Ripon Market Archives - Page 4 of 4

Ripon on track to run local assets previously controlled in Harrogate

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.”

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.”

Heavy snow forecast across Harrogate district later today

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 was quieter than usual after warnings about extensive snowfall

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 cancelled due to storms

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.

Santa and reindeer start Ripon’s festive season today

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.

Row over Ripon and Knaresborough markets ahead of council talks

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.

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.

Councillor’s petition criticism infuriates Knaresborough and Ripon traders

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.”

Photograph of the entrance to Harrogate Civic Centre

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.

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.”

Portable cabin removal restores Ripon festive cheer

A portable cabin parked near Ripon’s Christmas tree on Market Square has been removed.

The cabin appeared two days after the city’s biggest ever display of Christmas lights was switched on and somewhat spoiled the view.

Councillor Stuart Martin told Monday’s virtual meeting of Ripon City Council the cabin had been moved following a request to Yorkshire Water, which ordered the cabin as part of sewer repair works at the junction of Market Square East and Kirkgate.

Cllr Martin, who is also a district and county councillor, said:

“If, as expected, the lockdown is lifted on December 2, the works will be halted until the New Year.”

Ripon spent an extra £65,000 on Christmas lights this year, with the tree in the market place the centrepiece of the attraction.

The Market Square has been a major focal point in Ripon since the 12th century and is one of the most famous landmarks in the Harrogate district.

When the sewer works began, cllr Martin told the Stray Ferret:

“It is not right to put this slap bang in front of a Grade II* listed building, next to the Christmas tree. This has obviously caused a lot of upset.

“The positioning could have been better.”

Photo of on-going sewer repairs at Market Place East

Work on the sewer repairs at the junction of Market Place East and Kirkgate

Following Cllr Martin’s intervention, Harrogate Borough Council asked Yorkshire Water to find a more appropriate place for the cabins.

In the spirit of making the best of a bad situation, people on an online Ripon community group suggested decorating the cabins as giant presents or as Santa’s sleigh.

Another wrote:

“We have so little to look forward to this year. Surely it’s not too much to ask to be able to take a photo of our beautiful square!”

Knaresborough retailers close up and hope they survive to Christmas

Lockdown today has left shop owners and stallholders in Knaresborough fearful for the future of their businesses.

Shop owners and a market stallholder agree that it couldn’t have come at a worse time. November and December are their busiest months.

Many are choosing to go online, as they did during the first lockdown, in an attempt to make some of the money they would if they were to stay open.

Michael Baker-Kilburn, co owner of Little Darlings Gifts and Toys on Knaresborough high street, said:

“It’s the busiest time of the year for a toy shop so it’s really disappointing. We have so much stock coming next week, we’ve spent thousands on it. I need to think of our financial stability and I’m having to dip into our savings. I understand why we have to shut but who’s looking after us? This is when I take 50% of my cash for the whole year and I have nothing, who’s going to pay my bills and my rent?”

Similarly, Sonya Johnson who runs a ladies accessories stall on Knaresborough and Ripon markets said:

“It’s not good obviously because it’s the busiest time of the year. We just need to grin and bear it and hope we can reopen for December. It’s come at the worse time ever as November and December are always really busy. We normally have the Christmas trade to tide us over through January and February but if we come back then it could be difficult.”

Independent businesses owner, Martin Sturdy of Zigzag in Knaresborough , said business had only just recovered from the first lockdown and another one was likely to bring a new set worries.

He said:

“This couldn’t have come at a worse time. I just hope we can reopen soon and we can recover from it when we do. I think people will continue to support us so we will be fine. We do need to be able to open beginning of December because if we miss that run up to December it’s going to be a killer. We have all the stock and we need to make money from it.”

The lockdown is expected to end on December, 2 but business owners suspect, like the previous lockdown, the reopening of different industries will be staggered.

United call to protect Ripon and Knaresborough markets

Harrogate Borough Council is facing a united call to protect the ancient markets in Knaresborough and Ripon.

Following in the footsteps of Ripon Independent councillor Pauline McHardy, Knaresborough Town Council has called on HBC to rule out any additional charges to traders.

