Harrogate district residents are being urged to donate toys and games at household waste recycling centres in the run up to Christmas.

The aim is to collect 10 tonnes of items, which will be passed on to young people, aged up to 16, who are experiencing hardship this Christmas.

The Re-use Santa Appeal is working with No Wrong Door, which supports young people in or on the edge of the care system at centres in Harrogate and Scarborough, on the initiative.

No Wrong Door replaces traditional council-run young people’s homes with hubs that combine residential care with fostering.

Staff at the county’s recycling centres, which are operated by Yorwaste on behalf of North Yorkshire County Council and City of York Council, will ensure donations are in good working condition before they are delivered to children.

The gifts will be given as part of a Christmas family bag to families in North Yorkshire and York. Surplus items will be distributed to other charities.

There are three recycling centres in the Harrogate district: on Wetherby Road and Penny Pot Lane in Harrogate and on Dallamires Crescent in Ripon. Drop-off points are located by the containers for household reusable items. Donations will be accepted until December 15.

The sites are also taking donations of new or part-used Christmas wrapping paper and tape as part of the appeal.

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County Councillor Derek Bastiman, executive member for waste management at North Yorkshire County Council, said:

“Christmas is a time of good will. So we’re asking families who can to add a little light to the festive season this year for many children who are less fortunate.

“I encourage people to check their cupboards for any unwanted toys and games and to donate them in the confidence that their items will go to a good home.”

Last Christmas, people donated more than 2,000 games, toys, puzzles and books, including air hockey tables, dolls’ houses, Nerf guns, bicycles and giant teddy bears.

Cllr Paula Widdowson, executive member for environment and climate change at City of York Council, added:

“It’s critical the donations are clean, well-cared for and in full working order. Thank you once again to everyone who supports this appeal.”

Three parents have called for Harrogate Army Foundation College to be closed after claiming their children were abused.

Alison Blackwell, Charlotte Poad and another parent, known only as Kevin, expressed their concerns to the Child Rights International Network, which is a think tank that focuses on the human rights of young people.

The college on Penny Pot Lane, which provides basic training for the British Army for 16 and 17-year-olds, was recently rated ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted.

CRIN sent an open letter to Ofsted yesterday questioning its rating and claiming the college is unsafe. The letter says:

“The ‘outstanding’ grade leads potential recruits and their parents to assume that the college offers the highest standard of care.

“With this open letter, we wish to repeat our concern that the college is unsafe, as evidenced by multiple formal complaints of abuse by staff, the routine use of stressors in training, and the imposition on recruits of legal obligations that deny them the right to leave at will.

“We believe that a civilian college with a similar record would be closed.”

The letter adds the army’s Joint Personnel Administration system had recorded 60 formal alleged incidents of violence against recruits aged under 18 by members of college staff since 2014, including assault and battery, and that 10 of the allegations were made since Ofsted’s inspection in 2017.

It also raises concerns about the college’s “very high attrition rate”, saying 30 percent of recruits aged under 18
drop out before they complete their training and that recruits have no legal right to leave during the first six weeks.

It claims the college operates daily use of physical and psychological stressors, such as the interruption of sleep and privacy and the use of humiliation to induce obedience.

Son died aged 17

Alison Blackwell is waiting for a Ministry of Defence inquiry into her son’s death. He died aged 17 while serving in the army.

She told the CRIN:

“My son told me he was hit, slapped, pushed, kicked and verbally abused by staff. He said he felt humiliated by this treatment and he never expected to be treated this way. He knew the training would be tough but this was abuse and the staff were power crazy.

“My son started drinking heavily and was very withdrawn, he rang me to tell me he was handing in his letter to leave. He told me his request was ripped up in his face. He was only 17 years old and devastated at not being able to leave. My son died last year while still serving in the army.”

Kevin, the father of a recruit who joined the college in 2015 said:

A British Army instructor who told junior recruits at Harrogate’s Army Foundation College “you’re mine now, bitches” has been demoted after being convicted of punching teenage soldiers.

Corporal Kimberley Hey worked as part of the directing staff at the college on Penny Pot Lane, where junior soldiers undergo training for six months, split into three terms of around six weeks.

Following a court martial, Corporal Hey was found to have hit one 16-year-old in the stomach on his first day of training and delivered a similar blow to another recruit because he had ‘smirked’ at her.

Reducing the 34-year-old in rank to Lance Corporal, Judge Advocate Alistair McGrigor told her that although the punches were at a ‘low level’ she had ‘abused’ her relationship with the recruits and her acts had the potential to ‘erode public trust’ in the armed forces’ training.

Cpl Kimberley Hey. Photo: Solent News and Photo Agency

“You were a very experienced instructor in charge of junior soldiers.

“You had the interests of the junior soldiers at heart but this was an abuse of your relationship.

“It’s an extremely bad example to give young, impressionable soldiers at the start of their army life. Such behaviour had the potential to erode public confidence in training young soldiers.

“You have forfeited your rank by such behaviour.”

