Stray Views: How did Woodfield school end up in this mess?

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.

Woodfield’s school’s planned closure a sad reflection of times

Woodfield Community Primary School is going through a consultation process to close at the end of this year. There is to be a public meeting on Wednesday 15th June at 6pm at the school.

Woodfield is, as the name suggests, a community primary school which serves the local population. It has been extensively refurbished over the last few years, has a large playground and extensive playing fields, It has a community library and children’s centre at the same site.

Why then is it closing? This is, like many things, complex. It is to do with poor management by North Yorkshire County Council, inexperienced acting headteachers, social media, Harrogate parents exercising their ‘choice’ to go to the ‘better’ schools, and finally Ofsted rating the school in 2020 as ‘inadequate’.

The Ofsted rating was the death blow for Woodfield. It meant the school had to join an academy but no academy wanted to take it on, due to small pupil numbers, leaving the school in a catch- 22 situation.

There was no attempt to alter this situation by the education authorities, who could have stepped in at this point as far as I am aware. The school is now almost certain to close.

Many people do not know of the existence of Woodfield. Many people will not be bothered. It is not the school that the affluent of Harrogate send their children to, it was a good, caring school around the corner with teachers and teaching assistants that cared for the children, but didn’t get the best SATs results.

I think it is important sometimes to reflect on what do we really want for our children.

Vicky Lack, Bilton

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Trying to order a drive-through coffee without a car

Yesterday whilst walking past Costa Coffee in Pannal I decided to go for a coffee. The restaurant part was closed due to lack of staff.

Upon walking away I noticed that the drive-through was open so I decided to ask for a coffee at the drive-through whilst there were no cars queueing. I was informed that due to not being in the car I could not be able to get a coffee. How does that work ??

Needless to say, I accepted that I was not driving a car. My options would have been to pretend I was driving a car or jump in the next car and ask to be a passenger.

We live in a seriously mad world where common sense has gone totally out of the window.

Amanda Finney, Pannal

Do you have an opinion on the Harrogate district? Email us at letters@thestrayferret.co.uk. Please include your name and approximate location details. Limit your letters to 350 words. We reserve the right to edit letters.

Man seriously injured in crash on Harrogate’s Leeds Road

Three people had to be freed from their vehicles after a two-car collision on Leeds Road between Pannal and Harrogate last night.

One man was taken to hospital in an ambulance after the smash, which led to the road being closed.

It is now known how bad his injuries are.

According to North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service, three people were out of the vehicles when they were called at about 9pm.

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A further three people needed help to escape.

Firefighters used cutting gear and other tools to release them.

North Yorkshire Police tweeted about the road closure last night.

⚠️Road closure in Harrogate. Emergency services are at the scene of a serious collision on the A61, Leeds Road, between Pannal and Harrogate. The road is closed with diversions in place. Motorists are advised to avoid the area at this time. pic.twitter.com/ppGakP1SK2

— North Yorkshire Police (@NYorksPolice) May 16, 2022

They issued further details today, saying the collision occurred at 7.36pm and involved a red Volkswagen Golf and a black Range Rover.

“The Golf was travelling from Harrogate towards Pannal and the Range Rover was travelling from the Pannal direction towards Harrogate.

“The sole occupant of the Golf was taken to hospital with serious, potentially life changing injuries.

“The five occupants of the Range Rover were also taken to hospital with injuries.

“Road closures were put in place for around six hours while emergency crews attended the scene and an initial investigation was carried out.”

Witnesses can email Paul.Buckley@northyorkshire.police.uk or call North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 2 and ask for Paul Buckley.

Pannal car boot sale returns today

Pannal car boot sale returns today for the first time in eight months.

Since opening in 1996, the car boot sale has been held early on Sunday mornings but this year it takes place at 11am on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

Held at the junction of the A658 and A61, the event runs until 3pm and stalls cost £6 for the day.

Speaking about the return, organiser Dylan Leech said:

“It’s great to be back. We changed the time this year mainly because there are so many others held early on a Saturday and Sunday so starting at 11am means people can come to more than one.

“We’ve had to rethink it with so many people selling online during lockdown but I’m sure we’ll hit the ground running.”

Mr Leech said the car boot attracted more than 100 stalls each time previously and he was hoping this year will be no different.

