t want people to get confused that it’s a festival. It’s not – it’s a camping event. You’re camping with like-minded people who go to Deer Shed and enjoy live music as a family.”

Although the full festival this year has not been possible, Kate said all the headliners and most of the line-up have been transferred to next year’s dates, July 30 to August 1.

New North Yorkshire coronavirus cases ‘remain low’

North Yorkshire’s public health bosses have said new coronavirus cases remain low and the county is not “in the same ranking as Leicester”.

According to the Department of Health and Social Care, a total of 2,533 positive cases have been confirmed in the county to date.

Lincoln Sargeant, director of public health at North Yorkshire County Council, told senior councillors that around 36 new cases had been reported in the past two weeks, with the county averaging around one to two per day.

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But, he added the case numbers remain low and were not in the same position as Leicester which was put back into lockdown last month due to its high rate of infection.

He said:

“Many people will have been listening to the news on the issue about Leicester, we are not in that ranking. Scarborough which has the highest rates to date is averaging about half the rates of the levels we are seeing in Leicester at the moment.

“We are in a situation where the numbers are low and that gives us a good opportunity to consolidate that situation to work effectively with test and trace to keep those numbers low.”

It comes as hospital bosses at Harrogate District Hospital have not reported any coronavirus deaths for eight days.

The total number of deaths at the hospital remains at 81.

Nationally, a further 22 patients who tested positive for coronavirus have died in hospital.

Of that number, two were reported in the North East and Yorkshire.

NHS England said those patients who died were aged between 54 and 93 years old and all had known underlying health conditions.

It means the death toll nationally from coronavirus stands has increased to 29,125.

Council leaders prepare for North Yorkshire devolution

Discussions over a devolution deal for North Yorkshire took a step further this week after leaders of district authorities met with government ministers.

Simon Clarke, the local government minister, held further talks with authority leaders on Tuesday as local authorities look to continue to thrash out a deal for the county.

It comes as council leaders are considering options for devolution which may include a combined authority with an elected mayor, but are yet to agree on what proposals to put to government.

The list of requests will need to be agreed by the county council, York and the district authorities before any negotiations can begin with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

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Such a deal could see further powers over transport, skills and housing handed over to North Yorkshire from Westminster.

Carl Les, leader of North Yorkshire County Council, told The Stray Ferret that Mr Clarke told authority leaders to “get on with it”.

He said:

“There is a very clear message coming out of government that devolution is a key part of recovery.

“They are very keen now that they have got Sheffield signed up and they want to see solutions for Yorkshire.

“He is giving us that encouragement to progress on this.”

Meanwhile, Unison Harrogate Local Government branch said it has requested a meeting with the chief executive of Harrogate Borough Council over potential proposals to reorganise local authorities in the county.

Unison said it has already received concerns from staff over the risk to jobs under any reorganisation. Branch secretary, David Houlgate, said the union would ask for full engagement if any proposal develops.

What is a combined authority?

A combined authority is when a group of councils come together to make joint decisions on such things as transport. It does not replace existing local councils.

The directly elected mayor is seen as the precondition for devolution. They chair the combined authority and form a cabinet made up of the leaders of the authorities in the region.

An example of this is in the Tees Valley Combined Authority, where Ben Houchen was elected mayor in 2017. The leaders of the five districts, Stockton-on-Tees, Darlington, Hartlepool, Redcar and Cleveland, and Middlesborough all sit on Mr Houchen’s cabinet.

The government has given the Mayor of Tees Valley and its combined authority new powers over transport, housing and planning.

Two North Yorkshire recovery plans launched to save tourism

Two county-wide recovery plans are set to be put in place to help tourism and hospitality as the industry faces a battle to recover from coronavirus. 

Analysis by the York and North Yorkshire Enterprise Partnership has forecast 20,000 jobs losses and a drop in value of 40% across the sector this year as a result of the pandemic.

