Gusts of over 60 mph are causing disruption in the Harrogate district this morning. A Met Office weather warning is in place for wind until 9pm but the strongest gusts are forecast this morning, with Greenhow Hill near Pateley Bridge already recording 63 mph.

A tree came down on the A59 Knaresborough Road near Mother Shipton’s in Knaresborough and rail operator Northern has said its trains are running at reduced speed on several lines and to check before travelling.

Let us know how the storm is affecting you by emailing us at contact@thestrayferret.co.uk.

2.05pm – Harrogate ice rink closed for rest of day

The Ice Rink Harrogate will be closed for the rest of today due to high winds.

A Facebook post from the operator said:

“The Ice Rink is closed for the rest of the day (21/12/23) due to the high winds. We will open as usual tomorrow.

“All people booked on any session affected will be contacted by email to change their booking to another day before the 8th of January. 

“Thank you for your understanding.”

1:23pm Tree down on the Oval in Harrogate

Storm Pia has caused a large tree to fall down on the Oval in Harrogate.

12.10pm Harrogate ice rink closed

High winds forced the closure of Ice Rink Harrogate, the temporary Christmas feature in Crescent gardens.

11.58am: 40,000 customers affected, says Northern Powergrid 

Northern Powergrid, which delivers electricity on behalf of suppliers, has said 40,000 customers in the north-east, Yorkshire and northern Lincolnshire have been affected by Storm Pia. It said in a statement:

“Our teams responded quickly and have already managed to reconnect more than 28,000 of those who have been impacted. We will keep customers updated regularly via text message, on our website and on our social media channels.”

It added West Yorkshire had suffered the most impact so far.

10.55am: Local attractions closed today

Remember, Mother Shipton’s in Knaresborough and the National Trust-owned Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal near Ripon are closed today due to high winds. The horticultural charity RHS Garden Harlow Carr has also cancelled its Glow event tonight and offered a full refund to people who had bought tickets.

9.25am: Storm damage at Crowne Plaza in Harrogate?

A reader has sent us these photos of apparent storm damage at the Crowne Plaza hotel in Harrogate.

Read more:

• Rare mother of pearl clouds above Harrogate and Knaresborough
• Harrogate heroin and cocaine dealer jailed for over three years

9.05am: Tree down on edge of district

Bus driver Jonathan Ruston, pictured below, has been helping with clearing a fallen tree he encountered this morning.

He said it was on the A659 going into Otley, past the garden centre, just before Otley town centre.

Pic Jonathan Ruston

7.30am: Four stalls open at Ripon Market 

Most stallholders have kept away from Ripon Market, which usually takes place on Thursday, except for a fruit and veg stall, a fishmonger, baker and a cheese seller.

Fishmonger Martin Carrick out early this morning serving regular customers Darren and Janet Ratcliffe.

Fishmonger Martin Carrick, whose family has been working at the market for 80 years, said:

“We will. be here for he full day, we have a large vehicle that isn’t affected by the wind like the stalls are and we are looking forward to serving people with their Christmas orders.”

His brother Kevin Carrick, who operates a fruit and veg stall, was also on duty as normal. He said:

“This is our most important market of the year in Ripon and I hope people read the Stray Ferret and know that we will be here all day.”

Kevin Carrick at his fruit and veg stall this morning.

The Stray Ferret has been monitoring Storm Pia and previously reported the closure of several local attractions, including Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal, near Ripon and Mother Shipton’s in Knaresborough.

Harrogate’s RHS Garden Harlow Carr has cancelled its Glow event amid the weather warning.

Stay tuned for further updates.

Read more:

• Storm Pia to bring 61mph gusts to Harrogate district
• Harrogate heroin and cocaine dealer jailed for over three years

A “historic” deal is set to unshackle Ripon from years of neglect by councillors in Harrogate, it was claimed today.

North Yorkshire Council‘s ruling executive agreed to set up a project team to oversee Ripon people taking control of Ripon Town Hall, the market place and car park, public toilets and the Wakeman’s House.

