A London company has been awarded a £280,000 contract to install 34 electric vehicle charging points across the Harrogate district.

Connected Kerb, which installs charging points across the country, has been appointed to oversee the project.

The company has already overseen electric vehicle charging point projects in Kent and Swindon.

Harrogate Borough Council has commissioned the company on a contract due to start this month.

The company will be tasked with installing, maintaining and managing charging points at:

• Victoria Multi-Storey Car Park, Harrogate
• Hornbeam Park Car Park, Harrogate
• Civic Centre Car Park, Harrogate
• Claro Depot, Harrogate
• Ripon Cathedral Car Park
• Masham Market Place
• Knaresborough, Chapel Street Car Park
• Pateley Bridge Southlands Car Park

Cllr Phil Ireland, Harrogate Borough Council’s cabinet member for carbon reduction and sustainability, said previously: 

“The Harrogate district has seen a rapid uptake in the purchase of electric vehicles, outstripping all other districts in North Yorkshire.

“If we are to achieve our ambition of net-zero by 2038 it is important we support those residents that have the ability to purchase electric cars, while also encouraging more cycling and walking.

“These new charging points will support the uptake in electric vehicles for both our residents and our visitor economy.”

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The contract is due to end in January 2027, however a council report published last month recommending the contractor be appointed said this could be extended.

The move comes as the council aims to get 10,000 electric vehicles on the districts’ roads by 2023.

To help hit this target, the authority plans to install charge points at several council-owned locations to encourage motorists to make the switch ahead of the government’s ban on the sale of petrol, diesel and hybrid cars in 2030.

Trees will be planted this weekend in Harrogate, Ripon, Knaresborough, Pateley Bridge and Boroughbridge as part of an initiative to mark the Queen’s platinum jubilee.

The Queen’s Green Canopy, which was created as part of celebrations for the Queen’s 70 years on the throne, which invites people from across the United Kingdom to ‘Plant a Tree for the Jubilee’.

Trees will be planted in Valley Gardens and on Wetherby Road in Harrogate, at Jacob Smiths Park in Knaresborough, at High Cleugh in Ripon, at Pateley Bridge Recreation Ground and at Boroughbridge Recreation Ground on Sunday.

All but one tree at each of the locations has been planted already. The final tree ones will planted this weekend to coincide with Her Majesty’s accession day.

Harrogate borough mayor, Councillor Trevor Chapman, will unveil the ceremonial tree in Valley Gardens, Harrogate at 2pm.

The Lord Lord-Lieutenant of North Yorkshire, Johanna Ropner, will join Councillor Andy Paraskos to unveil the ceremonial tree at Boroughbridge Recreation Ground at 11am.

Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones will join the mayor of Knaresborough, Councillor Christine Willoughby, at Jacob Smith Park in Knaresborough at 1pm.

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Cllr Eamon Parkin, the mayor of Ripon and Cllr Mike Holt, the mayor of Pateley Bridge, will plant trees in their respective locations.

Species being planted include elm, oak, hornbeam, sycamore and lime.

Individuals, town and parish councils, community groups, schools, businesses and landowners will be encouraged to plant tress during the planting season from October to March.

White Rose Forest

The Queen’s Green Canopy will coincide with the council’s plans to plant thousands of trees in Bilton Beck Wood and Willow Wood, Harrogate and Upper Horse Shoe Fields, Knaresborough as part of the White Rose Forest partnership.

The White Rose Forest is the community forest for North and West Yorkshire being created by local authorities, landowners, businesses and communities.

Councillor Andy Paraskos, Harrogate Borough Council’s cabinet member for environment, waste reduction and recycling, said:

“The Queen’s Green Canopy is a wonderful opportunity for us to not only honour Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee but also help address the climate situation and deliver carbon reduction initiatives throughout the Harrogate district.

“Similar to the White Rose Forest project, we want to encourage as many people as possible in the district to get involved to improve air quality and biodiversity.”

Sarah Wells, community manager at Bettys & Taylors Group, which has supported the scheme, said:

“Trees remain very close to our hearts at Bettys & Taylors and we are delighted to support this unique project which not only highlights the importance of climate action, but also the positive impact of community collaboration. We hope that these trees will be enjoyed by residents and visitors to the area for many years to come.”

The Children’s Society is going to receive a late Christmas present from the people of Pateley Bridge.

A Christmas Eve Christingle service has raised money for the charity for more than 30 years. It was postponed last year due to covid but has been rearranged for Wednesday evening, to coincide with the feast of Candlemas.

Organiser Joyce Liggins told the Stray Ferret:

“We were determined that the society, which does incredible work to help young people, would not miss out and holding the Christingle on Candlemas seemed highly appropriate.”