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End of an era: Demolition starts on Dunlopillo building

Demolition work has started on the Dunlopillo office block in Pannal which represents the end of the historic building.

The former factory site is being flattened to make way for 38 flats.

The move has proved controversial locally, with some residents describing it as an “eyesore” . Pannal historian Anne Smith said the village would be lumbered with a “skyscraper-type building”.

Developer Echo Green Developments was granted planning permission in September 2021 to demolish the main office block and build 48 apartments.

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However, this was later revised down to 38 following another application from the developer. The scheme would still be two-storeys bigger than the original building.

The decision was made under permitted development rights, which can be used by developers to fast track the redevelopment of disused offices.

History of the site

From 1938 to 1949 the site was occupied by the Bintex factory, which manufactured radar equipment for use during the Second World War.

It was bought by rubber manufacturer Dunlop, which changed its name to Dunlopillo and made the site its headquarters.

It is estimated around 440 people worked there in its 1970s and 80s heyday producing pillows, mattresses, beds and latex cushioning for cars.

Pannal Ash juniors take home the cup

Pannal Ash Whites U14’s won the Leeds and District Cup on Sunday.

The team won the trophy after a hard-fought 3-0 victory over Wortley at Whitkirk FC.

After a good start, the team survived an early scare when Wortley hit the crossbar.

Two goals from Henry Collings saw the Whites take a 2-0 lead at half-time.

The win was capped off with a long-range effort from Jamie Stokoe.

Head coach Dave Holdsworth said.

“We’re delighted that a great set of boys who support and work so well together have their reward. This trophy is hard-earned and reflects what can be achieved with effort, practice and respect for others in the game. Brilliant achievement! Well done to all the lads!”

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Next up for the U14’s is the County Cup final on 24th April against Yorkshire Amateurs.

Pannal Ash Whites U14 squad are: Toby Sharkey, Otis Baker, Sam Caine, Charlie Dunsmore, James Meehan, Aaron Brompton, Sam Grass, Charlie Moss, Oliver Holdsworth, Lewis Jalal, Kuba Balcerzak, Henry McQuade, Henry Collings, Jamie Stokoe

Whilst the under 14s picked up the trophy, the club’s under 11’s team lost 6-1 in their final Leeds and District Cup final against Hunslet Club, which was also played on Sunday.

Highways boss ‘confident’ Harrogate park and ride can still be funded

North Yorkshire County Council officials are still confident that a park and ride in Harrogate can be funded despite cuts to government funding.

A park and ride scheme is among the measures proposed by the county council as part of a series of transport initiatives to reduce traffic and ease congestion.

Two locations in Pannal on the 36 bus route were identified as possible sites.

On Tuesday, county council officials warned that it was “unlikely” that the authority would receive all of its £116 million bus improvement bid from government – which would help to fund the scheme.

But Cllr Don Mackenzie, executive county councillor for highways, told a Harrogate and Knaresborough Area Constituency Committee that he was still confident that there would be enough funding for a park and ride scheme.

He said:

“The various interventions following the Harrogate Congestion Study and the Harrogate Transport Improvement Programme are every much prioritised in our bus services improvement plan.

“Even if we get reduced funding, which is likely, I am confident that there will be money there for the various interventions that we want to make in Harrogate including a pilot for park and ride.”

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The news comes as the county council bid for £116 million worth of funding to improve bus services in North Yorkshire.

The county council unveiled its Bus Service Improvement Plan in October with proposals for more bus lanes, cash support for existing and new services and a simpler ticketing system.

But, the government wrote to councils in January highlighting how its £3 billion budget to “transform” bus services had more than halved to £1.4 billion.

Hope that electric buses bid will be successful

Separately, the county council has also bid for £8 million of government cash to make all of Harrogate Bus Company’s fleet electric.

If successful, the company’s parent firm Transdev would contribute £11.5 million towards the costs of buying 39 zero-emission buses.

Cllr Mackenzie told the area constituency committee that he remained confident of being successful in receiving the funding.

He said:

“I remain fairly confident about that [the bid]. We ought to hear something about that by the end of this month, that was originally the deadline given to us.”

Harrogate district train station parking review a ‘lost opportunity’

A review into car parking at train stations across the Harrogate district has been criticised as a “lost opportunity”.

Transport officials at North Yorkshire County Council launched the review to look into where parking could be expanded in order to encourage the use of public transport and stop parked vehicles spilling over onto residential streets.

