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.”
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.
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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 ChristmasLockdown 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.”
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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 marketsHarrogate 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.
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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 fairlyA 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.”
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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.”