The industry in the wider-county, which is worth around £9 billion a year, has taken a hit due lockdown as hotels, attractions and the hospitality sector have been closed for the past three months.

It comes as Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to make an announcement today on the two metre distancing rule and further relaxing of restrictions.

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Bosses at the North Yorkshire LEP have launched an economic recovery plan for the region which will focus on getting people back to work, greater digital connection and safer, greener public spaces.

David Kerfoot MBE DL, chair of the York & North Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership, said:

“The Covid-19 pandemic has bought challenge in one way or another to every single one of us, yet it has undoubtedly impacted heaviest on those in our society who already had the least.

“It is absolutely crucial that this vision is realised. We must ensure those who have previously been left behind aren’t pushed further into the margins. 

“We must seize the incredibly unique opportunity we have to grow and strengthen our economy, whilst positively mitigating against climate change.”

Meanwhile, Welcome to Yorkshire has also launched its own recovery plan to help the industry and its 225,000 employees.

The organisation has said it will offer regional support for businesses, introduce a Yorkshire gift card for customers and launch a marketing campaign for the county.

The move comes as owners of firms in the Harrogate hospitality sector have urged for clarity on the one metre rule in order for hotels, bars and restaurants to reopen.

But some restaurant owners have warned that some in the industry may not survive.

David Straker, co-owner of popular Harrogate restaurant William & Victoria told The Stray Ferret that the situation is perilous for many restaurants in the town.

He said:

“It’s hard. It’s really, really hard. We’re fortunate here as we own our property and we have a fantastic loyal clientele which is absolutely paramount to a business.”

Warning over rise in doorstep scams after lockdown

A warning has been issued over cold callers targeting households as lockdown restrictions ease.

North Yorkshire Trading Standards and North Yorkshire Police have united to remind residents to be wary of people offering property repairs and gardening work.

It is the latest in a series of warnings issued over scams being carried out during the Covid-19 lockdown. Previously, Trading Standards have warned about scams involving supplies of PPE and hand sanitiser, and false testing and cures for the virus.

However, the authority said reports of crime had been “starkly absent” as people’s movements were restricted from March onwards. Cllr Andrew Lee, executive member for trading standards, said:

“We know these offenders are always on the lookout opportunities to defraud the elderly and vulnerable, but their ability to do so has been curtailed in recent weeks due to the lockdown provisions.

“We are very concerned that they will soon be back out and about cold calling vulnerable residents and trying to persuade them to have roofing, driveway, pressure washing, gardening and other work undertaken.

“Our message is very clear. Residents should not deal with doorstep callers.”

Police and trading standards officers said doorstep scams often include extreme overcharging for work, claiming work is required when it is not, poor quality work or damage to properties, and not providing any contact details for the person carrying out the work. In some cases, elderly and vulnerable residents are driven to the bank by the offender, to withdraw cash to pay for the work.

Police have warned residents to be wary of doorstep scams

Officers have advised residents considering having work done to get three quotations from local traders – ideally recommended by friends or family – and to take their time before making a decision. Anyone having work done has a statutory right to cancel the contract within 14 days.

Where that is not possible, they should approach traders for quotations through a trusted website, such as the County Council’s North Yorkshire Buy Local.

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DI Jon Hodgeon of North Yorkshire Police said:

“We’ve seen a number of scammers taking advantage of coronavirus and lockdown to target individuals but there are ways everyone can protect themselves.

We advise never to open the door to anyone you don’t know and certainly never invite a stranger into your home without verifying their identity first. An individual claiming to be a representative of an organisation should be more than happy to show you their ID card and even for you to ring their company to double check.

“High-pressure techniques or requests for money should raise immediate alarm bells. Remember, you do not have to open the door to cold callers and you have every right to ask them to leave.”

Doorstep traders can be reported to Trading Standards via the Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 0808 223 1133, or to the Police on 101, or 999 in emergency situations.