Pateley Bridge Archives - Page 18 of 50

‘We don’t want more of the same’, says Pateley Bridge mayoral candidate

In the first of a series of interviews with candidates to be the first Mayor of York and North Yorkshire, the Stray Ferret speaks to Keith Tordoff who is standing as an independent.

Keith Tordoff is no stranger to the election scene.

The Pateley Bridge businessman stood for North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner twice and has now put his name forward again for Mayor of York and North Yorkshire.

Initially standing for the Yorkshire Party, Mr Tordoff will once again be contesting the election on May 2 as an independent.

The Stray Ferret met him in Tordoff Gallery, his film poster venture on Pateley Bridge High Street which he operates alongside wife Gloria, to discuss his latest election campaign.

The 67-year-old is keen to stress that the mayor should be independent and that he has the credentials for the role.

Mr Tordoff spent 20 years as a police officer in Leeds, working on cases such as that of Peter Sutcliffe, the Yorkshire ripper. He later went into business and founded the Oldest Sweet Shop in the World in Pateley Bridge, which he sold in March 2021.

He boasts that he has not been on holiday abroad for 25 years as North Yorkshire is a “fantastic place to live”.

But, despite the extensive experience, Mr Tordoff is standing as an independent as opposed to joining any of the established political parties.

“I am an independent, which I think is very important because I think it is a role that should be independent.

“They [the political parties] are always going to try and get what they want for their particular area. Whereas, if I was elected, I can act to work with them but I can also act to work with all the people from both communities which is what it should be about.”

For him, the election is the last opportunity for an independent to get into power.

“This is the last ditch opportunity for people in York and North Yorkshire to have somebody elected who will deliver for them.”

‘These are not flights of fancy’

Mr Tordoff is full of ideas, though some have led to disagreements and raised eyebrows.

He points to his manifesto and priorities, where he pledges to make public transport free for under-18s to get to school and college, introduce a single ticket for frictionless travel and unlock brownfield land for 2,000 homes.

“These are not flights of fancy, these are deliverable.”

Keith Tordoff on Pateley High Street

He also feels the mayor should only have one office in York in order to save money, rather than the proposed two offices in York and Northallerton.

But perhaps his most attention grabbing policy pledge has been to give 2,000 households three free chickens.

Mr Tordoff claimed the move would help to save 100 tonnes of food waste each month and improve the health of poorer households.

He announced the policy in June last year, when he was standing as the Yorkshire Party’s mayoral candidate. But the controversy it generated led to him resigning from the party and becoming an independent.

Mr Tordoff told the Stray Ferret that he “100%” stood by the pledge and described it as “deliverable”.

He said:

“Some people pooh poohed it. But bear in mind, everybody was talking about and is still talking about it.

“It was nearly a year ago that I said that and it clearly resonated with people.”

Despite being up against established political parties, Mr Tordoff remains confident people will vote for something different this time:

“I am hoping the public are disillusioned and there is a realisation that if we vote for these people again then we are going to get more of the same.”

The York and North Yorkshire mayor will be chosen by residents of the region in an election on Thursday, May 2, 2024.

The deadline to register to vote is 11:59pm, Tuesday, April 16, 2024.

The full list of candidates are:

Keith Tordoff, independent
Felicity Cunliffe-Lister, Liberal Democrats
Keane Duncan, Conservative Party
David Skaith, Labour Party
Kevin Foster, Green Party
Paul Haslam, independent

Pateley Bridge Art Club holds spring exhibition

Pateley Bridge Art Club will hold its spring exhibition this weekend.

The amateur group, which was formed in 1994, recently celebrated its 30th anniversary and will continue the birthday celebrations with its bi-annual exhibition.

It will include work created by members, who meet monthly at Broadbent Hall in Glasshouses.

The group invites local artists to deliver talks and demonstrations, as well as holding outdoor sketching sessions around the local area.