The findings were discussed at a meeting today when councillor Paul Haslam, who represents Bilton and Nidd Gorge, said he was “disappointed” that residents were not asked where they believe investment is needed the most. He said:

“There doesn’t seem to have been any discussion with any user groups.

“I would have thought they might have been able to share some very important information – we need to know what our customers want.”

Cllr Haslam said while the review was “very measured,” it was a “lost opportunity” to also look into how access to train stations can be made easier for those travelling on foot or by bike.

He told today’s meeting of the Harrogate and Knaresborough Area Constituency Committee:

“I would have hoped this review could have looked at safe and secure storage for bikes, bus stop provision and other access in terms of cycle routes.

“Train stations are going to be what we will call transport transition hubs in the future and we have to facilitate these changes so people can get off their bike and onto a train, or out of their car and onto a bus.”

His comments were backed by councillor Don Mackenzie, executive member for access at the county council, who added:

“We must look at other means of connecting people to railway stations and not simply in their cars.”

More parking at Pannal

The review highlights how new car parking will be built at Pannal train station as part of the ongoing housing development at the former Dunlopillo site.

Construction work has yet to start on the car park and it is unclear when this could begin.

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Cattal train station has also been identified for improved parking as part of a 3,000-home settlement which is planned for the area because of its railway links.

There are no plans to upgrade parking at train stations in Starbeck, Knaresborough or Weeton, as well Harrogate which a report said already has extra capacity at the Victoria multi-storey car park.

Another area which has been identified for potential improvements is Hornbeam Park train station where previous proposals to expand the car park were met with concerns that it could encourage more car journeys on the already congested Hookstone Road.

Traffic impact

Graham North, strategic support officer at the county council, told today’s meeting that extra car parking had been considered again, although it could have had a “significant” impact on traffic.

Mr North also set out some of the reasons why parking upgrades are needed at other train stations, but can not be achieved.

He said:

“The Harrogate line has had significant improvements in frequency including the recent improvements between York and Harrogate.

“We have also had modern rolling stock, station improvements and the introduction of the LNER services to and from London which are all potentially increasing demand for rail travel.

“The rail industry has looked at each station to identify any land available for car parking close to stations and whilst some land has been identified the cost to purchase, access to and from the sites and the poor business cases have meant that these were not developed further.”

Parish council slams ‘fast track’ planning rules after latest Dunlopillo proposals passed

Fast track rules which speed up the planning system have been slammed by a parish council after latest housing plans for a derelict office block near Harrogate were approved without a vote from councillors.

The proposals for 38 flats at the former Dunlopillo building in Pannal were passed by Harrogate Borough Council last week.

This came after the developers Echo Green previously won permission for 48 flats at the Station Road site before submitting a second application also under permitted development rights.

These rules were first introduced to ease the path of conservatories, small extensions and other uncontroversial works.

But in recent years they have been used by the government to drive up housing numbers through offices being converted into or replaced by entirely new buildings without usual planning permission.

Councillor Howard West, chairman of Pannal and Burn Bridge Parish Council, had raised several objections over the Dunlopillo plans and has now launched fresh criticism at the planning rules which he argues fails to take into account rural areas.

He said:

“We’re disappointed that the construction of an even bigger building than the one that was universally hated has been allowed.

“However, once Harrogate Borough Council officers made their original decision on the first prior notice of permitted development, there really was no way to stop construction.

“The principle of prior notice of permitted development was essentially to protect the high street from having empty commercial units when they could be converted to accommodation.

“However, to allow loopholes where rural villages could be overshadowed by bigger monstrosities than those originally built was patently an oversight by the civil servants who drafted the legislation and by those who voted it into planning law.”

The rules allow for developers to apply to councils to simply seek confirmation that a development is acceptable before commencing work.

This was the case for both applications for the Dunlopillo site and is different from usual planning permission which requires an outline and reserved matters application, and sometimes a vote from councillors.

But Harrogate Borough Council has admitted it could have allowed for a vote from councillors if it had acted quicker on the first application.

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It made this admission in a lessons learned review, which concluded that while the plans were “appropriately considered”, “a longer period of time than ideal” was spent on parts of the process.

‘Ghastly design’

Councillor West said he believes the plans could have been refused if presented to councillors as he also described the council-run review as “akin to marking one’s own homework”.

