Opinion: Dirty laundry we need to air- Religious discrimination in HarrogateOpinion: How staying at Harrogate hospital made me rethink healthcareA Tale of Two Harrogate Cinemas: Odeon vs EverymanReaders’ Letters: ‘Shameful’ empty super-green council properties need tenantsStray Views: Harrogate Tesco would be ‘horrendous’ for nearby residents

Stray Views is a weekly column giving you the chance to have your say on issues affecting the Harrogate district. It is an opinion column and does not reflect the views of the Stray Ferret. Send your views to letters@thestrayferret.co.uk.

New Tesco would be ‘horrendous’ for nearby residents

We believe that it is not an appropriate or safe location for the supermarket.
Already Skipton Road is extremely busy with traffic and New Park roundabout is quite unsafe at times, due to the high volumes of traffic. The entrance to Tesco would require a roundabout to gain entrance to the store, therefore there would be two roundabouts extremely close together. We would argue that this is dangerous because there is also an entrance to Oak Beck trading estate to contend with (Aldi and B&Q). How would this be safe?
We believe that the level of traffic would increase dramatically on the roads if Tesco is built, adding to pollution in the area.
On the planned site there is an abundance of wildlife; bats, badgers, newts, hedgehogs and owls to name a few. A lot of trees would need to be cut down for this development, which would be a disaster for Harrogate with its increasing population. Green space and wildlife should be cherished.
Without our knowledge Tesco held a consultation process with the public and 70% were in favour. Why were the local residents (especially on Electric Avenue) not directly consulted and encouraged to take part? In Tesco’s application they claim that they notified local businesses in the area and local residents by distributing leaflets. We received nothing!
The majority of residents I have chatted to on Electric Avenue strongly object to Tesco and the delivery road located directly behind our properties. This would be horrendous for us, it would bring noise and air pollution to our area and disturb our peace.
Jennifer Dance, Electric Avenue, Harrogate 

Proud to be Harrogate, not London

I note that a new fitness studio wants it to bring ‘a London feel’ to Harrogate and recall that the restaurants associated with The Everyman Cinema was also intended to be ‘London-centric’, whatever that means.

Can someone enlighten me regarding this strange desire to be like London when Harrogate, and indeed Yorkshire as a whole, has so much distinctive to offer? It seems to me that this desire to be like London is a strange business proposition. Of course I wish all the local businesses concerned well, despite my feelings about their PR.

Tim Hurren, Harrogate

Speed limits should be reduced

I read your article about North Yorkshire County Council refusing a blanket introduction of a 20mph speed limit in built-up areas.

The council’s executive member for access, Cllr Don Mackenzie, said the county’s roads were becoming safer and safer, and 20mph zones should only be created on a case-by-case basis.

I have tried for years to get the speed limits reduced. I believe Councillor Mackenzie does not listen to anyone — where does he get his information from on safer roads? Cars around Harrogate are now more powerful and speeding is paramount throughout the town and on country roads. When is someone going to challenge this man and when will he listen?

Mike Fisher, Cornwall Road, Harrogate

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My Year: Harrogate estate agent ‘luckier than most’ amid pandemic

For businesses, it has been a challenging and worrying year, in many different ways. Tim Waring, leading estate agent and chartered surveyor at Lister Haigh, reflects on what started as a normal year but soon began to change.

Looking back over the past year, one of my happier times was a fabulous day during a group ski trip to France. We’d just had a day with blue sky and sunshine in Val D’Isere, and then the Saturday night dinner is our dining highlight of the trip.

But this tranquil setting came to an abrupt end. After the first course, we were told everything was closing that night.

It was a real wake up call given I guess we had been in our world for three or four days beforehand. My other half had ironically told me I was in a bubble and didn’t appreciate how difficult things were becoming.

It proved to be a prophetic turn of phrase. It all seems such a long time ago given everything that has happened since.

I was lucky my estate agency was only closed for two months. Since reopening, the property market has been a hive of activity, helped, in no small part, by the stamp duty incentive offered by the Chancellor.

Meanwhile, I have friends in the retail and hospitality sectors who have seen their businesses decimated after two national lockdowns and ongoing tier restrictions. Some may well not re-open in 2021.

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So I cannot consider myself hard done to, when one of the things I missed out on this year was celebrating a big birthday with friends in April.

Lockdown has fast tracked my relationship with the aforementioned girlfriend to the point that I now consider we are partners, and happily in a support bubble.

But yet, one friend has died from this awful virus, and at least two others have had hard times in hospital because of it.

I might have not seen my son who lives in London for many months, but fortunately technology has allowed us to keep in contact in a way that wouldn’t have been possible just a few years ago.

My grandson, Arthur, was only five months old when this wretched thing started. Now he is walking and already proving to be a typical toddler. He lives in Harrogate, so I have been able to see him regularly.

I love re-watching a video of him trying to walk and instead falling over in the leaves. Yet another reason to feel I have been luckier than most in 2020.

So that’s why, all things considered, I think I’ve been luckier than most of late. What happens next year – who knows?

When the Bank of England says things are “unusually uncertain”, maybe that says it all.

The Latin phrase carpe diem, “seize the day”, comes to mind when one reflects on the last 12 months.