The exhibition will include art created on a variety of mediums, including acrylic paintings, watercolours, drawings and sculpture.

Members’ work at a previous exhibition.

People can also enquire about buying some of the work displayed at the exhibition.

Audrey Culling, one of the club’s members, told the Stray Ferret:

“Having been a member of this club since its formation in 1994, I feel very proud of the wonderful, varied work that the members show.”

Ms Culling also said the group welcomes new members.

The Pateley Bridge Art Club spring exhibition will take place on Saturday, April 6, from 10am to 5pm. It will be held at the same time on Monday, April 8.

The exhibition is free to attend and the group said refreshments will be available.

Plans approved for controversial development in Glasshouses

A planning application to develop five homes on a Glasshouses street has been approved.

The application, which was originally submitted to North Yorkshire Council in September, was given the go-ahead at North Yorkshire Council’s Skipton and Ripon planning committee on Tuesday.

Final revised plans, which were put forward in December, proposed splitting an existing cottage on Harewell Close into two dwellings.

The agent, JC Robinson LTD, who submitted the plans on behalf of the applicant, on also proposed to erect single-storey extensions to both divisions, as well as developing a further two dwellings to the rear of the site.

But the application generated 23 online objections.

A report by a council officer to councillors before the meeting recommended the scheme be approved, subject to conditions. Councillors voted to agree with this recommendation.

The report said a ward member raised concerns that the land “includes areas not owned by the applicant” and felt access would be “restricted”.

It added Pateley Town Council, which said it neither supported nor objected the plans, raised several areas of concern.

These included sewage infrastructure not being able to cope with the additional demand, “compromised” vehicular and pedestrian access to the fields adjacent to the site and “exacerbated” traffic congestion.

The report also said local objections referred to the impact on the Nidderdale AONB (now known as Nidderdale National Landscape), the impact on wildlife, that it was “not sympathetic” to neighbouring properties or the conservation area, and “inconsistencies” with the application.

However, the application also received support from local people.

The report said one letter in support of the original plan, which included the erection of three dwellings, felt “there is a lack of housing available in the area for first time buyers and young
families”, adding the development provides “sufficient parking provision”.

Despite concerns, the councillors granted approval of the plans subject to conditions.

The conditions included set times during which work can be carried out to avoid disruption locally, as well as matching the materials of the original building to the extensions to “protect the character and appearance” of the Nidderdale National Landscape.

Major changes announced to bus routes in Harrogate district

Two new bus routes are set to be introduced in Harrogate this weekend.

The Harrogate Bus Company said in a press release the services would provide ‘new and improved links for housing developments and business parks’.

The company, which is part of French form Transdev, said it has partnered with North Yorkshire Council to bring the new 4, which will link King Edwin Park and the Harrogate West Business Park off Penny Pot Lane in Killinghall to the town centre.

It will also serve Skipton Road and Ripon Road.

The new route, which is being funded by the King Edwin Park housing developer, will run hourly from 7am to 7pm, Monday to Saturday.

In addition, the 6 and X6 will merge to provide an all-day service to Harrogate’s Pannal Ash, RHS Harlow Carr and Beckwith Knowle.

It will operate every 30 minutes, Monday to Saturday, and hourly on Sundays. Extra buses will run every 20 minutes during peak times.

Harrogate Bus Company said it will operate as the current route, but extending to Beckwith Knowle, where there is a business park.

The firm added:

“The route will change on Otley Road and in Pannal Ash so we pick up on the opposite side of the road – this follows customer requests.”

Changes to existing routes

Along with the new routes, the Harrogate Bus Company also announced it would be making changes to existing routes. Some of the details at this stage are vague.

These include:

1 Harrogate – Knaresborough: There will be a full timetable change from Monday to Saturday. Buses will still run every 10 minutes.

2 Harrogate – Bilton: Changes will be made to buses at peak times on weekdays.

3 Harrogate – Jennyfield: Changes will be made to buses at peak times on weekdays.

8 Harrogate – Knaresborough – Wetherby: This route will be taken over by 21 Transport on behalf of the council. The firm said Transdev tickets will no longer be valid on this route.