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Cpl Hey, who has served in the armed forces for 18 years, had denied the charges, insisting her actions only amounted to ‘mutual flicking’ that was part of ‘bonding’ with the soldiers.

But she was found guilty during a three-day trial at Bulford Military Court, Wilts, of two counts of battery relating to junior recruits Craftsman Joseph Wiggin and Craftsman Jonathan Bryan.

Jonathan Bryan. Photo: Solent News and Photo Agency

She was acquitted of six other charges of battery relating to three other soldiers including allegations that she had punched recruits for failing in tests.

‘You’re mine now, bitches’

One trainee told the court martial Cpl Hey, of 3rd Regiment Royal Logistics Corps, told new recruits, ‘You’re mine now, bitches’ shortly after they first arrived.

Signaller Hannah Harwood, who gave evidence via video link from the Falkland Islands, spoke of multiple incidents on ‘the company line’ — a line running down a corridor at the base along which recruits would line up. She said:

“Cpl Hey addressed the platoon at the beginning of the first term, when we first arrived.

“She said something along the lines of, ‘You’re mine now, bitches’.

“At the start of the second term Cpl Hey addressed the platoon again. She asked us, ‘Who thinks they’re hardest?’.

“Three people put their hands up and Cpl Hey punched them all in the stomach.”

Craftsman Wiggin told the court Cpl Hey had punched ‘everyone in the platoon’ on their first day in training, when he was just 16 years old.

Cfn Wiggin said:

“The platoon was called onto the line on the first day of training.

“Our section was on the line and we were all punched. There was no malice behind it – it was more of a sort of bonding thing.

“My arms were behind my back as we were all at ease. She didn’t say anything or give any reason, and I didn’t know she was going to punch me.

“I would have been 16 at the time.”

The Army Foundation College in Harrogate.

‘Strict but fair’

Craftsman Bryan told the court:

“Cpl Hey gave me a jab in the stomach on one occasion.

“The whole platoon were on the line. I was smirking at the time and she jabbed me in the stomach.

“I slightly anticipated it because she would do it as a joke with a few from her section.

“Cpl Hey was a good DS; she was strict but fair. She treated us more like friends and joked around with us.”

Handing down the sentence, Judge Advocate McGrigor said:

“You punched Private [Joseph] Wiggin on his first day as he stood in line with his whole platoon.

“Later you punched Private [Jonathan] Bryan because he smirked at you. The court rejected that this was ‘mutual flicking’ as you said.

“We do, however, accept that these punches were at the very low level.”

Harrogate council bosses have given final backing for 367 homes on Penny Pot Lane.

The development comes as part of a wider 600-home scheme, which was given outline approval back in 2015.

Developer Persimmon Homes is behind the proposal, which has already seen some of the homes on the southern side of the site built.

Now, council officers have given final approval for the second part of the scheme which covers the northern part of the development.

It will see 367 homes built, along with a link road for buses, cyclists and pedestrians to the Jennyfield estate. The site layout also includes allotments, public open areas and space for a primary school.

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The proposal will see 17 one bedroom homes, 119 two bedroom, 105 three bedroom, 91 four bedroom and 35 five bedroom properties.

Persimmon said in its planning documents that the development would be “sustainable”.

It said:

“It aims to provide a sustainable community with a mix of housing types situated within a highly landscaped setting supported by social infrastructure provision.”

New homes under construction and some occupied on the southern half of the site off Penny Pot Lane.

Meanwhile, Persimmon Homes recently reiterated its commitment to building homes on Kingsley Drive in Harrogate.

The developer saw a 217-home plan for the development rejected by Harrogate Borough Council back in August.

However, Persimmon told the Stray Ferret that it was still “fully committed” to the site and was still “considering its options”.

People in the Harrogate district have been advised to avoid household recycling centres this weekend because of expected queues.

North Yorkshire County Council’s 20 recycling centres remain open during lockdown but queueing systems to comply with social distance guidelines have caused tailbacks.

The Harrogate district has three centres: Wetherby Road and Penny Pot Lane in Harrogate and Dallamires Crescent in Ripon.

Queues at the recycling centre on Wetherby Road. Photo: Mark Westerman

Councillor Andrew Lee, executive member for open to business, said:

“We expect the household waste recycling centres to be extremely busy over the holiday weekend, as Easter is always a busy time.

“Given the rules in place to ensure the sites can operate safely, this will inevitably lead to queues.

“We’re asking people to consider whether they really need to visit their household waste recycling centre this weekend. Could you keep the waste at home for another week or so and take it at a less busy time?”

The centres moved to summer opening hours today, meaning they are now open from 8.30am to 5pm every day except Wednesdays.

Hannah Corlett, spokesperson for the Harrogate and District Green Party said the location of the centres was the main issue. She said:

“I know people from Ripon who have travelled all the way to Bedale recycling centres because the queues are so large so we should be asking why the centres are where they are.

“These high traffic areas are a bad place for them if they’re causing such big queues.

“Asking people to avoid them this weekend also sends a bad message about accessibility. Lots of people don’t have time to travel to their local recycling centre and so more and smaller recycling centres would probably be a better option.”