The assets were controlled by Harrogate Borough Council until it was abolished in April.

North Yorkshire Council agreed to trial local management as part of its commitment to what its Conservative leadership calls “double devolution”.

Councillor Andrew Williams, a member of the Conservative and Independents group who represents Ripon Minster and Moorside, praised the move at today’s meeting and launched an eviscerating attack on Harrogate Borough Council.

He said:

“This is for Ripon potentially a historic day in the building of a more constructive relationship with the unitary authority than it had previously with a rather fractured relationship that existed with Harrogate Borough Council.”

‘More grass on market than centre court at Wimbledon’

Cllr Williams said Ripon’s poor relationship with Harrogate led the city council to formulate “ambitious and complex” plans to take control of assets. He added:

“They all interlink to develop the central area of Ripon, which has sadly been neglected for some time.

“If you look at the Wakeman’s House that we are hoping to take ownership of, no work has been undertaken on that for over 10 years. The lease income from the business in there has been spent elsewhere.

“Ripon Town Hall last had maintenance carried out on it in 2004 when the queen visited.”

The Wakeman’s House 

Laughter was heard when Cllr Williams added:

“The market place will soon have more grass growing on it than the centre court at Wimbledon.”

He then criticised the decision to close public toilets at 9pm when the city encouraged visitors to watch the nightly hornblower ceremony. He added:

“We firmly believe Ripon people know Ripon better than anybody else and know best how to make it a success rather than it currently is, which is underachieving its potential.

“The people of Ripon and the council are firmly behind the principle of double devolution.”

Cllr Barbara Brodigan, a Liberal Democrat who represents Ripon Ure Bank and Spa, told the meeting she endorsed Cllr Williams’ comments.

The executive agreed unanimously to proceed with the proposals.

Knaresborough also set for more local control

North Yorkshire Council invited town and parish councils to submit expressions of interest to run local assets in November last year.

Harrogate was excluded from the process because it doesn’t have a town council and moves to set one up have been delayed by local Conservatives.

Twelve parish councils submitted expressions of interest.

Knaresborough Town Council and Ripon City Council were among those selected to advance their proposals, with a view to formally taking over on April 1 next year.

Knaresborough bid to manage the markets and assets associated with managing the market, such as road closure signs and tables.

But Little Ouseburn’s proposal to take charge of grass cutting of the green area outside Broomfield Cottages.was rejected because it “did not evidence legal competence”.

Read more:

• The Ripon Inn opens today after multi-million pound refurbishment
• 14 Harrogate town centre flats to go on market

Ripon appears to be in a strong position to take control of local assets, such as the town hall and market, which were previously run by Harrogate Borough Council.

North Yorkshire Council, which succeeded Harrogate Borough Council on April 1, has invited town and parish councils to submit expressions of interest to run local services.

It is part of the Conservative-controlled council’s double devolution agenda in which more assets and services are run locally.

The approach has sparked interest in Ripon, Knaresborough, Boroughbridge, Pateley Bridge and Masham, where some were aggrieved for years about decisions being made in Harrogate.

Ironically Harrogate does not yet have a town council so is excluded from the process and will continue to have its assets, such as Valley Gardens and Harrogate Convention Centre, run from Northallerton.

Ripon Town Hall

North Yorkshire Council leader Carl Les has revealed 12 expressions of interest have been received from town and parish councils so far.

Up to six will be chosen this autumn to put forward full business cases. Final decisions are expected in spring next year before assets are transferred to successful bidders later in the year.

A list of town and parish councils to have submitted expressions of interest has not been published but Ripon in known to be among them.

Cllr Les told the Stray Ferret he would be amazed if Ripon wasn’t selected to be one of the pilot areas. He told the Stray Ferret:

“Ripon was one of the first out of the blocks on double devolution. It is one of the keenest parts of the county. I’ll be amazed if Ripon isn’t in there.”

Read more:

• Ripon councillor rejects ‘Tory puppet’ accusations
• Ripon Independent councillor Andrew Williams joins Tory alliance
• ‘Ripon did not want a Tory and now they have one’, claims councillor

Tory alliance

The relationship between the ruling Conservatives on North Yorkshire Council and Cllr Andrew Williams, an independent who represents Ripon Minster and Moorside on North Yorkshire Council has been in sharp focus this month.

Last week Cllr Williams became one of three independents who joined a political alliance with the Conservatives.

The alliance strengthens the Conservatives’ grip on the council, after a recent defection meant it had precisely half of the 90 councillors.

It followed North Yorkshire Council’s decision to select Ripon as one of five pilot areas for new community networks.

The developments have sparked concerns from independent and Liberal Democrat councillors about whether the Tories promised taxpayer-funded favours, including double devolution deals, in return for political support from the independents who joined the new Conservatives and Independents Group.

Cllr Les and Cllr Williams both denied the allegation. Cllr Les said double devolution talks had taken place for months before the new group was formed last week.

Has Ripon been undermined by Harrogate?

Cllr Williams said there had been “no seedy back room arrangements” and he remained an independent who would vote as his conscience allowed, rather than a Tory puppet.

He said he joined the alliance because there was no prospect of the 45 non-Conservative councillors of different political groups on North Yorkshire Council being able to agree a budget and form an administration. He added:

“Ripon’s best interests will be served by having an alliance with the majority group. I stand for the benefit of Ripon rather than any political party.

“There can be a perception of whatever, I don’t care quite frankly, as long as Ripon gets a double devolution deal.

“There has been woeful neglect of the city for years by Harrogate Borough Council and I’m determined Ripon will fare better under the new local government arrangements.

“I stood on a pro-Ripon ticket. That’s my job — to stand up and fight for Ripon.”

The Harrogate district is bracing itself for heavy snow later today, with an amber weather warning in place.

The Met Office has warned that the most severe weather is expected from around 3pm, lasting until noon tomorrow.

The warning, which covers large parts of North Yorkshire, said:

“Heavy snow is likely to cause significant disruption on Thursday afternoon and Friday morning.

“[Expect] travel delays on roads, stranding some vehicles and passengers. Some delays and cancellations to rail and air travel are likely.

“There is a good chance that some rural communities could become cut off. Power cuts are likely and other services, such as mobile phone coverage, may be affected.”

There is still a high degree of uncertainty, however, with the Harrogate district being on the edge of the amber warning area and the BBC forecast showing only light snow and sleet for the rest of the day.

This morning, snow has been falling steadily in Harrogate and Knaresborough, leaving a covering on fields and gardens. However, roads are largely unaffected and remain clear.

To the north and west of Harrogate, conditions are clearer, with only light, sleety snowfall so far.

However, the forecast is for the weather to deteriorate later in the day, leading some traders to stay away from today’s market in Ripon, even though there was no snow early this morning.

Ripon market early today

Brian Murphy

Fruit and vegetable trader Brian Murphy was on site as usual this morning. He told the Stray Ferret:

“We will be keeping a close eye on the weather.

“Other traders who come from further away have decided not to come today because of fears that heavy snow could see them stuck here and unable to get home.”

Meanwhile, RHS Harlow Carr in Harrogate is closed today, as is Bettys’ on-site cafe – though its shop remains open.

Harewood House has also said it will close tomorrow.

Harrogate College has issued a notice that it plans to close its doors at 1pm to ensure students and staff can get home safely.

⚠️ Important weather announcement ⚠️

Due to the heavy snow predicted this afternoon, Harrogate College will be closing at 1pm today allowing time for staff and students to safely travel home.

Online learning will take place, please contact your tutor if you have any questions.

— Harrogate College (@HarrogateColl) March 9, 2023

There are no school closures so far today. Some nurseries in the area have asked parents to collect children as early as possible this afternoon before conditions worsen.

The Stray Ferret will continue to cover the weather conditions as they change today, tonight and into tomorrow. Keep checking our site and our Facebook and Twitter feeds for the latest news, including school closures, transport updates and more.

Got something to report? Email the news team with the details.

Today’s Ripon Market has fallen victim to the weather.

The market normally opens at 7.30am and runs until 3pm but our photo shows the scene on Market Square early this morning, with no stalls or traders in sight.

A number of traders posted on Facebook yesterday evening to say that the market was cancelled due to the weather.

Storm Dudley brought winds of around 50mph to the Harrogate district yesterday and Storm Eunice is due to arrive tomorrow.

Read more:

• Swimming Club seeks further talks over use of Ripon’s new pool
• Owner of Georgian house in Ripon threatens legal action over homes plan

Father Christmas and a reindeer will be in Ripon Market Square today.

They will be present from 1pm, as the city celebrates the start of the festive season with the switch on of its extensive Christmas lights.

The switch on takes place at 5pm and there will be free live music before and afterwards.

Freddie Cleary will be the first performer to take centre stage on Saturday afternoon

This starts at 2pm with a performance from Ripon-based singer-songwriter and acoustic guitarist Freddie Cleary.

From 4.10pm a tribute act will sing Christmas songs, followed by hits made famous by girl bands.

The entertainment comes to a climax at 6pm, when a Beatles tribute act takes to the stage in front of Ripon Town Hall.

Adding to the festivities, free fairground rides for children will be operating throughout the afternoon and into the evening.

The event is being staged by the Ripon City Council and paid for out of the parish precept, with the aim of attracting more visitors to Ripon, while providing family-focused entertainment for local residents and those from further afield.

Last year £65,000 was spent by the council to upgrade and extend the city’s Christmas lights, which can be seen in the retail core of Ripon and adjoining streets.

Talks of handing over Knaresborough and Ripon markets to local councils got off to an acrimonious start with a row erupting even before negotiations had begun.

Harrogate Borough Council has responsibility for running the historic markets but questions over their future are now being asked as the authority will soon be abolished under government plans to reorganise North Yorkshire’s councils.

This was up for debate at a virtual meeting of the full council, which quickly descended into chaos as councillors clashed over their record of support for traders.

Conservative Cllr Ed Darling proposed a notice of motion that said the authority had “long supported” the markets, while Liberal Democrat leader Cllr Pat Marsh accused the ruling party of indulging in self-praise and taking “no action” for the future.

Read more:

• Ripon grievances ‘like listening to Scottish National Party’, says senior Tory councillor
• £34,000: the cost of heating closed Ripon pool

Council leader Richard Cooper said the meeting had been reduced to “nonsense” and made members look “petty”.

It was eventually agreed that the council would begin talks with Knaresborough Town Council and Ripon City Council about taking over control of the markets.

Cllr Pauline McHardy, Ripon Independents, said any future decision would have a major impact on traders and should be dealt with urgently.

She said:

“The unitary council will be in place long before we ever come to a conclusion on the running of these markets. It will probably be one of the last things that the new council will be thinking of when it takes over.

“This needs to be dealt with in the here and now.”

The mayor of Knaresborough, Liberal Democrat Cllr Christine Willoughby, also said there was a “lingering distrust” among traders in the town, as well as fears over budget cuts.

She said:

“The answer to this is to have discussions.

“We are all aware that with reorganisation coming there is a possibility a new authority coming along will not be particularly interested in running markets.

“We need to be ready for change.”

The meeting on Wednesday marks the latest in a series of rows over the markets.

Last year the council faced pressure to scrap new rules, which meant traders were told to either bring and set up their own stalls or pay an extra fee.

Some stallholders had warned the move was putting the existence of the markets at risk but a petition insisting bosses re-think their decision was rejected.

Conservative Cllr Mike Chambers, cabinet member for housing and safer communities, said the council had shown strong support for the traders and that any suggestions otherwise were “facile”.