21 Knaresborough – Boroughbridge: Changes ‘to improve reliability’ will be introduced.

24 Harrogate – Pateley Bridge: Changes ‘to improve reliability’ will be introduced.

36 Leeds – Harrogate – Ripon: Changes ‘to improve reliability’ will be introduced.

S1 Ripley – Rossett School: A new school bus will serve pupils from Ripley to Harrogate Grammar School and Rossett School. It added people in Jennyfields who currently use the 620H should switch to the S1.

S2 and S6 Bilton – Rossett School: The S2 and S6 will merge into a single route, which will follow the route of the regular 2 bus around Bilton. A large double decker bus will be provided which is sufficient for all customers, it added.

S8 Woodlands – Rossett School: Changes ‘to improve reliability’ will be introduced.

620H Dacre – Rossett School: This route will be taken over by another operator on behalf of the council. Harrogate Bus Company said it does not know which firm will take over, but added it will no longer serve Jennyfields. It advised residents to use the S1 instead.

727H Jennyfield – Harrogate Grammar School

The Harrogate Bus Company, which has not released any further information on the changes, said timetables will be available ‘soon’.

The changes will come into effect on Sunday, April 7.

Nidderdale community group issues plea to find home for refugee family

A Nidderdale community group has issued a plea for help to find a refugee family a long-term home.

Nidderdale Community Welcome (NCW), a voluntary group established at the end of 2020, took to the local parish magazine to seek accommodation for a Syrian refugee family.

The group, which helped to find the family their current Nidderdale home, raised more than £13,000 by April 2022 to fund the initiative.

However, according to a local parish magazine, the family’s tenancy is due to end “in a few months”, and they are on the hunt for a new home.

The group said:

“The children have settled in at a local school, the parents have made good progress with learning English and have been seeking employment opportunities.

“The family would like to remain in the area, where they have been warmly welcomed and have settled well.”

Nidderdale Community Welcome issued a plea to anyone that knows of local rental properties, that would be suitable for the family, to get in touch.

The group said the family is looking for a two or three-bedroom house, which will soon become available, with a monthly rent in the region of £800 to £900.

It said anyone that may be able to help should call Bill Hickson on 07831809246, or email him at wgehickson@gmail.com.

New ice cream parlour to open in Pateley Bridge

A new ice cream parlour is set to open in Pateley Bridge tomorrow (March 29).

Treats, which will take over the former Pateley Ice Treat unit, will be the latest addition to the High Street’s hospitality scene.

Owner Janet Chambers, who is originally from Liverpool but has lived in Yorkshire for 40 years, told the Stray Ferret she and her husband took over the business after it remained closed for more than a year.

She said Treats will serve Brymor ice cream, ice cream sundaes, banana splits and milkshakes, as well as vegan ice cream and sorbets, cakes and eventually hot sandwiches and soups.

Ms Chambers added:

“I am excited and nervous about opening. We are hoping to be more than an ice cream parlour and hope to collaborate with our neighbours, such as the new bookshop in Pateley, with events for both adults and children.

“As my background is in art and design I am also hoping to offer art classes and a space for children’s parties.”

Treats will serve a range of ice creams and sweet treats.

Ms Chambers also recently applied to the BBC’s Great British Bake Off, she said, but added due to working full-time she “could not put the usual time and effort into her application”. Instead, she and her husband put their savings into buying the parlour. She said:

“Long-term we are going to re-brand to be called Treats.

“I want it to be a place where people feel they can “treat” themselves, friends and family, and to offer the community something all year round.”

Ms Chamber said the parlour will open Friday to Monday this weekend, plus Tuesday if the weather permits, from 11am to 4pm. It will open Saturday and Sunday thereafter, while in its infancy.