At a full meeting of HBC in July, Cllr McHardy called for fair treatment of market traders and sought an assurance that no more rent rises were in the pipeline.

A motion proposed by Liberal Democrat councillor and former town mayor of Knaresborough Andrew Willoughby was supported by the town council, which will now write to HBC’s chief executive Wallace Sampson calling for Knaresborough’s market to be protected.

Cllr Willoughby said:

“For the second time, Harrogate Borough Council are trying to push through a move to ‘self-erect’ market stalls, which will make trading impossible for some, mean more cancelled markets due to the less durable nature of these stalls and, as we have seen in Ripon, a much diminished market.”

Ripon Market.

An increase of more than 25% for the supply and assembly of market stalls for traders in both Knaresborough and Ripon came into effect from August 1.

Speaking at the same meeting where Cllr McHardy called for no further increases, Cllr Andy Paraskos, HBC cabinet member with responsibility for the district’s markets, pointed out that a number of measures have been put in place by the council to both support market traders and promote the markets.

This included waiving fees for traders unable to attend markets because of government restrictions during the covid lockdown period and promotion of market days on social media.

He added:

“There has been a rumour going around that Harrogate Borough Council is wanting to get rid of the markets. This is not true.”

Councillor calls for market traders to be treated fairly

A district councillor who has championed the cause of market traders is calling on Harrogate Borough Council to treat them fairly, in the wake of lockdown losses.

Independent Ripon Councillor Pauline McHardy, pictured above, with market trader Mike Finan (centre) and his son Will, told The Stray Ferret:

“For hundreds of years, the markets in Ripon and Knaresborough have made a major contribution to their local economy, by providing an important service for shoppers and bringing additional footfall that benefits other retailers, cafes, pubs and restaurants – but they appear to be undervalued by the local authority.”

The three-time Mayor of Ripon, who supported the ‘Love Your Local Market’ campaign set up in 2012 to fight for the future of markets across the UK, added:

“I have been speaking with non-food traders who have been coming here for years and they feel that, while other parts of the business community have been given proactive support from the council, in terms of advice and financial assistance, they have been left to sink or swim.”

Campaigners have called for traders at Ripon and Knaresborough markets to be given more support

HBC has given a three-month rent break to all commercial tenants in its premises, at a cost of £200,000 to the authority.

Cllr McHardy added:

“Other local authority areas in Yorkshire, including Hambleton, Craven, Leeds and Ryedale, have helped traders with either rent-free periods or reduced rents. However, following 11 weeks in which they were unable to earn any money, they found themselves having to pay full rents in Ripon and Knaresborough. It’s time for Harrogate Borough Council to start treating them fairly.”

Stallholder Mike Finan, whose family has sold women’s clothing on Ripon Market for more than 50 years, said:

“It has been really tough having weeks with no money coming in. When we returned to the markets at Thirsk and Northallerton, we were helped by the fact that rents have been reduced by 50 percent for June, but Harrogate has given us nothing.”

Steve Teggin, president of Knaresborough Chamber of Trade, said:

“The value of these traders to our communities can be seen week in, week out, as market day is a magnet that attracts much-needed business to our town centre. They deserve more help.”

Traders selling goods classed by the government as non-essential, did not have to pay rent during the weeks when they have been unable to stand, but food stall holders trading at scaled-down markets during the lockdown, were charged full rents.

Brian Murphy whose family has sold fruit and vegetables at Ripon Market for more than 100 years, said:

“At Otley, we have not been charged any rent during the coronavirus crisis and that continues, but we have had zero financial help from Harrogate.”

When approached for comment on the continuing concerns raised by stall holders, Harrogate Borough Council reiterated a previous statement in which it said:

“Where we have charged, fees have been held at last year’s rates. It’s disappointing to hear that one or two traders feel we’ve not been supportive. We’ve done all we can to ensure our markets can fully re-open safely and to enable traders to get back to business as usual.”

Read more:

Tory alliance

Read more:

Read more:

Read more:

Read more:

Read more:

Read more:

Read more:

Read more: