Ripon and Harrogate car parks top list of spots for fines

The car parks where you are most likely to be hit with a fine in the Harrogate district have been revealed.

New figures show a total of 3,934 penalty charge notices (PCNs) were handed out at the district’s council-owned car parks over a two-year period, with Ripon’s Market Place car park topping the charts.

The hotspot saw 559 poorly-parked motorists hit with PCNs, followed closely by Harrogate’s Montpellier Shoppers car park with 545.

Other popular locations which feature among the top 10 spots for tickets between September 2020 and August 2022 include Harrogate’s Odeon car park and West Park car park.

They are all owned by Harrogate Borough Council, which is responsible for off-street parking, while North Yorkshire County Council looks after on-street spaces.

A borough council spokesperson said:

“The majority of residents and visitors who use our car parks do so correctly and we’d like to thank them for doing so.

“However, some people don’t and as such may receive a Penalty Charge Notice.

“Parking enforcement is carried out to ensure compliance with parking restrictions and provide fairness for all customers.”

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A penalty charge notice is either £50 or £70, depending on the type of offence that has taken place.

If a car has been parked for longer than the time on its pay and display ticket, the charge is £50.

However, it is considered more serious if a car is parked where it shouldn’t be – such as in a loading bay when not loading or in a disabled bay without a blue badge – and the charge is £70.

The figures in full for the two-year period were:

Extinction Rebellion to bring bus to Harrogate district tomorrow

Climate activists from Extinction Rebellion (XR) will drive a bus to Pateley Bridge and Harrogate tomorrow to talk to people about climate change.

But although the bus has solar panels on its roof, the bus is not electric and is powered by diesel.

A fleet of multicoloured buses have been travelling the country as part of XR’s Change Is Now tour.

The idea is to visit different XR groups and have conversations with local people about their climate change hopes and fears.

Tomorrow morning, the bus will be in Pateley Bridge to promote a film called 2040, which is showing at Summerbridge Methodist Chapel from 6.30pm that evening. Entry is free.

They will then park up in Harrogate and head to Cambridge Street between 12pm and 4pm to talk to people and canvas views.

A petition calling on the government to take firmer action on climate change will be available to sign.

People can also bring along plain t-shirts or fabrics to get them block-printed with XR graphics.

James Smith, from XR Harrogate, said:

“People really want to talk about climate change.

“When they talk, it becomes more real to people and they then might take action.”

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Mr Smith said he was expecting some criticism about XR using a diesel bus rather than an electric one.

He added:

“Even a group of totally committed green activists have to use a diesel bus, there are no viable, affordable electric buses.

“But this is the point — no matter how green you are you can’t always take the eco, fossil fuel free option that you’d like. We’re calling on the government to plan and fund a zero-carbon economy. “

Extinction Rebellion’s visit will also coincide with the Green Party’s national conference, which is taking place from Friday until Sunday at Harrogate Convention Centre.

Nidderdale man admits lewd act in Harrogate car park

A Pateley Bridge man has pleaded guilty to performing a lewd act in a car park on Harrogate’s Station Parade.

Thomas Watson, 29, of Millfield Street, appeared before magistrates in Harrogate on Thursday last week.

He was charged with outraging public decency by masturbating in a public car park on September 3 this year.

Watson was remanded on unconditional bail until October 13.

Pre-sentence reports will be prepared before he next appears in court.

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Fellbeck bridge to be closed for repairs for six weeks

Drivers are set for six weeks of delays near Pateley Bridge when a road closure is put in place at Fellbeck bridge.

North Yorkshire County Council is set to carry out repairs at the bridge on the B6265 from Monday, September 26.

The work on the bridge, which is next to the Half Moon Inn in Fellbeck, will include replacing the existing road with a new surface to strengthen the existing three masonry bridge arches.

The stone walls of the bridge will also be dismantled and rebuilt on both elevations.

A statement for the council added:

“A signed diversion will be in place for traffic with a temporary crossing put in place over the river for the full duration of the works to allow pedestrians and cyclists to cross.

“Apologies for any inconvenience.”

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‘Heartless’ Morrisons stops pharmacy deliveries from Ripon store

A concerned son has complained to the chief executive of Morrisons after its in-store pharmacy in Ripon stopped delivering prescriptions.

Jonathan Parkin’s mother, who lives in sheltered accommodation in Ripon, received free deliveries from the pharmacy for several years.

But the service ceased this month — leaving Mr Parkin’s family rushing to find alternative arrangements before her medication ran out.

During a recent visit to his mother, she told him she was worried about her supply of tablets expiring in a day or two. He helped her call the pharmacy, which told them its delivery van was no longer in use and the service had ended.

Mr Parkin subsequently wrote to David Potts, chief executive of Bradford-based Morrisons. His letter, which was also sent to the Stray Ferret, says:

“My mother is obviously heavily dependant on her medications so to be told this delivery, which she had come to rely upon, and I’m sure many other elderly people have as well, had now been stopped was devastating and very worrying to her.”