He said:

“Had council officers involved the planning committee for the first prior notice of permitted development then there might have been a chance in getting it stopped because of the ghastly design – although some of the past committee decisions defy logic.

“The second proposal is a country mile better than the first, albeit much too high and overbearing and not at all in keeping with a village environment.”

The latest plans for the Station Road site include demolishing the existing building to make way for an apartments block two-storeys higher.

This is something that has been a key concern for residents who are fearful the development will have a major visual impact on the area surrounding the site which pillows and bedding manufacturer Dunlopillo moved out of in 2008.

Since then, the building has fallen into a state of disrepair with residents describing it as an “eyesore” and “monstrosity”.

Its current state is far from how many employees will remember the building in the 1970s and 1980s when an estimated 440 people worked there.

Plans approved for 38 flats at ‘Pannal skyscraper’

Plans have been approved for a second time to build an apartment block at the former Dunlopillo factory in Pannal.

Developer Echo Green Developments was granted planning permission in September last year to demolish the main office block and build 48 apartments.

In December the developer then submitted new plans that would supersede the previously approved plans.

It included 38 apartments, fewer than the original proposal, but would still be two storeys taller than the demolished building.

The initial decision to approve the plans, which was made under permitted development rights, was met with anger from some residents.

Pannal historian Anne Smith said the village would be lumbered with a “skyscraper-type building”.

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Permitted development rights were brought in under the Conservative government and can be used by developers to fast track the redevelopment of disused offices.

Nevertheless, Conservative MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough Andrew Jones intervened to say the scheme should have been decided by a vote from the council’s planning committee.

A review by the council concluded the plans were “appropriately considered”.

Mr Jones called on residents to submit objections to the second application. In the end, it received 26 objections.

 

Harrogate council should have acted quicker on Dunlopillo housing plans, review finds

A review has found Harrogate Borough Council should have acted quicker on controversial housing plans for the derelict Dunlopillo building in Pannal.

Residents, councillors and Harrogate and Knaresborough Conservative MP Andrew Jones all criticised the council when it approved plans for 48 apartments at the site last September.

The decision was made at officer level and without a vote from councillors, which led to the council launching an internal review into how it handled the plans submitted under rules called permitted development rights.

A report has now concluded a “longer period of time than ideal” was spent on parts of the process.

It also said residents should have been consulted with sooner and that this could have allowed time for a vote from councillors.

Despite this, the council said the plans were still “appropriately considered”.

A council spokesperson said:

“The lessons learnt review regarding the former Dunlopillo site in Pannal found that the case was appropriately considered by officers and determined in-line with the appropriate legislation.

“It was acknowledged that some internal process areas could be strengthened, including prioritisation of such applications in the future and a greater overview by senior officers.”

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The report explained that extra time was spent on the application because it was the first the council had received under permitted development rights, which fast-track the conversion of empty buildings into homes.

Since the plans were passed new proposals have since been submitted for the Station Road site with a reduced number of apartments to replace the derelict office building which has been described as a “monstrosity”.

Echo Green Developments now wants to build 38 apartments at the site, which pillows and bedding manufacturer Dunlopillo moved out of in 2008.

The proposed building is still two-storeys higher than the existing offices – something which has been a key concern for residents who are fearful the development will have a major visual impact on the area.

‘Improvements could be made’

Mr Jones had urged residents to make their voices heard on the latest plans and has now welcomed the conclusion of the review.

He said: 

“I was pleased to see that the council had done an internal review on the matter and concluded that, although all the correct factors were taken into account in reaching a decision, there were improvements in the process that could be made.

“I know planners have a difficult job with ever-changing laws and guidance. I know too that they rarely have to take decisions on issues which are uncontroversial.

“That is why I am really encouraged that they have taken the time to look back, evaluate and implement changes in regard of this brand-new class of permitted development.”

Mr Jones added: 

“After the initial submission which prompted my concerns over the decision-making process, the applicants submitted a new proposal for the Dunlopillo site.

“This superseded the earlier decision and time was available to get the application before a planning committee.

“I think this shows that not only did planners critically evaluate what had been done previously, but they implemented the positive changes identified in the report.

“I am grateful that they took this approach irrespective of the outcome of the process.”

A decision on the latest plans is expected this month.