He said:

“A significant amount has already been done in promoting our markets and we must continue to promote and support them.

”I’m more than happy that we look at the possibility of Knaresborough Town Council and Ripon City Council taking control.

“We could have moved forward this evening in a spirit of unity and cooperation, but there are others who decided that would not be the case. That is disappointing and reflects on us all.”

Under the reorganisation of councils, the government is due to make a decision this summer on whether a single authority for all of North Yorkshire or two bodies split on an east/west basis should replace the current two-tier system.

Market stallholders and Knaresborough Chamber of Trade have reacted angrily after a councillor discredited a petition they raised about increased charges.

At the online full meeting of Harrogate Borough Council (HBC) in October, Steve Teggin, president of  Knaresborough Chamber of Trade, presented a ‘save your market’ petition with 4,000 signatures, raised during the summer at the town’s Wednesday market and Ripon’s Thursday market.

Following the meeting, Councillor Andrew Paraskos, HBC’s cabinet member for environment, waste reduction and recycling, contacted individual signatories, saying in a letter sent by post to their homes, or to email addresses:

“The statements made in the petition were misleading and incorrect.”

Harrogate Borough Council has an uneasy relationship with stallholders at its markets in Knaresborough and Ripon

The petition said:

“Harrogate Borough Council is increasing the cost of rent and stall assembly to traders by over 25 per cent. This will mean that it will not be financially viable to continue trading for several market traders.

“Other local councils helped market traders who could trade during lockdown providing essential food products. This was through charging no rent or discounting rent.

“When non-food traders were allowed to return, after not being able to trade for 3 months, full rent was charged (by HBC), despite other local councils providing financial assistance.”

Twenty non-essential traders applied for local authority discretionary grants and each received payments of £10,000 in two instalments – the first in the summer of £2,000 and then £8,000 in October. At the time the grant money was welcomed by those who had received it.

Read more:

• Council says additional costs for Ripon’s new swimming pool are ‘confidential’
• £9.6 million upgrade for Knaresborough to Poppleton rail line complete
• Why did market traders in Ripon and Knaresborough launch a petition?

However, the stallholders are unhappy about an increase of £5 plus VAT from August 1 for the supply and assembly of stalls by the council. Traders who erect their own stalls have not had to pay the additional fee.

The bid to get a council u-turn on increased charges failed, but Cllr Paraskos’s letter has reignited feelings of distrust between the traders and the council and the relationship has deteriorated.  A statement on the letter was given by HBC:

“It is not unusual for an elected member to correspond with the electorate on a range of different issues, whether related to their cabinet responsibilities or ward matters.

“In this case, it was important to set out in clear terms the council’s position on Knaresborough and Ripon markets after much mis-reporting and false claims circulating.

“There were only 747 unique names and addresses among the signatories on the petition.”

Mr Teggin told the Stray Ferret:

“I speak on behalf of stallholders, when I say attempts to undermine the petition is an insult, not only to the people who signed it, knowing it was factually correct, but to the market traders in Knaresborough and Ripon who have played an important role throughout the coronavirus crisis.

“We have already lost traders who have found the increased cost too much to bear and we cannot understand why Harrogate Borough Council treats us with such disdain.”

Brian Murphy, who represents Ripon’s stallholders, pointed out:

“The monthly invoice for rental and assembly of stalls that I paid the council in June was £550 including VAT and in August it shot up by £156 to £706 – that’s an increase of more than 25 per cent.

“I feel that with his letter, Cllr Paraskos was calling me and other market traders liars, but he has failed to substantiate in what ways the wording on our joint petition was ‘misleading and incorrect’.

“Attempting to cast doubts over a petition signed freely by the people who visit and value the markets in Ripon and Knaresborough, is yet another kick in the teeth from a council that is completely out of step with neighbouring authorities, who genuinely support and have a good relationship with stallholders.”