Council confirms increase in car parking charges

North Yorkshire Council confirmed today it will increase all car park charges from April 19.

The Stray Ferret reported last week charges across the Harrogate district were in line to rise.

The council said in a statement today it would increase tariffs by 20% as “part of North Yorkshire’s commitment to maintain and improve its facilities”. It added the decision “was made after careful consideration of several factors impacting the service”.

Karl Battersby, the council’s corporate director of environment, said:

“We continuously strive to improve our parking services to provide a better customer experience. This includes investments in technology upgrades, such as automated payment systems and the installation of electric vehicle chargers to accommodate the growing market.

“We have refrained from increasing our car parking tariff for several years. However, to ensure we can continue to maintain the current provision and not divert funds away from vital frontline council services, we plan on introducing an increase across the car parking tariff that is in line with inflation.”

The statement said the cost of parking facilities, including infrastructure, repairs, lighting, and security had risen “and ensuring a safe and well-maintained environment is essential for the convenience and satisfaction of customers”.

The move affects all parking at council-owned car parks.

The hike in prices comes despite the council increasing council tax bills by 4.99% in 2024/25. It means the amount paid by an average Band D property for council services will increase by £87.80 to £1,847.62. The council faces a shortfall of more than £30 million for the next financial year.

Mr Battersby added:

“We also remain committed to improving public transport provision across North Yorkshire to ensure there are alternatives to car usage, as well as supporting efforts to become carbon neutral by 2030.”

The council plans to draft a strategy this year that will look at parking provision across North Yorkshire to see where future changes and improvements can be made.

30 years of creativity at Pateley Bridge arts and crafts hub

It’s 30 years since a small group of artists, makers and designers moved into a cluster of buildings just off Pateley Bridge High Street.

The newly-created hub aimed to provide individual workshops for craftspeople to grow their businesses while being part of a wider collective and shared experience.

The premises, on the site of the former workhouse complex in King Street, was owned and used by the district council to house everything from bin lorries to rat catchers. But they were just what jewellers Ian Simm and Debby Moxon had been looking for.

‘We found a space that was just the right size’

Ian and Debby were already part of a creative hub based at the Duncan Craft Workshops, a former Otley wool mill that was being converted into offices.

At just the time the group was beginning its search for a new home, the council was looking for its first tenants for the converted municipal buildings. It was a perfect match. Ian said:

“There were four businesses that came from Otley and we were looking for four different-sized workshops. When we viewed the site in Pateley Bridge, we couldn’t believe that each of us found a space that was the just the right size.”

Three decades on, and King Street Workshops are widely known as a place not only where local craftspeople can flourish, but also where visitors and customers can see them at work. Ian said:

“Pateley Bridge is a place people always come to if they are visiting Yorkshire. We get tourists watching us work and asking about things.”

Makers at work

Ian and Debby create handmade jewellery for commissions as well as selling pieces from their workshop and in galleries and craft shops across the UK.

They are one of the few jewellers in the country to specialise in heat-treating, marking and texturing titanium, a dull grey metal which, when heated, transforms into a spectrum of lovely colours.

Their business, Moxon and Simm, is the last of the original King Street group, after glassblowers Andrew Sanders and David Wallace retired last year. As craftspeople have moved on over the years, new ones have seized the rare opportunity to be part of this rarely-found type of creative hub.

Alongside Debby and Ian, there is currently the ceramicist Fiona Mazza, mosaic artist Ruth Wilkinson, furniture maker Augustus Stickland and sculptor Joseph Hayton.

Joseph moved in 13 years ago and has found the workshops suit his business perfectly. His current unit is large enough for the specialist equipment he uses, as well as giving him space to display his work. He said:

“There are not many places like this around that are open to the public. Most of us have a showroom as well as a workspace. The unique thing about this place as opposed to art galleries is that you can see how we work.

“When visitors drop by, I always show them the tools and describe how I do things. If you are interested in how things are made or you want to commission a piece you can see behind the scenes.”

