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.

Vaccination centres in the Harrogate district could open on Christmas Day and Boxing Day as part of the government drive to offer all adults a booster by the end of the year.

Firefighters are delivering vaccines in another bid to speed up the programme, public health officials in North Yorkshire revealed at a press conference today.

The officials said things were changing “very rapidly” across the country and although there were still no confirmed cases of the Omicron variant in the Harrogate district, they added it was likely to be present and spreading fast.

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Amanda Bloor, the accountable officer for the North Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group, told the press conference:

“The NHS is already experiencing high demand from patients. I would continue to ask people to be patient and respectful.

“We are expecting that a number of staff leave will be cancelled to mitigate the continued pressures. They are going to be working longer hours to get everyone through.

“In terms of the booster programme. This is the most complex phase yet, we are now moving with pace. We are looking at how best to increase capacity.

“All sites are increasing capacity on a daily basis. You can now access a vaccine very early in the morning to very late at night.

“We anticipate sites being open across the county every day except Christmas Day and Boxing Day but if we need to look at demand on those days we will do so.”

We have compiled a list of the sites in the Harrogate district where you can get a vaccine. You can see it by clicking or tapping here.

Harrogate District Hospital is set to open a vaccine centre tomorrow, which will only have capacity for booked appointments.

It is unclear how many vaccinations the hospital will administer a day or what times it will be open.

Harrogate Borough Council is planning to host a festival across the district in the new year to raise awareness of climate change.

The project, which has a working title of Winter Festival, looks set to take place in February 2022, according to a contract advertised by the authority.

The event is expected to involve street performance and art installations.

Stockport-based Maynineteen Ltd has been given the £50,000 contract to lead the project.

The events company has been tasked with coming up with ideas that “generate footfall and interest” in Harrogate, Ripon, Masham, Knaresborough, Pateley Bridge and Boroughbridge.

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A spokesperson for the council said more details on the event would be revealed in the new year.

The spokesperson added:

“The Winter Festival is a working title for a project which is likely to change. 

“The project aims to raise awareness of the global climate change and environmental issues we are all facing. It will involve art installations and street performances, for example, and we’ll have some exciting news in the new year.”

Council officials said the contract has been paid for through the government’s Welcome Back Fund, which was designed to “promote a safe environment for local trade and tourism, particularly in high streets as their economies reopen”.

In April, the government granted the borough council £144,714 as part of the fund.

Tree planting has begun across the Harrogate district to mark the queen’s platinum jubilee next year.

About 100 elm, oak, hornbeam, sycamore and lime trees will be planted in the district as part of a nationwide initiative called The Queen’s Green Canopy, which invites people from across the United Kingdom to ‘plant a tree for the jubilee’.

The trees will be planted on Harrogate’s Wetherby Road, Jacob Smiths Park in Knaresborough, High Cleugh in Ripon, Pateley Bridge recreation ground and Boroughbridge recreation ground.

One tree from each location will be saved to plant on February 6, the queen’s accession day.

Harrogate Borough Council is organising the project and hopes the initiative will also help it achieve its carbon reduction initiatives. It is encouraging everyone, including individuals, community groups, businesses and landowners to also plant a tree.

Councillor Andy Paraskos, the 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.”

The Queen’s Green Canopy will coincide with the borough 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.

To get involved and plant a tree, people can pin it to the Queen’s Green Canopy map. It will then count towards Harrogate’s total.

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Nidderdale Community Welcome is urgently seeking a house to rent in or close to Pateley Bridge to home a refugee family.

The community group has already raised more than £12,000 to help a refugee family from Syria or Afghanistan, to start a new life in the UK.

Peter Wright, NCW’s housing lead, told the Stray Ferret:

“We need a two, three or four-bedroom property with a garden, on a bus route in Nidderdale, ideally near Pateley Bridge.

“The property needs to be available to the family for a minimum of two years, but the arrangement could easily extend for much longer.

“This offers certainty for landlords and avoids the cost and disruption of changing tenants regularly.”

Nidderdale Community Welcome is taking part in a scheme originally set-up by former Prime Minister David Cameron to welcome 20,000 Syrian refugees to the UK.

Following the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan in the summer, an increased number of refugees from that country have also been offered the opportunity to come to the UK.

The Home Office and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees will choose a family based on the number of bedrooms in the house that is secured for rental by NCW.

As part of their resettlement package, the family is entitled to housing benefit and can pay monthly rental ranging from £663 for a two-bedroom house to £1,067 for a four-bedroom property.

Mr Wright said:

“We can provide the bond and one month’s rent in advance, if required. If we find the right home before the family arrives and is able to move in, we could potentially provide a short period of 100% rental bridging to hold the property for them.

“Our charity will provide long-term support for the family and will act as the first point of contact between them and the landlord, to ensure that all communications are well-managed.”

Landlords able to help NCW in its search for a rental property, are asked to contact Mr Wright, via email on wrightpandh@gmail.com

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Harrogate Borough Council has refused plans to convert The Birch Tree Inn in Wilsill into a holiday cottage.

The pub is a notable landmark on the main road from Pateley Bridge to Harrogate and has stood there for over 100 years.

Much of the building was converted into three holiday cottages five years ago, with the pub continuing to trade in a smaller area.

But documents submitted on behalf of the landlord said two tenants tried and failed to make the pub work since 2016.

It has been closed since the beginning of the covid pandemic in March 2020.

When a landlord wants to convert a pub into housing, HBC asks that the building be marketed as a pub for at least 12 months. This is to show that there is no longer interest in it operating as a public house and that the community would not be unnecessarily losing an asset.

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Documents submitted on behalf of the landlord said they had discussed opportunities to take on the pub with local restauranteurs and bar operators including William & Victoria in Harrogate.

However, they said the pub was now “unviable” as a business and so wanted to open a fourth holiday cottage, which have proved to be popular.

“[The pub] was already proving unviable, with social distancing and reduced opening hours simply reinforcing this. Now as ‘accidental landlords’ they find themselves with ongoing liabilities, without the prospect of income, even in the long term.

“These are extraordinary times the entire country finds itself in, with the whole hospitality industry under incredible pressure and all parties desperately trying to keep their heads above water”

However, HBC was not satisfied the landlord had sufficiently marketed the building as a pub and refused the plans.

Case officer Mark Williams wrote:

“In the absence of a sufficient marketing effort, the proposed development would lead to the loss of a community facility and service.”