Penny Pot Lane near Harrogate has reopened after a serious traffic accident this afternoon.

A woman in her 60s who was driving a car was taken to Leeds General Infirmary with serious injuries, although they are not thought to be life-threatening.

Emergency services were called to the scene near New Acre Farm shortly after 1pm.

Fire, ambulance and police vehicles were all in attendance.

North Yorkshire Police urged drivers to avoid the road in a tweet at 2.17pm this afternoon.

Harrogate traffic sergeant Paul Cording also used his Twitter account to alert people to the situation.

Penny Pot Lane in #Harrogate remains closed whilst we deal with a serious RTC. Please avoid the area whilst emergency services deal #JESIP pic.twitter.com/F6DhuMQV4I

— Sgt Paul Cording BEM (@OscarRomeo1268) February 16, 2021

Sgt Cording later alerted the Stray Ferret to the road reopening at about 3pm.

Penny Pot Lane is a popular route for people in Harrogate travelling to Fewston and Swinsty reservoirs.

It is also the location of the West Harrogate Household Waste Recycling Centre run by North Yorkshire County Council, and traffic queueing to enter the site frequently backs up.

Witnesses can contact North Yorkshire Police by dialling 101, pressing 1 and speaking to the force control room. Quote reference number 0148 of 16 February.

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Final plans for almost 400 new homes to the west of Harrogate are set to be approved despite concerns about access to the site.

Harrogate Borough Council’s planning committee gave the go-ahead this week for the second half of the new Penny Pot Lane housing development to be signed off by the chief planner.

It will see 367 homes built, along with a link road for buses, cyclists and pedestrians to the Jennyfield estate. The site layout also includes allotments, public open areas and space for a primary school.

The full site was given outline planning permission for 600 homes in 2016. This week’s meeting looked at the detailed layout of the northern half of the site, including layout and amenities, after the southern half had its details approved in 2018 and construction began.

New homes are already under construction and some occupied on the southern half of the site off Penny Pot Lane

Cllr Pat Marsh raised concerns about access to the homes, saying:

“I’ve opposed this application every time it has come to committee. I still think one access road for that amount of houses is ridiculous. In a way my hands are tied.

I’ve got no reason to refuse it but I still want to put my point across that I really don’t support the principle. To have 600 houses off that road I think is wrong.”

Planning committee members also raised concerns about the bus route which, they said, if open to cyclists, could also be accessed by motorbike riders. Planning officer Mark Williams confirmed the details would be supplied at a later date and would be approved by the chief planning officer.

Cllr Marsh abstained from the vote, but the rest of the committee agreed to defer the decision to the chief planner to approve, subject to receipt of additional details relating to issues including the bus route.

Separate plans are expected to be submitted for a primary school once more homes have been completed and occupied.

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Meanwhile, plans for 52 new extra-care apartments on Wetherby Road were approved by the planning committee. The site – formerly Greenfield Court care home – will include a mix of one- and two-bedroom apartments for over-70s requiring support with personal care.

It will include a communal lounge and dining facilities, as well as laundry space on each of its three floors of apartments.

Cllr Marsh raised concerns about the proposal having just 30 parking spaces for both residents and staff, alongside cycle sheds. She said the area already had significant problems with parking relating to the nearby hospital, football club and schools.

However, planning officer Mike Parkes said the applicant, McCarthy and Stone, had similar developments elsewhere in the country and had found that level of parking to be adequate, especially among residents requiring extra care who were unlikely to drive.

Planning committee members voted in favour of the application, with just one abstention.

A short queue of cars was waiting outside the Household Waste Recycling Centre on Penny Pot Lane in Harrogate this morning.

After North Yorkshire County Council announced yesterday afternoon that it was going to re-open some of its tips today, locals were ready to make use of the facility.

Traffic management was in place, forcing drivers to approach the site from the west only. Those arriving from the Harrogate side had to follow signposts to go along the A59 and down to join the queue on Penny Pot Lane.

NYCC said if the queue becomes too long, it will ask drivers to come back later in order to spread demand.

Diversion signs re-direct traffic arriving from the east

With 10 tips now open from 8.30am to 5pm, seven days a week across North Yorkshire, the county council said they are only to be used by people who cannot store their waste at home until lockdown is lifted. Commercial waste is not being accepted and nor are trailers, but charges are still being made for disposing of some non-commercial waste, including hardcore, rubble, plasterboard and tyres.

Coun Andrew Lee, NYCC’s executive member for Waste Management, said:

“Please consider others and go to the HWRC only if you are struggling. If you can store your waste at home, please do so. And please continue to try to minimise waste and where possible use your kerbside collection services rather than visiting a recycling centre. Ask yourself whether your trip to the centre is really an essential journey.

“As outlined in Government guidance, a visit to your local HWRC should only be considered essential if the waste materials cannot be stored at home without causing risk of injury or harm to health.

HWRCs on Wetherby Road in Harrogate and Dallamires Crescent in Ripon remain closed.