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The letter also accused the company of not communicating the news adequately to customers, some of whom, like his mother, are vulnerable. He added:

“We will obviously now have to find an alternative pharmacy with a delivery service, which is a pity as my sisters and I always did our own family shopping as well as our mother’s when we took her prescription in and so will not now be shopping in Morrisons again due to this heartless, penny-pinching decision.”

Mr Parkin, who lives near Pateley Bridge, today told the Stray Ferret he was glad his family became aware of the situation before Monday, when the Queen’s funeral could have caused major problems getting hold of the various tablets his mother takes.

He added he had yet to receive a response to his letter from Morrisons.

The Stray Ferret has contacted Morrisons but has not had a response.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pateley Bridge mum’s fear over £660 sixth form bus cost

A mother in Pateley Bridge has raised concerns about the cost of getting children to sixth form on the bus.

Sariah Broadhead’s son attends St. Aidan’s Church of England High School in Harrogate.

Nidderdale High School, the only secondary school in Pateley Bridge, does not have a sixth form so her son has to travel for his education.

Ms Broadhead has to pay £660 a year for a bus ticket — something she has had to do for her three other children in the past.

The price of the ticket has become an increasing concern as the cost of living crisis bites. She said:

“With everything going up, with the price, everything is really high.”

Children up to Year 11 are entitled to free travel to their nearest school if they live more than a three-mile walk away.

Pupils can use commercial buses or special services provided by North Yorkshire County Council.

However, although the age for leaving education has increased to 18, no provision has been made for free school transport for over 16s.

Parents can buy a yearly ticket from the county council but this also costs £650 for the year.

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Sariah Broadhead - a Pateley Bridge mum whose son's bus pass cost £660

Sariah Broadhead has to pay £660 for her son’s bus pass (photo: Sariah Broadhead).

This has proved to be a problem in Nidderdale because there are no school buses into Harrogate.

Instead, Ms Broadhead’s son has to take the Harrogate Bus Company’s 24 service.

The company does not provide annual tickets for the route, forcing her to buy a pass which covers the whole of the north of England.

Mrs Broadhead believes the situation has left her “in a catch-22”. She added:

“This is the only option we have. Things are getting tighter.”

In response, a Harrogate Bus Company spokesman said:

“We welcome customer feedback on our ticket range, and fully understand justifiable concerns about the cost of living and financial pressures being experienced across the country.

“The annual version of our Gold pass for under-19s and students represents very good value, especially as it gives unlimited travel throughout our entire network from Manchester and Preston to Scarborough and Whitby, for the equivalent of less than £12.70 a week.”

Royal British Legion’s Nidderdale branch in danger of closure

The Royal British Legion Nidderdale branch could close after 96 years.

The branch, which covers Pateley Bridge, Summerbridge and nearby villages, was founded in 1926.

But membership has dwindled to below 20 and the current officers, who are in their 80s, plan to step down at the end of this year.

Paul Darley, who is on the Royal British Legion’s county committee for north and east Yorkshire, said:

“No branch would mean no standard to raise at armistice parades.

“We don’t want that to happen and hope we can get enough people to keep the branch going.

“Anyone can be a member of the Royal British Legion and and annual subscription is less than £20.”

Mr Darley, who is also president of the Knaresborough branch of the Royal British Legion, said the workload wasn’t high, except for activity surrounding the annual Poppy Appeal fortnight in November.

Anyone interested in joining the branch can email Mr Darley at pauldarley@btinternet.com.

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Boy, 13, rescued at Brimham Rocks

Rescuers came to the aid of a teenage boy who got stuck at Brimham Rocks at the weekend.

Volunteers from Upper Wharfedale Fell Rescue Association were summoned to the National Trust-owned site at about 2pm on Saturday.

A 13-year-old boy had climbed to the top of one of the rocks but then felt unable to navigate his way down safely.

The rescue association’s website said:

“Local members were able to calm the casualty until team vehicles arrived and a safe means of lowering the casualty back to the ground was rigged and a successful rescue was carried out.”

Derek Hammond, a volunteer for the rescue association, told the Stray Ferret it was a simple rescue and the boy did the right thing by seeking help rather than putting himself at risk of harm by trying to get down when he didn’t feel safe.

Eleven volunteers took part in the incident near Pateley Bridge, which was the group’s first call-out for two weeks.

While they were dealing with it they then received a second call, alerting them to concerns that a cave diver at Goyden Pot, near Lofthouse in Nidderdale, had not returned at the expected time.

The rescue association’s website said:

“As the controllers were working to call in specialist divers for this incident news was received that she had returned safely so the team stood down and diverted attention to an ongoing incident at Brimham Rocks.”

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Have the district’s glamping sites benefitted from foreign travel chaos?

In the past few years high end camping or “glamping” as it is more commonly known, has become increasing popular, with a number of new sites springing up in the district.

Now as families weigh up whether to risk airport and port chaos to go abroad or remain in the UK, how is this relatively new holiday industry faring?

Some providers in the Harrogate district have reported an increase in trade, others have seen a downturn.