The 6pm service at the Parish Church of St Cuthbert will not include Christmas carols, but there will be a Christingle song and attendees will be given a Christingle kit as they arrive, which will be made up during the service and the candles lit.

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Ms Liggins added:

“We hope that people will come along and support this service and the society, which will benefit from donations.”

Those unable to attend can still donate through a JustGiving page.

Since 1968, Christingle services have been held across the UK to raise money for the society, which helps vulnerable young people.

The Christingle tradition has, like the bringing of an evergreen tree into a house, its roots in Germany and dates back to the 18th century, when it was introduced by Moravian Bishop Johannes de Watteville.

The National Trust has said staff at Brimham Rocks have been subjected to bullying and harassment after a TikTok mobile DJ labelled them as “Karens” in his latest video.

DJ Zach Sabri, better known online as SUAT, claims he is “just trying to make the world dance” by blasting out rave music in unusual places.

But his latest stunt at Brimham Rocks, near Pateley Bridge, drew complaints from visitors that he was being too loud and that he was filming without permission.

National Trust staff approached the TikTok star and asked if he had permission to film there. He did not, so they asked him to leave.

He filmed the exchange with staff and included it in his TikTok video, which has now been viewed more than two million times.

In the video caption SUAT claimed: “Karen never lets me rock climb.”

‘Karen’ is used a derogatory term online to describe a woman deemed to be entitled or demanding.

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A National Trust spokesperson said:

“Visitors are very welcome to take photographs and videos of the outdoor places we care for. There’s no additional charge for personal photography.

“We do ask that anyone looking to use photographs or videos for commercial use seek permission beforehand. If approved, any associated fees are used for vital conservation work to care for places featured.

“Permission is also required before filming or photographing National Trust staff and volunteers, who have a right to privacy.

“When filming at Brimham Rocks, DJ Suat was approached by staff who wanted to act on behalf of other visitors. They had received a number of complaints on the day about the noise.

“Unfortunately, as a result of this particular video, staff and their families have since been subjected to harassment and bullying, online and in person, for which we are supporting them.”

A builder has been fined more than £1,300 for burning demolition waste on land at Harewell Wood Cottage, Glasshouses.

Harrogate Borough Council visited the property on April 29 last year and witnessed remnants of a fire from the previous evening, which consisted of timber and some corrugated roofing sheets.

Philip Snow, 31, from Glasshouses had carried out demolition work – operating under PR Snow Services – at the former butchers in Summerbridge and then disposed of some of the waste on land owned by his parents, in order to burn it, rather than disposing of the waste at an authorised waste disposal site.

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue had extinguished the fire at the property on the previous evening.

The blaze had been emitting dark smoke caused by the burning of timber, insulated sandwich panels and corrugated roofing sheets.

The fire sent large amounts of black smoke into the atmosphere, causing environmental pollution and potential harm to health.

This dark smoke caused by the burning of these materials is an offence under the Clean Air Act 1993 so Harrogate Borough Council took Mr Snow to court.

The Environment Agency provided a witness statement stating there was no environmental permit or exemption in place for the burning of waste on the land at the time of the incident.

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Last month York Magistrate Court fined Snow, who pleaded guilty, £678 for the offence under section 2(1) of the Clean Air Act 1993 and ordered him to pay prosecution costs of £635.

Cllr Mike Chambers, Harrogate Borough Council’s cabinet member for housing and safer communities, said:

“Mr Snow has shown a complete lack of awareness or consideration for the law, as well as the environment, by disposing of commercial waste in this way.

“I’d like to thank the concerned residents who raised the alarm, North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service for dealing with the fire swiftly and safely as well as the council officers.

“I hope this is a reminder to business owners that the illegal disposal of waste is a criminal offence and we will, with proper evidence, seek to prosecute the offender.”

Waste disposal law

Anyone employing an individual or business to remove waste from their property or business has a responsibility to ensure they dispose of it legitimately.

The easiest way to do this is to check they have a waste carriers licence (Upper Tier). This can be done on the Environment Agency’s website or by calling 0370 850 6506.

The council also advise asking for a receipt documenting the waste that was taken, by who and at what cost.

More information about fly-tipping is available on the council’s website.

A 1.99% tax rise has been backed by Harrogate Borough Council’s cabinet after officials warned some of the authority’s key income streams won’t return to pre-pandemic levels until at least 2023.

Paul Foster, head of finance at the council, told a meeting last night that the rise equates to an extra £5 per household per year and was needed as the authority is still feeling the effects of covid and decades of government funding cuts.

If the proposed increase gets final approval in February, contributions to the borough council for the average Band D property will rise to £255.92.

Mr Foster said last night: 

“Given the impacts of the pandemic, we are provisionally forecasting a budgeted reduction in income of £150,000 in 2022/23.