Sculptor Joseph Hayton in his workshop.

Like most businesses, those at King Street Workshops took a bit of a hit during the pandemic but the customers and tourists have returned. Joseph said:

“Pateley Bridge is quite a busy little place, particularly through the summer. We get a lot of tourists visiting us, people wandering in from all over the place. The workshops are interesting places, they’re a creative space and a great place to visit.”

Joseph mainly works to commission, with projects ranging from stone lettering to garden sculptures in stone or bronze. He has customers from the local area, across the UK and, occasionally, abroad. He is currently working on a very large ornate fireplace for a property in Rome. He added:

“King Street Workshops have been great for me; most of my business has come through being at this site. It’s got a creative ethos and it’s great to work alongside other people who are making things. It’s a shared experience and a brilliant little community.”

Ian, Debby, Joseph and the others will be celebrating three decades of the King Street Workshops at the beginning of June, inviting people to watch them at work and view displays of their creations.

The gallery on the site will also host a retrospective of sculptor Roy Noakes, who lived in Nidderdale in his later years.

Photo: Some of the craftspeople currently based at the King Street Workshops, from left, Augustus Stickland, Fiona Mazza, Ian Simm, Debby Moxon and Joseph Hayton.

Four fire crews tackle blaze at Pateley Bridge caravan site

Four fire crews were called to a blaze at a caravan site in Pateley Bridge in the early hours of this morning.

Firefighters from Knaresborough, Grassington, Ripon and Harrogate rushed to the scene at 1.12am on Monday, March 18.

An investigation into the cause of the fire at the unnamed site is ongoing, North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service said.

A spokesperson added:

“The fire caused damage to a toilet block at the site with an attached workshop also suffering slight fire damage. Crews prevented the fire spreading any further.”

Fire crews extinguishing the flames in Pateley Bridge

Grassington Fire Station posted on social media:

“In the early hours we were sent to a building fire near Pateley Bridge alongside, Harrogate, Ripon and Knaresborough Fire Station.

Crews worked hard to prevent the fire taking the adjoining building before extinguishing the flames.”

The campsite engulfed in smoke

Grassington fire services at the scene last night

The wreckage at Pateley Bridge Caravan site

Read more:

Discounted entry to Harrogate district attractions with National Lottery this weekend

National Lottery Open Week is set to offer free and discounted places for visitors across the Harrogate district this weekend.

This year’s Open Week event takes place March 9-17 and will include RHS Harlow Carr, Fountains Abbey and Nidderdale Museum.

Venues funded by National Lottery will offer discounted entry for visitors who can use their National Lottery ticket or scratch card as entry. To redeem this offer people must be able to produce proof of purchase.

Offers are available locally at:

RHS Garden Harlow Carr

Visitors can enjoy two tickets for the price of one this weekend at Harrogate’s RHS Garden, near Beckwithshaw. The deal runs from March 11-17 and visitors can explore the gardens 2,000 plant varieties.

The Royal Horticultural Society received £4 million from the National Lottery Heritage Fund towards a six-year gardening project that includes developing the world’s first centre of horticultural excellence.

The Main Borders at RHS garden Harlow Carr.

Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal Water Garden

The offer is available March 9-17 for visitors to explore the monastery and estate grounds near Ripon free of charge. The National Lottery has supported Fountains Abbey in vital conservation work.

Fountains Abbey

Nidderdale Museum

The local and social history museum in Pateley Bridge is offering free entry on March 16. Tickets usually entry costs £5 with free accompanying children.

Nidderdale Museum has benefited from a grant from the National Lottery fund to start work to make the museum sustainable.

Nidderdale Museum

There are also nearby offers with Beningborough Hall and Goddards in York offering the same deal as Fountains Abbey plus Leeds Library offering free tours.

For the Harrogate district offers booking in advance is not required. Proof of purchase of a National Lottery game can be either a hard copy ticket or digital.