This has been put down to an increase in the cost of living, as well as last year’s demand being “unprecedented” due covid travel restrictions.

The local glamping industry

Tom Sterne, owner of Yurtshire, between Ripon and Pateley Bridge, said advance bookings for the luxury glamping and wellness retreat have been growing by the day.

He said:

“Since the news about flight cancellations and chaotic scenes at airports hit the media, the number of enquiries we have received has increased markedly.

“When we opened last July, we benefited from the sudden switch to staycations, from people across the Harrogate district and further afield, who would normally fly off to the sun and we are witnessing a repeat this year.”

A break in Nidderdale

Lindsay and Chris Morrell, whose annual summer holidays in Tuscany have been on hold since the covid lockdowns began in March 2020, have booked Italy next year.

But the couple, who used to live in Harrogate and have since moved to Northumberland, decided to take a break in Nidderdale for their 2022 getaway.

Ms Morrell said:

“With the problems people are encountering at airports, we didn’t want to risk booking for Tuscany this year and hope that issues affecting overseas travel will be sorted out by the time we are ready to venture abroad.”

Chris and Lindsay Morrell at Yurtshire

Chris and Lindsay Morrell

For friends Carroll Shaw and Annie Brown, who live in Ripon, overseas holidays are no longer on the agenda.

Ms Shaw said:

“Why would anybody who lives so close to the gorgeous Nidderdale countryside, want the hassle of flying thousands of miles to lie on a crowded beach?”

A slow start

Louise Pullan co-owns the Breaks Fold Farm camping and glamping site in the Washburn Valley, next to Thruscross Reservoir, in the Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).

She told the Stray Ferret that the beginning of the year had been very quiet, but it had started to pick up.

Breaks Fold Farm.

Ms Pullan, who runs the site with her husband Richard, said:

“It has been a very slow start.

“We were 60 per cent down in May and June based on our 2019 bookings.

“However we have seen a rapid uptake in bookings into July and August in all our accommodation.

“People are watching their finances and holidays maybe aren’t top of their priority lists.

“We have noticed we are getting a lot of local guests from Harrogate and Skipton, so maybe the fuel prices are also having an impact on people’s choices.”

Ms Pullan said the campsite’s main customer base is short stays of two to three nights.

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A difficult financial time

She said the price had been kept the same for the last three years, with discounts on longer stays to try and help people out during what is a difficult financial time.

She said:

“This is difficult as we as a business are now seeing increasing costs. For example our waste emptying costs have gone up 30 per cent, a bottle of gas has gone from £55 to £85 and our business insurance is double last year’s.

“We can’t afford to employ somebody this year due to soaring inflation, which is putting a huge pressure on us as a two-man band.

“Energy prices are just completely unbelievable and some of our fellow owners are up on 57p per kw, seeing their energy bills over double on previous years.

“We are only going to be able to absorb this for so long, unless hospitality businesses are offered some form of relief such as a VAT cut, like they were through 2021.

“Some sites have tried massively to capitalise on the staycation boom from 2020 and have made their prices unreachable for some.”

Cutting back

Claire Jones, owner of Strawberry Safari shepherds huts, in Wormald Green, between Harrogate and Ripon, said she had also seen a quieter year compared to last year.

Strawberry Safari.

She said:

“We believe this is due to a combination of people going abroad and also cutting back on short breaks in between their main holidays, due to cost of living increases.

“That said, last year’s demand was unprecedented and so it’s hard to compare the two.

“We have still seen some lovely guests this year, many of whom are here to enjoy the many events happening in and around Harrogate.”

Another record month for the Stray Ferret as readership soars

The Stray Ferret has set new monthly records as it continues to reshape the face of local news in the Harrogate district.

Articles on our website attracted just over one million page views from 218,000 site users in July.

A further 574,000 page views were made by almost 4,500 people on the Stray Ferret app, which was launched at the end of last year.

The combined total of 1.6 million monthly page views is a new record, as is the number of people visiting the site.

Page views have more than doubled in the last year as increasing numbers of people tune in to our lively combination of rolling news, human interest stories and political analysis. Our social media engagement is also leading the way in the district.

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Last month we ran live blogs at the Great Yorkshire Show and during the heatwave. We led on coverage of plans to reduce the number of fire engines in Harrogate at night time to one, reported on Harrogate-born England footballer Rachel Daly’s ascent to international superstar, showcased businesses such as the re-opened Coach and Horses pub in Harrogate, covered visits to the district by celebrities including Alan Carr and Helen Skelton, and provided live footage on our Facebook page of St Wilfrid’s Procession in Ripon.

We also published daily business news a well as traffic and travel bulletins, and provided unparalleled scrutiny of our local MPs, councils and courts.

Tamsin O’Brien, managing director of the Stray Ferret, said:

“The Stray Ferret has become an unmissable read for anyone interested in the Harrogate district.

“Thank you to all our readers in Harrogate, Ripon, Knaresborough, Boroughbridge, Pateley Bridge, Masham and all points in between.

“We will continue to strive to bring the best daily news and hold those in power to account.”

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