“And income is not forecast to reach pre-pandemic levels until 2023/24 in the areas of commercial property, planning fees and Harrogate Convention Centre lettings.”

Mr Foster also said government grant allocations had been reduced by £8.2m since 2010 and that the council would have to use reserves cash to fund some major projects.

These include plans to accelerate a redevelopment of Harrogate Convention Centre, as well as carbon reduction works at the venue and other council-owned buildings.

Mr Foster said: 

“Overall, in order to produce a balanced budget, a net transfer from the budget transition fund of £142,000 is required.

“And finally, a thorough review of reserves has identified that just short of £4.5m can be repurposed, with a recommendation that £2.8m is set aside to fund the acceleration of works at the convention centre, and just short of £1.7m is set aside to support our carbon reduction strategy.”

The tax rise has been proposed as part of the council’s final ever budget before it is abolished and replaced with a new North Yorkshire-wide authority which will take over control of all services from April 2023.

• Harrogate council proposes 1.99% council tax rise in final ever budget
• Convention centre forecasts £510,000 profit ahead of decision on major redevelopment

This will mark the biggest changes to local government in the area for almost 50 years, with elections to the new council set to take place in May 2022.

Currently, the borough council makes up just under 13% of council tax bills, while North Yorkshire County Council makes up 70% and police and fire services the remainder.

Speaking at last night’s meeting, Cllr Graham Swift, deputy leader and cabinet member for resources, enterprise and economic development at the council, said the authority’s council tax contributions represented “incredible value” and would help keep key services and projects running.

He said: 

“For £255 we not only empty the bins and provide local cleaning services, but also look after parks, gardens, leisure facilities, and health and homeless charity programmes.

“On top of that, we are still able to invest in meaningful activities that improve the district and lives of residents.”

Higher ground in Nidderdale experienced a white start to Boxing Day this morning.

A yellow weather warning for snow and high winds was in place from shortly after midnight and it did indeed create some treacherous conditions.

This photo shows Greenhow Hill, near Pateley Bridge, in the early hours.

It is one of several this morning on the North Yorkshire Weather Updates Facebook page.

One showed treacherous driving conditions on the road from Blubberhouses to Greenhow Hill.

Current conditions on the road between Blubberhouses and Greenhow Hill. @juliatetley @UKWX_ @UKsnow_updates @bezberesford @JonMitchellITV @Hudsonweather @SimonLeeWx @uksnowmap pic.twitter.com/uz2PEKdr2v

— NorthYorksWeather (@northyorkswx) December 26, 2021

The show appears to have been confined to the west of the Harrogate district and is not expected to last long as wetter weather moves in.

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The Met Office has issued a Boxing Day weather warning for snow and strong winds in the Harrogate district.

The warning comes into effect just after midnight and is in place until midday tomorrow.

A band of snow is expected to move in from the north-west in the early hours, turning to rain later on in the morning.

The warning says:

“Snow and strong winds are expected, leading to possible disruption, mainly to travel over higher ground.

“Some roads and railways likely to be affected by snow or ice, leading to longer journey times by car, as well as by bus and possibly train services.

“Some short term loss of power and other services is possible.”

Yellow warnings are less severe than amber and red warnings so it is unlikely there will be widespread disruption but it is possible some parts the district, especially higher areas around Pateley Bridge, may experience early morning travel problems.

The cold weather is unlikely to last. Temperatures are expected to be as high as 13 degrees centigrade by Wednesday and stay extremely mild into the new year.

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How Stean Gorge is set to build 10 holiday cabins to entice more groups and families.

Currently the gorge, which has been a visitor attraction for more than 100 years, can only accomodate people prepared to camp.

Work is due to start in January 2022 on the first phase of the plan with construction set for completion in April 2022.

The first phase includes six of the cabins and a manager’s cabin.

The second phase can only start when Harrogate Borough Council is satisfied that trees planted as part of landscaping are mature enough not to be affected by more building works.

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It means that the remaining four cabins could be a few years away.

The cabins vary in size. The rustic lodges can sleep up to 10 people but there are also chalets with room for six or four people.

All of them will be built in a log cabin style on stilts with a covered veranda and a log burner inside. The centre is also looking at sourcing hot tubs for the cabins.

Abseiling at How Stean Gorge. Photo: Gerard Binks

Tony Liddy, the head of outdoor education and estates manager, told the Stray Ferret:

“We got a lot of stag dos and hen dos as well as families at How Stean Gorge. Unfortunately for a while now the closest group accomodation has been in Harrogate.

“We are keeping the campsite but that is not always for everyone. So these cabins are going to be a big step forward for the site. It’s very exciting.”

How Stean Gorge is also planning to bring back its Vista Bistro experience where people can dine in a restaurant sat over the drop. Currently it has two dates in the calendar, March 19 and April 2.